Mushroom Stroganoff

A couple weeks ago, the weather was especially cold and I had a very large maitake mushroom hanging around here that needed to be used and Stroganoff seemed like the best idea. I love stroganoff, a mushroomy, sour cream sauced egg noodle dish at I find perfect for cold days when I need something a little rich. If you don't like sour cream, omit for a tasty mushroom sauce.

When cleaning a maitake mushroom, use a brush and don't get it wet.

Mushroom Stroganof

1/2 lb egg noodle

2 tablespoons butte

5 oz cremini mushrooms, cleaned and slice

5 oz maitake mushrooms, cleaned and slice

1 shallot, dice

2 garlic cloves, dice

pinch red pepper flake

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leave

1 tablespoon flou

large splash white win

pinch nutme

14 oz mushroom stock, warm/heate

1/4 cup sour cream

s +

Cook noodles as packaging instructs. Set aside.

In a pan, melt butter. Sauté mushrooms, shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle flour and nutmeg into pan, stir to coat. Push mushrooms to one side of pan and deglaze with wine. Add warm mushroom stock. Stir and once thickened, add sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Toss in pasta and serve hot.

Ham + Gruyere French Toast

I really want to brag about these, but I won't. Brioche is first choice bead for this but challah would work too. (I did my shopping late, couldn't find brioche anywhere and didn't want to search anymore, so I ended up making a giant loaf using Mark Bittman's recipe from his book, How To Cook Everything.) Serve with a bit of maple syrup. Makes about 5 servings.

Ham + Cheese French Toast

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 loaf of brioche bread

about 5 oz ham, sliced

about 3 oz gruyere cheese, grated

1 tablespoon butter

In a shallow bowl, whisk egg and milk together to combine. set aside.

Slice bread in slices almost 1 inch thick. Carefully slice these slices in half, leaving on edge un-sliced. (like a book) Fill each one with a sprinkle of cheese, then 1 slice of ham and then a pinch more cheese. (so there's cheese on both sides of the ham.)

Heat skillet on medium high heat and melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Dip each ham stuffed slice in egg mix and flip to coat other side. Transfer to hot skillet and cook each side about 3 minutes. Work in batches, using the other 1/2 tablespoon of butter, if needed.

Strawberry + Cream Cupcakes

I had to make cupcakes. Had to! I think this mini size is just right.

These are more white cupcakes with strawberries in them than strawberry flavored cupcakes. Creamy frosting tops them off.

Makes 24 regular cupcakes or 56 (ish) mini cupcakes.

Strawberry Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 stick butter, softened

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup milk

2/3 cup fresh strawberries, diced

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

1 lb powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk (maybe more or less)

For cake:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl and with an electric mixer beat butter until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add sugar and mix for 1 minute. Add eggs, vanilla and mix for 1 minute.

Fold in flour mix and milk until just smooth. Fold in strawberries. Spoon into paper lined cupcake pans, filling the cups 2/3 full and bake 25 minutes for full sized cupcakes, for mini cupcakes, bake 20 minutes. Let cool completely and frost.

For frosting:

With an electric mixer, whisk butter and cream cheese until well combined. Add sugar and 1 tablespoon milk. Add 1 more tablespoon or two of milk as needed. Mix until combined.

Mushroom + Asparagus Risotto

Valentine's Day is fast approaching people! (What happened to January?) I make risotto every year. What will you make for your loved one?

If you decide to make this risotto you can either make the mushroom stock or use an already made one, it's up to you. The Crescenza cheese is also sometimes called Stracchino cheese. It is a soft, young cheese from Italy that tastes like milk.

Makes 2 large servings.

Mushroom + Asparagus Risotto

for the stock

4 cups water

1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms

for the risotto

About 12 spears asparagus, chopped

1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, cleaned, sliced

drizzle olive oil

1 shallot, minced

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup aborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

s + p

3 oz Crescenza Cheese

For stock:

In a small pot, bring to a boil water, dried porcini mushrooms and stems from the 1/2 lb of cremini muchrooms. Boil for 1 minute and remove from heat. Let sit for about 20 minutes and then strain through a fine mesh sieve. Discard solids and set liquid aside.

For risotto:

Blanche Asparagus for 1 minute and set aside.

In a pan, sauté mushroom caps (stems on if you didn't need them to make above stock) in a drizzle of olive oil for 3 minutes. Set aside with asparagus.

In a pan, cook shallot in butter about 2 minutes until soft and clear. Add aborio rice and stir to coat in butter about 1 minute.

Add white wine and evaporate then begin adding mushroom stock 1/2 cup at a time. Stir slowly, letting rice absorb stock before adding more. This will take about 20-25 minutes. After all stock has been added rice will appear creamy and be just cooked.

Stir in mushrooms and asparagus, reserving some asparagus tips for garnish. Add parmesan cheese and an optional 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon into bowl and top each with asparagus tips and crescenza cheese.

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread aka Nutella

I don't know about you but I can't be trusted around Nutella. I took a trip to Paris a few years ago and I think the 6 or so pounds I gained on that trip is due to the fact that I was helpless to resist the street side windows of creperies and their Nutella and banana crepes.

Nutella + Banana is possibly my favorite food combination.

This recipe makes about 4 cups, so plan accordingly. (Most of this batch is going to friends and co workers.)

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

10 oz hazelnuts, blanched + skinless

1/4 cup sugar

1 lb bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 stick butter

1 cup cream

pinches of salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast about 30 minutes until medium brown. Turn pan once during roasting for evenness. Remove from oven and let cool.

Combine sugar and roasted hazelnuts in the smaller bowl of a food processor and process with the multi purpose blade for 12 minutes of so. Mixture will have to consistency of melted, oily, creamy peanut butter.

Meanwhile, set a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water and melt chocolate. Add butter, stirring to melt and combine with chocolate. Stir in cream. Stir in hazelnut/sugar mixture and salt. While warm, pour into clean jars.

Will keep at room temperature of 4 days or in the fridge for a month.

Chantrelle + Mahon Pizza

Sadly, I don't have a wood burning oven for perfect pizza making at home. (Luckily, Motorino and Forcella both do and are not more than ten minutes away.)

So, how to make great pizza at home? I have some suggestions: use very good ingredients, make your own sauce, heat oven to its highest setting, aim for a thin crust and use a pizza stone to keep the temperature high and consistent.

Someone told me about this crust recipe and I didn't believe them but it's the quickest and my new favorite for at home pizza making. Makes two small thin crust pizzas. (The crust in the above photo is not this crust, it was a portion of whole wheat dough I had in the freezer.)

Quick Pizza Crust

1 cup self rising flour

1 cup plain greek yogurt

Chantrelle Pizza

4 cloves garlic, diced, divided

olive oil

1 shallot, diced

fresh thyme leaves, about 1 teaspoon

1 cup chantrelle mushrooms, brushed clean

s + p

1 1/2 cup mahon cheese, grated

1 inch cube parmesan cheese, grated

1 large tomato, sliced

For the Crust: In a bowl combine yogurt and self rising flour with your hands until it comes together. Should resemble playdough. Adjust with more yogurt or flour as needed. Knead for 5 minutes. Form two discs and roll out on a floured surface very thin.

For the Pizza: Place a pizza stone in oven and heat to 500 degrees. Saute 2 cloves garlic, shallot, thyme and chantrelle mushrooms in a tablespoon of olive oil until shallot it clear and chantrelles are soft, about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Rub each pizza with a drizzle of olive oil and rub with 1 clove diced garlic. Top each pizza with half the cheeses, tomato slices and mushroom mixture. Bake for 8-10 minutes. You may have to cook the pizzas one at a time. Serve hot.

I used a pizza pan that is circular and has holes in it. (Usually called a pizza crisper) I place this on the pizza stone (extra crisp) or place the stone on one rack and the baking sheet on a rack right above it (crisp).

Green Curry Puffs

I've been making these little things for years with a potato filling but after a little experimenting I am sold on this celery root filling. Feel free to substitute some or all of the celery root with potato for a more traditional taste.

The puffs can be folded in half as triangles or into cute pointed pillows. Just fold opposite corners together pressing the seams together to seal.

The green curry paste I use is by Thai Kitchen. It's easily found in the international food aisle of most grocery stores.

Green Curry Puffs

1 celery root, peeled and chopped into large pieces

1/4 cup diced carrot (about 1 small)

1/4 cup diced edamame (without shell)

3 teaspoons tamari sauce

2 teaspoons green curry paste

dash fish sauce

about 30 wonton wrappers

oil for frying (vegetable, canola...)

Soy Lime Dipping Sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons soy

dash sesame oil

red pepper flakes to taste

For Puffs: Boil celery root until very soft and smashable, about 30 minutes. Drain water and smash. Add carrots, edamame, tamari sauce, green curry paste and fish sauce. Stir until evenly combined. Spoon onto curry wrappers and fold in desired way. Use a small brush or finger to swipe edges with water to help tightly seal.

Heat about 2 inches of oil in a pot to 350 degrees. Fry puffs about 1 minute on each side until crispy and toasty brown. Transfer to towel to drain. Work in batches if needed. Serve warm.

For Dipping Sauce: Stir together soy, lime juice, sesame oil and pepper flakes.

Roasted Garlic

These are great for casual dinners or anytime there is crusty warm bread to smear the roasted cloves all over. Also put to good use on pizza or in sauces or salsas. I love garlic and it is always on my shopping list. I put it in everything I cook and would even eat these little things as is if no one was looking.

Roasted Garlic

Whole heads of garlic (as many as you need)

olive oil, about 1 tablespoon per head

s + p

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove outer layers of papery covering, leaving individual cloves in their skins and chop off tops of the garlic to expose the cloves. Place garlic heads each on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap up in foil and roast/bake for 30-40 minutes. Head will feel soft when pressed and will have become very fragrant.

Spicy Lentil Soup + Parmesan Toasts

Perfect soup for a snowy day, hearty and healthy with a spicy kick. Also good served with rice or a side of sautéed leafy greens.

Spicy Lentil Soup

1 cup french green lentils

1 cup red lentils

drizzle olive oil

1 medium onion or leek, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery stalks, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced

2 bay leaves

few sprigs fresh thyme

1 dried guajillo pepper, sliced in 1/2 and seeded

2 quarts vegetable stock

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1 - 2 parmesan cheese rinds

s + p

splash red wine vinegar, as needed

Parmesan Toasts

baguette bread, sliced

olive oil

parmesan cheese, grated

black pepper

For the Soup: Rinse lentils thoroughly in cold water and carefully pick through for stones and other debris. Set aside. In a large soup pot sauté onion, carrot and celery in a drizzle of olive oil over med high heat until onions are clear, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, poblano, thyme and bay. Cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Add stock, guajillo, cumin, coriander, parmesan rind and lentils. Wait to add salt until the lentils are almost done. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until green lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and maybe a little red wine vinegar. Serve hot. (Chopped fresh parsley and a small drizzle of olive oil are nice garnishes.)

For the Toasts: Slice as many pieces of bread as you like. Brush with oil and toast in a dry pan over medium heat. Flip once and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Turn off heat. Season with a turn or two of fresh black pepper. Remove from pan. Serve with soup.

Chickpea Salad

My husband, Cameron, is very good at making smart, healthy things to eat and I wanted to share this tasty chickpea salad he made.

I wouldn't tell anyone else to do this but after the chickpeas were cooked I went through and removed what I call the 'pants' off almost each individual chickpea. The 'pants' are the soft, clear skins. I hate them so I remove them (do you do this?) but feel free to leave them with their pants on.

Chickpea Salad

12 oz dried chickpeas

several sprigs fresh thyme

zest of 1 orange

1 teaspoon mustard seed

1 teaspoon caraway seed

1 bay leaf

2 shallots - one, peeled, ends trimmed and one diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled, lightly crushed

1 carrot, peeled, halved

small bunch fresh mint, chopped

small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

juice of 1 lime

drizzle olive oil

1 shallot, minced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 carrot, blanched, peeled, diced

s + p

Soak dried chickpeas over night in plenty of water. Drain and transfer to a large pot. Create a bouquet garni by tying thyme, orange zest, mustard, caraway and bay up into a cheese cloth pouch. Place in pot along with peeled shallot with ends trimmed, garlic cloves, and carrot halves. Cover with lots of water (chickpeas will soak up a lot of water while cooking. Bring to a boil and simmer mostly cover with lid slightly ajar for about 1 hour until cooked through and soft but still with some firmness. Drain and discard everything but chickpeas.

Toss chickpeas with mint, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, shallot, bell pepper and carrot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

A Very Fruity Salad + Pomegranate Vinaigrette

This past Christmas we served this salad with pasta and a hearty bolognese meat sauce. So for me, it will always be called the 'Christmas Salad' but for everyone else this can be an anytime salad. Or maybe a fruity salad to eat in winter?

There's a good thing happening in this salad between the fruit and the bitter raddichio and the crunch from the pomegranate seeds and jicama.

Jicama is an odd little root vegetable. Super crunchy and similar to a very starchy apple or pear but only a hint of sweetness. Peel of its thick skin with a knife and chop it up. It's also a great snack drizzled with lime, sprinkled with salt and chili powder or a vehicle for dips and salsa.

Christmas Salad

2 baby romaines or 1 head of romaine lettuce, rinsed, dried and chopped

1 raddichio, halved, cored and sliced

1 blood orange, peeled and cored and sliced into half moons

1 navel orange, peeled and cored and sliced into half moons

Seeds of 1/2 of a pomegranate

1 small jicama, peeled and sliced into sticks

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon pomegranate juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar

4 tablespoons olive oil

s + p

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon brown mustard

For Salad: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Right before serving toss or drizzle with vinaigrette.

For Vinaigrette: Pomegranate juice can be freshly made by squeezing pomegranate seeds through a citrus press. It will take about 1/4 of a fruit or slightly less. (Or if out of season, bottled juice may be used but look for ones without added sugar.) Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix lemon juice and vinegar, add salt pinch by pinch until well balanced. It shouldn't taste too salty or too sharp. Add a couple turns or black pepper, olive oil and pomegranate juice. Whisk vigorously. If it doesn't come together add a bit of brown mustard. Whisk more and make any final adjustments. (more salt, more lemon, more pepper...)

Roasted Accordion Potatoes

I love a three day weekend and did a bunch of cooking and have lots for tasty (an healthy!) things to share in the next few days. For now, here's a simple side to start your week off with.

Accordion potatoes get there name from the cute little cuts you're going to make in them. I think they look more like plump grubs but maybe forget I said that. (I really wanted these to go with a spicy aioli but just couldn't get it right.) Consider adding chopped rosemary, thyme or garlic to the recipe if you like.

Roasted Accordion Potatoes

2 lbs small potatoes, washed and dried

heavy drizzle olive oil

s + p

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Thinly slice potatoes about three quarters of the way through. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to pan and bake 40 minutes until soft inside and crispy outside.

Chicken + Cheddar Chive Dumplings

Everyone seems to be coming down with a cold so here's a little comfort food in the form of chicken and dumplings. It's really just a simple chicken stew with dumplings cooked in. (I used boneless, skinless chicken breast but chicken thigh meat would be good too. Also, the chicken does not need to be cooked first, I just dislike boiled chicken and find that the chicken has better texture when cooked on its own in a pan and then added to soups. But feel free to just add your raw chicken when the recipe says so.) No peeking at the dumplings with they're cooking.

Chicken + Cheddar Chive Dumplings

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

3 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, minced

few springs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 onion, peeled and chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 celery root, peeled and chopped

8oz mushrooms, quartered

1/2 cup peas (frozen ones are ok)

32 oz chicken stock

1/3 cup all purpose flour (for rue)

1 cup cake flour (for dumplings)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

black pepper

1 oz cheddar cheese, grated

1 1/2 tablespoon fresh chives, minced

1/2 cup milk, (more if needed)

In a pan, cook chicken and set aside. While chicken is cooking, get the dumplings ready. In a bowl, combine cake flour, baking powder, salt, cheddar and chives. Stir in milk. Set aside.

In a large pot,on medium heat, melt butter and add carrots, celery root, garlic, thyme sprigs and bay. Cook 5 minutes, until onion is glossy and carrots are soft. Add flour and stir to coat. About 1 minute. Turn heat to high and add stock, chicken, mushrooms and peas. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. Drop dumpling batter in by the spoonful. There will be about 6 dumplings. They will expand a lot when cooking so space them out as much as you can. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. (No peeking at the dumplings while they're cooking, opening the lid of the pot lets steam escape and your dumplings need that steam to cook.) Test dumplings for doneness with a toothpick, if not done, cover and simmer 5 minutes more.

Serve hot!

Chai Apple Cake + Lemon Ginger Frosting

If you are needing a little indulgence, this cake will do the trick. Originally, I wanted this cake to be a bread but after making 3 different test breads (because each wasn't just right) it seemed like the bread was telling me it wanted to be cake. It would also be good as cupcakes. I like cupcakes.

Chai Apple Cake

1 cup milk

2 chai tea bags

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons cardamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 stick butter. softened

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons white vinegar, separated

2 apples, peeled, cored, diced

Lemon Ginger Frosting

1 stick butter, softened

grated zest of one lemon

grated fresh ginger of about 1 inch root

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two cake pans, 8 or 9 inch rounds and set aside.

For cake, Heat milk until hot but not boiling and brew a strong tea using both chai tea bags, about 5 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon white vinegar and let stand 5 minutes. It is now chai flavored buttermilk.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Set aside. In another bowl, mix butter, sugar, eggs 1 teaspoon vinegar and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and chai butter milk. Lastly add apples. Pour evenly into prepared baking rounds. Bake about 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Allow cake to cool 10 minutes in pans and then turn out to cool completely.

In the mean time, make the Frosting.

For Frosting, with an electric hand or stand mixer, combine all ingredients.

Frost the cake.

Curry Falafel + Pickled Onions

If you live in nyc then you must already know and love the cheap vegetarian delight known as the falafel sandwich. I know I do. I decided to make falafels for dinner the other night using my new food processor and while delicious, standing over a pot of hot frying oil I did ask myself 'why am I going to all this trouble when I can just pop down the street and get a tasty one for 3 dollars?'

I don't know why. But I did go through the trouble and they were great.

(I got a little lazy and purchased an already made tzatziki sauce from whole foods. Poor decision. Next time I'll make my own with plain greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill, salt, pepper and cucumbers. Silly me.)

Curry Falafels

1 onion

2 garlic cloves

1 tin chickpeas, drained

1/4 cup fresh parsley

2 tablespoons curry powder

s + p

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup flour

Oil for frying

Pickled Red Onions

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 red onion, thinly sliced

For Serving: shredded cabbage, lettuce, diced tomatoes, tzatziki, hot sauce, hummus, pickled jalapenos and pita bread are all great

For the Falafel: In a food processor, coarsely chop garlic and onion. Mix in chickpeas, parsley, curry, lemon, pepper flakes, s + p and baking powder. Add flour. (The flour is going to help hold the mixture together. If during frying the balls start to flake off or come apart then you will need to add more flour.)

Heat 2 inches of oil in a pot to 350 degrees and remember to BE CAREFUL (it's hot).

Form falafel mixture into ping pong sized balls. Gently place them in oil and fry about 8 minutes until crispy and dark brown. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.

For pickled onion, In a small bowl, stir vinegar, sugar and salt until dissolved. Add onion and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Delicata Squash Salad + Sherry Vinaigrette

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I did a lot of indulging over the holiday but, like most, am ready to get back to a normal routine of exercise and healthier eating. (With the occasional baked good or treat, of course.)

Here's a salad to start 2013 off right. Delicata squashes don't require peeling, just a quick rinse and scrub to remove any dirt. Substitute any salad green for the arugula if you prefer. Serves 2.

Delicata Squash Salad + Sherry Vinaigrette

2 Delicata Squashes

drizzle of olive oil

2 garlic cloves, smashed

salt + pepper

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

4 cups arugula, or other salad greens

1/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

1 oz hard, salty cheese, like aged mahon

For the sherry vinaigrette

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

4 tablespoons olive oil

salt + pepper

1/2 teaspoon mustard (optional)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut squashes in half lengthwise and scrap out seeds. Slice into half moons. Place slices in baking pan and toss with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast 10 minutes and toss again. Roast about 10 minutes more or until done. Let cool slightly. Discard garlic (or smear it on a piece of toasted bread or two and serve with salad.)

Toss arugula with vinaigrette, divide into 2 bowls and top each with squash, pecans, pomegranate seeds and a grating of cheese.

To make vinaigrette: Start with the vinegar, adding pinches of salt to taste until acid is balanced (not too salty or too sharp). Then add oil and mustard. (Mustard adds flavor and helps everything hold together as a dressing/vinaigrette.) Whisk together or shake in a small jar.

French Macroons!

If you live in nyc and love french macaroons and like to bake you might have noticed or heard me complaining that the macaroon making classes at dessert truck works fill up almost immediately after announcement. Everyone must be very busy with the approaching holiday because two Sundays ago the husband and I were able to attend a workshop.

French Macaroons are notoriously difficult to make. The class didn't focus so much on the recipe as it did technique. It was a very informative class. (We made another batch over the weekend and I felt like I knew what I was doing.) We talked alot about what to look for in texture and consistency during each stage of the recipe and how to troubleshoot. Here are some of the more important points:

Don't rush, just be patient.
Use aged egg whites. Separate them 3-5 days before baking, let them age in the fridge.
Eggs of happy chickens will need more like 5 days
make sure your meringue is fully formed (glossy and holds in the whisk when held up)
Humidity is not your friend. It increased meringue production and drying time.
fold in dry ingredients, fold as to not deflate batter
use powder flavor or gel food coloring, can be added anytime
use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper to line you baking sheet
pipe & space uniformly for even baking.
piping: squeeze to form circle, stop squeezing, flick pipe tip away with conviction
if piped circles look like hershey kisses, pound on the bottom of the tray to flatten
let them dry before baking. test for readiness by lightly touching one, should feel like an eggshell.

That said, let's get started.

White French Macaroons, from dessert truck works/cathcart & reddy

Makes 25 sandwiched macaroons / 50 discs

125 g blanched almond flour

125 g confectioners sugar

50 g egg whites, aged and at room temperature

110 g granutated sugar

Whisk almond flour and confectioners sugar until well mixed and without lumps. Set aside.

In a large metal mixing bowl, over a simmering water bath, vigorously whisk together 50 g egg whites and sugar, adding sugar slowly, for 30 seconds. Stiff peaks will form. If whisking by hand, this could take an hour.

With a rubber spatula, fold in almond flour, sugar and 50 g egg whites until all incorporated into the meringue. Also add any food coloring or flavoring if you haven't done so already. The final mix should be homogenous and have a thick viscosity: imagine the mixture is like cooling lava, gradually inching over a cold surface, and flattening ever so slightly as it comes to rest. If the mixture is too stiff, fold in 1 tablespoon egg white at a time until you reach proper consistency.

Transfer the macaroon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a straight tip, size #805. On a full sized non stick sheet pan, 18"x 13", lined with a silicone baking mat or parchement paper, pipe silver dollar sized discs. Set the sheet pan aside and allow the surface of the macroons to dry, anywhere from 1/2 hour to 2 hours, depending on humidity.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake macarooms for approximately 15 minutes. turning the pan halfway through. The macaroons are finished when the tops are firm, dry and the foamy base is dry as well. Let cool.

Gently run an offset spatula underneath each macroon to release it from the liner. They are very fragile, try not to crack them. Pair macaroons by sizem lining them up next to each other, with one of the pair sitting with the interior (what was the bottom) facing up. Pipe your desired filling onto that macaroon and sandwich it with the other half of the macaroon pair.

For fillings, consider jams, marmalades, butter creams, peanut butter, ganaches, nutella or even ice cream. We made some this weekend and filled some with a citrus curd and others with a coffee caramel.

Chocolate Truffles

Truffles! I don't really know what to say about these but they are easy to make and a nice looking gift. Keep these little things in the fridge. Roll them either in cocoa powder, crushed nuts, chopped dried cranberries, sprinkles, coconut or anything else.

Chocolate Truffles

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons grand marnier

6 oz german sweet chocolate

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

cocoa powder (or whatever you've chosen to roll the truffles in)

In a pan, boil cream until it is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Add grand marnier and chocolate. Lower the heat and melt chocolate. Add butter, stir until melted and mixture is smooth. Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Scoop out with a spoon, shape and roll in toppings.

Sugar + Gingerbread Cookies

Cookies are a holiday tradition for my family. My mom would make sugar cookies, an aunt would make gingerbread and another aunt would make chocolate sugar cookies. Or maybe it was another way around but there would be a cookie decorating extravaganza. And it was great.

I have an intense love of frosted cookies and for these I just used the frosting recipe on the domino powdered sugar box but added a squeeze of lemon and a bunch of zest.

The sugar cookies are great with a little citrus zest or vanilla bean added. For chocolate cookies, add a bit of cocoa powder or sub out a tablespoon or two of butter for chocolate.

Sugar Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cups sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup milk

Gingerbread Cookies

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground clove

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 1/2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup water

3/4 cup molasses

For either recipe:

In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, except sugars. Set aside.

In another bowl, cream butter and sugar. Then egg (for sugar cookies.) Then add remaining ingredients. Form dough into a log and chill 2 hours to a couple days.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out to 1/4" thick on a floured surface. Dough is sticky so be afraid to be generous with the flour. Cut out cookies and transfer to a greased cookie sheet. Re-roll scraps.

Bake 8-10 minutes. For soft cookies, take them out just before they turn golden and toasty on the edges.

Flavored Marshmallows

I feel a bit redundant saying this but some things are better home made and other things aren't. Marshmallows are mush better when you make them yourself and they are even better when someone else has made them for you. They can either be cut into squares with a knife or with a cookie cutter. (Snowflakes are nice for winter time.) These here are rose flavored but other flavoring can be used (liqueur or extract). I made peppermint and almond ones last year and I think frangelico would be tasty. I used a 13" x 9" pan but use a larger one for thinner marshmallows.

Marshmallows (Rose Flavored)

3 packs gelatin powder

1/2 cup cold water + 1 1/4 cup water

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons flavoring extract (rose, cinnamon, almond, peppermint, coconut)

Non stick baking spray, for lining and cutting

Powdered sugar, sifted, for dusting

In your mixing bowl, add the gelatin powder with 1/2 cup cold water. It needs 5 minutes or so for the gelatin to do its thing.

In the meantime and in a pot, bring sugar and 1 1/4 cup water to a boil. Let it boil for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly pour it into the bowl with the gelatin. The gelatin should have tightened up and formed into something, well, gelatin and almost rubbery. Add salt and mix with an electric mixer of any kind for 12-14 minutes. The mixture will be thick, voluminous, white and glossy. Add flavoring with a quick mix to incorporate. Pour into a 13" x 9" pan lined with lightly greased parchment paper. Give it a little shake to even out. Let it set, about 4 hours.

You now have one giant marshmallow. Cut it into pieces of any size with a greased knife of cookie cutter. If knife/cutter gets sticky, wipe clean and re spray. Lightly toss marshmallows in powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Store in air tight containers at room temperature.