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Chocolate Whiskey Cake

12/19/2018

Makes 1 10” cake

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces each
1 healing tablespoon unsalted butter for the pan
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa butter for the pan
1½ cups strongly brewed coffee
½ cup whiskey
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (undivided)
1 scant cup light brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Confectioner’s sugar for garnish or decoration

1 10” springform pan

Preheat oven to 325°
Butter springform pan and dust with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
In a medium saucepan, heat coffee, whiskey, 12 tablespoons of butter pieces and the remaining cocoa powder, whisking occasionally until the butter has melted.
Add the chocolate chips.
When the chips have melted, whisk in the sugars.
When the sugars are dissolved and the mixture is well blended, remove the pan from the heat and let cool thoroughly.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and cloves.
In a smaller bowl whisk together the vanilla and the eggs.
Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture.
Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and continue whisking until the batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. When a toothpick inserted into the cake Insert a toothpick can be removed cleanly, the cake is done.
Remove cake from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Remove the sides of the springform pan and place on a serving dish.
Dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired.

Variation: Make a stencil of your choosing, perhaps a Christmas tree and carefully place it on the top of the cake. Put confectioner’s sugar into a sprinkle container or bottle and dust that portion of the cake not covered with the stencil.

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December 12th, 2018

12/12/2018

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Coconut Macaroons and Oatmeal Raisin and Spice Cookies

12/12/2018

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Makes about 20 cookies

2 egg whites
1 cup sugar (preferably superfine)
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Baking parchment paper

Preheat oven to 325°.
Place egg whites in a medium to large bowl. Beat egg whites with an electric beater on high with a whisk attachment (or with a whisk by hand) until foamy and sort of stiff.
Beat in sugar.
Scrape bowl.
Add vanilla on lower speed.
Add coconut on low speed, scrape bowl.
Cover baking sheet with ungreased parchment paper. If using baking sheets without sides, secure the parchment paper with a binder clip.

Oatmeal Raisin and Spice Cookies
Makes about 50 3” thin crisp cookies

2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
1 cup of dark brown sugar
½ cup of white sugar
2 eggs
1 capful of vanilla extract
¾ cup of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
A pinch of salt
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 well rounded teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 well rounded teaspoon ground clove
2 cups of oatmeal
1 cup raisins
Baking parchment paper

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a large bowl cream the butter and sugars together.
Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
Add the flour, baking soda, salt, spices to the batter slowly mixing all the while. Scrape bowl repeatedly to assure incorporation.
Add oatmeal to the batter and mix well.
Add the raisins and mix well again.
Cover baking sheet with ungreased parchment paper. If using baking sheets without sides, secure the parchment paper with a binder clip
Test results by spooning one teaspoon of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet to see if the dough produces a cookie of the thickness you want. If not, add another heaping tablespoon of flour to the dough and blend well. Try again.
When the dough is of a desired consistency, drop 1 teaspoon for each cookie, staggering them across the length and breadth of the baking sheet.
Bake for approximately 10 minutes, peeking when you begin to smell them.
If the cookies merge into one another, simply use a sharp knife to separate them when they are done.
Cool cookies about 5 minutes to avoid breakage before you lift them with a spatula onto a cooling rack.

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Oatmeal Raisin and Spice Cookies

12/12/2018

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Makes about 50 3” thin crisp cookies

2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
1 cup of dark brown sugar
½ cup of white sugar
2 eggs
1 capful of vanilla extract
¾ cup of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
A pinch of salt
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 well rounded teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 well rounded teaspoon ground clove
2 cups of oatmeal
1 cup raisins
Baking parchment paper

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a large bowl cream the butter and sugars together.
Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
Add the flour, baking soda, salt, spices to the batter slowly mixing all the while. Scrape bowl repeatedly to assure incorporation.
Add oatmeal to the batter and mix well.
Add the raisins and mix well again.
Cover baking sheet with ungreased parchment paper. If using baking sheets without sides, secure the parchment paper with a binder clip
Test results by spooning one teaspoon of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet to see if the dough produces a cookie of the thickness you want. If not, add another heaping tablespoon of flour to the dough and blend well. Try again.
When the dough is of a desired consistency, drop 1 teaspoon for each cookie, staggering them across the length and breadth of the baking sheet.
Bake for approximately 10 minutes, peeking when you begin to smell them.
If the cookies merge into one another, simply use a sharp knife to separate them when they are done.
Cool cookies about 5 minutes to avoid breakage before you lift them with a spatula onto a cooling rack.

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Harvest Pumpkin Soup

12/5/2018

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Serves: 6
1 small sugar pumpkin*
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought vegetable or chicken stock
3 cups water
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 small parsnip (about 4 ounces), peeled and coarsely chopped
1 small Yukon gold potato (about 6 ounces), peeled and coarsely chopped
1 small turnip (about 4 ounces), peeled and coarsely chopped
2 small shallots, minced (about ¼ cup)
½ cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon packed light-brown sugar
2 teaspoons coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 small thyme sprigs for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place pumpkin halves, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until soft, about 50 minutes.
Scoop out flesh, and puree in a food processor (you should have about 2 cups).
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add shallots, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes, until translucent.
Add the remaining 5 tablespoons butter and let it melt. Add pumpkin puree, parsnip, potato, and turnip, and cook for 5 minutes.
Add wine, and cook until liquid has reduced by half.
Add stock, water, and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer; cook 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool.
Pass soup through a food mill into a clean saucepan, or puree in a food processor in small batches until smooth. (If soup does not reach desired consistency using a food processor, press it through a fine sieve to remove any remaining lumps.)
Heat soup in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in cream, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Garnish as desired and serve.

*NOTE: You can substitute two 15 oz. cans of pureed pumpkin if you wish.

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Chocolate Whiskey Cake

December 12th, 2018

Coconut Macaroons and Oatmeal Raisin and Spice Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin and Spice Cookies

Harvest Pumpkin Soup

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