Shortbread Brownies

This luscious brownie is my current favorite. 

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Shortbread Brownies 

Source: New York Times Cooking 

Yield: one 9X13 pan

 

4,000-5,000 ft elevation tweaks:

No adjustments for the shortbread layer.

For the brownie layer, subtract 2 T sugar and add 1 T flour.

For the shortbread:

1 1/2 c cold unsalted butter (3 sticks) cut into half-inch pieces

3 c AP flour

3/4 c granulated sugar

1 teas fine sea salt or table salt

For the brownie:

1 c plus 2 T unsalted butter (2 1/4 sticks)

3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 1/4 c light brown sugar

1 c granulated sugar

1/2 c plus 1 T cocoa powder

3 large eggs

1 T vanilla

1 1/2 c AP flour

1/4 teas fine sea salt or table salt

3/4 c chopped walnuts or pecans, or slivered almonds, toasted

flaky sea salt, optional

Preheat your oven to 350F. Lightly oil a 9X13 baking pan and line with some parchment paper, ensuring some overhang on the two long sides.

In a stand mixer's bowl, place the flour, sugar, and salt and mix to combine. Add the butter cubes and with the paddle attachment, mix on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated and come together. It's all right if it is still a little crumbly. You may also pulse the ingredients together in a food processor if you prefer.

Drop the dough into the prepared pan, pressing with your hands until it is in all the corners and is spread evenly. Use a fork to prick the dough all over. Place in the oven and bake until it is golden, about 30-35 minutes.

As the shortbread bakes, begin prepping the brownies. Melt the chocolate and butter together. The easiest way is to place them in a large glass bowl in a microwave and heat for 30 seconds at a time, stirring afterwards. In my microwave it took bout 4 30-second periods. Another option is to place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and the chocolate and butter to melt, while stirring occasionally.

When the chocolate and butter are melted, stir in the sugars and the cocoa until smooth. Then add the eggs and vanilla and stir well.

Mix the flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Stir into the chocolate mixture until there are no streaks of flour. If you chose to use the nuts, fold them in at this point. Using an offset spatula or a rubber spatula, spread the brownie batter on top of the still warm shortbread. If desired, sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Place in the oven and bake for 23-28 minutes until the batter is pulling away from the sides but the center is still soft. You'll find if you test with a toothpick, it will come out still gooey. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack until completely cool. Use the overhanging parchment paper to remove the cool brownies from the pan and slice into sizes of your choice. I find these brownies particularly rich (look at all that butter) so I cut them about 2 inches by 3/4-1 inch.

Swiss Chard Salad with Prosciutto and Cheese

 This is an easy salad if you don't mind making your own salad dressing (I think it's worth it).

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Swiss Chard Salad with Prosciutto and Cheese

Source: Cook's Country Magazine

Serves 4-6

12 oz Swiss chard of any color

3 T extra virgin olive oil

3 T red wine vinegar

2 T fig preserves

1 small shallot, minced

2 teas whole-grain mustard

1/2 teas table salt

1/2 teas freshly ground pepper

1/2 c fresh basil, sliced just before it gets stirred into the dressing

1/2 c thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into bite-size pieces, divided

1/2 c walnuts, coarsely chopped and roasted, divided

1/2 cup of crumbled bleu cheese (2 oz) divided or substitute, as I did, with cheese you have on hand 

Prepare the chard, by removing any stems that are larger than a quarter inch. Stack them on a cutting board and cut in half. Cut the stacks crosswise into thin slices (1/4-inch). 

In large bowl place the olive oil, red wine vinegar, preserves, shallot, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk until emulsified. Move the chard to the bowl. 

Thinly slice the basil and place it on top of the chard. Add half of the prosciutto, walnuts, and bleu cheese and toss the salad. Toss the ingredients in the bowl until well mixed. Top the salad in the bowl, or on serving plates, with the remaining prosciutto, walnuts, and cheese and serve.  

Pear and Pomegranate Salad

 One of the best things about fall and winter is having pomegranates, the jewel of my garden. 

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Pear and Pomegranate Salad

Adapted from:  Autumn Gatherings by Rick Rodgers

Serves 4-6

Pomegranate Vinaigrette:

1 1/2 T sherry vinegar (or white wine vinegar if that is what you have)

2T bottled pomegranate juice (or 1 T pomegranate molasses)

1/4 teas salt

1/8 teas freshly ground pepper

1/3 c vegetable oil

2 T walnut oil

Salad:

2 ripe pears, cored and cut lengthwise into thin wedges (red pears are particularly pretty)

1/3 c pomegranate seeds

1/3 c walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

5 ounces mixed greens, including some lettuce

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place all the vinaigrette ingredients into a pint jar and briskly shake until emulsified. If you use pomegranate molasses you will need to shake it again just before dressing the salad.

In a bowl, place the pear slices with the walnuts and mix with about 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette.

Mix the salad greens with the remaining vinaigrette and toss well until all pieces are covered. Gently stir in the pear/walnut mixture and toss. Taste for seasonings and if needed add salt or pepper. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds.  This salad is best served as soon after mixing as possible. 

Notes: 

I like to compose this salad on plates since there are just two of us at most meals. If you mix the salad in a bowl, it might be better to cut the pears into chunks.

If you have a hard time finding the ingredients for the salad try to substitute with similar items. I have used raspberry juice or grape juice instead of the pomegranate. In a pinch you could use olive oil rather than walnut oil. It would be a shame if you didn't make this beautiful salad because of supply train issues.  

Pear and Spice Muffins

A bumper crop on my pear tree had me scrambling for recipes this fall. This one is a good one. 

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Pear and Spice Muffins

Adapted from The Washington Post
Yields 12 muffins

4000-5000 ft. altitude adjustments:

add 1 T flour
subtract 1 T sugar

1/3 c neutral-tasting oil, plus more for the pan
1 1/2 c whole-wheat pastry flour or white-wheat flour
2 teas baking powder
1/4 teas baking soda
1/2 teas salt
1 teas ground cinnamon
1/2 teas ground ginger
1/4 teas ground cloves
2 large eggs
3/4 c dark brown sugar
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1 teas vanilla extract
1 c low-fat buttermilk
1 medium, firm but ripe pear, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4" pieces
1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Prepare your oven by placing a rack in the middle and heating to 400F. Spray a muffin tin with baking spray or brush with oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. 

In another bowl, stir together the oil and eggs until well blended. Add the brown sugar, applesauce, and vanilla. Then add half of the flour mixture, and followed by half of the buttermilk. Stir until incorporated and add the remaining flour and remaining buttermilk. Don't overmix. Stir in the chopped pears and nuts gently.

Evenly portion the batter into the muffin tins. Bake for 18 minutes, approximately, and test with a toothpick  to see if it comes out clean. If so, they are finished. Cool in the pan on a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes. You may need to loosen the muffins with a knife before serving. 

Notes: 

I had some pear sauce on hand after making pear butter. I substituted that for the apple sauce and it worked beautifully. 

I believe you could skip the peeling and chopping steps by coring the pear and grating it. 

Brussels Sprout Salad with Warm Browned Butter Vinaigrette

This is a good salad recipe when brussels sprouts are in season. Any number of ingredients can be substituted with what you have in your pantry or fridge or in your time frame. In fact, the CI website has a number of variations, one with different nuts and dried fruits (apricots and almonds) and one with bacon. You can do some experimenting if you don't have access to the website.

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Brussels Sprout Salad with Warm Browned Butter Vinaigrette

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated
Serves 6-7


1/4 c lemon juice
1 T whole grain mustard
1 teas sugar
salt and pepper
1 shallot, halved through root end and sliced thin crosswise
1/4 (or more if desired) dried cranberries or sour cherries
5 T unsalted butter
1/3 c hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and chopped, or toasted walnuts, instead
1 1/2 pds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved and sliced thin
1 1/2 c baby arugula, chopped, or endive, or lettuce
4 oz Manchego cheese, shaved or another cheese you have on hand

CI states that a food processor with a slicing blade can be used to slice the sprouts, but that it will be less tender. I'll have to take their word for it, since I used a knife.

In a microwave safe bowl, stir together the lemon juice, mustard, sugar, and 1/4 teas salt. Stir in the sliced shallots, and cranberries and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave 30-60 seconds until the ingredients are steaming. Stir it once again and try to submerge the shallot and cranberries in the juices. Let it sit out and cool getting close to room temperature.

In a 12-inch skillet melt the butter over medium heat (a stainless steel skillet makes it easier to see the color of the browning butter). Add the hazelnuts. Cook while stirring frequently, until the butter becomes a dark gold brown (depending on your altitude this can happen in a few minutes or may take more like 6 minutes.) Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the shallot mixture. Add the sliced Brussels sprouts and arugula. Using tongs, toss the vegetables with the dressing until it is dispersed throughout. Season with salt and pepper.  Let the mixture remain in the skillet while the sprouts darken slightly. Serve immediately topping with the cheese, or remove to a serving bowl.

Note:

When I made this a second time for my small household, I halved it because I don't think it holds well. I'm sure it could be doubled for a crowd, as well.

Spicy Italian Sausage with Polenta

Another use for all the cherry tomatoes from my garden.

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Spicy Italian Sausage with Polenta

Adapted from Cook's Country Magazine
Serves 4-5

1 batch of cooked polenta kept warm (cheesy grits can be subbed, see original recipe)

1 pd sweet Italian sausage, either in bulk or with casings removed
1 onion, chopped fine
approx 3/4 pd cherry tomatoes (the recipe calls for 10 oz but I used nearly 1 pd)
2 T chopped jarred hot cherry peppers or pepperoncini plus 1 T of the brine, see note below
3/4 c chicken broth, see note below

Over medium-high heat, cook sausage and onion in a large skillet until lightly browned. Break up the sausage as it cooks. When cooked, remove from the skillet and hold the mixture in a bowl. Retain 1 T of the fat in the skillet and discard the remainder.

Place the tomatoes in the hot skillet and cook without stirring. Allow them to start to brown and then stir in the chopped peppers. Continue cooking for a few minutes until tender. Add the broth, brine, and the reserved sausage mixture. Check for seasonings and add salt if needed. Cook approximately 5 minutes the sauce thickens until slightly and serve over the polenta. Top with basil chiffonade and/or grated parmesan cheese.

Notes:

I believe using pepperoncini will create a less spicy sauce which may be just what some diners need.

I added some crushed fennel seeds because the brand of sausage I used was light on that spice.

I used water and a few bay leaves as a substitute for chicken broth because I didn't want the added salt. 

Cranberry Lemon Bars

It's almost cranberry time. 

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Cranberry Lemon Bars

Source: New York Times Cooking

Makes a 9X13 pan of bars

For the cranberry layer:

1 (12-oz) bag fresh or frozen cranberries

3 T water

3/4 c granulated sugar

2-3 large lemons

For the crust:

1 1/2 c AP flour

1/3 c granulated sugar

1 teas fine sea salt

1 teas vanilla extract

3/4 c unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the lemon layer:

1 c granulated sugar

1/4 c AP flour

1/8 teas fine sea salt

3 large eggs, at room temp

confectioners' sugar, optional

To make the cranberry layer, combine the cranberries, sugar and water in a saucepan. Zest 2 lemons, over the saucepan, and reserve the lemons. Over medium-high heat, bring the ingredients to a boil while stirring occasionally. Cook until the berries pop and the mixture is jam-like. Turn off the heat and set the pan aside.

To make the crust, start by preheating the oven to 350F. Use heavy duty aluminum foil to carefully line a 9X13 baking pan and make sure there are no holes or gaps. Spray generously with cooking spray. Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in bowl. Stir the vanilla into the butter and then pour the two over the flour mix. Mix together and the dough will come together into a mass. Break the dough into pieces as you place it into the lined pan. Press with your hands to ensure the dough is an even layer. Place in the oven and bake until the layer is golden brown at the edges. 

Meanwhile, mix the lemon layer. Squeeze the reserved lemons and measure. You need one half cup; if you don't have enough, squeeze a third lemon. 

In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, flour, and salt. Whisk in the eggs and mix only until incorporated. Gently stir in the lemon juice just until smooth. 

When the crust is done, remove from the oven and allow to rest on the counter for 5 minutes and then spread the cranberry mixture over the top. Then slowly and carefully pour the lemon mixture over all, creating two distinct layers as well as you can. I found that the cranberry layer peeked out in some places.

Replace the pan in the oven and bake until the filling is set, 18-22 minutes. Remove and cool on a rack, until completely cool. Then place in the fridge for a couple of hours, at least. When firm and cold, use the foil as a sling and move all to a cutting board. With a sturdy sharp knife, cut into 24 pieces (or more if you prefer). making sure you wipe your knife between cuts. If you like, sprinkle bars with powdered sugar just before serving.