Halvah Cookies (aka tahini cookies)

These were originally checkerboard style with half chocolate and half tahini but we loved the tahini bits the best.  This recipe is just for tahini cookies.  They taste like a less sweet halvah. So good!

Halvah Cookies

Makes about 1 dozen cookies, would double nicely

Ingredients

83g powdered sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, room temp, reduce salt if using salted butter

1/3 cup well stirred tahini, room temp

1 1/2 tsp Diamond or 1 tsp Morton kosher salt

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extra

188g flour

cup raw white and/or black sesame seeds

Preparation

Step 1

Whisk powdered sugar, unsalted butter, tahini, room temperature, kosher salt, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth. Mix in flour with a rubber spatula until no pockets of dry flour remain. 

Form into a log and wrap with parchment.  

Chill for 2 hours or longer (you can freeze it). 

Optional, brush with water and cover with sesame seeds or sprinkles before cutting. Let sit at room temp for 15 minutes for easy slicing.  Slice 1/2 inch thick slices. Place on parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. They don't spread much so you can place them an inch apart.

Bake at 325 for 25 minutes until lightly browned.

Let cool before serving.  They are better cool.

Rosemary Dinner Rolls

In just 2 hours, you can have these super delicious rolls.  We've made them for serving with a cranberry brie, egg sandwiches, and for dinner.  They are always perfect!

Rosemary Rolls

makes 10-16

¾ cup (180g) milk, around 110°F

2 tablespoons sugar

1 ½ teaspoons yeast

⅓ cup (75g) butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

2 cloves garlic , minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, room temperature

3 cups (375g) flour, or possibly a little less

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary

Warm your 180g milk to about 110°F.  Add 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast. Stir.  Let sit for 5 to 10.

In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (a paddle would work ok too), add 75g butter, 1 tablespoon rosemary, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and mix till fluffy.

Add egg and mix again.

Add yeast mixture, most of 375g flour, mixing and adding more flour until you have a smooth ball of dough that starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  Mix for 2 minutes longer.

Oil a/the bowl and let it rise covered for 45 to 60 mins.

Preheat oven to 375.

Grease a cast iron skillet.

Cut the dough into 10 pieces (or try them in 16 pieces for smaller rolls). Shape into balls and place into skillet.

Brush the tops with butter, sprinkle with rosemary and salt.

Cover the skillet and let rise again for 30 minutes.

Bake for 22 minutes (more or less, depending on size) until the tops are golden.

Serve warm!

Cheesy Biscuits

These cheesy biscuits are Asa's favorite. They come together super fast with just one bowl.  It's a perfect biscuit for everyday or special occasions (like Christmas brunch).

Cheesy Biscuits

recipe from King Arthur

makes 9

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups less 2 tablespoons OR  (tare your scale, then add baking powder and salt then flour to make 227g total) All Purpose Flour

113g or more cheddar cheese, freshly grated

1 cup (227g) heavy cream or a bit less milk

Preheat your oven to 425°F with a rack in the upper third.

Mix together baking powder, salt, and flour. Add in grated cheddar. 

Add the cream/milk, and mix until dough sticks together. Using your hands or spoons, make golf ball sized biscuits and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or silpat, gently smushing them, and leaving a few inches of space in between each.

Bake the cheddar biscuits for 12-15 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and serve immediately.

Enchiladas

Mike loves this enchilada sauce. I find it a bit too spicy though.  I halved the chipotle once and it was still too spicy for me.  The sauce freezes well so make a double batch.

Enchilada sauce

mostly from Ina Garten's Modern Comfort Food cookbook

(makes enough sauce for a 6-8 enchiladas in a 9x13 pan)

2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground chipotle powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups broth, chicken or veggie
4 cups roasted tomatoes from the freezer (or use canned)
1 teaspoon dried oregano

fillings, see below
wraps

Preheat the oven to 350

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, r whisk in flour. Cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes, then whisk in spices (except for oregano). Add broth a little at a time, whisking. Bring to a boil, then simmer until thickened. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, and a teaspoon of salt. Bring this to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To assemble, spread some sauce in the bottom of a baking dish (8x8 or 9x13, depending on how many you are serving).  Put your wraps in the pan, so they are in a taco shape.  Add fillings then add sauce, then roll/fold them up.  Cover with more sauce and then cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes till your cheese is melted and sauce is a bit bubbly.

What to put in your enchilada (use wraps, white or whole wheat):

roast chicken
green peppers
black beans, our preference
roast turkey
cheese, goat cheese or cheddar (we prefer cheddar).

Pumpkin Alfredo

I had roasted buttercup squash in the fridge so this came together fast for a quick lunch.  Even Mike, who doesnt always like my squash creations, really liked it.

Pumpkin Alfredo

8–12 ounces egg noodles
2 tablespoons butter
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 sage leaves, optional but they are so good here
1 cup pumpkin puree (from a can is ok)
up to 2 1/2 cups milk, heavy cream, non-dairy milks are ok here
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt, to taste

Cook the noodles, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid in case you want to thin out your sauce.

Heat the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic; saute until soft and fragrant. Add the pumpkin and milk. Warm the sauce. Add the cheese and stir to combine.  Taste for salt levels

Toss the pasta in the sauce and thin as needed using the reserved cooking liquid. Top with additional Parm and season to taste. Serve immediately.

Swedish Apple Pie

The origins of this recipe are unclear but I always thought it was a family recipe passed down.  Either way, it's delicious.  It's more of a crisp or cobbler than a pie.  It's the quickest apple dessert and the first that we always make in the Fall.  We have also made it with peaches, yum!

Swedish Apple Pie
serves 6 maybe

Apples, maybe 4-6
cinnamon, a sprinkle
sugar, a sprinkle

1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 egg
optional: walnut pieces

Slice or dice enough apples so they are maybe an inch deep in your pie plate or 8 inch square dish. Toss with cinnamon and sugar in pie plate or square dish or something of similar size.  Melt a stick of butter, add a cup of sugar, a cup of flour, one egg, walnuts optional.  Pour/dollop over apples. Bake till slightly browned on top.   Maybe 30 minutes minimum in a 375 oven. But any temp works. It's not picky.  Let cool slightly before serving. It's just as delicious room temp as it is warm.

Grandma's Classic Stuffing

 This is a classic stuffing that we absolutely love for Thanksgiving.

Grandma's stuffing

serves a lot!

2 onions

2-3 sticks of celery

1 garlic clove

Salt

Olive oil  

1 stick butter (you might not need it all)

12 cups of dry bread cubes (we use a gallon ziplock bag full of our own sourdough, toasted in the oven)

Parley, sage, rosemary and thyme

1 beaten egg

1 cup chicken broth

Saute onion, garlic and salt in oil and butter

Add spices

Add bread cubes, stir it all up

Add the chicken broth and the beaten egg.  Add melted butter if you didnt use it all and need more moisture OR add more broth.

Stuff as much as you can in your turkey.  When your turkey is done, mix the stuffing from the turkey with what didnt fit and bake at 350 for 30 to 40 mins.  Alternatively, you dont have to stuff your turkey, just bake all the stuffing at 350 for 30-40 minutes.