Bourbon Sables with Chocolate

Tags

bakery, baking, bourbon, butter, chocolate, christmas baking, cookies, cooking, delicious, dessert, eat, eating, eggs, entertaining, food, holiday, holiday baking, sables, simple entertaining, sugar, thanksgiving, vanilla, vanilla beans

A must for Christmas this year 🎄

Rich and buttery shortbread cookies infused with bourbon and chocolate! What’s not to love! Inspired by the lovely Sarah Kieffer.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Refrigeration Time 2 hours

Servings 20 – 24 cookies (I did personally triple the recipe as these fly off the baking sheet)

Ingredients

• 1 cup [227 g] salted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup [200 g] granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste or extract if that is all you have
• 2 cups [284 g] all-purpose flour
• 227 grams of dark chocolate (I used a mixture of bar chocolate cut into chunks and dark chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons of bourbon
• 1 cup [200 g] turbinado sugar or sanding sugar

Instructions

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and salt, and beat again on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the egg yolk, bourbon and vanilla, and mix on low speed until incorporated. Add the flour and mix on low speed until just combined. Add the chocolate and mix again until combined.
• Transfer the dough to a workspace and form the dough into a 12 inch [30.5 cm] long log. Place the log on a large piece of plastic, a few inches longer than the log. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over each side of the log, covering the outside of the dough. Gently press the sugar into the dough with your hands. Wrap the log in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. I personally froze all three logs!
• Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350F [180C]. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Using a serrated knife, slice the dough log into ¼ inch [6mm], and place the rounds about 2 inches [5 cm] apart on the prepared pans.
• Bake, one batch at a time, until the edges are very light golden brown and the centers are still pale, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Move the pans to wire racks and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Advertisement

Eating my Feelings Vanilla Bean Pound Cake

Tags

bakery, baking, butter, cake, comfort food, cooking, delicious, dessert, eat, eating, eggs, entertaining, food, kid friendly, kids baking, pandemic, pound cake, quick cooking, simple entertaining, sugar, vanilla, vanilla beans

This rich and buttery pound cake is simple to make but so elegant to eat while wearing jammies and watching “90 day Fiancé” or “My 600 Pound Life.”

Number of Servings: 1, perhaps 8, or even 12 depending how one is feeling that day 😉 This blog is a judgement free zone.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 50 Minutes

Total Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes of drooling in front of the oven

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons milk (skim, low fat, or whole)
• 3 large eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste or a vanilla bean
• 1-1/3 cups cake flour … but seriously any flour you can find during this pandemic (I used AP), spooned into a measuring cup and leveled with a straight edge aka knife.
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 13 tablespoons salted butter, softened (no need to cut it in pieces) 16 tbls is a cup so y’all need to do some math or buy the butter in the sticks. Yes Salted … to be honest I only bake with salted butter. I remember saying it to my French instructor at Le Cordon Bleu and he almost fainted 👀 I’m too old to care anymore.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Lightly grease an 8-in x 4-in x 2½-inch loaf pan with butter like you are in an episode of Mad Men. Dust with flour, shaking off any excess. (Alternatively, use a nonstick cooking spray with flour in it, since we are 6 weeks into a pandemic the 1950s way suited me just fine.)
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla until just combined.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until blended. Add the butter and half of the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the mixer speed to medium (high speed if using a hand mixer) and beat for one minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining egg mixture, in 2 separate additions, beating about 30 seconds after each addition to combine. Do not over-mix. (The batter may have a slightly curdled or grainy appearance — that’s okay.)
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a thin wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Then remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap or store in a large sealable plastic bag.
6. The wrapped pound cake will keep for several days (it will never last the long) at room temperature, for one week when refrigerated.
7. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Egg Bites – Premake your breakfasts for the week in 20 mins!

Tags

breakfast, cheese, cooking, delicious, easy breakfast, easy cooking, eat, eating, eggs, food, fresh, jalapeno, kid friendly, kids baking, muffins

I love eggs but I can’t be bothered to make an egg every morning.. I mean who has time for that?

Enter egg bites, baked in the oven, customizable to whatever your tastes are. Easy peasy… just how I like my mornings.

All you need is an oven, a 12 muffin tin, 8 eggs and whatever extras you want! To save a mess I use silicon muffin liners.

Here is what you need:

• 8 whole eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 Tbs heavy cream
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 slices of diced bacon
• 1/2 onion finely diced
• 1 whole jalapeño finely diced
• 1/2 cup feta crumbled

Sauté the onion, bacon and jalapeño in a pan until golden. Drop a 1/2 Tbs of this mixture into the muffin tins.

Whisk up the 8 eggs in a bowl. Add the heavy cream and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Add 1/4 cup of the egg mixture into each muffin tin. Top with roughly 2 tsp of crumbed feta cheese.

Put these babies into a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

Voila! Now in the morning your only concern is making a Coffee, trying to get dressed in private and herding cats.. err I mean your children. 😉

<<<<
monicaskitchen.com

Avocado & Eggs on Toast

Tags

avocado, breakfast, eggs, meals in 5 minutes, summertime, toast

I have been obsessed with avocados lately. They are delish. So creamy and rich, nothing beats a ripe avocado. 

Here is a simple and easy breakfast that takes 5 minutes and will hold you until lunchtime. It is full of protein and healthy fats.

What you need:

1. 2 eggs
2. 1 slice of toast
3. 1/2 avocado
4. Sliced cherry tomatoes
5. Fresh cilantro, basil, chives 
6. Pinch of salt and sriracha (optional)

Toast the bread. Smash your avocado. You can just have the avocado plain or mix it with herbs and tomatoes. Fry your eggs and cook them to your likely. Eat. 

   

  

 

   

     

Toast and Eggs

Tags

breakfast, easy breakfast, eggs, eggs and toast, simple food, toast

One of the fondest memories I have of my grandma was when she used to visit with us and make us breakfast in the mornings. Her specialty was boiled eggs and toast soldiers. Just thinking about it makes me smile. I am sure most people share similar memories.

I felt so special getting this “fancy” breakfast.

Toast and Eggs

I have a take on this breakfast that is great for kids and adults. It is super easy to make. If you include boiling the water the entire recipe takes 9 minutes to make. Perfect for before school or on the weekend.

Grown up Eggs and Soldiers

• 1 egg
• 1 slice of your favorite bread ( I used ciabatta)
• Butter
• Salt and pepper

Take a pot of water and boil it. Add the egg to the water for 6 minutes. Toast your favorite bread and butter it. Dice it up into cubes and put into a bowl. Remove egg, run it quickly under cold water and peel. Place the peeled egg on the toast cubes and slice it open. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Just like grandma used to make only more grown up.

Boil the egg for 6 minutes

Toast and butter your bread. Dice is put it in a bowl.

Run the 6 minute egg under cold water for 30 seconds

Place peeled egg onto of toast cubes and season with S & P.

Slice and eat!

 

---

I am a girl who loves food. I grew up with a Mom who was an excellent cook. She wrote a cookbook when I was a child, and as they say, the rest is history. Started a catering business in 2005 and haven’t looked back. I am a mom to 2 beautiful girls and I want them to love food as much as I do. In the meantime, I love life and love my job @ http://www.monicaskitchen.com