For December 18

Ginger-Jazzed Brownies, from Dorie Greenspan, Baking:  From My Home to Yours

Chocolate Oatmeal Drops, also from Baking.

So much for holiday spirit!  I started out thinking I would make gingerbread, but I took a strange side road and ended up with gingery brownies.  Well, Betsy, ginger and chocolate - this one's for you!

This is the last regular Thursday night talk of the year - next week it is Christmas Eve, and then we are in sesshin until Dec. 31.  And January is a bare-bones month at ZCLA, with no Thursday night talks.  So my baking responsibility will be on hiatus until February.  But don't worry, between now and then I hope to use the time to post a few recipes and explore a few different areas so that we come roaring into 2009 with new and exciting treats.  If you have any requests (for recipes of areas of food exploration) let me know!

Take good care,

Dharma-Joy

Recipe: Chocolate Mint Squares

This is one of the most popular things I have ever made. It is embarrassing to post the recipe and show how simple it is to make! Anyway, for all the fans who can't wait until December rolls around for me to make it, here is the recipe for this wonderful treat. And really, who says that peppermint is a flavoring reserved for Christmas-time?

Chocolate Mint Squares
Adapted from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion

Dough
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs (preferably at room temperature)
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract or peppermint oil*

Frosting
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract or peppermint oil*
1 tablespoon milk

Glaze
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon butter

*This is the amount to use if you're using Boyajian peppermint oil. Other peppermint oils may vary in strength; add them judiciously, tasting as you go.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Dough: In a double boiler, or in a microwave, melt together the chocolate and butter or margarine. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, salt and eggs. Add the chocolate mixture, stirring to combine, then the flour, nuts and peppermint, mixing till well-blended.

Pour the batter into a lightly greased 9 x 9-inch pan. Bake the squares for 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and cool to room temperature.

Frosting: In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter or margarine, peppermint and milk. Spread the frosting over the cooled squares in a thin layer.

Glaze: In a double boiler, or in a microwave, melt together the chocolate and butter or margarine. Drizzle this over the frosted squares. Refrigerate the squares to set the glaze. To serve, cut into 1 1/2-inch squares.

Yield: About 36 small squares.

Recipe: Corn Pudding with Dill and Parsley

Here is a recipe that I have made the last two Thanskgivings, and people have liked it quite a lot. It is a recipe from The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison and Edward Espe Brown, two of my favorite cooks. This is best the same day it is made, but keeps OK for a couple of days - the starches in the corn will develop and the taste and texture will change as time passes.

Corn Pudding with Dill and Parsley

6 ears white or yellow sweet corn
1/2 cup milk
4 or 5 eggs
3/4 cup cream, warmed
3 oz. jack or muenster cheese, grated
1 T fresh dill, finely chopped
1 T parsley, finely chopped
1/2 t salt white or black pepper
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Shave kernels from cobs with a knife. Scrape the cobs with an inverted teaspoon to catch the milky bits; put (put in a blender jar). Set aside one cup of the kernels and place the rest in a blender with the milk. Cover and puree until smooth – this should take around two minutes, which will feel like a long time to have the blender running.

In large mixing bowl, beat the eggs well with a whisk, then stir in the corn mixture, reserved kernels, cream, grated cheese, dill and parsley. Season with salt and several grindings of pepper.

Butter a large baking dish or one-cup ramekins and line liberally with bread crumbs. Add the corn custard and set the baking dish(es) in a larg pan on the middle oven rack. Add hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish(es). Carefully, push the rack in and close oven door.

Bake at 325 degrees for up to an hour and 10 minutes in a large dish, or 50 to 55 minutes in ramekins. When the top is firm and slightly browned, remove the pudding from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. Serve in baking dish or unmold ramekins and serve it bottoms up.

Recipe: Corn, Bean and Pumpkin Stew

Here is a brief diversion from baking to include the recipe for the corn, bean and pumpkin stew that has become a post-Thanksgiving tradition for us. I am very grateful to Deborah Madison for this recipe, which comes from the Greens Cookbook, one of the great basic vegetarian cookbooks.

Corn, Bean and Pumpkin Stew (adapted from The Greens Cookbook)

This delicious, low-fat and high-fiber autumnal stew has become a traditional family day-after-Thanksgiving meal eaten after a day of hiking in the mountains, and is a pleasant change from turkey (or tofurkey) leftovers. It tastes even better after a day or two, so I often make it the night before. You can make it hotter, if you like, with ground ancho chilies or chili powder.

1 cup pinto beans or cranberry beans, soaked overnight and drained
Salt
1 pound tomatoes, fresh or canned, peeled, seeded, and chopped; juice reserved (extra is OK - I often use a 28 oz can of Muir Glen diced tomatoes)
corn kernels cut from 3 ears corn (about 1 1/2 cups kernels)
1 teaspoons cumin seeds (NOT ground cumin)
1 teaspoon oregano
1-inch piece cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
4 tablespoons corn oil, light sesame oil, or light olive oil
1 large onion, cut into a medium dice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
2 cups bean broth (at least)
3 cups pumpkin or winter squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 or 2 serrano chilies, seeded and finely chopped (be careful in cutting them! use gloves, and don't wipe your eyes; believe me, don't wipe your eyes)
Cilantro or parsley, chopped, for garnish

If you have not pre-soaked the beans, clean them, rinse them well, cover them with boiling water, and let them soak for 1 hour. Drain them, cover them with fresh water, and bring to a boil. Make sure you use an ample amount of water, because it will be used to thin the stew later on. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook about 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender. [I find it takes a lot less time than this, so watch carefully!] Drain the beans, and reserve the cooking liquid.

Warm a small heavy skillet and toast the cumin seeds until their fragrance emerges; then add the oregano, stir for 5 seconds, and quickly transfer the spices to a plate or bowl so they don’t burn. Combine them with the cinnamon and the cloves, and grind to a powder in an electric spice mill. [I use an old coffee grinder.]

Heat the oil in a wide skillet and saute the onion briskly over high heat for 1 minute; then lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic, the ground spices, the paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir well to combine; then add 1/2 cup reserved bean broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft. Next add the tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Then add the pumpkin or winter squash along with another cup of bean broth. After 20 to 30 minutes, or when the pumpkin is about half-cooked – soft but still too firm to eat – add the corn, the beans, and the fresh chilies. Thin with the reserved tomato juice, adding more broth or stock as necessary. Cook until the pumpkin is tender. Check the seasoning, and add more salt if necessary. Serve garnished with the chopped cilantro or parsley.

Even though there is corn in the stew, corn bread or tortillas make a good accompaniment. Serves four to six.

For December 4

We have arrived at December.  Our treats this week (not cookies) match the season:

Chocolate Mint Squares, from The King Arthur Baking Companion

All in One Holiday Bundt Cake, Dorie Greenspan, Baking:  From My Home to Yours

This is the third year I have made the chocolate mint squares.  It is a very nice recipe - these are basically a gussied up brownie, but with less flour to get in the way.  They consist of a brownie layer with peppermint flavor, then a white frosting (lots of peppermint), and then a drizzle of chocolate on top.  If you like peppermint and chocolate, these are for you.  And if you don't....what planet are you from?

The Bundt cake is from a cookbook that is one of my favorites.  I made Dorie's Sour Cream Pumpkin Pie recipe for Thanksgiving, and it was yummy.  She even convinced me to make my own crust - and we all survived.  Anyway, this Bundt cake is quite good, and the name is well deserved - it has pumpkin, cranberries, apples, pecans, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg all rolled into one little pan.  If you don't think you are seeing snow outside after eating this, then you need to eat a little more.

Take good care.