Chocolate-Peanut Butter Tart

For my last day of work, I wanted to bring in a special little treat for the office. I really didn't feel like bringing a cake, and cookies just felt to boring.

Thank God Martha Stewart saved my life on this one and introduced me to the most AMAZING dessert I've ever tasted, the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Tart. You need to drop everything and make this now.

Warning: It did take quite a long time to make with all of the cooling and freezing, so make sure you've got a long afternoon or evening for this one. And my peanut butter marbling definitely didn't turn out as good as this, but it was easier than I thought with a wooden skewer.

And don't worry about the nutrition info. on this one. Just don't. 

Here's what you'll need:

• For the Crust

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Valrhona)
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream

• For the Brittle

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) cocktail peanuts, finely chopped in a food processor

• For the Filling

  • 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 5 ounces semisweet chocolate (61 percent), chopped
  • Pinch of salt

  
  

  Directions

  Make the crust: Whisk flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low, and gradually beat in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with cream and beginning and ending with flour mixture. Shape dough into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before rolling.
  
  

  

  
  Roll out dough into a 7-by-16-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Fit into a 4 1/2-by-14-inch rectangular tart ring (fantes.com) on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Push dough into corners of ring to create sharp edges; trim so that dough is flush with top of ring. Prick dough all over with a fork. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
  
  

  

  
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line crust with parchment, pressing so that it is flush with dough, especially in corners. Fill with pie weights or dried beans; bake until edges are set, about 20 minutes. Remove weights and parchment; bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
  
  

  

  
  Make the brittle: Bring sugar, butter, corn syrup, and water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to brown. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until golden brown. Stir in baking soda, salt, and peanuts until well combined (mixture should be the color of peanut butter). Immediately pour onto a nonstick baking mat, spreading out as thinly as possible with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Finely chop half the brittle with a heavy knife to yield 1/2 cup. Reserve remainder for another use.
  
  Make the filling: Heat peanut butter in a microwave until fluid, about 30 seconds. Pour 1/2 cup into crust, and top with chopped brittle, pressing it into peanut butter. Freeze tart until peanut butter is firm, about 10 minutes. For ganache, bring cream to a boil; pour over chocolate in a small bowl. Add salt; let sit 8 minutes.
  
  Meanwhile, fill a disposable pastry bag with remaining fluid peanut butter (if peanut butter has thickened, microwave it 10 seconds), and snip off end. Whisk ganache until smooth, and immediately pour into tart, smoothing with a mini offset spatula if necessary. Pipe peanut butter in continuous diagonal zigzag lines down length of tart. Draw a wooden skewer perpendicularly through peanut butter lines in a zigzag motion down length of tart. Then draw skewer in a continuous sideways loop pattern down length of tart to create swirls.
  
  Refrigerate tart until set, at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. Cut into wedges, and serve.
  
  
  
  
  I woke boyfriend up Tuesday morning with a square of this tart and he was sooo happy. I then told him I was taking the rest into work and he turned into grumpy boyfriend. I'll have to make it again, just for him. And you should make it too!
  
  And the brittle is delicious. Use the extra brittle as a topping over ice cream. Boom.

Pure Bliss...Sort Of

I'm taking the rest of the week off before starting a new job next Monday, and had all sorts of plans to do absolutely nothing. Ahhhh.

Until about 2AM this morning, when a car alarm in the parking garage across the alley started going off. And it went off ever 20 minutes. It just stopped about one hour ago...

So I'm up. And I took advantage by making this delicious white spiced coffee from Country Living. A great recipe for spicing up a weekend coffee. Or an excuse to forget about the blaring alarm across the street.

 

It tastes like a coffee-laced chai latte, and made my morning ten times better. 

Also on the agenda today: 

-Watching The Artist for the first time

- Catching up on some knitting

- Baking an extravagant cake (flavor yet to be determined)

- Taking a long bath with a magazine or two :)

Ahhh. Days off lying on the couch with the sun coming through the windows. Soaking that up fo sho!

Ready to Slooooooow Down

Yikes Bikes!
Ever been to Ukiah, CA? It's a gorgeous town filled with lovely people, and I just filmed my last job with a company that I have been a part of for three years...I started here as an intern in college. And Tuesday is my last day. It's weird, but I'm moving on to a new opportunity, a time to embrace growth and a new challenge.

It has been a whirlwind of a week, and before I start my new gig, I'm looking forward to just a few days off. I've already got a full menu planned to make up for my lack of cooking the past few weeks, and a calendar filled with extra group fitness classes to sub. A time to relax, do what I want to do, and refresh before tackling a new position head on.  I need a few days to slow down before I speed things right back up. Go! Go! Go!

Before I left town, I made a DELICIOUS recipe I found in Bon Appetit over a year ago. These chicken skewers with tarragon-pistachio pesto tasted absolutely fresh with the grilled veggies. A great dish for summertime grilling, but I made them on the stove just fine. 

You'll need some bamboo skewers (metal skewers will also do)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted natural pistachios
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 medium garlic clove, peeled
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 16 1-inch pieces red onion (1/3 inch thick)
• 16 1-inch squares red bell pepper
• 8 lemon slices, halved
• 1 pound chicken tenders (about 8 large)
•  

**You can also use dried tarragon, works the same if you can't find fresh. I swear I bought pistachios at the grocery store, but I couldn't find them for the life of me. I substituted the pistachios with pine nuts, and the pesto was delish! 

Preparation

• Puree first 5 ingredients in processor. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and blend until slightly coarse paste forms. Mix in 2 tablespoons water. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer 3 tablespoons pesto to small bowl (for brushing chicken and vegetables); reserve remaining pesto.
  
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush grill with oil. Thread 1 onion piece, 1 bell pepper square, 1 lemon slice half, 1 chicken tender (lengthwise), then 1 onion piece, 1 bell pepper square, and 1 lemon slice half alternately on each of 8 skewers. Brush vegetables and chicken on skewers with olive oil, then with 3 tablespoons pesto from small bowl. Sprinkle skewers with salt and pepper. 
  
  Grill until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are slightly softened, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Serve with reserved pesto.
  
  
  

   Look at the pretty colors!
  
  
  I would recommend that you cut the chicken into as equal sizes as possible so that they cook easily. Also, if you're cooking these in a grill pan over the stove like I did, make sure you use a pan large enough to fit the skewers so that all meat and veggies lay evenly on the pan. These took forever to cook because I didn't really take these two things into account. I grilled them for a LONG time (at least 15 minutes each side) and the chicken still wasn't cooked through, so I popped them in the oven to finish off. But if you cut the chicken to equal sizes and use a large enough cooking surface, you shouldn't have this problem.

  • Nutritional Information

    One serving contains:
    Calories (kcal) 432.7
    %Calories From Fat 62.4
    Fat (g) 30.0
    Saturated Fat (g) 5.4
    Cholesterol (mg) 46.5
    Carbohydrates (g) 23.1
    Dietary Fiber (g) 2.8
    Total Sugars (g) 2.4
    Net Carbs (g) 20.3
    Protein (g) 18.1
    Sodium (mg) 518.7

Double Duty Frittata

A few weeks ago, I cooked up this delicious mushroom, leek, and fontina frittata from Bon Appetit February 2013.

 

If you've never made a frittata, you need to start incorporating them into your weekly menu. They can be made quite healthy by choosing a low-fat cheese, or you can eliminate the cheese all together (but why would you want to do that, really?) An egg souffle filled with veggies (and meat, if you want), this dish packs a huge protein punch, and if you're trying to add in more veggies to your life (like I am), a frittata is a great way to do it.

Even better, this frittata can be served hot or room temperature. You can eat it for dinner during the week and grab a slice of leftovers for a quick breakfast. Double-duty meals? Yes, please!

Try this super savory mushroom, leek, and fontina frittata this weekend.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 medium leeks, whites and pale green parts only, chopped
• 8 ounces crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 12 large eggs
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 3/4 cup shredded Fontina cheese, divided
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 350°. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add leeks; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until softened and all liquid has evaporated, 8-10 minutes.  

 

Meanwhile, whisk eggs, crème fraîche, and parsley in a large bowl; mix in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. 

Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese over eggs and transfer skillet to oven. Bake frittata until golden brown and center is set, 25-30 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Pour the egg mixture over the mushrooms, shaking the pan to evenly distribute mixture. Cook the frittata, without stirring, until its edges begin to set, about 5 minutes. 

And in case you're wondering, here's the nutrition breakdown:
6 servings, 1 serving contains:
Calories (kcal) 300
Fat (g) 21
Saturated Fat (g) 9
Cholesterol (mg) 460
Carbohydrates (g) 9
Dietary Fiber (g) 1
Total Sugars (g) 3
Protein (g) 18
Sodium (mg) 330

Happy Sunday : Week Ahead!

Sunday is easily my favorite day. Saturdays are filled with teaching, errands, chores, and friend commitments. But Sunday is the day where I find the most time for myself.

After taking Spinning and CXWorx this morning (hey, instructors should keep taking class, too!), I dashed over to my local Lush on Armitage to pick up some lotion. BUT THEY WERE CLOSED! :( Sad face. Lush on Armitage is closed up for some remodeling, and it doesn't like like they'll be back until March. I'll have to make a stop at one of the downtown locations, I suppose....

A little perusing at some great consignment stores in the area, and then home to bake. And now I'm deciding what to do next: taxes or Spinning continuing education...

Both are obvious obligations. Neither sounds fun right now. So maybe I'll procrastinate. A new issue of Bon Appetit made it into my mail box the other day. Don't you just get so excited over a new magazine?! It's the happiest day ever! And I still have my Anthology magazine to get at, PLUS I've got Anna Quindlen's Every Last One winking at me. If you haven't yet, add this one to your reading list!

Looking ahead this week:

Menu:
Monday - Turkey and Pesto Paninis, simple and delish.
Tuesday - Hoisin glazed salmon burgers...I'm a little skeptical about this dish, but we'll see...
Wednesday - Moroccan Chicken with Kale
Thursday - Work Dinner
Friday - TBD
Saturday - TBD
Sunday - TBD

Workouts:
Monday - Teach Spinning 6AM
Tuesday - Teach Body Pump/CXWorx in evening
Wednesday - Yoga @ 7PM - I need to do yoga more regularly, I need to STRETCH!
Thursday - Possible Day Off
Friday - Teach Spinning
Saturday - Teach Body Pump
Sunday - TBD

Have a relaxing Sunday evening!

Slow it down with coconut macaroons

Do you ever feel like your week was crazy but you're just not sure why? I feel like my schedule has been a little off, like I've been super busy, but I really haven't done much out of the ordinary this week, I don't think. Maybe I've been trying to cram too much in and it's starting to catch up with me? Who knows. But thank goodness it's Saturday!

I spent the better part of my morning cleaning up around the apartment, and snuggling in with my little Ellie, but I did have time for a nice, relaxing bath with this limited edition bath bomb! And it was just what I needed...relaxing with a hint of refreshing citrus to wake me up!

How cute is he?! He's called "The Ex-Factor," I guess because you get to watch him explode in the tub and feel vengeful? I just felt calm.

I taught my usual bodypump class this afternoon. And since I have to head to Florida this week for a demo shoot, I figured I needed a pedicure. I should totally feel relaxed, right?

But what really slows me down amidst the giant weekend to-do list is a nice spot of baking. And what could be more delicately calming than coconut macaroons?

My only past experience with macaroons was sneaking them from the kitchen of the country club I worked at in high school. Man were those good cookies!

And these ones from Real Simple's 2013 magazine came pretty darn close! Made with not much more than coconut, sugar, and egg whites, you probably have everything you need for this quick recipe already in your pantry.

Here's the game plan:

Ingredients

• 3  large egg whites
• 1/2  cup  sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  pure vanilla extract
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1  14-ounce package sweetened shredded coconut (about 5 cups)

Directions

Heat oven to 325° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Vigorously whisk together the egg whites, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl until glossy, foamy, and the sugar is mostly almost dissolved. Fold in the coconut, stirring until evenly combined.

 

Using a small ice cream scoop, drop the batter in mounds (about 2 tablespoons each) 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake, rotating the sheets halfway through, until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes; let cool completely. The macaroons will keep for up to 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container.

I was impressed at how much body these cookies had without any flour in them. Slightly delicate and subtle taste, and all sorts of gooey in the middle. These ones were definitely a winner.


What do you do when you need to slow down? Is baking ever a go-to?

Get Your Greens!

What a great week of cooking! Three easy, healthy recipes really hit it out of the park for me. I'll definitely be stealing a few of these techniques and flavors for more weeknight menus.

And I have to give the credit to Real Simple and their "Green is Good" Feb. 2013 feature. I had forgotten how much I LOVE sauteed spinach, kale, all those leafy greens! And if you're not usually a cauliflower fan, try roasting it for 20 minutes, it releases a meaty, slightly buttery flavor when toasted.

Here's what you'll need:
1/4 c. pine nuts
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets (you can also buy pre-cut florets, if you're really crunched on time)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 T olive oil
1/4 c tahini (sesame seed paste; I couldn't find tahini, so I actually used a teriyaki marinade in my dressing, and added less water)
3 T fresh lemon juice (I ended up using a bit more than 3T)
10 c. stemmed and chopped kale or torn escarole
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c raisins

Heat over to 350 and toast the pine nuts on a baking sheet until golden, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Increase heat to 450. On the baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with the cayenne, 2 T of oil, 1/2 t. salt, and 1/4 t. black pepper. Roast, tossing half way, until golden, 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together tahini (or marinade of choice), lemon juice, 2 T oil, 1/2 c. water, and 1/4 t each salt and black pepper. You can add more water until you achieve a creamy consistency, if using thicker tahini. Add the kale, onions, raisins, pine nuts, and cauliflower and toss to combine.

This salad was super healthy and surprisingly filling. It also held up for lunch the next day. Boyfriend was a BIG fan, too. Always an important critique from him ;) Enjoy!

Bright, Fresh Coconut Key Lime Squares

So much baking this week, I love it!
I'm on to my last actual day of vacation, and I've been cooking up a storm, making all of those recipes that I just can't find the time to dig into during a typical work week.

These super citrus, fresh, bright coconut key lime bars are perfect for brunch, a quick morning treat with some hot coffee or just because! They make your typical lemon bar look a bit ho-hum.

I found this recipe via Martha Stewart Living Magazine a while ago, and have been holding on to it for far too long. Little bits of white chocolate make the crust a perfect sweet counterpart to the tart limes. I couldn't find key limes in the dead of winter, so I used regular limes, and the taste was perfect. The coconut didn't stand out too much, so if you're not a coconut fan, don't be discouraged. And if you love yourself some coconut, maybe sprinkle a bit on top of the bars, or add extra to the crust.

And my boyfriend said that these may be the best treat I've ever made...score!


Martha Stewart's Coconut Key Lime Squares
Takes about 1 1/2 hours to make, and you can make these a day ahead, too

Ingredients

• Crust

  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, plus more, softened, for pan
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
  • Rounded 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/2 cup finely shredded desiccated unsweetened coconut
  • 3 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

• Filling

  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup fresh Key lime juice or regular lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Crust: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom and 2 sides of pan with parchment, leaving a 1-inch overhang; lightly butter the parchment.
   
2. Combine flour, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor, and pulse a few times to combine. Add butter, and pulse until largest pieces are the size of peas. Add coconut and white chocolate, and pulse a few more times, just until mixture holds together.
   
   
   Transfer mixture to pan, and pack down firmly with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake until crust is deep golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and reduce heat to 300 degrees.
   
3. 
   3.  Filling: Whisk together eggs and granulated sugar in a bowl, then whisk in flour. Gently stir in lime juice (do not whisk or stir vigorously or batter will become foamy).\
   
   
4. Pour filling over hot crust, and bake until filling is set, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
   
5. 
   Run the tip of a knife along the 2 sides of the pan not lined with parchment, then remove from pan by lifting with parchment overhang. Transfer to a cutting board, dust with confectioners' sugar, and cut into 1-inch squares.
   

Recipe HiLite: Veggie Tacos

This past week, the first full week of the new year, got me back on my cooking schedule, and thank god, because eating out for lunch and dinner all last week was making me feel blah...

I usually try to cook at least three nights during the week, and both nights of the weekend, unless we're going out for dinner. Cooking three nights per week is usually enough to provide me and boyfriend with food for lunch and dinner of leftovers when we work late.

This past week's menu included:

• Rotisserie Chicken and brussel sprouts w/ bacon and apple
• Portobello and zucchini tacos
• Asparagus and Lemon Risotto

And the winner of the week, hands down, are Martha Stewart's Portobello and Zucchini Tacos. Quick, easy, delicious, and most importantly for the new year, healthy!

Just a few minutes chopping up some onion, portobello mushrooms, and zucchinis is all you need.

I straightened up the kitchen while the veggies roasted, and then tossed them all in soft taco shells. I topped our tacos with some cheese and a bit of Greek yogurt, but that wasn't even needed, they would have been tasty without the add-ons. And if we get bored with leftover tacos, we can always used the roasted zucchini and mushrooms in a salad, on a sandwich, or tossed with eggs for breakfast.

These veggie tacos were super quick and easy for a week night meal and were surprisingly filling. I planned on both of us eating two tacos, but they we only needed one each. 

Enjoy!

Making Caramels

I LOVE CARAMEL.

So when I came across this recipe with a few alternatives in Martha Stewart Living's December issue, I decided to make caramels for my co-workers for Christmas.

I made the classic caramels as well as the chocolate coconut caramel candies.

The process was very simple, but there are a few things you need to be particular about in order to be successful.

Temperature is key!
 You really do need an accurate candy thermometer, and I don't think mine was too accurate. I ended up using the look of the caramel, color, gauging when it started to really crystallize. This recipe calls for the caramel to reach 248 degrees F, but working with a gas stove made that pretty difficult, as the pot doesn't heat up evenly.


I was worried about burning the caramels (you can't come back from that!), so I took my classic caramels off the stove a pinch too early. After 8 hours of waiting for them to set, though, they firmed up and had a great caramel consistency.

I definitely took the chocolate caramels off the stove too early, as I couldn't guess the color of the caramel after the chocolate was added. These only firmed up to a thick chocolate sauce consistency, so after they set, I melted the caramel in a pot and heated it up a bit more. This totally fixed the consistency problem, and they turned out even better than the classic caramels.

And you really do need to use a LARGE POT for these. Because of the cream, the mixture boils and foams up pretty high, so you need that extra height to prevent it from spilling over.

Be patient and watch these on the stove. Don't overmix. Sometimes it's good to just let the mixture be on the stove.

The recipe did make a large number of caramels. It took FOREVER to wrap them all up in saran wrap.

I packed them in these cute Martha Stewart gift boxes from Michaels to bring to the office.

What do you usually give your co-workers for the holidays?