Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti

Day 2 of holiday baking brought biscotti studded with cranberries and pistachios.  I used my favorite biscotti recipe from Dorie Greenspan--it's crunchy with cornmeal but doesn't risk your teeth--and added the dried fruit and nuts.  Around here, some people prefer what we called unoscotti--the softer cookies after only one round of baking--but they didn't get the final touches, which included dipping the ends in white chocolate and then red and green sprinkles.

Thanksgiving Just Desserts

After the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and squash, there's not always a lot of room for dessert on Thanksgiving. Still, I usually make three or four pies and cakes so we can have choices. But this year, thinking more is better, and having more people over, I made seven desserts. Yes, seven--it's not like I made 19 pies or anything. From front to back, we had classic apple pie, raspberry key lime tart, pumpkin chiffon pie, carrot cake, chocolate-cranberry-pecan pie, apple crumble cake, and mocha buttercrunch pie. Possibly it was too much ... but I don't think so. One day later, and there's not too much left.
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Christmas Cookies 2010

The holidays are here, and I am done with my baking! Well, at least the immediate baking -- I've been told I missed a few key kinds of cookies and that we're at risk of running out. Not likely. This year I made, triple peanut butter cookies, gingersnaps, chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons, pecan divines, and almond buttercrunch, which is pictured above.

                                                                    Spicy gingersnaps


                                                           Chewy, nutty pecan divines


                                                    Chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons


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Coriander-Crusted Pork Loin with Rice Pilaf and Sweet n' Spicy Roast Vegetables

I saw this meal featured in the current issue of Fine Cooking and decided to try it. Week night? Why not? -- and for all that this sounds involved, it can be done during the week, though it would be great for entertaining, too. I've liked Ellie Krieger's recipes in the past, and these were no exception. As usual, I made a few changes to the recipes -- some out of necessity and some just because. I didn't have any red peppers, so I left them out of the roasted vegetables, which I actually think I wouldn't have liked as much if I had put the peppers in (for all that I love red peppers.) I also used maple syrup instead of honey. The rice pilaf was pretty straightforward, though I used white rice instead of brown, but the overall result was very, very flavorful. Definitely let the rice get nice and toasty in the pan before you add the water; it tasted nutty even before I added the walnuts at the end. For the pork, I used a loin vs. a tenderloin, so the cooking times were a little different, but the end result was super flavorful--and it even converted a declared non-lover of pork to the other (white meat) side.

Greek Meze

It's cold and icy outside, but inside we're sitting at a little cafe in Greek islands. The sun is out, the glasses are full, and we're nibbling on meze all afternoon. To start with there are three kinds of phyllos pastries, hot and flaky just out of the oven.


There's tiropita, a combination of feta, ricotta, and onions; spanikopita, with spinach and feta; and a squash, feta, and ricotta mixture, too.

There is also marinated artichoke hearts with red peppers and garlic, sweet and salty walnuts, a variety of olives, slow cooked beef with honey and bay leaves, and hummos with pita triangles.

Almond Biscotti

For the knit-knit ladies, I baked almond biscotti (above) and more lemon cookies. The recipes are from Dorie Greenspan's Baking cookbook. The biscotti are both soft and crunchy (which is how I described the asparagus tonight too, actually ... in a good way.) The lemon cookies are sandy, with a bright, lemony flavor and a light coating of sparkling sugar around the edges.

Almond Toffee Bars

It's hard to go wrong with almonds and toffee. After many, many months of requests from a certain 12 year old, I made these again--the right way, this time--and I'm not sure which version I like better. This way is super fast, which has many advantages, but the wrong way is moister, I think. The base is a thin shortbread, which is then covered in a brown sugar-based toffee sauce, covered with slivered almonds and broiled til golden brown.

Toffee nut bars

Reprieve! I know I'm going to jinx it, but we've had fabulous weather these past few days, and I felt obligated to turn on the oven while I could. Last night I made toffee nut squares, using a recipe from Carole Walters. I used big chips instead of regular ones and pecans instead of walnuts, but I heard no complaints. We also didn't wait the full hour after baking before slicing. Warm with a big glass of milk? Oh absolutely!

Cookies!

Just a few sweets for my uncle's pottery show this weekend. From left to right: soft but crisp lemony cookies with lemon icing, outrageous brownie triangles, chocolate-vanilla pinwheels, and meringue kisses--my favorite of the group, and the easiest, made with toasted pecans and unsweetened coconut.

Meringue Kisses
(from Carole Walter's Great Cookies)

These are fabulous cookies and very easy to make, usually. Meringues are tempermental, so don't try these when it's humid or if you're in a hurry. In the past week I've made four batches of these: the first took forever to get crisp, the second produced perfect clouds, the third was tossed out due to operator error, and the last batch, made yesterday, was good but not as great as the second batch. They still taste good, but they don't have the creamy fluffiness of the others. The weather's been back and forth lately, and I was impatient--all of which are factors, but you should still make these because they're just that good.

Ingredients:

1 c pecans, lightly toasted and chopped (small to med. pieces)
3 Tbs unsweetened, flaked coconut
1/3 c plus 2 Tbs superfine sugar, divided (I use regular white sugar)
2 large egg whites, at room temp.
pinch of salt
pinch of cream of tarter
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the pecans, coconut, and 2 Tbs sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites on medium until frothy. Add the salt and cream of tarter. Increase the speed to med-high and beat until firm peaks form. Add the remaining 1/3 c sugar, 1 tsp at a time, taking about 2 minutes in all. Then add the vanilla.

Gently fold the coconut-pecan mixture into the meringue. Drop the batter from the tip of a teaspoon onto the cookie sheets (you might want to use two spoons to get the batter off easily.)

Bake the meringues for 50-60 minutes, or until they can be lifted off of the parchment without sticking. Rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back toward the end of baking time. Let the meringues stand in the turned-off oven to dry for 15 min., then transfer them to cooling racks. Note: If it's humid outside, the meringues will take longer to bake. You'll be able to tell when they're done when they come off the sheets easily. I left mine to cool in the turned-off oven overnight.

Optional: Lightly dust the tops of the meringues with unsweetened cocoa powder, sifting it through a fine strainer.


Glazed Lemon Cookies
(also from Carole Walter's Great Cookies)

1 3/4 c flour
1 c cake flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c unsalted butter, slightly firm
2 Tbs lemon zest
1 1/2 c sugar
4 large egg yolks
1/4 c lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla

2 c strained confectioners' sugar
2-3 Tbs hot lemon juice, plus extra if needed
1 Tbs light corn syrup
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift the flour, cake flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt together three times. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the butter and lemon zest on medium-low til creamy and lighter in color, about 2 min. Add the sugar and mix for another 1-2 min. Then add the egg yolks, mixing for up to a minute, then add in the lemon juice and vanilla. On low speed, add the dry ingredients in three parts, mixing til just blended. Put dough in a clean bowl, cover, and let chill for 60 min.

The original recipe makes just 16 big cookies, but instead I formed the dough into 1 Tbs-sized balls, put them on parchment-lined cookie sheets, evenly spaced, and then flatten them somewhat with the palm of my hand. Bake for 12-15 min., and then start checking for doneness; the edges of the cookies should be lightly brown. When done, remove the cookies from the oven and let stand for about 5 min. and then transfer to wire racks set over wax or parchment paper. Glaze the cookies while still warm.

For the glaze: Put the confectioners' sugar in a bowl and add the lemon juice, corn syrup and salt. Whisk together until smooth. Add extra lemon juice to thin, but you want the glaze to pour from a spoon in a steady stream. Using a small spoon, spread the glaze thinly over the surface of the entire cookie and then let air-dry til the surface has set.

Double peanut butter fudge brownies

These are based on a double fudge brownie recipe from King Arthur Flour. Instead of all chocolate chips, I used half chips and half mini pb cups from Trader Joe's, and I swirled about half a cup of warm crunchy peanut butter on the top. Mmm!

Double pb fudge brownies

1 c unsalted butter
2 c brown sugar
3/4 c cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp espresso powder
1 Tbs vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 c flour (white, ww, white ww) plus 2 Tbs more
1 c chocolate chips
1 c Trader Joe's mini pb cups (or pb chips)
1/2 c pb (I like crunchy, but smooth is fine too), warmed slightly so it can be poured

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and mix well. Heat the mixture briefly til it's hot and begins to bubble. Mix in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso, and vanilla. Allow the mixture to cool somewhat, and then whisk in the eggs. Then add the 1 1/2 c of flour and mix the chocolate chips and pb cups with the extra 2 Tbs of flour (this will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the pan.) Mix in the chips and stir til smooth. Pour the mixture into a foil-lined, greased 9- x 13-inch pan. Pour the warm peanut butter over the brownie batter, swirling it into the top with a knife. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min., until a toothpick or sharp knife inserted into the center reveals wet crumbs (and no raw batter.) Let the brownies cool completely on a rack before cutting.*

*King Arthur suggests waiting 24 hours before cutting if you use ww flour, as the extra time gives the bran a chance to soften.

Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Pie

Chocolate cranberry pecan pie. I made this for our Christmas dessert. The original recipe, from Miss Grimble Presents Delicious Desserts by Sylvia Balser Hirsch, was for a New Orleans chocolate-pecan pie, and the tartness of the fresh cranberries I added helped to offset the richness somewhat. Dried cranberries can be used instead, though I like the juiciness that the fresh ones added.

Chocolate cranberry pecan pie

1 unbaked 9" pie shell
2 eggs
1 c sugar
4 Tbs cornstarch
8 Tbs butter (1 stick), melted
1 c pecans, chopped
1 c chocolate chips
1 c fresh, whole cranberries
whipped cream for garnish

Lightly whisk eggs together. Then add sugar and cornstarch and mix well. Blend in the melted butter. Stir in pecans, chocolate chips, and cranberries and pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 min. Let cool. Garnish with whipped cream.

Christmas cookies! Clockwise, from the top left: chocolate malted sandwich cookies, shortbread hearts with cranberries and orange zest, triple chocolate peppermint cookies, praline cookies, and molasses cookies. 

Almond buttercrunch. What's not to like about butter, sugar, almonds, and chocolate? I make this every year, and I still love it. 

Nana's Oatmeal Crunchies

A simple but delicious refrigerator cookie recipe from my grandmother that's packed with rolled oats and walnuts. Oatmeal Crunchies (makes 4-5 dozen) 1 c butter 1 c white sugar 1 c brown sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1 1/2 c flour (may need a little more if dough seems soft) 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 3 c quick oats (I use reg. oats) 1/2 c to 3/4 c chopped walnuts or pecans Cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and then the vanilla. Then mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt, and finally add in the oats and nuts. Put the dough into 3-4 logs (maybe 2-3 inches in diameter) on separate sheets of cling wrap/wax paper/parchment paper. At this point freeze or chill the logs well. When you're ready to bake them, slice them into rounds and bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes, til they're caramel in color. Depending on how you slice them, they will make 4-5 dozen--and they go fast!

Caramel Turtles

Attack of the turtles! There are worse things in life ... yum yum.

Chocolate Caramels

Chocolate caramels. I went on a caramel-making binge today, and one of the recipes I tried was this one, from Jacques Torres.

Turtle Brownies

Warm turtle brownies, the stuff food porn dreams are made of. The recipe is adapted from America's Test Kitchen, and while time-intensive for a brownie, I'd say it's definitely worth it. Ultimate Turtle Brownies Makes 25 Adapted from The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2007. For the caramel: 1/4 c plus 2 Tbs heavy cream 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 c water 2 Tbs light corn syrup 1 1/4 c sugar 2 Tbs unsalted butter 1 tsp vanilla For the brownies: 3/4 c flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 8 Tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used bittersweet choc. chips) 2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped 2 eggs, at room temp. 1 c sugar 1/4 tsp salt 2 tsp vanilla 2/3 c chopped pecans, plus 25 pecan halves, toasted, for garnish 1/3 c semisweet chocolate chips To make the caramel: Combine the cream and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan with a lid, combine the water and corn syrup. Add the sugar to the saucepan and mix, taking care not to let sugar stick to the sides of the pan. Cover, bring to a boil over med-high heat and cook for 3 to 5 min., without stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the liquid is clear. Uncover and cook for 3 to 5 min., without stirring but swirling the pan occasionally, until the liquid is a pale golden color. Reduce the heat to med-low and cook about 1 to 3 min., swirling occasionally, until the caramel is a light amber color and is about 360 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully add the cream-salt mixture to the center of the pot (the mixture will bubble and steam vigorously). Stir with a whisk until the bubbling subsides. Add the butter and vanilla, stirring to combine. Transfer to a measuring cup or bowl and set aside. To make the brownies: Adjust an oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9-inch-square baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing the extra foil to hang over the edges of the pan. Lightly grease the foil-lined pan with nonstick spray. Combine the flour and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside. Melt the butter and the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely bubbling water, stirring occasionally until smooth; set aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar, salt and vanilla. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. Add the flour mixture and stir until almost combined. Add the chopped pecans and chocolate chips, and mix. To assemble: Spread half of the brownie batter in the prepared baking pan. Drizzle 1/4 c of the caramel over the brownie batter. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter over the caramel; spread evenly into the corners of the pan. Drizzle an additional 1/4 c caramel over the top. Using the tip of a knife, swirl the caramel and batter. Bake for 35 to 40 min. (it took me about 55 min.), until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. If necessary, heat the remaining caramel (you should have about 3/4 c) in the microwave on high for 45 to 60 sec. until it is hot and pourable but still thick, stirring once or twice. Pour the caramel over the brownies and use a spatula to spread the caramel evenly. Refrigerate the brownies, uncovered, until they are fully chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove from the baking pan by lifting the foil extensions. Cut into 25 evenly sized squares. Press a pecan half onto the surface of each brownie. Serve chilled or at room temp.

Pumpkin scones with dried cranberries and toasted pecans. This is based on a recipe from the JoyofBaking.com Web site. Here's the recipe with my changes added in. I doubled the recipe so I'd have some leftovers. Mmm, breakfast. Pumpkin Scones With Cranberries and Pecans Scone Dough: 2 c unbleached flour 1/3 c light brown sugar 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 c cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1/3 c dried cranberries 1/4 c toasted and chopped pecans 1/3 c buttermilk 1/2 c canned pure pumpkin (with no spices added) 1 tsp vanilla Egg Wash: 1 large egg 1 Tbs milk/cream Turbinado sugar for sprinkling the tops of the scones (optional) Glaze (optional): 1/3 c powdered sugar 1 Tbs milk/cream Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with your fingers (they do work best. The mixture should be in pieces no bigger than peas. Stir in the cranberries and pecans. In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, pumpkin puree and vanilla and then add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Mix just until the dough comes together. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and 1.5 inches thick. Using a cookie or biscuit cutter, cut the dough into rounds (I used a pumpkin shape, not that you can really tell. I don't like huge scones, but if you do, feel free to do the traditional wedge shapes.) Place the scones on the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash and sprinkle a little Turbinado sugar on top, if desired. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Once cool, drizzle with the glaze and enjoy. Yield: about 9 three-inch pumpkin-shaped scones.

Pecan Divines

Cookies and milk anyone? You know all those culinary mysteries out there? IMO, most of the stories aren't very good, but sometimes the recipes look interesting. Til today, however, I hadn't tried any of them. I was reading Fudge Cupcake Murder, by Joanna Fluke, and a chocolate and pecan cookie recipe kept calling to me--no big surprise since I love both chocolate and pecans. Essentially they're chewy chocolate chip cookies with nuts, but they're good! If I come across raspberry syrup I might try the cupcakes named in the book's title, but til then, I'll just have to munch on these cookies. I halved the recipe, as the original made 10 dozen, though my teaspoon-sized cookies (raw) ended up making 6.5 dozen. Andrea's Pecan Divines (from Fudge Cupcake Murder, with some changes by me) 1 c unsalted butter, melted 1.5 c sugar 3/4 c light brown sugar 2 tsp vanilla 2 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2.5 c unbleached flour 1.5 c semisweet chocolate chips 2 c med. chopped pecans Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Then, using a hand mixer, beat in both sugars. Add the vanilla, baking soda, salt, and mix. Add the eggs one by one, and mix thoroughly. Add half of the flour and blend well, then add the chocolate chips and pecans, stirring to incorporate them thoroughly. Then add the rest of the flour. The dough will be quite stiff, but mix it well til it's fully blended. Chill the dough for about 10 min. before baking, or else it will be too sticky to work with easily. After 10 min., drop the dough by teaspoons (I made teaspoonish-sized rounded balls) onto cookie sheets covered with parchment paper. You should be able to fit 12 cookies per pan. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 min., or until lightly browned. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool 2 min. on the cookie sheets before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. My yield: 6.5 dozen.

Cookies! Clockwise, from the top: lemon flowers, meringues with pecans and coconut and dusted with cocoa, raspberry and apricot thumbprints, shortbread with chocolate ganache and toasted pecans, and sesame cookies. The lemon flowers are from Martha, and the rest are from Carol Walters' Great Cookies.