Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday and enjoying the day. We had a wonderful dinner and instead of doing some big rich dessert I decided to go simple and refreshing for our finish this year. Sweet and tart cranberry sorbet, a perfectly light and yet festive holiday dessert. This would be divine to also serve on New Year’s Eve, especially if you scoop a few balls and put them at the bottom of a glass, then top with champagne. Cranberry sorbet floats, anyone?

Happy Holidays!

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Cranberry Sorbet

About 1 quart

Based on David Lebovitz’s recipe.

Ingredients

• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup plus ¼ cup water
• 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
• pinch of salt
• ½ cup orange juice
• 1 Tbsp. orange-flavored liqueur, such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier

Directions

1.) In a medium saucepan, heat the sugar with ½ cup water then add the cranberries and a pinch of salt.

2.) Cover, and cook at a low boil for about 10 minutes, or until the cranberries are completely softened and have burst open.

3.) Remove from heat and let the cranberries sit until room temperature, covered.

4.) Once the cranberries have cooled, puree the cranberries with any liquid and the orange juice, ¼ cup water and the orange-flavored liqueur.

5.) Chill thoroughly then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: christmas, frozen treat, fruit, ice cream, sweet, tart

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Oof. I don’t know about y’all but I have a wicked food hangover. This Christmas was filled with what felt like a week of marathon eating and drinking – whether it be snacking on appetizers at home, drinks out with friends, multiple calorie-laden coffee drinks while out running errands, Christmas dinner and its leftovers, etc. It just feels like I’ve been eating non-stop since Wednesday and I am so ready for a break…. until New Year’s Eve at least.

But onto the good stuff! The great stuff. Our dinner this year went from the over-the-top 6 rib prime rib roast we’ve done the past few years to something a little easier and more economical for our 4-person dinner: strip steaks. We all love em in the family and I did em the best way: seared in a huge cast iron skillet, popped in a screaming hot oven for a few minutes, and served with lotsa butter and blue cheese crumbles. All the side dishes I made were either done far in advance (and then reheated) or done à la minute (right before serving) so I could keep my time well divided. I did about an hour of prep, an hour of prep cooking time, and then about 20 min cooking right before dinner. It was the easiest and most delicious Christmas dinner we’ve ever had. Take that, prime rib!

So here’s a (very) random collection of photos from what I ate and drank over my holiday. Apologies for the quality and randomness. I just didn’t seem to want to take the time to use my Nikon during all the fun so the iPhone did a lot of the work this year.

Our menu:

• Pan-seared strip steaks with butter and blue cheese
• Scalloped sweet potatoes with sage
• Creamy parmesan polenta
• Roasted fresh Brussels sprouts
• Wedge salad with blue cheese and bacon
• Christopher Elbow truffles (for dessert)

Pre-dinner martini.

My least favorite vegetable. The things I do for my family…

Dinner!

Post-dinner proseco.

Post-dinner martinis.

Left Hand milk stout. The only beer I drank while in KC (at home and out).

Lemon drop martini for mom.

Old Fashioned at Harry’s Bar (one of my fav’s).

Happy Holidays, everyone!

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Strip Steaks My Style

Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 4 12-ounce strip steaks
• Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
• Canola oil
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
• Blue cheese crumbles

Directions

1.) Set steaks out at least 30 minutes before cooking (you want them at room temp). Preheat your oven to 500° F and pop a 12-inch cast iron skillet inside. Let the skillet get screaming hot (at least 20 minutes).

2.) While the skillet preheats, sprinkle a good amount of salt and pepper on both sides of the steaks. Press the seasoning into the steak to make sure it sticks. Lightly coat the steaks in some canola oil on both sides.

3.) When the pan is ready, carefully remove it from the oven and place on range over high heat. Let it heat up at least 1 minute then throw the steaks in. Don’t touch them for 30 seconds. SERIOUSLY. LEAVE THEM BE. Then flip them and give them another 30 second nap. Pop the pan back into the oven and close the door. Cook 2 minutes, flip the steaks, and cook another 2 minutes (for med rare). Remove the steaks from the pan, top with butter and blue cheese, cover loosely with foil, and let rest at least 3-4 minutes.

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Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

Based on the recipe from Cuisine at home magazine.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled, cut super thin on a mandoline
• 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1¼ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup heavy cream

Directions

1.) Butter a 4-quart baking dish and preheat oven to 400° F. Toss sweet potatoes, sage, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Pour into prepared baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake 20 minutes and remove from the oven. You can stop here and refrigerate (like I did) or go right to the next step.

2.) Remove the foil and pour the cream all over the sweet potatoes. Continue to bake (uncovered) about 15 more minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Based on the recipe from Ina Garten’s “How Easy is That?”

Serves 6.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. fresh Brussels sprouts (from the stalk if you can get em)
• Olive oil
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 400° F. Trim the stems off the Brussels sprouts and ditch any that look wrinkled or old.

2.) Toss together the Brussels sprouts, some olive oil (just enough to coat them), salt, and pepper. Lay out on a large baking sheet with a deep lip (like a jelly roll pan) and bake until tender, shaking the pan every now and then – about 40 minutes. Salt to taste once more when they come out.

Make ahead note: I baked my sprouts almost to complete doneness earlier in the day and heated them up (while the sweet potatoes finished cooking) when the steaks were resting.

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Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Based on the recipe from Ina Garten’s “How Easy is That?”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal (I used Quaker)
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Directions

1.) Bring the stock and garlic to a low boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and reduce heat to medium-low. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the salt and pepper.

2.) Keep stirring for about 10 minutes (this is a great job to give a relative or loved one asking to help) until the polenta is super thick but creamy. Take it off the heat and stir in the parmesan, sour cream, and butter. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: beef, christmas, sidedish, vegetables

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Time for cookie #4 in the Christmas cookie list. No, those aren’t mini bagels. And no, they’re not mini donuts either! They’re cookies!

This is a simple cookie with a lot of frills and froufrou to dress it up. It’s a nice simple lemon cookie with lemon glaze, but it’s just so pretty. And sometimes (let’s face it), that’s what holiday baking is all about.

I strayed from Martha’s recipe a bit because my dough came out incredibly sticky when I was done, so I added a bit more flour, chilled it overnight, and did a double glaze to get that great bright white color on top. I love the little white nonpareils on top since they look like snow (and add great texture), but if you really wanted to push the wreath idea, green and red would also be super fun.

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Lemon Glazed Wreaths

Based on the recipe from Martha Stewart.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Ingredients

For the cookies

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the surface
• ½ Tbsp. baking powder
• ¾ tsp. kosher salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 medium eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

For the glaze

• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 7-8 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• Nonpareils or dragees of your choice or colored sprinkles (for decoration)

Directions

1.) Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of a food processor pulse together sugar and lemon zest until completely pulverized, about 2 minutes.

2.) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together sugar-zest mixture and butter on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running on low, add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract and lemon juice. With the mixer still running, slowly add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Cover and chill dough at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

3.) Preheat oven to 350° F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

4.) Flour a cutting board or counter. Scoop 1-tablespoon sized balls of dough onto surface, roll in flour, and roll into a 4-inch long rope. Bring the ends together overlapping slightly, and press together to form the wreath. Place wreath on prepared cookie sheets. Repeat with all remaining cookies spacing at least 1½ inches apart.

5.) Bake cookies until lightly golden on the bottoms and around the edges, about 18 minutes. Transfer to wire racks, and let cool completely.

6.) Once the cookies have cooled, whisk together powdered sugar  and lemon juice until smooth. Place wire racks on top of cookie sheets. Dip the top side of each cookie into glaze, letting excess drip off. Return cookies to wire racks, glaze side up, and refrigerate 5 minutes. Once the first glaze has set, dip again and sprinkle with nonpareils. Let dry completely and refrigerate to set.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: christmas, christmas cookies, cookies, lemon

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My favorite response to these cookies was definitely when a chef friend of mine tried them and simply said, “Your cookie kung-fu is strong.”

The awesomeness of being a baking ninja aside, this batch is definitely the favorite of the holiday cookie bake-a-thon so far.

Originally I wanted to make these cookies using Nestlé’s dark chocolate and mint morsels and of course had my hopes dashed when I learned they aren’t carried within 200 miles of where I live. So I went to the store determined to find suitable replacements and did. Sort of. I ended up combining two different kinds of baking chips to achieve what I imagined the Nestlé morsels would be like – strong semi-sweet chocolate and cooling mint with a fudgey, chewy texture.

These cookies not only taste fantastic, but get bonus points for coming together super easily and freezing incredibly well. I only needed about 2 dozen when I made these, so I froze half the batch on sheet trays and then transferred them to a freezer storage bag. That way whenever I want the second batch I’ll just pop them on a sheet tray and bake. Way better than that refrigerated dough you can buy in the store (if I do say so myself)!

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Double Mint Chip Cookies

Based loosely on the recipe from Nestlé Tollhouse.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Edit/update: After freezing the dough balls and baking them off I have to recommend doing this outright. The cookies held their shape amazingly and baked up much better baking frozen dough balls so I’ve changed the recipe to reflect this.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I always use Ghirardelli)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. table salt
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. brewed espresso (I just dissolve 1 rounded tsp. instant espresso in 3 oz. water and use 2 Tbsp. of that)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 10-oz. pkg. Hershey’s semi-sweet chocolate mint chips
• 1 10-oz. package Andes Mints baking chips

Directions

1.) In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugars, vanilla, and espresso until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating for at least 30 seconds in between to allow them to completely incorporate.

2.) With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Scrape down the sides and stir in the morsels. Using a 1-ounce (2 Tbsp.) cookie scoop, drop cookies onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

3.) Preheat oven to 325° F and line up to 4 baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer the frozen dough balls to new baking sheets and place immediately in oven. Keep remaining dough balls in freezer while each batch bakes. Bake 13-14 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set.

Alternate version: Chill the dough overnight, scoop cookies, and bake. These still turned out delicious, just slightly wider/flatter than the frozen variety.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: baking, chocolate, christmas, christmas cookies, winter

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Time for cookie #2 in the holiday baking extravaganza! Moving on from a spin on the classic oatmeal raisin to something a little more elegant, a little more refined. Something to take delicate bites from while sipping espresso con panna.

I’ve had these cookies bookmarked for ages and wanted to make them last year for my mom’s cookie exchange but was (sadly) vetoed. Oh well! More for me, just a year later.

I’ll be honest in saying the big thing that drew me to this cookie (besides the idea of coffee-flavored shortbread) was the shape. It was dainty and cute and a simple way to make a traditional cookie a little more special. But why have a coffee-flavored shortbread cookie be a pale yellow color? Why not oomph up the color and flavor by making it cocoa-based? Plus, every good baker knows that coffee brings out chocolate flavor in anything, so it was a revision made in heaven.

I changed the recipe a bit by adding a little more sugar, replacing a bit of the flour with unsweetened cocoa powder, and adding some vanilla extract. The flavor isn’t overly sweet, but pungent and almost bitter in that great coffee way. It has that perfect dissolve-on-your-tongue shortbread texture and the size is just right to sit on a saucer next to a great cup of coffee or whatever you fancy.

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Cocoa Coffee Shortbread

Based on the recipe from Martha Stewart.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp. instant espresso powder
• 2 Tbsp. finely ground espresso beans
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ tsp. table salt

Directions

1.) Line 3-4 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stir in vanilla.

2.) In a small bowl, stir espresso powder into 2 tsp. boiling water until coffee has dissolved. Add dissolved espresso mixture and ground espresso beans to butter mixture; beat to combine.

3.) In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, and salt. With the mixer running on low, add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on medium-low speed until well combined, about 4 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.

4.) Preheat oven to 325° F. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough in between hands until smooth and then form into ovals. Place about 1½ inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using a wooden skewer dipped in flour, make an indentation in dough lengthwise to achieve the look of a coffee bean. Freeze or refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.

5.) Bake until cookies are just beginning to stiffen, 16-18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through cooking. Let cool on sheet pan 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store up to 1 week in airtight containers at room temperature.

© Jessica J. for jonesing for..., 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: christmas, christmas cookies, cookies, sweet

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