Almond Bars

 Ok, so before we talk about this week's recipe, let me give you a little bit of a back story.
For years and years, I've had a tradition with my niece, Terri, on the night before Thanksgiving. At first, it started out as "Uncle Joey, will you please help me make stuffing for my in-laws?" It has now turned into "how about you make the stuffing, and I'll have a glass of wine?" Either way, we always get together, and it's always a fun night.
 So, last year, we were discussing our cooking agenda for the night, and at the last minute, Terri decided that she wanted to make a dessert. I said, "ok, what ingredients do you have?" She mentioned a few things and it became very apparent that we'd be baking an apple pie. Perfect. As I was tossing the sliced apples with cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar, she said "let's throw in a little almond extract!" Now, that's not usually one of my go-to add-ins for an apple pie, but she declared how much she loves anything with almond extract in it, and I figured, "hey, it's your pie, you can throw in anything you want!" So I added a few drops. It was delicious! Honestly, we couldn't stop stealing the apples out of the bowl while I was rolling out the crusts. And then I thought, "wait, how did I never know that you like almond this much?" I would search for an almondy something for you!"
 And now you're up to date with my inspiration for finding this recipe. To be quite honest, I found several almondy type recipes, and this is just the first (from a site called Genius Kitchen). Something tells me I'm gonna be making ALL of them for Terri until we find the favorite one. I guess I have several months of testing before we have our next Thanksgiving Eve cooking event. In the meantime, these almond squares are the perfect little sweet treat to bring to a brunch or a BBQ or a potluck. They're so tasty and they're super simple too!! And yes, of course, I'll be sure to let you know if we ever settle on a favorite!



4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup (two sticks) butter, melted
2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar



Beat together the eggs and sugar until lemon-colored. Add the butter, flour, and almond extract; mix well. Spread the batter in an even layer on a buttered 13x9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter with sliced almonds. Bake at 325° for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove pan from the oven and dust the top with a light sprinkling of confectioner's sugar. Cool completely before cutting into squares.


Tips:
Just as with any type of nuts, you definitely want to toast them before you use them.
Simply place them on a dry tray. Put the tray into the oven and let the almonds toast for a minute or two. As soon as you can smell them, take them out! (if you leave them in any longer, they will quickly burn!)

Granola Bars

This is a quick and easy snack that is as satisfying as it is delicious. I was looking for a healthy something for my friend, Matt, and I happened upon this granola recipe from Alton Brown. To be quite honest, I'm not a health expert, but these bars certainly seem like they're packed with all kinds of "good for you". Nuts, seeds, dried fruit, grains, and just enough sweet to bring it all together. Works for me!! They're perfect for a quick breakfast on the go or and easy mid-afternoon snack to hold you over until dinner. So go ahead and give 'em a try.
They're so chewy and tasty, you'll forget that they're good for you!
I'm glad you liked them, Matt!


8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups
1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup
3 ounces sliced almonds, approximately 1 cup
1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup
6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup
1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed
1 ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries


 Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved. Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.


Tips:
To make them in a 9x13 pan, simply increase all the amounts by half, and bake as directed.
To perfectly flatten them in your pan, butter the bottom of a smaller pan, and then press it down on top of the granola before baking. You'll have a perfectly smooth top.
This recipe lends itself to any number of variations. I used pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower seeds, and I use dried berries and mangoes. I also added a little bit of cinnamon. YUM!

Almond Shortbread

 Here's a quick and easy dessert that is extremely easy to make and is HUGE on flavor. I made thiese for a family event a while ago and everyone LOVED them! The recipe is actually Trisha Yearwood's Skillet Almond Shortbread, but I decided change the amounts in order to make them in a 9x13 pan and cut them into squares, instead of doing them in a skillet and slicing it like a pie. Worked perfectly! They're soft and chewy, and just the thing for a party or just to have with a cup of tea. Add these to your dessert tray for your next holiday gathering, and I bet you there won't be any left before long! And one other thing, I know I always say how great each recipe is, but seriously, this is one of the BEST recipes I've tried in quite a long time and will now be the standard against which all other shortbreads will be compared. It's just that good. DEFINITELY give it a try!

Parchment paper
nonstick cooking spray

2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/4 sticks butter, melted (1 cup plus 3 tbs)

3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

3/4 cup sliced almonds with skins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. 

Line the pan with parchment paper with enough extra to hang over the sides.

Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.

Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, stir 2 1/4 cups of the sugar into the melted butter. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift the flour and salt onto the batter. Add the almond extract and stir well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top with sliced almonds and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until slightly brown on top, about 35 minutes. Cool completely. Use the parchment paper as a sling to lift the shortbread from the pan in one piece. Cut into squares.

Tips:

I always use this parchment paper method any time I ever make any kind of bars or squares in a 9x13 pan. It makes it easier to remove from the pan, it saves your pan from damage caused by your knives, and it also allows you to make nice even perfect cuts instead of trying to hack away at it inside the pan.

Normally when I use a 9x13 pan, I would cut it into 24 squares. but I wanted them to be more like little cookies, so I decided to cut it into 32.

Cherry Clafouti

 

So, what exactly is a clafouti? Well, it's a French dish, traditionally with cherries baked in a flan-like batter. It's sort of like if a pancake and a custard had a baby. It can be served as a dessert, with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, or for breakfast or brunch with a little powdered sugar. It's really kind of elegant in its simplicity. It's not as sweet as you think it might be, but it's just sweet enough. Cool, huh?
 I must confess I was not familiar with it until I saw Chef Anne making it on Secrets of a Restaurant Chef. It looked so easy and quick, I thought "Why not?' And it turns out that it was exactly as easy and quick as it seemed. And SO tasty!! I love that she adds ground almonds to the batter (which is her own little thumbprint, as she says). It gives it the nicest little bit of texture. I think I'd even carry the almond thing a little further by adding a little almond extract. Cherries and almonds are such good friends, so why not? I think I'd like it better as a brunch item instead of a dessert item. It sort of has that same vibe as French Toast when it comes to having something sweet for breakfast. I love discovering new dishes, don't you?? Try it!!

1/2 stick butter, melted, plus more for baking dish
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for baking dish
1 pound fresh cherries, pitted and cut in 1/2 or 1 box frozen cherries
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lemon, zested
Powdered sugar
Ice cream or whipped cream, for garnish

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

 Generously butter and flour a 7 by 5-inch baking dish or 6 individual, wide, flat gratin dishes. Add the cherries, in an even layer, to the prepared baking dish. In the bowl of a food processor, add the almonds, sugar, flour and salt and pulse until they are coarsely chopped. In a large bowl, using a whisk, combine the eggs, milk, vanilla and lemon zest until they are homogeneous. Add in the melted butter and the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour over the cherries. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is golden brown. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with ice cream or whipped cream or both!

Tips:

I used an 8x8 baking dish and it turned out perfectly. Just sayin.

I used frozen cherries, but definitely try this with fresh cherries when they're in season. And if you do, be sure to buy a cherry pitter! It's an absolute MUST! I wouldn't make it without it!

Be sure to add the lemon zest. It gives such an amazing flavor and brightens up the whole dish!

Asian Cole Slaw

This is another fabulous recipe from our fabulous friend, Roz. As I always say, I'm not sure where she got it, but since she's the one who gave it to me, she's the one who gets the credit for it.
 This not your usual mayonnaise-based cole slaw. It's sweet and crunchy and sour and nutty, all at the same time. And it couldn't be simpler to just throw together! I love it!
Thanx Roz!


1/2 head shredded cabbage
2 green onions chopped
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds        
1/2 cup toasted almonds                
1 pkg chicken ramen noodles

Mix seasoning pkg
3 Tbls vinegar
1 Tbl sugar
1/2 cup oil
Salt & Pepper

I add extra cabbage but not extra dressing.

Tip:
To toast almonds (or any other kind of nuts), simply place them in a heavy ungreased skillet over medium heat. Stir them constantly until they become golden brown.
You can also toast them in the oven by placing them in a single layer on a baking tray and then baking them at 350F for about 10 minutes. Be very careful, though, because they can go from nothing to burnt in no time flat!

Trish's Chicken with Almonds

If you're a longtime follower of my blog, you know that my friend, Trish, is not only fabulous but is also a fabulous cook. I love discussing recipes and comparing notes with her. She cooks a lot like I do (a little of this, a little of that). She often says to me something like "well, I used so and so's recipe, but I always make it THIS way instead.." I LOVE that. I think that's the beauty of cooking, don't you? You find a recipe, and then you tweak it to suit your own tastes. Fabulous!
 I was at Trish's house a while back, and she made this for dinner. I immediately asked her if she'd allow me to share it with everyone, and of course she agreed. There are hardly any amounts listed, because it all depends on how you like it and how much you'd like to make. It's the same method whether you're cooking 4 or 6 or 8 chicken breasts. The spices are all added to taste. The honey and almonds are added to taste. It's like my Mom used to always say. "Do you like a lot? Add a lot." As you can see from the photo, Trish likes a lot of almonds! So tasty!
Thanx Trish!!

4 chicken breasts (or more)
1 lemon
cinnamon 
cardamom 
nutmeg 
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
6 tbs butter (or more)
6 tbs honey (or more)
sliced almonds

Heat oven to 350F.
Rub lemon on both sides of chicken. Place in a baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together about 3 tbs melted butter and 3 tbs honey until well combined. Brush on both sides of chicken in casserole dish. Sprinkle the spices on top to taste. Bake it for 20-25 minutes. Just before it's done, place about 3 tbs butter to a sauce pan along with the almonds and lightly saute. When they brown a little, add a little honey to taste. When the chicken is done, take it out of pan and place on a serving tray. Pour almond honey mixture on top. Serve with rice pilaf or couscous.

Tip from Trish:
You can use either bone-in or boneless chicken breasts. The bone-in chicken is probably tastier, but I always use the boneless breasts.
As far as I'm concerned, it's the cinnamon that makes the dish, but be careful not to add too much because it might overpower everything else.