el after a bath

el after a bath, originally uploaded by achathampally.

after all that hiking at Atalaya yesterday
El smelled like a big taco chip
he got his bath and a brush today
and is back to smelling sweet

coconut macaroons

macaroons, originally uploaded by achathampally.

I love macaroons
but didn't know how easy they were to make
these are moist and delicious and not too sweet

Coconut Macaroons

• 5 cups (20 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut
• 6 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Pulse the coconut in a food processor until fine, 1 to 4 pulses. [Some brands of coconut are finely shredded, pulse it just once or twice.] Process the egg whites, sugar, salt, and almond extract together in the food processor until light and foamy, about 15 seconds. Stir the egg mixture into the chopped coconut until combined. Wrap the bowl in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture is thick, about 30 minutes.

Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and grease the paper. Using wet hands, roll 1 tablespoon of the mixture at a time into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 1 inch apart.

Bake the macaroons until light golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. Let the macaroons cool completely on the baking sheets, before serving, about 1 hour.

For Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons

After the macaroons have cooled completely, melt 6 ounces of semisweet chocolate in the microwave, stirring often, 1 to 3 minutes. Dip each macaroon into the melted chocolate to coat, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, then lay it on a clean sheet of parchment paper. Let cool at room temperature until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

Makes about 24 cookies.

Recipe from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

zentangle envelope

zentangle envelope, originally uploaded by achathampally.

Did a zentangle on a business size envelope
with room for the address in the oval
I love making zentangles as it is a
meditative practice

For more info go to
http://www.zentangle.com

Earl Grey Shortbread

DSC_0002, originally uploaded by achathampally.

warm out of the oven this morning and
sprinkled with vanilla sugar

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
Recipe adapted from Claire Robinson (food network)


Serves:
2 dozen

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons loose Earl Grey tea leaves (about 7-8 tea bags)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 Tb orange zest (2 oranges)

Directions
In a food processor, pulse together the flour, tea, and salt, until the tea is just spotted throughout the flour. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and butter. Pulse together just until a dough is formed. Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap, and roll into a log, about 2 1/2-inches in diameter. Tightly twist each end of wrap, and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice the log into 1/4-inch thick disks. Place on foil lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are just brown, about 13 -15 minutes. Sprinkle with vanilla sugar while cookies are still hot. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

Envelopes

DSC_0001, originally uploaded by achathampally.

Made a bunch of envelopes out of magazine pages today.

elvis & octopus

elvis & octopus, originally uploaded by achathampally.

baby dog playing with his octopus today.

pimento cheese potato gratin

pimento cheese potato gratin, originally uploaded by achathampally.

Made this for a potluck for church on Sunday
saying it came out good is an understatement
recipe follows...
double the recipe to fill a 9x13 dish (that's what I did)

Pimento-cheese potato gratin

serves 6 • time: 10 minutes preparation, 35 minutes cooking

3 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 1⁄2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1⁄4-inch thick rounds
3⁄4 cup heavy cream
3 shallots, finely diced (scant 1⁄2 cup)
1⁄4 teaspoon crushed dried red chile flakes
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
One 9-ounce jar roasted red peppers, diced, with their liquid
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)

1 Heat the oven to 375°F, with racks positioned in the middle and the top third of the oven.

2 In a 3- to 4-quart stockpot, bring 2 quarts water and 2 teaspoons of the salt to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Then drain, and set them aside.

3 Combine the cream, shallots, chile flakes, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the jar of roasted peppers in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the chile flakes have begun to stain the cream, about 2 minutes. Add half of the cheese and stir until it melts, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.

4 Layer roughly a third of the potatoes in a 6-cup baking dish, overlapping them slightly so that they fit in an even layer. Scatter half of the roasted peppers on top of the potatoes (cut up any peppers that have remained whole so that they lie flat), and repeat layering potatoes and peppers until all the peppers and potatoes have been used. Pour the cream mixture over the potatoes and peppers, and agitate the dish to distribute the liquid throughout. Cover with aluminum foil and bake on the middle rack for 15 minutes.

5 Uncover the dish, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, and place the dish on the top oven rack. Bake for 8 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and gently browned on top. Serve immediately.