Mini Almond Bites
Posted: 02/13/2013 Filed under: cookies, desserts, recipes, snacks | Tags: almond bites, almonds, baking, cookies, mini almond cookies, recipe 15 Comments »
Mini Almond Bites
Recently I was asked if I would bring a dessert to a wedding shower. Of course I would, that’s what I do. That’s what I live to do. I’m always so thrilled when I’m given the task of providing dessert, as it gives me a real purpose in life. So, when I was trying to decide what I should make, I knew immediately that it would have to be a mini dessert. At any gathering of women I’ve ever been too, my observation has been if the desserts are not mini, women won’t touch them. Ultimately I notice, they may eat 2 or 3 mini desserts which equals one normal sized treat. Oh come on ladies, don’t hate me for saying this, you know it’s true.
Well anyway, I ended up making these Mini Almond Bites. Not surprisingly, they went over very well. They’re a little bit chewy like a macaron, and filled with lots of crunch from the abundance of almonds.
Mini Almond Bites
Mini Almond Bites
From Brownies & Bars
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds
- 1 recipe Almond Glaze
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F with the rack in the center of the oven. Line two 12-cup mini muffin tins with paper liners.
- In a saucepan, combine brown sugar and butter over medium heat and cook until melted and smooth; cool slightly. Then, with a rubber spatula, stir in the egg, and almond and vanilla extracts.
- In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and with the rubber spatula, stir just until combined. Stir in 1/3 cup of the almonds. Reserve the rest for topping the cookies.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling until half full. Sprinkle with the remaining almonds.
- Bake for 14-17 minutes or until tops are light brown. Cool in muffin tins on a wire rack for 5 minutes. When cooled you can drizzle the cookies with the Almond Glaze.
Almond Glaze
In a small bowl whisk together 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract and about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of milk until you reach a good drizzling consistency.
Makes 24 mini bites
Mini Almond Bites
Recipe: Easy
Mini Almond Bites
Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
Posted: 02/07/2013 Filed under: cakes, desserts, fruit, recipes | Tags: apple, apple streusel cake, baking, cake, coffee cake, dessert, recipe 36 Comments »
Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
I come from a long line of coffee cake eaters. In fact, the family motto is” we never met a coffee cake we didn’t like”. Our family’s coat-of-arms is a cheese Danish and a cup of coffee. So you get my drift, right. We like coffee cake, so much so that I can’t bake ‘em as fast as they eat ‘em. But that’s okay, it keeps me on my toes.
This Apple Streusel Coffee Cake is a particular family favorite. Why, because it’s all apple-y, and streusel-y, and cinnamon-y, and nut-y. I can think of no better combination of flavors. Well, maybe coconut and bananas, but that will be another blog posting.
Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
Adapted from Gale Gand’s Brunch!
The Cake
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 apples, peeled and cored, and chopped (I like to use a tart Granny Smith apple)
- 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
Streusel Topping
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut up
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Using a pastry brush and melted butter, grease an 8-inch baking dish.
- For the cake, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or I used an electric hand-mixer) beat the egg and then mix in the milk and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until everything is incorporated. Add the apples and walnuts to the mixture and pour into the baking dish.
- To make the streusel topping, mix the sugar, flour, cold butter and cinnamon in a medium bowl by pinching them together with your fingers until combined. Spoon the mixture over the top of the batter.
- Place the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden, and when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan, and then cut into squares.
Recipe: Easy
Mama’s Tips:
Not all apples fare well when added to baked goods. The varieties that I find work well are; Granny Smith, Fuji, Rome Beauty, Gala and Honeycrisp. I like to use a combination of these apples instead of just using one kind.
Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower
Posted: 01/31/2013 Filed under: recipes, side dish, Vegetables | Tags: broccoli, cauliflower, cooking, recipe, roasted vegetables, side dish 9 Comments »
Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower
Yes, Mama does like to bake. I know how I tell you all the time how I love to play gleefully in my kitchen with butter, flour and sugar. And how I take such pride in my cookies, cakes and other crumb-like creations that emanate from my oven. But, Mama’s not a one-trick pony you know. I’m well aware of the virtues of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Now that the holiday season is over and all the out-of-town guests have left, Mama’s getting back to the business of eating healthy. During the winter, when it’s even too cold in Los Angeles to use the outdoor grill, I love to roast my vegetables.
Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower are a big hit at my dinner table. Roasting the vegetables at a high temperature causes the veggies to caramelize; this is when the acid in the vegetables breaks down and the sugar is released, bringing out their natural sweetness. Be careful though not to over bake the vegetables, because limp broccoli is a real dinner downer. When I pull the tray out of the oven, I use a metal spatula to scoop up all those tasty brown bits on the sheet pan because that’s where all the flavor is. It’s fresh, it’s simple and it just tastes darn good.
Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower
Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower
- 1 1/2 lb. broccoli, washed and cut in large chunks (leave about 1 1/2″ of stems)
- 1 1/2 lb. cauliflower, washed and cut into large chunks
- 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon, fresh ground pepper
- 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and place oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.
- Wash the broccoli and cauliflower under cool water and cut them into large chunks. Leave about 1 1/2″ of the stems on the broccoli. Dry with a paper towel.
- Thinly slice the 4 cloves of garlic.
- Place the broccoli, cauliflower and garlic onto a large baking sheet. Drizzle the vegetables and garlic with olive oil, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. With your hands, toss to evenly coat all the ingredients.
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife. Be careful not to over-bake the vegetables, you still want a little crunch in them. Halfway through baking, take the pan out and toss the vegetables so all sides will brown.
- While the vegetables are baking, toast your pine nuts in a small frying pan (dry, no oil in the pan) over medium heat. Stir them constantly so they do not burn. This will only take a few minutes. When they start to caramelize, remove them from the heat and transfer to a small bowl.
- When the veggies are done, transfer them to a serving bowl. Use a metal spatula to get all those little bits and pieces off the baking sheet because that stuff is full of flavor. Toss in the pine nuts. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top of the veggies and serve immediately.
Serves 6
Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower
Mama’s Tips:
To toast the pine nuts; place in a small frying pan (dry, no oil) over medium heat stirring constantly so the nuts do not burn. When they get a little golden brown in color, remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl.
When roasting the vegetables, spread them out in one layer on the baking sheet. Don’t crowd the vegetables or stack. Use two baking sheets if you need to, but you want all the vegetables exposed to the heat.
Recipe: Easy
Orange Walnut Bread
Posted: 01/21/2013 Filed under: Bread, cakes, fruit, recipes | Tags: baking, bread, cake, orange, orange bread, orange walnut bread, recipe, walnut 50 Comments »
Orange Walnut Bread
Today’s post is about a tea cake with tons of fresh citrus, sweet butter and eggs. But wait…there’s more! Act now, and you get the toasted walnuts and shiny orange glaze too. So, do I have your attention, sound good, huh?
Recently for reasons unknown to me, I decided that a 4pm each day, I was going to stop what I was doing and sit down and have a cup of tea. A quiet time to reflect on what I had accomplished in my day so far, and to contemplate what tasks were still on my agenda. It seemed so civilized to me. Certainly one couldn’t have tea without it being accompanied by a proper tea cake. One of my all-time favorites is this Orange Walnut Bread. It’s not overly sweet, and the bits of orange rind give it that fresh citrus-y flavor which compliments the earthy crunch of the toasted walnuts.
I really think that this new ritual of mine will help me to be more productive, or maybe I’m just kidding myself. Maybe it’s just another reason I’ve drummed up to eat more cake .
Orange Walnut Bread
Orange Walnut Bread
Adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook
- 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs, separated
- grated rind of 1 large orange or 2 small oranges
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted*
- Orange Syrup
- Orange Glaze
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. What I find that works best is to melt a little butter and using a pastry brush, brush the melted butter inside the pan in all the nooks and crannys. Then dust it with flour, shaking out all the excess.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the 3/4 cup sugar gradually, beating until light. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, and the grated orange rind.
- In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry mixture to the batter alternately with 1/2 cup orange juice, beginning and ending with the flour. Gently mix in the walnuts. Transfer this mixture to a medium bowl and set aside.
- Wash out your mixer bowl and dry completely. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them carefully into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, set on the middle rack and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until lightly golden and skewer inserted in center comes out clean.
- While cake is baking make the syrup mixture. When cake is done, using a wooden skewer or toothpick, poke holes in the top of the cake and spoon the hot syrup over the bread. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
Orange Syrup
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/4 granulated sugar
Combine the orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a light syrup forms.
Orange Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 3-4 tablespoons of fresh orange juice
Place these ingredients in a small bowl and whisk or stir with a fork until you achieve the desired consistency for the glaze. If you like a thicker glaze add more sugar, if you prefer a thinner glaze, add more orange juice.
Orange Walnut Bread…right out of the oven
Mama’s Tips:
*Toasting Nuts: I always like to toast nuts when I’m adding them to baked goods. Why, you ask? Toasting nuts releases their natural oils and gives them a deeper flavor. Toasting will make the nuts crispier too, giving your baked goods more texture. I place the nuts in a small frying pan over a medium heat. I constantly stir them with a wooden spoon because you don’t want them to burn. It takes about 6-8 minutes to toast them, you’ll start to notice a fragrant smell coming from them as they begin to toast.
Egg Whites: When beating egg whites, make sure there is no yolk in the whites or they will not become stiff. Also make sure your mixer bowl and utensils are completely clean and free of grease, butter or oil, as this will cause your egg whites not to become stiff also.
Orange Walnut Bread
Orange Walnut Bread
Recipe: Easy
Chocolate Pecan Cookies
Posted: 01/14/2013 Filed under: chocolate, cookies, desserts, recipes, snacks | Tags: baking, chocolate, chocolate pecan cookies, cookies, pecan, recipe 31 Comments »
Chocolate Pecan Cookies
What can I say, baking cookies never gets old for me. Yes, I’m at it again, yet another cookie recipe. People ask me all the time, “Sheryl, don’t you ever get tired of doing this?” No, no I don’t. While others are out in the world doing productive things with their lives, I prefer to remain at home in the privacy of my own kitchen measuring out flour and butter, rolling dough into cute little balls and watching them sprout into delectable little cookies.
I know, girl get a life. I do like to stand in front of the oven with the light on watching my dough balls morph into crispy, crunchy edible treats. It’s a harmless obsession really. These Chocolate Pecan Cookies are a particular favorite of mine as I like nothing more in life than chocolate and nuts, best combo ever since Kim and Kanye, am I right? As if these cookies are not already perfect enough, the chocolate drizzle on top is the icing on the cake, or the cookie…you know what I mean.
Chocolate Pecan Cookies
Chocolate Pecan Cookies
From Bon Appetit
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled
- 1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (I used half cup of each)
- 1/2 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Stir the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, milk and vanilla in a medium bowl until you achieve a smooth consistency. Next, stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Then add the nuts, stirring to incorporate. Transfer the mixture to a covered container and chill for at least four hours. You can make the dough a day ahead of time, and just keep it chilled in the refrigerator.
- On baking day, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment. Measure 2 tablespoons of dough, roll it between your palms to form a ball. Place the ball on your prepared baking sheets. Using your fingers, spread out the dough into a 3-inch diameter disk. If it makes it easier for you; pre-draw 3-inch circles on your parchment paper. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, I placed my ball of dough in the center of the cutter and smushed it out inside the cutter to form a 3-inch disk. I fit 6 cookies on each baking pan.
- Bake cookies about 10 minutes until flat and beginning to darken around the edges. Transfer the cookies on the parchment to a cooling rack.
- To make my chocolate drizzle, I took about 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate (finely chopped) and about a teaspoon of Crisco and placed it in a bowl. I gently microwaved it at 15-second intervals, stirring after each interval until I got a drizzly consistency of chocolate. I placed my cookies on a cooling rack and then put paper towels underneath the cooling rack before I drizzled the cookies with the chocolate. Let the cookies stand for about 30 minutes until the chocolate sets.
Makes 16 – 3″ cookies.
Chocolate Pecan Cookies
Mama’s Tips:
One of my most useful kitchen accouterments is a cookie cutter set like this. For this particular recipe, I used the 3-inch cutter. I placed the cutter on the parchment covered cookie sheet, and then took my dough ball and pressed it into the cutter to achieve a uniform size for all my cookies. You always want your cookies to be the same size and thickness so that they will bake evenly for yummy results.
Recipe: Easy
Corn Muffins
Posted: 01/05/2013 Filed under: Bread, muffins, recipes, snacks | Tags: baked goods, baking, corn, corn muffins, muffins, recipe, snacks 45 Comments »
Corn Muffins
Southern Californians are a funny lot. No matter how cold it gets, and for the past two weeks it has been very cold, Southern Californians will wear shorts and flip-flops no matter what. I noticed this strange phenomenon yesterday as I was shopping at an outdoor mall. Me, bundled in a winter coat and scarf, and everyone else lollygagging about in their Tommy Bahama Hawaiian shirts and sundresses. I really admire their spirit, and for some folks it really is an endless summer. And why not. Maybe it’s the thin, east-coast blood that runs through my veins, but I was headed home to have a big bowl of chili and these homemade corn muffins. I was embracing the brisk winter weather with some down-home comfort food.
Anyway, son #1 had given me the Bouchon Bakery cookbook for a gift and I was anxious to try out some of the recipes. What I like most about the book is that it’s recipes are written in both cups and grams. As a gal whose obsession is baking, naturally I prefer gram measurements. Why, because baking is a science and grams are a precise measurement. When you weigh your ingredients your chances of a successful end product are almost guaranteed. Even if you’re just an occasional baker, I highly recommend you get yourself a digital food scale. You know I would never steer you wrong.
Thomas Keller explains in the book that the reason for allowing your batter to sit overnight is for the purpose of hydrating the flour. When the mixture absorbs the liquid ingredients, the result is a very moist corn muffin.
Corn Muffins
Corn Muffins
From Thomas Keller Bouchon Bakery
- 1 1/4 cups + 3 tablespoons (201 grams) all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (51 grams) cornmeal
- 2 1/2 teaspoons (12 grams) baking powder
- 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons (135 grams) sugar
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2/3 cup (168 grams) whole milk
- 2 large eggs (90 grams)
- 1/4 cup + 2 1/2 tablespoons (90 grams) canola oil
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (72 grams) frozen corn kernels
* If you do not have a scale to weigh out the eggs, take your 2 large eggs and lightly beat them in a bowl and then remove about 1 teaspoon and that will be about 90 grams.
Directions
- Place the flour in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Sift in the cornmeal and baking powder. Add the sugar and salt and mix on the lowest setting for about 15 seconds to combine. Add the milk and eggs and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, just until combined. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the oil, then increase the speed to medium-low and mix for about 30 seconds to combine.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate all the dry ingredients that may be stuck to the bottom. Fold in the corn. For best results, transfer the batter to a covered container and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, and line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with liners. Lightly spray the liners with nonstick spray. Spoon the batter into the cups about 3/4 full.
- Place the pan in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F, and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until muffins are lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. When done, place the pan on a cooling rack and cool muffins completely.
Makes 12 standard size muffins
Corn Muffins
Corn Muffins
Recipe: Easy
Linzer Cookies
Posted: 12/26/2012 Filed under: cookies, desserts, recipes | Tags: baked goods, baking, cookies, dessert, Linzer Cookies, recipe 27 Comments »
Linzer Cookies
We here at Mama’s Gotta Bake just love our cookies. You notice how I said “we”, you know it’s really just me. I like to pretend there’s a group of us here so I can actually justify eating all these cookies. Anyway, “we” spent the entire month of December baking an obscene amount of goodies, but I decided that my last post of 2012 should be the Linzer Cookie.
For me, if there was ever cookie perfection, then the Linzer Cookie is it. They have a tender, nutty dough (check out those gorgeous flecks of nuts in the cookies below), a sweet preserve filling and they’re dusted ever-so-lightly with powdered sugar. Come on, you’re dying for one, admit it!
As we head into 2013, Mama’s Gotta Bake heads into year three, and I just wanted to thank all of you who have stopped by and read my posts. I appreciate your comments, and I can’t believe I get to connect with food lovers from all over the world. I wish everyone a peaceful and Happy New Year.
Linzer Cookies
- 2-1/2 oz. (1/2 cup) sliced almonds
- 2-1/2 oz. (1/2 cup) coarsely chopped hazelnuts
- 9-1/2 oz. (2 cups plus 1 Tbs.) all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. table salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 7 oz. (14 Tbs.) chilled unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 T. cold water
- 1/2 cup of your favorite preserves (I chose four berry preserves)
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Directions
- The dough will need to be chilled for at least 3 hours, so keep that in mind when beginning this recipe: In a food processor, process the almonds and hazelnuts with 1/2 cup of the flour until fine textured but not powdered.
- Add the remaining flour, granulated sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Pulse to combine. Keep the butter in the refrigerator, it should not be room temperature. Take it out when you’re ready to use it. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and add to the flour mixture; pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Don’t overprocess. Transfer to a large bowl. Whisk together the egg and water; sprinkle over the flour mixture and toss gently to combine. The dough should hold together when pinched. (If it seems dry, sprinkle on a bit more water.) Gather the dough into two balls and knead briefly just to blend. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, 2 to 3 hours. I made the dough a day before and refrigerated it overnight.
- To bake: preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the cookie sheets with a silpat or parchment. Roll one ball of the dough in between two layers of parchment paper, 3/16 inch thick. (Keep the rest in the refrigerator, and if the dough warms up to the point of being sticky while you’re working with it, return it to the refrigerator.) Cut out as many 2-1/2-inch rounds as possible, rerolling the scraps to make more rounds. Arrange on the cookie sheets about 3/4 inch apart. Cut 1-1/4-inch holes in the center of half the rounds. Reroll these center scraps to make more cookies. Bake until the edges are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool on the sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough.To assemble: With the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, spread a heaping 1/2 tsp. preserves on the underside of the whole cookie rounds. Top with the doughnut-shaped cookies, bottom sides against the preserves. Be sure you dust the “doughnut shaped” cookie with powdered sugar before you place it on top of the half with the preserves so that you do not cover the preserves with the sugar.
Makes 20 – 2 1/2″ cookies
Linzer Cookies
Mama’s Tips:
When you take your dough out of the refrigerator in preparation for baking, let it warm up for 5-10 minutes. Then, roll your dough out in between two pieces of parchment paper. At this point if the dough is too warm and sticking to the parchment, you won’t be able to cut clean edged shapes from it. Lay the dough in the parchment flat on a cookie sheet and return the dough to the refrigerator or freezer. When the dough is cold again you will easily be able to cut your shapes out.
Store the cookies in an airtight container in between layers of wax paper. They should last for 3-4 days. But they won’t last that long, trust me.
Linzer Cookies
Recipe: Intermediate
Mini Stuffed Potatoes
Posted: 12/17/2012 Filed under: Appetizers, recipes, Vegetables | Tags: appetizer, cooking, mini appetizers, mini stuffed potatoes, party food, potatoes, recipe 29 Comments »
Mini Stuffed Potatoes
Many of you have approached me recently and said, “Mama, I’m having a holiday party and I need an idea for a tasty appetizer”. Well, I think I have just the thing for you if you want something with potatoes, bacon and cheese that will pop right into your mouth. You will be amazed at how much flavor is packed into this one bite. But actually, if you’re a bit more genteel, it will be two bites. But I digress.
When entertaining for the masses, I’m a gal who likes to do as much prep work in advance so I’m not so overwhelmed the day of the party. Mini Stuffed Potatoes are an appetizer you can prepare two days in advance. You can stuff the potatoes with the mixture, and then wrap them in plastic and place in the refrigerator. An hour or so before you’re ready to serve them, let the potatoes sit out on the counter to come to room temperature. Next, sprinkle them with the cheese and place them in a 425 degree F oven for about ten minutes until they are heated through and browned on the top. It’s quite the festive treat.
This holiday season my friends, hold your loved one’s very close. Mama wishes you all the best for the New Year.
Mini Stuffed Potatoes
Mini Stuffed Potatoes
From Fine Cooking
- 24 baby Yukon Gold or red potatoes, each about 2 inches across (2 to 2-1/4 lb.)
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 oz. bacon (about 3 thick slices), cooked until crispy and crumbled
- 6 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh chives
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Heat the oven to 450°F. Place the potatoes in a medium sized bowl and toss with the olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. of the thyme, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and toss again. Transfer the potatoes to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake the potatoes until they feel perfectly tender when pierced with a skewer, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
- Carefully hollow out each potato: Decide which is the flatest surface of the potato to give it the most stability, then begin by slicing off the top; use a small spoon (I had a tiny mini spoon that worked great)or a melon baller to scoop out most of the flesh inside, transferring it to a medium bowl. Discard the tops. Mash the potato flesh with a masher or a fork, then combine it with the bacon, 1/4 cup of the chives, the sour cream, the remaining 1 tsp. thyme, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
- I used my fingers to fill the hollowed potatoes with this mixture; it should mound a bit. Sprinkle on the cheese.
- Return the potatoes to the 450°F oven and bake until the filling heats through, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining chives and serve warm.
Recipe: Intermediate
Mini Stuffed Potatoes
P.S. For another tasty holiday appetizer, click here to view the recipe for Curried Scallop Cakes.
Mini Stuffed Potatoes
Chocolate Doughnuts
Posted: 12/03/2012 Filed under: chocolate, desserts, doughnuts, recipes | Tags: baking, chocolate, chocolate doughnuts, doughnuts, recipe 40 Comments »
Chocolate Doughnuts
I guess this recipe is going out to all the chocolate lovers out there. Those of us who openly and freely admit that we love chocolate. I was having a real hankering the other day for something chocolatey, and so I took out the doughnut pans and decided, why not make these baked Chocolate Doughnuts with a Chocolate Glaze.
In retrospect, these may have even been a bit too chocolatey even for me. Next time I may douse them in a vanilla glaze, or simply just dust them with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Nonetheless these were still delicious, and extremely easy to make. You will however need a standard sized doughnut pan to accomplish the task. I found mine at my local baking supply store, but you can also easily find them online was well. I won’t try to con you into thinking these are not highly caloric, but the upside is that these are baked and not fried, so that’s a good thing, right?
The secret ingredient here is the espresso powder, as it really enhances the chocolate flavor. But, if you don’t have access to it, don’t worry, they will still taste amazing. And then, bring out your array of sprinkles and jimmies because that’s the best part of this entire process. Really, who doesn’t like jimmies!
Chocolate Doughnuts
Chocolate Doughnuts
From King Arthur Flour
- 2/3 cup good quality cocoa powder
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons vinegar, white or cider
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) melted butter or 1/3 cup vegetable oil
Chocolate Glaze
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 6 tablespoons half & half or cream (light or heavy)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the wells of two standard doughnut pans. If you don’t have two pans, simply bake the batter in two batches.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, espresso powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. Set aside.
- In a large measuring cup or medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and vinegar.
- Add the wet ingredients, along with the melted butter or vegetable oil, to the dry ingredients, stirring to blend; there’s no need to beat the batter, just make sure everything is well-combined.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan(s), filling them between 3/4 and full.
- Bake the doughnuts for 13-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
- Remove the doughnuts form the oven, and after 30 seconds or so, loosen their edges, turn the pan upside down over a rack, and gently let the doughnuts fall onto the rack.
- For sugar-coated doughnuts, immediately shake the doughnuts in 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; add 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder to the sugar for an additional touch of chocolate.
- If you want to ice the doughnuts rather than shake them in sugar, allow them to cool completely before icing.
- To make the glaze: Combine the chocolate chips and half & half or cream in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. Heat in 20 second increments, stirring the mixture in between until you get a smooth consistency.
- Remove from the microwave, and stir until the chips have melted and the glaze is smooth.
- Spread glaze on the doughnuts.
Makes 18 doughnuts
Chocolate Doughnuts
Mama’s Tips
Let your doughnuts cool completely before you cover them in the glaze.
Store doughnuts in an airtight container, and they should last for three days…if you don’t finish them first.
Chocolate Doughnuts
Recipe: Easy
Molasses Cookies
Posted: 11/26/2012 Filed under: cookies, desserts, recipes | Tags: baking, cookies, holiday baking, molasses, molasses cookies, recipe 42 Comments »
Molasses Cookies
I know I told myself that right after Thanksgiving I would go back on Weight Watchers. That I would start lifting those weights I have a sitting in the corner of my bedroom. That I would walk my dog Jimi everyday for an hour, and that I would get in my car and go to the gym and pretend to sweat. But who am I kidding. The first free day that I get when I can actually implement these new policies and what do I do instead. Bake cookies. I just couldn’t help it. The lure of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and molasses was just too strong for me to resist. It was calling to me. And I answered. HELLO COOKIES!
These Molasses Cookies are a real family favorite. I seriously can’t keep them in stock. I made them on Friday, and they were gone by Saturday. And no, I didn’t eat them all. I shared. They’re very easy to make actually, as you mix them up in just one pot. Yes a pot! This sinfully chewy cookie just oozes rich molasses flavor and spices. I can assure you, these will become one of your family favorites also.
Okay, so I’m off to the gym now, see ya.
Molasses Cookies
Molasses Cookies
From Great Cookies by Carole Walter
- 1 1/2 sticks, unsalted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, plus more for rolling cookies in
- 1/4 cup dark molasses
- 1 large egg
Directions
- Melt the butter in a 3 quart, heavy saucepan over low heat.
- Strain together three times the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves and then set it aside.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, molasses, and egg into the butter, mixing until smooth. Add the dry ingredients, one-half at a time, and blend well. Put the dough in a large plastic freezer bag, or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two cookie sheets with parchment.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls or you can use a ice cream scoop to form the balls. Place some sugar in a shallow bowl, and roll the dough balls in the sugar to coat them. Place the balls on the prepared cookie sheets 2 inches apart from one another as they will spread.
- Bake the cookies for 8-12 minutes until the tops begin to crack. Remove from the oven and leave them on the cookie sheets for three minutes and then remove the cookies with a thin metal spatula to cool on a rack.
Makes 24 cookies
Molasses Cookies
Mamas Tips
These cookies freeze really well. You can store them in an airtight container, just layer the cookies with wax paper in between and they should last up to 3 weeks.
All cookies need to be the same size so that they will bake evenly. To insure that all your cookies will be the same size, use an ice cream scoop.
If your shipping your homemade cookies for the holidays, these ship extremely well.
Molasses Cookies
