Coconut Almond Bourbon Blondies - Gluten Free!

Thanks to Kentucky bourbon country, I'm still finding ways to enjoy memories of the trip we made last year. The Woodford Reserve cooking and baking items I picked up at Bourbon Barrel Foods in Louisville are still finding new uses in my kitchen. 

Blame it on the Strip District and Enrico's, but since wandering into that incredible bakery a couple of weeks ago, I haven't been able to stop thinking about my favorite, fondly remembered, blondies. Why on earth would I tempt myself when all that gluten taunted me? I simply felt the urge to peruse beautiful pastries, biscotti, breads, cakes and cookies...and to inhale deeply. And I did.

Duplicate Enrico's blondies at home? And make them gluten free? Why try to recreate perfection? Why not? I used my basic gluten free blondie recipe, added toasted almonds, coconut shreds, mega chocolate chips, then sanded everything with Bourbon Vanilla Sugar and a sprinkle of Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt - both from Bourbon Barrel Foods in Louisville. Also from BBF, I incorporated Bourbon - Madagascar Vanilla Extract. The secret ingredient, of course, is a bit of Woodford Reserve Bourbon! 

Kentucky tastes SO GOOD!

Coconut Almond Bourbon Blondies - Gluten Free

• 4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 4 T coconut oil
• 1 C light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 2 t Woodford Reserve bourbon - or whatever you have on hand (bet dark rum would be pretty amazing, too)
• 1 t vanilla extract (see above for the brand I used and a link to order your own)
• 1 C Jule's gluten free all purpose flour
• 1/4 t baking soda - be sure it's gluten free
• 1/2 t baking powder - be sure it's gluten free
• 1/2 t fine kosher salt
• 3/4 C chocolate chips - I used Guittard mega chocolate chips
• 1 T Jule's gluten free all purpose flour (for tossing with the chocolate chips to keep them from sinking in the batter)
• 1/2 C toasted almond slices - toast them in a dry skillet until lightly browned and fragrant
• 1/2 C Trader Joe's Roasted Coconut Chips
• 1 T Bourbon Vanilla Sugar
• a large pinch of Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter an 8" X 8" square baking pan. Set aside. Toss chocolate chips with the 1 T flour in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a medium mixer bowl, add the butter and coconut oil and blend well, then add brown sugar and beat at medium speed until thoroughly blended. Add egg, vanilla and bourbon to the mixture and beat until smooth.

In a small separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt. Add this dry mixture to the mixer bowl with the wet ingredients and mix at slow speed until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand.

Pour the batter into the buttered pan, working it into the corners and smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Scatter the almonds and coconut over the top, sprinkle with bourbon vanilla sugar, and finally with a big pinch of bourbon smoked sea salt.

Bake for 45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the pan on a rack and cut into squares or bars to serve. 

Why not make a good cup of coffee (and maybe add just a splash of bourbon?) for quite the enjoyable break...kind of like a mental visit to the Bourbon Trail!

Beer Caramel Chocolate Almond Bar Cookies

Much like mushrooms springing from front yard mulch after the rain, brewpubs are popping up all over Pittsburgh. Among them, is a fledgling spot down the Ohio River that stands out from the (6?) pack. It's not because it's the biggest or has the most taps or even that it has the catchiest name, Aurochs Brewing Company is the only exclusively gluten-free brewery in the 'Burgh.

Ryan Bove, one of the owners of Aurochs, recently led me through the the brewery on Ohio River Boulevard in Emsworth and it didn't take long. The space is cavernous, while currently the brewing capacity is quite modest....BUT...their plans for the future are BIG.

Aurochs current brewing set up.

We stood in the well lit, mostly empty, cement floored warehouse/brewing area while I learned of all that is planned to fill Aurochs to capacity - future big mash tuns, brewing kettles, settling tanks and such. I like an organization with an eye to the future!

Just imagine the gluten-free beer glory to come!

While we talked about plans yet to be realized for Aurochs, one that Ryan told me about was their hopes for a tasting room at Soergel's Farm Market in Wexford. Why Soergel's? Ryan's partner, Doug Foster, is married to Amy Soergel. An Aurochs tasting room at Soergel's is particularly appropos since Soergel's grows some of the hops for Aurochs' brews. 

When the Soergel's tasting room becomes reality, I'm looking forward to some great Soergel's BBQ on a soft gluten-free bun accompanied by a cold, crisp gluten-free Aurochs beer. (If you haven't had the pleasure of BBQ pork, chicken and beef from the huge smoker at Soergel's, get you some NOW!)

What was the best part of the tour? The part when Mark and I got to taste and enjoy two of the brews produced on the premises. We each tried both the White Ale and the Amber Ale. My favorite for a hot and steamy Pittsburgh summer day was definitely the cold, crisp and refreshing White Ale. 

White Ale on the left, Amber Ale on the right.

The slightly smoky and caramel-y, fuller bodied Amber Ale was what we bought by the growler...I had plans myself for this lovely brew in an old favorite cookie I hadn't had in many years. 

Natchez cookies. An easy to make crisp, caramel and chocolate cookie - sort of like a Heath Bar on a crunchy crust - was smack dab on my radar with a few small adjustments to make them gluten-free. The crust, normally a simple layer of graham crackers, would now consist of Glutino gluten free table crackers original premium squares. The caramel? Beer caramel now....with the Aurochs Amber Ale.

Here's Ryan!

The assembly went like this. I placed the crackers edge to edge in a rimmed baking sheet, then (carefully) poured hot, bubbling caramel over the tops, popped the sheet (again, carefully) into the oven until the caramel became a beautiful shade of deep, dark brown, then took the pan out of the oven. Once the caramel had cooled a bit, I sprinkled chocolate chips over the top, let them melt and spread the chocolate evenly over all, then finally scattered sliced honeyed almonds over everything. Once the pan cooled, it was time to break them into cookie-sized pieces and enjoy!

Like Aurochs, I have plans for the future, too...using their product! Already I'm planning on making gluten-free beer battered onion rings - something we gluten-free folk NEVER get. For Thanksgiving I'm already thinking how a chocolate pecan pie with a good dark stout would really make for a festive finish to our family feast!

Speaking of plans, I just got word of Aurochs' new regular schedule at 8321 Ohio River Boulevard in Emsworth. Starting August 7th, they'll be open Thursdays & Fridays 4:00-8:00 p.m. and Saturdays noon-6:00 p.m. Maybe I'll see you all there sometime soon!

Beer Caramel Chocolate Almond Bar Cookies

• 16 Glutino Gluten Free Table Crackers - Original Premium Squares (7 oz. package) to make these GF (or equivalent of graham crackers if gluten isn't an issue)
• 2 T gluten-free beer syrup (boil down 1 cup to 2 T - watch carefully at the end as it seems to go quickly then!)
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 C dark brown sugar
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
•  12 oz bag Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet chocolate chips - my favorite brand - real chocolate without that waxy component
• 1 1/2 C Trader Joe's (or like brand) Honey Roasted Almonds - these are sliced, not whole
• parchment paper to line the 11" X 17" rimmed baking sheet plus Pam spray to spray the parchment paper with (just for good measure)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut parchment paper to just fit the inside of the rimmed pan and spray with Pam, letting the spray hit the inside rim, too. Again...for good measure. 

Arrange the crackers edge to edge as in the photo below. You may have to overlap ever so slightly. No big deal.



In a small, deep pot, boil 1 C beer down to 2 T. Watch carefully towards the end as it goes quickly then. 

To the 2 T beer syrup in the pot, add the butter and dark brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to boil until the contents become slightly syrupy. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully add vanilla...it will boil up slightly!

Again, carefully pour he caramel over the crackers in the baking sheet. Use an offset spatula to even the caramel out to cover all crackers all the way to the edges. Carefully put the pan into the oven and bake approximately 20 minutes - more or less. Watch for the caramel to stop being liquid-y and start looking "set." Remove from oven.

Wait just a minute before evenly scattering the chocolate chips over the caramel. Wait another minute. Using an offset spatula, spread the melting chocolate evenly over the top until the caramel is completely covered. 

Wait another minute and scatter the almonds over the top - evenly, of course. Put your hand into a plastic sandwich bag and gently press the almonds into the chocolate.

Let the pan of bar cookies cool and set completely on a cooling rack. Once the chocolate is set, slide a knife under an edge of the cookies, lift up the edge and start breaking the cookies into large "cookie size" pieces. I guess that measurement depends on how big you like your cookies....bite size or giant size...go for it!

Almond Pecorino & Mushroom Chicken With Wine

Looking for a quick (yet somewhat fancy schmancy) dinner the other day, I hit upon this idea inspired by a recent trip to Trader Joe's. 

Strolling the inexpensively exotic aisles of TJ's, I found a bag of almond meal that I thought might make a pretty doggone good breading for pork or chicken. Not only that, thanks to one of my regular Costco trips, most of a giant-economy-size wedge of pecorino Romano patiently waited in the cold cut refrigerator drawer nearly begging to be used. (Why yes, you adorable hunk of deliciousness...of course you can come to the breading party.) 

The idea was for the outside of the chicken to become a cross between crunchy toasted almonds and a crispy, cheesy frico*. 

Okay, so I had golden planks of cheesy, nutty fried chicken sizzling away in in the hot skillet in front of me on the stove. It was a nice start, but it wasn't quite "schmancy" enough for me yet. What makes everything better? Butter. Better than that even? Wine. Mmmhhhmmm, now I was on to something. Oh that wine? From Trader Joe's in Cleveland. (Yes, there are some things that Cleveland does right!) 

Once the chicken came out of the pan, a couple pats of butter went in, then a pile of sliced assorted "gourmet" mushrooms and finally a healthy splash - or tidal wave really - of white wine. Once cooked down a bit, the mushroom wine sauce turned an easy - yet fancy - fried chicken into a quite the almost-elegant weeknight dinner. 

Although this one doesn't quite qualify as one of my quickies, it comes very close. Only seven ingredients and one pan still makes  terrific weeknight dish in my book! And schmancy.

Almond Pecorino & Mushroom Chicken With Wine 

• 1 C almond meal 
• 1/2 C pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated

• 2 T canola oil
• 3 T butter 
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced across the width of the breast almost all the way through and open like a book (If yours come apart, so what? No biggie.)
• 8 ounces mushrooms
• 3 T butter
• 1 C white wine - Chardonnay was the Two Buck Chuck choice of the day!

First, in a sturdy plastic bag, mix the pecorino and almond meal. Set aside. Season the chicken with Kosher salt on both sides, put them into the bag and gently turn and coat the chicken with the breading. Remove the chicken to sheets of wax paper and pat any remaining breading onto the breasts.

In a large skillet, heat canola oil and 3 T butter until good and hot. Gently lay the chicken in the skillet and brown well on both sides until both sides are crispy. Don't let them burn. Remove chicken to a platter and set aside.

Add the remaining 3 T butter to the pan and melt. Add the mushrooms and let cook for a minute or two; add the wine and stir well until the sauce is slightly thickened. Because the cheesy breadcrumbs are in the pan, the sauce will be rustic...that's a good thing! 

*NOTE: Not sure what a frico is? Simply a pile of grated cheese - my fave is parm or pecorino - fried in a skillet or baked in the oven until crisp and crunchy.

Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Toffee Nuts

Waaaaay back in my misspent youth  at the Behrend campus of Penn State (when the NY state line was 15 minutes away and legal drinking age was 18), one of the tunes we danced all night to was a slightly raunchy tune that went, "Hot nuts, hot nuts...you get 'em from the peanut man." Why am I bringing that up? Every time I make one of our favorite snacks, Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Toffee Nuts, I end up singing that song...much to the chagrin of those around me.

What are hot nuts...er...Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Toffee Nuts? Skillet-toasted, cashews, pistachio meats, hazelnuts and almonds encased in a toffee-ish coating enhanced with chipotle powder, cumin, sea salt and lime zest. A little sweet and salty, a little smoky and spicy and a little citrus zip to bring it all together into a delightful fall or winter snack.

You know, Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Toffee Nuts make a great homemade gift for very special friends, too. Isn't it nice not to need the peanut man to get hot nuts when you can do it yourself? Here's how.....

Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Toffee Nuts

 

• 3 tablespoons peanut oil, or canola
• 3/4 cup whole raw almonds
• 3/4 cup whole cashews
• 3/4 cup whole hazelnuts
• 3/4 cup whole pistachio meats - buy them already shelled or enlist the kids to help
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 lime, zested - save the lime and juice for a margarita to go with!
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Heat oil in a heavy skillet (cast iron) over medium-high heat.  Add the nuts and sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar.  Saute until the almonds become golden brown and the sugar caramelizes, stirring constantly.
 
Remove nuts from the pan and toss in a bowl with the salt, cumin, chipotle, lime zest and remaining sugar.  Immediately spread over foil to cool.  When your nuts are cool, break them up using two forks.  Store in airtight container. 

NOTE: These go really well with a good Mexican beer or even a margarita on the rocks...that one's MY choice!