Cocoa Thumbprints
Food Network Magazine

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup for rolling
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• Sprinkles, mini marshmallows, mini candies or dried fruit, for filling

Whisk the flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, the cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and eggs and stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough until firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Place the confectioners’ sugar and the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in 2 separate small bowls. Roll scant tablespoonfuls of dough into balls; roll in the granulated sugar and then in the confectioners’ sugar. Place 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Lightly flatten each ball with your fingers and make a deep 1/2-inch-wide indentation in the centers with your thumb. Place your choice of filling in the indentation.

Bake the cookies until puffed and slightly cracked, about 10 minutes. Let cool 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

The pickled cherry peppers and their juice add a great flavor; as did the hot Italian sausage I used.

If you wanted to lighten the dish up more, you could use turkey sausage rather than pork sausage.

Serve with some crusty bread or some sliced polenta for an easy weeknight meal!
Chicken, Sausage & Peppers
Food Network Magazine

•    2 tablespoons unsalted butter
•    3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, cut into chunks
•    3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
•    Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
•    1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
•    1 small onion, chopped
•    2 Italian green frying peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
•    3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
•    1/2 cup dry white wine
•    3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
•    1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
•    2 jarred pickled cherry peppers, chopped, plus 2 tablespoons liquid from the jar

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage until golden, about 2 minutes. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then toss with the flour in a bowl; add to the skillet and cook until browned but not cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Add the onion, peppers, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste and cook 3 minutes. Add the wine, scraping up any browned bits; bring to a boil and cook until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add the broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook until the sausage and chicken are cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the chicken, sausage and vegetables to a platter with a slotted spoon. Increase the heat to high and stir the parsley and cherry peppers and their liquid into the skillet; boil until reduced by one-third, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Pour the sauce over the chicken mixture.

A few notes on this delicious cake…

Definitely follow the instructions to use parchment paper on the bottom of the pan AND the sides.  I only used parchment on the bottom and the cake did not smoothly come out of the springform pan.  In fact, the cake really wasn’t very pretty but Tim didn’t mind since it was so tasty.  I also had to substitute buttermilk since my grocery store was all out.  You can use equal parts milk and plain yogurt or add some lemon juice to milk as a substitute.  I used the yogurt – milk combo.

Overall the cake was moist and wonderfully sweet from the pralines.  I served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Delicious!

Bourbon Praline Cake
Food Network Magazine

For the Praline Layer:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups pecans, toasted

For the Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/3 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper and butter the paper. Wrap the outside of the pan with foil.

Make the praline layer: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar, corn syrup, kosher salt and vanilla. Spread in the prepared pan and scatter the pecans on top; set aside.

Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking soda, nutmeg and fine salt in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk and bourbon in another bowl.

Beat the butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 10 minutes. With the mixer on low, beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, starting and ending with flour. Fold in the pecans.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool on a rack, 30 minutes. Remove the springform ring, invert the cake onto a plate and remove the paper. Serve with ice cream.

I don’t think the cookies needed 15 to 20 minutes.  Check on them at 12 minutes.  I decorated the cookies with red sugar and red and green M&Ms to make them festive!

Enjoy!  Merry Christmas!

Classic Sugar Cookies
Food Network Magazine

• 2 sticks butter
• 1/2 granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter, granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, vanilla extract, and orange zest.  Whisk flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the butter mixture, then chill 30 minutes.

Roll tablespoonfuls into balls and flatten; sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake 15 to 20 minutes.

I thought the Chickpea Tapas recipe would accompany the skirt steak nicely:

“Mix chickpeas, capers and green olives with chopped chorizo, celery, red onion, parsley and cilantro. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper; top with manchego.”

I used shaved manchego — utilizing a vegetable peeler to make thin slices.  I also added a splash of red wine vinegar.  Don’t forget to drain and rinse the chickpeas.

I made this delicious antipasti salad as an accompaniment to the Turkey & Artichoke Stuffed Shells the other day.

Just a couple quick notes…I used hot soppressata because I like a little spice!  And, I didn’t make the toasts since I wasn’t making this dish as a main course.

Next time I might include a second type of meat as well as some pepporcini for some extra flavor.

Antipasti Dinner Salad
Food Network Magazine

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 large cloves garlic, smashed
• 8 slices rustic Italian bread
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 small head radicchio, thinly sliced
• 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 6 ounces deli-sliced hard salami or soppressata, cut into strips
• 10 to 15 fresh basil leaves, sliced if large
• 8 ounces small mozzarella balls (bocconcini), halved
• 20 cured black olives (such as kalamata or nicoise), pitted and halved
• 2 romaine lettuce hearts, halved lengthwise

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add
the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase the heat
to high; add the bread in batches and toast until golden on both sides.
Set aside and season with salt.

Whisk the vinegar, the remaining 5 tablespoons oil, 1/2
teaspoon salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Add the radicchio,
celery, salami, basil, mozzarella and olives; toss to coat.

Place 1 romaine half on each plate. Drizzle with olive oil and
season with salt and pepper. Spoon the salad onto each wedge, drizzling
any remaining dressing on top; serve with the toasts.