pumpkin cream cheese muffins

This recipe is special for two very important reasons:

#1: These muffins just so happen to be my good best friend Shannon's favorite muffins. I've made them for her on many occasions. I even served them at her bridal shower last year. So naturally I made them in preparation for her visit! That's right. Two dozen muffins just for me and Shan. My definition of heaven.

#2: These muffins are just freaking good. This recipe has been one of my go-to fall recipes for a couple years now and it never disappoints. I mean, let's be real here. Pumpkin + cream cheese = muffin perfection. Enough said.

So, as you read this post, I am most likely hurtling towards Logan Airport to pick up my long lost friend and begin the Katy/Shan festivities. Shan and I have been partners in crime for many moons now (ahem, over a DECADE...yeah, I'm old). However, this will be our first New England adventure. Here are a few of my predictions:

• Shannon and the collective population of New England will enter into an unspoken battle over who can have the most attitude. Shannon will win. I will be proud.
• Shannon will take one million pictures...of my roommate's cat. Because Shannon loves fluffy animals more than most people can fathom.
• We will drink far and away too much wine. And eat waaaay too many pumpkin cream cheese muffins. And that's fine.

Other than those three certainties, I am so excited to see what this weekend has in store. Pictures to follow soon!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

For the Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the Muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp ground all-spice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

For the Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
5 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.

To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 Tbsp). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

Yield: 24 muffins
Source: Annie's Eats

hair do?

I've been growing my hair out. I spent a good deal of graduate school sporting the Victoria Beckham wedge bob. However, I am a fickle girl when it comes to hair and I finally got sick of the 'do. I just got bored of styling my hair the same way every day. I longed for the days of ponytails and braids and buns and curls.

So, for the past year and a half I've been singly focusing all my energy on growing my hair faster than ever. Okay, not really. But I did start taking prenatal vitamins to aid in hair growth and they seemed to help quite a bit. The added vitamins and nutrients really do make a huge difference. However, here's the downside to prenatal vitamins. They freak people out. Like, specifically guy people who I may start dating and who happen to see the bottle of vitamins and jump to conclusions that I am an Octomom wannabe. Or, they may also freak out mom people who might spy the bottle of vitamins and jump to equally disconcerting conclusions regarding me and said guy people.

The whole thing is just an awkward conversation waiting to happen.

So, I've been hearing a lot of good things recently about Biotin, a B vitamin said to help with hair growth, strengthen brittle nails, and even clear skin. Finally, an alternative to my awkward conversation inducing prenatal vitamins! My hair stylist originally suggested them and now I've been seeing them everywhere.

Biotin is available at most drug stores at a pretty reasonable price (read: cheaper than prenatal vitamins!). Thinking I might have to give Biotin a try. Has anyone else tried it out yet?

caramel apple crumble bars

How was your weekend? Mine was...eventful, to say the least. You know how I have this bad habit of stress-induced baking? Yeah, I talk about it a lot, I know. As soon as school or teaching or life starts to get the best of me, I retreat to the kitchen for my version of meditation...cutting butter into dough and kneading my aggressions away. It helps me achieve inner balance and align my chakras and locate my third eye and all that jazz.

However, this weekend I was not stressed. In fact, life in general was and is pretty spectacular. Teaching literature is so fun, my classes are interesting, my good best friend Shan is coming to visit me in exactly TWO days, and (the cherry on top) I was asked to co-chair our university's graduate conference! I mean, life has been busy but in the best possible way.

I tell you all this because I had a revelation. In the midst of all this excitement and the requisite celebratory dinner and drinks this weekend, you know what I just HAD to do? Bake. Yes, that's right. Early Saturday evening I strapped on my apron and whipped up some Caramel Apple Crumble Bars. Not out of stress. Just because I was so danged happy. So, apparently my baking is not stress-induced at all. Rather, it is life-induced. My life just so happens to contain stress a good portion of the time. But, what can ya do?

So I know I posted a recipe for Apple Slab recently, but these Caramel Apple Crumble Bars are different in so many ways. The pie crust is traded in for an oatmeal dough. The apples are pre-cooked with butter and sugar and spices before being layered into these bars. And then there is the pretty major addition of caramel and pecans rather than an apple cider glaze. These bars are epic. In fact, I didn't change a dang thing about this recipe. They are perfect as is.

So, make these bars AND make the Apple Slab. You NEED them both in your life. Trust. Whether you are suffering from stress-induced baking or just your regular ol' life-induced baking, make these happen.

Caramel Apple Crumble Bars

For the Filling:
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 large (or 5 medium) apples, peeled and sliced (I used Braeburn)
3 Tbsp sugar
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
Dash of grated nutmeg

For the Dough:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
12 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Caramel:

9 oz. caramel candies, unwrapped
2 Tbsp heavy cream

For Assembly:

½ cup chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper.

To make the filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the apple slices, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook, stirring occasionally, under the apples are golden brown and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, prepare the dough. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and stir to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or two knives (or your hands) until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add in the egg yolk and vanilla and stir with a fork or knead very briefly just until a crumbly dough comes together. Transfer about two thirds of the dough mixture to the prepared baking pan and press down into an even layer. Bake until light golden, about 12-14 minutes.

While the base is baking, make the caramel. Combine the caramels and cream in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Melt the caramels, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is totally smooth. Remove from the heat.

Once the base layer is baked, pour the caramel over the top. Top with the cooked apple slices. Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the apple slices. Sprinkle evenly with the chopped nuts, if using.

Bake about 22-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

Yield: 9 bars

Source: Annie's Eats

house guests, trash tv, and candy corns

Yeah, I know it's a cheesy quote. But, guess what? You may have guessed by now but I am an outrageous cheese ball. And guess what else? I have been loving life lately. There, I said it. And I'm not even sorry.

Some things I've been loving lately:

1. Fabulous, fabulous news! My good best friend Shannon is coming to visit me!!! I seriously almost tinkled out of excitement when she booked her flight. T-minus five days and counting. Expect an obnoxious number of pictures in the near future from all of our fabulous adventures. Yay!

2. Have you guys watched this show Abby & Brittany on TLC? My roommate got me hooked and now I can't stop. I just have so many questions for them. Like about portion sizes and kissing boys and relationships in general and getting fitted for bras and driving a car and talking at the same time like every single freaking sentence. Why??? Anyway, I suggest tuning in. It'll blow your mind.

3. Look at Bella cat. Just look at her. Sooo fluffy!!! Also, she has this odd obsession with laying on paper. Does not matter if there's a storm of papers scattered about or one single, solitary scrap. She will find it and make it her new bed. I like to think she is trying to help me with my work. Seems legit...

4. Remember when I was all about "Sangria Summer"? Well, look what I found! Looks like I might have to make it a Sangria Autumn as well. And I feel pretty good about that.

5. Ohmygoodness, Thought Catalog. I've mentioned this site before but there is always something new and awesome every time I check back. This article was basically written for me and my frequent misadventures in dating. I think I may need to print multiple copies and tape them up everywhere.

6. FYI, J.Crew has 30% off all Final Sale items through midnight tonight. Just, ya know, so I'm not the only one blowing my paycheck. :)

source: bhg

7. I recently professed my love for candy corns and mellowcreme pumpkins, especially when mixed with peanuts. Oh my, now I'm craving a big ol' bowl of candy corns and peanuts. But I digress...check out the candy corn pumpkins! I'm totally making these ASAP!

8. The Voice! I could seriously sit and watch Blake Shelton and Adam Levine interact for hours. I think I need to be their best friend. I'll take X-Tina's chair. I'm pretty sure I could rock leather underwear and 8-inch heels if necessary. Just saying. Holla at ya girl!

9. So I know I should be focused entirely on fall-themed baked goods. Apple, pumpkin, spices, etc. However, I can't stop drooling over these. And these. Oh, and this. Lord have mercy!

10. Finally...it's Friday! Let the weekend begin at last!

Happy weekend, y'all!

top 10 fall activities

source: flickr

This Saturday marks the first official day of fall. In honor of the upcoming season, I've compiled my own personal fall to-do list. Use it as inspiration for your own autumn activities, if you like. I've already got a jump start with lots of fall baking (#2 and # 5). Now I need to man up and go for #6 and #7. Yikes!

1. Go apple picking. There are a ton of apple orchards in New England and I fully intend to take advantage of that this fall. I'm already brainstorming the perfect apple picking outfit. Geez, I am so weird!

2. Bake apple pie. (Check! Well, apple slab is close enough, right?)

3. Pick pumpkins. I need some pumpkins in my life. I haven't been to a pumpkin patch in years and I think it's high time I fix that. I'm craving some pretty pumpkins for my porch (whoa, alliteration!), some roasted pumpkin seeds, and #4 below.

source: imgfave

4. Carve jack o'lanterns. I always say I'll do this and then I don't get around to it. This is the year! My goal is to recreate the guy above. Love it!

5. Bake pumpkin things. (Check! See yesterday's autumn pumpkin bread with pecan streusel topping.) However, I also see some pumpkin cream cheese muffins and definitely a pumpkin dessert in my near future.

6. Go on a haunted hay ride. Be brave!

7. Watch scary movies. Again, be brave!

8. Make big batches o' hot apple cider and hot cocoa, simmered on the stove so the whole house smells good. Repeat.

source: real simple

9. Eat my weight in candy corns and and mellowcreme pumpkins. I used to despise these reject candies and now they are my greatest weakness. My taste buds have become so refined in my adult life, no? I may need to make some of the bark above ASAP.

10. Last but certainly not least, celebrate my birthday! Duh, you knew I had to sneak this one in there somewhere. Only a few short weeks until the celebrations commence...

So that's my fall to-do list for the upcoming months. I feel like I'm off to a good start already. I'll keep you posted as I tackle the rest of the list, though. And if anyone makes that candy corn bark, please send me some immediately!

autumn pumpkin bread with pecan streusel topping

Remember the other day when I boohooed over my cracked pizza stone? No? Here's the gist of it. My pizza stone cracked! It was just in storage under the oven and it cracked. Whyyyyyy? Poor me!

Well, guess what I learned this weekend? Said oven storage is in actuality not storage at all. It is the broiler! Yes, that's right. I've been storing my pizza stone, along with other assorted pans, in my freaking broiler! What??? No wonder that danged pizza stone cracked right in half. It's been hanging out directly underneath 500 degrees of heat. Poor little guy.

Okay, so fun fact for those of you who have never had a gas oven. The drawer underneath the oven is the broiler. Not storage as you might be wont to assume. Those tricky oven makers really threw me a loop with that one. What in goodness name were they thinking anyway? Hey, let's secretly convert this storage drawer into a broiler. That'll be great for a few laughs! (sigh)

Anyway, the cracked pizza stone mystery is now no longer a mystery. Neither are the second degree burns I received when I grabbed my loaf pans out of said storage compartment. But all's well that ends well...and this particular story ends in pumpkin bread with a pecan streusel topping. So this story ends VERY well.

This is another recipe from my most favorite of all cookbooks, The Pastry Queen cookbook. The woman can seriously do no wrong in my eyes. The only bizarre thing here is that it took be over a year to make this bread in the first place. No worries, it's now on the regular rotation this fall. Let the pumpkin obsession begin...

Autumn Pumpkin Bread with Pecan Streusel Topping

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pecan pieces
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 Tbs (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces, reserved from above

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Arrange the pecan pieces on a baking sheet and toast 7-9 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Set aside.

Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans, or 36 muffin tins with butter or cooking spray.

Whisk the oil and sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs, pumpkin, and water and whisk to combine. Stir in the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Pour into the prepared loaf pans.

To make the topping, stir together the sugar, butter, cinnamon, and pecans. Sprinkle liberally over the loaf before baking.

Bake the bread about an hour, until the top has set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Yield: two 9x5 loaves or 36 muffins

Source: barely adapted from The Pastry Queen cookbook

beer risotto with mushroom garlic chicken

It's beginning to feel a lot like autumn. The AC has officially been turned off for the season. My windows are perpetually open and, when I wake up, my room is decidedly chilly. Yes, that's right, chilly. Chilly is not a temperature I have felt in what feels like months...because it has been months. I've felt everything from warm to blistering hot and I think I even experienced temperatures right around "kill me now" on several occasions this summer. But, chilly? This is a long awaited moment for me.

In honor of my chilly fall weather, I decided to have a nice little "Kate night" at home this past Saturday. What's Kate night, you ask? Well, it's quite simple. Kate night is like date night...but it's only for me. No boys/friends/roommates allowed. It's just lil' ol' me doing anything and everything I please. I call the shots on Kate night.

This particular Kate night was no exception. Let me paint you a picture. Scene One: Me, stirring risotto and roasting chicken, whilst singing (loudly and horribly off-key) to some Brantley Gilbert blasting in the background. Scene Two: Me, with a big bowl o' risotto, settling in for a four-hour marathon of The Mentalist and day dreaming about Simon Baker wearing lots of sexy vests. Scene Three: Me again, calling it a night before midnight (a feat not accomplished but for once in a blue moon) and snuggling into my nice, warm bed.

Best. Kate Night. Ever.

And so I bring you the fruits of that wonderful Kate night. No, I can't share with you my day dreams of Simon Baker and his man vests. But I can bring you this wonderful Beer Risotto with Mushroom Garlic Chicken. Make one or the other, but probably you should just make both since it tastes so dang good together. The Mushroom Garlic Chicken is super easy and the Beer Risotto, while intimidating in theory, is so simple once you get the rhythm down. Add liquid, stir as it absorbs, repeat until desired consistency is reached. Easy enough. Trust me, the time will fly as long as you have some Brantley Gilbert blasting in the background. A glass of wine never hurt, either! Together, this is the perfect chilly autumn dinner. Kate night (or date night) approved!

Beer Risotto with Mushroom Garlic Chicken

Chicken:
4 chicken thighs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
6 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes
8 ounces of beer

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pat chicken completely dry with a paper towel, then season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and add canola oil. Add chicken skin-side down and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in mushrooms, shallot and garlic, then pour in beer. Top with cubed butter. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 minutes, the place in the oven for 30 minutes. Toss the mushrooms and shallots mix twice during cooking time.

Risotto:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
12-16 ounces of beer
1 3/4-2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
While chicken is cooking, heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in olive oil and butter, then add in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add in rice and stir to coat completely, then cook until opaque, about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add in beer and stir every minute or so until the rice soaks up the liquid. Add in chicken stock (about 1/2 cup at a time) and continue stirring until absorbed. At this point my rice had enough liquid, so do a taste test and if it is still super chewy, add a little more liquid and stir until absorbed. Repeat until desired consistency is reached. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper.

Serve with risotto on the bottom, chicken on top, and a ladleful of mushrooms and onions.

Yield: 4 servings

Source: How Sweet It Is

birthday wish list

source: kate spade $225

Happy Friday everyone! I'm already starting to count down the days until I fly home for the American Royal BBQ Competition and also, coincidentally, my birthday! Only a few short weeks! I've been working on a birthday wish list for the fam back home so I thought I'd share with you some of the things I'm currently obsessing over. Some I've talked about here before. Others are new additions to the wish list. And, yes, I know this list is filled with expensive items. But, hey, a girl can dream, right?

First on the list is the Kate Spade watch above. The Seaport Grand from the inaugural Kate Spade watch line. I've been obsessed with this watch since before it was even available and my fingers are crossed that it will be on my wrist by October! I mean, that watch is just absolutely perfect. The chunky band, the oversized gold face, the hot pink second hand. Ah! I die.

source: apple

A new addition to my wish list. The upcoming iPhone 5. Yeah, I've heard the word on the street...it's overrated, overhyped, overpopular. Whatever. I'm still eeking the last little bit of life out of my ol' 3GS so anything is an upgrade for me. Bring on the 5 baby!

source: kate spade $48

These earrings. Another Kate Spade item I've been lusting over for months now. These studs are considerably cheaper than that big ol' watch above, but I have a hard time shelling out money to buy myself jewelry. Maybe I'm old-fashioned but doesn't it seem weird to buy jewelry for yourself? Jewelry seems like one of those things you should get as a gift wrapped up in a pretty box, right? So these studs are on the list. Simple, classic, preppy. Just like me!

source: pampered chef $33

Remember when my pizza stone cracked last week? Well, I do. And it still breaks my heart to see those two shards of pizza stone sitting in the kitchen. Boo hoo. The Pampered Chef pizza stone above is the one I had and I loved/adored/worshipped that pizza stone. I'll never love another pizza stone the same way I loved that Pampered Chef pizza stone. (sigh) Here's hoping for another just like it!

source: etsy $19

I've sung the praises of the bubble necklace here before. However, I've been seeing some really great knock-offs lately, particularly on Etsy and Ebay. I did a quick key word search and turned up tons in every color you can imagine. However, I'm a fan of the basics and this ivory bubble necklace would go with everything in my closet. And, at that price, I might just have to surprise myself with a brand spankin' new birthday bubble necklace. :)

So there you have it. My birthday wish list. Now if only I could turn back the clock a year or two, it would be a REALLY happy birthday...

Happy weekend everyone!

peanut butter banana chocolate chip cookies

I wasn't kidding when I told you I was on a hot streak of baking lately. These cookies are my final contribution after a loooong week of lesson planning, speech analyzing, theory reading shenanigans. Yes, I am aware that this is my first full week back. Please don't remind me. I'm trying to convince myself that I'm still just adjusting to the school year schedule. I mean, right?

I've noted before my dear roommate's tendency to forget about bananas until they are spotty beyond recognition. We currently have a whopping FIVE bananas frozen in our freezer because my baking habits simply cannot keep up with the constant stream of ripe bananas coming my way. Not that I'm complaining. It's an excellent problem to have.

These cookies are a product of that very banana surplus. Bananas + chocolate + peanut butter. Is there a better combination in this universe? I tend to think not. These cookies were utterly addictive and so soft thanks to all the banana-y goodness. Yes, I had not one, but TWO as a night time snack. And I'm not even sorry. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
6 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter, melted and cooled
1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ripe medium bananas, mashed
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix the flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together cooled peanut butter and butter with both sugars until combined. Whisk in egg yolk and vanilla extract until smooth. Add in the mashed banana and mix until combined – mixture will not be smooth. Gradually add in the dry ingredients, mixing with a large spoon until a dough forms. Fold in chocolate and peanut butter chips.

Scoop the dough into golfball size portions and place on a nonstick baking sheet about 2 inches apart from each other. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the middles are puffy – do not overbake! Let cool completely.

Yield: ~2 dozen

Source: barely adapted from How Sweet It Is

ricotta cinnamon and sugar danish

I think I've mentioned before that I bake as a form of stress relief. Yeah, I know it's weird. Some people eat, some people shop, some people work out or watch trashy reality TV. Well, I do all those things too. But the single most effective way to instantly relieve stress and clear my brain is baking. It's just a weird thing about me.

School started a week ago today. It should come as no surprise then that the stress-induced baking has begun. In full force, no less. An entire slab o' apple goodness one day. And the next? A couple of danishes. It's a good thing this is my last year of coursework or else I might have to buy bigger pants.

Although I don't make them often, there's something so satisfying about making danish. You take some relatively simple ingredients. In this case: ricotta, sugar, cinnamon, and puff pastry. You pop into the oven what looks like the lamest, most depressing breakfast of all time. And what emerges but the most flaky, golden brown, oozy, sweet pastry straight out of a stinkin' dream.

And, guess what? It's all so simple! All because of puff pastry. I feel that the masses desperately need to know the wonders of puff pastry. It is perhaps the single most under appreciated baking item of our generation. Ina Garten knows. She'll tell you. Puff pastry is the bomb diggity dog. Well, she wouldn't put it in those terms but she just really likes the stuff...and with good reason.

I know, I know. The finished product looks intimidating. What with the braiding and what not. But, I promise you, if you can braid hair, you can braid pastry. In fact, even if you can't braid hair, you can do this thing. Scope out that top picture. It's as easy as spreading the filling down the center and cutting each side into roughly eight 1" strips. Then just braid away. Easy as pie. Actually, easier than pie. Pie is kinda complicated sometimes.

And, here's the other great thing. If your braid isn't perfect, who cares? Because it's gonna puff up in the oven and look gorgeous and delectable. And then you're gonna coat the whole thing in glaze. And, most importantly, it's danish! Who cares how it looks? It tastes amazing!

Okay, so have a sufficiently motivated you to make this danish? Ok, good. Now I just have to figure out how to motivate myself to do some homework. Or maybe some lesson planning. Or really anything work/school related. Shoot, I'll probably just make some more danishes.

Ricotta Cinnamon and Sugar Danish

Filling:
4 Tbsp ground cinnamon
4 Tbsp white granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 Tbsp ricotta
1 box of frozen puff pastry, barely defrosted
2 Tbsp heavy cream (to brush on top)

Glaze:
1 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 Tbsp coffee, room temperature

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, place cinnamon, sugar, and salt; mix until combined. Add the ricotta and use a fork to combine everything together into a paste. Set aside.

Carefully unfold one sheet of puff pastry and roll slightly with a floured rolling pin until it’s roughly an 11″ x 8″ rectangle. At an angle, slice off the top corners and cut two notches in the bottom. Slice 1-inch strips diagonally down both sides of the puff pastry, leaving the center uncut. Try to cut the same amount of strips on both sides. I had about 8 strips per side. Note: I do all of this on a piece of parchment paper to make the transfer to the baking sheet easier.

Add half of the ricotta filling, spreading it evenly down the center of the puff pastry. Fold in the bottom and top flaps. Braid the puff pastry, by folding the strips over the filling, alternating sides, until you’ve worked your way down the puff pastry.

Transfer the danish (and parchment paper) to a baking sheet, and brush top with heavy cream. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until puffed up and golden brown. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry.

While baking, make glaze by mixing confectioner’s sugar with coffee. Continue adding additional coffee until you glaze becomes a pourable consistency. When the danish comes out of the oven, drizzle top with icing and serve warm.

Yield: two medium danishes

Source: slightly adapted from A Cozy Kitchen

apple slab

Despite my recent health nut ways, I promised you some fall baking. And I'm a woman of my word. So, without further adieu, apple pie. Well, kinda. Over the summer I shared my all-time favorite apple pie recipe. The holy grail of apple pies, Southern Comfort Apple Pie. Any apple dessert has big shoes to fill to even compare to that sacred pie. And, yet, I'm not one to rest on my laurels. I can't let well enough alone. I must continue the search for the next greatest apple pie. It's a noble quest, I know.

So I bring you today not Apple Pie, but Apple Slab. The name was not my idea, I assure you. But please don't let it scare you away. I've mentioned before my aversion to the concept of any food in "loaf" form. Meat loaf is the prime suspect in this category. Bread obviously gets a "get out of jail free" card on this issue since I'm powerless against its carby goodness.

However, the idea of a food in "slab" form is perhaps even worse than the dreaded "loaf." The only other thing I can even recall being classified by the slab, is a slab of concrete. Or maybe granite or marble? Yet, all of these things seem appropriate as slabs. This apple slab, on the other hand, does not. There is nothing hard or slab-ish about this delicious dessert. It is flaky and gooey and perfectly spiced and coated in an apple cider glaze. I can think of no instance where any of those adjectives would describe a slab of concrete. This, my friends, may be more accurately described as Apple Pie Bars or just Apple Deliciousness.

Either way, I recommend you make a slab o' this sometime soon. It's everything delicious about Apple Pie but in smaller, less guilt-inducing squares. Plus apple cider glaze. Did I mention the apple cider glaze? It's pretty epic. Now go make a slab and enjoy!

Apple Slab

Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter

Filling:
1 cup Panko bread crumbs, or other coarse dry bread crumbs; or 1 cup coarsely crushed cornflakes
6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp cinnamon

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup apple cider
small pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

To make the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and salt together. In a measuring cup, stir 3/4 cup water with several ice cubes until it is very cold.

Cut the cold butter into cubes and toss them in the flour mixture to coat. Put the mixture in the bowl of a food processor and pulse in short bursts until the butter pieces are the size of hazelnuts. Pulsing in 4-second bursts, slowly drizzle the ice water into the food processor through the feed tube. As soon as the dough comes together in a ball, stop adding water.

Remove the dough from the food processor and divide it into two pieces; one should represent about 40% of the dough, the other, about 60%. Shape each piece into a rectangle and wrap first in parchment paper and then in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Take the larger piece of pastry out of the fridge, and put it on a floured work surface. Roll it into an 11" x 15" rectangle. Don't worry about the ragged edges; they'll disappear under the top crust. Place the crust in an ungreased 9" x 13" cake pan. Patch up any holes by pushing the pastry together with your fingers, or adding a pinch from the excess on the sides. Push the pastry up the sides of the pan a bit, to make a shallow pastry container for the apples. Put the crust in the fridge while you get the apples ready.

Start preheating your oven to 350°

To make the filling: Spread the bread crumbs or crushed cornflakes evenly over the crust. Spread the sliced apples atop the crumbs. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the apples.

Roll the remaining piece of pastry into a 9" x 13" rectangle. Lay the top crust over the apples. Seal the edges of the two crusts as well as you can. If the whole thing has become warm and sticky and hard to work with, pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm it up.

Just before baking, slash the crust 6 or 8 times to allow steam to escape. Put the slab in the preheated 350°F oven, and bake it for an hour. Remove it from the oven; it'll be golden brown, and the filling should be bubbling. Allow to cool completely before glazing.

To make the glaze: Combine the confectioners' sugar, apple cider, cinnamon, and salt. Start with 1/4 cup of the cider; if you've made this kind of icing before, you know it's easier to add more liquid, than to try to take it away. Add enough liquid to make the glaze pourable. Drizzle the glaze atop the slab.

Yield: 16 to 24 servings, depending on size.

Sources: crust from Baked Explorations, apple slab adapted from King Arthur Flour

honey mustard chicken

So I joined a gym recently. I mean, I still love my BodyRock workouts but sometimes a gal just needs to get out of the house, you know? Plus, all the man candy pumping iron in my peripheral vision doesn't hurt either. Gives me a little added motivation, in fact. So, anyway, I am now a proud gym member.

On a related note, I'm having a rare moment of motivation to eat healthy. Weird, right? Don't worry. I'm sure it will pass soon. However, in the meantime, I've been switching out my typical fall faves like chili and cornbread for slightly more virtuous dishes like roast chicken and broccoli. Doesn't that sound just absolutely saintly? Never fear, there was cheese on the broccoli and honey mustard on the chicken. I'm all about compromise...even when I am feeling like a straight health nut.

Aside from the obvious nutritional value, I made this Honey Mustard Chicken for one main reason...the rosemary. After a summer of neglect, my rosemary plant is not only still alive, it's thriving. What started as a wee lil sprout is now practically a rosemary bush at this point. And I'm totally fine with that. I may not have mentioned this before, but I have a pretty major love affair with rosemary.

For as simple as this recipe is...chicken, mustard, honey, rosemary...it's shockingly flavorful. The honey mustard mixture really seeps into the chicken and the rosemary makes the whole house smell amazing. This is my new go-to weeknight meal. Bonus: my trainer, Jason, would be sooo proud!

Honey Mustard Chicken

Ingredients:
1/4 cup smooth Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (or legs)
Salt
2 sprigs rosemary
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix mustard, honey, and olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and taste. Add more salt, mustard, and/or honey until you get the flavor where you want it.

Salt the chicken lightly and lay the pieces skin-side up in a shallow casserole dish. Spoon the honey mustard sauce over the chicken. Place the rosemary sprigs in between the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the thighs read 175° on a meat thermometer, or the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife. Remove the casserole pan from the oven.

Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper over the chicken before you serve.

Yield: 2-4 servings

Source: Simply Recipes

apple crisp, homework, and pumpkin coffees

Happy Friday people! We are officially a full week into September and I have accomplished exactly zero things on my Fall To Do list. None. Nada. I promise to do better. In fact, I already have some fall baking in the works for this weekend. I'll report back on that soon.

And now, without further adieu, my weekly random thoughts:

1. Check out that sunset above. I just want to start at that photo until forever. I got to soak in this view last Sunday during a picnic on the beach. I've said it before and I'll say it again...I'm a lucky girl!

2. I officially survived my first week back to school. Minor victory, but a victory none the less. I don't want to speak too soon, though. I assigned my lit students a bunch of feminist theory over the weekend so they are cursing my name riiiggghht aboouuttt NOW. Pray for me next Tuesday.

3. I don't know why, but this cracks me up. Every. Single. Time. And so does this. Oh, and this. Ermahgerd!

4. Look at my pizza stone. Just look at it. What happened to the poor guy? Well, I'm glad you asked. It cracked from the heat of the burner underneath my oven. My pizza stone that's made for the oven cracked from the heat of the oven. What?!? Needless to say, I am NOT pleased. I've had this danged pizza stone almost four years! (It was a gift from a college BF who knew the quickest way to my heart was through cooking supplies, bless his heart.) This pizza stone has been with me through thick and thin, from Kansas to the Baby State, and has seen me through more batches of scones than I care to admit. RIP Pizza Stone!

5. I'm reading Water for Elephants. Yes, I know I'm late to the party. Yes, I am aware that there's already a movie version. Yes, I have more important things to be reading. But I just don't care. I cannot put this book down!

6. Hey Midwesterners, Pumpkin Spiced Latte is back at Starbucks! Hey New Englanders, Pumpkin Iced Coffee and Apple Cider is back at Dunkin' Donuts! I have a Starbucks AND a Dunkin' within a two-mile radius of me. I am in pumpkin/apple heaven.

7. On a related note, I'm making this ASAP.

8. My roommate jumped on the fall baking bandwagon before me! She whipped up an Apple Crisp earlier this week and we have already dominated it. The poor thing didn't stand a chance. We're a pair of apple fiends in this house. Next up, my favorite Southern Comfort Apple Pie! Yay fall!

9. Speaking of the ol' roommate, she shared a little secret with me recently...codes for free movies at Redbox! Between the Apple Crisp and the Redbox codes, I think she's in the running for roommate of the year. You can also find the codes here. Now go have a movie night!

10. Oh, and while you're at it, don't forget to make some Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark for snacking. I'm sorry in advance. Looks like salty/sugary crack. Yummm.

Have a great weekend! I'll be living it up with a Saturday tutoring workshop because I'm a straight balla y'all. Damn it feels good to be a gangsta. Happy Friday!

smoking loafers

source: nordstrom

My newest fashion obsession: smoking loafers. Have you heard of these? I'm sure you've seen them before. Think of any movie with a cliche guy in a robe or smoking jacket holding a cigar. Quick: what's on his feet? If you answered "smoking loafers," you are correct!

But, wait, smoking loafers are no longer just for old men with cigars. Oh no! The smoking loafer's time has finally come. I've been seeing smoking loafers everywhere lately. They're all over Pinterest, on the pages of my fashion magazines, and on the racks at every store. And, guess what? I want...nay, I NEED a pair. What can I say? I've been searching high and low for the perfect shoe to wear with my velvet robe whilst I smoke cigars. And, lo and behold, it has arrived!

I've collected some of my favorite smoking loafers here so that you, too, can get on the smoking loafer bandwagon.

source: pinterest

These are originally from Bloomingdales but they must be sold out at the moment. No wonder. I love the colors and pattern on these. They would be perfect paired with jeans and a warm sweater this fall. Love this casual version of the smoking loafer.

source: steve madden

This pair may be my favorite. They are currently sitting in my online shopping cart at Steve Madden. I'm a sucker for leopard print and these would go with everything. They could be dressed down with boyfriend jeans and a sweater or dressed up for work with a pair of dress pants, a pretty blouse, and a belted cardigan.

source: macy's

From a distance this pair almost looks beaded but that's actually embroidery. Love the tribal print and colors of these. Again, these would be perfect dressed down.

source: bloomingdale's

And, finally, the perfect dressy version of the smoking loafer. Black suede with a silver metal cap toe. I am in love with the cap toe on these. It's the perfect bonus to make these stand out at work. Love!

So, have I turned any one into a smoking loafer fanatic? Yes, I realize it's fairly similar to a basic loafer or flat, but I love that the shape is just slightly updated. Think I may have to reserve a spot on my shoe rack for those leopard Steve Madden's above. And I can guarantee that I will be busting them out for more than the occasional cigar! ;)

maple-glazed oatmeal cookies

Today is my first official day back to school. Not as a teacher...that will come tomorrow. Today is my first official day back as a student. My last year classified as a student, in fact. After 20 solid years of school, I start my 21st and final year of school. It's the end of an era, my friends.

Well, technically, I'll still have a dissertation to write but THEN it'll DEFINITELY be the end of an era. Like, for real.

So, in honor of the impending school year, I thought I'd bake some after school-type snacks. And what says "fall," "school," and "afternoon snack" better than some oatmeal cookies? Nothing, I tell you! If I had wee younguns of the school age variety, I'd make them these. But I don't. So I made them for myself instead. "Old" students need after school snacks, too, after all.

I've waxed poetic on The Pastry Queen's cookbook before. She is the mastermind behind the likes of Southern Comfort Apple Pie and Whole Lemon Muffins, among many other culinary gems. This recipe is no exception. These are no regular oatmeal cookies. The traditional raisins are subbed out for dried cranberries and then there's the genius addition of maple syrup, both in the cookies themselves and in the glaze....which is another genius move in itself. Glaze on an oatmeal cookie? Why didn't I think of that!?!

Thankfully the Pastry Queen thought of it for me and I now bring it to you. These are soft and chewy and everything a good oatmeal cookie should be. Make them for your students...or just for yourself.

Maple-Glazed Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 pure maple syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

Maple Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
4-5 Tbsp heavy whipping cream or milk
Pinch of salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, or grease generously with butter or cooking spray.

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, syrup, and both sugars in a large bowl on medium-high speed. Add the eggs and beat on medium-high until thoroughly combined. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, oats, and cranberries and mix on medium-low speed until combined.

Using a 1 3/4-inch scoop, drop golf ball-size mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Lightly press the dough down to flatten each cookie slightly. Bake for 7 to 12 minutes, until the cookie are golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

To Make the Glaze: Combine the sugar, maple syrup, 4 tablespoons cream, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth. If glaze looks too thick, add another tablespoon of cream. Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the glaze and set them on waxed paper. The glaze will harden in approximately 30 minutes.

Yield: ~3 dozen cookies
Source: The Pastry Queen cookbook

ribbon bulletin board

source: houzz

So, as with many of my craft project, this one began with Pinterest. With the image above to be exact. I love so many things about this picture...the yellow chair, the orange coat rack, those awesome Hunters. However, what really caught my eye was that amazing ribbon bulletin board. So, guess what? I made one of my very own! And guess what else? It was the easiest thing. Ever. You should make one, too.

You'll need:

• a frame
• primer, top coat, and spray paint in your choice of color
• ribbon in your choice of color
• hot glue gun and glue
• binder clips

Here's the step by step:

Step One: Find a frame. Here's mine. You may remember this particular frame from earlier this spring when I went on a kelly green spray paint binge. I still love that color but it just doesn't work in my new place. Plus, that cork board has seen better days. So, time to spruce it up! I just knocked out the cork board before I started painting.

Step Two: Painting time. I coated my frame in two coats of primer, two coats of gold spray paint, and a top coat. Let dry.

Step Three: Hot glue lengths of ribbon haphazardly across the back of the frame, adding more and layering to your taste. Let dry.

Step Four: Use binder clips to attach papers/clippings/photos/etc to ribbon. I couldn't find any gold binder clips so I just bought silver ones and spray painted them with the same gold spray paint I used on the frame.

Voila! So pretty, right? It looks so much better on my desk than the old green monstrosity. What do you think? :)