Cinnamon-Glazed Oatmeal Cookies

INGREDIENTS for Cookies:

3 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup walnuts, chopped

INGREDIENTS for Cinnamon Glaze:

1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons skim or whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Food coloring (optional)

TO PREPARE:

For the cookies, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and mix well. Beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar in a mixing bowl until creamy, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until blended. Add the oats mixture and beat until combined. Stir in the walnuts.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the glaze, combine the sugar, skim milk, vanilla and cinnamon in a bowl and stir until of a glaze consistency. Tint with food coloring. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies. Let stand until set.

YIELDS: 4 dozen cookies

Classic Chicago Hot Dog

8 Vienna all-beef hot dogs
2 pounds Idaho potatoes, unpeeled and straight cut (3 inches long by 1/2-inch thick)
8 hot dog buns with poppy seeds
1 cup minced onions
1 cup brunoise fresh tomatoes, seeded
1 cup yellow mustard
1 cup sweet pickle relish
Sport peppers, to taste
Celery salt, to taste

Preheat the fryer. Fill a stock pot 3/4 of the way full with water and bring to a boil. Add the hot dogs, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until the hot dogs are plump, about 6 to 8 minutes. Fry the potatoes until golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally for even browning. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Place the hot dogs in the buns. Start topping the hot dogs with 2 tablespoons of each: onions, tomatoes, mustard and relish. Top with sport peppers to taste and sprinkle a little celery salt on top. Place each hot dog in the center of a piece of deli wrap. Place the fries next to the hot dog. Wrap the dog and the fries up tightly and serve.

Emeril's Pizza

1 pound new potatoes, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices
Salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 recipe of basic pizza dough
1 tablespoon truffle oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup thinly sliced red onions
2 confit duck legs (about 7 ounces each) shredded
1/4 pound Fontina cheese, grated
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Put the potatoes in a medium-size saucepan and add enough water to cover. Season with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until fork tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and cool under cold water. Arrange in a shallow dish and allow to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil two baking sheets with olive oil. Divide the pizza dough into 4 equal portions. With your fingers, dusted with flour, pat the dough into free-form circles, each 8 to 10 inches in diameter, and put them on the prepared baking sheets. Prick each randomly with a fork.

Brush each dough circle with 1/2 teaspoon of the truffle oil and top each with equal amounts of the potatoes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue layering with the onions, shredded duck confit and cheese. Drizzle the remaining teaspoon of truffle oil evenly over the pizzas.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before slicing into 8 slices. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Chicago Style Italian Sausage and Pepper Deep Dish Pizza

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups thinly sliced green bell peppers
1 pound Italian sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 recipe of Basic Pizza Dough
12 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to saute for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add the sausage and render for 4 to 6 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Divide the dough in half and roll into a 14-inch circle, about 1/2-inch thick. Press the dough into 2 greased 12-inch deep-dish pizza pans. Sprinkle each pizza with 6 ounces of the grated cheese. Spoon 1/2 of the onion and pepper mixture over each pizza. Sprinkle 1/2 of the sausage over the onion mixture on each pizza. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce over the top of each pizza. Sprinkle each pizza with 1 tablespoon of oregano. Bake the pizzas for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the pizza from the oven and cut into individual servings.

Mushroom and Three Cheese Pizza

1 recipe Pizza Dough, recipe follows
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 slices prosciutto, sliced in strips
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 fresh rosemary sprigs, needles striped from the stem
1 pound assorted wild mushrooms, such as crimini, portobello, shiitake, and oyster, coarsely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (4-ounce) logs goat cheese
2 cups shredded fontina
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino


Make the pizza dough as directed in the master recipe. Stick a pizza stone in the oven and preheat them to 500 degrees F.
Coat a saute pan with the olive oil and place over medium heat. When the oil gets hazy, add the prosciutto strips, stir to render out the ham's fat and flavor. Toss in the garlic and rosemary, saute for a minute until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, cook and stir until they've released their moisture and are nicely browned, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Crumble goat cheese evenly on the crust, scatter sauteed mushrooms all around, and top with shredded fontina. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden and crisp, and the cheese is bubbly.

Before cutting the pizza into slices, grate pecorino over the whole damn thing!



Pizza Dough:
1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups 00 flour, plus more for dusting


In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water; stir gently to dissolve. Let the mixture stand until the yeast comes alive and starts to foam, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Turn the mixer on low and add the salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the flour, a little at a time, mixing at the lowest speed until all the flour has been incorporated. When the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium; stop the machine periodically to scrape the dough off the hook. Get a feel for the dough by squeezing a small amount together: if it's crumbly, add more water; if it's sticky, add more flour - 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix until the dough gathers into a ball, this should take about 5 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over itself a few times; kneading until it's smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a round and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turn it over to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot (i.e. over a gas pilot light) until doubled in size, about 1 hour. This is a good time to stick a pizza stone in the oven and preheat them to 500 degrees F.

Once the dough is domed and spongy, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter. Roll and stretch the dough into a cylinder and divide into 3 equal pieces. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes so it will be easier to roll out.

Roll or pat out a piece of dough into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Dust a pizza paddle with flour and slide it under the pizza dough. Brush the crust with a thin layer of olive oil, and top with your favorite flavors. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden and crisp. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Yield: 3 pizza crusts

Cheese Pie

INGREDIENTS:

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (4 ounce) package Bleu cheese, crumbled
4 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Original salad dressing mix
6 or 8 different condiments:
chopped ripe olives, green olives, nuts, caviar, shrimp,
green onion, pimiento and cooked bacon

TO PREPARE:

In 3 separate bowls, mix 1 package cream cheese with Bleu cheese, 1 package with Cheddar cheese, and 1 with Ranch dressing mix. Layer cheeses in a pie plate starting with Bleu cheese mixture on bottom, Cheddar in the middle and Ranch dressing on top. Mark off 6 or 8 sections with a knife or toothpick and fill in each section with the condiment of your choice, being careful to make it colorful. The cheese part may be prepared ahead and refrigerated. Add topping before serving and serve at room temperature with crackers.

SERVES: 10 - 12

Easy Pecan Pie

Desserts from California Sizzles

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup white corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 9-inch pie shell, unbaked
1-1/2 cups shelled pecan halves

TO PREPARE:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together corn syrup, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt until well
combined.Pour into pie shell.
3. Arrange pecan halves in concentric circles on top.Bake until firm, approximately
45 minutes.

SERVES: 6 - 8

Butterscotch Bon-Bons

1 bag semisweet chocolate morsels
1 bag butterscotch morsels
1 pint each of your choice of 3 flavors: vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, caramel, or butter pecan ice cream

Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler over barely simmering water, whisking until completely melted. Melt butterscotch morsels in a large glass bowl in the microwave on 50 percent power, whisking after 1 minute, and then returning to microwave for 1 more minute.

With a small ice cream scoop, scoop as many ice cream balls as desired, place them on a sheet tray, and put tray in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until re-frozen. Drizzle melted butterscotch and chocolate over ice cream scoops. Return to freezer until ready to serve.

Chocolate Peak Cupcakes

Cupcakes:
Butter, for greasing pan
Flour, for flouring pan
1 1/3 cups hot water
2 tablespoons instant coffee crystals
1 (18.3-ounce) box chocolate fudge cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
12 soft caramel candies, unwrapped

Frosting:
1 (16-ounce) container chocolate frosting
1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow creme, refrigerated
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour 2 (6-cup) cupcake pans. Stir hot water and coffee crystals in large bowl until crystals dissolve. Let cool. Add cake mix, oil, and eggs to coffee in large bowl. Beat by hand or with a hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended. Fill each muffin cup halfway with batter. Place 1 caramel candy in the center of each. Pour remaining batter over caramels. Bake for 12 minutes, or until cakes have puffed. Cool cupcakes in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Carefully remove cupcakes from pans and let cool completely before frosting.

Cut off tops of cupcakes, reserving both the tops and bottoms. Frost cupcake tops with chocolate frosting. Spoon 1 tablespoon of chilled marshmallow creme atop each cake bottom. Place cake tops back on top of cake bottoms. Dust tops with cocoa powder and sprinkle with coconut.

Sensuous Chocolate Truffles

1 (16-ounce) container chocolate frosting
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. With a hand mixer, beat frosting, powdered sugar, and vanilla in large bowl until smooth. Using a tablespoon measuring spoon or a 1-ounce cookie scoop, form into balls and place on cookie sheet. Dust truffles with cocoa powder. Cover and refrigerate truffles until ready to serve.

Valentine's Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Approximately 3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

Icing, recipe follows Silver balls Gold balls Icing:
2 tablespoons egg whites*
2 cups powdered sugar
Red food coloring

Cream the butter. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the egg, milk and vanilla and combine. Sift together 1 cup of the flour with the baking powder and mix it into the batter. Add some or all of the additional flour depending on how much the dough can handle. Form into a disk, cover in plastic and chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours. Roll out on a lightly floured surface about 1/4-inch thick. Cut out hearts with various sized cookie cutters and place on a greased sheet pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes until very light golden brown. Let cool on the pan. Icing: Whisk together the egg whites and powdered sugar to form a slightly loose icing. It should flow a little bit but not too much. Transfer a small amount to a separate bowl and add a tiny amount of red food coloring to make pink icing. Pipe a rim of pink icing around the edge of the cookie and then fill in the center with white icing, or just pipe decorative designs on the surface. Embellish with silver or gold balls. Let dry and package up in cello bags tied with a ribbon.

*RAW EGG WARNING: The American Egg Board states: "There have been warnings against consuming raw or lightly cooked eggs on the grounds that the egg may be contaminated with Salmonella, a bacteria responsible for a type of food poisoning. Healthy people need to remember that there is a very small risk and treat eggs and other raw animal foods accordingly. Use only properly refrigerated, clean, sound-shelled, fresh, grade AA or A eggs. Avoid mixing yolks and whites with the shell."