17 December 2012 Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Chocolate Turtle Cookies

December 17, 2012 By

This over-the-top cookie recipe was shared by my friends Carole and Nathan of Educated Foodie. The recipe was inspired by a cookie recipe from America’s Test Kitchen Holiday Cookies 2010 Special Issue.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, separated, plus 1 egg white
  • 2 Tbsp. milk
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cups pecans, chopped finely
  • 14 soft caramel candies
  • 3 Tbsp. heavy cream

Directions:

  1. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in a bowl.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture until just combined – do not overmix. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
  3. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  4. Whisk egg whites in a bowl until frothy.
  5. Place pecans in a bowl.
  6. Roll dough into 1” balls, dip them in the egg whites then roll them in pecans. Place balls 2” apart on prepared baking sheets. Using ½ teaspoon measure, make an indentation in the center of each ball. Bake until set, about 12 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through the baking process.
  7. Microwave caramels and cream in a bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth – 1 to 2 minutes.
  8. Once cookies are removed from oven, gently re-press existing indentations. Fill each cookie indentation with ½ teaspoon caramel mixture. Cool 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Yields about 2 ½ dozen cookies.

Filed Under: American, Chocolate, Desserts Tagged With: , ,
14 December 2012 Berliner Kranser Cookies

Berliner Kranser Cookies

December 14, 2012 By

My friend Kim is of Norwegian decent and has kindly shared this family recipe for Norwegian Christmas Cookies called Berliner Kranser (Berlin Wreaths). “They are a melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies” says Kim.

Ingredients:

  • 2 hard-boiled egg yolks (here’s help on how to make the perfect hard-boiled egg)
  • 2 raw egg yolks
  • ½ heaping cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 raw egg whites, beaten
  • Green decorating sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Mash together hard and raw egg yolks. Add sugar and beat until a light lemon color, about 4 minutes.
  3. Alternately add the butter and the flour to the egg/sugar mixture, beating well to incorporate.
  4. Put the cookie dough in a cookie press fitted with a wreath shaped attachment. Arrange on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cookies can be close as they will not spread while cooking.
  5. Brush the egg whites over the cookies and decorate with green sugar. If you want to get fancy, you can use candy holly berries to add some red to the wreaths.
  6. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack immediately out of the oven.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Filed Under: Desserts, Eggs, Norwegian Tagged With: , , ,
11 December 2012 Tourtiere du Lac St Jean (Meat Pie from Quebec)

Tourtiere du Lac St Jean (Meat Pie from Quebec)

December 11, 2012 By
tourtiere

Photo by Eat with Dan

RECETTE EN FRANCAIS

A tourtiere is a traditional dish from Quebec. Although this giant meat pie isn’t from the region of Quebec I’m from, it’s actually from a place called Lac St Jean, it’s very popular around the holidays everywhere in Quebec.

Last weekend I hosted a small dinner party where I wanted to feature some traditional dishes from Quebec. Tourtiere just had to be on the menu! 

This dish is a labor of love with the time-consuming part being the small dicing of the meats and potatoes and the tricky part the rolling of a sheet of pastry big enough to cover the bottom of my huge cast iron Dutch oven. Don’t forget to start the process the day BEFORE you’re going to bake this dish. The result – homey deliciousness.

This dish could easily feed ten guests as a main entrée. I served it in a buffet for 15 people and we ate half of it. The good part is that the leftovers are super tasty.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ pounds beef top round, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 1 ½ pounds veal shoulder, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 1 ½ pounds pork shoulder (pork butt), cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 1 chicken breast, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • ½ pound salt pork, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 3 large onions, diced
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 Tbsp. each dried Summer Savory and salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • 4 pounds, Yukon Gold (or similar) potatoes
  • 2 batches of Fail Proof Pie Crust, enough for four 9” crusts
  • 1 large egg combined with 2 Tbsp. water
  • 28 ounces chicken broth

Directions:

24 hours before baking the Tourtiere:

  1. Combine the meats, onions, bay leaves and spices in a large, non-reactive bowl. Stir the mixture and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

The day you’re baking the Tourtiere:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Peel the potatoes and cut into ½ inch dice.
  3. From the 4 portions of pie dough, divide the dough into two balls – one that’s ¾ of the whole recipe and one that’s ¼ of the whole recipe. Roll out the bigger ball and cover the bottom of a 9-quart Dutch oven, ensuring there’s a 1” overhang.
  4. Add about 1/3 of the meat mixture to the Dutch oven then cover the meat with 1/3 of the potatoes. Repeat the process until all the meat and potatoes have been used.
  5. Roll out the small pie dough ball and cover the meats/potatoes in the Dutch oven. Seal the bottom and top crusts by pinching them then rolling them over themselves to create a rope around the perimeter of the Dutch oven.
  6. Cut a 2’ round vent hole in the center of the Tourtiere. Decorate the surface of the Tourtiere with scraps of pie dough (optional) then brush the egg wash over the entire surface.
  7. Using a small funnel, add the broth to the Tourtiere by inserting the funnel into the vent hole. You may need to shake the pot in order for the broth to get distributed thoroughly throughout the Tourtiere. Don’t overfill the Tourtiere with broth to the point where broth overflows – use less if need be.
  8. Place the Tourtiere, uncovered, in the oven for 15 minutes. A baking sheet directly under the Tourtiere is a good idea to prevent spills.
  9. Turn the heat down to 250 degrees, cover the pot and bake for 6 hours.
  10. Turn the heat up to 400 degrees, uncover the pot and allow the Tourtiere to brown for about 30 minutes.

Makes 15 hearty portions.

Filed Under: Beef, Canadian, Chicken, Entrees, Pork, Potatoes, Veal, Vegetables Tagged With: , , ,
10 December 2012 Fail Proof Pie Crust

Fail Proof Pie Crust

December 10, 2012 By

I have been using this pie crust recipe by Martha Stewart for several years and it never fails to produce flaky crusts with minimal efforts.

Throw all the ingredients in the food processor and voila, perfect pie crust everytime!

This pie crust recipe makes enough for two 9″ crusts and they freeze amazingly well for up to three months if wrapped in plastic wrap then placed in a zip top bag.

Ingredients:

  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 1/4 tsp. coarse salt
  • 2 1/4 sticks (18 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 10 Tbsp. ice water, plus more if needed

Directions:

  1. Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube until dough just holds together (no longer than 30 seconds).
  2. Divide dough in half, and shape into disks. Wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

Makes two 9″ pie crusts.

Filed Under: American, Desserts Tagged With: ,
9 December 2012 Green Goddess Dip

Green Goddess Dip

December 9, 2012 By

Green Goddess Dressing’s been around since the 1920s and it seems has made a return on many restaurant menus. I made this thicker version of the dressing and served it with crudités at a recent dinner party to the delight of my guests. Sour cream could be a substitute for the crème fraiche and herbs can be changed based on what you have at home.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup crème fraiche
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley
  • 3 anchovy filets (packed in oil)
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend for about 60 seconds, until the dip is creamy and green.

Makes just over a cup of dressing.

Filed Under: American, French, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian Tagged With: , ,
16 November 2012 Butternut Squash and Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

Butternut Squash and Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

November 16, 2012 By

Just in time for Thanksgiving, a festive recipe by Chef Josh Thomsen of Agricola Community Eatery, opening January 2013.

Ingredients:

  • 1 loaf brioche
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups diced yellow onions
  • 1-1/2 lbs chanterelle mushrooms, or any combination of domestic mushrooms,
  • shiitake, hedgehog, porcini and oyster
  • 3 cups diced butternut squash
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup creme fraiche
  • 6 whole eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated asiago cheese

Directions:

  1. Roast butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper at 400 degrees, about 7 minutes, until tender.
  2. Roast mushrooms with thyme and garlic in a 475 degree oven for 7 minutes.
  3. Remove crust from the bread and cut into 1 inch cubes.
  4. Grease a large baking dish about 12″ by 18″ with some of the butter.
  5. In a large saute pan melt the remaining butter and saute the onions until soft.
  6. In a large bowl, toss together bread, mushrooms, squash and parsley.
  7. In another small bowl, whisk together the milk, creme fraiche, eggs, salt, pepper and cheese. Add the milk mixture to the bread mixture, pour into the baking dish and press down firmly.
  8. Allow pudding to set 30 minutes before baking.
  9. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake pudding about 1 hour. If pudding browns, cover with foil. Test for doneness by inserting a knife in the middle, it should come out clean

Serves 18.

Filed Under: American, Eggs, Entrees, Mushrooms, Sides, Vegetables Tagged With: , ,
14 November 2012 Pumpkin Tortellini with Brown Butter and Sage

Pumpkin Tortellini with Brown Butter and Sage

November 14, 2012 By

This recipe by Chef Anthony Pino of The Dining Room at Anthony David’s and Bin 14 is perfect as a side dish around the holidays.

Ingredients:

  • Pumpkin Tortellini, about 2 lbs
  • Butter, 4 ouces
  • William Sonoma Chicken stock, 8 ounces
  • 4 sage leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Parsley, chopped to garnish
  • William Sonoma Pecorino Cheese 2 – 3 ounces
  • William Sonoma Granulated Honey, 1 – 2 teaspoons

Directions:

  1. Start by boiling water and add a generous pinch of salt. Once the water is boiling add the tortellini to the All Clad Perforated Pot and cover. This will take about 5-6 minutes.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a large sauté pan. When pan is hot add the butter. When light smoke appears, add William Sonoma Chicken Stock to stop the browning of the butter then add sage, salt, pepper. Allow this to simmer for 2 minutes allowing the herbs and the butter to marry.
  3. By now your tortellini should be ready. Remove lid. Pull up on the handles and allow the water to drain right back into the pot. When completely drained, pour the tortellini into the butter sage sauce and simmer for 1 minute. Add the parsley, toss. Plate the pasta. With the William Sonoma Cheese Grater and William Sonoma Pecorino, grate the pecorino directly over each plate and then sprinkle with William Sonoma Granulated Honey.

Yields 4 servings.

Filed Under: American, Cheese, Entrees, Pasta, Sides, Vegetables Tagged With: ,
13 November 2012 Canadian Brown Sugar Pie (Quebec Tarte au Sucre)

Canadian Brown Sugar Pie (Quebec Tarte au Sucre)

November 13, 2012 By

Tarte au Sucre

Tarte au Sucre

The Canadian brown sugar pie is a very traditional pie served in eastern Canada, specifically Quebec, around the holidays called ‘tarte au sucre’. My Grand-Mother always made a few sugar pies and froze them to have them on hand for the holidays. It reminds me a bit of pecan pie filling, minus the nuts, but smoother and firmer in texture. If you’re from Indiana, you may know this dish as Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie.

I know mile-high pies usually get all the love, but this brown sugar pie is baked in an 8″ pie plate, making it a somewhat thin pie. It’s definitely sweet and a small piece goes a long way!!! Believe it or not, vanilla ice cream is served with the pie to ‘cut through the sweetness’!  

Be sure to place the sugar pie on a baking sheet as you put it in the over to prevent spills.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 tsp. butter, softened
  • 1 tbs. flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. maple extract
  • 2 – 8″ pie crusts

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
  2. Bring the condensed and whole milks, brown sugar and butter to a simmer over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. When small bubbles form at the surface, cook for 2 minutes, whisking occasionally.
  3. In a small cup/bowl, stir the maple extract, the flour and 2 tablespoons of hot mixture to form a paste. Add this paste to hot mixture and whisk to fully incorporate.  Cook until thickened, about 3 minutes.
  4. Pour the sugar mixture into an un-baked pie crust and cover with a second crust.
  5. Bake until browned, about 25 minutes. 

Serve with vanilla ice cream at room temperature or warm. The pie keeps well wrapped in foil for up to a week (not that it’ll last that long). You could also bake the pie, cool it and wrap in several layers of plastic wrap then foil and freeze for a month.

Yields 8 servings.

Filed Under: Canadian, Desserts Tagged With: , ,
11 November 2012 Slow Cooker Quebec Baked Beans

Slow Cooker Quebec Baked Beans

November 11, 2012 By

I have written about Quebec Baked Beans in the past and about how my maternal Grand-Mother fixed this traditional breakfast dish for the family. Last night, I decided to try to make the beans in the slow cooker and they turned out amazing!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups dried white beans
  • 1/2 pound salt pork, cut into  1″ cubes
  • 1 medium onion, peeled
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 tsp. dry mustard
  • 1 tsp. each salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Place the beans in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water then cover with foil.  Place the saucepan in the refrigerator at least 12 hours.
  2. Rinse the beans in a colander under cold water.
  3. Place the cubed salt pork in the bottom of a 3-5 quart slow cooker (Crockpot). Top the pork with the rinsed beans. Tuck the onion into the beans. Combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over the beans and pork.
  4. Add water to the slow cooker to cover the beans by an inch. Simmer on LOW for 8-10 hours.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Filed Under: Breakfast, Canadian, Pork, Sides Tagged With: , , ,
31 October 2012 Pot Roast 101

Pot Roast 101

October 31, 2012 By

When cooler weather comes, the thought of a comforting dish, like a pot roast, sounds very appealing. Conversely, the thought of spending hours slaving over a hot stove does not sound in any way appealing. Here is a simple pot roast recipe that slow cooks in the oven, tastes rich and hearty and is a breeze to prepare.

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast (London broil)
  • 1 tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 4 large carrots, cut on the diagonal in 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup red wine (Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon work best)
  • 2 (14-ounce) cans beef broth

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  2. In a heavy Dutch oven, heat oil over high heat. Sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper. Add the roast to pan and sear on both sides for 3 minutes per side.
  3. Remove the roast from pan, turn the heat to medium, add the remaining oil and sauté the onion and carrots for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
  4. Add the thyme and bay leaves to the vegetables then place the roast over the vegetables in pan. Pour the wine and the broth in pan, cover, transfer the roast to the oven and simmer for 3 hours.
  5. Serve with mashed potatoes, wide egg noodles or white rice.

Serves 6.

Filed Under: American, Beef, Entrees, Vegetables Tagged With: , ,
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