Kab El Ghazal (Horn of the Gazelle)

This is my favorite cookie from Morocco! My husbands parents brought numerous amounts of cookies over from Morocco on their visits to us. This was my first time making this cookie and I was really unsure how it would turn out. It took a couple times to actually get the shape of the cookie down. My husband said it tasted good, not to mention he almost ate the entire plate which says something about it!


Dough Ingredients:
4 cups flour
1 cup water
5 Tbsp butter (also equals 1/3 cup)
pinch of salt
1 egg
2 Tbsp blossom water (You cannot find this at a regular grocery store. Check online or around town for a middle eastern store that sells specialty foods and ingredients.)

Filling Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups blanched almonds (if not blanched boil regular raw almonds for 45 seconds)
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp blossom water (also known as orange blossom water)

Dough:
Melt butter. Making the dough by hand requires you to knead the dough for about 20-30 minutes. Otherwise you can use a food processor. Add the flour to the food processor, then add the salt, then add butter, egg. Cover and turn on the food processor for a couple of seconds. Then add water through the top and turn on again for about 10 seconds. Open and add the blossom water. Turn on food processor for several minutes. Make sure dough is properly mixed. You may have to hold the food processor down. The final product should be a smooth elastic dough.
Filling:
Roast the almonds in a pan to enhance the flavor for a few minutes. Again in a food processor add your almonds, sugar, cinnamon, butter, and blossom water. Mix until the filling is paste like with no chunks.

Now its time to roll the Kab El Ghazal. Roll out the dough very thinly. Take a small handful of filling and place it on the dough. Cover the filling with the dough and shape the cookie into a crescent shape. Use a cookie cutter to cut the cookie out of the rest of the dough. Then reroll the dough thinly and continue until all the filling is used.
Use aluminum foil or parchment paper on a baking sheet. If you don't have either you can use nonstick cooking spray directly on the baking sheet. Place the Kab El Ghazal on the baking sheet. Use a fork to poke holes in the sides of the dough to allow heat to escape when baking. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook for 15-20 minute. Serve.

Chocolate Eclairs

I love chocolate eclairs, not just because they are so delicious but because they are also one of the great pastries from France (I love France, can't wait to go there someday!).

Ingredients:
2 (3.4 oz) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 cups milk
1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (16 oz) package Graham crackers
1 (16 oz) container chocolate frosting
1. In a large bowl, combine pudding mix and confectioners' sugar.
Whisk in milk until mixture is smooth, then gradually fold in whipped
topping.
2. Places layer of Graham crackers in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.
Spread 1/3 of pudding mixture over crackers. Cover pudding with
another layer of Graham crackers. Continue layering until pudding is
gone. Cover last pudding layer with another layer of Graham crackers.
3. Remove lid and seal from frosting and microwave at 20 second
intervals, stirring in between, until frosting is pourable ( about 1
minute). Spread frosting evenly over top layer of Graham crackers.
Refrigerate 24 hours before serving.

Apple Crumb Pie

Ingredients:
Crust: 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbsp chilled butter, cut in small pieces
5 Tbsp chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp ice water
Filling: 3 3/4lb. granny smith apples (10 medium) peeled, cored,
thickly sliced
1 Tbspfresh lemon juice
2 1/2 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup sugar
1tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp apple cider
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup apple sauce
Topping: 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
6 Tbsp (3/4 sticks) butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 tsp salt

For Crust: Mix flour and salt indoor processor. Add butter and
shortening; until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle 2 Tbsp ice
water over. Process until moist clumps form, adding additional tsp of
ice water when dry. Gather dough into one ball. Flatten into a disk.
Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour.
Roll out dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to 14 inch round.
Transfer dough to 10 inch glass pie dish. Fold overhang under. Crimp
edges decoratively. Pierce bottom of crust all over with fork. Freeze
crust 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line crust with aluminum foil. Fill with
pie weights. Bake 15 minutes and remove weights and foil. Bake until
golden brown (about 10 minutes), set and cool.
For Filling: Toss apples and lemon juice in medium bowl. Melt butter
in large skillet over medium/high heat. Stir in sugar and cinnamon.
Add apples, sauté until coated with cinnamon butter and crisp-tender
about 5 minutes. Whisk cider and cornstarch in small bowl. Add to
apples. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Transfer apple mixture to
a large bowl. Mix in applesauce and cool completely.
For Topping: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using finger tips to rub all
ingredients in bowl until moist clumps form. Place filling in crust.
Sprinkle topping over apples. Bake until topping is golden brown about
40 minutes.
Serves 8

Corn Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 egg
1 egg white
1 cup fresh blueberries
Preheat oven 400 degrees. Grease or paper line 12 muffin cups.
Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, wheat germ, and baking powder in bowl.
Combine evaporated milk, vegetable oil, yogurt, egg and egg white in
bowl; stirring until moistened. Gently fold in blueberries. Spoon
batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.
Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes; remove to wire rack
to cool slightly.
Serves: 12

Yule Log

I first learned about the Yule Log cake in my French class in high school around Christmas time. Its traditional for the French to make this cake. People decorate the cake to look like a real log. It is a hard cake to make but delicious to eat!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp of cognac or grand marnier
5 eggs
Ingredients for Chocolate Creme:
1/2 cup of sugar
4 eggs
2 oz of melted bitter sweet chocolate
4 oz melted butter
6 oz jam
Heat oven to 450 degrees. To make cake, mix 5 egg yolks with sugar
until the volume doubles and the preparation becomes almost white
(about 10 minutes).
Sift flour and add he egg mixture. Beat until smooth and add 1 Tbsp of
cognac or grand marnier. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until
stiff but not dry. Carefully fold beaten egg whites into the mixture.
Prepare a large jelly roll pan by lining it with well greased aluminum
foil. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 10 minutes at 450
degrees.
When baked, immediately invert cake onto a humid towel that you lay on
your table and remove the foil. Let cool 20 minutes. Moisten the cake
with a mixture of one Tbsp of cognac and 3 Tbsp of water. To prepare
the creme, mix 4 egg yolks with sugar for 10 minutes. Add melted
butter and chocolate. Stir until smooth. Spread cake with marmalade
and roll it up slowly. Ice cake with chocolate creme. Refrigerate 6
hours before serving.
Serves 8

Potato-Cheese Casserole

2 lbs potatoes
2 cups milk
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
2 eggs
Salt & pepper
Nutmeg
Butter
Peel and wash the potatoes and thinly slice them. Shred the cheese
into the first cereal bowl. Mix the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and
nutmeg in another bowl.
Grease 10 inch pan. Layer the potatoes in the pan. Cover this layer
with cheese. Pour the egg mixture on top of the cheese. Place 4, 1/4
inch squares of butter on top of the cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for
60 minutes.
Serves 4

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:
4 oz linguine pasta
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in strips
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
4 fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 green onion, minced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add linguine and cook for 8-10
minutes, drain. Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl; toss to
coat. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté chicken in butter 5-7
minutes. Add green & red peppers, mushrooms, and onions (2-3 minutes).
Reduce heat and stir in heavy cream. Season the sauce with basil,
lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder, pepper and heat. In a large bowl,
toss linguine with sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
Serves 2

Blondies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups self rising flour
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cups chopped macadamia nuts
1/3 cup flaked coconut

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. In medium bowl, cream
together the butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar until
smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Stir in flour til blended
then fold in the white chocolate chips, macadamia nuts and coconut.
Roll the dough into walnut sized balls. Place cookies 3 inch apart on
cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes.
30 servings

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

So I'm pretty sure everyone knows of Panera Bread's Broccoli Cheddar Soup and if you don't then you really need to try it. Well, its so good that I wanted to recreate this masterful soup in my own kitchen. I was afraid because I hate onions but I didn't want to deviate from the recipe so not to change the taste. And I was scared that it wouldn't come out tasting anything like their soup but to my surprise it tasted fabulous and my husband said it tasted even better! Now I want to make it all the time!

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half and half
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb. fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots julienned
salt and pepper taste
1/4 tsp nutmeg
8 oz grated sharp cheddar

Sautee onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour whisking together over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Add in half and half, constantly stirring and pouring at the same time. Add the chicken stock the same way. Simmer for 20 minutes frequently stirring. Add the broccoli, carrots, and onions. Cook over low heat until vegetables have become tender approximately 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper to your liking (approximately 1 tsp each for appropriate taste). The soup should have thickened by this point. Pour into food processor and puree. Return soup to pot over low heat. Add grated cheese. Stir until well blended. Stir in nutmeg.
Serve with toasted bread.

Enjoy!