TWD- Linzer Sables and a Giveaway!

Cookies again-yes! This week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection comes from Noskos. I've never made or heard of these cookies so I was happy to try something new. The dough came together easily and offered lots of varieties with the nuts, filling, and spices. I decided to use macadamia nuts and chocolate ganache, like those candies people bring back from Hawaii... I've always liked those. I used only the tiniest bit of cloves and cinnamon to spice the dough since I wasn't sure about the flavors altogether. I also rolled the dough a little thinner than recommended (and was sure to under bake them slightly) so they ended up quite delicate.

I also sandwiched a few cookies with raspberry jam for my non-chocolate eating husband. I wasn't sure which flavor I would be prefer but in the end I liked the cookies that had both jam and ganache (particularly since my ganache was so dark and didn't seem quite sweet enough). I still have a little dough left in the fridge and I'm excited to experiment with it and see what I can come up with. Don't forget to snag the recipe here and try some of your own delicious little cookies.

Now (to catch up for last week's TWD...) here is my thanksgiving two-fer pie. I've never actually made Pecan or Pumpkin pie so it was fun to try them together. This was one pretty pie! I followed the advice concerning the crust and did not blind bake it. I also saved some of the pumpkin filling to make into a mini pie and was glad I did- it was plenty full!

I'm still not a huge pumpkin fan but this was yummy- even if my edges almost burned and the bottom of the pastry wasn't quite cooked (the soggy part was delicious to me, don't tell!) I think this is a recipe that needs some perfecting for me to get it just right but is totally worth the wait. You can find the recipe on Vibi's blog.

Now for the giveaway... three lucky readers (randomly selected of course) will receive a Pillsbury gift basket. The basket includes a coupon for Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls, a magnetic coupon holder, a house-shaped mouse pad, pot holders, a cookie sheet (you can never have enough of those), a bread basket and a Pillsbury Doughboy figurine (haha!). Pillsbury is also donating to American foodbanks for each person that checks out their website here.

In order to enter the contest, just leave a comment here and let me know what your favorite part of family meals is. My favorite part has to be making them with my family and sitting around and talking afterward. In my pre-mommy life I studied families and know how important it is to spend time sharing meals together. The holiday season is the perfect time to spend together in the kitchen and I'm looking forward to it! (Contest will end next Monday night, at midnight, AZ time).

Don't forget to stop by later this week to see my entry for December's holiday music themed "You Want Pies With That?"- it's more than over the top and delicious too!

Barefoot Bloggers- Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

Soup weather has finally arrived around here and we've been enjoying soup for dinner at least once or twice a week. This delicious Barefoot Bloggers recipe, chosen by Judy, made a particularly delicious meal. I modified the recipe to our tastes (more tomatoes, other chiles, etc) and loved every bite- especially the leftovers. I took a hint from Ellie Krieger and made baked tortilla strips with corn tortillas I sliced, tossed, and sprinkled with salt before baking. They were yummy and a great addition to the soup. We also served up lots of cilantro (I'm sure some of you think it tastes like metal or soap, but growing up in Arizona, I can't get enough!), avocados, and cheese. Next time I'll add black beans and pepper jack cheese (how bad can that be, right Ina?)

I'd also like to thank Peggy for this nice award and her kind words. I so appreciate the wonderful blogging community and love this new hobby. Thanks Peggy!

Mexican Chicken Soup
adapted from Ina Garten
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
5 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1 can green chiles
1 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas

For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their juice, jalapenos, green chiles, hot sauce, cumin, and about 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock) and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste.

Meanwhile, brush tortillas with oil and cut in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips. Bake at 350 in a nice flat layer until crisp (about 10 minutes). Serve the soup hot topped with frozen corn, sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and homemade tortilla strips or broken tortilla chips.

Easy Homemade Dinner (and Orange) Rolls

I can't believe it, but Thanksgiving is already here. That's not as shocking as the realization that follows- Christmas is coming! With the start of this wonderful season, I'm reminded of one of my favorite things to bake. This roll recipe comes from a family friend and neighbor who happens to be the best preschool teacher in the world. She's infinitely patient but you won't have to be to enjoy these rolls.

Peggy, the best baker I know, sharing her secrets... don't tell her I told!

I learned this recipe when I was about 10 at a church mother daughter activity. It's so simple I never understood people's fear of yeast (I do now though, don't worry). However, with some easy ingredients that are probably in your pantry, a big bowl, and a fork, you can have delicious rolls in no time (making the batter takes less that 10 minutes!)

Even better, they are easily adapted to my other friend's world famous orange rolls. She did mention several times while she helped me make them that there are no calories in orange rolls. Enjoy and hop on the treadmill the next morning.

Dissolve the yeast. Combine melted butter, sugar, and salt.

Add eggs and beat into mixture.

Stir the yeast mixture into the bowl.

Dump in the flour.

Stir with a fork for a minute or two until combined (this picture shows about half way done, don't worry about kneading or anything. These are easy rolls!)

Put the dough into a bowl with a little oil and cover with a dish towel (don't click on that photo, you'll see flour lumps... don't worry though, they disappear later).

Let rise until doubled. It tastes good too, if you aren't too afraid of salmonella, which obviously isn't a worry at my place.

Divide dough into thirds and roll out. Spread with softened butter (go easy if you'd like, or add cinnamon sugar, herbs, whatever strikes your fancy).

Fold over into thirds, cut into strips, and tie each piece into a little knot. Forget to take pictures (and it's probably not such a bad thing considering how messy my hands were!)

Orange rolls are even better (though admitedly more of an indulgence!)

Easy Homemade Rolls
from Rita Lyon

1 cake or 1 tablespoon yeast
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour
oil for rolling dough and greasing pan

Instructions:

Dissolve yeast into warm water (a little warmer than your body, but not too hot to kill the yeast). Sprinkle sugar on top of yeast and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, eggs, and salt. Mix with a fork until combined. Sir in frothy and dissolved yeast mixture. Add flour and mix together well with a fork for a bout one minute (it should be fairly smooth but don't worry about kneading it). Place in a greased bowl and cover with a dish towel. Let rise until doubled.

For dinner rolls:

1 stick of butter, softened

Divide dough into thirds. Pour a little oil onto your hands, pin, and counter (don't use flour). Roll out one piece into a nice rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Fold into thirds and slice into pieces about 3/4 inch wide. Tie each piece into a little knot, place on a greased or lined baking sheet, and let rise until doubled. Bake at 375 for 8- 10 minutes, until golden brown.

For sweet orange rolls:
from Peggy Leatham

1 stick of butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
zest of 2 oranges
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until a thick paste forms (if too runny, add more sugar). Roll dough into a large rectangle (about 12 x 18) and spread paste over the dough. Roll up (like cinnamon rolls) and slice dough about 3/4 inch thick. Place each piece into a very well greased muffin tin.

Let rise until doubled.

Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Begin checking the rolls around 12 minutes and watch closely, as they will brown quickly (note the difference of color in the two batches in this picture).

Remove the rolls from oven once they are browned and immediately flip onto a cooling rack place atop parchment paper. Let cool and serve inverted. The juice will drip down to make a nice glaze. Serve warm.

Williams Sonoma Spatulas

I've been devoted to a KitchenAid spatula for exactly four years since I first took my cooking class in college. Each of the kitchens was stocked with two of these perfect scrapers-great for cleaning out the bowl of the KitchenAid, safe for nonstick pans, and awesome for omelets. I looked all over Utah Valley for one of my own and tried 5 or 6 stores. I'm not sure why I didn't just check Amazon but I eventually found them at Robinson's May (haha) and bought two for myself for Christmas. I've probably purchased 10 since then for gifts and for my drawer (one just wasn't enough- and at only five bucks at Marshall's I needed more). However, I just got the Williams Sonoma Catalog and suddenly I'm changing my tune. I'm fighting every urge to order the regular set of three and the minis personalized to say "AnneStrawberry."

Seriously though, can you ever have too many spatulas?

TWD- Arborio Rice Pudding

You know how food preferences tend to linger from your childhood, long after you should have gotten over them? Well, I still hold to my coconut aversion, however, avocados, rice pudding, and almost all nuts have been cleared off the bad list. It makes me wonder what else I'm holding out on that I might love. What do you like that you've avoiding since your childhood? Am I the only crazy one?

Well, with rice pudding back into the menu, I was excited to make this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, chosen by Isabelle. Since my hubby can't have chocolate, I was happy to see that all it took to convert this pudding over was a quick stir of chopped chocolate into the final product. Like many people mentioned, my pudding was more of a rice soup before the refrigeration. I was hoping it would thicken up but it sure didn't! As for flavor, I liked the vanilla better, especially with a sprinkling of cinnamon, even though the texture wasn't quite right.

Note- Dorie says the timing is off on the recipe in the book and too cook it for 55, not 35, minutes. I'd recommend a little spurt of high heat at the end to thicken it up, or maybe even putting the lid on for a few like my mom kept mentioning every time she saw the uncovered pot. I think I'll be trying out my Grandma's recipe soon- it's made with condensed milk, topped with meringue, and baked until it's a bit firm (though I'll still leave out the raisins... I haven't grown out of that aversion yet!) Thanks Isabelle (and Dorie) for the motivation to try something new!

Coming Next Week- Thanksgiving Twofer Pie!