Peppermint Ice Cream and Hot Chocolate Affogato

I really hope you are not already sick of holiday recipes, because this recipe is truly great. Even if you have already had your fair share of peppermint bark or peppermint mochas, you just need to make space for one more chocolate and peppermint treat. Fair warning though, once you try this hot meets cold peppermint affogato, you will probably want it every night for dessert.

Things I think to myself at the grocery store: When does a favoritism towards peppermint ice cream turn into an outright obsession? When I buy if four weeks in a row, five weeks in a row...when I worry that McConnell's will stop making it post-holidays, so I buy three tubs at the grocery store? And what type of person becomes obsessed with peppermint ice cream?

Please note you might start to think these things as well if you try this recipe.

I'm particularly partial to McConnell's peppermint ice cream. It's refreshing, without being too herbal like some mint ice creams. Plus, it has a nice pink color that I find festive. Z is now addicted too.

This hot chocolate is a mix between American-style and French. I use both cocoa powder (Dutch processed cocoa will give you more flavor) and chopped up semi-sweet chocolate. The better the chocolate, the better the hot cocoa. And don't skimp on milk. Use at least 2%, but full-fat is best. It's the holidays!

Peppermint and Hot Chocolate Affogato

Serves 6

3 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa

2 oz chopped semi-sweet chocolate

2 tablespoons super fine sugar (feel free to add more if it's not sweet enough for you)

2 cups milk

Pinch of flaky sea salt

1 pint McConnell's Peppermint Stick ice cream

In a pot over medium-low heat, combine the cocoa, chocolate, sugar, and 1/2 cup of milk. Stir until the sugar and cocoa powder dissolve. Add more milk, and then heat until hot and chocolate melts, stirring frequently using a whisk. Do not let it boil! Add in the pinch of sea salt.

Meanwhile, place one scoop of ice cream in a small bowl or ramekin. Repeat with 5 other bowls. 

When hot chocolate is ready, ladle hot chocolate over the ice cream (about 1/3 cup hot chocolate). Serve immediately. 

Holiday Gift Guide: Cookie Lover

For the cookie monster in your life, bring them delicious treats all year long with these great cookie-themed gifts!

1) Send them crazy cool ice cream sandwiches thanks to CoolHaus {link}

2) Holiday cookie plates the cookie monster who could use a break from baking {link}

3) I'm obsessed with Milkbar cookies, and now you can make them at home too! {link}


4) Who wouldn't love a set of these adorable tea party inspired cookie cutters? {link}

5) The ultimate decorating tool for beautiful sugar cookies {link}

Molasses Spice Cookeis

Welcome to Day Two of Cookie Week here on Hilary Stone Soup! All week I am showcasing some of the best holiday cookie recipes around.

No holiday cookie collection is complete without a perfectly chewy molasses spice cookies. This recipe doesn't disappoint! It has a great chewy texture, and the warm spice combination tastes delicious. It's rare for me to make a cookie that comes out looking absolutely perfect, but these cookies always do! They are sure to impress anyone.

I personally love these cookies with vanilla ice cream. I love the idea of making homemade ice cream sandwiches with these spice cookies and some high-quality vanilla ice cream. Think of how much your office would love you if you bright these in to the holiday office party!

Molasses Spice Cookies

From Cook's Illustrated

Makes 22 cookies

1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup for rolling

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon table salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool

1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed 

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup dark molasses

Adjust oven rack to middle position, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1/2 cup sugar for rolling in a cake pan.

Whisk flour, baking soda, spices, and salt together in medium bowl.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars at medium-high until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium low and add egg yolk and vanilla, then beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds.

Add molasses, and again beat until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. 

Reduce speed to lowest setting, add flour mixture, and beat just until incorporated. Give dough a final stir with spatula to make sure there are no flour pockets. 

Scoop heaping tablespoon of dough and roll between palms to create a 1 1/2 inch ball. Drop ball into cake pan and roll in sugar. Set on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough. 

Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned, still puffy, and edges begin to set. Cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone, about 11 minutes. 

Cool cookies for 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer cookies to wire rack. 

Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Whether you are gluten-free or not, you will fall in love with these delicious, rich cookies. Part chocolate chip cookie, part brownie, this cookie is what my dreams are made out of.

These brownie cookies are perfect for the holiday season. Both adults and kids will love the rich chocolate taste, and everyone can enjoy them, no matter what type of gluten-free diet they are on!

The best thing about these cookies though is that come together in about 20 minutes, total. I bet you can make the batter in under 5 minutes, and they take about 15 minutes to bake!

Z and I ate these warm out of the oven with some ice cream, but they are just as delicious the next day on a beautiful holiday cookie platter.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie Cookies

From Bon Appetit

Makes 24 cookies

3 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large egg whites

1 large egg

4 ounces bittersweet chopped chocolate

Place oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt together then whisk in egg whites and egg. Fold in the chopped chocolate.

Spoon batter by the tablespoon onto parchment-lined baking sheets. 

Bake, rotating once, until cookies are puffed, cracked, and just set around the edges, 14-16 minutes. 

Let cookies cool down in the pan so they can firm up.

Enjoy!

Coming up next week...COOKIES!

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all have some lovely holiday plans in store for the weekend. Z and I will be spending the weekend getting our apartment ready for the holidays, and then spending time with friends outside (I'm excited for the sun after all the rain this week!).

I'm also going to be preparing for Cookie Week on Hilary Stone Soup! Starting Monday, I'll be sharing some of my favorite cookie recipes for the holidays. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Festivus, or Chanukah, these cookies will be the perfect treat!

Have a great weekend!

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: San Francisco Favorites

For those of you wanting to support your local Bay Area companies during the holiday season, this gift guide is for you! There are so many wonderful companies here in San Francisco making high-quality food products, serveware, and other fun gifts. These are the perfect presents for your Bay Area friends...

1) Heath Ceramics makes the most amazing serveware that both your friends in Pac Heights and the Mission can agree on {$129, link}

2) Tacolicious is one of my favorite local restaurants, and you can buy their sauces through Williams Sonoma {$13, link}

3) Help your friend recreate recipes from Bar Tartine, the restaurant from the famed Tartine Bakery family {$29, link}

4) Single origin chocolate from a company based in the Mission. You can even stop in on Valencia St if you want to sample in person {$20, link}

5) This Oakland-based chocolate company makes all of these beautiful truffles by hand {$35, link}

6) Sport your favorite Bay Area coffee brand while picking up groceries at the Farmer's Market {$25, link}

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: Giving Back

Every holiday season, I reminded of all the things that I have--a stable job, a place to live, clean water, food to eat, and of course, a wonderful support network of family and friends. It's important to remember that so many of us in this world are not nearly as lucky. 

All of these holiday presents give something back to the community!

1) This FEED bag is perfect for groceries and provides two school children with food for a year {$100, link}

2) Brown Water Coffee brings you freshly roasted coffee (they roast it the day before it is shipped!) and the company helps provide clean drinking water {$16, link}

3) Half of the profits for this sparkling wine goes to charity:water {$44, link}

4) Each tin of these cookies from Karlie Kloss and Christina Tosi provide 60 meals to children in need {$22, link}

5) Benefits for the beautiful chocolate set go to Relief International in Darfur {$30, link}

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: Coffee Lover

This is for the person in your life who doesn't think twice about spending $3 on a cup of coffee, who walks the extra 10 minutes to go to the best coffee shop around, always has a selection of freshly roasted coffee at home...

These are the perfect holiday gifts for the coffee lover in your life!

1) The automated coffee machine of my dreams {$280, link}

2) So she never has to be without good coffee, even when on a work trip in the middle of nowhere {$179, link}

3) A classic for a reason, this Chemex will brew perfect coffee every time {$88, link}

4) The most stylish French Press for a lazy weekend brunch {$80, link}

5) This Kickstarter cult favorite will make it easier for her to enjoy her favorite iced coffee {$75, link}

6) Coffee tastes better in prettier mugs, and anyone would be lucky to have these beauties {$48, link}

7) The cutest creamer that adds some personality to the table {$16, link}

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: Cocktail Connoisseur

For the guy in your life who barely knows how to cook, but he makes a mean Manhattan...These are the perfect gifts to give the mixologist for Christmas and Chanukah!

1) How could you pass up an opportunity to buy someone chocolate whiskey? {$23, link}

2) A true gentleman needs cocktail picks to match {$137, link}

3) Handcrafted bitters to improve his at-home bartending game {$26, link}

4) Nothing seems more luxurious than a monogrammed cocktail shaker {$32, link}

5) Everything he needs (except the alcohol) to make an Old Fashioned on the plane ride home {$24, link}

6) Top-notch cocktails require top-notch ice cubes as well {$399, link}

7) Stainless-steel coasters so cocktail hour doesn't lead to ruined furniture {$60, link}

8) Science-driven cocktail book will guarantee you an invitation to his next cocktail party {$22, link}

Holiday Gift Guide 2014: The Francophile

Now that is is full holiday mode, I am sharing a few things that I, and anyone on your list, would love to receive! I'll be featuring holiday guides all week.

This morning's gift guide is for that person in your life who dreams of escaping the States for Paris. Her French is impeccable, she always has that perfect messy hair, and she knows how to make a great French Onion Soup.

1) The ultimate gift: LeCreuset cookware in hot orange {$280, link}

2) What better tray than this one for croissants in the morning? {$110, link}

3) She can finally master the perfect elegant yet simple dessert dish, thanks to Dorie Greenspan {$23, link}

4) A baking dish that will make her feel as if she is cooking in Provence {$36, link}

5) The cutest tin of Parisian fruit candies {$16, link}

6) Because she never has enough fleur de sel {$15, link}

Weekend Reading

Happy Friday! I am so excited for the weekend--I'm planning on cuddling up on the couch with a book and a giant cup of coffee. I have a few big plans in the works. Check back every day next week for gift guides for everyone in your family!

In the meantime, here are a few links to get you to your 5pm happy hour beer. 

A Christmas cookie recipe fight...{link}

30 awesome events for all of you living in SF {link}

Things you should pick up at the flea market for your kitchen {link}

You can now buy your Girl Scout cookies online! This changes things... {link}

Can Starbucks rebrand as an evening destination for happy hour? {link}

Five tips for a successful holiday cocktail party {link}

Loving this dinner party dessert that can be shared with all of your guests {link}

Need plans for Chanukah? This SF dinner has got you covered {link}

The best places to eat around Union Square {link}

Banana Tartes Tatin

Puff pastry is, without a doubt, one of man's best culinary creations. It is deliciously buttery, works equally well for savory and sweet dishes, and keeps in your freezer until you need it! Plus, you can buy high-quality puff pastry at reasonable prices at your supermarket. 

  

I love puff pastry because it can elevate the simplest of meals. Got leftover rotisserie chicken and vegetables? Make a chicken pot pie with a puff pastry top! Need something to impress the neighbors at your holiday cocktail party? Wrap some brie in puff pastry and throw it in the oven!

These banana tartes tatin are as delicious as they are pretty. They are basically sweet, caramelized, bananas sitting on top of crispy puff pastry dough. Don't even think about serving this without a scoop of ice cream on top. 

Banana tarte tatin is the dinner party dessert of my dreams. Easy to make, easy to clean up, and you can bet your guests will be impressed. I mean, come on, just look at how pretty it turns out!

Banana Tartes Tatin

Serves 4

From Bon Appetit Magazine

4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter

8 tablespoons light brown sugar

4 firm ripe bananas, peeled and cut on the diagonal into 1/4" thick slices

4 6" rounds puff pastry cut from one package of puff pastry, thawed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place dishes on a rimmed baking sheet.

Smear bottom of each dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle each dish with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Overlap slices from 1 banana over sugar, arranging in concentric circles to cover. Top each dish with puff pastry round, tucking in edges.

Bake until pastry is bubbling and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Invert onto plates. Serve with vanilla ice cream!

Favorite Finds: McConnell's Ice Cream

I have pretty high ice cream standards.  Besides looking for natural ingredients (basically, ingredients I recognize and can pronounce), I look for a creamy and smooth base with spot-on flavors. 

Being here in San Francisco, I am pretty spoiled with good ice cream. Bi-Rite, Smitten, Humphrey Slocombe, and Double Rainbow are all within reach and have great ice creams.

But lately, I have been cheating on my local ice cream brands. McConnell's Ice Cream stole my heart earlier this summer, and I continue to be impressed with their ice creams.

First, let's talk about flavors. Their Eureka Lemon and Marionberries ice cream is the perfect summer treat. It's creamy and tart, with beautiful purple streaks of berries running through the ice cream. This flavor has converted me from a chocolate/coffee/caramel lover to a lemon ice cream lover.

Recently, Z and I picked up some of their Peppermint Stick ice cream, and we once again blown away by the flavor. It's the perfect way here in California to celebrate the holiday season--refreshing peppermint ice cream! It's even better than eating a peppermint stick, I promise!

You can find McConnell's ice cream in select grocery stores, or you can order online here!

All images via McConnell's!

 

Weekend Reading

Image via @amybelievesinpink on Instagram

Wow, this week really has flown by! I want to spend this weekend getting active again--playing tennis, going to Zumba. I also have some fall recipes to try out in anticipation for next week. Lately, I've been craving soup! Plus, an old friend from Stanford is visiting, and I'm looking forward to a Girls' Night Out with her!

To get you to happy hour, here are some weekend links...

Happy Friday!

I'm a fan of the German-style beer garden, and I'm glad to see it's becoming a trend! {link}

What's in pumpkin spice flavoring? It might surprise you... {link}

The best french fries in the Bay {link}

Watch an interview with Christopher Kostow, the chef at the Restaurant at Meadowood {link}

A day in the life of Dominique Ansel, the creator of the Cronut {link}

I'm a fan of big family breakfasts...are you? {link}

I am dying to try these Creme Fraiche Doughnuts with Salted Brown Butter Glaze {link}

The Melt is getting a menu and technology re-vamp! {link}

Where to take your family for a drink when they're in town this holiday season {link}

12 recipes for a gluten-free Thanksgiving {link}

Shirred Eggs

Move over poached eggs, meet my new favorite brunch dish, shirred eggs.

Shirred eggs are baked in the oven, maybe with a splash of cream, a sprinkling of herbs, or some roasted vegetables. I made a version below with leftover farro, scallions, cream, and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Feel free to add in whatever leftovers you have!

This dish is also great for holiday guests--it's easy to scale the recipe for visitors. Shirred eggs are the easiest of easy brunch dishes, and practically foolproof!

Shirred (Baked) Eggs

Serves 2

from Mark Bittman

Butter or oil as needed

1/4 cup farro (optional)

Cream (optional)

1 scallion, chopped

2 eggs

1 teaspoon parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Smear a bit of butter or oil in 2 custard cups or small ramekins. If you like, split the farro between the cups and put a couple of teaspoons of cream in the bottom of each. Add the scallions on top.

Break one egg into each cup, and sprinkle the cheese evenly between the two cups.  Put the cups on a baking sheet.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the eggs are just set and the whites are solidified. Because of the heat retained in the cups, these will continue to cook after you remove them from the oven, so it's best to undercook them slightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Weekend Reading!

It's only fitting that this week's collection of articles and links focuses on Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to a weekend of football, family, and book club! Enjoy this beautiful fall weekend!

How the Thanksgiving plate differs across America {link}

And what a Thanksgiving menu looked like in 1900 {link}

One of my friends brought this dish to Friendsgiving and it was amazing {link}

Thanksgiving, by the numbers {link}

Thanksgiving wines under $25 {link}

12 unexpected things to be thankful for this year {link}

The 20 best Thanksgiving songs {link}

A few extra recipes to impress your guests {link}

A timeline for Thanksgiving prep {link}

Easy Turkey and Gravy

Believe it or not, I made Thanksgiving turkey in a slow cooker. Yes, a slow cooker.

This is by far the easiest way to make Thanksgiving turkey. For Friendsgiving, I wanted a simple and foolproof turkey that required little active cooking time, and this recipe was just perfect.

For this recipe, you need a LARGE slow cooker. Mine is on the smaller side, and it was a little tricky fitting in the turkey breasts.

Also, don't worry if you cannot find one whole turkey breast that weights 6-7 pounds, as this recipe calls for. I ended up using two turkey breasts and it turned out great.

Easy Turkey and Gravy

Recipe from America's Test Kitchen

Serves 6-8 people

3 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped medium
1 carrot, peeled and chopped medium
1 celery rib, chopped medium
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 (6- to 7-pound) whole, bone-in, skin-on turkey breast, trimmed
Salt and pepper

Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook until onion is softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in flour and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Stir in 1 cup broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Transfer to slow cooker.

Stir remaining cup broth, water, wine, thyme, and bay leaves into the slow cooker. Season turkey with salt and pepper and place, skin side up, into slow cooker.

Cover and cook until turkey reaches 165 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 5-7 hours on low.

Transfer turkey to cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.

Let braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from the surface. Strain braising liquid into saucepan, discarding solids, and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Carve turkey and serve with gravy!

Thanksgiving Entertaining Tips

As a recent college grad, I am just getting used to serving as a host. At Stanford, no one hosted dinner parties. Though I love entertaining, I am still learning a lot each time I host a brunch or dinner party.

Thanksgiving, in particular, is especially tricky. You want delicious food, a beautiful home and tablescape, plenty of time to get dressed before guests arrive, and a relaxing day with family.

Here are some of my tips and tricks that really helped me as I was planning Friendsgiving! I hope they help make your Thanksgiving Day run smoothly!


Food:

• Decide where your priorities lie. I realized early on that I didn't want to spend all day cooking every single dish for Friendsgiving, so I delegated dishes and drinks to my friends. I got to focus on the three recipes I was particularly excited about--the turkey and gravy, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin tart.
• Make what you can the day before. I made my cranberry sauce and pumpkin tart on Friday evening instead of rushing through them on Saturday.
• If you are asking guests to bring food, remember that you will need to reheat dishes before serving. While my friends and I were drinking champagne, the mashed potatoes, stuffing, and brussel sprouts were warming up in the oven.
• Have two bowls for sauces and sides. That way, your guests aren't constantly passing cranberry sauce and gravy.

Tablescape:

• For an easy and beautiful tablescape, cover your table with a white tablecloth, then use craft paper as a runner. It creates a rustic feel that is perfect for Thanksgiving and other fall fetes. 
• Add color with napkins and flowers. I was able to find some great burgundy cloth napkins at World Market that brought in a fall feel to my table. Then, I used the burgundy as inspiration for my centerpiece!
• Know when to go to a professional. Theoretically, I could have made my own centerpiece with flowers from Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. Instead, I went to my new favorite flower shop, spent $20, and got a beautiful bouquet that looks 1000 times better than if I did it myself. Plus, it only took 10 minutes!
• Set the table in the morning. This will allow you to run the dishwasher again if you need more silverware, plates, glasses, etc.

Hope these tips help you stay organized this Thanksgiving!

Creamy Pumpkin Tart

Thanksgiving is not complete without a pumpkin dessert.

It doesn't need to be a pumpkin pie (some great pumpkin dessert options HERE and HERE), but somewhere should be a pumpkin dessert. 

I'll admit, pumpkin pie is not my favorite. The crust is often soggy and the filling isn't silky enough for me.

Then I found a recipe for a creamy pumpkin tart, and I realized this dessert might make everyone, both pumpkin pie fans and pumpkin spice cake fans alike, happy.

This tart has a gingersnap crust and a pudding-like pumpkin filling, lightly flavored with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice. Then it is topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream right before serving.

Instead of mimicking a pumpkin pie, it really more like a fall-flavored cream pie--cookie crust, creamy pumpkin filling, and whipped cream.

And the two best things about the recipe? 1) it only requires 15 minutes of baking AND 2) it has to be made the night before, giving you extra time on Thanksgiving day to focus on the main meal.

Enjoy!

Creamy Pumpkin Tart

Recipe from Butter Me Up Brooklyn

Serves 8-10 people

Crust:

1 1/2 cups finely crushed gingersnap cookie cookies

2 tablespoons brown sugar

pinch of salt

4 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled

Creamy Pumpkin Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cup (one 15 oz can) pumpkin pie puree 

Whipped Cream Topping:

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

For the crust:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine all of the crust ingredients and mix until it resembles wet sand. Press the crumbs into a 9-inch tart pan. 

Use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack in the crumbs, making sure you cover the sides as well. Bake for 15 minutes, then let cool.

For the filling:

Beat together the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Mix in the powdered sugar and brown sugar.

Then, add the vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin puree. Mix until smooth and well-combined. 

Next, set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium sized bowl. Using a spatula, press the filling through the strainer. This will make sure your filling is extra-smooth!

Pour the filling into your cooled crust. Use an offset spatula to smooth the filling into an equal level. 

Cover with plastic and chill overnight.

For the whipped topping:

Just before serving, beat together the cream, vanilla, and sugar. Spread over the chilled tart. Now, it's ready to eat!