Making do with what I got

I had a family dinner scheduled, just a little over 1 cup of flour, and no desire to go grocery shopping. Here's what I was able to make with what I had in my baking cabinet.

Pecan Squares

INGREDIENTS

Crust
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
4 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Pecan Filling
2 large eggs
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup (I used light instead)
2 Tbs all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the center of the oven. Butter or grease a 9x9 in square baking pan. Set aside.

Crust
In a small bowl, whisk or sift the flour and baking powder, set aside.

With a mixer of food processor, beat the butter and brown sugar until soft and fluffy (~2-3 min). Beat in the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal (do not over beat). Stir in the finely chopped pecans. Mixture will be crumbly, not a cohesive dough. Press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 10 min or until very lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool while making the filling.

Pecan Filling
In a large bowl, whisk or beat the eggs until foamy. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, flour, salt, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined. Pour over the baked crust and then sprinkle with the chopped pecans. Bake for about 25-30 min or until firm and nicely browned. Let cool in the pan and then cut into squares. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Makes about 36 1 1/2 inch squares.

Puff puff

Cream Puffs filled with Vanilla Cream

recipes from Cook's Illustrated January 2002 and May & June 2001

Cookie cake

Mona didn't think a cake would survive the heat in Chino Hills, so Jam got a giant chocolate chip cookie instead. The recipe? Nestle Tollhouse, of course!

Pretty please with cherries on top

Cherry-Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

recipe from epicurious.com

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
• 1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 cups whole pitted fresh Bing cherries or other dark sweet cherries (about 21 ounces whole unpitted cherries)
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal (preferably stone-ground medium grind)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

PREPARATION

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Combine 1/4 cup butter with brown sugar and vinegar in 10- to 11-inch ovenproof skillet with 2-inch-high sides. Stir over medium heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to high; add cherries and bring to boil. Remove from heat.

Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter in large bowl. Add sugar; beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with milk in 2 additions each, beating just until blended and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until whites are stiff but not dry. Using rubber spatula, fold 1/4 of whites into batter to lighten slightly. Fold in remaining whites in 3 additions (batter will be thick). Spoon batter over cherries in skillet, then spread evenly with offset spatula to cover cherries.

Bake cake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool in skillet on rack 5 minutes. Run spatula around edges of cake to loosen. Place large serving platter upside down atop skillet. Using pot holders or oven mitts, firmly hold platter and skillet together and invert. Leave skillet atop cake 5 minutes. Remove skillet. If necessary, rearrange any cherries that may have become dislodged. Let cake cool at least 45 minutes. Cut cake into wedges and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

An inside look

Lemon Meringue Pie

A blonde moment

Blondies have become the Get Well Soon treat for the Jacobsen Lab.

Short stacked

Extra buttermilk + last of my all purpose flour = 1/2 stack of buttermilk pancakes.

recipe: Martha Stewart's Best Buttermilk Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/2 teaspoon for griddle

PREPARATION

1. Heat griddle to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons butter; whisk to combine. Batter should have small to medium lumps.
2. Heat oven to 175 degrees. Test griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle, it is hot enough. Using a pastry brush, brush remaining 1/2 teaspoon of butter or reserved bacon fat onto griddle. Wipe off excess.
3. Using a 4-ounce ladle, about 1/2 cup, pour pancake batter, in pools 2 inches away from one other. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.
4. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping finished pancakes on a heatproof plate in oven. Serve warm.