Author Archives: cups + spoonfuls

Birthday Granola and Funfetti Cookies

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My little sister, Jamie, is about to turn 32 on May 3rd. She lives in Denver with her fantastic husband, John and their sweet little boy Dezmond. She is strong, smart, loyal and loving. She is a great mother. I miss her terribly. The years speed up once you have kids. That saying “the days are long but the years are short” rings more true now than ever. The miles that separate us frustrate me. I miss her. I miss my nephew. The days go by too fast. Slow it down. Lets just stop for a minute and breathe. I wish I could hop on a plane and be with her for the start of her 32nd year but I can’t, not this time. So instead I bake two of her favorite things to eat and ship them to her hoping that when she opens this package she will know that I love her and think of her often.

Happy Birthday Jame.  Miss you so. xo

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Basic Granola Recipe

slightly adapted from Cannelle at Vanille

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Ingredients

3 cups  rolled oats (you can use gluten-free)
1 1/2 cups  nuts and seeds – I used a combination of whole almonds and pumpkin seeds (any kind of seed and nut combination can work here)

1/2 cup  apple juice
1/2 cup  maple syrup (or honey)
1/4 cup coconut oil or canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cup (180 g) dried fruit – I used dried blueberries, strawberries, bing cherries and cranberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 325F

Combine the oats, nuts and seeds in a large bowl.

Mix together apple juice, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sea salt and black pepper in a medium saucepan. Gently heat all together until salt is dissolved and coconut oil is melted. Pour liquid over the dry oat mixture and toss to coat. Spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes until golden. Be sure to stir the mixture about every 15 minutes to make sure it is evenly baked.

Let the granola cool completely. It will become crunchier as it cools. Stir in the dried fruit when completely cool. Store in an airtight container for a few weeks. Makes a great gift too!

Funfetti Cookies

barely adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

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Ingredients:

1 cup butter (2 sticks) at room temperature

1-¼ cup sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

2-½ cups flour

¼ cups cornstarch

¾ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoons salt

½ cups rainbow jimmie sprinkles

2 tablespoons nonpareil sprinkles

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Cream the butter and sugar in stand mixer (or hand mixer) for about 2 minutes, until fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg. Beat until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift in the flour, cornstarch, soda, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and continue on low-speed until it’s all added and combined. Mix in the sprinkles (don’t overmix or the sprinkles will start to bleed into the dough). I mixed them by hand.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop cookie dough onto cookie sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart (fits 8 cookies per sheet). Bake for about 15 minutes. (Note: Only bake until they very slightly start to turn light golden brown just on the edges. You don’t want them to totally turn golden or they’ll be crisp cookies. Check them around 10 minutes, then 12, and so on.) Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 4 days.

Lets Start With Vanilla Bean Banana Cream Pie with a Graham Cracker Crust

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Here we go. After two years of obsessively reading cookbooks and trying recipes I am starting a food blog. I am not sure where this will lead but I know now is the time to start. I am home full time with my two sweet, smart and funny kids, Charlotte 5 and Graham 2. I have a supportive and loving husband who many call Bubba. We have a very furry, half human dog named Alice. Friends and family are close by and we live in a great town just outside of Boston, the city where we first met and fell in love 11 years ago. We have a good life but I somehow feel lost in the day to day. I have disappeared between diaper changes and gymnastics drop offs. I think this blog just may be my way back.
I am starting with a Vanilla Bean Banana Cream Pie with a Graham Cracker crust because it was his favorite. I am referring to Papa, my grandfather, who we lost two years ago. He was a like a father to me. His passing broke my heart and it is just now that my heart feels less raw. His birthday was two weeks ago. This pie is for him.

Banana Cream Pie For Papa
slightly adapted from the Maratha Stewart Show and What’s Gaby Cooking
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For the Vanilla Bean Pudding
1 large whole egg, lightly beaten, plus 4 large egg yolks
6 to 8 medium-ripe bananas
3 cups whole milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped

For the Graham Cracker Crust
12 full-size graham crackers
6 tablespoons butter, melted

For the Crust

Pre-heat the oven to 375
Place the graham crackers and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to break the crackers up and then process for 1-2 minutes until the crackers are the same consistency as the sugar.
Add the melted butter and pulse to combine so the crackers look just damp.
Remove the mixture from the food processor and transfer the crumbs into a 9 inch pie pan. Press the the crumbs into a crust evenly along the bottom and up the side.
Bake the crust for about 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and let cool.

For the Pudding
In a bowl, lightly whisk egg yolks; set aside. In a saucepan, whisk together milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Bring to a simmer (do not boil), and cook, whisking constantly, 3 to 4 minutes.

Whisk a quarter of hot-milk mixture into egg yolks; whisk in remaining milk mixture. Strain into a clean saucepan (I didn’t do this step and it was fine), and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until custard is thick and bubbles appear in center, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface to prevent a skin from forming. Place in refrigerator until chilled, 30 to 35 minutes. (The filling can be kept in refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, up to 1 day.)

Cut 3 or 4 bananas into 1/4-inch slices, on the bias. Start at the edge of the piecrust, arrange the slices in slightly overlapping rows. Cover with custard, using an offset spatula to smooth it into an even layer. I don’t love whip cream so I didn’t add it but if you love it throw some on!

Whipped Cream

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine cream and confectioners’ sugar; beat until soft peaks form. Using a small offset spatula, spread the whipped cream on top of the custard.

Refrigerate pie, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.