Cardamom Milk Shaved Ice | Donvier Fun!

When I was a little girl, we had a Donvier ice cream maker and I loved getting to crank the handle and watch ice cream happen right before my eyes! Pure magic to a kid. My mom eventually passed it along to us and we managed to get our hands on a couple more at thrift stores over the years, so we now have a grand total of 3. 

(You can find one on ebay here...for $24!)

The other day, JD heard a recipe on a Splendid Table podcast and whipped it up for us to try.

You guys. You have to try this. It is the best ice cream (okay, shaved ice) I've ever eaten! It tastes like an exotic faraway land I haven't been to yet, and I'm pretty sure I can hear the tides roll in and out while it melts in my mouth. It is magical.

Here's the recipe: Cardamom Milk Shaved Ice

And, of course, a few cute photos of our ice cream taste testers (for quality control purposes, of course)...

We love ice cream.

Do you have any favorite ice cream recipes?

"Raspberry, Jazzberry, Razzamatazzberry" | Savoring Summer

A few years ago, we planted raspberries that continue to multiply in bounty - so much so that every couple of days we go out and gather a small bowl full. While we're delighted with our abundance, we were in need of some new ideas for enjoying them.

And then my Martha Stewart Living arrived in the mail and solved all our problems.

(p.s. Hands down, this is the best magazine ever. I can read it cover to cover in a few hours, every page is beautifully photographed and thoughtfully laid out, content is streamlined and pertinent, and there are always a dozen ideas I want to try. A $12 subscription is the best money I spend every year.)

This month's issue had a spread on how to make jam and I couldn't believe how simple it was.

First, I picked my berries...

Weighed in at just under a pound, so I modified the recipe to my proportions.

After a gentle rinse, I boiled them with sugar and lemon juice per the directions below, and voila!

Raspberry Jam

I didn't bother with canning. We eat it so fast that I just put it into a clean jar and threw it in the refrigerator. It'll be gone in a week, especially with this little girl in the house...

jam mustache 

One of the other amazing Martha recipes I tried earlier in the week was named a "fool." (So called by the Brits.) Three ingredients - that's it. Whip up 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream with a mixer until it makes soft peaks, then fold in 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt, and swirl in 1/2 cup of raspberry jam. Spoon into cups and set in the refrigerator for at least an hour. It is amazing. And easy. I topped them with fresh berries from the garden.

Jam

3 lb berries
3 1/3 c sugar
pinch of salt
2 T fresh lemon juice

Stir fruit, sugar, and salt together in a large, heavy bottom pan until sugar dissolves.
Mash fruit with potato masher.
Boil, add lemon juice, continue to boil, stirring frequently until bubbles slow and mixture falls from spoon in clumps (10-12 minutes).
Ladle into clean containers with 3/4 inch head room. Cool completely. Refrigerate up to one month, freeze up to one year.

Buen provecho!

xoxo

Heather

Bread | Four Ingredients

Four ingredients - that's all you need for a loaf of rustic bread.

In fact, it's so easy, you're going to be tempted to bake a fresh loaf every day! Finally got around to visually documenting it so I could share :)

Enjoy!

Bread

340 g (1 1/3 c) water
5 g (1/2 t) yeast
9 g (2 t) salt
455 g (3 1/2 c) flour

Simply double ingredients for a bigger batch.

In a large bowl:

Mix water with yeast

Add salt and flour 

Mix well, but don't knead 

Place in a covered container and allow the dough to sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours up to a week 

When ready to bake, take out desired amount and lightly dust top with flour

Quickly form into a ball by tucking top around to bottom

Drop onto sheet dusted with corn meal

Let rise 40-80 minutes, no more

Slide dough onto a pizza stone in a 450°F-500°F preheated oven and cover with steel mixing bowl (you can also place dough on a piece of parchment paper in a dutch oven - the point is to capture moisture and help it steam a bit instead of allowing it to dry out)

Bake 30 minutes; remove steel bowl/covering and bake another 5-15 minutes, until brown
NOTE: Let cool for at least one hour - this is essential for letting your bread finish. It's tempting to break into a warm loaf, but it needs the extra time to finish baking all the way through.

the set-up

You can use way less dishes, but for the sake of the tutorial I used all of them.

Normally I just set the big bowl on the scale and tare it every time I add an ingredient, eliminating the bowls holding the other ingredients. You have to pour slowly then, because if you pour too much, there's no going back!

JD is very exact (you should watch his formula for the perfect espresso), so we use the scale quite a bit. At first I had a hard time giving up my measurements, but grams are pretty handy to use for this recipe.

+ water, yeast, and salt

tare (0)

+ 455 g flour 

(I tried taking a tiny bit out but it kept wavering between 454 and 456. I gave up.)

whisk

We use this Danish dough whisk at least once a week - it's perfect at its job, and beautiful.

Whisk only until combined, no more.

put a lid on it

throw into fridge

24 hours later...

sprinkle with flour

sprinkle sheet with corn meal

We love this old hand-me-down sheet from my mom. It's not pretty, but we use it a ton.

tuck sides under and place on sheet, no kneading required

let rise 40-80 minutes

Slit the top so it can expand without breaking a seam elsewhere.

Bake for 30 minutes covered, 5-15 minutes uncovered.

ta-da!

Wait, butter, and enjoy.

Buen provecho!

Zuppa Toscana

A couple of nights ago, we tried a new recipe for Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana courtesy of this recipe and it was wonderful.

The kale and onions were fresh from our garden, the potatoes were little new potatoes we bought from the farmer's market (and sliced on a mandolin - so easy!), and the Italian sausage we bought from our new local butcher - Blair Meat Market (everything we've purchased there so far has tasted so much better than their grocery store counterpart). I added a few Parmesan rinds that I keep saved in the freezer for occasions such as this which helped thicken it up. 

Dinner accompanied by a Moscow Mule with mint from the garden :)

Thanks, Kyle, for introducing us to this deliciously refreshing summertime drink! JD got me a little kit for my birthday: mugs, Barritt's Ginger Beer, and vodka. Perfection.

Zuppa Toscana

• 1lb Italian sausage (I like mild sausage)
• 2large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
• 1large onion, chopped
• 1⁄4cup bacon bits (optional)
• 2garlic cloves, minced
• 2cups kale or 2 cups swiss chard, chopped
• 2(8 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1quart water
• 1cup heavy whipping cream

Brown sausage in pot/dutch oven. 

Add chicken broth and water - stir. 

Add onions, potatoes, and garlic. 

Cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. 

Add kale and cream. 

Buen provecho!

Pear Chips

As someone truly in love with fall, it should come as no surprise that upon getting my latest Martha Stewart Living magazine (my favorite magazine in the wholewideworld!) and seeing the page featuring pear chips, I decided an immediate kitchen re-enactment was necessary. The best part was that we have a produce table at our church on Sundays where you can bring your garden's abundance to share with others, and someone graciously shared bags and bags of pears! So we picked up a handful of firm (free!) pears and got busy.

pears in jadite

- the eye candy for which my heart pitter patters

All I needed was my trusty hand-held mandoline slicer (we love this one by OXO)...

...and then spread out the slices on parchment paper.

You can even leave on the seeds and stems. I sprinkled one pan with cinnamon and sugar and left the other as is 

(as was? Meh...).

Bake at 225°F for 1 1/2 hours, flip, back in the oven for 30-60 minutes, cool, and voilà!

Fall snacks.

You guys, you don't even have to wash the pans. That's a winner in my book.

(Not to mention, Alice the Toddler loves them as much as I do. They don't last long here - we've already been through 6 pans in the last couple of weeks...)

Applesauce

Last week's romp through our local orchard yielded 6 pounds of lovely red gems, so naturally, we just had to make some homemade applesauce. Had to. It is a tradition now, afterall :)

(see post here)

Once washed, I peeled, quartered, cored, and diced them, then threw them into my beloved Staub french oven and simmered with water, sugar, cinnamon and blended with an immersion blender my mom gave me (everyone should have one of these things - best power tool of the kitchen). 

So easy! Can't wait to put it in everything...

Happy Fall!

Sea Salt Nutella Cookies

After sleeping in this morning, Alice and I decided it was a pj and cookie-baking kind of day. The best kind of day, in my opinion, complete with big breakfast, berry picking, cuddling under blankets while we rocked on the porch, and lots and lots of cookies. (Imagine I just said "cookies" with the cookie monster voice.)

And these cookies don't disappoint. In fact - dare I say it? They are the most magical cookies in the whole wide world. Are you a little giddy now? I found the recipe last year here, for the sacred Sea Salt Nutella Cookies.

You'll need:

• 1¼ cup All-purpose, Unbleached Flour
• ½ cups Unsweetened Dark Dutch Process Cocoa Powder*
• ¼ cups Oats, Lightly Ground
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• ¼ teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1-½ stick Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
• 2 Tablespoons Nutella
• 1-½ cup Sugar
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
• 
  

*This ingredient is worth getting! You guys, it makes the cookies. Last Christmas, JD splurged and bought me the good stuff (1 lb Valrhona Chocolate Cocoa Powder - find it here). When he gets home from work tonight, he'll be affirming this was indeed a wise investment.

 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside.
2. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, oats, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl cream together butter, Nutella, and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in egg.
4. Slowly add in flour mixture until evenly incorporated.
5. Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls and put them onto prepared pans 3 inches apart (12 per sheet). Minor spreading will occur. Flatten balls with the bottom of a glass, until each is about 2 1/4-inches in diameter. Sprinkle each with a dash of sea salt.
6. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 1 minute on baking sheet. Transfer to a cooling rack.
7. Allow cookies to cool completely. Spread Nutella. 

My addition:

 8. Live happily ever after.

Whilst there are no photos of the mixing/baking process, I can show you the end results of my sous chef who brought in her step stool, de-shirted herself for chocolate tasting, and diligently licked every bowl, spoon, spatula, mixer, and measuring cup I handed her way. "Please I help?" is her new favorite phrase and while it makes things a little longer (and messier) it's totally worth having her involved and seeing the joy on her face from all of her "helping." :D 

Does your face hurt from smiling so much?! I absolutely cannot get enough of this little girl. She is totally my child. 

Daughter, you are my joy and I love sharing my favorite things with you :)

Go forth, bake, and enjoy!

Valentine's Day & Mandarin Olive Oil Cake

Valentine's Day was pretty low-key this year for the Hall house. We didn't go out, but we did celebrate with homemade cards, sweets, and time together. Friday morning, I gave Alice our usual piggy-back ride down the stairs and when we opened the door, we found a surprise from daddy!

JD gave Alice a bag of doughnut holes from Jim & Connie's Bakery with a special love note, and me a fried cinnamon. That man loves me so much. And in my monster-laden card was a gift certificate to Our Specialtea - our little, local tea shop :)

That afternoon while Alice napped, I made a recipe I had tabbed in the latest Real Simple issue for a Mandarin Olive Oil Cake. Four bowls and 2 sinks-worth of dirty dishes later, it only confirmed for me what I know to be true of baking (and why I don't like it): baking is exact - and exacting - work that requires attention to the smallest measurements and creates an unbelievable amount of dishes. If I ever make this one again, my notes will graciously reference it as a "labor of love." But the results were scrumptious and the husband appreciated it. Mission accomplished. 

my card to JD - saw this image on Pinterest a while back and just had to use it! | Alice adorably smelling a flower 

"cheese!"

recipe for Mandarin Olive Oil Cake here

 Buen provecho and Happy Belated Valentine's Day!