Apple Crisp

Liz Liz Liz ... where are you?  I need my gourmet cooking club buddy to cook with. 


6 large apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup flour
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats

Place sliced apples in mixing bowl, stir in white sugar and cinnamon and mix well.  Arrange into 9" round or square baking dish.  Combine brown sugar and flour; cut butter into mixture with a pastry blender.  Stir in rolled oats.  Spoon mixture over apples, pressing down lightly.  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.  Enjoy with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!

Levain's Knock off Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Ever been to New York?  Ever found Levain's?  The cookies are so confusing.  Are they a cake or a cookie or meal?  Either one they are delicious!  This is knock off recipe.  What do you think?

Ingredients

• 2 sticks ‘cold and cubed’ unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 3/4 to 3 1/4 cups AP flour
• 1 teaspoon table or fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups good quality semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (I usually use half semisweet and half milk chocolate)
• 1 cup walnuts (Toast the nuts for more flavor, if desired. Use any kind of nut you like. I love macadamias in these)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle, cream together butter and sugars until well blended and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time.. and beat until well incorporated.

2. Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips/chunks and nuts.

3. Transfer dough to clean work surface and gently mix dough by hand to ensure even distribution of ingredients. Divide into 12 equal portions, **about 4 oz each

4. Place each on sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven 15-20 minutes depending on how gooey and raw’ish’ you like the interior, until very lightly browned, taking care not to overbake. Let cool on rack and store what you don’t immediately eat in an airtight container.

These are best eaten on the day they are made (ESPECIALLY warm out of the oven – like most chocolate chip cookies). To freshen them after a few days (if they last that long), give them a quick nuke in the microwave for 5-10 seconds.

Also, once again, the Levain Bakery does not use vanilla extract in their chocolate chip walnut cookies.  If you’d prefer to use it, add 1 tsp along with the eggs.

Makes about 12-14 cookies

• * 6 oz portions will give you about 8-10 cookies – bake another 3-5 minutes at 375F.

Vitamix Ice Cream

Every time I try this at Costco, I'm always pleasantly surprised.

1 cup thawed frozen fruit juice concentrate (i.e. Welch's or other 100 % juice)
3 baby carrots
1 small handful cabbage (purple)
1 tblsp. protein powder or nonfat dry powdered milk
1-2 cups frozen fruit, 1-2 cups ice (3 cups frozen fruit and/or ice total)

Run VM on High 45 - 60 seconds (or until you see 4 "columns" inside container)

Cranberry Salsa

This has been our new favorite Thanksgiving Must-have.  It makes everything taste wonderful!

1 small bag of cranberries
1 half of a red onion
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of cumin
jalepeno to taste

process them in the food processor until small but not liquid. 

This would also be great over cream cheese!!!!

Chocolate Waffles

This was another book club favorite from Susie Corrigan.  She made these incredible Chocolate Waffles that were off the charts.

½ cup butter

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 ¼ cup flour

4-5 heaping T cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

1.  Cream together butter and sugar.

2.  Add eggs and milk and mix well.

3.  Sift dry ingredients into egg mixture.  Mix well.

4.  Pour into hot waffle maker.

5.  Top with anything!  (Ice cream, whipped cream, fresh fruit, etc.)

Whole Wheat Bread

Whole Wheat Bread

Makes 2 loaves

1/3 c. oil
1/3 c. brown sugar
7 c. whole-wheat flour
1/3 c. gluten flour

1 3/4 Tbsp. Yeast
1 3/4 Tbsp. Sugar
1/2 c. warm water
2 1/3 c. warm tap water
1 Tbsp. Salt

Mix 1 3/4 Tbsp. Sugar into 1/2 c. warm water. Mix yeast into sugar water mixture. Let
stand 10-15 minutes.

While yeast is standing, combine 2 1/3 c. warm tap water, gluten and half of the wheat
flour. Mix on low speed until blended. Add salt, oil and brown sugar. Continue to mix
until well blended. Add 1/2 c. of wheat flour and blend again. Add yeast mixture and
blend thoroughly. Add remaining flour until dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl
and is consistency of cookie dough. Knead on low speed for 10 minutes.

Spray bread pans with Pam. Grease hands and remove dough from mixture. Mold into
2 loaves and place in pans. Cover loaves with damp cloth, let rise approximately 1/2
hour. Cover with foil and bake at 350* for 38-45 minutes. Remove foil last 5 minutes of
baking time. Remove from pans. Cool on rack.

Cranberry Wassail

Susie Corrigan ....  What a dear friend.  This is another great recipe from one of the recipe swaps I hosted.  I miss those days.  Why doesn't anyone like those down here?  Or perhaps I just haven't find the right friends for those sort of venues yet.  

1 can frozen apple juice, prepared (or 48 oz. bottled)

1 can frozen cranberry juice, prepared (or 48 oz. bottled)

2 cups orange juice

1 cup pineapple juice (opt)

sugar to taste (opt)

2 cinnamon sticks

6-10 cloves

4-6 allspice

Mix juices and sugar in pot.  Place spices in spice ball into pot.  

Heat for 30-45 min. or until hot.  Remove spice ball and serve.

(I did not add sugar.)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This came from Erin Becker.  I miss her and this bread.

1 2/3 c Flour
1 1/2 c sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c canned pumpkin
1/2 c oil
1/3 c water
2 eggs
1 c chocolate chips

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.  In another bowl, mix all wet ingredients.  Combine the two bowls and beat.  Add chocolate chips.  Bake @ 350 for 1hr 15 mins.  Makes 2 big loaves or 4 mini loaves.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan-Gingersnap Crust

I hosted a Recipe Swap at my home a few years ago during the month of Thanksgiving.  Wendy Hart made these fabulous Pumpkin Cheesecakes that rocked my world.  I think I need to make these again!!!!!

The original recipe comes from Our Best Bites

Crust:
1 3/4 C gingersnap crumbs (about 30 small cookies)
6T real butter, melted
3 T brown sugar
3/4 C ground pecans

Filling:
3 8oz blocks cream cheese
3/4 C canned pumpkin puree
6 oz melted white chocolate (that’s about 1 C white chocolate chips)
1 C sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/4 t nutmeg
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/8 t cloves

Topping:
1 C whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 Tbs powdered sugar until medium peaks form
1/3 C roughly chopped pecans, either toasted or caramelized (or try chopping up Trader Joes pecan pralines)

2 Tablespoons jarred caramel sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Using 2 large pieces of heavy duty foil, securely wrap the bottom and outside of your cheesecake pan. This will prevent leaks when using the water bath.

For Crust:  Use a food processor to crush gingersnaps. Then do pecans. Combine gingersnaps, pecans, brown sugar, and butter and stir well to combine. Press into a 9″ spring form pan. Evenly spread across the bottom of pan and up the sides about 1 inch. 

To melt chocolate, place in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth. Set aside.

With an electric mixer beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Add pumpkin, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.

With the mixer running, slowly add in white chocolate in a steady stream (or steady blobs).
Pour mixture on top of the crust.

For water bath:
Place cheesecake pan inside of a larger pan. I use a roasting pan, like this.  Place your cheesecake pan into larger pan. The larger pan should be at least 2-3 inches in depth. Place in pre-heated oven. With a kettle or pitcher filled with hot water, pour water into the larger pan about halfway up, or approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches.

Bake for 60-75 minutes or until set. The center should be just a tad bit jiggly still. It will finish cooking while cooling.  When it’s done, remove from oven and place on a rack until completely cool. Place in the fridge for at least 12 hours. This is a very soft cheesecake so sufficient chilling is a must!  When ready to serve spread sweetened whipped cream on top, drizzle caramel sauce over it, and sprinkle with pecans.

Verdugo Hills Salad Dressing

Dressing ingredients -- don't refrigerate

 

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons sesame seeds toasted

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1/4 tsp paprika

1/2 cup salad oil

1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup cider vinegar

 

Mix ingredients together and set aside

 

Salad

2 small or 1 large package of baby spinach

1 cup slivered almonds - sugared

1 small bag or box of frozen mixed berries thawed and drained

 

(place 1 cup almonds and 6 tbsp. sugar in small skillet and saute until sugar melts completely and almonds are coated - cool on parchment in single layer)

French Onion Soup

This was our Christmas Eve Soup.  Soooo good.

5 sweet onions (like Vidalias) or a combination of sweet and red onions (about 4 pounds)
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups white wine (a nice a fruity one)
10 ounces canned beef consume
10 ounces chicken broth
10 ounces apple cider (unfiltered is best)
Bouquet garni; thyme sprigs, bay leaf and parsley tied together with kitchen string

Garlic

Garlic salt

1 loaf of sourdough bread chopped up

olive oil
Kosher salt 

Pepper

1 cup Fontina or Gruyere cheese, grated

Just cook those onions for a good half hour or more.  Get them nice browned.  Great time to clean up your kitchen while stirring these occasionally.  

Turn the sourdough bread into toasted croutons.  Sprinkle with olive oil and cook for 10 minutes or so at 400 until they look a little toasty.

Carmelitos

One of my all time favorite desserts.

2 1/4 c flour
2 c oats
1 1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c butter
2 c chocolate chips
1 c chopped pecans
12 oz carmel topping

Mix together 2 cups flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda.  Cut in the butter until it crumbles.  Set 1/2 of mixture aside.  Press 1/2 in greased 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Then sprinkle chocolate chips and pecans.  Whisk together 1/4 c flour with the carmel topping and drizzle over the chocolate chips and pecans.  Sprinkle the rest of the crumble mixture on top.  Bake for an additional 18-20 minutes.

Lemon Bars that Work

No really.  They do!  The bottom doesn't get all soggy and the filling sets just right.


¾ cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup confectioners sugar + 1 Tbs for sifting on top
¼ cup corn starch
¼ tsp salt
½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces

filling

4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup all purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

350 with rack in center. Coat a 9 inch square pan with parchment paper leaving a 2 inch overhang in all sides. Make crust in a food processor on a pulse. Then add cut butter and pulse until crumbly. Press into bottom and ¾ inch up the side. Fridge it for 15 minutes. Bake crust until lightly brown – 20 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan.

Reduce oven to 325.

make filling while it is cooling. Beat eggs with electric mixer until thick. Beat in sugar, lemon juice, flour, baking powder and salt. Pour over warm crust. Bake until set about 20 minutes. Cool to room temp. fridge for an hour.

Lemon-glazed Butter cookies

These remind me of Christmas growing up.  They just melt in your mouth. 

Lemon-glazed Butter cookies

Yields: 3 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temp)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup corn starch

Frosting

2 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
½ cup (or 1 stick) butter melted
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

350 degrees.

With electric mixer, beat butter & 1/3 cup powdered sugar at medium speed for 1 minute. Turn off. Sift together flour and corn starch and add to butter. Blend until dough is soft, about 1 minute. Drop by tsp full on ungreased baking sheet. Baking until VERY lightly brown (prettier white) about 5 minutes.

Transfer to racks to cool.

Meanwhile, make frosting. While still warm, pour frosting into center.

CILANTRO RANCH

• 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk Dressing

• 1 c. buttermilk

• 1 c. mayo

• 3 tomatillos – look like green tomatoes – a must!

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1 c. fresh cilantro

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

For those who like it spicier … add a half of a jalapeno or more!

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!

CAFÉ RIO SWEET PORK

2 pounds pork (shoulder)

3 cans Coke (NOT diet)

1/4 c. brown sugar

healthy dash garlic salt

1/4 c. water

1 can sliced green chilies

1 cup of your favorite salsa (or enchilada sauce)

1 c. brown sugar

Place pork in crock pot and fill it all the way up above the pork with water. Cook on high for 5 hours. Drain off water. Cut pork in thirds. Mix together sauce ingredients and put on top of pork. Cook an additional 3 hours on high. Shred pork with forks. Leave it on low until ready to serve.

Cafe Rio Black Beans

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp. ground cumin

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 1/3 c. tomato sauce

• 1 1/2 tsp. salt

• 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

Cilantro Lime Rice

• 1 c. uncooked rice

• 1 tsp. butter

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

• 1 can (15 oz) chicken broth

• 1 cup water

• 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

• 2 tsp. sugar

• 3+ tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender.  Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Cafe Rio Tortillas

So at our old school we hosted a fabulous teacher luncheon.  One year I was in charge I decided we should prepare the famed Cafe Rio dinner, since all the teachers had never heard of it.  THEY LOVED IT!  It was such a fun school to be at.

• 3 c. flour

• 1 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp. baking powder

• 3/4 c. butter

• 3/4 c. very hot water

Mix the flour, salt, & baking powder together. Cut in the butter with your fingers, fork or your mixer works great, until it is crumbly. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in bowl, cover with a slightly damp dishtowel and let sit for an hour or more. Pull apart a small piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Then use a rolling pin to smooth it out.

Preheat a large skillet or pan to medium-high heat. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly, golden, and no appearance of doughy-ness, about 1 minute (DON’T OVERCOOK.. remember these are supposed to be soft flour tortillas, you don’t want them to be crispy)

Chewy Chocolate Brownies

1 1/8 cup flour
2/3 tsp salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup coconut
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup oil or butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup broken nuts

Mix and pour into a greased pan.  Bake at 350 for 30ish minutes.

Mom's Caramel Topping

3/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tb butter
1/2 cup evaporated milk (or cream)
1/4 tsp salt

Melt the first two together and then add the remaining ingredients.

Mom's Hot Fudge

1 cube butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Melt the first two together and then add in the milk.  Serve on ice cream but please don't forget the whip cream. 

Dakin's Homemade Tortillas

Rochester days are filled with great memories of learning to cook all kinds of wonderful things.  I loved these homemade tortillas from John and Dakin.  Miss you guys.  Come cross the pond and be our neighbors again.

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk
1/3 water
1 Tbs sugar
dash of salt
2 cups flour

Mix liquid ingredients.  Add flour slowly.  Knead lightly.  Roll into tortillas.  Heat on skillet at medium heat until bubbles form and then flip.

Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats

2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
3-4 cups rice krispies

cook the syrup and sugar together until it comes to a full boil. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.

Citrus Punch

1  12 oz can OJ concentrate
1  12 oz can lemonade concentrate
1  12 oz can citrus punch concentrate
3 cups sugar
10-12 cups water
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp almond

mix together and freeze.  Let thaw for an hour and ad 1 2 liter bottle of sprite.

Barbeque Chicken Salad

1 pound chopped chicken cooked
mixed greens chopped
1 red apple
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup spicy peanuts
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 cup shredded cheese
2 Tbs cilantro
1 cup tortilla strips

Dressing - 2 Tbs bbq sauce and 1 cup ranch dressing

blue cheese crumbled on the side is a good addition as well.

Chocolate Dipped Ginger Molasses Cookies

Recipe 

2 1/2 c. sugar, divided

1 1/2 c. oil

2 eggs

1/2 c. molasses

4c. all-purpose flour

4t. baking soda

1T. ground ginger

2t. cinnamon

1t. salt

 

2 11oz. pkgs. white chocolate chips

Combine 2 cups sugar and oil in a mixing bowl; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in molasses.

Combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl; gradually blend into molasses mixture. Shape dough into one-inch balls and roll in remaining sugar; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until cookie springs back when lightly touched. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 minute stirring until smooth. Dip each cookie halfway into mixture; allow excess to drip off. Place cookies on wax paper to harden.

Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Or so they say.  This is the cookie recipe I grew up on.  I haven't used it in years.  I think it might be time for a bake off soon.

1 1/3 sticks of butter
2/3 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
2/3 Tb vanilla

Cream those ingredients well together.  Then add...

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
chocolate chips

350 for 8-10 minutes

A Little Bit of Everything Soup

I walked into Trader Joes recently and asked one of the produce guys … what do I want to make for dinner?  Without hesitation he said, "go ask "so-and-so" he just made us this awesome soup yesterday for just the staff.  It was SOOOO good."

So I took what he said and embellished it and he was right!

Ingredients

chicken
basil
olive oil
leeks
bell peppers
onions
parmesan
cream
pineapple

bok choy
jalapeños
chicken stock
lemon pepper
smoked sweet paprika

Those are the basic ingredients. Grill the chicken in a big soup pot until it is nice crisp.  Then take it out of the pan and put in a separate bowl.  Use that same pot with all the good chicken greece in it simmer the leeks, onions and bell peppers for about 10 minutes until nice and translucent.

Then add the cream and parmesan until nice and thick.  I used about 2 cups of cream and about 2 cups of parmesan.   Add the pineapple and chopped bok choy.  Stir in the chicken stock and however much jalapeño you can handle.  The smoked sweet paprika is what made the soup for me.  My new favorite ingredient. Found at Sur La Table.