Bourbon Chocolate Chunk Cookies
It's National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, y'all.
Now, that may or may not be a real thing, but the fact that chocolate is amazing is definitely real. In fact, did you know that ihe Aztecs believed that cacao seeds were the gift of Quetzalcoatl, the God of wisdom, and the seeds had so much value they were used as a form of currency?
National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day seemed like a good excuse to make a batch of chocolate chunk cookies. I used the basic Nestle Toll House recipe, and added a Kentucky kick with a few teaspoons of Maker's Mark.
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons bourbon
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups chocolate chunks
- 1 cup chopped pecans
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
For more HerKentucky chocolate recipes, check out:
Fried Green Tomatoes
A family recipe for a Southern favorite!
My family takes our fried green tomato recipes pretty seriously. Sometimes I think we have as many variants as we do relatives, and we have a lot of kinfolk. One aunt uses a flour coating and a nonstick skillet. Another uses all cornmeal for her breading. My brother soaks his 'maters in buttermilk and hot sauce before battering them and placing them in the deep fryer. As for me, I like a flour/cornmeal mix, a bite of heat, and the smooth texture that can only be accomplished with a cast iron skillet.
First, I pick out two or three green tomatoes. It's best if they're at the "almost ripe" stage.
Then, I slice them thin. A mandolin or a tomato knife should do the trick.
Then, I make a dredge of one part all-purpose flour to one part corn meal. I season with salt, fresh cracked pepper, and some cayenne. I temper the cayenne to the tastes of my dining companions. When it's just Bob and me, we like them pretty spicy.
Then, you fry them. As far as I'm concerned, there's simply no replacement for cast iron. Preferably the kind that's been seasoned for decades. Then, I add some bacon grease to the cast iron skillet and heat on medium-high heat, frying them in small batches until golden brown. You want a good, crispy crust on your tomatoes.
Of course, they're fabulous to eat as a side dish or snack, but I love adding them to other dishes as well. These fried green tomatoes are topped with a dollop of pimiento cheese (I love jalapeño Palmetto Cheese!) and a slice of bacon. They are so good, y'all!
A fried green tomato BLT is pretty amazing as well!
How do y'all fry your green tomatoes?
Derby-Pie®
Perhaps the most iconic of all Kentucky Derby dishes is the Derby-Pie®; in fact, Derby is right there in the pastry’s name! Served warm or cool, with ice cream, whipped cream, or all by itself, Derby-Pie® is one of those treats that you just can’t pass up. The signature mix of chocolate chips and walnuts, the oh-so-light filling, the flaky pastry. Every time you take a bite, you feel like a cross between an amateur chef and a detective: Is that a taste of bourbon? Or maybe vanilla? No, it’s got to be a high-rye bourbon; the tartness will offset the sweetness of the chocolate…
Of course, the secrets of Derby-Pie® are closely guarded by Kern’s Kitchen, a family-owned company here in Louisville. The story goes that, in the early 1950s, George Kern was managing the restaurant at the Melrose Inn in Prospect, KY, just outside of Louisville. With the help of his parents, Walter and Leaudra Kern, George came up with a signature dessert for the restaurant. Once the recipe was perfected, the Kerns needed a great name for their creation, which combined the flavors of a chocolate chip cookie and a nut pie. So, they wrote several suggestions on slips of paper, and threw those into a hat. The winning name was, of course, Derby Pie, a reference to the big horse race just a few miles down the road. Soon, the Kerns were met with so many copycats of their delicious dessert that, in 1968, they filed for federal trademark protection of the term Derby-Pie®.
The Melrose Inn is long gone, having closed its doors in 2000, but the Kern’s Kitchen company is going strong, selling their delicious pies in restaurants and retailers throughout Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. For over fifty years, Derby-Pie® has been the taste of the Kentucky Derby for Kentuckians who are way too young to place a bet or order a mint julep, who miss their Old Kentucky Homes, or for those attending parties en route to the Derby. We may not know exactly what’s in a Derby-Pie®, but we know it tastes like Derby Season!
This post also appears on the Kentucky Derby Book blog. Special thanks to the folks at Kern's Kitchen for Derby-Pie® photos!}
Chocolate Pecan Pie with Maker's Mark
Celebrate Pi Day with Louisville's signature pie!
Derby Pie is, of course, a trademark of Louisville's Kern's Kitchen bakery. Every other restaurant, bakery, and home cook in the Bluegrass State has a different name for it: Pegasus Pie, May Day Pie, Run for the Roses Pie, etc. The idea remains. Chocolate chips and nuts. It's pretty delicious, whatever you call it.
I always opt for pecans rather than the traditional walnuts, simply because I prefer the flavor. I added a good healthy swig of Maker's Mark because, well, why wouldn't you? For time's sake, I use a pre-made pie crust, but I don't cut corners with the homemade whipped cream. Nobody ever seems to complain about the tradeoff.
Chocolate Pecan Pie with Maker's Mark:
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup pecans or 3/4 cup walnuts
- 9 inch unbaked pie shell
Combine ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir with fork and pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until browned.
Potato-Leek Soup
It's no wonder January is National Soup Month. With the cold temperatures and snowy days, I want to make a fresh kettle of soup every couple of days. And, in fact, that's exactly what I've been doing.
I made one of my go-to favorite soups, potato-leek, as the snow fell on Friday. I always stick to this basic recipe. Sometimes I add some pancetta or country ham; sometimes I forget to buy or make stock and use water. This time, I got the bright idea to add a little cayenne pepper for depth. We loved the way the heat of the cayenne played off the smokiness of the bacon!
Potato-leek soup
- 6-7 slices bacon
- 3 leeks, chopped (white and light green portion)
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 7-8 Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into quarters
- 64 oz box chicken broth
- 1/3 cup half-and-half
- Kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper (optional)
- Parmesan cheese and scallions for garnish
Cut bacon into lardons. Place in dutch oven over medium heat; cook until bacon is lightly browned and fat has rendered. Add leeks and garlic, cook until translucent (3-4 minutes). Add potatoes; let cook for 10-15 minutes. Add chicken broth (It's better to use homemade stock, but packaged broth will do in a pinch...) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let cook for about 25-30 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Using an immersion blender (or a food processor), blend most of the soup, leaving a few chunks of potato. Add half-and-half and let cook another 10 minutes or so before serving. If leaving on the stove for a while, you may need to gradually add water to keep from thickening too much.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Warm up with this classic soup!
A snowy day calls for homemade chicken noodle soup. There's nothing better on a cold day, or when you're feeling under the weather!
I always work from this basic recipe
- 3-4 Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
- 1 large (16 oz) bag wide egg noodles
- 4-5 carrots
- 4-5 celery stalks
- 1 onion
- 4-5 garlic cloves
- 1 stick of butter
- salt
- pepper
- olive oil
- garlic powder
- 1 lemon, juiced
- parsley for garnish
- Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and olive oil to taste. Place in a large glass baking dish and cook at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until completely done.
- Shred chicken meat, reserving bones, skin, and pan drippings.
- (If using boneless/ skinless chicken breasts, skip this step and use 1 box of pre-made chicken stock) Place chicken skin and bones in dutch oven. Deglaze the baking dish and add pan drippings to dutch oven. Add sliced onion, garlic cloves, 1 carrot, and 1 stalk of celery to dutch oven. Cover with water, bring to a boil, then let simmer for 1/2 hour. Add butter and salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove solids from stock mixture. Add shredded chicken and 3-4 chopped carrots and 3-4 chopped celery stalks.
- Add egg noodles and cook at medium-high heat until the noodles are cooked to taste.
- Add lemon juice; season to taste and add chopped parsley
Blue and Brown Kitchen Print Patchwork Quilt
Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!
Julia Child said that "People who love to eat are always the best people." Let me tell you, this Thanksgiving, Julia would certainly approve of everyone at my house. We've feasted and given thanks, and we decorated the sofa with this gorgeous cooking-themed quilt that my grandmother made for me a few years ago. I love the fun prints and colors in this one!
