Christmas is coming....and so are Christmas cookies and bars

Since Christmas is just around the corner, I thought I would take some time this year to bake up some Christmas cookies.  So in my pursuits of Christmas cookie and bar baking, I am going to have a Christmas cookie week of posts.  I will include cookies and bars I have been baking up for years.  These recipes are ones my grandma's, my mom and my aunt would bake and they are the ones I still turn to to remember Christmas past.  Since we don't have family nearby to share our Christmas cookies with, this year I am delivering them to coworkers and students to eat themselves into a lovely sugar coma.  So stay tuned, I am preparing the recipes and photos and soon I will post a bunch! 

Chicken Pot Pie Version 2

I have long been obsessed with a good chicken pot pie.  On this site I offer two...this one I am now writing about and another which I recently published (http://invitedtodinner.blogspot.com/2013/12/chicken-pot-pie.html).  These are two very different pot pies.  This one is not your regular, traditional pot pie.  First, it is topped with a biscuit crust instead of a traditional pastry topping.  Second, the meat portion of this pie is the main ingredient.  It also has a lovely cream sherry sauce which is added to the chicken so the flavor is unbelievable, but again not your traditional sauce.  I will have to make this a few more times to get used to the not your regular pot pie flavor.  Plus, I added a bit too much chicken so the portion was off a bit.  Another great thing about this is the it reheats well and the flavors continue to come together.  The biscuit is also very good and I really like the toasty crunchy bits.  This recipe is adapted from Pam Anderson's Perfect One Dish Dinners.

Chicken Pot Pie
1 cup chicken broth
1 can evaporated milk (you will use 6 oz.)
4 tablespoons butter, unsalted
2 large leeks, chopped as far up as the stalk isn't too firm (mainly the white and light green parts)
1 medium granny smith apple thinly sliced
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 cup cream sherry
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley

Biscuit Dough
1 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 tablespoon unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Heat chicken broth and evaporated milk for about 3 minutes in the microwave.  Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add leaks and apples and cook until tender.  Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl with the shredded chicken.  Heat additional 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet.  Whisk in flour and sage.  Mix and then add the heated chicken broth and evaporated milk mixture.  Once the sauce thickens, turn off the heat and add the cream sherry and season with salt and pepper.  Stir this mixture and parsley into the chicken and leek mixture.  Adjust seasonings.  Pour mixture into a 9 inch pie plate.

For the biscuits mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cheddar cheese.  Mix in cold butter until small crumbs of butter appear. (I use my fingers.)  Mix buttermilk into dry ingredients until the dough just comes together.  Place biscuit dough over the chicken mixture in the pie plate.  It is sticky so I pulled it out in small bunches.  Bake until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 30-40 minutes.  Serve hot.

Serves 4-6

Pork Adobo

I had heard of pork adobo before making this recipe, but I didn't really understand what it was or the flavors involved.  When I was paging through Brought, Borrowed and Stolen by Allegra McEvedy, I found this recipe based on her travels in the Philippines.  Once I saw that it contained pork belly I knew I had to give it a try since pork belly is one of the most delicious things I have been eating recently.  I fell in love with pork belly when I first tried it in Hong Kong.  I didn't realize that fat could have so much flavor and literally melt in your mouth.  That being said I became obsessed with trying it again.  It is not something to eat frequently, but it is absolutely wonderful to eat if cooked well.

This is a very rich dish so a little goes a long way.  Also, because of the high fat content of pork belly, I would ration it out because it will melt in your mouth, but also is difficult on the stomach if you aren't used to eating a lot of fat.

This recipe serves 4 easily, but again because it is rich, serve it with plain rice.  A nice green salad would help balance it out as well.

This is the most delicious pork belly.  Make sure you cut it in small enough pieces to enjoy, but not become overwhelmed.  Also, when you cook it up you want it to be crunchy.

Pork Adobo

2 tablespoons peanut oil

5 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

10 ounces of pork belly cut into chucks (I recommend 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 1 inch)

1 red onion, peeled and sliced (length shouldn't be more than 1.5 inches)

1 red pepper, cut into large bit sized pieces

1.5 inches of ginger, peeled and grated

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

4 tablespoons light soy sauce

3 bay leaves

about 10 peppercorns

salt 

Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over a medium high heat.  Put in half the garlic slices, make sure they are covered and remove once they are golden brown.  These will be your garnish, but also balance out the rich flavors.  Blot the garlic on a paper lined plate.

Add the pork belly to the pan and let them cook for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Add cut onions, pepper, ginger and the rest of the garlic slices.  Mix it all together, cover, turn down the heat and cook for about 6 more minutes, stirring once or twice, until the peppers and onions are starting to softened.  Add the paprika and mix again.  Pour in the vinegar and soy sauce and about 1 cup of water.  Also add the bay leaf, peppercorns and some salt.  Turn up the heat to bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down again so it is simmering consistently.  Cook for about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has thickened.  Remove from heat and sprinkle with the fried garlic before serving.

Easy French Chicken

I stumbled upon this recipe while reading through cookbooks I had checked out from the library.  My husband didn't even know the library had cookbooks, let alone the number they actually do have on their shelves!  So my quest started to try to not buy very many cookbooks, but really that is a lost cause.  It became a way for me to preview a cookbook to see if I would be interested in cooking any of the recipes in the cookbook.  It does pay off as I can decide how many recipes I would like to try and decide if it really is worth buying the book.  This recipe for French Chicken comes from one such trip to the library.  This recipe I made before I even bought the cookbook.  I figured this and the other recipes in this book was well worth as easy and very tasty chicken recipe for an easy weeknight meal.  The book is called The Bonne Femme Cookbook by Wini Moranville.  I look forward to trying more of the recipes from this book.  The ingredient lists are not intimidating and the directions not extensive.  I think this book will bear more recipes which this ones shares...very good, easy and quick.

Chicken Francese (French Chicken)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh parsley or chives
2 tablespoons  unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, pressed
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Pound chicken breasts between plastic wrap to about 1/4 inch thick or butterfly them.  Season both sides with salt and pepper.  Dredge chicken in flour, removing any extra.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook, turning once until no longer pink inside (7-8 minutes).  Transfer chicken to a platter and sprinkle with parsley or chives.  Cover to keep warm.

Drain off any fat from the skillet.  Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet.  When melted, add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).  Add the wine and lemon juice,  stir to remove any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Bring to a boil and boil until reduced by half (about 2-3 minutes).  Reduce heat to low and whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to thicken the sauce.  Arrange the chicken on dinner plates and spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Makes 2-4 servings, depending on the size of the chicken breasts.

Chicken Pot Pie

The finished product! Doesn't it look delicious?

One of my goals in cooking for me and my husband is to make sure I use enough vegetables.  My husband doesn't like vegetables or at least that is what he is always telling me.  So my challenge is to get him to eat vegetables in a way that he doesn't realize he is eating as much as he does.  The good part is that he is always willing to try something at least once, which makes experimenting with new recipes easier than it could be.  There are a number of recipes I can now get him to eat that don’t include meat, which at times I find too heavy.  This recipe from Ad Hoc at Home, while a little time consuming was a winner as far as including aromatic vegetables, but also in getting them to go along well with some meat.

Before the sauce is added...

This recipe is not for the faint-hearted because I have never had all four of my burners working at the same time for just one recipe.  However, it was only for a short period of time and the job was done - to get flavor into raw vegetables without overcooking them.  Also, because it was a pot pie, there is of course a part of the recipe in which you have to make dough.  I have never liked working with dough and used to avoid recipes with them at all cost.  I never bought store-made dough as I didn't want to give in to a partially homemade dish.  In the past five years though, I have not only begun working with dough, but have also mastered the basic dough recipe.  As much as I dislike rolling out dough, it likes me and without fail the crust (or cookies) turn out great.

Bechamel Sauce for the pot pie.

Chicken Pot Pie

Pie Crust:

2.5 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

10 ounces unsalted butter, cold

About 5 tablespoons cold water

Combine flour and salt in a bowl.  Add the butter and use your hands to mix into pea-sized lumps.  Add the 5 tablespoons water until it forms a ball.  Add more as needed for the flour mixture to come together.  Divide dough into two (one should be slightly smaller as the top will need less than the bottom crust).  Refrigerate for about an hour.  Roll out dough into a round about 13-14 inch bottom for a 9 inch pie plate.  Add flour as needed, but don't incorporate too much.  Put the first piece into the bottom of the pie plate and roll out the second for the top.  Refrigerate while ingredients are cooking.

Filling:

1 cup red potatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup carrots cut into 1/2 pieces

1 small onion cut into 1/2 pieces

3 bay leaves

3 thyme springs

24 peppercorns (black preferably)

1 cup celery cut into 1/2 pieces

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

Sauce:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons flour

3 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon parsley

1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme

pinch of cayenne pepper

Glaze:

1 egg, beaten

Put the potatoes, carrots, and onions in separate small saucepans with water to cover and 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig of thyme, and 8 peppercorns for each pan.  Simmer for 8-10 minutes until just tender (med-high heat).  Drain vegetables, discard thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns.  Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Fill a medium bowl with ice and cold water.  Blanch the celery until just tender, but still crisp (about 1 minute).  Drain and transfer to the ice water bath.  Drain and add to the baking sheet.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Whisk in milk and lower the heat to keep the sauce at a gentle simmer.  Whisk often until the sauce has reduced and thicken to about 2 cups (about 35 minutes).  Don't let the sauce burn.

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Strain sauce through a fine mesh colander.  Season with salt, pepper, parsley, thyme and cayenne pepper.  Remove the rolled dough from the refrigerator.  Scatter the vegetables and chicken into the pie plate with the crust.  Pour the sauce over them.  Moisten rim of dough with the beaten egg.  Place the top crust onto the pie plate filled with chicken and vegetables.  Press the edges to seal the dough.  Remove any extra dough from edges.  Brush the top of the dough with the beaten egg.  Cut a small vent in the top of the dough to let steam escape.

Bake on the lower oven rack until the crust is golden brown about 55 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.  Cut into wedges and serve.  Serves about 6.

Apple Pancakes

I have a hard time going out for breakfast.  Many might ask why, but the answer is simple.  I like to stay at home and eat good food.  Breakfast is one of those meals which is very easy to make as long as you keep certain staples on hand.  My staples include buttermilk, flour, sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, and eggs.  If you have these things there are endless things you can make with them.  This one I found in the Penzey's magazine. Penzey's, for those of you who are unfamiliar with them, is a wonderful spice shop.  They used to be walking distance from my apartment in St. Paul.  I used to go there to buy even just one spice if I ran out because it just smelled so good.  Once I moved to Colorado and they appeared in my city, I was happy to go there.  Plus, they kept giving out spices when I would get their catalog, so how could I say no to be able to try even more good things?


This pancake recipe is in their most recent catalog catalog.  It is called German pancakes, but in a way I disagree with the name as I didn't see a pancake such as this when I lived in Germany.  However, this does remind me of the Scandinavian pancakes which puff.  I don't really like baked or cooked apples and this pancake is one which they don't bother me.  Extra bonus it is really easy to make.  The longest part was cutting the apple to put in the pancake.

Apple Pancakes
2 eggs
3/8 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon butter
1 medium granny smith apple, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400F while you prepare the pancake.  Place a 9 inch pie plate into the oven to heat.  Beat eggs, flour, milk and salt.  Remove the pie plate from the oven and place 1 tablespoon of butter into it to melt.  Spread apple slices into the bottom of the pie plate.  Pour in the batter.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes until the pancake is golden brown and puffy.  Serve immediately.

Serves two, but can be doubled if more if desired.

Gooey Cinnamon Breakfast Biscuit

When I was young my grandma would bake every Saturday.  Fortunately, since I live just up the block, I was able to "help" her bake often.  She would bake beautiful dinner rolls and these wonderful beautiful tasting cinnamon rolls.  While I love those rolls, I don't always want to start my morning with the whole process in order to several hours later eat those wonderful rolls.  So when I saw this recipe which is very quick to throw together because of the nature of the biscuit dough instead of the traditional bread dough, I thought I had to try it.  Plus, as there are only four of them it is just the right size for my husband and I to eat and not watch the rest of them go stale.


Gooey Cinnamon Biscuits
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups heaving whipping cream
2 tablespoons cinnamon
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 425 F.  Grease and line with parchment paper and 8 inch by 8 inch pan.  Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Pour 1 1/2 cups of the whipping cream into the dry mixture and mix until just combined.  Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Pat into a rectangle.  Slice into 8 squares and lay half of them into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle cinnamon over the squares (add a little sugar if desired but really more sugar is not needed).  Cover each square with a second square and press together to seal.  Top with additional cinnamon (or cinnamon and sugar mixture).  Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown.  Whisk together remaining 1/2 cup cream, powdered sugar and vanilla. Drizzle with glaze once biscuits have been removed from the oven.  Serves about 4.