The Great Avocado Mystery and Lo-Carb Taco Salad

01/08/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

I decided to make a low carb Taco Salad for tonight’s dinner. Pretty straightforward: lettuce, seasoned lean ground beef, low fat cheese, black beans, lite sour cream (mixed with salsa for the dressing), olives, tomatoes, ~~avocado~~ (had to sub pre-made guacamole) and green onions. We have this salad frequently, alternating between gilled chicken breast and ground beef.

While gathering up ingredients at the store today, I became obsessed with this question:

WHERE ARE THE RIPE AVACADOS!

I live in the city with many grocery stores nearby, and I shop frequently. Every 2-3 days to be exact and sometimes everyday. The avocados at the store I visited 3 days ago could have easily been used for batting practice or pool. The avocados at the same store this afternoon were in the same condition. Now, if I had purchased an avocado on my previous visit (as I should have) it would now be pretty close to being perfectly ripe. So I am very curious…. What do they do with the ripe avocados! I could go to the same store everyday this week and I know for certain, I would not find a ripe one! Are you as perplexed about this as I am? You could argue the same is true for tomatoes, melons, pineapples and bananas, but it really isn’t. These items are always available in varying stages of ripeness. That is why I am so dismayed by this whole avocado thing! (I do have a resource in the form of a day old produce market, that always has ripe avocados. I just resent making an additional trip for one ripe avocado.) To make this even more complicated, I found the same thing to be true in Hawaii and California, the home of many of the avocados we consume! Any insight you can share, is really appreciated!

Laura’s 8 Layer Lasagna Bolognese

01/03/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

Christmas and New Year’s have come and gone but there is one more holiday dinner that tops our list. Hopefully this will become a tradition, as this is the second year of the “post-rehersal” band family dinner. I am very excited to host the Fentons and their families this year. Need to know more about the Fentons? Follow this link: http://www.fentonstwang.com/

The Menu

Laura’s Lasagna Bolognese
Grilled Vegetable Platter
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew – our Vegan option (post to follow)
Tossed Green Salad
Sourdough Bread (previously posted)
Southern Pecan Coconut Cream Cake (posted 01/03/14)

The Lasagna

Depending on how big of a pan of lasagna you are making, you may need to double the sauce recipe. The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen until you are ready to assemble the lasagna. I received a new lasagna pan that is HUGE, so I tripled the sauce recipe. http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/91156-chefs-lasagna-pan.aspx

Bolognese Sauce (adapted from 25 Favorite Classics, Food and Wine Magazine, September 2003)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely diced

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 celery rib, finely diced

1 pound coarsely ground beef chuck

1 pound coarsely ground pork

1/4 pound mortadella, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 small can tomato paste

1 cup dry white wine

Two 28-ounce can Italian whole tomatoes, chopped, with their juices

1 1/2 cups beef stock

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped basil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

In a medium enameled cast-iron casserole, melt the butter in the oil. Add the garlic, pancetta, carrot, onion and celery and cook over moderately low heat until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes.

Add the ground beef and pork and cook over moderate heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the mortadella and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their juices, the stock, nutmeg and 1 tablespoon each of the parsley and basil and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very thick. I like to simmer this sauce at least 4 hours.

Reduce heat to very low, stir the cream and the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley and 1 tablespoon of basil into the meat sauce. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Béchamel Sauce (adapted from Cuisine at Home, February 2004)

I doubled this due to the large size of the lasagna I am making.

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup finely diced yellow onion

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

pinch if nutmeg

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups of whole milk

10 ounces Boursin or Aluette cheese

8 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 egg, beaten

Saute the onion for the béchamel sauce in melted butter over medium heat. Add cayenne and nutmeg and cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour to make a light rue. Cook about 2 minutes. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the Boursin in small pieces and whisk until smooth. Set aside 2 cups of the sauce to top the lasagna. Cool remaining sauce for 10 minutes. Whisk in the spinach and the beaten egg. Set aside.

For the lasagna

Prepared lasagna noodles or pasta sheets, enough to create 4-5 layers of pasta in your pan

1-2 pounds shredded mozzarella cheese – or more – depending on the size of your pan and recipe

1 pound Grated Parmesan cheese – or more – depending on the size of your pan and recipe

Spray your lasagna dish with non-stick spray. Cover the bottom of the dish with a thin layer of béchamel sauce. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the noodles. Spread a layer of meat sauce over the béchamel sauce. Top with a generous layer of mozzarella and then sprinkle with parmesan.

Layer another layer of pasta. Cover with a thin layer of béchamel. Cover the béchamel with a layer of meat sauce, then mozzarella, then parmesan. Repeat two more times., finishing with a layer of noodles.

Spread the last noodles layer with the reserved béchamel sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Bake uncovered until hot and bubbly at 375′ for approximately 45-60 minutes. Let the lasagna “rest” for a least 20 minutes before serving.

The Fentons – L to R: Norman, Snake, Blackie, Howard, Mrs. Chaz Fenton, and Chaz

Sometimes, a couple of pictures tell the whole story!

Southern Pecan Coconut Cream Cake

01/03/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

Everything came together at once to inspire this cake! The recipe showed up on my iPad edition of Saveur magazine a couple of weeks ago. I bookmarked it as it looked so good and had such great reviews! http://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/pecan-cream-cake Then… I received a beautiful antique cake pedestal stand for Christmas, in my favorite depression glass pattern: Heisey Orchid. The next “sign” was receiving a one pound bag of pecans in our first Besh Box*. All this coincided with needing a dessert for the Fentons family holiday dinner. My only change to the recipe was using two 10″ cake pans, rather than three 8″ pans.

FOR THE CAKE:

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
2 cups flour, plus more for pans
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sugar
5 eggs, separated
1¼ cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup finely chopped pecans

FOR THE FROSTING:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup roughly chopped pecans, toasted

Make the cake: Heat oven to 350°. Butter and flour three 8″ (or two 10″) cake pans; set aside.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Whisk buttermilk and vanilla in another bowl. Cream butter, shortening, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until fluffy, 2–3 minutes.

Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low-speed, alternately add dry ingredients in 3 batches and wet ingredients in 2 batches. Increase speed to high, and beat until batter is smooth, 5–10 seconds.

Whip egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites, coconut, and pecans into batter.

Divide batter between prepared pans and smooth top with a rubber spatula; drop pans lightly on a counter to expel large air bubbles. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, 20–22 minutes. Let cakes cool for 20 minutes in pans; invert onto wire racks and let cool completely.
Make the frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.
To assemble, place one cake layer on a cake stand lined with 4 strips of waxed paper, and spread with ⅓ cup frosting. (The waxed paper protects your plate and will be removed when finished.)

Top with remaining layer. Cover top and sides with remaining frosting and sprinkle top with pecans; chill cake 1 hour until frosting is firm.

*What’s a Besh Box you ask? One of our favorite chefs. John Besh, has created monthly subscription boxes filled with some of his favorite kitchen tools, special ingredients, recipes, music suggestions and cocktail suggestions. Dave and I subscribed for the year. We look forward to sharing our creations from our monthly Besh Box, with you on this blog. Check it out here: http://beshbox.com/about/

Laura’s Clam Chowder and Fresh Sourdough Bread

12/28/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

Although I have multiple options for chowder and sourdough bread here in Seattle, I happen to love my version of clam chowder. My recipe has evolved over many years. It is not pasty, or all potatoes and it has plenty of clams! Since Santa left sourdough starter and a crock under the tree, I thought the combination of fresh bread and hot chowder would be a perfect alternative to the heavy holiday foods we have been eating!

I fired up the starter according to the directions. Due to getting a late start, this included a 2:00 AM “feeding”! Yikes. I am now responsible for a living, breathing thing. I’ve named my starter “George”. It is definitely alive and growing rapidly, as it was spewing over the sides of the container this morning. Yikes again. Let’s hope I can manage to keep it alive. Any and all advice is welcome!

Rustic Sourdough Bread, from King Arthur Flour Company website

1 cup “fed” sourdough starter

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

5 cups unbleached, all purpose flour

Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until a smooth ball of dough forms and dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. You may need a little more flour.

Allow the dough to rise, in a covered bowl, until it’s doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

Gently divide the dough in half; it’ll deflate somewhat.

Shape the dough into two 10″ to 11″ logs. Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. (The next time I make this, I will make 4 baguettes, as the loaves are quite substantial.) Cover and let rise about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°.

Spray the loaves with lukewarm water.

Make fairly deep diagonal slashes in each; a serrated bread knife works well.

Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until it’s a very deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Laura’s Clam Chowder

Bacon – 4-6 strips, diced

Onion – one large, sweet yellow onion diced – about 1 cup

Celery-4-6 ribs diced – about 1 cup

Red or gold potato, skin on – about 8 small diced – about 2 cups

Lemon grass – one large stalk, outer layer peeled off, cut into 4, 2″-3″ pieces and smashed

Tarragon – about 1 teaspoon dry

Parsley- about 2 tablespoons freshly chopped, plus a little more for garnish

Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup of flour

2 Tablespoons of butter

Dry vermouth – about 3/4 cup

Canned clams and broth – one large 52 ounce can (drain broth, set clams aside)

½ and ½ – real or fat free or combination, about 1 quart (Did you know the chowder you are served in restaurants is made with Heavy Whipping Cream. That is why it is so silky and rich.)

Sauté chopped bacon in a heavy bottom soup pot, until crispy. Remove from pan, drain. Add some olive oil to pan and add chopped onion and diced celery, sauté about 5 minutes. Return the bacon to pan. Add 3-4 sprigs of lemon grass, a teaspoon of tarragon, salt and white pepper. Add the diced potatoes. Sauté until slightly soft.

Remove all the vegetables and bacon from the pan. Make a light rue by adding the butter to the pan and whisking in the flour. Stir well to incorporate the flour into the butter. Add the dry vermouth and reduce by about half.

Return the vegetables and bacon to the pan. Add the clam broth. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer until thickened – about an hour.

(If not ready to eat in an hour or two, put the “base” in the refrigerator .) Add the ½ and ½ and clams and heat until warm. Do not let boil. Ladle into warm bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Finnish Cardamom Bread – Nissua – Pulla

12/26/2013 by Laura 4 Comments

I first posted this recipe last March when I started my blog. I am reposting it with better pictures and step by step instructions. I make this every year for my Dad at Christmas. The recipe was handed down to me by my Mom. I do not know the origin. It does take about 5 hours, start to finish due to multiple risings. I typically double the recipe, to make 4 loaves. This year I used King Arthur Bread Flour, and the results were better than ever! The only problem with this post is you can not smell the bread baking!

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in the bottom of the mixing bowl (warm the mixing bowl and bread hook in hot water first)

1 cup half and half (my recipe calls for evaporated milk, which I don’t care for)

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon ground cardamom (make sure it is fresh)

2 eggs, slightly beaten in a separate bowl before adding to mixer

2 cups of flour (You will need 4 cups total)

Add the above ingredients to the mixing bowl. Using the bread hook attachment, stir the ingredients together on 1 or 2 until combined.

1/2 cup melted butter

Add the melted butter and continue to stir until mixture is smooth and glossy.

Add the remaining two cups flour. Continue mixing until dough is smooth, pulls away from sides of bowl, and forms a ball.

Cover and let rest 15 minutes.

Turn the mixer back on and “knead” the dough about 8 more minutes. (You can also turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead by hand, if you wish.)

Place dough in a buttered bowl. Cover and let raise one hour.

Punch down, flip, and let dough rise again until doubled. About 1 more hour.

Using your food scale, divide dough in half. (In half again if making a double batch – 4 loaves.) Divide each half into thirds. Roll into even stands. Braid the 3 strands together to form the loaves. Repeat for the other loaves.

Place on slightly greased parchment paper on a baking sheet. Cover and let raise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375′. Before baking, brush each loaf with an egg wash and sprinkle with sparkly sugar of your choice. Bake about 10 minutes, rotate pans, bake another 10 minutes.

Merry Christmas Dad!

Holiday Cookies – It’s the most sugar-ful time of the year…..

12/21/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

I guess you can tell by my lack of posts, things have been a little busy around here! Between a few big projects at work and getting ready for Christmas, there has not been time to photograph and write as routinely as I like.

I love to bake. I do not bake often as neither my husband nor I need piles of treats around! When I do bake, it is to share and Christmas is my favorite time of the year for sharing treats with my friends and family. This year was no different from years past, when I stated, “I am just going to do a couple of things”. As you can see, that did not happen. As soon as the calendar hits November 1st, the magazines, and blog posts, and emails all feature a NEW sugary concoctions that MUST be tried! Our kitchen has been coated with a light dusting of flour for over three weeks. The dining room table is covered in containers and sheet pans and sugar. Once again, I got a little carried away, but I had a lot of help!

The Fudge

I always start with fudge. My Grandmother and my Mom always made fudge at the holiday’s. I have a couple of friends that start calling the first week of December, wondering if it has been made yet! I use the basic Kraft marshmallow cream fudge recipe. However, I use very good quality chocolate and nuts to make it special. (I triple the recipe to fill a 2″ hotel pan, which is 12″ x 20″)

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter

1 small can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup) (Do not use sweetened condensed milk.)

12 ounces of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I use 60% bittersweet and 40% semisweet Scharffen Berger chocolate)

1 jar (7 oz.) Marshmallow Creme

1 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts

1 tsp. vanilla

Butter a 9″ square pan. Bring sugar, butter and evaporated milk to full rolling boil in 3-qt. saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 4 min. or until candy thermometer reaches 234°F, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Warm the chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave, for about 30 seconds. Add the chocolate and marshmallow creme; stir until melted. Mix and mix and mix some more with an electric beater! Add nuts and vanilla; mix well.

Pour into prepared pan; spread to cover bottom of pan. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Christmas Toffee Bars, from “Cuisine at Home, Holiday Cookies”

Makes one 13 x 9 inch pan. I doubled the recipe to make one 13 x 18 half sheet pan.

For the crust, combine the following ingredients. Press into the buttered baking dish. Bake at 350′ for 8 minutes.

2 cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies (smash in a zip lock bag)

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup melted, unsalted butter

While the crust is baking, melt together 1 stick of unsalted butter and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil 1 minute. Pour the mixture over the baked crust. Return to the oven, bake 10 more minutes and let rest 2 minutes.

Sprinkle 8 ounces of chopped chocolate, or one cup of chocolate chips over the bars. Spread to smooth. Top the chocolate with 1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts or pecans. Let the bars cool completely and cut into 1″ squares.

Black Forest Crinkle Cookies, from “Cuisine at Home, Holiday Cookies”

Whisk together:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Melt 1/2 stick, 4 tablespoons, unsalted butter in a small bowl

add 1/3 cup cocoa powder (not Dutch process), 1 egg, 2 Tablespoons of strong coffee, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Mix well. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in 1/3 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate pieces and 1/3 cup dry, chopped tart cherries.

Chill for dough about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350′ Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar, 2 times. Bake 12-14 minutes. Let cookies cool on pan 5 minutes before moving to rack.

Savory Fennel Pollen Shortbread with Red Onion Jam, from Ashley Rodriguez, Not Without Salt Blog

If you haven’t checked out Not without Salt, you are missing out on great recipes and delightful stories. I am lucky to have taken Ashley’s Cookie Boot Camp class at The Pantry at Delancey, where I first had the shortbread cookies with jam. Spread the cookies with a little goat cheese or blue cheese, and top with the red onion jam for the perfect appetizer or dessert. I cannot think of a better accompaniment to a midnight glass of champagne, than these cookies.

Red Onion Jam, adapted from Food & Wine

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 medium sweet onions, julienned

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup dry red wine

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/3 cup grenadine

pinch of salt

Melt the butter in a medium skillet. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until soft and just translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the sugar, wine, vinegar, grenadine and a pinch of salt. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the liquid thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 35 minutes. Transfer the onion jam to a bowl and let cool.

Fennel Pollen Shortbread, adapted from Ina Garten

3/4 pound butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fennel pollen, plus about 2 more Tablespoons for rolling the dough in (You can find at a few gourmet stores and online.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the fennel pollen. In a medium bowl, sift together, with a whisk, flour and salt; then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Roll into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle a generous amount of fennel pollen to cover the the log. Cover in wax paper or parchment. Chill until firm.

Carefully slice the log into 1/4″ cookies. Place the cookies on an sheet pan covered with parchment. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Fleur de Sel Caramels, Ina Garten, Food Network Magazine

I have been making these for about 4 years now. Due to a faulty candy thermometer, it took three tries this year! Take my advice – use two thermometers, or at least one that your trust implicitly! I actually quadruple this recipe and use a 10″ x 15″ glass pan. I recommend making the single recipe and watching a video or two, if you have not made candy before. Dave, the WRAPPER, saved a lot of time this year by using pre-cut candy wrappers!

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup of water

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 cup heavy whipping cream

5 tablespoons butter, unsalted

1 teaspoon fine fleur de sel, plus extra for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Butter an 8″ square baking pan, set aside.

In a deep, heavy saucepan combine 1/4 cup water, the sugar and white corn syrup and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown. Don’t stir — just swirl the pan. Very important to prevent the formation of crystals.

While the sugar syrup is cooking, in a small pot, bring the cream, butter and 1 teaspoon of fleur de sel to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat and set aside.

When the sugar mixture is done, turn off the heat and slowly add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture. Be careful — it will bubble up violently. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 248 degrees F (firm ball) on a candy thermometer. (I also used my digital thermometer.)

Very carefully (it’s hot!) pour the caramel into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with fleur de sel. Cool until firm.

When the caramel is firm, cut into squares by prying one strip at a time from the baking pan, and cutting on a cutting board. Wrap the candies.

Lemon Thyme Wreaths, From The Art of the Cookie: Baking Up Inspiration by the Dozen by Shelly Kaldunski

This cookie almost won me a trip to the loony bin! It was one of the last minute impulse cookies, I made. It showed up in my email box from I Village Food, looking so lovely, I had to try them. When Dave saw me placing the thyme leaves on the cookies with a pair of tweezers, he became very worried that I had “gone over the edge of the cookie sheet”, so to speak! They were fun to make and are very pretty as well as tasty.

2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting and rolling

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, separated

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves and tips picked

1/2 Recipe Royal Icing: http://www.joyofbaking.com/RoyalIcing.html

In a bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, the baking powder, and the salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter, shortening, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2—3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and lemon zest and juice and beat on low speed until the egg is completely incorporated. Beating on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and continue to beat just until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Press the dough into a 7-inch (18-cm) disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white with 2 teaspoons water.

On a lightly floured work surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough to about 1⁄4 inch (6 mm) thick. Using a 21⁄2-inch (6-cm) round cookie cutter, cut out as many shapes as possible. Use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to the prepared sheets, spacing them 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Use a 1-inch round cookie cutter to cut a small circle from the center of each shape. Press the dough scraps together, roll out, and cut out additional wreaths. Brush each wreath with the reserved egg white mixture and top with the thyme leaves and sanding sugar.

Bake until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges, 14 – 17 minutes. Let cool on the sheets for 5 minutes. Using the spatula, transfer the cookies to wire racks and let cool, about 30 minutes. Spoon the icing into a paper cone with a 1⁄8-inch (3-mm) round tip (page 15). Pipe dots of icing on each wreath. Let the icing dry completely, about 2 hours.

Raspberry Streusel Bars, from The Joy of Cooking

This is one of my favorite cookies to enjoy with a cup of coffee. Almost more of a pastry than a cookie. I made them special this year, by using my raspberry jam that I made this summer. (See “Keeping Up With Summer”post, August 10, 2013) I doubled the recipe and made a 13 x 18 1/2 sheet pan.

Generously grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Stir together in the bowl of a food processor:

2 cups of all purpose flour

1/4 cup of sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Add 12 ounces, 1 1/2 sticks, cold, unsalted butter, cut in small cubes. Pulse mixture, as you would making pie crust. Add in 3 tablespoons of milk and 1 teaspoon of almond extract. Pulse a couple more times. Firmly press the dough into the baking pan. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375′. Bake 12-15 minutes until the dough is just firm. Remove from oven and spread the crust with once cup of raspberry preserves or jam.

Prepare the streusel topping. Whisk together:

1 1/4 cup flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Sprinkle over the top:

8 tablespoons of cold, unsalted butter, cut into tiny cubes.

Pulse the mixture in the food processor until crumbly. Add 3/4 cup sliced, blanched almonds and 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats. Pulse again to mix. Add in 1 beaten egg mixed with 2 tablespoons of milk. Pulse a few times to blend. Crumble mixture over the raspberry preserves. Return to oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until streusel is lightly brown. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Mexican Wedding Cakes, from The Joy of Cooking

2 sticks softened, unsalted butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup finely chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts

2 cups all purpose flour

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in the chopped nuts. Slowly add in the flour. Roll the dough into one inch balls. Bake at 350′ on a parchment lined baking sheet until faintly brown, about 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely and then roll in powdered sugar. Store in airtight container.

Peppermint and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

This cookie came to be because I was given a jar of crushed peppermint candy at a trade show! I was determined to use up all the baking “stuff” I had accumulated over the past year. My nephew and husband are really enjoying these cookies!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

24 ounces good quality white chocolate chips

1 cup crushed peppermint candies

1 additional bag of white chocolate chips, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon of milk (or more) to make chocolate drizzle for decorating cookies. (Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second increments. Stir in between. Add vegetable oil and milk and thin to desired thickness. Place in parchment “cone”. Cut tip and drizzle over cookies.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt, in a small bowl, set aside. Cream butter and sugar together until light in color, in large bowl of a stand mixer. Add the vanilla then the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce the speed on the mixer and add in the flour mixture. Do not over mix. Stir in the chocolate and crushed peppermint. Place dough on a large sheet of parchment or wax paper, and roll into a log. Chill overnight, minimum. When ready to bake, slice the logs into 1/4-1/3 inch thickness. Bake cookies on parchment lined baking sheets about 9 minutes. Do not over bake. Let cookies sit on baking sheet about 5 minutes before moving to cooling rack. Decorate with white chocolate drizzle, if desired.

Coconut Macaroons with a Surprise Center, from Cuisine at Home, Holiday Cookies

These are called “inside-out” Almond Joy Macaroons in the cookbook. This year, I wanted a cookie without nuts, so I used plain chocolate kisses, rather than the chocolate almond kisses I have used in the past. These lean more toward candy than cookie and are absolutely yummy!

1 package sweetened, shredded coconut

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup cream of coconut

3 egg whites

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

32, approximately, chocolate kiss candies, with or without almonds

Mince 1 1/2 cups of the coconut in a food processor. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the remaining coconut to the minced coconut and all the other ingredients, except the chocolate kisses. Mix until well combined. Chill dough in refrigerator at least one hour. Preheat oven to 350′. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape a spoonful of coconut mixture around a chocolate kiss, enclosing the candy completely. Place on baking sheet about 1″ apart. Bake until cookies are firm and deep golden at the base and lightly golden on the top. Let the macaroons cool on the sheet about 5 minutes before moving to rack. Store in airtight containers.

Extra big Christmas hugs to my husband Dave and my nephew Jacob for the food styling, lighting, photography of all these goodies! And to Jasper and Cooper for keeping the floor clean throughout the entire process!

From the crew at More Savory, Less Sweet – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!

Laura and Dave’s Beef and Bean Chili

11/30/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

Knowing we were heading into a turkey frenzy, we decided a batch of chili was just what we needed, last Wednesday night. Our chili has beans and we usually use a couple different kinds. This time it was half kidney beans and half black beans. We also use beer, as part of the liquid. I stumbled upon a Smoked Porter, from Alaskan Brewing Company, which I thought would be perfect. (Just learned, this is a seasonal beer, released annually in November, so we will have to stash a couple.) While way too smoky for either of us to drink, it was perfect in our chili. I had not intended to post this….until we tasted it. It was so darn good, we had to write it down so we can make it again!

For the Chili

Prepare the beans: Soak a total of 3 cups of dry beans in cold water, overnight in a large pot. We used Black Beans and Red Kidney Beans. Drain, rinse. Cover with cold water and simmer about an hour. Drain and rinse again, until ready to use. (Yes – you could use canned beans. I prefer starting with dry beans.)

4-5 pounds beef stew meat

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 green bell peppers, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

3 Tablespoons of chili powder

1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (you can add more, if you like)

2 Tablespoons ground cumin

1 bay leaf

2 15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes

1 22 ounce bottle, Smoked Porter

1 cup of beef stock

1/2 cup dark, strong coffee

1 Tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper

For thickening:

1/3 cup Masa mixed with 1/2 cup of cold water – mix into a smooth paste in a small bowl.

Brown the meat in a couple of tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy pot, over medium high heat. Brown in batches, do not crowd pan. Set meat aside. Sauté the onions and bell peppers about 5 minutes in the same pan. Add the spices and salt and pepper. Pour in the beer, the stock and the diced tomatoes with their juice. Return the meat to the pan. Add the beans. Bring to a simmer and cook 4-6 hours. (You could certainly cook this all day in a crock pot.)

To thicken the chili add the Masa mixture the last hour of cooking. Return to simmer and cover the pot.

Serve in big bowls – garnish however you like – grated cheese, sliced green onion, sour cream, and avocado are our choices.

*My recipe is inspired by Food TV, Devon’s Award-Winning Chili, Devon Fredericks from the Barefoot Contessa Tex Mex Episode, March 2010.

Rummy Pumpkin Cheesecake

11/28/2013 by Laura 1 Comment

Somehow I got in my head I wanted Pumpkin Cheesecake this year for Thanksgiving dessert. I knew I wanted a gingersnap crust and a little shot of something to deepen the flavor. Having recently stocked the liquor cabinet for the holidays, it came to me. I would use rum as my flavoring. Zaya Rum to be exact. Zaya is an amber rum from Trinidad and Tobago, a friend introduced us to awhile back. With heady notes of caramel and vanilla, it is Rummy Yummy! It makes an amazing eggnog, but is actually wonderful all on its own! My cheesecake recipe is inspired by the Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake in Gourmet Magazine, November 2003. My changes are the liquor and the gingersnaps.

For the Crust

1 9″ Springform pan, buttered

4 1/2 ounces gingersnaps (about 1 cup when ground)

1/2 cup pecans

1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) melted butter

Combine all the dry ingredients in a food processor. Process until finely ground.

Add the melted butter and pulse a couple more times to blend. Pat the mixture into the pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

For the Filling

Pre heat oven to 350′

1 15oz can organic pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons sour cream

1/4 cup Zaya Rum

1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon Salt

3 8 ounce packages of Cream Cheese

Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer, and whip until soft. In another bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, sour cream, rum, spices and salt. Mix well. Add this mixture to the cream cheese and blend until smooth and completely mixed.

Pour the filling into the crust, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake until the center is set – about 60-75 minutes.

For the Sour Cream Topping

1 1/2 cups of sour cream

1 teaspoon rum

1 teaspoon sugar Mix all together in a small bowl.

Apply to top of cheesecake as directed below.

Move the cheesecake to a rack to cool, 5 minutes. Top with the sour cream topping, and bake 5 more minutes.

Allow the cheesecake to cool completely on rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

More Savory, Less Sweet Cranberry Chutney

11/26/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

I adore homemade cranberry chutney. I don’t think I have made it the same way twice. The “pop, pop, pop” of the cranberries as they are cooking is so much fun! This years combination includes pears, apples, onion, balsamic vinegar and a little Grand Marnier, for good measure! Not only great alongside roast turkey, it is fabulous on a turkey sandwich. No can opener required.

For the Chutney

2 12 ounce bags of fresh cranberries

1 small granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced

1 small Bartlett pear, peeled, cored and diced

1 small sweet onion, diced

3/4 – 1 cup of sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

juice and zest of 1 large orange

zest of 1 lemon

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons of Grand Marnier (or Triple Sec or Cointreau)

Dice the apple, onion, pear and set aside. Zest the orange and lemon with a microplane grater. Juice the orange into a measuring cup. If needed add water, or additional orange juice to make 1 cup.

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, bring the juice and sugar to a simmer. Cook about 3 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Add the onion and simmer about 5 more minutes. Add in the cranberries, apple, pear, cinnamon, clove, salt. Simmer about 10 minutes.

Taste for sweetness – you made need a little more sugar depending on how tart the cranberries were. Add the balsamic vinegar and orange liquor. Simmer on very low heat another 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Add in the lemon and orange zest. Place in a container and refrigerate. The sauce will thicken as it cools. This recipe made 1 quart + one cup of chutney.

Székelyalmás (Pork with Apples and Cider Cream Sauce) with Farro

11/22/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

A friend recently asked how I come up with all the different things I end up cooking, which I thought was a great question! My personal email box is filled with blog posts from my favorite bloggers, daily recipe blasts from Saveur, Food and Wine, Bon Apetite, and Food Network TV, just to name a few. While most of these are deleted after a quick glance, there are those that stand out do to their uniqueness, or familiarity, or implied adventure into the unknown.

This Transylvanian recipe, published by Saveur in February of 2012, was so delicious and different! I made it with pork chops, but I could see making it with a whole pork loin, and being a very elegant presentation. Though the recipe recommended white rice, I served the dish with farro. The nutty farro went perfectly with the sauce! http://www.saveur.com/gallery/Transylvanian-Recipes?page=6

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

4 pork loin chops – boneless, bone in – your choice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup flour

2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1/2 red Fresno chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced

1 1/2 cups hard apple cider (Buy a 750ml bottle, and serve the rest with the meal!)

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. finely chopped marjoram

1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley

Instructions

Heat 2 tbsp. each oil and butter in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork on both sides with salt and pepper, and dredge half the pieces in flour; add to skillet, and cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides, about 1 minute.

Transfer to a plate, and set aside; repeat with 2 tbsp. oil, remaining butter, and remaining pork and flour; transfer all pork to plate.

Return skillet to heat, and add remaining oil; add apples, garlic, onion, and chile, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes.

Add cider, and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Add stock, cream, and mustard, and bring to a boil; return pork to skillet, and add marjoram. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until pork is cooked through and sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with parsley; serve with rice or *farro.

*If Farro is new to you, check out the great article here from NPR’s Kitchen Window!

http://www.npr.org/2013/10/02/227838385/farro-an-ancient-if-complicated-grain-worth-figuring-out

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