Dutch Babies

Want to dazzle your family on Christmas morning?  Make them a Dutch Baby!  It's a little amazing what three eggs can do when beaten together with some flour and milk.  Quite the show stopper.  Your kids will think you're a genius.

When everyone is finished opening presents and your husband is cleaning up the mess (because that's what husbands should do!), slip into the kitchen and throw this together.  It takes five minutes to mix up the eggs, milk, flour and butter.  Pop it into the oven for 20-25 minutes and you've got breakfast.

You can finish it a ton of different ways....simply squeeze some lemon juice on top and sprinkle with some powdered sugar or do what I did and pile some fresh berries in the center.  If you've got a little extra time, some sauteed pears or apples (or pears and apples) would be delish.

Here's the recipe:

Dutch Baby

The Breakfast Book, Marion Cunningham

Ingredients:
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Toppings of your choice.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 deg. F.  Butter one 12-inch skillet or four 6-inch small skillets (with ovenproof handles) or pans (you can use small pie pans or cake pans).

Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and beat until thoroughly mixed.  Add the milk and blend well.

Sift the flour and salt together and slowly whisk into the egg mixture.  Whisk until smooth. Add the melted butter and mix briskly so the batter is smooth.

Pour the batter into the pan or pans and bake for 15 minutes at 450 deg.  If you using small pans, they will be done after 15 minutes.  If you are baking just one big pancake, reduce the beat to 350 deg. F and bake for another 5-10 minutes.

Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and finish to your liking.

Sticky Pecan Bites

I'm going to get to these mini-sticky buns in a minute because they're amazing.  So amazing, hubs ate 15...yes, I said 15....straight out of the oven.  In his mind, he only had 15 bites, which is a minor snack.  

But first, we made a quick trip to Ohio the past few days to see these two little munchkins and that new addition laying on Reese's lap.  Not only did I get to kiss on them, I got to smell sweet puppy breath.  

 We also went up to help my niece, Annie, move into her first solo, big-girl apartment.  When we got there she had a couch, a bed and a dresser so we had our work cut out for us.  Her brother donated a table and chairs to the cause and we went shopping for the rest.  Pretty good for two days work, don'tcha  think?

I also want to mention where we stayed while we were in Granville....The Welsh Hills Inn B&B....a fabulous recommendation from a friend.  Usually when we visit the kids, we have to make the 30 minute drive back and forth to Columbus, because the other offerings in Granville need some serious updating!  This has changed everything.  The Inn is situated just a few miles outside of Granville on about 5 acres (I'm guessing) on a stunning property with rolling hills. The home, itself, is one thing.....decorated with beautiful antiques, really comfortable beds with plush linens, modern bathrooms and doting hosts....but I'll be back for the breakfasts, alone.  These peeps can cook!  The first day we had an omelet with caramelized onions, spinach and mushrooms, toast served with a delicious sour-cherry jam; day two was whole-grain french toast with sauteed Harry and David pears; and our last day was fresh fruit with granola and yogurt, fresh grapefruit and a cinnamon bread stick.  Delish!

I'll definitely be back and I know the 'rents are going to love it also.

Now, back to these mini-buns (I wish I could describe my own buns as "mini"....)  These are a great alternative to your regular sticky bun recipe because since there is no yeast, they come together very quickly.  Hubs said he loved them so much because they weren't too sweet like other sticky buns tend to be.  Perfect little bites of soft dough, crunchy pecans and a slightly sweet cinnamon syrup.

Here's the recipe:

Sticky Pecan Bites

Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy, by Alice Medrich

Ingredients:
24 pecan halves
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus additional for sprinkling
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup packed brown or muscovado sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 deg. F.  Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.  Lightly grease a mini- muffin tin (24 cups) unless they are nonstick pans.

Place a pecan half in each cup, top side down.  Combine the flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or fork.  Make a well in the center.  Pour the cream into the well.  Use a rubber spatula to fold and stir the flour mixture and cream together just until the dry ingredients are entirely moistened and a soft dough is formed, it should not look perfectly smooth.  Let the dough rest for 2 to 3 minutes to firm up.  Meanwhile, mix the sugar with the cinnamon.

On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll the dough to a rectangle 12 by 7 inches and 1/4 inch thick.  Spread the dough with the soft butter and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and the brown sugar.  Starting at one short end, roll the dough tightly.  Gently stretch the dough to lengthen the roll.  Cut the roll crosswise into 24 equal pieces.  Place each piece in a muff cup cut side up.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until well browned.  Rotate the pan front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking, immediately turn the cookies out onto a sheet of parchment on a heatproof surface.  Serve on the day you make them.

Spiked Coffee Cookies

Are there two ingredients that bring out the best in each other better than coffee and chocolate?  OK.  There might be, but are there any more enjoyable?  They're like Batman and Robin, Ginger and Fred, Sanford and Son, Demi and Ashton.....maybe not the last one, but you get my drift.

These are intensely chocolatey, cakey cookies with just a whisper of coffee.  It's subtle, but it's there.  Perfectly.  As for the glaze, I may or may not have doubled the amount of Kahlua because that's the way I roll.

I think I'll make these this summer and forego the glaze and sandwich two cookies together with some coffee ice cream in the middle.  What the heck....why wait until summer!

Spiked Coffee Cookies

King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua)

1 large egg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

glaze:

1 cup chocolate chips

6 tablespoons heavy cream

1 tablespoon coffee liqueur

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 deg. F.  Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

To make the dough:  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar,  Add the liqueur, egg, baking soda, salt and espresso powder, beating until smooth.  Beat in the cocoa and flour.

Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets.  Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, until they appear set and you can begin to smell the chocolate,   Remove them from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.

To make the glaze:  In a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl, or in a saucepan set over very low heat, heat the chocolate chips and cream, stirring until the chocolate melts.  Continue stirring until you made a smooth glaze then stir in the liqueur.  Spread the tops of the cooled cookies with the glaze.

Cinnamon Eggnog Scones

I have to admit that eggnog, as a drink, is not my thing.  Eggnog in a scone, however, is my thing.  Especially in these scones.  One of my favorite treats at Starbucks is their Cinnamon Scones, and these blow those out of the water.  They're extremely moist which, in my experience, is a tad rare in scones so that alone makes them a winner!  Then throw in some warm, spicy cinnamon chips and well, you can just imagine!

These are perfect with a cup of coffee on a cold winter morning, or with a cup of tea for an afternoon pick-me-up!

You're going to want to make these!

cinnamon-eggnog scones

King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose Flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, cut into pats or small cubes
2 cups cinnamon chips
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon eggnog flavor
3/4 cup cold eggnog


Topping
1 tablespoon eggnog
2 tablespoons sparkling white sugar or cinnamon-sugar, optional


1) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.

2) Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.

3) Stir in the cinnamon chips.

4) In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla or other eggnog flavor, and eggnog.

5) Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.

6) Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface; a silicone rolling mat works well here.

7) Divide the dough in half; each half will weigh about 18 ounces. Roll and pat each half into a 6 1/2" circle about 3/4" thick.

8) Using a knife or bench knife that you've run under cold water, slice each circle into 6 wedges. Alternately, use a 2 1/4" round cutter to cut each circle into 6 to 8 rounds, gathering, re-rolling, and cutting the scraps. Or cut one circle into wedges, the other into rounds.

9) If you've made wedges, transfer the circle of wedges to a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Carefully pull the wedges away from the center to separate them just a bit; there should be about 1/2" space between them, at their outer edges.

10) If you've made rounds, transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheet, placing them close together; leave about 1/2" between them.

11) Brush each scone with some eggnog, and sprinkle with sparkling white sugar, or cinnamon-sugar.

12) For best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.

13) Bake the scones for about 20 minutes, or until they're golden brown. When you pull one away from the others, it should look baked all the say through; the edge shouldn't look wet or unbaked.

14) Remove the scones from the oven, and cool briefly on the pan. Serve warm. When they're completely cool, wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to several days.

Momofuku Milk Bar's Compost Cookie

If you don't leave this cookie out for Santa, you're making a mistake.  A big one.  I made these for Hubs this weekend and I've already been promised this, this AND this.  I'm just sayin!!   That's how good they are.

This recipe comes from the new book Momofuku Milk Bar, which is the desert arm of David Chang's Momofuku empire and all I can say is that it's simply genius.  I mean, who thinks of developing recipes from Cereal Milk?  Now there are many "recipes within recipes" and none are overly difficult, but you will have to plan on some extra time being involved.  Believe me....it's worth it.

Back to the cookies.  The name, Compost Cookies, is pretty self explanatory and accurate.  You pretty much throw in whatever is in the kitchen....including coffee grounds.  Suriously!  They're designed to be an oversized cookie which is genius, because you get a little something different in every bit, so you want a lot of bites!  It's also that perfect combination of crispy and chewy/salty and sweet.  I'm telling you they're quite possible The Best Cookie I've Ever Eaten.  I've already called The Food Network about getting on their TV show.  

Make the cookies.  You'll be richly rewarded!!

Here's the recipe:

Compost Cookies

Momofuku Milk Bar

Ingredients:

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

2 tablespoons glucose (you can substitute 1 tablespoon corn syrup if you don't have glucose)

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (I just had regular size)

1/2 cup mini butterscotch chips (ditto)

1/2 cup Graham Crust (recipe follows....this is an example of the "recipe within a recipe")

1/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats

2 1/2 teaspoons ground coffee (This is pre-brewed ground coffee and any kind except instant works fine)

2 cups potato chips (Book recommends Cape Cod potato chips "because they aren't paper-thin, so they don't break down too much in the mixing process".)

1 cup mini pretzels

Directions:

1.  Combine the butter, sugars, and glucose in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes.  (Don't skimp on the time here.  It's really important to beat the mixture for the full time.)

2.  Reduce the speed to low and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute.  (Do not walk away from the machine during this step, or you will risk overmixing the dough.)  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

3.  Still on low speed, add the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, graham crust, oats, and coffee and mix just until incorporated, about 30 seconds.  Add the potato chips and pretzels and paddle, still on low speed, until just incorporated.  Be careful not to overmix or break too many of the pretzels or potato chips.  You deserve a pat on the back if one of your cookies bakes off with a whole pretzel standing up in the center.

4.  Using a 2-3/4 ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1/3 cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan.  Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat.  Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week.  Do not bake your cookies from room temperature  -  they will not bake properly.

5.  Heat the oven to 375 deg. F.

6.  Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans.  (I only got four cookies on each pan.  They really expand.)  Bake for 18 minutes.  The cookies will puff, crackle and spread.  After 18 minutes, they should be very faintly browned on the edges yet still bright yellow in the center.  Give them an extra minute or so if that's not the case.

7.  Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or an airtight container for storage.  At room temp, cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

Graham Crust

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup milk powder (powdered milk....I tried to make "milk powder" more difficult that it actually was. Duh)

2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1.  Toss the graham crumbs, milk powder, sugar and salt with your hands in a medium bowl to evenly distribute your dry ingredients.

2.  Whisk the butter and heavy cream together.  Add to the dry ingredients and toss again to evenly distribute.  The butter will act as a glue, adhering to the dry ingredients and turning the mixture into a bunch of small clusters.  The mixture should hold its shape if squeezed tightly in the palm of your hand,  If it is not moist enough to do so, melt an additional 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons butter and mix it in.

Chocolate Truffles

Since last week was all savory it's only fitting that we sweeten it up this week!  Plus every cocktail party needs dessert, right?  You have to have something to nibble on while you're sipping your Sauternes!

It doesn't get any easier, or more versatile, than truffles.  Pick your favorite ganache recipe (I like Ina's, of course) and after that the possibilities are endless.  I went with peppermint (crushed candies and then chopped finely in mini food processor) and cocoa powder (with a hint of cayenne pepper).

But you could go with toasted coconut, chopped nuts, sprinkles.....use your imagination.  Like I said, I like the Barefoot Contessa's Grand Marnier truffle base recipe, but you could always replace the Grand Marnier with a drop or two of peppermint extract, or almond extract, or even infuse the cream with some coffee beans.  Whatever tickles your fancy.

Here's the recipe:

Chocolate Truffles

Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
1/2 pound good bittersweet chocolate such as Lindt
1/2 pound good semisweet chocolate such as Ghiradelli
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, optional
1 tablespoon prepared coffee, optional
1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract

Your choice of whatever you want to roll your truffles in!

Directions
Chop the chocolates finely with a sharp knife. Place them in a heat-proof mixing bowl.

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just boils. Turn off the heat and allow the cream to sit for 20 seconds. Pour the cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the bowl with chocolate. With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in the Grand Marnier, if using, coffee, and vanilla. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.

With 2 teaspoons, spoon round balls of the chocolate mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm. Roll each dollop of chocolate in your hands to roughly make a round ball. (I keep the palms of my hands slightly damp to keep the chocolate from sticking to me and making a huge mess!)  Roll in confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, or whatever you choose. These will keep refrigerated for weeks, but serve at room temperature.

Cocktail Party Week.....Day 7.....Stuffed Jalapenos

To recap the week, we've had bruschetta that included a little seafood, a spicy meatball, a hot pizza dip, a cold creamy chickpea dip,  a buttery puff pastry loaded with ham and cheese, and a little crunch with the selection of nuts!  I'm sure there's some health freak out there asking where the vegetable option is, soooo.......I offer you peppers.  Never mind that I'm going to stuff them with a cream cheese and bacon mixture!!  It's the holidays and you only have to eat one!  I'll bet you can't.  But you can try!

  

This stuffing is a perfect creamy foil for a spicy jalapeno pepper, but we all have those friends and relatives that can't handle the heat, so I thought these mini sweet peppers would be a suitable alternative for the wimps in your life!!  I've started seeing packages of these everywhere so they shouldn't be too hard to find.

I like to serve these sprinkled with some fresh cilantro for freshness and a dollop of sour cream because, well, I love sour cream!  And it's the right thing to do.

Here's the recipe:

Stuff Jalapenos

this one is my own!

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese, softened
6 slices Applewood smoked bacon, fried and chopped (if you can't find it, regular bacon is fine)
8 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded (I used a habanero jack cheese which made for an extra spicy mix, however you can use regular pepper jack or even a mild or sharp cheddar if you want to limit the heat.  Whatever turns you on!)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cotija cheese to sprinkle on top (This is a white cheese used in mexican cooking)
20 peppers....your choice of jalapeno or sweet


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 deg. F.  Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray foil with non-stick spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the cream cheese until smooth.  Add in the remaining ingredients except for the Cotija cheese and mix well.

Slice the peppers in half, length ways, and scoop out the seeds and ribs.  Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the pepper and smooth down the top.  Line up the stuffed peppers on the sheet tray and sprinkle with the Cotija cheese.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until the stuffing is bubbling and lightly browned.  Let cool on pan for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with fresh, chopped cilantro and serve with sour cream for dipping.

Cocktail Party Week.....Day 6.....Chickpea Dip with Toasted Cumin and Pomegranate

No party would be complete without a creamy dip and a crunchy chip.  This modern twist on hummus fits the first part of that equation perfectly.  It's got a nice smokey backdrop from the toasted cumin seeds and when the pomegranate seeds explode in your mouth you get this great punch of tart-sweet flavor in addition to a little crunch.  

I used to be so intimidated by pomegranates until I watched a tutorial on-line and realized how easy it was to get those seeds out of there!  All you need is a large bowl of water and a knife and the rest is a piece of cake.

  

  

Fill a large bowl with water.  Score the pomegranate from top to bottom in quarters.  Submerge the pomegranate and pry the sections apart with your fingers.  Then gently remove the seeds from the pith.  Then this magical thing happens and the seeds sink to the bottom and the pith floats to the top!  Genius!! Remove the large chunks of rind and then skim off the pieces of pith from the top of the bowl and then simply drain the seeds in a colander.

And viola!  You've got these tasty little devils!  I use them in everything from my oatmeal in the morning to my champagne at noon cocktail hour!  Oh and to sprinkle on the Chickpea Dip.

  

And now for the ever-important crunchy chip.  These Cumin-Crusted Pita Chips are sooo perfect here and extremely easy to make.  All it takes is some pita bread rounds (I used whole wheat), olive oil, toasted cumin seeds and salt.  

Here are the recipes:

Chickpea Dip with toasted Cumin and Pomegranate

Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (the pitas also call for 1 teaspoon cumin seeds so I toasted them at the same time)
2 cloves of garlic
sea salt
2 15-oz cans chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
1 pomegranate
fruity extra virgin olive oil

Directions
In a small, dry frying pan over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds, shaking the pan often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Pour onto a plate to cool.

In a mortar (or you can do this on a cutting board and blend with the side edges of your knife), combine the garlic and pinch of salt and crush to a paste with a pestle.  Add the toasted cumin seeds and grind them together with the garlic (or they can be ground in a spice grinder).  Grate enough zest from 1 lemon to measure 1/2 teaspoon, and then halve and juice both lemons.  Drain the chickpeas, rinse under cold running water and drain well again.

Seed the pomegranate as shown above.

In a food processor or blender, combine the chickpeas, garlic-cumin mixture, lemon zest, 4 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1/4 cup water.  Process the mixture until very creamy, adding more water if needed to achieve the desired consistency.  Season to taste with salt and lemon juice.

Scrape the dip onto a large plate.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with about 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds.  Serve with the pita chips.

Cumin-Crusted Pita Chips

Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
3 pita breads, 7 inches in diameter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 deg. F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Toast cumin seeds, cool and grind in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.  Mix ground seeds in a bowl with the kosher salt.

Brush the pita breads on both sides with the oil, cut them into 8 wedges each, and arrange the wedges on the prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle the tops evenly with the salt and cumin mixture.  Bake until the wedges are light golden brown and crisp, 10-15 minutes, turning them over halfway through baking.

Cocktail Party Week.....Day 5.....Mini-Meatballs in Chipotle Sauce

It's been a well documented fact on this blog that I LOVE MEAT and meatballs may just be at the top of my meat loving list.  These are one of my favorites because of the addition of smoky, spicy chipotle.   It, along with cilantro instead of parsley, sets them apart from your basic Italian meatballs.

And one of the best things about serving meatballs at a party is that you can do all the work ahead of time and just reheat them giving you time for a pre-party cocktail.  Win-win!!

Here's the recipe:

Mini-Meatballs in Chipotle Sauce

Rick Rogers

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

1 15-oz can tomato sauce

1 or 2 canned chipotles in adobo sauce , finely chopped with any clinging adobo sauce, to taste  (My taste calls for about a tablespoon extra adobo sauce!)

3/4 cup packaged dried bread crumbs

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 pounds ground round

1 1/2 pounds ground pork

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 deg F.  Lightly oil a large baking sheet

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until the onions are tender, about 6 minutes.  Add the garlic and stir until it gives off its fragrance, about 1 minute.  Transfer half of the onion mixture to a large bowl.

Return the saucepan with the remaining onion mixture to the stove.  Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chipotles, and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Simmer, stirring often, until the sauce is lightly thickened, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the bread crumbs, eggs, oregano, salt and pepper to the onions in the bowl and mix well.  Add the ground round and ground pork, and mix again.  Using about 1 tablespoon for each, roll the meat mixture into balls and place on the baking sheet.

Bake until the meatballs are browned, about 20 minutes.  Transfer the meatballs to the simmering sauce.  Cover and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.  (The meatballs can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.  Cool the meatballs in the sauce.  Cover tightly and refrigerate.  Or transfer the cooked meatballs and sauce to airtight containers and freeze for up to 1 month; defrost before reheating.  To reheat, cook the meatballs and sauce in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are heated through, about 20 minutes).

Transfer the meatballs and sauce to a slow cooker or chafing dish to keep warm.  Sprinkle with the cilantro.  Serve hot with toothpicks for spearing the meatballs.

Cocktail Party Week.....Day 4.....Nuts (Two Ways!)

Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts

Today's offering is a twofer!!  (If I was on top of things I would have posted this on Tuesday.  Get it?  Twofer Tuesday?  Never mind.)  I love putting nuts out for guests to crunch on during cocktails while I'm putting the finishing touches on dinner.  Or if I'm having a larger party, I'll make a few different types and sit them around the house or right beside the bartender.  Everyone loves nuts.  Well not my friend, Jenny, or my niece, Charlotte, or....ok, maybe everyone doesn't love nuts....but they should.  Especially these Chipotle and Rosemary nuts.  They're a great combination of slightly sweet and a hint spicy.  And then there's the earthy rosemary.  Really yummy.  

Curried Nuts

While the first recipe required a little more effort, these curried nuts are easy-peasy and equally delicious.  Hubs is not a big fan of curry and even he thought these were pretty good.  I used a madras curry powder, but if you have your own favorite mixture, use that instead.

Both of these mixtures are flexible, so use whatever type of nuts you like best.  Hubs would be happy if I just used cashews in both of them, but he needs to expand his horizons occasionally!

These would also be great scooped into a pretty cellophane bag with a festive ribbon and given as part of your Christmas cookie platter or even as a fabulous hostess gift!

Here's the recipes:

Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts

Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
Vegetable oil
3 cups whole roasted unsalted cashews (14 ounces)
2 cups whole walnut halves (7 ounces)
2 cups whole pecan halves (7 ounces)
1/2 cup whole almonds (3 ounces)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons ground chipotle powder
4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves, divided
Kosher salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil. Combine the cashews, walnuts, pecans, almonds, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, and chipotle powder on the sheet pan. Toss to coat the nuts evenly. Add 2 tablespoons of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt and toss again.

Spread the nuts in one layer. Roast the nuts for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large metal spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 more teaspoons of salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary.

Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool. Taste for seasoning. Serve warm or cool completely and store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Curried Nuts

from the book, Finger Foods

Ingredients
4 cups mixed nuts
1 egg white
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 300 deg. F.  Spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes.

Whisk the egg white until frothy in a large bowl.  Add in the nuts, curry powder, cumin and salt.  Toss together and return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, then allow to cool.  (I tasted mine when they were still warm from the oven and found they needed a little more salt.  Use your own taste buds!)

Cocktail Party Week.....Day 3.....Soppressata and Gruyere in Puff Pastry

This is one of those fabulous recipes that gives you a huge return on minimal effort.  This is perfect to serve with cocktails before your fancy dinner party or at half time of the Gator Bowl (go bucks!!). 

There's something for everyone....buttery, flaky puff pastry.....tangy mustard......spicy ham.....and creamy, nutty gruyere cheese.  

Look how gorgeous!  You'll definitely get some ooh's and ahh's when you pull this from the oven.

And I can say from experience, it pairs perfectly with a glass of Champagne!  Not that I've found anything that doesn't pair perfectly with a glass of Champagne.  Just sayin.

Here's the recipe:

Soppressata and Gruyere in Puff Pastry

Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, such as Pepperidge Farm, defrosted
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
12 thin (not paper thin) slices soppressata salami (3 1/2 inches in diameter)
6 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan.

Lay one sheet of puff pastry on a floured board and lightly roll into a 10-inch square. Place it on the sheet pan and brush the pastry with all the mustard, leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange the soppressata in overlapping layers on the mustard and sprinkle the grated cheese evenly on the soppressata, also avoiding the border. Brush the border with the egg wash.

Lightly roll the second piece of puff pastry into a 10-inch square. Lay the pastry directly on top of the first square, lining up the edges. Brush the top with the egg wash, cut three large slits for steam to escape, and chill for 15 minutes.

When the pastry is cold, trim the edges with a very sharp knife to make a clean edge. Bake the pastry in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once while baking, until puffed and brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes, cut in squares, and serve hot or warm.

Cocktail Party Week.....Day 2.....Baked Pizza Dip

I found this Pizza Dip in my mom's recipe file that I forced her to hand over to me this summer!  After I made it the first time, I knew it had huge potential....it just needed to be updated a tad.  She did have to come clean and admit that she had pilfered the recipe from a former tennis acquaintance that now lives in Texas. Since mom couldn't remember her name, I can only surmise that she must have regularly lost to said tennis acquaintance??  Just sayin.

Fortunately, even though I inherited my mother's hatred of losing, I also inherited her ability to spot a good thing when I see one!   This recipe is a total winner.   And it truly is pizza disguised as a dip.  It's cheesy, creamy and just a hint spicy.  The first time I made it I served it with fresh bread slices, but like pizza, it's best with a crispy crust!  So, the next time I toasted my own crostini and while they were still hot from the oven, I rubbed them with fresh garlic.  Perfect.

Here's the recipe:

Baked Pizza Dip

(from my mother's obviously superior tennis friend from Texas!)

Ingredients:
1 8oz pkg. of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 log or tube of pepperoni, chopped (I tried this with slices of pepperoni and it makes it too hard to "dip" so I tried chopping up one of those tubes of pepperoni and it works much better.  Just make sure you remove the paper wrapping!!)
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (I prefer Rao's Arrabbiata Sauce)
Fresh Mozzarella

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together cream cheese and sour cream.  Add oregano, basil, pepper flakes and garlic powder and blend.  Spread mixture in the bottom of pie plate.  Top mixture with marinara.  Top with chopped pepperoni and chopped scallions.  Cover with slices of fresh mozzarella.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until mixture starts to bubble around the edges.  I like to finish mine under the broiler to brown the cheese.  Serve with garlic crostini.

Cocktail Party Week.....Day 1....Crostini 6 Ways

It's that time of year.  Party time.  There are the office parties, neighborhood parties, your kid's playgroup parties, tennis parties, the dreaded impromptu-drop-in-visitors-that-turn-into-a-party party, etc., etc.  So everyday this week, I'm going to give you my favorite, most delicious go-to party dishes.  

I'm going to start with crostini because the possibilities are endless, they're filling and are a consistent crowd pleaser.  And even better, most of the time you've got all the ingredients already on hand.

Refried Beans and Pepper Jack Cheese

Mix canned refried beans with canned chopped green chili's.  Spread on crostini and top with shredded pepper jack cheese.  Pop under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and browned and top with chopped fresh cilantro.

BBQ Chicken and Pickle Relish

Shred rotisserie chicken and toss with your favorite BBQ sauce.  Heat and then spread on crostini and top with pickle relish.  I prefer sweet relish but hubs likes dill relish.  Whatever floats your boat!

Mascarpone Cheese with Chopped Grapes and Bacon

Spread mascarpone cheese on top of crostini and top with chopped grapes and and bacon.  (This is one of my favorites....the salty bacon is fabulous with the sweet grapes)

Tuna with Wasabi Mayonnaise

Finely chop sashimi-grade tuna and marinate in toasted sesame oil.  Mix wasabi paste with mayonnaise to suite your taste.  Spread wasabi mayo onto crostini and top with chopped tuna.  (I kept looking at this after I  made it and knew it needed a finishing touch but damn if I wasn't brain dead.  As I started to type this I thought that toasted sesame seeds would be perfect here.  Duh!)

Chopped Grapes and Prosciutto

Sprinkle chopped grapes on top of crostini and wrap with a slice of prosciutto.  (Does it get any easier than that?)

Smoked Salmon with Dill Cream Cheese

Combine chopped fresh dill with softened cream cheese.  Spread onto crostini and top with a slice of smoked salmon.  (I usually garnish these with a sprig of fresh dill but this time I was an idiot and forgot to save any.  Typical!)

So there you have it.   I got these ideas from the Food Network website and there are tons more where these came from.  I like to make my own crostini because it's simple and much cheaper.  Slice a baguette loaf in slightly diagonal slices.  Brush on a thin layer of olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with salt and pepper and pop them under the broiler until toasted.  That being said, most grocery stores now sell pre-made toasts in their bakery department.

Up tomorrow:  Baked Pizza Dip