berger cookies

 Makes 24 cookies ( I say double the cookie recipe and leave the frosting as is. This makes a ton of the frosting) I freeze mine, if I do not have time to make them all!
 
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

or the cookies:
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup milk

For the icing:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line 2 baking sheets ( like to make cookies on stones...perfect edges and evenly baked to perfection! with parchment paper of Silpat mats and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, salt, vanilla, and baking powder. Add in sugar, then egg and blend to incorporate. With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour and milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just blended.

Drop teaspoon sized drops of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Using the bottom of a greased glass, flatten each cookie to about 1 1/2 inches.


Bake for 10-11 minutes until the bottom of the cookies are just beginning to brown. Be sure not to overbake the cookies, they should be soft and cake-like. Cool cookies on pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

While the cookies are cooling, make the icing. Place chocolate chips, corn syrup, vanilla and cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until chocolate begins to melt. Stir mixture until smooth. Add in confectioners' sugar and stir until blended completely. Allow icing to cool to room temperature.
Dip the bottom of the cooled cookies into the icing and place icing side up on baking sheets. After all cookies have been dipped, dollop remaining icing on top of iced cookies (you want LOTS of icing!) and evenly spread using a small knife. Allow icing to set. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Note: Icing will set completely in about 6 hours, but you can of course eat them before it has set. Just don't store them until the icing is hardened.

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cream puff cake

1 stick margarine
1 c water
1 c flour
4 eggs
1 box instant vanilla or white chocolate pudding (large box)
3 cups milk
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese softened
1 8 oz carton cool whip
chocolate syrup

Boil together the margarine and water.

Add flour and mix well. Cool slightly and stir in eggs, one at a time. Mix well and spread into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Cool completely.

In a large bowl, mix pudding, milk and cream cheese. Beat until lumps disappear. Pour into cream puff crust.

Spread cool whip on top of pudding and drizzle syrup on top. Refrigerate.

This keeps well for days.

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plum torte

1/4 pound unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup plus 1 or 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
Pinch salt
24 halves pitted Italian (prune or purple) plums
1 teaspoon cinnamon or more, to taste

1. Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and the 3/4 cup of sugar. Add the flour, baking powder, eggs, and salt and beat to mix well. Spoon the batter into an ungreased 9- or 10-inch springform pan. Cover the top with the plums, skin sides down. Mix the cinnamon with the remaining 1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar and sprinkle over the top.
3. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired.
4. To serve, let the torte return to room temperature and reheat at 300 degrees until warm, if desired. Serve plain or with vanilla ice cream.

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smoked salmon risotto with lemon and mascarpone

  

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups smoked salmon, divided
1/2 cup mascarpone
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
handful arugula (baby greens are best)
lemon juice
ground pepper

Reserving some large pieces of salmon to garnish, roughly chop the remaining smoked salmon and set aside.

In a large pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil and onion. Sauté for five minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the rice and garlic to the pot and cook for two more minutes, stirring continuously. Add the white wine and a cup of the stock to the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring frequently until the most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add another cup of the stock and continue to cook, stirring constantly until it too has absorbed. Repeat, until you've used all the stock and the rice is tender and creamy.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the mascarpone and stir until melted. Add the chopped salmon, parsley and lemon zest and mix. Season with fresh ground pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Plate the risotto with a some fresh arugula and the pieces of reserved salmon.

enjoy.

coconut bread and salted honey brown butter spread

 

(New York Times Recipe)

2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar
5 ounces sweetened flaked coconut (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted or melted and browned, if desired

Vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray for baking pan
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add sugar and coconut, and stir to mix. Make a well in the center, and pour in egg mixture, then stir wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Add butter, and stir until just smooth — be careful not to overmix.

Butter and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or coat it with a nonstick spray. This loaf, once baked, entirely filled and towered above my 9x5x3 (8-cup) loaf pan, so if yours is smaller, you might want to pour off a little batter into greased muffin tins. Spread batter in pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, anywhere from 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool in pan five minutes, before turning out onto a cooling rack.
Serve in thick slices, toasted, with butter and confectioners’ sugar or salted honey brown butter spread.

Salted honey brown butter spread

1 stick unsalted butter, divided
1 to 2 tablespoons honey (use less for lightly sweet, more for a more traditional honey butter)
Few pinches flaky sea salt

In a small saucepan, melt half your butter over medium heat. Once melted, reduce heat to medium-low. The butter will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. While it is cooling, leave the other half of the butter out to soften slightly (semi-firm is fine).
Whip softened butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly drizzle in the room temperature browned butter, honey and salt continue whipping until combined. Chill butter in fridge until a nice spreadable consistency, or until needed.

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Moroccan Spice Chick Peas and Spinach

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small red chili, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons Moroccan Spice (see below)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 cups spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
juice of half a lemon
handful of coriander leaves to garnish

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic and chili for about 5 minutes until soft. Add Moroccan spice. Mix well.

Add tomato paste. Cook for a minute. Add the spinach and chickpeas. Cook, stirring occasionally until spinach has wilted (about 3 to 4 minutes). Remove from heat.

Stir in the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with coriander. Serve hot with Turkish bread and a dollop of yoghurt.

Moroccan Spice (Makes approximately 10 tablespoons)

5 tablespoons ground cumin
5 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

Combine all ingredients in a dry bowl. Mix well. Store in air tight container with your spices for a month or two. 

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lemon yogurt cake

1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 pinch kosher salt
1 cup goat milk yogurt
1⅓ cups white sugar, divided use
3 large eggs
zest of 2 Meyer lemons
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup canola oil
⅓ cup Meyer lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. In another bowl, mix together the yogurt, 1 cup of the sugar, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla.
5. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir in the canola oil and mix well.
6. Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
7. Allow hot cake to rest for 10 minutes before turning onto a baking rack.
8. In a small saucepan, heat the remaining ⅓ cup sugar with the lemon juice, just until sugar dissolves.
9. Place the rack with the cake over a large plate and drizzle glaze over cake until it is absorbed.

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Ina Garten shortbread hearts

3/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt; then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and roll shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3-inch heart-shaped cutter. Place the hearts on an ungreased sheet pan and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

 Glacé Icing
1lb powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 C)
6T milk or water
6T light Corn Syrup (6T is equal to 1/4 C plus another 2 T)
1 t extract (I use almond because I use almond in my sugar cookies)
With a whisk, combine sugar and milk until smooth (no lumps!) Then stir in corn syrup and extract.
You will use this same recipe for both glazing and piping. Thickened, you can pipe outlines, and as you thin it, you can use it for “flooding” cookies.  Make sure to let them dry overnight to fully harden for stacking.

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Quinoa Salad with Oranges, Avocado, and Almonds

For the Dressing:
1 tablespoon lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 tablespoon orange juice (about the amount left over in the remaining orange after cutting out segments)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the Salad:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
4 oz spring mix or other lettuce greens
2 medium oranges, cut into segments (or use grapefruit slices)
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (soak in cold water 10 minutes)
1/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped

Bring 1-3/4 cups lightly salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the quinoa and reduce heat to low; cover and cook until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. (You can also use leftover quinoa.  If so, then obviously skip this step.)
Whisk together the lime juice, orange juice, and mustard. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in oil. Season generously to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss quinoa with about 1/3 of the dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide amongst serving plates or place on a large serving platter. Toss greens, orange segments, avocado, and onions in a large bowl with just enough dressing to coat. Again, season to taste with salt and pepper. Top quinoa with dressed greens and sprinkle with almonds.

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Broccolini with Browned Butter and Balsamic

6 tablespoons salted butter
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 bunches broccolini, ends trimmed
2 tablespoons kosher salt (for boiling water)

Have a clean dish cloth laid out for the veg.
Brown the butter in a small, light-colored pan or skillet over medium-high heat.  Browning butter will first melt, then foam and sizzle, then bubble quietly, before the milk solids turn color.  When the butter is amber and smells nutty and fantastic (about 5 minutes), it is done.  Stir in the balsamic and cook over medium for 30 seconds.  Remove from the heat.
Bring a large pot (i.e., pasta-size) to a rolling boil.  Add the 2 tablespoons of salt, then the broccolini.  Boil 2-5 minutes, until stems are just-tender when pierced with a knife.  I'll often fish out the thinner stems with my tongs after 2-3 minutes, then fetch the bigger ones, as they finish.  Do not overcook. Lay broccolini on a serving plate, pour balsamic-brown butter over all, and eat immediately.

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