SweeTango Apples

Here it is, the SweeTango apple. Have you heard about these? They were developed by University Minnesota, and are a cross between the Honey Crisp and Zestar! apples. So, it's very sweet, and very crisp. It may be the best apple I have ever tasted. I despise Red Delicious apples, always have. I don't like my fruit "mealy". Anyway, all the praises being said about how fantastic this apple is, still does not make it worth $2.70 a piece. FYI.

This is the first year you can get them, and quantities are EXTREMELY limited, so good luck. I got mine at Hy-vee last week. Hurry if you want them!

On a side note, I find apple trees disturbing. The ultimate in Frankenstein design.

Devil's Food Cake and Pasty Frosting

I used the standard recipe from the Betty Crocker Bridal Edition cookbook. So to avoid plagiarism, go look it up yourself. Con wanted to make chocolate cake, and it was the first recipe I found in my stack of books.

For frosting, I used this crazy recipe I found online.
5 tablespoons flour (AP white)
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar

Seemed like you almost start out making a roux, put the flour in a sauce pan and slowly add milk. Stir with a whisk, adding the milk a few tablespoons at a time to avoid the lumps. Continue to whisk (I was having a shit day, so I forcefully whisked) until it thickens. It becomes very thick. I continued to heat and whisk a bit, even after it was thick, to cook out the paste taste. Allow to cool.

After it has cooled, whisk in the vanilla. Add this mixture to a creamed butter and sugar.



OK. So, I am not sure what to think about this. The cake was fab, the frosting was a bit runny, and tasted pasty, and needs salt. I actually sprinkled a bit of Kosher salt on the top. I love my salt though. Con liked it

Garlic

Look at the size of that clove! The garlic head was the size of a normal one you would buy at the grocery store, but there was only 4 cloves on the head, normally there are like 10. Big Garlic = Big Love. I could have ate it raw.

Purple Beans

The beans were actually purple. I swear. It was crazy. When I cooked them, they turned green though.

Tomato Goodness

That is it. I have a new favorite food. I don't even know what to call this.

• Handful of Cherry tomatoes (I had green, red and orange ones)
• Sweet Red Pepper
• Clove of garlic
• Fresh Basil
• Salt & Pepper

Heat some olive oil to medium-low, add chopped garlic clove. Cook for a few moments, add the pepper. At this point, I added some kosher salt and pepper. Cook till the pepper is slighly mushy, I like mushy veggies. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and the fresh basil. Cook till warm. This is so good. I put it on ziti pasta and topped with some shredded parm. Seriously, this is my new favorite food. I had regular slicing tomatoes, that I just used. Removed the seeds, and they worked just as well. This dish is so pretty, I almost feel bad when I am licking the plate.

Sugar- Brookies

So, I'm working on a name still, but it's my own new creation. Brownies on the bottom, Sugar Cookie on top.

Brownie Bottom:

• 4 Eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cup cocoa
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks of melted butter
• Handful of chocolate chips

Beat eggs till fluffy, add sugars. Add the rest of the ingredients, melted butter last. Put into a greased a floured 9 by 13 pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile

Sugar Cookie Top:

• 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup margerine
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 1/4 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Sprinkle of turbinado sugar

Cream butter/margarine/sugar. Add eggs, milk and vanilla. Sift together flour/baking powder/salt. Add to mixture.

After 20 minutes of baking the brownies, remove from oven and carefully spread the sugar cookie batter. I used it all, next time I'll use just half. So, keep that in mind. Top with turbinado sugar. Bake for another 25 minutes.

Tomato Pizza

Heather, you make too much pizza. Impossible. This one is completely different from any I have made in the past for these 3 reasons:

1. I used 50/50 wheat/white flour in the crust
   
2. I used "fresh mozzarella"
3. I reheated by placing it on a piece of aluminum foil on my NEW grill, and placing it on top

Those are 3 great new changes. I like it. Other toppings included my standard tomato sauce, sweet red pepper, cherry tomatoes and garlic gloves. John's half was peppers and pepperonis.

For my normal crust

For my normal tomato sauce

Ultimate sadness, I forgot I have some fresh basil in the fridge! Damn you dried convenient stuff.