News & Random FUN!!

1. Preheat the oven to 275ºF. Make sure 2 racks are in the lower slots of the oven.
2. Sift the almond meal-powdered sugar mixture twice through a mesh sieve.
3. Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer) and begin to beat on medium-high. When the eggs are frothy, gradually add granulated sugar slowly approximately ½ tbsp at a time. Beat on medium until glossy stiff peaks form.
4. Gently fold in the vanilla.  
5. Add 1/4 almond mixture and gently fold it into the meringue using a silicone spatula and add a few drops of the desired color. 

TIP: Lift from the bottom gently with spatula, up around the sides, and toward the middle. Turn bowl slowly while doing this.

6. Pour batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 0.4-inch tip.
7. On baking sheets lined with parchment paper, pipe out 1-inch rounds.

TIP: Draw circles on the flip side (to avoid ink on macarons😊) of the paper to make perfect tops and bottoms.

8. Holding the baking sheet in both hands, tap each baking sheet firmly on the counter two or three times.
9. Allow the piped macarons to dry, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Batter should by dry, no sticky.

• Place both baking sheets in the oven and bake for 16-18 minutes. After the first 2 minutes, open the oven to allow any excess humidity to escape. Halfway through, swap oven racks and rotate the sheets for even baking.

11. Remove them from the oven, and cool on baking sheet placed on a wire rack.
12. When fully cooled, assemble the macarons with your choice of filling. The assembled macarons can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

FILLING

7 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 1/2 tbsp half & half milk

1 tsp real vanilla extract

1. Dice butter into pieces, and whip until it has a creamy smooth consistency.
2. Whisk the egg yolks, then slowly add the granulated sugar, and beat until the mixture lightens to an off-white.
3. Add the half and half and whisk to combine.
4. Pour the egg mixture into a small saucepan, and heat over low heat, whisking frequently to ensure that the mixture does not curdle or scorch. Cook until the mixture becomes thick, like pudding.
5. Pour the egg mixture back into its bowl and whisk constantly until it returns to room temperature. Whisk in the butter in small batches, add the vanilla, and stir until smooth and all ingredients are fully combined. Pipe or spread onto one macaron half and sandwich between the other.

Fall is in the air and it’s the season filled with pumpkin everything. Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin seeds, oh my! Instead of making a traditional pumpkin pie for your next Halloween party, try these Pumpkin Blondies. Sweet, chewy, delicious Pumpkin Blondies are a great fall treat. Flavored with real pumpkin and pumpkin spice, these treats will be a hit with your guests.

These Pumpkin Blondies are a dream! Party approved, they’re full of warm spices, delicious chocolate, and perfect for fall baking. Keeping things basic, pumpkin is the “in” thing in the fall or as soon as September hits. Even if temperatures are 90-degrees outside, these blondies will satisfy all your pumpkin cravings.

Of course, blondies are supposed to be dense and fudgy so adding a little bit of pumpkin goes a long way. The consistency and flavor are perfect for a blondie. Test it out, give it a try for yourself and see how delicious these blondies are.

INGREDIENTS

• Cooking spray
• 1/2 c. pumpkin purée
• 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 3/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. pumpkin spice
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 3/4 c. chocolate chips, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9”-x-13” baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, butter, and brown sugar, then beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin spice, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined, then fold in 1 ½ cup chocolate chips.
3. Spread dough in prepared pan, then sprinkle with ½ cup remaining chocolate chips. Bake until topping looks set but some moist crumbs stick to toothpick when testing for doneness, about 25-minutes. Cool completely before slicing into bars.

Ladles & Linens Kitchen Shoppe takes pride in making you happy! We have proudly been in business for 21 years. We started out as a small kitchen shoppe in Lexington VA and now have expanded to 2 other locations in Roanoke VA and Richmond VA. We pride ourselves on staying ahead of kitchen and cooking trends and meeting our customers needs always whether its that impossible to find a gadget or just a good old fashion high five! We are owned by Chef Sarah Nicholas and have a BEYOND FABULOUS team that knows it all when speaking "kitchen".  It's ALWAYS a kitchen party & EVERYONE's invited! Visit our website today or call us For general inquiries or to place an order by phone, please call (540) 464-3838, we look forward to seeing you!

Picture and recipe from Delish

4 dozen Littleneck Clams

4 tbsp butter

1 cup shallots, minced

1.5 tbsp garlic, minced

1.5 cups dry white wine

1.5 tbsp parsley, minced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

juice of one small lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste

Crusty Bread

Place the clams in a ice/water bath with a tsp of flour for a few minutes.  Scrub off sand and grit. Preheat the grill to 450 degrees. Place a cast iron skillet or dutch oven on the grill to preheat. Melt 2 tbsp butter and cook shallots until tender.  Add the garlic and combine until fragrant, but be careful not to burn the garlic.  Add the wine and allow to heat.  Add clams and cover.  Cook on high heat for 5 to 7 minutes until the clams pop open. Add remaining butter, parsley, red pepper, lemon juice and season to taste. Remove from the grill and serve immediately with bread. ENJOY!

**Discard any unopened clams. 

1 20 oz bone-in ribeye steak

2 Rosemary sprigs

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

Blue Cheese Butter

1/2 stick butter

2 tbsp crumbled blue cheese

1 tbsp minced garlic

Cheese Butter:

Soften the butter in a microwave safe bowl. Using a fork, mash in blue cheese and garlic until fully mixed. Spoon the butter onto plastic wrap to shape into a stick of butter. Roll plastic wrap closed and refrigerate until hardened.

Steak:

Preheat the oven to 425° F. Allow steak to come to room temperate. Season both sides liberally with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil and butter to Lodge cast iron skillet and turn heat to high to preheat the pan. Place the ribeye in pan and sear  for 2 minutes. Flip the ribeye and sear for an additional 2 minutes. Add rosemary and then transfer your skillet directly to the oven. For rare, bake for 4-5 minutes. medium rare, 5-6 minutes. medium, 6-7 minutes. Drizzle ribeye with melted rosemary butter from the skillet.  Transfer to a plate and top with a slice (or more!) of blue cheese butter. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

(picture credit : ifoodblogger)

It's ALMOST July and that means Peach Season is almost here!  Here's a little recipe to get you excited to use those peaches in a new way!

Peach and Basil Cream Tart
Tart:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 teaspoons heavy cream
4 oz. greek whipped cream cheese
2 RIPE peaches, thinly sliced
fresh basil, finely chopped

Basil-Infused Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped to small pieces
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Tart:
Preheat oven to 400F. Roll out the puff pastry out on a baking sheet lined with parchment.  With a knife, score a border into the puff pastry. Be careful to not cut all the way through the dough! Brush the heavy cream along the border. Bake for 15-19 minutes. Let cool.

For the Basil-Infused Whipped Cream:
In a medium saucepan, heat cream on low for 2 minutes (watch closely to make sure it does not burn or stick). Turn off hear and add chopped basil. Allow to cool and then refrigerate. Once completely cooled, strain the basil from the mixture (it will be dull brown colored and not pretty, but it will have flavored the cream!). In a mixer, whisk the cream on medium high until soft peaks are formed. Add vanilla and slowly work in sugar. Continue to whisk until peaks become slightly more firm. Combine the whipped cream cheese with the basil-infused whipped cream. Spread on cooled baked pastry. Top with thinly sliced peaches and sprinkle with finely chopped fresh basil. Serve immediately and ENJOY!!!