Christmas Treats 2011

This Christmas, I decided to make various little treats to share with my friends and family. To give away to friends, I made gingersnaps, chocolate candycane cookies, and shortbread squares.

For my parents’ Christmas day party, I made a chocolate peppermint truffle tart and a delightful cheese and crackers spread.

 

None of these recipes are entirely my own. I added bits and pieces here and there, and made some modifications, but overall, thanks to the world wide web, I found awesome, tried and true recipes already in existence!

For the gingersnaps, I adapted Grandma’s Gingersnaps from allrecipes.com, using half whole wheat flour and half white flour to make it a little healthier, as well as adding in some Trader Joe’s candied ginger bits.

Gingersnaps

• 3/4 cup margarine
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar for decoration
• chopped candied ginger bits

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and molasses until well blended. Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; stir into the molasses mixture to form a dough. Stir in candied ginger. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll the balls in the remaining sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the chocolate candycane cookies, I also referred to allrecipes.com. But I added in some crushed candycane bits for some added mintyness as well as color.

Chocolate Candycane Cookies

• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 5 crushed candy canes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, then stir in vanilla and peppermint extracts. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake 9 minutes.

I loved baking and making these treats. I know they say home is where the heart is. I say, home is where the heart and food are.

Healthy Pasta Bolognese

Pasta bolognese is one of my most favorite comfort foods. I’ve enjoyed it at many a restaurant and dinner party, but never ventured to try making it on my own. I finally gave it a shot and was so glad I did! In spite of the healthy spin I put on the original recipe, it came out superb. I think I even like it even more than any others I have previously enjoyed.

To make my sauce, I referred to Emeril Legasse’s recipe, but omitted the bacon and the ground pork, as well as opted for ground beef instead of ground veal. I replaced the heavy cream with skim milk, replaced the red wine with beef broth, and used more olive oil instead of butter. Remembering simple, healthy changes like these when adapting any recipe can save you a lot of calories without sacrificing quality.

It’s so easy to make. All it takes is some time. The sauce simply requires some quick sautéing, stirring, and simmering over low heat for three or four hours, and the outcome is a rich, meaty, hearty, faintly sweet, faintly spicy, creamy red sauce. Yes, I just used all those adjectives to describe this sauce, but all of those descriptions are, in fact, accurate. I hope you make this one some time soon because it’s a keeper!

Equipment/Materials:
cutting board
food processor (optional)
chef’s knife
large saucepan

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
½ large yellow onion, minced
2 medium carrots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, minced
1 lb lean ground beef
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp Italian seasoning (or combo of rosemary, thyme, oregano)
1 tbsp parsley
3 tbsp tomato paste
splash Worcestershire sauce (to taste)
splash A1 steak sauce (to taste)
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cups beef broth
1 cup non-fat milk
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat your saucepan to medium heat. Add the olive oil, then the minced onions and carrots (I like to use my food processor to get the veggies super fine). Saute for 5 minutes.
2. Add your garlic and saute for a couple more minutes.
3. Add your bell pepper and saute for a couple more minutes. (Most recipes call for celery, but I like the subtle spice of green bell pepper.)
4. Add the bay leaves, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, paprika, and Italian seasonings. Stir to combine.
5. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink (about 5 minutes).
6. Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and A1 sauce. Cook for 1 min.
7. Add in the beef broth, tomato sauce, and milk. Bring to a boil and cook for a couple of minutes to reduce down to thicken. Lower heat to medium-low and cook for at least another hour to allow the sauce to continue to thicken, the meat to tenderize, and the flavors to intensify.

8. Before you are ready to serve (I like to eat mine with whole wheat spaghetti), do a taste test. Add salt and pepper to taste. Feel free to also add more Italian seasonings, or other spices to taste. Enjoy!

Gnocchi with Truffle Cream Sauce

One of my most favorite dishes of all time is gnocchi with truffle oil cream sauce. I first encountered this delectable dish at List, one of Seattle’s best happy hour hot spots; all the food is half off! Each bite of List’s gnocchi melts in your mouth. The gnocchi is soft, pillowy, and airy, and the cream sauce is so rich, yet light. I just HAD to replicate this dish at home.

I followed this recipe from Tyler Florence for the gnocchi. For my first time making gnocchi, it was easier than I thought. The trick is to get the dough to be the right consistency without overworking it. Too floury, and it sinks when it boils and is too dense. Not enough flour and it comes apart in the water. When rolling the gnocchi out, you want to roll OUT, putting pressure out as you roll, not down toward your work surface. This will help keep the gnocchi light. With Jeff and my sister helping me make the gnocchi, our gnocchi pieces were not very uniform. And that’s okay. They were  still good!

For the cream sauce, I created my own recipe to replicate List’s sauce as best I as I could. I opted for healthier ingredients. Instead of butter, I used olive oil. Instead of heavy cream, I used skim milk. To be honest, my own sauce was just as rich and creamy as List’s. No need for the extra calories.

Truffle Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 head shallot, minced
¼ cup olive oil
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups non-fat milk
¼ cup flour
1 tsp white pepper
½ tsp nutmeg
¾ cup parmesan cheese
salt to taste
1 tbsp black (or white) truffle oil

Directions:

1. Heat stainless steel wide saucepan to medium. Add the olive oil and heat. Lower heat to low. Add the garlic and shallots and saute until softened and fragrant.
2. Add chicken stock and milk and whisk together. Bring to a boil on high then immediately bring back to low.
3. Whisk in some of your flour to thicken the sauce, stirring constantly to prevent clumps.

4. Add nutmeg and white pepper and whisk.
5. Reduce down for at least 30 minutes. Add flour to thicken or milk to thin, depending on your preferences.
6. Just before serving, whisk in grated parmesan cheese and whisk until smooth. Add truffle oil and stir again. Serve over fresh, hot gnocchi. Voila!

I like to serve my gnocchi with caramelized onions and mushrooms that have been cooking on low heat for at least an hour.

To caramelize onions and mushrooms together, simply saute on low heat in olive oil, add some salt and pepper, a few splashes of balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, and let cook for an hour. There you have it. A lovely side to gnocchi.

Home-made crackers

I made salmon dip and tuna dip recently for a potluck affair, and needed some crackers to accompany the dips, but I HATE  serving store-bought anything when I contribute food to a potluck occasion. I feel like what I share should be made with love. Not purchased someplace else. Hence, to go with my dips, I made savory crackers.

To be honest, making crackers is a time-consuming, neck-straining process and it is unlikely I will ever make them again. But, just in case I want to again, I documented the recipe I used.

Home-made crackers are fairly simple to make. It just requires time and patience.

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose or white flour
¼ cup wheat germ
¼ cup ground flax seed
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp brown sugar
½ cup (or 1 stick) butter
1 cup water
extra white flour for dusting

Equipment/Materials:
pastry mat or lots of counter space to work
parchment-lined cookie sheets
pizza cutter or other utensils to cut crackers
mixing bowl
rolling pin

Directions:
1. Sift all the dry ingredients together in your mixing bowl.

2. Cut in the butter until the dough resembles course crumbs.
3. Add water and knead until dough holds together.
4. Transfer dough to your work surface. Divide the dough in half and set one half aside. Dust some flour on your work surface and work with dough until it is no longer sticky. Roll out your dough until about ⅛ inch thick (or thin, shall I say). The thinner your dough, the crispier your crackers will be (though the more likely it will burn when baking).
5. With your pizza cutter, cut the dough into small squares (about 1×1 inch).

Transfer to parchment-lined cookie sheets and sprinkle some fresh coarse salt over the tops.

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 375 degrees or until crisp. Repeat with other half of the dough.

There you have. Easy, home-made savory crackers!

Home-made Biscotti

Making biscotti at home always seemed like such a hassle, so I never really tried making it until now. Fortunately, I have an amazing cook and baker friend, Liz (she is Italian), who gave me a biscotti baking lesson.

We made two batches–apple cinnamon and chocolate coffee toffee.

It’s actually easy to make, if you know what the dough should look and feel like. Not too sticky, but not too flour-y. Just right.

Biscotti is great because the base for any biscotti is exactly the same–2 eggs, 1 stick butter, 2/3 cups sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, dash salt, 2 cups flour…add whatever wet and dry flavorings/extra ingredients, and you have yourself a perfect canvas for sweet, bready treats. (Note that if you add dry flavorings like cocao powder, you will need to use less flour because the cocao powder would take up some of the dry ingredient space.) Here is the recipe, plucked straight from an email Liz sent to me. In her own words:

They are super easy to make; you just need some time and go with your feeling (literally).  The base recipe is so basic – all you really need is that and then add any of the flavor combinations you want (adding wet and dry ingredients at the right stage).

- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
-  2/3 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 3/4 or 2 cups flour (depending on the dry ingredients)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt

The chocolate ones came from a website you shared with me!  I used this site to give me proportions for the cocoa powder. http://www.italian-dessert-recipes.com/italian_biscotti_recipe.html.  I also, incorporate some of my mom’s tweaks.  Don’t forget egg wash before you start baking to give it that extra sheen.  I don’t believe that’s in the recipes in the site above.  Really just stick to the base and then let your imagination fly.

- preheat oven to 350
- cream butter and sugar
- add eggs
- add any other wet flavorings (liqueurs, coffee, extracts; this includes zests as well)
- In a separate bowl mix/sift (the sifting isn’t 100% necessary especially if you use a stand mixer, if not then you probably should) the flour, baking powder, salt
- slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just combined; don’t over mix
- fold in other flavors (nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, etc).
- divide dough in half; on lightly floured board, roll into logs and pat down gently (forms an elongated dome shape)
- place logs on lightly greased baking sheet and brush with egg wash
- bake approx 20-30 min (depends on size); you know to take them out when they are slightly firm to the touch.
- remove and let logs cool for 5-10 minutes; lower oven to 325; once they are cooled slice the  biscotti and place on ungreased baking sheet on their side.
- bake about 8-10 min, then flip and bake for another 8-10
- remove and let cool completely

If you have any questions when you bake them let me know.  This recipe follows closely to the one on the website and my mom’s.  The trick is that they don’t always follow the cooking times.  You’ve got to pay attention to them – I usually bake and keep an eye to the lower end (20-25 minutes) then go with touch to judge whether or not to take them out or leave them in for a few more minutes. Also, when you bake them again you’re not necessarily going for golden brown, especially with the chocolate because you can’t tell.  You’re going for firmness and not over drying them out.

Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

After making white chocolate pumpkin cups for Halloween, I had to think of a way to use up the rest of my pumpkin puree, so I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

I knew I didn’t want cakey cookies that resembled muffin tops, but a crispy, chewy, flatter cookie. You know, like a normal chocolate chip cookie or something. Anyway, this first attempt did not result in the chewiest of cookies. But not the cakiest of cookies either. I ended up with something in between and rather delicious and addicting in texture. So weird. But so good. Biting into one of these little cookies is almost like biting into a scone or a biscuit. They are kind of bread-like, crumbly, and buttery. Definitely not like eating a muffin top. And the creamy white chocolate bits add an element of delightful surprise. I might be okay with this happy, pumpkin-y accident.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cups of rolled oats, ground up in a food processor (or oat flour)
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ginger
• 8 oz. pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp maple extract
• 1 cup white chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli’s)

Equipment/Materials:

mixing bowls
electric mixer
measuring cups and measuring spoons
parchment paper or wax paper
cookie sheets
cookie drying rack
spoon
sieve

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, ground oat, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Set aside.
2. In larger mixing bowl, beat the butter with the brown and white sugars on low speed until thoroughly blended. You may want to add in an extra half stick of butter if you want a chewier, less cakey cookie. The butter is what allows the cookie dough to spread and flatten when baking.
3. Take your pumpkin puree and strain through a sieve to get all the extra moisture and water out. Press down in the sieve with the bottom of a spoon to get out every last drop. It will resemble pumpkin butter now.
4. Add in the pumpkin, egg, and maple extract, and vanilla. Then add in the flour mixture just until the flour disappears.  The dough will be very thick and resemble regular cookie dough that you eat with a spoon. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. I like to roll mine into little round balls to get a consistent look in my cookies.

       6. Put cookie sheet into the middle rack of the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees or until browned.

       7. Let cool on a cookie rack before enjoying. Yum!

Mint Julep Cake

Today is Jeff’s birthday so I made him a cake. A mint julep cake.

Jeff LOVES mint so I knew I had to somehow, in a unique way, incorporate his favorite flavor into a birthday cake. After last year’s success with a peppermint chocolate ice cream cake…

I had to figure out a way to make a mint cake different and exciting. While in New Orleans and having sipped on mint juleps, the idea dawned on me. Of course. A bourbon mint julep cake. Bourbon, mint, sugar–all rolled into a cake. What’s not to love?

Ingredients:

Cake
3 cups cake flour (or 3 cups minus 6 tbsp AP flour + 6 tbsp cornstarch)
2 cups white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk (or milk + 1 tbsp vinegar)
1 cup butter, at room temp
2 tsps vanilla extract
4 eggs, at room temp

Bourbon Butter Sauce
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 tbsp water
5 tsp Bourbon whiskey

Mint Frosting
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) white chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
3 tsp  creme de menthe liqueur or  mint extract (or both for more flavor)

Equipment/Materials:

Two 9-inch round cake pans
parchment or wax paper
cake drying rack
Pam or extra butter
Mixing bowls
Electric mixer
Spatula
Double boiler (or aluminum bowl and regular saucepan)
Frosting spatula

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment or wax paper, and grease or pam the sides of the pans (you can also use a bundt cake pan or a 9’’ x 13’’ rectangular cake pan) and set aside. This will help keep the cake from sticking to the pans and allow for easy removal later.

2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center. In a separate smaller bowl, combine buttermilk (or milk + vinegar), butter, vanilla extract, and eggs. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture. Beat at low speed for 1 minute, then increase to medium speed for 3 more minutes. Pour into the prepared pans and smooth evenly around with a spatula. The batter will be very thick. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until done. Use a toothpick or steak knife to test for doneness. Ten minutes before cake is done, prepare the bourbon butter sauce.

3. In a saucepan small over medium heat, combine the confectioners’ sugar, butter, and water. Stir until melted and combined. Do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool a little. Then stir in the bourbon. Set aside.

4. When the cakes are done, loosen the cakes from the pans but don’t yet remove. To loosen, take a skewer or butter knife and go around the perimeter of the cakes, carefully separating the cake from the pans. Give the pans a little shake or tap against the counter to loosen the bottoms of the cakes. Now let the cakes cool for a few minutes.

5. Remove the cakes from the pans and let them finish cooling on a cake drying rack. To remove a cake from its pan, take a plate and set upside down atop the cake. Hold on to the cake pan and the plate with both hands. Holding on to both, flip the cake pan upside down. The cake should slide right out, bottoms up, onto the plate. Remove the parchment paper. Transfer right side up onto the cooling rack.

6. With a serrated knife trim the tops off each cake which will allow for a clean, straight look and easy icing/frosting process. (You can save the excess cake to make cake balls later! See below.)

7. Transfer one cake to your serving platter. Use a skewer or fork to poke holes around the top of the cake. Pour half the bourbon butter sauce evenly over top of the cake. Set aside.

8. In the meantime, prepare the frosting. Melt the chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk over a double boiler, stirring constantly until chips are melted. Remove from heat and stir in creme de menthe liqueur (or mint extract, or both for more mint flavor). Let cool for 5 minutes, then spread evenly over cooled cake. Repeat with the second cake layer (except the second layer should be upside down because the bottom of the cake is smooth and less “crumby” then the top of the cake, since you trimmed it down and all). Frost the entire cake.

Garnish with fresh or candied mint leaves. Chill in the fridge to set the chocolate ganache. Take cake out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cutting to serve. Bon apetit!

What to do with extra cake trimmings…

Make cake bon bons!

Take the cake trimmings, crumble it up in a bowl, add more bourbon butter sauce, and mash up with a potato masher. Chill. Then make little round balls of cake, place on parchment-lined cookie sheet, and set in freezer. Melt chocolate in double boiler and dip each ball in the chocolate. Top with sprinkles or other garnish. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Set in fridge to chill before serving.