Sea Salt Caramels with Vanilla Bean Armed with lessons learned from last Christmas, I made two batches of Sea Salt Caramels this year, stopping a few degrees short of what the original recipe stated because last year’s candies set up harder than I would have liked. One batch is destined to be dipped in dark chocolate and the other destined to be gobbled up before Christmas even gets here. Sweet, salty, chewy and dotted with tiny vanilla bean flecks… These guys don’t stand a chance of making it ’til Christmas. Sea salt and vanilla beans add an elegant touch to homemade caramel candies. Ingredients 1 cup heavy cream5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 vanilla bean pod, split and scraped1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling 1 1/2 cups sugar1/4 cup Lyle's golden syrup (or light corn syrup)1/4 cup water Instructions Notes Yields: 64 candies Adapted from Gourmet
almond-vanilla rice pudding Can someone explain to me how we can boil some grains, like oatmeal, in milk with a little bit of sugar and mix in some dry fruit and it is called breakfast but when you do it to others, like rice, it is considered dessert? These are the questions that taunt my brain when I wake up in the morning and realize all I want for breakfast is rice pudding but then force myself to eat “normal” breakfast food like oatmeal or an egg and toast. Or so I tell you. Nevertheless, as my rice pudding craving has shifted from a delicious random thing I had for dessert last week — when our apartment was so cold, only stuffed cabbage, pirogis and comfort desserts from Veselka would warm me — into the kind of overdrive that demands I have it for breakfast (but I didn’t. Like I told you already.) and dessert all day, every day, it seems time to refresh my favorite recipe. Anyway, if we must consider this “dessert” it’s worth noting that as far as desserts go, it’s quite earnest. * Yes, they’re mine. Serves 4
Carbonara I love carbonara. It's fast, simple and cheap, yet very filling, warm and comforting. I generally don't like it when I get it at a restaurant which is surprising to me because it is so easy to make! We also made garlic bread. Usually we use raw garlic on garlic bread. The butter garlic mixture with some parsley added. Crushed red pepper on top and ready for the oven. My favorite pasta for this dish is linguine. I slice the bacon in half the long way, and then cut small pieces the short way. When the bacon has about 7 minutes left, I drop the pasta and add a few pieces of diced onion to the bacon. When the pasta has 1 minute left, add garlic to the bacon. Work quickly now. cup and a half of cream and 4 eggs. 3/4 cup of parm. Stir the pasta into the bacon for about 30 seconds. This bowl has been warmed until you are just barely able to hold it. Add the parsley. And cheese. And keep stirring. Yum. Top with more parsley and cheese and cracked black pepper. Recipe
Two Tiny Kitchens Salty and sweet. Crunchy and melt-in-your-mouth. Peanut butter and chocolate. Dangerous and delicious (you know what I mean). One little bite, so much to experience. Why did I wait so long to give these a try?? Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites recipe courtesy Foodaphilia.com Calorie estimate: 4,000 – 5,000 for complete recipe (depending upon dipping chocolate and pretzels used, etc.) Yield 60 – 80 pretzel bites Ingredients 1 cup creamy peanut butter 2 tbsp softened butter 1/2 cup powdered sugar (maybe more) 3/4 cup brown sugar (maybe more) Pretzels 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions Combine peanut butter and softened butter in a large bowl with a fork or whisk, or in a stand mixer. Use a teaspoon measure to scoop the filling. Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and heat at 30-second intervals, stirring occasionally until completely melted.
Recipe for apple crisp wontons Somewhere, in a file of ideas for future cooking classes, I have a list titled 100 things to make with wonton skins. (Wouldn't that be a fun class?) If these apple crisp wontons aren't on the list already, they will be. Wonton wrappers, inexpensive and versatile, can hold sweet or savory fillings; heat them in soup, steam them in a bamboo steamer, bake them, or deep fry them quickly in a hot wok. Kathy and I named these "apple crisp" because the little pillows filled with apple and chopped walnuts, granola and raisins, taste exactly like a New England apple crisp just out of the oven. Eat them while they're still warm. Apple crisp wontons From the pantry, you'll need: raisins, agave nectar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, wonton skins, canola oil, confectioners sugar. Makes 18. Ingredients Directions In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the chopped apple, granola, raisins, agave nectar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. In the wok, heat the oil over medium heat.
Salt and Vinegar Potatoes with Rosemary There are a million versions of these smashed potatoes all over the place. However, I love the idea of making these a little tangy. I love those thick-cut salt and vinegar chips, which is where the inspiration for this recipe came from. By dousing these potatoes with cider vinegar after they come out of the oven, you are indeed in for a tasty and tangy treat. My mouth puckers just thinking about it. Serve along side your favorite main dish and enjoy. Place potatoes in salted water and bring to a boil; cook until fork tender. Place the cooked potatoes on a well-oiled baking sheet and press down gently on each potato with a potato masher. Brush the top of each potato with olive oil…be generous. Serve on the side with just about anything!! Print Recipe Ingredients 2 lbs Small potatoes, new or fingerlings work wellOlive oilKosher salt Fresh ground pepperFresh rosemary, finely choppedCider vinegar Directions Place potatoes in salted water and bring to a boil; cook until fork tender.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Cups Soooooo… you know that episode of Sex and the City where Miranda has to dump dish soap on top of chocolate cake just so she will stop eating it?? Uh. Yeeeeeah. These are like… of that caliber. And that totally almost happened to me. You PROBably should not make these if you are home alone for four days. I ate what felt like a million, then had a plate of 5-day old green bean fries from the fridge and called it lunch. I definitely recommend those. For lunch. Face? Inhale. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Cups [cookie dough adapted from cookie dough dip] makes 24 cups 2 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 3/4 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips In a small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Line a mini muffin with with liners. Sigh.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies My family loves my soft peanut butter cookies and my Nutella peanut butter cookies, so I decided to create a chocolate version of this fave. That was easy to do by just substituting some of the flour with cocoa powder. Nice and soft and full of chocolate peanut buttery flavor, yum! I love this dough. It’s such an easy recipe and comes together nicely. I haven’t substituted butter for the shortening, so if you decide to do that I’m afraid I can’t offer up any experienced advice. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookiesprintable version 1/2 cup shortening (or butter flavored shortening)3/4 cup creamy peanut butter1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar3 tbsp milk1 tbsp vanilla1 egg1 1/4 cups all purpose flour1/2 cup cocoa3/4 tsp salt3/4 tsp baking soda Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. Did you enjoy this post?