Crispy Walnut Wafers

Ode to the Walnut!  Another wonderful gift found during the fall, nuts! I found this recipe in Chanterelle cookbook as well.  I usually like soft chewy cookies, but this recipe was definitely an exception–it was a light, buttery cookie with a slight crunch from the toffee topping.  Granted the words light and buttery usually don’t belong in the same sentence, a few cookies in the tummy never hurt 🙂

Ingredients for Walnut Wafers:

• 2 1/2 cups of walnuts
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons brandy

Ingredients for Toffee:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon brandy

To make the walnut shortbread dough, grind 2 cups of walnuts with the cornstarch in either a coffee grinder or food processor to form a flour consistency. (Do not over process the walnuts into a paste, this causes the nuts to release all their oils.) Toss the ground walnut mixture with the flour and salt and set aside.  Grind the remaining walnuts to use for garnish until you bake the cookies.

If you are using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment, or an electric hand mixer will be work.  Cream the butter for 1 minute.  Add the sugar and cream with the butter until it is light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolk and mix for 1 minute.  Add the brandy and beat on medium speed until incorporated.  (30 seconds)

Remove the dough from the bowl and divide into two long logs.  Wrap the logs in a piece of parchment or wax paper and continue to roll until a near perfect cylindrical shape is achieved, 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm enough to cut slices that will hold their shape.  The time will vary on the temperature of your refrigerator.  You are also able to freeze this dough for up to a week.

To prepare the toffee, bring the butter, both sugars and corn syrup to a boil in a small heavy bottomed saucepan.  Let boil for 1 minute, whisking continuously.  Remove from the heat and let cool for 20 minutes.  Then slowly whisk in the cream until incorporated, (if you add it to quickly, the mixture will vigorously bubble over, it’s preferably 2 tbsp at a time)then finish by whisking in the brandy.  Refrigerate until chilled.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Cut the logs into 1/4- to 5/16-inch thick slices.  Lay the pieces out on the cookie sheet.  Hold each piece with 3 fingers on one hand while making a slight indentation in the center with the index finger of the your other hand.   Squeeze or spoon the toffee over the indented area. (If you prefer, adding more toffee will have a ‘praline’ effect on the top and sides of the cookie) Garnish with the ground walnuts that were set aside earlier. Bake until toffee spreads and cookie is a deep golden brown color, 10 to 15 minutes.  Let cool before sealing in an airtight container.  They can keep for 2 to 3 days.

I am still working on many areas of this site so thank you for being patient :).   I will continue to update my ‘cooking tips’ section (there are a lot!) and offer any helpful tips I can think of along the way.

Double Chicken Broth w/Vermicelli Tofu and Shiitake Mushrooms

It is finally starting to feel like Fall in Texas and I wasted no time unpacking my scarves, sweaters and jackets.  Cold weather is short-lived here, so the minute I feel the brisk breeze, the refreshing sense of a chill, I rush to embrace all that is Fall — my favorite season of the year.

With cold, comes the need for comfort.  The nights have dropped down to the low 40s recently so I figured, what better relief for your tummy (and soul) than a big giant bowl of chicken soup?  My mom often made this soup for me as a child.  I always enjoyed the perfect combination of aromas of shiitake, ginger and chicken slowly simmering away, filling the entire house of comforting goodness.  Usually this broth simmers for the entire day to draw the flavor out of the bones, but to save cooking time I am using a store-bought chicken broth.  “Double Chicken Broth” means that chicken broth is used to poach more chicken, resulting in a richer and more intensely flavored broth.

Ingredients for Double Chicken Broth:

• 1/2 pound chicken breast/thigh, boneless, skinless
• 2 quarts store bought chicken broth
• 1 quart of water
• 2 slices of ginger – about 1/2″ inch
• 4-6 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• salt to taste
• 1 package of firm tofu – cut into 1″ cubes
• 1 package of rice vermicelli
• bean sprouts and scallions for garnish

For the Double Chicken Broth, rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms by placing them in a bowl of warm water for 15-20 minutes.  Trim any visible fat from the chicken breast/thigh and discard.  Place the chicken breast/thigh in a big pot and cover with stock and water.  Bring to a boil and add ginger and mushrooms.  Reduce to a medium-low heat and let simmer for 40 minutes.  Meanwhile place the tofu on absorbent paper and allow it to drain.  and prepare the noodles.  Different brands will differ in cooking time, but vermicelli noodles cook fast.  Once the water is boiling, don’t leave the noodles in for longer than a minute and immediately drain with cold water.  Prepare the garnishes and set aside.

Taste the broth and season with salt accordingly.  Add tofu and strain mushrooms and chicken from the broth.  Cut into strips when cool enough to handle and place in each serving bowl with 1/2 cup of vermicelli noodles.  Add hot broth and tofu over each bowl when ready to serve.  Garnish with cut scallions and bean sprouts and finish with a pinch of ground white pepper.

I really love the different textures in this soup — the crunchiness of the bean sprouts, the chewiness of the juicy shiitakes, paired with the thin rice noodles swimming in a supple delicate broth.  Simply divine.   If you have any questions on how to actually make double chicken broth from scratch, contact me and I can give you the recipe.