Monday, December 16, 2013

Dark Chocolate Gingerbread Muffins #MuffinMonday


Nothing says Christmas like the delightful aroma of gingerbread baking.  Nothing.  These muffins combine gingerbread batter with melted semi-sweet chocolate for an even richer muffin.  

These past couple of days have been hectic but I can happily report that I am back in the States for the holidays and both of my girls are with me.   I flew into New York, just as the storm hit and managed to get one of the last flights out to Boston on Saturday.  Then yesterday, my younger daughter and I drove back to New York to pick up my elder daughter and all of her worldly possessions.  I am thrilled to say that she has accepted a job offer in Boston and will be moving there in the new year.   1. Her dream job and 2. Only 50 minutes train ride from her sister in Providence.  Both things make this mother very happy!

I knew I’d be on the road so I actually baked these muffins before leaving  Dubai, but I was definitely channeling snow and cold and winter and Christmas.  Make you some!  The whole house smells cozy.

Ingredients
1/2 cup or 110g sugar
2 1/4 cups or 280g flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4  cup or 150g semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup or 120g butter
1/2 cup or 120ml molasses or treacle
1/4 cup or 60ml milk
2 large eggs

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your 12-cup muffin pan by greasing with butter or non-stick spray or lining it with paper muffin cups.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger and cinnamon and stir well.


Set aside a generous handful of chocolate chips to use for decoration later.  Put your butter and the rest of the chocolate chips into a microwaveable bowl and zap for 15 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted.  Allow to cool slightly.



In another bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and molasses.



Pour your melted chocolate/butter into the milk/egg mixture and stir well.


Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold them together until just mixed.



Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.  Top each with some of the reserved  chocolate chips.


Bake in your preheated oven about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for a few minutes and then remove the muffins to a rack to cool completely.


Enjoy!


Saturday, December 14, 2013

Gram's Favorite Peanut Brittle

Peanut brittle is a classic homemade gift for the Christmas season. It’s one of those recipes where the ingredients become way greater than the sum of their parts. Who would think that sugar, syrup and peanuts could be transformed into something so divine?

Food Lust People Love: Who doesn't like to get a small box of homemade peanut brittle for Christmas?! This easy recipe for Gram's Favorite Peanut Brittle makes one pound for giving away or eating by yourself. It can be easily doubled.


Earlier this year, in June to be exact, we drove from Houston to New Iberia, Louisiana to spend a couple of days with my grandmother. She was in a rehab center, working on getting strong enough to go home again, after surgery to repair her broken femur.

Just before we left, I called my Aunt Nonnie. What can we bring for Gram? Her answer was all candy:  Peanut brittle, licorice and orange slices.  Never mind that Gram had been diabetic for years, she loved her sweets. When you reach the ripe old age of 99, screw the diabetes!

So, off we went on a candy hunt.  My mother, an integral part of the search team, said that she always bought Gram a tin of peanut brittle from Costco, or maybe Sam’s, each Christmas because that’s the only time of the year it was available. I must admit I was shocked. I had no idea that peanut brittle was a Christmas-season-only thing!  I guess I’ve lived outside of the US for too long, in places where peanut brittle is never available. Sadly, she was right.

We brought Gram orange slices and licorice and substituted something else for the peanut brittle. But I always regretted that I couldn’t find any. As I said to Mom, if I had known ahead, I’d have made some. So, Gram, this batch is for you. I am imagining that your heaven includes a daily supply of peanut brittle but I still wanted to make you some.

Gram's Favorite Peanut Brittle


Ingredients to make 1 lb+ or 475g of peanut brittle
1 cup or 200g sugar
1/2 cup or 120ml light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup or 60ml water
1 cup or 150g shelled raw peanuts
2 tablespoons butter plus more for greasing foil.
1 teaspoon baking soda

Method
Line a baking pan with foil and then butter the foil liberally.  Set aside.

Put the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt in a heavy 2-quart pot, and stir until all the sugar is dissolved.  Add in the peanuts and stir again.


If you have a candy thermometer, attach it to the pot now.  Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the thermometer reaches 300°F or 149°C or until a small amount dropped into a glass of very cold water turns into hard and brittle threads as it sinks.


Remove from heat and stir in the two tablespoons of butter and the baking soda.



Pour the now frothy mixture immediate into your prepared pan.

Food Lust People Love: Who doesn't like to get a small box of homemade peanut brittle for Christmas?! This easy recipe for Gram's Favorite Peanut Brittle makes one pound for giving away or eating by yourself. It can be easily doubled.
My original instructions from Good Housekeeping suggested that I use two forks to stretch and spread the mixture in the pan but I found that jiggling the pan vigorously did the trick.

Food Lust People Love: Who doesn't like to get a small box of homemade peanut brittle for Christmas?! This easy recipe for Gram's Favorite Peanut Brittle makes one pound for giving away or eating by yourself. It can be easily doubled.
See how it has spread almost to the corners now.


When the peanut brittle is cool enough to handle, use your hands to break the brittle into smaller pieces.  Share with someone you love.

Food Lust People Love: Who doesn't like to get a small box of homemade peanut brittle for Christmas?! This easy recipe for Gram's Favorite Peanut Brittle makes one pound for giving away or eating by yourself. It can be easily doubled.
Enjoy!


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Food Lust People Love: Who doesn't like to get a small box of homemade peanut brittle for Christmas?! This easy recipe for Gram's Favorite Peanut Brittle makes one pound for giving away or eating by yourself. It can be easily doubled.
.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Artichoke Dip Puff Pastry Tarts

Bubbly cheesy artichoke dip makes a wonderful filling for a puff pastry tart. Artichoke Dip Puff Pastry Tarts are the perfect, easy appetizer for your Christmas party.

Food Lust People Love: Artichoke Dip Puff Pastry Tarts are a quick and easy way to transform artichoke dip into little handheld tarts, perfect for parties!



Artichoke dip is a staple at our house for Christmas Eve, when we eat only appetizers and drink Champagne. The tradition started many, many years ago when my older sister would come to visit and somehow we all got busy and many gifts remained unwrapped the night before Christmas. So preparing a big dinner was out of the question but nibbles would be perfect.

Early in the evening we sit around the heavily laden coffee table, sip Champagne and eat our appetizers while staking out a good position to wrap gifts with a little bit of privacy. Behind the bar is always a popular spot, which allows someone to be in front of the bar. Another person might be behind the couch and yet another behind the living room chair or over in the open plan dining room, when we have one. We can hear each other, if we talk loudly, but most importantly, everyone can hear the Christmas music. And everyone can take an extra little plate with them as well, for sustenance.

Artichoke Dip Puff Pastry Tarts

I have no idea where the classic artichoke dip recipe came from, although for us, it was always Tanya’s artichoke dip since my sister brought it with her originally. In the years since, I’ve also heard it referred to as Lizann’s dip, after another friend who introduced it to the school parents in Malaysia. I’d love to know who created it in the first place and thank them. Some years we add crabmeat, other years cooked shrimp or crispy bacon before baking the dip to bubbling richness. We usually serve it with crackers or sliced baguette. This year, making it for a completely different event, I had a brainstorm. And artichoke dip puff pastry tarts were born!

Ingredients
For the dip aka filling:
1 cup or 240g mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip or salad cream – they are too sweet.)
1 1/2 cups or about 190g finely grated Parmesan
1 can (14oz or 400g) artichoke hearts, drained weight 8 1/2oz or 240g
1 small hot red chili, optional but highly recommended (I think the original recipe called for a small can of mild green chilies.)

For the tart crust:
3 sheets already rolled puff pastry (about 8in x 8in or 20cm x 20cm each)

Method
Preheat your oven to 410°F or 210°C and cut the puff pastry into 12 reasonably even squares.



Tuck each piece into a muffin pan cup, folding in the edges to make them fit so the squares don’t touch between the muffin cups. Remember, they are going to puff up.




Chop the artichoke hearts roughly and the chili very finely and mix all the filling ingredients together thoroughly.




Spoon the filling into the prepared puff pastry crusts.



Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the filling is golden and bubbling and the puff pastry is golden and puffy.

Food Lust People Love: Artichoke Dip Puff Pastry Tarts are a quick and easy way to transform artichoke dip into little handheld tarts, perfect for parties!



Allow the tarts to cool for about 10 minutes and then run a knife around the outside of the tarts to loosen them and then remove them to a serving plate.

Serve warm if possible but they are delicious even at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Food Lust People Love: Artichoke Dip Puff Pastry Tarts are a quick and easy way to transform artichoke dip into little handheld tarts, perfect for parties!



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Pin it!

Food Lust People Love: Artichoke Dip Puff Pastry Tarts are a quick and easy way to transform artichoke dip into little handheld tarts, perfect for parties!
 .