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Appetites and Adventures

Salted Biscoff Hazelnut Cookies

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You know you need one more cookie recipe.

Salted Biscoff Hazelnut CookiesOk, maybe 2.

I made about 100 cake balls as dessert for last Saturday’s holiday party.  If you recall, about a month ago I created 2 varieties:

For the party, I made both again.  Variety IS the spice of life.

Upon polling the crowd, I confirmed my theory that the one you like best depends on whether you prefer dark or white chocolate.  I like dark.

Since it was my first catering job, I was extra-paranoid about running out of food… so I baked cookies too!

I thought Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies were the best thing ever… but Salted Biscoff Hazelnut Cookies may have ousted it.  *Gasp*

These are a shortbread cookie – thick and buttery.  I love the texture of shortbread (hence these rosemary-lemon and olive-basil cookies), yet I rarely make them without a savory component.

I’m so glad I tried it – the hazelnut with the brown sugar-y Biscoff spread was like buttah in my mouth (in a good way… I realize a mouth full of better isn’t for everyone Paula Deen).

Cookie #2 was my mom’s favorite: Coconut Macaroon Cookies.

With just 4 ingredients, these are the easiest things you’ll ever make.

If you love coconut, make these ASAP.  Recipe found here at Pearl and Pine (Sarah’s photography rocks, btw).

Salted Biscoff Hazelnut Cookies

by Laura Hall

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 18-20 mins

Keywords: bake dessert biscoff hazelnuts cookie

Ingredients (24 cookies)

  • 2 C flour
  • 1/8 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 C salted butter, room temp
  • 1/3 C sugar
  • 1/3 C firmly-packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 C Biscoff spread
  • 1/3 cup hazelnuts, chopped
  • Fleur de sal (for topping)

Instructions

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl.

Cream together butter and sugars with mixer until well-blended and whipped. Add vanilla extract and egg, mixing to combine. Combine Biscoff spread with into egg mixture, again mixing until well incorporated.

Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined – careful not to over-mix. Fold in hazelnut bits.

Roll dough into a log about 3 in thick. Place the log on the edge of wax or parchment and roll it up in paper. Chill at least 2 hours in fridge until firm enough to slice. (You can also freeze until you need them.)

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Slice log into 1/4 inch thick rounds and place them on the prepared baking trays (leave room for them to spread just a bit). Lightly sprinkle fleur de sal salt onto each round.

Bake 18-20 mins. Cookies are done with they turn a light golden-brown color. Allow cookies to cool completely before moving.

Note: You can sub any nut butter for the Biscoff (but if you haven’t tried Biscoff spread yet you are missing out!).

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***

 Happy Holidays, Everyone!  

I hope you all have a fun, happy weekend full of deliciousness.

Christmas Pesto

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Christmas shopping should be an olympic sport.

 

Really.  You must prepare in the following ways:

  • Condition – I spend all year training 😉
  • Psychological – I stockpiled all my patience that day
  • Endurance – I’d already been to kickboxing (though I decided to leave the gloves in the car)

 

I walked into the mall on a mission.  I left victorious.  Sorry mom – not revealing any secrets!

What I can share is the stuff I bought myself.  Anthropologie was having a sale… I couldn’t help it!

 

A duvet cover for just $50 (it was $228!)

 

A bowl for $1 (was $6)

 

Bad-ass necklace (not on sale... but did I mention it's bad ass?!)

Guilt of self-shopping must have taken over because I have already wrapped the presents.  This is usually a Christmas Eve activity, as I hate wrapping and procrastinate.

That's a wrap

____________________________________________________________________________________

The next party-food chapter is: A Tale of Two Pestos

 

One bit different, one more traditional.  A little country  and a little rock and roll , if you will.

 

The second meat dish I served was a chicken pinwheel.  One filled with green pesto and one filled with red.  Festive, right?

I never cook meat at home.  Truth be told, it grosses me out to touching it.  So you can imagine the sight of me trimming and tenderizing $50 worth of raw chicken was comical.  I had chicken spread out on every available surface (on paper, of course).

Needless to say, I sanitized every inch of my kitchen after this. 

 

After pounding them all, I spread each breast with one of the pestos and shredded mozzarella.

You’ve actually seen the green pesto before – it’s this Basil-Walnut Pesto I posted about last week.

 

 

Sneaky me made these in advance and then froze them.  Pesto is convenient like that – you can put it in a container and freeze it forever.  It’s a great way to use up excess herbs.

Tip: If you freeze it in ice cube trays, you’ll have individual servings you can easily pop out and heat.  If you freeze it in a baggie, you can thaw a batch quickly by placing the bag in hot water.

 

The red pesto was my favorite with the chicken.  It’s base is sun-dried tomatoes, resulting in a stronger flavor that I loved in the two-bite sized pinwheels.

 

 

It was also a thicker pesto, which I love.  This is one you can make a spread on a sandwich like hummus.  The sun-dried tang with the nuttiness of the parm and walnuts, combined with the richness from the balsamic was a great blend.  Don’t be shy with that balsamic if you’re using the good stuff!

Now that I think of it, this would be amazing blended into hummus!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

  • 2 cups chopped sun-dried tomatoes (I used dried, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes.  Be sure to reserve the “flavored” post-soak water)
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 C yellow onion
  • 1/4 C grated parmesan
  • 1/4 C walnuts, toasted
  • 1 T Balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 C fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 1/2 C olive oil
  • S+P, to taste

 

Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor begin to blend adding oil slowly.  Stop to scrape down the sides as needed.  Consistency will be paste-like (you may need to add water or more olive oil).  

Store refrigerated for up to one week or much longer in the freezer.

Makes ~2 cups.

 

 

Pesto Pinwheels

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

Pound out chicken breasts until about 1/2 in thick.  Spread pesto evenly over one side of breast.  Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Roll into logs and wrap tightly in aluminum foil.  Place on a baking sheet and cook for 25-30 mins.

Allow to cool a bit before unwrapping.  Remove foil and slice into rounds to make pinwheels (don’t worry – the foil wrap will have caused them keep their shape).

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy!

***

It’s hard to believe Christmas is this weekend… tomorrow look forward to the best cookies of the season (as if we all need more cookies).

Are you done with your holiday shopping?

Is anyone else craving matzoh ball soup?!  Happy Hanukkah!

 

Apple Sausage Chestnut Sage Stuffing

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Stuffing has never excited me.

Who knows what possessed me to decide to make it for last Saturday’s catering event!  Never say never – this stuffing was by far the crowd’s (and my own) favorite at the party.

At the height of the party, I couldn’t replenish these plates fast enough!

Sweet and savory always wins.  Apple with the chicken sausage and fresh herbs was the perfect combination.  The balance of flavors was impeccable.  The ciabatta bread gave the dish a rich chewiness, and the occasional walnut crunch was a pleasant surprise.  Next time I’d probably add even more walnuts!

As I was making this on Friday night I could barely keep myself from eating the whole pot!  A little “tester” bowl won’t hurt…

This made a TON of stuffing.  As in, I stuffed 210 fillo shells.

Halve the recipe for a smaller group.

Kroger is now OUT of fillo!

I’d love to make it again for a holiday sit-down meal to be served as a side dish!

Recipe at the end.

I haven’t forgotten Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday!

As this is getting lengthy (and this stuffing is 100x better than anything I ate today), my day of eats are lumped in collage form.

Don’t forget to hop over to Peas & Crayons to see what everyone else has been indulging in this week!

Apple Sausage Chestnut Sage Stuffing

  • 3 C bread cubes (I used 2-day old ciabatta bread)
  • 6 T salted butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 C celery
  • 1 C parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 T + 2 tsp Herbs de Provence
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 C roasted chestnuts, chopped
  • 1/2 C walnuts, chopped
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 2 apples, chopped (I used red delicious)
  • 1/2 C fresh sage, chopped
  • 2 C vegetable broth
  • 6 links chicken apple sausage
  • Fillo shells (optional)
  • Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Prepare sausage by sautéing in a skillet until outside becomes browned and temp reached 145 degrees.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, remove crusts from the bread and cut  into small cubes.

On stovetop, melt butter in a large pot over med-high heat.  Add the celery, onion, parsley, herbs de provence, nutmeg, and pepper.  Sauté until tender.

Add in black pepper, chestnuts, walnuts, garlic, apple and 1/4 C of the sage.  Sauté until tender.

Stir in vegetable broth.  Bring to a simmer for 2-3 mins for flavors to combine.

Gently fold in bread cubes.  Add these in gradually, adjusting amount depending on the dryness of your bread. You can always add more cubes or broth if it’s too watery or dry.

Finally, fold in your sausage bits and the remaining sage.

If using fillo shells:

Allow mixture to cool before spooning 1-2 T of the stuffing into each shell.

Stuff the shells directly in the containers.  You can re-cover and box them for storage in the freezer.  (These are great to have on hand for impromptu parties, or as a make-ahead option!)

Pre-heat oven to 325.  Place stuffed fillos on baking sheet, sprinkle each with a bit of parm, and back from 15 mins.  Serve warm.

***

 If you haven’t solidified your holiday meal plans yet, consider making this stuffing.  Trust me.  My only regret is that I didn’t get better pics!

Do you like stuffing?

What’s the best thing you’ve eaten so far this week?

Catering Survival + 2 Holiday Cheese Dishes

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Recipe Googling isn’t necessarily sophisticated inspired.

Google’s Zeitgeist (a yearly report of the most searched items), inspired Bon Appetit to research the most-Googled recipes in the US for 2011.  According to their article, Americans are pretty dull in the kitchen.

  1. Chicken
  2. Meatloaf
  3. Banana Bread
  4. Chili
  5. Pancake
  6. Lasagna
  7. Pork Chop
  8. Guacamole
  9. Cupcakes
  10. Cream Cheese Frosting

I’ll give you the cupcakes because they are awesome, but meatloaf?!  Gross.

How is pizza not on the list?  It appears people prefer to have theirs made for them.  In the most searched restaurants category the top 3 restaurant searches were: Pizza Hut, Dominos, and Papa John’s.  In that order.

Maybe the next party I cater will be a pizza theme… People need to know there are better options than Pizza Hut!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the well-wishes for my first catering job.  I am proud to announce that I survived the party!

There will be more to come on the whole experience.  Today I’m still recovering and swamped at work, so this is a short one to report that everything went swimmingly despite me waking up at 5am multiple days in a row having mild panic attacks.

What I didn’t expect was how gratifying it would be to watch people enjoy food I made.  Listening to their comments/conversations about each dish was so much fun!  Thank god they were positive comments.

Over the next week or so I’ll be sharing recipes from the event.  Today I’ll start at the beginning – the cheeses!

Often the most-eaten items at a party, I planned 2 different cheese dishes.

The first was inspired by my friend Jenn @ Peas & Crayons.  She made this Pumpkin Basil Cheesecake Spread a couple of months ago and I’ve made it 3 times since she posted the recipe!  For this party, I made a Pumpkin Rosemary-Basil version of this spread.

My modifications:

  • Add 1T of fresh rosemary 
  • Increased the basil to 10 huge leaves
  • Used 1/2 tsp of palm sugar
  • Didn’t make the Ritz crust

Like every other time I’ve made it, this spread was a hit.  It’s a great, savory cheesecake–like spread that is wonderful with some salty crackers.  The addition of rosemary was a good one – I may try it again with just rosemary and sage!

The second was a simple sugar-nut-whiskey baked brie.  Yes, its old school.  Be honest though – who doesn’t love warm, gooey, decadent brie?

What I love about the whiskey is the melted caramel-like texture (think ice cream topping caramel) is takes on when heated with the brown sugar.  No need to use fancier spirits here (not that there’s anything wrong with Jack) – the sugar takes the edge of the alcohol taste and leaves you with the underlying sweet-smokiness.

Recipe after the Monday fitness re-cap.  Much-needed fitness after that brie. 😉

Google’s Zeitgeist also looked at how people worked on their fitness.  The most popular workout search was the Thor Workout and the top diet was the Dukan Diet.  I must be out of touch – I don’t know what either of those are!

My hectic week forced me to take 2 “rest” days… but I have absolutely no regrets about it!  Here’s what my week looked like:

Workout Recap (12/12 – 12/18)

  • Monday – This BodyRock, Ab Ripper X, 100 push-ups
  • Tuesday – This BodyRock (again), Kickboxing, Legs
  • Wednesday – 100 push-ups
  • Thursday – Bis/Back with 1.5 miles in intervals, 100 push-ups
  • Friday – Kickboxing, 100 push-ups
  • Saturday – 100 push-ups
  • Sunday – Elliptical intervals (60 mins), Shoulders, 6 min planks

Jacked Up Brie

  • 1 round (14 oz) brie
  • 1/4 C brown sugar
  • 1/4 C pecans, chopped
  • 1 T (heaping) Jack Daniels (or other whiskey)

Combine sugar, nuts, and whiskey in a small bowl.  Cover and place in fridge, allowing flavors to combine overnight.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place brie in an oven-proof dish and bake 7-8 mins, until softened.  Remove from oven and pour topping over the brie.  Return to oven for 3-4 mins.

Serve with bread, crackers, and apples.

***

After being so focused on this party, it felt weird to be sitting on the couch without any food prepping to do last night!

What is your favorite cheese or cheese dish?

What has been the best food/dish you’ve had at a holiday party this season?

Holiday Wine-ing

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As we approach the holiday season, planning becomes more important.

We all get insanely busy and it’s necessary – for me at least – to have a play book.

My calendars are coordinated (work and personal), “to make” items are noted, grocery lists are written (in excel, if you’re a dork like me).  Lastly, drink pairings are solidified.

Drink pairings are important.  In order to get a good deal you need to shop NOW.   Wine “specials” wane (at least on the stuff you’d actually want to drink) as Christmas nears and the price of champagne/sparkling wine increases just in time for New Year’s Eve.

What should you buy now?

  • Beaujolais – This wine has been overlooked for years.  The French red is not overly complex; it’s a fruit-forward, drinkable wine is what I think is nice about it for parties.  2009 was a great year for Beaujolais-Villages, and you should be able to pick up a satisfying bottle for under $15.  You can even find a Cru (Cru is a designation meaning it came from one of the 10 best Beaujolais-Villages) for less than $20.  Plus, it sounds fancy when you say it.
  • Champagne/Sparkling Wine – The wine that was made for celebrations!  Significant discounts will end about 2 weeks before Christmas.  Plan ahead for NYE and pick up a few bottles of bubbly this weekend.
  • Wines from up-and-coming regions – You know how you can get clothes or art for great prices if you catch the creator before they really hit it big?  It’s no different with wines – you can find some wonderful bottles on the cheap if you branch outside of the norm.

A Few Specific Suggestions:

Beaujolais

As I said above, 2009 was a great year for Beaujolais.  The 2009 Marcel Lapierre Morgon is a great choice for a holiday meal.  it is light in structure, with lots of red fruit and a slight earthiness.  You can drink it with your pre-dinner charcuterie, a roast chicken or pork dinner, and a chocolate tart.

Also good is the  2009 George Debouf Beaujolais-Villages.  I picked up a bottle for just $10!  This wine is a well-balanced red with subtle berry notes (think currents and raspberries) and little herbiness that is perfect with a variety of foods or on its own.

Interesting side note: It is against French law for Beaujolais producers to release the wine before midnight on the 3rd Thursday of November.  No one remembers why.

Champagne/Sparkling

My latest affordable find is a 2009 Argentinean Sparkling Malbec from Ernesto Catena’s Alma Negra(translation = black soul) line.  It’s a beautiful salmon color with notes of rose petal and strawberry.  Not too sweet, the finish is smooth and elegant.  The price for this bottle is about $16… not as cheap as Cooks, but your head won’t be pounding in the morning. 😉

Side note: Catena also makes one of my favorite, affordable Malbecs.

Up-and-Coming

This recent article picked up by Reuters lists the Top 10 Up-and-Coming Wine Regions.  I remembered reading this article when I picked up this bottle from Portugal:

Portugal has long been known for sweeter whites, but it’s the dry reds that are gaining notoriety.  This 2005 Alentejo Roquevale Redondo is one of the regions successes.  Smooth in the mouth without compromising structure.  It’s a figgy, a little dark, and perfect for red meats or game.  It is a blend largely comprised of Tempranillo (Aragonez in Portuguese) and it was a steal at $12.

If nothing else, remember this helpful piece of advice:

Or you could always buy some of wine in a can.

***

Christmas came early – I made the FoodBuzz Top 9 with my Sweet Potato Pie Oatmeal!!!   Thank you everyone and welcome new readers!

What is your favorite wine to serve/bring to parties?

Do you ever buy bottles because they are “pretty?”  No shame – we’re ALL guilty.

The Christmas Spirit

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I worked until 11:30p last night.  

And I went to the dentist for a filling.  And I didn’t get the prep done that I had planned for the catering gig this weekend.

This was well-deserved:

What had happened was…

I was wrapping up my work when I saw Rufus’ blog post titled “Christmas in a Glass.”  My curiosity was piqued and 5 minutes later I was making myself a reward-in-a-glass.  The only change I made was to use unsweetened almond milk rather than heavy cream.

Next time you need a little something to take the edge off of the holidays, I do recommend this deliciousness commonly known as a Brandy Alexander.  Don’t skip the nutmeg.

An additional recommendation is making a midnight snack of cereal in the same glass.  Without rinsing it.  

Raise your hand if you think I’m even more weird now!

One thing I did get done was a MASSIVE trip to the Dekalb Farmer’s Market.  Cooking will begin in earnest tomorrow.  In the meantime, check out my weaponry groceries:

This isn’t everything I need for a party of 40, but it is a big portion.

On the menu:

  • White Bean Rosemary Dip
  • Baked Brie with a Pecan-Bourbon Glaze
  • Grape and Blue Cheese Truffles
  • Rosemary Bread
  • Endive Boats with Pomegranate, Pumpkin, and Champagne Vinaigrette
  • Apple Sausage Chestnut Stuffing in Phyllo
  • Pesto Chicken Wraps
  • Pumpkin Fudge
  • These Champagne and these Red Wine Balls

Can I pull it off?  You’ll have to keep reading to see.  Don’t you love a cliff-hanger?

***

I fell victim to the craziness and missed a workout for the first time in I don’t know how long.  It was a good steak.

Are you staying on track this holiday season?

What is your favorite holiday drink?  (Other than eggnog ’cause I don’t like it 🙂 )

Text-less Tuesday

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It’s a busy time of year.

This isn’t news to anyone, but it has finally caught up to me.  As a result, an (almost) Text-less Tuesday post.  Here’s a bit about what I’ve been up to lately:

1. Another fantastic meal from Push Start Kitchens:

Crepe Cake with Dulce de Leche, Pears, and Lime Creme

You would have do it too

2. A (cold) visit to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens Holiday Lights show:

3. New hair from the fabulous Karen @ Lava Hair Studio.  Nothing too funky since I had a client meeting the next day.  Just wait ’til February. 🙂

Picture of Karen taking a picture of me

4. A business trip to Farm Links Golf Resort that had me sleeping in an 1800s farmhouse.  Alone.  It may have been haunted.

Complete with ample reading material in case you left your laptop battery in Atlanta… I’m surprised lightning didn’t strike me. 

Not that religious books are bad… but they were literally the only option out of 100s of books in the house.

I did discover the Kindle app and the Pinterest app, both of which saved my life.

***

I’m 5 seconds from a full holiday nervous break down.  (Not really.  Yet.) 

What fun apps have you discovered lately?

Are you in holiday panic-mode, or are you more organized than I am?

Weird Holiday Flavors + WIAW

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40% of the items in a grocery store are new each year.

I’d rather have an actual Oreo Blizzard

According to what Michael Pollen found in his research.  I doubted this until I realized that new flavors and formulas count.  Think about all the variations done on Oreos – peanut butter, mint, 100 calorie packets… it’s endless.

An article on So Good Blog called out food-makers for going too far on the holiday variations.  Specifically cited is Chocolate Eggnog (agreed – but I don’t like nog) and Pumpkin Cream Cheese (he’s crazy… pumpkin was practically born on a bagel).

On my list is peppermint-flavored items.  I like peppermints, but please don’t add the flavor to perfectly good food.  Like coffee.

 

Enough about bad foods.  It’s What I Ate Wednesday!

 

Pre-Workout Breakfast:

When I workout first thing in the morning I usually don’t eat anything more than a nibble of peanut butter or a date.  That is unless I wake up STARVING!  After the killer workout yesterday I must have been burning food like a mad man woman in my sleep!

I heated a Van’s Organic Blueberry Waffle in the oven and topped it with banana, cinnamon, and sugar-free syrup.

Perfect for my needs… I did a solid hour with some heavy weights.

Post-workout snack:

Since the pre-workout was only a waffle, I was ready for more after I finished in the gym.  My post-workout 20g of protein (must-have to build muscle!) came in the form of a (green) sweet potato protein shake.

Sweet Potato Protein Shake

  • 3 T sweet potato puree
  • 1 C spinach
  • 3/4 C unsweetened vanilla coconut milk (a la So Delicious)
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 2 tsp ground flax seeds
  • 1 tsp maca
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of guar gum (to thicken)
  • Shake of salt
  • Ice + water, to taste

*Normally I add Stevia or banana to sweeten my shakes, but the So Delicious and the sweet potato provided enough sweetness on their own!

Lunch:

If you read my post yesterday you may have seen a lovely salad.  So lovely that I had a repeat for lunch today.

 

Those carrot patties are really incredible (hot or cold) and I love having my Basil Walnut Pesto creation (also on yesterday’s post) in the salad mix.  The sweet bursts from the pomegranate seeds make for a fun salad.  (Read: Trying to avoid staining the shirt I wore to work.)

Dinner:

This barley-based “risotto” was even better than I expected!

This recipe will come tomorrow, along with a special feature –

I scored an interview with Chef Cindi Avilia, who works in recipe development for Lightlife!

Snacks:

I had a little biscuit-baking fail… and snacked on my misery while deciding that yes, they really were un-servable (is that a word?).

There was also a citrus Kombucha involved.  I love Kombucha.

Old pic… same drink, sans jerky

I made 100 Sparkling Cake Balls (cake balls made with sparkling wine, in case you missed it) for orders received (so exciting – people are BUYING my food!)… which called for a little pairing experiment. 😉

***

Head over to Peas and Crayons to celebrated the Humpty-Hump on Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday.

Have you seen any crazy holiday flavors?  Which ones do you like or dislike?

What’s your best holiday baking fail?

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