Pasta with Morels in Creamy Sauce

Verrry tasty...will go 9/10 on this one. I'm not giving it a 10 due to it not being quite over-the-top, got have that again like now, especially since morels are used in it. I will make again, of course, and if I modify at all, will be sure to update when that happens :)

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/Zh2XkgHPyrE

Original recipe credit: https://www.withspice.com/blog/morel-pasta/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. water

1 oz. dried morels

1 1/2 T. unsalted butter

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

kosher salt

coarse ground black pepper

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

1 c. heavy cream

1 T. fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped

8 oz. (uncooked weight) pasta of your choice, such as penne or shells, cooked according to package directions (I used lumache)

**reserve a cup of the cooking water from the pasta when draining**

1/2 c. fresh finely grated Parmesan (plus more for serving, if desired)

1 tsp. cornstarch slurry (optional/if needed) 

Directions:

1. Heat the water to boiling in microwave (or on stovetop). Place morels in a heatproof bowl and carefully pour boiling water over them. Cover and let rest for 15-20 min.

2. Once the time has elapsed, remove morels from soaking water, gently squeezing out excess, and transfer to separate bowl. Reserve soaking liquid (you may strain through a paper towel to remove excess grit, if needed). Cut any large morels in half (if desired).

3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until softened (around 2 min). Add garlic and cook until fragrant (around 30 sec-1 min). 

4. Add morels, then season with kosher salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has nearly evaporated.

5. Add wine, increase heat just enough to bring to a simmer. Cook until nearly all liquid is gone (around 5-8 min).

6. Stir in 3/4 c. of the soaking liquid (discard the remainder), followed by the heavy cream and thyme. Season (again) with kosher salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for around 20 min (should start to become a little thicker).

7. Stir in around 1/2 c. of the reserved pasta water (you may need more, depending on what consistency you desire for the sauce). Return to gentle simmer and let cook for a couple of minutes.

8. Add in the Parmesan about a third at a time, stirring well after each addition. If sauce is not thick enough, add cornstarch slurry and cook for 1-2 more minutes.

9. Add cooked pasta to sauce, stir to combine/coat, and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve up and enjoy!

M & M, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Bars

Delicious, 10/10! So happy these turned out, given that I was not sure about the alternate pan size I used and the decision to not use parchment. And while they are probably good without, I highly recommend doing a frosting to top them, as that added another flavor dimension.

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/7B5v6X0iEFE

Original recipe credit: https://www.sweetestmenu.com/mandm-peanut-butter-cookie-bars/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

175 g. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

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

1 c. brown sugar (packed)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. smooth peanut butter (do NOT use natural/no-stir types)

1 large egg

1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 c. mini M&Ms (or regular)

optional: vanilla frosting, to top/decorate (I used my own, for which I do not have a set recipe)

Directions:

1. Generously grease a Christmas tree shaped baking pan (or 8" x 8" pan) and heat oven to 350°F.

2. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a small bowl. Set aside.

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

4. Mix in the vanilla and peanut butter until just combined.

5. Mix in the egg until well combined.

6. Sift in the reserved flour mixture, then mix until combined.

7. Stir in by hand the chocolate chips and M&Ms. Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan, then bake for 28-30 min (I think I went closer to 33, likely due to the pan shape).

8. Leave in pan to cool completely before removing and decorating. Enjoy!

Gingerdoodle Cookies (with video link)

Excellent cookies, 10/10!! As I said in the video, they are soft inside and just a bit crispy at the edges. The flavor is a cross between gingerbread and snickerdoodle (as expected). 

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/j38QFgdMVbA

Original recipe credit: https://www.goldmedalflour.com/recipes/chewy-gingerdoodle-cookies/4dbf15d8-3656-435f-85c0-cddb24d0f33b

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

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

1 c. sugar

1 large egg

3 T. pure maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

for the coating:

3 T. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

Directions:

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

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

3. In the bowl of a stand / electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

4. Beat in the egg, maple syrup, and vanilla until well combined.

5. Gradually mix in the reserved flour mixture.

6. Roll dough into 2 tsp. sized balls and place on the prepared baking sheets. Place in the fridge for 10 min.

7. Meanwhile, prepare the coating: stir together all coating ingredients (sugar, cinnamon, ginger) in a small bowl. 

8. After the 10 min in the fridge, roll the balls of dough to coat well in the coating mixture and place back on the baking sheets.

9. Bake for 10 min, or until golden brown and slightly cracked on top. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 min, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Apple Pandowdy

I don't care for apple pie, but give me this any day! 10/10! I've made this twice now and enjoyed very much both times. The first time, forgot to halve the sugar mixture part and thought it was still great, so kept it for second time. It was still awesome, but a little too sweet, so I'm going to go with slightly less instead going forward, which is what I have listed below. If you need the bigger version to feed more people, see the link to the original recipe below.

Original recipe credit: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/apple-pandowdy

Ingredients:

3 T. unsalted butter

2 lbs. Pink Lady apples

1/2 c. dark brown sugar (packed)

7 tsp. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 T. ground cinnamon

1/3 tsp. kosher salt

zest from 1/4 of small lemon (use microplane style grater)

juice from 1/2 of small lemon

1/2" piece of fresh ginger

1 sheet (1/2 pkg.) frozen puff pastry, thawed in fridge overnight

granulated sugar (for sprinkling/topping)

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat, swirling often, until bubbling and golden (around 5 min). Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, peel and core the apples, then slice into ~3/4" chunks. Place in a medium bowl with the dark brown sugar and stir to combine (I stirred after adding each apple to prevent browning).

3. Heat oven to 425°F. Set aside an 8"x8" pan or baking dish.

4. Stir in flour, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt with apples.

5. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice, then peel the ginger piece and grate over the apple mixture. Stir to combine. Pour into the pan/baking dish.

6. Drizzle only 2 of the Tablespoons of reserved melted butter over the apple mixture in the pan/baking dish.

7. Cut the thawed puff pastry sheet into strips, then cut each into a few smaller pieces (need not all be same size, most of mine were around 1" to 2"). Place pieces over apples so that they cover almost completely (you will need to overlap some, and leave a couple of small openings here and there).

8. Brush tops of the pastry pieces with the remaining 1 T. of reserved melted butter, then sprinkle generously with sugar to coat all over.

9. Transfer to oven and bake for 25 min.

10. REDUCE oven temperature to 350°F, then continue baking for additional 30-35 min, until juices appear thick and bubbling.

11. Let set for 5 min. after removing from oven. Serve warm and enjoy (with vanilla ice cream, if you can!). 

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes

Mmm these are very tasty, 9.5/10! Half star deduction only because they are a bit involved and are just shy of being in the top of the top (for me). I will still make these again for sure :) I had to modify the sauce at the end, as it simply would not reach drizzling consistency. Next time I make these, I will try with mostly milk instead of mostly cream for thinning.

Original recipe credit: https://www.a-kitchen-addiction.com/mini-peppermint-hot-chocolate-bundt-cakes/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. dry hot chocolate mix (I used Nestlé)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. sugar

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

3 eggs, room temperature

1/2 c. heavy cream (can sub whole milk)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. peppermint extract

1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. marshmallow bits

1/4 c. crushed candy canes (or peppermint candies)

for the frosting/glaze--

1 c. powdered sugar

3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

4-5 T. heavy cream and/or whole milk (possibly more)

topping--

crushed candy canes

marshmallow bits

Directions:

1. Grease a 6-cavity mini Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F.

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

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy (around 2-23 minutes).

4. Beat in eggs one at a time.

5. Slowly beat in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. Beat until well combined.

6. Beat in the reserved dry mixture until just combined.

7. By hand, stir in the chocolate chips, marshmallow bits, and crushed candy canes.

8. Fill each cavity of the cake pan about 3/4 full of batter. Do NOT exceed this, as it will overflow when baked!! (Yes, I know from experience...see the picture in next step.) Thus, you may have some leftover batter.

9. Bake for 20-25 min, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Despite how these look, the toothpick came out clean and they still tasted great :))

10. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely prior to removing cakes from pan. When you do remove them, you may want/need to use a flexible scraper/spatula to help release them from the pan.

11. For the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Stir in the peppermint extract and the heavy cream/milk. Add enough of the latter to reach a drizzling consistency.

12. Drizzle glaze over the cooled cakes. Top with the crushed candy canes and marshmallow bits. Serve and enjoy!

Amaretti Cookies (with video link)

Yum!!! These fun little two-bite cookies are chewy and delicious, another 10/10!

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/-pxgDsGa7zI

Original recipe credit: https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/amaretti-cookies/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

2 2/3 c. almond flour

1 c. sugar

1 T. lemon zest

3 large egg whites

1 tsp. almond extract

1/4 c. sugar (for coating)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, the 1 cup of sugar, and lemon zest.

3. In a separate, medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites to soft peak stage, then whisk in the almond extract.

4. Fold the egg whites into the almond flour mixture until a cohesive, wet and sticky dough forms.

5. Roll dough into small balls (about diameter of a quarter), then roll in the 1/4 cup of sugar to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheets, just over an inch apart. (These don't spread much, they will just expand slightly in size.)

6. Bake in oven for 25 min, or until starting to turn slightly golden and bottom is golden brown. (Mine took exactly 25 min.) Cool completely on cooling racks and enjoy!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

These are excellent! 10/10. Prepare your pumpkin seeds by soaking them in water for a day, then dry them on a rimmed baking sheet, stirring a couple of times each day for 2-3 days.

Original recipe credit: https://www.smalltownwoman.com/roasted-pumpkin-seeds/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

2 T. melted butter

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. Cajun seasoning

1 1/2 c. prepared/dry pumpkin seeds

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, combine butter, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and Cajun seasoning.

3. Add pumpkin seeds to the butter mixture. Stir to coat evenly.

4. Pour out onto the prepared baking sheet, with seeds in a single layer. Transfer to the oven.

5. Bake for 3 minutes, stir seeds, then repeat 3 more times, for a total of 12 minutes of baking time. Remove promptly from baking sheet, cool, and enjoy!