Tiffany Tastes

Holiday Snickerdoodles and Cookie Swap Goodies

You might remember a couple of weeks ago when I blogged about the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, an excellent event hosted and organized by Love and Olive Oil and The Little Kitchen.

Now that all of the cookies have been baked, delivered and received, it's time to

A) Post the recipe of the cookies I sent out

and

B) Show you all of the delicious goodies I received.

My husband told me to make snickerdoodles for the cookie swap, because they're his favorite and he wanted to eat the extras. And, as I thought about it, it made perfect sense. What cookie exemplefies the holidays? All of those warm spices make snickerdoodles the perfect choice.

Snickerdoodles
Adapted from this delicious recipe

- 1 cup butter
- 1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons Mixed Essence
- 2 large eggs
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon, divided

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Combine butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar with an electric mixer until well-combined.
- Add eggs (one at a time) and essence and whip until thoroughly mixed.
- Combine flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, salt and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a separate bowl.
- Add dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix until just combined.
- Refrigerate dough and chill an ungreased cookie sheet for 30 minutes
- Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/4 cup of sugar with remaining 3 teaspoons of cinnamon in a small bowl
- Scoop 1 inch balls of dough (I use this scoop in "mini" for uniformity) and roll balls in cinnamon/sugar mixture
- Place balls 1 inch apart on chilled ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each ball slightly with the back of a fork.
- Bake for 10 minutes, rotating once halfway through baking.
- Remove from pan immediately and place on racks to cool completely

I know for certain that all 3 recipients received a dozen of these cookies, and I hope they enjoyed them.

During this year's swap, I got all kinds of delicious and awesome things.

(Clockwise from the top: Chocolate Orange Crackles from Christine at Chew Nibble Nosh, Coconut Chocolate Chippies from Kathleen at The Daily Crumb and Truffle Chocolate Espresso Cookies from Suki at Super Duper Fantastic)

I'm absolutely blown away by not only the delciousness of the cookies, but also the creativity and thoughtfulness of the packaging.

I feel like kind of a slacker, but next year I'm going to be so much more on point. I promise.

Can't wait till then :)

A Delicious Breakfast (or Anytime) Option

I'm often inspired by recipes that I see on blogs, Facebook, or Twitter. A few weeks ago, local author and blogger, Jennifer Chandler, posted a recipe for Cheddar Cheese Biscuits with Honey-Baked Ham. Being a good Southern girl, I'm always on the lookout for a good biscuit, so I took this one to my kitchen.

It's amazing what cheese, butter and buttermilk can do for you.

 

Mix with flour, baking powder and a little love.

Roll it, pat it, mark it with a "B" ...

And put it in the oven for baby and me :)

Jennifer Chandler's Cheddar Cheese Biscuits with Honey Ham
Adapted below (slightly) for my tastes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken
1 large egg
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 grated gouda cheese (not smoked)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 pound honey-baked ham, sliced

To make the biscuits:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until coarse crumbs form, about 30 to 45 seconds.

Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer on low, add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. Add the cheeses to the dough and mix only until roughly combined.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead gently until well combined, about 5 or 6 times. Pat out dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Using 3-inch-diameter cookie cutter, cut out biscuits. Gather scraps, pat out to 3/4-inch thickness and cut additional biscuits.

Place biscuits on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with the beaten egg. Bake until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through, about 18 to 22 minutes.

To assemble the sandwiches:

Cut the ham slices into pieces slightly larger than the biscuits. Using a sharp bread knife, split the biscuits. Fill each biscuit with 1 or 2 pieces of the ham to make a sandwich. Serve warm or at room temperature.

  

Yummy...

If you haven't picked them up, you should definitely check out Jennifer Chandler's awesome cookbooks, Simply Suppers and Simply Salads, you should do it. Right now. And, be on look out for her newest venture, Simply Grilling, due out in early 2012. You can also follow Jennifer on Twitter and fan her on Facebook.

A Different Kind of Shortbread

I subscribe to most blogs for one of two things: they suggest restaurants to visit or recipes to try. I'm the type of person to see a recipe, make a shopping list and trying it the very next day. Justin Fox Burks, a respected foodie and photographer in Memphis, recently blogged about Olive Oil Shortbread with Salted Chocolate, and this one stuck with me. Over the weekend, I decided to try it. I had to make a few adjustments based on what was in my pantry, but the end result was delicious.

Olive Oil Shortbread Dipped in Chocolate
(adjusted slightly from Justin's version, which you can find here)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup olive oil (plus a tbsp. or two if needed)

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp. unsalted butter (cold and cubed small)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Combine olive oil and sugar well in the stand mixture. Add vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds and salt. Discard vanilla pod (or place in a jar of sugar to make vanilla sugar). Mix until combined. Add butter and mix one more time. Switch over to a low speed and add in the all-purpose and whole wheat flour. You may need to add a tablespoon or two of olive oil if mixture is too crumbly. Add a bit of oil at a time while mixer remains on low until the dough comes together. Wrap dough in wax paper and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.

Roll out the dough into 3/4-inch thickness and cut into rectangles. Poke holes into the top of each piece with a fork. Freeze for 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden.

Ganache:

1/3 cup chocolate coarsely chopped (I used half semi-sweet and half milk chocolate, but whatever suits your fancy)

1 tbsp. milk

Combine chocolate and milk in a small glass bowl over a pot of simmering water (make sure the bowl is not touching the water). Stir until melted. Dip the the edges of the cooled shortbread in the ganache. Let shortbread set until ganache hardens. Eat and enjoy.

Ah, Yes Grasshoppa...

I absolutely love (as many of you do) reading The Pioneer Woman blog by Ree Drummond. I think that her recipes are things that I actually want to cook. She makes simple, delicious food that real people can make in a reasonable amount of time.

I had a small dinner party not too long ago and wanted a quick and easy, make-ahead dessert. I decided to go with a grasshopper pie recipe that The Pioneer Woman posted on her blog. I followed it to the letter (with the exception that I omitted the green food coloring - my creme de menthe added the green tinge I was looking for) Note: I used actual marshmellows, not the jar of fluff, and I had just enough filling for my crust.

Check out The Pioneer Woman's Grasshopper Pie recipe.

I made the pie the night before and just pulled it out of the freezer 10 minutes before I was ready to serve.

(I also whipped up some homemade hot fudge to drizzle over my pie. You can find that recipe here.)

Christmas Cookies!

A dear high school (or maybe we met in middle school) friend of mine writes a remarkable blog with her mom called Mother Daughter Eat Well. I love this blog because they're trying to eat healthy and natural, but they're not perfect. They make concessions and exceptions, and I feel like they eat the eay I do. But, the main reason why I read their blog is that they inspire me to get in the kitchen.

For example, last week, my friend posted a recipe for cookies. I love cookies (and brownies and cake and candy and...) I have a major sweet tooth. I can take or leave a steak, but I'll knock someone out for a good brownie.  Where was I?

Oh yes. Cookies! So, they posted a fabulous cookie recipe and it literally made my mouth water. I resisted for 2 days, but then I just had to make them.

I followed the recipe exactly (except I used a mixture of milk chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips for the dark. Otherwise, I did it as written)

Aunt Nancy's Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
Courtesy of Mother Daughter Eat Well

3/4 Cup white chocolate chips
2 Cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 Cup butter
2/3 Cup Sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
12 hard peppermint candy disks, crushed
3/4 Cup sweet dark chocolate chips (or 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips and 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips)

- Melt 1/3 Cup of the white chocolate chips and cool slightly.

(Poor man's double boiler - glass bowl on top of a pot of simmering water)

- Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl.

- Blend butter and melted white chocolate.

- Add sugar and beat til fluffy.

(My Kitchen Aid stand mixer is my favorite piece of kitchen equipment. I use it at least 3 times a week.)

- Add egg and vanilla.

- Blend in flour mixture.

- Add crushed peppermint, dark chocolate pieces and remaining white chocolate to dough.

- Bake cookies at 325 for 12-15 minutes.

- Cool slightly before removing.

(Silpat is an amazing invention.)

- Eat and enjoy!

I sent most of them to work with the hubby, because these are absolutely delicious! If they were to stay at my house, I would eat them all.

And check out Mother Daughter Eat Well. You'll be glad you did.

Better than Ferrero - Homemade Nutella

My friend Felix recently posted on his Facebook page that he made his own Nutella, and it was better than the pricey store-bought version. Being a huge fan of this chocolate confection, I just had to try it. A realtively short ingredient list and simple instructions made this a quick and easy treat.

Homemade Nutella

(This recipe comes from http://www.suite101.com/content/nutella-a29783 with a couple of minor changes)

You'll need:

2 cups chopped hazelnuts (shelled, roasted, and skins removed)

You should really get into the habit of toasting your nuts if you don't already. It really brings out the flavor.

(Place your nuts in a dry pan on medium-high heat for 2-4 minutes or until nuts turn golden, stirring constantly. DO NOT WALK AWAY! The oil in nuts makes them burn quite easily. 30 seconds could mean the difference from perfectly toasted to garbage. I always pull mine off the stove when I just start to smell them. You can use this method for any nut from almond to pignoli.)

Those essential oils also mean that nuts can turn rancid (go bad) quickly and easily. I store all of my nuts in airtight containers and place them in the freezer. They will stay good for 3-6 months.

You will also need:

1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar

And,

1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 to 1/4 cup canola oil

Place hazelnuts in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until nuts start to clump together in a ball. This will take some time (the recipe says 5 minutes, but it only took mine about 3 to come together).

Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and process again for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture turns dark and the ingredients are well combined.

Add sea salt and slowly drizzle in enough oil to make a spread.

Store in an air-tight container for 4-6 weeks.

Nutella has all kinds of uses. I like to spread it on a croissant or combine it with vanilla ice cream and milk to make a Nutella shake. Or, you can just dip stuff into it.

Some of my favorite dippers

I'm happy to say that it really is better than Ferrero's, and it took less time than getting in the car and driving to the store to buy some.

If you want to make your own Nutella, you can become a hazelnut charter patron and the Arbor Day Foundation will send you 3 hazelnut bushes so that you can have your own supply of hazelnuts. For more information, visit http://www.arborday.org/shopping/memberships/hazelnut/index.cfm

Make it "Berry" Good

When I get stressed or upset, I spend time in my kitchen. There is something very therapeutic about cooking. When I really need to work stress and irritation out of my life, I bake. Sometimes my husband will come home and I'll have made cookies, brownies, an apple tart or like I did a few days ago, blackberry cobbler.

Blackberry cobbler is one of my husband's favorite desserts (and very much in season during late summer), and it's super simple to prepare. I use this famous version as my base and then I make a couple of integral additions.

Tiffany Crocker's Blackberry Cobbler

2 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
1 cup sugar
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mmm.. fresh blackberries

- In a medium bowl, combine blackberries, 1 cup sugar and lemon juice. Let sit for 20 minutes or until syrup forms

Meanwhile, take the flour...

- And sift it. (I find that this makes the crust very tender)

- Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

- Melt the butter

1/2 cup butter = 1 whole stick (I didn't say this was a healthy recipe :P)

And this is what your butter looks like when it's melted.

-Add the butter and the milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix! Your crust will thank you.

Moooo.... (When I bake, I use whole milk unless it's specifically a low-fat recipe.)

-Pour batter into an ungreased 8-inch baking pan.

-Meanwhile, lets check on those berries

Mmm..juicy

- Spoon berries and juice over the batter (that's right, over. This cobbler makes magic.)

-Sprinkle brown sugar over top of cobbler

- Bake 45-55 minutes our until crust rises and turns golden

And now the crust is on top; it's magic.

-Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Yum!

Some Like It Quick and Easy

My husband has been trying to convince me to post more of his favorite recipes that I make at home on a regular basis. This post is for him :)

Like most people who work a 9-5 job, when I get home, I often do not feel like cooking a fancy elaborate dinner. I want something simple, healthy (usually) and tasty. I've decided to add a new category to my blog, Meals Under 30 (minutes). (Well 30 Minute Meals was taken). From start to finish, these meals should usually take less than 30 minutes and should be appropriate even for the beginner cook.

Without further ado, my first Meal Under 30.

BBQ Biscuit Cups
These are easy to make, fun to eat and kids will love them.

I got this recipe off the Pillsbury website and modified it to suit my own tastes. You can find the original here

-1 pound ground beef 
-Non-stick cooking spray
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 small yellow onion, finely chopped 
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-1/2 tsp onion powder
-1/2 tsp of your favorite grill seasoning
-1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
-1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce 
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1/2 chopped green onion
-1 can (12 oz) refrigerated biscuits
-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

-Spray 10 regular muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray

-Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft (about 2-3 minutes)

-Add ground beef, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, grill seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until ground beef is no longer pink (about 6-8 minutes)

-While beef is cooking, separate dough into 10 biscuits. Place 1 biscuit in each muffin cup. Firmly press in bottom and up sides

-After beef is browned, drain off all the excess fat. Add barbecue sauce, brown sugar and green onions. Cook one additional minute to let flavors meld.

-Divide beef mixture evenly between the 10 prepared biscuit cups. Sprinkle each cup with cheddar cheese.

-Bake for 10-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute in the pan. Remove from muffin pan.

This can be a healthy recipe if you use 96-4 (4% fat) and 2% cheddar, or you can make it more decadent by using higher fat content meat and cheese. It's up to you :)

Comfort Foods

With the recent cold snap, we've been spending a lot of time indoors, cooking rather than going out to eat.  I would love for you, faithful readers, to tell me about your favorite comfort foods.  Ideas, recipes, share it all! I want to hear from you.  Below, I give you a recipe for one of my favorite comfort foods. 

Spicy Tomato Soup
(This is adapted to my tastes from a recipe that originated with Paula Deen.  You can find her version here.)

8 tablespoons of butter, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
3 cups canned chicken broth
1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (29-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
2 dashes hot sauce 
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

In a 4-qt heavy bottom sauce pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter.  Saute' onions and garlic, over med-low heat, in the butter until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.  Add remaining butter to the pan along with the flour.  Stir until flour is smooth.  Cook 2-3 minutes.  Slowly add the chicken broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition and allowing the soup to thicken slightly before adding more broth. When all the broth is added, add the tomato sauce and the diced tomatoes, 1 cup at a time, stirring well and allowing the mixture to thicken before adding more. When all the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes have been added, season soup with hot sauce, honey, dill weed, pepper, chili powder, basil, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce. Allow to simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes so that the flavors can blend. Stir frequently, as the soup will stick to the bottom of the pot.

Happy Cooking!

Fleur de Sel Caramels

A couple of nights ago, I made some delicious Fleur de Sel Caramels. (You can learn about Fleur de Sel in my previous post about Haagen-Dasz Caramel Fleur de Sel Ice Cream) The recipe that I used comes form Ina Garten (Food Network's Barefoot Contessa), who is one of my favorite television chefs ebcause she makes stuff I actually want to eat with ingredients I actually want to cook with.  Her Fleur de Sel Caramel recipe is posted below.  (Warning: These are highly addictive and not calorie-friendly. Proceed with caution :P)

Ina Garten's Fleur de Sel Caramels
You can find the original recipe here

Vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon fleur de sel, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Line the bottom of an 8-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper, then brush the paper lightly with oil, allowing the paper to drape over two sides.

2. In a deep saucepan (89 diameter by 4 1/2" deep), stir together 1/4 cup water with the sugar and corn syrup and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown color. Don't stir — just swirl the pan to mix. Watch carefully, as it will burn quickly at the end!

3. In the meantime, in a small pan, bring the cream, butter, and 1 teaspoon of fleur de sel to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat and set aside.

4. When the sugar mixture is a warm golden color, turn off the heat and slowly add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture. Be careful! It will bubble up violently. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 248°F (firm ball) on a candy thermometer. Very carefully (because it's hot!) pour the caramel into the prepared pan and refrigerate until firm.

5. When the caramels are cold, use the parchment paper to pry the sheet from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut the sheet in half. Starting with the long end, roll the caramel up tightly into a log, then roll out to 12 inches in length. Repeat with the second piece. Sprinkle both logs lightly with fleur de sel, trim the ends, and cut each log in 8 pieces. Cut glassine or parchment papers into squares and wrap each caramel in a paper, twisting the ends. Store in the refrigerator and serve the caramels chilled.

When I made this recipe, I skipped step 5, and instead just removed the caramel from the pan and cut it into small squares using a buttered pizza cutter before sprinkling them with the remaining salt.  This method makes about 48-60 individual caramels.  My co-workers devoured them, and yours probably will, too :)