The salsa is so unique, I think. It is sweet, spicy, warm with cilantro, and cool with the honeydew. Perfect for the Dog Days of August!

The colors were refreshing, too. Green, light green, purple…

This is a cinch to put together, guaranteed to impress everyone and is perfect for dipping homemade tortilla chips into OR Serving over fish, chicken, or shellfish. I think if you were going to do pork you would probably want to replace the honeydew with canteloupe, which is my next experiment.

This is seriously good. Try it. Erin (my oldest daughter) and I had to make it twice. We test tasted the first batch until it was almost gone.

Honeydew Salsa

• 2 cups  diced peeled honeydew
• 3/4 cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/8 cup chopped mint leaves
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Grated zest from one lime
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 serrano (hot) or jalapeno (medium) chopped

Combine all ingredients and allow the flavors to blend for 30 minutes.

Makes about 3 cups… depending on how many times you taste it to adjust the seasonings.

images:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

It was a landslide. Then I just needed to figure out how I wanted to do it. I wanted a delicate coffee flavor that revealed itself in layers, chocolate but just a hint..and a little cinnamon. I would have loved to put orange peel in it but didn’t have any.

Looking through all the cake recipes I have from all of my vintage and new cookbooks PLUS the family recipes hand written on scraps of aging paper I was overwhelmed with the variety. And none of them had liquid added, and I wanted to use coffee not coffee powder. Finally I found Dorie Greenspan’s Rum Drenched Vanilla Cakes in the Baking From My Home to Yours book…it had many of the components that I was looking for so I decided to base the formula for the cake off of that one.

Smart move.

The cakes (for yes, there were two) came out fragrant and moist, with a tender even crumb.  They smelled like coffee, but the coffee flavor was not overpowering. It was just what I was looking for. I sprinkled one with grated chocolate and covered one in a thin bittersweet ganache. Both were good..just depends on what you are in the mood for.

Although we had ours plain I would suggest a scoop of coffee ice cream over the top of a slice, followed by some hot fudge.

Also, as I said, I would add the grated zest from 1/2 a large orange. I didn’t have one but I will get one next time.

Cappuccino Pound Cake

• 2 2/3 cup all purpose (organic) flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2  cups sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 6 large eggs
• 1/3 cup strong espresso
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 lb unsalted Plugra, or regular butter (Plugra will make this richer), melted and cooled

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Grease and flour two loaf pans
3. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together
4. Whisk sugar and eggs until light.
5. Mix in vanilla (and orange peel if using)
6. Beat in the espresso and the cream
7. Add the flour mixture gently
8. Fold in the melted butter
9. Pour into the pans and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until it tests done

Meanwhile….

Espresso Syrup

• 1/4 cup strong espresso
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

1. Bring to a boil, stirring and boil for one minute.
2. Cool

Remove the cakes from the oven and cool for five minutes. Remove from pans and poke holes in the cakes with a meat fork. Put back in pans and pour the syrup evenly over the cakes. Allow the cakes to soak up the syrup before removing from pans.

Garnish with chocolate shavings or bittersweet chocolate ganache.
images:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Summer is hot here. We don’t use air conditioning, haven’t for the several years we have lived in this house. Frankly, it is too expensive, but I also like the idea of flowing with the seasons..experiencing them rather than manipulating them. I know..I am so weird.

Nothing is worse than cooking a hot meal in a hot kitchen and serving it in a hot dining room. That is why God made salad.

Check it out.

Who isn’t going to eat that? Colorful, cool, with a variety of flavors and textures, Chopped Salad is an awesome meal to set on the table when it is too hot to cook. I always make the tortilla chips homemade, you can by them and crumble them if you like, but if it doesn’t taste as good don’t blame me.

The only secret is trying to get most of the ingredients chopped to the same size so the flavor/texture stays balanced.

Serve this with some ice cold melon or mango, or a fresh fruit sorbet and you are good to  go.

Chopped Salad

• 1 package organic baby herb salad
• 1 red onion chopped
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 can dark red kidney beans
• 1 can black olives, chopped
• 1 large bell pepper, chopped
• 2 jalapenos chopped
• 2 ripe tomatoes chopped (I did not have any the day I made it for this image)
• 1 avocado, chopped (optional)
• 1 bunch of cilantro chopped
• 2 hard boiled eggs chopped
• 1/2 lb diced Monterey Jack cheese cubed (pepper Jack is awesome)
• 2 cups tortilla chips, tortillas cut into squares before frying
• Recipe Chipotle Vinaigrette

Mix all ingredients together and serve immediately. It looks better if you plate each salad individually and add the chips last but you can serve it family style in a big bowl.  Yes it is that easy! Serves 8

Chipotle Vinaigrette

• 4 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 4 tbs lime juice
• 1 tbs dijon mustard
• 1-2 tablespoons strong honey (this is always best raw and local!)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tsp chopped chipotle in adobo sauce (canned, you can find it in the ethnic section of your market)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 tbs fresh cilantro, minced
• kosher salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together, check seasonings and allow to stand for 30 minutes before using. Makes about 3/4 cup.

image:marye audet (c) 2009

Post from: Baking Delights

• She could throw her really cute red and white polka dot apron over her head and cry
• She could create magic

I think she decided to create magic and threw ingredients together to make Blondies. You know why? These are the most versatile of bar cookies. I mean you can toss almost anything in there… well, within reason..I mean I am not suggesting Blondies as a way to get your kids to eat liver, you know? But any kind of nut, any kind of chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, or white chocolate chip… dried fruit…the list goes on.

I wanted something a little different. so I chopped up Snickers Bars. Marc is somewhat addicted to Snickers so I figured it would be a no brainer dessert.

I liked how they came out. I was not expecting the Snickers to melt into the bars as much as they did but other than that it was a great addition. These are sweet, chewy, and have lots of flavor expoding in your mouth all at once. Imagine your tastebuds running around your tongue shouting “INCOMING!!”

You can’t imagine that? Well then, I guess you will have to make these and experience it for yourself.

Snicker Bar Blondies

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 regular sized Snickers, chopped in chunks
• 1 cup peanut butter chips
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup  butterscotch chips (or brickle)
• 1 cup honey roasted peanuts coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. Allow butter to come to room temperature
3. Butter a 13x 9 inch pan
4. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda
5. Beat the butter until smooth and creamy
6. Beat in the sugars until no longer grainy
7. Add the eggs, one at a time
8. Add the vanilla
9. Stir in the dry ingredients
10. Fold in the chips, nuts, and Snicker Bars
11. Smooth into the prepared pan
12. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool, and cut into desired sized bars.

Makes 1 13×9 inch pan

image:MaryeAudet

Post from: Baking Delights

My husband and three of my sons are headed out to Royal Rangers camp for the entire weekend. Sigh. I am a bit jealous. I love to camp but we haven’t been in some time. Royal Rangers is a bit like boy scouts but is affiliated with a denominational church. Marc is a commander, and they are going to do fun things like throwing tomahawks, making fires, and eating cookies.

Cookies? Yeah. Because Nick…of the puppy dog eyes….

…asked me to make him cookies to take so the guys in his tent would think he was really awesome.

Who could resist? Not me! Could you resist those eyes? Yeah. I didn’t think so. So I did it. Reeses Mini Peanut Butter Cups, peanuts, and chocolate chip cookie dough. They don’t have a name. They disappear too fast. I hope Nick keeps them hidden from his brothers and dad until he gets there….

Mini Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

• 1 12 oz package Reeses Mini peanut butter cups
• 1 c chopped peanuts
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350. Cover cookie sheet with parchment or Silpat.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter , brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the creamed mixture.

Stir in the Peanut Butter Cups and peanuts.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until light golden brown.

Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes.

Images: Marye Audet 

Content:Marye Audet for Baking Delights 

Post from: Baking Delights