Brown Butter Brown Sugar Shorties

 Brown Butter Brown Sugar Shorties

Adapted from Gourmet

If you’re worried you’ll eat the whole batch — and you would be, I think, if you had one in front of you, too — the greatness that is the slice-and-bake cookie is that you can just bake off a few at a time and then hide the rest in the fridge (for a week) or the freezer (for a month) until the craving strikes again.

The back story behind this cookie, by the way, is that a few weeks ago, I had lunch with some food bloggers, two of whom were in town for the Gourmet Institute and we were joined by the nicest Gourmet editor, Ian Knauer. When I came home, I immediately looked up recipes with his name attached to them and found this gem. What can I say? Awesome people clearly cook awesome things.

Makes about 32 cookies

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (preferably dark)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt (flaky salt would be great in these)
Demerara sugar (Sugar in the Raw) or sanding sugar for rolling (optional)

Cut butter into four or five pieces and cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it has a nutty fragrance and flecks on bottom of pan turn a light brown, anywhere from 4 to 7 minutes. It helps to frequently scrape the solids off the bottom of the pan in the last couple minutes to ensure even browning. Transfer butter to a bowl and chill until just firm, about 1 hour.

Beat together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, then mix in flour and salt at low speed until just combined. Transfer dough to a sheet of wax paper or parchment and form into a 12-inch log, 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Chill, wrapped in wax paper, until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Unwrap dough and roll it in coarse sugar, if using, and press the granules in with the paper you’d be using to wrap it. Slice dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, arranging 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until surface is dry and edges are slightly darker, 10 to 12 minutes. Let sit on sheet for a minute before transferring to a rack to cool. (Cookies will quite fragile at first, but will firm up as they cool.)

Dough keeps, chilled, up to 1 week, or in the freezer, up to one month. Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.

Update 12/8/08: I am going to go ahead and put a yellow/yield light on this recipe. Although I have tested it twice, and had dreamy results both times, as have the majority of respondents, enough commenters are speaking of “spreading” or “falling apart” cookies that I want to warn you to approach this recipe more cautiously.

Caramelized Zucchini Pasta

 

Caramelized Zucchini Pasta

Yield:4 servings

• 2tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2pounds zucchini, coarsely grated (about 3 large zucchini)
• 8garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• ½cup basil leaves, stems reserved, plus more for serving
• 1¼ teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper.
• Melt butter add olive oil until hot, add everything else. Cover and cook 5-7 min. Uncover and saute for 40 min to one hour, stirring as needed. Add water if needed, scrape bottom. This cooks down a lot - and browns and becomes caramelized and delicious.
• 1pound ridged or curly pasta (like medium shells or casarecce) - boil as directed, saving pasta water.

When the pasta’s drained, remove the herb stems from the zucchini. Reduce the heat on the zucchini to medium, then add the pasta, 1 cup pasta water, and the Parmesan. Stir until the pasta is glossed with sauce. Add more pasta water as needed to thin the sauce. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining basil, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with more basil, Parmesan and black pepper.

 

• ½cup finely grated Parmesan or pecorino (about ½ ounce), plus more for serving
• 1tablespoon lemon juice

 

Cold Noodle Salad With Spicy Peanut Sauce

Yield:4 servings

FOR THE SALAD

• Kosher salt
• 10ounces soba noodles  - Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the soba, stir to prevent sticking, and cook according to package instructions until just tender. Rinse under cold water until the noodles are completely cold.
• 1medium zucchini or cucumber (about 6 ounces)
• 5radishes (about 4 ounces)
• Slice zuccini, cuke, radishes, then lay on side and cut into matchsticks.
• 1bell pepper (any color) - 1/8" pieces
• 1tablespoon sesame oil
• Topping:
• ½cup roasted salted peanuts (about 2 ounces), roughly chopped
• 2scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
• Handful of cilantro leaves
• 1lime, cut into wedges for serving
• Loosen the soba noodles by running them under some water, then allow to drain again. Add them to the vegetables, add the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil and toss to combine.

FOR THE SPICY PEANUT SAUCE

Mix together  -whisk in  1/4 to 1/2 c water slowly until desired consistency:


• ½cup smooth peanut butter (not natural)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2tablespoons maple syrup
• 2tablespoons lime juice (from 1 lime)
• 1tablespoon sesame oil
• 2teaspoons chile oil or hot sauce, plus more to taste
• 1garlic clove, grated

STREUSEL PUMPKIN BREAD

 

EASY STREUSEL PUMPKIN BREAD

This pumpkin bread is perfectly moist with a plush crumb, buttery streusel and a good amount of spices. This mash up of all my favorite recipes has led to my favorite-ever pumpkin bread! This bread will get even better after a few days--the spices and flavors will deepen.

Prep Time20minutes minutes

Cook Time1hour hour 15minutes minutes

Servings1 9x5" loaf

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE STREUSEL

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
• 6 tbsp light or dark brown sugar 
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 

FOR THE PUMPKIN BREAD

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 5 tsp cinnamon
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• pinch ground cloves
• 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil 
• 1/2 cup Imperial Sugar granulated sugar 
• 1 cup Imperial Sugar light brown sugar 
• 2 large eggs 

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE STREUSEL

• Whisk all the dry ingredients together. Pour in the melted butter and stir until just combined and crumbly. Set in the fridge to chill while you make the pumpkin bread.

FOR THE PUMPKIN BREAD

• Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 9x5 loaf pan, then line with a piece of parchment. It should be long enough that it sticks up along the long sides of the loaf pan so you can lift the pumpkin bread out later.

  Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves in a bowl and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, oil and sugars. Once combined, whisk in the eggs one at a time.
• Fold in the dry ingredients until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the streusel over the top. Place pan on a baking sheet in case of overflow and bake on the middle rack for 65-80 min or until an inserted tester comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay). If the top is browning too fast, cover loosely with foil.
• from thepancakeprincess.com

Ice Cream

 Ice Cream

1 c, cream

1 c. milk    

1 c. half and half

1/2 c. sugar

1/8t salt

Heat  - don't boil

3 yolks - 

mix well, then add some hot mixture into eggs.

Slowly stir egg mixture back into hot cream stirring all the time.

Heat until thick.

Cool - refrigerate 4 hours.

 Pass through sieve. 

Add

2T homemade vodka vanilla 

1T vanilla bean paste

Use ice cream freezer. So good

Ricotta and Pine Nut Salad

 Ricotta and Pine Nut Salad

• 2cups ricotta
• ⅓cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves, more for garnish
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¾cup pine nuts
• 8 to 10cups (loosely packed) mixed salad leaves
• 2heads Belgian endive, torn into pieces
• 2tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ¼cup extra virgin olive oil
• Paprika

1. Step 1

   Place ricotta in a mixing bowl and break up with a fork. Tear basil leaves into pieces, and toss with ricotta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Step 2

   Place a small dry skillet over medium heat, and add pine nuts. Stir constantly until nuts are darkly golden. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

3. Step 3

   Arrange salad leaves on a large platter and sprinkle with Belgian endive. In a small bowl, combine vinegar and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle mixture over salad greens, and toss. Spread pine nuts evenly over greens.

4. Step 4

   Drop small mounds of ricotta mixture onto greens. Dust ricotta with paprika, and garnish platter with basil leaves. Serve.

Latkes (no flour)

 Perfect Latkes Recipe

 INGREDIENTS 

1 large onion (8 oz) – Shred and strain, squeeze 

2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes peeled - Shred and strain. 

Squeeze Press on the mixture with your hands, repeatedly, to extract as much liquid as you humanly can into the bowl. This is the single most important step in this recipe. The drier the mixture is, the crispier the latkes will turn out, and the less risk of them falling apart. 

 Mix together: 

2 large eggs 

1 teaspoon fine sea salt 

½ teaspoon black pepper 

½ teaspoon garlic powder 

 Toss with onion-potato mixture. 

 16 oz avocado oil 

 INSTRUCTIONS 

 Set the oven to warm (150 degrees F). Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet. 

 Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking, about 4 minutes. 

The oil should cover the bottom of the skillet and be about ½ inch deep. 

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of mixture per pancake into the skillet, pressing on them a little with a spatula to flatten. If using a 12-inch skillet, you’ll be able to fry 4 latkes at a time. I fry in 2 skillets simultaneously – it cuts the frying time in half and is quite doable. 

Cook the latkes until their undersides are browned, about 5 minutes. Turn them over and cook until the other side is browned, about 5 more minutes. Transfer the cooked latkes to paper towels to drain, then place them on the prepared baking sheet and keep them in the warm oven while you finish frying more batches. 

Between batches, mix again the egg/potato/onion mixture - it tends to separate. These crispy latkes are flourless and gluten-free. NOTES *I typically use Yukon Gold potatoes. Russet potatoes do have an advantage though - they have a high starch content, which helps the latkes crisp up and also helps prevent them from falling apart when you cook them.

Apple and Cheddar Crisp Salad

 Apple and Cheddar Crisp Salad

• SERVINGS: 2 GIANT SERVINGS OR 4 WITH A MEAL
•  TIME: 30 MINUTES 
• SOURCE: SMITTEN KITCHEN

This will make almost double the crispy stuff you need for this salad, but I think you’ll be glad for leftovers. An an 8-10 ounce bundle of curly or lacinato/Tuscan/dinosaur kale with the woody stems and rib removed will yield the 5 ounces of leaves used here. I usually cut the apple right before serving, just in case it’s prone to browning (but not all are). The crispy nuts are adapted from the ones on the kale salad at Beauty & Essex in the Lower East Side.

DRESSING

• 1 small shallot, minced
• 3 tablespoons (45 grams) apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon smooth dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) mayonnaise or Greek-style plain yogurt
• 6 tablespoons (80 grams) olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

CRISPY STUFF

• 1 cup (115 grams or 4 ounces) sharp cheddar, coarsely grated
• 1 cup (85 grams) sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons (15 grams) powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

ASSEMBLY

• 5 ounces (140 grams) kale leaves, any variety, cut into thin ribbons [see Note]
• 1 large crisp apple, halved, cored, and cut thin

Heat oven to 400°F.

Start the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine shallot and apple cider vinegar and set aside while you make the crispy stuff.

Make cheddar crisps and sugared almonds: Line a large (half-sheet size) rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Scatter cheddar evenly over half the parchment, in about a 8×12-inch, 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Sprinkle with a little cayenne or black pepper, if you wish.

In a colander, rinse almonds under cold water (yes, really!) and shake off excess liquid. In a bowl, toss wet almonds with powdered sugar, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne until evenly coated. Spread on second half of parchment-covered baking sheet in a thin, even layer, leaving an inch around it bare so it can spread.

Bake almonds and cheddar together for 4 to 9 minutes, until the cheese is melted into a lacy, evenly deep golden brown crisp and the almonds are dark at the edges and lightly golden throughout. Please hear me on this: Watch it closely. Both the cheddar and the almonds will go from not-yet-golden to perfectly bronzed to burnt in what feels like a one-minute period. Check it at 4 minutes, then every minute or two thereafter until the pan is just right. Remove and let cool while you finish the salad.

Finish the dressing: To the shallots and vinegar in the bowl, whisk in dijon, mayo or yogurt, then drizzle in olive oil, whisking the whole time. Season dressing with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Assemble: In a large wide bowl or salad plate, toss greens with 2/3 the dressing to start, then tasting and adding the rest if you wish. Arrange the apple over the greens, fanning out slices. Break off clustered of almonds from the baking sheet and scatter them over the salad. If the cheddar crisp seems very oily, you can blot it with a paper towel, before tearing or cutting it into large bite-size pieces and scattering them over the salad. Season the salad with additional salt and pepper and serve right away.

Do ahead: The nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a week. The cheese crisps are best kept the fridge, lightly covered. The dressing will keep for several days in the fridge. Washed and blotted dry kale keeps in a large zipped bag in the fridge for several days, provided you keep it out of the spots that are prone to freezing produce (or maybe this is just my terrible fridge).

Holiday Honeycrisp Salad

Holiday Honeycrisp Salad

This gorgeous Holiday Honeycrisp Salad is full of flavor and texture, with fresh apple slices, crunchy toasted pecans, chewy dried cranberries, zippy blue cheese, and a tangy-sweet apple cider vinaigrette.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup light vegetable oil such as sunflower or safflower OR extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice OR apple cider
• 2 to 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 medium Honeycrisp apples (about 1 pound) thinly sliced
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 12 ounces salad greens spring mix, baby spinach, arugula, baby romaine, OR a combo of your favorites
• 1 cup pecan halves toasted or candied
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries OR dried cherries
• 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese

Instructions

• To prepare Apple Cider Vinaigrette, measure oil, apple cider vinegar, apple juice/cider, honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into a mason jar. Tightly screw on lid and shake vigorously until everything is thoroughly combined. Alternatively, you may briskly whisk the ingredients together in a medium bowl, or blend them in a blender or mini food processor.
• Place apple slices in a large plastic baggie and squeeze the fresh lemon juice (from the lemon half) over them. Close bag and shake to coat. In a large salad bowl, layer salad greens, apple slices, pecans, dried cranberries, and blue cheese. Just before serving, dress with desired amount of Apple Cider Vinaigrette and toss until salad ingredients are evenly coated.

Notes

You may prep the individual components of this salad ahead of time and then assemble everything just before serving.

A day or two ahead of time:

• Make the vinaigrette and store in the refrigerator. Before using, allow it to come to room temperature and then shake well.
• Toast the pecans, allow to completely cool, and store in an airtight container.
• Wash and dry the salad greens (if they're not already washed).

A few hours ahead of time on the same day:

• Cut the apples and shake the slices with a generous amount of lemon juice. Squeeze the air out of the bag and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to assemble the salad. Honeycrisp apples will typically hold their bright color (shaken with lemon juice) for several hours. Other varieties of softer apples (such as Gala) will brown more quickly, so those shouldn't be sliced and shaken with lemon juice until just before serving.

Crab Mold Dip - from Ardyce

 Crab Mold Dip- from Ardyce

Toss gently and set aside:

12 oz Dungeness - be sure to dry the crab

1 c finely chopped celery

1 c finely chopped red onion yellow or white will work but red has better flavor

Soften

2 pks gelatin in 3T warm water

Add 

1 can mushroom soup

8 oz creamed cheese

Fold in;

1c mayonaise

lemon

Worcestershire

crab mix

Pack into containers - freezes well

Serve with sourdough or crakers.

Sugar Cookies for decorating

 Sugar cookies for decorating

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups flour 480g, sifted
• 1/3 cup corn starch 40g
• 3/4 tsp salt 4g
• 1 cup unsalted butter 227g
• 1 cup sugar 200g
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 5mL

Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Sift your the flour, corn starch and salt in a large bowl. Give it a whisk.
• In your standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together.
• Add the eggs while mixing. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
• Add 1 tsp vanilla extract.
• Pour in the flour mixture and mix until everything is well incorporated.
• Put the dough in a plastic bag, flatten it together, then chill it in the refrigerator so it firms up.
• Once the dough is chilled, place it on a rolling matt, sprinkle with flour and roll out with a rolling pin. Move the dough around so to prevent it from sticking.
• Use a circular cookie cutter to cut out your cookies. Take away extra scraps to re-roll for more cookies.
• Place them on a non-stick baking sheet and bake at 375F for 12 minutes.

Notes

I often use 1/2 cup of corn start for this recipe as if gives you LAZER sharp edges but recently reduced it to a 1/3 cup. This gives a slightly softer cookie  while still retaining almost all of the shape during baking. If you want a really soft cookie just add a 1/4 cup and you cookie dough will still be pretty manageable. 

Nutrition

Serving: 28g | Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 255IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg