Witch’s Fingers and Monster Claws

Witch's Fingers and Monster Claws ready to head out!

The spooky, scary season of Halloween is just over a week away.  I will admit that this is not my favourite season – LOVE Fall, not so much on the Halloween.  I am not sure why but such is life.  Call me a curmudgeon but I generally do not stay home and hand out treats. Instead, I make Witch’s Fingers and Monster Claws for the wee ghost, goblins, princesses and such that are in my life. That leaves Geoff and me to go out for a lovely dinner on Halloween evening! 

Kids LOVE these cookies!  They are a little creepy and tasty to boot.  I originally found this recipe in a Canadian Living cookbook from 1995...and I have been making them ever since.  I hope you take the time to make these cookies for your ghost or goblin!

Just one more thing....we have new neighbours moving onto the street and I had the thought to bring these over as a "getting to know you gift" but I thought better of it as it may be misinturpreted as us giving them the finger and it is a little early for them to get a true appreciation of my personality.

Witch’s Fingers

1 cup	Butter, softened
1 cup	Icing sugar
1	Egg
1 tsp	Almond extract
1 tsp	Vanilla
2 ¾ cups	Flour
1 tsp	Baking powder
1 tsp	Salt
¾ cup	Blanched whole almonds
1	Tube red decorator gel

In a bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla; beat in flour, baking powder, and salt. Divide into quarters. Wrap each and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Working with ¼ of the dough at a time (keeping remainder in the fridge), roll a heaping tablespoon (more or less depending on the number and size of cookies you want) into a finger shape. Press almond into one end for the nail. Press in the centre to create a knuckle shape. Using a paring knife, make several slashes in several places to form knuckle.

Bake on a lightly greased or parchment lined cookie sheets in a 325F oven for 20-25 minute or until golden. Let cool for 3 minutes.

Life up almond; squeeze red decorator gel onto the nail bed and press almond back into shape, so the gel oozes out from underneath. Remove from baking sheets; let cool on racks.

Note: if you have limited cookie sheets, let the sheet cool in between batches before putting on the next batch.

Monster Claws

This is the first year that I have tried this, so it is a bit of a work in progress.  These are good but I might tweek the cookies next year.

2 cups	Flour
3 tbsp	Cocoa powder
½ tsp	Baking powder
¼ cup	Salt
½ cup	Butter
½ cup	Sugar
2	Eggs
1	Egg yolk
3 oz	Bittersweet chocolate, melted
½ tsp	Vanilla
¾ cup	Pecans
1 cup	Semisweet chocolate chips
	Chocolate decorator sprinkles

In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, yolk, melted chocolate and vanilla. Mix flour mixture until in a ball. Divide into quarters. Wrap each and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Working with ¼ of the dough at a time (keeping remainder in the fridge), roll a heaping tablespoon (more or less depending on the number and size of cookies you want) into a finger shape. Press pecan into one end for the nail.

Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes. Remove cookies to a rack to cool.

Melt chocolate chips. Once melted, brush over cookies, leaving the tip of the pecan (nail) exposed. Immediately cover with chocolate sprinkles.  Place in fridge for 30 min to 1 hour until chocolate has hardened and sprinkles are set.


BOO!  ENJOY!

Turnip and Maple Puree Soup

Thanksgiving for 2011 is now over and I was privileged to have friends and family share dinner with Geoff and me yesterday.  The weather was beautiful, although I could have done with the temperatures at a slightly lower degree. The company was wonderful.  The menu was Turnip and Maple Puree Soup, Brined Turkey, Tofurky (many thanks to Melissa) Carrots with Onions and Lemon Pepper, Brussel Sprouts, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes.  I was overwhelmed by the number of desserts that came through the door – cookies, coconut cream pie, carrot cake, pumpkin spice loaf.  All made with love by my guests.  This is really a season for being thankful, and I have so much to be thankful for.

Wandering through Old Quebec

Yesterday, I found myself reflecting on a number of other Thanksgiving meals. One in particular is when I got inspiration for the Turnip and Maple Puree Soup recipe. In a recent job, I travelled a LOT! I was a rare week when I was not on an airplane going somewhere. I was not uncommon for me to travel to Ottawa or Calgary from Toronto for the day.  It was a crazy time.  The few months before Thanksgiving of 2009 were particularly awful and I was exhausted. Geoff also travels a lot for work and he was in the same place. We decided to go against the grain and escape to Quebec City for the weekend.  Geoff organized us to take the train from Kitchener and stay at the Manior Victorian. It was just what I needed. The train ride is one of the best way to travel, totally relaxing. The hotel was in old city, so we spent the weekend walking around the city, finding adorable little restaurants and places to be warm and cozy.  The weather was rain drizzle and fog but this did not damper our spirits.  



I like to garnish with a few croutons



Now back to the recipe...one of the restaurants we enjoyed was at the Hotel Clarendon. On the menu was Turnip and Maple Soup!  I thought it was a unique and brilliant combination.  I immediately wanted to replicate the recipe at home.  I talked with the waiter to see if the chef would release the ingredients or recipe but I was not quite as lucky as for the Parsnip Pear Cake. Thankfully, I have been able to get this as close as possible in directions below.

Turnip and Maple Puree Soup

This all can be a little more or less....		My comments....
1	Turnip (med to large)
1	Lg Potato
3 tbsp	Butter
1 med	Onion, chopped
1 tsp	Minced garlic
4-6 cups	Chicken Stock	I know this is not specific but it will depend on the amount of turnip you choose
½ cup	Maple Syrup
¾ cup	Light Cream	Or heavy cream for a richer taste
	Salt and pepper to taste
½ tsp	Dried Thyme or Savory	If you like...it adds a nice flavour but I would try it without first to see what you like

So here are the directions...

In a large pot/dutch oven sauté onions and garlic in butter.  Keep the temperature low as you do not want them to burn or get brown.  This will take a little time, so be patient.

Then add the chicken stock, turnip and potato.  The stock should come about an inch or so above the veggies.  You can use your finger – up to the first knuckle is about an inch. Not to worry if this does not seem like enough as you can add a little more liquid later in the recipe.  Let this boil until the veggies are cooked.  Then using a food processor or handheld blender (the thing that looks like a nasty sex toy) to puree the veggies and stock until smooth.  Add maple syrup, and cream.  If this is really thick you can add a little more stock or even just some water to get to the consistency that you like.  I tend to prefer the consistency of instant oatmeal.  Taste to see if you want to add salt (generally the stocks can be salty so I tend to taste before I add) and pepper. Add a little dried herb if you like.  Return to the stove and heat gently.  With the cream in it you want to keep the temperature low as the cream will not scorch. 

ENJOY!

Dry Aged Beef - Part 3

My experiment in dry aging beef is now over.  We tucked into the last piece 22 days after it started its journey in my little bar fridge.  I had hoped to go to 30 days but when I checked on it the prosciutto smell was being replaced by something slightly more “lemony”, which from what I had learned from my guy at the “Five Dot Ranch” in Napa, California was not a good thing. 

I have learned a number of things from this experience

·         There are things that are worth the wait.  I was quite surprised at how letting the meat age this way made it more tender and savoury. The flavour of the beef really becomes concentrated as time progresses. 

·         Get good equipment.  The little fridge that we have is probably better suited to keeping beer cold in a dorm room than aging beef for up to 40 days.   The temperature can swing and thus never gets consistently low enough for longer term aging. Up to 14 days is perfect but after that it can be a little sketchy. I am going to check the temperature consistency in our regular fridge with regular use.  It is currently set at 3C, so I am optimistic that if we place it in the back of the fridge and time it right we should be good to go.

·         Fancy food can be more about patience than other value.  I know most people are not a silly as I am to try such a thing but it is worth the effort if you have a special meal that you are planning. And it can be done with equipment at home.

·         Keep an eye on your guest list. People will want to be invited over if you start pulling things like this off the grill. And when you realize you have not intentionally left people out, just remember there is always a next time.

The last 2 pieces

Grilling

Brining a Turkey

Brining a Turkey



This is the result of my efforts yesterday!

 Thanksgiving is coming, and coming quickly.  I love this season as it really is all about family and friends spending time together.  When Geoff and I married, it was the first time that I was cooking my own Thanksgiving turkey normally I was heading off to Mom’s or another family members house to enjoy a feast!  I have been fortunate to grow up with a number of very talented women in my family which are also wonderful cooks and are masters of feeding small armies of people.  I have a very large extended family – Mom is one of 6 and Dad is one of 12. We are all close so large family gatherings are common place. It is someone’s birthday – let’s have a party! Someone is graduating – let’s have a party! It is Tuesday – let’s have a party! I am a product of my environment so having a party is one of the best things about cooking. I get to cook for people that I care about and if they are smart they come with their own plastic containers for leftovers!

When I was faced with the challenge of cooking a turkey for my new family, I did what I do best – Google!  So I searched the many ways to cook the bird...regular, deep fry, etc.  The method that appealed to me the best was brining. Marinating the turkey in seasoned salt water makes the bird very moist and flavourful. It is more effort than many other ways but in my opinion well worth the effort.

There are many recipes for brining from simple (just salt and water) to more complex (salt, water and a bunch of seasonings).  This is one of the opportunities when you can truly experiment and make your own flavour combination. Below is what I do, or at least come close to doing every year.  It is hard to do the same thing twice but this is the combination that I work from.  The brining itself takes a little effort but once the bird is out of the brine there is nothing else to do.  This is also a good technique to use with chicken and pork. Generally, I will leave the turkey in the brine for 1 hour per pound, so you will need to start this a day or so before. There is a little math required to figure out when you need to start the turkey in the brine:

·         Decide what time you want to eat

·         Subtract 30-40 minutes to have turkey out of oven to rest and be carved

·         Subtract about 15-20 minutes per pound for cooking on 350F (unstuffed/stuffed)

·         Subtract 1 hour/pound of bird (18lbs = 18 hours) there is a little flexibility here but a good measure

·         Subtract 1 hour to get the brine mixture ready

So as an example if you wanted to eat an 18 pound bird (unstuffed) at 3pm you really want to start this process at least 3pm the day before.

You will need the following supplies:

·         Cooler large enough to hold the bird,

·         A few ice packs, or Ziploc bags that can be filled with ice (2-3 will work) or 2l juice containers (2 is generally enough)  filled with water and frozen

·         Large garbage bag (there are brine bags available on the market but a garbage bag works as well.

·         Cheese cloth and kitchen twine

·         1 gallon apple cider

·         1 turkey

Brine Ingredients

8-10 cups	Water
1 ½ cups	Kosher Salt
2-3 sticks	Cinnamon
2 tbsp	Whole pepper corns
5-8	Whole Star Anise
2 sprigs	Rosemary, fresh
3-4 sprigs 5-10	Thyme, fresh Sage Leaves, fresh
1-2 cups	Dried apple slices
½ cup	Dried cranberries

Place the cinnamon, pepper corns, star anise in a square of the cheesecloth and tie shut (this makes clean up easy). In a large pot, bring water to a boil.  Add boil for another 10 minutes, until salt is completely dissolved. Cool completely.




I learned the joys of putting everything in a grabage bag and cheesecloth after this Christmas Brining experience.

 

Remove the giblets and wash the turkey. Place ice packs, Ziploc bags or juice container in cooler. Place the garbage bag in the cooler, then place turkey in the garbage bag.  Pour in apple cider and brine mixture including the cheesecloth, rosemary, thyme, sage, dried apples and dried cranberries into the garbage bag. Let turkey stay in the brine mixture for about 1 hour per pound.

Remove turkey from the bag and rinse well.  Truss the turkey and place breast side up on a rack of a turkey roaster. Cook on 325F.  I do not stuff my turkey so I cook at about 15 minutes/pound. If you choose to stuff you will need about 20 minutes/pound.

I do not baste or do anything with the turkey once in the oven!  I am, however, a big fan of using a meat thermometer to make sure it is done (reaching internal temperature of 165F).

Remove the bird from the oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

ENJOY!

Peach Cobbler

Since I started this blog, I have had a number of family and friends share their favorite recipes. I see this as privilege and an honor to be able to share this with those who using this blog as a way to find inspiration for their own Culinary Adventures.  I share the recipes as I make them so that I can make my own comments and take a few photos to add to the blog.  The challenge is that I don’t always get them up as fast as they come in. In an ideal world I would not have a day job and I would have a small army of people wandering through the house to eat all that I create. Alas, a girl can dream!

Diane sent me this recipe about 2 months ago and I really wanted to make this before peach season came to a close but needed to have an occasion to make it. Today was that day.  My artist step-son, Ben (http://thebenclarkson.com/?cat=3) is in the house and needs to be spoiled just a little.  Peach Cobbler is definitely a comfort food.

Thanks so much Diane for sharing and Ben and Geoff for eating!

Peach Cobbler ala Diane Dalton, Inspired by Paula Deen

Preheat oven to 350
You will need a 3 quart baking dish (9 X 13 inches)

4 cups	peaches, peeled and sliced
2 cups	sugar (separated 1 cup each)
1/2 cup	Water
8 tsp	Butter
1 1/2 cup	SELF RISING flour  ( I did manage to find self rising flour in the grocery store, but if you cannot find it you can use 1 ½ cup flour, 2 tsp baking soda and, a heaping ¼ tsp salt)
1 1/2 cup	Milk

Cinnamon Sugar Topping (optional)

1 ½ tsp	Cinnamon
1 tsp	Nutmeg
1 tsp	zest of an orange or lemon
1/4 cup	sanding sugar (large grain sugar) or 1 /8 regular granulated sugar

Place peaches, 1 cup of sugar and water in a saucepan, mix well and bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes

Melt butter in baking dish in the oven while preparing batter

Mix remaining sugar (1 cup), flour and milk SLOWLY to prevent clumping. Batter will be very thin

Remove baking pan from the oven, pour batter slowly into the pan do not stir. Spoon peaches on top of the batter gently pouring the syrup over the fruit (I only use half the syrup because I add a sugar topping)

If not using cinnamon sugar topping sprinkle fruit with cinnamon to taste.

Bake for 35-45 minutes batter will rise up through the fruit.

I used a cinnamon topping which I sprinkled over the top of the cobbler at about 25/35 minutes and put it back in for 10 minutes.

Best served warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or just as it is.

Keep the recipes coming!

ENJOY!

Peach Cobbler fresh from the oven - wish there was scratch and sniff!

So yummy!

Veggie and Chickpea Coconut Curry

Geoff is away for work tonight so that leaves me with the opportunity to play in the kitchen. To his credit, Geoff does love to be my guinea pig when it comes to trying new things in the kitchen but he is more of a “meatatarian” than a vegetarian. Tonight I had a hankering for something simple and easy, and that can mean vegetarian and better yet slow cooker. I found the inspiration for this recipe in a Canadian Living magazine mini-cookbook insert that was floating around the counter (Potato, Squash and Chickpea Curry was the original name).  When I went searching through the cupboards and fridge I found that I had most of the ingredients and could fake the rest with a few substitutions.

While I made this without any meat, chicken and a few peanuts (at the end) would be awesome additions to the pot. Also, today was a pretty busy day so I did not really have a lot of time for fooling around in the kitchen so I skipped a couple of steps but not sautéing the garlic, ginger and onion before throwing it in the slow cooker.  I know this would have been a nice touch but it was still quite delicious.  If I was having company, I would take the extra effort.  I tend to like my curry pretty hot so you can adjust the amount of heat to a level that makes you happy.  In the recipe below, I used what I had on hand so it is not a traditional curry! Feel free to play with the proportions and the veggies to find something that you like.



Simple easy vegetarian dinner for one...yum!



1 ½ cup	Carrot, chopped
½ cup	Turnip, chopped
2 cup	Potatoes, chopped
1 tbsp	Vegetable oil (this is normally used to fry the onions, garlic and ginger; I still threw it in as you need fat to carry the flavour)
1	Onion, diced
2 cloves	Garlic, minced (adjust to your taste, I added extra)
1 tbsp	Ginger, minced
3 tbsp	Mild curry paste ( I added extra as I like it hot)
1 can 1 can	Coconut milk Chickpeas
1 cup	Chicken broth (I admit, I did say that this was vegetarian but I did not have any vegetable broth and I used powdered chicken stock and I am really convinced that this is really chicken)
¼ cup	Peanut butter ( I made the switch to a “Just peanuts” type of peanut butter but anything will do)
½ tsp	Salt
1 cup	Green beans, chopped (The recipe called for green peas and while the green beans were good, I think the green peas would have been a little better)
2 tbsp	Fresh cilantro! (Love it)

This is what I did....

In a slow cooker, combine all the ingredients except green beans (or green peas) and cilantro by stirring all together. The peanut butter will not blend easy so after about and hour remove cover and stir again. Cook for about 6-8 hours. About 10 minutes before serving add the green beans (peas) and cilantro.

AND the recipe police did not show up, but if you are interested...

What I should have done....

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, garlic and ginger. Stir occasionally until onion is golden brown (about 7 minutes). Add curry paste, cook until fragrant (stirring).After about 1 minute, add to slow cooker.

Add coconut milk and broth to slow cooker, stir in peanut butter and salt. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender. 

I served this over some basmati rice!

ENJOY!