The Redhead Baker - Page 2 of 32

Flourless Blackberry Souffles

By Coleen

It’s recipe swap time again, hosted by A Taste of Home Cooking! This round’s theme was desserts—right up my alley!

Before we get to the food, I want to make sure you are aware that Google will be retiring Reader, their RSS reader. That means if you follow my, or any other, blog with Google Reader, you’ll need to find a new service. There are a few to choose from, the most popular being Feedly and BlogLovin’. Click the following link to follow my blog with Bloglovin.

Now — dessert! My favorite meal of the day. I submitted the caramel shortbread bars that I made last November. I was really excited to see what recipe I’d receive. I have to admit, I was surprised to get a souffle recipe. Not a bad surprised. Just surprised.

I’ve made souffles once before, in culinary school. They are typically made by folding together a flavored yolk-based cream sauce and whipped egg whites. Souffles can be either sweet or savory. A souffle can be baked in almost any dish, but most choose porcelain oven-safe ramekins, from small (for individual souffles) to a single large souffle. The dish is buttered, then coated with something for texture (typically sugar for sweet souffles; bread crumbs or Parmesan cheese for savory) to give the souffle something to cling to as it rises.

Unbaked souffles

In this lighter souffle, whipped egg whites are folded with fruit puree (skipping the calorie- and fat-laden cream sauce). The recipe I received called for raspberries, but since blackberries were on sale near me, I substituted with those instead. I probably should have increased the amount of blackberries, because I didn’t get even the minimum amount of puree called for in the recipe. But still, the souffles had a subtle blackberry flavor, and a beautiful purple color.

One other thing I’d do differently next time is strain the puree to remove the seeds.

Baked souffles

Flourless Blackberry Souffles

Adapted from Kosher Kitchen

Ingredients

3 (6-oz) containers of blackberries
¾ cup sugar, divided, plus more for prepping the dishes
2 ¼ tsp fresh lemon juice
softened unsalted butter, for greasing the souffle dishes (¼ to ½ a cup)
9 large egg whites
confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

Directions

Reserve 8 of the blackberries; set aside. Place the remaining blackberries in a medium saucepan, and add ¼ cup of the sugar and the lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until the blackberries are very soft and have begun to break down, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree with an immersion blender. Transfer to a bowl, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease 4 (8-ounce) ramekins generously with the butter. Place a tablesoponful of sugar in each dish, and turn to coat the bottom and sides. Repeat with each ramekin. Set the ramekins on a baking sheet, leaving space between each.
Place the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining ½ cup of sugar, and continue whipping until the whites reach stiff peaks.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Measure out 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups of the puree (more puree will mean stronger flavor). Gently but quickly fold one third of the puree into the egg whites with a rubber spatula until nearly fully incorporated. Add another third of the puree and fold until nearly incorporated, then add the remaining third and fold until fully incorporated.
Divide the mixture among the prepared ramekins, filling each nearly full. Cut the reserved blackberries in half, and place four halves on top of each ramekin.
Place the entire baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until fully puffed and the tops feel dry.
Sift confectioners sugar over the souffles, and serve immediately.

Cooking time: 15 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

See more recipes from the Dessert Swap by clicking the photos below!

Filed Under: Desserts and Sweets, Fruit

03/11/131 Comment

Roasted Lemon-Dill Salmon

By Coleen

Considering the blog is named “The Redhead Baker,” you’re not surprised that I’m a little bit Irish, are you? Only about 50% (the other half is Scottish).

I love celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day. I bake Irish soda bread. I love to have a slice fresh out of the oven with a smear of Kerrygold Irish butter for breakfast.

Everyone thinks it’s tradition to have corned beef and cabbage for dinner. But I have to break it to you — it’s never been considered a traditional Irish meal. Which makes me feel better about saying, I can’t stand corned beef or cabbage. The association between corned beef and Saint Patrick’s Day came about after Irish immigrants came to the United States, and substituted corned beef when they couldn’t find pork.

So, what are some traditional Irish meals? There’s shepherd’s pie, colcannon (mashed potatoes and cabbage), or coddle (a stew-like dish of pork sausage, bacon, potatoes and onions).

The Irish also eat a lot of fish, cod and salmon being the most popular. Lemon and dill aren’t particularly “Irish” flavors, but they do complement the salmon very well. I served the salmon with chopped spinach and the most iconic Irish side dish, mashed potatoes.

Roasted Lemon-Dill Salmon

Barely adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

12 ounces salmon fillet
Cooking spray
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp grated lemon zest (about half a large lemon)
6 lemon slices

Directions

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil, then spray with nonstick spray.
Place the salmon fillet skin-side down on the foil. Drizzle just enough olive oil over the top to coat the fish. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the dill and lemon zest evenly over the fish, then arrange the lemon slices over the top.
Roast the fish for 10 minutes, until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)

Cooking time: 10 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 2

Filed Under: Fish and Shellfish, Main Course, Quick and Easy

03/07/135 Comments

Munchkin Meals:15 Months

By Coleen

Time for Munchkin Meals again, hosted by A Healthy Slice of Life.

Liam recently turned 15 months, and had a well-baby appointment. He weighed in at 23 pounds 4 ounces, and measured 32 inches tall. The pediatrician is pleased with his development. He “says” 7 words (Mama, Dada, Deh (dog), Nana (banana), Elmo, Keys, Cheese), and recognizes many more.

The one question I had for her was, Liam eats anything and everything at breakfast, gets a little pickier at lunch, and sometimes refuses outright to eat dinner. I don’t want to set a precedent of making him his own special meal. Is it harmful to his health or development if he doesn’t eat?

The answer was, make sure he gets an adequate amount of fruits, vegetables, protein, whole grains and healthy fats over the course of a week, rather than focusing on a single day. He will not let himself starve.

And when I stepped back and looked at the big picture, he does eat a lot, and eats well.

Breakfast on a typical day is his usual: a banana (sometimes some other fruit if we’re ::gasp!:: out of bananas) and a multi-grain waffle, English muffin, whole wheat pancake or Cheerios. He also recently tried a spoonful of my oatmeal, and loved it, so we’ll add that to the rotation.

A typical lunch is baked chicken nuggets or baked fish sticks with a cheese stick and vegetables. We alternate between peas, mixed vegetables, and sweet potato puffs that I found at Whole Foods. Or, a grilled cheese sandwich, or toast with peanut butter, again, with vegetables.

Liam is still on two naps a day on weekdays, but weekends, he sometimes only takes one. Either way, in the late morning, he eats a snack of fruit and graham crackers, fruit and yogurt, or fruit and cheese. We’re actually trying to cut back on his fruit consumption, because he’s getting bad diaper rashes.

We spend most days at home, play with toys, reading books, running around in circles (okay, that’s just Liam). Some days, we make short trips to Trader Joe’s, the grocery store, or Target. Some days, we trek to Babies R Us, which Liam loves, because I let him walk around on his own. Babies R Us is typically nearly empty on weekday afternoons, so it’s very easy to keep track of him, and he’s not getting in other people’s way. At this point, it’s a novelty to just run up and down the aisles, he doesn’t try and touch anything on the shelves.

After his second nap, he eats a snack of cheddar bunnies, or yogurt dippers (graham sticks and fruit-flavored yogurt). Afterwards, if the weather is mild, I’ll wear him in either my Boba or ring sling, and we’ll walk the dogs, but it’s been a while since we’ve been able to do that.

As I said earlier, dinner is usually more challenging. I try to choose healthy meals that I think he will like, but it’s still hit or miss. It doesn’t help that I’ve been feeling sick lately, and not up to eating dinner. He ate his spaghetti and meatballs, and he *loved* the tomato-bacon flatbread pizza that The Mister made the other night.

He also loves spending time with his grandparents (my parents). As soon as he sees my dad, he tries to imitate a cheek-popping noise that my dad has been doing since Liam was a baby to make him smile. They have toys at their house, and they build huge block towers for Liam to knock over. He’s always exhausted when he comes home because he runs around so much there!

To see more Munchkin Meals, click over to A Healthy Slice of Life!

Filed Under: Family, Munchkin Meals

03/04/131 Comment

Peanut Butter Nutella Sandwich Cookies

By Coleen

Friday, March 1, was Peanut Butter Lovers’ Day (not to be confused with National Peanut Butter Day, celebrated January 24th), and I had intended to share this recipe with you then. Better late than never, right?

Peanut butter cookies are one of The Mister’s favorites, so I knew there would be no objection on his end. They were one of the first things I ever baked for him, and he introduced me to flourless peanut butter cookies.

But I didn’t want to blog about the standard peanut butter cookie. Everybody knows how to make a peanut butter cookie. I wanted to make it more special.

Peanut Butter Nutella Sandwich Cookies

So, I decided I would take two peanut butter cookies and sandwich them together with Nutella, the chocolate hazelnut spread that has nearly taken over the blogging world in recent years. However, I wanted something sturdier than the typical soft peanut butter cookie. I set off to learn what makes cookies crisp. Is it more flour? Higher baking temperature?

Well, it turns out that crisp cookies often contain a higher percentage of sugar. Also, they are baked longer, giving the moisture more time to evaporate. But I also discovered a crisp peanut butter cookie recipe on Leite’s Culinaria, so I needn’t re-invent the wheel and develop my own version. If my past track record has taught me anything, it’s that recipe development is not my forte.

Why crisp peanut butter cookies? Two reasons: 1) I didn’t want a very soft cookie to break as I was spreading the Nutella, and 2) the crisp cookie would contrast nicely with the thick, creamy Nutella.

These were a huge hit. The cookie was just crisp enough to stand up to being frosted without breaking, yet tender enough that they didn’t crumble completely when bitten. Sandwiched with creamy, chocolate-y Nutella, they are a peanut butter lover’s dream.

Peanut Butter Nutella Sandwich Cookies

Adapted from Leite’s Culinaria

Ingredients

1 ⅔ cups (7 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp kosher salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup white sugar
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
½ cup plus 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
½ to 1 cup of Nutella spread, depending on how thick you want the filling

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and line two sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Measure out the flour, baking soda and salt. Push through a fine-mesh sieve into a small mixing bowl.
Place the butter, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream together on medium speed for about 4 or 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Scrape down the bowl, add the egg, mix until well-combined, then scrape again.
Add the peanut butter, and mix until fully incorporated and smooth. Scrape down the bowl again.
Add the flour and mix on low speed, just until all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Roll the dough into balls with a small cookie scoop. Arrange on the cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart. Use a fork to gently press the traditional crosshatch pattern into the top of each cookie, flattening it a little at the same time.
Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, until the cookies are just beginning to brown. Remove from the oven. Leave the cookies on the baking pan for a minute, nthen transfer to a wire rack to cook completely.
Once the cookies are completely cool, use a small offset spatula to spread the Nutella on the bottom of half the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 10 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 24 sandwich cookies

Filed Under: Cookies, Bars and Brownies, Desserts and Sweets

02/27/13No Comments

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Quick Vanilla Frosting

By Coleen

I spent a day or two, perusing cupcake recipes, looking for a “knock-their-socks-off” flavor combo to bring to a baby playdate. “Why?” you ask, “It’s just a baby playdate.” That’s just how I am. I can’t just bring a dessert. I have to bring the OMG-this-is-the-best-EVER dessert.

But I found myself hesitating. What if someone can’t eat peanut butter? What if someone doesn’t like lemon? What if someone ::gasp:: doesn’t like chocolate (do such people really exist?)? So finally, I settled on vanilla.

And sometimes, taking one “boring” flavor, and using great quality ingredients, turns it into an AMAZING flavor.

These cupcakes are light, fluffy and moist, flecked with the seeds of the vanilla bean. And I will admit, I’ve been somewhat of a buttercream snob. I couldn’t stand “American” buttercream (butter and powdered sugar — I often found it gritty and way too sweet), and would always recommend Swiss Meringue instead. And while Swiss Meringue will always be my #1 frosting, this Quick Vanilla frosting is delicious. Not gritty, not overly sweet. When I’m rushed for time and don’t want to put the effort into Swiss Meringue Buttercream, this frosting is a great backup.

Whipping the buttercream for three minutes at the end ensures an almost pure-white frosting, which takes color beautifully. Just be very judicious with the color. Start with a drop, mix until evenly distributed, then add more if needed. The very first time I tried to color frosting, I was going for pale pink. Added too much food color, and ended up with Barbie pink. You can always add more, but you can’t remove it.

My final recommendation is, if you’re making these to bring to a get-together, maybe leave one or two at home for yourself. Because after about five minutes, this will be all that’s left.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Recipe by Annie’s Eats

Summary: Vanilla beans add intense vanilla flavor to these cupcakes, don’t leave them out, if at all possible! If you really can’t swing the vanilla bean, double the amount of vanilla extract.

Ingredients

3 cups (12 ounces) cake flour
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1¼ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside.
Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Place the split vanilla bean on a cutting board, and placing the blade of a paring knife perpendicular to the bean, scrape out the vanilla bean seeds. Add them to the bowl with the butter (the pod can be discarded, or buried in a cup of sugar to flavor the sugar with vanilla.) Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until smooth and light in color. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula, then beat for one more minute.
Add the sugar to the bowl ¼ cup at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Mix in the eggs one at a time until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each egg is added.
In a measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk and the vanilla extract.
Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl, and stir on low until almost incorporated. Then add half the buttermilk/vanilla mixture and mix on low just until incorporated. Repeat with another third of the dry, then the remaining half of the wet, and then the final third of the dry, mixing on low in between each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula and mix for 15 more seconds.
Scoop the batter into the prepared paper liners, filling each about ⅔ of the way full, reserving any leftover batter. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pans for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Add new paper liners to the tins, and portion any remaining batter and bake.

Number of servings (yield): 30 cupcakes

Quick Vanilla Frosting

Recipe by Annie’s Eats

Ingredients

1 pound unsalted butter, softened
3 ¾ cups (15 ounces) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp heavy whipping cream

Directions

Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the butter at medium-high speed for about 20 seconds, or until smooth.
Add the confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed for about 45 seconds, or until the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape down the bowl and beat another 15 seconds at medium speed, until mixture is fully combined.
Scrape the bowl again, then add the vanilla and heavy cream, and beat on low for a few seconds, then at medium speed for 10 seconds, until fully incorporated.
Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
If adding color, add a drop, then beat on medium until evenly distributed. Add more as needed to achieve desired color.

Filed Under: Cupcakes, Desserts and Sweets

02/25/133 Comments

Homemade Mascarpone Cheese

By Coleen

It’s time again for What’s Baking, a monthly baking group. This month’s host is Brownies and Blondies, and the theme she chose is “Convenience from Scratch” — we had to make an item that one would normally purchase that can be used in a baking recipe.

I’ve had a recipe pinned for quite some time that fits that description perfectly: making mascarpone cheese at home. I love mascarpone cheese. I’ve chosen recipes, both sweet and savory, simply because they include mascarpone.

Mascarpone is an Italian cow’s milk cheese made from cream. It’s a “fresh” cheese, meaning it is not aged. It has a very mild, slightly sweet flavor.

What can you do with homemade mascarpone? Probably the most obvious answer is, make tiramisu. Other sweet options include cheesecake, use it to fill profiteroles, or use it as a substitute in any recipe that calls for cream cheese. And finally, I use sweetened whipped mascarpone as a filling for cannolis, dipping the ends in mini chocolate chips and dusting with sifted powdered sugar.

Homemade mascarpone has a slightly more prominent citrus-y flavor than store-bought (which makes it even more delicious when spread on a baguette slice), but once incorporated into a recipe and baked, it won’t be noticeable.

Store-bought mascarpone and a pint of heavy whipping cream cost about the same, so there’s no significant savings in making mascarpone at home. But there is a great sense of accomplishment! Look, I made cheese!

Homemade Mascarpone Cheese

Recipe from Not Without Salt

Ingredients

2 cups pasteurized heavy whipping cream (not ultra-pasteurized, if possible)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions

Place the heavy cream in a medium-sized heavy bottom sauce pan. Attach a candy thermometer.
Heat the cream over medium-low heat until it reaches 190 degrees (this will take 15 to 20 minutes). Stir occasionally, increasing the frequency as the cream gets warmer.
Once the cream reaches 190 degrees, add the lemon juice. The cream will thicken slightly. Cook the cream at 190 degrees for 5 minutes, adjusting your burner up or down as necessary to maintain that temperature.
After five minutes, remove the saucepan from the heat, cover with a lid, and place in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.
Remove the saucepan from the refrigerator. The cream should now be the consistency of sour cream.
Line a fine-mesh sieve with four layers of cheesecloth, and place over a medium bowl.
Scrape the cream into the cheesecloth, bring the ends up over the cream and tie it into a tight bundle. Hang this bundle in the refrigerator, suspended over the medium bowl (I laid a ladle across a stockpot, set the medium bowl inside, and tied the bundle from the ladle). Leave in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.
Once that time has elapsed, there may be up to a few tablespoons of whey in the bowl, which can be discarded. Untie the bundle, and scrape your mascarpone cheese into a container with an airtight lid to store.

Preparation time: 2 days

Filed Under: Desserts and Sweets

02/22/132 Comments

Butternut Squash Blue Cheese Mac and Cheese

By Coleen

As soon as I saw the March issue of Food Network Magazine in my mailbox, I was excited. The entire issue was dedicated to cheese.

Cheesy appetizers. Cheesy main dishes. Cheesy desserts. And 50 different varieties of macaroni and cheese.

As soon as I saw the Butternut Bleu Cheese Mac and Cheese in the pullout booklet, I knew I had to make it. Liam and I are crazy about butternut squash, and The Mister loves bleu cheese.

I adapted the recipe only slightly, to add a crunchy top layer. Isn’t that the best part of baked macaroni and cheese?

I knew this recipe was a home run when The Mister took his first bite and said, “Wow. This is amazing!” I’m not normally a fan of bleu cheese, but when combined with the flavors of the cheddar and the butternut squash, the bleu cheese flavor wasn’t overwhelming.

I also loved that I could make this recipe early in the day, refrigerate it, and warm it in the oven just before The Mister got home from work. Voila! No 4 p.m. toddler melt-downs. You could just as easily make this ahead of time and freeze it for another day.

Butternut Blue Cheese Mac and Cheese

Slightly adapted from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

1 small (1 to 2 pounds) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
8 ounces short pasta, such as fusili, rotini, etc.
5 tbsp unsalted butter, divided,plus more for greasing the baking dish
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk, heated
1 dried bay leaf
Pinch of nutmeg
2 ¾ cups (11 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup crumbled blue cheese, divided
½ cup panko bread crumbs

Directions

Spread the butternut squash on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Set aside.
Fill a large saucepot with water and bring to a boil. Generously salt the water, then add the pasta, and cook to al dente using package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water before draining.
Meanwhile, in another large saucepot, melt 4 tbsp of the butter. Add the flour, and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly.
Slowly whisk in the milk. Add the bay leaf, salt and nutmeg. Cook at a simmer for about 8 minutes, whisking frequently, until bubbly and thick.
Turn the heat to low, and add 2 ½ cups of the cheddar and ¾ cup of the blue cheese to the sauce and whisk until melted.
Use the reserved water to loosen the pasta if it has started to stick together. Add the pasta and the butternut squash to the sauce, and gently stir until evenly coated and distributed.
Grease the bottom and sides of a 2-quart baking dish with butter. Scrape the mac and cheese into the baking dish. If baking later, cover and chill in the refrigerator. If not, skip to Step 9.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the mac and cheese for 20 minutes.
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Place the bread crumbs in a small bowl, and add the melted butter, and toss with your fingers until evenly moistened. Add the remaining ¼ cup each of cheddar and blue cheese and toss to combine. Spread over the mac and cheese, then broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bread crumbs begin to brown.

Number of servings (yield): 6

Filed Under: Freezer-Friendly Meals, Main Course, Pasta

02/20/13No Comments

Guest Posting

By Coleen

I’m guest-posting over at The Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker!

Here’s a sneak peak:

Filed Under: Desserts and Sweets

02/20/13No Comments

Bittersweet Chocolate Orange Shortbread

By Coleen

Shortbread is such a versatile cookie. Basic, traditional shortbread has only four ingredients: butter, flour, sugar and salt. While delicious on its own, it can be flavored almost any way you like.

While some of my favorites include vanilla bean, and coconut, I decided to flavor mine with orange zest, and drizzle it with bittersweet chocolate.

Some things I learned in perfecting these cookies: if you’re going to use dried orange zest instead of fresh, use the orange oil. Dried orange zest doesn’t have as strong a flavor as fresh, and you almost can’t taste the orange in the finished cookie. Orange oil is a very concentrated oil that comes from the rind of the orange, so it’s measured by drops rather than teaspoons. Because you need so little, it doesn’t affect the texture of the shortbread the way orange extract could.

I chose to drizzle the chocolate onto the cookies with a parchment paper cone. Instructions for making one are in this post. You can also drizzle it from the end of a spoon, but you need to use real chocolate, not melted chips, otherwise, it will be too thick to drizzle.

Alternatively, you could dip the ends of each cookie in melted chocolate, or “ice” one side of each cookie in melted chocolate with an offset spatula.

Bittersweet Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies

Slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour’s Cookie Companion

Ingredients

8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp salt
¾ cup sugar
3 tbsp freshly grated orange zest
3 drops orange oil
2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with butter and set aside.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat together the butter, salt, orange zest, and orange oil until well-mixed and the butter is lightened.
Add the flour to the mixing bowl, and stir just until combined.
Divide the dough between the two prepared cake pans, and press into an even layer.
Bake the shortbread for 35 to 40 minutes, until the edge is just beginning to turn golden brown.
As soon as the pans are removed from the oven. Loose the edges of the shortbread from the pan with an offset spatula or knife. Wait for 5 minutes for the cookies to set.
Invert each pan onto a clean work surface. Using a pizza cutter, cut each disc into 12 wedges. Set cookies aside to cool.
While the cookies are cooling, heat an inch of water in a large saucepan to boiling. Chop the chocolate and place in a small mixing bowl.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, and set the bowl of chocolate over, but not touching, the hot water. Let the heat melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally.
Once fully melted, scrape the chocolate into a parchment paper cone, snip off a tiny corner, and drizzle over the cookies. Set aside until the chocolate sets.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 35 to 40 minutes

Number of servings (yield): 24 cookies

Filed Under: Cookies, Bars and Brownies, Desserts and Sweets

02/18/1368 Comments

Saving Time in the Kitchen + a Giveaway

By Coleen

My alarm (a.k.a., the toddler) goes off around 6:30 a.m. I groggily bring him into the bedroom to nurse (yep, almost 15 months and still going!). When he’s finished, we head out to the kitchen for his breakfast.

Toddlers don’t understand the concept of cooking. They know they are hungry, and why isn’t there any food in front of me?!? What do you mean the frozen waffle takes time to toast??

The morning is a whirlwind of toasting waffles, cutting bananas, feeding dogs, coordinating schedules with The Mister, making coffee, and entertaining the toddler who wolfed down his food and is ready to play. It’s a good hour or two after I’ve woken up before I sit down to eat my own breakfast. By that time, I’m rather feeling like a toddler myself. The last thing I want to do is wait for the butter to soften on the counter before toasting my English muffin or bagel.

So, when I was contacted by Land O Lakes to sample their Butter with Canola Oil, I was more than happy to accept. I’ve used their stick butter in my baking for many years, and they’re a brand I recognize and trust. Their claim is that the butter is ready to spread, straight out of the fridge. Unlike other spreadable products, it contains only sweet cream, canola oil, and salt. I’m not a militant healthy eater, but I’ll take a product with three familiar ingredients over others than can contain up to 15, most of which I can’t pronounce, let alone tell you what they are.

I was curious about how it would taste. I grew up on margarine, before the dangers of trans fats were discovered. I never did like the last or the mouth-feel. I had an assumption in my head that this butter with canola oil would taste and feel like margarine. I was happy to learn that it did actually taste and feel like butter. Personally, I would have preferred a bit more salt, but as promised, it was easy to spread, straight out of the refrigerator.

Land O Lakes also asked me to share some tips for saving time in the kitchen. Between caring for a toddler full-time, working part-time, and writing this food blog (not that being busy is exclusive to moms, employees, or well, anybody!), I do have a trick or two up my sleeve.

First, I’ve already shared my meal-planning strategy. It’s so much faster to check the calendar and see what meal I’ve assigned, rather than stand in front of the refrigerator, looking at its contents and wondering what I could put together.

Secondly, once I get home from grocery shopping, I wash, chop and store all the vegetables needed ahead of time for the recipes I’ve chosen. For example, this week, I’m making roast chicken with butternut squash and potatoes tonight; crab cakes with roasted veggies on Wednesday; burgers with sweet potato fries on Thursday; and pork chops with roasted carrots on Friday. When I’m finished grocery shopping on Sunday, I will wash, peel, seed, and chop the produce needed for all of those recipes as soon as I get home. That way, as soon as I’m ready to cook during the week, most of the work is already done.

Third, I choose weeknight recipes that take 30 minutes or less to cook. Almost every cooking magazine and website has a section dedicated to quick and easy meals. I try to pick the ones that use the least ingredients, but pack a lot of flavor. It not only saves time (fewer ingredients = less prep), but it’s also easier on the wallet! For side dishes, I often utilize packages of frozen vegetables, and add a small pat of Land O Lakes Butter with Canola Oil just before serving. They take just a few minutes in the microwave, and the 10-ounce packages are perfect for a family of three.

Fourth, I keep my kitchen organized. My frequently-used pots, pans, and utensils are sitting on or hanging from my pot rack. Items that can’t go on the pot rack are in a drawer right next to my oven. They are easy to spot and easy to grab, unlike the lesser-used items that kept in the toddler-proofed cabinets.

And finally, our instructors in culinary school drilled into our heads: clean as you go! The soup you’re cooking needs to simmer for 10 minutes? Wash the measuring cups and spoons! Pork tenderloin bakes for 20 minutes? Clean the cutting board and knives. Then there’s less to clean up when the meal is finished.

Now, did I mention that the friendly folks at Land O Lakes offered a gift package for one of my readers to win? It includes multi-purpose spreaders, a cutting board, and a multi-tier oven rack!

To enter the giveaway, you must leave a comment below, telling me your favorite quick and easy meal (just the recipe name or a short description).

You can earn up to four extra entries by:

– Leaving a separate comment that you like The Redhead Baker on Facebook

– Leaving a separate comment that you like Land O Lakes on Facebook

– Leaving a separate comment that you follow The Redhead Baker on Pinterest

– Leaving a separate comment that you follow Land O Lakes on Pinterest

Extra entries will only be counted if 1) the mandatory entry is completed and 2) each entry is left as a separate comment – your comment number is your entry.

Good luck!

The fine print:
- Maximum of five (5) entries per person.
- Giveaway ends at 12:01am EST on February 22, 2013.
- Winner will be selected by the random number generator on Random.org.
- Prize must be claimed within 7 days or it will be forfeited.
- Winning “extra entry” comments will be subject to verification.
- Giveaway is open to residents of the United States only.
- Official giveaway rules can be found here.

Disclosure: I received a coupon for a free product sample for Land O Lakes^® Butter with Canola Oil for review purposes. All opinions regarding said product are my own. Land O Lakes also provided a gift package, including multi-purpose spreaders, a cutting board, and multi-tier oven rack to give away to my readers.

There were 66 total entries. The random number generator at Random.org chose comment #35. Congratulations to the winner, Stacey!

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