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Adventures in the Kitchen with Michelle

December 11, 2012November 28, 2012 by KTgreen

Today was supposed to be rainy. I got everything done yesterday so I could stay inside today and play Cookie Monster Mama. Then it rained early and then it turned cool and the sun came out. Now that isn’t a bad thing, but I sure don’t want to be inside…how about just opening the doors. Ahhhh,….that’s better.

Lately, I’ve been going on and on about things having to do with Fall. Pumpkin, maple syrup, etc. What else? Apples. I love apples – all kinds! My old house in Brooksville used to smell like apples and cinnamon. I miss that. This one’s just too big for all that. I’d burn down the place with that many candles! And Bath & Body Works doesn’t sell their incense oils by the gallon. That said, nothing gives a house a warm homey smell on a cold day like firing up the oven and making cookies.

But I started this little story with an apple prompt. Apples & cookies?? Who does that? I do, that’s who! Months ago I worked up an apple studded version of an oatmeal cookie. It didn’t turn out as great as I expected. The guys liked it, but it still had nearly a whole stick of buttah!! I put the recipe aside and figured I’d ‘fix it’ later. Man, if I had a dime for every time I said that I’d be rich!!! But this a perfect day for it…Let’s Play Cookie Monster Mama…

Michelle’s Apple Pie Cookies

Step 1: Preheat that oven to 350 deg. Gather the staff. This turned out to be one of my more lengthy recipes. But a little of this and little of that and you’re on your way to a hand-held apple treat that’s just chock full of Fall wonderment. And this one won’t leave your ass looking just as dimpled as the chunky surface of these cookies!

Adventures in the Kitchen with Michelle — Step 1

Dry:

3/4 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour

1 Cup Oats (NOT quick cooking)

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

Wet:

1/4 Cup Apple Sauce

3 Tbl Butter (very soft)

1 Egg

1/2 Cup Truvia Baking Blend

2 Tbl Brown Sugar

2 Tbl Apple Butter (my organic apple butter has serious apple punch!)

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 tsp Boiled Cider *

1/8 tsp Allspice

1/8 tsp Nutmeg

1/8 tsp Ground Ginger

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 Cup Golden Raisins

2 Tbl Butterscotch Chips

1/3 Cup Apple (about 1/2 an apple, chopped raisin size)

* Boiled Cider? WTF? Well, it’s a great little secret ingredient I get online at www.KingArthurFlour.com. It’s like concentrated apple flavor – get some and your pies and other apple yummies will never be the same. Boiled cider is to cider the way apple butter is to apple sauce. Hmmm, I’m thinking about an Apple Cidercar, or an Appletini. But that’s another blog. Omitting it from this will take out a bit of punch, but won’t ruin the cookie either.

Step 2: OK, you know the drill – mix the dry – mix the wet. I add the extras to the dry. The flour, etc coats the apples and keep the raisins separated. But you can toss them all in last – whatever.

Step 3: Here’s the batter. Better get scooping. Bake these up for 13-14 min. or so. Should be about 32 cookies.

The sun’s going down and I’ll have to close the doors soon. I thought that clock fell back? Mmmmm, a little juice and mineral water spritzer while I type, and of course do a little quality control testing. We’re professionals here folks – I can’t just send out any old recipe.

Did I mention these won’t stick to your hips! Wanna know why? Wait for it….. 59 calories!!! Whooooo Wheeeeee! I’m getting so good at this. I think I need to use my other Apple to make up a cookbook…yeah, and if I had a dime for every time I’ve said that…

Adventures in the Kitchen with Michelle

November 29, 2012November 21, 2012 by KTgreen

I got up this morning and thought about Thanksgiving. I’m a cook, not a Chef. While I’m nowhere near the rankings of anyone fabulous, I take comfort in knowing that Julia Child considered herself a cook and instructor. There really is no bigger holiday for a cook than Thanksgiving. I love hosting my family and sometimes the occasional friend that pops in. This year I can relax a bit since the crowd will be slightly smaller. Never the less I’ll be happily buzzing around my workspace making tidbits to make people smile.

From most reports, I’m told, I’m pretty good that this cooking thing. As such I thought I’d spend a couple of minutes imparting some of the knowledge I’ve gleaned over the years to help you make your dinner go a bit smoother. Because, I’m thinking that even though most of the readers are beyond knowing how to Do Up a Feast, there may be some newlyweds out there that may appreciate a commentary.

Alton Brown says, “Organization will set your free.” Commit that to memory! It’s true.

Menu: I love my cooking shows and food magazines. They’ve got so many great ideas. BTW, that little free booklet from Williams Sonoma is a keeper. Word of warning – I do not advise making a ‘new and innovative’ menu for the big day.

1. Never experiment on a family holiday, save that for a party with friends. Make the old standards that your family has come to love and add one or two new ones. They’ll still be happy and give you a critique on what new things to keep for next year.

2. Make notes. Because if it’s more than 2 weeks from now and I have to do it again (say at Christmas) I won’t remember. Did Shirley like that Apple Cider Sidecar drink I made (oh, yeah – make a double batch next time)? How long was that bird in the oven for? How big was it? BTW, I’ve never ‘brined’ or trussed a bird. Mainly, because I stick with my tried and true method…Compound Butter under the skin, a little stuffing inside, a little extra foil on the wing tips and drum ends, and sealed in the biggest foil tent I can make. No turning or basting or flipping…put it in, cook it, take it out. I have enough to worry about with getting my pre–prep stuff assembled and cooked in time. That’s where the organization comes in.

3. Organize the menu. Make dishes that you can cook half way days in advance. Like fresh green beans – blanch and toss in the fridge, same with those brussel sprouts. Cranberry sauce keeps in the fridge …I never buy the canned stuff! Not when it’s soooo easy to make yourself. If you think about it, much of the real work can be spread out over 3 days..if you’re organized. Oh, yeah and clean out that fridge.

4. Cheat! Yes, I said it…cheat. Use frozen corn fresh from the microwave! I never bother with bread. That’s a great thing to have a guest bring. Or do crescent rolls from a can, Sister Schuberts Parker House rolls from the freezer, or a pitstop at Panera. Salad you say? Oh, no Bag-o-Salad and add some funky topping/dressing you’ve made. If you aren’t good at gravy…cheat. Although, buy something really good like a jarred one from Williams Sonoma or a even a restaurant you like and re-heat. You can practice gravy later with a weeknight chicken. Dessert? I rarely make dessert because well, my Mom is a master of the Pumpkin Roll – a family fave.

Workspace: Yes, my workspace is wonderful, now. It hasn’t always been. Boy, have we come a long way! Gone are the days of my girlfriends teasing me about my ‘beautiful wood floors’ – they were plywood! I’ve also tested the durability of the Contact Paper over particle board countertop trick. The stove was an old Whirlpool that came with the house. The absolute bottom of the line – only one big burner out of the 4, and not even a window in the oven door. Even when we moved to the big house, the kitchen was designed for/by retirees. Which means it was like the size you’d find in a nice RV! Point is, you don’t need a $50,000 kitchen (which even my new one is NOT) to make great food.

1. Assess your workspace and organize. Know your equipment. That old stove had it’s quirks and I learned to deal with them. Has your oven got a hot spot (the place where all cookies turn dark too fast)? Deal with it by turning your bird, or use a pizza stone in the bottom to diffuse it. Don’t let it surprise you. Dig out the small equipment – the roaster pan, and thermometer, gravy boat, etc. Go thru and make sure there’s a serving dish for everything and set them aside. And I’ve been known to scribble it’s contents on a scrap of paper and leave inside it. I’ve actually used this in the past to find OMG I forgot the beans!

2. Make space. If your workspace is small, move things out of the way for a couple of days. Like, can they live without the toaster for a day? Or the big cookie jar or bread box?

See, it’s not so hard. You can do this, and make it look easy in the process 🙂 Now, I’m going to go and organize my own menu for this years festivities. Good Luck and have a Fabulous Thanksgiving!!

Please don’t forget to actually be Thankful – we’ve all got so much to be Thankful for.

Adventures in the Kitchen with Michelle

November 29, 2012November 14, 2012 by KTgreen

It’s Fall ! Yippee!!! Besides loving all things pumpkin, I love, nearly, all things maple. Western Pennsylvania native – surprise!! One drawback, it’s a diet no-no. Most of it isn’t even real maple syrup either. Like so many things that have been Frankensteined (“It’s Fraaanken-schteen!!!”) like cheese labeled “pasteurized cheese-food product”, and mayonnaise that doesn’t require refrigeration …. makes you wonder. And yet, these things are deemed ‘safe’ and actually have found a place in our culinary quilt called the American Diet. Maple syrup is either 100% Pure Maple Syrup, or an artificially flavored corn syrup product. Lite syrup is just the latter with water aded, it seems. Which is why you really do use 1/4 cup as a serving, because it HAS NO TASTE! And a horrible something happens when they use artificial sweeteners for No-Sugar Maple Syrup. That’s when the stitches come loose and the monster turns bad – very bad.

That’s not the maple surple I remember as a child. Yes, I called it surple because I couldn’t say syrup yet…but that wasn’t going to stop me from asking for some! When I was little Grandma had what looked like a ginormous oil can printed with a snowy scene filled with that Northeastern Liquid Gold. And it was G o o d. When it was gone, Grandma kept a bottle of Mapleine, an artificial maple flavor that she’d cook with sugar, or Karo (corn syrup) to substitute until another of those big cans appeared. Now, I’m not sure just what they use to make Mapleine, and I don’t care, because it’s so close to the original I’ll take the chance. Last time I bought a bottle the label actually looked like it did some 40 years ago – which is how I recognized it on the shelf. They haven’t changed a thing. Something that has changed is our choice of sweeteners. Everyone’s heard about how we need to cut back on corn syrup usage and I agree. So, I set about looking for an alternative. Sugar, is well, just sugar and I’m needing to get away from that too. Honey has too much of it’s own character. I have to stay with a natural base to keep the amber goodness. Xantham Gum may thicken Whey-Low or a Truvia, but they have a ‘fake taste’ and the Gum makes a weird texture. Hmmmm, I did mention ‘amber’…. Agave nectar is amber. It’s the right consistency, and takes well to flavoring. Yes, it is technically a ‘processed’ product. It isn’t the darling of the health food world it used to be, now that we know what they have to do to get it. And it’s not one step from tequila either! Although, it has a low-glycemic index which helps the diabetics. Even dieters know the caloric burning advantages to using it. Wow- this is a no brainer. And I just happen to have a ginormous bottle of it – organic to boot. Let’s blend, shall we…

Step 1: Well, there really is only one step. There’s no cooking at involved. I used a 1/2 cup of Agave and 1/8 tsp Mapleine – it’s strong, be careful. Really? That’s it? It’s great!!!

Even though I love pancakes, I know I can only eat one or two. I used only about 2 Tbl on 2 pancakes and that’s all they needed. It soaked in and was mapley all the way thru. Yuuuum. And 2 Tbl is like 120 calories. Which I can’t label as ‘diet’ but it’s at least not the 230 that regular syrup packs on. If you want Butter Flavor, well, ok. We’ve already gone the slippery slope of artificiality so add a drop or two of Butter Flavoring. I use the Wilton for icings that need to taste good, but that real butter will make to soft to decorate with. It’s not bad, and adds a warmer, buttery pancake syrup flavor….just like on the farm. Back when my waistline didn’t care that I had 2 pats of butter and an amber ring of gooey goodness circling my pile of pancakes. I was happy that Fall was back and Grandma had yet another one of those ginormous oil cans….