Saturday, February 23, 2013

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Fortune Cookies

Ingredients:
2 large Egg Whites
1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Pure Almond Extract
3 Tbs. Vegetable Oil
8 Tbs. All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp Cornstarch
1/4 tsp Salt
8 Tbs Granulated Sugar
3 tsp Water

Directions:
Write fortunes on pieces of paper that are 3 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Lightly grease pan.  (Cookie sheet or 9x13 pan).

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg white, vanilla extract, almond extract and vegetable oil until frothy, but not stiff.

Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt, and sugar into a separate bowl.  Stir the water into the flour mixture.

Add the flour into the egg white and stir until you have a smooth batter.  The batter should not be runny, but should drop easily off a wooden spoon. (If you want to dye the fortune cookies, add food coloring now.)

Place level tablespoons of batter onto pan, spacing them at least 3 inches apart.  Gently tilt the baking sheet back and forth and from side to side so that each tablespoon of batter forms into a circle 4 inches in diameter.

Bake until the outer 1/2 inch of each cookie turns golden brown and they are easy to remove from baking sheet with a spatula.  (10-12 minutes)

Working quickly, remove the cookie with a spatula and flip it over in your hand.  Place a fortune in the middle of a cookie.  To form the fortune cookie shape, fold the cookie in half, then gently pull the edges downward over the rim of a glass, wooden spoon or the edge of a muffin tin.  Place the finished cookie in the cup of a muffin tin so that it keeps it's shape.  Continue with the rest of the cookies.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Caramelized onion and bacon dip


  • 4 bacon strips, chopped
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 pounds yellow onions, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 small shallots, thinly sliced into rings
  • For serving: potato chips, celery, carrots, or other raw vegetables

  1. In a small skillet, cook the bacon until the fat is rendered out. Drain bacon, reserving the fat in the pan.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and salt. Cook onions over low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and deep golden in color, about 1 hour. Add water if needed. Add the vinegar in the last minute of cooking. Cool to room temperature.
  3. In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onions, and bacon.
  4. Add vegetable oil to the skillet with bacon fat. Reheat on medium-high until the oil shimmers. Add the shallots, lower the heat, and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Drain, and garnish dip with fried shallots.