White Chocolate Macadamia Scones with Browned Butter Glaze

Ok white chocolate macadamia lovers.  You're the ones who can't get your nose out of the vanilla extract.  You eat marshmallows right from the bag. You crave all things butterscotch, caramel, and toffee.  You actually like rice pudding and white oreos.  You'd pass on the brownie, but kill for a blondie... a vanilla bean makes you weak at the knees.  You know who you are.  This scone is for you.  And me. 

I could say that these are the perfect thing to bring to a book club or a bridge game, a shower, tea party, brunch, upscale bake sale, office party, or to use as a teacher bribe gift, But really these are mostly an excuse to wallow in barely melted white chocolate chips, big nuggets of macadamia, and a melt-in-your-mouth vanilla scone, all covered in a sweet glaze flecked with browned butter.

I know that some of you out there aren't scone fans.   I have a non-scone lover lurking in my own family.   I think it's because we Americans don't have a history with scones.  It's only because of Starbucks that we even know what one is.

If you think of scones as dry, and crumbly... stiff upper lip and all, try mine.  I make mine moist and tender and a little bit decadent.  Just a little.  Try one right out of the oven and you'll see what I mean.

White Chocolate Macadamia Scones with Browned Butter Glaze
makes 8
oven to 400
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup almond flour (or substitute regular flour)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

• Pulse all above dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor to combine

1 egg, beaten
cold buttermilk (to make 1 cup)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• Beat the egg in a liquid measuring cup and pour in buttermilk to the 3/4 cup mark
• Add in the vanilla and blend.  Set aside

1 stick, 8 Tbsp, cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces

• Pulse the butter with the dry ingredients in the food processor.  Pulse about 15 times just until the butter is incorporated and the mixture has coarse crumbs.
• Continue to pulse while you slowly pour in the buttermilk mixture, just until the dough comes together.

1 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

• Fold in the white chocolate chips and the nuts.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured board and pat into an 8 or 9 inch disk.  Cut in half, then into eighths.  
• Place the scones onto a silpat or parchment covered baking sheet.  I usually put this into the freezer for about 15 minutes while I clean up, this gives the butter a change to chill and helps the scones rise up light ad fluffy when they hit the hot oven.
• Bake for about 15 minutes.  Don't over bake.  Cool on the pan for a couple of minutes, then on a rack.
• Glaze the scones when cool to the touch.

Browned Butter Glaze
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
milk, half and half or cream to thin

• In a small saute pan, heat the butter and continue heating gently until the milk solids turn brown, stirring occasionally.  Keep an eye on it, you don't want it to burn, but you want to get a nice deep brown color.
• Take the pan off the heat and add the butter to the sugar.  Add just enough milk to thin the glaze to a drizzling consistency.
• Drizzle on the cooled scones.

If you look closely you can see all the little browned butter specks.

  

Have a great weekend!

One year ago today---

Roasted Tilapia with Vegetables en Papillote 

It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere Friday: Baked Jalapeno Poppers

Between now and the New Year I'm dedicating my Fridays to the cocktail hour. I'm going to explore appetizers, little plates, tapas, and all manner of late in the day snacks, nibbles, finger food, and the occasional libation to wash it all down with. I'm excited, this is my favorite way to eat, whether I'm throwing a holiday party or just hanging out with the nightly news. 

This is a more elegant form of the familiar bar snack.  I've replaced boring cream cheese and Monterey Jack with two kinds of Spanish cheeses, fluffy goat cheese, and manzanilla olives.  I just mound it into the jalapeno pepper halves and bake them until all browned and bubbling.  No frying, no heavy breaded coating, no watered down drinks, sticky floors, lame bands...

Taking the seeds and veins out of a hot pepper really neutralizes a lot of its heat, so this is a snack that most people can handle. If you're a real hot pepper lover you could mix some of the seeds back into the cheese filling.

I used a sharp paring knife and a small spoon to scoop out the insides of the peppers.  Be sure to wash your hands well after doing this, and whatever you do, don't touch your eyes.  And if you have a dog like mine who eats first and asks questions later, don't drop any of the lethally hot innards either!

You'll be left with perfect little jalapeno boats just waiting to be filled with cheesy goodness.

Fill them full, but not too full, or your little boats will capsize in the oven as the hot cheese dip bubbles and expands.

Finish with a few minutes under the broiler to just singe the top of the cheese.

That makes them irresistable.

I served these with Crema Mexicana, leftover from the Beef Brisket Tacos.  It's cool and creamy and the perfect thing to neutralize the heat of the peppers.  I worried that my mouth would be on fire after my first bite, but that didn't happen at all.  My peppers were pretty tame.  That's the fun thing about hot peppers, they're unpredictable.  There's no telling exactly how hot they'll be till you get 'em in your mouth.  Best be prepared with some soothing dipping sauce.

I used a combination of Manchego and Iberico cheeses, both from Spain.  I rounded it out and made the filling creamier with goat cheese.  I threw in some stuffed green olives for a little saltiness and texture.  But just about any cheese imaginable would be great in these, so grate up what you have and try it out.  It helps to use some kind of cream cheese or goat cheese to bind it all together.

Baked Jalapeno Poppers
oven to 350
makes 16 poppers
8 large jalapeno peppers

• Halve your peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes.  Set on a baking sheet.

1/2 cup finely shredded Manchego cheese

1/2 cup finely shredded Iberico cheese

1/4 cup goat cheese

handful of stuffed green olives, chopped

juice and zest of 1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

• Mix the cheeses, olives, lemon juice and zest in a small bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Fill each jalapeno half with the cheese mixture.
• Bake for about 15 minutes, and finish under the broiler to get a nice brown color.
• Serve hot with Crema Mexicana and lime wedges on the side.

Cheers! 

One year ago today---

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Dilled Matzo Ball Soup

My husband got very excited when I told him I was making matzo ball soup.  It's one of our favorites, and the temperature has dropped a few degrees this week, so we can actually enjoy it.

The headliners of matzo ball soup are the matzo balls, without them, you just have chicken soup.  They remind me that, with a little ingenuity, you can make the most delicious things from the humblest ingredients.  Traditional matzo balls are made with not much more than cracker meal and eggs.  But in the hands of a skilled cook they turn into tasty buoyant little dumplings.

 I'm foregoing the prepackaged mixes and making mine from scratch with matzo crackers.

Matzo is a simple flat cracker made from flour and water.  It's basically an unleavened bread traditionally eaten during Passover to commemorate the ancient Jews' hasty exodus from Egypt.  It's easily ground up in a food processor and it yields better, fresher results than packaged mixes.  Like graham cracker crumbs made fresh from the crackers...why on earth pay somebody else to smash up crackers for you?

Some beaten egg, a tiny bit of oil, and a little broth or water makes these basic dumplings.  Lots of fresh dill makes them more colorful and interesting.

In the venerable old delis here in Los Angeles they make their matzo balls huge.  They give you one ginormous ball that fills your entire bowl, and it can be a little overwhelming.  You have to attack it with a knife and fork.  I like mine more on the delicate side, both in size and in texture.

I use the tiniest size scoop I can find so I can make small, uniform balls.  You can make them any size you want, but I think the smaller ones cook more evenly and come out better. 

And don't forget that matzo balls expand as they simmer, so you'll always end up with bigger dumplings after they're cooked.

.

Dilled Matzo Ball Soup
matzo balls:  ~~~ adapted from Manischewitz.com

2 eggs
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

• Beat the eggs and add in the oil.

1/2 cup  finely ground matzo
1 tsp salt

• Mix in the matzoh and salt.

2 Tbsp seltzer water (or broth)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh dill

• Add the water and dill and mix thoroughly.  Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
• Using a scoop or small spoon, make rounded balls out of the dough and set on a tray.  I used a 1 1/4 inch scoop and got 21 balls.
• Bring lots of salted water to a boil and drop the matzoh balls in.  Cover, lower the heat slightly, and let them simmer for about 15 minutes.  Gently remove them to a plate.

chicken soup:
2 Tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
5 stalks celery, sliced (I use the inner stalks and chop the leaves, too)

• Melt the butter in a soup pot and saute the onion and carrot for about 10 minutes.  
• Add the celery and cook for another few minutes.

8 cups chicken stock
approx. 3 cups cooked chicken meat (I used the breast meat from a rotisserie chicken)
2 bay leaves
salt and fresh pepper to taste
large handful fresh parsley, chopped

• Add in the stock, chicken meat, bay leaves and salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer and cook gently for about 15 minutes.  Don't cook so long that the carrots become soft and mushy.
• Just before serving, put the matzo balls into the soup and heat them through.
• Finish with a large handful of chopped fresh parsley and garnish with some dill leaves.

Note:  If we're not going to eat all the soup at one time, I only add the amount of matzo balls needed for that serving.  The rest can be stored separately and added to the soup the next day.  This just prevents them from getting soggy.

This is warm, hearty, restorative, resonant with historical significance, and the essence of home and family.  It can also beat the heck out of a cold or flu.   It's one of the world's great soups.

Bacon Crusted Mac and Cheese

Don't pretend you don't love bacon.  Don't even start with me,  I'm not buying it.  Maybe you wish it weren't so, but I don't believe for a minute that you don't love bacon. 

I was a vegetarian for a while in college, and the thing that tripped me up was bacon.  I don't even think of it as a meat.   I mean, it's closer to kettle chips or caramel corn than it is to a chicken breast.  You have to admit, it's in a category all its own.

This is my classic macaroni and cheese.  It's the base for any elaborations I do over the years. It's good, it's honest, it's straightforward and easy to make.  If you can remember the number 2, you can make this, because everything comes in handy denominations of 2.

Just keep in mind, your macaroni and cheese is only as good as your macaroni and your cheese.  I used Italian whole wheat elbows, and extra sharp aged cheddar.

Bacon Crusted Mac and Cheese
oven to 350
one 12 oz package of bacon

• Cook the bacon until crisp according to your preferred method.  I do it in on a baking tray in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes, turning once during the cooking.  No spatters, no standing over a spattering pan.  
• Drain and cool the bacon, then crumble it up and set aside.  I know you will snack on this, so I've built in a few extra pieces of bacon to account for it.

2 cups whole grain elbow pasta

• Cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water.  Cook it until just barely al dente.  Drain and set aside.

2 Tbs butter
2 Tbsp flour

• In a large saucepan melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour.  Stir with a whisk or silicone spatula for a minute until smooth.  This 'roux' will thicken your macaroni sauce.

2 cups whole milk
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 8 oz)
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

• Whisk in the milk and heat until the mixture thickens, whisking almost constantly.  This will happen as the milk gets close to a simmer.
• Take the pan off the heat, and add in the cheese.  Stir until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth.  
• Mix the macaroni into the cheese sauce and stir to combine well. Season to taste with salt and plenty of fresh black pepper.
• Spoon the macaroni into a baking dish, or individual dishes like I've done.
• First bake the mac and cheese without the bacon for about 15 minutes. Then top it with lots of crumbly bacon, and put it back in the oven for another 5 or 10 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
• Flip the top off a cold beer, turn on the game/news/Homeland/QVC...whatever floats your boat, and offer up a silent prayer to me for posting this today.
• You're welcome, in advance :)

What can I say?  It was good.

Disclaimer:  Even though I love it, I hardly ever buy bacon.  The thing is, it isn't that good for you.  But I say, on the odd occasion that you do buy it, use it in a big way, like this.  ;)

Muy Bueno Cookbook Spotlight: Beef Brisket Tacos

I'm helping to spread the word about the soon to be released Muy Bueno Cookbook, organized by my friend and blogging buddy Heather at Girlichef.  The book is the project of a mother and 2 daughters who lovingly explore and share three generations of Mexican and Mexican American food heritage.  A group of bloggers have been sent advance copies of the book and we'll be cooking from it for the three weeks before publication.  The book is gorgeous, inspiring, and full of so many recipes I want to try that my head is spinning.  

Don't forget---

Simply leave a comment at the end of this post for a chance to win a copy of this book

Maybe I cheated a little in that I chose one of the simplest recipes from the book to share with you today.  I mean, really, beef brisket + a bottle of beer + crock pot, along with some fresh corn tortillas is about the gist of it.  But there's something so approachable, so understandable, and so mouthwatering about that shredded meat inside those warm corn tortillas.  And for me this recipe demystifies the art of a great taco.  It's all about perfectly cooked meat, and a selection of well chosen toppings.

This is a great weekday dinner, the toppings can be prepped the night before, and the meat goes in the crock pot as you step out the door. This recipe will be my slow cooker's maiden voyage this season, it feels good.

It takes two seconds to shred the meat and heat the tortillas.   Set out the toppings buffet style and you have a winner.

The meat is really flavorful after the long slow cooking in beer, and the liquid smoke adds a nice touch,  But I have to say, these tacos really came alive after we loaded them up with the toppings.  Especially the Queso Fresco and the Crema Mexicana, which I'd never used before. The cheese is crumbly, salty, and melts beautifully.  The crema, or sour cream, gives a wonderful creamy moistness to the meat and tacos.

I made Cherry Tomato Salsa to go with these tacos, but last week's Mushroom Salsa would be a great paring with the beef, too.

Beef Brisket Tacos
makes 12-24 tacos
2-4 lbs beef brisket, fat trimmed
2 ounces liquid smoke per pound of meat
2 bay leaves
12 oz beer
salt and pepper to taste
12-24 corn tortillas

• Put the brisket, bay leaves, liquid smoke and beer in a slow cooker.  Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
• Remove the brisket and shred the meat.  Add the salt and pepper to taste.
• Warm the corn tortillas.
• Place shredded brisket in tortillas and add your favorite toppings.

Toppings
shredded cheese (I used Queso Fresco)
Crema Mexicana (or sour cream)
chopped cilantro
chopped white onion
avocados, peeled and sliced
salsa of your choice 

Don't forget to leave a comment so you will be entered to win this book, you will love it!

This post is part of the Muy Bueno Cookbook Spotlight & Cook-Off sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef.

Minimal Monday: Backyard Avocados with Prosciutto, Red Grapefruit and Lime

A few weeks ago I discovered that we have a huge avocado tree in the backyard.  We've been in this house since May, and you'd think I would have noticed that before.  Our Bichon Teddy's been chomping on mysterious oblong green things for a while now, but it was only after they suddenly got larger, turned black, and went all squishy that a little light went off in my head.  I showed one to my husband but he still refuses to believe it.  I'm going to convince him with this salad.

The problem is that it's a very very large tree, the ripe avocados have a long distance to fall, and when they do they hit a brick patio, and 90% of them crack open, get smashed, or otherwise lose their food appeal.  Oh, and they drop like bombs onto the roof outside our bedroom window at night and scare the bejesus out of us.   So don't be too jealous of my tree.

I looked it up and apparently this is the start of California avocado season.

I arranged slices of ripe avocado, sections of red grapefruit, and wide ribbons of prosciutto on a plate.  The dressing is an extra tangy combination of lime juice and olive oil, and then I dusted the salad with lots of black lava salt.

Have you tried Black Lava Salt?  It gets its color from natural black volcanic charcoal, and it's very striking.  I found mine (where else?) at the farmer's market.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow, Tuesday, to see what's cooking from the Muy Bueno Cookbook Spotlight, and be sure to leave a comment to be entered to win a copy of the book!

Happy Monday!