Chewy Pecan Bars - Pecan Blondies

Chewy Pecan Bars (or Pecan Blondies) are my favorite bars. I make great Brownies, or so I'm told, but I'm not a chocolate fan myself. And these have half the sugar of brownies, just 2 teaspoons per 2-inch square! With this quantity of nuts and no sugary add-ins, they're practically health food!

Of course, you can add in whatever you like; I don't judge. And you can bake these in a 13x9x2-inch pan, even though I use a 13x9x1-inch quarter sheet pan. I have multiples of this pan because it is such a kitchen workhorse. If you haven't tried one, go ahead and order two. You're going to want more.

Couldn't resist doing a quick watercolor sketch of a little

squirrel heading out to gather nuts.

My friend Julia named her Miss Emily Squirrel.

These bars are quick and easy to make, fairly healthy, and very "packable," perfect for the lunchbox or tucked into your purse for a snack. What's your favorite portable snack?

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Chewy Pecan Bars - Pecan Blondies

(Makes 24 2-inch squares)

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces/170 grams) coarsely chopped pecans

1/2 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 dip-and-sweep cups (7.5 ounces/213 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons non-GMO baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (3/4 teaspoon, if you like that salty kick)
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces/170 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1 firmly packed cup (7 ounces/198 grams) dark brown sugar
4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1 In dry skillet over medium heat, toast the chopped pecans and oats until lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside to cool.

2 Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4. Grease, or line with baking parchment paper, a 13x9x1-inch quarter sheet pan. I like to line it with parchment with a bit of an overhang so I can lift it out of the pan for cutting. In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt to "sift."

3 In 2- to 3-quart saucepan, melt butter and stir in brown sugar. Then stir in eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well to combine. 

4 Stir in flour mixture, nuts and oats. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake about 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan. As with brownies, you want to avoid overbaking. Cool completely and cut into 24 bars. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Shortbread Petticoat Tails - Masters by Adagio Teas Giveaway

Classic Shortbread Petticoat Tails pair soooo beautifully with tea that I chose to include the recipe in this post along with my Masters by Adagio Teas review and giveaway. 

With just four always-on-hand ingredients, it is an easy recipe to make, elegant in its simplicity. It follows the traditional formula: 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter, 3 parts flour (by weight). The measures given, for those who prefer to measure, are just tidier approximations of the weights.

It was such a pleasure to kick off the month of September trying five new single-origin black teas from Masters by Adagio Teas. Such teas, with the focus on quality and terroir, are very popular with those who do Gongfu-style brewing (multiple short infusions), but I'm a dyed-in-the-wool British-style tea drinker and that's how I brewed these teas.

I brewed each of the teas in the lidded infuser mug that is part of this giveaway. I found that 1 tablespoon (3 to 4 grams) of tea leaves worked well in each case.

Though my personal preference in Darjeelings is the later harvests, the Balasun First Flush tea is quite special and so delicate as to be perhaps the perfect introduction to black tea for green tea drinkers. 

The third Masters tea I tried, Tongmu Jim Jun Mei, was my clear favorite until I tried the Jin Kong Que (Golden Peacock). My first whiff of the large, golden leaves and buds, revealed hints of cocoa along with a certain roasted toastiness, for lack of a better descriptor. The beautiful honey-colored brew was very smooth and flavorful.

I hope you'll try both the tea and the shortbread and, if you are in the US or Canada, enter the giveaway below. One very happy tea drinker (or tea gifter!) is going to win a Kawa Mug and Infuser and $75 gift certificate redeemable in the Masters by Adagio Teas online tea shop.

If you win the drawing, what kind of teas will you order? What color mug?

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Classic Shortbread Petticoat Tails

Whatever flavorings one might add, the predominant flavor of good shortbread must be butter. And I do mean butter; margarine will not do. This barely sweet treat has less than 3/4 teaspoon of sugar per biscuit (that's British English for "cookie").

(Makes 16 plus 1 round)

1 1/8 dip-and-sweep cup (5.625 ounces/159 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup (1.75 ounces/50 grams) sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Put a round of baking parchment paper in the bottom of a 9-inch/23 cm removable bottom tart tin set on a baking sheet. In smallish bowl, whisk flour vigorously for a minute to "sift" it.

2 In medium mixing bowl, with hand mixer or wooden spoon, cream softened butter. Add sugar and salt. Cream together thoroughly.

3 Add flour to creamed mixture. If using electric hand mixer, mix in flour just until combined. When thoroughly combined (it will be a bit crumbly, so knead it in the bowl with one hand), scrape into parchment-lined removable bottom tart tin, press into an even layer, cover and chill for about 30 minutes.

Note: You can use the smooth bottom of a cake tin to make the dough very even, then use your fingers to push the dough into the scallops of the tart tin. 

4 With a 2- to 2.25-inch round cookie cutter, cut a circle in the very center of the dough; then cut into 16 slices. Prick all over with a skewer. Pop the dough back in the fridge for another 15 minutes while you preheat oven to 300F/150C/Gas2.

5 Bake for about 45 minutes until firm and lightly golden (not browned). Recut the slices. Leave in tin and cool completely on wire rack. Store for up to 2 weeks in airtight tin.

Masters by Adagio Teas Giveaway

Adagio Teas will send winner: a Kawa mug and infuser (choice of 4 colors) and a $75 gift certificate redeemable in the Masters by Adagio Teas online tea shop.

This giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents (Sorry, international friends!) 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person). Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday September 11.

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday September 12. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday September 15, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline). 

Disclosure: Adagio Teas provided product for review purposes and for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Fresh Tomato Pasta

My two tomato plants that grew so huge that I call them tomato trees are still giving me more tomatoes than I know what to do with. But I kinda do know what to do with them because I never tire of this fresh tomato pasta or my Tomato Galette or Tomato Tart.

Watercolor sketch of my biggest gardening success ever.

These cherry, or grape, tomatoes just keep on coming.

I've made this with fresh herbs when I have them, but have written it down for you with dried herbs because everyone always has those. My herbs, planted near the tomatoes like always, were soon completely obliterated by these two giant tomato plants, so I've been using dried.

This is so quick and simple, you might find yourself making it a lot! Just toast a few slices of Sourdough Artisan Bread, pour the wine and call it Dinner! 

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Fresh Tomato Pasta

(Makes 2 to 3 servings)

4 tablespoons (2 fluid ounces/59 ml) extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
2 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/16 to 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 pound (8 ounces/227 grams) mini penne pasta, cooked and drained
2 to 4 tablespoons grated parmesan

Garnish: fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley

1 Boil the water for the pasta. I boil about a quart of water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a 2-quart saucepan for 1/2 pound of mini penne pasta. No need for the huge amounts of water called for on the pasta boxes!

2 Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the onion over medium heat for as long as you like, but at least until softened, about 5 minutes.

3 Add the halved cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, basil. oregano and crushed red pepper flakes to the pan and cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes release their juices and form a sauce with the olive oil.

4 Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the skillet; stir over low heat for a minute to coat the pasta well with the sauce. Divide between two or three plates, top with a sprinkling of grated parmesan, garnish and serve. 

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Peach Galette - Rustic Peach Pie

Anything with perfectly ripe yellow peaches is my favorite summer dessert. Peach Pie with Lattice Crust is wonderful, but it takes a bit of time to roll out two disks of pastry and to cut and weave the lattice. There was no time for that today, so I made a Peach Galette or Rustic Peach Pie. Part of my Streamlined Cooking!

I've made it free-form on a baking sheet, as I did here with the Tomato Galette, but my favorite way is in a 9-inch Pyrex glass pie plate. Just roll out the pastry to a 14-inch circle on parchment paper, set your pie plate face down on it, flip it over and press it into the plate without stretching the pastry, and there you have it.

You'll find a bunch of peach desserts on my Recipes index page or by using the "Looking for Something?" search box in the sidebar. What is your favorite summer fruit, and what do you like to do with it?

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Peach Galette - Rustic Peach Pie 

(Makes one 9- to 11-inch round tart, 6 or 8 servings)

Pastry

1 1/2 dip-and-sweep cups (7.5 ounces/213 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon non-GMO baking powder
1 stick (4 ounces/113 grams) chilled unsalted butter, coarsely shredded
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/59 ml) ice water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon additional ice water, only if necessary

Filling

2 pounds (32 ounces/0.9 kg) perfectly ripe yellow peaches
1/3 cup (2.33 ounces/66 grams) plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

About 1 tablespoon milk or cream

1 In medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. With fingers, work grated butter into flour mixture until it has the consistency of coarse meal with some pieces the size of small peas.

Note: Or, if you have a food processor, you can make the crust with it just as directed for the Tomato Galette.

2 Mix the ice water and vinegar and sprinkle onto the mixture, tossing lightly with a fork. Use additional ice water if mixture is too dry. 

3 Turn dough out onto a square of plastic wrap. Form it into a 5-inch disk; double wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to three days. (Let thoroughly chilled dough stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling.) 

4 Preheat oven to 400F/205C/Gas6. Cut a 14-inch square of baking parchment paper. Lightly flour it and roll out the pasty to a 14-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Don't worry about ragged edges; they'll add character. Transfer pastry on parchment to an ungreased 18x13x1-inch half sheet pan or a large rimless baking sheet OR, as I did, a 9-inch Pyrex pie plate. Place in refrigerator while preparing the peaches. 

5 Peel peaches or not--I don't--and slice into a medium bowl. In a tiny bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the sugar with 1 tablespoon of the flour; set aside. In another tiny bowl, combine remaining 1/3 cup of sugar with the salt and cinnamon. Take out 1 teaspoon (for sprinkling on top later); stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour into the larger sugar mixture. 

6 Remove the pastry from the refrigerator. Sprinkle the tablespoon-each sugar-flour mixture evenly over the pastry, leaving a 1.5-inch border uncoated. If using the pie plate, rub the mixture on the sides as well as the bottom of the pastry. Stir the larger sugar mixture into the peaches and pour them into the center of the pastry, spreading them out, leaving a 2-inch border (if you're not using the pie plate). 

7 Bring that border up over the peaches a little at a time, sort of "pleating" as you go. Don't worry about making it look good. It will be rustic and beautiful.

8 Brush the crust with a little milk or cream and sprinkle on the reserved teaspoon of spice-sugar. Bake for about 50 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and well browned and the fruit is bubbling. Let cool on baking sheet on wire rack for 15 minutes before removing tart from parchment-lined baking sheet. Serve warm or room temperature. 

And, for no reason at all, here is my little watercolor sketch of our darling boy as a storybook character.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Classic Macaroni Salad - and Tuna Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad is not the same as pasta salad. Follow this link for my more fashionable, vegetable-heavy, vinaigrette-dressed Pasta Salad. This is old-fashioned (retro) macaroni salad, comfort food from way before anyone ever thought of pasta salad or getting trendy with their food.

Classic macaroni salad is a hit at any picnic, potluck or barbecue (Notice I said "barbecue," not "BBQ," which is one of those things that's always irritated me!). It's great for Game Days, too, if you're into that sort of thing. It's perfect for the lunchbox, for parents or kids; everyone loves it.

After all these years, Mr Delightful, who grew up with tuna macaroni salad--and I'm sorry, but that's just crazy!--loves my Classic Macaroni Salad. I hope you will, too. But if you're on Team Tuna, don't click away; I've included that option as well. You can make Half Classic/Half Tuna.

I make this the way my mother made it, rather than the typical way. Nothing unusual about the ingredients--it's the method. She always layered on the ingredients in a particular order rather than stirring up the dressing separately. I don't know why, but it makes a difference. 

It's just not summer without Classic Macaroni Salad or Perfect Potato Salad! What dishes say "summer" to you?

Classic Macaroni Salad for Her / Tuna Macaroni Salad For Him

(Makes 12 servings)

8 large eggs

1 1-pound (16 ounces/454 grams) package salad macaroni (ditalini)
2 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 ml) sweet pickle juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
3/4 cup finely chopped sweet pickles
3/4 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup or more finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped onion, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup or more finely chopped red bell pepper, patted dry
1 3/4 cup real mayonnaise, divided

1 tablespoon coarse "country" Dijon mustard

Options for the half with tuna:

1 5-ounce can tuna, drained and flaked
1 cup frozen peas, thawed but not cooked

12 pimiento-stuffed green olives, chopped

1 To hard-cook eggs, place eggs in a single layer in large pan. Add enough room temperature water to cover eggs completely and an inch over. Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as water is bubbling lightly, remove pan from the heat and cover tightly with the lid. Let stand for 15 minutes. Drain and add cold water to pan; repeat twice. Leave eggs to cool for 15 minutes in cold water. Drain, and proceed with recipe or refrigerate until ready to use. (Notice that the egg yolks are yellow and velvety, not orange and shiny-gooey!) 

2 Cook macaroni al dente according to package directions in a 5- to 5.5-quart Dutch oven. Put in colander. Rinse repeatedly with cold water until macaroni is cool. Drain thoroughly. Put back in pan.

3 Sprinkle pickle juice, salt, pepper and parsley flakes over cooked and cooled macaroni. (Sure, you can use fresh parsley if you have it; but I didn't. Dill can be good, too.) Stir in pickles, carrot, celery, onion, red bell pepper, 1 1/4 cups of the mayonnaise, and the mustard. 

4 When ready to add eggs to salad, use egg slicer to slice eggs. Reserve 7 or more pretty slices for garnish (14, if using 2 bowls); cover and refrigerate. Roughly chop remaining slices and add to salad. Transfer salad to 4-quart serving dish (or two 2-quart bowls), cover and refrigerate. Chill for at least 4 hours; but making it a day ahead is best. 

5 Before serving, stir in the reserved mayonnaise (perhaps not all of it, or perhaps a bit more), as the macaroni will have absorbed the first portion and will likely be rather dry. (And this would be the case no matter how much you put in the first time!) Garnish with reserved egg slices and perhaps a bit of chopped fresh parsley or dill, if you have it.

The Tuna Option: Divide salad between two 2-quart bowls; add tuna, peas and olives to just one of them.

And now for something completely different … apropos of absolutely nothing … just a little something to make you smile.

I set out to paint Peter Rabbit, but this chap looks more 

mature than Peter. So I'm thinking of him as Old Mr Rabbit, 

Peter's father who was made into a pie by Mrs McGregor.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean