Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

My dad loves peanut butter and chocolate. together. in any form. So, I made these cookies for him. This recipe is reminiscent of some cookies he and my mom used to make growing up (the kind with Hershey kisses pressed into the top). Here I just used dark chocolate drops I found in the bulk section of my grocery store.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup peanut butter, all natural (this is important for flavor and texture). I used chunky.
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 dark chocolate drop per cookie (40-60)
sugar for rolling

Directions:

Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
In separate bowl mix together melted butter, peanut butter, egg, milk, and vanilla.
Add dry to wet and mix until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Place bowl in freezer for 1 hour to chill. After an hour, preheat oven to 350F. Line baking tray with parchment paper.
Remove cookie batter from freezer. A spoonful at a time, roll the batter into balls, roll the ball in sugar and place on the paper covered tray. Do this until the tray is full. make sure cookies are about 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, press each cook to turn ball into a disk about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven. Immediately press chocolate drops into center of each cookie. Let cool on tray for one more minute. Then let cool on rack.

Cornmeal Cake with Rosemary and Orange Icing

I've been looking for wheat free recipes for desserts for a while, with so many friends that can't do wheat. And here, based in a sweet cornbread recipe, I've finally found a cake that I can make without wheat. Now, to try it on my wheat-free friends.

Ingredients:

For the cake:
1 cup barley flour (can be wheat)
1 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup chopped pine nuts or pecans
1 Tbsp ground rosemary
Zest from one orange
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup marscapone
1/3 cup plain yogurt
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (on stick) butter, melted.

For the Icing:
1 tsp ground rosemary
zest from one orange (strips is best)
3 Tbsp Cream (can be all juice, though)
3 Tbsp orange juice
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar (sifted if you've got the time and energy).

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Butter a 9x2 inch cake pan. line the base with parchment paper. butter the paper.

In medium bowl, mix together barley flour, cornmeal, pine nuts, rosemary, orange zest, and baking powder. In separate bowl mix together marscapone, yogurt, eggs until smooth. Add sugar and stir until blended. Stir the wet and the dry together. Mix only until all the dry is moist. Do not over stir. Pour batter evenly into cake pan.

Bake for 45 minutes. (skewer should come out almost dry.)

Remove from oven and let stand in pan for 10 minutes. Cut around the edges with a knife and turn the cake over onto a plate.

In the meantime, make the icing: whisk together all of the ingredients until a thin paste forms. Spread icing over cake. Let set for at least one hour before slicing.

Chocolate Truffles

I love making these. they are an all afternoon project - it takes three different rounds. Each time I've been experimenting with different rolling methods, but I think it's just with practice that each time they get a little rounder and rounder. It's a paitence game - working between the heat of melted chocolate and the cool of chilled base. Overall, though, I love the simplicity for the elegance, the crunchy outside and the gooey inside. pure happiness in chocolate form!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup whipping cream
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Optional for coating:
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Cocoa nibs
Coconut (unsweetened or sweetened)
Chopped nuts

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, bring the whipping cream to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes. Then remove from heat and let cool slightly for 5-10 minutes.
While cooling, melt 9 ounces of chocolate in a small sauce pan on as low of heat as possible (can use a double boiler if you want...you'll waste less chocolate if you do, but make a bigger mess).
Whisk the cream and the chocolate together. Chill until solid (and your spoon will stand up in it), about 3 hrs. This is your truffle base. (If you want a flavored middle, add before chilling: a tsp of vanilla, balsamic vinegar, orange zest, or a half teaspoon of any spice you want such as cinnamon, or just a pinch of cayenne pepper.)

Once firm, take the truffle base by the teaspoonful and roll into balls. Place the balls (careful to make the not touch) into a glass pan or a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Chill the balls for 1 hrs, until solid.

Once the balls are solid, melt the remaining 8 ounces of chocolate in a small saucepan over very low heat. In batches, remove the balls from the fridge or freezer (so remaining balls stay cold while you are working). Take one ball at a time and place it in a spoonful of chocolate. If you are going to leave it coated only in chocolate, then let sit for 1 minute. Then roll it over and coat other side with chocolate and place on a wax paper prepared tray. If you want to roll in a topping, coat the whole ball all at once with melted chocolate and then roll it in the desired topping after it has sat for at most 10 seconds. Repeat with remaining balls.

Let cool at room temperature for 1 hour.

Chard with Cherries and Lemon

I never used to cook chard or collard greens. I knew they were good for me, but didn't like their bitter taste. But as soon as I began subscribing to a vegetable CSA, I started to get a ton of these in my boxes, so I had to figure out something to do. I finally figured this recipe for a side dish out, and I love it. It's very flexible, any jam or dried fruit will do. But the key is lemon and garlic along with the sweetness of the jam.

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil (or even better, avocado oil)
1/2 red onion or 2 shallots
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bunch chard (stems removed and thinly chopped, leaves thickly chopped)
Juice (no more than 2 Tbsp) and zest of 1 lemon
a quarter cup (really a handful) of dried cherries or cranberries
1 tablespoon berry jam

Directions:
Heat oil in small wok over medium heat.
Saute the onion and garlic until garlic begins to become golden.
Add chard and stir occasionally until it wilts and becoems bright green.
Stir in lemon juice and zest, dried cherries and jam. Cook for 1 more minute so flavors can mix.

Sweet Potatoes with Lime Reduction

I think this is going to become one of the staple side dishes in my house. I made it for a friend who came to dinner paired with a greek lemon-marinated grilled chicken, and a basic marinated roasted vegetable salad. I found the inspiration for this recipe on epicurious.com, and I will say, the core: the sweet potatoes, the lime, and the chives are a threesome that made a very solid base - the sweet, the sour, and the bitter/savory.

The funny thing is that this dish has lead to three separate conversations on the difference between chives and green onions (including one with my dentist!). The answer (I had to look it up) is this: they are both of the onion family, but difference species. a good explanation is here at The New Cook.

Ingredients:
for potatoes:
3 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1 to 1/2-inch cubes
3 Tbsps olive oil
salt
black pepper

for reduction:
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp sugar
juice and zest from two limes

2 Tbps chopped fresh chives

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Toss potatoes with oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl until coated well, then spread in 1 layer on a

shallow baking pans. Roast until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
While potatoes are roasting, mix water, sugar, and lime juice and zest to a simmer in a very small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves (about 30 seconds). Reduce to a simmer and let cook until the liquid is reduced to half (about 3-4 Tbps), which will take about 3-4 minutes.
Toss potatoes with syrup and zest in a large bowl, then sprinkle with chives and serve immediately.

Garlic and Greens Soup

I've recently been down, sick with a cold. This soup is a mixture of a few recipes (which, really, is what all soup always is), made with what I had in my fridge. I think it is now my new favorite soup for when I'm sick. It was so easy, so perfect for low energy cooking. And so flavorful that even my deadened-by-a-cold tastebuds were completely satisfied. In general a mixture of bitter, spicy, and sweet greens I think is what will make this soup stellar.

Ingredients:
2 tbsps olive oil
1 large head of garlic, all cloves pealed and thinly sliced
1 large potato, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 head bok choy, chopped
1 bunch collard greens, chopped
1 bunch rainbow chard, chopped
1 bunch beet greens, chopped
any other greens, really such as spinach, watercress, or dandelion greens.
6 cups water
2 bouillon cubes (as usual, I highly recommend Rapunzel brand sea salt and herbs)

Directions:

In large heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden.
Add potatoes and greens and cook until green wilt. It can be good to add these in batches, to make stirring easier.
Add water and bouillon and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer until the collard greens are cooked through and bright green and the potatoes are just soft. If the greens start to become faded or the potatoes start to fall apart, stop cooking.

Serve while steaming to get all the benefits of a garlic filled steam.

A Quick Egg Dinner Pie

I'm not sure what to call this. It is not a quiche, not enough egg. Nor it is a tarte, as it has no crust. Nor is it a frittata, as it is too thick. So it's just colorful egg yumminess in a pie pan.

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, chopped
handful of fresh herbs, chopped - such as parsley, dill, and basil.
2 colored peppers, sliced thinly
1 bunch asparagus, ends snapped off and cut in half.
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese - preferably gorgonzola (don't by the pre-crumbled - it's got too many preservatives to melt well)
6 eggs
2 tsp tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F.
Butter and flour a ceramic pie pan.

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium high heat until onions go clear. Add bell peppers and saute for another minute or so, until peppers go soft. Place as a bottom layer into pie pan. Put asparagus in pan and saute for 5 minutes until it begins to brown.

In the mean time, place herbs as second layer in pie pan.
Put cooked asparagus as third layer.
Spread crumbled cheese over top.
Whisk together eggs and tomato paste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over top of all the vegetables in the pie pan.
Bake until firm, 40-50 minutes.

Lemon Blueberry Whole Grain Scones

I made these scones this morning out of a craving for scones and a desire to give a couple as gifts. I like doing scones in the morning because they take 10 minutes to prepare and can bake in the oven while I shower and get dressed. And then I’m greeted with wonderful smells and warm baked-goodness.

It’s always risky business to bake so early in the morning, especially when I decide to mix three recipes and didn’t pay attention to the fact that the one who’s fat/oil content I was following had only 2 T of butter because it called for 4 T cream cheese. I had been so excited for the 2T of butter, since I had only 3 sitting in my fridge. So I had to improvise. Hence the ice cream. Which was my favorite brand – worth every penny: stonyfield farm vanilla bean ice cream. They turned out so well that I think I will have to use ice cream every time! The perfect texture for me: not too cakey yet perfectly moist. The perfect flavor – not to sweet or sour. Just right. I hope, if you follow this recipe, they come out the same for you!

Ingredients:
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (the thicker the better)
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup dried blueberries

1/4 cup rounded scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. This can be cream cheese or double cream or more butter.

3 Tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup plain yogurt (can be non-fat)

juice and zest of one meyer lemon. Make sure it is a juicy one and you get all the good bits. Make it two if it seems dry.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the dried blueberries and keep mixing.
Mix the wet together in a separate bowl. Add wet to dry and stir until just moist.

Turn over onto counter and shape into two disks, about 1 inch thick. Cut each disk into 6 triangles.

Place on a baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes.
And voila!

Molten Chocolate Cake

This is one of my favorite desserts to make for friends. It's very simple in preparation but has an extremely rich flavor, and, if baked just right, an amazing presentation. It's gooey to the point of a runny custard in the middle, but crunchy crispy on the outside. A must is to serve it with vanilla bean ice cream.

Makes 4

Ingredients:

5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla bean seeds (extract will work if it is not too alcohol tasting)
3/4 cup sugar (powdered is best)
1/3 cup whole wheat flour

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425F.
Butter and flour 4 small ramekins.

Mix together chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Whisk together eggs and vanilla in separate bowl. Whisk in sugar. Add to chocolate mixture.

Add flour to mixture.
Divide batter evenly among the ramekins.
If you make this ahead, you can cover and refrigerate for an afternoon.

Bake until the top of the cakes have just cracked, 15 minutes (add 2 minutes if refrigerated). Cracking is a quick process, and the middle solidifies within a minute, so you should watch carefully as the baking time comes to end.

Let cool for 5 minutes, run a knife along the edges, and invert onto plates. Serve with ice cream.

cocoa nib meringues

Inspired by a fresh batch of cocoa nibs, I've been trying to figure out how to best display the flavor of the unsweetened, unprocessed cocoa bean. These are great little light cookies that do just that. (they are also friendly for the dairy and wheat allergies.)

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 tablespoons cocoa nibs
(if you want, you can put a tsp of cocoa powder in them, too)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 285F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add the sugar and whip until the mixture becomes shiny and stiff. Fold in the vanilla and cocoa nibs.
Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 45 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit in warm oven overnight. Remove and store in airtight container for up to 3 days.