Cookie Monster Crack

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! It's finally that time of year! The holidays are here and I love it. I know its sad to think that I actually look for the holiday station on XM as soon as I jump in the car. From now until the first week after the new year my car will perpetually sound like a mall and I love it!!!

This past week we had a wonderful Pot Luck at at work and everyone brought in a something special. At the start of the event we had approximately 50 dishes to devour. It was insane and so much fun. I probably could have started at the front of the line with a spoon and worked my way to the end one bite at a time until full.

I'm sure all of you are either hosting or going to some one's house as a guest for the holidays so you'll need a few super star dishes up your sleeve. Well one mistake I tend to make is to make an overcomplicated dish. One lesson learned from many pot lucks is go simple and do it well, damn well.

One recipe everyone has to have is a classic Chocolate chip cookie recipe. Crisp or chewy you choose but its a classic and will remain a crowd please if done well. You can have plate of pate a choux and tiramisus but nothing hits a home run like a classic home baked chocolate chip cookie. This recipe is from the Toll House cookies that you'll find in all supermarkets its a classic recipe and one I'm not man enough to mess with.

Software:
12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 Stick, 6 ounces) of unsalted butter
1 1/4 Cups (10 Ounces) llight brown sugar firmly packed
1/4 Cup (2 1/2 ounces) Light Corn Syrup
2 Teaspoons quality vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of table salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1 Large egg
2 1/4 cups (9 1/2 ounces) of unbleached All Purpose Flour
1 Cup (4 Ounces) of toasted chopped nuts Optional
2 Cups (12 ounces) Semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking Spray

Hardware:
Mixing Bowls
Spatula
Scale
Hand mixer/Stand Mixer/Or whisks and Popeye's forearms
Silpat or parchment paper
Cookie sheet or jelly roll sheet pan
Cooling Rack

Preheat your oven to 375 Degrees F.

Cut up the butter into a bowl, along with the light brown sugar and corn syrup. Using your hand mixer or whatever mixing mechanism you choose whip them all up until they are fluffy and homogeneous. I prefer to weigh each ingrediant rather than measure to me it's easier and more accurrate. Especially in baking you really need to be spot on with your measurements it's a whole different world from savory cooking.

 

Next incorporate the vanilla, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Then add your egg and mix.

Mix in your flour in thirds so you don't get flour flying everywhere like an I Love Lucy episode.

Now, by hand mix in the chocolate chips and nuts if you prefer.

Get out your baking sheet and line with parchment or a silpat and spray with a spray oil.

Using a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon or a melon baller drop a dozen drop of cookie dough on your sheet spacing them out evenly approximately 2 inches apart. Keep in mind these cookies will spread a bit.

Bake for 12-14 minutes. You should take them out once the edges look like a golden brown. The center will likely look like a lighter brown and almost underdone but this when you should take them out. Rest for 5 minutes on your tray then gently use a spatula to transplant onto a cooling rack.

You can choose to eat them right away or pack to go but if you are taking them somewhere use a sugar moistener (Terra cotta piece saturated in water) in your container. Since they are Cheney you don't want them to lose their moisture content when transporting.

Now if you have cookie monsters at home like I do watch out because they will come out of now where to gobble up your treats as they cool. Happy Holidays Everyone!

Braised Pork Shoulder

I'm a big fan of the one pot dishes, especially when there's a chill in the air.  The stews and roasts that come out of the oven really hit the spot.  This meal was made for our thanksgiving potluck at work, though I made it again over the weekend since the family didn't have any.

Software:

• 4 lb.  Pork Shoulder (boneless)
• 2 cups apple cider
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 4-5 cups chicken broth
• 4 tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 large onion sliced
• 1 fennel bulb (anise) sliced
• 1 28 oz. can tomatoes (drained)
• 4 sliced garlic cloves
• 7 sprigs of thyme
• S&P

As with all meat, season the pork shoulder with salt and pepper.  While it's sitting, heat up the vegetable oil in a dutch oven.  Turn the oven on to355 degrees.

Brown the meat on all sides (this can take up to 20 minutes).

  Once this is done, remove the meat and saute the onions and fennel.  Cook them enough for them to soften and brown.  Add the thyme and garlic.

Add the vinegar and simmer until reduced about halfway (10 minutes). 

Add the can of tomatoes.

Return the meat to the pot and add the chicken stock and the apple cider until the meat is completely covered.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the stove and place it in the oven.  Let it cook in the oven for about 3 hours.  Turn the meat every 45 minutes.  It should pull apart easily with a fork when done.

Remove from the oven and take out the the meat.  Put the mixture on the stove and reduce the liquid further (about 30 more minutes). 

Slice the meat and put on a platter.  Add the vegetables to the side and top with fresh thyme if you have any left.  Also make sure you have some crusty bread when serving.  Enjoy!

Magnolia Mae's Black Current Streusal Muffins

I love the fall! This weather makes me feel so alive and well and I'm a firm believe that good ole fresh air can really do a body good. Today I stumbled across a jar of  black current preserves that I picked up at Black Horse Farms in upstate New York. We we spending a weekend at my brother's house in New Baltimore when we stumbled across this farmer's market. The place had so many wonderful offering all fresh and organic. Of course being that it was the end of the summer they were well stocked up on preserves so I picked this one up. What a score!Not only was it fantastic on toast but it made a fantastic filled for the muffins below.

My office peeps had the luxury of gobbling these morsels up!

Black Current Streusel Muffins:
Software:

1 Jar of your Favorite Preserve or frozen berries
1 cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/2 tablespoon grated lemon zest you can also use Orange I did =)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Hardware:
Cupcake Baking Tin 16-18 count
Cupcake Wax papers
Mixing bowls
Hand Mixer or a good whisk
Pastry Blender


The first thing you want to do is warm the house... I mean oven. You might as well warm the house too while you're at it. The nice thing about baking on a nice cold crisp Autumn day is that when you get your oven going the house warms up a few degrees and the air is intoxicating with flavor. Forget the Oxygen bar I'd be up for flavored air. That's a hell of a way to get amped.

Get your oven to about 359 degrees F for about a good 30 minutes as you prepare the ingredients. You're going to want the oven rack in the middle so it can get evenly heated from top to bottom.

Whip out your16-18 muffin tins, spray with non stick oil and place cupcake papers in them.

For the wet team mix together the milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Remember in baking measuring is crucial so take care to top of each measuring cup before mixing it into the bowl.

Now onto the dry team. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl  then cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blend. It should start coming together like wet sand.

Set aside one cup of the mixture into a separate bowl to make the streusel topping. As for the remaining muffin batter, gently fold in the blueberries and Orange/Lemon zest. Add the milk and egg mixture to the flour mixture gently incorporate the increments do not whisk or mix too much as it will create a dry hard muffin.

Fill each muffin cup with the batter, using a tablespoon measuring spoon or a mini ice cream scooper.  Be sure not to spill the batter over the lining onto the tin.

Now with a spoon give each muffin a spoonful of the preserves or frozen berries. Be sure to try and place each spoonful into the center of each muffin.

Now onto the final  streusel topping: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle over the reserved 1 one cup of streusel topping. Mix together with a fork until it is crumbly and looks like wet sand.

Sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of the streusel over the top of each muffin with your hands.

 Place in the oven and bake until very lightly blonde and firm,  a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean, about 18 - 22 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy your muffins its a great way to make sure of the summer preserves you've got in the fridge.

When there's a chill in the air....time for some Goulash!

..and winter is definitely approaching!  This is 'stew' weather, so I thought a nice Hungarian Goulash would fit the bill.   This is a perfect dish for starting on a weekend morning and letting it simmer throughout the whole day and be ready for dinner.

Software:

• 5 or 6 strips of bacon, chopped
• 3 pounds boneless chuck, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I just bought the pre-cut)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 medium onions (about 1 1/2 pounds), chopped fine
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped fine
• 4 potatoes cut into 1/2 chunks
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons Hungarian Paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1 4oz can of tomato paste
• 5 cups of Beef Broth
• 2 1/2 bottles of dark beer (I used Bass)
• Salt and Pepper to taste.

Hardware pictured above.
I realized I'm missing my favorite Black & Deck chopper and Silicone Tongs after I took this picture and started cooking.


Fry the bacon in a large dutch oven and crisp the bacon.  You want to make sure you get enough bacon grease for browning the meat.  Sear the meat (don't forget to s&p) on both sides (about a minute each side). 

You can do them in small batches or if you're lazy like me, just cram the meat in, and shuffle them around for about 5 minutes until everything gets browned.

Remove the meat and bacon from the pan, add the vegetable oil and saute the onions and garlic (about 2 minutes) .  Mix in the caraway seeds, paprika, flour and cook, constantly stirring, for about 2 minutes. Whisk in the vinegar and tomato paste, whisking for about 1 minute. (Mixture will be very thick.)

Stir in broth, beer, (drink the 1/2 bottle left over), beef, bacon and bring to a boil.

 Add the sliced potatoes.









 and the red peppers into the mixture.

 Turn the stove heat to simmer and let it sit until you're ready to eat.  I would stir the goulash about every hour just to make sure nothing ended up sticking to the sides or the bottom of the pan.  I let it simmer for about 6 hours until we were ready to eat it.  Serve with a red wine and some crusty rolls to soak up the stew.  Perfect for a blustery cold day.

Epilogue:  While eating this, I wondered, how come there aren't any carrots in this?  Or even mushrooms?  but then again, I probably was thinking of Beef Stew, though I'm sure the extra vegetables wouldn't have taken away from the dish.  Oh well, next time.