Williams Winter Wonderland Cocktail

I love a good cocktail and this one is just perfect for the Holiday Season. Whether your having a party or just decorating the tree this cocktail will not disappoint!

TGFB Cookie Swap: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of my favorite blogs posted a few weeks ago about the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap! I absolutely love the idea of getting packages of delicious goodies in the mail (who doesn't?) so I of course joined in on the fun!

We each were supposed to bake 3 dozen of the same cookie and ship one dozen to 3 other bloggers that we were matched with. In return we get three dozen different cookie packages back! It's a win-win!!

I looked through a lot of cookie recipes and decided to do one I've never done before. I also look through the blogs of my matches to check out there style and taste. I settled on a Southern Living cookie recipe and added my own twists.

They really came out great and were perfect for shipping. If you have relatives in far places and you want to bake some love to send to them, this is a keeper! The oatmeal in these wasn't over powering it  was mainly there for a bit of texture and chewiness.

This oatmeal cookie also had no raisins. I not a fan of raisins in my cookies and neither was one of my matches so that worked out great. The chocolate chips instead of raisins was a great swap and was just delicious in this oatmeal cookie!

Pin it, bookmark it, but definitely bake it! They were outstanding!

Tortellini Skewers with Pesto Dipping Sauce

Here is a really delicious and fast appetizer that you can make way before your guests arrive! I found this idea online and put my own spin on it but you can throw whatever you have on hand on these skewers.

If you're using them for an appetizer before a main course I would stick to 2 skewers per person. You can also use these on a buffet table, in which case I would allow more than 2 per person. These would be great for a kid's birthday, holiday party, or pot luck.

The skewers were so good and the combination of the tortellini, tomato, and pesto made it like a fun pasta salad on a stick. The only thing I would add is a spoon to the dip. That way people can spoon the pesto over the skewers instead of double dipping.

Memorial Day Weekend Round-Up

The Other Williams and I took our spontaneity one step closer to the extreme recently and booked a last minute flight to Denver, CO for a Memorial Day weekend get-away. We visited this amazing state two years ago and have been wanting to get back ever since. So I've been keeping my eyes open for good flight rates and finally hit the jackpot. We're really looking forward to getting back to the Rockies and exploring more of the Front Range area. So while most of you are lighting up the grills on Memorial day we'll be heading back home.

However, I didn't want to leave you high and dry. Just in case you haven't lined up a meal plan for memorial day, below are some of our favorite grilling  recipes along with some sweet desserts for your Memorial Day pleasure!

Hope everyone of you has a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!

Cinco de Mayo Recipes

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo! The Williams Kitchen is hosting a small gathering of friends for a fiesta this year and I've been very busy today getting everything ready. I will share one small decoration I've done. You'll have to wait till later to see the rest.

I used the Martha Stewart pom pom tutorial for the napkin rings. Then I added some glue to the end of a bamboo skewer and pushed the pointed end through the pom pom. For displaying them I put dried black beans in mason jars. They are so cute!

For dinner tomorrow we are doing a taco bar but I wanted to pass along some of our favorite Mexican-inspired dishes we've done in the past just in case you want to throw something together!!

Chili-Lime Shrimp Cups

We love entertaining guests here at the William's home. Just cooking something wonderful and making it special is right up our alley. We love our friends dearly and we get so much pleasure from making them feel welcomed and special in our home.

We also love entertaining because The Other Williams gets to cook for someone other than me for a change! It also gives me the opportunity to light candles, bring out the good napkins and fold them in special ways, and play with the visual appeal of whatever marvelous thing The Other Williams cooks up!

However, yours truly made these little darlings all by herself! That's right, it's that easy!

Recently we had friends over and served these cute cups for an appetizer. I love a good appetizer recipe! It gives our guests a moment to come in, sit down, and hang out before we move into the dining room. They are so casual and fun.

These would be great for a Cinco de Mayo party, tailgating, or picnicking. You could use them as appetizers or as a side dish to a main course. Regardless of how you plan to use them they will be a hit! Just two bites and your guests will be hooked!

Provencal Chicken Burgers with Pizzaladiere Topping

 For New Years Eve we decided to play around with some burgers. We did mini sliders with mini homemade potato chips! All the burgers came out delicious but this one was by far our favorite.

At first, we weren't really expecting much from this little chicken burger but the herbs and topping really give it so much flavor. It's truly delicious! In fact, we've already made a full size version of this burger!

Holiday Party Series: Brown Sugar-Bacon Wrapped Weenies

The Other Williams' mom told us about this recipe and people, including my 10 yr old nephew, couldn't stay out of them. They were sweet but not too sweet and very good!

• 2 packages beef cocktail weenies
• 1 pound good bacon
• 1 pound brown sugar
• tooth picks

1. Cut bacon and wrap around the cocktail weenies. One strip of bacon should wrap three weenies. Place a toothpick through to hold the bacon on.
2. Place all the bacon-wrapped weenies into a crock-pot and layer in brown sugar.
3. Cook for 4-5 hours on high
4. Skim off fat from the top and remove weenies.
5. Optional: for a thicker sauce pour sauce into a sauce pan and reduce. Serve hot.

Holiday Party Series: Swiss and Ham Bites

We've done this recipe several times and it's always a hit! Kids, adults, picky eaters all will love this one. We always come home with an empty tray.

Pastry Ingredients:

• 1 (17 1/4-oz) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 tbsp water

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 cup (4oz) Swiss Cheese, shredded
• 1 cup deli ham (Black Forest) finely chopped
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 2 tsp dijon-style mustard
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions.

1. Heat oven 400 F. Unfold pastry sheets. Using a pastry cutter or knife, cut each sheet into 1 1/2-inch squares. Place on baking sheets.
2. In small bowl combine egg and water. Brush tops of pastry squares. Bake for 9-13 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Cool Completely.
3. In medium bowl combine all filling ingredients. With a small serrated knife, split each square horizontally. Fill with about 1 tsp of filling mixture.

Makes 72 appetizers.

Holiday Party Series: Rosemary Roasted Cashews

These was a great little snack that we spread over the coffee tables for people to munch on as they sat and chatted. The rosemary is intense but really delicious!

Ingredients
* 1 1/4 pounds cashew nuts
* 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
* 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 tablespoon melted butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the nuts on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 5-7 minutes until they are warmed through. Meanwhile, combine the rosemary, pepper, sugar, salt and butter in a large bowl. Toss the warm nuts with the rosemary mixture until the nuts are completely coated. Serve warm.

Holiday Pary Series: Crab Dip

This crab dip was a huge hit at our party. We used lumped crab in a can and delicious shredded cheese. Another make-ahead recipe that will have you joining the party instead of in the kitchen!

Prep Time: 25 Min
Ready In: 25 Min

Yield 4 cups

Ingredients

* 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
* 1/2 cup chopped celery
* 3 green onions, chopped
* 4 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
* 1/2 pound imitation crabmeat, chopped
* 5 drops hot pepper sauce

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, blend the cream cheese and sour cream. Mix in the celery, green onions, lemon juice, Cheddar cheese, imitation crab and hot pepper sauce. Serve chilled.

Holiday Party Series: Pimento Cheese & Bacon Crostini

Kicking off our Holiday Party Series with this delicious and easy to prepare Pimento Cheese & Bacon Crostini's. They were a hit at our party this weekend. Just about everything can be prepped ahead of time and it's easy to assemble before a party. Enjoy!

TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN Plus 2 hr chilling
SERVINGS: Makes 3 cups or 40 crostini

Ingredients

1. 2 1/2 cups shredded extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
2. 2 1/2 cups shredded extra-sharp orange cheddar cheese
3. One 7-ounce jar pimientos, drained and finely chopped
4. 3/4 cup mayonnaise
5. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
7. Cayenne pepper
8. 40 slices baguette, toasted
9. 4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled

Directions

1. In a mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the white and orange cheddar cheeses. Add the chopped pimentos, mayonnaise, black pepper and garlic powder; blend at low speed. Season the pimento cheese with cayenne pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 400° Spread the pimento cheese on the toasts, top with the bacon and bake until the cheese is melted and browned, about 2 minutes. Serve.


Make Ahead
The pimento cheese can be prepared through step 1 and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Skirt Steak "Saltimbocca"

We enjoyed this meal on the back porch after being rained out of our picnic the other night. I can not even begin to describe how utterly amazing this meal was! It's what I term "Company Good." Which means, it would be a great meal to serve when you have someone over. I also thought it was "Restaurant Good", meaning I'd pay top dollar for this meal in a fine restaurant. The key is to not skimp on the ingredients, get the good stuff for this meal.

While we were on vacation last month we got to watch one of our favorite shows on Food Network, Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello. I just love him and his entertaining tips are always handy to know. I also like that a lot of his recipes can be done the day before and it allows you to spend more time with your guest's and not in the kitchen. He normally does an entire meal and this Saltimbocca was the main course. The Zucchini Pappardelle with Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette, Arugula and Feta Cheese he paired with this meal will be reviewed next week and is the salad you see in the picture.

We also really enjoyed the presentation quality and portions of meat and veg on the plate. This was a very healthy meal and you can tell that just by looking at it. The skirt steak is perfect for this but we had sirloin in the freezer so The Other Williams used that and pounded it out. We only used one steak for the both of us and the portion you see is just a half of a steak. Nice, right?

We paired this with the Macchia Zinfandel "Mischievous", which is just under $20 at our local Total Wine store. It went amazingly with this meal. I can't even begin to explain how utterly fabulous this meal was. This isn't a quick-fix meal but if you're doing an at-home date night or having company, I HIGHLY recommend this one. Cook together, sip the wine, and enjoy each others company. Salute.

Serving: 4-6

Ingredients
* 2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed of fat (we used one sirloin steak for the both of us)
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 6 ounces aged provolone, sliced
* 2 bunches fresh sage
* 12 slices prosciutto
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the steak into 3 1/2 to 4-ounce pieces. Pound each steak out evenly to about 25 percent of its original thickness. Season them with pepper. On top of each steak place a slice of provolone, some sage leaves, and 2 slices prosciutto. Roll them up into a pinwheel and secure with toothpicks.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and saute the pinwheels until they are brown on both sides. Place them in the oven and roast until they are medium rare, about 7 minutes. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before carving them into bite-sized wheels.

Put the skillet back on medium-high heat. Add the remaining sage leaves and cook until they are crispy. Drain them on paper towels; use them to garnish steak.

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Beatty's Chocolate Cake

If you didn't know that we love Food Network already you will after these next few posts. We have some favorites and Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa, is one of mine. Specially I love her desserts and this one is no exception. I love and appreciate that Ina makes her desserts using quality ingredients and cooks from scratch.

I was watching her show a couple weeks ago and ran across this cake and just had to make it. It uses some amazing ingredients including a cup of hot brewed coffee in the cake batter and some espresso (or instant coffee) powder in the frosting. It sounded so much like my Espresso Brownies, that I couldn't pass it up.

It's not as wow as the espresso brownies but it certainly holds its own. Everything is extremely chocolate because the coffee really inhances the chocolate in both the cake and the frosting. The cake is very similar to a devils food cake and is super moist. The frosting is a light butter cream. I actually misread the directions and added a whole egg to the frosting instead of just the yoke so that might have a baring on the texture of my frosting. Regardless this was delicious! The Other Williams also loved it. So two big thumbs up from us!


Ingredients

Cake
* Butter, for greasing the pans
* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
* 2 cups sugar
* 3/4 cups good cocoa powder
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Chocolate Frosting:
* 6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)
* 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
* 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder


Cake Directions

Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Frosting Directions

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

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Christmas Dinner - Braised Monkfish

We had this very yummy fish for Christmas Dinner. It's sometimes referred to as the poor man's lobster and it's really very good. This recipe by Mario Batali really highlights the fish and the sauce is just fabulous!

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled, an "x" cut into the root end, and stuck with 2 whole cloves
• 15 pearl onions, peeled and an "x" cut into the root end
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 teaspoon tomato sauce
• 1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, cored, and pureed
• 1 cup white wine
• Salt and pepper
• 2 1/2 pounds skinless monkfish fillet, cut into 3 to 4-inch cubes
• 1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped to yield 2 tablespoons
  

1. In a heavy-bottomed casserole, heat 3/4 of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pearl onions, bay leaf, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
   
   
2. Cook a few more minutes, stirring constantly, then add the wine, and cook 5 minutes, continuing to stir constantly. Add the tomato sauce, pepper puree, and white wine. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.
   
   
3. Add the fish and simmer until it is opaque, about 5 minutes. Remove the onion and add the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle the parsley and divide evenly among 6 warmed bowls.

Recipe by Mario Batali

Mini Reubens

For New Years Eve, we always do an appetizer buffet. This classic little mini sammy is one we've done for the past two years and it's really yum! Enjoy!

• 1 (1 pound) loaf cocktail rye bread
• 1 cup thousand island dressing
• 1 1/2 pounds deli sliced corned beef
• 1 (16 ounce) jar sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
• 1 pound sliced Swiss cheese

1. Preheat the oven's broiler.
   
   
2. Arrange cocktail rye slices on a baking sheet. Top each one with about 2 teaspoons of thousand island salad dressing, then fold about 1/2 slice of corned beef to fit the bread, and lay over the dressing. Place a small amount of sauerkraut over the meat, then top with 1/4 slice of the Swiss cheese, or a slice about as big as the bread.
   
   
3. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Top with another slice of rye and serve warm.

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Pumpkin Soup with Blue Cheese and Bacon

We had this soup for our Solstice feast and wowza. I will never eat another pumpkin soup ever again. I don't normally go for the squash soups but the blue cheese and bacon MADE this dish. Kids will even love this one!

• 2 (15 ounce) cans pumpkin
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
  

1. Stir together the pumpkin, chicken stock, half-and-half, shallot, molasses, butter, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large stockpot over low heat; simmer 10 minutes.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook until crispy; remove to paper towels to drain, then cool and crumble.
   
   
3. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with bacon and blue cheese.

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Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing

For our Solstice dinner I've been preparing this amazing stuffing for two years now. It's really the best stuffing/dressing I've ever tasted. You MUST try it. I make a full recipe and save the leftovers for other dinners. There are just so many yummy things in this stuffing you can't go wrong. If you actually stuff a bird follow the directions below. I've never stuffed the bird, so we make it in an oven-safe dish, cook it for 45 minutes on 400, and reduce the stock to 1/2 cup.

• 1 1/2 cups cubed whole wheat bread
• 3 3/4 cups cubed white bread
• 1 pound ground turkey sausage
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 cooked turkey liver, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup turkey stock
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C). Spread the white and whole wheat bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.
   
   
2. In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavors.
   
   
3. Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries, parsley, and liver. Drizzle with turkey stock and melted butter, and mix lightly. Spoon into turkey to loosely fill.

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Holidays

We hope you had a great holiday! Now that the holidays are over and things are dying down a little I can update our food blog with some of our really awesome holiday food. We had great meals both for Solstice and Christmas Dinner. Hope you'll enjoy them as much as we did!

Espresso Brownies

I can not believe I haven't added these to the food blog yet. They are by far THE most requested bake good I make. The Other Williams asks for these instead of birthday cake. Needless to say these brownies are irresistible and you can't just have one, so be warned. The fudgey chocolate of the brownies and chocolate chips combine so well with the sweet frosting and espresso powder. It's a powerful combination. I made these one time for The Other Williams to take to work and the guys there loved them! They actually requested them this time.

Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons espresso powder
1 (19.8-ounce) box brownie mix
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Whisk 1/3 cup of water, oil, eggs, and 2 tablespoons espresso powder in a large bowl to blend. Add the brownie mix. Stir until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, dissolve the remaining 2 teaspoons of espresso powder in the remaining 2 tablespoons of water in a medium bowl. Whisk in the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar and butter and whisk until smooth. Pour the glaze over the brownies. Refrigerate until the glaze is set. Cut into bite-size pieces. Arrange the brownies on a platter and serve.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis