We had an hors d’oeurves dinner and had a wide variety of tasty foods that I need recipes for now.  A super delcious queso, spicy jalapeño, black bean and corn dip, and some crazy good chocolate chip cookies.

I made chicken taquitos that turned out to be pretty good.  These were easy to prepare ahead of time, easy to assemble, they re-heated well and were a popular item on our buffet table.

I used a rotisserie chicken, a “Fiesta” blend of cheese and added a little more lime juice and cilantro than the original recipe.  Low fat cream cheese is fine in this recipe.  You can change up the filling any way you’d like.  There are so many options with taquitos!  I made a black bean and corn version that people liked even more than the chicken ones, so I’ll get around to typing that one up in the next couple days.  Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Courtesy of Our Best Bites

Ingredients

• 3 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 cup green salsa
• 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup grated Monterey jack cheese
• 12-15 small corn tortillas
• kosher salt
• cooking spray

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
2. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, and chili powder.  Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
3. You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.
4. Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.
5. Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.
6. Then roll it up as tight as you can.
7. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.
8. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.
9. Serve with sour cream, salsa and guacamole.

The ingredient list is short and sweet.  I haven’t personally made them but I think the directions are not too difficult, just a bit tedious.  I think there are some ways around some of the silly instructions, but I need to try this myself first to see.  The only problem Jackie has had is the bars sticking in the pan, even with a generous greasing and sugaring.  When I get around to making these, I’ll let you know if I discover a magical trick for that.

Make these, and make them tonight if possible.  I must warn you that if you are in the house by yourself with a pan of these you could make the mistake of eating the entire pan.  So either exercise some self control or make them and give most of them away.  Or you could do like I did, and just eat way too many of them.  These are delicious.  Thanks, Jackie!

Raspberry White Chocolate Almond Bars

AKA Razz-Ma-Tazz Bars from Nestle

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
• 2 cups white chocolate chips, divided
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and sugar 9-inch square baking pan.
2. Melt butter in medium, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Add 1 cup morsels; let stand. Do not stir.
3. Beat eggs in large mixer bowl until foamy. Add sugar; beat until light lemon colored, about 5 minutes. Stir in morsel-butter mixture. Add flour, salt and almond extract; mix at low speed until combined. Spread 2/3 of batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Remove from oven to wire rack.
5. Heat jam in small, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 30 seconds; stir. Spread jam over warm crust. Stir remaining morsels into remaining batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter over jam. Sprinkle with almonds.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

This dip can be made with or without the spinach.  Susan originally made this without the spinach, but I like it with.  It makes me feel like I’m being good to have the spinach in this dip.  If you use light mayo (or a mixture of plain yogurt and mayo), and low-fat mozzarella this isn’t the worst dip on the planet.  Using the spinach just adds to the flavor and adds some extra goodness.

If you decide to use spinach, you can use fresh or frozen.  I like to use fresh, but sometimes it’s not the quickest thing to do.  If you’re using frozen, thaw it completely then squeeze out as much of the moisture as possible.  To use fresh, just saute in a pan with a little olive oil and minced garlic.

You can serve it with almost anything; crackers, baguette, veggies, sourdough pieces, etc.  Just use what you like.  I like to use toasted bread for a nice contrasting crunch.  Enjoy!

Spinach (or not) Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

• 1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 cup mayo (light, regular or half mayo half yogurt)
• 10 ounces fresh spinach, wilted
• 1 cup grates Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup grated mozzarella
• cayenne pepper to taste

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.
2. Pour into a shallow baking dish (a 9-inch pie plate is perfect)
3. Bake at 350°F for 45  minutes.
4. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

I combined many different recipes to come up with this salad.  A lot that I looked at use chips or cornbread as a layer in the salad, but I am not a fan of soggy bread in anything besides stuffing at Thanksgiving.  So, I left the chips out, and served them on the side instead.  If you want to add chips, cruch up about 2 cups and use half as a layer in between the corn and lettuce layers.

Mexican Layered Salad

Ingredients

• 2 – 3 heads of romaine, chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
• 3 grated carrots
• 3 – 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 2 avocados, cut into 1/4 inch chunks and tossed with about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 6 – 8 green onions, chopped
• 1 large can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 cups shredded cheese, a combination of cheddar and monterey jack is great
• 1 1/2 cups ranch dressing
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin
• 3 – 5 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Tortilla chips for serving

Directions

1. In a small bowl combine tomatoes and scallions.
2. Combine romaine, cabbage and carrots in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, combine dressing, cumin, lime juice and cilantro.  Whisk to combine.  Set aside.
4. In a trifle dish, layer half of the beans, then half of the corn.
5. Top half of the lettuce mixture and press down.
6. Top with half of the  tomato mixture, then half of the avocado.
7. Sprinkle with half of the cheese, then drizzle with dressing.
8. Repeat layers again, pressing down as needed.
9. Top with cheese, then cover with plastic wrap and let sit for at least 1 hour.  Can prepare 1 day ahead.
10. Serve with tortilla chips.

I brought the yummy layered salad and these cookies.  I made plain sugar cookies using left over sugar cookie dough that I’d stashed in the freezer, and some chocolate sugar cookies.  Both recipes come from the Joyofbaking.com.

The chocolate dough was easy to prepare and easy to cut out.  They baked up pretty evenly and tasted good.  I did find them a bit drier than the plain sugar cookie, but still tasty.  I made sugar cookie helmets honoring both teams, and chocolate cookie footballs.

I use Wilton gel colors for my icing.  There may be something better out there, but these have always served me well.  I HATE black icing.  It’s hard to achieve, and it makes a mess on my hands and underneath my fingernails.   So I used the blue for my fleur-de-lis instead of black, which Ben gave me a hard time for, but I was just too stubborn and lazy to color more icing and give everyone a blue tongue and lips from eating the black icing.  You know what I’m talking about.

Here are some very rough instructions on how to decorate sugar cookies.  I promise to write better instructions one of these days!

Decorating Cookies

1.  Outline the cookies

• First, mix up powdered sugar and water until smooth, and stiff, but still a consistency that you can pipe through a pastry bag.  I have not measured the sugar or water before.  I will try to get those measurements on here soon!
• Use a pastry bag with a plain tip to outline the cookie close to the edges.  Be sure to make a closed outline so that you can fill the cookie without any glaze escaping.
• Let the outline dry completely before filling.

2.  Fill the cookies

• I use this recipe from Toba Garrett.  The recipe can be found here or at the bottom of this post.
• Once your glaze is prepared, use an offset spatula to drop some glaze in the center of the cookie.  Tip: Use less than you need because you can always add more.
• Holding the cookie in your hand gently push the glaze to the edges, being careful not to break the outline.  Don’t worry about making it completely smooth. The glaze is thin enough that will even out on its own.
• Let this harden for a few hours before continuing with any other details.

I will be honest, this takes practice and patience.  In the near future I will take some step-by-step photos because it isn’t easy to explain all the little nuances with words alone.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups (355 grams) all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (75 grams) unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon (4 grams)baking powder
• 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups (350 grams) granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.
2. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough.
3. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Remove one half of the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch (1 cm). (Keep turning the dough as you roll, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter.)  Cut out desired shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter and transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to chill the dough which prevents the cookies from spreading and losing their shape while baking.
6. Note: If you are not going to frost the baked cookies, you may want to sprinkle the unbaked cookies with crystal or sparkling sugar.
7. Bake cookies for about 10  – 12 minutes (depending on size) or until they are firm around the edges. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Frost with royal icing, if desired. Be sure that the frosting on the cookies dries completely before storing. (This may take several hours.) Frosted cookies will keep several days in an airtight container. Store between layers of parchment paper or wax paper.

Toba Garrett’s Sugar Cookie Glaze

Ingredients

• 1 pound (454 g) powdered sugar
• 3/8 cup (90 ml) whole milk
• 3/8 cup (4.5 oz or 126 g) light corn syrup
• Flavor Options: 1 tsp concentrated extract, I Tbsp alcohol or liqueur, or 2 to 3 drops concentrated candy oil

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the sugar and the milk first. The icing should be very soft and have a heavy-cream texture before you add the corn syrup. Add the corn syrup and mix just until combined.
2. Divide the icing into several bowls. Flavor each bowl with extracts, alcohol or candy oils. Color each bowl of icing as desired. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap to prevent drying until you’re ready to use it.

Happy New Year!  To bring in 2010 we had a tamale party on New Year’s Eve.  The holiday issue of Fine Cooking magazine had a section devoted to tamale making complete with step-by-step instructions and photos.  This is so helpful when attempting to make something for the first time that requires a certain method to achieve success.  I would have been a wreck without those pictures!  After a few completed tamales it was a breeze, and I feel like next time I will be even better at it.

In Mexico, tamales are traditionally served at Christmas or New Years, so this seemed like the perfect meal for the party.  I read through the recipe at least a dozen times in the 2 weeks before New Years to make sure I had everything I needed and wasn’t going to find myself in a position where it’s the day of the dinner and something has to sit overnight.  This has happened to me.  It is no fun.

I made the rather unwise decision to really talk the party and the tamales up to my friends.  Why did I do this?  I have never made tamales, and there would be no sweet old Mexican grandmother to assist me in my quest.  I had no good reason to tell everyone how good these tamales would be!  The nervousness began to set in as the day approached.  What if everything went wrong and we had to order pizza?  Pressure.

I was so thankful to have a few days of vacation left at home to prepare for tamale night.  I made the pork and the sauce for the tamales the day before, which made life so much easier when it came time to assemble these lovely corn husk packages of masa and tender pork.  Like little presents!  Trying to make these in one day is definitely possible.  You’d have to start pretty early and be prepared to wash a tremendous number of dishes.  The tamales would be served and you’d probably be exhausted, but one bite of these tamales and you would be so overwhelmed by the deliciousness in your mouth that you would forget all about the mess in your kitchen and the hours you spent in there!

The flavors and textures are terrific.  The masa is smooth, creamy and rich.  The pork is tender with just enough spice.  The chiles provide a nice smoky flavor to the sauce that is the perfect complement to the tamales.  Don’t be turned off the the long list of ingredients or amount of prep work.  These are so delicious.  So perfect.  So worth it.

Pork Tamales with Chile Sauce

For the pork filling
2 to 3 Tbs. lard or vegetable oil
3- to 3½-lb. boneless pork shoulder or Boston butt, cut into 3-inch chunks and trimmed
1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
6 medium cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
4 dried bay leaves, toasted
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme, marjoram, or mild oregano, or 1 Tbs. dried Mexican oregano
2 to 3 whole cloves
1 to 2 guajillo, New Mexico, ancho, chipotle, or other dried red chiles, toasted, stemmed, and seeded
1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1 tsp. whole allspice berries
For the chile sauce
2 Tbs. lard or vegetable oil
1 medium white onion, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
2 medium heads garlic, peeled (about 35 cloves)
6 ancho chiles, toasted, stemmed, seeded, soaked in very hot water for 15 minutes, and drained
3 guajillo chiles, toasted, stemmed, seeded, soaked in very hot water for 15 minutes, and drained
2 cups canned, puréed fire-roasted or regular tomatoes
2 cups (approximately) reserved pork cooking broth or lower-salt chicken broth
1 Tbs. tamale-grind masa harina
1 Tbs. brown sugar or honey; more as needed
1 tsp. cumin seed, toasted and ground
1/2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano, toasted (optional)
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
Kosher salt
One 2- to 3-inch cinnamon stick
For the masa
3-1/2 cups tamale-grind masa harina
12 oz. (1-1/2 cups) lard, unsalted butter, vegetable shortening, or a combination, softened
Kosher salt
2 to 2-1/2 cups reserved pork cooking broth
40 dried corn husks

Heat the lard or oil in a heavy-duty 8-quart pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the pork until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer each batch to a bowl after browning.

Return all of the pork to the pot and add the remaining pork filling ingredients and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the meat is fall-apart tender, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Remove the meat from the pot, cool briefly, and shred it using 2 forks. Strain the broth, discarding the solids, and let cool briefly. Skim off the excess fat and reserve the broth. (The recipe may be made to this point up to 2 days ahead; refrigerate the meat and broth separately.)

Make the chile sauce

Heat 1-1/2 Tbs. of the lard or oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion and garlic to a blender.

Add the soaked chiles, tomatoes, and a little of the broth to the blender and purée until smooth.

Heat the remaining 1/2 Tbs. lard or oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat, add the masa harina, and cook for about 1 minute. Add the chile-tomato mixture and cook, stirring regularly, until it has darkened in color, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar or honey, cumin, oregano (if using), allspice, cloves, 2-1/2 tsp. salt, and enough pork broth to thin the purée to a sauce consistency. Add the cinnamon stick, lower the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the color deepens slightly, the consistency is smooth, and a light sheen develops on the surface of the sauce, an additional 15 to 20 minutes, adding more broth as needed. Season to taste with salt and sugar. (The sauce may be made up to 2 days ahead; keep refrigerated.)

Make the masa

In a large bowl, mix the masa harina with 2-1/4 cups hot (140°F to 160°F) water. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), whip the lard, butter, or shortening on medium-high speed until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 tsp. salt and continue beating while adding the masa in golf-ball-size pieces, waiting a few seconds between each addition. When about half of the masa is mixed in, start alternating the masa with the pork broth until all of the masa is used, along with about 2 cups of the broth. Add 1/4 cup of the chile sauce and whip until light and fluffy, adding more broth if the mixture seems too dry.

To test if the masa is ready, take a small piece (about 1/2 tsp.) and drop it in a cup of cold water. It should easily float. If not, simply whip the masa for a few more minutes and test again. Often, adding a bit more of the pork broth or cool water during this second mixing will help; don’t add too much liquid, however, or you’ll end up with overly soft masa and shapeless tamales.

Assemble the tamales

Soak the corn husks in very hot water for 30 to 45 minutes, or overnight in cool water with a plate or bowl set on top of the husks to keep them submerged. You’ll have enough husks to make the tamales, plus extra to line the steamer and make up for any broken husks.

In a medium bowl, mix 2 cups of the chile sauce with the shredded meat and season to taste with salt.

Wipe a soaked husk dry and put it smooth side up on a work surface. If necessary, trim the bottom with scissors so the husk can lie mostly flat. Put about 1/3 cup masa in the center of the widest portion of the husk. With a spoon or spatula, spread it evenly over one-half to two-thirds of the husk leaving a 1/2-inch border at each edge.

Put 2 to 3 Tbs. of the pork filling in the center of the masa about ½ inch from the wide end.

Fold the corn husk in half lengthwise so the edges meet. Fold the seam back so it’s in the center of the tamale. Fold the tail of the wrapper to cover the seam (at least half the length of the tamale). Flip seam side down onto a tray or rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

The tamales can be steamed as they are, or tied to make them more secure or to dress them up. To make ties, rip long, thin strips off one or two corn husks. Then place a strip of corn husk under the tamale, wrap it around the middle (making sure that you have some of the tail underneath) and tie securely.

Steam the tamales

Fill a deep 8-quart pot with a pasta insert with enough water to reach just below the insert. Without the insert in place, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Have ready a kettle or pot of almost boiling water to add if the water gets low. Arrange the tamales upright (open end up) in the insert, leaving room for the steam to circulate. Fit the insert into the pot over the boiling water. Use the extra husks to cover the tamales (this helps concentrate the heat). Cover the pot with a lid. Steam for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the water just boiling. Check the water level frequently and add more as needed to keep the pot from going dry.

To test for doneness, quickly remove a tamale and replace the lid on the pot to continue the cooking. Put the tamale on the counter for a few minutes and then carefully unwrap it. If ready, the masa should be set and will pull away from the wrapper easily.

Let the tamales rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving to allow the masa to firm up. For softer tamales, let them rest in the pot with the heat off and the lid and extra leaves removed. For firmer tamales, let them rest out of the pot, covered with a cloth.

Serve the tamales in their wrappers with extra sauce passed on the side, and have diners unwrap them just before eating. Once unwrapped, they cool quickly.

I had a fun time decorating and getting everything ready for the party.  I think I could be very happy as a party planner.  Aside from the tiny breakdown I had on the living room floor when I had yet to take a shower, still had more things to prep and set up, and it was only an hour till the party started, I did an OK job!  Well, if you want the real story, ask Ben.  Or just let me know and I will fill you in on all the nitty gritty details that made my day so horrifically hilarious.

Along with the cookies, we had veggies and a creamy dill dip, crackers and cheese.  To drink I made apple cider and got a Starbucks traveler coffee box, which I highly recommend when you have other things to do for a party, and making coffee isn’t something you want to spend time doing.  Ben bought some very nice carafes to store the coffee, and I am so glad.  I think they will come in handy in my future as a hostess.

I read quite a few online articles, and a few in magazines about hosting the “perfect” cookie exchange.  I had no idea that there were so many ways to swap cookies!  Here is what I did, and it seemed to work.

1. Who? What? When? Decide who you want to invite and when to have your party.  I invited 10 people and had the party on Saturday afternoon at 3pm.
2. Invites Order or make invitations.  I got mine at tinyprints.com
3. Give Guests the Details Include instructions for the exchange with the invitation.  You have some options when it comes to how many cookies you will have guests make.  Some exchanges have guests make a dozen cookies for each person and a dozen to share.  This seemed a bit much to me, so I told everyone to make 4 dozen; 1 dozen to share and 3 dozen to exchange.  This was a good amount for our group of 7.  It really depends on how many people you invite, how many cookies you want people to go home with, and how much you want to bake.  It’s up to you.
4. RSVP Make sure to get an RSVP from your guests so you know how much food, packaging, etc. you will need.  I asked people to tell me the kind of cookies they would be making so that we didn’t end up with any duplicates.
5. Decorate I didn’t do much more than what I already had up for Christmas; our tree, my marshmallow wreath and my other blue and silver decorations.  Again, it’s a personal preference, but make it at least a bit festive.
6. Food and Drink A Christmas party calls for apple cider.  I made mine in the crock pot, and it made my house smell wonderful.  I also served coffee.  Since it was a late afternoon party there was no need for tons of food, but it is good to have some salty to offset the sweet.  The fresh veggies, dip, cheese and crackers were had were good choices for the party.
7. Cookie Table Have enough trays and serving pieces for people to display their cookies.  I also had people make labels for their cookies so we would know who brought what.
8. Wrapping Table Have a place where people can put their exchange cookies.  This is also where I had boxes, bags and parchment for people to package their cookies to bring home.

We had Tea Cakes, Candy Cane Cookies, Snickers Cookies, Peppernuts, Snicker-doodles, Gingersnaps, Gingerbread People, Coconut Crunch Bars and Buffalo Chip Cookies.

I made gingersnaps as my exchange cookie.  This is a cookie I will always associate with Christmas and my mother.  We had (and still have) these every year.  Mine did not turn out quite like my mom’s, and they probably never will.  These cookies are softer than some gingersnaps, have a great crunchy exterior and have great spice flavor.  They also freeze really well.  So you can make the full batch of 6 dozen, eat some now, freeze the rest and take them out as you need to over the holidays.

Gingersnaps

• 1 ½  c. shortening
• ½  c. light molasses
• 2 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 c. flour
• 4 tsp. soda
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ginger

1. Beat shortening, sugar and molasses until fluffy.
2. Add in eggs, one at a time then add in vanilla.
3. Stir in all dry ingredients.
4. Roll dough into balls, roll in sugar, and place on baking sheet.
5. Bake at 350°  for 10 minutes.

This recipe is more complicated and time consuming than Susan’s, so when I need a quick dinner party appetizer I will definitely be making hers.  This recipe makes A TON of dip, has a fresher flavor than the mayo based artichoke dips a lot of people make, and re-heats really well.  This would make a great addition to a Christmas party buffet, and if you have more than one to attend you could divide the dip between 2 dishes, bring one to one party, keep the other in the fridge and use it later!  I do not think they would freeze well, but you could give it a try.  Let me know how that goes.

I loved the big, yummy chunks of artichoke in this dip and the use of fresh instead of frozen spinach makes for a better flavor.  The vegetables in the dip make me feel as if I am eating something somewhat healthy.  However, this dip is really not too terrible for you, or so it seems by the ingredient list.  Milk, I used 2 %, and just 1 cup of cheese total…but then there’s the vegetable oil.  Oh well.  It’s yummy.  I served this dip with tortilla chips, but it would be good with pita chips or some whole wheat crackers.

Artichoke and Spinach Dip (courtesy of Emeril)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack (about 2 ounces)
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 (10-ounce) bag fresh spinach, stemmed, rinsed and chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 (15-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and julienned

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Combine 1/4 cup of the vegetable oil and flour in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly 5 to 6 minutes for a blond roux. Whisk in the milk and bring the liquid up to a boil. Season the liquid with salt and cayenne. Simmer the liquid for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the liquid is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the cheeses. Set the sauce aside.
3. In a saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in handfuls of spinach at a time, until all the spinach is incorporated. Add the garlic and artichoke and saute for 2 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and cayenne. Remove the vegetables from the heat and turn into a mixing bowl. Fold the cheese sauce into the vegetables. Turn the mixture into a baking pan. Bake the dip for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
4. Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips or crackers.

Ben spent most of his law school days with three great guys at Baylor, and as a result I became great friends with them, their significant others, and their kids.  After graduation we moved to Amarillo along with one of the other couples, Tim and Jackie.  Jason and Carrie and their adorable girls moved to Decatur and Christian moved to Houston.  Being scattered throughout the great state of Texas makes getting together a tough endeavor.  It’s also hard to find a time that works with everyone’s schedule.  So, this weekend was a special one because everyone was able to meet up in the bustling metropolis of Decatur.  Christian brought his fiancé, so we were able to meet her, and we definitely approve.

One of the great things about this group is our numerous shared interests.  For Carrie H and I one of those is food!  We had many incredible dinner parties in Waco, and when we get together now we usually plan a menu for one of our meals.  This weekend, Carrie also planned great breakfasts and lunches.  She is incredible.

The main event was a Mad Men and 60’s inspired meal of hors d’oeuvres and cocktails.  In our research of this era we discovered that a lot of the dishes were made using convenience foods like cocktail weenies, canned foods, pre-prepared foods, etc.  I am not ashamed to say that I am a food snob.  I won’t say that Carrie H is a food snob…but I won’t say that she’s not a food snob… anyway, we were not about to cook a meal using a bunch of canned food.  We did want to use some of the traditional menu items, but to add some updated recipes to create more of an interesting and tastier meal.  Here is the final menu decision.

Spinach dip with crudités

Fruit kabobs

Caramelized Shallot and Gruyere Fondue (recipe below)

Brie stuffed mushrooms

Smoked paprika bacon wrapped dates stuffed with manchego

Swedish meatballs

This was such great fun.  I’m usually not pushing for a themed party complete with a wardrobe to match, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to wear this dress and share my Bump-Its so that all the ladies could have nice puffy hair-dos.

We made the guys get a little fancy and wear skinny ties.  They were good sports.

Here is the fondue recipe.  I’ve made this before and it is delicious.  I think it tasted more delicious served from my awesome avocado green vintage fondue pot…a gift from Carrie H.

Gruyere Fondue with Caramelized Shallots (Bon Appetit, March 2000)

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/4 cups thinly sliced shallots (about 6 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (or more) dry white wine
• 14 ounces grated Gruy(re cheese (about 3 1/2 cups packed)
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• Generous pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 sourdough baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes

1. Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add thinly sliced shallots and sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low; sprinkle shallots with sugar, salt and pepper. Sauté until shallots are caramelized, about 15 minutes. Transfer shallots to small bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups wine to skillet; boil 1 minute.
2. Pour wine into heavy medium saucepan; set over medium-low heat. Toss cheese with flour in medium bowl to coat. Add half of caramelized shallots to wine; add cheese mixture by handfuls, stirring until cheese melts and is smooth before adding more. Thin with more wine if mixture is too thick. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
3. Transfer cheese mixture to fondue pot. Set pot over candle or canned heat burner. Top fondue with remaining caramelized shallots. Serve with bread cubes.

This Halloween treat can be made in a day, but I spread the preparation out over 3 days.

Day 1: Bake chocolate sugar cookies.

Day 2: Brush ice cream cones with chocolate and let set.

Day 3: Assemble & decorate hats.

My original plan was to make royal icing to decorate the hats, but as the deadline approached and a stack of about 100 papers needed grading, I broke down and bought tubes of Wilton icing in orange, black, green and purple.  As I completed the last hat I was very thankful that I’d made this adjustment.  Sometimes you just have to take shortcuts.

The Wilton icing tubes are pretty great.  You simply attach Wilton decorating tips and get creative.  It’s easy to switch out tips and the colors are nice and vibrant.  It’s often hard to achieve really vibrant color when you color your own icing, so this saves time and the stress of making the perfect color you’re looking for.

Witch Hat Cookies

• 24 chocolate sugar cookies
• 24 sugar ice cream cones
• 1 package chocolate candy coating
• 2 large bags M&M’s
• Various icings, sprinkles, decorations, etc.

1. Melt chocolate coating according to package instructions.
2. Use a pastry brush to coat all the cones with chocolate.  I found it easiest to place a few fingers in the cone to hold it while I brushed on the chocolate.  Stand up on parchment paper and let set.
3. Fill the ice cream cone with your choice of candies.  Candy corn, M&M’s, Skittles, whatever.
4. Use some of the frosting to pipe around the base of the ice cream cone.  Top with the cookie and flip over to set.
5. Decorate as desired.

These are a fun treat and would make a fun party favor.  Happy Halloween!