I decided I wanted something fruity to stick in my holiday tins, and landed on yet another Joy of Baking recipe; this time for raspberry oatmeal squares. I don't have a whole lot to say about this recipe other than it's really easy and it's really good for being so simple. What more can you ask for?
Raspberry Oatmeal Squares
Joy of Baking
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1.25 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups old fashioned oats, divided
1 cup raspberry preserves (or jam)
Preheat your oven to 350 and position the rack to the middle of the oven. Grease a 9" square pan with butter or cooking spray.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until incorporated. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until well combined, and stir in 1.75 cups of the oats.
Press 2/3 of the mixture into your baking pan to form a crust. Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the crust. To the remaining mixture, add the remaining 1/4 cup oats. Crumble that mixture over the jam.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
If I had to pick my arch-nemesis of kitchen appliances, it would definitely be the waffle iron. Honestly, who thought it would be a good idea to get something really hot (to the point of smoking) and then try to evenly spread batter over its entire surface, even as parts of the batter are already starting to cook? And, assuming you are able to do this well, you have to guess the correct amount of batter to make 4 equally sized waffles, which I still haven't been able to do. If you've managed to both evenly spread and use the precise amount of batter over the grid, your next feat will be to cook the waffles so that they are 1.) nicely (and evenly) browned on the outside and 2.) done all the way through. At this point, all you can do is hope that they taste good after all that work.
Luckily, despite the fact that these gingerbread waffles weren't very aesthetically pleasing, they did taste good. Plus, my waffles were cooked through and nicely browned (though they were not evenly shaped by any stretch of the imagination). But, I'll take 2 out of 3. As an added bonus, I ended up freezing about 7 waffles so we can have them for breakfast and I don't need to mess around with the dreaded waffle iron again for a while.
I looked at a few recipes for gingerbread waffles, including this one and this one, and ended up making my own up. It wasn't quite as unhealthy as the first recipe, not quite as healthy as the latter. They had a really great flavor.
Pumpkin Gingerbread Waffles
1.25 cups whole wheat flour
1.75 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground ginger
2.5 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1.25 cups pumpkin puree
1/4 cup molasses
1.25 cups low fat buttermilk
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
1.5 tsp. vanilla
Sift together the whole and all purpose flours, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
In another bowl, beat the eggs and egg whites with the brown sugar until fluffy. Add the pumpkin, molasses, buttermilk, butter and vanilla and beat until just incorporated. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients--don't overmix.
Add the batter in batches to your waffle iron, cross your fingers, and hope for the best.
This is certainly not the best of pictures, but given my many waffle-woes, I'll take what I can get.
Mmmm, gingerbread. I love it. Love gingerbread crusts, gingerbread men, gingersnaps, and regular ol' gingerbread. So when I saw this recipe from Joy of Baking for gingerbread scones, I had to try it. I figured these would hold up better in tins than gingerbread and I wouldn't have to roll them out/cut them like I would with cookies. Plus, I got another chance to use my mini scone pan. I made this dough about 2 weeks ago and froze it, so all I had to do was stick it in the fridge the day before and then knead and bake.
I can't begin to tell you how great my kitchen smelled when these were baking. I was ready to just plop one out of the pan and eat it half way through the baking process. And luckily, the taste lived up to the smell. I will definitely be making another batch next week!
Gingerbread Scones
Joy of Baking
Scone Dough
1.75 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp. ground ginger
1.5 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
1/3 cup dried cranberries or cherries (optional)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2.5 Tbsp. unsulphered molasses
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Egg Wash
1 egg
1 Tbsp. milk or cream
extra oats for sprinkling
Maple Glaze
1/2 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1.5 Tbsp. real maple syrup
1-2 tsp cream or milk (I probably used close to 3)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and position your rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or if you are using a mini scone pan, grease lightly with butter or oil spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the dough with a pastry cutter (or use your food processor on pulse) until the mixture looks like course crumbs. Stir in the lemon zest and cranberries, if using.
In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, molasses, and vanilla extract. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, just until a dough comes together. Don't overmix.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times. Pat the dough into a circle, which you cut into 6 triangles, or roll into a square the size of your mini scone pan and then cut into 16 pieces, placing each piece individually in the pan.
Beat together the egg and cream to make the egg wash, and then brush the mixture over the scones. Sprinkle the scones with some rolled oats.
Place the baking sheet in another baking sheet (didn't even bother with this) and bake for about 20 minutes or until done.
Once they are cooled, make the glaze by combining the confectioners sugar, maple syrup and milk/cream. Add cream until you get an icing consistency which can be drizzled over the scones.
I didn't make any changes to the recipe other than make mini scones instead of full sized ones. I used dried cranberries since I had them on hand but I love dried cherries even more, so I might do that next time. I did leave out the optional lemon zest because I didn't have a lemon on the day I made the dough. I recommend the maple glaze. It's really tasty and gives the scones just a little added sweetness.
Any recipe that starts out with one pound of butter has got to be good. I'm sorry, but it's just a fact. Kourambiedes are another one of my favorite cookies. They are basically the Greek's version of shortbread cookies, and are rolled in powdered sugar. The cookies are really similar to Mexican wedding cookies/Russian tea cakes. If you were thinking maybe the pound of butter wasn't rich enough, then surely the dousing of the cookies in powdered sugar adds that extra sweetness you want :)
The last time I made these, we were out of ouzo and brandy, so I used about 1 tsp. of almond extract and they were still really good, and more almond-y. I say this in case you tend not to keep liquor around the house and want to know if something can be substituted. But today, I went the traditional route since I have a just-opened bottle of ouzo in the liquor cabinet.
I'm submitting these cookies over to Susan at FoodBlogga who is hosting a Christmas cookies event. New cookies are being added constantly, and I have been drooling over a large portion of them for days.
Kourambiedes
makes about 4 dozen
1 lb. (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 shot ouzo, brandy, or cognac
3.5 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
2/3 cup roasted and crushed almonds
additional confectioners sugar, for rolling
Preheat the oven to 350.
Beat the butter until very creamy, a good 10-15 minutes. Add the sugar and cream together. Beat in the egg yolks, one a a time, until well incorporated and finally, mix in the vanilla and the ouzo.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture slowly, until incorporated and a relatively stiff dough forms. Add more flour, if necessary. Knead in the almonds, and knead the dough 5 or 6 times.
Using tablespoon sized portions, roll the dough into whatever shape you want (I did crescents; in my famly, crescents, rounds and esses were the most popular) and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for about 24 minutes or until done. Cookies should be slightly browned, but not too dark.
Let the cookies cool for ten minutes or so before rollling in powdered sugar.
Melomakarona are one of my favorite cookies on the planet. Like most Greek desserts, they have honey, cinnamon, and walnuts. What can I say? We don't like to mess with a good thing. But, it's this mixture that makes them perfect for the holidays (or really, year round, if you're me!).
The dough for this cookie is pretty basic, but what makes them unique is the honey/simple syrup mixture the cookies are dunked into and the texture that arises from that process. The dipped cookies are pretty soft, due to the syrup, but are not chewy. The finished cookie has sweetness from the honey and sugar, a little spice from the cinnamon and cloves, and a nice crunch from the walnuts. That's why they're pretty much my perfect cookie.
Melomakarona
makes 4-5 dozen cookies
Cookie Dough
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1.5 cups vegetable oil
6 cups flour
1.5 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Syrup/topping
1.5 cups sugar
1.5 cups water
1.5 cups honey
1/2 lb. walnuts, crushed
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves
To make the cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350.
Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until just incorporated. Add the oil and orange juice, mixing until smooth and combined.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. If necessary, add more flour to make a workable dough. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
Roll cookies into oval shapes with the palm of your hand and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Press the cookies down slightly with your fingertips, and then prick them with a fork several times. Bake the cookies for about 25 minutes or until done. Set aside to cool completely.
To dip the cookies:
Mix the walnuts, cinnamon and cloves together in a bowl and set aside.
Once the cookies have cooled completely, start making your syrup. Bring the water, honey and sugar to a boil in a large sauce or saute pan (I like using a high saute pan, the bigger surface area across will let you dip more cookies at once). After it has boiled for a minute or two and thickened slightly, skim the foam off the top. Turn burner to low, just to keep the syrup warm.
In batches, dunk the cookies in the honey syrup. Leave them in there for about 40-50 seconds or so, before removing them with a slotted spatula and placing them on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Top the dipped cookies with the walnut mixture.
Store these in an airtight container and they should keep for quite a while (if they last that long :)
I never imagined I'd say this, but I think I might be sick of chocolate. Well, more appropriately, I think I am sick from chocolate. Somewhere between the peppermint bark, my trip to Vosges, the nibbling on my coworker's pretzel/chocolate bites, the licking of bowls of melted chocolate and the abundance of Hershey kisses, caramel toffee, and white chocolate chips in my house (and tummy), I thought it would be a good idea to sample the truffles I made tonight. Oy. They were good, but I think they put me over the top. I am in a major cocoa-coma. Hopefully I snap out of it. You know, in time to eat more chocolate.
So, back to my holiday tins. The other chocolate part of them (and thankfully, the tins only have two chocolate components so that tomorrow I may write a post about how I am sick on confectioner's sugar and/or honey and walnuts) is truffles. This is actually the first time I've made truffles. They are really easy, though they can be somewhat time consuming if you make a lot, which thankfully, I didn't.
I perused our liquor cabinet to see what we had available and the Bailey's stared back at me. I was going to make one larger batch of all Bailey's truffles, but decided to just make a half batch and flavor the other half with raspberry liqueur and jam.
Irish Cream Truffles
makes about 20 truffles
1/4 lb. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 lb. semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. Bailey's
crushed chocolate coated espresso or coffee beans, for rolling
Put the chopped chocolate in a stainless steel bowl and set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the butter and heavy cream to just boiling and then turn off. Pour the mixture through a sieve onto the chopped chocolate. Gently whisk together the chocolate and cream mixture until the chocolate is melted. Stir in the Bailey's. Refrigerate the mixture for an hour or longer, until firm.
Using a small cookie scoop, make equal sized truffles. Roll them in your hands, to make them round. Roll into the crushed chocolate covered coffee beans.
Chocolate Raspberry Truffles
makes about 20 truffles
1/2 lb. dark chocolate, chopped
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. (I'd probably use 3 next time) raspberry liqueur, like framboise
3 Tbsp. seedless raspberry jam
dutch-processed or unsweetened cocoa powder, for rolling
Put the chopped chocolate in a stainless steel bowl and set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the butter and heavy cream to just boiling and then turn off. Pour the mixture through a sieve onto the chopped chocolate. Gently whisk together the chocolate and cream mixture until the chocolate is melted. Stir in the Framboise and seedless jam. Refrigerate the mixture for an hour or longer, until firm.
Using a small cookie scoop, make equal sized truffles. Roll them in your hands, to make them round. Roll into the cocoa powder.
This year, I decided to give some tins filled with sweets out to a few people for the holidays. I don't normally do this because I am not big on baking, and most of our friends have moved out of the city and/or travel around the holidays. But, I got bit with a little baking bug, and I opted to make a few manageable things without going overboard.
Peppermint bark is one of those things that most people like and it's so easy to make. As a plus, it can be made in advance of all the baked goods, which helps you keep on schedule! The two chocolate components of my goodie tins are bark and truffles: two things that can be made a little early and hold up well in the fridge and in tins (or during shipping).
If you like things mintier, add a splash of mint extract to the white chocolate layer. I am more of a chocolate gal than a mint gal myself, so I prefer not to do that; not to mention the fact that I don't often bake and therefore have no mint extract in my cabinet.
Peppermint Bark
1 lb. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (I use a combination), coarsely chopped
1 lb. white chocolate, coarsely chopped
6 oz. crushed peppermints or candy canes
Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
In a double boiler (or, in my kitchen, a large bowl over a not-as-large pot with an inch or so of just simmering water), heat the chocolate until it's melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate onto the baking sheet and spread the mixture evenly with a spatula or offset spreader. Let the chocolate set, on the counter or in the fridge, until it's firm.
Melt the white chocolate in the double boiler. Allow to cool slightly before pouring over the firm bittersweet chocolate layer. Spread evenly, and then sprinkle with the crushed peppermints (if you want, mix the peppermints in with the white chocolate instead). Set the bark in the fridge and break into pieces when cooled and firm.
I wanted to take a quick minute to let everyone know about a great new website. The site is FreeRice and it was just created about two months ago. FreeRice gives you a word and four possible definitions. If you pick the correct definition, 20 grains of rice will be donated by FreeRice through the United Nations. You can keep playing for as long as you'd like, and 20 grains of rice will be donated for every correct response. So far, over $100,000 has been donated to the United Nations World Food Programme.
This is a great way to build your vocabulary as well as do something good for the world! So get learnin'! :)
Peabody of Culinary Concoctions by Peabody fame has recently moved into what is probably one of the cutest houses I've seen. She has asked people to bring a dish to her virtual housewarming party, and I've been trying to figure out for a few days now what to bring. Since a lot of Peabody's blogging friends are bakers, I figure many of the dishes brought will be desserts, so I decided to "bring" something savory. The decision was made much easier by the fact that baking is not what you would call my "strong suit." In fact, you'd probably call it my weakness. So, no need to try and compete with all those wonderful bakers!
I ended up picking avgolemono (egg-lemon rice) soup, not only because I love making soups and it's Greek, but because Seattle has had its first snowfall, and I figure something warm and comforting is good. I am "serving" the soup in mugs so it's easier to eat at a potluck, and it's even served on a special trivet, just for Peabody...a hockey puck. I considered using my Lidstrom jersey under the mug, but I don't think self-proclaimed Red Wings hater Peabody would like that much. Or, maybe she would, in hopes that the soup would spill all over the jersey ;)
Avgolemono is probably the easiest soup in the world to make; not that it tastes that way. The thing is, because it has so few ingredients (4, if you're not adding chicken), you really want to use homemade stock for this soup to make sure it has good flavor. I suppose you could use a good quality store bought stock, but I'm going to be a little Ina Garten here and strongly suggest homemade stock.
Soupa Avgolemono
serves 6
8 cups homemade chicken stock or good quality store-bought stock
1 cup rice (I prefer short grain because it's starchier and will help to thicken the soup but if you don't want the rice to be as soft or the soup to be as thick, use long grain)
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (optional)
3 eggs
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (more or less, depending on how tart you want the soup)
salt and pepper
In a stockpot or dutch oven, bring the stock to a low boil and add the rice. Simmer until the rice is cooked, and then stir in the chicken just to heat through. Season to taste. Take the dutch oven off the heat.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs together with the lemon juice. Slowly drizzle some of the broth from the soup into the egg-lemon mixture, whisking constantly so as not to scramble the egg. Do about 2 ladles full of broth. Then, slowly pour the whole mixture back into the stockpot, again whisking constantly.
Sprinkle the soup with fresh ground pepper and serve with lemons, if desired.
I was trying to think of something different than the usual pasta/pizza/wraps to make with leftover chicken from the bird I roasted yesterday and came up with croquettes. I didn't really feel like serving them with veloute or gravy, and was rummaging around in my fridge when I came across some sour cream that needed to be used up. That inspired me to make the croquettes a little tex-mexy in nature.
These were really good. I just took the basic idea of the croquette and added a roasted poblano and some chili powder/cumin. I've had a recipe for chipotle chicken taco salad from Cooking Light saved to try for a while now, so I stole their idea for the dressing and used that to top my croquettes, which I decided to serve over a black bean/corn saute.
Chicken Croquettes
Makes about 6 croquettes
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 heaping Tbsp. sour cream
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 poblano pepper, roasted, peeled and diced
1 cup cooked chicken, finely chopped/shredded
cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste
flour, for dredging
1 egg, beaten
breadcrumbs or panko, for dredging
canola oil
sour cream-chipotle dressing for topping
In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and make a roux. Slowly add the chicken stock and whisk until thickened. Off the heat, stir in the sour cream. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, cook the onion and garlic in a little canola oil or some cooking spray until tender. Add the chicken, poblano and the seasonings, Stir for a couple minutes so the flavors can mingle. Season to taste. Combine the stock sauce with the chicken mixture. Refrigerate for an hour or longer.
Form the mixture into patties. Dredge the patties first in flour, then in the beaten egg, and finally in the panko or breadcrumbs. Heat canola oil in a skillet (I use nonstick so I can use less oil) and pan fry the croquettes a couple minutes per side, or until nicely browned and crisp.
As for the bed of black beans/corn/pepper stuff (and yes, that is the technical, culinary term), I just sauted a diced onion, a cup of pepper strips and 2 cloves of garlic in a little canola oil. To that, I added a can of drained/rinsed black beans, about 1/2 cup of salsa and another 1/2 cup of corn. Seasoned it to taste with some cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
