Southern Style Fried Chicken Biscuit Sandwich

Though many prefer to sleep in on the weekends, every once in awhile I like to wake up early to prepare a special breakfast.  In this case, I woke up early on a Sunday morning to bake buttermilk biscuits and to fry some chicken for one of the most delicious breakfast sandwiches I've ever eaten.  This may seem like an arduous task for a lazy weekend morning, but these sandwiches are completely worth the work.  On a recent trip to Portland, Oregon, we visited the incomparable Pine State Biscuits and this sandwich is an adaptation of one we devoured there.  Huge, freshly baked buttermilk biscuits topped with juicy, fried chicken breast and smothered in honey, mustard and dill pickles.  This sandwich is really an amazing thing.  Completely worth the early alarm clock on a Sunday morning.

Southern Style Fried Chicken Biscuit Sandwich
Makes 2

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cups buttermilk
freshly cracked black pepper
2 eggs
3-4 dashes of Tabasco hot sauce (or whatever you have)
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
peanut oil for frying
2 freshly baked buttermilk biscuits (see recipe below)
2 tsp butter
dill pickle chips
dijon mustard (you can also use a grainy mustard)
Tbsp (or more) honey


The night before you make your sandwiches, marinade your chicken.  In a large resealable plastic bag, add the buttermilk and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper.  On a cutting board, slice the chicken breast in half, running your knife parallel to the cutting board to create two thinner chicken breasts.  Add the chicken to the bag, seal and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, prepare the chicken.  In a shallow bowl or baking dish, whisk together the eggs, hot sauce and a splash of water.  In another shallow dish, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and allow most of the buttermilk to drain off.  Dredge each thin breast in the egg mixture and then immediately coat in the flour mixture.  Repeat the process one more time with the egg and flour to make another layer of breading and place the breasts on a plate. Refrigerate chicken while you get your oil ready.

In a cast iron skillet or dutch oven, add two inches of peanut oil.  Using a candy or deep fry thermometer, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees.

Remove the chicken breasts from the refrigerator and carefully place them in the hot oil.  Fry for approximately 8 minutes or until they turn a deep golden brown and are cooked all the way through.  Remove cooked chicken to a paper towel-lined sheet pan or plate to drain and cool a bit.

Split a freshly baked buttermilk biscuit in half and spread the insides with a teaspoon of butter.  Place one of the chicken breasts on the lower half of the biscuit, spread it with a bit of mustard and top with a generous drizzle of honey. Top with 4 or five pickle slices and finish with the top half of the biscuit to make a sandwich.  Continue assembling the other sandwich and serve piping hot.

Buttermilk Biscuits
adapted from this recipe
makes 8 large biscuits

5 cups sifted all purpose flour (sift before your measure)
1 Tbsp cream of tarter
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 stick + 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, very cold and sliced into chunks
2 cups buttermilk, cold
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 500 degrees with a rack in the upper third position.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and kosher salt.  Add the cold butter and rub the mixture between your fingertips until the butter chunks are approximately 1/2 inch in size. Add the buttermilk to the flour mixture and gently stir with a rubber spatula until the dough just comes together.  At this point the dough may still be crumbly.

Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead 8-10 times, until the dough comes together.  If the dough seems a bit too dry at this point, add a few more teaspoons of cold buttermilk and continue kneading.

Form the dough into a flat disc and roll out to 3/4 of an inch thickness.  Gently pierce the dough with a fork at 1/2 inch intervals, covering the entire surface. Cut biscuits with a 2 1/2 to 3 inch round cutter and re-roll the scraps to make 8. Arrange on the baking sheet and refrigerate the biscuits for 10-20 minutes.

Brush the tops of the refrigerated biscuits with the heavy cream.  Bake biscuits for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown on top and baked all the way through.  Serve while still warm.

Brush the unbaked biscuits generously with heavy cream to make them gloriously golden and flakey.

Fry your chicken until golden.  A thermometer ensures that your oil is always at the optimum temperature. 

Honey is truly the secret star ingredient in these sandwiches.  I love to use orange blossom honey, but any will do.

Freshly baked biscuits.  Ideally, bake the biscuits while you're frying the chicken.

Sweet, salty, crunchy and delicious.  

Avocado, Fried Egg & Goat Cheese Sandwich

Lest I lead all to believe that my diet over the past few months has consisted only of cookies and milkshakes,  I present the savory sandwich on my radar.  This is the one I'll make embarrassingly often for breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner.  It's easy:  Toast whole wheat sandwich bread, fry an egg, smear one piece of toast with ripe avocado, the other with goat cheese, lay egg in the middle and devour.  Oh, and don't forgot salt & pepper.  It's sharp, creamy, rich and grainy all at once.  This sandwich plus a handful Marcona almonds, some cornichon and a little salad = heaven on a plate.  Just be sure to save room for dessert.

Avocado, Fried Egg & Goat Cheese Sandwich
makes 1

2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
1 Tbsp goat cheese, room temperature
1/2 ripe avocado, gently mashed
1 Tbsp butter
1 egg
salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Smear one slice of toast with the goat cheese and the other with the avocado.  Set aside while you fry your egg.

In a small saute pan or non-stick pan, heat butter over medium-high heat until bubbling.  Carefully crack in the egg and allow it to fry for about one minute, or until golden on the bottom.  Flip the egg gently, trying not to break the yolk.  Allow it to cook on the second side until it is to your desired doneness.  I like my yolk either runny or just barely firm and for that I usually leave the egg to cook on the the second side for 30 seconds to just under a minute.  Remove the egg from the pan and lay it on top of the goat cheese. Sprinkle the egg with salt and pepper and top with the avocado-smeared toast to make a sandwich.  Enjoy while the egg is still warm.

Freshly mashed avocado.  Creamy and luscious.  

Goat cheese and avocado, just waiting for an egg.

My ideal lunch.

Creamy, warm perfection.

Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake

What is there to say about food cravings?  Not much, other than that when cravings are strong they are strong.  Especially for me.  Being pregnant (yes, in 4 short months there will be a mini Bogart in our midst) the cravings have been adding up. They started out horrifyingly overwhelming and, coupled with a few nasty months of nausea, seemed to take over my world.  Suddenly the peppery arugula, delicate quinoa, sweet tomatoes and other fare I once happily indulged in were ousted to make room for honey-baked ham, grilled cheese sandwiches, french fries, gummy bears and milkshakes.  Lots of milkshakes.  I came across this recipe some time ago and have kept it tucked away.  I'm so glad that I did.  Toasted marshmallows, rich vanilla gelato, a dollop of yogurt and a splash of cream.  All whirled into a beautifully cold, creamy and decadent shake.  Poured into a glass, topped with a few more marshmallows and accompanied with a straw. These days, my nausea has faded and, for the most part, I've regained my love for all of the healthier foods I once craved. However, this milkshake is something I'm afraid I'll always yen for, pregnant or not.

Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake
adapted from this recipe
makes 1

5 jumbo marshmallows
4 generous scoops of vanilla bean gelato or premium ice-cream
2 heaping Tbsp full-fat greek yogurt
a large splash of heavy cream

If you have a gas burner, carefully toast the marshmallows over the flame using a kabob skewer or other long stick.  Be careful not to burn.  If you don't have a gas stove, place the marshmallows on a foil-lined baking sheet and toast under the broiler until golden on top.  Transfer toasted marshmallows to a bowl and set aside.

In a blender, combine gelato, yogurt and cream.  Blend until smooth.  Add three toasted marshmallows and pulse until just combined.

Pour the milkshake into a glass and top with the remaining two toasted marshmallows. Enjoy with a spoon or straw.

Toasted marshmallows make this shake gooey, sweet and smokey.

Use really good gelato or ice-cream for decadent vanilla flavor.

Dunk the toasted marshmallows into the shake, slurp the shake, repeat.  Heaven.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

The other day, Oreo cookies came up not once, but twice in conversations I had with two different people.  I don't discuss Oreos very often, so I took that as a sign and decided to recreate the iconic cookie at home.  The thing I like most about Oreo cookies is the nostalgic contrast between the dark, bitter, almost salty chocolate wafers and the crazy-sweet, sugary cream filling.  Together they join to make a classic taste.  My homemade version uses a judicious amount of dark brown sugar, a lot of dutch processed cocoa (for intense chocolate flavor and color), salt and a bit of instant espresso powder for that special burnt bitterness.  The cream filling is simple, but the powdered sugar-butter-vanilla combination is just the right thickness for these mini sandwiches, and somewhat magically thickens a bit more as it dries.  The deep, dark chocolate cookies bake up crisp around the edges and deliciously soft and chewy in the middle, which I find to be ideal, but bake them a bit longer for a crunchier and even more authentic version.  These homemade Oreo cookies may not look exactly like the classic, but I think you'll find that they taste even better.

Homemade Oreos
Makes 15

For the cookies:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp instant espresso powder (or instant coffee granules)
1 1/4 sticks butter, slightly softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the cream filling:
1 stick butter, slightly softened
1 2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and espresso powder.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer) cream the butter and sugar until just combined.  Add the egg and vanilla and mix again until the egg is fully incorporated into the butter and sugar.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.  Using a rubber spatula, mix the batter until fully combined.

Drop 12 tablespoon-sized mounds of batter on each cookie sheet, spacing them evenly.  Bake for 10 minutes (or longer for a crisper cookie).  Once cool enough to touch, transfer cookies to a baking sheet to cool.  When the baking sheets have cooled a bit, continue with the rest of the dough, using the same parchment paper.

While the cookies are cooling, make the cream filling.  In the bowl of an electric mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer) cream the butter.  With the mixture on low, slowly add the powdered sugar and blend until combined and creamy.  Add the vanilla and salt and blend until combined.

When the cookies have completely cooled, assemble them by spreading a generous mound of cream filling onto the underside of one cookie and topping it with another cookie to form a sandwich.  Press the cookies together gently to distribute the cream filling evenly.  Continue with the rest of the cookies and filling.  Enjoy with a cold glass of milk.

Dark, bittersweet chocolate cookies.

Ready for their sweet and creamy filling.

Fill each cookie generously.

Surprisingly similar to the classic treat, only better.

Whole Wheat Shortbread Scones with Maple and Figs

I have had my heart set on making a batch of whole wheat scones for quite some time. These particular scones have a unique texture, much like a cross between a shortbread cookie and a scone.  A bit drier than a traditional scone, but equally delicious with ample melt-in-your-mouth buttery toastiness.  They have quite a bit going on flavor-wise as well, including nutty whole wheat, oats, maple syrup, walnuts and dried figs.  They're not too sweet, which I love.  For a less shortbread-like texture, one might try adding a big more milk or cream.  I, however, thoroughly enjoy the crumbliness of these scones.  Perfect for breakfast with a hot mug of tea. These scones come out of the oven toasty, nutty, earthy and smelling of maple.  Not quite traditional, but certainly delicious and they've definitely fulfilled my whole wheat scone craving.

Whole Wheat Shortbread Scones with Maple and Figs
adapted from this recipe
makes 12 small scones

1/4 cup pure maple syrup
6 Tbsp milk or cream + a splash for the egg wash
2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
12 Tbsp cold butter, diced into cubes
1/2 cup dried figs, chopped
1 egg
turbinado sugar or other sanding sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and cream.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, walnuts, baking powder and salt.  Add the diced butter to the flour mixture and squish the butter between your fingers to incorporate it into the flour.  Work at this until the butter is the size of small peas and the flour resembles wet sand.  Add the figs and maple cream mixture and mix until it just comes together.

Dump the dough onto a floured work surface and knead it a few times to incorporate all of the ingredients.  Roll or pat the dough into a rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Trim the sides of the dough to make straight sides and sharp corners.  Cut the dough into 12 square scones and set them on the parchment lined sheet pan, spacing them a 1/2 inch apart.

In a small bowl, gently whisk the egg.  Add a splash of milk or cream and continue mixing.  Using a pastry brush, generously brush each scone with the egg wash. Sprinkle a bit of turbinado sugar over each of the scones.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges turn golden.

Golden, butter-flecked dough.

Brush generously with egg wash.

Sprinkle with a bit of crunchy turbinado sugar.

Bake until golden brown and smelling of maple.

Rich, buttery shortbread scone goodness.

Quick Cinnamon & Cardamom Rolls

As my winter of all things sweet continues, I recently found myself craving a warm, gooey breakfast roll.  Not the kind dripping in caramel and filled with pecans, but just a simply fragrant cinnamon roll, filled with warm spice and smothered in a tangy white icing. Though I've never made such rolls from scratch, it seemed to me that they would require quite a bit of time, which I was not interested in spending.  Enter puff pastry.  I always have a box of puff pastry in the freezer and it seemed to me that these ready made sheets of pastry would be just perfect for that quick morning roll I was after.  Luckily, I was right.  Just thaw a box of puff pastry in the refrigerator over night, then in the morning, roll the pastry up with brown sugar, cinnamon and, for some extra special spiciness, a bit of ground cardamom. Bake until golden then smear with a tangy, cream cheese icing.  As these perfectly sized rolls puff in the oven, the ratio of crisp outer crust to soft, gooey and buttery inner dough is divine.  Plus, in the short 20 or so minutes it takes for these to bake, your entire home will fill with the glorious smell of warm cinnamon.  These puff pastry rolls will most definitely fulfill your warm breakfast roll cravings, and in record time.

Quick Cinnamon & Cardamom Rolls
makes 12

For the rolls:
1 package of frozen puff pastry (2 sheets) thawed overnight in the refrigerator
3 Tbsp melted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp kosher salt

For the icing:
2 Tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature
2 Tbsp buttermilk
1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
tiny pinch of kosher salt

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 12 cup muffin tin and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine both sugars with the cinnamon, cardamom, salt and one tablespoon of the melted butter.  Mix together until combined and set aside.

Remove puff pastry from the refrigerator and unfold both squares on your work surface.  Brush each square of pastry equally with the remaining two tablespoons of melted butter.  Sprinkle the sugar and spice mixture evenly over the two sheets of pastry.  Gently press the sugar mixture into the pastry.  Tightly roll each sheet of pastry into a cylinder of dough.  Trim the ends off each roll and carefully slice each roll into 6 pieces, for a total of 12.  Carefully transfer each roll into a cup of your muffin tin.  Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the pastry is golden and the sugar is bubbling.  Do not over bake or you will risk burning the sugar.

While the rolls are baking, make the icing.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and buttermilk until the mixture becomes a smooth paste.  Whisk in the vanilla.  Add the sifted powdered sugar, and whisk until completely smooth.  Add a tiny pinch of salt and whisk again until combined.

While still warm, transfer the rolls from the muffin tin to a parchment lined sheet pan.  Smear or drizzle rolls with the icing.  Enjoy rolls while they are still warm.

Delicate rolls of pastry filled with sugar and spice.

A bit of cardamom gives these cinnamon rolls an addictive warmth.

Bake until golden, puffed and gooey.

Such a quick and delicious cinnamon fix.

Glazed Lemony Banana Cake

Instead of ringing in the New Year with healthy resolutions as I usually do, it seems this year all I want to do so far is bake myself treats.  I call this dessert a cake because, to me, it is more a cake than a bread, but it is very similar to a traditional banana bread.  To make it a tad more cake-like, I decided to take a cue from one of my favorite blogs and bake it in a bundt pan and pour a heavy amount of golden brown, crackly glaze on top. However, a traditional loaf pan works just as well.  This cake ends up looking very old-fashioned or like something your grandmother would make, which, I think, makes it all the more special.  A bit of lemon zest in the cake and some lemon juice in the glaze gives it a fresh zing, quite perfect on these cold January days.  I used a mixture of all purpose and whole wheat flours to add a bit more flavor and texture, but don't be fooled by the whole wheat;  this is still a gloriously glazed and moist cake.  Great for breakfast, as a snack, with tea or after dinner, this cake is the perfect way to celebrate the new year, whatever your resolutions may be.

Glazed Lemony Banana Cake
makes 8-10 servings
(adapted from this recipe by Melissa Clark and inspired by this blog post on 101 Cookbooks)

For the cake:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup whole milk yogurt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp fresh lemon zest
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the glaze:
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
3-4 tsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Generously grease a 9x5 loaf pan or standard sized bundt pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, toasted walnuts, sugar, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, mix together the mashed banana, yogurt, eggs, butter, lemon zest and vanilla.  Using a rubber spatula, fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing only until there are no streaks of flour left.  The batter will be very chunky.  Scrape the batter into your prepared pan and bake until the cake is golden and just baked through, about 40 minutes if using a bundt pan, 50-55 minutes if using a loaf pan.  You do not want to over bake this cake.  Allow the cake to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and set it directly on the wire rack to cool.

While the cake is cooling, make your glaze.  In a small sauce pot, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium-high heat.  Whisk until the mixture has melted together and tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pot, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the confectioners sugar and just enough lemon juice to make the glaze runny, about 3-4 tsp.  You don't want the glaze to be too thin. Immediately pour the warm glaze over the barely warm cake and allow it to sit until the glaze has dried and the cake is completely cooled.  Cut into slices and enjoy.

Golden, buttery glaze with just a hint of lemony flavor.

Happy New Year.

Peanut Brittle

A holiday memory that pops into my head whenever December rolls around is my Dad's love of peanut brittle.  Around the holidays, Dad would almost always receive his brittle as a homemade gift, packaged in a tin box.  This special box was sometimes shaped as a bell, but more likely star shaped and usually topped with the requisite adhesive bow.  As my Dad walked into and out of the kitchen each day, he could never resist quietly opening that tin lid and sneaking a piece of the crunchy, peanut-laced candy.  As a kid, I would sometimes sneak a piece too, but it never held the same appeal to me as it obviously did for my Dad.  As I find myself getting ready for Christmas this year, I've decided to make my Dad some of his cherished brittle. I used roasted, salted peanuts but I'm sure this candy would be divine with any nut. Carefully boil sugar, syrup and peanuts.  Add a bit of butter, baking soda, vanilla and salt.  Spread out on a silpat-lined baking sheet.  Let cool.  Quite easy, and completely buttery, crunchy and delicious.  A nostalgic, old-fashioned candy that is sure to please anyone in your family this holiday.

Peanut Brittle
adapted from this recipe

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
2 1/2 cups roasted and salted peanuts
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp baking soda
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp kosher salt

note:   a Silpat liner works great here, but if you don't have one just generously grease your pan with butter before spreading out the hot brittle.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat mat and set aside.

In a large sauce pot, combine sugar, corn syrup and peanuts.  Stir gently to combine.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, gently stirring occasionally with a heat-proof rubber spatula until a candy thermometer reads 295 degrees.  Be sure to watch the boiling sugar and peanuts carefully as they can very quickly burn.

Remove the pot from the heat and immediately stir in the butter, baking soda, vanilla and salt.  Use caution as the mixture will bubble.  Pour the mixture onto the Silpat and spread out as thinly as possible.  Allow brittle to cool completely. Crack brittle into small pieces, package in an airtight container and enjoy.

A silicone sheet makes easy work of clean-up. 

Spread the hot candy onto the sheet and let cool.

Makes a handsome holiday gift packaged in a mason jar and sealed with a bow.  

Lemon Sugar-Dipped Blueberry Muffins

There is nothing like a warm blueberry muffin on a cold winter morning.  Or, for that matter, any sort of morning.  Break one in half, slather it with soft butter and sink your teeth in.  Breakfast nirvana.  There are many recipes for blueberry muffins that claim to be the best, however, I've found that the recipe in this book is my ideal.  Moist, with just the right amount of density and filled with blueberries.  I like to use frozen wild blueberries because they are available year round and because I find them to be sweeter and taste more like blueberries than the larger off-season fresh variety.  Of course, use whatever type of blueberries you prefer.  I also find it delicious to top the warm muffins with some melted butter and then dunk them in a mixture of sugar and fresh lemon zest.  Lemon zest and blueberries are best friends in my book, so I use any excuse I can to combine the two flavors.  Tart, sweet, buttery and soft.  These muffins are quick, delicious and the perfect addition to any weekend breakfast menu.  Any time of year.

Lemon Sugar-Dipped Blueberry Muffins
makes 12
recipe barely adapted from The New Best Recipe Cookbook, from the editors of Cooks Illustrated


for the muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 1/4 cups sour cream, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries, preferably wild

for the lemon sugar topping:
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp fresh lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 12 cup muffin tin liberally with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and sugar vigorously for about 30 seconds or until light in color and combined.  Add the melted butter and whisk until combined.  Add the sour cream and whisk until combined.

Add the frozen blueberries to the flour mixture and toss around until they are evenly coated with flour.  Add the sour cream mixture to the dry mixture and, using a rubber spatula, fold the two mixtures together until they are just combined.  Do not over mix at this point, the batter should be very thick.

Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups and bake for 25-30 minutes until just golden around the edges and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.  When cool enough to touch, remove muffins from the pan and allow them to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes while your prepare the lemon sugar topping.

for the lemon sugar topping:
While the muffins are cooling, begin the topping.  Melt the butter and set aside to cool.  Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a food processor and process for 30 seconds or until the zest and sugar are thoroughly combined.  Transfer lemon sugar to a bowl.

When the muffins have slightly cooled, take your first muffin and dip the top of it in the melted butter.  Next, dunk the top of the muffin into the bowl of lemon sugar.  Return muffin to the wire rack to allow the sugar to set.  Repeat with remaining muffins.

Warm, delectable blueberry muffins, golden around the edges.

Lemony sugar.  The perfect topping for these muffins.

A bit of soft butter to slather on the warm insides.  Perfect.

Oatmeal Cream Cookies

For me, these decadent sandwich cookies are a reminder of teenage trips to the gas station or high school store to buy treats that weren't allowed at home.  Bear claws, mini doughnuts, cherry pies, I loved them all, but my absolute favorite had to be the plastic-wrapped oatmeal cream pies.  Soft oatmeal cookies filled with insanely sweet and creamy frosting.  Fast forward twelve plus years and, unfortunately, those packaged cookies don't do it for me in quite the same way. Sure, they're still sweet, but the addictive flavor I remember has turned cloying and a bit more artificial than I remember.  Trying to regain my deep rooted love for the oatmeal sandwich cookie, I set out to create my own version.  Slightly soft oatmeal cookies, spiced with cinnamon and a touch of molasses.  A sweet, buttery and faintly tart cream cheese filling.  Together, they make one delicious cookie, perfect for the holidays.  With or without the high school memories, these cookies will bring you back to a happy place.

Oatmeal Cream Cookies
makes 12

for the cookies:
1 3/4 cups flour

2 cups instant oats

1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
2 tsp molasses
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

for the filling:
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.  Whisk together and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer) beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until the butter and sugar are just combined. Do not over beat at this stage.  Add the egg and beat again on medium until the egg is just combined.  Add the molasses and vanilla extract and continue to mix until combined.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until completely combined.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a rubber spatula, mix the dough by hand to ensure that all of the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. The dough should be thick.

At this point, you can either roll out the cookies immediately or mold the dough into a disc, wrap tightly with plastic and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

When you are ready to roll your dough, liberally flour your rolling surface.  This dough is sticky, so don't be afraid to use flour.  Flour your rolling pin and roll out the dough until it is approximately 1/4 of an inch thick, gently turning the dough as you roll to prevent sticking.  Using a 3 inch round cutter, cut rounds of dough and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, 8 rounds on each sheet.  Bake the first two pans of cookies for 12 minutes, remove the first batch to cool, and bake the third pan for another 12 minutes.  Allow all cookies to cool completely before filling.

To make the filling, combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer) and mix on medium speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined.  Add the vanilla and salt and mix on high until smooth and creamy, or about 2 minutes.

When the cookies have cooled, fill two cookies with a generous dollop of filling and press to make a sandwich.  Continue with the remaining cookies and filling.

Using a rubber spatula, make sure the dough is combined evenly.  The dough should be quite thick.

Bake the cookies, let them cool and then fill them generously with the sweet frosting. 

Spicy, buttery and delicious.