Snickerdoodles

The delicious cookie with the undignified name! I made some rolo-filled snickerdoodles at Xmas time with my sisters and they were great--very chewy and delicious. I went in search of a non-stuffed recipe and I found these. They are very good and my husband raved and ate half of them in one night. They aren't as chewy as the other recipe (some could argue that the other recipe was too hard/chewy but I do like that texture more than most but I also like burnt popcorn so what the hell do I know), they're more tender but still have a little chew to them. I have made these twice and would do so again if I need a reliable crowd-pleasing type of cookie for a bake sale or gift. I gave a batch to our neighbors after they let us tromp around in their back yard looking for our wayward cat.

I did reduce the sugar (by 1/4 cup) in the recipe the second time. I found them a little sweet. I would also recommend doubling the recipe as it only yields 16-18 small cookies.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar(or do 1/4 cup if you prefer)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

For rolling:

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with an electric mixer on high speed. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.

2. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar.

3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.

4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees while you let the dough rest for 30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator.

5. In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the cinnamon for the topping.

6. Take about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the dough and roll it into a ball. Roll this dough in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and press it onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining cookies.

7. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes and no more. The cookies may seem undercooked, but will continue to develop after they are removed from the oven. When the cookies have cooled they should be soft and chewy in the middle.

Ddeok Gook

I try to make this traditional Korean dish for New Year's Day every year. In addition to it tasting really good, I like to be able to cook food that my husband loves/reminds him of childhood. Don't be afraid of cooking with the anchovies--they look like odd little fish mummies but you strain them out of the broth (then feed to cats) and they really set off the flavor of the small amount of beef in the recipe. I was just listening to a radio show with Bridget Lancaster and Jack Bishop who explained why they make it so much better:

"Glutamates ... [are] savory compounds; your taste receptors will pick that up and say, wow, that's nice and savory. But anchovies, in particular, they contain something else. It's another compound called a nucleotide — and a nucleotide plus a glutamate basically is a savory explosion. It really amps up the flavor of the glutamates 20, 30, even perhaps 40 times. So if you're tasting beef on its own, or soy sauce, or any of those glutamate-rich ingredients, your tongue will say, wow, that's very beefy. You add something with nucleotides in it, say anchovies, and you'll say this is the best beef stew ever. It tastes so much more meaty than meat."

I ordered the Cook's Illustrated "Science of Good Cooking" and I'm sure that will give me a nice review of  all of this. I think the glutamate/nucleotide phenomena explains why Korean food is so impossibly good. Warning: Whenever you start cooking a new type of food you usually have to spend quite a bit initially to get all of your ingredients. I anticipate that you will need to drop about $20 at an Asian market to get everything. This, kids, is why I rarely make Indian food at home X)

I used the rough instructions that my Mother-in-law gave me (she doesn't write anything down) and this basic fooddotcom recipe to fill in the blanks. You need to marinate the beef while the rice cakes soak. I get very thinly sliced beef from the Korean market (no idea what cut but when you're slicing it very thinly, marinating, and putting it into a soup it doesn't really matter). I usually marinate the big slices, they are about the size of playing cards and 1/8 inch thick, and then cut them into tiny strips after I have browned them. Cutting into strips before marinating works too but I find that cooked meat is easier to cut into very thin strips.

Ddeok Gook:

1 package thin sliced korean rice cake (I used about half of the package which is probably a little too much)
1/2 cup dried anchovy (myeol chi - I think the Japanese word is naboshi)
6 cups water (I just filled a large pot I have, I think I used closer to 8 or 9 cups)
2 green onions, chopped
4 ounces beef, cut into thin strips 

2 eggs, gently beaten (season with a little salt)
2 sheets nori (seasoned kim , dried laver seaweed) 

Beef Marinade:
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions:

1. Soak the rice cake in cold water for 30 minutes.

2. Marinate the beef in the soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper, sugar, and minced garlic.

3. Saute the beef in a skillet, then set aside.

4. Put the 6 cups of water and the dried anchovies in a pot.

5. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Strain out the anchovies and return the broth to the pot.

7. Add the rice cakes to the broth.

8. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium.

9 Cook for 5 minutes, until tender (check them often, the original recipe said 10 to 15 but mine were already soft after a few minutes).

10 Add the green onions.

11 Pour the egg in a little at a time.

12 Let it set a bit, then stir- if you stir right after adding the egg, the broth gets milky (this happened to me but it does not effect the taste imo).

13 Put into bowls.

14 Garnish each bowl with some beef and some strips of kim.

Lobster Risotto

This is one of those recipes that seems very intimidating, but it's actually just requires a few more steps than your average dinner and it gives a tremendous sense of accomplishment when you're done. Risotto is one of the cheaper meals you can make and it never fails to impress people (see the charming post-it my husband left for me on the stove the next morning). You essentially just need arborio rice, stock, and parmesean cheese. I would definitely put mushrooms in this next time though. I have never regretted putting mushrooms in a risotto. I omitted them on my first try here because the original recipe, from the nytimes, didn't have any and thought it might distract from the delicate flavor of the lobster. I think it would have been even better with mushrooms though.

It was surprisingly affordable: I found lobster tails on sale for for $10/2 this week--I think this recipe cost me less than $15 dollars to complete and I was able to use the leftovers to make fried risotto "cakes" with egg on top the following night.

The first step in all this is to poach the lobsters. Defrost the two tails and then boil a pot of water, enough to cover the tails when submerged. Wrap the tails tightly in plastic wrap and poach them for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.




I took kitchen shears and cut the underside of the tail and cracked it open to pull out all of the meat and set aside for later. Reserve the tails for making the stock.



Lobster Stock:
Shells from cooked lobsters, rinsed
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
10 peppercorns.

In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the lobster shells and sauté for 1 minute. Add enough water so that the pot is 2/3 full, then add the onion, bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for several hours or overnight. (The longer it simmers, the better.) Using tongs, remove and discard the large shells, then strain the stock through a fine sieve twice. Makes 6 or more cups.



Lobster Risotto
About 6 cups lobster stock
¼ cup butter
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
Salt
2 cups arborio, carnaroli or other short-grained white rice
Meat from 1 cooked lobster, chopped
2 tablespoons minced chives
½ cup grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper.

1. In a medium pot, heat the stock and keep warm.
2. In a large, wide saucepan, melt the butter in the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add a large pinch of salt, then add the rice and stir constantly for about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of broth and simmer, stirring until the broth is almost absorbed. Add more broth, a cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. Stir often. Cook until the rice is tender and the mixture is creamy, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the lobster meat until heated through, then add the chives and ¼ cup of the Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with remaining Parmesan. Reserve excess risotto for eggs over (easy) lobster risotto patties (recipe here). Serves 4, plus leftovers. All recipes adapted from Sam Sifton.
NOTE: For a meatier risotto, cook an extra lobster or two.

Biscoff Oatmeal Cookies

I recently found a stock of crunchy Biscoff spread at our discount grocery store. If you've never been on a Delta flight or had a Biscoff (or Speculoos cookie) elsewhere, the best way I can describe it is like a cross between gingerbread and shortbread. It's a little spicy and buttery and people go mad for them. To make the spread they just crush the cookies and mix with oil, it comes in creamy and crunchy, like peanut butter. I have been excited to try baking with this spread but I could never find it.

My next recipe idea for this stuff would be a Nutella cake with a crunchy Biscoff buttercream--I also think Biscoff cookies would make a lovely crust for a cheesecake. 

I found this recipe at twopeasandtheirpod.com. I changed a few things the second time I made them: I doubled the amount of salt--I like a lot of big grains of sea salt in cookies, I toasted the oats in the oven and then processed them in the food processor to deepen the flavor and break up the big chewy oats. That's just my personal preference though.








Biscoff Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats (toasted and processed if you like)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup Biscoff Spread
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, Biscoff spread, sugar, and brown sugar and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extra and beat until smooth.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, beating only until blended. Chill the dough 30 minutes in the refrigerator (do not skip this step--it helps keep the middles of the cookies chewier). When you have about 10 minutes left you can preheat your oven.

5. Form the cookie dough into rounded tablespoons and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are golden and just firm around the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then remove with a spatula onto a cooling rack.

French Onion Soup

I saw a similar recipe on some BBC cooking show. I found a recipe on their website that I liked slightly better because of the amount of red wine and balsamic vinegar and adapted it. It's relatively easy although cutting the onions is a pain. The recipe calls for five onions but I think that European onions must be much smaller. I found that four big ol' merican onions was more than enough to fill my stock pot after I sliced them on the mandolin. I increased the saute time on the onions as well because the first time I made this the onions weren't soft enough for my liking. I used bullion cubes instead of stock because I didn't have any.









Ingredients:
4 large onions (sliced thinly on a mandolin if possible)
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons of butter
2 or 3 glasses (not cups--I think a glass is 4 ounces--I put about a cup in total) of red wine
4 cups fresh beef stock
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I might go down to 3 1/2 next time)
8 thick slices of bread
284g/10oz Gruyère, grated (I grated gouda that I had at the time and it was very nice with the soup)
2 shots of brandy (optional)
salt and pepper
flatleaf parsley (optional)

Peel and thinly slice the onions and garlic. Then using the butter sauté in a large pan for 15-20 (do 30 if you like softer onions in the soup) minutes, until brown. Stir well before adding the red wine, stock, vinegar and brandy. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Toast the bread (I just sliced a baguette and put the slices in the toaster).

Season the soup with salt and pepper.

Keeping the soup in the pan, top with the sliced bread and a sprinkle of cheese. Place under the grill until it turns brown and the cheese has melted.

Scatter with fresh chopped parsley and serve from the pan at the table

Cinnamon Coffee Cake With Crumb Topping

I have been wanting a cinnamon cake with the crumb topping, it sounded really good and I found it, surprisingly, on a site that wasn't smitten kitchen--here. I like that it is similar to my other go-to yogurt cake but it has a little something extra. I feel like my crumb topping came out a little weird. I probably over-mushed the crumbs and ended up melting the butter into big globs, so, um, don't do that. It did give the middle a kind of "smile" effect which was cute (though my placement of the crumbs was completely random, so I doubt I could replicate it) but you could probably get the distribution better if you have smaller crumbs.

The next time I make this I will probably double the crumbs inside and add a layer of apples that have been dusted with cinnamon sugar. It seems like very a nice recipe for fall so I better get cracking. I will also make it in a bigger pan because as-is, the recipe overflowed from my 9 inch loaf pan into the bottom of my oven. It was messy, for me, but came out delicious. Like most yogurt cakes, it is much better the next day.











Cinnamon Coffee Cake With Crumb Topping
Cake Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cups full fat Greek vanilla yogurt

Crumb Topping Ingredients:
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold and cut into tiny pieces

1 - 2 hours prior to making this cake, make sure you place the butter and eggs on the counter and bring them to room temperature. 

1.  Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease the pan and set to the side.

2.  In a large bowl, sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set to the side.

3.  In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter and sugars with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy on low-medium speed. This should take roughly 5 minutes. Once the butter is creamed, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

4.  With the stand mixer set to low, add the eggs one at a time. Add the yogurt, and mix until combined. Slowly add the flour and mix until the ingredients have become moistened. Turn off the stand mixer, and continue to mix the batter with a spatula, folding a couple of times, making sure not to over combine. The ingredients should be well moistened, with no visible signs of flour.

5.  Spread half of the cake batter into the loaf pan.

6.  In a small bowl, add the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Combine with a wire whisk. Cut the cold butter into small cubes. Add the butter to the flour mixture and work in using your fingers. You should have tiny pea size pieces of butter remaining throughout the sugar.

Crumble half of the mixture into the pan. Pour the remaining batter on top, and then top with the rest of the crumb.

7.  Place the pan into the oven on the middle rack and bake for 60 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and let cool on a wire wrack for one hour.

Lasagna Bolognese

I've really been wanting to try this recipe for Lasagna Bolognese from smitten kitchen. It tastes amazing with the Bolognese sauce. It is a bit of a pain to make but I like it better than the traditional ground meat and ricotta/cottage cheese recipes. You will need to make the Bolognese and Béchamel sauces ahead of time. You can make the Bolognese well ahead of time, even freeze it, but the Béchamel I would make the same day. I am too lazy to make my own noodles. The boxed kind came out just fine.







Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 box of lasagna noodles (I used barilla flat lasagna noodles)
4 c. Bolognese sauce
2 c. Béchamel sauce

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350. In a 9x13 pan, drizzle and spread 1/4 heaping c. Béchamel sauce, to prevent the noodles from sticking. Layer noodles in and top with 1 c. of Bolognese sauce. top this with 1/3 c. of Parmesan cheese, then top with 1/2 c. of Béchamel. Repeat this three more times. It will look like this:

1/4 c. Bechamel
Noodles
1. c. Bolognese sauce
1/3 c. Parmesan
1/2 c. Béchamel
Noodles
1. c. Bolognese sauce
1/3 c. Parmesan
1/2 c. Béchamel
Noodles
1. c. Bolognese sauce
1/3 c. Parmesan
1/2 c. Béchamel
Noodles
1. c. Bolognese sauce
1/3 c. Parmesan
1/2 c. Béchamel

Bake the thing for 30-45 minutes, I only did 35. Allow to set for 10 minutes before serving.

Jib is un-cleaning my plates :3
:3