Being A Bear

Remember That Time I Made That Thing? ( Yearly Wrap-Up 2013 )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:50:00 +0000

We're at the very tail end of the year, and because I'm completely susceptible to peer pressure, behold! A list of this year's most popular recipes, complete with gleaming photographs. It's been a challenging year, and I'm grateful to every person who visits Being a Bear and helps to remind me why I write. Your favorite recipes of the year were:

10. Butterscotch Pudding

9. Shrimp in Coconut Milk

8. Sharp Cheddar Cheese Crackers

7. Monte Cristo Pockets

6. Detroit-Style Coney Dogs

5. Paczki

4. Pasties

3. Rice Pudding

2. Black Forest Fudge

1. Chicken-Fried Steak

And because it's author's prerogative, here are my favorite 3 that didn't make the list but totally deserved to:


Apple-Maple Turkey Burgers with Maple Dijon Sauce

No-Bake Coconut Date Cracker Bars with Browned-Butter Glaze

Rosemary and Browned Butter Applesauce

Here's wishing you health, happiness, and endless supplies of browned butter in 2014.
Love,

The Bearfrau

Have Yourself a Merry Little Meltdown( + Gingerbread with Spiced Orange Caramel Sauce )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 18:32:00 +0000

Let's talk for a minute about what the holidays are like for an introvert.

Remember the bleak hellscape from the Terminator movies? The burned-out post-apocalyptic nuclear wasteland carpeted with ash and human bones? The one where, just as you think you're starting to understand the horror of this dark new world, a metal foot crushes down on the human skull you were just looking at, and you look up into the cold red gaze of a killer robot?

Yeah. It's kind of like that.

But with eggnog.

Not that I don't love the holidays; I do. I adore them. A thick blanket of snow silencing the world outside; a warm fire and a cozy afghan; a loved one curled up next to you and It's a Wonderful Life on the TV. Pine garlands and crimson ornaments and cranberries and popcorn threaded onto strings. These are a few of my...well, you know how it goes.

But that's not actually how the holiday goes, is it? In my experience, you're luck if you get about 17 minutes of that stuff per December. The rest of it runs a little more like this:

Gosh, how happy am I to have hit a blizzard while driving to the mall, and where could three rolls of scotch tape possibly have disappeared to, and wouldn't it be nice if there wasn't a thin layer of flour dust over everything I owned, come in, come in, hey wait, grab the dog, he's getting out, what do you mean, you forgot the sweet potatoes, HOW can the store be out of cranberries? Uh oh, someone try to get that glass from Uncle Simon, it's his seventh, CRAP, the ham is burning, Emily, stop hitting your brother, where can I get AA batteries at this time of night, no we CAN'T go to bed yet, we still haven't addressed these envelopes, Merry Christmas everyone, seriously, can SOMEONE stop the dog from barking, 3-hour argument about Obamacare, have a cookie.

I can't imagine this is relaxing for anyone; but for introverts, who tend to be more easily overwhelmed by noise, chaos and general disorder, it's a goddamn nightmare.

There's no way I get out of this without offending someone, so let me state this up front: I love you all. You're great. You're fabulous people, and I enjoy spending time with you, and if there was some way to distill the essence of each and every one of you into a tiny perfect truffle, I would devour them one by one until I blimped up like Santa after his 387th plate of milk and cookies.

But you're absoutely exhausting.

And not "tiresome" in the way that one relative at the gathering inevitably is, like dear Aunt Violet droning on about her medical condition. We love you, Aunt Violet. We're sorry you're not feeling well, and if there's anything we can do to help, please let us know. But pleasegod stop listing your medications. Nobody wants to memorize your new dosages or see the screenshots of your colonoscopy. Nobody wants to hear the word "mucus" while we're carving the ham. Let's just sit quietly and watch the game, okay?

I mean "exhausting." In the sense that, while most people recharge their batteries after a tough week by going out with their friends, an introvert needs quiet solitude to recharge and feels even more drained than before after socializing.

I love my friends and family. I enjoy their company. But the choice to spend time with them is an active sacrifice of my energy in a way that an extrovert can never really understand. It's like choosing to stay up and watch your kids open their presents even though you've just come home from a triple shift. Rewarding, yes. Exhausting nonetheless. And like the man who's indulged in too much nog at the holiday party, I'm having a rollicking time right now. But there's going to be hell to pay tomorrow.

By the time we hit January 2nd, I'll be so strung out that the only thing I'll be good for is hiding under the bed in my jim-jams like a trapped squirrel, alternately hyperventilating and napping. Which is unfortunate because it's January 2nd and I'm supposed to be out buying a gym membership and starting a gratefulness journal and smoothie-ing up some kale.

The modern calendar is not set up for introverts.

So if you happen to see me over the next few weeks and I seem withdrawn and twitchy, don't worry: it's not you. Call me up in May and we'll do lunch. I'll make you some gingerbread and we can enjoy our belated holiday cheer.

That's assuming I've recovered by then, of course.

Gingerbread with Spiced Orange Caramel Sauce

gingerbread from Baking Illustrated
caramel sauce adapted from Bon Appetit

I'll be the first to admit that this is a strange technique for making a sauce. It was born from my attempt to salvage a recipe for caramel that, judging from the comments other cooks have left, was just poorly written and disastrous from the start. After adding some cinnamon and cream, however, it became a thin but divine sauce that was mostly eaten by spoon straight from the bowl before ever reaching the gingerbread plate. The gingerbread, from Baking Illustrated, is basically flawless. I underbaked it slightly to ensure that it would be super-moist. If you follow the full baking time, you will most likely avoid the unevenness in rise that you may have noticed in the photos.

Cake:
Flour [ 2 1/4 cups ]

Baking Soda [ 1/2 teaspoon ]

Salt [ 1/2 teaspoon ]

Ground Ginger [ 2 teaspoons ]

Ground Cinnamon [ 1 teaspoon ]
Ground Cloves [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Freshly Grated Nutmeg [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Ground Allspice [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Dutch-Processed Cocoa [ 1 teaspoon ]
Unsalted Butter [ 1/2 cup, melted and cooled to room temperature ]
Mild Molasses [ 3/4 cup ]
Sugar [ 3/4 cup ]
Buttermilk [ 1/2 cup ]
Whole Milk [ 1/2 cup ]
Egg [ 1 ]

Caramel Sauce:
Navel Oranges [ 5, preferably Cara Cara ]
Sugar [ 1 1/2 cups ]
Water [ 1/4 cup ]
Unsalted Butter [ 2 tablespoons ]
Kosher Salt [ 1/8 teaspoon ]
Cinnamon [ 1/4 teaspoon ]
Heavy Cream [ 1/2 cup ]

Make Gingerbread:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg,
        Allspice, and Cocoa.
4. In the bowl of a mixer, stir together Butter, Molasses, Sugar, Buttermilk, Milk and Egg. Beat on
         Low until well combined.
5. Add in Flour Mixture.
6. Beat on Medium speed until Batter is smooth and thick [ about 1 minute ].
7. Pour Batter into prepared pan and level with a spatula.
8. Bake until edges begin to pull away from the pan and top springs back after being lightly touched [
         about 35 minutes ].
9. Cool in pan on wire rack for at least 10 minutes.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make Caramel Sauce:
11. Slice one of the Oranges into rounds as thin as you can make them. Discard any seeds.
12. Place the Orange Slices into a medium bowl and toss with 1/2 cup of the Sugar. Allow to stand at
            room temperature for 1 hour.
13. In a large, heavy pot, stir together the remaining 1 cup of Sugar with the Water. Try to minimize
            splashing Mixture up the sides of the pan.
14. Stir over Medium heat until Sugar dissolves.
15. Increase heat to Medium-High and boil without stirring until deep amber-colored [ about 10 minutes
            ]. If necessary to keep from burning, swirl pot gently to redistribute over hot spots.
16. Remove pot from heat. Carefully add Orange-Sugar Mixture to Caramel, keeping hands well away [ it
            will bubble up ].
17. Return to Medium heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until Oranges are tender [ about 12-15
           minutes ].
18. Cool 10 minutes.
19. Carefully pour Caramel into a food processor.
20. Add in Butter, Salt, and Cinnamon.
21. Process until Oranges are very finely chopped.
22. Press Mixture into a bowl through a fine sieve, to remove solids.
23. Cool 10 minutes.
24. Meanwhile, cut a flat slice off top and bottom of each of the remaining 4 Oranges so that they will not
             roll.
25. Using a paring knife, cut peel and white pith from all Oranges.
26. Working over a bowl, carefully cut between the membranes of each orange segment so that the
             segments drop into the bowl with their juices.
27.    When Sauce has cooled slightly, stir in Heavy Cream and then Orange Segments [ with juice if sauce
             seems thick ].
28. Serve warm over warm Gingerbread.

Makes 1 11x7-inch pan [ about 8 servings ] and easily enough sauce to go around.

Can't get enough ginger?

Ginger Spice Cookies

12 Days of Cookies( + Red-Hot Chocolate Slices )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 15:09:00 +0000

Are you exhausted yet? Are you cranky? Are you staring at two visually identical gift cards and wondering which is the $25 you received from your third cousin yesterday, and which is the $100 you're supposed to give to your brother?

Did the tree fall over yet again and at this point you're considering just leaving it on its side amongst the crushed remains of your childhood ornaments as some kind of artistic statement about the expectations and reality of the holiday?

Have your days turned into an endless, futile effort to keep wrapping paper out of the mouth of a manic beagle?

Might I suggest pouring a bag of red hots into a sandwich bag and smashing them to bits with a hammer?

It's so damn good.

Although the red hots look kind of gimmicky, they really do good work in these cookies, adding a spicy, chewy note that contrasts nicely with the crisp of the cookie and the snap of the chocolate chips. Plus...you're getting an awful lot of visual bang for not a lot of work.

Sit down. Breathe. Have a cookie.

And try to make sure the beagle doesn't eat the tree.

Red Hot-Chocolate Slices
from Better Homes and Gardens

Shortening [ 1/2 cup ]
Unsalted Butter [ 1/2 cup, softened ]
Sugar [ 1 cup ]
Baking Powder [ 1 teaspoon ]
Salt [ 1/4 teaspoon ]
Egg [ 1 ]
Vanilla Extract [ 1 teaspoon ]
Flour [ 2 1/4 cups ]
Cinnamon "Red Hot" Candies [ crushed, 2 tablespoons ]
Red Paste Food Coloring [ as desired ]
Unsweetened Chocolate [ 1 ounce, melted and cooled to room temperature ]
Miniature Semisweet Chocolate Chips [ 2 tablespoons ]
Cinnamon [ 1/8 teaspoon ]

1.   In the bowl of a mixer, beat Shortening and Butter on Medium-High speed for 30 seconds.
2.   Add Sugar, Baking Powder, and Salt.
3.   Mix, scraping sides of bowl occasionally, until thoroughly combined.
4. Mix in Egg and Vanilla.
5. On Low speed, mix in Flour just until no streaks remain.
6. Divide Dough into 3 equal pieces.
7. Set first portion of Dough back in mixer bowl; add Red Hot Candies and mix until thoroughly
distributed. Set aside.
8. Place second portion of Dough back in mixer bowl; add enough Red Paste Food Coloring to reach
desired shade. Mix until completely blended. Set aside.
9. Place third portion of Dough in mixer bowl; add Unsweetened Chocolate, Chocolate Chips, and
Cinnamon. Mix until completely blended.
10. Wrap each portion of Dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled [ about 1 hour ].

11. Roll each Dough portion out between two sheets of waxed paper until it is an 8x4-inch rectangle.
12. Lay a long sheet of plastic wrap on counter; place block of Chocolate Dough on plastic wrap. Top with
Red-Hot Dough and then Red Dough. Press together gently.
13. Wrap Dough entirely in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until chilled [ about 1 hour ].

14. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
15. With a large, sharp knife, trim edges of Dough stack until it is a perfect rectangle.
16. Slice Dough crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.
17. Place slices 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
18. Bake until set but not browned [ about 8 minutes ].
19. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Makes about 24 cookies.

Further proof that chocolate and
cinnamon are meant to be together:

Chocolate-Cinnamon Gelato with Toffee Bits

12 Days of Cookies( + Apricot Sandwich Cookies )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 02:15:00 +0000

I may have miscalculated here. I've forgotten my seasons.

These aren't exactly wintertime cookies. There's no red, no green. No glitter or sprinkles. No ginger or peppermint or rum.

There isn't even a token Santa hat posed idly in the background.

There's just sandy, buttery pecan wafers sandwiched with a fluorescent apricot jam. It's like sunshine creeping through the blinds. And to compound my error, I've cut them into little daisies. These cookies say "Mother's Day" more than Christmas.

Which is exactly why they're perfect for the longest, darkest nights of the year, the nights when the air feels like razor blades going down and the only way to your car is through four inches of icy slush. Take a nibble. Spring is coming. I promise.

Apricot Sandwich Cookies
barely adapted from Baking by Flavor
by Lisa Yockelson

Cookies:
Flour [ 4 1/2 cups ]
Baking Soda [ 1 teaspoon ]
Salt [ 1 1/4 teaspoons ]
Cinnamon [ 3/4 teaspoon ]
Freshly Grated Nutmeg [ 3/4 teaspoon ]
Unsalted Butter [ 2 cups, softened ]
Sugar [ 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons ]
Vanilla Extract [ 2 1/2 teaspoons ]
Pecans [ coarsely ground, 2 cups ]

Filling:
Apricot Preserves [ 18 ounces ]
Lemon Juice [ 2 teaspoons ]
Water [ 1 tablespoon ]
Vanilla Extract [ 1/2 teaspoon ]

Make Cookie Dough:
1.   Sift together Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg.
2.   In the bowl of a mixer, beat Butter on Low speed for 3 minutes.
3.   Raise speed to Medium.
4.   Add 1/3 of the Sugar. Beat for 30 seconds, then add next 1/3 of the Sugar. Repeat until all Sugar has
been added.
5.   Add Vanilla and Pecans and mix to blend.
6.   Decrease speed to Low; add in Flour, 1/3 at a time, mixing just until no white streaks are evident.
7.   Divide Dough into 4 portions.
8.   Set each portion between two sheets of waxed paper and roll to 1/4 inch thick.
9.   Stack sheets of Dough on a cookie sheet and refrigerate until firm [ about 3-4 hours, or up to 3 days ].

Make Filling:
10. In a medium pot, stir together Apricot Preserves, Lemon Juice, Water, and Vanilla Extract.
11. Stirring frequently, bring to a boil over Medium-High heat.
12. Boil slowly for 1 minute.
13. Strain into a medium bowl through a fine-meshed sieve, pressing down on solids to extract all liquid.
14. Set aside until ready to fill Cookies.

Bake Cookies:
15. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
16. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
17. Lightly flour a work surface.
18. Remove waxed paper from one sheet of Dough and lay on floured work surface. Using a 2-inch cookie
cutter, cut out Cookies with as little waste as possible.
19. Transfer Cookies to cookie sheet, placing them 2 inches apart.
20. Reroll scraps and cut additional Cookies until Dough has all been used.
21. Repeat until all prepared Dough sheets have been used.
22. Bake Cookies until firm and light gold, but not browned [ about 10-12 minutes ].
23. Cool on sheet for 4 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

Finish Cookies:
24. When Cookies are completely cool, reheat Apricot Filling over Medium-Low heat until bubbly. Set
aside until merely warm.
25. Using a butter knife or similar tool, spread a little of the warmed Filling over the bottom of one Cookie;
top with a second Cookie [ bottom down ] and press lightly to adhere.
26. Place Cookie Sandwiches back on cooling rack to allow Filling to firm up.

Makes about 48 cookies.

Love Sandwich Cookies?

Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

12 Days of Cookies( + Chocolate-Dipped Espresso Shortbread Cookies )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 12:31:00 +0000

On Thursday I gave you a cookie for the children in your life (big and small). Today's a cookie for the adults.

It's the kind of cookie you could serve to Great Aunt Myrtle alongside tea.

Unless Great Aunt Myrtle can't handle her caffeine and gets all hyper and shouts out inappropriate words during Pictionary and then starts reminiscing about the time she spent as a burlesque dancer.

In which case, double win for you. You can cancel that bouncy house. Entertainment for these festivities is SET.

These little fellows are crisp, crumbly, and insistently (though not overwhelmingly) coffee-flavored. This is accomplished with espresso powder, which may or may not be available at your local grocery store. If not, you can find it at Williams-Sonoma or on Amazon. It doesn't look like much, but recipes generally only call for a smidge, so you'll get a lot of mileage out of that little bottle.

Then they're dipped in smooth semisweet chocolate, which is a nice contrast to the sandy, pleasantly bitter cookie. And for looks, it can't be beat.

You can, of course, cut these cookies in any shape that you like. I wouldn't recommend going much larger, though, in case the coffee flavor got a bit overwhelming. These are best as flavorful nibbles. Besides, when you're cranking out holiday cookies 75 at a time, sometimes it's nice do be able to be done in one batch.

Leave 'em small and save your time for Pictionary prep. This year's finally going to be your year. Aunt Myrtle's going down.

Chocolate-Dipped Espresso Shortbread Cookies
by Carolyn Weil
in Fine Cooking

Unsalted Butter [ 1 cup, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces ]
Sugar [ 1/2 cup ]
Salt [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Flour [ 2 1/4 cups ]
Espresso Powder [ 2 tablespoons ]
Semisweet Chocolate [ 9 ounces, chopped ]
Shortening [ 1 tablespoon ]

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In the bowl of a mixer, combine Butter, Sugar and Salt.
4. Mix on Low speed 1-2 minutes.
5. Add Flour and Espresso Powder.
6. Mix on Low speed until Dough begins to pull together [ about 3 minutes ].
7. Lightly flour a large, flat surface.
8. Roll Dough out to 1/4-inch thickness.
9. Cut Dough with a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cutting with as little waste as possible.
10. Press scraps together into a ball and re-roll, then cut more cookies.
11. Place on baking sheets, keeping 1 inch between cookies.
12. Refrigerate cookies until chilled [ at least 20 minutes ].
13. Bake cookies 1 sheet at a time until bottoms are golden but tops are just barely colored [ 30 -60
minutes ].
14. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

15. When cookies are cooled, line a work surface with waxed paper.
16. In a small heatproof bowl set over simmering water, stirring frequently, melt Chocolate and
Shortening.
17. Dip half of each cookie in melted Chocolate Mixture, and place on waxed paper. Allow to set
completely before moving cookies.

Makes about 84 cookies.

Can I tempt you with more coffee?

Accidentally Mocha Pudding

12 Days of Cookies ( + Oatmeal-Cranberry Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 11:25:00 +0000

What is it that's so delightful about a cookie the size of your head?

Give one to a child, and his eyes get as big as...well, as big as the cookie. He starts to hyperventilate a little. Arms and legs start to flail around like a drunken hummingbird trying to get off the ground.

Eventually he just lets loose, spinning in circles and hooting at the ceiling, ripping off his clothes in triumph like Brandy Chastain.

The same thing happens to adults, but they expend immense amounts of energy trying to contain it so that they don't look undignified in front of Doris from Accounting.

If you're looking for some entertainment this holiday season, give an adult a plate-size cookie unexpectedly and then just step back and watch the emotions flit across his face as he tries to control himself.

These particular plate-sized cookies are filled with dried cranberries and chunks of white chocolate, and just enough oatmeal to give them a little extra body - not enough to make them feel healthy. Not trying to ruin your holiday here.

They're chewy with a nice touch of crunch around the outside edges, and would be great for everyday eating - but with a layer of additional white chocolate spread across their bottoms, they become fancy enough for holiday giving.

I suggest taking them to the office. You know, for the entertainment value alone.

Oatmeal-Cranberry Cookies
with White Chocolate Chunks
barely adapted from Cuisine at Home

Flour [ 2 cups ]
Baking Soda [ 1 teaspoon ]
Baking Powder [ 1 teaspoon ]
Salt [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Unsalted Butter [ 1 cup, softened ]
Sugar [ 1 cup ]
Brown Sugar [ packed, 1 cup ]
Eggs [ 2 ]
Vanilla Extract [ 1 teaspoon ]
Old-Fashioned Oats [ 3 cups ]
Dried Cranberries [ 1 cup ]
White Chocolate [ 6 ounces, coarsely chopped ]

White Chocolate [ additional for dipping, chopped, at least 8 ounces ]

Make Cookies:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Salt.
4. In the bowl of a mixer, combine Butter, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Eggs and Vanilla. Mix on High speed
         until light and fluffy.
5. Add in Flour Mixture; stir by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until thoroughly blended.
6. Again by hand, stir in the Oats, Cranberries, and White Chocolate until evenly distributed
         throughout Dough.
7. Form 3-tablespoon balls of the Dough and place them 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
8. Bake until golden but still moist [ about 10-12 minutes ].
9. Allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Finish Cookies:
10.   Place White Chocolate in a small, shallow bowl and melt in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds,
             until completely smooth.
11. With a butter knife or similar tool, spoon a dollop of White Chocolate onto bottom of cookie and spread
           to cover. Place upside-down on waxed paper or parchment to set. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Makes about 48 cookies.

Like Your Cranberries Savory Instead?

Cranberry-Chipotle Meatballs with Pineapple

12 Days of Cookies( + Peppermint Brownies )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 21:17:00 +0000

I don't usually post about giveaways or contests or events, but today we're going to change things up a bit.

And we're going to talk about cookies. Because it's December, and that's a given.

This year I participated in the Great Blogger Cookie Swap, which is an event that matches bloggers from around the country to gift each other with home-baked cookies, all for the paltry price of a tiny donation to Cookies for Kids' Cancer. You get 36 cookies, meet 6 new bloggers you may otherwise have never known, and and get to feel like you're making a difference in someone's life. Oh, and sometimes the corporate sponsors shower unexpected gifts upon you. I came home from work one day to find that OXO had sent me a brand-new set of spatulas in graduated sizes. Woot! This year, over 600 bloggers participated and over $13,000 was raised for Cookies for Kids' Cancer.

For my gifts, I made these Peppermint Brownies, which are far more impressive than their short ingredient list suggests. They're dense, a little chewy, and not so overly fudgy that it wouldn't be possible to send them across the country to someone you love (although if fudgy is your thing, like it is mine, I'm sure a little underbaking would solve that problem in a jiffy). Besides peppermint extract, they also call for peppermint leaves (found in your friendly grocer's tea aisle), which are ground up with the sugar to form a lovely scented sweetener. It's not the most traditional method, but believe me: the results speak for themselves.

And then there's the marbled topping: high impact, super low effort.

Looking for more cookie recipes? I received some amazing packages: Championship Cookies from Nika at myrthastewart.com, Peppermint Chunk Oreos with two (2!) fillings from Lindsey at ahoneyblossom.com, and Double Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint Bark (my favorite Christmas candy!) from Chainey, who was clever enough to use marshmallows as a packing filler. Chainey also has a blog, but the bit of paper that had the web address written on it was eaten by an overenthusiastic beagle who shall go nameless. If you send me the info, Chainey, I'll add a link to your site, I promise. :)

The full list of cookies made for the swap should be available on Monday on Love and Olive Oil and The Little Kitchen. My heartfelt thanks to the talented bloggers who sent me such delicious cookies, and to everyone who helped raise funds for such a great cause. Hope to see you again next year!

Peppermint Brownies
barely adapted from Greg Case
in Fine Cooking

Brownies:
Unsalted Butter [ 1 cup ]
Unsweetened Chocolate [ 8 ounces ]
Peppermint Tea Leaves [ 2 teaspoons - about 2 tea bags' worth ]
Sugar [ 2 cups ]
Eggs [ 4 large ]
Peppermint Extract [ 2 teaspoons ]
Kosher Salt [ 1/4 teaspoon ]
Flour [ 1 cup ]

Glaze:
Semisweet Chocolate [ 2 ounces ]
Unsweetened Chocolate [ 2 ounces ]
Light Corn Syrup [ 2 tablespoons ]
Unsalted Butter [ 1/4 cup ]
White Chocolate [ 2 ounces ]

Make Brownies:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Butter foil, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a heatproof bowl set over gently simmering water, stirring frequently, melt 1 cup of the Butter and 8
         ounces of the Unsweetened Chocolate.
4. When completely melted and combined, turn off burner but leave Chocolate Mixture sitting over the
         warm water.
5. In a food processor, pulse Peppermint Tea and Sugar until finely ground and well mixed.
6. In a large bowl, whisk together Eggs, Peppermint Extract, Salt, and Peppermint Sugar.
7. Slowly whisk in melted Chocolate Mixture.
8. With a rubber spatula, fold in Flour until fully incorporated.
9. Spread Batter in prepared pan.
10. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of pan comes out almost clean [ about 35 minutes ].
11. Remove from oven and place on wire rack until completely cool.

Glaze Brownies:
12. If desired, remove brownies from pan before glazing.
13. In a heatproof bowl over simmering water, mix Semisweet Chocolate, Unsweetened Chocolate,
           Corn Syrup and Butter.
14. Stir frequently until Mixture is fully melted and combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
15. Place White Chocolate in a new heatproof bowl and set over simmering water. Stir frequently until
            fully melted.
16. Using a spatula, spread Chocolate Glaze evenly over top of slab of brownies.
17. To create marbled effect, drizzle or pipe White Chocolate over Chocolate Glaze in thin horizontal lines.
18. Using a toothpick or the back of a butter knife, drag vertical lines through glaze at 1 to 1 1/2-inch
            intervals.
19. Make new set of vertical lines with knife [ between each existing line ], this time moving in the
            opposite direction.
20. Refrigerate until glaze is set.
21. To cut Brownies cleanly, run knife under hot water, quickly dry off with a kitchen towel, and then cut.
            This will help to keep the Ganache from snagging or cracking as it's cut.
22. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 1 9x13-inch pan [ about 24-32 brownies ].

More brownies for your eating pleasure:

Macadamia Double-Decker Brownie Bars

12 Days of Cookies( + No-Bake Coconut-Date Cracker Bars with Browned Butter Glaze )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 02:53:00 +0000

Over the weekend I stumbled upon a singularly snarky message board that specialized in bashing food bloggers. With names of blogs. In great detail.

I learned all sorts of things, like how we should all stop talking and get on with the recipe (erm...it's a blog, not a recipe index), how we should stop editing our photos to be so bright (but then we'd never get accepted by Foodgawker, who requires your pictures to be basically radioactive), and that anything using crescent rolls or Cool Whip doesn't actually count as a recipe.

Who knew?

I'll admit to an embarrassing minute of despair that I'll never be accepted at the cool kids' table. But then I got over it.

Because sure, there actually are guidelines for good food blogging. Use Spell-Check rigorously. Make sure you included all ingredients in the recipe. And pleasegod don't use your flash.

But a blog is, at heart, a personal story. It's a web log: a periodically updated electronic journal. Whatever you're talking about, whether it's food or shoes or carburetors (thank god for Spell-Check just then), you're covering it from your singular perspective. And suggesting that sharing stories about your life or talking about food in your particular voice or sharing the kinds of food that you like to eat inherently makes your blog "not good" seems to point to a basic misunderstanding of what a blog is.

This blog is a journal of how I eat ( with recipes ). It's not better because I bake from scratch, or worse because I refuse to work with kale. It just is. And come Christmastime, despite my love for fig jam and prosciutto and laminated doughs, I'm likely to share at least one thing with you that the snarks will find truly horrifying.

Because where I come from, Christmas isn't Christmas without at least one dessert inexplicably made with either crackers or breakfast cereal, and at least one "salad" made pretty much entirely out of Jell-O and Cool Whip.

And that's okay.

I can't go so far as to say that the snarks will approve of these bars. You and I both know that's a lie. But they're the classiest version of "cookies-made-with-crackers" that I've ever seen. With a gooey-chewy coconut-pecan-date filling and a browned-butter frosting that fills the house with that insanely heady perfume that only saturated fats can offer, you won't give a damn what anyone says about your primitive recipes.

You'll be too busy eating.

No-Bake Coconut-Date Cracker Bars
with Browned Butter Glaze
from Better Homes and Gardens

Bars:
Buttery Rectangular Crackers [ such as Townhouse, 36 ]
Brown Sugar [ packed, 3/4 cup ]
Whipping Cream [ 1/2 cup ]
Unsalted Butter [ 1/3 cup ]
Egg Yolks [ 2 ]
Salt [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Sweetened Flaked Coconut [ 1 cup ]
Chopped Pitted Dates [ 1 cup ]
Pecans [ chopped, 3/4 cup ]
Dark Rum [ 1 tablespoon ]
Vanilla Extract [ 1 teaspoon ]

Glaze:
Unsalted Butter [ 1/4 cup ]
Powdered Sugar [ 1 cup ]
Milk [ 1 tablespoon or more, as necessary ]
Salt [ 1/8 teaspoon ]
Pecans [ chopped, 1/3 cup ]

Make Bars:
1.   Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with heavy duty foil; grease the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Arrange enough of the Crackers in bottom of pan to cover it in a single layer [ breaking a few to size if
         necessary ].
3. In a Medium pot, stir together Brown Sugar, Cream, Butter, Egg Yolks, and Salt.
4. Cook over Medium heat, stirring constantly, until Butter melts.
5. Add in Coconut, Dates and Pecans.
6. Cook, stirring constantly, until glossy and brown [ about 8 minutes ]. Remove from heat.
7. Add in Rum and Vanilla; stir to combine.
8. Pour Filling over Crackers in pan, spreading gently if necessary to make sure that Crackers are covered
         completely
9. Lay enough of the remaining Crackers over filling to cover it in a single layer [ again, breaking a few to
         size if necessary ].

Make Glaze:
10. In a small pot over Low-Medium heat, melt Butter.
11. Cook Butter, stirring frequently, until thoroughly browned and fragrant [ specks of darker brown will
          float in the golden-brown Butter ]. Do not allow to burn.
12. Pour Butter into a small bowl.
13. Add in Powdered Sugar, Milk and Salt; whisk until smooth.
14. Add more Milk as necessary to bring Glaze to a spreadable consistency.
15. Pour Glaze over top Cracker layer of Bars, carefully spreading it evenly with an offset spatula.
16. Sprinkle with Pecans.
17. Cover and refrigerate until set [ about 2 hours ].
18. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 1 8x8-inch pan [ 16-25 bars ]

Browned Butter Wins Again:

Rosemary and Browned Butter Applesauce

12 Days of Cookies( + Pecan Sandies with Praline Filling )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 02:33:00 +0000

No one's ever going to mistake me for a Southern girl. I like my cornbread sweet, and my alligators safely behind glass at the zoo.

But man, I love their food.

And while this recipe isn't a Southern classic, I feel like it's at the very least Southern-adjacent.

Southern-themed.

Southern at heart.

These buttery, pecan-riddled thumbprints are finished with a praline filling that's so good that the only reason it made it into the cookies because it was too hot to lap straight from the pot.

They speak of magnolia-leaf wreaths, palm trees trimmed in white lights, and a holiday that's considerably less white but considerably more temperate.

And for those of us mired down in black ice and burst water mains, this might be just the holiday nibble we need.

Pecan Sandies with Praline Filling
barely adapted from Sheryl
at Lady Behind the Curtain

Cookies:
Unsalted Butter [ 2 cups ]
Sugar [ 1 cup ]
Vanilla Extract [ 4 teaspoons ]
Flour [ 4 cups ]
Salt [ 3/4 teaspoon ]
Pecans [ finely chopped, 2 cups ]

Filling:
Brown Sugar [ packed, 1 cup ]
Whipping Cream [ 1/3 cup ]
Unsalted Butter [ 1/4 cup ]
Salt [ 1/8 teaspoon ]
Powdered Sugar [ 1 cup ]
Vanilla Extract [ 1 teaspoon ]

Make Cookies:
1. In a large mixer bowl, beat Butter, Sugar and Vanilla until light and fluffy.
2. Add Flour and Salt and beat just until blended.
3. Add Pecans; mix well.
4. Refrigerate Dough 30 minutes.

5. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Line baking sheets with aluminum foil [ for easier cleanup ]; spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
7. Roll Dough into 1-inch balls.
8. Place Balls on prepared baking sheets, placing 1 inch apart. Flatten each Ball slightly.
9. Bake 8 minutes.
10. Remove from oven; carefully make an indentation in the center of each cookie with the bottom of the
handle of a wooden spoon.
11. Return to oven and bake until bottoms are golden brown [ about 5 minutes ].
12. Cool on wire racks.

Make Filling:
13. In a smallish pot over Medium heat, mix Brown Sugar, Cream and Butter.
14. Stirring frequently, bring to a boil.
15. Boil 1 minute, continuing to stir occasionally; remove from heat.
16. Gradually whisk in Powdered Sugar.
17. Whisk in Vanilla.
18. Whisking occasionally, allow to cool for 5 minutes.
19. Working quickly, use a teaspoon to fill indentations in each cookie. If Filling cools too much it will firm
up and become impossible to spoon into Cookies. In that case, whisk an additional tablespoon
Whipping Cream into Filling. Loosened Filling will not set up as firmly, however, as the original
mixture.

Makes about 90 Thumbprint Cookies.

Another Great Christmas Cookie:

Almond Sugar Cookies

12 Days of Cookies( + Almond Cherry Bars )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 02:18:00 +0000

There really aren't any words to fully describe the level of my appreciation for the cherry-almond flavor combination.

A thesaurusful of superlatives wouldn't do it justice.

So believe me when I tell you that I've made dozens of recipes using this combination. And this one? It's the best of them all.

On top of a buttery crust, you're going to layer a thick cherry jam, which is in turn topped by a more-or-less-almond-paste-ish layer that's been fortified with still more cherries.

And then it's topped off with an almond glaze. Because no one likes leaving the house naked. All the other cookies would point and stare.

There's no denying that there's a touch of work involved in these bars, but the results are worth so much more than the effort. And I guarantee that your audience won't ever have seen anything quite like them. That is, if any survive long enough to reach your audience.

I recommend making two batches. You know. For safety's sake.

Almond Cherry Bars
barely adapted from The Good Cookie
by Tish Boyle

Crust:
Flour [ 1 1/3 cups ]
Sugar [ 1/3 cup ]
Salt [ 1/4 teaspoon ]
Unsalted Butter [ 1/2 cup, cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes ]
Egg Yolk [ 1 large ]
Water [ 2 teaspoons, cold ]
Vanilla Extract [ 3/4 teaspoon ]

Filling:
Dried Cherries [ 1/3 cup, chopped ]
Freshly-Squeezed Orange Juice [ 1/3 cup ]
Sugar [ 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons, divided ]
Sliced Blanched Almonds [ 1 cup ]
Eggs [ 2 large ]
Unsalted Butter [ 1/2 cup, cut into 8 pieces, softened ]
Vanilla Extract [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Almond Extract [ 1/4 teaspoon ]
Flour [ 1 tablespoon ]

Cherry Layer:
Cherry Preserves [ 1 cup ]

Glaze:
Powdered Sugar [ 1/2 cup ]
Heavy Cream [ 2 tablespoons ]
Almond Extract [ 1/4 teaspoon ]

Make Crust:
1.   Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.   Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil [ for easy removal ]; grease bottom and
         sides with Nonstick Cooking Spray.
3.   In a food processor, pulse Flour, Sugar and Salt until mixed.
4.   Scatter Butter over Flour Mixture; process until Mixture resembles coarse sand [ about 6 seconds ].
5.   In a small bowl, whisk together Egg Yolk, Water, and Vanilla.
6.   While running food processor, pour Egg Mixture through feed tube into processor.
7.   Process just until Dough starts to form large clumps [ about 15-20 seconds ].
8.   Place Dough in prepared pan. With fingers, pat and press until it forms an even layer in the bottom of
         the pan.
9.   Bake until golden [ about 20 minutes ].
10.   Place on a wire rack and cool completely. Keep oven at 350 degrees F.

Make Filling:
11. In a small saucepan, mix Cherries, Orange Juice, and 2 tablespoons of the Sugar.
12. Bring to a boil over Medium-High heat.
13. Boil, stirring occasionally, until liquid is almost completely absorbed.
14. Allow to cool completely.

15. In the food processor, place Almonds and remaining 2/3 cup of the Sugar.
16. Process until Almonds are finely ground [ about 45 seconds ].
17. Add Eggs; process until well mixed.
18. Scatter Butter over Mixture; process until creamy [ about 30 seconds ].
19. Add Vanilla, Almond Extract, and Flour; pulse until well mixed.
20. Add cooled Cherry Mixture; process until blended [ about 5 seconds ].

Make Bars:
21. Spread Cherry Preserves over cooled Crust, being careful to leave a 1/4-inch border bare around
            the edge of the pan.
22. Pour Almond Filling over Cherry Preserves; spread evenly to edges.
23. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean [ about 30-35
            minutes ].
24. Place on wire rack and cool completely.

Glaze Bars:
25. In a small bowl, whisk together Powdered Sugar, Cream, and Almond Extract until smooth.
26. Drizzle Glaze over Bars with a spoon or with a makeshift piping bag made of a sandwich bag with one of
             the corners snipped off. This may be done before or after cutting bars.

Makes one 9x9-inch pan [ about 16-25 bars ].

And another magical recipe with dried cherries:

Chocolate Cherry Coconut Macaroons

12 Days of Cookies( + Raisin-Filled Ginger Crisps )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 01:31:00 +0000

I have an irrational sense of ownership regarding these cookies.

It's not because I created the recipe.
[ I didn't ].
It's not because it's a long-held family tradition.
[ It isn't ].
It's not even because I've made some clever changes to it.
[ I wouldn't change a thing even if wild monkeys were tearing my hair out. ]

It's because the recipe was a variation, and I made it.

That's all.

The real recipe printed in the cookbook was for thin ginger crisps. And at the end of the recipe were listed several variations, including this one, in which a ginger-raisin jam is cooked up and sandwiched between two of the spicy, warming, orange-scented cookies. The gorgeous hand-sized pies are then baked for less time than the originals, so they stay soft and golden. The recipe wasn't even printed on the same page; it was relegated to the back of the page.

Which means, obviously, that I found it. Like a treasure hunter.

I'm the Indiana Jones of ginger cookies.

Never mind that the cookbook was by the baking gurus at King Arthur Flour. Never mind that it's ranked in the top 50 cookie cookbooks on Amazon. I feel strongly that no but me has ever been clever enough to notice and make this recipe before. And the fact that it's so fantastic is just the icing on the...er...the filling in the cookie.

And since 'tis the season for sharing, I'm offering it to you today.

What's your greatest discovery?

Raisin-Filled Ginger Crisps
barely adapted from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion
by King Arthur Flour

Filling:
Golden Raisins [ 1 cup ]
Crystallized Ginger [ diced, 1/2 cup ]
Flour [ 2 tablespoons ]
Ground Ginger [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Sugar [ 1/2 cup ]
Salt [ 1/4 teaspoons ]
Water [ 1 cup ]

Cookies:
Unsalted Butter [ 1 cup ]
Sugar [ 1 1/2 cups ]
Egg [ 1 large ]
Grated Orange Zest [ 2 tablespoons ]
Orange Oil [ 1/4 teaspoon ]
Ground Black Pepper [ 1/4 teaspoon ]
Molasses [ 2 tablespoons ]
Water [ 1 tablespoon ]
Flour [ 3 1/4 cups ]
Baking Soda [ 2 teaspoons ]
Salt [ 3/4 teaspoon ]
Cinnamon [ 2 teaspoons ]
Ground Ginger [ 1 teaspoon ]
Ground Cloves [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Egg  [ 1 large, lightly beaten ]

Make Filling:
1. In a small pan, stir together Raisins, Crystallized Ginger, Flour, Ground Ginger, Sugar, Salt and
        Water.
2. Turn heat to Medium and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to Low and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Make Dough:
5. In a large bowl, cream together Butter and Sugar.
6. Add in Egg, Orange Zest, Orange Oil, Pepper, Molasses and Water; beat until fully mixed.
7. Add Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Cinnamon, Ginger, and Cloves. Beat until fully mixed; dough will
        be stiff.
8. Divide Dough into two parts; press each part into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.
9. Refrigerate until fully chilled.

Bake Cookies:
10. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
11. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
12. Remove Dough from refrigerator and place on counter until still chilled but malleable enough to roll
            out.
13. Roll Dough out to 1/8 inch thick.
14. Cut Dough into circles with a 3-inch cookie cutter.
15. Carefully transfer circles to prepared cookie sheets.
16. Brush circles lightly with beaten Egg.
17. Place Filling on circles: if making half-moon-shaped cookies, place about 1 teaspoon filling on one
           side of each circle. If making full-circle cookies, place about 1 tablespoon filling in center of every
           other circle [ the remaining circles will be the tops ].
18. Close cookies: if making half-moon shaped cookies, carefully lift one side of cookie over filling to form
            a half-moon shape. If making full-circle cookies, place an unfilled circle of Dough over top of each
            filled circle.
19. Seal each cookie by pressing all open edges of Cookies together with tines of a fork.
20. Brush top of each Cookie with remaining Egg.
21. Prick top of each Cookie with a fork to allow steam to escape.
22. Bake until beginning to brown [ about 9-11 minutes ].
23. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire racks.
24. Repeat with remaining Dough and Filling.

Makes about 48 half-moon cookies or 24 full-circle cookies.

Love Raisins? Try:

Bourbon-Raisin Bars with Cinnamon Glaze

12 Days of Cookies( + Chocolate-Peppermint Meringue Kisses )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 20:06:00 +0000

Are you ready to get back to business?

The business of Christmas cookies, that is.

Or Holiday cookies, or December cookies, or Because-It's-Tuesday cookies.

Far be it from me to limit your cookie experience. You should make

cookies for whatever reason you can come up with to eat cookies.

But I'm making them for Christmas.

And because you had to wait a whole week between days two and three of this cookie spectacular, while I worked off an epic turkey coma and finished all my Christmas shopping, today I'm giving you the most Christmas-ey Christmas cookie ever.

Ever.

It's like Christmas threw up in here.

Wait, no. Not threw up. Bad choice of words for a food blog. No one threw up here.

...

We can just pretend this paragraph never happened, yes?

If you've never had a meringue, you're in for a treat with these. Nearly weightless, snow-white meringues are dipped in chocolate (because it's the holidays and that's what we do), and then dredged in Santa-striped crushed peppermints (finely crushed for better eating, coarsely crushed for better presentation). When you bite into one, the fragile meringue shatters and begins to dissolve on your tongue, leaving you with a mouthful of chocolate and peppermint.

All hail the Christmas cookie.

Chocolate-Peppermint Meringue Kisses
from Better Homes and Gardens

Egg Whites [ 4 ]
Salt [ 1/4 teaspoon ]
Cider Vinegar [ 1/4 teaspoon ]
Peppermint Extract [ 1/4 teaspoon ]
Sugar [ 1 1/3 cups ]
Milk Chocolate Chips [ 1 cup ]
Shortening [ 1 teaspoon ]
Striped Round Peppermint Candies [ such as Starlite Mints, crushed, 1 1/4 cups ]

1.   Place Egg Whites in the bowl of a mixer and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2.   Meanwhile, line 2 very large baking sheets with parchment paper.
3.   Arrange oven racks so that 2 baking sheets can fit into oven at the same time. Heat oven to 300 degrees.
4. Place a 1/2-inch star tip on a decorating bag.

5. Add Salt, Vinegar, and Peppermint Extract to Egg Whites.
6. Beat on Medium speed until soft peaks form [ when beaters are lifted from mixture, the peak created will
         mostly hold its shape, but the tip will curl softly downward ].
7. Increase speed to High and, one tablespoon at a time, add Sugar.
8. Beat until stiff peaks form [ when beaters are lifted from mixture, the peak created completely holds its
          shape, with an upright tip ].
9. Using a rubber spatula, gently scrape Meringue into decorating bag. Depending on size of bag, you may
         need to do this in shifts.
10. Pipe Meringue onto baking sheets in 1-inch kisses, spaced 1 inch apart.
11. When all Meringues are piped onto 2 baking sheets, place both sheets in oven. Bake 7 minutes.
12. Turn off oven and allow Meringues to sit in warm oven, with door closed, for 1 hour.
13. Gently remove Meringues from parchment paper and set on racks to cool.

14. In a small pot set over simmering water, melt Chocolate Chips and Shortening; stir together
            thoroughly and remove from heat.
15. Spread crushed Peppermints on a plate or in a shallow bowl.
16. Dip bottoms of cooled Meringues in melted Chocolate and then into crushed Peppermints. Place on
            waxed paper until set.

Makes about 75 meringues.

How about another little bite?

Espresso Tarts

12 Days of Cookies( + Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 18:58:00 +0000

Just to throw a little holiday sacrilege into the mix this week:

I'm not a fan of snickerdoodles.

I know, I get it. They're white and puffy and soft and all full o' cinnamon. But there's so many designer dogs running around nowadays, that I can't hear the word "doodle" without assuming that there's a poodle mixed in there somewhere.

And that's just not appetizing.

Although it does explain the white and puffy aspects.

But mainly I can't get behind the 'doodles because they're just so simple. White. Cinnamon. Meh.
I like my flavors to holler, not squeak.

But these 'doodles fit the bill. Soft and puffy like the traditional version, with a bittersweet bite from the chocolate and a warm, spicy burn from cinnamon and cayenne.

And not a smidge of poodle to be found.

Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles
from Better Homes and Gardens

Unsalted Butter [ 1/2 cup, softened ]
Sugar [ 3/4 cup ]
Brown Sugar [ packed, 3/4 cup ]
Cream of Tartar [ 1 teaspoon ]
Baking Soda [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Salt [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Cayenne Pepper [ 1/4 teaspoon ]
Eggs [ 2 ]
Vanilla Extract [ 2 teaspoons ]
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder [ 1/2 cup ]
Flour [ 2 1/4 cups ]

Sugar [ 1/4 cup ]
Cinnamon [ 2 teaspoons ]

1. In bowl of an electric mixer, beat Butter at High speed for 30 seconds.
2. Add Sugar, Brown Sugar, Cream of Tartar, Baking Soda, Salt and Cayenne. Beat until
thoroughly mixed, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.
3. Add Eggs and Vanilla and beat until mixed.
4. Add Cocoa Powder and Flour and beat just until combined.
5. Cover Dough with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until chilled [ about 1 hour ].
6. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
7. In a small, shallow bowl, stir together Sugar and Cinnamon.
8. Roll chilled Dough into 1 1/4-inch balls.
9. Roll Balls in Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture until evenly coated.
10. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
11. Bake until edges are set and tops are cracked [ about 10 minutes ].
12. Cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute; then transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Makes about 24 cookies.

Like your chocolate with a Latin twist?

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Bars

12 Days of Cookies( + Cranberry Macadamia Bars )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 03:24:00 +0000

These bars are big fat liars.

You think they're going to be all "Hawaiian Christmas Luau Spectacular." Assuming that's even a thing.

If it wasn't before, it is now. The internet is magical that way.

They're all full of coconut and macadamia nuts, with cranberries for extra chew and sweetness and tartness and holiday redness and all the other things that cranberries do.

But then you bite into one, and your mouth says...ORANGE.

Which is not at all what you were anticipating.

Liarcookies!

Not a good way to start the holiday season, Cookies. He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake. And he knows when you misrepresent yourself with a title that leaves our your most prominent flavor.

Lucky for you, you're delicious. I'll put in a good word for you with the big guy.

Cranberry Macadamia Bars
from Land O'Lakes

Crust:
Flour [ 2/3 cup ]
Unsalted Butter [ 1/3 cup ]
Sugar [ 2 tablespoons ]

Filling:
Sweetened Flaked Coconut [ 1/2 cup ]
Macadamia Nuts [ 2/3 cup, coarsely chopped ]
Sweetened Dried Cranberries [ 1/2 cup ]
Sugar [ 1/3 cup ]
Eggs [ 2, slightly beaten ]
Vanilla [ 1 teaspoon ]
Baking Powder [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Salt [ 1/4 teaspoon ]

Glaze:
Powdered Sugar [ 1 cup ]
Freshly-Grated Orange Peel [ 1 teaspoon ]
Orange Juice [ 2-3 tablespoons ]

Make Crust:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In the bowl of a mixer, combine Flour, Unsalted Butter, and Sugar.
3. Beat at Low speed until crust mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Press Mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch square ungreased baking pan.
5. Bake until barely browned [ about 15 minutes ].

Make Filling:
6. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together Coconut, Macadamia Nuts, Dried Cranberries,
Sugar, Eggs, Vanilla, Baking Powder, and Salt.
7. Immediately after removing Crust from the oven, spread Filling over it.
8. Return to oven until Topping is golden brown [about 22-27 minutes ]

Make Glaze:
9. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, Combine Powdered Sugar, Orange Peel, and enough Orange Juice to
bring mixture to a glazing consistency.
10. Immediately after removing Bars from oven, drizzle Bars with Glaze.
11. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Makes 1 8x8-inch pan [ about 16-25 bars ]

Like a Little Orange with your Cranberries?

Orange Cranberry Slices

Bear Essentials: Apples ( + Mulled Cider )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 20:09:00 +0000

Yesterday I showed you a showstopping cake, and today we're upping the ante. Here's a recipe that has the same stop-you-in-your-tracks effect, with basically zero effort whatsoever.

Consider it an early Thanksgiving gift.

Coffee is good, and hot chocolate is amazing. But there is no beverage that transforms not just its drinker, but the entire household, so much as warm spiced cider. The scent of a pot of it simmering on the stove fills the entire house, transporting me instantly to childhood Christmas Eves.

And if you're trying to sell your house, might I suggest that making it is a heck of a lot easier than trying to make everything smell like freshly-baked cookies.

All you have to do is pour a jug of cider into a pot, toss in a few spices and a bit of brown sugar, and simmer until you can't stand the seasonal joy for a single second longer.

Yankee Candle's got nothing on you.

I hope you've enjoyed the landslide of apple recipes I've brought you over the last two weeks. And if you're new to the site and missed them the first time around, here's a little recap:

Rosemary and Browned Butter Applesauce
Apple-Maple Turkey Burger with Maple Dijon Sauce
Brown Butter Creamy Apple Pie
Apple-Cheddar Latkes
Cider-Brined Pork Chops with Creamed Leeks and Apples
Apple Crisp with Sweet Ginger and Macadamia Nuts
Celery and Apple Salad Dijon
Pork and Apple Pie with Cheddar-Sage Crust
Caramel-Apple Cake

Hope I'll see you back here next week, when I start sharing my annual Winter Cookie collection!

Mulled Cider
adapted from Martha Stewart

Apple Cider [ 5 cups ]
Light Brown Sugar [ packed, 3 tablespoons ]
Cinnamon Stick [ 1, plus more for serving if desired ]
Allspice [ 1 teaspoon ]
Ground Ginger [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Ground Cloves [ 1 pinch ]
Freshly-Grated Nutmeg [ 1 pinch ]
Salt [ 1 pinch ]

1. In a medium pot, whisk together Cider, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon Stick, Allspice, Ginger, Cloves,
Nutmeg, and Salt.
2. Bring to a simmer over Medium-Low heat.
3. Remove from heat; if desired, pour through cheesecloth to remove solids.
4. Pour into mugs and garnish with Cinnamon Sticks, if desired.

Serves 4.

And another great Fall breakfast:

Figs & Dried Cherries in Vanilla-Honey Syrup over Yogurt

Bear Essentials: Apples(+ Caramel-Apple Cake)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 21:49:00 +0000

Are you ready for Real Truth time?

I've been hanging on to this recipe (and pictures, as you can probably tell) for over a year.

In October of last year, crisp Fall afternoon air coming through the screen door and a DVR'd episode of Masterpiece on the television, I was carefully constructing this cake when the phone rang.

They were calling to offer me the job.

And in that moment, the rhythm of life changed completely.

No more morning runs (in the daylight, anyway). No more leisurely breakfasts while editing photographs. And, more devastating than anything, no more afternoons spent entirely in the kitchen, making pate de fruits and tempering chocolate, blooming yeast and rolling pastry. No more 4-hour projects.

This is the last layer cake I made, and something in me felt like that life of mine would really be gone once I shared it. So I've been hoarding.

But nothing good ever happens to your thighs when you hoard a layer cake. It's long past time to accept this new state of affairs, my transition from project dinners to crockpot dinners, and to recognize that maybe festive layer cakes are slightly less festive if you make them twice a week.

Given that, here's my last (and possibly best) layer cake. Dense, apple-ey, and frosted (somewhat less than skillfully) with a demonically rich caramel buttercream. Thanksgiving is coming, and your pumpkin pie wants a friend.

Don't leave him hanging.

Caramel-Apple Cake
from Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented
by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Apple Cake:
Flour [ 4 cups, plus more for dusting ]
Baking Soda [ 2 teaspoons ]
Baking Powder [ 1 teaspoon ]
Salt [ 1 teaspoon ]
Cinnamon [ 2 teaspoons ]
Ground Allspice [ 1 teaspoon ]
Ground Cloves [ 1 teaspoon ]
Unsalted Butter [ 1 1/2 cups, cut into 1-inch cubes, at room temperature, plus more for pans ]
Sugar [ 2 1/2 cups ]
Eggs [ 2 ]
Thick Applesauce [ 4 cups - I used this recipe ]

Caramel Buttercream:
Sugar [ 1 1/2 cups ]
Flour [ 1/3 cup ]
Whole Milk [ 1 1/2 cups ]
Heavy Cream [ 1/3 cup ]
Unsalted Butter [ 1 1/2 cups, cut into small pieces, soft but still cool ]
Vanilla Extract [ 1 teaspoon ]
Classic Caramel Sauce [ 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons, at room temperature ]

Classic Caramel Sauce:
Sugar [ 1 1/2 cups ]
Corn Syrup [ 1/4 cup ]
Water [ 1/2 cup ]
Unsalted Butter [ 1/2 cup, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, softened ]
Heavy Cream [ 1 1/2 cups ]

Make Classic Caramel Sauce:
1. In a medium pot with high sides, carefully stir together Sugar, Corn Syrup, and Water. Do not let
        sugar crystals stick to sides of pan.
2. Stir over Medium-High heat until Sugar dissolves.
3.   Remove spoon from pot, clip candy thermometer to pot, and increase heat to High.
4. Bring Mixture to a boil; once it reaches 300 degrees F, remove from heat.
5. Immediately stir in Butter and Cream until combined.
6. Let cool to room temperature.

Make Apple Cake:
7. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
8. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans; line bottoms of pans with parchment paper, and then butter
         parchment.
9. Dust parchment paper with Flour and knock out any excess.
10. In a large bowl, sift together Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt, Cinnamon, Allspice,
            and Cloves.
11. In a mixer bowl, beat Butter until creamy [ about 4 minutes ].
12.   Add Sugar and mix until fluffy [ about 3 minutes ].
13.   Add Eggs and beat until thoroughly mixed.
14.   At Low speed, add 1/3 of the Flour Mixture, then 1/2 of the Applesauce, followed by 1/3 of the
            Flour, 1/2 of the Applesauce, and the last 1/3 of the Flour.
15.   Scrape down bowl with spatula and mix again on Low speed just until combined.
16.   Divide Batter among the three pans and smooth down the tops with a spatula.
17.   Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean [ about 40 minutes ], rotating pans after 20
           minutes.
18.   Move pans to a wire rack; cool 20 minutes.
19.   Carefully turn cakes upside-down onto rack, peel away parchment paper, and let cool completely.

Make Caramel Buttercream:
20. In a heavy medium pot, whisk together Flour and Sugar.
21. Whisk in Milk and Cream.
22. Cook over Medium heat, whisking occasionally, until mixture starts to boil and thickens [ about 10-15
             minutes ].
23. Pour Mixture into bowl of stand mixer.
24. Beat on High speed with paddle attachment until mixture is completely cool.
25. Reduce speed to Low; add Butter and Vanilla and mix until thoroughly blended.
26. Increase speed to Medium-High; beat until frosting is fluffy.
27. Add 1/3 cup of the Caramel Sauce and mix until combined.

Assemble Caramel Apple Cake:
28. Set one Cake Round on your serving platter or cake plate. With a serrated knife, trim top so that it is
             level.
29. Spread about 1 1/4 cups Frosting evenly over top of Cake Layer.
30. Add second Cake Round and repeat steps.
31. Add third Cake Round.
32. Spread a very thin layer of Frosting over top and sides of cake.
33. Place cake in refrigerator for about 15 minutes [ this step will make it easier to frost cake without
            getting crumbs mixed into the frosting ].
34. Frost top and sides of Cake with remaining Frosting.
35. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons of the Caramel Sauce decoratively over top of cake.
36. Place in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before serving so that Caramel Sauce sets up.

[ Notes: like any buttercream, this one may occasionally offer challenges. If buttercream breaks (develops a curdled-looking texture) or seems to have other consistency problems, all is not lost. Generally, either application of cold (by placing in refrigerator for 15 minutes and then re-beating) or gentle heat (either by beating frosting over a double boiler or by wrapping a warm, wet dish towel around mixer bowl and then beating) will resolve your problem and bring the frosting back to the correct consistency to frost cake. ]

Makes 1 8-inch, 3-layer cake

Another great recipe from the men of Baked:

Rosemary Apricot Squares

Bear Essentials: Apples ( + Pork and Apple Pie with Cheddar-Sage Crust )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 02:13:00 +0000

Remember how I told you that I'm completely unimpressed by crust?

There's an exception to every rule.

This crust is different. This crust sings with cheese, crackling and flaky and salted.

And that's just the outside. Inside is a thick layer of ground spiced pork, which in itself would make for an above-average dinner. But instead the pie doubles down and adds in a blanket of sauteed apples.

I was hesitant at the idea of a meat pie. The phrase itself is less than appetizing. But a moment's thought reminded me that I've been eating pasties all my life - the simplest made just of meat and potatoes wrapped in a pie crust packet. Next to that, this pie is a complex work of genius - sweet and salty, crispy and meltingly soft.

And finally, we've found a pie crust that pulls its own weight.

Pork and Apple Pie with Cheddar-Sage Crust
barely adapted from The Apple Lover's Cookbook
by Amy Traverso

Crust:
Flour [ 2 1/2 cups, plus more for sprinkling ]
Dried Sage [ finely crumbled, 2 teaspoons ]
Salt [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Unsalted Butter [ 1 cup, cut into small cubes ]
Sharp Cheddar Cheese [ 3 ounces, finely grated ]
Ice Water [ 6-8 tablespoons ]
Egg [ 1, whisked with 1 tablespoon water ]

Filling:
Golden Delicious Apples [ 1 1/2 pounds, cored and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges ]
Granny Smith Apples [ 1 1/2 pounds, cored and cut into 1/4-inch thick wedges ]
Vegetable Oil [ 2 tablespoons ]
Onion [ 1 small, very finely chopped ]
Ground Pork [ 2 pounds ]
Light Brown Sugar [ packed, 1 tablespoon ]
Kosher Salt [ 1 teaspoon ]
Cinnamon [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Ground Ginger [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Ground Cloves [ 1/4 teaspoon ]
Ground Allspice [ 1/4 teaspoon ]
Plain Dried Breadcrumbs [ 3 1/2 tablespoons ]

Make Crust:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together Flour, Sage and Salt.

2. Sprinkle Butter Cubes over Flour Mixture and mix together by rubbing between your thumbs and

fingertips.

3. Continue mixing until Mixture is the consistency of cornmeal with the occasional pea-sized lump of

Butter.

4. With a fork, stir in Cheese.

5. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of the Ice Water over Mixture; stir with a fork until dough begins to come

together. If necessary, add additional 1-2 tablespoons of the Ice Water.

6. Lightly sprinkle counter with Flour.

7. Turn out Dough onto floured counter; knead 3 times just to bring mixture together.

8. Gather Dough into a ball, and break into 2 portions, one slightly larger than the other.

9. Pat each portion into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Make Filling:
10.   Meanwhile, in a large pan over Medium-Low heat, cook Apples, stirring gently, until they begin to
            soften [ about 5-7 minutes ]
11.   Transfer Apples to a plate and set aside.
12.   Return pan to stove and add Oil; increase heat to Medium-High.
13.   Add Onion, Pork, Brown Sugar, Salt, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, and Allspice.
14.   Cook, breaking up Pork with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned [ about 10 minutes ]
15.   Let cool 10 minutes.
16. Place Pork Mixture and Bread Crumbs in food processor. Pulse until Mixture is the texture of
            coarse sand [ about 5 pulses ]. Set aside.

Prepare Dough:
17. Unwrap larger disc of Dough and place between two large sheets of parchment or wax paper.
18. Roll out to a 15-inch circle.
19. Remove top piece of parchment paper and upend Dough into 12-inch pie plate.
20. Peel off remaining piece of parchment paper and press Dough into corners of pie plate, draping excess
over the edge.
21.   Unwrap second disc of Dough and repeat rolling process, rolling into a 14-inch circle. Set aide.

Assemble Pie:
22.   Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
23.   Pour Pork Mixture into an even layer in bottom crust.
24.   Neatly arrange cooked Apples in an even layer over the Pork, pressing down gently to smooth out
surface.
25.   Peel top layer of parchment paper off of top Crust and upend crust onto top of pie.
26.   Peel off remaining sheet of parchment.
27.   Using a sharp knife, cut two 3-inch slits in top of pie to allow steam to escape.
28.   Fold edges of bottom crust up over edges of top crust, and crimp crust decoratively.
29.   Brush Crust with Egg-Water Mixture.
30.   Bake 10 minutes.
31.   Reduce heat to 375 degrees; continue to bake until crust is golden-brown [ about 25-35 minutes ]
32.   Remove from oven; allow to cool on a rack at least 25 minutes before serving.

[ Notes: this recipe originally called for a deep-dish 9-inch pan. After making the filling, however, I looked at it and looked at the pan and realized that the first item was never going to fit inside the second. After further inspection, I determined that the "deep dish" pie plate I had bought was exactly the same depth as the "standard" pie plate I had bought from the same company. Awesome. So I rolled the dough a little thinner and cooked the pie in a beautiful 12-inch pie plate that I happen to own. The cooking time was more or less identical, so don't feel the need to go out and buy a 12-inch pan if you don't have one. An actually deep-dish 9-inch pan should work just fine. ]

Makes one 12-inch pie.

Love a savory pie?

Quiche Lorraine

Bear Essentials: Apples( + Celery and Apple Salad Dijon )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 00:44:00 +0000

As we learned yesterday, we are not legally obligated to bake every apple we see down to a delicious cinnamon-laced mush.

Not that that wouldn't be fabulous.

But sometimes it's nice to try something new.

And especially in the early days of Fall, when your appetite is saying "pie" but the heat index is still saying "ice cream," this refreshing, barely-dressed salad is the perfect tangy little side dish to go alongside whatever you've popped onto the grill for dinner. And if what you've grilled is these apple-mustard-maple-bacon turkey burgers, you're in for twice the apple-y fun.

[ I have confidence that you, unlike me, will realize that both your mandoline and food processor have julienne blades before carefully julienning your apple and celery into tiny matchsticks by hand. I trust your common sense over mine any day. ]

Celery and Apple Salad Dijon
from Gourmet

Mayonnaise [ 2 tablespoons ]
Dijon Mustard [ 1 tablespoon ]
Cider Vinegar [ 1 teaspoon ]
Sugar [ 1/4 teaspoon ]
Fresh Tarragon [ minced, 1 teaspoon ]
Salt [ to taste ]
Black Pepper [ to taste ]
Celery [ 4 ribs, cut into 1 1/2-inch matchsticks ]
Granny Smith Apple [ 1, cut into 1 1/2-inch matchsticks ]

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together Mayonnaise, Mustard, Vinegar, Sugar, Tarragon, Salt and
Pepper.
2. Add Celery and Apple and toss to coat.
3. Serve immediately for maximum crunch.

Serves 2-4

Love Crunch? Try:

Cucumber, Avocado and Lime Soup

Bear Essentials: Apples ( + Apple Crisp with Sweet Ginger and Macadamia Nuts )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 02:11:00 +0000

Yes, we're back for a second week of apple recipes.

Initially, I only meant to bring you five. I made a list of all the apple recipes I've been hoarding, and tried them all so I could offer you the best of the best.

But something shocking happened. They mostly sucked. Really sucked. It baffles me that so many test-kitchen-approved, professionally-edited recipes could be such abject failures.

Sure, some disasters can be chalked up to user error. A miscalibrated oven or overbeaten egg whites or a heavy hand while measuring the flour. But these disasters edged into "worst cook in the world" territory, and the kitchen and I aren't exactly strangers.

And then there were the recipes that, while technically flawless, just didn't taste good.

I'm looking at you, Apple-Caraway Soup and Leek-and-Apple-Topped Hot Dogs.

I'd hoped that by being adventurous I'd be rewarded with a surprising new weeknight favorite. Instead, I was rewarded with a late-night trip to the drive-through. I have too little stomach space to waste it on food whose only value lies in its shock value.

But there were also recipes that just didn't seem interesting enough to share. There are a thousand recipes for apple pie out there, and you have access to Google. Do you really need me to offer you a recipe that sounds just like all the rest?

That's why I'm offering you this Crisp recipe today. This clever fellow is one of a kind. Instead of the holy apple seasoning trifecta of cinnamon, cinnamon and nutmeg [acceptable substitution: cinnamon ], this recipe pairs apples with two kinds of ginger, puckery lime, and a topping made with macadamia nuts. It's a decidedly island-ey apple crisp, the kind of recipe that renews your faith in recipe developers and inspires you to try another 9 apple recipes before common sense steps in and tells you you've done enough.

Stay tuned for week two, folks.

Apple Crisp with Sweet Ginger and Macadamia Nuts
from Greg Patent
at Food & Wine

Flour [ 1 1/4 cups ]
Dark Brown Sugar [ packed, 1/2 cup ]
Ground Ginger [ 1 teaspoon ]
Cinnamon [ 1 teaspoon ]
Salt [ 1/4 teaspoon plus 1 pinch ]
Unsalted Butter [ 1/2 cup, cut into 8 pieces ]
Macadamia Nuts [ 3/4 cup, finely chopped ]
Granny Smith Apples [ 3 1/2 pounds, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced ]
Crystallized Ginger [ finely chopped, 1/3 cup ]
Sugar [ 1/2 cup ]
Lime Zest [ from 1 lime ]
Lime Juice [ from 1 lime ]

Vanilla Ice Cream [ for serving ]

1.   Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2.   In a food processor, pulse Flour with Brown Sugar, Ground Ginger, Cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon
         of the Salt until mixed.
3.   Add Butter; pulse until Butter is the size of small peas.
4.   Add Macadamia Nuts and pulse just until mixed in.
5.   In a large bowl, mix Apples with Crystallized Ginger, Sugar, Lime Zest, Lime Juice, and 1 pinch
         of Salt.
6.   Spread Apple Mixture in bottom of 9x13" baking pan.
7.   Sprinkle Crumb Topping over Apples.
8.   Bake until Crisp is bubbling and golden [ about 50 minutes ]
9.   Allow to cool at least 30 minutes.
10.   Serve with Ice Cream.

Makes 1 9x13-inch pan [ or a whole bunch of smaller ramekins that you laid out in the counter and meticulously arranged until they looked like they added up to about 9x13. Your call. ].

This Time Last Year on Being a Bear:

Fresh Mozzarella, Prosciutto, and Fig Jam Panini

Bear Essentials: Apples( + Cider-Brined Pork Chops with Creamed Leeks and Apples )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 20:03:00 +0000

I thought I'd make you a tower of food today.

First we've got a pile of leeks [ which are one of nature's funner vegetables ], thinly sliced and sauteed in butter until they melt down to almost nothing. They're like onions, but sweeter and kinder and greener and altogether better. And because we're not the type to leave well enough alone, we're going to add piles of salt and pepper and more than a smidge of cream. Expect to lose about half the recipe to nibbling before you've got the rest of dinner ready. I barely had enough left to take these pictures. Whoops.

Next we're going to brine some thick-cut pork chops in spiced apple cider. This is not a poor life choice on our part. It keeps the pork incredible juicy and tender when we broil it. You could grill instead, but that would require you to have a grill. I broiled.

And then, because too much is never enough, we're going to saute up some apples with a bit of sugar to help with caramelization, then saute them in broth and cider and apple liqueur until they're soft and fragrant.

Leeks on plate.

Pork on leeks.

Apples on pork.

Success!

Cider-Brined Pork Chops
with Creamed Leeks and Apples
by Sanford D'Amato of Coquette Cafe
in Bon Appetit

Apple Cider [ 4 1/4 cups ]
Coarse Salt [ 3 tablespoons ]
Allspice Berries [ 6 ]
Bay Leaf [ 1 ]
Thick-Cut Pork Chops [ 4, about 10 ounces each ]

Unsalted Butter [ 4 tablespoons ]
Leeks [ 5 large, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced into half-moons ]
Whipping Cream [ 1 cup ]

Granny Smith Apples [ 1 1/2 pounds, each apple peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges ]
Sugar [ 2 tablespoons ]
Chicken Broth [ 1/2 cup ]
Calvados [ 1/3 cup ]

Olive Oil [ for brushing ]

1. Place Pork Chops in a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.
2. In a large pot, bring 4 cups of the Cider, Salt, Allspice and Bay Leaf to a boil.
3. Stir to make sure that all Salt is dissolved.
4. Cool Brine completely.
5. When cool, pour Brine over Pork Chops in baking dish.
6. Cover pan and refrigerate overnight.

7. In a large pan over Medium-Low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the Butter.
8. Add Leeks and saute until tender [ about 7-10 minutes ]
9. Add Cream and simmer until mixture is slightly thickened [ about 3 minutes ]
10. Season to taste with Salt and Pepper.
11. Set Leeks aside.

12. In a large nonstick pan over Medium heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of the Butter.
13. Add Apples; saute 10 minutes.
14. Add Sugar; saute until Apples are golden [ about 6 minutes ]
15. Add Broth, Calvados and remaining 1/4 cup of the Cider.
16. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until Apples are tender and liquid thickens slightly [ about 5 minutes ]
17. Set Apple Mixture aside.

18. Heat broiler.
19. Drain Pork Chops, rinse each under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels.
20. Brush Pork Chops with Olive Oil.
21. Broil Pork Chops until done, turning over halfway through [ about 4-5 minutes per side ].
22. Rewarm Leeks and Apples if necessary.
23. Serve Pork on a bed of Leeks, topped with Apples.

Serves 4-6

Further proof that Pork loves Fruit:

Pork Tenderloin with Spiced Rhubarb Chutney

Bear Essentials: Apples( + Apple-Cheddar Latkes )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 20:04:00 +0000

In the year or so that I've been writing this blog, I've completely conquered my fear of frying.

I've fried chicken. I've fried steak. I've fried doughnuts and cheese fritters and avocados. I've deep-fried and pan-fried, and learned that even though I own a deep-fryer, a pot and a thermometer work so well that lugging a 20-pound appliance out of the hall closet just doesn't make much sense. We do it the old-fashioned way around here.

And I won't deny that I've had moments where I wondered if this triumph was a good thing: there's no sense in trading a fear of frying for a fear of your own cholesterol levels.

But these little guys here? They let me know that I was right all along. They may be impossible to photograph, but these little side-dish pancakes made with shredded apples and cheddar, bound together with just a little bit of egg and flour and then pan-fried to crisp-on-the-outside, soft-and-melty-on-the-inside perfection, are...well...perfect.

Don't skip that last sprinkling of salt. It takes them right over the top.

People are going to think you're a superhero.

Apple-Cheddar Latkes
barely adapted from Adrianna Adarme
at A Cozy Kitchen

Honeycrisp Apples [ 2, peeled, cored, and halved ]
Granny Smith Apples [ 2, peeled, cored, and halved ]
Lemon [ 1 ]
Fine-Grained Sea Salt [ 1/2 teaspoon, plus more for sprinkling ]
Flour [ 1/4 cup ]
Baking Powder [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Black Pepper [ 3/4 teaspoon ]
Sharp Cheddar Cheese [ coarsely grated, 1 1/4 cups ]
Egg [ 1 ]
Vegetable Oil [ for frying ]

1. Coarsely grate the Apples into a bowl.
2. Juice Lemon and toss Apples with Lemon Juice and Salt.
3. Allow Apples to stand for 5 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together Flour, Baking Powder, and Pepper.
5. In a second small bowl, lightly beat Egg.

6. After 5 minutes are up, drain Apples.
7. Squeeze excess juice from Apples, either by placing them in cheesecloth and squeezing or by placing
between layers of paper towel and patting/pressing until towel comes away nearly dry.
8. Return Apples to bowl and toss with Flour Mixture and Cheddar.
9. Add Egg to Apples and mix thoroughly.

10. Place a pan over Medium-High heat and fill with Oil to the depth of 1/2 inch.
11. Heat until a drop of oil flicked onto the Oil sizzles and bounces.
12. Carefully place 1/4-cup mounds of Apple Mixture into Oil and flatten slightly. Do not overcrowd pan.
13. Cook until first side of Latke is golden brown [ about 2 minutes ].
14. Gently flip Latkes over and cook until second side is golden brown [ about another 1-2 minutes ].
15. Remove Latkes from Oil with a slotted spoon or spatula; place on paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with
Salt.
16. If cooking in more than 1 or 2 batches, Latkes can be placed onto a sheet pan in a 200-degree oven to
keep them warm while remaining Latkes are being cooked.

Makes 8-10 Latkes

Love you some cheddar?

Sharp Cheddar Cheese Crackers

Bear Essentials: Apples ( + Brown Butter Creamy Apple Pie )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 02:24:00 +0000

You didn't think I'd leave you without a pie recipe in the middle of Apple Week, did you?

I don't make a lot of pies, mostly because making pie crust seems like the biggest hassle in the world to me. Never mind that I'm willing to fry doughnuts, fill eclairs, and boil up caramel. Cutting butter into flour and salt is horrible.

Or so I think, until I actually sit down to do it, and ten minutes later I have an entire pie ready to go in the oven. It's not that hard. Scratch that - it's not hard at all. But just looking at these pictures, I'm exhausted all over again.

The problem might just be the lack of returns. I've read blogs where the authors wax poetic on the glory of pie crust. But I just can't relate. In fact, I have trouble reading the rest of the post because it started with such an obvious fallacy that I can't trust anything that follows. Crust is bread. And not even good bread. Flat bread. It's the Tupperware of breads. The point of pie is what you've packed for lunch. Not what's containing it. And yes, I eat pie for lunch. This should not come as a surprise to you.

Well, what I've packed for lunch today is exquisite.

You brown a pile of butter until it's nutty and dark and fragrant, and then you make a thin batter with it that you pour into the bottom of your pie crust. Top with your apples and bake, and because there are eggs in there and baking is magic, that browned-butter batter rises up through the apples to cover and meld with them.

Oh, and there's streusel. There should always be streusel.

It's enough to make a girl reach for her rolling pin.

Brown Butter Creamy Apple Pie
from Pillsbury

Unbaked Single-Crust Pie Crust [ 1 ]

Unsalted Butter [ 1/4 cup ]
Sugar [ 1/2 cup ]
Egg [ 1 ]
Flour [ 2 tablespoons ]
Vanilla Extract [ 1 teaspoon ]
Granny Smith Apples [ 2 pounds, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges ]

Flour [ 1/2 cup ]
Sugar [ 1/4 cup ]
Brown Sugar [ packed, 1/4 cup ]
Cinnamon [ 3/4 teaspoon ]
Unsalted Butter [ 1/4 cup ]

Sweetened Whipped Cream [ for serving ]

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place Pie Crust in a 9-inch glass pie pan. Crimp crust if necessary.
3. In a small pot over Medium heat, melt 1/4 cup of the Butter.
4. Swirling pot often to mix, cook Butter until lightly browned.
5. Set aside to cool completely [ about 15 minutes ].

6. In a small bowl with a wire whisk, beat together 1/2 cup of the Sugar and Egg until light and fluffy.
7. Add 2 tablespoons of the Flour and Vanilla.
8. Whisk in Browned Butter.
9. Pour into Pie Crust.
10. Arrange Apples decoratively on top of Browned-Butter Filling [ I went for a spiral design ].

11. In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup of the Flour, 1/4 cup of the Sugar, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon.
12. Using a pastry blender, cut 1/4 cup of the Butter into Dry Mixture until Streusel looks like coarse
            crumbs.
13. Sprinkle Streusel over Pie.
14. Bake Pie for 20 minutes.
15.   Remove Pie from oven. Carefully cover edges of Pie Crust with strips of aluminum foil, to keep them
            from overbrowning.
16.   Return Pie to oven.
17. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking until Apples are softened and Crust is
            golden brown [ about 30-40 minutes ].
18. Remove Pie from oven. Cool 1 1/2 hours.
19. Serve warm or at room temperature, with Sweetened Whipped Cream.

Makes 1 9-inch pie.

In the mood for more pie?

Pineapple and Macadamia Nut Tart

Bear Essentials: Apples( + Apple-Maple Turkey Burgers with Maple Dijon Sauce )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 22:38:00 +0000

Ohhhhtheseburgers, guys.

I was recently reading a cookbook by a beloved chef/restauranteur, who put forth the opinion that a hamburger should be made with nothing more than beef, salt, and pepper. Once you start adding things in, stated said culinary paragon, "it stops being a hamburger and becomes meatloaf."

To which I say:
Um...No.
No it doesn't.

It becomes flavored. And since when is that a problem?

Meatloaf is meatloaf because it's ground meat in a loaf form. A burger is a burger because it's ground meat in a patty form, on a bun.

For the amount that they pay you, celebrity chef, you should really have a better handle on that.

I'm all for adding things to your burger patties if it makes everything better - and in this case, believe, me, it's definitely better. These burgers take ground turkey and add in a little chopped bacon, some thick applesauce, poultry seasoning and maple syrup. Then they're finished off with more thick-cut bacon and a maple-dijon sauce. The result is surprisingly perfect - not particularly sweet, perfectly spiced and smoky, with a tangy bite from the mustard. If this isn't a burger, I don't know what is.

Apple-Maple Turkey Burgers with Maple Dijon Sauce
slightly adapted from Sandra Lee
at Food Network

Sauce:
Mayonnaise [ 1/4 cup ]
Dijon Mustard [ 1 tablespoon ]
Maple Syrup [ 2 tablespoons ]
Salt [ to taste ]
Black Pepper [ to taste ]

Burgers:
Ground Turkey Breast [ 1 1/4 pounds ]
Thick-Cut Bacon [ 2 slices, chopped finely ]
Thick Applesauce [ 1/2 cup - I used this recipe ]
Poultry Seasoning [ 1 teaspoon ]
Maple Syrup [ 2 tablespoons ]
Salt [ 1/2 teaspoon ]
Black Pepper [ 1/4 teaspoon ]
Vegetable Oil [ 2 tablespoons ]

Hamburger Buns [ 4 ]
Thick-Cut Bacon [ 8 slices, cooked ]

Make Sauce:
1. In a small bowl, stir together Mayonnaise, Mustard, and Maple Syrup.
2. Season to taste with Salt and Pepper and set aside.
Make Burgers:
3.   In a large bowl, mix together Turkey, Chopped Bacon, Applesauce, Poultry Seasoning, Maple
        Syrup, Salt, and Pepper.
4.   Shape mixture into 4 Burgers.
5.   In a large pan over Medium-High heat, heat Oil.
6.   Add Burgers to Oil; cook until done [ about 5-7 minutes per side ].
Construct Burgers:
7.   Toast Buns.
8.   Place Burgers on Buns, and top with Mustard Sauce and Bacon.

Makes 4 burgers.

You might also like:

Bratwurst in Creamy Apple Compote

Bear Essentials: Apples ( + Rosemary and Browned Butter Applesauce )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 19:10:00 +0000

I'll be the first to admit that this all got out of hand.

I showed you a bunch of ice cream recipes in July, and then I was supposed to show you blackberry recipes in August and apple recipes in September. Because that's when the apples suddenly show up everywhere. Logical, no?

But then, in the first week of August, I found some gorgeous Braeburns at the store. And I bought about 30, because self-control is stupid and probably unamerican.

And I never looked back.

Blackberry recipes got forgotten. I was too busy making pies.

September went by unnoticed, because sure, I'd collected 5 great apple recipes. But there were about 30 more on my to-make list, and what if one of them was better than what I had?

October went past, because as it turns out it takes more than ten minutes to edit 15 recipes' worth of photos.

Basically, I forgot about you because I was too busy making you presents. Is that a thing? I'm sorry.

But on the plus side, you'll never want for an apple recipe ever again. I've got you covered. I've got ten top-notch, fall-scented, leaf-kicking recipes ready for you, and we're starting with with one of the best: Rosemary and Browned Butter Applesauce. And tomorrow? I'm going to show you something just as amazing that you can make using it. Twofer!

Rosemary and Browned Butter Applesauce
by Joyne Cohen
in Bon Appetit

This is one of those recipes that stops you in your tracks. Yes, it's just apples and spices cooked together until they melt down into what's basically a gastronomical hug. But there's browned butter in there and the tiniest, faintest piney bite that elevate it into something altogether new. Be sure to eat this at room temperature or, even better, warm: the flavors come alive with heat.

Unsweetened Apple Juice [ 3 cups ]
Fresh Rosemary [ 3 4-inch sprigs ]
Cinnamon Sticks [ 1 1/2 ]
Salt [ to taste ]
Braeburn Apples [ 3 1/2 pounds, unpeeled, cored, cut into 1-inch chunks ]
Unsalted Butter [ 3 tablespoons ]

1. In a large pot, mix Apple Juice, Rosemary, Cinnamon Sticks, and a large pinch of Salt.
2. Boil until reduced by half [ about 8 minutes ].
3. Reduce heat to Medium and add Apples.
4. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until Apples are very soft [ about 35 minutes ].
5. If liquid remains in pot, uncover and continue cooking until it evaporates.

6. Remove from heat. Fish out and discard Rosemary and Cinnamon Sticks.
7. Press Apples through a sieve or food mill into a bowl.
8. Discard apple skins.

9. In a small pan over Medium-Low heat, melt Butter.
10. Cook, swirling pan frequently, until Butter browns [ about 4 minutes ].
11. Mix Browned Butter into Applesauce.
12. Stir in Salt to taste.
13. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 3 cups.

Hungry for more Applesauce? Try:

Roasted Applesauce

The Bearfrau's Guide to Stabby Killers ( + Pumpkin-Spice Steel-Cut Oatmeal )

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 03:35:00 +0000

Well, not a guide to stabby killers. This isn't a death-row walking tour. It's more of a guide to surviving stabby killers - my valuable contribution to the Halloween season.

This whole story starts with a turtle. It's hand-sized, brass, with a stained-glass shell and a teeny little lamp inside it. So when your husband has gone out of town on business again and you're alone in the apartment in the dark and you're thirsty but won't get out of bed because that dark reflection in the dresser mirror might be your own, but it also might be Bloody Mary, and now that you've thought the words "Bloody Mary" it's definitely Bloody Mary, and you're pretty sure she's going to jump out of the mirror and scratch your eyes out, you can turn on the turtle and have a gently colorful glow on your nightstand and see that it's really just your own reflection and maybe actually get some sleep.

I'd like to emphasize that it's stained glass. Which means it's Art. Definitely not a nightlight. Art.

But the problem with stained-glass turtles, as I'm sure you're aware, is that sometimes you touch them and the glass shell feels hot and you start to worry that maybe it will catch fire while you are peacefully sleeping under its multicolored glow, and then you have to spend what may be an irrational amount of time considering which would be worse: having your eyes clawed out by Bloody Mary or being burned to death by a glass turtle.

No one understands how complicated my life is.

And in the end you have to turn off the turtle, not because you think being clawed to death is better than burning, but because you're pretty sure that other people don't believe in Bloody Mary, and it's bad enough that you have to die tonight, but you really can't deal with the extra humiliation of some snarky bitches standing over our corpse and being all "Oh, how sad, if only she hadn't irrationally believed that an angry ghost-monster was going to climb out of her mirror in the middle of the night, she wouldn't have burned down her entire apartment complex." At least this way you WILL be clawed to death, and when they're standing over your corpse you can be all "I TOLD you, bitches!" and sure, that's a Pyrrhic victory, but it's still a victory, dammit.

And sure, turning off the turtle seems like the right thing to do, until maybe you wake up alone in the dark with your heart beating a thousand miles an hour and a certainty that something is horrible wrong. And just when you decide that it must have been a nightmare, you realize that down in the dark, at the foot of the bed, something is breathing. A gargling, hissing, mouth-breathing something.

And that's when you Lose. Your. Shit.

But in the calmest, most dignified manner possible [because apparently death scares you into the ladylike behavior that your mother never could], because what you think to yourself, I kid you not, is: "There's a stabby killer down there. Oh my. I'm going to die." Oh My. Because god knows, you wouldn't want to overreact and have your killer think you uncouth. Maybe later, after the bloody part is over, you can also have a fit of the vapors and then make the murderer a nice jar of sun tea.

They say that when someone's about to die, their whole life flashes before their eyes. But as you lie there, preparing to be brutally dissected by someone who may or may not have machetes instead of hands, what you're thinking is:

"Oh no! I was going to post that oatmeal recipe this week!"

Which is cast-iron proof that you have trouble with priorities.

To be fair, you've been waiting to post this recipe for almost a year [because you made it last December but it has both oatmeal and pumpkin and nobody wants to hear about that little scenario until Fall]. You've been saving it up all this time for your beloved readers, and now they'll never see it. That's upsetting.

But it might have been nice if you'd also thought about how much you'd miss your husband or something.

But a reason to live is a reason to live, and now you're ready to fight back. Which poses its own problems, since the only weapons within arm's reach are the contents of the bedside drawer: a crumpled Kleenex, five assorted camera batteries, a coaster, two tubes of Carmex, and a bobble-headed armadillo from Guatemala.

None of that is remotely threatening, and since your McGyver skills are a little rusty, you grab yourself a stained-glass turtle and hurl yourself to the end of the bed to bludgeon your would-be killer with it. Except it's still plugged in, so halfway to the end of the bed you get a mild case of whiplash as the turtle is ripped from your hands. And inertia being what it is, it's too late to stop yourself from landing on whatever monster is waiting at the foot of the bed, so you just start hollering like a battle-maddened Viking, in hopes that he'll be confused long enough for you to make it out the bedroom door.

...

As it turns out, you have a beagle. He sleeps in a crate at the foot of your bed and makes funny noises when he dreams about chasing bunnies, and sometimes you try to crush his skull in with stained-glass reptiles because you tend to be confused when you wake up and forget that he exists and think he's an eye-gouging monster. Luckily you dropped the turtle, so you just ended up screaming incoherently at him.

The poor thing may never be the same again.

But on the plus side, I've found an oatmeal recipe that's so tasty I'm willing to face monsters just to share it with you. That's love. Or something like it.

And if you love me back...please don't tell PETA what happened.

Pumpkin-Spice Steel-Cut Oatmeal
barely adapted from Jeannette Ordas
at Everybody Likes Sandwiches

Water [ 3 cups ]
Steel-Cut Oats [ 1 cup ]
Canned Pumpkin Puree [ 1/2 cup ]
Ground Cinnamon [ 2 teaspoons ]
Ground Nutmeg [ Dash ]
Ground Cloves [ Pinch ]
Ground Cardamom [ 1/4 teaspoon ]
Maple Syrup [ 4 tablespoons ]
Toppings [ for serving, to taste - I like more Maple Syrup, Toasted Walnuts, Raisins, and Whole
                        Milk ]

1. In a medium-large pot over high heat, bring Water to a boil.
2. Add Oats, reduce heat to a simmer, and place lid on pot.
3. Stirring often [ Oats will create a lot of bubbles that will want to boil over ], cook until Oats are tender
         [ about 20 minutes ].
4.   Remove from heat.
5.   Stir in Pumpkin, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cardamom, and Maple Syrup.
6.   Divide into bowls and finish with toppings of your choice.

Makes 2 enormous bowls, or 4-6 smallish ramekins [ which is how I like my oatmeal ].

And a little something else for breakfast:

Doughnuts Filled with Grapefruit Curd