Classic Blondies

I admit that I haven't been the best poster this week. I've been working on getting some things into the Fork and Swoon shop along with creating a new Vintage shop with Brian. It is exciting and exhausting along with all the other work and life responsibilities, but I am really glad to get the ball rolling on both.

I threw together some blondies this afternoon to bring to Brian's sisters house tonight.

I think they still need some tweaking, but a very good basic recipe and easy to make on a whim.

Classic Blondies

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup light brown sugar

Melt the brown sugar and butter together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until smooth. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.

Heat the oven to 350˚F and line an 8x8 glass dish with a piece of parchment paper.

Add to the butter and sugar:

2 eggs

Beat until well combined.

Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 cup of all purpose flour and a heavy pinch of kosher salt.

Stir until well combined and pour into the prepared pan. You can also fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips or walnuts or other nuts or m&ms or whatever before panning and baking. Bake for 25-28 minutes until golden and set to the touch. Cool for at least 20 minutes before using the parchment as a sling and cutting the blondies.

makes 12.

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I packaged them in an old Olvatine container wrapped with a scrap of fun paper, just because, well I wanted them to be cute and yummy.

And don't worry I'm also bringing a salad.

Something Southern Sunday: Pimento Cheese

I sat for too long  staring at the photo above trying to best define what pimento cheese is. Plainly, it is pimento peppers that have been combined with mayonnaise, cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Additions are negotiable but include black pepper, cayenne, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce; and, in certain parts of the South (Texas and Alabama, I believe), pickles.  Sometimes the peppers are jarred and other times fresh roasted. It is often spread on white loaves and served as sandwiches, or with crackers as a snack, and in celery as an appetizer. It is amazing in scrambled eggs. 

Tonight I proclaim it to be something above and beyond any of its flavors and functions and, call it a sidekick. With pimento cheese in my fridge, I always have something to serve company (with crackers and sweet tea), we always have something to slap on bread and eat on Saturday in between cleaning the yard and walking Miles, or as Brian prefers we always have a dip for Frito scoops. With pimento cheese, you will never be alone in the kitchen. 



Pimento Cheese

2 medium red bell peppers

8 ouncescream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup mayonnaise (preferably Duke’s)

1/4teaspooncayenne pepper

black pepper, (I like a lot) to taste

kosher salt to taste

1 pound grated sharp cheddar cheese

Heat your broiler to high. Slice the ends from the red peppers; discard the seeds. Open the peppers by slicing from top to bottom and remove the white rib. Broiler the peppers (ends, too) on sheet pan until blackened, 5 minutes. Remove to a paper bag and cool for 5 minutes. Remove the blackened skin from the pepper by rubbing with a clean kitchen towel. Finely chop and set aside.

Combine the cream cheese, mayo, red pepper flakes, black pepper and salt. Add the cheddar cheese and chopped pepper and combine.  Store in an glass mason jar in the fridge for up to a week.

Thirsty Thursday: White Russian, Dude.

 



Appearing to have evolved from the Alexander in 1950s or early 1960s, the White Russian has no great origin story. The drink, of course, is not Russian but is so named, like its cousin the Black Russian, due to inclusion of vodka. Though many modern mixologist use half and half, cream was the original dairy of choice because it helped to "thicken" the drink.

We drank more than a few of these during the great ice storm. Then this week Design Sponge highlighted a cult classic in their "Living In Column" and I knew we had to address something here:

I am a Little Lebowski Urban Achiever.

Most of my junior year of high school was spent watching, no no, studying The Big Lebowski. As such, the White Russian was among the first cocktails I drank. Funnily, the infamous and revered David Woodrich described the drink as such in a New York Times Article from 2008: “When I first encountered it in the 1970s, the White Russian was something real alcoholics drank, or beginners.”  I still enjoy a good ole Caucasian and if that makes me an alcoholic by Mr. Woodrich's standards, I'm okay with it. The drink gets a bad rap for essentially being a grown-up milkshake and I personally think that is a shame; but the Dude abides:

The Classic White Russian

1 part coffee liquor

1 part vodka

1 part heavy cream or half and half

Pour the coffee liquor and vodka over ice in an old fashioned glass. Top with the cream.

Something Southern Sunday: Sweet Tea

I was not born or raised in the South. I spent some time growing up on the West Coast and some of early twenties in the Northeast. It wasn't until I went home over the holidays that I realized, with some remorse and some relief, that I am becoming Southern.

There were things I did not appreciate about the South when I first arrived: it is hot (why? why is it so hot?) and I wasn't always sure when I should say "Yes ma'am" and "No sir" (never? sometimes? always.) Though I will probably never be a true southern bell, I have fallen in love with a Southern man, his family, and have learned that being Southern is mostly about being graceful, thoughtful, and welcoming. Nothing epitomizes this for me more than Sweet Tea.

We did not have sweet tea growing up. Though I do remember my mom occasionally made sun tea, it was unsweetened. My sister asked me recently for a recipe "You want a recipe for tea?!," I thought. After sending it I realized - a lot of people make tea the wrong way - too many bags, too few bags, too long of a steep, too hot water. I'm certainly uncertain as to whether Mamaw Betty would approve, but I learned from Carmi Adams, who's about as Southern as I like.

Sweet Tea

Think of this more as a guideline than a recipe.

You will need a kettle or some other device for boiling water, a pitcher, black tea bags [I like Luzianne brand], sugar, water, and a timer (in this case I used my phone, it was handy):



For a gallon of tea:

Bring a quart of water to a boil. Pour the boiling water into the pitcher and cool for 5 minutes. Add the tea bag(s) [I used Luzianne Family sized bags which require one for a gallon, check your tea bag's box for guidelines]. Steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bag and add 1 cup of sugar.  Stir to dissolve and add three quarts of cold water. Give it a good stir and chill or serve immediately over ice.



I find a pitcher of tea starts to taste off after a week or so in the fridge, so make it and enjoy it often.

One of my favorite moments of our Seattle visit was during a breakfast at the Original Pancake House. Brian leaned across the table to ask me in a whisper, "Do you think they have sweet tea." "No Darling," I said, audibly, "Sweet tea is a Southern thing." We both laughed.