LEMONGRASS COOKIES and BOURBON CHOCOLATE CHIP BAR COOKIES and DEEP CHOCOLATE POUND CAKES

My husband hosted his annual company meeting at a Razorback basketball game.
Thinking outside the box, he rented a luxury box, and ordered in barbecue and beer, definitely a fun way to get the job done.
I offered to stock the room with desserts, my humble, heartfelt and homemade way of saying thank you for all the hard work and dedication from this amazing team.

LEMONGRASS COOKIES

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
zest from one lemon
1 cup of flour
1/3 cup coconut, shredded
1 heaped tablespoon of lemongrass puree
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350F.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a medium bowl until creamy. Add lemon zest. Gradually beat in flour, coconut and lemongrass. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes,  or until cookies are set and light golden brown on the bottom.
Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, place on wire racks to cool completely.
Microwave remaining chocolate chips, scrape melted chocolate into a plastic bag, snip off one corner and squeeze a dollop of chocolate onto each cookie.
Enjoy!

BOURBON CHOCOLATE CHIP BAR COOKIES

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 teaspoons of sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons bourbon
1 1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as necessary.
Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed to incorporate. On low speed, add the bourbon, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating for about 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping the bowl as necessary.
Gradually add the flour mixture, beating until well incorporated, then fold in the chocolate chips.
Press dough evenly into the bottom of a prepared baking dish, bake for about 20 minutes, until set on top and beginning to brown around the edges. Cool in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, before cutting into squares.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, December 2013
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/‎

DEEP CHOCOLATE POUND CAKES

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons boiling water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350F.
Place paper muffin liners in a muffin tin.
Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk sour cream and milk together in a small bowl.
Sift cocoa powder into another small bowl. Whisk in honey and 2 tablespoons of boiling water until smooth. Cool completely.
Using an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in another medium bowl, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in flour mixture alternately with sour cream mixture until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Divide batter among the muffin tins, bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit October 2008
www.bonappetit.com/recipes‎

HEART CAKES WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE and GANACHE STUFFED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt."
Charles M. Schulz

HEART CAKES WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, divided use
1 tablespoon cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into small cubes
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flour
cocoa powder for dusting

Heat oven to 400F.
Grease a heart shaped muffin pan.
In a medium heatproof bowl, combine 2 ounces of the chocolate and the cream. Set bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water, but not touching the water.
Melt chocolate, stirring occasionally, until mixture is smooth and blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
In a separate medium, heatproof bowl, combine remaining 4 ounces of chocolate and the butter, set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and melt chocolate, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and well blended, 2 to 3 minutes, remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, yolk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat until thick ribbons fall from the beaters and the mixture is nearly triple in volume, 5 to 6 minutes.
Sift flour over bowl and gently fold in until just blended. Add chocolate mixture and gently fold together until smooth and blended.
Divide batter among wells of prepared muffin pan. Remove chocolate ganache from the refrigerator and scoop teaspoon-sized balls onto the top of each cake, pressing gently.
Bake until the cakes pull away from the sides of muffin well and tops are just firm, 9 to 11 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool about 5 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack, and dust with cocoa powder.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, February 2005
www.arkansasonline.com/news/.../food/‎

GANACHE STUFFED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

COOKIES
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
GANACHE
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
5 tablespoons cream
2 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons creme fraiche

MAKE THE COOKIES
In a bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter with the sugars and vanilla at medium speed, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the dry ingredients. Beat in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 375F. Scoop spoons of the dough onto cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Let cool on the sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Sandwich the chocolate chip cookies with the ganache and serve.
GANACHE
Put the chocolate in a bowl. In a saucepan, bring the cream and corn syrup to a boil, pour over the chocolate and let stand for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the creme fraiche. Refrigerate the ganache until thick and spreadable, about 1 hour.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, September 2009
www.foodandwine.com/recipes‎

HOT CURRIED FRUIT SALAD and BLUEBERRY OATMEAL CHEESECAKE MUFFINS and ORANGE BERRY COFFEE CAKES

The teachers breakfast, held in the week before school is out for Christmas, is among my all time favorite events to organize. It seems like such a small way to give back and to honor all they do for our kids, as I spend the school year, and to be honest, probably most of the summer, in appreciation for, and sending silent prayers of thanks to, our teachers.
I love that so many of the parents are super excited to contribute, taking the time and making the effort to shop, prepare, bake and deliver their version of gratitude, which always results in a beautiful assortment of dishes, pastries, fruit and breads.
I made the Hot Curried Fruit Salad and the Blueberry Oatmeal Cheesecake Muffins this year, and provided the Orange Berry Coffee Cakes last year.

HOT CURRIED FRUIT SALAD

1 (14 ounce) can of peach slices
1 (14 ounce) can of sliced pears
1 (14 ounce) can of pineapple chunks
1 (14 ounce) can of cherries
3/4 cup maraschino cherries
3 to 4 bananas, peeled and cut into slices
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 cup melted butter

Heat oven to 350F.
Drain all fruit and place in a bowl. Mix together sugar, cornstarch and curry powder and add to fruit. Drizzle with butter and stir gently to combine. Pour into a greased 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, November 2005
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/‎

BLUEBERRY OATMEAL CHEESECAKE MUFFINS

1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup blueberries

Heat oven to 350F.
Combine oats and buttermilk in a small bowl, let stand for 10 minutes.
Beat cream cheese, sugar and orange zest with a mixer, until blended, set aside. Mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
Add egg and butter to oat mixtrue, stir until well blended. Add to dry ingredients, stir until just moistened. Gently stir in berries.
Spoon half the batter evenly into muffin cups lined with paper liners. Top each with a tablespoon of cream cheese mixture, cover with remaining batter.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food and Family magazine, Fall 2012
www.kraftrecipes.com/‎

ORANGE BERRY COFFEE CAKES

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 tablespoon finely shredded orange peel
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 recipe orange glaze (below)

Heat oven to 350F. Grease 15 muffin cups, or line with paper liners.
In a bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in ricotta, egg, orange peel, orange juice and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, just until combined. Fold in cranberries and ginger.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Remove, cool slightly. Spoon on glaze.

ORANGE GLAZE
Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon orange juice and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in 2 tablespoons of melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon shredded orange peel.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, November 2012
www.bhg.com/recipes/‎

RICOTTA CORN CAKES

My husband and I were meeting friends for a rare Sunday night dinner out, and I thought the kids would enjoy these Ricotta Corn Cakes, served with bacon and a salad - brunch for dinner.
I mixed, cooked and left these savory, dense, delicious fritters piping hot, before handing the responsibility of the kids and food over to the babysitter for a couple of hours, and walking down to the restaurant with my beloved for our grown-up time.

RICOTTA CORN CAKES

2 ears fresh corn
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
olive oil as needed

Using a sharp knife, cut kernels from cobs.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, milk, ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in corn and chives.
Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, ladle about 1/4 cup of batter into pan and cook 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, July 2013
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/‎