Cookies, and Ice Cream, and Toffee, Oh My!

Are you looking for a fun, cool summer dessert? Try these Toffee Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. This is truly a case where the whole is yummier than the sum of its parts. The cookies are delish as is the ice cream, but together they are fabulous. The ones in the photo are a bit wonky - it's not easy to photograph ice cream in July, but you can work a bit harder to make yours more symmetrical and they'll be picture-perfect!

Toffee Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches


The Cookies

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup finely chopped chocolate (bitter or semi-sweet)

Preheat oven to 350.

In small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

In large bowl, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, mix well. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the oats and chocolate. Drop by tablespoon-size balls onto ungreased baking sheet, leaving 3 inches between cookies. (You'll have approximately 24.) Bake 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool completely.

The Ice Cream

Soften one pint of vanilla ice cream (homemade, if you're feeling ambitious!) until it can be stirred. Make sure it does not entirely melt. Add one cup crushed toffee bits (found in the chocolate chip section).

The Sandwiches

Scoop a bit onto a cooled cookie, top with another cookie; repeat. Freeze until the ice cream is solid. Store in an airtight container.

Leah's notes: I used self-rising flour in place of the flour/salt/baking soda and the cookies were perfect. I used semi-sweet chocolate chunks and roughly chopped them. Next time I will reduce the amount of toffee bits - maybe 3/4 cup to one pint ice cream. The ice cream was very soft with a full cup of toffee and consequently melts very quickly once it's removed from the freezer.

Bon appetit!

Recipe credit: A friend cut this recipe from a local paper - I believe the article was a cookbook review, but the clipping I have doesn't name the book or author. If you know the source, please pass it on. There are probably other recipes I need in this cookbook . . .

This Potato Salad: Sweet!

Nothing says picnic like a big bowl of potato salad and here's a salad that's perfect for picnicking - it's even best served at room temperature! It's a Sweet Potato and Black Bean salad that's based on this recipe from the fabulous Mark Bittman. Although it does have an autumnal feel, we like it in summer, too.

Here's my version for summer. Chop 4 medium sweet potatoes and one large purple onion in 1-inch chunks. Toss with EVOO, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper (~2 T. EVOO). And remember Julia's advice: don't crowd the pan!

Roast at 400 for 30-40 minutes. Let potatoes and onions cool on the pan. Prepare the dressing: EVOO, lime juice, one clove minced garlic, several dashes of hot sauce or cayenne pepper or chopped chili/pepper. (Use your own judgment for amounts - roughly the juice of two limes and twice that much oil. Refer to the original recipe for detailed instructions on the dressing.)

Toss roasted vegetables with 2 cups cooked black beans (or 1 can rinsed/drained black beans) and other vegetables of your choice. I always use red and/or yellow pepper and sometimes fresh corn (cooked, of course). Toss with dressing and lots of chopped cilantro. Season as needed.

This is an easy salad that is perfect with Tex-Mex meals or grilled chicken - or as a meal by itself. And it's perfect if you have a surplus of cilantro . . .

Enjoy!

Pass the Salad, Comrade

Look what's in our fridge this weekend! It's a truly nostalgic food - one that Jane and Michael Stern call "preeminently modern" in their classic cookbook of bygone foods, Square Meals. It's jiggly, almost foolproof, and comes in fabulous colors that are not-found-in-nature. Have you guessed? It's Jell-O! Actually it's not plain Jell-O . . . it's a congealed salad. Yes, that staple of '60s suburbia. This particular salad was prepared by my mom for years and I still love it - and I think you will, too.

I'm adding this to my list of foods that are really tricky to photograph; Jell-O has nudged soup from the top of the list! But, you can get an idea of how colorful this salad is - and also don't miss my grandmother's Fire King bowl - what better dish for a congealed salad?

The really funny thing about this salad is its name: Russian Salad. Of course, calling this a salad is a stretch - it's not a salad in the fresh, crispy, lightly prepared sense. But, it is a salad in the 'wouldn't be perfect as a main course' sense. Actually, we like it as a cool, summer dessert. And why is it called Russian Salad? Who knows? The Cold War apparently held a fascination with cooks - just look at the recipes from the '50s and '60s that have nothing to do with real Russian food: Russian Dressing, Russian Tea (of course this is made with space-age Tang!), and this salad.

If you'd to try this sweet, fruity, retro salad - here's the recipe:

Russian Salad

1 small pkg. lime Jell-O
3/4 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (3 oz. ) cream cheese
14 marshmallows, cut into small pieces
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, with juice
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup mayonnaise (light mayo is fine)
3/4 to 1 cup diced bananas
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

Combine Jell-O, boiling water, cream cheese, and marshmallows over low heat and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and cool. In a small bowl, toss bananas with lemon juice, set aside. Add pineapple, milk, and mayonnaise to Jell-O mixture, mix well. Fold in bananas and nuts. Chill.

Enjoy!

Brown-Edged Wafers: Yum!

Would you prefer a cookie that's: 1) foolproof, 2) easy to make, 3) a cookie classic, 4) so delicious everyone wants the recipe, or 5) A and C? No need to fret over the answer because Brown-Edged Wafers are all of the above! This simple, buttery cookie is certain to become a favorite. The cookies are crunchy and pretty - perfect to accompany fresh fruit or ice cream (or both . . . so many possibilities). Feel free to ignore the holey texture of my batch; I was interrupted while creaming the butter and sugar and resumed the process an hour later - usually they texture is finer . . . really.

You might remember the store-bought version (from Nabisco, I think). These are so much better. Plus, a friend told me those were actually called 'Brown Edge Cookies' so perhaps the people at Nabisco were embarrassed at their grammar mistake and decided to halt production (although the folks at Reynolds don't seem to notice their mistake with 'Wax Paper' - I mean if the paper was made of wax as the name implies it wouldn't work very well . . . but, enough about my pet grammar peeves).

Here's the recipe:

Brown-Edged Wafers

Heat oven to 350.

1 cup salted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 egg whites (unbeaten)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Cream butter. Add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add egg whites, one at a time, blending well. Stir in flour. Stir in vanilla, if using.

Drop by teaspoon (I use a small scoop - it's easy and precise) on ungreased cookie sheet, at least two inches apart. Bake until edges are brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool one minute on sheet then remove to cooling rack (don't cool completely on baking sheet as they will crumble).

Yield: 2 dozen unless you eat lots of batter!

I hope you'll try these this weekend - I'm off to make a pot of tea and have one now!

Peter Piper Picked a Pile of Pitas . . . freshly baked, of course!

Do you like pita bread? I'm guessing you said yes, because who doesn't like it? The next question is a bit trickier . . . have you ever baked pita bread? No? It's so easy . . . since first trying this recipe last week, I've baked it twice. Yum!

I saw this recipe several months ago at The Fresh Loaf and am glad I finally baked it. It's the easiest yeast bread I've ever made and a great recipe to try if you are new to baking. And if you have kids I think they will like this because you put the dough in the oven as flat circles and in five minutes it's puffed into the two-sided pita we know and love. To be honest, I rather like watching this myself . . .

You can get the full recipe here at The Fresh Loaf, plus there are step-by-step photos and lots of good info. (FYI - I used half wheat flour and half regular and loved the results!) While taking pictures of my pitas in the bread basket, I was reminded of the Operation game - remember the bread basket? It turns out this game is still pretty popular and has its own Wikipedia page.

I learned quite a few things about Operation today - first, the original 1965 version featured a smoking doctor on the box. This is now prized by collectors. Look at the doctor - isn't he scary?

Second, Operation-themed costumes are pretty popular - that's something to keep in mind next October. Finally, there are websites that show you how to turn the Operation board into other games. I'm not including links to those because if you're that kind of Mr. Fix-it person you'll know where to find these instructions . . . and if you're not, I don't want to be responsible for injuries when you re-wire the board. (It's not fun when your nose lights up!)

Hope you have a great weekend - with or without pita in your bread basket.

Fresh Ginger Cake - Episode Two

At the end of yesterday's episode, our heroine was confronted with a smoky disaster as the Ginger Cake spilled onto the oven coils and began to burn! If only The Professor was at hand - he'd know the best solution. Feeling less cheery than Mary Ann, and certainly less glamorous than Ginger, (in fact, actually feeling like the bumbling Gilligan), our baker bravely opened the oven door, used a fish spatula to lift the cake pan and slid a cookie sheet underneath. Then using the fish spatula, with its long made-for-the-grill handle, she pushed the batter off the coils and scooped up as much as she could. Hooray! The smoking ceased and, although the batter continued to overflow, the cake cooked and was really quite yummy.

Another happy ending!

So, that's what happened to me this weekend when I made this fabulous Fresh Ginger Cake. A friend gave me this recipe several years ago and she doubles it and bakes it in a tube pan. The first time I made this, I used two 9" pans and the cakes were good, but a bit flat. Since then I've made it twice and tried different pans and this time thought I'd try one 9" pan - the batter only filled the pan half-way so I thought it would be perfect. Boy was I wrong! Anyway, the cake was still delish - very moist and slightly chewy - a perfect combination of cake and gingerbread.

If you'd like to try it, here's the recipe. You're on your own deciding what size pan . . .

Fresh Ginger Cake

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour (if using all-purpose, add 1 t. baking powder and 1/4 t. salt)

• 1 large egg, room temperature & lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup light molasses
• 1/4 cup dark corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 ounces (one stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (no need to thaw before grating if frozen)

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease and flour baking pan(s)

Stir together molasses, corn syrup, and water in small bowl. Set aside. Cream butter on medium speed until fluffy. Add sugar and cream for 2-3 minutes until mixture is lighter in color and fluffy. Add the egg and cream another 1-2 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer (if using stand mixer).

Scrape down sides and stir in ginger and lemon zest. With spatula, add 1/4 flour and stir to mix. Then add 1/3 molasses mixture and stir to mix. Repeat, alternating dry and liquid ingredients. Pour into pans and bake for 35 - 37 minutes or until sides begin to contract. (If using a 9" pan, allow ten extra minutes for smoke to clear and emergency oven scraping!)

Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely.

Garnish with powdered sugar. Optionally you can serve with candied ginger and whipped cream (1 cup heavy cream, 3 T. powdered sugar, 1 t. ground ginger). Yum!!

And remember, don't eat too much or you won't be ready for your early summer swimsuit photos.

Thanks for sharing my cooking adventures. What's going on in your kitchen this week?

Inglis Fletcher, Meet the Country Captain

Have you dined with the Country Captain? Or read one of Inglis Fletcher's novels? Both are a bit dated - having reached their popularity peak in the '50s. One, however, is making a comeback . . . and I think you'll be glad.

Country Captain is a chicken curry dish from the 1880s that is mostly associated with the coastal Carolinas and Georgia. It became famous after FDR and George S. Patton dined on it in Warm Springs, Georgia in the 1940s. For me, it has a connection with the author Inglis Fletcher because it's listed as her specialty for 'Sunday Supper Parties' in two local cookbooks.

You probably aren't familiar with Inglis Fletcher. She's widely known in North Carolina because she wrote a series of historical novels set in our state covering the years 1585 to 1789. She and her husband bought an 1804 plantation house outside Edenton, NC in the '40s and she was instrumental in many early preservation efforts in the state - from Tryon Palace to Bath to Edenton (where several outbuilding from her home now stand). Her 'Carolina Series' books, published from the mid-40s to 1964, were meticulously researched and are interesting reads - if you're a history or NC buff. Otherwise, they're typical for the era and as a result are not widely read or even known.

The Fletchers welcoming you to Sunday Supper!

In local antique shops, her books are pricey, but over the years I've found many of them in hardback on eBay. I even have a few signed first editions (yes, there were many editions in several languages as she was quite the thing in her day!) which were under $10 - isn't that the beauty of eBay?

So this brings up to the second part of this story - the yummy Country Captain. Everyone from the Lee Brothers to the New York Times have featured recipes for this in recent years. I'm not sure why it's in the spotlight again - maybe just because it's so delish! Fletcher's recipes involved cutting up whole chickens and many modern recipes have unnecessary ingredients (like bacon - which I love, but it's really not needed here). I've come up with a simple and very yummy version that I think you'll like. This is like a vegetable soup, you can't really go wrong so my directions are not as precise as many recipes.

Country Captain

Preheat oven to 350

Ingredients
2-3 pounds chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
all-purpose flour for coating - seasoned w/ salt & pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 to 3 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 24 oz. can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons currants or golden raisins
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds (350 for 3-5 minutes)

Preparation

Cut chicken into 2-3" pieces. Heat olive oil (EVOO) in large skillet over med-high heat (1 T. is probably enough to start). Lightly coat chicken pieces with flour, shaking off excess. Brown in EVOO on both sides - you may need to do this in batches, adding more oil and reducing heat as necessary. Remove chicken and place in baking dish.

Add onion, pepper, garlic and spices to skillet. Saute until softened then add tomatoes. Simmer until the pan is deglazed. Pour sauce over chicken and bake uncovered for 35 minutes. Add raisins and bake 5-10 more minutes. (My husband hates raisins, but loves this - they plump up and are really sweet and unraisin-like.)

Serve with rice (saffron rice is really nice with this) and garnish with almonds. Parsley also adds a nice pop of color.

Enjoy!

Leftover Cranberries & Oranges?

What to do with those cranberries and oranges? There are so many yummy possibilities and this morning I chose muffins! It's not quite as healthy as a cranberry-orange chutney (which I made over the holidays), but it's a fabulous way to start the day.

Here's the recipe:

Cranberry Muffins (from Nov '08 Southern Lady magazine)

2 cups self-rising flour (if using all-purpose add 2 t. baking powder & 1/4 t. salt)
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh cranberries
2 large eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream

• Preheat oven to 400. Grease and sugar a 12-cup muffin pan. Set aside.
  
  
• Prepare Orange Crumble Topping (see below). Set aside.
  
  
• In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Gently stir in cranberries.
  
  
• In separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Add this mixture to flour/sugar mixture. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened - don't overmix.
  
  
• Pour into muffin pan and sprinkle crumble topping over batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Orange Crumble Topping

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon butter, melted

In small bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add melted butter and stir until crumbly.

These are moister the second day and great with a glass of fresh orange juice. Here's a great trick for getting the most juice from your oranges - microwave them (1 or 2 at a time) for 10 seconds before juicing. Also, if you're a bit pushed for time, mix fresh juice with store-bought. It will taste almost like it's all fresh-squeezed!

The Ultimate Christmas Cookie! Oranges & Dates & Pecans, Oh My!

It's been a busy week in the kitchen - one of those weeks where no photos are taken until it's too late! But, I do have pictures of the best baked good from the week - Orange-Date-Pecan Cookies. Yum! What smells more like the holidays than orange? Did you read the Little House books? Remember how excited the girls would be to get oranges in their stockings? Of course we can have oranges and almost any other fruit year-round, but there's still something very Christmassy about oranges - whether studded with cloves or baked into fabulous cakes and cookies or forming wreaths for the front door.

Photo from Country Living

If you like oranges and pecans, you'll love these cookies. They're great for a cookie swap because the recipe makes around 8 dozen (!) and they're uniform shapes which makes them easy to package. And needless to say, they're perfect with a hot cup of tea! (Once again I found photographing food to be a challenge! All I can say is that these are much prettier in real life.)

Orange-Date-Pecan Cookies (from a Southern Living Christmas book - 199?)

10 ounces pitted dates, chopped
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups self-rising flour (if using all-purpose, add 1 1/2 t. baking powder and 1/2 t. salt)
1 cup finely chopped pecans, divided (toasted, if desired)

• Line a 9"x5"x3" loaf pan with aluminum foil, allowing foil to extend over edges of pan. Set aside
• Finely chop first three ingredients - I do this on a cutting board, but you can also use a food processor
• In large mixing bowl, beat butter at medium speed. Gradually add sugar, beating until blended. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Add flour, beating at low speed just until blended.
• Divide dough into three portions. Knead 1/2 cup pecans into one portion of dough. Press into prepared pan. Knead date mixture into one portion of dough. Press in pan over pecan mixture. Mix remaining pecans with remaining dough. Press in pan over date mixture. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
• Invert loaf pan onto cutting board and remove foil. Cut dough lengthwise into four portions. Cut each section of dough crosswise in 1/4" slices. Place slices 1 1/2" apart on lightly greased cookie sheet. (I never grease the cookie sheets and the cookies never stick . . . )
• Bake at 350 for 9 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly and remove to racks.

Leah's notes: A loaf pan with straight sides works best. I often freeze part of the dough for several weeks (wrap in parchment paper, then a ziploc bag). In an airtight container, these will get softer (because of the dates) so you may want to let a little air circulate around them if you like them crunchy - or just eat them all the first day!

Hope your weekend includes some sweet treats!

Something Old, Something New, Cookies - Cookies, Just for You!

I love holiday baking - do you? This weekend I baked two big batches of cookies - one new recipe that I've been planning to try for several years and one old recipe that is a favorite of many on our cookie gift list. Let's talk about the new recipe first - Mocha Almond Cookies.

They're very pretty as you can see. It's an easy recipe that is also fast - the only time consuming thing is rolling the cookies into balls and then rolling them in sugars (granulated, then powdered). I think kids would love rolling these - rolling them in granulated sugar first keeps the powdered sugar suspended and as they bake it cracks revealing the yummy chocolateness beneath! Here's the recipe:

Mocha Almond Cookies (from Martha Stewart's Holidays book)

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (you won't be sorry if you use good chocolate here!)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
6 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur (I used Kahlua)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup blanched almonds, finely chopped or ground
Extra sugar, for rolling
Sifted confectioners' sugar, for rolling

1. Melt chocolate and butter in microwave, stir in liqueur; keep mixture warm.
2. In separate bowl, beat eggs and sugar until fluffy. Stir in chocolate mixture.
3. Sift together flour and baking powder; stir into chocolate mixture.
4. Stir in almonds. Chill dough until firm.
5. Roll into one-inch balls (another great use for a small scoop) and chill for 10 minutes.
   
6. Heat oven to 325.
7. Roll balls first in granulated sugar then in confectioners' sugar, coating well.
8. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on rack.

Leah's notes: These cookies are better the second day - more moist and more chocolaty. These are a good choice for mailing/packing/exchanging as they don't crumble and are rather 'sturdy'.


Now on to the sugar cookies - this recipe makes the best sugar cookies I've ever tasted. It's easy, easy, easy and the cookies are light and crunchy with just a hint of almond.

And, if you're in a hurry (as we often are at the holidays, right?) you can use this dough with a cookie press and have five dozen cookies baked in an hour. Sometimes I do roll these out and decorate them, but often I use a cookie press (you don't even have to chill the dough!). As you know, cookie press cookies lose a bit of their shape during baking, but they're still very cheery and extremely tasty! (And some cookie press shapes are better than these trees - wreaths are a great choice.)


Queen Street Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (yes, this is the secret to the yumminess!)
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour (I use self-rising; if using all-purpose add 1 t. baking soda & 1 t. cream of tartar)

1. Mix butter and sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix well.
2. Stir in flour.
3. Chill at least three hours. Roll to 3/16" and cut into desired shapes.
4. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 7 to 8 minutes.

Leah's notes: Do not chill if using a cookie press, just press and bake immediately after mixing. Sugar cookies are best if they don't brown, so remove from oven as soon as cooked. You can sprinkle with sprinkling sugar before or after baking.

Happy Baking!

128 Cheeseballs . . . and counting!

Who needs 128 cheeseballs? Someone having a party, of course. You may be thinking someone having a really large party . . . but the cheeseballs in question are individual-sized. The party in question was last night (at the house of friends) and here are some of my favorite things from the evening:

These beautiful napkins and ornament napkin rings. The rings on top soon held a lovely place card.

The dining room almost ready for guests. I love this dining room - it's elegant, yet warm and welcoming. For a large party, the furniture is re-arranged just a bit so the table can be extended. The sideboard usually sits beneath the mirror - what a good way to make the most of the room. By placing the table on the diagonal and moving a few other pieces, all the leaves can be added to the table. This really appeals to me because so often we only think of our rooms in one way . . . and there may be lots of possibilities for special occasions or even every day.

I also really appreciate the open, clean table setting. While I like elaborate tablescapes, they are usually designed for the designer and not the diner. It's very uncomfortable to dine on a cluttered table with barely enough room for the placesettings. Also, centerpieces that cover the whole center of the table and extend to within inches of the glassware are just too much - in my opinion. So when a table is actually in use, I find this type of setting just perfect.

These aprons always make me smile. There are three of us who have these (one is missing from the photo) and we've worn them for four years now and they still look like new! Perhaps because they're not worn for the real cooking . . .


And finally, these individual cheeseballs. These are leftovers, photographed a few minutes ago in a not-so-artistic arrangement. I wanted you to see how cute they are so I hope you'll overlook the presentation. These little cheeseballs are perfect in so many ways - for one thing they are great as leftovers - even as good as new (these are freshly rolled in parsley and paprika), whereas a big cheeseball may taste okay the next day, but it lacks something in visual appeal. I'm not going to tell you the other ways in which they're perfect - you'll have to make some for your next party and then you'll know! Half of these are white (rolled in parsley) and half yellow (rolled in paprika), but you could make them all the same and simply vary the coatings. Any cheeseball recipe will work; if you have a stainless kitchen scoop you can make the mini balls quickly. (As a side note, this is one of the most-used tools in my kitchen - I have three different sizes and love them all!)

There are so many yummy cheeseball variations and one of the easiest is simply goat cheese rolled in herbs. Here's the basic recipe for the cheeseballs above: 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (at room temperature), 8 to 10 ounces sharp white or yellow cheddar (much tastier if you shred it yourself, and easier to shred/grate if cold). Mix these together with a fork or pastry blender and add: 1) 1-2 T. Worcestershire, or 2) 2-3 T. chutney or hot pepper jelly, or 3) 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic powder, or4) whatever seems tasty to you! Remember the flavors may become stronger as the mixture chills. Yield: about 60 small cheeseballs. Coat with paprika, parsley, etc. just before serving.

Hope your week brings a bit of the holiday spirit and some yummy treats! I'm off to deal with the leftovers . . . one way or another!

It's the Great Pumpkin [Bread], Charlie Brown!

If you were Linus sitting in that pumpkin patch waiting and waiting for the Great Pumpkin, what would you be thinking? I would be thinking about all the yummy things that could be made with a patch full of pumpkins! (Actually, I might be too afraid to think . . . the pumpkin patch at night can be a little frightening . . .) So, what's your favorite pumpkin dish? Pie? Toasted seeds? At our house, pumpkin bread wins easily. It's moist and a little spicy and is great with tea! I don't always like breads/cakes made with vegetable oil - they often taste like oil, but this recipe is really good and the flavor is all pumpkin and spice. It's a great busy-day baking project as it takes only 10 minutes or so to prepare (obviously longer to bake . . .).

This recipe makes two 9x5" loaves - or one 9x5" plus three or five smaller loaves (depending on the pan sizes). In other words, you will have more than enough to share. It makes a great gift because you can give away the large loaf and one or two small loaves, and still have a little loaf to keep (much better for you than making a layer cake or pie as a gift which leaves you as empty-handed as Linus).

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups sugar (don't panic! this makes many, many servings)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin (just plain unsweetened pumpkin, NOT pie filling)
• 3 1/2 cups self-rising flour*
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2/3 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour baking pans (or use Baker's Joy).
2. In mixer, or by hand, mix sugar and oil.
3. At low speed, add eggs and pumpkin. Mix well.
4. In separate large bowl, blend remaining dry ingredients.
5. Alternately add dry ingredients and water to pumpkin mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
6. Pour into prepared pans and bake 40 to 50 minutes - possibly less with small pans, or more with large pans. Bread is done with the sides pull away from the pan (you can also test with a toothpick/cake pick as you would for any cake).
7. Place pans on cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

Leah's Notes: I often make this without using an electric mixer - it's easy to whisk by hand. If using glass baking dishes, lower the temperature to 325. If using silicone pans, increase the baking time by 10+ minutes. While this is yummy all by itself, it's very good with pumpkin butter or turn it into an honest-to-goodness (emphasis on goodness!) cake with cream cheese frosting.

* If using all-purpose flour, add 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon baking powder.

On final thought on the pumpkin bread - it makes your house smell festive!!

What's Cheery on a Cold, Rainy Evening?

Hot Chocolate, of course!

It's been a chilly, rainy, yucky day here as the remnants of Hurricane Ida blew through town. After weeks of sunny fall days, this little winter preview was a bit of a shock and I, for one, will be happy to see the back-side of Ida! But, it's not all dreary tonight - our Hot Chocolate Pot has come out of its summer hiding and we're ready for some yummy, chocolaty hot chocolate. Did you think the phrase 'chocolaty hot chocolate' was redundant? Well, not really because not all hot chocolate is really chocolaty. I'll admit I am prejudiced against any food that begins as a powder - especially if it ends with a quick hot water stir. But, even staunch hot chocolate mix supporters will be converted once they try homemade hot chocolate.

Take a look at this recipe - it's from the reprint version of the Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book. It's an exact copy of the original 1953 cookbook, age-yellowed pages and all. If your mom or grandmother had this book, you'll enjoy this clever edition - and not just for the recipes.

The Breakfast Chocolate recipe is, however, one your whole family will love. It's very much like coffee-house hot chocolate, especially if you have a frother like the one in our chocolate pot. We've had this Williams-Sonoma pot a few years (it was a gift!) and use it often during the winter. If you love hot chocolate, check out their latest version here: Williams-Sonoma Hot Chocolate Pot.

And even though these marshmallow pirates were seen here recently, I wanted to share them again (in case you missed the peg leg the first time around). After all, no hot chocolate discussion is complete without at least a hint of marshmallow.

There's Nothing Neutral About This Chard!

The Swiss are noted for their neutrality, but this Swiss Chard is anything but neutral. Its bright stems practically scream for attention. This is one of my favorite winter plants; here's a 'Ruby Red' that I just bought to use in a container by the front door.

And here's a lovely one from the Reynolda gardens that's ready to harvest:

Of course, Swiss Chard isn't just for show - it's yummy, too! It's great in winter soups and also prepared any way you would prepare spinach or kale. Here's a great recipe from Rachael Ray that is easy and delish:

Swiss Chard and Golden Raisins
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds (the average weight of 2 bundles) red Swiss chard
1 1/2 tablespoons (1 1/2 turns around the pan in a slow stream) extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 pound, 2 slices, pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 small yellow skinned onion, chopped
1/4 cup (2 handfuls) golden raisins
14 ounces chicken stock or broth
Coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, a couple pinches ground or equivalent of freshly grated

Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Coarsely chop the greens of clean red chard. Add oil, pancetta, and chopped onion to the pan and cook 2 or 3 minutes until onions begin to soften and pancetta is lightly browned. Add chopped chard to pan in large bunches, adding remaining chard as the greens wilt.
Sprinkle in raisins, pour in broth and season with salt and nutmeg. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat and simmer greens 10 to 15 minutes until greens are no longer bitter and you are ready to serve. Raisins will plump as the dish cooks through.

Leah's Note: I omit the salt as the pancetta/bacon and broth make it salty enough!

I'm off to pot my Swiss Chard! Stop by tomorrow for a message from Tom Swift . . .

Who Doesn't Love a Ham & Cheese Sandwich?

There are so many great sandwiches, but Ham & Cheese may be the best-loved. After all, look at the classic variations: Croque-Monsieur and Croque-Madame (which are famous enough to have their own Wikipedia page!), Monte Cristo which makes me think of my college suitemate who ate one almost every Sunday at the restaurant where her boyfriend worked, and the Hot Brown which was featured on an episode of Throwdown! with Bobby Flay.

Croque-Monsieur and Croque-Madame are served in restaurants throughout Europe and are a safe bet when the menu is in a language you can't read! The Monte Cristo was apparently first served at Disney Land in 1967 at the Blue Bayou restaurant where it remains a favorite; it is now served at restaurants across the country. Hot Browns were created by the Brown Hotel in the 1920s and are sometimes made with turkey or turkey and ham. I originally had Hot Browns made only with ham and that's why I'm including them in my 'ham and cheese' list. You can find recipes for all these online from your favorite chefs.

If you're in the mood for a new sandwich, try our favorite ham and cheese:

These are appetizer-sized, but they're also good as a full-sized sandwich. These look a little wonky because they needed frilly picks to stabilize them . . . but, you get the general idea. Here's how they're made:

The Bread: pimento cheese rolls, split and toasted (any type of roll will do)

The Spread: a mixture of orange marmalade and pepper jelly, to taste (we like it a bit spicy)

The Fillings: shaved ham (Black Forest or pepper ham is a good choice), thin slices of white or yellow sharp cheddar, thin slices of apple with peel (something crisp and a little tart like Honeycrisp), and lettuce.

The Result: delish! A little smoky ham, a little sweet/peppery jam, some sharp cheese, and the crunchy apple . . . I'm getting hungry just typing this. Pair this with a cup of tomato soup and you have a great lunch or dinner. I'd love to hear about your favorite ham and cheese!

Three R's I Loved This Summer - Part Three, Rocket!

Yes, I said Rocket! Although 2009 was the 40th anniversary of the Moon Landing (!), I'm talking about the edible rocket, not the Eagle or Apollo. Rocket is another name for arugula - that leafy almost-lettuce that is soooo yummy.

Arugula was a salad and sandwich staple at our house this summer - and we're having it tonight in one of our favorite salads. This salad is so easy because the greens are all arugula and the dressing is a warm lemongrass and pecan vinaigrette that comes together in about 5 minutes.

If you have not tried lemongrass, you're in for a treat. It is the long stalky thing below and you peel away the outer leaves until you reach the soft center. Then dice and use . . . it has a lovely lemon taste without being tart (no sweetener needed to offset it).

Rocket Salad with Lemongrass Pecans - adapted from Simply Ming

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/2 to 1 cup pecans halves or pieces
2 tablespoons minced lemongrass
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I use the stoneground Dijon)
1/4 cup naturally brewed rice vinegar
1/4 pound arugula, washed and spun dry
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

In a large saute pan over med-high heat, add EVOO and pecans. Saute to toast for 1 minute, add lemongrass, shallot, and mustard. Toss a few times. Deglaze with rice vinegar. Whisk together, add salt and pepper to taste. Pour hot vinaigrette over arugula in heat-proof salad bowl. Toss gently and serve.
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This salad is so delish - and pretty. It's perfect for a first course when you're serving soup or stew as the main dish. Enjoy!

Three R's I Loved This Summer: Part One - Rose-Colored Glasses

As you can see, I'm not talking about the rose-colored eyeglasses that make the world seem cheerier than it is - I'm talking about drinking glasses that are rose tinted. We inherited a large, if incomplete, set of these from a relative who was married in 1912. We assume these were a wedding gift, which makes them almost a century old. They are quite thin and a bit fragile which accounts for the 'flea bites' on several of the rims. Consequently, we have only used them a few times.

Early this summer, however, we decided to use these to serve a champagne punch for a get-together with some friends and we liked them so much we've used them all summer - almost daily, in fact. I'm definitely in the 'use your china, crystal, silver, etc. camp' rather than the 'save it so it stays pristine' camp. For me, having things displayed or packed away so they won't be damaged really misses the point - most of the joy comes from use. And, no, they won't look brand new, but you will have great memories of using them and the sterling items will actually take on a much prettier patina. So, I'm not sure why we haven't used these glasses more in the past - perhaps because they are so old - and because pink stemware doesn't 'go' with every table setting! Regardless, I'm pleased that we unpacked them and enjoyed them all summer.

Here's the champagne punch that started it all. It's really pretty and would be great for a shower or brunch, or a warm afternoon on the porch or patio - in your favorite glass, of course!

Champagne Punch (from April 2009 Southern Living)

Ingredients

1 cup lemon-lime soft drink, chilled
1 cup assorted berries (I use all raspberries)
1 (6-oz.) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint or basil leaves, torn
1 (750-milliliter) bottle sparkling white wine or Champagne, chilled

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large pitcher. Gently stir in sparkling wine. Serve immediately.

For Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Fruit Refresher: Substitute 3 (12-oz.) cans orange-flavored sparkling water, chilled, for sparkling white wine. Proceed with recipe as directed.


Blogger's Note: No stemware was damaged during filming.

Coffee + Chocolate + Pecans = Cookie Heaven

Can a person who doesn't like coffee like coffee-flavored things? Yes! I think coffee smells so yummy, but I don't like the taste. But, desserts flavored with coffee are another story . . . I love them. Perhaps because they're often also chocolate. Here's one of my favorite cookies that combines these two great tastes. They're easy to make and the batter can be refrigerated for several days and baked in batches. (Yes, that means cookies hot from the oven on multiple days!)

Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
2 tablespoons instant coffee
2 teaspoons boiling water
1 cup all-purpose flour (or 1 cup self-rising and omit the salt & baking soda)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (one stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1/2 cup pecan pieces (they're much better if you toast them first - 350 for 3-5 minutes)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips in microwave (or over a pot of simmering water). Stir until smooth; let cool to room temperature. In a small cup, mix boiling water and coffee until dissolved; set aside. If using all purpose flour, combine flour, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl; set aside.

In large bowl, combine butter, sugars, and coffee. Beat until creamy (a hand whisk will work). Add egg and melted chocolate. Mix well. Gradually add flour mixture. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and pecans.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Let stand on baking sheet 2-3 minutes before removing. Cool on rack.

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I hope you try these cookies because they're really easy and so delish. If you're a coffee drinker, you can substitute cold, strong, brewed coffee for the instant. It's nice to keep a small jar of instant coffee or espresso powder in the pantry, though, because it can add a depth of flavor to stews, baked goods, and gravies - just experiment with a small amount.

Did you expect vanilla in the list of ingredients? We usually have vanilla in chocolate baked goods, but in this recipe coffee takes its place. So, if you're out of vanilla and have a craving for chocolate, just whip up a batch of these! Finally, I think these are best a little chewy so when I store them in an airtight bag or container, I usually add a small piece of bread. It will keep the cookies soft (an apple slice also works, but imparts a fruity flavor . . .).

Enjoy!

That Was Some Wild Turkey!

Can you spot the problem in this photo?

If you said, "cork in the bottle" - well spotted. I only wanted a few tablespoons of Wild Turkey to make bourbon butter and when I pulled the cork it snapped. Because this type of cork (which may not technically be called a cork?) doesn't fit tightly like a wine cork, my efforts to remove the broken part with a cork screw resulted in the cork falling. Luckily the bottle was almost empty and I quickly poured the remainder in a glass - there were tiny bits of cork in it, but there was enough without cork for my recipe. Our problem is that we don't drink Bourbon - we just use it for cooking and so the cork is removed many more times than normal - after all, you wouldn't just drink a tablespoonful. So, it's off to the liquor store and in future I'll be more careful. Or alternatively, we could either: 1) make more rum balls - that's when we use lots of bourbon, 2) develop a Bourbon sipping habit, or 3) make more Bourbon brownies. Hmmm, I'm thinking option 3 is the way to go . . .

Please Popover for a Pop-Up

Well . . . the last you heard from me I was going to make popovers. To be honest (and since I have photos, there's no point in lying . . .), they did not 'pop over' as much as 'pop up'. I only make popovers a few times a year and sometimes they are huge, billowy puffs that are cookbook perfect, and other times they just rise up and never get that great hollow center. Last night was a doughy center night.

The good news is that they were still quite delish! The outsides were crunchy and the insides were okay - in fact the inside part would have been great had we not expected that dough to be on the outside (I'm picturing it kind of like the soldiers in one of those black and white World War II movies - instead of staying safely in the trenches (i.e., the center of the popover) that dough should have taken a risk and gone "over the top"). Anyway, these were served with strawberry butter and were soon history.

Lots of cookbooks have popover recipes and they seem to be much the same so I won't include one here. If you don't have a cookbook that includes popovers, I can recommend the Neiman Marcus Cookbook. It has lots of wonderful recipes, including one for their famous popovers and strawberry butter. (Strawberry butter is simple - whip one half-cup butter until fluffy, beat in one-third cup strawberry preserves.)

You'll find all the favorites from the Neiman Marcus restaurants, but one word of caution, you'll never look at the menu in the same way once you've been behind the curtain! That chicken salad that tastes so light and yummy? It's made with mayo AND heavy cream (gasp). Not all the recipes are decadent and there are lots that your family will love, even on busy weeknights: summer tomato soup, chicken and white bean chili, grilled chicken club w/ brie and apple-onion compote, Northpark chopped salad w/ cilantro-lime dressing, pickled green tomatoes, and so on.

So, if you're looking for a fun bread to accompany an entree salad or soup, try your hand at popovers. And if you're looking for a new cookbook that's an interesting read and has great recipes, consider the Neiman Marcus cookbook - you'll love it even if you've never visited one of their stores.