Pumpkin Spice Biscotti with Chocolate Chips

 

Are you all familiar with Fika, the late morning/mid afternoon coffee break that the Swedes enjoy? I have fully embraced that custom, and I think you should too. While it’s rare that I take a break in the morning, I most definitely do every afternoon; I look forward to it. I hold it hostage until I get my chores done, so that I am able to relax and enjoy it, knowing that I have truly earned it. Instead of a pastry with my coffee, I have a cookie of some sort. This gives me an excuse to make cookies, and that’s always a good thing. This afternoon I was able to have a pumpkin spice chocolate chip biscotti because I had made them this morning specifically with afternoon in mind. They are a wonderful treat this time of year, and biscotti is very easy to make.Pumpkin Spice Biscotti with Chocolate Chips

2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

½ T. pumpkin pie spice

½ t. kosher salt

1 large egg

¾ c. pumpkin puree

¼ c. packed light brown sugar

¼ c. granulated sugar

¼ c. mini chocolate chips

2 T. granulated sugar

¼ t. cinnamon

 Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk egg, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined; stir in mini chips.

Divide dough in half and place them side-by-side on the prepared baking sheet. Slightly wet your hands and pat each half to a rectangle approximately 8” x 2” wide. In a small bowl or ramekin, stir together the 2 T. sugar along with the ¼ t. cinnamon. Sprinkle tops with the cinnamon sugar.

Bake until lightly golden and firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife (I used this one, it cut through them like butter.) cut on the diagonal into ¾”-thick slices. Return to baking sheets cut side down.

Bake for 15 more minutes, flip to the other side and bake for 15 more minutes. Let cool completely.

Biscotti lasts a good long time. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

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The Chart House Clam Chowder (Copycat)

 

The first time I was in Maine, I made it my business to try absolutely every lobster dish that I could find, and that included lobster ice cream, which was actually pretty tasty. I also tried as many regional specialties as possible, and that included clam chowder that I ate up and down the eastern seaboard. This recipe is a copycat one that I had at The Chart House in Ogunquit, Maine. I did not have russet potatoes, so I used Melissa’s baby red potatoes, unpeeled, and it came out beautifully. This is a wonderful chowder, almost velvety, and quite complex in taste, due to their signature spice blend.

 It's soup season, so you might want to add this to your repertoire.

The Chart House Clam Chowder (Copycat)

 Adapted from food.com 

1 slice hickory smoked bacon, minced

1⁄2 t. butter

1 c. onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 t. seasoning (see spice blend recipe below)

1 T. flour

1 6.4-oz. can minced clams

1 c. bottled clam juice

1 1⁄2 c. half-and-half

1⁄4 t. white pepper

2 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and diced

 INGREDIENTS FOR THE CLIFF HOUSE SPICE BLEND:

4 t. oregano

4 t. dried parsley

2 t. marjoram

2 t. dill

4 t. thyme

4 t. basil

1 t. sage

4 t. rosemary

2 t. tarragon

1 T. flour 

Make The Chart House Spice Blend:

 Blend ingredients, crushing in a mortar if possible. Store in a resealable plastic bag to refrigerate.

 For the Clam Chowder:

 In a heavy-bottomed, 4-pint soup kettle, sauté bacon, butter, onion, garlic, and The Cliff House Spice Blend over low heat. Do not allow to brown.

Drain clams and set aside, reserving the juice. Slowly stir the flour and clam juices in the sauté mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Add half and half and simmer 20 minutes.

Add white pepper, potatoes and clams. Heat to serving temperature. Do not allow to boil, as this toughens the clams. Serve at once with crackers and warm cornbread.

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The Christmas Baking Cookbook, Reviewed

 

I don’t recall ever having to mop up drool before, but I certainly did while reading this amazing new book, The Christmas Baking Cookbook: ‘Tis the Season for 100+ Festive Treats from Cider Mill Press. It is absolutely GORGEOUS!

 

Some years I can be a bit of a Scrooge, but paging through this book makes that an impossibility. All I want to do is go into the kitchen and bake; there are 40 recipes for cookies alone! Often times baking books will just regurgitate recipes from the past that, while we all enjoy, we don’t need to see again. That is not the case in this book. I don’t think I have ever seen such a varied assortment of recipes, 90% of them new to me, 100% I want to get into the kitchen and bake.

  

The book is divided into six sections as follows:

Cookies
Cakes
Bread and Breakfast Treats
Pastries
Pies and Tarts
Custards and Other Decadent Confections 

Each section features a wide variety of offerings, one more mouthwatering than the other. There is a corresponding photo for nearly every recipe, and directions that are clear and concise.At the back of the book, there is a comprehensive conversion chart, as well as an index, something I used to expect in every cookbook, but that are, sadly, beginning to disappear. This index is well put together, and at least in my case, will be well used.

 

For the holiday season coming up, this could be your baking Bible. I can’t wait to dig in and get started. This would make a wonderful gift or hostess gift. You can buy a copy here.

Disclaimer: I received a complementary digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Pecan Crusted Salmon

When the late Mr. O-P and I were living in Connecticut while we were working at Yale, we had the opportunity to try a lot of different ethnic restaurants, one of which was an African restaurant, Eritrean food specifically. I have to say it didn’t wow me. The bread was like a thick placemat in both appearance and taste. I had ordered pistachio-crusted salmon that was so insipid that it didn’t even taste like salmon.  The idea of nut-crusted salmon, however, appealed to me. The other day when I was chopping pecans, I decided to chop a few more to use on top of salmon for dinner. It was a wonderfully flavorful dish.

Pecan Crusted Salmon

 ¼ c. butter, melted

3 T. Dijon mustard

1½ T. honey

¼ c. panko

1/3 c. finely chopped pecans

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

4 (4-oz.) fillets salmon

Salt, to taste

 Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

  Pat salmon dry, place on baking sheet that has been lined with a piece of parchment or foil.

 Stir together butter, mustard, and honey in a small bowl;

set aside. Mix together panko, pecans, and parsley in another bowl.

Brush each salmon fillet lightly with the honey mustard mixture.

Generously coat the tops of fillets with panko/pecan mixture.

Bake salmon in the preheated oven until it flakes easily with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with a wedge of lemon.

 * I used Mike’s hot honey

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Creamy Corn Casserole

 

The cheesy corn casserole is something Midwesterners always enjoy, particularly alongside a plate of Kansas City barbecue. It is the ultimate in creamy, cheesy, comfort food. You can serve it as easily at a picnic as you can alongside something a little more high end at dinner, like I did with Pecan Crusted Salmon.  It can be vegetarian if you leave out the bacon, which is perfectly fine. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like this; kids particularly seem to enjoy its creamy, corny goodness.

Creamy Corn Casserole

 1 T. olive oil
1 T. Melissa’s minced garlic
2 14.5-oz. can corn
4 oz. cream cheese
2 T. butter
¾ c. whole milk
¼ t. kosher salt
1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper
¼ t. smoked paprika
¼ t. Old Bay blackened seasoning
1½ c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided
¼ c. sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and warm the garlic for 30 to 45 seconds.

Stir in the corn, cream cheese, butter, and milk. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the ingredients are melted together, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in the salt, pepper, paprika, blackened seasoning, ¾ of the shredded cheddar, and half of the bacon. Pour into a 1½-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining ¾-cup cheddar and bacon. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the top is golden and the edges are bubbly.

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Creamy Minestrone

 

 This is one of those recipes that came about as the result of a mistake. I was making a pot of minestrone that I had been craving all week, and at the same time had warmed a bagel that I had recently cut in half and was ready to slather with some chive and onion cream cheese spread.  I scooped out half of the container, and ended up flipping it right into the soup. The soup was hot, the cheese immediately started melting, ​and there was nothing I could do but stir it in. It’s wonderful!

Creamy Minestrone

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic

2 bay leaves

3 Melissa’s shallots

2 carrots

2 ribs celery

1 medium zucchini

1 T. vegetable soup base

1 14.5-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 15.5-oz. can cannellini beans, drained

1 15.5-oz. can kidney beans, drained

Pinch of sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 large handfuls of curly kale

½ c. ditalini pasta

½ 7.5-8-oz. container Chive and Onion Cream Cheese

 Peel and finely chop the garlic and shallots. Put a stockpot over medium-high heat and warm olive oil.

 Add the garlic and the bay leaves, followed by the shallots.

Trim and chop the carrots and celery into rough ¼” dice, adding to the pan as you go. Chop zucchini into ½” dice; add to the pan. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly, or until softened and caramelized.

 Add the vegetable stock, tomatoes, beans, sea salt, and pepper.

Remove and finely chop any tough stalks from your greens, shred, and add to the pan and top with 4 c. of boiling water. Add the pasta, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pasta is just cooked and the soup has thickened to your liking. Remove from heat, add cream cheese, and stir until melted and incorporated.

 Season the soup to perfection and serve.

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Salisbury Steak with Porcini Mushroom Gravy

 

I collect Salisbury steak recipes in the same way that I collect meatloaf recipes. For me, there is nothing more comforting than chopped meat. It’s surprising, considering what they are, that there are so many different varieties of both. This recipe is a riff on Bobby Flay’s Salisbury steak. I ramped up the flavor by using dried porcini mushrooms instead of the button mushrooms that he had suggested. What a wonderful difference in taste. This Salisbury steak, with its porcini sauce, is woodsy, earthy, beefy, and very comforting.Salisbury Steak with Porcini Mushroom Gravy

 1 lb. ground chuck

1 egg, beaten

2 T. grated Parmesan

2 T. Italian breadcrumbs

1 t. Melissa’s minced garlic

1 t. kosher salt

1 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

½ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 .5-oz. pkg. Melissa’s dried porcini mushrooms

½ white onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 c. beef stock

1 T. tomato paste

1 t. Worcestershire

2 T. heavy cream

 Hydrate mushrooms according to package directions, drain; and set aside.

 Mix together beef, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, garlic, egg, salt, and pepper until combined. Form into 4 oval-shaped patties.

 Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet, and, once hot, add the patties.

 Cook for 5 minutes, and then flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes; remove from pan.

 Add onion and mushrooms to the skillet, and cook until the onions are tender. Add the Worcestershire, tomato paste, and beef broth. Simmer for a few minutes, and then add the heavy cream.

 Add the patties back to the skillet, and spoon the sauce over the top.

 Simmer for about 5 minutes, and then serve over pasta, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.

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