Pistachio Vanilla Bean Cookies (with video link)

Christmas Goodies Countdown day 20/number 6...awesome cookies that have a great salty/sweet combo mmmm. Being slice & bake makes them an easy option to add to your holiday repertoire :)

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/9ijdwGLS84w

Original recipe credit: https://www.bhgrelife.com/bhgrelife/pistachio-vanilla-bean-cookies-bhgre-season-of-sharing/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

**entry in progress, pardon my dust, will have completed soon!**

• 1 cup butter, softened 
• 3/4 cup sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1 vanilla bean 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup finely chopped salted dry-roasted pistachio nuts 
• 6 ounces white chocolate (with cocoa butter), cut up 
• 2 teaspoons shortening 

Directions

Step 1: 
In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using the tip of a knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean halves into butter mixture. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Stir in pistachios. 

Step 2: 
Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 1 1/2-inch-thick log (about 7 inches long). Wrap each log in waxed paper; twist the ends. Chill for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. 

Step 3: 
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Cut chilled or frozen logs into 1/4-inch slices. Place slices about 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake about 10 minutes or just until firm and browned on the bottoms. Cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute. Transfer to wire racks; cool. 

Step 4: 
In a heavy small saucepan combine white chocolate and shortening; heat and stir over low heat until melted. Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate mixture; place on a wire rack over waxed paper and let stand until set. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Crumblies (with video link)

Christmas Goodies Countdown day 19/number 7...another small batch cookie, very tasty! You'll need to get your metric on for this one, as the original comes from a European website. I made the larger versions, which I highly recommend (I'm sure the smaller ones are good, too). These would even be good without any filling, or tops frosted only.

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/p3FvEKl4g4s

Original recipe credit: https://tasteoffrancemag.com/recipes/chocolate-hazelnut-crumblies/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

100g unsalted butter, softened

50g light brown sugar

50g turbinado sugar, ground (or golden caster sugar, if available)

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

100g self-rising flour

75g old-fashioned rolled oats

chocolate hazelnut spread, for sandwich style

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F/190°C. Line baking sheet with parchment.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and ground turbinado sugar.

3. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla.

4. Add the flour and oats. Mix on low, then finish mixing completely with wooden spoon until soft dough forms.

5. Shape the dough into 16 or 24 balls, depending on size of cookie you would like (I went with 16 and recommend). Place on prepared baking sheet, spaced 2" or more apart, then flatten each with a fork (I did a cross-hatch on them).

6. Bake for 7-12 min, depending on size of cookies; remove from oven when edges are starting to turn golden (mine took 11 min).

7. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

8. Once cooled, spread some chocolate hazelnut spread on bottom of a cookie and press another cookie, bottom facing the spread, to form a sandwich. Enjoy!

Orange Zest Buttermilk Cake Loaves

These super tasty loaves are part of the Christmas Goodies Countdown (day 18/number 8) and would make great homemade gifts...if you don't eat them up first! The original recipe calls for dusting them with powdered sugar at the end; I omitted this because the cakes are really great as is and didn't feel the need to add on sugar. If you choose to do so, only add just before serving.

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/87LttllafvE

Link to original recipe: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/orange-scented-buttermilk-cake-loaves

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

358g (3 1/4 c.) cake flour

1 T. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 sticks (1 c.) unsalted butter, softened

2 c. sugar

1/2 T. grated orange zest

4 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 c. sour cream, room temperature

1/2 T. vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. buttermilk, room temperature

optional: powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 3 loaf pans (8"x4" size, or close to it--I used 8.7"x4.5" disposables) with non-stick cooking spray, then dust with flour (can use cake flour or all-purpose). Arrange the 3 pans on a baking sheet.

2. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon into a medium bowl, then set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and orange zest, until creamed and fluffy (around 3-4 min).

4. Mix in eggs one at a time, beating well between additions.

5. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla.

6. With mixer on low speed, add the reserved dry mixture and buttermilk in partial amounts (around a third), starting and ending with dry mixture. Mix only until just blended.

7. Distribute batter among the 3 loaf pans as evenly as possible. Smooth tops of each, then gently tap once or twice to release extra air bubbles. Transfer to oven and bake for 45-50 min (toothpick inserted should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs).

8. After removing from oven, let loaves cool in pans for 20 min on a cooling rack, then turn them out from pans, set them right side up, and cool the rest of the way. If desired, dust with powdered sugar just before serving. Slice up and enjoy!

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies (with video link)

Christmas Goodies Countdown day 13/number 13...Oh very yum! Grab a bag (if you can find) of Ghirardelli's Peppermint Bark Mix-Ins and make these cookies, so very tasty and easy!

Link to my YouTube "making of" the recipe video: https://youtu.be/KNIUFTSf8D8

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 c. Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips

3/4 c. dark brown sugar, loosely packed

1/3 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

210g (1 3/4 c.) all-purpose flour

1 bag (8 oz.) Ghirardelli peppermint bark mix-ins

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

2. Place butter and bittersweet chips in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in increments of 15-30 sec (depending on your microwave, be careful!), stirring after each increment, until melted/smooth.

3. Stir in the brown sugar and sugar until fully combined.

4. Stir in the eggs, one at a time.

5. Stir in the baking soda and kosher salt.

6. Stir in the flour.

7. Stir in the peppermint bark mix-ins.

8. Form rounded Tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place on prepared baking sheet, spacing the dough balls at least 2" apart.

9. Bake for 9-11 min, or until edges are firm and center is still slightly soft. After removing from oven, let cookies rest on baking sheet 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Santa Madeleines

Christmas Goodie Countdown day 12/number 14 is this super yummy recipe! And adorable...how could anyone resist these Santas?? Highly recommend making a batch (or two) of these for your family, holiday gathering, etc. They are also tasty without any decoration, in case you don't feel like making the effort :)

Link to my YouTube video "making of": https://youtu.be/PfJ9OEu9idI

Original recipe credit: https://www.bhg.com/santa-madeleines-6822643

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

for the madeleines--

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

1 c. powdered sugar, sifted (measure, then sift)

1/2 c. salted butter, melted and cooled

90g (3/4 c.) all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp. zest from an orange

2 tsp. fresh orange juice

for the red icing--

1 c. powdered sugar

1 T. (plus a little bit more) milk

couple of drops of vanilla extract

red food coloring (I used the Wilton gel "no taste red")

for the white frosting--

I used my homemade version (there is no recipe, I adjust amounts in it depending on texture need); feel free to use any pipeable frosting (i.e. not the canned stuff at the store) or the buttercream frosting part of the original recipe (link above)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease and flour madeleine pans/molds (I ended up making 22, recipe says it makes 24, so be sure you have at least 24 cavities ready). Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg and egg yolks on high speed for 5 minutes.

3. Add the powdered sugar, mix in on low, then beat for 5 minutes on high speed.

4. Mix in the cooled melted butter on low speed until combined.

5. In a small bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder. Add to the stand mixer mixture and mix in on low speed until combined.

6. Stir in the orange zest and orange juice by hand.

7. Spoon the batter into the prepared molds, filling each cavity around 3/4 full. Bake for 10 min, or until edges are golden.

8. Let cool in pan/mold for 1-2 minutes, then turn out onto cooling rack to cool completely.

9. Once they have completely cooled, prepare the red icing: whisk together all the icing ingredients. Start with the 1 T of milk and add very small splashes (if needed) until you obtain a texture that can be thickly drizzled (it should not be very runny).

10. With the madeleine straight edge up, use icing to make a "hat" (see the video for this). Return to cooling rack to let icing harden and drip (if any does).

11. Use a star tip to pipe on prepared frosting (see note in ingredients list) for trim on hat and for beard, if desired. Enjoy!

Christmas Blondies

Christmas Goodies Countdown day 11/number 15...oh how yummy these are! The texture is just perfect, soft inside with bite of crispiness outside mmmm.

Link to my YouTube video of recipe "making of": https://youtu.be/bZHPODu8CY8

Original recipe credit: https://www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/christmas/a25022309/christmas-blondies-recipe/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar (packed)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

240g (2 c.) all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

8 Oreos, crushed

1/2 c. holiday M&M's (plus more for topping)

1/2 c. semisweet chocolate morsels (plus more for topping)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9" x 9" baking pan, set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Mix in the vanilla extract and eggs until well combined.

4. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add/mix this flour mixture.

5. By hand, fold/stir in the crushed Oreos, M&M's, and chocolate chips.

6. Spread mixture as evenly as possible into prepared baking pan. Top with extra M&M's and chocolate chips, if desired.

7. Bake for 25-35 min (mine took 35), until golden at edges and mostly set (it can have a very slight jiggle). Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into squares. Enjoy!

Almond Sandwich Cookies (with video link)

And the countdown continues! Day 8/number 18 is from a magazine issue called Celebrate! with Woman's Day I recently found on the Libby app. Have never made any from this before...glad I gave it a go, because these are wonderful! They are almost shortbread-like in texture, with a very buttery filling. The recipe makes a very small amount (came out at 10 for me), so you won't be overloaded with cookies :)

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe": https://youtu.be/RzPsvJf7Bfw

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

for the dough--

1/2 c. salted butter, softened

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. almond extract

120g (1 c.) all-purpose flour

48g (1/2 c.) almond flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

for the filling--

1/4 c. salted butter, softened

1 1/4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 T. milk

1/4 tsp. salt

sanding sugar for decorating, if desired (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, set aside.

2. For the dough (use the amounts listed in dough ingredients only)--In the bowl of stand mixer, beat together butter, powdered sugar, and almond extract until creamed/light and fluffy (around 2 min.)

3. In a small bowl stir together flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add the dry mixture. Once it has mixed in, increase to medium speed for 30 seconds.

4. Roll dough into small balls (around 1") and place at least 1" apart on prepared baking sheet. Using a fork, press crisscross pattern into tops of dough balls.

5. Bake for 12-14 min, until lightly golden at edges (took 14 min in my oven). Transfer immediately to cooling rack to cool.

6. Once cookies have cooled, prepare the filling. Add all ingredients in the "for the filling" list (butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, salt) to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat together for around 2 min.

7. Spread some filling on the bottom of a cookie, then press another cookie (bottom facing filling) to form a sandwich. Sprinkle sides with sanding sugar (if desired). Enjoy!

Vanilla Bean Caramels with Fleur de Sel

Mmm are these ever good! They are soft, buttery, with a hint of vanilla. They are not too difficult to make--provided you have patience and watch the heat carefully :)

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/jWHt2-eR8PU

Original recipe credit: https://www.cuisineathome.com/recipes/desserts/vanilla-bean-caramels-with-fleur-de-sel/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

2 c. heavy cream

1 vanilla bean (pod and seeds scraped from it)

2 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. light corn syrup

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. cold unsalted butter, cut in small cubes

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

fleur de sel, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Line a 9" x 9" baking pan with parchment, then coat (the parchment) with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Add the heavy cream, vanilla bean pod, and scraped seeds to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat until it begins to steam. Remove from heat and let steep for 20 min. When it is done, discard pod and transfer cream to a heat-proof bowl/measuring cup (it needs to have a spout/be able to pour slowly from it).

3. Meanwhile, in a large pan with tall sides (I think the one I used was 6 qt size), stir together the sugar, light corn syrup, and water. After stirring to combine, use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush down the sides of the pot inside (you don't want any sugar/residue above the mixture line). Place a candy thermometer in the mixture (make sure thermometer does not touch bottom of pot) and put heat on medium-high.

4. Do NOT stir or move the pan while mixture is heating. Once mixture boils, decrease heat to just above medium. Continue to monitor temperature and adjust heat if needed. It should take around 24-30 minutes from the time you started heating, to reach a temperature of 325°F. The temperature will climb quickly at first, then should slowly climb once it's in the upper 200's. When the mixture begins to darken around the edge, you may then swirl the pan to evenly distribute the caramelization (this was around 295°F for me).

5. At 325°F, very carefully and SLOWLY pour in the reserved cream; you do not have to stir as you do this. Immediately after adding the cream, stir in the butter and salt, and keep stirring to get the mixture calmed down a bit. At this point, I lowered the heat to just below medium, as the original recipe indicated it should take about 10-12 minutes to get back to 248°F. I stirred only occasionally.

6. When mixture is at 248°F, immediately remove from heat and pour into the prepared baking pan. Let cool completely in pan (this will take at least an hour, if not longer). After around 20 min, sprinkle fleur de sel (or coarse sea salt) atop the cooling caramel.

7. Once completely cooled, cut into desired number of pieces. Individual pieces may be wrapped in wax paper for preservation/presentation. Enjoy!

Peppermint Cream Squares

Next entry for the Christmas Goodie Countdown are these very tasty squares! (Original recipe called them 'bites', but I think squares is better). Easy to make and addictive right off the bat; I wanted to eat the whole plate after just one lol. 10/10 all the way. And as you can see in the video, using a 9" x 9" pan worked fine. I would still opt for 8" x 8" if you have one (I plan to obtain one quite soon!)

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/nOG5GzIMIhA

Original recipe credit: https://www.bhg.com/recipe/bars/peppermint-cream-bites/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

15 regular Oreos, crushed

3 T. salted butter, melted

2 c. powdered sugar

2 T. salted butter, softened

2 T. milk

1 tsp. peppermint extract

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate morsels (I used Ghirardelli brand)

2 tsp. butter flavored Crisco (can use regular instead)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line an 8" x 8" baking pan (or 9" x 9"; see note above) with aluminum foil and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the crushed Oreos and melted butter. Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan and press to make an even layer across the bottom.

3. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool a bit on a wire rack.

4. While it is cooling, place the powdered sugar and softened butter in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process for around 1-2 minutes, until butter had combined well with the powdered sugar.

5. With the processor running, stream in the milk and peppermint extract. Continue processing for around another 1-2 minutes, until mixture is smooth and creamy (it does NOT become paste-like as the original recipe indicates).

6. Spread the peppermint mixture in an even layer over the baked crushed layer in the baking pan. Transfer to freezer for at least 45 min. (I went about an hour longer than that).

7. Place the bittersweet chocolate and shortening in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in short bursts (15-30 sec, depending on your microwave) and stir after each one, until morsels have melted most of the way (once mixture is that warm, you should be able to just stir enough to make them melt rest of way). Let rest on counter for 15 min.

8. Remove pan from freezer. Spread melted chocolate atop the peppermint mixture in an even layer. Let rest for a couple of minutes, cut into squares, and enjoy!

Cardamom Snaps (with video link)

Need a quick and easy cookie for the holidays? And something a bit different (in a good way)? Try these! They are very yummy, makes about 3 1/2 dozen :D

Link to my YouTube of preparation: https://youtu.be/dtAEAf4rhMc

Original recipe credit: https://www.bhg.com/recipe/cookies/cardamom-snaps/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

for the dough--

3/4 c. Butter-flavored Crisco (or regular shortening)

1 c. brown sugar (packed)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 T. cardamom

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 c. molasses

1 egg

270g (2 1/4 c.) all-purpose flour

for coating the dough balls--

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. cardamom

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. Place the shortening in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.

3. Add the brown sugar, baking soda, cardamom, and cinnamon. Mix on medium until well combined and fluffy.

4. Add the molasses and egg. Mix on medium until well combined.

5. On low speed, mix in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer, then finish the rest by hand with a wooden spoon. (I had about a half cup left to do by hand.)

6. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cardamom to make the coating. Form dough into 1" balls and roll them in the mixture until coated all over.

7. Place coated dough balls on baking sheet, 2" apart (no need to line with parchment, these come off sheet very easily).

8. Bake for 10 min. Upon removing from oven, you may transfer them to wire rack immediately (I waited just one minute). Let cool, and enjoy!

Hot Cocoa Crinkle Cookies (with video link)

As I said in my video for this entry, I've decided to challenge myself to make a goodie a day until Christmas. I'm going to be sharing these, as we cannot possibly eat this much ourselves lol! Anyway, today, for the first entry, I was inspired by these morsels I found during a recent trip to Aldi: hot cocoa and marshmallow morsels. (They are available elsewhere, too.) And this is the recipe on the bag. It's very yummy, 10/10 :) highly recommend you try these!

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/TXTbSwTcXT8

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

160g (1 1/3 c.) all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 c. powdered cocoa (baking type, not hot chocolate mix type)

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened/room temp

1 c. sugar

1 large egg

1/2 T. vanilla extract

1 pkg. (9 oz) hot cocoa & marshmallow morsels

~ 1 c. powdered sugar (I didn't measure; this is just for coating the dough balls)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat/cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.

5. Gradually mix in the reserved flour mixture.

6. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the morsels by hand.

7. Put the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Form the dough into Tablespoon-sized balls, then roll them to coat in the powdered sugar. Place on a baking sheet, spacing 2" apart.

8. Bake for 10-12 min, until edges are done and centers are just set. Upon removing from the oven, let them cool for 2 min. on the cookie sheet before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

Skirt Steak Saltimbocca

Oh very yum, 10/10 for sure on this one! Such an easy dinner to make and so good, make it tonight!

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/fwS9DKrJqjQ

Original recipe credit: https://www.foodandwine.com/skirt-steak-saltimboca-7484078

Recipe below contains my modifications.

**pardon my dust, work in progress, will have done soon!**

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. skirt steak

3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided

1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper, divided

12 fresh sage leaves, divided

4 thin slices prosciutto

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

4 medium, unpeeled garlic cloves

1/3 c. low-sodium chicken broth

1/3 c. Sauvignon Blanc

2 T. cold unsalted butter

• 
  

• 1. Cut steak crosswise into 4 (3-ounce) pieces; lightly pound each piece between 2 pieces of plastic wrap using a meat mallet or rolling pin until each piece is about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper evenly over steaks. Place 2 sage leaves on each steak. Wrap 1 piece of prosciutto around each steak, pressing to adhere. (Prosciutto should cover the sage leaves.)

  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add garlic cloves and remaining 4 sage leaves; cook, stirring often, until garlic is lightly browned and sage is crispy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain; remove garlic peels, and set garlic cloves and sage aside. Pour half of oil in skillet into a heatproof bowl, and set aside; reserve remaining half of oil in skillet.

  3. Reheat oil in skillet over medium-high. Add 2 steak pieces, and cook, undisturbed, until prosciutto is browned and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip steaks, and cook until prosciutto is crispy and steaks are cooked to desired degree of doneness, about 2 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer  to a plate, and let rest. Discard oil in skillet. Add reserved oil to skillet, and repeat cooking process with remaining 2 steaks. Transfer to plate with reserved steaks. Do not wipe skillet clean.

  4. Add broth and wine to skillet, and cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet using a wooden spoon, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and gradually whisk in butter until emulsified and creamy, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve steaks immediately with sauce, and garnish with reserved crispy sage and garlic cloves.

Tilapia with White Wine Cream Sauce

10+...so tasty, easy, and quick!! Serve with desired side (I went with Rice-A-Roni long grain & wild rice).

Link to original recipe: https://diethood.com/skillet-tilapia-with-creamy-lemon-sauce/

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

3 (or 4) skinless tilapia filets

salt and pepper, to taste

chopped fresh curly parsley, to garnish

for the cream sauce--

2 T. butter, divided

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c. dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)

1/4 c. heavy cream

2 T. fresh lemon juice

salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 T. olive oil and 1 T. butter. Season tilapia with salt & pepper.

2. Once heated/melted, add the tilapia to the skillet. Cook 3 minutes per side. Transfer filets to plate and set aside.

3. Add 1 T. of butter to the skillet. Once melted, add the garlic and cook for 15-30 sec.

4. Slowly whisk in the white wine and cook until reduced by about a third (around 3-5 min).

5. Reduce heat to medium-low and add remaining 1 T. of butter, plus the heavy cream and whisk to melt/combine.

6. Whisk in the lemon juice, plus salt and pepper (to taste), and chopped parsley.

7. Return the tilapia to the pan, along with any accumulated juices. Turn filets to coat and let reheat in the sauce for 1-2 min.

8. Serve tilapia with sauce and enjoy!

Thai Pan-Grilled Skirt Steak

MMM. This is incredibly tasty and super easy! 10+/10 for sure. Served with boiled Basmati rice. 

Link to original recipe: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/thai-grilled-skirt-steak

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1/4 c. toasted sesame oil

1/4 c. soy sauce

2 T. finely chopped fresh ginger

2 1/2 T. S&B brand crunchy garlic with chili oil (umami topping) --found at Meijer

2 T. salted cocktail peanuts (I will chop these next time I make this, though they were fine whole)

1 T. light brown sugar (packed)

1 T. fresh lime juice

1 lb. skirt steak (can be up to 2 lb; I just didn't have nor need that much)

1/4 c. chicken stock

pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, crunchy garlic paste/topping, peanuts, brown sugar, and lime juice. Add the skirt steak and move around to coat in the marinade. Position the steak so it is as covered as possible, then cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.

2. Set steak/marinade mixture out 30 minutes prior to cooking (to come up in temperature). Heat a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat (or light an outdoor grill instead). Pull steak from marinade, let excess drip off, then place in grill pan. Cook 3 minutes per side, then place on a plate to rest for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, pour the marinade into a small saucepan. Add the chicken stock, season with pepper, and heat over medium heat until reaches simmer/boil. Modify heat as needed to maintain low simmer for 3-5 minutes (I am not sure exactly how long I went).

4. Slice steak across grain, serve with cooked marinade sauce and enjoy!

Vanilla Cupcakes

Happy National Vanilla Cupcake day! In honor of this lovely day, I decided to try a recipe to make these from scratch. These turned out great! The texture is perfect, and I love that it only makes a dozen. And it's a very easy recipe. Note that you will need to set out 2 of the ingredients about an hour ahead of when you want to start, as they need to be room temperature (the eggs and milk).

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/ppJQPVlIkoM

Original recipe credit: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/golden-cupcakes

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

135g (1 1/8 c.) all-purpose flour

2 T. cornstarch

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

3/4 c. sugar *(in video, I subbed 2 T. of this with vanilla sugar instead of using vanilla extract)

1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/4 c. (4 T.) unsalted butter, melted

1/4 c. canola oil

1/2 c. milk, room temperature (I used 2%, but think I will go with whole next time)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 12 cupcake pan with cupcake liners and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, use a handheld electric mixer on medium high speed to combine the sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. You will need to mix for 3 minutes.

4. Add the butter and oil. Mix until combined and well incorporated, being sure to scrape the bowl as needed.

5. Add the dry mixture and milk one-third of each at a time, mixing well after each addition.

6. Scoop/pour batter into the prepared cupcake pan, filling each liner/cup to around 2/3 full.

7. Bake for 20-23 min, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. (I went 21 min; next time, will stop at 20 or possibly before, as a few of the edges were a bit brown on a couple of the cupcakes this time).

8. Let cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, then remove and transfer to cooling rack to finish cooling. Top with your favorite frosting (and sprinkles, if you like them like I do :)) and enjoy!

Basil Cream Parmesan Pasta with Pine Nut Topping

Need to use up some basil? Or just love basil? And delicious pasta? Here is the recipe for you! I came up with this by reading a couple of recipes and combining ideas from each. Enjoy! 

note: amounts are in metric because one of the recipes used for inspiration was on a French website and I decided to 

Ingredients:

200 g (dry weight) short pasta, such as mezzi rigatoni or penne

reserved pasta cooking water

200 mL heavy cream

10-15 g fresh basil leaves (no stems), chopped

50 mL Chardonnay (I used Barefoot brand)

50 mL chicken broth

pinch of ground nutmeg

pinch of salt (plus some for salting the pasta cooking water)

60 g finely shredded Parmesan Reggiano, plus more for topping

a small handful of pine nuts, toasted

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. When draining, reserve a small amount of the pasta cooking water (around 1/4 c).

2. Mix the chopped basil leaves into the cream, then pour into a large saucepan. Stir in the Chardonnay and chicken broth, then heat over medium heat until simmer is reached, stirring occasionally. Once simmer is reached, lower heat to maintain a low simmer.

3. Stir in the nutmeg, pinch of salt, and Parmesan. Continue to barely simmer while pasta finishes cooking.

4. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the pine nuts until reaches a breadcrumb-like texture (if you go too long, you'll have paste, so pay attention :)) 

5. Once pasta has finished and has been drained, add a small amount of its cooking water to the cream sauce. Stir to combine and simmer for about a minute.

6. Remove sauce from heat and stir in the cooked pasta until well coated. Serve topped with a sprinkling of the ground pine nuts and some additional finely shredded Parmesan. Adjust salt level if needed. Enjoy!

Pappardelle with Fresh Tomatoes & Aged Parmesan

Oh, how very yummy this is! 

Link to my YouTube of preparation: https://youtu.be/CSP_yhpd4sE

Pardon my dust, will have the entry written correctly soon!

Original recipe credit: https://www.sargento.com/recipes/meals/dinner/pappardelle-pasta-with-aged-parmesan-cheese/

heavy mods. used the tomatoes I had from garden (around equivalent of 6 full large ones)

part of a normal (large) sweet onion

used barefoot Chardonnay as white wine

used fresh instead of dried rosemary

used around 2 T of butter, did 8 oz cremini, took only around 4-5 min to cook

omitted all meat, subbed 1 oz dried porcini, reconsit, and used a splash of that liquid in the sauce

only 8 oz of pap pasta, was PLENTY

• 6 ripe tomatoes, cored and cut in half
• 1 small sweet onion, peeled, quartered
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups Sargento® Reserve Series™ Aged Parmesan Cheese
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 8 oz. wild mushrooms (shiitake, crimini, porcini, chantrelle)
• 8 oz. ground sirloin
• 8 oz. ground pork or veal
• 1 lb. pappardelle pasta, cooked and rinsed
• parsley? (it is in the recipe final step, used dried since none was listed)
• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Place tomato halves cut side up in a 13" X 9" casserole dish. Add onion and garlic cloves. Pour in chicken stock and white wine. Drizzle oil over the top. Sprinkle herbs, salt and pepper over tomatoes. Place pan in oven and roast uncovered for 1 hour.
• Sprinkle 1 cup of Sargento® Reserve Series™ Aged Parmesan Cheese over the top. Roast an additional 20 minutes.
• While tomatoes are roasting, pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add butter. When butter has melted and stopped foaming, add mushrooms. Saute' for 10-12 miunutes or until lightly browned and softened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Brown ground beef and pork in the same pan until cooked through.
• When tomato mixture is done cooking, transfer to a blender with a large spoon, making sure to add all cheese and liquid to blender. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Pour the sauce into the skillet of browned meat. Stir to combine. Gently stir in pasta. Remove from heat and transfer to shallow pasta bowls or plates. Spoon mushrooms on top and add remaining aged parmesan on top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Two Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yes, I tried yet another version of chocolate chip cookies lol. And glad I did--these are easy, quick, have a perfect texture...a win all around! 10/10. The only change I will try next time I make these is to use parchment, as they seemed to want to stick just a little to the baking sheet. Makes about 36-40 cookies.

Original recipe is from the label of Butter Flavored Crisco.

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c. brown sugar (packed)

3/4 c. butter flavored Crisco

2 T. milk (I used whole, think you could use any type)

1 T. vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 3/4 c. (210 g) all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 c. mini semi-sweet morsels

3/4 c. regular semi-sweet morsels

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. In the bowl of a stand / electric mixer, cream together the brown sugar, Crisco, milk, and vanilla.

3. Mix in the egg.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add this mixture to the stand mixer bowl while running the mixer on low speed. (I took the pic after this step was done but already had put the wooden spoon in bowl for next step.)

5. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the morsels (by hand).

6. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop and place balls of dough 2" apart on baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake for 8-10 min (I went 9.5 min).

7. Let cookies rest on sheet for 1-2 min. before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Butter Bars

These are seriously delicious and worth the effort, 10/10! I used a 9" x 9" pan and it worked just fine, bake time was 27 minutes.

Link to my YouTube of preparation: https://youtu.be/ULwXGzkpLIY

Original recipe credit: https://butternutbakeryblog.com/cookie-butter-bars/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

for the cookie dough layers--

2 c. (240 g) all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. mini chocolate chips

cookie butter / middle layer--

1/2 c. cookie butter

1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

for the chocolate drizzle--

1 T. dark chocolate chips/chunks

2 T. heavy cream

for the cookie butter drizzle--

2 T. cookie butter

1 tsp. powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8" x 8" (or, as I used, 9" x 9") pan with parchment paper.

2. Prepare the cookie dough layer: In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand / electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar.

4. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix until well combined.

5. Slowly mix in the reserved dry ingredients.

6. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the mini chocolate chips by hand. Place dough in fridge.

7. Prepare the cookie butter layer-- in a medium bowl, whisk together the cookie butter and melted butter, followed by the vanilla, salt, and milk.

8. Switch to a wooden spoon. Mix in the powdered sugar 1/2 c. at a time. You may need to use your hands to fully combine by the end. It will be a thick dough/paste consistency.

9. Remove the cookie dough from fridge. Divide in half. Press one half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan, in an even layer that reaches the edges of the pan.

10. Using your hands, flatten the cookie butter layer as much as you can, then lay it atop the layer of cookie dough in the pan and press it out to reach the edges / make a second layer.

11. Crumble the other half of the cookie dough atop the cookie butter layer.

12. Transfer to oven and bake for 25-30 min, or until edges are light golden brown (I went 27). Remove from oven and let bars cool in pan completely. Once bars have cooled, use the parchment to lift them out of the pan.

13. Make the drizzles: for the chocolate drizzle, microwave the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a small bowl, 10-15 sec at a time, stirring between each time (watch carefully or you will scorch them!), until smooth consistency is reached. Drizzle across the bars.

14. For the cookie butter drizzle, microwave the cookie butter for 15-30 sec (watch for it to start looking liquid-y). Mix in the powdered sugar. Drizzle across the bars.

15. Cut up and enjoy!

Pressure Cooker "Viet" Beef Stew

Wonderfully complex flavor and sooo delicious, 10/10 all the way!!

Link to my video of preparation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lS23IpOGiEY

Original recipe: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/instant-pot-viet-beef-stew-star-anise-and-lemongrass

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless beef chuck / stew meat, cut into 1 1/2" chunks

1/2 T. five spice powder

2 tsp. brown sugar (can be light or dark)

3 T. fish sauce

3 T. canola oil, plus more as needed

1 c. chopped onion

3 T. finely chopped fresh ginger

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped (~ 1 T.)

1 1/2 c. canned crushed tomatoes (or 2 c. chopped peeled tomatoes)

2 large or 3 medium lemongrass stalks, trimmed, cut in 3" lengths, bruised with meat mallet

2 whole star anise

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

2 c. water

1 lb. baby carrots (or regular carrots, peeled and cut in 1" chunks)

chopped fresh basil (or cilantro)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the beef, five-spice powder, brown sugar, and fish sauce.

***in progress, pardon my "dust"!

• Step 2

  Program a 6-quart programmable electric pressure cooker to sauté. Add canola oil; working in batches, sear beef on all sides, about 3 minutes, adding additional oil between batches as needed. Transfer seared beef to a plate. Reserve any leftover marinade in bowl.

• Step 3

  Reduce heat. Add onion, ginger, and garlic to pressure cooker, and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Increase heat to sauté; add tomatoes, lemongrass, star anise, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture resembles a rough wet paste, 4 to 6 minutes.

• Step 4

  Return beef and accumulated juices and any reserved marinade to cooker. Stir to combine, and add 2 1/2 cups water to cover beef. Lock lid. Program cooker to cook at high pressure 10 minutes. Turn it off or unplug it, and naturally depressurize for 18 minutes; carefully turn pressure release valve to venting position to release remaining pressure from cooker until float valve drops.

• Step 5

  Unlock lid. Beef should be chewy-tender and should feel firm but yield when pressed. Skim off fat, if needed, and add carrots. Set cooker to sauté, and cook, uncovered, until beef and vegetables are tender and sauce has intensified, about 30 minutes. Add additional water if sauce reduces too much. Let stew rest, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes. Add additional salt or fish sauce to intensify flavor if needed, or splash in additional water to lighten it.

• Step 6

  Remove and discard lemongrass, bay leaf, and star anise (warn guests of potential lingering bits). Divide stew among shallow bowls, and garnish with cilantro. Serve warm.