hamantaschen

My sister inspired me to make hamentashen, the traditional cookie for Purim. My favorite filling is the poppyseed one, but I didn't have any poppyseeds, so I used blueberry jam my friends Kat's Dad made. These were good, but I did miss the poppyseed filling. The jam is delicious, but I found it to be a bit too sweet with the sweet cookie. Anyhow, I'll include a filling option for making them with the poppyseed filling. I would also make them with a shortbread type dough (i.e. more butter) if I made them again.

Blueberry Hamantaschen
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
blueberry jam or poppyseed filling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
1. Cream butter, sugar and egg in a large bowl.
2. Sift flour and baking powder.
3. Mix a bit of the flour mixture into the creamed butter, then add the milk, then the rest of the flour. Mix in vanilla.
4. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into circles. I used a wide-mouth canning jar rim. Lay circles on a sheet pan with parchment paper and fill each with a dollop of filling. Fold in sides so that they for cute little triangles.
5. Bake for 15-30 minutes.

Cheese grits with a fried egg

Cooking Block

I haven't posted in a few days. It hasn't been out of business or laziness. I've kind of had a cooking block. I mean, I've been cooking, but nothing inspired enough to share with you all. So today I'm going to post, whether I have something interesting to share with you or not. Stay posted.

Here's a list of some dishes I've been thinking about cooking lately; now you can get excited too.

On the Horizon:
1. Meat balls (we just got ground beef from the farm)
2. Pasole (my housemate dumpstered a big can of hominy!)
3. New hot breakfast cereals
4. Baked sweet potato fries
5. Chocolate dipped bananas (mom, you'll love these)
6. Rice pudding
7. Lemon souffle cake
8. Grits with a fried egg on top

Ok, I'm out of ideas for now...xoxo

Roasted Broccoli

I find that most kids if they like broccoli prefer either the fluffy tops or the crunchier stems. When I was little I only liked the stems and I would gift the tops to my mom. Now I like the tops better, but I enjoy both. Here's my favorite way to prepare broccoli; it doesn't get much simpler than this. It's so simple, it's almost not worth writing up, but every time I make it people ask me how I did it.
Roasted Broccoli
Preheat oven to 425F

1 bunch broccoli
whole garlic cloves (optional)
olive oil, about 1-2 tablespoons
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Cut broccoli into florets and peal outer layer of the stem and cut into similarly sized pieces
2. Toss with oil, salt, pepper, and garlic if using
3. Lay out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Be sure to leave enough space between the pieces so that they get crisp, not steamed
4. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until just crispy and tender.

Chocolate chip cookies and friends

First off, I have a great chocolate chip cookie recipe for ya'll. I believe it's adapted from Sherry Yard; I've made these cookies so many times I have the recipe memorized. These are everything a chocolate chip cookie should be, chewy, a little crispy on the edges, sweet, and chocolaty. I learned a technique at the last rest restaurant I worked at in order to get a chewy, as opposed to cakey cookie, with those lovely cracks.

The secret is to take the cookies out of the oven half way through the baking process and slam the sheet pan down on the counter a few times, then put them back in the oven and slam them down a final time when you take them out again. I was so excited when I learned this; it's so simple, but makes a huge difference--you're cookies will never be the same again.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
4oz unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tbs sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tbs brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
7 oz chocolate chips (a little over 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
1. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt, set aside
2. In a standing mixer or by hand cream butter until pale yellow, about 2 minutes
3. Add sugars and vanilla and cream on medium speed until smooth
4. Add egg and mix on low until just incorporate, about 30 seconds
5. Add flour, BS, and salt and mix on low until just mixed, do not over mix
6. mix in chocolate chips
7. Roll into 2oz balls, about 2 inches in diameter, I find 1 sheet pan holds 10 cookies if you stagger them.
8. Bake for about 8 minutes, slam down in the counter until cracked a bit, and spread. Rotate and alternate sheet pans on oven racks and back another 4 minutes. Slam down again and let cool.
We got our first day of good weather in a long time. We were all ridiculously happy. It finally feels like Spring may actually come one day. I sure hope so.

Off to enjoy the sunshine. If you don't have sunshine, I'm very sorry, but at least you can go bake these cookies; they are debatably as good as sunshine.

Homemade almond milk

Raw almond milk is super cheap, ridiculously easy, and delicious. All you need is some cheese cloth or a nut milk bag.

Raw Cinnamon Almond Milk
1 cup raw almonds
5 cups water
sprinkling of cinnamon to taste
2 tablespoons of honey (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

1. Soak almonds for 12-24 hours
2. Blend soaked almonds and water for about 3 minutes until smooth
3. Strain through cheese cloth and squeeze excess water out of pulp; make sure to do this thoroughly, most of the flavor comes out of the almonds in this process
4. Add cinnamon, vanilla, honey if you want a little sweetness, and salt. Shake vigorously or blend again. Refrigerate for up to a week. Shake before using.

I like almond milk in my cereal, hot chocolate, heated with some maple syrup, or simply straight up. However, I don't like it in coffee because it doesn't have the creaminess to counter the bitterness.

enjoy!

Chocolate avocado mousse pie