WELL FED

SNICKERDOODLES

 

Let's talk about sinckerdoodles. I love snickerdoodles. I mean even that name is just lovable.  Snickerdoodle.  They are one of my favorite cookies.  However, my mom never made snickerdoodles.  In fact, no one I know made them.  My earliest encounter with snickerdoodles came thanks to a bakery located in the town where I grew up, back in Missouri.  It was called The Pie and Cake Factory.  The mother of a childhood friend would frequent the bakery, and one of the things she'd often buy there were snickerdoodles along with frosted sugar cookies celebrating whatever holiday was just around the bend.  Every day after school, I would go to my friend Steve's house to play and more often than not, there would be a white bakery box full of cookies, layered with tissue paper.  It was heaven.  To this day I have never had a snickerdoodle better than those from the Pie and Cake Factory.  Unfortunately it is now out of business and I don't know whatever happened to the proprietress.  

A phone call to my parents recently resulted in new information about the woman behind my favorite cookie.  Her name was Margie.  Apparently she used to be a cook on a tow boat that pushed barges around on the Mississippi river and became well known for her outstanding pies.  She quit working on the boat and started selling her pies and cakes to local restaurants.  Soon she opened her bakery up to the public which then followed with a storefront that also served light lunches.  My dad was a fan of her hot dogs and I vaguely recall trying split pea soup there for the first time.  This was more than twenty year ago and alas, the Pie and Cake Factory eventually went out of business but I never stopped thinking about Margie's cookie.

Recently I had dinner with my friend Lauren and afterward we went back to her apartment to visit some more.  She had a copy of the Martha Stewart Cookie book and soon we were talking about favorite baked goods. As I flipped through the book I happened across a recipe for snickerdoodles and a wave of nostalgia washed over me.  I decided that it was time that I finally made some snickerdoodles and revisit my youth (the fact that my birthday is in a few days I'm sure had nothing to do with my regression back to childhood).  I actually opted not to use Martha's recipe but instead went with Gale Gand's version of the cookie.  Martha's recipe calls for cream of tartar and equal parts butter and shortening whereas Gale's version is all butter and uses baking powder and baking soda.  I'm not sure what Margie used, butter vs. shortening, but for now I'm starting with all butter.

 

INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

(for the coating)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

METHOD
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  
First combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the room temperature butter and cream on medium speed for about 2 minutes until the butter has gotten light and creamy. 

 

Add in the sugar and continue to mix for another 2 minutes or so, until the butter no longer feel grainy from the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary.  Add in the eggs, one at a time.  Once combined, add in the corn syrup and the vanilla.  

 

On low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until everything comes together.  If the dough is too sticky, chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

To make the coating, stir together the 3 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon in a wide, shallow bowl.

To make the cookies, use a small ice cream scoop to measure out the dough and then roll into balls with your hands.  It should be about the size of a walnut.  Roll the balls in the sugar and cinnamon mixture to coat completely. 

 

Place on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat about 2 inches apart.  Because of how much they spread during baking, I was able to get 11 cookies per baking sheet.

Bake until puffed and the surface is slightly cracked, about 9 to 12 minutes, depending on your oven.  I prefer my snickerdoodles with not much color on them so I took mine out at 9 minutes.  Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes.  The cookies will deflate a little as the cool on the baking sheet.  Transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.

 

So these cookies are not quite like how I remember Margie's.  Hers seemed a little lighter and more puffed, but these are pretty great.  They're buttery, with a nice sweet vanilla flavor which is offset by the spice of the cinnamon.  I almost think you could probably use more cinnamon, if desired, both the the cookie dough and in the sugar coating.  The texture is just what I love in cookies, crisp around the edges, soft and chewy in the center.  

If I ever get my hands on Margie's recipe, I'll let you know.  Until then, these will do nicely.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies 

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE WITH PECAN PRALINE SAUCE

I had the whole Thanksgiving menu planned with the exception of dessert.  I'd noticed that a little bakery/cafe at the top of my street was selling pies and sweets and whatnot that could be pre-ordered for Thanksgiving.  One of their confections was a pumpkin cheesecake with praline topping or something.  I liked the idea of that.  A nice little twist on the regular old pumpkin pie.  I decided to get one.  I phoned  the lovely woman at that cafe and soon my order was place but after I hung up I was a little, I don't know, uneasy.  I IMed Annie and asked "Do you think $56 for a cheese cake is a lot?" She thought it was.  I explained that what with everything else I was making I wanted to just buy the dessert, but the price seemed like a lot.  However the recipe sounded so good.  "Don't be a cheater," she wrote back.  She so knows how to get me.  I was totally cheating.  "What would Martha do?" she added, twisting the knife.  UGH.  Damn you, Annie!

I called the lovely woman at the bakery/cafe and cancelled my order.  Fortunately the November issue of Food and Wine had a recipe for a cheesecake that sounded almost exactly like the one I had ordered.  I sat down and made a list of ingredients I needed to pick up.  I guess I was making dessert as well.

INGREDIENTS

(For the cheesecake)

One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (1 3/4 cups)
8 whole graham crackers, broken
1/2 cup pecans (2 ounces)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
1 1/2 cups cream cheese (14 ounces), at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

(For the pecan praline sauce)

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups pecans

(For serving)

Softly whipped cream, unsweetened

METHOD

Set a rack over a baking sheet and line the rack with 2 layers of paper towels. Spread the pumpkin puree over the paper towels and let drain for 2 hours, until the puree is fairly dry.

Preheat the oven to 500°. Butter the bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until finely ground. Add the pecans and brown sugar and pulse until finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse just until incorporated. 

Press the crumbs onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for about 8 minutes, just until it is fragrant and slightly browned around the edges. Let the crust cool completely.

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the cream cheese until it is very smooth. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar with the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. With the machine on, add the spiced sugar to the cream cheese and beat until creamy, scraping the bottom and side of the bowl. 

Carefully add the drained pumpkin puree and beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl between each addition. Beat in the heavy cream, lemon juice and vanilla until the cheesecake mixture is smooth.  It'll be pretty runny.

Pour the cheesecake mixture over the cooled crust.

Bake the cheesecake for 12 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 225° and bake the cheesecake for about 3 hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 150°.  Right from the oven it'll be very puffed and the center will be slightly jiggly but not liquidy.  As it cools, it'll deflate and it may crack.

Let the cheesecake cool on a rack, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To make the pecan praline sauce, Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream and salt and bring to a boil. Simmer just until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. 

Let the caramel cool.

Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for about 8 minutes, until they are lightly browned and fragrant. Transfer the pecans to a work surface and let them cool. Coarsely chop half the nuts and leave the other half whole.  Just before serving, stir them into the cooled, but still slightly warm caramel.

To serve the cheesecake, run a hot knife around the cheesecake and loosen the springform ring. Carefully remove the ring and transfer the cake to a plate. Using a warm knife, cut the cake into wedges and serve with the Pecan Praline Topping and whipped cream.

I have to say, I'm really happy that I challenged myself (or rather Annie shamed me into challenging myself) and made a dessert, which I've written multiple times in the past, is not something I feel incredibly confident in.  But then there are tricks, and things like cheesecake are among them.  Whenever I've baked cakes, they usually wind up dry.  A cheesecake, can't be dry.   Anyway, this cheesecake is the perfect new Thanksgiving tradition.  Pumpkiny and full of the warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice, it's the essence of fall.  I really like that it's not super sweet.  Rather that sugar kick comes from the warm, oozy, and buttery praline sauce.  Note that the sauce is best when it's made the day it's being served.  To accompany leftover cheesecake in the days following Thanksgiving, I reheated it several times, and maybe I let it get too hot, but the butter or something sort of separated from the sugar and the sauce became sort of a weird greasy mess.  Just so you know.  

Serves 12 or so

SPICED PERSIMMON COOKIES WITH WALNUTS & CRYSALLIZED GINGER

New Year's Day some friends/co-workers hosted a very casual open house gathering full of food, drink, and guests nursing hangovers.  The table in the dining room of Andy and Stephanie's grand old Echo Park craftsman was covered in snacks, sweets, dips, chips as well as a big steaming pot of gumbo.  There was also a little hair of the dog, in the form of a pitcher of Bloody Mary's.  I, however, was unable to partake.  I just needed food.  One of the most unique and tasty things they were serving were homemade persimmon cookies.  Apparently Andy has a persimmon tree growing in the back yard and, as is so common with people who have fruit trees, he has tons of resulting produce, far too much than he could possibly use.  As we were leaving I asked Andy for the recipe to the delightful and unexpected little cookie.  He provided me with a printout then added, almost pleading with me, "I have some frozen persimmon puree too.  TAKE some."  He opened his freezer revealing a stack of at least half a dozen quart sized bags filled with the pureed flush of who knows how many persimmons.

Once in my possession I pondered my puree, wondering what else, besides baking, I could use it in.  The pulp, a fantastic deep marigold in color, sort of smells like a combination of squash and a hint of citrus, particularly, orange.  It has a honey sweetness but is not overly so.  A persimmon gelato sounded like it could be good, but I couldn't really find a recipe for one.  Even a simple persimmon sorbet seemed like it would be refreshing and unexpected.  But then, that kind of thing is best right out of the ice cream maker and I probably wouldn't be eating that much sorbet in one sitting.  A while back Susan over at Immaeatchu wrote about an amazing sounding cocktail she'd had at Lucques that was comprised of persimmon, Maker’s Mark, elderflower liqueur and champagne.  Using the puree in a cocktail was just up my alley.

I decided to create some sort of persimmon cocktail to serve at a small gathering I was having for Annie's birthday, before we all headed out to dinner at AOC.  After a little research to see what flavors work well with persimmon, I came up with a persimmon and ginger mojito (the birthday girl loves herself some rum).  That sounds good, right?  I stocked up on mint, made a ginger simple syrup, and froze extra ice.  Upon Annie and Pierson's arrival, I muddled my mint (breaking a glass in the process), shook up the puree, rum and simple syrup with ice and poured us each a little cocktail, topping them with soda water and an extra sprig of mint.  We toasted and took a sip.  They were...only okay.  A little unremarkable.  Not bad but certainly not great and I'm not really sure why.  All I know is that if I tried one at a bar, I wouldn't have ordered another.

Over the next couple days, every time I'd open the refrigerator and see the measuring cup filled with the remaining puree I was reminded of my disappointing drink.  I'd wonder what I was going to do with the rest of it.  I had to do SOMEthing.  I decided to give the recipe Andy gave me a try.  After all, those cookies were pretty great, however, I ended up putting my own spin on it, substituting crystallized ginger for raisins.

Now for those of you unfamiliar with persimmons, back when I was writing for Apartment Therapy Kitchen I did a piece on them that you might want to check out.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup persimmon pulp (from 2 large, very ripe persimmons)
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

First, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt.  Then, in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the shortening and sugar for about 5 minutes. Add in vanilla, egg, and persimmon puree, and continue to mix until well combined.  With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture to the shortening, sugar and egg mixture and mix just until the batter forms, being careful not to over mix. Fold in crystallized ginger and walnuts.

Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.  They don't really spread out during the baking, so I was able to get a dozen cookies per sheet pan.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are firm. Let cool on the cookie sheets for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

The persimmon puree makes the cookies moist and sort of chewy.  In fact they're almost cakey, like the mounded tops of little mini muffins.  Fresh from the oven the cookie bottoms are lightly crisp around the edge, but they soften as they sit and are stored.  The walnuts give the texture a nice crunch and the crystallized ginger imbues a subtle piquancy which sort of builds on the spicy combination of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.  Very autumnal, perfect for cooler weather.  You could make the cookies bigger of course, but I rather like snacking on several smaller ones.  Plus they're just so cute.  If you don't like crystallized ginger, just replace it with raisins or dried cranberries.  Pretty much any nut would work too, besides walnuts.  I also keep toying with the idea of adding in some dark chocolate chips or cacoa nibs next time.  So many variations.  Thankfully I still have one more cup of puree left.

Yields about 4 1/2 dozen cookies

Oatmeal Cookies Two Ways: MEDJOOL DATE & WALNUT or CHOCOLATE CHIP & CRYSTALLIZED GINGER

Regular readers might notice that there isn't a whole lot of baking on this site.  The reason for this is pretty simple.  I don't think I'm very good at baking.  Especially cake baking.  It seems like any and every time I attempt baking a cake, they always and I mean always, wind up dry with a texture resembling styrofoam.  On the somewhat rare occasion on which I make some sort of sweet to end a meal, I gravitate towards things like crisps, custards, puddings, bread puddings, ice cream, things like that.   They're a little more fool proof.  The closest I come to any kind of successful baking is when it comes to cookies.  I feel pretty confident in my cookie prowess. Plus I just like the idea of a cookie.  A slice of cake it too much of a commitment and I sort of feel super guilty eating more that two or three forkfuls, whereas a cookie satisfies my craving for something sugary in an efficient little package.

As far as my favorite kind of cookie goes, my taste is pretty basic.  Give me an old fashioned oatmeal cookie and I'm happy.  You can't go wrong with a classic oatmeal raisin cookie and I always love an oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips.  I did a variation of this recipe on my previous blog and the formatting of the post is sort of what inspired this blog, the photos of the mis en place, the various steps, etc.  As I mentioned before, to celebrate the two year anniversary of the start of this blog, I wanted to recreate those cookies but with a little twist.  Instead of raisins I chose to do something a little more unique.  I did some research to see what other ingredients would be appropriate to add into oatmeal cookies and decided on these two variations - sweet sticky Medjool dates with walnuts and dark chocolate chips with petite chunks of crystallized ginger.  Happy Anniversary, Well Fed!  Have yourself a cookie.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening, room temperature
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned oats

(Variation #1)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped Medjool Dates, tossed with a spoonful of flour (this keeps them from sticking together when you fold them into the dough)

(Variation #2)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped crystallized ginger, tossed with a spoonful of flour (this keeps them from sticking together when you fold them into the dough)

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

First cream the butter, shortening, the brown sugar and the regular sugar for about five minutes until the butter turns pale and fluffy.

In a medium bowl add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and whisk to combine.

Next add the eggs, honey, and vanilla and then gradually added the dry ingredients.

Fold in either the dates and walnuts or the chocolate chips and ginger.

Spoon nice big golf ball sized clumps onto a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper (although Silpats work better - they produce cookies with nice golden bottoms), and flatten slightly with your hand.  The cookies don't spread out much while they bake so you needn't work about leaving lots of space around each clump of dough.  I was able to get 12 cookies on each of my baking sheets.

Bake in the oven for about 15 to 18 minutes, until the tops are a faint, golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cookies cool on the pan for 1 to 2 minutes and then, using a spatula, transfer to wire racks to cool further while you proceed making the rest of the cookies.

I know that the consistency of a cookie is a very personal thing.  Some people want soft and chewy, others prefer crispy.  This recipe is a little of both, just the way I like it.  The edges are crisp and the center is thick and chewy.  The oatmeal adds a nice rugged texture and grainy flavor which works really well with the subtle molasses  flavor from the brown sugar.  It's like a hearty winter breakfast in cookie form.  Then the two different variation of add-in, take the cookie in two very different directions.

The walnuts give the cookie additional texture and a nutty crunch, while the dates imbue them with a sort of caramel-like flavor that works well the the brown sugar and honey.  Next time I think I'd not chop the dates so fine, so once they get folded in, there are little chewy specks studded throughout.  Mine sort of got a little pulverized and blended in with the dough more than I wanted.

Then there is the chocolate chip and ginger version.  Whereas the date and walnuts taste wholesome, almost healthy in a whole grain sort of way, these taste decadent. Well about as decadent as an oatmeal cookie is capable of being.  I mean, how can you go wrong with melty, rich chocolate chips mingling with the grains of oatmeal.  I almost like it better than a regular chocolate chip cookie.  Again the texture is just more interesting.  The addition of the crystallized ginger adds another layer of sweetness but also an surprising spicy sort of sharpness that offsets and plays against the chocolate.  The combination of ginger and chocolate is something I've explored before, but if you've never tried it, do it now.  It's unexpected but oh so right.  You might not go back to regular old oatmeal raisin ever again.

Makes 3 dozen or so cookies

FRESH CHERRY & TOASTED ALMOND TART

One of my favorite things about the warmer months is the proliferation of stone fruits at my farmers' market.  I love peaches and plutots, but for some reason I always wind up with ones that get ripe on the outside however when I slice and pull them apart, the flesh doesn't release from the pit and the skin pulls off in a juicy mess.  Heartbreaking.  For this reason, I love cherries.  You can just pop the whole thing in your mouth and just sort of gnaw the sweetness off the pit.  It's fun to sort of get in a rhythm of plucking off the stem, popping them in your  mouth, chew, spit out the pit and repeat.  It's the epitome of summer.

When I saw this recipe in the latest issue of Everyday Food I knew I had to give it a try.  I love that the cherries are not cooked and there is something sort of charmingly homey about the crust made of graham crackers.  This version is a little different than the one in the magazine.  As I was gathering and prepping the ingredients I thought back to a similar and more labor intensive recipe for a cherry tart in the Sunday Suppers at Lucques cookbook.  It was more of a conventional baked tart.  It had ground almonds in the crust and is designed to be served with homemade almond ice cream.  I didn't feel like going that far, but I liked the idea of the combining sweet cherries with nutty almonds.  I decided to add some to the crust and a handful, toasted and scattered over the top.  It just made so much sense.  So much so that I sort of question why they weren't in the original recipe to begin with.

INGREDIENTS
9 graham crackers (each 2 1/2 by 5 inches)
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted at 350 degrees until light brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes
2 tablespoons plus cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 ounces bar cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 pound fresh sweet cherries, such as Bing
1 tablespoon seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup sliced almonds (although you could use more slivered, I just like the delicate crunch of the sliced), also toasted in the oven toasted at 350 degrees until light brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes.

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse graham crackers, toasted slivered almonds and 2 tablespoons sugar until finely ground. Add butter, and process until combined. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  Using the base of a dry measuring cup, firmly press mixture into bottom and up sides of pan. 

NOTE:  I used a 10 inch pan, as that was all I had.  I figured that with the addition of the almonds in the crust it would still be okay.  However, after pressing the mixture into the pan, it seemed a bit thin.  So I would strongly recommend using the 9 inch pan.

Bake until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. 

While the tart shell is baking, it would be a good time to pit the cherries.  I do not have a cherry pitter, so using a small knife, starting at the stem end I sliced around the cherry and sort of twisted half of it off the pit, sort of like when you slice open an avocado.  Then using my fingernail I pried the pit loose from the second half.  Trust me it's not as labor intensive as it sounds.  It goes quite fast.  I worked up to five cherries a minute.

Once the cherries are pitted, move on to the cream cheese filling.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, vanilla, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add cream, and beat until soft peaks form; spread mixture in cooled crust. Scatter cherries on top.  You could neatly lay the cherries in rows of concentric circles, which looks really pretty, but I decided to just sort of topple them all haphazzardly onto the filling.  It's a little more "rustic."

In a small saucepan, combine jam and 1 teaspoon water; heat over low until liquefied, about 2 minutes. Using a pastry brush, dab cherries with glaze and then scatter over the toasted, sliced almonds.  Refrigerate tart at least 30 minutes or, covered, up to 1 day.

I made the tart for a Memorial Day barbeque Mark and I went to at a friends house over in Silverlake.  It was the perfect end to a fantastic meal of ribs, home made fried chicken, collard greens with bacon, corn of the cob, and beautiful sliced tomatoes drizzled with a 10 year old balsamic.  We served it with a scoop of coffee ice cream which actually worked really well with the flavors.  Not cooking the cherries really makes the tart taste bright and fresh and there are so many complimentary textures going on - the tangy and mild cream cheese filling, sweet cherries, thin little slivers of toasted almonds, and the grainy graham cracker crust.  A more conventional shortbread style crust would be great, I'm sure, but I really like the texture of the pulverized almonds and graham crackers with the smooth creamy filling.  I was slightly concerned that the pie would turn into a mess once I tried to serve it, since the crust was thinner that I would have liked, but letting it set in the refrigerator for several hours really gave it time to kind of meld and come together.  I was able to slice perfect little wedges without anything falling apart.  Although even if it had, it still would have tasted great.

Serves about 12

CHOCOLATE GINGER & BALSAMIC PINE NUT TRUFFLES

Happy New Year everyone!  So I have to admit, I'm sort of glad that the holidays and all the gluttony that goes along with them are finally over, although having said that, I'm already planning my Valentine's day menu.  The past two weeks have been a swirling mess of working, food, cooking, cookies, gift baskets, drinking, and shopping.  It's been exhausting. I apologize for not posting more and believe me, I really wish I had.  There are a number of things that I've made that I'd love to write about, but somehow wasn't able to pull everything together to take photos of them.  But don't worry, I plan on making some of them again, specifically a roasted butternut squash risotto that was the hit of our Christmas meal.  I did however get a chance to document a few of the dishes that Annie and I made for our Greek inspired New Years Eve feast, which I will be posting in the next several days.  But before I do that, let's go back in time, to a week before Christmas.

Now maybe you are the kind of person who listens to people all year long and makes mental checklists of gift ideas that your friends and family might need, want or hint for.  Maybe you are the sort of person who then goes shopping before all the malls turn into a swarming hell strung with Christmas lights and blaring with holiday musak. I however, am a procrastinator who doesn't listen.  And as such, I kept putting off and putting off shopping for gifts for Mark's mom and brother.  With just two days before Christmas, I still had NO IDEA what to get and the thought of willingly entering the Beverly Center or the Grove just to browse for ideas was too much to bear.  Then I had an idea.  What if I MADE gifts?  BRILLIANT.  If nothing else, people are wowed by and appreciate the effort.

Deciding what to make was easy.  Mark's mom loves loves loves chocolate and it just so happened that I'd seen a very interesting although admittedly strange sounding truffle recipe on Epicurious, one that was flavored with balsamic vinegar of all things.  I came up with the chocolate ginger truffle myself.  It was inspired by some ice cream Mark and I had on our trip to England - Green and Black's.  They had the most amazing flavors such as dark toffee, chocolate and orange, although my favorite was dark chocolate with little chunks of crystallized ginger. 

Combined with just a few other little tasty treats that I could pick up from the store, my Christmas gift dilemma had been solved.

INGREDIENTS
(For the Chocolate Ginger Truffle)
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
3.5 ounces extra dark chocolate, chopped (I used Droste 75% cocoa)
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips  (I used half a bag of Ghiradelli chocolate chips - I would have preferred a little bit better chocolate, but that's what I had.  And just so you know, It worked out really well)
1 3-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced into chunks
unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger

(For the Balsamic Pine Nut Truffle)
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
3.5 ounces extra dark chocolate, chopped
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
1 cup toasted pine nuts, chopped pretty fine

METHOD
To make the Chocolate Ginger Truffles, add the sliced ginger to the cream and bring to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat; cool to lukewarm, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.

Remove from heat. Add the cream and whisk until smooth.  It might look sort of grainy or curdled at first.  Just keep whisking and it should end up nice and smooth. Pour the chocolate and cream mixture onto a large baking sheet with sides and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Once the chocolate is set, remove from the fridge and, using a small spoon, melon baller, or one of those small spring-action handled ice cream scoops that some people use for measuring out cookie dough (the later works the best), draw the implement across the chocolate until you've gathered about a tablespoon.  Place the chocolate on the parchment lined cookie sheet and continue.  I was able to get exactly 2 dozen and 1 truffles.  Chill until firm, about 1 hour.

Line another rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder and ground ginger and stir to combine.  Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and roll in the palms of your hands until nice and round and then place in the cocoa powder mixture.  Using a spoon, roll the truffle around in the powder until completely coated and place on the baking sheet. 

Continue until all the truffles are coated.  They can be eaten right away, but if you plan on placing them in little gift bags I would refrigerate for another hour or overnight, so the powder can sort of set onto the chocolate.

To make the Balsamic Pine Nut Truffles, the procedure is essentially the exact same, just omit the ginger when bringing the cream to a simmer and once you have, that's when you add the balsamic vinegar.  Then do everything else the same, except just replace the cocoa powder with the chopped, toasted pine nuts.

Since there is cream in the truffles, they can get pretty soft if left at room temperature, so it's best to refrigerate them, unless they are going to be eaten right away.  As such, when I made my little gift bags, I was paranoid that unless they were each individually wrapped, they'd melt into one large chocolate-ginger-balsamic-pine-nut mess, so I went to a party supply store where, in the cake decorating section, they sell small plastic bags that are meant for home made candies and the like.  The can be stored in the refrigerator for at least a week, although the truffles coated with the nuts are better, the fresher they are.  The nuts stay nice and crisp, otherwise they tend to get a little soft.

So the thing about truffles, as much as I love them (and they really are my favorite way to eat chocolate - so smooth and creamy), they can get a bit sweet.  I think that's why I tend to prefer dark chocolate over milk.  By combining the extra dark with the semi sweet, I think you get a good balance of the sweetness with the bitter.  The unexpected addition of ginger gives the chocolate a sort of fresh, clean flavor which contrasts well with the bitter-sweetness.  Similarly, the balsamic vinegar, which on it's own tastes quite sweet, does not in fact make the truffles sweeter.  Rather the acidity of the vinegar mellows the sweetness and gives it a pleasant tang and then the toasted pine nuts add a sort of woodsy note.  It's really unique.  The texture of the balsamic truffle is lighter than that of the ginger, I think because there is slightly more liquid to chocolate.  Because of this, it won't set quite as firmly as the other one.  I suppose you could just add a little more chocolate to make up the difference, but I rather like the softness and it contrasts well with the more solid ginger truffle.

Each recipe makes 2 dozen and 1 truffles.

INDIVIDUAL TIRAMISU

For Jessica's birthday last week the plan was for Heather, Lauren, Carrie, Jen and myself to meet at this old Italian restaurant that's been around since 1948 and then, being such a good friend, I volunteered to have everyone back to my place after dinner, for dessert and the opening of presents.  In keeping with the restaurant's old school menu, I decided that my dessert ought to be something classically Italian as well.  Looking through Sara Foster's cookbook, Fresh Every Day, I found this recipe.  I always love desserts that are individually sized, with the exception of cupcakes, isn't that strange?  I'm sorry, but I just don't get what all the fuss is over cupcakes.  And yet, I like muffins.  Figure THAT out.  But other than liking the idea of using wine glasses, the recipe seemed, I don't know.  A little basic.  I thought I might be able to find something a little more unique.

Okay, so there seems to be lots of variations on tiramisu.  You can do chocolate tiramisu, white chocolate tiramisu, or tiramisu with berries which substitutes pound cake for the ladyfingers (but then isn't that just a triffle?).  I found an interesting recipe on a British website that uses chai tea instead of espresso and the whipped cream is flavored with cardamom.  I saw one that had pulverized biscotti folded into the whipped cream, for some reason.  More authentic recipes, instead of using whipped cream, apparently use whipped egg whites that have been folded into a mixture of mascarpone and egg yolk that has been cooked with sugar over a double broiler.  Well that was getting just a bit too complicated.  I'm working again and I only had limited time to clean my apartment and make the dessert.  In the end I decided to just follow the recipe in the book.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup Marsala
1 1/2 cups espresso or strong coffee
1/4 cup brandy or Frangelico
lady fingers
2 ounces of dark chocolate (I used Sharffen Berger)
unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting tiramisu

METHOD
Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form.  Add the sugar and whip a little bit longer until the sugar is thoroughly integrated.  Scoop out about a cup or so of the whipped cream and set aside to use later to top the finished tiramisu.

In a separate bowl, whisk the mascarpone and Marsala together until smooth and creamy. Gently fold a third of the whipped cream into the mascarpone and Marsala mixture to lighten.  Fold in the rest of the whipped cream in to combine.

Using a serrated knife, cut each ladyfinger in half.  I also sliced off the little, rounded ends so the ladyfingers fit more easily into the wine glasses. 

Stir the espresso or coffee and the brandy together in a small bowl.  Dip each ladyfinger half in the coffee-brandy mixture, making sure they aren't in submerged for more than 5 seconds, otherwise they may dislove into mush.  Place two laydfinger halves into the bottom of the wine glass.  Spoon over some of the mascarpone-cream to cover and then using a microplane, grate over some of the dark chocolate.  Top with two more layers of coffee soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone-cream and grated chocolate.  Cover each glass with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

To serve, remove the plastic wrap, top with a dallop of the reserved whipped cream and then dust lightly with the cocoa powder passed through a fine sieve.

After dinner and after Jessica opened her gifts (She got a set of pink mixing bowls, a UCLA apron, a skirt made of men's ties just like the one Kelly Clarkson wore in the movie From Justin to Kelly, and a pair of jeans signed by the incomparably vacant Courtney Peldon), I pulled the tiramisus from the fridge and Heather helped me serve. 

Although I had concerns that the whipped cream would either deflate into a milky pool or that my refrigerator would freeze them into icy blocks, the tiramisus were, in fact perfect.  How do I know this?  Moments after each guest was given their individual desserts, the room got very quiet, except for the clicks of spoons against glass.

Perhaps one day I try making tiramisu the more traditional way using eggs or give one of the variations a try, but I have to say, this version is pretty great.  The ladyfingers, soft from the espresso and brandy, are a great contrast to the marsala flavored mascarpone-cream mixture and the whole thing has just a slight, sublte chocolatey underflavor.  It's so light and airy, but still has a decadence. And since it's best if you make it the night before, it's ideal for entertaining.

Although the recipe claims that you can make 6 servings, I was only able to get 5 and one of those was slightly smaller than the others.  So with the quantities listed above I would really only count on getting 4 servings.

SNAPPER WITH GREEN RICE & CUCUMBERS IN CREME FRAICHE

This past Sunday, Annie, Heather and I headed over to Westwood to attend the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.  Last year Annie and I went to see Tyler Florence promote his new (at the time) cookbook Eat This Book.  We sat on uncomfortable folding chairs in the hot sun munching on kettle corn and watched him make panzenella and linguine putenesca with fresh home-made pasta and then we spent an hour in a long, coiling line waiting for him to sign our copies of his book.  Then she and I headed back down to her place in Culver City and proceeded to make the exact same meal for our respective loved ones.  The pasta had a really great, rustic texture but was a bit too thick and the putenesca was too salty, but the whole day was charged with excitement and fearless culinary possibility.

So when I found out that this year famed, local chef Suzanne Goin was set to do a little presentation to promote her new seasonally themed cookbook Sunday Suppers at Lucques at the festival's culinary stage there was no question about whether I would be there.  Again sitting in the sun, my fingertips salty from kettle corn (it's now a tradition), the three of us watched as Suzanne prepared a pretty little salad of arugula, blood oranges and large slices or parmesean cheese.  To go with this, she whipped up a decadent pot of orecchiette carbonara that she springified with fresh peas and pea shoots.  During the demonstration I asked a few questions and later when she signed my book she  remarked that my questions were, to use her word "good."  Then I floated home on the validation of the creator of Lucques.

A couple days later, after leafing through the section of the book with menus for spring, I had processed all my options and decided on the first recipe I wanted to tackle - wild striped bass with farro, black rice, green garlic, and tangerine.  However, there have been too many times when I've gone to the supermarket with a recipe in my head only to be met with disappointment when a key ingredient is unavailable, so as a saftey precaution, I had a backup recipe.  Well upon my arrival at Whole Foods my enthusiasm was deflated slightly when I realized that they didn't have striped bass, they didn't have black rice, they didn't have green garlic and to cap it off, I couldn't remember if farro was the same thing as spelt, which they did have, but alot of good it would have done me. 

So I had to switch gears and move on to plan B - Hawaiian snapper with green rice & cucumbers in creme fraiche.  Whole Foods did not have Hawaiian snapper either, but they DID have Pacific Snapper.  Hawaii is in the Pacific so I figured it was close enough.  Whole Foods did not have preserved lemons either, so I headed over to the Farmer's Market at the Grove to Monsieur Marcell, a fantastic little gourmet market that I knew would have them (I had called first, just to make sure).  And while I was there I picked up a little container of the olives Lucques is named after.

INGREDIENTS
(for the fish)
6 Hawaiian snapper fillets - 5 to 6 ounces each (The recipe calls for the fish the have the skin, however the ones I purchased had already been skinned)
1 lemon, zested
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, minced
A small handful of watercress, cleaned tough stems removed

INGREDIENTS
(for the cucumbers in creme fraiche)
3 or 4 Persian cucumbers, just under 1 pound total
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 cup creme fraiche
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot (about 2 tablespoons) shallot, minced
3 tablespoons preserved lemon, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon preserved lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, minced

INGREDIENTS
(for the green rice)
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup packed flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup packed mint leaves
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup finely diced fennel
3/4 cup finely diced red onion
1 chile de arbol
1 1/2 cups white basmati rice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
First season the fish with the lemon zest, thyme, and parsley.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  Be sure to take the fish out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature.

Next make the cucmbers and creme fraiche mixture.  In a small pan over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds until they release their aroma and darken slightly.  Using a mortar and pestle, crush the toasted seeds coarsley.

In a small bowl, combine the creme fraiche with the garlic, shallot, preserved lemon and juice, cumin, cayenne, and a pinch of pepper.  Taste and adjust for ballance and seasoning.  The book says that the sauce should be assertive and have a nice kick to it.  If not, add more cayenne.  Gently stir in the mint.

Slice off a small piece of the cucumber and taste it to see if the cucumbers need to be peeled.  Cut the cucmbers into thin slices on the diagonal.  Toss the cucumbers with 1 teaspoon of salt and let sit for 10 minutes.  Drian off any liquid the cucumbers have given off and then pat dry with a paper towel.  Toss the cucumbers with the creme fraiche mixture.  (The creme fraiche can be mixed with all the seasonings except the mint ahead of time.  Just before serving, salt the cucumbers and toss them with the creme fraiche and mint.)

Next make the green rice.  Bring the chicken stock and 1 1/4 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot, and then turn off the heat.

Place the parsley, mint, cilantro and chives into a blender.

Add 1 cup of the hot liquid and puree the herbs on medium.  Pour in the rest of the liquid and puree on high for about 2 minutes, until you have a very smooth, green broth.

Toast the fennel seeds in a small pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until they release their aroma and turn light golden brown.  Pound them with a mortar and pestle.

Rinse out the chicken stock pot and heat it over high heat for 2 minutes.  Add the olive oil, diced fennel, onion, toasted fennel seeds, chile and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Cook over medium-high for 5 minutes, stirring often until the onion and fennel are translucent. 

Add the rice, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of pepper.  Stir well to coat the rice with the oil and vegetables.  Add the herb broth and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer.  Add the butter, cover, and cook the rice for 15 to 20 minutes, unitl tender. Turn off the heat and leave the rice covered for 5 minutes.  Fluff the rice with a fork and taste for seasoning.

And finally the fish.  Heat a large saute pan over high heat for 2 minutes.  (Depending on the size of the pan and the fish, the fish may have to be cooked in batches.)  Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides.  Swirl in the olive oil and wait 1 minute.  Carefully lay the fish in the pan, and cook 3 to 4 minutes.  Turn the fish over, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 1 or 2 more minutes, until the snapper is just cooked through.  Be careful not to overcook the fish.  When it's done, the fish will begin to flake and separate a little and the center will still be slightly translucent.  Remember the fish will continue to cook a little more when you take it out of the pan.

To serve, spoon down a base of the rice.  Place some of the cucumbers over the rice and scatter some of the watercress over the cucumbers.  Lay the fish on top and season with fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil.  Spoon over a few more cucumbers and a little more watercress.

Suzanne describes this dish as "part Indian, somewhat Moroccan, a little bit French, and vaugely Slavic."  Now I love Indian, Moroccan, and French, but as for the Slavic component...I admit that I was initially slightly skeptical as to whether I would be moved by cucumbers in a cream sauce.  To be honest, just the thought of it was almost unappealing, but I decided to go ahead and give it a try.  And am I ever pleased that I did.

As good as each individual component of this meal is, what really makes it outstanding is the way it all works together - the crunch of the Persian cucumber, the tender, flakey fish, the creamy sauce and the verdantly hued rice.  It just all perfectly compliments one another.  The heat from the fish and the rice melts the creme fraiche a little which then soaks into the fish and the rice.  The creme fraiche tastes light, thanks to the preserved lemon and the mint, it has a spicy kick from the cayenne, and a very sublte smokiness from the cumin. The fresh herbs on the fish and the mint in the creme fraiche ties back in with the green rice.  This is the kind of meal where you really want to make sure that you get a little bit of everything in each bite.

One thing I especially like about the recipe are the specifics regarding technique, such at the whole "preheat the skillet for two minutes over high."  Her suggestion of turning the saute pan to low once you flip the fish seems to be a great way of making sure that the fish doesn't wind up over cooked. 

I only cooked two fish fillets, but the rest of the recipe is meant to serve 6.

CHOCOLATE POT DE CREME

Annie's husband, Pierson, was out of town helping some friends of ours shoot a movie and Annie, being the kind of girl who requires a lot of attention, all but demanded that I hang out with her until his return.  Friday, Annie, Mark, myself and out friend Laura headed down to Abbot Kinney in Venice where a friend of Laura's runs a fantastic little shop that specializes in clothing imported from the UK.  For the store's one-year anniversary the proprieptress threw a party, complete with fashion show, to celebrate.  Having consumed a bit too much white wine on a stomach that was for all intents and purposes, empty, Mark and I crashed at Annie's place. 

The next day, Annie and I were going to get together and cook something, but due to my hangover, I couldn't possibly.  Instead, we met up at Century City Mall to go see "Friends With Money."  After we ate Greek food at the mall's gorgeous new food court, we killed time at the bookstore, where Annie ended up purchasing Martha's new baking handbook. 

Sunday bright an early, Annie called me.  "Let's cook something today!" she chirped through the phone.  I sighed.  I was sort of in the mood to bake a chicken.  I had not made one all winter long, and with the days getting longer and warmer, the appeal of heating up the oven for hours was quickly dissipating.  "Fine," I told her.  "But we're going to roast a chicken."  I suggested that she make the dessert, using her new handbook.  Later, sitting in her dining room, we leafed through the book trying to find the perfect finish to Balthazar's roasted chicken with herbed butter.  Everything looked elegant and delicious, but as the afternoon wore on, Annie and I began to question if making a chicken as well as an involved dessert was feasible.  I looked through the Balthazar cookbook and found this recipe.  "Why don't we make this?" I suggested showing her the picture.  "It's basically just melting chocolate with cream, mixing it with some egg yolks and then baking it for an hour.  It's easy!  You don't even had to do a double broiler."  She shrugged.  "Fine with me."  She and I headed over to Surfas to get some chocolate and when we returned, she made herself a rum and coke while I started on the dessert.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 ounces Valrhona semisweet chocolate, coursely chopped (I used 1/2 Valrhona and 1/2 Sharffen Berger 70% chocolate)
6 large egg yolks

METHOD
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla.  Whisk to combine and bring to a boil over a medium heat.  Add the chopped chocolate and whisk until melted.  Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs yolks.  In a slow steady stream, add the chocolate-cream mixture, whisking until smooth.  Divide the mixture among 6 ramekins, small custard bowls, or espresso cups (about 6 ounces each) and place them in a large casserole or high-sided baking dish.

Make a bain-marie (or water bath), by pouring cold water into the casserole so that it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins or custard bowls.  Cover tightly with foil and bake on the center rack for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  The custards shouls jiggle slightly in the center when finished. 

Let cool to room temperature then place in the regrigerator.  Serve cool (although I sort of wanted to try one warm, while the smell of dark chocolate still permeated the air).  We topped ours with fresh whipped cream, grated Sharffen Berger chocolate and a teensy sprig of mint.  How cute is that?

And listen, they taste better than they look.  Intensely chocolatey, not super sweet, and with a most interesting consistency - not as loose as a pudding - it's very dense, almost like a soft, cold chocolate truffle that you eat with a spoon.  Very opulent.  Keep in mind, however, that because these are so rich, they are probably better for two people to share or you could do like the recipe suggested and make them in tiny little espresso cups, which would probably be just the perfect amount for one person.   

APPLE-OATMEAL CRISP WITH IRISH WHISKEY CREAM

This past Saturday Mark and I hosted a little, slightly belated St. Patrick's Day gathering.  I sort of love having an event like this to focus my attention on.  I rather enjoy planning a menu based on a theme  of some sort (it's kind of Rachael Ray-ish, isn't it?)  So for the past couple weeks I've searched all over the internet looking for interesting Irish recipes.  It turns out there aren't many.  Irish food, it would appear, is quite limited.  Potatoes and cabbage.  That's pretty much it.  But finally, after extensive research, I found a few recipes that I liked. 

I wanted to do something modern but using the traditional Irish ingredients.  To begin I served a nice little nibblie I got from Martha - thick cut potato chips topped with a small, buttery piece of smoked salmon, a teensy dallop of sour cream and a little sprig of dill.  VERY good.  I did an interesting warm salad of cabbage wilted in bacon drippings which was then tossed with a dressing made of white wine, shallots, cream and Irish blue cheese.  For the main course I made my Guinness Beef Stew again, which I served with horseradish buttermilk mashed potatoes.  And then for dessert, I made this, which is sort of based on an Emeril recipe as well as another apple crisp recipe I found, but I can't remember where.

INGREDIENTS
(for the crisp)
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 1/2 pounds or so Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Irish whiskey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
Pinch salt
1/2 cup Irish steel-cut oats
1/4 cup toasted, chopped walnut piece

(for the Irish Whiskey Cream)
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Irish Whiskey

METHOD
First make the Irish Whiskey Cream:  In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until stiff.  Fold in the honey and the whiskey.  This can be made hours before serving or even the day before and it holds up fine.

To make the crisp topping, combine the flour, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, the oatmeal, and 5 tablespoons of the butter in the bowl of a food processor.  Plus until the mixture has come together and the butter is about the size of a pea.  Place in a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

For the filling, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the apples, lemon juice, the remaining half cup of brown sugar and the remaining tablespoon of flour.  Stir well and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the whiskey, cinnamon, cardamom and salt.  Stir well and cook for 1 minute longer.  Remove from heat.

Next place the apple mixture in a buttered casserole dish.  Pour over the crumble topping and place in a pre-heated 375 degree oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until it's bubbly at the edges and the topping has turned golden brown.  Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes.  Serve warm with a spoon full of the Irish Whiskey Cream.

There are a number of reasons why I like this recipe.  First of all, the prep method makes it really good to entertain with.  The cream, the topping and the apple mixture can all be made hours ahead of time and then when you want to bake it off, you can just assemble the crisp and bake it off.  Since the apples have already been cooked a little bit, the crisp doesn't take that long to bake in the oven.  Very easy.  I mean you could bake the whole thing early too, but it's so much nicer when it's still warm from the oven with the Irish Whiskey Cream melting into the crumbly topping and warm apples.  Which brings me to the other reason I like this recipe.  It tastes amazing.  The apples are soft but still have body.  They bring a nice tartness which contrasts fantastically with the sweet brown sugar.  The cardamom is a great with the cinnamon and the steel-cut oats add a nice texture to the topping.  And then there is the whiskey cream.  Seriously, I could just sit and eat a bowl of it by itself.  The recipe seems like it would be versatile as well.  You could add blackberries in with the apples.  You could substitute brandy for the whiskey.  You could substitute quick-cook or even rolled oats for the steel-cut.  You could substitute pecans for the walnuts.  Don't you love having options?

Serves 8