Chocolate, Cherry and Chipotle Shortbread Cookies

I made chocolate, cherry and chipotle shortbread cookies with chocolate icing for a party I attended this past Saturday. They were delicious, but not for the inexperienced chili-head.  We managed to warn all the moms about the cookies for the little ones, but evidently missed one 10 year old.  Well, he got one and ate it, which I didn't know about, until afterwards.  Things were fine until the "after-burn" kicked in.  I was informed that his grandfather, a dear friend of ours, took good care of him following this "heated" event.  I did notice that he was back at the dessert bar a little later, but not going near the chocolate cookies.

I have to tell y'all......these cookies are not for the faint of tongue, but they are definitely delicious.

Prep time - 30 minutes

Cooking time - 10 minutes

Temperature - 350'

Difficulty - Easy

Ingredients for the Cookies

2 cups unbleached flour

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/3 cup dark cocoa powder

1 teaspoon dried ground chipotle

          (I actually used 2 teaspoons for a very spicy cookie)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks of butter at room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

In a food processor, add the flour, dried cherries, cocoa powder, chipotle and salt.  Process until the cherries are finely chopped.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend together the butter, sugar and vanilla.  When well mixed, add the flour mixture, process on low until the dough comes together.

Form into 1 ounce balls, place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart and flatten the tops.

Bake at 350' for 12 minutes, remove from the oven and let cool.

When the cookies are cool, make the icing.  

Ingredients for the Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup dark cocoa powder

2 teaspoons meringue powder

1/4 tsp ground chipotle

          (for a very spicy icing, I used 1/2 teaspoon)

1 tsp vanilla

Heavy Cream - start with 2 tablespoons and stir.  You will probably need more heavy cream and add only by the teaspoon until the icing is thick like pancake batter, but smooth.

I use a disposable plastic candy decorating bag and place the icing in that, cut off enough of the tip to leave a 1/8 inch opening and then add the icing to the cookies in a circular motion starting at the center until I am within 1/4 inch of the edge of the cookie.  

This icing dries very nicely, but does not become rock hard.  

From the heart of my purple kitchen to you,

Enjoy!!!

S.

 

Brining a Pork Loin Roast

Over this past weekend, I cooked a pork loin roast that I had let sit in a brining solution for 5 days.  The best thing about this brine was that I cut way back on the amount of salt and bumped up the flavor profile of the dry mix that I used as a base.

Most brining solutions start with 1 to 1/2 cups of salt.  I only used 1/2 cup of salt along with several other ingredients.  Among them were brown sugar, cumin, chipotle, oregano, red pepper flakes, black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder and bay leaves.  I processed all the ingredients except for the bay leaves in a food processor to get to a consistent texture.  Then, I placed a 3 pound pork loin roast in a large plastic container, poured in 1 gallon of water, 2/3 cup of the dry mix and 4 bay leaves and stirred as best I could.  I placed it in the back of the fridge and let it sit for 5 days to absorb all the flavor it could.

I removed the roast from the liquid and wrapped it in paper towels for a few minutes to get it nice and dry.  I sliced it into 1 inch slices and dried them off as well.

I did not add any additional seasoning before I cooked the pork.  I wanted to test how well the brine worked and how much flavor the pork absorbed.

In a heavy skillet on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter, let it melt. When the butter is bubbly, add 4 pieces of the pork loin and cook until browned, approx. 12-15 minutes , then turn over and cook another 12-15 minutes.

The result was the most tender and flavorful pork loin I have ever eaten.  It was just as tender as a pork tenderloin and was quite moist.  No extra sauce was needed.

I served this with a classic caesar style salad with chipotle ranch dressing and home-made double garlic bread.

My husband took one bite of the pork and immediately one eyebrow got raised.  His only comment was, "Wow, this is really good!"

From the heart of my purple kitchen to you,

Enjoy!
S.

  

Happy New Year!!!

I hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas and a very happy and safe New Year's celebration.  2012 has been a whirlwind and I can honestly say that I am hoping to slow down a bit at my full time job.  I was able to hire a new staff member, so this will help tremendously over the upcoming months and beyond.

I will also be getting back to business over the next few days with this blog and with my cookbook now that the holidays are over.   I have several recipes to post, including my own recipes for some really great hand scrubs.....which I gave for gifts at the office.  Even my husband is using the hand scrub and LOVES it.  

I'll be typing with you very soon........please enjoy the rest of your week!

From the heart of my purple kitchen to you!!!
S.

Venison Stew

A new friend asked me for a recipe that included Venison.  Since my only experience with venison is as a tenderloin or a sausage, I decided to use a tried and true recipe that mimicked a New England Pot Roast dinner, but to finish the dish with a decidedly different twist and create a stunning gravy for a majestic creature, the deer.

Servings:  6 - 8

Time:  Approx. 3 hours

Difficulty:  Easy

Ingredients

3 pounds venison, cut into 2 -3 inch chunks

3/4 cup flour, set aside 1/4 cup

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Vegetable oil

3 Bay leaves

3 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 - 3 quarts chicken stock

1 medium yellow turnip, peeled and cut into chunks

1 pound of carrots, peeled and cut into 3 pieces

1 pound of baby red russet potatoes, washed

12 ounces of button mushrooms, whole

1 pound of pearl onions, frozen 

1/4 cup room temperature butter

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 300' F

Steps

1. Begin by drying off the venison in paper towels to remove excess moisture.
2. Mix the flour, salt and pepper together and toss the meat with the flour mixture, set aside.  Heat the Dutch oven on the stovetop on medium heat, add enough vegetable oil to the pan to coat the bottom.  Shake off any excess flour before placing the meat in the pan to brown.   Begin browning the venison in small batches, and set aside on a platter.
3. When all the meat has been browned, turn the heat on low, place the meat back in the Dutch oven and add the bay leaves, fresh rosemary, dried oregano and garlic and cook on low for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and cover.  Bring to a slow simmer then add the turnip and transfer the pan to the oven.  Let this cook for 45 minutes.
4. Add the carrots and russet potatoes, cover and cook another 45 minutes in the oven.
5. Add the mushrooms and pearl onions, cook another 45 minutes.  At this point, check the meat for desired tenderness.  If the meat is not as tender as you would like, return the stew to the oven for an additional 30 minutes.  
6. Once the meat is tender, remove the meat and veggies onto a serving platter with a large slotted spoon leaving as much of the cooking liquid as possible in the pan.
7. Mix the 1/4 cup flour with the 1/4 cup butter until a paste forms.  Place the pan back on the stove top on medium low heat and add the butter and flour mixture, whisking to incorporate.  When the sauce thickens and turns glossy, taste for seasoning, pour the gravy over the platter of meat and vegetables and serve.
8. Most importantly, fish out the bay leaves so your guests won't have to.

Serving suggestions:

• Serve in a hollowed out bread boule or with a rustic and hearty bread broken into chunks.

Tips:

1. Be sure to remove excess moisture from any meat the you cook.  This will keep the meat from "stewing" in it's own juices and will help the meat to brown.
2. Be sure to season the flour that coats the meat.  Seasoning at this stage helps set the depth of flavor in motion throughout the entire dish.

The addition of the buerre mariner (butter and flour paste) really made this dish stand out.  It created a glossy and smooth sauce with a great mouth feel.  

From the heart of my purple kitchen to you,

Enjoy!!!

S.

Hat Tossing Time!!!

Ladies and Gents,

Paula Deen is looking for the next Deen Team Blogger.  With that in mind, I am going to toss my hat into the ring.  My red hair is on fire and my creative juices have shifted into overdrive....or overhaul....well, maybe a little of each, so here goes.

Paula has asked that applicants demonstrate why we think we are the best candidate.  Let's start with the basics....I'm a short, round redhead with tons of personality, I am not shy or retiring, I love to mix things up, especially from a culinary standpoint, my recipes are easy and delicious...and I can write.  I have been published in Plano Profile Magazine and my Turkey, Cranberry and Chipotle Tamale recipe has travelled through the Chef and Publisher blogs.  I am working on my first cookbook.  I have been described as "very creative" and "open".  I have a way of connecting with and engaging with people, both in person and in writing.  I know how to address any subject in a polite and appropriate manner, and with or without humor.   I know how to say please, thank you, and I'm sorry....and mean it.

But the most important thing is - any blog should not be solely about the writer, it has to include the reader / follower.  Each blogger needs to be able to connect with their audience, tell stories, talk about how things developed for the recipe or situation and provide the reader with the impetus to try and the confidence to succeed.  A blogger needs to be able to be open and have the ability to share information about themselves, their successes and failures so that people can connect with them and with each other, in other words, a blogger is a facilitator.  A blogger also needs to be able to receive feedback graciously, whether it is positive, identifies an opportunity for improvement or is more critical feedback.  Blog content should also include mishaps, challenges and opportunities and what we did about them and what we learned so that readers / followers know it is OK when these things occur, that it is not always going to be right the first time.

My role, as a food blogger, is to inspire.  One of the things that I am looking forward to is holding cooking classes in a casual but structured environment so that people can connect via a common meeting ground.  Whether the food is good, bad or great, food brings people together.

Food and cooking can:

• Facilitate relationship building because it is a subject that everyone is familiar with  
• Open communication in a way that no other vehicle can because food is a universal language, we all speak "food" no matter what our background
• Express love, offer comfort and rebuild broken bridges
• Inspire creativity, enhance fun and be a stress reliever
• Be comic relief, break world records and bring communities together
• Raise money to feed the hungry
• Help heal the sick and offer hope

Now that I have shared my personal philosophy, I would love to hear from y'all.  What are your thoughts about food and its expanded role in society?  What do you think food and cooking can do?  

From the heart of my purple kitchen to you,

Susan 

OMGoodness!!! She's back and with a Breakfast Pizza

Hello to Everyone,

Wow...it has been quite a while since I have posted on my blog.  Working full time (50+ hrs a week), going to school and singing in choir is probably more than anyone should try to do along with attempting to make progress on a cookbook and blog.  I have always taken on too much and every once in a while, I need to step back and take a break.

Most importantly, Thank you to everyone who has visited my blog for the first time and to everyone who has returned to my blog over the past 2 months.  I appreciate each one of you and your visits.

Even though I have not been blogging on a regular basis for this brief respite, I have been cooking.  I have several new recipes to post, including:

• Breakfast Pizza, 
• Buffalo tenderloin with blackberry & sage wine sauce,
• Cornbread & chili muffins,
• Green chili & chicken pasta
• Dark chocolate and caramel sandwich cookies, 
• Pumpkin and chocolate chip cookies, 
• Peanut butter and jelly cookies,
• And....a few other wonderful items.

So, with that list in hand, here is the Breakfast Pizza:

I decided to make this easy on myself and purchase some really great pizza dough from a local grocer.  Pizza shops who make their own dough are usually willing to sell it to you, if you ask.  

This makes 16 servings, or 8 if you are especially hungry.  

Ingredients:

1 ball of pizza dough, preferably fresh

1 - 8 ounce jar of medium picante sauce

1/8 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

12 ounces of bulk chorizo

8 eggs

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

2 cups queso fresco, crumbled

1 - 16 ounce jar of red salsa

1 cup of Crema Mexicana - can substitute Creme Fresh 

Preheat your oven to 350' F and use the middle rack. 

In a large nonstick skillet on medium, add the olive oil and let heat for 2 minutes

Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes

Add the chopped jalapeno to the pan, stir and cook for an additional 2 minutes

Add the chorizo to the pan and break up the meat into small, bit size pieces and let brown

While the chorizo is cooking, crack open the eggs into a medium bowl and whisk with the garlic, salt and pepper

When the chorizo is cooked, remove excess fat from the pan and add the egg mixture.  Cook the eggs gently, scrambling as they set until the eggs are done.  Turn off the heat and set aside.

In a jelly roll pan, scatter 1 tablespoon of cornmeal.  Using 1 ball of pizza dough, roll it out into a rectangle and place the dough in the pan.  Bake for 20 minutes.

When the crust has baked for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and spread the picante sauce over the crust, scatter on the egg and chorizo mixture and cover with the cheeses.  Return this back to the oven until the cheese melts and becomes golden brown.  Remove from the oven, spoon on the red salsa, drizzle with the Crema and serve hot.  

This was delicious - spicy and substantial for a breakfast pizza and there was no skimping on toppings.  

From the heart of my purple kitchen to you,

Enjoy!!!

S.

Hatch Chile Festival is here!!!!

I feel like Steve Martin, in the movie "The Jerk".....except my mantra is "the Hatch chile pepper festival is here, the Hatch chile pepper festival is here"!!!!

Over this coming weekend, I will be stocking up on hot and mild varieties of chiles, raw and roasted, Hatch salsa, Hatch tortillas, Hatch soap (I don't really think they make this), Hatch whatever.  And, yes....I will be making my own recipes and will be using a few from Jane Butel's book, "Real Women Eat Chiles".  Jane is a very accomplished chef and cookbook author and a great inspiration to me.  Check out her website at:

www.janebutel.com

I will be roasting, stuffing, baking, frying, chopping and cooking chiles in a variety of ways.  I also have a new tamale recipe that I am working on that will feature chiles in some way....not sure yet what that will be, but y'all will be the first to know.

In the mean time....keep the home fires burning by using chiles in unexpected ways.

From the heart of my purple kitchen to you!!!
Susan