While we normally eat spaghetti squash tossed with nothing more than a a bit of olive oil and a handful of fresh-grated parmigiano reggiano, I decided to splurge this time around and used the versatile squash to create a rich and creamy gratin.

This gratin was inspired by a recipe I found at Laura Rebecca’s Kitchen.  I’m sure her sour cream version is wonderful, and that’s what I had originally planned to make, but when I realized that I had some heavy cream that needed to be used, I opted for that instead.  I also added some shallots along with the garlic, and decreased the amount of herbs (mainly because I was completely out of fresh herbs).  The resulting dish was absolutely delicious!

We’ve actually been on a bit of a spaghetti squash kick around here lately, and have eaten it again since I made the  gratin.  This last time, I sauteed some garlic in olive oil, added a generous pinch of crushed red pepper, then tossed the spaghetti squash strands in the garlic oil until heated through.  I then seasoned it with salt and a handful of fresh chopped parsley and served it with a bit of fresh grated parmigiano reggiano.  Since this is one of my favorite ways to eat spaghetti, I thought I’d give it a try with spaghetti squash.  It was wonderful!

What’s your favorite way to eat spaghetti squash?

Spaghetti Squash Gratin

1 spaghetti squash, baked until tender*
1 large (or two small) shallot(s), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 t. dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme leaves)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano, divided
salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Remove seeds and shred spaghetti squash.  Place spaghetti squash strands in a large bowl, and discard shell.

2. Cook shallots in butter over medium-low heat until softened.  Stir in garlic, cook for a minute longer.  Scrape shallots and garlic into bowl with squash.  Add thyme, heavy cream, sour cream, and half of the cheese.  Toss together well until ingredients are evenly distributed.  Pour into a greased casserole and top with remaining cheese.

3. Bake uncovered in a preheated 450 degree oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Yield: approximately 6 servings

*How to cook spaghetti squash

Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Red Pepper

1 spaghetti squash, baked until tender*
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
generous pinch of crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley
salt to taste
fresh grated parmigiano reggiano (optional)

1. Remove seeds and shred spaghetti squash.  Place spaghetti squash strands in a large bowl, and discard shell.

2. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook until just lightly browned.  Add crushed red pepper, then add spaghetti squash.  Toss spaghetti squash strands until well-coated in the garlic oil and heated through.  Season with salt and toss with parsley.  Serve with fresh grated parmigiano reggiano, if desired.

*How to cook spaghetti squash

Around the Web:

• Spaghetti Squash Gratin from Laura Rebecca’s Kitchen
• Spaghetti Squash with Bacon and Turnip Greens from Cooking by the Seat of my Pants
• Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• New Mexican Spaghetti Squash from Karina’s Kitchen
• Moroccan-Spiced Spaghetti Squash from Smitten Kitchen

This simple, delicious apple cake may be my new favorite fall dessert.  It is moist, tender, packed with tart apples and cinnamon, and very easy to prepare.  What’s not to love?

On a whim, I decided to update the popular Blueberry-Strawberry Buttermilk Cake with fall flavors by swapping in apples, cinnamon and extra vanilla for the blueberries and strawberries.  But the result of the experiment was so much better than the original, I’m not sure if I’ll ever make the other version of this cake again.  It’s that good.

Although the cake is excellent on its own, you could dress it up by drizzling slices with a salted caramel sauce and serving with dollops of freshly whipped cream.  At the moment,  I really can’t think of anything more appealing than that.

I really hope you give this cake a try, but if not, you should drop by my house.  I have a feeling it’s going to be a weekly standard for the next couple of months.

Apple Cinnamon Buttermilk Cake
Adapted from Gourmet

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup peeled and chopped baking apple (I used granny smith)
heaping tablespoon of raw sugar (demerara, turbinado or Sugar in the Raw)
extra cinnamon for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan* (or spray with Baker’s Joy or equivalent).

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.  In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about two minutes.  Add vanilla and egg and beat well.  With the mixer set to low speed, beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture.  Add half the buttermilk and continue beating on low speed until incorporated.  Scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, beat in another 1/3 of flour mixture then remaining buttermilk.  Finally beat in the last 1/3 of the flour mixture until just combined.

3. Scrape batter into the cake pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.  Scatter apple pieces evenly over the top of the cake batter then sprinkle evenly with raw sugar.  Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.

4. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool in the pan for ten minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool until warm.  Invert onto a plate.  Serve plain, or with whipped cream and salted caramel sauce.

*You may use a 9-inch cake pan, if you don’t have an 8-inch one.  The cake will be a bit thinner than it appears in my photos and will bake slightly faster.

Yield: 8 servings

Around the Web:

• Mom’s Apple Cake from Smitten Kitchen
• Cinnamon Apple Pecan Crumb Bars from What We’re Eating
• Gluten-Free Sour Cream Apple Cake from Karina’s Kitchen
• Apple Coffee Cake from Simply Recipes
• Whole Wheat Apple Pear Cake from Kalyn’s Kitchen

Although this was my first time making them, I’m beginning to think that these warm and spicy pumpkin doughnuts are going to become a fall tradition around here.  Filled with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and even a hint of cardamom, these doughnuts will warm your soul on a crisp autumn morning.

Have you ever made doughnuts from scratch?  The closest I had ever come to making doughnuts was back in my college days when I learned how to make faux doughnuts (fauxnuts?) by poking holes in refrigerated biscuit dough rounds and frying them up in a skillet.  They were pretty good if you dipped them in sugar and ate them warm, but not quite the real thing.  Ok, not even close.

I have memories of the real thing, though.  You see, my mom made homemade doughnuts for us once.  They were yeast-raised doughnuts, the kind which are lightly glazed or sugar-crusted on the outside, but only slightly sweet and impossibly soft and fluffy on the inside.  Though I was small, and the recollection is a bit fuzzy, I know in my heart that they were the best doughnuts I’ve ever tasted.  While the “hot now” sign at Krispy-Kreme may make your heart flutter, I’m telling you that nothing compares to a doughnut fried up in your own kitchen.  My mom only made doughnuts once that I can recall, but that one memory fills me with so much warmth, I know that I have to make doughnuts from scratch one day for my own children.  Yes, food memories are powerful.

My favorite doughnuts are yeast-raised and glazed, and rarely do I stray from that standard when visiting a local doughnut shop.  But after deciding to make doughnuts at home, I thought it would be best to start with a simple cake doughnut on my first go-round.  And while I generally prefer plain cake doughnuts to flavored ones, I decided to give pumpkin doughnuts a try when I noticed that the leaning tower of organic canned pumpkin that had been perched precariously on my counter since that last trip to Trader Joe’s (when rumors of canned pumpkin shortages briefly got the best of me), was finally threatening to topple and, perhaps, hurt someone.

After looking through several pumpkin doughnut recipes, I chose to use one from Bon Appetit found on Epicurious. And since I can never leave a perfectly good recipe alone, I made a few changes like doubling all the spices and adding a touch of molasses.  I also chose not to add the white glaze, and instead dusted the finished doughnuts lightly with powdered sugar mixed with a bit of pumpkin pie spice.  They were absolutely delicious!

The dough is very sticky when it’s first mixed, so you need to chill it in the refrigerator for a few hours before you can work with it.

The next step reminded me a lot of making biscuits, and in fact I did use a biscuit cutter.  Just dump some of the dough out onto a lightly floured surface,  then pat it out lightly with your hands.

Since the dough is still rather sticky, even after refrigeration, I dipped the cutter in flour before cutting each round.

After you cut out some rounds, it’s time to cut the holes.  I wasn’t sure what to use, since I don’t have a one-inch round cutter like the recipe specified.  But I do have an apple corer, and it worked well, even though the holes were a bit smaller than one inch.  Again, I made sure to dip the apple corer in flour before cutting each hole.

When deep-frying, you need to make sure you control the temperature of the oil.  Although it’s hard to keep it at the same exact temperature all the time, you should adjust the heat to try to keep the oil between 365 and 370 degrees as much as possible.  If it’s too cool, the doughnuts will absorb too much oil and if it’s too hot, the doughnuts will brown too fast and the middles won’t be fully cooked.  Make sure you have a thermometer clipped to side of your pan to make it easy to monitor the temperature of the oil.

Cook the doughnuts in batches, without overcrowding the pot.  Adding too many doughnuts at once will cause the oil temperature to drop rapidly, resulting in greasy doughnuts.

Cook the doughnuts until they are golden brown, then remove with a slotted spoon to a tray lined with paper towels.

After the doughnut holes have cooled, they can be rolled in cinnamon sugar, or whatever topping you decide to create.

I decided that I like these pumpkin doughnuts plain, but I did sprinkle a few with powdered sugar and a dash of pumpkin pie spice.  Perfect!

Pumpkin Doughnuts
(adapted from Bon Appétit)

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon molasses
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
Canola or Peanut Oil (for deep-frying)

toppings:
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
powdered sugar

1. Whisk first 9 ingredients (flour through cardamom) in a medium bowl to blend well; set aside.

2. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended (mixture will be a bit grainy). Beat in egg, then yolks, then vanilla. Gradually beat in buttermilk and molasses, then beat in pumpkin, in four additions.

3. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture in 4 additions, blending gently after each. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least three hours.

4. Lightly flour two baking sheets.  When dough is well-chilled, lightly flour a work surface.  Starting with about 1/3 of dough, gently press it out to a round that is 1/2- to 2/3-inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch-diameter round cutter, cut out dough rounds. Using 1-inch-diameter round cutter, cut out center of each dough round to make doughnuts and doughnut holes.  Arrange doughnuts and holes on the baking sheets as you go.  Gather dough scraps. Press out dough and cut out more dough rounds until all dough is used.  If dough is very sticky, dip the round cutters into flour before cutting each doughnut.

5. Line two baking sheets with several layers of paper towels.  Pour oil into large deep skillet or dutch oven to a depth of 1 1/2 inches. Attach a deep-fry thermometer  to the side of the pot and heat oil to 365°F to 370°F.  Fry doughnut holes in 2 batches until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.  Fry doughnuts, 3 or 4 at a time, until golden brown, adjusting heat to maintain temperature, about 1 minute per side.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer doughnuts to paper towels to drain.  Cool completely.

While doughnuts are cooling, mix sugar and cinnamon.  Roll doughnut holes in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.  Lightly dust doughnuts with powdered sugar, if desired.

Related Recipes:

• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Pumpkin Scones
• Pumpkin Spice Cake
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll
• Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Around the Web:

• Pumpkin Doughnuts from A Mingling of Tastes
• Pumpkin Donuts with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting from Pete Bakes!
• Baked Pumpkin Donuts from Culinary Cory
• Pumpkin and Hazelnut Doughnuts from Canelle et Vanille
• Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts from Recipe Girl

Click any of the photos above to be taken to the recipe.  Enjoy!

I’ve written about Egg in a Nest before, but I decided it was time to revisit this breakfast classic just in time for Valentine’s Day. I felt like making something fun for breakfast this past weekend and since February is the month of heart-shaped food (at least in the world of food blogs), I decided to break out my heart-shaped cookie cutter to create Eggs in a Heart for breakfast!

The method is simple. Grab a piece of bread, an egg, a cookie cutter or a knife, some butter, and a frying pan. Cut a heart-shaped hole in the bread.  Heat the pan over medium heat, add a bit of butter and swirl around.  Place the slice of bread in pan (as well as the little heart-shaped piece) and carefully crack the egg into the hole in the bread.

Sprinkle egg with a bit of salt and pepper and cook until the bread is nicely browned on the bottom.  Next, you can either carefully flip the slice of bread over to cook the other side, or you can slide the whole pan under the broiler and cook until the top of the bread is browned and the egg is cooked to your liking.  If you use the broiler method,  I suggest brushing the top of the bread lightly with melted butter (or a bit of bacon grease if you have some handy) before putting it under the broiler.

Serve with the little heart on top, or place it on the side.  Would be perfect with a side of fresh-squeezed blood orange juice.

Enjoy with your sweetheart!

If this is your first time learning about Egg in a Nest, it might be fun to read my first post about it, especially the comments!  There are over 80 comments on that post, most of them giving different names for this simple breakfast dish.  And if you happen to call it something else, head on over and join the discussion!

Other Valentine’s Day Ideas:

• Blood Orange Salad
• Heart-Shaped Buttermilk Cranberry Scones
• Bacon-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin with Smoked Paprika Butter
• Double Dark Chocolate Beet Muffins
• Red Velvet Cake
• Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Naughty Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Intimidated by baking, assembling, and decorating a homemade red velvet cake for Valentine’s Day?  Give cupcakes a try instead!

As you probably know, I have already written about my husband’s family recipe for a gorgeous Red Velvet Cake.  But when I noticed that lots of readers were asking questions about how to turn the cake recipe into a cupcake recipe, I decided it was time to give it a try myself!

At first I was going to try a version using less red food coloring than the cake recipe, but at the last minute I decided to stay true to the original.  These aren’t pink, they aren’t reddish-brown, they are a dramatic RED, perfect for Valentine’s Day!  And in addition to the beautiful color, these little cakes are light, tender, and downright delicious!

There are several different types of red velvet cake. Some are heavier on the chocolate flavor than others, some use less food coloring, and some use beets instead of artificial coloring.  This one does not taste like a chocolate cake, although there is a subtle hint of cocoa.  The flavor is unique and delicious, and I prefer it to the red velvet cakes that contain more cocoa powder.  And as I’ve already mentioned, this cake recipe does not shy away from the food coloring!

Although red velvet cake is definitely a Southern tradition, it’s popularity has never been limited to the South.  The recipe I’m going to share today is also called Waldorf-Astoria Cake, and is supposedly based on a red velvet cake that was popular at the New York hotel in the 1920’s. For more on the history of red velvet cake, check out this great New York Times article.

But regardless of where the cake originated, red velvet cakes and cupcakes have become an American tradition that is holding on strong.  Whether it’s Christmas, Valentine’s Day, a birthday, or even a wedding day, red velvet is a wonderful way to celebrate!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz. red food coloring (two bottles)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

2. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.  In a small bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a thin paste without lumps; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go.  Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

4. In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda.  Yes, it will fizz!  Add vinegar mixture to the cake batter and stir well to combine. Using an ice cream scoop, fill cupcake cups with cake batter (they should be 2/3 – 3/4 full).  You may not fill all the cups, I ended up with 20 cupcakes.  Place muffin tins on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree oven.  Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Check early and don’t overbake!

5. Cool the cupcakes in their tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely before frosting.  Frost cupcakes with cream cheese icing (recipe below) and decorate with red sprinkles if desired.  The cupcakes above were decorated using the Wilton Cupcake Decorating Kit and Valentine’s Sprinkles. They can usually be found at craft stores like Michaels or Joann.

6. Enjoy the cupcakes with those you love!

Recipe Notes: *Sift cake flour once before measuring, then sift again with the other dry ingredients per recipe instructions. Wear an apron and be careful with the red food coloring–no matter how hard I try, I always end up staining something!  As you’re mixing the cake batter, use a spatula to scrape down the bowl frequently throughout the entire process.  Since the batter is fairly thick, I have found that an old-fashioned ice cream scoop works best for filling the cupcake wells (also great for muffin batter!).  Since all ovens are different, make sure you check the cupcakes a little early.  Mine were ready in just over 2o minutes, yours may be done sooner, or they may take a minute or two longer.

Cream Cheese Frosting

16 oz. cream cheese (2 packages), softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
pinch of salt

With an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Turn mixer to low speed and blend in powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract.  Turn mixer on high and beat until light and fluffy. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.  If refrigerated, the frosting will need to be brought to room temperature before using (after frosting softens up, beat with mixer until smooth).

Recipe Notes: If you prefer a sweeter and/or stiffer frosting, more powdered sugar can be added (up to four cups). But remember, the more sugar you add, the less you’ll be able to taste the tangy cream cheese!

Related Recipes:

• Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
• Double Dark Chocolate Beet Muffins
• Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Around the Web:

• Red Velvet Cake from Smitten Kitchen
• Red Velvet Cupcakes from Firefly Pie
• Red Velvet Cupcakes with Sprinkles Cream Cheese Frosting from Alice Q. Foodie
• Red Velvet Cupcakes from Off the (meat)hook
• Red Velvet Black and White Cookies from Joy the Baker

Thanks to everyone who contributed ideas for naming these cookies! Wow, what a turnout!  I never thought I would be able to choose between all the great submissions, but I finally decided on a name that is simple, catchy, and to the point:  Dark Chocolate Cherry Chews.  Thanks to E’Beth Garren for the winning submission!  I’ll be sending out a surprise gift, as promised.

So let me talk a bit about chocolate chip cookies.  I’m not one of those bakers who is on a quest to find the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I generally use the recipe on the back of the Tollhouse bag and I think they’re great.  But as you well know, I do enjoy experimenting with recipes from time to time!

These cookies came about because I noticed I had a couple of  Starbucks dark chocolate bars hanging out in my pantry alongside half a bag of my favorite dried tart cherries from Trader Joe’s.  Since I’m in cookie mode due to the rapid approach of Christmas, I decided that there was no better place for the chocolate and cherries to end up.

Believe it or not, I’m not a huge fan of dark chocolate on it’s own.  I actually bought the chocolate bars to make some thick Italian hot chocolate from this recipe, but then never got around to it (this happens to me a lot).  But I have always liked dark chocolate combined with dried fruit, whether it be raisins, blueberries, or in this case, cherries.  We all know that the combination of chocolate and cherries is a classic one, so I’m not sure why it took me this long to combine them in a chocolate chip cookie!

This really is just a basic chocolate chip cookie, but made with dark chocolate chunks and chopped dried cherries rather than the semi-sweet morsels from the yellow bag.  I played around a little with the dough after reading through a couple classic chocolate chip cookie recipes.  This one uses a touch more flour than the Tollhouse recipe.  And I also decided to add some almond extract, which I thought would compliment the cherries.  I love the addition of almond extract! The flavor is not overpowering, but it gives the cookies that little something extra.

My husband prefers chocolate chip cookies with more cookie than chocolate, so I didn’t overload these with chocolate and cherries.  I added enough so that you get a good taste of dark chocolate and cherry in each bite, but you can still taste the buttery cookie.

And since this is the first chocolate chip cookie recipe I’m posting on Pinch My Salt, I thought I might share some of my cookie baking tips in the hope that the rest of you will chime in with your own hints, tips, and tricks!  First of all, and this goes for all baking, it’s important to preheat your oven early.  I always turn it on the minute I decide to bake something, even before I start prepping the ingredients.  Starting with an even baking temperature will ensure that your first tray of cookies will look similar to your last tray of cookies!

If you want your cookies to be similar in size and shape, a cookie scoop is your best friend!  My grandmother gave me one a couple of years ago and I loved it so much, I went out and bought two additional sizes!  Of course cookie scoops aren’t a necessity, but I highly recommend them if you have room in your baking budget!  The scoop I used for these cookies holds a little more than a tablespoon of dough (about four teaspoons).  But I also have one that’s twice this size for giant cookies, as well as an ice-cream sized scoop that’s perfect for measuring out muffin batter!

My favorite tip for cookie baking is to line your baking sheets with parchment paper (or, as in the photo above, a silicone baking mat).  What’s the benefit of lining your baking sheets?  Two things: your cookies will never, ever stick, and you won’t have to wash your baking sheets!  I hate washing baking sheets (almost as much as i hate washing cooling racks)!

Although I do own a Silpat baking mat, I almost always use parchment paper.  I’ve used the Silpat a few times, but for most things (like cookie baking), I just prefer parchment paper.  I can’t even explain why, it’s just a preference I have.  But during my last round of cookie baking I decided to try an experiment.  I know many bakers swear by Silpat, so I decided to do a side-by-side comparison of parchment paper, Silicone baking mat, and a plain ungreased baking sheet to see if baking sheet liners affect the quality of the cookies in any way.

I baked three trays of cookies on the same type of baking sheet (heavy duty aluminum half-sheet pan), at the same temperature (350 degrees) for the same amount of time (11 minutes).  The only difference was that one sheet was lined with Silpat, one was lined with parchment paper, and one was plain.

First was the Silpat:

Next up was parchment paper:

And finally, the ungreased baking sheet:

And here’s the side-by-side comparison:

The cookies on the left were baked on parchment, the middle cookies were baked on Silpat, and the cookies on the right were baked on an ungreased cookie sheet.

The results:

The cookies on the silpat baking mat browned a lot faster than the other two and they ended up with a wrinkled appearance along the edges.  They were also a tiny bit thicker than the other two.  The cookies baked on parchment were the thinnest of the three and browned the least, although they were cooked all the way through, just like the others.  I think the cookies baked on the ungreased baking sheet were the best looking of the bunch, although they stuck the pan a bit, and one of them broke as I was trying to dislodge it.  Texture-wise there wasn’t a huge difference, although I preferred the texture of the cookies baked on parchment (maybe because that’s what I’m used to).  I can honestly say that there wasn’t enough difference between the texture of the three types of cookie to really recommend one method over another.  You’ll have to base your decision on how the cookies look and the convenience of using a baking liner or not.

And this concludes my very UN-scientific experiment!

Most bakers use all three methods, letting the recipe and circumstances dictate which to use and when.  I stand by my choice of parchment paper in most cases.  I know it can be wasteful, but I do try to re-use the sheets as often as possible.  Here’s a tip for those of you tired of dealing with rolls of parchment paper:  you can buy pre-cut sheets! I used to buy it online through Amazon or The Baker’s Catalog until Amanda tipped me off to the much, much cheaper precut sheets at Smart and Final.  I’m sure you can also find them at a restaurant supply store, although I haven’t checked.  If you buy them from Smart and Final (or another restaurant supply store), the sheets will be sized for commercial baking pans, much larger than you want.  But I buy a pack of 50 full-size sheets and then cut them in half to end up with the 100 half sheets that I used to buy online.  And they are less than half the price of Amazon and about a quarter of the price of The Baker’s Catalog.

Here are a few other uses for parchment paper that you might not know about:  I put my pizza dough and loaves of bread on parchment to make it easy to slide in and out of oven (directly onto a baking sheet) without using messy semolina or cornmeal. I put a piece on the counter when I am measuring dry ingredients like flour and then just pick up the parchment and pour the excess right back into the bag.  It’s great for rolling out pie dough, and can be used for just about anything you would use waxed paper for.  There are many other uses for it, but those are a few of my favorites!

Now, if you are tired of washing baking sheets, are concerned with keeping waste to a minimum, but haven’t yet decided whether to take the plunge and buy some expensive silicone baking mats, here are a few pros/cons for you to consider (seasoned bakers, please leave comments with your own opinions, I’m sure I’m missing lots of pros and cons for each).

Parchment Paper

pros: inexpensive, easy clean up, completely nonstick, can usually be reused a few times, can be used for a million different things in the kitchen
cons: wasteful, rolls of parchment paper can be a hassle to deal with, might have to cut to size, it’s slippery so you have to be careful not to let it slide around when putting parchment lined baking sheet in the oven

Silpat (or silicone baking mats)

pros: can be reused (no waste), they last a really, really long time, completely nonstick, can put them on the countertop to help roll out sticky dough, doesn’t slide around on your baking sheet!
cons: big initial expense (usually cost $20 each), don’t have many uses outside of lining baking sheets or countertops

I say that if you can afford to buy silicone baking mats and you do A LOT of baking, they are definitely worth the investment.  But if you are just a casual baker, I think you can get by just fine with parchment paper.  And if you happen to love washing baking sheets, and you don’t mind the occasional stuck cookie, by all means, skip the liner altogether!

And finally, here’s the cookie recipe!

Dark Chocolate Cherry Chews

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
scant teaspoon almond extract (teaspoon not quite full)
8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 cup dried tart cherries, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, soda, and salt; set aside.

3. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add eggs, once at a time, blending well after each addition. Blend in vanilla and almond extracts. Blend in flour mixture, a little at a time, until it’s all incorporated. By hand, stir in cherries and chocolate pieces.

4. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced at least two inches apart. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-13 minutes or until edges are starting to brown.  Let cool on baking sheet for ten minutes then move to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: about four dozen cookies

Recipe Notes: These cookies are very flat and chewy, if you prefer a thicker, more cake-like chocolate chip cookie, this recipe might disappoint you.  I used dark chocolate bars from Trader Joe’s and chopped them up into small chunks, but you can use any kind of dark chocolate chips or chunks you wish.  The reason I like to chop them myself is that you get lots of little flakes of chocolate that melt into the cookie dough.  The cherries I used were Dried Pitted Tart Montmorency Cherries, also from Trader Joe’s. I loved the tartness of these cherries with the sweet cookie, but feel free to use other dried cherries if you can’t find that particular type.  And finally, feel free to add extra chocolate and cherries if you wish!

I just roughly chopped the cherries so that the pieces were a variety of sizes. I found it easiest to chop half of them at a time.

I chopped the chocolate bars into fairly small chunks, but again, the pieces are not uniform in size. Make sure you scrape up all the little tiny bits of chocolate to stir into the cookie dough!

By measuring out and whisking the dry ingredients together, you ensure that the baking soda and salt will be evenly distributed throughout the dough. If you do it first and have it ready to go, your workflow will be much smoother!

For ease of photographing, I mixed this batch of cookies in my stand mixer. But I generally use a hand mixer for cookie dough. You can also cream the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon and mix the remaining ingredients by hand. It's a bit more work, but the results are fine (I mixed the first batch by hand).

You just want to cream the butter and sugar together until it's all smooth. No need to beat it forever!

Beat the eggs in one at a time. I like to crack the eggs ahead of time and put them in a small bowl to avoid any incidents of eggshell in the dough! And no, I still can't manage to crack an egg and keep the shell intact!

Beat in the flour a little at a time on low speed (unless you want to end up wearing the flour!) until it's all incorporated

Now put down your mixer (don't forget to lick the beaters) and stir in the chocolate and cherries by hand.

Be sure to space the cookies a couple inches apart because these cookies spread like crazy!

I can fit 12 cookies on a half sheet pan.

I like to bake them until the edges just start to brown. In my oven, 11 minutes was perfect. I suggest checking them early if your oven tends to be hot. I leave them on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes to allow the cookies to set before removing to a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Now please feel free to share any cookie baking tips you have as well as links to your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes!  And I’d love it if you would share your reasons for loving (or hating) silicone baking mats and/or parchment paper for baking cookies.

We’re heading up to Oregon for Christmas (and SNOW!!), so in case you don’t hear from me until 2009, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a very happy new year to all!

Bon Appétit has created a slideshow featuring mouthwatering holiday recipes from some of their favorite food blogs.  I am absolutely thrilled to be one of the bloggers chosen for their first Blog Envy slideshow and if you go check it out, you’ll see why.  The slideshow contains photos and links to holiday recipes from some of my all-time favorite bloggers! I hope you’ll take the time to explore them all.

Now what are you waiting for?  Check it out now!

Here’s another recipe I borrowed from my Aunt’s recipe box when I was home from Thanksgiving.  This Snickerdoodles recipe is scribbled on a stained, yellowed piece of paper and was copied from who knows where.  It even has a missing ingredient penciled in with a question mark at the end.  Sounds like a winner to me!

We all have these stained, well-used scraps of paper tucked into our recipe box, right?  They’re the recipes that get used all the time but for some reason never make it onto a real recipe card.  Well this one will finally be copied onto a real recipe card, because I need to return the original to my Aunt’s recipe box at Christmas!

I’ve written about a variation on Snickerdoodles before, but I’ve never posted a recipe for the classic cookie.  In my mind, Snickerdoodles have always seemed a bit boring.  I know I liked them when I was young, but as an adult, I just haven’t given them much of a chance.  But after testing this recipe a few days ago, I realized once again how much I love this cinnamon-sugar cookie!  I’m still not a big fan of the name (how did they end up with such a silly name?), but these have certainly moved onto my list of favorite cookies!

The only change I made to the hand-written recipe was to add some vanilla extract.  I added one teaspoon, but I think they could even take a bit more if you prefer.  Although the recipe directs you to make one-inch balls of dough, you can make the cookies as big as you like!  I made some giant ones and some medium-sized ones, because I can never bring myself to make tiny cookies.  Just make sure you leave lots of space between the cookies, because they really spread out.

If you want to add a little zing to your Snickerdoodles, you can use pumpkin or apple pie spice in place of the cinnamon.  I made half of my cookies with plain cinnamon and half of them with pumpkin pie spice.  They were both really good, but my husband actually preferred the ones made with pumpkin pie spice (I thought it was a toss-up).  It’s a tasty experiment and a good way to use up the pumpkin pie spice that will be sitting around unused all year long!

Snickerdoodles

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (or more)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. On low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture (or stir in by hand) until well combined.
4. In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon (or pumpkin/apple pie spice).
5. Shape spoonfuls of cookie dough into 1″ balls, then roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture.  Place 2″ apart on ungreased (parchment-lined, if you prefer) cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.  Remove to a wire cooling rack.  They will be slightly puffed when removed from oven but will flatten completely as they cool.  Store in an airtight container.

Yield: 5 dozen cookies

Recipe Notes: For softer, chewy cookies, take the cookies out of the oven at 8 minutes (or maybe earlier depending on your oven). For crisp cookies, allow them to bake longer.  If you like an extra spicy cookie, add extra cinnamon to the sugar mixture (some recipes call for a ratio of 2 tablespoons sugar to 2 teaspoons cinnamon).  Save the leftover cinnamon/sugar and try adding it to your coffee or hot chocolate!

I found that I could put a few balls of dough in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and then shake the whole bowl around to coat them all at once. It was faster and easier!

Roll the balls of dough around until they are fully coated with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Space cookies 2" apart on an ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Keep in mind that these cookies spread a lot!

Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. If you want a chewy cookie, try taking them out at 8 minutes, before the cookies take on any color. If you want a crisp cookie, bake until edges are just slightly brown. Cookies will be slightly puffed when you remove them from oven, but will flatten completely as they cool.

Since I like some of my cookies crisp, I left these in the oven until the edges turned brown. They were very crisp, without any chewiness in the center. I like them this way, but if want chewy, make sure to take them out before they take on any color (like the photo above).

Related Recipes:

• Basic Cookie Cutter Sugar Cookies
• Cinnamon Swirl Bread
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll
• Pumpkin Spice Scones
• Spiked Egg Nog French Toast

Around the Web:

• Chai Snickerdoodles from Baking Bites
• Snickerdoodles (vegan) from Vegan Yum Yum
• Snickerdoodles from Simply Recipes
• Snickerdoodle Muffins from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
• Amish Snickerdoodles from Frantic Home Cook

This rich and creamy Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Gratin is flavored with garlic, fresh thyme, and Manchego cheese.  The ingredients are simple but indulgent, making this a perfect side dish for your next holiday meal.

It seems like we just finished eating a huge Thanksgiving meal and it’s already time to start thinking about Christmas dinner.  Between the big holiday meals and all the Christmas baking I plan on doing, I think I’ll have to ask Santa for some larger clothes this year!  But hey, that’s what New Year’s Resolutions are for, right?  I’ll worry about dieting in January.

I made my first Butternut Squash Gratin for Thanksgiving 2007, and although everyone seemed to enjoy it, I really thought it was kind of boring.  That dish was made with butternut squash, heavy cream, fresh thyme, and Gruyere cheese.  I know, it sounds good.  But it was just lacking something.  Although I never tried making a different version, it’s always been there at the back of my mind, waiting to be revised.

Since I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting with sweet potatoes in savory dishes lately, I thought it might be fun to add some sweet potato to the Butternut Squash Gratin to liven up the squash a bit.  I also added some garlic to the cream and used fresh sage in addition to the thyme.

The first version tasted really good but I decided I didn’t care much for the sage.  I loved the addition of the garlic and I thought the butternut squash and sweet potatoes went together nicely.  The sweet potatoes added a great punch of flavor and just a bit of sweetness that really perked up the dish.

The final version of the recipe is still very simple, but the garlic and sweet potatoes give it that something extra I was craving.  And I really love the Manchego cheese (that idea came from EAT).

I think this would be a great side dish for either Thanksgiving or Christmas as I think it would go nicely with just about any type of main course you could dream up.  Although it might be a little too rich for anything but a special occasion, I do think most of us can handle a dose of heavy cream during the holidays!

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Gratin with Manchego Cheese

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 pound peeled butternut squash, quartered lengthwise*
1 pound peeled and trimmed sweet potatoes**
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 cups shredded Manchego cheese (or Gruyère)

1. Get Ready: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a small pot bring cream and garlic just to a simmer.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Butter a 9″x13″ shallow casserole dish or gratin dish of similar size and set aside.

2. Prepare the Ingredients: thinly slice the squash and sweet potatoes (no more than 1/8 inch thick) and keep them separate from one another.  Measure out chopped thyme, salt, pepper, and shredded cheese and have them handy. Stir the cooling cream to help prevent skin from forming.

3. Build the Gratin: In the buttered casserole dish, spread half of the sliced butternut squash out in a single overlapping layer.  Sprinkle the squash with 1/3 of the salt, pepper, and thyme and then about 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Using half of the sliced sweet potatoes, build a new overlapping layer.  Again sprinkle with 1/3 of the seasonings and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.  Using the remaining squash, make another layer and sprinkle the last third of the seasonings and another 1/2 cup of cheese (you should have about 1/2 cup cheese remaining). Use the last of the sweet potatoes to make one final layer on top.  Stir the garlic cream mixture then pour it evenly over the top of the gratin, being sure to cover the top layer of sweet potatoes.  Shake the dish gently to distribute the cream.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

4. Bake the Gratin: Cover the dish with foil and bake in the middle of a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil, move the gratin to the top 1/3 of the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 20 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the vegetables are tender when pierced with a sharp knife. You may also place it under the broiler for a few minutes if you wish the top to be a deeper brown (but watch it closely!). Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

Yield: 12 servings

Recipe Notes: *I used the neck of a medium butternut squash and quartered it lengthwise. Butternut squash can easily be peeled with a vegetable peeler. Measure out one pound of squash after it is peeled and the stem has been removed. Save the remaining squash for another use. **Peel the potatoes and remove the pointy ends (save them for soup!) so you’ll have more uniform slices.  You need about one pound of prepared sweet potato.

Squash and sweet potatoes should be thinly sliced, no more than 1/8 inch thick.

You will need about 2 cups of shredded Manchego Cheese. If you can't find Manchego, you may substitute Gruyere.

Get your seasonings ready. You'll need chopped fresh thyme, salt (preferably kosher), and fresh ground black pepper.

Use half of the butternut squash slices to form a single overlapping layer in the bottom of a greased 9x13 casserole dish (or use a similar sized gratin dish).

Sprinkle the squash with 1/3 of the salt, pepper, and thyme then sprinkle with about 1/2 cup of cheese.

Now use half of the sliced sweet potatoes to form another single overlapping layer.

Now sprinkle with another third of your seasonings and another half cup of shredded cheese.

Use the rest of your butternut squash slices to form another layer. This should be your third layer of vegetables.

Now sprinkle the remaining third of your seasonings and another 1/2 cup of cheese. You should still have about 1/2 cup of cheese remaining.

Now use the last of the sweet potatoes to form the top layer of the gratin.

Pour the garlic-infused cream evenly over the top of the sweet potatoes.

Finally, sprinkle the top of the gratin with the remaining shredded cheese. Feel free to add a little extra if you have it!

Bake the gratin, covered with foil, in a 400 degree oven. After 30 minutes, remove the foil. It should be bubbly and the vegetables should be almost tender when pierced with a sharp knife.

Bake the gratin, uncovered, in the upper third of the oven for an additional 20 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the vegetables are completely tender. If you want it darker, pop it under the broiler for a few minutes at the end (make sure to watch it closely!).

Allow to cool for about half an hour before slicing. Enjoy!

Related Recipes:

• Cranberry Applesauce with Fresh Ginger
• Sweet Potato Buttermilk Dinner Rolls
• Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese
• Sourdough Stuffing with Apples and Bacon
• Curried Turkey Salad with Apples, Cranberries, and Walnuts
• Apple Galette
• Red Velvet Cake

Around the Web:

• Butternut Squash Gratin from Daily Bread Journal
• Smashed Butternut Squash and Potato Gratin from Dressing for Dinner
• Pumpkin Gratin from Thyme for Cooking
• Sweet Potato Gratin from Anne’s Food
• Sweet Potato Gratin with Manchego from EAT