Chocolate Beer Cookies with Salted Caramel Frosting

These cookies destroyed my Lenten vows of no dessert/no chocolate. For 3 days in a row. I tried to forgive myself on Sunday since it's the mini-Easter reprieve from Lent, but Monday was willful and deliberate ignoring of my fast. I rationalized it at the time by telling myself I was saving my wife from having to eat them (she had been complaining about too much unhealthy food over the weekend and wanting to get back to normal come Monday). So it was an act of love/an act of sacrifice on my part?

 I only had lager on hand and being the cheapskate that I am, that's what I used in the cookie dough. I am 100% certain that a really nice chocolate,oatmeal or espresso stout would knock the cookie batter out of the park though. The other perk of this recipe is that it only uses half a beer, leaving me half a beer to drink (the perfect size for me). The cookies turned out moist and almost cake-like, studded with melted chocolate chips, and when topped with salted caramel frosting and crunchy salty pretzel bits, the combo was divine!!!!! Yep it was a pretty spiritual food experience.

The one lesson I learned: pretzels on frosting go STALE. So, if you make this recipe, only frost as many cookies as you anticipate eating at that seating. Then when you want more, reheat the frosting, dunk the cookies and apply fresh pretzels because you really do want the crunch factor.

Chocolate Stout Cookies with Salted Caramel Frosting (from cravingchronicles)

• 1 1/2 cups flour
•  1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tablespoon dark cocoa 
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
•  1/2 teaspoon baking soda
•  1 teaspoon baking powder
•  1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
•  1/2 cup dark brown sugar
•  1/2 teaspoon vanilla
•  1 egg
•  6 ounces stout beer (such as Chocolate Stout or Oatmeal Stout, or whatever beer you have on hand)
•  1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or bittersweet chocolate chips)
• 1 batch Easy Salted Caramel Frosting (below)
•  1 bag of salted pretzels (I used multigrain pretzels)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
3. Beat butter with brown sugar using a mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat vanilla and egg in. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the beer. Beat just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips with a spatula.
4. Chill dough in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
5. Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350°F for 15-17 minutes or until tops spring back lightly when touched. Cool on pan for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Easy Salted Caramel Frosting

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
•  pinch or two of salt
•  1 cup packed brown sugar
•  1/4 cup heavy cream
•  1 tsp vanilla extract
•  1 cup powdered sugar

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter, salt and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking frequently for 1-2 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in cream, followed by vanilla. Cool 5-10 minutes.
3. Whisk in ~1 cup powdered sugar until smooth. 

To Assemble
Spread frosting over cooled cookies.
Crush pretzels into small pieces (put them in a bag and roll over the bag with a rolling pin). Spread pretzel crumbs out in a plate. 
Dip each cookie frosting side down in the pretzel crumbs, pushing lightly to make sure they stick.

Chilaquiles

Surprisingly, despite my love of Mexican food, I had until recently never eaten nor cooked chilaquiles. Now that I make this statement, I acknowledge my complete ignorance about whether chilaquiles are a Tex-Mex creation or stem from true Mexican culinary history. Google time! According to Wikipedia, if it can be considered a legitimate source, chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican dish and "recipes for chilaquiles have been found in a U.S. cookbook published in 1898." I guess I am one in a long line of fortunate cooks enjoying this recipe!

To summarize my experience of chilaquiles: OMG. Crispy fried corn tortillas simmered ever so briefly in homemade enchilada sauce, served up with black beans and fried eggs, and heavily adorned with avocado, cilantro, and red onion?! What's not to love?  My only regret about this recipe was the fact that I halved it to cook just enough for two! There were no leftovers when my sad, empty plate stared up at me, begging for just one or two more corn tortilla pieces. Do not make the same mistake I did. Make more chilaquiles than you think you'll eat - just in case :)  Also don't make the mistake of pouring leftover hot oil into a dish that has a large crack in it. After you finish dinner, you don't want to find a giant pool of oil dripping off the counter onto the floor. Ergh.

Chilaquiles

• 12 corn tortillas, cut in quarters
• 1 1/2 c. enchilada sauce or salsa verde
• canola oil
• 1-2 avocados, chopped
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 - 1 c. cilantro, chopped
• Cotija, crumbled or sour cream 
• Sides: Crockpot black beans, fried egg  (I had made the crockpot black beans a couple of weeks before and frozen pint sized jars of them. One pint size jar would be perfect as a side for 4 people.)

1. Heat ~1/4 c. of canola oil in a sauce pan on medium high Add corn tortilla quarters a 4-6 at a time (don't overly crowd the pan). Let fry until golden brown on both sides, turning over once with tongs. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate to cool. Add a pinch of salt.
2. Once all the tortillas are fried, add a bit of oil to the pan again (if needed - only need about 2-3 Tbs in the pan), and add the enchilada sauce. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes until thickened.
3. Add all the tortilla pieces to the pan. Turn the pieces over so they are all coated with sauce and soften slightly. Remove and serve immediately with sides and garnishes.

Photo to come.

Bulgur Lentil Walnut Salad

This salad is the epitome of winter. Hardy, filling, and beautiful with the deep red hues of dried cranberries and verdant greens of chopped mint and parsley. The tangy citrus notes lighten up the lentil/bulgur combination. I won't promise that these measurements are exact as I kept going until it tasted like the flavor I imagined it having...  You know when you have a general sense of what a dish should contain but you're not quite sure of what it will take to reach the flavor you think it's supposed to have? Yeah, all the time for me.  Anyways this makes a great whopping bowl of salad which is perfect for a potluck or party and it garners rave reviews!

Bulgur Lentil Walnut Salad

1 c. brown or green lentils
1/4 c. barley - optional
1 c. bulgur (dried)
1/2 large red onion finely chopped
1 large bunch mint, chopped
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1/2 - 3/4 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 - 3/4 c. dried cranberries
feta - optional
3 oranges, zest and juice of 1-2 of the oranges
salt
pepper
1/4 c. olive oil (or lemon infused olive oil)
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/4 c. orange juice

1. Place bulgur in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and seal with plastic wrap. Set aside for 10-15 minutes.
2. Rinse lentils. Bring lentils to a boil with an appropriate amount of water and pinch or two of salt. Let simmer until cooked. Drain and set aside to cool.
3. Once the bulgur and lentils are cool, stir together with onion, mint, parsley, walnuts, cranberries, feta, and orange zest.
4. In a separate container, whisk together olive oil, orange juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Adjust to taste. Pour over salad. Let sit for at least 4 hours. Stir again before serving.

Vegan Coconut Raspberry Cake

It's funny how often I end up baking or making something vegan despite my own broad dietary horizons of all things plant, dairy, seafood, and the occasional ham - yet more and more of my friends have dietary restrictions - no dairy, no wheat, no sugar, etc. Instead of being intimidated, I always feel like this is a  personal challenge to discover something scrumptious that they can enjoy.  So here's a cake I ended up making for a friend with lactose intolerance that's FAST, moist, and pretty darn delicious.

Coconut Raspberry Cake
1 c. all purpose flour
2 Tbs + 1 tsp baking powder (yes, that much)
1 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
1 c. sugar (I would try reducing this to 3/4 c. or 2/3 c.)
1 c. almond milk, unsweetened
2 Tbs water
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1 c. raspberries
3 Tbs coconut oil (liquid state)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Stir all the dry ingredients together.
3. Pour in almond milk, water, vanilla, and coconut extract. Stir to combine (don't overstir)
4. Add the oil and stir gently to combine. Fold in raspberries.
5. Line a DEEP 22 cm cake tin (or go up a size for a shallower pan) with parchment paper on the bottom. Grease the sides. Pour the batter in.
6. Bake for 35-45 min until done. Serve with fresh raspberries or a raspberry puree.

Paneer Butter Masala and Coconut Cinnamon Rice

I've made this recipe for paneer butter masala three times in the last month because it is indeed that delicious - like eye-rolling into the back of your head kind of delicious. Once again pinterest, you have led me to a golden recipe! This is fast becoming a new staple in the rotation of meals cooked for guests (mostly because if there's just the two of us we will eat far too much paneer...) I have to say I'm quite proud of myself as Indian food (along with Italian) is usually in wife's cooking domain and not my own. After this excursion, I clearly need to trespass in the Indian food category more often!

What's great about this recipe is you can make the onion/tomato spice paste ahead of the meal (and deal with all the required dishes) and then simply reheat it with the paneer before adding in the evaporated milk/whipping cream when you're ready to serve dinner. It pairs superbly with any kind of coconut rice. I suggest one of two versions- a jalapeno, ginger, coconut rice (if you like spice) or a second version -turmeric, cinnamon, raisin coconut rice, for something a little sweeter/more mellow.

Paneer Butter Masala

• 1 Tbs oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (or 1 1/2 medium onions)
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tsp diced jalapeno (from a can)
• 2" long chunk ginger, peeled and chopped (I was very very liberal about this amount)
• 3 Tbs butter
• 1/4 c. cashew paste (or roughly 1/4 c. cashews soaked in hot water and pureed to a paste)
• 3/4 - 1 c. pureed tomatoes (or crushed tomatoes)
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp coriander
• 1/2-3/4 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp Tandoori masala
•  2 c. paneer cubes
• 1/2 - 3/4 c. evaporated milk (or half&half for more decadence)

1. If you don't have cashew paste, soak the cashew pieces in 2-3 Tbs of just boiled water. 
2. In a skillet, saute the onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the jalapeno, ginger, and a pinch of salt. Saute until soft.
3. Transfer the onion mixture to a blender or food processor along with the cashew pieces and puree into a paste.
4. Add the butter to the skillet. Let it foam before adding the onion puree to the skillet. Cook until the butter/puree separates.
5. Add the tomato puree and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring well. Add all the spices and cook for another 3-5 minutes, continuing to stir. If the sauce starts to look too dry, you can add a bit more tomato puree. Taste for seasoning at this point and adjust if needed. (You can also stop here and store the mixture in the fridge until you are ready to saute the paneer. If you do this, you will likely need a bit extra tomato puree or water for reheating the sauce).
6. Drop the paneer cubes in gently to the skillet with the masala sauce and give it a toss. Cook over medium-low for 2-3 minutes for the paneer to absorb the flavors.
7. Lower heat to a simmer and add the evaporated milk (or cream). Mix well. Serve over rice.

Coconut Cinnamon Rice

• 2 1/4 c. water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 c. shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 1 c. coconut milk  (if you don't have coconut milk, increase the water used to 3 1/4 c.)
• 1 1/2 c. white rice (or basmati)
• 2-3 Tbs grated ginger
• 1/4c. + 2 Tbs. raisins
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)

1. Bring water, cinnamon stick, and shredded coconut to a boil.
2. Stir in coconut milk, rice, ginger, raisins, salt, and tumeric. Bring to a boil again. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmering for 15 minutes. 
3. Stir rice to fluff and serve.

Snack Bites

Snacks - the essential item for making it through the seemingly huge afternoon gap between lunch and dinner. Also key as an energy booster for hiking, snowshoeing and the like. I love having raw fruit, veggies, or a handful of nuts for a snack but sometimes I want something a little bit more exciting that might almost make me think I'm having a treat (read "dessert"). I found two recipes for snack bites that I made this weekend that were healthy and delicious! And pretty minimal time involved. In fact it could be a fun activity with a small child as you roll the snack bites in various toppings.  The Carrot Date Snack Bites came from Daily Bites and the Almond Butter Oatmeal Bites were adapted from Alida's Kitchen.

Carrot Date Bites

 Carrot Date Snack Bites (yield 18-20 1" sized bites)

• 3/4 c chopped carrot (I probably used closer to 1 c.)
• 3/4 c. pitted dates
• 1/2 c. walnuts
• 1/4 c. sliced almonds (or cashews)
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon)
• 1tsp - 1 Tbs grated ginger (this makes a pretty spicy snack bite at the upper endso you might want to tone it down for kids...)
• Shredded unsweetened coconut 
• Sesame seeds

1. Put the carrot in the food processor and pulse into finely ground. Scoop the carrot out and set outside
2. Place the nuts in the food processor and grind until finely ground (but not to paste or nut butter!).
3. Add in dates to food processor and pulse until combined.
4. Add carrot and spices to mixture, pulse just until combined.
5. Scoop 1/2 - 1 Tbs sized balls out and roll in the coconut or sesame seeds (or a combo of the two). Refrigerate.

Almond Butter Oatmeal Bites (blurry)

Almond Butter Oatmeal Bites (yield 16-18 1" sized bites)

• 3/4 c. almond butter + 1/4 c. peanut butter  (or all almond butter or all peanut butter)
• 1 c. rolled oats (not instant)
• 2- 3 Tbs. wheat germ or ground flax
• 3 Tbs shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 1 1/2 Tbs honey
• Carob powder or cocoa powder + sesame seeds for rolling

1. Mix oats, wheat germ, and coconut in a bowl.
2. Heat nut butters and honey in the microwave about 15-20 seconds in a separate bowl.  Stir until blended.  3. Add nut butter mixture to oat mixture and stir until incorporated.  (I noticed that using almond butter, the mix seemed a bit wet so I added 1 - 2 extra Tbs of soy flour - use wheat germ or more flax as desired).
4. Form rounded tablespoonfuls of the mixture into ~ 1" diam balls and set aside on a plate.
5. Roll each ball in a mixture of carob powder and sesame seeds (or whatever you want) and then chill for at least an hour. 

Kefir Bread

I baked a second loaf of the kefir bread this weekend. I love the golden brown crispy crust that emerges and the moist dense yet sourdough like interior. Plus, I love that I finally have something to use all the leftover whey for!  Usually when I'm making kefir, I let it ferment all the way to curds and strain the cheese out. I have used the whey in a couple of baked goods, but never found a recipe where I could use so much at once. I particularly love that this is a no-fuss no knead bread as well! You simply need to stir flour and kefir whey together and let it ferment/rise for 24-36 hours. Then bake! Voila! You can find the original recipe here.

Dough rising way high up...

Kefir Bread

• 3 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 c. bread flour
• 2 1/2 c. kefir whey (or kefir milk)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar

1. Stir flour, salt and sugar together. Stir whey in. Dough should be wet and sticky.
2. Cover with a towel and let rise for 24-36 hours. (It will form a slight crusty layer on top).
3. Coat a dutch oven (cast iron pot) with a light layer of canola oil. Place it in the oven. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees F. Let the dutch oven heat for 20 minutes.
4. Scoop the dough into the dutch oven. Cover and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Just out of the oven

First slice

Decadent Mexican Hot Chocolate

After the Mexican hot chocolate mousse experience, I wanted another go at creating a rich chocolate dessert - but something less sweet and more spicy. I made up this recipe at the end of a dinner party and it turned out perfectly - now I can only hope that my estimated measurements allow for accurate replication! It's yields 6 tea cup size servings of hot dessert at the end of a meal that leave you wanting more but it's probably for the best that there aren't leftovers :)

Mexican Hot Chocolate
2 hexagons of Mexican chocolate (Ibarra brand, e.g.) or ~ 6oz, chopped
2 oz unsweetened chocolate (could increase to 3 oz if desired), chopped
a handful of bittersweet chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 - 1 Tbs instant coffee
1/3-1/2 c. half and half
1/4-1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne or chipotle powder (start small and work your way up)
1 1/2 - 2 c. 2% milk, warmed
creme de cacao
whipping cream, whipped
Optional garnishes: cacao nibs, candied ginger, candied orange peel, chocolate shavings

1. Over low heat, heat the Mexican chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, bittersweet chips, and instant coffee with the half and half in a heavy bottomed saute pan. Stir frequently until the chocolate is melted.
2. Once the chocolate is completely melted, add the spices in and begin warming the milk in a separate pan on the stove. Once the milk is completely warmed (almost to a simmer), whisk in the chocolate mixture. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
3. Pour half or full shot of creme de cacao in the bottom of each teacup. Pour in the hot chocolate. Top with whipping cream and optional garnishes as desired.