adventures in brining...

in an effort to "level up" my cooking skills, i decided to make my own corned beef. the gal in the blog tweaked her recipe so that it's more indian influenced but one thing i thought was nifty was the substitution of beets. Reading her post about pink salt and nitrates, i decided to follow the original recipe she used but subbing pink salt for beets instead. I wanted my corned beef to taste like corned beef but not add any other chemicals in it that i didn't need to. It's currently day three in the brining process so we'll see what the finished product tastes like. i think i'm going to boil half of the brisket and then bake the other. Since i'm curious how both actually taste, it'll give me a chance to see which cooking method i prefer. more on cooking this later. :)

Corned Beef
(adapted from Saveur and Healthy Green Kitchen)

1 tbsp allspice
1 tbsp cloves
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp crushed red chile flakes
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1/2 tbsp juniper berries
2 cinnamon sticks
5 bay leaves, crumbled
1 ¼ cups kosher salt, plus more to taste
¾ cup sugar
2 large beets, sliced in half and divided
1 5-lb. first-cut beef brisket
4 cloves garlic
1 medium onion

Combine spices and 3 bay leaves in a 12″ skillet over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan constantly, until spices are toasted and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer ¾ of the mixture (reserving the rest in a covered jar) to a 5-qt. pot and add 8 cups water, kosher salt, sugar, and half of the beets. Bring to a simmer; remove pot from heat and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate brine until chilled. Add brisket and weigh it down with a plate so brisket is submerged. Refrigerate for 5 days.

Drain corned beef and rinse. Transfer beef to a 5-qt. pot along with the reserved pickling spices, garlic, onion, and remaining beets. Cover corned beef with cold water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer until corned beef is tender, about 1 hour. Remove pot from heat and let cool slightly.

To serve, transfer corned beef to a cutting board, thinly slice beef across the grain, and transfer to the platter. Spoon some of the cooking liquid over the beef and serve warm.

big bang and dinner.

just a quick post. had my sister over last night and made some delicious food. For the main we made some broiled chicken and for the sides we did asparagus with leeks and bacon with caramelized onion and goat cheese mashed potatoes. Couple that with a four hour marathon of big bang theory and you got yourself a good night! XD life is good. :)

 
Easy Garlic Broiled Chicken
(from All Recipes)

1/2 cup butter
3 tbsp sminced garlic
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp dried parsley
6 boneless chicken thighs, with skin
dried parsley, to taste

1. Preheat the oven broiler. Lightly grease a baking pan.

2. In a microwave safe bowl, mix the butter, garlic, soy sauce, pepper, and parsley. Cook 2 minutes on High in the microwave, or until butter is melted.

3. Arrange chicken on the baking pan, and coat with the butter mixture, reserving some of the mixture for basting.

4. Broil chicken 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until juices run clear, turning occasionally and basting with remaining butter mixture. Sprinkle with parsley to serve.

 

Absurdly Addictive Asparagus
(from Food52)

4 ounces pancetta, cut into 3/8 inch to 1/4 inch dice
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed and sliced into 2 inch pieces on the bias
1 1/4 cup leek, thinly sliced crosswise (white and pale green parts only)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1-2 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. In a large non-stick pan, sauté pancetta, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until crisp and lightly golden.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to pan. Add asparagus pieces and leek and sauté until asparagus is tender crisp, about 3-4 minutes.

3. Add garlic, lemon and orange zest, toasted pine nuts and parsley and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and salt and serve immediately.

 

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese
(from Food52)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
1 tablespoon olive oil
1.5 pounds yellow onions (approximately 2 large onions), thinly sliced
Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1.5 cups half and half
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 bay leaf
3 ounces goat cheese
Black pepper

1. To make the caramelized onions, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and stir them to coat with the fat. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown and caramelized, about 30-40 minutes. If the onions get too dry, add a small amount of water to deglaze the pan. Set aside.

2. Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender.

3. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the half and half, garlic, bay leaf, and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

4. Drain the potatoes and return them to the hot, dry pot. Stir them over low heat for 2 minutes until they are dry. Pass the potatoes through a ricer into a large bowl. Gently stir in the hot cream mixture a little at a time until the potatoes are smooth and creamy (discard the garlic and bay leaf). You may not need to use all of the liquid. Set aside a small amount of the caramelized onions for garnish and stir the remaining onions into the mashed potatoes. Crumble the goat cheese into the potatoes and stir to combine well. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. (deviated from here. i just took out the bay leaf and mashed everything together, stired in 3/4 of the caramelized onions and all of the goat cheese, seasoned it, and garnished it with the rest of the onions while in the pot.)

5. Spoon the mashed potatoes into a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining caramelized onions. Serve hot.

scones part deux: taste it and make it!

on my way to work in the mornings, i always pass by peet's coffee and teas. i've never actually stopped at this particular franchise as i'm more of the local mom and pop coffee shop kind of gal. this morning tho was different. and glad i was when i did because i found the most tastiest scone i've ever had: the multigrain scone.

i don't know why this was such a revelation to me as i've always been a fan of multigrain anything. i guess i just never had it in a scone form. after i inhaled the last of the crumbs from the bottom of the bag, i thought: man! i want some more of that! *ding!* wait, i can make that!!

well the idea was born and off the internets i searched. First was finding out what was in the scone. I did come across the ingredients list and here's what it listed:

Multigrain Scone:
Enriched Unbleached Wheat Flour, Butter, Sugar, Water, Cream, Dates, Coconut, Lemon Peel, Flax Seed, Cracked Wheat, Oats, Rye Meal, Yellow Polenta, Rolled Barley, Millet, Rice Bran, Wheat Germ, Sunflower Seeds, Rolled Rye, Milk, Baking Powder, Salt, Artificial Color.

Afterwards, searched and rifled through a bunch of recipes and settled on this one since it sounded like it would have right texture i was looking for.

wow, was this recipe awesome! it was the perfect base for the scone. i added 3/4 cup of shredded coconut and it was pretty damn close to what i had at peet's coffee and tea.
things i would do differently:

- i would definitely add more coconut flakes, cranberries, and probably add another type of nut into the mix. also, some vanilla extract. it's missing something but i can't quite put my taste buds on it. cornmeal maybe? gotta buy another scone and dissect it more thoroughly.

-my scone was slightly burned so definitely less cooking time and closer to what the recipe called for. about 20 minutes tops.

-handle the dough less and maybe just round balls? i wanted a more bakery scone look rather than the ones i did. we'll see.

-i did the oat flour route and instead of grinding it to a fine meal, i'd probably grind it coarsely instead to help with the consistency.

-this was lightly sweet. while i'm all for less sugary intake, i really enjoyed the balance of sweet and nutty that the peet's scone had. next time, i'll add a full cup of sugar and see what that tastes like.

all in all, this was a very satisfying experiment (better than the fist attempt i did) and was surprised at how easy it all was. and this try actually produced an actual scone-like, erm, scone? lol. with that being said, next stop: maybe make my own corned beef?? :O

Mixed Flour Buttermilk Scones with Cranberries and Almonds
(from Seven Spoons)

For the scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour or oat flour, see note
¼ cup flaxseed meal
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Finely grated zest from one lemon
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small dice
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries, see note
3/4 cup flaked almonds, toasted and then chopped
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk, plus more if needed
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

For glaze (optional)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

To make the glaze, stir together the sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Use parchment paper to line a standard baking sheet and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest. On the machine's lowest setting, cut in the chilled butter until the mixture resembles course meal. The butter should be in small pieces approximately the size of peas. Mix in the cranberries and almonds.

With the machine still on low, slowly pour the buttermilk into the flour and butter mixture in a thin stream, stirring until just combined. Use only as much buttermilk as needed to bring the dough together - don’t worry if you don’t use it all, or if you need to add a tablespoon or more. Small bits of butter should still be visible, but almost all the flour should be incorporated. (skipped this and did mine by hand. i coarsley grated the butter into the dry ingredients, adding the coconut as well, and followed the rest as directed. :D)

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Working quickly, gently knead the dough, folding and pressing gently until it just holds together. Divide the dough into two, and shape each ball of dough into a 6-inch round about 1-inch thick. Cut each round into six wedges, and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake scones in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes, then carefully pull them out and brush the top of each lightly with the glaze, if using. Return the scones to the oven and continue to bake until the the tops are lightly golden and the cut sides look flaky and dry, around 5-8 minutes more. When fully cooked, the scones should feel light for their size and sound almost hollow when tapped underneath.

Cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes. Best served warm the day they are made, but can be toasted or rewarmed in a low oven. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Makes 12 medium scones.

Author's Notes:
• In lieu of whole wheat flour, toasted oat flour also works quite well. To make your own, spread 3/4 cup of rolled oats on a baking sheet and bake in a 375°F oven until lightly golden, stirring occassionaly, around 7 minutes. Allow to cool, then grind in a food processor into fine meal.

• Our dried cranberries were markedly less sweet than the raisin-like ones sold in many grocery stores. Using the latter style might warrant reducing the granulated sugar to a 1/3 cup.

stuffed chickens are cheesy.

well, i've been mia for a little bit. it's probably because it's been so hot this summer that i did not want to cook. since it's been cooling down a bit, i've started to cook a little bit. here was last night's dinner: chicken stuffed with apples and goat cheese.

i thought the choice of dish was appropriate considering fall is just around the corner. (being the experimenter) i went out on a limb and added some paprika, cinnamon (just a wee bit!) and parsley to the breadcrumbs and that made all the difference! it smelled amazing in the oven! that fist bite was even better...the hint of cinnamon and paprika really melded well with the goat cheese and apple filling. and the chicken just sang! very flavorful and delicious! i served it with a side of sauteed green beans and shallots like in the picture. my opinion: this one is a total keeper. :D

 

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Apple and Goat Cheese
(from Delish)

6 large (about 2 pounds) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ounces goat cheese
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
1 large firm apple, peeled, cored, and shredded
All-purpose flour for dusting
1 large egg
1 1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
barely a pinch of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoon olive oil

1. Place chicken breasts on a large sheet of waxed paper; cover with another sheet of waxed paper. Pound breasts to a 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of waxed paper and season with the pepper and salt.

2. Combine the goat cheese, lemon rind, and apple. Divide apple mixture among the chicken breasts and spread the mixture evenly over half the surface of each breast. Fold each breast in half and press the edges together, forming a pocket.

3. Sprinkle the flour onto a sheet of waxed paper. In a small bowl, combine the egg and 1 tablespoon water. In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese (added the cinnamon and paprika here). Dust each breast lightly with flour and dip into egg mixture, moistening all surfaces. Coat with bread crumb mixture, patting the crumbs gently in place. (The chicken can be prepared to this point several hours ahead; cover and refrigerate. When ready to cook, bring the chicken to room temperature.)

4. In a large, heavy skillet, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook until browned and cooked through, about 7 to 8 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and serve.

 

Green Beans with Garlic and Shallots
(makes 2 servings)

large handful of green beans
1 to 2 shallots, sliced
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper
chicken stock or water
parmesan or choice of shredded cheese

Cook shallot and garlic together in a shallow pan with a little bit of olive oil until slightly caramelized. Add the green beans and a couple tablespoons of stock or water and cover. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper and top with a little bit of shredded cheese.

tarragon chicken over polenta.

just got back from a trip. missed my kitchen and decided to whip something out of the blue. never tried making polenta before so i decided to use this recipe. all in all, turned out to be a good dish. it's good to be home. :)

 
Tarragon Chicken
(serves one)

1 skinless boneless chicken thigh, chopped to small pieces
1/4 cup white onion, roughly chopped
1/8 cup fennel bulb, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 to 1 1/12 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp fresh fennel leaves
1/4 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 to 1 1/2 cup low sodium chiken stock
1 to 2 tbsp cornstarch with water for thickener

Fry onion and garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add chopped fennel and cook for an additional couple of minutes. Add chopped chicken thigh, tarragon, paprika, fennel leaves, and season with salt and pepper. Slightly brown chicken then add chicken stock. Let simmer for 5 minutes then add thickener. Cook additional 5 to 10 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Serve over polenta.

 
Soft Polenta
(from La Buona Cucina)

2 cups chicken broth or stock
2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup coarse or medium grind corn meal (white or yellow)
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated cheese*

*Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, Asiago, Gorgonzola...or a combo of all 3 totaling 1/2 cup.

In a 4- to 6-qt. pan over medium-high heat, bring the water and broth to a boil. Whisk in the salt and then the corn meal in a thin, steady stream, whisking non-stop until smooth.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking pretty frequently, for a good 8-10 minutes or until smooth and thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in butter & olive oil, cheese (if desired), a few grinds of pepper, and taste for salt.

Now, you can serve this right away or you can cover and it should keep warm and soft for about 20 minutes.

fancy stroganoff.

today was one of those days were i really needed to de-stress and cook something that took some love and affection. and also, as always, to use up some left over ingredients that were hanging out in the fridge. so, whilst browsing through the internet to figure out what to do with a piece of meat in the freezer, i came upon this beef stroganoff recipe that seemed simple and tasty. also, it had a little bit of liquor which was definitely a plus for me! i love cooking with alcohol! :D

recipe was straightforward. the only thing i probably modified was adding garlic powder to the seasoning of the beef and that was pretty much it. oh, and i mixed it with pasta instead of over rice. the ending result was pretty tasty. lots of leftovers, which was what i wanted since i made this for tomorrow's dinner. i'm betting that it'll be even better after it's mingled together a bit. on that note, i thought it was super-duper tasty but the boyfriend thought it was okay. *sigh* difference of opinion. that's okay...more for me! XD

 
Beef Stroganoff
(from Wine Country)

1 tsp crushed black pepper
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 lbs beef chuck roast (i used leftover beef i roasted. :))
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, sliced
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 10.5 ounce can beef broth
1 tbsp Cognac or brandy
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1. Clean fat off beef and slice into 2 inch long and ½ inch thick pieces. Season with salt and pepper. (skipped this since i had pre-seasoned beef already and just added the garlic powder)
Heat butter and olive oil in pan over medium heat. Quickly brown beef strips and then transfer to plate.

2. Add onions and mushrooms to pan and sauté until onion is tender. Add beef back to pan and sprinkle with all-purpose flour. Add broth and cognac and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat and add in mustard. Cover and simmer until beef is tender (about 1 hour).

3. Stir in sour cream right before serving. Sprinkle with parsley and serve over rice.

game time.

cornish game hen, that is. picked a couple of these up in walmart the other day and wanted to see if i can do anything with it. searched around on a few sites then saw a reference for cooking light's roasted cornish game hen. i happen to love cooking light's cookbooks and for the most part, their recipes have always been spot-on with me. so...decided to give it a try. :D


i followed the recipe for the most part. anything i didn't have, i substituted as usual. the glaze itself has a pretty similar base to the balsamic one i always do. so, to change it up a bit, i added a touch of rose water, a pinch of savory, and a dash of pepper give it a little bit of complexity. the side was just asparagus with crispy pancetta, garlic, and red onion sauteed in a little bit of olive oil. also, butterflying the hen turned out to be super-duper easy! thank you, youtube! and thank you, mr. ramsay, for showing how to do the drumsticks! XD

one thing i have to say tho...it definitely needed a starch of some sort. the portion still left me and the boyfriend a tad bit peckish and i think having some sort of starch would have probably fixed that problem. that or serve a whole cornish hen to each instead of halving it. who knew they were such small portions? :/ ah, well...c'est la vie.
 

Roasted Cornish Hens with Cherry-Port Glaze
(from Cooking Light)

1/2 cup cherry preserves
1/2 cup port
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tbsp rose water
1/4 tsp savory
1/4 tsp paprika or ancho chile powder
2 (1 1/2-pound) Cornish hens
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray.

Combine preserves, port, ginger, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan (added the rosewater, savory, and paprika/ancho chile here as well). Bring to a boil; cook 9 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

Remove and discard giblets and necks from hens. Rinse hens with cold water; pat dry. Remove skin; trim excess fat. Working with 1 hen at a time, tie ends of legs together with twine. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under hen. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Set on wire rack on baking sheet.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Brush hens with cherry mixture; bake 40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty part of thigh registers 165°, brushing with cherry mixture every 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove twine; split hens in half lengthwise.
 

Asparagus and Pancetta Saute
(makes 2 servings)

half bunch asparagus, cut into thirds
2 to 3 slices of pancetta, roughly chopped
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper

Slightly caramelize onion and garlic together in a little olive oil. Add pancetta and cook until crispy. Add the asparagus and saute until tender, about 2 to 5 minutes depending on thickness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

bangers and mash.

i don't know if it's just the fact that i'm addicted to watching gordon ramsay or if it's the head of cauliflower in my fridge that's about to go bad....whatever the case may be, i suddenly had a hankering to make some good 'ole bangers and mash. now i know he's scottish....but he's got a british accent, dammit! and yay for low-carb food!



started off with cutting the cauliflowers to size and then boiling them in salted water. after that was done cooking, i drained it and took some three cheese blend, paprika, pepper, and a little bit of half and half to make the mash. added some garlic powder and then some freshly chopped green onions. beaauuuutiful!



next, i pan fried the chicken sausages in olive oil, set them aside, sauteed some onions, then added some chicken stock, pepper, a little half and half, and thickened it with a little corn starch. then put the sausages back to simmer with the gravy and that was it!

one thing i think i would do differently is probably to have more gravy to cover the sausages with. and probably a less salty sausage. this particular one was a teeny bit salty for what i had in mind. but, overall, it was still pretty good. yay! :)
 

Cheesy Cauliflower Mash
(makes 2 to 3 servings)

1/2 large head cauliflower, cut to pieces
1/8 cup or so three cheese parmesan blend
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup or more half and half
salt and pepper
1/4 cup green onion, chopped

Boil the cauliflower in salted water until soft and tender. Drain and return to pot. Add the parmesan blend, paprika and garlic powder. Over very low heat, mash the cauliflower while slowly adding the half and half. When reached desired consistency, stir in the green onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
 

Sausage in Onion Gravy
(makes 2 to 3 servings)

4 chicken sausages
1 small onion, sliced or chopped
i clove garlic, minced
olive oil
1 tbs flour
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/3 cup half and half
salt and pepper
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with a little water for thickener

Pan fry the sausages until browned in a little olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan, add the onions and the garlic and cook until onions are slightly translucent. Add the flour and onion powder and cook for a few of minutes. Add the chicken stock and half and half, stirring constantly. Add desired amount of cornstarch/water mixture slowly while stirring then add the sausages back to the pan. Let simmer until desired thickness (mine took 10 minutes) then season with salt and pepper to taste. If too thick, add additional stock or water to thin out. Serve sausages topped with gravy.

rusticky ham and veggie tart.

ah, tarts! one of the best ways to use up veggies going bad and little bits and pieces of other random stuff in the kitchen. :) this was a spur of the moment kind of thing and since i was home sick, cooking was an excellent make-me-feel-better activity. :D



let's start with prepping some pretty veggies. i decided to use three different kinds of onions for this one and caramelizing them before going into the tart. figured i'd add some basil and some sun-dried tomatoes to give it a little kick as well.



in to the pan the onions went with a little bit of garlic while i prepped the egg base. looking in the fridge, i spied a couple of leftover slices of canadian bacon and that was put into the mix as well. i was worried that the tomatoes would be too chewy so that was hydrated in olive oil for a few minutes. then all were mixed together with some salt and pepper and into the oven it goes!


tasty! and pretty to boot. :D i paired this up with a side of baby spinach and arugula topped with a little bit of balsamic vinaigrette for a nice lunch. mmm....perfect! definitely love when spur of the moment works! :D

heart-y not-so-scones.

this morning, i woke up uncommonly early and had the urge to make some scones. now, i've never ever made scones in my life so i omgoogled for a bit and found a promising jam-topped almond scone recipe. It seemed simple enough to do so i decided to make a go for it.


so, being the person that i am, i of course didn't have the right ingredients on hand so i substituted this for that and crossed my fingers for the best. looking back now, i shouldn't of beat the batter so much and i wish these were more thicker when i made them. the ending result was a very doughy consistency much like thick bread and not light and fluffy at all like i hoped they would be. one redeeming quality of the experiment is probably the gooey globs of jam and the nice crunchy crust from the sugar i topped the "scones" with. next time, i would definitely go with a more traditional recipe made with chopped cold butter. :/

 

I Love You Scones
(from Celebrate with Style)

1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup applesauce
2 Tbs. butter or margarine, melted
1 tsp. almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 tsp. strawberry or raspberry preserves
Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 400ºF. Grease cookie sheet.

Beat egg slightly in medium bowl. Stir in milk, applesauce, butter and almond extract. Stir in remaining ingredients except preserves and powdered sugar just until moistened.

Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart onto cookie sheet. Pat into heart shapes about 3 inches wide and 1/2 inch high, using fingers dusted with flour. Make shallow well in center of each heart, using back of spoon dipped into flour. Place 1/2 teaspoon of the preserves in each well.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while warm. Serve warm.