Joy the Baker's Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

I loved these pancakes- since trying the recipe a few months ago, I've made them 3 times!!  They're in Joy the Baker's new cookbook, which I own and love.  :)  They are kind of similar to some of my favorite pancakes, but they use less oats, don't have to sit overnight, and the recipe uses 2 cups of buttermilk. I buy buttermilk in 1-cup containers, so it's helpful to be able to use exactly 2 containers and not have any leftover.  But both recipes have their place; I love both of them. 

It's so hard for me to get a good picture of pancakes- I almost didn't post this because I wasn't satisfied with the pictures!  But I really like this recipe, and wanted to put it out there. 

I used part whole-wheat pastry flour in this recipe.... I think I used 1 cup of whole wheat pastry and 1/2 cup of all-purpose.  I didn't have any golden raisins to put in, but I would put them in next time... I'd not put them in the batter though- just drop them on top of the raw batter after I ladeled in the griddle.  That way people can choose if they want raisins or not.  These pancakes are on the smaller side- Joy calls for 2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake, but I usually use double that.  Do what comes naturally!  ;)

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes
adapted from Joy the Baker
Serves 4 or more

2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour (I used one cup ww pastry)
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
big pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup golden raisins, optional
oil or cooking spray (for cooking)

1.  In a large bowl beat eggs. Add buttermilk, butter , maple syrup and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Mix well until mostly smooth. Fold in raisins (or you can add them later, as individual pancakes are cooking) and let batter set for a few minutes.

2.  Heat griddle or pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or spray with cooking spray. You can test to see if the pan is hot enough by adding a few drops of water, when the drops start to "dance" its hot enough.

3.  Pour 2-4 Tablespoons of batter onto the griddle. At this point, you can add raisins, if you want.  Cook on the first side until bubbles that form start to pop. You can also gently lift up the pancake to make sure the bottom is not overcooking, if it is the pan may be too hot and you will need to adjust the heat. Flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook until golden brown. Repeat until all the batter is gone. If desired, let cooked pancakes rest on a heat proof plate in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.  (We always just eat them as they come off the griddle; no need for the oven!)

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Peanut Butter Hot Fudge Sauce

I bookmarked this recipe a long time ago but only got around to making it a few weeks ago.  I'm also behind in my blogging, so I'm just now getting around posting this.  This was so good though!  And super easy.  This turns out super thick, creamy, and flavorful.  It was way better than the cheap ice cream we had in our freezer to put it on.  (My ice cream maker is sick- so sad!)

I only made a half-recipe of this and it was more than enough for us, and it lasted a while in the fridge, too. 

PS:  My daughter's birthday is today!!  Right now she's staying up late with us while we watch "Forks Over Knives", fun, fun!  I will have to get around to posting about her cake later; I haven't even put the pics on the computer yet!  She had a really fun day though. 

Peanut Butter Hot Fudge Sauce
adapted from Heather's Dish
1/2 recipe- can double easily

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar (original recipe calls for regular sugar)
1 cups milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 Tbsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips (I like mini semi-sweet)

1.  Whisk together the cocoa, sugar, and milk in a saucepan over medium low heat. Once it starts to warm up add the peanut butter and whisk it into the mixture. Add the vanilla and salt and bring mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly. Let it reduce down a bit until it’s at your desired consistency for ice cream topping.  Not too much though; this gets very thick as it starts to cool.  Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate chips until melted. Serve over ice cream and enjoy!

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Taco Salad

You may not need a recipe for taco salad, but maybe someone out there does.  :)  Actually, this was the first time I've ever made it.  Crazy, huh?  This seems like a pretty typical recipe.  For the dressing, though, I mixed sour cream and salsa together and used that.  I really liked it.  One could also use some Cilantro Ranch dressing.  I also used my homemade taco seasoning for the meat. 

We put all the toppings on the table separately, so everyone was able to dish up what, and however much they wanted.  We used blue corn tortilla chips.  The black beans were a nice addition.  We could have used more than one avocado, because my kids love them.  It was really good in here.  As my husband said, "I think we're a 2-avocado family now!" I don't really have much more to say about this recipe; just simple & good food!  :)

Taco Salad

adapted from Closet Cooking

1 tablespoon oil

1 small onion diced

1 clove garlic chopped

1/2 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

1/4 cup water

4 cups lettuce, sliced

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 cup black beans

1/2 cup salsa

1/4 cup sour cream

1 avocado, diced

2-4 tablespoons sliced black olives

1/2 cup cheese, shredded

a few handfuls tortilla chips, crumbled

1.  Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.  Add the ground beef and cook, draining any grease when done.  Mix in the taco seasoning and water and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 3-5 minutes.

2.  Mix the sour cream and salsa together to use as your dressing, if desired.  Assemble salads with lettuce, meat, toppings, and dressing, and enjoy!

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

These cookies were so, so good.  I made them a while ago and brought them to a lumpia-making party/lunch, and they were very well-received!  I used my smallest cookie scoop (a teaspoon or two, maybe?) and they turned out small, puffy, and fat.  :)  I tried my regular cookie scoop first, but they were too big and spread everywhere.  These cookies are soft but not too cakey.  Everyone loved them!

There is Dulce de Leche (sweet milk caramel) in the actual cookie dough, and then you use more for the filling.  I used one whole can and a bit of another one.  Just eat the remaining Dulce de Leche with a spoon.  :)  If you are local, do NOT try the Rio Bravo brand of Dulce de Leche, lol!  I ended up using Nestle's brand, which is what I usually use. (After trying out the cheaper Rio kind... I learned the hard way!  It was gritty and gross).   It will be called "leite condensado cozido" for "cooked sweetened condensed milk".  There's a small picture of a can at the bottom of this post.  In small letters, on the can, it does say "Doce de Leite" which is Portuguese for "Dulce de Leche". 





Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies
adapted from Joy the Baker

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup store-bought dulce de leche, plus more (a lot more!) for filling
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
sea salt, for sprinkling, optional

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the upper third of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until just softened and broken up a bit. Add the 3/4 cup dulce de leche, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate.

3.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients all at once. Mix only until the flour is just incorporated. You may need to finish off the mixing with a big spatula.

4.  Spoon the dough onto the lined baking sheets using a heaping teaspoon of dough for each cookie. The dough will be soft and this might be a little messy. A small-ish cookie scoop is really nice for this.  Leave 2 inches of space between each cookie for spreading.

5.  Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies will be honey brown with a light crust, but still very soft when they come out of the oven. Let them rest on the cookie sheet for a minute or two before removing to cool.

6.  Once the cookies are cooled completely, spread them with dulce de leche and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt, if desired. Keep well wrapped for up to four days.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Penne with Roasted Asparagus & Balsamic Butter

This was a delicious and easy pasta dish.  I look forward to making it again.  Instead of a full pound of pasta, I used about 3/4 pound.  I used Barilla Plus whole grain Penne.  One pound of asparagus didn't seem like enough- I would maybe increase it by 50% next time.  I put some crumbled feta on the leftovers and it was soooo good that way!!!  Be careful when reducing the Balsamic- I let it go too long unattended and burned it.  It smells super gross when that happens, and the smell can stick around for days.  It's happened to me every time I try to reduce balsamic lately, unfortunately.  Anyway.... after it happened to me again, I just used new vinegar and simmered it for a few minutes.  I didn't bother letting it get thick and syrupy, and just used it that way.  It was still very good. 

Read the directions all the way through before starting this recipe.... you can be boiling the pasta at the same time as you are making the reduction and roasting the asparagus.  It all comes together quickly! 



Penne with Roasted Asparagus & Balsamic Butter
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Serves 4-6

1 pound (or more) fresh asparagus spears
1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon light or dark brown sugar
3/4 pound penne pasta
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
good olive oil, optional

1.  Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the asparagus spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the oil and ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ of the pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

2.  While the asparagus roasts, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat until the vinegar is reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 5-10 minutes. Watch very carefully!!  Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.

3.  Meanwhile, cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until just done, 11-13 minutes. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Stir in the butter and vinegar mixture. Toss to combine well. Add in the asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese for serving.  If pasta seems too dry, drizzle with a bit of good olive oil.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/**

French Pastry Wonderland

During our trip to the Alsace region of France, we had the oppurtunity to visit many Patisseries and sample some delicious things.  We found these French macarons; I've never seen them in real life before, but I've seen them ALL over the internet for years!!  I was SO excited to see them in person!  We had to buy some; they are so delicious.  Light, delicate, with creamy centers.  My favorite flavors were Salted Butter Caramel, Raspberry-Vanilla, and just Vanilla.  The Raspberry-Vanilla had a real raspberry in the center of the filling!  There were so many flavors and colors; it was hard to choose.  We bought a box of seven and shared them all with each other and the kids. 

Here are some other treats made by the Macaron Pastry shop (below).  Works of art!

Before the macaron place, we hit an old favorite.  We've been to this other shop at least 3 times in the past few years.  They have delicious Eclairs and other treats, and very, very good baguettes and croissants.  Our "old favorite" shop is pictured below.  I have another similar pic on my blog from a few years ago.  Below that, a photo of the eclairs we bought and ate in a park. 

The Eclair shop also featured hand-made chocolates and special cakes made in the Alsace region.  They are baked in special pans that look like mini bundt pans.  We wanted to sample more, but one can only eat so many pastries before one explodes.  :) 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

France 2012

Of course, we always have to take at least one day trip to France whenever we visit Germany.  We went to the same town we've been to a few times before.  It's a beautiful town, filled with quaint houses and shops, many Patisseries and restaurants, and an old stone wall and fortress around the old part of the town.  This time around, we went into two fancy patrisserie shops and walked around the city.  It started hailing on us as we were circling the old city wall, so we took cover under a little area by a bridge.  In my next post, I'll focus on the food.  This one will just be scenery. 

The French love Easter as much as the Germans, judging from this cute park.  They had a large "Easter basket" with flowers planted inside.  Beyond that, there was a bunch of Easter decorations like bunnies and eggs with some flowers.

Love the chalkboard menus they had sitting out on the sidewalks in front of most restaurants.  Since this is a border town, everything was written in both French and German.  Also, this restaurant was smart and put plastic on their sign, since it was a wet day.

Love this cute little sign on the fish-mongers store.  Les Poissons!! 

We took a drive through the French countryside after touring the town.  My baby was getting fussy, so I got into the backseat with him and fed him tiny bits of delicious, buttery croissant all through the drive!  We bought the croissants at the same time we got some Eclairs from a Patisserie.  Best croissant ever!  (I had to finish the rest).

I loved how so many trees were in bloom.  It was such a beautiful day, even though the skies were gray.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

German Food (Mainly Delicious Carbs!)

We always enjoy a ton of delicious food while in Germany.  We took the train one morning into the next village and ate pastries for breakfast.  :)  Above is a pic of one of our favorites- it's filled with a sweet ground nut filling.  My husband, daughter, and I all got those, while the boys chose chocolate-glazed donuts.  (They do that no matter what country we're in- sheesh!!)

We can't leave Germany without getting Döner kebabs!  The first pic is my husband's, which is a typical meaty one.  I like the meat (shown below on its vertical spit!), but opted to go veg this time in favor of the delicious, feta-like cheese they use in place of the meat.  That's my veggie one on the bottom.  I requested extra yogurt sauce.... yum. 

Another thing we ate was Schnizel, of course, but I forgot to take a pic.  However, it's the exact same dish at the same restaurant as the 1st photo in this post. 

We visited an Aldi's, and that is our haul, above.  Spatzle noodles, white chocolate, and Kinder eggs!  There was also a cool machine where you pressed a button & your choice of baguette or rolls would come out.  We chose the baguette!  (Below.)  My kids ate it for lunch with some Muenster cheese and loved it.  Oh, we also bought a flat of fresh strawberries.  That was fun for my husband to haul home on the train!

Where can one find chocolate-infused cream cheese spread?  Well, Germany, of course!!  :)  My Dad bought some of this for us to try and it was very good!!  We spread it on thick, hearty, German whole grain bread.  I forgot to take a picture.  :( 

When we weren't eating pastries for breakfast, we ate delicious, creamy, not-scared-to-be-full-fat, German yogurt for breakfast with homemade granola my mom had made.  The yogurt is soooo good!!  They have all kinds of flavors, and some cool seasonal ones too.  One of my favorites was "Apple Strudel & Vanilla Bean" flavor.  My kids loved the chocolate chip one, pictured above.

Even the Amusement park food is good in Germany.  We took a day trip to Europa Park, and ate lunch and dinner there instead of bringing food in.  The food was really, really good!  And not just for amusement park food!  It was just good food.  Pictured above is a salmon sandwich on a crusty roll with lettuce and crème fraîche.  The salmon was roasted over an open fire on wooden planks!!!  I was so excited about that!!!  Lol.  It was perfectly done too, and seasoned lightly, not overly salty or overcooked.

Below are some cute little bratwursts we got at the end of the day at the amusement park- we were tired and hungry and the whole family got one of these and everyone ate it without complaints.  It is 4 mini wursts together on a crusty roll, with spicy mustard on top.  The wursts tasted smoky and they were just so flavorful!!  We had such a wonderful trip- so much to see, do, and eat!!  We cannot wait to go back!

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Spring in Germany

We spent a few days in Germany last week and had a wonderful time.  Germany is so beautiful, especially in the Spring.  We saw so many tulips and other flowers.  These are my Dad's flowers.  He has tulips and daffodils, and a lot more. 

They love Easter in Germany.  Cute little decorations are everywhere.  Below is my parents' "Easter Egg Tree".  Below that is a neighborhood Easter Egg tree, from a house in my parents' village, on a type of evergreen.

We love my parents' across-the-street neighbors.  They own a wonderful restaurant in another village and have always been so nice to us when we visit.  In the summer, they've brought over sweet cherries from their tree for our "kinder".  :)  This time around, on Easter Sunday, she brought over a cute plate full of Easter goodies for our kids, including delicious Kinder eggs, painted Easter eggs, easter cookies, and some candy.  A few days later, she brought over some jars of sour cherry preserves from her trees, for our "Kinder" again.  I was able to bring one jar home with me! 

Soon, I will have to post about all the wonderful food we ate.  I always come back with some extra poundage.  So many carbs, so little time. 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/**/

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

**I am visiting Germany right now for Spring Break- I prepared this post before I left.  I am taking pictures of the beautiful flowers and food up here to share when I get back :)**

I made my first cauliflower soup the other day, and I think it turned out quite well!  My head of cauliflower was HUGE- 4 lbs- so I cut it in half and saved half for another recipe.  I had to add some extra milk to thin this out because it was so super thick after pureeing.  Roasting the cauliflower really adds extra flavor, and so does using a good aged cheddar.  I used Vermont white- the only kind of aged white cheddar we can get here (and we're lucky to get it!)  :) 

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

adapted from Closet Cooking

1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets

2 tablespoons oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)

3 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups aged white cheddar, shredded

1 cup milk or cream

salt and pepper to taste

extra milk or broth to thin

1.  Arrange the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet in a single layer and toss with oil and salt and pepper.  Roast the cauliflower in a preheated 400F oven until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.

2.  Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.  Add the broth and cauliflower, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes.

3.  Puree the soup until it reaches your desired consistency with a stick blender.  Mix in the cheese, let it melt, and season with salt and pepper.  Mix in the milk or cream.  Add extra milk or broth to thin, if desired.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/**/

DIY Cherry Blossom Branches

After seeing something similar in the library here, I really, really wanted to do this myself.  I googled DIY Cherry Blossoms and a ton of blogs came up.  All you need is tree branches, pink tissue paper, an adhesive (hot glue, regular glue, or tape), and a container to stick them in.  I had to use hot pink tissue paper because that's all I had; very pale pink is what I wanted to use.  The "vase" is a salad dressing jar I have, without the lid.

Cherry Blossoms are one of my favorite things in the world.  I love them so much!  I have these gorgeous blue cherry blossom plates and bowls, and some red ones too.  Cherry blossoms are so beautiful and delicate.

My daughter helped me make these.  In fact, it was her teacher who donated the library cherry blossom tree in the first place.  She was actually better at making these than I was.  We cut out squares of tissue paper, layered a few on top of each other, and trimmed the edges to a round shape.  Then we slightly crumpled the "blossoms", and stuck them onto the bare branches. 

DIY Cherry Blossom Branches

pink tissue paper, preferably light pink

adhesive (tape, hot glue, or regular glue)

bare branches

1.  Cut out squares of tissue paper.  Layer a few (2-5) on top of each other.  Round the edges, if desired.  You can also slightly crumple the paper to add texture.  You may want to secure each sheet to the next one with a tiny dab of glue. 

2.  Attach each blossom randomly on the bare branches.  A hot glue gun would be best; we only had tape around, and that worked out ok. 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/**/