mythankfultable.com

Springform Pan Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake

September 7, 2017 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Once upon a time, I went to bed with a cookbook and a stack of post its. OK, it wasn’t that long ago…no worries, I have fully accepted and embraced my nerd status. I’m ok with it.

Actually, I tend to purchase cookbooks and read them like novels. There is something about a back story to a recipe or the person creating it. Enter websites and food blogs, and I am one happy reader. Listen, some people binge watch reality tv, recipes are my thing…it’s all good.

As a teacher note- if you or your loved one doesn’t consider yourself, “a reader,” but you find yourself drawn to reading online articles, sports magazines, book about bugs, how-to books, or say, cookbooks…guess what? You are a reader. You just prefer non-fiction. I am a balanced reader, in that I read whatever, but for some people (and students in particular young students who don’t love reading) non-fiction is my in. I am teaching about bugs, and trucks, and tigers, oh my. If they are interested in what they are reading, leave it alone and let them read.

We also have this staff breakfast on Fridays at my work where we take turns supplying the eats. It’s a collaborative friendly celebration of survival and academic excellence. So my inner breakfast bossy-pants wants to bring my best to the table, I want my staff to know I love them enough to make the good stuff.

Practice makes perfect. So, I tried out another recipe.

This recipe started out with one from the justapinch food blog. The original recipe can be found here: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/cake/blueberry-crumb-coffee-cake.html I did make some changes because I don’t want to just use another person’s recipe, and I am also always struggling with the density of coffee cakes and muffins, and am on a cake flour bender.

I made this recipe using a springform pan, which is another new thing for me, but I think the effect of the finished cake was beautiful, and enabled me to slice it into perfect wedges for sharing.

The crumb topping for this cake is beautiful. I added more spices than the original and in truth, felt it needed more. I asked my tasters (fresh out of the gym, yes I am the bad friend who hands baked goods over after people work out) and the response was, “What? It doesn’t need anything.” Granted, it could be the boot camp talking. They work hard in those classes. Anything may have tasted good at the moment.

I once read about how one of the makers of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream had a condition which made him not be able to taste efficiently, which is why the flavors in that ice cream are so intense. I wonder sometimes if I suffer from the same thing? The need for more cinnamon is a thing, right? Right?

So, in addition to messing with the flour, I also added a little more sugar, more blueberries, and like aforementioned, more spice.

This deliciousness will be coming to Friday breakfast for sure, and even though it is close to perfection, I can be absolutely sure it won’t be my last recipe when it comes to blueberries, crumb topping, and the oven. Like my nerd awareness, I am ok with it. I really am.

I hope you like this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

Springform Pan Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake

Print Recipe

This blueberry perfection is based on the original Recipe Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake by Lori Newton of www.justapinch.com My alterations to the recipe include combination of flours, and minor regarding amounts of spice, sugar, and berries. Her recipe is perfection!

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Coffee Cake

Ingredients

Scale

Blueberry Cake:

1 C AP Flour
1 C Cake Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 ¼ C granulated sugar
¼ C softened butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ C buttermilk
4–5 C blueberries

Perfection Crumb Topping:

½ C light brown sugar
¼ C AP Flour
¼ C Cake Flour
½ C Butter
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg (I used a nutmeg and a microplane)

Instructions

Prepare a springform pan, buttering and flouring, then set aside. Preheat oven to 350*

Combine ingredients for crumb topping, mixing flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar until combined. Grate butter or cut into small cubes and cut into dry mixture until form a crumble texture.

For Cake:

Cream together butter, sugar, until light yellow, add in egg, vanilla, and small amount of buttermilk. Combine dry ingredients, then add to mixture slowly, alternating with remainder of buttermilk. Gently fold in blueberries.

Put batter into prepared springform pan, and top with crumble topping.

Depending on your oven, bake anywhere between 45-60 minutes, testing the center until the tester comes out clean with just a little crumb.

Cool and slice in to wedges.

Dad’s Macaroons

September 5, 2017 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Coconut Macaroons

So this weekend I became the official owner of my Father’s vehicle. Which, if you know me is bittersweet. Awesome because I was gifted a vehicle.

Not awesome because it belonged to my Dad.

Who should be driving it himself.

Preferably to go play golf.

If you knew Cliff, he was the perfect mix of grumpy and kind. Mostly grumpy, but the kind part outshined enough to make you say, “Yeah, that’s Cliff.” He was a nursing administrator at a hospital, lead by example, didn’t say more than what needed to be said, listened, problem solved, worked hard, played hard. Loved. Quietly.

When I needed to move home, my parents rearranged their life, let us take over their house, and start over. It enabled me to go back to school for my Masters, and again for my Sixth Level. When I was accepted into the program for my MFA in Writing, I asked my Dad, “Do you really want to sign on for two more years with us?” He did his Dad grin and said, “Get it done.”

Momma’s Goodness

I always call my Dad my anchor and my Mom my nest. Where Mom wants to know how she can help, and jumps in, makes it safe and supportive (more on Norma in another post) Cliff would say, “You need to do this.” Then he would anticipate you to do the right thing. Now.

Coconut Macaroon Batter

I’d be writing papers at two am after I fell asleep putting the kids to bed, and he’d peek my doorway to see if I was ok. He’d nod his head, then leave. That was my Dad.

When my Dad was diagnosed with cancer, We put on our brave faces, asked, “What can we do to help?” and did what we needed to do. We did this for less than a year.

He never complained. Not. Once.

He passed the first week in November. His Christmas cards were already addressed.

The following part is hard to say, but as his daughter, I am so thankful he went as he did.

With dignity and the best quality of life his diagnosis could have offered.

But, as his daughter, I still wake up, almost three years later, and wish I had him for one more day.

Coconut Macaroon Cookies

The best grieving advice I ever got was from my oldest friend, who said, “You expect Christmas to be hard. You don’t anticipate Tuesday to be hard.” I guess that’s just grief. Like an ocean tide, coming in and going out.

When he bough the car, he told my mom, “Give it to Chrissy, then she will be set for awhile.” The paperwork was lined up, all set to go. That’s the kind of Dad I had.

It took me three years to make it mine.

And it has heated seats. My old Honda doesn’t have heated anything!

Sometimes when I cook, or bake, it isn’t because I even want to eat it. (It’s TRUE). Sometimes it serves a higher purpose.

Where some people dread the task of food prep, there is a simple, therapeutic, peaceful beauty to time in my kitchen. I welcome it. It’s my Sunday post church, church, if you know what I mean. Some Sundays, it is my church.

Coconut Macaroon Cookies

The very last recipe my Dad shared with me was for his all time favorite cookie, the Coconut Macaroon.

Baked Coconut Macaroon Cookies

Due to his type of cancer, at one point eating became really difficult. So, when he was able to have a macaroon for the first time again, it was a good sign. Temporary, but I am so thankful for those cookies and what they meant for my father.

SO this rainy morning, even though I am sad, I am thankful. Thankful for the Dad I had as long as I did. Thankful he loved to cook and shared that with me. Thankful for the anchor I was blessed enough to know.

It seems fitting I bake his favorite cookies, doesn’t it?

These are a simple, non piped, chewy, basic macaroon. Mix in one bowl, chill if you like but don’t need to, drop on parchment, and bake cookie. It’s a sweeter cookie, so one is enough. Ok, eat the second one too.

A cookie recipe of few words. Unlike this post. So much like my Dad.

If you aren’t a fan of coconut. I know you are out there. It’s ok. You don’t have to like it or make them. But, I wish for you love and anchors and nests in your life. If you didn’t have one, that you’ll become one, and that our hearts are thankful. Every day a gift.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table.

Chrissy

Click for Printable Recipe

Dad’s Macaroons

Print Recipe

A simple mix and drop cookie that would make my Dad’s heart happy.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

14 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 Egg White
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1– 14 Oz Package Flaked Coconut (Sweetened)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325*
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix ingredients in order.
Chill in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
Drop by rounded tsp. (or use a small ice cream scoop). If you don’t want little mounds, flatten slightly.
Bake 15-17 minutes until golden brown.
Cool Cookies on wire rack.

Peachy Overnight Oats

September 3, 2017 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Peachy Overnight Oats

After a summer of spending hours outside in my yard and filling my kitchen with tomatoes, the mornings have suddenly turned chilly. We moms are donning sweatshirts when we pick our kids up after practice, I am back to setting an alarm, and the biggest transition is, I am back to school. (If my father were still here, he’d be singing, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” That Staples commercial was his favorite).

Now, if you are an educator, you know the one phrase that will make your hackles rise and get your dander up like no other? Come on, say it with me… “It’s nice you get your summers off.” Growl.

In my original post, I listed all the reasons why this phrase is annoying but I edited them out. Suffice to say, it isn’t a nice thing to say to an educator.

Peachy Overnight Oats

I LOVE what I do. LOVE. I look forward to going to work. I tell my own children (both now high school students) you need to be happy doing whatever it is for your career path; because life is too short.

When I kick off every school year, my prayer is simple; “Let my love be greater.”

Greater than my education and my training.

Greater to see past what I think I know to what is.

Greater than some of the harder circumstances and background stories that my students bring with them to school.

Greater than the gap I need to bridge to get them from where they start to where they finish.

Greater. Enough to be someone who truly cares, who helps to make our school the safest, coolest place they want to be.

For every child, every day.

That has potential to be exhausting. Can I get an amen?

Worth it, so profoundly humbling and daunting a task, and my return on my investment is boundless.

Peachy Overnight Oats

All that to say, I already know it’s nice to have my summers off. You don’t need to say it in that snarky voice.

I have been making my cup of coffee or tea, looking out at my flowers, traipsing to Farmer’s Markets, wearing the same two pair of yoga shorts all summer.

I know I have it good.

So now, I am back to meal prep and planning, and again it means thinking ahead about healthy breakfasts.

May I present…overnight oats.

Overnight oats are great because you basically create a fun recipe the night before, place it in the fridge, and in the morning, boom, breakfast! If you make a bigger batch, more breakfasts! Or, share with others in your life! They will thank you!

Now, if you use regular oats, there is no cooking involved – you mix your oats with some almond, soy, or regular milk and it absorbs overnight; but I like using Steel Cut Oats.

Steel Cut Oats are available at any grocery store, and pack a nutritional punch, are high in fiber, and have a delicious nutty flavor. It also means they need a little cooking time before you layer them in the container of your choice – but it is worth the extra step. I use the recipe on the McCann’s Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal container. Traditionally it is 1/4 C Steel Cut Oats to 1 C Water. I make a 1 Cup to 4 Cup batch, sprinkling oats into briskly boiling water, and simmer for about ten minutes, or until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. You can cook it more or less depending on how chewy you like your oats, remembering that they are going to sit overnight and absorb extra moisture. I tend to just let them go until they are mostly cooked. It’s easier. Easier is good.

I let the oats cool slightly.

Happy Morning Breakfast

Then, using mason jars (if you are cute and not klutzy – which is why I use plastic containers when I am not taking pictures) layer your oats with your favorite fruits and yogurt. The possibilities are endless. Eye appeal is important, so if you can make the mason jar work for you, you are luckier than I. I need plastic, boring, safe, but shatterproof. My dad used to say, “Good thing we didn’t name you Grace.”

At this peak of peach season, this recipe called for 1/2-1 ripe peach per jar, 1/4- 1/3 C prepared oats, and about 1/2 Cup of Peach Yogurt (I like Siggis). These are your breakfasts, you make them the way you will like to eat them. Like my yoga teacher says, “It’s just Yoga.” It’s just breakfast. You should like what you put into your body. More peaches? Go for it. More Yogurt? Dairy Free yogurt? Bring it.

Simply layer yogurt, oats, peaches, and repeat the pattern. Place the container in the refrigerator over night. If you make a batch of three or four, you have breakfasts set to go for a few days, and then it is one less thing to think about during the week! Or, if you are like me, you eat one for a snack instead of the brownie sundae you want to be eating, and then another one for lunch, because they are that good.

I hope this recipe makes life easier for you, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

Click to see printable recipe

Peachy Overnight Oats

Print Recipe

Preparation the night before makes breakfast easy and healthy!

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

1 Cup Steel Cut Oats
4 Cups Water
3 Peaches – diced
2 Containers Peach Yogurt

Instructions

Following instructions on the Steel Cut Oats container – Cook 1 cup Oats (My recipe called for boiling in 4 Cups Water) until water is absorbed.
Cool Oats for a while.
Using 3-4 containers, layer oats, yogurt, peaches. Repeat.
Cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Cinnamon Crumble Blueberry Muffins

September 1, 2017 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

The perfect blueberry muffin. Why are you so darn elusive? I have so many blueberries, and yes they can go in a protein smoothie. But little cups of cinnamon and blueberries fresh out of the oven call to me like sirens. “Chrissy…chrissy…come to me!” (Your food calls to you, right? No?)

My breakfasts are so healthy and almost never consist of a baked good. Hey, it’s only recently that I have made a point of eating: a.) breakfast and b.)healthy breakfast. I have learned that coffee, even if it is great coffee, isn’t breakfast (I know, I am sorry, but it isn’t). Now-a-days it’s yogurt, or fruit, or a smoothie, you know the drill. Avocado toast or protein cereal is usually the most carb-y I get for my morning meal.

But then, it’s blueberry season and I JUST CAN’T STOP. I continue to quest for a muffin with just the right crumb. No tunnels, no big pocket of air, no paperweights. Bursting with berries, smelling like a cinnamon candle, worth it’s weight in calories. If I am going to indulge in basically a mini cake for breakfast, it has to be really good. Cheat meal good.

This muffin has more spice in the batter, more spice in the crumb. The batter contains a combination of plain, greek yogurt as well as sour cream. It also has my new found super ingredients in muffins, raw apple cider and baking soda. This is a throw in the mixer batter, and easy to do.

As always, I put way more berries than the average girl. If it is a blueberry muffin it should be a blueberry muffin. Otherwise it’s just, oh I don’t know. yellow cake. With a blueberry dragged through it. And that cake is not worth the bake.

As always, I left some muffins naked (in our house that means no crumb topping) to soothe the savage beasties. The ones that still need to complete their summer work for school.

Maybe the fresh smell of baked goods will motivate them to finish Lord of the Flies and the AP work sitting on their desks under their swim masks, and the clean laundry that needs to be put away. Sigh.

Well, even if these muffins don’t inspire the completion of summer work, they do inspire me to get up and do the next thing on the checklist that composes my day. After all, its not every morning the siren call of berries and cinnamon call out to you, is it?

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

Cinnamon Crumble Blueberry Muffins

Print Recipe

Cinnamon-y blueberry muffin perfection. What everyone should wake up to for breakfast!

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 Minutes
Total Time: 58 minute
Yield: 18 -24 Muffins 1x
Category: Muffins
Method: Baking

Ingredients

Scale

Muffins:

2 large eggs
1 C Granulated Sugar
½ C Vegetable Oil
1 TBSP Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
½ C Sour Cream
½ C Plain, Greek-style yogurt
1 C AP Flour
1 C Cake Flour
1 Tsp Cinnamon
2 ½ C Blueberries

Crumb Topping:

¾ C Light Brown Sugar
1 TBSP Cinnamon
5 TBSP Butter
¾ C AP Flour

Instructions

Preheat Oven to 350* and line muffin tins with liners.

In a mixer or in a mixing bowl with hand held beaters, combine oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract. Combine until creamy and smooth. Add vinegar, sour cream, yogurt, and cinnamon. Incorporate flours and cinnamon at a slower speed, until combined (don’t over mix)

Fold in blueberries, scoop into prepared muffin tins.

If using crumble topping, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together, and cut in butter until crumbly.

Sprinkle on top of muffins, and bake for 18 minutes.

Guest Blog: For Love of Ricotta, and Friendship with CT

August 31, 2017 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Me and CT

Once upon a time, there were two girls in High School, in the Senior Class Play, and they were the Nurse and Juliet. They spent the whole summer together driving around in a Chevette, and doing “drive bys” of the houses of the boys they had crushes on.

Then came college, and careers, and marriages, and divorces, and children, and heartache, and high points, and celebrations, and family. Through it all they had each other. They still do today.

The Infamous Chevette

When I say she is one of the great loves of my life, its no small thing. If you are lucky enough to have a friend who kisses your head when life bottoms out, and brags about you when you do something well, and has your back when you get hurt, you are one lucky person. Hey, she’s seen me breastfeed two babies. She knows the dark ugly parts. That’s love.

SO, when this amazing person sends me texts of her homemade ricotta, I said, “You know, you could always be a guest blogger…” and boom, here we have our first guest blogger, even if this blog is brand-spanking new.

May I introduce, CT. Yes, CeeTee. Or Ceet, if you are asking Siri to call her on my phone…

Before I was born, my parents owned a small ranch on the other side of town. When I was in high school I learned they sold that house to my friend, Chrissy’s, parents.

What I did not know then was that she would become my best friend in the world. You know, that person you can talk to about the most intimate details in your life, the one who never judges you when you’ve done something monumentally stupid, but will do her utmost to make sure you don’t do it again.

The one you can call at 2:00 in the morning when your world is falling apart.

And the one you can be your truest self with. All the time.

And she grew up in my parents’ house.

My mother is one of the most artistic and creative people I know. She knits, sews, crochets, paints, gardens, cooks and can do any pinterest project better than the original. And with one exception, neither my sister nor I have inherited any of her talents. I cannot sew on a button. I paint outside the numbers, I kill plants routinely. I once crocheted a snake… that’s as good as I got with that. I was able to absorb some of her cooking skills, but truly only a fraction of her talent in the kitchen.

But you know who did inherit all of my mother’s creativity and talent, my friend, Chrissy. We’ve joked for years that my mother left all of her creative genes in the house. And as you can see from here, Chrissy has cultivated those talents and skills. I’m just lucky to be blessed with two such amazing women in my life, especially when I need something creative done. Thanks, Chrissy for letting me guest blog. I’m not sure I’m worthy of such an honor, but homemade ricotta cheese is worth it….

Ricotta Ingredients

For the past two years, I’ve been obsessed with ricotta cheese. I cannot get enough of it. My favorite pizza place makes a Farmer’s pizza featuring roasted eggplant, spinach, caramelized onions and gorgeous creamy decadent globs of ricotta cheese.

I routinely make ricotta toast. This can be either a savory or sweet treat. My favorite savory preparation involves an Ezekiel grain or other whole grain, nutty bread, toast it, spread a generous amount of ricotta on it, sprinkle the ricotta with fresh ground pepper, and top with thick slices of tomato that have been salted. I call that meal my lunch, snack, dinner or I just want to eat gobs of ricotta right now.

The Birth of Ricotta

On the sweet side, I toast a hearty bread, top with ricotta (a good ¼ — ½ inch – you cannot have too much!), drizzle with honey and top with whatever fresh berries or fruit you like and have in your house. When I have an extra minute and a lemon in the house, I’ll squeeze a bit of lemon juice and a pinch of zest in my ricotta before I top my toast.

I haven’t mentioned it yet, because I think it does not need to be said, but you cannot use skim milk ricotta. It is awful. There’s no nice way to say it. It is not even a close approximation of the real thing. It is rubbery, has zero taste and is just BAD! Do not use it. Ever. Walk the extra mile, spend a little more time at the gym, but for the love of all that is holy, use whole milk ricotta cheese. Every time. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Straining the Ricotta

I’m passionate about my Italian cheese, what can I say? So, when twice recently I was at restaurants that served house made ricotta cheese, you can imagine my delight.

And then I thought, wait, is this a thing?

Can I MAKE ricotta cheese?

My dear friends Google and Pinterest soon turned up lots and lots of recipes and lo and behold the answer was YES!!!!

With minimal ingredients and effort, you can make your own ricotta. And, today I did. And Holy Mother of God, it was fanfreakingtastic.

Finished Product…Ta-DA!

I used lemon juice as my acid which resulted in a slightly lemony ricotta and I’m not mad at that, at all! But I’ll probably only use this batch for sweets (read: eat it straight out of the bowl with a spoon). Next time I’ll try vinegar to see how that works.

Fresh Homemade Ricotta and Berries

The basic recipe I used was the one from Barefoot Contessa, because she’s my idol, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/homemade-ricotta-recipe-1923290

but most of the recipes I saw were very similar. I’d love to tell you how my family and friends liked my first foray into cheese making, but I’m not entirely convinced that I’ll share any of it with anyone.

Thanks for being my person, Chrissy! I love you enough that I’ll save you a bit of ricotta, but you better come over fast.

Back to Chrissy:

Since the recipe is originally from The Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network, I am pasting the original link above into the recipe, but I have not changed one thing, I don’t mess with Ina’s recipes. They are basically perfection.

I am always proud of my friends and their kitchen achievements, so be on the look out for more guest bloggers!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

Ina Garten’s Ricotta Recipe

Print Recipe

Author: Ina Garten

Ingredients

Scale

4 Cups Whole Milk
2 Cups Heavy Cream
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
3 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar

Instructions

Set a large sieve over a deep bowl. Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with the cheesecloth.
Pour the milk and cream into a stainless-steel or enameled pot such as Le Creuset. Stir in the salt. Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts (the curds) and milky parts (the whey).
Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. The longer you let the mixture drain, the thicker the ricotta. (I tend to like mine on the thicker side, but some prefer it moister.) Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining whey. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.

Peachy Peach Cobbler

August 30, 2017 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

My love for Farmer’s Markets knows no end. I’m serious. Where some girls love the mall, you will find me with my reusable bag in hand, cash in my wallet, at least one child, and sometimes the dog. Oh, and my phone camera is on, because I am enchanted by bins of melons or stacks of radishes. I will be snapping pics as I go. At one point, I had a Farmer’s Market crush on the bread truck man. It could have been the chewy molasses cookies or the almond croissants he sold. I may be that shallow.

Why is a pile of beets or bags of freshly picked greens so alluring? I love the idea of local farmers and artisans selling directly, the camaraderie of the people shopping, supporting organic produce, and the fact that rain or shine, the sky is overhead and you get to know the people from whom you are purchasing your ingredients.

There are days I make Target runs. I also go to my grocery store, often. I have yet to be romanced by an end cap and florescent lighting like I am the vegetable laden table under a tent.

Anyways…this week one of the farmer’s market in my area (yes, I frequent several) had peaches. Fresh, locally grown peaches. White and Yellow. I needed both. The farmer told me not to eat them the day I purchased them, but within two days they would be perfection. They were. Peaches on salad, peaches in oatmeal, peaches next to my sandwich, and yes. Two desserts. I made a Peach Galette and this Peachy Peach Cobbler. Peachy Peach, because I used both white and yellow peaches combined.

When it comes to cobbler I need two things: The fruit has to be cooked down before the topping is added so it is bubbly and beautiful at the same time the topping is finished – AND – the topping can’t be biscuit like, nor crisp like. (We get enough crisp in the fall with apples).

So my dilemma. Can I make a topping that had the best of both worlds? Light like a biscuit and crunchy like a crisp without being so Crumbly and heavy? I tried!

I started the topping like a dough, cutting in butter. I used a quick cook oats so it would absorb moisture and have density but not heavy crunch. And to make it light? A trick where you add Baking Powder and boiling water right at the end. The boiling water and powder fizz up and give the mixture a little bit of puff without making it like a biscuit.

Also, I used light brown sugar to match the peaches and give the topping a little more caramel feel.

Two baking times, pre topping and post topping resulted in the sweet juicy bottom and the perfect texture top to match. If I could change this again (and I will) I would play with the spices. I kept it simple to not overpower the peaches, but part of me wanted more cinnamon.

Serve this warm with the good vanilla ice cream, (or maybe cinnamon ice cream?) and enjoy. It’s really the perfect dessert for the end of August, and hey, now I have room to go buy more peaches at the next farmer’s market.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

Peachy Peach Cobbler

Print Recipe

Making use of fresh summer peaches with just the right amount of topping. Cobbler topping is right between a biscuit and crisp topping, matching the sweetness of the peaches for a delicious summer dessert!

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

Peachy Peach Cobbler

Chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Filling:

6 Cups Peaches (I used a combination of white and yellow peaches)
1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
Juice of one lemon

Crumb Topping:

1 Cup AP Flour
½ tsp salt
1 Stick (8 TBSP) Butter (grated on box grater or cut into small cubes)
3 TBSP Light Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Cup Quick Oats
2 Tsp Baking Powder
2–3 TBSP Boiling Water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*

Combine filling ingredients and place in baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes until peach filling cook and thicken.

Combine flour, salt, brown sugar. Cut in butter into dry ingredients. Add quick oats and baking powder and combine. Add in vanilla. Add boiling water and stir quickly until mixture is moistened and combined.

Sprinkle crumb topping on top of peaches and return to oven. Bake for another 30-35 minutes. Peach filling should bubble up through the crumble topping. Serve warm!

Oatmeal Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

August 28, 2017 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

I have a confession. Actually it’s more of a life banner, if there was such a thing. There is no dessert of which I am not a fan. For a long stretch there was a dispassion when it came to strawberries, but for some reason, this spring strawberry love came back in full swing.

Now, I loves me some vegetables. I was a vegetarian for a few years, and embraced it, and so meatless meals are a steady stream in our house as well. But, I have to say, if I can incorporate that vegetable into some sort of sweet its a win win. What? It’s a zucchini cookie, it’s practically breakfast.

All teasing aside, I love this recipe which I found on www.howsweeteats.com Her Chewy Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies was the base recipe for this post.

I made a double batch of these, brought some to a field hockey tournament, the rest to coffee hour at church, and the responses were positive. They are chewy, and puffy, and filled with chocolate, oats, and zucchini, so they resembled tiny little zucchini breads. Just enough spice and sweet, and the perfect little mouthful.

Now, as always when it comes to zucchini, I am a huge fan of a fine grater. I like to grate the zucchini ahead of time and place in a colander over a bowl to drain. For this recipe I didn’t drain the zucchini for a long time, thinking the oatmeal would soak up the moisture. The other things I changed, and only a little, were the amounts of zucchini, spices, and chocolate. What can I say, when I get my hands on a nutmeg and a microplane, I go overboard. I also did my mix of flours, which could contribute to my cookies being more puffy and less chewy.

My mom has this gift, where she makes all of her cookies exactly the same size and shape. It’s one of her many talents. For this recipe, I really did try to strive for the same effect, so I scooped the dough, then rolled them in my hands before putting them on parchment lined baking sheets. I was close to Momma perfection. Ok, true story, we ate the ones that didn’t conform. The rule in my house is any ugly cookies are up for dibs. At least eating these we felt a little less guilty!

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

Oatmeal Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Perfect little cookies of zucchini, oatmeal, and chocolate chips. Original recipe is from Jessica Merchant of How Sweet it is @www.howsweeteats.com

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

Oatmeal Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Original recipe based from www.howsweeteats.com

2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 ½ C Quick Oats
1 Cup AP Flour
½ Cup Cake Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp fresh grated nutmeg
2 and 1/2 Cups Finely Grated Zucchini
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
12 Tbsp. Melted Butter
2 Large Egg Yolks
4–5 Tbsp. Milk (depending on level of moisture in cookie dough)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Cups Semi-Sweet Morsels

Instructions

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl.
Combine melted butter and sugar, then add in egg yolks and remainder of wet ingredients.
Combine wet and dry ingredients, checking to see if additional milk needs to be added.
Add Zucchini, and chocolate morsels until all incorporated. Wrap dough in wax paper or parchment, refrigerating for at least an hour.
The dough will be firm when you are ready to bake.
Preheat oven to 325*
Scoop out spoonfuls and round into balls between hands. Place on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake 14-16 minutes, removing parchment from baking sheets but keeping cookies remaining on parchment (magic trick! You’ve got this)!

Birthday Blessings and Banana Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

August 28, 2017 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

So today, I bumped up to the older age group box on surveys. I’m not so troubled by the actual number. There are certainly things I notice on the day-to-day, like the fact that I am certainly wearing more sunscreen and investing in a new skin regimen for reversing aging. Hey, a gal can hope. I’m also making healthy choices, tracking what I eat and exercising more, because I need to be living in this body for a lot longer.

One year ago, I made a goal to find a gift in every day. Whether it was the joy of my first cup of coffee, the way my daughter comes out of her bedroom all sleepy and beautiful, or the way my son will randomly give me an unsolicited hug. It could be the things I grow in my garden, the sound of my mother’s laughter, the way my puppy snuggles on my significant other. Every day, I anticipated and acknowledged the daily gifts I was surrounded by. I made it a personal challenge to, as my mother says, “Find the Good.”

Even though I didn’t journal about these gifts, If I could, it became a photograph, and I even used #everydayagift on my Instagram posts. So for me, I was able to document my gratitude journal in visual format.

Did it change me?

Absolutely.

Being aware of the gifts around me on a daily basis made for a more positive, thankful heart. It steeped me in gratitude. I stopped comparing myself to other people. I started to look for ways to bless others.

I can’t say I never had hard or blue days, or didn’t have situations where one of my children asked me why my face was angry, I am human. I can say I handled some pretty interesting stuff with grace that I might not have had, and it is something I will definitely continue to do moving forward. I’m a better person when I am a grateful person.

So, this morning, when I woke up, the few things I wanted to do on my birthday:

Surround myself with family, go to church so I could go forward for the birthday prayer (I was raised Episcopalian and it was one of my favorite things as a child), Field Hockey scrimmage all afternoon to cheer on my kid, and baking this banana cake. I can’t believe it, but I wanted this cake over everything else. It’s that good.

This recipe actually comes from the www.tastesbetterfromscratch.com website. The original recipe is Banana Bread Bars, I was just going to follow the recipe as it was, and then I made minor changes, the flour mix, more banana, and in the glaze, I used more vanilla and heavy cream instead of milk. It is so simple and easy to create.

Now, in my house there are always bananas, and I am not a banana snob. I will eat a banana with bruises. But even I have my limit; and end up peeling, plastic bagging, and freezing those babies. So, that is how I ended up with five bananas instead of the original 3-4. Thaw, mush up, add to the batter.

Browned Butter for Glaze

As for the glaze. Dear sweet goodness in a frosting. I know, browned butter sounds scary. It isn’t. You take the butter in a pan, turn on the heat, let it cook. Watch that it doesn’t burn and keep the heat low. When it is ready, add your glaze ingredients (I threw mine into the mixer) and combine until smooth. If you spread it on the still warm cake, it smooths out to this creamy layer of sweet, without being confectioner’s sugar sweet. It’s more like a penuche fudge flavor. If you are from New England, penuche shows up at fairs and festivals, it’s a burned sugar fudge that is insanely good.

Now, you can wait to cut this beautiful cake until it is cool, but on this quiet birthday morning, I just wanted a small square still warm without a plate, looking out at my flowers.

When did I decide every day was a gift? When my children

were little and I realized they would be big before I knew it. When my father was diagnosed with cancer and we had less than a year before he lost his brave battle.

When every school year goes by faster and faster.

When I am going to more funerals, volunteering to make meals more, and praying for more friends and families who are struggling. Realizing how really blessed I am.

Every day. Is a gift.

Leave it to my mother to find a place in my flowers to bring my Dad into this day. Cardinals are supposed to be our loved

Banana Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

ones passed on, coming to visit. So he was here with us.

Today, I felt loved, which is all any of us want, right? To be truly loved? To be surrounded by the people who want to be with us and show up in our lives?

And here is this new blog thing, this beautiful new creative corner for me to do what I absolutely love. The things that bring me joy. I am learning and hopefully getting better every day.

So on this day, this perfect end of summer day, I choose to celebrate with this square of deliciousness. The rest will be boxed up and brought to school to make the first few days of school sweeter! I can’t have this around or I will eat the whole cake. No joke. And that does nothing for my eating healthy exercising more resolutions.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

Birthday Banana Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

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Delicious Banana Cake with Browned Butter Frosting. Based on the Banana Bread Bars recipe from Tastes Better from Scratch website.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

Banana Cake:

1/2 C Butter
1 1/2 C Sugar
5 ripe Bananas (If frozen, thaw and mash)
1 C Plain Greek-Style Yogurt
2 Large Eggs
3 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Salt
1 C AP Flour
1 C Cake Flour

Browned Butter Frosting:

6 TBSP Unsalted Butter
3 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar
2 TBSP Pure Vanilla Extract
3–4 TBSP Heavy Cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*
Prepare a 9×13″ pan
Cream together butter and sugar until smooth
Add Greek-Style Yogurt, eggs, mashed bananas, and vanilla
Add dry ingredients and mix until combined
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-35 minutes, until tester in center comes out clean.
In a pan, (I use a larger wok style fry pan) melt butter and simmer until it turns a light brown in color.
Remove butter from heat, add confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream until the glaze is smooth and to the desired thickness.
Spread frosting over the cake while it is still warm.

Peach Galette

August 26, 2017 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Nothing says, “I am an artisanal baker with a creative flair” like a galette. It’s baking snobbery, really. This elitist freeform pie with beautiful fruit filling bubbling to the surface. It’s ragged edges folded up just so. It brings dessert to a whole new level.

Except, if you have ever tried to roll out and fold a pie crust into a pie plate, then repeat the process over your filling…and pray it is enough…and get the top and bottom to match, then crimp edges, poke holes, etc. you realize, a galette is really just a lazy man’s shortcut in the pie world.

A galette is actually quite brilliant because it makes a complicated process much easier, and makes you look smarter, and hey, who doesn’t want to be a show off when it comes to a fresh summer fruit dessert?

I saw a recipe on a post from smittenkitchen around the fourth of July for Star-shaped Red and Blue Berry Galettes for Independence Day. So pretty, so perfect…and the pastry dough had RICOTTA?! Say no more.

If there is such a thing as a food-spirit animal, or you’ve been asked what one thing would you bring to eat on a desert island if you could only have one food? It would be a hard question, but for me? Ricotta would win out.

Sure it wouldn’t be easy to keep on a desert island, and it doesn’t pack the nutritional value of broccoli. I’m aware. I also have no intention of being deserted on an island, so stay with me.

When you put ricotta into a crust, along with lemon zest, and fresh butter, it’s literally food porn. This dough rolled out so beautifully, and was flaky, pie crust perfection.

Now, I am a New England Girl- so I say Ga-Lette. Like Gi-llette stadium-yay Pats). I know this is wrong. But if you hear my voice when I am typing it, that’s how I am saying it. (It’s Ga-Lay in real life)

The beauty of a galette (is, you roll out the dough, place on a parchment lined baking sheet, scoop your beautiful filling on top in the center, and carefully fold up the edges.

This is not as difficult as you would think. Two reasons: 1. pinch with your fingers to make the dough go where you want it. You are the boss here.

2. “Bubbly fruit spillage is gross,” said no one ever.

Even if your perfect galette has one corner where the filling has bubbled over and made a fruity mess on the parchment, it kind of adds to the whole “I planned it to make my dessert look more free and artsy.” No one needs to know it was not on purpose.

My other go-to rule is I always pre-cook my filling. I hate HATE runny fruit filling. Such a disappointment. Sad little peaches and a puddle of peachy water. No thanks. It has to have a density to it before it goes in to the dough for me. It can only get better as it bakes. I’ve never pre-cooked my filling and ended up with a jam pie. It just hasn’t happened. So, take the extra step to make sure it turns out to be a hearty filling you can sink your teeth into.

Now, there are two schools on egg wash. Egg wash at the beginning or egg wash at the end. I’m an end times girl. I don’t want a dark brown pie crust and so my egg wash goes on right at the finish line of baking. Maybe 7-10 minutes before your end cooking time, pull the galette out of the oven, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with some sugar, and pop it back in to the oven.

I am going to say this…when you pull this amazing dessert out of the oven, bubbly, peachy, beautiful, you will want to break off just an edge piece to taste. I know. It’s just out there. But remember this, bubbly fruit filling is the same consistency of hot lava. It will burn you. Not that I know this from personal, ahem, experience. Just let it cool for a few.

On this day before I move up to a new age group check box (I hate those), I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than to share this beautiful summer dessert with you. After all, on my almost birthday, I can be a baking snob elitist, right?

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

Peach Galette

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Make this beautiful free form tart using the summer’s fresh peaches! No one needs to know this perfect summer dessert is easier than pie!

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Dessert

Ingredients

Scale

Crust:

2 C AP Flour
½ C Cake Flour
1 tsp Salt
4 TBSP Granulated Sugar
Zest of 1 Lemon
16 TBSP Cold Butter, Grated
1/2 C Ricotta
3 – 4 TBSP Ice Water

Filling:

4 Cups fresh, diced peaches (I used white and yellow)
4 Tbsp Granulated sugar
3 Tbsp Corn Starch
½ tsp cinnamon
½ Lemon (juiced)
pinch of salt

Egg Wash:

One egg, 1 TBSP water – blend

Instructions

For Crust, combine flours, salt, sugar, and zest together. Cut in butter, until mixture resembles sand. Add Ricotta, blend. Add ice water as needed until crust comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

When ready to assemble galette, preheat oven to 400*

Place filling ingredients into a non-reactive pan and simmer on medium heat until thickened. Set aside.

Roll out crust on floured surface, place on parchment lined baking sheet. Place filling in center of crust dough, then carefully bring up sides of crust over the filling, leaving an open center for the filling to show.

Bake for 30 minutes at 400* until golden. I add the egg wash right before the galette is finished, for the final 7 minutes or so, then sprinkle additional sugar on top. You can do egg wash right at the beginning if you desire!

Zuchinni Boats

August 24, 2017 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

When you go to Mimi’s house, not only do you get to swim, and throw the ball to Lexus (The Super Golden Doodle), and sit next to your best friend since forever; you also get trade secrets and recipes and all things magical that are in essence, Mimi. Oh, and she makes Zucchini Boats for supper and you are staying.

Do you have someone like that? Someone strong and kind, who speaks good things into your life? I am so blessed to have a collection of such of people. Because, truthfully, the last few years have had some real lows for us as a family. The people we surround ourselves with make all of the difference. Part of my whole mindset is to be thankful (thus the name of the blog). I know a good thing when I have it. So being at Mimi’s, and eating Zucchini Boats at Mimi’s table taste better.

However, here is the funny thing. When I asked her for the recipe and she sent me the link…hers looked different. When I asked her, I confirmed it WAS different, because just like me, Mimi does her own thing when it comes to recipes. Her words, “Sometimes, recipes are just suggestions.”

So, while this zucchini boat recipe is more the spirit of the law than the letter of the law, it was close enough to Mimi’s to make my kiddo happy, and that makes this momma happy.

Take three medium-sized zucchini and halve them. Scoop out the inner flesh and dice. Place the six halves in a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes at 350*.

Zucchini Boats

Now for the filling. Truth be told, I was multitasking when I made this recipe (It’s how I roll). I was making meat sauce simultaneously, because, have I mentioned the abundance of tomatoes in my world lately? I make meat sauce with a combination of sweet and hot Italian sausage made down the road at my favorite Italian market. (Home to the best grinders as well.) Just saying. So, my measurements for meats may differ, and like I said, the spirit of the recipe…you may make your vegetarian and those would be Ah-MAY-zing.

Back to my multitasking sauce/zucchini boat skills…

While I sautéed onions, garlic, and sweet red pepper, it was for both recipes. I browned sausage and ground beef (lean) for the sauce, it was also going into the zucchini boats. The only difference was the fact that I chopped the zucchini “innards” and sautéed that with the filling mixture.

It’s a simple recipe, fill the zucchini boats with the mixture, bake in the oven for 30 minutes. I topped ours with two types of cheese (not all are shredded Romano fans…not sure where they came from). Serve with a fresh loaf of Italian bread and a salad.

Zucchini Boats

Now, our Zucchini boats were slightly different from Mimi’s, different from the video link she sent me, different from the Pinterest posts I searched looking for hers, but the bottom line is, a family supper served at a thankful table with people you love is the best recipe, no matter what. I think she would approve.

And for that, my heart is grateful.

I hope you enjoy the recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Printable Recipe

Zucchini Boats Printable Recipe

Zucchini Boats

Chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients:

Three medium-sized zucchini

2 Tbsp. olive oil

½ pound lean ground beef

1 sweet Italian sausage (5-6”) link

1 hot Italian sausage (6-6”) link

½ onion, diced

½ red pepper diced

1 garlic clove

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2 ½ Cups diced tomato (fresh or canned)

1 1/2 C Shredded Italian cheese blend

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*

Halve zucchini and scoop out inside to create “boats,” chop inside into small dice and set aside.

Place zucchini boats in a baking dish and cook for twenty minutes until tender.

Sauté garlic, onion and red pepper in olive oil, until soft.

Remove casing from sausages and brown, add ground beef and brown.

Add diced tomatoes and chopped zucchini and cook down until all incorporated and cooked down.

Take filling and place in precooked zucchini boats, top with shredded Italian cheese.

Bake at 350* until cooked through, cheese is bubbling and zucchini is baked through but still holds its shape.