Espresso Chocolate Shortbread

Recipe by Dorie Greenspan
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (plain, or a toffee variety), finely chopped, or 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

1. Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool to tepid.

2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in the vanilla and espresso, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate with a sturdy rubber spatula.

3. Using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.

4. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

5. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.

6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack.

7. If you’d like, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving.

Makes 32 cookies

Miniature Muffalettas

These were a hit at the Mardi Gras party! They are tasty and easy to put together ahead of time. About 10 minutes before the guests were due to arrive, I slid them in the oven. They were just right - the cheese good and melty, the bread nice and toasty - when everyone got there.

30 Dinner rolls
4 ounces Genoa salami
4 ounces ham
4 ounces Provolone cheese
1 (8-ounce jar) olive salad
Sesame seeds
1 egg, beaten
a slug of milk

Split dinner rolls in half. You can use frozen roll dough that you thaw and bake if you are so inclined. I love ya’ll and all but that’s not what I did. Wal-Mart dinner rolls to the rescue!

Put 1 deli-thin slice ham, a piece of salami, about half a slice of Provolone, and one teaspoon of olive salad on each roll.

Cover sandwiches and refrigerate. Place something kind of heavy on them, like a cast iron skillet or a couple of books, to smash them down. Chill for several hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush sandwich rolls with beaten egg and milk. Generously sprinkle sesame seeds over the tops.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperatures. If there are any leftovers, they reheat wonderfully the next day for a snack.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

We've posted a gumbo recipe before but we've made a few changes here and there to get to this one. We really like this version. Gumbo seems such a cold-weather dish so we're always excited when the weather turns cool: it's gumbo weather!

1 pound of chicken thighs (Thighs are really flavorful but you can also use chicken breasts, a whole hen, or turkey.)
2 pounds andouille or smoked sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces (We've used smoked turkey sausage, venison sausage, in addition or instead of andouille, combinations of all three - it all works.)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup flour
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 white onions, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
3 tablespoons of minced garlic
2-3 quarts chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown over medium high heat. Brown the sausage, pour off fat, and reserve meats.

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and cook the flour in the oil over medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the roux is almost the color you prefer – anything from peanut butter to chocolate milk to coffee will do. This gives the arms a good workout (you’re welcome!). Make a figure eight pattern while you stir to help prevent lumps and uneven cooking.

Add the vegetables and stir quickly. This cooks the vegetables and also stops the roux from cooking further. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes.

Add the stock, seasonings, chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil and cook for about one hour, skimming fat off the top as needed.

Add the chopped green onions and parsley. At this point, if possible, let the gumbo cool and refrigerate overnight or freeze. It seems to taste better if it has time to sit for a bit.

Serve over rice.

Recipe can be doubled or tripled. Make your friends happy by giving quart containers of frozen gumbo for Christmas gifts.

Ultimate Garlic Bread

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place a bulb of garlic in aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Pull the foil up around the garlic bulb, sealing it in. Roast for about one hour. Remove from oven and let cool.

(Smells so good!)

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter over low heat. Add one or two garlic cloves, cut in quarters. Let heat, nice and low, while you're getting everything else ready.

Combine 2-3 tablespoons softened butter with 1/4 cup of mayonnaise. Combine and then add the roasted garlic. (To get the garlic out, just squeeze it from the cloves.) Mix that up real good and stir in 1 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar. If you want to, right along in here you can drizzle in some of that garlic-infused melted butter.

Use cheese-butter mixture to fill the bread loaf. Using a pastry brush, brush the bread with that melted garlic butter. Wrap in the loaf in aluminum foil and freeze, refrigerate, or go ahead and bake.

To cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 12 minutes.

Makes enough filling for one to two one-pound loaves, depending on how generous you are with the filling.

Goes great with soup!

Surprise Balls

We had a little lagniappe (a little something extra) for each guest to take home. To make a surprise ball, gather together crepe paper, little toys, and candy.


Start with the biggest gift, in our case a bottle of bubbles, and wrap crepe paper around several times. Begin adding the toys and candy here and there as you wrap.

When the balls are unwrapped, all sorts of little happies fall out. Big fun!


We sealed ours with stickers I made.


The ones we made aren't quite as shapely and pretty as the ones NotMartha did but still - they were fun.

Braised Italian Chicken with Green Beans, Tomatoes, and Olives

From Fine Cooking magazine.

2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and each cut into 3 uniform pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 to 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut in half
3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1/3 cup dry red wine
1 14-1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup pitted, quartered Kalamata olives

Season the chicken with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Spread the flour on a plate, and lightly dredge the chicken in the flour.

Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a large Dutch oven or casserole over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering hot. Cook the chicken in two to three batches (to avoid crowding the pot) until well browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer each batch to a plate as it finishes, and if the pot looks dry between batches, add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil.

Return the chicken to the pot, add the green beans, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the red wine and cook until it almost completely evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a steady simmer. Cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.

Add the olives, and continue simmering with the lid ajar until the chicken and green beans are very tender, about 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Serving Suggestions
The dish is complete as is, but nice with a crusty bread, or keep it Italian and serve Garlic-Parmesan Bread.

Nutrition information (per serving):
Size: based on four servings; Calories (kcal): 500; Fat (g): 27; Fat Calories (kcal): 250; Saturated Fat (g): 6; Protein (g): 44; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 14; Carbohydrates (g): 17; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 5; Sodium (mg): 1060; Cholesterol (mg): 150; Fiber (g): 3;
photo: Scott Phillips

Sausage, Cannellini, and Spinach* Soup

(*original recipe calls for kale, which we didn't have so we used spinach)

1-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (1-1/2 cups)
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1-1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
2 Tbs. tomato paste
2 large cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1 quart homemade or lower-salt chicken or vegetable broth
Two 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
6 oz. Lacinato kale, center ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 4 firmly packed cups)
1 Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (1x3 inches; optional)
1-1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 lb. sweet or hot bulk Italian sausage, rolled into bite-size meatballs

Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil in a 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 seconds. Add the broth, beans, kale, and Parmigiano rind (if using). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1/2 Tbs. oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sausage meatballs, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Add the sausage to the soup and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes more to meld the flavors. Stir the cider vinegar into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.

The broth was so good. We used homemade chicken stock, and that may have been why. This soup was easy, inexpensive, and really tasty.

The next time we make we're going to make a few changes:

- andouille sausage. We used mild Italian and the soup could have used a little more flavor. Plus I don't like fennel at all, which the Italian sausage had in it.
- um, kale, as the recipe calls for, if we can find it anywhere.
- possibly dried beans instead of canned.

Variations:To serve 1 vegetarian and 3 meat lovers: Use vegetable broth for the soup. Reduce the sausage to 1/2 lb. and cook the meatballs in the same fashion. After stirring the cider vinegar into the soup and seasoning to taste, set aside 1-3/4 cups of the soup for the vegetarian before adding the meatballs.

Calories (kcal): 430; Fat (g): 18; Fat Calories (kcal): 160; Saturated Fat (g): 5; Protein (g): 20; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 9; Carbohydrates (g): 48; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 3; Sodium (mg): 1160; Cholesterol (mg): 25; Fiber (g): 12;