Valentine Linzer Cookies

These are my favorite Valentine cookies. It is a variation of Eli Zabar's wonderful shortbread cookies. Actually I make this cookie dough for all ocassions.

I use different size heart shape cookie cutters or you can use a 3-inch cutter for all of them and a smaller one to cut out the center.

Valentine Linzer Cookies
36 smaller cookies, less if bigger
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3/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extact
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup good raspberry preserves
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for an hour. I have left it overnight.

Roll the dough 1/4-inch thick and cut 3-inch rounds or hearts with a plain or fluted cutter. With 1/2 of the rounds/hearts, cut a hole from the middle of each with a round or heart sharped cutter. Make sure you have an equal number of plain and cut out cookies. Place all the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes.

Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges just begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature. Spread raspberry preserves on the flat side of each solid cookie. Dust the top of the cut-out cookies with confectioners sugar and press the flat sides together, with the raspberry preserves in the middle and the confections' sugar on top.

Feel Good Friday - Spring Is On It's Way

It doesn't matter that it is 8 degrees this morning because I know spring is coming. Next week we are scheduled for 60 degree days. Plus, I was visiting my friend Edie yesterday and she and my brother have little trays of plant sprouts everywhere. They have, tomatoes, corn, a variety of peppers, sweet and hot, herbs, and I can't remember what else.

You all know it doesn't take a lot to entertain me, a new receipe or a trip to the consignment/thrift store will do it. Yesterday was consignment store shopping and a trip to Peddler's Mall, which is an indoor flea market. Such deals!

The find of the day was a pair of Victoria Secret RED longjohns. Now I can be sexy (ha ha) and warm. Well it works for me.

Visit The Girl Next Door Grows Up - Feel Good Friday to see what makes others feel good today. Have a wonderful week.

Homemade Ricotta

This is what I do when it's 8 degrees outside. Maybe it will help entertain you also.

I have made homemade ricotta in the past that was a lot more complicated than this and not even as good. This recipe is from Barefoot Contessa - How Easy is That?, and I love it I use ricotta in a lot of recipes and it's nice to know I can have it nice and fresh. Now make a nice big pan of Lasagna.

Homemade Ricotta
about 2 cups
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4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons good white wine vinegar

Set a large sieve over a deep bowl. Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with the cheesecloth.

Pour the milk and cream into a stainless-steel or enameled pot. Stir in the salt. Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts (the curds) and milky parts (whey).

Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. The longer you let the mixture drain, the thicker the ricotta. (I like mine on the ticker side, but some prefer it moister.) Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discard the cheesecloth and any remaining whey. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Red Velvet Frosting

What could be more welcome than Red Velvet Cupcakes for Valentine Day. Rich chocolate cake with creamy frosting - perfect.

These are wonderful for sharing with friends and neighbors.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Red Velvet Frosting
15 cupcakes
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2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
Red Velvet Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour cocoa powder, baking, powder, baking soda, and alt. In a large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar o medium speed for 1 minute, until light. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients alternately in 3 parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mix until combined. Stir with a rubber spatula to be sure batter is mixed.

Scoop the batter into the muffin cups with a 1 1/4-inch ice cream scoop or large spoon. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centers come out clean. Cool completely in the pans and frost with Red Velvet Frosting.

Red Velvet Frosting
for 15 cupcakes

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (3/4 pound)

Place cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on medium speed just until combined. DON'T WHIP. Add the sugar and mix until smooth.

Easy Pain Au Chocolat

No, this is not the way Julia would make these. She would use the long version. These are sooo good and easy, no one will know the difference, unless you are having a French pastry chef over for dinner.

Easy Pain Au Chocolat
24 pieces
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2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed, like Pepperidge Farm
1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon of water
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate (chips work fine)
sugar for dusting

Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment or oiling it lightly. Cut each sheet of pastry into 12 squares and brush each with egg glaze. Then sprinkle 1/2-oz.
of chocolate (a few chips) on each square and roll up tightly around the chocolate. Place on the baking sheet, seam down. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Refrigerate remaining egg glaze.

Remove pastries from fridge; preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the tops of the pastries with remaining egg glaze, and then dust lightly with sugar and bake for about 15 minutes. Better to cool them at least a bit, or the butter taste is a little overwhelming.

Multigrain Cranberry Walnut Bread

What in heavens name am I doing posting a recipe about making a yeast bread with a sourdough starter. I've only being making breads like this for a month of so. And that's only because Joyce at October Farm has taught me everything I know about making bread, plus she sent me the starter (Isaac).

Anyway, I'm reading this really sweet book How To Bake a Perfect Life by Barbara O'Neal, and this recipe was in the book. I made it, all by myself. Amazing!

It is a wonderful, chewy and very flavorful bread. Plan to begin a day before you want to serve it. It uses a sourdough sponge. Any starter will work just fine, I used Isaac, but the book says if you have a hearty rye starter, it will be especially lovely. Since I have 10 jars of Isaac, I thought I would use what I had.

Multigrain Cranberry Walnut Bread
1 loaf
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To Begin:
1 cup cranberries, soaked for an hour in hot water

Prepare The Sponge:
1 cup of sourdough starter at room temperature
1/2 cup bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ground walnuts
1 cup cranberry water, pour off the cranberries (add a little plain water to make a full cup if necessary)
2 tablespoons molasses
1 scant teaspoon yeast

Mix all the ingredients and knead for a few minutes, then wrap tightly in plastic and allow to rise at room temperature for 2-4 hours. It should be very foamy.

To Mix The Dough:

Sponge, from above
1 tablespoon oil
1 1/2 cups walnuts, broken into pieces
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4-1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup soaked cranberries

A stand Mixer or bread machine is highly desirable for kneading, because this begins as a very sticky dough.

If using a mixer, put in the sponge and sprinkle with the oil, walnuts, and salt; knead on low for a couple of minutes. Let rest for 30 minutes, then knead again for 10 minutes, or until the dough starts to pull away from the bowl. If it continues to be sticky after the first few minutes, add flour a little at a time, no more than 1/4 cup at this stage. Turn out onto a floured counter and gentlty knead in cranberries. Let rest again for a half hour.

If mixing by hand, turn the sponge onto a floured surface. Oil your hands and knead the oil, walnuts, and salt into the mix until a rough dough forms, then let stand for 30 minutes. Sprinkle dough with flour, oil your hands again, and begin to turn and fold, turn and fold the dough, adding flour a little at a time until it is less sticky. Gently knead knead in the cranberries and let rest for half and hour.

Dust with a little white flour if needed and form the dough into a rectangle. Put this in an oiled 2-quart container (a 4 cups glass measuring cup works well) and mark when the cough will be when doubled. Roll the dough to coat it on all sides. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Deflate the dough, cover tightly, and let stand overnight in the fridge.

In the morning, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a rectangle that is about 8 inches long. Roll it into a loaf and tuck the ends under. Put the loaf, seam down, on a bkaing sheet lined with silicon or parchment and cover with oiled plastic. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.

A half hour before baking, prreheat the oven to 400 degrees. Fill a large cast-iron skillet with water and put it on the bottom rack of the oven.

Uncover the load and let stand for 5 mintues, then slash the top of the loaf diagonally three times and put it in the oven. Immediately turn the heat down to 375 degrees and bake for 45-55 minutes, until the loaf is golden and sounds hollow when tapped from beneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Oyster Chowder

I always think of Oyster Stew when thinking about a soup with oysters. But why not something a little heartier. Perfect for a cold winter night in front of the fire. Lets face it spring will be here soon and we will be tired of making soup. I hope, for spring that is.

Oyster Chowder
4-6 servings
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2 medium potatoes, diced
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 quart milk, some of this can be half and half
1 tablespoon chopped onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons butter
1 pint shucked oysters, undrained
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1. In a large saucepan, boil the potatoes, carrot and celery in a small amount of boiling salted water until tender. Drain. Add the milk, onion, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

2. Cream the flour with two tablespoons of the butter and gradually add to the boiling mixture. Cook, stirring, until thickened.

3. Cook the oysters with their liquid in the remaining butter until the edges curl. Add to the soup and serve immediately sprinkled with parsley.