Thin Butter Cookies

These wonderfully thin, tender butter cookies, have a delightful raspberry-lemon glaze

Ingredients

Cookies

2 cups powered sugar

4 sticks unsalted butter

4 1/2 cups unbleached flour

2 egg yolks

4 teaspoons lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

Glaze

4 cups powered sugar

4 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons Framboise

Whisk together the salt and flour

In a stand mixer cream together the balance of the ingredients until light, then add the flour.

Remove from mixing bowl, form into a ball, divided into four, shape into balls, cover in plastic wrap and chili for about 2 hours

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Line cookie sheets with parchment

On a prepared surface roll out balls, one at a time into sheets about 1/8 inch thick, using cookie cut of choice, cut out cookies and place on cookie sheet.

Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are golden.

While cookies are cooling mixed together glaze.

Spread onto cookies and let set.

Makes about 10 dozen or so cookies, depending on size.

Enjoy Cooking 

Sunchoke Soup

A great Seasonal Soup - I find it better then Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients

2 pounds of Sunchokes, Scrubbed clean and dried

3 tablespoon Avocado Oil

2 medium onions diced

3 tablespoons of diced garlic

hand-full of fresh Italian Parsley, chopped

4 sprigs of Fresh Thyme

6 cups of homemade Chicken or Vegetable stock

1 cup of Cream

Salt & Pepper to taste

First up soak Sunchokes in water for a few hours prior to use.  I find this helps in the scrubbing and cleaning process.  Below are the sunchokes for our garden.  They are really easy to grow.

Chop Sunchokes, add oil, salt, pepper and Sunchokes to a bowl, toss, divide into two batches, 

one will go into a 400 degree oven to roast for about 45 minutes or until soft.

The balance will go into a large sauce pot with onions and garlic, over medium high heat, and cook for about 5 minutes. Next add stock, Thyme and Parsley.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, until soft.

Once both batches are done, add roasted Sunchokes to sauce pot, stir, then puree entire batch and return to the pot. Place over medium heat and stir in cream, bring to almost to a boil then turn off heat.  Let sit for about 5 minutes then serve.  All you need with this soup is a great bread. 

Note: if you are canning the soup, omit the cream.  You can add the cream when you reheat and serve the soup.

Enjoy Cooking 

Sweet Chili Wings

This is a really simple dish

Ingredients

24 Wings - i like to leave them whole

2 cups Duck sauce

4 tablespoons of Red Chili Flakes

4 tablespoons of low salt Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Sesame oil

3 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar

3 tablespoon grated Ginger

1 Chili pepper of choice, seeded and diced 

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.

Now toss the wings a few at a time in the sauce

Place wings on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake in 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes until golden and crispy.  Every 15 minutes rotate and change the up side.

Enjoy Cooking 

Persimmon - Date Cookies

A favorite Seasonal Cookie, well if we lived on the west coast, 

i guess i could make them more often.  

But i only see Persimmons here around the holidays.

Ingredients 

2 teaspoons of baking soda

2 cups of Persimmon pulp - about 9 to 10 Persimmons

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups raw sugar

2 eggs

4 cups unbleached flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/4 teaspoons ground mace

1 teaspoon ground allspice

2 cups, pitted chopped dates

I usually prep all the ingredients prior to assembling these cookies.  Sift together all dry ingredients with the exception of the baking soda. 

In the stand mixer cream together the butter and raw sugar 

While the butter and sugar is creaming, add the baking soda to the persimmon pulp and stir. I do this just before i am going to add this to the butter mixture.  If you let this sit to long prior to incorporating it into the butter mixture, hard shell will form on top of the pulp.

Now add the pulp mixture to the butter, mix well, then follow by the eggs.

Now add the dry ingredients, followed by the dates.  This will be a sticky dough.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Scoop about a rounded table spoon onto a parchment cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes unto golden brown. Cool on a rack, these will keep to to 10 days in an air tight container before they start to get hard. 

Enjoy Cooking 

Twelfth Night Cookie

About 8 years ago I took a couples cooking class at I.C.E. in NYC and we made a Twelfth Night Cake, which our instructor told us was the early cousin to our current day Fruitcake. This cake was not the "brick" like cake which I and many others dread has the holidays get near, it was light and delightful, all be it very labor intensive.  So embarked to try to make a Cookie version of the Twelfth Night Cake, and after years interesting results I am now prepared to post;

Here is my Twelfth Night Cookie

Ingredients

The Fruits - Diced

1/3 cup of candied Citron

1/3 cup of candied Pineapples

1/3 cup of candied Cherries

1/3 cup of candied Citrus Peels

1/3 cup dried Calimyrna Figs

1/3 cup of Medjool Dates

1/3 cup of dark Raisins

1/3 cup of Golden Raisins

1/4 cup of Dry Sherry

1/4 cup Honey

2 2/3 cups of all purpose unbleached Flour

1/2 cup raw Sugar

1/3 cup Brown Sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 Extra Large Egg (or 2 medium size)

1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground Mace

1/8 teaspoon ground Ginger

Pinch of Vanilla Salt

1 cup chopped Pecans

Night Before

Place all the diced fruits with the Sherry and Honey in a large bowl, toss to coat, cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temp overnight.

Next day

Cream together butter, sugar, salt and spices. 

Next add Egg and blend together.

With the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the flour, followed by the fruit including any liquid left in bowl. Once the fruit is incorporated turn off mixer,  now hand mix in the nuts.

Divide dough into two to three logs, you want about 1 1/2 inches thick, roll in parchment and chill for at least 3 hours or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line cookie sheets with parchment.

Cut logs into about 1/2 inch slices.

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until Golden 

Enjoy Cooking 

Sausage, Peppers & Onions

This recipe has evolved over the past few years and I think its ready to post.

Ingredients

6 to 10 Italian Sausage

4 large Italian Grilling Peppers

2 medium Onions

1 6oz can of Tomato Paste

1 cup of homemade Chicken Stock

1 cup Madeira

Avocado Oil

1 1/2 Tablespoons of Smoked Paprika

1 1/2 Tablespoons of ground Cumin

1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

Hand full of Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped

3 sprigs of Fresh Oregano

Smoked Salt and Pepper to Taste

Coat a large skillet with Avocado Oil and place on medium high heat.

When the skillet is at ready, place Sausage in the skillet and sear until deep brown on all sides.

While Sausage is grilling chop the Onions and Peppers

Once all Sausages are seared transfer to a plate and add Onions and Peppers to skillet and cook until soft.

Next add dried Spices, Salt and Pepper, and Tomato Paste and stir until the paste has melted and coated the Onions and Peppers

Now add the liquids to the skillet and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Once the Sausage have cooled enough to handle, cut into 1 inch slices, then add to the skillet along with the Oregano Sprigs.

Simmer, uncovered, for about 25 minutes: you want the sauce to reduce by half and is nice and thick.  Remove Oregano Sprigs and add Parsley, serve on toasted Italian bread.

Enjoy Cooking

Soy Glazed Chicken

This a pretty easy recipe but packs great flavor.

Ingredients

8 bone in, skin on, Chicken Thighs

2 cups homemade Chicken Stock

2/3 cup Raw Sugar

1/2 cup Rice Vinegar

1/2 cup reduced sodium Soy Sauce

1/4 Pickled Ginger

4 tablespoon diced Garlic

1 tablespoon dried Chives & Parsley

Avocado Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

In large skillet over medium high heat, Drizzle enough oil to coat bottom of pan.

Next, in two batches, place Chicken thigh, skin side down, until golden brown and the skin is crispy.  Note: you are only cooking the one side.

Once all the thighs are cooked, and the chicken is transfer to a plate. 

Whisk together the Soy Sauce and Vinegar before going to the next step.

Pour off most of the fat from the skillet.

Replace skillet to the heat, medium high, and add sugar. stirring in until it dissolves and becomes a golden syrup. 

Slowly add, whisking as you are adding, the Soy Vinegar mixture to sugar. The sugar might seizes as the liquids hit the skillet, but just whisk until it most of it redissolves. Now whisk in the Chicken Stock and whisk until liquids are smooth.

Now add the Ginger and Garlic to the Skillet and stir.

Time now for the Chickens return to the skillet: Place skin side up.  Raise the heat to high, once the sauce is begins to boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, partially cover (tilt the lid enough so the steam can escape) and cook for 25 minutes.

After the 25 minutes transfer Chicken to serving plate.

Bring the sauce in the skillet to a boil and reduce until thick.  Just when the sauce clings and coats the spoon.

Pour Sauce over Chicken and garnish with Chives and Parsley.

Enjoy Cooking