Pasta e Fagioli

2 tbsp olive oil
⅛ pound pancetta, chopped
2  bay leaves
Dried thyme, to taste
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
Salt and pepper,to taste
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup ditalini
Grated parmigiano or romano, for serving

Heat the oil in a deep pot and add pancetta. Brown the pancetta lightly; then add herbs and chopped vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomato sauce, water and stock to pot and raise heat to high. Bring soup to a rapid boil.

Add pasta; reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes or until pasta is cooked. Let soup rest and  cool for a few minutes. Ladle soup in bowls and top with grated cheese.
Pasta e Fagioli

Raspberry-Pecan Rugelach with Chocolate Chips

Filling:

1 (12 oz) jar seedless raspberry jam
¾ cup ground pecans
½ cup raisins
½ mini chocolate chips
½ cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Dough:

½ lb cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp sugar


Combine pecans, raisins, chocolate chips, sugar, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl; set aside. Combine cream cheese, flour, butter and sugar in a large bowl and blend.  Divide dough into four pieces. Dust each with flour, shaking off excess. Roll each piece between sheets of waxed paper into a 10” circle. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Spread each circle of dough with raspberry jam.  Divide filling among circles, spreading evenly. Cut each circle into 12 wedges.  Roll up each wedge from bottom edge to point. Arranged on baking sheets, point side down.

Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Store cookies in airtight container.

Makes 4 dozen.

Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup buttermilk
Zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped or grated

Glaze:
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp conf. sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 8x5x3 loaf pan or line with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended. With a hand mixer, beat the butter until it’s very pale and little tails have formed. Add the sugar and beat well until slightly fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl well. Add eggs one at a time, beating until blended before adding the next.

With the mixer on low, add about one-third of the flour and mix until almost combined; then add half the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Repeat with another third of the flour, and then the last half of the buttermilk, ending with the last third of flour. Just before all the flour is blended in, switch to a rubber spatula and add the lemon zest, and slowly stir to blend in the flour and zest, taking care to scrape the bowl’s bottom and sides.

Scrape the batter into prepared pan and bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it when inserted in the center, 45 to 50 minutes. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes; as it’s cooling, stir together the lemon juice and conf. sugar. Carefully invert the loaf pan, tap it to release the cake, and then brush the glaze on the cake while it’s still warm. Cool completely on a rack before serving.

NY Style Cheesecake

Crust:
1¾ cups Graham cracker crumbs (about 15 crackers)
2 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp butter, melted

Filling:
2 lbs cream cheese, at room temperature
1⅓ cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 large eggs, at room temperature
⅔ cup sour cream
⅔ cup heavy cream

Topping (optional):
2 cups sour cream
⅓ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Raspberry Sauce (optional):

12 ounces of fresh raspberries
½ cup sugar
½ cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in lower third of oven.

Combine Graham cracker crumbs, sugar. Stir in the melted butter. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9x2¾ inch springform pan with a slight rise along the inside edges of the pan.

Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce oven to 325 degrees. While the crust is cooling start on the filling.

Cut the cream cheese into chunks and place in the bowl of an electric mixer, with paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes until smooth, soft and creamy. Add the sugar, beat for 4 minutes more.

Add the vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Add the sour cream, beat until incorporated. Add the heavy cream, beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl to combine any bits of cream cheese that have stuck to the bottom of the bowl.

Pour the filling into the springform pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula*. Bake at 325 degrees for 1½ hours. Turn off the heat of the oven. Crack open the oven door 1 inch and let the cake cool in the oven for another hour to prevent cracking.

Once cooled, cover with foil and chill in refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours.

Sour Cream Topping (optional): Place the sour cream in a medium size bowl, stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla, until smooth. Chill until you are ready to serve the cake. Recipe produces enough for a thick topping and some extra to spoon over individual slices. If desired, reduce the topping ingredients in half for a thinner layer and no extra.

Raspberry Sauce: Place raspberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Use a potato masher to mash the raspberries. Heat on medium, whisking for about 5 minutes, until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Let cool.

*If desired, place the cheesecake in a water bath. There are many suggestions as to how to prevent water from getting into a foil wrapped springform pan. Using slow cooker plastic bags works well:

https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/how-to-prevent-your-cheesecake-water-bath-from-leaking/

If you do not use a water bath, you risk more cracks in the top of your cheesecake and a somewhat drier texture.

Cultured Butter Cookies

NOTE: Dough must be chilled for at least one hour before baking cookies.

2 cups flour
½ tsp baking powder
2 sticks salted, cultured butter (such as Vermont Cultured Butter with Sea Salt), at room temperature
⅔ cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
¼ cup demerara sugar, for rolling

In a large bowl, sift together flour and baking powder.

With an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until lightened in color and fluffy; beat in egg yolk until combined. With mixer at low setting, add flour mixture until incorporated.

Divide dough into two balls. On a clean surface, roll each ball into a 1½ inch log. Sprinkle the demerara sugar over a sheet of parchment. Roll each log in the sugar until the outside of the dough is thoroughly covered. Cover the logs tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour, or overnight.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Use a large, sharp knife to cut each log into ¼ inch thick rounds. Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookie edges are golden brown, about 18 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Touch of Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies

NOTE: Cookie dough must be chilled at least 30 minutes before baking.

1 cup butter, melted and cooled for at least 5 minutes
1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
½ cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup pure maple syrup
3¼ cups flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring until combined. Stir in vanilla and maple syrup.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until completely combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Cover bowl and allow to chill for at least 30 minutes. While dough is chilling, preheat oven t to 350 degrees and prepare cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper.

Scoop about 2-2½ tbsp of cookie dough and roll  into balls, making them slightly taller than they are wide. Place them about 2” apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake about 13 minutes until edges begin to turn golden brown.

Allow cookies to cool completely on cookie sheet.

Keep unbaked cookie dough in fridge while waiting to put the next batch in the oven and do not put cookie dough on a hot cookie sheet.

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1¼ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp butter, at room temperature
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 large banana (about ½ cup mashed)
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or ½ cup milk chocolate and ½ cup semisweet)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine butters and sugars, mix until smooth. Add in egg and vanilla. Next, add the mashed banana and mix until combined.

Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

Form cookie dough into balls, using about 2 tbsp of dough per cookie. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden around the edges but still soft in center. Remove from oven and let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely. These cookies freeze well.

Makes 20 cookies.