Biscoff Nutella Thumbprint Cookies

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Biscoff spread (or other cookie butter)
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla exract
1/2 cup Nutella (or other chocolate hazelnut spread)

directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the Biscoff spread and butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until light in color and well combined. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. On low speed gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the cookies are puffy, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and made indentations in the center of each cookie with the end of a wooden spoon. Return to the oven and continue to bake until the edges are just lightly golden, about 5 to 6 minutes more. Transfer the sheets to wire racks and let the cookies cool completely.

Spoon or pipe the Nutella evenly among the cookie thumbprints....

Chicken Pasta with Artichoke Sauce

ingredients:

8 ounces fettuccine
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts (not marinated), drained and quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package direction.

Meanwhile, place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap. With a meat mallet, pound the chicken to an even 3/4-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and cook the chicken until it is golden brown and registers 165°F on an instant read thermometer, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the sauté pan. Add the shallot and artichoke hearts and cook until they are softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds. Add the white wine and cook until almost evaporated, scraping up any browned bits on the pan with a wooden spoon.

Add the chicken stock, cream, and cayenne and bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes, or until the artichokes are soft and the sauce is slightly thickened. Meanwhile, slice the cooked chicken. Once the sauce is thickened, add the chicken, pasta, parsley, and cheese to the pan and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Cinnamon Bun Bites

ingredients:

For the bites:
1/2 cup warm water
1 envelope instant yeast
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 1/2 stick, melted, and more for dish
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions:

For the buns:
In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the water, yeast, and 1/2 cup flour until a thick paste forms. Stir in the eggs, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and salt and stir until combined. Fit the machine with the dough hook and add the remaining 4 cups of flour. Knead on medium speed until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the 1 stick of room temperature butter and knead until the butter is incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If the dough is extremely sticky add a little more flour. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand until very smooth, about 3 minutes. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch the dough down and press out air bubbles.

Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate (or similar sized baking dish). In a small bowl combine the remaining 1 cup of sugar and the cinnamon.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Dip each ball in the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar and place on the prepared pie plate. Stack balls to form a dome shape. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let balls rise by half, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Unwrap the balls and place the pie tin on a baking sheet. Bake until golden and firm, 50 to 55 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the glaze. Whisk together the sugar, salt, butter, milk, and vanilla until a smooth paste forms.

Let bites cool for 15 minutes before drizzling with the glaze. Serve warm.

Gourmet Crab Puffs

YIELD: 9 large puffs

ingredients:

Dipping sauce:
1/2 cup rice vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon red chile flakes
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup pineapple chunks

Crab puffs:
2 tablespoons sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 green onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha
1/2 teaspoon sugar
10 ounces crab meat
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted

directions:

For the sauce:
In a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, whisk together the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, chili flakes, and 1/2 cup of the water. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of water with the cornstarch and whisk into the sauce. Bring to a boil then turn off the heat. Let cool.

For the crab puffs:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray

In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients except the puff pastry, gently folding the crab in last.

Cut the puff pastry into 9 squares. Press each square into 9 holes of a muffin tin. Divide the crab mixture between the pastry cups. You can refrigerate the puffs for 1 day at this point before baking.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden.

While the crab puffs are baking add the pineapple to the sauce. Puree with an immersion blender. Serve with the warm crab puffs.

CHEESY RIGATONI WITH CRISPY PROSCIUTTO AND CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS

INGREDIENTS:

16 ounces rigatoni pasta
12 ounces prosciutto
2 shallots
8 tablespoons butter, divided
3 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces Gruyere, grated
12 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and melt.
Slice the ends off the shallots and then slice the shallots in half. Thinly slice the shallots, lengthwise. Separate and add to the pan with the melted butter. Cook shallots, stirring often, until browned, but not crispy, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta for one minute less than the package directions state.
While the water is heating, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay the prosciutto out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until deep brown and beginning to curl up. Remove from the oven and place prosciutto on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside. Reduce heat of the oven to 350 degrees.
To make the cheese sauce, add the milk and cream to a small pan and heat over low heat to warm. Do not bring to a boil.
In a large sauce pan, melt the remaining butter. Add the flour and whisk to combine over medium heat, cooking for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk to the flour mixture, stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheeses, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Continue stirring until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
Crumble the prosciutto into the cheese sauce, stir in the shallots, and add it to a large bowl with the cooked pasta. Stir to coat.
Add pasta to a 9x13 baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.
For best results, reheat leftovers in the oven.

 

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake

ingredients:

For the cake:
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
6 ounce bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon instant espresso
3/4 cup boiling water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
5 large eggs, at room temperature

For the glaze:
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons corn syrup
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine the cocoa, chocolate, and espresso in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water into the bowl and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the chocolate mixture until it is smooth. Let cool to room temperature. When it has cooled, whisk in the sour cream.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla for about 4 minutes, or until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until combined. On low speed add the flour mixture and the melted chocolate mixture alternatively, beginning and ending with the flour, until the batter is smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out and let cool completely.

In a small saucepan heat the cream and corn syrup over medium heat until hot. Remove from heat and add the chocolate, whisking until smooth. Let cool slightly until thickened. Drizzle over the cake. Let the glaze set at room temperature, about 10 minutes, before serving.

BROOKIES

BROOKIES!!!!

If you want to "SAVE" this recipe be sure to click "SHARE" so it will store to your personal photo album!

1 scoop of brownie batter + 1 scoop of cookie dough in a muffin pan = brookies!

the idea (and photo) came from Williams-Sonoma who make this and sell it as a Baking Mix called Baked Brookster .... well they charge $16.95 for a box!!!! I got my ingredients for under $3!


Make brownie and cookie mixes according to box directions, put brownie mix in each well of your pan then drop cookie dough on top. Bake as directed on box BUT start checking about half way through the directed time so your brownies stay moist (remember they are a smaller cook area when made as a muffin size and it will vary a little for each oven)