Midweek Mini-Post

E-mails have come in from a few people asking where I got the jars pictured in yesterday's Light and Fit Berry Sorbet post. I figured I would take this opportunity to put together a little midweek mini-post.

These beautiful little jars are actually Ball Jars purchased from the baking isle at Target. I found these jars perfect since they are smaller, only 4-oz., than regular canning jars making them a more manageable size to fill. Oh, and did I mention the great price? You can snag a dozen for around $8.

Since purchasing these jars last weekend, I've been obsessed. Newly-married friends moved in last week a few miles from my apartment, but instead of bringing a housewarming gift that needed to be stored somewhere on a shelf, I brought something that can be eaten with a spoon: homemade peanut butter. Tied up with a string and wrapped in a gift bag, these little jars of peanut butter are the perfect way to say "welcome home."

Light and Fit Berry Sorbet

There are very few things I love to eat in the summer more than ice creams and sorbets. Actually, it's not just during the summer, it's all throughout the year. But during the summertime, blogs, websites, magazines, and newspapers are abuzz with recipe after recipe, touting the ease of making your own ice cream and sorbet at home. All this sounds well and good, until I read the dreaded phrase that inevitably comes with almost every recipe I read during the summer months: put the mixture into your ice cream maker.

Ice cream maker? Exactly how many people in America own an ice cream maker? As a dedicated food writer, cook, and blogger I own my fair share of great appliances and specialty kitchen tools, but ice cream maker has never quite made the cut. Spending upwards of sixty dollars on something I might use a half a dozen times during the summer just doesn't cut it on my 22-year-old budget.

So today I bring you my solution to the no ice cream maker dilemma. This homemade berry sorbet takes less than 5 minutes to prepare, has three ingredients, is incredibly refreshing, and doesn't require an ice cream maker. It does, however, require a food processor. If I could recommend one piece of kitchen equipment, a food processor would certainly be it. This baby is life changing in the kitchen and with the right equipment, it goes from blender to mixer to box grater to processor. Magic!

And if you need one more reason to convince you this sorbet is worth making, it is incredibly healthy. In fact, it is so healthy you could justify eating for breakfast and dessert; I have. To make sure you aren't packing the sorbet with hidden sugar, picking the right yogurt is key. For this reason, I love Dannon Light and Fit. It's relatively low in added sugar and calories, and has great flavor and creamy texture. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to eat more sorbet!


Light and Fit Berry Sorbet
(Printable Recipe)
Ingredients:
*2 cups frozen mixed berries
*3/4 cup vanilla yogurt (I favor Dannon Light and Fit)
*2 Tbsp. Splenda, Stevia, or other sweetener

Instructions:
*In a food processor, place the frozen berries and process for 30 seconds.
*Add the yogurt and Splenda to the food processor and continue to process for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the mixture is well combined and smooth.
*Remove from the food processor and spoon into bowls. Serve immediately or freeze until ready to use. If you freeze for more than 1 hour and the sorbet is too hard to scoop, zap in the microwave for 15 seconds to soften.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Chef Scott Peacock's Dinner Rolls

Having a weekend at home is, to say the least, absolutely divine. Since it's been almost two months since I've had a weekend like this, please excuse the short post. I've got a lot more weekending (is that even a word?) to get back to! Browsing the farmer's market, a birthday barbecue, a wedding, and consuming way too much delicious food make for a wonderful couple of days.

Before I leave you, a word or two should be said about these heavenly rolls. My first Scott Peacock dinner roll was made by the chef himself. Trust me when I say they were beyond perfect and I ate one too many. Buttery all over with a crisp exterior and light, airy interior, these rolls are everything packaged rolls strive to be but never come close. If you make these rolls, people will fall at your feet, proclaim you a dinner roll master, and do favors for you in exchange for more rolls. Next time you need a favor, come with a smile and a basket of Scott Peacock's rolls. You won't be sorry.

Have a happy weekend! 

Chef Scott Peacock's Dinner Rolls
Recipe Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens magazine and Chef Scott Peacock 
(Printable Recipe)
Ingredients:
* 1 cup milk 
* 6 Tbsp. butter (room temperature) 
* 1 pkg. active dry yeast 
* 1/4 cup warm water (105 degrees F to 115 degrees F) 
* 2 eggs, lightly beaten 
* 3 Tbsp. sugar 
* 4 to 4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour (not unbleached) 
* 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
*  Melted butter

Instructions:
* Heat the milk to 120*F to 130*F; add the butter and set aside to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, in a large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add cooled milk, eggs, and sugar to dissolved yeast and stir to blend. With a wooden spoon stir in 2 cups of the flour and the salt; stir until smooth. Add 2 cups of remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring vigorously for 3 to 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and only slightly sticky. (Only if needed, after 3 minutes of stirring and dough is overly wet, stir in 1 tablespoon flour at a time.
* Cover the surface of the dough with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Cover the top of the bowl with a second piece of plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled (1 to 2 hours). 
* Lightly butter 24 muffin cups. Gently press the dough to deflate. With lightly buttered hands pinch off generous 1-inch pieces of dough. Fold the dough over, turning and tucking the edges to form a ball. Pinch the seam together to seal. Dip in melted butter and arrange three dough balls in each muffin cup. Let rise until fully doubled (about 1 hour).
* Heat oven to 400*F. Bake rolls for 20 to 25 minutes or until well-browned. Remove from oven. Brush with softened butter. Remove rolls immediately from cups to a wire cooling rack. Let cool about 5 minutes before serving. Makes 24 dinner rolls.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Oatmeal Scones with Coconut Glaze

As much as I may enjoy a busy, fun filled weekend every now and again, this nonstop travel and craziness has got to stop. Returning home from work last night, I was so tired that I completely forgot about dinner. Trust me, that never happens. So I celebrated the longest day of the year by getting the year's longest night of sleep. Eleven hours later I feel like a completely new person. Not to worry, this new person still likes to eat and blog.

Scones were never a part of my childhood. I don't have stories of waking up to the smell of scones or my mom teaching me to make them. The first time I remember eating a scone was in college at my friend Emily's house. Emily lives on an acreage in Minnesota that looks like something out of a magazine. The house is country-chic beautiful and surrounded by fruit trees, chickens, and goats. Her mom is a do-it-all type that happens to make very delicious raspberry scones. Raspberry scones made with freshly picked raspberries. After that trip, I was sold on scones.

I've made scones before, but they've usually ended up tasting like rocks. Call me crazy, but I don't think scones are supposed to taste like rocks. On the bright side these Oatmeal Scones with Coconut Glaze taste nothing like rocks, quite the opposite actually. They are crispy around the edges and light inside and the coconut glaze serves to add extra moisture. While eating one, I found they mysteriously tasted a bit like carrot cake. Don't ask me how or why. Maybe I'm just imagining things and need some more sleep.

Oatmeal Scones with Coconut Glaze 
Adapted from Gourmet, November 2005
(Printable Recipe) 
Ingredients:
*1 cup all-purpose flour
*2/3 cup whole wheat flour
*1 tsp. cinnamon
*1 Tbsp. baking powder
*3/4 tsp. baking soda
*1/2 tsp. salt
*1 tsp. vanilla extract
*1 1/3 cups old fashioned oats
*1 1/2 sticks butter
*2/3 cup milk

*1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
*1/4 cup milk
*1 tsp. coconut extract
*1/2 cup shredded coconut (sweetened)

Instructions:
*Preheat oven to 400*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
*In the bowl of a food processor, combine flours, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add oats and pulse for 30 seconds. Add butter, cut into cubes. Pulse 15 times, until butter forms coarse crumbs no larger than the size of a pea. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
*Add milk to the flour mixture and stir with a fork until dough forms and dry and ingredients are just combined. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and form into a large rectangle. Cut into triangles and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until scones are lightly golden.
*Meanwhile, mix together the powdered sugar, milk, and coconut extract. When scones are slightly cool, drizzle glaze over the scones. Sprinkle with coconut.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark

There really is nothing like waking up in the morning knowing the day is completely yours. No responsibilities, tasks to complete, or places to be. Of course being the list maker that I am, a 'to-do' list was still made. But today's list was in my head instead of on paper, a fun list of sorts, and the consequences of not completing the items on my list? None whatsoever. 

You really should try it every now and again. After you accomplish something wonderful, like making a wedding cake, or have a particularly hard week, give yourself a day to make a fun list, a mini-reprieve from the everyday grind, and throw your work related list to the curb for a day. My list?

*Sleep in

*Drink coffee

*Enjoy a long breakfast 

*Catch up with college girlfriends

*Go on a run with J. 

*Spend time outside and get some sun

*Blog (check!)

After being covered in cake batter and frosting for the last two days baking was the farthest thing from my mind. So to get my fix of sweet without the oven I whipped up a batch of Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark. This recipe has been my go-to casual dessert a number of times. It's fun, quick, and versatile, not to mention delicious. Swap the raisins for cranberries or another type of dried fruit, substitute walnuts or almonds for the pecans, whatever your heart desires. Break it into pieces once the chocolate has hardened, then serve it with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark 

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

*6 oz. white chocolate 

*6 oz. milk chocolate 

*1/2 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped

*1/2 cup raisins, dried cranberries, or other dried fruit

*1/3 cup shredded, sweetened coconut 

*1/2 tsp. kosher salt 

Instructions

*Place chocolates in a medium saucepan and melt, stirring constantly, over medium low heat until chocolate is just melted. Remove from heat. Pour chocolate onto a large sheet of waxed paper and spread with a spatula into a thin layer.

*Sprinkle chocolate with the pecans, raisins, and shredded coconut. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. 

*Allow chocolate to harden completely, about 3 hours. To speed up the process, place in the refrigerator. Break into pieces to serve. 

Happy (non) Baking!

Madison

White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

I officially have no life. Wait, check that, I have a life and it consists of traveling in the car and going to weddings. Case in point? My last six days.

They went something like this...

Drove three hours back to northwest Iowa for a wedding. Spent a day baking hundreds of cupcakes and a wedding cake. Went to said wedding. Drove back home early Monday morning (6 a.m. early) and went straight to work. Sweated it out at hot yoga. Went to bed. Slept ten glorious hours. Woke up. Blogged about veggie burgers. Went to work. Sweated it out at spin class with my editor. Returned home. Did laundry. Packed again. Made cookies. Decided they needed ice cream. Nine more hours of sleep. Went to work. Returned home. Made ice cream sandwiches. High-tailed it back to northwest Iowa for yet another wedding. Now prepping to make another cake. 

Don't make a wedding cake. Ever. Even for fun. Because if you show the slightest aptitude for it, you may find yourself making many cakes, unable to say no. You'll question why you said yes, then swell with pride when you see your finished creation and forget about all the stress and hours of hard labor.

Instead, make these Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. I made them, and now they are back home in my freezer, waiting to be eaten since I didn't have time this week. But believe me, when I return it will be at the top of my to do list.

And, as promised, pictures of the wedding cake from last week! 
You can view the cake by clicking here. 

White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

*2 sticks butter, softened

*1 1/2 cups sugar

*1/2 cup brown sugar

*2 large eggs

*1 tsp. baking soda

*1 tsp. baking powder

*1/2 tsp. salt

*1 tsp. coconut extract

*2 cups quick cooking (instant) oats

*1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

*1/2 cup whole wheat flour

*1 cup white chocolate chips

*2 pints caramel ice cream (I used Ben & Jerry's Dulce Delish)

Instructions:

*Preheat oven to 350*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

*Beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Beat 2 minutes, until fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined.

*Beat in the baking soda, baking powder, salt and coconut extract.

*Add in the oats, followed by the flours, beating until just combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips by hand.

*Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges. Cool completely on wire racks.

*Scoop ice cream onto half of the cookies. Top with remaining cookies. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

A few months ago I did something I never thought possible, something a little crazy, a tad unusual, and something that made J's dad, a cattle farmer, scratch his head in bewilderment. I became a vegetarian. It started over dinner at a Mexican restaurant near my apartment while eating with a good friend. She introduced me to a website of a family living and eating vegan. That means no meat, cheese, milk, yogurt, eggs - basically anything that comes from animals, not just the animals themselves.

I knew going vegan was not for me, since yogurt, milk, and butter play a huge role in my kitchen. But it did get me thinking about vegetarianism, not because I believe there is something ethically wrong with eating meat, but more because I was inspired by the idea of eating more. Eating more fruits, veggies, and whole grains, the things most often tossed aside in the traditional American diet.

Sharing this on Espresso and Cream was something I've been avoiding for months now because I didn't want you to get the wrong idea. I don't think everyone needs to be a vegetarian; I'm not even sure how long vegetarianism will be a part of my own life. What I can say, however, is that I've learned a lot about how important it is to eat plenty of fruits and veggies and how hard that can be.

The question I am most frequently asked now when people find out I've been living vegetarian is, "How do you get enough protein?" Well there are plenty of ways, but one of the most delicious ways is a good old fashioned burger. Well, a Black Bean Veggie Burger to be exact. I've tried quite a few commercial veggie burgers. They aren't all that bad, some are even pretty good, but they all just taste a bit too manufactured after you've had a homemade patty like this. And isn't that the case with all homemade things? They just taste so much better.

Because veggie burgers are a bit more delicate than the meat variety they don't hold up as well to grilling. If you do want to toss them on a grill, go ahead and bake them as instructed for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until ready to grill. Then, toss them on a well-oiled grill for 10 minutes, flipping once half way through cooking. 

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

(Printable Recipe) 

Ingredients:

*1/2 cup shredded carrots

*1 medium bell pepper of any color, seeded and quartered

*1/2 to 1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and halved

*1/2 tsp. ground cumin

*1/2 tsp. ground coriander

*1/4 tsp. paprika

*1 tsp. kosher salt

*1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

*1 clove garlic, peeled

*1 Tbsp. olive oil

*1/2 cup rolled oats

*2 Cans Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained

Instructions:

*Preheat oven to 300*F. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

*In the bowl of a food processor, place all the ingredients except the black beans. Pulse for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the ingredients are finely chopped but still have a some texture.

*Add in 3/4 of the black beans (note: not 3/4 cup, 3/4 of all the beans) and continue to pulse with the food processor for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the beans start to break down and ingredients begin to hold together.

*Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in the remaining black beans by hand. Form mixture into six patties and place on baking sheet.

*Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until edges become crisp and patties start to hold together. Allow patties to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before placing on bun. Or refrigerate until ready to use, then reheat in the oven or microwave.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Breakfast Bowl Celebration

Whew! The last two days are a complete blur. I hardly remember much of Friday, when baking 300 cupcakes and making a wedding cake took over my life and was a bit too exhausted on Saturday to remember much, either. I can, however, say the wedding was lovely, the bride was beautiful, and I think everyone had a pretty amazing time. Oh, and the cupcakes were well-received, too! 

Because I am a creature of habit, I will be eating this breakfast bowl and curling up with a cup of coffee to celebrate wedding success and being done. One, because it's delicious. Two, because I eat the same thing for breakfast practically every morning. It's not much of a recipe, but it does get the job done day in and day out. Even when I am back in my childhood home I find a way to eat this tasty combo, and if you find yourself looking for a healthy, yummy breakfast, you should try it, too.

Breakfast Bowl

*1 (7-oz.) container 2% Greek yogurt or other low-fat yogurt

*1 cup fresh or frozen berries or other type of chopped fruit

*1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal or Quaker Squares cereal 

*1 Tbsp. Homemade Nut Butter

Happy Eating!

Madison

Chocolate Revel Bars

No time for extra words today because after I post these Chocolate Revel Bars, I'll be heading to a church kitchen a few miles away to spend the day baking. Baking 300 cupcakes and a two tiered wedding cake to be exact. Sure I've done this before, it seems that every time wedding season comes around I commit to at least a few weddings, but it never gets any less stressful. 

I play it cool and collected every time. But inside, I'm always freaking out!

I'll be posting photos of the preparations and the actual event once the craziness of this weekend has begun to subside, but until then these Chocolate Revel Bars will have to do. And boy are they something. Everyone who has ever been to a church potluck in my neck of the woods has most likely eaten their fair share of these bars. 

Maybe it's because they're easy, or because they are delicious, or because they go well with milk and mix creamy chocolate filling with the crunch of an oatmeal cookie. Whatever the reason, they are pretty darn irresistible.

Chocolate Revel Bars

Recipe courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens 

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:  

*1 cup butter, softened 

*2 cups packed brown sugar 

*1 teaspoon baking soda 

*2 eggs 

*2 teaspoons vanilla 

*2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

*3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats 

*1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate pieces 

*1 14-ounce can (1 1/4 cups) sweetened condensed milk 

*1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 

*2 teaspoons vanilla 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the butter. In a large mixing bowl beat the remaining butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Stir in the rolled oats.

2. For filling, in a medium saucepan combine the reserved 2 tablespoons butter, the chocolate pieces, and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in the nuts and 2 teaspoons vanilla.

3. Press two-thirds (about 3 1/3 cups) of the rolled oats mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan or a 13x9-inch baking pan. Spread filling evenly over the oats mixture. Dot remaining rolled oats mixture on filling (see photo, below).

4. Bake for about 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned (chocolate filling will still look moist). Cool pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. 

Happy Baking!

Madison

Lemon Loaf Cake

Growing up for most of my life as an only child I highly valued my alone time. Time to think, relax, dance around the house in my pajamas, you get the picture. Sure, I have two younger sisters that I love very much, but seeing as they live in Florida with my dad and step-mom, the day-to-day of life was an only child scenario.

Oh boy did I grow to love that alone time, much of which was spent cooking, baking, and browsing through the shelves of cookbooks my mom had acquired throughout the years. Cookbooks from Southern Living, Ina Garten, The Joy of Cooking, and The Silver Palate Cookbook. I cooked them all in my desire to learn more, but there was one cookbook I never touched: The Way to Cook by Julia Child.

Last month while back home during a brief moment of coveted alone time curiosity got the better of me. Why had I never cooked even a single Julia Child recipe? I remember watching her television specials on PBS, loved the movie Julie and Julia and believe wholeheartedly in the work she did to further great cooking in America, but her recipes never had me clamoring for the kitchen. 

I wish I could say browsing through The Way to Cook changed my mind, but that would be a lie. It felt the same way I remembered: stiff, formal, and labor intensive. So I put the book back on the shelf and accepted that cooking a la Julia Child might not be my thing. 

But just when I thought it was not meant to be I stumbled across this recipe for lemon loaf cake. Found in Julia Child's Baking with Julia, this bright, lemony loaf is enough to make anyone smile. If happiness had a mascot, this loaf would be it. And bucking my belief that all Julia recipes are fussy and complicated, this lemon loaf cake is incredibly straightforward. 

So this summer I will be baking and enjoying lemon loaf cake, and with each bite I will be eating my words. Turns out, Julia really knew what she was talking about after all.

Lemon Loaf Cake

From Baking with Julia by Julia Child

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

*4 eggs at room temperature

*1 1/3 cups sugar

*pinch of salt

*Grated zest of 3 large lemons

*1 3/4 cups cake flour

*1/2 tsp. baking powder

*1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

*5 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

Instructions:

*Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan and dust with flour, shaking out the excess. 

*Working in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and salt for just a minute, until foamy and smoothly blended; the mixture should not thicken. Whisk in the grated zest.

*Spoon the flour and baking powder into a sifter and sift about a third of the dry ingredients over the foamy egg mixture. Whisk the flour into the eggs, mixing lightly - there's no need to beat. Sift the flour over the eggs in two more additions and whisk only until everything is incorporated. Whisk the heavy cream into the mixture. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently and quickly fold in the melted butter.

*Baking the cake: Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan - it will level itself - and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the center of the cake crowns and cracks and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake to a cooling rack to rest for 10 minutes before unmolding. Cool to room temperature right side up on a rack.

(I topped my loaf with a simple powdered sugar glaze made with 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/4 cup milk) 

Happy Baking!

Madison

Triple Berry Pound Cake Muffins

Camping mission accomplished!

More often than not I judge the success of my day, or in this case weekend, by my level of productivity. As far as productivity goes, this weekend was a major success. Not only did I experience camping for the first time, but we also managed to secure an apartment for J. to live in when he starts his job next month. That may not seem like much of an accomplishment, but if you saw some of the apartments we looked at you would probably agree we accomplished quite a bit.

Street view of the apartment

 And the happy apartment hunters! 

Oh, and we ate. A lot. I had no idea camping is as much serious eating as it is outdoor recreation. Along with this salad I also brought along a few sweeter treats, including these muffins. Sure, they are a little more pound cake than muffin, but who's really counting?

Truthfully, I whipped up these little beauties a couple hours before leaving for the weekend. Since my kitchen was stocked with basics but running low on fun mix-ins, I threw in a cup of frozen mixed berries since they can almost always be found in my freezer. And while I imagined they would satisfy hungry campers for breakfast, I had no idea they would be such a hit! Gone within the first 48 hours of our little camping adventure, the biggest complaint was that there weren't enough to last the entire trip.

 

Triple Berry Pound Cake Muffins 

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

*1 cup butter, softened 

*2 1/3 cups sugar 

*3 large eggs 

*3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

*1/4 tsp. salt

*1/2 cup milk

*1 tsp. almond extract

*1 cup frozen mixed berries (keep frozen, no need to thaw - fresh berries may be substituted if desired)

*1 cup powdered sugar 

*1/4 cup milk

Instructions:

*Preheat oven to 325*F. 

*Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium high speed for 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar. Beat 3 minutes more. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined and yellow disappears. 

*Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Add flour to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in almond extract. Gently beat in the frozen mixed berries by hand.

*Spoon batter into muffin/cupcake pan lined with paper muffin liners, filling about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

*Stir together the powdered sugar and 1/4 cup milk. Drizzle over muffins while muffins are still warm. 

Happy Baking!

Madison

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

I am going camping. I'll say it again. I, Madison Mayberry, am going camping for the very first time in my 22 years of life. For those who only know me through this site, it may be hard to understand the humor in this, but for friends and family who know living, breathing, non-camping me, it is nothing short of earth shattering. To top things off, I am recovering from a 24 hour bout with food poisoning that left me curled up in a ball on my couch for the better part of Tuesday.

Once you finish laughing, your prayers would be greatly appreciated.

My camping companions for the weekend? J. and his family- all experienced campers. For the outdoor excursion, J. and I were asked to contribute a salad and some type of sweet. Initially, I jumped at the thought of bringing my favorite lettuce salad, but the prospect of trying to keep lettuce wilt-free, and bringing multiple containers for the ingredients and dressing seemed daunting. I'm no expert, but I think ease of transport and durability is important when camping.



Pasta salad won out because it actually seems to taste better after a couple days. The flavors become richer as the dressing settles into the pasta and there is no need to worry about bruising or wilting. And it's not just about being easy; this pasta is seriously delicious. It's sweet, salty, light, and summery - pretty much everything you could ask for in a pasta salad. When looking at this photo, you might notice the Asiago cheese is missing. Since I still have to transport the salad, I've left off the cheese so I can add it in at the last minute, but you can be sure the cheese will not be forgotten. 

I'm off to pack my bags and mentally prepare to camp. My camera is coming with, and you can be sure there will be photos upon my return. Wish me luck!

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
(Printable Recipe)
Ingredients
Dressing:
*7 oz. jar sundried tomatoes 
*3 cloves garlic
*3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
*1 cup olive oil
*1 tsp. kosher salt
*1 Tbsp. dried basil

Salad:
*16 oz. corkscrew pasta
*1 pint cherry tomatoes
*1 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese

Instructions:
*In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients for the dressing. Blend for 2-3 minutes, until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Set aside.
*Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta is no longer hot.
*Place pasta and tomatoes in a bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Top with the Asiago cheese. Serve cold.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

This recipe, if you can even call it a recipe, almost didn't make it to the pages of Espresso and Cream. I got to dipping marshmallows in chocolate one night to satisfy a sweet tooth craving, never really thinking of sharing the idea with anyone else, but when J. arrived at my apartment last week his enthusiastic reaction made me do a double take. "You're going to put these on the blog, right?" he asked.

And so in the name of ease, yumminess, and practicality, I am posting chocolate covered marshmallows. Not because they're revolutionary, cutting edge, or will change your world, but because they will satisfy your sweet tooth in a majorly easy way. They also travel well and would be beautiful packed in a box and served as a gift like chocolate truffles. So here's to Wednesdays and making life a little simpler. 

Chocolate Covered Marshmallows
(Printable Recipe)
Ingredients:
24-30 large marshmallows
8 oz. white chocolate, chopped
2 tsp. vegetable or canola oil 
Chocolate Sprinkles

Instructions:
*Place chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 20 second intervals until chocolate is melted. Stir in the oil until well combined.
*Drop marshmallows, one at a time, into the melted chocolate, using a spoon or a fork to be sure marshmallow are completely covered on all sides. Lift the chocolate covered marshmallows one at a time with a fork and place on waxed paper or parchment paper. Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles while chocolate is still soft.
*Allow chocolate to harden, at least 2-3 hours. To speed up process, place in the fridge to harden. Store in the fridge until ready to eat.

Happy Cooking!

Madison