pineapple apple mint juice

pineapple apple and mint juice is what i like to drink when i feel motivated enough to get out the juicer and juice things.
it's so good. srrslyyy.

Pineapple Apple Mint Juice

1 pineapple, skin removed and diced

3 green apples

1 cup fresh mint

gather, and juice. 

brown butter blueberry cranberry muffins

honey, you baked!

baked what?

baked muffins.

muffins for americuh. red white and blue. and brown butter.

the best most crummy and delicious muffins can be made right now, if you get up off your bed and out of child's pose.
you need things from the pantry like flour and baking powder, things from the fridge like milk and butter. and things from the freezer like frozen blueberries.

i'm gonna have to advise you to lick this batter. brown butter is one of the great wonders of the food world, you know.

is that not the prettiest crumb?
the baking nerdiness is reaching new heights with sentences like that.

the batter yielded me 11 muffins. all the muffins shouldn't have to sacrifice just so you can have one extra muffin.

mad respect.

Brown Butter Blueberry Cranberry Muffins

adapted from this wonder

7 tbsp unsalted butter

1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup fresh cranberries

for the topping:
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 tbsp sugar

preheat the oven to 375 degreesF. 
melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat while keeping an eye on it, melt and cook down the butter until it starts crackling and little brown bits appear. butter will begin to brown and brown quickly so keep a close eye on it and pull it off heat as soon as the butter is evenly browned. careful to burn! set aside to cool a bit. 
whisk milk, egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. add brown butter and stir to combine. 
whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. add milk and butter mixture all at once and stir gently to combine. gently fold in the cranberries and blueberries. 
to make the topping, combine the butter flour and sugar in a small bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly. 
divide the batter among muffin cups ( i got 11 muffins). sprinkle topping over the tops. 
bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. cool in pan set on a rack for a few minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature. 

tis le season

tis le season.....for toddies!

for apple cakes and apple breads.

for squashy things and lots of soup.

for vegetables nestled into cheese. (fennel white bean gratin is a dream)

and for pumpkin EVERYTHING.

 bread and pancakes. coffee cake and black and white cookies.

pecan pie is a celebrity today. pecan pie with tangerine and bourbon is something i long for.

cheers to us! this is our day to hang in pajamas all day, start drinking too early, lovingly make fun of family members, and perhaps eat our brains out.

happy thanksgiving!

pumpkin pecan bread + instagram lovin

well hello humans, happy day to you.

i've been working. working. working. then, finally, lazing.

mondays. everyone's least favorite. my most favorite. walking dead in the morning. oats, apples, peanut butter. sleepy afternoons. schooling myself on bread, and mastering the art of caffeine overload.
i'm looking forward to another.

do i sound redundant lately? my life has been severely redundant.

nights with candles and a fan blowing into my face.

this was the sky one morning/night when i walked into work.

and later that same day, the sky when i walked out of work.

this is a grapefruit.

and dinner. spinach + cheese ravioli tossed with apples arugula and hazelnuts. with roasted purple cauliflower

lusting over old ovens. turquoise ones.

halloween stash.

some pumpkin pecan bread. bread that vegans can eat.

if you want the recipe to this vegan pumpkin pecan bread, i will write it for you. if you have a bunch of eggs and want to flick vegans, calm down, make pancakes.

Vegan Pumpkin Pecan Bread

adapted from joy the baker

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup water
1 cup chopped toasted peans 

preheat the oven to 350 degreesF. grease two 8x4 inch loaf pans and set aside. in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. in another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, maple syrup, and water. add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold together with a spatula. fold in the pecans. 
divide dough between the two pans and bake 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. let them cool in the pans for 10-20 minutes and then invert onto a rack to cool. 

double ginger sugar cookies

two cookies sit on a table. one chocolate chip. the other, a sugar cookie.

the chocolate chip looks at the sugar and scoffs. it knows that it is the front runner, cherished and beloved by all across this (great..?) nation.
it knows that people want it. and it knows that if it's anytime but christmas, it's gonna kick the sugar cookie's desserty ass.

let me lay down the law.
unless you, you pretentious chocolate chip cookie, are one of These kin, still barely warm from the oven...which you are probably absolutely not...i'm swiping the sugar cookie, leaving you on the table left to wallow.

these sugar cookies are great because they have ginger in them and then ginger again.
candied and ground.
they are simple + oomph.
i have a serious thing for ginger.

stash this recipe away, and churn them up on any random chilly day.

frost them. sandwich them. dot them with caramel puddles. leave them plain.
cooooooooookies, Yes.

don't share them with anyone dumb.

Double Ginger Sugar Cookies

from food and wine

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

in a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the crystallized and ground ginger, baking soda, and salt. in a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle, or using a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. beat in the egg yolk and vanilla, scraping down the sides. beat in the dry ingredients at medium-low speed. divide the dough in half and pat each into a round, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. 

preheat the oven to 350. on a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough 1/8 inch thick. using a 2 inch cutter, stamp out rounds and arrange on baking sheets. bake for about 20 minutes, until golden, turning the pans halfway through baking. 
right when i took them out of the oven i smashed them down softly with the flat bottom of a glass. this is totally optional. 
let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely. 

butternut squash lasagna

ba ba black sheep, have you any lasagna?
yes sir, yes sir, i'm hoarding a whole pan.

when it's just as dark when you go into work as it is when you leave work, lasagna pan hoarding is so completely fine.
feck you skinny pregnant gisele.

butternut squash lasagna.
three cheeses showed up. ricotta, parmesan, and mozz. and they are all friends and love each other.
there is spinach and caramelized onions and béchamel.

my favorite part about making béchamel is stirring in the nutmeg. it just smells like you are doing things right.

Butternut Squash Lasagna 

adapted from the kitchy kitchen

4 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

20 oz spinach, washed and dry

2 large onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup red or white wine, i used white

1 lb lasagna sheets

12 oz ricotta

2 balls fresh buffalo mozzarella

1-2 cups regular mozzarella, grated (depending on how much cheese you'd like)

few handfuls of parmesan, grated

chili flakes

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup basil, julienned

olive oil

butter

hot sauce

for the béchamel:

1 3/4 pints milk

few sprigs of parsley

1/4 tsp nutmeg

10 peppercorns

1/2 tsp chili flakes

1 bay leaf

6 tbsp butter

1/2 cup flour

2/3 cup grated parmesan

preheat the oven to 425 degreesF. drizzle the butternut squash with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with coarse salt and fresh black pepper. roast for half an hour, until tender and browned. meanwhile, over medium heat saute spinach in a few tbsps of olive oil,  2 cloves of minced garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes. let the spinach wilt down, then remove from pan onto a plate lined with a couple paper towels. next caramelize the onions. melt 1 tbsp butter and a tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. add the onions and a large pinch of salt and cook down for about 30-40 minutes, halfway through caramelizing, stir in the wine and the remaining 2 cloves of minced garlic. the onions are done when they are a rich brown color, sweet and caramely. set aside. 

boil the lasagna sheets until al dente. set them aside in a bowl of water. 

to make the béchamel: bring the milk and all the ingredients except the butter, flour, and parmesan to a simmer. in a separate sauce pan, melt the butter and add the flour. stir until doughy and nutty smelling, about 1 minute. strain in the milk mixture a cup at a time, whisking to incorporate with the butter and flour. it should be smooth and velvety. add the parmesan and set aside. 

slice the buffalo mozzarella. 

preheat the oven to 375. in a large baking dish, place a layer of noodles, some onions and spinach, the mozzarella, dot with a third of the ricotta, some basil, and then cover with 1/4 of the béchamel. repeat 3 times, and finish with remaining béchamel and parmesan. bake for 25 minutes, or until bubbling. turn the broiler on and bake for another 5 minutes until browned and crisp on top. allow to sit for a little and then dig in. 

serve with a bunch of hot sauce.