Bittersweet and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Main Dishes

Girl Cooks World

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April 24, 2019

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Bittersweet and white chocolate chip cookies… because sometimes you just need a cookie. And not some overpriced, packaged, gritty gluten-free cookie, but one hot from the oven oozing with melted chocolate with crispy edges and a soft, chewy center. A cookie that people have to ask whether they’re truly gluten-free because according to them, they look and taste like a regular cookie.

Although I’m not sure whether I should I be flattered or offended by the question/statement because I’d like to think they taste a whole lot better than “regular” cookies. These are a slight variation from my regular chocolate chip cookies… I subbed some white chocolate for the milk chocolate chips but stuck with my usual ratio of 50% butter and 50% shortening.

As mentioned in my gluten-free baking post, it’s absolutely essential to use superfine rice flour for all your gluten-free baking. You can find superfine rice flour at Asian markets. I’ve also heard good things about the Authentic Foods brand rice flour. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you and your baked goods will finally taste just like their wheat-based counterparts.

Update: after I posted these I got an email from Notebook Noise’s Thaddeus James about a super sweet song he sings about baking chocolate chip cookies with his daughter. The song is, appropriately enough, named Cookies. Food blog marketing- gotta love it :). Anyways, here’s the link if you guys are interested. You can listen and download it for free. The chorus, when his 9-year old daughter joins in, is pretty much guaranteed to make you smile… and make you want to make a batch of cookies or two.

Bittersweet and White Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening (I use Spectrum Organic, which is trans fat-free)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup rice flour
3/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon potato starch
3/4 cup sorghum flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped white chocolate (or high quality white baking chips)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or line with a Silpat baking mat.

Beat butter, shortening and sugars until well combined.

Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.

Then add the rice flour, potato starch, sorghum flour, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt and mix until thoroughly combined.

Finally, add the chocolate chips and chopped white chocolate and stir until well incorporated.

Drop heaping teaspoons of dough onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges turn a light golden brown. Let cool for a couple minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes approximately three dozen generously-sized cookies.

Spicy Sweet and Sour Tamarind Shrimp

Girl Cooks World

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April 24, 2019

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My mother commented not too long ago that I post a lot of shrimp recipes… and she’s totally right. That’s because shrimp is inexpensive, festive, and quick-cooking. And unlike a lot of seafood, it’s so easy to cook well. In fact, many of my favorite meals are shrimp based: there’s been Basque Lemon Shrimp, Greek Shrimp with Feta, and Creamy Shrimp with Cilantro Stems, just to name a few.

This is recipe is definitely a keeper and it’ll be nice addition to my predominately legume-based South Asian meals. The Jalapeno peppers and cayenne add a nice level of heat (those who dare can substitute Serrano peppers for the Jalapenos) while the tamarind adds a sour fruitiness to the dish. You can find the tamarind paste at Asian markets and leftovers can always be used for Tamarind Ketchup, a great twist on a refrigerator staple.

Spicy Sweet and Sour Tamarind Shrimp

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

* 3 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
* 1 large onion, diced
* 2 Jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
* 1 teaspoon garam masala
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1 cup diced tomatoes, drained
* 1/2 cup cooking tamarind (also called concentrate and/or paste)
* 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1-1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions:

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and chile peppers and cook until nicely browned. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the garam masala, turmeric and cayenne and stir to coat. Cook until very fragrant, about a minute or two. Add the tomatoes and tamarind and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down and the sauce has thickened. Add the sugar, salt and shrimp. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turns pink.

Stir in the cilantro leaves and serve.

Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Parfait

Breakfast

Girl Cooks World

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April 24, 2019

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For years I’ve been hearing about how strawberries and balsamic are an amazing flavor combination. And just recently came the slew of roasted strawberry recipes from food blogs, or food blogger cookbooks. Since I’m behind the times on both, I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone in order to get myself up to speed. The result? Balsamic roasted strawberry Parfait.

Strawberries get a quick soak in balsamic vinegar and black pepper and then roasted with brown sugar until just softened. Layer them with Greek yogurt for an elegant brunch dish or with ice cream for an unusual dessert.

I went with the Greek yogurt route, but secretly wished I’d had some goat yogurt or goat ice cream on hand. Sound weird? Just think of the salad with strawberries, goat cheese and balsamic dressing… so so good. I ended up throwing some crumbled fresh goat cheese on top, which definitely worked in a pinch. Next time I’m pairing the strawberries with some Laloo’s or Redwood Hill Farm yogurt.

Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Parfait

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

* 1 pound strawberries, cleaned and stems removed
* 2 Tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 Tablespoons butter
* 2 Tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
* 24-ounce container of plain Greek yogurt (or substitute ice cream, goat milk yogurt or goat milk ice cream)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the strawberries with the balsamic vinegar and black pepper. Let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.

Place the butter in a square baking dish or pie plate and place in the oven. Watch it carefully to make sure that the butter doesn’t burn. When the butter is melted, remove from the oven and transfer the strawberries and any of the accumulated juices to the dish. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and toss gently.

Put the strawberries in the oven and bake until the strawberries are soft and the liquid is syrupy. Remove from the oven and let cool. Slice the berries.

In four individual bowls or glasses, layer the strawberries with the Greek yogurt. Drizzle with the balsamic syrup.

Meyer Lemon and Ginger Spritzer

Drinks

Girl Cooks World

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April 24, 2019

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After reading Erika’s post yesterday about her Meyer lemon tree (so jealous!), I was inspired to share with you guys one of my favorite ways to use Meyer lemon juice. I love ginger with just about any type of citrus and Meyer lemons are no exception. What follows is more of a general guideline than a true recipe- play around with the ingredients to get your preferred level of tartness, spiciness and sweetness!

Meyer Lemon and Ginger Spritzer

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

Ginger Syrup:
* 2 cups sugar
* 1-1/4 cups water
* several inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thin rounds

Meyer Lemon and Ginger Spritzer:
* juice of one Meyer lemon
* ginger syrup
* sparkling water
* ice

Directions:

To make the ginger, syrup, combine the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly and is nice and syrupy. Let cool, transfer to a bottle and refrigerate.

To make the spritzer, combine the lemon juice, a small amount of ginger syrup and sparkling water and stir to mix. Taste and adjust the amount of syrup and/or sparkling water, if necessary. Add ice and serve immediately.

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes with Fresh Strawberries

Breakfast

Girl Cooks World

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April 24, 2019

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Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes with Fresh Strawberries

Over the past year or so, ricotta has transitioned away from being something I use only in lasagna or stuffed shells to being a favorite baking ingredient. Ricotta is an essential ingredient in Nonna’s Lemon-Ricotta Muffins and these Mini Ricotta Doughnuts with Bittersweet Chocolate and Salted Caramel Dipping Sauces, magically keeping things light and moist.

And they do the exact same thing here. You know those pancakes that are so starchy and dry that you need a heavy dose of syrup to avoid cotton mouth? Not a problem here.

A bit of lemon zest adds a nice, subtle lemon flavor. I paired the pancakes with sliced strawberries, but fresh blueberries or homemade blueberry jam or syrup would also be an excellent match as well.

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes with Fresh Strawberries

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2/3 cup superfine rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
zest from one lemon
butter for frying
pint strawberries, sliced

Directions:

In a large bowl whisk together the rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl combine the buttermilk, egg yolks, sugar, ricotta, and lemon zest. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just blended.

Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs whites until they reach soft peaks. Gently fold the whites into the prepared mixture.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Melt a pat of butter over the surface and ladle the batter onto the pan. Cook until bubbles appear and the edges have dried out a bit. Flip the pancakes over and cook until golden.

Transfer to a plate and top with sliced strawberries. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Gluten-Free Lemon Cupcakes Filled with Lemon Curd

Dessert

Girl Cooks World

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April 24, 2019

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Gluten-Free Lemon Cupcakes Filled with Lemon Curd

I’ve professed my love for lemons here at least once or twice. And you know the only thing that’s better than a bright, lemony cupcake? A bright, lemony cupcake that’s filled with a delicious little secret.

It’s impossible to tell that a dollop of sweet and tangy lemon curd is lurking under the swirl of frosting. It’s a great element of surprise. I tried to refrain myself by going with a basic vanilla frosting, but if you’d like to go totally overboard, lemon frosting would definitely be the way to go.

Gluten-Free Lemon Cupcakes Filled with Lemon Curd

Yield: one dozen cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup superfine rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
one half teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
one half cup milk
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
lemon curd
jar of prepared vanilla frosting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place paper liners in a 12-well muffin pan.

Beat the sugar and eggs together. Add the rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, salt, baking powder, xanthan gum, oil, milk, lemon extract and lemon rind. Beat for about a minute, making sure there are no pockets of dry ingredients.

Evenly distribute the batter among the cupcake wells. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops begin to turn golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool for about five minutes in the pan and then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.

Using a pastry bag with an injector tip, fill the cupcakes with lemon curd* and then spread with your favorite prepared vanilla frosting.

*Note: if you don’t have a pastry bag with an injector tip, you can also use a cupcake corer or use a more basic method. Check out these instructions/tips for how to make a filled cupcake from Annie’s Eats.

Everyday Ginger Chai Syrup

Drinks
Nepal

Girl Cooks World

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April 24, 2019

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I’m a big fan of little food luxuries like artisan chocolates, real vanilla beans, or an excellent cup of gourmet coffee. After all, what’s the saying? Life’s too short for bad coffee? Well, I think that goes for tea as well.

I love chai, but have found that the commercially available varieties (whether in powder, liquid concentrate, or tea bag form) fall short of my expectations. The traditional method of simmering spices with tea is clearly the way to go, but who has time to do that every morning?

It finally occurred to me to make a spiced chai syrup to add to plain black of green tea. You get all the complex spice of the traditional method but it won’t take any longer to make than your basic cup of tea.

Everyday Ginger Chai Syrup

Ingredients:

* 2 cups sugar
* 1-1/4 cup water
* 2-inch piece ginger, sliced into several pieces
* 4 pods cardamom, smashed
* 3 cloves
* 2 sticks cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
* pinch salt

Directions:

Combine the ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until is has thickened slightly. Let cool and then strain into a jar of bottle. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Vegetable

Girl Cooks World

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April 24, 2019

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When I make dinner for friends or family I invariably get asked whether the recipe of one of the dishes is available on the blog. It seems like 9 times out of 10 the answer is no. Sigh. I’ll get there…. eventually.

I have a feeling that these were probably the last of the market’s Brussels sprouts until fall. I thought I’d take the opportunity to make them one last time, and fulfill another recipe request. (Side note: this Honey-Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin would make a great meal with these Brussels sprouts).

I make these the exact same way I make my roasted broccoli: with plenty of olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and Parmesan. If I happen to have bacon grease in the fridge, I’ll sometime use that… it imparts a nice, subtle, bacon flavor without too much fuss.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Yield: 6-8 side servings

Ingredients:

* 2 pounds Brussels sprouts
* 1/4 cup olive oil or bacon grease
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts, pull off any yellow outer leaves and cut in half. Place in a bowl (throw in any of those green leaves that may have come off- they’ll get nice and crispy like kale chips!) and mix with olive oil or bacon grease, salt, and pepper.

Spread evenly on a sheet pan and roast approximately 30-35 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time, or until the sprouts are beginning to brown. Sprinkle with the cheese and place back in the oven until the cheese has melted.

Quick Soy-Sesame Asian Baby Bok Choy

Vegetarian

Girl Cooks World

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April 24, 2019

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After about a week of desserts, boozy drinks, and decadent brunch fare, I thought it was time to sneak a healthy recipe in (full disclosure: I’m planning on regressing tomorrow by posting my basic gluten-free pizza recipe). And it gets bonus points for coming together in about five minutes.

Baby bok choy, which are just about the cutest Asian green out there, are flash fried in a garlic, soy, and sesame sauce. Crushed red pepper adds a little bit of heat and toasted sesame seeds finish off the dish as a tasty garnish. This would be an excellent side to Teriyaki Salmon.

Quick Soy-Sesame Asian Baby Bok Choy

Yield: 4 side servings

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
10 baby bok choy, sliced in half lengthwise
1 Tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon sugar
toasted sesame seeds, for garnish*

Directions:

Heat sesame oil and olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add the bok choy and soy sauce. Cook, stirring, until the ends start to wilt. Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes and the sugar. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

* Toast whole sesame seeds in a skillet over medium heat until they begin to turn golden.