When we originally conceptualized this gingerbread house, we planned to create it in the image of Mount Vernon.  It just so happens, we are major GW dweebs.  I mean, have you seen this?

In the end, it was less George Washington than we imagined, and significantly more . . . glitz.  Though we did stay true to original by replicating the rounded driveway.  And there’s always next year to cut original molds for archways and weather vanes.

The house took three days to complete.  Day 1: making dough from this epicurious recipe (it’s not super sweet, but it holds up beautifully).  Day 2: making icing and gluing molds together.  Day 3: decoration.

Ginger GW and Martha felt quite at home.

When I asked Alex what we should say about this soothingly refreshing beverage, he responded that we should call it a “delicious summer treat.”

But for Al, everything is a delicious summer treat.  I might have gotten the same response if I’d inquired about beer or grilled salmon.  He loves all foods and beverages Summer.  Who doesn’t?

Me, for one.  I’m not categorically opposed to summer drinks, but they are second fiddle to the winter drinks of my heart: mulled cider, brewed chocolate with mint, hot lattes.

Predictably, this Green Tea Mint Lemonade is the exception.  The exceptional exception, excepting the exacting exercise of extracting juice from lemons (though if you have a juicer, you’re exempted).  Yes, squeezing is such a pain, but its worth it for this cooling beverage that’s not too sweet, and offers a uniquely refreshing blend of fresh seasonal flavors.

Ingredients (serves 6-8):
1/2 cup packed fresh mint
1 cup sugar
2 cups water, divided
1 cup fresh lemon juice
8 cups iced green tea (or other iced tea)

Instructions:
Combine mint leaves, sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan, then bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Turn off heat and let cool.  Once cool, remove mint leaves and combine with lemon juice.  In a large pitcher, combine iced tea and remaining 1 cup water, then pour the lemon mixture into it.  Serve chilled or over ice, with mint leaves for garnish.

We didn’t write about it, but we made a less than delicious apple caramel bread pudding for last week’s episode off Top Chef.

We were picking skeptically at the leftovers the next day when Alex turns to me and goes, “You know, I think I forgot to add the sugar.”

It wouldn’t have been as disastrous if we hadn’t invited friends over to watch with the promise of a hot dessert to accompany the show, so for this week’s episode, we were determined to redeem ourselves in their eyes with a dessert that would make them forget that dumb bread pudding ever existed (what bread pudding?).

And while it’s always difficult to tell if folks are just being kind or whether they really enjoy something, the fact that there were lots of seconds made us feel a lot better about last week’s fail.  Who am I kidding?  These were amazing.

The strange thing is that I’d never seen anything like them before yesterday, but in the span of 24 hours, I’ve seen another similar post from a different recipe on Straight from the Farm (yum), and was informed by a classmate (with whom I’d shared the recipe prior to baking) that they were being sold at the Columbia farmer’s market.  Looks like some people are getting inside of our mind grapes!

In any case, I actually recommend that everyone make these because they are super easy and seasonal and mind-blowingly good.  I’m posting our very minimally adapted version of this Real Simple recipe below.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (if you don’t have it, you can use 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp ground ginger, and 1/16 tsp each ground nutmeg and ground allspice )
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2/3 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tbsp heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 375.  In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice.  In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.  Add the pumpkin, vanilla, and egg, and beat until combined. Gradually beat in dry ingredients until incorporated.  Line a baking sheet (or 2) with tin foil, and scoop 16 heaping tbsp of dough onto the sheet, about 2 inches part.  Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until they begin to brown around the edges. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.  While cookies are baking beat together powedered sugar sugar, cream cheese and heavy cream until smooth and spreadable.  Spread cream filling onto 8 of the cookies, and top with other halves.

Today, I was gchatting my mom about tradition, and we both concluded that we are anti-tradition for the sake of tradition.  I believe she said something to the exact tune of: If it’s poop, it’s poop — tradition or not!

Still, there are some culinary traditions that I’m willing to honor for the sake of deliciousness, like caramel apples every fall.  This year, Alex and I bought two bags of Kraft caramels for the task.  We were all set to start dipping when we became distracted by the leftover pie crust in the refrigerator.  Abandon tradition to incorporate soon-to-spoil leftovers in an attempt to recreate my favorite fall flavors in a new and improved dessert?  Yes, plz.

These tartlets are inspired by pimped-out caramel apples: the ones with caramel, chocolate, nuts, the works.  They taste as delicious, and stick to your teeth with the same persistence (in case you were worried about that).  They were well worth the betrayal of tradition, but no guarantees that we won’t sneak in some old-fashioned caramel apples before the season’s over.

Ingredients:
1 recipe pie crust
2 apples, peeled and sliced into the thin, 1-inch pieces
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp bourbon
½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
20 caramels
½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Roll out dough and press into mini tartlet pans.  Add weight to pans by lining them with tin foil, and filling each with rice.  Bake shells for 15 minutes with the weights, and an additional 5 minutes without them.  While shells are cooking, heat butter in a pan.  Add apples, cinnamon, sugar, and bourbon and cook for 5 minutes, until apples are soft.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Once shells are cooked and ready to fill, melt caramels in the microwave by heating for 30 seconds, then stirring.  Add a tsp of caramel to the bottom of each tart, then fill with apple.  Top apples with toasted walnuts, then drizzle additional melted caramel.  Melt chocolate chips by microwaving for 30 seconds then stirring, and drizzle chocolate on top.

We’re not giving excuses (though we have some, and they’re very legit).

Instead, to make up for not posting in nearly a month, we’re sharing one of our best recipes yet.

This apple pie recipe is actually from Alex’s grandmother.  His parents keep her old recipe box, which is more like a treasure chest than a recipe box.  Or a gold mine.  Or a closet full of free new clothes…

Alex has raved about the pie for years, so we were thrilled and surprised when the recipe surfaced.  We made about 5 photocopies just to be safe, and finally got around to baking it this weekend for friends who (finally!) made it to the city for a visit.

It would be typical of me to describe this pie as wonderful and delicious, but I need to do better than that.  For this pie, I’m going with lush and delectable, savory and comforting (thank you, thesaurus.com).  Contrary to what you might expect, the cheddar transforms this into something unexpectedly unique and unforgettably good.  It was enough to get us blogging again — we hope, with regularity.

Ingredients:
1 pie crust (you actually only need half of a recipe — we used Alice Water’s, but you can use anyone’s, or even a frozen version if you must).

(filling)
4 large granny smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
2 tsp lemon zest
1/8 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt

(topping)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 stick butter

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400.  In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, zest, cloves, cinnamon and salt.  Toss apples in mixture.  In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients, mixing the butter into the rest of the ingredients with your fingers.  Roll out pie crust dough, and place in the bottom of the pan.  Arrange apples in the pan in overlapping circles.  Pour cheddar topping over apples.  Bake for 40 minutes, or until topping and crust are golden brown.  Let cool slightly, and serve warm.

We go through stages of obsession with frozen desserts.

Back during our days (actually, nights) working the DP, we’d make regular runs to Marathon Grill for Peanut Butter and Rasberry swirled frozen yogurt.  Last year, we became addicted to coconut and dark chocolate gelato at Philadelphia’s Capogiro.  Since moving to New York, I’ve been really getting into Pinkberry, and I think I’ve finally convinced Alex that it’s not just for legging-clad tweens.  (It’s not!)

It’s actually AMAZING — tart and creamy and, oh yeah, like $5 for a small.  So we made our own.  For way less, and an even better taste.  Even though the recipe on 101 Cookbooks ensured me that this would happen, I honestly didn’t believe it could happen.  If you have an ice cream machine, you must make this.  You won’t regret it, and could even prompt a frozen confection obsession of your own.

Ingredients:
4 cups no-fat Greek yogurt
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate for one hour.  Freeze according to ice cream machine instructions.