12
Dec

Gingersnap Raspberry Sandwich Cookies

Ginger and raspberry- I can’t imagine a better combination. If you like sweet, and you like spicy, then this is the cookie for you. I have been making these Martha inspired cookies for quite a few years and they are always met with glowing reviews and requests for more. That’s why when I signed up for the Great Blogger Cookie Swap hosted by Lindsey of Love & Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen I knew these were the cookies to make. The way the swap works is pretty simple. I was matched up with three food bloggers and sent them a dozen cookies each. In return, I received a dozen cookies from three different food bloggers. This is the second year of the swap and it appears that is was quite a success. Over 700 food bloggers signed up to participate and they estimated that around 22,000 cookies were sent out to bloggers around the world!

Here are my cookies all packaged up and ready to send. I think I enjoyed making the boxes as much as did making the cookies. I made handcrafted labels on fun paper for the outside of the box and a printed recipe card for the inside of the box.At first I wasn’t sure what we would do with the 3 dozen cookies that were coming in the mail. Would we share them with friends, give them to family members, put some away in the freezer for a later date? Ha ha! That last one’s pretty funny- I mean really, who saves cookies for later!? Turns out I didn’t need to worry. We received our first batch of cookies from April at Such a Delight and managed to devour them in under 24 hours. The second batch from Ashley and Josh of Josh & Ashley’s World, and the final batch from Latisha at Spiced with Love were treated with similar enthusiasm and before I could even think about sharing these with friends not a cookie was left. I shouldn’t have been surprised though because sweet treats have a way of disappearing around here. Have I mentioned that Mr.Thinly Sliced Cucumber has quite the sweet tooth? Good thing cookie swaps only happen once a year!

Print Recipe

Gingersnap Raspberry Sandwiches
Adapted from Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies 2001
Makes: 2 dozen sandwiches

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 large egg
1 cup granulated sugar, for rolling
1 cup raspberry jam

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt.

3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed. Beat in the maple syrup. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Reduce the mixer to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, beating well between each addition.

4. Place the granulated sugar in shallow bowl. Measure out 1 tablespoon of dough and form into a ball. Roll the dough in the sugar and place on one of the prepared baking sheets. Space each ball about 3-inches apart. Repeat until both sheets are full.

5. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown, rotating the sheets once in the middle of the baking time (the sheet on the bottom switches places with the sheet on the top).

6. Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

7. When the cookies are cool, spread half with roughly 2 teaspoons of jam. Place a second cookie on the top and press lightly.

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6
Dec

Mini Maple Sweet Potato Pies

Did you know that sweet potatoes are considered one of nature’s most superior forms of vitamin A, that there also exists a purple-flesh version, and that in Benton, Kentucky this lucky spud is celebrated annually during an event called the Tater Day festival? Yeah, I didn’t know any of this either (thank you Wikipedia for feeding my love of random food facts). What I do know is that sweet potatoes are DELICIOUS – especially when combined with maple syrup, sausage, and pie crust! I found this recipe about a month ago on a really cool blog called The Tomato Tart. As soon as I saw the name of the recipe I knew I had to make it.
I love maple, I love sweet potato, and I love anything in mini form. There’s something so wonderful about a little mini morsel that you can just pop in your mouth, no silverware, no plate, no guilt. Well, a little guilt if you’re like me and allow the mini status to justify eating as many as a you want- I mean they are mini, so its okay…right? Luckily, I’ve developed a defense mechanism against my mini addiction. It’s called a party! Or more specifically in this case, a brunch. I mentioned last week that we were having a group of friends over for a holiday brunch and that I was trying to narrow down my recipe selections. While a bunch of the contenders were passed over for various reasons- not kid-friendly, takes too long to make, would have to make 3 batches to feed everyone – this recipe seemed to be the prefect fit. And it was a hit! Everyone loved them, even including some of the kids. The best part was that since I made this magnificent mini dish for a crowd, I only ate just one!
I had the best intentions to take photos of all the wonderful dishes from our brunch so that I could share them with you here. Unfortunately, I was so busy visiting with friends and making pomegranate mimosas that I completely forgot to take a single picture! Oh well. I will tell you that we had an amazing and tasty array of dishes. From the fruit and yogurt parfait to the garlic and cheese filled fingerling potatoes, it was a wonderful spread of good food and even better company.

Having this brunch so early in December was the perfect motivation for me to get all of my holiday decorating done. Over the past few years I have really pared down my decorations and now I am left with only my most favorite. Since I got lost in pomegranate mimosa land and forgot to take food pictures, I thought it might be fun to share some of my Christmas decorations with you instead.

Hope you enjoyed- now on to the recipe!

Print Recipe

Mini Maple Sweet Potato Pies
Inspired by Tomato Tart
Makes: 20
3 medium size sweet potatoes
8 ounces sausage
½ onion, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 fresh sage leaf
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried mustard
¼ cups oats
¼ cup almonds
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of salt
2 portions of pie crust- get the recipe Here, or make your life easy and buy the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust that you just need to unroll and cut into circles

Preheat the oven to 375º. Bake the sweet potatoes for 50-60 minutes or until soft all the way through.
While the potatoes are cooking, crumble and brown the sausage along with the onion. Remove from heat and set aside.
Roll the pie crust out and cut into 4-inch circles. Tuck the dough circles into 20 standard size muffin tins. Freeze the dough for 15 minutes. Remove the dough from the freezer, pierce the bottom of each muffin tin a few times with a fork and bake in a 375º oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.
When the potatoes are done let them cool for about 10 minutes until you can safely handle them. Peel the skin from the potatoes and mash in a large bowl. Add the eggs, maple syrup, sage, salt, and mustard. Use an immersion blender or handheld mixer the whip the potato mixture until smooth and fluffy.
Fill each muffin tin ¾ full with the sweet potato mixture. Top with the sausage, dividing it equally among the muffins.
In a food processor (or just using a good old-fashioned knife and cutting board) pulverize the oats, almonds and brown sugar into a rough mix. Add a dash of salt and few grinds of pepper.
Sprinkle the oat mixture on top of the sausage.
Bake the pies for 20 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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2
Dec

Frittata – 101 Ways

I have breakfast on the brain. Or rather, I have brunch on the brain. We’re having a group of friends over for a holiday brunch this weekend and I have been trying to decide what to make. Well, actually I have been trying to decide what not to make. I am one of those people who invites friends over for a pot-luck style gathering and then worries that there might not be enough food so I end up making enough dishes to feed an army! I’ve gotten better though- I really have. This time I am only making two dishes, well maybe three. Okay, maybe four if you count the Pomegranate Mimosas. A drink doesn’t count as a dish though…right?

Anyway, I narrowed down the options and my beloved frittata didn’t make the cut. I couldn’t let this marvelous dish feel left out though, so I decided to make it for dinner instead. Actually, frittata is one of those dishes that we normally have for dinner. In fact, any breakfast food that requires more than popping it in the toaster or pouring it in the bowl is usually a dinner food around here. Most weeks we have ‘breakfast for dinner’ at least once, and the frittata has become my favorite breakfast-dinner dishI used to make quiche but let’s be honest, any dish that wraps itself in pastry crust is not the healthiest option – for breakfast or dinner. Delicious, but not healthy. Many years ago a fell upon a recipe for frittata and since then the quiche has gone out the window. I love how with a frittata you still get that irresistible combination of egg and veggies, but without the guilt of feeling like you’re eating a pie as a meal. The other thing I love about frittata is how you can put almost anything in it. It’s great for using up leftover veggies or little bits of herbs and cheeses that you might have laying around. Some time ago I discovered a guide to making a frittata in a Fine Cooking magazine. Since then it’s pretty rare that I make a recipe without consulting this guide first. It’s quite simple. You choose your ingredients from the lists of veggies & meats, herbs, aromatics and cheese. Then you make the basic recipe, add in your choices, cook on the stove top and finish in the oven. Simple, yummy, and versatile- my kind of dish!
Vegetables & Meats

Up to 3 in any combination for a total of 3 cups
(the quantities given below each yield about 1 cup)
½ to 2/3- pound Asparagus – steamed and cut into 1 ½ – inch pieces
2 large Sweet bell peppers – roasted, peeled and cut into 1/4 – inch strips, or cut into strips and sautéed
1 medium Potato – peeled, boiled and cut into ¼-inch thick slices
½ -pound Fresh Mushrooms – cut into ¼- inch slices, sautéed
1/2 – pound Hearty greens such as Kale or Collards – trimmed, cooked until tender, drained and squeezed to remove excess liquid, coarsely chopped
2 medium Leeks – white & light green parts, thinly sliced and sautéed
1 large Onion – thinly sliced and sautéed
1 pound Spinach or Swiss Chard – trimmed, sautéed, drained and squeezed to remove excess liquid, coarsely chopped
6 to 7 ounces of Zucchini – cut into ¼ -inch slices, sautéed
½ -pound Italian Sausage – casings removed, crumbled and browned
½ – pound Chorizo – cut into small dice and browned
¼ – pound Pancetta or Bacon – cut into ¼ – inch dice and sautéed
¼ – pound cooked Ham – cut into ¼ – inch dice

Fresh Herbs (optional)
Choose 1 or 2 for a total of ¼ cup
Basil – cut into thin strips
Chives – thinly sliced
Parsley – chopped
Thyme – stripped off stems (1 tablespoon maximum)
Marjoram – chopped (1 tablespoon maximum)

Aromatics & Spices (optional)
Choose 1 or 2
1 medium clove Garlic – minced & sautéed
½ – teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 teaspoon Lemon Zest – finely grated
A pinch of Nutmeg – finely grated or ground
¼ – cup Scallions – thinly sliced and sautéed

Cheese (optional)
Choose 1 0r 2 for a total of ½ cup
Feta – crumbled
Fontina – shredded
Goat cheese – crumbled
Cheddar or Monterey Jack – shredded
Parmigiano-Reggiano– grated
Fresh Ricotta – in dollops

Below is one of my favorite combinations:

Print Recipe

Basic Recipe:
8 large eggs
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon unbleached white flour
1 to 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 vegetables and meats (a total of 2 cups)
1 or 2 fresh herbs (a total of ¼ cup)
1 or 2 aromatics or spices
1 or 2 cheeses (a total of ½ cup)
1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Choose your ingredients and prepare any add-ins that require cooking. Heat the oven to 350º.
In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, milk, flour, salt and several grinds of pepper. Note: If using salty ingredients such as pancetta, bacon, feta or parmesan cheese only use 1 teaspoon of salt.
Stir in the vegetables, meats, aromatics and cheese. Allow the cooked ingredients to cool to room temperature before adding.
In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the egg mixture and tilt to spread evenly around the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook 8 to 12 minutes, or until the eggs are set about 1- inch from the sides of the pan.
Uncover the pan and place it in the oven for 15 to 25 minutes or until the top is puffed and completely set.
Remove from the oven and run a rubber spatula around the sides of the pan to loosen the frittata. Slip it out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Let the frittata cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Or let it cool completely and serve at room temperature.