Mystery Item Revealed and Sherri Cookies

Some of you knew exactly what this is... some of you, not so much.

The answer is:

It is a tool you use to pull out and push in hot oven racks. The perfect gift for a kitchen gadget junkie like me! Thank you bouncing baby boy!

We are expecting our second snow storm of the season this weekend. Yeah!! 5 to 10 inches of the white stuff. I like nothing more than to curl up on weekends like this with a hot cup of something and some of these cookies. There is no Sherry in them - they are named after a little poodle TBHITW's family had when he was a little. The cookies look like brown poodle curls (to TBHITW and his family anyway)... I just like them because they are decadent and full of chocolate and coconut.

NO BAKE Sherri Cookies (makes about 3 dozen, depending on size)

1 stick unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup milk

6 tablespoons cocoa

Melt butter and mix everything together in a saucepan over medium heat. But DON'T boil. Kep stirring to dissolve sugar and chocolate. Just as the mixture begins to bubble, take off heat.

Stir in and mix until well coated:

3 cups oatmeal (quick style)

2 cups coconut

Spoon out by tablespoon full onto wax paper to cool and dry. Store in an airtight tin at room temperature - that is if you have any left to actually store.

A Cook's Notes:

You will want to be exceedingly diligent about licking the spoon to get up all that chocolately goodness.

Specialty Coffee and Brownies for Thirtysomething

Some days you just need a brownie. And a really great cup of coffee. 

Not just any brownie mind you. And not just any coffee.

Some days you need decadent, fudgy brownies and coffee with a kick. 

There is a lovely southern mom and blogger (not to be defined by these two terms alone) over at 

thirtysomethingland (Life in the Land of Mama Grits)

Mama Grits is in need of a really good brownie. I am throwing in the Specialty Coffee just in case the brownies don't do it by themselves. 

If you're having a manic Monday, a rainy day, a relaxing day, company, a day by yourself or you just feel like splurging, bake yourself up some brownies, pour yourself this cup of Joe and head on over to "Mama Grits" for a good read. 

My Family's Brownies (makes a 9 inch pan)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Butter a 9 inch pan. 

Melt chocolate and butter over very low heat (or use a double boiler). Stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar, eggs, salt, flour, vanilla and nuts (if using).

Pur into prepared pan. 

Bake a SCANT 30-35 minutes. Do not overbake. 

Cool on rack at least 30-40 minutes before slicing. 

(Brownies are done when a toothpick inserted 1 inch from the side comes out ALMOST clean)

For a variation, halfway through baking, sprinkle with a 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Honest, sea salt, the combination of sweet and salty is unbelievably good. 

Coffee with a Kick: (for two)

Add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and a 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon to your coffee grounds. Brew enough coffee of two large glasses. (4 to 6 cups)

Coffee

Bailey's Irish Cream

Cinnamon

Heavy Cream for whipping

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Place 1 inch Bailey's in the bottom of a wine glass. 

Meanwhile, whip about 1/4 cup heavy cream, halfway through whipping, add powdered sugar, continue to beat until stiff peaks form. 

Pour coffee over Bailey's, top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with cinnamon. 

Cut the brownies. 

Eat and drink. (sigh)

Cancer Sucks and Shanewiches

"Cancer Sucks, But My Son Rocks" - those are words written by my brother-in-law (Shane's Dad) on his blog site, www.teamskelcy.wordpress.com

Forgive me if I use this blog over the coming weeks and months to talk about our nephew.

When cancer strikes a loved one, the whole family gets cancer together. As a family we have weathered this storm before. With my father and the best husband in the world's father (prostate cancer). TBHITW's mom, breast cancer. My mom, colon cancer. All are survivors and we give thanks everyday for that.

But when cancer strikes a 10 year old boy - all reason flies out the window. All perspective can get lost in the battle.

Shane's journey into the world of cancer started with an innocent fall on a school playground just a few weeks ago. A bruise to his left side, above his hip was the beginning. When the "bruise" got worse, a second visit to the pediatrician was warranted. It wasn't a bruise. In a few short days of MRI's and tests, Shane was undergoing surgery to remove a tennis ball size tumor from his left side. TBHITW went to Michigan, the family rallied around Mark and Dee, Shane's parents, his sisters (the twins) just Irish Twins away in age, Kaitlin and Allyson and of course, Shane.

The surgeon felt 99.9% sure he got it all. Praise be! The tumor was not attached to the bone and had not spread. It was a "contained" tumor. Shane went home from the hospital, TBHITW came home from Michigan and we rejoiced that an angel pushed Shane down on the playground - otherwise the tumor would not have been found for months.

Then the pathology reports started coming in....

Confusing, infuriating, terrifying. The cancer is rare. Pathologists were consulted at the University of Michigan, the University of Boston and Emory University in Atlanta. A team of 20 tumor specialists was assembled. What was this? What path of treatment was needed? The verdict that came back has tried the faith and hope of everyone in this family. A rare cancer - rarely seen in adults and only seen 5 times in children. They are even loathe to name it. Myxiod Sarcoma? The doctors say it doesn't need a name. The diagnosis is enough.

The tumor team and all the pathologists have decided that the course of treatment will commence with chemotherapy beginning June 1. A full summer of it.

To be followed by radiation.

To be followed by surgery to remove even the skin that was covering the tumor. 

To be followed by a skin graft. 

We feel helpless in the face of this enormous disease that has captured our family. 

Some of us will pray. Some of us will cry. Some of us will yell. Some of us will shake our fists at the cancer gods and some at their very own God. 

Some, like Mark and Dee, will run in the NYC Marathon this fall - raising money for cancer research and honoring their son's struggle. 

Me, I'll cry a little (I call them my private cries - maybe in the shower, maybe when I'm all by myself in the kitchen). I'll google Myxoid Sarcoma - maybe. But mostly I'll cook. I'll rename old recipes for Shane and invent some new ones. I'll find the foods that soothe a chemotherapy racked body. I'll visit in July and take over someone's kitchen like an invading army. That is my therapy. That is where I find solace. In front of a pot. Creating, tasting, inventing, feeding. Feeding the family and feeding my soul. And somewhere in all that stirring and mixing and basting and sauteing is a prayer for a cure. 

ShaneWiches - formerly known as Whoopie Pies. (I can rename it because I changed the recipe somewhat in order to use whole wheat pastry flour and brown sugar instead of the traditional all white flour and sugar - feel free to change it back! I also feel free to rename it because if ten year olds can get cancer, they can have a cookie/cake named after them)

Cookies (Cakes):

1 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 c all purpose flour
2/3 c unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 c buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to one cup milk, let stand for 5 minutes)
Crystal sugar (optional)

Filling:
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 c confectioners sugar
1 jar (7 1/2 oz) marshmallow cream
2 tsp vanilla

1.  Heat oven to 350
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.  Combine flour, cocoa and baking soda.
In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 min.  Add egg
and vanilla and beat to combine.  Alternately add flour mixture and
buttermilk beginning and ending with flour.  Mix until smooth.

2.  Drop 1-inch mounds of batter 2 inches apart onto baking sheets.
Sprinkle half of the mounds with crystal sugar (optional).  Bake until tops are puffed
and cookies spring back when touched, 15 min.
Transfer to rack and cool completely.

3.  To make filling:  Beat together butter, confect. sugar, marshmallow
cream, and vanilla until smooth, about 3 min.  Spread a rounded tablespoon of
filling on flat side of half of the cookies.  Top with other.

Make these for all the people you love in this world - just because you CAN. 

Um... What Do You Think, How About Some Brownies

I am at home in my kitchen. I am not leaving for Pennsylvania today as originally planned. 

Why you ask? Okay, hold on to your (whatever you hold on to):

The Doctor is sick. 

That's right folks. The surgeon who is supposed to perform my dad's surgery is sick. 

And what you ask is wrong with him? 

Well, here are the facts:

He has a virus.

He is not allowed back in the operating room until next Thursday. 

Now, what do you think he has? I have my suspicions all fueled by massive media coverage over the last 2 weeks. 

I already told you about my inappropriate laughing and I've got to tell you, if he has what I think he has (the DR that is...) well, then yesterday's post recipe was absolutely spot on and I find that very funny, although I do feel really bad for my dad - you know how it is, you get yourself all ready for the day.... (he is rescheduled for next Thursday)

What do you think? As for me, I'm making brownies:

The Best and Easiest Brownies in New Jersey (I do stop short of saying the world because I am humble)

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate

6 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Butter a 9 inch pan. 

Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl or pot over simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs, salt, flour, vanilla and optional nuts. 

Pour into a prepared pan and bake 35 minutes. Now listen up - DO NOT OVERBAKE. Brownies are done when a toothpick inserted 1 inch from the side is ALMOST clean. Cool on a rack and cut into 1 x 1 inch pieces (like who ever does that??)

A Cook's Notes: These are chewy, fudgy brownies meant to take the edge off of life. They are dangerously good - so only make when you are extremely stressed out and there is just no other solution to your problem. Or, you know, you just have to have some chocolate. 

Two Days To WWW - and Tenderloin

These are the women of WWW. Women's Wine Weekend (notice there is no H in Wine).

That's me, the first on the right

It's two days until we convene and commence to, well, whatever we want.

Today I am going to buy the beef tenderloin and this is how I'm going to make it for WWW Saturday Dinner:

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Rosemary, Chocolate and Wine Sauce

1 (2 to 5 pound) beef tenderloin
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons olive oil
½ cup chopped shallots
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups dry red wine plus more for drinking (duh)
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Tenderloin:

Take meat out of refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Season meat with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add meat and sear until well browned on all sides.

Transfer the meat to a rack set on a baking sheet. Roast until desired doneness (140 – medium rare, 150 – medium). Take meat out of oven 6 degrees below desired temperature. Tent. Residual cooking will bring to desired temperature. Let rest AT LEAST 15 minutes before carving.

Sauce:

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, carrot and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for 2 more minutes. Add the wine and broth and stir in tomato paste, bay leaf, rosemary and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer until reduced by half (about 30 minutes) Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Discard solids. Return sauce to pan, whisk in cocoa. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Serve on the side with the sliced tenderloin.

Tomorrow: All the sides.

And the Tough Get Cooking

I decided that if I can't do anything about operations and tumors and cancer, I CAN make chocolate chip cookies. These are not the standard Toll House Cookie Recipe that we all grew up on. Nope, these are, New and Improved, HOT from my oven in New Jersey, and personally driven and hand delivered to Shane in Michigan by his Uncle Jim:

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES IN THE WORLD:

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp table salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted until slightly browned

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk only

2 cups (12 oz) Ghirardelli or Hershey's semi-sweet chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Position the rack in the middle of the oven.

Stir sugars and vanilla into melted butter. Whisk or gently mix. Wait 3 minutes, mix again. Wait 3 minutes. Mix again.

Add egg and egg yolk. Mix gently until incorporated.

Stir together flour, salt and baking soda. Add to melted butter, sugar mixture. Stir or mix gently. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonful onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Cool slightly. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

A Cook's Notes:

By browning and melting the butter you are accomplishing two things:

1. Adding more depth of flavor with the browned butter

2. Aiding in the melting of the sugars. This will keep the cookie chewier.

The egg yolk will also give your cookies more chewiness; rather than a cake like texture that the egg white would add.

The higher ratio of dark brown sugar to white adds even more depth of flavor and adds a caramel crispness to the outside of the cookie

Use Hershey or Ghirardelli chocolate - it is a better quality than Nestle.

Bake in batches - only one tray at a time. Yes, it's time consuming, but you will get a better, even baked cookie. Use two trays - one in the oven and one ready to go. Don't put batter on hot tray, allow cookie sheet to cool before reloading.

And finally, make these cookies for small boys (and girls) and not so small boys and girls with scary stuff in their lives.

James and The Giant Cupcake

This is James. He is fifteen years old and one of Zach's, my 15 year old son's, best friends.

These are James' giant cupcakes.

Recently, my son's friends have been eating dinner with us on a Saturday night.

Typically, it starts like this; around 3:00 on a Saturday afternoon, the phone rings.

Me: Hello? Zach?

Zach: Hi mom.

Me: Where are you?

Zach: In my room.

Me: In my house?

Zach: Yeah. In my room.

Me: Have you fallen and can't get up?

Zach: No, it's me Zach - I'm in my room with Sal.

Sal is another one of my son's friends he "hangs" with. There is Tom and Sal, and Mark, and Ryan, and James. They are very nice boys from the neighborhood and all 15 years old.

Me: You are in your room with Sal? Has Sal fallen and can't get up? Did a dresser fall on you? Are you engaging in CPR on Sal that prohibits you from coming out of your room, walking the 10 feet to the kitchen and conversing in person with me?

Zach: no, we're playing video games, can Sal eat over?

Me: Sure

That's how it typically starts. Five or ten minutes later, another phone call:

Me: Hello Zach?

Zach: Yeah, mom... can Tom eat over too?

Me: Did Tom fall down and can't get up?

Zach: Oh mom...

Me: okay.

This will go on for sometime. This past Saturday, Zach did eventually emerge from his room to ask if James could also eat over. James was coming from a fresh haircut appointment and wanted all his friends to see his new "do" (my words, not theirs)

When James came in the door - I was shocked.

James, for as long as I have known him, has had very long hair that he wore tied back in a pony tail; which in itself is funny. Let me explain. I grew up in the 70's - where long haired "hippies" were the norm. These kids have absolutely no clue that they are imitating a style from the 70's. It would be like me wearing saddle shoes and poodle skirts. But they don't get it. They believe they are the fashionistas and and on the cutting edge. hee-hee. If they would only take a glance at my high-school yearbook how mortified would they be???

Anyway, James came in - another dinner invitation was extended and like so many Saturday night dinners I found myself cooking for 4 to 5 teenagers, my husband and myself. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I have always tried to have an "open door" policy when it comes to our home. Better to have the kidadults congregate here than elsewhere and besides, it is amazing what you can learn over a table of shared food.

What I learned that night:

James had been growing his hair for a couple of years in order to donate it to Locks for Love; an organization that makes wigs for children undergoing chemotherapy. There is no charge for these wigs. It was finally long enough and in one fell swoop he had it all cut off to benefit children with cancer.

Sometimes kids can amaze us.

So that's why I made James a Giant Cupcake. Because James, in my eyes, has a giant heart.

Devil's Food Cupcakes with Chocolate Glaze and Cream Cheese Swirl.

Makes 6 jumbo (muffin size) or 12 normal size cupcakes.

Paper cupcake liners (jumbo or regular sized)

1/2 cup whole grain pasty flour (I like Hodson Mills whole wheat pastry flour)

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon slat

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup reduced fat yogurt (I like Face 0% fat Greek yogurt)

1/4 cup skim or 1% milk

1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 egg

1 egg white

Glaze:

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon nonfat milk (plus more if needed)

2 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

Squiggle:

2 tablespoons cream cheese (I like neufchatel; light cream cheese)

2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar

Place rack in in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Line cupcake pan with liners. Whisk together flours, cocoa, baking soda and salt in medium bowl and set aside.

Combine milk and lemon juice or vinegar in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, add yogurt and stir to combine. Add vanilla. Set aside.

Combine butter, oil and brown sugar in the bowl of mixer and mix on high speed until sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute. Add egg and egg white and beat another minute.

Add 1/3 of cocoa/flour mixture, then 1/3 of milk/yogurt mixture, mixing well after each addition. Repeat until all ingredients are combined.

Distribute among cupcake liners.

Bake for 22 minutes for jumbo muffin size or 15 minutes for regular cupcake size or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on rack.

Glaze:

Combine confectioner's sugar and milk in small saucepan and heat over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Add chocolate and and stir until melted and smooth. Add milk by 1/2 teaspoons if too thick. While still warm, frost cupcakes.

Squiggle:

2 tablespoons cream cheese. Microwave for 10-15 seconds.

2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar. Stir into cream cheese.

Place in small plastic bag, snip off corner and squiggle on cupcakes.

Don't tell the 15 year old's these are low fat, low calorie, high fiber. They are loaded with love and that's the only thing anyone needs to know; just like Locks for Love and fifteen year olds.