White Chocolate, Cranberry, and Macadamia Nut Cookies

January 6, 2010

Today is A Hint of Honey’s first Birthday! We made through a full year! I meant to celebrate today with cake, but the cake I baked didn’t turn out as grand as I’d hoped. I made a towering-tall red velvet cake. It was pretty with fluffy white frosting and a deep scarlet middle. It tasted much like I imagined red velvet cake would (it was my first try), but I just wasn’t thrilled with the result. It seemed a little dry and the frosting wasn’t the perfect match. Maybe it was the recipe, probably it was me. Anyhow, today we’ll be without a birthday cake. So instead, I have a different treat to share with you: white chocolate, cranberry, and macadamia nut cookies. Still worth celebrating! I feel obliged to make some soft of birthday speech. A toast to a full year of memorable meals, delectable desserts, mounds of dishes, and millions of messes. To food-spattered cookbooks (and computers and cameras), frustrating photo shoots, and friends and family who shared it all with me. To Dustin, for his patience and encouragement. To my readers, for making this so much fun! Happy 1!

White Chocolate, Cranberry, and Macadamia Nut Cookies

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips, coarsely chopped
1 cup salted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease or line two large baking sheets.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add sugars and beat until blended. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla.

3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and beat until just blended. Stir in the chocolate, cranberries, and macadamia nuts with a spatula.

4. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Baked in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack. Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or frozen for several weeks.

Makes 48 cookies.

(Adapted from Bon Appetit)

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Bird’s Nest Cookies (Thumbprint or Thimble Cookies)

December 21, 2009

This recipe is a Christmas tradition in my family. Every December my mom would begin Christmas cookie production. She’d store stacks of Tupperware containers in the cool garage filled to the brim with holiday treats such as peanut butter balls, and best of all, what we call bird’s nest cookies! They’re known by many names- thimble cookies and thumbprint cookies, but the general idea is the same. A sweet buttery ball of shortbread is rolled in nuts or coconut and dented with a finger or a thimble (or the end of a spoon in my case). Then they’re baked and the “nests” are filled with fruit jelly.

If you’ve never had a bird’s nest cookie it might sound kinda strange, but I promise they’re delightful! My little sister who doesn’t care much for jam, took one bite and with wide eyes declared the cookie “delicious”! She ate half a dozen. We use my mom’s homemade strawberry jam which is the best I’ve ever had. Someday I’ll have to make that on my own!

It’s always fun to have recipes that have been passed down through the family. This one came from my grandmother (mom’s mom) who died before I was born and so it has a special place in our hearts and our kitchen.

Bird’s Nest Cookies (Thumbprint or Thimble Cookies)

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups salted butter (if you use unsalted be sure to add about 1/2 tsp. salt)
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3 eggs, separated
jam or jelly of your choice (I used raspberry and strawberry)
sweetened dried coconut flakes
walnuts, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar gradually and mix well.  Lightly whisk the egg yolks then add them to the bowl with the vanilla and flour,mixing until thoroughly combined.  Shape into walnut-sized balls.

3. Place egg whites in a shallow bowl and lightly whisk. Place nuts and coconut in separate bowls. First roll the balls of dough in the egg whites and then in either the nuts or coconut to coat. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and dent in the center with a thimble or finger.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Quickly remove from the oven and re-dent the tops of the cookies. Return the cookies to the oven and continue cooking for about 8  minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven to cool on a wire rack. Fill the centers with jam or jelly while still hot. Once cooled, store in an airtight container.

NOTE: If using coconut, make sure the oven rack is in the middle of the oven and watch the cookies closely at the end of cooking to prevent the coconut from burning.

Makes 40-60 cookies, depending on size.

(My mother’s recipe.)

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Sausage, Mushroom, and Pepper Pizza

December 16, 2009

Sometimes I get so excited to eat what I’ve created that I forget the finishing touches. Halfway through devouring this cheesy delightful pizza I realized I forgot to add the fresh basil. Such a shame. So I surreptitiously sprinkled some on top, after the pizza had cooled. Not the same, but better late than never. Don’t forget the basil (especially if you buy a 3$ bunch of it just for this occasion). It makes it this pizza marvelous (and particularly beautiful).

I have to tell you. Tomorrow we leave for a Christmas vacation. We’re on break from school for the next few weeks and so we’re heading to Oregon to spend the holidays with Dustin’s family. We’re quite excited because it’s been almost 2 years since we made the trip. But this does mean that I won’t be in my kitchen… for 2 weeks! We barely left last night (staying with my parents in DC today) and I’m already experiencing separation anxiety. In theory, I’m looking forward to a break from cooking, but I know I’m going to miss it very much. I’ve saved a few recipes to share, but my posts may come a little less often until I’m back and caught up.

Feeling sad about the impending separation? Need a comforting slice of cheesy pizza to cheer you up? This recipe will do. It combines classic pork sausage and fresh sauteed veggies for a pizza supreme. It’s cheesy, rather greasy, and livened up with fresh cut basil (if you don’t forget it!). Make sure to visit the link below for instructions on making the perfect pizza crust. It’s my most-utilized recipe on this site.

Sausage, Mushroom, and Pepper Pizza

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe pizza dough
6-8 oz. sweet or spicy Italian pork sausage
1 cup onion, thinly sliced (I used 1/2 of a large white onion)
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
8 oz. mushroom mix (I used half cremini and half skitake), cleaned and quartered
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
about 1 cup pizza/marinara sauce
about 2 cups mozzarella cheese
fresh basil, julienned

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare pizza dough according to recipe directions.

2. Preheat oven to 450 F.

3. Remove casings from sausage and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add onion, pepper, and mushrooms and saute until tender (about 8 minutes). Stir in garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4. Once the crust is prepared, spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over the crust. Top evenly with the sausage and mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with desired amount of cheese.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh basil, and serve.

Makes 1 large pizza.

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

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Turkey Cranberry Panini

December 2, 2009

In case you’ve still got some turkey lurking in your fridge, here’s another way to put it to use! From what I’ve gathered researching recipes, this turkey + cranberry + brie  (or havarti) combination is quite common. I tried it for the first time last year with a jar of jellied cranberries I bought. It was good, but with this homemade sauce it’s even better! It’s the perfect solution for Thanksgiving leftovers! I’ve got a few more turkey-licious recipes coming your way. I’ve managed to make 4 different meals with the meat I confiscated from our turkey dinner!

Turkey Cranberry Panini

INGREDIENTS

2 slices crusty white or wheat bread
roasted turkey breast, thinly sliced (think Thanksgiving leftovers)
salt and pepper, to taste
oranged cranberry sauce (or a store-bought version)
brie, thinly sliced (Havarti and gouda are also delicious here)
mayonnaise (optional)
baby arugula or spinach (optional)
thinly sliced red onion (optional)
cooking spray or butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat panini press to medium-high heat.

2. Spread cranberry sauce on the first slice of bread. Top with with turkey. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the turkey. Place a layer of brie over the turkey. Spread mayo on the second slice of bread (optional) and top with arugula or spinach and red onion (also both optional). Top with the second slice of bread.

3. Butter the outside of the sandwich OR spray the grill with cooking spray. Grill panini until the outside is golden and crisp and the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 panini.

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Oranged Cranberry Sauce

December 1, 2009

I have decided that my absolute #1 definitive pet peeve is a picky eater! Even more annoying is a picky eater who has no reason behind their pickiness. They stubbornly refuse to try certain foods just because they can. Or they have formed a bias against the idea of a food item. I’m married to a partly picky dessert eater (as detailed in this post) and I used to be one (before my food and cooking transformation). And I dislike that former self. I’ve realized how silly and unfounded my notions were. Look at me now- I enjoy, even love, just about every food I once claimed to hate!

What sparked this outburst? Well, on the way home from the gym this morning I was listening to a morning radio show where callers were sharing their food aversions. Several callers had never eaten an egg. One lady flat out refused to touch a tomato or onion. Eggs, tomatoes, onions? I was astounded. My first reaction was anger: “How can you dislike something you’ve never tried?!” And then I felt bad for them- these people are missing out on so much deliciousness in life!

I’m not meaning to offend anyone out there, but chances are if you are reading my blog (especially if you are cooking off of it) you don’t fall into this category. Or perhaps you do, and in that case, please remember-I still love you! But you really should open your mind (and your mouth) and consider that you might be wrong. I once thought beans and barbecue and seafood were all gross. Truth was, I had never really given them a chance. Now beans of every variety are a staple in my diet, I slather barbecue sauce on everything I touch, and I can’t afford to support my seafood loving self. And trying something once doesn’t count. Not everyone knows how to prepare something well, so don’t let one bad experience turn you off for life. I’ve even grown some small affection for blue cheese. It’ll never be my first choice, but I can acknowledge that it’s kinda good!

If there’s a place for pickiness in your diet it’s in what quality of food you choose to consume. By all means, shun fast food and other seriously unhealthy options. That doesn’t make you picky, it makes you wise. Eat real, substantial food and each a large variety of it. Don’t ever say no to something you haven’t tried (at least twice). Chances are there are very few tastes in this world you’ll adamantly dislike. I acknowledge that a broadening of palate comes with age. But once you’re an adult, grow up! You’ll be a lot more fun to share meals with and a lot more interesting to be around when you aren’t turning up your nose all the time. It might seem shallow, but people will genuinely like you more if you share in their likes.

Here’s a cranberry sauce recipe that will have the so-called cranberry haters asking for more. It is nothing like the canned concoction (although I profess to like that stuff as well). Serve it with a turkey dinner or as a sweet spread for rolls. It combines fresh juicy cranberries with bright citrus flavor and sultry cinnamon. Simmered for several hours on the stove, it becomes a thick delicious side dish.

Oranged Cranberry Sauce

INGREDIENTS

12 oz. fresh cranberries
1 orange, zested and juiced (about 1 cup juice)
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup brown sugar (to taste)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, orange zest, cinnamon, orange juice, and brown sugar. Add enough water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately reduce heat, and simmer for 1-2 hours, until the sauce reaches the desired thickness. Taste for sweetness, and adjust with additional sugar if necessary. You can not overcook, so continue cooking until you have a good thick consistency. Let mixture cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container.

Serves 6.

(Adapted from All Recipes)


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