Patchwork Cookies

As many of you know, my mother passed away on Monday of this week.   It was not unexpected, and yet, I find myself at a total loss, baffled by the finality of death. To prepare for Friday's services I've been going through boxes of old family photos. It's been bittersweet, both sad and comforting at the same time. I was struck by how many of the pictures involved food and family dinners. Even this ridiculous photo of me with my best college friend, Angela (she the beautiful one on the left, me the one on the right with the wild-eyed look of a potential serial killer) involved this silly cake, obtained at 50% off from the Target bakery when it had been abandoned by Irving and his family. Foodies even then, we'd spend weekends working on geology homework while tending to something delicious that was baking in the oven.

One of our favorite things to make, perhaps because it was such an easy recipe, was Patchwork Cookies. The recipe is old and faded, written in Angela's crooked hand, and splattered with years of ingredients, but it's the one I always use. It has such a fond history that to rewrite it would just seem wrong.

The versatility of this recipe comes in the decorating. Select colors and candy toppings appropriate for the nearest holiday or occasion.

Patchwork Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Decorations

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9" x 13" baking pan with vegetable spray.

Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beat until well blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in flour, beating just to blend. Spread evenly over the bottom of the baking pan.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until golden. Remove from oven; quickly sprinkle chocolate chips over the bakes cookies. Bake an additional 2-3 minutes to melt. Remove immediately and spread the chocolate evenly over the top.

Mark off into squares. Top each with a variety of decorations, alternating to give the appearance of a patchwork quilt.

Chill until frosting is set.

This post is linked to:

Foodie Friday

Sugar and Spice

Pan-Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios and Dried Cherries

I feel as if I’m just packing up from Christmas and all of a sudden it’s Valentine’s Day.  This is one holiday that seems to elude me year after year.  Perhaps it’s the three family birthdays in January that keep me from embracing it as much as I’d like, and perhaps it’s for this same reason that I enjoy St. Patrick’s Day so much -- I have time to prepare!  Since the food is so traditional when it comes to St. Pat’s, it’s hard to sneak in anything different without being the object of scorn, but this year I think I have come upon something that will be welcomed by guests and apt to become a requested side dish for all St. Pat’s dinners to come.  This year, I’ll be replacing the traditional cabbage with Brussels sprouts!

Now before you all turn up your noses, let me begin by saying that Brussels sprouts are a very much underappreciated vegetable, and I mean to put a stop to this.  Nutritious, Brussels sprouts contain Vitamin A, C, calcium, iron, and a hint of protein.  They are easy to prepare, will be a bright spot on the table, and this recipe will change your mind about how you think they taste.  I nearly ate then entire bowl myself when I tasted this recipe and will certainly be making it again.  I used dried tart cherries and didn’t bother to chop them up.  The sweet/tart flavor of the cherries was a delightful accompaniment to the sprouts and the pistachios gave it the perfect amount of crunch.

The recipe is straight out of the new cookbook 50 Best Plants on the Planet: The Most Nutrient-Dense Fruits and Vegetables, in 150 Delicious Recipes put out by Melissa’s Produce, and reproduced below.  If you’ve ever wondered how to fix a vegetable, any vegetable, this valuable resource will tell you how.  Get this book, you’ll thank me later.  Meanwhile, eat your sprouts!

This post is linked to:

Wow Us Wednesday

Chile Burritos

Yesterday I gave you the recipe for the dessert that I tried when my son was here organizing my pantry.  Today I’m going to reveal the delicious, soul satisfyingly good entrée.  I based this on a number of recipes that I’ve seen on the web, but added a lot more spices to give it a rich, smoky, slightly spicy taste.  I served these with a side of Mexican rice, and they were very well received by everyone who tried them (including my dad who ate BOTH of the servings that I sent him all at once – he thought they were really good!).

Chile Burritos

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 to 2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1” x 1” cubes

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 19 ounce can mild (red) enchilada sauce

¼ teaspoon adobo seasoning

¼ teaspoon chipotle powder

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon chili con carne seasoning

2 teaspoons beef stock seasoning (I use L.B. Jamison)

Sally and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/2 can refried beans

5-7 burrito size flour tortillas

1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Sear meat on all sides and then place in Crockpot.  In oil that remains in the skillet, sauté onions until translucent.  Stir in garlic and sauté an additional minute.  Place onions and garlic on top of beef in Crockpot.  Top beef mixture with enchilada sauce and seasonings.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until meat is very tender. (NOTE:  At this point I put the beef in the refrigerator overnight, assembling the burritos the next morning.)

When beef is done (tender and flakes easily), taste and add more salt, if desired. Drain meat in a colander and save all juices.  Warm refried beans in microwave, and set your oven to “Broil.”   On a flat surface (I used a wooden cutting board) lay out a tortilla.  Place ½ cup of the meat mixture on a tortilla, and top with 2 tablespoons of the warm refried beans. Roll into a burrito and place seam side down in a baking pan. Continue this process until all of the meat has been used.  Pour the sauce over the burritos to cover, sprinkle with the cheese, and broil until cheese is bubbly, about 2-4 minutes.

Yield:  5-7 burritos

This post is linked to:

Wow Us Wednesday

Foodie Friday

Food on Friday

S'mores Pie

 

 When No. 1 son comes to visit and help out here at the O-P abode (he is a SUPERB pantry organizer), he knows he’s always going to get something wonderful to eat.  I’ll show you the main dish tomorrow, but today, you have to get a look at this delicious dessert.  As I’ve done in the past, I continue to sing the praises of The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook.  I have yet to try a recipe from this book that isn‘t absolutely fantastic.  If I ever want to see any member of my family, all I have to do is say the magic word, “pie” and they come running.  This pie was so yummy as to make their eyes roll back in their heads.  The meringue is extra special and unlike anything I've tasted before; it truly does taste like marshmallow. No. 2 son, between gobbled bites, wanted to know just how I managed to get marshmallow fluff to form into peaks like this.  Magic.

Serve this to your family, and you'll be crowned queen!

S'mores Pie

Ingredients: 
5 large egg yolks
6 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch, sifted
¼ tsp. fine sea salt
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 ½ tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
1 Graham Cracker Crust, prebaked

For the marshmallow topping:
6 large egg whites
½ tsp. cream of tartar
1 ½ cups sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preparation:
To make the filling: Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a heatproof bowl until thick and pale in color. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a gentle boil. Whisk about ½ cup of the hot milk into the egg yolks to temper them, so they won’t curdle, then, continuing to whisk, add the remainder of the milk in a steady stream.

Set the bowl over a medium saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water) and cook the egg-milk mixture, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy, 5 to 7 minutes. (I found that this took closer to 10 minutes.)

Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and melted chocolate until well combined. Let the filling mixture sit for 2 minutes to cool slightly, then whisk in the butter until the custard is smooth and silky. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the chocolate filling so that a skin does not form and let cool for 30 minutes, or until it reaches room temperature.

When the filling has cooled, pour it into the prepared crust. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

To make the marshmallow topping: Put the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar in a large heatproof bowl, set the bowl over a medium saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water), and whisk constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and the egg whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes. The mixture will appear pale and opaque. Rub a little of the mixture between your fingers to make sure the sugar is completely dissolved.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or leave in the same bowl if using a handheld mixture). Add the vanilla and, starting on low speed, whip the egg whites, gradually increasing the speed to high, until the marshmallow topping is glossy and forms stiff peaks, 5 to 7 minutes.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip with the marshmallow topping and pipe it over the entire surface of the pie, making sure it touches the crust all around. Then loosely pile the rest of the marshmallow topping on top and use a spatula to spread it in big, luscious swirls. (If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can do both steps using a spatula.) Toast the topping lightly with a kitchen blowtorch (if desired).

The pie is best served the same day, but it can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

This post is linked to: 

On the Menu Monday

 Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Foodie Friday

Caesar Romero

We've all had our little mishaps in the kitchen: the soufflé that falls, the cake that doesn't rise, the previously made French Onion Soup stored in the freezer that falls to the floor when we go to retrieve it, splitting its storage container in two, wherein it flies out of said container, sliding across the floor like a hockey puck, only to end its journey in front of the dog's bed, the occupant of which, delighted with her luck, enthusiastically licks the onion-flavored Popsicle.  No?  Well, it's happened to me.

My recent setback was to mistake a full two-cup container of Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding) for a similarly stored container of Ranch Dressing, only to become painfully aware of my error as I readied to toss the salad to serve to a table full of waiting guests.  Frantic, I bolted to the refrigerator and pulled out the near empty container of actual Ranch Dressing, a packet of Caesar Salad Dressing leftover from a fast food restaurant, the dregs in a bottle of low-fat Italian dressing, and a spoonful or two of Green Goddess. I dumped it all into a medium mixing bowl, whisked it together with vigor, crossed my fingers, poured it over the salad, plated it, and served.

I held my breath as my guests began to eat. Then, mortified, accepted the compliments on this "delicious dressing."

"What kind is this?" someone asked.

Drawing a blank, the only thing I could think of was the discarded packet from which I'd squeezed the Caesar dressing. "Ummm," I dumbly replied (Think, girl, think!), "It's my own creation. I call it, errr, Caesar, ummm, Caesar Romero."

Thank goodness it was a youngish crowd who wasn't familiar with the late actor, although my youngest son, who was immediately on to me mouthed, "Didn't he play The Joker in Batman?"

Busted!

To make certain this never happened again, I now keep a container of homemade Ranch Dressing seasoning in the pantry.  You might be wise to do the same.

Ranch Style Dressing Mix

8 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

5-1/2 tablespoons instant minced onion

4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Stir ingredients together and store in a cool, dry pace. To prepare, combine 2 tablespoons of the mix with 1cup buttermilk and 1cup mayonnaise. This will keep for six months.

This post is linked to: On the Menu Monday

Amaretto Carrots

When Mr. O-P and I went out to dinner last month to celebrate his birthday, he had a choice of two sides to go with his salad and steak modiga: cavatelli with broccoli or amaretto carrots.  He jumped on the pasta like he was putting out a fire. Me? I’d have been all over those carrots. In fact, after this dinner I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I happen to like carrots a great deal, love the bright, rich color they give to the plate, and, consequently, am always looking for new ways to serve them. When I spotted this recipe on Food.com I had to try it. These carrots are wonderful! They are easy to prepare, have the perfect hint of sweetness without being cloying, and the subtle almond taste gives them a rich deliciousness that will have you stopping yourself from gobbling up the contents of the entire pan.  Seriously, they are that good.

 

Amaretto Carrots

1 lb. Melissa’s sweet baby carrots

 3 T. butter

2 T. sugar

¼ c. Amaretto Liqueur

Salt and pepper (Optional)

Drop carrots into a medium-large pan of boiling water.  Cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.  Heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add carrots and sugar and heat to caramelize the sugar, about 6-8 minutes.  Add Amaretto and cook to reduce sauce to a glaze, about 5-6 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired.  (I used no additional seasoning as I thought they were perfect as they were.) 

 Serve immediately.

Capirote

A favorite local Tapas Bar serves a wonderful bread pudding topped with a decadently delicious caramel sauce the likes of which I have never tasted before.  Ever since first trying it more than three years ago I’ve been on the hunt for a recipe.  At long last, thanks to a couple of tweaks, I have finally come up with one that is equally as good if not better.  Winter is such a wonderful time for baked puddings.  Give this recipe and try and see if you don’t agree.  It would make a perfect ending to a Valentine meal.

Capirote

Warm bread pudding with caramel sauce

7 cups challah, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup melted butter
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup half and half

1 cup heavy cream
2 cups whole milk

Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup evaporated milk

To make bread pudding

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9” x 13” baking dish, and place the bread cubes into the dish, spreading to cover.  Sprinkle the raisins over the top of the cubed bread.  Drizzle the melted butter over the top of the bread/raisin mixture. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugars together until well blended.  Beat in the nutmeg, half and half, cream, and milk just to combine. Pour the egg and sugar mixture over the bread cubes and raisins and let it soak in, gently patting the bread down into the milk, until cubes are swollen with the mixture. Sprinkle the top with an additional grating of nutmeg.

Bake for 50 minutes, checking at around 40 minutes to see that it’s not beginning to over brown.  If so, tent loosely with foil.  Bake until pudding is puffed and golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

To make caramel sauce

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, and slowly stir in the brown sugar.  Bring to a full, rolling boil, and remove from the heat.  Immediately, whisk in the salt, vanilla, and evaporated milk.

Cut cooled pudding into squares, and top each with hot sauce.

This post is linked to: 

On the Menu Monday

 Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday