One of the most popular trends I noticed while browsing cookbooks for ideas over the holidays was the use of muffin tins to craft individual servings. This isn't a new idea per se, but I saw it far more commonly than in the past. This was one of my favorites of the individual-serving recipes. It's surprisingly easy to make, and the final product gets a touch of cuteness from the idea of miniature tarts.
If you're into gilding the lily, you can use pie crust stamps to add leaves or whatnot as decoration, which will make these really look like something that might have come from a professional bakery. Just use the stamps to make shapes out of the dough left over from shaping the pastry crusts, and bake these extras for the last 10 or so minutes of the pastries' baking time. The decorations then get added to the tops of the finished pastries as soon as they come out of the oven. If you're really, really into going overboard, the bacon in this recipe can be switched for crabmeat (only use fresh, the fake stuff would be gross) for that uber-sophisticated touch.
Bacon and Egg Pastries
1 recipe Simple Pie Crust
6 slices bacon, cooked
6 large eggs
3 tsp dijon or whole grain mustard
3 tsp fresh basil, chopped
(Optional) 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
Salt
Pepper
Begin by preheating the oven to 350F.
Using an upended bowl as a guide, cut out six circles of pie dough about five inches in diameter each. Spray a muffin tin thoroughly with non-stick spray, and line the cups with dough. Remember, the pie dough will shrink as it bakes, so be sure not to get it too thin, and to leave enough around the edges so the pastries won't end up short.
Spoon 1/2 tsp of mustard into each pastry, and crumble one slice of bacon into each. Break an egg into a separate cup and add the yolk to one of the pastries. Spoon in enough of the white to fill the pastry 2/3 full, and repeat until all the pastries have been filled. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of basil on top of each pastry, and season all of them with salt and pepper. Brush edges of each crust with left-over egg white. Finish by sprinkling cheddar on top if desired.
Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes. Allow pastries to rest for 2-3 minutes after removal from oven before carefully removing them from the muffin tin to serve.
Servings: 6
Monday, January 12, 2009
Huevos Rancheros
My take on a Tex-Mex tradition. This version is designed for brunch, specifically, thus the sausage-and-eggs combo, which I'm pretty sure isn't in the normal version. I don't really care if I'm mucking about with the usual way of doing things, though; this one tasted great, and that's what I cared about!
Huevos Rancheros
4 large corn tortillas (or alternately, 1 large bag tortilla chips)
8 eggs
1/3 cup cream
2 tbsp chopped dill
1 lb loose turkey sausage
1 1/2 cups pepperjack cheese, grated
2 tomatoes, cubed
1 can black beans
(Optional) Jalepeno pepper slices
1 recipe of Salsamole
Sour cream
Olive oil
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk in the cream and the dill until reasonably homogenous. Add salt and pepper to taste. Scramble the cream-and-egg mixture over medium heat until the eggs are light and fluffy. Remove from heat and store someplace warm for a moment.
Warm the beans in a simmering pot. While the beans heat up, add a dash of olive oil to a saucepan and cook the sausage over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the sausage appropriately. Drain the beans.
Assemble the huevos rancheros immediately prior to serving. In a large saucepan, melt a pat of butter over medium-high until faintly browned, then toss in a tortilla on top and shift the pan from side to side a few times to encourage the butter to brown as much of the tortilla bottom as possible. Once the tortilla has had a moment to toast, add about 1/4 of the eggs, sausage, tomatoes, and beans on top. Cook for 3-4 minutes just until the whole thing is warmed through, then slide the huevos out of the saucepan and onto an oven-proof plate with one smooth motion. If you do this correctly, the toppings should barely even be disturbed. Top the whole thing off with a generous handful of cheese, a drizzle of salsamole, and a few of the jalepeno slices if you like those. Place under a broiler in an open oven, and broil until cheese is melted and slightly toasted. Serve immediately, with sour cream and extra salsamole on the side.
Servings: 4-6
Huevos Rancheros
4 large corn tortillas (or alternately, 1 large bag tortilla chips)
8 eggs
1/3 cup cream
2 tbsp chopped dill
1 lb loose turkey sausage
1 1/2 cups pepperjack cheese, grated
2 tomatoes, cubed
1 can black beans
(Optional) Jalepeno pepper slices
1 recipe of Salsamole
Sour cream
Olive oil
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk in the cream and the dill until reasonably homogenous. Add salt and pepper to taste. Scramble the cream-and-egg mixture over medium heat until the eggs are light and fluffy. Remove from heat and store someplace warm for a moment.
Warm the beans in a simmering pot. While the beans heat up, add a dash of olive oil to a saucepan and cook the sausage over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the sausage appropriately. Drain the beans.
Assemble the huevos rancheros immediately prior to serving. In a large saucepan, melt a pat of butter over medium-high until faintly browned, then toss in a tortilla on top and shift the pan from side to side a few times to encourage the butter to brown as much of the tortilla bottom as possible. Once the tortilla has had a moment to toast, add about 1/4 of the eggs, sausage, tomatoes, and beans on top. Cook for 3-4 minutes just until the whole thing is warmed through, then slide the huevos out of the saucepan and onto an oven-proof plate with one smooth motion. If you do this correctly, the toppings should barely even be disturbed. Top the whole thing off with a generous handful of cheese, a drizzle of salsamole, and a few of the jalepeno slices if you like those. Place under a broiler in an open oven, and broil until cheese is melted and slightly toasted. Serve immediately, with sour cream and extra salsamole on the side.
Servings: 4-6
Salsamole
Salsamole is a recipe that's a little like salsa and a little like guacamole, thus the name. To it's credit, when I served it over huevos rancheros at a brunch this December, a person who normally dislikes cilantro loved it, even though it contains lots, and a person who hates guacamole but likes salsa loved it too, despite the high avacado content. So I consider this a pretty good little recipe for crowd pleasing, even in crowds that might have reservations about traditional Tex-Mex ingredients.
You need not wait for an excuse to go all out with huevos, though. This sauce goes great on chips for watching football or whatnot.
Salsamole
Adapted from Bon Appetit
8 oz tomatillos, husked and rinsed
3 tbsp cilantro
1 avacado, peeled and pitted
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp ancho chile powder
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp cumin
Salt
Pepper
Boil the tomatillos for 20 minutes or until soft. In a blender, add all ingredients except salt and pepper and pulse until the mixture is roughly pureed. Taste, and adjust seasonings accordingly. Serve while still hot, or refrigerate until needed (if making in advance) and rewarm in microwave or toaster just before serving.
Servings: 6-8
You need not wait for an excuse to go all out with huevos, though. This sauce goes great on chips for watching football or whatnot.
Salsamole
Adapted from Bon Appetit
8 oz tomatillos, husked and rinsed
3 tbsp cilantro
1 avacado, peeled and pitted
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp ancho chile powder
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp cumin
Salt
Pepper
Boil the tomatillos for 20 minutes or until soft. In a blender, add all ingredients except salt and pepper and pulse until the mixture is roughly pureed. Taste, and adjust seasonings accordingly. Serve while still hot, or refrigerate until needed (if making in advance) and rewarm in microwave or toaster just before serving.
Servings: 6-8
Rocks
This is the time of year wherein I try to catch up on all the recipes I didn't get posted over Christmas. So first up is a recipe for what is essentially a sweet party mix, like Chex mix but better because everything is better with chocolate.
I think I got this recipe from my mother, who in turn got it from a Sunday School lesson if I remember correctly.
Rocks
2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 12.3 oz box Crispix cereal
Confectioners sugar
Melt the chocolate in a large bowl in the microwave on high for one minute. Stir well and heat for an additional 30 seconds if necessary, or until all the chocolate is melted. Stir until smooth. Add the peanut butter and stir until completely incorporated.
Add the peanuts and cereal to the chocolate mix and stir until the pieces are thoroughly coated (I find a wooden spoon works well here).
Put the confectioners sugar in a Ziploc bag. Add a third of the chocolate-coated cereal mix, close the bag tightly and shake until the mix is completely coated in sugar. Repeat for the other thirds of the mix. Give it a few minutes to cool and solidify before serving, and store in an airtight container. Keeps for up to a week.
Servings: lots. I have no idea how many servings this makes, really. At least 15, though.
I think I got this recipe from my mother, who in turn got it from a Sunday School lesson if I remember correctly.
Rocks
2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 12.3 oz box Crispix cereal
Confectioners sugar
Melt the chocolate in a large bowl in the microwave on high for one minute. Stir well and heat for an additional 30 seconds if necessary, or until all the chocolate is melted. Stir until smooth. Add the peanut butter and stir until completely incorporated.
Add the peanuts and cereal to the chocolate mix and stir until the pieces are thoroughly coated (I find a wooden spoon works well here).
Put the confectioners sugar in a Ziploc bag. Add a third of the chocolate-coated cereal mix, close the bag tightly and shake until the mix is completely coated in sugar. Repeat for the other thirds of the mix. Give it a few minutes to cool and solidify before serving, and store in an airtight container. Keeps for up to a week.
Servings: lots. I have no idea how many servings this makes, really. At least 15, though.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Sweet Potato Fries
Way simple, but also very good.
Sweet Potato Fries
2 large sweet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp nutmeg
1/2 tbsp paprika
Preheat your oven to 425F.
Wash and slice the potatoes into fries, about 1/2 inch on each side. Mix all ingredients together in a gallon plastic bag, tossing well to coat the potatoes.
Cover a baking sheet with tin foil (you may need two sheets depending on the size of the potatoes). Spread the fries on the baking sheet in a single layer. Cook for 30 minutes, turning every 10 min so they brown evenly. Serve immediately.
Servings: 4
Sweet Potato Fries
2 large sweet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp nutmeg
1/2 tbsp paprika
Preheat your oven to 425F.
Wash and slice the potatoes into fries, about 1/2 inch on each side. Mix all ingredients together in a gallon plastic bag, tossing well to coat the potatoes.
Cover a baking sheet with tin foil (you may need two sheets depending on the size of the potatoes). Spread the fries on the baking sheet in a single layer. Cook for 30 minutes, turning every 10 min so they brown evenly. Serve immediately.
Servings: 4
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Gobs
Gobs are a chocolate cookie that my grandmother usually makes and freezes around Christmas time. They're one of my favorite cookies in the whole world: a thin white layer of crispy, sugary icing sandwiched between two soft chocolate cookies. Sometimes I eat them layer by layer: gnawing the cookies off until only the layer of icing remains. Sometimes I just eat them like a normal person. when I'm really feeling decadent, I dip them in hot cocoa. Any way I've tasted them, they're reliably fantastic, and sure to please family members of all ages.
The other amazing property of these cookies is that they freeze amazingly well, and can be kept for several months that way. Give them fifteen minutes or so to unfreeze, and you can have amazing chocolaty goodness for quite a while. We usually eat them all before the freezing time is a consideration, though! I've never seen a batch last for longer than a week. Usually if we're freezing them, we've made two or three batches at a time. Their name is appropriate because once you've tasted one, you just want gobs and gobs!
Gobs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (regular, not dutch process)
2 tsp salt
1 cup soured milk (Yes, you read that right. Leave a cup of regular milk out at room temperature for an hour or so.)
2 tsp baking soda
Vanilla icing (you can use store-bought, but I prefer to make my own with a simple vanilla icing recipe)
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Combine the sugar, butter, and beaten eggs in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Stir the flour, cocoa, and salt together in a smaller bowl, then add the dry ingredients to the wet ones in the large bowl, alternating with the sour milk. Add the baking soda to the dough, then mix until everything is combined.
Drop spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet (try to get them all a similar size, since you'll be making sandwiches) and bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, then form sandwiches by spreading a thin layer of icing between two cookies.
The other amazing property of these cookies is that they freeze amazingly well, and can be kept for several months that way. Give them fifteen minutes or so to unfreeze, and you can have amazing chocolaty goodness for quite a while. We usually eat them all before the freezing time is a consideration, though! I've never seen a batch last for longer than a week. Usually if we're freezing them, we've made two or three batches at a time. Their name is appropriate because once you've tasted one, you just want gobs and gobs!
Gobs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (regular, not dutch process)
2 tsp salt
1 cup soured milk (Yes, you read that right. Leave a cup of regular milk out at room temperature for an hour or so.)
2 tsp baking soda
Vanilla icing (you can use store-bought, but I prefer to make my own with a simple vanilla icing recipe)
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Combine the sugar, butter, and beaten eggs in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Stir the flour, cocoa, and salt together in a smaller bowl, then add the dry ingredients to the wet ones in the large bowl, alternating with the sour milk. Add the baking soda to the dough, then mix until everything is combined.
Drop spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet (try to get them all a similar size, since you'll be making sandwiches) and bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, then form sandwiches by spreading a thin layer of icing between two cookies.
Martha Washingtons
After a banner month of October I was a BAD food blogger. I posted nothing in November. I am ashamed.
But in December, I will redeem myself. This is the first of several posts worth of Christmas traditions. For many families, Christmas food means fruit cakes. For mine, it mean cookies and candies galore. Chocolate sandwich cookies, date-nut cookies, peppermint cookies shaped like swirls and candy canes, sugar cookies powdered snowy white. Candies covered in chocolate, candies covered in chocolate and powdered suger, truffles, nut brittles. Christmas around here means a veritable landslide of sugar.
These little candies are one of our most treasured traditions. On the outside, they look like glossy chocolate bon-bons, about the size and shape of truffles. On the inside, they're velvetty nougat, chock full of pecans. Absolutely delicious, from my family to yours.
Martha Washington Candy
2 boxes confectioners sugar
1 stick butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups chopped pecans
1 package (1/2 lb) bitter chocolate squares
1 block paraffin
toothpicks
Cream the sugar, butter, condensed milk, and vanilla together in a mixer. Add the nuts, and let that get mixed until homogenous. Roll the nougat mixture into balls the size of walnuts (or a little smaller). Use extra powdered sugar to dip your hands in so that it doesn't stick to your palms as you roll.
Melt the chocolate and paraffin together in a double boiler over low heat, stirring to mix. Dip the nougat balls into this mixture, one at a time, by sticking a toothpick in the top of the ball and swirling it around in the chocolate. Deposit the coated balls on a sheet of waxed paper to cool and harden, and refrigerate after they've set for an hour or so. These stay fresh for several weeks in a fridge, so make them ahead of time to eat throughout the holiday.
Servings: 75-100 pieces of candy
But in December, I will redeem myself. This is the first of several posts worth of Christmas traditions. For many families, Christmas food means fruit cakes. For mine, it mean cookies and candies galore. Chocolate sandwich cookies, date-nut cookies, peppermint cookies shaped like swirls and candy canes, sugar cookies powdered snowy white. Candies covered in chocolate, candies covered in chocolate and powdered suger, truffles, nut brittles. Christmas around here means a veritable landslide of sugar.
These little candies are one of our most treasured traditions. On the outside, they look like glossy chocolate bon-bons, about the size and shape of truffles. On the inside, they're velvetty nougat, chock full of pecans. Absolutely delicious, from my family to yours.
Martha Washington Candy
2 boxes confectioners sugar
1 stick butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups chopped pecans
1 package (1/2 lb) bitter chocolate squares
1 block paraffin
toothpicks
Cream the sugar, butter, condensed milk, and vanilla together in a mixer. Add the nuts, and let that get mixed until homogenous. Roll the nougat mixture into balls the size of walnuts (or a little smaller). Use extra powdered sugar to dip your hands in so that it doesn't stick to your palms as you roll.
Melt the chocolate and paraffin together in a double boiler over low heat, stirring to mix. Dip the nougat balls into this mixture, one at a time, by sticking a toothpick in the top of the ball and swirling it around in the chocolate. Deposit the coated balls on a sheet of waxed paper to cool and harden, and refrigerate after they've set for an hour or so. These stay fresh for several weeks in a fridge, so make them ahead of time to eat throughout the holiday.
Servings: 75-100 pieces of candy
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