Chocolate-Dipped Brown Sugar Shortbread

 My son and I have decided that all Barefoot Contessa desserts are extremely decadent. Meaning: Eat one cookie and it sends you over the moon on a sugar high.

These Chocolate-Dipped Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies are no exception. 

The recipe says the batch makes 30 to 36 cookies, but I got 45 out of one batch.

The recipe says you can bake two trays at a time, but I would do one tray at a time on my next go around. I ended up using three baking sheets. The one sheet that baked on its own produced the cookies with the best browning around the edges. Plus, they were sturdier.

Which leads me to my next finding: Dip the cookies fast and use a light hand. These cookies are delicate and are easily breakable. But, of course the baker gets to eat the rejects. Ha.

The dough was very easy to shape. It does not need to chill. It was not crumbly like a traditional shortbread dough that uses powdered sugar. The brown sugar component definitely makes the actual cookie extremely sweet.

The recipe calls for milk chocolate chips, but we roll with semi sweet or dark chocolate in this house, so I went with the semi sweet.

I omitted the nuts as I am deathly allergic. I was thinking of decorating with sprinkles but my son ixnayed that, and in retrospect I think that was a good call because I don't think they need anymore sweetness. Although, sprinkles would look cute. When I make them again - and I definitely will - I will still go no sprinkles. I'm sure pecans add a salty finish, but we can't do that here.

These were so much fun to bake and eat.

I hope my tips help you!

Chocolate-Dipped Brown Sugar Shortbread

From "Modern Comfort Food"

By Ina Garten

Makes 30 to 36 cookies

3/4 lb. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

For the chocolate coating:

1 cup milk chocolate morsels, such as Hershey's (6 ounces)

6 Tbsp. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup toasted pecans, minced and lightly salted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange two racks evenly spaced in the oven.

Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on medium speed just until the butter and sugar are combined so you don't whip a lot of air into it. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and mix just until the dough comes together.

Scoop out 1-ounce pieces of dough (about 1 Tbsp.), roll each one into a ball, then roll it into a 2 1/2-inch-long log. Place the logs 2 inches apart on two sheet pans lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the cookies start to brown around the edges and spring back when lightly touched. Set aside to cool on the pans.

For the coating, place the chocolate and the butter in a heatproof bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture vigorously and continue to microwave in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted.

Drag half of the rounded top of each cookie through the chocolate and place it, chocolate side up, on a piece of parchment paper. While the chocolate is still warm, sprinkle on the pecans. Repeat with all the cookies. Set aside for at least 30 minutes for the chocolate to firm.

Please note: The Jersey Girl omitted the pecans due to a food allergy. Her batch yielded 45 cookies. She used three baking sheets instead of two. She used semi-sweet chocolate instead of milk chocolate. She melts the chocolate on the stove top instead of the microwave.

Creamy Red Pepper Soup

Creamy Red Pepper Soup is a fave of The Husband's. I haven't made it in awhile, so I decided to bring it back recently, and now it is also a fave of The Son's. Yay!

The soup is made with pantry staples such as jars of roasted red peppers, broth, potatoes, onion and garlic. It is pureed into silky smoothness and topped with homemade croutons which are so amazingly yum. You also could stir in a dollop of mascarpone or goat cheese, but honestly I usually just go with the croutons, and a sprinkle of black pepper. 

I only use a pinch of sugar as opposed to an entire tablespoon. I also use just one medium onion instead of two. You can use dried thyme if you do not have fresh. I like to chop my veg before I get started: Onions, carrots and garlic. Potato is added which helps the creaminess factor of the soup. The fact that there is no whipping cream involved is astounding. The soup is soooooo smooth and delish.

This is great to make on a grilled cheese night, or if you want a warm starter before din.

The soup also can be frozen if you do not finish it all.

Here's the recipe!

Creamy Red Pepper Soup

By Giada DeLaurentiis

(Makes 8 servings)

4 Tbsp. olive oil

2 onions, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 (12-ounce) jars roasted red bell peppers preserved in water, drained

1 russet potato, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 Tbsp. sugar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

16 (3/4-inch thick) baguette slices, cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic and thyme and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, bell peppers, potato, wine and sugar. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Partially cover and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool the soup slightly.

Using an immersion hand blender, puree the soup in the pot until it is smooth. Alternately, working in batches, puree the soup in a regular blender, taking care while blending warm liquids. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and saute until they are crisp and golden, about 8 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Dollop a tablespoon of mascarpone in the center or each bowl and toup with croutons. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.

Please note: The Jersey Girl uses 1 onion, a pinch of sugar and omits the mascarpone cheese. She also seasons the veggies as they saute with a pinch of salt and fresh black pepper.

Baked French Toast

I've been rocking out this fabulous Baked French Toast Casserole for family brunches since the beginning of time, as evidenced by my not-so-pristine printout of the recipe from the Food Network Web site:

Gorgeous.

So this recipe is a Paula Deen, which means it's really delicious and really, really, really full of butter. And sugar. The brown sugar topping means maple syrup isn't even necessary, in my opinion. The original recipe also calls for pecans, but due to my allergy to nuts, the pecans are ixnayed from my dish.

This is so great to make for a morning gathering as most of the work is done the night before. And if you measure out the dry ingredients for the topping the night before, that makes the morning work way less as well. Take out the butter for the topping the night before as well to ensure that it is super soft.

I often bake this first thing and just cover it with foil and keep it warm on a warming tray until ready to serve.

Trust me, your guests will LOVE it!

Baked French Toast Casserole

Makes 6-8 servings

By Paula Deen

1 loaf French bread (13-to 16 ounces)

8 large eggs

2 cups half and half

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Dash of salt

Praline topping (recipe follows)

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch thick each. Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9-by-13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. 

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half and half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or a whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with the foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spread praline topping evenly over the bread and bake uncovered for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Cut French toast with a sharp knife. Serve with syrup, if desired.

Praline topping

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened overnight

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Mix with a mixer or by hand with a spatula. Fold in pecans, if using.

Homemade Tagliatelle with Romagnola Tomato Sauce

Making homemade pasta is a bit of a project. But I loved it. This dough is so soft and smooth. Very easy to work with. I busted out my pasta roller for the first time since buying it 15 years ago. Yay!

I went to the best - Lidia Bastianich. She explains things so clearly, so I thought for my first foray, it would be best to use her guidance. This group of tagliatelle I cooked:

While this group of tagliatelle nests, I froze for later use:

Tagliatelle are long flat ribbon noodles that work beautifully with a meat ragu or a pesto. The sauce I went with; however, is a beautiful Romagnola tomato sauce that features fresh in-season tomatoes. I hope you get to make this while the Jersey tomatoes are still in their prime for the next couple of weeks.

You can certainly make this sauce with storebought fresh tagliatelle, but if you do have the time and a pasta roller, I do recommend trying this recipe. The fresh pasta is a such a wonderful texture and flavor. We really enjoyed it. 

This sauce also features fresh rosemary and parsley, so it is a definite change from the classic marinara. 

 Homemade Tagliatelle

From "Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy"

By Lidia Bastianich

Makes 1 1/2 lbs. fresh tagliatelle, serving 6

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

3 large eggs (cold)

3 large egg yolks (cold)

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. ice water, plus more as needed

Recommended equipment: A food processor fitted with steel blade; a pasta rolling machine

Put the flour in the bowl of the food processor and process for a few seconds to aerate. Mix the whole eggs and egg yolks, olive oil, and ice water in a measuring cup with a spout.

Start the machine running with the feed tube open. Pour in the liquids all at once (scrape in all of the drippings), and process for 30 to 40 seconds, until a dough forms and gathers on the blade. If the dough does not gather on the blade or process easily, it is too wet or too dry. Feel the dough and add either more flour or more ice water, in small amounts. Process briefly, until the dough gathers on the blade, and clear the sides of the bowl. 

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface, and knead by hand briefly until it's smooth, soft and stretchy. Press it into a disk, wrap well in plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 1/2 hour. (You can refrigerate this dough for up to a day, or freeze it for a month or more. Defrost frozen dough in the refrigerator; return it to room temperature before rolling).

To make tagliatelle: Cut the dough in six equal pieces. Keeping it lightly floured, roll each piece through the machine at progressively thinner settings into sheets that are 5 inches wide (or as wide as your machine allows) at at least 20 inches long. Cut the long sheets in half crosswise, giving you twelve strips, each almost a foot long.

One at a time, lightly flour each strip, and fold it over into thirds or quarters, creating a small rectangle with three or four layers of pasta. With a sharp knife, cut cleanly through the folded dough crosswise, at 1/2-inch intervals. Shake the cut pieces, opening them into long ribbons of tagliatelle. Dust them liberally with flour, gather into a loose nest, and set it on a floured towel or tray. Fold, cut and unfurl all the strips this way, piling the tagliatelle in small floured nests. Leave uncovered to air-dry at room temperature, until ready to cook (or freeze the nests on the tray until solid, and pack in airtight ziplock bags).

Tagliatelle with Romagnola Tomato Sauce

From "Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy"

By Lidia Bastianich

Makes sauce for 1 batch (1 1/2 pounds) tagliatelle or other pasta, serving 6

For the sauce

3 lbs. ripe tomatoes (round, plum, or cherry varieties are all fine)

4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

4 plump garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

1 sprig fresh rosemary (a short branch with lots of leaves)

1/2 tsp. peperoncino flakes, to taste

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley

For the pasta:

1 batch (1 1/2 pounds) homemade tagliatelle (see above)

1/2 cup or so freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for the table

2 Tbsp. or so extra virgin olive oil for finishing

Recommended equipment: A heavy-bottomed skillet or saute pan, 12-inch diameter or larger

For the sauce: Core the tomatoes, and cut them in half. With round or plum tomatoes, squeeze seeds into a sieve placed over a bowl - save the juices and discard the seeds - then chop the tomatoes into 3/4-inch pieces. Cherry tomatoes need only be cut in half.

Pour the olive oil into the big skillet, and set it over medium-high heat. Scatter the garlic slices in the pan, and heat for a minute or so, until they start sizzling. Toss in the rosemary sprig and peperoncino, let them heat for a few moments, then drop the tomato paste into a clear hot spot in the pan bottom. Toast the tomato paste for a minute, then pour in the chopped tomatoes, sprinkle on the salt and stir all together.

Cook the tomatoes for a couple of minutes, until the begin to release their liquid. Pour in the reserved tomato juices from the bowl, along with 1/2 cup of water (use it to slosh out the tomato bowl). Bring the sauce to a boil, then adjust heat to keep it perking steadily. Cook, uncovered, until tomatoes break down into a chunky sauce, about 10 to 12 minutes. When the sauce is done, stir in the parsley and turn off the heat (or keep it barely simmering if you are ready to cook the pasta).

To cook the tagliatelle: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Shake the nests of tagliatelle in a colander or a strainer to remove excess flour. Drop all the pasta into the pot at once, and stir to loosen and separate the strands. Cover the pot, and return the water to a boil rapidly. Set the cover ajar, and cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or more, until barely al dente (it will cook a bit more in the sauce).

Have the tomato sauce at a simmer; if it has cooled and thickened, loosen it with a bit of the hot pasta-cooking water. Lift the tagliatelle from the cooking pot quickly, with a spider and tongs, drain briefly, and drop into the simmering ragu. Toss together, over low heat, for a minute or more, until all the strands are coated and perfectly cooked. Thin the sauce, if necessary, with hot pasta water, or thicken it quickly over higher heat.

Turn off the heat, sprinkle 1/2 cup or so of grated cheese over the tagliatelle, and toss well. Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil all over and toss again. Heap the pasta in warm bowls, and serve immediately, passing more cheese at the table.