Soup feeds the body and soul and permeates your house with aromas that escape under door cracks and out windows to let the neighborhood know that you ARE ALL THAT and a pot of soup. This hearty Italian Sausage soup is, of course, nothing terribly new, BUT as I walk you through the basic steps of CREATING your own soup, I will show you how I switched it up based on what’s in my fridge and pantry and what my family likes.

This is a summary taken from Fine Cooking Magazine (December 2011 issue) and although I considered myself very proficient at soups, it honestly has changed my soup making forever; has elevated and added depths to my soups that I hadn’t known was missing. Well, here we go.

Step 1: Start with either a homemade stock or a good quality store-bought (preferably organic) stock at the ready for later. The quality of the stock really does play an important role. I rarely make my own stock, I am ashamed to admit. I am just not an organized person who could handle packaging them up in little icecube trays or containers in my freezer. I am more than thrilled with Imagine’s No Chicken Broth. It is supposed to mimic chicken broth but is vegetarian and since my hubby is ALLERGIC to CHICKEN (imagine that?!), this works quite nicely for us.

Step 2: Basic Aromatics which include carrots, celery, onions, garlic, leek, shallots, fennel, parsnips, etc. Other aromatics you might want to add are chopped fresh ginger, chiles or lemongrass. Peel, chop and saute these guys in the big stock pot with either olive oil or some butter, depending on what type of soup you are making. I almost always choose olive oil. AND, here’s a Geni’s bonus tip: I usually throw in my prosciutto, bacon or a ham bone now depending on the soup for a little smokiness. This is one area you can get a little creative. I used left over whole pepperoni which I chopped into “lardons” (chunks) since I didn’t have any of the others I mentioned. Obviously, don’t do this if you are making a vegetarian soup.

Step 3:  Add Spices and Hearty Herbs -Add your bay leaf (I have a preference for Turkish Bay Leaf) or some chili powder, ground coriander, thyme, cumin, or rosemary, etc. Stir it up with your aromatics and cook just a couple of minutes.

Step 4:Add Starches  like potatoes (red potatoes cubed are my frequent starch of choice), tiny pastas, canned beans, noodles, rice or grains. Stir it up and keep on truckin’.

Step 5: Add the Vegetables. In this recipe, it was kale for me, but you can add spinach, zucchini, peas, chard, bok choy, mushrooms, etc.

Step 6: Now is a good time to pour in your stock. Bring it to a boil and then reduce your heat and simmer awhile…maybe about 20 minutes or so. It really depends on the type of soup you are making. You can puree your soup after it is done simmering if you are making a smooth soup like my Cream of Spinach, Sweet Potato or Creamy Mushroom soups.

*If you are adding some kind of  COOKED meat or poultry to your soup, in this case I added cooked and sliced Italian sausage, add it now.

Step 7: MY FAVORITE STEP and the one that CHANGED MY SOUPS! Finish the soup. For those gourmets out there, you may be thinking, “This is not rocket science!”. But for me, it was a game changer. Your options for finishes are fairly endless but here are some common additions to add towards the end of your cooking process; lemon or lime juice (1 Tbsp at a time), soy sauce (1 Tbsp. at a time), Sesame oil (1/2 tsp. at a time), vinegar (red or white whine, sherry, etc. 1 tsp at a time), heavy cream (or in my case half and half or whole milk…I very rarely use heavy cream, 2 Tbsp at a time), fish sauce (1 Tbsp at a time), delicate herbs like mint, parsley, tarragon, cilantro, etc., hot sauce (like Tabasco or Sriracha 1/2 tsp. at a time—trust me) and sugar (brown or granulated…just a 1/2 tsp at a time).  It was the lemon juice and Sriracha that, when added, really gave my soup an added dimension.

Garnishes: This particular soup did not have a garnish, but here are some typical options—crisp tortilla strips, chopped avocado, fresh herbs sprinkled atop of a bowl, scallions, a dollop of creme fraiche or Greek Yogurt, toasted chopped nuts, cranberries, Parmesean grated, etc.

Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup

Makes about 8-10 average sized bowls of soup
2 T. olive oil
3 strips of prosciutto (about 2-3 ounces) chopped OR 1/4 lb. of pepperoni cut into chunks like bacon lardons
1 1/2 lbs. of Italian sausage in the casing (mild or spicy depending on your palate)
2 leeks chopped (see instructions for leeks below)
2 shallot bulbs, peeled and chopped finely
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped finely
1 bay leaf
3 tsp. chopped fresh Thyme or 2 tsp. dried Thyme
3 large red skinned potatoes, washed and chopped (not peeled)
1 15.5 oz can of either Great Northern Beans or Cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, chopped (I did not have celery this time and used two parsnips peeled and chopped instead).
Salt and freshly ground pepper (1/2 tsp of each at this point add more to taste when finishing the soup)
2 quarts of chicken or vegetable stock (I use No Chicken Broth by Imagine Foods)
1 bunch Kale, cleaned, trimmed and chopped
1-2 T. lemon juice
1-2 tsp. Sriracha depending on your preference for hot
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Added salt and pepper to your taste.

To make the soup:First, get your sausages cooking. In a large skillet on medium heat, cook the sausages on all sides (covering while you cook and then rolling them or flipping them once one side is browned until all sides are browned and it’s still a faint pink in the middle). While your sausages are cooking, peel, clean and chop all of your vegetables so they are at the ready.

To prepare the leeks, I lop off the top and bottom unusable parts, cut them in half lengthwise and then soak them in a bath of water for about 10 minutes. This helps to release grains of dirt that are stuck in between the layers of the leek. Separate the layers a bit in the water. Dry them off after soaking and simply chop, making 1/2 inch slices.

When you take your sausages off the stove, wipe off any excess grease with a paper towel and let cool until ok to handle. Slice in 1/4 inch slices and set aside.

In a large stock pot over medium high heat, add the oil and prosciutto. Saute for a minute and then add your leek, shallots and garlic and saute on MEDIUM for about 2 minutes or until they look translucent. Add your bay leaf and the thyme and stir. Add the potatoes, carrots and celery. Top with salt and pepper and stir and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the stock and stir, making sure to bring up any stuck on bits from the bottom of the pot. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add Kale and sausage, cover and simmer another 5-10 minutes more or until potatoes are tender. Stir in lemon juice, Sriracha (optional) and Parmesan. Then add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty French bread or a cheesy Panini of some kind.

These would be a perfect ”Thank you” to my daughter, Zoie, who had helped me out of a bind. That’s what happens when you have teenagers. They come to your rescue now and then. Don’t believe all of the bad press; teenagers may be a little moody and hormone crazed, but in my case they also happen to be wonderful.

The problem was, I had gotten my dates mixed up for my big movie extravaganza day where I was going to a theater “festival” with one of my best friends to watch  four out of nine of the Best Picture nominees. I had been looking forward to it for a month, but then somehow I woke up and forgot that this was the magical day and once my friend reminded me, I was frantically scurrying about my kitchen throwing snacks together.

I had pictured this day quite differently and had planned on making some nice little gourmet sandwiches and having French Lemonade to sip but then in typical Geni fashion, I was running late and just throwing together whatever we had lying around; peanuts, pistachios, chocolate covered pomegranate seeds and pretzels were what I could come up with, but no makings for lunch.

There was not going to be a lunch break during our 10 hour movie fest but only a 45 minute dinner break. The idea of hotdogs and nachos was starting to plague me as I raced upstairs to grab my purse. As I walked back into the kitchen, I found Zoie adding to my snack bags, putting a few napkins in and scrunching up the brown paper sacks so they would fit inside my ginormous purse. I felt a sweet pang as I realized that my daughter was taking care of me.

Just before I ran out the door, she shouted out, “Bring Advil and tissues! You get headaches at the movies and sometimes you cry.”  How does it go from buttoning up her sweater and stuffing her lunchbox to her packing my lunch and making sure I had everything I needed?

Later,  when I broke into my snack bag (all of 5 minutes into movie one), I found some surprise Gummi Bears added to my nuts and pretzels. Jackpot!  Then during movie number two, I found the good stuff; crackers slathered with peanut butter.  That’s when I needed the tissue; although War Horse was a real tear jerker, my tears came when I found the crackers.

Bacon and Potato Mini Frittatas

Adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 14-16 “muffins” or 28-32 mini muffins (use as appetizers if making minis)
Prep time about 30 minutes and 16 minutes of baking time.
1 large Russett (baking) potato, peeled and diced…about two cups
1/2 of a large onion, peeled and diced finely
one red pepper diced finely (about 3/4 cup)
6 strips of bacon, cooked
1/2 t. dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper)
1 16 oz carton of Egg Beaters (or 8 egg whites)
3 whole eggs
1/2 c. grated Cheddar (I used Cheddar-Jack cuz that’s what I had)
Cooking spray

For Garnishes: chopped chives and a teaspoon of nonfat Greek Yogurt. OR if you are making them as appetizers, top with salmon roe on top of the Greek Yogurt instead of bacon crumbles. Oh yeah.

To make the Frittatas: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray the heck out of a regular muffin pan. The reviewers from Cooking Light said that they had trouble getting them out of the pan. I did not since I heeded their warning. This recipe makes about 14-16 so if you have another muffin pan, spray a few more muffin spaces on the second one and cook the two trays at the same time; otherwise you may have to wait to make a second batch.

Peel and dice your potatoes so you they are small cubes. Place your potatoes in a small pot and add water to just barely cover the potatoes. Add a shake or two of salt to your water. Bring to a boil and cook until almost tender but not too tender since they will cook in the oven a little more later. Drain and run cold water over them when done to stop the cooking process. Reserve potatoes and set aside.

Throw your 1/2 of onion in a food processor if you are lazy like me or chop by hand in a fine dice if you need a good cry. Chop your red pepper as well. Everything should have a nice, fine dice but not be mushy or tiny.

Cook your bacon in a frying pan and dry the grease off of your bacon by rolling them in paper towels. In a saute pan, pour about 2 T. of the bacon grease into it. Turn your burner on medium-high and once the pan is hot toss in your onions. Saute onions for about a minute and then add the potatoes and red peppers. Throw in your thyme, salt and pepper. Saute until a little golden (about another minute or so). Crumble your cooled bacon into the potato mixture. To cool my potatoes, I put them in a bowl so that they didn’t stay hot in the pan. I knew I would be adding them to eggs and i didn’t want the eggs to curdle.

Beat the egg beaters and three eggs together in a medium mixing bowl. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper like you would to scrambled eggs.  Add the potato mixture and stir to combine well. Using an ice cream scoop fill each muffin cup 2/3 full. They will rise. Make sure to wipe off any spillage that occurred on the pan before you put the pan in the oven. The egg drippings would burn easily. I even wiped the top of my pan with a paper towel which had been doused in a little cooking spray to ensure the frittatas wouldn’t stick to the top of the pan should they spill over the rim. Top each uncooked frittata with a large pinch of the cheddar cheese (about a Tablespoon). Cook for about 16 minutes or until golden and firm.

Serve with a dollop of Nonfat Greek yogurt, more crumbled bacon and some chopped chives. These make a great brunch item that is easily served and hand held if need be. Cooking Light suggests these as mini-muffins and to serve as appetizers. I would top them with salmon roe for apps.

]]> http://sweetandcrumby.com/2012/02/19/role-reversal-and-bacon-and-egg-mini-frittatas/feed/ 39 mszeezer IMG_8910 IMG_8851 IMG_8854 IMG_8856 IMG_8900 http://sweetandcrumby.com/2012/02/15/a-lemon-sooful-sit-in-perfectly-tart-lemon-souffles/ http://sweetandcrumby.com/2012/02/15/a-lemon-sooful-sit-in-perfectly-tart-lemon-souffles/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:51:02 +0000 Geni - Sweet and Crumby http://sweetandcrumby.wordpress.com/?p=7149 ]]> I am a fairly casual person and am most comfortable in jeans, eating homemade macaroni and cheese, baking good ol’ chocolate chip cookies and not having someone scrape crumbs of the crisp white table cloth while “I dine”. Don’t get into my chocolate preferences though because my whole theory on my own unpretentiousness just may sail right on out the window.

So when I decided to make Lemon Souffles for our Valentine’s dessert, it seemed a bit over-the-top for me, and intentionally I started to refer to my dessert as a lemon sooful. It made my daughter laugh and me feel like it was an attainable silly little dessert rather than a fancy schmancy something or other that only a pastry chef could succeed at.

It worked. I managed to fool myself with the misnomer and never felt intimidated by the reality that it most likely would fall and may not turn out. But I thought, if done right, it would be the most perfect ending to steak and lobster and would not be so heavy that all we would want to do later is nap.

And if you are thinking what kind of regular gal eats steak and lobster…I’ll let you know that when it was requested for a birthday dinner awhile back, I happened to serve it on paper plates. Gasp! And last night WAS Valentine’s day after all and I’m no schlep. Scroll through my blog—I have proof.

The baking soofuls, trapped in their 350 degree stainless steel armour, were almost more than my antsy self could handle. I turned the oven light on…of course. Then, half way through, I started to wonder, “Are they rising?”, and decided to plant my butt right on the floor in front of the oven.  I squinted, tilted my head just so and practically pressed my nose against the glass. My daughter sat down next me. She is quite my second hand in the kitchen and definitely an empathetic supporter. Then my Golden Retriever thought we were having a kitchen floor party and gave us both a big lick and sat down with us.

Finally, when these babies came out of the oven, THEY HAD RISEN!  I shouted with joy.  My husband said, “Sh…aren’t you supposed to be quiet around souffles?”. They fell a millimeter. Of course, being the graceful ballerina-like baker that I am NOT, I accidentally landed the cookie sheet a little roughly on top of the stove. I gasped. They fell another millimeter.  Note slightly fallen souffle in above photo. Then I tripped, just a little bit, while gently carrying them to the table, and they fell another millimeter. Note fairly squashed souffle in photo below.

A little sunken after my graceful serving techniques.

Oh, in the excitement of telling you all about their height, I forgot to tell you about their taste and that would be quite a disservice to them. They were perfectly and puckeringly tart, but just slightly sweet, airy and when you scooped a spoonful, with a touch of the whipped cream, a dust of the powdered sugar and a bit of the raspberry, it was complete and utter Nirvana; kinda perfect for the evening ahead…

Martha Stewart’s Lemon Souffles

Makes 8 small ramekins or 6 average sized ramekins
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for dishes
8 large egg yolks plus 10 large egg whites, room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for dishes
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons),
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

Garnish: confectioners’ sugar, raspberries and freshly made whipped cream

To Make the Souffles: Prepare your ramekins by smearing a little butter on the bottom and sides and then sprinkling a smattering of granulated sugar in each one. Spin the ramekin slowly over the sink so that the sugar coats the sides and the bottom of the ramekin.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  Separate your eggs. Important helpful hint; When separating large quantities of eggs, make sure to separate each one over an empty liquid measuring cup, then drop the egg yolk into a small bowl (with all of the other egg yolks as you go) and pour the white into another bowl (with all of the other egg whites as you go). In my younger and more novice days, I would think that I could just separate them over the egg white bowl and then, sure enough, one little bit of yolk would fall in and ruin the whole batch. Don’t do that. It’s too sad. You will only need 8 egg yolks but 10 egg whites so just toss your two leftover yolks or be creative and add them to a Caesar salad dressing if you like.

Whisk together yolks, flour, lemon zest and 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar. Set aside.

On the stove, heat the milk in a small sauce pan on medium heat until it boils. Keep an eye on it and stir now and then because milk burns easily. Once it is boiling, pour it slowly while whisking the yolks, just a bit at a time, into the egg yolk mixture so that you don’t curdle your eggs. Once the hot milk has been amply whisked into the egg yolks, pour the egg and milk mixture back into the sauce pan and cook on medium heat whisking constantly until it becomes thick like a pudding. This will take about 1-2 minutes.

Martha will tell you to “strain through a sieve” at this point. I did NOT for two reasons: 1)I am impatient and 2) I was skeptical if I would end up with enough of the egg mixture after pushing it through a sieve. You can decide what is best for you. I do believe it would have been even airier if I had done this (Smidge-fellow blogger in comments above-, if you make it and sieve it, let me know how it goes so I can update the instructions here). After straining it (or not), stir in the lemon juice and butter and whisk gently.

Beat your egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with A BALLOON WHISK (paddle attachment will not do the job folks) until foamy. Start with your mixer on low and then gradually increase as they thicken until you have it up to a higher speed (not necessarily the highest speed). When foamy, add one tablespoon at a time of the granulated sugar (1/4 c. + 2 Tablespoons).  Beat until stiff peaks form.

Oh so gently, like a ballerina, fold your egg whites- just 1/3 of the whites at a time-into your egg yolk mixture. Folding means gently using a rubber scraper and bringing the bottom of the batter over the top and repeating with a very light touch until everything is incorporated. See how it should look?

Gently folding in the whipped eggwhites ever so carefully.

Place the ramekins on a rimmed cookie sheet for ease of moving them when filled. Fill the ramekins to the top with your batter, using an ice cream scoop. Bake for 16 minutes on the middle rack of the oven. DO NOT PEEK! They will fall if you do. When the timer says they’re done, they’re done. Don’t second guess it. Gently, with the utmost of care, take the cookie sheet out of the oven. Serve IMMEDIATELY! Dust with powdered sugar, top with a raspberry and serve with a dollop of whipped cream. YUM!

Here it is crazy cold (all of 47 degrees F. in So Cal and Yes, I am a big baby), and I just made this soup last night so I thought it was quite appropos.

This soup is one you can make with your eyes closed and your hands tied behind your back so if you have gotten yourself in an unusual fix such as that then this is the soup for you.

This lick-the-bowl-clean mushroom soup is memorable.  I know, it looks kind of hideous.  Trust me, it was no picnic to photograph.  Mushroom soup is no beauty unlike my Cover Girl Beet Salad.  It’s more akin to the Beast than anything else, but when you dive in with your spoon and take a taste, you will know that its ugliness lies solely on the outside.

It tastes like a walk in the woods after a rainy day or a night by the fireplace of a rustic, log cabin.  It’s cozy, rich, creamy and absolutely the most perfect answer to a night in.  It can stand alone or go along side your favorite grilled cheese sandwich or panini.

As if flavor isn’t enough to sell you on this earthy mushroom soup, its ease of preparation should cinch the deal.  It’s so simple it’s embarrassing, but what girl doesn’t need a super simple soup in her repertoire?

I’m afraid I must confess that I am a mushroom washer though.  I know that is a culinary faux pas and mushrooms are to be gently brushed with a mushroom brush or simply wiped off with a towel.   But I am a bit of a germ-phobe on any given day, and physically seeing dirt on my  mushrooms is an immediate signal to use water.

Don’t worry, I just give them a gentle rinse and pat them dry with a paper towel so they don’t get soggy, and then I don’t have to narrow my eyes and speculate if the cracked pepper is really a speck of dirt.  That makes me happy.

If you make this soup, I have a hunch that you will be happy too, and then everyone is happy, happy…even if it’s flippin’ freezing out there! Oh—you may want to have on hand a good loaf of crusty bread as well; it couldn’t hurt, could it?

Creamy Mushroom Soup
Makes ONLY four large-ish bowls and that’s it so if you want more, please double the recipe. I rarely make a single batch.
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. shallots, peeled and minced
3 T. olive oil
4 T. unsalted butter
1 lb white button mushrooms, stems removed
1 1/2 t. fresh thyme
1/2 lb (1 small package) of either mini portobellos, crimini or shitakes
1/2- 3/4  t. freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4- 1  t. salt to taste
3 T. all purpose flour
3 1/2 c.  of either chicken broth, no-chicken broth or mild vegetable broth if you would like it to be vegetarian.
1 c. whole milk

Fancy, schmancy garnishes: Frozen puff pastry defrosted and ready to be cut with tiny cookie cutters,
sprigs of thyme, drop of sherry drizzled in or all of the above.

Ok…I first de-stem my mushrooms and rinse and pat them dry and rub off any left on dirt.  If you would rather just brush or wipe your mushrooms clean, be my guest, but that kind of risk-taking is just not for me.

Chop your peeled shallots and garlic in the food processor or chop finely by hand.  Remove from the bowl and reserve.  Mince your thyme by hand.  Set aside both the chopped shallots and the thyme.

Clean and de-stem your button mushrooms. Throw 1/2 of your button mushrooms in your food processor or chop by hand.  You want the mushrooms chopped into bits (see photo in post above of chopped mushrooms). Remove the chopped mushrooms from the bowl and finish off the chopping of the second half of your button mushrooms in the food processor.  Go ahead and add half of the portobellos to your food processor as well.  Chop together.

Put the olive oil and butter in a large pot or stockpot over medium heat.  Stir so you grease the entire pot and the butter gets dispersed.  Once the butter has melted, add your shallots and saute until soft (about 3 minutes).  Add your thyme and saute thyme as well.  Add you flour and saute for a minute. Finally, dump all of your chopped mushrooms into the pot and stir frequently so that all of the mushrooms get cooked evenly.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Pour in the soup stock, stir and bring to a low simmer over a medium heat for 15 minutes.  Make sure when you stir, to scrape the bottom of the pot so that all the nice stuck on bits get worked into your soup.  Those are tasty.

Now either use an immersion blender (best tool ever) to puree your soup or pour your soup in batches into a blender and puree.  SAFETY FIRST: Pour small batches of the HOT soup into the blender and CLOSE THE BLENDER TIGHTLY, but leave the middle little cap OPEN and use a towel folded over to cover the opening.  You don’t want to splatter hot soup on your face but you don’t want a mini explosion either.  Letting air out of the blender by keeping the middle portion open is key to not having an explosion.

Once the soup is entirely pureed, pour the soup back into the stock pot and add the milk.  Stir over a low heat.  While your soup is heating back up, slice the reserved portabellos and saute with 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saute pan.  Use these as garnish in each bowl of soup with a small sprig of thyme.

If you wish to fancy up your soup for company, cut small cookie cutter shapes (stars or such) out of defrosted puff pastry and bake according to package instructions.  Usually it will be about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. If I were you, I would do this while my soup was simmering so that they are ready when the soup is done.

Sprinkle the puff pastry shapes, sliced mushrooms and sprig of thyme atop the soup for finesse.

ENJOY!

Cali from Offally Tasty knocked my socks of with these Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies. I need to see how I can work them into my life between today and Tuesday and you should too!

Then Linda over at Savoring Every Bite made me swoon and left me a little light headed with her Chocolate Raspberry Tiramisu. I am already planning to bring that to our Academy Award get together among my friends. I know this may even get more attention than Brad Pitt or George Clooney…maybe.

When I saw Courtney’s (Misadventures in Cooking)  Molten Chocolate Cookies, I went a little crazy. These are the cookies of my dreams folks. I can’t imagine any cookie more wonderful than a dark, devilish cookie oozing with more chocolate. I am planning to whip these babies up tomorrow to send to school on Tuesday with my kids and perhaps for my lucky, lucky coworkers.

Greg, at Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide, has a different spin on the perfect Valentine’s Dessert…something fresh, creamy and not quite so heavy.  He is in the mind set that dessert should be a prelude to the rest of the evening’s “festivities” and what could be more inviting than a plate of Stuffed Strawberries with Chocolate and Ricotta?

And for the the non-chocolate lovers out there (WTF?!), Caroline of Sweet Carloline’s Cooking has baked up some dreamy Lemon Cupcakes with Blackberry Puree and Blackberry Buttercream. Are these not the prettiest cupcakes you have ever seen? Don’t you think they would make such a sweet and dainty dessert to finish a gourmet dinner?

And I have my own bevy of Valentine’s inspired desserts if you just scroll down through my posts, but one I have made recently again went over with ecstatic reviews at my recent book club. It was devoured, and women who rarely eat carbs went back for seconds. It is my Fallen Chocolate Cake with Dark Cherry Sauce, and I think it is quite sinful and sexy but also happens to be from Cooking Light so it won’t kill you with calories.

Enjoy!

Seriously, these are absolutely decadent and for the handful of readers I have from the Los Angeles area, they are a dead ringer for the ones served from L.A.’s famous Buttermilk food truck.  I have dreamt of these babies and craved them for days and now I can make them right in my own little kitchen…happy, happy me and now happy, happy you!

Valentine’s Day can be controversial at best.  Singles feel left out and married couples, ones strapped down by kids, mortgages, pets and jobs are sometimes too overwhelmed to celebrate.  Many people claim that they just don’t want to give in to the commercial marketing world who tells us that this is the day we must buy cards, flowers, chocolates and jewelry.

But I say this, why NOT celebrate a day that is entirely devoted to love and good relationships?   There are no rules about how you must celebrate it, and anything that makes your better half feel appreciated and loved can’t be bad, right?  A great relationship can only be strengthened, and a rocky one can possibly be a bit better.  What’s to lose?

My gifts to my spouse have often been from the kitchen.  I know this shocks you.  I have been known to bake huge batches of heart-shaped chocolate chip cookies with plain milk chocolate chips (HIS chocolate of choice, not mine) and totally nut-free (he is of the no nut persuasion—that just sounds wrong, doesn’t it?).

I even like to do a  few nice things for my kids on Valentine’s Day.  They might not be the romantic love of my life, but they are two of my greatest loves and reminding them of that is ALWAYS a good thing.

Living life with teens and kids  can be tumultuous, crazy and sometimes fraught with angst.  So why not take one day to take a break from the negative and celebrate the positive—love!  Start with serving these babies for breakfast and their school day will start off with a crazy bang (you may not want to tell their teachers that you just sugared them up and sent them on their way)!

Maybe, in addition, you could throw a few heart-shaped candies into their sack lunches.  I, corny mom that I am, have been known to cut their sandwiches with heart-shaped cookie cutters on Valentine’s Day when they were little.  A sweet way to surprise them in their lunch then, but now I would just be the most embarrassing mom on the planet since they are in middle and high school.  Perhaps this year a better choice would be  their favorite songs purchased on itunes.  Possibly, just coming home to a made bed would be nice?  Not difficult, nor expensive. It’s not that hard to show someone that they are special to you.

Finally, if you are single and kid-less at the moment and enjoy children, my recommendation to you is to offer to babysit someone’s kids for a couple hours on Valentine’s Day (yes, I am crazy, but it’s just a thought).  Bring some break apart cookie dough and a movie, and you will be loved right then and there by two grateful parents who are spread thin and in desperate need of some reprieve.

Just as a bonus, you may feel a little better about being single when you leave behind the mess and whining children and know that you are coming home to a nice quiet place where wine is ample and the movies are Disney-free.

Sometimes, just thinking of someone else outside ourselves actually brings us the greatest joy.  So if you are totally down and out at this big, romantic holiday, think about someone who needs you and help out in any way that suits you.  There are so many in need at this moment.

Either way, celebrating or not, I can’t seen any reason in the world you wouldn’t want to start the day with these beautiful and RED  pancakes.  Serve them along side some scrambled eggs, with fresh strawberries on top and the breakfast will possibly be a bit more balanced.

—My recommendation is to mix the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl the night before, leave it out on the counter and cover it.  That way, in the morning, you can throw it together in lightning speed.

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Pancakes
This recipe makes about one dozen three inch pancakes or about two dozen minis.
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons white sugar
2 T + 2 t. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. nonfat Greek Yogurt
3 T. Canola Oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter,  melted
1/2 t. pure Vanilla extract
two eggs
Red coloring paste or gel as needed for color
3/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Combine your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, flour through cocoa powder.  Gently whisk the dry ingredients to eliminate the need for sifting.  Pour buttermilk, sour cream, oil and melted butter into a liquid measuring cup, and add two cracked eggs.  Lightly whisk the eggs in with the wet ingredients.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and incorporate using a rubber spatula. Your batter may be a bit thick at this point, but adding the dye tends to thin it out enough to ladle. Do not over mix as this leads to tough pancakes.

Before adding the coloring paste or gel, prepare your griddle so it is nice and hot when you are ready to cook them.  Melt a pat of butter and a tablespoon  of canola oil on your griddle. Turn your burner on medium and use a wooden spoon or paper towel (I trust you not to catch the paper towel on fire—albeit this is NOT the safest way to grease your pan) to spread the oil and butter over the pan, greasing it.  The butter browns the pancakes and the oil keeps them from sticking.  Let your pan continue to get hot on Medium or Medium-High heat.   A nice hot griddle will help cook your pancakes through and give you a fluffy inside but a slightly crisp outside.

Add the red coloring paste a little at a time with a toothpick or drop by drop if you are using liquid coloring gel and mix until the color is just barely red.  Coloring paste stains your hands easily so handle the paste with care. Add the chocolate chips and combine with batter.  A splash more of the milk (literally just 1 T. or less) will think out your batter if yours is too thick to ladle onto the griddle. For fluffy pancakes don’t over mix.

Ladle the pancake batter onto the hot griddle  and turn the griddle down to a low medium now so it cooks all the way through. Flip the pancake when it begins to bubble slightly and the edges look firm.  Finish cooking the batter.

For the dipping sauce, simply throw the cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar into your stand mixer and whip or cream together in a bowl.

Let’s start over…for just a second. Go get some spices; Coriander, Clove, Cinnamon, Cardamom and White Pepper. Open up the jars. Take a whiff of each one. Now, walk over to the chocolate drawer. What?! Don’t you have an entire drawer of your fridge devoted to chocolate? If you answered, “No”, then I suppose I should start with that lecture, but I’ll save that for another day. Eat one, good and dark chocolate chip…bittersweet if you have it please; just to set the scene.

Ok…now in your imaginary pot on the stove throw in some of that dark chocolate and spices and mounds upon mounds of butter because this chocolate cake is not for sissies and Valentine’s Day doesn’t happen more than once a year so it’s OK to go a little crazy.

Wave your magic wand and momentarily you have little white dishes filled with a rich chocolatey batter with teaspoon upon teaspoon of tantalizing spices mixed in, just waiting to be baked. Now the most alluring aroma is filling the air. You have never, ever in your life smelled anything so wonderful.

Fifteen short minutes later and you can take them out, loosen ‘em up for their little production and eventually release them from their ceramic bondage. Once you dig your spoon in, the molten insides will reveal themselves, and you will take a little taste. A taste that will send you to somewhere very wonderful.

And as we all know, chocolate and spices are well known—um—”jump starts” to a very nice evening.  The batter can be made ahead of time unlike souffles so these are the perfect little desserts for Valentine’s Day. Whip them up a few hours early, and then bake them right before you want to take a bite. Serve them warm and melty, but only if you are ready to bite into something divine.

—P.S. The spices are fairly mild even though the quantities indicate otherwise. My son didn’t know anything was different about these chocolate cakes, but my mom, a foodie, knew that they had something unique and special going on. Infact, she said verbatim, “This is the best thing I have ever eaten!”. See? I will not steer you wrong here. Just make them. Be happy.

Winter Spiced Molten Chocolate Cakes

Originally From Bon Appetit Magazine but now can be found on Epicurious
Makes 8 individual ramekins. Can be made one day ahead.
14 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
6 large eggs
6 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup all purpose flour

Serving suggestions: Ginger ice cream or vanilla ice cream AND 1 T. of whiskey poured over the top, and of course a dash of fresh whipped cream dolloped on.

To make the cakes: Grease 8 ramekins with ample amounts of butter. If you are going to bake your cakes right away, then preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

In  medium sauce pan, place the bittersweet chocolate, butter and spices (coriander through pepper). Heat on medium, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Turn lower as it starts to melt, stirring frequently. It will take about 4 minutes for the chocolate to totally liquify and the ingredients to meld together. Once that happens, take it off the stove and let cool while you make the rest of the batter.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together (by hand) the egg yolks, eggs and vanilla.  Once beaten together, sift one cup of the powdered sugar over the egg mixture. Whisk the sugar into the eggs and repeat so that you have added three cups of powdered sugar total. Beat together with the wire whisk until smooth (ish).

Stir your chocolate mixture into the egg and powdered sugar mixture. Beat a little bit to combine with the whisk. Add the flour and beat with whisk JUST until combined. Don’t over beat. Fill your ramekins 2/3 full. Place your ramekins on a cookie sheet to make it easy put in and take out of the oven.

If you are making these ahead, cover them plastic wrap and then you can refrigerate them for up to one day. When you take them out of the fridge, you must bring them to room temperature before you bake them.  

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until batter has risen above dish, top edges are dark brown, and centers are still soft and runny, about 15 minutes, or about 18 minutes for refrigerated batter.

When you take them out, run a butter knife around the edges of each one and let cool as-is for 5 minutes. Place a dessert plate on top of the ramekin and flip over.

Serve with either vanilla ice cream, ginger ice cream and or 1 big Tablespoon of Whiskey and a little dash of whipped cream. Perfection…trust me or don’t and make it yourself.  You will love me!

Cool new plate from Misadventures in Cooking Giveaway!

How do we rationalize our own good fortune? How can we ever be grateful enough and yet try to understand why others are suffering or have suffered their whole existence? Why me? Why have I been so lucky, and why have others not? The only explanation I have is that life is rather twisted and inexplicable and mostly unpredictable.

Pretzels seem a good fit for this post. I had made pretzel dough this morning to celebrate the Super Bowl. I had not twisted nor shaped them before I left for the hospital. And yet when I came back, sad and a little lost, being able to run the dough through my hands and twist was exactly right for me.

Although really, I only twisted one myself, and instead snapped pictures and barked orders to my husband and daughter about salting this or basting that (had to keep my hands flour free, egg free and salt free to touch my precious camera). It felt right, to make a mess, to not care that flour was here and there, and my counters were cluttered and the sink was full. It just seemed apropos and cathartic.

So, I am sorry this post is rather depressing, but it wouldn’t be right to pretend that things are rosy today and that my post really means anything at all.

In fairness to those of you who come solely for the food, the pretzels were marvelous (I can’t say that word, nor type it without thinking of Billy Crystal’s impersonation from SNL) and the spicy Dijon and honey dip was the perfect accompaniment.  They are an Alton Brown recipe, and they are pure pretzel heaven; soft on the inside with a touch of crunch on the outside and that yeasty taste that goes smashingly with salt and mustard and an ice cold beer.  I’ve made pretzels before but no recipe quite captured exactly what a pretzel should be until now, until this one so I highly recommend making them when you need to do a little dough work or feel like some twisting…

Soft and Chewy Pretzels with Spicy Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Pretzel Recipe taken directly from
Alton Brown on Food Network.
Makes 8-9 Large Pretzels
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt

Honey Mustard Dip
1/4 c. yellow mustard
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. honey

Directions

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top.

Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in 8-quart pan or stockpot.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Roll out to a skinny 24 inch rope

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, one at a time, for 30 seconds, flip it over with a slotted spatula at 15 seconds. Remove from the water with the slotted spatula.

Place the pretzel on a cooling rack with a paper towel underneath the rack to catch the drips, and brush the top with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt.

Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes.

To make the dipping sauce: Simply stir together both mustards and honey until well combined. That’s it. Dip those bad boys in the mustard and take a bite of pretzel heaven.

These delicate, raspberry or Nutella filled mini Linzer cookies are rich and buttery, just slightly crispy and have so few ingredients, you are guaranteed to have them on hand. This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa and requires NO EGGS which concerned me at the get-go, but after tasting them, I was sold and so was my Girl Scout Troop as they nibbled inhaled the raw cookie dough sans salmonella.

I have to admit, that I am NOT a Mise En Place kind of girl.  I usually dive into recipes without a care in the world until I realize that I need something that is not sitting in my pantry and have to run out to the store mid-stream.  So, on the day of my Girl Scout troop meeting, literally minutes before I had to be at the school picking them up,  I realized there was no mention of an egg in the list of ingredients. I panicked a little, but trudged forward and threw the batter together anyway.  What else could I do?

When telling the girls that we would be baking Raspberry Linzer cookies,  I added a disclaimer. “They may not turn out…not sure…really haven’t made cookies without eggs before BUT and here’s the biggest BUT…the dough is safe to eat as-is, raw so feel free to nibble on the dough as we bake.” The cheers could have been heard down the block.

This was a pretty big coup as far as my girls were concerned.  They were being told they could EAT THE COOKIE DOUGH! This cookie project ended up being a huge success as girls happily cut out and nibbled on dough, chatted away and spread Nutella or Jam on their cookies while being politely asked not to lick their fingers.

As icing on the cake or perhaps more like powdered sugar on the cookies, they got to use the coolest cookie cutter EVER.  Really. It’s from Wilton and I picked it up from our local Michael’s craft store for $4.99.  It cuts beautiful mini Linzer cookies AND has a choice of six differently shaped centers to cut out.  The girls would twist on and off the little centers of the cookie cutters and choose the design of their liking.  What fun for kids and adults alike!

I hope you get a chance to make this traditional Valentine’s Day cookie because they are oh-so-beautiful and just as delicious—and you have MY permission to nibble on the dough!

Mini Linzer Valentine Cookies
From Ina Garten of the Food Network
3/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup good raspberry preserves
1/2 c. Nutella for centers
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

When I broke into my lunch, I immediately had to check out the dessert action first. I have always had a very bad sweet tooth I’m afraid.

The best (and worst for you) part of any kid’s 70′s lunch, if she was worth her salt, was the Hostess surprise inside. Whether it was a semi-stale bright yellow Twinkie or the foil wrapped Devil’s food, Ding Dong, Hostess was the king of the Snack world in the 70′s…though, sadly and very gratefully, not any more.

My mom was fairly health conscious, even when it wasn’t trendy, so my lunch box didn’t have these treats very often…unless my dad had done the grocery shopping instead that week. Then our cupboards were full of the “don’ts”; Cocoa Krispies, Doritos and Hostess. As horrible as all that crap was (and is!), I would anxiously await those magical lunches when it was stuffed with “the crap”.

As I grew a little older and wiser, I learned that Twinkies, although very cute and perky, were not exactly what the package claimed them to be. They were rarely moist, suspiciously bright yellow and stayed in the same semi-fresh state for months (probably years) if you… hypothetically speaking…accidentally left one in an old lunch box and decided to give it a taste.

Thankfully, the ones here today only share the same shape…perhaps stir up a few memories, but happily taste nothing like the originals. These are rich, decadent and chocolatey, and they are Jeanne’svery own recipe. Her blog is one of my faves, and you should definitely check it out, and then you will be hooked. I used my favorite Chuao Cacao Rouge cocoa powder which I am presuming is the reason my little cakes are much darker than hers.  Either way, you will not be disappointed.

For a traditional Yellow Homemade Twinkie recipe, go here.

Simple Math Bakery’s  Very Own “Death by Chocolate” Twinkies

Feel free to make this into cupcakes so you don’t need to buy a special pan. It will work great!
For me, it made about 15 Twinkies…for Jeanne it made 20…this does not shock me, my first batch were fairly hefty.
Snack Cakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons corn starch
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup cold water
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
7 eggs, separated

Chocolate Cream Filling
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk (I used half and half)
1/4 cup cocoa powder, best quality makes a huge difference
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (60% cacao)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar

For the Cakes: Spray coat a “Canoe Pan” or fill cupcake pan with liners.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a balloon whisk attachment beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Scoop out and set aside in another bowl.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together flour through salt. Add oil, water, vanilla and egg yolks. Combine, using the paddle attachment beat on medium until smooth.

Using a rubber scraper, gently fold in 1/3 of the eggwhites and repeat until combined. If you are using a canoe pan, fill half way carefully spooning your batter into the spaces. Otherwise, fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full.

For Twinkies, bake for about 15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for five minutes and then carefully release them and cool on a wire rack.
For cupcakes, 15-22 minutes.  Cool cupcakes similarly.

 Cakes must be COMPLETELY COOL to fill with cream.

While the cakes are baking, make your filling:  In a small saucepan, whisk together the cocoa powder and flour.  Add the milk slowly, whisking until smooth. Then heat and cook on medium, stirring constantly. From Jeanne’s instructions, “When the mixture becomes a paste (about 5 minutes), remove from heat and allow to cool for 1 minute. Stir in the vanilla extract. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and set aside to cool completely.”

In the top portion of a double boiler, heat the chocolate chips just until they melt. Remove from heat and allow to cool until just barely warm. If you would prefer to melt the chocolate in the microwave, simply put them in a microwave proof bowl and heat for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until smooth.

“With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cooled milk mixture and beat until combined. Pour in the cooled melted chocolate and beat for about 5 minutes, until smooth and creamy.”

To fill Twinkies: I used the pastry cream filler tool that came with the pan, but you can use a pastry bag fitted with either a cupcake filling tip or any regular tip will work fine too (star tip, whatever).  Hold Twinkie in one hand upside down and squirt the filling into three place in the bottom. I did not have luck with getting enough filling into the crevice. In the future, I might use  a cupcake corer to remove pieces of the cake and then fill. The filling was plenty thick to stay in though so the filling was not the problem. It was the baker.

To fill cupcakes: Core out a piece of the cupcake with a cupcake corer, apple corer or simply a paring knife and then fill with a pastry bag fitted with a tip. Frost. Use the frosting from this post; it’s the bomb and would go with the cream filling smashingly.

Enjoy your this rich and creamy retro snack and think back to your lunch table days.