From the archives: This was originally published on 2/14/10, however I’ve noticed renewed interest with the holidays coming up. People have been using this recipe for Christmas cookie swaps or holiday baking exchanges. And why not? It’s elegant and tasty! So read on for the recipe!

My mom found the recipe for these cookies in our local newspaper’s holiday cookie contest. When she makes them, they look like they came out of a professional bakery. When I make them, they look like they were a 5-year-old’s first baking project. But it doesn’t really matter because, lucky for us, they’re delicious either way.

I’m not going to lie to you; they’re a lot of work. You have to make the dough, chill the dough, roll the dough and coat in sugar, make the filling, fill the cookies, and then melt and pipe chocolate over the top. But, again, these are my favorite cookies ever and I will gladly put in the work because the end product is just so fantastic.

The cookies are flavorful and crunchy on the outside. The filling is creamy, sweet, and full of berry flavor. The chocolate topping is deep and rich and perfectly complements the cookies. They are ideal to serve to company because they have the right combination of fancy-schmancy and homemade rustic-ness about them.

The combination of Chambord and mascarpone is a winner. The Chambord gives the filling a rich berry flavor. You can substitute any berry liqueur or brandy. I bet cherry brandy or creme de cassis would be great here. Or you can leave out the alcohol altogether and add a teaspoon of raspberry extract. Mascarpone is awesome – creamy and fresh and yummy. If you can’t find any at your local grocery store, you can actually make your own. You could probably also substitute cream cheese, but I haven’t tried that so I don’t know how it would taste.

But you have to make them! I’ve never had anything like these cookies before. The flavor combination is unbelievable.

From: Kathy Nasano

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies with Chambord-Mascarpone Filling

makes 28-32 cookies

Cookies:

1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, separated
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder (Good quality brand like Valhrona or Scharffen Berger. Make sure it’s regular, not dutch process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar, for coating the cookies

Filling:

4 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons Chambord black raspberry liqueur (or another type of berry liquer or brandy)
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Garnish:

4 ounces of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate

1. In a medium bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk, milk and vanilla until incorporated.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa and salt. While beating butter mixture, add dry ingredients in two batches. Blend until incorporated.
3. Chill dough in refrigerator until firm, at least an hour and as long as overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F.
5. Sprinkle granulated sugar into a shallow dish. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Dip each ball into beaten egg white, then roll in granulated sugar. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Press thumb into center of each cookie. (My mom suggests using the bottom of a teaspoon measuring spoon instead of your thumb to get a pretty, even circle.) Make sure to leave 2-3″ of space between each cookie because they will s-p-r-e-a-d.
6. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. The egg white/sugar mix will have formed  a nice crust on the cookies. Let cool on sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.
7. Mix mascarpone, Chambord and powdered sugar in a small bowl. I would sift the powdered sugar next time because my mix was  a little lumpy. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each cookie.
8. Melt chocolate in the microwave and use an icing bag or ziplock bag to drizzle some on each cookie. Allow chocolate to set.

My process for melting and drizzling chocolate goes like this: Put a ziplock bag over a cup, making sure one corner of the bag is inside the cup.

Next, melt the chocolate and spoon it into the corner of the bag sitting in the cup.

Finally, pull the ends of the bag up off the cup, push as much air as possible out of the bag, twist and seal it. Snip off a teeny tiny piece of the edge and pipe the chocolate out. Work quickly since the chocolate will start to set and will clog up your teeny tiny cut.

Here’s how I set up my workstation when rolling out the cookies: Dough, egg white, sugar, baking sheet. It helps to have everything in place before taking the dough out of the fridge.

It’s a little difficult to roll the sugar onto the cookies. The best advice I can give is to let as much of the egg white drip off as possible before rolling in the sugar. Otherwise, you will get this:

Leave plenty of space between the cookies. They will spread!

They will spread A LOT. Also, they look really ugly here, but don’t worry! The finished product will cover up the imperfections.

The filling only consists of three ingredients, but they are heavenly together.

When combined, they become a gorgeous shade of very pale purple. Did I mention the filling tastes absolutely divine? Creamy, dreamy, and bursting with berry flavor.

Even after I add the filling, the cookies look like a mess. It must be the final step of zig-zagging the melted chocolate on top that makes everything come together.

They’re tasty without the chocolate on top, but why not go all the way? It makes them look irresistible and decadent. Nobody can resist these cookies. I promise.

Tagged: baked, baking, chambord, chocolate, cocoa, cookie exchange, cookie swap, Cookies, Dessert, fancy, filling, holiday, mascarpone, raspberry, recipe, thumbprint ]]> http://jerseycook.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/chocolate-thumbprint-cookies-with-chambord-mascarpone-filling-recipe/feed/ 12 jerseycook Chocolate thumbprint cookies with mascarpone chambord filling chambord mascarpone cookies melting and drizzling chocolate using a ziplock bag melted chocolate ziplock bag piping chocolate with a zip lock bag chocolate cookie dough egg white sugar cookie sheet chocolate cookie dough rolled in white granulated sugar cookies on baking sheet chocolate cookies after baking chambord powdered sugar mascarpone filling mascarpone chambord cookie filling chocolate cookies with mascarpone berry filling thumbprint cookie with chocolate chambord filling http://jerseycook.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/the-best-soy-sauce-ever/ http://jerseycook.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/the-best-soy-sauce-ever/#comments Thu, 26 May 2011 21:26:31 +0000 jerseycook https://jerseycook.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/the-best-soy-sauce-ever/ ]]>

I just had to share this bottle of soy sauce that I bought at the Korean store. How funny! I wonder if it’s a literal translation…

I know this isn’t the best photography in the world, but its the only decent shot I was able to get of this appetizer plate that I threw together in about five minutes using things we already had in our fridge. And I think that’s the appeal of the whole thing. If you are having company over and you have a well-stocked refrigerator, this appetizer is quick and easy! I am also including a recipe for marinated artichoke hearts, which are tangy and delicious.

Here’s what I have on my plate:

• Salami
• Hummus
• Crostini
• Olives
• Marinated artichokes (recipe follows)
• Stuffed grape leaves [not pictured]
• Prosciutto drizzled with balsamic glaze [not pictured]
• Pan-fried haloumi (this is a really cool Greek cheese that you can brown on a nonstick pan without the cheese melting!) [not pictured]

There is no method to the arrangement – I just threw a bunch of things together on a plate. Next time, I think I will put the hummus in a separate bowl to make dipping easier. Don’t forget to include a small bowl for olive pits!

Potential additions to your appetizer plate:

• Caprese salad (slice rounds of tomato and mozzarella, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle basil chiffonade on top)
• Cucumber, tomato, red onion, and feta salad
• Any combination of cheeses
• Bruschetta on garlic-rubbed toast
• Olive tapenade
• Sliced cucumbers topped with lemon vinaigrette
• Carrot sticks with a yogurt-dill sauce
• Roasted red peppers
• Warm pita slices

Recipe for Marinated Artichoke Hearts

Ingredients:

• A 12 oz. bag of frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and quartered
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1.5 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

1. Set oil, garlic, salt, and oregano in a small saucepan over low heat. You are not deep frying the ingredients – you are just warming them. Let the flavors come together for about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in white balsamic vinegar.
2. Set a nonstick frying pan over medium heat and add the artichoke quarters. Cook them until slightly browned, about 4-6 minutes per side.
3. When artichokes are browned, add them to the warm oil and allow to reach room temperature. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and let marinate in refrigerator overnight.

Her name is Corey and we rescued her from a local shelter. She was a stray. They said she’s a spaniel mix, but I think she’s a border collie/pomeranian. Any guesses on breed?

Here she is with her snazzy doggie backpack. See the way her tail curves around? It looks like a pom tail. She’s a very shy and scared dog but we are going to conquer all her issues with love and many episodes of the Dog Whisperer

I’m in New Jersey for a couple of weeks and hoping I will find some time to cook and post it on here!

Hello everyone, I have to apologize for the sporadic posting. I haven’t been doing much cooking lately, sadly.

To make it up to you, I am going to share a delicious and super healthy dish: Roasted Tilapia in Sweet Asian Chile Sauce. I think it would also work great with another mild white fish, like cod or swordfish. The cool thing about this recipe is that the fish are baked in packets. The original recipe suggests using banana leaves, but I am a busy woman! I refuse to drive around specialty stores looking for banana leaves when I know for a fact that foil packets work just as well.

This technique steams the fish in its own juices and the juices of the sauce you add, meaning it doesn’t come out dry or tasteless. Just the opposite: it is flaky and moist and tender and filled with amazing flavors. And there’s another perk: easy cleanup!

I served it with a side of jasmine rice and some steamed green beans drizzled with a sesame sauce. For that sauce, I simply whisked together: toasted sesame oil, vegetable oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar, then topped with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Roasted Tilapia in Sweet Asian Chile Sauce

adapted from Self (June 2003)

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia fillets (about 4 oz. each)
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated
• 2 green onions (green part only), finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (can substitute with cilantro)
• 1-2 tablespoons sriracha sauce (it’s spicy!! so add a little at a time and taste before adding more)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or any other mild-tasting oil)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Rip 4 sheets of foil, about a foot long each. Place a tilapia fillet in the center of each sheet.

2. Whisk together all remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Distribute equal amounts of sauce over the top of each tilapia fillet and make sure it’s evenly distributed.

3. Time to wrap! Fold the short ends of the foil towards the center, over the fillet. At the spot in the middle where the pieces of foil meet, crimp them together and fold down 2 or 3 times, forming a seam in the center. Now wrap the the long ends towards the middle until the foil packet touches the fish on both ends. See picture above for what the packets should look like.

4. Place the packets in oven-safe dishes (this makes it easier to move in/out of the oven) and bake for 20-30 minutes. I find 20 minutes gives me a gorgeously moist and flaky fish, but some like a firmer consistency. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes in the packets. When opening packets, keep your face away since the escaping steam will be very hot.

5. Serve. It might be fun to bring to the table in foil and allow the guests to open the packets for themselves.

Bobby Flay had me for a twofer — those amazing grilled potatoes are merely a side to complement this fabulous chicken. The chicken is seasoned in two ways: first a spice rub that forms a delicious crust while the chicken is grilling, and secondly the glaze which is sticky and sweet.

This balance of spicy crust + sweet glaze is absolutely the right way to do BBQ. I will be honest: my normal routine for grilled chicken breasts is this: salt, pepper, Italian seasoning out of a jar, olive oil, put on grill. That’s it. Simple and tasty.

But when you are looking for more. For that extra special something. For a break from the ordinary. This is it!

By the way, if you have trouble with grilled chicken breasts becoming too dry, check out my article on keeping chicken moist and tender, even when grilling.

With summer (i.e. barbecue season) coming to an end, I suggest you make this now. Otherwise you’ll regret it for the entire year.

From: Parade

• 3 cups tangerine-orange juice (not from concentrate. I like Tropicana)
• 5 fresh thyme sprigs (if you are not crazy about thyme, sub with 3 rosemary sprigs or some chopped parsley. you make also sub with 1 teaspoon dried thyme.)
• 1/4 cup clover honey
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 3 tablespoons Spanish paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard powder
• 2 teaspoons ground fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 oz. each)
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish

1. Combine the juice and thyme in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to about 1/2 cup; remove the thyme stems and discard. Whisk in the honey until incorporated and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
2. Heat grill to medium-high.
3. Stir together the paprika, cumin, mustard powder, fennel, and 1 teaspoon each of the kosher salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Brush both sides of the chicken with the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Rub the top of each breast with some of the spice rub and place on the grill rub-side-down.
4. Cook, without touching, until they’re lightly golden brown and a crust has formed, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the breasts over, brush the tops liberally with some of the glaze, flip them back to the original side, and continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 155°F.
5. Remove from the grill, brush the spice-rub side with more of the glaze, tent loosely with foil, and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

I might be in love with Bobby Flay. I have never tried a recipe of his that I didn’t fall in love with. (Except the ones that include cilantro, but that’s only because I hate the taste of it. Usually I just replace with another herb and still get stellar results.)

Why the word “genius” in the title of this post? Because of the two-step cooking process. See, Bobby realizes that if you just throw raw potatoes on the grill, the outside will burn before the inside is done cooking. So you will have a charred potato that is still raw in the middle. Bobby’s solution? Par-boil those babies before throwing them on the grill. That way, most of the cooking is done in a pot on the stove and the potatoes are grilled for only a few minutes to get some gorgeous grill marks and crust on the outside.

Finally, I just want to say, that my stick blender is amazing- with it, the dressing comes together in less than 10 seconds.

Attention: there are a lot of steps in this recipe and you will have too many dishes to do. My suggestion: pour yourself a glass of white wine, put on some music, and take the extra time. All those steps are vital to the final dish and you will be very happy that you didn’t take shortcuts.

By the way, the dressing recipes makes twice the amount you need for the potatoes. Go ahead and make all of it. Use it on your sandwich, as a dip for your fries, as a marinade for chicken. It’s versatile and it’s delicious.

From: Parade

Genius Grilled Potatoes With Roasted-Garlic Herb Vinaigrette

• 2 lbs. small red new potatoes (can sub with baby Yukon Golds, fingerling potatoes, or a tri-color variety, as long as they are small)
• 8 cloves roasted garlic
• 1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/8 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Put the potatoes in a pot of salted cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes or until a paring knife inserted into the center meets with some resistance. Drain and let cool slightly before slicing in half. [Note: you can also microwave the potatoes, but time and settings depend on your particular microwave and the type of potato you use]

2. While potatoes are cooking, blend garlic, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper together until smooth. You can do this with a traditional blender or an immersion blender. While blade is running, add olive oil in a steady stream until emulsified, then add fresh herbs and blend for a few seconds more. You don’t want to pulverize the herbs — they should still be visible when you are done blending.

2. Heat the grill to medium heat. Brush the potatoes with canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes on the grill, cut-side-down, and cook until lightly golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the potatoes over and continue grilling until just cooked through, about 3 minutes more.

3. Remove to a large shallow bowl and toss with half of the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Like many cooks, I use stock and broth all the time to boost the flavors of the food I make. It’s not too expensive — I like to buy the cardboard containers from Whole Foods for about two bucks. But what I never knew was how easy it is to make your own stock. And you don’t even have to buy new ingredients for it! Just use scraps from the veggies you use in your everyday cooking. So as somebody who hates wasting ingredients and loves experimenting in the kitchen, I had to try it.

All I do is add my food scraps into a gallon-sized bag in my freezer. Once the bag fills up, it’s time to make stock! It’s so easy — there’s almost no work involved. Just get in the habit of throwing your vegetable scraps in the freezer instead of the garbage and then boil some water. Let it sit over a flame, strain it, and you’ve got delicious homemade broth from nothing but odds and ends. Essentially, this is a free way to flavor your food.

Here are some suggestions for vegetable scraps to include in homemade vegetable stock. Make sure that everything has been well-washed before putting it into your freezer bag!

• Papery outer skins from onions (they will give your stock that rich, brown color)
• The “butt end” of carrots, onions, green onions, garlic cloves, celery, zucchini, squash (ed note: I think I’m on the only one that uses the term “butt end”)
• Dark green leaves from leeks
• Asparagus stems (but go easy since these produce a very distinct flavor)
• Ribs and stems from bell peppers
• Leaves from radishes, dandelions, carrots, beets, celery
• Corn cobs with or without kernels
• Artichoke stems and tough outer leaves
• Pulpy insides from squash and pumpkin
• Fennel fronds
• Eggplant stems
• Pea hulls (or ends and strings from sugar snap peas)
• Peels from carrots, potatoes, white asparagus
• Peels from apples (I know it’s weird, but try it! The flavor is actually pretty nice)
• Vegetables that have gotten too soft or wilted to use in cooking, but haven’t gone bad or started to grow mold
• Of course, you can also use sliced up fresh veggies, but that defeats the whole purpose of stock from scraps, doesn’t it?

Scraps to avoid:

• Anything from cruciferous vegetables (like cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts or broccoli) since it releases an unpleasant smell and the flavor can be overpowering in the stock
• Vegetables that have gone bad, grown mold, or smell rotten

Homemade Vegetable Stock

makes 5 quarts of stock

1-gallon freezer bag filled with vegetable scraps (make sure there is a good amount of onion, carrot, and celery scraps or add fresh if you don’t have enough frozen)
1 large bay leaf or 2 small ones
3-4 fresh parsley stems
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 tablespoons salt (optional)

1. Put all ingredients in a 6-quart stock pot and add enough water to cover (for me, this was about 12-14 cups). Cover with lid and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Lower heat to a simmer. If you want a more diluted or watery stock, simmer covered for 45 minutes. For a more concentrated stock, simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.  Make sure to add water if levels get too low.
3. Strain the mixture into ice cube trays and discard vegetable leftovers. Press the vegetables to get all the liquid out.
4. Freeze the stock, then transfer cubes to freezer bags for storage.
5. Stock will keep a week in the fridge, or about a year frozen.

Visible in this bag, there are zucchini rounds, papery skins and butt ends of onions, slices of turnip and rutabaga, and something that’s either a green onion or an asparagus stem.

Have you ever made your own stock or broth? Is there a difference between stock and broth? Please share any tips or insights in the comments!

So first, I must say I am quite sorry that I haven’t been around for a few weeks. I started a new job and decided to move from Southern California to NYC for the month of July. And of course, I arrive during the most DISGUSTING and muggy heat wave ever and all I want to do is lay in my bed and let the A/C hum me to sleep.

But to make up for it, I have a super refreshing summer cocktail for you! It’s alcoholic version of an Arnold Palmer (which Snapple calls “Twisted Tea” and others call “Half Lemonade/Half Iced Tea”). I thought a “Tipsy Arnold Palmer” would be a good name for it, but I’m open to suggestions.

Here’s what you need to cool off on a hot summer day:

• Sweet Tea Vodka
• Lemonade (fresh is best, but concentrate diluted with water will do in a pinch)
• Lemon wedges (unless your lemonade is already very tart to begin with)
• Ice

Ratios are up to you. I like to fill my pint glass with ice, add 2 shots of sweet tea vodka, and fill with lemonade to the top! Garnish with lemon wedge and sip, preferably from a straw.

If you want more formal ratios, try 2 parts vodka to 5 parts lemonade. Taste and add more vodka or lemonade to your liking.

Recipes coming in the next few days, but who can cook in weather like this?