Bruschetta Burgers

Whenever people ask me what my favorite part of Italy was, I struggle to come up with something I enjoyed more than the bruschetta. I mean the museums and history were great and all. But those fresh tomatoes... (I'm drooling.)

"Bruschetta" is actually just grilled bread, brushed with olive oil and garlic. But, in America its pretty much always paired with a fresh tomato and garlic mixture. So, if you find yourself in Italy, make sure you order Bruschetta al Pomodoro.

They aren't lying when they say the food is fresher in Italy, and the tomatoes were no exception. They were bright and acidic; some were so sweet I could have sworn they added sugar. I'm not going to lie to you. I'm kind of a bruschetta expert at this point. It was the first thing I ordered when we arrived, and we had it with every single meal. (I'm not kidding.)

Thick & Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

Let me start off with a little secret about these cookies. I had never had them, and never had any interest in trying them (how gross does molasses sound??) , until someone requested them for their birthday treat. So I gave them a shot, with extremely low expectations. The first pan came out of the oven and I bit into one as soon as they had cooled enough and I was hooked! That was all it took.

So these are kind of a traditionally Christmas cookie. But when have I ever cared about traditions?? Never. (Not true.) So, I make these all year round. Literally. And guess what--No one complains. So there. You have every right to make these delicious chewy, spicy, (christmassy) cookies whenever you darn well please. If anyone gives you trouble, give them a cookie.

You'll find a lot of recipes for this type of cookie out there. And most of them will have almost identical ingredients. But there are a couple little technique changes that will make a big difference.

Banana Bread

I always feel silly posting pictures on food on Instagram. Like, people don't care what I'm eating/baking, right? Well apparently I'm wrong because this picture of Banana Bread got more likes and comments than any other picture in recent history! So I'm sharing my deep, dark banana bread secrets.

(Spoiler alert: there is no secret to my banana bread.)

The other day I was just laying on the couch craving something sweet (as usual) while surfing twitter. (Twitter is what I resort to towards the end of nap time when I've refreshed my FB/IG feed millions of times and I'm all out of Candy Crush lives.) At the top of my feed was a tweet that read,"8 minute banana bread" It felt like a sign from heaven. I thought, I've got eight minutes, and I'd really love some banana bread. Plus, the recipe called for three overripe bananas, which is exactly what I had! It was clearly meant to be.

I'd say the real secret to a successful banana bread has more to do with technique, than the actual recipe. I've probably used 10 different recipes, and they usually turn out pretty similarly. Here's the link to the recipe that inspired me on this particular occasion. I did make a few changes as I went, and realistically this is more of a 15-20 minute banana bread.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 C   Granulated Sugar
1/2 C      Butter (room temp)
2             Eggs
3 Med    Overripe Bananas
1/2 C      Milk (I always, always, always, use whole milk)
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 1/2 C   Unbleached Flour
1 tsp       Baking Soda
1 tsp       Salt
Cinnamon Sugar to dust pan
Brown sugar to sprinkle on top

Equipment
Stand Mixer/Hand Mixer
1 Small Bowl
2 Medium Loaf Pans
or 4 Mini Loaf Pans
or 2 Muffin Tins

This is a basic creaming method, quick bread recipe. 


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease pans with butter or spray. Dust the pan generously with cinnamon sugar. This will create a crunchy sweet, buttery crust at the bottom. If you're using spray, you'll need to move you're sugar and cinnamon around really quickly or it will all stick together and make a big mess.

2. In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt). Run a fork or whisk through it for like two seconds.

Tip: The reason you want your dry ingredients mixed together is so that your baking soda and salt will be spread through the entire batter. The flour acts as a carrier to ensure you don't end up with all your baking soda or salt in one bite.

3. In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream butter and sugar. If you don't know what creaming butter means, use the whisk attachment to mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Tip: This is why butter temperature matters. If your butter is too cold the sugar will not absorb until you've mixed it so long that the butter basically becomes room temperature. If your butter is melted, or too soft, you won't be able to incorporate air into the mixture (it will never become light and fluffy), which will affect your structure.

4. Add eggs one at a time. Wait until the first egg is completely incorporated before adding the second.

5. Toss in the bananas. If they are really ripe and extra soft the whisk will break them up easily. If you're using firmer bananas, I would recommend throwing them in a food processor, or hand mashing before you put it directly into the batter.

6. Add the dry ingredients and milk in three portions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. (Half of dry ingredients, milk, second half of dry ingredients) Once all ingredients have been added, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula really well, then mix on low until smooth. Be careful not to overmix.

7. Portion into your choice of loaf pans or muffin pans (I've also turned this into a banana cake using a bundt pan, or cake pans.) Sprinkle the tops generously with brown sugar, and maybe a pinch of cinnamon if you're into that kind of thing.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for :
Loaf pans: 45-50 Min
Mini Loaf Pans: 30-35 Min
Muffins: 18 Min
(Times are always just ball park estimates. Bake until top becomes golden brown.)

9. Apply butter liberally to each slice and scarf the first loaf before your kid wakes up/ husband gets home from work/ anyone notices.

I absolutely love these disposable mini loaf pans. They are perfect for wrapping up as a sweet "thinking of you" gift for the people in your life who could use some extra sweetness. I also love taking them to the awesome ladies I visit teach! I found these amazing printables at Simple As That blog. She always chooses great quotes, and designs them beautifully. I'm a huge fan!

I hope this post was helpful/not overwhelming. If anything wasn't clear, or you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Enjoy!

XO
Sally

Mixed Berry Mini Pies

So I posted this picture on Instagram today and I had a ton of recipe requests. So, I figured I might as well do a quick write up and share one of my absolute favorite recipes.

I got these awesome little pie tins from Williams Sonoma, you can find them here, or here. Ever since their maiden voyage mini pies have been Zack's first choice for desserts. Normally, I hesitate because pie crust. Don't get me wrong, I love love love homemade pie crust, and when time permits I prefer to make it. But, when you want an amazing treat in less than 4 hours, store bought pie crust is a heaven send! It's actually delicious and so easy to use. (Zack might like it better than my homemade.) You can find it in the refrigerator section near the cookie dough. It will look like this.

In case you want to do it the old fashion way I'll include my pie crust recipe as well!

Crust
1 1/4 Cup   AP Flour
1 1/2 Tbsp  Sugar
1/2  tsp       Salt
1/2 Cup      Butter (Cold, like almost frozen)
4-6 Tbsp     Ice Water

Filling (Inspired by Martha)
16-20 oz     Your favorite berries
1/4 Cup      Sugar
1 1/2 TB     Cornstarch
Juice of 1    Lemon

Topping (Inspired by this)
1/2 Cup     AP Flour
1/2 Cup     Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp      Cinnamon
5 Tbsp      Butter (Cold, like almost frozen)

The lifesaver with pie crust and the topping is a KitchenAid or Food Processor. In culinary school we cut the butter into the flour by hand, but honestly.. ain't NOBODY got time for that.

Crust
Make sure your butter is really cold, then cut it into little cubes and throw it in with the dry ingredients. Mix on Medium to High until tiny clumps appear, about the size of peas. While it's mixing fill a cup with ice and then pour water over the ice. Once the butter/flour mixture is ready, (if you're using the food processor remove the blade) add the ice water one tablespoon at a time and mix with your hands. When you get to around 4 TB (depending on the humidity in the room) the dough should start to stick together so you can form a ball in your hand. Its important not to add too much water. Form the dough into a disk shape and refrigerate for at least an hour. Once its rested and cold, roll out to desired thickness and cut out circles for your pans. (Or just make one big pie right?) To measure for the little tins I turn one upside down and cut about 1/4-1/2 inch around the rim. Spray pie tins and make sure you press into the scallops.

Filling
Throw everything in a bowl and mix gently. Scoop into prepared pie tins. There should be enough that it forms something of a mound.

Topping
Cut butter into cubes. Throw into dry ingredients and mix on high until it becomes crumbly yummy looking topping. It will mix longer than the pie crust. Sprinkle on top of berries. (You'll want it to fully cover the filling)

Place the pies on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. The fruit filling should be bubbling, the topping should be crispy and slightly golden. Allow to cool (or eat it piping hot with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream on top.)

I wish I had more pictures of the process, but I didn't plan on writing about it. I'll take more next time! I hope you get a chance to make these and enjoy these as much as we did!
XOXO
SD

P.S. If you're a pinner, I'd love for you to pin this recipe!