Peanut Butter and Julie

Sara Foster's Hummingbird Cake and a Cookbook Giveaway!

Christmas came early this year!!

Like many of my fellow food bloggers, recipe contesters, and passionate cooks, I have a cookbook collection that rivals any culinary section in a mid-sized bookstore. What once consisted of a few dozen titles, which were organized neatly in a designated kitchen space, now numbers well into the triple digits and takes up residency on just about every available bookshelf in the house.

I'll be the first to admit it:  It's an addiction.

Titles range from the very broad, such as Vegetables or Baking in America, to very specific, as in Just Add Rum! A Caribbean Cookbook. I have some older classics, like a beat up Joy of Cooking from 1964, along with some older not-so-classics, such a The Sesame Street Cookbook.

Hey, don't judge. The Sesame Street Cookbook was my first cookbook, and I refuse to get rid of it. Sure, recipes such as "Snuffle Loaf in a Spaghetti Nest" and "Oscars Junk Food Pie" might not be James Beard-worthy, but they are a part of my culinary foundation (don't quote me on that.)

While I would love to say that I am very familiar with the contents of each and every cookbook in my collection, that's far from the truth. The ritual goes like this: Julie gets new cookbook. Julie reads new cookbook in bed. Cookbook eventually finds its way from nightstand to an available spot on aforementioned bookshelves, rarely to be opened again except for a quick reference or inspiration.

There are really only a handful of titles to which I refer on a regular enough basis so that their spines have become creased and their pages dusted with flour. These are the prestigious members of the "kitchen counter clique" and the "living room built-in-shelves club", the most visible and easiest to access of all my cookbook storage areas. A very few authors are grandfathered access into these areas, meaning any of their future publications will instantly earn a coveted space (therefore knocking out another title.) Number one on this list of authors is Sara Foster.

I've mentioned several times in past posts that Sara Foster has been a huge inspiration in my cooking. For those of you who may not know, she is the owner of Foster's Market in Durham/Chapel Hill, North Carolina, places that I used to stalk frequent during graduate school when I wanted good food in a welcoming environment. She is also the author of four fantastic cookbooks, all of which are front and center on my kitchen counter. Sara has been described as the "quintessential Southern cook", and I love her recipes for their modern twist on the traditional, their seasonality, and their approachability (no foam in these books!)

Sara has become a friend of mine, and she was nice enough to send me a copy of her newest book Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen, when it was recently published. Little did she know that, as her biggest fan, I had pre-ordered the book from Amazon weeks before. I told her that I think this is her best book yet, so the creases and flour-dustings are just a matter of time.

So that left me with two books. Hmmm..... What to do, what to do........

A giveaway you say? Great idea. So yes, just leave a comment and you will be entered in a drawing. Tell me what you favorite classic Southern dish is. Banana pudding? Shrimp and grits? Or maybe it's Hummingbird Cake.

I'll be honest. I didn't know what Hummingbird Cake was before I flipped through Sara's book. Sure, I'd heard of it. I'd also heard of Lane Cake, but I'd never seen one. The two were interchangeable as far as I was concerned. So, I decided to school myself via Sara's recipe, which was adapted from Southern Living's all-time most requested recipe. The sweet cake, studded with banana, pineapple, and pecans, apparently gets its name from the sugary nectar upon which hummingbirds lunch.  As for Lane Cake?  Still no clue. 

Here are my extra tips for preparing this sweet southern treat:

• I prepared the cake using three 8-inch cake pans, so I had a little bit of extra batter to play around with. I decide to make a mini version of the cake (below), but you could also easily make cupcakes or mini cupcakes.
• I don't like to mash bananas by hand. I find it to be time consuming, messy, and often inconsistent. Instead, I prefer to puree ripe bananas using my food processor. If you like a few banana "chunks" in your cake, you can also pulse the food processor.
• If you don't want to use the bourbon in the frosting, feel free to use more vanilla extract.
• I've mentioned that I am not a fan of cream cheese, which is a bummer since I'm sure that cream cheese frosting is the perfect match for this cake. I prepared this recipe using all butter, which worked out fine.

DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT FOR A CHANCE TO WIN SARA'S FANTASTIC COOKBOOK!!

 

Hummingbird Cake

Printable Recipe

Makes one 8 or 9-inch 3 layer cake

Ingredients:

For the Cake

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup canola or other vegetable oil

3 large eggs, beaten

2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4)

One 8-ounce can cushed pineapple with juice

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

For the Frosting

1 pound cream cheese, softened

1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened

6 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon bourbon

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted

Prepare the cake: Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Lightly grease and flour three 8 or 9-inch cake pans. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and nutmeg in a large bowl and stir to mix. In a separate bowl, whisk together the canola oil and eggs until combined. Add the bananas and crushed pineapple with juice and stir to mix.

Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula just to combine. Stir in the vanilla and the pecans.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake on the center rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the edges of the pans before turning the cakes out onto baking racks to cool completely before frosting.

Prepare the frosting: Cream the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar and beat until all is incorporated. Beat in the bourbon and vanilla to combine.

Assemble: Once the cakes have cooled completely, use a long serrated knife to slice off the rounded top portion of each cake to make a flat, even surface. Discard the trimmings. Place one layer, cut side down, on a large plate or cake stand. Spread evenly with about one third of the frosting and sprinkle with about one third of the pecans. Repeat with the remaining layers.

If not serving within 2 hours, store in the refrigerator, then remove the cake about 1 hour before serving and let come to room temperature.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Doughnuts

Much like my dad, I have a weakness for doughnuts.  Unlike my dad, I cannot eat as many doughnuts as I want without turning into a doughnut.  If you inherit the weakness, then it should be a given that you also inherit the metabolism, right?  *Sigh*  So unfair.

 

 

My dad is particular to those cinnamon-sugar coated apple cider doughnuts found at the farm stands during the fall months.  I, in a rare turn of events, am less picky.  Cake, yeast-raised, Boston cream, glazed, powdered sugar, holes, crullers, sprinkles, spice, chocolate, coconut......I pretty much like 'em all.

I have, however, always been much more partial to the Dunkin' Donuts variety vs. any of the other brands.  And for some reason Krispy Kremes don't appeal to me at all.  Must be a raised-in-the-northeast thing.  Biting into a powdered cake or a glazed chocolate Munchkin immediately takes me back to elementary school recess.  Those special "Munchkin Days" were the best days ever!

 

Not only do I love to eat doughnuts, I have also developed a fondness for making them from scratch.  There is something very satisfying about producing a beautifully raised and glazed, perfectly round batch of doughnuts and holes.  Maybe it's the "You made those?!?" reaction, which you are almost guaranteed to hear (although it usually comes out more like "Yuh muh thuh?!?", due to mouth full of doughnut.)  Or maybe it's due to you conquering that somewhat daunting task of frying pastries, and then thinking to yourself "Hey! I made those!" ("Ah muh thuh".)

 

When I do prepare doughnuts, I need to find a home for them, stat (after the requisite sampling, of course.)  Otherwise I'll pick at them, crumb-by-crumb, all day long.  This distributing of the doughnuts, as you can imagine, is not the most difficult of tasks.   I have yet to find a potential recipient whose reaction is of the "Fresh doughnuts?  Thanks, but I'm good" persuasion.

These guys are going to the FedEx office.  They always get my stuff where it needs to be when it needs to be there, and they run a lot this time of year, so I figure that donuts are just what they need.

 

I've been on a huge gingerbread kick lately: creme brulee, macarons, and my planned recipe for Thanksgiving breakfast, blueberry gingerbread pancakes.  So, creating a gingerbread-flavored doughnut has been on my list.  I decided to give this recipe an extra fall kick with the addition of pumpkin puree in the dough, which also helps to keep these treats nice and moist.  As far as toppings go, some people love a glaze, while others go for the sugar (while some of us, ahem, go for both.)  So, I have included maple glaze and a spiced sugar options below.

 

 

These doughnuts would be a welcome addition to breakfast for your family and guests on Thanksgiving morning -- or on any morning this holiday season.  Because the dough can be prepared in advance, all that needs to be done that day is the cutting, frying, and glazing/sugaring.  Enlist kids or a willing helper to assist with the rolling and cutting portion as well as the finishing touches.  Anything leftover from breakfast will taste great served alongside hot cider as a mid-day treat.

 

Here are some extra tips for making these holiday-spiced sweets:

• If you like an extra punch of ginger in your gingerbread, chop up some crystallized ginger and add it to the dough, or sprinkle it on top of the glaze for garnish.
• You can also dress up theses doughnuts even more by adding chopped dried cranberries, raisins, or toasted nuts to the dough.
• When cutting out the shapes, try dipping the cutters in flour first.  This helps to prevent the dough from sticking to the cutters.
• One of the handiest tools that I own for frying is a spider skimmer, pictured below.  It facilitates removing items from the fryer while draining.  I found mine for about $4 at the international market, in the Asian foods section.

 

Pumpkin Gingerbread Doughnuts

Printable Recipe

Makes about 15 doughnuts and holes

Ingredients:

4 cups cake flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 tablespoons shortening (preferable butter-flavored)

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons unsulphured molasses

2/3 cup sour cream

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

Canola oil for frying

For the spiced sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon

For the maple glaze

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon maple extract

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

3-4 tablespoons hot water

In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, salt ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the shortening with both sugars at medium speed until well combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the molasses and beat for one minute more, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream and the pumpkin puree.  Add this mixture alternately with the dry ingredients to the electric mixer bowl, mixing after each addition until combined.  At this point, the dough should be very sticky and resemble buscuit dough.

Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover, and chill for at least one hour or overnight.

Place enough canola oil in a large pot to reach 2-inches in depth an place over medium heat.

For the spiced sugar: Stir together the sugar and the spices in a medium bowl.

For the maple glaze: In a medium bowl whisk together the confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, vanilla extract, maple extract, and maple syrup.  Whisk in enough of the hot water to yield a thin glaze.

Transfer the chilled dough onto a generously floured work surface and roll out to a 1/2-inch thickness.  Using either a doughnut cutter or two round cutters (about 2 1/2-inches and 1-inch in diameter), cut the dough into as many doughnuts and holes as possible.  Carefully reroll any scraps and cut out more doughnuts and holes.

Once the oil has reached a temperature of about 325F degrees, add the doughnuts and holes, a few at a time, to the pot, making sure not to crowd them.  Fry the doughnuts for about 15 seconds, then carefully flip them.  Fry them for about 1 minute, until golden brown, then flip and fry again on the other side for about 1 minute more, until dark golden brown.

Transfer the doughnuts to a wire rack set over paper towels to drain and continue the process with the remaining doughnuts.

If using the spiced sugar, toss the still warm doughnuts in the sugar mixture until coated on all sides.

If using the glaze, dip one side of the still warm doughnuts into the glaze, then place them on wire racks until the glaze sets, about 15 minutes.

 

Savory Interlude: Eric's Favorite Four-Cheese Penne

Every once in a while, I like to take a brief blogging break from the sugary sweet world of cookies, cakes, and confections, and post a little something that sings to your savory side.

(Impressive alliteration in that sentence, huh?)

 

 

A few nights ago, I was preparing one of Eric's favorite dishes for dinner -- a dish that I have prepared enough times that I don't need to so much as peek at the recipe, just to make sure that I am getting it right.  Come to think of it, the original recipe sheet was destroyed a few years ago, after too much kitchen splatter, wear, and tear, so I couldn't look at it even if I wanted to.

As the dish came out of the oven, in all of its bubbly cheese sauce, golden brown topping, heavenly aroma goodness, it occurred to me that I had never posted this recipe on my blog.  And in my humble opinion, that qualifies as a food crime.  I have selfishly been keeping this universally pleasing rendition of the ultimate comfort food to myself for all of these years.

So, in the spirit of the season, I am going to share.

 

 

At first glance, I realize that a dressed up macaroni and cheese recipe doesn't really fall in line with my November-December "holiday entertaining" theme.  Well, just hear me out.

This is, in fact, the perfect recipe to have on hand during the holiday season, either for feeding a large crowd of hungry guests or for defrosting and reheating on nights when even pouring a bowl of cereal for dinner seems too time-consuming.  I'll often make this for Eric in advance when I am heading out of town for a few days, so that I don't return to piles of In 'N Out Burger wrappers and pizza boxes in the garbage.

The great thing about this recipe (other than the taste) is that you can bake the whole thing in one large casserole dish, or you can divide it into individual baking dishes of various sizes.  Smaller dishes can be served as appetizers, sides, or portions for children, while the larger ones can feed even the hungriest adult.  I think that I found my dishes, pictured above and below, at World Market for about $3.99 each.  Have you been there?  Great bargains, but it can be hard to exercise self-control when you see yet another cute set of ramekins, which you might need someday.....so bring someone who will talk some sense into you (i.e. not your enabling BFF, who shares same ramekin addiction.)

 

 

So anyway, back to the recipe: Four creamy cheeses, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, salty prosciutto, fresh sage.  Need I say more?  Give it a try.  It's super yummy.  Not exactly low-fat, but all of that holiday running around is sure to burn extra calories, right?  Right.  I'll be back next time with something for your sweet tooth!  For now, I'm off and running -- lots of holiday stuff to do :)

Here are my extra tips for making this cheesy and comforting crowd pleaser:

• Feel free to mix and match your favorite cheeses in place of the ones that I have listed.  Make sure that they are varietals that melt fairly easily though.  Mozzarella, cheddar, pepper jack, brie, and Emmental would all be good options.  Try to do a combination of tangy and mild flavors for best results.
• Sun-dried tomatoes can be expensive in some stores, so you can cut costs by substituting one 14-oz can of diced tomatoes, well drained.
• This is a great make-ahead recipe.  You can leave it unbaked and divide it into the baking dishes (or one large dish), wrap tightly, and freeze.  Thaw the dishes in the refrigerator overnight and then bake as directed.
• You can also fully bake the dishes and then freeze them.  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then cover with foil and reheat at 350F until warmed through and bubbling.

 

 

Four Cheese Penne with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Prosciutto

Printable version

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

1 pound penne pasta

4 tablespoons butter

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh sage

1/2 cup flour

5 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups grated Gruyere Cheese

2 cups grated Parmesan Cheese

1 cup grated Fontina Cheese

1 cup crumbled Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola

6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch strips

1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the penne and cook until al dente, according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Drain the pasta and toss it with a splash of olive oil to prevent it from sticking together.

Butter a large (about 3 quart) casserole dish or individual oven-proof dishes, if using.

In a large saucepan set over medium heat, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter.  Add the onion and cook until softened and lightly golden, 5-6 minutes.  Add the sage and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.  Add the flour and stir constantly for one minute more. 

Slowly add the milk to the saucepan while continuing to stir.  Cook the mixture, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens.  Turn off the heat and stir in the salt, pepper, and cayenne.  Add all four cheeses, the sun-dried tomatoes, and the prosciutto to the mixture, stirring until the cheese has melted.

Add the reserved penne to the cheese sauce, stirring until well incorporated.  Transfer the mixture to the buttered casserole dish or divide it among the individual dishes set on a baking sheet.  Bake until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the top is browned, about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the baking dish.  Transfer the dish(es) to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Holiday Entertaining: Gingerbread Creme Brulee

Broken items in our home don't tend to become fixed items until it is absolutely necessary for them to be fixed.

It wasn't until we had guests coming over for dinner on the patio that we deemed it "necessary" to mend the outdoor speaker system, which had been a problem for months. So Eric spent the better part of the day with his head stuck into our audio-visual center (better him than me), changing wires, turning knobs, and mumbling something about calling The Geek Squad.

Then there's the kitchen cabinet, which I "accidentally" kicked in one particularly stressful afternoon. Long story. I don't really feel the need to fix that just yet. It kinda adds character to the space.

 

I feel very fortunate to have two ovens in my kitchen, since I obviously spend quite a chunk of my waking hours there. One oven is a convection, and the other is conventional, and on many occasions they have been in use simultaneously.

A few months ago, as I was roasting sweet potatoes in the convection oven, I heard a click. The oven had apparently become possessed, locking by itself and starting the cleaning cycle. I couldn't turn the oven off, and I couldn't open it, so I watched in a panic as the internal temperature rose, and rose. My poor little foil-wrapped potatoes were trapped, about to meet their demise. Eric ran to the fuse box and flipped off the oven, which I was finally able to open when it had completely cooled. By then, the unsalvagable sweet potatoes were pathetic piles of burned mush.

Hoping that this was just a one-time fluke incident, I continued to use the oven.  The next few attempts ran smoothly, with no charred chicken or blackened brownies.  When I was toasting bread for bruschetta, however, it happened again.  Click.  Lock.  Heat.  Ugh.

Since that day, I have worked in a one-oven kitchen, avoiding what I know will be an expensive repair, including phrases like "new motherboard" and "expired warranty." Fortunately, I haven't really needed the second oven......until now.

 

 

Like many of you foodies out there, when I do Thanksgiving at my house, I like to do it BIG, I like to do it ALL, and I like to do it FROM SCRATCH.  Yes, it's a ton of work, and I turn into a flour-stained, sleep-deprived mess for 48 hours, but I love the whole process, and I thrive on the frenzied schedule.  Last year, I didn't get to cook, so this year we are having a group in our home.  Two ovens will be needed.  Time to fix the oven.

Even with two working ovens, it's crucial that my menu contains some items that can be prepared well in advance, and which do not require any sort of reheating.  I'm also planning for the potential news that whatever ails my oven will require an out-of-stock part which takes two weeks to arrive.  Make-ahead desserts are a must.

Whenever I host Thanksgiving, I like to do a buffet of dessert options for my guests.  Of course we have something in the pumpkin and apple families, but I also like to throw in a little cranberry, a dash of chocolate, and my personal favorite, gingerbread.  Having gingerbread cap off your turkey day meal is akin to Santa Claus ending the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade -- it welcomes the Christmas holiday.

This year, I am planning to serve a Gingerbread Creme Brulee dessert in small ramekins.  That way, guests can take a little bit of everything.  This dessert can definitely be prepared in advance and chilled, and the small cups provide a nice visual contrast to the larger pies, tortes, trifles, and cakes.  The warm spices in this dessert mixed with the cool, creamy custard and the sweet, caramelized top are sure to make your guests feel very thankful!

 

 

 

Here are my extra tips for making these marvelous make-ahead desserts:

• If you have a hand torch for making creme brulee, by all means use that as opposed to broiling them. I received one several years ago as a gift, and while I don't use it often, I definitely have fun with it when I can!
• If you aren't serving the creme brulee immediately after caramelizing the tops, you can chill them for several hours, loosely covered or uncovered. It is best to serve them fairly soon after caramelizing though, for a nice crisp crust that contrasts with the creamy filling.
• Crystallized ginger can be a bit hard to find, but this time of year it is easier. Look in the bulk foods section of your grocery store (where the grains, nuts, flours, dried fruits are stored in bulk), in the dried fruit section, or sometimes it is even in the produce section. If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, I've found that they sell bags of the ginger at a fairly reasonable price.
• If you don't have ramekins or creme brulee dishes, you can use small oven-proof cups (just be sure that they are indeed oven-proof!)

 

Gingerbread Creme Brulee

Printable Recipe

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups half and half

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

8 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon molasses

6-8 tablespoons granulated sugar

Lightly sweetened whipped cream and chopped crystallized ginger for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 300F degrees.

In a heavy medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the cream and the half and half to a low boil, and then turn off the heat. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, egg yolks, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and molasses until well combined. Gradually add the hot mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until thoroughly incorporated. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat for 1 minute more, whisking constantly.

Divide the custard among 6-8 ramekins (4-6 ounce sizes work the best), filling them almost to the top. Place the ramekins in a large baking dish with deep sides, spacing them apart. Pour enough hot water into the baking dish so that it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake the custards for 30-40 minutes, or until the tops are set.

Carefully remove the ramekins from the baking dish and transfer them to a baking sheet or a tray that will fit into your refrigerator. Chill the custards until they are very cold, at least 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat the broiler. After the custards have chilled, sprinkle the top of each with about 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Watching closely, place the ramekins under the broiler until the sugar starts to caramelize and turn golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Allow the creme brulees to rest for a few minutes, and then serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of candied ginger (optional).

 

Holiday Entertaining Series: Sweet and Savory Cocktail Cookies

At 5:30 a.m. yesterday morning, on my way to the kitchen to make granola, I pulled up to the Starbucks drive-though.

"Good morning!  Welcome to Starbucks!  Can I interest you in one of our wonderful breakfast wraps?!!?"

"Uh, no, thank you.  Just a venti-non-fat-extra-hot-latte, please."

"One ventinonfatextrahotlatte coming right up, Julie!  I'll see you at the window!"

I don't know why, but I'm always a little bit embarrassed when the baristas know me from my order through the drive-through speaker.  True, there aren't many customers who consistently show up at 5:30 in the morning with my exact order, but I do go to Starbucks a lot.

At the window, I handed Stacy (I don't really know that her name is Stacy, but she looks like a Stacy) my Starbucks gold card -- like I said, a lot -- to pay, and in exchange I received.......

A RED CUP!!

 

 

I was completely taken aback by the color of my caffeine vessel, practically dropping it as I reached through the window to Stacy's* extended arm.  After all, it was only November 1st -- much, MUCH too early for this sort of nonsense.  OK, I don't really think that it's nonsense.  I actually love the red cups.  But November 1 is pushing it just a bit.

Now, those of you who still haven't ventured over to the Starbucks extra-dark coffee side might be wondering what the big deal is.  Red cup.  White cup.  So what?  Allow me to enlighten you.

The appearance of the red Starbucks holiday cup is the gunshot that kicks off the frenzied holiday marathon.  It gives stores and radio stations the O.K. to start playing Bing Crosby tunes.  It means that the Salvation Army can set up in front of the supermarket and that Santa should head to the mall.  And it starts the wheels turning in all of our heads: Can I still order a fresh turkey from the butcher?  What on earth am I going to get for my dad?  Where did I store those Christmas lights in the garage? 

 

And, of course, the biggie: What am I going to serve for ThanksChristmaKkuh dinner and our annual holiday cocktail party/cookie exchange/open house??

Aaaaaarrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhh!!!!!

Relax -- take a deep breath.  As luck would have it, I am armed with an arsenal of holiday recipes and ideas, which I will be posting throughout the next few months, and which I hope will give you some help with your festive events.  Some creations will be my own and some will be reprints or riffs on recipes that I have torn out from magazines over the years (my holiday file is massive!)

For starters, I have one of each.  Whenever I have a cocktail party or a finger-foods type of get together, I find that people are always impressed if I supplement the crackers or flatbread type of food with something that I created on my own.  They really shouldn't be all that impressed, since what I usually create is super easy, but that can be our little secret. 

 

 

I had made my own blue cheese coins several years ago, but I had forgotten about them until I was reading the most recent issue of Food and Wine magazine, in which Dorie Greenspan has a piece featuring three of her own "cocktail cookie" recipes.  Eric and I had a little cheese and wine shin-dig this past weekend, so I decided to make one of Dorie's sweet variations along with a savory cookie of my own.

Dorie's cookie pairs dark cocoa with a hint of spicy cayenne and a sprinkling of flake salt -- a trio that works so well together.  These cookies are versatile, pairing well with coffee and both red and dessert wines.  You could also serve them alongside peppermint stick ice cream.

My savory blue cheese, walnut, and thyme cookie is a great complement to a cheese tray, or you can just set out a bowl of them for nibbling (they will disappear quickly!)  Both varieties would also make a great hostess gift, packaged in a box so that they don't crumble

 

 

 

Here are a few extra tips for making these cute cocktail coins:

• The rolled out and frozen cookie dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept frozen for up to 2 weeks.
• The baked cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• Feel free to experiment with different flavor combination:  substitute ground ginger for cayenne in the chocolate cookies, fresh rosemary for the thyme in the cheese cookies, almonds for walnuts, etc.
• Try adding some finely chopped dried fruit to the dough for another variation: figs, apricots, and cranberries would all work well!

 

Dorie's Chocolate-Cayenne Cocktail Cookies (slightly modified)

Printable Recipes

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup good quality unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

8 ounces butter, softened

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg yolk

Flake salt, for sprinkling

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, cayenne, and salt.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with both sugars at medium speed until light ad fluffy.  Add the egg yolk and beat until well combined and smooth.  Add the dry ingredients and beat until incorporated.

Transfer the dough onto a work surface and knead it gently until it comes together.  Divide the dough in half and press each half into a disk.  Roll out each disk between 2 pieces of parchment paper to about 1/4-inch thick.  Slide the parchment paper-covered disks onto a baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour, until very firm.

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Working with one layer of dough at a time, peel off the top sheet of parchment paper.  Using a 1 1/2 inch round cookie cutter, stamp out the cookies and close together as possible.  Arrange the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with some of the flake salt.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until they are just firm.  Shift the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through.  Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Julie's Blue Cheese, Walnut, and Thyme Cocktail Cookies

Makes about 6 dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 ounces blue cheese (I used Point Reyes)

8 ounces chilled butter, cubed

1 large egg yolk

Place the walnuts, sugar, and the thyme in the work bowl of a food processor; pulse until the walnuts are finely chopped.  Add the flour, salt, and the blue cheese to the bowl and pulse to combine.  Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Add the egg yolk and process until large clumps of dough form.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and form it into a ball.  Divide the dough in half, and form each half into a disk.  Roll out each disk in between two pieces of parchment paper to a thickness of about 1/4-inch.  Stack the parchment paper-covered disks on a baking sheet and freeze until very firm, at least 90 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Working with one sheet of dough at a time, peel off the top sheet of parchment paper.  Using a 1 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out cookies as close together as possible and arrange about 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden.  Let the cookies cook on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.