pb & j cookies

This is going to be short and sweet today. These cookies rock !!  I suggest you read thru this recipe quickly, make sure you have some ice cold milk on hand , and then get going and make these cookies now!
Here we go - I told you, short and sweet today!

pb & j cookies

3/4 c unsalted butter
3/4 c crunchy peanut butter (use your favorite)
1/4 c sugar +  some to roll the cookies in
3/4 c dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt ( 1 always use kosher salt in baking)
Jam of your choice - I prefer blackberry jam or grape jelly

Preheat oven to 350*

Cream butter with sugars for a minute, then mix in peanut butter and egg.  Mix in dry ingredients.
Roll dough into 1" balls, then  roll balls in sugar.  Place balls on prepared cookie sheet.  ( I use parchment all the time).   Using your thumb make an indentation into each cookie ball.  Fill each indentation with 1/4 tsp of jam.   Bake 12 - 15 minutes.  Allow to cool a bit, pour yourself a glass of cold milk and enjoy!!

Starting April 1st , I will be doing a month of April in Paris.

Stormy Night Onion Soup

It was one of those gloriously stormy chilly nights last night, so what did I do?  I decided to make Onion Soup from scratch at 5pm last night.  It was so worth it and I have enough to have another cheesy bowl when the next storm blows in tonight.   Mr. Skip by the way was not that thrilled with the soup (mr. skip is a meat and potato man) , it said it was good, but he was happy I made him a plate of chicken wings on the side - oh well - more soup for me!!

Onion Soup

makes aprox 4 good size bowls of soup

4 large onions - sliced

2 - 4 cloves garlic - sliced

nub of butter

olive oil

2 cans chicken or veggie stock

1 cup white wine + a bit extra for serving

herbs de provence

salt

1 tablespoon flour

4 thick slices crusty bread

swiss or provolone cheese

Melt large nub of butter with olive oil on low heat - ( I love Le Creuset pots so I use a large soup pot) - add sliced onions, garlic , good pinch of salt and a good pinch of herbs de provence.   Slowly cook the onions down, stirring frequently , careful not to burn them.  You want the onions the color of caramel - this can take up to an hour, but be patient as this is the most important step.  If the onions do not get enough color your soup will be tasteless.  

Once the onions are caramelized, add the flour and cook a couple of minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the wine and stir all the good bits off the bottom - cooking till wine is gone.  Now add the stock and the remaining wine , taste for seasoning  and cook on low about 30 minutes.  

As the soup is cooking , toast the bread in the oven, I do this at 250* - just till the bread is dried with no color.  When you are ready to serve , either heat the broiler or turn your oven up to 450*.  In the bottom of each bowl add a splash of the white wine you used in the soup (traditionally cognac is used, but I like the wine), fill the bowls almost to the top with soup, top with bread and then lots of grated cheese, lots. Place bowls on tray in oven till cheese is melted, bubbly and brown.  Serve on it's own or with a nice butter lettuce salad.

je t'aime mousse aux chocolat

I am a Francophile.

I love all things French -  I am especially in love with Paris.

It started with Madeline and le Petit Prince, then I met

 my culinary hero Julia Child and

 my French teacher Madame Wagner.

 My first trip to France (there have been many since) was not until my

 twenties but I will never forget it and I will never

forget the biggest bowl of mousse aux chocolat

I had ever seen. It was to be shared at the table and

I know that every last bit was eaten.



the secret to a perfect mousse aux chocolat



Over the years I have tried many recipes for mousse, including Julia's

but I always go back to the one that can be found on the

back of the Nestle Dessert Chocolate Noir Bar. 

I have not been able to find the bars

 in America, so I always stock up when I am in France. 

 I found this site the other day

http://www.mondizen.com/en/index.php and they carry the

chocolate as well as some of my other favorites, so I am placing an

order tonight.  On to the recipe!!

 

 

mousse aux chocolat

3.5 oz chopped nestle dessert chocolate or
           bittersweet chocolate
3 eggs - separated
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
pinch kosher salt

Melt chocolate over double boiler - cool. Beat in egg yolks and salt till smooth.
Whip egg whites to soft  peaks, slowly add the sugar and continue beating until
whites are glossy and until you have medium peaks.
Fold in 1/4 of the whites into the chocolate, then fold in remaining whites and fold
until incorporated. Try not to deflate the mousse to much. 
You can divide the mousse into 4 bowls or place it in a medium size bowl and
chill for about 4 hours.  Top with whipped cream if you desire!