GSC-Style Samoas Bars

Earlier today, I was looking through the hundreds of recent posts on my Google Reader (I subscribe to some 60 different blogs -- almost all are food-related) and this one thing caught my eye: a post about Samoas bars from the kitchn. Their inspiration comes from The Crepes of Wrath, who adapted the recipe from Baking Bites. The recipe is ingenious! It's based on the Girl Scout Cookies called Samoas (although I always knew them as Caramel deLites) and it brings all the major players to the table: the cookie base, slightly salty caramel, crunchy coconut, and chocolate. I whipped up a batch and was completely satisfied with the result. It was so much easier than the alternative Samoas procedure -- cutting out rings of cookie dough would have taken me much longer. All in all, it was a big hit among the roommates, and I'll probably make them again. In fact, as soon as my guy sees this, he'll probably make me sign a contract to that effect. =)

Spanish Sweets :: Dulces españoles

These are two of my favorite Spanish sweets... First, turrón is a nougat candy. It can be either soft (blando) or hard (duro), and can be made with different nuts or have added flavors (or may even be dipped in chocolate!). The one in this picture is hard and is made with almonds (and happens to be my favorite kind!). The second is polvorones -- crumbly cookies that can be sweet or not-sweet, and are delicious with a cup of coffee. They're both traditional eats for the holidays, but I'd eat them any day... =)

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Estos son dos tipos de mis dulces españoles favoritos. Primero, el turrón. El turrón puede ser de tipo blando o duro, puede ser hecho de muchos tipos de frutos secos y puede incluir otros sabores o chocolate. El turrón en esta foto es de tipo duro y tiene almendras (y da la casualidad que es mi tipo favorito). Segundo, los polvorones. Son galletas migajosas que puede ser dulces o salados y llevan muy bien con un café con leche. Los dos tipos son dulces tradicionales para navidad, pero me encantaría comerlos en cualquier día. =)

Easter Brunch

My family and I had Easter Brunch together yesterday. Here's what was on the menu (my mom's ideas!):

• panzanella-stuffed cherry tomatoes
• three grain rye bread squares with salmon and dill cream cheese

• breakfast casserole adapted from this Eating Well recipe
  
• sage breakfast sausages
• roasted asparagus with herbed yogurt sauce
  
• minted orzo with feta

• hot cross buns from Red Hen
  
• blueberry cake
• fresh cantaloupe and oranges
  

No-Knead Sweet Rolls

Have you ever had a craving for sweet dinner rolls, but don't have hours to work with a labor-intensive dough? I found a recipe for Blue Ribbon Overnight Rolls, and they've become a favorite among my roommates. I've made a few changes to the recipe, so here it is!

No-Knead Sweet Rolls

Ingredients:

2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast (or one packet)
1 cup warm whole milk
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

1. Mix together yeast, warm milk and sugars. Set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Add eggs, melted butter, and salt.
3. Mix in the flour, one cup at a time, until dough is well combined.
4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel for at least 3 hours. (You can even let it stand overnight.)
5. Divide the dough into 16-24 even pieces. (You can either divide the dough in half and follow the steps illustrated below, or divide the dough into 16-24 pieces and roll each into a ball.)
6. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.