key lime pie

i couldn't help but nerd out a bit! 

as i'm sure you're all aware, it was a pi day of epic proportions over the weekend. of course i planned on making a pie to celebrate, because really, who does't love an excuse for pie? seeing as we were set to attend a margaritaville party, i knew it had to be key lime pie. i always loved the rare occasion my mom would make key lime pie as a child, and couldn't help but wonder why i'd never made one myself. 

and wonder i still do! this pie came together in a breeze, and was absolutely delicious. just tart enough, and perfectly creamy. whip this one up, then sit yourself down with a slice of pie and a margarita - you deserve it! 

this recipe was adapted from the smitten kitchen. 

ingredients: 

crust 

about 10 graham crackers 

1/4 cup walnuts 

3 Tbsp sugar 

1/4 tsp salt 

7 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted 

filling

2 Tbsp lime zest, finely grated 

1 whole egg + 2 egg yolks 

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk 

2/3 cup fresh lime juice (i used 4.5 regular limes, you would need abut 10 key limes)

instructions: 

first, we create a flour with the graham crackers and walnuts. i did this in my vitamix, but you could use a food processor or other blender. if you don't have one of those things, swap the walnuts for a few more graham crackers, put them in a ziplock bag and smash with a rolling pin. there might be a few visible pieces, but everything should be pulverized. 

now, mix 1 2/3 cups of the graham and walnut flour with the sugar and salt, stirring to combine. drizzle in the melted butter, and stir until fully combined. dump your bowl out into a 9-inch pie dish and use your fingers or a measuring cup to press the crust into the dish. make sure your crust comes all the way up the edges of your pie dish! 

bake the crust at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned. remove from oven and set aside. if your crust has risen a lot and there won't be space for the filling, feel free to gently press it back down with a spoon - just be careful! 

now, for the filling! zest your limes into the bottom of a mixing bowl. using a mixer or a whole lot of muscle, beat the zest with the eggs until the mixture thickens slightly and becomes pale, about 5 minutes. add the sweetened condensed milk, and beat until the mixture thickens again, about 3 minutes. add lime juice, and whisk until fully combined. 

pour the filling into the prepared crust, and return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, until a little shake reveals a solid filling. if you have any extra filling (a shallow 9-inch pan probably won't fit it all), feel free to make a little extra crust and bake yourself a mini-pie. i love doing this when i'm taking the pie to an event, so i can taste test it first! 

allow the pie to cool completely in the fridge before serving. 

fudgy brownies with mint ganache

who was it who told us that minty things should be bright green? while i'm a big fan of colorful foods, i'm also a big believer that food coloring has no place in our food unless we're creating decorative designs. there really is no reason to consume unneeded dyes. so... white mint chocolate chip ice cream and this minted white chocolate ganache are exactly where i fall in love with all things minty. who can resist this beautiful naturally colored brownie topping!?

this week, i had a photo shoot with the traverse city record eagle in preparation for this article about the launch of my food photography business. the minute i started brainstorming what i would make for the camera, i knew i wanted it to be something decadent.

these may just be the most decadent brownies ever made. four different types of chocolate and a whole stick of butter packed into an 8 x 8 square. it's a sea of rich chocolate flavor and bright mintyness (yup, i just made that word up). cut these babies into teeny tiny squares for the perfect bite-sized bundle of delicious! 

adapted from The Cook's Illustrated

ingredients: 

brownies 

5 ounces semisweet chocolate 

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate 

8 Tbsp butter 

3 Tbsp cocoa powder 

3 eggs 

1 1/4 cup sugar 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

1/2 tsp salt 

1 cup flour 

ganache 

8oz white chocolate (make sure its made with cocoa butter, so your ganache sets properly!) 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

1 Tbsp unsalted butter 

2 tsp mint extract 

instructions: 

first, prepare an 8 x 8 baking dish. lightly greasing the dish, then create a parchment paper sling with a strip of parchment covering the bottom and two of the sides. lightly grease the parchment and set aside. this makes it really easy to lift your brownies out of the pan! 

if you're using bars of chocolate, take some time before getting started to chop them into small pieces so the chocolate can melt easily. 

now, you can start on the brownie batter by melting the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate with the butter in a double boiler. i just use a small pyrex bowl placed over a small pot with a few inches of water in the bottom. no need for fancy equipment! 

keeping an eye on the chocolate and stirring it occasionally, whisk together your eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. once the chocolate is melted and smooth, add about half a cup of the chocolate to the egg mixture, whisking to combine. this helps slowly raise the temperature of your eggs so they don't cook! then add the rest of the chocolate mixture and whisk until fully combined. next, gently stir in your flour and cocoa powder until just combined. 

pour your batter into the pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes with the rack in the bottom third of the oven. the brownies are ready when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs hanging on. lift the brownies out of the pan and onto a cooling rack once finished. 

while the brownies are baking, prepare your ganache. put the white chocolate into a bowl, and set aside. heat the cream and butter gently on the stove, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and it comes to a gentle simmer. pour the mixture over your chocolate, and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is smooth. stir in your mint extract, and taste it for mintyness. if you're really into mint, feel free to add a little more! cover and place your ganache in the fridge to cool. 

now, the waiting game! the ganache needs at least 4 hours to cool in the fridge, though i like to just leave mine overnight. if you do wait overnight, wrap your brownies in plastic to keep them fresh. once it is cool (you'll know because it will be nice and thick, not runny), you're ready to assemble! this can be done on the cooling rack, a cutting board, or with the brownies placed back in their pan. however you please! scoop your ganache onto the brownies and spread evenly to cover the top, smoothing it as best you can. 

if you want to take it up a notch, melt about a tablespoon of chocolate and drizzle it over the top for a little contrast! 

totally local strawberry sherbet

each and every year, come february, i can't help but start dreaming of summertime foods. seemingly endless supplies of just-picked local fruits and vegetables, an overflowing garden, meals eaten outside, and ice cream. lots and lots of ice cream. february and march are long months in northern michigan. so once blue skies start hinting of spring, not even perfectly beautiful snow globe days can hide my excitement for the summertime life. 

so while we wait... we'll just have to enjoy this strawberry sherbet featuring last summer's incredibly sweet organic strawberries from providence farm and shetler dairy's luscious heavy cream.  it always helps to have a stash of picked-at-their-peak fruits from last season in the freezer when these cravings hit!  : )

this winter, i've been falling head over heals for homemade ice cream (thanks to my love for gifting me an ice cream maker!). i've always been head over heals for ice cream, of course, but the options available locally had me wanting something better. there was nothing available with simple ingredients and that perfect texture. so commenced new flavors weekly in my kitchen! 

in researching ice cream and sorbet recipes in my cook's illustrated cookbook,  i came across a few recipes for various sherbets, and couldn't help but wonder. the sherbet of my childhood surely satisfied me then, but it definitely wasn't a wholesome choice. so, with a basic understanding of the process, i set out to make my own version of sherbet. it has six simple ingredients and is sure to leave you wanting more. i've made two batches in the past few weeks... so i must love it! 

while this will work with any strawberries, i recommend you use the most flavorful ones you can find. go to the farmer's market & get the ones that have that incredible sweet strawberry smell. 

ingredients: 

4 cups of strawberries (fresh or frozen, but defrost if frozen) 

1 vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla extract) 

1 shy cup sugar 

3 Tbsp lemon juice 

2 tsp vodka (this helps you achieve the perfect texture) 

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 

instructions: 

first, you'll need to carefully slice the vanilla bean in half. i like to use a really sharp pairing knife to do this. then scrape the little seeds from the bean (and don't throw the bean into the compost just yet!). 

place your strawberries into a blender, and start to puree. once they're starting to get smooth, add the vanilla beans (or extract), and puree on a high speed until the berries are really silky smooth. 

place a fine mesh sieve over a small or medium pot, and strain the pureed strawberries to remove any seeds that didn't get pulverized. use a spatula to get as much of the puree as possible into the pot. 

add the sugar and scraped vanilla beans to the pot and place it over medium heat, stirring occasionally while bringing it to a simmer. once it reaches a simmer and all the sugar is dissolved, remove the pot from heat. stir in the lemon juice and vodka, and pour into a glass container so you can chill it. 

it's good to measure your strawberry puree at this point (i use a 4c glass measuring cup to chill it and measure all at once!). you should have 3 cups. if you have a little more or less, you'll want to increase or decrease the amount of cream you use to keep the ratio the same. it's hard to measure whole berries consistently, believe me, i know! 

once your puree is chilled, remove the vanilla beans. then whip the heavy cream until peaks form. with your mixer running, slowly pour in your puree until the mixture is fully combined. it will be a beautiful deep pink. 

churn the mixture based on your ice cream machine's instructions, and be sure to eat plenty straight out of the machine (my favorite part of making ice cream at home!).