Monthly Archives: August 2015

Your Own Personal Pizza (No sharing required.)

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My husband and I like to think we’re pretty easy going when it comes to pizza, but the truth its, we’re not. At all. He likes meat-y, cheesy, greasy pizza. Where I want something more light and refreshing – yes, a pizza can be refreshing, guys (see ingredients below). So, I decided to solve this problem by making us each our own batch of dough to top with whatever we please. (It’s like we’re 5 years old again and need our OWN batter or we don’t want it at all.) If you’re in the same boat or just want a small pizza to nosh on, this one’s for you. No sharing required.

Pizza dough:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 tbsp canola oil

Toppings:

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp truffle oil
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, cubed
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 2 cups arugula
  • 1/2 of a fresh lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Making the dough:

In a mixing bowl with the dough attachment, combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the salt and the yeast. Add the warm water and canola oil. (If you don’t have a dough attachment, you can use the flat beater or the whisk.) Beat the ingredients on low for 30 seconds until fully combined, then gradually add in the remaining flour. Beat on medium-high until a dough begins to form. (If you have a dough attachment you can skip this next part.) Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.

On a cookie sheet, divide the dough in half (one for you, one for your significant other…) cover, and let sit for 10 minutes to rise. At this point, if you want to store the dough for later use, spray two ziplock bags with cooking oil and place the dough inside each. You can freeze the dough up to 3 months.

Topping your pizza:

If you’re ready to use right away, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. On your floured surface, roll the dough out to roughly 1/2 inch high for thin crust, or 1 inch high for regular. Brush on the olive oil and truffle oil, leaving space along the edge for the crust. Layer on the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. (If you don’t have a pizza pan like me, but want to keep the round shape, flip over a cookie sheet and bake the pizza on top of it.) Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted.

A couple of minutes before pulling it out of the oven top it with the arugula. When it’s completely done squeeze the fresh lemon (sans lemon seeds) over the whole thing. Sit back and enjoy the fact that you can have it aaalll to yourself.

Personal White Pizza

Happy Eating, XO.

The Fresh French Baguette

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Ok, guys. It’s high time we start taking it up a notch by making our own bread, a baguette to be exact. I can’t tell you how helpful this has been when throwing parties. Make a quick baguette (you don’t have to wait hours for this one to rise. It takes roughly an hour for prep and baking), bake it and cut it up. You can use the recipes we gave you for crostini, or toast, or go crazy with your own toppings! Whatever your heart desires. Sayonara store bought bread.

  • 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
  • 1 tsp active dry yeast (Told you you’d use all of the yeast eventually)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • **1 egg white wash (optional)

In a mixing bowl, combine the lukewarm water with the yeast. Whisk together then let it sit for roughly 10 minutes. Using a dough hook on slow speed, add all of the salt, and begin adding in the flour 1 cup at a time. If you don’t have a dough hook, you can mix together with a whisk or spatula. You should begin to see a soft dough form. If it’s still too wet and sticky, add a bit more flour. Take the dough out of the bowl and place on a floured surface. Let it sit for 5 minutes. (Sorry guys, I know this is a test of patience. I usually go wash the dishes I just used. Two birds, one stone.)

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees, and grease a cookie sheet or baguette pan. Using a greased knife, cut the dough in half and roll it out into a log/baguette. **If you want a crispy crust, whisk the egg white and brush on top of the dough.  Place the dough on the sheet or pan, and make 3 small, even slits across the top of each baguette. Bake for 15 minutes. Leaving the dough in the oven, turn it up to 400 degrees for another 15 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 350 for another 10 minutes.

Damndelish French Baguette

Happy Eating, XO.

 

Easier Than Pie

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Galettes are the hot item right now, and why wouldn’t they be? They’re so ridiculously easy! One pie crust? Some fruit? Done. Guys, when I say it’s easy it’s no joke. I made this after work, just before a neighbor’s BBQ last Tuesday night. I made it again on Friday. It’s that good. Ok, I get that it’s hot and you don’t want to use your oven. But we promise, it’s worth it.

You already have a recipe for an apple galette to use up your fall apples, now it’s time to use all of those fresh summer strawberries. No pie plate? No problem.

Hint: If you see recipes for crostatas, they’re actually the same as galettes. Crostasas = Italian and Galettes = French. Take your pick!

Galette

  • 1 9″ or 12″ flat pie crust
  • 3 cups of sliced strawberries (roughly 1 small container)
  • 1/4 cup almonds, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup sugar, plus some for sprinkling
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp water

Optional: Caramel topping

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tsbp water
  • 4 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp whiskey (I used Jack Daniel’s Honey)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or this reusable mat. Mix together the almonds, sugar, and flour. Lay the pie crust flat on the cookie sheet and sprinkle the almond mixture on top, leaving roughly 2 inches free along the edge. Place the strawberries on top and begin to fold up the edges, creasing where needed. Mix together the egg yolk and water and brush along the crust. Sprinkle sugar all along the top. Bake for 30 minutes.

While the galette is baking, let’s begin on the caramel. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, pour in the sugar and water and bring to steady simmer. Swirl the saucepan to dissolve the sugar, don’t stir. After a couple of minutes you should begin to see the liquid turn amber. At this point, turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream and bourbon. (If you have extra sauce, you can store it in the fridge up to 1 week. Ice cream topping anyone?)

You can serve the galette hot or cold.

Damndelish Strawberry Galette

Happy Eating, XO.

 

Foodie Fave: Mini Baileys Chocolate Cheesecake Trifles

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Just when you think chocolate couldn’t get any better, Lindsay from Life, Love, and Sugar adds Baileys to it and totally blows us away. She has a recipe for the perfect bite size chocolate trifles (think: P.F. Changs’ mini desserts). Plus, it has cheesecake and Oreos. #Drooling. I made a test batch of these bad boys and it was like eating a dream. I dare you to try them as well!

Cheesecake layer:

  • 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa
  • 4 tbsp Baileys
Whipped cream and cookies:
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 2 tbsp Baileys  (Note: I decided to leave the Baileys out of the whipped cream)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cocoa
  • 3 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 15 Oreo cookies, crushed
Beat the cream cheese, sugar and cocoa together in a bowl until smooth. Add Baileys and mix until well incorporated. Set aside. In another bowl, whip heavy whipping cream until it starts to thicken. Add Baileys, cocoa and powdered sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. (This is where I left out the Baileys).
To make the trifles, divide half of the cookie crumbs evenly between the four cups (or jars) and spread into an even layer in the bottom of the cups. Pipe or spoon, an even layer of cheesecake filling on top of the cookie crumbs in each of the four cups. You should only use about half of the filling. Pipe, or spoon, an even layer of whipped cream on top of the cheesecake filling in each of the four cups. Divide remaining cookie crumbs between the four cups and evenly distribute the second layer of crumbs on top of the whipped cream. You can keep a little bit of crumbs aside, if you want to use them to sprinkle on top of the finished trifles. Pipe, or spoon, remaining cheesecake filling on top of cookie crumbs, distributing evenly between the four cups.

Top each trifle with a swirl of whipped cream and a few more cookie crumbs, if you kept some aside. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Lindsay recommends setting them out for about 15 minutes prior to eating, so that they aren’t too firm.

Baileys_Chocolate_Cheesecake_Trifles2

Happy Eating, XO.

Strawberry Peach Mini Muffins

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It’s peach season people. And what better way to eat peaches than with another summer favorite – strawberries! (Ok, we think our peaches and cream and peach cobbler recipes are pretty awesome too. FINE, we’re obsessed with peaches.) Aaanyway, I picked these juicy fruits up from our local farmers’ market over the weekend. I absolutely adore going to farmers’ markets and I’m lucky enough to say I have a handful of them all within 15 minutes away. The fact that I can get fresh fruits and veggies means endless recipe options, for us and you. Saweet! And if you go a little overboard with too many fruits and veggies, before they start turning, throw them in to muffins like these little guys.

These mini muffins are perfect for brunch or as dessert. And, warning: they’re super poppable. You may run out sooner than you think.

Cue Presidents of the United States…

*Makes 24 mini muffins

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 cup chopped strawberries
  • 1 cup chopped peaches

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a mini muffin pan. In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: baking powder, flour, and sugar until fully blended. Stir in the eggs, both extracts, and the butter. You should begin to see a dough form. When fully combined, gently fold in the strawberries and peaches. Pour into the pan, filling each muffin to 3/4 high. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Strawberry peach mini muffins DamnDelish

Happy Eating, XO.