Tue Dec 02 2003 01:27 PST (Leonard Richardson) Blackberry Cobbler: Last night I tried my hand at making blackberry cobbler. I just combined a couple recipes off the web (filling and buttermilk biscuit crust (ATK link requires registration)), so I won't give you a whole recipe, just some lessons learned.

• This is some really expensive cobbler because--stay with me here--blackberries are not exactly cheap in the middle of winter. I should have used frozen blackberries; if they're going into the oven it probably doesn't matter whether or not they're fresh.
• Don't mash up the blackberries to get them to absorb the sugar. Okay, maybe one application of the masher, ONE. If you mash them up too much, as I did, the cobbler becomes runny.
• Use all of the dough to bake biscuits, even if you have to make two trips to the oven. Alternatively, make the biscuits much bigger than you think they should be.

I think the cobbler turned out very well for a first attempt. Future cobblers will be more effective in their consistency and tastiness.

Tue Dec 02 2003 04:27 PST (Leonard Richardson) Blackberry Cobbler: Last night I tried my hand at making blackberry cobbler. I just combined a couple recipes off the web (filling and buttermilk biscuit crust (ATK link requires registration)), so I won't give you a whole recipe, just some lessons learned.

• This is some really expensive cobbler because--stay with me here--blackberries are not exactly cheap in the middle of winter. I should have used frozen blackberries; if they're going into the oven it probably doesn't matter whether or not they're fresh.
• Don't mash up the blackberries to get them to absorb the sugar. Okay, maybe one application of the masher, ONE. If you mash them up too much, as I did, the cobbler becomes runny.
• Use all of the dough to bake biscuits, even if you have to make two trips to the oven. Alternatively, make the biscuits much bigger than you think they should be.

I think the cobbler turned out very well for a first attempt. Future cobblers will be more effective in their consistency and tastiness.

Tue Dec 02 2003 05:27 PST (News You Can Bruise) Blackberry Cobbler: Last night I tried my hand at making blackberry cobbler. I just combined a couple recipes off the web (filling and buttermilk biscuit crust (ATK link requires registration)), so I won't give you a whole recipe, just some lessons learned.

• This is some really expensive cobbler because--stay with me here--blackberries are not exactly cheap in the middle of winter. I should have used frozen blackberries; if they're going into the oven it probably doesn't matter whether or not they're fresh.
• Don't mash up the blackberries to get them to absorb the sugar. Okay, maybe one application of the masher, ONE. If you mash them up too much, as I did, the cobbler becomes runny.
• Use all of the dough to bake biscuits, even if you have to make two trips to the oven. Alternatively, make the biscuits much bigger than you think they should be.

I think the cobbler turned out very well for a first attempt. Future cobblers will be more effective in their consistency and tastiness.

Tue Dec 02 2003 12:27 PST (Leonard Richardson) Blackberry Cobbler: Last night I tried my hand at making blackberry cobbler. I just combined a couple recipes off the web (filling and buttermilk biscuit crust (ATK link requires registration)), so I won't give you a whole recipe, just some lessons learned.

• This is some really expensive cobbler because--stay with me here--blackberries are not exactly cheap in the middle of winter. I should have used frozen blackberries; if they're going into the oven it probably doesn't matter whether or not they're fresh.
• Don't mash up the blackberries to get them to absorb the sugar. Okay, maybe one application of the masher, ONE. If you mash them up too much, as I did, the cobbler becomes runny.
• Use all of the dough to bake biscuits, even if you have to make two trips to the oven. Alternatively, make the biscuits much bigger than you think they should be.

I think the cobbler turned out very well for a first attempt. Future cobblers will be more effective in their consistency and tastiness.

Mon Dec 08 2003 05:36 PST (Leonard Richardson) Thanksgiving Leftover Cookies: I had a big bag of dried cranberries from the "I didn't get enough Thanksgiving food" post-Thanksgiving food preparation mania, which I think was a big failure which is why I haven't shared my recipes with you. Anyway, a few of these cranberries had gone into a stuffing (which would have been great if I knew how to make stuffing), but I had an enormous number of them left and was at a loss as to how to dispose of them. Then it occured to me to use them instead of raisins in chocolate chip cookies. And they are great; much better, I would say, than raisins. You'll never eat chocolate chip cookies the same way again!

Update: The Crummy.com Test Kitchen You Can Bruise informs me that you eat these cookies the same way you ate cookies previously; they just taste different. My testers also add that you can alter the taste even more by partially rehydrating the cranberries in rum or other medicinal spirits.

Mon Dec 08 2003 08:36 PST (Leonard Richardson) Thanksgiving Leftover Cookies: I had a big bag of dried cranberries from the "I didn't get enough Thanksgiving food" post-Thanksgiving food preparation mania, which I think was a big failure which is why I haven't shared my recipes with you. Anyway, a few of these cranberries had gone into a stuffing (which would have been great if I knew how to make stuffing), but I had an enormous number of them left and was at a loss as to how to dispose of them. Then it occured to me to use them instead of raisins in chocolate chip cookies. And they are great; much better, I would say, than raisins. You'll never eat chocolate chip cookies the same way again!

Update: The Crummy.com Test Kitchen You Can Bruise informs me that you eat these cookies the same way you ate cookies previously; they just taste different. My testers also add that you can alter the taste even more by partially rehydrating the cranberries in rum or other medicinal spirits.

Mon Dec 08 2003 09:36 PST (News You Can Bruise) Thanksgiving Leftover Cookies: I had a big bag of dried cranberries from the "I didn't get enough Thanksgiving food" post-Thanksgiving food preparation mania, which I think was a big failure which is why I haven't shared my recipes with you. Anyway, a few of these cranberries had gone into a stuffing (which would have been great if I knew how to make stuffing), but I had an enormous number of them left and was at a loss as to how to dispose of them. Then it occured to me to use them instead of raisins in chocolate chip cookies. And they are great; much better, I would say, than raisins. You'll never eat chocolate chip cookies the same way again!

Update: The Crummy.com Test Kitchen You Can Bruise informs me that you eat these cookies the same way you ate cookies previously; they just taste different. My testers also add that you can alter the taste even more by partially rehydrating the cranberries in rum or other medicinal spirits.

Mon Dec 08 2003 16:36 PST (Leonard Richardson) Thanksgiving Leftover Cookies: I had a big bag of dried cranberries from the "I didn't get enough Thanksgiving food" post-Thanksgiving food preparation mania, which I think was a big failure which is why I haven't shared my recipes with you. Anyway, a few of these cranberries had gone into a stuffing (which would have been great if I knew how to make stuffing), but I had an enormous number of them left and was at a loss as to how to dispose of them. Then it occured to me to use them instead of raisins in chocolate chip cookies. And they are great; much better, I would say, than raisins. You'll never eat chocolate chip cookies the same way again!

Update: The Crummy.com Test Kitchen You Can Bruise informs me that you eat these cookies the same way you ate cookies previously; they just taste different. My testers also add that you can alter the taste even more by partially rehydrating the cranberries in rum or other medicinal spirits.

Wed Dec 10 2003 21:09 PST (Leonard Richardson) Recipes I Just Made Up: I made up a recipe for a college student (Rachel) to eat without having to leave her house. Unfortunately it did not work because yes, she has no bananas, but she did like the recipe. "you should be a CHEF with your own cooking show", says she. Well, I am a CHEF of sorts, but unfortunately my proposal for a cooking show was rejected by ESPN.

I call this "Bisected Banana". Take a banana, peel it, and split it lengthwise. Spread creamy peanut butter on one of the banana halves and use it to glue the banana back together. Sprinkle the banana with a little sugar. The end.

Thu Dec 11 2003 00:09 PST (Leonard Richardson) Recipes I Just Made Up: I made up a recipe for a college student (Rachel) to eat without having to leave her house. Unfortunately it did not work because yes, she has no bananas, but she did like the recipe. "you should be a CHEF with your own cooking show", says she. Well, I am a CHEF of sorts, but unfortunately my proposal for a cooking show was rejected by ESPN.

I call this "Bisected Banana". Take a banana, peel it, and split it lengthwise. Spread creamy peanut butter on one of the banana halves and use it to glue the banana back together. Sprinkle the banana with a little sugar. The end.

Thu Dec 11 2003 00:48 PST (Susanna Chadwick): The pile of gifts for our Angel Tree kids is piling up in our living room. A couple in our ward brought by a very generous donation we'll be able to use to fill in all the blanks, maybe even buy things for another kid.

I tried a new, and very simple, recipe today. Chicken, salsa and corn, wrapped in tin foil and baked. Cheese and sour cream on top. It was yummy and very easy.

Thu Dec 11 2003 01:09 PST (News You Can Bruise) Recipes I Just Made Up: I made up a recipe for a college student (Rachel) to eat without having to leave her house. Unfortunately it did not work because yes, she has no bananas, but she did like the recipe. "you should be a CHEF with your own cooking show", says she. Well, I am a CHEF of sorts, but unfortunately my proposal for a cooking show was rejected by ESPN.

I call this "Bisected Banana". Take a banana, peel it, and split it lengthwise. Spread creamy peanut butter on one of the banana halves and use it to glue the banana back together. Sprinkle the banana with a little sugar. The end.

Thu Dec 11 2003 01:09 PST (News You Can Bruise) Recipes I Just Made Up: Hi, I'm Seth David Schoen. I made up a recipe for a college student (Rachel) to eat without having to leave her house. Unfortunately it did not work because yes, she has no bananas, but she did like the recipe. "you should be a CHEF with your own cooking show", says she. Well, I am a CHEF of sorts, but unfortunately my proposal for a cooking show was rejected by ESPN.

I call this "Bisected Banana". Take a banana, peel it, and split it lengthwise. Spread creamy peanut butter on one of the banana halves and use it to glue the banana back together. Sprinkle the banana with a little sugar. The end. I'm Seth David Schoen.

Thu Dec 11 2003 03:48 EST (Susanna Chadwick): The pile of gifts for our Angel Tree kids is piling up in our living room. A couple in our ward brought by a very generous donation we'll be able to use to fill in all the blanks, maybe even buy things for another kid.

I tried a new, and very simple, recipe today. Chicken, salsa and corn, wrapped in tin foil and baked. Cheese and sour cream on top. It was yummy and very easy.

Thu Dec 11 2003 08:09 PST (Leonard Richardson) Recipes I Just Made Up: I made up a recipe for a college student (Rachel) to eat without having to leave her house. Unfortunately it did not work because yes, she has no bananas, but she did like the recipe. "you should be a CHEF with your own cooking show", says she. Well, I am a CHEF of sorts, but unfortunately my proposal for a cooking show was rejected by ESPN.

I call this "Bisected Banana". Take a banana, peel it, and split it lengthwise. Spread creamy peanut butter on one of the banana halves and use it to glue the banana back together. Sprinkle the banana with a little sugar. The end.