Chocolate Chip Cookies

Servings: 60 Ingredients All-purpose flour (2½ cups) Baking soda (1 tsp) Salt (1 tsp) Butter, softened (1 cup / 2 sticks) Granulated sugar (¾ cup) Packed brown sugar (¾ cup) Vanilla extract (1 tsp) Large eggs (2) Semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups / 12 oz) Crushed toffee (1 cup, optional) Directions Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, both sugars, and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and toffee. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes until golden brown. Cool on sheets 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks. Notes Pan cookie variation: Spread dough in greased 15×10" pan, bake at 350°F for 20-25 min. Makes 4 dozen bars. High altitude (5,200+ ft): Add ¼ cup flour, add 2 tsp water, reduce each sugar to ⅔ cup, bake 8-10 min.

Cholent

Yield: 8 servings Ingredients Large red potatoes (2-1/2 lbs) Yellow onions (2) Cubed stew beef (2-1/2 lbs) Marrow bones (2) Dried beans of choice (e.g. cannellini) (1 cup) Pearled barley (1/2 cup) Garlic (3 cloves) Black pepper (1/2 tsp) Chicken broth (1 qt) Salt (1 tbsp) Paprika (1-1/2 tsp) Turmeric (1-1/2 tsp) Cumin (1 tsp) Cayenne (1/4 tsp) Directions Place beans in a pot or saucepan and cover with water by several inches. Boil beans for 10 minutes, then continue soaking in cooking water for 1 hour. Rinse beans and barley. Peel and halve potatoes. Chop onions. Peel garlic. Layer potatoes, onions, and beef in slow cooker. Tuck marrow bones and garlic into beef. Sprinkle with beans, barley, and pepper. Whisk together chicken broth, salt, paprika, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne. Pour broth mixture into slow cooker. Add water until meat and beans are just covered. Cook on low for 14 hours. Discard marrow bones.

Chopped Liver

Yield: Ingredients Eggs (2) Canola oil (2 tbsp) Yellow onions (2) Chicken livers (1 lb) Salt (to taste) Sugar (1/4 tsp) Directions Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with water by 1 inch. Cover saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes while continuing recipe. After 15 minutes, pour out hot water and cool eggs under cold running water. Chop onions. Rinse and trim livers. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions until soft and translucent. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue sautéing until onions are golden brown. Remove onions from skillet and set aside. Sauté livers in same skillet until juice runs clear and center has no pink. Set livers aside with onions and cool completely. Peel eggs. Process eggs, onions, livers, salt, and sugar in a food processor until desired texture.

Clam Chowder

Servings: 6 Ingredients Chopped clams in clam juice (26 oz) Clam juice (16 oz) Water (1 cup) Thick-cut bacon (4 slices) Spanish onion (1) Flour (2 tbsp) Red potatoes (1-1/2 lbs) Bay leaf (1) Dried thyme (1/4 tsp) Heavy cream (1 cup) Salt Pepper Directions Cut ingredients as follows. Bacon: 1/4 inch pieces. Onion: medium chop. Potatoes: 1/2 inch dice. In a pot over medium heat, fry bacon until crispy. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add flour and stir until lightly colored. Gradually whisk in clam juice and water. Add potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme. Simmer until potatoes are tender, (10-15 minutes). Add clams with their juice, cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat, discard bay leaf, and serve.

Coffee Cake

Servings: 10 Ingredients Streusel: Walnut halves (1 cup) Ground cinnamon (1 tbsp) Brown sugar, packed (1/3 cup) Unsalted butter, chilled (1/3 cup) Flour (1/2 cup) Cake: Flour (2 cups) Baking soda (1/2 tsp) Baking powder (1-1/2 tsp) Unsalted butter, softened (1 cup) Granulated sugar (1-1/2 cups) Eggs (2) Sour cream (1 cup) Vanilla extract (1 tsp) Directions Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Set aside. Make streusel: Combine all streusel ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make cake: Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder in a small bowl and gently whisk to combine. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in a large bowl and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add half of flour mixture to butter mixture and mix. Beat in sour cream until incorporated and mix in remaining flour. Batter will be thick. Pour half of streusel mixture in the bottom of the bundt pan and spread evenly. Add 2/3 of batter on top of streusel and gently level with offset spatula or back of a spoon. Sprinkle remaining streusel evenly over batter and top with remaining 1/3 batter. Smooth top and bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool completely in pan and invert on serving tray when ready to eat. Notes Use full fat sour cream and grass-fed or European style butter for best results. Can also bake in a 9x13 pan at 325°F for 35-45 minutes. If no food processor, use pastry blender with chopped walnuts and room temperature butter.

Coffee Cake Muffins

Servings: 12 Ingredients All-purpose flour (1/2 cup + 2-1/4 cups) Dark brown sugar (1/2 cup) Room temperature butter (4 tbsp + 5 tbsp) Cinnamon (1 tsp) Baking powder (2 tsp) Baking soda (1/2 tsp) Salt (1 pinch) Vegetable oil (1/3 cup) White sugar (1 cup) Eggs (2) Sour cream (1 cup) Directions Preheat oven to 350°F and line or grease a muffin tin. Mash together 1/2 cup flour, brown sugar, 4 tbsp butter, and cinnamon until texture resembles wet sand. Set aside. Whisk together 2-1/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, mix 5 tbsp butter, oil, and white sugar until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated after each. Add sour cream and mix until just incorporated. Gently mix in flour mixture until a thick batter forms. Divide half of batter between muffin cups and top with half of brown sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining half of batter and brown sugar mixture. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean (~25 minutes). Cool in tin for 5 minutes before removing.

Cold Borscht

Servings: 6 Ingredients Beets (5) Salt Yukon Gold potato (1) Chicken broth (14.5 oz) Sour cream (16 oz) Plain yogurt (1/2 cup) Sugar (1/4 cup) Lemon juice (2 tbsp) Champagne vinegar or red wine vinegar (2 tsp) Black pepper (1/2 tbsp) English cucumbers (2 cups chopped, ~2) Scallions (1/2 cup chopped, ~1/2 bunch) Fresh dill (2 tbsp chopped) Directions Remove tops from beets. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then boil beets until tender (~45 minutes). While beets cook: 2a) Peel and dice potato. 2b) Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil, then boil potato until tender (~5 minutes). 2c) Drain potato, cool under cold water, and pat dry, then set aside. Remove beets from pot and set aside. Strain and reserve 1-1/2 cups of cooking liquid. Wait for beets and beet liquid to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together reserved cooking liquid, chicken broth, sour cream, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 tbsp salt, and pepper. Remove seeds from cucumbers and peel beets. Dice cucumbers and beets, chop scallions and dill, and stir in all and potatoes. Cover and chill. Serve cold. Notes Best served with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of fresh dill.

Corn Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins OR 36 mini-muffins (see notes) Ingredients Butter (1/2 cup) Sugar (1/4 cup) Salt (1/2 tsp) Eggs (2) Honey (1/2 cup) Whole milk (1 cup) Cornmeal (1-1/4 cups) Flour (1 cup) Baking powder (1 tbsp) Directions Place oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line or grease a muffin tin. Melt butter. Whisk together butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in eggs until combined. Whisk in honey and milk. Whisk in cornmeal, flour, and baking powder until combined. Pour into muffin tin and bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (~20 minutes). Let cool in tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Notes To make mini-muffins, increase temperature to 375°F and reduce bake time to ~12 minutes. To try: add corn kernels (1 can?).

Cremita de Maiz

Servings: 2 Ingredients Whole milk (2 cups) Butter (2 tbsp) Brown sugar (3 tbsp) Cornmeal (1/3 cup) Vanilla extract (1/2 tsp) Salt Cinnamon Directions Combine milk, butter, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and stir gently until the milk starts to bubble. Turn heat to low and slowly add cornmeal while stirring continuously. Stir until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve garnished with cinnamon to taste.

Easy Lemon Curd

Servings: 1 cup Ingredients Granulated sugar (1/3 cup) Fresh lemon juice (1/3 cup) Lemon zest, finely grated (2 teaspoons) Large eggs, room temperature (2) Butter, room temperature (4 tablespoons) Directions Combine sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and eggs in a small saucepan Add the butter and cook over low heat, stirring continuously with a whisk, until the first bubble appears on the surface and the curd is thick enough to hold marks of the whisk, about 6-8 minutes Strain the lemon curd through a fine-mesh strainer if you don’t want the lemon zest in the curd Transfer the hot lemon curd to a bowl or jar and cover the surface with plastic wrap Refrigerate until cold, then remove the plastic wrap and replace with a lid Notes The curd keeps fresh in the refrigerator for about 1 week If your lemon curd curdles, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve Use a Microplane zester to finely grate the lemon zest so you don’t have to strain the curd after cooking