My little elves cookies

Cookie Time Part Duex

Sugar Cookies

2 cups salted butter(room temp)

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

4 TBL Whipping Cream or whole milk

4 tsp Pure vanilla extract

2 tsp almond extract

6 cups unsifted AP flour

1 TBL baking powder

Combine butter and sugar and mix only till incorporated.

In a small bowl mix egg, milk/cream, and extract. Add this wet mixture to the butter and eggs. Mix just until the eggs are broken, the mixture will curdle but thats okay.

In a another bowl mix the flour and baking powder,then add to the wet ingredients and mix until a dough forms.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line the baking pan with Silpat or parchment paper. This dough does not need to be chilled it is ready to go. Roll out in powdered sugar, cut into desired shapes and bake until golden brown 8-10 minutes and decorate with desired frosting

Cookie Time

My Kids love to bake and the following are two of he favorite cookie doughs. They also had help from their cousins Bryanna and Durrell. They are my favorite because they aren't delicate doughs and can take the handling of children ans taste great.

Tangy Gingerbread 

2 cups AP flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup butter, at room temp

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium. sift flour,baking powder,cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside. In a mixer,beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and molasses, and beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture, a little at a time , and mix until incorporated and a dough is formed. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.

Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick and cut with desired cookie cutters. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheet and bake until set,about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

I'm Back

OMG..I couldn't remember my password !! How smart am I ? The holiday period is almost over and I have been cooking,drinking and socializing up a storm! Life is good just need a new - - - in 2010.  Christmas Eve My family and I went to a potluck xmas eve at my soon to be sister- in laws and my brothers. Mucho familia and food our contribution to the potluck was a Bruschetta Cheese Ball with blue corn tortilla chips. Some Homemade Tamales , Mini Cherry Cheese Cakes

and gingerbread cookies and sugar cookies. Whoo give the cook a drink.

Easy Mini Cherry Cheese Cakes

2 pkg (8 oz each) Cream Cheese,softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

12 Nilla Wafers

1 can cheery comstock pie filling

Pre Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare Mini Cupcake pan by lining with mini cup cake holders, place vanilla wafers round sound down so that the flat part of the cookie is facing up. 

Beat Cream Cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Add Eggs; beat until just blended.

Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly over wafers.

Bake 20 minutes or until centers are almost set. Cool refrigerate at least 2 hours . Top with Cherry comstock

Eating about Town

Today I went to Korean BBQ and Tofu House on Castro Valley Blvd. It has been opened for 4 months. I haven't be intentional about going there just because another Asian restaurant is not what Castro Valley needs. All we have is Asian restaurants, diners, and fast food, oh and a good deli and Aroma Indian cuisine. I had the beef and tofu bi bi bap which was okay for me kinda bland I was trying all the condiments with it just to try and get some flavor. I also tried the seafood pancake and same thing a little bland but improved with the addition of some of the condiments. Over all didn't hate it or love it and probably won't be back just because why pay money for ambivalent food? Glad I didn't rush to get there..Doggie bags for real!! Perfect snack for my dogs.


Black and White Bakery for dessert..hello red velvet cake come to momma!!Cream cheese frosting herllo..the perfect combo. Got a couple of extra pieces to share for David and Tracy. my brother is getting married in August. Tata ta tumm. In Hayward on mission. I have also heard about the spicy cornbread from here..will have to check it out at the farmers market..layters

Out of the box- Lemon Verbena

Lemon Verbena is a very potent herb and for some a little overpowering. But what can you do with it? Its used to flavor fruit, in baking and as an accompaniment to dry tea I took all the leaves off of the stems and added it to 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water. Yup you guessed it simple syrup. Cook until the sugar dissolves. Strain the leaves from the syrup. My faBulous honey made me a Lemon Verbena mojito Cheers!! Im making a Red SANGRIA for my house warming on Sat.

Lemon Verbena Mojito

2 oz golden rum
5 springs mint
2 dashes lemon verbena simple syrup
a dash of fresh lime juice
soda water

Put the mint into a highball glass, add the rum,lime juice and simple sryup, pound these ingredients with a muddler or bar spoon until the aroma of the mint has been released. Add crushed ice and stir vigorously until the mixture and the mint is spread evenly. Top with soda water and stir again.

Banana Bread with Brown Sugar Pecans

I know, I know ho hum. But whats a body to do with leftover bananas when you like them green. They get so yellow so quickly. And I have to admit I don't do Banana things typically but this is a great snack for the kids in the morning and perfect with their bedtime tea.


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 overipe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter,melted and cools
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar pecans,finely chopped (recipe to follow)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl sift the flour,baking soda and salt and set aside.

Mash 2 of the bananas in a small bowl and set aside. With and electric mixer with a wire whisk or a hand held whip the other 2 bananas with the cup of sugar together for about 3 minutes,until fluffy and creamy. Add the melted butter, eggs, vanilla and nutmeg, beat well and scrape down the sides. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the nuts and the 2 mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes,until golden brown and and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes on a rack, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.


Brown Sugar Pecans
2 cups whole pecans
1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons half and half
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine pecans,brown sugar and half and half. Spread onto baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until coating is dry. Remove from oven to cool and stir once more. Store in an airtight container.

Out of the Box- Green Pork Chili

My family loves chili so I used the tomatillos form the farm for this recipe.

2 red onions,chopped
1 pound tomatillos , husked and rinsed
2 garlic cloves
1.5 pounds of bonless pork shoulder or cushion,cut into 1 inch cubes
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup cilantro leaves
Salt
14 oz Pinto Beans
Pepper
Cumino
Whole Dried Mexican Oregano

**3 jalapenos,stemmed,seeded and halved
10 Warm Corn tortillas
Cotija Cheese or Queso Fresco

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the onion,tomatillo, garlic on a sheet pan and spray with Pam. Roast until soft and browning begins, about 15-20 min.

Meanwhile in a heavy bottomed pot, add the oil and heat. Season the pork with the spices to taste and brown in small batches, until well browned. When browned , add all the pork back to the pan and cover with the chicken stock. Add the roasted vegetables and beans cover the pan and turn the heat on low and cook for about 1 1/2 hours. The vegetables will slowly continue to dissolve and cook down and the pork will get very tender.


We like to roast the tortillas on the open flame and sprinkle the cotija cheese and cilantro over a finished bowl of chili and eat with the tortillas or over rice.

Two thumbs up from the midgits!!

Out of the Box

My husband and I joined a CSA (community sponsored agriculture) out of Dixon, Ca. We get a great box of seasonal fruits and vegetables and 1/2 a dozen eggs a week for $120.00 a month. I pick up my box every wednesday. Eatwell Farm Rocks !! Some of the fun things in the box last week were the tomatillos,lemon verbena and the persimmons. So following are a couple of recipes that I cooked out of the box.

Holiday Entertaining

Tis the season, potlucks, cocktail parties, Thanksgiving, Tree Trimmings,Christmas and New years day celebrations. A lot of my friends,family and co-workers call me for recipe advice and questions regarding how to increase a recipe and how to purchase larger quantities of food so I thought I'd get ahead of the questions this year. My mother-in-law Verne (thanks mom !) gave me a copy of an LA Times Article that was originally posted in 1959 and latter re posted in the 80's. I used this as a guide to help me when I started catering before I attended culinary school and have used it periodically since as its a great reference, all quantities are approx. So here it is

Quantity Recipe Guide for 50 Servings


Seafood

Fish, fried or baked 13-17 pounds 4-4 .5 oz serving
Shrimp Creole or Cocktail 7 .5 pounds
Shrimp, fried 15 pounds 5 oz serving
Tuna for salad 10 small cans or 4 pounds

Meat

Beef pot roast, bone in 20 pounds
Chicken for Salad 17 to 20 pounds
Cold cuts 8 pounds
Ham, baked, bone in 25 pounds
Hamburgers 10 pounds
Meatloaf 13 pounds
Turkey, roast, sliced 38 - 40 pounds

Relishes

Carrots 2-2.5 pounds 2 to 3 pieces serving
Celery 10 medium bunches 1-2 stalks serving
Olives medium 2 quarts 3-4 piece serving
Pickles, 3 inches 2 quarts 1/2 pickle a serving
Mints,Nuts 1.5 pounds 1 tablespoon a serving
Potato Chips 3.5 pounds 1 ounce a serving

Salads
Coleslaw (cabbage) 6-8 pounds
Mixed Greens 12-13 heads
Potato Salad 15 pounds raw potatoes 1/2 cup serving
Salad Dressings 1 .5 quarts 2 tablespoons a serving

Vegetables

Fresh Vegetables 13 pounds 1/2 cup serving
Potatoes,Tomatoes 18 pounds

Baked Sides

Baked Beans 5 pounds 5 ounce serving
Macaroni,spaghetti 6 pounds 6 ounce serving
Noodles 4 pounds 4 ounce serving
Rice 4 pounds 4 ounce serving


Breads
Loaves bread,thin sliced 3 ( 1 .5 pounds)
Rolls 6 to 8 dozen
Butter or Margarine 1.5 pounds
Desserts

Cake 2 14 inch layer cakes
Pie (8 inch) 8 pies
Ice Cream 2 gallons
Cream for Whipping 1 quart