Shortbread: Part 2- Chocolate Shortbread

Chocolate Shortbread

I love shortbread cookies. I especially love a really nice chocolate shortbread cookie. This is an original recipe (invented by me!). Drool over the picture, but bake up a batch and eat some too!

RECIPE

1/2 Cup Flour
2 Tbs Cocoa Powder
1 ounce Dark Chocolate, Chopped
3 TBS water
1 Tbs sugar + 2Tbs coarse Sugar

Set an oven proof bowl over a pan of boiling water. Add chopped chocolate, and melt, stirring constantly. Once melted, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder and 1 Tbs Sugar. Whisk in butter, as shown. Whisk in chocolate, as shown. form dough into a ball. Roll out to 1/2" thickness, Press Coarse sugar into dough, cut as desired.

SERVING SIZE

Makes 1 dozen 3" cookies

OTHER FLAVORS: You can use these cookie for ganache sandwiches, ice cream sandwiches, crumbled into pie crust, or press dough into a tart pan for an easy and delicious crust. Form dough into small balls, press with thumb to flatten- fill with Jam or a chocolate kiss.

Shortbread: Part 1- Traditional Shortbread

My Favorite Traditional Shortbread

Vesratile Cookie Recipe Great for the Holidays!

With The Holidays So Close...

You may be looking for some simple no fuss recipe to help you to get the WOW you want with out too much work or brainpower... right?

This simple and tasty cookie recipe might be just the thing you were looking for.

In the past, this shortbread/ butter cookie recipe has worked well and can be used in a few different ways. it is great plain or topped with "sanding sugar" or formed into jam filled thumbprints. You can add Flavors to the dough, such as nuts, or chocolate, or even herbs (i like lavender a lot). See "Other Flavors" section below for more ideas. I have also used this recipe as a tart crust for a delicious and easy tart.

RECIPE

1 1/4 Cup Flour
3 Tbs Sugar
1/2 Cup butter

Whisk together flour and sugar in a bowl. Cut cold butter into flour till well combined, Should resemble wet sand. Form Dough into a ball, knead till smooth, about 1 minute. Form a square log shape and roll into 1/2" thickness. Cut into even pieces. Press coarse sugar onto dough. Arrange on a cookie sheet and bake at 300* till golden, about 30 minutes.

 OTHER FLAVORS: Once you have this dough made, you can shape and bake it in almost any for you like. use cookie cutters, mini tart pans, etc. One nice way to use this dough is to make thumbprint cookies; just shape the dough into small balls, and flatten with your thumb, this will leave an impression, which you can then fill with your favorite jam, like raspberry, or a chocolate kiss. You can also combine your creative additions to this such as ground nuts (1/4 cup), or Herbs (2 TBS). 

Tune in Tomorrow for another variation of this recipe!

Pumpkin Pie: A Thanksgiving Tradition, From A Fresh Pumpkin!

Pumpkin Pie

First You Take a Fresh Pumpkin...

Then you make a pie!

    So, when i was growing up, i absolutely HATED pumpkin pie. i could never figure out why so many people liked it so much! It was heavy, way too sweet, and always gave me a stomach ache. After i grew and started making Thanksgiving dinners myself, I decided to try making pie with a fresh pumpkin. They are so cute in the store, irresistible not to buy. So i tried it and i discovered that i love Pumpkin pie. I think it was the awful can all along that i hated.
    This is my recipe for pumpkin pie. No refined sugar, no harsh flavors, just a gently spiced, naturally sweetened pumpkin pie. It took a lot of experimenting over many holidays to get this recipe just the way i like it. I hope you like it too.

RECIPE:
Pumpkin Pie From Scratch
For Crust: (slideshow recipe shows 1 crust proportions)
1 1/2 Cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbs cold butter
5 tbs ice water
     whisk flour and salt together. add in cold butter. cut together with a knife, pastry cutter, or food processor. add water, gently stir together with a fork. form a ball and refridgerate till ready to use.

For Pumpkin Pie Filling:
1  small pumpkin pureed
1 tsp fresh ground cinnamon
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1 cup half and half
3 eggs
3 tbs grade b maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
    Prep pumpkin and puree as shown. put puree into large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Mix in all ingredients and heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Roll out dough as shown. Pour puree into prepared pie crust and bake at 375* for about 30-40 minutes or until set. cool, serve

SERVING SIZE: Makes 2 Pumpkin pies.

Tune in tomorrow!

Apple Cake: What to Do with Apples That Hang Around Too Long

Apple Cake

An Easy Take-Along For The Holidays!

   It happens to me every fall, i buy more apples than i can eat, and then i end up with a couple of apples that are too soft to eat or make pie out of, but too pretty to throw out. It took me a lot of searching, and then some experimenting, but i have developed this cake recipe as a solution to the "old apple" problem.
   This recipe stars whole wheat as the only flour in the recipe, but your friends will never know it. i have also included my recipe for my special Cinnamon Caramel Glaze that makes a great warm topping for this cake.

   Please give this easy recipe a shot, impress your friends! This would be a super recipe to take to a holiday party or family gathering!

RECIPE
Apple Cake:

3/4 whole wheat flour

1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar
1 stick of butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs

2 apples, ripe and diced into very small dices (peeled if you prefer, but it doesn't matter)
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

    Prepare an 8"X8" pan with butter and flour, as shown. Preheat oven to 350*. In a bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt together, set aside. In a separate bowl, mix sugar and eggs. Add butter, beat at medium speed till fluffy like frosting. Gently add in flour mixture using a spoon or low mixing speed, just till combined. Gently fold in apples and nuts till coated. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake about 25-30 minutes, or till golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Cool at least 20 minutes before cutting or glazing.

Cinnamon Caramel Glaze
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tb butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg yolk

Heat all ingredients together in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Heat to boil. Boil 1 minute, continuing to stir. Remove from heat, allow to cool. Spread over finished cake.

SERVING SIZE:  Makes one glazed 8"X8" Square cake, suitable for 9 servings.

OTHER FLAVORS:  The addition of vanilla to the cake batter is optional. This would also turn out fine with out nuts, with pecans, or with all purpose flour (change amount to 1 cup). If you are short on butter, you can substitute half the butter in the batter for oil.

CHEAPER: Skip the glaze. Make into Muffins (fill cups 3/4 full) for portioned breakfast or snack to-go treats.

FASTER: This cake is pretty fast, the most time consuming part is the chopping of the apples. perhaps a food processor would help.

HEALTHIER: substitute any healthful oil for butter in the batter. Skip the glaze. This cake is a treat, so its not really gonna be all too healthy, but it's not the worst thing you could have either. :p

Fresh Salsa: Pico De Gallo

Salsa: Pico De Gallo

One Hot Habanero

    Hello everyone! Boy, it's been a while hasn't it? My apologies! Here is a recipe oft requested.... Fresh Salsa. This is a recipe i learned from my grandma. In the summer months where i grew up, she would have a garden of tomatoes ripe and ready- and she would pull out her old heavy stone molcajete to grind it together.  She said that her mother gave it to her when she got married, along with a traditional terra cotta bean pot, rolling pin, and cast iron Colmal (flat pan for cooking tortillas) Anyway, This is a family recipe that i'm delighted to share with you all.
    The photos came about for this post after i moved. I live in a strange place where authentic foods are seemingly hard to find. I tried a salsa here that may have been one of the worst i ever had. So i decided to make my own. This recipe can be a tiny bit time consuming, so i don't make it as often as i would like to. it's not complicated, just a lot of chopping. You can use a food processor if you have one, but try to mince or dice rather than liquify the ingredients for a hearty texture.

     What to use salsa for?

    Well, I sorta doubt anyone would really ask this question, but I wanted to share some of my favorite uses for salsa anyway. Of course you can serve salsa with your favorite tortilla chips. I love to have my morning omelette rolled with salsa inside. I have also really liked making corn quesadillas with a dab of salsa inside. You can top your tostadas with it, as shown in the blog post here.  A favorite snack of mine lately has been homemade nachos, which is simply chips with grated cheddar, a bit of salsa, tucked under the broiler for a few minutes. So many more uses! 

    An additional note: I made this batch using one very hot habanero pepper. Please take care when chopping spicy peppers! The hot oils could penetrate delicate skin and cause intense burning for some people. I've seen this happen once and it was rather traumatic. If you feel your skin may be delicate, wear gloves. Also, if your knife isn't incredibly sharp you also risk squirting pepper juices into your eyes. Please be careful if this is the case. 

RECIPE:

1 lb Roma tomatoes, peeled or 1.25 lbs of your favorite seasonal tomatoes
1/2 of a large yellow onion
1/4 bunch of fresh cilantro
2 large cloves of garlic
1 Habanero pepper*
1 lime or 1/2 lemon Juiced; or 1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp salt, more to taste

Chop all ingredients as shown.Add lime juice and salt.  Mix together well. Move to an airtight container and allow to sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Taste, and adjust seasoning. Enjoy with chips or on your favorite foods.

SERVING SIZE: Makes One Pint, Lasts in the fridge for about 2  weeks.  

 *OTHER FLAVORS: You can make this recipe as hot or mild as you like. If you feel timid about spiciness, Try starting with a jalapeno without seeds. Always taste and adjust after you have allowed the salsa to sit for at least 4 hours. Medium Hot spicy- try jalapeno with seeds, or substitute a serrano, a slightly hotter pepper. All peppers have a different flavor and personality. Experiment to find what you like!
ALSO: If you chop an avocado into a bowl and add a few tablespoons of salsa, you have fresh, easy guacamole!

FASTER: Like i have stated above, You can make this recipe faster if you use a food processor. I don't really like using- but have a go at it if you want.

HEALTHIER: This recipe is pretty darn healthy. All fresh ingredients, raw, vegetables, etc. Just watch the foods you put it on!