recipe — pleasure in simple things

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lavender iced coffee

May

I love culinary lavender.

A subtle taste of lavender in a drink or a baked item is delicious! So, I was very excited when I heard Starbucks added lavender drinks to its menu. An iced coffee with a hint of lavender sounded very appealing to me! That is, until I actually visited my local Starbucks and found out the only way to get a lavender drink was with the addition of a lavender sugar syrup! “Is there any way to add the lavender to a drink without adding the sugar?” I asked the barista. “The lavender is part of a sugar syrup. That is the only lavender we have” was the response I received. Yuck! Determined to enjoy a lavender iced coffee without sugar, I set out to make my own.

The usual iced coffee I make at home is made from organic coffee. I combine brewed coffee I keep in the fridge with walnut ‘milk’. The walnut ‘milk’ I buy is from Elmhurst and has two ingredients – water, walnuts – that’s it! (These ingredients make my everyday coffee very clean!) Using my usual iced coffee ingredients, I was determined to create a lavender iced coffee. I came up with a very simple way to accomplish this!

I filled a tea infusion ball with culinary lavender and dropped it into a glass jar filled with my walnut ‘milk’. (Use whatever nut ‘milk’ you prefer.) I left this jar in the fridge overnight and by the next morning the milk was infused with a lovely, subtle lavender flavor!

I combined my infused ‘milk’ with some of my cold, pre-brewed coffee and voila! I had a lavender iced coffee with no sugar or other unwanted added ingredients!

The taste of my lavender iced coffee was perfect! (Of course, the longer the lavender remains in the ‘milk’, the stronger the flavor. Overnight was just the right subtle flavor for me.) Mission accomplished!

I hope you will try your own iced coffee creation by creating your favorite flavor(s) in a clean way!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. Be sure to use culinary grade lavender – lavender that is intended for ingesting! It will be marked accordingly. I usually can find it at a bargain at Home Goods or TJ Maxx – in the food aisle. Try it in your scones!

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easy mango chamoy paletas

August

I was only recently turned on to paletas. They look like ordinary ice pops, but they pack a much greater punch! Paletas are a Mexican frozen treat made from fresh, natural fruits and sometimes with added milk or condensed milk. Typically, they seem to be fruit-based but there are some milk-based, creamy flavors as well. An ice pop made from natural ingredients – what’s not to love!

My first taste of a paleta was a mango one. I chose the mango because it was a fruit-based rather than a milk-based pop and because I love mangos! When I tasted it, I was pleasantly surprised by a spicy flavor undertone that I could not identify. Turns out the flavor was something called ’chamoy.’ The sweet, spicy flavor combined with the mango was really fantastic!

I had heard of the chili/lime spice called tajin (often seeing it rimming the glass of a cocktail), but I was unfamiliar with chamoy. After some research, I figured out chamoy is a variety of savory sauces and condiments in Mexican cuisine made from pickled fruit. It can range from a liquid to a paste consistency, and typically its flavor is salty, sweet, sour, and spiced with chilis.

I decided to try making my own mango paletas with this fabulous taste combination of mango and chamoy. On my next trip to Trader Joes, I picked up some organic frozen mangos and looked for chamoy in the spice section. No go! I ended up sourcing the chamoy through Amazon.

I discovered two important lessons during the process of creating these ice pops: 1. I am a wimp about spice, and, 2. Chamoy is stronger than you might think!

My first batch of pops used about a teaspoon and a half of chamoy in each pop – that was way too much for my taste! For my second batch, I used a squirt bottle I use to decorate sugar cookies and squirted a much smaller amount into each mold before I added the mango mixture. You will need to decide how much heat you can take!

To make 6 paletas, I combined these 4 ingredients in a blender and blended until smooth:

1, 1lb. bag of organic frozen mango chunks, defrosted
1/8 cup of honey (alter to sweeten to your individual taste)
1/8 cup water
Squeeze of fresh lime juice

I prepared the ice pop molds by drizzling chamoy into each one – letting the chamoy drip down the sides. I filled each mold half way with the mango mixture. Then, I added more chamoy into each mold (I eliminated this step in my second batch of pops – wimp!). After that, I filled each mold to the top with the mango mixture, put on the tops and sticks, and popped them into the freezer.

I recently switched from plastic ice pop molds to stainless ones and I adore them! I have replaced all the plastic utensils in my kitchen over time and the ice pop molds were the last to be converted. Not only are the stainless ones simple to use, but they are easier to wash than plastic and are much easier to unmold as well! I highly recommend them – I found them on Amazon.

That, my friends, is how I recreated a mango chamoy paleta! I am sure I will be trying to create some additional flavors before summer slips away…I hope I have inspired you to try making them as well! If you prefer a creamy pop, just add some nonfat yogurt!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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no-bake healthful peanut butter cup

May

These refrigerator peanut butter cups are a great, clean replacement for the candy ones. I make up a batch to keep in the fridge for emergency cravings!

A mini muffin tin can be used to make these, but I prefer the paper baking cups I find in Home Goods for a couple dollars a package. I make sure the label says they are food and freezer safe.

I make 12 per batch (242 calories each), but they can be made a little larger (10 per batch) if you prefer them bigger. I use all organic ingredients from Trader Joe’s.

Mix together:

1 cup rolled oats
¼ cup almond flour
1 cup peanut butter (peanuts as only ingredient)
½ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
Dash of sea salt

Dividing the mixture evenly among the cups, press into 10 baking cups. Put the cups into the freezer for an hour to set.

Melt ½ cup unsweetened completely cacao chips and 2 Tbsp almond (or peanut) butter just until smooth. Spoon the mixture evenly over the 12 cups. Pop back into the freezer until set. Store in the fridge or freezer.

Tear off the paper cup to eat. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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mini cookie cereal recipe

January

I had never tried making cookie cereal when it became such a sensation. I started thinking about it again recently while watching the Kids Baking Championship on Food Network. As a weekly challenge, these young competitors featured on the show were creating some fabulous cookie cereals as well as some companion mousses to go with them. These children were so talented – truly amazing to watch!

Inspired by these fabulous children on the show, I decided to create some of my own cookie cereal.

I knew I wanted to use my favorite shortbread recipe as the cookie, but I was torn on how to change it up to modify it for a breakfast cereal – I got it down to two choices.

My first idea was a rosewater shortbread. I thought the subtlety of the rosewater would make a great shortbread and I could add some chopped pistachios to the cookie and the cereal bowl for some added crunch. It sounded like a really good flavor idea, but maybe more like a dinner party cookie than a breakfast choice!

So, I went with my second flavor idea…cinnamon! I love cinnamon. I buy Penzey’s brand spices which are super flavorful and the cinnamon is wonderful. Cinnamon seemed a much more appropriate flavor for my breakfast cereal. Plus, my “go to” nut milk is walnut (I drink Elmhurst brand – made with just filtered water and walnuts) and that would make a great pairing with the cinnamon shortbread! I did add a little bit of instant coffee powder to my modified recipe as well – it is a breakfast cereal after all! If it seemed the cereal needed a little extra crunch, I could throw in some chopped walnuts!

I modified and halved my usual shortbread recipe. I didn’t want to have too many extra cookies around to eat!

I whisked together 1 ¼ cups flour, 1 ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp instant coffee grounds and a dash of salt. In a separate bowl, I beat 1 stick of softened butter with 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar on medium speed with a hand mixer until well blended. Then, I slowly added the flour mixture. Once it was all incorporated and resembled coarse crumbs, I gathered the dough into a ball using my hands, wrapped it in plastic wrap, and popped it into the refrigerator for a half of an hour.

Next, I rolled out the cold dough on a piece of parchment paper to ¼” and cut small cookie shapes. (I used a little flower shape, but of course at this time of year, a heart would make a great choice as well!) I put the cut dough shapes on parchment set on a baking sheet and set the baking sheet into the fridge for 15 minutes to firm before baking in a preheated 350-degree oven.

I baked them for about 11 minutes, watching them carefully. Shortbread should never get brown, but these needed to be cooked completely to hold up as cereal.

I used a 1 ¼” cookie cutter, and got over 9 dozen cookies – plenty for a couple bowls of cereal!

After they were baked and cooled, they could be put into an airtight container until ready to use – maybe for a Valentine’s Day breakfast!

When I tasted them, I wondered why I never made cinnamon shortbread before – they were delicious! And, in a bowl of milk? Scrumptious! I may never make cookie cereal again, but I will definitely make cinnamon shortbread cookies again – I am adding them to my holiday cookie list!

Make mini cookie cereal – check! That was a fun experiment!

Do you ever get inspired by watching a cooking show on television?

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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gingersnap cookie butter

January

Cookie butter is a really popular flavor – not only as a spread, but as an ice cream flavor as well. I can’t say I’m a big cookie butter fan, but I got to thinking…why not switch out the Biscoff cookie in the cookie butter to a cookie I actually like? And, since it is the holiday season and I love gingersnaps, that cookie has to be a gingersnap!

When I looked at all the ingredient labels of cookie butter, it was a little scary! Several oils, syrups, sodium, and soy were included on the label in addition to the cookies.

I tried to simplify the ingredients for my cookie butter. I used real butter rather than oils and sweetened it with sweetened condensed milk. (I tried honey and maple syrup but they just didn’t work out as well.)

This butter makes morning toast taste like the holidays every day! (I like it on sourdough!) It also makes a great gift packaged for the holidays or for Valentine’s Day in a decorated jar.

Gingersnap Cookie Butter Recipe

7 ounces good quality gingersnaps, broken into pieces

1 stick softened unsalted butter

1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

¼ tsp (or more to taste) ground ginger

¼ tsp cinnamon

Put gingersnaps into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add all remaining ingredients – process until smooth.

Put into jars or airtight container and store in the fridge.

I didn’t stop at just butter! I also used some of this butter to make some gingersnap cookie butter cups! I made these by putting 1 tablespoon melted dark chocolate into the bottom of each compartment of a mini muffin tin. (12 ounces of chocolate is enough to make a 12-piece mini muffin tin.) I added 1 teaspoon of gingersnap cookie butter on top of each little cup, then added another tablespoon of melted chocolate on top. I finished off the cups by garnishing with sea salt. I put the muffin tin into the freezer for about 20 minutes to set. (Any type of nut butter can be substituted to make alternate flavors using this same method.)

I hope I have inspired you to try making gingersnap cookie butter or to experiment with a cookie flavor butter of your own!

Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you the very best in 2021!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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candy cane rice cakes

December

I like to think I discovered the rice cake ice cream sandwich. I started making them over 30 years ago. What was the very first one I made? I spread two rice cakes with peanut butter and sandwiched softened vanilla ice cream in between the two. SO crunchy and delicious!

But for the holiday version, I cannot take total credit since a local grocery store called Stew Leonards came up with the holiday rice cake that I now use for Christmas rice cake ice cream sandwiches!

Many Christmases ago, I found the white chocolate and candy cane coated rice cakes at Stew Leonards and they instantly became my favorite holiday treat! These days, the store only makes them by special order and I can never remember to order ahead. So, instead of giving up on holiday rice cakes – I make them myself!

It is easy enough to do. I simply melt down a good white chocolate (I like Lindt or Ghirardelli) to add to one side of a rice cake. A heaping tablespoon of melted white chocolate goes into the center and is spread evenly with a knife. While the chocolate is still wet, I sprinkle crushed up candy canes on top! So simple, yet SO yummy! For 8 rice cakes, I use 11 ounces of chocolate and 8 crushed candy canes.

Once the rice cakes are made, they can be eaten as is or as part of an ice cream sandwich. I think vanilla, eggnog, or peppermint stick ice cream works best in a candy cane rice cake ice cream sandwich! Of course, it needs to either be a homemade ice cream or a very good quality ice cream. It is the holidays after all – no skimping!

Now that you know how to make them, put all your leftover candy canes to good use!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. Click here for more on ice cream sandwiches.

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peach ice pops with honey & thyme

July

I bought way too many peaches! I just couldn’t resist! But now, what to do with them – I can’t possibly eat them all! Ice pops of course!

Extra peaches plus 90 degree temps equal…peach ice pops, for sure!

I don’t need to add a lot of calories to make some super yummy ice pops. I can just let the natural peach flavor come through! This is easy to accomplish but baking (or grilling) the peaches before using them in the pops.

Peach Ice Pops with Honey & Thyme (makes 5 or 6)

5 medium ripe peaches, halved and pitted
2 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped small

Put the peaches, cut side down on a piece of parchment paper lining a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

Put the peaches – skins and all – into a blender with all the ingredients except the thyme and blend until smooth. Add the thyme last so it won’t pulverize – just mix it in.

Pour the mixture into your pop molds and freeze overnight or per the manufacturer’s instructions.

Enjoy!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. I hope by now you own an ice pop mold. If not, order one online or pick one up at HomeGoods – it is SO worth the purchase! I also own an ice shaver, but that’s a story for another day! ;)

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creamy fig ice pops

May

I am obsessed with fig jam. Fig jam and manchego cheese crostini is a favorite snack of mine – such a fabulous flavor combination!

Recently I noticed that Trader Joe’s sells a fig butter and right away I knew I needed to use it to create a summer treat! I decided to combine it with (no, not cheese!) yogurt – to create a fig flavored ice pop!

If you like figs as much as I do, this is a winner of a recipe! So easy! I love these pops!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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apple pie fudge

September

Recently, while in Mystic, CT, I bought some ‘flavor of the day’ fudge which happened to be the flavor of apple pie. “Interesting.” I thought. I figured fudge is like cheesecake. You start with a basic recipe and then alter it according to taste. I can honestly say I never thought of making apple pie fudge, but it sure sounded very seasonal. It tasted seasonal as well – very much like an apple pie!

About a week after I had tasted the apple pie fudge, I decided to try making some myself. I knew mine would taste just as good based on seasoning alone. I only use Penzy’s brand seasonings because no other brand is as flavorful! (So, if you decide to make my recipe and you don’t use Penzy’s, you may have to adjust the seasoning!)

So, I looked at as many fudge recipes as I could and adjusted by adding apple pie spices and some apples. I decided fresh apples would be too hard so opted for the apples from canned apple pie filling.

I was planning on making a gingersnap base, but without any artificial color, the fudge was very light in color and that made me decide to put the gingersnaps on top instead to add a little variety in color.

I think my apple pie fudge came out better than the inspiration fudge! Try it yourself or be inspired to come up with your own flavor!

Apple Pie Fudge

3 cups sugar
¾ cup unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp allspice
½ cup canned apple pie filling
3 cups white chocolate – chips or broken into small pieces
18 gingersnap cookies, crushed into small pieces with a rolling pin

Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

Measure out ½ cup of apple pie filling. Cut the apples into small pieces and remove most of the ‘liquid.’ Put into a heatproof bowl with the chocolate and set aside.

Heat butter, cream, sugar and spices in a large pan over medium heat while stirring often.

Bring mixture to a rolling boil and continue to cook, while stirring constantly, for 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and pour immediately over chocolate chips and apple pieces. Stir until chocolate is melted.

Pour into the baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the gingersnap pieces over the top and press down lightly to set into mixture.

Refrigerate overnight. Cut into small pieces to serve. Tastes best when eaten at room temperature. Store with a lid in fridge.

Thanks for stopping by. Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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riced cauliflower for dinner

January

I recently discovered riced cauliflower and it has opened up a whole new cauliflower world for me!

Used as a base for a main dish, riced cauliflower is very versatile! Because the best way to preserve its nutrients when cooking cauliflower is to gently sauté it on the stovetop – I use riced cauliflower straight from the freezer to the stovetop!

Add green peppers or whatever vegetables you have on hand or chicken or beans, etc. And, switching up the spices can change the whole taste of the creation! Use my basic recipe below and change it up to suit your own taste.

I think if you try riced cauliflower for a meal one night, you will want to stock up on some bags for your freezer. I buy plenty at Trader Joes – they are inexpensive and so handy! I use the entire bag when I make a dinner and have a little left over for lunch the next day.

Why am I so excited about adding more cauliflower to my diet? After doing some research on eye health, I found diets richer in sulforaphane form a more preventative long-term approach to reducing macular degeneration and help protect eyesight. And, cruciferous vegetables – like cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage – are a good source of sulforaphane. Since I have been doing whatever I can to find natural ways to encourage good eye health, I am stepping up my cruciferous vegetable intake!

(The only downside of these vegetables are for those that need to limit purines in their diet since they do contain purines – if this pertains to you, keep your intake to a modest level!)

Recipe: Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a pan. Add 1 small finely chopped onion, 3 cloves minced garlic and 1 finely chopped jalapeno. Cook for a few minutes until the onion is translucent. Add 2 finely chopped tomatoes, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon paprika and a pinch of salt. Cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes are softened. Add a 12-ounce package of frozen riced cauliflower to the pan and mix well. (I hit the package on my countertop a couple of times to break up any frozen clumps.) Stir fry for about 5 minutes – just until hot – not mushy. Garnish with cilantro, sliced avocado, and a squeeze of fresh lime! (The dish pictured here definitely needed a little chopped cilantro on top to add more freshness!)

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend…here in Connecticut, we are preparing for our first snowstorm of the winter!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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Tag: recipe

lavender iced coffee

easy mango chamoy paletas

no-bake healthful peanut butter cup

candy cane rice cakes

peach ice pops with honey & thyme

creamy fig ice pops

apple pie fudge

riced cauliflower for dinner