Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
I never met a shortbread cookie I didn’t like. These are no exception. With the addition of cocoa you end up with a cookie that has the traditional delicate texture of shortbread with the added bonus of a rich chocolate flavor. They are great just plain, dusted with powdered sugar or, my favorite way, brushed with a little melted bittersweet chocolate. Simple, tasty and a nice treat for the chocolate lovers you love.
Chocolate Shortbread
1 c. butter, room temperature
3/4 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa
1/4 t. salt
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
Beat together butter and sugar until well blended. Mix together dry ingredients and slowly beat into butter mixture, stirring it in at the end. Roll out dough about 1/4 inch thick and cut out with cookie cutters. Re-roll scraps and cut out the remaining dough. Place on an un-greased baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees until cookies are firm around the edges, about 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool. Melt chocolate and dip cookies in it or use chocolate to hold 2 cookies together. Makes 2-3 dozen, depending on the size.
Chicken with Herb Dumplings
Chicken and Herb Dumplings
There are foods I will always associate with my childhood. Chicken with dumplings is one of those dishes. I can remember watching my Mother spooning the dumpling batter over the simmering pot of chicken and vegetables. She’d cover the pot and wait. When she uncovered it the dumplings had puffed up and pretty much covered the whole dish. It was magical to me. The dumplings were so tender and light. I can’t make this dish, all these years, later without thinking of her.
Chicken and Herb Dumplings
1 T. oil
1 (3 lb.) broiler, cut into pieces
salt and pepper
flour for dredging
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3-4 potatoes, cut into chunks
2-3 c. chicken stock
1 t. each marjoram and thyme
1 c. buttermilk baking mix
1/3 c. milk
2 t. fresh parsley
2 t. snipped chives or green onions 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dredge pieces in flour. Heat oil in large skillet and brown chicken pieces on all sides. Remove chicken pieces and sauté onion until tender. Add carrots, potatoes, broth and chicken to skillet and cook, covered, 20 minutes. Sprinkle herbs over the chicken. Combine baking mix with milk, parsley, chives and red pepper flakes and spoon batter in skillet in 8 mounds. Cover and cook over low heat 20 more minutes. Serves 4.
Chocolate Orange Scones
Chocolate Orange Scones
These scones are a great addition for breakfast or a brunch. The dough is flavored with orange zest and they are studded with chocolate chips. They would also be a nice start for Valentine’s Day. They aren’t really sweet, which I like. You can serve them with strawberry preserves and whipped cream. They can also become dessert by splitting the scones and using them as the base for a berry shortcake.
Chocolate-Orange Scones
1½ c. baking mix, like Jiffy or Bisquick or homemade
1 T. grated orange peel
¾ c. heavy cream
½ c. milk chocolate chips or 3 oz. milk chocolate, chopped
Combine baking mix and orange peel in medium bowl. Stir in cream to make a soft dough that forms into a ball in the bowl. On floured surface gently knead in chocolate and press or roll dough to 3/4- inch thickness. Cut into 2 1/4 -inch rounds, rerolling scraps. You should get 8. Place on and ungreased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 425-degree oven for 8-10 minutes.
Double chocolate version: Knead 3 tablespoons of cocoa into dough with the chocolate chips.
Vanilla Flan
Vanilla Flan
I made flan for a recent dinner with friends. Flan is a simple and yet elegant dessert. There are many variations out there. I’ve made flan with different additions like lemon zest, coffee and even chocolate. I still go back to the simple vanilla flan most of the time. The prep is pretty similar. Sugar is melted and poured into a pan. A mix of eggs, dairy, sweetener and flavoring is added. This custard is mixed well and poured over the melted sugar in the pan and baked. When finished the pan is inverted and the custard is covered in caramel sugar syrup. It is dense and rich, so a little goes a long way.
Vanilla Flan
8 eggs
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups white sugar
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Have ready 9 inch round cake pan. In blender or food processor, or using electric mixer, combine eggs, condensed milk and vanilla and blend until smooth. In medium saucepan, cook sugar, stirring constantly, until it liquefies. When it starts to turn light brown, remove from heat and pour into waiting pan. Pour egg mixture over liquid sugar. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place baking dish on towel, inside roasting pan, and place roasting pan on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with water to reach half way up the sides of the baking dish. Bake 70 minutes in the preheated oven, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove pan from water bath and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Run a knife along the edge of the pan, place a serving plate on top and invert. Serve. Serves 6.
Coconut Chocolate Snowballs
Coconut Chocolate Snowballs
Right about now these snowballs look pretty good to me. They are a variation of the coconut cake squares you can buy at local bakeries or make yourself. Normally you bake the cake, freeze it and then cut it into squares. I bake the cakes in mini muffin pans or standard muffin pans. After the cupcakes are baked I freeze them. The frozen cakes are dipped in a chocolate sauce and then rolled in dessicated coconut. Here is the recipe. I used a cake mix, Duncan Hines, but you can make them with any white cake recipe you like.
Coconut Cake Squares
1 white cake, prepared and frozen solid*
1 c. cocoa
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 c. water
1 t. vanilla
½ c. desiccated coconut (available at cake supply stores and some health food stores)
Cut frozen cake into small squares, or cake can be baked in regular or mini cupcake tins. Keep cake frozen until ready to use. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients, except coconut in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Using toothpicks or fondue forks, dip cake in sauce let drain a few seconds, then roll in the coconut. Can be used right away or frozen again for later use.
*If you make the cake in muffin tins you’ll get 24 cupcakes or about 60 mini cupcakes.
I Love Spelt Bread
Spelt Bread
Spelt flour is a close relative to wheat. I love cooking with it because it is so easy to work with. It doesn’t require much, if any kneading, when you make yeast bread out of it. Spelt has a texture much closer to white flour in baking other things like muffins or biscuits. It does contain gluten, so it’s not an answer for people with gluten issues, but for those who do cook with wheat, spelt provides whole grain nutrition in a delicate, less heavy package. The bread I baked today was so easy to make and gives me all the taste and fiber of whole wheat bread with less work. Spelt flour is still tricky to find. Some larger grocery stores carry it, but you might have to go to specialty markets.
Spelt Bread
3 ¼ c. whole spelt flour
1 pkt. Active dry yeast
1 c. water
1/3 c. honey
¼ c. oil
1 t. salt
1 egg
Place 2 c. flour, yeast and salt in a medium bowl. Heat together water, honey and oil until warm (120-130 degrees) Add water mixture to spelt mixture and beat on low speed of electric mixer for 30 seconds, or until moistened. Add egg and beat on high 3 minutes. Stir in enough spelt to make a soft dough. Cover bowl with towel and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and use a rubber scraper to transfer dough into prepared pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, another hour. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Cover top with foil during last 10 minutes of baking. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf.
Chicken Florentine Soup
Chicken Florentine Soup
This was one of those spur of the moment recipes that really exceeded expectations. I just had a few ingredients to start with- one of those times when you look through the fridge for inspiration and get lucky. I knew I was making soup and that I had chicken and chicken stock. Adding onions and carrots to soup- pretty standard for me. I’ve been on a spinach kick lately so that seemed like a natural addition as well. Found a few mushrooms I’d forgotten about and put them in, too. For some reason it was such a perfect combination. I love when it works that way. I am also happy when I remember to write down what I did so I can make it again someday- and share the recipe with all of you. So here is the recipe.
Chicken Florentine Soup
2 T. oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced thin
6-8 cups chicken stock
1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken, cubed – I used thighs
1-2 c. sliced mushrooms – I used the baby Bellas
8 oz. fresh spinach, washed well
¼ c. chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of hot sauce
Heat oil in soup pot and cook onion until tender. Add carrot and cook a few minutes more. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook 10 minutes. Add chicken and mushrooms and cook 10 minutes longer. Add spinach and cook 5 minutes more. Adjust seasonings and serve. Makes 6 servings
Spanish Rice
Spanish Rice
One of my favorite rice dishes is Spanish Rice. When I was a kid my Mom would make it as a side dish for roasted chicken or pork chops. The addition of peppers and tomatoes elevates humble rice in a simple and tasty way. It can be made with or without bacon.
For a dinner over the weekend with friends I opted to add the bacon. The bacon does add that smoky flavor we like so much. Even if you opt to leave the bacon out, this classic dish is always a hit.
Spanish Rice
1 lb. bacon, chopped up
1½ c. long grain rice – I used brown Jasmine rice*
1 onion, chopped
2 sweet peppers, any color, seeded and chopped
2 c. chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
1 (14 oz.) can whole tomatoes, cut up – I used a pint of home canned tomatoes
2 T. fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
1 t. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Cook bacon in skillet. Spoon out all but a couple of tablespoons of the fat. Add rice and onion to bacon, cooking until onions are tender. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, covered until rice is cooked, about 20 minutes. Makes 5 cups.
* When using a brown rice cooking time will increase to about 40 minutes. You might need a little more stock.
Cinnamon and Lime Chicken
Cinnamon and Lime Chicken
I made this dish as part of a Mexican inspired dinner with friends the other night. We spooned it into homemade tortillas, but it would be just as good in a taco shell or over hot rice. The combination of cinnamon and lime juice really works, even though you might not expect it to. A simple dish to prepare it packs a lot of flavor.
Cinnamon and Lime Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno peppers
1 lime, juiced I use more if the limes are small
Fresh chopped cilantro
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season chicken with cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Arrange in the prepared baking dish, and bake 30 minutes in the oven, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Cool and shred. Heat oil in a medium skillet, over medium heat, and sauté onion and garlic until tender. Mix in shredded chicken, jalapeno, and lime juice. Cook until heated through. Spoon into serving dish and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve as is, over rice or wrapped in tortillas.
A Trio of Homemade Tortillas
A Trio of Homemade Tortillas
If you never made tortillas before because you thought they were too hard to make or that they weren’t any better than store bought I hope I can change your mind. Tortillas are really easy to make. They only have a few ingredients- although you can get creative and add more stuff. The dough is simple enough to make and once made you just need to roll it out into circles. Heck, you only need to roll them into something resembling a circle. They will taste the same even if they end up a little “rustic” in looks. Cooking involves a hot skillet and 30 seconds per side. The flavor and texture are so much fresher than most of what you can buy. Certainly fresher than what is at the local grocery store.
While it is easier if you have a tortilla press, I roll mine out by hand all the time without difficulty. You could also use a pasta machine for rolling- although that will limit their width. There is a little fat in most recipes- traditionally lard- but you have wiggle room here, too. I used coconut oil and was very happy with the taste and texture. So here are three recipes for tortillas- corn, wheat and whole wheat.
Corn Tortillas
1 3/4 cups masa harina ( corn flour) it is finer than cornmeal and will give you a nicer end product
1 1/8 cups hot water
In a medium bowl, mix together masa harina and hot water until thoroughly combined. Turn dough onto a clean surface and knead until pliable and smooth. If dough is too sticky, add more masa harina; if it begins to dry out, sprinkle with water. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 30 minutes.
Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium-high. Divide dough into 15 equal-size balls. Using a tortilla press, a rolling pin, or your hands, press each ball of dough flat between two sheets of plastic wrap. Immediately place tortilla in preheated pan and allow to cook for approximately 30 seconds, or until browned
and slightly puffy. Turn tortilla over to brown on second side for approximately 30 seconds more, then transfer to a plate. Repeat process with each ball of dough. Keep tortillas covered with a towel to stay warm and moist until ready to serve.
Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole wheat bread flour
1/2 cup fat, you could use lard, shortening or coconut oil – something solid at room temp- not oil
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 cups boiling water
flour for rolling
In a large bowl, stir together 1- cup all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour and salt. Rub in the fat by hand until the mixture is the texture of oatmeal. Make a well in the center, and pour in the boiling water. Mix with a fork until all of the water is evenly incorporated. Sprinkle with a bit of additional flour, and knead until the dough does not stick to your fingers. The dough should be smooth. Make balls the size of golf balls, about 2 oz. each. Place them on a tray, and cover with a cloth. Let stand for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours. Heat a griddle or large frying pan over high heat. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a tortilla to preferred thinness. Fry one at a time. Place on the griddle for 10 seconds, as soon as you see a bubble on the top, flip the tortilla over. Let it cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and cook the other side for another 30 seconds. Roll out the next tortilla while you wait for that one to cook. Tortillas can be refrigerated or frozen. Makes 18.
Flour Tortillas
2 c. flour
1/4 c. fat, you could use lard, shortening or coconut oil – something solid at room temp- not oil
1 t. salt
2/3 c. warm water
Combine flour and fat by cutting in to resemble coarse crumbs. Dissolve salt in water and stir into flour mixture. Form into a ball and knead on a lightly floured surface 2-3 minutes or until it is smooth. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and wrap each in plastic wrap. Allow dough to rest 30 – 60 minutes. On lightly floured surface roll out a piece of dough into a 7-inch circle. Cook dough on griddle or in a skillet over medium high heat until puffy and golden on both sides, 1-2 minutes. Wrap in a kitchen towel and repeat process with remaining dough, stacking and wrapping as you go. Makes 12.
