Clearly I’m a few holidays behind at this point in terms of decoration here, but we’re mostly concerned about flavor/texture so this recipe is good year-round! This recipe is from Bravetart, so has both the more accurate weight measurements, and volume ones.
Extremely lumpy moons, bats whose wings are trying to fly away from each other…Haaappy Halloween!
Ingredients:
Frosting:
- 10 ounces/3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (how convenient that’s the one I already have)
- 2 1/2 ounces/scant 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cookies:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/4″ pieces, slightly softened (about 60 degrees)
- 7 ounces/1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 large/2 ounces/1/4 cup egg whites
- 1 ounce/2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 11 ounces/2 2/3 cup cake flour
Beat all the frosting ingredients in a large bowl, using the paddle attachment if you have a stand mixer. Start on low, to moisten, then increase the speed to medium and beat until light and smooth, about 3 minutes.
Transfer into a sandwich-sized ziplock. Wipe out the bowl/beater with a paper towel. (That requires less effort/care if you didn’t add food coloring to your frosting, as I did.)
To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line to baking sheets. Beat together the butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the large bowl on low speed, then increase to medium and beat until creamy, 5 minutes.
While that beats, in a small dish beat together the egg whites, cream, and vanilla.
yuuuum
Add to the beaten butter mixture in 4 additions, beating and scraping down the bowl after each, then beating until smooth.
I had put some purple dye in with the liquid mixture
Sprinkle in the cake flour and beat in on low speed, then scrape the bowl one last time to ensure everything is mixed.
Transfer your dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2″ plain tip and pipe 12 1 1/4 ounce portions onto each of the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 1/2″ between them. I found that until the very end, the dough was way too stiff to pipe, so I wound up spooning it back out of the bag I’d put it in until the last few cookies.
Both bags!
Bake until golden around the edges, again easier if you didn’t add food coloring, about 15 minutes.
Cool on the pans 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack and cool completely. Once completely cool, snip off the corner of your frosting bag and squeeze a tablespoon of frosting onto two or three cookies, spread it into an even layer using a knife, then repeat in further small batches until all the cookies are frosting.
Plus Oreos, as needed!
Homemade Lofthouse Cookies
From Bravetart.
Frosting:
- 10 ounces/3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (how convenient that’s the one I already have)
- 2 1/2 ounces/scant 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cookies:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/4″ pieces, slightly softened (about 60 degrees)
- 7 ounces/1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 large/2 ounces/1/4 cup egg whites
- 1 ounce/2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 11 ounces/2 2/3 cup cake flour
Beat all the frosting ingredients in a large bowl, using the paddle attachment if you have a stand mixer. Start on low, to moisten, then increase the speed to medium and beat until light and smooth, about 3 minutes. Transfer into a sandwich-sized ziplock. Wipe out the bowl/beater with a paper towel.
To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line to baking sheets. Beat together the butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the large bowl on low speed, then increase to medium and beat until creamy, 5 minutes. While that beats, in a small dish beat together the egg whites, cream, and vanilla. Add to the beaten butter mixture in 4 additions, beating and scraping down the bowl after each, then beating until smooth. Sprinkle in the cake flour and beat in on low speed, then scrape the bowl one last time to ensure everything is mixed.
Transfer your dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2″ plain tip and pipe 12 1 1/4 ounce portions onto each of the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 1/2″ between them. Bake until golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Cool on the pans 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack and cool completely. Once completely cool, snip off the corner of your frosting bag and squeeze a tablespoon of frosting onto two or three cookies, spread it into an even layer using a knife, then repeat in further small batches until all the cookies are frosting.
Ingredients:
Add the vanilla and eggs and stir again, then stir in the salt and flour.
Pour the mixture into the lined crockpot. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.
Place a long piece of papertowel to cover the whole top of the crockpot, then put on the lid, shutting the paper towel in at the top. This helps catch any water that condenses on the inside of the lid, so it doesn’t fall back down and make wet cookies.
Turn the crockpot on and cook 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until set in the middle. Lift out, using the foil, and let cook at least 1 hour before cutting.
Ingredients:
Meanwhile, place the red onion in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until translucent and softened.
Once softened, stir in the drained cranberries and remaining chutney ingredients.
Reduce heat as needed and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has significantly reduced and is thick – if you draw a spatula through it, liquid should not immediately run back in and cover the bottom of the saucepan. This will take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the heat and size of your pot. Set aside to cool.
While the chutney cooks, prepare the meat mixture. In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium heat and add the diced onion. Cook until browned, which takes a while. Just go with it.
Once browned, remove from the pan. Heat the other tablespoon of oil and brown the meat until cooked through.
Season with the salt and pepper, then add the onions back in. Set aside to cool. At this point, you can either refrigerate both parts, or head straight into assembly.
When ready to assemble, heat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment/a silpat. Get out your thawed phyllo dough, but cover them with a damp cloth/paper towel to prevent them from drying out as you work. Lay out a single sheet of phyllo and brush the whole top with melted butter. Repeat with 5 more sheets layered on top, each brushed with butter, until you have a 6-sheet stack.
Sprinkle half the cooked meat mixture over the dough, leaving a 1″ border clear around all the edges. Top the meat with half of the chutney mixture.
Fold the long edges over, then roll up the pastry like a large burrito.
Place on your lined pan, seam-side-down, and brush the outside with additional butter. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to form a second strudel.
Bake 45 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Although phyllo dough is always going to be best the day it’s baked, I was pleasantly surprised at how not-squishy it stayed through a few days of leftovers. Nice!
Ingredients:
Cover and let set at room temperature for 2 hours.
Move to the refrigerator for 24-48 hours.
Remove the dough from the fridge. Lay out a big piece of parchment paper. Coat your hands with flour, then scoop out the bread dough. Shape into a ball and place on the parchment, and let rise for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, place a dutch oven in your oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
Remove the dutch oven from your oven. Use the parchment paper to transfer the dough into the dutch oven, and put the lid back on. Return to the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the dutch oven’s lid and bake another 20-25 minutes until crusty, brown, and hollow sounding when tapped on the bottom.
Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the butter and 2 cups of the crushed pretzels. Press into the bottom of a 9″ springform pan and bake 7-10 minutes, then let cool completely.
In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream until just about stiff peaks. Add the tablespoon of pudding powder and beat until stiff – this ensures that the whipped cream doesn’t separate and weep liquid on any leftovers.
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
Add the sugar and beat until smooth, then fold in 1 cup of the whipped cream.
Spread the cream cheese mixture on the cooled crust, then top with the pie filling. Refrigerate until completely chilled.
Meanwhile, scoop the remaining whipped cream into a ziplock and keep that in the fridge as well.
To serve, pipe the whipped cream around the edge and in the center of the cheesecake, and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup crushed pretzel pieces on top.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13″ dish and set aside. In a small dish, toss the cooked chicken with 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce and set aside. Cube the cornbread and set aside. Melt the remaining butter, then combine with the eggs, cream, salt, pepper, and caramelized onions and whisk together.
Place the cubed cornbread in a large bowl and pour the egg mixture over it. Add the chicken, cheese, and apple, and gently stir to combine.
Transfer to the greased pan and spread evenly.
Bake until golden brown on top, 35 minutes.
Drizzle the remaining barbecue sauce over the top, sprinkle with chives, and serve.
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Roughly chop the white chocolate and place in an 8×8″ glass dish.
Cook, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden and thick, about 65 minutes. After my first 10 minute time period, it looked like it was starting to melt like expected. By the second or third it looked like it was almost curdling. By the fourth it was clearly changing color. Although it wasn’t the melty chocolate expected, I just kept stirring and then spreading it back out before returning to the oven.
Once cooked, spread the chocolate onto a sheet of parchment/silpat, and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
Break or cut into 1/4″ pieces. At this point you can eat it, use it for other things (melted into blondies!), store it in an air tight container for months, or proceed on to make your ganache.
To make the ganache, heat the cream to a boil on a small pot. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, then whisk until smooth.
Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Lightly brush the cut sides of the squash with oil, then toss the potatoes in the rest of the oil, and sprinkle with a pinch each of sea salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes, then set aside to cool.
If you hate the taste of raw onion, during this time is a good time to cool the onion, in a small skillet over medium heat with a bit of oil until softened and translucent, but it’s not necessary.
When ready to cook, re/preheat oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the top third of the oven. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven for 10 minutes. While that heats, prepare the croquettes.
Divide the vegetable mixture into 8 portions, then shape each portion into a log about 3″ long. Roll each log in cornstarch, then in the egg mixture, and finally in panko, pressing more panko lightly on if needed to cover any gaps. Place each prepared croquette gently on the lined plate. These don’t have incredible structural integrity, so be gentle with them. You can also prepare up until this point, then cover and refrigerate several hours before cooking.
When ready to cook, carefully remove the pan with the hot oil from the oven. Transfer the croquettes onto the plate and gently brush each all over with more vegetable oil. Bake 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Roll each croquette a quarter turn and bake 4 more minutes. Repeat 2 more times, until they’ve baked on each side and are crispy and golden all over.
Sprinkle with a bit more sea salt, and serve with a dipping sauce such as tonkatsu sauce mixed with ketchup. (I just ate ’em, didn’t even bother digging through the door full of bottles.)
Ingredients:
Remove the seeds then rub the inside of both pieces with olive oil. Place, cut sides down, on a baking sheet and bake 45 minutes, or until the inside is tender.
Meanwhile, make the stuffing: Cook the sausage in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat, breaking up well with a large wooden spoon. Once fully browned, pour off any excess grease and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Add the onion and celery and cover, then cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10-15 minutes.
Transfer the sausage mixture to a large bowl and add the salt, pepper, cornbread, apple, craisins, parsley, and sage. Stir together well.
Heat the broth in a small pot until simmering. Drizzle a half a cup over the stuffing mixture and stir in. Add as much of the remaining broth as needed to make the stuffing feel moist, but not wet – that was about an additional quarter cup for me this time.
Transfer the mixture into the roasted squash, piling up the extra as needed, and then cover with the top of the squash.
Readjust your oven rack to the bottom 1/3 and reduce the oven temp to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes, then take the lid off the squash and bake another 10-15 to brown up the top of the stuffing a bit. Get a huge spoon, and serve! Don’t forget there’s good squash in the lid too!
Ingredients:
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each, then mix in the vanilla.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of milk, mixing until just combined each time.
Gently transfer to the greased pan and smooth the top until even.
Bake 50-60 minutes, until it passes the toothpick test.
Cool in the pan 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth.
Pour the ganache over the cooled cake, then top with sprinkles as desired.
sparecake 