Do-It-Yourself Stromboli

For the dough, use a sweet bread or pizza dough recipe. If you do not have a favorite, try this recipe for New York Style pizza dough. 

Preheat oven to 375° and prepare a greased cookie sheet. Separate dough in several pieces and roll out into 9X11 rectangles, about 1/2 inch thick. Spread toppings across dough leaving a border to seal the stromboli. Apply a light egg wash and roll into a cylinder. Seal edges firmly.  Place the stromboli on baking sheet and let rise for 20-30 minutes. Cover in an egg wash and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Cool slightly and serve with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese. This is a perfect snack for parties. Prepare dough beforehand and set out fillings before guests arrive. 

Topping Ideas

Cheese 

Black olives

Green peppers

Mushrooms

Onions

Tomato

Spinach

Pepperoni 

Sausage (cooked)

Peach-Mango Lassi

2 mangoes 1 large peach 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt 1/3 cup honey 1 tsp nutmeg juice from one lime Blend together and serve frozen or slightly chilled Supes delish!

Garden Inspirations

Bruschetta

Top water crackers or thin-sliced baguette with mozzarella, tomatoes diced with basil, and pesto. Broil for 3-5 minutes.

Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup pine nuts

3 tbsp oil

2 garlic cloves

salt

pepper

1/2 cup grated parmesan 

Combine basil, pine nuts, oil, and garlic in a food processor. 

Stir in salt, pepper, and parmesan. Store in fridge.

Spaghetti with Swiss Chard

Sauté swiss chard, onions, and garlic in a frying pan. 

Add cooked spaghetti and fry with olive oil. Serve warm or cooled.

Green tea with mint

Boil loose-leaf Green Tea of China, sugar, and fresh mint sprigs.

Blackberry Layered Cake with Lime

My friend recommended this recipe from Baked Perfection. Although the recipe is for cupcakes, she adapted it for a layered cake. As she suggested, I alternated blackberry filling and blackberry frosting layers. The recipes below include my adaptations but use the link above for the original recipe.

1 cup salted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp fresh lime juice
zest from 2 limes (use more if desired!)
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt 
2 cups sour cream

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and lime. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to mixture alternating with the sour cream. Pour batter into three round greased cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350° or until golden brown and edges begin to pull away from the side. Cool completely before frosting. Decorate with fresh fruit, homemade blackberry syrup, or chocolate sauce.

Blackberry Filling

16 oz. frozen blackberries

8 oz. frozen raspberries

1-2 tsp lemon juice concentrate

3 tbsp cornstarch

Heat berries and lemon juice in a saucepan until they form a liquid substance. Add cornstarch, mix well. Bring to a boil and stir until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and cool completely. 

Blackberry Frosting

1 cup butter, softened (I used light butter, salted)

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

1/3 cup blackberry filling

6 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter until smooth. Add vanilla, salt, and blackberry filling. Gradually add powdered sugar until frosting reaches a desired consistency. Keep in refrigerator until ready to use. 

Un Séjour au Sénégal

This summer I spent three month studying abroad in Senegal. In addition to studying history, culture, and language, I spent a large amount of time researching Senegalese cuisine for my independent project. I wanted to include a few of the recipes that I collected during this research. My favorite dish was Yasse (pronounced yah-sah), an onion sauce with chicken or fish, served on white rice. It is one of the easiest dishes to prepare but tastes delicious! Cebbu Jën is the national dish of Senegal and although it is a bit more complicated that Yasse, it is the most common dish to prepare for lunch. 
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Yasse 
5-6 onions 
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup mustard
Chicken, fish, or other meat

Cut onions in long pieces or dices. Marinade onions and meat with garlic, salt, pepper, vinegar, and mustard. Remove meat or fish. Heat the onion marinade in a large frying pan until onions become tender and brown. Use water to steam while onions are cooking but make sure to cook off most of the water.  Cook meat or fish separately with a frying pan or grill. Serve together over white rice. 
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Cebbu Jën
4 onions, diced
5 garlic cloves, chopped 
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 bouillon cubes
1/4 cup tomato concentrate mixed with water
1-2 cups oil 
Vegetables (1-2 of each: carrot, cabbage, potato, manioc, eggplant)
Fish*

*Fish can be substituted for chicken or other meat if desired. Jën is Wolof for "fish" so by substituting meat, the dish becomes Cebbu yap ("meat") or Cebbu guinnar ("chicken").


Note: measurements are approximate - cooking in Senegal depends on experience and tasting to achieve the desired proportions. Feel free to add seasoning or other ingredients as needed.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Cinna

mon Cupcakes

11/2 cup

s all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup soy milk

Cream shorting, sugar, and eggs. Mix dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Fill cupcake tins 3/4 full and bake 15-20 minutes at 350°.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cream shorting, sugar, and egg. Mix dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. 

Bake 10 minutes at 350°.

Cinnamon-Buttercream Frosting 

 1 cup butter, room temperature

2 1/2 cups powerdered sugar 

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 Tbsp soy milk 

Beat butter and gradually add other ingredients. Make sure the butter is not melted or frosting will not stiffen!

I altered the cupcake and snickerdoodle recipes slightly but found the framework and decoration ideas here.  The buttercream frosting was original. Enjoy! 

Chocolate Cake Variations

"Grandma Irwin's Chocolate Cake"

1 cup milk

1 Tbsp vinegar

2/3 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla 

2 1/3 cup flour 

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup boiling coffee

Combine milk and vinegar and let sit (may also use 1 cup buttermilk). Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, cocoa, and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and add to chocolate mixture alternatively with vinegar and milk mixture. Add hot coffee. Bake in 3 9" rounds or one large rectangular pan for 25 minutes, 350°.

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Chocolate-Raspberry Cake

For a raspberry layer cake, bake chocolate cake as directed (I used 9" rounds).When cake has cooled, spread cooled raspberry mouse generously between layers and frost with chocolate frosting (see recipes below). Decorate with fresh raspberries.

 

Raspberry Mousse*

12 oz. fresh or frozen raspberries

2/3 cup water (less if using fresh raspberries)

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp corn starch dissolved in 1/4 cup water

2 Tbsp cream cheese

8 oz. whipped cream

Bring raspberries, water, sugar, and lemon to a boil. Simmer about 15 minutes (until raspberries break down). Add cornstarch and water, stir constantly. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes (careful that the bubbles do not "explode"!). Let cool completely. Beat cream cheese and add to raspberry jelly. Fold in whipped cream. 

Chocolate Frosting 

1 cup butter, room temperature (not melted!)

3 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond

3-4 Tbsp heavy cream

Cream butter. Sift in 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa, mix well. Beat in vanilla, almond, salt, cream. Add sugar and milk to thicken or thin mixture until it has reached the desired consistency. 

*Recipe for Raspberry Mousse slightly modified from cakecentral.com.

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Chocolate Peanut-Butter Cake 

For a peanut-butter layer cake, add 1/2 cup peanut butter to the coffee before combining with chocolate cake. For a mini layer cake, I baked the cake in a large rectangular pan and cut out two circles for the layers. Frost generously with Peanut-Butter Frosting (see recipe below). Decorate with peanuts or chocolate (I used "De Ruijter" sprinkles).

Peanut-Butter Chocolate Fudge Frosting*

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup vanilla 

3 Tbsp cream

Cream butter and peanut butter. Slowly add powdered sugar and cocoa. Add vanilla and cream and beat until creamy. 

*Recipe for Peanut-Butter Frosting found here. 

Berry Cream Cheese Pie

Berry Cream Cheese Pie

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered (confectioners') sugar

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

Berry Topping

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup lemon juice

 3 cups fresh or frozen berries 

(I use blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries)

Graham Cracker Crust 

2 cups crushed graham crackers

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

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Directions

Combine crushed graham crackers, sugar, and butter in a bowl until well mixed. Press into a slightly greased 9" pie pan and bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Let cool.* 

Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped cream and pour over graham cracker crust. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, water, and lemon juice. Add berries and bring to a boil. At a medium temperature, continue to stir the mixture until it begins to thicken, approximately 2 minutes. When berry topping has cooled, spread over the cream cheese pie. 

Refrigerate until served.

*The pie may also be made using a regular pie crust or prepared graham cracker crust.

Butter Braid with Almond Glaze

Butter Braid
1 Tbsp yeast
¼ cup warm water
1 cup scalded milk
⅓ cup sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
2 eggs

3 ½ - 4 cups flour
2 sticks butter, frozen, sliced
1 egg yolk
2 tsp cream
Cinnamon sugar 

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Almond Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tbsp butter

½ tsp almond extract

Directions

Dissolve yeast in water. Scald milk, add sugar and salt. Let cool to lukewarm. Lightly beat eggs and add to milk mixture. Add yeast. Knead in flour until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Roll dough into 12x18 rectangle and spread 1 stick sliced butter onto ⅔ of dough. Fold the other third to the middle and quickly fold final buttered third on top. Fold in half the opposite direction. Roll dough into 12x18 rectangle and repeat the folding process with another stick of butter. Wrap dough in greased plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight in a covered container. If the dough becomes too difficult to role out, refrigerate before rolling.

The next day, roll dough into 12x18 rectangle again. Cut the rectangle into six 18" strips. Braid 3 and 3 to form two braids, place on greased jelly roll pan and let rise double (about 1 hour). Brush risen braids with an egg yolk and cream mixture, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Watch that the butter does not spill into the oven! Let cool slightly, frost with powdered sugar icing. Add sliced almonds if desired.