RSS Feed

Tag Archives: baking

Game Day Menu Ideas

Posted on February 3, 2011 by amydeline

Growing up, my family never watched football. We were more of a hockey and baseball kind of clan. But every year we had a big ole Super Bowl Sunday party. I was infinitely envious of my younger sister, whose birthday happens to fall right around the Super Bowl, for she had a guaranteed birthday party each year, long after the rest of us had been weaned off of annual birthday celebrations.

In college, I briefly and half-heartedly tried to get into the whole football thing. I watched games on TV with my new college friends and looked to them to explain the ins and outs of the activity I was so hopelessly clueless about. But, my interest in football was short-lived. Not long after that, I met my husband, who’s more of a guitar and drum kind of guy than a sports fan. So, football remains largely absent from my life.

But in true, inherited non-football-fan fashion, my husband and I are throwing a Super Bowl party this year. Our game day menu is still under construction, but will almost certainly include some adaptation of these Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins and a decadent German Chocolate Cake in honor of my sister’s birthday. (Those recipes to follow after the Superbowl!)

In the meantime, if you’re in search of a few new ideas for your game day celebrations, check out these previously posted Gourmand Mom recipes:

Spicy Beef Chili

White Chicken Chili

Sweet Honey Cornbread

Jalapeno Poppers

Spinach Dip and Fried Wonton Chips

Chicken Wing Dip

Homemade Pizza Dough

Blue Cows in a Blanket

Creole Deviled Eggs

Fresh Tomato or Corn and Chipotle Salsa

Steak Bordelaise Pizza

Buffalo Chicken Pizza


8 Comments

Posted in Appetizers, Beef, Breads, Cheese, Dressings and Condiments, Food, Main Course, Pizza, Potato, Recipes, Side Dishes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Peppermint Patty Cheesecake Bars

Posted on January 7, 2011 by amydeline

For my grandfather’s 80th birthday, my sisters and I combined our talents in the kitchen to gift him with a membership to our very own Sweet Treats of the Month club. Each month during his 80th year of life, we presented him with various platters and tins of homemade cookies, candies, bars, muffins, and cakes. As my grandmother anxiously watched his waistline and blood pressure, my grandfather eagerly waited by the mailbox for his monthly deliveries. It worked out to be the perfect gift for a man who has just about everything he desires in life.

Turns out that my grandfather wasn’t the only one who thought a membership in the Sweet Treats of the Month club was a grand gift. As the holidays approached, my father made a not-so-subtle Christmas wish to be enrolled in that homemade goodies club. You can imagine his delight when Christmas brought him his first installment of goodies along with the notification of his enrollment in this very exclusive club.

This weekend, we’ll be traveling to see my parents and other family who we’ve yet to celebrate the holidays with. We’ll also be hand delivering my dad’s January installment of treats. The beautiful thing about this exclusive club is that it’s 100% customizable to the member’s tastes. This means that my dad’s year of treats will be heavily focused on dark chocolates, gingery goodies, oatmeal creations, and maybe even a few chocolate-drizzled macaroons.

So, I set out in search of the perfect recipe for the January installment of goodies. Then, as if in answer to my mission, a fellow food blogger, at Liv Life, recently posted a list of her top ten recipes for the year. Included in the list was a recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Bars. They looked absolutely luscious and right up my dad’s alley. Her post led me to the original Food Network recipe for Chocolate Cheesecake Candy Cane Bars. After a few little modifications, aimed at running the minty flavor throughout the bars, and a substitution of peppermint patties for candy canes, I came up with these; Peppermint Patty Cheesecake Bars. Pretty sure my dad will be pleased!


Peppermint Patty Cheesecake Bars

Adapted from Food Network’s Chocolate Cheesecake Candy Cane Bars

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 15 Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (mint-flavored, if available), crushed
  • 4 Tablespoons Butter, melted

For the Filling

  • 1 bar (8 ounces) Cream Cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup Sour Cream
  • 2/3 cup Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 8 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon Peppermint Extract

For the Glaze

  • 4 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • 1 teaspoon Light Corn Syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
  • 4-5 Peppermint Patty candies, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 baking dish with foil. Combine crushed cookies with melted butter. Press the cookie mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and beat for another minute or two. Melt the chocolate slowly in the microwave or in a bowl set over a pot of boiling water, stirring frequently. Add the melted chocolate and the peppermint extract to the cream cheese mixture and mix until combined. Pour the filling over the prepared crust. Bake for 25-30 minutes until slightly puffed around the edges. The center will appear slightly loose. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.

To make the glaze, place bittersweet chocolate, butter, and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for about 30 seconds at a time, stirring periodically, until completely melted. Stir in the sour cream. Spread the glaze over the cheesecake. Sprinkle with pieces of the peppermint patty candies.  Refrigerate overnight to thoroughly chill. Use the foil to lift the cheesecake from the baking dish and cut into small squares or bars.

7 Comments

Posted in Baking, Cakes, Chocolate, Desserts, Food, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Cinnamon French Toast Bake

Posted on January 2, 2011 by amydeline

I love brunch; that meal which is so perfectly placed between breakfast and lunch; a perfect excuse to eat breakfast foods at lunch time and spike your orange juice with leftover champagne from your New Year’s celebrations.

A few years ago, I awoke on the morning of a planned brunch with my sisters, set upon making some sort of French toast casserole. Much to my dismay, I quickly discovered that nearly every French toast casserole recipe called for resting the casserole overnight. Clearly, I was not prepared for this French toast casserole idea. But, not to be dissuaded by the small obstacle of time, I continued searching until I landed upon a French toast bake, which could be prepared and baked instantly, using prepared cinnamon rolls.

I made this Cinnamon French Toast Bake the morning of that brunch and a few times since, including this New Year’s Day. I’ve slightly modified the original recipe, which I found to be overly sweet and in need of a few additional minutes in the oven. This decadently sweet dish makes a delicious, special breakfast for Christmas morning, New Year’s Day, or a brunch any time of year!

Cinnamon French Toast Bake

Adapted from Pillsbury’s Cinnamon French Toast Bake

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Butter, melted
  • 2 cans Refrigerated Cinnamon Rolls (with icing)
  • 6 Eggs
  • 1/2 cup Light Cream
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla
  • 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon Salt
  • 3/4 cup Pecans, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Maple Syrup

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour the melted butter into a 13×9 baking dish. Tilt the dish so the butter covers the bottom. Cut each uncooked cinnamon roll into 8 pieces. (Set the containers of icing aside to garnish the finished French toast bake.) Scatter the cinnamon roll pieces over the melted butter. Lightly beat the eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk in the cream, vanilla, cinnamon and salt until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cinnamon roll pieces. Scatter the chopped pecans on top. Drizzle with the maple syrup. Bake for 30-32 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10-15 minutes. Slightly warm the cinnamon roll icing in the microwave for a few seconds. Drizzle the icing over the French toast bake before serving. (You may only need one of the icing containers.)

Serve with additional maple syrup, if desired.

In the mood for a good brunch? Here are a few other previously posted Gourmand Mom brunch ideas:

Traditional Eggs Benedict and Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict (with links to photo guides on poaching eggs and making Hollandaise Sauce)

Breakfast Pizza

Homemade Cream Cheese with Bagels

Brunchy Beverages

PB&J French Toast

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

Chocolate Chip Bacon Pancakes

9 Comments

Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Eggs, Food, Main Course, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Spanakopita

Posted on December 30, 2010 by amydeline

Back in my pre-stay-at-home mom days, I worked as a teacher and math content coach at an elementary school. Along with my job as the school’s math content coach came the role of test coordinator for the school’s state-mandated annual testing. The task of coordinating testing for the school involved a tedious and meticulous process of coding, counting, training, timing, documenting, and maintaining careful test security for hundreds of test booklets and test content.  It was an exhausting time of year, to say the least. My saving graces during that time were a co-testing coordinator, extra large cups of coffee, and the little pizza shop across the street from the school.

That little pizza shop was always ready with hot slices of pizza, a really great chef’s salad, or my favorite; the Greek spinach pie. I can’t count how many spinach pies, called Spanakopita, I ordered from that little pizza shop, most especially during testing season. Delicate layers of buttery, flakey phyllo dough, filled with a melty spinach and feta combination; my mind will forever associate spinach pie with comfort food.

Spanakopita can be prepared a couple of different ways. It can be layered in a baking dish to create a sliceable “pie” suitable as a side dish with dinner or it can prepared as individual hors d’oeuvres which would be perfect for a New Year’s Eve event or any hors d’oeuvres gathering. However you serve it, the same delicious taste and buttery, flakey layers will scream pure comfort!

Spanakopita

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 small Onion, finely diced
  • 2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
  • 1 (10-ounce) package Frozen Spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
  • 1/2 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
  • 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Fillo/Phyllo Dough, defrosted
  • 1 stick Butter, melted

Directions

Heat olive oil in a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the onion begins to soften. Lower the heat and add the spinach, feta cheese, and parmesan cheese. Stir until the feta has mostly melted and the ingredients are well combined.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To prepare triangular spanakopita hors d’oeuvres, cut the sheets of phyllo into strips, approximately 2 inches wide by 7 inches long. Working with a few strips at a time, brush each strip with melted butter. Place a small spoonful of the spinach filling towards the center of one end. Fold the corner of the filled end up into a triangle. Continue folding the dough up and over to create a triangular packet. If necessary, seal the remaining edge of dough with a little extra melted butter. Place the prepared triangles on a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes in a 350 degrees oven, until golden brown. *See my folding guide below.

To prepare the spanakopita in a baking dish, brush the inside of a 13×9 inch baking dish with melted butter. Cut your phyllo dough to fit the baking dish. Lay one sheet of phyllo in the baking dish. Brush it with melted butter. Place another sheet of phyllo on top. Continue layering the melted butter and phyllo until you have 6-7 layers of phyllo. Then, spread half of the spinach filling on top. Layer another 2-3 sheets of phyllo with melted butter between each sheet. Spread the remaining spinach filling on top. Complete the pie by layering another 6-7 sheets of phyllo dough with melted butter brushed between each sheet. Brush the top of the pie with melted butter. Bake in a 350 degrees oven for about 30 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before slicing into squares.

**As you work with the phyllo dough, keep the excess dough covered by a piece of plastic wrap with a damp towel on top. This will prevent the dough from drying out as you work. Exposed dough will dry out very quickly and become difficult to work with.

Spanakopita Folding Guide

When I prepared the spanakopita, I didn’t have the forethought to take step by step pictures for a folding photo guide. It wasn’t until I sat down to write up this recipe that I realized a photo guide would have been really helpful. Since my spinach filling and phyllo dough are long gone, I’ve made up a little photo guide using a piece of tortilla and raspberry jam which, as it turns out, make a pretty tasty snack. The following pictures should help give you an idea of how to fold the spanakopita.

Place a spoonful of filling in the center of one end.

Fold one corner up and over the filling to meet the opposite edge.

Fold the corner up along the same edge.

Fold it over to meet the opposite edge.

Fold it up along the same edge.

Fold over and seal any remaining dough with a bit of melted butter.

7 Comments

Posted in Appetizers, Baking, Cheese, Food, Main Course, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Post Christmas Recovery and Recap

Posted on December 28, 2010 by amydeline

Well, the big day has passed. The carefully wrapped gifts have been enthusiastically unwrapped. The cookies, pies and festive dinners have been prepared and consumed, with minimal leftovers to speak of. New toys have been put through their paces and new clothes have been worn and washed. Our house guests and house pets have all made their way home and all that’s left is to launder the sheets and towels. It was a beautiful holiday filled with laughter, love, and smiles.

And now, things are gradually returning to normal. We’re slowly reclaiming the house from the holidays, sweeping up the pine tree needles, and finding places to stash the new toys. As much as I thrive on the Christmas festivities, I’m looking forward to a bit of normalcy. I’m ready to pack away the cookie sheets for a while and get back to our normal day-to-day cooking and routines.

I must admit, I’ve been feeling a bit of post-holiday indulgence remorse. I ate way too many cookies and slices of eggnog pie “for the baby”, which I’m pretty sure went straight to my hips instead. The measly remainder of holiday cookies have been officially exiled from the house and I’m looking forward to some light, nutritious meals for the sake of my hips. But speaking of the baby, we found out yesterday morning that we are expecting our third boy! Looks like my husband just formed himself a foursome for golf!

I’ll be whipping up some healthy new recipes soon. But first, here’s a quick recap of some of the goodies we enjoyed with our holiday guests.

We started on Christmas Eve Eve (does that make sense?) with a request from my brother-in-law for my Steak Bordelaise Pizza. I’ve shared this recipe for you before, back in my Pizza Dragons and Chairs of Stock post. I guess you can say this is one of my signature dishes. It’s sort of a steak dinner on a pizza crust. This is definitely not your run of the mill pizza. My pizza traditionalist father would be reluctant to call it a pizza at all, but we’re all big fans of the dish around here.

On Christmas Eve, I cooked up a Chicken Parmigiana dinner, complete with spaghetti and toasty hot garlic bread. I’ve been cooking Chicken Parmigiana on Christmas Eve in this house for many years now, long before my husband and I were married and long before this house was our house. I’ll give the Chicken Parm it’s own post with a proper recipe soon, but for now, you can take a look back at my recipe for Eggplant Parmigiana. My Chicken Parm follows the same basic recipe, only substituting breaded thin-cut or pounded chicken breasts for the eggplant. It’s a delicious meal that can be almost fully prepared ahead of time. It’s definitely a satisfying crowd pleaser!

On Christmas, we started with two easy appetizers of Fresh Mozzarella and Tomatoes with Basil Pesto on Baguette and Shrimp with Spicy Cocktail Sauce. You can find my recipe for Basil Pesto back in my Toasted Caprese Sandwich post. For the shrimp, simply boil large de-veined shrimp for a few minutes until they curl and turn bright pink. Or, take the easy route, as I do, and buy a large bag of frozen, peeled, tail-on shrimp and allow them to defrost in the fridge overnight. Make a quick, delicious cocktail sauce by combining about a cup of ketchup with a healthy dose of horseradish (a few heaping tablespoons), a splash of Worchestershire Sauce, splash of Lemon Juice, and splash of Tabasco.

Our Christmas dinner featured Roasted Beef Tenderloin with two sauces. I trimmed and tied a 5 1/2 pound beef tenderloin, rubbed it with olive oil, generously sprinkled with salt and pepper, and roasted in a 425 degrees oven for about 45 minutes. Smaller roasts will cook quicker. On the side, I served a Horseradish Cream Sauce (made with sour cream, a generous amount of horseradish, dash of white wine vinegar, salt and pepper) and a Red Wine Mushroom Sauce, which was simply an adaptation of the Bordelaise Sauce used on my Steak Bordelaise Pizza; a little less wine, slightly less reduced, with sauteed mushrooms added at the end.

On the side, we enjoyed my Cheddar Garlic Biscuits, Spicy Utica Greens, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Walnuts. Every bit was enjoyed. The brussel sprouts even managed to surprise a few apprehensive diners. For dessert, we enjoyed massive platters of cookies and Chocolate Eggnog Pudding Pie. Overall, it was a simple meal to pull off for a large group, which gave me plenty of downtime to enjoy with the kids and our guests.

It was another truly wonderful Christmas season, topped off by the revelation of our third baby boy! We are so very thankful for all of our blessings. Stay tuned for new recipes, coming up soon!

3 Comments

Posted in Appetizers, Beef, Breads, Cheese, Chocolate, Desserts, Dressings and Condiments, Food, Main Course, Poultry, Recipes, Sauces, Seafood, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Posted on December 24, 2010 by amydeline

The big day is finally upon us! The remainder of our holiday house guests and house pets arrived a few days ago and our home is now bustling with activity. The kids (and I) are overflowing with anticipation.

Yesterday evening, Santa made an early visit to my house, dressed as a Home Depot delivery man. He brought me the gift which every Gourmand Mom needs…an extra refrigerator for the garage. Skip the faux furs, glitzy clutch purses, and other sparkly bling that television advertisements will lead you to believe that every woman desires. All this girl wanted was a fridge.

I’ll be signing out for a few days to enjoy this most wonderful holiday with my family, but before I go, here’s one more cookie recipe to add to the collection. These cookies weren’t on the agenda for this year. They were a last minute addition, inspired by those Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies I’d baked and Martha Stewart. The chocolate cookie recipe, adapted from Hershey’s was so delicious, that it left me with the overwhelming urge to bake more chocolate cookies. Then, while flipping through Martha Stewart’s most recent cookie magazine, I ran across a recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies.

The idea was irresistible to me; chocolate cookies accented with a healthy dose of cinnamon and spicy cayenne pepper. It reminded me of a Chocolate Chile Cake I baked several months ago. I had to give these cookies a try. So, I took the Hershey’s cookie recipe and combined it with Martha’s spices to create these delicious Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies. The result is a chewy, rich chocolate cookie, which tastes of fudge on the first bite, but lingers with a kick of cayenne in the background. Definitely worth a try!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Flour
  • 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
  • 2 sticks Butter, softened
  • 1 cup White Sugar
  • 3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stir together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat for another minute or two, until well blended. Gradually blend in the flour mixture. Roll the dough into small balls (about 1″ diameter) and place about 1 1/2″ apart on a baking sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Cool for a couple minutes on the baking sheet before moving the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

If you ask my kids, you can’t have hot chocolate without marshmallows. So, for a fun little twist, I wrapped some of the spicy chocolate dough around mini marshmallows before rolling the balls. The marshmallows melted into the cookies and added a touch of extra gooeyness in the center!

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season!

8 Comments

Posted in Baking, Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts, Food, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Chocolate Eggnog Pudding Pie

Posted on December 22, 2010 by amydeline

This began as a culinary experiment. As the holidays approached, and coolers filled with eggnog began popping up in grocery stores, I began pondering potential uses for this thick, festive concoction. It occurred to me that I could probably adapt my Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie into a festive Eggnog Pudding Pie. Thing is, I’ve never tasted, nor even heard of eggnog pudding. Seemed to me that such a thing could be made with a few simple substitutions and adjustments, but would it even be any good??

Eggnog is a tricky thing. Some people love it. Some people hate it. And some people are like me. The idea of a cup of eggnog is initially quite appealing, but after a sip or two, I’ve had enough to last me until the following year. It’s just so rich. Would an eggnog pudding be intolerably rich? There was only one way to find out.

My theory about making the eggnog pudding proved correct. With a few little modifications, it came together as simply and easily as my vanilla pudding. And interestingly enough, I think the eggnog works better in pudding form than as a beverage. The flavor seems a bit more mellow and the texture makes more sense to my mouth than the part liquid/part smoothie sort of texture of an eggnog beverage. Combined with the rich chocolate crust and ganache and a bit of whipped cream, this pie makes a surprisingly delightful, festive and unique holiday dessert!

Chocolate Eggnog Pudding Pie

Ingredients

  • 1 Chocolate Cookie Pie Crust, homemade or store-bought

For the Ganache

  • 2 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate (2 squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate)
  • 3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream

For the Filling

  • 3 cups Prepared Eggnog
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup Cornstarch, divided
  • 2 Egg Yolks

For the Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • 2 Tbsp Sugar

Directions

For the Filling

Combine the eggnog, salt, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and half of the cornstarch in a saucepan. Stir. Cook over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes until the mixture just comes to a boil. Remove from heat. In a bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks with the remaining cornstarch. Slowly add about 1/4 cup of the hot eggnog mixture to the eggs and whisk to combine. Add another 1/4 cup of the hot eggnog mixture and whisk to combine. (This slow addition of the hot liquid tempers the egg yolks and prevents them from scrambling when added to the hot liquid.) Pour the egg mixture into the pot. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, whisking constantly. Cook for a few minutes until the mixture thickens. Pour the filling into a bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly against the filling. Refrigerate for about an hour to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the ganache for the crust.

For the Ganache

Place the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream, until it just begins to boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate completely melts. Pour the warm ganache into the pie crust. Chill until set.

To Assemble the Pie

Spread the the cooled filling over the chilled ganache. Refrigerate until completely cool.

Beat the heavy cream with the sugar until thick. Top the pie with the whipped cream. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings or chocolate chips, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3 Comments

Posted in Baking, Chocolate, Desserts, Food, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Holiday Bark and Chocolate Spiders

Posted on December 20, 2010 by amydeline

So, let’s say you’ve got the urge to make a few festive treats this week, but you have no desire to deal with long lists of baking ingredients, flour-covered kitchens, or a hot oven. I’ve got two perfect solutions for you.

First, we’ve got Chocolate-Covered Spiders. I know. They hardly sound festive, at least not for this time of year. Perhaps Halloween is a more appropriate time of year for these little goodies. But in my family, they were always made at Christmastime. I’ve actually already shared this recipe once before, during my Christmas in July celebration. Since the holidays are actually upon us, it seems fitting to revisit these chocolatey treats.

Chocolate-Covered Spiders

Ingredients

  • 1 (12-ounce) package Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 1 cup Butterscotch Chips
  • 1 container Chow Mein Noodles
  • 1 cup Peanuts

Directions

Line a few baking sheets with parchment or wax paper. Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring frequently. Fold in the chow mein noodles and peanuts until they are well coated in chocolate. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the wax paper. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until the chocolate has hardened.

Second, we’ve got holiday bark. Bark is one of those super-simple ideas with infinite variations. Use any kind of chocolate (or combination of chocolates) and mix with any kind of nuts, fruits, candies, etc. Simply melt your chocolate of choice, mix in your desired filling, spread into a pan, chill, and break. So, have fun with this ‘recipe’ and adapt it to your personal preferences. I went with deep, dark chocolate, mixed with pistachios, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips for a festive green, red, and white effect.

Dark Chocolate Holiday Bark

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (16 ounces) good quality Dark Chocolate or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 1/2 cup Pistachios
  • 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
  • 1/2 cup White Chocolate Chips

*Substitute any kind of chocolate or fillings you desire.

Directions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler. Stir in most of the nuts, cranberries, and white chocolate chips. Spread the mixture in a thin layer on the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining nuts, cranberries, and chips on top. Chill until firm. Break into pieces.

My cookie collection has been completed and cookie platters and tins have been arranged for gifting. Stay tuned for two more cookie recipes and a few holiday menu ideas, coming up this week!

4 Comments

Posted in Baking, Chocolate, Desserts, Food, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Cherry Vanilla Drops

Posted on December 17, 2010 by amydeline

My baking equipment is in revolt. I don’t blame it. I outright lied. The proof is in yesterday’s post. I’d promised my baking equipment a small break from this baking madness. It’s served me well these last few weeks. It really deserved a break. And then the cookie mania took hold again. I just had to have those little thumbprint cookies with the marashino cherries. It couldn’t wait a few days. I needed them immediately.

So, moments after I hit the publish button on yesterday’s post, I took three sticks of butter out of the fridge to soften. I’m pretty sure that’s what clued the baking equipment in; those conspicuous sticks of butter sitting on the counter. If I were smart, I would have hidden them in the dining room. But, on the counter they sat. And then, when it came time to mix up the cookie dough, my electric mixer was nowhere to be found. Nowhere.

Now, for anyone who knows me and my not-so-borderline obsessive compulsive tendencies, you’d realize that this is an unusual occurrence. I don’t misplace things very often. Everything has a place. In this case, the mixer’s place is back in its original box, in the pantry, next to the mini food processor. But when I went to said place, there was no mixer. Just an empty box. Befuddled doesn’t begin to explain my reaction. I scanned the kitchen, scanned the pantry, scanned the dining room. No mixer.

After a bit of searching, I finally found the mixer, cord wrapped around it, hiding in a basket in the pantry, under a pile of chocolate chips and marshmallows. That is most definitely not where I would have put my mixer.

My current theory is that the mixer caught sight of the butter on the counter and tried to make a run for it. When it realized it had no legs or other form of locomotion, it simply took cover and hoped for the best. Sorry dear mixer, my best is better than your best. I win. We’re making cookies.

I started with a Martha Stewart recipe for thumbprint cookies, but since my version doesn’t involve any thumb-sized indentations, it hardly seems appropriate to call them thumbprint cookies. So, based on my addition of a healthy dose of vanilla and sweet marashino cherries, I’m dubbing these little guys Cherry Vanilla Drops.

Cherry Vanilla Drops

Adapted from Aunt Maggie’s Jam Thumbprints via Martha Stewart

Ingredients

  • 3 sticks Butter, softened
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1 Egg
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla
  • 3 1/4 cups Flour
  • 4 dozen Marashino Cherries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat for another minute or two, until well combined. Gradually add the flour, until evenly blended. Roll the dough into balls, about 1″ diameter. Place about two inches apart on a baking sheet. Press a marashino cherry into the center of each ball. Bake for about 18 minutes, until the edges just begin to turn golden. Cool for a minute or two on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen

12 Comments

Posted in Baking, Cookies, Desserts, Food, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Rainbow Cookies

Posted on December 15, 2010 by amydeline

So many family events and special occasions in my life have ended with a great big tray of Italian cookies. You know, those huge colorful platters of pink butter cookies, green butter cookies, butter cookies with cherries, butter cookies with sprinkles, butter cookies dipped in chocolate and butter cookies with jam. And mixed within all of those buttery sweets would be a handful of the premium cookies; the Florentines, the Pirouettes filled with chocolate, and my favorite of all, the Rainbow Cookies. I just love those sweet, little cakey confections.

I can still feel a bit of that panic I felt every time the cookie platter was placed on the table; waiting for the moment when it was appropriate to begin serving myself; worried that the prized gems of the cookie platter would be scooped up before I got my turn at the platter. As I pretended to be engaged in conversation, I watched that cookie platter with eagle eyes for the signal that dessert was officially served. Then, I’d swoop in and gobble up a few of those delectable Rainbow Cookies before anyone knew they were there. Even now, I still feel a possessive panic in the presence of those cookies.

My grocery store sells little plastic containers of Rainbow cookies for a king’s ransom. Every so often, I pick up a container and selfishly hoard them for myself. I just can’t seem to lose that fear that there won’t be enough for me. I’ve been meaning to try my hand at making these beloved cookies for ages and decided that this would finally be the year. After a few initial set-backs, including an epic battle against some Nut Lace cookies, another snow storm, and a broken glass bowl of melted butter on my kitchen floor, I finally managed to whip up a batch of these tasty goodies. The good news is that, as long as you slow down and don’t try to rush the process, these cookies are quite manageable to make and oh, so delicious!

When I began my search for a Rainbow Cookie recipe, I quickly discovered that nearly every source listed practically identical recipes. Apparently, the recipe is fairly standard. The variations were minor, basically addressing the quantity of butter, the length of time to let the layers chill, and the flavor of jam between the layers. I took the middle ground at each decision point and the cookies worked out perfectly.

Rainbow Cookies

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine’s Rainbow Cookies

Ingredients

  • 4 Eggs, separated
  • 1 8-ounce can Almond Paste
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 2 1/2 sticks Butter
  • 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
  • 2 cups Flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • Green Food Coloring
  • Red Food Coloring
  • 1 12-ounce jar Seedless Raspberry Jam
  • 12 ounces Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
  • Chocolate Sprinkles (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease three 13×9 inch baking pans with vegetable shortening.* Line each baking pan with parchment paper, slightly extending the paper on two ends.** Grease the paper with vegetable shortening.

Place the four egg whites into a clean bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Use a fork to break up the almond paste into smaller pieces. Combine the almond paste and sugar in a food processor and grind until no lumps appear.

Transfer the almond mixture to a large bowl. Add the butter and beat until well combined. Add the egg yolks and almond extract and beat until blended. Beat in the flour and salt. The dough will be quite thick.

Stir one third of the beaten egg whites into the dough. This will slightly lighten the mixture. Then, fold in the remaining egg whites until well blended.

Divide the dough into three equal portions. Use the food coloring to color one portion red and another portion green. The remaining portion will remain uncolored.

Use a spatula to spread each portion of dough into the three prepared baking pans.

Bake on the middle rack of your oven for 7-10 minutes, until the cakes are set and the edges just begin to turn golden.

While the cake is still hot, use a knife to loosen the edges. Then, carefully invert the cakes onto cooling racks. Cool completely.

Once cool, carefully move the green layer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread 1/2 of the jam over the green layer. Place the white layer over the jam, then spread the remaining jam on top. Top with the red layer.

Place a piece of parchment paper over the top of the red layer. Then, weight down the layers with a cutting board or another baking sheet and refrigerate for about 5 hours.

Remove from the fridge and trim the edges to create an even rectangle.

Melt half of the chocolate and spread it over the pink layer. Scatter chocolate sprinkles into the melted chocolate, if desired. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until the chocolate is firm. Then, flip the layers over, melt the remaining chocolate, and spread over the green layer. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm.

To cut, allow the chocolate to come to room temperature. Then, cut into small rectangles or diamonds.

Makes about 4 dozen

*Baking all three layers at once will save you time. If you don’t have three baking pans, use disposable aluminum pans. This will also make your clean up easier!

**For safety reasons, do not allow too much extra paper to overhang the pans; just enough to help you lift and remove the cakes once they’re cooked.

16 Comments

Posted in Baking, Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts, Food, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →
Look, Feel, Live Beautiful

Beauty Awaits

The Gourmand Mom

Good food, seasoned with a dash of life