Red Pepper Relish
- 4 cups red peppers, sliced in thin strips
- 1 ½ cups yellow onions, sliced in thin ½ moons
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp mustard powder (like Coleman’s)
- 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
Toss peppers, onions, garlic, and salt together in a large bowl. Bring all other ingredients to a boil in a large pot. Simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the peppers and onions. Bring back up to a boil and simmer for about 45 minutes.
Peach BBQ Sauce
- 5 lb peaches, about 17–21 peaches
- ¼ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 cup minced onion
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-inch piece ginger, minced
- 1¾ cups cider vinegar
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup bourbon
- 1½ Tbsp smoked paprika
- 2½ tsp salt
- 2½ tsp chipotle powder (grind whole chipotles if you don’t have any)
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Cut the peaches in half and place on a rimmed baking sheet cut side up. Scatter the brown sugar over top. Roast until the peaches just begin to brown, 35– 40 minutes.
Roasted Peaches
Place the peaches, including any peach juice created during roasting, in a large pot. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, vine- gar, honey, bourbon, paprika, salt, and chipotle powder and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Mash the peaches as they cook and keep at a simmer until the sauce reduces and thickens by half, about 15 minutes. Leave the sauce chunky or blend it smooth with an immersion blender.
Prepare your canning pot and rack, and sterilize your jars and lids.
Continue to reduce the sauce until it’s as thick as you want it.
Remove the jars from the canner and turn the heat to high.
Fill the jars with the sauce, leaving ½ inch of headspace.
Gently jostle the jars or use the handle of a spoon to release any air bubbles.
Wipe the rims of the jars, apply the lids, and process for 20 minutes (if you live higher than 1,000 feet above sea level, refer to the Adjust for Altitude chart on page 17 for additional processing time). Remove the jars and allow them to cool. Store in a dark, cool place in your kitchen.
Ketchup
- 2 14-16 oz cans of tomato puree or 2 lbs peeled and seeded fresh tomato
- 3 clove garlic, sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 1 cup white balsamic or wine vinegar
- sachet; one small bunch thyme and one healthy pinch each of whole black pepper, coriander seed, fennel seed and mace.
Sweat onion and garlic through without gaining any color.
Add remaining ingredients including your sachet.
Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 2 hours.
Remove sachet.
Whiz in a blender or with an immersion blender and strain.
Cornichon-Caper Herb Sauce
For the sauce
- 2 cups (2 oz.) packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup (1/2 oz.) packed fresh basil
- 3 whole scallions, sliced
- 1 small clove garlic, lightly crushed
- 1 tsp. finely grated lime zest
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup cornichons, coarsely chopped
- 1 Tbs. drained capers, rinsed
- 1 Tbs. fresh lime juice; more as needed
- Few drops hot sauce, such as Sriracha
Pulse the parsley, basil, scallions, garlic, zest, and 3/4 tsp. salt in a food processor until finely chopped.
With the motor running, add the oil through the feed tube and process until well blended. Add the cornichons, capers, lime juice, and hot sauce and pulse until finely chopped.
Season to taste with more salt, lime juice, or hot sauce.
Cognac Pepper Sauce
- 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup minced shallot
- 1/2 cup Cognac
- 3 cups unsalted or lower-salt chicken stock or broth
- 4 small sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 oz. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/4 cup using a rasp grater)
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice; more as needed
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Melt the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes.
Add the Cognac, turn the heat up to high, and boil until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and thyme and boil until the mixture has reduced to just over 1 cup, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.
Stir in the cream and black pepper and lower the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced to 2 cups and is a bit thicker than heavy cream, about 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the Parmigiano, mustard, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Once the cheese has melted, season to taste with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice.
Coffee Rub
- 1/2 cup dark roast coffee beans, finely ground
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chile powder (ancho or chipotle)
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon crushed cocoa nibs
Combine all ingredients. Rub on steaks, chicken, pork, or fish before grilling or broiling. The rub, stored in the container, will last for months.
Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam , apricot preserves or strawberry preserves
Directions
TO MAKE DOUGH:
Whisk together flour and salt. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until very pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes, then beat in egg yolk and vanilla. At low speed, mix in flour mixture just until a dough forms. Form into a disk, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour.
TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE COOKIES:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line 1 large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll a level teaspoon of dough into a ball, then flatten each ball slightly (to 1 inch wide and 1/2 inch thick). Make a deep indentation in center of each round with your thumb. Make more cookies, arranging them 1 inch apart on baking sheets.
Fill indentations in each cookie with about 1/8 teaspoon jam.
Bake until cookies are baked through and golden-brown on edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
Swedish Christmas Cookies
- 2-1/2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. ginger
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 cup butter, unsalted, at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 Tbs. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
- colored sanding sugars
In a bowl whisk the flour, ginger, and salt. Set aside
In a stand mixer or large bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the egg, vanilla, and lemon zest and mix until combined, scraping down the sides as you go.
Add the flour in two additions, mixing until completely combined.
Divide dough in half and roll each into a log in parchment or plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cut each log in half again and roll in sanding sugar.
Cut each log into 1/4" slices and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Cool on baking sheets.
Strawberry bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup buckwheat flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg, beaten to blend
For the filling:
- 3 cups hulled, quartered strawberries (about 1 pound)
- 1 (12–13-ounce) jar strawberry preserves
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
For the bars:
- Powdered sugar (for dusting; optional)
Preparation
Make the crust:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9x13" baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving a 1" overhang on both long sides.
Pulse all-purpose flour, buckwheat flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder in a food processor until well combined. Add 1 cup butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and pulse until well distributed. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and mix with your fingers until clumps form; it should look like crumb topping at this point. Chill dough while you make the filling.
Make the filling:
Combine strawberries, preserves, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until preserves are melted and cornstarch is dissolved, 2–3 minutes.
Press half of dough into prepared pan, patting with your knuckles to an even thickness. Pour strawberry mixture evenly over dough. Sprinkle remaining dough evenly over top. Bake bar until fruit is bubbling and top is golden brown, 40–45 minutes.
Let cool on a wire rack. Lift bar out of pan using parchment overhang and cut into 24 squares. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
Springerle Cookies
- 1/2 teaspoon baker's ammonia (Hartshorn) or baking powder
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 6 cups powdered sugar (1 - 1 1/2 #)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened but not melted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of anise (if substituting fruit flavored oils, use 3 teaspoons)
- 2 lb. box sifted cake flour (Swansdown or Softasilk)
- grated rind of orange or lemon - optional (enhances flavor of the traditional anise or the citrus flavors)
- more flour as needed
Dissolve hartshorn in milk and set aside. Beat eggs till thick and lemon-colored (10-20 minutes). Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, then the softened butter. Add the hartshorn and milk, salt, preferred flavoring, and grated rind of lemon or orange, if desired. Gradually beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer, then stir in the remainder of the 2 lbs. of flour to make stiff dough. Turn onto floured surface and knead in enough flour to make a good print without sticking. Follow general directions for imprinting and drying cookies.
Bake on greased or baker's parchment-lined cookie sheets at 255° to 325° till barely golden on the bottom, 10-15 minutes or more, depending on size of cookie.
Store in airtight containers or in zipper bags in the freezer. They keep for months, and improve with age. Yield 3 to 12 dozen.
Snowdrop cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup mix of light blue and white sanding sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Combine the flour and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter until pale yellow and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and mix until thoroughly combined. Add the flour mixture gradually until incorporated. Add the pecans and mix until the dough is studded throughout.
Working with 2 teaspoonsful of dough at a time, roll it into a ball and place on a cookie sheet. Continue with remaining dough. Bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, spread the remaining powdered sugar on a shallow plate. Roll the warm cookies into the powdered sugar and let cool. Set the powdered sugar aside. On a second plate spread the sanding sugar mix. Roll the cooled cookies in the powdered sugar again, followed by a roll in the sanding sugar. Transfer to a tray and repeat with remaining cookies.
Pumpkin Cookies
COOKIES
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons minced candied ginger
GLAZE
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon milk
Preheat the oven to 350° and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla followed by the pumpkin puree and candied ginger. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients until evenly incorporated.
Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop level tablespoons of the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, 1 inch apart. Using a lightly moistened finger, smooth the tops. Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time in the center of the oven, until risen and firm, about 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar with the butter and milk and stir until smooth and spreadable. While the cookies are still slightly warm, spoon a teaspoon of the glaze onto each one and spread slightly. Let cool completely, then transfer to a platter.