Bacon-Jalapeño Cheese Ball

I tried this recipe for our New Year's Eve festivities tonight.  It's similar to the one I usually use, but this one has a more Southwestern flair with jalapeños (and bacon is always good!)  I forgot to get fresh jalapeños not once, but twice, so I had to resort to the jarred (pickled) ones I keep in my fridge.  And I didn't realize I needed fresh cilantro until I was actually making this, so that was left out.  Be smart, unlike me, and read and pay attention to a recipe before making it!

Bacon-Jalapeño Cheese Ball
adapted from Homesick Texan

8 ounces cream cheese, room temp
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2  teaspoon smoked paprika
Pinch of cayenne
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 jalapeños, stems and seeds removed, diced, divided (I used pickled jalepenos)
6 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled, divided
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Crackers for serving

1.  Using a hand-held or stand mixer, mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cilantro, garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, half of the diced jalapeños and half of the crumbled cooked bacon. Taste and adjust seasonings and add salt.

2.  Place the toasted pecans and remaining diced jalapeños and bacon on a plate. Stir together until well mixed. Using plastic wrap over your hands, roll the cheese mixture into a ball, then place on the plate and roll in the jalapeños, bacon and pecans until covered, making sure to get all sides.

3.  Chill, covered, for at least an hour before serving. Serve with crackers and veggies. 

** This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Aztec Chocolate Bark

Earlier, I made this super easy chocolate bark for us to eat tonight.  It's just semisweet chocolate with pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) and spices mixed in.  For the spices, I used the cinnamon called for, and then I used chipotle chili powder and Portuguese piri-piri instead of the Ancho chili powder and cayenne.  Piri-piri is similar to cayenne anyway.  I was scared of it being too spicy, so I put in a little less than 1/4 tsp. of the chipotle and piri-piri.  Turns out I could have put in more, because I can only detect a slight spicy after-taste when I eat this.  Add the spices to taste when you make this. 

We had some roasted, salted pepitas on hand, so I just used those instead of roasting my own.  If you go this route, obviously you can skip step one.  :)  Oh, and if you do roast your own, I think you should still add some salt to this recipe- my salted ones provided some salt, which is a nice contrast to chocolate. 

Aztec Chocolate Bark
adpated from Simply Recipes

1/2 cup of hulled, unsalted pumpkin seeds (pepitas).     

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, plus a dash extra (I used piri-piri powder)

3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, plus a dash extra

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of ancho chili powder, plus a dash extra (I used chipotle chili powder)

12 oz. of bitter or semi-sweet chocolate (I used mini semi-sweet choco chips)

1.  If using raw pepitas:  place the pumpkin seeds in a skillet over medium-low heat. Toast them for about 5 minutes; allow to cool.

2.  Melt the chocolate according to the manufacturer's directions. (I used a saucepan over the lowest heat, on the stove).  Once melted, add the spices, and most of the pumpkin seeds, saving some for the top.

3.  Spread onto a flat baking pan lined with wax paper. Sprinkle pepitas over the top, and press them into the chocolate.  Sprinkle on a dash more of the spices. Place in the fridge or freezer for 5 minutes or until hardened. Break into pieces and serve or store in the fridge in an airtight container.  Best eaten in one or two days.

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Christmas Leftover Mac & Cheese

For Christmas Eve dinner, we always eat a light meal of cheese, homemade rolls, dried fruits, and black and green olives and some kind of juice.  Most times, we get a cool assortment of cheeses to try, trying to get some from  a few different countries.  This year, I didn't have time to go the Portuguese grocery store before Christmas Eve, so we had the following cheeses for our meal: Sharp White Vermont Cheddar, Harvarti with Jalepenos, Colby, Colby-Jack (lol- the kids love both of those!) and Muenster. 

Every year we have a lot of cheese leftover.  And then on Christmas Day, for the last few years, we've had a spiral-cut ham for dinner.  A spiral-cut ham has a ton of meat on it.  We'll eat off it for 2 days, and then I'll usually make either soup or mac and cheese with it, and chop up the rest for the freezer to use in another meal down the road.  I decided to name my concoction Christmas leftover Mac and Cheese this year- maybe it will be an after-Christmas tradition for us! 

Christmas Leftover Mac & Cheese
by What a Dish!

10.5 ounces favorite small pasta shape (I LOVE radiatori for mac & cheese-my fave)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk (I used 1%)
fresh black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
12 ounces (about) of your favorite cheese, shredded, or a mix.  (I used sharp white cheddar, Muenster, Jalepeno Havarti, and Colby)
2 cups chopped, cooked ham

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.  Lightly grease a medium casserole dish- about 2-3 qt. size.  In a large soup pot, boil the pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside. 

2.  Meanwhile, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour, and keep whisking for a little bit- about a minute.  Whisk in the milk, and cook and stir until thickened.  Add the black pepper and Dijon mustard.  Turn the heat to low.  Add the cheese in little handfuls, a little at a time.  Make sure each handful melts before adding the next.  When all the cheese is melted, remove from the heat.  Stir in the chopped ham.

3.  Pour the pasta into your prepared casserole dish, and pour the cheese/ham sauce over the pasta.  Toss to combine and place in the oven.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles and the top of the casserole is lightly browned. 

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Creamy Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup

This soup is actually pretty healthy despite the creaminess.  There are double carbs in the form of potatoes and noodles, but I'm ok with that.  The creaminess comes from evaporated milk (2%) and cornstarch.  I used part of a store-bought rotisserie chicken for the meat, and boiled the bones to make my own stock. 

This made quite a bit- we enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Creamy Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup
adapted from For the Love of Cooking

2 tsp olive oil
1 cup sweet yellow onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup celery, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Oregano, to taste
Thyme, to taste
1-2 tsp Chicken bouillon granules. to taste (or Better than Bouillon or 1 Trader Joe's conc. broth packet)
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
6 cups chicken broth, homemade or storebought
4 cups potatoes, diced
2 cups roasted chicken, shredded
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk (I used 2%)
2 cups uncooked whole wheat egg noodles

1.  Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for an additional 60 seconds, stirring constantly.

2.  Season the cooked vegetables with oregano, thyme, chicken bouillon granules, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Add chicken broth and potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer partially covered, 15-25 minutes or until the potato is tender.

3.  Combine the cornstarch with the evaporated milk and mix thoroughly using a whisk. Add cornstarch/milk mixture, chicken, and egg noodles to the broth, and cook for about 10 minutes or until the noodles are tender. Taste and re-season if needed. Enjoy.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Merry Christmas!

Peppermint Chocolate Blossom Cookies
adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 TBSP instant hot cocoa powder (hot cocoa mix)
2 eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. peppermint extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
About 1/3 cup granulated sugar to coat cookies
Approximately 4 dozen Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Lightly grease your baking sheets, or line with parchment, and set aside.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and hot cocoa powder until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then add the vanilla and peppermint extracts.  Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture until the dough comes together.

3.  Roll tablespoons (I used about 2 Tbs) of the dough into balls and coat with granulated sugar. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.

4.  Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before pressing a Candy Cane Kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

White Hot Chocolate

This stuff is soooo good.  I think I added too much white chocolate, but that is not a bad thing in my eyes.  :)  I used 5 cups of liquid and 13 ounces of white chocolate- next time I think 10-11oz to 5 cups of liquid would be enough.  So.... about 2 ounces of white chocolate per cup of liquid (milk, half and half, whatev!  Lol.)  The picture above has a slight pink tinge from my candy cane being stirred around.  I know that's obvious but I felt like I had to state it anyway.  (The picture below was taken pre-stirrage!  Good one!)

I first made white hot chocolate about 5 years ago, trying this recipe without the cayenne.  I liked it, but it was a bit too rich from the egg.  I made white hot chocolate again two winters ago, using a similar method to the one I used yesterday.  I only used milk though, and the white chocolate separated pretty badly from the milk unless you were constantly stirring it in your mug.  This time, I decided to use part half-and-half and part milk, and everything seemed to stay incorporated much better. 

Use real white chocolate for this- not "white baking chips" or almond bark or anything like that.  Just make sure there's no partially hydrogenated oils in it.  It's so easy to get good white chocolate here, in bar form, and I'm very happy about that!  It may be harder in some areas. 

White Hot Chocolate
What a Dish!
6-7 servings

2 cups half-and-half
3 cups 1% milk
10-11 ounces real white chocolate (I finely chopped up a few bars)
pinch kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat half-and-half, milk, and white chocolate gently (medium-low heat) until white chocolate is melted and mixture is hot enough.  Mix in salt and vanilla.  Serve with a candy cane if desired.  :)

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Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

This blog is like carb city lately!!  We are still eating regular food, but I'm really only trying new Christmas treat recipes lately, not "real food" recipes.  We've been having our standby's of homemade mac and cheese, tomato soup, broccoli-cheese soup, etc., so we can have quick and easy meals during this busy holiday time! 

I had fun making these cute, tiny Christmas cookies with my kids last week.  We gave some to teachers, and ate the rest.  :)  These cookies really are tiny- I used my smallest cookie scoop (it holds 1 Tablespoon) and I cut each dough ball in half to make one cookie (then I rolled it in a ball).  These cookies are very tasty by themselves, but the peppermint frosting sandwiching them together makes them even better.  I tried to roll them in crushed candycanes, but it's so humid here that my candy cane pieces all stuck together minutes after crushing, so we just used sprinkles. 

These cookies were easy to make and delicious.  I'd like to make these again sometime when we hand out Christmas plates.  We did that the first two years we lived here, but didn't get a chance to do it last year (and definitely not this year, lol).  Actually, I have quite a list (in my head, lol) of stuff I'd like to make for next time we do that.

I found this tip from Our Best Bites (where I got the recipe from) helpful.  Actually, you may want to head over there for more tips and photos:  The dough is really soft. Do not do not do not add more flour. If it’s too soft to work with, just let it sit for a few minutes to set up more (as the butter and chocolate comes to temperature it firms a bit) or even pop it in the fridge for a few. But you’ll probably find like I did that you just need to be gentle and you can drop the dough onto your cookie sheet just fine.

Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies
from Our Best Bites

Cookies:
1 1/2 cups flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
5 tablespoons real butter
1 tablespoon water
1 large egg lightly beaten

Frosting:
1/2 cup real butter (1 stick)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 - 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
milk, as needed for consistency
optional: red or green food coloring and sprinkles or crushed candycanes

1.  To make cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  Heat chocolate chips, brown sugar, 5 tablespoons butter and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until melted and smooth (there will still be grains of sugar). Transfer mixture to a large bowl and beat in egg. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Don’t overmix.

2.  If dough is too soft to work with, let it sit at room temp for a few minutes to firm up, or place in the fridge for a few minutes. Gently roll balls, either 1 tablespoon full for large cookies, or about 1/2 inch balls for silver dollar sized cookies. (I used 1/2 Tablespoon).  Place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies until just puffed in teh middle and edges are set but centers are still soft. About 8-9 minutes for large cookies, and about 5 minutes for small ones.  Cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

3.  To make frosting/filling, beat all frosting ingredients together, adding peppermint extract to taste. Add milk by the teaspoonful until a spreadable, but not too soft consistency is reached.   Add food coloring if desired.   Place frosting in a zip-top bag and cut off a corner.   Pipe onto one side of cookie and place another on top. Roll edges in sprinkles or crushed candycanes if desired.

Yield: If you use a tablespoon of dough, it will yield 1 1/2 dozen large sandwiches. If you use a quarter of a standard cookie scoop (about a rounded teaspoon) it will yield 4-5 dozen.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Chocolate Birthday Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

I made this last week for my husband's birthday.  I've had the recipe bookmarked for a long time, looking for a reason to make it.  It was sooo good, especially the frosting.  The cake was good too, but I think my super-efficient oven struck again and overbaked it a little, although I was vigilant this time.  Oh well, what do you do?  I want to make the frosting again, definitely.  I'm thinking brownie cupcakes next. 

I made this in 8-inch cake pans instead of 9-inch, and I liked how this turned out.  I should have put more frosting in the middle, but I didn't want to run out.  Maybe increasing the frosting recipe by 50% would work well.  You'd have more than enough that way.  I'll post the recipe the way I made it; not increased.

Note:  If using salted butter, decrease the salt in the recipe to 1/4 teaspoon.

Chocolate Birthday Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
from Meet Me in the Kitchen

Cake:
2 cups all purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 and ½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (optional)
miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups

Frosting:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (less if using salted butter)
1/3 cup heavy cream

1.  Getting Ready to Bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-x-2-inch OR two 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment or wax paper.

2.  To make the cake: Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until it is thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the eggs one at a time, then the yolks one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla.

3.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk; add the dry ingredients in 3 portions and the buttermilk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); mix only until each new batch is blended into the batter. Scrape down the bowl and, if you want, add the melted chocolate, folding it in with a rubber spatula. Divide the batter between the cake pans.

4.  Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the cakes feel springy to the touch and start to pull away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (Once the layers are cooled, they can be wrapped airtight and left at room temperature overnight or kept frozen for up to 2 months.)

5.  Make the frosting: Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

6.  To Assemble the Cake: Place one layer top side up on a cardboard round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Frost the top of the layer, and sprinkle smashed up peanut butter cups inside, if desired. Be careful to not overload the inside with peanut butter cups or else it will look uneven when you place the top layer.

7.  Next, cover with the second layer, top side down. Frost the sides and top of the cake, either smoothing the frosting for a sleek look or using a spatula, knife or spoon to swirl it for a more exuberant look. Press the remaining peanut butter cups around the sides of the frosted cake, if desired, and if you want you can sprinkle them on top too, or just decorate the top with whole pb cups.

8.  Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour (or for up to 1 day, if that’s more convenient) to set the frosting, then bring it to room temperature before serving.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

White Chocolate & Dulce de Leche Fudge

What a wonderful flavor combination!!!  Two of my favorite things- dulce de leche and white chocolate combined into a delicious fudge.  When I saw this I knew I had to make it!  You just melt white chocolate, and add some dulce de leche, milk, and nuts, if desired.  I used evaporated milk, because it seems like most fudge recipes call for that as opposed to just regular milk.  I also used store-bought dulce de leche for this recipe. 

This fudge was super soft.  To cut it, I had to freeze it first.  Actually, I'm storing cut pieces in the freezer, layers separated by wax paper.  When I want a piece, I go eat one right out of the freezer- they are still soft enough to enjoy, even frozen.  :)  (And they'll stay fresh for a long time, too!)

White Chocolate & Dulce de Leche Fudge

from Diced Tomato

500 grams white chocolate
150 grams (1/2 cup) dulce de leche
80 mL (1/3 cup) milk or evaporated milk
100 g (1 cup) chopped pecans or walnuts

1. Over a double boiler (or a metal bowl placed over a pot of simmering water) melt the white chocolate, stirring constantly making sure not to burn.

2. When melted, add the dulce de leche and the milk, stir with a wisk trying your best to minimize the formation of air bubbles.

3. Remove from double boiler and fold in the pecans or walnuts.

4. Pour out onto a parchment lined 9x9 or similar sized baking dish.

5. Allow to cool overnight in refridgerator (or for 2 hours in the freezer).  After it is solid, remove to a cutting board and cut into squares.  Store in fridge or freezer.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Eggnog Waffles

These were very good.  I made these for breakfast on my husband's birthday.  I doubled the recipe, but did not double the oil.  They were soft right out of the waffle iron, but crisped up perfectly a few seconds after.  I made the batter the night before and it did well in the fridge.  Actually, it kept well for a few days in the fridge.  Thanks to a cooking friend for pointing out this recipe!

The eggnog container of my youth..... some things just never change!!

For the last one, I ate it as a dessert with dulce de leche spread on top.  Soooooo good!  Plus it was a good use for some leftover Dulce hanging out in the fridge.  Oh yeah.... that's a dab of butter in the middle too... oops.  Like I'm not getting enough butter already lately.

Eggnog Waffles
adapted from Pink Parsley
recipe below is doubled!  makes a lot :) 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)
3/4 tsp cinnamon
2 cups eggnog (low-fat is fine)
1/3 cup canola oil
2 eggs
2 Tbs bourbon or dark rum (optional- I used 1 Tbs homemade vanilla-rum extract + some rum flavoring)

1.  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add the dry to the wet, and stir until just combined - be sure not to overmix!

2.  Allow the batter to sit for 30 minutes. Preheat the waffle iron and cook the waffles according to the manufacturer's instructions. Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream (optional), and nutmeg.  Also good with Dulce de Leche!

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Hot Chocolate on a Stick

This recipe is so fun.  I first heard about it from a cooking friend, and it seems to be quite popular on blogs.  It's just an easy fudge- after it sets, you cut squares and impale them upon sticks.  Then stir into very hot milk until it melts and becomes hot chocolate, or you can microwave a square right in your milk. 

I don't have any "action shots" of these, but I assure you that the hot chocolate made from these is very good!  I did have a little problem with this recipe not setting up.  I left it out at cool room temp overnight.  The next morning, I went to cut it (so I could give some away) and it was still all gooey!!  I had to leave, but I stuck it in the fridge.  When I came back, it was still too soft to cut, so I finally stuck it in the freezer and then I was finally able to cut it.  So..... next time, I'd stick it in the fridge overnight- that might work.  You can always stick it in the freezer if you find it's still too soft.  I'm not sure if mine just did not set up (because of the humidity here) or if the recipe is supposed to be that way.  Oh well, as long as I know for next time! 

It'd be fun to sprinkle the tops of these with crushed candycanes, as the blogger I got this from suggested.  I've also seen homemade marshmallows topping these on other blogs.  Maybe I can try a white chocolate version sometime for white hot chocolate!  ;)

I had leftover evaporated milk from another recipe, so I used that in place of the heavy cream.  (Maybe that's why mine was so soft, who knows?)  I was able to not waste the milk, AND I didn't have to open a container of cream for such a small amount. 

Hot Chocolate on a Stick
adapted from What Megan's Making

½ cup heavy cream (I used evaporated milk)
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (1 1/4 cups)
3 cups (18 oz) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (chopped chocolate bars or chips)
3/4 cup (4 oz) unsweetened baking chocolate
wooden sticks

1.  Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper. Heat the cream (or evaporated milk) and condensed milk over low heat until steaming; stir frequently. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate; allow it to gently melt. After about 10 minutes, return the chocolate mixture to low heat to completely melt the chocolate. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick and shiny. At this point you could ddd a few drops of flavoring (I used vanilla). Pour the chocolate mixture into the pan; shake the pan gently to level. Sprinkle with cocoa, if desired. Set aside overnight to slowly harden- or refrigerate.

2.  Run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn out onto a clean cutting surface. Slice into 1 ¼" cubes (or size desired for serving). Heat a knife in hot water and wipe dry before each cut, for smoothest cuts. Stick a wooden stick into the center of each block. Roll in cocoa or crushed peppermint candy, if desired. Wrap in waxed paper, parchment, or plastic wrap to store.  These will keep at room temperature 3-4 days, in the fridge about 10 days, in the freezer up to 30 days.

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Damascus-Style Meat Pies

This is another recipe from the Taste of Beruit blog; a blog full of wonderful-looking Middle Eastern recipes.  I saw the photo she had of these and knew I had to make them sometime.  I love how the dough uses yogurt- just like my favorite Naan bread.  The recipe calls for lamb, but I just used beef.  It also calls for pomegranate molasses.  I've had a pomegranate glaze in my pantry for quite a while, and the ingredients looked very similar to those of pomegranate molasses, so I used the glaze with good results.  To make your own pomegranate molasses, look here.  It seems quite simple. 

This recipe made a ton- I had leftovers for a few days.  If you are making it for the first time, and have few people to feed, I suggest cutting it in half.  The leftovers kept well in the fridge, and I'd just warm them up briefly in the oven.  I also found they were good cold.  :)  (The author also states that they can be frozen for a short period of time).

It's hard holding a baby on your lap & doing a food photo shoot at the same time!!

Damascus-Style Meat Pies
adapted from Taste of Beruit

Dough:
5 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/4 cup of plain yogurt
4 teaspoons of instant yeast
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 cup of olive oil
Oil, as needed to stretch the dough into pies

Filling:
1 pound of fatty lamb (I used lean ground beef)
1 tablespoon of red pepper paste or tomato paste
1/4 cup of pomegranate molasses or glaze
1/2 cup of pine nuts; can substitute other nuts
1-2 medium yellow onions
Spices: 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper; 1/2 teaspoon of allspice, 1 teaspoon of hot Aleppo pepper (can substitute hot paprika or chili powder)
2 teaspoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of butter (to fry the pine nuts)

1.  Warm the yogurt one minute in the microwave; in the meantime, dilute the yeast with the sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water and let it bubble up. Place the flour in a large mixing bowl with the salt and mix for a couple of minutes. Add the warm yogurt, active yeast, and olive oil and mix until the dough is compact and still moist but not too sticky. (I kneaded in my Kitchenaid).  Dampen your hands with oil and transfer the dough to a bowl to rise, all covered in a thin film of oil, for about two hours or overnight in the fridge (covered in plastic wrap).

2.  Prepare the filling: place the onions, cut in quarters, in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the onions are chopped fine. Add the meat, pepper or tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, spices and sugar and process for a minute until all the ingredients are well combined. Stir in the pine nuts (which have been previously fried in butter till caramel-colored).

3.  To make the pies: pour about 1/4 cup of oil in a small bowl and keep it nearby; dip your fingertips in the oil and take each small ball of dough and pat it to form a small pie; do this on the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place two generous tablespoons of filling on each pie and pat with the back of a spoon or your fingertips to make sure it gets incrusted in the dough.

4.  Bake the pies in a 400F oven for about 12-15 minutes, until the edges of the dough are golden and crisp. Serve warm or at room temperature with a side bowl of plain yogurt if desired and (or) some lemons, quartered.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Coconut Oil Chocolate Cupcakes

In case you haven't heard yet, coconut oil is no longer bad for you.  It's actually a healthy fat and has many health properties.  Google it if interested.  ;)  Make sure to get extra-virgin, and organic if possible.  One of my fave on-line natural food sources, Vitacost, has it.  It imparts a nice subtle coconut flavor to baked goods, and I've also used it in stir-fries, etc. 

Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, making it a good sub for butter in baked goods.  I wanted to try it in the Magnolia bakery chocolate cupcake recipe- I needed to make cupcakes for these cute reindeer.  I forgot to soften some butter anyway, lol.  I really liked the result of using coconut oil in these.  I think the chocolate enhanced the coconut flavor.  The cupcakes were very tender, as well.

Coconut Oil Chocolate Cupcakes
adapted from Magnolia's cupcakes; recipe here
makes 13-15 cupcakes

1/2 cup extra-virgin coconut oil, room temp
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt

1.   In an electric mixer, cream together the coconut oil, sugar and the brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the melted chocolate and mix until well incorporated. Scrape the bowl. Add the vanilla and half of the buttermilk. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Mix, and finish with the remainder of the buttermilk. Mix until well incorporated. Scoop into baking cups and bake at 350F for about 13-20 minutes.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Christmas Reindeer Cupcakes

When I saw these recently over at Culinary Concoctions by Peabody, I knew I had to make them very soon!  My kids love making cute cupcakes like this with me, and the easier, the better when it comes to my OCD ways in the kitchen.  I simply made one cupcake first to show them all, and then they made the rest all by themselves- even frosting the cupcakes.  They had a blast.  It was a bit messy for my 5-year old, but he LOVED that he did it all by himself.  (And he did pretty well, if I don't say so myself!)  I did actually bake the cupcakes while they were at school to save some time later. 

I had a hard time finding the mini chocolate donuts where I live.  I actually couldn't find them at first glance at the store (and I was getting nervous spending so long looking at the processed sweets section of the store..... people I know where there!  Lol!).  I went back again because I REALLY wanted to make these, and I finally found some- they were in a variety package of donuts.  So there were only 8 chocolate ones- we just decorated the rest of the cupcakes with sprinkles and the M&M's. 

I tried a kind-of new way to make some chocolate cupcakes I've made before.... I'll post that recipe later (like tommorrow.... hopefully). 

Reindeer Cupcakes
from Peabody

One batch chocolate cupcakes (12-24... however many you want to make)
1 batch frosting of your choice, with about 1/4-1/2 cup of it set aside to use for eyes
Chocolate Frosted Mini Donuts (12-24 of them)
red Peanut M&M’s®
Mini Chocolate Chips
Mini Pretzel Twists

1.  Bake cupcakes and let cool. Frost when completely cool.  Place remaining frosting in a piping bag.

2.  Press a red peanut M&M® into the hole of the chocolate frosted mini donut.  Secured with a bit of frosting. 

3.  Pipe two dots for eyes and press mini chocolate chips (tip side down) into the frosting to create eyes.  Break a mini pretzel twist in half (harder than it seems!) and press them into the top of the donut for antlers.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing

This is a delicious dressing- I make it as a topping for Sweet Pork Tacos, but this is also good for a salad or for dipping.  This stuff is so good that I could seriously just drink it straight..... or maybe I have done that.  Hmmm......

The full recipe makes a ton, so I always cut it in half when I make this (recipe reflected below).  This recipe uses dry Ranch dressing mix powder, and the full recipe calls for a whole package of the dry mix.  It's a pain to use a half package, but I found a larger container of dry Ranch and you can just measure out however much you want.  One full package of regular Ranch is 3 Tablespoons, so I use 1 1/2 Tablespoons for my recipe.  (By the way- the package of dry Ranch, below, isn't available where I live... (for you locals, lol!); I got it when I visited my mom.  But I'm sure that those Stateside can find it). 

Cilantro-Ranch Dressing
from here

1/2 envelope dry ranch dressing mix (1 1/2 tablespoons)

3/4 cup fresh cilantro (or more!  I doubled this last time)

2 small tomatillos (OR use a few Tbs. green salsa)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream (light works)
juice of 1/2 lime
dash cayenne pepper (optional)

1.  Combine ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Almond Pound Cake

I love pound cake, and I also love almond flavors, so this cake was perfect for me.  I wanted a simple, no-fuss, yummy cake for my birthday, so my husand and I made this cake.  Ok, I made it while he talked to me in the kitchen, but that was my fault... he wanted to make it but I insisted on doing it myself.  Sometimes it's hard stepping aside in the kitchen and letting someone else take over!  Actually, I've never done that.  Lol. 

I topped this with homemade caramel sauce.  We also had frozen yogurt with it the first night we ate it.  Very good!

Go check out Peabody's blog for some awesome pics of this cake!  She included sauteed apples and caramel sauce and the pictures are amazing. 

Almond Pound Cake
From Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
Half-recipe; double for full recipe

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons almond meal (almond flour, ground almonds, etc)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounce cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 TBSP pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature

1.  Spray a 8 ½ by 4 ½ inch loaf pan with non stick cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 325F.

2.  In a bowl, sift together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, cream together the butter and cream cheese, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in the brown sugar and powdered sugar and continue beating until pale and fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla and almond extract.  Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.

4.  Switch over to using your hand and a spatula. Add the flour mixture and fold into the batter. Do this until no flour can be seen and batter is smooth.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.

5.  Bake until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40-70 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **