intensely chocolate sables

Over Christmas, I realized how much I enjoy sables.  Even though I have changed Dorie Greenspan's recipe to make them easier, they are a bit more work then shortbread.  Okay, so it is just the eggs but I think of them has harder even if they are not.

Smitten Kitchen recently had a recipe for intensely chocolate sables.  I followed her recipe for at least quantities and such.  I took out the mechanical bits.  It is not a bad cookie.  I have to be honest and admit that I was looking for the flavor of Dorie Greenspan's cookie with the intense chocolate.  I will play with this one more.  I actually have to make it gluten free as well.  

If you like chocolate chocolate, give these a try.  Oh, by the way, I still have not got a picture of a baked cookie, so all my saying they need improving, they eat easy.

intensely chocolate sables

1 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder, dutch if you can get it
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 granulated sugar 
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) semi- or bittersweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Melt chocolate.  I just use very low heat in a pan.  I know it is so wrong in so many ways and my Dad lectures me on it but it is what I do.

Cream the butter, sugar, and salt together.  Mix in the egg, chocolate, and salt.  Mix in the flour, cocoa powder, and soda.  You should have a fairly stiff dough.  If you grate the chocolate like suggested in the original recipe, you will have a crumbly dough that will come together if you knead it.  Your hands will melt the chocolate.

Take a small teaspoon of dough, roll into a ball, and place on a baking sheet covered with a silpat or parchment paper.  I press them down with the bottom of a glass to flatten them.  

Bake about 10 minutes.  The time is dependent on how thick the cookie is.

Like I said I have not gotten a picture.  Small Mister particularly likes them.  I am going to have to play more though.

faerie afghan done

I think I mentioned that the Tall Short Person, aka, Faerie, felted the wool baby blanket that I crocheted for Small Mister.  I made her another.  She chose the color and is happy with it.  It is the blanket she uses on the couch to watch videos or read under.

I got to looking at the felted blanket and now have many too many ideas for uses.  I may create some more out of extra yarn I have around the house and felt the blankets on purpose.  One of the purposes was to have lovely felted wool for a winter coat for Small Mister for next year.

Those thoughts did mean I put bits and pieces together plus a few skeins and have started another afghan.  This is going to be granny square based and is ideal for all the leftover bits I have.  I was surprised, and should not have been, on how well all the colors go together.  It will be interesting when it is finished.  Making a granny square afghan is a lot like making a nine square quilt.

Tinga (Puebla Simmered Spiced Beef)

This is an old recipe from Sunset magazine that I resurrect occasionally.  I was in graduate school when I found this so that means that it is over 20 years ago.  

This is one of those recipes that I find works on top of the stove or in the crockpot.  It would probably work very well as a braise as well but I have not tried it.  Yet.  A salad.  Tortillas.  Or roasted vegetables.  You have an easy meal.  

My family likes this one.  If they are hungry at lunch, they will take a jar of this, a jar of cooked beans, and a jar of pumpkin and make a chili like concoction.  Or just a bowl of tinga.  

tinga

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds beef flank steak, cut into strips

1/2 pound chorizo

3 small onions or 1 large onion, chopped

1 head garlic, finely chopped

4 large bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

10 whole cloves

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 to 4 tablespoons of chipolte chilies in adobado sauce, blended

1/2 cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

14 ounce can diced tomatoes, blended

In a large pot, put the olive oil and heat.  Add the onion and let start to cook.  When translucent and the chorizo and garlic.  When the chorizo is brown, add the chipolte and tomatoes.  Add all the spices, vinegar, and sugar.  Let bubble a way for a few minutes.  Add the flank steak.  The meat should be covered with liquid but I will let you play it by ear.  My family prefers when I do not add any more water, cover, and let cook.  The meat is done with it can be shredded.  I fish out the bay, cinnamon, and cloves to the best of my ability before I serve it.  Those are just not surprises I wish to find!

I do exactly the same thing with the crockpot.

With either, just make sure there is enough fluid but not too much.  

It can make a lot.  My famliy actually suggests that if I were to quadruple the recipe, I would just need to quadruple the meat, quadruple the spices, and only double the tomatoes.  

We just had a jar from the freezer yesterday.  So easy when it is already made!

I am pretty sure this sounds like a babble.  It has been a long day.

purple!

I made myself another non-work dress.  I like it so much.  I guess I should tell you what type of weekend it was.  I had my shirt on backwards for six hours.  I did not notice.  Nobody around me noticed.  When I finally did, we laughed so hard!

This dress was already in the laundry by that time.  I love white but I am not easy on it.  The edge of the attached petticoat is a bit grimmy.  I could shorten it but then it is not as much fun!

It has pocketess again!  I am making a linen work dress and decided to put pockets in it.  That is how much I have enjoyed them in my green dress and this purple one.  

I was outside the library and a young lady told me how much she liked my dress.  It made me smile.  Here I was covered, head to toe (even a hat!), and she liked my dress.  She had made her uniform skirt a mini-skirt.  That is life, is it not?

prosciutto, roquerfort, and pine nut pasta

I needed a fast dinner recently and we had a few bits in the frig.  Prosciutto.  Roquerfort.  The combination sounded good so I put the combination together.  It really worked.  Just ummmed as we ate because it was too good to stop.

prosciutto, roquerfort, and pine nut pasta

1 pound dry pasta

about 1/4 pound roquerfort cheese

about 1/4 pound prosciutto, sliced in small pieces

about 1/4 cup pine nut (probably more)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Cook your pasta.

In a frying pan, heat the oil.  Add the prosciutto and pine nuts.  You want the prosciutto crispy and the pine nuts starting to toast and have brown bits.

When the pasta is al dente, drain and portion into bowls.  Top with the prosciutto and pine nuts.  Break up the roquerfort and sprinkle over.

Enjoy!