Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

In my last post I included the above picture of dishes that I served over the holidays.  Number 1 is Braised Short Ribs on Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Green Beans and Roasted Tomatoes. If you want to impress your guests on New Year’s Eve, you won’t do better than this.  It is pretty to look at and the beef is so tender that all you need is a fork to enjoy it.  I have several boneless short ribs recipe in my repertoire,  but this one is so special that I will make it for birthday parties, Christmas dinners, New Year’s or any other special occasion for which I want to make people feel special.

The presentation is the key.  If you have a wide mouth white soup bowl it would be stunning.  But even served on my black and white dinner plates it looked festive.

 

The recipe came from Chuck Hughes on The Food Network.  I was intrigued by it because of the unusual ingredients including beets, cinnamon, cocoa powder and brown sugar.  The beets impart a dark color to the sauce and the flavorings give it a hint of sweetness.  I have changed the amount of brown sugar.  It called for 1 cup but that seemed excessive.

 

I can’t think of a better way to bring in the New Year.  Your friends and family will thank you.  Happy New Year everyone.

 

BRAISED SHORT RIBS

2 packages boneless short ribs (about 16 to 18 total) or 8 bone-in short ribs
3 large onions, coarsely chopped
3 to 4 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
4 carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 beets, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 heads of garlic, cut in half
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 sprigs of thyme
1 star anise (optional)
1 cinnamon stick
Coarse salt
1 cup flour
Canola oil
2 bottles red table wine
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
Handful peppercorns
1 to 2 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the onion, celery, carrots, beets and garlic.  Add the rosemary, thyme, star anise, and cinnamon stick, and set aside.

If using bone-in ribs, trim off the excess outer fat.  Season the ribs well with coarse salt.  Dredge in flour until well coated.

In a (very) large Dutch oven or wide soup pot on high heat, pour in enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  Add the ribs to the hot oil and sear the ribs so they are browned on all sides.  You will have to do this it batches for the boneless ribs.  Remove the ribs and set aside.

In the same pan, transfer all the vegetables from the bowl, and stir to caramelize and pick up all the brown bits.  Add the meat back into the pot.  Pour the wine over top.  Ensure all is covered with the liquid and if not, top up with water.

Add the cocoa powder, brown sugar and peppercorns, and bring to a boil, cover with a lid or foil, and place in the oven until the meat is fork tender, about 3 hours.  Remove the ribs to a platter, and strain out the solids to use for something else.

Boil the cooking liquid in a wide shallow pan until it is reduced by half.  It will be richer, more flavorful and thicker.  Add a nub of butter at the end for sheen and flavor.

Serve the short ribs on a mound of Garlic Mashed Potatoes, topped with green beans and roasted cherry tomatoes.

 

GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

1 heat garlic
1 tablespoon good, fruity olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A sprig or 2 of fresh herbs (rosemary or thyme)
6 large Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled, and quartered
1 stick butter
1 cup cream or half and half

Slice the top off a garlic head and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and the fresh herbs.  Wrap in a tin foil packet, and roast in the oven for about 1 hour.

Fill a large saucepan with water; add a few good pinches of coarse salt and the potatoes.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until just fork tender.  Do not over cook or the potatoes will be soggy.  Drain off the water, leaving the potatoes in the pot.

Add the butter and cream to the potatoes and mash well.

Remove the garlic from the oven.  Squeeze the garlic cloves into the potatoes, and stir in.  The consistency you want is rough, with some lumps.  Seaon the potatoes with salt, and pepper, if desired.

 

BEANS AND TOMATOES

Stem the beans and place them in boiling water.  Cook until crisp tender.  Plunge the beans into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and set the color.  Set aside until ready to assemble dish.  Just before serving time, heat a couple of tablespoons of butter in a large skillet.  Add beans and toss to coat.  Cook until just heated through.

Place a pint of cherry tomatoes on a small baking sheet.  Coat with olive oil, coarse salt and pepper.  Place in a 400 degree oven and cook just until skins begin to burst, about 10 minutes.

Printable recipe

 

 

I have to say that this is one of the best apple-walnut salad recipe that I have ever tried.  It is all because of the lemon curd that is mixed into the mayonnaise.  I found the recipe in a Southern Living cookbook.  My menu for one of the nights that our family was visiting included my Fall-Apart Tender Slow Roast Pork.  I wanted something refreshing to go with the rich pork and something that kids would like.  This salad did the trick.  Both Rachel and Cameron ate every bit of the portions on their plates.

 

 

The only changes I made to the recipe were to cut down on some of the strong seasonings, like cardamom and nutmeg.  But the lemon curd was a wonderfully refreshing addition to the dressing.  The crunchy walnuts and celery, the sweet apples and the soft dried cranberries all mingled together to make a worthy whole.  I would recommend it as a side to any pork dish that you make during the holidays.

Here are some of the other holiday dishes that we enjoyed.  I will share them with you soon.  Which of them grabs your interest the most?  Merry Christmas everyone.

 

APPLE-WALNUT SALAD

1 cup chopped walnuts
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup lemon curd
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (I used 1/8 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I used 1/8 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
6 apples, chopped – A combination of Gala, Granny Smith and Red Delicious is good
3/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup dried mixed fruit  (I used dried cranberries)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake walnuts in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring once after 5 minutes.

Stir together mayonnaise, next 4 ingredients, and 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest in a large bowl.  Add apples, celery, fruit mix, and 3/4 cup walnuts; toss well.  Cover and chill 6 hours.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup walnuts and 1 teaspoon lemon zest just before serving.

 

Printable recipe

 

I was inspired to make these cookies this year by my friend Maxine.  Rugalach is a traditional Jewish dessert served during Hanakkuh.  But it is also a cookie that originated in Eastern Europe and was embraced by many ethnicities.  My Mother made a similar cookie with leftover pie dough.  It is interesting that so many traditions were shared by various immigrants to our country.  I remember as a child loving the rolled dough pieces with cinnamon more than the pie that was the reason for their existence.

 

 

Rugelach are made with a pastry that includes cream cheese.  The filling usually includes apricot jelly, ground walnuts and sometimes chocolate.  Because I love chocolate, that was a necessary  inclusion.  I made the pastry one day while I also made the dough for my sugar cookies.  It made it easy the next morning to pull each wrapped dough out of the refrigerator as I needed it.  All was finished by noon.

 

 

Here are some of the snowflake sugar cookies.

 

 

The rest of the sugar cookies, above.  It is nice to have a variety of cookies ready for the Grandkids.  My heart is full of gratitude that I can hold them close this year.  The events of the past week have broken my heart.

 

RUGELACH (Martha Stewart)

For the Dough
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pur vanilla extract
Pinch of coarse salt
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough

For the Filling
4 ounces walnuts
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of salt
12 ounces apricot jelly, melted*
2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, or currants or a combination

For the Finishing
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup fine sanding sugar

Directions

1. Make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and cream cheese at medium speed.  Add sugar, and beat until fluffy.  Beat in egg yolks, on at a time, beating to combine after each addition.  Add vanilla and salt, and beat to combine.  Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour.  Remove from bowl, and divide into 3 pieces on a lightly floured surface.  Pat into disks, and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.

2. Make the filling;  In a food processor, combine walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and salt,  Pulse until fine.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.  On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a 12-inch round, less than 1/8 inch thick.  Brush evenly with jelly.  Sprinkle with one-third of the walnut mixture and one-third of the chocolate chips.  Using the rolling pin, gently roll over filling to press.

4. Cut the round into 16 equal-sized wedges.  Beginning at the large base of each wedge, roll to enclose filling, forming crescent shapes.  Pinch to seal.  Place on prepared baking sheets.  Repeat with remaining dough and filling ingredients.  Brush tops with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sanding sugar.  Bake until golden brown 20 to 25 minutes.
* I did not use all of the apricot jelly.  I just smeared a thin layer on each of the rounds.

 

ICED SUGAR COOKIES

Makes 24 to 36 cookies

2 1/2 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1-pound box confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons meringue powder (Available at Michael’s)
Nonpareils, for decorating (optional)

1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.

2. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl witha mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated.  Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 2 batches and beat until just incorporated.  Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

3. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, lightly dust the dough with flour and roll out between 2 pieces of parchment paper until about 1/8-inch thick.  Refrigerate until slightly firm, about 15 minutes.  Cut out shapes using 2-to-4 inch cookie cutters and transfer to the prepared baking sheets.  Gather the scraps and refrigerate until firm; reroll once to cut out more cookies.  Refrigerate the cutouts until firm, about 30 minutes.

4. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F.  Bake the cookies, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until just golden, 13 to 15 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

5. Meanwhile, make the icing; Sift the confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder into a large bowl.  Beat in 6 tablespoons water with a mixer on medium speed until soft, glossy peaks form.  Spread on the cookies and decorate with nonpareils.  Let set, about 1 hour.

 

Printable recipe: Rugelach

Printable recipe Iced Sugar Cookies

 

 

Earlier in the week David and I traveled to Sarasota for a quick visit with a good friend from Lake Lure.   She is preparing her new villa for Winter rentals.  Sarasota is a charming Gulf Coast town with a wealth of interesting things to do.  Carole took us to Saint Armands circle on St. Armands Key to do some Christmas shopping.  It is absolutely beautiful.

Another sight on Sarasota’s bayfront is the 26 foot tall “Unconditional Surrender” kissing couple.  The famous photograph from the World War II event of Japan’s surrender was made into a statue and donated to the town by a World War II veteran.  We did our best in striking the same pose but were giggling about the pain in our backs.

Back home I have been busy wrapping presents and baking cookies.  We are looking forward to the family visiting next week.  I wanted to share with you the bow making technique that I learned from Better Homes and Gardens.

I bought all of my Christmas ribbon from Michael’s at a 70% off sale.

This is a very easy technique once you get into the rhythm and I like the way the gifts look.  You can find the instructions here.

I will be back with some recipes soon.

 

This is such a pretty cookie to add to your Christmas cookie tray.  It was one of the cookies featured in The Food Network magazine December issue.  Now if you look at the cookie in the magazine, you will see  a much prettier cookie.  The swirls are more defined and even.  But hey, I’m not complaining.  I still like the looks of my cookies.

You start with a basic sugar cookie dough, divide in half and add food coloring, chocolate and cinnamon flavoring to one half.  Roll out each dough on a piece of parchment.

 

Turn the red half by lifting the parchment and place it on top of the plain half.

 

 

Trim the edges.  I saved this dough and made multi colored cookies from it.  Once the edges are trimmed roll the dough into a log.

 

 

There are a number of trips to the refrigerator for this dough but it is easy once you reach this stage.  Just slice and bake.

 

 

I am making several types of cookies this year because the Grandchildren will be here for the holidays.  Making cookies certainly has a way of putting you in the holiday spirit.  I am also taking the time to wrap my presents with pretty bows.  I will tell you more about that technique in my next post.

 

 

Enjoy!

 

CINNAMON PINWHEEL COOKIES  (The Food Network Magazine)

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon extract (optional)*
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon sanding sugar (clear or red), plus more for coating

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bow.  Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.  Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated.  Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.  Remove half of the dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Add the cinnamon extract, cocoa powder and food coloring to the remaining dough beat until incorporated; wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate both pieces of dough until firm, about 1 hour.

Dust the dough with flour and roll out each piece on parchment paper into a 10-by-11-inch rectangle.  Flip the red dough on top of the plain dough; remove the top piece of parchment and trim the edges.  Sprinkle the ground cinnamon and sanding sugar on top  Starting from a shorer end, tightly roll up the dough, using the parchment to help; roll the log in sanding sugar.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.

Position rack in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.  Slice the log crosswise 1/4 inch thick; arrange the slices about 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets.  Bake, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until slightly puffed and lightly golden on the bottom, 12 to 15 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to rack to cool.

* I could not find cinnamon extract, but did find cinnamon oil at Hobby Lobby in the cake decorating department.  It is stronger by 4.  I used 1/16th of a teaspoon.  To be honest, I don’t think you need it.

Printable recipe