French Rabbit “Stew” with Mushrooms and Pancetta & Endive Side with Pancetta

I am sick of chicken and pork. Totally tired of turkey meatballs and the pasta with endless varieties of meat and nonmeat sauces. Creamed and tomato alike. This weekend was the day(s) that was going to end! I found a recipe that I just had to try, to be more specific, an ingredient: rabbit. I got this french cuisine cookbook maybe a year ago, and I thought I’d master every recipe in it, including all those odd rabbit, eel, and veal ones, however, I haven’t opened since it first arrived in an amazon package.

I have to say, in Los Angeles it isn’t as hard as I thought to get rabbit. Although it was more expensive than in Europe. Mainly, that’s because in America we don’t really hunt it, and certainly not in Los Angeles. I’m sure if I lived in the Midwest or even in the South, or hell, even in Fresno, I’d be able to get rabbit for a lot cheaper than what Gelson’s was offering to sell me.

I did get lucky with a local butcher. And honestly, nothing is better than local. Seriously folks, I felt amazing just knowing that  I was supporting someone that had great produce, great service, and a reasonable price! Well, as reasonable as it could get.

And so I set forth to make this fancy (in my eyes) “stew”. I put that into quotations because my notions of what a stew was, were tested. I thought of stew as a thick soup, usually overly hearty, and filling. This was delicious, and filling, but certainly not hearty, and not thick. It was essentially Rabbit that was browned in butter and garlic, and then braised in a cup of white wine, with some flour added in to make a slightly thickened sauce for the finished product to cover the meat in.

French Rabbit Stew with Mushrooms and Pancetta 

• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 oz thick cut pancetta, cut in cubes
• 5 pearl onions, or 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 1/2 lb rabbit (I used a 2.8 lb rabbit) cut into serving pieces or dissected at butchers
• 1 tbso all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 bouquet garni made with parsley, thyme, and bay leaf (fresh)
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 lb white mushrooms, halved (I roughly chopped mine, and used brown)

In a flameproof casserole, or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and onions and cook until lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta and onions to  a bowl.

Add the rabbit pieces and cook until nicely browned on all sides (I had to do this in two shifts). Stir in the flour and cook until lightly browned. Return the pancetta and onions to the pot. Add the wine, garlic, and bouquet garni and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.

Add the mushrooms to the rabbit and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the bouquet garni. Transfer the rabbit and sauce to a warmed serving dish and serve.

Serve with Buttery Endives with Pancetta (below)

Endives in Butter with Pancetta

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 lbs endives ( I only used two endives, about .6 lb, and trust me, it was not enough, when cooked down, even for two)
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 lb thickly sliced pancetta, cubed
• 3 1/2 ounces dry-cured ham (optional)

In a flameproof casserole, or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the endives and cooking until lightly brown all over. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons water. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to very low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

Add the pancetta and ham, if using, and cook for 20 minutes. Transfer to a warmed serving dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Special Thanks to Boyfriend, who was patient and caring enough to take the photos for me this time, while was dashing to and fro in the kitchen trying to time the two recipes together. Thanks!**

Cognac, Garlic Steak for my 100th Post

Until I checked my blog maybe ten minutes ago, I had no idea this was my 100th blog. I have to say, I’m surprised. I was so busy just trying to keep it semi-regular that I lost count of how many posts I’ve actually put up. I hope they’ve been good so far!

Spring break has been very rewarding. I went to Vegas for the first time, and in that excitement forgot to take any pictures of the Strip at night. Or during the day, for that matter. Boyfriend and I couldn’t even find the Vegas sign, the one below is courtesy of Google images. Go Google. I have to say, having this some 10 days off work and school has been amazing. Although work resumed this week, and school (officially) starts next week, I already have homework and studying lined up for my Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

The break off did give me time to consider crafts. I know this seems like a stretch, but the time off gave me some perspective. Instead of trying to watch all the seasons of  Breaking Bad in about three days, nonestop, I should have been more productive. I used to love to photograph, well, anything really. To draw. To paint. To crochet. Just make something out of nothing, so to speak. So I’ve started a smallish list of crafts that I’ll be working on during the next few months and hopefully into the summer. I’m going to try to get a few homemade gifts out of the way, as well as general jamming and homemade pantry goods.

Things to look forward to is lots of BBQ and overall sauces. As well as, some freezer staples, and jamming fun. Nothing says fun like berries bubbling on a hot day, and slaving over a hot water bath for delicious, slick, jam. Indeed.

Similarly, I will try to share my crafting ideas here as well. For those that aren’t into it, I’m not good at writing, or reading patterns, so those posts will be short, and will probably feature food so there’s a little bit for everyone coming up!

Now to the steak.

I just felt like having red meat. I’m American after all (hehe, watching King of the Hill right now, and it’s seeping into my thoughts). I got this really nice 5 oz tri tip from the grocers the other day and what better day than, actually, a few days ago, to make it and settle my red meat craving?

GARLIC STEAK w/ Congnac Sauce

• 1 steak (preferably an inch thick, at least, any cut you like)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• cognac, optional
• heavy cream , optional (for the sauce)
• salt and pepper to taste

All a steak needs is salt and pepper, if the meat is good. That’s what my step-dad taught me, and dammit if he wasn’t right. Start off by patting the meat down on a paper towel (Julia Child’s secret to perfectly browned meat). Season with salt and pepper on both sides. If you like, you can add more flavors, like paprika and granulated onion.

Heat the oil in the pan, and after about five minutes, making sure the pan is nice and hot, add the garlic. Stir for maybe 45 seconds to infuse the oil and take out of the pan. Place the steak into the skillet and top with garlic. Cook for 3 minutes a side depending on thickness. I had to cook mine about 5 minutes a side, and it was still pretty medium rare ( I had a thick, short piece, so I had to be patient).

Take off the garlic and place either on same plate or to the side of the skillet and flip your steak over. Place the garlic back on top of the steak.

Okay, here I added some cayanne pepper. It was so hot and nice with the cream sauce- just a thought.

Take off the heat and place on plate, covering with foil, to rest. Add in a splosh of cognac to deglaze the pan. Maybe 3 tbsp. Wait a minute for it to cook off, and add approx 1/4 cup of cream. This depends on how you want to make your sauce. Season with salt and pepper (easy on the salt, just a pinch if necessary), and pour over the steak.

 

 

Side note: I realize these are awful photos, but I was in a hurry when I was making this, we are talking about steak, aren’t we? Who wouldn’t be in a rush?

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

So sorry! I know I said that the post would be up earlier last week, but too much homework got in the way, and by the time everything was said and done, I didn’t want to look at the computer screen any longer than I had to.

But here it is!

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

• 2 chicken breast, preferably organic
• 4 tbsp cream cheese, whole fat
• 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup of pickled jalapenos, or 1-2 fresh, chopped into pieces
• 1 egg
• panko breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• oil (for frying)

Start off by cutting your chicken breast almost in half, but stopping so that one side is still attached, essentially butterflying the breast.

In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, cheddar, jalapeno, and some salt and pepper.

Season the butterflied breasts with salt and pepper as well, on the outside of the breast. Stuff each breast with half of the mixture and fold over as well as you can to cover the filling.  Crack an egg in another bowl and lightly beat, then, pour out enough panko to cover both breasts on a plate. Use as much or as little panko as you like. I wanted a really nice crust so I used about a cup and half of panko.

Dip each breast in the egg and then, in the panko breadcrumbs. Fry in about 2 tbsp of oil in a nonstick skillet for about 3 minutes a side.  Make sure that it’s really hot, to get a good char on the panko.

Then you can lower the heat, and cover the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes a side longer, turning till it’s reached an internal temp of 180 degrees (according to my meat thermometer), or when you cut into it, it’s not pink on the inside.

 

Serve with fries, if necessary. Although, this chicken was very filling, and I barely finished it without the rice side I had attempted to eat for dinner as well.

 

Enjoy!

Corned Beef to Celebrate March

I was trying to figure out what to make this weekend, and I couldn’t think of anything better than corned beef. The first time I’ve made corned beef I followed a recipe and roasted it. The end result was dry and chewy. I knew I should have boiled it, but the instructions on the package just said roasting. This time I wouldn’t have any of that nonsense and I decided to do some research.

Apparently, roasting is very popular but timing varies between beef roasts and it’s just a guessing game. That’s not something I’m comfortable with. A few recipes however did mention braising. Braising is boiling but in the oven, basically. That sounded like a melding of the two things that people argued the most about. So I decided to try it.

Corned Beef with Onion, Carrot, and Cabbage

1 3-lb package of corned beef with spices included
fennel seeds
black peppercorns
coriander seeds
mustard seeds
1 small head of lettuce, cut into half and chopped into strips.
4 cloves garlic
3 carrots, peels and cut into half
1 medium onion, cut into quarters

In a large pot add the corned beef and the packaged ingredients. Fill pot with lukewarm warm 4 inches above the meat. Put on medium high heat and bring to a boil. Continue to simmer while skimming the skum off the top of the water for 15 minutes. When you skim, chances are you’re also going to be scooping the spices as well. Not to worry, you’ll be adding those before you put the pot into the oven.

After 15 minutes preheat oven to 325 degrees F and add carrots, onions, and garlic to the pot. Simmer for 4-6 more minutes. Add in the spices (seeds and peppercorns) according to your tastes, usually 2 tbsp each. Cover the pot with foil, and cover that tightly with the lid.

Place in oven for anywhere between 2 hr 45 min to 3 hrs.

Take out of the oven, and gently peel off the foil (careful not to burn yourself with the steam). Take out the corned beef and place into  foil, wrapping all sides tightly around the meat to keep with warm and tender. Attempt to remove the garlic (it’ll disintegrate, so be gentle with it), and add in the cabbage. Cook for about 8 minutes.

Excuse the spot by the plate. Some Guinness couldn’t help but spill.

What I Did for Valentine’s Day

I’ve had quite an eventful weekend. This was the first weekend where I forced myself to do homework, tons of homework, after work  and throughout the week, instead of waiting for the weekend. This was because Friday, February 15 was my Valentine’s Day. I haven’t had a chance to really hang out and see Boyfriend the past three weeks or so. And I know there’s a chance I won’t be seeing him this weekend either (thanks odd work schedule). So we decided to be indulgent, and extravagant, and lovey-dovey (sort of), and have a Valentine’s Weekend.

Not so much because we’re lovers of the holiday (and I’ve read plenty of blog posts about how Valentine’s day should be every day, and why should men assume that they can be awesome this one day, and completely romantic and the rest of the time be completely ignorant in the ways of love) but because we haven’t seen each other in a long time, and we haven’t been alone in a long time, and just, couple-y, therefore Valentine’s way the perfect excuse to go over the top.

That being said, I was so happy with how our plans turned out that I, sadly, didn’t take many photos (being so lost in the many moments). My apologies. I did take a few photos. And I hope to be better in the future about it, however, there are recipes that I made (even though two photos are missing), that were completely amazing, and I can’t wait to make them again!

But first, say hello to my three new Otto fishes. I could only get a shot of two at a time, so you’ll have to imagine the third

First recipe up, is this lovely Molten Chocolate Cake. 

This was my first time making this recipe, so I followed it to the T, except for used two larger ramekins (to serve two, obviously), and adjusted the cooking time to 15 minutes. The original recipe follows.

4 pieces (squares) Bitter-sweet or Semi-sweet or just plain sweet Chocolate (this is a matter of preference)*

½ cups Butter, chopped into several pieces

1 cup Confectioner’s or Powdered Sugar plus an extra 1-2 Tablespoon for dusting, separated

2 whole Eggs plus 2 Egg yolks

6 Tablespoons Flour

*I actually used chocolate chips, and eyeballed what I thought 4 squares would be. It really doesn’t matter here how much chocolate you use. I think mine was roughly 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chips.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease/spray about 4 custard molds/cups or small ramekins with a non-stick spray and then place them on a baking tray (cookie sheet).The next step requires melting the butter and chocolate. You can use the microwave, in 20 second increments till the butter is melted and the chocolate is softened. Or, you can use a double boiler. (I used the microwave. It’ll look scary with all that butter surrounding the chocolate, at least it was scary for me, however you have to keep stirring, and it’ll all work out).

Add 1 cup powdered sugar then whisk together until smooth.

Add the 2 eggs and the 2 egg yolks then whisk together again until smooth. Stir in the flour till just combined. Divide the batter into the four (or two) ramekins you’re using.

Bake until the sides and top are firm, but center is slightly wobbly and gooey. Let sit for 2 minutes (no more and no less, I MEAN IT), and serve by inverting to a plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or top with whipped cream.

————————————————————————————————————————————-

Next recipe comes without a photo. This one came from Add A Pinch, and was really an amazing recipe. The only thing I can say I followed was the gorgonzola butter and improvised, to taste, the rest. Below is my rendition of the recipe, but you can follow the link to view the original.

Skillet Steaks with Gorgonzola Butter

2 Ribeye steaks

Salt and pepper

Herbs de Provance

1/2 cup cognac

Gorgonzola cheese, about 4 tbsp

4 tbsp butter, softened at room temp

Pat dry the steaks to they are free from blood. Take a fork and liberally stab the steaks throughout, on both sides, and by the fat areas. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the steaks in a ziplock bag and add the cognac. Close the bag and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, and up to several hours.

Next, season your cast iron skillet* and heat it over medium heat. Take out the steaks and let them come to room temperature (about 10 minutes) while the skillet is heating up. Dry the steaks again, when taking out of the cognac marinade. Do not do this liberally. I did because I was so hungry and in a hurry, and my steaks did not brown as well as I would  have liked.

Place in skillet, and cook about three minuets each side. I started off with two minutes a side, but had to turn mine about two and a half times because they were thick .

While the steaks are cooking, mix the butter with the gorgonzola cheese, and place in fridge, to wait for the steaks.

When the steaks are ready, sprinkle top with herb de provance and let sit for three minutes before plating. When placing on plate add a generous tbsp of the gorgonzola butter to melt and ooze around the meat.

Serve with potatoes, salad, bread, and good wine.

————————————————————————————————————————————-

Lastly, this recipe has been in the making for a while. I added more cheese than the recipe called for and added my own spices to the mix, however, the recipe basics were thanks to allrecipes.com.

This recipe too, was too good to be photographed. I even forgot to photograph this while writing up this post, when eating leftovers. So Sorry!

Baked Ziti

1 lb dry ziti pasta

1 onion, chopped

1 lb gound beef

2 (26 oz) jars of your favorite pasta sauce (I used tomato and basil flavor)

1 tbsp salt and pepper (or to taste)

1 tbsp herbs de provance

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tbsp grouond garlic and ground onion powders

dash of liquid smoke

1 1/2 cups sour cream

6 oz of provolone cheese (sliced)– again, I used I believe 8 oz, a full Sargento bag of sliced provolone

6 oz of sliced mozerella—again from sargento, and I used the whole bag

1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F . Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese, and remaining sauce mixture. Top with remaining mozerella cheese slices and grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Lastly, I want to say Happy Valentine’s Day again to all those that celebrate or enjoy the lovey stuff that comes with the holiday. The photo above has become a standard dessert treat I’ve been making myself after working out and a light dinner. I’m feeling great and happy, and I must say, nothing makes me feel better than strawberries, chocolate sprinkles, and whipped cream.

Chicken and Dumplings for a Not-So-Rainy Day

Today was one of those days were the weather started out being sort of dreadful and cold, and got lovely and sunny. However, my internal mood was one that related only to the morning weather.  Basically, I was in a funk.

So I did what any adult would do. I ignored that feeling and worked on homework and work notes all day. Then, went to the mall and got myself a new bra.Finally, I went home and worked out.

After a nice (and for some reason, short) shower I decided I had to do something before I started up on my homework again. This whole weekend is basically going to be me cooking and indulging Boyfriend and mine’s tastebuds. I’ll attempt to post of these recipes within hours of making them, but since it’ll be this weekend, you’ll have to save the love for next Valentine’s Day. Or a Birthday, or whatever weekend/day. Doesn’t matter.

I’m rambling.

My point is that I was in the cooking mood, and I figured that I could use a warm up recipe, like running a few miles before a marathon the next day (not that I know specifically how that would work, I’ve never run more than a mile, and a low one at that).

This recipe came into mind simply because the weather felt cold, for me, and I wanted something comfortable, yet delicious. I’ve been eating and working out regularly, and eating everything I want, in moderation, and I’ve been pretty successful. I think I’ve lost 3 lbs since my last weigh in, and why not give myself a lovely lunch tomorrow?

This was my first time making chicken and dumplings, and my FIRST TIME TRYING THEM! And after this recipe, I’m a fan. I’m sure it’s not the best, but it’s pretty awesome in my opinion. My dumplings ended up being a bit “Freeform” in size, but that made me love them even more.

Recipe adapted from here (I cut my recipe in half)

2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp herbes de provance
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp black pepper (or more to taste)
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast- roughly one
1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots (I used mixed veggies)

Dumplings:
1 cup flour
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp butter (softened)
1 cup milk

In heavy bottomed Dutch oven or large wide pot, over medium heat, add chicken broth, water, butter and all seasonings. Cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, cut chicken breast into bite sized pieces. Add to soup mixture, (at this point, I also added some lemon juice for a bit of zing, if you’re not a fan of zing, by all means omit it). Stir to combine and cover.

In a sealable container combine flour and milk. Seal tightly and shake vigorously to combine well. You will create a smooth flour mixture for thickening your sauce called a slurry. Slowly pour the slurry into broth, stirring constantly. Add frozen vegetables. Cover.

Combine dumpling ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well with a fork. Remove cover from stew and stir well. Drop dumplings into stew one tablespoon at a time, use a 1 tablespoon scoop to make it even easier.

Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes

Banana Poppy Seed Muffins for a New Work Week

Afternoon all!

For most people, tomorrow is not just any Monday, but it’s THE Monday. The Monday that kids go back to school, as do countless teachers, students (in college, I mean), and service members that work with children. Not to mention all the administration that work in school. I don’t know about you, but I look forward to tons of traffic and being late.

To start the work week (and school week) off right I decided to get into the kitchen, for the first time this weekend, by the way, and start cooking. I managed to make a lovely pasta (simple tomato sauce with a hint of vodka and spices) for lunch tomorrow, as well as some rice and tilapia for dinner today, and banana poppy seed muffins to make getting out of bed worthwhile tomorrow.

I adapted this recipe from Crepes of Wrath, so check that out for the original recipe. Not that I changed it much.

 

Banana Muffins with Poppy Seed Bliss 

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large bananas, very ripe and mashed (about 1 cup)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp cup honey
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• about 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
• raw sugar, for sprinkling (optional)- I omitted this for calorie reasons

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line and/or grease 18-20 muffin cups and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat together the mashed bananas, vegetable oil, milk, lemon juice, honey, and eggs.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just moistened. Fold in the poppy seeds. Place about 1/3 cup of batter into each muffin cup (don’t overfill the cups, definitely do less than 1/3 than a heaping 1/3 cup) and sprinkle with raw sugar, if you like.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and set. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan and serving.

The Baking Frenzy

Well the Christmas holiday is right around the corner, and I suppose you could say I’ve gone a bit mad with the baking. Christmas Eve will be celebrated at Boyfriend’s family home (his cousin’s) to be  exact. I usually bring dessert or some sort of after dinner treat, simply because it’s what I do. Growing up I was taught that the Hostess had to have something for herself, a bottle of wine, some nice cheese, a spa set, etc, and she shouldn’t ever have to worry about dessert.

Well, I have taken care of dessert, and then some!

First, I started off with  some chocolate crackle cookies with frosting and holiday sprinkles and some Ruby Thumbprint cookies, not to mention a new snickerdoodle recipe.

It’s a little difficult to imagine how many people these cookies alone will serve, however I have vanilla cake and chocolate guinness gingerbread ahead! I’m almost positive that I’ve started to crack. But in the most delicious way.

Chocolate Christmas Cookies with Glaze

1 1/8 cups soft butter (2 1/4 sticks, 18 tbsp)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Topping:
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
candy sprinkles or sanding sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F Line a cookie sheet with parchment or Silpat.

Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Sift 1/3 c cocoa powder into the mixture and beat well. Sift together flour, baking soda and baking powder, and add to mixture. (Optionally, combine everything in a food processor and mix until combined.).

Form 1 tbsp sized balls. Place on cookie sheet at least 2″ apart, pressing down into fat discs. (The dough will be very sticky; gloves may be a good idea.).

Bake 15 minutes. The tops will develop a cracked appearance. Cool 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled. (Placing a sheet of newspaper under the rack will help catch drips in the next step.).

For the topping, combine 2 tbsp cocoa powder with confectioner’s sugar, boiling water and vanilla in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat and whisk until smooth. Cool 10 minutes.

Drizzle 1 tbsp of glaze on each cookie, spreading lightly with the back of the spoon, then sprinkle with sprinkles or sanding sugar. Work with 6 cookies at a time so the glaze doesn’t dry out before applying the sprinkles.

Saveur Snickerdoodles

3 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
1 3⁄4 cups sugar
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Using a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat 1 1⁄2 cups sugar and the butter together in a medium bowl until pale and fluffy, 2 minutes.

Add 2 tsp. cinnamon and the vanilla; beat for 1 minute more. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add reserved dry ingredients; mix on low speed until just combined.

Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375°.

Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Remove dough from refrigerator and, using a 1-tbsp. measure, spoon out 48 portions, rolling each portion into a 1″ ball as you go. Roll each ball in cinnamon–sugar mixture to coat.

Arrange dough balls 2″ apart on 2 parchment paper–lined baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool.

Guinness Gingerbread

1 1/4 sticks 10 (tablespoons) butter, plus some for greasing
1 cup golden syrup (such as Lyle’s)
1 cup (packed) plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 cups sour cream
2 eggs

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

Line your cake pan with aluminium foil and grease it, or grease your foil tray.

 Put the butter, syrup, dark brown sugar, stout, ginger, cinnamon and ground cloves into a pan and melt gently over a low heat.

Take off the heat and whisk in the flour and baking soda. You will need to be patient and whisk thoroughly to get rid of any lumps.

Whisk the sour cream and eggs together in a measuring jug and then beat into the gingerbread mixture, whisking again to get a smooth batter.

Pour this into your cake/foil pan, and bake for about 45 minutes; when it’s ready it will be “gleamingly” risen at the center, and coming away from the pan at the sides.

Let the gingerbread cool before cutting into slices or squares.

(I garnished my gingerbread after slicing, with some powdered sugar and pine trees with deer)

Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies with Glitter (Adapted from Curry and Comfort)

1 box yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
almond meal as needed (about 2-3oz)
Strawberry jelly as needed ( or any jam/ jelly you prefer… strawberry, raspberry, grape, etc…)
Edible glitter (if you have any)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix everything except the glitter and almond meal,  in a large bowl, making sure it’s all well incorporated. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll again in the almond meal. I used a bowl to roll the dough in to make it easier to get the sides coated. The dough is very sticky, so this step isn’t necessary but a nice touch.

Using your thumb or index finger, indent a hole in the middle of the cookie, making sure not to go too low. Fill with your choice of jam/jelly.

Bake for 13-15 minutes. Let cool completely (about 15 minutes) before topping with glitter.

The Chewiest Cookies and Some Good Readings

 Considering that I have this week (and the next two weeks) off, I decided to start it right, by making some lovely chocolate chip cookies on Friday. Although I’ve made plenty of chocolate chip cookies, I could never get the Chips-Ahoy chewiness. As you can imagine, it’s been a very frustrating adventure with cookies.

Until this recipe came along. I’m almost 100% positive that the reason that it’s so chewy and lovely is due to the corn starch. THE SECRET INGREDIENT!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed (I use light)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup bread flour (all-purpose flour may be substituted and used exclusively in place of bread flour)

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste

12 ounces  semi-sweet chocolate chips

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on low speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sugars and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 3 minutes.

Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flours (solely using all-purpose flour will work, but the cookies will not be as chewy), corn starch, baking soda, salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.

Add the chocolate chips and chunks, and either fold in by hand or beat for a few seconds on low speed. Transfer dough to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 5 days (although chilling the dough is theoretically not necessary; in reality cookies spread less with chilled dough).

Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a non-stick baking mat, parchment, or spray with cooking spray. Using a 2-ounce cookie scoop, form heaping mounds weighing 2 1/4-ounces each (weighed on a scale, which is approximately a scant 1/4-cup measure) and place them on the baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart; I bake 8 cookies per sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges, even if slightly undercooked in the center, noting the tops will not be browned and will be pale. Do not cook longer than ten minutes as cookies will darken and firm up as they cool (The cookies shown in the photos were baked for 9 minutes and have chewy edges with soft pillowy centers).

Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Now that you’ve got some cookies to eat, you need some books to read while enjoying them.

The Night Circus  is one of those books  that everyone is telling you about. Telling you to read it, to make sure you tell them you’re reading it, when you finish it, and to have coffee to discuss it. Seriously, this how I was introduced to the book, from four different people.

In any case, I can say that they were not wrong. This novel is wonderful! The only word that I can think to say about it is CHARMING. Although, if I try to explain specifics about why I love it, it might give too much away; and yes, any detail can be a ruinous moment with this lovely treasure.

It’s more than a description of a game, or a love story. It’s sort of Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes  with Water For Elephants mixed in, along with some fantastical bedazzlement.

Enough said.

I’ve read this book twice. First, when I got to page 76, and I had to get ready for… life, and I didn’t it pick it up till recently. The second time I read it, I devoted at least two hours a day to it, either at work or before bed, until I was sure I was so hooked I’d carry it with me everywhere.

I can only say that while I love all of Neil Gaiman’s stories, this one was sort of close to the heart. Although it was about an ex-convict (and his unfortunately short-lived marriage) and gods, both old and new, the stories of the gods, how they interact, what their motivations are for moving from location to location, and the general nature of stories, myths, figures, creatures, and gods of every region was very– human.

This story was one that I enjoyed the most, simply because the action kept coming and the protagonist refused to give up (as is the usual case), and in the end he received minimal answers for his efforts, a lot of grief and pain, and a little bit of peace of mind.

Peace of mind was something that I desperately needed when reading this gem.

I recommend it tenfold.

How to Make a Couple Brown Bananas Happy

I was lucky enough to have the day off today. I make a very long list of things that I had to get done. A few of the items included cleaning the kitchen, finally shipping my portable piano to it’s lucky eBay owner, and doing my nails. While I was cleaning the kitchen however, I noticed two very sad, and very brown bananas staring at me from the fruit bowl.

The only logical thing would be to put them out of their misery and make…. BANANA BREAD.

I don’t really have a go to recipe, aside from my Chocolate Banana Bread, and that didn’t seem like the right thing this time of year, so I decided to go on random food blog searchers until something cause my eye. And in about five minutes I found this. I didn’t like the macadamia nut and the chocolate in the recipe, so I subbed in some chopped pecans and butterscotch chips!

Yum yum.

You can follow the link to the JPEG recipe, and follow it directly, or sub in 1/2 cup butterscotch chips for the chocolate and about 3/4 cups of chopped pecans for the macadamia nuts.