Adventures in Thyme

Our adventures in food

Chai Pumpkin Cookies with Kahlua Frosting

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Chai Pumpkin Cookies by D Fenwick, http://dfenwickphotography.com

Chai Pumpkin Cookies

 

I’d like to be able to say that these cookies are healthy – think of all that pumpkin!  It’s a fruit for cryin’ out loud!   But alas, these cookies are only delicious, I can’t claim they are healthy.  No matter though, grab a cup of coffee, or a steaming cup of Earl Grey and enjoy!

For the cookies:

1. Begin by setting your oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In an electric mixer whip the following until it’s “light and airy”:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup softened unsalted butter

3.  To the mixture combine well:
1   cup canned pumpkin
1 beaten egg
1   tsp vanilla

4.  The dry ingredients are next, combine these together and then add the dry mixture to your bowl and mix well:
2 Tablespoons  Chai Powder (I use David Rio’s Tiger Spice Chai purchased at World Market)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Spoon generous tablespoons onto a baking sheet (I use nonstick baking mats in mine)  and bake for 10 mins.   These cookies don’t really spread out, but remain pretty much in the “footprint” you put them in.  You’ll know they are done when the cookie gets a golden brown appearance on it’s edges.

As they are cooling it’s time to make the Kahlua frosting:

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar and 3 Tablespoons of butter to boil.  I recommend bringing it up to boil slowly, but stir constantly, you don’t want the sugar to burn in your pan.  Once it’s bubbling begin to take note of the hot mixture, it will begin to get very thick, remove from heat.  This should only take about 30 seconds or so after the boil (at least on my stove).  Set the saucepan aside and let the mixture cool (about 10 mins).

Now add 2 Tablespoons of Kahlua and 1/4 cup of milk. Stir well, eventually the sugar will incorporate evenly into the mixture.  At this point you’ll need to add powdered sugar until the frosting gets thick enough to almost spread.  Using your 1/2 cup measure add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, mix and then add more as needed.  I use about 2 cups worth of powdered sugar to get the right consistency.

To frost the cookies place a small dollop on top of the cookie and it should still have enough viscosity to gently spread out over the top of the cookie with the help of gravity.

 

This recipe is modified from a wonderful recipe found on the Pillsbury website.

 

White Chocolate Snickerdoodles

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White Chocolate Snickerdoodles, photo by D Fenwick, http://dfenwickphotography.com

White Chocolate Snickerdoodles

 

This recipe begins 40 years ago.  I know because in 2nd grade I signed the inside cover of the book.  In the 70’s my elementary school participated in the Scholastic Book Club and I was always excited to choose and receive my new books.  This particular book had a recipe a month and May (Peanut Butter) and October (Snickerdoodles) were my favorite.  Jump forward in time where a chance encounter brought me face to face with a person who not only bought the same book while in elementary school but whose favorite recipe was in October.  Of course we married and are cooking happily ever after – what cookies have joined together let no man put asunder!

Tonight, Snickerdoodles are hooking up with some colorful white chocolate Easter candy for a match made in heaven…or your kitchen.

For the dough:
1/2 cup softened butter (room temperature is fine)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1-1/4 flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup white chocolate Easter candy (such as M&M’s)

Cream the first two ingredients together then add the egg and mix well.  Into another bowl combine sift together the dry ingredients (except the candy).  Now add half the dry mixture to the wet and mix well, then add the remaining mixture, and mix well.  Carefully fold in the candy and gently incorporate into the dough.   Pour out the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and carefully fold it closed (basically wrap it up).  Set in the refrigerator to chill for an hour.

After tidying the kitchen, heat your oven to 400 degrees F and prepare a cookie sheet with either a baking mat or a sheet of parchment paper.   When the oven is ready mix the coating in a bowl:

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Roll balls of cookie dough (about an inch in diameter or so) and then coat in the sugar/cinnamon mixture.  Place on cookie sheet careful to leave space for the cookies to spread out.

They took about 10 minutes in my oven.   Keep a watch around the edges, even with the cinnamon you will see a distinct light crust forming on the bottom – they’re done!  Let cool and serve with milk.

Do It Yourself Chicken Soup

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Chicken Soup by D Fenwick, http://dfenwickphotography.com

Chicken Soup

 

Simple meals can be the best meals.  Tonight’s recipe is really a canvas upon which your guests, or family, can create their own masterpiece.  By providing hot stock and a selection of ingredients it allows for more time at the table enjoying lively conversation and togetherness.  No meal is truly complete unless it can be shared with those you care about, and that my friend is nourishment for the spirit!

For this dish you’ll need:

Chicken stock (2 boxes, 3 if you are feeding more than 4 or are really hungry)
One box of your favorite pasta
Whatever vegetables look good or you are growing in your garden (We used Sweat Potato, Turnip, Brussel Sprouts, Broccoli, Carrot and Mushrooms)
Chicken (a roasted chicken from the grocery store works great)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Green Onion
Parsely

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut your vegetables into bite sized or smaller pieces, toss with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper. Place on a cookie sheet and roast 20-30 minutes (longer for bigger pieces) or until they begin to brown and get soft.

While the vegetables are roasting place one box of chicken stock in a large pot, add at least an equal amount of water and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until tender. (You may need to add water while they cook, just keep an eye on the level of your liquid). Cooking in the stock will give the noodles some flavor of their own!

Place your remaining boxes of stock in a pot and heat to boiling, reduce the heat and keep simmering until the rest of your ingredients are ready.

While everything is cooking, strip the meat off of your chicken and cut into bite sized pieces.  You can separate white and dark meat if that is important to your guests and simple enough to do!

Once everything is cooked, place the vegetables and chicken on a plate or in separate bowls, as you prefer. Place the noodles in a large bowl. Now for the fun part. Put all of the ingredients out on the table. Let your diners assemble their soup and add the stock. Top with green onion and or parsley.

Enjoy.

Tangerine Beef

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Tangerine Beef

Tangerine Beef

My recent stroll thru Whole Foods brought me face to face with the Sumo Tangerine.  Have you ever seen one?  A pyramid of large orange colored fruit beckoned me closer as I heard Frank Sinatra singing “Tangerine” from 1962.   I think I was hypnotized by their appearance and tasted a sample.  Delightfully sweet, and very juicy, I bought three and decided tonight I’d let them keep me under their spell for dinner.  So, we offer you Tangerine Beef, and although not pictured, is a delicious Tangerine Margarita to go with it.  Enjoy!

Tangerine Beef

In a large bowl mix the following together.  I recommend mixing with your hands, it coats the meat very evenly.
2 lbs Tri Tip sliced against the grain ~1/4 inch
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
6 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
Set this aside while you work on the rest of the meal.

Sauce
4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
4 Tablespoons Extra Dry Sherry
4 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce (you can get this in the Asian section of your supermarket)
3 Tablespoons Honey
1/2 cup Tangerine Juice

Mix together and set aside.

Heat a skillet with a few tablespoons of oil, add meat and fry until cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.  Add sauce.  When it starts to boil (which isn’t long), serve immediately with rice.  We added Orange Cauliflower to the plate to keep the theme going, looks kinda neat!

Our Tangerine Margarita is courtesy of Food Network.  The tangerine added a really wonderful citrus element that wasn’t overshadowed by the lime.  Lock the front door and pour yourself another, you won’t be going anywhere fast with more than one of these.  🙂

 

Simple Soup with Wontons

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Won Tons and Won Ton Soup, photo by D Fenwick, http://dfenwickphotography.com

Won Tons and Won Ton Soup

Once upon a time I found myself standing next to a cooking pot with a carrot that I’d made out of construction paper.  The pot was surrounded by other hungry villagers (aka my fellow Kindergarteners) each holding their own paper vegetable and peering into the pot atop a fake firepit.  My teacher placed a stone in the cooking pot and we each added our humble offering.  She stirred it lovingly and soon after we “ate” of its riches.  It was a wonderful lesson about sharing, and how wonderful soup is – real or imagined!

Tonight I’m sharing a very simple soup, easily thrown together with whatever you might have in your fridge’s veggie bin.

Soup:
1 32oz container of Chicken Stock
Baby Bok Choy
sliced Mushrooms
sliced Green Onion (Scallions)

Wontons:
1 lb ground Pork (not sausage, you want unseasoned)
4 teaspoons Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon freshly grated Ginger
2 oz diced Water Chestnuts
1 stalk Green Onion sliced
2 teaspoons Sesame Oil
1 teaspoon Salt
1 package of square Wonton Skins
1 beaten Egg

Pour chicken stock into a pot and bring to a simmer.  While the stock is heating up mix together all the wonton ingredients EXCEPT the last two.

There are two tips I would offer when working with wonton skins, work quickly, and keep them damp.  What I mean by that is keep a slightly damp papertowel over the package of unused wonton skins while you work, and a damp papertowel over the completed wontons.

With clean hands remove a few wonton skins from the package and arrange on clean cutting board.  Carefully dip your finger into the beaten egg and draw around the outside edge of each wonton (a finger’s width).  The egg will be the binding that seals your wonton.  Place a generous teaspoon into the center of each skin and carefully fold the wonton in half (into a triangle).  It is very important to gently squeeze out the air as you seal each skin.  If you make a mistake and the seal isn’t so good, or you’ve overstuffed them, etc, place these “mistakes” to the side, we will get to those later…

Once your wontons are sealed and ready, carefully place into the simmering broth.  About 5 mins into the cooking time add your vegetables (carrots take longer – but it’s up to you what vegetable and how cooked you want them).  For my bok choy, onions and mushrooms, I cooked an additional 5 mins for a total cooking time of 10 mins.  (If you are at all worried about your wontons, remove one and cut in half, if the juice runs out clear from the meat, they are done.)

Ladle the broth, veggies and a few wontons into a bowl and you’ve got yourself a quick and fabulous little bit o’soupy heaven.

So let’s move on to those wontons that didn’t quite make the cut.  Heat your oven to 375 degrees F, and on a nonstick baking mat, or parchment paper, arrange your wontons so they don’t touch.  Spray each wonton (both sides) with a little bit of cooking spray so they will crisp as they bake.  In my convection oven it took about 20 mins.  Just be careful to watch that the skins don’t burn.  Again, if the juices run out clear, the wontons are cooked.

These crunchy dumplings need sauce, so below is a dipping sauce to dunk them in.  Mix all ingredients together, and enjoy eating your mistakes!  Oh go on, have another!

1 cup Soy Sauce
3 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 sliced Green Onion
1 teaspoon of Honey
a few tablespoons of Water
optional: Hot Chili Flakes