Chocolate Crinkles

Happy New Year, to all my blogger friends...(not excluding readers who may not comment)...equal time to all!
Hope you all had a wonderful, and safe New Year's celebration...as we also did! This post may seem like a 'forgotten' or an 'after thought' post of my Chocolate Crinkles...but let me assure you that it is not a forgotten post of these lovely cookies that everyone loves around the Christmas holidays!

Chocolate Crinkles
recipe source: Gold Medal Flour

• 1/2cup vegetable oil
• 4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled
• 2cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4eggs
• 2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
• 2teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2cup powdered sugar

Directions

• 1
  In large bowl, mix oil, chocolate, granulated sugar and vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours.
• 2
  Heat oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray.
• 3
  Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into powdered sugar; roll around to coat and shape into balls. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
• 4
  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly in center. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

I find it a little odd to be posting a Christmas cookie (now, that Christmas is over) Chocolate Crinkles are so popular here in the U.S. and all over the world by now, I assume. They are so attractive with the light and dark contrast, and most certainly perfect for an interesting addition to a cookie tray or for serving by themselves, any time of the year!

I did not have a Christmas tree at my small beach condo apartment; but at my daughter Lora's they have a beautiful live and tall tree every year, and I spent time just about every day there to enjoy the holiday festivities, especially at City Place!



Christmas @ City Place...West Palm Beach, Florida
Friends, and Family, on Christmas Day Celebration!

Candied Spiced Walnuts

Just think...when you find the perfect selection that inspires you and knowing that you don't have to google it, or search through your collection of cookbooks...then just relax and simply print out your blogger friend's recipe and go for it!

With the holidays just around the corner, you want to have something quick and easy...yet, exciting and tantalizing for your 'taste buds'...questioning, what kind of spices are used in this addictive, crunchy, sweet, and spicy walnuts. Most of the recipes for this type is usually made with pecans, but as a personal preference...I think walnut work better; for one thing, they are less expensive, and crunchier. Pecans are softer and I would save them for cakes and pies!
Check out this recipe and more...Asian inspired; from my talented friend...
 Ridwan, @Rice and Coconut

I did change the title of this yummy treat, since its sweet, and spicy! (this is how recipes are made, but its always nice to give credit to the actual source, which most bloggers DO NOT follow) In the old days of our mothers and grandmothers, it was 'word of mouth', 'hands on', and of course 'hand me down' recipes, even in the seventies when I was a very young mom with toddlers, we just copied down recipes from friends' handwritten, and/or books and old magazines...never thinking about the source. No excuse these days, unless you create your own recipe just from your own creative basic source.

I did use the same amount...12 oz. shelled walnuts; the only addition of spice, was the cayenne pepper, in addition to the other spices.
Also, I used Spam, to spray the aluminum lined  toaster oven tray.






I put all the walnuts, spices, and maple syrup which I added more than just drizzle on...mixed it up and got it ready to toast in the oven.

Now, you just spread evenly, and bake at 350 degrees F. for no more than 12-15 minutes...any longer than that, they will start to burn, so be careful!










I did not equally measure things...just 'eyeballed'
all the ingredients, and being careful not to 'over spice'...probably used about 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup. You can store in tin can the  leftovers
but I doubt you will have any leftover, its so
addictive, and oh, so heavenly with goat cheese
on pear slices!  Do try out this recipe, from
RIDWAN
...and tell him I sent you! xo

 

Spiced Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze

Of all the recipes I would call my favorites...I still prefer, and love Cooking Light magazines, books, which now I only have only two books from 2007, and 2008 left. With all my collection from a decade of Cooking Light books that I collect from my 'thrift finds'...of course, they were practically all new, and purchased from Goodwill @ $2.49; like I mentioned, end of the book bargains. I re-donated so many books back to them, just don't want to pile them up to my collections. I have down-sized so much over the few years on just about everything.

When death occurs in the family, you have no other choice, but to give away things that you cannot keep...i.e. lack of storage, painful memories, and outdated items, so you donate, sell, or simply give it away. I can always tell someone passed away, when I walk into Goodwill...see beautiful furniture, dishes, glassware, matching coordinating sets, and think; wow! their children did not want any of these things and feel a bit of sadness...knowing we did the same things, and just keep certain items for 'rememberance' ...and ending up the same way!...now, I totally got off the subject of my most amazing, and ooey-goeey, light Cinnamon Rolls!


The best part of these yummy rolls are the addition of the (roasted, or cooked) squash. I used acorn squash. Simply bake it for 45 minutes...split in half, clean seeds out, cover with aluminum foil and bake on 400 degrees F. until soft when you prick, and test with a fork. Roasting the squash intensifies the sweet natural flavor.

In my opinion, its so much easier to get ideas from magazines...even if they are not your own...you simply copy the name of the recipe; the source, and date, and you can google it online. That's what I've been doing lately. While sitting in the waiting room at doctors' office, instead of tearing pages out...sneaking it in your purse, lol...or even worse; snagging it, knowing they have at least three more other issues...and even worse; taking it from your daughter, 'hint-hint'...who gets every cooking issue of SAVEUR (gift from me)...Bon Appetit (also a gift from me)...Cooking Light, and various other magazine, which she cannot part with...again, google online, and chances are you will find everything that you are searching for, and more!

 Spiced Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze
from: Cooking Light, Nov. 2011

Ingredients

Ingredients

• Rolls:
• 1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 11.9 ounces bread flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 6.47 ounces all-purpose flour, divided (about 1 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash of ground cloves
• 1 cup mashed cooked delicata squash-(acorn squash works great)
•  (about 1 [1-pound] squash)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons water
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts, toasted
• Glaze:
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup maple sugar or light brown sugar (I used dark brown sugar to intensify the deep dark color)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted  
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon half-and-half
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. To prepare rolls, combine the first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, and let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon bread flour and 5.63 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine bread flour, 5.63 ounces all-purpose flour, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add yeast mixture, squash, and oil, and stir just until moist. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic (about 6 minutes), adding enough of the remaining all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

3. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.










 (Gently press two fingers into dough. If the indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

 Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll dough into a 20 x 12-inch rectangle. Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl; spread mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Sprinkle evenly with nuts.
(I actually measured with a ruler, and cut the edges to leave just the 1/4 in. border. You can re-roll the scraps and leave it for kids to practice rolling)

 Roll the dough, jelly-roll fashion, starting with long side.

 Cut roll crosswise into 16 equal slices. Arrange rolls, cut sides up, in a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Cover and let rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

4. Preheat oven to 375°.
5. Bake at 375° for 33 minutes or until brown. Cool 5 minutes on a wire rack.


6. To prepare glaze, combine 1/3 cup water and maple sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon butter, half-and-half, and vanilla. Cool 5 minutes; drizzle over rolls.

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Gundel Palacsinta {crepes}

Since we all love palacsinta=crepes=pancakes, as the Hungarians wish to describe it in English, which really does not have anything to do with our American version of the 'pancakes'...rather, I would have to insist that it is more on the French version, of 'crepes'...or the Italian version of 'crespelle'. The Hungarian version...as far as I'm concerned is the BEST by far, which even my executive chef; son-in-law agrees on. Instead of using all milk in the batter, you replace 1 cup of milk with 'seltzer' water just after letting the batter rest for at least 30 minutes to one hour, you whisk it the seltzer water and it really lightens up the batter.
 

Last week, I decided to make the Gundel Palacsinta at my daughter Lora's house, and I got into so much trouble with her because I started it in the late afternoon just as she was preparing dinner for the kids...and all she needed was, to have them spoil their appetite before dinner...because, you just can't ignore to have at least one piece to nibble on when it comes straight off the pan and is nice and hot. Dipping it into the warm homemade chocolate sauce is 'sinfullly' good! There are quite a few different ways of presenting the Gundel Palacsinta, but these two are my preferred ways; as long as the filling is made the proper way, and the 'to die for' chocolate sauce is done the authentic way.

 

Here's a little bit of history and why it is called Gundel, and where did it get its name: Wikipedia
Recipe. I found which is quite authentic...in Hungarian:
 Tuti Receptek...Gundel Palacsinta
In English, which is also identical...recipe that I preferred:
Gundel's Walnut and Chocolate Pancakes...{Crepes}

Now, I must tell you the original recipe suggests rum in the chocolate sauce, and in the filling as well, but you can omit it...or use the rum essence, which also gives the rum flavor. When you order it in the Gundel Restaurant in Budapest, special specific way; the waiter will just 'frown' at you and instead...you may want to skip the Gundel Palacsinta if you prefer not to have the alcohol...you cannot have it your way!

The original way of presentation is, to spoon the chocolate sauce over half the portion, and sprinkle with powder-(icing) sugar the other half. Well, to me it just not seemed right....makes it too thick and globby. I also thinned out the sauce a little, so I can drizzle it easier...sauce does get thicker as it cools, anyway!

This is how I presented my Gundel Palacsinta last Friday, when I made it for my family...just the way it was required, according to the recipe...the chocolate sauce was so 'shockingly' amazing, rich with chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, rum essence, egg yolks, and heavy cream...cooked to perfection...although I'm not so thrilled about the 'blotchy' sauce overshadowing the palacsinta, I prefer the drizzle or having the sauce under the palacsinta, as I made it yesterday for my BFF's belated birthday!


Just look at the filling...sooo creamy, smooth, with the heavenly walnut filling...can't get better than that! Three of us shared these two crepes...so very rich, and sinfully incredible! I made the lighter version of the crepes, on the above two photos for my friend, who is holding the plate! She loved it with the lightened version of the chocolate drizzle, as well. You can thin out the sauce when you warm it up with a little heavy cream.

Here are two of my talented blogger friends who also made the Gundel Palacsinta:

Gizi  and  Zsuzsa

also...yet; another version from researching this amazing classic recipe which happens to be a little over 100 years old. I merely wanted to research how other people are making it, different way of folding and presenting the palacsinta, but we all agree on one thing...a Superb classic Hungarian dessert originated by, Károly Gundel!

check this version out...(sad to say today is their last post)
Hungarian Chocolate Crepes, from the Diplomatic Kitchen