PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

Super easy. Food processor does most of the work. Then the dough rests in the fridge, you can too, although I advise you not to be inside the fridge for that. Slice and bake. Gilding the lily with some white chocolate is optional.

PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES
(slightly modified from Leite’s Culinaria)

113 g butter, very cold, cut in pieces (1 stick)
1 cup flour (about 125g)
1/4 cup sugar (50g)
1/2 cup roasted, salted pistachios
1/2 tsp vanilla paste
white chocolate for decoration (optional)

Pulse the flour, granulated sugar, pistachios, and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor until the pistachios are finely ground. Scatter the butter pieces in the food processor and pulse several times to cut the butter into the flour. Stop pulsing when the ingredients just start to come together.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a log about 2 inches in diameter and 10 inches long. Place the log on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Tightly roll the wrap around the log and twist the ends to seal them securely. Refrigerate for 2 hours or a few days.

Heat the oven to 325ºF. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Cut the chilled cookie dough into 1/2-inch-thick coins and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Lightly brush the top of each shortbread cookie with water and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden brown on both top and bottom. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Optional step: drizzle tempered white chocolate or melted compound white chocolate over the cookie.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I cut the dough in two pieces and made two individual small logs, each being enough for 10 cookies. The first one got dusted with demerara sugar, but it kind of disappeared during baking. I decided to decorate that batch with white chocolate to give it a little more pizzazz. The second batch I dusted with coarse sanding sugar, and left it alone after baking. The cookies are delicious, melt in the mouth, with perfect pistachio flavor.

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12Aug2025

PAPPARDELLE WITH SCALLOPS AND ROASTED ARTICHOKES

Posted in Pasta & Noodles, Seafood by sallybr

Since I’ve found out you can get a jar of artichokes hearts, drain it and roast the pieces until brown at the edges, I cannot stop using them. As topping for pizza, addition to pasta, even salads. In this recipe, it joins lemons and scallops. A wonderful dinner for a Saturday night…

PAPPARDELLE WITH SCALLOPS AND ROASTED ARTICHOKES
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

1 or 2 bottles of artichoke hearts, in brine, oil or water, drained
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound pappardelle
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
¼ cup torn basil leaves
12 large scallops seasoned to taste with salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 tablespoon butter

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently pat the artichoke hearts with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. If they were packed in oil, simply roast them as they are. If they were in brine or water, drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil all over the pieces and proceed to roasting for 20 minutes in a single layer. Flip the pieces and roast for 5 to 10 minutes longer, until edges are turning golden. Reserve. You can do this step in advance.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes or according to package directions. While the pasta cooks, in a serving dish large enough to accommodate it, add the lemon juice, lemon zest, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, whisk to combine.

Cook the scallops. Dry them very well, season with salt and pepper. Add the tablespoon of oil and butter to a skillet, once very hot, cook the scallops, 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Reserve.

Once the pasta is cooked, remove 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and add to the bowl with lemon, seasonings and olive oil. Toss well, adjust consistency with the reserved pasta water, add fresh basil and serve with the scallops and the roasted artichokes.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Pappardelle is pretty substantial, so this is by no means a light pasta dish. But everything worked well together. I am pretty addicted to roasting artichoke hearts. If they are packed in brine, the roasted artichokes get almost like a little hint of capers and olives, which of course is just the brine speaking. I love it. But you can also use frozen artichoke hearts and add herbs of your liking.

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THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Thai-Inspired Pork Tenderloin

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: A yummy Brazilian cake: Bolo de Fuba’

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SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Leaving on a jet plane…

7Aug2025

BANANA CUPCAKES WITH HONEY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Posted in Cake by sallybr

These cupcakes are like little bursts of sunshine on a plate… apart from a marbled buttercream, I added compound chocolate discs made by spreading the melted product over transfer sheets (click here for my favorite source), allowing to set and cutting small circles with a cookie cutter.

BANANA CUPCAKES WITH HONEY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
(adapted from several sources)

makes 16 cupcakes

2 cups ( 260g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups (350g) mashed bananas
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup ( 100g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup ( 60g) sour cream at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, at room temperature

Heat the oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside. Cream the butter and both sugars together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla, then beat on medium-high speed until combined. Beat in the mashed banana. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the buttermilk until combined.

Spoon the batter into the liners to no more than 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

HONEY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

2 + ½ cups (300g) confectioners’ sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat all ingredients until smooth.Divide in two portions, leave one white, and yellow food coloring to the other half. Add both batters side by side into a piping bag fitted with a tip 1M to add a swirl to the top of each cupcake. Stick a little decoration if so desired.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I have not tried the cupcakes but got very nice reviews once I donated them. The chocolate decor is a nice touch, but of course, can be omitted to make life easier. I usually make the discs every time I use chocolate transfer sheets to make chocolate-covered Oreos, so I simply save them in a little plastic container at room temperature.

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2Aug2025

TWO INCREDIBLY SIMPLE RECIPES

Posted in Incredibly simple, Salads, Side dishes, Veggies by sallybr

The first one is truly simple because you actually make the potatoes a day or two before, but the recipe itself qualified to be in this folder when I first published it in 2023. Check it out here. I always make one or two extra potatoes so that I have leftovers. Because, how could you resist these?

Simply grab the leftover roasted potatoes from the fridge, and cut in slices that should not be too thin, not overly thick, as they will warm up exclusively on the skillet. Add olive oil to the pan, once it is really hot, add the slices and brown them on both sides. Add a little more salt to serve. They will be super creamy inside and get that superb crust all over. Addictive, I tell you.

The second one was featured recently in the New York Times with a lot of praise by the readers. It seemed a bit odd, very few ingredients, kind of monochromatic. But we were both quite impressed by the flavor and texture. I share with you my version, which is slightly modified from the original one. A bit of olive oil and dill were brought to play.

CUCUMBER-AVOCADO SALAD
(modified from The New York Times)

1 large English cucumber
Kosher salt
2 very ripe avocados
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
drizzle of olive oil
fresh or dried dill to taste
red pepper flakes for serving, to taste

Peel the cucumbers in alternating strips and trim ends. Halve lengthwise and slice thin. Transfer to a colander and sprinkle 1 to 2 tsp kosher salt all over the slices. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Halve the avocados and remove the pits. Using a spoon, remove the flesh from the skins, then cut the flesh into ½-inch cubes. Transfer to a large bowl, add the lemon juice and season with salt. Stir to combine.

Shake the cucumbers in the colander to get rid of any excess moisture, rinse briefly then transfer to the bowl with the avocado. Drizze olive oil, and add dill. Mix well but gently, the avocado should start getting creamy and cover all the slices of cucumber. That is a good thing. Serve with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, if so desired.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

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28Jul2025

SOURDOUGH FEAST

Posted in Breads by sallybr

A few ideas for decorating your sourdough bread, no matter the recipe. My default favorite is this one.

RAZOR BLADE + SCISSORS + CHOPSTICKS

I love how you can mix different methods to score the surface. The steps for this one are shown below. I use a string to mark the four quadrants, the straight lines and leaf pattern are made with a razor blade. Scissors come to made the cuts on the crossed lines, and finally chopsticks make small holes to finish the decoration.

It is simple and effective….

Another version relying on razor blade + scissors…

The scoring is quite straightforward, following the steps in the diagram below…

.

STAR SHAPE + LEAVES

For this one only a razor blade was used, after marking the different sections with a string.
Steps are shown below.

STENCIL + AIR-BRUSHING

I had a little problem with the air-brushing. The stencil was small and some of the edges of the bread were hit with a little spray of red. Something to keep in mind if you use this method, make sure to protect the surface before applying color. You can see the problem more clearly before baking.

LACE DESIGN

After proofing the bread overnight in the fridge, I inverted it and placed a lace fabric on top, showered with tapioca flour, made a central slit and baked it.

SIMPLE SLITS