When I was growing up, my mother and grandmother would always make cookies, cookies, cookies at Christmas time. There were the traditional favorites, Chocolate Chips, "Press Cookies," Butter cookies, cut into Santa, stars and trees and iced and decorated. I try to carry on that tradition every year and this year is no different. I have adopted my own favorites and the "Neiman-Marcus Cookie" has quickly become one of my family favorites. I make this recipe in it's full size (112 cookies) but it can my halved very nicely. There is a story about this recipe and it goes back to the days when the high end Department Stores had cafes/restaurants to accommodate their loyal patrons. This was of course before the days of the "food court" and ladies would make all day affairs out of their trips to these stores. Well Neiman-Marcus became known for this particular cookie and they were unwilling to share the recipe with the ladies for anything less than $250. As the story goes, one lady was so upset about having to pay for this recipe that she immediately sent it to the newspaper and it quickly spread around the community. Now the recipe has been spread via the internet and of course Neiman-Marcus no longer has cafe's or even makes these cookies. So try them yourself and you will see just what all the hub-bub was about!!
NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES
Ingredients
2 cups butter softened
24 oz. chocolate chips
4 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
5 cups oatmeal blended in your blender
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups chopped nuts (I use walnuts)
Measure oatmeal and blend to a fine powder in your blender. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture. Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and soda.
Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and chopped nuts.
Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
Makes 112 cookies.
Bon Appetit!!!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Mid-Week Date Night
You've heard me "preach" about how easy it is to entertain at home but today I'm going to blog about preparing a special "date night" for your significant-other right at home. What better way to say I love you than to create a romantic setting and a wonderfully tasty meal. Grab a nice bottle of wine and you are assured some delightful results!!!
When I find some time in the afternoon, I love to watch the Food Channel and one of my favorite hosts is Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. I find her food much to my liking and it is relatively simple to prepare and always delicious. She recently prepared a very simple "Mustard-Roasted Fish" and so I decided to make a special evening for my husband, just the two of us. First things first, I bought a combination of all white flowers at the market, arranged them in a simple vase and they became the center of what Sandra Lee would call "my tablescape." I had shopped for some red snapper at Whole Foods and got 2 (8-ounce) fillets, gathered up some whole grain mustard, creme fraiche and I was ready to get started.
The meal was so tasty that a simple salad and some pan sauteed green beans was all that was needed to make the dinner complete. I served it with a nice Chardonnay, my favorite, Toasted Head, and some fresh berries over chocolate yogurt for desert and the evening was a big success. Here is the fish recipe, I hope you'll try it. You can find everything you need at Whole Foods. Creme Fraiche is normally available at Whole Foods, Fresh Market and I have sometimes even found it at Publix. Enjoy and please let me know what you think.
Bon Appetit!!!
Mustard-Roasted Fish (Serves 2)
Ina Garten, 2008 Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics
Ingredients
2 (8 oz.) fish fillets such as red snapper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 oz creme fraiche
1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 teaspoon drained capers
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In an ovenproof baking dish, place the fish fillets skin side down in the pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.) Be sure not to overcook it. Serve hot with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.
You will not be disappointed, I promise you that.
When I find some time in the afternoon, I love to watch the Food Channel and one of my favorite hosts is Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. I find her food much to my liking and it is relatively simple to prepare and always delicious. She recently prepared a very simple "Mustard-Roasted Fish" and so I decided to make a special evening for my husband, just the two of us. First things first, I bought a combination of all white flowers at the market, arranged them in a simple vase and they became the center of what Sandra Lee would call "my tablescape." I had shopped for some red snapper at Whole Foods and got 2 (8-ounce) fillets, gathered up some whole grain mustard, creme fraiche and I was ready to get started.
The meal was so tasty that a simple salad and some pan sauteed green beans was all that was needed to make the dinner complete. I served it with a nice Chardonnay, my favorite, Toasted Head, and some fresh berries over chocolate yogurt for desert and the evening was a big success. Here is the fish recipe, I hope you'll try it. You can find everything you need at Whole Foods. Creme Fraiche is normally available at Whole Foods, Fresh Market and I have sometimes even found it at Publix. Enjoy and please let me know what you think.
Bon Appetit!!!
Mustard-Roasted Fish (Serves 2)
Ina Garten, 2008 Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics
Ingredients
2 (8 oz.) fish fillets such as red snapper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 oz creme fraiche
1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 teaspoon drained capers
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In an ovenproof baking dish, place the fish fillets skin side down in the pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.) Be sure not to overcook it. Serve hot with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.
You will not be disappointed, I promise you that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
