The day has at last arrived, so clearly that means we had to do some supremely spooky baking to go along with it!
This time starring: ouija planchettes & crystal balls
You know when you’re obsessed with something, but would never actually do it? That’s how I feel about ouija boards. Obviously it’s not in a ‘wears lululemon every day yet never sets foot in a gym’ kind of way. More just like loving the look and all the old-world vibes, yet knowing it’s always best to simply NOT MESS WITH THE REALM.
With it being the end of October we’re still plowing through the 31 for 31 horror movie marathon. Which means hours of watching naive casts of characters make the absolute WORST decisions possible – including haphazardly messing with ouija boards.
((looking at you, showboating psychic Brock Davies))
But that aside, have you ever checked them out on Etsy?? Seriously, some of them are outright works of art. And because of that, I am all about having one as decor in the house! Especially considering the rich and crazy history of spirit boards in general, it always makes for a great conversation piece. But, whatever you do…
Hide. That. Planchette.
Because when your friends get drunk at 2AM on a Saturday and decide it’d be a ~super cool~ and ~~hilarious~~ thing to play with for the ‘Gram – you’re going to regret it. The realm doesn’t mess around (!!!)
So with all of that said, we wanted to honor the ouija with a kitschy twist. Which made cookies seem the perfect answer! And since we’re rolling with the theme of divination tools that some people swear by, whereas others laugh in the face of, crystal balls felt like a totally worthy (& uber chic) pairing, too.
Check it out!
We used our same basic, no-spread sugar cookie recipe from a few weeks back…
Only this time, with slightly more jazzed up icing.
Sorry trick-or-treaters, you won’t be getting any of these gems tonight.
Meaning it’s time for fuzzy blankets, scary movies and the two official food groups of fall: soup and cookies! (though not always in that order)
But if there’s anything I’ve learned from cookie baking so far, it’s that a stand mixer is not only chic but a total game-changer…and our oven is utter trash.
TRASH, I SAY
I know there’s plenty of you guys out there that still rent, too. Which is fine and all – except when you get stuck with a 30-year-old oven. And I’m NOT talking about the type that’s so well made it lasts forever.
Alas, this snuggly baking season I knew something had to be done. We’ve had enough of toying with temperature and guessing how much extra time to tack onto recipes. So in true Alton Brown fashion, we finally rigged up a probe thermometer to take charge of the heat before us.
And luckily, it worked! So say hello to fall and the fun Halloween-themed recipes that come along with it. Starting with some ultra glam, amazingly cute, bat-shaped sugar cookies!
Let’s be real, bats are the true self-care icons. Avoiding daylight and hugging themselves as they sleep – I mean, talk about serious #goals. So to kick off this year’s festivities, we’re embracing that spooky sentiment AND exploring a simpler alternative to those expertly iced cookies you see all over Instagram.
Which mark my words, we’re totally working up to. But in the meantime, just making the most of sanding sugar and micro-sprinkles that still can elevate the aesthetic – no Amber Spiegel skills required.
Shall we?
// THE COOKIES //
++ Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt together in a medium mixing bowl.
++ Throw the softened butter and sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer with its paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high for 3 to 5 minutes until pale, light and super fluffy (all of the air will make for incredibly soft, pillowy cookies).
++ Add the beaten egg/milk and vanilla extract to the butter/sugar and mix for another minute on medium-high.
++ Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on a slow speed JUST until combined into a smooth dough (you do NOT want to over-mix here – unless you love tough cookies and hate fun).
++ Throw down a piece of lightly floured parchment paper and spoon half of the dough onto it. Form it into a ball and ((g e n t l y)) roll it out to a 1/4-inch thickness. Set aside.
++ Do the same thing with the other half of dough, sandwich a piece of plastic between the two, wrap it all in plastic and stick into the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 to 2 hours (& up to two days, so I’m told).
++ Once you’re ready to bake it up, preheat your oven to 350℉ and remove the two sheets of dough from the fridge.
++ Line some room-temp baking sheets with more parchment paper (time to buy stock in Reynolds?) and begin cutting your bats. If the dough sticks to the cutter, ~~carefully~~ push the shape onto the baking sheet. If it stays on the parchment paper, use a spatula to transfer it to the sheet.
++ Make sure the cookies are placed an inch or two from one another (even though they won’t spread) and bake each sheet one at a time for 9 to 11 minutes until the bats start to lightly brown around the edges (seriously, it’s WAY better to under-bake than over-bake them).
++ Remove sheet from the oven and throw in the next round. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the sheet, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack for the ~full~ cool ahead of icing.
// THE ICING //
PSA in advance: consistency is EVERYTHING
++ Add the powdered sugar, meringue powder and water to a medium mixing bowl and whisk by hand for about 5 minutes. (NOTE: plenty of people use a mixer for this. I personally like to do it by hand – not only for the workout – but because it gives you way more control over the sometimes-tricky consistency.)
++ Test the consistency of your icing, which when lifted up should drizzle back down and smooth out within 10 seconds. If too thick, add a touch (and I mean t o u c h) more water. If too thin, add some additional sugar.
++ Load the icing into a squeeze bottle or piping bag and ice the completely cooled cookies all over.
++ Figure out your color combos of sanding sugar and sprinkle accordingly while the icing is still wet.
++ Let dry & ENJOY!
Consider this the first of many more spooky sweets to come. Until then…
Myyyyyyyyyy WHITE CLAW BRINGS ALL THE BOYS TO THE YARD!
Woah…simmering down. What I actually meant to say is happy September, my party people!
It’s crazy to think that our fun-in-the-sun weather has already come and gone. Though with that it’s only natural we say sayonara to summer, and most importantly, usher in the fall-filled, only-55-days-until-Halloween kind of vibes.
But since we’ll all be wishing for warmer temps come the onslaught of snow (& for the West Coast- anything below 70 degrees) soon enough, it’s also fair we give this sunny season the worthy farewell it deserves. Which means concocting something fresh out of a British millennial’s dreams, obviously.
That’s right, I’m talking about White Claw SCONES!
In addition to all the seltzer-hounding bros out there, inspiration for this recipe came from the patron saint of sandwich finesse himself: Chef Jeff Mauro! One morning while watching my lifeblood (A.K.A. Food Network’s The Kitchen), Jeff totally dropped the mic when he intro’ed the concept of scones made with Prosecco. Revolutionary – I know, I know.
So in the shadows of this year’s scorching #HotGirlSummer, the idea came to me like a prophecy. Instead of stopping at just Prosecco, why not go for the gold—the WHITE CLAW gold.
After all, there ain’t no laws when you’re drinking claws, right? (Edit: no)
(There are definitely still laws)
Jokes aside, this combo is fire. Seriously, 7-Up biscuits are a totally fine start; but why not go even further with replacing some of our baking liquid with the crisp, bubbly goodness the world has randomly just now discovered?
So whether it’s a DIY brunch or something to tag-team with your morning coffee, you’ll find these flaky babies are about to become your new go-to treat.
// DIRECTIONS //
++ Preheat your oven to 400℉ to make sure it’s nice and hot, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it to the side.
++ Place the cubed butter into the freezer for a few minutes before you start the dough. (Just like pastry dough, keeping your ingredients super cold will make for exceptionally flaky scones – I even popped my White Claw in the freezer, too)
++ Meanwhile, chop up your blackberries and leave no piece of lime unzested.
++ In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder and mix with a wooden spoon.
++ Remove the chilled butter from the freezer and add it to the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into the dry mix using a pastry blender (or two forks) until it’s about the size of a peas.
++ In a separate bowl, add the buttermilk, White Claw, vanilla extract and splash of heavy cream (only if you already have it) and whisk together. Then, ((gradually)) add the wet ingredients to the dry. Add the chopped blackberries, lime zest, splash of lime juice and pinch of white pepper, then ((carefully)) fold it all in.
++ Your dough should quickly start to come together, but if you find it to be too dry, add additional touches of White Claw. BUT ALSO FIRST PLEASE NOTE this is a critical step—you do not, I repeat, DO NOT want to overwork your dough or add too much liquid. Scone dough should be on the drier side, rather than wet and sticky.
((For this round, I accidentally got heavy handed with the additional White Claw. But I promise, it wasn’t on purpose – so I won’t tell if you don’t))
++ Once the dough is an optimum consistency, plop it onto a lightly floured cutting board and delicately roll it out into a circle. About 1 to 1.5 inches thick. Cut into 8 triangles and place each on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
++ Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until delectably golden brown. Then remove and let cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before enveloping.
Now, the other best part of this recipe is that you can also completely customize it to your favorite flavor! I’m thinking black cherry/dark chocolate & vanilla, mango/white chocolate & mint, raspberry/lemon & lavender and grapefruit/ginger & a pinch of cayenne. The possibilities are truly endless.
For this latest installment of recipes we’re newly obsessed with, I’m coming to you live (well, sort of) from our homelands of the Lone Star State.
It’s crazy to think it’s been almost four years since finishing school and kickstarting a new chapter in sunny Los Angeles, but I guess that’s why they always say time is good at flying.
OK, but enough about that – it’s onto the main event. Our Hatch Chile Sausage TART!
Now, admittedly I’m relatively ~new~ to the tart scene. I’ve baked several pies for office contests and made plenty of warm, flaky biscuits, too. So taking those skills to the ring of tart creation feels like the next logical step. Right? And this one you won’t want to skip out on, guaranteed. Mainly thanks to all of the Hatch Chile goodness inside.
I guess it was Andy Williams that always said Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. But if you ask me? I think Hatch Chile season is a pretty solid contender for second. Sauces, breads, cheese, chocolate—you name it, there’s a hatch version of it. And while all of these products are fantastic on their own, subbing Hatch varieties of our run-of-the-mill fave ingredients can take so many recipes to a mind-b l o w i n g next level.
So without further ado, here we go on this year’s Hatch-infused adventure!
OK also – if you just want to use a pre-made crust (and by all means, we totally understand that sane and practical decision), then you can totally skip ahead in the recipe below. But if you want to roll out the red carpet for god-knows whatever reason like me, then prepare for the buttery ride of your life!
// THE DOUGH //
++ Cut the butter into small cubes, then place in a bowl and set inside the freezer for about 20 minutes. (Keeping everything cold is key)
++ Meanwhile, stir the flour, sugar and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
++ After the butter chills, add it to the mixing bowl as well.
Did I mention I was at my parents’? Hello Melamine bowl from the ’50s…
++ Cut the butter into the dry mix using a pastry cutter (or two forks, or a food processor) until flour is coated and approximately the size of a pea.
++ Take your ice (ice-baby) cold water and stir into the mixture about 2 tablespoons at a time. You’ll see the dough start to stick together and want to continue adding until it comes together like a dough – sticky, but not crazy moist.
++ Once you have a full-fledged ball of dough, place it on a lightly floured cutting board and gently fold some additional flour into the dough. Form the dough into a ball, flatten the ball into a disk (maybe an inch or so thick), wrap it in plastic and throw it into the fridge to chill! About two hours – at least.
// POST-INITIAL CHILL //
++ Once you’re ready to shape your tart, retrieve the dough from the fridge and place it back onto the floured cutting board. Slowly and steadily, roll it out with a rolling pin starting from the center, working your way out. Continue adding flour as needed to prevent sticking, and remember that periodically rotating the dough can help to get an even thickness all the way around.
++ As soon as you see the dough is big enough to fit your tart pan (mine was 11 inches), carefully (((carefully))) lift your dough and place in the pan. Gently press your dough to fit the pan’s form.
++ When the dough is entirely shaped, use a paring knife to slice off the extra edges around the top so it fits the pan’s form just right. But don’t get ahead of yourself – stash the extra dough on the side…
++ For any sections of the outer crust that you notice might be thinner than the rest, tear off and press some of the extra dough into these areas so that you have an even thickness around the entire circumference.
++ Once it’s good to go, wrap the entire, superbly shaped crust in plastic once again to chill in the refrigerator for another at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400℉ (or 375 if using a convection oven).
// READY FOR PAR-BAKING //
++ OK, it’s go time! Take your freshly chilled crust, unwrap it, gently place a piece of parchment paper over the top and fill the crust with pie weights (or dried beans, pennies, and whatever else the Internet says is a worthy sub to prevent bubbles and shrinkage).
++ Place it into the preheated oven to bake for about 15 minutes. Then, remove the parchment paper and weights, use a fork to stab a few holes in the base to allow for air release and return it to the oven.
++ Since we’re only partially blind-baking the crust (for future reference, this guide is a life-saving resource), let it go for another 8 or so minutes, just until it starts to brown. Remove from oven and let C O O L.
++ Bump the oven temp down about 25 degrees.
// WHILE IT PAR-BAKES //
++ We need to make the filling! Granted, this could easily be done in advance to save some time (and potential anxiety) whilst marathoning the epic dough, but it’s all totally up to you.
++ Take the sausage out of its casing and brown in a skillet over medium heat until it’s cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat and place it into a large bowl. Add the diced tomato, cheese, garlic, parsley, salt ‘n’ peppa to the large bowl.
++ In another bowl, whisk the eggs, cream and splash of milk together; then add this mix to the sausage mix and stir them both together well.
// THE BIG FINISH //
++ Once the crust is relatively cool to the touch, use a slotted spoon to scoop the filling into the crust. Once you have the entire sausage/tomato mix spread evenly in the pan, carefully pour the remaining liquid, stopping just shy of it overflowing.
++ Return the filled crust back to the oven (uncovered) for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the eggs in the filling are set.
++ Carefully remove the tart from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.
Buttery, flaky, spicy…and kind of amazingly reminiscent of pizza – this is one tart that’s sure to wow.
Just be sure to watch your fingers when devouring.
MSFT Living 