Cook's Country Pasta with Pancetta and Asparagus

Cook's Country Pasta with Pancetta and Asparagus
(My husband gets a little more adventurous with recipes than I do, he did follow this one to the T- I was surprised at how much I liked it!  It is a great dish and the asparagus was cooked to perfection!)
*this serves 4 to 6
*buy a hunk of pancetta instead of sliced (you buy it at the deli counter)

4 oz. pancetta, cut into 1/2 inch. pieces
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut on bias into 2 inch lengths
1/8 tsp. salt, plus more for cooking pasta
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb. penne pasta
8 oz. (1 c.) mascarpone cheese
1 oz. pecorino romano cheese, grated (1/2 c.) plus extra for serving
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. pepper
1/3 c. chopped fresh basil
Cook pancetta in 12" nonstick skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and crispy, about 10 min.  Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel-lined plate, leaving fat in skillet
Heat fat over high heat until just smoking.  Add asparagus and salt and cook, without stirring, until just starting to brown, about 3 min.  Stir and continue to cook until asparagus is rowned and tender, about 2 min. longer.  Take off heat and stir in garlic
Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.  Add pasta and 1 Tbsp. salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente.  Reserve 1 1/2 c. cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot over low heat.
Add mascarpone, pecorino, lemon juice, pepper, pancetta, asparagus and 1 c. reserved cooking water to pot and toss and stir vigorously to thoroughly combine, about 1 min.  Let pasta rest off heat for 3 min.  Stir in basil.  Adjust consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve, using extra Pecorino separately to add on top.

** we both said this would be even better with toasted pine nuts so next time we will add that 

White Chocolate Cupcakes

             White Chocolate Cupcakes 
              by garnishandglaze
(I wasn't too sure about these as I tried another white cake for cupcakes a few years ago for Easter, and they weren't that great, but these are the bomb!  Moist, dense cupcake and white chocolate, cream cheese frosting add the Cadbury eggs and chocolate curls on top and you have a little bit of heaven! )
This recipe makes 12 cupcakes **preheat oven to 350 F.
Cupcakes:
1 2/3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla
2 egg whites
Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.  In mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, melt butter and whisk in the sugar, buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla.  Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. Set aside.
With electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Fold into the batter until combined
Spoon batter into cupcake batter into pan - I use an ice cream scoop for easy handling.  Bake cupcakes for 15-18 min. until toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting:
2/3 c. white chocolate chips, melted
5 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. powder sugar
1-2 Tbsp. milk
Melt the chocolate in the microwave on low in 20 sec. increments, stirring after each.  Let the chocolate cool slightly for about 2 min. so it is not too hot that it melts the butter and cream cheese.
In a mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 1 min.  Add the melted chocolate and vanilla and beat another minute.  Beat in the sugar a little at a time, mixing until light and fluffy.  Add milk 1 Tbsp. at a time if needed to reach desired consistency.  Place in piping bag with tip and pipe onto the cupcakes. 

Topping:
Using a vegetable peeler, shave the chocolate to create long chocolate shavings.  Sprinkle over the freshly pipped frosting and then top with Cadbury mini eggs.

** I definitely got rave reviews with this one.  The cake is dense and moist (my favorite!), the frosting makes it a double whammy in amazing flavor!  I am going to make this every Easter, but also thinking of making it for other occasions, it will give me the excuse to have them more than once a year!

Cook's Country Black and White Cookies

               Black and White Cookies

(this is a yummy and fun cookie, but lots of work for 12!  We don't make them very often, but we think the work is worth making them especially from scratch!  These are famous in New York and come from Cook's Country )

For the Cookies:  

1 3/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. sour cream

**Preheat oven to 350F.  Position racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions.   Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl.

2.  In stand mixer beat butter and sugar on medium/high speed until pale and fluffy about 2 min., Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.  Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of sour cream, scraping down bowl as needed.  Give dough final stir by hand.

3.  Using greased 1/4 c. measure, drop cookie dough 3" apart onto cookie sheets, bake until edges are lightly brown, 15 to 18 min., switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.  Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 min., then transfer to wire rack to completely cool about an hour.

Glaze: 

5 c. powder sugar, sifted (make sure you sift the sugar)
7 Tbsp. whole milk
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt 
3 Tbsp. Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted

1.  Whisk sugar, 6 Tbsp. milk, corn syrup, vanilla and salt together in bowl until smooth.  Transfer 1 c. glaze to small bowl; reserve.  Whisk cocoa and remaining 1 Tbsp. milk into reserved glaze until combined.

2.  Working with 1 cookie at a time, spread 1 Tbsp. vanilla glaze over half of underside of cookie (that is what makes the tops flat) Refrigerate until glaze is set, about 15 min.  Spread 1 Tbsp. of the chocolate glaze over the other half, let set, takes about an hour
**hint:  use a butter knife or offset spatula to spread the glaze

     
                                                           

M&M cookies

     M&M Cookies from Rachel Cooks

(I love this recipe!  Rachel calls it perfect!  I have made this many times especially when I want a change from my "Mrs. Fields" recipe, it is a favorite in my family too!)
This recipe makes 2 doz., I usually triple it, but the dough will be thick!

Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees
2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 (12 oz) pkg. mini M&M's

1. Mix together flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.

2. In the mixer bowl, cream together butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 min.).  With the mixer on low, add in egg and vanilla.  Return mixer to medium speed, and mix until incorporated. Scrape sides of bowl

3.  Now with mixer on low, add dry ingredients in bowl, gradually until dough forms.  Stir in M&M's by hand.  Refrigerate dough for at least 30 min.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

4.  form into balls about 1 Tbsp.  Bake for 9 to 11 min. or until edges are barely golden.  Remove from oven and let cool a couple min. on sheet then put them on wire rack to finish cooling.  Store in airtight container.