Monthly Archives: December 2011

CHEWY OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

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1 1/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbs molasses
1 lg egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup raisins

combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking powder & salt in a large bowl. beat the butter, sugar & molasses in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. beat in the egg & vanilla until smooth, about 2 more minutes. reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour mixture & beat until combined. stir in the raisins by hand. for the best flavor & texture chill the dough at least 4 hours or overnight.

position racks in the upper & lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350°. line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. form the dough into 12 balls, about 2 tbs each, & arrange 3″ apart on prepared baking sheets. flatten with the back of a fork. bake until the cookies are golden, 15-17 minutes. let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

makes 1 dozen

GINGERBREAD CAKE

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2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp pure vanila extract
8 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
3 cups flour
10x sugar, for dusting
cinnamon cream (recipe follows)

CINNAMON CREAM

1 cup heavy cream
2 tbs 10x sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

preheat oven to 350°. butter a 10 cup ring mold pan & set aside. in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butters & sugars on medium speed until light & fluffy, 2-4 minutes. add the vanilla & mix. add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. in a large bowl, sift together ginger,cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, salt & flour. gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture & mix on low speed just until the flour has been incorporated. pour batter into prepared pan & smooth the top with a spatula. bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. invert onto a serving platter & dust with 10x sugar. serve garnished with cinnamon cream.

for cinnamon cream: place heavy cream, sugar & cinnamon in a chilled medium bowl. using a whisk whip cream until soft peaks form. cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate until ready to use.

CHRISTMAS RECIPE

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1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
lemon juice
4 lg eggs
nuts
1 bottle tequila
2 cups dried fruit

sample the tequila to check quality. take a large bowl; check the tequila again to be sure it is of the highest quality. repeat. turn on the electric mixer. beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. add 1 tsp of sugar. beat again. at this point, you should make sure the tequila is still OK. try another cup just in case. turn off the mixerer thingy. break two eegs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. pick the fruit up off the floor. mix on the turner. if the dried fruit gets stuck in the beaterers, just pry it loose with a drewscriver. sample the tequila to test for tonsisticity. next, sift 2 cups of salt, or something. check the tequila. now shift the lemon ice strain your nuts. add one table. add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. whatever you can find. greash the oven. turn the cake tin 360 s and try not to fall over. don’t forget to beat off the turner. finally, throw the bowl through the window. finish the tequila and wipe the counter with the cat.

Cherry Mristmas!

SOUPS – TERMS

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CLEAR SOUP – based on a clear, unthickened broth or stock. May be served plain or garnished with a variety of vegetables & meats

VEGETABLE SOUP – a clear, seasoned stock or broth with the addition of one or more vegetables & sometimes meat or poultry products & starches

CONSOMME – a rich, flavorful stock or broth that has been clarified to make it perfectly clear & transparent

CREAM SOUP – a soup that is thickened with roux, beurre manie, liaison, or other added thickening agents & have the addition of milk and/or cream. Cream soups are usually named after their major ingredients such as Cream of Chicken or Cream of Asparagus

PUREE – soup that is naturally thickened by pureeing one or more of its ingredients. It is not as smooth & creamy as a cream soup

BISQUE – a thickened soup made from shellfish. It is usually prepared like cream soup & almost always finished with cream.

CHOWDER – a hearty American soup made from fish, shellfish, and/or vegetables. Although they are made in many different ways, they usually contain milk & potatoes

POTAGE – a term sometimes associated with certain thick, hearty soups, but it is actually a general term for soup

SPECIALITY & NATIONAL SOUPS- a catch-all category that includes soups that don’t fit well into the main categories & soups that are native to particular countries or regions

CLEARMEAT – a mixture of ground meat, egg whites, & flavoring ingredients used to clarify consommes

RAFT – the coagulated clearmeat that forms when stock is clarified

MOZZARELLA MARINARA

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1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tbs olive OR vegetable oil
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 cup water
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
24 egg roll wrappers
24 pieces string cheeze
Oil for deep-fat frying

in a lg saucepan, saute onion & garlic in oil. add the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, salt, & bay leaf. bring to a boil. reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes or until thickened.

meanwhile, place an egg roll wrapper on a work surface with a point facing you. place a piece of cheese near the bottom corner. fold bottom corner of wrapper over cheese; roll up just until cheese is enclosed. fold sides of wrapper over top. using a pastry brush, wet the top corner with water. roll up tightly to seal, forming a tube. repeat.

in an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. fry mozzarella sticks, a few at a time, for 1 minute or until golden brown, turning occasionally. discard bay leaf from marinara sauce. serve with mozzarella sticks.

makes 24 cheese sticks & 3 cups of sauce

MARINATED OLIVES

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2 cups large stuffed olives, drained
1 cup pitted kalamata olives, drained
1 cup pitted medium ripe olives, drained
1/4 cup olive OR vegetable oil
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs minced fresh thyme OR 1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp grated lemon peel
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary OR 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
4 cloves garlic, slivered
pepper to taste

place olives in a bowl. combine the remaining ingredients; pour over olives & stir. cover & refrigerate for 1-2 days before serving, stirring several times each day. olives may be refrigerated for 2 weeks. serve with a slotted spoon.

makes 4 cups