Pumpkin Butter Biscotti

A few weeks ago I made pumpkin butter, a lot of it.  Who know how much two little baking pumpkins would produce!  Now I'm looking for ways to use up this pumpkin butter - not that we aren't enjoying it just as it is on simple toast and biscuits, but there is something to be said for diversity.  Plus, I haven't been making any treats for Dave lately so this was the perfect opportunity to transform pumpkin love.

There are thousands of biscotti recipes out there and everyone has their own preference whether it's hard and crunchy or softer and chewier - my preference is for the way biscotti was originally created.  It should be a hard substance meant to withstand long travels and for dunkin'.  So what makes mine better than the others?  I like it.  You make yours' your way and I'll make mine my way.  One big difference can be the use of actual butter; the butter will make a softer biscotti as well as less cooking time and the cookie will not last as long.

I'm not saying this is the end-all-be all biscotti recipe.  I think each flavor requires tweaking; what works for this pumpkin butter biscotti may not work for an anise biscotti.  I also think you could substitute apple butter for the pumpkin, or use a pumpkin puree.  Taste the dough though, to see if it needs extra spices- I made my pumpkin butter quite heavy on the ginger for that extra kick! Oh, and I used pearl sugar on top (a strange ingredient sent to be by loyal readers!) as a tasty and decorative topping.

One of the other reasons I made up this recipe is for Dave to have an optional quick breakfast bar in the morning. To keep in on the healthy side, I used oats, whole wheat flour and pecans.  Since there is no butter in this recipe- it's not a bad option. Sure there is sugar, but call it a trade off!  How often can you use one food item as a breakfast item, a bread or side dish, an appetizer or a dessert? It's a rare fat and happy transformer treat!

Tips and Techniques: Store in the freezer for a fast snack, side or dessert anytime!  The biscotti are easier to handle if you make two small loafs out of the dough rather than one.


Scrumptious Pumpkin Butter Biscotti with Chocolate and Pecan Chunks
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup oats (use the old fashioned version, not the quick cooking)
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup pumpkin butter (or pumpkin puree)
1 Tbls Soy Cream (or regular cream)
1 tsp ground ginger
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt

crushed or chopped pecans (roughly 1/2 cup)
chopped chocolate (I prefer bittersweet, but you could use basic semi-sweet chocolate chips), roughly 1/4 cup

Sift all the dry ingredients into a big bowl.  Mix together the egg, vanilla, pumpkin butter and soy cream, stir into the dry ingredients to combine.   Add the pecans and chocolate.  The dough will be really sticky.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour on the counter.  Lightly roll/knead the dough into the flour. Let me repeat, the dough is super, super sticky- do the best you can, just to incorporate the flour.

Cover a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.  Divide the dough in half and form 2 logs on the pan.  Sprinkle with pearl or raw sugar, more nuts or even more chocolate.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the biscotti is firm in the middle.  Remove from oven, let rest for 15 minutes.  Turn the oven down to 225.  Slice the biscotti, lay each piece back on the parchment lined pan.  Return to the oven for about 1 hour.  Test the cookies, you might want to take them out early for slightly chewy cookies or leave them in longer for the extra crunchy cookies.

Chocolate, Orange, Cardamom, Espresso Shortbread Cookies

Our great friends Alina and Aaron are expecting a baby boy any day. There is nothing I can offer them in terms of comforting words or knowledge.  What I can do is bake and cook for them!  So for the baby shower, we sent a Chicago Cubs onesie (nothing like laying the seed when they are young!) and a big batch of cookies.  Seems pretty straight forward; but the story has a funny ending, which I'll get to in moment.

Baby showers are usually elegant events held in the afternoon with lite fare, so I was striving for something graceful, refined and tasty- but not overpowering.  This cookie is exactly perfect for the occasion! Honestly, you really can't go wrong with shortbread, ever.  Add in the delicate flavors of cardamom and orange with the hint of chocolate and espresso...it's a total winner.  I know it sounds like a lot of flavors in one cookie, but each ingredient is used in sight moderation. 

This is super simple to put together and you can make the dough ahead of let it sit in the fridge for a few days even.  Or you can bake them, then freeze the cookies and take them out a few hours ahead of time to defrost.  Which brings me to the funny part of the story.  So I sent the cookies and the onesie, they received the onesie but not the cookies.  Hmm.  The box arrived at a friends house where the festivities were to take place the morning before the party. The friend claims the cookies froze in the cold weather while sitting in the box on her porch for the day ... and were unusable.  Now, there are two theory's here- she ate them all herself, or the dog ate them.  Shortbread cookies CAN be unbelievably addicting, but 'the friend' is so tiny- I don't think she could eat them all.  And if she did- then I think she is in the wrong business and should be entering the next hot dog eating contest!

We may never know exactly what happened to the cookies that day, but I will make another batch and send them again. You should make a batch too, just don't send them anywhere to ensure fat and happy eating of the cookies.

Chocolate, Orange, Cardamom, Espresso Shortbread Cookies
2 cups flour
2 sticks of butter (1 cup), cut into pieces;  slightly softened - but not to room temperature
3/4 cup powder sugar
1 tsp salt

1 tbls Cocoa powder
2 cardamom pods, crushed/zested (or ground cardamom)
orange zest (from 1/2 orange)
1 tsp finely ground espresso or coffee beans

Combine all ingredients in your stand mixer bowl, sifting in the flour and cocoa powder, mix on medium to combine.  The dough will be dry at first, but will finally come together, have patience.  It will seem crumbly, but you can help it together with a quick kneading, if needed.  The dough can be mixed by hand as well if needed. 

Roll out to desired thickness, I went for about 1/4- 1/2". If the dough is to warm, you may need to place the dough in the fridge for about an hour before rolling out.  Use a cookie cutter to cut shapes.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sparsely sprinkle cookies with turbinado or raw sugar and cocoa (optional).  Cook at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the edges just begin to lightly brown. Cool on cookie racks.

Butterfinger Candy

About ten months ago I started an undertaking to recreate the Butterfinger candy bar, I was ultimately going for a cake that tasted like the crunchy, flaky, peanut buttery Butterfinger.  This started after a friend tasted a cake I made for Dave, it was an unbelievable, fabulous malted milk ball cake (whopper cake).  To this day, anyone  who tasted that cake swears it was the most scrumptious thing they've ever had. And it truly tasted like a whopper, down to the gritty middle. 

So this friend nonchalantly mentioned that her birthday was coming up, and oh, Butterfingers is her favorite candy bar.  My sleeves were rolled up before the drool started, and the testing began.  I do have a plan for the cake and topping portions, but the key to this is to recreate the actual flaky candy portion.  Lets be honest for a second- this type of candy is nearly impossible to create outside of the large, industrial, candy making plant. But that didn't deter me, I made three different batches of candy that day. Fast forward ten months and one new job later... life swallowed me up and spit me out.  I'm dusting myself off and getting back in the kitchen and back to my many recipe projects that were left unfinished, starting with the Butterfinger.

This is not perfect yet, but it's pretty good!  Give it go, see what you think.  Most of the problem with my earlier batches was that they were too hard.  This version gave me those flaky layers that are so crucial to this candy.  I'll be refining this recipe slightly more and then making the actual cake (check back for that recipe soon.)  In the meantime, nobody better lay finger on my Butterfinger...but if they do, they will be fat and happy!

Notes and tips:  You must work extremely fast once you add the baking soda, and do not touch the candy after pouring it in the pan or you will loose the layers.  Do cover it with chocolate.  This only stays for a few days, but before it gets old, it almost seems to soften slightly- making it even more like the actual candy bar.

Butterfinger Candy (aka, soft peanut brittle)

Have ready:
1/3 cup peanut butter, place in a glass dish and warm slightly
Line a 9x13" pan with parchment paper
Stir 2 tsp baking soda with a spoon of water (use a regular table spoon)


Melt together on low, stirring gently for about 5 minutes:
1 cup sugar
4 Tbls corn syrup

Boil for 10 minutes, do not stir.  Pour into the peanut butter, add the baking soda water. Stir and immediately pour onto the parchment paper (this has to happen in lickety spit time!).  Do not touch at all or you will loose the layers.  Let cool.  Cover with melted chocolate.  Break apart and eat!

Halloween Jello Shots

Halloween offers a plethora of creative food ideas - it's super easy to make pumpkin, spider and witch cookies or cakes.  But if you want to really stand out at your next Halloween party, make jello shots and watch Adult eye's light up!

Because it is Halloween, these shots need to be a little spooky, weird really, AND they have to taste good.  I came up with a number of ideas, bounced them off of Dave and together we refined the ideas to two.  From there it was just a matter of how to execute.  Making a clear gelatin with a floating heart was the most fun.  I never use actual jell-o in my shots, as much prefer to create my own flavors and control the sweetness.

The names of these spooky gelatin shots help to set the tone, make a fun sign so everyone understands what they are.  The party I attended was quite dark, so vulnerable guest had no idea there was a 'heart' in the middle of one of the shots...I couldn't have planned that better.  It really freaked people out - an unexpected Halloween spook!

Each recipe below makes about 15 - 20 jello shots.  You can pick up the jello shot cups at most liquor stores. Click to see my other tasty jello shot recipes.

Black Raspberry Vanilla Jello Shots
or
A Zombie ripped my heart out and put it in Jello

Soak about 15-20 cherries in Cinnamon schnapps, vodka or rum.

In a pan over medium heat add:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar (if you prefer a sweeter taste, use 1/2 cup)

heat until dissolved - sprinkle one envelope of gelatin. Once the gelatin is dissolved (you may have to help this by stirring.)

Add:
1/2 cup Black Raspberry water
1/2 cup Vanilla vodka
Stir and strain into a pouring device.  Pour into plastic shot cups*.  Add a Liquor soaked cherry. Chill.

*worth the extra step:  If you want the 'hearts' to appear like they are floating, fill each cup to a quarter a half of the cup and then place in the fridge.  Once that sets firm, add a soaked cherry and top with the rest of the jello liquid.
Chill for 3 hours. Enjoy!


Hot Cinnamon Jello Shots
or
Hot Worms are Eating my Spicy dead Jello

In a pan over medium heat add:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar (if you prefer a sweeter taste, use 1/2 cup)
Heat until dissolved
Sprinkle one envelope of gelatin, once the gelatin is dissolved (you may have to help this by stirring), Add:

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup hot Cinnamon schapps

Stir and strain into a pouring device.  Pour into plastic shot cups (if you don't have the little plastic cups, pour into a pan and you can cut this into squares after it sets.)  Let the shots set slightly in the refrigerator, and then add a gummy worm to each.
Chill for 3 hours. Enjoy!

Olive Tapenade

Seems like everybody makes tapenade these days- it's so popular you can buy it in jars in most stores. But why do that when you can make your own, fresh, in minutes?

Use a good, toasted, crusty bread to help diminish the saltiness of the tapenade. Do not use canned olives! Make the effort to pick up good deli olives. Use this as an appetizer, or on picnic sandwiches for a fat and happy surprise flavor booster!


Olive Tapenade

1 cup olives (use a mixed variety- just use good fresh deli olives, not canned)
3/4 cup parsley
2 tbls capers
1 tbls anchovy paste
3 tbls mint
1-2 tbls lemon juice
1 tbls lemon zest
olive oil, enough to just hold it all together.

Place all the ingredients in a mini Cuisinart and pulse lightly until the tapenande is to the texture of your liking. I suggest leaving this somewhat chunky for the best results.

Lemon and Lavendar Shortbread Cookies

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Bundles

Everything tastes better wrapped in bacon. And you can wrap anything in bacon- even vegetables. Case in point- asparagus. While asparagus is good on it's own, wrapped in a little prosciutto with a drizzle of lemon it becomes superb. Even my non-asparagus eating friends devoured these morels of tastiness.

The best part is they are super simple, taking only minutes to prepare. And you can prepare them ahead of time, set them aside until ready to cook. Pop them in the oven for about 20 minutes and serve. Call it a side dish, use it as a salad or serve it as an appetizer 'cuz these little bundles are cute enough to stand on their own. You'll look like a genius and your guest will be fat and happy!

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Bundles

1 or 2 bundles of Asparagus (plan to put 5 to 10 stalks in each bundle, depending on the size of your stalks. Mine were quite small as you can see from the photo.)
1/4 lb Prosciutto (sliced extremely thin)
1 lemon
olive oil

Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Wash your asparagus in cold water, break off the tough end of each stalk by bending it until it breaks. Lay down one thin slice of prosciutto, place a small bundle of asparagus on one end of the meat and roll up keeping the wrapped portion mainly towards the thicker end of stalk. Place on the pan, rotating the wrapped end opposite of the last.
Repeat until all bundles are rolled.

Drizzle each bundle with olive oil, and then squeeze the juice of the lemon over each bundle as well. Add fresh ground pepper too, the prosciutto is salty enough so don't add any extra. Set aside until ready to bake. Place in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes (check the doneness of your stalks with a fork.) The prosciutto should also be lightly crispy. Serve.

Spicy Chex Mix

Why is it that we restrict certain flavors, smells and tastes to particular times of year? Thanksgiving is synonymous with turkey, Easter (like it or not) is hard boiled eggs and Christmas- well, the best food of the year can be found during this extended time! Cookies, homemade marshmallows and Chex Mix!


Honestly, why not make Chex Mix in March, or July, or for Halloween?? I'll admit that historically I have not made Chex Mix outside of the winter holidays- but I think that may change!

This recipe is so addicting, Dave has dubbed it Heroin Mix, (Crack Cake was already taken!) Literally we ate pounds of the stuff; the moment we arrived home from work- you could find the two of us standing at the counter shoving handfuls in our mouths. Maybe this is the reason we only make these type of treats once a year... because otherwise I'd need to put a treadmill at my desk instead of my chair!!

This recipe is basically my Mom's; her holiday baking and cooking is indescribable- simply out of this world!! Next year I'm flying home early to get in on all the goodies!! Talk about Fat and Happy... yum.


Spicy Chex Mix

1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
2 Tbls seasoning salt
1 1/2 Tbls granulated garlic
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbls tobassco sauce

Add all the above ingredients to a pan, stir and melt together over medium-low heat

In a large deep (4 or 6 inch) roasting type pan, you may need two pans depending on what you have available, add all the below dry ingredients.

8 oz pretzel snaps
12 oz oyster crackers
2 cups pecans
2 cups whole almonds
2 cups cashews
1/2 box Rice Chex (12-14 oz box)
1/2 box Wheat Chex
1/2 box Corn Chex
1/2 box Bran Chex

Drizzle the melted ingredients over the dry, gently toss and mix until all is well coated and evenly distributed. Bake in the oven at 250 degrees for a couple of hours, until dry. Occasionally gently stir.

Try not to eat too much while it's cooking- but good luck with that!!

Port Soaked Cherry Shooters (aka chocolate covered cherries)

We were invited to the Lorch's for a Holiday dinner (perfectly cooked beef tenderloins topped with Gorgonzola, in a cranberry, port and rosemary sauce - amazing!) It was a great evening with fabulous food; Dave and I especially loved the 30 year old port.

Our contribution was dessert. I wasn't really sure what I was making yet but there was a port theme to the night- so I started with sauteeing some frozen cherries, first with a few tablespoons of water and sugar and then with a Zinfandel port. This past summer I froze a bag of fresh cherries for just such an occasion. The port I used was a fabulous little bottle that our friend Heather introduced us to; she had found this special item in Napa at Elyse Winery and it appears that was our last opportunity to enjoy this. The deep berry flavors with the black pepper undertone was amazing!

After finding chocolate cups in the closet, a little port custard came together after that and next thing I know I had port cherry shooters on my hands. Voila!

Dave said it best -it's pretty much a chocolate covered cherry, my version of one anyway! They are fun little shooters- meant to be eaten in one bite- it's a big mouthful! Go ahead and take it down in two if you need to (it will just be slightly messy and you may not get a cherry in that second bite). I've crushed open one of the shooters so you can see the custard on the inside; it takes on a purple hue from the deeply colored port I was using. Of course, use what ever port you have on hand.

It was a wonderful evening with a beautiful family and superb food- just the way the holidays are meant to be!


Chocolate Covered Cherry Shooters

Port-soaked Cherries
(if your cherries are fresh, go ahead and just soak them in port. If they are frozen, sautee as directed below. You will only need 1 cherry, 2 halves, per chocolate cup)

1 cherry per chocolate cup
Sautee in a few tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of sugar until the cherries are defrosted and soak up the liquid. Add about 1/4 cup of port and sautee until the port reduces to a syrup. Remove from heat and cool.

Port Custard

Whisk together:
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbls flour
pinch of salt

Whisk in and bring to a soft boil:
1 cup milk

Temper one egg (beat one egg in a bowl, slowly whisk in one cup of the hot milk mixture, then add back to the pot)
1 egg
Add
1/4 cup of port

Stir constantly over medium heat until the custard thickens (just a few minutes).
Remove from heat and stir in:
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbls butter

Cool. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.

Assembly:
Use pre-made mini chocolate cups. Spoon a scoop of the custard into the chocolate cups. Top with 2 cherry halves. Spoon a little drizzle of the port cherry sauce over the top. The flavors come through the best at room temperature.

Horseradish Goat Cheese Dip

When I explained to my friend Aaron what was in this dip- he gave me one of those looks ... I get those looks from Dave too. The look that says "what the hell am I gonna eat?" It's the look little kids do when you tell them you're making them brussel sprouts.

Perhaps I went a bit too far with this dip...naw! It's great fun! The horseradish and chili oil gives this a real kick without being overly spicy!

I incorporated a little cream cheese for creaminess, you could go all goat and skip the cream or if you find that too thick- add a little sour cream to help thin it slightly. This is a hearty dip, not a thin dressing dip. Afterall, runny, thin dip is not fat and happy!

Horseradish Goat Cheese Dip

1/2 cup goat cheese
1/4 cup cream cheese
3 tbls horseradish
1 tbls chili oil
1/4 cup caramelized shallots
1/4 cup cooked chopped bacon
fresh ground black pepper

Add all ingredients to a mini food processor and blend until mixed. Serve with hearty bagel crisps, celery and pepper sticks.

White Cheddar Breadsticks

Super simple breadsticks that will wow your guest. We found they worked well with a holiday dinner or just with cocktails! Use this as a base recipe and change up the cheese and fresh herb: try Parmesan or Asiago with basil, or fresh thyme with manchego cheese, or go for a spicy jalapeno, cheddar and oregano!

If you like crispy, flaky sticks- roll them slightly thinner and bake slightly longer. These work great a litter thicker too! My oven was literally taken over and held hostage by the turducken, so I made my first batch in the toaster oven on a piece of tin foil. The breadsticks all rose and baked together, leaving the insides just slightly chewy. It was heaven in a toaster oven and almost makes we want to write a toaster oven cook book. That is the feeling of being fat and happy!

White Cheddar Breadsticks
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup shredded sharp white cheddar
1/2 tsp (heaping) baking powder
1 tbls fresh sage, chopped
1/4 tsp salt (a pinch)
3 tbls olive oil

Pulse that in the food processor. Add ONLY 1 tbls at a time:
Ice cold water (roughly 1/4 cup or as needed)

Just want to add enough water to make the dough all come together. It will form in ball and 'ride the blade' of the processor; the dough will be slightly sticky.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. cut the dough in half, cut each half in halves, and then half again. Roll each section out to form a breadstick. Place on an oiled sheet, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with a course salt.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned.

**here's an update- using powder sugar in place of flour does not work...and it's not necessarily Dave's fault when you consider that flour and powder sugar look similar and they were in the exact same size container and neither one is marked.

Blue Cheese Dip

This recipe was created while Dave was feeding me drinks on his birthday (if you know anything about Dave, then you know his bartending skills are old school, formed prior to the ounce nipple measuring thing that pansy, micromanaging bars use today!)

All I'm saying is that it's such a super simple, easy and quick recipe that even a tipsy caveman can make it! And you'll get rave reviews!! Serve it with simple crudites (celery, radishes and bread crisps) and top with a little crispy chopped bacon.

This makes a great spread for a sandwich as well! This was a great amount for about 5 people, amongst other appetizers.

Blue Cheese Dip

1/2 cup blue cheese (buy a good cheese, don't skimp)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shallots, diced
Fresh ground black pepper
2 tbls crispy bacon (optional)

Dice the shallots and caramelize in a little butter and olive oil. Add all the ingredients to a mini food processor and blend. Add more sour cream if it's a bit too thick for your preference. Top with crispy bacon (optional) and parsley.

Goat Cheese Chorizo Wine Dip

There is a marvelous tapas restaurant in Chicago ( Cafe Ba Ba Reeba). We always get an order of the baked goat cheese, its a little dish of warm goat cheese in a pool of a creamy tomato sauce, and pitchers of sangria! That dish gave me the inspiration for this dish even though its not really similar at all; that and the fact that I just love warm goat cheese! This dish has great wine flavor with little hunks of tomatoes; the addition of chorizo makes this a hearty dish that could act as a side to simple dinner rather than an appetizer. This really is super; just doesn't photograph that well!


Goat Cheese Chorizo Wine Dip
Put 1 stick of chorizo in a sautee pan on medium low to cook, you're going to see a lot of orange/red grease come out of that stick.

Sautee in a large pan, just until they begin to soften (roughly 5 minutes):
1/2 cup chopped onions 1 cup diced onions
with some fresh ground black pepper


add and simmer until sauce begins to thicken (roughly15 minutes):
1/2 bottle dry red wine (always choose a wine you would drink)
1 can diced tomatoes (I used use fire roasted, but it's not necessary)
2 Tbls balsamic vinegar
2 bay leaves
sprig of oregano

1 log goat cheese (10.5 ounces)
1 stick of chorizo (as much as the goat cheese)

Pour sauce into a baking dish, it fit perfectly in my ceramic pie plate. Add hunks of goat cheese; pour the grease off the chorizo and add in chunks to the sauce. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is bubbly (roughly 15 minutes). Serve with crostini, fresh bread, crackers or as a side dish.

Crispy Garbanzo Bean snack

Who doesn't love a crunchy snack? Problem is, unless you're chomping on a raw veggie, most crunchy tasty snacks are bad for you- like potato chips. Enter the roasted garbanzo bean, (also known as the chickpea.)

It's a super simple concept, but does take a while to roast these crunchy morsels so plan accordingly. But it's a healthy, high protein snack that cost less than one dollar. I have since made variations using different seasonings, like chili powder and cumin; so play around with these- you can't really go wrong. And think about other ways to eat these besides a snack, like topping salads and hummus or mixing with granola, nuts and m&m's for a healthy gorp mix.


Crispy, Crunchy Garbanzo Bean Snack

1 can of Garbanzo beans
salt and pepper
Pam

Open the can of beans, rinse and drain. Spread the chickpeas and spray with Pam (or toss with olive oil). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until crispy; I used 250 degrees and it took a couple of hours.

Caramelized onion bacon tart

I created this for a party recently and it was met with a rave reviews. This is a version of a French recipe for caramelized onion tart. Using frozen phyllo dough makes this pretty simple. It is tough with only one hand because the dough needs to be rolled out, and the onions need to be sliced- but if I can make it with one hand in a cast, you can surely make this with two!

A rich tart that makes a super great appetizer or a nice dinner option paired with a simple salad. I made two tarts, the photo is a second one I made in which I used less onions and also added some chorizo and few other random left overs in it- my preference is for the simple bacon and onions one but feel free to try out your own options.

Caramelized Onion Bacon Tart

Makes 2 tarts
Two sheets of phyllo dough, thawed

Chop 6 or so bacon slices into 1 or 2 inch pieces
fry until nearly done (add fresh ground black pepper) (or use prosciutto)
Drain off some of the bacon fat, leaving just enough to sautee the onions

Slice thin and add to bacon pan, sautee for a few minutes, leaving them slightly crisp:
1 large white onion
1/2 small red onion

In a blender (or Cuisinart), mix:
1/2 cup creme fresh
1/2 cup cottage cheese (drain slightly)
2 tbls olive oil
salt and lots of fresh ground black pepper.

You can have the above steps done ahead of time and just assemble before your party for ease.

Roll out your phyllo sheet, use your cookie sheet pan as your guide- so know how wide to make it (length wise it won't be as long or it might get too thin). Take the outside edge and just roll and pinch in about 1/4 inch of dough to form and edge around the tart. Transfer each dough to a seperate sheet pan. Use a fork and poke holes in the base of the dough, to help keep it from bubbling up.

Pour 1/2 of the creme fresh mixture onto each dough. It will seem like it's to runny or too wet for the dough- but trust me, it works. (on my first tart I didn't put enough of this mixture as I wasn't sure if it would all run off- but it sets up as a layer of baked filling, so rich and tastey!)

Top with the onion bacon mixture and bake until the outside crust is brown and puffy. (375 degree for about half an hour.) Serve warm or room temperature.

Fig Honey glazed Spice Cupcakes

3 more weeks in the cast... but somehow I managed to create these simply delightful cupcakes. I completely love figs, but can't seem to find decent figs for some reason. So I've been using fig jam a lot- it comes into play again here, with some gorgeous sunflower honey that Alina and Aaron sent me as a strange ingredient.

I turned these into cupcakes, but would make a great fall cake too! The streaks of fig jam caramelize and then the glaze soaks into the cake--mmh mmh! It's like a grown up cupcake!


Fig Honey glazed Spice Cupcakes

sift:
2 1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp b powder
1/2 tsp b soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove
1/2 tsp salt

in Mixer, mix until light and fluffy:
1 1/4 cups sugar
12 tbls butter 1 1/2 sticks) I use unsalted

add one at a time:
3 eggs

mix the sifted flour mix and buttermilk with the sugar/butter; alternating in batches:
3/4 cup plus 2 tbls buttermilk

Add
1/2 cup of fig jam to the mixture; don't overbeat- let the batter have streaks of jam in it.

Fill cupcake molds, or a 9x13 cake or a bunt cake pan (well greased!)

Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick comes out clean. Check them sooner than you think, as they don't get too dark!

Once out of the oven, warm together (drop in the microwave for 20 seconds or warm on the stove until hot and runny):

3/4 cup fig jam
1/2 cup sunflower honey

Pour over the still hot cupcakes (or cake), this will help the mixture soak into the cakes.
Top with cream cheese frosting if you want.

Spicy Dill Pickles

Crunch, sweet, spicy, bread and butter, cornichons - doesn't matter what type of pickle it is - I love them all! Imagine and egg salad sandwich without pickles, or a cubano or a pregnant woman...!!?? Wouldn't happen.

This is my real first foray into pickle making. I asked around a little and came to the realization that anything goes. So I used what I had in the spice drawer.

The one thing I'll say is that many of the spices I used were ground, rather than whole. Typically you would use whole - like mustard seeds rather than ground mustard. And you can always buy a pickling spice packet, but I made up my own, again, using some ground versions. But in this economy - I think this is a viable option if you are trying to save money and you have these 'ground' spices in your possession already. The liquid will look more muddy when you shake it, but I assure you, it's fine, really, trust me! I didn't go through the canning process either, so I just boiled the liquids and then kept the jars in the fridge.

One last note- these pickles are pretty potent/spicy, which I really like. Just cut back on the garlic and cayenne (or red pepper, which ever you use) and yours will be more mild. I also added some green beans to my jars and they work great! Good for snacking, also a nice addition to an antipasto platter and also a great back to vodka shots (true Russian style - don't forget to sniff your sleeve!). That's bound to leave you fat and happy!!

Spicy Dill Pickles
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 cup chopped dill
1/4 cup sugar
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp dill seed (add if you have it, I didn't have any on hand, so I added extra fresh dill to the jars)
1 tbls of pickling spice (here again, I didn't have this on hand, so I made my own with ground mustard, peppercorns, allspice, coriander)
1-2 tsp of cayenne pepper (if you have the red pepper flakes, use those)
4-5 small cucumbers
2-3 handful of fresh green beans

Add the water, vinegar and sugar in a pan, bring to a just boil to dissolve sugar and remove from heat. Add a, add the dill and place in your fridge for 2 weeks. Eat! You can add more 'pickles to the jars once they are empty; just allow them to soak for two more weeks.

Lesley's Watermelon Pirate Boat

My good friend Lesley was having a very special birthday, and all she has wanted for this birthday was a Pirate-themed party. Heck, why not? We all love the Captain, or at least a handle of captain! And who said adults can't have theme parties anyway?

I needed to do something super fun for this party and was struggling with ideas of what pirates even eat? Besides grul and scallywags. Not sure where this idea came from, but I decided to make a pirate ship out of a watermelon. Again, Dave thought I was a bit out of my mind.....talk about a theme...

I've done basic bowl and baskets out of watermelons before, all filled with fruits and mainly used as centerpieces. But a pirate ship? Even I was slightly worried I was getting in a little deep...


I rode my bike to the store, strapped the watermelon on the back of the bike and hoped for a smooth ride home.

So you can judge for yourself regarding how it turned out - the photos do a pretty good job of showing the ship. All in all, I think it came out pretty decent! There's sails, cannon ports and a plank! I named it the 'Black Lorch' - scribed it into the tail side of the ship and Lesley christened it by taking it into the water.

At some point the 'Black Lorch' was tested for floatability. I guess they didn't notice that the port windows were all open, sending the ship to its near death. It was like watch Titanic all over again. Luckily a brave shipmate dove down and saved it- though the edible watermelon and grapes weren't so edible after that. One of the funnest party favor, decoration, gift idea yet. This could be a super hit with a kids party too!

It's all trial and error- just know that the errors will probably show! But you'll quickly find that most of the fun just come from the cutting, slicing and scribing - now that's being fat and happy!

Classic Sangria

It was on my first trip to Chicago with Dave the I really discovered Sangria. I'm convinced this was the start of affection only because I still remember it! I can picture the night, the shape of the bar, the other patrons...and then the memory just gets dreamy! This tall gorgeous red sangria was set in front of me and everything becomes brighter, and more colorful and surreal...like in the movie 'What Dreams May Come' (okay the movie itself may not have been great...) but the art direction and the colors when Robin Williams is in heaven and he picks a flower which just melts into colors in his hand... call it love, call it the booze - that's the sangria I remember!

How to recreate this though? I've come to realize I will never be able to recreate this - nor do I think I want to. It's just time to make my own version. You're going to enjoy this, it's fruity and slightly fizzy. I used whatever fruit I had on, so do the same. Drop in some apple chunks and or try watermelon. Sangria to me is just another reason to love wine and to have fun with it! Mix, drink and be fat and happy.

Classic sangria:

In a large pitcher, mix:
1 lemon, juiced (slice up the rinds and add for flavor and color)
1 lime, juiced (slice up the rinds and add for flavor and color)
1 orange, juiced (slice up the rinds and add for flavor and color)
1 orange, sliced in thin rounds
1 can pineapple
2 shots gin
1 1/2 bottles of red wine

Now, if you need the sangria immediately - mix in the rest now. If you can let this steep, do. An hour up to 24 hours works great. only add in the rest of the ingredients just before serving.

1 cup frozen strawberries
2 cups ginger ale (more or less depending on you interest in the bubbles)

Add fresh fruit chunks (cherries, apples, oranges, pears, berries, etc)
Serve in a tall pretty glass.

Pomegranate Basil Jello Shot

Yes. This is my second post on Jello shots, er, I mean gelatin shots. But come on, these are just fun! And so much simpler that anyone thinks they are. Call me crazy but I think making them from scratch is easier than from a box; or at least more interesting!

This time we had a barbecue party to attend, and along with a simple side salad, we wanted to bring something extra. Sometimes this means a dessert and sometimes it means liquor. Jello shots just can't be beat. They have a bad rap of being having too much liquor - but there is less than a tablespoon in every shot, if that!

I'm just having fun with flavors and gelatin. I literally came up with Pomegranate Basil because I had pomegranate juice in the fridge and fresh basil growing outside. These are quite fun and tasty and while I liked the flavor from the start, I do think the flavor grows on you the more you have. Some might say thats the alcohol. You decide. Make up a batch of jello shots today, share them with some friends and be fat and happy!

Have ready in a glass bowl:
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup basil
couple of mint leaves
juice of 1 lime

In a pan over medium heat add:
1/2 cup water
1/2 sugar
heat until dissolved
sprinkle one envelope of gelatin
once the gelatin is dissolved, pour into the glass bowl with the basil and pomegranate; steep for 15 minutes.

Then add 1/2 cup rum, stir.
pour into cups (or if you don't have the little plastic cups, pour into a pan and you can cut this into squares after it sets.)

Chill for 3 hours. Enjoy!