8 Weeks of Cookies - Chocolate and Peppermint Covered Shortbread

I love shortbread! I think it could be tied with snickerdoodles for my favorite cookie. So, when I saw this cookie in the December issue of Bon Appetit, it went on my list for this year's holiday cookies.

This is a super easy cookie to prepare & the results will make a pretty addition to the holiday cookie tray. Matt & I both really liked the flavor & he commented that he liked the fact they weren't overly sweet (I think the bittersweet chocolate helps with that).

I made a few tweeks to the original recipe. First of all I increased it by 50% because my baking pans are bigger than what they called for. Next, I melted my chocolate before putting it on the hot shortbread, they say the heat from the cookies will melt the chocolate but I didn't really trust that. I asked Matt to crush the peppermint candies for me. He put them in a food processor & ended up making more of a peppermint powder instead of chunks, I actually think it looks really pretty & sparkly. Finally, they swirled white chocolate all over everything & I didn't think it needed that.

Chocolate and Peppermint Covered Shortbread
(adapted from Bon Appetit Dec. '09)

12 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 large egg
1/4 heaping t salt
3 c all-purpose flour
9 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 c peppermint candies

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Spray a 12" x 16" baking sheet with sides with cooking spray. Line with a piece of parchment paper that hangs over the edges.

In a mixer beat the butter until creamy, about 2 minutes. Slow add the sugar and beat until light & fluffy about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and egg.

Mix the flour & salt together. Gradually add to the batter, mixing on low until just incorporated.

Spread the batter out evenly in the prepared baking sheet. Prick all over with a fork. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown.

While the cookies are baking melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Put the peppermint candies in a food processor & process until they reach a sugar like consistency.

When the cookies are done. Spread the chocolate over the top in a thin even coat. Immediately sprinkle with peppermint (a sifter worked well for this). Chill in the refrigerator until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Use the parchment paper to lift the cooled cookie from the pan to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into pieces. (It's really hard to get all perfect pieces but think of it like a bark which is all different shapes. I found rocking the knife was the best way to get a clean cut.)

To freeze these cookies, layer them in a plastic container with wax paper between the layers.

Makes about 72 1" x 1" squares

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8 Weeks of Cookies 2009

Chocolate Chunk & Hazelnut Biscotti

Salted Chocolate Covered Caramel Cookies

8 Weeks of Cookies 2008 (somehow I ended up with 9 weeks)

Anise Mandelbrot

Candy Cane Cookies

Apricot Foldover Cookies
Swedish Peppernut Cookies

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Pfeffernusse & Chocolate Covered Pfeffernusse
Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

Sacher Bites

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2009 Kathy Lewinski

Beef and Pumpkin Chili

I came home from working at the library last night & was greeted with the smell of chiles, cinnamon, pumpkin & a just a hint of chocolate, amazing. Nothing like coming home to a dinner cooked by your husband, especially one that smelled & tasted as good as this one.

We picked up some baking pumpkins earlier this fall at the farmers' market & Matt said he wanted to use one to make chili. He took the inspiration for this chili from the flavors of molé. It's a rich, dark chili with lots of layers of flavor, a slight sweetness from the pumpkin, spiciness from the chiles, a little bitterness from the beer, smokiness from the cumin and that distinctive flavor of cinnamon.

Beef & Pumpkin Chili

1 small pie pumpkin
olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 T cumin
1 t oregano (Mexican preferably)
1 t cinnamon
2 t cocoa powder (we used dark cocoa)
1 t ancho chile powder
1/2 t cayenne (this chili was a mild on the Matt scale but hot on the Kathy scale so adjust the cayenne accordingly)
14.5 oz can black beans (or 1 c dry black beans that have been simmered until softened)
14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 bottles (24 oz) dark lager (we used Sessions Black)
salt

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Cut the pumpkin in half, seed & remove pulp. Cut into 8 wedges. Coat with a little olive oil & season with salt & pepper. Place on a baking sheet & roast for about 45 minutes until soft. Remove skin & cube. Save 2 cups for the chili (any remaining pumpkin can be frozen for another use).

Heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until tender. Add the ground beef, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cocoa, chile powder and cayenne. Cook until the beef is cooked through. Stir in the pumpkin, beans, tomatoes & beer. Let simmer for 45 - 60 minutes until all the flavors blend. Taste for seasoning & salt to taste.

5 - 6 servings

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2009 Kathy Lewinski

Stuffed Squash

You might think from reading this blog that every dish we make is a tasty success but let me tell you right now that isn't the truth. Take last night's dinner for instance.

This dish wasn't a total failure, the stuffing was actually pretty good, the problem was the squash. We decided to try a variety that was new to us called Buttercup & its flavor did not blend well with the stuffing at all. I actually didn't care for its flavor on its own either and am wondering if the squash was a bit off. I do think the idea of this recipe was good though & would make it again but I'd use an acorn or butternut squash instead.

Our stuffing here is really pretty basic. I didn't add any seasoning to it because the Italian sausage is so flavorful. Matt makes our Italian sausage and adds plenty of fennel, garlic and red pepper flakes. If your sausage doesn't have as much flavor add some of these seasonings to the stuffing. A note on the greens, we blanch then freeze chard and kale when they are in season to use all winter so it is already wilted & ready to use. If you use fresh chard add it to the hot sausage & rice & let it wilt in the pan.

Stuffed Squash

1/2 c wild rice
1 small yellow onion, chopped
8 oz Italian squash
1/2 c wilted chard or kale , chopped
1/4 c grated Parmesan
1 large butternut or 2 acorn squash, seeded and cooked until tender

Put the wild rice in a pot with 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 45 - 50 minutes until rice is tender.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a skillet over medium-high heat cook onion until tender. Add sausage cook through. Stir in the chard. Add about 3 tablespoons of the parmesan and stir.

Scoop enough pulp out of the squash to make a bowl, leaving about 1/2-inch around all of the sides. Stir the removed pulp into the stuffing. Stuff the squash with the filling. Top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cheese. Bake for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

4 servings

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2009 Kathy Lewinski

Red Beans and Rice Soup

I knew I wanted to make a bean soup this week but the type of soup would be decided by the beans we chose to go in it. We went through all the new varieties of beans we had picked up from Rancho Gordo in San Francisco & decided on the Sangre de Toro beans. According to the Rancho Gordo website these beans are great for red beans & rice so I went with that idea for the soup.

I spiced the soup up a bit by adding some guajillo peppers & some smokey serrano hot sauce. (Matt tried the Boulder Hot Sauce Company hot sauce at Birchwood Cafe the other morning & liked it so much he bought two varieties from them on line.) I don't think I've ever seen Matt like a soup as much as he did this one. The broth came out just amazing & full of flavor. And these beans! Oh, these beans! They were just perfect in the soup, they're tender but they didn't get mushy or lose their shape. They had a wonderful mouth-feel.

The bread with paired this with is the Olive Spelt Bread from Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Matt had had some olive bread at One Market while in San Francisco last week & loved it so he suggested that. I was going to just add olive to a loaf of bread when I saw Zoe & Jeff already had an Olive Bread in their book. They say it is one of their favorites so we figured go with that. The bread was really good with a great crumb but we think we needed a saltier olive to really stand out. By the way, thanks to this book we're in love with spelt flour.

Red Beans and Rice Soup

1 c dried red beans (we used Rancho Gordo Sangre de Toro beans but you could use any small red bean of choice)
2 dried guajillo chiles
2 strips bacon, chopped (we use cooking bacon with lots of fat in it)
2 c yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried oregano
4 c chicken broth
2 c water
14.5 oz can whole tomatoes
1 ham shank or hock
1 T kosher salt
few grinds fresh pepper
dash or two of hot sauce (we used Boulder Hot Sauce Smokey Serrano)
1 c basmati rice

Put the beans in a pot with about 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil & let boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover & let sit 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Drain.

Cut off the stems & seed the guajillo chiles. Put them in a bowl & pour 1 cup of boiling water over the top. Let sit 15 minutes or until soft. Chop the chiles reserving the soaking water.

In a large soup pot cook the bacon over medium-high heat until just beginning to get crispy & rendering its fat. Add the onions & garlic. Cook until softened & the onions are turning translucent. Add the thyme, oregano and chopped guajillos. Stir. Add the chicken broth, water. tomatoes, ham shank, salt, pepper, hot sauce & reserved soaking water. Stir, crushing the tomatoes a bit with your spoon. Add the beans. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat & simmer for 2 1/2 hours. Bring back to a boil & add rice. Stir, cover, reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 30 more minutes until rice is tender. If the soup is too thick add more water (we actually added another 2 cups before storing the leftovers & it didn't effect the flavor at all).

Makes 6 - 7 servings

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2009 Kathy Lewinski

Weekly Menu 11/15 - 11/20

Not much exciting to write about from this weekend. I spent my time filling a large order for gnome Christmas ornaments on my Etsy shop.

While Matt had the fun of cleaning out the gutters before winter, what an icky job. Too bad I have vertigo & can't get up the ladder to help, yup, too bad ;)

Menu Planning Monday....

Since Matt is back from San Francisco the two of us are back in the kitchen together dreaming up new recipes for the week. Next week we are off again & heading to Memphis for Thanksgiving with my family. We've decided to take a few days to do the drive & meander our way down the Mississippi so look for pictures & such next week.

Bean Soup (we'll have to pick from the 9 varieties of Rancho Gordo beans we bought in SF)

Beef & Pumpkin Chili

Sweet Potato Curry

Sausage & Wild Rice Stuffed Squash

Prosciutto-wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Apples & Brussel Sprouts

Clean out the fridge dinner

If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://agoodappetite.blogspot.com OR at http://agoodappetite.com then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at katbaro AT yahoo DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author unless otherwise noted.
© 2007-2009 Kathy Lewinski