Lentil Lover
Lentils are one of those humble ingredients that don’t get enough love. They are so versatile. They cook quickly, can be used in all sorts of dishes, are very nutritious and are relatively inexpensive. They also come in a number of different colors, with each type of lentil having different qualities. I like that they cook quickly compared to most other dry beans and peas. Here is some information on types of lentils and some of my favorite lentil recipes, too. Enjoy.
French Green Lentils
French green lentils, also called Puy lentils, have a thicker seed coat than green or brown lentils and are smaller and rounder. Their seed coat helps them maintain their shape, so they are a go-to for salads, side dishes and grain bowls.
Beluga Lentils
Beluga lentils, also called black lentils, are named after the caviar they resemble when cooked. They are the most nutritious variety of lentils, with a hearty flavor similar to that of black beans. Beluga lentils keep their shape when cooked, making them perfect for any dish where you want the individual lentil to stand out with a visual impact like a side dish or salad.
Green and Brown Lentils
These types of lentils are common: these are the lentils you are most likely to find in your local grocery store. These flat lentils cook quickly and become soft, making them to go-to for lentil soup. You may want to puree some of the soup to make it extra creamy but it’s not a must like it is for bean soups.
Red/Yellow/Orange Lentils
Red/yellow/orange lentils are sold split, which allows the lentils to cook really fast—like 5-10 minutes fast. They lack a seed coat, so they lose their shape and achieve a smoother consistency than any of the other lentil varieties. Masoor dal is what red and orange lentils called at Indian markets, and they are used in soupy curry recipes. Chana dal refers to yellow dal and it is also used in soups and curries. A favorite recipe is Harira, a thick soup made with chickpeas and red lentils. While yellow lentils look a lot like yellow split peas, they are not the same. If I want to thicken a soup without adding flour, I add red lentils and let them cook until they fall apart.
Chili Bean Spoon Bread
½ lb. lentils
pinch of ground cloves
2 c. milk or milk substitute
1/2 t. salt
2/3 c. cornmeal
4 T. butter
4 eggs
4 T. oil
2 large onions, chopped
1 clove minced garlic
1 T. chopped parsley or 1 t. parsley flakes
1 T. chili powder
1 t. ground cumin
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
salt and pepper to taste
In saucepan, cover lentils with about 2 cups water and add cloves. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook, covered, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. You may need to add a little more water. Meanwhile in another saucepan heat milk and salt almost to boiling. Stir in cornmeal and continue cooking, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and eggs and set aside. In oil sauté onions and garlic until tender. Add seasonings, tomatoes and lentils and heat until bubbly. Adjust seasonings. Pour lentil mixture into greased 2-quart casserole dish. Spoon over the cornmeal mixture. Set casserole dish in larger pan and add 1 inch of hot water to larger pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30-40 minutes, or until bread is firm and golden. Serves 4-6.
Lentil Chili
2 c. raw lentils
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. oil
1/3 c. chili powder
1 T. cumin
½ t. cayenne pepper or to taste
6 c. water
3 c. vegetable or chicken broth
1 28 oz. can tomatoes, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 c. fresh or frozen corn
2 medium zucchini, diced
2 T. Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Rinse lentils and set aside. Heat oil in large kettle and cook onions and garlic until onions are tender. Add seasonings, water and lentils and cook, uncovered until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes, adding more water if needed. Add broth, tomatoes and corn and simmer 15-20 minutes longer. Add zucchini and Worcestershire sauce, season with salt and pepper as needed and cook 15 minutes more. Serves 6-8.
Vegetarian Tacos
2 T. oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 c. cooked lentils
1½ c. cooked brown or white rice
1 envelope taco seasoning (about 1 1/2 oz.)
12 corn taco shells
2 c. chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 c. chopped sweet pepper, any color
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 1/2 c. chopped lettuce, I like Romaine
2 c. shredded cheese, optional or cashew cheese, see page 10.
Heat oil in skillet and cook onions until tender. Add lentils, rice and seasoning mix and heat until browned. Warm taco shells in a 350-degree oven for about 3 minutes. Spoon in a little of the lentil mixture in a warmed shell and add whatever toppings you like. Makes 12, serving 4-6.
Note: You can also use fresh tortillas in place of the taco shells and make into soft tortillas.
Note: For 2 cups of cooked lentils you need a scant cup of raw lentils. Rinse then simmer in lightly salted water until tender, about 20 minutes.
Lentil (Dal) Soup
8 c. water
1 ½ T. ground turmeric
1 T. ground coriander
3 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ t. cayenne pepper
2 2/3 c. Lentils, rinsed (about 1 pound)
¼ c. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 t. fresh minced ginger
1 t. cumin seed
½ t. mustard seed
2 T. fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
Lemon wedges
Bring first 6 ingredients to boil in large pot. Add lentils; reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, in skillet over medium heat cook onions and seasonings in oil until onion starts to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Add this mixture to lentil mixture and cook until soup reaches desired consistency. Add salt to taste. Serve in bowls and garnish with lemon wedges. Serves 8.
Lentil and Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers
1 onion, chopped
Oil
¾ c. uncooked brown rice- I used brown jasmine rice
Water or vegetable stock – probably around 3 cups or a bit more
¾ c. lentils, rinsed and drained
2 c. peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes- or 2 c. canned tomatoes
2 – 3 sweet peppers, cut in half and seeded
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 T. apple cider vinegar
¼ c. chopped parsley
1 T. fresh oregano or 1 t. dried
1 t. chopped rosemary
Hot sauce to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Romano or Parmesan cheese- optional
In soup pot, heat oil and cook onion until it gets tender and a little golden. Add the rice and stir to coat the rice in the oil. Toast the rice a couple of minutes. Add 2 cups stock or water to cover the rice, and then bring up to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes. While rice is cooking, place the peppers in a pot of boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and drain peppers. After the rice has been cooking for 20 minutes, add the lentils, garlic and tomatoes,vinegar and seasonings and continue cooking, covered, until the rice and lentils are tender, about 25 more minutes Add more stock, if needed. Rice mixture should be a little runny. Place peppers, cut side up in a shallow baking dish. Spoon in the lentil mixture, dividing it among the 4 pepper halves. Cover dish with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Peppers will be tender. Serve as is – or top with some cheese and return to the oven until cheese melts- about 5 minutes. Makes 4 pepper halves.
Red Lentil Soup with Curry
2 t. oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 c. stock- I used chicken, but veggie stock would work
2 c. red lentils
1-2 T. curry powder – add according to your taste
2 t. turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste
Sesame oil
Basil, cut into thin strips
Cashews
Heat oil in stockpot and cook onions until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook another couple of minutes. Add stock and heat to a boil. Rinse lentils and add to the pan. Cook at a simmer, covered, until lentils are soft- about 20 minutes. Add seasonings and adjust to your taste. Puree soup until smooth. Thin soup with additional stock or even water, if needed. Ladle soup into bowls and top each with a drizzle of sesame oil, some basil and a few cashews. Serves 4-6.
Rainbow Salad
1 c. each green split peas, yellow split peas and red lentils
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can butter beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. diced sweet onion
1 c. diced sweet pepper
1 c. grated carrot
Cook split peas and lentils separately just until tender. Split peas, both green and yellow will take 20 minutes. Red lentils will take about 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse each under cold water when done and set aside until ready to use, or you can cook them a day ahead and keep chilled. Each will yield about 2 1/2 c. cooked.
In large glass bowl, place the following ingredients in this order.
Black beans, butter beans, green split peas. yellow split peas. onion, red lentils. carrots and peppers. Pour over dressing and chill several hours or overnight. Serve on a bed of greens. You can also leave the salad plain and serve dressing on the side.
Dressing *
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. vinegar, I like apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2-3 T. sugar
1/2 c. parsley or cilantro
1 t. each chili powder, cumin and salt
dash hot sauce
Combine in a blender or food processor until smooth.
*Note: Any fresh or bottled dressing you like can be used. Balsamic works very well. I often serve it with homemade Italian dressing.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
I have to thank my friend, Vicky Singleton, for the inspiration of this recipe. She asked if I had ever made chicken pot pie soup. I hadn’t. I told her I hadn’t ever heard of it. She explained to me what it was.
So what exactly is Chicken Pot Pie Soup? Imagine the ingredients of a pot pie, only in a soup. Then imagine using baked pie crust like croutons on the soup. A classic casserole, presented in soup form.
You want this soup to be creamy, like a pot pie filling. How “thickened” is really up to you. I didn’t want my soup to be as thick as a pot pie, but I wanted it thickened, so I played around with the amount of flour I added to it. Half a cup of flour worked perfectly for me, but you can add 1/4 cup more flour if you want a thicker soup.
The vegetable selection has some wiggle room, too. I think green beans would be a nice addition, I just didn’t have any. That is the fun part of making your own version. I think I might add mushrooms to the next batch.
I could see making this soup with leftover turkey after Thanksgiving.
I made my own pie crust, but feel free to use store bought. The recipe for the crust is at the bottom of this post. I used cookie cutters, but you could cut the crust out free-hand into little squares or triangles.
So here is the version of Chicken Pot Pie Soup I came up with. I hope you’ll give it a try. You can thank Vicky.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Dough for 2 pie crusts – recipe follows
3 T. oil or butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 c. sliced celery
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 c. fresh or frozen corn
3 c. cooked chicken, diced
8 c. chicken stock
1 c. peas, fresh or frozen
½ c. flour
¼ c. fresh chopped parsley- or 1 T. dried
Salt and pepper to taste
The pie dough makes the croutons for the top of the soup. You can use homemade pie crust or store bought. Roll out the crust to about 1/8-inch thick and cut out in pretty shapes to top your soup. Re roll scraps and place all the cut out dough pieces on an ungreased baking sheet. It will take two sheets for all the dough. Bake in a 350 degree until golden, about 7-10 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack.
In a soup pot, heat up the butter or oil and add the onions, cooking until onions are tender. Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, corn and 7 cups of the stock. Set the remaining cup of stock aside for now. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until the vegetables are tender. Place the reserved stock in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Add the flour, close jar tightly and shake until the mixture is smooth. Add the flour/stock mixture to the soup along with the peas and parsley. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered 5 minutes- or a little longer. Adjust seasonings.
Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with some the pie crust croutons. Serves 6-8.
Flaky Pie Crust
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
3/4 c. butter, chilled – you could also use chilled coconut oil, lard or shortening
1 T. cider vinegar
4-5 T. cold water
Combine flour and salt and cut in butter. Toss in vinegar and water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough holds together. Use a fork to toss the ingredients together and as soon as the mixture holds together stop adding water. Makes 2. Chill well before using.
Spicy Fried Tofu
It was a snowy day and I wanted something spicy to warm me up. I had a tub of tofu and a dream. Ok, I had a tub of tofu and some leftovers from a Chinese New Year party. This was firm tofu in a tub, not the silken type that comes in cartons. I had some spicy dipping sauce I had made, green onions and chopped peanuts. I also had some homemade teriyaki sauce a friend had made. I am sure store bought would also work. Here is how I made it.
Spicy Fried Tofu
1 lb. firm or extra firm tofu- not silken type
3-4 T. cornstarch
Salt and pepper
¼ c. oil
½ c. spicy dipping sauce- recipe follows
2 T. teriyaki sauce
Chopped roasted peanuts
Chopped green onions
Remove tofu from the tub and drain well. Press tofu to get out excess water. I placed the tofu on a tray and put a plate on top of it and then put a mixing bowl and added water to the bowl. The weight pressed water out of the tofu, but didn’t crush it. After 15 minutes or so, I took the bowl off and wrapped the tofu in paper towels and pressed it firmly to get out more water. I removed the paper towels and did it one more time with fresh paper towels. They were damp, but not soaking wet, so I was happy that the tofu was dry enough to work with. I cut the tofu into cubes about one inch square. Then place the cornstarch in a plastic bag with a generous shake of salt and pepper. Shake the tofu in the bag, a handful of cubes at a time to coat evenly with the cornstarch. Place prepared tofu in a bowl and heat oil in a skillet. Once the oil is hot, fry the tofu, turning until golden on all sides. I did this step in two batches. When you take the tofu out of the pan, place on a dish with paper towels to absorb any grease. Once all the tofu is cooked, place in a bowl and toss with the dipping sauce and teriyaki sauce. You can add more sauce if you like. Spoon portions of the tofu onto plates and sprinkle with the peanuts and green onions before serving. Serves 3-4.
Spicy Dipping Sauce aka Diane’s Magic Sauce
½ c. rice vinegar
½ c. apple cider vinegar
½ c. sugar
2 T. spicy chili crisp sauce – found at Asian grocery stores
1 T. minced garlic or 1 t. dried minced garlic
1 T. orange zest
2T. light soy sauce
Combine all ingredients and stir until sugar melts. Makes just under 2 cups. Keeps for weeks in the fridge.
Homemade Pita Bread
Pita bread is easy to make and so tasty. It is also fun to watch the bread puff up as it bakes. We made some in bread class this week.
One of my favorite memories from a cooking camp involves pita bread. We were making it in camp that day. Two little boys sat in front of the oven, watching the bread puff up. They were so excited. This is a fun bread to make with kids.
Although the recipe calls for placing the rolled out dough directly on the oven rack, I sometimes place the dough on baking sheets in the oven. Just a little easier and neater. I put the pans in the oven to heat up before using.
If the pita doesn’t puff up, it will still taste wonderful. For better success, make nice smooth balls of dough. The more careful you are when rolling out the dough- the better your odds of a good puff. Roll pretty thin, use enough flour on the board, and try not to tear the dough when rolling out.
You can add some whole wheat flour, if you like. The dough pictured is a mix. I added about 2 cups of whole wheat flour to the dough, in place of some of the white flour. I also made a batch with just white flour.
Pita Bread
4 ½- 4 ¾ c. flour, you can use some whole wheat flour
1 pkt. Active dry yeast
1 ½ t. sugar
1 ½ t. salt
1 ¾ c. water
2 T. oil
In large bowl combine 2 cups of the flour with other dry ingredients. Heat water and oil to 120-130 degrees (warm) and add to flour mixture in bowl beating until smooth. Beat three minutes then begin stirring in enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover dough with plastic wrap and then a towel and let rest on board 20 minutes. Punch dough down and divide into 12 pieces. Shape each into a smooth ball and place on board, allowing space in between. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees. Roll dough balls into circles. Place 3 circles at a time directly on oven rack. They will puff up and brown in about three minutes. Remove to rack to cool and repeat with remaining dough. Makes 12.
The Story of Three Dipping Sauces
At a recent Lunar New Year party with friends, we had dumplings. I made three dipping sauces to use on the dumplings and they were really well received. I had made the peanut butter sauce before and my friend Courtney had found the green onion sauce online. The third sauce was my creation to have a spicy dipping sauce. My friend Diane liked it so much she said it was magic, so I named it Diane’s Magic Sauce. Here are the recipes. Enjoy!!! These sauces can be used to dip all sorts of foods, not just dumplings. We also used them on turnip cakes and ribs that night.
Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce
1/3 c. peanut butter
1/3 c. coconut milk
1/2 t. crushed red pepper
1-2 cloves garlic
1 t. fresh grated ginger
1 t. soy sauce
Dash hot red pepper sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Note: If you want to use this sauce on pasta, thin it with 1/3 cup of chicken or vegetable stock.
Diane’s Magic Sauce
½ c. rice vinegar
½ c. apple cider vinegar
½ c. sugar
2 T. spicy chili crisp sauce – found at Asian grocery stores
1 T. minced garlic or 1 t. dried minced garlic
1 T. orange zest
2T. light soy sauce
Combine all ingredients and stir until sugar melts. Use with dumplings.
Green Onion Dipping Sauce
5-6 green onions, trimmed and chopped into 2 inch pieces
2 T. oil
5 T. light soy sauce
1 T. Dark soy sauce
1 T. oyster sauce
1 T. sugar
Heat oil in skillet and cook onions until they are browned. Combine with remaining ingredients and stir to combine well. Keeps in fridge for about a month. Can be used as a pasta sauce, too.
Grapefruit Scones
I wanted something to serve with tea and decided to make scones. I am not sure why I decided to use grapefruit in the recipe. It might have been that big bowl of pink grapefruit sitting on the counter.
I started with a scone recipe I had used before, then tweaked it by adding grapefruit zest and juice. I added grapefruit juice and zest every where I could think of.
They came out great. You could even see little flecks of pink here and there.
Scones, done right, are very tender. These scones came out just perfect. A little crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. Not too sweet and the delicate flavor of grapefruit. So here is the recipe.
Grapefruit Scones
2 c. flour
½ c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
Zest of 1 grapefruit
½ c. cold butter
1 egg, beaten
¼ c. half and half
¼ c. grapefruit juice
Topping:
2-3 T. half and half
4 T. sugar
1 T. grapefruit zest
Glaze:
1½ powdered sugar
1 T. grapefruit zest
3-4 T. grapefruit juice
Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone liner- or grease lightly. Set aside. In medium bowl, combine flour with sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and zest. Cut in cold butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. In small bowl, combine egg with half and half and grapefruit juice. Add to flour mixture and stir until mixture forms into a soft dough. Mix until combined, but don’t over mix. On lightly floured surface, divide dough in half. Dust an 8-inch round cake pan. Add half of the dough and press in until dough is evenly spread in the pan. Turn the pan over, quickly, onto the prepared baking sheet to get the dough out. Note: this part seems a little tricky, but it gives you a perfect 8-inch circle of dough. Don’t under-flour the pan and the dough will come right out. Also, be sure to flip the dough near one corner of the baking sheet, so you will have room for the other half of the dough. Re-flour the cake pan, press in the rest of the dough and flip it onto the baking sheet. Now you have 2 ( 8-inch) circles of dough on the baking sheet- hopefully. Don’t sweat this part. If the dough doesn’t come out easily, just scrape it out of the cake pan, add more flour, return the dough to the cake pan, and try it again. And when you are flipping it out of the pan- do it quickly. If you prefer, you can place the dough on the baking sheet, in two piles, and shape it into 2 ( 8-inch) circles. Using a dough cutter or a spatula, cut each circle of dough into 8 wedges. For the topping, brush the scones with half and half. Combine the sugar and zest and sprinkle over the dough. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown. Re-cut the scones where you cut them before, and place the scones on a cooling rack. Let them cool a few minutes. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar and zest, then add enough grapefruit juice to make a glaze you can drizzle. Using a small spoon or even a fork, drizzle the tops of the scones with the glaze. Make a pot of tea and eat your scones. Makes 16.
Citrus Honey Vinaigrette
Even in cold weather, I often crave a fresh green salad. This dressing is perfect for one of my winter salads. Winter is citrus season, so lemons and oranges are abundant. The taste of the citrus in this recipe, really brightens up the greens. The honey adds just the right balance of sweetness. I picked up a giant bag of Spring mix the other day, so I am eating a lot of salads this week. We enjoyed this dressing on our dinner salads last night.
I have basil under grow lights- so I have the fresh basil, too. If you can’t find fresh basil at the store- dried can be used.
The recipe is useful as more than just a salad dressing. You can use it as a glaze on meats, or even as a dipping sauce. The combination of juices, zest, honey and fresh basil works on fruit salads, too.
I prefer homemade dressings for my salads. They are easy to make, and I get to control what goes in them. This one is great to have on hand in the fridge. Just shake it up and it’s ready to serve.
Citrus Honey Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive or avocado oil
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 t. lemon zest
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 T. chopped fresh basil- 2 t. dried basil could be used
1 T. white wine vinegar
In a jar with a lid, mix the olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, honey, basil, and vinegar. Seal and shake well. Chill 2 hours in the refrigerator. Strain basil before serving. Use on green salad or with chicken, fruit or seafood salads. Can also be brushed on chicken, meat or seafood as a glaze.
Bacon, Shrimp and Corn Chowder
I love the combination of shrimp and bacon. When I was looking for a quick meal for today, I knew I would be using them together. It is a snowy/icy day, so I decided to go with a chowder.
I rooted around my fridge and pantry for the ingredients and ended up with a very satisfying list of ingredients. Some of my favorite dinners have happened by accident. Just looking at what I have on hand, and creating something tasty with it.
Bacon, Shrimp and Corn Chowder
6 thick slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1½ c. chicken stock
1 can cream corn*
½ c. corn- fresh or frozen_ I had sweet corn frozen from last summer
1½ c. half and half
½ c. chopped fresh parsley
12 oz. raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Dash of hot sauce
In soup pot, cook bacon until almost done. Add onion and continue cooking until onion is cooked. Spoon out most of the bacon fat. Add the carrots, potatoes and stock and simmer, covered, until the veggies are tender, about 15 minutes. Add cream corn, corn and half and half and bring up to a simmer. Add parsley and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Add shrimp and cook another 5 minutes or until shrimp is just cooked. Adjust seasonings and serve. Serves 3-4.
*I decided to use a can of cream corn as the base. When I was a kid my Mother would make me something she called cream corn soup. She rarely used prepackaged foods and made wonderful homemade soups all the time. I think it was on one of those days when she was just really busy. To make her cream corn soup she would empty the can of corn into a saucepan. Then she filled the can with milk and added that, too. A little salt and pepper and the soup was done. Just before serving she’d put a small pat of butter in the soup. As a kid I just loved it. I must admit I don’t eat cream corn soup anymore, but as a base, the cream corn can really make a nice chowder.
Minty Cocoa Hearts
If you are looking for a simple chocolate treat- that requires no cooking – try Minty Cocoa Hearts. They are tiny, but pack a lot of flavor.
This easy to make candy is made with just a few ingredients. The “dough” is mixed and rolled out. Then you just cut them out into little hearts.
They taste great and they are also a nice project for kids. There is no special equipment needed other than a tiny heart-shaped cookie cutter.
Once they have time to set up- they can be boxed up- or wrapped in individual foils.
So if time is short, and you really want to make something homemade this Valentine’s Day- these could be the answer.
Minty Cocoa Hearts
9 c. powdered sugar
1 c. cocoa
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. water
2 t. peppermint extract
In large bowl combine ingredients until well blended. You can add more water, if needed, 1 teaspoon at a time. Divide mixture into 2 pieces and shape in balls. Place each between sheets of wax paper and roll out to 1/4 -inch thickness. Cut out with tiny cutters and place on foil-lined tray. Chill several hours, then wrap up in colored foil or place in tiny candy bags. Makes 80 (1-inch) candies.
I do love the mint flavor of these, but you can play around with other flavors like almond, anise, cherry or orange, to name a few.
Cut out with heart-shaped cookie cutters
Chocolate Shortbread Hearts
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
Toppings: Optional, you can dust with powdered sugar or melt a little chocolate and spread over half of the cookies.
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.
