CHECKERED COOKIES IN THE STYLE OF PIEMONTE: BACI DI DAMA, adapted

Photo above: Checkered cookies are in the center, surrounded by Caramel Shortbread Sticks.
A neighbor requested 8 chocolate mousses and two dozen cookies for company she is having tomorrow. The cookie requested was Land O' Lakes' Caramel Shortbread Sticks (see previous post "cookies -- shortbread"), but the recipe only makes 16 triangles or 20 sticks. I made the shortbread sticks and also made this Mario Batali recipe, because it sounded good -- and it is. I've always been a fan of milk chocolate, but I am slowly changing. When I tasted the bittersweet chocolate on these cookies, I was sold! I used Nestle Chocolatier, 62% cacao, and even by itself it's good.
I like trying a new recipe from a site that provides reviews. Several readers mentioned that they had trouble with this recipe because it was crumbly and dry and wouldn't hold together. It was the same for me -- I upped the butter by 3 Tbsp. which was just enough to hold the dough together. I also added almond flavoring to this recipe, to bring out the almond flavor of the nuts. I'm glad I did, because the flavors and texture are perfect. This is a crispy, tender crunchy cookie with a mild almond flavor and the chocolate just sets it all off to perfection. Very, very good and worth making. The original recipe can be found on the Food Network website (http://www.foodnetwork.com/).

Checkered Cookies in the Style of Piemonte: Baci di Dama, adapted
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds (I used part sliced, part whole)**
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp. almond extract (optional -- my addition)
2 tsp. Creme de Noyeaux (creme de almond) (optional -- my addition)
1/4 cup bittersweet dark chocolate, melted (I used Nestle Chocolatier, 62% cacao)

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the almonds, sugar, flour, butter and flavorings. (If using whole almonds, process them small first, then add remaining ingredients.) Pulse lightly until the almonds are ground and the mixture is homogeneous. This makes a crumbly dough that does not quite stick together until you press it.

Using a rounded measuring tablespoon, place small scoops of the mixture on a lightly greased baking sheet, separating each scoop by at least 1 inch on all sides. Use the tips of your fingers to gently flatten the tops of each scoop. (I filled the tablespoon barely to the top, leveled it off and pressed it down, then turned it out onto parchment lined baking sheet that had been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Then I flattened the dough with my fingers, smoothing the edges. Next, I dipped the bottom of glass in sugar and flattened the dough further.) Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or till golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature on wire racks.

Once the cookies have cooled, gently melt the chocolate in the bowl of a bain-marie (a stainless steel bowl fitted over a saucepan of simmering water so that the bowl just touches the water). Remove the melted chocolate from the heat. Carefully spoon out a bit of melted chocolate on the flat sides of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookie halves to form a sandwich, pressing gently so that the chocolate adheres to both sides of the sandwich. Let rest until the chocolate has cooled, holding the cookies together. Yield: 28 cookies or 14 sandwiches

**I only had 1/4 cup of sliced almonds, so I used 1/4 cup whole with skins on. Sliced almonds have skins on, so I figured it wouldn't matter. It didn't seem to. I ground the almonds first, then added the other ingredients to the food processor.

REESE' PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES

I've never used self-rising flour, possibly because I like sea salt and unbleached flour and I like to control the amount of leavening. But I needed to buy some to bake some cookies that I wanted to enter into a contest. I made the cookies, entered the recipe, and looked at an almost-full 5-lb. bag of self-rising flour. What to do? I thought I would try developing chocolate chip cookie recipes with it. This recipe came out ok, but the cookies are not crispy. They are soft inside. (I prefer my cookies crispy on the outside and softly chewy on the inside. These were not.) That said, if you are stuck with self-rising flour and don't know what to do with it, here's a way to use some of it up. (I think I would use regular chocolate chips with some toasted nuts next time, though, because the sweetness of the peanut butter combined with the sweetness of the milk chocolate and the sweetness of the cookie was a bit too much sweet for me.) Also note: this is a half recipe. Double for 20 cookies.)

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies (half batch)

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 stick butter

1/2 egg (1-1/2 - 2 Tbsp.)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. chocolate extract (or vanilla, if you can't find chocolate extract)

1-1/4 cup self-rising flour

1/3 cup quick oats (not instant)

1/2 cup chopped Reese's peanut butter cups (or 1/2 cup chocolate chips + 1/4 cup toasted nuts of your choice)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 375F. On low speed of stand mixer, combine sugar butter, egg and flavorings till almost smooth, about 2 minutes. On stir speed, mix in flour and oats till everything comes together, about 2 minutes. Fold in the candy (or the chips and nuts). Dough will be stiff.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake about 10 minutes, or till cookies test done when a toothpick inserted in center returns clean. Cool on baking pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Yield: 10 cookies.

PAULA DEEN'S CARAMEL APPLE CHEESECAKE BARS WITH STREUSEL TOPPING, adapted

I was supposed to go to my Monday morning Pleine Aire class today, but stayed home with a terrible sinus headache. This followed a "sick" day yesterday with my ears stopped up accompanied by nausea and no appetite. Is it a virus or is it pollen reaction? Who knows. I just know I feel rotten. I love the Pleine Aire class, though we haven't been able to paint outdoors yet because of the weather, so we've been meeting in the classroom. Our teacher took photos for us and we've been working on painting from those. An artist I'm not, but it is so much fun to slap paint on the canvas and watch it develop into a sort of picture, even if it's not great art.

Anyway, since I played hookey, I thought I would post this recipe which I actually made last week. Apples and cream are a winning combination, and this recipe is really, really good. It's like eating apple pie and cheesecake together, so what's not to like? I incorporated whole grains, used lower-fat cream cheese and reduced the sugar to make this dessert a little more user friendly.

Paula Deen's Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping, adapted



Apple filling:
 5 cups mixed apples, sliced about 1/2" thick
4 Tbsp. Smart Balance or butter
5 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Crust: 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup quick oats (not instant)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

Cheesecake Filling:
 2 (8-oz) pkgs. cream cheese, softened (I used Neufchatel)
1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch

Streusel Topping: 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans
1/2 cup quick oats (not instant)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Caramel Drizzle: Purchased Caramel Sundae Sauce

For apple filling, in large heavy fry pan, saute' apples in the butter and sugar till apples are partially cooked and the butter and sugar get syruppy. Remove apples and syrup to a cookie sheet; sprinkle lemon juice and cinnamon over apples and lightly combine. Cool thoroughly.

For crust: Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse till combined. Press evenly in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

For streusel topping: Put all ingredients in food processor and pulse till combined. Transfer to small bowl. Wipe work bowl clean with damp paper towel.

For cheesecake filling: Combine cream cheese and sugar in work bowl of food processor and pulse till well combined and smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, pulsing till combined. Add remaining ingredients and pulse quickly just till combined. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl as needed.

To assemble: Pour cheesecake filling over partially warm crust. Don't be shocked. This will barely cover the crust, but it will rise just enough to make a nice little cheesecake. Spoon the apples evenly over the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with the streusel topping. Bake 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Refrigerate several hours or overnight for best flavor. Drizzle with caramel topping before serving. Yield: 24 bars

ROASTED STUFFED CHICKEN LEGS

My plan was to grill chicken legs for dinner; but, after some almost-80-degree days here in North Carolina, the weather turned on us. Today was cold and damp, in the 50's, and I wasn't in a grilling mood. I was in a turn-on-the-oven-and-get-warm mood. So I made a stuffing for the legs and roasted them. It was a simple dinner: chicken, stuffing and salad; but it was very satisfying. And warm.

Roasted Stuffed Chicken Legs
2 chicken legs
3 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. Smart Balance buttery spread, or extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup Peppridge Farm herbed stuffing mix
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided use
Salt and pepper to taste

Clean the chicken legs well with cold water, removing any excess fat and innards that remain near the bone. Place them in a zip-lock bag. Sprinkle with the kosher salt, then pour enough cold water in to cover them (about 1-1/2 cups). Close the bag and massage to distribute salt. Refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
Prepare stuffing: Melt the Smart Balance in a large fry pan or saute' pan on medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms when the Smart Balance starts to sizzle, not before. (If you put mushrooms in a pan that's not hot enough, they give off their water too quickly.) Saute the veggies for 2-3 minutes, or till onions are transparent and mushrooms have reduced in size. Add the stuffing mix and enough chicken broth to moisten it (about 1/3-1/2 cup). Stir, remove from heat. Cover and set aside. This can be done ahead of time and allowed to sit covered on the counter or cooktop until you are ready to stuff the chicken.
Preheat oven to 400F. Remove chicken legs from brine; rinse in cold clear water; drain on clean paper towels. Set out a baking dish of the right size for the chicken. If it's too big, you might have smoking -- try to find one that the legs will fit in nicely. (A deep-dish pie plate works nicely for 2 legs; for more you might go to a 9"x13". ) Spray the dish with non-stick cooking spray. Lift up the skin of the chicken legs, separating it from the meat, being careful not to tear the skin. Lightly salt and pepper the meat under the skin. Spoon about 1/4 cup stuffing under the skin, and then close the skin with toothpicks or skewers to hold it down. Spoon leftover stuffing in the center of the baking dish. Lay the stuffed legs so they cover the leftover stuffing. Pour 1/2 cup broth over the chicken, then salt and pepper the skins lightly. Place in oven uncovered and bake for 30-40 minutes, or till chicken tests done and is nicely browned. Baste the legs occasionally with pan juices. Yield: 2 servings (Double for 4; triple for 6, etc.)

SICILIAN CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES FOR TWO

Here's an easy chicken dish when you're not in the mood to cook an elaborate meal. Allow 1 full chicken breast for each 2 persons. Since I mostly cook for 2, this recipe will be for 2. Just double it for 4; triple it for 6; etc. There aren't many ingredients and it makes up quickly. It's good served with fettucini or other pasta, but this time, I made brown rice. If you've never cooked with balsamic vinegar, you should give it a try. Italians have been doing it for a long time. You won't taste the vinegar (unless you add too much). It just gives a lift to your meal -- an edge that perks up the flavors. Italian cooking is quite simple and easy once you get the hang of it.

Sicilian Chicken and Vegetables for Two
INGREDIENTS: 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
1 large skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut in bite-size chunks
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup sliced or coarsely chopped green pepper
1-1/4 cups sliced zucchini
4 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup sliced or chopped roasted sweet pepper
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. crushed dried oregano
1/4 - 1/3 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup chicken broth

DIRECTIONS: Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large heavy skillet. Salt and pepper the chicken chunks and add to the skillet. Brown the chicken on medium heat, turning as needed. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring them so they don't burn or stick. Remove the chicken to a plate while cooking the veggies. Turn the heat to low; add the remaining 2 Tbsp. oil to the pan and add the onions and green pepper. Saute them for about 5 minutes, then add the zucchini. Cook an additional minute, stirring them as needed. Add the tomato paste and roasted peppers and stir till paste is dissolved. Turn the heat up to medium, put the chicken pieces back in and add the vinegar, parsley, oregano and thyme sprigs. Add the chicken broth and let it bubble up while you scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cover; turn heat back to low and cook for 5 minutes or less, till veggies are tender and chicken is cooked through. Serve over pasta or with rice or cous cous. Yield: 2 servings.
P. S. You can also make this with canned diced tomatoes, in which case you won't need the chicken broth. The paste has just a tad more flavor than the diced tomatoes.

CHERRY-CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

I've been thinking about muffins again. Not just any muffins, though. My dreams were of moist sour-cream muffins with dried cherries soaked in creme de cocoa, chocolate chips and a streusel topping. Those kind of muffins. Food & Wine Magazine had an interesting recipe in their March 2001 publication ("Cranberry Muffins with Walnut Crumb Topping") and I decided to use it for my base recipe, adapting it to a lower-fat, lower-sugar version with cherries and chocolate chips instead of the cranberries. The muffins came out really, really good, with just enough cherries in ratio to the chocolate chips, except that the baking temps were off. Food & Wine recommended baking at 425F for 20 minutes. In 12 minutes, my muffins were done, and my oven runs "true." Either their oven was way off, or they never made this recipe. Even at 12 minutes, the tops of the muffins burned and the sides were a little bit too brown. I usually bake my muffins in a preheated 500F oven and as soon as I put them in, I reduce the heat to 350F. I've never burned a muffin (top, bottom or side) using that technique. Here's my recipe:

Cherry-Chocolate Chip Muffins
INGREDIENTS:
Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup white whole wheat or regular whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
4-1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, divided use
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Muffins: 2 cups bleached all-purpose flour (I used White Lily)
1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/4 cup sugar + 1-1/2 tsp. Stevia)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
1 cup lite sour cream
1 extra-large egg
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. chocolate flavoring (or 1 tsp. creme de cocoa)
heaping 1/2 cup dried cherries soaked in 1/3 cup hot creme de cocoa and drained
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 500F. Spray cups of a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Make the crumb topping: In a small bowl, combine flour with sugars, baking powder and salt. Stir in 3 Tbsp. melted butter, reserving 1-1/2 Tbsp. for the muffin batter. Add the walnuts and pinch the topping mixture into clumps. Set aside.

Make the muffins: In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk the sour cream with the egg, applesauce, vanilla and chocolate flavoring and the reserved 1-1/2 Tbsp. melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and lightly combine (just barely--don't overmix and don't get all the lumps out.) Add the drained cherries and the chocolate chips and lightly fold them in. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin cup, then top with about 1 Tbsp. crumb topping, patting the topping into the muffin batter so it adheres. Put muffins in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350F. Bake for 14-17 minutes, or till muffins test done when a toothpick inserted in center returns almost clean. Let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Yield: 12 standard-size muffins

TIP: Don't throw out the creme de cocoa from the drained cherries. Save it for your next baking project. Put some more cherries in it and let them soak. The longer the better. hic

LEAFY-CITRUS SALAD WITH CITRUS VINAIGRETTE

Caesar salad is great, but sometimes I need a break. Guy won't eat fruit or nuts on his salad, so I'm in this one alone. This salad is so refreshing, especially with the citrus vinaigrette.

Leafy Citrus Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS: Mixed greens --a good handful for each person
Orange and grapefruit sections -- 4-5 total for each person
Toasted pecans or walnuts -- 6-7 total for each person
Sweet onions or red onions, sliced thin -- 1 nice slice, separated, for each person
Mixed olives -- about 5-6 for each person

Citrus Vinaigrette: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. McCormick's Basil and Garlic Seasoning Blend

DIRECTIONS: Prepare vinaigrette by blending all ingredients. Refrigerate to develop flavors for at least 1 hour. Prepare individual salads: place greens on plate first. Top with fruit sections, then nuts, then onions, and last olives. Drizzle vinaigrette over each salad before serving.