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As you may have noticed, I haven't had much time to update this blog lately. This isn't going to change anytime soon so I decided to officially quit. There is a very good chance I'll start this up again sometime next year. I hope I will, because it's been a lot of fun. I just can't concentrate on it anymore.

All recipes are still up.

Thanks for visiting.

Roasted Potatoes with Goat Cheese Sauce

http://community.jeroxie.com/groups/cookbook-challenge/

I have fallen a month behind in the Cookbook Challenge, and I think from now on I'll have to just post the recipes whenever I can, instead of every two weeks or so. I don't feel so bad about it, though, because everyone else has fallen behind as well, haha.

For the roast challenge, I chose this recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Classic Recipes cookbook, published in 2005.

3 lb. tiny red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered, or medium round red potatoes, cut into eighths
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
4 oz. chèvre (soft goat cheese)
3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp snipped fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1 recipe Walnut-Rosemary Topper (below)

Walnut-Rosemary Topper: In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts, 1/4 fine dry bread crumbs, and 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary. Toss with two teaspoons olive oil. Cover and chill until needed.

 1.  Preheat oven to 450F. In an extra-large mixing bowl toss together potatoes, garlic, olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper.

 Spread mixture in a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Place pan on bottom oven rack; roast for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and tender, turning once. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish. If making ahead, cool slightly, then cover and chill.

2. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a blender combine cheese, milk, flour, rosemary, remaining salt and remaining pepper. Cover and blend until smooth. If making ahead, transfer to a container; cover and chill. Prepare Walnut-Rosemary Topper, cover and chill.

 3. To serve, bake potatoes, covered at 350F for 30 minutes. Pour sauce onto potatoes, stir gently. Sprinkle with topper. Bake, uncovered, about 15 minutes or until heated through. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Lemon-Ginger Drop Cookies

http://community.jeroxie.com/groups/cookbook-challenge/

The current Cookbook Challenge theme is baked. I chose to make cookies because they are what introduced me to the world of baking, when I was about 8 years old. Also, I already had all the ingredients on hand, and I really didn't want to go to the supermarket to buy anything, haha.
This recipe is from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook, published in 2000. There are so many recipes in this cookbook that sound amazing, but this is the first one I've gotten around to making, mostly because a lot of the recipes call for expensive or hard-to-find ingredients or expensive equipment. This cookie recipe, however, contains only cheap ingredients! It does say to use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, but I don't think that is necessary at all. The dough can easily be mixed by hand or with any kind of mixer with basic attachments.

8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 large egg
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

 Preheat the oven to 350F with two racks centered. Line two baking sheets with parchment; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl twice. Add the egg; mix on high speed to combine. Add the zest; mix to combine.


In a bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, salt, and crystallized ginger; add to the butter mixture; mix on medium-low speed to combine, about 20 seconds.

Using two spoons, drop about 2 teaspoons of the batter on the prepared baking sheet; repeat, spacing them 3 inches apart.

Bake for 7 minutes. Sprinkle the cookies with sugar, rotate the sheets between the oven racks, and bake until just golden, about 7 minutes more. Slide the parchment with the cookies on it onto a wire rack; let cool 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Potato & Leek Soup with Cilantro

http://community.jeroxie.com/groups/cookbook-challenge/

I'm a week late! Ack!

I've never had vichyssoise before but I guess this soup would be similar, as they're both pureed potato and leek soups, however this soup is served hot and is probably not as thick as vichyssoise, and obviously vichyssoise does not have cilantro in it.

It's delicious and easy to make, although sometimes it can be a pain to have to puree a large amount of something.

This recipe is from 101 Meatless Family Dishes by John Ettinger, published in 1995.

3 tbsp butter

4 cups (about 1 pound) leeks, trimmed, cleaned, and chopped*

2 stalks celery, sliced**

3 cups water

2 potatoes, peeled and diced

3 cups milk

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional, or you may use parsley or watercress instead)

*One leek will yield 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped (white part only).

**I chose to omit the celery as I don't like the taste of cooked celery all that much.

Melt butter in a large pot, add the leeks and celery, and cook over low heat 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

 Add water, potatoes, milk, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently, or until potatoes are tender.

 Remove to a blender or food processor and puree. Stir in cilantro, or sprinkle on top and serve.

Croissant and Apple Pudding

http://community.jeroxie.com/groups/cookbook-challenge/

The current Cookbook Challenge theme is European. There are so many great possibilities with this one, but I've been wanting to do more recipes from a cookbook called Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafes of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague by Rick Rodgers, published in 2002. You can tell from that title that this cookbook is pretty fantastic. I considered making sachertorte (the culinary symbol of Vienna) but I would have needed to buy a springform pan and I was already running late on this challenge so I wanted to make something a bit more simple that I didn't need to buy any equipment for. So croissant and apple pudding it was!

Who doesn't love croissants? Other than people that are crazy about eating healthy, low-calorie food, that is. The cookbook says this recipe is also called Kipferlkoch, which I'm assuming means Kipferl cake, Kipferl being an Austrian precursor to the croissant.

3 cups milk, heated

6 egg yolks

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar, divided

5 or 6 large croissants, torn into 1-inch pieces (10 to 12 ounces total)

2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

1/3 cup raisins

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

confectioners' sugar, for garnish

I used one of these nifty devices to peel, core, and slice the apples:

I highly recommend buying one of these if you often cook and bake with apples. They work so well.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350F. Lightly butter an 8-inch square glass baking dish.

Make a custard by whisking the milk, yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a medium bowl to dissolve the sugar. Since the milk had to be heated anyway, I just put it and the sugar in a medium saucepan and whisked it together until the milk was warm and the sugar was dissolve, then took it off the burner to whisk in the egg yolks.

Place the croissants in another medium bowl and toss with 2 cups of the custard.

 Let stand, giving the croissants a stir every few minutes, until they have absorbed most of the custard, about 15 minutes.

Spread half of the croissants in the baking dish. Top with apples and raisins and sprinkle with the remaining sugar and the cinnamon.

Spread with the remaining croissants. Pour the remaining custard over the croissants. Place the dish on a baking dish. I'm not sure what the point is of the double baking dishes if you're not doing a water bath, but I'm sure there is one so I did it anyway.

Bake until golden brown and the center feels set when pressed gently, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. 

 Cool for 5 minutes. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar and serve warm.

Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

http://community.jeroxie.com/groups/cookbook-challenge/

I figured that it was about time that I did a recipe using the slow cooker that I got back in April, especially since I've only used it a few times so far. This Cookbook Challenge theme is hearty, so black bean stuffed peppers from The New Creative Crock-Pot Cookbook by Robin Taylor Swatt sounded perfect. I just happened to find this cookbook in a thrift shop shortly after getting my slow cooker (which is not a Crock-Pot, in case you were wondering, and I'm sure you were).

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder

Two 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained

5 or 6 green and/or red bell peppers, seeded and cored

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

1 cup tomato salsa

1/2 cup sour cream

In a medium skillet, saute the onion until golden. Season with the cayenne pepper, oregano, cumin and chili powder. In a medium mixing bowl, mash half of the black beans with the sauteed onions.

Mix in the remaining beans. Spoon the black bean mixture into the bell peppers, and place the bell peppers in the slow cooker.

 Sprinkle the cheese over the peppers. Pour the salsa over the cheese.

Cover; cook on Low 6 to 8 hours (or on High for 3 to 4 hours). Serve each pepper with a dollop of sour cream.

Things that went wrong for me: The original recipe called for 6 tall bell peppers, and I think the ones I got must have been too tall because I only had enough of the bean mixture to fill 5 of them. No big deal.

I cooked these for 3 1/2 hours on High, and I think that I should have cooked them for only 3 hours. I also think that I should have lifted the lid occasionally to let steam escape, because there was a big puddle of liquid in the dish when they were done. They turned out pretty delicate and messy. Here is a sad photo of them inside the slow cooker:

They completely fell apart when moved to a dish.

They were DELICIOUS though!

Brownie Pudding Cake

http://community.jeroxie.com/groups/cookbook-challenge/

I've been doing too many desserts and baked goods on here, but I couldn't help it this time because the Cookbook Challenge theme is Dessert. I'm a little late once again, but everyone else was too, so I don't feel too bad about it! I had this really great dessert planned, but I couldn't find a key ingredient at the supermarket, so at the last moment I had to change my idea for what to make. This brownie pudding cake was perfect because not only did it sound delicious (It's a brownie cake on top and pudding on the bottom! Of course it sounds delicious!), but every single ingredient was something that I already had on hand.

The recipe is from the 2007 edition of The Good Housekeeping Cookbook.

2 teaspoons instant-coffee powder (optional)

2 tablespoons plus 1 3/4 cups boiling water

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (optional)

I didn't use any instant-coffee powder when I made it, because I can't stand the taste of coffee. People sometimes say that if you add coffee/espresso powder to chocolatey recipes, it doesn't make them taste like coffee, it just gives them a more intense chocolate flavor. I don't know if this is true or not, and I don't care to find out. People that drink coffee are so desensitized to the harsh bitter flavor that they go around saying that their mochas don't taste anything like coffee and that I should try some because I'll like it. And when I try it, all I taste is coffee, and it is horrible.

Anyway, I don't know if the extra two tablespoons of water is necessary if you don't use the coffee powder, but I used it anyway and added it when it told me to just to be on the safe side.

Preheat oven to 350F.

In cup, dissolve coffee powder in 2 tablespoons boiling water, if using.

In large bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In 2-cup measuring cup, combine milk, melted butter, vanilla, and coffee mixture, if using. With wooden spoon, stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just blended.

 Pour into ungreased 8-inch square baking dish.

In small bowl, thoroughly combine brown sugar and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa; sprinkle evenly over batter. Carefully pour remaining 1 3/4 cups boiling water evenly over mixture in baking dish; do not stir. Be careful not to make my mistake and boil the water so long that some of it boils away. Just add some warm or hot water to the boiling water if you do.

Bake 30 minutes (batter will separate into cake and pudding layers). Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Serve hot with whipped cream, if you like. Makes 8 servings.

You must view this at full size to get the full effect. It looks so good.

 This turned out amazing, of course, and it was so quick and easy to make, too!

Cardamom Butter Cookies

http://community.jeroxie.com/groups/cookbook-challenge/

The current Cookbook Challenge theme is Spice. I love sweet spiced food, with spices such as cinnamon, clove, allspice, and nutmeg. Cardamom is a spice that I only recently started using, so I was excited to try these cardamom butter cookies.

If you go to your average supermarket and grab a bottle of cardamom off the shelf, you may be shocked at the price. This recipe calls for a lot of cardamom (5 1/2 teaspoons total), so you will probably want to see if you can find it cheaper. I'm lucky enough to have a low-price supermarket that carries many items in bulk. They have ground cardamom for about 10 US dollars a pound. I got enough to fill a medium-sized bottle and it only cost me 50 cents! If you don't have any supermarkets nearby that have spices in bulk, try looking in specialty markets, such as ones that would carry Indian or European foods. They may have cardamom in bulk, sold in bags, or in regular bottles at a fraction of the average supermarket price.

This recipe is from The Complete Cookie Book by Elizabeth Wolf Cohen, published in 1994.

It makes about 2 dozen cookies.

2 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour

4 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup sliced or flaked almonds

 To decorate:

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 tsp cardamom

sliced or flaked almonds (optional)

Notes: The recipe says to use cake flour, but I used all-purpose because I didn't feel like buying cake flour just for this recipe, and all-purpose flour is called "all-purpose" for a reason! Also, I thought sliced or flaked almonds would be too big for the cookies, so I bought slivered almonds and then put them in a storage bag and ground them up with a rolling pin.

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease 2 large baking sheets. Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, cardamom, and salt.

 In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy, 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. On low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture until well-blended; then stir in almonds.

 Into a small bowl, sift together confectioners' sugar and cardamom. Using a tablespoon, scoop out dough and roll into 1 1/2-inch balls. Drop balls one at a time into sugar-spice mixture, rolling to coat well.

 Place 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Dip bottom of a glass into sugar mixture, and flatten cookies to 1/2-inch thick rounds. Press 2 or 3 sliced or flaked almonds onto tops of cookies.

Vader enjoys helping out in the kitchen whenever he can.

 Bake cookies until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes (12 minutes ended up being a minute or two too long in my horrible electric oven), rotating baking sheets from top to bottom shelf and from front to back halfway through cooking time. Remove baking sheets to wire racks to cool, 2 to 3 minutes. Then, using a thin metal palette knife or spatula, remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight containers.

Panna Cotta

 http://community.jeroxie.com/groups/cookbook-challenge/

 This recipe is for the Cup theme for the Cookbook Challenge, which I'm actually a couple days late for, oops. "Panna cotta" is Italian for "cooked cream", which kind of sounds like it's served hot or warm, but it's actually served cold. You cook cream, milk, and sugar together and then add gelatin and let it set in the refrigerator. As my husband says, it's like cream Jell-O.

It fits into the "cup" theme because you mold it in custard cups or small ramekins, and then turn it out onto a plate and top it with fresh fruit or fruit sauce.

This is a simple vanilla-flavored panna cotta, but it can be really fun to experiment with different flavors.

The recipe is from The Joy of Cooking, the 1997 revised edition. Cookbook snobs tend to turn their nose up at this edition because it's quite different from the original, but it's actually a really amazing, comprehensive cookbook. Also, it's dear to my heart because it was my first cookbook. My mother bought it for me for Christmas in 2000. I do own the original version as well, but it's packed away in a box somewhere, so I'm not sure if panna cotta is in it or not.

2 1/4 tsp (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1/2 sugar

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

fruit sauce and/or sliced fresh fruit

Lightly oil six 4- to 6-ounce cups or molds.

Pour 3 tablespoons water into a small bowl. Sprinkle unflavored gelatin over the top. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften.

Combine heavy cream, milk, vanilla bean if using, and sugar in a saucepan.

Stirring, bring to a boil over medium high heat. Remove from the heat and extract the vanilla bean. Add the gelatin and stir for 1 minute until completely dissolved. Stir in vanilla if not using the vanilla bean and almond extract.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cups and refrigerate until firmly set, about 3 hours.

Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of each cream and refrigerate up to 3 days. Unmold onto plates and serve with fruit sauce and/or sliced fresh fruit.

To easily unmold from a custard cup, just stick a butter knife down one side and it will thwop out.

I topped these with the blueberry jam that I made for the last Cookbook Challenge, which for some reason didn't thicken very well and so it turned into more of a blueberry sauce.
I also topped some of them with diced, cooked peaches.

Blueberry Jam

http://community.jeroxie.com/groups/cookbook-challenge/

The current Cookbook Challenge theme is Blue. I'm absolutely obsessed with blueberries, so of course I chose a blueberry recipe. They're not quite in season yet (I think that happens next month) so fresh blueberries are really expensive right now, so I found this recipe that works well with fresh or frozen berries. It's from the July 2004 issue of Cooking Light (yes, magazines are allowed in the Cookbook Challenge!), which I recently got at a library that seemed to be getting rid of all of their old issues of the magazine. How could I not take home this issue with a cover photo like this one?

The recipe is originally from the Wildflower Inn in Searsport, Maine.

Note: This jam is stored in the refrigerator, so you don't need to can it!

5 cups fresh or frozen, thawed, blueberries

5 1/4 cups sugar

2/3 cup fresh orange juice (about 3 oranges)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1 (6-ounce) package liquid fruit pectin (such as CERTO)

Place the blueberries in a large saucepan, and crush with a potato masher.

Add sugar, juices, and salt; stir well to combine.

Let blueberry mixture stand for 30 minutes.

Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add pectin, stirring until well-blended.

Pour jam into jars or air-tight containers.

Cool completely; cover and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks. Yield: 7 cups.

 My jam didn't thicken very well, so I guess I did something wrong, but I'm not sure what. It's really good, though, and I especially enjoyed whipping it together with some mascarpone cheese and filling crepes with the mixture. I plan to make some lemon ice cream soon, and I think it will make a very good topping!