The Barefoot RoXXXy

Sometimes I get the feeling that most people find my cooking aspirations to be nothing more than . . . pipe dreams.  And before we go any further, let us please define the term "pipe dreams", shall we?

Noun
pipe dream (idiomatic) A plan, desire, or idea that will not likely work; a near impossibility.
i.e.  I think her plan to become a professional chef is a pipe dream and she should give it up.

But you know what?  It is not an impossibility.  I do cook.  And I do cook well.  I find recipes to challenge me.  I find recipes that have ingredients I am not familiar with.  I find these recipes and I make them.  And I make them damn well!!!  Whether you taste them or not.  Someone does.  And those "someones" like what I cook and, in a way, they encourage me to continue, to branch out, and to explore the cuisines of this world we live in.

This planet is inhabited by so many diverse peoples and beliefs and religions and tastes and customs and traditions and . . . just everything!!!  I can't even fathom what it must be like to only know and experience one type of food for your entire life.

For example . . . I love, worship, and adore Greek food,  But I also know many native Greeks who find their home foods to be . . . common place.  But . . . let me say I grew up (born and raised) in Houston, TX and I love love LOVE my traditional Southern food . . . to someone like me, baklava, souvlaki, pastitisio, spanikopita, and more are heavenly dishes to me, because I was not raised on them.

My point, I think, is that I love to explore and I crave things that are not native to me and the country/region that I live in.  And to achieve this, I generally check out various chefs with shows on Food Network to give me ideas and inspirations.

Okay, so to start, I would just like to say that for about 10 years I have wanted a Kitchenaid  stand mixer.  Years ago, I bought a cheap stand mixer and it was nothing like what I wanted.  It was plastic and it was, I eventually realized, nothing more than a hand mixer attached to a cheap plastic bowel.

So, last weekend, I had finally saved up enough money to afford the stand mixer of my dreams.  My mother and I headed over to Bed Bath  Beyond and I put a $299 Kitchenaid stand mixer into my shopping cart.

Well, I had a 20% off coupon that a lovely gentleman (that I may or may not have a slight crush on) that I work with gave me.  That got me $60 off the price of the mixer.  And when I went to check out, I found out that my mixer came with a $30 mail-in rebate.  Okay, so I got the Kitchenaid stand mixer of my dreams for $210 total, including tax.

Well, once I got the mixer home, I needed something to make.  And so I turned to The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.  I remembered an episode where she and her husband Jeffery were in Paris and she talked about (and recreated) a recipe called Meringues Chantilly.

Two of the ingredients in Merigues Chantilly call for the use of a good quality stand mixer.  And now I had a wonderful Kitchenaid stand mixer, so I decided to go for this recipe.

Meringues Chantilly is basically meringue baked into cookie form and topped with stewed berries and homemade whipped cream.  And, like usual, I made a change or two here and there to make this recipe truly mine.  So, here you go.

(P.S.  I made these a week ago.  It took me this long to getting around to making this post.  And this weekend I made some amazing Southern Italian/Sicilian food that I promise to get around to posting this week,  I promise.)

So anyway, here is the classic French dessert, Meringues Chantilly.

Meringues Chantilly

• 6 extra - large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. 
2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 
3. Using a small glass and a pencil, draw 6 (3 1/2-inch) circles on each piece of paper. Turn the paper face-down on the baking sheets.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a large pinch of salt on medium speed until frothy. 
5. Add 1 cup of the sugar and raise the speed to high until the egg whites form very stiff peaks. 
6. Whisk in the vanilla. 
7. Carefully fold the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar into the meringue. 
8. With a large star - shaped pastry tip, pipe a disc of meringue inside each circle. 
9. Bake for 2 hours, or until the meringues are dry and crisp but not browned. 
10. Turn off the heat and allow the meringues to sit in the oven for 4 hours or overnight.
11. Spread some of the sauce from the stewed berries on each plate. 
12. Place a meringue on top and fill with whipped cream. 
13. Top with berries and serve.

Orange Whipped Cream:

• 2 cups (1 pint) cold heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 tablespoon Triple Sec

1. Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. 
2. When it starts to thicken, add the sugar, vanilla and triple sec, and orange extract and continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks.

Stewed berries:
• 1 half-pint fresh blueberries
• 3 half-pints fresh raspberries, divided
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 teaspoons amaretto

1. Combine the blueberries, one-half pint of raspberries, 1/3 cup water, the sugar and zest in a saucepan and bring to a boil. 
2. Lower the heat and cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. 
3. The juice will become a syrup and the berries will be slightly cooked. 
4. Off the heat, stir in the remaining raspberries and the amaretto. 
5. Set aside.

I fell in love with this.  My mother fell in live with this.  My baby brother and his wife fell in love with this.  And my co0worker (the one who gave me the coupon) fell in love with this.  And I would like to give thanks and ask forgiveness for all the years I spent being annoyed by Ina Garten for this recipe.  It is, and I am NOT exaggerating, heaven on a plate.

The ingredients for Meringues Chantilly.

Meringue piped onto parchment paper to bake.

Baked meringue . . . light, crispy, and delicious.

Blueberries, raspberries, orange zest . . . soon to be a delicious topping,

Stewed berries . . . ready to top the wonderful, crispy meringues.

Homemade whipped cream may be the moat decadent thing I have ever tasted.

Meringues Chantilly . . . ready to serve!

It shouldn't surprise you in the least...

It shouldn't surprise anyone that I again made Middle Eastern food this weekend.  This time it was a delicacy called Kifta (or Kefta).  It is a simple, easy food to make and tastes so amazingly awesome that it took every bit of will power I had to not over stuff myself to the point of my stomach exploding.  LOL!!!

So, I saw kifta on the menu at both of my favorite cafes, Shahrazad Cafe and Cafe Medina.  But I didn't order it for myself.  I did bring some home to my baby brother from Shahrazad.  And my older brother says he loves kifta.  So I just had to try making some.  I was not disappointed.

On one of my sopping excursions at Shahrazad Market, I found a bottle of Kefta spice.  The ingredients for the spice read as follows... "garlic powder, black pepper, allspice, hers and a proprietary spice blend".  Okay, so they won't tell me what ALL is in it.  Heh!  Oh well.  As long as I can buy bottles of it, I am fine with not making my own.

And this is how you make it...

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground beef or lamb (I used 93/7 ground beef)
• 1/2 cup of Ziyad brand Kefta Spice
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1/2 cup of parsley (I used dried, fresh would be better)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1-1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (I omitted this and just sprayed my grill pan with extra virgin olive oil)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Shape into patties or form the meat on a kebab skewer.
3. Grill over medium heat until desired cooking temperature is reached.

And that was all there was to it.  I served it with za'atar (see previous post for this recipe) and some light and fluffy basmati rice.

Even my baby brother loved it!

So sometimes I like to go to Google Maps and just search different types of cuisine and see what restaurants are located near me.  So, a while back, I typed "Falafel" into Google Maps and I was shown a little treasure, not too far from home, that I am now addicted to.  The place is called Shahrazad Market & Cafe.  Half of the space is a Middle Eastern grocery store and the other half is a restaurant.  Needless to say the food is amazing!!!  And the atmosphere is so authentic (even of you can tell it used to be a Quiznos).  So I ate there twice, once with my mom and once with my most awesome little sister-in-law.  (We're going back tomorrow because we found out that on Saturdays and Sundays, from 10:00AM to 12:00PM they have a "Special Breakfast" which is all you can eat falafel, baba, hummus, and more for . . . get this . . . $4.99 per person!!!)

Anyway, this past weekend, I got this wild idea to go over to Shahrazad to do some grocery shopping.  Mainly because last time I bought basmati rice at my grocery store, I paid $5.99 for 1 pound of rice.  And at Shahrazad, I got a 10 pound bag for $12.99.

While I was there, I did some browsing in the spice section and bought a couple of really great things.  Then I made a stop at World Market and picked up a couple more things I needed, including a cast iron grill pan.  This prompted me to come home and do some cooking.  So I made a tri-cultured meal!

The menu consisted of Thai spiced chicken kebabs, Middle Eastern za'atar, and a Jewish zucchini fritada.  Okay, so maybe that's a little weird, but I swear to all that is good and holy, it was delish!!!  (By the way, I got a spring form pan for Christmas so I made a homemade New York cheesecake as well.)

First, the Thai spiced kebabs . . . Basically I cut up boneless, skinless chicken breast meat into large chunks and skewered them with fresh onion and red and green bell pepper.  Then I dusted them with some Thai spice and cooked them on my new cast iron grill pan.  Now, you might be asking yourself, what is Thai spice?  Of the top of my head, I do not know.  But I do know that you can buy bottles of it at World Market.  You should pick some up.  (This is the same spice that I have made -and posted about- Thai chicken lettuce wraps with.)

Now on to my newest addiction.  Za'atar!!!  It is basically a "spice blend" that contains sesame seeds, sumac, and more.  From what I have read, it boosts mental abilities and so, in the Middle East, it is traditionally eaten on the mornings, especially before school or an exam.

So, you use this za'atar mix, some flat bread (I prefer whole grain Tandoori Naan), and some olive oil.  What I did was sprinkled some olive oil over my naan, sprinkle liberally with the za'atar, then put under the broiler for a minute or two.  Then drizzle some more olive oil over the top and enjoy.  (My baby brother loved this so much that I gave him some of my za'atar to take home with him and he plans to go to Shahrazad (for breakfast with me tomorrow) and pick up his own huge jar of za'atar (for only $3.99!!!) while we are there.

 

Next I made a Jewish zucchini fritada.  It's creamy and cheesy and so delightful.  I could est this every day.

Ingredients

• 1 pound zucchini, grated
• 8 ounces eta cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped finely
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

1. Set the grated zucchini in a colander for at least 1/2 an hour.  Squeeze out as much water as possible.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Crumble the feta cheese and add to the zucchini.  Sprinkle with dill. Mix well.
4. Place the zucchini mixture in a greased 9" round baking pan.  Sprinkle with grated cheese.
5. Bake 45 to 60 minutes until golden brown.

And the last thing I made was a New York Cheesecake.  (I will admit right up front that it tasted wonderful but it didn't look so great.  I followed the recipe that came with my spring form pan to the letter.  But it made so much batter that I ended up over filling the pan which caused it to rise too much when then in turn caused it to crack.  So, as I said, it wasn't the prettiest cheesecake.  But it was a first attempt and it was so yummy!!!

Ingredients

• 15 graham crackers, crushed
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 4 - 8 oz, packages of cream cheese
• 1-1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter.  Press into the bottom of a spring form pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth.  Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs, one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate.
4. Mix in sour cream, vanilla, and flour until smooth.
5. Pour filling onto prepared crust.  Bake 1 hour.
6. Turn the oven off and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5-6 hours.  Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

So there you have it.  Now I have a headache and it is Friday night.  I'm off to watch an old Dean Martin flick and enjoy a glass of wine.  Good night.

A Taste of Persia

One of the many things I had on my Christmas list this past year was a new and exotic cookbook.  And my mom definitely came through.  She got me A Taste of Persia:  An Introduction to Persian Cooking by Najmieh K. Batmanglij.

The interesting thing about this book is that it starts out with a little history of Persia and it's culinary customs.  A very interesting read, even if you don't dig much on Middle Eastern fare.

One of the first things I noticed about the book though is that a LOT of the recipes called for something called advieh.  Not being familiar with Persian foods, I had to go to trusty old Google and figure out what this stuff was if I planned to cook anything out of this book.  Well, come to find out, it is just a Persian spice blend that is very common in the Middle East.  So, I decided to make some (in the handy new mortar and pestle I got.)  As with a lot of spice blends, what goes in it is really a regional matter.  i found many different variations, but this is the one I chose to use.

Ingredients

• Cardamom
• Corriander
• Cumin
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Black Pepper
• Ginger
• Cloves
• Tumeric
• Baharat

Directions

1. Mix equal parts of each in a mortar and pestle.  
2. Grind together until you have a fine powder.

The smell is heavenly divine and the flavor is like an explosion in your mouth.

And from there I went on to make (my own slightly altered take on) a Persian classic known as Kalam Polow, or Rice with Cabbage and Cumin.

Ingredients

• 3 cups long grain basmati rice
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
• 2-1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 head of green cabbage, washed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• Salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon advieh
• 1 pound peeled and sliced canned tomatoes, drained
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric

Directions

1. Wash the rice and set aside.
2. In a pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat.  add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent.  Add the ground meat and cook for 10 more minute.  Add the cabbage and cook for another minute.
3. Add the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, sugar, cumin, advieh, and tomatoes.  Cover and cook over low heat for 25 minutes.
4. Bring 8 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil.  Add the rice to the pot and boil briskly for 6 to 10 minutes, gently stirring occasionally to keep from sticking.
5. In a bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons oil, 1/2 cup water, the yogurt, and the turmeric.  Pour over the rice and mix well.
6. Place a serving of rice on a plate or in a bowl and top with the meat and cabbage mixture.

And of course I served this with some wonderful whole grain Tandoori Naan that I heated on a flat griddle.

Until next time . . . 

We Wish You A Merry Greekmas!!!

Okay, so January is almost over and I am just barely getting around to posting what I made for Christmas but I've been busy with recipes and work and Boardwalk Empire so . . . here it is finally!

If anyone ever asks me what my favorite food is, i can't pick just one food, so I always answer with Mediterranean/Middle Eastern.  Of course, most people look at me cock-eyed when I tell them that.  But I love the food and the weird looks amuse me.

We went for a Greek Christmas this year.  I made pastitsio (baked macaroni with meat filling) and a yummy Mediterranean cucumber and yogurt salad.

So let us start with the salad first.

Ingredients

• 3 large cucumbers, shredded
• Salt
• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons (or more to taste) fresh chopped mint leaves
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Toss the cucumber with a generous amount of salt and leave in a colander in the sink to wilt for 30 minutes.  Rinse and drain on paper towels.
2. Beat together the yogurt, garlic, mint, and olive oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Stir in the cucumbers and serve.

Unfortunately, I forgot to snap a picture of this, but believe me, it is yummy delicious!

Now on to the main dish, pastitsio!!!

Ingredients

• 10 oz package of Mostaccioli macaroni
• 1-1/2 lb. ground beef
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup white wine (I prefer Pinot Grigio.)
• 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pinch white sugar

Mix with cooked macaroni

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup Romano cheese, grated
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup fine bread crumbs

Cream Sauce

• 1 stick butter
• 5 tbsp. flour
• 3 cups milk
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup Romano cheese, grated

Directions

1. To prepare meat sauce, saute chopped onions, garlic, and meat.  Cook until brown.  Ad tomato sauce, water, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and wine.  Simmer until all liquid has evaporated and sauce is thick.
2. Cook macaroni in boiling salted water for 12 minutes.  Drain well.  Mix together 1 cup of milk, 3 beaten eggs, and 3/4 cup of cheese.  Mix well with the macaroni.
3. Butter a 13x9 glass baking dish.  Cover the bottom with a thin layer of bread crumbs.  Place a layer of the macaroni mixture over the bread crumbs.  Add a layer of meat sauce, then the remainder of the macaroni mix.
4. For the cream sauce:  Melt the stick of butter, add flour and blend well.  Gradually add 3 cups of heated milk and continue to stir until the sauce is thick.  Remove from burner and add 3 beaten eggs, gradually, to sauce while stirring quickly.
5. Pour the cream sauce over the entire macaroni mixture.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until lightly browned.

And this is what the finished product looks like.

That's all for this episode of Cooking with RoXXXy.  Stay tuned for another fabulous episode from your favorite "Wannabe Celebrity Chef".  Heh!

'Tis The Season To Give . . . And Eat!!!

So I decided to give gift baskets of yummy home baked goodies to a few family members this year.  I have spent the last week and half baking and cooking and I am so spent!!!  So I officially finished my holiday baking for the year.  And here is a list of the wonderful items I made for my loved ones.

Salted Caramel Sauce
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Coffee Spice Cookies
Pumpkin Bread
Cheesy Nutty Fudge
Zucchini Souffle
Peppermint Bark
Instant Potato Soup-In-A-Jar Mix

Whew!!!

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to get pictures of anything except the soup mix.  So I'll just present that picture and all of the recipes here.

So let's start with the soup mix.

INSTANT POTATO SOUP-IN-A-JAR MIX

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups instant mashed potato flakes
• 1 1/2 cups dry milk powder
• 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
• 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt

Directions

1. Combine potato flakes, dry milk, bouillon granules, onion, parsley, pepper, thyme, turmeric and seasoning salt in a bowl and stir to mix. Pour into a 1 quart jar.
2. Attach the following instructions: To serve, place 1/2 cup soup mix in bowl. Stir in 1 cup boiling water until smooth.

I decided to pick up a couple of really pretty crystal bowls for each batch of this that I made.  I also used larger jars so that the above recipe made one batch.

I filled the jars, set them inside two bowls stacked together.  I printed the instructions inside a cute gift tag with a self adhesive back and stuck it to the lid of the jar.  Then I tied a thin red ribbon around the jar, tied some wide ribbon over and across the top and place a small bow on top of that.  And this was the result...

So now let's move on to the other recipes.

MINI ZUCCHINI SOUFFLE

Ingredients

• 3 cups shredded zucchini
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (plus a little extra for the top)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup baking mix (suck as Bisquick)

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Divide evenly into 3 mini loaf pans.  Top with as little extra shredded mozzarella.
2. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Even if you aren't a fan of zucchini, I still recommend this.  It is really fabulous.

COFFEE SPICE COOKIES

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons instant coffee
• 1 teaspoon hot water
• 1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco sticks
• 3/4cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup chocolate sprinkles

Directions

1. Dissolve instant coffee in hot water. 
2. Beat shortening, brown sugar, egg, vanilla and coffee mixture in a large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
4. Divide dough into two equal parts.  Shape each half into a roll 7 inches long by 1 ½ inches in diameter.  Roll in chocolate sprinkles.  Wrap tightly.
5. Refrigerate at least two hours.
6. Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut rolls into ¼ inch slices.  Place slices 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 6-8 minutes until set.  Cool on wire rack.

These cookies have an amazing coffee and spice flavor that just has to be tasted to be believed.  (NOTE:  when I bake cookies, I line my baking pans with parchment paper.)

Next up . . . 

SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

1. Simmer sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium-high heat, swirling the pan but not stirring, until dark amber, about 12 minutes.
2. Off the heat, whisk in cream, vanilla and salt.
3. Let cool then divide among jars and chill.

You can use this sauce to dip cookies, candies, top ice cream, waffles, or just eat it with a spoon.  LOL!!!

CHOCOLATE CHEESE FUDGE

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound Velveeta cheese
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 boxes (16 oz) powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder

Directions

1. Lightly spray the bottom of a 9x2 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt cheese and butter together, stirring constantly until smooth.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and nuts.
3. In a large bowl, sift together sugar and cocoa.  Pour cheese mixture into sugar and cocoa mixture and stir until completely mixed.  Candy will be very stiff.
4. Using your hands, remove candy from the bowl and press evenly and firmly into the pan.  Place pan in refrigerator until firm.

No one would ever believe that this was made with cheese.

PEPPERMINT BARK

Ingredients

• 8 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, divided
• 8 ounces high-quality white chocolate, broken into pieces
• Crushed peppermint candies

Directions

1. Lightly grease a 9x9 inch pan and line with waxed paper, smoothing out wrinkles; set aside.
2. Place the semisweet chocolate and 1 teaspoon of the canola oil in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. When the chocolate is melted, stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the peppermint extract. Pour the melted chocolate into the prepared pan, and spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle half of the crushed peppermints over the chocolate layer. Refrigerate until completely hardened, about 1 hour.
3. Place the white chocolate and the remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil in the top of a double boiler over just barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. 
4. When the chocolate is melted, stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract. Pour the white chocolate directly over the semisweet chocolate layer; spread evenly.
5. Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy over the top and gently press in. Refrigerate until completely hardened.

I consider myself something close to a peppermint bark enthusiast and I wasn't real sure how this would turn out.  But I very, very surprised.  This was way better than any peppermint bark that I have ever purchased.

And last, but certainly not least . . .

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee grounds
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. 
2. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, instant coffee, and salt. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and vanilla in large bowl on medium speed of mixer until creamy. Add eggs; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Add water and mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips. Add nuts, if desired. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. 
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. About 5 dozen cookies. 

And that is what I have spent the last week and a half doing.

I put all of these things into bags and tins and packed them into beautiful baskets filled with multi-colored foil shreds.  then i sat the baskets inside giant gift bags and stuffed with holiday tissue paper.  The baskets, by the way, are actually wicker DVD holders so that they will serve a functional purpose after the holidays.

(By the way . . . I misplaced the pumpkin bread recipe so I will have to post that later, once I find it.)

Happy holidays everyone!!!

Hectic Holiday Hullabaloo

Baking, baking, baking!!!  I eat, sleep, dream, and live baking . . . lately.  Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year . . . Starting with September 1 through January 2!!!  There are so many savory dishes that I long to make but somehow, during the holiday season, I can never seem to get anything other than baking accomplished.  But that is okay.  Who doesn't love desserts!!!

Over the last two weeks I have made a couple (or more) different desserts that came out super fantastic.  And so now I will share them with you.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 frozen 9-inch deep dish pie crust
• Whipped cream, for topping

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the pie shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.
3. For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and ginger, and beat until incorporated.
4. Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

This is slightly different than a traditional pumpkin pie, but you will be amazed at what a difference the cream cheese makes.

Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (9-inch) Oreo cookie pie crust
• 1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling, chilled

Directions

1. In either a stand mixer fixed with a paddle attachment or using a hand held electric mixer, cream the cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly add the milk mixing on low speed until well combined. Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla and pour into the crust. Place the pie into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours up to overnight, until well chilled and set.
2. Top the pie with the pie filling just before serving.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Kosher salt
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 1 (12-cup) muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, add the butter and the sugar. Beat with a hand-held mixer until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and the vanilla extract. Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time. Incorporate the dry mixture into the wet mixtures together until thoroughly combined.
4. Using an ice cream scoop, fill each cupcake liner 3/4 of the way full. Bake until the tops turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the oven to a wire rack and cool completely.

FROSTING

• 16 ounce can of vanilla frosting
• ¼ cup molasses
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Chill for 15 minutes before frosting the cupcakes.

And last but not least . . .

Peppermint Bark Brownies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of butter, melted
• 1 cup of tightly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee
• 1 tablespoon peppermint extract
• 1/3 cup of crushed peppermint candy
• 1/2 cup of Pillsbury peppermint cake frosting
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• Red sugar sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly butter and flour an 8X8 pan. 
3. Whisk together the melted butter and sugar in a bowl.
4. Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk.
5. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, instant coffee, and salt, mix it all together.
6. Add the crushed peppermint candy.
7. Pour into the pan and spread evenly.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Allow to cool.
10. Mix peppermint extract with peppermint frosting.
11. Apply a thin layer of frosting to the brownies.
12. Sprinkle with red sprinkles.
13. Cut into squares and serve.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand . . . I'm spent!!!