Sweet Mary

Brandied Cherry Pear Tart

Well, I hope you all enjoyed the holiday. Although I had a great time with the family, I am always glad to check one holiday off the list! I try not to worry about blogging and photographing when I am not in or around Providence, so I am just going to keep this dessert post short and sweet. 

I made a 10-inch Brandied Cherry Pear Tart from a recipe on Epicurious. For some reason, I was worried this tart wouldn't be good; however, I was wrong.  It was quite delicious. Rather than make tartlettes, I made one large tart to keep things simple and kept it rather rustic looking because I forgot my small cookie cutters and sharp knives. In addition, I started running out of time, as I was making this dessert on Thanksgiving morning and I have one nephew who starts to get really impatient and excited upon waiting for his aunts and grandmother to arrive on holidays. He's the one and only child in our family, so that's got to be rough! In fact, the tart was still cooling as we drove to my brother's house.

Rather than reprint the recipe here, you can click on the Epicurious link above. It really was a lovely and simple flavor combination that worked well after a heavy Thanksgiving meal. I used tart dried cherries because I could not find sour dried cherries, which was perfectly fine, and topped it with some unsweetened homemade whipped cream.  

Blog of the Week

I just realized that Rachel of Coconut & Lime has designated Sweet Mary her blog of the week.  Now, that's something to be thankful for!  So, thanks!

Grace

It's always tough to explain to people why the Allen's bucked years of tradition and no longer eat turkey on Thanksgiving.  In my efforts to explain why we now choose a fresh ham (which I definitely prefer), I am always hit with a fit of giggles. My family used to do turkey twice in a row for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, essentially we ate turkey in various forms for about two months. As we grew older, it just felt excessive and maybe even a bit wasteful because no one seemed to want to take on all the leftovers or the dreaded turkey carcass...not to mention, you just get sick of it! You have to remember I come from an Italian household where there was always way too much food, so leftovers around the holidays could be quite an ordeal. As an adult, I always got off easy when it came to dealing with the carcass because I had to travel home (i.e. California, Vermont, North Carolina, Maryland, etc.).  It was a great excuse.  So, when Thanksgiving shifted to my brother's house years ago, he and his wife muscled up and made turkey for quite a while but got very tired of leftovers and skeletons for weeks on end. Before giving up on turkey entirely, my sister bravely took on the carcass which caused her to hit her limit, too.  Mind you,  over the years, there were a ton of carcass practical jokes and antics and there might even be a short film of the last carcass floating down a creek in Rosendale, New York....but I can't be sure! And, after all the carcass craziness, my brother announced one year that we were having fresh ham. And, we've never looked back.  

The Allens now do a very simple scaled down Thanksgiving. I like it so much better this way. It's most definitely a communal effort and there are no carcasses to deal with and leftovers are kept to a minimum. And, the fresh ham still goes with all the Thanksgiving fixings so tradition isn't lost completely.  It's really a lovely meal and we have plenty of time to just hang out and enjoy each other. To me, that is certainly what it's all about.

Anyway, I am strolling down memory lane today rather than posting anything new.  I will be baking some Pumpkin Spice Bread for a colleague at work for her Thanksgiving and that's about it until I get to New York on Wednesday and start my Thanksgiving dessert.  

I wish you all a lovely holiday and hope you enjoy your family and friends. And, a shout out to all of my extended family (i.e. the blood relatives, but also my friends on the west coast, in Baltimore, and beyond)...I am certainly sending you my love.  And, let us not forget to be as generous and helpful as possible...because that's the true definition of grace in my eyes.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Wow, I just realized that I breezed by my 200th post without even realizing it. I've been running this blog for a little over 2 years now and I guess all the recipes and stories add up. Here's to making it to post number 400!  

You know, I really admire people who run their blogs for long periods of time and manage to keep things fresh. It's not easy at times.  I know I mentioned a name and format change a while back but I've been super slow to just get it done and move forward. Not only do I need to cut myself a little slack because I do work a full time job that takes up most of my time during the week, but I think I am attached to the name Sweet Mary and haven't wanted to give it up just yet (although I did pick a new name).  

Anyway, this weekend I made some Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies. I know a few chocolate lovers who will be all over these as they pack a double dose of chocolate and have a nice crisp but chewy texture. I used a combination of white and brown sugar to get a chewier texture.  Please note that these cookies will spread and are not thick or dense. With two sticks of butter and a cup each of white and brown sugar, the result will be a spread out crispy yet chewy cookie. Make sure you chill the dough before using and cool the pan off in between bakes so you don't get too much spread.

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 F.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place butter, white sugar, and light brown sugar. Mix on medium until light and fluffy, approximately 30 to 60 seconds. Add eggs one at a time and mix until well incorporated. Then, add vanilla and mix until combined.  

Turn mixer on low and add flour mixture in two stages until just combined. Do not over mix. Then, add the chocolate chips and nuts (if you are using them) and mix until combined. You can do this in the mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon.  

Cover dough with plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes until set in the middle.  Rotate pan halfway through. Be very careful. It is easy to over bake these cookies.  The chocolate will still look a bit wet and this is OK. If you over bake them, they will be rock hard. Take them out of the oven and let them cool on the pan for 1-2 minutes. Then, transfer them to a cooling rack using a metal spatula.  Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Food Art

I was just catching up on my food blog reading and found a piece on food tattoos over on Chow.  You could say these folks are a bit wacky, but, hey, why not make your love for food a permanent fixture on your body?  I'd also like to point out that the first shot of the hot dog tattoo is from a guy here in Providence paying homage to Olneyville NY System, THE place in Rhode Island to get your dogs.   I also like the tattoo of the cuts of meat on a pig because it's informative for anyone who cares to take a gander.  Very nice.

Autumn Pie Class

That's a Spiced Pumpkin Pie from today's Autumn Pie class. I'd say my three students and I had a great time learning about, making, and sampling some classic fall pies (Cinnamon Apple Crumb, Spiced Pumpkin, and Maple Bourbon Pecan). I particularly enjoy teaching when people consider themselves baking and/or cooking challenged or phobic. It's simply not true! I really do believe everyone can cook and bake. So, sharing a few tips and skills and coaching people while they are giving it all a try is always a blast for me. So, a big thanks to Carolyn from my book/food club, Melissa (friend of Carolyn), and Betsy (from my Biscotti class) for signing up today! You did great and you're ready to rock and roll in your own kitchen! And, I'm only a phone call away if you need assistance. Here are some photos.

That's me talking about the finer points of makin' pies.

Here's Carolyn prepping her butter for her pie dough.  

Such concentration!

Who let Betsy in the class?  She's a pro!

That's Melissa...see how much fun pie dough with Sweet 

Mary can be!

Betsy's Cinnamon Apple Crumb Pie...yum!

Thoughts of Thanksgiving

I am having a really hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  I have so much going on at the moment that it is making me just a tad nervous because I simply do not want to be throwing an unplanned dessert together last minute on Thanksgiving day. So, as I was prepping my Autumn Pie class (which is today at the Learning Connection) and thinking about those delicious pies we're going to make in class, I also started thinking about what to make for the holiday. Luckily, my family is very easy to please when it comes to desserts. In fact, I think we truly are a pie family. Just give us a buttery flaky crust and some seasonal fruit and we're good to go.

Here are a few ideas I came across in my surfing that seemed worthy of a holiday dessert.  I am leaning toward some variation of the Brandied Sour Cherry and Pear Tartlets.  I would love to hear some of your ideas, so please post a comment and share!  As for my family, now is your chance to write in and vote!

Pear and Dried Cherry Pie from Martha

Brandied Sour Cherry and Pear Tartlets from Epicurious

Caramelized Nut Tart from Simply Recipes

Pumpkin Creme Brulee from Epicurious

Fall Pumpkin Cheesecakes from Myrecipes.com

Brandied Pear-Walnut Tart with Maple Ice Cream from Chow

Vanilla-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Bourbon Glaze

Although I am not a big fan of Halloween, I found myself going to a local party this weekend where costumes were required and I didn't really know a soul. That word "required" always makes me shudder a little. My rebellious and free spirit automatically feels cagey when I'm told I have to do something! However, I sucked it up this year and threw on parts of my old student chef uniform and classed it up a bit and, voila, instant costume that certainly ended up sparking a lot of conversation all night about cooking and food, which I didn't mind at all. Honestly, the last time I "dressed up" for Halloween was 9 years ago when I turned my 1987 senior prom dress (imagine god awful black taffeta to the floor, ruffles, mesh, sequins...kind of goth looking, actually) into the creepiest most spidery zombie costume ever. I was unrecognizable and small children turned away in horror as I drove through Brooklyn on my way to a party. I certainly won't deny having tons of fun that night! And, I'll have to keep that in mind for the future because I think creepy costumes are way more interesting and fun on Halloween.

Anyway, I did bake another bundt cake for the party last night.  I gave Joy the Baker's Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake a try.  She adapted this recipe from Gourmet magazine. I adapted it again a bit by omitting the orange flavor and zest, adding a bit more vanilla (one more teaspoon), and making a bourbon glaze to drizzle on top. All in all, it was a good cake, although I will say it was a bit dry. The use of the cake flour made it super light and fluffy, which I loved. I did, however, want the chocolate section to be far more rich than it was. Next time, I might melt some dark chocolate and add it into the chocolate batter (or, something like that). And, regarding the bourbon glaze, it tasted very boubon-y before adding it to the cake. However, when I tasted the cake later, I could barely taste the bourbon. So, I'd add a heck of a lot more bourbon to the glaze so that taste would really soak in good. Click on the link above for the recipe. The bourbon glaze is below.

2 cups confectioner's sugar

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup bourbon

Combine and whisk together until smooth.  Drizzle over cake when still warm.

Forgetful

After baking that beautiful pumpkin bread last week, I, somehow, forgot to send my photo and recipe link in to Dessert First to participate in Sugar High Friday.  I won't make any excuses for totally spacing on this one; however, just because I flaked doesn't mean you shouldn't check out all the wonderful spiced up recipes on Dessert First.