Lemony Deliciousness

Here is a perfect lemony tasting treat for the summer. We love these for picnics, bbqs, graduation parties, and any time you need a little snack to give in to your sweet tooth. Enjoy! 

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

• 6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup flour
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.

via Food Network

Love, 

A+C

Macaroon Madness

Macaroon have become a total phenomenon. They have become the trendy dessert, right with cake pops! My (C) neighbor recently made some and brought a few over for my family to try. While nothing beats Laduree, these were pretty darn good. We had lemon ones. My mother recently ordered this book from Amazon that my neighbor used.


[aside: there seems to be some debate over the spelling: "macaroon vs. macaron" They are indeed two different things, but I have been seeing it both ways. If anyone knows for sure, let us know.]

Yum. 

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Have you  made these delish treats? Let us know! I'll get back to you when I've made them myself! Happy Friday.


xoxo,
A+C

Comfort Food

Mac and Cheese is our kryptonite. Ughhhh so good. When we saw this recipe, we had to share!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound dried rigatoni
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 clove fresh garlic, crushed
• 8 ounces goat cheese
• 2 cups shredded roasted chicken
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a rapid boil. Add the oil and rigatoni to the water and cook according to the directions on the package, 10-12 minutes.

2. While you are waiting for the water to boil, pour the cream into a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the rosemary and garlic to the cream and bring it to a simmer - take care not to let it boil over. Allow the cream to reduce by about half.

3. Stir in the goat cheese and chicken and continue cooking it till the cream coats the back of a spoon.

4. Thoroughly drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the sauce. Coat the pasta in the sauce and simmer over low heat for a few minutes. Serve hot.

xoxo,
A+C

Specu-what?

Have any of you ever been to a food truck before? In New York City, food trucks are a (relatively) new fad. Varying in types and styles, these food trucks are a really great alternative for people on a budget who don't want to sacrifice delicious food for their budgets. Living so close to NYC, I (A) had no idea what these food trucks really had to offer...until one day, my mind was blown.

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After a long day of shopping with a friend, I stumbled upon a cute little waffle truck and decided to split a waffle with her. As the waffle guy was explaining what toppings we could put on our waffle, one of the options took a second for me to register. "NO WAY! Oh my gosh! Wait...did you just say...Biscoff spread," I asked as I blatantly interrupted him. As he started to talk, I cut him off again (whoops...). "Do you mean...SPECULOOS?!" He looked at me like I was crazy and gave me a quick "yes" answer to my question. I got my waffle and basked in the glory of the Speculoos spread that covered it.

For those of you who don't know, Speculoos is literally one of the best spreads I've ever tasted. Its a bit difficult to explain, but without confusing you all, it basically tastes like gingerbread/graham cracker in the form of a spread. The texture and consistency of the spread is comparable to Nutella. Last year, a friend brought it back from Belgium as a gift to me, and I've been ordering it from San Francisco ever since. Yep, because its that delicious.

In the US, its called "Biscoff spread" as opposed to the more sophisticated name, Speculoos, given by the Europeans. Note that the American version is being spread onto a sesame seed bagel, whereas the European version is being spread onto a nicely toasted piece of bread. Classic.

Moral of this story: you all need to try this stuff! I ended up finding it under the alternative name "Biscoff spread" at a local supermarket. Your best bet is to check for it more organic/classy supermarkets like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. If you happen to know of a waffle truck in your area, I recommend trying it there as well! Otherwise, you can always order it from San Fran like I did. I promise it would be well worth it. 

Let us know if you decide to try it or have tried it before! 

xoxo, 

A+C

Butternut Squash Soup

For the longest time, I (A) had an enormous fear of soup...until I tried butternut squash from my favorite restaurant, Meli Melo, in Greenwich, CT. 

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Meli Melo! 

I don't have their exact recipe, but here is a similar one!

Roasted Apple and Squash Soup with Fresh Thyme
serves 6 dinner size portions

Ingredients: 

3 pound butternut squash- peeled, seeded and cut into large dice pieces
4 sweet/tart apples- peeled, cored, and cut into large dice pieces
1 cup yellow or white onion- cut into large pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sage

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup water

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Adjust rack to the upper third of the oven
Place squash, apples, and onions onto a lined baking sheet
Toss with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and sage
Place into the oven and roast for approximately 15-20 minutes or until fork tender and slightly golden brown
Remove from the oven and place half of the roasted, onions apples and squash in a blender
Carefully puree in batches with chicken broth and pour into a large soup pot
Simmer soup over low heat and season with nutmeg, thyme leaves and adjust seasoning with the last teaspoon of salt
If soup is too thick it can be adjusted with additional chicken broth or water
Serve warm

Image and Recipe via

For those of you who have to tough the cold temps, this will warm you up for sure! For the rest of you, try this recipe anyways! Butternut squash is so yummy no matter the temperature. 

xoxo, 

A+C