Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

Chocolate Crackles

a gratuitous self-promotion . . .

One of our photos from Italy has been entered in a photo contest.

Our photo is currently number 14 13  (woo hoo) out of 464 photos.

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Remember a 10 is good!

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*smile*

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The Christmas baking continues.

Yesterday we made one of my favourite cookies: Chocolate Crackles. These soft cookies are extra chocolaty (from using both bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder). They have a brilliant white crust of powdered sugar. They are wildly addictive! I defy you to eat only one (unless you are like my friend Palma who doesn't care for chocolate, in that case leave them for the true chocolate lovers in the household).

Ingredients

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits, and melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
2. In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.
3. On a clean countertop, roll each portion of dough into a log approximately 16 inches long and 1 inch in diameter, using confectioners’ sugar to prevent sticking. Wrap logs in plastic wrap, and transfer to a baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut each log into 1-inch pieces, and toss in confectioners’ sugar, a few at a time. Using your hands, roll the pieces into a ball shape. If any of the cocoa-colored dough is visible, roll dough in confectioners’ sugar again to coat completely. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to15 minutes.
4. Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Chocolate Mint Shortbread

a shameless self-promotion . . .

One of our photos from Italy has been entered in a photo contest.

Our photo is currently number 16 out of 464 photos.

You can vote by clicking here

Remember a 10 is good!

Feel free to e-mail the link to friends and loved ones!

*smile*

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Today was a good day for Christmas baking. This afternoon we pulled these cookies together. We first made them last year and really enjoyed the shortbread-like chocolate cookie studded with mini chocolate chips and covered with mint icing. This recipe was originally from the Taste of Home magazine.

¾ c	butter	Icing
½ c	confectioners' sugar	2 T	butter, softened
2 squares	(1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled	1 c	confectioners' sugar
¼ tsp	peppermint extract	1 T	milk
1½ c	all-purpose flour	¼ tsp	peppermint extract
1 c	miniature semisweet chocolate chips	1 - 2 drops	green food coloring
		Drizzle
		½ c	semisweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a large bowl, cream together butter and confectioners' sugar.
• Beat in chocolate and mint extract.
• Gradually add flour.
• Stir in chocolate chips (dough will be soft).
• Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until firm.
• Cool for 4 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Icing & Drizzle

• Meanwhile, combine icing ingredients; spread over cooled cookies. Let set.
• In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and drizzle over cookies.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

a shameless self-promotion . . .

One of our photos from Italy has been entered in a photo contest.

Our photo is currently number 16 out of 464 photos.

You can vote by clicking here

Remember a 10 is good!

Feel free to e-mail the link to friends and loved ones!

*smile*

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Christmas is breaking out all around us. There are those who dive in; it is as if they flick a switch and suddenly the house is wearing festive garb. We do not fall into that camp. While we adore the festive season, we prefer to ease our way into it.

A few weeks back I put up some of the outside lights. Last week I clambered back out on the roof (and earned the wrath of Paul who didn't want me on the roof while he was out) and put the ones the falling ice had ripped off back in place. I took that opportunity put out the rest of the lights.

This weekend we decorated the outdoor urns with greenery. Today I wore my first Christmas tie (the Grinch) and Paul put the Christmas cat collars on the guys. that is enough for now! *smile*

I've been busy with baking. We have a bake sale at work and people have been asking me what I am bringing. Tonight I made 4-chocolate brownies, chocolate cookies, and David Lebovitz's Caramelized matzoh Crunch.

These are busy times. For dinner I wanted something quick and easy to prepare. This pasta dish from Cooking Light fit the bill! Italian for "brother devil," fra diavolo sauce is usually tomato-based and always spicy. Although not traditional, mushrooms offer an earthiness that balances the heat. For a truly fiery dish, increase the crushed red pepper to 3/4 teaspoon.

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups sliced cremini mushrooms (about 10 ounces)
2 1/2 cups Basic Marinara
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
Parsley sprigs (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms to pan; sauté 6 minutes. Add Basic Marinara, red pepper, salt, and black pepper; bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done. Serve over pasta. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups shrimp mixture and about 1 cup pasta)

CALORIES 439 (17% from fat); FAT 8.5g (sat 1.3g,mono 4.4g,poly 1.7g); PROTEIN 33.8g; CHOLESTEROL 172mg; CALCIUM 118mg; SODIUM 660mg; FIBER 5g; IRON 5.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 56.5g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007

The Christmas Baking Begins - Fruitcake

a shameless self-promotion . . .

One of our photos from Italy has been entered in a photo contest.

Our photo is currently number 18 out of 382 photos.

You can vote by clicking here.

Remember a 10 is good!

Feel free to e-mail the link to friends and loved ones!

*smile*

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Before you run and check your calendar for fear you've slept through a month and a half, yes, it is still October! We have a tradition in our family, we gather on a weekend day near the end of October and we whip up a batch of fruitcake. Once baked, these cakes get soaked in brandy, wrapped in cloth, then waxed paper, and then sealed in foil whereupon they are hidden away in a dry, cool spot to await their unveiling - generally 8 weeks after we baked them.

This was the recipe used to make my mother's wedding cake back in 1961. My earliest memory of mom making them is 1967 when she and her friend whipped them together in the small kitchen in our apartment. For those who are counting - I was three way back then. So these cakes have been a family tradition for more than 40 years.

To be honest, I don't really like fruitcake all that much. A slice or two will do me for a year. So what do I do with the eight cakes my half of the recipe generally makes? I give them away or sell them - every year my office has a bake sale to raise money for charity. Each one of these babies goes for $ 6 which is a nice profit for the charity.

This year we decided to get an early start - 6:30 a.m. ARGH When we went to bed last night we smiled to ourselves - sure that there was no way mom would be here that early. When the alarm went at 5:45 I got up, showered, went downstairs to make some coffee and feed the cats. I figured that I could relax for a few hours before mom showed up. I was just in the middle of making some muffins for breakfast when the doorbell rang - 'good lord', I thought - she actually got up! Yes, it was her.

This recipe makes about 7 1/2 pounds of cake.

1 lb butter
2 cups white sugar
12 eggs, separated
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp nutmeg
½ tbsp ground allspice
4 cups all purpose flour
5 lb raisins (half light and half dark)
1 ½ lb citron peel
1 lb candied cherries cut in half
1 lb candied pineapple cut into chunks
½ cup brandy
1 small bottle strawberry jam
1 small bottle grape juice (about 14 oz)
½ tsp soda added to grape juice just before mixing it into the batter
1 tsp vanilla

Cut parchment paper to line pans. Grease parchment paper with butter. Line the pans.

With a mixer, cream butter and sugar.

Add the 12 egg yolks to the creamed butter and sugar.

Add spices.

In a large bowl place all of the fruit. Mix the flour and fruit together.

Add butter mixture to the flour mixture.

Mix in brandy, strawberry jam, grape juice/baking soda  mixture, and vanilla.

Gently fold in the 12 egg whites (stiffly beaten).

Fill the prepared pans with the batter.

Bake at 300 degrees until done (small cakes like we make generally take about 2 hours).

And now . . . the pics:

Paul chopping the fruit
You'll notice the debris left behind after I gave mom a treat from Palm Desert - Pistachios

Mom separating the eggs

Folding in the stiffly beaten egg whites

Ready to go into the oven
We put the filled cake tins on cookie sheets so it is easier to move the cakes around in the oven to ensure even browning

Out of the oven and ready to cool