Chocolate-Mint Blossoms

Is it just me or did winter really kick into gear last week? This is usually the time of year I go into hibernation, but holiday party season has forced me to remain somewhat social, but come January 1st, my outings will be mostly limited to work, the grocery store, and Georgetown basketball games. Sad but true.  As a Southern Belle at heart, I was not built for cold weather. 

All of these parties have kept me busy in the kitchen, and fortunately, I have been pretty good about documenting most of it. So this is day 1 of catching up on my holiday baking. So as I say goodbye to my fall pumpkin fixation, I say hello to my winter obsession with chocolate and mint flavor combinations. These cookies are so festive, incredibly easy, and they liven up any holiday cookie platter (see picture below).

Here is what you will need:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine butter and shortening. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.

 Step 2: Add sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally.

Step 3:  Beat in egg, milk, and peppermint extract until combined.

 Step 4: Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

Step 5: Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inche apart on an ungreased cookie sheet Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm.

Step 6: If desired, immediately press a candy kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer cookies to a wire rack.

Recipe Courtesy: Better Homes and Garden Christmas Cookies Special

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

42 peppermint-swirl candy kisses or milk chocolate kisses

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine butter and shortening. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, milk, and peppermint extract until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inche apart on an ungreased cookie sheet Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm.

3. If desired, immediately press a candy kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer cookies to a wire rack. Makes about 42 cookies.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

One week! We are exactly one week away from Thanksgiving. Are you ready? I’m not! Luckily, my mom is taking care of the big stuff (turkey, stuffing, etc.), so that makes it all a little less stressful. I’m in charge of the sweet potatoes, corn soufflé, and desserts. The desserts are still the big question mark though. My brother and I plan on making the desserts on Wednesday. We will make at least two (in an ideal world, we would aim for 3, but I am trying to be more sensible). It has pretty much been decided that there will be a pumpkin dessert---which one is the question. We could go with a traditional pumpkin pie, but I’m torn between this Pumpkin Cheesecake and my pumpkin flan. I LOVE this pumpkin cheesecake, so I have a feeling I may try and get the family on board with this one.

Unlike cheesecakes I have posted about in the past, this recipe has a little bit of flour in it to prevent it from cracking which means it does not require a water bath. The downside of this recipe for someone trying to bake several desserts is that it does take up your oven for almost 3 hours (45 minutes for cooking and then you turn the oven off and leave it in there for an additional 2 hours). BUT you can make this cheesecake 2 days in advance, so that should get it out of the way before the Thanksgiving cooking madness begins.

I’ll let you know which pumpkin dessert I decide on.

For my next debate: regular pecan pie or chocolate pecan pie??

Here is what you will need:

If you can find this box of Graham Crumbs in the baking aisle, it will save you lots of time:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center. Assemble a 9-inch nonstick springform pan, with the raised side of the bottom part facing up. Make the crust: In a medium bowl, mix cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter until moistened.

Step 2:  press firmly into bottom of pan. Bake until golden around edges, 10 to 12 minutes.

Step 3: 3.Make the filling: With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on low speed until smooth; mix in flour (do not overmix).

Step 4: Add pumpkin puree, pie spice, vanilla, and salt; mix just until smooth.

Step 5: Add eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next. (Note: Never crack an egg directly into the mixer, so you don't accidentally drop any pieces of the shell into the batter. I crack each egg in a bowl and then I incorporate it.)

Step 6: Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour filling into springform, and gently smooth top. Transfer to oven; reduce oven heat to 300 degrees. Bake 45 minutes. Turn off oven; let cheesecake stay in oven 2 hours more (without opening).

Recipe Courtesy: Martha Stewart

ENJOY!

Ingredients:

FOR THE CRUST

1 1/4 cups graham-cracker crumbs (from 10 whole crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING

4 packages (8 ounces each) bar cream cheese, very soft
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons pumpkin-pie spice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, room temperature

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center. Assemble a 9-inch nonstick springform pan, with the raised side of the bottom part facing up.

2.Make the crust: In a medium bowl, mix cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter until moistened; press firmly into bottom of pan. Bake until golden around edges, 10 to 12 minutes.

3.Make the filling: With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on low speed until smooth; mix in flour (do not overmix). Add pumpkin puree, pie spice, vanilla, and salt; mix just until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next.

4.Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour filling into springform, and gently smooth top. Transfer to oven; reduce oven heat to 300 degrees. Bake 45 minutes. Turn off oven; let cheesecake stay in oven 2 hours more (without opening).

5.Remove from oven; cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours. Unmold before serving.

Pumpkin Flan

Two pumpkin posts in a row? Overkill? Probably—my husband isn’t complaining though, and my house smells absolutely edible. Flan purists will turn their nose at this gringo version of flan, but I gave a piece to our Salvadorian neighbor, a self proclaimed flan aficionado, and he LOVED it. So clearly, it must be good.

Like pumpkin bread, this is one of those recipes that I really only make October through December. Obviously, there is nothing actually preventing me from making pumpkin recipes mid-July, but would the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte be as exciting if it was readily available all year round? Probably not, so I like to keep these things special. And actually, I have come to love this flan so much, I think it might make its first appearance at Thanksgiving this year since I have appointed myself head of desserts (I should probably let my family know that at some point). Don’t get me wrong, I love plain old pumpkin pie, but sometimes, it is fun to add a little variety to the typical Thanksgiving dessert spread. Last year, I brought pumpkin cheesecake, and that was a huge hit.

In terms of preparation, this can be made a day ahead (or possibly 2 if you really don’t have time the day before). Flan seems like one of those dishes that would be really difficult to make, but besides needing to move rather quickly when pouring the caramel into the souffle dish (see Step 2) there is nothing very technical about this recipe. So with that said, get baking and enjoy!

And next week, I will post something with meat…and vegetables. I think I need more balance in my life, but I suppose pumpkin could count as a vegetable too?

Here is what you will need:

 I almost forgot to include the most important ingredient!



Secret Ingredient

Step 1: Heat a 2-quart souffle dish or round ceramic casserole in middle of oven. Cook 1 cup sugar in a dry 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork, until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden, about 5 minutes.

Step 2: Quickly and carefully remove hot dish from oven and immediately pour caramel into dish, tilting it to cover bottom and sides. (Leave oven on.) Keep tilting as caramel cools and thickens enough to stay in place.

Step 3: Scald whole milk with evaporated milk in a saucepan and remove from heat. (Basically heat it until it is just at a boil.)

Step 4: Beat eggs and remaining cup sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.

Step 5: Beat in salt, pumpkin, tequila, and spices.

Step 6: Pour milk mixture through a sieve into a bowl and beat into pumpkin mixture in a slow stream until combined well.

Step 7: Pour custard over caramel in dish and set in a water bath of 1 inch hot water. Put pan in middle of oven and lower temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden brown on top and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours, possibly longer.

Step 8: Remove dish from water bath and transfer to a rack to cool. Chill flan, covered, until cold, at least 6 hours.

Step 9: To unmold flan, rest souffle dish in about 2 inches of warm water for 30 seconds. This helps warm the caramel. Then take a thin knife around flan to loosen the flan from the sides of dish. Wiggle dish from side to side and, when flan moves freely in dish, invert a large serving platter with a lip over dish. Holding dish and platter securely together, quickly invert and turn out flan onto platter. Caramel will pour out over and around it.

Source: Epicurious.com

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1 cup whole milk
2 (5-oz) cans evaporated milk (1 1/3 cups)
5 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
15-oz can solid-pack pumpkin (1 3/4 cups)
2 tablespoons premium golden agave tequila such as Herradura Reposado, or bourbon
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg


Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place a large pot of water to boil (this hot water will be used for the water bath)

Heat a 2-quart souffle dish or round ceramic casserole in middle of oven.

Cook 1 cup sugar in a dry 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork, until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden, about 5 minutes. Quickly and carefully remove hot dish from oven and immediately pour caramel into dish, tilting it to cover bottom and sides. (Leave oven on.) Keep tilting as caramel cools and thickens enough to stay in place.

Scald whole milk with evaporated milk in a saucepan and remove from heat. Beat eggs and remaining cup sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in salt, pumpkin, tequila, and spices. Pour milk mixture through a sieve into a bowl and beat into pumpkin mixture in a slow stream until combined well.

Pour custard over caramel in dish and set in a water bath of 1 inch hot water. Put pan in middle of oven and lower temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden brown on top and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours, possibly longer. Remove dish from water bath and transfer to a rack to cool. Chill flan, covered, until cold, at least 6 hours.

To unmold flan, rest soufflé dish in about 2 inches of warm water for 30 seconds. This helps warm the caramel. Then take a thin knife around flan to loosen the flan from the sides of dish. Wiggle dish from side to side and, when flan moves freely in dish, invert a large serving platter with a lip over dish. Holding dish and platter securely together, quickly invert and turn out flan onto platter. Caramel will pour out over and around it.

Whole-Wheat Brownies

So one of the reasons I started this blog was not only to force myself to constantly try new recipes but to also try recipes I might ordinarily shy away from. Well, this past Sunday, I finally got past my bizarre fear of yeast, and tonight, I finally tried two healthy baking alternatives that I had been curious about for a while now.  This recipe substitutes whole-wheat flour for half of the white flour and applesauce for the oil. I wasn't very confident that I would be blogging about this recipe with positive reviews, but actually, the brownies turned out really well. I couldn't get over how moist they were, and the chocolate chunks sprinkled on top really add a nice touch.

Now, I'm going to break it down: these are not the ultra-rich fudgy brownies you might find at a gourmet bakery, BUT they are a  great weeknight treat that you can eat without feeling super guilty. And the greatest test of all, I didn't reveal to my husband that these were made with whole-wheat flour and applesauce until after he took his second brownie. He genuinely liked them, and he never likes any of the random organic low-fat cookies I bring home from the grocery store.

The final verdict: I probably wouldn't make these for guests or a party (my mom passed on the belief that you don't invite people over to put them on a diet), but I will definitely make these again for myself...and maybe my husband if I decide to share. :-)

(and yes, I am still working on the new website....this may take a while, ha)

THE RECIPE

Here is what you will need:

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-in. square baking dish; line with parchment paper leaving a 2-in. overhang on all sides. (note: I do not have an 8-in. square baking dish, and I was running out of parchment paper....so this isn't the greatest example, but it did the trick! This makes cutting perfect brownies MUCH easier). Also, go ahead and start boiling water for Step 4.

Step 2:  In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Step 3:  In a large bowl, stir together sugar, applesauce, and egg.

Step 4: Place butter and 6 ounces of chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pot of simmering water; stir until melted. (Note: No need for a fancy double-boiler...just a heat proof bowl over hot water.)

Step 5: Stir chocolate mixture into sugar mixture. Stir in flour mixture.

Step 6: Pour into pan and top with 2 ounces chocolate.

Step 7: Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Use parchment paper to lift cake from pan and cut into 16 squares.

ENJOY!

Recipe Courtesy: Martha Stewart in her Everyday Food Magazine

Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-in. square baking dish; line with parchment paper leaving a 2-in. overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Step 2. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, applesauce, and egg. Place butter and 6 ounces of chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pot of simmering water; stir until melted. Stir chocolate mixture into sugar mixture. Stir in flour mixture. Pour into pan and top with 2 ounces chocolate.

Step 3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Use parchment paper to lift cake from pan and cut into 16 squares. (Store in airtight container, up to 5 days) Makes 16.