spice

Spicy Peanut Butter Cookies with Dukka

By Love & Flour in Cookies 1 Comment Tags: , ,

8846913989 12bf849273 z Spicy Peanut Butter Cookies with Dukka

I had high hopes the weekend would provide something of interest to write about, but as I sit down with this post at 10 p.m. on Sunday, I have nothing. Unless you want to hear about the four hours I spent at the auto shop, the next four hours I spent reading the last third of The Orphan Master’s Son, and the multi-episode Game of Thrones bender I went on yesterday. I followed Saturday up by making tremendous messes in the kitchen today. So, I may not have anything to write about, but at least you shall have some recipes!

This recipe for spicy peanut butter cookies with dukka (also known as dukkah) is actually a carry over from last weekend. The reasons it caught my eye are two-fold. I loved the idea of a spicy peanut butter cookie, and I had no idea what dukka was. I have since learned it is a mixture of nuts, seeds and spices with origins in Middle Eastern dishes.

For this cookie, the dukka is comprised of peanuts, sesame seeds, cumin and coriander. In terms of nuts and seeds, there is quite a bit of variation out there, but the use of coriander and cumin seems consistent across the board.

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These cookies are not at all like the chewy peanut butter cookie I am used to. They have an almost cracker-like texture, and they sort of melt in your mouth after the first bite. I was not so sure about them, but when I shared, they received positive reviews.

As it is written below, the recipe yielded double the peanut dukka I needed. You could try to halve it as best as possible, or simply use the leftovers to amp up the flavor of hummus or other dips and sauces. Though I would not recommend it with the peanut variety, a number of people have indicated dukka is a great spice mixture to sprinkle over eggs. This variety might pair better with popcorn or flatbread instead.

One of my favorite dukka ideas is to toss it with roasted vegetables. That recipe, and four more, are available via this blog post from The New York Times. Or you could just make more cookies. Enjoy!

8846914085 bf92975ccd z Spicy Peanut Butter Cookies with Dukka

 

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Spicy Peanut Butter Cookies with Dukka
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Ingredients
  • For the Peanut Dukka
  • 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
  • 1½ teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • ¾ cup roasted peanuts
  • 1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • For the Cookies
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1½ cups creamy peanut butter
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs

Instructions
  1. To prepare the dukka, combine the three types of seeds in a skillet over medium heat and toast until the sesame seeds are lightly browned and the seeds are aromatic, about 2-3 minutes.
  2. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse a few times to partially grind the seeds.
  3. Add the peanuts and pulse a few times more until they are finely chopped and well blended with the seeds. Take care not to over process into a paste.
  4. Finally, add the paprika and salt and pulse a final few times to blend.
  5. Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl and set aside.
  6. To prepare the cookies, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl.
  7. In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, butter and brown sugar.
  8. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well blended.
  9. Add half of the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and stir until combined, then stir in the remaining flour mixture and stir until well incorporated and a smooth dough forms.
  10. Roll a tablespoon of dough between your palms to form a ball, then roll the ball in the dukka to evenly coat. Repeat until all of the dough has been used.
  11. Place the coated dough balls onto parchment-lined baking sheets, keeping about two inches of space between each dough ball.
  12. Lightly press the balls with the bottom of a glass to flatten. Twisting the glass as you pull up from the dough will help it to relase from the cookies.
  13. Bake at 350 F until the cookies are firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.
  14. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

 

 

 

Souper Bowl Sunday: Spiced Carrot Coconut Soup

By Love & Flour in Soups No Comments Tags: , ,

Spiced Carrot Coconut Soup 016 Edited Souper Bowl Sunday: Spiced Carrot Coconut Soup

Green cardamom pods? Two years ago, I would have taken a look at this recipe, saw that it called for green cardamom pods and moved on. In all likelihood, I probably would have  moved on from any recipe that called for cardamom regardless of  its form. Now that I have made an ongoing effort to prepare something more than rice or eggs or cereal for dinner, this ingredient did not seem so daunting. And if I can overcome the “fear of the unknown ingredient”, anyone can.

I have the luxury of living in a city with a shop dedicated solely to spices, so green cardamom pods were surprisingly easy to come by. I recognize this is not the case for everyone, so I peppered the nice shop employees with questions about this spice when I was in the store. I learned the pods are ideal when a recipe calls for infusing the flavor of cardamom throughout a liquid. Because of this, it is common to steep cardamom pods in homemade tea. I do not know a thing about making teas, so I signed up for a class about how to make tea at home while I was there. I hope to tell you more after the class next month.

Unfortunately, there is not hard and fast rule to substituting cardamom pods for ground cardamom, but it is possible. Ground cardamom is prepared from the seeds within the pods, so the ground form of the spice is a bit more potent than the pods. In this soup, I would start with 1/4 teaspoon and increase the amount by 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon to taste as the soup simmers. The recipe calls for only two pods. I bought two tablespoons worth, so if you really want to try this recipe but do not want to invest in the pods, message me and I will mail you a few.

Spiced Carrot Coconut Soup 023 Edited Souper Bowl Sunday: Spiced Carrot Coconut Soup

Cardamom pods: the dark seeds in the split pod are used to make the ground spice.

To further complicate matters, this recipe called for a thumb of ginger. Does this mean the size of my thumb, or does it refer to the nodules that grow from the ginger root? Cookthink explains it is the latter. Just as one could use ground cardamom in place of pods, ground ginger can be used in place of ground ginger. However, I would strongly recommend using ginger root. It is fairly inexpensive and, in my grocery store, easily found near the potatoes in the produce section. A note of caution, the ginger flavor is a feature of this recipe, so if you do not enjoy its warm spiciness, this soup is not for you.

Lastly, the coconut milk lends this soup a very rich flavor and creamy consistency. Coconut milk seems to have become more popular in recent years, but if it remains unfamiliar in your kitchen, it should be fairly easy to find in either the baking or international foods aisle. I enjoyed this soup warm, as it was intended, but its colorful look and fresh flavor leads  me to believe it would serve well as a cold gazpacho come summer. Enjoy!

Spiced Carrot Coconut Soup 005 Edited Souper Bowl Sunday: Spiced Carrot Coconut Soup

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Spiced Carrot Coconut Soup
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Serves: 8
 

Ingredients
  • 3½ cups hot water
  • 1 can (400-480 ml) coconut milk
  • ½ lemon, juice of (1-2 tablespoons juice)
  • 1¼ teaspoon honey
  • ½ small to medium white onion, peeled and sliced
  • 2 green cardamom pods
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 thumb ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1⅔ pound carrots, peeled and sliced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
  1. Stir together the water, coconut milk, lemon juice and honey and set aside.
  2. In a pot and place over low heat, combine the onion, cardamom pods, garlic and ginger and olive oil.
  3. Sweat the ingredients until the onion is soft and translucent.
  4. Add the carrots and increase the heat to high.
  5. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring every minute or so, and then add the liquids.
  6. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer.
  7. Allow to simmer until the carrots are soft, about 30 minutes.
  8. Remove the cardamom pods and use an immersion blender or food processor to puree the soup until smooth.
  9. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, to taste.
  10. Garnish with olive oil, sour cream, red pepper or whatever else your tastebuds may desire.

Notes
See the original recipe here: http://www.dailycandy.com/new-york/article/110869/Carrot-Cardamom-and-Marshmallow-Soup-Recipe-Fall-Soup-Recipes

 

Souper Bowl Sunday: Spicy Cream of Broccoli Soup

By Love & Flour in Soups 3 Comments Tags: ,

Spicy Broccoli Soup 3 Souper Bowl Sunday: Spicy Cream of Broccoli Soup

Only six days into January, I miss the sun, the holiday season, and the warmth both bring. If my experiences on the roadways and waiting in line at the store are any indication, the “goodwill to men” theme held so dear in December was put to bed right along with 2012. The frantic pace of work responsibilities, keeping up with “to do” lists and all that other, dare I say it, junk has too soon clouded the importance of family, friends and living life in the real and present moment.

Of course we need jobs to pay our bills, and keeping up with chores like laundry ensures we have clean clothes to wear to those jobs, but there is a balance to be had in there somewhere. It is often difficult for me to relish what I was able to do in a day when compared to what remains to be done. I started off by saying I miss the sun, and it is 100 percent truth that I am ready for spring. Yet there are months of winter ahead, so I intend to do my best to slow down and enjoy each day, dreary and sunny alike.

Spicy Broccoli Soup Souper Bowl Sunday: Spicy Cream of Broccoli Soup

So far as I recall, my aversion to winter runs much deeper than any I ever had towards broccoli. As long as the broccoli was accompanied by cheese that is. Plain broccoli is no better than a winter without a snowfall. If it is going to happen, it may as well get dolled up with a little cheese or flurries, respectively.

Broccoli soup, either a creamy or a cheddar version, is something I regularly order when out to lunch, but until a giant bag of broccoli I bought at Costco reached a must-use-now state, it was simply not something I considered making at home. Fortunately, it is rather simple and lends itself to plenty of variations through cheese and seasonings.

I spiced my cream of broccoli soup with cayenne pepper and used a mixture of Colby jack and pepper jack cheeses. If the heat of the cayenne or pepper cheese is too much for your tastes, simply season with salt and pepper and substitute shredded cheddar for a more traditional soup.  I topped my bowl off with a bit of cheese and bacon and called it a day. Enjoy!

Spicy Broccoli Soup 4 Souper Bowl Sunday: Spicy Cream of Broccoli SoupAs I did last year, I will post soup recipes each Sunday throughout the month of January until the real Super Bowl offers a reprieve on February 3.

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Souper Bowl Sunday: Spicy Cream of Broccoli Soup
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Ingredients
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1 white or yellow onion, finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups milk (2% or whole)
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 6-8 cups small broccoli florets (from 3 to 4 heads broccoli)
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups colby jack cheese
  • 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
  • 2 cups vegetable broth

Instructions
  1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
  2. Add the onions and cook until they begin to soften, about three to five minutes.
  3. Stir the flour into the melted butter and softened onions. Continue to stir constantly until the flour begins to turn light golden brown.
  4. Once the flour begins to turn colors, whisk in the milk and half-and-half.
  5. Process half to two-thirds of the broccoli florets in food processor until very finely chopped. Add it along with the broccoli florets that remain whole to the pot.
  6. Stir in the cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low.
  8. Allow to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the broccoli is tender.
  9. Add the cheese ½ cup at a time, stirring after each addition to melt the cheese.
  10. Stir in the vegetable broth and reheat to warm if necessary before serving.

Notes
For a soup with slightly less fat, I used 2 percent milk in place of whole with satisfactory results. Whole milk will simply provide a creamier texture. If you have an immersion blender, you can add the small broccoli florets in whole and then process the soup until it reaches a desired smoothness after stirring in the cheese. A blender would also do the trick, just be sure to take care with the hot soup when pouring it from the pot into the blender pitcher.

 

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