Lime Sandwich Cookies

 

Ingredients

· 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

· 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

· Kosher salt

· 2 sticks plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 

· 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

· 1 large egg, room temperature

· 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

· 12 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1 cup)

· 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus 1 teaspoon grated zest

· 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

 

Steps

1) Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Beat 2 sticks butter with sugar on high until fluffy, 4 minutes. Beat in egg, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon water. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture and beat to combine. Divide dough in half; flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic and freeze until firm, 30 minutes.

2) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove one disk from freezer; let stand 15 minutes. On a floured surface, roll out 1/8 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch cutter, stamp out rounds; place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Roll scraps; cut out more rounds. Repeat with other disk. Cut 3/4-inch teardrops from half of cookies. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Bake, rotating sheets once, until edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

3) Heat milk in a small pan over medium-high, stirring until bubbling. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until it has the consistency of pudding, 5 minutes. Strain into a bowl. Whisk in juice, zest, and a pinch of salt. Cover surface with plastic; refrigerate 30 minutes

4) Beat remaining 6 tablespoons butter, cream cheese, and milk mixture on medium-high until fluffy. Spread 2 teaspoons filling on a solid cookie; top with a cutout. Repeat with remaining cookies. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour and up to 4 days.

 

From: Martha Stewart’s Cookie Perfection: 100+ Recipes to Take Your Sweet Treats to the Next Level

By: Martha Stewart

 

Quick Pear Streusel Coffee Cake

 

Cake

· Unsalted butter, for the baking dish

· 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

· 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

· 1/2 cup sugar

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

· 1 large egg

· 1/2 cup whole milk

· 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

· 2 ripe pears (I like Bartlett), unpeeled, cored and chopped (1 1/2 cups)

 

Streusel Topping

· 1/2 cup sugar

· 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

· 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cutup

· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

Steps

1) Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.

2) To make the cake, combine the flour with the baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and then mix in the milk and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the pears, and mix well. Pour this into the buttered baking dish.

3) To make the streusel, mix the sugar, flour, cold utter, and cinnamon in a bowl by pinching them together with your fingers until well combined. Sprinkle over the top of the batter.

4)  Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, until it is golden and dry on top. Cool in the pan, and then cut into squares. This cake keeps for up to 4 days, covered at room
temperature.

 

From: Gale Gand’s Brunch!: 100 Fantastic Recipes for the Weekend’s Best Meal
By: Gale Gand with Christie Matheson

 

Honey and Apricot Pizza

 

Ingredients

· I packet ready-made pizza crust

· 1 lb. fresh apricots

· 3/4 rounded cup low-fat crème fraîche

· 1/8 rounded cup sugar

· 1 tablespoon clear honey

· 1/4 cup shredded, unsalted pistachio nuts

 

Steps

1) Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the dough on a oven tray covered with baking paper, and put it in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

2) Halve the apricots and remove the stones. Then cut the apricots into quarters. Whisk together the crème fraîche, sugar, and hone, and spread the mixture on the hot pizza crust, leaving a 3/4-inch outer border uncovered.

3) Add the apricot quarters in concentric circles. Sprinkle on the pistachios and return to the oven for around 20 minutes.

4) Allow to cool a little before serving up this delicious desert.

 

Serves 4

 

From: Superfoods from the Garden: grow it, cook it, and achieve the best health ever

By: Michael van Straten

Sweetheart S’more

 

Ingredients

· White chocolate, to taste

· 1 graham cracker, broken in half

· 1 marshmallow

· 2 slices fresh strawberry

· 2 to 4 fresh raspberries

 

Arrange chocolate on 1 of the graham cracker halves and melt. Roast the marshmallow. Once the chocolate begins to melt,
remove graham cracker from heat and top with berries, roasted marshmallow, and remaining graham cracker.

 

From: S’mores 

By: Lisa Adams

Pasta with Tomatoes, Orange, and Olives

 

Ingredients

· 1 pound linguine or spaghetti

· Kosher salt and ground black pepper

· 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

· 1/2 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced

· 6 medium garlic cloves, minced

· 1 tablespoon grated orange zest, plus 1/2 cup orange juice

· 1 teaspoon dried oregano

· 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

· 2 pints grape tomatoes

· 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil, torn into small pieces

· 1/2 cup pitted oil-cured black olives or green olives, finely chopped

· 2 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated

 

Steps

1) In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Stir in the pasta and 2 tablespoons salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.

2) Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until simmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, orange zest, oregano and pepper flakes, then cook, stirring until fragrant. About 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and orange juice, cover and cook until the tomatoes begin to burst, about 4 minutes.

3) Reduce to medium, then press on any whole tomatoes with the back of a spoon so they burst. If the pasta is not yet done, remove the skillet from the heat, cover and set aside.

4) To the skillet, add the drained pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Bring to a simmer over medium and cook, tossing with tongs, until the pasta is al dente, about 5 minutes. Taste and salt with black pepper.

5) Off heat, add the basil, olives and half the cheese, then toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water if needed so the sauce coats the noodles. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and drizzle with additional oil.

 

From: Milk Street: Tuesday Nights Mediterranean

By: Christopher Kimball

 

Breakfast Tacos

 

Classic Bacon & Egg

· 8 slices bacon

· 8 large eggs

· 1/2 cup refried beans, store-bought or homemade

· 1/2 cup grated Chihuahua cheese

· 8 flour tortillas, store-bought or homemade, warmed

· 1 cup San Antonio-Style Breakfast Salsa Kosher salt

 

Steps

1) In a large cast-iron skillet set over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until the fat renders and the bacon is crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

2) Carefully discard all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the skillet. Fry or scramble the eggs in the bacon fat to your desired doneness, working in batches as needed. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.

3) To build each taco, place 1 tablespoon of the beans, 1 tablespoon of the cheese, 1 egg, and 1 slice of bacon on top of a warm tortilla. Top each with 2 tablespoons of salsa and a pinch of salt and serve immediately.

 

Serves 4

From:  Tex Mex: Traditions, innovations, and Comfort Foods from Both Sides of the Bortdaer

 

Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

· 2 cups heavy (double) cream

· 1 cup whole milk

· 3/4 cup sugar

· Pinch of salt

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 2 cups fresh strawberries, stemmed and coarsely chopped, plus extra for optional garnish

 

Steps

1) In a bowl, combine the cream and milk. Add the sugar and salt and whisk until the sugar begins to dissolve. Stir in the vanilla. Set aside, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to blend, about 15 minutes.

2) Cover and refrigerate the mixture until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 8 hours.

3) In a bowl, using a fork or potato masher, mash half of the chopped strawberries; they should break down into small chunks. Add the remaining coarsely chopped strawberries to the bowl. Cover and refrigerate the strawberries for about 1 hour.

4) Pour the milk mixture into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When nearly frozen and the consistency of thick whipped cream, add the strawberries. Churn or stir until just blended. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days, before serving. If desired, garnish with additional chopped strawberries before serving.

 

From: Ice Cream

By: Williams-Sonoma

 

Butterscotch Pie

Ingredients

· 1/2 recipe Basic Pie Crust in 9-in pan

· 2 cups milk

· 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

· 1 tablespoon cornstarch

· 2 large egg yolks

· 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

· 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

 

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prebake the pie shell for 12 minutes, until the crust on the rim has browned.

2. In a bowl, combine the milk, flour, and cornstarch. Whisk in the egg yolks until incorporated.

3. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter then add the sugar and heat until the sugar softens and melts into the butter. Off the heat, slowly whisk in the milk mixture. Put back over medium heat and cook, whisking, until it is smooth. Cook for 5 minutes longer, until the mixture begins to thicken.

4. Pour the mixture into the prebaked pie crust and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

 

Serves 6-8

 

From: Big American Cookbook: 250 Favorite Recipes from Across the USA

By: Mario Batali

 

Ramen Burger

Noodle buns:

· 200 g (7 oz) ramen noodles, cooked according to the packet instructions

· 1 medium egg, beaten

· 2 tbsp. rapeseed oil

 

Burgers:

· 2 beef patties

· Salt and freshly ground black pepper

· 1 tbsp. teriyaki sauce

· 2 tbsp. sesame oil

· 2 slices Cheddar or Monterey Jack (optional)

· 2 tbsp. mustard relish

· 2 tbsp. wasabi mayonnaise

· 50 g (2 oz) Chinese cabbage, shredded

· 1 radish, thinly sliced

· 1 pinch chives

· Sriracha, to serve

 

Steps

1. Let the noodles cool to room temperature. In a small mixing bowl, stir the egg into the noodles, tossing thoroughly to coat. Divide the egg-dressed noodles into 4 portions, and place each into a 9 cm mould. Alternatively, if you do not have any moulds, shape the bun using your hands. They will be looser, but delicious at the same time

2. Add the oil to a frying pan and set over a medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, place the noodle buns into the pan in their moulds (if
using) and use a small ramekin to press them down. Cook until the bottom is a dark golden brown. Flip both of the noodle buns, and cook until a dark golden brown on both sides, then carefully remove from the moulds.

3. Season the beef patties with salt, pepper, teriyaki sauce and sesame oil. Wipe out the frying pan and cook the patties over a medium-high heat for about 4 minutes on each side until medium rare, or to your preference. Top with a slice of cheese if using.

4. Assemble the burgers, starting with the ramen bun, followed by the mustard relish, burger patty, wasabi mayonnaise, cabbage, radish, chives, and Sriracha. Top with the other noodle bun

 

From: Pimp My Noodles:

turn instant noodles and ramen into fabulous feasts!

By: Kathy Kordalis