Eggnog Chocolate Chip Bread with Brown Butter Eggnog Glaze

Now that the holidays are over, not much eggnog drinking is going on.  So ... what do you do with that leftover eggnog in your refrigerator?  Make a custard or a french toast or this delicious bread, perfect with a hot cup of coffee!  I made 4 mini loaves instead of 1 large loaf.  Perfect for giving one away or putting in the freezer for another day.

As Always, 

ENJOY!

ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 1/8 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup eggnog
2/3 cup chocolate chips tossed in 2 teaspoons of flour

glaze
1/4 cup brown butter
1/2-3/4 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons eggnog

directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, powder, nutmeg and salt until combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk cooled butter with sugar until smooth. Add in vanilla extract, mixing until combined, then whisk in each egg one at a time until totally combined. Add half of the flour mixture, stirring with a large spoon, then stir in the eggnog until smooth. Add remaining dry ingredients and stir until just combined and smooth. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour in the greased loaf pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until top is golden and cake is just set. Let cool completely, then cover in glaze.

To make glaze, whisk together brownie butter, sugar and eggnog, stirring well for 1-2 full minutes until combined. If it still doesn’t appear glaze-like, add in eggnog 1/2 tablespoon at a time and mix again. Don’t worry if it becomes too liquidy – just add a tiny bit of powdered sugar until you get the desired consistency. Spoon glaze on bread then serve.

Chunky Applesauce

Steaming hot chunky applesauce.  Yum!

   When you have a few odd apples of different varieties, the ones no one will take in their lunch, it is time to make some delicious applesauce!  Homemade chunky applesauce, smells so good while simmering, and tastes so much better than anything you could buy at the store.  

     If you don't have a few odd apples at home, check your local farmer's market for the very discounted "visually distressed" apples.  Bring them home, peel, core, chop and get cooking.

     I love applesauce on top of hot oatmeal with a few golden raisins and maybe even a few walnuts.  With these type of toppings you will not need brown sugar and cream, and it will be oh so satisfying!

As Always, 

ENJOY!

6-8 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

2Tbs. sugar

2 Tbs. lemon juice

       In a large sauce pot, add the apple chunks and 1/2 cup of water.  Cover.  Heat on medium-high until a boil just begins.  Turn down to low and cook for  30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Once apples have cooked down to the chunky stage, add the sugar and cook just another 2 minutes to dissolve through.  Turn off heat and add the lemon juice.

      

I love lemon juice with the apples because it gives them a nice fresh taste and a good balance to the sweetness of some apples.

Thai Style Sticky Rice, BBQ Pork Ribs, and Cucumber Salad

Ribs, rice and salad, plated together

The special Thai sticky rice cooker, a funnel shaped basket with a necked pot.

   This is always a highly requested dish, when my kids come home for their school break!  The combination of these flavors and textures is amazing.  

    The pork with its rich, salty barbecue taste and the rice with its sweet taste and super chewy texture, balanced off with the crisp crunch and vinegary dressing of the cucumber salad, makes a meal with perfect harmony!

  I purchased this rice cooker at a Thai market, many years ago.  With the internet these days, you can buy almost anything online.  So if you do not have a Thai market in your neck of the woods, search for one on the internet. 

As Always, 

ENJOY!

6-8 pieces, boneless country style pork ribs

Thai fish sauce

Thai Golden Mountain Soy Sauce

3-4 cups sweet rice

water for soaking

1 cucumber, diced

1 carrot shredded

cilantro

rice vinegar with salt and sugar, or sushi rice seasoning (vinegar with salt and sugar already added)

    Add pork ribs to ziplock bag, Drizzle in fish sauce and soy sauce to cover meat.  Seal bag and marinate several hours or over night.  Preheat grill and cook ribs until tender but cooked through. 

    For rice, place in large bowl and cover by an inch with water.  Let soak for 4-5 hours.

Fill pot with water, just below basket level.  Bring to a boil, covered  with lid.  Once boiling, remove lid, and add basket to pot, as shown in photo.   Drain rice of its soaking water.  Add wet rice to pot, and cover with lid.  Cook 15 min, and then flip rice mass, so top is at bottom and bottom is at top. Gently with wooden spoon break open the top of rice.  Cover with lid and repeat two more times, so rice cooks a total of 45 minutes.  

While rice is cooking prepare the salad.  Add peeled, diced cucumber with shredded carrot and chopped cilantro to a bowl.  Sprinkle with sushi seasoning rice vinegar until vegetables are lightly coated.  If using regular rice vinegar, add a sprinkling of salt and sugar to the vinegar, stir to dissolve and then add to cover vegetables.

   Serve meat and rice hot, along side the cool crisp and crunchy cucumber salad!

Farmer's Cheese Soup

The cooked vegetables and broth added to the soup bowl.

The toppings added: bacon pieces, browned bread, and Gouda cheese!

The recipe, with darling Dutch graphics!

   This recipe comes from and old Dutch cookbook that belonged to my Dutch Grandmother.  This is one of my favorite recipes in the cookbook, and I have been making it in the cold winter season for over 30  years!  As my Grandmother would say, it is "Hartelijk" meaning "Hearty".  

     It is so full of vegetables, that have a simple clean taste.  The addition of the toppings, being bacon, fried or browned bread, and Gouda cheese, give it an elevated decadence!  It is very filling and very satisfying!

    I have modified the original recipe slightly to my own personal preference and ease of preparation.

Instead of bacon slices, I cook bacon pieces. It makes it easier to handle in the bowl, and gives a bit of bacon with each bite.  I also shred the cheese instead of slice, because it melts quicker.  The bread, I like to brown and butter instead of fry in the bacon grease, it is a bit more heart healthy that way! Add as much of the vegetables as you like for a filling veggie soup!

As Always,

ENJOY!

4 Tbs. butter

1 1/2 cups onion chopped

3 carrots, diced

2 potatoes, diced

1/2 lb. cauliflower florets

1 qt. chicken stock

7 slices bacon

4 slices hearty white bread

1/4 lb. Gouda cheese

   In a heavy pan melt the butter, add vegetables and cook 5 min. stirring frequently. Add the soup stock and bring to a boil. Then lower heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender.  Meanwhile in a skillet, fry the bacon until browned, remove and drain on paper towels.   In the bacon fat in the skillet, fry the slices of bread (I toast and butter the thick bread slices). Homemade bread, or uncut bread is best, then sliced into 1/2-1 inch slices. 

   To serve, preheat broiler, pour soup into oven proof  tureen. Add the bacon pieces, then the bread, and add the cheese slices, or shredded, to cover the surface.  Place under broiler until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup

Cold weather always inspires me to make soups.  The delicious smell of a pot of soup cooking in the kitchen gives me a calming and satisfying feeling. Not only do I love the smell of soups cooking, but I also love sitting at the table with a hot bowl of soup in front of me, watching the steam rising.   With each spoonful, the warming sensation drives every bit of chill away.

This soup is extremely simple to prepare, and very nutritious.  A small bowl is a great starter for any meal, especially on a wintry day!

As Always,

ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS

1 Kabocha squash

1 32 oz. carton chicken broth

grated parmigiano cheese

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the squash in half, and lay cut sides down in a large roasting pan. Roast for 45-60 min.  Remove from oven and cool completely.  Carefully scrape out all the seeds and connecting fibers. This is very easily done once the squash is cooked.  Now gently scoop out the cooked flesh of the squash, being careful to remove all loose skin.  

   In a food processor, puree all the roasted squash.  Put pureed squash in a sauce pot, and slowly add half the chicken broth. Whisk together, and begin heating soup.  As the soup heats through add more chicken broth to desired consistency.  I like my soup slightly thick so that is about 20 oz. of the broth.  If you like it thinner add more broth.  

   Ladle hot soup into bowls and sprinkle on the grated parmigiano cheese.  Serve immediately.

Caramel Crunch Bars

These may not be on your new January diet, but they are an amazingly delicious, crunchy cookie,  that in my opinion, go perfectly with vanilla ice cream!  

Any recipe that is fairly easy, quick, and can be made ahead, is a keeper, especially one like this that is such a crowd pleaser. 

This recipe comes from Baking, by Dorie Greenspan.  It is one of my favorite cookbooks, and I use it frequently, because it has some of the best recipes ever!

The only thing I would change about this recipe is the title.  I think it is deceiving, because they don't necessarily have a caramel taste.  The topping is chocolate and toffee bits and the crust is buttery with bits of chocolate enhanced by espresso powder.  I guess you will just have to try the recipe and decide for yourself!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe:
Caramel Crunch Bars (Recipe by Dorie Greenspan)

For the Base

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp instant espresso powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
½ cup brown sugar (packed)
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

For the Topping
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
¾ cup Heath Toffee Bits

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 375F. Butter a 9×13 inch baking pan and line with foil or parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, espresso powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. Beat butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat for another 3 minutes or until the mixture is light and creamy. Beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until almost incorporated.
4. Add the chopped chocolate and mix only until dry ingredients disappear.
5. Using spatula or fingertips press dough into buttered pan into a thin, even layer.
6. Bake for 20-22 minutes until base is bubbly. Remove pan and turn off oven.
7. Scatter chocolate evenly over hot base.
8. Return pan to hot oven for 2-3 minutes until chocolate is soft.
9. Remove from oven and immediately spread chocolate over bars using small off-set spatula.
10. Sprinkle toffee bits over chocolate and allow to cool to room temperature.
11. If chocolate hasn’t set by the time the bars are cool, place in refrigerator briefly until chocolate firms up.
12. Cut bars into rectangles or squares.

Happy New Year 2016

Happy New Year! 

 Start your morning and your year off the right way, with a delicious Mimosa!

Whether your breakfast will be elaborate or simple, this is the perfect way to celebrate.  If in p.j.'s watching the Rose Parade, or getting ready for a bowl game party, take a moment to enjoy this iconic breakfast cocktail and you will be starting the year with a fabulous tradition and a very happy outlook for 2016.