A Cup of Sugar … A Pinch of Salt

Ingredients
5 peaches, halved
4 stalks rhubarb, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 sheets phyllo, thawed
4-6 tablespoons melted butter

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325F. Roast the peaches and rhubarb on a parchment-lined baking sheet for about 25-30 minutes or until very soft. Let cool, then chop and place in a medium bowl with the granulated sugar. Turn the oven up to 425F.

Working on a clean, dry surface, spread out one sheet of phyllo and brush with melted butter. Top with another sheet, more butter, and then a third sheet. Cut into fourths.

Place about 3 tablespoons of the peach-rhubarb mixture onto each phyllo rectangle, and gather the corners together. Twist slightly, and pinch to shape the purses. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with more sheets of phyllo and the remaining peach-rhubarb mixture. (You should get about 8 purses) Brush the outside of the purses with more melted butter.

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving (either warm or at room temperature).

Print/PDF Version

Ingredients
for the brownie layer
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso (optional)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon table salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

for the cookie part
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips

Directions
Heat oven to 350F degrees. Make a foil sling for your 13 x 9 inch pan. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk cocoa, espresso powder (if using), and boiling water together in large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in melted butter and oil. Add eggs, yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and homogeneous. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt and mix with rubber spatula until combined. Fold in bittersweet chocolate pieces. Set aside while making the cookie part.

In the work bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter and both the white and brown sugars, about three minutes. The mix should be light and fluffy. Next add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Toss in the butterscotch chips and combine again.

Scrape the brownie batter into prepared pan. Using your hands, drop clumps of the cookie dough evenly over the brownie batter. Don’t worry if it evenly covers the batter (in fact, I like it if you can see some of the brownie peek though — like marbling). Bake until toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 45-50 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool 30 minutes.

Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Return brownies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour more. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Print/PDF Version

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
20 ounces of cashews
1/2 cup bacon, approximately 6 slices, cooked and chopped, reserve drippings
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon smoked sea salt, or more to taste

Directions
Cook the bacon and chop it into 1/4 inch pieces. Reserve the drippings in a small bowl. You will use half of it at the end of the cooking time.

Place the water and sugar in a sauté pan and allow it to come to a boil. Add the nuts and stir continuously until the sugar has caramelized and the water has evaporated. Stir in the bacon and remove the nuts from the heat. Stir in half of the bacon drippings and the butter. Pour the nuts onto a silicone baking sheet or a greased baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle the salt onto the nuts.

Print/PDF Version

Ingredients
for the crust
1 1/4 cups famous wafer crumbs (or oreo crumbs, minus the filling)
(you can also use graham cracker crumbs or vanilla wafer crumbs)
4 tablespoon sugar
big pinch of salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

for the cheesecake filling
20 oz. cream cheese (2 1/2 packages), at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
4 tablespoons lemon juice

for the strawberry glaze and white decoration
1/2 c. seedless strawberry jam
1 c. powdered sugar
4 tsp. milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 325F. Make a foil spring for your 8″ square baking pan (or use a square spring form pan). If using a spring form pan, cover the outside with foil as well, as this will be baked in a water bath, and you don’t want any leakage. Spray prepared pan with cooking spray.

For the crust, in a medium bowl, stir together the famous wafer crumbs, sugar, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir to completely combine. Press firmly and evenly into the prepared pan. Place pan in freezer to chill. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

For the filling, in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs and sugar and beat on medium speed until just combined. Add the lemon extract, zest and juice, and beat again. Spread mixture evenly over the cooled crust and tap the pan gently on the counter to settle it in. place into a larger pan and fill with boiling water around the cheesecake. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until cheesecake wobbles just slightly through the center, and the edges are just a bit golden. The edges will puff up when baking, and then settle back down once cooled. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

For the strawberry glaze, briskly stir the jam until it is very smooth. Then spread evenly onto top of cheesecake. There will be a small raised edge of cheesecake filling around the pan sides, which will get cut off if you want to achieve the perfect red tops on the squares. Don’t spread jam onto the raised cheesecake edges. Place pan in refrigerator to cool completely, 4 hours or overnight. Once set, carefully remove the cheesecake from the pan by pulling up on the foil sling or loosening the spring form. Cut off the raised edges and then slice into squares, to desired size. To get clean cuts, dip knife into a warm glass of water and then wipe knife clean after each cut.

For the white decoration, stir together the powdered sugar and milk. You want it to be pretty thick. Place in pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip. Pipe a heart shape — or whatever shape you want, really — onto the center of each cheesecake bar. Once this white frosting has been piped onto the jam, it can be coaxed with a toothpick to perfect the shape.

Store refrigerated. Can be prepared the day prior to serving.

Print/PDF Version

Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower, cut into 1 inch pieces
(regular will do, but you can always use pink, purple, Romanesco, etc)
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 bunch of fresh mint, leaves only
1 tsp hot red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound spoon sized pasta (i.e. ziti, rotini)
Pecorino Romano, for grating

Directions
Bring a large pot water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt.

While the pasta water is heating, in a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add the onion, mint, red pepper flakes, and garlic, and sauté over medium-high heat until the garlic is just golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook until tender, about 7 minutes.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package directions, until tender yet al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with cauliflower. Toss over high heat for 1 minute. Grate Pecorino over the pasta, and serve immediately.

Print/PDF Version