News from my kitchen

Hello,

We have finally adjusted to not having an abundance of cookies in our house. The cookie marathon was extremely fun, I highly recommend it! Smiles. Actually, I am not using my oven because I am waiting for our new hood. Let me bring you up-to-date, last fall Prince Charming and I drove to Chicago to pick up my great uncle Bob's, lightly used, beautiful, monster of a Wolf stove. Eight burners of commercial btu's. Vermont gas hooked the house up and long story short the stove which we call "uncle Bob" is in the kitchen. I still jump at the sight of the large, black, eight burner beast in the kitchen! Another addition to the sacred kitchen space is an antique rock maple, end grain, hand-made, butcher block. The condition is perfect! We adore our amazing find and are using it daily to chop and prep our meals. Thanks Prince Charming for secretly scanning craigslist. We had a party for each new addition, so needless to say it has been fun and busy here at the house. Smells of goat rib chops seasoned with rosemary and lemon zest, veal meat balls with bacon (goat and veal was purchased from Consider Bardwell Farm), and tons of ethnic homemade flatbreads are in the air.

Me, I am happily self employed! I offer a whole spectrum of culinary services on my website (chefcontos.com). I am keeping busy traveling to homes teaching private cooking classes and preparing weekly menus for clients. Complete with recipes, shopping list, and helpful tips.

Yes, I am working on a cookbook proposal with my dear friend Susan Rogol. I will keep you posted on our outrageously fun progress. As far as the The Essex goes, I offer my culinary services to them for Vip events as their "celebrity chef".

In one month I will find myself learning authentic Mexican cooking at Sazon, in San Miguel Alliemte, Mexico. Sazon was voted one of the worlds best cookings by Gourmet Magazine. Click here to read...

Don't forget:

• Follow me on twitter
• Flow me on the Vermont Cheese Councils newsletter and look up past recipes
• Check out my family's restaurant history on my Bio page of chefcontos.com
• Cook one or two healthy meals a week.

Happy New Year to you all!

Continue with you emails and wonderful comments. Thank you to all my positive clients.

See you in your kitchen,

Courtney

www.chefcontos.com

Cookie Marathon Comes To an END

My cookie marathon comes to an end but not without one last recipe. Ending on a healthy note has been on mind, especially since I tallied up my cookie marathon butter totals. Yikes!

I will continue on with other things now, like culinary coaching for you, and working on my cookbook.

I would like to thank all of you for your support and for sharing your enjoyment. Prince Charming gets a big thank you for his support, encouragement, and for doing all the dishes! I would also like to mention Lauren, Belinda, and Susan, thanks, life would not the same without fabulous girlfriends.

My Blog will continue on into it's third year. You never know what spring may bring. Another marathon?

Just for fun:

Number of cookies without butter- 5

Total butter used- 41 sticks of butter

Funniest moment- Christmas day, outside arranging my gingerbread village. Prince Charming was video taping me, taking my photo shoot. Out of no where I asked my gingerbread village animals, men and women to smile for the picture.

Favorite cookie- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk

Cookies made, but didn't make the cut- Turtle cookies, gingersnaps and cherry chocolate oatmeal.

Favorite picture- Chocolate Espresso Sparklers

Favorite moment of the month- Reading about my cookie marathon in The New York Times!

Last minute trips to the store- To many to count.

Cookie talk- I heard about sunnies and thought really? But when I tasted them I knew they were going to be the last cookie of my marathon. I wanted to end on a healthy note so Sunnies are perfect. A no-bake cookie that can be quickly prepared. This is a great cookie to keep around when you want a healthy snack. Great for the kids. Other than a few small changes this cookie is a Waite original from St. Albans Vermont. Thanks big Jim and Marilyn.

Sunnies

Makes 14

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts

1/4 oat bran

pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup unsweetened peanut butter

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Place seeds, nuts, oat bran, salt, and wheat germ in food processor. Finely grind.

2. Then add honey and peanut butter. Mix until well combined.

3. Shape into balls and flatten with a fork. Top with a chocolate chip. Cover well and refrigerate.

December 31st- St. Nicolas Cookies

Gourmet Magazines from long ago have covered many surface areas in our home for a couple months. They bring me great smiles, laughs, and wonderful recipes. One recipe from a very old November Gourmet was part of our Thanksgiving meal this year, creamed pearl onions. Today I am sharing a cookie recipe I love from a 1971 issue of Gourmet Magazine. This recipe is called Speculaas - St. Nicolas Cookies. I have scanned the recipe for you and shared pictures of the cookies. You should be able to read the recipe fine if you zoom in. If not contact me. Also, I scanned old December Gourmet covers and a couple cheese adds that make me laugh!

Happy New Years Eve Day!

Below-Gourmet Magazine 1955 and 1956, cheese adds.

December 30th- Walk In The Woods Brownies

The cold weather and slippery roads has kept me home and close to the wood stove, but has not stopped me from baking. Walk In The Woods brownies are easy to prepare, sweetened with honey, and taste great! I love the chocolate chunks and nuts on top. Healthy enough to eat for breakfast?

Walk In The Woods Brownies

1/2 cup unsalted butter

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup honey

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 beaten eggs

1 cup chopped walnuts, divided

1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 325. Melt butter, chocolate, salt and vanilla together over low heat. Mix well. Then mix in honey, flour, baking powder, eggs, and 3/4 cup nuts. Mix well and pour into a well greased 9x9x2 inch pan. Top with chocolate chunks and rest of nuts. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool on rack 15 minutes before cutting.

December 29th- Chocolate Scribs

The pate is gone and as the cookie marathon comes to an end our home has kicked into healthy cooking mode. Tonight I made Quinoa Tabbouleh served in a roasted Buttercup Squash. I made extra red quinoa which will be mixed with pinto beans I also cooked tonight becoming Bean Burgers for tomorrow night's dinner.

The beautiful snow inspired me to have a tea party using my Christian Dior Limoges China. The Chocolate Scrib Cookies may not be a tea cookie but that did not stop me from sipping green tea and savoring the flakey chocolate cookie. The large snow flakes we falling during my photo shoot and as you may notice the pates are a bit wet. But I continued on. Recently my flash broke on my camera so it will be outside photos only until I figure out what's next in my camera world. Any suggestions? Anybody own a camera shop?

You will have a touch of melted chocolate left over. Now is your chance to make a cup of the best hot chocolate. Sit, enjoy, and relax with your cup of hot cocoa. It is a bonus. I use soy milk in mine and keep it thick but whole milk will also make a wonderful rich hot chocolate.

Chocolate Scribs

Makes 4 dozen

20 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

zest of one orange

2 1/4 cups unbleached flour

1. Melt four tablespoons butter in small pan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and espresso. Stir until mixture forms a smooth paste. Cool for 15 minutes.

2. In a bowl of mixing stand fitted with paddle attachment add butter, sugar, and cocoa mixture and mix well on hight speed for 2 minutes. Scrape sides with rubber spatula Add egg yolks, sea salt, and vanilla, mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrap sides of bowl. Add flour in three parts with the mixer on low. Continue to mix until dough is formed. Divide dough into three flat discs and wrap each with plastic wrap, chill for 50 minutes.

3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375.

4. Roll out 1 chilled dough disc between two sheets of parchment paper to even thickness of 3/16 of an inch. If dough become soft and sticky place on baking sheet and chill 15 minutes. Peel parchment paper and cut into a two inch square or two inch round. Place cut out cookies on baking sheets and chill. Gather the dough scraps and chill.

5. Bake until cookies offer slight resistance to the touch about 10-12 minutes. Rotate half way through. If the begin to darken around the edges they are over baked. Cool on trays for 3 minutes. Using a metal spatula remove form trays and place on cookie racks. Repeat with remaining dough and dough scraps.

Chocolate Glaze

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, tempered

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Tempering determines the final gloss, hardness, and contraction of the chocolate. When you melt chocolate, the molecules of fat separate. To put them back together, you temper it. There are a variety of ways to do it.

Here is one of many ways to temper chocolate. Tempering is achieved by adding small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate but is usually one fourth of the total amount. I usually use a whisk blender to mix the two together.

A simple method to check tempering is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been tempered correctly, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within 5 minutes.

Dip cooled cookies half way into the melted tempered chocolate. If chocolate seizes up, reheat it. Allow glazed cookies to dry for 20 minutes.

December 28th- Lemon Cookies

Rainy day here in Vermont. As a skier all this rain is a downer but snow will come around. Lots of yoga in the meantime.

Lemon cookies are delicate and full of lemon flavor with an added boost from lemon extract.

Eat them up and share the cookies with people you do not know and people you do know. I have had so much fun sharing the cookies with strangers this month. We have given cookies to Vermont Gas working in front of our house, to the folks working at the Burlington library, Phoenix Books in Essex, Sweet Clover Market, IBM, the mail carrier and more! Sharing is all part of the joy of making these little cakes.

Lemon Cookies

Makes 2 1/2 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1/2 cup (4 ounces) cream cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 baking powder

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon lemon oil

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup confectioners sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 - 2 tablespoons heavy cream

1. In a medium size mixing bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, salt, baking powder, lemon zest, and lemon oil. When the mixture is creamy, add the sugars, a bit at a time, beating until fluffy. Finally, mix in the flour. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 375. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.

3. Scoop out two level teaspoons of dough for each cookie and roll eat piece into a ball. Place the balls on prepared baking sheets and use bottom of a drinking glass, dipped in confectioners sugar, to flatten them to a thickness of about 1/4 inch, and 1 3/4 to 2 inch diameter.

4. Bake the cookies for ten to twelve minutes until they are lightly brown.

5. To make the glaze place the sugar in a small mixing bowl, and stir in lemon juice, then add the cream, a little at a time, to achieve the consistency you like. Then spread the cookies with the glaze and let them set for a hour or so before wrapping.

December 27th- Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies

A relaxing day before another holiday family gathering on Sunday.

By now the house smells like butter all the time. I had lots of requests for oatmeal cookies and I found these to be my favorite. You can substitute dark chocolate for the white or change the nuts to anything you prefer. Enjoy!

Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups old-fasioned rolled oats

2 cups white chocolate chips

1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

1 1/4 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

1. Preheat oven to 350. Add butter and sugars in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time, until combined. Stir in vanilla.

2. Sift flour, baking baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Gradually stir into butter mixture until combined. Stir in oats, chocolate, coconut, and nuts.

3. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inch apart. Flatten slightly. Bake cookies until golden, 14-16 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit one minute then transfer to cooling racks. Store cookies in an airtight container up to three days.

December 26th- Gingerbread Village

Uno, fine wine, great company, wood heat, candles, sledding, and amazing foods were the highlight of my Christmas day. Late afternoon we snacked on pate, nuts, Vermont cheeses, and French olives. Then, after twilight sledding and cards in front of the wood stove, we enjoyed a large batch of Spanish paella with chorizo and vegetables. Lots of smiles and memorable laughs were had!

Thank you for your wonderful emails. The cookie marathon will continue until January 31st. Please remember that I have a helpful search link on my website chefcontos.com where you can type in key words or recipe names. You will find this very helpful.

Gingerbread men are the norm but I decided to mix it up a bit. Included were moose and bear gingerbread. After all, this is Vermont. I decided not to make a gingerbread house but I made a little gingerbread family. This recipe is the best I have ever used, and let me tell you, I have been making gingerbread houses and cookies for 20 years. The dough is friendly and very easy to work with. You don't have to chill the dough, just mix and roll.

Gingerbread

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup dark molasses

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon soda

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl with electric mixer. Add molasses and mix well. Add rest of ingredients and mix until well incorporated, 1-2 minutes.

3. Form dough into a ball and roll out with extra flour as needed. Using cookie cutters, cut out your cookies and place on a silpat lined baking sheet. Bake cookies for 8-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 1-2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.

4. Decorate as desired. Personally I just dust with powdered sugar.

December 25th- Chocolate Amaretti Cookies

Christmas Eve! Our home smells like bacon and gingerbread. Prince Charming grilled Lamb Sausage and Local Beef Brochettes outside on the charcoal webber. We sipped Cake Bread Cellars Pinot Noir and danced to Christmas music. Louis Armstrong and very old blues Christmas music are some of my favorites. Christmas Eve was one big hors d'oeuvre party. Blue goat cheese stuffed paeppadew peppers, whole nuts for cracking, citrus, and white bean soup. I made a batch of gingerbread and truly just enjoyed the time. Since I was young, I always opened one gift on Christmas Eve, this year was no different. My lovable birdbrain sister from Miami, Florida found a one piece pajamas suit and hysterically had to send it up to me in Vt. Thanks Al!

Cookie talk- Amaretti cookies are so fun to have around. They last for months. If you do not dip them in chocolate they are grea to grind in the food processor and use in all sorts of desserts. They have no wheat, butter, and egg yolks. So kinda healthy?

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Chocolate Amaretti Cookies
Makes 18

3 cups blanched almonds
1 cup sugar
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon almond extract
8 ounces dark chocolate, melted

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, grind the almonds into a fine meal. Add the sugar and continue to process for another 15 seconds. Finally, add egg whites and almond extract, continue to process until a smooth dough forms around the blade.
3. Using 2inch ice cream scoop, place dough onto prepared baking sheets. Cookies should be at least 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Cookies should be golden. Allow cookies to cool completely on the paper before removing. Then dip 1/2 the cookie into the melted chocolate. Store in a dry place.

December 24th- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk

Holiday grocery shopping is wild, I know I am not alone here. I was grocery shopping yesterday at two busy markets. I entered the colorful produce section where I loaded fruits and vegetables into my cart. The crowd was on that same mission I was, excited to be shopping for one or two holiday dinners. My menus were not finalized, I was going to plan one of my menus while being inspired at the market. The next thing I know, I pilled all my produce and more on top of my grocery list. Accepting that it is way too late to get it now, I continue on, winging it. You must understand I grocery shop everyday. My grandmother makes fun of me because every time I call her I am on my way to the grocery store. We do tons of cooking and eating that it becomes too much to plan all the time. Besides, I like our food fresh. I had no special orders unlike most at the market, picking up large pieces of meat and so on. Me, I knew what I needed would be in stock because I was not cooking a traditional holiday meal. More to come about our holiday menus.

Cookie talk- Freshly ground peanut butter and dark chocolate just love each other. This recipe originated from a wonderful article in the New York Times last week. The story was about weddings in Pittsburg that have elaborate cookie tables. A relative is in charge of the cookie organizing while family and friends make tons of cookies for the special day. Up to 2000 cookies will be displayed at the wedding party. Click here to read more.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk

Makes about three dozen

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Nonstick spray or vegetable oil for cookie sheet, optional

3/4 cup chocolate chunks

Sanding sugar for rolling the cookies

1. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat until well blended. Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly. If the dough is very soft, refrigerate for about 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpats and set aside. Roll dough into 1-inch balls.
3. Roll cookies in sanding sugar and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake until very light brown and puffed, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove sheet tray from oven. Using a wine cork make a indent into the center of each cookie, allowing it to crack slightly, and add about 5 chocolate chunks to the cookie center (filling up the holes). Return to oven until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven, cool completely and store in an airtight container.