My Baking Adventures

I just had to share this ~ I almost spit my coffee into my computer screen as I read it. My father, the comedian of the family, sent it to me yesterday, but I figured it was more appropriate to post today. Enjoy, with tongue firmly in cheek.

Are you sick of making the same resolutions year after year that you never keep? Why not promise to do something you can actually accomplish? Here are some resolutions that you can use as a starting point.

1. I want to gain weight — at least 30 pounds.

2. Stop exercising. Waste of time.

3. Read less.

4. Watch more TV. I’ve been missing some good stuff.

5. Procrastinate more.

6. Drink. Drink some more.

7. Take up a new habit — maybe smoking.

8. Spend more time at work.

9. Stop bringing lunch from home — I should eat out more.

10. Start being superstitious.

Last round, I swear!

First up, chocolate pizzelles. Or as Alexander calls them, petrolees. I don’t know how he came up with that word, but I swear, sometimes that boy doesn’t speak English.

And vanilla:

Then I used the nifty cylinder roller to form them into cones.

I suppose they could be filled with cannoli filling (but I wouldn’t know about that, really) or whipped cream, but the kids (especially Alexander) demolished them so quickly I didn’t have a chance. Yes, you need a pizzelle iron to make these, but just think, now you already have a head start on next years Christmas list!

And no Italian household would be caught without Cucidati (coo che DA tee).

I think these are an acquired taste, but if you like Fig Newtons, then you will love these. The flavor is incomparable to anything you could buy in the store. I personally like them iced, but my dad, the purist, insists they are better plain. Who am I to argue with that?

One note: I would recommend making a half recipe of dough. No matter how hard I try, I always end up with at least a third of the dough left over, even with the full amount of filling. I guess I filling mine a little too ambitiously, but I like a substantial filling in my cookies.

And finally, chocolate gingerbread:

I love love love gingerbread, and adding cocoa powder amps up the volume. I don’t know anyone that doesn’t like these.

Oh, wait, I thought of someone. My husband. Well, more for me. I decorated these for a friend of Sabrina’s, it was the night we were going to the cookie exchange and I thought it would be nice for her to have something for the girl that was hosting the party. She loved them so much her mother asked for the recipe. Oh, that reminds me, I need to get that to her!

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies – Tish Boyle’s The Good Cookie

2 ¾ c. all purpose flour
½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbs. ground ginger
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp fresh grated nutmeg
½ tsp salt
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
¾ c. firmly packed brown sugar
¾ c. granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tbs. hot water
1 tbs. mild molasses
1 tsp baking soda

In a large bowl, whisk together the first 7 ingredients and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light in texture and color, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg.

In a small bowl, stir together the hot water, molasses, and baking soda until the baking soda is dissolved. At low speed, mix the baking soda mixture into the butter mixture until blended. Add the flour mixture in several additions, mixing just until combined. Scrape the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a disk. Wrap the disk in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and set aside. Divide the chilled dough into quarters and roll out the first quarter of dough on a lightly floured board until the dough is 1/8” thick. Cut out the dough using whatever shape cookie cutter you like, then carefully transfer the cut outs to the baking sheets. Repeat until you have filled up the pans. Bake the cookies until they are set in the middle, about 15 minutes. Baking time will vary depending upon the size of the cut outs, so watch closely during the last few minutes. Remove cookies from the oven, allow to cool on the pans for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pizzelle - Nick Malgieri’s Cookies Unlimited

2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
¾ c. sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
8 tbs. butter, melted
1 ¾ c. all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder

Beat eggs and sugar together until light yellow. Add melted butter and vanilla, and beat until blended. Stir together the flour and baking powder. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture until just incorporated.

Heat pizzelle iron. Brush lightly with butter (I use Pam) and place 1 tbs. dough into the center of each grid. Bake until steaming stops 1-2 minutes. Carefully remove pizzelles to wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Pizzelles

Using same batter formula as above, reduce flour to 1 1/3 cups and add ¼ c. unsweetened cocoa powder.

Cucidati - adapted from Nick Malgieri’s Cookies Unlimited

Pasta Frolla

4 c. all purpose flour
2/3 c. sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
16 tbs cold butter, cut into 16 pieces
4 large eggs

To make the dough, in bowl of the food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Pulse two or three times to mix. Add the butter and pulse repeatedly until it is finely incorporated and the mixture is cool and powdery. Add the eggs, all at once, and continue to pulse until the dough forms a ball. Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, form into a disk, wrap it, and chill while you make the filling.

Fig Filling
12 oz. dried Calimyrna figs
½ c. raisins
1 – 4 oz. container candied orange peel
1/3 c. whole almonds
1/3 c. apricot preserves
3 tbs. dark rum
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves

Egg wash:
1 large egg, well beaten

To make the filling, stem the figs and quarter them. Place them in the bowl of the food processor and add the raisins, orange peel, almonds and preserves. Pulse to finely grind the mixture. Add the rum, cinnamon and cloves and pulse again until the mixture is uniform and well blended. Transfer to a covered container and set aside until ready to bake.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 or 3 baking sheets with parchment.

Cut the chilled dough into 12 equal pieces. One at a time, roll each piece into a rectangle 3” wide and 12” long. Brush the edges with the egg wash and evenly distribute 1/3 cup filling down its length. Bring the edges of dough up around the filling to enclose it, then press the edges of the dough together to firmly seal in the filling. Roll the dough back and forth several times to ensure that the filling is secure, then cut the dough into 3 inch lengths. Place the pieces onto the prepared pans, leaving about an inch between each cookie. After you have filled the pans, brush each piece with the egg wash, and bake the cookies for about 20 minutes, or until they are a light golden color. Slide the papers from the pans to wire racks to cool. Store the cooled cookies between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight fitting cover.

Ready for the next round of cookies? I am desperately trying to get all of this done before December ends, because do you really want to be looking at Christmas stuff in January?

I didn’t think so.

First up:

Limoncello Cookies with Limoncello glaze – I was a bit disappointed with these. They didn’t have the flavor punch that I was expecting. I’m thinking that there needs to be a Limoncello filling instead of the thin icing. Perhaps a buttercream icing flavored with limoncello? I’m going to have to give that idea some serious thought.

Lime Meltaways from the Martha Stewart Cookies Book and website – these are always a winner, the tart lime-ness (hey, that’s a word, you know) is perfect for this time of year. Not much else to say about these, but we really like them.

and last, but not least, Danish Butter Cookies from Gourmet magazine.

These, by far, were the biggest surprise. I have seen many, many recipes that call for imported butter, but I just couldn’t bring myself to spend $7 for a half pound at Whole Foods. So imagine my glee when I found a pound of Plugra butter at Trader Joe’s for $3.00. You better believe I snapped that butter up faster than you could say “bargain”.

These weren’t hard to make at all, and after I took the first batch out of the oven, David swiped a cookie right off the baking sheet – ate it – looked at me – then swiped three more. I tried one, and was so happily surprised, I ate two more. The kids loved them, my neighbors loved them, it was a Hallmark moment if I ever saw one.

Now, for your baking pleasure, here are the recipes.

Limoncello Cookies – Recipezaar

COOKIES

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons limoncello (Italian liqueur)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

GLAZE

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons limoncello

For the cookies:

Cream butter and confectioner’s sugar with hand mixer. Stir in flour, lemon zest, limoncello, and salt until dough forms.
Roll into log, about 1 1/2 inches wide and 10 inches long. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for a few hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line cookie sheet with greased parchment paper. Take golf-ball-size piece of dough and roll between palms to form a lemon shape. Flatten until dough is 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cookies just begin to brown on bottom. The dough will not expand on cookie sheet.
Remove from oven and cool completely.

For the glaze:

Mix sugar and limoncello together in small bowl.
When cookies have cooled completely, drizzle glaze over top or spread on lightly with knife.

Lime Meltaways – Martha Stewart

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Finely grated zest of 2 limes
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Put butter and 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add lime zest and juice and vanilla, and mix until fluffy.
Whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Add to butter mixture, and mix on low speed until just combined.
Divide dough in half. Place each half on an 8-by-12-inch sheet of parchment paper. Roll in parchment to form a log 1 1/4 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow log. Refrigerate logs until cold and firm, at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove parchment from logs; cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Space rounds 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies until barely golden, about 13 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. While still warm, toss cookies with remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a resealable plastic bag. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 weeks.

Danish Butter Cookies – Gourmet, December 2008

This is a half batch from the original, and I’ve simplified the rolling directions for this recipe, it was a bit unnecessarily complicated.

2 c. all purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ lb. unsalted Lurpak butter, room temperature for 1 hour
¼ c. + 2 tbs. granulated sugar
1 large egg, beaten
Sanding sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment.
Whisk together flour and baking soda. Beat butter with an electric mixer until fluffy, then add sugar and flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

Roll dough into ½” balls and place on baking sheet. Flatten gently so dough is ¼” thick. Brush tops of cookies with beaten egg and sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Bake until cookies are very pale golden, about 12-15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then slide cookies on parchment onto wire racks to cool completely.

I can’t believe this is the last TWD recipe of the year. What a year it’s been! I joined TWD back in April, and the first recipe I made was the marshmallows. It was a blast then, and it’s still a blast now. I am looking forward to another fantastic year, filled with more amazing, delicious recipes.

But you didn’t come here for a sappy story. You came for PUDDING! This was, without a doubt, the real deal. Although I love butterscotch, I can’t stand butterscotch chips from the store, or the powdered “instant” pudding mix. Artificial flavors are not your friend! And I’ve tried making butterscotch pudding several times with different recipes, but they never came close to the flavor I thought it should be.

And I missed this last week because I made the big cheesecake, but after reading everyone’s comments, I went straight to the kitchen and whipped up a half batch. And taking a cue from Judy, who guided me many moons ago through the no food processor method (i.e the less mess and less complicated way), I had that pudding made and chilling in less than 10 minutes.

And I discovered that I really liked the scotch. Maybe more than I should have.

Sabrina asked for a tart, so I made a little one just for her. The rest of the pudding went straight to my mouth.

And I’m not ashamed to admit it.

I almost forgot, Donna chose this recipe – and thanks, because as I write this, Sabrina is sitting here next to me reminding me how delicious that pudding was. We’ll make it again really soon!

Coming up next week (next year?!), the inimitable Dorie herself chose the French Pear Tart. Which in my house will be French Peach Tart. I can’t wait!

Ready for another batch of cookies?

Here’s Santa ~

Isn’t he just the cutest? And delicious, too! It’s just shortbread cookie dough, rolled into balls and formed into Santa shapes. He has mini chocolate chip eyes and buttons, and white candy melt beard, along with a red-hot nose. They are a bit time consuming, but well worth it – the kids go crazy over them.

And here is something new (for me) this year – Ruby Jewels. This is another recipe from my Williams Sonoma Cookie book.

They were awesome – they tasted like strawberry shortcakes! The only change I might make next year would be to add more strawberry jam – although aesthetically speaking, they came out really nice, I just think they could use a bit more jam in the middle. I’m thinking about making these again for Valentine’s Day – they would be great with a chocolate drizzle over the top.

Roly Poly Santas – Christmas Cookies – 2003

1 c. butter, softened
½ c. sugar
1 tbs. milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 ¼ c. all purpose flour
Red paste food coloring
Miniature chocolate chips
Royal icing (I used white candy melts)
Red cinnamon candies

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. Beat in milk and vanilla. Add flour, and beat until combined.
Remove 1 cup of dough, and set aside. Add enough red food coloring to remaining dough to make it the desired color.

Shape each Santa by making one 3/4” ball and four ¼” balls from plain dough. From the red dough shape one 1-inch ball and five ½” balls. Flatten the 1-inch red ball on an ungreased baking sheet until ½’ thick. Attach the plain ¾” ball for head and flatten until ½” thick. Attach four ½” red balls for arms and legs. Shape remaining ½” red ball into hat. Place plain ¼” balls at ends of arms and legs for hands and feet. Add chocolate chips for eyes and buttons. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Using royal icing, attach red nose and then pipe mustache, beard and hatband. Allow to dry. Makes 12 Santas. Undecorated cookies may be frozen.

Ruby Jewel Cookies - Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Cookies, by Marie Simmons

2 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ¼ c. all purpose flour
2/3 c. granulated sugar
1 c. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 c. seedless raspberry jam or other thick jam

Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a miniature muffin pan with paper muffin liners.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and vanilla together, set aside.
Combine the flour and granulated sugar in a food processor and process just to blend. With the machine running, add the butter 2-3 pieces at a time and process until the mixture looks crumbly. With the machine still running, add the egg yolk mixture and process until blended and the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about one hour.
With lightly floured hands, shape the dough into ¾” balls. Place the balls into the muffin liners. Using the end of a wooden spoon dipped in flour, make an indentation in the center of each cookie, but do not press all the way through the dough. Using a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip, fill each indentation with about ¼ teaspoon jam.

Bake the cookies until the edges are golden, 15-20 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely in the pans on wire racks. Transfer the cooled cookies to wire racks and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Presenting…………….

The big Timballo. Doesn’t it look great? I mean really, feel free to lavish praise and adoration upon me.

Go ahead, I’m waiting.

Seriously, though, it wasn’t as much work as I thought it would be. This was unbelievable, fantastic, stupendous, outstanding, stellar………

Shall I go on?

And the best part (no really, it was!) I used a disposable aluminum pan from the Dollar Store, which meant that cleanup was as simple as walking to the trash can.

You could modify this to make it vegetarian by simply substituting marinara sauce for the meat sauce. So if you’ve got a big occasion coming up (ok, I know, Christmas is past, how about a birthday?) this is definitely something to think about.

One important note – I followed the directions EXACTLY…I mean EXACTLY….and it came out perfect. So if there is something to learn here, it’s to follow the directions EXACTLY with respect to the layering and baking process.

**My notes: I used David’s homemade bolognese sauce, not the sausage-based sauce you will find listed in the recipe. Instead of the swiss chard (which doesn’t exist here in my part of town) I used two 10 oz boxes of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry. I also doubled the béchamel sauce recipe because I had so much spinach. The notes from Gourmet state to arrange the very first layer of pasta in an orderly fashion, so when you flip it (and the bottom becomes the top), it looks very neat and organized. Unlike my brain.

Timballo - Gourmet Magazine

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage meat (remove casings if in links)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 (14- to 15-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice, forced with juices through a food mill (1 1/2 cups)
Pinch of sugar

For pasta
3/4 lb ziti

For chard in béchamel sauce
1 lb green Swiss chard, stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped (4 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)
4 oz fresh mozzarella (not unsalted), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (scant 1cup)

Special equipment: a 2-qt soufflé dish; parchment paper; a 6- to 8-qt wide pot for the water bath.

For meat sauce:
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté sausage, breaking up lumps with a fork, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add onion and bay leaf and sauté, stirring frequently, until onion begins to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add carrot, celery, and salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute, then add wine and deglaze by boiling, scraping up any brown bits, until most of liquid is evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomato purée and sugar and boil, stirring frequently, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool sauce and discard bay leaf.

For pasta:
Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling until al dente, then transfer with a skimmer to a colander to drain (do not rinse), reserving water in pot to cook chard. Cool pasta, spread in a baking pan, to warm.

For chard in béchamel sauce:
Add chard to pot and simmer, uncovered, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer with skimmer to a bowl of ice and cold water. Drain chard and squeeze handfuls, then finely chop.
Heat butter in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until foam subsides, then add garlic and cook, whisking, 1 minute. Add flour and cook, whisking, 1 minute, then add milk in a slow stream, whisking. Bring to a boil, whisking. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chard, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons Parmigiano, then remove pan from heat.

Assemble and bake timballo:
Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
Oil soufflé dish and line bottom with a round of parchment paper, then oil parchment. Cover bottom of dish with a single layer of pasta. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella and 3 tablespoons Parmigiano over pasta, then spoon half of meat sauce in an even layer over cheese. Arrange one third of remaining pasta over meat sauce in soufflé dish and top with all of chard, then another layer of pasta (about half of remainder). Sprinkle with remainder of cheeses, then spoon remaining meat sauce over cheese. Top with remaining pasta. (You may have pasta left over.) Cover pasta with an oiled round of parchment (oiled side down) and cover dish with foil.
Bake in a in wide 6- to 8-quart pot until bubbling and a metal skewer or thin knife inserted in center of timballo comes out hot to the touch, about 1 hour. Remove soufflé dish from water bath and let stand, covered, 15 minutes. Remove foil and parchment and run a knife around edge of timballo to loosen, then invert a platter over soufflé dish and invert timballo onto platter. Remove soufflé dish and remaining parchment.

I wanted to share some really cute cookies that I made for Christmas. I know everyone is still recovering from sugar shock, but these came out so great, I thought you might like to see them. I think I made 11 different varieties of cookies during the month of December, so bear with me while I get the recipes typed up and posted.

First up:

Neapolitan Cookies, from the Williams Sonoma Cookies book.

As is my usual custom, I left out the pecans in the chocolate dough, and used strawberry extract to flavor the pink middle. The strawberry flavor wasn’t overpowering, and provided a nice contrast with the chocolate and vanilla. I will definitely make these again. Instead of forming them in a loaf pan, I simply patted each flavor of dough into a log, then stacked them. I rolled the 3 colored log in plastic wrap, them compressed it into a square. I left it to chill for several hours, then simply sliced and baked.

Next:

Meringue Stars from Gourmet magazine.

These were a pain in the behind to make. Of course, it didn’t help that it was raining all day, which wreaked havoc on the meringue. I was able to make the vanilla and cocoa meringues, but the espresso just wouldn’t dry out, and they had a bitter aftertaste. So they got tossed. I also skipped the chocolate dip, as I was running behind on Christmas Eve (big surprise).

More cookies coming tomorrow!

Neapolitan cookies

16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room
temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped, melted
and slightly cooled
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 or 2 drops red food coloring
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed until fluffy and pale yellow. Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is no longer gritty when rubbed between your finger and thumb. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the egg, vanilla and salt until well blended.

Over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour and baking powder. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed or stir with a wooden spoon just until blended.

Divide the dough evenly among 3 bowls. Stir and knead the chocolate and pecans into the first bowl, the food coloring into the second bowl and the nutmeg into the third bowl.
Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with a sheet of waxed paper, overlapping the long sides by about 3 inches. Scrape the nutmeg dough into the pan and, with a small offset spatula, press to the edges in an even layer. Smooth out the dough with your fingertips. Drop the pink-tinted dough by teaspoons onto the nutmeg layer and press into an even layer. Smooth with your fingertips. Repeat with the chocolate dough. Fold the waxed paper over the top and press to smooth and compress the layers. Refrigerate until firm, at least 24 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

Use the paper to lift the dough out of the pan. Invert onto a wooden board and remove the paper. Using a long, thin knife, cut it in half lengthwise. Cut crosswise into slices 1/4 inch thick to make striped cookies.

Place the slices at least 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared pans. Bake the cookies until set and pale gold on the bottom, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let cool for a few minutes, then transfer the cookies to the racks to cool completely. Makes about 72 cookies.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Cookies, by Marie Simmons (Simon & Schuster, 2002 ).

Meringue Stars – Gourmet

3 large egg whites, at room temperature 30 minutes, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 pinches of cream of tartar, divided
3/4 cup superfine granulated sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons instant-espresso powder
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 (3 1/2-ounce) bar 70%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Equipment: 3 (12-inch) disposable pastry bags; a 1/2-inch star tip

Make vanilla and coffee meringues:
Preheat oven to 200°F with racks in upper, middle, and lower thirds of oven (or use 2 racks and bake in batches). Line 2 or 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Beat 1 egg white with vanilla (for vanilla meringues) and a pinch each of cream of tartar and salt with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until it just holds soft peaks. Add 2 tablespoons superfine sugar, a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Fold in 2 tablespoons superfine sugar gently but thoroughly.
Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with tip, then dab some meringue under corners of parchment on all baking sheets to secure to sheets. Pipe 1-inch-wide stars (1 inch high) about 1/2 inch apart.
Make coffee meringues using same amounts and procedure as above but using espresso powder (1 1/2 teaspoons) in place of vanilla.

Make chocolate meringues:
Sift cocoa through a fine-mesh sieve and whisk together with 2 tablespoons superfine sugar.
Beat remaining egg white with a pinch each of cream of tartar and salt with mixer at medium-high speed until it just holds soft peaks. Add remaining 2 tablespoons superfine sugar, a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Fold in cocoa mixture gently but thoroughly.
Transfer meringue to a pastry bag and pipe more stars.
Bake meringues:
Bake, switching position of upper and lower sheets halfway through baking, until dry, crisp, and firm, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Meringues are done when they release from parchment.)
Turn off oven and cool meringues in oven with door propped open about 1/2 inch using handle of a wooden spoon 1 hour, then slide parchment with meringues onto racks to cool completely.
Dip meringues in chocolate:
Line a large baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
Stir together chocolate and vegetable oil until completely smooth. Peel meringues off parchment, then dip bottom of each into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Transfer meringues to lined baking sheet, arranging as close together as possible, and when baking sheet is full, freeze meringues just until chocolate is set, about 3 minutes. Remove meringues from freezer.
Cook’s notes: · We used a Wilton 2110/1M star tip for our meringues. An Ateco 885 swirl star tip also works well. · To avoid stickiness, try to bake meringues on a dry day. · Dipped meringues keep, layered between sheets of parchment or wax paper, in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1 week or frozen, container tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, 1 month. Thaw frozen meringues, still in wrapped container, until container reaches room temperature, at least 30 minutes. (Do not unwrap and open container until completely thawed.)

I couldn’t resist throwing my mother in laws version of Noodle Pudding (or Kugel) out into the blog-o-sphere this week. (I also saw Mary’s version over at The Food Librarian and had to see how the two compared!)

Now, I’m not Jewish, but my husband is, and he grew up eating this every holiday season with his family. A very traditional dish, that much like a lasagna, every cook has their own version that they think is the best. This one is no exception.

I sampled it for the first time right after David and I were married, and once our marriage license was filed, my MIL deemed it safe to share the recipe with me.

She wasn’t taking any chances, apparently.

This is one of those dishes that I couldn’t photograph while it was hot, so this is a slice of it chilled, which explains why it looks so……. stiff. It is rich, creamy, loaded with calories and worth every bite. I should also tell you that I only make it once a year – we actually ate this for Thanksgiving, much to my mothers dismay. She couldn’t wrap her brain around the idea that it was a side dish, not dessert. It also offended her olfactory senses when she saw me add the cinnamon. I don’t know what cinnamon has ever done to her, but she can’t stand it! Except when she puts it in her Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

Go figure.

Anyways, this is a half recipe, which makes an 8″ pan. You can easily double this, just use a 9×13 pan and watch the cooking time!

My MIL’s Noodle Pudding

3 eggs, room temperature
8 oz. sour cream, room temperature
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ c. sugar
¼ lb. melted butter
½ tsp vanilla

½ lb. cooked egg noodles, cooled

½ c. cornflake crumbs, for topping
¼ to ½ tsp cinnamon, for topping (depending upon your relationship with the spice)

Reserve 2 tsp. butter and sugar in a separate bowl for topping. Beat together first 6 ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in egg noodles, and pour into a greased 8” pan.

Combine reserved butter and sugar with cornflake crumbs and cinnamon, and sprinkle over top of pudding. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in refrigerator overnight.

When you are ready to bake, remove plastic wrap and bake pudding at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until set and topping is golden brown.

** Update **

Ha! I forgot to post the recipe – obviously I’m not thinking clearly, so it’s now under the picture!

Happy Day After Christmas! I hope everyone had a wonderful day – I know I did! We opened presents, ate, napped, ate some more, and then went to bed!

Like most of you, the thought of eating right now probably doesn’t sound too good. I debated whether or not to even post this, but it was so good, that maybe you’ll keep it in mind for another date.

For this weeks’ TFF, David made Tyler’s Shrimp Scampi. We actually had it on Christmas Eve, as part of our big feast. He made it without the linguine, because I had already made my big Timballo (which you’ll read about later). It was a really great dish, lots of flavor and definitely worth making again.

Shrimp Scampi with Linguine – Tyler Florence

1 pound linguini
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large shallot, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, sliced
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
20 large shrimp, about 1 pound, peeled and deveined, tail on
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to the boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates; cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta reserving 1 cup of water.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta and reserved pasta water. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go start the yearly ritual of Christmas clean-up.

And just think – only 364 days until Christmas!

Just a quick note to say wherever you are, whatever you are celebrating, have a wonderful holiday season ~

A special thanks to all of you for reading my blog – I never imagined that anyone besides my family would be looking at it! I’ve really had a terrific year, learning new recipes and meeting such a great group of people.

I’ll be back in a few days, Merry Christmas to all!