Delicious Dishings

Cherry-Orange Cream Cheese Tartlets

2012-02-10T06:00:00.002-05:00

One of the many perks of my job is access to what is fondly called the "take-home fridge." Any foods that the test cooks are done with or ingredients they've finished using go into the fridge, and anyone can take them home. I came home with a bag of cherries one day and immediately started looking through my cookbooks for inspiration. I knew I didn't want to make a cherry pie but something more interesting.

Eventually I found a recipe for cherry-vanilla compote in The Sweet Life and thought the compote would make an interesting filling for tartlet shells. I decided on hazelnut tartlet shells for their nutty flavor and then began thinking about how a cream cheese filling would complement the cherry compote too. So from a combination of random recipes with lots of tweaks, these delicate, festive cherry-orange cream cheese tartlets were created.

Cherry-Orange Cream Cheese Tartlets
Printable version
Makes 25

Ingredients

Hazelnut Tartlet Shells (adapted from The Sweet Life)
2.5 ounces hazelnut flour (about 3/4 cup)
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg yolk, room temperature

Cherry Compote (adapted from The Sweet Life)
1 pound sweet cherries, pitted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup orange juice, from 1 Cara Cara orange
1/4 cup sugar

Cream Cheese Filling (adapted from Baking)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons 0% Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons orange zest, from 1 Cara Cara orange

Preparation

For the hazelnut tartlet shells: In a small bowl, whisk together hazelnut flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed for 1 minute.

Add sugar and beat on medium-high speed until mixture becomes light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.

Add egg yolk and beat until incorporated.

Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture, and beat on low speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes.

Press dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Unwrap dough disk and place on lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Roll dough out on parchment into a 13- by 9-inch rectangle. Slide dough with parchment onto sheet pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile arrange 25 tartlet pans on a 13- by 9-inch rimmed sheet pan. Flip dough onto tartlet pans, and peel away parchment. Let dough warm slightly, then press dough into tartlet pans.

Roll over pans with rolling pin to allow pans to cut through dough. Taking each pan individually, push dough into pan and wipe away any excess dough using fingertips. Clean away any dough scraps, and rearrange tartlet pans on baking sheet. Place sheet pan in fridge.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then remove sheet pan from fridge and prick tartlets all over with fork.

Place sheet pan in oven, and bake tartlet shells for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown, turning halfway through baking. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

Gently push tartlet shells out of tartlet pans and arrange on plate.

For the cherry compote: Combine cherries, vanilla, orange juice, and sugar in medium saucepan.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer compote to an ice bath to cool.

Scoop cherries out of liquid into bowl of food processor.

Discard cherry liquid or reserve for another use (such as a fun cocktail or the cherry cream cheese brownies I'll be sharing with you soon). Process cherries until chopped, about 5 seconds. Transfer cherries to bowl.

For the cream cheese filling: In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until softened, then add in sugar and vanilla. Scrape down bowl.

Switch to whisk attachment and add Greek yogurt. Whisk until smooth, then add in orange zest.

To assemble: Divide cream cheese mixture among tartlet shells, about 1 scant teaspoon each.

Use a small offset spatula to spread cream cheese in shells.

If cherries look very juicy, drain them again. Then divide cherries among tartlets. (I found it easiest to scoop them up with a fork. You will likely have about 1/2 cup cherry mixture leftover that you can reserve for another use, such as cherry cream cheese brownies.) Serve.

(Tarts can be refrigerated for a few hours, but it's best to fill them shortly before serving them so they don't get soggy.)

What would you make if you suddenly had a bag of cherries to work with?

Mini Pear And St-Germain Cupcakes

2012-02-08T06:00:00.007-05:00

Most of you know by now that St-Germain is my favorite liqueur. A while back, I made a St-Germain icing, and since then I vowed that I would incorporate St-Germain into more desserts. I also decided that I want to use more pears in my baking. I found a recipe for pear and elderflower macarons and thought it would be fun to use the components to make some mini cupcakes.

I started with a white cake base, baked up mini cupcakes, filled them with St-Germain poached pears, and topped them with St-Germain buttercream. (And I had a lot of help from Elizabeth who came over to spend the day baking with me.) To make the cupcakes extra delicate, I chose pink cupcake liners, and we decorated them with pink sugar and pearls.

After they were all finished, I couldn't help thinking that they would be perfect for a bridal shower... or perhaps any holiday in February when one might be serving pink desserts.

Mini Pear And St-Germain Cupcakes
I made 48 mini cupcakes and baked the remaining batter into cake layers, but you could do all mini cupcakes.

Ingredients

Cake (adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)
2 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg plus 1 yolk
1 1/2 cups ice water
3 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Poached Pears (adapted from Spicy Ice Cream)
2 pears, peeled, cored, and finely diced
1 cup water
4 tablespoons St-Germain
1 tablespoon brown sugar

St-Germain Buttercream (adapted from Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 egg whites
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened and cut into chunks
1 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons reserved pear poaching liquid
1 to 3 teaspoons St-Germain
Pink sugar
White decorating pearls

Preparation

For the cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line mini muffin pans with paper liners.

Sift flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl. Set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and shortening on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Scrape down bowl, add egg and yolk, and beat until combined.

Turn mixer to low and add flour mixture, alternating with ice water, in three additions, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down bowl, then mix on low for a few seconds. Transfer to large bowl. Clean mixer bowl.

In clean mixer bowl with whisk attachment, whip egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter.

Using a small scoop, add one scoop of batter to each cupcake cup. Bake cupcakes one pan at a time, 10 to 12 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack and let cool.

For the poached pears: While cupcakes are baking, combine pears, water, St-Germain, and brown sugar in small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer on medium-low to low heat until pears are tender and liquid is syrupy. (This took about 40 minutes for me.) Strain and reserve liquid. Let liquid and pears cool.

For the St-Germain buttercream: In a small saucepan (that your stand mixer bowl can fit in without touching the water), simmer about 1 inch of water. In bowl of stand mixer, whisk together the granulated sugar and egg whites. Place the bowl over the simmering water, and heat, whisking occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until mixture is hot to the touch and sugar seems dissolved.

Place the bowl on the stand mixer, and using whip attachment, whip on medium-high speed for 6 to 8 minutes, or until mixture becomes a light, white meringue and bowl is cool to the touch.

Reduce speed to medium, and add the butter a few chunks at a time. Beat for 3 to 4 minutes or until the butter is fully incorporated.

Add the confectioners' sugar, salt, milk, and reserved poaching liquid, and continue to beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and satiny.

With the mixer running on medium speed, trickle in St-Germain to taste, and continue beating until frosting is smooth.

To assemble cupcakes: Scoop a small circle of cake out of the center of each mini cupcake.

Fill each hole with a small scoop of poached pears.

Pipe frosting on top of cupcakes.

Decorate with pink sugar and pearls.

These cupcakes are best the day they are made, but they can be stored in the fridge, wrapped tightly for 1 day. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Have you made any desserts with your favorite liqueur?

Deconstructed Pork Dumplings With Snow Peas

2012-02-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

I was looking for an easy dinner idea one night and came across a recipe for inside-out pork dumplings on Whole Living's website. It basically looked like a stir-fry with ground pork and wonton wrappers. I liked how simple and light the dish sounded, and most of the flavors appealed to me. What didn't appeal was all the bok choy (I've never been much for bitter greens) and white vinegar (it seemed like it would be too harsh). So I made a few tweaks and came up with these deconstructed pork dumplings with snow peas.

Jeff and I both really enjoyed this, and it comes together pretty quickly--besides that the wonton wrappers need to be boiled individually for a minute each. The original recipe calls for 24 wonton wrappers, but I cut back to 12, just to save time. I used snow peas because when I was shopping for the other ingredients, they caught my eye and I thought their crunch would be a nice addition. I can definitely see making many versions of this with different vegetables.

Deconstructed Pork Dumplings With Snow Peas (adapted from Whole Living)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 scallions, whites and greens separated, sliced thinly on bias
8 ounces ground pork
8 ounces snow peas
1 cup shredded carrots
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Kosher salt
12 wonton wrappers

Preparation

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

Heat oil and red pepper flakes in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and scallion whites. Cook, stirring, until scallions are tender, about 1 minute.

Add pork, breaking up with spoon, until cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Stir in snow peas. Cook until bright green, 1 to 2 minutes.

Turn off heat and stir in carrots and vinegar, and season with salt.

Cook wonton wrappers in boiling water, one at a time, until al dente, about 1 minute each.

Using tongs, transfer cooked wontons to skillet as they're finished.

Once all wontons are cooked, toss everything in skillet together and top with scallion greens.

Serve.

What veggies would you use in a dish like this?

Ginger-Soy-Glazed Wings

2012-02-04T06:00:00.065-05:00

Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday! I hope you're all planning on rooting for the Patriots! And I hope you're all planning your menus. You really can't have a Super Bowl party without wings, so here's a great recipe for some crispy wings with a sweet-savory ginger-soy glaze. I loved how the wings were super moist but still had crisp skin.

Ginger-Soy Glazed Wings (adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2012)

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken wings and drumettes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack in the pan.

Toss chicken wings, oil, salt, and pepper together in large bowl.

Spread wings out on prepared rack in single layer.

Bake until wings are cooked through and skin is crispy, 45 to 50 minutes, turning pan halfway through.

Meanwhile, combine honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger in small saucepan.

Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve honey, then reduce heat to low and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Strain mixture into liquid measuring cup, and let sit for about 15 minutes to thicken.

Transfer wings to large bowl, and pour glaze over wings.

Toss gently with tongs to coat wings. Return wings to rack and lay out in single layer.

Return pan to oven, and cook wings for 8 to 10 minutes longer, until glaze is glossy and caramelized.

Serve hot.

Need some more ideas? Try these other Super Bowl-friendly recipes!

Buffalo chicken stromboli
Chicken chimichangas
Fish tacos
Five-spice pork wraps
Mini margarita cupcakes
Mini pepperoni pizza pull-apart breads
Mini Philly cheesesteak egg rolls
Onion strings
Panko-crusted asparagus
Rosemary-truffle tots
Sausage and pork stuffed mushrooms
Shredded beef and cheese flautas
Slow-cooker chicken quesadillas
Soft pretzel bites with cheddar-mustard dipping sauce
Steak tacos

Mini Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls

2012-02-02T06:00:00.002-05:00

I first encountered steak and cheese egg rolls at the Del Frisco's grand opening party back in April. As soon as I took a bite, I wondered how I had never encountered these before and how I could make them at home. Fast-forward to this past August when I started working at America's Test Kitchen. One of the recipes being developed and one of the first things I tasted in the test kitchen was Philly cheesesteaks. That recipe just came out in the March/April issue of Cook's Illustrated, and I knew I'd be able to adapt the thinly shaved steak and creamy cheese filling to make some Philly cheesesteak egg rolls. And of course, I had to take it one step farther, and I opted to make bite-size egg rolls that would be perfect for a party.

You should give yourself about three hours to make these. The very first thing you want to do is cut some skirt steak in large pieces and get them in the freezer. The meat needs to stay in the freezer for an hour so it will be firm enough to thinly shave. While it's in the freezer, you can finely dice your pepper and onion, sauté them, and set them aside.

When it comes time to shave the steak, you will feel as though your arm is going to fall off, but just remember it's worth it. Use a very sharp knife--I even sharpened mine halfway through shaving the meat because I felt that it wasn't cutting as well.

Preheat your oven while you shave the steak, and then cook the steak, mix the peppers and onions in with it, melt the cheese into it, and transfer it to a bowl. Then you'll need to form the egg rolls. This requires a little patience because the rolls are so small. I laid out 6 wonton wrappers at a time on a cutting board and scooped about 2 teaspoons of filling into each. Then I folded the sides in, wet them with a little water, pulled the top over and affixed it to the sides, pulled the bottom up, wet it, and sealed it. Think of it like wrapping a present but you pull the sides in first.

Instead of frying the egg rolls, I decided to bake them. Yes, they're a little healthier that way, but my main motivation was making sure they'd all be ready at the same time (as opposed to frying in batches) and that there wouldn't be a huge pot of oil to discard while trying to host a party. I thought the egg rolls still got nicely browned this way, and surprisingly, the filling stayed very moist and creamy and didn't dry out at all.

These would be the perfect addition to any Super Bowl party menu.

Mini Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls (inspired by Del Frisco's; filling adapted from Cook's Illustrated)
Makes 30

Ingredients

1 pound skirt steak, trimmed and sliced with grain into 3-inch wide pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 large green pepper, finely diced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
4 slices Monterey Jack cheese
Salt and pepper
30 wonton wrappers

Preparation

Place steak pieces on plate in single layer and freeze for about 1 hour.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Wipe out skillet and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove meat from freezer and thinly shave steak pieces against the grain.

Place skillet over high heat, and heat vegetable oil until smoking. Add meat in a single layer, and cook without stirring for 4 minutes.

Stir meat together and then drain in colander.

Reduce heat to low, return meat to skillet, and stir in Parmesan and onion and pepper mixture.

Lay cheese slices over meat, and let melt for 2 minutes.

Stir cheese into meat until completely melted and thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer mixture to bowl.

Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Set out a small bowl of water and a small bowl of olive oil. Place about 2 teaspoons of cheesesteak mixture in each wonton wrapper (I set out 6 at a time). Taking one wrapper at a time, fold sides up, dip finger in water and gently wet sides, pull top of wrapper over mixture toward you, wet edge of top of wrapper, pull bottom of wrapper up and press to seal.

Place egg rolls on prepared baking sheet and brush each one sparingly with olive oil.

Bake for 10 minutes, then flip egg rolls over using tongs.

Bake for an additional 5 to 6 minutes, until egg rolls are nicely browned on both sides. Transfer egg rolls to paper towel-lined plate to absorb any oil, and then arrange on serving platter.

Serve hot.

What kinds of mini egg rolls would you make?

Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl Sunday is almost here! I'm sure you're all busy planning your menus, so I thought I'd share this awesome Buffalo chicken stromboli recipe. You start by simmering chicken in Buffalo sauce, then you mix it with cheese, fold it inside some puff pastry, and bake the whole thing. It's sure to be a crowd pleaser, and it's really easy to make.

I made two versions, one with cheddar cheese and one with cheddar cheese and blue cheese. And then I whipped up a blue cheese dip on the side, which was a great partner for the stromboli as well as Buffalo Wing Pretzel Crisps and celery sticks.

Buffalo Chicken Stromboli (adapted from Cook's Country and allrecipes.com)
Printable version
Makes 2 stromboli, serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), trimmed and cut in 1-inch strips
1/2 cup Frank's RedHot Sauce, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
1 (17.3-ounce) package puff pastry, thawed
Blue Cheese Dip, optional (recipe below)
Celery sticks, optional

Preparation

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken and 1/2 cup hot sauce. Reduce heat and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, until chicken is cooked. (I would err on the side of under- or just-cooked as the chicken will continue to cook in the oven too.)

Shred chicken and toss with sauce.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Drain chicken and divide between two medium bowls. Stir blue cheese and 2 tablespoons cheddar cheese into one bowl of chicken.

Stir remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese into other bowl of chicken. Stir in additional hot sauce if desired (I know some of you are braver than I am).

Unfold one pastry sheet on lightly floured countertop. Roll pastry into 10- by 14-inch rectangle.

With short side facing you, spoon one bowl of chicken mixture down center of puff pastry. Fold the long sides to the center over the chicken mixture, and press to seal. Tuck and seal ends. Then place stromboli seam side down on one side of large baking sheet.

Repeat with remaining sheet of pastry and remaining chicken mixture and place stromboli seam side down on same baking sheet.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until puff pastry is golden brown, turning halfway through.

Let cool 5 minutes. Cut each stromboli into 1- to 2-inch thick slices.

Serve with Blue Cheese Dip and celery sticks, if desired.

Blue Cheese Dip (adapted from Saveur)

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
2 scallions, trimmed and sliced thin

Preparation

In medium bowl, whisk together cream cheese, sour cream, and heavy cream. Using rubber spatula, fold in blue cheese and two-thirds of the scallions. Transfer to serving dish and top with remaining scallions.

What are you making for the Super Bowl? Let's go, Pats!

Stone Hearth Pizza Co.

2012-01-29T06:00:00.202-05:00

Last Wednesday night I had the pleasure of attending a pizza social along with some other local bloggers at Stone Hearth Pizza Co. While Stone Hearth also has locations in Belmont, Cambridge (where I've been several times), and Needham, we were all gathering at the newest location in Allston.

The Allston location is housed in a refurbished Citgo gas station. It's a pretty cool space, with large, windowed garage doors at the front and decorative strands of white lights.

I ran into Bianca on the bus on the way over, so we walked in together to find a long table set up for our group. The table was decked out with dishes of fresh heirloom eggs, pint glasses adorned with the Clown Shoes logo, and pamphlets with information about our hosts.

The social was hosted by Stone Hearth, Pete & Gerry's, and Clown Shoes. Stone Hearth was founded on the principles of SOL: sustainable, organic, and local. You can read more about the measures Stone Hearth takes to create a sustainable space at each of their restaurants over on their website. Stone Hearth uses organic and local ingredients and has even taken that one step further to buying, cooking, and serving "clean food," which according to them is "foods whose origins we know, trust, and that is being produced in ways that preserve the earth and our increasingly scarce resources."

It's no surprise then that Stone Hearth would be highlighting and sharing with us companies like Pete & Gerry's, know for their organic, local eggs and commitment to sustainable farming, and Clown Shoes, a Boston-based beer company.

Once most of the group had arrived, Sean, a brand manager at Clown Shoes, poured our first beer of the evening: Clementine. This Belgian-style white ale was very light bodied and crisp with lots of bright citrus notes.

As we sampled this white ale, we also nibbled on some of Stone Hearth's tasty appetizers. The Parmesan flatbread is one of my favorites. It's simply pizza dough oven-fired with garlic-infused oil and topped with some Parmesan and seasonings. It has that perfect chewy texture you'd expect and it goes perfectly with the melanzana, a roasted eggplant spread.

The meatball poppers in spicy tomato sauce were another appetizer I remembered from previous visits. They're made from locally raised beef and stuffed with mozzarella and spices. You can actually get the poppers in the spicy tomato sauce, regular tomato sauce, or a creamy roasted onion and herb sauce. It's worth trying all of them.

The cheddar-covered olives were new to me and definitely a more unusual appetizer. They're green olives stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, covered in cheddar cheese dough, and baked until they're nice and crisp.

Once we'd had our fill of appetizers, all the salads arrived. Stone Hearth has an amazing selection of salads, and they range from a basic Caesar to an arugula and portobello salad. The spinach salad with avocado is definitely my favorite.

Stone Hearth Caesar: romaine and radicchio mix with house made croutons and grated Parmesan

Shaved celeriac, pears, and romaine

Spinach & Avocado: Fresh spinach served with sliced avocado and shaved red onion

We moved on to the next beer, and the jokes ensued as soon as everyone heard the name: Tramp Stamp. Clown Shoes definitely likes to have a little fun with its beer. Tramp Stamp is described as a bodacious Belgian IPA, with soft but complex malts and sweet orange peel.

We enjoyed the IPA while playing a competitive game of beer, egg, and pizza trivia, and then we feasted on the variety of pizzas Stone Hearth had to offer.

Bacon & Blue: Garlic oil, julienned zucchini/squash blend, mozzarella/provolone blend, smoked bacon, blue cheese, cherry tomatoes, and finished with fresh basil

Prosciutto & Pineapple: Signature tomato sauce, mozzarella/provolone blend, and scallions

Farm Fresh: Garlic oil, cherry tomatoes, charred red/yellow peppers, Yukon Gold potatoes, artichoke hearts, green olives, fresh mozzarella, and topped with a salad of arugula, red onion and prosciutto

The Bean: Garlic oil, white bean spread, fresh mozzarella, sautéed red onion topped with a spinach, red onion, and pesto salad

The Divine Goddess: Healthful version of a white pizza. Garlic oil, topped with a mixture of fresh spinach, broccoli, local ricotta cheese and finished with our cheese blend and a pinch of Parmesan

A new pizza made with kale, sausage, and King Richard leeks

While I have enjoyed any Stone Hearth pizza I've ever tried, for me, nothing beats the Bacon and Blue.

As we were filling up on pizza, Sean poured us each a glass of the Brown Angel, a double brown ale with obvious notes of chocolate and coffee.

Our final beer came with the dessert course and is called Supa Hero. This India pale ale is going to be ever-changing, using the finest hops available at brew time.

As for dessert, we were able to sample some Custard for a Cause. This egg custard is made with Pete & Gerry's heirloom eggs and will be available year-round with different toppings, depending on what's in season locally. We had the wintry version with a maple and walnut topping. I was a little worried because I'm not much of a custard fan, but this custard is more like a firm vanilla pudding than a flan in texture, and I really liked it.

We also got to try some purple sweet potato gelato made by fellow blogger Dan from The Food in My Beard. This was the most uniquely flavored gelato I've ever tried, and it definitely tasted just like sweet potatoes.

A huge thank you to everyone at Stone Hearth, Ken from Pete & Gerry's, and Sean from Clown Shoes for making this such an incredible evening, teaching us more about their great companies, and treating us to such delicious food and beer.

This dinner was complimentary, but my opinions are my own. I've had Stone Hearth pizza several times before, and it's always a great experience.

Have you been to Stone Hearth before? Or do you have a local pizza restaurant that's committed to sustainable, local, organic, and community?

Easy Brussels Sprout And Bacon Orzo

2012-01-26T06:00:00.001-05:00

This easy brussels sprout and bacon orzo is one of those dishes that doesn't require too many ingredients, takes less than a half-hour to make, and instantly hits the spot. I wanted something comforting but not too heavy, so I thought the combination of orzo, brussels sprouts, bacon, and Parmesan would be perfect. As I tasted the finished dish, I noticed it needed just a little zing, so I stirred in some citrus champagne vinegar. You could just as easily add a squeeze of lemon and a little white wine vinegar.

Easy Brussels Sprout And Bacon Orzo
Serves 1

Ingredients

1/2 cup orzo
2 slices bacon
10 brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded (using slicing blade of food processor)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon citrus champagne vinegar

Preparation

Cook orzo according to package directions in salted water.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plate. When cool, crumble and set aside.

Cook brussels sprouts in skillet in bacon grease along with 1 tablespoon olive oil, until softened and golden brown. Reduce heat to low, and stir in thyme.

Once orzo is ready, drain it and stir it into brussels sprouts along with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Then stir in Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Off heat, stir in vinegar. Transfer brussels sprout mixture to dish, top with crumbled bacon, and dig in!

Are you on the brussels sprout bandwagon?

Lentils With Broiled Eggplant

2012-01-24T06:00:00.145-05:00

As you know, I'm striving to cook with lentils more often this year -- and my obsession with Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty is making it very easy. The book has a section called pulses, which contains a number of interesting lentil recipes, but I actually found this recipe in the eggplant chapter.

After I made the broiled vegetable soup (a recipe I also found in Plenty), I became quite comfortable with throwing eggplant under the broiler and loved how the innards became so soft and creamy using this method. When I saw this colorful lentil dish, topped with broiled eggplant, I knew it would hit the spot.

The combination of tender lentils, sweet tomatoes, bright herbs, Cabernet vinegar, smoky eggplant, and cool, tangy Greek yogurt is mouthwatering. The number of textures and flavors weaved throughout this dish make it interesting and exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed this and can't wait to make it again.

If you think lentils are boring, this is your gateway recipe.

Lentils With Broiled Eggplant (adapted from Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi)
Printable version

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants
2 tablespoons Cabernet vinegar
Salt and pepper
4 small carrots, peeled
2 celery stalks
1 bay leaf
3 thyme sprigs
1/2 white onion
1 cup small dark lentils (such as Puy), rinsed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained (I used Muir Glen Reserve Harvest Sunset Diced Tomatoes)
1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon roughly chopped parsley
1 tablespoon roughly chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon roughly chopped dill
Greek yogurt, for serving

Preparation

Pierce eggplants in a few places with a small, sharp knife, place on a foil-lined sheet pan, and cook directly under the broiler for about 1 hour, turning with tongs about every 15 minutes, until eggplants are deflated and their skin is charred.

Remove eggplants from oven, and adjust oven temperature to 275 degrees.

Cut a slit down center of each eggplant, and scoop flesh out into a colander. Let drain for 15 minutes, then transfer flesh to a bowl and season with salt and pepper and 1/2 tablespoon of the vinegar.

While eggplant drains, cut one carrot and half of a celery stalk into large pieces, and place them in a medium saucepan. Add bay leaf, thyme, onion, and lentils to saucepan.

Cover with plenty of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Drain in a sieve. Discard carrot, celery, bay leaf, thyme sprigs, and onion.

Transfer lentils to a mixing bowl, and stir in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of vinegar, 2 tablespoons of oil, and plenty of salt and pepper.

While lentils are simmering, dice remaining carrots and celery. Mix with tomatoes, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, brown sugar, and some salt in an 8- by 8-inch (or other similar-size) baking dish.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until carrots are tender but still firm. (I ended up pumping the oven up to 350 after 15 minutes to ensure the carrots would get tender in the last 5 minutes.)

Stir the lentils into the carrot mixture.

Then stir in the parsley, cilantro, and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon lentils into serving dishes, and top with broiled eggplant.

Garnish each dish with a dollop of Greek yogurt, and serve.

What are your favorite lentil recipes?

Salmon With Spicy Tomato Topping

2012-01-22T06:00:00.002-05:00

The curse strikes again. I went to Whole Foods with a plan to buy salmon steaks so I could make Bon Appetit's salmon in spicy tomato sauce. Of course, there were no salmon steaks to be found. It seems that no matter what fish I plan to buy, Whole Foods never has what I have in mind (this has happened to me at three different locations). If I want tilapia, they'll have everything but. Same with halibut or sole or haddock or whatever I might possibly be planning to buy. Luckily, they still had some salmon fillets though. I bought a sockeye salmon fillet instead of two salmon steaks and adapted the recipe to work with the fillet.

I wouldn't really call the results salmon with tomato sauce as the only tomato component is tomato paste and there's not much sauce to speak of. What you really get is a very concentrated, sweet and spicy tomato topping. It goes wonderfully with the salmon, and paired with some broccoli, this made a light, wholesome dinner.

Salmon With Spicy Tomato Topping (adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2012)
Serves 2

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon caraway seeds
4 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 pound salmon fillet
Kosher salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves
1/2 serrano chile, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar

Preparation

Toast caraway seeds in small skillet over medium heat, swirling pan occasionally to move them around, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer seeds to cutting board and let cool. Crush or chop (or grind in a spice grinder).

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Place flour in a shallow wide bowl. Season salmon with salt and pepper and coat in flour. Shake off excess. Cook salmon until golden, about 2 minutes per side.

Transfer to a plate, wipe out skillet, and set aside.

Puree garlic, chile, paprika, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon oil in food processor, adding more oil by teaspoonfuls if needed.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in reserved skillet over medium heat. Add garlic mixture. Cook, stirring for 30 seconds, carefully add tomato paste and 1/4 cup water, and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering for 30 seconds, and then stir in lemon juice and sugar. Season with salt and pepper.

Return salmon to skillet, and bring to a gentle simmer.

Cover pan, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer just until salmon is cooked through 6 to 10 minutes, flipping salmon halfway through. Then cut salmon in half.

Transfer each half to a plate, and top with tomato mixture. Serve.

Have you had any great fish dishes lately?

Slow-Cooker Beef And Tomato Stew With Potatoes

2012-01-20T06:00:00.038-05:00

When I made my roasted brussels sprouts, red onion, and yam with quinoa, I knew there was no way I was going to get Jeff to eat it. I'm lucky I've gotten him to eat asparagus and green beans. Brussels sprouts and yams are a long way off, as is quinoa. So I wanted to make him something he'd enjoy that wouldn't require a ton of work on my part since I was making us two different meals.

I found a recipe for beef and tomato stew in Everyday Food, saw that it was a slow-cooker recipe (read: very hands-off), and decided to give it a whirl.

It was the simplest beef stew recipe I'd ever made. There was no searing of the beef, there was no wine, and yet the stew was still immensely flavorful and delicious. About 4 hours after I started the slow cooker, Jeff and I could pick up on scents of stew in the air. It was intoxicating. When the stew was done, the beef was fall-apart tender and richly flavored with tomato and onion.

I threw some rice in the rice cooker when the stew was almost done, and Jeff ate the stew over rice. (I may have snitched a few spoonfuls of stew straight out of the slow cooker.)

And because it was so good and so easy, I ended up making it again a couple weeks later. This time Jeff requested that I add potatoes to the stew and leave out the celery. So here's the new version with potatoes.

Slow-Cooker Beef And Tomato Stew With Potatoes (adapted from Everyday Food, January/February 2012)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced small
4 small carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
3 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (optional)
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, fat trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes

Preparation

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, if using, and garlic, and sauté, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.

Transfer mixture to slow cooker.

Stir in beef, tomatoes, broth, salt, and pepper.

Cover and cook on high for 6 hours, stirring in potatoes (halved, quartered if large) after 2 1/2 hours.

Serve.

Finding such an easy and tasty slow-cooker recipe was a great way for me to be able to make something that each of us would be happy with. The first stew lasted Jeff most of the week while I ate my quinoa. Since we weren't sharing the same leftovers, our leftovers lasted much longer, and I didn't have to cook again until the end of the week. He took the second stew for lunch the week after I made it. It was easy to pack up and reheated nicely.

By the way, this is exactly how a relationship between a "foodie" and a "non-foodie" can work (...and it doesn't hurt that he does the dishes). Anyone else catch that article?

Do you cook for someone who doesn't like the same things you do? How do you deal with it?

Broiled Vegetable Soup

2012-01-18T06:00:00.021-05:00

I had been reading and hearing about Plenty everywhere (first from my friend Molly - thanks, Molly!). And the more I read and heard, the more I wanted the cookbook, which is chock-full of interesting and innovative vegetarian recipes. During the week after Christmas, I headed to Barnes & Noble on a mission to get the book. I searched the whole cookbook section, and finally the realization set in that the one empty spot on the shelf among the featured cookbooks was the home of the book I was after. Just to make sure, I checked with a sales associate, and it was confirmed. And I learned that unless I had reserved a copy, I was not getting my hands on Plenty.

Bummed, I left. I contemplated ordering the book on Amazon, but for some reason I didn't. Maybe because there's something about wandering into a store and paging through a book before buying it.

About a week later, I was waiting to meet up with a friend in Harvard Square, so I wandered into Anthropologie to kill time. I'm probably one of the only people who was disappointed when Anthropologie moved in. I would much rather have Crate & Barrel back, but when I discovered that Anthropologie carries cookbooks and dishes, I became a little less disappointed. I headed right up to the third floor and flipped through copies of various baking books that were on display. Then I rounded the corner and my eyes landed on three copies of Plenty sitting right there on the shelf in front of me. I grabbed a copy, gawked at the beautiful cover, scanned the glossy pages, and marched straight down to the register.

When I got home that night, I paged through the entire cookbook, trying, with a lot of difficulty, to narrow down the recipes to what I should cook first. Eventually, I settled on the broiled vegetable soup, leaving things like Puy lentil galettes and crusted pumpkin wedges with sour cream for future cooking projects.

The broiled vegetable soup is basically made with eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, onions, and herbs. The eggplants and peppers are roasted and charred under the broiler, and the tomatoes are gently warmed in the oven underneath them while the onions slowly cook on the stovetop. Everything is simmered in vegetable stock and pureed until smooth. The original recipe calls for stirring in some lima beans at the end, but I'm not likely to go near lima beans with a 10-foot pole, so I stirred in some cannellini beans instead. While they make the soup more filling, the soup is so thick and substantial that you could leave them out completely if you wanted.

I found that the tomatoes didn't really have enough time in the oven (a mere 15 minutes) to do much, so next time I would put them in earlier. This time, I simply quartered them when I removed them from the oven, allowing them to cook through while simmering in the soup. I also decided that since the eggplants and peppers were peeled, there was no reason to have tomato skins in the soup, so I fished those out with tongs while the soup simmered as well. None of this is part of the original recipe, so feel free to leave the tomato skins in and add the tomatoes to the soup whole if you like. The recipe below reflects the method and timing I used.

I also think I would roast the garlic next time I make this. There are 10 cloves of garlic in the soup, but they're simply simmered with everything else. I think roasting or even just sautéing the cloves with the onions would impart better flavor.

As a final touch, I decided to serve the soup in bread bowls, which I made from scratch. If you're cutting carbs or don't want the extra work (the soup is already fairly time-consuming), the soup is delightful on its own. As suggested in the recipe, I served this with a dollop of Greek yogurt on top, and I urge you not to leave this component out as the tangy yogurt provides a welcome contrast to the mildly sweet soup.

Broiled Vegetable Soup (adapted from Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi)

Ingredients

3 medium eggplants
1 red bell pepper, stem removed with seeds
1 orange bell pepper, stem removed with seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 red onions, finely chopped
4 small to medium vine-ripened tomatoes, cores scooped out
1/2 cup basil leaves, most torn, some reserved for garnish
4 oregano sprigs, leaves picked
10 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
4 cups vegetable stock
Kosher salt and pepper
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Bread bowls, for serving (optional)
Greek yogurt, for serving

Preparation

Preheat broiler to high. Line a sheet pan with foil. Prick the eggplants in a few places with a small knife and place on one side of pan. Broil for 30 minutes.

Turn eggplants with tongs, and place peppers on opposite side of pan.

Broil vegetables for 15 minutes, turning peppers after 7 or 8 minutes.

Once peppers go in the oven, heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions, and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 20 to 30 minutes, or until onions become soft and sort of golden.

Once peppers have broiled for the 15 minutes above, arrange the tomatoes on another foil-lined pan, and place the pan on the rack below the other vegetables.

Continue broiling all vegetables for another 15 minutes, again turning peppers after 7 or 8 minutes.

Transfer pans to cooling racks.

Using tongs, place eggplants on cutting board. Fold foil where eggplants were over the peppers and leave them to cool.

Cut a long slit in each eggplant, and scoop out the flesh into a small bowl. Discard skin.

Transfer tomatoes to cutting board, and cut in quarters.

Pull skins off peppers and roughly chop the flesh.

Add eggplant flesh, peppers, tomatoes, torn basil, oregano leaves, garlic, stock, and some salt and pepper to pot with onions.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Use tongs to pull off and discard tomato skins while soup simmers, if desired.

Process soup in batches in food processor until smooth.

Return soup to pot, stir in beans, and reheat soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle soup into bread bowls, if using, or soup bowls, top with a dollop of greek yogurt, garnish with basil, and serve.

One last note: The book says this serves 4. I'm going to say it serves 8 to 10, even as a full meal, even without a bread bowl. It makes a lot of soup. I ended up freezing some.

What cookbooks are you loving lately?

Things I Want To Use More Of This Year

2012-01-16T06:00:00.004-05:00

I think it's very easy to fall into a habit of relying on the same foods, turning to the same spices, and whipping up the same dishes. To encourage myself to step out of the box a little, I created a list of foods and spices that I'd like to use (or use more often) this year.

Artichokes
Cardamom
Cherries
Duck
Fish
Fregola
Ginger
Lentils
Olives
Pears
Plums
Wild boar
Za'atar

Do you have a favorite recipe using any of these items? Feel free to send it my way!

What underused ingredients do you plan to use more of in your cooking or baking this year?

Restaurants I Would Like To Check Out This Year

2012-01-14T06:00:00.005-05:00

There have been a lot of new restaurant openings lately, and while I've made my way over to some of the newcomers, there are plenty of others I'd still like to try. Here's a list of the ones I hope to get to this year.

Bondir
Casa B
Kika Tapas
Sweet Cheeks
Sam's at Louis
Temazcal
Trade
Wahlburgers

And here are some not-so-new restaurants I've never tried and would love to go to...

Craigie on Main (I have had drinks here but not food)
Mamma Maria
Sportello
Taranta
T.W. Food

And these are some of the restaurants I've been to before that I'd like to get back to this year...

ArtBar
Beacon Hill Bistro
The Beehive
Bergamot
The Blue Room
Eastern Standard
Henrietta's Table (for breakfast)
Il Casale
Island Creek Oyster Bar
Myers + Chang
Oleana
Russell House Tavern
The Salty Pig
Ten Tables (Cambridge)
Tico

I would also like to attend at least one farm dinner.

Clearly, trying to get to all of these restaurants is overly ambitious both in terms of time and money, but hopefully I can make a dent in my lists!

What restaurants are on your lists?

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Red Onion, And Yam With Quinoa

2012-01-12T06:00:00.002-05:00

All of the desserts and treats I've been sharing with you during the past week and a half are all things I made at the end of last year for the holidays. Since the start of 2012, I've actually been eating relatively healthfully (for me, anyways).

Everywhere I look lately I'm finding recipes for healthful dishes, meal plans for cleanses and detoxes, and lists of foods to avoid. I know I'm not someone who could ever do a cleanse -- I'll never give up coffee (and part of my day job entails sampling all sorts of food) -- but I also know there are some changes I can make in my eating habits to include more veggies and grains and cut some dairy and gluten.

I like the idea behind cleanses, that they rid the body of toxins and boost energy, so that (and, you know, my upcoming wedding) is the motivation for trying to pay more attention to my diet and eating habits (and for pushing myself to do some yoga or Pilates each day). Don't worry. There will still be plenty of desserts and comforting dishes here, but I hope to throw in some more lighter, nutrient-packed meals too, starting with this one.

This recipe is inspired by some roasted brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes I saw on Mango & Tomato and a quinoa salad I saw on Two Peas & Their Pod as well as many of the cleanse recipes I found in the January issues (the ones packed with resolutions to eat better) of the magazines I subscribe to.

I noticed that sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and quinoa graced many of the recipes. According to Whole Living, low-calorie sweet potatoes are a winter superfood and a great way to get more beta-carotene, and brussels sprouts trigger detoxifying enzymes in the liver. By now, I think most of us know the pros of eating quinoa, but as a reminder, it contains all 9 amino acids and is a complete protein, making it an excellent source of protein.

I roasted a yam (couldn't find any sweet potatoes and hope they're just as beneficial), brussels sprouts, and red onion with a little thyme, olive oil, and salt and pepper. While the veggies roasted, I cooked the quinoa in some chicken broth because I had an open container in the fridge that I didn't want to waste (that's another thing I'm working on: less food waste), but you could definitely just use water. I tried red quinoa to add a bit more color to the dish. When the veggies were done and the quinoa was ready, I mixed them together with a little sherry vinegar for flavor. I didn't miss cheese, meat, or bread as I feasted on this wholesome meal of nutty quinoa and soft roasted veggies.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Red Onion, And Yam With Quinoa

Ingredients

1 yam or sweet potato, peeled and sliced in rounds, large rounds halved or quartered
12 brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 red onion, ends cut off, halved, and each half quartered
Kosher salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 thyme sprigs
1 cup red quinoa
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth or water
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Toss yam, brussels sprouts, and onion with salt and pepper to taste and olive oil and spread out on baking sheet. Top veggies with thyme sprigs.

Roast for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

While veggies are roasting, rinse and drain quinoa. Then bring quinoa and chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until water has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Fluff quinoa with fork.

Transfer quinoa to large serving bowl. Stir 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar into quinoa.

Remove thyme sprigs and gently mix roasted veggies and 2 remaining teaspoons vinegar into quinoa. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

What foods changes are you trying to make?

Milky Way Tartlets

2012-01-10T06:00:00.074-05:00

In addition to chocolate cream puffs, I also made Milky Way tartlets for New Year's Eve. The base of the tarts is a pâte sucrée shell that is dotted with caramel, piled high with milk chocolate mousse, and garnished with chocolate curls.

I learned how to make these when I worked at Flour. They involve a multistep process of making the mousse, making the caramel, and making the tartlet shells. All of these components can be made ahead of time and put together up to a few hours before serving the tartlets.

The night before New Year's Eve, I made the milk chocolate mousse filling, which needs to be refrigerated overnight so it will whip up properly. The next day, following the same method I used to make the tartlet shells for my chocolate-pumpkin tartlets and using Joanne Chang's pâte sucrée recipe, I made the tartlet shells and let them cool.

If I had been making my own caramel, I would have made it the day before too, but I cheated a little (I hate to admit it) because we have a huge tub of caramel that we use for making caramel machiattos. To save myself a little time, I put some of that caramel in a squeeze bottle instead of making it from scratch (shh... don't tell).

I whipped the mousse while Jeff squeezed a little caramel in the bottom of each tart shell.

I decided to pipe the mousse into the shells, but you can also just pile it in there, depending what look you prefer.

Then I made some milk chocolate curls to throw on top. I learned to do this at Flour as well, and the method I learned is to pull the back of a paring knife along the edge of a block of chocolate (I always buy blocks of Callebaut at Whole Foods for this). You could also use a vegetable peeler or just grate chocolate on top as I did with the chocolate-pumpkin tartlets.

You can find the recipe for the full-size Milky Way tart on Leite's Culinaria. It's delicious both ways, but you know me: I prefer the minis.

What candy-bar based desserts have you tried, or which ones would you love to try?

Chocolate Cream Puffs With Cocoa Nib Cream

2012-01-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

For New Year's Eve this year, Jeff and I met some of my friends out for a drink in Boston and then we came back toward home and headed to his friend's house down the street from us where we spent the rest of the evening. Jeff's friend and his fiancée planned a potluck dinner, and I made a couple of desserts to contribute.

There were four couples total and everyone made something, so the spread was incredible, starting with appetizers of meats and cheeses, veggies and dips, Swedish meatballs, and a buffalo chicken stromboli. After snacking on appetizers, we took a break and played Apples to Apples (which apparently can become a drinking game), and then we gathered around the table for dinner. We had a spicy-sweet chili, mac and cheese with chicken and broccoli, pulled pork sliders, and a roasted winter vegetable salad. All of that food necessitated another break, so we hung out and watched the ball drop before digging into the desserts.

These cream puffs were a great idea because although they look heavy, they're actually very light. I also think they look and sound pretty fancy, and New Year's Eve is a great night for pulling out all the stops. If you have a special occasion to celebrate or just feel like making a fancy dessert, I definitely suggest these!

Chocolate Cream Puffs With Cocoa Nib Cream (adapted from The Art and Soul of Baking)

Ingredients

Cream Puffs And Cream
2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup roasted cocoa nibs

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 eggs

Dark Chocolate Sauce
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup creme fraiche
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Heat cream and cocoa nibs over medium heat until cream starts to boil.

Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain cream into heatproof bowl, pressing firmly on nibs to extract cream.

Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

Line two baking sheets with parchment. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, trace about 15 evenly spaced circles on each piece of parchment. Turn the parchment over (and make sure you can see your outlines through it).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven.

Sift flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and cocoa powder together in small bowl.

Cook butter, water, and salt in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon.

When butter has melted, increase heat, and bring to a boil. Immediately remove pan from heat and stir in flour mixture. Stir vigorously until dough gathers into a ball around spoon. Place pan back over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, just to dry out dough.

Transfer dough to bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute.

In medium bowl, beat 4 eggs together. With mixer on medium speed, add eggs 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, fully incorporating each addition before adding more. The mixture will become shiny and elastic and stick to the sides of the bowl.

Spoon dough into pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe dough into 1/2- to 3/4-inch high circles to fill outlines. Use an oiled knife to disconnect dough from piping tip. (Use an oiled fingertip to pat down any unruly dough.)

In a small bowl, lightly beat the remaining egg. Brush the egg lightly over the tops of the puffs.

Bake both sheets for 20 minutes. Then reduce oven to 350 degrees, rotate sheets from back to front and switch racks, and bake for 20 more minutes. reduce temperature to 300 degrees, and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes longer. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

While the puffs are baking, make the dark chocolate sauce. Place bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream and creme fraiche in medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate, and let sit for 1 minute. Whisk until chocolate is completely smooth. Then whisk in vanilla. Set aside.

Once the puffs are cool and the chocolate sauce is made and cooling, pour the infused cream into bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Add remaining 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form.

Using the tip of a small knife, poke a hole in the center of the bottom of each cream puff.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small tip with the whipped cream, and pipe the cream into each cream puff through the hole in the bottom. You should be able to feel when the cream puff is full and a little of the cream will push back out. Wipe excess cream away with a paper towel.

Set the puffs on a serving platter. Drizzle a little chocolate sauce over each puff. (You'll have leftover chocolate sauce.) Refrigerate until ready to serve. Puffs are best on the same day they're filled.

Some notes: I made these smaller than the original recipe called for (2-inch circles versus 2 1/2-inch circles), but I would make them even smaller next time -- like bite-size -- so they would be easier to eat. You will have leftover chocolate sauce. Make a half batch if that bothers you, but having extra chocolate sauce around never bothers me.

What treats do you make for special occasions?

Cranberry Bliss Bars

2012-01-06T06:00:00.002-05:00

As soon as the temperature drops and winter sets in, I go on peppermint mocha and cranberry bliss bar binges at Starbucks. They're both my guilty pleasures. A few years ago, I thought it would be fun to make cranberry bliss bars at home, but the recipe I tried yielded results that were nothing like the soft, chewy bars I was used to. The bars I got were cake-like and overpowered by ground ginger.

Recently, I noticed some new recipes for cranberry bliss bars, and people who had made them compared them with the Starbucks ones, so I thought maybe it was time to try out a new recipe and keep my fingers crossed for better results.

I found this recipe on Sweetly Serendipity where it was adapted from Recipe Girl. I reviewed both recipes and then put a teensy spin of my own on the bars.

I was pretty pleased with the way these came out. The blondie base is dense and chewy, has a nice buttery flavor deepened by brown sugar, and is studded with white chocolate and dried cranberries. The mild cream cheese frosting adds a hint of sweetness and the dried cranberries on top add a touch of color. Because I had a ton of ginger mini chips (little bits of candied ginger) in the pantry, I thought it would be fun to throw some of those on top as well, for a small hit of ginger (unlike those first bars I made) and a little more decor. A drizzle of white chocolate is the perfect finish for these bars.

It's amazing that I even like cranberry bliss bars as much as I do because I don't love white chocolate. Somehow, though, the white chocolate is balanced by the tart cranberries and buttery blondies and just works here. I toyed with the idea of using bittersweet chocolate instead, but I truly think the white chocolate is just right -- just make sure you use good-quality white chocolate.

Cranberry Bliss Bars (adapted from Sweetly Serendipity and Recipe Girl)

Ingredients

Blondies
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces white chocolate chips (preferably Ghirardelli)

Frosting
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
6 ounces white chocolate (chips or bars), melted
1 tablespoon ginger mini chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13- by 9-inch baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick baking spray.

To make the blondies: In a medium bowl, melt butter in microwave for 1 minute. Stir in brown sugar. Scrape the butter and sugar mixture into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, and let cool to room temperature.

While the butter and sugar mixture cools, in a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Once butter and sugar mixture is cool, beat in eggs and vanilla on medium speed.

Gradually add in the flour mixture on low speed, scraping bowl as necessary.

Add in cranberries and white chocolate chips on low speed, just until distributed.

Spread batter in prepared pan.

Bake for 18 to 21 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting: In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until well blended. Gradually add half of the melted white chocolate, and beat until blended.

Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting evenly over the blondies.

Sprinkle with ginger mini chips and cranberries.

Drizzle remaining white chocolate over the bars.

Store in refrigerator, covered. About an hour before serving, lift bars out of pan using foil and place them on a cutting board. Cut the bars into small squares or triangles, whichever you prefer, and serve. The bars are best at room temperature.

What treats have you re-created at home?

Chocolate-Covered Vanilla Caramels With Sea Salt

2012-01-04T06:00:00.025-05:00

About a year ago, I made these caramels, and I found the process pretty frustrating. The caramels are very time-consuming to make, and once I finally had them made and they had set up overnight, all I had left to do was peel the foil off of them. You would think this would be easy since I had sprayed the foil with non-stick spray, but that wasn't the case at all. I spent at least half an hour peeling foil off the caramels. It would break off in little bits, and eventually I ended up discarding some of the caramels because I just could not get the foil off.

This time, I had heard about a new product from Reynolds Wrap: non-stick foil. Let me just tell you, non-stick foil was one of the best baking purchases I have ever made. It peeled right off the caramels in one whole sheet! It saved my caramels and saved me a ton of time and hassles. I ended up using it for several other baking projects during the holidays and will never try to make caramels and other sticky baked goods and candies without it again. If you plan to make these caramels, get the non-stick foil.

Also, give yourself plenty of time. Mixing the ingredients together is easy, but the caramels need to be stirred for about an hour. You may want to pull up a chair.

It wasn't a huge inconvenience to me because I could still see the TV from the kitchen since we have an open floor plan. If your kitchen is more closed off, I suggest some good music or a book or a magazine that you can keep by the stove with you to pass the time.

Once the caramel is made, you simply need to pour the mixture into the pan and let the caramels set up overnight. Then they need to be cut and dipped in chocolate and left to set up again (I leave some of them plain too). They will take a lot of time to make, but they will be totally worth it -- especially when you notice your family fighting over them or just watching to make sure someone is not eating more than their fair share of caramels. They're the perfect salty-sweet treat for candy lovers.

Soon, I plan to get a good thermometer so I can temper the chocolate, but for these I just melted some chocolate in the microwave and dipped the caramels in it. They still tasted great but lacked that "snap" and shine you get from tempered chocolate.

Chocolate-Covered Vanilla Caramels With Sea Salt (adapted from Food & Wine, December 2009)

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and reserved
2 teaspoons kosher salt
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
8 ounces milk chocolate, melted
Sea salt flakes (I used Maldon)
Grapeseed or vegetable oil

Preparation

Line a 13- by 9-inch sheet pan with non-stick foil and spray with non-stick spray.

In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.

Add the sugar, corn syrup, and cream, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Stir in the vanilla seeds.

Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring until a golden caramel forms and mixture registers 245 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 1 hour.

Remove the caramel from the heat, stir in the kosher salt, and scrape the caramel into the prepared pan.

Let cool and set completely overnight.

Spray a sheet of parchment with nonstick spray and line 2 baking sheets with wax paper.

Invert the caramel onto the parchment, and peel off the foil.

Pour a little grapeseed oil on a paper towel and wipe a sharp knife with the oiled paper towel. Use the oiled knife to cut the caramels into squares, re-oiling as necessary.

Dip the caramel squares into the melted chocolate. I like to do some in bittersweet chocolate, some in milk chocolate, and some undipped. Feel free to adjust the chocolate amounts for your tastes.

Transfer the dipped squares to the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and refrigerate for 10 minutes to set.

Wrap any undipped caramel squares in wax paper.

Store in refrigerator, but let caramels come to room temperature before serving.

What are your favorite homemade candies?

ArtBar's Winter Menu

2012-01-02T06:00:00.002-05:00

I was recently invited to preview ArtBar's new winter menu, so last Wednesday afternoon, Jeff and I headed over to check it out. We were greeted by Amanda (Web media manager) and introduced to Troy (director of food and beverage) and Brian (executive chef) and then seated at the bar.

Troy made sure we got a good sampling of the new cocktails while Brian sent out new menu items for us to taste. First up was a shooter of the roasted winter root vegetable and white bean soup. The mixture of carrots, parsnips, turnips, and white beans was topped with a piece of crispy salsify. The soup was amazing. I even convinced Jeff to try some -- the only thing in that mix he usually enjoys is carrots, but he agreed the soup was very tasty. I found it very warming and rustic.

Our first cocktail was the Writer's Block. ArtBar's cocktails are divided into four different categories: Vintage, Primary Colors, Paint Box, and Elements of Art (in keeping with the art theme). The Writer's Block is in the Primary Colors category, which contains original drinks created at ArtBar, and it is so named because when Troy came up with it, he couldn't think of a name for it. The cocktail is made with Barsol Pisco, ice wine, Noilly Prat, and grapefruit shrub and is garnished simply with bitters. (ArtBar's shrubs -- mixtures of macerated fruit and vinegar -- are all made in house.) The drink was very clean and smooth.

As we sipped our first cocktail, our server, Liz, brought out our next course: a charcuterie platter with prosciutto, speck, chicken liver pate, pickled vegetables, house made grain mustard, and a basket of breads. I usually find chicken liver pate to have an off, almost bitter taste, but I actually enjoyed this one with some of the mustard. And of course the salty speck and prosciutto were well received.

For the next cocktail, Troy made us the Winter Vacation, which is also in the Primary Colors category. I thought the drink had the perfect name since Jeff and I both had the week off from work and were sort of on a mini vacation ourselves. The name actually originated based on the idea that winter is the perfect time to let your mind escape to warmer locales -- so this drink is sort of Mexico in a glass.

It's a beer cocktail, so it starts with some Smutty Nose IPA, which is then mixed with Mezcal, Solerno, fresh lime, and agave. You have the option of having the drink as is or adding a little hell fire shrub to it for a little heat from the habaneros it's made with. While I am a wimp when it comes to heat, I definitely recommend trying this drink with the hell fire shrub -- it just adds a little complexity to the drink and a touch of heat at the back of your throat.

I enjoyed this cocktail with some Great Hill Blue fritters and fig chutney. The fritters were very light and crunchy and the cheese came through only mildly. I loved them paired with the sweet chutney. These fritters are on the menu as local cheese fritters because the cheese will be changing based on what's available. ArtBar tries to use as much local, seasonal food in its dishes as possible.

Next, we tried the roasted beet salad with shaved fennel, blood oranges, peppercress, and house made ricotta. I usually find that beet salads are paired with goat cheese, and the ricotta lightened the salad up and was a welcome change. I definitely recommend trying this salad if you're looking for a not-so-heavy appetizer.

This next drink has an interesting story and is named the Secret Cocktail. It falls under the Paint Box category, described as containing spontaneous, crafty cocktails. Troy explained to us that the two things most likely to turn someone off a drink are its color and its name, hence why this one is just called the Secret Cocktail. It contains Beefeater Gin, Laird's Apple Jack, fresh lemon, egg whites, and house grenadine -- and last but not least that stunning, real maraschino cherry. (I've been sworn to secrecy and can't tell you the real name of this drink, but you should definitely head to ArtBar and order it, drink it and enjoy it, and then ask the name.) This was Jeff's favorite drink.

One of the main courses we got to try was the seared monkfish with chorizo, escarole, purple potatoes, and essence of lobster butter sauce (Brian actually made a second version with chicken broth so Jeff, who's allergic to lobster, could also try the dish). I had never had monkfish before and wasn't sure what to expect, but I discovered it's a very unfishy fish with a more dense than flaky texture. This one was nicely crusted and pleasantly salty, and I enjoyed it with the lobster butter sauce, spicy chorizo, and colorful purple potatoes. I would definitely go back and order this.

We also sampled some deviled eggs. Jeff polished off the one topped with roasted red pepper tapenade before I could try it, so you can tell he enjoyed it. I tried the one topped with blue cheese and bacon, and while it was good, it wasn't my favorite dish of everything we'd tried that evening. The deviled eggs are actually served in a trio, but we just tried two because the third is topped with grilled shrimp, which Jeff is allergic to. It's probably a good thing, too, after everything else we ate and all that was left to come. They make for a hearty appetizer.

While we were sitting at the bar enjoying our cocktails and food, Troy taught us a lot about alcohol and drink making. He's actually working on a barrel-aged Negroni and a barrel-aged Manhattan that may even be available by the time this post is up. The barrel-aged cocktails will be served as is, carbonated, and aged and can be ordered in a flight so you can try all three styles.

I mentioned that I was a fan of gin, so Troy brought down a bunch of gins and taught us about how gin started and how it evolved and why it's doing so well these days. Then we began talking about whiskey as he moved on to making our next drink. I can tell just from the few hours we spent there that Troy knows his stuff and is really passionate about it. He actually teaches cocktail classes at ArtBar, and I definitely suggest checking one out if you get a chance. Upcoming classes include Classic Punch, American Whiskey, and Brandy.

But back to that whiskey drink... it's called The Closer and also falls under the Primary Colors category. Troy was looking forward to making this drink for me after I mentioned that I love St-Germain. I was a little wary of the whiskey though. I can handle small sips, but I would never order whiskey. Luckily for me, this drink is not meant to hit you in the face with whiskey. The drink got its name because whiskey is so hard to sell guests on. However, I learned that if you top whiskey with St-Germain foam, I can be sold. The Hibiki Japanese Whiskey is stirred with ginger liqueur (King's Ginger) and orange bitters and then topped with the foam (St-Germain, egg whites, lemon juice, and water), which is bruleed with a little green Chartreuse. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this drink. Note that it is still pretty strong and best taken in small sips.

Jeff didn't enjoy this drink as much as I did, so Troy made him the Perfect Bubbles, a drink I had tried on my previous visit to ArtBar. It's under the Elements of Art category, which includes drinks that have an artful take on a classic. The classic here is a French 75, one of my favorite drinks. Death's Door Gin is combined with clove syrup, fresh lemon, and prosecco for an effervescent, sweet, and spicy cocktail.

Getting back to the food, the dish we had next was one of my favorites of the evening and definitely perfect for a chilly winter night. The braised short rib appetizer comes paired with creamy cheddar polenta, and a panko-fried poached egg. The moment of truth came when I cut into the egg to reveal a gorgeous runny yolk. I was so impressed. In order to cook the egg like this, the chef has to poach it and then shock it and then coat it and fry it. There's so much potential for the egg to overcook, but it was just perfect. And that short rib was fall-apart tender. This dish was a huge hit with both Jeff and me.

The house made cavatelli with broccoli rabe, roasted butternut squash, shaved Vermont Ayr, and brown butter also got a gold star in my book -- and I don't even like broccoli rabe. The cavatelli was tender and nicely cooked, and the pairing of butternut squash and brown butter can never be a bad one in my opinion. The Ayr cheese is made with sweet milk from Ayrshire cows and is sweet, smooth, creamy, and nutty -- flavors and textures that play well with the other ingredients in the dish.

For our last entree, we tasted the pan-seared Atlantic salmon with maple-mustard glaze, watercress salad, and heirloom bean succotash with grilled corn and bacon. Jeff raved about the glaze and decided this was his favorite dish of the evening. I was filling up at this point but managed to squeeze in a few bites of salmon and succotash. The pairing was interesting and unique.

Now it was time to end with the desserts. To go with them, Troy made us the Ginger Oatmeal Flip, another ArtBar cocktail creation from the Primary Colors menu. I had not expected to like this drink and would never have ordered it because it's a beer cocktail, and before I had the Winter Vacation earlier in the evening, I had always thought I wouldn't enjoy a beer cocktail. I was so wrong. The Ginger Oatmeal Flip was my favorite drink, and I will definitely get it when I go back to ArtBar. It starts with some Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout to which Snap (a ginger liqueur), Demerara syrup, and a whole egg are added. It is then garnished with -- not nutmeg, as you might expect, but -- fresh shavings of black cardamom, which is a little smokier than green cardamom. The drink was just amazing. It was sweet but had depth, and it was so smooth and frothy. It's my new winter cocktail.

And because I like gin so much, Troy also made us a Ramos Gin Fizz to try. This drink was also incredibly frothy, but it was more citrusy and light, as it's made with Tanqueray 10, fresh lemon and lime, egg whites, sugar, cream, and orange flower water. If I were in a different mood and it were a different night, I might have preferred it to the Ginger Oatmeal Flip, but that night all I wanted was that flip -- even though the Gin Fizz was right up my alley too.

To go with these final drinks, we had two desserts. The first was the sticky toffee pudding. When it came out, Troy drizzled the little pitcher of caramel sauce it came with over the dessert. It was definitely sticky and also gooey, warm, and dense. The caramel was a wonderful addition to this comforting dessert, as was the creme fraiche ice cream on the side.

I had my eye on the next dessert though: the chocolate chestnut mousse torte. This dessert is featured on the minis menu, and you all know how I feel about mini foods. I couldn't resist digging in. The crunchy cookie crumbles were the perfect accompaniment to the light and airy mousse. I'm so ordering this dessert again. I may even try to re-create it at home -- Jeff loved it too.

I truly appreciated having the opportunity to sample so many of ArtBar's cocktails and kitchen creations. That short rib and the chestnut mousse are already beckoning me back. Jeff must have suggested at least three times during the meal that we plan to come back for dinner and breakfast.

A huge thank you to Amanda, Troy, and Brian for having us in and for treating us to such a wonderful evening. And another huge thank you to Liz, Stephen, and Christina.

Brian also sent us each home with a jar of homemade raspberry-lemon jam, which I cannot wait to try!

ArtBar's winter menu is currently available.

So... when are you going to ArtBar?

Full disclosure: I was invited to preview ArtBar's winter menu and everything we had was complimentary, but, as always, my opinions are my own.

Bacon, Egg, And Cheese Scones

2011-12-30T06:00:00.012-05:00

The morning after New Year's Eve pretty much requires a hearty but effortless breakfast -- the kind of breakfast that you can easily throw together after rolling out of bed just past 10 a.m. because let's face it: We're not as young as we used to be and staying up past midnight is getting more and more difficult. That lost sleep time needs to be made up somewhere, and I doubt many of us are willing to jump out of bed at 7 a.m. to start preparing an extravagant breakfast.

These scones are both effortless and filling, and they're also a complete breakfast in handheld form so they're perfect for a sleepy morning. Think of a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich that's neither greasy nor messy but fluffy and light. Serve the scones with a half of a grapefruit or a little fruit salad on the side, and you'll have one satisfying meal.

The original recipe is from The Cheese Lover's Cookbook and Guide and can be found on Leite's Culinaria. I stayed pretty true to the recipe when I made these (though I did cook the eggs in bacon grease to add flavor and I simplified the process a little), but I have a few changes I would make if I made them again. First, the recipe makes six scones but only calls for three pieces of bacon. Maybe it's just me, but I'd up this to six pieces, so there's one piece of bacon per serving. The recipe also calls for only two scrambled eggs, which is such a small amount of egg per serving. I'd scramble at least three eggs next time. I think the dough can handle a little more egg and bacon.

The recipe also only calls for two ounces of shredded cheddar, and I used three ounces, but I'd even up this to four next time. (Clearly, I'm looking for a very indulgent, but simple, breakfast.) And lastly, the scones are made with heavy cream, and I can't help wondering how they'd be with buttermilk because their texture sort of reminded me of buttermilk biscuits. I'll be testing that out soon.

Oh, and if you're having more than six guests, the scones are definitely big enough to cut in half before baking. That way you'll end up with 12 smaller scones. This is also a good option if you're doing more of a potluck brunch and want to be able to pair the scones with a bunch of other dishes. Either way, you're in for a hearty, satisfying breakfast if you make these.

Bacon, Egg, And Cheese Scones (adapted from The Cheese Lover's Cookbook and Guide)
Makes 6 large scones

Ingredients

3 to 6 strips bacon (use more or less depending how much you love bacon)
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
5 to 6 eggs (2 to 3 eggs will be used for the scrambled egg filling; 3 will be used raw)
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 to 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with Silpat mat.

In medium skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until crisp.

Transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Once cool enough to handle, crumble bacon.

Meanwhile, lightly scramble 2 to 3 eggs in small bowl. Once bacon has been removed from pan (leave 1 to 2 tablespoons grease in pan for flavor), lower heat to medium, melt 1 tablespoon butter in pan, and cook eggs. (I cooked them omelet style so I had a thin sheet of eggs, but you can just scramble them if you prefer.) Turn off heat, and break eggs into 1-inch or smaller pieces using spoon or spatula. Set aside.

Pulse flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl of food processor just until combined. Cut remaining 5 tablespoons butter in pieces, add to flour mixture, and pulse to combine. Mix heavy cream and 2 raw eggs together in measuring cup, and pour over flour mixture. Process until mixture comes together.

Dump mixture into medium bowl. Fold in bacon, scrambled eggs, and cheese using hands (trust me, I snapped the spatula that came with my food processor while trying to fold the mixture). Try not to overwork the mixture (we're going for fluffy here).

Transfer dough to Silpat mat, and pat into 12- by 4-inch rectangle about 3/4 inch high.

Using bench scraper, cut dough into three 4-inch squares. Cut each square on diagonal to form 6 triangles. Space triangles about 1 inch apart on Silpat mat, using bench scraper to lift and move them.

Beat remaining 1 raw egg with 2 tablespoons water. Brush scones with egg wash.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm. (Scones are best warm out of the oven, but they can be cooled, wrapped in plastic, and stored in refrigerator. Rewarm in oven or toaster oven.)

What will you be eating for breakfast on New Year's Day?

New Year's Eve Menu Ideas

2011-12-29T06:00:00.003-05:00

Every year when it comes time to decide what to do on New Year's Eve, my top picks are to stay in and make a fancy meal for the two of us or have some close friends over and make hors d'oeuvres and finger foods to snack on while catching up, watching the ball drop, and sipping bubbly.

Over the years I've made some great meals and hosted some fun New Year's Eve gatherings, so I thought I'd share some of the dishes and bites I consider New Year's Eve-worthy in case you're planning to stay in and need some menu ideas.

Appetizers
Artichoke And Fire-Roasted Tomato Bruschetta With Feta
Cheese Platter
Feta Tart
Fried Mozzarella Balls
Quiche Bites
Mini Pepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Breads
Soft Pretzel Bites With Cheddar-Mustard Dipping Sauce
Stuffed Mushrooms

Salads
Arugula And Fennel Salad With POM-Orange Vinaigrette
Green Bean And Blood Orange Salad
Pear And Roquefort Salad With Cranberry-Dijon Vinaigrette
Roasted Beet Salad With Walnut Vinaigrette
Winter Wedge Salad With Roquefort Blue Cheese

Main Courses
Boeuf Bourguignon
Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
Italian Cheese Fondue
Pan-Roasted Rack Of Lamb With Mustard-Shallot Pan Sauce
Pot Roast Pappardelle
Roasted Salmon With Herb Vinaigrette

Desserts
Chocolate And Salted Caramel Pie
Chocolate-Dipped Cherries With Ground Almonds
Mini Chocolate-Orange Cupcakes
Peanut Butter Honeycomb Pie
Raspberry, Blood Orange, And Prosecco Sorbet

Cocktails
Pear-Ginger Sparklers
St-Germain And Champagne

What are your New Year's Eve plans this year?

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T10:48:00.001-05:00

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas. Here's just a glimpse of mine...

Cookie Baking And Decorating

Christmas Morning

Christmas Dinner

(Missing from pictures: shrimp cocktail, stuffed mushrooms, baked stuffed shrimp, and beef tenderloin.)

What are some of your favorite moments from the holidays this year?

Pear, Cranberry, And Candied Ginger Crisps

2011-12-20T06:00:00.002-05:00

Winter is a great time for pears, what I think of as the oft-overlooked fruit when it comes to baking. We're all so eager to bake with cherries, blueberries, apples, peaches, plums, and even pineapples that we forget about pears. Even I'm guilty of it. There's not a single pear dessert recipe on this blog... until now, that is.

I still had some pears left from the shipment USA Pears sent me -- even after I incorporated them into my pear and Roquefort salad -- and I thought it would be fun to work them into a warm pear crisp, which could double as dessert and breakfast. (Don't judge. I even eat chocolate cake for breakfast sometimes, and at least this has oats and fruit in it.)

I took one Bosc pear (known for its woodsy, honey-sweet flavor) and one Starkrimson pear (characterized by its smooth flesh and floral essence) and set them on the counter. Then I rummaged through the pantry and freezer for more supplies. Beyond the staple ingredients, I grabbed some frozen cranberries, walnuts, and candied ginger bits. My crisp was shaping up.

I sifted through some cookbooks and found a couple crisp recipes I liked. I took the best parts of each, combined them with the ingredients I knew I wanted to use, made some tweaks, and put together my recipe. I was so pleased with the results.

These crisps are subtly flavored and really highlight the pears, as opposed to drowning them in cinnamon or other spices (but if that's more what you're looking for, it's easy to mix some spices in too). (And if you want a bigger hit of ginger, feel free to double the candied ginger.) I always enjoy a sweet crisp topping in opposition to soft, juicy fruit in this sort of dish, and that's exactly the texture combination I got. And to make these simple crisps a bit more decadent, I drizzled bittersweet chocolate on top after letting them cool slightly.

Pear, Cranberry, And Candied Ginger Crisps (adapted from Baked and The Craft of Baking)
Printable version
Makes 4

Ingredients

Filling
2 pears, peeled, cored, and diced (I used 1 Bosc and 1 Starkrimson)
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour

Topping
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 tablespoon ginger mini chips (or chopped candied ginger)
Melted bittersweet chocolate for drizzling (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the filling: In a medium bowl, mix together pears and cranberries.

Stir in sugar and flour. Set aside while making topping.

For the topping: In a medium bowl, toss flour and butter together using a wooden spoon.

Once butter is coated with flour, work oats and sugars in with your fingers.

Once mixture starts to clump together, work in the walnuts and ginger.

Place four 10-ounce ramekins on a baking sheet. Divide the fruit evenly among the ramekins.

Then sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit.

Bake crisps for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating halfway through, until fruit is tender, juices are bubbling and fragrant, and topping is golden brown.

Let cool 15 minutes.

Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired, and serve. (Once cool, crisps can be wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated. Reheat in microwave or oven.)

Have you had any good pear desserts lately?

Steak And Veggies With Mini Farfalle And Balsamic Glaze

2011-12-19T06:00:00.002-05:00

I've been craving vegetables a lot lately. The other day when this craving struck yet again, I began thinking about different ways to incorporate some veggies into a meal as more of the focus rather than just a side. I remembered a box of mini farfalle with tomatoes and carrots that I had bought and knew I wanted to use them in a dish without red sauce to let their warm orange color show through. Starting with my veggie craving, the box of pasta, and the knowledge that Jeff would not be happy if I didn't work some sort of meat into the meal, I came up with the idea to make a veggie-laden pasta topped with steak and a balsamic glaze.

We had recently tried broccolini (also called baby broccoli) and really enjoyed it, so I picked up a bunch along with asparagus and a red onion. Then for the meat, I went with hanger steak because it cooks quickly and is relatively inexpensive. I used only 3/4 pound here since there were just two of us, but there's plenty of pasta and veggies to handle more meat if you're serving four. You'll just need to cook the meat in two batches. (You could also make this with chicken... or skip the meat altogether.)

To flavor the pasta and veggies, I stirred in a little Parmesan cheese and squeezed lemon on top. Then I made a balsamic glaze to drizzle over the meat and pasta. I was actually running low on balsamic vinegar, so I mixed my remaining balsamic with a little Cabernet vinegar and reduced both together. The glaze was wonderful, and I imagine you could try it with other flavored vinegars as well.

Steak And Veggies With Mini Farfalle And Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients

3/4 pound hanger steak
Salt and pepper
1 bunch asparagus, ends snapped
1 bunch broccolini, leaves removed and ends trimmed
1 large red onion, ends trimmed, halved, and cut in wedges
4 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cups Barilla Mini Farfalle with Tomatoes and Carrots
1 to 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Lemon wedges

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Season steak with salt and pepper and set aside.

Arrange asparagus, broccolini, and red onion on sheet pan.

Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil.

Cook 20 to 25 minutes. Until vegetables are roasted to desired texture. I kept ours a little on the crisp side.

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for pasta.

Meanwhile, cook the steak. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium skillet over high heat. Add steak and cook, flipping once, about 6 minutes (for medium-rare).

Transfer to a plate, and tent with aluminum foil.

Lower heat to medium and pour balsamic in pan. Reduce to about 1/2 cup.

Transfer to small serving pitcher or measuring cup with pour spout.

Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water before draining. Return pasta to pot after draining.

When veggies are done, chop broccoli and asparagus into thirds, and stir them and the red onion into the pasta.

Stir in any accumulated juices from resting steak, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and reserved pasta water, as needed. Transfer to serving bowl.

Slice steak thinly against the grain.

Transfer the pasta to plates, serving with lemon wedges or squeezing lemon over before serving.

Arrange steak over pasta, drizzle balsamic glaze on top, and serve.

This flavorful meal satisfied my veggie craving, and I enjoyed every bite of it. The balsamic added both sweetness and acidity, and the steak provided extra protein for a super-filling dinner.

What meals have you been enjoying lately?