Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms

Ingredients

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 pounds mixed wild mushrooms, stemmed if necessary and thickly sliced (10 cups)
2 shallots, minced
1/4 cup dry vermouth
3/4 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp chopped thyme
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 pounds fresh or frozen prepared gnocchi
6 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Directions

Preheat the broiler.

In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil with the butter. Add the mushrooms and shallots and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, 12 minutes. Add the vermouth and cook until evaporated. Add the stock, cream and thyme, season with salt and pepper; bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the gnocchi until they float to the surface, about 3 minutes. Drain well.

Add the gnocchi to the mushrooms and simmer, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan on top. Broil the gnocchi 6 inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and bubbling.

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
1/3 cup buttermilk (approximately)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup fresh blueberries

Crumb Topping:
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter, softened


Directions
 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
 

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough buttermilk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
 

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 2 Tbsp butter. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

NOTE: You can substitute any other fresh fruit for the blueberries. I happen to love this with raspberries (I just leave off the topping or leave out the cinnamon from the topping).

Orange, Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange zest
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Line an ungreased cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.

In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Mix in egg, vanilla, and orange zest. Scrape down the sides as needed.

On low speed, mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in white chocolate chips & dried cranberries. Chill dough (covered) for 30 minutes or up to 3 days.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Drop balls of dough (1.5 tablespoons each) onto cookie sheet OR used a standard-sized cookie scoop. Bake for 8-9 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. Do NOT cook them longer than 9 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to cooling rack.


NOTE: If I don't have oranges in the house, I just add an extra teaspoon of vanilla in place of the orange zest. Also, I LOVE cranberries with semi-sweet chocolate, so sometimes I use regular chocolate chips instead of white chocolate chips.

Chocolate and Coconut Cream Pie Bars

Crust Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup icing sugar

Ganache Ingredients:
3/8 cups heavy cream
about 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (I love Ghirardelli’s 60% cacao chips)
about 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Coconut Cream Filling Ingredients:
3 cups half-and-half cream
3 cups coconut milk
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped Cream Topping Ingredients:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon cold water (for stabilizing)
1 teaspoon gelatin (for stabilizing)
3-4 tablespoons icing sugar
1/2 cup coconut, toasted

Directions:
Make shortbread crust: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9 x 13 baking dish with a parchment paper sling (I use one long sheet across the length of my dish, and two overlapping short sheets across the width of my dish — just arrange it so that it has some overlap and overhang to help you pull the bars out after they’re finished). Cut the butter into the flour and icing sugar and press into the baking dish (I used a food processor to cut the fat into the flour — about 6 pulses — and then the bottom of a glass to press the mixture into the pan). Bake 18-20 minutes or until light brown. Set on a wire rack. Keep oven preheated for coconut toasting.

Make ganache: While the shortbread is baking, place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan (or microwave it for a couple of minutes). Once the cream reaches a simmer, pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes. Whisk in small circles until a smooth ganache has formed. Set it aside until your crust is finished and has cooled for a few minutes, and then pour it over the crust (it’s okay if it’s not cooled all the way). Place the chocolate covered crust in the fridge to chill until the ganache is set into a firm layer.

Toast coconut for the topping: Spread about 1/2 cup of the coconut flakes out on a baking sheet and toast for a few minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the coconut is golden brown. Spread it out on a plate to cool completely.

Make coconut cream filling: Combine the half-and-half, coconut milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, whisking constantly (this can take anywhere from 30-38 minutes. Some folks on All Recipes said you could zap it in the microwave for a minute at a time, stirring after every minute, until it was thickened. It was only supposed to take around 5-10 minutes, but I was too chicken to try. Let me know if you do.) Add coconut and vanilla extracts and the 1 1/2 cups of untoasted coconut and stir. Pour this filling over your chilled ganache and stick the whole thing in the fridge to chill until firm, about 2 to 4 hours.

Make whipped cream topping: Using a chilled bowl and beater, whisk the 2 cups of heavy cream and icing sugar together until the cream forms stiff peaks. Dollop the cream over your bars and gently spread it around. Sprinkle on toasted coconut. Chill until ready to serve to let the whipped cream set up. Use the sling to pull the bars out of the dish, slice with a sharp knife, and enjoy!