Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

One of the prettiest of the holiday specials for television done by Jacques Pepin is his Hanukkah Celebration video. Everything he made for the meal was visually beautiful and different. I especially liked the Frozen Souffle, and the Chicken-Pistachio Mousse covered in aspic above, which is a lot easier to do than it appears:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWzfqc5rf5E

__________________________________________________

A great tool for making holiday treats are these irons; the flower shaped ones make cookies, but the shell-like ones are great for making little cases to stuff with savory or sweet fillings. The shapes are made by dipping the iron in batter, and then into hot fat for a few seconds. Like crepes, your first one might be lacking, but you get the knack very quickly, and they're fun to make. The cases can be made in advance and kept crisp in an airtight container. I like using a shrimp or crab salad inside; you should fill them just before serving. If for some reason they didn't remain crisp, a quick tour in a low oven or dehydrator should bring them back. The iron sets come with recipes, and I usually use an adapted beer batter for savory cases. (The ones pictured are available at World Market, but you can find them in many places.)

Among my favorite cookies to make for Christmas are 'polvorones', or Mexican Wedding Cookies; they're very easy and special. (Practically the same cookie is also called a Russian Tea Cake):

http://www.siftingfocus.com/2012/10/christmas-cookie-countdown-and-mexican-wedding-cookies-baking-recipe/

I usually make these with Pecans.

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

This week: some ideas for special Holiday Treats!

(If you would like to be on or off of this weekly cooking thread ping-list, please send a private message.)

-JT

[miss marmelstein]

Wow! Jacque Pepin rocks!!!

[Jamestown1630]

It tickles me that the design on the mousse has the same feeling that many of his paintings do ;-)

[Trillian]

For the naughty ones ;)

Naughty Coal Cookies

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
1-1/4 cups Black Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Kosher Salt
1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter
1 cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
2 large Eggs
1-1/2 cups Chocolate Chips (pick your favorite)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. And line a rimmed sheet pan with a silicon liner or parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, then set off to the side.
In the bowl of your stand mixer add butter and sugars, mix on low to medium-low until combined. Add one egg at a time and mix after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl before gradually adding the dry ingredients. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add in the chocolate chips and mix until incorporated.
Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, place rounded dough onto prepared sheet pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes. If still soft after 8 minutes, bake for 1 minute increments.
Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

http://www.simplyscratch.com/2014/12/naughty-coal-cookies.html

[stonehouse01]

Thanks for the thread - please add me! Thanks - Stonehouse01

Does anyone have a good turkey frame soup recipe?

[Jamestown1630]

I know a few rascals who should receive those ;-)

[Jamestown1630]

You’re added!

[lizma2]

Russian Tea cookies have been part of my family’s traditional Christmas cookie for decades!!!! My mom remembers then when she was a little girl!!

[stonehouse01]

Thanks!! I just made my Russian teas yesterday using the walnuts (I make my Christmas cookies batches ahead and freeze them) but love the pecan idea!

I will try to do this next year as we love pecans.

[Ellendra]

I used to make a type of fudge that looked like a giant Andes mint. I’ll try and find the recipe tomorrow, the ones I found online have too much peppermint. You wouldn’t be able to taste anything else!

[Jamestown1630]

My husband loves minty chocolate - He’s a great customer of the Girl Scouts ;-)

[Jamestown1630]

I love walnuts, especially out of the shell; but the pecans just seem to give the cookies a bit of a ‘sandier’ texture, and a little less bitterness.

[W.]

Grandma put cookies out just like those in your last pic! Yum!

[Jamestown1630]

They’re so good it’s surprising that they’re so easy to make!

[leaning conservative]

We had to get a box of cookies out today, so last night I baked up a bunch of snickerdoodles & made a batch of Russian teacakes (one of my favorite cookies in the world!). I had no nuts except for unsalted pistachios in the shell. After I shelled them & toasted them I took a hunk of dough & dropped 3 pistachios in each ball. I was really tired & was whipping them out. They turned out to be the best batch I ever made & I have been making them since the t rex era ; )

[leaning conservative]

We had to get a box of cookies out today, so last night I baked up a bunch of snickerdoodles & made a batch of Russian teacakes (one of my favorite cookies in the world!). I had no nuts except for unsalted pistachios in the shell. After I shelled them & toasted them I took a hunk of dough & dropped 3 pistachios in each ball. I was really tired & was whipping them out. They turned out to be the best batch I ever made & I have been making them since the t rex era ; )

[leaning conservative]

Mine too. The only chocolate/mint thing I like are Andes mints.

[leaning conservative]

Is black cocoa different from say Hershey or Nestle cocoa powder?

[Liz]

Calling all mint lovers..........pour vous.

Chocolate-Covered Chocolate-Mint Cookies

COOKS NOTES cool sheetpans between batches. Do not handle cookies til cool, or they'll break; they're very delicate.

METHOD Proc/pulse 1 1/2 c flour, 1/2 c cocoa, 1 1/4 c sugar, 1/2 tsp b/powder, 1/4 tsp ea b/soda, salt. Add 1 1/2 sticks cold sweet butter in 1/2" pieces; pulse/in. Add 2 lge egg yolks, 1 1/2 tsp peppermint oil, 1/4 tsp vanilla; pulse til dough forms on blades--shape into 2" thick log. Saran/frige 2-24 hrs.

FINAL Arrange 1/4" thick disks 1/2" apart on pans. bake pan middle/lower third racks 350 deg 10 min. Switch top to bottom---rotate front to back; bake light brown 3-4 min. cool on racks.

COATING Melt/temper 1 1/2 lb bittersweet chocolate. Place parchmented sheet pan upside down on counter, next to warm chocolate---tilt bowl forward on folded kitchen towel. Dip cookies singly, using fork to turn; then liftout onto parchment, begin at far end to avoid chocolate drips; cool completely, then store airtight.