Cocktail Cheddar Pepper Palmiers

Palmiers are French pastries in the shape of palm leaves. This miniaturized savory version is made with cheese and a hint of black pepper, and make an ideal accompaniment to a glass of wine.

If you have worked with puff pastry before, there's nothing to this recipe.  If you haven't, this is a good one to start.  Just remember to think of double doors when you fold the pastry...they should meet but not overlap.  That is the hardest part for most people to understand.  The rest is like baking sliced cookie rolls.


Makes 60 cocktail sized palmiers


Ingredients


1 1/4 cup finely grated sharp Cheddar; 3 1/2 ounces

1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 puff pastry sheets (from a 17.3-ounce package); thawed if frozen


Directions


Toss Cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pepper, and salt in a bowl.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese mixture onto a work surface. Unfold 1 pastry sheet and place over cheese. Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a 10-inch square, then sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese mixture all over top of pastry, pressing lightly to adhere. Fold sides of 2 ends to meet in center, then fold once more into center and press ends together. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour (or freeze 15 to 30 minutes). Repeat with remaining cheese and second sheet of pastry.

While dough chills, preheat oven to 400F with racks in upper and lower parts of oven. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Working with 1 piece at a time (keep remaining chilled until ready to use), unwrap pastry and cut, seam side up, into 1/4-inch-thick slices, arranging them 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Bake, turning palmiers over and switching position of pans halfway through, until golden and pastry is cooked through, 18 to 22 minutes total. Transfer palmiers to rack to cool. Repeat cutting and baking remaining pastry on cooled sheets.


Make ahead: Dough can be assembled up to 3 days ahead. Palmiers can be baked 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.



Photography: Flat Art Studios.com / Stylist: Abigail Donnelly
Read more: http://www.kitchendaily.com/

Spiced Pecans

Make some this weekend to serve at Christmas and New Years or give away as gifts!


Ingredients

4 tsp. salt


1/2 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. each ground white pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice (or 4 tsp. quatre épices)

4 cups pecan halves (about 12 oz.)

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup dark maple syrup (or 1/2 cup regular maple syrup



Directions

Up to two weeks ahead: Heat the oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, toss together the salt, cayenne, white pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Add the pecans and toss well. Drizzle the melted butter over the pecans and mix well. Turn out onto a rimmed baking sheet, scraping any spices and butter from the bowl and spreading the nuts into one layer. Bake until lightly toasted, stirring occasionally, about 9 min. Drizzle the maple syrup over the nuts, stir to combine, and bake about 10 min. longer, until the nuts turn glossy and slightly dark. Let the nuts cool in the pan for 30 min. and then scrape the nuts and any maple drippings into a bowl; break up any large clusters.

These can be stored in ziplock bags in the freezer.

Campari Orange Spritzer

I don't know about you, but in this heat, even the thought of alcohol makes me perspire.  I like to break the  end of the work portion of my day with a cocktail and my drink of choice is vodka on the rocks with a twist, year round.  Yet, the last couple of weeks not even a mojito seems to strike my fancy.  Alcohol, no matter how you take it, warms you up, as in warm and fuzzy feeling!  I think it's time to make a radical switch into something lighter and this spritzer is going to be my choice, at least until we get under 90 degrees!.

Although Campari is not too popular in this country, it is quite the thing in the South of Europe.  A more simple way to enjoy it is with soda and lots of ice. That's good enough for me!


Ingredients


Ice cubes

1/4 cup Campari

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 1/2 cups sparkling water (recommended: San Pelligrino)

Orange slice, halved


Directions

Place the ice cubes in a highball glass. Add the Campari, orange juice, and sparkling water. Add a slice of fresh orange and serve ice cold.

Cocktail Cheese Wafers

There is nothing more Southern than these cheese wafers.  I love to make a batch  to have with cocktails in the evening, particularly when I have weekend guests.  They keep, baked,  in a tin box for a week or two or you can just stick the uncooked dough in the freezer to slice as needed.  They are also a nice hostess present to bring to the lake or the beach.


Yield: About 60 wafers


Ingredients

1 cup flour

1 stick butter, softened

½ lb. extra sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

Pecan halves


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Mix flour and butter, then add cheese and seasonings. Form into a roll (approximately 1 inch in diameter). Wrap the roll in wax paper and chill at least several hours or overnight. Slice into thin wafers, top each with a pecan half, and bake about 8 minutes.

*I placed butter sliced into 8 pieces and grated cheese in food processor, pulsed 3 or 4 times to integrate. added flour sifted with cayenne and salt and pulsed about five more times to combine.

Hot Toddies, Roast Chicken And Brownies!

From the looks of it, winter isn't ending any time soon.  We are having friends over this weekend and I'm sure some kayaking is in the program.  It's almost worth it to brave the elements just to come home and enjoy one of these by the fire... nothing like a hot toddy after a few hours on the lake!

To simplify my life and be able to enjoy some time with my friends, I am planning on Roast Chicken With Red Potatoes and Carrots, one of my no fuzz Sunday dinners, with Brownies and Coffee Ice Cream for dessert.  How simple can that be!  The recipe is over at Lindaraxa's Garden, my main recipe blog.

Yield: serves 4

Time: 15 minutes


Ingredients


4 slices of red apple

3 cinnamon sticks

3 slices of orange

2 cloves

16 oz simple syrup (equal part sugar dissolved in water)

16 oz bourbon whiskey


Directions

Add all ingredients to a large saucepan and put over low heat. Slowly bring up to a simmer to infuse the bourbon, and keep over low heat for 5-7 minutes until the fragrance of the mixture becomes more apparent. Serve warm.