Spicy, Pickled Rainbow Heirloom Tomatoes on Crostini & Goat Cheese

We just got back from our weekly picnic at Forsyth, and boy did we have the best lobster rolls of my life. I can't wait to post them for y'all, that's how good they were. But, until then, I'm going to post one my favorite recipes from Hugh Acheson's cookbook, A New Turn in the South. If you didn't know, I am absolutely obsessed with Hugh Acheson, his food, & his restaurants. So, when I found out that he was coming out with a cookbook, I actually pre-ordered it like 6 months in advance. I am literally mesmerized by his modern Southern concept. This was the first recipe we actually made, and after that, we made it 3-4 more times because the Summer tomatoes were just so beautiful. Our favorite way to eat this spicy, pickled cherry tomatoes are on some crostini with a smear of goat cheese. It's wonderful and so simple. But, I think these would be awesome as a topping on Italian sandwich or on a burger. That's on the list next. Anyway, you need to hurry up and make these quick while there are so many gorgeous tomatoes out there!! Enjoy :)

Spicy, Pickled Rainbow Heirloom Tomatoes on Crostini & Goat Cheese

Southern Bruschetta, y'all :)

For the Spicy, Pickled Rainbow Heirloom Tomatoes:

3C Rainbow Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes, Cut in Halves

1t Salt

1/3C Olive Oil

3 Shallots, Minced

4 Jalapenos, Thinly Sliced

1t Cumin Seeds & Mustard Seeds, Toasted & Ground

2T Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

2t Cane Vinegar

1T Light Brown Sugar

1C Fresh Mint & Fresh Parsley, Chopped

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Bruschetta:

Prepared Spicy Pickled Tomatoes

Goat Cheese, Room Temperature

Fried Bread Pieces or Toasted Crostini

Directions:

1. For the Spicy Pickled Cherry Tomatoes: Place the tomatoes in a mixing bowl. Season the tomatoes with salt & pepper. In a large frying pan, bring the olive oil to a shimmer over medium-high heat. Add in the shallot, and then the jalapenos. Fry off until tender, about 2 minutes, and then add in the cumin and mustard seed paste. Toast for 1 minute and remove from the heat. Let it cool slightly and carefully add the limejuice, vinegar, and brown sugar, and then pour this mixture over the seasoned tomatoes. Add the mint and parsley, and let it sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours to let the flavors marinate. Store this mixture in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It can be kept for 2 weeks in the bowl or canned for 6-8 months.
2. For the Bruschetta: Spread some of the softened goat cheese onto bread slices or Crostini and then top with the pickled cherry tomatoes.

Cranberry-White Chocolate-Walnut Cookies

I have never been a fan of cookies with nuts or with fruit. And whatdya know, this cookie includes walnuts and dried cranberries. AND, I actually liked them! Especially with the white chocolate... I love white chocolate. I really think these would be awesome Christmas cookies, but maybe substitute in some pistachios for the red-green-white color scheme. And if you could figure out the proportions of how to add oatmeal, that would be delish as well! There's also an added surprise of toasted coconut in these cookies, which I love because they are crunchy, sweet, and a little nutty. So yummy. The glory of this cookie recipe is that you could substitute any dried fruit (cherries, blueberries, raisins, etc.) and you could use dark chocolate and that would be equally delicious. I also added in some cream cheese, which gives the cookies some tang to them. Cream cheese... goes great in anything and everything. Southern Law #77. So, make these cookies now, or make them later like I will be in the fall/winter for christmas cooking giving time!! Enjoy :)

Cranberry-White Chocolate-Walnut Cookies

For the Cookies:

2 ½C AP Flour

1t Baking Powder & Baking Soda

½t Salt

2 Sticks of Butter, Room Temperature

4oz Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

1C Light Brown Sugar

1C Sugar

2 Eggs, Room Temperature

2t Vanilla

2C Toasted Walnuts, Chopped

2C White Chocolate Chunks 

2C Dried Cranberries

2C Unsweetened Coconut, Toasted

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set it aside.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating until each one is incorporated before adding the next. Add in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer to low speed and gradually add in the flour mixture, until just incorporated. Gently beat in the chopped walnuts, white chocolate chunks, dried cranberries, and toasted coconut until they are incorporated throughout.

3. Refrigerate the dough for at least 24 hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheets with silpats or spray with Pam. Scoop the dough into balls and bake them for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes. Finally, transfer to a wire rack until completely cool.

Southern Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Salty Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Things are finally starting to settle down around here, besides the fact that I have two tests today that I just can't get motivated for. But oh well, c'est la vie. Anyway, has it been raining non-stop where y'all are? I mean it's been raining/pouring for two straight weeks and it's driving me nuts. I can't remember the last time we went on a picnic, which is normally a weekly thing for us. And this was one of the desserts I made for our last picnic together. I had never had panna cotta before, but I had always wanted to try it. And then I came across this recipe for a buttermilk version, so I just knew I had to make it. I added a bunch of vanilla beans, and then I topped it with a delicious Salty Bourbon Caramel Sauce & a sprinkling of fleur de sel. You could really present this any way you want, especially for a fancy dinner party, but I love the look of this panna cotta in mason jars for an easy picnic dessert. The caramel and tangy panna cotta are the perfect combination and a great summertime treat!! Enjoy :)

Southern Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Salty Bourbon Caramel Sauce

For the Southern Buttermilk Panna Cotta:

1 ½t Unflavored Gelatin

1 ¼C Heavy Cream

7T Sugar

1 Vanilla Bean Pod, Split Lengthwise & Scraped for Seeds

1 ¾C Buttermilk

For the Salty Bourbon Caramel Sauce:

½C Sugar

1 ½T Bourbon, Divided

½t Corn Syrup

¼C Heavy Cream

3T Unsalted Butter, Cut into ½inch Cubes

¼t Sea Salt

¾t Vanilla

Directions:

1. Soften gelatin in 1 tbsp. cold water in a medium bowl for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put cream and sugar into a small saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla pod into pan, then add pod. Heat cream over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves, 3–5 minutes, and then stir into bowl with gelatin. Stir in buttermilk, and then strain into another bowl.
2. Divide custard between six 8-oz. ramekins or mason jars, and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. To unmold, dip ramekins into a dish of hot water, then invert custards onto plates. (Note: I don’t invert — I prefer serving the panna cotta in their ramekins with a spoon.) Garnish with raspberries or other fruit, if you like.
3. For the Salty Bourbon Caramel Sauce: Stir together the sugar, 1T of bourbon, corn syrup, and 1T water in a deep saucepan over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat, bring to a boil without stirring, and cook, occasionally swirling the pan and brushing down the sides with a wet pastry brush, until sugar is a deep amber color, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the caramel from the heat and whisk in the heavy cream, butter, and sea salt (the mixture will bubble vigorously). Let it cool for 5 minutes, and then whisk in the remaining ½T of bourbon and vanilla. Let the bourbon caramel cool slightly on your kitchen counter. The caramel can be made 2 hours ahead of time, but continue to let the caramel stand at room temperature until you are ready to use it.
4. Once the panna cotta ramekins or jars have chilled and set, generously pour the salty bourbon caramel sauce over the tops of the panna cotta. However, if you would like to remove the panna cotta onto a plate, dip the ramekin into a dish of hot water, and invert onto your serving dish. Drizzle the tops with the salty bourbon caramel sauce.

Revamped: Meat Lover's Breakfast Pizza with Bacon, Sausage, & Country Ham topped with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, & Chives on White Truffle Oil Pizza Dough

Hey y'all, I hope you're having a great weekend! It's seriously been madness around here, I haven't even had a chance to breathe! I cooked a full dinner for 6 of my Mountain Man's family last night, and I think everything turned out good (insert sigh of relief). Anyway, I don't have much time to post my recipe for today because we're about to run out the door and head to Wormsloe Plantation, shop downtown, cook dinner again, and then go on a ghost tour. But for this morning I have a revamped version of our breakfast pizza. We had made this before and it was excellent. So much so, that we gobbled down most of it before I could take a picture, so I knew I wanted to revamp this pizza, but also add a whole bunch of new toppings. We added sausage, country ham (or prosciutto), roasted cherry tomatoes, and goat cheese. Then, I put it on my homemade white truffle oil pizza dough that we have recently became obsessed with. This is the ultimate breakfast people, people. You gotta make it!! Enjoy :)

For the White Truffle Pizza Dough:

1 ½C Warm Water

1t Active Dry Yeast

4C AP Flour

1t Truffle Salt

½t Sugar

1/3C White Truffle Oil

For the Roasted Rainbow Cherry Tomatoes:

1C Rainbow Cherry Tomatoes, Cut in Half

Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil

For the Pizza:

1 Batch of Homemade Pizza Dough (I used my White Truffle Oil Pizza Dough)

Homemade Pesto

2C Mozzarella, Shredded

½C Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated

8 Strips of Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cubed & Cooked until Crispy

¼C Breakfast Sausage, Crumbled & Cooked

5 Large Eggs

Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper, For Sprinkling

2oz Crumbled Goat Cheese

4oz Country Ham, Thinly Sliced (Prosciutto or Serrano Ham can be substituted)

Prepared Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

1T Fresh Parsley, Minced

2T Fresh Chives, Minced

1 Scallions, Thinly Sliced

Directions:

1. For the White Truffle Pizza Dough: Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. In a mixer, combine flour and truffle salt. With the mixer running on low speed, drizzle in the white truffle oil or until just combined with the flour. Next, pour in the yeast mixture and mix until just combined. Coat a separate bowl with a light drizzle of white truffle oil and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat the dough, and then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for at least 1 day, but preferably 3-4 days.

2. For the Roasted Rainbow Tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and toss the tomatoes lightly with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them out in one even layer on a baking sheet. Roast the tomatoes for 15-20 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft. Set them aside until ready to use.

3. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and roll out or press the pizza dough as thinly as possible and place onto a large baking sheet or a pizza pan.

4. Assembling the Pizza: On top of the dough, spread a layer of homemade pizza (use as little or as much as you like). Scatter the shredded mozzarella in an even layer over the pesto, and then grate some Parmesan over the top of the mozzarella. Now, pick five spots that you would like to crack the eggs into. Once you’ve picked your spots, make a well into the cheese, and then crack the eggs directly into the wells and sprinkle the eggs with salt & pepper (this is important because when you crack the eggs into them, they won’t spread into the other ingredients or off the pizza). Scatter the bacon and sausage evenly across the pizza, making sure to not put any ingredients on top of the eggs.

5. Bake the pizza in the preheated oven to 8-12 minutes depending on how much your want to cook your eggs (mine was cooked perfectly at 10 minutes). Remove from the oven and distribute the crumbled goat cheese, roasted cherry tomatoes, and country ham. Finally garnish the pizza with fresh parsley, chives, and scallions. Cut the breakfast pizza into squares or slices and serve immediately.

Vanilla Bean Lemonade

The last couple days have been super busy for me, sorry for my lack of posting. My Mountain Man's family is in town visiting us in Savannah. So we're busy entertaining for the weekend. But, here's a quick recipe for a Vanilla Bean Lemonade that is just so perfect for a picnic. I would never think that I would like something so sweet in a tangy drink, but somehow vanilla bean + lemon really work. I'll be back to posting a revamped recipe on Sunday morning. Anyway, we loved this lemonade... it was practically a dessert!! Enjoy :)

Vanilla Bean Lemonade

Look for the specks of vanilla bean :)

For the Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup:

1C Water

1C Honey

2 Vanilla Beans, Split & Scraped for Beans

For the Vanilla Bean Lemonade:

Prepared Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup, Chilled

1C Fresh Lemon Juice

3-4C Cold Water

Directions:

1. For the Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup: In a pot, heat the sugar and water, whisking until the sugar is dissolved completely. Add in the vanilla beans and their pods into the syrup and let them steep in the boiling syrup. Once it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and let the flavors meld for 3 hours. Once the syrup is thick and room temperature, remove the pods and then pour the syrup into a container and chill overnight.
2. For the Vanilla Bean Lemonade: Add the fresh lemon juice, chilled vanilla bean simple syrup, and cold water (about 3-4C depending on the desired strength). Refrigerate the vanilla bean lemonade for an hour.
3. Pour into mason jars that are filled with ice and garnish with lemon slices & a straw.  Enjoy this beverage while laying in the hot sun.

Grilled Brie with Truffle Honey, Roasted Figs, Prosciutto, & Olive Oil Fried Bread

I swear that sometimes I am not a part of my family. It's kind of a running joke that the only groceries that my parents buy are cheese, crackers, and wine. So whenever I go home, I never have anything to eat. First off, I'm lactose intolerant, which means I don't like to eat cheese because I don't feel well. And I'm not too much of a wine drinker, I like the hard, dark stuff that guys drink. I know that probably sounds gross to a bunch of y'all, but I like what I like, okay? Good. Well, that pretty much leaves me with crackers, which does not a meal make. But, my Mountain Man, he could eat cheese and crackers all day. And he wanted a fancy cheese plate with a bunch of other stuff that he could nosh on. And this cheese plate has a bunch of stuff I could actually enjoy. I grilled a wheel of brie cheese, doused in homemade truffle honey, and topped with sweet roasted figs. On the side, I served our plate with thinly sliced prosciutto and bread that had been fried in olive oil. I love that buttery-richness that happens to bread when it's fried. You can eat the cheese by itself or do I what I did, and build a masterpiece and stack every ingredient on top of the bread. It was like a open-faced panini. I love the creamy brie, the chewy figs, salty prosciutto, & sweet truffle-honey in combination together. This would be great for a party or just an easy date night at home with your boy!! Enjoy :)

The Perfect Cheese Plate

Grilled Brie, Truffle Honey, Roasted Figs, Prosciutto, & Fried Bread 

Here's my chalkboard serving platter that would be perfect for parties...

Don't forget your glass of wine :)

For the Roasted Figs:

Fresh Black Mission Figs, Sliced in Half

Olive Oil, For Drizzling

Salt & Pepper, For Sprinkling (optional)

For the Truffle Honey:

16oz High Quality Honey

5-10 Drops of White Truffle Oil (to your preference)

For the Grilled Brie:

1 Small Wheel of Brie Cheese

Prepared Truffle Honey

Roasted Figs

Thinly Sliced Prosciutto

Slices of Fried Olive Oil Bread

Directions:

1. For the Roasted Figs: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and trim the stems off the figs and cut in half. Place them into a dish cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, & pepper. Place into the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes until they are soft and starting to caramelize. Set them aside while you grill the Brie.
2. For the Truffle Honey: Whisk together the honey and white truffle oil to taste and pour into an airtight container, and then let it sit for 24-48 hours for better flavor. If you want to find store-bought truffle honey that is fine as well.
3. For the Grilled Brie: Preheat a grill until very hot. Carefully place the cheese on the grill and sear until marks appear and the inside starts to melt, about 1-2 minutes on each side. Using a spatula, transfer to a serving platter. Place the Roasted Figs on top and drizzle with the Homemade Truffle Honey. Serve with Prosciutto and Fried Olive Oil Bread.

source: grilled brie.

Gourmet S'more Brownie Bars

Gourmet S'more Brownie Bars

Here's the last recipe peeps. And I definitely saved the best for last. I can't tell y'all how much we loved these over-the-top brownies. I mean we had like 4 each after dinner, and probably one for breakfast every day since. Don't judge us, we know that's not good. We get it. But they are just too damn delicious. I have seen a lot of recipes before for s'more brownies, so it's been on my to-do list for a while. Like, I've kinda been obsessing about it. But, I wanted to wait for the Summer because that's when s'mores are the best! Well, when Memorial Day came last week, I knew this was the perfect time to make 'em. And they are glorious. I first made some homemade graham crackers, and then ground them up into graham cracker crumbs. I just love homemade graham crackers, they have a crispier texture which gives the crust the best crunch. But, as always, feel free to substitute with store-bought graham cracker crumbs for a much easier assembly. The next layer included my favorite recipe for brownies. I love homemade brownies, they are way better than the box. These brownie layers are so gooey and moist, but they have a very special filling inside. What is it you ask? A thick layer of melty milk chocolate that perfectly mimics the hershey chocolate from classic s'mores. Finally, I topped my brownies with a homemade vanilla bean marshmallow. The marshmallow topped is then toasted until golden brown, making them positively crave-worthy. I used my favorite recipe for this layer, which I posted last summer. The only thing is that it does make a lot of marshmallows, so you can either make two pans of these brownies and split the marshmallow evenly between two pans, and that would make enough for a large cookout or party with family & friends. But, if you don't want to do that, you can do what I did and pour half of the marshmallow pan and make classic marshmallows for s'mores later on the week. So, if you want go that route, then go to this recipe and follow the directions for preparing the pan.  I still can't get over how much we loved these Gourmet S'more Brownie Bars. And I know that I will definitely be making these for our 4th of July party, as well as my favorite new recipe for the best southern banana pudding ever. You can have two major desserts on the 4th right? YES. Absolutely, unequivocally, undoubtedly yes. I seriously recommend these to anyone & everyone. They are soooooooo worth the work y'all!! Enjoy :)

OMG-Holy-Toasted-Marshmallow-Topping-Y'all 

yummy layers...

Homemade Graham Cracker Crust, Melty Milk Chocolate Filled Brownies,
& Toasted Vanilla Bean Marshmallow Topping

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

12T Unsalted Butter, Melted

3C Homemade Graham Cracker Crumbs

¼C Sugar

½t Salt

For the Chocolate Filled-Brownie Layer:

1 ¼C AP Flour

1t Salt

2T Unsweetened Dark Cocoa Powder

11oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate, Roughly Chopped

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Cut into Cubes

1t Instant Espresso Powder

1 ½C Sugar

½C Light Brown Sugar

5 Eggs, Room Temperature

2t Vanilla

3 6oz Chocolate Candy Bars (Recommended: Hershey or Symphony Brands)  

For the Homemade Vanilla Bean Marshmallow Topping:

3 ½ Envelopes of Unflavored Gelatin

1C Cold Water, Divided

2C Sugar

½C Light Corn Syrup

¼t Salt

2 Large Egg Whites,

1t Vanilla

1 Vanilla Bean, Split & Scraped for Seeds

Directions:

1. For the Graham Cracker Crust: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a 13x9-baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with Pam. Set it aside. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl until completely incorporated. Press this crumb mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool while you make the brownie batter.
2. For the Chocolate Filled-Brownie Layer: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Next, make a double boiler with a pot of boiling water and a glass bowl. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the hot water. Put the chocolate chips, butter, and espresso power and melt together. Once the mixture is melted, take the bowl off the heat and mix in both sugars. Let this mixture come to room temperature before adding the eggs. Add 3 eggs at first and blend together. Then add the other 2 eggs, as well as the vanilla and blend until well incorporated. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Slowly fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture (do not over mix or the brownies will be cakey). Pour half of the brownie batter into the pan with the baked graham cracker crust. Place the three candy bars side-by-side on top of the batter, and then cover with the remaining batter. Bake the brownies for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven (mine was perfectly set and gooey at 35 minutes). Let the brownies cool to room temperature while you make the marshmallow topping.
3. For the Homemade Vanilla Bean Marshmallow Topping: In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over ½C cold water, and let stand to soften. In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second ½C of cold water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. With standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. In separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters beat egg whites (or reconstituted powdered whites) until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring) into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour half of the mixture into the baking pan with the already-baked brownies. Chill the marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to one day (I poured the other half of the marshmallows into another pan for just plain vanilla bean marshmallows). 
4. Once the marshmallows have set, turn on the broiler of your oven. Toast the marshmallow topping until lightly golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Cool completely before cutting. Gently remove the brownies from the pan using the aluminum foil and remove the foil. Cut into squares and enjoy.

source: baked brownies. springy, fluffy marshmallows.