Mini Cream Puffs
If you want to surprise someone with a very special sweet treat, you could make cream puffs. These are a bit of work, but the end result is so wonderful. I think they are worth the effort, especially for special occasions. These would be a big hit at any party.
You start by make a pate a chou, or cream puff pastry also called choux dough. This is the same dough used to make eclairs. It is a combination of water, butter, milk and flour- cooked on top of the stove, then enriched with the addition of eggs. The dough is piped onto baking sheets and baked until puffed, golden and crisp. Once cooled, they are filled with sweetened whipped cream or, more traditionally, a custard filling. You can serve them as is, or top with chocolate or dust with powdered sugar.
The size you make your cream puffs is really a matter of personal choice. I decided to make mini puffs- about an inch in size. I find them a fun size to serve at a party.
You can also split your puffs and fill them with a savory filling, instead. A crab salad would be a tasty choice.
Homemade Cream Puffs
1 recipe Cream Puff Pastry (Pate a Choux)- recipe follows
Egg custard- for filling, or sweetened whipped cream- recipe follows
Chocolate Ganache- for topping- recipe follows, or just use melted chocolate.
Start by making the dough. This recipe will make 3-4 dozen mini cream puffs.
Cream Puff Pastry – Choux Pastry
¾ c. water
¼ c. milk
¼ t. salt
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1¼ c. flour – unbleached or bread flour preferred
4 large eggs
Extra milk for brushing
In saucepan, heat together water, milk butter and salt into a full boil. Butter has to be melted. While stirring, dump flour into saucepan, stirring constantly. Mixture will form into a ball. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking dough, while stirring, for another minute or two. Place dough in an electric mixer and allow it to cool down a little before adding the eggs. Mixture has to be at 140 degrees F, or below, before you start adding the eggs. I use the paddle attachment and beat the dough before adding the eggs. This cools the dough down faster. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until each is fully incorporated. Beat until dough is shiny. A spoon, lifted out of the batter, should leave a peak that does not fall down.
Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. I used a silicone liner and was happy with the result. Don’t grease the pan. Using a piping bag, squeeze the dough into 1-inch balls on the baking sheet- leaving a little room in between. Using a little milk on your finger, smooth down any peaks on the puffs. I missed a few and did get a couple that had cracks on the top. The smoother the balls look, the nicer your puffs will look. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 375. Bake puffs 5- 10 more minutes, or until golden brown. Tap the shells. They should sound hollow. Turn off the heat and leave oven door open a crack, allowing them to dry completely. Cool before filling. Makes 3-4 dozen.
Custard Filling
2 cups milk or half and half
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1⁄3 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
Using a whisk, combine milk, sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium heat on stove top. Allow milk to scald (heat to the point when tiny bubbles form around edges of pan). Whisk occasionally to prevent cornstarch from clumping on bottom edges of pan. Remove milk mixture from heat, preferably to a burner that’s turned off.
Mix about 2 tablespoons of scalded milk mixture into eggs using whisk, then introduce eggs into milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking milk mixture constantly. Immediately return pan to heat and whisk gently until custard thickens, another two or three minutes. Do not allow to boil. (If you find that you have egg white strands in custard, feel free to pass it through a fine-mesh sieve into a different bowl now.) Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool before using. Makes 3 cups.
To fill the puffs, using a small piping tip with a pastry bag, filled with the custard. Squeeze filling in on the bottom, squeezing until it feels full.
Once cream puffs are filled, top with melted chocolate or chocolate ganache. I just dipped the tops of the cream puffs in melted chocolate. The chocolate hardened into a thin, crisp shell of chocolate on the puffs, adding a fun crunch.Filled puffs should be stored in fridge until ready to serve. They can be frozen.
Chocolate Ganache
4- 6 oz. dark chocolate, chopped- or 1 cup chocolate chips
2 oz. heavy whipping cream
In saucepan, heat chocolate and cream together until just heated through. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. You can also do this in a microwave safe bowl, in the microwave for about a minute. Remove and stir until smooth. Makes 1 cup.
Rich Crescent Rolls
These soft rolls are a perfect addition to any dinner. They are rich, buttery and very tender. Homemade rolls and bread just always taste better than store bought. They are totally worth the time it takes to make them.
Another perk is the way your house smells when they are baking.
These should not be confused with croissants. Croissants are made over a period of time with the dough and butter being folded, rolled and chilled a number of times to create flaky layers. Croissants are a laminated dough.
These are a soft, slightly sweet yeast dough, shaped into crescent shapes. Of course, you can make them in different shapes, if you like. I just like the way the little crescents look.
They are brushed with melted butter before being rolled up into the crescents. I also like to brush them with melted butter when they come out of the oven.
These are great served warm, with butter. I admit to loving to dip them in gravy, too.
So here is the recipe.
Rich Crescent Rolls
¾ c. milk
½ c. each butter and sugar
1 t. salt
2 packages active dry yeast
½ c. warm water
4-5 c. flour
2 eggs
Extra melted butter for brushing on the rolls
Heat together milk and butter until warm. Stir in sugar and salt. Dissolve yeast in warm water and add to milk mixture with 2 cups of flour. Beat 3 minutes. Beat in eggs. Stir in flour until soft dough forms. Knead on floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in oiled bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead a few strokes. Divide into fourths and roll each into a circle. Divide circle into 8 pieces (in wedges like a pie) and brush with melted butter. Starting at wide end roll up loosely and place on greased baking sheet with point tucked under. Allow 2-3 inches between rolls and curve slightly into an arc, if desired. Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour, or until nearly doubled. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Brush with melted butter, if you like. Serve warm. Makes 32.
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.
Cooking with Oranges
Winter is citrus season. Oranges and other citrus fruits are abundant this time of year. I love them. I love the tiny Mandarins, the big navels and the seedy, but oh so juicy, Temples. I am content to just peel and eat any of them, any time.
You can do a lot more with oranges than just eating them fresh or juicing them. Oranges can be added to both sweet and savory dishes. We use lemons and limes in cooking all the time, why not cook with oranges?
I have put together some of my favorite recipes using oranges. I’ve even including recipes to use the peels!! Enjoy!!
Orange Broiled Salmon
2 large oranges
4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Preheat the oven’s broiler. Slice, peel, and pith oranges; slice crosswise into 1/4 inch rounds. Season fillets with salt. Place salmon fillets on broiling pan. Place the pan of fillets 4 to 6 inches from heat. Cook for 15 minutes under the preheated broiler, or 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Remove from broiler just before they are cooked through. Sprinkle with vinegar. Arrange orange rounds on top. Sprinkle with green onions and cracked black pepper. Broil 1 minute longer. Serves 4.
Orange Kissed Chicken
1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon oil
3 onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup orange juice
salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and sauté for 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes more. Add juice, broth, salt and pepper. Stir all together. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Serves 4.
Orange Vinaigrette
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 orange, juiced
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 tablespoons coarse-grained mustard
In a medium bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, orange juice, orange zest and mustard. Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to one week. Great on mixed greens or on chicken or seafood salad.
Hot Cranberry-Orange Punch
2 quarts cranberry juice cocktail
3 cups orange juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 pinch salt
2 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks
In a 4 quart or larger slow cooker, combine the cranberry juice, orange juice, white sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, salt and cinnamon sticks. Stir to dissolve sugar. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours. Turn heat to low and keep warm for serving. Or heat on stove in saucepan. Simmer, covered for 30 minutes before serving. Serves 10-12.
Orange Tea Bread
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup non-fat plain yogurt
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs (egg substitute optional)
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
Syrup
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-1/2″x4-1/2″x2-5/8″ loaf pan. Line pan with wax paper or parchment and set aside. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, sugar, eggs, butter and orange zest. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients, and stir mixture until well combined. Transfer batter to loaf pan, smoothing top, and bake in oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. While the bread is baking, combine orange juice and sugar in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over moderate heat while stirring, and simmer for 1 minute. Keep syrup warm. Make holes in top of bread with a thin wooden skewer and drizzle with syrup. Let stand in pan until cool. Makes 1 loaf.
Whole Orange Liqueur
3 oranges, unpeeled, cut into wedges
½ lemon
3 whole cloves
3 cups vodka
1 c. sugar syrup
Combine fruit, cloves and vodka in jar. Vodka should cover fruit. Steep 10 days. Strain and filter. Add sugar syrup and mature 3-4 weeks. Makes 4 cups. Note: Sugar syrup is made from 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil, then cool. You will have 1 cup of syrup.
Orange Peel Liqueur
Peels only from 4 large oranges, scraped and cut into chunks
3 cups vodka
1 c. sugar syrup, see note
Remove all traces of white from orange peels. Mix peels and vodka and steep 2-3 weeks. You can use more peels for stronger flavor. Strain and filter and add sugar syrup. Let mature a week. Makes 4 cups. Note: Sugar syrup is made from 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil, then cool. You will have 1 cup of syrup.
Orange Beef Sauce
1-1 ½ lbs. lean ground beef (turkey or chicken would also work)
1 T. olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
½ c. chopped onion
¼ c. grated carrot
½ c. orange juice
1 c. beef, chicken or vegetable stock
½ t. caraway seeds
½ t. orange peel
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
¼ c. water
2 T. cornstarch
Brown meat in oil until no longer pink. Drain and place in Dutch oven with the vegetables Cook until onions are tender. Add remaining ingredients, except water and cornstarch and simmer, covered, 30-60 minutes. Five minutes before serving dissolve cornstarch in water and add to sauce to thicken. Cook until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Serve over pasta.
Citrus Sugar
1 c. sugar
1 T. orange, lemon, lime or tangerine peel
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. allspice
Mix all ingredients and place in pie pan. Place in a preheated 200 degree oven for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Cool sugar before storing in airtight jar or you can powder the sugar in a blender for 10 seconds or so before storing. Use in tea, on sugar cookies, on toast and bagels or with fresh fruit and yogurt.
Note: you can also make a citrus mint variation by combining sugar with citrus peel and 1 tablespoon dried mint leaves, omitting other flavorings. This sugar is great in lemonades and iced teas.
Orange and Oatmeal Scones
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup very cold, unsalted butter – cut into chunks
1 egg
1/2 cup orange juice
2 t. grated orange peel
1 cup raisins – plumped and well dried
Glaze
milk, sugar, orange zest
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (double two sheets if you have them – one inside the other). Preheat oven to 425 F. In a large bowl, place flour, oatmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and mix together. Cut or rub in butter to make a mealy mixture. Stir in egg and orange juice. Add orange peel and raisins. Mix to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead for a few minutes. Roll or pat out into a thickness of 1/2 inch. Using a serrated cookie cutter cut into disks or rounds. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar and orange zest. Bake until nicely browned – about 14 minutes. Makes about 24.
Chocolate-Orange Scones
1 1/2 c. baking mix, like Jiffy or Bisquick or homemade
1 T. grated orange peel
3/4 c. heavy cream
1/2 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, re-rolling 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.
Orange and Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes
8 chocolate graham crackers
3 T. butter, melted
2 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
½ c. sugar
2 t. orange zest
2 t. vanilla
2 eggs
4 or 5 mandarin oranges
4 T. sugar
3 T. water
Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside. Crush graham crackers into crumbs- you should end up with about a cup of crumbs, or a bit more. Place crumbs in small mixing bowl. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbs, and toss to distribute the butter evenly. Spoon a rounded tablespoon of the crumb mixture into each of the paper lined muffin tins. Press firmly on the crumb mixture. I used the bottom of a small glass to press the crumb mixture down. Set aside. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, zest and vanilla for 1 minute with electric mixer. Beat in the eggs until just mixed in. Divide this mixture in the muffin tins, filling each 3/4 full. Bake 25 minutes at 325 degrees. While cheesecakes are baking, prepare oranges. Peel oranges and break apart into segments (sections). You will need 36 segments in all. In small pan, boil together sugar and water for two minutes. Place orange segments in a small bowl and pour the sugar syrup over them, tossing gently to coat. Set aside to cool down. Place three orange segments on top of each cooled down cheesecake. Makes 12. Serves 6.
Candied Orange Peel
2 large oranges ( you can also use 1 grapefruit or 3 lemons)
¾ c. water
¾ c. sugar, plus extra for rolling
3 T. light corn syrup
Remove peel from fruit using a sharp knife. Try to get the peel off in 4 pieces. Cut the peel into ¼-inch wide strips. Place peel in a pot with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, drain and rinse under cold water. Repeat process 2 more times. Return to pan with fresh water and boil 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Bring ¾ c. water and ¾ c. sugar to boil in sauce pan with the corn syrup. Boil 2-3 minutes and then add the peel. Simmer, stirring occasionally until all but a spoonful of the syrup is left. This should take about 10 minutes. On a wax-paper lined baking sheet sprinkle 1 cup of sugar and arrange the peels on top of the sugar. Toss the peels around until cooled adding more sugar if needed. Place peels on a drying rack for 24 hours before storing. Once dried you can also dip one end of the peels in dark chocolate. Makes ½ pound.
Preserving/Drying Orange Zest
I love to use orange zest in a lot of recipes, but I don’t always have fresh oranges around to zest. I dry my own, so I always have orange zest handy. It’s easy to do. You don’t need a dehydrator, but you can use one, if you have one. You can save the entire peel from thin-skinned oranges, like mandarins or temple oranges. For oranges with a thick, white pith, use a peeler to remove the peel in strips- leaving as little of the white portion on them as possible. Place in a single layer in a basket. Air circulation helps them to dry faster. If you pile them up, you risk them getting moldy before they dry. Leave room for air circulation. You can also leave them on a tray in a single layer. When the peels are brittle, break into smaller pieces and grind into a powder. A spice/coffee mill works well. A blender works fine, too. I have tried to powder them up in several types of food processors and the peels seem to get wedged between the blades and the sides of the work bowl. Once they are powdered up, I use a fine strainer to get out any larger pieces. To be safe, just in case they aren’t completely dry, I put my zest in a freezer container and store in the freezer. The freezer helps the zest to retain its flavor and color longer, too. Better to use organic oranges, if you can.
Salmon Quiche
I like canned salmon. There, I said it. I know it sometimes gets a bad rap, but I find canned salmon very convenient to have around. If you didn’t already know this- canned salmon is made from wild caught salmon and has all the nutritional benefits of fresh. If you are looking for something different to do with canned salmon, you might want to try this recipe.
If you prefer, you could use fresh salmon. About 12 oz. of cooked salmon, flaked, would be used in place of the canned salmon.
The crust is a breeze to make. It’s pressed into the pie pan, rather than being rolled out. The crust is made with whole wheat flour, almonds and cheddar cheese. Yum. You could use this crust recipe for other quiches.
Did I mention it also freezes well?
Salmon Quiche
1 c. whole wheat flour
2/3 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 c. chopped almonds
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. paprika
6 T. oil
1 (15 oz.) can salmon, flaked, drained, liquid reserved, bones and skin removed
3 eggs, beaten
1 c. sour cream
1/4 c. mayo or salad dressing
1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 T. grated onion
1/2 t. dill weed
3 drops Tabasco
For crust, combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Add oil and mix well. Press into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove pie crust from oven and reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Meanwhile, begin filling. If needed, add water to reserved salmon juice to measure 1/2 cup. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl, including reserved liquid. Pour into prepared crust and bake for 45 minutes or until set in the center. Makes 6 servings.
Rustic Veggie Stew
I made a vegan stew for lunch yesterday. A neighbor stopped by and so we got a chance to enjoy it together. I’ll go through what I used to make it- but feel free to sub out veggies you have on hand. Since I was able to get nice asparagus and broccoli I used them. For a non-vegan version you can serve it with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
Rustic Vegetable Stew
oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 turnips, peeled and chopped, optional
2 potatoes, cubed
1 can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz.) tomatoes, undrained – I used a pint jar of home canned tomatoes
4 c. chopped veggies, use what is on hand, I used asparagus and broccoli*
hot sauce to taste
1/4 c. fresh chopped parsley
1 t. fresh chopped rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
In soup pot, heat oil and saute onions, carrots, celery and turnips for 5-10 minutes or until veggies are wilted. Add potatoes, beans and tomatoes and cook, covered, over medium low heat until veggies are tender. Stir occasionally. Add remaining veggies and cook, covered, another 10 minutes or until they are just tender. Add herbs and adjust seasonings. Serves 6. I served it with a crusty herb bread.
*The last veggies added needed less time to cook so I added them later so they would keep some of their texture. Even frozen veggies could be used.
Cheesy Chocolate Hamantaschen
A friend shared this recipe recently, and I was intrigued. I had to try these cookies. The filling for these traditional Jewish cookies is inspired by the filling used in cannoli. I made a few changes from the recipe he shared, and was very happy with how they turned out.
The dough, which contains no sugar, has a wonderful, pastry-like texture. It pairs up well with the filling. The drizzle of chocolate is a perfect finish for them. They aren’t a gooey, overly sweet cookie, which I really like.
They are great served with tea or coffee. I confess, I had a couple for breakfast with my morning tea. I would definitely make these again.
Thanks, Jared, for sharing this recipe.
Cheesy Chocolate Hamantaschen
Filling:
¼ c. ricotta cheese
5 oz. cream cheese
½ c. powdered sugar
1 t. cinnamon
½ c. mini chocolate chips
Dough:
½ c. (1 stick) butter, softened
3 oz. cream cheese
½ c. half and half or milk
1 t. vanilla
½ t. salt
2½ c. flour
Topping:
1 egg white
2 T. water
½ c. chocolate chips
Powdered sugar, optional
Prepare the filling. Beat together the ricotta and cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the milk and cinnamon, then stir in the chips. Chill until ready to use. Make the dough by mixing the cream cheese and butter together. Add the milk, vanilla and salt and mix until smooth. Stir in the flour until a stiff dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, or put in a bag and chill at least an hour – or up to a couple of days – before proceeding. On lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a little less than ¼ – inch thickness. Cut dough out into 2-3 inch circles. Place a scant teaspoon of filling in middle of each dough circle. Combine the egg white with water and beat together. Brush a little of the egg white mixture over the edges of the dough circle. Fold the dough up in thirds towards the center, pinching the edges to seal. They should look like little three-corner hats. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling the scraps. Brush folded cookies with a little more of the egg white mixture. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake in a 375-degree- oven for 15 minutes, or until golden on the bottom. Remove to cooling rack. Once cooled, melt the chocolate chips and drizzle over the cookies. You can top with some powdered sugar, if you like. Makes 2½-3 dozen.
Classic Meringues
I love meringues. That first crunch followed by a melt in your mouth sweetness. I’ve made meringues in a lot of different flavors, colors and shapes over the years but I seem to gravitate back to basics. egg whites, powdered sugar and cream of tartar. Pretty simple for something that tastes and looks so amazing. I think in the past, people who made meringues must have been pretty strong. Think of having to beat egg whites to stiff peaks before the days of electric mixers. Today with a stand mixer the process is easy.
Classic Meringues
5 egg whites
1 t. cream of tartar
3 c. powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets. Place eggs in mixing bowl or bowl from stand mixer and start to beat. When whites become foamy add the cream of tartar and beat a couple minutes longer. Add the powdered sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time until it is all mixed in. Continue beating the egg white mixture until it appears glossy and holds a stiff peak. This will take anywhere from 7-12 minutes, depending on your mixer. Place egg white mixture in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and start to form meringues on baking sheet by squeezing some out into desired size and shape. They do not grow at all while baking so you can place them close together on baking sheet. Continue with remaining meringue batter. Place baking sheets in oven. Prop door open a little with a wooden spoon and bake for 90 minutes. Remove wooden spoon so oven door is now closed and bake for 90 minutes longer. Cool a few minutes then remove from the trays. Store cooled meringues in an air-tight container.
Note: You can add flavorings like vanilla, mint or almond with a few drops of extract near the end of the whipping process. You can also add a few drops of food coloring for tinted meringues.
Caramelized Onion Pierogi
I grew up with pierogi. In my family they were usually stuffed with potatoes or prunes. Both are very tasty. Recently a friend asked if I could make them stuffed with something else. I decided to make a caramelized onion filling. I had made something similar recently and used the filing with wonton wrappers. It made sense that it would work. Pierogi are often served with sauteed onions. So that is what i did. I love this new version. The filling can be made day ahead, if that is more convenient. It is best to stuff pierogi with cold filling. So here is the recipe for the dough and the filling. You might want to give them a try.
Caramelized Onion Pierogi
Dough:
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
½ c. water (you can also use half milk and half water)
1 egg
Mix all ingredients together and knead on floured surface until smooth. Cover and let rest at least 15 minutes. Roll out thin and cut into circles. Re-roll scraps. You should get between 15-24. Spoon filling of your choice on center of dough circle. Fold dough in half over filling and press edge with fork to seal. Wetting the edge of the dough will help the dough to stick. Don’t overfill or pierogis will split. Test a couple first to get the hang of it. Place a few at a time into salted boiling water and cook until they float. You can eat them as is or brown cooked pierogi in butter in a skillet. Serve with sour cream. We would often make a larger batch and then freeze them, uncooked on wax paper-lined baking sheets. When frozen they would be transferred to a freezer bag or container. Place right from the freezer into boiling water when ready to use.
Filling:
3-4 medium onions, peeled and chopped fine
1 T. oil
2 T. cider vinegar
2 T. sugar or brown sugar
1 t. paprika
Dash of hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
In medium skillet cook the onions in oil over medium to low heat until onions are tender. Add the sugar, vinegar and seasonings and keep cooking the onions until they are a little golden and most of the liquid has cooked off. Adjust seasonings and stir in the cream cheese. Chill filling until ready to use.
Mom’s City Chicken
If you never had City Chicken, you don’t know what you are missing. Meat on a stick- always a good thing. But not just meat on a stick- breaded meat on a stick! If you like breaded pork chops, you should love City Chicken. This is a dish I grew up with. When my Mom made City Chicken, I knew dinner was going to be special.
There is no chicken in the dish at all. Odd, but well, I didn’t name the dish, I just like eating it.
City Chicken is normally made with chunks of pork- or chunks of pork and veal- skewered on wooden sticks. I used pork. After skewering, the meat is dipped in seasoned flour, egg wash and then bread crumbs- or cracker crumbs.
You can just bake them, or brown in a little oil first, before baking- for a crispier coating. They also can be cooked in an air fryer or convection oven. I served these to friends last night. They really enjoyed them
I didn’t have my Mom’s recipe, so I recreated it as I remembered it. So here is my recipe. A tasty dish, and also a trip down memory lane.
Mom’s City Chicken
2 lbs. boneless pork – I use Western style ribs or pork loin
½ c. sherry – not cooking sherry
2 T. soy sauce
¾ c. flour
Salt and pepper
3 eggs
½ c. milk or half and half
2 T. chopped parsley
Hot sauce
½ t. garlic powder
1-2 c. bread crumbs
2 t. dried basil
2 t. dried oregano
½ t. dried thyme
Oil
6 –inch Wooden sticks or skewers
Cube pork into 1-inch cubes. Place in a bowl and add the sherry and soy sauce. Stir to combine, cover bowl and place in fridge. You can do this a couple of hours ahead or even a day ahead. You might not really need to do this step, but I like the flavor of the sherry, so I chose to marinade my pork in it before breading. Your choice, completely.
Take pork and skewer it onto wooden sticks. I used skewers that were a little thicker than what I normally use. Since they were long, I cut them in half before using. I ended up with 9.
Place flour in a bag with salt and pepper to taste. Add one pork skewer at a time to the flour, shaking to coat evenly. Place floured pork skewers on a tray. Once finished, combine eggs with the milk, parsley, hot sauce, garlic powder and a little more salt and pepper. Place bread crumbs in a bag with the basil, oregano and thyme. Shake to combine. Dip each floured skewer into the egg mixture, remove from egg mix and allow excess to drip off a little. Then place in the bag of bread crumbs, shaking to coat evenly. Repeat until all the city chicken is breaded.
Now I know I already asked you to wait to marinade the pork in the beginning. I am going to ask you to wait again. If you fry up the city chicken right away, the breading is likely to fall off. If you bread the city chicken early in the day- then leave it in the fridge at least a couple of hours before cooking it, the breading will stay on much better. I actually marinade a day ahead, in the morning. Then I bread them in the evening the night before. But even breading them a couple of hours before makes a big difference. Just keep in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
When ready to cook them- I know you were giving up hope we would ever get to this step- heat oil in a large skillet. You don’t need much oil- a few tablespoons, at most. Brown the city chicken on all sides in the hot oil. Transfer them to a baking dish, as you finish browning them. Place in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes. Don’t bake them too long- you don’t want them to dry out. Pork has to reach a minimum internal temp of 145 F. Serves 6.
