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Chonky Boys: The Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches that Scream Summer!

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Featuring my thick and nuggy Chonky Boy Chocolate Chip Cookies, these ice cream sandwiches are the stuff that summer dreams are made of.  If you've ever had the Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich at Disneyland , you are going to LOVE these!  These big and bold chocolate chip cookies are based on a recipe from my culinary school studies at Auguste Escoffier, but with a few modifications to give them that Jennuine touch.  They make the perfectas book for a fat slice of real vanilla bean ice cream.  And those mini chips?  You just gotta have that extra cronch! Thank goodness this recipe only makes 8 sandwiches, otherwise I would be eating them for breakfast lunch and dinner.  This way, my big family can help save me from my inner child diet-saboteur.   Print With Image Without Image Chonky Boy Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches Yield: 8 Author: Jenn Erickson Loaded with chocolate chips and buttery, brown-sugary vanilla flavor, these mall-sized cookie...

Summer Foraging Recipe: Elderberry-Blueberry Jam with Chia Seeds

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In the woodland valleys of Central California, Elderflower trees have been in bloom all spring with their prolific, lacy white blossoms.  I've enjoyed making Elderflower syrup, candied elderflowers and sweet Elderflower Tempura.  A few days ago, I noticed that some of the trees are starting to bear fruit -- diminutive, tart little berries, deep purplish-blue growing in heavy clusters.   Inspired by a love of biscuits and jam, foraging, and adapted from a recipe from Simply Beyond Herbs , I whipped up a simple and delicious jam made from the foraged Elderberries, fresh blueberries and using chia seeds for a perfect jammy consistency. Enjoy and Happy Foraging! Print With Image Without Image Elderberry-Blueberry Chia Jam Yield: One half-pint jar Author: Jenn Erickson Prep time: 10 M Cook time: 10 M Total time: 20 M An easy and delicious sweet-tart jam to make from foraged Elderberries. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups elderberries, rinsed Pinch of salt 1 cup blueberries, rinsed ...

Recipe: Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Apricot Gelée

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Panna Cotta, an Italian dessert of silky, sweetened cream set with gelatin, is all at once simple, classic and elegant.  It is, at its best, subtle, not overly sweet, and the perfect way to end a meal on a light and refreshing note. Panna cotta comes together quickly and can be molded in any type of vessels you choose -- from ramekins to demitasse, martini glasses to mason jars.  I like to compliment my panna cotta with a thin layer of gelée -- a gelatin stabilized glaze made from fresh fruit.  Apricots are in season right now, and are bursting with summer sweetness, so I chose to do an apricot gelée.  You can use my recipe with any type of fruit you'd like.   Here are some photos of panna cottas I've made in the past with a variety of gelées and vessels: Vanilla Panna Cotta with a Honey Gelée and Bee Pollen Lemon Panna Cotta, no gelée Meyer-Lemon Panna Cotta, Strawberry-Rhubarb Gelee I like to decorate my desserts with edible flowers, especially in summer ...

The Happiest Cookies: Rainbow Joy Sprinkle Cookies

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The very sight of these cookies makes me feel like a kid -- a very, very happy, joyful, kid.  Rainbow Sprinkles!!! Need I say more?  If you're still not sold, thinking perhaps that these are all show and no substance, I'm delighted to tell you that these cookies are absolutely delicious -- A tender, buttery cookie that is at once soft and crunchy because of the magical sprinkles.   It's like a unicorn and the birthday fairy got together and created a formula for the happiest birthday ever, in the form of a cookie.  It's all here:  the birthday cake, the balloons, your best friends, and a piñata filled with happiness -- in a cookie! Make a batch and share the love with everyone you know! Everyone could use some Rainbow Joy Sprinkles in their life!     Print With Image Without Image Rainbow Joy Sprinkle Cookies Yield: 3-dozen 2.5" Cookies Author: Jenn Erickson Prep time: 45 M Cook time: 12 M Total time: 57 M Rainbow Sprinkles!! Take a bite of pure ...

Lemon Cake Recipe Glow-up: Ricotta Lemon Cake Brûlée

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Back in the going-out-to-restaurants days, I had the sheer delight of experiencing this little slice of heaven -- a light and tender lemon ricotta cake, griddled with sugar on each side to create a crackly caramelized crust -- at a local bakery.  I've been possessed by a desired to recreate this phenomenon at home ever since. This lemon cake is excellent enough to be served on its own.  It's perfect for the breakfast table, dessert, potluck, tea party, or as an anytime snack.  It's simply lovely in every way.  Garnish with a little powdered sugar and you're good to go.  Add a few raspberries to the presentation for a pop of color.   And if you're feeling extra decadent, take the extra minute to brûlée each slice.  You deserve it. Print With Image Without Image Lemon Ricotta Cake Brûlée Yield: 12 Author: Jenn Erickson Prep time: 20 M Cook time: 40 M Total time: 60 M Light, fluffy, tender cake is elevated with a caramelized sugar crust. It's easy ...

Here's the BEST Thing to Make with Fava Beans: Garlicky Whipped Fava Bean Dip with Olive Oil and Lemon

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Maybe you were forced to eat fava beans as a child.  Perhaps your only fava bean experience is from an unsettling 1991 movie starring Anthony Hopkins.  But regardless of whether fava beans have been ruined for you by bad cooking or a fictional cannibal, I urge you to give these beans a chance. Many moons ago, a glut of fava beans in a group's CSA box led me to whip up an incredibly tasty dip that had people raving and claiming dibs on the next week's delivery.   If you like hummus, you're going to like this dip.  Like hummus, it is packed with protein and gets a zip and a kick from lemon and fresh garlic.  Instead of tahini, these beans take a spin with heart-healthy olive oil.  Move over garbanzos, there's a new bean in town! Look at those beautiful beans!  They're packed with nutrition (protein, iron, antioxidants and folic acid) and are tasty too!  This recipe uses a little science hack I picked up from America's Test Kitchen in their Humm...