So sweet...

Together again...We have a full house once more...yes!  After the coming and going and coming and going again of January {all family members at home only 3 days this month!}, we are all here, together...a deep sigh of relief...I love sending my flock out into the world, but  always breath a little easier when everyone is back in place.

My middle man went on not one, but two ski trips this month {lucky lad} and my sweet husband just returned from a three week stint in Italy {such a lucky duck~although he was responsible for 24 college students while he was abroad, not exactly a vacation—but Italy is pretty fabulous nonetheless}.  In this house it's especially hard sending one of our crew off to Italy while the rest stay behind.  Our family spent my husband's last sabbatical in Rome—we were there for almost a year.  It was completely life altering for all of us and we each left a big part of our heart there.  There are so many things we miss from that time, not the least being the food.  Knowing that we were all going through our own versions of travel envy, I've been making an extra effort to serve some of our favorite Italian foods this month.  This weekend we were in the mood for a little something sweet and so we made these...

Occhi di bue...translated, eye of the bull or bull's eyes.  You find these cookies in pastry shops and bars {the kind where you go for a cappuccino and a snack} all over Rome.  We would grab one of these little delights in the afternoons during the passeggiata— our evening stroll, when everyone in the neighborhood steps out to walk, duck into a cafe for an espresso, visit and, in general to see and be seen.  This confection is basically two butter cookies sandwiched with filling.  You can obviously fill them with whatever you want, but the two varieties offered Rome are usually albicocca {apricot} or Nutella.  My favorite is the apricot, but the Nutella is pretty yummy  {totally decadent actually} and is my little lad's absolute favorite.

When we returned from our year away I tried to find a recipe for these cookies—my family was going through serious withdrawal.  I did finally finally find one in Italian.  This is my version...I changed the original to get a little closer to the cookies that we'd been missing from the pastry shop around the corner and so that they could be made with readily available US ingredients.  And now without further ado, here it is for you!...

Occhi di Bue

{this recipe makes 6-7 large cookies}


2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 pinch of salt
grated zest of 1 lemon
8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter {the butter should be cold and cut up into small cubes}  
1 egg
1/4 t lemon extract
1 t vanilla extract
For the Filling
1/4 to 1/2 cup apricot jam
1/4 to 1/2 cup Nutella
2 T confectioners sugar

You will need 2 Cookie cutters~One large {3-4"} and one small {1"}

The cookies for this recipe are made just like pastry crust or scones—first you combine the dry ingredients, then the butter, and then the liquids.

Preheat oven to 350º F.  Combine the first 4 ingredients {I usually put mine in the food processor and pulse a couple of times}. Add the butter, cutting it into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse cornmeal {if using the food processor, add butter to bowl and pulse several times}.  Next add the wet ingredients and mix until the dough comes together {if using the food processor, pulse until the dough comes together, stopping before the dough forms a ball, otherwise the dough will be tough}.  Turn the dough onto a piece of waxed paper and knead several times.  Shape the dough into a disc, cover with a second piece of wax paper and roll the dough to 1/4" thickness.  Place the rolled dough into the refrigerator {keeping the wax paper on top and underneath it}.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Pull dough from fridge and cut into shapes.  Each occhi di bue is made of two separate butter cookies.  Cut 2 cookies using the larger cookie cutter and move them to a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Use the smaller cutter to cut a center hole out of one of the two cut-outs—it's easier to move the cookies to the cookie sheet before you cut out the center hole—less issues with ripping cookie dough.  Repeat for the rest of the dough, cutting out two large cookies for each occhi.  This recipe makes 6 to 7 finished occhi di bue {12-14 halves}.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to color around the edges.

Allow cookies to cool before filling {they can be warm, but not hot}.  To fill, spread a thin layer of Nutella or jam on a bottom cookie {one without a center cut-out}, top with corresponding top cookie, and spoon 1 teaspoon of jam or Nutella into the center cut-out {if the Nutella is a little stiff, run the jar under warm water to soften it up}.  Allow the cookies a few minutes to set up and then dust with a sprinkling of confectioners sugar—optional.  You can also omit the confectioners sugar and dip one side of the jam occhi di bue in melted chocolate (bittersweet or semisweet, not baking chocolate—just melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler and dip the cookie into the melted chocolate, place on a baking rack or parchment lined cookie sheet and allow to cool).  Some shops do this in Rome {yummy of course}, but my favorite way to eat these cookies is without the added chocolate.

I've never seen occhi di bue made in any shape other than a circle in Italy, but in light of the season, I think these sweet hearts are nice too...

As you can see, they are huge, perfect for sharing with a friend...

xoxo~alison

A day in the life...

The other day my husband and older son were off on an outing together and I was minding the home fires with a very dejected and sad younger son.  This little guy is completely devoted to his dad—he is happy to accompany him everywhere—whenever and where ever my husband is, this kid wants to go along for the ride.  This doesn't bother me a bit.  I know my little guy loves me and he knows that I love him, and it's not like he doesn't love being with the rest of the family, it's just that for now, he is feeling especially close to his dad.  Normally this is just fine, but last weekend was one of those rare times when he couldn't go along and he was feeling pretty fragile, sad and a little grumpy too.  So, what do you do with a kid who clearly doesn't want to be home and who  doesn't want to be with anyone but the one person he can't be with?...hmmmm...

Making something almost always gets me out of a funk—and if I need a really quick fix, it almost always comes in the kitchen.  So I gave my Grumpy Gus the choice of gingerbread men or pretzels.  Cue the moany, mumbly response....prrreeetzeeels...Iiiiii...gueeeeessss....
 
Okay, so he wasn't overly enthusiastic in the beginning, but by halfway through, my guy had found his smile and I knew he was back.  This recipe is just the ticket for chasing away the darkest storm clouds.  I mean what's not to love...you get to play with dough (always cathartic)...
 

...do a little science experiment (pretzels are boiled in baking soda and water—who knew!)...

...and paint...

and the finished product?...soooo yummy!...
 

...and my guy?...he ended his day all smiles, with a full tummy, so happy and proud to share his made-by-hand-pretzels when his dad and brother got home.  Me?...well I got to spend the day baking next to one of my favorite people...enough said.

Have you seen these goodies...
Before signing off I wanted to check...Have you seen these cute little gnomes, this pomander decoration, this little village or these wooly snowflakes or what about  these papery snowflakes?  We made tons of these 3D snowflakes last year—love-love-lovely.

There are so many fun things to make out there that I am actually considering putting myself on a project diet...I want to make every little thing I see, and sadly I haven't figured out how to eliminate the need for sleep or to be in two places at once...what to do?

...xoxo—Alison

Time for something sweet!...

This week I've been tying up some loose ends...

It seems that November is named aptly for me...as in no, I didn't finish my Soctober projects!...but LOOK!...

Lucky thirteen!...November 13th and, count them, 13 minis in my basket!  Woohoo!  I love second chances!...and I love how these little socks look in my son's Easter basket — they remind me of jelly beans and lollipops — just so happy, cheerful and sweet...

Speaking of sweet...

Thanks so much for the cake love!...

It's so funny, my interest in cake baking was, as is so often the case here, inspired by my kids... really all I set out to do was to learn to make pretty cakes for my kids' birthdays {the cakes that I made in those early days looked kind of pathetic...and then there was the puzzle cake incident...came out of the pan in pieces and shards and was promptly dubbed the "The Puzzle Cake"}.  So I decided it was time to tackle cake baking full on,  and one thing led to another...a clear case of be careful what you wish for as evidenced in the cake gallery on my side bar.

I truly love cake baking and decorating though, and I welcome the challenges that my muses throw my way, whether its with cakes or knitting or whatever.  I find it amazing that these kids seem to believe I can do anything, and their believing it makes me want to try all the more.  It really is one of the greatest joys of mothering, those little challenges, that itch to create something that will perfectly fit a need or fulfill an unuttered wish.  It is a gift that my family gives to me over and over again.  For them, I am always willing to summon up the courage to try something new, to learn a new skill, and in the learning I get to flex new muscles, get out of my comfort zone and stretch, and surprisingly, there is no huge risk of failure—they have always and generously received my humble efforts with grace and appreciation.  Quite a gift indeed!  So with that on my mind, I thought I'd share a bit of the love with you...

The Best * Easy-Peasy * Yes, You Can Italian Meringue Buttercream!

 This cupcake is frosted with the chocolate version of the Italian meringue buttercream that I use on all of my cakes.  It is fabulous and makes what could be a tricky recipe easy peasy. 

This recipe makes 4 cups of butter cream frosting.
You will need —
3 sticks of unsalted butter
1/2 cup egg whites (from around 4 to 5 large eggs)
1 1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 t. of vanilla
Flavorings of your choice (see below)

First let all of the ingredients come to room temperature.  Separate the eggs and put them in a large mixing bowl.  Fit the mixer with the whip attachment, if you have one.  Cut the butter into 1" chunks.
Put the water and the sugar into a small sauce pan.  Heat the pan over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar is dissolved.  Let the sugar mixture come to a boil.  Turn back the heat just a tad (you still want a good boil, just not a rolling boil) and set the timer for 5 minutes.  When the timer goes off, set it for 2 minutes and start mixing the egg whites on high.  Keep the sugar mixture where it is, doing it's thing—it will thicken nicely and you want to turn back the heat if it starts to turn amber.  When the timer goes off, the egg whites should be to the stiff peak stage.  Turn the heat under the sugar mixture off and take the sauce pan over to the mixer.  Keeping the mixer going on high, slowly drizzle the sugar mixture into the egg whites, trying to pour close to the side of the bowl so that you miss hitting the big part of the whip attachment.  Once all of the sugar has been added to the eggs, it's time to wait.  Keep the mixer going at high and leave it going for 15 to 20 minutes.  In my experience you can't keep it going too long (it could even go as long as 30 minutes).  You are waiting for the bowl and it's contents to come to room temperature.

Once the mixture is room temp, begin adding the butter...
{Don't think about it too much * it's called buttercream for a reason and your taste buds will thank you later}

Add the butter one chunk at a time, keeping the mixer going on high all the time and waiting until each piece is fully incorporated before adding the next.

After all the butter has been added, add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Now for the flavorings!...You can keep the buttercream as is, vanilla and perfectly yummy,  or you can add flavors...
Just stir (or mix on low) to incorporate any of the following into the frosting—
Semisweet or Bittersweet Chocolate —4 to 8 oz of melted, room temp chocolate per recipe
Nutella {yum!} — 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Lemon —1/4 to 1/2 cup lemon curd
Jams —1/4 to 1/2 cup of your choice
Liqueurs —1 T of your choice {my faves are Framboise and Grand Marnier}

Voila!...this buttercream is silky smooth and very rich, a dab will do you, and it is soooo flavorful.  It keeps like a dream in the fridge or freezer and can be reconstituted by letting it come to room temp and whipping it on high until it is light and fluffy.  Note:  The first time I tried this, I almost despaired. It looked grainy and curdley, at first.  If this happens to you just keep the faith and keep mixing.  It will come together...like magic!


For the cake, use your favorite cupcake recipe.  I've come up with a couple of decent ones but still haven't nailed down the perfect bite, you know, a cupcake that will really remain moist day after day (not that they actually last that long around here).  Any contenders out there?  I'm always looking for a reason to bake a batch of cupcakes, and I'd be happy to play at being your recipe test kitchen.
; )

Have a sweet weekend sweet friends!...alison

And the winner be...

Today is the day!...It's time to pick a winner, and as predicted this was just way more fun than anyone should be allowed to have on a rainy Thursday afternoon!  It started with the cabin boy coming home from school and immediately beginning a search for socks with holes in them, because as I was reminded, "All pirates wear socks with holes in them, Mom."  Alas, none were to be found—I did away with them in a back-to-school pitching  frenzy.  But undaunted, the lad donned his pirate kit and forged on...

Who will it be mateys?  Aaarrr...let me reach into me bag here....

 

Aye, we've got a winner here and her name be...

Joyce Anna!  Congratulations!  I'll be contacting you via Ravelry and sending this off to you soon! 

 

Woohoo!  If you'd like to see the exciting video footage of the actual drawing, here it is!

And now because I am so happy that you stopped and because I don't like to think of anyone going away empty handed, I present you with yet another cookie recipe.  These are the lad's favorite...Pumpkin Chocolate Chip!  He doesn't look too happy to share, does he?...he is a pirate after all...

 

Aaahh...the joys of virtual sharing...you get to share your cookies and eat them too...

The recipe for these cookies is written on a piece of notebook paper that is tattered and stained and well worn—my favorite kind of recipe.  It was given to me by a friend, back in the dark ages when I was still in college.  I don't know where Thor got the recipe, but it is definitely a keeper, and as you can see we love it around here.

Thor's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup pureed pumkin

1 beaten egg

1/2 cup veg oil (we use canola)

1 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups all unbleached all purpose flour

1 tsp cinamon

1 tsp milk (yes, 1 teaspoon—weird I know)

1 tsp vanilla

1 pkg chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

There are no other specifications for this recipe—you just dump everything in the bowl and mix until smooth.  I usually add the ingredients in the order given in the recipe, but it doesn't really seem to matter how you do it as long as it all goes in and gets incorporated.  Scoop rounded spoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (you can use a greased baking sheet and eliminate the parchment paper, but I am lazy and am a firm believer in the virtues of parchment paper—you can even reuse it if you want).  Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes.  Cool and devour.

These cookies have a soft, cake-like crumb and are positively sublime when they are warm from the oven and the chocolate is still soft.  Pair them with a cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk and it's perfection....mmmmm....

Thanks again to all of you who commented and entered the contest!  What a fun and nice bunch you all are!  xoxox—Alison

And without further ado...

Thank you so much for all of your thoughtful comments!  I am overwhelmed by your kindness, and I must say that I am so happy to be able to send a copy of Fairy Tale Knits and the yarn for the Flower Fairy Cloche off to one of you.  We had way too much fun with this little contest.  I got a big charge out of writing your names on the little slips of paper.  As I wrote them I couldn't help but think how much fun it would be to sit and knit together, talking and laughing and sharing a little something yummy (you do know that all calories ingested while knitting don't count, right) and a cup of tea or coffee.  What fun that would be!

Anyway, I tossed all of those names into the pretty silk bag usually reserved for my current sock project...

And then I waited for this character to come home from school and play his part.

He actually wanted me to film the proceedings and include a video clip here, but alas, I am not that technically savvy yet, so the pics will have to suffice for now. 
First, shake the bag to make sure that everyone gets an even chance, then reach in and pick a piece of paper...

Try to read Mom's pathetic scrawl...

And now without further ado...

The winner is...

Congrats Tonia, I will be sending you the yarn for the Flower Fairy Cloche and a signed copy of Fairy Tale Knits!  Please send me your address and email so that I can send your package off to you!

Right before my trusty assistant ran off towards swings, he announced that, "This was really fun!...we should do it again sometime!"  I couldn't agree more!... I will be hosting another book and yarn give away in the coming days!...stay tuned, but in the meantime I would like to share a little something with everyone who stopped by...

Sorry it's not knitty, but this is my family's hands-down, all-time, favorite chocolate cookie.  Even the non-chocolate eaters in my house (weird, I know) love this cookie.  It is that good.  Filled with little pieces of toffee and so fudgy, almost like a brownie, but not, it is absolute perfection with a cup of coffee or a tall glass of milk.  To give credit where credit is due, this recipe is a modified version of an ancient Bon Appetit recipe.  These cookies have been the main attraction at many parties, picnics and after-school snack fests, thankfully everyone loves them, so they don't hang around long enough for me to eat them all.    

The Shopping List—
       1/2 c all purpose flour
       1 t baking powder
       1/4 t salt
       1 lb. bittersweet chocolate chips
       1/4 c unsalted butter
       1 3/4 c (packed) brown sugar
       4 large eggs
       1 T vanilla extract
       1 bag of Heath toffee chips (or toffee bars chopped—about 7-8 oz total)
       1c toasted, chopped walnuts—you can toast walnuts in the oven on a cookie sheet or in a pan on the stove)

The Making—

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt   
Mix the chocolate and the butter together in the top of a double-boiler over
simmering water (or a stainless steel bowl placed over a small pot of simmering water) until melted.  Once the mixture is completely melted and smooth, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool until lukewarm.
With a mixer set to medium speed, beat the brown sugar and eggs until thick (about 5 minutes).
        

Beat the chocolate mixture and the vanilla extract into the egg mixture.

Stir in the flour mixture, followed by the toffee chips, and finally walnuts (can toast them in the oven on a cookie sheet or on
the stove) to the above mixture.

Chill the batter until firm (45-60 minutes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment and drop
batter, by 1/4 cupsful (an ice cream scoop works well for this) onto the
lined baking sheets.  Space cookies 2-3" apart—they will spread to about
3-4" across

Bake until the tops are dry and beginning to crack, but still soft to the
touch, about 15 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets and then devour!

Being new to blogging, it can still feel a little odd at times—like a new pair of shoes (shoes I like muchly, but new all the same), it feels sort of self-absorbed, typing the little projects and happenings of my life out into the ether.  My dream for this blog is to create a place of sharing, a place that will encourage me live more intentionally, with more presence to those near and far and with more consciousness of the choices that I am making throughout my day.  It will grow to be, I hope, a place for me to explore new ways of creating and new ways of reaching out of myself, even if that means getting a little outside of my comfort zone sometimes.  But I like the stretch here,  the opportunity to grow in new directions with something that simultaneously gets me out in the world and encourages me to look inward.  I am finding that chronicling the little moments that make up a life is a good exercise in observation and reflection, and I really want more of that in my life.  It is so nice to know that there are others out there, typing and reading, on their own journey.  I truly appreciate the time that it takes stop in, so once again, thank you ever so much.  Enjoy the cookies and happy making!...Alison

Sweet somethings...

I find that many days in our house are so full that there isn't as much time for crafting and creating as I would like. In these busy times, the kitchen seems to be the one place where living by hand continues. I love food, I love preparing it, and eating it. I love baking and love baking with my kids even more. This is one of my favorite ways to start the day.


These scones are regular fare at our house. The recipe is fantastic. It is reliable, quick and easy to adapt.


Basic Scone Recipe
Preheat oven to 425º.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch Kosher salt (optional)
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk, plus a Tablespoon more for brushing the tops of the scones
The add ins —1/2 cup dried fruit (cherries, blueberries, cranberries, currants, etc.), nuts, or chocolate chips, lemon or orange zest (optional)

I usually use my food processor to mix all the dry ingredients (excluding the dried fruit) and then add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly, but you could, and I have often, made these scones the old fashioned way by mixing the dry ingredients, and then cutting the butter into the dry ingredients with two table knives. Once the first 5 ingredients are mixed together, add the wet ingredients and pulse (or mix by hand) until the mixture comes together in a ball. Turn the mixture onto a floured board and add the "add ins", kneading the dough as little as possible. Once the "add ins" are incorporated, flatten the dough out into a disc and cut it into wedges (like you would cut a pie). Place the wedges on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a pastry brush to brush a little extra buttermilk onto the tops of the scones and then sprinkle sugar (we use Turbinado sugar for this step) on the top of the scones. Place the cookie sheet on the middle rack of your oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

We usually have these scones with dried cherries, but they are great with a little orange zest and dried cranberries, lemon zest and blueberries and sliced almonds, cinnamon and currants.

Time for cake...Friends of ours are getting married next month and they have asked me to make their wedding cake. Yesterday we met for a cake tasting. This meant a little cake baking at our house—yum! One of the cakes that I made is my absolute favorite cake ever—a lemon butter cake.


It is a basic butter cake, but can be easily made into a lemon or orange cake by adding the zest and juice of the fruit. The texture of this cake is moist and soft, not as dense as a pound cake, but also nothing like any other butter cake I have ever had. The recipe is from Margaret Braun's book Cakewalk. When I first started tiptoeing around the idea of making cakes I was introduced to this wonderful book through my dear friend and cake baker extraordinaire, Jean Marie Moffa. Even if you never intend to make a "fancy" cake, I highly recommend this book. It is beautiful and inspiring, and is full of incredible confectionery designs that are jaw-droppingly gorgeous. She truly elevates cake design to art. In addition, there are few fantastic recipes in the back, hence my yummy cake.

This cake recipe makes two 10" cakes and a little more. Here you can see that I made two 10" cakes and one 4" cake.


For celebration cakes, I fill this cake with lemon curd or a berry coulis and frost it with an Italian meringue buttercream—sublime. I usually cover my celebration cakes in fondant, because it allows for really fun design elements. Here are two cakes that I made early on in my own personal cakewalk, using this recipe and fondant and gumpaste decorations—

I made this one for a friend's bridal shower...


and I made this one for my husband's end of the year departmental party (he's a classics professor)...


But here is how my family loves it best, plain and unadorned. Just serve it with a few fresh berries and it is absolute perfection.



All of a sudden I am quite hungry...I think it must be time for me to avail myself of a little of this handmade goodness.

Until next time, alison