by Kathy Douglas | Dec 9, 2019 | Desserts
It’s our new favorite for the Holidays -Fiori di Sicilia butter cookies. Butter dough with vanilla, citrus, and flower essences creates an addicting butter cookie we filled with a buttercream icing also flavored with Fiori di Sicilia.
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons butter-flavored Vegetable Shortening
1¼ cups confectioners sugar sifted
10 tablespoons butter
1 large Egg
1 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia extract
½ teaspoon salt
2½ cups All-Purpose Flour
Preheated the oven to 350°F. Line two sheet trays with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer, combine the softened butter and shortening in a mixing bowl and cream until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix well to fluffy on high speed about 1 minute. Add the egg and the extract and mix well.
In another large bowl, combine the sifted flour and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix to combine well. Transfer the dough to a piping bag and pipe the dough into 36 round shapes onto the parchment-lined cooking sheet. Refrigerate the dough the sheet trays for 30 minutes.
Bake for approximately 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely and fill with the Fiori di Sicilia Butter Cream.
Fiori di Sicilia Butter Cream
1 stick of butter, softened
4 cups sifted powder sugar
2 teaspoons Fiori di Sicilia extract
3 tablespoons milk
Beat the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the Fiori di Sicilia extract and milk until incorporated and smooth. Place in a piping page and pipe on a cookie bottom and then top with another cookie half. Makes 18 cookie sandwiches.
by Kathy Douglas | Dec 2, 2019 | News & Events
Fresh Chef Experience will be Williams Sonoma Louisville in Mall St. Matthews on Saturday, December 7 at 2:00 for a Holiday Celebrations Cooking Demo!
Watch our Cooking Demonstration and enjoy tasty samples of:
Camembert with Holiday Jam
Pimento Cheese with Ham and Pepper Jam Pinwheels
Cranberry and Brie in Puff Pastry
by Kathy Douglas | Dec 2, 2019 | Desserts
These pretty cookies will not only be the star on your cookie plate, but they are also deliciously lemony. The dough is filled with fresh lemon zest and the glaze is made with fresh lemon juice. Topped with mini stars, they will be a favorite at your cookie swap or holiday get-together.
1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
18 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon lemon extract
Zest of one lemon, reserve the juice for the glaze recipe
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, we prefer White Lily Flour
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar, butter, egg yolk, salt, lemon extract, and lemon zest beating until smooth. Add the flour and mixing until smooth. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a flattened disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and let it soften for about 20 to 30 minutes or until it’s soft enough to roll but still cold.
On a lightly floured surface, working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it ¼“ thick. Use a two-inch star cookie cutter to cut the star shapes out of the dough. Refrigerate the stars as you cut them. Re-roll and cut the dough scraps into stars shapes, refrigerating them as you go.
When the oven is ready, place the cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets about an inch or two apart.
Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, until they’re set and lightly browned around the edges. Place on a rack and cool completely, then glaze with the lemon glaze. Makes 4 dozen cookies.
Lemon glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1 ½ tablespoons egg white powder
4 tablespoons lemon juice
Whisk together the powdered sugar and egg white powder. Add the lemon juice and mix until smooth. The glaze should be thick and pourable. Add a little more lemon juice if too thick. Drizzle over the star cookies and top with mini stars.
by Kathy Douglas | Nov 25, 2019 | Desserts, Holiday
Our new favorite Thanksgiving Dessert is Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese bottom, that’s topped with sweetened sour cream and nutmeg. We like to serve it with a little caramel sauce and toasted pecans on the side.
INGREDIENTS
12 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
2 ½ cups ginger snap crumbs
4 – 8 oz packages of cream cheese at room temperature
2 ¾ cups of sugar plus 3 tablespoons, divided
1 ¼ cups sour cream, divided
6 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg, plus more for topping
For serving (optional):
Toasted Pecans
Caramel Sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325˚F.
To make the gingersnap crumbs, grind ginger snap cookies in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Measure out 2 ½ cups and add to a large bowl. Brush a 9-inch springform pan with a small amount of butter. Line the springform bottom with a 9” parchment circle. Lightly brush the parchment with a little more butter.
Stir the remaining butter in the bowl with the crumbs. Add ¼ cup of the sugar and a pinch of salt and combine well. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. Use a flat bottom measuring cup to packing it tightly and evenly in the bottom and sides. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, remove and cool completely on a rack. Wrap the outside of the springform pan with three layers of foil up the sides to form a water tight seal around the pan and place in a large roasting pan. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add 2 ½ cups of sugar and beat until just light, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in ¼ cup sour cream, the eggs, and salt until well combined. Remove three cups of the mixture to another bowl. Add the vanilla bean paste and whisk until well combined. Carefully pour the vanilla mixture over the cooled crust.
To the remaining cream cheese mixture left in the mixer bowl, add the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg and beat until just combined. Carefully spoon over the vanilla layer. Smooth the top.
Gently place in the oven and very carefully add the boiling water into just the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Be careful to not splash any water into the cheesecake batter. Bake until the outside of the cheesecake is set but the center is still loose, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Turn off the oven heat and crack open the door for 2-3 minutes to vent out some heat. Close the door and leave the cheesecake in the oven, with the heat off, for 1 more hour, then carefully remove from the oven. Remove the foil from the outside of the springform pan and cool on a rack for about 30 minutes.
Set the oven rack on the lowest point in the bottom of the oven and heat the oven on the broiler setting to high. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of sour cream, 3 tablespoons sugar, and a pinch of nutmeg. Carefully spread in a thin layer over the top center of the cheesecake leaving a 1-1 ½” ring of the pumpkin cheese cake on the outside. Place on the lowest rack and cook until the topping is just set. About 6 -10 minutes. Watch carefully so the cheesecake doesn’t get too brown or start to burn. Remove and sprinkle with more nutmeg. Cool completely.
Run a very thin knife around the edges inside the springform pan, cover, and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
Set the cheesecake out about 30 minutes before serving. Unlock and remove the springform ring. Slice with a warm knife and serve with toasted pecans and caramel sauce on the side.
by Kathy Douglas | Nov 18, 2019 | Appetizers, Holiday
The deliciously crunchy stuffing edges on this appetizer are so good you’ll find yourself saving the Thanksgiving stuffing just to make them. Prepared stuffing is combined with cheese and egg, and cranberry relish is transformed into a sweet and tart dipping sauce when these Thanksgiving stars are used in this leftover makeover.
Stuffing Balls
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup finely chopped celery
1 carrot, grated
2 cups prepared stuffing
1 egg, whisked
½ cup shredded fontina cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the butter in a sauté pan on medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, and cook until crisp-tender, stirring frequently, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Add the remaining ingredients to a large bowl then add the vegetables. Mix until well combined and using a 1 ½“cookie scoop, form into 24-28 balls. Place on the parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 18 minutes or until browned and crispy. Remove to a plate and serve warm with the Cranberry Dipping Sauce. Makes 24-28 appetizers.
Cranberry Dipping Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons cranberry vinegar*
1 cup Cranberry Relish, preferably New England Style Apple-Orange
Dash ground cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
In a saucepan, combine the cornstarch and orange juice, whisking until smooth. Stir in the brown sugar, vinegar, cranberry sauce, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring until thickened. Add to a high-speed blender and purée until smooth. Strain into a bowl and serve warm with the Stuffing Balls.
* While Cranberry Vinegar is preferred, Apple Cider Vinegar can be substituted.
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