Rugalach Cookies

The holidays are upon us in full force, and I am absolutely positive that you don't need another sweet treat temptation to mess up your already sugar intensive diet. That said, I could not resist sharing at least one holiday cookie with you this year - one of my family's traditional recipes called Rugalach. This cookie is known under many different name spellings, but it is a traditional Jewish cookie that originated in central Europe. Every December my mom makes these and I gorge on about a dozen in no time flat. While the ingredients and appearance are very simple, they are one of my hands-down favorites.

That said, before this year I must confess that I had never made Rugalach on my own! But since we are going away for the holidays (leaving for the Caribbean on Wednesday!), I knew I had to take advantage of time and make them solo this year. And when we decided to host a holiday cookie party last week, it was a no-brainer that I would attempt them. My mom's recipe consisted of vague quantities such as "mix sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts to make the filling." When I made these I have to admit that I did just kind of pour the amounts randomly. But after taste testing that batch and for the purposes of sharing, I made some tweaks and came up with the amounts you see below. If you make these, let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 -pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

9 tablespoons granulated sugar 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped



Directions:



1. Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light. Add 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. 
2. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured cutting board and roll it into a ball. If the dough seems dry, just keep working with it and it will come together. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap the pieces in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight if possible or for at least 2 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
4. 
To make the filling, combine the remaining 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts.


5. On a very well-floured cutting board, let one section of dough soften a bit and then when it is roll-able roll it into a circle. Sprinkle the circle with 1/2 cup of the filling mixture and press the filling lightly into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges—cutting the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds.
6. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge into a crescent shape. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with a bit of extra cinnamon/granulated sugar for garnish if desired.
7. Bake for 17-20 minutes, until cookies are very lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool. Repeat the above process for the remaining pieces of dough. 

 When I originally made this I only used granulated sugar which is why the filling looks so light. However, I thought that brown sugar would add a nice flavor. 

 You really need to flour the cutting board before rolling. Otherwise, the dough triangles will stick impossibly and you'll have to start over.

 That looks like my kind of pizza! Ha.

 What cute little crescent rolls. And tasty to boot!

Pumpkin Granola Muffins

Have we all been pumpkin'ed out yet by all of the pumpkin spice coffee/bread/oatmeal/pie and other concoctions that are so popular this time of year at every holiday party, coffee shop and grocery store? Because I'm not quite maxed out to my personal limit yet, so I think it's time for a pumpkin post! This time of year only comes around once a year, so it's best to make the most of it. Especially when the pumpkin goodie in question is a healthy(ish) crunchy tasty pumpkin muffin topped with granola.

Yep, you heard correctly. Today we are taking muffins to the next level by adding an exciting granola topping as the proverbial cherry on top. I found this idea on a blog called The Clever Carrot, and can't wait to repeat it for every type of muffin out there for the rest of my life - blueberry muffins, banana, you name it - this is a genius idea that will make a basic muffin much more interesting. I'll take five, please. 

What are your plans for Thanksgiving this year? My parents are driving over from Nevada, and then we are all going to the Santa Barbara area to meet up with Stuart's family. I can't wait for loads of turkey, cranberry sauce, and of course a slice of pumpkin pie!

Ingredients:
Dry:
1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
Wet:
1 c. pumpkin puree
--> ¾  c. sugar2 eggs
--> 1½  tsp. vanilla --> ⅓ c. coconut oil, melted & cooled1 c. granola (any variety – for garnish)

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients so that they are evenly incorporated.
3. In another bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients.
4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients, and stir until just combined; do not over mix (the muffins will be tough).
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling them about 2/3 full.
6. Sprinkle 1 tsp. of granola onto each muffin.
7. Bake in the center of the oven for about 25-30 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
8. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.

Birthday Eats

I recently realized that in the whirlwind surrounding my recent birthday, I forgot to tell you what (are where) I ate during my birthday week. It's been a while since I posted about restaurants here in San Luis Obispo, so I'm going to take this opportunity to introduce you to a couple of Central Coast gems. First up was the meal Stuart treated my to the weekend prior to my birthday, at Ember in the nearby town of Arroyo Grande. Next up was a wonderful champagne-filled evening courtesy of my mother in law, Karen, who drove all the way up to eat with us at Giuseppe's Cucina Italiana in nearby Pismo Beach. Both meals were fabulous, and while the interiors of both restaurants are dark I did try to capture a few standout dishes in the photos below.

Where: Ember
Location: Arroyo Grande
Known For: wood-fired everything, from pizzas to meats, overseen by head chef Brian Collins

Shaved zucchini salad with toasted hazelnuts and Parmesan - simple but delicious

The crispy pork belly with Brussels sprouts appetizer

Wild Boar Chorizo and Tomatillo pizza - out of the ordinary toppings, wood-fired to perfection

Where: Giuseppe's Cucina Italiana
Location: Pismo Beach
Known For:the best Italian food in the central coast

Giuseppe's signature starter salad, full of fresh avocado, carrot, tomato, and garbanzo beans

 

The pan roasted petrale sole entree special with butternut squash risotto and shaved zucchini - this was hands down the best entree I've had at this restaurant. Amazing. 

 

Where: The Chiapella/Wendel Family Kitchen
Location: Gardnerville, NV
Known For: homemade cakes that don't look pretty, but taste delicious! Below is a German chocolate cake that my mom and I made when I visited home the weekend following my birthday. Of course, the main meal was also equally scrumptious. Thanks, mom and dad!

 

And a big thank you to Stuart for my birthday gift, the cookbook pictured above. I can't wait to bring a little bit of Paris to our home kitchen! 

Butternut Squash Soup

Happy Halloween! What are you up to this evening? Stuart and I happily fail at Halloween pretty much every year. We talk about getting costumes, don't get them, make zero plans, and then buy a bucket of Halloween candy for the "trick-or-treaterers" (who never arrive because we've always lived in out of the way neighborhoods or apartment buildings). It's pretty much a tradition at this point! This year, we are planning to attempt our first ever pumpkin curry, followed by some Halloween themed sugar cookies. My spooky outfit is comprised of a Banana Republic sweater....be very afraid.

 In other news, this roasted butternut squash soup recipe is really good. I mean, lick your bowl clean good. When I was home visiting Nevada last week, my parents handed me some goodies from their garden, including one butternut squash and one odd-looking mystery squash. We had no idea what it was, but together I thought together they'd be perfect for soup. Roasting the squash instead of boiling it gives it a really rich, complex flavor that shines through in the end result. The sauteed apple is what seals the deal. And the hardest part? Cutting the squash in half before roasting! Either these babies have some very tough skin, or my kitchen knives are really dull. I counted it as my workout for the day (that counts, right??). I am also 75% sure the mystery squash on the right, below, was a spaghetti squash.

Ingredients:
4 pounds whole butternut squash (about 2 medium squash), cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium apple (Granny Smith or other tart variety preferred) 
1/2 medium yellow onion
8 fresh sage leaves
4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (2 cans)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the squash pieces cut-side up on the baking sheet. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and brush all of it over the tops and insides of the squash halves. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until knife tender, about 50-60 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, peel, core, and cut the apple into medium dice. Cut the onion into medium dice. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the apple, onion, and sage leaves, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
4. When the squash is ready, set the baking sheet on a wire rack until the squash is cool enough to handle. Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh into the pot with the sautéed apples and onions; discard the skins.
5. Add the broth, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up any large pieces of squash, until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the half and half.
6. Using a regular or immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth (if using a regular blender, remove the small cap (the pour lid) from the blender lid and covering the space with a kitchen towel to allow steam to escape). Taste soup and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve garnished with the pumpkin seeds, if using.

Recipe adapted from CHOW

Buttery Raspberry Lemon Cake

As evidenced by last week's pecan sticky bun post, I am on a bit of a baking spree! As soon as the last sticky rolls were gone and the final drops of caramel sauce cleaned (licked) from the pan, my brain was thinking ahead to the next treat that I could make. Hey, don't judge me - it's my birthday tomorrow! A girl's allowed to bake uncontrollably during her birthday month, right?? I landed on this buttery raspberry lemon cake soon after discovering it in the Cook Taste Savor cookbook I picked up at last month's Sunset Magazine event. It is light and fresh, with just the right amount of lemon flavor. I found it perfect for breakfast, or served as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

This is a unique cookbook as it organizes recipes by ingredient, a bit differently than most cookbooks. So for example if you are craving something with berries, flip to the berries section of the book and find recipes like this one, or the intriguing spareribs with blackberry sauce recipe. This cake is great for several reasons: 1) it's very fast and easy, with minimal tool cleanup 2) it's not too sweet 3) it's super moist, not even dry after several days stored on the counter 4) you can easily customize it to use blueberries or blackberries instead of raspberries, or make muffins instead of a sheet cake (just shorten the bake time and check more often for doneness). Go forth and conquer!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup lemon curd (find with jams at the grocery store; $2.99 at Trader Joe's)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 3/4 cups raspberries (about 18 oz. – can substitute blueberries or blackberries)
Powdered sugar

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325° and butter a 9- by 13-in. baking pan. 
2. In a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed, beat butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, salt, vanilla, yogurt, milk, and lemon curd until mostly blended.
3. Add flour, baking soda, and baking powder to bowl and beat until smooth. Spread half of batter in pan and scatter half of raspberries on top. Gently spread remaining batter over berries. Scatter remaining berries on top.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour; if cake begins to brown too quickly, tent with foil. Let cake cool about 1 hour, then dust lightly with powdered sugar.

I used a double-pack of raspberries from Costco for this recipe - the perfect amount. If you wash them, just make sure you let them dry as much as possible before adding to the batter.

 

Lemon curd was the only ingredient not already in my pantry. I found it by the jams at Albertson's, but afterwards I saw it for a better price at Trader Joe's above the freezer items. 

 

 Add some powdered sugar, and you're looking fancy! Excuse my somewhat messy application here. I'd love to have one of these powdered sugar dusters for prettier application!

 

 

Not pictured with: vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream. Delicious. 

Pecan Sticky Buns

One of my fondest childhood food memories are the pecan sticky buns that my mom would make on special occasions. It all started the year she got a bread machine. I remember being fascinated by the whirring noise of the machine, the delicious yeasty smells that filled the house, and the feeling of a warm steamy slice of fresh bread in my hand. The little recipe booklet that came with the bread machine included a recipe for sticky buns, and it became a tradition for my mom to make them when we were vacationing at our family cabin. Needless to say, my sister and I would fight for every last morsel of sticky, caramelized pecan pieces that coated the pan.

I had never attempted this family sticky bun recipe myself because I do not own a bread machine (nor do I really see a need to purchase one). But I started thinking that there must be many recipes for sticky buns out there that could be made by hand. With this mission in mind, I cobbled together a recipe that uses the sauce and filling from my mom's booklet, and the no-machine-necessary dough from this Saveur recipe.

Take note that while these sticky buns are not difficult, they do take some time/patience as you have to "wait" for the dough over several stages, and I strongly recommend making them the night before you plan to bake them. However, Stuart assured me that the time was well spent. As proof, we managed to polish of an entire 9x13 pan of these babies on our own. No judgement, please!

Dough Ingredients:
1/4 cup water, heated to 115°
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 tsp., plus 1 cup granulated sugar
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted (for dough)
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg, plus 1 yolk
3 & 1/4 cups flour, plus more for dusting

Filling and Sauce Ingredients:
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 cup chopped pecan pieces
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Combine water, yeast, and 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. 
2. Stir in 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the 8 tablespoons melted butter, milk, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, salt, vanilla, egg, and yolk. Add flour and mix on low speed until dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high; knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. 
3. Cover dough with plastic wrap; set in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1.5 hours. 
4. Prep the sauce by bringing 1/3 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and the corn syrup to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is melted, about 3 minutes. 
5. Pour sauce evenly into a greased 9x13” baking dish; sprinkle 2/3 cup chopped pecans over the top. 
6. Prep the filling by stirring together 1/3 cup soft butter, 1/3 cup pecan pieces, and the cinnamon in a bowl; set baking dish and filling aside. 
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 10" x 18" rectangle; spread filling evenly over dough. Working from one long end, roll dough into a log; trim ends and cut into 12 rounds. Place rounds over sauce in baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap; chill 6 hours or overnight. 
8. Heat oven to 375°. Uncover buns and bring to room temperature. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let pan cool 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving tray. Immediately spoon pecan sauce from dish over buns.

Ginger Honey Cashew Chicken

Recently I realized that I've been posting a lot about my life events and trips, and less about new recipes that I love and adore. In light of of this oversight, I wanted to share a delicious easy chicken recipe that I found on one of my favorite food blogs, Eat Live Run. This is one of those beloved easy meals that you can put together in about 30 minutes or less - my favorite type of dinner if we're being honest! Despite the fact that I don't (yet) have a demanding work schedule, kids, etc. I still love me some 30-minute dinners. 

This is a classic faux take-out meal that takes basic chicken and gives it an Asian zing of flavors using fresh ginger, honey, and spices. The roasted cashews take it to the next level with some crunch and texture in every bite. Fun fact: did you know that cashews are one of several foods that supposedly make you happier? The zinc they contain has been found to decrease depressive symptoms and improve mood. Read more about other "happy" food here.

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized strips
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
3 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
3 ribs of celery, sliced thin
1 cup chicken broth
1 T honey
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (just a sprinkle)
1 T vegetable oil
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup roughly chopped roasted cashews

Directions:

1. Lay the chicken breast strips in a pie pan or large plate. Sprinkle with cornstarch, salt and ginger. Toss so all the strips are coated well and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
2. While the chicken is in the fridge, chop the carrots and celery.
3. Whisk together the chicken broth, honey, and cayenne pepper. Add the sliced carrots, celery, and broth mixture to a medium sauté pan and heat over medium-low for about 10 minutes. Set aside when done and vegetables are tender.
4. Begin cooking the rice.
5. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Drop the chicken in and cook for about eight minutes or until pieces are no longer pink in the middle.
6. Add the contents of the broth/veggie pan to the chicken pan, then add the green onions and cashews. Cook for about five minutes so that the sauce can thicken. Serve over steamed rice.

 

 

Adventures in Abalone

It has been a whirlwind week on the Central Coast! This past weekend marked the date of Sunset Savor the Central Coast, an event that I have been prepping for over the course of many months. This huge food and wine festival, sponsored by Sunset Magazine, consists of a main weekend event with smaller food and wine experiences leading up to it. Through my company Big Red Marketing, I was fortunate enough to be on site running the Abalone Farm Adventure Tour. This meant that I was responsible for checking in guests, introducing editors of Sunset Magazine each day, and making sure all of the prior month's prep work went smoothly and as planned.

There was one big caveat -- I didn't know if I liked abalone!! I was crossing my fingers that I would like it, since I would 1) starve to death if I didn't eat it, and 2) seem extremely rude to the chef and odd to the guests if I refused. I do not typically eat shellfish such as shrimp, clams, scallops, crab, lobster etc. because I just can't stand the texture. So I was worried about the abalone at first. But check out the gorgeous food photos below. I definitely ate it.

The beginning of the tour. The tour itself was absolutely fascinating, even when it was literally my third time taking the tour. Each time I learned something new. Our guide Brad Buckley was a wealth of information, and I learned so much about these basically endangered animals, such as the fact that they can bleed to death and even drown! They are also MUCH smaller than the abalone shells from our parents' days. At 5 years old, the farmed abalone are still smaller than your palm.

Edna Valley Vineyard sponsored wine for our event, and their team did a gorgeous job of taking the VERY rustic setting of the abalone farm and creating a beautiful space to enjoy food and drinks. I ordered the tables and chairs, but the Edna Valley team brought all the wine glasses, created the centerpieces, and generally made the event a truly beautiful and enjoyable experience.

 

And as for the abalone? I tried it prepared three different ways by Chef Jessie of The Pairing Knife, and they were all wonderful! My favorite preparation was the mini corn chowder (shown in the bottom right photo) that was topped with a handful of barbequed abalone pieces. My second favorite was the puff pastry (bottom left) topped with an abalone steak that was pan fried in almost dust. My least favorite was the cerviche served in the shell, although this was by far the most visually beautiful dish I tasted. I think it comes from my general aversion to raw fish.

The dessert was a fantastic almond polenta cake with lavender honey. It tasted like a dessert cornbread and was a lovely end to the meal. The whipped cream on top didn't hurt! The rest of the weekend, I got to attend the main event and stuff myself full of food samples and free wine while not working at the Travel Paso Robles booth. Too bad this event only happens once a year!