CRISPY SMASHED POTATOES

August 17, 2013

You might want to stop however you’re currently making roasted red potatoes and make them this way because I think you’re going to like this method better. They’ve got the crispy goodness of french fries on the outside and the soft flakey-ness of mashed potatoes on the inside. I served them up here with walnut & rosemary oven-fried chicken. They are very good and I believe this message will help America.

CRISPY SMASHED POTATOES
Serves 3-4

3 pounds red potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place whole potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour 3/4 cup water into pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow potatoes to cool for 10 minutes. Coat with half of olive oil. Smash potatoes with bottom of a drinking glass (or your tool of choice.)

Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Season with thyme and salt & pepper. Bake 40 more minutes.

5.0 from 2 reviews

CRISPY SMASHED POTATOES

Author: Rachel Schultz

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

3 pounds red potatoes
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme
Salt & pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Place whole potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour ¾ cup water into pan and cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Allow potatoes to cool for 10 minutes. Coat with half of olive oil. Smash potatoes with bottom of a drinking glass (or your tool of choice.)
Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Season with thyme and salt & pepper.
Bake 40 more minutes.

Adapted from American Test Kitchen.

Old-Fashioned Pancakes

August 12, 2013

Rachel Schultz

Do you think box mix pancakes are sometimes good? I am not too proud to be unwilling to admit that sometimes they are to me. However, there was a time when this pancake recipe was the only one I reached for. They are just good! And, they are an american classic – the american pancake. So if you’ve been only having box mixes, I won’t try to convince you to never again, but I will say this may be worth your while.

Old-Fashioned Pancakes
Serves about 12 pancakes

1 and 1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 and 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Add in milk, egg, butter, and vanilla and whisk until evenly distributed.

Lightly coat a large skillet with butter and heat over medium-low heat. Pour in 1/4 cup batter.

Flip when bubbles appear. Cook opposite side until slightly golden. Repeat with remaining batter, coating skillet again with butter after each batch.

Serve with fruit, powdered sugar, maple syrup, etc.

5.0 from 9 reviews

OLD-FASHIONED PANCAKES

Author: Rachel Schultz

Ingredients

1 and ½ cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 and ¼ cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Add in milk, egg, butter, and vanilla and whisk until evenly distributed.
Lightly coat a large skillet with butter and heat over medium-low heat. Pour in ¼ cup batter.
Flip when bubbles appear. Cook opposite side until slightly golden. Repeat with remaining batter, coating skillet again with butter after each batch.
Serve with fruit, powdered sugar, maple syrup, etc.

Adapted from All Recipes.

Old Fashioned Pancakes with Syrup, Butter, and Blueberries

PEANUT BUTTER & PECAN COOKIE SANDWICHES

July 29, 2013

Rachel Schultz

Have you heard the baking tip of grating butter? The allure is if you forgot to bring your butter to room temperature it does so quickly once it is grated and, or it will help with an even dispersal of butter in the finished product. I find this tip too tedious for the value it gives, but maybe I am missing something. I would rather just brave the possible liquid butter lava that I get while trying to soften it quickly in different ways!

As for these cookies at hand, they are an oatmeal cookie sandwich with a sweet peanut butter filling. And a pecan on top because I love decorating baked goods with pecans.

One of my friends told me these were “mind blowing.” My husband says he was not surprised someone would say that because they are like an “artisanal nutter butter.”

PEANUT BUTTER & PECAN COOKIE SANDWICHES
Makes 24 cookie sandwiches

3 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups butter, melted
2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
5 cups oats
24 pecan halves
2 cups peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a stand mixer, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix in butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Add oats and continue to mix.

Chill dough for 1-2 hours.

Shape into 1 and 1/2 inch balls and arrange on a line baking sheet. Place a pecan half on half of the cookie dough balls (or all.) Bake 10-12 minutes.

To make peanut butter filling, beat together peanut butter, butter, honey, and powdered sugar for three minutes. Assemble sandwiches with two cookies and a spoonful of peanut butter filling.

5.0 from 1 reviews

PEANUT BUTTER & PECAN COOKIE SANDWICHES

Author: Rachel Schultz

Ingredients

3 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 and ½ cups butter, melted
2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
5 cups oats
24 pecan halves
2 cups peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup powdered sugar
½ cup butter, softened

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a stand mixer, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix in butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Add oats and continue to mix.
Chill dough for 1-2 hours.
Shape into 1 and ½ inch balls and arrange on a line baking sheet. Place a pecan half on half of the cookie dough balls (or all.) Bake 10-12 minutes.
To make peanut butter filling, beat together peanut butter, butter, honey, and powdered sugar for three minutes. Assemble sandwiches with two cookies and a spoonful of peanut butter filling.