The Hidden Corpse
Page 28
For the glaze:
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 lemon, zested
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest until the lemon sugar is fragrant. Set mixture aside.
Cream together the butter and lemon sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3–5 minutes.
Reduce the speed of the mixer and add in the eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated. Add in the ricotta cheese and lemon juice and mix until well combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
Scoop the dough, about two tablespoons for each cookie, onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 13–15 minutes until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from oven and leave on baking sheet just long enough for cookies to set up before moving to cooking rack.
When cookies are completely cooled, drizzle with lemon glaze.
Directions for the Lemon Glaze:
In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Whisk until smooth.
Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and then place the cookies on rack or wax paper. Glaze will harden.
CHICKEN WILD RICE CASSEROLE
posted by Hope Early
After a long, exhausting day when I needed comfort, I tied on my apron and made my tried and true Chicken Wild Rice Casserole. Simple, hearty ingredients combined into a baking dish and baked for twenty minutes definitely soothed my soul and made my tummy very happy.
Yield: about 6–8 servings
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup diced onion
½ cup diced celery
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups chicken stock
2 cups crème fraiche*
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon roasted garlic paste or homemade roasted garlic
2 cups shredded chicken breasts
3 cups cooked wild rice
2 cups chopped broccoli rabe
1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, chopped
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
½ cup sliced almonds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large skillet that is oven-safe melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onions and celery and sauté until tender, 5–7 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, continuing to stir, about 3 minutes.
Whisk together chicken stock, crème fraiche, sherry vinegar, garlic paste, and soy sauce in bowl. Slowly add mixture to the onion and celery mixture. Continue to whisk and any lumps will go away.
Let cook until the sauce simmers and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Then add in chicken, rice, broccoli rabe, rosemary, liquid smoke, red pepper flakes, and cheese.
Top casserole with sliced almonds and bake until golden brown, about 15–20 minutes.
Remove, let set for about 10 minutes, and serve.
*Cook’s Note: In a pinch, I’ve used sour cream or plain Greek yogurt in place of crème fraiche.
OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
posted by Hope Early
The best thing about this cookie is that it’s not fancy or complicated; it’s just pure homemade deliciousness. There’s no fuss in baking this cookie and it pairs well with a cup of milk or a cup of tea. Wrap a couple in parchment paper and drop into a lunch bag or fill up a plate for an impromptu get-together. Just be warned, you may want to make a second batch of this dough because I’ve yet to fill up a cookie jar with any leftovers.
Yield: about 2 dozen
Ingredients:
1½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats (do not use quick cooking oats)
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cups raisins
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
⅓ cup packed dark-brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In medium bowl, whisk oats, flour, raisins, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
With electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping bowl as needed. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Gradually add in oat mixture and beat until well combined.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden brown but still soft, 12–16 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Cool cookies on sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
MEATBALL SUB CASSEROLE
posted by Hope Early
This recipe is a meatball lover’s dream come true and then taken to a whole new level with a thick layer of garlic bread and a generous topping of mozzarella cheese. When you want a satisfying meal but are short on time this dish will be your best friend. It’s because of this dish I keep extra meatballs in my freezer.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 loaf garlic bread, cut into 1-inch thick slices (recipe follows)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 pound meatballs (if using frozen make sure they’re thawed)
1 28-oz. jar pasta sauce, or homemade equivalent
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Arrange bread slices in a single layer in an ungreased 13″ x 9″ baking pan and sprinkle with ½ cup cheese; set aside.
In a bowl, mix together meatballs and pasta sauce, and spoon over cheese and bread. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake, uncovered, for 25–30 minutes, until meatballs are cooked and cheese is bubbly and melted.
GARLIC BREAD
posted by Hope Early
Let me tell you, it doesn’t get much better than a warm slice of cheesy garlic bread straight from the oven. It’s one of life’s simple eating pleasures. And luckily for us, it’s one of the easiest things to whip up in the kitchen.
Yield: 4–6 servings depending how thick your slices are
Ingredients:
1 loaf Italian or French bread
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large garlic cloves, smashed and minced
1 heaping tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional, but why wouldn’t you?)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice bread in half, horizontally.
Combine butter, garlic, and parsley together in a small bowl. Spread garlic butter mixture over both halves of the bread.
Place bread halves on baking pan and heat in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over bread. Return to oven on the highest rack and broil on high heat for 2–3 minutes just until the edges of the bread begin to toast and the cheese bubbles. Don’t leave the oven as the bread can go from toast to burnt quickly.
Remove from oven, let cool for a minute, remove from pan, and slice.
APPLE CINNAMON MUFFINS
posted by Hope Early
Biting into a warm Apple Cinnamon Muffin is a perfect way to start your morning. These muffins pack a big punch of apple flavor with a cinnamon-sugar crunch on top. These are my go-to in apple season but there’s never a wrong time to bake a batch of these muffins.
Yield: 12 muffins
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
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br /> ½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup butter or margarine, melted
1½ cups chopped, peeled tart apples
For topping:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold butter or margarine
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or spray with nonstick coating.
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.
In medium bowl, beat the eggs, sour cream, and butter. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apples.
For the topping, in a small bowl, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Fill muffin cups to the top and sprinkle with a rounded teaspoon of cinnamon topping over each muffin.
Bake for 20–23 minutes, or until cake tester/ toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Serve warm.
To store: Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat one muffin in the microwave for 10–15 seconds, if preferred warm.