As the rest of the food world in the northern hemisphere is beginning to notice the gold and amber in leaves, refreshing dampness in the air, and hope to soon realize their desires for large pots of savory delicacies or comforting treats made of apples and cinnamon, I’ve decided that a bit of lime and blackberries are in order.  After all, the southern hemisphere is just now packing away flannels and sweaters, perhaps wanting bright flavors that conjure a dreamy afternoon spent in a place perfect to accomplish not much of anything.  I wouldn’t mind that about now, sitting here with slippers and a sweater wrapped about myself, our windows snapped shut earlier than I can remember in years. October will be here in a couple of weeks, and still the warm fall days I expected to make up for a summer that never really was, have still not arrived.  The air here is damp as well, and the salt-tinged breezes blowing in from the ocean tend to be brisk, making my evening walks a good time to breathe deeply, taking it all in.  It’s good weather for taking stock, and thinking about what might be if one can put her mind to it — always a good thing.

Some would say cupcakes are always a good thing as well, but I’m not sure I agree, not completely understanding the semi-maniacal swoon inducing craze  over what amounts to a bite or two of cake.  A sometimes too precious thing that, if you’re not careful, will land frosting side down when you least want it to, spoiling the perfect swirl of creaminess that, when the first big bite is taken, often ends up in your nose.

Not exactly precious, but definitely hilarious.  A redeeming quality.

Key Lime Blackberry Swirl Cupcakes

2 c. all-purpose flour

1-1/4 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 c. butter

1-1/4 c. sugar

2 lg. eggs

2-1/2 T key lime juice

1 T lime zest

3/4 c. buttermilk

seedless blackberry jam*

For the frosting…

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1-1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 T lime zest

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a standard 12-cup muffin pan

In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until creamy, then add the eggs one at a time, beating each until well-blended.  Add the zest and mix well.  In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with the buttermilk, the final third of flour being added last.  Mix well.

Fill each paper cup with about 1/3 cup of batter.  Spoon about 1 T of blackberry jam in the center of each, and with a wooden skewer, swirl it into the batter.

Bake until tops are golden and centers set, about 20-25 minutes.  Allow to cool briefly in the pan before removing cups to cool completely on a baking rack.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting by adding all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and beating on medium speed until light and fluffy.  When cupcakes are completely cooled, frost and decorate if desired.

Notes:

• This recipe was adapted from one published in the September 2008 issue of Bon Appetit that was very popular, appearing on the cover and sporting a very green color.  I decided blackberry jam wouldn’t look especially appetizing with a day-glo green happing around it, so no green.
• Fresh blackberries were pretty pricey when I made these back in April, so I used a high quality jam instead.  We’re getting blackberries from Oregon right now and they’re fairly inexpensive.  If you want to make a quick jam to fill these cupcakes, you can use your microwave and a Beatrice Ojakangas recipe I’ve tried quite a few times and used to fill one of my Danish Braids (which are perfect for fall weather, by the way).  Take 2 cups of berries and mash them in a large bowl or pyrex measuring cup safe for microwave use.  The mixture will bubble up quite a bit when it cooks, so the large bowl is important.  Stir in 1 cup of sugar and microwave on high for 10 minutes.  Remove it, stir well, then microwave again for about 5 minutes, or until nearly all the liquid is gone, and the mixture is glossy.  Add 1-2 T fresh lemon juice and stir well. Cool to room temperature before sealing and chilling.  Use it as you would any jam.  Quick and easy!
• Yummy cupcakes.  The flavor combo is fabulous, and it’s a nice spin on an already good cupcake.
• Goodness knows everybody else has their own spin on them, so if you haven’t tried them, what are you waiting for?
• Wait.  Is that a bit of frosting you have in your nostril?

I love ricotta, but I’ve never had truly fresh ricotta, so I decided to make my own.  It requires very little time, no special equipment, and few ingredients, so I was able to prepare it one evening, then drain it over night for use the next day.  I had no idea what I might make with it once it was finished, but that’s the story of my life right now.  How bad could it be to simply nibble on fresh ricotta sprinkled with sea salt and perhaps a drizzle of fruity extra virgin olive oil?  Of course, sprinkling it over a nice salad could be fabulous as well.  Perfectly simple, right?

Simple seems never to be in my repertoire.

With less than a week until Easter and no real plans for a holiday meal in the works, I decided to look for dessert recipes that included ricotta and almost immediately found quite a few for a traditional Easter Pie, or in some cases, Pasteria.  It’s like a cheesecake, but it’s made with ricotta and grain.  Although the grain is most often wheat, some recipes use rice.  Others are made with a crust and latticed top — but some are completely without either — and leave it to me to make one in the least traditional way possible, lacking crust, wheat, and candied fruit.

This small dessert is perfect for spring, or when berries are at their best.

“Pasteria” with Balsamic Strawberries and Basil

For the fresh ricotta…

1 qt. whole milk

1 c. buttermilk

Line a large strainer with 4-5 layers of cheesecloth over the sink (or a bowl if you’re planning on saving the whey).

In a large saucepan over high heat, mix both types of milk, stirring to keep the mixture from scalding.  When steam begins to rise from the mixture, stop stirring.  You should begin to see curds rise from the mixture.  Gently use a spatula to slowly scrape the bottom of the pan to dislodge any curds which may be attached to the bottom.  Check the temperature of the mixture — at 175 degrees F, the curds will completely separate from the whey.

Remove the pan from the heat and using a slotted spoon or wire scoop, gently remove the curds to the prepared strainer and allow to drain.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

For a more moist, creamy ricotta, use immediately.  For a more firm ricotta, gather the ends of the cheesecloth and without squeezing, twist or tie them together.  Tie the bundle to the handle of a wooden spoon and suspend it over a bowl in the fridge over night.

Unwrap and enjoy.

Notes:

• I used raw milk and cultured buttermilk, but you don’t have to.  If you’re interested in the controversy surrounding raw milk, here’s a recent piece in the NYTimes that will catch you up on things.
• Because our lives are hectic at this time of year, I ended up not using the ricotta for 3 days and it was just fine:  firm, but still moist and flavorful.  To store, leave it wrapped in the cheesecloth and place it in a well-sealed container.
• Many thanks to 101 Cookbooks for the inspiration and homemade ricotta recipe from which mine was adapted.

For the “Pasteria”…

11 oz. low fat milk

1/4 c. arborio rice

1/4 tsp. cardamom

pinch of salt

1/2 vanilla bean, split

1/2 c. sugar

12 oz. fresh ricotta

1 whole egg + 1 yolk

1 tsp. tangerine zest

Heat the milk and stir in the rice, cinnamon, and salt in a small sauce pan.  Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the mixture in the pan along with the bean.  Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and all the milk is absorbed, approximately 20 minutes.  Stir in 1/4 c. of the sugar and let the mixture cool.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Using a 6″ cake pan with a removable bottom (or a springform pan), coat with olive oil lightly, and then give a dusting of flour.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir the ricotta, eggs, remaining 1/4 c. sugar, tangerine zest, and cooled rice mixture until well blended.  Pour into the prepared pan and bake until golden on top and the center is nearly set, about 50 minutes.

Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then using a sharp knife, score around the edges before releasing it from the pan to cool completely on a rack.  The cake will sink as it cools. If not using immediately, wrap well and refrigerate.

Notes:

• We liked the rice in this.  It has a completely different texture and taste than cheesecake, and is very pleasant.  It’s sweeter than I thought it would be, but not extremely sweet.
• Having tried this now, of course I want to make a more traditional version with wheat and a latticed crust.
• Honestly, I’d never have used the fresh ricotta for this if it hadn’t been in the fridge for a couple of days.  Why bake fresh ricotta?
• If it wasn’t for the balsamic strawberries (see below) this would have been on the mellow side as far as dessert goes.  But I enjoy rice pudding and bread pudding, so I’d categorize it with those.
• For additional versions of Neapolitan Easter Pie,  see Buff Chickpea, or Our Italian Table (whose recipe influenced mine), both of whom have recipes inspired by Martha Stewart’s version.
• For a more traditional version of Pasteria, see this article in the Chicago Tribune.

For the Balsamic Strawberries with Basil…

1/3 c. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. + 2 T raw sugar or turbinado

1/2 tsp. fresh orange juice

1 pt. fresh strawberries

1/3 c. fresh basil, thinly sliced

In a small sauce pan, stir the vinegar, orange juice, and 2 tsp. of sugar until sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook until it reduces to about 1/4 cup.  It should be somewhat like a syrup.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

While cooling, hull the strawberries and quarter them.  Sprinkle the remaining sugar over and toss lightly.  Set aside.

When the syrup has completely cooled, pour over the strawberries, and lightly toss.  Sprinkle in the basil just before serving.

Notes:

• There are varying recipes for balsamic strawberries as with most other recipes, but this one, adapted from an Epicurious recipe, is fabulous.  In fact, if you watch it carefully and the heat is very low, you can reduce the vinegar down to something quite decadent that still works well with the berries and basil.
• The peppery taste of basil with the sweet berries and tang of the balsamic reduction is very satisfying.  If you’re not sure about whether it’s a flavor for you, don’t mix the balsamic into the strawberries.  Just drizzle a bit over.
• To serve the dessert, plate a slice of the pie, top with berries, and spoon a bit of the syrup over.

Have you ever made tamales?  No, not tamale pie.  My mother used to make that and as much as I enjoyed her cooking, tamale pie would not have been one of my favorites.  From what I can remember, it was noticeably sweet, and comprised of hamburger, corn, and canned tomatoes.  I’m not going to blame this on my mother, because I know it was the recipe.  Tamale pie could never compare to homemade tamales.

The only source of comparison I have is that of local women who tempt office workers with their once-a-week offerings, wrapped in foil, and still piping hot.  They’re amazing and so of course it’s a challenge to not eat one before taking them home to share for dinner.  I’d say that’s a fairly good model to work from.

Often, tamales are made with dried corn husks, the masa, or corn meal and filling spread on the inside of a dried corn husk, or fresh banana leaf before steaming.  The filling can be anything imaginable, and often is depending on who traditionally makes the tamales, and what region of Mexico or the Southwest U.S. they’re from.

If you’ve been studying Mexican cooking like I have the past few years, the idea of banana leaves wrapped around a savory filling is quite tempting; it sounds so exotic! A glance out my patio window focuses in on the not so big non-fruit bearing variegated leaf banana plant I’ve been nurturing as a possible source.  No, I’d have to depend on a local market, which shouldn’t be a challenge in San Diego considering the influence of Mexican cooking, but it is.

When I first happened on to the lone 4-lb. package of huge sections of banana tree leaves recently, I grabbed it knowing I’d procrastinated long enough and could now make my own homemade tamales. I knew I didn’t need four pounds of leaves, so attempted quite unsuccessfully to separate them.  Unfortunately, the leaf strips were enormous and all folded together, so my efforts in trying to avoid waste ended up creating something worse.  The leaves began to split, making them useless for the next shopper’s tamales.

Thankfully, my first attempt at tamales was a success thanks to the help of a very good friend.  Between the two of us, influence from a few good recipes, and a make-shift steamer, a few split banana leaves caused very few problems.

Tamales with Pibil-Style Pork and Guajillo Sauce

For the guajillo sauce…

6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
16-20 dried guajillo chilies (1 4-oz. pkg.)
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
1/4 tsp. freshly cracked pepper
pinch ground cumin
3-2/3 c. broth
1-1/2 T olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 T sugar

For the pork…

1 medium onion, quartered through core
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup achiote paste (see notes)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 4 1/2- to 5-pound bone-in pork shoulder roast (Boston butt)

For the tamales…

1 lb. banana leaves
1 lb. masa fine for tamales or 1-3/4 c. masa harina for tamales + 1 c. hot water (see notes)
1/2 c. (4 oz.) vegetable shortening or lard
2/3 c. cool broth
3/4 tsp. salt

cotton string

Directions

For the pork…

Place the onion and garlic (skins on) in a dry skillet over medium heat.  Cook about 15 minutes or until fragrant and with black spots appearing on the skins.  Allow to cool, then peel and put in a blender or food processor with the citrus juice, achiote paste, vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano.  Pulse to puree until smooth.

Dry the pork with paper towels and then coat exterior with citrus puree.  Place in a sealable plastic bag or wrap well with plastic.  Refrigerate for about 4 hours, or, overnight.

Cook pork in an oven or using the indirect heat grilling method at 350 degrees F or until it is extremely tender, about 3 hours.  Allow to cool, then shred, or cut into very small pieces.  Set aside.

For the guajillo sauce…

Cook the garlic as described above.

While the garlic is cooking, cut the stems from the guajillos, cut each once lengthwise to open, and remove them along with the seeds.  When the garlic is done and cooling, lay each chili in the pan.  You’ll have to press on them with a wooden spoon to toast them.  You’ll know they’re ready to be turned when you see a puff of smoke, but not a second longer.  Turn and repeat with each chili.

Place the toasted chilis in a bowl and pour enough hot water over them to cover.  Allow them to sit at least 30 minutes.  Expect to save the water for another use, if you prefer.  It can take the place of all or part of the broth in the recipe as long as it is seasoned.

When the 30 minutes has passed, using a blender or food processor, add the peeled garlic, oregano, pepper, cumin, and 2/3 c. of the broth along with the chilis and puree until smooth.  Pour into a fine meshed strainer positioned over a bowl, and using a rubber spatula, rub the puree through the strainer, scraping the bottom to collect the sauce.  Continue until only small piece of the dried guajillo skin are left.  Discard.

In the same dry skillet used to roast the garlic and chilis, pour in the puree all at once.  Stir constantly over medium-high heat about 5-7 minutes until it thickens to a paste, deepens in color, and smells pungent.

Stir in the rest of the broth and simmer, covered partially, until the consistency of cream, about 30 minutes.  If it becomes too thick, then add more broth.

To finish, taste and add to your preference, salt and sugar.

Use as part of the pork filling, and as a sauce to serve over the completed tamales.

To prepare the pork filling…

Place the shredded or cubed pork in a skillet and pour over about 1/2 cup of the guajillo sauce, making sure to coat all.  Allow to simmer on very low heat while preparing the masa and banana leaves.

Make the masa batter…

Beat the shortening or lard until it is light and fluffy, less than a minute.  Add the masa (purchased fresh, or reconstituted) in several additions, beating well between additions.  Add only enough of the cool broth (1/2-2/3 c.) while beating to create a soft batter that is slightly pourable.   To test for readiness, drop a teaspoon full in a cup of cold water.  If it floats, the batter is read to be used.  Season with salt according to your taste.

For the tamales…

Cut about 20 squares of the banana leaves — each about 8×8 inches.  To prepare them for the filling, use tongs to hold them over a gas burner until they soften and become quite shiny.  It helps to have one person doing this, and another on the receiving end, but is not necessary (just more fun).  If you don’t have gas burners, then you can steam them one at a time until they’re pliable.

Spoon about 1/4 of the masa batter onto the banana leaf, positioning it in the center of the square.  With the back of a spoon or offset spatula, spread the mixture to the right, forming a rectangle.  Stop about an inch from the edge of the banana leaf.  Spoon a bit of the chili-pork mixture on the extreme left of the masa rectangle.  Then fold the entire right side of the banana leaf toward the center, which folds the masa over the pork.  Fold in the bottom and top sides to the center, then continue to fold the remainder toward the original direction — left.  Use a piece of cotton string to tie around the package and make a bow.  Set aside and repeat until all the banana leaf squares are filled.  You’ll have left over pork.

To cook the tamales…

I used a large roaster pan with offset baking racks set inside.  I placed the roaster over two burners on my stovetop and once the tamales were placed in a single layer on the baking racks, poured water from the tea kettle into the pan, being careful to not pour it on the tamales.  With the heat on low, I covered the roaster with foil and allowed the tamales to steam about 1 to 1-1/4 hours.  You’ll have to pull back the foil occasionally to make sure there’s water in the bottom of the roaster, so make sure you have a kettle simmering to add hot water when it’s needed.

To serve, unwrap the tamales and pour on some extra sauce.  They’re delicious.  I promise.

Notes:

• I relied heavily on Rick Bayless’ book Mexican Kitchen, his website, Frontera Kitchens, and Epicurious for these tamales.   The guajillo sauce is from Bayless’ book, but is a staple so can be found in a variety of places.  Once you learn that onions and garlic are always roasted in their skins in a dry skillet and the chilis follow, there’s not much to it.  The pork recipe was found at Epicurious, and originally used when it appeared in Bon Appetit a couple of years ago.  The masa mixture and directions came from a few places — courtesy of Bayless and various packages of masa harina and masa fina.
• Pibil pork is simply slow roasted pork.  In this case, it’s made with a citrus-based marinade to which spices and achiote are added.
• I’ve researched achiote before and was surprised to find there’s not much to it.  It’s an ingredient with ancient Mayan roots that seems to be more of a coloring than anything else.  If you’re as curious as I am — inquisitive, not odd –  then you can learn more about it here and make your very own!  I haven’t made my own yet, but I’ll get there.
• For the pork:  I’ve made this on the grill, in the oven, and in a crockpot.  The superior way to cook it is on the grill after it’s marinated overnight.  No contest.  The flavor is very good using the other two methods, but the consistency is perfect coming off a grill.  If you do use the oven like I did this time, you will have a high brown on the exterior.  Just check the interior temp, looking for 170 degrees, and you’ll be fine.  You can make this ahead like I did, and wrap well to store in the fridge overnight.  It’s worth the effort because outside of preparing the marinade, there’s no effort involved.
• I used two large portions of pork shoulder for this recipe.
• Guajillos are a type of chili.  They’re spicy, but not “hot.” I find them bagged in the section of your grocery store that features Mexican spices.   I’d double this recipe because it’s that good, and you can refrigerate or freeze what’s left over for later use.  My friend considers it “gold” for the amount of processing it takes to create.  It’s delicious.
• You can find masa harina in the flour section of your grocery store.  It usually states that it’s for tamales.  Basic directions for how to make tamales will be on the package.  If you’re lucky enough to find prepared, or fresh masa, it usually comes in 2-lb. bags.  The purchased masa is the same as what you’d mix with water from the masa harina.  Create the tamale batter from this point with either to add the fat and salt.
• While we’re on the subject of fat — or in this case, lard — it’s personal preference.  Bayless lays it all out and makes complete sense with respect to lard, and I’ve tried it.  But I’m not used to the flavor and prefer the shortening.  You may be horrified by the addition of fat, but if you look at just how much masa is on the outside of each tamale, then you know that eating one or two is clearly a good thing, and not the 5 or 6 you’d like to if no one is looking.
• You can make the pork and go without adding the guajillo sauce to it, but what the heck?  It’s amazing sauce, so why not?  But I hope you can see that if you can pull this together, then you can put whatever you’d like in a tamale, just like those who have made them traditionally for centuries — in fact thousands of years.

]]> http://www.sassandveracity.com/2010/01/28/tamales-with-pibil-style-pork-and-guajillo-sauce/feed/ 24 http://www.sassandveracity.com/2010/01/10/pork-meatball-banh-mi/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pork-meatball-banh-mi http://www.sassandveracity.com/2010/01/10/pork-meatball-banh-mi/#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 05:47:44 +0000 kellypea http://sassandveracity.com/?p=1298

I think I’m the last person on the planet who has had the Vietnamese sandwich, banh mi, added to her food radar. The first time I saw anything about them was in one of my food magazines about a year ago. Anything with bright veggies gets my attention — especially if it’s salad. But a salad in a sandwich? This had to be good. Pickled carrots, cucumber with cilantro…and pork? I’d never heard of this particular kind of sandwich before. It was interesting that it was on a French baguette, too. An easy search led me to Battle of the Bahn Mi and then to White on Rice for some amazing renditions of this sandwich.

My first attempt follows.  After much procrastination, I’ve finally joined the ranks of those who love this sandwich.

Now, I need to find a local place that makes them.

I could eat them every day.

Pork Meatball Banh Mi

Recipe source:  Bon Appetit

The recipe can be found here.

Notes:

• We wanted to eat the meatballs before we made the sandwiches.  The aroma was amazing,
• You knew how lean pork was, right?  Here’s the deal:  there are a few more calories compared to ground chicken or turkey, but ultimately the calories from fat are significantly less:  half.  That’s quite the difference.  I used  California natural extra lean ground pork and doubled the quantity (2 lbs.).
• I used quite a bit of basil.  I couldn’t help myself.  I had a package that needed to be used and got carried away, so added about 1/2 cup to the mix.
• If you don’t have Sriracha, you don’t know what you’re missing but you could substitute any hot sauce you like.
• There was no daikon at my market.  Go figure.  I sliced radishes and added them to the carrots to pickle.  They were most likely a tame version of what the daikon would have been.
• I didn’t have jalapenos.  I couldn’t believe it.  I always have jalapenos.  Honestly?  If you used the Sriracha liberally, the extra heat isn’t needed.  The balls and the sauce are spicy enough.
• On the sauce:  I hate to mention this, but have to.  I couldn’t get my husband to consider eating anything with mayonnaise in it, so I made the sauce with ranch dressing.  Don’t get me started.  It was fine.  Don’t tell anyone.
• I used a store-bought baguette and cut it into three pieces to make our banh mi.  For the amount of meatballs I had, I could have fed 6-8 with small portions.  Great party food.

At this time of year in particular, when stopping by to visit the site of someone who lives in a more northern region of the country, I’m often indulged with engaging scenes and descriptions of wintery weather.  Narratives filled with tantalizing visions of powdery snow, icicles glistening in the morning light, and brightly colored birds flashing through bare trees lull me into a mood that has me wanting to cozy up with a good book and a hot cup of anything I can get my hands on.

The reverie lasts only briefly as I cast my gaze out the window to see a bright blue sky punctuated by wispy clouds, brilliant green foliage on trees and shrubs, camellias in full bloom, and sea gulls pacing about, waiting for a morning snack.  Those of us who choose to don a scarf most likely do so to make some sort of fashion statement, or to convince ourselves that it truly is December and that as much as we might be a bit chilly in the early morning, by noon, it will be a pleasant 70 degrees.

It makes good sense, then, to consider that snowmen cookies are one way to enjoy the season.  They’re a soft bite of spice that just might surprise you and are guaranteed not to melt on a sunny day.

Dorie Greenspan’s Spice Roll-Out Cookies

• These are surprisingly wonderful cookies.  I’m not a great fan of gingerbread cookies, but that’s most likely because they can be a bit too sharp in flavor and a bit too crunchy for my taste.  These cookies are neither.  Make sure you don’t over bake them, though.
• You may have noticed the dried mustard in the ingredient list.  Don’t turn your nose up.  Try it.  Although the uncooked dough is more spicy in flavor than the finished cookie, there is no mustard flavor at all.  It’s a flavor enhancer.  The combination of spices in this recipe is very nice.
• I found that setting the cut outs on the baking sheet and then in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking works extremely well.
• If you want to make ornaments of your cookies, use a regular drinking straw to press a hole in the cookie before baking.
• I made the dough for these cookies 2 days before I got around to making them.   Wrapped in plastic and pressed into a disk before chilling works well.  A quick pop in the freezer between cutting and re-rolling also works.
• I used huge cookie cutters for this recipe.  Three snowmen, three Christmas trees, and 13 stars about 3-4 inches across came out of one batch.
• I used a standard royal icing recipe (with powdered egg whites) but added enough water to create the consistency I wanted.
• Wrap the cookies well to store them as they will continue to soften.

Don’t forget to check out my fellow cookie bakers this holiday season.  Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen, Courtney of Coco Cooks, and Judy of No Fear Entertaining who are all returning this year, and Michelle of Big Black Dog, Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook, Renee of Flamingo Musings, and Tiffany of The Nesting Project who will be joining us this year.  A special nod goes to Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes who started the group last year, but cannot join in on the craziness this year.

It was only a matter of time before I gave into temptation and changed one of the cookie recipes I’ve been sampling from Bon Appetit’s Holiday Cookie assortment this year.  Actually, that’s only partially true.  The collection includes several mix and drop cookies, and I strayed early on to experiment with a recipe for the perfect oatmeal cookie that I may share, but I digress.

When I saw the festive-looking Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies, I truly wanted to try them — but without the peppermint. I decided that if a hazelnut chocolate chip cookie could be classified as a holiday cookie, then why not chocolate and caramel?  All I needed to do was find a different filling for them since peppermint and caramel aren’t flavors I’d want to sample in one bite.

There happened to be some mascarpone in the fridge, and if I used a few drops of…

Chocolate Caramel Cookies with Orange Mascarpone Cream

For the cookies…

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg

For the filling…

• 4 oz. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter at room temp
• 4 oz. mascarpone or cream cheese, softened
• 1-1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. orange extract

• One bad of hard caramel candies, crushed

Don’t forget to check out my fellow cookie bakers this holiday season.  Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen, Courtney of Coco Cooks, and Judy of No Fear Entertaining who are all returning this year, and Michelle of Big Black Dog, Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook, Renee of Flamingo Musings, and Tiffany of The Nesting Project who will be joining us this year.  A special nod goes to Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes who started the group last year, but cannot join in on the craziness this year.