The Barkery

Lately:

nutmeg/butternut squash

kale/balsamic vinegar

cranberry/goat cheese

And one Not-So-Delicious Duo:

maple/rosemary (aka. don’t drench your rosemary hashbrowns in syrup. go for butter)

xoL

Sometimes it’s best to leave a good thing well enough alone. But I just couldn’t…. Fresh Raspberries are my favorite and usually when I go out to my back yard to pick them more than half go straight into my mouth instead of the bowl. But I was a little more patient this year because I wanted to try something a friend had told me about: cardamom whipped cream! And oh my god just add a scosh of cardamom to your whipped cream (really as much or as little as you like depending on the amount of whipped cream you have) and some sugar maybe a little cinnamon  and see how fast your raspberries disappear. 

I’m just going to say it. F**k this weather! However, making the best out of bad situations is my specialty. So, drumroll please…the Berry Sangria Spritzer was born from this heinous heat and humidity. No combination of super-powered air conditioning, ceiling fans, and garden hoses can match the cooling powers of this refreshing berry drink!

Handfuls of blackberries and sliced strawberries, some sparkling juice, and red wine make this the perfect drink to whip up for a summer barbecue or girls night. The bubbly fruit juice balances out the red wine, so this is great for people (like myself) who haven’t quite developed a taste for straight red table wine. Simple yet elegant, this yummy fruity beverage will help you cool off (as well as take the edge off) these oh-so sticky summer months.

Berry Sangria Spritzer

Makes 1 large pitcher

1 bottle red wine

1 bottle sparkling juice (i used sparkling berry lemonade)

1 generous handful sliced strawberries

1 generous handful blackberries

sugar to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a big jar or pitcher. Give mixture a few rigorous stirs (to break up the berries a bit), chill for an hour, and enjoy (preferably on a warm summer night with your closest friends)!

xo L

Some of my earliest memories of my childhood are of making bread with my dad. Kneading the dough until it was perfectly elastic and no longer sticky but of course not dry. Something I believe that only human hands can feel and that a bread machine would just butcher. So for the sake of the recipe please please please use your hands as much as possible. It’s not only going to make it taste better but it is also incredibly therapeutic. 

I’m not going to lie you do need to have some time on your hands to crank out this recipe because of the double rising times but it’s perfect for when you feel like being productive for only an hour and a half at a time and the end result is so so so so so worth it! The last time I made this bread Lauren and I decided that our in between project would be cutting my hair. I’m pleased to say that both my hair and the bread turned out fabulous!

So here it is 

2.5 c warm water

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp. salt

1 Tbsp. Butter

2 packages yeast 

7.5 cups all purpose flour

1. Mix together water sugar salt and butter (the water should be warm enough to melt the butter.)

2. Mix 3 cups of flour and the yeast in a bowl 

3. Add warm water mixture to yeast mixture and gradually add 4-4.5 cups more flour. 

4. Knead for 10-15 minutes or until elastic-y (like I said before this is hard to get just right and will take practice but the dough should feel moist in your hands but not sticky.

5. Place dough in a warm greased bowl cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place (I like to put it in the oven with a pan of boiling water underneath it) and let rise for 1 1/2 hours. 

6. PUNCH IT DOWN! (this is my favorite part!)

7. Form two balls and let the dough rest for 10 minutes meanwhile grease a cookie sheet or a bagette pan and sprinkle with cornmeal. Form into two loaves and place on sheet or baggette pan. 

8. Slash the tops diagonally with a sharp knife. Brush top with egg wash (1 egg 1 Tbsp water beaten together) 

9. Place four glasses around the cookie sheet each at a corner and drape a hand towel over the top of the bread so that it covers the loaves but does not touch them. Let rise for another hour and a half. 

10. Preheat oven to 375 and place and empty shallow pan on the bottom rack while the over preheats. just before putting the bread in pour water into the pan to create steam then quickly put the bread in (this will make crust to die for!) After about 20 minutes in the oven brush with egg wash again and bake for another 15-20 minutes. 

Serve hot with lots and lots of butter! 

Do you like Thai food? Do you like chicken? Do you like pizza? Wish there was a way to combine your love for all three but don’t know how (because if you actually mixed a Thai dish, chicken, and a pizza together you’d probably end up with some sort of peanut-marinara sauce chicken mush)? Well look no further! The Barkery is here to help.

When dining out, my golden rule is: if you can make it at home, don’t order it. You can find thai chicken pizzas on the menus of a few hip pizza joints and eateries. Whenever you come across one at a restaurant, resist the urge to order it! Why? Because you can make it at home now!

I like to make mine with lightly sauteed red onions, sweet carrots, and crunchy peanuts. You could really go wild and add red peppers, eggplant, or any other vegetable that roasts well. This recipe includes the recipe for the best peanut sauce you’ll ever taste. It also includes recipes for the following things: success, fame, and winning over your boyfriend (and his parents).

Thai Chicken Pizza

Makes 1 large pizza

For the sauce:

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon oyster sauce

1/3 cup water (maybe more or less, depending on how thick you want your sauce)

red pepper flakes to taste

For the pizza:

1 pizza dough or premade crust*

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

6 oz chicken, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup shredded carrots

5 scallions, slivered diagonally

1/4 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine all sauce ingredients. Stirring occasionally, cook for ten minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In another pan, cook the chicken for about 5 minutes over high heat, just until lightly cooked and browned.

4. Using about 2 tablespoons of the peanut sauce, coat the chicken thoroughly.

5. To assemble the pizza, place dough/crust on a baking sheet. Spread the sauce evenly over the surface and top with 1 cup of cheese. Sprinkle chicken evenly, and cover with 1/2 cup of cheese. Top with onions, carrots, scallions and peanuts. Sprinkle remaining cheese.

6. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until crust is crispy and cheese is bubbling and golden brown.

*I actually have used two pocketless pitas/flatbreads as crusts in a pinch before, and they worked really well!

Bring one of these pizzas to your next social gathering. Make one for your next date night with your sweetie. Use one to bribe your friends to do hilarious things. This pizza will be at the top of your loved ones’ wish lists for years to come! Enjoy. xo L

This year, I went to Amsterdam for spring break and fell in love with the brownies pancakes. They were huge, chewy, and topped with mounds of cherries, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream. But at 14 euro a pop, they weren’t exactly the most wallet friendly meals. Nevertheless, I stuffed my face with these babies every day (no infanticide joke intended).

I returned home, determined to re-create these Dutch masterpieces. To my surprise, they were incredibly easy to make, just as delicious at the originals, and drumroll please…only cost about $4 per serving!

So here, my loves, is my version of Amsterdam’s finest…pancakes. Impress your friends with the best brunch they’ve ever had, and then spend the day together as you bask in the glory of your food comas!

Dutch Pancakes with Hot Cherries 

Serves 4

For the cherries:

2 pounds dark cherries, washed and pitted

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup brandy

For the pancakes:

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

butter to grease pan

Extras:

1 pint vanilla bean ice cream

whipped cream

melted chocolate or nutella

Directions:

1. Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add cherries and cook until the sauce has thickened, about ten minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in brandy. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk well. Add flour and salt. Mix until completely incorporated.

3. Heat a frying pan and grease it with butter. Using a 2/3 cup measuring cup, pour batter into center of the pan and spread it evenly by lifting up the pan and moving it in a circular movement.

4. Cook for about a minute. The top should look almost dry.

5. FLIP ZE PANCAKE! You could get fancy and try to do one of those shake-the-pan-no-spatula flips to wow your friends, which could result in applause and eternal fame. It could also end with you in tears and your pancake on the floor. I recommend using a spatula. The pancake is pretty substantial and won’t break during the flip. Cook for another minute.

6. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Always re-grease the pan before starting a new pancake.

Assembly:

1. Place one pancake (or two if you have an especially hungry buddy) on a plate.

2. Add a generous scoop of ice cream to the center of the pancake.

3. Spoon cherry mixture over pancake and ice cream. 

4. Why not add a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of Nutella like I did?

And there you have it: a delicious start to a delicious day. xo L

What’s sweet on the inside, golden-brown on the outside, and best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream? The correct answer would be “me”, but I’ll accept “apple pie” too. During my freshman year in college, I probably baked about two per week. I’m pretty sure people in my dorm referred to me as “that girl who makes pie” when they couldn’t remember my name. But hey, I’ll take “pie girl” over “girl who puked in the elevator” any day.

Simply put, pie’s are one thing: DELICIOUS. I mean, butter and sugar wrapped in more butter in sugar, who could resist? I have baked and loved a lot of pies in my life, but this is by far my favorite one. It’s a classic and unbeatable combination of buttery, flaky crust with perfectly spiced filling. 

Apple pie is especially fantastic because of it’s versatility. Sometimes, I wake up craving it. Other times, my friends and I stumble home and find ourselves wishing we had one to dig into (preferably with our bare hands). So whether it’s a hearty breakfast or a drunken snack you’re after, this pie will never let you down.

 Apple Pie

For the crust:

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter flavored vegetable shortening

about 3/4 cup cool water

egg wash for crust (1 egg and 1 tbsp milk, gently beaten)

For the filling:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

9 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored, and sliced

Directions

For the crust:

1. Measure flour and salt into a large bowl making a well in the middle. Put shortening into the well. With hands, mix together until shortening is fully incorporated into the flour.

2. Pour half the water in, gathering it into a ball. Continue adding the water until a soft (but not sticky) dough ball forms. Do not knead the dough. 

3. Gather the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Makes enough for a double crust.

For the filling:

1. Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour until completely incorporated. Add both sugars and water. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the flame to low and simmer for a few minutes until thickened a bit.

Assembly:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Divide the dough in half. On a well floured surface, roll out one half for the bottom crust. Place into a 9 inch pie pan.

3. In a large bowl, combine the filling with the apples. Mix until apples are coated. I recommend snacking on a few apple slices at this point. Fill the pan with apples, mounded slightly. 

4. Roll out the other half of the dough. I usually make a lattice top pie crust by cutting the dough into 1” strips and weaving them together. Press the edges of the crusts together and brush top with egg wash.

5. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking for 40 minutes or until deliciously golden brown on top. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy! May this pie bring many smiles to you and your friends! xo L

Greetings fellow foodies! We’re Sophie and Lauren, two dumplings of fun living and going to school in New York City. While we love studying art and design, we find ourselves studying delicious recipes just as often. We’re always craving chocolate, and it’s been rumored that we bleed butter. We think that cooking and baking, like most things, are always better with a friend. In the kitchen, we like to sing (badly), make a mess, and lick the bowl clean. We believe that laughs and stories are best shared over good food and drink, and that dessert is mandatory. Follow us as we cook our way through the summer!

xo S&L