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Chonky Boys: The Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches that Scream Summer!

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Featuring my thick and nuggy Chonky Boy Chocolate Chip Cookies, these ice cream sandwiches are the stuff that summer dreams are made of.  If you've ever had the Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich at Disneyland , you are going to LOVE these!  These big and bold chocolate chip cookies are based on a recipe from my culinary school studies at Auguste Escoffier, but with a few modifications to give them that Jennuine touch.  They make the perfectas book for a fat slice of real vanilla bean ice cream.  And those mini chips?  You just gotta have that extra cronch! Thank goodness this recipe only makes 8 sandwiches, otherwise I would be eating them for breakfast lunch and dinner.  This way, my big family can help save me from my inner child diet-saboteur.   Print With Image Without Image Chonky Boy Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches Yield: 8 Author: Jenn Erickson Loaded with chocolate chips and buttery, brown-sugary vanilla flavor, these mall-sized cookies form a perfect partnership with a

The Party Dip Your Guests will Flip For -- Warm Pimento Cheese Dip

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This Christmas, we decided to change things up in the dinner department with a completely  Southern-inspired menu: Warm Pimento Cheese Dip Marcus Samuelsson's Southern Fried Chicken Cheddar Biscuits Jambalaya with Louisiana Hot Links Macaroni and Cheese Casserole Yukon Gold Whipped Pototaoes Potlikker (Collard) Greens with Pork Jowl Bacon Classic Chess Pie Banana Pudding It was marvelous!  I've hyperlinked the recipes we used in the menu above -- all very highly recommended. Here is our recipe for Warm Pimento Cheese Dip  -- our riff on a Southern classic.  We warmed up this traditionally cold cheese dip and got it all gooey and melty.  Serve it like a fondue with chunks of  French bread, or with tortilla chips like Queso dip.  Warm Pimento Cheese Dip PRINT Prep Time:  8-10 minutes Cooking Time:  8-10 minutes Total Time:  15-20 minutes 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/3 cup whipped cream

Recipe: Brown Buttery Buttermeal Cookies

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The other day, my family was driving home on our long daily commute from school and work when we struck up a conversation about cookies.  One of my girls chimed in, " My favorite cookie is Buttermeal !"  We think that she meant to say chocolate chip oatmeal -- in particular the ones with macadamia nuts, coconut and semi-sweet chocolate chips made by her Uncle Deuce. And yet, we were all struck by how instantly appealing the idea of a "Buttermeal" cookie sounded.  So, we spent the rest of the car ride talking about what would go into a Buttermeal cookie if one were to actually exist.  We concluded that it would be buttery like shortbread and would have the subtle nutty flavor of oatmeal. This weekend, I experimented by riffing on a few well vetted Irish Shortbread recipes and ultimately came up with what the family deemed the perfect Buttermeal Cookie .  They are simple to make and are addictively delicious.  If you like shortbread, buttery cookies, and are ke

Recipe: Pork and Green Chile Street Tacos

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This recipe is always a favorite with my culinary students.   It is easy to make and the results are exquisite.  The trio of green chiles strike the perfect balance of bright green pepperiness, smokiness, and mellow heat.  They cook down with onions, garlic and sto ck into a rich and flavorful sauce.   The tender pieces of pork practically melt in your mouth.  These tacos need no further embellishment -- just load up a warm tortilla and go! Print With Image Without Image Pork & Green Chile Street Tacos Yield: 10-12 tacos Author: Jenn Erickson Prep time: 15 M Cook time: 30 M Total time: 45 M A trio of fresh green chiles mingle with tender pieces of pork that practically melt in your mouth. Just load it up on a warm tortilla and go! Ingredients: 1 pound trimmed boneless pork shoulder, cut into bite-sized cubes kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1/2 large onion, thinly sliced 4 ounces Poblano Pepper (2-3 large),

Recipe: Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Asian Pears and Honey Walnut Vinaigrette

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Here's a very simple, yet elegant salad that works well as a first course at dinner or as a light lunch. Warm goat cheese, crusted in toasted walnuts and bread crumbs is baked and paired with crisp Asian pears, baby greens, candied walnuts and an easy-to-prepare Honey Walnut Vinaigrette.   My second-year culinary students made this salad just last week.  I'm especially proud to say that both platings pictured here were done by my high school students.   Asian Pear Walnut Salad with warm Goat Cheese Serves 4-6 Candied Walnuts 1 cup walnut halves 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter Warm Goat Cheese 1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs 1/3 cup toasted walnuts ½ teaspoon salt Pinch of ground pepper Pinch of cayenne pepper 6 slices goat cheese 1 egg white, beaten Honey Walnut Vinaigrette 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1 Tablespoon honey 1 Tablespoon minced shallots ¼ cup walnut oil ½ cup vegetable oil Salt and pepper

Recipe: Pumpkin Brown Sugar Belgian Waffles

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It's that pumpkin-everything time of year again!  So, with all of the pumpkin waffle recipes out there, you're probably wondering why you should try this one, right?  Fair enough -- here's why:   This recipe is the product of months of testing to achieve the right balance of pumpkin flavor, delicate spice, fluffy interior and crispy exterior.  Belgian waffles should be crisp on the outside and light on the inside.  This recipe delivers.  Pumpkin waffles can sometimes be soggy or overwhelming with spice. These waffles aren't too sweet, too spicy, or heavy.   They are very easy to make, and this recipe makes a large amount.  That way, you family or guests can scarf down as many as they'd like, then you wrap up the rest and refrigerate.  They come back to life in your toaster in minutes, so you get perfect pumpkin Belgian waffles on demand! I like to serve them with Maple Butter syrup (1/2 maple syrup, half melted butter, whisked together) and a garn

Recipe: New World German Brown Bread -- "Squaw Bread"

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I recall, as a child, going to The Chart House restaurant and looking forward to the basket of freshly baked breads.  My favorite was always the dark brown, slightly sweet bread that the servers called "Squaw Bread".  I've heard that a similar bread is served at The Cheesecake Factory.  The name has gone out of fashion, since "squaw" is a derogatory term for a Native American woman.   The history of this bread can in fact trace its roots to Native American origins when German pioneers combined their traditional German Brown Bread recipe with ingredients available to them through trades with the native people during their westward travels. No matter how you slice it, this New World German Brown Bread is easy to bake and so wonderfully delicious to eat.   Print With Image Without Image New World German Brown Bread Yield: 1 large loaf Author: Jenn Erickson Prep time: 1 H & 50 M Cook time: 45 M Total time: 1 H &am

Recipe: Blitzkuchen (German Almond Coffee Cake)

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One of the perks of being a teacher is having a few weeks off in the summer.  The summer is all about family-time, but I always get some "me-time" in at night when I dive in to a good read. Last week, I finished up The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow by Rita Leganski.  What a gem!     This review from Booklist sums it up nicely: " Born in the aftermath of a searing family tragedy, Bonaventure Arrow “didn’t make a peep when he was born.” Never speaking a word, his silence enables him to listen to what no one else can hear. He is not only hyper-aware of the sounds of the natural world, but he is also in tune with the clamorous echoes of personal heartbreak and despair. Joining forces with Creole servant Trinidad Prefontaine, young Bonaventure undertakes a quest to unlock a series of family secrets to liberate himself, his dead father, and his inconsolable mother from the emotionally and spiritually paralyzing bonds of the past. This mystical fairy tail se