How you doin’? When you own a chocolate company and writing a new chocolate cookbook you have to create a lot of cookie recipes (and taste them all). I designed a cookie program for Choclatique. I used this basic cookie dough for several other flavors, like oatmeal-raisin and cranberry-nut. We also used the dough for a pre-baked crust for a chocolate chip brownie pie. 
 
The 48 cookies in this recipe contain over 2 pounds of chocolate and over a pound of butter. The flour just barely holds it all together and the ground oats are my ode to healthy snacking. These cookies are over-the-top decadent. Pace yourself—one cookie a day will do you.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Cool time:  30 minutes
Bake time:  15 to 17 minutes
Cool time:  20 minutes
Yield: 48 2-1/2-inch cookies
 
Ingredients
18 ounces (4 sticks, plus 4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup pastry or cake flour
2 cups 1-minute oatmeal (processed into powder)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 tablespoon baking soda
1-1/2 pounds (3 cups) dark chocolate chips (I prefer Guittard Dark Chocolate)
1/2 pound grated or chopped good quality dark chocolate (64% to 70% cacao)
3 cups roasted and chopped pecans
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
 
Directions

1. Prepare 2 sheet pans with Silpat liners or parchment paper. 
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a mixing paddle, cream together the butter and sugars.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, continuing to mix.
4. Add the all-purpose and pastry flours along with the processed oatmeal.  (This should be done in small amounts to make sure all ingredients are well incorporated.) 
5. Add the salt, baking powder and soda. 
6. Mix the cookie dough together with the chocolate chips and grated chocolate.
7. Lastly, add the roasted nuts and mix.
8. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. 
9. Preheat an oven to 375°F.
10. Scoop golf ball size cookies onto an ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart and push them down a little bit to slightly flatten.
11. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes rotating the pans at the half way mark.
12. Remove from the oven and let the sheet pans cool on racks.
13. Transfer cookies on to cooling rack to cool completely.

ChefSecret:  Chilling the dough before baking prevents the cookie dough from spreading out too much when baking.

Quip of the Day: “What did one butt cheek say to the other? Together we can stop this crap.”
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Baking #Snack #Cookie #BestChocolateChipCookie #ChocolateChipCookie #Guittard #Choclatique #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? I pretty much love most everything made with peanuts. Peanuts probably originated in South America and spread throughout the New World as Spanish explorers discovered the peanut's versatility. When the Spaniards returned to Europe, peanuts went with them. Later, traders were responsible for spreading peanuts to Asia and Africa. Peanuts proved so very popular in Africa, it was African slaves who smuggled peanuts to the Southern United States, and they took root.
 
I love texture in baked goods and confections, so peanut brittle and these cookies are my go-to recipes. If you love peanuts like me, you’ll love these incredible Skinny P’nutters. They’re called skinny because they spread to a thin, even wafer when they’re baking. These cookies are filled and topped with peanutty goodness. I bet you can’t eat just one once you discover the crispy edges, chewy interior, and crunchy peanuts!
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  15 minutes (per tray)
Yield:  2 dozen cookies
 
Ingredients
3 cups peanuts, honey-roasted (about 1 pound)
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon kosher table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons cold water
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400⁰F.
2. Line several sheet pans with foil, shiny side up.
3. In a food processor, pulse 1 cup of the peanuts with 1/4 cup of the sugar several times, until some of the nuts are finely chopped and some are coarsely chopped.
4. In a small bowl, whisk flour, salt and baking soda together.
5. In a large bowl, beat the egg with the cream, butter, vanilla extract and remaining 1 cup sugar until blended.
6. Beat in flour, water and chopped peanuts.
7. Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of dough about 3-inches apart onto baking sheets.
8. Press 1 tablespoon of remaining peanuts onto each cookie, flattening it slightly.
9. Bake cookies 1 sheet pan at a time in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the sheet pans front to back halfway through cooking.
10. Slide foil onto wire rack and let cookies cool completely.
11. When cookies are cool, invert and peel off foil.
12. Store in an airtight container for up to a week or so.

ChefSecret:  If you eat peanuts every day you get protein, vitamins, minerals and more! Peanuts have more protein than any nut (7g per serving), containing more than 30 essential vitamins and minerals and they are a good source of fiber and good fats. They taste good, too!

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  “Exercise makes you look younger naked. So does wine. Your choice.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Baking #Snack #Cookie #Peanuts #NationalPeanutBoard #NPB #PeanutFarmers #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? I love Italian cannoli, but I don’t make it all that often because the fried pastry tube is a pain to make. The ready-to-use (premade) tubes just aren’t all that good. If you feel the way I do here is the best substitute for old-fashioned cannoli and I make it quite often.

Typically, cannoli consists of the tube-shaped shell of fried pastry dough, and a sweet, creamy filling usually containing ricotta—a staple of Sicilian cuisine. They range in size from 4- to 8-inches. In mainland Italy, they are commonly known as Cannoli Siciliani.
 
Well, after experimenting in the test kitchen, I finally came up with a suitable, easy-to-make substitute by way of a cheesecake that cooks perfectly in a 6- to 7-inch springform pan fitted for the Instant Pot. This recipe is great for very special Italian-inspired dinners that can be enjoyed later with leftovers the night after. It easily lasts 3 or 4 days.
 
Garnish with Italian brandy cherries, fresh raspberries, strawberries on top, whipped cream, and a drizzle of chocolate syrup if you're feeling extra indulgent.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  50 minutes
Cool time:  4 hours or overnight
Yield:  1 6-or 7-inch cheesecake, about 8 servings
 
Ingredients
For the crust
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (for the pan)
2 cups crushed graham crackers or Italian biscotti cookies  
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
 
For the cannoli filling
15 ounces ricotta cheese, drained
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia flavor (see ChefSecret)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup mini-bitter sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup toasted and chopped pistachio nuts
 
Directions
To prepare the springform pan

1. Coat a 6-or 7-inch springform pan with butter.
2. Cut a parchment circle for the bottom of the pan and strips for the sides of the pan.
3. Place the parchment over the buttered areas of the pan and then butter the parchment paper. The parchment paper will help the cheesecake separate easily from the sides and bottom of the springform pan.

To make the cookie crust

1. Place the cookies in the bowl of a food processor and process until fully ground.
2. Add the sugar and salt and process again.
3. Add the softened butter and process until the crushed cookie mixture loosely sticks together.
4. Drop the cookie mixture into the bottom of the pan and using your fingertips work the mixture up the sides until you have an even thickness of crust across the bottom and sides.
5. Do not bother to rinse out the bowl of the food processor as it can be used as is to make the filling.

To make the filling and the cheesecake

1. In the bowl of the food processor, mix the ricotta, cream cheese and sugar together.
2. Add the cornstarch, flour, sour cream, and Fiori di Sicilia flavor. Mix well.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips and pistachios.
5. Pour cheesecake batter into the crust.
6. Place a trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add 2 cups water. Place the springform pan into the Instant Pot on top of the trivet. Close and lock the lid.
7. Select HIGH PRESSURE according to manufacturer's instructions; set timer for 40 MINUTES. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
8. Using the release valve, RELEASE PRESSURE after 30 MINUTES.
9. Let the cheesecake cool on a wire rack for 1 hour, then cover it and place it in the refrigerator to cool completely for at least 4 hours before serving.
10. Release the springform pan and remove all the parchment paper before serving.
11. Serve with a drizzle of chocolate syrup or whipped cream as an option.

ChefSecret:  Have you ever wondered what the Italian bakers use to get the unique flavor and aroma in their baked goods? It’s Fiori di Sicilia, an intense extract that combines vanilla, citrus and flower essences. “Flowers of Sicily” is what it literally means. Many Italian bakers use this flavoring in their panettone baking. It seems clear that extracts containing flower essences are common in Italy. What is Fiori di Sicilia, you ask? The dominant flavors in Fiori di Sicilia are vanilla and orange, so a combination of those two make a fine substitute. Also a little rose flower water, to make make-up for some of the floral aromas. But don’t be afraid to omit it entirely, because to be honest, it can be just too darn strong for some people. Make sure if you are using this in place of pure vanilla extract to only use half the amount called for. This extract is available at King Arthur Baking or Amazon.

Quip of the Day: “If you can’t laugh at yourself, I’ll do it for you.”
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Desserts #InstantPot #Cheesecake #Cannoli #Ricotta #Pistachios #FioriDiSicilia #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                             ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? This melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cookie is topped with mint chocolate “frosting.” It's delicious and it's easy! It is the perfect after dinner mint treat to complement any meal and any season.
 
But what you may ask, was the origin of this cookie recipe?  It all started with the Girl Scouts nearly 100 years ago. Their cookies have been evolving ever since Girl Scout Cookies got their start. Back then, there was no such thing as the Thin Mint, Samoa or Tagalong.
 
According to the organization’s history, the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Okla., baked and sold the first-ever batch of Girl Scout Cookies in their high school cafeteria in 1917. A July 1922 American Girl magazine feature provided a simple sugar cookie recipe, suggesting that they be sold door-to-door for 25 to 30 cents per dozen (my, how times have changed!).
    Girl Scouts selling cookies in 1928.
 
But not every Girl Scout was doing the baking herself. “Grandma used to bake the cookies,” former Girl Scout Selma Rutledge says, “I was never the kitchen cooker, I stayed outside and sold them. Selling cookies taught me how to meet people and how to present myself. It gave me the courage to stand up and speak up.”
 
She used to wrap five or six of Granny’s oatmeal cookies in a small paper bag, with a little ribbon around it. That was the start. But when did the Thin Mint emerge? Although Rutledge sold homemade cookies, the Girl Scouts began standardizing their cookies in 1936, when the organization licensed its first baker.
 
1939 brought the first iteration of the Thin Mint, then called “Cooky-Mints.”
By 1948 there were 29 different licensed bakers making a Girl Scout Mint Cookie. The minted cookie has had a myriad of names over the years… Mints changed to Chocolate Mint to Thin Mint to Cookie Mint to Chocolate Mint to Thin Mints to Thin Mint and finally, back to the plural Thin Mints.
 
Here is my recipe for what is close in flavor to the original. This version, Chocolate Mint Cookies, is a littler thicker and chewier cookie than the Girl Scout version, but the chocolaty-mint flavor is spot on!
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Refrigerate time:  1 hour
Bake time:  10 to 12 minutes
Cool time:  20 minutes
Yield:  About 30 cookies
 
Ingredients
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1-1/2 sticks)
1-1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon mint extract
2 -1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
36 chocolate thin mint wafer candies (like Andes Mints)
 
Directions

1. In a large pan over low heat, cook the butter, sugar and water until the butter is melted.
2. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted.
3. Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool slightly.
4. At high speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
6. Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients, beating until well blended.
7. Chill the dough about 1 hour.
8. Preheat an oven to 350⁰F.
9. Scoop and roll the dough into balls (about 2 heaping tablespoons—1-1/2 ounces or a #30 scoop) and place them on ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
10. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes.
11. While the cookies are baking unwrap the chocolate mints and divide each in half.
12. When cookies are still hot and fresh right out of the oven, put 1/2 mint on top of each cookie and press in gently.
13. Let the mints sit for up to 5 minutes until melted, then spread the melted mint on top of the cookies.
14. Let the cookies cool to allow the chocolate mints to cool and set-up.

ChefSecret: Do not skip the step to refrigerate the dough. This allows the flour to properly hydrate so that it doesn’t over spread when baking, ensuring the perfect cookie size and texture.

Quip of the Day: “I suggested building beds above each other to save space, but the idea was debunked.”

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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. We have added a new search feature to make it easier to navigate through our blogs. 
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Baking #Snack #Dessert #Cookies #GirlScoutCookies #ThinMints #AndesMints #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                               ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? One of the things we’ve heard over the last year is that for the first time in nearly 3 generations moms and dads are taking the time to teach their children to cook. So, occasionally, we like to combine a cooking with a craft project that creates a tasty teachable moment. This is one of those recipes.

I remember when Pop Tarts first appeared on the grocer’s shelf in 1964… I couldn’t wait to try them—what a disappointment! I expected a morning pastry that tasted as good as the picture on the box. We think you will find this is not only a great tasting treat, but a fun project for mom, dad and kiddos (of any age).
The fun part is everyone can make their tarts, their way, with different fillings and toppings with a single recipe of dough.

You can buy special fillings and toppings or you can use the ingredients in your own pantry. What a wonderful way to clean out the fridge with those almost empty jars of nut butters, jams and jellies. So, pull together all your sweet odds and ends for this project… anything goes!

This Kids-Made Pop-Tart recipe includes all the flavors of the original that were promised but never delivered. The other bonus is that you can actually understand the label—none of those questionable ingredients you can’t pronounce or better living through chemistry. These are oven-tarts, not toaster pastries. They are not tarts to put in your pantry, but they store well in your freezer.

Prep time:  20 minutes
Bake time:  25 minutes
Chill time: 1 hour
Yield: Approximately 10-12 pastries
 
Ingredients
For the pastry
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup cold water
 
For the original cinnamon-flavored filling
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
 
For icing or glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla or almond extract
Few drops food coloring as desired
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 375⁰F.
2. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

To make the pastry

1. Dry whisk the flour, granulated sugar, and salt together into a bowl.
2. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles small peas.
3. Add the vanilla extract.
4. Mix in cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together and forms a ball.
5. Divide dough into 2 pieces and wrap each with plastic wrap; chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

To make the filling

1. Beat the softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl.  Or you can use any filling of your choice. Set aside.
2. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to 1/2-inch thickness.
3. Cut the dough into rectangles with a knife.
4. Drop 1 tablespoon of filling onto half of the rectangles.
5. Cover with remaining rectangles. Press edges with a fork to seal. Poke a few holes in the top of each pastry with a fork to let steam escape during baking. Neatness counts!
   
6. Arrange the pastries on the lined baking sheets.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
   
8. Cool pastries on a wire rack, about 15 minutes.

To make the icing

1. Combine the icing ingredients in a small bowl. Add a little more milk a teaspoon at a time if you want a thinner consistency.
2. Spread or drizzle the icing over the pastries. Add sprinkles, nuts, coconut, mini chocolate chips, dried fruit… whatever makes you happy!

 
ChefSecret:  When adding the water to pastry dough, be sure to go slow and add it just one tablespoon at a time. If it holds together before you use it all, stop. You don’t want the dough to be too wet.

Quip of the Day: “I believe my soul mate is out there, in some corner of the earth...
unfortunately, the earth is round.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to send a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. We added a new search feature to make it easier to navigate through our blogs. 
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Baking #Snack #Dessert #PopTarts #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                           ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021