kickin' peanut butter cookies

I’ve been contemplating new cookie adventures and here is my latest sojourn. The idea map for these

looks something like this: peanut butter and chili go together in Thai cooking; chocolate and chili go together in Mexican cooking; let’s make cookies. Though it may feel like a lot of Sriracha, the balance of sweet, spicy, and savory came out well.

Preheat oven to 375.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups peanut butter (crunchy or creamy — your choice)
2 cups brown sugar, packed

Cream the butter, then add the sugar and let the mixer run for 5-7 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.

1/2 cup Sriracha
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add the Sriracha with the mister on low and then the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla. Beat until combined. In a separate bowl mix

2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 12 oz. packages chocolate chips

Gradually add the flour to the peanut butter mixture until well combined and then add the chocolate chips. Refrigerate the dough for 1-2 hours. I used a 1 oz. cookie scoop and then rolled the scoops into balls — about 1” in diameter, placed them on a lined baking sheet and pressed them down gently with a fork.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. (I bake them 9, actually.) If you want a bigger cookie, use a 2 oz. scoop and bake them for 13 minutes.

Peace,
Milton

pumpkin cornbread

This recipe came about after a conversation with a colleague at work who sent me searching for a recipe. After looking several, I ended up with this one because I could use a whole can of pumpkin.

Preheat the oven to 425.

In a large bowl, mix together

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups corn meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In another bowl combine

4 eggs
1 can pumpkin puree
1 cup brown sugar packed
1/2 cup canola oil

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the pumpkin mixture. You could also add some chopped nuts or raisins or pumpkin seeds. We didn’t add anything. Grease two muffin pans and divide the mixture evenly. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Makes 24 muffins.

I served it with a chicken and black bean mixture I created out of what I had in the kitchen to feed friends during our last snow storm (see photo -- the muffin is under there, I promise!). You could also use the mixture here.

Peace,
Milton

ice cream variations

One of my favorite food books of the past year is Michael Ruhlman’s Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking in which he talks about the basic ratios that make cooking possible. His basic ice cream recipe is as follows (this does well in one of the countertop ice cream makers):

1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3/4 cup sugar
6 ounces egg yolks (9-10 large egg yolks)

I have made ice cream twice over the last couple of weeks. Once was a curry ice cream to go with these cookies; the other was a Limoncello ice cream to go with an almond pound cake baked by my friend Laura (I don’t yet have that recipe). My point is, with this base, you can make most any flavor you like with a little help from your friendly web browser.

For the curry ice cream, I replaced the milk with coconut milk

(one can is right at 1 1/2 cups) and added 1 1/2 tablespoons of Madras curry powder.

For the Limoncello ice cream, I used the base recipe and added 2 tablespoons of lemon extract and a half a cup of Limoncello.

(I might also add Ruhlman adds 2-4 tablespoons of Maker’s Mark Bourbon to his vanilla recipe.)

The actual making of the ice cream is as follows:

Heat the cream and milk in a double boiler, or in a saucepan over medium heat, until the milk is to a simmering stage. Don’t bring it to a boil. Whisk the eggs and sugar (and curry powder or lemon extract and Limoncello) until the sugar is dissolved. Ladle about a half a cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture very slowly, whisking the whole time. This is called tempering the mixture. You are trying to raise the temperature of the eggs without cooking them. Repeat until you have added at least two cups of the milk to the eggs and then pour the mixture slowly back into the double boiler and cook the mixture until it thickens like a custard, which will take about six or seven minutes. This should require your complete attention.

When the mixture is ready, Pour it into a clean and cold bowl and then set that bowl in an ice bath to let it cool. After about 10-15 minutes, Put the bowl in the fridge and let it sit for at least two hours. It can sit overnight, if you like. If you do so, cover the top with a piece of plastic wrap so it doesn’t develop a skin.

Pour the chilled mixture into the ice cream maker and let it run for 25-30 minutes. The longer you leave it, the harder the ice cream will become. Transfer the ice cream to a container and put in the freezer for at least two hours before serving.

This one takes some work, but it sure is good.

Peace,

Milton

chicken, corn, and black bean chowder.

This is one of those soups that takes time, if you have it or are willing to make it. And there is a short cut version as well. I did the whole thing in my slow cooker.

Day One:

1 whole chicken -- neck and organs removed, washed 

1 onion, chopped2 medium carrots, rough chopped 

1 stalk celery, rough chopped 

5 cloves garlic salt, pepper, paprika (or whatever else you would like to rub on the bird) 

1 cup white wine

Pat the chicken dry and rub with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Put the vegetables and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker and the chicken on top. Add the wine and turn the cooker on low. Let it cook overnight, or for at least six hours. 

Remove the bird and pull the meat off the bones. Discard the skin. (You can save the bones to make more stock later.) Pour the liquid in the slow cooker through a sieve or chinois or some cheesecloth and put it in the refrigerator to cool. (The fat will separate and will be easy to remove.Discard the vegetables.

SHORTCUT VERSION: Buy a roasted chicken and a box of chicken stock. 

Day Two:

4 tablespoons butter or olive oil 

1 or 2 poblano peppers, diced (depending on the heat you want) 

1 onion, diced 

2 cups corn kernels (this time of year, I use frozen ones 

1 tablespoon cumin 

1 tablespoon dark chili powder 

salt and pepper

Melt the butter or heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Add the peppers and onions, along with the cumin, and cook until tender -- about 5 minutes. Add the corn and chili powder. Stir and cover. Check and stir occasionally. Cook for another seven or eight minutes. Empty pan into slow cooker and add

2 medium sweet potatoes, diced 

1 small can of crushed pineapple 

shredded chicken (from Day One) 

stock (from Day One) and enough water to make four cups

Set slow cooker on low and let it cook overnight once more (or you could do it on high for two to three hours). The next morning, turn the cooker to high and add

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 

1 cup heavy creamsalt and pepper to taste

Turn it to high and let it cook for another hour or so. Another option here is to move everything to a stock pot and add the beans and cream while it is on the stove. For that matter, all of Dayer  Two could be done on the stove. The slow cooker just lets me make a great soup in the background.

Peace
Milton

avocado hollandaise

I found this recipe in a recent issue of Food and Wine. It works on everything from breakfast to dinner. The picture shows in on top of roasted pork with a corn, black bean, and plantain salsa.

1 ripe avocado
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2/3 cup hot water
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Chop up the avocado and put it in a food processor or blender. Add lemon juice and hot water and blend until smooth. This will take a couple of minutes. As the machine is running, slowly add the olive oil. I also think it would work if you wanted to add a little jalapeño or poblano to give it a little kick.

Peace

Milton