Party Pieces

I don't know about you, but I think there is something inherently exciting about hors d'oeurves. Intricate little bites of this and that, perfect to nibble while enjoying a drink and good company, seem more sophisticated in a group than they might be alone. Even pigs in a blanket seem retro-cool on a buffet table at a cocktail party. Preparing appetizers always makes me want to step into heels and tie on a lacy apron. (I realize this is not normal and I have, perhaps, been watching too many episodes of Mad Men. But I knew that when I started vacuuming in pearls.)

This particular hors d'oeurve has served me well at many gatherings. I started with a tried-and-true dough and cut back the sugar while converting the filling from sweet to savory. I enjoy the combination of goat cheese and pesto, but the recipe can easily be adjusted to accommodate other filling combinations. Pancetta and salsa verde also work well here.

Savory Rugelach

12 oz butter, softened

12 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 T. sugar

1/2 t. salt

3 c. flour

8 oz goat cheese

4 oz pesto

1 egg, beaten

Cream butter, cream cheese, sugar, and salt until well blended. Add flour one cup at a time until just incorporated. Divide dough into four equal parts, wrap, and chill at least one hour.

On floured surface, roll each package of dough into a 10 inch circle. Spread dough with goat cheese and top with an even layer of pesto. Divide into 10 equal wedges. Roll tightly into wedges, starting with wide end of dough. Bend into a crescent shape. Continue with remaining dough and chill rugelach for 20 minutes. Remove to parchment lined cookie sheets and brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake at 350 degrees 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and serve.

Note: Rugelach can be frozen, without egg wash, up to 3 weeks . Thaw in refrigerator before baking.

Monday Funday

via Cakespy

The object of my affection

This past summer, while visiting my brother in Japan, I experienced incredible new things and tasted a LOT of good food. I returned to the States with a few souvenirs and gifts, tons of great photos, and an obsession with all things litchi. I got my first taste of litchi (sometimes spelled lychee) the evening I arrived and spent the remainder of my trip scouring Osaka for anything that would give me a fix. Candy, juice, liqueur, baked goods......all litchi, all the time. It wasn't until much later that I realized I had never tasted the actual fruit on it's own! Fast forward to this week, when much to my delight I discovered a can of litchis in syrup at a local import grocery.

When I opened the can, the delicious aroma of litchi was strong. I reached in a popped a litchi into my mouth. The flavor was fantastic- no juice or candy can live up to the genuine article! Unfortunately, the texture of the fruit was exactly how I imagine it would feel to eat a human eyeball. The visual of the litchis, smooth white orbs glistening in a pool of syrup, did not help at all. Feeling crestfallen and a bit freaked out by this latest litchi experience, I decided the best bet was to turn it into sorbet. All the lovely litchi flavor, no creepy eye-fruit texture!

Litchi Sorbet

20 oz. can litchis in syrup

1/2 c. simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, boiled to dissolve and cooled)

2 T. lemon juice

2 T water

1 T vodka or litchi liqueur

Drain litchis and reserve syrup. Puree fruit in a blender or food processor and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Whisk together litchi puree, reserved syrup, and remaining ingredients. Chill and freeze in an ice cream maker. Transfer to a freezer safe container with a lid and freeze until ready to serve.

Note: Try a splash of litchi puree in a glass of dry sparkling wine for a twist on a Bellini. Yum!

We now return to our regularly schduled programming

Happy New Year 2010! I am back after a bit of a crazy stretch of holiday work. Thank you for not giving up on me and coming back to read! I have a lot of projects I would like to blog in the coming months and I promise not to stay away so long again. For today, I have a very old favorite to share. This recipe is about as far from elegant as you can get, in no way made from scratch, and embarrassingly easy- but I have yet to meet a person who is not crazy about them. They are good on any occasion. College-era exploits have proven them excellent when enjoying a very late night or when recovering from one the following day. They are convenience cooking at it's most basic level, yet I am constantly asked for the recipe. These chocolate and peanut butter calorie bombs have become an unlikely tradition among my friends, who dubbed them with their present name. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... the Yummy Bars.

Yummy Bars

1 9x13 pan brownies (I use a mix for this. You should too.)

1 bag mini marshmallows

2 T. butter

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate

1 c. peanut butter

2 c. rice krispies cereal

Bake brownies as directed. When brownies have finished baking, cover the top with a generous layer of marshmallows. Return to oven 3 minutes or until marshmallows have begun to melt. Remove from oven and allow to cool. When brownies are cool, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate and peanut butter and melt, stirring, until mixture is homogeneous. Stir in rice krispies. Spread the chocolate mixture over marshmallow layer. Set yummy bars in refrigerator. Cut into squares to serve.