Doing what I love, and loving what I do
These little meatballs are a hit in my house. Sometimes I make them ahead (refrigerate for a few days or freeze for longer storage) for crazy days. I promise they will taste so much better than any packaged meatballs you’ll even buy in the store. I only use ground chicken from my local butcher because it’s ground chicken breast and we really love the flavor of it.
But use what your family likes, even ground turkey would work well.
If you want a different kind of Valentine’s candy this will hit the spot, especially for the bacon fans in your life.. which let’s face it. It’s probably everyone. These are fun served on burgers, in grilled cheese, crumbled on a salad with some Gorgonzola… or just eaten plain!
CANDIED BACON
1 pound thinly sliced bacon
1/2 cup light brown sugar
Black Pepper
Cut parchment paper larger than your baking tray so that it overhangs. (This keeps all the bacon grease inside as it renders)
Place bacon in a single layer on the baking tray. (I use 2 trays)
Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes. It should be cooked but not crisp yet.
Drain off grease or use paper towels to absorb it.
Sprinkle one side of the bacon with half the brown sugar and season with black pepper. Flip bacon over and sprinkle remaining brown sugar and season with black pepper.
Return to oven and bake for 10-15 additional minutes until sugar is dissolved. Remove from oven and leave for sugar to solidify.
Bacon will become more crispy as it cools and the sugar hardens.
Sometimes I post a recipe because I think it will go well with a season or upcoming holiday. And sometimes I post a recipe because I am TERRIFIED that I will loose the piece of paper it is scribbled on in my shorthand. This is one of those. I actually DID loose it and tried to recreate it to no avail.
Luckily I found it on the backside of my daughters artwork! phew!
I love the challenge of making comfort foods more healthy and whole grains is at the top of that list.
I’ve fiddled with many a whole grain pancake recipe but had yet to be satisfied with the results. And I didn’t want it be just part whole grain.
Oat flour (easily made by pulsing rolled oats in your blender!) adds some nuttiness, applesauce and a touch of honey for sweetness, and yogurt makes them tender and fluffy.
Using yogurt when working with whole wheat works amazingly well. And by using whole wheat pastry flour they won’t be heavy. It’s still 100% whole grain, just a finer grind. When using yeast I use white whole wheat, but anytime I make something non-yeast, like biscuits or pancakes, use the pastry whole wheat flour. I keep a bag in my freezer at all times, it keeps really well there.
These pair really well with berry syrup and fresh berries but maple syrup is good too… or hot off the griddle with nothing. I won’t judge.
100% WHOLE GRAIN PANCAKES
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup oat flour (just process old fashioned oats in a blender)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon flax seed powder, optional
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup milk (fat free is fine, or whatever you have)
3 eggs
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 Tablespoon honey
Whisk together the flour, oat flour, baking powder, flax powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, applesauce, milk, eggs, melted butter and honey.
Add to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. As the batter sits it will thicken up as the grains absorb the moisture. If too thick add milk as needed to thin.
Heat a griddle to medium heat and lightly butter. Drop ladle fulls of batter and flip when bubbles form and begin to pop. Cook on second side until cooked through and golden.
Gougeres are the savory version of choux pastry. They are as fun to say as they are to eat!
If you haven’t made choux before, read this post before making them. They are basically made the same, just with some savory additions.
They can be served plain (all though.. nothing is “plain” about a gougere!) or you can fill them with savory fillings, like chicken salad for a tea party, or with a charcuterie board…
GOUGERES
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt (I like using fine sea salt)
1 cup water
1 cup flour
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated cheese (I like smoked cheddar or gruyere)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Bring the butter, salt, and water to boil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Stir frequently and keep a close eye. You want the butter to melt and you also don’t want the water to boil long as you don’t want to let the water evaporate.
With pan still on the heat stir in the flour and beat with a wooden spoon to completely incorporate the flour.
Keep stirring vigorously until the dough sticks to itself and pulls away from the sides of the pan (kind of like when bread dough clings to itself when beaten with a dough hook).
Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool for a few minutes. You can break the dough up to help it cool faster as well.
Add the eggs, a couple tablespoons at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Dough should take almost if not all the eggs and be glossy and very smooth when ready and will hold it’s shape when piped or scooped. Fold in pepper and cheese.
Pipe or scoop onto silicone or parchment lined baking trays. (I used approximately 1 Tablespoon choux per gougere.)
Wet your finger to smooth down any tips before baking.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Don’t open the oven until the end of the cooking time to keep their shape.
When golden and crisp, remove from oven and pierce with a paring knife to allow the steam to escape. (I usually do this in the side where it won’t be visible.)
Chantilly cream is just a fancy way of saying sweetened whipped cream.
Useful for many things and my favorite filling to use for choux pastry. I even like it for frosting a rich chocolate cake or angel food cake.
The cookies and cream variation has been used for filling birthday cake in our house for many years.
I like to stabilize mine but if you don’t want to just omit the clearjel or gelatin powder.
STABILIZED CHANTILLY CREAM:
Makes approximately 4 cups
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons instant clearjel, or 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
Whip cream to soft peaks then add powdered sugar and clearjel (if using). Continue whipping to desired consistency.
If using gelatin:
Sprinkle gelatin over 2 Tablespoons of cold water in a microwave safe bowl.
Set aside for 5 minutes to bloom. Microwave on high heat 10 seconds to dissolve. Let cool while you whip cream. Add in towards end.
FOR MEXICAN CHOCOLATE:
4 oz dark or bittersweet chocolate
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch chipotle
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
pinch ancho, optional
1/3 cup heavy cream
Heat heavy cream to simmer in small pot. Pour over remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Let cool then add to whipped cream at end.
FOR SALTED CARAMEL:
Add 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce to whipped cream and additional fine sea salt, to taste
FOR CHOCOLATE:
Add 1/3 cup sifted cocoa powder with the powdered sugar
FOR COOKIES AND CREAM:
Fold 20 chopped sandwich cookies into finished cream.
Choux pastry. Also known as pate a choux. But maybe most importantly, known as delicious, easy, and versatile! Once you master choux you can make so many things, both sweet and savory!
PROFITEROLES: Small choux balls. Typically filled with ice cream and frozen and drizzled with chocolate sauce.
CHOUQUETTES: small choux balls sprinkled with pearl sugar before baking.
CREAM PUFFS: Medium choux balls usually filled with chantilly or pastry cream and topped with a glaze or ganache.
ECLAIRS: Oblong choux pastries, filled with chantilly or pastry cream and toped with a glaze or ganache.
PARIS BREST: A ring of choux pastry. Can be made as a large family style or small individual rings. Was originally made in France in 1910 to resemble a bicycle tire to celebrate a race.
CROQUEMBOUCHE: Small choux pastry balls (sometimes filled), formed into a cone shape, and bound with spun sugar.
CRAQUELINE: A simple to make cookie dough, placed on top of choux before baking. Creates a pretty, crunchy, crackly top. Can be colored as well. Typically this would not be glazed.
GOUGERE: Savory choux pastry balls made with grated cheese mixed into the dough before baking.
There are even more options than these! You can add cocoa powder to make chocolate choux, Churros are fried choux dough rolled in cinnamon and sugar. When scooped into the oil they are beignets.
But we’ll leave those for another day.
When making choux you can pipe (I recommend a french star tip) or scoop using cookie dough scoops or even shape with a spoon.
Some tips when making ANY of these choux:
– Bake until a deep golden brown. If your choux is pale, it will be too soft and collapse. Resist opening the oven too fast as this can make them fall as well.
-You may not need to add all the eggs. By beating them you before adding you can more closely monitor this. If your dough is too wet and loose (they should hold their shape when piped or scooped) you can make another batch of half batch to add (without as much eggs). You can’t add raw flour to tighten the dough. Just won’t work.
– One last word of advice. These really are best served the same day they are made. Not that you should expect any leftovers!
-Dipping the tops of choux into the glaze is a little neater for presentation but if you do that you’ll want to fill them by poking a piping tip into the bottom to fill.
-You may find it easier to fill by cutting them in half and piping or scooping the filling in, then just spooning a little glaze on their tops.
My favorite filling for choux is chantilly cream (just a fancy way to say whipped cream) you can find my recipe here or if you prefer pastry cream you can find that recipe here.
MASTER CHOUX PASTRY
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt (I like using fine sea salt)
1 cup water
1 cup flour
4 eggs, beaten
Bring the butter, salt, and water to boil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Stir frequently and keep a close eye. You want the butter to melt and you also don’t want the water to boil long as you don’t want to let the water evaporate.
With pan still on the heat stir in the flour and beat with a wooden spoon to completely incorporate the flour.
Keep stirring vigorously until the dough sticks to itself and pulls away from the sides of the pan (kind of like when bread dough clings to itself when beaten with a dough hook).
Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool for a few minutes. You can break the dough up to help it cool faster as well.
Add the eggs, a couple tablespoons at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Dough should take almost if not all the eggs and be glossy and very smooth when ready and will hold it’s shape when piped or scooped.
Pipe or scoop onto silicone or parchment lined baking trays. Wet your finger to smooth down any tips before baking.
Bake at 400 degrees.
Smaller shapes, like profiteroles or chouquettes will take approximately 20 minutes. Larger shapes like cream puffs or eclairs will take 30-40 minutes. Don’t open the oven until the end of the cooking time to keep their shape.
When golden and crisp, remove from oven and pierce with a paring knife to allow the steam to escape. (I usually do this in the side where it won’t be visible.)
Vanilla Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons boiling water
1 Tablespoon corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (or extract of choice)
Whisk together until smooth. Add additional water if needed for desired consistency. Spoon over top of choux or dip tops.
Chocolate Glaze:
4 ounces chocolate (or approximately 1/2 cup chocolate chips)
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tablespoon corn syrup, optional
Heat cream to barely a simmer in a small pot. Pour over chocolate and corn syrup in a small bowl and whisk until melted and smooth. Spoon over top of choux or dip tops.
CRAQUELIN:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
food coloring, optional
Cream together the butter, salt, and brown sugar. Add the flour and any food coloring, if using.
Place in a ziptop bag and roll out inside the bag to approximately 1/4 inch thick. Seal bag and place in freezer until needed.
Cut open bag and cut shapes to fit the top of choux. (I typically just use this for profiteroles or cream puffs)
Place on top of choux and bake until golden brown.
This might be my most favorite sourdough recipe I’ve made yet! Sometimes I get a little carried away feeding my starter and then I’m left with this vat of bubbling goodness I can’t bring myself to toss. So I made a crepe recipe that uses all starter, no additional flour. It has a more distinct sourdough flavor that can be paired with sweet or savory.
Now I make sure to feed my starter ambitiously just so I can make these!
SOURDOUGH CREPES
makes approximately 16 (10 inch) crepes
2 1/2 cups sourdough starter, ripe or unfed
1 cup milk (I usually use fat free but even whole is fine)
6 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (plus extra for pan)
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until completely smooth and combined. (Or whisk until smooth). Let rest while you heat your crepe maker or pan. Heat pan over medium heat and brush with melted butter.
Pour a couple tablespoons batter in pan and tilt to cover bottom of pan. (How much batter depends on how big your pan is. Mine is about 10″ and a couple tablespoons is about right.)
When opaque flip and cook on second side. Place on tea towel lined tray while you continue cooking the rest.
When I was a kid my Mom would often make “Chinese” food for New Years. More often than not it was egg rolls (which are totally still a comfort food for me!) they may not have been the most authentic but we didn’t care.
I still make Chinese food for New Year’s and this is one of my families favorites. Also known as “Char Siu Pork” but for us Americans you probably just know it as BBQ Pork. It’s so easy! Makes a great appetizer sliced and served with hot mustard and sesame seeds and don’t forget the red sauce! or chop up to make BBQ Pork Fried Rice. It’s also good as an entree served with brown rice or Chinese noodles and stir fried veggies.
You can make this with Pork Butt (also called Pork Shoulder) which will be more juicy because of the fattier cut, or you can use Pork Loin for a leaner version. It will be dryer but the long marinade helps with that some.
I’ve made it with and without the food coloring and honestly it just isn’t the same without. It will not affect the taste if you want to leave it out though.
CHINESE BBQ PORK
3-4 lbs Pork Butt or Loin
1 Tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
1 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon 5 spice
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon red food coloring, optional
In a medium bowl combine the hoisin, soy sauce, 5 spice, brown sugar, garlic powder, and red food coloring (if using).
Cut the pork into long strips about 3-4 inches thick.
Place in a ziptop bag with the marinade and chill for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with foil and a rack. Remove the pork from the marinade and place on the rack. Bake for 1 hour, flipping over after 30 minutes.
Pane Bianco. Really just a fancy term for what my family calls “pizza bread”. But this bread is so delicious it deserves a fancy name! If you are looking for a showstopper bread for the holidays this beauty is what you want to make! While this looks difficult and would definitely impress your mother in law, you can rest assured it is incredibly easy to make. I used my homemade basil pesto but store bought is fine too. And I may have used my oven dried tomatoes but store bought would taste great too.
And by some miracle you have leftovers the next day for the love of all carbs eat a slice toasted! Yum!
PANE BIANCO
DOUGH:
3 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 Tablespoons instant milk powder
1 large egg
1 cup warm water
3 Tablespoons olive oil
FILLING:
1/3 cup basil pesto
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 cup grated romano cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
In a bowl of a stand mixer whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, and milk powder.
In a separate bowl mix the egg, water, and olive oil together until combined.
Add to the mixer bowl and using a dough hook, knead until dough comes together to make a smooth and slightly tacky dough.
Place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
While dough is rising make the filling. Mix the pesto, garlic, tomatoes, romano, and Parmesan together to make a thick paste.
Gently deflate the dough. Flatten and pat into a 22″ by 9″ rectangle.
Spread with pesto mixture then sprinkle with the mozzarella.
Roll the dough on a long edge (like you would for cinnamon rolls) so you have a long log. Pinch the edge to seal.
Place the log seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Using kitchen shears starting 1/2 inch from the end cut lengthwise down the center about 1″ deep and end 1/2 inch from the other end.
Form into an “s” shape by curving and tucking both ends underneath.
Pinch the edges together to seal.
Cover with plastic wrap and rise until doubled, approx 45 minutes.
Uncover and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Tent with foil after 20-30 minutes to avoid over browning.
Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
I love making new recipes but holidays is all about memories and traditions. This is one of those dishes that my Mom made EVERY holiday dinner. My Grandmother even started making hers this way after trying it. I didn’t even realize until I was older that dressing is more often made with cornbread (which still seems so weird to me!). I have tried different ways of adjusting this over the years, adding more herbs, sausage or bacon, artisan bread… but this is the way I always go back to.
I usually make it the day of but it works well made the day ahead too. And if you have room in your oven I like to spread it out more in a 9 by 13 dish so it gets crustier.
For a leftover treat shape patties out of leftover dressing and heat on a griddle or skillet until golden!
Mom’s Old Fashioned Dressing
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter
6 sticks celery, chopped
1 large white onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 loaf white bread, cubed*
2 cups chicken stock
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onions and cook until just softened.
Stir in sage, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and add the bread, tossing to combine.
Add stock and stir to evenly distribute. If dry add additional chicken stock. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Place in greased casserole or 9″ x 13″ dish and bake at 375 for about 30 minutes or until crusty and baked through.
*Or use 1 loaf artisan bread. Tear into cubes and toss with half of the melted butter. Spread out on a baking tray and toast at 425 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until toasted. Proceed with recipe as above.
Make Ahead: After placing in the greased casserole dish you can cover and refrigerate overnight and bake the next day. If I have other dishes in the oven at another temperature that should be fine. If baking too hot make sure to cover with foil so it doesn’t get too dark on top though.
