SMiLes by Meg

Tag: sea salt

Salted Pretzel Brownies

There aren’t many things that can compete with S’mores when you’re trying to decide what to bring as a dessert on a camping trip. They’re a perfect dessert, sweet, salty, gooey and crunchy, plus you get to play with fire. So when I was trying to decide on a recipe to make for Erik’s colleagues this weekend, who we just spent the last few nights camping with at Cape Henlopen in Delaware, my original thought was some kind of S’mores-inspired dessert. I wanted something easy to bring with us, so it couldn’t be too fussy, and I feel like I’ve …

Salted Chocolate Caramel Knot

I know I still haven’t shared my go-to sourdough bread recipe yet, but I make it so often it almost feels like cheating to put it on the blog. Instead, this week I’ll share a different recipe from the same cookbook (Artisan Sourdough Made Simple). It uses sourdough starter, but also the wonderful ingredients of Nutella and dulce de leche. If you don’t have sourdough starter in your fridge yet, and you live in DC, let me know – I’m happy to provide some of mine. It’s great to have, very hard to kill (unlike my house plants), and I …

Matzo Crack

Happy Easter! This is a late post because I just got back from seeing my family for the first time since moving to DC, and it was a much needed little getaway. We laughed a lot, spent a lot of time in the sun, and generally just enjoyed some time together. Definitely worth the upcoming week of quarantine while I get tested, etc. I made the recipe for this post before we left so I could leave a treat for our cat sitter. Fortunately, since last week’s post, we were able to get our hands on some matzo, and therefore …

Small Batch Olive Oil Lemon Bars

Happy Valentine’s Day! Erik and I just finished a feast and I’m writing this as I’m about to slip into a food coma powered by Schitt’s Creek on the couch. We ordered cook at home hot pot and it was perfect – lots of delicious food, a fun thing to do. Highly recommend. If you’re in the DC area check it out – Fat Choi Hot Pot. Also in the Valentine’s Day trend, Erik has been talking about how much he loves lemon bars for weeks now, and I thought it was probably a good time to make him some. …

Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart

Alexandra always gets me to make the most fun things. Last year, I made one of the things I’m most proud of – a Rainbow Explosion Cake. This year, even though we aren’t in the office, I promised another birthday treat and the request was “something with chocolate and caramel.” So here’s a chocolate caramel tart! Start by making the crust. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, confectioners sugar and cocoa until smooth. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until creamy. Add the flour and beat until dough comes together. Press …

Fig and Olive Oil Challah

This was fun to make. I’m home for the long weekend, having a girl’s weekend with my mom, and she agreed to humor me and make a complicated braided bread on Saturday night. I love challah, she’d never had challah, and the idea of somehow getting a flavor woven into the challah made it a recipe I couldn’t skip. Start by making the base dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the yeast, warm water, and teaspoon of honey. Let sit for 10 minutes until it starts to foam up. Add the remaining honey, olive oil, eggs …

Soft Pretzels

So I’ve made pretzels before. But that was back in 2014. And, really, I’ve been at this blog for almost seven years – I think it’s probably time to start revisiting recipes, since I’m about 1000% sure I’m more proficient now than I was when I first started. Don’t worry, I’ll still predominantly be making new things. But when circumstances present themselves that seem to require a repeat, I’m not going shy away from it. This week, obviously, is Super Bowl. Which is a perfect reason for pretzels. Especially because I’m watching Super Bowl at my apartment with my work …

Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies

I recently discovered the blog Hummingbird High when she was featured on another blog I like, Cloudy Kitchen. I feel like there’s this network of real baking bloggers that are all friends and go to each other’s places in New York and make really amazing and beautiful desserts and generally live pleasant lives. Michelle Lopez, behind Hummingbird High, recently released a cookbook, Weeknight Baking. The entire concept appealed to me – ways to bake delicious things in minimal time. And, the star recipe that seemed to be all over Instagram was Better-Than-Supernatural Fudge Brownies, so obviously I started with those. …

Salted Caramel Thumbprints

Guys, it’s Christmas cookie season. And, if you’ve been reading my blog anytime in the last six years, you know that every year, I dedicate one weekend to making an absurd amount of Christmas cookies, which I then put in boxes or tins and distribute to friends and family and coworkers. This was not that weekend. But I did make some Christmas cookies anyway, because The NY Times Cookie Spread on instagram was way too perfect not to get an early start. So these will go into the office, not in bags, and hopefully next weekend I’ll actually dedicate the …

Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies

Happy Christmas Cookie Season! Every year, I dedicate one weekend to spending all of my time in the kitchen baking at least 5 varieties of cookies to put in tins and give out to friends and families. This year, that weekend will be next weekend, but when my roommate and I decided to host a Gingerbread House Party this weekend, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to get a head start. Because I’ve already posted my gingerbread cookies, which I was using for my house base, I decided to throw a new variety of cookie in the mix: salted chocolate …