What an Amazing Dessert

Okay, first off, I made this recipe straight from the Donna Hay site. It is called Classic Chocolate Caramel Slice. Click on that link to go there. The site is from Australia, and they use lots of terms that for the regular old USA kind of cook, can leave one at a bit of a loss. 

Long ago, in Guatemala, I made a friend who is an Australian, believe it or not! She was married to a friend of my (at the time) Guatemalan husband. I got to know a little about Australians, their slang and lingo, and most importantly, I looked through her cookbooks, becoming familiar with the terms. One thing that jumped out right away was the use of "aubergine" instead of eggplant. Another was the use of grams instead of ounces or cups. 
 

Chocolate Caramel Bars

So when I found this recipe while perusing Facebook yesterday, it just looked so good. And I was feeling stressed. You know what they say: "Stressed is desserts spelled backwards!" So I went to the kitchen. 

I will not begin to say this is a quickie dessert to be whipped up and eaten within the hour. No, it does require more effort than that. There are three distinct steps to the recipe. The first is making the crust. Which uses 9 tablespoons of butter. And then the caramel filling, using 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk, PLUS what they call "golden syrup", PLUS 9 tablespoons of butter. This recipe is nothing if not decadent! And then, probably the most innocuous part of the whole recipe: dark chocolate with 1 tablespoon of oil added. 

The recipe calls for a 20 x 30 centimeter pan. I got out my trusty ruler and found this to be a 9 x 13-inch pan. I went further and used my Wilton, very straight sided 9 x 13-inch pan, so the sides would be very squared, rather than a regular 9 x 13 baking dish with rounded edges. This squared edge resulted in a much wider base, and a thinner bar. Mine were just a little over a half inch thick. 

Chocolate Caramel Bars

While the flour and sugar were given alternatively in cups and in grams, other measurements were in grams alone. Luckily I have a kitchen scale to measure with, so I found that 125 grams of butter equaled 9 tablespoons.  The sweetened condensed milk does have both ounces and grams, so that was a no-brainer. When confronted with 200 grams of dark chocolate, I had to use the scale. I had bars of Ghirardelli 60% dark chocolate baking bars. Each one is 4 ounces, or 113.5 grams. The bars are sectioned into 8 squares apiece. By weight, 200 grams turned out to be all but one of the little square sections of two whole bars, or 15 small square sections.

Okay, once I had all the calculations, all I had to do is decide what to do about the golden syrup, which I do not have. I recall another recipe from Donna Hay that called for golden syrup, and my sister said something about approximating with honey mixed with corn syrup. This is what I did, with no more exactitude than pouring in an eyeballed half of the ⅓-cup measure, of honey, and then filling to the top with corn syrup. I used dark corn syrup, but I am pretty sure light would make no perceptible difference. 

I hesitated with the idea of using the exact recipe here, as it comes from the Donna Hay website, but it is changed enough to almost count. Still, I would encourage anyone looking for a really decadent dessert that can be cut pretty tiny, if desired - do check out that website, because you will just drool all over your computer while perusing! I guarantee!

Much, much later.......

I have read recipes for nearly this same thing. This same layers: shortbread crust, caramel layer, topped with a chocolate glaze - and they are called Millionaire Bars, here in the U.S. Nothing is ever new!

Chocolate Caramel Bars, a la Donna Hay

Chocolate Caramel Bars

Makes one 9 x 13-inch pan, about 64 small squares

CRUST:
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup dried, unsweetened coconut
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup brown sugar

CARAMEL:
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, in cubes
2 cans (14 ounce / 396 grams each) 
   sweetened condensed milk
⅓ cup honey & corn syrup mixed (OR Golden Syrup, if available)

CHOCOLATE TOPPING:
7½ ounces 60% bittersweet chocolate 
1 tablespoon oil (I used hazelnut oil)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long edges to allow for lifting out later. Cut corners to fit. Spray the parchment lightly with cooking spray. Set pan aside.

Make the crust by combining the flour, brown sugar and coconut in a mixing bowl, then adding the melted butter. Stir until well-combined and turn into the prepared pan. Press gently and firmly to make the crust mixture fit to all the edges and covering the pan bottom with no holes or gaps. This can take a little time; be patient and carry on! Bake the crust for about 15 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven. 

While the crust is baking, make the caramel. Mix together the three caramel ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture with a whisk or a silicone spatula until butter is melted. Continue stirring vigorously, scraping bottom and sides of pan for about 7 to 9 minutes. Once crust is out of the oven, pour this mixture over the crust. Return the pan to the oven for another 15 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking. The top of the caramel should be a deep golden color and bubbling.

Remove the pan to a rack to cool, and once tepid, move to the refrigerator until cooled through. Once cooled, make the chocolate topping. Combine the chocolate and oil in a medium saucepan over the lowest heat possible, stirring occasionally until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Alternatively, melt the chocolate in 1 minute bursts in the microwave. Pour the chocolate over the cooled bars and spread evenly to edges. Return the pan to the refrigerator for at least ½ hour. Use the parchment to help lift the bars out of the pan for easier slicing. Cut into narrow strips, about 1½-inch wide, then across into approximately 1½ inch squares. 


https://www.donnahay.com.au/recipes/desserts-and-baking/classic-chocolate-caramel-slice

Chocolate Pie Crust with Chocolate Mousse and Mascarpone Whipped Cream

If the title sounds good, I wish you could have tasted the actual pie. If you like chocolate, this is most certainly the pie for you. While I am not crazy-fond of chocolate, having it sometimes is nice. Our friend Rich is a real chocoholic, and this pie was created with him in mind as he and his significant other, Heidi, were here over the Fourth of July. The Chocolate Pie Pastry just makes the whole thing come together, though any good pie pastry will do just fine. 
 

Chocolate Mousse Pie

Chocolate Pie Pastry

Chocolate Pie Pastry Blind Baked

For one 9-inch pie shell
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
⅓ cup shortening or lard
2 tablespoons ice water
2 tablespoons ice cold vodka

For one 10-inch pie shell:

1½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup shortening or lard
4 tablespoons ice water
4 tablespoons ice cold vodka (or use all water)

Stir flour, salt, brown sugar and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. With a pastry blender or fork, cut in shortening or lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add most of the water or water/vodka and toss with a fork until all flour mixture is moistened and starts to form a ball. If necessary, add remaining liquid to the crumbs in bottom of the bowl. Gather the dough in your hands and gently shape into a ball, then flatten. Chill for 1 hour before using.

To blind bake this crust, preheat oven to 375 degrees, or 350 on Convection Baking. Partially freeze the formed shell, then line it with foil and pie weights. Bake the partially frozen shell for 12 minutes. Remove from oven, remove foil and pie weights and prick the crust all over with the tip of a knife. Place in oven for 13 to 15 minutes more, until the crust is well set.  

The Chocolate Mousse recipe is fantastic and would likely serve 8 as individual servings; here the amount makes enough to fill the pie. I used Mascarpone Whipped Cream for this recipe because it holds up perfectly, even over days, without oozing any liquid. It has a wonderful flavor and a heartier texture than plain whipped cream, though plain whipped cream would also work on this pie if it will all be eaten at once. Using this whole recipe as I made it would easily allow making it the day ahead without affecting its freshness. The crust can be made 2 days in advance and covered tightly. This is important with time crunches in holiday food planning.

Chocolate Mocha Mousse

This Chocolate Mousse recipe is so exceedingly simple that it almost seems it couldn't work. There is no cooking involved. The use of unflavored gelatin helps the mousse set up quickly. The only thing needed is a small electric hand mixer, or even an old-fashioned egg-beater if you have a strong enough arm. The mixture is perfect for any time you might need a mousse that works in piping bags as easily as just pouring into a bowl. The texture is creamy and smooth and unctuously rich. 

Pie Shell unbaked left                    |                    Pie Shell baked right

I made the chocolate pie pastry recipe a few days in advance, placing it into a zip-top bag in the refrigerator. The day before making the pie, I rolled out the pastry to fit a 9-inch pie plate and crimped the edges high onto the rim. The oven was set to 375 to blind bake the shell. I first set the pie plate with pastry into the freezer for about ½ hour. Taking it from the freezer, I lined it with foil, carefully fitting the foil right up and almost over the crimped edges. I have a heavy "Pie Chain" from King Arthur Flour, so I used that set into the bottom of the foil in the pan. If you do not have a pie chain, use dried beans to weight the bottom. I baked the crust this way for 12 minutes, then removed the foil and weights and pricked little holes all over the crust with the tip of a knife and set it back in the oven for 13 to 15 minutes more, or until the crust is well set. In this case, one cannot tell if the crust is "golden," as it is too dark chocolate colored to know. Remove from oven and allow the crust to cool completely before filling. Once cooled, it can be covered tightly and stored for one or two days before filling, if needed.

Chocolate Mousse for Pie

Makes enough for one 9-inch pie

2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water
¼ cup boiling water
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let stand for a few minutes to soften. Add the boiling water and stir until completely dissolved. Set aside.

Pie filled and smoothed, left |  topped with Mascarpone Whipped Cream, right

In a larger mixing bowl combine the sugar and the cocoa, whisking to combine. Add in the whipping cream and vanilla and beat the mixture with an electric mixer or rotary beater until the cream holds soft peaks. Add in the dissolved gelatin and beat again to distribute evenly.

Pour this mixture into the baked and cooled Chocolate Pie Pastry shell, using a knife or offset spatula to smooth the top and press into the edges of the pastry. Store this pie in the refrigerator once filled.

One slice of Chocolate Mousse Pie

Mascarpone Whipped Cream Topping

Makes about 1½cups

½ cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
4 ounces mascarpone cheese

Have all utensils very cold by placing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator before use. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream until it holds soft peaks. Add in the confectioner's sugar and beat again until the cream holds stiff peaks. Add int he mascarpone cheese and beat again only until well combined. Beating too long after adding the mascarpone will make the mixture look curdled.

Spoon or pipe decoratively on top of the pie as desired. It can be dolloped onto the edges and using a spoon, make pretty dips and peaks. I topped each of the piped stars with one chocolate chip.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Just a Little Something Sweet

You know how sometimes you just have to have a little something sweet? Like you just can't go on if you don't have something - soon! Well, last evening I got that craving. Having been working frantically to get all the appetizer components made that can be made in advance, the last thing I felt like doing was making a dessert.

Some years ago, when I went on a completely RAW diet, where nothing at all is cooked or baked, I got very familiar with little dessert treats that can be whipped up in no time and really satisfy that craving. Once eating RAW, my cravings were satisfied far more easily. There are some very lovely dessert presentations to be found  on the internet these days for RAW desserts. Ice creams are easily made using nut or seed milks as a base. But what I loved most are these sweet little balls that can be made and kept refrigerated for when that craving hits. One of the first was Brownie Bites. Oh my! Whether on a RAW diet or not, those were just plain good. 

RAW Brownie Bites

RAW Brownie Bites

Makes 25 balls, about 48 calories apiece

1 cup pecans, finely ground
1 cup dates, packed tightly
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons agave nectar
3 packets sweet leaf stevia (or approximate)
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, for dredging
2 packets sweet leaf stevia, for dredging

Combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and balled-up. Form into about 25 small balls about 1-inch in diameter, and then roll these into a mixture of the 3 tablespoons cocoa powder mixed with the 2 extra packets of stevia. Keep refrigerated. 


Later I discovered how easy it was to make varied dessert balls, or "RAW Cookie Dough" recipes. No eggs are involved in these, so no problem with bacteria. Just use nuts (often cashews or almonds, with their milder flavor as a base) and the addition of other things as desired. Dried fruits are great, either as an addition or as in the case of my own recipe for Fruit and Nut Balls, just a lot of wonderfully sweet dried fruits and nuts mixed together. 

RAW Fruit and Nut Balls

RAW Fruit and Nut Balls

Makes about 30 balls @ 68 calories each

¼ cup dried apricots, finely minced
¼ cup dates, finely minced
¼ cup craisins, finely chopped
¼ cup dried blueberries, finely chopped
½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
½ cup almonds, finely chopped
¼ cup agave nectar
1 tsp dried orange peel
¼ cup ground flax seed
2 packets Stevia
¼ cup almond butter

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. With hands, scoop up enough to pack together and roll into approximately 1-inch balls, then roll balls in either ground nuts, or coconut. Store in the refrigerator. 

Remaining RAW Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Anyway, back to last night. Raw cashews make a wonderful "cookie dough" base. However, I had no more raw cashews, having used up the last of them in a curry recently; drat... So, improvising, I had a craving for oatmeal cookies (I love oatmeal cookie dough - the real cookie dough, meant to be baked) and thought I'd use raw rolled oats. I am not totally sure if oats are heated when they are rolled, but I did not cook them, so I started out with almond meal/flour, added flax, some unsweetened coconut, and the oatmeal and tossed those things into the food processor. I should have stopped to grind the flax seeds first, as not many of them were ground in the processor. I was just in too much of a hurry to make my dessert to stop and take the time ;-)

I used agave syrup as the binder. I wanted chocolate chips and happened to have a partial bag of mini chips, so I mixed some of those in too. Chocolate chips are not RAW, so if you are being very strictly RAW, use Cocoa Nibs instead. Didn't have any of those on hand last night either.  If you do not want to use the oatmeal, or if making these Gluten-Free, add more almond meal, coconut or flax. The amount of agave syrup needed will depend on how much of the other ingredients are used. My "recipe" was written down after the fact, so the amounts are approximate. Watch when adding the syrup to see how the mixture comes together. If it is too dry, add more syrup. If it got too wet, add more of the dry ingredient(s) of preference. For now, this is more or less what I did for my craving last night. I ate about 3 of these little balls before they ever got to be balls, but by that time I was completely satisfied, so the rest are waiting for me in the fridge for whenever that desire strikes.

RAW Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Size of my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

 
Makes about 24 one-inch balls

⅓ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup flax, ground
½ cup almond meal
½ cup unsweetened coconut
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup agave syrup
more oats, if needed
¼ cup mini chocolate chips or cocoa nibs

Place the first 5 ingredients into a food processor and process until broken. Add the vanilla and with the processor running, add the syrup in a stream until the mixture starts to come together in a ball. Stop the processor as soon as this starts. If more syrup is needed, add more by hand. If the mixture is too wet, add more oatmeal. Fold in the chocolate chips and form into tiny, one-inch balls. If any are left, store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Dulce de Leche Turtle Cheesecake

I wrote a couple of days back about my inspiration for making a Dulce de Leche Turtle Cheesecake. I made the cheesecake part then, and finished the toppings to serve it for our New Year's Day dinner last evening. It certainly delivered on every wish and hope I had. And - it is completely Gluten-Free! My sister-in-law suggested that this cheesecake might also be really good with a shortbread type crust, and I agree.

My goals while making this cheesecake were:

1. that it not be too cloyingly sweet
2. to use coarse salt, making it a "salted caramel" style
3. that the cheesecake part be smooth and creamy

After tasting the finished cheesecake last evening, I believe I accomplished all of those goals. The filling was dreamy-smooth. It was not too overly sweet. The salt balanced perfectly. Even a tiny amount more would have been too much salt, but it worked perfectly just as it was made. 

My Dulce de Leche Turtle Cheesecake, finished

There are a couple of things that might have been better - not about the flavor, because that was, to me, perfect and just what I was looking for. The toppings were my sticking point. The flavors were great, so no problem there. My initial thought had been to use broken pecans, strewn over the top of the cake. However, I went back and forth, even discussing with my sister-in-law, about whether to leave the pecans on top whole, or broken. I selected whole pecans to toast, just in case I decided on decorating the top in a symmetrical manner. I ended up using whole pecans in a beautiful pattern, but in retrospect, broken pecans might have been the better choice. The reason? Trying to eat the cheesecake required trying to cut a bite around a whole pecan, making either a really large bite, or eating around it and then deciding on the pecan. Not a huge problem; not insurmountable, but still... 

The other thing that could have been better is the melted chocolate over the top. I used good-quality chocolate chips and placed them into a piping bag. I set the piping bag with the top edges turned down over a tall water glass to support the bag. I just stuck the bag with the glass into the microwave to melt the chocolate with short 20-second intervals. Initially, I was going to melt the chocolate with butter or oil, to soften it and then put it into a bag. Later I decided to just melt the chocolate alone. Once the chocolate was zig-zagged over the cheesecake and chilled, trying to cut through the hardened chocolate drizzle was almost impossible without destroying the slice entirely. I used the knife to rap sharply against the hardened chocolate drizzle to try and make a place to cut a slice. The slice still was not clean. In retrospect, I believe adding a tablespoon of cooking oil to the chocolate while melting would give a softer final result.

All in all, not huge problems, and the taste results were spectacular, so here is my recipe:

Dulce de Leche Turtle Cheesecake

Makes one 9-inch cheesecake

Dulce de Leche Turtle Cheesecake, sliced

PECAN CRUST
1¼ cup pecans
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ tablespoons softened unsalted butter
½ teaspoon coarse salt (Fleur de Sel)
¾ cup dark chocolate chips

FILLING
3 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened
14 ounces dulce de leche; reserve ¼ cup aside for topping
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup sour cream
½ vanilla bean, split and scraped
½ teaspoon coarse salt
4 eggs

TOPPINGS
1½ cup broken pecans
¼ cup reserved dulce de leche
½ cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate

Make Crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees (350 on Convection). Combine the pecans, sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of a food processor; process until the pecans are coarsely chopped. Add the butter and process until the nuts are finely chopped. Press the mixture into the bottom and 1 to 1½ inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake the crust for about 12 to 15 minutes or until very fragrant. As soon as the crust comes from the oven, sprinkle in the half teaspoon coarse salt and then the chocolate chips. Set aside while preparing the filling. The chocolate chips will become soft. With a spatula, spread the melted chips evenly over the crust. Allow to cool thoroughly. Reduce oven to 300 degrees (275 on Convection).

Make Filling: In a mixer bowl, first beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add in the dulce de leche, brown sugar, cornstarch, sour cream, vanilla and salt. Mix well on low speed until well blended. Whisk the eggs together in a separate bowl, then add them, mixing gently until just incorporated; do not over beat at this point. Pour filling over the chocolate in the cooled crust.

Cut a large piece of aluminum foil and set the springform pan in the center. Wrap the foil up the sides of the pan, encasing it completely. Prepare a roasting type pan large enough to accommodate the springform, filling with hot water to about 1-inch up the sides of the pan. Set the larger pan of water in the oven. Set the foil-wrapped springform pan into the larger pan in the oven. Bake the cheesecake for about 1 hour or until just jiggly in the center. Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack. Refrigerate the cheesecake, covered for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days, before topping and serving.

Toppings: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place broken pecans on a dry baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes. Cool the nuts before using. This can be done well ahead and the nuts stored in a sealed container until needed. The nuts may be left whole, to make a lovely pattern on top of the cheesecake, or broken to scatter over the cake.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave, carefully, in 20-second increments, checking each time, until soft. Pour into a piping bag or a sturdy zip-top bag. Set aside.

Finish the cake: Gently reheat the reserved dulce de leche for just a few seconds in the microwave. Scatter broken pecans over the top of the completely cooled cheesecake, or arrange whole nuts in a pattern. Snip a very small hole in the piping bag or zip top bag with the dulce de leche and drizzle a zigzag in one direction over the top of the nuts. Snit a small hole in the piping bag or zip top bag with the melted chocolate and drizzle the chocolate in a zigzag pattern in the opposite direction across the dulce de leche. Keep chilled until serving.

Bon apettit!

 


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things weekly. I would love to hear from you, to help me continue my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.  

Trying Some New Recipes for Cookies

Russian Tea Cakes, aka Snowballs

I have finally begun my baking for this season. I started by sitting down and creating three new cookie recipes, on paper, plus one fudge recipe. I have made the three new cookie doughs, and today I baked the first of those. The ones I baked are called Chocolate Hazelnut Pepperballs, and I topped them with Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache. That last did not quite turn out as I hoped, but it sure tastes good. I also baked one of the new recipes from last year; Pistachio Tea Cookies, using Matcha Green Tea Powder as an ingredient. Both these cookies are modeled on the shortbread type cookies my family always called Russian Tea Cakes. These are also called Snowballs and other things, but I love calling them Russian Tea Cakes, and so they remain.



Unsalted, shelled pistachios,
alongside the ground nut meal

For the Pistachio Tea Cookies, I used unsalted, shelled pistachios. I found them at either Amazon.com, or at www.Nuts.com. Unsalted pistachios make these cookies far more palatable, so look for them if you try this recipe. I have a Vita Mix blender and used the container with the blade for grinding dry ingredients, placed the pistachios in and on a fairly low speed, chopped the nuts. Precaution: do not keep the Vita Mix on too long, or it will heat the nuts and you will end up with pistachio butter instead of nicely ground pistachios. I poured them into an old Tupperware colander and used a spoon to help the finer bits pass through into a bowl to measure. This keeps any bits that stayed a little too large out of the mixture. I ate the remaining larger bits for a snack ;-)

Pistachio Tea Cookies

Pistachio Tea Cookies

Makes about 7½ dozen cookies (with 1¼" diameter cookie scoop)

2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon pistachio flavoring
½ teaspoon almond flavoring
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup Matcha Green Tea Powder
4¼ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups finely ground unsalted pistachios
Extra confectioner's sugar for rolling and storing

Cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar with the flavorings. If pistachio flavoring is not available, use all almond or part almond and part vanilla extracts. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the flour, Green Tea Powder and salt. Add in the nuts and combine well. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Form the dough into one-inch balls. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until set but not too browned. Immediately roll in confectioners' sugar and allow to cool. Before storing, roll in confectioners' sugar a second time and store with plenty of the sugar around them.

NOTES: Making these cookies with a 1¼-inch diameter cookie scoop is a snap. Press the dough into the bowl of the scoop, release and they are perfectly domed-shape little tea cookies.

The new recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Pepperballs turned out okay, but I believe since it has been so vary cold here, and with the heat running constantly, my flour and other ingredients might be drier than normal. I had to add in a couple tablespoons of water to try and get the dough to hold together enough to form the balls. As a precaution, I state here below to use 1/2 cup less flour in the mixture than what I used. This gives the option of adding in an extra 1/2 cup if it is needed for proper consistency.

Chocolate Hazelnut Pepperballs

Chocolate Hazelnut Pepperballs
with Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache

1½ cups unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
¾ cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups all purpose flour (+ ½ cup in reserve)
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground ancho chili powder (not the "chili powder" for making chili!)
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup hazelnut meal (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)

Cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar. Add in the vanilla and mix to combine. Separately, sift or whisk together the dry ingredients, reserving the half cup of the flour aside in case it is needed later. Cut the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives, or even your fingers. It should be very crumbly, but be able to hold together when squeezed into a ball shape. Chill the dough before using.

When ready to bake, set the oven to 375 (or 350 if Convection). Form small balls, about 1-inch in diameter and set them about an inch or more apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes, or until set.
At this point, the cookies may be rolled in confectioners' sugar, or a mixture of confectioners' sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder. 

Another couple of recipes for cookie dough are in the refrigerator, ready to work with when I have the time. One is called Gingerspice Cookies; the goal with this recipe being a nicely spiced cookie that is not a typical gingerbread cookie.  Another one is called Cardamom Almond Cookies. I have made something similar in the past, but this mixture is new. 

Gingerspice Cookies

Makes 11 - 12 dozen 2-inch cookies

Gingerspice Cookies

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cassia cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 - 2 tablespoons water or milk, as needed

In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter as for pie dough, until crumbly. Whisk together the egg and the vanilla and add this to the crumbly mixture, tossing lightly with a fork to combine the wet and dry ingredients. If the mass will not come together, add in 1 tablespoon of the water or milk. Add up to 1 tablespoon more of the liquid if needed to form a dough.

Form the dough into two cylindrical shapes and roll in waxed paper; refrigerate at least 3 to 4 hours, or freeze up to a month in advance. If frozen, allow the dough to thaw in the refrigerator at least 24 hours before using.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 on Convection Bake). Remove half the dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured surface about ⅛-inch thick. Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter or just slice into squares or rectangles. Bake the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes, or until set but not too browned. Remove from the baking sheet to a counter or rack to cool. Ice if desired. 

Cardamom Almond Cookies

Makes approximately 8 dozen 2-inch wafers

Cardamom Almond Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, finely grated
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup almond meal
1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened (12 tablespoons)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons water, milk or Amaretto liqueur

n a large bowl, whisk together the first 6 ingredients to combine. Cut in the butter as for pie dough, with a pastry cutter, fork, two knives or with fingertips to make a crumbly mixture. Combine the eggs and liquid of choice and add in, tossing lightly with a fork until the mixture begins to hold together. With hands, form the dough into a log and wrap in waxed paper. Chill the dough before proceeding.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 on Convection). This recipe can easily be made using my Busy-Mom-Method. If you choose to roll the dough and cut out shapes, roll to about 1/8-inch thickness and cut. Re-roll the scraps and repeat. Bake the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until just lightly browned.

These cookies are flavorful enough to be enjoyed as is. If you choose they may be iced as desired, or made into sandwich cookies. 

Happy Holiday Baking to all, and to all a good night!

 
My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Family, Food and Fun: Cooking with Family

Guacamole and Chips with tiny tomato roses

Family is very important to me, so our youngest sister turning 50 was an "event." The first of these "turning 50" parties was an utter surprise. The second - almost. And after that, it was just a matter of how much could be kept secret - not the party itself. So for Laura, it was no surprise at all. That said, the ultimate decision on the décor and food was relatively secret. My sister Anita has a real talent for making a table look almost too pretty to touch. I say almost, because all the food was irresistible.


Chicken Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Anita had already prepared almost everything, so the rest of us only had assembly work to do prior to the party. I was in that situation myself nearly 10 years ago when I hosted a 50th party for her, so I know the amount of work ahead of time, and sympathize. No matter how much you love doing it, it is still a lot of work, and appreciated. She played taxi service for the 4 of us who do not live nearby, shuttling us to and from the airport.

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

The party was a wonderful event, with a lot of the same hilarity that always goes on when we are together. I am so fortunate in my sisters that we all get along well and have so much fun when we are together. Some of the dishes that were prepared were Roast Beef with Gorgonzola Walnut Spread on Flat Out Rosemary Breads, Scallop Ceviche, Guacamole (of course), with tiny "roses" made from cherry tomatoes, Beef Satay, a Boboli with Spinach Dip, topped with Italian 4-cheese blend and baked (yum!), Chicken Stuffed Sweet Peppers, Chiles Rellenos casserole, Curried Pork stuffed into Pita breads, a trifle made with Angel Food Cake and fruits. Diana brought her Sugared Pecans, there was a cheese plate and of course cake! 

Boboli with Spinach Dip

There were two cakes. The party was Zebra themed, and Diana had two zebra photos printed on edible material. One was a colorful picture and was placed onto the red velvet cake. I piped the shell borders. The other, and main cake was a Carrot Cake Cheesecake. This was covered thinly with cream cheese frosting and the zebra closeup photo was placed onto this. Diana also brought zebra striped design peel off applications which we used on the sides of the cheesecake. Again, I piped shell borders. In tune with the zebra themed cake decals, were Anita's zebra decorations and table top decor.


Needless to say, everything was just fantastic. The table was beautiful, including the table outside by the pool. Unfortunately, I have no recipes to include here, except the Boboli. Take a boboli bread, cover it with Spinach Dip, then coat with a 4-cheese Italian blend and bake until hot and cheese is melted. Slice as desired. I never would have thought to bake Spinach Dip, but this was so very good. 


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

An Old Recipe; Still Good After All These Years

Today I had a little 7 year old visitor for a couple of hours. She was content to watch cartoons for a little while as her Dad had business to discuss with my husband. She soon tired of sitting there, in a strange house, and I had things to do also. I asked if she helped cook at home. She said not too much. I  asked if she would like to help? She said yes, if I told her what to do.

Scooping out the chocolate haystacks

I had to make dinner, and was planning to make chili, so I put the meat to brown in a pot. I chopped onions and gave my little helper strips of green pepper to cut into little bits to add to the chili. I had her use my garlic press, which she hadn't done before, but her small hands didn't have the leverage they needed to finish that job. I asked her to grind pepper. That kept her busy for quite a bit, and then I opened cans of tomato sauce and paste, and she added them to the pot. I always rinse my kidney beans so I had her do that. I asked her to stir the pot to get everything mixed. Once the chili was cooking away, she asked if there was anything else to make?

I got out my old tried and true Quick and Easy Cornbread recipe. I gave her measuring cups and a table knife and showed her how to measure into the cup and level off the contents. She got all the dry ingredients together, then opened up the stick of butter so I could microwave it. She measured the milk and cracked in the egg. She did the mixing. I held the bowl while she scraped the batter into the pan I had prepared. It went into the oven and a few minutes later she exclaimed at how it was growing.

And once again, we had finished. She was having fun, and wondered if there was anything else we could make. I got out a very old recipe for Chocolate Haystacks. I gave her the measuring cups again and the table knife and had her measure the oatmeal, and coconut. She ground the nuts. I melted the butter, cocoa and sugar. She stirred them together to combine, and I gave her a scoop to make the little mounds onto waxed paper. At the point she was almost finished making the haystacks, her Dad came back into the room. The haystacks were still completely soft, but I cut a section of the paper and set them into a box for her to take home. It was a fun and entertaining afternoon, and she was reluctant to leave. Here is the Haystacks recipe I have been making for 40 years, since my children were little:

Chocolate Haystacks

Chocolate Haystacks

2 cups granulated sugar
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup milk
½ cup butter
3½ cups quick cooking rolled oats
1 cup coconut
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt

In a saucepan, combine the first 4 ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add in all the other ingredients until combined. Drop onto waxed paper into little mounds (haystacks). Allow to cool and set.

A simple recipe, and simple to make with the help of a child or two. Make someone's day and have them help you out. It is so rewarding.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.