<![CDATA[luckybites - recipes]]>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 23:36:04 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Blood Orange Cranberry Cake]]>Thu, 27 Jan 2022 17:49:41 GMThttp://lucky-bites.com/blog/blood-orange-cranberry-cakePicture
This cake is so tender and luscious (and secretly healthier!) thanks to olive oil and nonfat yogurt. My taste-testers went wild over it: “Incredible!” “Phenomenal!”
​The gorgeous pink icing is achieved naturally from blood orange juice! 
​
​Things to Note:
  • If you can’t find blood oranges where you are, feel free to sub navel oranges, or your fave citrus fruit.
  • I realize not many people are wacky enough to freeze cranberries in November for future use, so i've given an option in the recipe for dried cranberries, but be aware that they won't have the burst of juiciness you get from fresh cranberries.
  • I haven't tried it in this recipe, but fresh raspberries would probably be a great idea to achieve that extra juicy factor. and you could use them to color the icing!
  • ​Note that yogurt should be regular, not greek. I use nonfat, but low-fat would work fine, too. ​
​Yield: one 8" square or 9" round cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
granulated sugar: 1 1/4 cup
blood orange zest (one orange)
sea salt: ​½ tsp.
baking powder: 1 tsp
baking soda: ​½ tsp
orange extract: 1/2 tsp.
extra virgin olive oil: 3/4 cup
plain nonfat yogurt, room temp.: 3/4 cup
blood orange juice, freshly squeezed ​: 1/4 cup
eggs, room temperature: 2
flour: 1 3/4 cups
sugared cranberries (recipe below): 1 cup, or dried cranberries: 3/4 cup

​Icing:
powdered sugar: 1.5 cups
freshly squeezed blood orange juice: 3-4 Tbsp
pinch sea salt
Sugared Cranberries (optional):
fresh whole cranberries: 1.5 cups
​water: ½ c
​sugar: divided into ½ c and 1.5 cups

Tools:
9" round cake pan​ or 8" square pan
parchment paper or precut round
skewer or toothpick
microplane
round cake rack
wire rack


Method:

Sugared Cranberries (optional—if using dried cranberries, skip to next section)
  1. Prepare drying station: place a wire rack inside a sheet pan (to catch the dripping syrup).
  2. Heat ½ cup sugar and water in medium saucepan over medium heat. stir until sugar is dissolved, about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and add cranberries. Stir for 1-2 minutes, until well-coated. Transfer to wire rack using slotted and let firm up for about an hour.
  4. Using a sheet pan (with at least 1" sides), and working in batches, roll cranberries in sugar until completely coated. place on parchment or wax paper to set up. Set aside.

Cake:
  1. Preheat oven to 350° with rack at center of oven. 
  2. Prepare pan: spray bottom and sides with olive oil spray (if no spray, apply some oil by hand). for round cake: Cut parchment paper into 9" round and place in pan. for square cake: cut a rectangular "sling" and place in pan. this will help you lift cake out of pan later.
  3. In a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, blend sugar with zest on low speed. Add sea salt, baking powder, baking soda. Mix well. 
  4. Add oil, orange juice, yogurt and extracts. Add eggs and blend thoroughly on medium speed. Scrape down sides of bowl.
  5. Add flour. With mixer set at lowest speed, stir until just combined. Do not overmix. In fact, you could do this step by hand to ensure you don't over-mix.
  6. Gently fold in cranberries until evenly distributed. Again, don't over-mix. Batter should be smooth — the only lumps you should see are cranberries and  bits of zest. Pour batter into prepared pan. Gently tap pan on counter to release any air bubbles.
  7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden, carefully rotating pan halfway through baking. If it seems to be browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil. Bake until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out completely clean. 
  8. Let pan cool for 2-3 minutes, and gently insert knife around edges to loosen cake from sides of pan. Once completely cooled, remove cake from pan.
  9. To make icing, whisk by hand till smooth: powdered sugar, salt and 3 Tbsp of the juice. Add additional juice a little at a time, until you get a honey-like consistency. 
  10. Apply icing to completely cooled cake. If desired, decorate with cranberries before icing dries.
  11. ​Store cake airtight at room temp. best consumed the same day, but will be good for several days. Any unused icing can be stored in an airtight container in fridge for up to one month. Before using, allow to come to room temperature and mix. Store any leftover sugared cranberries in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a week.
]]><![CDATA[Lemon Lime Olive Oil Cake]]>Thu, 20 Jan 2022 17:46:44 GMThttp://lucky-bites.com/blog/lemon-lime-olive-oil-cakePicture
An anytime cake. You can even skip the icing and serve plain, or with a dusting of powdered sugar. Feel free to sub any citrus fruit you have on hand. Orange would be excellent. 
​Note that yogurt should be regular, not greek. I use nonfat, but low-fat would work fine, too. 

Yield: one 9" round or 8" square cake

​Ingredients:

Cake:
granulated sugar: 1 1/4 cup
lemon zest (one lemon)
lime zest (one lime)
sea salt: ​½ tsp.
baking powder: 1 tsp
baking soda: ​½ tsp
lemon extract: 1/4 tsp.
lime extract: 1/4 tsp.
extra virgin olive oil: 3/4 cup
plain nonfat yogurt, room temp.: 3/4 cup
freshly squeezed lemon juice: 2 Tbsp
freshly squeezed lime juice: 2 Tbsp
eggs, room temperature: 2
flour: 1 3/4 cups
Icing:
powdered sugar: 1.5 cups
freshly squeezed lemon juice: 2-3 Tbsp
freshly squeezed lime juice: 2-3 Tbsp
pinch sea salt

Tools:
9" round cake pan​ or 8" square pan
parchment paper or precut round
skewer or toothpick
microplane
round cake rack


Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 350° with rack at center of oven. 
  2. Prepare pan: spray bottom and sides with olive oil spray (if no spray, apply some oil by hand). for round cake: Cut parchment paper into 9" round and place in pan. for square cake: cut a rectangular "sling" and place in pan. this will help you lift cake out of pan later.
  3. In a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, blend sugar with zest on low speed. Add sea salt, baking powder, baking soda. Mix well. 
  4. Add oil, lemon juice, lime juice, yogurt and extracts. Add eggs and blend thoroughly on medium speed. Scrape down sides of bowl.
  5. Add flour. With mixer set at lowest speed, stir until just combined. Do not overmix. In fact, you could do this step by hand to ensure you don't overmix. Batter should be smooth — the only lumps you should see are bits of zest.
  6. Pour batter into prepared pan. Gently tap pan on counter to release any air bubbles.
  7. Bake for about 40 minutes, until golden, carefully rotating pan halfway through baking. If it seems to be browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil. Bake until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out completely clean. 
  8. Let cool for 2-3 minutes, and gently insert knife around edges to loosen from sides of pan. Once completely cooled, remove cake from pan using sling (square cake). for round cake: place wire rack on top of cake carefully, and then flip pan over. Remove paper. Use the same technique to flip cake onto a plate, so it's rounded side up.
  9. To make icing, whisk by hand till smooth: powdered sugar, salt and 3 Tbsp of the juice. Add additional juice a little at a time, until you get a honey-like consistency. 
  10. Apply icing to completely cooled cake. If desired, sprinkle some zest on top before icing dries.
  11. ​Store cake airtight at room temp. best consumed the same day, but will be good for several days.​ Store any unused icing in an airtight container in fridge for up to one month. Before using, allow to come to room temperature and mix.
Picture
]]><![CDATA[Stamped Chocolate Shortbread]]>Sun, 16 Jan 2022 15:38:42 GMThttp://lucky-bites.com/blog/stamped-chocolate-shortbreadPicture
No need to buy cookie stamps...use kitchen tools to create texture!
​See my Spicy Stamped Cookie recipe for details on the tools–scroll to bottom for pix. If you don't feel like stamping, skip step 7 in the recipe. These cookies are just as yummy without texture. :-)

​some tips:
  • butter — feel free to substitute vegan butter. i've done it and they turn out awesome. Most vegan butter has salt, but if you can find it, Earth Balance now has unsalted vegan butter sticks. If your butter has salt, omit the salt in the recipe.
  • black cocoa — if you don't have access to this oreo-like wonder, you can substitute natural cocoa. However, i HIGHLY recommend you make the effort to get it.​​
Yield: about 60 2” cookies

​Dough Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup + 1 tbsp black cocoa (i use King Arthur)
½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa, plus 2-3 tbsp for coating stamp
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Icing Ingredients:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
warm water
​pinch salt

tools:
stamping tool (optional)
​Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
wax paper
​food safe paintbrush
Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mat.
  2. Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, vanilla and salt on medium speed until well blended. scrape down sides of the bowl as needed.
  3. Stir in both cocoas, pulsing so you don't end up in a cocoa dust cloud, until just incorporated. Add flour and mix just until blended, being careful not to over-mix.  Dough should be firm and hold together well, but should no longer be sticky. You may need to adjust flour quantity.
  4. Divide dough in thirds and place each third on a sheet of wax paper. form into a flat disc. Cover disc with another sheet of wax paper, sandwiching dough between the two sheets.​
  5. Roll out to 1/4" thickness, smoothing any creases that develop in wax paper.
  6. Peel away & replace one sheet of wax paper (this will prevent dough from sticking when cutting cookies, and keep work surface clean). flip "sandwich" over & remove top sheet of wax paper, leaving other sheet underneath dough.
  7. Spoon a little cocoa into to a small, shallow bowl. Dip stamping tool in cocoa (to prevent sticking), and then press into dough. Make sure to press firmly so texture is pronounced enough to survive baking, but not too much that cookie becomes too thin to handle. Cut out cookies & place on baking sheet, 1" apart. 
  8. Roll out scraps & repeat, until all dough is used up. you may need to refrigerate the rolled out scraps if they become to warm & sticky. Repeat these steps with the other discs.
  9. Bake in preheated oven 8-10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. cookies are done when surface is set and a delicious aroma is wafting around your kitchen. These are easy to burn since you can't see them browning, so make sure not to over-bake.
  10. While cookies are baking, make glaze. Blend 3-4 tablespoons of water, powdered sugar, and salt until smooth. If needed, add a little more water and mix until it's a thick liquid consistency, similar to maple syrup. Cover bowl with a dish so icing doesn't dry out.
  11. A couple of minutes after cookies come out of oven, while they're still warm, apply icing with paintbrush -- be sure to use a light touch so as not to disturb the texture, and work quickly, resisting the urge to go back and fix anything because the glaze starts setting in seconds. imperfections add to the texture and beauty! Set the cookies on a baking tray to dry.
  12. Allow to dry for several hours before putting in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to a week.
]]><![CDATA[Custom Granola Clusters]]>Wed, 23 Dec 2020 15:07:59 GMThttp://lucky-bites.com/blog/custom-granolaPicture
I perfected this recipe so it'd have all my fave granola characteristics: the granola clusters we all crave, equal parts sweet and savory, crunchy but not tooth-cracking hard...and customizable! I've found that making this granola base, and then customizing with mix-ins later (when you serve) is the perfect solution because:
  • You can tailor it to each person’s individual taste
  • It retains its crunchy texture longer—the moisture in dried fruits can make jarred granola soggy over time, so the solution is to add when serving.
Things To Note:
  • You can make this vegan by omitting the egg whites, but be aware that the egg whites are the main secret to cluster formation, so you'll have smaller pieces.
  • The custom mix-ins are up to you. feel free to adjust quantities to taste, adding potent things like spices a little at a time so you don’t overdo.
  • to add spices later, use a strainer or sifter to get a fine, evenly distributed dusting. add little by little to taste.
  • You can certainly add the dry mix-ins to the entire batch (everything but the fruit) if the people in your crowd all have the same taste.
  • I prefer to roast the nuts separately (or even better, buy roasted nuts!) and mix in post-bake, instead of adding to the mixture before baking. that way, there's no danger of burning them.
  • Baking at a low temp (low and slow!) helps to ensure the granola will be crunchy in the middle, without burning the edges
  • The middle of the 'pancake' may take longer to bake. edges and thinner/smaller pieces will brown more quickly, so check oven often towards the end of baking and remove pieces as they brown to avoid burning.​
  • this granola makes a great gift! you can package it in a small jar or gift bag, with mix-ins tailored to each individual, and tie with ribbon and gift tag!
  • this’d be a delicious addition to your Christmas Day breakfast. Incredible with Greek yogurt, and of course, jarfaits!
INGREDIENTS
  • 5 cups rolled/old fashioned oats (don't use instant or quick oats)
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar​
  • ​½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp sea salt 
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • ½ cup nut butter, seed butter or tahini (if salted, you may want to reduce salt above)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 egg whites (if using packaged egg whites, 60 ml)

OPTIONAL POST-BAKE MIX-INS:
  • roasted chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, etc.)
  • toasted seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, etc.)
  • dried fruit (cranberries, candied ginger, apricots, etc.) -- be sure to chop larger fruits.
  • dried unsweetened coconut flakes
  • chocolate chips
  • dusting of spices -- (cardamom, ginger, etc.) -- see my Spicy Stamped Cookies for my fave DIY spice blend​
  • sprinkling of ground seeds (chia, flax)
  • flaked sea salt​
METHOD
  1. Line two half sheet pans with a silicone mat or parchment.
  2. Position two racks near center of oven and preheat to 300°.
  3. Combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl. set aside.
  4. In a medium sized bowl or 2 cup capacity liquid mixing cup, whisk together oil, honey, maple syrup, nut butter, vanilla and egg whites until well blended.
  5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well until oats are completely coated.
  6. Spread mixture onto 2 prepared pans. should be a "pancake" about 1/4" thick. 
  7. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until pancake bottom is golden brown (take a peek with a spatula). don't over brown!
  8. Remove from oven and using a large spatula, flip over in sections so browned side is facing up.
  9. Return to oven, rotating pans from top to bottom and front to back.
  10. Bake about 10 minutes longer, until golden, checking every 5-7 minutes for doneness, removing pieces as they brown. again, don't over-bake!
  11. Once golden brown of both sides, remove from oven and let cool on pan. even if some pieces are still soft, they will continue to firm up from the heat in the pan.
  12. Let cool completely for several hours. Store in an airtight jar.
  13. Add mix-ins as desired and enjoy!
]]><![CDATA[Baked French Toast]]>Wed, 16 Sep 2020 20:51:03 GMThttp://lucky-bites.com/blog/baked-french-toastPicture
There are a ton of variations on baked french toast out there, but I was inspired by Sam's version because of its decorative design, and the addition of fruit. I love fruit with my french toast, and normally just throw some on the plate before serving. So, I was excited to see how the fruit and french toast would bake up together. 

I love how this dish can be made the night before. I felt so accomplished when I woke up the next morning. It was like I checked something off my to-do list before i even got out of bed. 

I made some adjustments...my challah was BIG, so I doubled the eggs to six, and used heavy cream. whenever I make panfried french toast, I normally use half & half or heavy cream, so I figured it should be ok. decadent, but ok. :-)

I used a 10" round baking dish with 1.5" sides. You can use whatever shape dish or pan you have on hand, but the key is that the sides are at least 1.5" high to contain the liquid. 2" would be even better. But to be safe, you could place the baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any overflow. i didn't have any overflow, but it's better to be safe than sorry... no fun cleaning the oven... so use the pan. :-) 

​If you use another shape dish/pan, simply adjust the arrangement accordingly. Any extra slices can be baked in a separate dish, or panfried. Maybe you'll come up with an even cooler design! I had so much fun creating and constructing this. I felt like a sculptor, because the challah is very malleable once it’s coated in the egg mixture. 

People, I couldn't wait to snap the final pic so I could dig in. The fresh-baked aroma was driving me absolutely wild.
a drizzle of maple syrup, a dusting of powdered sugar and wowwww. This is like a pillowy heaven of lusciousness. 
Picture
the egg-coated slices arranged in the baking dish, placed on a baking sheet just in case there's overflow.
Picture
insert the fruit in any artful arrangement you like
INGREDIENTS
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 eggs
  • 1.5 cups half & half or heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1 large loaf of challah, sliced 3/4-1" thick
  • fruit of choice, sliced thinly
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar for sprinkling
  • ​2 tbsp apricot jam (optional)
METHOD
  1. The night before, coat bottom and sides of a 10" round baking dish (or something similar) with butter. (see details above)
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together half & half (or cream), eggs, vanilla and salt.
  3. Dip challah slices in the egg mixture, making sure to completely coat. 
  4. arrange slices partially overlapping in the dish until full. To create this design, i used the largest slices around the perimeter, and for the center, i used the smaller end slices.
  5. Pour remainder of egg mixture over challah slices.
  6. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.
  7. the next morning, preheat oven to 350ºF.
  8. spoon liquid from bottom of dish over challah to baste it, being careful not to tear bread.
  9. Add sliced fruit. Sprinkle top with granulated sugar.
  10. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until golden.
  11. While hot, you could glaze fruit with warmed apricot jam...not necessary, but the shiny effect sure is pretty.
  12. Serve with maple syrup and/or a dusting of powdered sugar. 
  13. Enjoy!
Picture
]]><![CDATA[Mini S'mores Icebox Cakes]]>Sun, 23 Aug 2020 07:00:00 GMThttp://lucky-bites.com/blog/mini-smores-icebox-cakesPicture
Feedfeed and Ghirardelli are having their annual s’mores contest and I absolutely love seeing all the creative ideas people come up with. I also have a blast dreaming up some of my own s’mores inspired treats. This year, I leveled up my s’mores game and bought a kitchen torch specifically for this contest!

I made these mini icebox cakes, which are perfect for summer because very little actual cooking is required.
They have luscious layers of whipped marshmallow cream, chocolate magic shell and graham crackers. They’re topped with toasted marshmallows and a ghirardelli milk chocolate caramel square.

I've given instructions both with and without a kitchen torch. To get the square shape, I used a “brownie bite” pan. I ordered this fancy one to get it here quickly, but here's a cheaper option. you could also use a standard muffin pan, because round cakes would be just as delish. The key is that the cavities are at least 1.5" deep so you have room to build layers.
Yield: 10 mini cakes

Ingredients

Magic Shell
1 cup chopped dark or milk chocolate, or chocolate chips
1/4 cup refined coconut oil
pinch salt

Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup marshmallow fluff
pinch salt

1 box graham crackers (14 oz.)

Topping:
1 bag of marshmallows, regular or mini
Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares, or the chocolate of your choice

You will also need:
baking pan with cavities at least 1.5" deep (see above for product links)
plastic wrap


Method:
  1. To make magic shell: Place chocolate, coconut oil and salt in microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring after each 30 second cook time. Repeat until the mixture is almost completely melted, being careful not to overcook.  Stir well till smooth.  Set aside.
  2. To make whipped cream: In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or using a handheld mixer, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add marshmallow fluff and salt, and whip until stiff peaks form. Set aside in fridge.
  3. Line each well of pan with plastic wrap. Makes pieces large enough to cover all sides and extend beyond well. these flaps will serve as a handles to help extract cakes later..
  4. ​if you have a kitchen torch: skip to step 6, and don't miss step 10!
  5. if you don't have a kitchen torch: place ten 1" x 2" graham cracker pieces on a baking sheet and top each cracker with marshmallows. if using large marshmallows, cut them in half. Place pan under broiler, watching VERY carefully for marshmallows to brown. it takes 1-3 minutes, and quickly turns to burnt, so don't take any phone calls or check your insta. :-) once marshmallows start to brown, immediately remove pan from oven. transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely. once cool, place one marshmallow cracker in each well, marshmallow side down. smushing it down a little to make room for more layers. this will serve as the top of the cake when it's flipped over later.
  6. Working in layers, start with the whipped cream mixture by spreading 1 Tbsp of cream in each well. then add 1 tsp chocolate magic shell, then a layer of graham cracker pieces. you can adjust the size of the layers to your liking.
  7. once you get near the top of the well, finish with a layer of graham cracker, which will serve as the bottom of the cake when it's flipped over later. cover top with the extra flaps of plastic wrap.
  8. place in the refrigerator too set for at least 6 hours, or overnight.  
  9. when ready to serve, have your dessert plates ready. carefully lift cake out by the plastic wrap flaps, and flip over onto a plate, graham cracker side down. carefully peel off plastic and discard. 
  10. if you have a kitchen torch: time for the fun part! have your chocolate square topper ready. place marshmallows on top of cake. if using large marshmallows, cut them in half. torch marshmallows torch marshmallow, and gently place -- don't press or you'll squish cake!
  11. enjoy!
  12. Cakes can be stored in fridge for up to 4 days, if they last that long!​ You can store in original pan, but to ensure they don't absorb fridge odors, transfer to an airtight container as follows: unmold cakes, keeping plastic wrapped, flip over into airtight container, with graham cracker side down. keep each cake wrapped till serving.
  13. Any extra magic shell will keep for weeks in an airtight container at room temp. it was invented to enjoy on ice cream!  stir before using, and it it's hardened, pop in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
]]><![CDATA[Salted S'mores Matzah]]>Wed, 08 Apr 2020 17:17:33 GMThttp://lucky-bites.com/blog/salted-smores-matzahPicture

It's been exactly one year, to the day, since my last post, and it's been quite a year. The absence was due to my sudden full-time role as caretaker for my mom, who ultimately lost her yearlong struggle with brain cancer.
So, here i am, trying to put the pieces back together during this strangest of quarantine times. And a big part of that effort is getting back to creating and baking.
Which brings me to this recipe—a riff on the classic chocolate toffee matzah seen at many a Passover seder. But you don't need to be Jewish, or have matzah, to enjoy this treat...most any cracker will do...like saltines, stoned wheat, or water crackers.
Any chocolate will work (Milk, Dark, White), but darker chocolate balances nicely with the super sweet toffee.
If you've made some other version of this recipe, most likely it called for half the amount of butter and brown sugar. I upped the quantities because i realized i prefer the toffee to seep under the matzah, coating the bottom as well as the top. That way, when you go to take a bite, toffee is the first thing your tongue hits.
If you want regular chocolate toffee matzah, you can bake for 12-14 minutes in step 5, and skip steps 6 & 7. Lastly, make sure to line the pan as described below, which will ensure easy removal post-bake.
Yield: about 5 dozen pieces

​Ingredients:
6 matzahs
2 cup (4 sticks) unsalted butter 
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
2-3 cups mini marshmallows, depending on your love of marshmallows 
1 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

You will also need:
baking pan with sides (half sheet pan 13" x 18')
aluminum foil
Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
small silicone spatula
sharp knife
​
Method:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking pan completely with foil, bottom and sides. Line the bottom of foiled baking sheet with a parchment sling, long enough so you have 2' edges sticking out on either side. . This is very important because it'll help you remove it after baking.
  2. Cover the bottom of the pan evenly with matzah, breaking extra pieces to fill any gaps.
  3. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar and fine sea salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil (about 3-4 minutes). Continue to boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
  4. Remove from the heat and carefully pour over the matzah, covering completely.
  5. Place the baking sheet in oven and bake for 10 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure the mixture is not burning (if it seems to be browning too quickly, lower the heat to 325°). 
  6. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with mini marshmallows. Move rack to upper part of oven, and switch oven to broiler setting.
  7. Put pan back in oven, watching VERY carefully for marshmallows to brown. it takes 1-3 minutes, and quickly turns to burnt, so don't take any phone calls or go pour yourself a glass of wine. :-) once marshmallows start to brown, remove pan from oven.
  8. Immediately sprinkle chocolate between marshmallows. Let stand for 5 minutes, then, with a small spatula or butter knife, spread the chocolate so it melts and becomes smooth. sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
  9. Let it cool for 10-20 minutes, and then chill, still in the pan, in the fridge until set. 
  10. Once chilled, remove from pan using the parchment sling and set on a cutting board. Cut into squares or break into random shapes.
  11. Store airtight in fridge for up to 2 weeks, if they last that long!​
Picture
]]><![CDATA[Easter Bunny Linzer Cookies]]>Mon, 08 Apr 2019 23:40:51 GMThttp://lucky-bites.com/blog/easter-bunny-linzer-cookies
FeedFeed
Picture
The Easter linzer bunnies pictured here were made with Rodelle Pure Almond Extract. I've used their almond extract for years and absolutely love it.

To make these delicious treats, i used my Linzer Cookie Recipe.
​
For a twist on the traditional linzer decor, I topped some of them with a mixture of Rodelle’s Organic Dutch Process Baking Cocoa & Organic Hot Cocoa. I hadn't tried Rodelle's cocoa powders before. So, when they kindly offered to send me some to experiment with, i was super excited since i knew they are among Rodelle's bestsellers. and wow! they are so rich and flavorful!

To make the cocoa topping, mix 2 parts hot cocoa + 1 part baking cocoa, and then follow the powder sugar application instructions in the assembly section.

The cocoa bunnies are filled with melted white chocolate tinted in various shades. To make the filling, simply melt white chocolate chips in a microwave for 20-30 seconds, or until soft enough to mix. add food color a drop at a time till you achieve desired shade.
​If you don’t have white chocolate on hand, tinted royal icing in a thicker consistency would do just fine.


]]><![CDATA[Spicy Stamped Cookies]]>Tue, 22 Jan 2019 17:35:18 GMThttp://lucky-bites.com/blog/spicy-stamped-cookies
FeedFeed
Cookie stamps are all the rage right now, but you don't need to spend any money! look through your kitchen drawers and you'll find creative ways to add texture to these cookies. and maybe in the process you can get a head start on spring cleaning...? um, ok maybe not. bake these cookies instead—WAAAY more fun.

​Everyday kitchen tools make awesome cookie stamps. (see photo at bottom) BTW if you want any of the cookies stamps pictured at the bottom of this post, they're in my amazon shop. 

​I updated the recipe with a vegan option. you'll see it mentioned in the ingredients below. check the label of your plant based butter--if it has salt (almost all do), then adjust the salt amount accordingly, or skip entirely.

​​Spices courtesy of Burlap & Barrel.

​
Picture
Recipe:

Yield: About 3 dozen 2.5" cookies

cookie ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt (vegan: reduce/skip the salt if your butter contains salt)
3 tbsp pumpkin spice mix (recipe below)
1 egg (vegan: 1 flax egg)
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
 ​
​spice mix ingredients:
3 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp ginger
​1 ½ tsp nutmeg
​1 ½ tsp cloves
3/4 tsp allspice
3/8 tsp cardamom

glaze ingredients:
2 cups confectioners' sugar 
​3/4 tsp spice mix (recipe above)
warm water
pinch salt

you will also need:
stamping tool
​Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
wax paper
​food safe paintbrush

method:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mat.
  2. Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars on medium speed until well blended. Add baking powder, salt, spice. mix for one minute. Add egg. mix until well-combined.
  3. Stir in flour just until incorporated and smooth, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Do not over mix. Dough should be firm and hold together well, but should no longer be sticky. It should easily fall away from sides of bowl and paddle. You may need to adjust flour quantity.
  4. Divide dough in thirds and place each third on a sheet of wax paper. form into a flat disc. Cover disc with another sheet of wax paper, sandwiching the dough between the two sheets.
  5. Roll out to 1/4" thickness, smoothing any creases that develop in wax paper.
  6. Peel away & replace one sheet of wax paper (this will prevent dough from sticking when cutting cookies, and keep work surface clean). flip "sandwich" over & remove top sheet of wax paper, leaving other sheet underneath dough.
  7. Dip stamping tool in flour to prevent sticking, and then press into dough. Make sure to press firmly so texture is pronounced enough to survive baking, but not too much that cookie becomes too thin to handle. Cut out cookies & place on baking sheet, 1" apart. 
  8. Roll out scraps & repeat, until all dough is used up. you may need to refrigerate the rolled out scraps if they become to warm & sticky. Repeat these steps with the other discs.
  9. Bake in a preheated oven 8-10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Bake until cookies are a golden around the edges. 
  10. While cookies are baking, make glaze. blend 3-4 Tbsp water, powdered sugar, spice mix and salt until smooth. If needed, add a little more water and mix until it's a thick liquid consistency, similar to maple syrup. Cover bowl with a dish so icing doesn't dry out.  
  11. A couple of minutes after cookies come out of oven, while they're still warm, apply icing using paintbrush. work quickly, resisting the urge to go back and fix anything because the glaze starts setting in seconds. imperfections add to the texture and beauty! set the cookies on a baking tray to dry.
  12. Allow to dry for several hours before putting in an airtight container. store at room temperature for up to a week.
Picture
Picture
fork, whisk, spatula, potato masher, chopstick, garlic press, meat tenderizer, citrus stripper, cherry pitter, Cuisinart pusher tool, wire pastry blender, vintage pie server, gnocchi board.
Picture
]]><![CDATA[Double Chocolate Marble Pound Cake]]>Mon, 07 Jan 2019 22:09:19 GMThttp://lucky-bites.com/blog/double-chocolate-marble-pound-cakePicture
I usually stick to cookies so please bear with me on this one. if you make this recipe, any feedback would be appreciated!
things to note:
  • cocoa powder: dutch-process is needed for cake to bake properly, so don't substitute with natural cocoa. and the black cocoa is needed to get the darkest shade in the pattern. you can get these in my amazon shop!
  • cake flour: it's super expensive and most people don't have it in their pantry (including me!), so i gave you a substitution option below.
  • butter: make sure melted butter is completely cool so it doesn't cook the eggs.
  • swirling: resist the urge to over-swirl the batter, or else you'll lose the color contrast and the pattern. you'll have a boring-looking (but tasty) solid milk chocolate cake. :-)​ see pix at bottom.
  • pan: i used an 8.5" x 4.5" loaf pan here. 9" x 5" will work, too, but just know that the loaf will be shallower and less domed.
  • baking time: ​a metal pan will bake faster than glass, and each oven is different. so baking times will vary wildly. because of this, the skewer test (described in recipe) will be your best friend. if using the same skewer you swirled with, make sure it's clean and dry.
Yield: one loaf

​Ingredients:
8 oz. unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs, room temperature
​1 tbsp + 2 tsp black cocoa  
​1 tbsp + 1 tsp dutch-process cocoa 
1 ½ cups cake flour; OR 1 ½ cups all purpose flour, less 3 tbsp, plus 3 tbsp cornstarch

Tools:
8.5" x 4.5" loaf pan
parchment paper
skewer or thin knife
3 mixing bowls
3 spoons or spoonulas (my fav!)

Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 350° with rack at center of oven. 
  2. melt butter, reserving butter wrappers. if microwaving, should be at 50% power in microwave safe measuring cup (makes it easier to pour later). stir butter to combine solids with fat. let cool.
  3. in a medium bowl, sift flour, (cornstarch, if using), baking powder and salt. set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk sugar, vanilla extract and eggs. scrape down sides of bowl.
  5. give butter another stir to combine solids with fat. make sure it's completely cool. slowly pour butter into sugar mixture, mixing constantly. reserve measuring cup.
  6. With mixer set at lowest speed, slowly add sifted dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix.
  7. grease pan with any excess melted butter in measuring cup. using butter wrappers, rub interior of pan to completely coat with butter. Line pan with parchment paper sling (this will help you lift cake out of pan later).
  8. remove 1 cup of batter and put in a separate mixing bowl. remove a second cup of batter and put in another mixing bowl. you will now have 3 bowls of batter.
  9. in original bowl, add dutch-process cocoa at lowest speed. mix until just combined. Do not over mix. set this bowl aside.
  10. in second bowl, add black cocoa at lowest speed. mix until just combined. Do not over mix. set this bowl aside.
  11. you now have three batter flavors: vanilla, milk chocolate and dark chocolate.
  12. with three different spoons, spoon "blobs' of batter into prepared pan. no need to measure but each blob should be 1/8-1/4 cup. alternate between the three flavors, so different colors are next to each other. this will help create the swirled pattern later. continue spooning batter, alternating flavors so different colors are on top of each other. ​ see pix at bottom.
  13. gently tap pan, and shake pan to side, so batter settles.
  14. insert skewer or thin knife all the way to bottom of pan. swirl batter, creating repeating S patterns, drawing lines vertically, and then horizontally. go ONLY once in each direction. feel free to add some swirls on top like i did (last pic below), but, again, serious self-restraint is needed to avoid over-swirling. so tempting!
  15. Bake for 30 minutes. then carefully rotate pan and tent with aluminum foil.
  16. Bake for 40-55 more minutes, until a clean/dry skewer inserted in middle (all the way to bottom) comes out completely clean. the skewer test is the most important test for doneness.
  17. Let cool completely. insert knife at either end of pan (parts without paper) to gently loosen cake. remove cake from pan by lifting paper sling.
  18. ​store completely cooled cake airtight at room temp. best consumed the same day, but will be yummy the next morning with coffee. :-)
]]>