Tomato overload!

Last year I had an overload of grape and cherry tomatoes, this year not as much, but I do have an overload of Roma's, Celebrity, and "patio" tomatoes. Which means only 1 thing...SALSA TIME!

When I make salsa I use every tomato I have from my garden, including the cherry and grape tomatoes. This year I did two batches of salsa, and a batch of "soup starter". Soup starter is very similar to salsa, at least it starts out the same.

Soup starter includes every left over, stray, and odd ball veggie from my garden that I like thrown in with the tomatoes, bell pepper, onions, cilantro, and oregano. I also add in one can of tomato paste to thicken it up a bit. I use this soup starter with chicken in my crock pot in the cold wintery months. It sure makes things speed up quite a bit.

Even my neighbors had tomato overload, one dropped by with some beautiful read tomatoes and a bell pepper. I still owe him a jar of salsa, so I think there's another batch that's going to have to be done up this week.

What do you do with your excess tomatoes?

Changes to Amazon Kindle and Amazon CreateSpace

Amazon is winding down CreateSpace and having the authors move their printed version to KDP (think eBook) as they're moving the printing functions to that platform. If you currently own a Kindle copy of the cookbook it may disappear from your library. I'm trying to avoid that, but I will need to purchase new ISBN numbers and am still drudging through the details on moving my print copy to KDP and enabling all of the DRM pieces. There is a point at which the old version will get removed from KDP and a new version will replace it. I'm hoping it goes smoothly, but I've been hearing some horror stories about the process.

Please bear with me, and all of the other authors that have been using CreateSpace as we get things shuffled around to the appropriate places.

If you've downloaded a PDF copy from some "free" PDF site, I strongly urge you to get better anti-virus and anti-malware software and check your credit reports. These "free" sites are notorious for stealing information. The least of my worries is missing out on any royalties (frankly I'm lucky if I make $1/paperback and $0.50/eBook); I'm more concerned about the spread of more viruses and malware.

A Snickerdoodle Fail

This spectacular fail is courtesy of the youngest borrowed kiddo. Our "bird" as my husband affectionately calls her (she leaves behind something every time she vists, we tell her she's nesting) was thoroughly disappointed. I decided to use it as a teaching opportunity and explain how this can happen when using my Snickerdoodle recipe.

People have told me these are so hard to get right, I've read lots of posts about how Snickerdoodles are too finicky, or the recipes simply don't work out. I'm here to tell you, that's not the case with my recipe. It's pretty foolproof as long as you follow the steps.

For those of you who haven't gotten my cookbook, or haven't read the recipe on this site yet, let me give you the backstory. I've been making these cookies since I was 5 years old, and it's the first cookie I teach all my new bakers. The kids do great with these, and our bird normally has no issues with them as she's been making them with me since she was 6 years old.

First, let me show you the "fail" photo. To be fair they tasted ok, but were a bit odd texturally and drier than usual.

They shouldn't be rounded up like this, they should have gone flat and spread more upon baking. Instead they look pretty much like they did once they were rolled and placed on the baking sheet.

There are several reasons why this may happen.

1. Either the Cream of Tartar or Baking Soda, or both, were left out
2. The dough was rolled too roughly
3. The dough was packed like a snowball - NEVER do this!
4. The flour was added in using a mixer - another No-No

In this case, she was rushing the dough. My mom was out for a visit and the kiddo wanted to impress her with her baking skills. She was adding the flour using the mixer, making the dough a lot tougher.

Here's how to avoid getting cookies that look like this picture:

1. Don't rush the dough, take your time; they don't take that long to begin with
2. Make sure you use the correct amounts of Cream of Tartar and Baking Soda
3. Mix the dry ingredients - namely the flour - in by hand [#1 Rule of cookie baking]
4. Treat the dough gently, pull a bit off and roll it like it's a raw egg; do not pack or squish the dough

If you still have issues, feel free to drop me a picture and notes in the comments section, or you can email me at merrymaryscookbook@gmail.com.

Happy Baking!

Lemon Blueberry Brownies

As promised in my previous post of the recipe, I finally grabbed a picture of the completed brownies. Fair warning, these don't travel well as the glaze has a tendency to melt. I prefer them chilled anyway as I make these in Summer and Summer in Michigan tends towards hot and humid.  Who really wants to eat hot food when it's already hot?

Bear with me, I am not a professional photographer and do not have the funds to pay one to stop by and snap shots every time I bake something new. These were taken with my old phone, not too bad for a older model.

 

Here's another view with a filter added:

If these are enticing you to whip up a batch you can grab the recipe here:  Lemon Blueberry Brownies Recipe.

These have been a big hit this summer, hope you enjoy them too!

Lemon Blueberry Brownies

Yes, that’s right. Lemon Brownies! I’ll need to experiment with some other flavors as well in the near future, but it’s summertime so Lemon is King.

I saw a posting for Lemon Bars while I was waiting on Lemon Blueberry muffins to come out of the oven and decided to play around a bit with lemon and blueberries. It’s taken me a bit to get this nailed down, I had a few flops, but this recipe has meet with several thumbs up, murmured approvals, and sarcastic statements like “oh yeah, these are just SO bad”, nom, nom, nom.

Using a mixer makes them more “cakey” than I prefer, so I do everything by hand. You all, of course, are free to fiddle with this as you please and come up with whatever works best for you.

The batch I made for yesterday’s vendor show were some of the best I’ve made yet. I put on a bit more glaze than I have in the past and I think that makes a difference. I plan on playing with this recipe a bit more and will post results as I get them.

At this point I do not have a picture of these, I failed to snap a picture before I gave them all away. I will grab a picture of the next batch and add it to this post.

Equipment needed:

     Medium mixing bowl

     Small mixing bowl

     Whisk

     Wooden spoon or stiff spatula

     8”x8” baking pan (9”x9” works too)

     Parchment paper or baking spray

     Spatula for scraping and spreading the glaze

Groceries needed:

Brownies

     ½ cup butter, melted

     ¾ cups sugar, (granulated)

     1 packet TrueLemon^TM or Zest of ½ Lemon

     2 eggs (large or extra large)

     1 tblsp lemon juice

     ¾ cup flour

     ½ tsp baking powder

     2 cups frozen blueberries (or use fresh)

Glaze

     ¾ to 1 cup powered sugar

    1.5 to 2 tblsp lemon juice

    1 packet TrueLemon^TM or Zest of ½ Lemon

The glaze measurements depend on how thick a glaze you want. I used 1 cup powered sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice for a thicker glaze. It’s still a light glaze, not a frosting but it packs a bit more lemon-y punch.

Full disclosure: I do not get any money from the True Lemon^TM folks, but I have found their product to be a really wonderful addition to my baking pantry. The blueberries I use are frozen Wild Maine Blueberries that I pick up at CostCo^TM. They have amazing flavor, and are a bit smaller, but oh-so-yummy! 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350⁰ F
2. Line the baking pan with parchment paper OR spray with baking spray OR butter and flour pan
3. Melt the butter in a sauce pan or in the microwave
4. Place the butter and sugar into the mixing bowl and whisk until well blended
5. Add the True Lemon^TM or lemon zest to the mixing bowl and whisk very lightly
6. Add the 2 eggs, lemon juice, and baking powder and whisk until well blended
7. Lift the whisk from the bowl, letting the liquid drip into the bowl, then set aside
8. Add the flour and using the wooden spoon, mix until fully incorporated
9. Add in the blueberries and gently mix in
10. Pour the mixture into the baking pan
11. Bake for 25-35 minutes (my oven works best at 32 minutes), Let cool completely before making the glaze.

To make the glaze:

1. Using a clean whisk and the small mixing bowl, place the powered sugar, True Lemon^TM or lemon zest, and lemon juice into the bowl.
2. Mix until smooth
3. Pour the glaze on the cool brownies
4. Use the spatula to evenly spread out the glaze
5. Let sit until the glaze firms up a bit; you can “rush” this step a bit by putting the brownies into the fridge to set up

Cut when ready and prepare to get some sticky fingers from the glaze. These don’t last long though, so enjoy while you have them!

New Experiment

I was so excited when I saw this in Meijer the other day. Yes, I shop at Meijer, love it, love what they do for the community, and they are far superior to that awful place that starts with a W that I loathe to the ends of the universe and back.  (Ok, rant over).

I'd been playing around with ideas for thick ganache alternatives for my brownies. Then I saw this: (insert heavenly choir here, you know that "ahhhh" sound we hear on TV commercials)

My grandmother, Maga, was a big Eagle Brand fan, and it's the only sweetened condensed milk I use. Other shoppers stared at me as if I was an escapee from the nearby mental hospital. (It's literally a mile away, so I can understand their concern). The little jig and whoop of joy startled some, while making others laugh and come over to see what I was so happy about.

This is a little one-stop miracle! I love caramel and chocolate, especially in brownies. So I tried it out today. A batch of brownies with this turned into a thick ganache, it's more like fudge than ganache, and the flavor was almost perfect. Everyone seems to have truly liked it, and I'll be playing with this a bit more.

In case you'd like the ganache recipe, it's so simple that I don't know why I didn't try it earlier. Here's the recipe:

• 1 can Eagle Brand Caramel Flavored Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 package (11 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use mini chips)

1. Empty the can of milk into a non-stick pan, or double broiler, warming on the stove top. Stir occasionally until the milk begins to bubble. 
2. Add in the chips a bit at time, stirring until fully melted and well incorporated.  
3. When all the chips are in and the mixture is smooth, pour the ganache while still warm on top of your brownies, cake, or cookies.

I'll post more experiments later as I think of items to try this in.

And no, I do not get any money from Eagle Brand, or Meijer. I'd love to if you know anyone in their marketing departments, but at this point my site is not monetized with ads.

Snickerdoodle Muffins

I've been making these muffins since I was in middle school. It's a modification of a French Puff and has been given several nicknames by some of the teens that like to hang out at our house. These are easy to make, and don't require a mixer if you have younger kids that would like to make them on their own.

Yes, those are Snickerdoodle cookies in front of the muffins!

These do not last long! The recipe makes a dozen regular size muffins or 6 jumbo muffins.

Miss Mary's Snickerdoodle Muffins

• 1/3 cup shortening or melted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 cup milk

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F
2. Mix sugar and butter together until well mixed, add egg and mix  in throughly
3. In another bowl mix together in flour, baking power, salt and nutmeg
4. Stir in flour alternately with milk
5. Grease muffin tin (I use Pam Baking spray) - DO NOT USE paper cups
6. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full (usually one big eating tablespoon full)
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes
8. Remove from oven, let cool a few minutes then remove from muffin tin

Cinnamon-Sugar Coating:

1. Mix 1/2 cup sugar with 2 tbsps Cinnamon (or mix to your taste) in a container big enough to fit a muffin
2. Melt 1/4 cup of butter (1 stick) - I nuke this in a bowl big enough to fit a muffin

Roll muffins in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture
Final step: EAT!

This is what my cinnamon sugar mix looks like when it looks "right".