Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

Recognize that place mat and napkin? Yes, this photo and the roasted tomato soup were taken on the same day — I admit! And here’s another secret: there’s nothing in that mug! It’s all for photography’s sake. Now that you have the inside info, here’s the open-secret: you can never have too many chocolate chip cookie recipes. You just can’t. I used to believe, ‘I have one recipe, I’m set.’ Don’t get me wrong, that can be true and I have one recipe I like to use pumpkin bread or any other food, but why by opposed to trying new and different ones?

Ingredients
Source: Smitten Kitchen
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
8 T. unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup macadamia nuts toasted and chopped

Directions
Preheat to 300 and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
1. Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.
2. Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.
3. Scoop the cookie dough onto baking sheets.
4. Bake for 18 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool.

Voila!

Roasted Tomato Soup

“Baby, it’s cold outside…” but it’s the perfect temperature for a tomato soup and grilled cheese. I realize that the song is actually about a girl needing to go home so her parents don’t worry and the neighbors don’t raise an eyebrow, and the guy is trying to get her to stay, but I promise it’s still appropriate here because if you make this soup for your sweetheart, they’ll stay as long as you want. I also realize that was a super run-on sentence, apologies. And just to clear up any confusion: yes, those little white spots in the photo are intentional — it’s a cream drizzle!

Ingredients
Source: Adapted from Epicurious
3 1/4 lb. plum tomatoes, sliced in thirds
3 T. olive oil, plus more for sauteeing
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
6-8 cloves garlic, left unpeeled
1 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. pepper, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 T. unsalted butter
4 cups chicken or vegetable low-sodium broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of all-spice

Directions
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350
1. Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, in 1 layer on a large sheet and add garlic to pan. Drizzle tomatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes and garlic 1 hour, then cool in pan on a rack. Peel garlic.
2. In a large soup pot, cook onion, oregano, and sugar in butter over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, and broth and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.
3. Puree soup in 1/2 cup-1 cup batches in a food processor (use caution when blending hot liquids).Pour pureed soup into separate large bowl until you’re done. Return soup back to pot. Stir in cream and 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, all-spice, cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes to taste, simmer 2 minutes and serve.

Voila!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

A one-bowl cupcake recipe that delivers on the promise of being very chocolatey and really good. James called them “a sugar seizure,” but I think it’s because the frosting had one-cup-too-much of sugar (the recipe below reflects the change). I made these for Halloween hence the green frosting in the background. I also attempted to tap into my inner Martha Stewart by trying to add marshmallows and chocolate chips to create goblin faces on the cupcakes. Let’s just say it looked like a two year old’s art project. Anyway, don’t let the easy nature of the recipe fool you — it’s no Halloween trick — these are seriously good.

Ingredients
Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart, Food Network
cupcakes
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 T. canola or safflower oil
1 tsp. vanilla

frosting
2 sticks butter, softened
4-5 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla

Directions
cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with paper liners or grease; set aside.
1. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
2. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely before adding icing.

frosting
1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Gradually add the remaining one cup of sugar, until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency.

Voila!

Apple Spice Bars

We’ve moved on from our apple hiatus and came back swingin’! These apple spice bars have a super moist inside and a delightful crunchy topping — probably helped by the generous addition of a cinnamon sugar topping. Note this: even after 40 minutes of cooking, they may taste a little undercooked but I’ve decided that they’re not — it’s just all the moisture from all those apples! At least, that’s how I justify it to myself. Even in the directions, the bars are supposed to be soft. Ok, I’m done explaining, go try these.

Ingredients
Source: Dinner and Dessert
2 cup plus 2 T. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
small pinch ground cloves
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 T. vanilla extract
2 apples, peeled, cored and diced
cinnamon sugar for sprinkling (combo of 1-2 tablespoons of sugar and 1-2 tsp. of cinnamon, play it by ear)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 and line 9×13 (or 10 inch ceramic tart pan) with foil and baking spray.
1. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Whisk to combine well and set aside.
2. In larger bowl, combine sugars and butter and mix with electric mixer on medium high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to combine.
4. Add vanilla extract and beat to combine.
5. Add flour mixture a little at a time, mixer on low, until just combined. Fold in apples.
6. Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan and sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar.
7. Place in oven and bake until cooked through, when top slightly bounces back to the touch, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from pan, cutting and serving (bars will be very soft).

Voila!

Pop Tarts

Believe it. You can make homemade pop tarts. No more Kellogg’s. Not even Nature’s Path. You can now have your very own pop tarts come right out of the oven (or reheat them in a toaster). Imagine thinly rolled pie dough filled with your favorite filling, accompanied by a cup of morning tea. Well, stop imagining and get rollin’! It’s a bit time consuming but completely worth the effort. You’ll be greatly rewarded in the end!

(please excuse the iPhone photo. raspberry filled on the left, cinnamon and brown sugar with maple glaze on the right.)

Ingredients
Source: Adapted from: King Arthur Flour and The Recipe Girl

pastry
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 large egg
2 T. milk

cinnamon sugar filling
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, to taste
4 tsp. flour
1 large egg, to brush on pastry before filling

maple glaze
1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 T. maple syrup
(for regular vanilla glaze, leave out maple and add 2 T. milk, 1/2 tsp of vanilla, then more to taste)

fruit filling
3/4 cup raspberry jam
1 T. cornstarch
1 T. cold water

Directions
pastry
1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Pour into food processor, add butter and pulse until the mixture holds together when you squeeze it, with pecan-sized lumps of butter still visible. Pour mixture back into bowl.
2. Mix the egg and milk, and add it to the dough, combining just until everything is cohesive.
3. Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a rough 3″ x 5″ rectangle, smoothing the edges. Refrigerate a couple hours, overnight or up to 2 days.

filling
1. for the cinnamon sugar: Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a small bowl, set aside.
2. For the fruit: Mix water and cornstarch in small bowl. Add fruit preserves. Bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool.

final assembly
1. If the dough has been chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to soften and become workable, about 15 to 30 minutes. Place one piece on a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8″ thick, large enough that you can trim it to an even 9x 12. Laying a 9 x 13 pan or small baking sheet atop the dough will give you an idea if you’ve rolled it large enough.
2. Gently slice sheet of dough into thirds lengthwise and widthwise; you’ll see nine little rectangles.
3. Beat the egg, and brush it over the entire surface of the dough. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of every other rectangle. Place the second sheet of dough atop the first, using a fork to press firmly around the edge of the rectangle, sealing the dough well on all sides.
4. Gently place the tarts on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Prick the top of each tart multiple times with a fork; you want to make sure steam can escape, or the tarts will become billowy pillows rather than flat toaster pastries. Refrigerate the tarts (they don’t need to be covered) for 30 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 350.
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 for second half of dough.
6. Remove the tarts from fridge, and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool on the pan.
7. While pop tarts are cooking and cooling, make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and maple syrup in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over pop tarts when completely cool.

Voila!

Thanksgiving Planning

Thanksgiving 2009
Where: Emily and James’ apartment. Fit 9-10 people and eat until we’re all in food comas.
When: One month and three days from now.
What: Start planning!

Since timing is everything on Thanksgiving, preparation starts now! I bought a new table runner, placemats and two food magazines to begin brainstorming my menu. Besides the overall theme of being thankful, happy and content, I also want to include an overall food theme: buy most of the ingredients from local farms. The turkey, potatoes, fruit and wine will all come from local farms or wineries (Debbie and my mom are graciously making the stuffing, hot veggies, rolls and appetizers).

I plan on getting the turkey from a grocer called ‘My Organic Market’, or ‘M.O.M’ for short. There are several in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area (they start taking turkey reservations November 2) and provide organic, local produce and products. I’m still debating whether to get the potatoes from a farmer’s market, or check out what the MOM has to offer. As for wines, we’ll make a day trip to a few vineyards in Virginia.

So for all you planners and Thanksgiving-Day-hosts here’s what I would suggest in the coming weeks:

• start planning your menu. If you’re having guests and would like them to bring something, contact them soon and plan who’s cooking what.
• call your market (local or not) and see when they start taking reservations for turkeys.
• if you’re using various stores to get ingredients, plan out what stores you need to go to and when.
• pull together your tablecloths, decorations, plates, glassware and serving platters. Make sure you have what you need.

More Thanksgiving Day posts to come, until then, happy planning! Feel free to email me with any questions.

And one more thing…HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMES!!

Chicago Pizza

Have you ever eaten the famous, deep dish, impossibly cheesy Chicago-style pizza? James and I just returned from a weekend in the Windy City and could not leave without a taste of their claim to fame. The three most well-known pizzeria’s in the city — Gino’s East, Lou Malnati’s and Giordano’s — all serve up the specialty. We choose Giordano’s along Magnificent Mile. We ordered a 10-inch, six slice, half-veggie-half-ground-beef-and-garlic, pizza. As you can see below, it has an amazing amount of cheese. The pizza takes 35 minutes to cook and is layered, from the bottom: crust, cheese, toppings, cheese, cheese, marinara sauce. James’ post-dinner tweet says it all: “Ate pizza at Giordano’s. Be still my heart! No seriously, my heart just stopped.”

pizza at giorgano's

Butternut Squash Bread Pudding

Until this week I was unaware that bread pudding could be anything but a warm, amazing dessert that includes some variation of bananas, apples, currants, caramel and white or dark chocolate. But now there’s new territory to explore. As our first exploration into bread pudding possibilities, we found scrumptious results that eliminated any skepticism or worry about a breadular mismatch at the dinner table.

butternut squash bread pudding

Ingredients
Source: Adapted from Simply in Season
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch squares
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 cups milk
1 cup parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
8 cups day-old rosemary or french bread, chopped into 1-inch cubes

Directions
Preheat oven to 400
1. Arrange squash in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Bake in oven for about 12 minutes until tender. Remove and turn oven down to 350.
2. While squash is in the oven, heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat, sautee onions until soft then add garlic for another minute or so. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Whisk together eggs, egg whites, milk, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir in squash, onion and garlic mixture.
4. Add bread to bowl and stir gently to combine so bread is coated. Let soak for 10 minutes. Spoon bread mixture into 8×8 glass, or 9 inch round, baking dish.
5. Sprinkle 1/2 cup parmesan on top and bake for about 45 minutes, until custard is set and top is browned.

Voila!