Apple and Carrot Shortbread

After the tasty mess I made with the Lemon Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies, I decided I should try to make a shortbread that was more... aesthetically pleasing. I saw these Apple and Carrot Shortbread Cookies over at 101 Cookbooks a while ago and had added the recipe to my "to bake" list.
The little cookies were definitely not your typical shortbread, but my are they a delicious (and healthy-ish!) alternative. The apple and carrot make a delightful combination, and you still get that yummy buttery flavor present in all shortbreads, but they are softer than your standard shortbread. They would also be great with a bit of turbinado sugar sprinkled over each cookie prior to baking!

Apple and Carrot Shortbread

recipe from here

ingredients:

• 2 ounces semolina flour
• 6 ounces whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 5 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 1/2 ounces brown sugar
• 2 ounces carrot, grated
• 1 ounce apple, grated
• zest of one lemon
• milk, for brushing cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the semolina flour, pastry flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Stir the carrot, apple, and lemon zest into the flour mixture until evenly dispersed.
5. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture with the speed set to the lowest setting. Mix until just combined.
6. Scrape the dough out onto a clean surface and knead a couple of times so that everything comes together. Halve the dough and flatten each piece into a thick patty. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.
7. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Use sharp cookie cutters to stamp out cookies and place them on the baking sheet.
8. Brush each cooking with a bit of milk and bake for around 10 minutes (mine baked for 11 minutes) or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden. Cool cookies on baking sheet for at least 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire baking rack for further cooling.

Cranberry Vanilla Coffee Cake

While shopping at Whole Foods the other day, I noticed a delicious looking bag of fresh cranberries and I couldn't resist; I just had to have them. Not that I knew at all what I was going to do with them, mind you, but they were calling out to me. Well, they have been sitting in the fridge for around two days now, and I finally decided something needed to be made with them. I scoured the internet for scrumptious-sounding recipes that utilized fresh cranberries and, let me tell you, I found a ton! It was actually rather difficult to make a final decisions\ when I had to choose between tarts and scones and other delectable delights, but alas, this one had my name all over it. When I cam across a coffee cake that included fresh cranberries I knew I had found "the one." You see, I have a very soft spot for coffee cakes .
I originally found the recipe on Smitten Kitchen where it was taken from the December 2008 issue of Gourmet Magazine.
The cake turned out simply delightful! It's sweet and yet tart, crumbly and yet creamy. Basically, this coffee cake rocks! (And for the record, the batter is so freaking delicious that I would eat it all day long until I got sick and still not regret it... as bad as that sounds hah.)

Cranberry Vanilla Coffee Cake

recipe adapted slightly from here

ingredients:

• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (yes, you absolutely need to use a vanilla bean and not vanilla extract)
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups (6 ounces) frozen or fresh cranberries
• 2 cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Confectioner's sugar, to garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9 inch circular cake pan with parchment paper and grease pan sides and paper.
2. Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into a food processor, add sugar, and pulse to combine. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. (I like to save the scarped out vanilla bean pod and leave it on the counter. When it's dry, I put it in with my granulated sugar to give it a vanilla-y taste!)
3. Pulse the cranberries and 1/2 cup of the vanilla sugar in the food processor until finely chopped- you are not making a puree.
4. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and the salt and set aside.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream 1/2 cup of butter with 1 cup of the vanilla sugar. When pale and fluffy, add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour mixture and heavy cream, alternating between the two, beginning and finishing with the flour.
6. Spread 2/3 of the batter into the lined pan and then spread the cranberry mixture over it, making sure to leave a 1/2 inch border around the sides. Top with the remaining batter and smooth the top.
7. With the fingers, mix together the remaining 1/4 cup of vanilla sugar with 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of flour. Crumble the mixture over the top of the cake.
8. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake (not the cranberries!) comes out clean; mine baked for 42 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 30 minutes then remove from pan to slice and serve!

Lemon Roasted Chicken

Ah, finally! I'm back to cooking real food alongside my baking! Work has been crazy this past week but my schedule finally changed a bit so that I'm not working nights- at least this week... Anyways, on to the recipe!

There is something fundamentally delicious and comforting about oven-roasted chicken. I think, for me, I find the contentment in the fact that my mom used to make baked chicken at least once a week growing up and it was certainly one of my favorite dishes.

This lemon roasted chicken is ah-mazing! The lemon flavor is present enough to be noticeable but not overwhelming, and the use of just legs and thighs makes the meat oh-so-moist and tasty!

The yummy risotto and asparagus seen with the chicken is right here.

Lemon Roasted Chicken

recipe from here

ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs chicken thighs and legs, skin-on, bone-in
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2-3 tbsp melted butter
• lemon slices for garnish

1. Rinse the chicken under cool water and pat dry. Set aside.
2. Place lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until combined.
3. Cut into each chicken piece one or two times about 1/2 inch deep- this will allow the marinade to penetrate.
4. Place the chicken pieces and the marinade in a large Ziploc bag and move the chicken around so that it is completely coated with the marinade. Place in a bowl in the refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
6. Remove the chicken from the bag and place in a baking dish in a single layer, skin side up. Reserve the remaining marinade. Using a pastry brush, brush a bit of the melted butter onto each piece of chicken.
7. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the skins are a crispy golden brown and the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 175 degrees). Halfway through the baking, baste the chicken with the marinade.
8. Remove from oven and let rest, covered in foil, for 10 minutes before serving.
9. To serve, spoon a bit of the juices from the pan over the top of the chicken and garnish with lemon slices (mine was juicy enough that I didn't need to spoon over any juices- I also left out the lemon slices since I was serving it over risotto).

Lemon Risotto with Roasted Asparagus

I seem to be in a lemon-y mood today. First lemon cookies and then a dinner based around lemon? Jeeze, ha ha!

I had been wanting to make some risotto again after my great success with my Creamy Risotto, and I thought that a lemon risotto would pair nicely with my Lemon Baked Chicken.

This risotto was rich and velvety with some really nice citrus undertones. As delicious as it was, I knew I would need a nice, green veggie to offset the somewhat-heavy (in a good way!) risotto. I always like asparagus paired with lemon, so asparagus it was!

I HIGHLY recommend this dish whether it be for a main course, appetizer, or in my case, a side !

Lemon Risotto with Roasted Asparagus

recipe adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything

risotto ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 70 grams shallots or onion, chopped
• Pinch of saffron
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc (or other dry white wine)
• 4 to 6 cups chicken stock
• zest of one lemon
• 4 tbsp butter, preferably at room temperature
• at least 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1. Heat the 2 tbsp of butter in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the onion/shallots and saffron and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the rice and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add a bit of salt and pepper and pour in the wine. Stir and allow the liquid to bubble away.
3. Add the stock, 1/2 cup at a time, constantly stirring. When the stock is just about evaporated, add more. Keep the heat at around medium and begin tasting the rice 20 minutes after it is added.
4. When the rice is almost done, add the lemon zest. Continue to cook and add stock until the rice is tender but still has a bite to it.
5. When the risotto is cooked to perfection, remove from heat, add in the softened butter and the Parmigiano Reggiano. Taste and adjust the seasoning; top with the roasted asparagus spears and serve!

asparagus ingredients:

• 1 bunch thin asparagus
• 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• fleur de sel
• freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Break the ends off of the asparagus spears where each spear breaks naturally.
3. Toss the asparagus in the olive oil and spread them out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and fresh cracked pepper.
4. Bake for 12- 15 minutes or until the asparagus just begins to brown and becomes a vibrant green.
5. Place a few spears over the risotto and serve!

Lemon Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies

I just adore the texture that cornmeal gives to breads, pizza doughs, and other baked goods and the thought of it in a cookie sounded simply delightful! I l-o-v-e LOVE shortbread cookies and the combination of these two great things just about made my head spin.

As far as taste goes, these cookies were completely scrumptious! The one big qualm I have with them is they just do not hold up at all! They are so wonderfully buttery and crumbly that the second you touch them they all but disintegrate! So, while I recommend them highly for flavor, I wouldn't try to bake these for anyone but yourself.

Lemon Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies

recipe adapted slightly from here

ingredients:

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• turbinado sugar for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the flour, salt, cornmeal, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in the vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest and mix until combined.
4. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the sugar/butter mixture until just combined.
5. Scoop tablespoon sized balls onto the baking sheet and press down to flatten them a bit. Sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of turbinado sugar.
6. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the undersides of the cookies are slightly golden. Let cool on a wire rack.