Chocolate Rosettes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's sometimes a mistake to try and improve on an old favorite recipe. Last year, I shared my recipe and memories of Christmas Rosettes with you. I know that these cookies have lost cache, but they will forever remain one of my favorite treats. My love for them is enhanced, of course, by the sweetness of memory. I think that's OK. We all are creations of time and place and those memories are what make us unique and set our place at the table. Several years ago, Bob and I were in Hawaii for several weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday. The people of the islands know how to celebrate the holiday in an unabashed fashion and it is impossible not to get into the spirit of the season if you are there. Let's say Hawaii, unconcerned with political correctness, bolstered my somewhat flagging Christmas spirit with its exuberant sense of season. We arrived home on Christmas Eve and, despite the hour, I decided we couldn't have Christmas without rosettes on the table. One of the beauties of these cookies is that they require no special ingredients. Another is the ease with which they come together. Ease and simplicity made the cookies possible that Christmas, so I'm not quite sure what possessed me to try this gussied up version of the recipe. It was a mistake. Truth be told, this chocolate version is lacking in flavor and, save for color, has nothing to commend it. It is neither sweet nor chocolatey. Please view me as your early warning system. If you are tempted to try this recipe, pinch yourself and move on. You deserve better.

Chocolate Rosettes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cocoa powder (any type)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
Vegetable shortening
Powdered sugar

Directions:
1) Combine cornstarch, flour, cocoa, sugar and salt in a bowl. Beat egg lightly, combine
with milk, and add to dry ingredients. Stir until smooth.
2) Heat rosette iron in deep, hot oil (350 to 375 F) for two minutes. Drain excess oil from iron; dip in batter about 1/2 way. Fry rosette while counting to 10. Wiggle iron so rosette falls off into oil and continue to fry until golden brown. Lift out with tongs. Drain on paper towels. Reheat iron 1 minute before making next rosette. Yield: 18 rosettes.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Stained Glass Cookies - Baking and Boys
Pecan Strips - Louanne's Kitchen
Lemon Glazed Christmas Wreath Cookies - Barbara Bakes
Chocolate Chip Biscotti - Mom's Cooking Club
Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies - The Recipe Girl
Peppermint Meringue Cookies - Sugarcrafter

Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze

Joshua, who brought a catalog along for his visit to Santa, knows exactly what he wants for Christmas. I hope Santa was taking notes!

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Earlier this week I had to make a cake for a morning coffee. I wanted to bake something that was seasonal, easy to make and just a little different than standard holiday fare. I found one in the book Southern Cakes, written by Nancie McDermott, that was exactly what I was looking for. I thought the cake would be too sweet for my own taste, but I knew others would love the apple and caramel confection. To my great surprise I found that I like it, too. The small piece I'd cut for myself was delicious and the caramel glaze that covered the top of the cake was amazingly good. The cake is definitely a keeper and, if you have not tried it, I hope you will soon. Here's the recipe.

Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Nancie McDermott

Ingredients:
Cake
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups finely chopped apples
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
Brown Sugar Glaze
1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch pan. Set aside.
2) Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Stir with a fork to mix everything together well.
3) In a large bowl, beat eggs with a wooden spoon or a mixer at low speed until pale yellow and foamy. Add oil, applesauce and vanilla and beat well. Stir in flour mixture with a wooden spoon and continue stirring batter just until flour disappears. Add apples and nuts, stir to mix them into the batter until fairly uniform. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
4) Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown, springs back when touched lightly and is beginning to pull away from sides of the pan. Place cake (still in the pans) on a wire rack and spoon over the glaze while still hot.
5) To make glaze: Combine brown sugar, butter, vanilla and cream in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture comes to a gentle boil. Then cook for 3-5 minutes.
6) Spoon hot glaze all over hot-from-the-oven cake. Let glazed cake cool completely before serving straight from the pan. Yield: 12 - 16 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Healthy German Apple Cake - Honey and Soy
Butterscotch Apple Cake - Sugar Plum
Cranberry and Apple Cake - Christie's Corner
French Apple Cake - David Lebovitz
Marie-Helene's Apple Cake - Sea Salt with Food
Cinnamon Apple Cake - Elana's Pantry
The Apple Lady's Apple Cake - One Perfect Bite

Herb Cheese Dip - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's drip and dip season here in Oregon. Rain and football seem to go hand in hand and those games are a great excuse to make a dip whose roots can be found in Lyons, France. There the dip is made with fromage blanc. Rest easy in the knowledge that cottage cheese will work nearly as well and that the herbs needed to make it can all be found in your neighborhood grocery store. It was originally intended to be used as a dip for raw vegetables, but I've found it to be a wonderful sandwich spread as well. As you scan the recipe ingredients you'll find it to be a healthy and figure friendly addition to your snack repertoire. The recipe, developed by Patricia Wells, is easy to make, but the cheese needs to drain for a day or two before it is served, so wait time will have to be factored into your game plan. This also gives the flavors of the herbs an opportunity to permeate the cheese. If you have a particularly macho crew for game day, you might want to omit the vegetables and serve the dip as a spread on rounds of rye bread that are topped with salami or other deli meats. It would also be wonderful as a spread on thick slices of crusty peasant bread. The dip can be made several days in advance of serving and you probably won't have leftovers to worry about. Here's the recipe.

Herb Cheese Dip...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Patricia Wells

Ingredients:
2 cups full-fat or low-fat cottage cheese
2 shallots, peeled and minced
1 plump, fresh garlic clove, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons fresh chives, snipped with a scissors
3 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, snipped with a scissors
3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, snipped with a scissors
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, carefully stemmed
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1 teaspoon best-quality sherry wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Mixed fresh herbs, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1) Place cottage cheese in bowl of a food processor and pulse once, just long enough to break up cheese curds. Add shallots, garlic, chives, tarragon, parsley, and thyme, and process very briefly, pulsing only to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pulse once again to distribute the seasonings.
2) Transfer mixture to a cheesecloth-lined large sieve set over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours.
3) Remove cheese from refrigerator. Discard any liquid that has drained from the sieve. Transfer cheese to bowl of a food processor. Add wine, vinegar, and oil, and pulse to blend. Taste for seasoning. Transfer to a small bowl. Serve at room temperature. Yield: 2 cups.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Blue Cheese and Bacon Dip - Easy Appetizers
Smoked Salmon Cheese Spread - Drick's Rambling Cafe
Hummus - Anja's Food 4 Thought
Taramosalata - Kalofagas
Warm Black Bean Dip - One Perfect Bite
Blue Cheese Dip - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Nānkhatāi - Diwali - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...All of today's pictures are linked to Diwali, the Hindu holiday that celebrates the return of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. The holiday is much like our Christmas with odd bits of Independence Day and Halloween thrown in. Please understand, I mean no disrespect. Lanterns are lit, families gather and gifts are exchanged during this joyous celebration of light. Firecrackers are used to frighten away evil spirits that might threaten the return of the goddess and children go door to door seeking a reward for the entertainment they provide. The cookie, called a Nānkhatāi, is an eggless shortbread that has a sandy texture. It is sold during the holiday by street vendors who specialize in sweetmeats and other treats. The pigeon is another story. The bird is not a mutant. He is one of many that have been tinted for Diwali. Why? I'm clueless and have been unable to find anyone who can give me a sensible answer. The design being created on the street outside the fence is called a rangoli and it's meant to welcome visiting deities. It, and thousands like it in other Hindu homes, will be lit at night with myriad small lanterns that will give streets the appearance of being swarmed by fireflies or glow worms. It is quite a sight. While I was able to sample most of the foods associated with Diwali, I missed these cookies and wanted to try them once I returned home. I made them today and I must say I'm not thrilled with the results. The cookie is fine, but, with so much good shortbread around, it merits only a lukewarm review. I decided to post it with reservations because it is a Indian dessert and I wanted to conclude my tour of India with something sweet. I'll let you be the judge of its merits. Here's the recipe.

Nānkhatāis...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Culinary Annonations

Ingredients:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup refrigerated ghee (clarified butter) or unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (maida)
1/2 cup semolina flour (rava)
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom [or 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg]
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons chopped nuts for topping

Directions:
1) Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F.
2) Sift confectioners' sugar into a mixing bowl. Add refrigerated ghee/butter and cream mixture until fluffy. Add vanilla and mix to incorporate.
3) Sift flour, semolina and baking powder into another bowl. Whisk in cardomom. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture in two parts. Once a cookie dough forms, transfer it to a cold working surface and knead a few times. Break dough into 20 equal-sized portions and shape into flattened rounds. Make a thumb impression in center of each and press in a few pieces of nuts.
4) Bake cookies for about 20 to 25 minutes. Check at 20 minute interval to ensure that cookies do not brown or develop any deep color. Be aware that these cookies will crack slightly. That is as it should be. Cool on wire racks. Store airtight. Yield: 18 to 20 cookies.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Semolina and Almond Salwa - eCurry
Gulab Jamun - Phem Fatale
Strawberry Busundi - Food Lyrics
Milk Cake - The Vegetarian Way
Pumpkin Kulfi - Eggless Cooking
Rasmalai - The Inner Gourmet

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Cheese Straws

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The holidays aren't far away and that means it's time to start planning meals and snacks for family and friends who inevitably drop by when there's a long weekend. I've a general idea of what to serve for what will be a nontraditional Thanksgiving dinner and have started formalizing my attack plan for the snacks that I want to have available for visitors. I like to make these cheese straws because they can be prepared well ahead of time and frozen to be baked off as needed. While these are intended as snacks, they are also a wonderful accompaniment to soups, particularly those that are tomato based.






Australian Busters











Tomato Jam






I've also made a batch of Busters which I featured here last year and will be making a tomato jam to be served with a good goat cheese on thinly sliced baguettes. There will, of course, be other treats, but I can relax once these are set to go. I prefer to use an Asiago cheese to make these but you can use any hard cheese that you like. It's best to use a microplane to grate the cheese. If it's too soft put it in the freezer for an hour or so and then proceed. The straws can be shaped by hand or formed with a cookie press if you prefer a fancy more uniform appearance. I've done mine by hand and lightly scored the tops with the dull edge of a knife. Be forewarned that this is a very soft dough and it can be difficult to shape. Refrigerate dough if needed. If you freeze the straws, freeze them in a single layer and then transfer to a storage bag. Baked straws will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days though they will become more brittle as they age. This is a really simple recipe that produces a lot of bang for the buck. I hope you'll give them a try. Here's the recipe which I've adapted from one developed by William-Sonoma.

Cheese Straws...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite and the William Sonoma test kitchen

Ingredients:
8 ounces Asiago Cheese, finely grated
12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 large egg
1-3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
1) Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2) Combine cheese, butter, egg, flour, salt and cayenne pepper in bowl of food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until smooth.
3) Fill a cookie press with the dough according to the manufacturer's instructions and fit with the star-shaped disk. Holding the cookie press at an angle on an ungreased or Silpat-lined cookie sheet, press the trigger twice, dragging the press away to make straws 3 inches long. Space the straws 1 inch apart. To make straws the length of the cookie sheet, continually press the trigger and drag the press away, spacing the straws 1 inch apart. Alternatively, break dough into 60 equal sized pieces and roll until 3-inches long. Place 1-inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
4) Bake until straws are light golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer straws to wire racks and let cool. Straws may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Yield: 60 three-inch straws.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Tiny Gougeres with Scallions, Parsley and Lemon - She's in the Kitchen
Parmesan Cheese Sticks - Easy Appetizers
Cheesy Pepperoni Bites - The Other Side of Fifty
Basil Parmesan Crackers - The Sweet's Life
Pesto Palmiers - What's Cookin, Chicago?
Pear and Goat Cheese Crostinis - Grillin Fool

Light and Chunky Clam Dip

From the Kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Dips and spreads were all the rage in the 60's and the 70's. Cookbooks had whole sections devoted to them and during the holiday season you'd be hard pressed to find a magazine that didn't feature them. The dips were not gourmet affairs and nearly all of them had a base of sour cream and mayonnaise. They were calorie laden and as bad for you as they were delicious. As times and tastes changed, the rich and creamy dips seemed to disappear, replaced, instead, with ubiquitous bowls of salsa or more exotic fare from the Mediterranean or Middle East. If, however, you looked really carefully, you'd find at least some of the golden oldies tucked safely in the fridge away from prying eyes. They hadn't gone away, they had been lightened. I'm not at all sure that's a good thing. As I look at the chemical feast that are food is becoming, I sometimes question the approach we are taking to eat in a more healthy way. That, however, is a topic for another day. Now, before I drift too far afield, I want to share this recipe with those of you who still enjoy the classic dips. It come from from America's Test Kitchen and it is awfully nice. Here's the recipe.

Light and Chunky Clam Dip...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:
4 strips bacon (about 4 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup light sour cream
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 (6-1/2-oz. each) cans minced clams, drained
2 medium scallions, sliced thin
Pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:
1) Fry bacon in small skillet over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.
2) Whisk sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce together in a medium bowl. Stir in minced clams, scallions, and bacon. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cover and chill for at least an hour. Refrigerated dip can be kept for up to 2 days. Yield: 2 cups.



You might also enjoy these recipes:
Blue Cheese and Bacon Dip - Easy Appetizers
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus - Eat Real
Chile con Queso - Drick's Ranbling Cafe
Peperonata - Sweet Bites
Bulghur and Walnut Kibbeh - Anja's Food 4 Thought
Easy Appetizer: White Bean Dip - Spoonful
Roasted Olive and Grape Crostini - The Daily Dish
Dips and Spreads - The Spicy Skillet
Zucchini, Mint and Yogurt Spread - The Kitchen
Red Pepper Cannellini Dip - Have Fork Will Eat
Grilled Eggplant Spread with Fresh Herbs - Open Salon

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

When things are quiet here, I browse through food blogs the way others do magazines. I admire some and learn from others, always gleaning tips and tidbits that have the potential to make our next meal something really special. As a result, my bookmark folder is an embarrassment of riches that I'd be ashamed to let others see. While not talking numbers, I can happily report that I'm now current through the summer of 2009. While it took a while, I was finally able to make this wonderful Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread, originally featured at Baking Bites that summer. If you're not familiar with the site, stop by and see what's happening. You'll be happy that you did. This lovely cake-like bread was worth waiting for. It is moist. It is flavorful. It is chocolate. I know you'll love it, so rather than gab I'll get right to it. Here's the recipe for one of the best zucchini breads I've ever had. I did say chocolate, didn't I?


Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Baking Bites

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 medium zucchini, shredded to equal 1-1/4 cups
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2) Sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
3) Whisk eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla together in a medium bowl.
4) Add wet to dry ingredients and stir until almost fully combined. Add zucchini and chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed in batter (batter should be fairly thick).
5) Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean or with only moist crumbs attached. Turn loaf out of pan and cool on a wire rack before slicing. Yield: 1 loaf.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Chocolate Zucchini Cake - One Perfect Bite
Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread (Low Card Gluten Free) - All Day I Dream About Food
Chocolate Zucchini and Sweet Potato Bread - Anna's Table
Chocolate Zucchini Muffins - Cookie Madness
Vegan Chocolate Banana and Zucchini Bread - Anja's Food 4 Thought
Chocolate Zucchini Bread - Closet Cooking
Chocolate Zucchini Spelt Cake - Anja's Food 4 Thought

Chocolate Peanut Crinkles

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This cookie recipe kept making the rounds and each time I saw it I became "curiouser and curiouser." Chocolate crinkles, I call them snowballs, are a favorite of mine, so it was only a matter of time before I actually tried the recipe. It was developed by Bill Yosses, a White House pastry chef, and I wanted to see how his cookies differed from the old classic I've grown to love. They are, indeed, different. Their texture is far more cakelike than what I'm familiar with. They are also huge in size. Whether that's good or bad is a subjective call. The nuts add a subtle taste to the finished cookie, but they don't overpower the chocolate, and the bit of added texture they provide is not unpleasant. I'm glad I made these cookies, though I don't plan on making them them again. They are delicious to be sure, but delicious comes on a sliding scale. The classic recipe I use can be found here. I think it makes a better cookie. I don't want to dissuade you from trying Chocolate Peanut Crinkles. Your opinion my differ from mine. Here's the recipe.

Chocolate Peanut Crinkles...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Bill Yosses and Melissa Clark

Ingredients:
2/3 cup toasted, skinned unsalted peanuts
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups light brown sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions:
1) Place nuts and granulated sugar in bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Pulse to finely chop.
2) Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over a pot of simmering water.
3) Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Place butter and brown sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Beat in the melted chocolate, stopping mixer to scrape down sides before beating again. Mix in milk and vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions, and mix until just combined. Fold in nuts.
4) Form dough into a ball and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough for 3 hours or overnight.
5) When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly butter them, and set aside.
6) Place confectioners’ sugar in a wide, shallow bowl. Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Coat generously with sugar and transfer to a baking sheet, placing them at least 2-inches apart. Repeat with remaining dough and sugar.
7) Bake cookies, turning sheets from back to front and swapping racks halfway through, until cracked but not completely firm, 12-15 minutes. Cool cookies on the sheets for about 2 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer to wire racks to cool further. They may be stored airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days. Yield: 3-1/2 dozen.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Chocolate Cookies n' Cream Cookies - Baking Bites
Dark and Bitter Orange Chocolate Cookies - The Technicolor Kitchen
Flourless Peanut Chocolate Cookies - Culinary in the Country
Double Chocolate Dream Cookies - Cookie Madness
Chocolate Sables: World Peace Cookies - Deep South Dish
Triple Chocolate Cookies - Une Gamine dans la Cuisine
Totally Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies - Sweet and Savory Tooth
Thick and Chewy Triple Chocolate Cookies - Brown Eyed Baker

Warm Black Bean Dip

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love to make this dip for Friday movie nights or watching weekend games. It's one of those dishes that everyone seems to love and you'll never have to worry about leftovers when you serve it. It is really easy to make and involves little more than opening cans and thawing vegetables. It can be made in advance and then baked just before you want to serve it. Serve it with warm tortilla chips and your guests will follow you anywhere. To warm chips, spread them in a single layer on a cookie sheet or baking pan and bake in a 350 degree F. oven for about 5 minutes. Dump them into a bowl and serve, repeating as often as is necessary. The recipe was developed by Tony Rosenfeld for Fine Cooking magazine. I have made only minor changes to his creation. Specifically, I use less vinegar than he calls for. Here's the recipe.

Warm Black Bean Dip...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Tony Rosenfeld

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil + more for baking dish
2 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into medium dice
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 (15.5-oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained well
2 canned chipotles en adobo, minced (about 1 tablespoon), plus 3 tablespoons adobo sauce from can
1 to 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (if frozen, thaw first)
1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) grated sharp cheddar cheese
1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) grated Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
Tortilla chips for serving

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a 1-1/2 qt. baking dish with oil and line a baking sheet with foil. Set the tomatoes in a colander over the sink and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt.
2) Heat oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Reduce heat to medium, add onion, sprinkle with reserved 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add half of black beans, chipotles and adobo sauce, and 3/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Cook until liquid reduces by about half, 2 to 3 minutes.
3) Transfer bean mixture to a food processor, add vinegar (I used only 1 tablespoon), and process until smooth. Let cool for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a large bowl. Add rest of beans, tomatoes, corn, half of each of cheeses, and 1/2 cup of cilantro. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4) Transfer to baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake on a foil-lined baking sheet (to catch drips) until cheese melts and browns around edges, about 15 minutes (longer if refrigerated). Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and serve with warm tortilla chips for dipping.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Spicy White Bean Dip - Never Enough Thyme
Hot Clam Dip - One Perfect Bite
Bleu Cheese and Bacon Dip - Easy Appetizers
Mississippi Sin Dip - Deep South Dish
Edamame Dip - The Baking Barrister
Pan Fried Onion Dip - Brown Eyed Baker
Roasted Eggplant Dip - Melbo's Toast
Cucumber Yogurt Dip - Eclectic Recipes
Homemade Onion and Herb Dip - What's Cookin, Chicago

Buffalo-Style Hot Wings

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...First a little history. For years, chicken wings, along with backs and necks and gizzards, were considered food for the poor or relegated to the stockpot and used to flavor soup. That changed in October of 1964 when Teresa Bellissimo, owner of the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, created a late night snack for her son and his friends. She fried up a bunch of wings and dipped them in a buttery hot sauce before serving them with celery and a blue cheese dressing. Her original recipe can be found here. The wings became an instant hit and thus was history writ. Today the Anchor Bar sells 70,000 thousand pounds of wings a month. Who knew?

There's no way to pretend that these are good for you, so I'll make no attempt to do that. I rarely make Buffalo-style wings because I know how unhealthy they are, but when I do fix them I want the genuine article. I'd rather have them once a year in all their awfulness than have a doctored version of them more frequently. Good or bad, Bob and I find it easier to practice avoidance than to take shortcuts with certain recipes. Dishes that are new to the table comply with all known healthy cooking practices, but I refuse to touch old favorites. Now that you've read my warning label, it's time to move onto the recipe. Please take out your deep fryers. Here's my recipe for Buffalo-style chicken wings.


Buffalo-Style Hot Wings...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite and bars across America

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
20 chicken wing segments
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup hot sauce

Directions:
1) Combine flour, salt, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne and black pepper in a pie plate.
2) Coat each wing segment with seasoned flour and refrigerate for 1 hour. Coat again with seasoned flour.
3) Heat butter and hot sauce in a small sauce until butter melts. Turn heat to lowest possible setting to keep mixture warm.
4) Bring oil in a deep fryer or stovetop equivalent to 375 degrees F. Deep-fry chicken in two or three batches, turning once for about 6 minutes per side. Quickly transfer chicken to a wire rack. Let sit for 30 seconds, then toss in hot sauce. Remove from sauce with a slotted spoon to a warm serving platter. Repeat until all chicken is fried. Serve hot with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Honey Baked Teriyaki Chicken Wings - Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet
Saucy Poppers - Shamrocks and Shenanigans
Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries - The Active Foodie
Cajun Popcorn Shrimp - Life's Ambrosia
Pig's In Blankets - Gonna Want Seconds
Toasted Spicy Pumpkin Seeds - My Life Runs on Food

Cinnamon Candy Apples - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's hard to imagine a fall harvest without candied apples. While caramel apples have become more popular, the cinnamon variety predates them by 50 years. Candied apples were created at the turn of the 20th century by William Kolb, a New Jersey candy maker. He made them to use as part of his Christmas display and they rapidly became popular with his customers. His approach was simple. He dipped apples into a candy made from sugar, corn syrup, red dye and cinnamon oil. As the candy hardened it formed a glistening shell around the apple and the candied apple as we know it was born. The apples are still prepared in this way. If you are comfortable working with a candy thermometer you'll find these easy to make. There are, however, a few pitfalls that you want to avoid. For openers, make sure your apples are wax free. Since this is not a recipe that can be tasted as it cooks, be generous with the amount of flavoring you use up front. You should be able to find bottled cinnamon flavoring in the spice aisle of major grocery chains. It can also be ordered online. Make sure you use a pot that is deep enough to allow dipping the apples and that sticks inserted into the apples are strong enough to hold them. If the syrup becomes too thick don't be afraid to reheat it and when you're finished dipping, make sure you put the apples down on a buttered baking sheet or parchment paper. Wax paper will melt. Finally, these are best eaten within 24 hours of making. Their appearance begins to deteriorate after that. This recipe will make enough syrup to coat 12 small apples. It may be doubled. Here's the recipe.

Cinnamon Candy Apples...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Paula Deen

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon flavoring
1 teaspoon red coloring
1 dozen wooden craft sticks
1 dozen small firm apples

Directions:
Boil water, syrup, and sugar together until a brown caramel color is reached (at about 250 degrees F on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat and add cinnamon and red coloring. Cool slightly. Meanwhile force a stick into the core of each apple. Dip apples 1 at a time into heavy red syrup, drain well, and place on a buttered baking sheet or parchment paper to cool. Yield: 12 small candied apples.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Caramel Corn - Chasing Delicious
Making Candy in the Spirit of Halloween - The Food Addicts
Mummy Munch - Picky Palate
Caramel Apples - Annie Eats
Candy Compost Bars - Sugar Plum
Cakespy: Homemade Candy Corn - Serious Eats

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While I carry no lantern, my quest for the world's best peanut butter cookie has kept me searching with a determination that rivals that of the old cynic who went looking for an honest man. I have a taste memory, and while I've been looking for years, I've yet to duplicate it. Mine is not a loving or romantic tale. The cookie I remember was served in the cafeteria of a school I attended as a child. It had an intense peanut flavor and was so dense and crisp that it held its shape when dunked into a glass of milk. This year, I thought I'd use a different approach and decided to try a soft and chewy cookie that received rave reviews at allrecipes.com. I made a few minor changes to the recipe I found there. I added a cup of coarsely chopped salted peanuts to the ingredient list and replaced the mix of light and dark sugars with my current favorite, golden brown. Before I go any further, I must tell you that these cookies are delicious. I must also tell you I'm still looking for the cookie that will put my memories to rest. I encountered one issue as I made these that I want to share with you. I had to chill the cookie dough before it could be rolled into balls. This may have to do with the way in which flour is measured. I fluff and scoop and may have used less flour than someone using a different technique. At any rate, the dough was workable after being chilled and made exactly 3 dozen cookies. If you like your peanut butter cookies on the soft and chewy side, give this recipe a try. You won't regret it. Here's the recipe.

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup golden brown sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2) In a large bowl, cream together peanut butter, butter, golden brown sugar, and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla one at a time. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into creamed mixture. Fold chopped nuts into dough. Chill dough if necessary to roll. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Press each ball once with fork tines.
3) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are lightly browned. Let sit for 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Remove and cool on wire racks. Yield: 36 cookies.

Your might also enjoy these recipes:
Top Chef Worthy Peanut Butter Cookies - Cookie Madness
Tuesday's with Dorie: Peanut Butter Crisscrosses - A Whisk and A Spoon
Honey Peanut Butter Cookies - Baking Bites
Big, Super Nutty Peanut Butter Cookies - The Culinary Chronicles
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies - Within the Kitchen
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies - The Baking Beauties
Over the Top Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies - Real Mom Kitchen
Peanut Butter Cookies with Ketchup - Cookie Madness
Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies - Gonna Want Seconds
Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss Cookies - The Comfort of Cooking

Blue Cheese Dip

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is one of the chameleons of my kitchen. I use it as a dip, a spread and a salad dressing. It main ingredient is cottage cheese and that makes it figure friendly, as well as being versatile and easy to do. The downside to this recipe, if there is one, is that you'll need a food processor to break up and pulverize the cheese curds. Plan to make this a day before you plan to use it and use a really good blue cheese for best flavor. The original recipe was developed by Patricia Wells and she used a French Roquefort to make the dip. French Roquefort is made from sheep's milk and is naturally aged in caves to produce the blue streaks with which we are all familiar. The cheese must ripen for a period that ranges from three months to a year in order to produce its characteristic aroma and flavor. Other blue veined cheeses, domestic or imported, are made from cow's milk and are aged in humidity controlled environments rather than caves. I use Roquefort during the holiday season, but rely on good domestic varieties for the remainder of the year. The dip can be thinned with milk to produce a wonderful salad dressing. If you enjoy blue cheese I think you'll enjoy this dip. Here's the recipe.

Blue Cheese Dip...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Patricia Wells

Ingredients:
2 cups cottage cheese
1/4 cup fresh snipped chives
1/2 to 3/4 cup coarsely crumbled Roquefort or blue cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place cottage cheese in bowl of a food processor; pulse to break up curds. Add chives and blue cheese and process briefly just to blend. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pulse again to distribute seasonings. Transfer to a lidded container and store in refrigerator for at least 24 hours to ripen. Bring to room temperature to serve. Yield: 2 cups.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Bleu Cheese and Bacon Dip - Easy Appetizers
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus - Eat Real
Hummus - Food for Thought
Easy Appetizer: White Bean Dip - Spoonful
Baba Ganoush - One Perfect Bite
Seven Layer Bean Dip - Simply Recipes
Easy Black Bean Dip - Pinch My Salt

Cherry Cupcakes - Pink Saturday

Photo courtesy of Photobucket - Creative Commons Attribution

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A bit of chocolate is good for the soul and mine is happy right now. These cupcakes go together quickly and are better for you than most. That's not to say they're better for you than an apple might be, but the folks at Eating Well have managed to reduced the fat and calories and still deliver something you'll enjoy. If you need to take the edge off a sweet tooth, give these a try. I'm happy to report that despite what's been taken from them, enough remains to make these a really nice snack. If you object to the use of food coloring, by all means omit it. It adds nothing but a lovely pink hue to the cupcakes. It is Pink Saturday, so I decided to use it. Here's the recipe.

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Eating Well

Ingredients:
Cake
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Note)
3/4 cup cake flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk
1-1/2 cups chopped pitted cherries, fresh or frozen (thawed and drained), plus 12 fresh cherries with stems for garnish
Frosting
6 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), at room temperature
1 /2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 cup packed confectioners’ sugar
Red Food coloring
Milk for thinning

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with paper liners.
2) Whisk whole-wheat flour, cake flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
3) Beat granulated sugar and oil in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined. With mixer on low, alternately mix in dry ingredients and buttermilk, starting and ending with dry ingredients and scraping sides of the bowl as needed, until just combined. Fold in chopped cherries until just combined. Divide batter among prepared cups (they will be full).
4) Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 22 to 26 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
5) Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, sour cream and confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add a drop or two of red food color to tint icing. Refrigerate frosting until very cold, about 2 hours. Thin with milk if necessary to spread on cooled cupcakes. Garnish with a cherry on top. Yield: 12 cupcakes.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Frosting - One Perfect Bite
Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes - Sugar Plum
Raspberry Cup Cakes - My Kitchen Treasures
Red Velvet Cupcakes - What's for Dinner Across State Lines
Carrot Cupcakes - Christine's Cuisine
Owl Cupcakes - Sinfully Southern Sweets
German Chocolate Cupcakes - Barbara Bakes

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a wonderful cake, but it's one that falls into my "hate to love it" category. The cake is delicious and fairly easy to make, but I have a problem with its baking time. I've made it several times and on each occasion the baking time has varied. In all three instances, it has taken longer to bake than the recipe suggests. My oven has just been recalibrated, so I doubt there is a problem with the thermostat, and I'm using the specified pan-size, so I know there is no problem there. I can tell you that my cakes still shimmy at the end of the 30 minute time suggested by the recipe. Mine require a minimum of 50 minutes to assure a stable center. I suspect the difference is attributable to the amount of moisture in the zucchini, but I really don't know for sure. At any rate, the cake is good enough that I'm willing to keep an eye on it while it bakes. The cake is based on a recipe developed in the Ghiradelli kitchens and the original recipe can be found here. This version of the cake, created by Kate Westburg, was a winner in a Ghiradelli competition held at the DuPage County Fair this past summer. I've changed the recipe slightly and if you'd like to see the original it can be found here. The cake is delicious, even if it drives me crazy. I hope you will try it. It's worth the aggravation. Here's the recipe.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake ( 3-G Stealth Zucchini Cake)...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Kate Westburg

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
1 cup + plus 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided use
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 ounces baking milk chocolate

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease bottom and sides of (9-by-13-inch) pan or 2 (3-by-6-by-9-inch) loaf pans.
2) Combine eggs, 1 cup vegetable oil, vanilla, and sugar in a large bowl. Beat to combine, about 1 to 2 minutes.
3) Sift together cocoa, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; add 1/2 cup at a time to wet ingredients. Mix until well combined.
4) Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan; bake 30 minutes for (9-by-13-inch) cake pan (approximately 50 minutes for loaf pans), or until cake tester comes out clean. Using a 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan, I still needed a minimum of 50 minutes to bake the cake.
5) Melt baking milk chocolate in double boiler or in microwave over water (being careful not to scorch). Whisk in 1/2 teaspoon canola oil. Drizzle ribbon topping over cooled cake. Yield: 16 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Zucchini Cookies - The Local Cook
Hazelnut Zucchini Cake - My Kitchen in the Rockies
Chocolate Zucchini Cake - Eat At Allie's
Zucchini Cake with Lime Cream Cheese Frosting - Baking Bites
Chocolate Streusel Zucchini Cake - Let's Dish
Zucchini Cake with Crunchy Lemon Glaze - David Lebovitz
Apple Zucchini Cake with Walnuts - Anja's Food 4 Thought

White Chocolate Lime Cookies and Other Absurdities

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...At the bottom of the hill on which our house is perched, there's a community of townhomes whose name always makes me smile.

I suspect that at some point in my life, my sense of the absurd was overly stimulated and I was left with a heightened appreciation of the ridiculous. I also smile when I see a recipe that calls for white chocolate or I'm served a glass of white sangria. Can sangria or chocolate be white? Sangria, whose name comes from the Spanish word for blood, should be that deep color. White sangria, its counterpart, is colorless, like plasma. We all know that white chocolate, which is nothing more than cocoa butter mixed with milk and sugar, is quite unlike the real thing. They both, however, have benefited from thoughtful naming and good marketing. You'd probably never take a bite of something called cocoa butter cheese cake and would never dream of ordering a glass of you know what. What's in a name? Sometimes quite a lot. I have a handful of recipes that use white chocolate. Most of them combine white chocolate with lime. I love the combination and actively seek it out. I found this recipe for cookies that use both at The Fresh Loaf and at Evil Shenanigans. I've made minor changes to the recipe. After baking the first batch, I doubled the amount of lime juice and zest used to make the cookies. These are really quite nice and I think you'll enjoy them. Here's the recipe.

White Chocolate Lime Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Evil Shenanigans

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Zest of 2 limes
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (12-oz.) bag white chocolate chips

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line three cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2) Combine butter and sugar in bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat until combined but not fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just to incorporate. Add vanilla, lime juice and zest and mix to combine.
3) Combine flour,baking soda, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Whisk to combine and lighten. Mix into creamed mixture just until combined. Fold in white chocolate chips.
4 ) Shape dough into 36 balls. Place them 3-inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake until edges are golden and centers are just set, about 12 to 13 minutes. Let sit in pan for 3 minutes before moving to cooling racks. Yield: 3 dozen cookies.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Key Lime and White Chocolate Cake Squares - One Perfect Bite
Chunky White Chocolate and Almond Oatmeal Cookies - Gourmeted
Macaron with White Chocolate - My Kitchen Treasures
Sour Cherry, White Chocolate and Almond Scones - The English Kitchen
White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Blondies - Squirrel Bakes
Caramelized White Chocolate Cake - E L R A
Raspberry White Chocolate Scones - Playing House
Raspberry White Chocolate Cake - Sweet Kat's Kitchen

This post is being linked to the Cookie Exchange at Relatively Unique

Pumpkin Apple Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...One of the problems with large cans of pumpkin is that most recipes don't need the quantity they contain and you are left with puree that must be used in other recipes or trashed. Buying smaller cans was not an option for many of us last year. I live in an area where there was a problem obtaining pumpkin and we bought what we could get. Only the large cans were available. I had pumpkin left after making the yeast rolls we featured yesterday and this wonderful recipe from a 1993 issue of Gourmet Magazine was an ideal place in which to use it. The recipe comes from Rebecca's Gourmet Bakery in Cary, North Carolina, and it makes two lovely spice scented loaves of harvest bread. Since fall is rapidly approaching, I thought I'd push the season a bit and share it with you now, rather than wait for the season to officially begin. There are no tricks to making these delicious loaves as long as you don't cut the apples in too large a dice. The cake-like bread keeps extraordinarily well and is perfect for toting to meetings or other functions when you are responsible for providing cake or cookies. I know you'll like this simple spicy bread. Here's the recipe.

Pumpkin Apple Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
For topping
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
For bread
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 (15-oz) can solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2-1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 Granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (2 cups)

Directions:
1) To make the topping: Blend together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a small bowl with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside.
2) To make the bread: Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 X 5 inch loaf pans. Set aside. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice into a medium bowl. Whisk together pumpkin oil, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. Add flour mixture, stirring until well combined. Fold in apples. Divide batter between buttered loaf pans. Sprinkle half of topping evenly over each loaf. Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of bread comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool loaves in pans on a rack for 45 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool completely, about 1 hour. Yield: two loaves.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread - Mom's Cooking Club
Pumpkin Bread - My Kitchen Snippets
Pumpkin Bread with Dried Cranberries - No Fear Entertaining
Pumpkin Bread with Crumb Topping - The Hungry Housewife
Toasted Pumpkin Bread Pudding - Culinary Cory
Toasted Hazelnut Streusel Pumpkin Bread - Sugar Plum

Rocks - Chunky Oatmeal Cookies with Walnuts and Cranberries

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The only "rocks" that are better than these are diamonds. I know I confound people when I direct them to the sites of test kitchens operated by food manufacturers. Lots of us think that a recipe that appears on the back of a box is something that doesn't deserve a second glance. I suspect we forget the time, effort and repeated experiments that have led to its publication by the manufacturer. I found this recipe on the Diamond Nuts website and once I tried them they replaced what had been my favorite oatmeal cookie. My family loves them as well and they have become permanent residents in my cookie jar. We joke that they are never-stale cookies. They just don't last long enough for that to happen. I think you like them too. Here's the recipe for a new take on a favorite old-fashioned cookie.

Chunky Oatmeal Cookies with Walnuts and Cranberries...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Diamond Nuts

Ingredients:
3 cups Diamond Walnuts
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To toast walnuts, spread evenly on a baking sheet or in a shallow pan. Bake, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Coarsely chop and set aside.
2) In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and oats; add to sugar mixture and stir well to combine. Stir in dried cranberries and toasted walnuts.
3) Drop cookie dough by tablespoonfuls onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 36 cookies.

You might also like these recipes:
Banana-Maple Oatmeal Cookies - Food and Whine
Oatmeal Coconut Cookies - Angie's Recipes
Famous Oatmeal Cookies - Katy's Kitchen
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies - Baking Bites
Frosted Oatmeal Cookies - The Daily Dish
Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies - Be Delicious
Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies - Good Things Catered

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have a fondness for good ice cream that was acquired late in life. It was not something I had regularly as a child. It had nothing to do with money. The freezer compartments of old refrigerators were small cubical affairs designed to make ice cubes and hold very little else. Options for ice cream lovers were limited. A very few had ice cream freezers and could make their own. Most families, however, would send their fastest runner to the deli to pick up a pint that was brought home to be sliced and shared by all. Half gallons of ice cream weren't generally available until the 1950's when larger refrigerators made their storage possible. Among the group who relied on runners, Neapolitan was, by far, the most popular flavor because of its three cream appeal. Some of us were even more fortunate and could count on the Good Humor man to supplement the deli runs. He came through our neighborhood three times a week and, urchins that we were, a neighborhood watch was formed to spot him and spread the word he was on his way. Only Santa Claus was treated with more reverence and affection than the Good Humor man. Allowances rarely covered the cost of ice cream, but Popsicles were only a dime and you could tell who had what flavor by the color of the mustache around their lips. I know that in later years he became persona non grata, but for those of us who stood ready at the curb with pennies in our hands, his chimes were a symphony. As the ice cream man fades into history so, too, does Gourmet magazine. This lovely recipe is a reminder of why so many of us regret its passing. Here's how Gourmet's strawberry cheesecake ice cream is made.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Gourmet magazine

Ingredients:
1 pint (12-oz.) strawberries, hulled and coarsely chopped
1 package (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:
1) Combine strawberries, cream cheese, sugar, milk, lemon juice and salt in a blender jar. Puree just until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cream. Chill until very cold.
2) Freeze mixture in ice cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze to harden. Yield: 1 quart.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Fresh Mint Ice Cream - One Perfect Bite
Ice Cream Crunch Cake - One Perfect Bite
Sweet Corn Ice Cream - One Perfect Bite
VVanilla Ice Cream - David Lebovitz
Bailey's Ice Cream with Chocolate Shavings - The Pioneer Woman
Raspberry Semifreddo - Chocolate Shavings
Coconut Ice Cream - Baking Bites

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Baba Ganoush - Blue Monday

Baba Ganoush



Connor - the youngest of Oma's "Blue Boys"

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Baba Ganoush is a vegetable dip that's very popular in the Arabic Middle East and other Mediterranean countries. It's a simple, inexpensive dish, and there are probably as many versions of it as there are kitchens in those countries. I don't mean to confuse the issue by posting yet another, but I wanted to record our family version of the dip in a spot where my girls can get to it when they need it. My version has a smoky flavor because it's grilled over an open flame, rather than being baked or broiled in an oven, as is the custom in some homes. This recipe also has some zip that comes from a fairly substantial addition of fresh lemon juice. There are several acceptable ways to garnish this dish. I tend to use what I have on hand, so, more often than not, I'll drizzle it with olive oil or sprinkle it with chopped flat-leaf parsley. When they are available I also love to use pomegranate seeds. I used to serve the dip with pita bread, but I have recently started to use still warm, freshly fried tortilla chips in their stead. It is not authentic, but it is delicious. Without further ado, here's the recipe for a dip or spread that is a wonderful accompaniment to a Middle Eastern or Mediterranean meal.

Baba Ganoush...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 large (1-pound) eggplant
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:
3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, or 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
1) Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill. Puncture eggplant in several places with a fork. Grill for 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until skin is charred and eggplant is soft.
Cool until it can be handled. Cut eggplant in half and scrape pulp into a sieve. Hold under cold and gently running water. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from pulp.
2) Combine pulp, garlic, lemon juice and salt in bowl of food processor. Process until smooth. Add tahini and process just to incorporate. Adjust seasoning if required. With processor running, add olive oil, cumin and pepper. Transfer to a small serving bowl, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Baba Ganoush can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Garnish and serve. Yield: 2 cups.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Red Pepper Hummus - One Perfect Bite
Black Bean Hummus - One Perfect Bite
Mexican Beer-Cheese Spread - One Perfect Bite
Hummus en Fuego - eCurry
Muhammara - Closet Cooking
Grilling Baba Ghanoush - Serious Eats

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday