Nutella Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

My older sister Aimbot has taught me many things in life. Almost 6 years older than me, Ms. Aimbot always seemed so impossibly sophisticated (still does, in fact, to this day). Her clothes are perfect, her hair smooth and makeup fresh and lovely. She's traveled all over the country and Europe, and she always knew about the hot new boutiques and brands. She listened to Trent Reznor waaaay before his famous days ;) She also introduced me to many foodie things: good coffee (don't underestimate the coffee in Minneapolis, folks), Hit Cookies, sushi, Leinies, the best fish and chips on the continent... the list goes on and on.

And as sleek and gorgeous as Aimbot is, she is also one of the most charming, goofy people on this planet. She's down-to-earth and engaging, and I've always idolized her (to this day, people know we're sisters not because we look alike, which we don't - it's because we have the same mannerisms and posture and oddly enough, the same 'walk'. I love that when I hear it from people).

Anyhoo, one thing Aimbot introduced me to was Nutella. It was way before it was popular here in the States, you couldn't get it at your average supermarket. Creamy and nutty and chocolatey, no wonder it's such a hit across the pond! From that point on, I could not get enough. Always there was a jar of the stuff in my cabinets, and it always reminds me of my big sister.

Aimbot and her husband just had their first children, sweet little twins. Even though the last thing they can eat is Aunt Nemmie's baked goods, I wanted to make something for them. And considering their mom's tastes, these Nutella sandwich cookies seemed like a no-brainer. They are so good, too - the shortbread is crumbly and buttery and wonderfully nutty, with a nice (thick) glob of Nutella in the middle. Mmmm. Heaven.

So, here's my gift (for now anyway, more on the way via UPS!). Congratulations to my dear sweet Aimbot, and a big welcome to little George and Elise! Please enjoy the cookies teeny babies, they are your mother's favorite flavor, you know.

Nutella Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

(from Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook, 2005)

Ingredients:

1/2 c. hazelnuts

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Pinch of salt

1/2 jar Nutella

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two sheet pans or line with parchment (or Silpat).

Toast and skin the hazelnuts. In a food processor, pulse the hazelnuts with the sugar until they are finely ground. Add the flour and pulse again. Add the butter pieces, and process it until the mixture comes together. Turn out onto a work surface.

Roll out dough to approximately 1/8-in. thickness. With any shape cookie cutter (you might want something symmetrical, so they are alike when sandwiching together), cut out cookies and transfer the cookies to the prepared sheet pans.

Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, depending on their size and thickness. They are ready when they begin to look golden at the edges (I overbaked mine, like an amateur). Cool the cookies on the sheet pans.

Once cooled: spread the Nutella on one cookie and make a sandwich by topping the Nutella with another cookie.

Dorie's Cocoa-Nana Bread

I am not a fan of bananas in stuff.

Yeah, yeah. I didn't like the cinnamon, and still made those bars. And wasn't terribly fond of them (although that didn't stop me from scarfing down two of them before giving them away). Brilliant, huh? And I like bananas, I really do. Just by themselves is all. I don't like them in smoothies, or in cakes. Breads. Desserts. I don't like them in anything, really. I like the fake banana flavoring in stuff, like Circus Peanuts (because I eat revolting stuff like that), but not real banana.

So imagine my shock, surprise, utter joy, when I loved loved loved this bread. Of course: that might have a little something to do with the copious amounts of chocolate. It's not just the chocolate, though: this bread is very nice, a soft moist bread but not heavy as banana bread can sometimes be. And it makes for a happy morning when you have a nice thick slice for breakfast :)

A word of warning for you banana lovers: it is very, very chocolatey, especially the first day. The banana doesn't hit you for a bit after eating it. However it does, in fact, mellow out by Day Two - then the chocolate and banana are living in perfect harmony. This is a fantastic recipe, and I can't wait to make it again, except maybe with a few changes (perhaps peanut-butter banana bread?).

Dorie's Cocoa-Nana Bread

(From Baking: From My Home To Yours)

Ingredients:

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. semisweet cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 stick unsalted butter at room temp

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 c. buttermilk (plain yogurt also does well)

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (or 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and place it on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked on top of the other. (This extra insulation will keep the bottom of the bread from over baking.)

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for about a minute, until softened. Add the sugars and beat for 2 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition. At this point, the batter may look a little curdled - it's okay.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the mashed bananas. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until they disappear into the batter. Still on low speed, add the buttermilk, mixing until it is incorporated. Stir in the chopped chocolate. Scrape the batter into the pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cover the bread loosely with a foil tent to keep the top from getting too dark, and continue to bake for another 40 to 45 minutes (total baking time is between 70 to 75 minutes) or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before running a knife around the edges of the bread and unmolding. Invert and cool to room temp right side up.

Pork and Tomatillo Stew

It’s been a long winter here, as I’m sure it’s been in a lot of places this year. Snow, and ice, then more snow, and lots of wind. Cold cold temps. And oh! I had 3 colds and the stomach flu, all within 5 weeks’ time. Usually our winters are rather mild in this part of the country, so to say I’m sick of winter at this point is an understatement.

I decided to battle the icky winter weather in my cooking. Done with soups and stews and roasted root veggies, instead I’ve been making seafood and tacos and delicate meat dishes and big crunchy salads... I needed more inspiration, though, so found myself cruising my clipped collection of recipes again this past week.

And then I came across this fab recipe, cut out and tucked away months ago. Just reading it, and I was absolutely salivating at the sound of it. A thick pork stew, lots of veggies and tomatoes and tomatillos, mmm. I was definitely in the mood for a nice, spicy, comfy stew. So back I came to the winter weather cuisine.

If you haven’t cooked with tomatillos, this is a nice way to start. Tomatillos are the green tomato-looking things in the papery husks, and can be found in several Latin American dishes. They taste similar to tomatoes, but much more tart and more firm than a ripe tomato. They hold up well in this stew, and give it a nice balance in taste.

One thing I will say: I was expecting a very spicy stew, and I was surprised at how mild it ended up. If you like spicy, be liberal with the hot sauce at the end. I skipped the potatoes/tortilla chips to be a bit healthier; I think the veggies in this recipe can be played with quite a bit so feel free to add/delete as you see fit (well, except for the tomatillos, those are kinda important here). Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention: Hubs prepped the stew for me, and cut the pork chunks much too small. So I didn’t shred the pork. Sigh. He tries to be helpful bless his little heart.

Pork and Tomatillo Stew
(From Food & Wine, October 2007)

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 lb. boneless pork loin, cut into 3-inch chunks
Salt and pepper
2 large celery ribs, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 Anaheim chile, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. mild chile powder
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
Pinch of dried oregano
2 c. chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 c. of carrot pieces (dice)
2 (6-oz.) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-in. chunks
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 lb. tomatillos; husked, rinsed, and cut into 1-in. chunks
Hot sauce
Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Corn tortilla chips, for serving

In a medium casserole or Dutch oven, heat the oil. Season the pork with salt and pepper and cook over high heat until browned on 2 sides, about 2 minutes per side. Add the celery and onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes.

Add the diced chile, garlic, chile powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and tomatillos, cover and simmer over low heat until the pork is cooked through, about 25 minutes.

Transfer the pork to a plate and shred with two forks. Meanwhile, simmer the stew over moderate heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir the shredded pork into the stew and season with salt, pepper and hot sauce.

Ladle the stew into bowls, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with a few tortilla chips.

Roasted Tomato Tart

I had a bunch of tomatoes to use up that were leftover from other recipes, a nice mix of plum and cherry tomatoes. I also had this recipe cut out from a magazine that was sitting in my "must make" folder for way, way too long. Hurray! I love it when my leftovers and recipes can make a happy union. I made this for a great dinner one evening (with a salad and the Stilton cheesecakes). Just perfect.

This was easy-peasy to make, thanks to the frozen puff pastry dough (for the adventurous types, feel free to make your own). And so so good, I could not get enough of this tart. I think mainly because I had forgotten just how delicious freshly roasted tomatoes can be. Buttery, flaky crust with juicy sweet roasted tomatoes and salty nutty Parmesan, mmmm.

If you make this, make sure you can finish it off in one sitting - I'd imagine the pastry would get rather soggy if you tried to keep it for long. And I think it's a great one if you have company and want to make a little appetizer that you can prep ahead.

Roasted Tomato Tart

(from Gourmet magazine, July 2006)

Ingredients:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17 1/4-oz. package), thawed

2 lb. plum tomatoes (8 large), halved lengthwise

Salt and pepper

2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil

3 1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme

1/2 c. Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings (plus additional for garnish)

Put oven racks in middle and lower third of oven and preheat oven to 400 F. Line a large shallow baking pan with foil.

Roll out pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into an 11-in. square (1/8-in. thick). Using a plate or pot lid as a guide, cut out a 10-inch round.

Carefully transfer round to an ungreased baking sheet by rolling pastry around rolling pin and then unrolling onto baking sheet. Chill round on baking sheet until ready to use.

Toss tomatoes with 2 Tbsp. oil, 2 tsp. thyme, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a bowl until well coated. Roast tomatoes, cut sides up and in 1 layer, in foil-lined baking pan in middle of oven, 1 hour.

Brush pastry round with 2 tsp. oil, then sprinkle with 1 tsp. thyme. After roasting tomatoes 1 hour, move tomatoes in pan to lower third of oven and put pastry on baking sheet on middle rack. Bake pastry and tomatoes until pastry is golden brown and edges of tomatoes are slightly browned but still appear juicy, about 15 minutes.

While pastry is still warm, scatter 1/2 c. cheese shavings evenly over it. Top shavings with warm tomatoes, cut sides down and in 1 layer, then sprinkle evenly with remaining thyme and about 1/4 tsp. salt + pepper to taste. Sprinkle with additional cheese shavings if desired.

Dorie's Peanut-buttery Blondies

I'll tell you what did me in with this recipe, it was the cinnamon.

I like cinnamon, I really do. But I think it has its place when it comes to my tastes, and that's in those warm, spicy baked goods. Cinnamon raisin bread? Fabulous. Cinnamon rolls? Sublime. Molasses cookies and gingerbread and pfeffernusse? Perfect. But in something I'm not expecting it? Not so much.

And so it goes with this recipe: I love blondies, and I love peanut butter. I love Dorie for bringing them together, and adding chocolate chunks to boot. But I saw the cinnamon, and should have known better from past experience. Still, I added it. Because it's Dorie! And every recipe of hers that I've tried has been amazing! So this was a little bit of a letdown, when I bit into the blondie and this weird cinnamon-y taste hit the palate. Curses. Foiled again.

It's just that I taste that cinnamon and get a twinge, but I'm sure it'll work for other people. The texture of these bars is amazing - just what you want, chewy and soft with a flaky/crunchy exterior. The bittersweet chocolate does well to offset the sweet, and the peanut butter flavor is just enough to show itself without overpowering the rest of the flavors in the bar. So: if you're one of those people that likes cinnamon (and really, it's just a whisper of cinnamon that hits you after the peanut butter), then you'll love these bars. Really. Truly.

I still love you, Dorie, promise. We'll try something non-cinnamony next time, to make up for this non-drooly-Dorie-love post.

Dorie's Peanut-buttery Blondies

(from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home To Yours)

Ingredients:

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 c. coarsely chopped salted peanuts

6 oz. good-quality chocolate (I used a bittersweet dark chocolate)

Preheat the oven to 350 F, and line a 9-in. baking pan with aluminum foil. Butter the foil and set the pan aside. Chop the peanuts and chocolate, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add the sugar and brown sugar and continue beating about 2 minutes, until very smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the 2 eggs (one at a time), beating for about 1 minute each. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and turn the mixer back on low speed. Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. Dump the chopped peanuts and chocolate into the bowl, and mix on low speed just a few turns, until they’re distributed through the dough.
Scrape the dough into the prepared pan, and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for about 40-50 minutes (mine went 60 minutes, but my oven temp. is off so I had it down to 300 F). Bake until the top is golden brown, and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the pan on a rack until it comes to room temperature.

To cut, lift the foil out of the pan peel it away from the blondies. Cut into squares.

Garlic Knots

Ah, garlic knots. A pizzeria classic. What's not to like? Piping hot knots of pizza dough, shiny with oil and unbelievingly addictive thanks to the garlic, cheese, and fresh herbs. These suckers barely make it out of the oven before they are devoured.

I am going to pimp out Susan's pizza dough recipe here, because man-oh-man is it a good one. This dough is easy to make and it freezes well. This is going to be a staple around our house I think, and I really do recommend you give her recipe a whirl. If you're tired and busy and just don't have time to make your own (and hey, I know how that goes) then just get some from your favorite pizza joint (if they'll sell it), or even buy the frozen stuff from the grocery store.

Garlic Knots
(my own little adaption from several versions online)

Ingredients:
1 lb pizza dough
2 garlic cloves, minced (we love garlic around here)
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or oregano
About 1/ 4 c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease or oil (olive oil works best for flavor) one large baking sheet.

Using a lightly floured rolling pin and a floured countertop, roll out the dough into a large (roughly 9-in) square. If you can't quite get there by rolling, go ahead and gently pull on the dough as you would for rolling out a pizza crust.

Cut the square in half with a pizza wheel, then cut each half crosswise into strips (try to keep them to around an inch wide, or less). Cover strips with a clean kitchen towel.

Keeping remaining strips covered, pull out a strip of dough to work with one at a time. Gently tie each strip into a knot, pulling ends slightly to secure, and place knots about an inch apart on the baking sheet. You'll end up with about 20 knots. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

While knots bake, mash together the minced garlic, salt, and olive oil using a mortar and pestle (if no mortar and pestle: mash together the salt and garlic using your knife, then mix in a bowl with oil). I leave my garlic a little chunky, because we love it that way. Transfer garlic oil to a large bowl. Immediately after baking, toss knots in garlic oil, then sprinkle on the parsley and cheese. Toss to coat. Voila, you're done! Be sure to serve them while still warm, maybe with some marinara for dipping if you're so inclined.

Caramel Hazelnut Tartlets

I am a bit finicky when it comes to desserts, it's true. I love breads, I devour pastas. I have main dishes I love so much I pretty much make them weekly. But desserts? Desserts are lovely and I sure do crave the sweet stuff occasionally, but I'm always looking for something different or new. It is rare for me to say there's a dessert out there that I couldn't get enough of.

And then I made these tartlets. And I'm afraid I'm going to be in big, big trouble.

The recipe is very easy. And yet, so so good: The crust turned out perfectly, like probably the best tart crust I've ever made. It was sturdy and came out of the pan easily, and yet when you bit into the tartlet it was a soft, crumbly, just-sweet-enough confection. The caramel was dark but very good as well - then again, I've never met a caramel I didn't enjoy. But then the hazelnuts give it a great crunch and in these tartlets, give an almost toffee-like flavor. And a drizzle of chocolate on top, ahh. Perfection. I halved the recipe below when I made them, and still usually Hubs and I eat a small bit and give the rest away. This time? We scarfed down all 15 tartlets by the end of the day, it was absolutely tragic. Lots of time doing crunches/cardio after that, but oh so well worth it.

Caramel Hazelnut Tartlets

(from Bon Appétit, October 2007)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

5 Tbsp. (or more) chilled whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. hazelnuts, toasted, husked (or use chopped, like I did)

1 1/3 c. (packed) golden brown sugar

7 Tbsp. unsalted butter

6 Tbsp. light corn syrup

2 Tbsp. water

1/2 tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. whipping cream

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Butter 30 metal or silicone mini muffin cups. Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and blend, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 5 Tbsp. cream and vanilla and blend, using on/off turns, just until mixture begins to clump together, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Press 2 teaspoonfuls dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of each prepared mini muffin cup. Pierce tartlet crusts all over with fork. Freeze crusts 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake frozen crusts until golden and baked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool crusts in muffin cups 10 minutes. Carefully loosen crusts from muffin cups. Transfer crusts to rimmed baking sheet and cool completely. Place 2 to 3 hazelnuts (or equivalent of chopped hazelnuts) in each crust.

For caramel filling: Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, 2 Tbsp. water, and salt in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to boil, then boil 2 minutes without stirring (mixture will bubble up and thicken slightly). Remove pan from heat. Add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously); stir until smooth.

Pour caramel into 2-cup measuring cup; cool 10 minutes. Spoon caramel over hazelnuts in crusts, filling crusts almost to top. Refrigerate until caramel begins to firm up slightly, about 1 hour.

Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Drizzle melted chocolate over top of tartlets. Chill until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

French Bread

“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a 'What the hell?' attitude”

--Julia Child

This one's for my dad.

I remember where I was when the news hit that Julia Child had passed away. I was with my parents and brother in the middle of a road trip to Wisconsin, we had stopped for lunch at this truly-wonderful roadside diner in the middle of Iowa. There was a small TV in the corner, although most of us were hardly gave it a passing glance while busy making small talk and waiting for our lunch plates to make their appearance.

Suddenly my dad said, “Julia Child died! Oh no!”. And there it was, up on the TV screen. I didn't know a whole lot about her at the time, but my dad seemed truly saddened. Turns out, he really loved the old gal. He'd watch her shows, he adored the way she cooked and that spunky attitude of hers. And my dad, he somewhat embodies her – my fondest memories from my childhood of my father would be watching him bustle around a steamy kitchen while trying out some new gourmet dish, playing around with seasonings or a different roasting method. Glass of wine at his elbow, cheerfully whisking things together. Always a new cooking adventure with him.


I was not the same kind of cook when I moved out on my own, not by a long shot. I was kinda sorta maybe (okay, a lot) afraid of cooking and baking. In college I made lots of Hamburger Helper and Duncan Hines cake mixes, just like my fellow roommates. After college, I branched out a bit, but mostly with family recipes that I knew well and could handle easily: meatloaf, tuna noodle casserole, my mom's banana bread and her amazing Christmas treats. Those other recipes? Ethnic foods and fancy meringue and yeast breads from scratch? No, oh no no no. Too intimidating. I'd screw it up, I just knew it. So I left them alone.

That is, until I heard of Julia Child's passing. After getting home from that Wisconsin trip, I was curious and did some research on her life. Turns out, she didn't learn to cook until she was 32 years old! And she trained at the Cordon Bleu! She brought French cooking to the masses! She was vivacious and charming and loved life so much that she didn't let anything get her down. So what if her omelet stuck to the pan on live TV, she'd say? Get over it, move on, and try again. What a great philosophy on cooking, such a remarkable woman.

So, from that day forward, I decided to give it a shot. Started with some easy from-scratch recipes I found in books, and worked my way up to where I am today. I am a recent addition to the Daring Bakers group, but a long-time fan. I remember telling my dad excitedly on the phone when I joined, and also letting him in on the Challenges as soon as I heard about them (sorry fellow DBs, but hey he's not telling anyone). I am now officially a cook and baker, and proud of it. And that would be my dad and Julia Child's doing.



So anyhoo, when the Daring Bakers Challenge was posted for February, believe me: I almost fell out of my chair. Julia Child! Julia Child's French Bread! I could hardly believe it, I was so excited. Then again, it was 4 ingredients with 18 printed pages of instruction, but hey. Gotta get over the fear, right? Isn't that Julia's (as well as the Daring Bakers') mantra? So away I went, off to buy some unglazed quarry tiles and make some dough. Of course, I didn't share this one with my dad, to surprise him.





French Bread
(from Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. II)

I should probably get on and talk about the bread, eh? It was actually really really fun, and I plan on making this again and again. I need to give massive props to Mary and Sara: this was one very cool, very memorable challenge. The kneading and rising took awhile, sure, but it was all oh-so worth the wait: the crumb was tight but the inside soft, with a nice, crusty, crunchy crust. Ahhhhhhh. I made 2 boules and an epi (“sheaf of wheat”), and Hubs and I gobbled up 2 loaves by the next morning. Nothing better, my friends, than fresh-baked French bread, some butter, and brie for dinner and breakfast the next day! Even my Muzzy would be proud (that would be because of the butter, my mom loves some butter on everything).

If you wanna give this a shot: Breadchick herself graciously made a post with the full, 16-page, instruction-filled recipe, if you so desire; just clicky-click here (if for no other reason, do it to find out how to simulate a European stone oven in your own kitchen). Please try this. Julia would be proud. It's amazing and you'll be glad you did, I promise.

One last thing: please check out the other dear Daring Bakers posts! These girls rock, and deserve some reading of their awesome outcomes as well.

Mememememememe!

I was tagged for a meme by the fabulous Gretchen at Canela & Comino. And I must admit, I'm terribly excited about it. I've never been tagged for a meme before! I always saw it as some sort of blogger right-of-passage, and I gotta say – it's refreshing to write a post without using the words "sweet", "rich", or "crumb". Here's some incentive for my dear readers, too: if you stick around and read to the end, you get a treat. Woooo! Yay! Treats!

So, without further ado: Ten Somewhat Interesting Facts About Nemmie:

1) I have an unhealthy and irrational fear of tornadoes. And I live in Kansas. So essentially the springtime is a 3- to 4-month-long anxiety attack for me.

2) When I was 21, I broke my collarbone in a freak spelunking accident (okay okay – I was actually goofing around doing acrobatics in my friend Nikki's yard). Anyhoo, my collarbone broke clean in half, the doctors couldn't get the two pieces back together, so it healed with one chunk of bone in front of the other. So when you look at my shoulders, one collarbone sticks out abnormally and then just ends abruptly. I have to have all my spaghetti-strapped tops and tanks and bras altered about an inch so that the strap doesn't fall down on my left side. It's nice.

3) I am No. 6 out of 11 kids in my family. I am the Definitive Middle Child. All of us from the same 47-year union, too. Yes, indeed, we are Catholic. I should also point out that it gets mighty chilly up in Wisconsin.

4) During the first 2 years of dating my husband, I pretended I didn't know how to cook. That way, if he came over during a mealtime and we didn't want to go out, he had to do the cooking. Hee. It's really easy to fake a lack of cooking skills – burn a few things in the oven, over-salt something on the stovetop. So dear Hubs did everything in the kitchen while I blissfully lounged on the couch, reading fashion magazines and sipping a cool cocktail. That is - until I got tired of not cooking and wanted to show off my mad baking skillz. So I miraculously learned to cook/bake overnight. If he was on to me, he never let on. Quite the gentleman, that husband of mine.

5) I'm super-duper clumsy (see number 2 above, a perfect example of this fact). I can't get through a morning without spilling coffee on myself. I trip over nothing more than my own two feet. I drop things. I knock things over. Essentially: don't ever put something important to you in my presence, because I'll find a way to fall on top of it. Sometimes I marvel at the fact that I'm still in one piece.

And for a bonus (since I definitely couldn't hit Ten Things):

6) I never leave the house without a lavender marshmallow Peep in my purse. Because you never know when you're going to need one.

That's it, ladies and gents – Ten... er, Six Interesting Facts About Me. Thanks for tagging me Gretchen! And now, I tag my glamourous KC foodies to post this meme:

Amanda
Danielle
Julia
Julie
Leslie
Sarah
Stacey

"5 Things" Meme Rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their Blogs.

Okay guys, you made it. Here's your treat: Mahni made you some chocolate-covered pretzels! Marvel in the wonder of it all...

First, eat some pretzels while someone else carefully lays the rest on a sheet of parchment, and drizzles them with chocolate (what a diva, that Mahni expects everybody to do the dirty work for her).


Next, apply sprinkles liberally.



And voila! They are ready for eating!

Hope you enjoyed the stories and pretzels! Another fun post coming up on Friday :)

Stilton and Bacon Cheesecakes

I am a clutter-hater at heart, so rather than hold on to the tons of food magazines I receive, I usually just tear out the interesting recipes and recycle the rest (yes, I know many of you hold on to them forever, and consider it terrible to just rip stuff randomly out of my periodicals, but what can I say: this is my OCD coming out).

Anyhoo, because of this I own a folder stuffed to the gills with torn-out recipes, just sitting on my cookbook shelf. I flip through it occasionally, although I've received/bought so many new cookbooks lately that it's gotten quite neglected. This weekend I pulled it back out, dusted it off, and found the perfect little appetizer for my Oscar party: mini stilton cheesecakes. Very easy to pull together, no baking involved so it freed up my oven, and they can be made far ahead of time. Perfect!

I didn't have the 2X2-in. ring molds, so I used cookie cutters instead. Still, they were amazing – the cream cheese mellowed the flavor of the stilton just enough, and the bacon and walnuts are perfect with the stilton. I served mine with salad greens and a nice drizzle of honey. Mmm. One warning though: these are very, very rich. I couldn't even finish one on my own, so I'm very glad I decided to halve the recipe.

Stilton and Bacon Cheesecakes

(from Saveur magazine, recipe by Linda Ellerbee)

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. butter

1 c. finely crushed digestive biscuits or graham crackers

6 strips bacon, finely diced

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 oz. stilton, softened

1⁄2 c. shelled walnuts, finely chopped (optional)

2 strips cooked bacon, broken into thirds

For the crusts: Grease six 2" × 2" ring molds with 1 Tbsp. of the butter; set molds on a cookie sheet. Melt remaining 3 Tbsp. butter and transfer to a small bowl. Add biscuit crumbs and mix well. Put equal amounts of the crumb mixture into prepared molds, firmly pressing on crumbs to form an even crust at base of molds. Chill crusts in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

For the filling: Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels. Using a fork, mix cheeses together in a medium bowl. Add bacon and walnuts (if using) and stir well. Pack equal amounts of the filling into molds, smoothing tops with the back of a small warm metal spoon. Cover cheesecakes with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.

Run a small knife around inside of molds and slide cheesecakes onto six plates, crust side down. Serve cheesecakes at room temperature, garnished with a piece of bacon, with lettuces and fruit chutney or honey on the side.

Chocolate Cherry Bread

Every Christmas season, I am one of the many people in town who braves the cold and then stands patiently in line at our beloved Wheatfields, to pick up goodies for the holiday dinner table. There's plenty of time to look around while in that line, however my eyes always fixate on the stack of dense, shiny loaves of Cherry Chocolate Bread.

Most people in line make sure they have a loaf of this bread added to their order, but I have yet to do so. I have never tried this type of bread, to be honest. All I can imagine, looking at those pretty dark loaves, is a rich, chocolatey bread studded with cherries and quality chocolate chunks. I have heard lots of good things about chocolate cherry bread, and at $12.00 a loaf here, I am guessing it must be something truly amazing.

While my rational side would never allow me to pay that much for a small boule, I'm still insanely curious as to what, exactly, this bread tastes like. I love cherries very much, as well as chocolate, so it should be right up my alley. I've googled and searched and looked some more for a recipe to try on my own, finally settling on this one. And off I started one cold winter morning, just me and some coffee and lots and lots of cocoa powder/cherries, to make some of this bread for myself.

To be honest, it wasn't quite what I was expecting. Not to say it's bad, by any means, but not quite up to what I imagined. The icing and nuts on top, while pretty, really take away from the bread itself. All that topping reminds me of a coffee cake or danish, not chocolate bread. The bread was fine. Not as deep of a chocolate taste as I imagined, and the cherries lose something as well. Maybe it's the kirsch that makes it too cloyingly sweet (although I admit I used dried Rainier cherries, not the tart Door County cherries as I would have liked). And I also think using bittersweet chocolate chunks in the dough would work much better than semi-sweet miniature chips, to give it a bit more punch.

I haven't given up on you yet, chocolate cherry bread. I think this recipe will make an amazing bread pudding dessert for work on Monday. And one day, someday, I'll have a nice loaf like those in my fantasies. Even if it means paying twelve bucks for it.

Chocolate Cherry Bread

Ingredients:
2 3/4 - 3 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 package active dry yeast
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 Tbsp. kirsch
1/2 c. dried cherries
1/4 c. miniature semisweet chocolate pieces
Milk
1 c. sifted powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. kirsch
2-3 tsp. milk
2 Tbsp. toasted chopped hazelnuts

In a large mixing bowl stir together 1 cup of the flour, the cocoa powder, and yeast; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir the milk, sugar, butter or margarine, and salt till mixture is warm (120 to 130 F) and butter or margarine is almost melted. Add to flour mixture. Add egg and kirsch. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in cherries, chocolate pieces, and as much of the remaining flour as you can.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape into a ball. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl; turn once. Cover and let rise in a warm place till doubled (about 2 hours).

Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Grease 2 large baking sheets. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 12-inch-long rope. Place 2 ropes, side by side, on the prepared baking sheet. Twist together; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place till nearly double (about 1 hour). Brush with additional milk. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for about 35 minutes, or till bread is a rich brown color and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from baking sheets; cool on racks.

In a small mixing bowl stir together sifted powdered sugar, kirsch, and enough milk to make a smooth icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle cooled loaves with glaze; sprinkle with hazelnuts.

Meatloaf

Stop gagging. Really, this is a good recipe. It's actually requested after people give it a try. How's that for meatloaf, my friends??

I used to make my mother's recipe. Then I used a friend's recipe for awhile. I never made meatloaf much back in the day, it was fine but never was quite exciting enough. Once I gave this one a try, though, there was no turning back. I actually will crave this dish.

I love all the flavors in it, and the saute you give the onions and garlic really bring a great flavor to this meatloaf. The glaze, too, is quite stellar. I like to make mine with turkey or venison (we try to be healthy in this little house), but I'm sure plain old ground beef works just fine as well! And I love making mine into little mini loaves - one loaf per person, and they are really easy to freeze this way too.

Time to get over that fear, folks! If you are meatloaf-phobic, this version's gonna convert you. Promise :)

Meatloaf

(adapted from Sara Moulton Cooks At Home, 2002)

Ingredients:

1/2 c. ketchup

1/4 c. packed light brown sugar

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 large egg, beaten

1/4 c. milk

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. hot sauce

2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 tsp. dried thyme

3/4 tsp. dried marjoram

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 c. bread crumbs

1/4 c. chopped parsley

2 lbs. ground meat (beef, turkey, venison; all work really well)

To make the glaze: combine ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar. Set aside.

For the meat loaves, preheat the oven to 350 F. Oil a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring until the vegetables have softened and are starting to brown, about 7 minutes. Set aside to cool a bit.

In a large bowl: add the milk, egg, mustard, hot sauce, salt, thyme, marjoram, and pepper and whisk together to combine. Add the ground meat, bread crumbs, and parsley and combine well.

Scoop mixture onto baking sheet using 1/2 cup measure. Shape into ovals. Brush with glaze, and bake 25-30 minutes. Brush once again with glaze (I tend to just pour it over at this point, until I've used it up) and bake another 10 minutes. The internal temperature should be 165 F when tested with an instant-read thermometer.

Serve at once, while warm. Best with mashed potatoes and peas, mmm.