Before I had my daughter, I worked in a French bakery.  The chef/owner made many delicious pastries from puff pastry and one of my favorites was his cinnamon twists.  Here’s an easy (and time-saving) way to make these at home, using store-bought puff pastry.  If you like, a simple glaze would go nicely on top.  Now…all I need is my cup of coffee!

Cinnamon Twists

Makes about 30 twists

Ingredients:

2 sheets puff pastry (I use Pepperidge Farm brand)
cooking spray or melted butter
1/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 Tbsp cinnamon
powdered sugar (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sprinkle a clean surface with a little bit of sugar.  Unfold dough and roll out each sheet slightly to flatten.  Lay first sheet on the surface and put the other sheet aside.  Spray dough lightly with cooking spray (or brush with melted butter). Sprinkle all over with 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon.  Place second sheet on top and sprinkle with little bit more sugar.  Cut dough in half crosswise.  Cut 1/2 inch strips lengthwise.  Twist strips several times and place on a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes until cooked through and golden brown.  Allow to cool completely.  Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, before serving.

In many Italian restaurants you can find a Caprese salad, which is a classic salad consisting of fresh mozzarella cheese, tomato slices, and basil, drizzled with a little bit of olive oil and sometimes balsamic vinegar.  This is one of my favorite sandwiches for lunch and is inspired by this simple delicious salad.

Caprese Pesto Panini

Ingredients:

Ciabatta sandwich rolls
fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried
basil pesto
fresh tomato, sliced

Method:

Preheat a grill pan or panini maker to medium heat.  Slice the ciabatta rolls in half horizontally.  Spread pesto on both sides of the bread.  Layer the mozzarella cheese, fresh basil leaves, and tomato slices on the bread and close the top of the sandwich.  Cook until the cheese is melted and the sandwich is warmed through.  Enjoy!

As a tribute to Seattle, I have compiled a list of all of my favorite restaurants and places to shop that I discovered while living in the area (Part 1).  My next post will include all of my favorite foods I have been privileged enough to enjoy while living in the Pacific Northwest (Part 2).  I highly encourage you to try these out if you haven’t already.  I’m really going to miss all of them.

Pagliacci Pizza:
This pizza is by far my all time favorite pizza!  The crust has a crisp exterior, and it’s chewy on the inside. It has delicious, flavorful sauce with a hint of heat and just the right amount of cheese.  My favorite flavors are the basic cheese, pepperoni, and fresh veggie pizzas.

I would love to have the recipe to this wonderful crust and it will now be my mission to recreate it.  I’m also not a huge salad fan, but the Pagliaccio salad is the best I’ve ever eaten.  It has green leaf lettuce, garbanzo beans, salami, kasseri cheese, red peppers, red onions and their house dressing, which is a Dijon vinaigrette.  On our last visit, I asked about the dressing ingredients and I’m going to try to recreate it on my own as well.

Cactus:

I’ve actually only ordered one item on the menu, the Sonoran Spa Chicken (pictured).  It is so good, I haven’t wanted to try anything else.  I originally read about the Spa Chicken in one of my foodie magazines and went to try it out at the restaurant.  It was love at first bite!  Sonoran Spa Chicken is two grilled chicken breasts with a portobello mushroom and spinach topped with a vegetable escabeche (pickle vegetables), Cotija cheese, pepitas (pumpkin seeds).  On top are two flavorful secret sauces:  sunshine mojo and lime chimichurri.  That sounds like a lot of components to me, but it comes together beautifully.  And, I think feel like I’m eating healthy!

Cactus also makes a terrific specialty drink called Sage.  It consists of sage leaves shaken with gin, tangerine, lime juice, and agave nectar.  Usually I think of sage as an herb used for turkey on Thanksgiving but in this drink, it is delicious and not at all overpowering.  This drink is definitely a must try!  My husband thinks their mojitos are the best.

Saulty’s on Alki:
Salty’s on Alki is the restaurant with the best view of the Seattle skyline that you can find in the area.  Not only does it have a wide selection of local fish and a wonderful brunch buffet, it also has delicious desserts.  It has been a favorite place for my husband and I to go for birthdays and special occasions.  They usually give you a free piece of their famous White Chocolate Mousse Cake, on these such occasions.  When I go, I usually order the filet mignon, and the Grand Marnier Cheesecake, which is decadent and heavenly.  To be honest, I usually skip the piece of cake and go straight for the cheesecake, which is the perfect size to share (although I’d could eat the whole thing myself).  I don’t really taste much of the Grand Marnier.  I think of it as an ultra creamy cheesecake with the perfect Oreo crust enrobed in dark chocolate.  This has to be one of the best desserts that I have ever experienced!

Azul Restaurant and Lounge:
Before my daughter came along, my husband and I would visit Azul once every week or two. We don’t get to go as often these days, but it is still one of our favorite places to eat.  Our favorite menu items are the Carne Asada (pictured) and Salmon with Mango Salsa.  They also do some crazy good stuff to their green beans (which are served with both of these entrees) and I just can’t get enough of them.  The Carne Asada is perfectly seasoned and served with chunky mashed potatoes.  The salmon is also served with seasoned sweet potato fries.

If you are in the mood for a mixed drink, my husband loves the top shelf margarita, but my favorite drink is the Pear Martini.  Last time I didn’t see it on the menu, but I’m sure they’ll make it for you if you ask.

Tully’s Coffee:
Where do I begin?… I lived in Seattle for 9 years, and there are several big coffee companies in the area, but by far, Tully’s is my favorite.  Before I lived in the PNW, I thought Starbucks was THE coffee.  I discovered it one summer when I was in high school.  It was a big deal when they finally put in a Starbucks at the new big chain bookstore that was just built in the small town where I went to college.  It seemed like there used to be a Starbuck’s on every street corner.  But if you ask me, Tully’s is the best coffee the Northwest has to offer.  I’m a total convert.  Tully’s got me through many early mornings working at Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn and there is just no coffee that compares to its creamy smooth taste.    No burnt coffee beans, just rich, bold, high quality espresso beans.  I just don’t know what I’m going to do without it.  Hopefully I can find someone to ship some to me.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
We first tried Chateau Ste. Michelle soon after moving to the area and after going on several tours at the winery, decided to join their wine club. The grounds are beautiful and every summer they host numerous outdoor concerts where you can bring a picnic and enjoy their delicious wine selection.  Over the past few years they’ve made many upgrades to the tasting rooms and it’s a very pleasant place to try new wines and spend a sunny afternoon. My daughter loves finding the resident peacocks and watching the fish and ducks in the ponds.

Central Market:
There are numerous markets that carry terrific local meat, fish, and produce.  My favorite is the Central Market in Mill Creek.  They have top-notch produce, a large organic section, and high quality meat and fish.  My daughter’s favorite thing about taking a trip to the market is to look at the huge tanks of Dungeness crabs and to drive the mini shopping carts.  I have always encountered very friendly staff, who let you try out deli meat and specialty cheeses, give advice, and offer to tenderize or de-bone your meat.  In the warmer months, you can find a great selection of fresh flowers and plants. The fish counter also makes a terrific crab and artichoke dip that goes great with a fresh baguette.

*I’d love to hear all about any of your favorite local restaurants/places to shop and any recommendations you might have for restaurants in the Northern VA/DC area.  Please leave a comment with your thoughts/suggestions.

In the mood for chocolate?  Here’s something that will satisfy any chocolate craving.  Once I start eating these, I have a hard time stopping.

As promised, here is the recipe for my favorite chocolate shortbread.  It’s not quite as dense as traditional shortbread, but still just as delicious and easy to make, especially if you are in the mood for chocolate.  These would be great served with fresh raspberries or strawberries.

Chocolate Shortbread
Adapted from Chocolate & Vanilla by Gale Gand

Yield: 24 pieces

Ingredients:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups, plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1.  In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar several minutes until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla.

2.  Gradually add in flour, cocoa powder, and salt.  Mix until a thick dough forms.

3.  On a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet, work dough into an 8 x 12 inch rectangle. Prick the surface all over with a fork to allow steam to escape while baking.

4.  Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

5.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until mostly dry.  Immediately cut into 24 rectangles.  Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.  Delicious served with a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

For Valentine’s Day, I decided to recreate the cookies I wrote about on my first blog post back in December:   Christmas White Cake Cookies, but wanted to update the recipe to make it a little more flavorful.

I thought they needed just a touch of vanilla, so I decided to add that in and since they are for Valentine’s Day, I had to use pink, red and white sprinkles.  I also changed the method just a tiny bit and cooked them slightly less.  So here it is again, new and improved!

Valentine’s White Cake Cookies

Yield: About 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup water
sanding sugar or sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients (except for sugars/sprinkles) in a large bowl.  Place sprinkles in another small bowl.  Roll dough into walnut-sized balls.  Flatten each ball slightly and dip one side into sprinkles.   Place onto a Silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.  Bake about 14-15 minutes or until starting to very lightly brown around the edges.  Cool and enjoy!

This mini pies are an excellent dessert to serve for parties and get-togethers, or maybe a nice little treat for Valentine’s Day.  They are best served warm!

Mini Kiss Pies

Yield: about 14 pies

Ingredients:

14 Hershey’s Kisses, any flavor
1 refrigerated pie crust
cooking spray
granulated and powdered sugar for sprinkling

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll out pie crust to slightly flatten.

Using a 2 1/2 or 3 inch round cookie cutter, cut approximately 12 rounds in the dough. (It just needs to be big enough to come up to the top of the kiss.)  From the scraps, you will probably be able to roll 2 more rounds.  Discard remaining dough.  It will be tough if you continue to roll out the scraps.

Bring two edges of the round up around the top of a Kiss.  Pinch together tightly.

Bring the other two edges up to the center and pinch together tightly (see pictures).  Pinch the seams to seal. Sometimes it helps to slightly fold the seam over so that they don’t open up while baking.

Lightly spray the tops of the pies with the cooking spray and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake approximately 15 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.  Cool and dust with powdered sugar before serving (optional).  I like to eat mine while they’re still warm.

Tips and Thoughts:

I used dark chocolate Hershey’s Kisses, but you can use any flavor you like, as well as a few chocolate chips if you don’t have Kisses on hand.

Since I’m moving, I’ve been trying to eat up all of the food in my freezer.  I thought this would be an excellent way for me to use up the pie crusts I’ve had in there since Thanksgiving.  The nice thing about the recipe is that it doesn’t make too large of a batch!

Recipe inspired by Picky Palate

Shrimp scampi: so easy to make!  Basically, all you have to do is saute shrimp with garlic and olive oil, then make a light sauce with lemon, red pepper, and parsley and there you go.  Here’s how I make it:

Shrimp Scampi with Lemon and Garlic

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

8 oz (half of a one pound box) thin spaghetti
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
6-10 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt and pepper to taste
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp dried parsley or 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Method:

1.  Cook spaghetti according to package directions and drain.

2.  While spaghetti cooks, melt butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat, then add olive oil.  Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook for 4-5 minutes until almost done, turning once.  Remove from pan and set aside.

3.  In the same pan, combine lemon zest, juice, and red pepper flakes.  Return shrimp to pan and cook until thoroughly heated.  Stir in parmesan cheese and parsley.  Toss with spaghetti.

Tips and Thoughts:

I usually use 31-40 count shrimp, but you can use the size that you prefer.

Some people make shrimp scampi with a little white wine in the sauce (dry), which I’m sure is also delicious!

As you can see, I still have citrus on my mind.  I promise to post something with chocolate next week.  I have been wanting to try something with Meyer Lemons because I always see them in the store and I’ve never purchased them, until now. They are a little smaller than ordinary lemons and the flavor of Meyer Lemons is a cross between a lemon and an orange.

This cake has two delicious layers: one is a fluffy lemon cake and the other is a lemony cream cheese layer.  This cake is perfect for breakfast, but you could also serve this as a snack or dessert!

Creamy Meyer Lemon Breakfast Cake
Adapted from blackjack bakehouse 

Ingredients:

Cream cheese filling:

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
zest from 1 lemon

Lemon Cake:

2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 eggs
2 Tbsp lemon juice (I used 2 Meyer lemons)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
zest from 2 lemons

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Prepare a 10 inch tall-sided tart pan or 9 inch springform pan (see note below about pans), by lightly greasing the bottom and sides.

2.  To make the filling, beat the cream cheese on medium speed in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, for several minutes until light and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the powdered sugar and mix for several minutes until light and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.  Add the egg and scrape down the sides as needed.  Mix in the butter, lemon extract, vanilla and zest.  Do not overmix.  Set aside.

3.  To make the cake, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  In another bowl, whisk the cooled butter, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and zest.  Whisk the the butter mixture into the flour mixture, just until combined.  Do not over mix.

4. Spread cake batter evenly into prepared pan.  Pour cream cheese filling mixture over the top of the cake batter until it reaches 1/2 inch from the side.  You should see a cake batter border 1/2 inch around the filling.

5.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the edge of the pan comes out clean.  (Be sure to watch carefully at the end because it is very easy to overcook.) Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, remove edge of pan.  Cool for an additional hour, and then refrigerate until cold.  Serve with a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Tips and Thoughts:

If you can’t find Meyer Lemons or prefer to use regular lemons, you can easily substitute them in this recipe.  Since I love citrus fruit, I’d be curious to see how this turns out using oranges or limes.  Maybe for a future post…

The recipe originally called for a 9 inch springform pan, but I only had a 10 inch pan.  I thought the pan would be too big, so I decided to try it with a tall 9.5 in tart pan and it ended up baking right at top of the pan.  Next, time I think using the larger springform pan would work out just fine.  There are a lot of options of pans that would work in this instance. You can use either a 9 or 10 inch springform pan, or tall-sided 9.5 or 10 inch tart pan.  I think the fluted edges look pretty on the tart pan.

If you use a larger pan, you will need to reduce the amount of baking time.  Be sure to watch the cake as you get towards the end of its baking time.