Christmas Macarons

Posted on by Leave a comment
mac4

These French macarons are a perfect addition to your holiday sweet table. A minty twist of crushed candy cane will make this delicious treat a new holiday favorite.

 

The ingredients below are for one batch of macarons.

For the second batch, repeat ingredients and follow same directions.

Serves 15 or more

 

mac2

 

Ingredients for the macaron shells

 –  1 3/4 cups of confectioners sugar

–  1 cup ground almond meal

–  3 egg whites, room temperature

–  ¼ cup granulated sugar

–  3-4 drops of peppermint flavor

–  pink and red gel food coloring

–  one container of crushed candy cane

–  silicone macaron baking mat or double parchment paper

– 16 inch pastry bag

–  one number 12 decorating tip

 

Ingredients for butter filling

–  2 cups of unsalted butter

– 1 cup of confectioners sugar

– 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2.  Sift the almond meal and confectioners sugar into a mixing bowl or blend in a food processor until finely ground. Set aside.

3. Beat the egg whites in a mixmaster with a whisk attachment on medium speed until the mixture is foamy and soft peaks.

4.  Gradually add the granulated sugar to the egg whites and mix on high until the egg mixture is glossy and stiff peaks.

5.  Add the food colors and peppermint favoring and whisk on low to combine well.

6.  Gently fold half of the egg white mixture into the almond meal mixture, taking the egg mixture from the middle and up while rotating the mixing bowl. Continue until all of the batter has been folded into the almond meal mixture and is thoroughly combined (about 30 folds), but not too runny or overmixed.

7.  Place silicone mat or parchment paper onto a baking tray.

8.  Cut tip of pastry bag, twist the end, and place number 12 decorating tip onto end of bag.

9.  Place pastry bag, tip side down, into a tall cup.

10.  Fill pastry bag with macaron mixture.

11.  Twist top of pastry bag to close.

12. Pipe 1 and 1/2 inch circles onto silicone mat or parchment paper until all mixture is used.

mac6

13. Tap your tray onto table a couple of times to release the air from the macarons.

14. Let maracons stand for 20 minutes until the top of the shells are dry.

15. Place macarons on middle rack of the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.

mac11

16. Remove from oven and let stand for one hour.

17. For the filling, mix 2 cups of unsalted butter and 1 cup of confectioners sugar in a food processor with ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract and. Beat until soft and place into a pastry bag.

18. Pipe onto most of the shell and place second shell on top to close.

19. Roll the macaron edges into the crushed candy cane all around. 

20. Place on decorative plate and serve.

mac4

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New year from your Petite Gourmande!

 

 © 2016 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved

facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailfacebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailby feather

Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Bacon

Posted on by Leave a comment
dates2

Goat cheese stuffed dates wrapped in bacon

 

These perfectly paired gems can be served as an hors d’oeuvre for any holiday or festive occasion. The taste combination of the cheese and bacon with maple syrup gives the perfect sweet and savory bite that everyone can enjoy. I definitely recommend trying this with a good champagne!

  dates3

 

Ingredients:

–    24 pitted dates

–    1 medium log goat cheese

–    2 packs of pre-sliced bacon or turkey bacon

–    1 small bottle of maple syrup or honey if preferred

 

Directions:

1.    Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.

2.    Cut the goat cheese log into small pieces and fill each date with approximately one teaspoon of cheese. Close date together.

3.    Wrap each date with one strip of bacon.

4.    Place the dates on a baking sheet and drizzle maple syrup on top of each stuffed date.

5.    Bake in middle rack of oven for about 30 minutes or until golden.

6.    Place on platter and serve.

dates1

 

 

Happy Holidays!

The Petite Gourmande

© 2016 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved

facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailfacebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailby feather

Fall in a Field of Pumpkins and Sunflowers

Posted on by Leave a comment
pumpkin

 

Fall is my favorite season! I love all the fruits and vegetables that grow in the fall like pomegranates, spaghetti squash, and pumpkins. I recently went to a pumpkin patch and had a lot of fun picking pumpkins and sunflower seeds.

 

sunflower

 

Riding a tractor reminds me of growing up on a farm, and I couldn’t resist taking a picture on the tractor at the patch. It looked just like the one my friend’s family used to use, and they would always let us ride it.

 

tractor

 

Behind my house under the fig tree we had a bee hive where I got stung many times because I forgot to put on my white suit and net when I rushed to collect the honeycomb on my own. Once a week my father and I would collect honey from the hive and we would share the honey with our friends and family. All around the hive were sunflowers and every few weeks we collected the seeds and used the flowers for decoration. I managed to share the sunflower below with the bees without getting stung!

 

bigsunflower

 

My father used to have a small pumpkin patch, but he grew huge pumpkins. I have memories of sitting on them and feeling very small. This one looked like some of the pumpkins he grew.

 

bigpumpkin

 

I hadn’t seen this many types of pumpkins in one place in years, and I thought they were all so pretty and colorful. It reminded me of all of the soups that I can make out of them.

 

pumpkin-field

 

I wait all year long for the beautiful and warm colors that Fall brings. It makes me feel like making warm soups made, staying inside, drinking apple cider, and baking pies with cinnamon. More than anything, Fall makes me excited for the rest of the holidays to follow.

 

 

Happy cooking!
The Petite Gourmande
© 2016 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved
facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailfacebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailby feather

Holiday Roasted Turkey

Posted on by Leave a comment
Holiday Roasted Turkey on platter with mandarins, grapes, and baby pears

 

No Thanksgiving holiday is complete without a golden brown turkey as the main dish and centerpiece of the table. This recipe uses turkey stock to keep the bird moist during cooking and serves as the base for the most flavorful gravy as well. To make it even more special, my version has a fruit and vegetable stuffing instead of bread-based stuffing. It’s perfect for Thanksgiving, but my family loves it so much that we enjoy it all year long! I hope your family enjoys it, too.

 

Holiday Roasted Turkey on platter with mandarins, grapes, and baby pears

 

Ingredients

12-14 lb turkey (thawed if frozen)

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

5 TB unsalted butter, melted

1 bouquet garni of fresh herbs (one sprig each: rosemary, thyme, mint, and tarragon)

1 medium sweet onion (like Vidalia)

1 large mandarin orange

2 cups turkey stock

Baby pears, mandarins, champagne grapes, and other fruits of your choice

¼ cup white flour

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, and melted butter.

3. Remove neck and giblets from the cavity. Brush outside and inside of turkey with butter mixture.

4. Peel onion and cut in half. Cut mandarin in half. Place onion and mandarin inside the cavity with bouquet garni.

5. Tie turkey legs together with cooking twine.

6. Pour the stock into roasting pan and place turkey on rack. Tent with aluminum foil and roast for 90 minutes.

7. Remove foil tent, baste turkey with juices from bottom of pan, and roast for additional 60 minutes or until golden brown. (Check temperature by inserting thermometer into thigh. Temperature will be 170° when finished.)

8. Remove onion, mandarin and herbs from cavity before placing turkey onto serving platter.

9. Decorate platter with harvest fruit such as baby pears, mandarins, champagne grapes, or fruit of your choice. Be creative!

10. To make the gravy, strain drippings from the roasting pan into a saucepan. On low heat slowly add flour and whisk until mixture thickens and is smooth. Pour into gravy boat and serve.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!
The Petite Gourmande
© 2016 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved

 

facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailfacebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailby feather

Cranberry Tips and Tricks

Posted on by Leave a comment
Close up photo of shiny, red Cranberries

Cranberries are a big part of the Thanksgiving tradition, yet so many people don’t know how to prepare them. As people are learning to experiment with fresh ingredients, we’re seeing more creative cranberry dishes on the table. If you’re looking for a change of pace from the classic canned cranberry sauce you’re in the right place.

 

Close up photo of shiny, red Cranberries

  • Fresh and frozen cranberries can be used interchangeably, so choose whichever is available to you.
  • Rinse cranberries right before using, but not earlier. Wetting them speeds up the decomposition process of the fruit.
  • Cook fresh berries by covering them with water and boiling gently until they burst.
  • Cranberries are versatile, and can be incorporated into muffins, breads, pies, and sauces. They can even mixed into stuffing for a sweet and slightly tart bite.
  • Because of their tart nature, most recipes use sugar or fruit juice to help balance out the flavors. You can also add some citrus peel and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to enhance the flavors.
  • To incorporate cranberry flavor without the hassle of turning on the oven, dried cranberries tossed into salad or stuffing are delicious, colorful, easy, and unexpected!
Dried Cranberries

 

Will you be cooking cranberries for Thanksgiving? Let me know in the comments. And tell me about your favorite recipes, and don’t forget to be creative!

 

Happy cooking!
The Petite Gourmande

 

facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailfacebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailby feather

Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash

Posted on by Leave a comment
psx_20161104_194017

Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash

L’hem bil Grrah

 

Beef and squash pair to make this filling dish that is perfect for colder temperatures. The squash picks up the cinnamon, giving it warmth and a slightly spicy flavor.

 

psx_20161104_194017

 

Serves 4 to 6

 

Ingredients

o   1 tablespoon sweet paprika

o   1 teaspoon ground ginger

o   1 teaspoon ground cumin

o   ½ teaspoon turmeric

o   1 teaspoon cinnamon

o   ½ teaspoon salt

o   ½ teaspoon pepper

o   3 pounds boneless beef shoulder roast, cut into 1 inch cubes

o   3 tablespoons olive oil

o   1 large onion

o   5 cloves garlic, chopped

o   1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

o   ½ bunch cilantro, chopped

o   ½ bunch parsley, chopped

o   1 large butternut squash peeled and cut into cubes

o   1 small bag frozen pearl onions

o   1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable stock

 

Directions

1.       In a large mixing bowl, combine the paprika, ginger, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.

2.       Add the beef to the mixture and stir well to season.

3.       In a Dutch oven or a large cooking tagine, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until tender.

4.       Add the beef and brown on all sides

5.       Stir in the tomatoes, cilantro, parsley, butternut squash, pearl onions, and broth, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 ½ hours or until the beef is tender.

Happy cooking!

The Petite Gourmande

© 2016 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved

facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailfacebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailby feather

Candied Apples

Posted on by Leave a comment
Candy Apple slices decorated for Halloween

 

Happy Halloween, readers! I hope all of you are enjoying this sweet holiday. One of the things that makes this time of year so special is the many different kinds of apples which are available at the farmer’s markets. My husband and I recently took a trip to the Pennsylvania Dutch Amish country for the fall harvest. I used some of my bounty to make this recipe for candied applies.

 

Candy Apple slices decorated for Halloween

 

 

 

Ingredients

o   2-3 apples of different colors and varieties (such as Rome, Granny Smith, Gala or Yellow Delicious)

o   16 wooden apple sticks (also called apple batons)

o   16-oz container caramel dip

o   2 8-oz containers chocolate shells

o   Tubes of decorative icing, white and orange

o   12-oz bag finely chopped pecans

o   Sprinkles

 

Instructions

1. Melt chocolate according to directions on container.

2. Warm caramel dip in saucepan over low heat until smooth.

3. Core apples and cut into eight equal slices. Insert a wooden stick into each slice.

4. Carefully dip half the apple slices into the chocolate and half into the caramel.

5. Coat some of the slices with sprinkles and some with pecans. Allow to set and then decorate with icing. Get creative!

6. Stand up apples in a fun display. A trick to get the apples to stay upright is to use a head of cabbage as a stabilizer. Hide it in your base and cover with something decorative. I like to use a ceramic container and cellophane.

 

 

Happy cooking!

The Petite Gourmande

© 2016 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved

facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailfacebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailby feather

Working with Chocolate

Posted on by Leave a comment
Chocolate cooling on wax paper

Working with chocolate can be intimidating and it’s easy to make mistakes.

But I encourage you to try and you’ll see that with a little practice you can master it!

Melted milk chocolate on a spoon, dripping

Here are a few tips that will help you be successful:

o Break or chop chocolate into small pieces. It will help the melting process go more quickly and it will be easier to stir.

o Use a double boiler when melting, instead of directly over heat. Chocolate is quick to melt and quick to burn.

o If you prefer, you can melt it in the microwave. Do it in a microwave safe bowl and at reduced power. Melt at 10-15 second intervals and stir in between. Keep going until your mixture is smooth and creamy.

o Do not mix any milk, cream, or water into chocolate when it’s melting if you want it to firm up again. It’s important to keep the chemical composition consistent.

o Your bowl, spoon, cutting board, and any other tools should be clean and dry. As mentioned above, you don’t want any water to interfere with the melting process.

o When cooling, use wax paper. It will keep things clean and peel away easily.

Chocolate cooling on wax paper

o To store, make sure you use an airtight container and keep it in a cool, dry place at 60–75°F. Poor storage conditions will cause the chocolate to develop a light-colored powdery surface, this is caused by sugar or fat crystals rising to the surface and is called “bloom”. Making sure the chocolate doesn’t get too warm will prevent this.

o If stored properly, dark chocolate actually improves with age like a fine wine.

o Like with any recipe, a higher quality ingredient will make for a better product. I like to use a fine chocolate to get the best results. But if you are just starting out and practicing, use any type you want!

macaroons3

 

Remember to have fun with it and enjoy!

Happy cooking!

The Petite Gourmande

© 2016 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved

facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailfacebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailby feather

Roasted Leg of Lamb with Quince

Posted on by Leave a comment
psx_20161020_100147

L’hem ul Sfurzel

Lamb is cooked in many ways in Moroccan cuisine. Roasted leg of lamb was one of the dishes that our family enjoyed almost each week. The garnish of spiced quinces adds a splash of color and a sweet aroma to the dish. Growing up, I always enjoyed the basket of quinces that our neighbor would give us each winter.

Roasted Leg of Lamb with Quince

 

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

o   One whole leg of lamb (approximately 5 pounds)

o   4 ounces (1 stick) of unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 4 teaspoons unsalted butter

o   1 teaspoon ground coriander

o   1 teaspoon ground cumin

o   1 tablespoon sweet paprika

o   1 teaspoon salt

o   ½ teaspoon pepper

o   3 cloves garlic, chopped

o   ½ cup low-sodium beef stock

o   4 large quinces

o   4 tablespoons olive oil

o   1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

o   1 teaspoon allspice

o   Juice of 1 small lemon

o   ¼ cup dark honey

 

Directions

1.       Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2.       Mash the 4 ounces of butter, coriander, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic into a paste.

3.       Rub the paste all over the lamb.

4.       Place the lamb in the roasting pan. Pour the beef stock into the bottom of the pan.

5.       Roast the lamb for 30 minutes, reduce the heat to 350degrees, and cook for an additional 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes with juices from the pan

6.       Cut the quinces into halves and gently remove the cores. Cut each half into four pieces.

7.       In a large frying pan, melt the remaining 4 teaspoons of butter and add the olive oil.

8.       Add the quinces. Coat them with cinnamon, allspice, lemon, and honey. Simmer on low heat for 25 minutes or until the quinces are soft and the sauce has thickened.

9.       Remove the lamb and let it rest. Cut into slices and layer on a serving platter. Arrange the quinces around the lamb.

 

 

Happy cooking!
The Petite Gourmande
© 2016 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved
facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailfacebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailby feather

Butternut Squash Soup

Posted on by Leave a comment
butternut-soup

A favorite soup for my favorite time of the year. Fall reminds me of my parents small farm and the pumpkins we would pick every year. This creamy, bisque style soup reminds me of falling leaves and fireplaces. Serves 4 to 6.

butternut-soupIngredients:

– 2 tablespoons olive oil

– 1 large visalia onion (or 3 shallots), chopped

– 2 (32-ounce) package pre-cut butternut squash (or 2 pounds peeled and cubed fresh butternut squash)

– 1 teaspoon cinnamon

– 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

– Salt and Pepper to taste

– 2 (32-ounce) container low-sodium chicken stock

 

Directions:

1. In a saucepan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil and sauté the onions for 5 minutes or until translucent.

2. Add the butternut squash, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and pepper.

3. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

4. lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes.

5. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.

6. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in order to avoid hot liquid spurting from the blender.

7. Puree, in batches, in a covered blender on low speed.

8. Reheat the soup and serve in bowl with Moroccan bread.

Enjoy!

The Petite Gourmande

© 2016 by Ruth Barnes, all rights reserved

facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailfacebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestlinkedinmailby feather
« Older Entries Recent Entries »