In the kitchen: mini Christmas cheesecakes.

Our Christmas dessert, like most desserts we make for just ourselves, had to be manageable to make and bake in one day. And by manageable, I mean small enough for us to remember that yes, it is just us who will be eating it. Though we have been known to make entire cakes for special occasions even if we're by ourselves, we're generally big fans of halving recipes or baking just enough cookies to last the night while freezing the rest. 

And that's why this cheesecake dessert was perfect. The original recipe called for 3-inch molds and cardboard rounds and parchment paper collars, but we went the easy way with our little Staub cocottes. There was definitely less work involved  because we didn't have to worry about measuring and trimming and cutting them just right to make perfect little round cheesecakes...sometimes presentation takes a back seat to comfort; there's something cozy about eating fluffy cheesecake out of a bowl instead of daintily cutting at a slice. 

While we were initially drawn to the recipe because the cheesecakes were topped with homemade wine gelées, we went the short and easy route and bought raspberry preserves to use as a topping instead. Maybe next time we'll play with port and rosé. Using the goat cheese instead of the traditional Philly-cream cheese packages that are usually called for in every single cheesecake recipe was completely worth it, and, as I've said before, give me anything with crème fraîche and I'll be happy. 

Mini Cheesecakes, via Food and Wine. 
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3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted; more for brushing6 graham crackers
1/2 C, plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
1 egg yolk1 egg
1/4 tsp. salt
10 oz fresh goat cheese, softened 
5 ounces crème fraîche 
Jam, preserves, jelly (all-fruit...), anything you'd like for the topping. 


Preheat the oven to 325.

Brush the insides of four 3-inch cocottes or ramekins with butter. Make sure they're deep enough - about 2.5 inches. In a food processor, grind together the graham crackers, the melted butter, and 1 Tbsp. sugar. Pack the crumbs into the molds, and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Beat the egg, egg yolk, salt, and remaining sugar at medium speed, about 3 minutes, until pale. Add the goat cheese and beat until smooth. Fold in the crème fraîche. Pour the mixture into the cocottes and smooth the top. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until just set, but not browned. Let cool at room temp, then refrigerate for at least an hour until chilled, but they can be chilled for several hours in advance. 

Top with a thin layer of preserves, and continue to chill until ready to serve. 

Oh, and I noticed that these photos are more of the vessels and tools that made the dessert instead of the actual dessert itself. Blame the new camera, and the fact that we ate our cheesecakes at night after a food coma induced by sous vide rib roast, roasted potatoes, horseradish cream sauce, popovers, Brussels sprouts and sun-chokes with pecans. No more room for food photos. 

To be fair, we ate the other two mini cakes tonight...see, moderation at its best! 

Christmasgram #7.

Merry Christmas, everyone! I can't believe it's December 25th. And that 2014 is just around the corner. 

To be honest, this last month has been one of the most difficult I've experienced in a long time. You may have noticed the lack of posts; new recipes have been few and far between lately. But despite the craziness, I'm beyond lucky and blessed with the most generous and supportive family anyone could ask for. I have just the very best husband (of four months, yesterday!), a warm and beautiful apartment, and the means to provide for our future together. The road to that future has been a bit bumpy lately, filled with unexpected turns and detours, but I'm finding my way through it, with the help of my favorite people by my side. 

This is the first time that we haven't been with our families at Christmas. We miss you all so much, more than we can say. But we've had a lovely day together, just the two of us, as our own little family. The apartment building is quiet today, and it's been cozy and calm to snuggle at home and cook all day. 

Here's just a bit of what we've enjoyed over this first Christmas as a married couple...lots of photos (thanks to a beautiful brand new camera!!!), plenty of coffee, constant Christmas music, and delicious food. 

We hope everyone enjoyed some time with their family and friends and was able to share in a meal, a drink, or a phone call together. That's what today is really all about - coming together in any way, shape, or form.

A very Merry Christmas, from our family to yours.

In the kitchen: chocolate amaretto truffles.

• 'Tis the season for Christmas parties. 
• 
  
• You're invited to a cookie exchange (please know I'm jealous of you). 
• 
  
• You have zero time (welcome to the club). 
• 
  
• You hate to bake (who are you?). 
• 
  
• You want to at least make the effort to bring something homemade (huge points in my book). 
• 
  
• I give you these. 
• 
  
• 
  
  
   They might actually be the easiest, no-bake dessert to make for the holidays. Oh, and the recipe calls for this. You can drink it if you like, but save some to mix with chocolate.  If it wasn't 10:30 in the morning when I made these the other day, I would've enjoyed a sip or two...

Chocolate amaretto truffles, adapted via Saveur and Julia Child. 

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• 8 oz. dark chocolate, melted
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 2 oz. Amaretto liqueur
• 2 Tbsp. strong-brewed coffee
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup finely ground coffee

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Stir together butter, amaretto, coffee, and vanilla; add to the melted chocolate. Stir together until smooth and completely blended, and chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes until firm. 

Whisk together cocoa powder and ground coffee in a small bowl. 

When the chocolate has hardened, use 2 teaspoons to make small truffles. It's best to not touch them with your hands to avoid melting the chocolate.  Roll in cocoa powder and coffee mixture, and set to to chill in the fridge until firm. This recipe will make 20-25 truffles, depending on how large they come out to be. 

And how easy was that? Enjoy with wine, the rest of what's left of the amaretto, or hot chocolate sent to you from your wonderful sister. I've done two of the above... 

Christmasgram #6.

Christmasgrams are back! They're my quick posts to capture Christmastime around Shorewood, and wherever else we find bits and pieces of the season. 

It's tough not knowing when we'll be home next. I hate it, actually. So I'm trying to be positive and look for the good in all the little things, like this gingerbread man, that Andrew and I shared over our breakfast date earlier this week. It's Christmastime, we're married, working to build a life, and get to spend time together. These are all good things. 

To everyone at home - please know how much we love and miss you. I hope you're staying warm and cozy despite the cold and snow. 

And go have a gingerbread cookie. It helps. 

In the kitchen: road trip hand pies.

When we're on the road from MKE to MN, I'm usually in such a "let's get home as fast as we can" zone that there's hardly anything that will make me stop...excluding some necessary coffee needs every now and then. Stopping somewhere for food is definitely not worth it to us, especially since these little hand pies are so easy to make. And, as an added bonus, we use up any leftovers before leaving for a few days; this makes the recipe really cost effective because you're using what you've already made. Plus-plus!

Hand Pies For the Road. 

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Shortcrust dough, via Gordon Ramsey's Great British Pub Food. 

400 grams plain flour

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

200 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

3-4 Tbsp. ice water

Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter pieces until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs. 

Add in ice water and mix with a fork, just until dough comes together. If it seems dry, add a bit more water, but don't make the dough too wet. 

Lightly flour a work surface, and gently knead the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out for the pasties. 

Ingredients to make 5 pasties***

3 medium potatoes, such as Yukon gold, peeled

1 large sweet onion

3 carrots, peeled

Leftover chicken or pork, about 2/3 cup shredded meat 

1 Tbsp. grainy mustard

Olive oil 

Salt, pepper 

1 egg, lightly beaten 

***I saved time the morning of our trip home last week by just cooking together the leftover potatoes, carrots, and pork shoulder Andrew had made for dinner the previous night. It really doesn't matter what filling you use for the pies - use anything you have on hand! 

Dice the potatoes, carrots, and onion into equally sized pieces. 

Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat, add vegetables and cook 5-8 minutes until tender. Add the chicken pieces and cook to warm through. Add in mustard, and season with plenty of salt and pepper. 

Preheat oven to 425. Roll out dough into 5 rounds to fit 3.5 inch baking dishes; leave an inch of overhang. Fill pasties with cooked filling, adding a bit more salt to each. Pinch overhang to seal, and brush with beaten egg. 

Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown. 

And of course, as per any car trip, store in Tupperware containers and get ready to hit the road! 

This Month.

It's December, and winter is around the corner. I found this lovely quote about the upcoming season: 

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home." 

{Edith Sitwell} 

Here's to December, to warmth, and to family.