Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Truffles

Uncategorized | February 21, 2015 | By

So, I know I just gave you a dessert recipe. I know.

I also know that I outlined my unpopular opinion on Valentine’s Day in last week’s post, and now it would appear that I have made you heart-shaped chocolates. But I feel like that’s OK, because Valentine’s Day is over. I’m a weird kind of stubborn sometimes… Also, the only ice cube trays I own are those heart-shaped ones from Ikea. So, there’s that. But you should totally make these next time you have a date over, because they’ll probably fall for you immediately (if they haven’t already).
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And I know you may be a bit chocolate-d out from all the chocolate you may have consumed since last Saturday. But for me, there is no such thing as “chocolate-d out,” and I don’t think I’m alone. So I am honoring this month’s Recipe Redux theme, “Favorite Chocolate Matches,” with a super easy, delicious truffle recipe.

Amidst this extremely busy (and freezing) week, simple was the best way to go. I had been planning some kind of cocoa chili, but then earlier this week I made cinnamon chili instead, because I was 100% hungry and only about 60% adventurous. Such is the life of a grad student. 

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And so this morning, on the morning OF this post’s due date, I still did not have a recipe. Oops. Although, in the true nature of the challenge (which was to find a way to use leftover chocolate), I used two other leftover household staples to make these little nuggets of heaven – peanut butter and dates. So many of my favorite candies boast the peanut butter-caramel-chocolate trifecta, and dates are a perfect healthy way to simulate the texture and flavor of caramel. 

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I made these before heading off to see a student, popped them in the freezer, and they were perfectly set by the time I got home. Then, I had just enough time to pop them out of the mold and photograph them before I went out to rehearsal. If that’s not proof that these are low-maintenance, I don’t know what is. And I’m kind of high-maintenance. But these honestly taste super fancy, so nobody will have to know your secret 😉 4

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Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Truffles


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3/4 cup pitted dates, mashed
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, melted
  • 3 tbs. peanut butter of choice

Instructions

  1. Combine mashed dates with a pinch or two of sea salt. Combine and set aside.*
  2. Spoon a small amount of dark chocolate into each section of a silicone ice tray or mold. Using the back of a teaspoon, spread the chocolate to thinly coat the bottom layer of each section. This layer should still be thick enough that you can’t see any of the tray through the chocolate.
  3. Place in freezer to set bottom layer, about 5 minutes.
  4. Fill each mold about 2/3 of the way up with mashed dates.
  5. Fill the rest of each mold evenly to the top with peanut butter.
  6. Thinly spread the rest of the chocolate on top of each candy (i.e. don’t cover the whole surface of the tray/mold with chocolate).
  7. Return to freezer until set, about 1 hour.

Notes

  • *If necessary to help with mashing, microwave the dates first for about 20-30 seconds.


Mini Spinach & Artichoke Mac and Cheeses

“I received free samples of Cabot Cheese mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe challenge sponsored by Cabot Creamery and am eligible to win prizes. I was not additionally compensated for my time.”

 

They say it’s football season, but I don’t watch football. I’d rather cook game-day food for you while YOU watch football. 

I’ve been going to Superbowl parties for years, and have never been in the room where the game is on for any time period exceeding five minutes. I’d need three hands to count the number of times I’ve had football explained to me, and it’s just never going to happen. Thus, my job is to wander aimlessly between the dining room and the kitchen, sampling the waves of various bite-size things that come out of the oven. You know, for quality control. 

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Usually, the standard fare for football games or Superbowl parties are bite-sized treats: wings, mini hot dogs, mini meatballs, mini quiches, mini pizzas, etc. Another big thing is dips, and one of my all-time favorites is spinach artichoke. So, I combined all of these concepts into a super creamy mac and cheese, and then baked it in little paper baking cups I found at Michael’s. (*Note: to be more eco-friendly, bake these in a muffin tin.)

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Did I mention that it also contains two kinds of cheddar cheese? Cabot Creamery was kind enough to send the Recipe Reduxers (count ’em) SEVEN different kinds of cheese this month. You can imagine my heaven. I am a huge Cabot fan, because not only is the cheese amazing, but they’re owned by family farmers and give all of their profits back to the 1200 farms that provide the dairy for their products. Just when I thought I couldn’t love cheese any more.

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I used two cheddars for this recipe: Cabot’s Seriously Sharp and Alpine Cheddars. I’ve always loved the Seriously Sharp just for straight-up snacking. It is SO good that once, I bought the cracker cuts to try and control my portions. The opposite effect occurred, so I (begrudgingly) went back to buying the block. 😛

The Alpine, which I’d never had, was delicious and super nutty, kind of like a parmesan. It totally reminded me of the melty parm blanket that sits atop a big bowl of spinach artichoke dip (*le drool*), so I threw it in. I also included some Cabot greek yogurt in the mix, which upped the creaminess by about 200%. SO good.

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I’ll just leave all of this here. Go forth and be cheesy.

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Mini Spinach & Artichoke Mac and Cheeses


Description

Perfectly portioned servings of creamy mac and cheese for your next game day party!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 paper baking cups (available in crafts stores) -or- a muffin tin with 12 compartments
  • 1 lb. whole wheat elbow macaroni pasta
  • 5 large canned artichoke hearts, chopped
  • 1 package frozen spinach (810 oz.), thawed, squeezed thoroughly, and chopped
  • 4 oz. (1/2 block) Cabot Alpine cheddar, grated
  • 4 oz. (1/2 block) Cabot Seriously Sharp cheddar, grated
  • 1/2 cup Cabot Greek-style yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Topping

  • 1/2 cup unseasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbs. olive oil
  • 1 tbs. Cabot Alpine cheddar, grated

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
  2. Put pasta into a pot and cover with water. Add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of olive oil to the water. Bring water to boil. Shortly after coming to a boil, the pasta should be cooked. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the rest.
  3. Return the reserved pasta water to the macaroni. Add cheese and mix until melted.
  4. Add yogurt and garlic powder, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Fill each baking cup with a generous portion of macaroni.
  6. Combine topping ingredients and mix until oil is evenly distributed.
  7. Sprinkle topping evenly over the individual mac and cheeses.
  8. Bake until topping is golden, about 10 minutes.

Notes

  • Depending on the size of your baking cups, this recipe may yield up to 16 servings.
  • For an eco-friendly/less-waste approach, use a muffin or mini-muffin tin!

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 12

 


Whole Wheat Cranberry Herb Challah

Food, Recipes, Sides | November 21, 2014 | By

You GUYYYYYYS.

I did it. 

I made you the best homemade bread in the entire world.  Before you get all skeptical and tell me to stop using so many superlatives, hear me out. First of all, this is challah, so it’s automatically better than all other bread, just by virtue of BEING challah. Second, there are NO bleached or processed flours WHATSOEVER in this recipe. Still not sold? It’s soft and warm on the inside and golden brown on the outside. AND, it has herbs and cranberries in it. 

I knew you’d come around. 

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This week, I went around telling everyone I possibly could about this challah because it came out perfectly. To my surprise, I got the question, “What is a challah?” several times. So, just in case, here’s the Merriam-Webster definition:

chal·lah

 noun

1) egg-rich yeast-leavened bread that is usually braided or twisted before baking and is traditionally eaten by Jews on the Sabbath and holidays

2) the most fantastic food in the universe

Ok, so I may have put that last part in there. I know, I know, the superlatives.

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This month’s Recipe Redux challenge was to recreate a healthy version of a dish that we associate with happy memories. As a child, having gone to my synagogue’s preschool and having been raised in a Reform Jewish household, challah was one of the first foods I can remember eating regularly. Every Friday morning, my parents would buy a challah from the bagel shop and bring it home for Shabbat in the evening. We would say the “hamotzi” blessing all together (or in some cases, sing, because singing is one of the only ways you can get a 4-year-old to do anything), and then pass around the eggy end piece, each tearing off a bite. This was always my favorite part of the Shabbat blessings, because the end piece of the challah is pretty much the BEST. It also meant that afterward, we would sit down to a beautiful meal as a family. Even if it was just takeout, it was always a given that we’d be eating it together. (Crying yet, mom? :D)

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On top of all these fond memories, challah has always been my ultimate sicky-time comfort food. Any time I come down with a cold, bug, or food poisoning, even when I can’t fathom the idea of putting anything into my stomach, the one food I will always agree to eat is challah. And, I’m always fine to eat it again once I recover. Challah may not be physically capable of having any bad memories attached to it. This has been true for 22 years, and I don’t see it changing. 

As with all great comfort foods though, challah isn’t always the best for you. Most challahs you will find for sale are made with processed white flours and sugars. If you’re like me and are trying to limit your processed food intake, comfort foods like these are often very hard to give up. Like, what if I want to eat challah more often than once every few months?   

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Well, I’ve found a solution. At least for me! 😉 This recipe uses roughly 2 parts whole wheat flour and 1 part whole wheat pastry flour. Originally, I was petrified that the dough wouldn’t rise like I wanted due to the heavier consistency of the flours I put in the dough. Instead, the baked end result was just as fluffy in the middle as the challah I grew up eating. Only it was nuttier, sweeter, and filled with herbs and cranberries.

I’m still shocked, but I won’t question it. I’ll just make my own challah from now on, and hope I don’t sick of it. Eh, who am I kidding. I could never be sick of challah.

Also, by the way, this recipe would impress the pants off your Thanksgiving guests, and would be even MORE amazing if made into individual dinner rolls. AHHHH THE POSSIBILITIES! When is the next Thanksgivukkah happening again? 😀

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  *This recipe makes two loaves. I made one traditional three-strand braided loaf and one with a round braid. You can read up on how to do both here and here.  

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Whole Wheat Cranberry Herb Challah


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 packet active dry yeast (1/4 oz)
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tbs. honey
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 3 eggs (2 for dough, 1 for egg wash)
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 tbs. fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Instructions

  1. Empty yeast into a large bowl and add warm (NOT hot) water.
  2. Whisk in 1 tbs. of honey until mixture is thoroughly combined. Let sit until yeast is foamy, about 10 minutes.
  3. Whisk in 2 eggs, remaining honey, oil, and salt until combined.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine both flours.
  5. Add flour to yeast mixture gradually, kneading with your hands until fully combined and there are no spots of dry flour left.
  6. Let dough stand in an oiled bowl and in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
  7. Once dough has risen, deflate and add cranberries, thyme, and rosemary. Knead until incorporated.
  8. Divide the dough in half. Each half will be one loaf, so depending on what braiding you want, divide each half again accordingly.
  9. Braid loaves, and transfer them to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Let sit for one more hour to rise.
  10. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
  11. Brush each loaf with remaining egg, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Do not overbake!


 


Chipotle Butternut Squash Shepherd’s Pie

Food, Meat, Recipes | October 21, 2014 | By

If I were to try to come up with a list of quintessential Fall flavors, I think “spice” would be on the top of the list. Even more important than pumpkin, you say? Well… Yeah. Let’s be honest, pumpkin without spice is kinda like halloween without candy. You can try to fool yourself, but it’s just not as delicious.

Pumpkin spice is also EVERYwhere. And you have to branch out sometime, right? How timely that this month’s Recipe ReDux challenge, “Spooky Spices,” challenged us to do something new with spice. I have never made a Shepherd’s Pie either, and as far as I’m concerned, they’re not exactly the first thing you think of when you hear the word “spices.” But I don’t like going with the norm, so here we are.

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I first got the idea while sitting in the airport this weekend waiting for a delayed flight. I was watching “Cutthroat Kitchen” on Netflix (which, by the way, is the best show EVER) and the contestants had to make Shepherd’s Pie amidst a whole slew of sabotages. One guy got his potato privileges revoked and used egg whites to make a meringue topping (ew), and another guy was forced to replace all his protein with beef jerky (EW). This got me thinking, though – what would I have made? It’s fall, and there are so many beautiful varieties of squash available. And so, it was decided – butternut squash Shepherd’s Pie.

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For the filling, I used a spice that’s kind of “spooky” for me – Chipotle. I have used dried chipotle powder before (like in this empanada recipe) but I’ve never gone hardcore and used the actual pepper. So, I bought a can of chipotles. Hooooly moly. So spicy. So smoky. Sooooo delicious. I also used another “spooky” ingredient, but it wasn’t a spice – butter. I. KNOW. I don’t think ONE recipe on this blog so far has included butter. But, slowly and surely, I’m starting to appreciate “real” foods that are also for once-in-a-while use, like butter and full-fat dairy products. As long as we don’t go into full Paula Deen mode, butter and I will probably keep our relationship in a healthy place.

This dish came out so unbelievably flavorful and delicious. It’s not your typical Shepherd’s Pie… Dare I say it may be better? The chipotle makes the filling stand-over-the-skillet-and-nosh good, and the squash makes for a deliciously smooth, sweet, and fluffy topping. Can you say go-to meal until further notice? It’s THAT good.

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Chipotle Butternut Squash Shepherd’s Pie


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 3 cups peeled and chopped butternut squash (about 1 small squash)
  • 2 tbs. melted butter
  • 1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbs. olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb. lean ground turkey
  • 1 large red onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup cooked kidney beans
  • 3/4 cup sweet corn kernels
  • 1 canned chipotle pepper, minced + 3 tsp. sauce from the can
  • 2 tbs. tomato paste
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. cumin

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
  2. Bring potatoes and squash to boil in a pot of water.
  3. While boiling, heat olive oil and garlic in a deep skillet over low heat.
  4. Add ground turkey, raising heat to medium. Break up meat and stir until browned.
  5. Add onion, stirring occasionally until onions begin to soften and become translucent. Add beans and corn.
  6. Stir in minced chipotle, chipotle sauce, tomato paste, and broth. Make sure the liquid combines evenly.
  7. Once broth has mostly cooked off, add paprika and cumin, and stir to combine. Lower heat, and let sit for a few minutes.
  8. Once squash and potatoes are cooked through, drain thoroughly. Mash until smooth with a fork, and then add the butter and cheese and combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Once the mixture has somewhat cooled, add egg and combine well.
  9. Pour meat mixture into a casserole dish and distribute the squash topping evenly over the top. Be sure to lock in the meat mixture, so none of the juice will bubble up to the top (learned this the hard way)!
  10. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until topping begins to brown.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 8

 


Baked Corn Dog Bites (Plus: Bonus Recipe!)

Food, Meat, Recipes, Sides | August 21, 2014 | By

Back-to-school season. It’s a time for new backpacks, pencils, and books, and a time for that new jean jacket that you wear on the first day “because it’s Fall,” but in reality, is pretty weather-inappropriate. It’s also the return of lunch-packing season. 

I have a love/hate relationship with packing my own lunches. On one hand, I love knowing it’s healthier and that the portions are better. And, I feel way more organized when I have my own food packed away. But on the other hand, I just really stink at creativity when it comes to packing lunch. I think to myself, “What if I actually looked forward to something new in my lunch? What if it wasn’t always some variation on greens + protein + beans + grains + avocado + hotsauce? WHAT IF?! The struggle is real completely first-world.

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