Hazelnut Biscotti

Each Holiday season comes around and I have to make biscotti's! They are great to bring to work, or to a friends house for coffee or tea. They are especially nice because they are a nice option that isn't super sugary sweet, with all of the cookies and bars out and about that wonderful time of the year. Katie Lee Joel once described that biscotti's are named so because they are twice cooked (bi- meaning two.) She stood them up and baked them once after slicing to eliminate the extra cook time. That way the hot air in the oven could circulate to both sides. She gave rosemary biscotti's out as wedding favors when she married rockstar Billy Joel. Rosemary has many historic symbolic ties to weddings, among them is the belief that the herb represents fidelity and remembrance (and other as seen here.) However, in the summer of 2009, Katie and Billy split.

Hazlenut Biscotti's (adapted from Tyler Florence, Food Network)

1 1/2 cup hazelnuts

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened

3 eggs

1 cup of sugar

1 tsp almond extract

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

*semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay the hazelnuts out on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the the nuts are lightly toasted. Remove from oven.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer running, gradually add eggs, sugar, and almond extract; mix until creamed. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix the dough until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the nuts until evenly distributed.

Move the dough to a lightly floured surface and cut in half. Roll each half into a log, each 12 inches long by about 1 inch tall. Place the logs on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 35 minutes until the bottoms are lightly browned. Remove from oven and let the logs cool for five minutes, and then move them to a cutting board. Slice each log on a diagonal into 12-14 one inch thick pieces. Put the biscottis back onto the baking sheet and bake five minutes, remove from oven and flip, baking the the other side up for five minutes as well. Remove from the oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

For an added treat, melt some semi-sweet chocolate chips over a double boiler and dip the bottom half of each biscotti in the chocolate and let dry until hard on the parchment paper.

***Note: the flavors in this biscotti are interchangeable. If you choose to you can use a different nut, or none at all. You can use dried fruit, or seasonings and spices. Whatever you want to add is up to you :)

Smoky Beef and Bacon Chili

So for Christmas my dear husband gave me my very first piece of LeCreuset cookware, it was the 7 quart dutch oven in Dune! I love it, I have had that on my Christmas list for what seems like forever! Now I was determined to find a recipe to christen my new cookware with, he suggested Chili! Call me crazy but I have never made a chili!

I searched and searched for what looked like a good chili recipe, I wanted something a little spicy, kind of smoky, some beans (but not a lot.) This version has BACON in it, and I knew that was the one for us. Use a good thick cut smoky bacon for this, not the breakfast type stuff if you can, it will make a difference!

I've always imagined that making chili involved a HUGE pot that made enough chili to feed a small army, but I was kind of surprised that this made a reasonable amount, easily managed by just the two of us.

Smoky Beef and Bacon Chili (from Sunset Recipe Collection)

2 slices thick-cut bacon, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (I used a 'meatloaf mix' from the butcher...veal, pork, and beef)
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder (I opted for Penzeys Chili 9000 blend, it was awesome!)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 teaspoon to 1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
About 1 tsp. salt
1 can (14.5 oz.) crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 cup beer-pale ale worked well for me
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 can (14.5 oz.) pinto beans, drained
Sour cream, sliced scallions, and/or grated cheddar for topping

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, cook bacon, stirring until it just begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add onion, lower heat to medium, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 4 to 7 minutes. Uncover pan, stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute.

Increase heat to medium-high and add ground beef; break it up with a wooden spoon and stir gently until it loses its raw color, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in spices and 1 tsp. salt and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, beer, and Worcestershire and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover partially, and cook 30 minutes.

Add beans and cook 10 minutes, uncovered. Season to taste with additional salt. Serve warm, with toppings on the side.

Caramel Apple Caramel Corn

I thought for the holiday season I would shake it up a bit and try my hand at something that wasn't a cookie, but still sweet. I had been eyeing up this post ever since I saw it back in the fall. The other day I actually found the Lyles Golden Syrup in the store. As like most I'm sure, I had never heard of such syrup. It seemed to add a lovely buttery, caramely taste to the recipe. If you cannot find it you can substitute light corn syrup, but look for it if you can. There are other uses for it, like drizzled on pancakes, an English muffin, or even frozen yogurt.

Caramel Apple Caramel Corn (From Culinary Concoctions)

2-3 bags plain, not buttered, microwave popcorn.

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar, tightly packed

1/2 cup Lyle's golden syrup

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter

1tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking soda

14 oz bag of caramels, unwrapped and each piece quartered

12 oz dried apples, chopped into bite sized pieces

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Divide the popped corn between two large bowls. Divide dried apple pieces between the two bowls, as well as the caramel pieces.

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan bring together the sugars, syrup, salt, and butter to a full boil over high heat, stirring often. Add vanilla extract and baking soda and stir vigorously. The mixture will bubble up a bit with the addition of baking soda, but that's OK.

Divide the caramel mixture between the two bowls of popcorn, apple pieces and caramels. Stir thoroughly. Move the popcorn to the two prepared baking sheets and bake in 200 degree oven for 20 minutes. The caramel pieces will melt a bit, but will firm up when cooled.

"Sandies"

I think the original, or correct name for these cookies are "Russian Tea Cookies." However, growing up my brother and I have known these as sandies. I've altered these a little from growing up, but now my husband Brian loves these! For a final touch, I have a sugar glitter that I sprinkle on afterwards for a pretty little snow ball effect (sugar glitter found at Michaels Craft Store)

"Sandies"

3/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup confectioner sugar

2 Tablespoons almond extract

1/4 cup water

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream together shortening, butter, and confectioner's sugar. Once complete add extracts, flour, water, and walnuts. Stir to combine.

Roll into 1 inch balls and place on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes until the bottoms are lightly browned. Quickly and carefully move to a cooling rack with parchment or wax paper underneath for easy cleanup. Either gently roll the cookie in a bowl of confectioner's sugar while the cookie is slightly warm. Or using a sifter, dust the tops of the cookie generously with the confectioners sugar.

Cool on the racks. For a nice touch use the sugar glitter for a pretty effect.

Artichoke and Spinach Dip

All I can say is this is one of my favorite restaurant appetizers. It's best served warm with tortilla chips, or baguette bread, or probably just about anything in my opinion.

Artichoke and Spinach Dip (from Food Network)

1.5 cups half and half

8 oz grated monterey jack cheese

8 oz light cream cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

1.5 tsp Worcestershire

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

3/4 lb fresh spinach (stemmed and chopped)

14 oz can artichoke hearts, rinced and chopped

4 green onions, chopped

Diced red bell pepper and/or diced tomato for garnish

Bring the half and half to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat, and add monterey jack cheese, cream cheese, garlic powder, worcestershire, and salt. Continuously stir to prevent sticking while the cheeses melt.

While slowly stirring add the chopped spinach, nutmeg, artichoke hearts, and green onions. Stir until mixed and the spinach is wilted. Garnish with red peppers and/or tomatoes and serve hot.

Chewy Ginger Cookie Experiment

I visited the Midtown Global Market here in Minneapolis for the first time last week and fell in absolutely head over heels love with their Ginger Spice Cookies-oh word were they tasty. Everything right and perfect about the holidays were wrapped up in this little cookie. The name of the bakery is Salty Tart and you can check them out here.

So I was in search of a recipe to replicate the prized cookie, and stumbled upon this one. The photos made it look like the ones in the cookbooks, so I thought to give it a try. The tricky thing about baking is that everything has to be absolutely perfect, the right temperature, the exact amount of this and that, it's a rather unforgiving science. Cooking on the other hand is usually salvageable if need be. Once cookies are done though, you can't go back and undo something.

I found out that the texture of a cookie can vary greatly if you change what type of flour is used and what types of fat is used also (e.g. butter vs. shortening.) I'll show you the photos of what happened to me. My first attempt at this recipe produced a flat, but still chewy cookie (and that could have been my pan, or the temperature I used, or something else funky, the original looked beautiful.)


The second attempt I altered a few things and used a cake flour instead of all purpose flour. There are less proteins in cake flour, so the cookie would be free to rise more quickly before the before the fats melt and 'set' the cookie. Having mentioned that, I also elected to use shortening instead of butter. Shortening has a higher melting point than butter, so as mentioned, the cookie can rise for longer before it sets.

One other change I might try for next time is instead of using one cup of granulated sugar is switching to 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar, I hope I remember! If you try let me know how it goes.

All of this and more can be found here Cookie Basics 101 from Alton Brown, the good stuff starts at about scene 5.

Ginger Cookies (Originally from Taste of Home adapted from Cathy)

3/4 cup shortening (regular or butter flavored)
1 cup plus two tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups cake flour
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and one cup of granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, molasses and vanilla. Mix well. Combine dry ingredients in another bowl, gradually add to creamed ingredients and mix well.

Roll into 1" balls, and toss in remaining sugar, and place at least 2" from each other on a parchment lined baking sheet. Do not overcrowd the sheet. On a standard size baking sheet, bake no more than 8 at a time. For even size, use a small cookie scoop.

Bake for 9-10 minutes or until lightly browned. The cookies might not look all the way done, if you leave them in the oven until they 'look' done, they will actually be overcooked, and that is no bueno. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet until it can easily be transferred to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container

Peppermint Meltaways

I was up for trying a new holiday cookie to add to the cast of usuals, and these turned out perfectly. I first came upon this recipe flipping through a taste of home holiday cookie edition and there were so many fun ones to pick from, but I'm glad to have made these.

These had the perfect touch of mint without being too sweet or sugary. The frosting I made left white, but I used a few drops of red coloring and used a toothpick to swirl the color through the icing, and that kind of mimicked a candy cane effect. I don't have a piping bag for the frosting so I used a ziplock bag with a star tip.

Peppermint Meltaways (from Taste of Home)

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup corn starch

Frosting

3 Tbsp butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioner sugar

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp peppermint extract

2 to 3 drops red food coloring (optional)

1/4 cup crushed peppermint candies (best done in a food processor or blender)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioner sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the extract. Combine flour and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Gradually add to the creamed mixture until fully combined.

Shape into one inch balls, Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottoms are very lightly browned. Remove to wire rack to cool.

In a small bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners sugar, milk, and extract.

Once fully incorporated and mixture is smooth, add a few drops of the red food coloring if using. Spread the frosting over the tops of the cookies, a piping bag will make for a pretty effect if available. Sprinkle a little of the crushed candies over the top.

Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Fudge

I didn't know before this year that Fudge is actually considered a candy. I guess I don't know what I thought it was, I knew what it was of course. It's not a cookie, or a bar, but actually it's candy. Many friends of mine request fudge each year, the recipe I use isn't special or unique I don't think, but it always turns out lovely.

For favors at our wedding we chose to give out homemade fudge. Some give out cute little trinkets, or colored candies, or photos or cd's, we gave out fudge. In fact we made so much of it I had to take a few years off from making it, I was all fudged out! I'm glad I was able to finally return, because the 'chocolatey-ness' of them is calling my name!

To read more about fudge, check out Alton Brown

Fudge (from Toll House)

1.5 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup (5 oz) evaporated milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1.5 cups semi sweet chocolate morsels (I used Guittard)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Line a 8"x8" square baking pan with foil

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in a medium heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 4 to 5 minutes, remove from heat.

Stir in marshmallows, chocolate morsels, vanilla, and nuts if using. Stir vigorously for one minute. Pour into prepared baking dish and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan, remove foil, and cut into bite sized pieces.

Homemade Gumdrops

This holiday season I have taken on more candy making than usual, maybe I find it more of a challenge. Candy making in general is a very precise process. It all depends on the exact temperature you bring your mixture to, and from what I know if even a tiny drop of water gets into some mixtures you have already lost.

One of my very favorite shows is Good Eats with Alton Brown on the Food Network. He gets into the nitty gritty scientific portion of why things happen the way they do. For an interesting peek into the ways of turning sugar into Carmel and what happens to the sucrose read here.

A candy thermometer is also mandatory here. A candy thermometer cannot be a meat thermometer or an oven thermometer, or a thermometer to take your temperature. It has some vary unique qualities which AB discusses in this episode-Fudge Factor. And yes, making fudge is considered candy making.

That being said, these orange gumdrops were bright and fruity, perfect texture, not too hard, not too soft. The recipe itself I think is fairly universal, as in you can alter the flavored extract to what you would like. I plan to use this recipe for strawberry, raspberry, mint, and other flavors of gumdrops. I even tried root beer, which turned out OK, but they were a little strong, I may have used too much extract!

Orange Gumdrops (from Taste of Home)

2 tsp butter, softened and divided

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of light corn syrup

3/4 cup of water

1 package powdered fruit pectin (1 and 3/4 oz size)
1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp grated orange peel

4 drops of yellow food coloring (I used a gel food coloring, thats what I had on hand)

1 drop of red

superfine sugar for sanding

Line the bottom of a 9"x5" loaf pan with aluminum foil. Grease the foil lining with 1 tsp of the softened butter. Grease bottom and sides of a large heavy saucepan with remaining butter. Add sugar and corn syrup to the pan. Cook and stir on medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Continue to stir occasionally until candy thermometer reads 280 degrees (soft crack stage.)

Meanwhile in another large saucepan, add the water, pectin, and baking soda (mixture will bubble.) Cook and stir over high heat until the mixture comes to a boil, about two minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the corn syrup mixtures nears the 280 degree mark, move the water and pectin mixture back to heat source and bring up to a simmer. As soon as the corn syrup mixture hits the 280 degree mark, remove from heat.

Carefully and slowly add the corn syrup mixture to the water and pectin mixture and a very thin stream while constantly stirring. I'm not going to lie, it's nice to have an extra set of hands around for this process, but it can be done on your own. Once that is complete, add the orange zest, extract, and food coloring and stir to combine.

Move the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and allow to set undisturbed for two hours. At this point, move the set gumdrops to a cutting board and cut. I chose to cut mine into cubes, but you do as you wish. Roll each gumdrop in superfine sugar to coat.

Store in an airtight container.

**If you do not have superfine sugar, place 2 cups of granulated sugar in the blender or food processor and pulse for a minute or two, that should yield similair results to superfine sugar.

Red Pepper, Leek, and Bleu Cheese Steak Roulade

I saw this recipe in the Food Network Magazine (December 2009) and I knew instantly I had to try this. I've never tried to make something like this, so I knew this would be interesting. If you are not familiar, a roulade is French for a sort of rolled dish, as in meat or a light cake. You can vary the ingredients to what you and your family prefer. The few ingredients I chose I knew were going to be a success. But I whole heartedly confess to using shortcuts (and some not so shortcuts as you will see later) to make this dish quick and easy-which is especially appreciated coming up on this time of year, the holidays!

Here's my secrets: I grocery shopped on Saturday, on Sunday I sliced and cleaned my leeks, roasted off a red pepper on the grill, and the bleu cheese was purchased already crumbled ready to use. So I knew during the week that all I would really have to do was saute the leeks quickly, give my flank steak a once over with something heavy to ensure uniform thickness, assemble (roll it up,) get the bread crumb topping on and into the oven it went.

It was smooth sailing all the way up until I realized I did not have any twine, which turned out to be semi-essential! So I looked and looked and found these small skewers (what they were from I'll never know) and I managed to "pin" my roulade closed. Laugh if you will, but it worked, in a not-so-pretty way, it worked. Kitchen twine is now on my Target list this weekend!

Red Pepper, Leek, Bleu Cheese Steak Roulade

(inspired from Food Network Magazine December, 2009)

For the steak:

1 large red bell pepper (charred and peeled)

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 leek, white and light green parts only, cleaned and finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

1.5 pound flank steak, trimmed

1/2 to 3/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese

For the crust:

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

3 tsp dried rosemary (or fresh)

3 tsp fresh chopped parsley

3 tsp grated Parmesan

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Kitchen twine for tying

Prepare the stuffing for the steak. Rub the outside of the red pepper with a bit of canola or vegetable oil and roast the red pepper under the broiler or on the grill for 8-10 minutes. When the skin is slightly charred remove pepper from heat and place in a paper bag for 5-10 minutes. I'm not entirely sure why, but I've heard that this will help to ease the skin from the pepper, which is your goal. Once the pepper is peeled, remove stem and seeds.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Saute the leeks in a little butter or olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes, remove from heat and cool.

Gently pound the steak with the back edge of a heavy pan, or with a meat mallet, until the entire steak is about 1/4 inch thick. Lay the steak on a cutting board with the long side facing you. Season the steak with salt and pepper. Place the red peppers in one row lengthwise, leaving a one inch boarder. Lay the leek mixture in the next row, next to the peppers. Lastly lay the crumbled bleu cheese in the last row, leaving an inch border to the end.

Roll the meat into a tight roll, tucking in the filling and seems as you go.

Assemble the crust. Mix the crust ingredients in a small bowl and toss until the mixture resembles wet sand. Brush the roulade with a bit of olive oil, and press the crust topping on top, try and do this rather firmly. Tie the roll with kitchen twine in three to four places, not too hard as to not disturb the topping. Depending on the size and thickness of your steak, you may need to tie the twine before you add the crust and snip off before serving.

Place the steak on a rack in a roasting pan and roast until the crust is nice and golden brown and a thermometer inserted in to the middle registers 130 degrees for medium rare (about 45 minutes.) Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes.

Carefully cut the twine and remove, slice the roll crosswise into slices and serve.

Weiner Schnitzel and Spaetzle

So my dear husband usually never makes requests when it comes to dinner, but he proclaimed one day that he wanted Weinerschnitzel and Spaetzle. Hmm, that's kind of out of the blue, but ok! I have never eaten either of the two, but I would give it a try anyway. So you guessed it, I Googled, and I Googled, and Googled. From what I could tell the weinerschnitzel was going to be a breeze, but the spaetzle was not. There are many many versions of this (as with most things) and I used a variation of one I found online.

This turned out to be a delicious favorite, the combination of the two that is, but I might invest in a spaetzle press next time. The process of making these little beauties was quite messy for me. This was my first attempt at this, so maybe my dough didn't have enough of this or that, but they tasted pretty good. After boiling the spaetzle I sauteed them briefly with a little butter and olive oil to give them a little texture and flavor, which turned out rather nice. If you unfamiliar with spaetzle, you can read more about it here.

Weinerschnitzel (adapted from Allrecipes.com)
two servings

4 boneless thin cut pork pork chops**, about a quarter of an inch thick, may need to pound thin.
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 lemon

oil for frying

Ensure that the pork is the desired thickness of 1/4", you may need to use a heavy skillet or a meat mallet to attain this thickness. In three separate shallow bowls or containers, place the flour in one, the lightly beaten eggs in the next one, and the bread crumbs in the final container.

Thoroughly dredge each cutlet of pork in the flour first, shake of the excess. Then one by one , submerge each cutlet in the beaten egg, allow excess to drip off, and finally dredge really well in the bread crumbs. Once these are completed, reserve them to the side on a plate.

Meanwhile in a skillet, heat oil until shimmering. Move pork cutlets to the pan, do not crowd and work in batches if needed. Don't let the oil get too hot or the crust will get dark too quick. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown. The cutlets of pork will cook rather quickly due to the thickness of each piece.

Once complete move to a paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess oil. Add a quick squeeze of lemon juice to each cutlet and serve. The lemon juice will really make a difference, don't skip it unless you have to.

**I believe that traditional Weiner Schnitzel is made with veal, but an ok substitution is pork.

Spaetzle

(adapted from Mrs. KLA's family recipe and Food Network magazine, October edition)

3 cups all purpose flour

2eggs

kosher salt

4 Tbsp. unsalted melted butter, plus 2 Tbsp melted butter for saute pan

freshly ground pepper

pinch of nutmeg

Combine flour, salt, nutmeg, and eggs in a bowl and gradually add up to 1 cup of water to produce a dough like consistency. Stir in 4 Tbsp of melted butter. The dough at this point should be smooth and elastic like.

Turn dough out onto floured surface. This is where it became a bit tricky for me. You are supposed to be able to simply press the dough through either a spaetzle press (which I did not have, ) or a colander with larger holes. I had neither so I turned to the pasta insert I had for my large stock pot. You are instructed to use a plastic spatula and press the dough through the holes, and voila, you have spaetzle. In a perfect world you could probably just press the dough right into a big stockpot full of boiling salted water and when they floated to the top you are mostly finished, strain them out and reserve them on the plate. Give them a quick saute to lend a bit more texture and enjoy!

The true story: My patience with the stock pot insert lasted minutes, same with the plastic spatula. In truth, the dough was so elastic and sticky my plastic spatula separated into two pieces. So I thought, hmmm, I'm not giving up yet, what else in my possession could I try. So I grabbed my four-sided box grater. I used the side you grate cheese with. Instead of using a spatula I used the two greatest tools God gave us-my hands.

So I grabbed a big scoop of sticky dough with my hand and reached inside the box grater and started to press the dough out through the holes. This took A LOT of work and patience, I truly believe that it was not supposed to be this hard, I'm sure there was something wrong with my dough...maybe? Of course now I realized I had a big pile of sticky, elastic-y spaetzle that began to cling together, so I grabbed for the flour and tried to remedy the situation and that worked.

After much cursing and a close bout with carpal-tunnel syndrome I was finished. I boiled them as mentioned and gave them a quick saute and sat down to a nice German dinner which was well worth the effort. It was delicious.

Pecan Pie Cookies

Pecan Pie Cookies (from Elizabeth's Edible Experience)

Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all cookie ingredients except flour and baking powder in large mixer bowl and beat until creamy. Reduce speed to low and add baking powder . Beat until well mixed.

Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Using your finger, make a small indentation or well big enough to host a small teaspoon of filling.

Combine all filling ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Place one teaspoon of filling in each cookies' well. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool one minute on the sheet and move to cooling rack. Enjoy!

**One note, I had extra filling left over. I saved it because I plan on making these again in the near future. However, it might be okay to scale back the filling quantities.

Wild Rice Salad

This is a recipe I rely on each Thanksgiving as each of us are responsible for bringing a side dish to the big dinner. The first time I brought it, everyone seemed to enjoy it. The second year I was strapped for ideas and busy with school so I brought it again. Same thing next year, so this year when turkey day came around again, I thought to myself, why change a good thing, and now I look forward to turkey day for many reasons, among them is the wild rice salad.

This 'salad' is a variation of several recipes and ideas I've seen over the years on websites and at restaurants. I use 'salad' in quotes only because when I was first put in charge of bringing a 'salad' to family dinners for holidays and whenever, I thought a salad was only referring to the green, leafy kind. I thought...how am I going to get a dressed leafy green salad down to where our family is an hour and a half away still in good presentable condition?! Well little to my knowledge, a 'salad' can also refer to other things like a pasta salad, or in this case a wild rice salad! Now I know, and knowing is half the battle (thanks GI Joe.)

When I first prepared this, I was adding things I knew would be tasty together, so I guess I consider this a recipe of my own creation. If you make one like this also, cheers, you have excellent taste in my opinion, maybe we can get together sometime :)

Wild Rice Salad

1.5 cups uncooked MN wild rice (prepared as directed on the package)

5 strips of thick cut bacon

1/2 cup toasted almond slices

3/4 cup Craisins (dried cranberries)

1/2 cup chopped green onions

Rinse the wild rice and prepare as directed on package. Wild rice takes a long time to cook in my opinion, and sometimes I still have to strain it at the end of the cooking stage. The final stage of cooking should yield a firm and chewy rice. Once prepared, set aside until needed.

Using a sharp knife, dice the bacon and add to a cold saute pan. Once that is complete, move the saute pan to the stove top and brown the bacon. Upon completion, add the wild rice to the saute pan with the bacon, do not remove any of the drippings (unless there is A LOT!) A lot of the flavor in this dish is lent from the bacon drippings, so we want to use up all of that yummy bacon flavor. Add the Craisins and almonds to the pan and stir to incorporate.

Garnish with any remaining almonds and green onions and enjoy!

Sausage Penne

I have said it once, I'll say it again..In my opinion the Williams-Sonoma website is a goldmine of tasty recipes and ideas. They are fairly easy to prepare, always delicious, and have quickly become go-to favorites. I also enjoy bringing the leftovers to work the next day, it reheats wonderfully. There is some flexibility in choosing the type of pasta you utilize. The types that will offer the best results are ones that will hold on to the sauce such as penne, cavatappi, rigatoni, and others. I would stay away from ones like linguini, spaghetti, and angel hair. Not that it can't be done, it's your dinner! But in my opinion, there are better options. We like a little spice in our dinners, so often I'll add a bit of crushed red pepper flakes to the mix.



Sausage Penne (adapted from Williams Sonoma)

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage (I prefer spicy)
1 Tbsp fennel seed
1 lb plum tomatoes, seeded and diced (can substitute canned plum tomatoes)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb dried penne or cavatappi pasta
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan-reggiano

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add Italian sausage to the pan, carefully breaking it up with the edge of a wooden spoon or like utensil and cook through, do not overcook it to prevent hardening. Add the fennel seed. Stir in the tomatoes and parsley. Add the cream and let simmer until some of the liquid has reduced. Keep sauce warmed until pasta has been prepared.

Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to boil and prepare the pasta according to directions on the package. Drain the pasta and add to simmering sauce. At this time add the Parmesan to the pan and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Toasted Sesame Dip

This is an idea I got from a friend of mine, Jen. At first I thought, I don't know about this...soy sauce, cream cheese, I don't know but I'll try it. It was delicous, perfect for a party! She picked up this idea from another friend, whom I'm sure got it from another friend and so on and so on. I googled this of course and there are "official" recipes for this, but because in the beginning I did not know of them, I am not going to reference them here, just my good friend Jen and her delicous dip!

Toasted Sesame Dip

1 brick low-fat cream cheese (neufchatel)

1/4 cup soy sauce

2-3 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Crackers for dipping, such as Ritz or Triscuits

Directions

Unwrap the cream cheese and using a toothpick or fork, prick holes into the cream cheese all over, you really want to let the soysauce soak up into the cheese. In a container or a Ziplock bag (I opted to use the bag,) place the cheese and soy sauce and let 'marinate' for several hours in the refridgerator. Once complete, remove from 'marinade.' *Tip, if you opt to use the Ziplock method, move to the kitchen sink and using scissors, snip a little corner off , and the soy sauce will drain out easily, making an easy transfer to a serving plate. Crust the brick with the toasted sesame seeds and serve.

Leek and Roasted Tomato Orzo

Today was one of those days where I tried to use up od's and end's that are left over from the last week or so. When my husband asks, whats for lunch? and I reply "odds and ends" he knows exactly what I mean. Fortunately I've come up with some pretty crafty combinations.

I looked in the refrigerator and found about 3/4 cup oven roasted tomatoes, one leek, and one cup of chicken stock. At first I was thinking of a linguine pasta dish, but then I remembered I had some orzo left over, and this wee I picked up some Grana Padano cheese at the grocery store, and then it hit me-I knew my plan from there.

Grana Padano cheese is an aged Italian cheese. It is usually aged over 16 months, it's firm and slightly nutty like Parmesan. I believe it's a cow's milk cheese. It's best served shaved over a pasta, on a cheese plate with pears and prosciutto.



Leek and Roasted Tomato Orzo

1 leek, sliced and thoroughly cleaned.
3/4 cup oven roasted tomatoes
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup orzo pasta
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
Grana Padano (or Parmesan) cheese (but promise me you won't use the powdery stuff in the plastic container!)

In a saute pan, melt the butter on about medium heat and saute the leeks until semi translucent. Add the dry, uncooked orzo pasta and cook for a bit to toast the pasta a bit giving it a nice nutty flavor. Once color starts to develop add the chicken stock and reduce the temperature to low. Stirring often, the orzo will absorb the chicken stock, if needed add a bit more cooking liquid. Once that process is complete, about 10 minutes, add the tomatoes and stir to heat.

Finely grate the cheese over the top before serving, using as much or as little as you wish. I like a little fresh cracked pepper also-Enjoy!

Chocolate Pudding

I first saw this recipe watch Tyler Florence on the Food Network. I believe it was "Ultimate Soup and 'Sammy Favorites." The theme was obviously comfort foods that are great on a rainy day or a cold and chilly day. The show started out with a killer grilled cheese sandwich, not your ordinary Kraft or Velveeta sandwich. Then the soup was a Minestrone, that I have made a number of times and my husband loves it! I'll blog about that one in the coming weeks. And finally it ended with a good homemade chocolate pudding. Gasp! A pudding made without a little packet of powder and milk, pudding not from a little refrigerated cup! I know the other two are super easy and quick, and I do love my little pudding snack pack every now and then, especially the milk and dark chocolate combo. Or butterscotch pudding, I like that one also.

But, this was easy. I had made coconut macaroons earlier and had 4 egg yolks to use up (the macaroons require 4 egg whites) and not wanting to waste anything I whipped up a batch of pudding. My husband knows that when there are macaroons, there will always be pudding to follow!

Chocolate Pudding (from Tyler Florence)

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder, all natural

4tsp corn starch

2 cups whole milk

3 egg yolks

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp fine salt

In a small nonreactive sauce pan combine 1 1/2 cup milk, cocoa powder, and sugar and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, corn starch, salt, 1/2 cup whole milk, vanilla. Gradually whisk in the hot mixture. Then return the combined mixtures to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for another 6-8 minutes until pudding thickens. Remove from heat and portion into containers. I can usually get 4 servings per batch. Original recipe states 6. I guess this depends on the size of your serving vessel.

Once portioned, wrap the top with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap actually makes physical contact with the top of the pudding so a thick skin doesn't form. Refrigerate for at least four hours before serving, or ideally overnight.

Serve with a little whipped topping if you like and enjoy!

Toasted Coconut Macaroons

I think personally the term macaroons can mean different things to different people or in different parts of the world. To the French they are macarons, made with the addition of almond paste and is more dense. To some on this side of the ocean, macaroons are more similar to a Mounds Bar (w/o the chocolate) and to some they are light and airy. The last of those are the ones I prefer, toasty outside and moist and fluffy inside. It seems like coconut is something you for sure like or for sure dislike.. Personally I hope you like it as much as I do!


Toasted Coconut Macaroons (From Alton Brown)

4 Large Egg Whites (maybe consider saving 3 of the egg yokes for a homemade chocolate pudding)

pinch of salt

8oz bag of shredded sweetened coconut

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread coconut out on prepared sheet pan. Toast coconut in the oven for 7-10 minutes until lightly browned, allow to cool before incorporating.

In a stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, place the four egg whites and pinch of salt and mix until mixture has turned white and is beginning to form soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar in 3 batches, and mix until stiff peaks are formed. The whole process will take about 10 minutes. Once this is complete, using a rubber spatula gradually fold in the toasted coconut.

On the parchment lined cookie sheets, spoon out mixture leaving an inch or so between the cookies. The mixture will not spread too much. The finished product will also cook down, as in it will not be as tall as the the 'dough' is. For instance if your cookie is 1.5" tall before going into the oven, it will be 3/4" thick after it is baked and cooled. Not that important but if you like a more tall macaroon, keep that in mind when portioning out each cookie.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. The outsides will be browned but the insides should still be moist.

Enjoy!

Hawaiian Chicken Skewers

Even though Autumn is in full swing in this neck of the woods, I am still thinking about summer food-kebabs on the grill! I love it! Every time I make these I love them even more. There is something about sweet and sour grilled pineapple, red peppers, and chicken with fried rice that is absolutely perfect. Additionally the leftovers are perfect for bringing to work the next day.

Hawaiian Chicken Skewers (from Sandra Lee)

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 20 oz can pineapple chunks in juice (reserve juice for sauce)
1 Tbsp corn starch (mixed with 1 Tbsp. cold water)
1 red bell pepper (cut into one inch pieces)
1 package boneless skinless chicken thighs
kosher salt and course ground pepper

9-10 bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes prior)

Put the reserved pineapple juice, corn starch slurry, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens, this will take about 8 minutes, remove from heat and set aside. If you wish, separate out half of the mixture to use as a dipping sauce for the skewers

Slice the chicken thighs into smaller pieces, about 6 pieces. It's important to keep each piece uniform so they cook evenly. Core and seed the red pepper, cut each piece roughly about the same size, about one inch in size.

Assemble the skewers, alternate the ingredients as you wish. Continue this until all of your ingredients are used up. Sprinkle the skewers with a bit of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Then using a basting brush, dip it in the sauce and brush each skewer generously. All of those good flavors will caramelize and make that yummy flavor I love.

At this point I moved to the preheated outdoor grill, of course you could also do this indoors on a grill pan. Since all of the pieces are rather small they will cook quickly. After a few minutes, give each skewer and a little turn to cook evenly. At this point if you prefer you can baste a little more of that sauce on.


Once the skewers are complete, serve over your favorite side, ours is fried rice. Whatever your choice is, I hope you love these :)

Banana Almond Streusel Muffins

Banana Almond Streusel Muffins (Originally from Taste of Home as seen at Carries Sweet Life)

1.5 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg (slightly beaten)

1/2 cup melted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large or 3 small mashed ripened bananas

1 tsp almond extract

1Tbsp toasted almond slivers

Topping:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1Tbsp cold butter

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp toasted almonds (slivers or sliced)

1 Tbsp flour

Preparation:

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in one bowl and set aside.

Mix bananas, granulated sugar, almond extract, egg, and butter, and 1 Tbsp almond slivers until combined. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until just incorporated. In a small bowl mix the topping ingredients until crumbly texture is achieved.

Line or grease muffin tin. Fill each cup about 3/4 full and generously top each with the streusel topping. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a wooden toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack and store in an airtight container.

Makes 12

Baked Potato Skins

It's football Sunday and it's a fine time for usual bar food to enjoy with a good game. I love Sundays this time of year!

Potato Skins (serves 2-3) (from Simply Recipes)

7 smaller Russet Potatoes

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Canola Oil

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

6 strips of bacon

Light sour cream

green onions for garnish

Scrub the potatoes clean and allow to dry. Rub the skins with olive oil and bake on a foil lined baking sheet at 400 degrees for approximately one hour. The skins should give slightly when pressed to confirm the potatoes are baked.

Allow to cool until handling is safe. Slice the potatoes open lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the insides of the potatoes , leaving about a quarter inch potato on the skins. Using the canola oil, brush the insides and outsides of the skins and sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and black pepper. Meanwhile, dice the bacon and cook until browned.

Increase the oven's temperature to 425 degrees and bake skin side up for 10 minutes, then flip the potatoes over and bake flesh side up for 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle each individual potato skin with cheddar cheese and cooked bacon. Place the baking sheet in the oven one final time until the cheese has melted.

Remove and transfer to a plate, garnish with chopped green onions and serve with sour cream.

Apple Pancakes

This is perfect Sunday morning brunch treat, as usual, Penzeys has yet to steer me wrong!

Apple Pancakes (from Penzeys)

2 granny smith apples

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup flour

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide butter into 2 glass pie plates and place in oven, the butter will melt while the rest of the ingredients are assembled.

Combine eggs, flour, vanilla, salt, and milk in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Peel the apples and slice, roughly about one cm. thick. The thickness can vary, but don't them get to thick or they will not cook uniformly.

Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a separate dish. Working in batches, dip the apples in the cinnamon sugar.

Pull the two pie plates out of the oven when butter has melted and swirl the plates to coat with the butter. Arrange the cinnamon sugar dipped apples in the pie plate and divide and pour the batter over the arranged apples, the remaining Cinnamon sugar should be dusted over the prepared dishes. Move the pie plates into the heated oven.

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. The pancakes will be light and fluffy when finished. Garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar and keep some maple sugar close by if you'd like, it's mighty tasty.

Linguini Caprese

This fabulous pasta is similar to a version served at a locally owned Italian Restaurant. However, with a few adjustments , I made it my own. I was having some trouble importing pictures so I fully realized that my photo should be flipped horizontally, but if we are doing my way-This extreme linguine, able to defy gravity!

Linguine Caprese

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small to medium shallot, sliced

1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1 cup oven roasted Roma tomatoes*

fresh spinach, as much as you prefer

splash of dry white wine

splash of balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, roughly chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil chiffonade*

enough cooked linguine for 2-3 servings

In a large saute pan heat the 2 Tbsp olive oil until it shimmers. Add the shallot and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) to the pan when the shallot is almost finished cooking. Cook for another minute or so, avoid burning the garlic. Add the roasted tomatoes and washed spinach to the pan and let spinach wilt down. Lastly, add the splash of white wine and the splash of balsamic vinegar and let reduce down for a few minutes.

Add the cooked linguine to the pan, as well as the fresh mozzarella to the pan and toss to coat. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, cracked black pepper, and fresh basil chiffonade. Enjoy!

*Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Roasting tomatoes is actually quite simple, slice your Roma tomatoes in half and arrange cut side up on a lined baking sheet (ok I guess it doesn't have to be lined, but cleanup is a breeze when you do!) Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle generously with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Roast tomatoes at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes and then bump up the oven temperature to 400 degrees for another 15 minutes.

*Basil Chiffonade

This sounds like a very fancy term for an easy way to make basil look extra fancy. Gather your basil leaves and stack on top of each other, maximum of about 5-7 most at a time.

Roll the leaves lengthwise and using a paring or smaller knife make a number of slices across the roll up and at end you should have a lovely pile of basil strands.

(Photo credit and taken from veganyumyum.com via google images for both basil images)

Potato Leek Kielbasa Soup

Potato Leek soup has always been a favorite in this house and now it has gotten even better with the addition of kielbasa.

Leek, Potato and Kielbasa Soup (Recipe from Gourmet Magazine via Food Network Website)

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, lightly crushed (we like a lot of fennel so I use about a Tbsp. or more) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups sliced leeks, white part only, rinsed and drained

5 cups chicken stock
2 lbs small red potatoes, peeled and largely diced

1 pound kielbasa, diced

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup thinly sliced arugula, optional

1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper, for garnish, optional

Directions

In a small skillet toast the fennel seed over moderate heat until very fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.

In a large saucepan melt the butter and cook the leek until very soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in stock and potatoes and bring to boil. Simmer the soup until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the toasted fennel, kielbasa, cream and salt and pepper, to taste.

Before serving stir in the arugula. Garnish with red bell pepper.

Spiced Pumpkin Pie-lettes

As some of you may know, my husband is an airline pilot. These little treats are pie-lettes, as in mini pies! How cute are these? Almost as cute as my husband is :) We are having a Halloween themed pot-luck at work today and I think these will be perfect for sharing with a group!

The original recipe calls for a hand made pie crust, but with weekends being so busy I opted for the refrigerated Pillsbury pie crust version, a little (ok a lot) easier in my opinion. Also I do not own a 2.5" biscuit/cookie cutter (gasp!) so I improvised and used a small drinking glass as a guide and grabbed a paring knife and traced out the circles. The refrigerated pie crust had two crusts in the box, and that was perfect for this recipe.

Spiced Pumpkin Pie-lettes (from Good Things Catered)

1/2 recipe basic pie dough (or one package of refrigerated pie crusts)
1/3 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground allspice
3/4 c. canned solid pack pumpkin
1 Tbsp molasses
1 large egg plus one egg yolk (reserve the extra egg white for brushing the crust)
1/2 c. cream

Place a heavy baking sheet in oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray mini muffin tin with baking spray. Roll out pie dough and using 2.5 - 3 inch circle biscuit cutter, cut dough into 24 circles. Press each circle into mini muffin tins, pressing dough up the sides.

In small bowl, combine pumpkin, molasses, and eggs. Stir to combine uniformly and set aside. In another bowl (preferably with a spout), combine sugars, flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and whisk to combine thoroughly. Whisk pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients. Slowly mix in cream.

Prior the pouring the filling into each crust, brush the edges with the reserved egg white to give a nice golden finish after baking. Carefully pour pumpkin mixture into each of the muffin tins, leaving 1/8 inch at the top of each crust. Place mini muffin tin on top of preheated baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake until filling puffs and center is fully set, about 10 additional minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool before removing from tins to serve.

Carmelized Chipotle Chicken

This chicken is not for the faint of heart. This recipe packs so much heat and flavor into chicken it is amazing. It’s not a fiery heat but rather a slow and smoky heat, and it’s kind of addicting I must admit-This was delicious. I halved this recipe for the two of us and it was plenty.

This is kind of an homage to the fine institution that has brought so many wonderful recipes and photographs into our home Gourmet magazine will cease publication after the November 2009 issue has been released. At the time of this posting the link to original recipe is current, however the website will remain during transitional times but will then cease to exist. Cheers Gourmet! Thank You!

Caramelized Chipotle Chicken (Gourmet Magazine 09/2009)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups)

1 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo (from a 7-ounce can)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 whole chickens (about 3 1/2 pounds each), each cut into 8 pieces (again, I only used one 7-piece cut up chicken)

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook garlic, stirring constantly, until golden, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, stirring occasionally, until golden-brown, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and remaining ingredients, except chicken, to skillet with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 25 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.Coat chicken with half of sauce, then roast, skin side up, in a 17-by 11-inch heavy 4-sided sheet pan 25 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with remaining sauce, then continue roasting until chicken is cooked through and well browned in spots, 20 to 25 minutes more. (My chicken reached 165° after 30-35 minutes total, use a thermometer as your guide)

Cooks' note: Sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled.

Swirled Pumpkin-Bourbon Cheesecake Bars

I, along with many others, are going pumpkin crazy this year, I just can’t get enough! I know this season will fly by like it always does so we have to make the most of it right? I had some left over pumpkin cream cheese in the ‘fridge so I ought to put it to good use, and why not a cheesecake bar?

Swirled Pumpkin–Bourbon Cheesecake Squares (Source Kelsey’s Apple A Day)

For crust:

about 20 gingersnaps, broken into large pieces

1/4 c. granulated sugar

3 TBSP butter, melted

1 TBSP bourbon

Cheesecake Filling:

11 oz. low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature (I used a mixture of pumpkin cream cheese and low-fat cream cheese)

1/4 c. low-fat sour cream

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1 TBSP all-purpose flour

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. pumpkin puree

1 TBSP (packed) dark brown sugar

3 TBSP bourbon

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9x9x2 in. square pan with foil. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.

To make the crust: Process the gingersnaps in a food processor until very finely chopped. You should have one cup of crumbs. Combine crumbs, sugar, butter, and bourbon. Pat into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. Bake for 7 minutes. Cool on a rack.

To make the filling: Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add egg, vanilla, and bourbon and beat until smooth.

Scoop 3/4 c. of the cream cheese mixture into a medium bowl and stir in pumpkin puree and brown sugar. Spoon the plain cream cheese mixture evenly over the crumb layer in the pan. Dollop pumpkin mixture on top and swirl with a fork to make a decorative design.

Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until firm in the middle when gently shaken. Cool in the pan for one hour. Chill thoroughly. To serve, lift cheesecake and foil from pan. Cut into squares.