Brown Sugar Cookies | Secret Recipe Club

I love brown sugar. When used to make cookies, it elevates the flavor to the next level. This month for the Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Carrie’s SweetLife.  Carrie’s philosophy for her blog is to create and share simple comforting food that puts a smile on anyone’s face that has the pleasure of eating it.  I can relate to her thought process.

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Carrie lives in the Twin Cities with her hubby Adam and her two daughters Maddy and Hanna.  Peanut the chi-rat terrier is the family dog.  From her blog, you certainly gain the sense that they practice traditional family values and enjoying spending time with their family.  While browsing her blog, my mouth began to water with the vast array of tasty treats she shares.  Her selection of cookie recipes intrigued me.  One in particular; her Brown SugarCookie - as I stated earlier, I love brown sugar.

The recipe could not be more straightforward with simple ingredients.  I always like to add my own touches to recipes.  I pondered on what I could do to kick it up a notch and make it my own.  Should I add chocolate chips?  Dip in chocolate?  Then it came to me – add toffee bits.  It would compliment this delightful cookie along with enhancing the flavor.  The result was pure heaven – I mean pure heaven. These are among some of the BEST cookies I have made in a long time.  I finally had to put them into sealed containers, so I would not eat anymore.  I also jumped on the treadmill for 30 minutes to attempt to burn off the 3 or 4 cookies I ate prior to taking my photos.

If you have not heard about the Secret Recipe Club and would like to learn more about joining in the fun, simply click here to learn more.  If you want to discover new blogs, make new friends and find new recipes, this is the online cooking club for you.

Brown Sugar Cookies

Makes 3 dozen cookies

½ Cup Shortening

½ Cup Butter

1 ¼ Cup Brown Sugar, packed

1 Egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla

2 Cups Flour

½ teaspoon Baking Soda

¼ teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Toffee Bits

Heat oven to 350 Degrees.

Using a stand mixer, beat together the shortening, butter and brown sugar until creamy.  Add the egg and mix well.  Next add the baking soda, vanilla and salt and mix.  Slowly incorporate the flour until combined.  Finally add the toffee bits and mix. 

Use a small, one inch ice cream scoop to form the cookie dough.  Place 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Remove to cool on a wire rack.  Store in an airtight container.

Italian Butterhorn Cookies

Several weeks ago I took a short road trip up to Napa.  Luckily for me, it is only about an hours drive from my house.  I ventured to attend Lindsay from Love and Olive Oil’s new book tour.  I initially met Lindsay virtually from an online program titled “adopt a blogger”.  The premise was to match a veteran and newbie blogger together.  The veteran would mentor the newbie, to impart their knowledge and experiences.  Lindsay had given great advice and was always available, should I have a question or need.

I was elated to finally meet Lindsay in person along with her hubby Taylor.  She is as lovely as she appears on her blog and could not be nicer.  I am thrilled for all of her success and wish her all the best with her future endeavors.  She has a fan for life with me and I can’t wait to make some of her delicious recipes from her new book – “Breakfast for Dinner”.  Okay cleaver concept, huh?

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While on my road trip, I stopped at Napa Style to see if I might find a few blog props and other interesting goodies.  My stop did not produce any blog props but rather some great food and wine.  A lovely lady named Christine was in the store and sharing samples of her Italian Butterhorn cookies.  I could not resist accepting a taste. Okay – I was in heaven.  They were light, flaky, full of cinnamon flavor and simply divine.  It was not hard for her to convince me to pick up a bag of these delights. I had asked her if there was cream cheese in them and she replied with – no sour cream.  I was thankful for the clue.

When I got home, hubby has to indulge.  He was as enamored as I was.  Let’s just say the bag of Cici’s ItalianButterhorn Cookies did not last long in our house.  Of course, you know where I am going with this – I had to produce these at home.  After a bit of research and refinement, the end result was a simply delectable cookie.

Italian Butterhorn Cookies

Makes 32 cookies

2 Cups Flour

1 Cup Butter (2 sticks)

¾ Cup Sour Cream

½ Teaspoon Salt

2 Eggs

½ Cup Walnuts, finely chopped

1 Cup Sugar

2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

In a stand mixer, add the butter and ½ Cup sugar, egg yolk and cream together.  Set aside the egg white to use later. Add the sour cream, salt and cream until smooth.  Next add the flour slowly until incorporated. 

Shape the mixture into a ball and wrap in plastic and chill for one hour or until firm. 

In a small bowl add the walnuts, the other ½ cup sugar and cinnamon.  Stir and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Divide the dough into 4 parts.  Roll out one part to 1/8^th inch thick and about 10 inches in diameter.  Use a generous amount of flour on your board to prevent sticking. Brush dough with egg white and sprinkle with the cinnamon, walnut and sugar mixture.  Cut into 8 equal parts.  Begin rolling at the curved edge and place cookies point side down about 2 inches apart.  In a small bowl beat the other egg and brush on top of each cookie and sprinkle with a bit of the cinnamon sugar.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack.  Store in an airtight container.

Spaghetti Fritters with Arugula and Walnut Pesto | Friday Night Bites

I adore Oprah.  She is someone who is insightful, inspirational, a thought leader, motivator and role model.  Her positive influence has reached all ends of the earth.  With the ending of her daily talk show and the emergence of her OWN network, her positive impact continues to inspire people.  I love learning and growing.  Oprah’s Master Class series along with Life Lessons are among my favorite shows on her network. 

Over the weekend, I sat down to watch the Master Class episode with Cindy Crawford and it was such an authentic view into her life experiences, thoughts and lessons she has learned.  I identified with many of her insights especially about marriage and to root your love in friendship.  My hubby is truly my best friend. 

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Her comment to be present each day resonated with me.  When I was nineteen years old, I was hit head on by a drunk driver and needless to say, I almost literally died that night due to some complications along with breaking both femurs.  That life changing experience provided a different lens for me to look through. Each day is a gift.  Think positively. Make a difference. Find your passion. Be confident. Give. Cherish your significant other, friends and family. Appreciate yourself. Live each day to the fullest!

It was inspiring to watch Cindy’s journey to really being comfortable in her own skin.  I identified with her completely.  As each year passes, I am more and more comfortable in my own skin and that is when life gets even better.  Writing this blog has been an evolution for me and positive in so many ways.  I found a passion and executed on it.  Who knows where it will take me, but that is half the fun of the journey. What is your passion?  Are you making it happen?  If not, go for it!  You have nothing to lose and all to gain.  Take chances and risks.  It sounds cliche, but life does go by quickly and you can't repeat it, so live it to the fullest.

If you have been a reader or follower of my blog, you know that I have a passion for appetizers.  Thus the evolution of my Friday Night Bite series was created.  This week I was inspired by Jamie Oliver’s Spaghetti Fritters.  They are tasty on their own, but with a dab of handmade Arugula and Walnut Pesto, it is simply elevated to the next level.  It is a simple appetizer that would pair perfectly with a great Italian red wine.  Manja! Manja!

Spaghetti Fritters

3 oz. Spaghetti, broken in half

1 egg

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

5 Scallions, trimmed and minced, white and green

1 ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano

1 teaspoon Dried Red Chili Flakes

1/3 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese + additional for sprinkling

Zest of half lemon

8 to 10 Grinds Pepper

½ teaspoon Salt

Oil for pan frying

Boil the pasta in salted water for about 8 to 10 minutes.  While the pasta is boiling, crack the egg into a large bowl and whisk.  Add the garlic, scallions, oregano, chili flakes, parmesan cheese, and lemon zest and mix well.  Season with salt and pepper.  

Drain the pasta well and add to the mixture.  Stir well to ensure all pasta is coated well.  Pour two tablespoons of oil in a skillet and heat it on medium.  Use a fork or your fingers to place about a couple tablespoons of the pasta onto the pan.  Slightly swirl the pasta to form a flat circle.  Fry it on medium heat for about 2 minutes on each side.  Once done cooking, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Serve hot.

Arugula and Walnut Pesto

4 Cups Arugula leave, packed

1 Cup Shelled walnuts, lightly toasted

1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

10 Garlic cloves, peeled and rough chop

1 teaspoon salt

Cracked black pepper to taste

Over medium heat, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and lightly sauté the garlic cloves for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a food processor, combine the Arugula, walnuts, sautéed garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Process until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference.

Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts with Salted Caramel Sauce

Chocolate and caramel are a marriage made in heaven.  When this month’s theme for the Chocolate Party was official, it brought a large smile to my face.  The idea of blending chocolate and caramel into some type of confectionery delight was simply magical.  The variations spun through my head like a high speed car chase – the possibilities were endless.

I finally came to a resolve.  Since my hubby is obsessed with donut holes, I knew my decision was final.  I found a recipe for Chocolate Caramel donuts from Martha Stewart.  The only problem was two-fold:  I did not have those store bought soft caramel squares plus I am quite frankly not a fan of them.  I still wanted to surprise my hubby with some homemade donut holes.  Then it came to me, why not make some of my delicious Salted Caramel Sauce to dip or drizzle the chocolate donuts with.

The result was a pure sensation of the marriage between chocolate and caramel.  What a perfect dessert to enjoy while watching your favorite movie or at your next dinner party.  If you would like to learn more about joining in the Chocolate Party fun and seeing what fun combination is up for next month, simply click here to learn more.

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Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts with Salted Caramel Sauce

Makes 8 dozen

Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts

2 ½ Cups Flour

1 Cup Cocoa powder

2 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 Cup Sugar + more for coating

¾ Cup Buttermilk

4 Tablespoon butter, melted

2 Large eggs

5 to 6 Cups Vegetable Oil for frying

In a stand mixer, add the buttermilk and sugar and mix well.  Next add the eggs and mix.  Add to this, the cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until combined.  Add the melted butter and mix.  Finally slowly add the flour until all combined and mixture is well blended.

Use a teaspoon to extract the dough to form a ¾ inch ball.  Set aside until ready to fry in the oil.  Line a baking sheet with paper towel.  Fill a wide shallow bowl full of sugar.  In a large heavy pot, heat 4 inches oil until it reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Fry in small batches, about 2 to 3 minutes for each batch and flip the donuts once during the cooking process. Let rest about 4 minutes after they are removed from the oil before rolling in the sugar. 

Salted Caramel Sauce

1 ½ C. sugar 
¼ C. water
½ t. lemon juice
1 C. heavy cream

2 t. Grey Salt

Stir sugar, water and lemon juice in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat; boil without stirring until the mixture turns deep amber brown. This should take about 9 minutes. Take off the stove and hold over the sink before pouring the cream mixture into the sugar mixture. It will boil and bubble. Once calmed down, add grey salt and set back on the burner and reduce slightly over medium low heat for about 8 minutes. Chill until thickened. Put into another container and slightly heat when ready to use.

Gruyere and Cayenne Crackers | Friday Night Bites

My addiction with homemade crackers continues. As a kid, and still today, I love the traditional “cheez-its” cracker. That perfect square shape with ruffled edges and the tiny dot imprint in the center has a certain appeal.  Perhaps, it is since they are incredibly easy to eat and snack on. Since the cheddar variety is the most traditional flavor, I thought I would mix it up and put my own spin on this iconic cracker. After much internal debate, I came up with Gruyere cheese and cayenne - a little spice along with the rich nutty cheese flavor; simply perfect for our Friday night bites.

It doesn't feel much like winter here in the bay area. We did experience a fairly vigorous rainstorm on Tuesday night which awakened me during the middle of the night. The weather man is predicting that we will have sunshine and warm weather over the weekend. I wish winter would happen here in the bay area since we definitely need the rain. I was certainly hoping the rain would continue through the weekend especially for our traditional Friday night bite celebration.  A cozy fire along with the sound of rain hitting the windows sets the tone for a perfect winter Friday night.

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We are preparing for a system conversion in a few months at work.  This is going to be a fairly dramatic change for numerous folks at my company however it will provide most robust functionality, productivity, reporting and a better user interface and experience.  With the impending positive change, we are preparing our outside sales folks with tools to make their jobs streamlined.  One such tool, well smart phone app is “Dictation Dragon”.  Now my sales folks can be out in the field and simply record the results and next steps of each sales call, email it to themselves and input into our CRM.

It got me thinking, how can I streamline and use my time wiser when I am blogging.  I actually used this app to write this post.  It was so cool.  I am sure that all of you can find numerous uses for saving you time.

Would love to hear from all of you what imaginative flavored crackers you might want to see for future Friday Night Bites posts. Look forward to hearing all of your creative ideas. 

Gruyere and Cayenne Crackers

1 ½ Cups (6 oz) Gruyere Cheese

4 Tablespoons Butter, cut into 6 pieces

¾ Cup Flour, plus additional for dusting

½ teaspoon Salt

¼ to ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, depending on how spicy you like it

2 Tablespoons Half and Half

In a food processor, combine the butter, gruyere and pulse until combined.  Next add the cayenne, salt and flour and pulse until the mixture resembles course crumbs.  Add the half-and-half and process until the dough forms a ball.

Chill the dough for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Use a large board and lay plastic wrap on top, lightly flour the dough and  roll the dough into a 13 by 8-inch rectangle that is 1/16^th inch thick.  With a pastry wheel, trim off the sides into a 12 by 7 inch rectangle.  Cut the dough into 1 by 1 inch squares using a ravioli cutter to achieve the ruffled edges.  Use the blunt end of a skewer to make a hole in each cracker.  Transfer the crackers to a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with a bit of salt if desired.

Bake the crackers on the middle rack for 10 to 11 minutes, or until they are barely browned.  Remove and let entire baking sheet rest on a wire rack to cool. 

Serve at room temperature and store in an airtight container.

Sriracha Popcorn | Friday Night Bites

Real butter, fake butter or no butter?  Microwave or stove?  White or yellow?  Plain or flavored salt?  How do you like your popcorn?  I prefer white popcorn that is popped in a large pot over the stove and lightly salted with a drizzle or two of real melted butter.  I pop it the old fashioned way over the stove, the way my Mom taught me and shake it in a paper bag to ensure the salt and butter distributes over all of the popcorn.

With the resurgence of popcorn onto the culinary scene; it has been claimed as the snack of 2013.  It is light, crispy and versatile.  Among the savory flavored popcorns - I have seen it dusted with various herbs, parmesan cheese, truffle, garlic, bacon, chili, lime, dill or curry.  The classic sweet variety is caramel and kettle corn.  Popcorn has gone gourmet!

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If you put on your creative hat for a few minutes, how many various varieties of popcorn flavors can you device.  I have to admit that my mind is spinning right now and the flavor combinations are exploding in my head right now.  No pun intended. Smile.   Don’t be surprised to see some of these flavors in future Friday Night Bites features.  Today I have for all of you a super simple yet incredibly flavorful combination.  One of my favorite, okay obsessions, is Sriracha sauce. Why not use it to flavor some freshly popped popcorn?  My thought exactly. 

The result was magnificent and addictive creation.  Perfect to enjoy with a glass of crisp sauvignon Blanc, dry bubbly or a chilled glass of beer.  A perfect Friday Night Bite in my opinion and hopefully yours too.

Sriracha Popcorn

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

½ Cup White popcorn kernels

Salt

Use a large stock pot with a lid to pop the popcorn.  Over a medium to high heat, add the vegetable oil and kernels to the pot.  Once the first kernel pops, add the lid and shake frequently to prevent burning.  When the popping has almost stopped, dump into a large paper bag and sprinkle with salt and shake.  Next add the Sriracha Butter to the popcorn and shake really well to ensure popcorn is well covered.

Sriracha Butter

4 Tablespoons Butter

1 Tablespoon Sriracha Sauce

2 Garlic cloves, finely minced

In a medium sauce pan, add the butter and let it melt over medium heat.  Next add the sriracha sauce and minced garlic.  Stir until combined.  Turn off the heat and let the flavors meld for 5 to 10 minutes.  Pop the kernels while the butter is infusing.

Winter Minestrone Soup

Winter is still here.  For many parts of the country, it is more extreme than others.  Here in the Bay Area, it has been relatively mild, except for very chilly evenings.  You know what that means – time for soup.

There is something satisfying, gratifying and comforting about making soup.  The combination of flavors, the simmering and the beautiful fragrance that is exudes throughout the house is simply wonderful.  Recently I purchased the Ina Garten cookbook – “Foolproof, Recipes You CanTrust”.  And oh how I trust Ina.  She has honestly never steered me wrong.  I have collected all her books and adore each one.  Her recipes are straightforward, simply and extremely tasty. My bucket list includes meeting Ina one day in person. Smile.

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Her recipe for Winter Minestrone was no exception.  It was divine and the flavors were even better the next day. Honestly the only thing that I changed in this recipe was to double the pesto and added a parmesan rind to the soup.  It is a trick that I do with most soups.  The flavor is enhanced and the creamy salty quality is there.  Simply remove the rind prior to serving. You will want to decide if you want more or less pesto in the version you make.

The original recipe calls for it to be served with a garlic bruschetta which I opted not to make.  Instead, I was craving beer bread and whipped up a batch to serve along side this delicious soup.  Bon Appetite!

Winter Minestrone Soup

Olive Oil

4 ounces Pancetta, ½ inch dice

1 ½ C. Yellow Onion, diced

2 C. Diced Carrots

2 C. Dice Celery

2 ½ C. Diced and peeled butternut squash

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 teaspoon Fresh Thyme leaves, chopped

26 ounce Canned or boxed chopped tomatoes

6 to 8 C. Chicken stock

1 Bay leaf

Salt and pepper

1 (15 ounce) can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 C. Cooked small paste, (Tubetti)

8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves

½ C. Dry white wine

4 Tablespoons pesto

1 parmesan rind

Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, parmesan rind and 1 ½ teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it’s too thick, add more chicken stock. Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach, and toss. Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste.

Serve large shallow bowls of soup. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot.

NOTE: To cook the pasta, put 1 cup of pasta into a large pot of boiling salted water. Cook according to the directions on the package, drain, and set aside. You can make this soup ahead and reheat it before serving. It will need to be re-seasoned.