Peppermint Patty

  It is officially Christmastime! Why is that important to a chef? Peppermint, that's why. There is no other time of year when it is acceptable to add that sweet and spicy flavor to anything and everything  you so choose. Peppermint is good all alone, it is a natural accompaniment for chocolate of the hot variety, and is a fantastic flavoring for cream cheese candy. These Cream Cheese Peppermint Patties are not only delicious but seriously easy. They require 5 ingredients and need no cooking. The finished product is sweet, festive, and will melt in you mouth. The best thing about them is that with little effort you can make large quantities, perfect for gifts or Christmas parties. Not to mention that all your friends will be so impressed with you candy-making skills!

What You Will Need:

1 8-oz package Cream Cheese
1 2-lb bag Confectioners Sugar
1/2 tsp Peppermint Extract
1 cup Dark Chocolate Morsels
2 ea. Peppermint Candy Canes, crushed

In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and peppermint together, on high, until soft.

Then with the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times before it is all mixed together.

When combined, the mixture will look like sugar cookie dough. Next, cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using the 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, scoop and roll cherry-sized balls of the cream cheese mixture. Place the balls in rows, about an inch apart, on the cookie sheet. Press the center of each ball with your thumb, creating a dimple in the center. This dimple is important for garnishing.

Continue lining cookie sheets until all of the cream cheese mixture is used. Stack the pans in alternating directions and place in the oven overnight to dry. *Do NOT turn on the oven with the candies inside!* 

When the candies have dried out, it's time to garnish them! 

                                                

Begin by making a double boiler. Place a cup of water in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Place a glass bowl over the top and put in the chocolate morsels. Heat the chocolate until just melted, stirring occasionally. 

Pour the chocolate into a quart-size bag and cut an eighth of an inch off of one corner, creating a makeshift piping bag. Pipe the chocolate back and forth across the mints, making stripes.

 

Finally, place the candy canes in a ziploc bag and crush. I do this using the handle of my knife but a rolling pin works just as well. Once they are smashed, sprinkle the pieces into the dimple in the peppermint patty.

Plate or package as desired and enjoy!

 Sweetened Condensed Version:

What You Will Need:

1 8-oz package Cream Cheese
1 2-lb bag Confectioners Sugar
1/2 tsp Peppermint Extract
1 cup Dark Chocolate Morsels
2 ea. Peppermint Candy Canes, crushed

1. In a stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and the peppermint extract on high. With the mixer on low, slowly add the sugar. Mix until combined. 

2. Roll the dough into 1/2 inch balls. Place on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Press each ball with your thumb to create a dent.

3. Continue with single layers on cookie sheets until dough is gone. Let stand overnight in a dry place.

4. When mints are dry, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Place in a ziploc bag and pipe small ribbons onto each mint.

5. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes and enjoy!

Turkey Day

     Thanksgiving is tied with Christmas for my favorite holiday. Time with family, the cool weather, and the abundance of food make it something to be cherished. Growing up, Thanksgiving was always just with my immediate family and I loved that. My mom and I would spend all day in the kitchen perfecting our feast. I think it took us 4 or 5 years to finally get our turkey right. But the last year I lived at home, we perfected it! I have done my own turkey the last two years but still follow the method of preparation my mom and I discovered before I left for culinary school. We discovered the art of brining, the stuffing with citrus, and the butter-under-the-skin trick. I want to share our tips and tricks with the hope that you will put your own touches on this to make it a part of YOUR family feast.

I'm sorry I don't have pictures! I will be adding them as I complete my Thanksgiving dinner preparations. 

Even if you do nothing else to your turkey, brine it! Brining breaks down the fibers in the bird and gives it its best chance to be moist. Two things you MUST have to brine a turkey: lots of ice and a large pot (or clean sink). The ice is not so necessary if you have a large refrigerator and a pot that will contain your bird as well as enough liquid to cover said bird. I do NOT have a pot NOR do I have a large enough refrigerator. So I will be using my sink and a lot of ice. Also, this is to be done overnight so give yourself the proper amount of time.

What you will need:

2 cups Sugar
2 cups Kosher Salt
1/2 cup Whole Peppercorns
3 Bay leaves
1 large Onion, quartered
1 head of Garlic, halved across the equator
3 Tbsp Mustard seeds
2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar

In a large bowl or pot, mix together all the ingredients. You may need to alter the recipe depending on the size of your turkey but this will work for anything from 12-20 lbs. If you do alter it, just be sure to use equal parts sugar, salt, and vinegar. 
Place the turkey in whatever you will be keeping it in for the next 24 hours. If you are using a sink, be sure to stop it up. Pour the brine over the turkey and cover the rest of the way with COLD water. If you are not using the refrigerator you will need to periodically add ice to keep the bird from getting too warm and becoming unsafe to eat.

When you are ready to cook it, remove the turkey from the brine and dry it off with paper towels. Discard the brine; clean the sink with bleach before returning it to its regular duties. Not it's time to stuff the cavity.

What you will need:

1 Orange, halved across the equator
1 Lemon, halved across the equator
1 Onion, quartered
1 head Garlic, halved across the equator
1/2 bunch Thyme
1/2 bunch Sage
1/2 bunch Parsley

Place all the ingredients inside the cavity of the turkey. (Don't forget to remove the 'goody' bag.)

I know what some of you are thinking. Why not stuff the bird with the classic bread stuffing to be consumed later? I'll tell you why not. Because the stuffing has been in contact with the turkey, it needs to be cooked to 165 degrees. By the time the stuffing has reached a safe temperature you have cooked every last drop of moisture out of the meat! The stuffing may taste yummy but you will have a turkey resembling the meal from 'Christmas Vacation'. Stuffing it instead with citrus and aromatics adds moisture as well as another layer of flavor from the inside. Because you are not going to eat the stuffing, all you have to worry about is the turkey being cooked, maximizing the amount of scrumptious juices remaining in the finished product.

Once it's stuffed, it is time to love your turkey. Give your dinner a little butter massage and you will be the one feeling the love.

What you will need:

1 stick Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 bunch Thyme
1/2 bunch Sage
1/2 bunch Parsley

Salt and Pepper

Chop the herbs and mix them together with the butter. Place on a piece of plastic wrap and twist shut into a cylinder (picture a giant Jolly Rancher made of butter). Place the butter in the freezer for about 10 minutes to let it stiffen. Remove it from the freezer and massage  approximately 2 tablespoons at a time under the skin of the turkey breast. You can easily loosen the skin buy going in above the cavity and gently pulling it away from the meat. It's okay to have some bulges of butter; they will melt and even out. Generously salt the outside of the turkey and massage 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture over the entire turkey.

Now it's time to cook! Follow the instructions for time and temperature listed on the package for the turkey. Generally speaking, 1 hour for every 4 pounds at 350 degrees is a good guideline. Be sure to check it often after about 2.5 hours to be sure it is not overcooking. I always turn the oven up to 425 for the last 45 minutes to crisp the skin. Keep a meat thermometer on hand, but a good indicator that turkey is fully cooked is if you can twist the leg easily off the body. If that happens, be sure to take the temperature. Always check for doneness in the THIGH, not the breast! 

This is a tried and true method for a moist and flavorful turkey. It is a little more work than just placing it in the oven, but it is well worth the effort. 

Pumpkin Pappardelle

      Thanksgiving is next week. News flash, I know. I promised you all my favorite Thanksgiving dishes and memories over the next week and they are coming. Before I break into the mindset of a huge feast for a dozen people, I wanted to share my "Thanksgiving for Two" recipe. Although people often find themselves surrounded by family on this holiday centered around food, there are some for whom thanksgiving will be just like any other day. Justin and I will be without family on Thursday. Although I will not be cooking a massive feast, I do want to make it feel special. This dish is not something I would make everyday but I also will not be tied to the kitchen all day. I wanted to incorporate things that speak 'autumn' to me. So I came up with a fresh made Pumpkin Pappardelle pasta tossed in a walnut and sage brown butter. It is rich, warm, nutty, and seasonal, and it makes me feel all the things I want to feel on Thanksgiving day. I will warn you that it does take a little extra time but it is well worth it in the end. So, to ring in the holiday season, I give you Pumpkin Pappardelle!

What you will need:

For the pasta:

2 large eggs
1/2 cup canned Pumpkin Puree
1/2 cup Semolina flour
1 1/4 cup A.P. Flour + extra to dust the pasta with when rolling
1 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Fresh Sage, chopped

For the sauce:

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
2 Tbsp Fresh Sage, chiffonade*
3 Tbsp Butter
Splash of White Wine (about 1/4 cup)

You are going to want to begin by making the pasta dough. It has to chill for 30 minutes before you roll it so you will have lots of time to get the sauce made then.

To start, place the dry ingredients (excluding the sage) in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and pumpkin together. And yes, I am using canned pumpkin. Even this time of year it costs less than a dollar and it does not taste different enough to warrant all the extra work that goes into using fresh pumpkin - in my opinion. If you would like to use fresh, go right ahead, and know that you are a better person than I am. Add the eggs and pumpkin, as well as the sage, to the flour mixture.

Mix together until JUST combined. Too much mixing will cause the dough to become glutenous making it a little tough. Note: if you are using a food processor, the dough should come out as little pebbles of mixed dough. 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes. When the dough is smooth, you are done! Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

You can get a lot done while the dough is chilling. Start by making the sauce. This sauce is SO easy! Chop the walnuts into small pieces. Next, cut the sage into ribbons (called chiffonade). *To do this, remove the leaves from the stem and stack them up, largest leaf on the bottom and smallest on the top. Roll them up and slice from stem to tip.

Once the ingredients are ready, heat a large saute pan on medium high heat. Add the walnuts to the pan while it it warming up to toast them. Toasting the walnuts releases their natural oils and will make the butter taste deliciously nutty. When you start to smell the nuts, add half the butter and the sage. As the butter begins to brown, add the wine. When the wine has cooked to the point of being almost gone, turn off the pan. We will finish it later.

The next thing I did was wash my dishes! I had extra time and there is nothing better than a clean kitchen after dinner.

Before we get the dough out, you need to attach the pasta sheeter to your stand mixer. What's that? You don't HAVE a pasta sheeter? That is an easy problem to fix. You can purchase one here: KitchenAid Pasta Sheet Roller Attachment. I know it seems expensive, but if you like fresh pasta it is a great investment. You can also use it for things other than pasta! Want to make croissants? Wish you could cover a cake in thin, beautiful fondant? It will flatten anything you can fit between its rollers.

Enough of that; let's make pasta!

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and plastic. Flatten it with your hand as much as you can, fold it into thirds, then flatten it again.

Cut the dough into thirds. Roll each piece through the first setting three times, folding it into thirds after each. The dough needs to be COVERED in flour. It will feel like you are over-flouring it, but trust me.  After the first three rolls, you can go up one notch at a time until you get to 4, folding into thirds after each, up to the last time through. This part you may want to do with a friend. As the pasta gets thinner, it also gets longer and more fragile, making it hard to handle on your own. 

Once the dough is rolled out, cut it into the desired length (I cut each finished piece into thirds), then cut the individual noodles about 3/4 of an inch wide. Use a sharp, floured knife to avoid ripping and frustration.  Flour a cookie sheet to keep the pasta on until it's all cut. 

Fill a large pot with water; salt generously. When the water is at a rolling boil, and no sooner, add the pasta. It should only take one to two minutes to cook. While it is cooking, turn the sauce pan back onto medium heat. Add the remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp of butter. Remove the pasta from the pot using a spaghetti spoon and toss in the pan with the sauce. Using a pair of tongs, twist each portion of pasta in a bowl. Top with the sauce and a light sprinkling of parmesan cheese. 

Pour some wine, sit back, and enjoy the time you did NOT have to spend in the kitchen cooking a huge meal!

Wine Pairing:

This Chardonnay from Contempo is the perfect companion to the Papperdelle. It is just acidic enough to elevate the flavor of the dish, while still having hints of butter and nuttiness from its oak aging. It is smoother than most Chardonnay's I have tasted and is very reasonably priced at $12. This is a delicious wine but be sure to drink what YOU like!

Sweetened Condensed Version:

What you will need:

For the pasta:

2 large eggs

1/2 cup canned Pumpkin Puree

1/2 cup Semolina flour

1 1/4 cup A.P. Flour

1 tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Fresh Sage, chopped

For the sauce:

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

2 Tbsp Fresh Sage, chiffonade

3 Tbsp Butter

Splash of White Wine (about 1/4 cup)

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine semolina, flour, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs and the pumpkin. Add the pumpkin mixture and the sage to the flour and mix with the paddle attachment until just combined.

2. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a large frying pan over medium high heat. When the nuts become aromatic, add the butter and sage. When the butter begins to brown, add the wine and cook until it is almost entirely gone. Remove from heat.

4. When the dough is chilled, cut into three pieces, flatten each piece with your hands and fold into thirds. Roll through the pasta attachment on the stand mixer at level 1 three times, folding into thirds after each. Continue rolling once through each setting up to level 4, folding into thirds after each (except the last). Cut the dough to the desired length and 3/4 inch wide. Place on a floured cookie sheet until ready to cook.

5. Generously salt a large pot of water and heat on high. When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, place the sauce pan back on medium heat and add the remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp of butter. 

6. Remove the pasta after 1-2 minutes and toss in the sauce. Place the portions of pasta in bowls, top with sauce, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. 

Sit back and enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Memories

     Sorry for the long delay, folks. Life gets busy in the fall and the time change did not help! But I am back and gearing up for Thanksgiving. In the next two weeks I will be sharing my recipes for some of my most treasured Thanksgiving dishes. Before I tell you about my favorite holiday foods, I want to hear about yours! When you think Thanksgiving dinner, what do you think of? Green beans? Sweet potatoes? Overcooked turkey? Gravy? Pie? Does your family have any fun traditions?

The holiday season is all about connecting with the people in your life and I would love to get to know you all a little better through the next few weeks. Leave a comment below and be on the lookout for my stories and recipes coming soon!

Country Sausage and White Beans

     As a chef, I love a delicate, well-planned, and beautiful plate of food. But as a woman who works full-time and comes home to cook dinner, I love any dish that requires only that I throw all the ingredients together and scoop it over some form of carbohydrate. I especially love if I do not even have to get out my knife. This Sausage and White Bean dish gives me all those things. It is easy, it is Italian, and it is delicious! All things I love in a weeknight meal. I must warn you that I used some of my pasta sauce in this recipe but if you have yet to make it (I forgive you), you can use a small can of crushed tomatoes. It will not have the depth that it would with the sauce that cooked all day but it will suffice. Since it is a weeknight, let's jump right in!

What You Will Need:

1 12oz package Mild Italian Sausage

1 15.5oz can Cannelini Beans

1 cup Pasta Sauce

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup Italian Bread Crumbs

1 Tbsp dried Parsley

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

Salt, to taste

Begin by placing a saute pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the sausage. Saute it until it looks nice and brown.

Next, add the beans, sauce, garlic powder, parsley, half of the bread crumbs, half of the cheese and a pinch of salt. Be sure to drain the beans of the liquid from the can and rinse them off. This assures that you have total control over the amount of salt that goes into the dish.

Mix it all up! Let it come to a simmer to ensure everything is on the same page. Place it in a deep dish pie pan or a casserole dish. If your saute pan can go in the oven, you get to skip this step.

Top it with the remaining 1/2 parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.

Place it in a 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes.* After the 7 minutes are up, put on the broiler and cook for another 2 minutes or until it is golden brown on top.

It's done! Scoop it out over pasta or eat it as is along side a piece of delicious garlic bread. What's that? Don't have a good recipe for garlic bread? You are in luck because this post is a two-fer!

(*About the amount of time it takes to prepare garlic bread.)

Garlic Bread

1/2 loaf soft Italian Bread
1 Tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp dried Parsley
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt, to taste

Use a serrated knife to cut bread in half across the equator.

Slice the butter into 6 pieces and place evenly on the two sides of the loaf.

Place in the warming oven to allow the butter to melt and to toast the bread.

Spread the butter, then sprinkle with the garlic powder, parsley, parmesan, and a pinch of salt. Place it under the broiler with the sausage and let it cook for 2 minutes or until the bread is golden brown.

Now you are ready to eat! Heat up some extra sauce for dipping, drink a little red wine, and think about how easy that was...

Sweetened Condensed Version:

1 12oz package Mild Italian Sausage

1 15.5oz can Cannelini Beans

1 cup Pasta Sauce

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup Italian Bread Crumbs

1 Tbsp dried Parsley

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

Salt, to taste

1. In a saute pan, brown sausage. When sausage is completely browned, add the the beans, sauce, half of the parmesan, half of the bread crumbs, parsley, garlic powder, and salt. Cook until the sauce begins to simmer.

2. Place in a casserole dish and top with the remaining bread crumbs and cheese. Place in 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes. After the 7 minutes are up, broil for 2 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown.

GARLIC BREAD

1/2 loaf soft Italian Bread

1 Tbsp Butter

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1 Tbsp dried Parsley

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese

Salt, to taste

1. Cut bread in half across the equator. Add butter and place in 350 degree oven for 2 minutes to allow the butter to melt.

2. Remove from oven, spread butter, and sprinkle with remaining ingredients. Place under broiler for 2 minutes or until the cheese begins to turn golden. Enjoy!

Pickles!

     Autumn has always been pumpkin season but only recently have a realized it is also baby season. No babies for me yet but many of my friends are in the process of growing small humans! When I think pregnancy, naturally, I think pickles. Crisp, savory, garlicky pickles. When I was growing up, my family pickled anything from the garden that did not get eaten right away. That meant we always had traditional cucumber pickles, as well as those dreaded green beans. Making pickles is easier than you might think. If you don't like cucumbers, you can pickle any vegetable! I like to pickle bell peppers, onions, and green beans. But most grocery stores sell the small cucumbers that are ideal for pickling and the other ingredients are kitchen basics. This recipe is for refrigerator pickles and can be made in any plastic or glass container. Let's get pickling!

What You Will Need:

12 small Pickling Cucumbers (regular cucumbers have too many seeds to make a crunchy pickle)
4 large Garlic Cloves
1/2 White Onion
1 3/4 cups White Vinegar
1 3/4 cups Water
2 Tbsp Dry Dill
2 Tbsp Mustard Seed
2 Tbsp Whole Black Peppercorns
1 Tbsp Red Pepper flakes
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Kosher Salt

I know it seems like a lot of ingredients but it's not complicated; they all get mixed together!

First, cut the cucumbers into the desired size spears. I like mine to have a real crunch so I cut them into quarters but you can do sixths or even eighths if you want them a little softer. Lay them in the container you will be storing them in.

Next, chop the garlic, cut the onion into large pieces, and place them on top of the cucumbers.

Place the rest of the ingredients in a sauce pot and bring to a boil. (See, easy.)

 Mustard Seed

Water and Vinegar

 Dill

Red Pepper Flakes

 Kosher Salt

Sugar

 Black Peppercorns

Boil them together...

Let it boil for 2 minutes then pour it over the cucumbers.

Let them cool before replacing the lids and refrigerating. You are done! If you cut the cucumbers small, the pickles should be ready in two days. No matter the size they should be done after four days for sure. They will be at their most delicious for a week but, because of the high pH (acid) levels, it takes a lot for them to go bad. 

Whether you are pregnant or not, these pickles make a scrumptious snack!

Sweetened Condensed Version:

What You Will Need:

12 small Pickling Cucumbers 

4 large Garlic Cloves

1/2 White Onion 

1 3/4 cups White Vinegar

1 3/4 cups Water

2 Tbsp Dry Dill

2 Tbsp Mustard Seed

2 Tbsp Whole Black Peppercorns

1 Tbsp Red Pepper flakes

1/4 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Kosher Salt

1. Cut the cucumber to the desired size for your pickles. Layer in the container you will store them in. 

2. Chop the garlic and cut the onion into large pieces. Place on top of cut cucumbers. 

3. In a medium sauce pot add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes.

4. Pour over cucumbers and allow to cool before replacing the lid. Refrigerate for 2-4 days, then enjoy!