Raspberry Turnovers with Toasted Almonds & White Chocolate

This is a simple and delicious recipe.  I made these to bring to a New Year's Eve party.  I love to mix fresh fruit, nuts, and chocolate in my desserts.  An added bonus, kids can make these!!  This recipe will make 18 miniature turnovers. 
First, thaw 1 Package of Frozen Puff Party Sheets for at least an hour.  Using a pizza wheel, cut the sheets into 9 squares.  You can either roll the dough and cut -or- cut and roll.  The idea is you need squares.  I like to use a traditional French Rolling pin and after years of practice, I can use the tapered design to add pressure when needed to manipulate the shape I need.

While the dough is thawing get your work station ready.  Toast about 1/2 Cup of Sliced Almonds in a 1/2 Tl Butter until browned and fragrant.  Rough Cut 2oz White Chocolate.  Count out Fresh Raspberries, 1 large or 2 small per turnover, and lightly press down with the tines of a fork to flatten the berries.  Pour 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream in a dish and have a clean pastry brush ready.  Place 1/4 Cup Oatmeal in a small dish.  Preheat oven to 400.  Cut parchment to line 2 sheet pans. 

Once dough is rolled to a square, brush the outer edge with cream.  Stack a berry, a piece of chocolate, and a few nuts in 1 corner, inside the cream.  Fold the dough on the diagonal (without poking a hole in the dough.)  Using the tines of a floured fork, press the edges so they are firmly closed.  Set turnover on the parchment lined pan leaving at least an inch between all sides.  Brush the top with cream and add Sanding Sugar or in my case, Oatmeal...or even both!

Bake in the center of the a hot oven for approximately 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Let them cool before trying to store them.  If you are going to eat one right away remember the fruit is very hot but they are delicious right out of the oven.  Again, the bonus, making these with children will teach them counting and geometry skills!

Applewood Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin with a Honey Mustard Glaze

I brought this to a New Years Eve party a few nights ago.  It was cooked here and carved there.  Here's my recipe for Applewood Smoked Bacon Wrapped Port Loin. 



I bought an entire Pork Loin.  It was about 10 lbs and cost about $20.  You can clearly see it can serve a lot of people.  I cut it into 3 pieces, a 2 lb roast for later use and I cut the remaining piece in two so they would fit into one of my roasting pans, side by side, without touching. 

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix together, 1/4 Cup Honey, 3 Tbl Stone Ground Mustard, a Splash of Red Wine Vinegar and White and Black Pepper to taste.  I purposely didn't add salt to the mixture.

I scored the fat side of the loin to give it "some teeth" because I wanted the glaze to permeate the meat and for the bacon to stay put when I carved it.  I think the idea was successful. 

Lightly coat the meat with some of the glaze. 







Next, count out the number of strips of bacon needed, about 4 per loin as pictured, and cut it in half.  I used good quality Thick Sliced Applewood Smoked Bacon.  Drape the bacon over the honey glazed side.  Using kitchen string, tie the meat to hold the bacon in place.  If you look at the picture you can see how to do it.  First, you loop once around and tie it off.  Next as you go along, twist the string away from you, before looping around so it self loops.  Continue on until you get to the end and tie it off.  Butchers used to tie in this manner, but now they use stretchy elastic string that destroys your handy work when you remove it, so I always opt to tie my own.  If all else fails, loop it around and feed the string through to self loop.  The result should be that you use one continuous string.

Place the loins in a roasting pan and Glaze again.  Season with Pepper and a small amount of Kosher Salt to taste.   If you want to make a pan sauce, add a quartered onion for flavor.  I served mine with the au jus as to not compete or over power the honey glaze.  Place in the oven for a total of 1 hour and 15 minutes.  After 45 minutes, I glazed for a final time.  NOTE: For the last 15 minutes of cooking time, turn the oven up to 400 to crisp up the bacon.  Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.  Remove the string once it is ready to carve keeping the bacon in tact.  Using a very sharp knife, carve as thinly as possible, still getting full slices of meat.  This ways it's tender and easy to eat.

You can serve as an entree or with small rolls for sandwiches.  It's very versatile and goes with many side dishes.  What's best is that you can serve this dish at all times of the year.   And like your favorite jeans, you can dress it up with holiday fare or dress it down with barbeque style sides.  Happy New Year and may 2013 bring you joy!

The Toasted Ham and Cheese Sandwich

When I was in High School in NY State, I worked at a place called Carroll's Hamburgers. It was probably the best job I ever had.  I have friends, whom I worked with who will attest to that, and they are very accomplished in their current careers.  There was just something about the managers and the crew, the sales goals and inventory, the nightly clean up of a well oil machine where I don't think there was a single ruffle of personalities.  It was a harmonious place that thrived on doing a job well, to the letter of a T.  It closed one year on a Christmas Eve after an incredibly busy day.  That was a sad day for us all but those memories stayed with anyone who worked there.  There was the day shift for the kids who finished school early and the night shift for those who played sports.  We picked each other up and drove each other home when work was done.  We raced in like fools and clocked in, in the nick of time, and we worked diligently to get done on time.

This was in the days when the uniforms were washed and dried for you at work.  Though we had names on them, I would pull Vicki's uniform out of the dryer and wear it because her waist was small and I had to pin all of the others to keep them up.  These were also in the days where you had to go outside to enter the rest room and it was unheated.

This chain came after the original McDonald's but at the time, we didn't have McDonald's, that came later.  The fries were different and they served Club Burgers which you know better as the Big Mac, but again different.  The Club Sauce was a different recipe.  We used to make our own inventions during break time.  We took their ingredients and made new products with them.  One of my favorites was a "dreamsicle."  At that time we mixed the milk shakes and if you added orange syrup to the vanilla milk shake you, got a Dreamsicle and it was tasty.  We also had Randy or Dan, who by the was were the fastest guys around on the grill, grill onions or put Club Sauce on Double Hamburgers making a new sandwich.

One unadvertised menu item but wasn't fairly well known was the "Toasted Cheese."  It was where  the bun was grilled, cut side out, with cheese in the center.  We charged less than a hamburger so it was economical.  There was a girl in my HS class that couldn't have been more than 5' tall.  She dated a Basketball player who couldn't have been less than 6"6" tall.  They knew of the Toasted Cheese, in fact I daresay, they had fast food ordering to a science.  When they came in, it was ALWAYS 5 minutes before closing.  They always ordered a bundle of toasted cheese sandwiches and fries cooked hot, no arguing, they wanted to see them go down into the fryer, and milk shakes.

I haven't made one of these, ever.  Last week I cooked hamburgers at home.  I had really good buns that were incredibly fresh.  I had some leftover ham from a previous meal.  I was in a nostalgic mood and decided to make a Toasted Ham and Cheese, with good old fashioned American Cheese, 2 slices in fact.  It tasted as good as it looks. What a great trip down memory lane.

Here is the post I promised you, Dan!

The Shallot

I have loved cooking with Shallots since I was first introduced to them but I don't know when that was.  If you go to the "search section" of my blog, it's on the right side, you can type in Shallots and every recipe that includes them in will come up.  I sneak them in here and there for depth and to create subtle complexities in simple to make recipes.

They are incredibly versatile and can be minced, cut in quarters or cut into slices. They can be sauteed and caramelized, roasted, or served crispy as a garnish. They are found in the produce section of the grocery store, normally sold loose near and around the garlic.  At some stores they are packaged and you have to buy 3 or 4.  They aren't cheap, about $4 a pound, but a little goes a long way.  I particularly like when I can buy them loose because I buy exactly the size and quantity I need.

What I find interesting is that in SE Louisiana they love to refer to Scallions as Shallots.  I think it was Emeril, not really being from here and also a Chef by formal education, who set the record straight for viewers.  When he said Shallots, he meant it.

Recently, I had a discussion with someone who said, Shallots Scallions, they are all the same.  They absolutely are not.  Photographed is a Shallot, cut open.  It is a bulb, has a paper exterior like an onion, has layers like an onion and is best cooked.  It tastes only like a Shallot.  If you haven't tried them in the past, I use them in my Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe.  They can be caramelized and added to the top of a pizza, sliced sirloin steak or a spinach salad.  The uses are endless.  I would have to say that after Salt and Pepper, it is the most important ingredient in my kitchen when it comes to flavor.  This New Year, go buy shallots and you will engage in a love affair that never ends!!

Chateau Rollan de By, 2009

I went to a Bordeaux tasting about two months before Christmas.  I really kept going back to this wine which is 70% Merlot and 20% Cab.  It was full enough to hold up against a Standing Rib Roast but also what I like to consider "drinkable."  Not heavy on the tannins but not wimpy either.

My husband kept referring to this wine as a Pinot Noir, though I didn't agree based on the bottle shape alone, but if you like the lighter dry pinots, this may be a wine for you...if you can find it.


 At the time of the tasting, I was going to wait to buy it and was told it had done well and that less than 1 case remained of the 6 they got in.  At least locally, I'm not sure I can get more.  This wine was around $30 and during dinner, seven of us killed three bottles in no time.

You can research the winery in France, it truly looks lovely as was the wine!!

Centerpiece for Christmas Dinner Done!

Every year I do something different for the table.  This year was fun!!!  I already owed everything I used except for the center candle holder.  I think I spent about $10 on the silver reindeer base and since I like to have candles behind glass, I bought a globe at the same time that fit perfectly! 

 The greenery was free, I just went clipping in the yard! The flowering plants have water picks to keep them fresh for the next 2 days! 

I set the table with pressed napkins,  silver plate and sterling silver flatware.  We ate dinner on our good china.  I have added some co-ordinating pieces from Pier I so the very young children eat on china as well.  Once the kids are about 9-10 years old, they eat on our good china.  I have globe water glasses that I keep wrapped and in their cardboard carton.  For events like this I can count on having matching glasses for all of my guests.  I delegated filling the water glasses to my son and his 3 cousins.  We decanted the wine before dinner service.  It was a lovely meal and is always fun to use all of our good china and silver.  And sitting around a cozy dinner table with everyone elbow to elbow is always a treat!

Black Forest Crinkle Cookies

Ok, my sister, C, rubbed off on me.  I decided to fit in a new cookie this year though I am very busy at this point.  Truth me known, these will be awesome with Crushed Candy Canes rather than cherries.  Another idea is Toasted Hazelnuts.  If you exclude cherries, though, these will no longer be "Black Forest." This comes from Cuisine at home holiday COOKIES, a magazine I picked up along the way, maybe several years ago.

Preheat oven to 350 and cut parchment to fit 2 sheet pans.  Chop 1/3 Cup dried Cherries and measure 1/3 Cup Semi-sweet Chips.  Sift 3/4 Cup Powder Sugar into a flat bowl or on a plate.  Set these things aside.

In a bowl, using a wire whip, stir together 3/4 Cup Flour, 3/4 Cup Sugar, 3/4 tsp Baking Powder, 1/4 tsp Salt.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt 1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter.  To the butter add, 1/3 Cup unsweetened Cocoa Powder (like Droste if you can find it but don't use Dutch processed).  Add 1 Egg and 1/2 tsp Vanilla and stir.  Add the flour mixture and stir to combine.  Stir in the Cherries and Chocolate Chips just until combined.

Shape into 1" balls and roll 2 TIMES in the Powdered Sugar.   Arrange on the sheet pans and bake for 12-14 minutes or until the sugar is cracked.  Let cool on pan before removing them.  Store in an airtight container.

NOTE:  Locally, I buy Droste Cocoa Powder at The Fresh Market but they don't always have it.  I bought a box a few months ago for this Christmas knowing they probably wouldn't have it in December since everyone is scrambling to find it.  Another idea it to look at World Markets.

These freeze and the recipe can easily be multiplied.  Merry Christmas!

Holiday Menus and Thier Success

One of my blog goals for this year is to enable a viewer to click on a recipe and then see all the recipes that accompany the flavors.  It's very easy to "get down a rat hole" as I like to call it.  That's when you think of all the things you'd like to serve and then when it's said and done, everything looks alike, is cooked in the same manner, or tastes similar.  The odd thing about this is you don't see it coming until the moment all the food is served.  You can laugh, we've all done it AND we've all attended events where it's been done.

I have a post describing how to entertain successfully and for ease in finding it, I added a tab "Entertainment".  In plain English, I describe how to throw a successful party.  Number One on the list begins as my mother taught me...well with a list....several lists, actually.  Organization is key and a list(s) will produce just that. One of the main ingredients is to think of your menu as a matrix.  You need marks in all areas.

Here's what's cooking in my kitchen over the next few days. My father is visiting and arrives tomorrow landing at 5pm.  I have to drive about an hour each way to and from the airport.  On Christmas Day we are expecting 9 adults and 7 children for drinks then 7 adults and 5 children for dinner.

Sunday Night (arrival night):
Blue Cheese Spread (make a day ahead) and Pretzel Thins with cocktails
Chicken Tetrazzini (Make early in the day and refrigerate)
Fresh Cranberries (Make a day ahead)
Christmas Cookies (Already made)

Christmas Eve
Breakfast:
Belgian Waffles (made to order)
Breakfast Sausage

Lunch:
We will go out for a bite for something light, as I have to pick up my Standing Rib Roast and would love a trip to the gym for a quick work out which are all in the same area.

Dinner:
Edam Cheese and Crackers
Salad
Chicken Marsala over Angel hair Pasta, Barbera D'Alba (Italy)
Fudge Pudding Pie (Make in the morning) with Peppermint Stick Ice Cream and my mother's Hot Chocolate Sauce (recipe not on this site, but will make a day ahead)

Later in the evening, enjoy the tree and lights with a cookie and Homemade Eggnog (recipe not on this site) but you can make my #1 Google Hit, Nutella Martini's.

Christmas Dinner dining table set entirely today.

Christmas
Breakfast:
Scrambled Eggs
Cream Scones (make on Christmas morning)
Peach Ginger Chutney (Christmas Gift for my husband)
Fresh Fruit (Cut up fruit the night before and add banana's in the morning)
Fresh Squeezed Orange and Grapefruit Juice to order.

Lunch:
If anyone needs a bite, leftover Tetrazinni or Broccoli Soup that I made the other day, or anything else in my refrigerator.

5:30pm Hors d'oeuvres:
Cocktails and Hamilton Russell, South Africa
Boiled Shrimp and cocktail sauce (I asked my mother-in-law to bring the shrimp)
Homemade Stuffed Artichokes (make these 1 day ahead, recipe to come)
Mozzarella and Grape Tomatoes with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic
Pasta Rollatini (make these 1 day ahead, bake when ready to serve)

7pm Dinner:
Standing Rib Roast (6 Ribs) with Pan Gravy and Horse Radish Cream, decanted, Chateau Roland de By, 2009.
Yorkshire Pudding (recipe to come)
Crispy Dutch New Potatoes (They can be boiled the day before and finished the day of, recipe to come)
Roasted Carrots with Parsley Butter
Sauteed Asparagus with Parmesan
White Chocolate Creme Brulee with Fresh Raspberries, Perrier Jouet.(Brulee can be made a day ahead and Torched or Broiled the day of, Ghirardelli, recipe to come)

December 26th
Will consist of eating our favorite leftovers and me putting up my feet.

Pecan Tassies

This is a wonderful recipe from Cooking Light, November 2000.  I have to admit though, I don't have fat free Cream Cheese nor Fat Free Milk in the house, and whoops, I doubled the Butter, so mine aren't exactly "light" however they are delicious just the same.  You can reduce calories by substituting both or even 1 of them.  These take a little time to make because of the handy work but they make a perfect 24 and I consider that a good quantity.  Invest in a good quality mini muffin tin with 24 cups for times like these.  Mine is a work horse.

What I love best about these is they are small.  I would much rather have a variety of mini desserts of different shapes and tastes, so this will blend well on my cookie tray for the night my father arrives for a Christmas visit.  We get back from the airport at around 6pm so everything will be made in advance.  I am planning on Chicken Tetrazzini, fresh Cranberries, plus Christmas cookies.

Here is the recipe.  My addition is that I add 3 Semi Sweet Chips to each Cup for a taste of chocolate.  I lightly greased each of the cups of my mini muffin pan with Crisco but you can use a cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350.

For the Crust.  On low speed, blend 1/2 Stick Softened UnSalted Butter (the original recipe called for 2 Tbl of butter)  with 2 oz Softened Cream Cheese.  Add 2 Tbl Milk, a Pinch of Salt, and 1 Tbl Sugar and blend on medium speed for about 30 seconds.  Add 1 Cup of Flour and blend on low until it comes onto a ball.  Remove the dough from bowl, divide into 24 pieces and roll each into a ball.  Flatted each ball with a rolling pin to get it started.  Beginning with the center pinch until you have a disk approximately 3" in diameter.  Place in each of the cups and pinch against the side of the cup making sure it comes to the top.

Next, add 3 Chocolate Chips to each cup.  Finely chop a generous 1/3 Cup Pecans with a sharp knife.  Add about 1/2 tsp to each cup.  For the filling, mix together, 1/3 Cup Corn Syrup, 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla, 1/8 tsp Salt, 1 Egg and 1 Egg White.  Using a wire whip, stir to combine.  I used my 2 tsp scoop and filled until the nuts were covered but if you don't have a scoop, use a teaspoon.  At the end you shouldn't have any filling left.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until they become fragrant and are golden brown.  Serve on a try with a mini dollop of Whipped Cream or with a dusting of powdered sugar.  Awesome with hot coffee!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Candy Cane Icing

I whipped these up this morning after I was informed at breakfast that treats were still needed for a bake sale I knew nothing about.  Lucky for me I have a well stocked kitchen for times just like these.  I came up with this idea a year ago when I was removing my tree and candy canes remained.  I raced out and bought the peppermint flavoring and well, as you can see, sometimes good things take time.

All in all, we are super impressed with these super delicious cupcakes with my own inventive candy cane icing!  This will do just the trick!!  When I picked up my son today, he told me when he saw them he knew I had made them.  He paid $.50 for one at school, though unbeknownst to him, I made mini cupcakes with the remaining batter and he could've had one for free.

Before I begin, I want to say I used the pictured Wilton Baking Cups for the first time and they worked out perfectly.  The cups allowed me to add a bit more batter than usual and they rose nicely just above the rim of the pan which I think is an appetizing size.

The recipe I always use is Martha Stewart 's One Bowl Chocolate Cake and it comes from my copy of her Baking Handbook.  If you don't own the book, I highly recommend it and at the very least, put it on your Barnes and Noble list and check it out at the book store.  The recipe is on my blog already and it's simple to make and delicious!

When filling my muffin tins for muffins and cupcakes, I always use scoops.  In this case, I was able to use my 3 Tablespoon Sized Scoop and I added batter on top of that using a 2 Teaspoon Sized Scoop.  Adding those measurements together, just shy of 1/4 Cup in case you don't own scoops...BTW, they make great stocking stuffers and they are life savers in the kitchen.  After using my 24 baking cups, I pulled out my mini muffin tin and made an additional 18 mini Cupcakes (pictured) for home. 

Bake the cupcakes and let cool completely before icing.  While they are baking, place 1 Stick of Butter and an 8oz Cream Cheese in a mixing bowl and let it soften for about an hour. Meanwhile, open and crush 6 Candy Canes.  I used my meat tenderizer for this task. 

When the butter has softened, add 8 Tbl Milk.  Begin adding 2 lbs Confectioners Sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, until you have a stiff icing.  This recipe is very forgiving and you can adjust it depending on the weather.  Add confectioners sugar or milk to get an icing that when piped, will stay put.

Place 1 cup of the cream cheese icing in a small bowl.  Add red food coloring and an 1/8 teaspoon of peppermint  flavoring.

I use a Wilton Plastic pastry bag.  Add the tip you want but for speed and the deep ridges to hold the topping, I used my larger fluted tip. I suppose it has a number but I don't know what it is.  Add the white icing first, then add a dollop of the pink, and then top with white.  When you pipe the icing you will get a random design. 

Top immediately with crushed candy cane.  Additionally, I had crunchy peppermint sprinkles that I added for a little sparkle, but red sugar will works just the same.  Have a Merry Little Christmas with these cheery holiday cupcakes!

Pecan Crisps

I just love this little cookie!  It smells like Christmas to me!!  My mother used to make these and I forgot all about them until she made them one time that I visited a few years ago.  When she opened the tin, I could just smell the chocolate and nuts.  They are small, shinny on top, and very crispy.  A bonus is if you have a special diet, they are gluten free!!

In a thick bottomed sauce pan, add 1/2 Stick Butter and 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar.  Over medium heat stir until the sugar melts.  It should only bubble along the edge.  Add 1/2 Cup Semi Sweet Chocolate and remove from heat.  Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted.  Add 1 Cup Finely Chopped Pecans and stir to combine.  Add 1 tsp Vanilla and 1 Egg and stir until combined.  It should appear a bit like a glossy paste.

Preheat oven to 350.  Foil line 4 sheet pans and lightly butter the foil.  Drop 1 tsp of batter leaving space between the cookies.  They will spread to be about 2" in diameter so leave enough space.  I stagger my rows 3, then 2, then 3, etc.  I get 13 on a sheet pan.  If you don't own 4 sheet pans, throw away the foil and let the pans cool completely before beginning again. 

These bake for 8-10 minutes.  It's easy to burn chocolate cookies.  Once they become fragrant, they are just about done and can only bake for another 30-60 seconds.  These are supposed to cool in the refrigerator but I normally slide the foil, cookies and all, onto my granite counter and it works just fine.  They crisp up once cool.  Store, once cooled, in an airtight container. 

Oil & Vinegar

A few select cities across the country are lucky enough to have a shop of the above name sake.

My tennis team adopted a family this year for Christmas. Yesterday, I bought the bikes the girls requested.  As I exited the shopping mall that houses Sports Academy, I spied a cool logo and neat looking new shop.  I off loaded the bikes at home and returned to explore.

What a cool store it is!!  I told the owner of the franchise that I would like to return to snap a photo next week.  I normally don't actually advertise places around town by way of photography.  I have only mentioned them but this place is really neat and I want (need) it to last. 

In my opinion, the highlight is when you walk in.  On the left, there is a wall lined with hanging glass (obviously imported) dispensers filled with tagged Olive Oils, Grape Seed Oils, and Vinegars.  The idea is this.  You sample them with crusts of bread.  Then you buy your favorites by the 100ml.  They range from $4 to $16 per 100ml.  You pay for the bottles but you save them and return with them clean and dry to refill them something new.

I limited myself to 3 things.  Rich Extra Virgin Olive Oil from South Africa, Chardonnay Balsamic Vinegar and Garlic Grape Seed Oil. 

In addition, there is a myriad of delicacies from all over the world.  Shhh, I bought Imported Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives for my husband's stocking.  I sampled and purchased a Pear and Ginger Chutney which I have visions of being served with Cream Scones! Wow, that may just be Christmas morning breakfast with Freshly Squeezed Valencia Oranges and Scrambled Eggs and perhaps a strip or 2 of Applewood Smoked Bacon.

As I explore the flavors from around the world, I will post my creations so you'll have to check back from time to time.