Kipfel

Kipfel are a very unusual cookie. They are similar to the Jewish cookie, hamantaschen, which are triangular cookies that hold a filling. This recipe features a rich dough base of butter and cream cheese. Its filling is reminiscent of old Hungarian recipes featuring nut fillings - in fact, these are called "kipfli" in Hungarian. The dough is rolled out thinly and cut into squares. The corners are pinched up to seal in the rich nut filling, and they bake into light, flaky and absolutely delectable little treats. They are quite rich, so only one or two should sate your sweet tooth. Also, if you're lucky...you may just have one or two cookies that split their seams and create what I call a "Necronomicon" cookie. If you don't understand the reference, watch "Army of Darkness" with Bruce Campbell, and you'll get it. This recipe does not make very many cookies, and you might find that you may want to make a batch and a half of the filling; the first time I made these, I ran out of filling before I was able to finish putting all the cookies together.

Kipfel

Dough:

1 cup unsalted butter, chilled

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese (you can use reduced fat or fat free), at room temperature

2 cups flour

¼ tsp. kosher salt

Nut Filling:

1 cup walnuts, pecans or almonds, finely grated

1 tbsp. fine bread crumbs

½ cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. lemon juice

½ cup cream (you can use milk)

To make the dough, cut the butter into the dry ingredients, using a pastry blender. Add the room temperature cream cheese and blend well. Chill the dough until it is firm (times will vary based on your refrigerator). Prepare the nut filling while you are letting the dough chill.

To make the filling, combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook gently over low to medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick. Take it off the heat and let it cool completely.

When the dough is firm, roll it out thinly (think about 1/8 - ¼" thick) on a floured canvas. Cut the dough into 3" squares - don't be embarrassed to use a ruler to help you measure the squares; it REALLY helps.

Fill the center of each square with a teaspoonful of the nut filling. If desired, you can use other fillings, such as puréed dried apricots, prunes, or thick marmalade or jam.

Bring the corners up to the center, forming a little peak. Press the seams together and place on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. Do not be alarmed if your cookies appear to have split at the seams; this is normal. Remove the cookies to a rack and let them cool a little. While they are warm, sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

Makes about 3 dozen

Nanaimo Bars

"Nanaimo Bars (NBs for short) are one of Canada's favorite confections. The beautiful city of Nanaimo, British Columbia, has claimed these squares as their own, telling us on their website that it all began when a Nanaimo housewife entered a recipe for chocolate squares in a magazine contest some 35 years ago. She called her recipe 'Nanaimo Bars' and when she won the contest, not only did her dessert become popular throughout Canada, so did the town they were named after."

Nanaimo bars are a rich, delicious treat. They are a three-layered dessert, featuring a crumb base, with a middle layer of a light custard buttercream, and topped with a glorious layer of semi sweet chocolate. Best of all, they are a no-bake confection, which means you can save time, energy and money making these. There are many, many recipes out there for Nanaimo bars, but this one can be considered a basic "standard" recipe. Do try to use Bird's Custard Powder in these instead of vanilla pudding powder - there is a difference. You can order Bird's Custard Powder online; I was able to buy some through World Market's website. 

Since these are very rich, just a little square will do. However, if you've a major sweet tooth, you may just go through these pretty quickly!

Nanaimo Bars

Base:

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

¼ cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup sweetened or unsweetened coconut (shredded or flaked)

½ cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

Middle:

1 cup milk
¼ cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. Bird's custard powder (or vanilla pudding powder)
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Top:

4 oz. semi sweet chocolate

¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream

Butter or spray a 9 x 9" square pan with nonstick cooking spray.

To make the bottom layer, start by melting the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and cocoa powder. Gradually whisk in the beaten egg. Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens (about 1 - 2 minutes). Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, graham cracker crumbs, coconut and the nuts. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (about 1 hour).

To make the filling, combine the milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan.  Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, beat on high speed until thick and pale yellow the sugar, Bird's custard powder, the egg yolks and a pinch of salt. Gradually pour about ¼ of the milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Scrape the egg mixture back into the pan with the milk and cook over medium heat. Whisking constantly, cook until the mixture is thickened and begins to bubble. Continue to cook and whisk vigorously for another 1½ minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour everything over the prepared crust and put it in the refrigerator to cool completely and thicken; this may take a few hours.

To make the top layer, chop the chocolate into small pieces. Then, in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water (a double boiler), melt the chocolate and heavy cream. Stir well so the ganache is very smooth. Let the ganache cool to about 85 degrees before applying to the custard layer. Pour the ganache over the custard, gently spread it to the corners (this can be tricky), and put it back in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up slightly before serving. As a note, because this is a ganache topping, it will NEVER harden fully. This is normal, and will also ensure that you won't get any of the dreaded cracking when you slice the bars.

Makes about 25 squares

NOTE:  The picture featured here is of Nanaimo Bars NOT made using this particular recipe; I used a different one and encountered so many problems with it, that I did not want to share that one with you. This recipe shown here will ensure perfect results.

Orange-Chocolate Dipped Biscotti

I'm reprising a recipe already featured on this blog, but since it's the holidays, I'm doing something special with this. This features my Classic Biscotti with one end coated in delicious orange chocolate with bits of almonds in it. I will not show the recipe again here, but if you need a refresher, please head over to my Classic Biscotti (Reduced Fat) page.

The only special thing you will need is a few orange chocolate bars. I use the Lindt's Intense Orange chocolate bar, which is dark chocolate with the orange and the almonds. You should be able to find this at your local grocer in the candy aisle along with all the other chocolate bars. If you want to use a different type of orange chocolate, by all means, do so!

Break your chocolate bars (I needed two) into individual squares. Put them in a small bowl and put them in the microwave. Cook at 30 second intervals, stirring well each time, until the chocolate is melted; since you're not adding anything to keep the chocolate fluid, it's going to be slightly thicker.

Take a spoon and drip chocolate over one end of each biscotti, using the spoon to smear and spread the chocolate around the edges. Set each cookie either on a rack set over waxed paper to catch any drips, or simply lay them on a sheet of waxed or parchment papers. The chocolate will need some time to set up, so make sure they're in a place where they will be undisturbed for a few hours.

When the chocolate is dry, layer the biscotti into a tin, with each layer separated by waxed or parchment papers. Make sure the lid is on securely. Do not freeze these cookies; since the chocolate is not properly tempered, it will most likely develop a grey 'bloom' if exposed to extreme cold. Keep them in a cool, dry place until ready to eat.

Try dunking these in a hot cup of coffee on a cold winter's night...

Orzo and Vegetables

 

Pasta, pasta, pasta! What could be more simple, yet fulfilling, than a hearty pasta dinner? What could also be better than an affordable, quick dinner, too? This simple recipe uses a small amount of ingredients, most of which can be picked up for probably less than $10 (minus the pecans, which are currently the second most expensive nut in the markets, behind macadamias). The recipe is basic enough that you can easily tweak it by adding more vegetables, herbs, other nuts, and lean cooked meats (like chicken breast or roasted shrimp). This is great for any meatless night you may have during the week. I know the recipe states "orzo" in the title, but for some dumb reason, my grocery store did not have any orzo on the shelves. So, the pasta shape you are seeing in the picture is the tiny pasta, acini de pepe. If you want a wine pairing for this meal, a good white wine would be your best bet, even if you add lean meat.

Orzo and Vegetables

2 cups orzo

2 - 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2/3 cup finely chopped onion

4 medium zucchini, cut into 2 x ½" pieces

2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

½ cup chopped pecans (if desired, you can toast them first)

1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Cook the orzo in a pot of boiling, salted water according to the package directions until al dente. Turn the orzo into a colander and set aside to drain.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté until transparent. Add the zucchini, corn and ½ cup of water to the skillet. Cover and cook the veggies over medium heat about 5 minutes, or until just tender. Salt the vegetables lightly at this point - you don't want to cook out all the water from them before you mix in all the other ingredients.

Add the orzo, pecans and dill to the skillet and cook, stirring, until heated through. Stir in a little black pepper, about ¼ to ½ teaspoon.

Serve immediately on warmed plates and if desired, sprinkle with a little kosher salt and some fresh pepper.

Serves 4 - 6

Pistachio Cookies

If you're looking for a cute little cookie to become part of your holiday baking repertoire, this recipe is sure to tickle your fancy. What could be more festive than green-tinted cookies at Christmastime? These cookies are very simple and don't require too many specialized ingredients, other than pistachios, and maybe pure almond extract. These little cookies are so good that you may just find yourself making them all year round instead of just at Christmas...

Pistachio Cookies

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

¼ cup canola oil

¼ cup water

1 egg

½ tsp. pure almond extract (NO IMITATION!)

2 (3.4 oz.) packages instant pistachio pudding

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. baking powder

2¼ cups flour

2/3 cup chopped pistachios

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with ½ cup of the sugar.

Add the oil, water, egg and almond extract; mix well. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are well-incorporated.

In a separate bowl, combine pudding mix, salt, baking powder and flour. Gradually blend the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing just until all the flour disappears. Stir in the pistachios.

Shape level tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls; roll them in the remaining ½ cup sugar. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. If you do not have parchment paper, do NOT roll the cookies in sugar; the sugar will burn onto your baking sheet and burn the bottom of your cookies. If not using the sugar, do grease your baking sheets well.

Bake for 15 - 18 minutes. Remove the cookies to a rack and let them cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen

Parsnip Purée

I know it's not often when I share a recipe for specifically a side dish, but this one might just become your new favorite instead of mashed potatoes. This simple, ridiculously cheap recipe combines both potatoes and parsnips to create a delicious, earthy side that pairs just like mashed potatoes - serve it alongside your roasts, chicken, etc. If you're wondering what a parsnip is, it's similar to a carrot in terms of appearance, but is white and tastes very similar to a carrot. Most grocery stores should carry parsnips, but if for some reason you can't get parsnips, substitute an equal amount of regular carrots. This will be a perfect side for your autumn feasts, particularly Thanksgiving. As a note, despite the addition of potatoes, this dish tastes mostly of the parsnips (the carrot profile). If this sounds like it may be too much of a carrot overload for you, simply use potatoes the whole way through.

Parsnip Purée

8 oz. baking potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly

1 lb. parsnips, peeled, halved, and cut in thick slices

Small piece of fresh peeled ginger (optional)

½ cup milk, light or heavy cream

1½ tbsp. butter, softened

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. ground white pepper

Place the potato slices in a large saucepan. Add water to cover generously. Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes. Add the parsnips and continue cooking until both vegetables are completely tender, about 25 minutes.

Drain and return the vegetables to the pan. Working over low heat, mash the vegetables with a potato masher or beat with a hand-held mixer until very smooth.

Mix in the milk, butter, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings and cook just until heated through. Serve piping hot. If desired, top with a beurre noisette or a cress butter. Snipped chives also make an appealing presentation.

Serves 4 - 6