Xingzi Apricot Wedding Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Xingzi Apricot Wedding Cookies! When time is of the essence, all cooks and bakers may take a shortcut or two. Sure, I could’ve given you the recipe to bake the wedding cookies from scratch, but let me tell you why I didn’t go that route. The main reason was, I needed the cookies to be uniform in shape, exact to be specific. I wanted pretty little dessert sandwich cookies that didn’t require me spending a couple hours building. Obviously, you can choose whatever flavored jam you’d like to substitute. Raspberry comes to mind for me. And you could melt chocolate chips to give definition to the stripes. The end result is pure satisfaction, no matter which way you spin it. 

XINGZI APRICOT WEDDING COOKIES

Ingredients:

4.5 ounces package of Mexican Wedding cookies 

1/2 cup apricot jam

Chocolate syrup, for drizzling

Instructions: 

Form tiny sandwich cookies by taking 2 wedding cookies arranged flat side up. Spoon a layer of apricot jam on one side of one cookie. Place the other cookie, flat side down, on top of the confection to make a “sandwich”.  Transfer to a serving platter. Repeat until the platter is full. Before serving, drizzle apricot wedding cookie sandwiches with chocolate. Serve. 

Whipped Feta Rice Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Whipped Feta Rice Cake! Every once in a while a craving for a rice cake enters my mind. Sure, I realize they are basically like eating fat-free air pockets with a satisfying crunch, so I can somewhat rationalize this temptation now and then by adding delicious toppings. Feta cheese, when whipped into submission becomes smooth, rich, and creamy. Lemon adds a refreshing zing, which goes well with pitas and veggies like my favorite, cherry tomatoes. Feel free to add fresh herbs or dried peppers. There’s really no limit to what you can do. 

WHIPPED FETA RICE CAKE

Ingredients: 

8 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, room temperature 

8 ounces feta cheese

1/4 cup water

2 1/2 tablespoons natural honey

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 lemon, zested

5.5 ounce package plain rice cakes

8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

Micro greens, for garnish

Instructions: 

In a food processor, combine Neufchâtel cheese, feta cheese, water, natural honey, black pepper, sea salt, and lemon zest. Blend until mixture is smooth and creamy. Spread the whipped feta onto a plain rice cake. Spoon the cherry tomatoes over the top. Garnish with micro greens. Repeat assembly steps for number of servings needed. Enjoy! 

Vinaigrette, Garlic Red Wine-Style

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Vinaigrette, Garlic Red Wine-Style! Looking for a versatile salad dressing without mustard? Don’t give me that quizzical stare. I know mustard makes a wonderful bonding agent to keep the oil and vinegar from separating too quickly, but there are some people who simply don’t like the taste of it. Honestly, I could practically drink honey mustard salad dressing if the hubs wouldn’t look at me like I’ve gone off the deep end. SSShhh. It’s our little secret. 

VINAIGRETTE, GARLIC RED WINE-STYLE

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup garlic red wine vinegar 

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/4 tablespoons natural honey

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions: 

In a small bowl, combine garlic red wine vinegar, lemon juice, natural honey, sea salt, and black pepper. Whisk until ingredients are combined. Slowly pour in olive oil; continue whisking so create a smooth texture. Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator until ready to use. Before drizzling over a salad, whisk the ingredients to avoid separation of vinegar and oil. 

Unbelievable Fudge Brownies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Unbelievable Fudge Brownies! If brownies fall into the category of “comfort food”, you’re going to appreciate this recipe. The rich dark chocolate is due to the cocoa powder as well as the semi-sweet dark chocolate morsels. The espresso powder gives it a slight taste of coffee without the jittery side effects of your morning cuppa joe. Keep a tall glass of cold milk in the refrigerator to wash down all the chocolate decadence. 

UNBELIEVABLE FUDGE BROWNIES 

Ingredients: 

3 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

1 cup chocolate chips, divided

Sea Salt, for garnish

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9”x9” square baking pan with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, sea salt, vanilla, espresso powder, sugar, cocoa powder, and flour. Mix well. Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Bake 30-40 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the batter comes out clean. While brownies are warm, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips over top.  Cover pan with a baking sheet for 2-3 minutes. Remove baking sheet and spread melted chocolate evenly over the brownies as a frosting. Sprinkle with sea salt, for garnish.

Tzatziki Egg Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Cut Above: Tzatziki Egg Salad! When I had a garden, while raising my children, I used to eat homegrown cherry tomatoes by the handful. The few times the tomatoes actually made it to the kitchen, I would always count out 10 cherry tomatoes for MY salad and then smother them with cucumber salad dressing. It was heaven-in-a-bowl for me. And then, all of a sudden, the bottled cucumber dressing disappeared off the store shelves, never to be seen again. What happened, I wondered. I was devastated, to say the least. Years later, the buzz was all about tzatziki sauce. I already knew I loved Greek gyros smothered in the stuff, so I went back to the deli and bought some. Guest what I do with it now. You know. 

TZATZIKI EGG SALAD

Ingredients: 

6 eggs

5 tablespoons Greek yogurt

1/4 medium cucumber, peeled and grated

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dill weed

Instructions:

Place the 6 eggs in a medium pot filled with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain. Place the eggs in an ice bath for 10 minutes to cool. Peel and dice the eggs. Set aside. To make the tzatziki sauce, combine Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic powder, olive oil, finely chopped celery, sea salt, black pepper, and dill weed. Mix well. Set aside. For the egg salad, begin by adding small portions of tzatziki sauce to the chopped eggs until you achieve the desired consistency. Chill tzatziki egg salad for 30 minutes. When ready to serve, make an “x” in the top of an artisan roll. Fill the center with egg salad. Serve with micro greens and fresh dill sprig.