Chocolate Sable Cookies

It's rare that Brittany is home on a Friday night.  Indeed, she has a pretty busy social and work calendar.  So tonight when she said she would be home, I was excited to take in a girly movie and maybe drink a glass of wine.  Instead, she decided to bake.  Britt is a fabulous baker.  She always finds these amazing recipes that make your mouth water.   She found these treats from the Miette cookbook.  Miette is charming pastry shop in San Francisco with the most divine pastries you'll ever indulge in.   These cookies just came out of the oven a few minutes ago.  I wish you were here to smell their aroma.  Better yet, I wish you could taste one fresh out of the oven like I just did.   They're a perfect little piece of heaven!

Thanks Britt!! 

Chocolate Sable Cookies

Makes about thirty-six 1-inch square cookies

Ingredients
1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (1 ounce) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (4 1/2 ounces) sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 ounces 70 percent cacao chocolate, grated

Directions:
1. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda into a bowl and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla until lightened, about 4 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and grated chocolate and mix just to combine.

3. If the dough is soft, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (The dough will keep, wrapped in plastic, for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.) Otherwise, roll out the dough 1/2 inch thick on a lightly floured work surface into a 6-by-7-inch rectangle. Using a ruler, square the edges as much as possible. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1-inch squares. Place them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sugar.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the cookies until they are firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in airtight containers for up to 2 weeks.

Super Veggie-Stuffed Peppers

I love trying new, healthy recipes. It took some coaxing for my Mom to finally give in and try anything that I cooked using soy, but now, she doesn't mind it at all. These peppers are delicious, and the soy crumbles really are a great replacement for the ground beef. And did I mention, it's healthy? Someday, I'm going to sneak some soy crumbles into a dish for my Grandpa or Dad. If they can't detect that 'something different', no one will. I'll be sure and keep you posted on how that goes. :-)

Here's what you'll need for one serving:

1 large red bell pepper

1 plum tomato (preferably Roma), deseeded and chopped

1/2 cup frozen ground-beef-style soy crumbles, thawed
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup canned tomato sauce

2 tablespoons shredded fat-free cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon dry taco seasoning mix

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a medium pan to medium-high heat on the stove. Add mushrooms, onion and green bell pepper. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are slightly softened. Add garlic to the pan and cook for 1 additional minute.

Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. To the bowl, add tomato, soy crumbles, tomato sauce, cheese and taco seasoning mix. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Slice off the top of the red pepper, and then slice it in half lengthwise. Remove seeds.  Spray a medium baking dish lightly with nonstick spray. Place pepper halves in the dish, cut side up, and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

Remove pepper halves from the oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees.  Once pepper halves are cool enough to handle, use paper towels to soak up any excess moisture. Evenly spoon veggie mixture into pepper halves. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool slightly then dig in!

Recipe adapted from Hungry Girl 200 Under 200.

Photo shoots

Brittany is a talented photographer who just finished an internship with a top photographer in Austin.  She is ready to put her unique style to work in Kearney. Here are some shots from some of her recent shoots. Look for her updated website to be up soon. In the meantime, if you need a photographer, let me know. :-)