One of foods on my list of recipes to try is gnocchi. But, I haven't set aside the hours needed to make it. With boiling potatoes, mashing said potatoes, then making the dough, shaping it, freezing it, etc., that's just a lot of work for someone who doesn't have a lot of time. So, when I read about a flour-based version in the book Ratio by Michael Ruhlman, I couldn't wait to try it. I was on a plane when I read about this version or else I would have tried it that very night. (By the way, Ratio totally rocks my culinary universe!)
The concept of Ratio is that most successful cooking (be it baking, sauces, soups, etc.) happens in weighted ratios. Master the ratios and you'll never need to depend on a recipe again. It really is quite liberating. The gnocchi recipe below is my adaptation using that theory. It pairs exquisitely with cherry tomato sauce recipe I created to use up all the extra tomatoes from my home garden.
If only my math teachers had made numbers, weights, ratios and fractions about food, I would have enjoyed math a whole lot more!
Parmesan Gnocchi
6 oz liquid (water, milk, stock, etc.)
4 oz butter (1 stick)
1 tsp salt
5-6 oz flour (a little more than a cup)
4 eggs
1/2 cup Parmesan Reggiano, grated
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine (optional)
1. Combine liquid, butter and salt in sauce pan. Bring to boil. Quickly stir in flour. The flour will quickly absorb the flour and form a ball. Keep stirring over medium heat to cook off more of the liquid. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
2. While mixture is still very warm, stir in eggs, one at a time. Each egg needs to be fully incorporated before the next one is added. It will be slippery at first, but with enough stirring, each egg will mix into the dough.
3. Once the eggs have been added, stir in Parmesan, mustard and garlic.
4. Boil a large pot of lightly salted water.
5. Spoon dough into a large piping with a tip or zip-top bag. If using zip-top bag, cut small corner from one corner.
6. Pipe dough into boiling water, cutting it every inch. When the gnocchi floats, it's done. Remove to a baking sheet lined with a towel to drain. Gnocchi should be soft but hold its shape.
7. Once the gnocchi is cooked, heat olive oil and butter in saute pan. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add gnocchi and toss to coat. Allow gnocchi to brown lightly. Optional: Add white wine to deglace the pan. Serve hot with cherry tomato sauce.
Substitution Suggestions: If you don't have Parmesan, no worries. The author suggested Comte cheese, which is equally delicious. And, you can add finely chopped fresh herbs to the dough without compromising the structure. I usually use milk since it adds more flavor and body than water. Cream will also work, as will broth and stock. You could probably puree spinach, basil or squash with broth or water for the liquid as well.
This dough is pretty soft, even after the dough is poached. If you like a stiffer dumpling, increase the flour or cheese. Or, decrease the liquid. Don't increase the cheese too much or the dough will be gummy.
Lessons Learned: If this recipe looks similar to the recipe for cream puffs, you're right. It's the same recipe, except the water has been decreased by 25% and I've added savory flavors into the dough.
The ratios above are enough to feed four adults. I've successfully halved and doubled it. It really helps to have a kitchen scale since not all cups of flour are created equal. The gnocchi is delicious with the white wine added in at the end of the sauteing process. When sauteed, the gnocchi forms a light brown crust that adds interest to the texture and flavor of the dumplings. I dare you to not pop them into your mouth like potato chips. They are addicting!
The dough can be piped into long strips on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, then frozen. Once the gnocchi are frozen, they can be cut into 1-inch pieces, then stored in a freezer bag and refrozen. You can cook them straight from the freezer to the pot of boiling water. Like above, when they float, they're done. You must work quickly when cutting the frozen gnocchi. They will thaw quickly and you'll end up with a gummy mess. So, work in batches and get them back in the freezer as fast as you can.
The beauty of this recipe is that in the time it takes to boil the pot of water, you can make the dough and have it ready to go.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Pork Tacos with Grilled Corn and Peach Salsa
It's been way too hot to cook these past several weeks in northern Virginia. With temperatures hitting 100, plus the humidity on top of that, who wants to turn on an oven or stand in front of a hot grill? Not me! But, the temps dropped to the 80s this week and it was time to fire up the grill and play with some iconic summer flavors (that don't involve hot dogs or hamburgers).
What was on the menu? Pork tacos with grilled corn and peach salsa. The inspiration came from July 2010 issue of Cooking Light, but I figured if I was going to turn on the grill, I was going to go whole hog with it (no pun intended). So, I changed up the inspiration recipe. The results were packed with flavor. Not only is this meal delicious, it is also affordable ($2.49/serving) and incredibly healthy.
Pork Tacos with Grilled Corn and Peach Salsa
Juice of one lime, divided
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1-pound pork tenderloin
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 garlic clove, minced
1 ear corn, shucked
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded
1 jalapeno, halved and seeded
1 peach, diced
Zest of 1 lime
Cooking spray
Flour tortillas
Feta cheese or queso fresco or queso blanco
1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine 1 tbsp lime juice with olive oil in zip-top bag. Slice pork tenderloin into inch-thick slices and add to bag. Marinade for 10 minutes. Discard marinade. Season both sides of pork with salt, pepper, cumin and garlic.
3. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Remove from grill, cover with foil and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice pork into thin strips.
4. While pork is grilling and resting, spray corn, red pepper and jalapeno with cooking spray. Grill until each item is moderately charred. Let corn rest for 5 minutes. Remove outer skin from jalapeno. Mince jalapeno and dice red pepper. Cut kernels from corn and add to pepper mixture. Add diced peach. Add lime zest and remaining juice from lime. Toss to coat.
5. Serve pork and salsa with tortillas and preferred cheese.
Substitution Suggestions: I confess, I cheated. Instead of starting from scratch with my pork, I used a pepper and garlici-marinated pork tenderloin. And, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I washed off some of the peppery marinade before I sliced the loin and put it in the lime marinade. And, because I knew the pre-fab marinade had plenty of salt, pepper and garlic, I didn't add any extra. If you start with a blank slate, add the requisite spices. If you use a pre-marinated cut of meat (regardless of the flavor), whatever you do, omit the salt and rinse the meat before you marinade it! Pre-packaged marinates, especially in pork tenderloins, are loaded with salt.
The inspiration recipe called for nectarine, not peach. Either will work just fine. In fact, I'm sure strawberries would work well, too. The original recipe didn't call for grilling the salsa ingredients (except for the corn). As long as the grill was on, I thought, why not? It worked very well. The inspiration recipe also called for pork chops instead of tenderloin. I don't like chops -- never have -- so the loin suits me just fine.
Lessons Learned: The recipe really is straight-forward. Want more fiber? Add some shredded cabbage (like the original recipe recommended). Toss it in a little lime juice to meld the flavors. Want less fat? Swap out the flour tortillas for corn tortillas (also like the original recipe recommended). Want more texture in the salsa? Forgo grilling the red pepper and jalapeno. Don't eat pork? Use chicken or beef. It is highly adaptable.
I love the fresh taste of this meal. It epitomizes the tastes of summer without resorting to the plain ol' grilled burgers and dogs. I served it with grilled corn on the cob and smoky chipotle rice. For the rice, I prepared 1 cup of rice in a rice cooker (I added 2 cups of chicken stock instead of water for extra flavor). Then, I crumbled several strips of crispy bacon into it, added 1/2 tsp powdered chipotle (which was perhaps a tad too much), two splashes of lime juice and a 1/2 tbsp of bacon renderings. Talk about flavor!!
What was on the menu? Pork tacos with grilled corn and peach salsa. The inspiration came from July 2010 issue of Cooking Light, but I figured if I was going to turn on the grill, I was going to go whole hog with it (no pun intended). So, I changed up the inspiration recipe. The results were packed with flavor. Not only is this meal delicious, it is also affordable ($2.49/serving) and incredibly healthy.
Pork Tacos with Grilled Corn and Peach Salsa
Juice of one lime, divided
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1-pound pork tenderloin
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 garlic clove, minced
1 ear corn, shucked
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded
1 jalapeno, halved and seeded
1 peach, diced
Zest of 1 lime
Cooking spray
Flour tortillas
Feta cheese or queso fresco or queso blanco
1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine 1 tbsp lime juice with olive oil in zip-top bag. Slice pork tenderloin into inch-thick slices and add to bag. Marinade for 10 minutes. Discard marinade. Season both sides of pork with salt, pepper, cumin and garlic.
3. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side or until desired doneness. Remove from grill, cover with foil and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice pork into thin strips.
4. While pork is grilling and resting, spray corn, red pepper and jalapeno with cooking spray. Grill until each item is moderately charred. Let corn rest for 5 minutes. Remove outer skin from jalapeno. Mince jalapeno and dice red pepper. Cut kernels from corn and add to pepper mixture. Add diced peach. Add lime zest and remaining juice from lime. Toss to coat.
5. Serve pork and salsa with tortillas and preferred cheese.
Substitution Suggestions: I confess, I cheated. Instead of starting from scratch with my pork, I used a pepper and garlici-marinated pork tenderloin. And, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I washed off some of the peppery marinade before I sliced the loin and put it in the lime marinade. And, because I knew the pre-fab marinade had plenty of salt, pepper and garlic, I didn't add any extra. If you start with a blank slate, add the requisite spices. If you use a pre-marinated cut of meat (regardless of the flavor), whatever you do, omit the salt and rinse the meat before you marinade it! Pre-packaged marinates, especially in pork tenderloins, are loaded with salt.
The inspiration recipe called for nectarine, not peach. Either will work just fine. In fact, I'm sure strawberries would work well, too. The original recipe didn't call for grilling the salsa ingredients (except for the corn). As long as the grill was on, I thought, why not? It worked very well. The inspiration recipe also called for pork chops instead of tenderloin. I don't like chops -- never have -- so the loin suits me just fine.
Lessons Learned: The recipe really is straight-forward. Want more fiber? Add some shredded cabbage (like the original recipe recommended). Toss it in a little lime juice to meld the flavors. Want less fat? Swap out the flour tortillas for corn tortillas (also like the original recipe recommended). Want more texture in the salsa? Forgo grilling the red pepper and jalapeno. Don't eat pork? Use chicken or beef. It is highly adaptable.
I love the fresh taste of this meal. It epitomizes the tastes of summer without resorting to the plain ol' grilled burgers and dogs. I served it with grilled corn on the cob and smoky chipotle rice. For the rice, I prepared 1 cup of rice in a rice cooker (I added 2 cups of chicken stock instead of water for extra flavor). Then, I crumbled several strips of crispy bacon into it, added 1/2 tsp powdered chipotle (which was perhaps a tad too much), two splashes of lime juice and a 1/2 tbsp of bacon renderings. Talk about flavor!!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Harry Potter's Butter Beer Float
My family is consumed with Harry Potter. We own and have all read all the books. We own all the movies. We even have most of the books on CD. We are anxiously awaiting the final movie (part 1) later this year.
During one of our many Harry discussion, the question arose, "What is butter beer?" Rowling doesn't fully explain it aside from mentioning it multiple times, which leads me to think that it's a popular drink among Hogwarts students. I set out on an internet search to find a recipe. The recipe variations I found were quite varied and many contained alcohol, which just isn't appropriate for children (or me). Aside from that, there are two main categories of butter beer: hot and cold. I took the general idea of the cold version and created butter beer floats. Let's just say that my (almost) 10-year-old was in Harry Potter heaven. Next winter, I'll have to try hot butter beer.
Harry Potter's Butter Beer Float
1 bottle IBC creme soda
2 scoops vanilla or butterscotch ice cream
2 tbsp butterscotch ice cream topping
Whipped cream
Crushed toffee bits
1. Put ice cream in bottom of glass. Add butterscotch topping.
2. Slowly pour soda over ice cream. Wait for fizz to subside, then add more soda.
3. Top with whipped cream and toffee bits, then serve with a straw and long-handled spoon.
Substitution Suggestions: You can obviously vary the ice cream flavor. For a more buttery flavor, add a few drops of butter extract. Diet soda will also work, but if you're going to indulge, why not fully indulge?!
Lessons Learned: The soda fizzes a lot when it hits the ice cream. Either spoon it off or stir it in before adding the rest of the soda. Or, as a friend suggests, reverse the order: soda, then ice cream, though that will limit how much ice cream will fit in the glass. I used three bottles of soda to make four floats.
During one of our many Harry discussion, the question arose, "What is butter beer?" Rowling doesn't fully explain it aside from mentioning it multiple times, which leads me to think that it's a popular drink among Hogwarts students. I set out on an internet search to find a recipe. The recipe variations I found were quite varied and many contained alcohol, which just isn't appropriate for children (or me). Aside from that, there are two main categories of butter beer: hot and cold. I took the general idea of the cold version and created butter beer floats. Let's just say that my (almost) 10-year-old was in Harry Potter heaven. Next winter, I'll have to try hot butter beer.
Harry Potter's Butter Beer Float
1 bottle IBC creme soda
2 scoops vanilla or butterscotch ice cream
2 tbsp butterscotch ice cream topping
Whipped cream
Crushed toffee bits
1. Put ice cream in bottom of glass. Add butterscotch topping.
2. Slowly pour soda over ice cream. Wait for fizz to subside, then add more soda.
3. Top with whipped cream and toffee bits, then serve with a straw and long-handled spoon.
Substitution Suggestions: You can obviously vary the ice cream flavor. For a more buttery flavor, add a few drops of butter extract. Diet soda will also work, but if you're going to indulge, why not fully indulge?!
Lessons Learned: The soda fizzes a lot when it hits the ice cream. Either spoon it off or stir it in before adding the rest of the soda. Or, as a friend suggests, reverse the order: soda, then ice cream, though that will limit how much ice cream will fit in the glass. I used three bottles of soda to make four floats.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
I clipped this recipe from the May 2009 Cooking Light magazine and it sat in my dessert recipe binder with the best of intentions. Last night, I needed a quick recipe to throw together for a finger food potluck. I was out the door, with this tasty little morsels in hand (still warm), in just under an hour. I followed the recipe exactly (with one minor substitution) and received the expected results and an unexpected compliment.
This is the tag that went with the cookie recipe: "This half-oil, half-butter version yields a crisper, more delicate cookie," says Cooking Light Advisory Panelist Greg Drescher of the Culinary Institute of America.
This is the tag that went with the cookie recipe: "This half-oil, half-butter version yields a crisper, more delicate cookie," says Cooking Light Advisory Panelist Greg Drescher of the Culinary Institute of America.
Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
Cooking spray
9 oz. all-purpose flour (about 2 c.)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line bottom and sides of a 13 x 9–inch baking pan with foil; coat foil with cooking spray, and set aside.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.
4. Place butter in a medium bowl or bowl of a stand mixer; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add oil; beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean, and add seeds to butter mixture; discard bean. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Spoon dough into prepared pan. Place a sheet of heavy-duty plastic wrap over dough; press to an even thickness. Discard plastic wrap. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; cut into 32 pieces. Carefully lift foil from pan; cool squares completely on a wire rack.
Substitution Suggestions: I didn't have canola oil, so I used vegetable oil instead. I'd probably stick to canola in the future, but vegetable will work just fine. If you really want more butter flavor, add a little butter extract -- flavor without the guilt. Don't use margarine or vanilla extract! Only the real thing will do for this recipe and I love seeing the tiny vanilla bean flecks in the cookie.
Lessons Learned: Don't soften your butter too much. I think mine was a little too soft, so it took extra time to get the butter and oil to combine.
The cornstarch may throw you for a loop, but that's part of what makes this cookie dissolve in your mouth so well. You will not taste the chalky flavor of the starch, I promise!
I measured my flour on the scale, not with a cup measure, for better accuracy. I am developing a new appreciation for my kitchen scale thanks to a fabulous book recently recommended to me: Ratio by Michael Ruhlman. (The book is totally rocking my cooking world!)
Chocolate Chip Cookies
I am not a huge cookie fan. Perhaps it's because my dad made cookies on a very regular basis when I was a kid ... and they always came out hard. (I hate hard cookies ... except for Oreos.) Perhaps it's because I prefer to enjoy something more interesting and flavorful and texturally interesting when I consume empty calories. At any rate, I've never been a big cookie fan and I've never been a great cookie baker ... until a few weeks ago when the clouds parted and a cookie goddess condescended to share her secrets with me. Now, not only do I like cookies, I can make really good ones -- the beautifully puffy kind that stay soft overnight. So long to those anemic, flatter-than-Kansas cookies that I get every time I try following the recipe on the back of the Nestle chocolate chip bag.
This recipe is not for those who have a CCC craving that needs immediate satisfaction. Nope. For that, I suggest you go to the store and buy a bag of SoftBatch cookies. No, this recipe requires advance planning, but that forethought definitely pays off. The recipe is supposed to be secret, but I just can't keep a food secret this good. So, with apologies to the cookie goddess, here's the ultimate fail-proof, stay-soft-for-days (if they last that long) chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, slightly packed
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla (note, not tsp)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 to 2 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1. Whip butter until fluffy. Add each sugar slowly and mix until thoroughly creamed. Add eggs, one at a time, until each is fully incorporated. Add vanilla.
2. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Dump entire amount into creamed mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Add chocolate chips.
3. Cover mixture with plastic wrap (pressed onto dough) and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours. Remove from fridge and form dough into evenly-sized balls. Place rows of balls in a freezable container (with a sealable lid) between sheets of waxed paper and freeze for several hours or up to a month.
4. To bake, heat oven to 375. Place frozen balls on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let pan cool for 20 minutes before removing cookies to a wire rack for final cooling.
Substitution Suggestions: One word ... don't! OK, a few more words. You can add nuts, but I wouldn't mess with the ratios of this recipe in any other way. And, I wouldn't increase the chocolate content beyond 2 1/2 cups. (A regular-sized bag holds 2 cups, but I buy mine in bulk.) In this case, too much chocolate is not a good thing.
Lessons Learned: This recipe calls for more sugar and flour than the recipe on the back of the Nestle bag. It also calls for a lot more vanilla. The vanilla really sings in these cookies. It's not offensively strong, but the perfect balance with the chocolate.
I read once upon a time (I think it was in Cooks Illustrated) that eggs added one at a time incorporate into a batter or dough faster than adding them all at once. The one-at-a-time process also creates a better rise. It has something to do with the science, which I don't understand, but it does work. So, only add eggs one at a time.
By mixing the dry ingredients separately before adding them to the creamed mixture, you ensure that the baking soda and powder are thoroughly integrated. Otherwise, you could get pockets of powder or soda and who wants to taste that? Not me.
I think the biggest key to this recipe's success is that the dough is frozen before it's baked, and then its baked from its frozen state and it finishes baking on a hot, but cooling sheet once you pull it out of the oven. In short, the cookie bakes very slowly throughout the entire process. The cookies will still look somewhat raw after 10 minutes. The cookie goddess (CG) says you can leave them in the oven for 12 minutes at most, but I pulled mine out after 10. I also dialed my oven down to 350 since my oven runs 25 degrees hot. Make sure you know your oven's true temperature, not the temperature you set it to.
The CG measures each ball of dough before it's frozen. Because she sells them, she has to make sure each one is 2 ounces. I used a one-ounce scoop for mine and kept the cooking time to 10 minutes. If you make bigger balls, you may need to increase the time slightly.
I baked mine on one rack with a pizza stone underneath (to help regulate the heat). The CG bakes two rows at a time.
One final note: CG said that she's shared this recipe with others, but they can't manage to duplicate it. She may have shared it with me, expecting that I too would fail and thus leave her safely in her role as the cookie goddess. As long as I don't try to sell these cookies, I don't think she'll mind that I can now make them as well as she can. If you don't get super-soft cookies, leave me a comment and I'll troubleshoot the problem with you. And, let me know what you think of the recipe!
This recipe is not for those who have a CCC craving that needs immediate satisfaction. Nope. For that, I suggest you go to the store and buy a bag of SoftBatch cookies. No, this recipe requires advance planning, but that forethought definitely pays off. The recipe is supposed to be secret, but I just can't keep a food secret this good. So, with apologies to the cookie goddess, here's the ultimate fail-proof, stay-soft-for-days (if they last that long) chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, slightly packed
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla (note, not tsp)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 to 2 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1. Whip butter until fluffy. Add each sugar slowly and mix until thoroughly creamed. Add eggs, one at a time, until each is fully incorporated. Add vanilla.
2. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Dump entire amount into creamed mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Add chocolate chips.
3. Cover mixture with plastic wrap (pressed onto dough) and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours. Remove from fridge and form dough into evenly-sized balls. Place rows of balls in a freezable container (with a sealable lid) between sheets of waxed paper and freeze for several hours or up to a month.
4. To bake, heat oven to 375. Place frozen balls on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let pan cool for 20 minutes before removing cookies to a wire rack for final cooling.
Substitution Suggestions: One word ... don't! OK, a few more words. You can add nuts, but I wouldn't mess with the ratios of this recipe in any other way. And, I wouldn't increase the chocolate content beyond 2 1/2 cups. (A regular-sized bag holds 2 cups, but I buy mine in bulk.) In this case, too much chocolate is not a good thing.
Lessons Learned: This recipe calls for more sugar and flour than the recipe on the back of the Nestle bag. It also calls for a lot more vanilla. The vanilla really sings in these cookies. It's not offensively strong, but the perfect balance with the chocolate.
I read once upon a time (I think it was in Cooks Illustrated) that eggs added one at a time incorporate into a batter or dough faster than adding them all at once. The one-at-a-time process also creates a better rise. It has something to do with the science, which I don't understand, but it does work. So, only add eggs one at a time.
By mixing the dry ingredients separately before adding them to the creamed mixture, you ensure that the baking soda and powder are thoroughly integrated. Otherwise, you could get pockets of powder or soda and who wants to taste that? Not me.
I think the biggest key to this recipe's success is that the dough is frozen before it's baked, and then its baked from its frozen state and it finishes baking on a hot, but cooling sheet once you pull it out of the oven. In short, the cookie bakes very slowly throughout the entire process. The cookies will still look somewhat raw after 10 minutes. The cookie goddess (CG) says you can leave them in the oven for 12 minutes at most, but I pulled mine out after 10. I also dialed my oven down to 350 since my oven runs 25 degrees hot. Make sure you know your oven's true temperature, not the temperature you set it to.
The CG measures each ball of dough before it's frozen. Because she sells them, she has to make sure each one is 2 ounces. I used a one-ounce scoop for mine and kept the cooking time to 10 minutes. If you make bigger balls, you may need to increase the time slightly.
I baked mine on one rack with a pizza stone underneath (to help regulate the heat). The CG bakes two rows at a time.
One final note: CG said that she's shared this recipe with others, but they can't manage to duplicate it. She may have shared it with me, expecting that I too would fail and thus leave her safely in her role as the cookie goddess. As long as I don't try to sell these cookies, I don't think she'll mind that I can now make them as well as she can. If you don't get super-soft cookies, leave me a comment and I'll troubleshoot the problem with you. And, let me know what you think of the recipe!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Fake Donuts
I eat donuts maybe once a year. And even then, the donuts must be yeasted donuts -- no cake donuts for me, thank you very much. I figure if I'm going to inject myself with wasteful calories, I want something more interesting than rainbow sprinkles, bad icing and crumbly, dried-out cake. I found this recipe a few years ago in an issue of Real Simple and was intrigued. Could this recipe satisfy my kids' desire for donuts? I finally tried it several weeks ago. It hit the spot for all of us and I've actually had two donuts this year ... so far. The middles were perfectly doughy without being undercooked. The outsides had the perfect amount of crispness and flake (thanks to all the butter in the canned biscuits that I used). It's a two-thumbs up recipe for a last-minute dessert.
Fake Donuts
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 8-count package large refrigerated biscuits (such as Pillsbury Grands)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1. Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Place the biscuits on a cutting board. Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter or shot glass, cut a hole in the center of each biscuit, reserving the extra dough for "holes."
3. Test the heat of the oil by dipping the edge of a doughnut in the pan. When the oil is hot enough, the edge will bubble. Place 4 of the doughnuts and holes in the skillet and cook until golden brown, 1 to 1½ minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel–lined plate to drain. Add the remaining oil to the skillet, reheat, and cook the remaining doughnuts and holes.
4. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Gently toss the warm doughnuts in the mixture a few at a time. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Substitution Suggestions: Honestly, this recipe is as straight forward as they come. I've only used Pillsbury Flaky Grands and been happy with the results. If you want donut holes instead of the larger donuts, just press down on the biscuit slightly, then use your cookie cutter to cut lots of holes. The holes cook much faster than the full biscuits.
Lessons Learned: I've made this recipe twice now. The trick is to keep the oil hot enough to fry the donuts, but not so hot that the outsides burn before the insides are thoroughly cooked. (Yes, I made that mistake the first time around.) And, they do burn easily. I flipped the donuts several times each and that seemed to help.
I didn't have a cookie cutter small enough, but the plastic storage tube that came with my Pampered Chef grapefruit slicer is the perfect size for punching out the center hole.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Bacon and Blue Dip
I love dips. That's the best part about eating chips and crackers. And maybe veggies, too. I recently attended two finger food potlucks. The question always is: What should I take? I want to take something I haven't done before because that's part of the joy of cooking ... trying something new. I love bacon. I love blue cheese. So, I figured this recipe that I clipped from Southern Living magazine had to be good. It was really similar to my stuffed pork chop recipe, so I went with it. One word: YUM! OK, a few more words. I love the smoothness of the cream and blue cheeses melted together. And, the crunch of the toasted nuts is a very nice juxtaposition to that creaminess. And, what's not to love about bacon? Add some sweet apples as the dippers and you approach sweet-savory perfection. I mixed the recipe up a little for a quicker prep. This is what I did.
Hot Bacon and Blue Dip
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup half-and-half
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1 1/2 jars real bacon bits
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp chopped green onions
3 tbsp chopped pecans, toasted
Apples, crackers and flatbread
1. Beat the cream cheese and half-and-half with mixer until smooth. Add bacon, onions and liquid smoke. Mix until combined.
2. Heat olive oil in small skillet. Add garlic and saute. Add to bacon and cheese mixture.
3. Spoon into 4 (1-cup) baking dishes (ramekins work really well) or into 1 quart casserole dish.
4. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Sprinkle evening with chopped pecans. Serve with apples wedges, crackers or flatbread.
Substitution Suggestions: The original recipe called for walnuts and chives instead of pecans and green onions. I like my version better, but the other will obviously work.
The original also called for real bacon. If you have the time for that, here is the alternate cooking direction. For this, omit the olive oil and use the bacon renderings instead. It requires seven pieces of bacon (though knowing me, I'd double it!).
Hot Bacon and Blue Dip
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup half-and-half
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1 1/2 jars real bacon bits
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp chopped green onions
3 tbsp chopped pecans, toasted
Apples, crackers and flatbread
1. Beat the cream cheese and half-and-half with mixer until smooth. Add bacon, onions and liquid smoke. Mix until combined.
2. Heat olive oil in small skillet. Add garlic and saute. Add to bacon and cheese mixture.
3. Spoon into 4 (1-cup) baking dishes (ramekins work really well) or into 1 quart casserole dish.
4. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Sprinkle evening with chopped pecans. Serve with apples wedges, crackers or flatbread.
Substitution Suggestions: The original recipe called for walnuts and chives instead of pecans and green onions. I like my version better, but the other will obviously work.
The original also called for real bacon. If you have the time for that, here is the alternate cooking direction. For this, omit the olive oil and use the bacon renderings instead. It requires seven pieces of bacon (though knowing me, I'd double it!).
Cook chopped bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat 10 minutes or until crisp. Drain bacon, and set aside. Add minced garlic to skillet, and sauté 1 minute.
Lessons Learned: This dip is definitely best served hot (or warm) and it does reheat well if you remove the nuts (which went a little soggy in the fridge). You could probably also use this as the stuffing for the aforementioned pork chop recipe, but I'd add chopped apples to the mix before stuffing the meat. I really liked the sweetness of the Fuji apples with the saltiness of the dip. I received compliments on this dip both times I served it, so it earns a place in my permanent cooking annals.
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