Spork or Foon?

TWD: Low and Lush Chocolate Cheesecake

 

I apologize, once again, for being late on my TWD.  If I have one New Years Resolution to keep, it's to be a more consistent blogger.  I have been so busy these past few months, I can't keep up with myself.

The Tea Lady of Tea and Scones chose this low and lush chocolate cheesecake... and lush it is. Wow! One bite of this lasts for hours, it seems.  This cake is so rich, and velvety, and rich, and creamy, and did I mention that it is rich?  

I used Dorie's playing around suggestion and added cinnamon and espresso flavoring to 1/3 of the batch and swirled it into the rest of the batter.

What's that you say? You can't tell that it's swirled?  Neither can I. Swirling was never my strongpoint. 

Unfortunately for me, Christmas is over and calories count again, so I am back to exercising extreme willpower with my desserts and only took one bite.  But it was hard.  My fork kept pushing back and my plate.  The crisp graham cracker crust, so lightly flavored with cinnamon, was calling my name.  The complex flavor of the cheesecake brought delight after delight as chocolate gave way to cinnamon and finished with espresso. I wanted more. 

This would have been a perfect New Years dessert, were I having a New Years party. 

Speaking of New Years parties, please - I beg of you - please don't wear those new 2010 glasses. I really hoped that trend would die out with the end of the 00's.  But of course, some person has come up with the idea to terrorize us for 10 more years. 

Click here for the recipe and check out the rest of TWD!

I wish you all a Happy and a Healthy New Years... and may all of your New Years Wishes come true.

May Your Christmas Be Filled With Cookies...

 

Unlike my Christmas, because my parent's dog ate all of the cookies you see above about an hour before my family arrived.

 

He may look all innocent and disinterested, but don't let those looks fool you.  He is a lean, mean, cookie machine.  And a crumb snatcher.  This is not the first Christmas DeNiro has helped himself to the Christmas goodies.

In addition to that, I also burned a major component of dinner.  It reminded me of the National Lampoon's Christmas vacation Christmas dinner where they munched on a turkey that spontaneously combusted and green jello studded with cat food.

I wish you all happy holidays, Merry Christmas filled with love, family and friends.  And if you have any cookies, please send me some.

Remy would have never done that. 

 

Already Been Chewed Gingerbread Men

 

The Pecan pie will have to wait... again.  It will be part of my Christmas dessert table... along with these.

I first saw these ABC (already been chewed) cookie cutters on Baking Bites and thought they were amazing. I wanted to again needlessly spend money on more kitchen equipment.  But then I decided that this was something I could do myself.  So what did I do? I baked the cookies and then I snapped their little legs and hands off as I quoted the Gingerbread Man from Shrek: "You're a monster! No, not the gumdrop buttons!" And then I ate them. 

It's a cruel, cruel world. 

Click herehttp://splendidtable.publicradio.org/recipes/dessert_sugarcookies.shtml for the cookie recipe and click here if you don't have the heart to rip those delicious little legs off yourself.

TWD: Cafe Volcano Cookies

 

I'm making the pecan pie tonight and will post it tomorrow. I'm hearing it's amazing, so I'm excited for this one!  For now, I'm rewinding to last week's Cafe Volcano cookies, chosen by MacDuff of Lonely Sidecar.

Since my life has been consumed by cookies the past month, my eating habits have changed drastically.  I feed only on cookie dough these days.  And when you live a life only tasting dough all day, no other food is appealing to you. I'll think to myself, "Hey, I'll make some egg whites for breakfast." Then, another voice in my head says, "No, I'll just have a piece of cookie dough."  "But what about those surprisingly delicious raspberries you picked up at the store?" "Nah, I need some chocolate." "How about a delicious piece of baked salmon and some quinoa?" "SUGAR COOKIES!"

So, it's nice to just skip the butter and the flour with these cookies and go straight to the sugar. And these are the best mound of sugar I've ever eaten. I want to kiss MacDuff for picking such an easy recipe. And seriously, Dorie, I love you. How do you think of such things?  Throw egg whites, nuts, and a ton of sugar in a pan with some espresso powder, stir for 30 seconds and bake?  Holla!

Click here for the recipe and click here to see some amazing praline pies!

Christmas Cake Balls

 
This is it, people. We are in the home stretch.  T-minus 4 days and counting.  4 DAYS?!

I always have a little postpartum depression after Christmas. You see, I start gearing up for Christmas right around September 1st, which is the date I think it is acceptable to start listening to Christmas music.  If it weren't for Halloween getting in the way of decorating, I'd put up my Christmas tree in October (Halloween better be thankful that it's an awesome holiday).  I look forward to Thanksgiving, not for the food, but for the fact that I can finally adorn my apartment with garland, stockings, wreaths, and other Festive Christmas Accoutrement (such as Jack's beloved Christmas village) . As of November 26, my radio is constantly tuned to the nonstop Christmas music station (Thanks 106.7).  And, best of all, I get to teach my Jewish boyfriend, Jack, the wonders of Christmas, where decorating can provide such battle wounds as pricked fingers (the pine needles are sharp), frozen fingers from helping me string the lights outside of my parent's house (I've been doing it since I was a teenager), and mild electrocution from testing the lights to figure out why half of the strand is not lit.  He also asked, "Who is Noel?" when we were listening to the first Noel.

Oh, Jack.  

But then December 26 rolls around and punches me in the stomach with its ice cold fist. The Christmas station goes back to playing soft hits that I never listen to, the tree looks out of place, the stockings sag just a little bit lower, and the people in Jack's Christmas village would walk home if they had their legs about them. 

People in other countries have it right.  In places like Spain, Italy, and Puerto Rico, they have a secondary holiday that is bigger than Christmas, The Epiphany.  Places like England and Trinidad have Boxing Day... whatever that is (honestly, what is it?) We just have stinking New Years, which often just sucks anyway.  

So to bring in the last week of this beloved season, I present to you my favorite Christmas treat of all. It is not a cookie.  It is not a cake.  It is not a glass of eggnog with rum (that is my second favorite treat).  It is the wonderful cake ball, brought into bloggers lives by the wonderful Bakerella.  They are easy to make (the only time I'll ever used box cake mix and pre-made frosting is for this recipe), and even easier to eat. And eat. And eat.  As you bite through the hard white chocolate shell, you find joy from the sharp "pop!" sound that it makes when it gives way to the smooth, creamy red-velvet center.  These balls are Christmas. And you can eat them year round. 

Red Velvet Cake Balls adapted from Bakerella

Makes 45-50 cake balls

1 box red velvet cake mix 
3/4 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate - I used white chocolate melts)
wax paper

After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.

Mix thoroughly with 3/4 can cream cheese frosting. 

Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. This will be messy, but they will come together. 

Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)

Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.

Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a fork to dip and roll in chocolate - be careful not to pierce the ball - and then tap off extra.)

Note from Bakerella: I also only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It’s easier to work with when it’s hot.

 
 

Butternut Squash Rigatoni with Prawns

I want to apologize to Macduff of Lonely Sidecar for being late on the Cafe Volcano cookies.  I will be posting them, but not until this weekend.  I have 600 more cookies to go this week for my catering gig for Theory, so they have taken all of my cookie energy until the weekend.

I first posted about this butternut squash dish last September and I still love it as much today as I did then.  The squash is creamy and rich, tricking the mind into believing that this healthy dish is filled with cream and fat and artery-clogging goodneess.  Perfectly cooked prawns are the perfect protein for the dish, with sweet basil adding a deliciously fresh flavoral contrast and the dish is finished with sharp, freshly grated parmesan cheese.   Best of all, this dish only takes about 15 minutes to make.  Unless, of course, you are me and can't find a good butternut squash to save your life (anyone who lives in Manhattan knows how poor the produce sections are at the supermarkets, but bad butternut squash? Really? Does that exist?)  Three attempts and $20 later (produce is also extremely expensive), I finally achieved the perfect color and consistency for the sauce.  And it was well worth it.

Butternut Squash Rigatoni with Prawns

Recipe Adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 pound butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1 cup vegetable stock
1 pound rigatoni
1 pound prawns, peeled and deveined
3/4 to 1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions
Warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butternut squash, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Saute until the squash is golden and tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the squash is very soft, another 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the squash mixture to a blender or food processor and puree.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, warm the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the prawns with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Add the prawns to the pan and cook until just pink, about 3 minutes.

In a large pot over low heat combine the cooked pasta, pureed squash mixture, and 3/4 cup milk. Stir to combine. Add the remaining 1/4 cup milk if the sauce needs to be moistened. Add the cooked prawns, basil, and cheese. Stir until warm and serve.

Minty Chocolate Crackle Cookies

 

I love chocolate crackle cookies.  These festive cookies, with their craggly white tops and paths of chocolate peeking through, are the ultimate Christmas cookie to me.

I decided that I wanted to change it up a bit, though, and add some mint to the mix. I've been loving chocolate and peppermint this season (but do NOT love the new Peppermint Mocha flavor of coffee at Dunkin' Donuts.  Gross.), so I decided to experiment a little with these.  And I am glad I did, because the peppermint really adds another delicious dimension to one of my favorite cookies in the land.  These are like winter in a cookie to me - minus the whole freezing my butt off as I walk to the subway while cursing the slushy snow and hoping a cab doesn't drive through a puddle and spray me with grey gook part.

Minted Chocolate Crackle Cookies adapted from Martha Stewart

Makes about 4 dozen

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk

1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits, and melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate and peppermint extract. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.

On a clean countertop, roll each portion of dough into a log approximately 16 inches long and 1 inch in diameter, using confectioners’ sugar to prevent sticking. Wrap logs in plastic wrap, and transfer to a baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut each log into 1-inch pieces, and toss in confectioners’ sugar, a few at a time. Using your hands, roll the pieces into a ball shape. If any of the cocoa-colored dough is visible, roll dough in confectioners’ sugar again to coat completely. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to15 minutes (I actually had to bake mine for 20 minutes, so check accordingly).

Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Candy Cane Cookies

I just finished baking 600 cookies. Started at 7 am this morning. It is now almost midnight. 

I hate cookies.

OK. No I don't. But for this month, the month of December, the month of COOKIES, I. Hate. Cookies. 

You know what cookies are super cute, but will drive you nuts when you have to bake 600 cookies? These cookies above.  Sure, the recipe is relatively easy.  A sugar cookie dough, split in two, with one half dyed red with food coloring.  Then you roll and twist. 

Rolling and twisting stinks when you've been baking and decorating for 7 hours already.  Then you roll and twist.  150 cookies. The red dough is hard to handle.  I had to chill this dough every five minutes.  I wanted to just eat the dough and call it a day. 

I made these cookies when I didn't know how to cook a few years back with a Sandra Lee recipe where you used pre-made sugar cookie dough.  They tasted like crap. I can finally admit that.  

But these were delicious.  A big pain to make, but super cute and delicious and a great addition to any holiday feast.

Now, I must sleep. Please... no more cookies. For at least 5 days.

Candy Cane Cookies

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red food coloring

Stir together 1 cup sugar, the butter, milk, vanilla, peppermint extract and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Divide dough in half. Stir food color into 1 half. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

For each candy cane, shape 1 rounded teaspoon dough from each half into 4-inch rope by rolling back and forth on floured surface. Place 1 red and white rope side by side; press together lightly and twist. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; curve top of cookie down to form handle of cane. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until set and very light brown. Cool completely.

TWD: The Ugliest Sables in All the Land

Sables.  Why must they torment me so?

They are little medallions of pure cookie bliss.  When made correctly, they appear to be oh-so-beautiful and dainty.

So, why, oh why, after chilling in the freezer for 2 days, do they come out looking like this?

I know that many a-food blogger will comment on a less-than picture perfect dish and say "Well, it's not winning any beauty contests."  But mine go above and beyond not winning beauty contests.

You know the treasured community chest card in Monopoly that reads: "You just won second place a beauty pageant! Collect $20"? When you pull this card, you first joke around and talk about how pretty you are (you don't do that? Is it just me?) and then curse the person who beat you out. Then you wonder what kind of cheap-ass beauty pageant only awards $20?

Well, if there was a card that says, "You just got hit with the ugly stick!  You owe the hospital $200.", these cookies would be sure to pull that card.

Sure, I could have prettied it up with sprinkles and decorations, but I have been doing this and frankly was not in the mood. Yes, I burned the edges. And please, if you leave a comment saying "They look good to me!", I'll know that you are just being nice and you don't really mean it. But I appreciate the kind words. Thank you.

But they do taste good. Minus the ugly looks, they are perfectly buttery, with a slightly sandy texture that is a pleasure to eat.  I was sure to work with an even hand and not to overwork the delicate dough.  I rolled my logs using a Chopin piano pieces book, hoping that his grace would rub off on my cookies. But alas, I was left with strange shaped, burned cookies.  Deliciously, oddly shaped, burned cookies.

Check out Barbara of Bungalow Barbara for the recipe and check out the rest of TWD for some 1st place winners in the beauty pageants. I'd award them $100. Because I'm nice like that. And I'm the banker. 

Late TWD: Rosy Poached Pear and Pistachio Tart

 

A friend of mine has started a fun group called Top Chef: Ludlow.  A group of friends get together and act as chefs and judges, eat food, and have good times.  Unfortunately (or fortunately), there is no fighting, hooking up (to my knowledge) incessant cursing, or faux-hawks.  So I don't think Bravo is banging down our doors for a TV deal.  

Each month has a theme. First, it was appetizers in October. Root Vegetables in November. And Red and Green in December. Red and Green? I was stumped. Then, I saw that the Rosy Poached Pear tart was chosen by Lauren of I'll Eat You. 

Bingo. 

Unfortunately, I was not able to make it on the date chosen. But I was determined to compete. I was going to make this tart and submit it, hoping that flavor would prevail over absteneeism.

I buckled down, knowing that each component needed the utmost love and attention.

I first made the pistachio pastry cream. I felt excited as I watched the ivory colored milk turn a pale green cream and didn't wait for it to cool as I took my first taste.  

It was chalky!  I should have known that I'd come across such a problem with a recipe that consisted 3 TABLESPOONS of cornstarch.  I hoped that my dish would not meet the same fate from the Top Chef Ludlow judges and prayed the the combination of the poached pears and syrup would mask the "I-just-ate-a-stick-of-chalk-from-the-teachers-chalkboard (do they even have those anymore?)" feeling

I poached my pears in shiraz flavored sugar, lemon and orange.   I had one too many sips of the post-poaching liquid (which would seriously make the best sangria ever) and had to force myself to stop because I wanted to make the honey-wine sauce that accompanied the tart and also because there is something slightly disturbing about drinking poaching liquid at 10 am on a Saturday morning. I stopped myself, added the honey, and waited for it to reach the perfect, syrupy consistency.

Dorie's sweet tart is also something I can make with ease after making it so many times, so thankfully, that was one component I could not mess up. Except for the fact that I accidentally baked it three days early and decided to freeze it post-baking.

How do you accidentally bake something? I have no idea. 

I caramelized my sugar, added the pistachios to coat, and chopped up those deliciously addictive little bites of textural pleasure. 

Finally, it came time to assemble the tart. I was nervous for so many reasons, but mainly I was nervous because we all know that a tart with pastry cream shouldn't be assembled too far in advance. Three, four hours, tops. Me? Six whole hours, baby.  I defy the rules.

I struggled to get my pears in that perfect concentric circle that is featured in the book and cursed food-stylists everywhere for giving me unrealistic expectations. I did not want my first showing to be a disaster. I rearranged and rearranged again. I threw out (read: ate) all of the mistakes.  Then, I sprinkled on the pistachios.  Nothing masks a mess like something sprinkled or drizzled on a dessert.

Then, Jack walks over to the kitchen.  "Awesome.  That's for me?"

"No.  I'm submitting this for the Top Chef Ludlow event."

"Well, that's rude." He said incredulously. "It's got all of my favorite components. My tart that I love so much. Pistachios. Pears. And it smells so good. I don't get any?"

I shook my head, feeling slightly guilty.

"Not a bite?"

"No. I'm sorry, love. And I'm not making it again, because it takes forever."

"That's really rude of you."

I hoped that the snub to my boyfriend would all work out in the end.

I receive this text from my friend at 8:38 pm: "We haven't judged yet, but everyone loved your tart. The crust was perfect. Not soggy at all."

I breathed a sigh of relief and waited with anticipation.  Could I catch up in points?

9:10 pm: "You won!  We're drinking your prize right now!"

Holla! Thanks Dorie and Thanks to for choosing this prize winning tart!  Click here for the recipe.