Chocolate Cookies with White & Semi-Sweet Chips

This recipe was given to me by one of my cousins a number of years ago, I have no idea where it orginated. It's been tweaked along the way. They are a very nice change from regular chocolate chip cookies.

The dough freezes very well, you can have warm cookies on demand~ just shape the dough into 1-inch balls, freeze on wax paper, or parchment lined baking sheets until hard, then pack in sealable plastic bags or containers. When ready to bake, follow recipe (preheat oven and bake until crisp around edges, and soft in the center.)

These are good cookies to use in ice cream sandwiches, too. I make them a little larger than described in the recipe.

Buttery Chocolate Cookies with White & Semi-Sweet Chips
Yields 2 dozen ~ 3-inch cookies

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon Kahlua, optional
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I use Droste)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips or chunks (I switch out, sometimes using half semi-sweet, and half white chunks or chips.)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)

Place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.

Sift or seive the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt together. (Set aside)

In the bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until completely blended. Add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Fold in the the chocolate chips.

Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons dough on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.

Bake for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until the the cookies are still soft in the center but are firm around the edges.

Remove from oven and allow cookies cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to wire rack to cool completely. They will be slightly crisp around the edges when just fresh, but will soften a bit upon standing.

Makes about 24 - 3 inch round cookies.

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Meyer Lemon Pots de Crème

Note~ This recipe was designed for Blood Oranges, so I increase the sugar depending upon the tartness of the lemons.

Regular lemons can be used in this recipe, again, increase the sugar, and if desired a splash of orange juice can be added to mellow the tartness a bit.

Ingredients:

1/3 cups sugar (add more up to double if lemons are very tart)
1 whole egg
4 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup Meyer Lemon juice, regular lemon juice, or blood orange juice
(if using blood orange juice, add 1 tsp. lemon juice)
1 teaspoon grated rind from the citrus you are using

Preparation:

Heat oven to 325-degrees F.

Bring a kettle or pot of water to a boil.

In the meantime, in a medium size blow, whisk egg yolks, whole egg, citrus juice, sugar and cream, beating until sugar dissolves.

Pass the mixture through a strainer to filter out any pulp; stir in the zested rind.

Place 4 ramekins in an 8x8 baking dish. Pour or ladle the mixture evenly between the ramekins.

Pour enough boiling water in the pan to come halfway up the sides of the dishes and cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.

Place on a middle rack in the oven and cook about 40 minutes; the custard should be just set around the edges, and a little jiggly in the centers when the pan is moved.

Remove the ramekins from the pan and allow them to cool on a wire rack.

Chill the puddings in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and as long as 24 hours.



Recipe adapted from about.com

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Utterly Decadent Warm Chocolate Ganache Sauce

One of the most simple and decadent dessert sauces I know of ~
and it's so simple to assemble. Fair warning though, it can be addictive!

Wonderful for sundaes, parfaits, profiteroles, a drizzle for pound cakes, as a fruit dip, etc.

You can flavor it with different liqueurs to change the flavor if you like. Sauce will thicken
as it cools.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE SAUCE

1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons light or dark corn syrup
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate, chopped

In a heavy medium-size saucepan, bring cream and corn syrup to a simmer; remove from heat; Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth; Pour into a small container and refrigerate until ready to use; When ready to use heat slightly to soften the chocolate until it is the consistency you prefer.

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Asparagus & Lemon Risotto

The recipe I used this time is from British chef Nigel Slater, from his BBC television program "The Kitchen Diaries."

Asparagus and Lemon Risotto
Serves 2 generously


Nigel's notes: "You could use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. The flavour will be much the same, but your risotto will lack the soul, not to mention the silky texture, that can only be achieved with a fine, gelatinous chicken stock. "


Ingredients:



50g/1¾ ounces butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

200g/7 ounces arborio rice

125ml/4½ fluid ounceswhite wine or white vermouth

1 litre/1¾ pints hot chicken stock

400g/14 ounces asparagus, chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 lemons, zest and juice

3 tbsp grated parmesan


Method:



I keep the stock/broth on a low flame near the risotto pan, it is crucial that the stock/broth be hot when stirring into the rice.



Melt the butter in a wide, high-sided pan over a very low heat. Peel the onion and chop it finely. Don't fry the finely chopped onion, instead allow it to soften in the butter, stirring from time to time so that it does not brown but instead becomes "translucent and silky".



Stir in the rice, folding the grains over briefly in the butter with a wooden spoon. Pour in the wine or vermouth and allow it to gently simmer until the wine has nearly all evaporated. While the wine is reducing slice asparagus into 1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces. (I reserve all of the tips for garnish, steam or microwave them until just crisp tender, and still bright green.)



Add a large ladleful (about 8 ounces) of hot stock to the rice, turn the heat up a bit, then let the liquid almost disappear before adding the pieces of asparagus and a second ladle of stock. Continue adding the stock as it boils down to almost nothing.



Stir the rice often, grating and squeezing the lemons as the rice is cooking.



Season with salt, pepper, the lemon zest and juice and continue cooking till the rice is creamy but has a bit of texture left in it. Stir in the cheese and eat immediately.







Recipe adapted from Nigel Slater.

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Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette and Dressing

I've given two recipes here, both from my mother's extensive recipe files.

The first contains raw egg yolk ~ if that is a concern, I suggest using the second recipe which utilizes mayonnaise instead of the egg yolk to give body and thickness to the dressing instead.

Both are perfect when you want a non-sweet Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette, or Dressing ~ excellent on lettuce greens, endive, crudite, shellfish or simply prepared chicken or fish. I serve them with Salad Niçoise .

Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
(I usually double this recipe if it is to be used within two days.)

Ingredients

1/2 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the lemon juice. Whisk in the olive oil and cream. Season with salt and pepper.

Store, covered, in refrigerator until serving time. Use within 3 days.


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~


Lemon Dressing

Ingredients
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the mayonnaise. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking until blended. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

Store, covered in refrigerator until serving time.




I like to serve this in a small pitcher or bowl along with my version of Salad Niçoise, so each diner can add as much or as little as they prefer.

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Chicken Cacciatore ~ Lidia Bastianich's

Chicken Cacciatore (Pollo alla Cacciatore)
from "Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen" by Lidia Bastianich.

"The caccia in cacciatore means "hunt," so this is chicken hunter's-style. Somewhere along the line, probably on its trip from Italy to America, the hunter's pheasant or guinea hen in this dish was replaced by chicken.

If you don't want to cut up a whole chicken, you can buy pieces. Get all legs and thighs, if that's what you like; they are very good in this dish.

It can be made using only chicken breasts if that's your preference, but to keep the chicken from drying out, you should cut the cooking time in half and reduce the wine to 1/4 cup and the tomatoes to 3 cups."

Ingredients:

2 broiler chickens (about 2 1/2 pounds each, preferably free-range)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup dry white wine
One 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes with liquid, crushed

1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably the Sicilian or Greek type) dried on the branch, crumbled
2 cups sliced white or shiitake mushrooms, about 8 ounces
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch strips (about 2 cups total)

To prepare:

Cut each chicken into 12 pieces. With a sturdy knife or kitchen shears, remove the backbone by cutting along both sides. Remove the wingtips. Reserve the backbone, wingtips, and giblets -- except for the liver -- to make chicken stock. Or, if you like, cut the backbone in half crosswise and add it to this dish.Place the chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board and cut the chicken into halves by cutting through the breastbone lengthwise. Cut off the wing at the joint that connects it to the breast, then cut each wing in half at the joint. Separate the leg from the breast. Cut the leg in half at the joint. Cut the breast in half crosswise, giving the knife a good whack when you get to the bone in separate the breast cleanly into halves. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper. Dredge the pieces in flour, coating them lightly and tapping off excess flour. In a wide (at least 12-inch) 5-quart braising pan, heat the vegetable oil with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until a piece of chicken dipped in the oil gives off a very lively sizzle.

Add as many pieces of chicken to the pan as will fit without touching. Do not crowd chicken; if the skillet is not wide enough to fit all of the chicken, brown it in batches. Remove chicken pieces from the skillet as they brown, adding some of the remaining pieces of chicken to take their place. Remove all chicken from the skillet.

Add the onion to the fat remaining in the pan, and cook, stirring 5 minutes.Pour the wine into the pan, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and oregano, season lightly with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Tuck the chicken into the sauce, adjust the heat to a gentle boil, and cover the pan.

Cook, stirring a few times, 20 minutes.In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and peppers, and toss until the peppers are wilted but still quite crunchy, about 8 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt.

Stir the peppers and mushrooms into the chicken pan. Cook covered until the chicken and vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Check the level of the liquid as the chicken cooks.

There should be enough liquid barely to cover the chicken. If necessary, add small amounts of water to maintain the level of liquid as the chicken cooks.

Makes 6 servings.


"Note: When you cut up chicken, or anything for that matter, your knife should glide along. If you're struggling, stop for a second and take a look at what you're cutting; you should be cutting between the bones at the joints, not actually cutting through the bones. If you're off target, just wiggle the blade of the knife to get a feel for where the joint is, then make another cut. With practice, you'll get a sense for where the joints lie."

With thanks to my friend Linda, for sharing the recipe.

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Oyster Sauce - Slivered Beef with Vegetables

Oyster Sauce Beef
(Ho Yow Gnow Yuke)
4 servings

1 pound flank steak, or other beef steak

Meat Marinade:
1 tablespoon cornstrch
1 teaspoon sugar (I use less)
1 teaspoon Dry or Cocktail Sherry (not sweet, and not cooking sherry)
2 tablespoons light soy sauce (or dilute regular soy sauce with a little bit of water to dilute the saltiness.)

1 medium yellow or white onion cut into wedges
1 medium green or red pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chicken stock or brth
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 "coin-slices" of fresh ginger (about the size of a quarter), slivered (optional)
4 tablespoons commercial oyster sauce (I prefer Lee Kum Kee brand)
3 tablespoons oil

Method:
Cut beef across the gran nto 1/8-inch slices ~ I cut into slivers. Mix with meat marinade for 15 mnutes.

Cooking:
Heat wok or large, heavy skillet. Pour 1 tablespoon oil an heat unil almost smoking. Sti fry onion, green or red pepper, and any other vegetables you are using, for 1 minute. Add salt and stock; stir fry until liquid has evaporated. Remove from wok and set aside.

Pour 2 tablespoons oil into wok and brown garlic for 45 seconds. Discard garlic and add beef (and ginger if using.) Stir fry until almost cooked, about 1 minute and
add oyster sauce. Mix well. Add vegetables, stir for a few seconds and serve.*

* I usually don't add the vegetables back with the beef, instead serve them separately ~ the choice is yours.


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Lahmahjoon (Armenian-style Pizza)

These savory "pizzas" are spread with a tomato and lamb topping, then cut into wedges to serve.

They can be served hot or cold, cut into wedges as an appetizer, or put some tender greens, (and other salad makings if you like), in the middle and fold over like a taco for a delicious meal. You can sustitute ground beef instead of ground lamb, if you prefer.



There are several versions/variations of Lahmahjoon. The first time I made it I followed a different recipe, I made my own flatbread but the raw-meat topping was spread on very thinly and allowed to bake to cook throughly right on the bread. But this time I used store bought, fresh naan (Indian flatbread), cooked the topping separately then spread it on thickly and baked the breads on an oiled baking sheet in a hot (450-degree F) oven until hot and slightly crisp.



I like to add some plain yogurt and a few toasted pinenuts when I serve them. Thick Greek yogurt works best. If you have regular yogurt, drain in a paper towel (or cheese cloth) lined sieve/strainer, allow to drain over a bowl for at least 30 minutes or longer, some of the whey will drain out and as it does the yogurt will thicken.

Lahmahjoon
(Armenian-style Pizza)

4 Servings

1 pound lean ground lamb (or beef)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon dried Oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves (authentic, but in winter my garden mint is not of good quality so I omit.)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

several shakes of dry Za'tar *
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or a couple of shakes of Tabasc0 (optional, but I always add)
4 authentic Armenian flatbreads, pita breads, fresh naan, or fluffy tortillas

DIRECTIONS

Place ground lamb in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and break into small pieces until mostly browned. Drain any excess grease. Add the onion, green pepper, and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent. Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato paste, then season with parsley, basil, mint, cumin, and if using, cayenne. Simmer for about 5 minutes, mixture should be thick and nearly smooth. Remove from heat, cover, and refrigerate overnight to blend the flavors. (When I'm in a hurry, I skip the chilling step.)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Distribute the lamb mixture evenly over the tortillas, and spread out to the edges. Place the tortillas onto a baking sheet.
Bake for about 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and place the lahmahjoons onto a large piece of aluminum foil so that two of them are meat side to meat side, then stack the pairs together, and bring the foil up over the top to keep warm. These can be served hot or cold. Cut into small wedges.

*Za'tar seasoning:

For this recipe I simply use Penzey's dry shake, right from the jar. However, you can make your own:

Za'tar
(Recipe from In Mama's Kitchen website)

"Most za’tar is consumed as a condiment, made by grinding hyssop leaves to a coarse, aromatic, brownish green powder then mixing the pwder with olive oil, toasted sesame seeds, sumac, chickpeas, and wheat. If you can't get hyssop, substitute thyme."

1/2 cup dried hyssop (or thyme)
1/4 cup sumac
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Put the sesame seeds on a small sheet pan or pie plate and toast for 6 minutes. Combine hyssop or thyme, sumac, salt, parsely, and sesame seeds and grind into a fine powder in a spice mill. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 months.

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New York-Style Crumb Cake or Cakelets

New York- Style Crumb Cake
Adapted from “The Foster’s Market Cookbook”

This is rich, and delicious with a cup of coffee or tea. At Foster’s Market it is baked in large jelly-roll pans, then cut into squares to serve.

This recipe makes a large Crumb Cake; for the mini-cakes I cut the recipe in half, and it made nearly two NorPro mini-cheesecake pans (the straight-sided ones with removable bottoms). Fill each well just 1/3 to ½ full; this cake is intended to have plenty of crumb topping in ratio to the amount of cake.

This time I added a few fresh blueberries to half of the cakelet batter before adding the crumble topping.

Make the topping first.

Topping:
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 pound (4 sticks) butter, melted

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and blend well. Stir in the melted butter until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Set aside.

Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 ¼ cup milk
¼ cup canola or safflower oil
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar to garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 325-degrees (F)

Grease and lightly flour a 12 by 17 by 1-inch jelly roll pan.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Combine eggs, milk, oil and vanilla in a separate large bowl and whisk until well blended.

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture just until the dry ingredients are moist. Do not overmix.

Spread the cake batter evenly in the bottom of the jelly roll pan. Set aside. (Don’t worry if the batter barely covers the bottom of the pan, it is intended to be sparse.)

Sprinkle ALL of the crumb topping evenly over the batter and press-in lightly.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes until cake rises and topping bakes into the batter.

Remove from oven and cool slightly in the pan. You may trim edges if you like, then cut into 2 ½ by 3- inch pieces.

Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm.

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Easy Blueberry-Almond Sticky Buns

Easy Blueberry-Almond Sticky Buns
Makes 12, (The recipe is easily halved)

12 tablespoons (1 & 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds (or pecans, chopped in very large pieces)
1 package (17.3 ounces/ 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

FOR THE FILLING:
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup dried blueberries (or raisins)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the nuts evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right.

Brush the whole sheet with half of the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1½ teaspoons of the cinnamon, and ½ cup of the blueberries (or raisins). Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down.

Trim the ends of the roll about ½ inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1½ inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (help the filling and nuts out onto the buns with a small silicone spatula, or a spoon) and cool completely.

Recipe adapted from "The Barefoot Contessa"



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Spinach Meatball Minestrone with Tortellini

This soup is most delicious if made the day ahead (if you happen to plan ahead), but it's perfectly good as soon as it's made.

It's best not to add the uncooked tortellini until you reheat it, otherwise they become flabby and mushy. You may need to add a little more stock when reheating as the tortellini tend to absorb the liquid.

Spinach Meatball Minestrone With Three-Cheese Tortellini

Note: I always use Barilla's dried tortellini for this soup, they are just the right size and not too big for the soup spoon. "Three Cheese" (8.9 oz pkg.). The amount to use is up to you; I usually use 1/2 of the package for 1 recipe of soup. You can use the the entire package, but that will likely require more stock.

The meatballs can be made ahead and frozen until you're ready to prepare the soup. I always double the recipe, and freeze half, so I have some on hand, that way the soup can go together in moments. They are also good little appetizer, heated up, and served with warmed marinara sauce!

For the Meatballs:
1 pound ground beef (can also use half ground beef/half sweet Italian sausage)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped onion
About 1/4 cup bread crumbs (fresh or dried)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, slightly beaten 1 10-oz. pkg. frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
Pinch of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

Combine all ingredients; lightly mix well with your hands until evenly combined.

Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in large soup pot. Make one bite-size patty and brown in olive oil till done. Taste for seasoning and correct rest of meatballl mixture, if necessary.

Form remaining mixture into bite-size (about 3/4 to 1-inch size) balls. Saute in soup pot until brown and done. Remove from pot; reserve pot.

For the Soup:
2 large carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 celery stalks, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 medium onion, chopped
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and chopped
1 (14- or 15-ounce) can diced tomatoes and juice
1 (15-ounce) can kidney (or cannellini) beans and juice
6-8 cups beef or chicken stock (depending on amount of tortellini used)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 to 1 whole package. (8.9 oz. size) Barilla's dried Three Cheese Tortellini (preferable) OR refrigerated cheese tortellini (such as Buitoni)

For serving:
Freshly grated Parmesan and/or pesto.

Method: Add carrots, celery, onion and zucchini to soup pot, adding more olive oil, if necessary. Saute until tender, scraping up any residual bits left after browning the meatballs.

Add tomatoes, beans, 6 cups stock, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and meatballs. Stir and bring to low boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Taste for seasoning. Stir in tortellini; you may need to add more stock at this point.

Bring to gentle boil and cook just until tortellini is done (al dente).

Serve sprinkled with fresh Parmesan and/or dollop of pesto.

My additional notes: I often add other vegetables to the soup, depending upon what I have on hand; fresh baby spinach leaves, bite size slices of string beans, garbanzo beans, etc.

Recipe is courtesy of chefbeck, a wonderful cook from California who has generously shared numerous delicious recipes.

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Glazed Sesame Almonds

This recipe is from my friend Monique who says the recipe is courtesy of Canadian Living Holiday Baking.

They are soo good! I love to make up batches package in pretty jars or covered candy dishes as little gifts. If your family and friends like almonds, I think you will love these as much as we do.

With great thanks to Monique for sharing the recipe.

Glazed Sesame Almonds

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
3 cups whole unblanched almonds
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon each cayenne pepper and ground ginger

Method:

Line rimmed baking sheet with foil; grease and set aside.

In saucepan, bring sugar and water to boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in almonds; let stand, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in bowl, stir together sesame seeds, salt, cayenne pepper and ginger.

Using slotted spoon, spoon almonds into bowl; toss to coat. Discard sugar mixture. Spread nut mixture on prepared pan; roast in 350°F oven, stirring once, until caramel color, about 20 minutes.

Let cool in pan on rack.

If made ahead: Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 1 month.)

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Mme. Monique's Cretons du Québec

From my friend Monique ~ this is her recipe for a lighter version.





Mme. Monique's Cretons du Québec

Monique tells us:

"These are sooo light and easy compared to the high fat ones..:)
And they are served as an appetizer..like a pate.With crackers..or a fresh baguette..And a side of your favorite imported or home made mustard.

All done in the microwave!"

1 lb of lean ground pork
1 medium onion chopped
12 soda crackers.. coarsely crushed.
2 garlic cloves minced
1 cup of milk
Salt and pepper
Pinch of ground cinnamon*
Pinch of ground cloves*
I always put more cinnamon.

"Use a microwave safe dish with lid.

Combine all ings. and microwave covered for 15 min..stirring after every 5 mins.
Pack in pretty jars or molds.

Can keep 2 days in refrigerator like this safely.

You can also whirl in the processor..as I did this time..for a more uniform consistency."

For more of Monique's delightful recipes:

http://latabledenana.blogspot.com

Homemade Samoas Cookies (Girl Scout Cookie Clone)

Homemade Samoas Cookies  (Girl Scout Cookie Clone)

As shared from the kitchen of Once Upon a Plate by Mari

www.onceuponaplate1.com

Please NOTE:  

I don't want you to be disappointed.

If you are of the 'slice and bake' cookie mind, making these cookies might not be for you.   

This type of cookie does take time and a bit of effort.  Some may call them tedious to make ... I call them WORTH it. 

But that's just me.   :)  

You decide.

Cookies ~ Homemade Samoas

(also known as Caramel de-Lites)

Makes about 3 1/2 to 4 dozen

The cookies involve four steps: 

1. Make the cookie Base

2. Top with Caramel-Coconut mixture

3. Dip bottom of cookies in melted chocolate

4. Drizzle tops with melted chocolate

The Cookie (base):

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

up to 2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, next, the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk only as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (you may not need any at all). The dough should come together into a soft, pliable ball. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough seems sticky.

It's easiest to roll the dough out in 2 or 3 batches (between pieces of wax (or parchment) paper to about 1/4-inch thickness (or a little thinner) using a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined (or on silicone mat) baking sheet and make a hole in the center. I used the small end of a large round piping tip. Nicole comments that you can use a knife, or the end of a wide straw, to cut a smaller center hole. Repeat until the dough is used up (it's okay to re-roll, this dough is shortbread-like and very forgiving.)

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are very lightly golden brown around the edges.

Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, to allow them to firm up slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Topping:

3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

12-ounces good-quality chewy caramels

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons milk

8 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips will do)

(If you prefer milk chocolate, by all means use that.)

My notes: The caramel-coconut mixture is quite sweet, so I used Bittersweet chocolate to balance the sweetness bit.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (F)

Spread coconut evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Watch carefully, especially near the end of toasting time; the coconut toasts very quickly once it begins to become golden.

Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.

Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 teaspoons per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it begins to firm up, to make it soft and spreadable once again.

While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. (I melted mine stovetop using double boiler method.) Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper (I used silicone baking mats instead). Transfer all remaining chocolate into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate. (Melt a bit of additional chocolate, if there is not quite enough for each cookie.)

Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Recipe credit: Nicole @ Baking Bites.com 

Mari's Signature Loaded Espresso-Grand Marnier Brownies

As shared by Once Upon a Plate by Mari

Several years ago I went about devising a recipe for brownies, here is what I came up with, and I consider them my signature brownies. I hope you enjoy!

Mari's Signature Loaded Espresso-Grand Marnier Brownies

Yields one 8 or 9-inch pan (I use a 9-inch pan with straight sides)

(12 to 16 brownies, depending upon how large you cut them)

.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened, and additional for pan

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped (I use Sharfen Berger Bitter Sweet)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier Liqueur

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, position race in center of oven.

Butter a 9-inch square baking pan, line the bottom with waxed or parchment paper, and also coat paper with butter. Set aside.

Combine butter and unsweetened chocolate in a large metal or glass bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until completely melted. Let it cool slightly. Whisk in the sugar, espresso powder, vanilla, Grand Marnier and eggs.

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl, then add to the chocolate mixture, and stir until just combined (it's important not to overmix). Fold in the mini chocolate chips.

Pour into pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes. A toothpick inserted in center of pan should show a moist crumb.

Cool completely on a wire rack. Remove from pan. Wet a large, sharp knife in warm water, wipe almost dry, cut into 12 to 16 squares, wipe knife blade and rinse in warm water & wipe almost dry after each cut.

Note: I always trim the edges of my brownies, and bar cookies, it just makes a neater presentation. Added bonus~ the trimmings are cook's treats. :)

Chocolate Icing:

4 cups Confectioner's Sugar (Powdered Sugar; 10x sugar), sifted

1/2 cup butter or margarine (I always use butter)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

6 tablespoons milk

Sift sugar into a large bowl. In small saucepan bring butter, cocoa, espresso powder and milk to a boil. Stir into sugar mixture; blend thoroughly. Place cut brownies on a rack in a rimmed baking sheet lined with waxed paper or plastic film. Ladle warm icing over each brownie. Leave plain, or decorate as desired. My English lavender is blooming right now, so I used tiny buds to decorate this time ~ I favor the purple on the chocolate background and since I'm an organic gardener, it's completely edible, too!

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