Category Archives: Cook

by | December 29, 2009 · 8:09 am

New Year’s Eve Cocktails

If you’re looking to indulge, try: Bailey’s Irish Cream in a Chocolate Shot Glass

This is decadence at its best!  I was served one of these delicious shots at a family party many years ago and it has become a special event staple for me ever since.  First you take the shot, then you eat the glass!  If you have a specialty chocolate store in your area, chances are they sell these chocolate dessert cups.  If not, you can purchase them here.


Bailey’s Irish Cream in a Chocolate Shot Glass

1 shot Bailey’s
1 Chocolate Dessert Cup

Fill the chocolate shot glass to the top with Baily’s Irish Cream.  Drink, Eat, Enjoy!

If you’re looking to sip bubbly, try: Champagne with Pear Liqueur

This champagne cocktail is the perfect way to add variety to your New Year’s Eve Champagne.  The pear flavor is subtle, but still adds a little elegance and flavor.  For a special touch, add a fresh slice of pear.


Champagne with Pear Liqueur

1-2 tablespoons pear liqueur
Champagne or sparkling wine
1 ripe pear, thinly sliced

Pour 1-2 tablespoons of pear liqueur into a champagne flute. Top each glass with champagne or sparkling wine. Finally, place pear slice gently into the glass.

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by | December 28, 2009 · 9:21 am

New Year’s Eve Cocktails!

The holidays are almost over and we hope you had a great time with friends, family and food. But there’s still a little more celebrating to be done before the resolutions kick in!  This week we’ll be serving up some tasty cocktail options to help you ring in 2010, no matter what your New Year’s Eve plans are.

If you’re looking to relax, try: Cucumber Lime Gin & Tonic
I fell in love with Hendrick’s gin one late night in Vegas last summer. I used to despise gin but have gradually come to love its fresh, clean taste.  Hendrick’s is a craft gin from Scotland with hints of rose, cucumber and of course, juniper.  It’s quirky taste fits perfectly with the quaint apothecary bottle it comes in.  It may not be for everyone but this G & T upgrade is a perfect spa-like splurge for a relaxing NYE at home.

Hendrick's Gin & Tonic

Cucumber Lime Gin & Tonic
2 oz Hendrick’s gin
splash tonic
splash ginger ale (*optional)
1 lime wedge
1 slice cucumber
ice

Fill a lowball glass half way with ice.  Add gin and a splash of tonic and/or ginger ale.  Squeeze in a lime wedge and garnish with lime wedge and cucumber slices.

PS: Hendrick’s web site has tons of tasty looking recipes that I can’t wait to try!

If you’re looking to liven up a party, try: Strip & Go Nakeds
Although the name sounds scandalous, this recipe originally came to me via my mother from my grandmother’s friend who is a nun! A staple among my friends at many a college party and summer BBQ, Strip & Go Nakeds are refreshing but pack a big punch. Alternate this one with a less boozy drink (or water!).

Lemonade Vodka Cocktail

Strip & Go Nakeds
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate, partially thawed
1 concentrate can filled with vodka
2 light lager beers

In a large pitcher, pour one can of partially thawed lemonade concentrate.  Fill the concentrate can with vodka and add to pitcher.  Pour in two light lagers (this is one time when I would recommend a cheap light beer) and mix well.

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by | December 24, 2009 · 9:39 am

Christmas Morning Stollen

Every year on Christmas Eve, my dad runs to the nearby bakery to pick up a Christmas stollen. Stollen is basically a German fruitcake, made with dried fruit, nuts and spices. When eaten fresh, it’s a tasty treat. But beware, it can dry out in a few days and then you are cursed with a hard brick of a loaf that no one wants to eat.

This year, I have decided to surprise my Dad, go back to my German roots and make my very own Christmas Morning Stollen.   

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of mixed golden raisins and cherries
  • 1/2 C. Cherry Juice
  • 2 TBSP rum
  • 1/2 C. slivered almonds
  • 2/3 C. whole milk
  • 6 TBSP unsalted butter
  • 1/3 C. sugar
  • Grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
  • 3 C flour
  • 1 envelope rapid rise yeast
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • Powdered sugar for dusting

Combine dried fruit, cherry juice and rum in saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and stir. Cover and let sit overnight until fruit is plumped. Toast almonds on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Turn off oven.

Place milk, 4 TBSP butter and sugar in a microwavable bowl. Microwave for 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and add orange and lemon zest. Stir to dissolve sugar. Set aside to cool. 

Butter large mixing bowl and set aside. In a stand mixer, or large bowl with electric hand mixer, mix 2 C. flour, yeast, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon until blended. Gradually add milk mixture, mixing on low setting. Slowly add eggs until soft dough forms. Turn off mixer. Add fruit, leftover juices and almonds. Continue to mix on low. Add remaining cup of flour until soft dough forms. Turn out dough on lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Place in buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch out dough. Divide into three portions. Roll each dough out into oval and fold lengthwise to create crescent shape. Cover. Let rise one hour. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Melt 2 TBSP of butter and brush over hot loaves. Transfer to wire cooling rack, cool completely. Dust heavily with powdered sugar before serving. Can be served with butter or jam. 

I hope my dad enjoys this home-baked German treat! 

Merry Christmas everyone! Or as they say in Germany, Frohe Weihnachten!

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by | December 18, 2009 · 8:40 am

Christmas Treats with Mom

Every year as a child, I, like most of you, looked forward to baking christmas cookies and treats with my mom around the holidays. If you ask anyone on the northwest side of Chicago, they will tell you my mom makes some of the best baked treats around. She is never afraid to, what we call in my family, “fuss.” 

So this year, my mom made a trip up to Wisconsin and we spent the day making a few extra Christmas treats that will spice up any holiday cookie platter. These bite sized desserts are easy to make and require very little baking. You can make as many or as little as you want. They are great to fill out a holiday platter or wrap individually to give as a heartfelt Christmas gift, just as Anne suggested in her recent post.

I’ve added them to a cookie platter filled with my Vanilla Spritz Press Cookies, Lemon Ginger Snowballs and Nutmeg Yule Logs. 

Turtle Pretzels


Ingredients:

  • Snyder’s Pretzel Snaps
  • Rolos
  • Whole Pecans

Place pretzel snaps on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place Rolo on top of the pretzel. Bake in oven at 250 degrees for 4 minutes. Immediately press pecans on top of chocolate. Set in refrigerator.

Christmas Mice


Ingredients:

  • Maraschino cherries
  • Hershey’s Kisses
  • Melted milk chocolate
  • Slivered almonds
  • Black and white gel icing

Pat cherries on paper towel. Dip in chocolate and place cherry on its side on a foil-lined baking sheet. Immediately place unwrapped Hershey’s Kiss as the head of the mouse. Set in refrigerator until chocolate hardens. Using black gel icing, attach slivered almonds to top of Hershey’s Kiss to create mouse ears. Use white gel icing for eyes. 

Chocolate Dipped Meringues


Ingredients:

  • Vanilla meringues
  • Milk and/or white chocolate, melted for dipping
  • Christmas sprinkles

Dip store-bough vanilla meringues in chocolate. Immediately dip in shallow bowl of holiday sprinkles of your choice. Set on foil-lined baking sheet in refrigerator until chocolate hardens. 

M&M Chocolate Pretzel Rings


Ingredients:

  • Pretzel rings
  • Milk and/or white chocolate, melted for dipping
  • Holiday M&Ms

Place pretzel rings on foil-lined baking sheet. Using small spoon (my mom using one of my old baby spoons!), drop chocolate into pretzel ring. Immediately place M&M, “M” side down, on chocolate. Set in refrigerator until chocolate sets. 

Mom’s Chocolate Melting Tips:

  • Using chocolate squares or chips, place in microwave safe bowl for one minute. Stir. 
  • Don’t let any water get into the bowl – the chocolate will harden and will not go back!
  • Don’t over heat. After one minute, stir. Use 15 second  increments to get to desired consistency. Stirring is the key!
  • Place a 1/2 teaspoon of shortening in with the chocolate before melting to even out the consistency.

From my mom’s kitchen and my kitchen to yours – Merry Christmas!

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by | December 16, 2009 · 8:50 am

Shortbread Cookies

Is this what your kitchen looked like last weekend?

It is that time of year when I decide to bake cookies and bread for all of my friends and neighbors. On Saturday I made 12 loaves of Amish Friendship Bread and 4 batches of shortbread cookies. I always get about half way through this process and question why in the world I am doing so much baking.

Instead of making many different kinds of cookies this year, I decided to make 4 batches of shortbread and added ingredients to make each batch a little different.  I then packaged these up in basic white candy boxes and tied them with sweet red ribbon.  Simply stated, but still something all of my friends and neighbors will enjoy receiving.

Shortbread Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

My optional additions: mini chocolate chips, chopped and toasted pecans, grated orange zest with chopped dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Butter an 8 1/2-inch round cake pan or a 8 inch square pan.  Sift together flour and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl cream butter until whipped, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sugar, and continue to beat until fluffy, being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Beat for about 2 minutes more.

Add flour mixture a little at a time and beat on low until flour is fully incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed.  Pat dough into pan and prick all over with a fork. Bake until firm in the center and just starting to turn light brown, about 50 minutes.

Take out of the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.  Cut into desired size.  Let cool 15 mins more and then remove the shortbread from the pan and place on a cooling rack.

Cookies will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 weeks.

Happy Baking!

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by | December 11, 2009 · 9:08 am

3 Easiest Appetizers Ever

If you are anything like me, you often end up having impromptu gatherings with only hours to spare. While a bag of tortilla chips and jar of salsa works to moderately appease the appetites of your guests, you can do better without much more work. These three appetizers are guaranteed to satisfy hungry bellies and make you look like the true haute homemaker you really are. Each recipe uses no more than four ingredients (ones I always make sure I have on hand). A total prep time of 15 minutes for a night of food and fun – do you think you can handle it?

Harry and David’s Onion and Pepper Relish

In our Under $25 Holiday Gift Guide, one of my top picks was Harry and David’s Onion and Pepper Relish. This dip is my husband’s favorite. All you do is use half a jar of the relish and mix with one package of cream cheese (I use 1/3 less fat Philadelphia). Mix together and serve with tortilla chips.


Mustard Ranch Pretzel Dip

This dip involves only four simple ingredients and isn’t too harsh on the waistline.

Mix together and serve with pretzels:
1/2 C. low-fat mayo
1/2 C. low-fat sour cream
1/2 package dry Ranch dressing mix
1/4 C. yellow mustard

Some people aren’t real mustard lovers. If you are one of them, simply add the mustard slowly and taste to your liking.

Easy Chili Cheese Dip

I’ve been making this dip since the days of my college dorm room. With a glass pie plate, a few ingredients and a microwave, you can make this anywhere.

Ingredients:
1 package cream cheese
1 can Hormel Chili, no beans
1 package shredded cheddar or mexican-style cheese

Spread the cream cheese at the bottom of a pie pan. Spread Hormel Chili across the top of the cream cheese. Top with a few handfuls of cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees, or microwave for 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Anyone can conquer one or all of these to create a great party atmosphere without all the fuss.

Feel free to share your five minute appetizers with us! I’d love to add more to the arsenal.

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by | December 9, 2009 · 9:03 am

Buttermilk Pancakes

I grew up eating bisquick pancakes.  You know, the pre-measured mixes where you just add milk, eggs and oil.  They always did the trick and were easy enough to make, so I never thought about going out and finding a pancake recipe that was made from scratch.

Well, that all changed a couple months ago when I discovered my Grandma’s Buttermilk Pancake recipe.  I whipped up a batch of these homemade pancakes and quickly realized that taking a little extra time to measure out my own ingredients, and add a few extra special ones, made a world of difference.  These pancakes were light, airy and sweet.  I may never go back to the box!

Buttermilk Pancakes

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup melted butter or oil
2 eggs

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the remaining buttermilk, butter or oil and eggs and beat well until combined. Fry in a well oiled pan.

This recipe works well cut in half for a smaller group.

Haute Homemake Tip: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, don’t worry!  Simply take one cup of regular milk and add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice.  Let stand 5 minutes and use as much as the recipe calls for.

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by | December 7, 2009 · 9:31 am

Gilded Lavender Butter Cookies

Light and buttery with a hint of “what am I tasting?”, these cookies are elegant enough for a bridal shower or holiday party but simple to make.  I was inspired by Martha Stewart‘s Rosemary Butter Cookies but have been wanting to test out a new recipe with lavender.  With the lavender you not only get the usual aroma of cookies baking, but your house smells like a spa too!

Since this Christmas I’m obsessed with anything sparkly, I used gold sanding sugar to “gild” the edges.  You can find the sugar in a variety of colors at Michaels and the lavender at most spice stores or natural food markets.

Lavender Butter Cookies

Gilded Lavender Butter Cookies
1 C (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 C sugar
1 whole egg
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp coarse salt
2 1/2 C flour
1 Tbsp dried lavender
gold coarse sanding sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in whole egg and vanilla. Add salt and flour, beating flour in one cup at a time until well combined (dough will appear crumbly). Add dried lavender and mix by hand with a spoon or spatula.

Divide dough in half and place each on a medium sized piece of parchment paper. Roll dough into a log, about 1 1/2 inch in diameter. Place each log on the edge of the parchment and roll it the paper around the log. Freeze logs for 1 hour.

Golden Butter Cookies

Unwrap the log from the parchment and place the parchment on a cookie sheet. Use a pastry brush to brush frozen logs with egg white. Pour sanding sugar onto a plate and roll dough in sugar, using your fingers to cover the log evenly. Slice log into 1/4 inch thick rounds and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 16-20 min.

Lavender Christmas Cookies

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by | November 25, 2009 · 8:02 am

Apricot Jalapeno Pulled Pork {4 ways}

I am a true believer in quick weeknight meals, which can be very difficult for a foodie. But I would much rather spend time with my husband and daughter on a Tuesday night then spend an hour in the kitchen which means I needed to figure out some shortcuts to help me whip up quick and delicious meals without sacrificing flavor and nutrition.

I find preparing foods on the weekends, when I tend to have more time,
and freezing them for later can save me a lot of time during the week.
The trick is knowing what will freeze well and how to use it up. A
couple weeks ago I made one of my favorite recipes, Apricot and
Jalapeno Pulled Pork. I used up some of the pork that night and froze
the rest in 3 individual portions to use later in the month. As
promised, here are all the meals I made with this delicious pulled
pork!


Pulled Pork Tacos
First I made pulled pork tacos and served the Apricot Jalapeno Pork on warm flour tortillas with fresh cilantro and a lime wedge.

Spicy Quesadillas
A week later, I thawed out some pork and make quesadillas complete with black beans, fresh corn and pepper jack cheese.

Pulled Pork Nachos
The next week we unexpectedly had friends over for the Packers/Vikings game (oh, Brett Favre). I needed a meal that would please a crowd and it needed to be made quickly. I thawed the frozen pork in the microwave and then simmered it in a mixture of bbq sauce and broth. Next,  I layered chips, shredded cheese, green peppers and the pork on an oven safe tray and baked them for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

BBQ Pork Pizza
Finally, we used the last bit of pulled pork on a bbq pizza. I used my favorite whole wheat pizza crust and topped it with with bbq sauce, cheese, thawed pulled pork and green pepper rings then baked at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.

A little bit of planning led me to 4 easy weeknight meals that I was
able to throw together each in under 20 minutes!

Tips for freezing food:

Invest in some good tupperware or ziplock freezer storage bags, both work great to store food.

Always be sure to properly label the contents of the bag, including the date it was made.

I make it a rule to eat anything I freeze within a month to ensure it will still taste great and will be safe to eat.

Move the food from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before
you intend to use it or thaw the food in the microwave immediately
before cooking with it. Never leave food out on the counter to thaw.

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by | November 23, 2009 · 9:18 am

Wine vs. Beer: Holiday Pairings

Want to instantly improve your holiday meal? Pair it with the right drink! I am SO excited to have two of my favorite beverage makers sharing their tasting and pairing tips with us today.

Brian Brown, winemaker at Napa Valley’s Round Pond Estate and owner of Emerson Brown winery, and Bill Kregel, homebrewer and “haute” husband, will offer up their favorite holiday drink selections. So before you head out to stock your bar this week, check out their tips:

Microbrew beersred and white wine

Give us your one-minute bio
Brian: I knew when I was 17 that I wanted to be a winemaker. My parents’ appreciation of the dining table and all the aspects that go along with it – good food, family, and friends – rubbed off on me and I became interested in wine. I have a degree from UC Davis in Viticulture and Enology and have worked in Sonoma, Australia and Napa.

Bill: I’ve been an avid homebrewer for the past two years. I brew “all-grain”, meaning I don’t use kits or extracts, and I grow a lot of my own hops. I’ve sought out great microbrews for a long time and am constantly encouraging family and friends to expand their beer horizons.

What do you recommend to someone looking to develop their wine/beer palette?
Brian: Get some friends together and open up 3-4 bottles of the same variety of wine. Taste the wines side by side and see how they differ. Don’t worry about what words to use… everyone tends to get caught up on the vocabulary. Just notice how the wines differ and the descriptors will come with experience.

Bill: If you’re used to light lagers like Miller or Bud, start by trying an American or English pale ale, an American brown ale or a citrusy wheat beer. These are easy drinkers with lots of flavor. Also, get adventurous with the brands you buy – there are so many great breweries out there!

What’s the best way to taste wine/beer and what flavors are you looking for?
Brian: Focus on the best way to ENJOY wine as opposed to trying taste it. Wine should be about enjoyment not work. I think the best way to enjoy wine is with food so I look for flavors that compliment whatever I am eating at the time.

Bill: Serve beer cool but not “ice” cold so that it doesn’t kill the flavors. Flavors come from the malt (sweetness), hops (bitterness) and sometimes yeast (in Belgian beers mostly). They can be expressed in countless ways so read the label on the bottle to see what you should look for in each beer and try to pick it out.

What wines/beers pair well with typical holiday foods like turkey, potatoes or pumpkin pie?
Brian: I always try to start the night out with bubbles, especially for the holidays!!! A good rule of thumb for rich, buttery foods is to balance them with a wine with plenty of acid – oaky, buttery Chardonnay doesn’t work. Riesling pairs fairly nicely with turkey and Pinot is a good choice for red. With pie? Pumpkin, I would do a Tokay and pecan, a Tawny Port.

Bill: I’d go with a robust Porter or American brown, like Rogue’s Hazelnut Brown Nectar, to stand up to the turkey and all the fixings. For champagne lovers, I’d go with Dogfish Head’s Red and White or Black and Blue.  Both are spritzy Belgians and the Red and White is actually aged in wine barrels!

Emerson Brown Sauvignon Blanc wine

Brian’s Top 5 Wine Steals
1. Argentina makes some really good value wines, like Malbec or Torrontes.
2. Kendall Jackson does a great job with a value Chardonnay from Sonoma Coast
3. Just about any Gruner Veltliner… its cheap and delicious…
4. Paso Robles has some good deals – hearty red blends for less than Napa or Sonoma
5. There’s always Two Buck Chuck!

Brian’s Top 5 Wine Splurges
1. Anything from the top producers out of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
2. Traditional Spanish Rioja and the newer Spanish wines from Toro
3. A highly rated South Australian Shiraz
4. Pinot from Martinborough, New Zealand
5. Any good sparkling Rose… Billecarte-Salmon is a good go to.

Sites to check: Vinfolio, Wine Spectator

Microbrew beer taps

Bill’s Top Beer Picks
1. Boulder Beer Company Hazed and Infused
2. Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron
3. New Glarus Cracked Wheat & Unplugged Series
4. Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pilsner
5. Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale
6. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
7. Stone Brewing Ruination IPA
8. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

Sites to check: Beer Advocate, Rate Beer

What’s your favorite holiday drink?  Share with us!

Happy Thanksgiving!  And don’t forget to designate a driver when you’re trying all these tasty drinks!

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