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	<title>off the (meat)hook &#187; Dessert + Sweet Recipes</title>
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		<title>{make this} Recipe Girl&#8217;s Flourless Chewy Chocolate Cookies (with or without peppermint candies)</title>
		<link>http://offthemeathook.com/2012/01/recipe-from-the-internetz-recipe-girls-flourless-chewy-chocolate-cookies-with-or-without-peppermint-candies/</link>
		<comments>http://offthemeathook.com/2012/01/recipe-from-the-internetz-recipe-girls-flourless-chewy-chocolate-cookies-with-or-without-peppermint-candies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 01:48:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ALL RECIPES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dessert + Sweet Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holiday + Special Occasion Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegetarian Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chewy chocolate cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chocolate cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dairy free]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dairy free cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flourless cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lactose free]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://offthemeathook.com/?p=3972</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have been on the hunt for a chocolate cookie that&#8217;s crispy on the outside and chewy-gooey-fudgy on the inside. I&#8217;ve tried quite a few recipes, but this one is the best I&#8217;ve found - I love the crisp, crackly outside that yields to a soft center. All you need is a tall glass of milk. What&#8217;s [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/04/recipe-meyer-lemon-oatmeal-cookies-with-white-chocolate/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe} Meyer Lemon Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate'>{recipe} Meyer Lemon Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate</a> <small>I have a weird relationship with white chocolate. Applied judiciously,...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/10/recipe-and-knowledge-easy-homemade-hot-cocoa-and-how-to-eat-chocolate-without-supporting-child-slavery/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe and knowledge} Easy Homemade Hot Cocoa, and How to Eat Chocolate Without Supporting Child Slavery'>{recipe and knowledge} Easy Homemade Hot Cocoa, and How to Eat Chocolate Without Supporting Child Slavery</a> <small>Lately I&#8217;ve been cuckoo for hot cocoa. Maybe it&#8217;s the...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/10/recipe-chewy-gingersnaps-with-cream-cheese-frosting/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe} Chewy Gingersnaps with Cream Cheese Frosting'>{recipe} Chewy Gingersnaps with Cream Cheese Frosting</a> <small>These cookies are the result of a happy accident. My...</small></li>
</ol>

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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have been on the hunt for a chocolate cookie that&#8217;s crispy on the outside and chewy-gooey-fudgy on the inside. I&#8217;ve tried quite a few recipes, but <a href="http://www.recipegirl.com/2007/11/24/chewy-gooey-flourless-chocolate-cookies/" target="_blank">this one</a> is the best I&#8217;ve found - I love the crisp, crackly outside that yields to a soft center. All you need is a tall glass of milk.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/choc-peppermint-cookies-2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3977" title="choc peppermint cookies 2" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/choc-peppermint-cookies-2.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="264" /></a></p>
<p>What&#8217;s extra great is that there is no flour nor butter in them, just egg whites for binding, so they are practically health food. (OK technically it would be more accurate to say they are practically candy, since the bulk is made up of sugar and chocolate.)</p>
<p><span id="more-3972"></span>Now I know it&#8217;s been almost 2 weeks since Christmas, but do you still have some janky old candy canes lying around? Put them into a plastic bag and hit them with a hammer to make scraps. Sprinkle them on half the cookies before baking, so the chocolate-peppermint lovers in your life can have something nice, too. If you sprinkle them on a<em>fter</em> baking&#8230; well, sadly, they will just slide off. I know this from experience.</p>
<p>Get the recipe from <a href="http://www.recipegirl.com/2007/11/24/chewy-gooey-flourless-chocolate-cookies/" target="_blank">Recipe Girl here</a>.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/04/recipe-meyer-lemon-oatmeal-cookies-with-white-chocolate/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe} Meyer Lemon Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate'>{recipe} Meyer Lemon Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate</a> <small>I have a weird relationship with white chocolate. Applied judiciously,...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/10/recipe-and-knowledge-easy-homemade-hot-cocoa-and-how-to-eat-chocolate-without-supporting-child-slavery/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe and knowledge} Easy Homemade Hot Cocoa, and How to Eat Chocolate Without Supporting Child Slavery'>{recipe and knowledge} Easy Homemade Hot Cocoa, and How to Eat Chocolate Without Supporting Child Slavery</a> <small>Lately I&#8217;ve been cuckoo for hot cocoa. Maybe it&#8217;s the...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/10/recipe-chewy-gingersnaps-with-cream-cheese-frosting/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe} Chewy Gingersnaps with Cream Cheese Frosting'>{recipe} Chewy Gingersnaps with Cream Cheese Frosting</a> <small>These cookies are the result of a happy accident. My...</small></li>
</ol></p>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>{recipe} Finnish Pancake with Raspberry Red Wine Sauce</title>
		<link>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/12/recipe-finnish-pancake-with-raspberry-red-wine-sauce/</link>
		<comments>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/12/recipe-finnish-pancake-with-raspberry-red-wine-sauce/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:51:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ALL RECIPES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Breakfast + Brunch Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dessert + Sweet Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fast and Easy Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holiday + Special Occasion Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cast iron]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dutch baby]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[finnish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[norwegian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rasberry sauce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sweet breakfast]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://offthemeathook.com/?p=3891</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[And now I am going to tell you what to make for breakfast on Christmas morning. With a mere 5 ingredients, 5 minutes of prep, and 25 minutes in the oven, you can have a rich, custardy, puffy, wonderful breakfast on the table. You may or may not know that I am part Norwegian. Now [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/03/recipe-individual-citrus-almond-cakes-with-warm-caramel-sauce/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe} Individual Citrus Almond Cakes with Warm Caramel Sauce'>{recipe} Individual Citrus Almond Cakes with Warm Caramel Sauce</a> <small>I saw this lovely looking almond cake on The Kitchenette...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/09/recipe-cherry-raspberry-pie-with-shortbread-crust/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe} Cherry Raspberry Pie with Shortbread Crust'>{recipe} Cherry Raspberry Pie with Shortbread Crust</a> <small>I don&#8217;t often make desserts with cherries, unless it&#8217;s a...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/10/recipe-chewy-gingersnaps-with-cream-cheese-frosting/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe} Chewy Gingersnaps with Cream Cheese Frosting'>{recipe} Chewy Gingersnaps with Cream Cheese Frosting</a> <small>These cookies are the result of a happy accident. My...</small></li>
</ol>

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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>And now I am going to tell you what to make for breakfast on Christmas morning. With a mere 5 ingredients, 5 minutes of prep, and 25 minutes in the oven, you can have a rich, custardy, puffy, wonderful breakfast on the table.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/finnish-pancake_.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3941" title="finnish pancake_" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/finnish-pancake_.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="436" /></a></p>
<p><span id="more-3891"></span>You may or may not know that I am part Norwegian. Now if you&#8217;re not Scandinavian, you might not realize what a big deal it is for a Norwegian to make and enjoy something Finnish. My grandmother was one of the sweetest, warmest, kindest women in the world, but as a proud Norwegian, she really had it in for the Finns (even worse than the Danes or the Swedes.) So it speaks volumes that this is a cherished family recipe despite its, er, unlikely origins.</p>
<p>Sometimes people eat this and think it&#8217;s the same thing as a Dutch baby, but in fact, they are a little bit different, and I feel that the Finnish pancake is superior. Probably because it has more butter in it. A typical Dutch baby recipe asks that you mix a lesser amount of melted butter <em>into</em> the batter, while the Finnish pancake requires that you melt a bunch of butter in the cooking pan then <em>add</em> the batter on top, creating an end result that&#8217;s more butter-coated, with small rivulets and channels of butter along the entire surface. And yet, the Dutch baby gets all the love. In fact, Finnish pancakes don&#8217;t even have a Wikipedia page! Oh, the injustice. <em>(Update: commenter Nicole points out they <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pannukakku" target="_blank">do have a Wikipedia page, under Pannukakku</a>, but it&#8217;s admittedly pretty lame.)</em></p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/finnish-pancake-2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3942" title="finnish pancake 2" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/finnish-pancake-2.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="310" /></a></p>
<p>According to my grandmother&#8217;s recipe, you are meant to serve this with fresh berries, and whipped cream. I also like maple syrup on the side. If I&#8217;m feeling energetic, I&#8217;ll make a simple raspberry red wine sauce (recipe below.) You can whip up some cream to go with it&#8211;if I have creme fraiche on hand, I add a few spoonfuls to give the cream a slight tang. But hey, it&#8217;s Christmas morning, and you&#8217;re probably tired from playing Santa, so a can of squirt whipped cream and a handful of mixed berries will work just as well! It&#8217;s all about the pancake, anyway.</p>
<p>Ideally you would make this in a cast-iron pan, but any large metal oven-proof frying pan will work. It doesn&#8217;t need to be non-stick, because of all the butter. If you don&#8217;t have either of those, you can make it in a casserole-type dish, but it won&#8217;t puff up quite as much. It will still be delicious, though.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ff3333;"><strong>Recipe: Finnish Pancake</strong></span><br />
serves 6</p>
<p>INGREDIENTS:</p>
<ul>
<li>4 tablespoons butter (original recipe calls for twice that much, but I think 4 tablespoons is the right amount. If you really and truly love butter, like even more than I do, which hardly seems possible, you could go up to 6 tablespoons)</li>
<li>5 eggs</li>
<li>3/4 cup sugar</li>
<li>1 1/2 cups milk</li>
<li>1 cup flour</li>
</ul>
<div>METHOD:</div>
<ul>
<li>Put butter into a heavy, oven-proof skillet and place into the oven. Turn oven to 400 degrees F.</li>
<li>Beat eggs and sugar with a hand mixer until foamy.</li>
<li>Add milk and flour and beat until smooth and frothy.</li>
<li>Pour batter into melted butter in heated pan. Cook for about 25 minutes, until pancake pulls away from sides, rises, and browns on top.</li>
<li>Serve warm with fruit and whipped cream.</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="color: #ff3333;"><strong>Easy Raspberry Red Wine Sauce</strong></span></p>
<p>INGREDIENTS:</p>
<ul>
<li>2 small baskets fresh raspberries</li>
<li>1 cup red wine</li>
<li>3/4 cup sugar (more or less to taste)</li>
</ul>
<p>METHOD:</p>
<ul>
<li>Before preparing the pancake, put all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan on the stove.</li>
<li>Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Simmer 30-40 minutes, while you prepare and bake the pancake.</li>
<li>Just before taking the pancake out, remove from heat and put into a pitcher or bowl. Serve warm.</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/03/recipe-individual-citrus-almond-cakes-with-warm-caramel-sauce/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe} Individual Citrus Almond Cakes with Warm Caramel Sauce'>{recipe} Individual Citrus Almond Cakes with Warm Caramel Sauce</a> <small>I saw this lovely looking almond cake on The Kitchenette...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/09/recipe-cherry-raspberry-pie-with-shortbread-crust/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe} Cherry Raspberry Pie with Shortbread Crust'>{recipe} Cherry Raspberry Pie with Shortbread Crust</a> <small>I don&#8217;t often make desserts with cherries, unless it&#8217;s a...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/10/recipe-chewy-gingersnaps-with-cream-cheese-frosting/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe} Chewy Gingersnaps with Cream Cheese Frosting'>{recipe} Chewy Gingersnaps with Cream Cheese Frosting</a> <small>These cookies are the result of a happy accident. My...</small></li>
</ol></p>
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		<title>{christmas in the future} Gingerbread House on the Moon</title>
		<link>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/12/christmas-in-the-future-gingerbread-house-on-the-moon/</link>
		<comments>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/12/christmas-in-the-future-gingerbread-house-on-the-moon/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:04:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ALL RECIPES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Craft Projects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dessert + Sweet Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holiday + Special Occasion Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HOW TO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[future]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[futuristic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gingerbread house]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[moonscape]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[planets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://offthemeathook.com/?p=3919</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every year a small group of dedicated friends gets together to make an epic gingerbread project that takes a cue from whatever this year&#8217;s Christmas party theme happens to be. Two years ago, for a Casbah Christmas, the tradition was born with a Middle Eastern-style courtyard house of gingerbread. Last year, we celebrated Christmas in [...]


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<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/05/how-to-super-duper-rainbow-cakes-in-a-jar/' rel='bookmark' title='{how to} Super Duper Rainbow Cakes &#8211; in a Jar'>{how to} Super Duper Rainbow Cakes &#8211; in a Jar</a> <small>By far the most popular article on this blog is...</small></li>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Every year a small group of dedicated friends gets together to make an epic gingerbread project that takes a cue from whatever this year&#8217;s Christmas party theme happens to be. Two years ago, for a Casbah Christmas, the tradition was born with a <a href="http://offthemeathook.com/2009/12/recipe-craft-the-gingerbread-casbah/" target="_blank">Middle Eastern-style courtyard house of gingerbread</a>. Last year, we celebrated Christmas in Summer and put <a href="http://offthemeathook.com/2010/12/candy-wonderland-gingerbread-christmas-cabana-this-year-santas-in-the-southern-hemisphere/" target="_blank">Santa in the pool, surrounded by a beachy scene</a>. This year&#8217;s party theme was Christmas in the Future, so we took a few hints from <em>The Jetsons </em>and put Santa on the moon.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/gingerbread-main.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3923" title="gingerbread main" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/gingerbread-main.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="843" /></a></p>
<p><span id="more-3919"></span>I am a fanatic about everything being edible, which means no supporting sticks or skewers allowed&#8211;and I insist that everything apart from the gingerbread and the royal icing is made out of store-bought candy<em>. </em>Could I make an amazing, edible gingerbread creation with marzipan or fondant? Absolutely. But to me, that&#8217;s kind of cheating, because I might as well just make it out of clay at that point. So my rules are pretty strict and this year was no exception, although we did use some edible silver spray to modernize some areas of the landscape.</p>
<p>MJ and Marghi worked the marshmallow Santa into his sweet (literally) UFO, made of gingerbread circles with a melted jolly rancher windshield, with a few gumdrops for structure and a Nerds rope for decoration.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/santa-ufo.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3922" title="santa ufo" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/santa-ufo.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a></p>
<p>Marghi &amp; Mitra worked with me on the George Jetson-inspired tower houses, with stacks of gingerbread sprayed silver and lined up atop jujubes, jolly ranchers, lifesavers, gumballs, and Reese&#8217;s white chocolate peanut butter cups.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jetsons-gingerbread.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3924" title="jetsons gingerbread" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jetsons-gingerbread.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a></p>
<p>Miscellaneous candy antennae and other skyward protrusions, made with Ice Cubes gum, mini marshmallows, jujubes, gumdrops, gummy trees, and red licorice provide the final adornment for the stilted futuristic dwellings.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jetsons-gingerbread-2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3925" title="jetsons gingerbread 2" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jetsons-gingerbread-2.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="750" /></a></p>
<p>Once again Radha did much of the fine detail work and painstakingly laid out the lunar surface, using gray and black M&amp;Ms, Sno-Caps, Hershey&#8217;s Oreo discs, cracked silver gumballs, blue and white York peppermint drops, crushed white lifesavers, mini marshmallows. Marghi and I worked out the big gingerbread slab for the backdrop, covered in black icing and studded with snowflake and pearl candy stars&#8211;and a highly inaccurate earth, hewn from blue sour belts and carved green gummies.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/detail-gingerbread.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3926" title="detail gingerbread" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/detail-gingerbread.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="704" /></a></p>
<p>New guy Alex, who conveniently knows his way around a real-life construction site, was key in fence construction and final placement of the black night sky (and believe me when I say, you need someone calm and collected to manhandle a large, delicate panel of frosted, candy-laden gingerbread to get it vertical.) The reindeer were sprayed silver and penned in a gingerbread fence &#8211; and are eating silvery nuts and bolts.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/reindeer-pen.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3921" title="reindeer pen" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/reindeer-pen.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="318" /></a></p>
<p>Some details in case you&#8217;re wondering&#8230;</p>
<ul>
<li>I got the majority of the candy at Walgreen&#8217;s, but I found a few specialty items at a big party store, like the gray and black single color packs of M&amp;Ms and the silver gumballs.</li>
<li>The gingerbread project is constructed on two cutting boards taped together with packing tape and covered in aluminum foil.</li>
<li>The recipe I use for gingerbread is <a href="http://www.chsugar.com/recipes/recipedisplay.asp?RecipeId=Gi10262010114534" target="_blank">this one</a> &#8211; it smells great, it&#8217;s sturdy and long-lasting, and it&#8217;s easy to work with.</li>
<li>The icing is key for this, because it acts as the glue. You can make royal icing with egg whites and powdered sugar, beat to fluffy. I don&#8217;t use a recipe, I just put a few egg whites and a lot of powdered sugar together and keep adding more of one or the other until it&#8217;s viscous enough to use as glue. If you leave it open to the air, it will harden, so you can put it in a ziploc bag and cut a hole in the corner and use that as your &#8220;glue gun.&#8221; For fine detail, use a smaller bag and cut a smaller hole. If you want to color the icing, use paste food coloring to get rich colors &#8211; which is how we got the icing on the sky backdrop black.</li>
<li>Now that the party&#8217;s over, I&#8217;m going to let my nieces and nephew eat it. They usually just pick the candy off and leave the gingerbread for the compost pile!</li>
</ul>
<div><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/gingerbread2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3927" title="gingerbread2" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/gingerbread2.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="807" /></a></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Here are some other gingerbread projects I think are particularly inspired!</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://starwarsblog.starwars.com/index.php/2011/12/12/gingerbread-at-at/" target="_blank">Gingerbread AT-AT</a> by Blackmarket Bakery</li>
<li>Super-detailed version of <a href="http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=368912.0" target="_blank">the Weasley house, The Burrows</a>, from <em>Harry Potter</em></li>
<li>Scout Regalia&#8217;s <a href="http://scoutregalia.com/SR_store_GEODESIC-06.htm" target="_blank">gingerbread geodesic dome</a> (you can buy a kit for $25 to make your own)</li>
<li>Frank Lloyd Wright&#8217;s <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/onthetower/2575342250/" target="_blank">Falling Water </a>- creator unknown</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


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<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/05/how-to-super-duper-rainbow-cakes-in-a-jar/' rel='bookmark' title='{how to} Super Duper Rainbow Cakes &#8211; in a Jar'>{how to} Super Duper Rainbow Cakes &#8211; in a Jar</a> <small>By far the most popular article on this blog is...</small></li>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>{recipe, kind of} Rainbow Rice Krispy Treats</title>
		<link>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/11/recipe-kind-of-rainbow-rice-krispy-treats/</link>
		<comments>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/11/recipe-kind-of-rainbow-rice-krispy-treats/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ALL RECIPES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dessert + Sweet Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fast and Easy Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holiday + Special Occasion Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cereal bars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fruity pebble bars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[krispy bars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rainbow krispies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rice krispies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rice krispy bars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rice krispy treats]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s gray and dull outside, so I felt like sharing a colorful rainbow today. I don&#8217;t understand why, but if you make rice krispy treats with Fruity Pebbles cereal instead of Rice Krispies, people will act like you are a genius. Kids, adults, whatever- it amazes them that you thought of this. And I think [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/02/20080211super-tall-amazing-rainbow-birthday-cake-aspx/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe + how to} Super Tall Amazing Rainbow Birthday Cake!'>{recipe + how to} Super Tall Amazing Rainbow Birthday Cake!</a> <small>Note: this was the most-searched recipe on my previous blog,...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/05/how-to-super-duper-rainbow-cakes-in-a-jar/' rel='bookmark' title='{how to} Super Duper Rainbow Cakes &#8211; in a Jar'>{how to} Super Duper Rainbow Cakes &#8211; in a Jar</a> <small>By far the most popular article on this blog is...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/10/recipe-and-knowledge-easy-homemade-hot-cocoa-and-how-to-eat-chocolate-without-supporting-child-slavery/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe and knowledge} Easy Homemade Hot Cocoa, and How to Eat Chocolate Without Supporting Child Slavery'>{recipe and knowledge} Easy Homemade Hot Cocoa, and How to Eat Chocolate Without Supporting Child Slavery</a> <small>Lately I&#8217;ve been cuckoo for hot cocoa. Maybe it&#8217;s the...</small></li>
</ol>

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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s gray and dull outside, so I felt like sharing a colorful rainbow today.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/fruity-pebbles.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3881" title="fruity pebbles" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/fruity-pebbles.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a></p>
<p>I don&#8217;t understand why, but if you make rice krispy treats with Fruity Pebbles cereal instead of Rice Krispies, people will act like you are a genius. Kids, adults, whatever- it amazes them that you thought of this. And I think they taste quite a bit more exciting than run-of-the-mill krispy treats!</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s how you make them: Make the <a href="http://www.ricekrispies.com/recipes/the-original-treats.aspx#/recipes/the-original-treats" target="_blank">original, standard Rice Krispy treats recipe</a>, but use Fruity Pebbles instead. That&#8217;s it. I stacked these wedding cake-style with parchment rounds in between to make them seem fancy. You can use Cocoa Pebbles if you prefer, or even a mix of Cocoa Pebbles and Rice Krispies, but they won&#8217;t have quite the visual wow factor that only a sugary cereal&#8217;s neon food dyes can offer!</p>


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<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/05/how-to-super-duper-rainbow-cakes-in-a-jar/' rel='bookmark' title='{how to} Super Duper Rainbow Cakes &#8211; in a Jar'>{how to} Super Duper Rainbow Cakes &#8211; in a Jar</a> <small>By far the most popular article on this blog is...</small></li>
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</ol></p>
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		<title>{recipe and knowledge} Easy Homemade Hot Cocoa, and How to Eat Chocolate Without Supporting Child Slavery</title>
		<link>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/10/recipe-and-knowledge-easy-homemade-hot-cocoa-and-how-to-eat-chocolate-without-supporting-child-slavery/</link>
		<comments>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/10/recipe-and-knowledge-easy-homemade-hot-cocoa-and-how-to-eat-chocolate-without-supporting-child-slavery/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:37:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ALL RECIPES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dessert + Sweet Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Drink Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fast and Easy Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chocolate slavery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dagoba]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fair trade chocolate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hot chocolate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hot cocoa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lake champlain chocolate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sunspire chocolate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TCHO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[whole foods]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://offthemeathook.com/?p=3646</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Lately I&#8217;ve been cuckoo for hot cocoa. Maybe it&#8217;s the fall chill in the air, maybe it&#8217;s the dewy nights, or maybe I just like milky, sugary, chocolate bombs delivered in hot liquid form. No matter the reason, I decided it would be wise to stop spending 3 bucks a day on ho-hum coffee shop [...]


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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Lately I&#8217;ve been cuckoo for hot cocoa. Maybe it&#8217;s the fall chill in the air, maybe it&#8217;s the dewy nights, or maybe I just like milky, sugary, chocolate bombs delivered in hot liquid form. No matter the reason, I decided it would be wise to stop spending 3 bucks a day on ho-hum coffee shop cocoa and just make my own. This is cheaper and better, it&#8217;s not nearly as cloyingly sweet, and it takes all of about 2 minutes. It&#8217;s quick without the Qwik!</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/hot-cocoa.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3648" title="hot cocoa" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/hot-cocoa.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="283" /></a></p>
<p><span id="more-3646"></span>I love fat-filled dairy products as much as anyone, but once I go beyond lowfat milk with this recipe, it just gets way too rich for me. However, don&#8217;t let that stop you from using whole milk or substituting a little half and half in there- especially if you plan to serve this as a shot-sized dessert or something fancy like that.</p>
<p><em>And now that you&#8217;re all warm and fuzzy thinking about hot cocoa, I have to share something pretty depressing with you about the chocolate industry. </em></p>
<p>I&#8217;m not going to sugar-coat (chocolate-coat?) this: most of the chocolate we eat supports child slavery. This fact makes me reel: how is it possible that something so joyful, so loved, so pleasure-inducing as chocolate can be the product of child slavery? Unfortunately, the majority of it is. I have heard about this for some time now, and I&#8217;m ashamed to admit that it took an utterly disturbing <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_8583000/8583499.stm" target="_blank">BBC documentary</a> to hammer the point home (you can watch sections of the documentary and read more details about chocolate slavery at <a href="http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2011/09/here-let-me-ruin-halloween-for-you.html" target="_blank">one of my favorite thoughtful blogs, Rage Against the Minivan</a>.) Hundreds of thousands of West African children, taken forcibly from their parents or sold into servitude, labor on cacao plantations for the raw materials that make the candy we share with <em>our</em> children. How&#8217;s that for irony? Companies like Nestle, Hershey&#8217;s, and Mars&#8211;which by the way, own a whole bunch of other, smaller-seeming companies like Dove and Scharffenberger&#8211;are all guilty of using chocolate from these plantations, and claim no responsibility for their actions, saying it&#8217;s not their fault since they don&#8217;t own the plantations. If you&#8217;re a glutton for punishment, you can learn much more about the horrific lives of these cacao-harvesting children at <a href="http://vision.ucsd.edu/~kbranson/stopchocolateslavery/newsandinformation.html" target="_blank">Stop Chocolate Slavery</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/37349792.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3650" title="37349792" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/37349792.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a></p>
<p>So obviously, at this point I feel my chocolate options are limited, and as much as I crave the occasional Dove bar or handful of M&amp;M&#8217;s, I can no longer enjoy those things knowing they are the products of child slavery. Luckily, there are many smaller companies making fair trade chocolate that don&#8217;t use chocolate from plantations that support child slavery. I like using <a href="http://www.tcho.com/" target="_blank">TCHO chocolate</a>, not only because it tastes great and is made locally in their San Francisco factory, but because they have a transparent supply chain system and have taken a <a href="http://www.tcho.com/tcho-is/no-slavery" target="_blank">firm &#8220;no slavery&#8221; stance</a> as part of their mission. Unfortunately, they don&#8217;t make unsweetened cocoa powder, which is what I use in this recipe. When I buy cocoa powder, I look for brands that say they&#8217;re certified fair trade on the label- like <a href="http://shop.dagobachocolate.com/Baking-Cacao-Powder/p/DAG-BBPOWDER&amp;c=DagobaChocolate@Baking" target="_blank">Dagoba</a> (usually <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dagoba-Organic-Chocolate-Certified-Powder/dp/B001K2HWNU" target="_blank">cheaper on Amazon</a> than on their site), <a href="http://www.sunspire.com/products/organic-fair-trade-unsweetened-cocoa-powder" target="_blank">Sunspire</a>, or <a href="http://www.lakechamplainchocolates.com/hot-chocolate-mix.html" target="_blank">Lake Champlain</a>. Whole Foods&#8217; 365 brand of chocolates are also organic and fair trade, but not all Trader Joe&#8217;s chocolates are. For a list of where other brands stand, you can check the <a href="http://vision.ucsd.edu/~kbranson/stopchocolateslavery/goodchocolateproducts.html" target="_blank">Stop Chocolate Slavery website</a>.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ff3333;"><strong>Recipe: Easy Homemade Hot Cocoa</strong></span><br />
makes 1 large (me-sized) cup or 2 smaller cups</p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">INGREDIENTS:</span></p>
<ul>
<li>1 1/2 cups lowfat milk</li>
<li>2 Tblsp dark brown sugar</li>
<li>2 Tblsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">METHOD:</span></p>
<ul>
<li>Combine everything in a saucepan and whisk until incorporated. Heat over medium heat until milk starts to bubble. Serve immediately.</li>
</ul>


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<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/10/recipe-yosemite-ready-granola-bars-with-dried-cherries-almonds-cocoa-nibs/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe} Yosemite-Ready Granola Bars with Dried Cherries, Almonds, &amp; Cocoa Nibs'>{recipe} Yosemite-Ready Granola Bars with Dried Cherries, Almonds, &#038; Cocoa Nibs</a> <small>Last weekend I had the great fortune to spend some...</small></li>
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		<title>{recipe} Chewy Gingersnaps with Cream Cheese Frosting</title>
		<link>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/10/recipe-chewy-gingersnaps-with-cream-cheese-frosting/</link>
		<comments>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/10/recipe-chewy-gingersnaps-with-cream-cheese-frosting/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:05:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ALL RECIPES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dessert + Sweet Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[autumn cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chewy ginger cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fall cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[frosted cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ginger cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gingersnaps]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[These cookies are the result of a happy accident. My nephew and I made some cream cheese frosting for a banana cake, and we had quite a bit left over. So we did the only thing we could possibly do. We made chewy gingersnaps, frosted them, and topped them with a little bit of candied [...]


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<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/04/two-recipes-savory-cheese-and-sour-cream-souffles-two-ways/' rel='bookmark' title='{two recipes} Savory Cheese and Sour Cream Souffles, Two Ways'>{two recipes} Savory Cheese and Sour Cream Souffles, Two Ways</a> <small>Today was a really weird day. But that&#8217;s a long...</small></li>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>These cookies are the result of a happy accident. My nephew and I made some cream cheese frosting for a banana cake, and we had quite a bit left over. So we did the only thing we could <em>possibly</em> do. We made chewy gingersnaps, frosted them, and topped them with a little bit of candied ginger. What would you have done?</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/gingersnaps.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3627" title="gingersnaps" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/gingersnaps.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="604" /></a></p>
<p><span id="more-3622"></span>I&#8217;m so happy I made these, because not only will I now never waste time eating a cookie that lacks frosting, but I have now found the <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/giant_ginger_cookies/" target="_blank">best ginger cookie recipe</a> on the planet, from <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/" target="_blank">Simply Recipes</a>. They&#8217;re thin but not crispy, chewy but not thick, perfectly spiced and buttery and delicious. For this recipe, I made cookies that were about 2 teaspoons worth of batter, rolled them into balls and flattened them before baking. I didn&#8217;t roll them in sugar since I was planning to add frosting. When you take them out of the oven, they look a little puffy, but they flatten after a few minutes.</p>
<p>When the cookies are cooled, frost them with some cream cheese frosting and stick a little candied ginger on top. I usually don&#8217;t use a recipe for cream cheese frosting &#8211; I put equal parts cream cheese and butter, a little vanilla, a little milk, and some powdered sugar until it&#8217;s the right texture. If you&#8217;re just using these for the cookies, you only need to make a little bit &#8211; starting with 1 1/2 tablespoons each of butter and cream cheese. If you want a recipe, you can try <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cream_cheese_frosting/" target="_blank">this one</a>, but just make a fourth of a recipe.</p>
<p>And good luck trying to eat an unfrosted cookie after you&#8217;ve tried one of these.</p>


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</ol></p>
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		<title>{recipe} Pumpkin Fudge, Four Ways in One Pan</title>
		<link>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/10/recipe-pumpkin-fudge-four-ways-in-one-pan/</link>
		<comments>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/10/recipe-pumpkin-fudge-four-ways-in-one-pan/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:07:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ALL RECIPES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dessert + Sweet Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holiday + Special Occasion Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[candy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chocolate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fudge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hazelnuts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pecans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pumpkin chocolate fudge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pumpkin fudge]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Are you from a picky family? I am. My Mom won&#8217;t touch any nut (besides an almond) with a 10 foot pole, while my Dad thinks that candy without nuts is like a body without a soul. There are lovers and haters of white, milk, and dark chocolate. And don&#8217;t even get me started on [...]


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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Are you from a picky family? I am. My Mom won&#8217;t touch any nut (besides an almond) with a 10 foot pole, while my Dad thinks that candy without nuts is like a body without a soul. There are lovers and haters of white, milk, and dark chocolate. And don&#8217;t even get me started on raisins.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/pumpkin-fudge.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3581" title="pumpkin fudge" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/pumpkin-fudge.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="311" /></a></p>
<p><span id="more-3580"></span>Of course, I could just make a different recipe for each member of the family, but that&#8217;s not always the most practical thing to do. So in this case I decided to adapt a <a href="http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/09/26/pumpkin-fudge/" target="_blank">recipe for pumpkin fudge</a> from <a href="http://www.browneyedbaker.com/" target="_blank">Brown Eyed Baker</a>, and make 4 variations in the same pan. Each quadrant will appeal to a different family member, but I only have to make the fudge one time and dirty out one pan. It&#8217;s win win win win.</p>
<p>I am a big fan of pumpkin, cinnamon, and dark chocolate together, so I made half the recipe with white chocolate as it calls for, and half with dark chocolate. Then I carefully poured each type into one side of a 9&#215;13 pan, then pressed nuts into half of each kind. This yields a quarter pan each (or about 12 small squares) of pumpkin fudge, pumpkin pecan fudge, chocolate pumpkin fudge, and chocolate hazelnut pumpkin fudge. Of course, you can use whatever kind of nuts you like. Heck, I probably should have found a little corner to throw some coconut on for my coco-crazy brother-in-law. Next time.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/pumpkin-fudge-2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3582" title="pumpkin fudge 2" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/pumpkin-fudge-2.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="351" /></a></p>
<p>Now I just have to find another kind of fudge to make for the sister who can&#8217;t stand pumpkin!</p>
<p><span style="color: #ff3333;"><strong>Pumpkin Fudge, Four Ways in One Pan</strong></span><br />
makes one 9&#215;13 pan, 48 small squares or 36 larger squares. You need a candy thermometer for this.</p>
<p>INGREDIENTS:</p>
<ul>
<li>1 cup white sugar</li>
<li>1 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>12 Tblsp butter, cut in pieces</li>
<li>2/3 cup evaporated milk</li>
<li>1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree</li>
<li>2 tsp cinnamon</li>
<li>1/2 tsp ground ginger</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>7 oz. marshmallow creme</li>
<li>1 1/2 tsp vanilla</li>
<li>1 cup white chocolate chips</li>
<li>1 cup dark chocolate chips</li>
<li>handful each of pecan halves and chopped hazelnuts, toasted</li>
</ul>
<p>METHOD:</p>
<ul>
<li>Spray a 9&#215;13 pan with cooking spray or line with foil, allowing to hang over the edges for easy removal.</li>
<li>Put white chocolate in a mixing bowl, and dark chocolate in a smaller bowl. Put both bowls next to the stove.</li>
<li>Put both sugars, butter, evaporated milk, pumpkin, spices, and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring to a full boil. Cook until the mixture reaches about 235 degrees F, which will take about 10-15 minutes.</li>
<li>When mixture reaches 235, turn off the heat. Quickly stir in marshmallow creme and vanilla.</li>
<li>Carefully pour half the mixture into the bowl with the white chocolate and stir with a heat-proof spatula or whisk to melt the chocolate. Add the dark chocolate to the remaining mixture in the pot and stir to melt. (At this stage it&#8217;s nice if you have a helper, but if not, you can do one in each hand.)</li>
<li>Pour lighter fudge into one side of prepared pan. Pour darker fudge into the other side. Smooth with a spatula. When cool enough to touch but still warm enough to manipulate, firmly press hazelnuts into half of chocolate side and pecans into half of white chocolate side.</li>
<li>Let cool for 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate overnight before cutting and serving.</li>
</ul>


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<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/04/two-recipes-savory-cheese-and-sour-cream-souffles-two-ways/' rel='bookmark' title='{two recipes} Savory Cheese and Sour Cream Souffles, Two Ways'>{two recipes} Savory Cheese and Sour Cream Souffles, Two Ways</a> <small>Today was a really weird day. But that&#8217;s a long...</small></li>
</ol></p>
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		<title>{recipe} Cherry Raspberry Pie with Shortbread Crust</title>
		<link>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/09/recipe-cherry-raspberry-pie-with-shortbread-crust/</link>
		<comments>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/09/recipe-cherry-raspberry-pie-with-shortbread-crust/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2011 01:04:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ALL RECIPES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dessert + Sweet Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegetarian Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[berry dessert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[berry pie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cherries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[open-crust pie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[raspberries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[summer dessert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[summer pie]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://offthemeathook.com/?p=3501</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I don&#8217;t often make desserts with cherries, unless it&#8217;s a special request. There are 2 reasons: 1) I don&#8217;t like cherries that much, and 2) cherries have troublesome little pits that must be removed prior to baking them into a dessert. But it turns out a lot of people&#8217;s favorite pie is cherry pie. Why, [...]


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<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/08/summer-in-a-crust-strawberry-pluot-crumb-tart/' rel='bookmark' title='{summer in a crust} Strawberry Pluot Crumb Tart'>{summer in a crust} Strawberry Pluot Crumb Tart</a> <small>This weekend, I went to meet a friend&#8217;s adorable twin...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/03/recipe-individual-citrus-almond-cakes-with-warm-caramel-sauce/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe} Individual Citrus Almond Cakes with Warm Caramel Sauce'>{recipe} Individual Citrus Almond Cakes with Warm Caramel Sauce</a> <small>I saw this lovely looking almond cake on The Kitchenette...</small></li>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I don&#8217;t often make desserts with cherries, unless it&#8217;s a special request. There are 2 reasons: 1) I don&#8217;t like cherries that much, and 2) cherries have troublesome little pits that must be removed prior to baking them into a dessert. But it turns out a lot of people&#8217;s favorite pie is cherry pie. Why, people? With options like blackberry, apple, and sweet potato, how could you pledge your love to cherry? To me there is perhaps nothing less appealing than one of those gummy, syrupy open-crust cherry pies. So I have tried to figure out how to honor the unceasing drumbeat of requests for cherry pie while making something that I, myself, actually find palatable and worth the calories, which has resulted in this recipe for cherry raspberry pie.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/cherry-raspberry-pie.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3510" title="cherry raspberry pie" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/cherry-raspberry-pie.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="307" /></a></p>
<p><span id="more-3501"></span>For the filling, I combine fresh pitted cherries and raspberries with a measure of dried cherries. The dried cherries add sweetness and texture without adding a layer of gelatinous goo, and the raspberries provide some much-needed tartness and filler. Instead of the syrupy center, a simple mix of melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and flour make a more balanced cherry filling that is a much more appealing texture. The mixture goes into a rich and crumbly shortbread cookie crust seasoned with a hint of orange zest.</p>
<p>You can make this in individual tart pans if you prefer how it looks- just keep an eye on the baking time if you&#8217;re using individual pans as they may cook a little more quickly. Either way&#8230; I&#8217;m definitely coming around to cherries as a viable, pie-able option.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ff3333;"><strong>Cherry Raspberry Pie with Shortbread Crust</strong></span><br />
makes one 9-inch or 10-inch pie</p>
<p>INGREDIENTS:</p>
<ul>
<li>1 cup butter, divided</li>
<li>1/2 cup sugar</li>
<li>2 egg yolks</li>
<li>2 T heavy cream</li>
<li>2 cups + 2 T flour, divided</li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
<li>zest and juice of 1 large orange or 2 small oranges</li>
<li>2 1/2 cups pitted cherries</li>
<li>1 cup raspberries</li>
<li>1 cup dried cherries (can substitute dried apricots, cut to raisin- sized morsels)</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla</li>
<li>1/4 cup brown sugar</li>
</ul>
<p>METHOD:</p>
<ul>
<li>With a paddle attachment, 3/4 cup butter and white sugar well, until light and fluffy.</li>
<li>With mixer still going on low speed, add egg yolks and cream one at a time and mix.</li>
<li>Add 2 cups flour, salt, and orange and mix just til combined. The mixture will come together but may still be a little crumbly.</li>
<li>Gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of a 9 or 10 inch pie plate. Put crust in freezer for at least 10 minutes. Heat oven to 375.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 Tblsp butter. Make the filling by combining the cherries, raspberries, and dried cherries with the melted butter, remaining 2 Tblsp flour, vanilla, brown sugar, and orange juice. Mix well and set aside.</li>
<li>Remove pan from freezer. Pour cherry mixture in and spread out evenly.</li>
<li>Bake about 15 minutes or until edges of crust are brown. Cover brown edges with strips of foil or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Andersons-Pie-Crust-Shield/dp/B00004S1BU" target="_blank">one of these</a> and continue baking until center is bubbly, about 30 minutes more.</li>
<li>Remove from oven and let cool a bit. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.</li>
</ul>


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<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/03/recipe-individual-citrus-almond-cakes-with-warm-caramel-sauce/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe} Individual Citrus Almond Cakes with Warm Caramel Sauce'>{recipe} Individual Citrus Almond Cakes with Warm Caramel Sauce</a> <small>I saw this lovely looking almond cake on The Kitchenette...</small></li>
</ol></p>
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		<title>{summer in a crust} Strawberry Pluot Crumb Tart</title>
		<link>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/08/summer-in-a-crust-strawberry-pluot-crumb-tart/</link>
		<comments>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/08/summer-in-a-crust-strawberry-pluot-crumb-tart/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:28:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ALL RECIPES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dessert + Sweet Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crumb tart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crumble]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fruit dessert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[martha stewart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pluot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[raspberry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strawberry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[summer dessert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tart]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://offthemeathook.com/?p=3464</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This weekend, I went to meet a friend&#8217;s adorable twin baby girls for the first time. Somehow I knew they&#8217;d be sweet as sugar, so I wanted to bring the new parents a homemade summer dessert to reward them for all of their hard work in these first few months of parenthood. I used a [...]


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<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/05/recipe-spring-tart-with-favas-asparagus-ramps-and-fromage-blanc/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe} Spring Tart with Favas, Asparagus, Ramps, and Fromage Blanc'>{recipe} Spring Tart with Favas, Asparagus, Ramps, and Fromage Blanc</a> <small>This is a tart that practically screams &#8220;SPRING!!!!&#8221;&#8211;and as the...</small></li>
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</ol>

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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This weekend, I went to meet a friend&#8217;s adorable twin baby girls for the first time. Somehow I knew they&#8217;d be sweet as sugar, so I wanted to bring the new parents a homemade summer dessert to reward them for all of their hard work in these first few months of parenthood.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/strawberry-pluot-tart-1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3467" title="strawberry pluot tart 1" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/strawberry-pluot-tart-1.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="691" /></a></p>
<p><span id="more-3464"></span>I used a <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/356361/raspberry-plum-crumb-tart" target="_blank">recipe from Martha Stewart</a> that called for raspberries and plums, but the pluots and strawberries at my local market were too good to pass up, so I used them instead. I ended up using 2 pretty big pluots and about a cup of strawberries, quartered. Aside from that substitution, I followed Martha&#8217;s recipe to a T. First, you make a crumbly dough of hazelnuts, butter, flour, sugar, and cinnamon and press most of it into a springform pan for the crust. After 20 minutes in the oven, you add sliced fruit to the crust, top it with a simple custard mixture, and sprinkle the remaining dough on top. Another 45 minutes of baking time, and you&#8217;ve got summer in a crust.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/strawberry-plout-tart-2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3468" title="strawberry plout tart 2" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/strawberry-plout-tart-2.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="750" /></a>It was hard not to resist eating it warm right out of the oven, but I thought it would be rude to bring a half-eaten tart. We delivered it with a couple flavors of Bi-Rite Creamery ice cream, and the gooey, crumby, custardy, fruity concoction was a hit all around. Added bonus: with the parents distracted by dessert, I got the twins all to myself!</p>
<p>Find the recipe <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/356361/raspberry-plum-crumb-tart" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p>P.S. I want to point out a few things about the photos. I recently went to the <a href="http://foodandlight.net/" target="_blank">Food and Light workshop</a> in Boulder to learn from four of the world&#8217;s food photo masters (<a href="http://whiteonricecouple.com/" target="_blank">White on Rice Couple</a>, <a href="http://userealbutter.com/" target="_blank">Jen Yu</a>, and <a href="http://mattikaarts.com/blog/" target="_blank">Matt Wright</a>). I&#8217;m working on a long and overwrought post about it, but in the meantime I&#8217;d like to report that I found myself using not one but two of the useful things I learned in the workshop. One: If you&#8217;re making some messy fruit crumbly thing that&#8217;s just going to look all brown once it&#8217;s cooked, keep a little of the fruit out and put it on top so the end result will make a prettier picture. Two: bounce light off a white board (or in my case, a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Periodic-Table-Elements-Placemat-Ruskin/dp/B000H6F4W6" target="_blank">periodic table placemat</a>) to fill in light and get rid of unsightly shadows. Thank you Todd, Diane, Jen, and Matt!</p>


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<li><a href='http://offthemeathook.com/2011/05/recipe-spring-tart-with-favas-asparagus-ramps-and-fromage-blanc/' rel='bookmark' title='{recipe} Spring Tart with Favas, Asparagus, Ramps, and Fromage Blanc'>{recipe} Spring Tart with Favas, Asparagus, Ramps, and Fromage Blanc</a> <small>This is a tart that practically screams &#8220;SPRING!!!!&#8221;&#8211;and as the...</small></li>
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</ol></p>
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		<title>{recipe} Sexy Salted Caramel Brownies, or, The Only Brownies I Will Ever Make Again</title>
		<link>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/06/recipe-sexy-salted-caramel-brownies-or-the-only-brownies-i-will-ever-make-again/</link>
		<comments>http://offthemeathook.com/2011/06/recipe-sexy-salted-caramel-brownies-or-the-only-brownies-i-will-ever-make-again/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jul 2011 04:57:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ALL RECIPES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dessert + Sweet Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holiday + Special Occasion Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brownies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[caramel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chocolate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fleur de sel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[salt dessert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[salted caramel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://offthemeathook.com/?p=3292</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last night I had an esteemed guest for dinner&#8211;the mayor of Palo Alto, Sid Espinosa. With his impressive pedigree, I was expecting someone very business-like and maybe even a little straight-laced&#8230; but he took one bite of these brownies and started saying utterly obscene things about them. This blog is strictly PG and I want [...]


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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Last night I had an esteemed guest for dinner&#8211;the <a href="http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/depts/cou/news/details.asp?NewsID=946&amp;TargetID=276" target="_blank">mayor of Palo Alto, Sid Espinosa</a>. With his impressive pedigree, I was expecting someone very business-like and maybe even a little straight-laced&#8230; but he took one bite of these brownies and started saying utterly <em>obscene</em> things about them. This blog is strictly PG and I want to make sure he comes over for dinner again, so I&#8217;m just going to leave it at that.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/saltedcaramelbrownie2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3295" title="saltedcaramelbrownie2" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/saltedcaramelbrownie2.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="488" /></a></p>
<p>Another esteemed guest emailed this morning and referred to me as &#8220;maker of the most wonderful brownies known to man.&#8221;</p>
<p>Simply put, I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;ll ever make another kind of brownie. I think you&#8217;d be hard pressed to find a brownie that tastes better than these!</p>
<p><span id="more-3292"></span>I saw the recipe on <a href="http://www.brokenrecord.ca/foodblog/?p=461&amp;cpage=1" target="_blank">Broken Record</a>, who got it from the <a href="http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/06/07/sweet-and-salty-brownies/" target="_blank">Brown Eyed Baker</a>. I did some things a little differently than either of them, so I&#8217;m rewriting the recipe here with my own instructions. But I thank them from the bottom of my heart for inspiring this fabulous recipe.</p>
<p><a href="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/saltedcaramelbrownie.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3296" title="saltedcaramelbrownie" src="http://offthemeathook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/saltedcaramelbrownie.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Sexy Salted Caramel Brownies</strong></p>
<p>makes a 9&#215;13 pan of very rich brownies and you will be surprised how few people it serves in the end since everyone will want to eat at least 2 or 3</p>
<p>Ingredients:</p>
<p><em>for the caramel:</em></p>
<ul>
<li>1 cup white sugar</li>
<li>2 Tblsp light corn syrup</li>
<li>1/2 cup heavy cream</li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/4 cup sour cream</li>
</ul>
<p><em>for the brownie batter:</em></p>
<ul>
<li>11 oz. dark chocolate (I used 70% cacao)</li>
<li>1 cup butter, cut in pieces</li>
<li>2 Tblsp dark cocoa powder</li>
<li>1/2 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed</li>
<li>1 1/2 cups white sugar</li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
<li>5 eggs</li>
<li>2 tsp vanilla</li>
<li>1 1/4 cups flour</li>
</ul>
<div><em>for sprinkling on top:</em></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Fleur de sel</li>
<li>coarse raw (turbinado) sugar</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>Method:</p>
<p><em>for the caramel:</em></p>
<ul>
<li>Put sugar and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan (preferably with a light colored bottom so you can see the color.) Add enough water to make the consistency of wet sand, about 1/4 cup. Swirl the pan to combine sugar and water.</li>
<li>Turn the heat on high and let cook, without stirring, until the sugar turns a dark amber color. If one part of the pan is turning brown and the other part isn&#8217;t, swirl the pan a little to mix it together.</li>
<li>Turn off the heat and carefully whisk in the cream to stop the caramelization. Add the salt and the sour cream and stir with a whisk. Set aside to cool.</li>
</ul>
<p><em>for the brownie batter: </em></p>
<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9&#215;13 inch pan with foil, folding it over the edges (you&#8217;ll be glad you did this!) Spray with cooking spray or lightly butter.</li>
<li>Using the microwave or a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter together until completely melted.</li>
<li>Off the heat, stir in the cocoa powder and the sugars, mixing with a whisk.</li>
<li>Add 3 eggs and whisk to completely combine. Add remaining 2 eggs and vanilla and whisk to combine.</li>
<li>Add the flour and switch to a rubber spatula to mix it in gently until no pieces of white remain.</li>
</ul>
<p><em>to assemble and bake:</em></p>
<ul>
<li>Pour half the brownie batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly with the spatula.</li>
<li>Pour most of the caramel over the brownie batter, reserving about 1/4 cup of it. Try not to get too much up against the edges, but do get a nice even layer over the bulk of the batter.</li>
<li>Dip the rubber spatula into the remaining batter and get a big glop of it on the spatula. Let the batter fall off the spatula in a wide ribbon over the caramel as you move across the pan. Repeat until you use all the batter and have covered up the caramel. If it&#8217;s not all covered, use the spatula to gently spread the batter. It&#8217;s OK if a little caramel is peeking out, though.</li>
<li>Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake another 20-25 minutes, until a knife in the center comes out clean (clean of brownie, anyway &#8211; it might have some caramel on it.)</li>
<li>As soon as you pull the brownies out of the oven, drizzle the remaining caramel over the top as evenly as possible.</li>
<li>Sprinkle immediately with a handful of turbinado sugar and a healthy pinch or two of fleur de sel.</li>
<li>Let cool and cut at room temperature. You can store them in the fridge if you&#8217;re not eating them right away, but bring them back to room temperature before eating. Don&#8217;t leave them out for too long or they&#8217;ll get very gooey and oozy.</li>
</ul>


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