Chocolate Cappuccino Cookies
Chocolate Cappuccino Cookies
These cookies are great for those who like a more adult cookie. Not too sweet they are loaded with flavor. The combination of coffee and chocolate is one of my favorites. Simple to make, too. Just right for dipping in a cup of coffee.
Chocolate Cappuccino Cookies
1 T. instant coffee powder or espresso powder
1 T. hot water
1 egg
3/4 c. sugar plus extra for dipping
1/4 c. oil
2 T. corn syrup*
2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa
2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
Dissolve coffee in hot water. In mixing bowl combine coffee mixture with egg, 3/4 cup sugar, oil, syrup and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Combine dry ingredients and add to coffee mixture. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets spaced about 2 inches apart. Flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in the extra sugar, pressing to 1/4 -inch thickness. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 5-7 minutes. Centers should be set. Cool on a rack. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.
* If you don’t have corn syrup- or don’t want to use it, here is a sugar syrup you can make and use as a substitute.
Sugar Syrup- corn syrup substitute
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup Water
1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1/4 t. salt
Combine ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and cover the pot. Reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook to soft-ball stage. Stir frequently.
Soft ball stage occurs at 235-245 degrees. This stage can be determined by dropping a spoonful of hot syrup into a bowl of very cold water. In the water, use your fingers to gather the cooled syrup into a ball. If it has reached soft-ball stage, the syrup easily forms a ball while in the cold water, but flattens once removed from the water.
Remove from heat. Cool and store at room temperature. It will keep well for a month or two.
Homemade Bavarian Mustard
Homemade Bavarian Mustard
Some people take mustard very seriously. Maybe it just seems like that to me because I grew up in a house where my parents made their own sausage. There are so many mustards on the market, but I like to make my own. If you never made your own mustard you might want to try it some time. It is really easy and the flavor can be tweaked to suit your own taste. The other day I made this Bavarian inspired mustard made with beer. Since the recipe calls for 3/4 of a cup I normally double the recipe so I can use the whole bottle. You can, of course just make a single batch and drink the rest. It keeps in the fridge for a couple of months and can even make a nice gift.
Bavarian Mustard
3/4 c. beer
2/3 c. dry mustard
2 T. sugar
2 T. cider vinegar
2 t. salt
1-t. celery seeds
1/2 t. fresh grated ginger or 1/4 t. dry
1 egg, beaten
Combine all but the egg in the top of a double boiler and let stand 2 hours at room temperature. Stir in egg and cook over simmering water. stirring constantly until mixture thickens and egg is cooked, about 10 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars and cool before covering. Store in fridge for up to 2 months. Makes 2 cups.
Spontaneous Salad
Duck Egg Spinach Salad
Sometimes you have to get creative when cooking. You have to use what is on hand and make what you can of it. On a recent weekend away with friends we had planned out a menu but hadn’t thought about a salad. I brought along a bag of spinach as an after thought, but I didn’t have other salad ingredients with me. Friends surprised us with half a dozen hard cooked duck eggs from a relative. As the dinner approached we decided to use them together in salad. Amy found a bottle of raspberry vinaigrette with just enough left for the spinach. She also had some apple cinnamon goat cheese we had planned on using as an appetizer. All that was left was a crunch element. We did have some leftover hot dog buns from lunch. I cubed them up and added them to a skillet with butter, olive oil and some herbs. I cooked them until toasted. In the end we had salad that was really wonderful. I felt like we had done one of those cooking shows where you get a basket of odd ingredients and have to make them work together. Spinach from me, Scott’s duck eggs, Amy’s cheese and dressing and hot dog bun croutons. In the end a dish that didn’t just become a needed starter but was really good. Something I would make again. Maybe that’s the message to take away. Look at what you have and figure out a way to make it work. I use recipes all the time, but when you don’t have a recipe, or even a plan let you creative juices flow. You might just be surprised at what you can create.
Bittersweet Market Day
Tomorrow, Thursday, October 9, will be the last farm market at Blue Pike Farm. Sadly, it is not just the last market of the season but the last market at Blue Pike Farm, period. Due to an enormous rent increase Carl is being forced off of the property.This is a truly sad day for Carl and all those who have enjoyed coming to the farm.
I hope to see a lot of people at this final market. So many of you have been coming over the years. This will be the last chance. I appreciate all the support you have shown to Carl, myself and the other vendors. We all want things to end on as positive a note as possible.
Besides Carl with all sorts of great produce and his own honey there will be:
My stuff. I will be bringing all of my most popular baked treats including chocolate beet cake, pumpkin cake, zucchini and pumpkin breads and some surprises. I will also have Concord grape jelly in somewhat limited supply and our own Blue Pike Farm Pickled Hot Peppers. I will also have herb seasoning packets, cookbooks and some free treats for all who come to say good bye.
Dawn, of Alexander’s Alchemy has a great selection home made soaps and a new line of infused honey. She uses locally sourced ingredients and incorporates honey and wax from the bees of E Pluribus Apiary from Blue Pike Farm.
Canaan Fair Trade will offer extra virgin olive oil ( some from trees that are over 500 years old) and associated products: infused oils (garlic, peppercorn and chili pepper flavors), olive oil soap, hand-rolled couscous, zataar (a Middle Eastern spice), and three tapandes ( honey-olive, sun-dried tomato and green olive and caper)
To thank all of you Carl will be giving away garlic with a very interesting history. I am sure he will tell you, if you ask.
I want to thank so many of you for all the support you have shown. I will miss that very much.
Blue Pike Farm is located at 900 e. 72 street, just 1/2 mile South of the Shoreway. Market hours are from 4-7 pm.
Pork Roast with Coffee Spice Rub
Pork Loin with Coffee and Spice Rub
We were having a pork loin for a recent dinner with friends and I wanted to come up with something fun to season it with. I decided to go with a spice rub that included ground coffee. I played around a little but found a mixture that I think has just the right mix of seasonings. You can make a bigger batch and just keep it on hand. The rub would certainly go well on beef, lamb, duck and maybe even turkey. I plan on trying that out soon. The coffee gives the meat a wonderful, almost charred flavor, like it just came off the grill. It worked great on the pork loin but could also be used on chops being cooked in a skillet or grilled.
The tricky part was being sure not to over cook the pork loin. While it is recommended to go 20 minutes a pound on a boneless loin I went just a little under on the 5 1/4 pound roast we had, cooking it at 350 for 1 hour and 30 minutes. It came out cooked through and very juicy. Here is the recipe for the rub and directions on how to use it.
Coffee and Spice Rub
¼ c. ground coffee
¼ c. brown sugar
2 T. paprika
2 t. each cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder, salt and ginger
1 t. allspice
½ t. cinnamon
Combine all ingredients and stir to mix well. Store in a cool place, preferably in the refrigerator. Rub can be used on roasts or on chops, steaks and smaller cuts of meat. If using on chops that are being pan fried watch carefully as the sugar in the recipe could burn.
To use the rub: several hours before cooking place the roast in a shallow pan and sprinkle heavily with the rub. Use your hands to spread it evenly and cover completely. Place plastic wrap on clean surface and transfer roast to the wrap. Fold plastic wrap to cover roast , using more plastic wrap as needed so meat is sealed well. Return to fridge for at least a couple of hours, or overnight. When ready to cook, bring roast out and allow to stand 30 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and place roast in a roasting pan on a wire rack.
For the pork roast allow about 20 minutes per pound. Larger roasts need a little less time per pound. When roast is finished- remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes, or a little longer before cutting.
Rest roast 5 minutes, then slice
Canning Pineapple
Canned Pineapple
In a canning class a few weeks ago I shared some home canned pineapple with the students. I had promised to share the recipe. It is really simple to do and a great way to take advantage of a good sale. I found pineapples on sale for a dollar and grabbed quite a few. I canned them in juice although you can use a light sugar syrup, if you prefer. I think they look and taste great. Here is the recipe.
Canning Pineapple
Wash pineapple. Peel and remove eyes and tough fiber. Slice or cube. Pineapple
may be packed in water, apple juice, white grape juice, or in very light, light, or medium syrup. In a large saucepan, add pineapple to syrup, water, or juice, and simmer 10
minutes. Fill hot jars with hot pieces and cooking liquid, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace. Wipe rime with dampened paper towel and apply lids and bands. Process in a boiling water bath. Pints 15 minutes, quarts 20 minutes.
Altitude adjustment- 1,001-6,000 ft. pints 20 minutes, above 6.000 ft. 25 minutes. Quarts 1,001-3,000 ft. 25 minutes, 3,001-6,000 ft. 30 minutes. Above 6,000 ft. 35 minutes.
Source. NCHFP
Kahlua Chocolate Squares with Walnuts
Kahlua Chocolate Squares with Walnuts
The combination of chocolate and coffee is classic. In these brownie- like squares you use coffee liqueur in the batter with chocolate chips and walnuts folded in. Then they are topped with a brown butter icing that also has a little coffee liqueur in it. They are dense, without being heavy and have just the right amount of sweetness. I make my own coffee liqueur but you can, of course use Kahlua or Tia Maria , if you prefer. Trust me, whichever option you choose, these are going to come out great.
Kahlua Chocolate Squares with Walnuts
1 ¼ c. all purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
½ t. salt
½ c. butter, softened
¾ c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
¼ c. coffee liqueur
1-c. chocolate chips
1/3 c. walnuts
1 T. coffee liqueur (for tops of bars)
Brown butter icing
2 T. butter
1 T. coffee liqueur
2 t. milk
1 1/3 c. powdered sugar
Walnut halves or chopped walnuts
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In large bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg then stir in liqueur, then flour mixture. Fold in chips and nuts. Turn into greased 7×11* inch pan and even out. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes. Top should spring back when touched lightly. Cool in pan 15 minutes then brush with remaining liqueur. When cool spread with brown butter icing and top with nuts. Makes 24 bars.
* If you don’t have a 7×11-inch pan you can use an 8×8-inch pan- squares will be thicker and bake a little longer or a 9×9-inch pan -squares will be a little thinner but bake in the same amount of time.
Mushroom Paprikash Soup
Mushroom Paprikash Soup
I was lucky enough to get some beautiful fresh Shitake mushrooms a few days ago. I also had some Crimini mushrooms. With a chilly weekend ahead I decided to go with a soup. I was thinking of a version of the mushroom soup I grew up with. It is normally made with dried mushrooms. I made some changes, like adding barley. I was also planning on adding sour cream. A friend mentioned a recipe she had with paprika added to a mushrooms. The Mushroom Paprikash Soup was born. We had it over the weekend and everyone really liked it. Here is the recipe. If you can’t find fresh Shitake Mushrooms feel free to use what fresh mushrooms you do have.
Mushroom Paprikash Soup
8 oz. fresh shitake mushrooms
8 oz. fresh crimini mushrooms
oil
2 onions, chopped
8 cups water
1 c. uncooked barley
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. sherry
2 T. honey
1 c. sour cream
2 T. paprika
1 T. hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Remove stems from mushrooms and wash thoroughly. In soup pot heat oil and add onions and mushroom stems and cook until golden brown. Add the water and simmer together for 30 minutes or longer to make a mushroom stock. Meanwhile, wash and slice the mushroom caps. Strain stock, discard onions and stems and set aside. Put a little more oil in the soup pot and add the sliced mushrooms. Saute them for a few minutes. Return stock to soup pot with the mushrooms, bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Add the barley, vinegar, sherry and honey and simmer, covered, for 40-50 minutes, or until barley is tender. To prevent the sour cream from curdling place it in a small bowl and ladle in a little of the hot soup. Whisk until smooth and add a little more soup, whisking again. Add the sour cream mixture to the soup along with the rest of the seasonings. Adjust to your taste and serve. Serves 6.
Fresh shitake mushrooms
Shitake and Crimini Mushrooms
Parsnip Spice Cupcakes
Parsnip Spiced Cupcake
If you only use parsnips in savory dishes (or maybe you never use parsnips at all) you might be surprised to see them used in a dessert. Truth is parsnips are similar in flavor to carrots and carrots are used in cake quite successfully. While not exactly the same in flavor think of parsnips as white carrots. Combined in a spiced batter they make wonderful cupcakes. Good any time of the year, they seem especially nice for an Autumn dessert.
Parsnip Spiced Cupcakes
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 T. ground ginger
1 T. cinnamon
2 t. baking powder
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. allspice
1 t. salt
1/2 t. cloves
3 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. milk or half and half
2 t. vanilla
2 c. packed peeled and shredded fresh parsnips, 2-3 large
1/2 c. chopped nuts, optional plus extra for topping, optional
1 recipe cream cheese frosting- see below
Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 cupcake pans with paper liners- or grease lightly. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In smaller bowl combine eggs, oil, milk and vanilla and mix well. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Stir in parsnips and nuts, if adding. Spoon batter into the prepared pans, filling half-full. Bake for 15 minutes – or until toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Cool and frost. Sprinkle with fine chopped nuts, if you like. Makes 24.
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 0z. (1 stick) butter, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
Beat all ingredients together until fluffy. Frost cupcakes and chill until ready to eat.
Canning Class Location Change
Due to the rainy weather the location of my free canning class today has been changed. We will be moving to 1325 Ansel Rd. The farm market will be there, too. You can come and shop – and then find out how to preserve what you got. The market runs from 3-7. My class runs from 5-7. Hope to see you there.
