traveling chef's blog: "recipies"

INGREDIENTS 6 eggs 1 1/4 cups white sugar 2 1/2 tablespoons water 1 1/2 cups cake flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting DIRECTIONS Arrange a large bamboo steamer or a large vegetable steamer over simmering water. Make sure it is large enough to hold the baking pan. Line a 9 inch square pan with waxed paper. Separate the eggs. Place the yolks in a large bowl along with the sugar and water. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture has increased about three times in volume. Whisk together the flour and the baking powder; sift this over the egg mixture, and fold in gently. Blend in the extract. Whip the egg whites in a clean bowl to stiff, not dry, peaks. Fold into yolk base. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth out to edges. Rap the pan on the counter to get rid of large air bubbles. Place the pan into the steamer. Cover the top of the steamer with a kitchen towel, and place the lid on top; the towel will absorb any steam that collects on top from dripping onto the cake. Steam for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioner's sugar. yields 12 cooking time 20 min

Ingredients 6 portobello mushrooms, stemmed (reserve 1 cup minced stems) 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 12 ounces hot Italian sausage 12 ounces sweet Italian sausage 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper 1/4 cup finely chopped celery 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves 2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows 1 egg, lightly beaten Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling Directions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Using your hands, lightly rub each portobello mushroom with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Cook the sausage in a medium skillet until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and mushroom stems and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Transfer sausage-vegetable mixture to the bowl of a food processor. Add, 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of Parmesan, 1/4 cup of parsley, the Essence, and the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Pulse until mixture is finely chopped and comes together slightly, about 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the egg, and stir until well combined. Divide the filling among the mushroom caps, about 1/2 cup for each mushroom. Place the filled mushrooms on a baking sheet. Combine remaining 1/4 cup of bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of Parmesan in a small mixing bowl. Divide the bread crumb mixture evenly among the tops of the mushrooms. Bake until golden brown on top and the mushrooms are tender, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Garnish with remaining tablespoon of parsley, drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and serve warm or at room temperature. 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika 2 tablespoons salt 2 tablespoons garlic powder 1 tablespoon black pepper 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon dried thyme Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Yield: 2/3 cup

Ingredients 1 tablespoon dry yeast 1 cup milk 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 3/4 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract 2 1/2 cups cake flour 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt vegetable cooking spray (not flavored) Directions Add dry yeast to warm or room-temperature milk, let stand for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly add and combine the yeast mixture, and the extracts. In a separate bowl whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour and salt and gradually add them to your mixture. Caution: Do not over mix, but make sure to keep your mixture homogenous. Prepare a cookie sheet with pan spray and drop spoonfuls of dough 3 to 4 inches apart. Bake until the edges begin to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before decorating. Ganache: 1 1/4 cups heavy cream 1 pound good dark chocolate, chopped 1 1/4 cups heavy cream 1 pound good white chocolate, chopped Place chocolate into 2 separate bowls, 1 for dark and 1 for white. Slowly boil the cream in 2 separate pots. Pour 1 pot cream over the dark and 1 pot over the white and let chocolate melt. Whisk each until smooth. To decorate: While the ganache is slightly warm, have fun with it. Maybe some of it will even end up on the cookies! yield: 20 cook time 30 min

Ingredients 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Edible Paint Icing, recipe follows Garnish: silver dragees, sugar pearls, sparkling sugar Directions In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and almond extract until combined. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until smooth. Wrap dough in heavy-duty plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with assorted snowflake cookie cutters and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Chill dough 15 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are very lightly browned. Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. Paint cookies with Edible Paint Icing. Garnish with silver dragees, sugar pearls and sparkling sugar, if desired. Edible Paint Icing: 1/4 cup cold water 3 tablespoons meringue powder 2 cups confectioners' sugar Food coloring, optional In a medium bowl, combine water and meringue powder; whisk until foamy. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add food coloring, if desired. Use immediately. yield: 2 1/2 dozen cook time 10 min

Ingredients 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1 lemon, zested 1/2 cup lemon juice 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 3/4 cup assorted frozen cherries, thawed, drained well, pitted and chopped 1/4 cup mixed berry preserves Powdered sugar, for dusting Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl with an electric mixer, mix butter until fluffy. Add half the flour, then add in order: brown sugar, lemon zest, juice and egg. To remaining flour add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves. Combine both mixtures until just incorporated. Fold in cherries and pour into an ungreased 8 by 8-inch baking pan. Using a spoon, equally dollop preserves on top of batter and using a toothpick or skewer, drag the tip through the preserves to create a swirl pattern on top. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; cake will be moist to the touch. Once cooled, cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar to serve. yield: 16 cooking time: 30 min.

Ingredients 4 large egg whites at room temperature 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips Directions Preheat oven to 225 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites on low-medium speed with the whisk attachment until the whites become foamy. Add the cream of tartar and turn speed up to medium, beating until just fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, so it incorporates into the whites slowly without collapsing them. Once all the sugar has been added, add the vanilla and increase the speed to high, whisking until the meringue is firm and glossy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Place meringue mixture into a piping bag with a medium-sized nozzle attached. Pipe 24 bite sized "kiss"-shaped meringues onto the trays and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour undisturbed then turn off heat and leave in the oven overnight to really dry out. Melt chocolate over a double-boiler or in the microwave on medium power for 30 seconds. Holding each meringue by the peak dip the bases in chocolate so the bottom half of the meringue is coated. Let any excess chocolate drop off before placing on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Allow to set at room temperature – do not put in the fridge. Once set, store in an airtight container. yield: 24 cooking time 1 hr

Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon table salt 2 sticks butter, softened 1 cup powdered sugar, plus additional for coating 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 3/4 cups hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped Directions Heat oven to 325 degrees F and arrange racks in upper and lower third. Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until aerated and evenly combined; set aside. Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla and continue to mix until whipped and light, about 2 more minutes. Add half of the nuts and mix until evenly incorporated and nuts are broken up, about 1 minute. Add flour and mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in remaining nuts. Shape dough into 1 tablespoon balls and place on baking sheets, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until underside of cookies are brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes on baking sheets. Meanwhile, place some powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Once the cookies have cooled, roll them in the powdered sugar until just coated and tap off excess. Let cool completely and recoat in powdered sugar, tapping off excess sugar, before serving. yield 45 cooking time 25 min

Ingredients 1 (16.5 ounce) tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough 1/4 cup all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract 1 teaspoon vegetable oil Decorating suggestion: crushed candy canes or peppermint candies; white, red and green sprinkles; or red and green decorating sugar Special equipment: a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, and a 1/2-ounce cookie scoop Directions Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, knead together the cookie dough and 1/4 cup flour until smooth. Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out circles from the dough. Knead together any scraps of dough and roll out again. Continue to cut out pastry circles until there are 24 pieces in total. Place the dough circles on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are slightly golden around the edges, about 10 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Reserve 1 parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Combine 1 cup of chocolate chips and the cream in a small bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the peppermint extract and refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour. Using a 1/2-ounce cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure, place the chocolate mixture in the center of the flat side of 12 of the cookies. Place the remaining cookies on top and gently squeeze to distribute the filling evenly. Place on a baking sheet and freeze until the filling has set, about 25 minutes. Combine the remaining chocolate chips and the vegetable oil in a small bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Dip the top of each cookie in the melted chocolate and return to the baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with crushed candy canes or peppermint candies. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store in an airtight plastic container. yield 12 cook time 10 min.

Ingredients Cookie: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon fine salt 1 cup unsalted butter, soft, but still cool 1 cup sugar 1 large egg 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract Fruit: 4 teaspoons cornstarch 4 teaspoons sugar 1 cup orange juice 1/2 cup dried apricots, diced 1/2 cup dried dates, quartered 1/2 cup dried cherries, each halved 1/2 cup dark or golden raisins 3 tablespoons candied orange peel, diced 1/2 cup raw peeled pistachios Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with butter or nonstick spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. For the cookie: Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl, with an electric mixer, at medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat well, and then scrape down the sides. While mixing on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 batches. Scrape down the bowl between each addition, and mix until just blended. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake until light golden brown with spots of darker golden brown and darker edges, about 30 minutes. Cool completely, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the fruit: Whisk the cornstarch and sugar together in a small saucepan. Whisk in orange juice until mixture dissolves. Stir in the fruits and candied orange peel. Bring to a simmer over medium, stirring often; continue to cook, stirring until thickened into a compote, about 3 minutes more. You should be able to draw the spoon along the bottom of pan and see the pan with no liquid seeping back. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the nuts and lemon zest. Spread fruit evenly over the top of the cooled crust. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake mazurkas until golden brown around edges and fruit sets but is still slightly glossy and jewel-like, about 10 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Cut, using an oiled knife, into 24 bars. Serve. Busy baker's tips: When double-wrapped, the cookie base keeps at room temperature for 3 days or frozen for 1 month. The fruit compote can be made up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated. Store completed cookies in an airtight container, layers separated with parchment paper, for up to 5 days.

Ingredients: 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter, plus 2 tablespoons, divided 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1 (12 oz.) container (4 1/2 cups) frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided 1 prepared chocolate pie crust 1 (11.75 oz.) jar Hot Fudge Spoonable Ice Cream Topping, divided Directions: 1. BEAT together 1 cup peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with an electric mixer on medium, until well combined. Gently mix in 3 cups whipped topping until thoroughly combined. Spoon mixture into pie shell. Using a spatula, smooth mixture to edges of pie. 2. RESERVE 2 tablespoons of hot fudge topping into the corner of a resealable food storage bag; set aside. Microwave remaining topping on HIGH (100% power) for 1 minute. Stir. Spread topping over pie, covering entire peanut butter layer. Refrigerate until set. Spread remaining whipped topping (1 1/2 cups), over hot fudge layer, being careful not to mix the two layers. 3. CUT a small corner from bag containing topping. Squeeze bag to drizzle topping over pie. Place remaining 2 tablespoons peanut butter in a resealable food storage bag; cut bag corner and squeeze to drizzle in opposite direction from topping. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Yield: 1 pie (6-8 servings)