Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 tsp vanilla extract

3.3 cups flour

pinch of salt

Chocolate chips to melt for topping

Directions:

• In stand mixer with paddle, mix butter and sugar until just combined, then add vanilla
• Sift flour and salt into mixture, mix on low speed until dough comes together
• Dump on lightly floured surface, shape into disk, wrap in plastic and chill for min. 30 minutes
• Roll dough out into .5 inches, cut with cookie cutters
• Put on cookie sheet with parchment
• Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes when edges are just browning
• Once cooled, melt chocolate in 30-second increments in microwave, then drizzle onto cookies

Tomatillo Sauce, Mango Salsa, Guacamole

TOMATILLO SALSA

Ingredients:

• 12 tomatillos - remove husks, rinse
• 1 to 2 medium jalapeños, stemmed 
• ½ medium onion
• small handful cilantro leaves
• a couple limes, juiced
• salt to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the broiler with a rack near top, put tomatillos and jalapenos on baking pan with tin foil, broil until blackened (5 min?) then flip and broil another 5 min
• Food processor: chop onion, cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt. 
• Add tomatillos and jalapenos to food processor, blend until smooth
• Leave in fridge a few hours to thicken 

MANGO SALSA

Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 small mangoes
• 1 red pepper
• 1/4 cup red onion
• 1 jalapeño seeded 
• 1/2 lime juiced
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• salt to taste

Directions:

• All of this can be done in the food processor: first process onion, pepper, cilantro, and jalapeno
• Add remaining ingredients and pulse until coarsely blended
• Let stand about 30 min before serving

GUACAMOLE

Ingredients: 

• 5 ripe avocados
• 1 tsp salt
• A couple limes, juiced
• 1/2 red or yellow onion, diced
• 1-2 jalapenos, seeds removed, diced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro (leaves and tender stems), finely chopped
• A dash of freshly grated black pepper
• 1 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

Directions:

• Chop onion, jalapenos, cilantro, and tomato in food processor
• Remove to bowl, add in avocado, lime juice, salt/pepper and mix gently until desired consistency 

Passion Fruit Mousse

Passion Fruit Mousse

1 1/4 cups defrosted passion fruit pulp
4 cups heavy cream
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

Whisk condensed milk into passion fruit pulp

Separately, whip heavy cream into stiff peaks

Slowly fold whipped cream into passion fruit mixture

Set for an hour or two in the fridge

Optional: top with passion fruit syrup or coconut, or include vanilla wafers

Passion Fruit Pie

Passion Fruit Pie - Filling

4 eggs, separated
1/2 C fresh passionfruit pulp or puree
1 C granulated sugar, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp granulated gelatin
4 Tbsp cold water
optional: some grated lemon rind

• Set a pan of water over medium high heat and bring to a steady simmer. Make sure the water level is low enough that a bowl set on top wont touch it. Lower the heat slightly and keep simmering.
• In a small bowl add the 4 tablespoons of cold water and sprinkle the gelatin over to soften.
• In a bowl (one that will fit over the pan of simmering water), whisk the egg yolks until thickened and lighter in color, add in passion fruit pulp and juice ( or puree), ½ C of sugar and salt. 
• Set over the pan of simmering water and whisk until thickened. About 8-10 minutes. Being careful to stir constantly so the egg doesn’t scramble. 
• Add in the softened gelatin and stir until melted. 
• Remove from heat and cool until thickened and slightly congealed on top.
• Whip the egg whites until foamy, slowly add in the remaining sugar and then whip until stiff peaks are formed and the meringue is glossy. Fold into the passion fruit mixture and stir until fully combined. Fill the pie crust with the mixture and chill at least 4 hours up to overnight.

Stabilized Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup whipping cream
and 1 tsp gelatin
plus 1 tbsp cold water
3 tbsp caster sugar or fine grain sugar or powder sugar
and 1 tsp vanilla or extract of your choice.

• Place the gelatin and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Let stand for two minutes.
• The gelatin will bloom and become soft.
• Place gelatin in a double boiler or microwave for 10 sec interval until all the gelatin granules are dissolved.
• Set aside to cool but not set. This is very important.
• Pour the whipped cream into a mixer bowl.
• Turn the mixer on medium.
• After a minute – slowly add in the sugar.
• Once the cream has reached between soft and stiff peaks – add a tablespoon or two of whipped cream to the gelatin to equalize the temperature.
• Now pour the gelatin mixture into the mixer bowl and continue to whip
• Add the vanilla
• Do not over beat at this point. You will see the cream will hold stiff peaks.
• This whipped cream can be used immediately.
• You can spread it over a cake or pipe as needed.

Mini Cheesecakes

Makes 18 mini cheesecakes

Prep ROOM TEMP ingredients: cream cheese, 2 eggs

1 (12 ounce) package vanilla wafers
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese - ROOM TEMP
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs - ROOM TEMP
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional toppings/flavors

Ganache: cream and chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Line one and a half muffin tins (aka about 18 muffins) with paper liners

Crush nilla wafers in food processor

Add a tablespoon of nilla wafer crumbs to each liner

In stand mixer beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. 

*If adding, stir in syrup flavors, chocolate chips, etc.

Fill each miniature muffin liner with this mixture, almost to the top.

Bake for about 15 minutes. Cool in fridge for a few hours.

Top cheesecakes with ganache: boil cream and pour over chocolate chips, whisk until smooth

Indian Chicken Sheet Pan Tikka Masala

https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/04/sheet-pan-chicken-tikka/

For the chicken
1 3/4-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced or powder ginger
4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne, or adjusted to taste (I used 1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 pounds chicken thighs, drumsticks or halved chicken breasts

For the vegetables
3 tablespoons olive oil
optional: cubed Yukon potatoes
1 3/4 pounds (1 small or half a very large head) cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

To finish, if desired
A few thin slices of red onion
Lemon wedges
Salt

Raita: english cucumber with yogurt, cumin, coriander
A few tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro, parsley or mint, or a mix therof

Combine marinade ingredients in a freezer bag, bowl or container. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat evenly. Let marinate for 15 minutes or up to a day in the fridge.

When you’re ready to cook the dish, heat your oven to 425°F. Line a half-sheet (13×18-inch) with foil and coat it with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add potatoes, cauliflower, salt, cumin and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss together with you hands until evenly coated.

Remove chicken from marinade and leave excess behind. Make spaces in the vegetables for chicken parts throughout the pan. Roast in oven for 20 minutes, then toss the potato and cauliflower to ensure they’re cooking evenly, and return the pan to the oven for 10 to 20 minutes more (i.e. 30 to 40 minutes total roasting time), until chicken and vegetables are cooked through.

While it roasts, if you’d like to use the lightly pickled onion rings that we did on top, which added a nice tangy fresh zip to the dish, separate the rings and toss them in a small bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Set aside until needed.

When chicken and vegetables are cooked, top with garnishes of your choice — we used dollops of yogurt, herbs and scattered the above onion rings all over. Serve right in the pan.

Salted Caramel Brownies

Ingredients

SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

(https://www.livewellbakeoften.com/homemade-salted-caramel-sauce/)

1/4 cup water

1 cup white sugar

2/3 cup heavy cream

3 tbsp butter

1 tsp vanilla

Salt - 1 tsp?

SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE:

• In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the water and sugar over medium heat. Make sure to use a saucepan that's a little bigger than what you think you will need. Stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture starts to bubble just a little.
• Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stop stirring completely. Let the mixture continue boiling until it turns an amber color, this could take anywhere from 4-12 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble up quite a bit, so make sure to do this very carefully. Then, mix in the butter, vanilla, and salt one at a time.
• Pour the caramel sauce into a dish and allow to cool completely, then cover tightly and store in the refrigerator. The caramel sauce will thicken up some once it's cooled and refrigerated.

BROWNIES

(https://sugarspunrun.com/brownies-from-scratch/)
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small slices
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips (1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips for mixing in at end)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
(1/2 teaspoon instant coffee grounds - optional)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

BROWNIES:

• Preheat oven to 350 and line a 13x9 baking pan with parchment paper, also spray
• Combine butter and 1/2 cup chocolate chips in a large, microwave-safe bowl
• Microwave on half power for 1 minute, stir, then continue microwaving in 30-second increments until melted
• Add cocoa powder and instant coffee (if using), stir well.
• Add sugars, stir until completely combined.
• Add eggs, one at a time.  After each addition, stir well, and then stir another 30 seconds (the better you stir your batter, the cracklier your brownie tops will be).
• Stir in vanilla extract.
• Sprinkle salt over batter and stir.
• Add flour, stir until completely combined.  You cannot overmix this batter, make sure it is mixed very well.
• Stir in 3/4 cup chocolate chips.
• Spread into prepared 9x9 or 13x9 pan.
• Add in caramel sauce: drizzle and then swirl with knife.
• Bake at 350 for about 25-35 minutes . . . toothpick inserted in center should be just slightly fudgy, but not wet with batter - edges of brownies will start to look set and middle will look just puffed
• Allow to cool before cutting and serving. Overachievers: serve with ice cream and drizzled with leftover caramel sauce.