Chocolate Chip and Black Salt Cookies
Is there anything better than a freshly baked cookie? Yes, the only thing better is a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie with a sprinkling Black Lava Salt. It is the the perfect balance of sweet, salty, chocolate, and perfection!
Inspiration for this dish came from a cooking workshop I put together to teach people how to put together the perfect picnic. This was one of three recipes I demonstrated and one of six recipes that I provided to attendees of my class. These cookies are perfect make ahead treats for a picnic, a get together, or just to have around your house for an afternoon treat. Why did I choose Black Lava Salt as the topping? It is has a distinctive earthy yet mildly smoky flavor that goes perfect with chocolate. If you do not have access to Black Lava Salt you can use Kosher Salt.
Chocolate Chip and Black Lava Salt Cookies
Prep: 10 Min | Cook: 10 Minutes | Servings: 15 cookies
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, unsalted and melted
1 1/4 cup Sugar
1.5 Tbs Molasses
1 Egg
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Tbs Milk Powder
1 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 tsp Black Lava Salt ( I used Pasolivo Black Lava Salt )
1 1/4 cup flour
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, with a paddle attachment, or by hand with a wooden spoon, mix together sugar and melted butter. Stir vigorously for about 1 minute.
In a separate bowl mix together egg and vanilla. Add to sugar mixture and stir until mix is combined with a glossy sheen (about one min).
In a separate bowl whisk together flour, milk powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda. Stir into sugar mix until just combined. Do not over mix, Stir in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Using an ice cream scoop or hands, form dough into balls roughly the size of a golf ball. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper (place about 2 to 3 inches apart).
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a rack.
Golden Beet and Meyer Lemon Compote
Golden Beets and Meyer Lemons make for the perfect flavor match in this super tart and delicious vegetable and citrus compote. If you do not know how to use this compote, I suggest using it as a topping for Sourdough French Toast, as the base for vinaigrette, or tossed on a Goat Cheese and Arugula salad. The possibilities are endless!
Inspiration for this dish came to me while I was preparing food at the bed and breakfast where I create and serve brunch. We had a guest who had gifted the property with beautiful Meyer Lemons and while I was looking around for how to use them, a glimpse of some vibrant golden beets caught my eye. Stewed with brown sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt, the golden beets in this dish become sweet and sticky and perfect for your next breakfast sweet tooth craving. If you would like to serve them the same way they are in the picture, I served them atop a Turmeric Sourdough French Toast.
Roasted Grape Crostini
Prep: 10 Min | Cook: 25 Minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients:
1 Pound Golden Beets, peeled and diced
2 Cups Brown Sugar
2 Cups Meyer Lemon juice
1 tsp Salt
3 Tb Meyer Lemon Zest
Directions:
In a heavy pot, stainless steel recommended, add all ingredients and stir.
Over medium high heat, bring ingredients to a boil while stirring. Once at a boil, reduce to a simmer and allow to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until mixture has thickened and beets become soft. If liquid evaporates too quickly add water or additional lemon juice.
Allow to come to room temperature before chilling in fridge. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Roasted Grape Crostini
Roasted Grapes? If you have never thought about tossing grapes in the oven, I suggest you give it a try! Tossed with a little olive oil, salt, herbs, and roasted the flavors of the grape become richer, sweeter, and much more complex.
This recipe is something I created to be served as an Amuse Bouche at the bed and breakfast where I create and serve brunch. The dish mixes the complex flavors of roasted Grapes with the creaminess of Cream Cheese and a slight crunch and saltiness from the toast points and roasted Almonds. My favorite thing about this dish is that it can be totally readjusted to fit the needs of your event. Try switching up the flavors by substituting in some other delicious flavors and ingredients like Goat Cheese, Thyme, Blueberries, Orange zest, Oregano, and much much more.
Roasted Grape Crostini
Prep: 10 Min | Cook: 25 Minutes | Servings: 12
Ingredients:
5 Cups Red Grapes
1/4 Cup Olive Oil (plus additional for serving)
3 tsp Salt (divided)
1 Tb black pepper
1.5 Tb fresh rosemary, minced
2 Cups Creamed Cheese
Aged Balsamic Vinegar, to taste
1 Tb Honey
1/2 roasted Almonds, chopped
toast points or good toasted and sliced bread
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
If making you are making your own toast points you can do so by slicing bread into thin slices, drizzling with salt, pepper, olive oil and baking for 5 to 10 minutes until crispy and golden. Allow to cool before using.
In a bowl toss together the grapes, remove stems, 2 tsp of salt, olive oil, rosemary, and black pepper. Ensure grapes are well covered and then pour onto a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until grapes begin to burst and soften. Allow grapes to cool and hold in the fridge until ready to use.
While grapes are roasting, in a mixing bowl add Cream Cheese, honey, 1 tsp salt. Whip ingredients together using a mixer, hand mixer, or whisk. Mixture should be soft and airy like frosting.
Build the crostinis with a layer of cream cheese, grapes, a sprinkle of almonds and a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar and additional Olive Oil.
Lemon Zest and Ginger Pancakes
Blueberry, Ginger, Basil and Lemon; flavors that at first glance may seem like they’re intended for a savory dish but with the right composition they are perfect flavors for these light yet flavorful pancakes.
This recipe uses premade Buttermilk Krusteaz Pancake mix. I can and do make my own pancake batter for clients but at home I like to keep a box of this mix on hand. It comes out perfect every time, and on the special occasion that I wake up craving pancakes I don’t have to scramble getting all the ingredients together and then waiting half an hour for the batter to set. By that time, I don’t even want pancakes anymore! The mix is also a great go-to when you have expected or unexpected visitors and you don’t feel like going out for breakfast. This is 100% not a sponsored ad, it’s just a brand I love and always recommend.
Lemon Zest & Ginger Pancakes with Macerated Blueberries & Fresh Basil
Prep: 5 Min | Cook: 5 Minutes | Servings: (6-7 pancakes)
Ingredients:
1 cup Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix
⅔ cup water
1 Tb grated ginger
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 Tb sugar
1/2 tsp salt, divided
2 Tb fresh basil, chiffonade cut
¼ cup butter, sliced thin into 7-8 slices
Maple syrup (as much as you like, pure is the best)
Directions:
In a bowl add water, pancake mix, ginger, ¼ tsp salt, and lemon zest. Whisk until smooth, don’t over mix. Let stand for 2 minutes.
In another bowl, add blueberries, lemon juice, ¼ tsp salt, and ¾ of your basil (save the rest for garnish), and sugar. Stir to ensure everything is well coated and set aside.
Heat a nonstick or well seasoned pan over medium heat (adjust depending on the strength of your flame; you need a steady heat to get the same color on each pancake)
Add a butter slice to the pan and swirl around the pan to ensure an even coating. Using a 2 oz ladle or whatever you have on hand to ensure an even distribution of the batter, pour into the pan (I did one at a time because of the size of my pan) and cook for 1 to 1.5 minutes on each side. You’ll know it’s time to flip when the batter facing up is bubbly throughout. Adjust your heat if the pancakes are cooking too fast or too slow, and you need to adjust throughout your cooking to ensure a consistent heat.
Repeat the above until the batter is done.
Stack cooked pancakes on top of each other to ensure they remain warm.
Serve with blueberry mix, a sprinkle of fresh basil, and maple syrup to taste.
Pastelillos de Guayaba Y Queso
Guava and Cream Cheese …..a variation of this dish exists in many cultures but I’ve grown up eating them in Puerto Rico or from my local Cuban bakery shop when I was in L.A. They’re as complicated as you want to make them, but my suggestion is keep a package of puff pastry in your freezer and bust this recipe out whenever you need to take a dish to someone’s house.
If you have the time, patience, and arm strength I recommend trying this recipe with your own homemade puff pastry. If that seems like a lot, don’t worry because when it comes to this dish I’ve never gone that far down the “made from scratch” rabbit hole either. I think it is perfectly acceptable to use store bought ingredients when making this dish. If you want to get fancy with it, change up the guava for another fruit paste or for some homemade jams or chutneys you have on hand. Or, change up the cream cheese and go for a fancy queso fresco or Queso del País
Pastelillos de Guayaba Y Queso
Prep: 15 Min | Cook: 1 Hour 15 Minutes | Servings: 16
Ingredients:
1 package puff pastry (I like to use Pepperidge Farm)
1 egg
1 Tb milk
1 tsp flour or cornstarch
7 oz guava paste ( I like to use Goya)
6 oz cream cheese
2-5 Tb confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)
½ tsp salt
Directions:
Defrost the puff pastry. Don’t over defrost, you want the puff pastry to be malleable but not completely room temperature (about 20-30 minutes).
When pastry is thawed, set oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay one sheet of puff pastry on it flat. Visually or with the back of a butter knife, make a 4x4 grid on the sheet. Spread the cream cheese and guava evenly across the squares in the grid, leaving a 1 inch space around the filling. Do you spread it like peanut butter? No, you can get away with just cutting pieces of cream cheese and pieces of guava and stacking them on top of each other.
Top with the second sheet of puff pastry and cut your 4x4 grid into 16 pieces. You can use a butter knife, a pizza cutter, a bench scraper…whatever helps you get the job done.
Use a fork to crimp the edges around each of your 16 pieces. Spread the pieces apart slightly so they’re not touching each other while they bake. If your puff pastry is too warm (very soft and at room temperature) I recommend popping the entire baking sheet into the freezer for 5-15 minutes. The cold is what activates the fluffy layers while baking.
In a small bowl whisk together flour or cornstarch with milk and then whisk in the egg. The flour/cornstarch is not vital but it will help give your pastries a shine. Also don’t skip whisking the flour and milk first and THEN the egg, you don’t want lumps.
Using a pastry brush or whatever you have on hand, brush the tops of your puff pastry evenly with the egg wash.
Bake for 20 minutes or until fully browned and puffed.
Allow to cool 10 minutes before eating (unless you like eating lava) and sprinkle with powdered sugar for an extra flare.
***If you’d like to make these ahead of time, you can prep them all the way through to step 4. Pop them in the freezer on the tray for about 2 hours then individually wrap them in plastic, throw them all together into a freezer safe bag, or just keep them on the tray (if you plan on baking them the same day). When you’re ready to bake, give them the egg-wash and move forward in the directions.