t o m a t o e s & t e q u i l a

 
Hello my long-lost friends! I know, I haven't posted anything in a month but hey, life happens. I got busy. The hubby and I are buying a house and that has pretty much been consuming us for a couple of weeks. We just entered into a contract on one yesterday! Hopefully all goes well and we will be the proud new owners of a home!

I had a lovely four days off for Thanksgiving and it was truly much needed. I feel refreshed and ready to get back to life. How was your Thanksgiving? - good I hope. We spent Turkey-day with my in-laws in Colorado Springs. We had a very nice, quiet day. It's funny how when you marry someone you become part of these very intimate family gatherings that have been slowly molded over years and years. I think in these situations the parents (either mine or his, or yours, or whatever) have become so accustomed to their family traditions over 30+ years, it all seems perfectly normal to them, and they don't really stop to think about how radically different other people celebrate the holidays. But as the "kid," moving between different families, you really get to compare the different moods and traditions of each family. The good news is that you get to observe and see what you like and don't like, and bring the traditions that you do like into your family. The bad news is that you have to stay very adaptable and flexible, which can be hard sometimes. Especially for yours truly who is a creature of habit.

Anyway, on to the important stuff - the food! I was in charge of dessert and also wanted to make cranberry chutney, as it is something my Mom always makes. I'll try to share each recipe with you over the next week or so, including a pumpkin pie version of these, that I made just for fun.

Since my father-in-law and sister-in-law have a soft spot for pecan pie, I made this twist on the classic - Bourbon Pecan Tart with Chocolate Drizzle. This tart is crazy rich. You literally only need a small slice and it is more than enough, which is kind of nice after a big dinner - no?

BOURBON PECAN TART WITH CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE RECIPE
(Cooking Light)

1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup (I only had light so I used that and it was no big deal)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
2/3 cup pecan halves (I used about a cup since 2/3c. did not seem to be enough)
1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
Cooking spray
1/2 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 10 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in pecans. Roll dough into a 13-inch circle; fit into a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray. Trim excess crust using a sharp knife. Spoon sugar mixture into prepared crust. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Drizzle chocolate over tart.

I have officially mastered baking at 7,200 ft. and I'm feelin' pretty good about it. For Christmas I got "Pie in the Sky," by Susan G. Purdy. There is an "adjustment table" in the back of the book that lists adjustments for different altitudes and when followed, yields lovely baked goods void of the frustrating hallmarks of high altitude baking. The funny thing is, when I tried an actual recipe from the book I got the flattest cookies I have ever made - no seriously, flattest EVER. Which resulted in a lot of swearing and stopping around the kitchen.

Anyway - I used to make these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies in California and initially did not have success with them in Colorado. But, I tried again last week and voila - lovely, poofy, moist cookies. I win, high altitude! Take that!

These are seriously awesome too, soft on the inside with a chewy outside. Do try them immediately.

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES RECIPE
(from smittenkitchen, originally adapted from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook)

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour (+ 8tbl. for high altitude)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda (- 1/4 tsp. for high altitude)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (- 1/8 tsp. for high altitude)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature
1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar (- 3 tbl. for high altitude)
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk (+ 1 tbl. for high altitude)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips (I did not have these on hand so I used peanuts and thought the result was wonderful - the peanuts add a nice crunch)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
For sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar, regular or superfine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips.

Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern (I used the back of a small offset spatula to keep it smooth on top), but do not overly flatten cookies.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not. (I baked for 9 minutes - I like mine cookies slightly undercooked and let them finish on the hot baking tray - this keeps them from drying out or getting hard)

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.