GUINNESS STOUT BROWNIES and CHOCOLATE STOUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

If you have any Guinness left after your quick flirt with Ireland for St Patricks day - here are a couple of desserts that will give the fabulous beer a whole new lease on life. The sweet chocolate with sea salt sprinkled on top is a wonderful combination, made only better by the addition of the slightly bitter beer

GUINNESS STOUT BROWNIES

1 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup stout (Guinness)
coarse sea salt, to garnish

Heat oven to 375F.
Line a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa and salt. Set aside. Melt butter and chocolate chips in a saucepan, stirring constantly until completely melted and smooth.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the melted chocolate mixture, beating on medium until combined. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in the Guinness by hand.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with the sea salt.
Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE STOUT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

FOR THE SHORTBREAD
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
FOR THE CHOCOLATE LAYER
3 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoons cream
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons stout (Guinness)
1 teaspoon sea salt

Heat oven to 325F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer add the butter, sugar, almond extract and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add the salt, flour and cornstarch, mix until just combined.
Line a 9 by 13 baking pan with parchment paper. Press the shortbread dough into the bottom of the baking dish in an even layer.
Prick all over with a fork. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the edges have just started to turn golden.
In a saucepan, add the chocolate, cream and stout. Stir until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Pour over the shortbread in an even layer. Sprinkle with salt. Chill until set, about 3 hours and up to overnight. Cut into squares, chill until ready to serve.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Beeroness
http://thebeeroness.com/2013/12/23/chocolate-stout-shortbread-cookies/

FRENCH LAVENDER POUND CAKE and BLUE CHEESE AND ONION DIP WITH LAVENDER and LEMON LAVENDER BARS and LAVENDER AND HONEY SHORTBREAD

A friend organized an evening out with a group of fabulous ladies, for a Holiday Boutique show. I was amused at the entry fee and the available bar, but shopping is definitely more fun with friends and a glass of chardonnay.
I discovered a booth that sold spices, and was immediately entranced. Following a fascinating conversation with the owners, about food and offering suggestions of local restaurants they should try, I purchased lavender and vanilla sugar, fabulous smoked paprika, and curry powder.
I was very excited to try the latest additions to my cooking arsenal, and baked loaves of French Lavender Pound Cake - one to keep and one to share with a friend.
I have also shared the Blue Cheese and Onion Dip with Lavender, Lemon Lavender Bars and the Lavender Shortbread, food is also definitely more fun with friends and a glass of chardonnay.

FRENCH LAVENDER POUND CAKE

1/2 cup lavender sugar
1 teaspoon lavender buds
4 eggs
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup sour cream
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
3 to 4 teaspoons of lemon juice

Heat oven to 325F.
Process the lavender sugar and lavender buds in a food processor (it will be like powdered sugar). Let the eggs, 1 cup of butter and sour cream stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Grease and flour 2 loaf tins, set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the lavender sugar mixture, sugar, 1 cup of butter and vanilla with mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping sides frequently.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed 20 to 30 seconds after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and sour cream to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until just combined. Stir in lemon peel. Spread in pans. Bake 45 minutes.
Cool completely.
Mix powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon butter and lemon juice.
Spoon over cake.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Spice Market
www.spicemarkettogo.com/‎

BLUE CHEESE AND ONION DIP WITH LAVENDER

2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter
2 leeks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
pinch of sugar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
black pepper
1 tablespoon lavender, chopped fine

Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet, cook the leeks and onion for about 10 minutes, over medium-low heat. Add the sugar and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until browned, about 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.
In a bowl, blend together the mayonnaise and sour cream. Add blue cheese, lots of black pepper and lavender. Gently combine then stir in the onion mixture.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Fresh Approach to Cooking
freshcatering.blogspot.com/2005/.../blue-cheese-and-onion-dip-with.htm...‎

LEMON LAVENDER BARS

1 cup flour
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon dried lavender
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, plus one egg yolk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon

Heat oven to 350F.
Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment, leaving a 2 inch overhang.
In a food processor, pulse 3/4 cup flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon salt to combine. Add butter and lavender, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Transfer the dough mixture to the prepared pan, press down to form the crust.
Bake dough until set and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325F.
In a bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat sugar, eggs, and yolk until pale yellow. Beat in lemon juice and zest, and remaining flour and salt, until well combined. Pour filling over the still warm crust and bake until filling is set, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least an hour. (I seem to remember the lemon bars were still a bit gooey after cooking, so they may benefit from a longer oven time).
To serve, use the parchment overhang to lift the dessert from the pan. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar and cut into squares.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Country Living, October 2013
www.countryliving.com/recipefinder/‎

LAVENDER AND HONEY SHORTBREAD

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 1/3 cups confectioner's sugar, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon dried lavender
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
2 tablespoons cream

Heat oven to 300F.
Mix flour, 1/3 cup of the confectioner's sugar and cornstarch in food processor. Add butter and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Add honey, lavender and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Cover and pulse until the dough pulls away from the bowl.
Place dough in a greased tart pan (I made half of the recipe and used two 4 1/2 inch tart pans). Press the top to form a smooth, even layer. Pierce the dough with a fork (I forgot to do this).
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (I baked my smaller ones for 20 minutes). Place the pan on a wire rack to cool.
Mix the remaining confectioner's sugar, vanilla and cream in a small bowl, until well blended and smooth. Drizzle over the cooled shortbread.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Mc Cormick Gourmet Collection
www.mccormick.com/gourmet‎

BLUE CHEESE SHORTBREAD STARS WITH CREAM CHEESE CHUTNEY ROULADE

It seems almost every meal over this past month has been made up of appetizers - appetizers and cookies!!!
These Blue Cheese Shortbread Leaves are delicious, and can be cut into any shape to fit the occasion.

BLUE CHEESE SHORTBREAD LEAVES WITH CREAM CHEESE CHUTNEY ROULADE

SHORTBREAD
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
ROULADE
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese
1/3 cup chutney of your choice
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

TO MAKE THE SHORTBREAD
Blend the blue cheese and butter in a processor until creamy. Add flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Pocess until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add walnuts and process just until moist clumps form. Gather dough into a ball. Flatten into a disk. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate utnil firm, about an hour.
Heat oven to 325F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out dough between sheets of plastic wrap to 1/4 inch thickness. Remove top sheet. Use a cookie cutter to cut out star shapes. Transfer stars to prepared baking sheets. Gather dough scraps and reroll, cut out additional stars.
Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer stars to rack and cool.
TO MAKE THE ROULADE
Using a rolling pin, flatten cream cheese between sheets of plastic wrap, roll into 10 by 8 inch rectangle. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Spread 1/3 cup chutney atop cream cheese rectangle, leaving a 1 inch plain border. Sprinkle chutney with 2 tablespoons of greeen onions. Using plastic as an aid, and starting at 1 long side, roll up cream cheese, jelly roll style, into log. Gently. Wrap roulade tightly with plastic, refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.
Place roulade on a platter, surround with shortbread stars and top with black pepper, sliced green onions or extra chutney.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2002
www.bonappetit.com/recipes‎

SAFFRON AND PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES

My daughter cleaned out her closet recently, and knowing how much I love previously owned clothes, especially those from friends, I offered the clothes to friends of ours with two girls younger than Elise.
When delivering items, I always try to deliver a treat too. I made these Saffron Pistachio Shortbread Cookies to go along with the clothes, they had a delightfully crunchy texture, and the flavor of the saffron was as unique as my daughters style.

SAFFRON AND PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened
1 vanilla bean, scraped
zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped pistachios

Use a mortar and pestle to finely grind the saffron threads into a fine powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add in the vanilla bean seeds, orange zest, salt and ground saffron.
Mix in the powdered sugar and flour and stir until just combined. Form the cookie dough into a log, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least two hours.
Heat oven to 325F.
Roll the cookie dough log in the chopped pistachios (I let the cookie dough soften a little to allow the pistachios to adhere). Slice into 1/4 inch pieces.
Place the cookies on parchment lined cookie sheets, at least 1 inch apart, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are light golden brown.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Yossy Arefi, Apt. 2B Baking Co.
apt2bbakingco.blogspot.com/‎

SHORTBREAD

A friend invited us to an after school play date. It was an absolutely fabulous group of Mums and kids, and a super fun and wonderful gathering. We all brought refreshments to share, and since I was craving shortbread, I made a batch to contribute.
It was a basic recipe with the familiar buttery, rich shortbread taste.

SHORTBREAD

 

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Heat oven to 350F.

Cream butter, then add sugar gradually, beating well.

Combine flour, salt and baking powder, add to butter mixture, combining thoroughly.

Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into rectangles and place on cookie sheets. Prick each cookie several times with fork tines. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cookies turn lightly brown at edges.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Morning News, December 2004

GORGONZOLA ROASTED PEAR CROSTINI and ASIAGO PECAN SHORTBREAD

Beautiful friends were getting married, and I always like to show my love with food. These appetizers were wonderful for the bridal shower, but would work just as well for any holiday party.
There is something so appealing about soft cheese, roasted pear, and a drizzle of honey! Although my shortbread came out crumbly, the pieces I did manage to salvage were tasty - next time I will make sure to follow the recipe, and refrigerate it for more than a couple of hours, and maybe add a little extra butter to the mix.

GORGONZOLA ROASTED PEAR CROSTINI

3 pears, cut into wedges
1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
4 ounces gorgonzola or other blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
2 tablespoons sherry
french bread baguette slices, toasted
1/2 cup finely chopped, roasted pecans
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup honey

Heat oven to 350F.
Roast pear wedges, 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden.
Stir together cream cheese, blue cheese, butter, creme fraiche and sherry. Spread about 1 tablespoon on each baguette slice. Top with 1 slice of grilled pear, sprinkle with pecans and rosemary and drizzle with honey.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Southern Living, June 2011
www.southernliving.com › Food › Recipes

ASIAGO PECAN SHORTBREAD

2 cups shredded asiago cheese
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Beat cheese, butter and red pepper at medium speed with an electric stand mixer, until blended.
Gradually add flour, beating at low speed just until blended. Shape dough into 2 logs. Wrap each log in plastic wrap, chill 8 hours.
Heat oven to 350F.
Cut logs into 1/3 inch thick rounds, and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Southern Living, June 2011
www.southernliving.com › Food › Recipes

PUMPKIN CHEDDAR MUFFINS and ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHOCOLATE MUFFINS and BUTTERY ROSEMARY ORANGE SHORTBREAD

It was such a pleasure to welcome Wendy and Phil from CitiScapes Magazine into my home and kitchen, both so lovely, gracious and fun! We spent a wonderful afternoon centered around food - cooking, tasting, talking and photographing. 

I wanted to feel confident during the interview, so chose a recipe that I have made many times before, always with great results. The Pumpkin Cheddar Muffins came together quickly and easily, and are always delicious. I was able to make the Butternut Squash muffins and Rosemary Orange shortbread in advance, so if they didn't turn out, it was ok, and it really just came down to the fact that I was so excited and privileged to spend time with these two fabulous people.

PUMPKIN CHEDDAR MUFFINS

STREUSEL TOPPING
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds (optional)
MUFFINS
1 cup flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup mashed, cooked pumpkin
1/4 cup chopped canned green chiles

Heat oven to 400F.
To prepare the streusel, combine butter and flour with your fingers or a pastry blender, until crumbly. Add cheese, brown sugar and cayenne. Stir in pumpkin seeds if using.
Combine flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. Combine egg, buttermilk, sugar, butter and pumpkin, whisk well. Stir into flour mixture. Add green chiles and stir gently. Spoon into muffin cups. Sprinkle streusel topping over each muffin.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Relish Magazine
relish.com/articles/pumpkin-cheddar-muffins/

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

CAKE

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 pound butternut squash, roasted, peeled and mashed

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

24 chocolate kisses, unwrapped

FROSTING

12 ounces chocolate, chopped

14 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium for 30 seconds. Add sugar, beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With mixer on low, beat in eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl between additions. Add butternut squash, milk and vanilla. Beat on low just until combined.

Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full with batter. Bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Gently press kisses about halfway into each cup. Bake 14 minutes more or until tops spring back when touched. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove and cool completely on wire rack.

For frosting, melt chocolate in saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cool 15 minutes, with an electric mixer on low, beat chocolate for 30 seconds. Beat in butter 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. Add sugar, beat until smooth. Spread over tops of cupcakes.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, November 2011

www.bhg.com/recipes/

BUTTERY ROSEMARY ORANGE SHORTBREAD

1 cup butter, chilled
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 egg white
sugar for sprinkling

Combine butter, rosemary, orange zest and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until ingredients are combined and butter is very smooth.
Add salt and flour until a cohesive dough forms, but do not over mix.
Turn out dough on a lightly floured board, and press it into a smooth rectangle.
Roll dough into a 1/2 inch high rectangle, and cut into bars.
Transfer bars to as cookie sheet. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Brush bars with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.
Heat oven to 350F.
Bake bars until they are light brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Morning News, July 2002