Recipe for Holiday Biscuits and Ham

I hope you're having a peaceful and pleasant holiday season!  Growing up in the south, biscuits were a table staple.  There were more biscuit recipes than beehive hairdos!  Mayonnaise biscuits, butter biscuits, rolled biscuits, drop biscuits,... and one of my favorites, cream biscuits.

These yummy little cream biscuits, spread with some jalapeno (or raspberry) jam,  nestled around a piece of ham, and sprinkled with some lemon salt are sure to be a favorite.  I served them for both brunch and as an appetizer for a dinner party this holiday.  They can be made ahead of time and served room temperature or warmed briefly in the oven.  Be sure to use the biscuit cutting technique as described so the biscuits can rise properly and pull apart beautifully when you are ready to add the ham slices.

Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 24 small biscuits

Ingredients:

• Your choice of ham (I used a Kirkland ham steak)
• Jalapeno or raspberry jam, yellow mustard for serving
• Biscuit cutter, small
• 2 2/3 cups of AP flour (plus more for your hands and the counter)
• 2 2/3 tsp baking powder
• 5/8 tsp table salt (not kosher)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 cups cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• Sprinkling salt (kosher or other large particle salt; I used lemon salt)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Line half-sheet cake pan with parchment or baking mats.
• Mix together the flour, baking powder, table salt, and sugar and then stir in the cream.
• Turn out on well floured counter and sprinkle top of dough and your hands well with flour.
• Knead until well mixed and coming together into a ball, about 1 minute.
• Reflour counter and pat dough out to 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep circle, flipping dough over frequently as you pat it out so it doesn't stick.
• Using a biscuit cutter, or a small glass with a sharp edge, press down briskly through the dough to form biscuits.  Don't twist the cutter, just straight down and then pick it up.  The biscuit will either stay put or be in the cutter-you can gently flick it out.  If you twist the cutter or use something not sharp, the biscuits will puff up like rolls instead of rising nicely. If you reshape the dough for additional cutting, try to handle it as little as possible, just push it together gently and continue cutting.  The second pass biscuits are never as "good looking" as the first pass and you may have to cut them rather than pull them apart.
• Brush the top of the biscuits with milk and sprinkle on your sprinkling salt.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until nicely browned.
• While biscuits cook, use the cookie cutter to cut out rounds of ham (you can glaze and pan fry the ham if you like).
• Cool briefly, then pull each biscuits in half and pop a piece of ham inside.
• Serve, or let cool completely and then cover and keep at room temperature for a few hours until ready to serve.  If longer than that, keep in fridge and take out far enough ahead to allow them to come to room temperature.  Can reheat in 200 degree oven for about 10 minutes if desired.
• Serve with your choice of jams (we loved it with jalapeno jam, raspberry jam) or simple yellow mustard.

At the dinner party, I served these with some champagne.  Perfect!  

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Recipe for Onion and Toasted Pine Nut Olive Oil Tart

This is based on my friend Jeri's Olive Oil Onion Tart which is made with caramelized onions, olives, an amazing olive oil crust, and is delicious.  I was serving a Greek salad so had enough olives going on.  Instead I used Jeri's basic tart recipe, omitting the olives and adding toasted pine nuts instead.  It turned out very nicely. The slowly cooked onions, the great flaky crust, and the earthy tones from the fresh thyme made this a hit.

Time: 1 1/2 hours
Yield: 1 large tart (10 meal size slices or 20 appetizer sized)


Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups AP flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup plus 3 TBSP good quality olive oil
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 4 cups thinly sliced onions 
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup cream (or half and half which is what I used)
• 1 cup toasted pine nuts
• 3 TBSP fresh thyme leaves
• Salt and pepper

Method:

• Start onions cooking over medium heat in 3 TBSP olive oil; cook for 30 minutes turning heat down if necessary; you want slowly softened onions, almost caramelized
• While onions cook, mix flour and salt in a bowl
• Make a well and add remaining olive oil and water
• Mix quickly with your hands and form a ball
• Refrigerate dough for 1/2 hour
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• When onions are ready, remove from pan and cool in a bowl
• When dough has chilled, remove from fridge and push into a 14 inch round on an ungreased baking sheet
• Crimp the edges of the dough and prick the tart with a fork
• Bake the tart (unfilled at this point) for 20 minutes until slightly browning
• Remove tart and cool while mixing topping
• Beat eggs and cream (or half and half) together with salt/pepper (generous pinch of each) and add to cooled onions
• Spread over pre-baked tart, sprinkle with thyme and toasted pine nuts
• Bake until set and crust is brown, about 20 minutes
• Remove and cool for a few minutes
• Serve with a generous salad and glass of your favorite wine

This is great when first made but I absolutely loved it the next day.  Keep in fridge and serve chilled or warmed to room temperature. Great for a make ahead appetizer-the crust holds up very well.  Thanks Jeri!


I think I'll be making this again and trying all kinds of ideas for toppings.  Any ideas yourself?

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Recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites

Now here's a fun little appetizer. While these take a bit of effort to make, they are sure to please.  We ate these (along with lots of other goodies) at a friend's football party.  Unfortunately, the team we were all pulling for lost (San Francisco 49ers) but these are a winner!  


I named these little goodies after a favorite chicken dish-chicken stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese.  These are actually "inside out" in some respects since the bacon is on the outside!

Yep, takes a bit of patience to wrap them up.  Worth it though!

Yield: 30 bites
Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch strips
• 4 slices low fat swiss cheese, sliced into 1 inch pieces
• 10 oz. center cut bacon slices, cut in half
• Pepper

Method: 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Season chicken with pepper.
• Fold a piece of cheese inside each chicken piece, then wrap each in a piece of bacon.
• Secure each with a toothpick.
• Cook on rack over tin foil lined baking sheet for 15-20 minutes until chicken is no longer pink and bacon is crispy.
• If chicken is cooked and bacon isn't, place under high broiler for 2-3 minutes to finish crisping bacon.

They are best when warm out of the oven but still good at room temperature.

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Recipe for Blue Cheese, Apricot, and Pistachio Phyllo Cups

This is the pupu (appetizer) I took to a neighborhood New Year's Eve celebration.  It couldn't be easier and, as long as you like blue cheese, you'll love it.

Yields: 24 pieces
Time: 20 minutes


Ingredients:

• 24 ready formed phyllo cups
• 2.5-3 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 3 oz. apricot "all fruit" spread
• 48 pistachios, shelled

Method:

• Preheat oven per phyllo cup box directions.
• Warm apricot spread over medium heat (or in microwave) until liquid.
• Fill each phyllo cup about 1/2 full with cheese.
• Drizzle apricot spread over cheese.
• Top with 2 pistachios.
• Bake per box instructions (for mine 12 minutes).
• Serve warm or room temperature.

I loved the tangy bite from the blue cheese, the tender flaky crunch of the phyllo, and the sweet and salty from the spread and the nuts.  If you don't like blue cheese, I'm sure these would also work with goat's cheese or brie.


Here are another couple more favorite appetizers:


Prosciutto wrapped pesto tortellini with asparagus

Nutty Cheese Ball

Recipe for Smoky Fried Chickpeas

Hummus is one of those things you'll always find in our fridge.  But other than that, I'm not a big fan of chickpeas.  I have tried them on salads, in casseroles etc. and I'll eat them but they don't wow me.    These smoky fried chickpeas, however, WOW!

I love everything about them-flavor, texture, and ease of preparation.  Just imagine smoky paprika and chipotle flavored with salt and lime. A little crunch and then a nice creamy chew.  Have I sold you yet?  I adapted this recipe slightly from Bon Appetit.




Yield: 6 servings
Time: 30 minutes


Ingredients:

• 2 cans (15 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 6 TBSP olive oil
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground chipotle chile
• 3 tsp grated lime zest
• Salt (kosher or sea salt)

Method:

• Wash, drain, and pat dry the chickpeas.
• Remove any loose skins from the chickpeas.
• Mix paprika and chipotle together. Set aside.
• Heat 1/2 of olive oil over med-high heat.
• Cook 1/2 of chickpeas for 8-10 minutes until brown. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
• Wipe out any brown bits and add remaining olive oil to pan.  Heat for 1-2 minutes.
• Add remaining chickpeas and cook for 8-10 minutes until brown.  Remove and drain on paper towels.
• Place chickpeas in a bowl, salt liberally and stir in paprika mixture and lime zest.
• Serve with paper napkins to wipe fingers on.

A new appetizer to add in to the repertoire.  Hope you enjoy!


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Original recipe

Recipe for Black Eyed Pea Hummus

This recipe was in the group of "top recipes" for 2011 based on page views.  I posted it after New Years but thought I would re-post again this year before the holiday since it was a popular recipe.  


Growing up in the South, black eyed peas, usually with some greens, were a staple on New Years Day, served to bring us all good luck.  They are also recorded as being served on Rosh Hashana, Jewish New Year, also to bring good luck.  Honestly, I was never a big fan of black eyed peas.  But I love hummus and this one is really delicious.  If it brings us good luck, even more reason to try it!

Here is the original post and recipe:  Black Eyed Pea Hummus


I'm also working on a post recapping some of the other top recipes from 2011.


Have a SAFE and Happy New Year.  See you in 2012!

Recipe for Pear and Prosciutto Appetizer

When I move to San Francisco, one of my neighbors ended up being a co-worker and good friend.  She is part Italian and introduced me to prosciutto wrapped melon which we used to lap up as an afternoon snack with a glass of wine on our roof top deck (on those days when you could enjoy the sun outside in San Francisco without a coat on).  The light and salty flavor of the prosciutto complemented the sweetness of the melon perfectly.  Those Italians know how to do food right!


Now in Maui, we can enjoy the outdoors pretty much any day we like (don't hate me!).  I still love prosciutto wrapped melon and thought it would be perfect as a nibble for when our friends were coming over to do some trip planning.  (Oh, and also some wine drinking).  However, I couldn't find a decent melon to save my life, so I improvised with the pears.   Turns out, the Mr. of the couple doesn't like ANY melon...things work out for a reason sometimes-I've learned not to fight it!  And the pears were beautiful with the prosciutto!


Yield: 4 appetizer servings
Time: 10 minutes


Ingredients:

• 2 firm pears


• 1 (4 oz) package Prosciutto di Parma (or fresh sliced from the deli)

Method:

• Trim both ends off pears and peel.


• Slice into wedges and remove seeds and core.


• Wrap slices of prosciutto around pear wedges.


• Serve chilled.

This is about as easy as it gets for a simple yet elegant appetizer.  It goes great with a crisp white wine or champagne.


What recipes of your friends have you made into your own?
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Recipe for Figs with Spiced Mascarpone Cheese

It's a rare thing, in my experience, to see figs on Maui so when I saw some recently I grabbed a basket.  Now what to do with them?  I wanted something simple and something that would complement the not-too-sweet taste of the figs.  I also wanted a little bit of decadence.  I thought about something with goat cheese and figs, which I've had in restaurants and know is a good combination.  Not really what I was aiming for, though.  I thought of Chef Dennis's mascarpone cheesecake recipe and thought "Brilliant!"

I'm enamored with cardamom lately, using it most recently in a marinade for tuna. The aroma and flavor are very pleasing to my taste buds and nose.  Always looking for a way to use it, I mixed a sample of mascarpone and cardamom.  Loved it.  Given the figs aren't that sweet, the honey adds just the right touch to balance the richness of the cheese and the orange adds one more layer.  Mmmm.

Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 12 ripe figs
• 3 ounces mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 TBSP honey
• Zest of 1 orange

Method:

• Wash and dry figs.
• Trim stem end off and slice in half.
• Mix cheese, cardamom, and orange juice together.
• Spread cheese mixture over fig halves.
• Drizzle honey over fig halves.
• Garnish with orange zest.
• Serve chilled.

These figs could be an appetizer (I might consider skipping the honey) or dessert, which is how we ate them.  I'm going to be on the look out for more figs (but I'm not holding my breath-I think the season is over?)

What seasonal things have you stumbled over in the store lately?


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