Dorayaki – Japanese Pancakes Stuffed with Sweet Adzuki Bean

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

Fluffy pancakes sandwiching sweet adzuki bean paste reminded Jack of snacks grabbed on bike rides home from early mornings of fishing or birdwatching when he lived in Japan. Happy memories.

Taking stock of my freezer, I noticed I still had some sweet adzuki bean paste left from my twisted adzuki bean rolls. We love the flavor of these sweetened beans. Eating beans makes you think you are eating something good for you. They are packed with fiber and protein… but, there is quite a bit of sugar in this confection. The batter for the pancakes is sweeter than the pancakes I usually make, but the portions are smaller which alleviates guilt. I scaled the original recipe down to make only seven dorayaki. The odd number will give you one to mess up or one to “test” your batch before you serve it to your guests.

Dorayaki – aka Japanese Pancakes Stuffed with Sweet Adzuki Bean Paste

Ingredients

2 large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp honey
½ cup and 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tbsp water
½ tsp vegetable oil
6 oz homemade sweet red bean paste (see recipe below)

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and honey.
Sift flour and baking powder into bowl with egg mixture and mix well.
Let dough sit for 15 minutes.
Stir in 1/2 tbsp water to dough in order to thin slightly.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
Take the vegetable oil and coat the frying pan. Wipe pan off to remove the oil. This will prepare surface to cook dorayaki evenly.
Pour 3 tbsp of batter onto center of frying pan. In order to have pancakes come out the same size, I used a large cookie scoop to collect consistent amounts of dough to pour on the pan. The pancakes should be about 3 inches in diameter (8 cm).
Cook pancake for about a minute. You will see bubbles appear on surface.
Flip pancake and cook for another 30 seconds. Both sides should be golden brown.
Pair up pancakes. Spread sweet adzuki bean paste on one pancake. Sandwich its pair on top of the adzuki covered pancake.
Enjoy this delicious snack right away or pack it in plastic wrap to take on the road.

Sweet Adzuki Bean Paste

Ingredients

1 cup dried adzuki beans
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
water

Directions

Place beans in a medium pot and add 3 cups fresh water. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add more water if needed. Beans should be covered by water during cooking.
Beans are finished cooking when they are easily squashed between thumb and finger.
Discard water but leave beans in pot.
Add sugar to the pot.
Cook beans and sugar on medium high heat, stirring constantly.
In about 10 minutes beans will form a thick, glossy paste.
Paste can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days or indefinitely in the freezer.

Sweet Coconut Rice with Mango Purée

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

Rich coconut-cream-infused rice topped with scrummy mango purée. Take a bite, close your eyes, and imagine life in the Tropics.

When we are finished teaching in Mongolia, we plan to fully embrace the tiny house movement and live full time in our Lance truck camper traveling all around North America. We have spent several summers living in our camper, which gives us a clear understanding of exactly what 120 square feet of living space means. Primarily relying on electricity generated by driving and by our solar panel has a big influence what type of equipment we use inside our tiny home.

In preparation for living large in a tiny kitchen, we are using this time in our small Mongolian apartment to vet products in order to see if they will meet our needs in our future full time tiny kitchen. Limited electricity, size, durability and multi-function are the top criteria we use to vet products. An additional criterion is whether or not we use a given item on a regular basis. At the end of the day, with a small oven, a small three-burner cooking range and limited counter and storage space, we give a good deal of thought to what we can live without.

Many people all over the world make rice on the stovetop. To eliminate the rice cooker we have relied on for many years, we decided to learn to make rice this way, too. Oh dear. My rice came out consistently bad – mushy, overcooked or undercooked – no matter what I did. With one epic failure after another, I handed the rice-making baton to Jack. He was more successful, but we both agreed that our rice just wasn’t as fluffy as the rice from our rice cooker had been. So we broke down and decided to buy a rice cooker. Now we’re convinced that we need to figure out a way to add this tool to our tiny mobile kitchen.

Our main criterion for a rice cooker was simple – it had to be small. After all, there are only two of us. Standard-sized rice cookers take up too much space and use too much energy. Since we live in Asia, finding a rice cooker shouldn’t be difficult, right? And finding rice cookers was easy. But in shop after shop, most of what we saw were massive in size. The average “small” rice cooker had a 10-cup capacity. Finally, after nearly giving up, we found a dust-covered, last-one-in-stock no-long-in-production Zojirushi rice cooker with a 3-cup capacity. Score!

Zojirushi is a brand we’ve had great success with in the past, so we wasted no time grabbing this cooker. As is the custom here, the sales clerk plugged it in, showed us that it indeed was in working order, and pointed out the six-month store warrantee. Once home, I immediately made a batch of rice to test our new gadget. Hot, steamy, fluffy, perfect rice. Yum!

Remembering a delicious rice dessert Thai friends had turned me on to, I recreated it using the batch of rice “I” just cooked. It is a simple dessert which is not too sweet, is packed full of tropical flavors, and is quick to make.

Sweet Coconut Rice with Mango Purée

Ingredients

1 cup Japanese style short-grained rice, cooked and hot
2/3 cup unsweetened coconut cream (or substitute with coconut milk)
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 cup cubed mango
honey, to taste
toasted sesame seeds and crystallized ginger to garnish

Directions

Put hot, cooked rice in a medium-sized bowl.
Heat coconut and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
Pour coconut mixture over rice and mix well.
Let coconut mixture sit for 30 minutes, until coconut cream is absorbed into rice.
Purée mango.
Mix in honey to taste.
Scoop coconut rice onto individual serving plates.
Hollow out a bit of the top of the rice in order to make a well for the mango purée.
Fill well will purée and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and crystallized ginger.

Roasted Potato and Caramelized Onion Salad – A New Picnic Favorite

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

Roasted potatoes, caramelized onions and salty, smoky bacon tossed in a tangy sweet dressing make for a fantastic summer meal ready for a picnic. Or keep a stash in the refrigerator for a night when it is too hot to cook!

We’re not against mayonnaise, per se. As a matter of fact, we make our own mayo from scratch when recipes call for it – which, in our opinion, has a way better taste and texture than the store-bought variety. But picnic salads and mayonnaise are not a good combination, especially if the weather is hot. So skip the mayo and try this warm potato salad on your next hike or bike ride. It is perfectly portable and is perfectly tasty served at any temperature.

Cutting the potatoes into chunks and roasting them gives each bite a crispy exterior with a pillowy soft interior like a mashed potato. The caramelized onions take some time to make, but they add an essential sweet/savory layer to the salad. The dressing pulls the whole thing together by covering every ingredient in the tangy and sweet flavors of mustard and vinegar. And the bacon? Well, needless to say, bacon just makes everything taste better. The rendered bacon fat is the dark horse in the dressing, adding a delicious flavor and texture… I never said this was a healthful recipe.

With temperatures consistently into the mid-80’s F (high 20’s C) in Ulaanbaatar, we’ve been enjoying meals featuring cool salads for dinner. Don’t scoff. Our blood is still Alaskan. These temperatures are really warm for us. This salad is a great way to keep our kitchen cool. We are on our second batch of this cool, summer salad and ready to make a third!

Roasted Potato and Caramelized Onion Salad

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs potatoes, use a waxy variety such as red or Yukon gold, cut into bite-sized cubes
extra virgin olive oil (have a tbsp measure handy)
1 tsp smoked sea salt
4 grinds of black pepper
1 large onion, cut in half, then thinly sliced
1 tbsp granulated sugar
6 strips thick cut bacon, cut into small pieces
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

Dressing

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
generous tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp mustard, dijon or brown
large pinch Italian seasoning
a few grinds of black pepper
generous pinch salt
bacon and rendered fat (from above)
1 tbsp olive oil

Directions

Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Toss cubed potatoes with about 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
Toss potatoes with sea salt and pepper.
Evenly spread potatoes on prepared baking sheet.
Roast potatoes for 35 minutes, until golden brown and tender. While potatoes are roasting, crisp bacon and caramelize onions.
In a large, non-stick pan set over medium heat, add 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil.
When oil is hot, add sliced onions and toss with granulated sugar.
Caramelize onions by stirring them in pan for about 15 minutes, until they become soft and caramel-colored.
While onions are caramelizing, cook bacon pieces in another pan.
Prepare the dressing.
In a large bowl, combine all dressing ingredients.
Toss potatoes in dressing.
Mix in caramelized onions.
Toss in chopped parsley.
Serve immediately, or refrigerate to keep longer.

Recipe adapted from the Cozy Apron.

A Continent Away From Brandade of Walleye: Delicious & Easy Fish Casserole

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

Bread crumbs tossed in olive oil and baked to a crisp give a pleasant crunch to this classic Mediterranean dish which traditionally features salted cod and potatoes in a mousse-like entrée.

Full disclosure. Here in Ulaanbaatar, we are about as geographically removed from the nearest walleye as could be possible. In fact, as the crow flies we’re over 6,000 miles (10,000 kilometers) from the Walleye Capital of the World, Lake Erie, in my former stomping grounds of western Pennsylvania. So I used cod in this classic brandade-inspired dish. In fact, this dish originated in regions around the Mediterranean Sea such as Italy and France where at certain times of the year the only fish readily available was preserved salted cod. The steps in preparing this dish do a nice job of masking the strong flavor of preserved fish, something you won’t have to worry about if you have access to fresh walleye, rockfish, striped bass, crappie or similar fish.

And it’s delicious – the kind of fish dish even people not particularly crazy about fish enjoy. Experiment with seasonings to give it some heat, herbiness or lemon flavors. Brandade can be baked in an oven-safe frying pan, a casserole dish, or, perhaps best of all, in individual ramekins such as the one we used in the above photo. Dress it up with a little chopped parsley and a dollop of lumpfish roe, pair with a Riesling, and dinner is served.

Brandade of Walleye (or virtually any white-meated fish)

Ingredients (serves two)

1/2 pound of skinless walleye fillet, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 pound of potatoes, boiled till they’re soft, and sliced into cubes (Skin removed or not, chef’s choice. We prefer skin on.)
1 tin (2 oz/60 g) anchovies, chopped fine. Or use anchovy paste.
1 cup milk (approximately)
1 tsp Penzeys Chesapeake Bay Seafood Seasoning (or use 1 tsp dry tarragon and a dash of sea salt)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 oz shallots, minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp smoked chipotle powder (or use espelette pepper or whatever you prefer)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp white truffle oil (optional)
1 cup bread crumbs
chopped parsley
lumpfish or salmon roe (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a skillet over medium-high heat, add fillet, enough milk to cover, and Penzeys Chesapeake Bay Seafood Seasoning or tarragon and salt. Poach just until fillet easily comes apart with a fork. Remove fillet and use a fork to go through fish to make sure there is no skin or bones remaining.
Using a food processor or stick blender, briefly pulse the fish. Don’t over process. Meat should look somewhat fibrous. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, shallots, smoked chipotle powder and paprika and cook just till garlic and shallots turn translucent and become aromatic. Scrape mixture into bowl with fish.
Use a food processor or stick blender attachment to purée the potatoes. Don’t over process or potatoes will become sticky.
Add puréed potatoes to fish. Add anchovies, heavy cream (or sour cream thinned with milk), lemon juice and truffle oil. Mix everything together thoroughly. Use a food processor or stick blender to again briefly process. You want a consistency that is somewhat mousse-like. Give it a taste and add salt and seasonings as desired.
Use a spatula to place mixture in ramekins, casserole dish or oven-safe frying pan. Mixture will rise slightly during baking.
Toss bread crumbs in extra-virgin olive oil. Use just enough oil to allow the crumbs to soak it up without becoming overly saturated. Spoon onto top of potato and fish mixture.
Bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Bread crumbs will be golden brown and crisp when done.
Garnish with chopped parsley and fish roe. Serve hot.

Magical All Fruit Ice Cream with a Quick Hot Fudge Topping

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

A tropical triple sundae created with all-fruit coconut, mango, and banana ice creams topped with homemade hot fudge and crystallized ginger. Happy Summer Solstice everyone!

Recently, I came across a recipe for one-ingredient ice cream. As big fan of homemade ice cream, I was curious, so I clicked. Bananas! We used to freeze bananas and dip them in carob when I was a kid (the carob thing is a whole other story). I loved that refreshing summertime treat. This memory brought about other childhood memories of eating all-fruit popsicles. In all of my custard and milk based ice cream making adventures, I don’t know why it never occurred to me to try making an all-fruit “ice cream.” It certainly is more healthful to eat a banana than a cream-based, sweet frozen custard concoction, not that I’m planning to give those up!

I had bananas in my kitchen that were just past the perfect-to-eat stage, which made the banana flavor stronger and sweeter. I sliced the bananas into coins, laid them out on a baking sheet and froze them. After an hour, I popped the frozen pieces into the tall cup that came with my stick blender. It did take some work for the stick blender to smooth out the frozen bananas. But after a couple of rounds of stirring and puréeing with the stick blender, I scooped pure magic into bowls. The consistency of the banana ice cream was creamy and the flavor was sweet and rich. One ingredient ice cream is delicious!

My culinary sense of adventure and curiosity got the best of me while eating this creamy frozen snack. A banana is a snack, after all. By adding one more ingredient to this creamy base, I could create chocolate banana or peanut butter banana ice cream. From here, my thoughts took off, adding many more ingredients. And toppings. This recipe is versatile!

I thought that since bananas worked so well, other fruits might prove equally appropriate. Here in Ulaanbaatar, we don’t get a huge variety of fruit. But I happened to see frozen mangos at the store. I work with what I can get. The frozen mango worked as well as the banana. The batch of frozen mangos I purchased was on the sour side, so I did add some honey and crystallized ginger to sweeten up the ice cream and give it some pizzazz. This was no longer a one-ingredient recipe, but I was experimenting. It was delicious and tropical.

A proper sundae needs three different flavors, in my opinion. I froze small cubes of coconut milk and processed the frozen cubes just as I had processed the fruit. The coconut milk came out icy, so I added a bit of regular milk to smooth the texture. And since coconut milk doesn’t have much natural sweetness, I added two tablespoons of powdered sugar. The resulting ice cream was tasty and perfectly complemented the mango and banana ice creams.

In order to create the ultimate all-fruit sundae, I whipped up some hot fudge (there goes the healthful dessert), sprinkled some crystallized ginger to finish it off and voilà, a cool, beautiful, tropical summertime dinner… I mean dessert. (Well, in all honesty, we did eat it for dinner.)

Frozen Fruit Ice Cream

Ingredients

small chunks of fruit of your choosing, frozen
(optional) other flavorings to enhance the fruit like vanilla, ginger, cocoa powder
sweetener, to taste (if needed add honey, maple syrup, sugar, etc.)

Directions

Place frozen fruit in food processor or cup of a stick blender and process scraping down sides occasionally until fruit is thick and creamy and there are no chunks remaining.
Mix in optional ingredients.
Serve immediately.

Quick Hot Fudge Sauce

Ingredients

1/3 cup boiling water
4 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup powdered milk

(or substitute the above with 14 oz sweetened condensed milk)

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Place first 5 ingredients in the metal cup that came with your stick blender to make sweetened condensed milk.
Blend until well mixed and thickened. Set aside.
In medium pan, with medium heat, melt 1/2 cup butter.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Add milk mixture and stir until smooth and silky.
Store leftovers in covered container in the refrigerator.

Almondtella – A Twist on the “Other” Chocolate Nut Spread (without the Palm Oil)

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

Everything tastes better when you make it from scratch. One taste of this homemade spread, loaded with toasted almond yumminess, and you will forget the name of that decadent stuff you used to spread on your toast. …what was that called again?

Headlines Inspire Kitchen Creativity

Recently, France’s Minister of Ecology put Nutella in the headlines because of its environmentally hostile ingredient, palm oil. Like many large scale agricultural operations, palm oil plantations require the deforestation of vast tracts of natural forests. In Indonesia and Malaysia, where the largest palm oil plantations operate, many species of native animals and plants are being pushed toward extinction. The process of slash and burn forest removal is releasing stored CO2 and generating tremendous amounts of smoke, contributing to Indonesia’s sudden jump to third place among the world’s emitters of greenhouse gasses. It’s estimated that 40-50% of household products in the U.S. contain palm oil. This product extends beyond food items to cosmetics and cleaners. Yikes.

I suppose everything humans consume has a detrimental effect on the environment due to the sheer number of humans that consume. What to do? We limit our consumption of products by using them until they can’t be used any longer. For example, we have been using the same box of zip top bags for almost a year by carefully using the bags, washing them and reusing them. We also try to make as much as we can from scratch in order to limit the addition of chemicals and unnatural ingredients into our bodies.

Our answer to the controversy swirling around Nutella is to make our own spreadable delight using more Earth-friendly ingredients. Before you quibble with me about almonds and how much water it takes to grow them… I know. However, a friend was moving from Ulaanbaatar and offered us her unused pantry items. Among those items was a three-pound bag of almonds. Other nuts would work well in this recipe.

Who knew a post about a delicious nutty spread would be so political? Moving away from the political, let me tell you this spread is better tasting than any commercial product. And with less sugar, no processed emulsifiers and no artificial flavorings (what is vanillin?) this is arguably a much healthier spread. The top two ingredients in that other spread are sugar and palm oil. The top ingredient in this recipe is pure, natural almonds. And the vanilla extract is real vanilla extract.

The key to the standout flavor is the toasted nuts. The delicious end product makes the slightly arduous process of skinning the almonds totally worth it. Now we have a sweet chocolate spread that is packed with protein and tastes great on toast or as a topping on the all-fruit banana and mango ice creams we’ve been enjoying on these warm summer days. Or how about cheesecake swirled with homemade almondtella?

Chocolate Nut Spread aka Almondtella

Ingredients

1 cup whole raw almonds
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
up to 1/4 cup vegetable or light olive oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Skin almonds by pouring boiling water over them in a bowl and letting them sit for 2 minutes. Drain off hot water and replace with cold water. Almond skins should pop off when you squeeze the individual almonds.
Preheat oven to 350° F (175 degrees C). Place almonds in a single layer on a shallow baking pan. Toast for 10 minutes. Stir the nuts halfway through baking to ensure an even color.
Process nuts in a food processor, or use a stick blender. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary until the nuts have liquefied, about 5 minutes. First, you will get coarsely chopped nuts, then a fine meal. After a little while, the nuts will form a ball around the blade. Keep processing. The heat and friction will extract the natural oils from the nuts and you will get almond butter!
When the nuts have liquified, add the sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Slowly drizzle in enough oil to make a spreadable consistency. Since the mixture is warm, it will be more fluid now than at room temperature.
Transfer the spread to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

Here are some ideas for using your “Almondtella.”

Vanilla-orange cookies with chocolate nut filling

Place almondtella at the bottom of crème brûlée for a nice surprise.

Read more about the problems with palm oil at: Palm Oil, What’s the Issue?

Delicious Homemade Bagels – Without The Machine

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

Chewy homemade bagels smeared with cream cheese and an icy glass of cherry almond tea – a delicious lunch to enjoy while working from home. Next project? Making our own cheese spread for these tasty bagels.

We’ve discovered one place to purchase really good chewy bagels in Ulaanbaatar. We still prefer to make our own, even with the time it takes, instead of trekking out to the deli. Back in Alaska, I used a Zojirushi bread machine to create the dough for my bagels (see bagels three ways). We sold the machine when we left Alaska, and in our efforts to simplify our kitchen I did not replace it when we moved to Ulaanbaatar. That means taking my trusty bread machine bagel recipe and rewriting it to eliminate the machine. My adapted recipe’s results are just as tasty and chewy. You can still adorn the bagels with whatever your heart desires. Without the appliance, these bagels can be made in a galley or a tiny kitchen in a camper. Enjoy!

Homemade Chewy Bagels

Ingredients

2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (105 degrees F/40 degrees C)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 qts water
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten
toppings such as poppy seeds, toasted onions, sesame seeds, etc. (optional)

Directions

In a large bowl, stir together yeast, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar and water. Let sit for about 5 minutes to make sure the yeast is good. (It will foam.)
Stir in salt and the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. The last 1/2 cup, you will need to knead in by hand.
Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
Coat the inside of a large bowl and place the dough inside.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise until doubled, about an hour.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut dough into 8 equal pieces.
Roll pieces into balls.
Flatten balls slightly.
Poke your finger through center of ball and twirl dough around your finger to enlarge the hole.
Place bagels on parchment-lined baking sheet to rest.
Bring 3 qts water to boil in large pot. Stir in 3 tbsp sugar.
Place 4 bagels in boiling water. Boil for 1 minute. Flip bagels and let boil for another minute.
Place boiled bagels on clean, dry towel.
Place remaining 4 bagels in boiling water. Repeat boiling process with these bagels.
Take bagels from towel and place them on parchment-lined baking sheet.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Brush bagels with beaten egg.
Sprinkle desired toppings on bagels (poppy seeds, sesame seeds, charnushka, minced dried onion and minced dried garlic are some of our favorites).
Bake in preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes, until browned.

My Version of an $8 Chocolate Chip Cookie

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

High quality milk chocolate, white chocolate, toasted almonds, browned butter and vanilla paste pack in the flavor. Served warm out of the oven, this cookie adds up to… Irresistible!

This week, I read an article about a restaurant which offers a chocolate chip cookie and a glass of flavor-infused milk for $8! The value of this pricey cookie lies in the care with which it is baked and served as well as with the quality of the ingredients. Customers love that this warm-from-the-oven-cookie has a soft, melty chocolate center and crispy edges.

Using the concepts from the article – ingredients should be top notch and the cookie needs to be served individually-baked and warm – I created my own version of a cookie that would deserve an $8 price tag. I love the flavor and texture of nuts in my chocolate chip cookies, so I browned the butter and toasted some chopped almonds to ensure plenty of nutty flavor. I added a dash of almond extract for additional flavor. Traditional chocolate chip cookies use vanilla extract. I substituted the extract with vanilla paste for a richer vanilla flavor. I baked the cookies at a little lower temperature than traditional recipes to allow the cookie to retain its gooeyness a little longer… not that these cookies will last long! I highly recommend you bake only the number of cookies you will immediately serve. The dough will keep in the refrigerator so you can make ’em as you need ’em fresh out of the oven.

Both Jack and I agreed that the flavor was amazing. Jack thought the cookies could have been a little bit bigger for the price tag. Feel free to scoop them larger if you agree with Jack!

Ingredients

1 large egg
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, browned
2 tsp vanilla paste
1/2 tsp almond extract
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1/3 cup toasted almonds, chopped
1/3 cup good quality milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup good quality white chocolate, chopped

Directions

Mix the sugars and the egg well.
Add in the browned butter.
Mix in vanilla paste and almond extract.
Stir flour, baking soda and salt into the mixture.
Fold in the almonds and chocolate pieces.
Chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).
Scoop tablespoon-sized balls using a small ice cream scoop onto the baking sheet. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes.
Let the cookies set on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes before removing them to a wire cooling rack.
Continue to cool for another two minutes on the wire rack.
Serve cookies while still warm.

Makes 10 cookies.

Perfect Gourmet Popcorn (for Date Night or Any Night)

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

Savory stovetop popcorn, a favorite lager and your main squeeze. All that’s needed now is the movie.

A blend of Italian seasonings and powdered chili peppers add a savory and zesty kick to this classic movie-night dish. Step by step directions for a perfect bowl of popcorn follow. (10 more photos)

You’ll need:

an herb and spice blend
salt
a pan with a lid for popping the popcorn
a pan for melting the butter
a large bowl for slightly cooling the popcorn
a fairly large plastic bag for shaking the popcorn to mix in the butter and seasonings
a serving bowl
a couple of glasses set in the freezer to get frosty cold
a beverage

Start by mixing together a savory blend of herbs and spices.

1 tsp basil

1 tsp marjoram

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp powdered garlic

1 tsp smoked chipotle chili powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

No need for an air popper or countertop gadget. Excellent popcorn can be made right on your stovetop.

Start with 1/3 cup popcorn. Set three kernels aside. These will go into your pan first.

Place 2 tablespoons olive oil (or other oil) into a pan such as the one pictured below. Add the three test kernels and heat over medium heat. (Use three in case one or two are duds.) When one of the test kernels pops, remove it, and add the rest of the popcorn.

A pan with a clear lid is helpful, but not necessary. Gently shake the pan occasionally. While preparing the popcorn, melt about 1/3 cup of butter in a separate pan. When the butter is melted, remove from heat, but keep it warm.

Place the popped popcorn in a bowl. This will allow it to slightly cool which will prevent the hot seeds from causing the plastic bag to melt. If you’ll be making additional batches of popcorn, place the bowl in a warm oven of around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).

Place the popcorn in a plastic bag. Drizzle on the butter. The butter should be liquid, but not hot. Otherwise it might melt through the bag.

Close the bag and shake vigorously to evenly distribute the butter.

Add the herb & spice mix and salt to taste.

Close the bag and shake again. Pour the seasoned popcorn into a serving bowl.

Get the glasses from the freezer. Fill with a beverage that will compliment this savory popcorn. We recommend a favorite lager.

And dinner and a movie is served!

Cinnamon Toast Biscotti – A Light, Satisfying Small Batch

Posted on June 7, 2015 by Jack & Barbra Donachy

Warning: the enticing aromas from baking this crunchy, cinnamon biscotti may cause neighbors to knock on your door.

During our summer break, Jack and I don’t have as many little volunteers to help us eat our sweet creations. Being mindful of our waistlines, it is time to switch gears to confections that are either made in smaller batches, are lower in fat, or are just plain healthier. Curious what I’d discover, I searched for “lowfat cookie recipes” on the Internet. The top result, according to Google, was biscotti. Delicious and versatile, I could see how they would make the cut. I decided today’s creation would feature cinnamon, which always tricks my taste buds into thinking the cookie is sweeter than its sugar content would indicate. This small batch will be just right for the coming week.

So with all this, I give you a small batch of cinnamon biscotti that that is easy to whip up in about an hour’s time. This “two bake” recipe is especially galley and camper friendly, as it limits propane use.

Cinnamon Toast Biscotti

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten
½ tsp vanilla extract

Cinnamon topping (just mix ingredients together)

2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees Celsius).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and sugar in a medium bowl.
Stir melted butter, egg, and vanilla into flour mixture
Form dough into a flat log shape on parchment-lined baking sheet. Log should be about 10 inches long and 1 ½ inches wide.
Generously sprinkle top of log with about half of the cinnamon topping.
Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven. Log will be firm to the touch.
Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
Cut log into 10 pieces using a serrated knife.
Place pieces on their side, exposing a cut side.
Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon topping.
Bake for 10 – 15 more minutes, until biscotti is nicely toasted.
Cool completely on wire rack before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container.