Pistachio Baklava + Quinoa Salad with Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette

Thanks to everyone that made Cookie Swap 2011 such a success!  I was so impressed with the variety and quality of the baked goods this year.  My taste buds thank you... my waistline does not!

Here are links to a couple more recipes posted on our M&M Blog that people were asking about at the Cookie Swap.  Enjoy!

Pistachio Baklava Recipe

Quinoa Salad with Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette Recipe

Jennifer's Parmigiano Reggiano Crisps with Chocolate and Sea Salt

DISCLAIMER: This recipe is from Cookie Swap 2010 but people were still talking about it at this year's cookie swap so we had to post it.  Better late than never.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Parmigiano Reggiano
6 tablespoons finely chopped dry roasted whole almonds (skins on)
4 ounces good quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 scant teaspoon vegetable oil
Sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Toss cheese and almonds together in a bowl. Form 12 mounds of cheese mixture on each lined baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart. Using the back of a spoon, press down on each mound to form a 1/4-inch thick circle. Place one baking sheet at a time on middle oven rack. Bake rounds 6 to 8 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and let crisps cool on baking sheets.

Once crisps are cooled completely, line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Toss chocolate with vegetable oil in a small bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Dip about one-third to one-half of each crisp into melted chocolate, hold a few seconds above chocolate, then place on the lined baking sheet. Immediately scatter a tiny bit of sea salt over chocolate. Let chocolate set before serving. You can put crisps in refrigerator or freezer to speed setting.

Makes 24 crisps
Recipe from Whole Foods Market

Victoria's Chocolate Peppermint Cookie

INGREDIENTS
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken up
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon mint extract
4 ounces white chocolate, broken up
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
12 starlight candies, crushed or 1/3 cup crushed candy canes

1. Heat oven to 325. Butter two large baking sheets.

2. Place chocolate in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Let cool 5 minutes.

3. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until blended. Beat in cooled chocolate. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Stir in flour, salt and cocoa powder until a soft dough forms. Beat in mint extract.

4. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake at 325 for 18 minutes or until dry on top. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

5. While cookies cool, combine white chocolate and oil in glass bowl. Microwave 30 seconds, stir; then microwave another 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Spoon about 1 teaspoon white chocolate onto each cookie, then top each with 1/2 teaspoon of the crushed candies. Let stand to harden for 30 minutes. Store airtight up to two weeks.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies
Prep 10 minutes
Microwave 2 minutes

Aimee's Chewy Gingersnaps

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Granulated sugar

Beat butter at medium speed until fluffy.

Gradually add 1 cup light brown sugar, beating well.

Add egg and molasses to creamed butter and sugar. Mix well. (tip: spray non-stick cooking spray on measuring cup before measuring out the molasses.)

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.

Add 1/4 of flour mixture at a time to the creamed mixture, beating until smooth after each addition.

Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar. (tip: use one hand to scoop out dough, roll with your palms keeping the fingers of one hand dough free, drop into a bowl of sugar, and use the non-doughy fingers to scoop it out.)

Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 9-11 minutes, when tops will crack.

Cool on wire racks.

Yield: 4 dozen

Katy's Cherry Pistachio Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, separated
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
8 ounces candied cherries, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup coarse sugar

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, 1/2
cup sugar, and salt. Beat in egg yolk. Mix well. Add flour and
pistachios; blend on low speed until just combined.

Remove dough from mixer and with a strong spoon or your
hands, mix in cherries. Divide dough in half and roll each piece
into a log about 12 inches long; wrap in plastic and chill
overnight (or freeze for later use).

Adjust the oven racks to the center shelf and preheat oven to 350
degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or grease lightly. Set aside.

Pour coarse sugar onto a piece of wax paper or aluminum foil.
Beat egg white slightly, then brush egg white over the surface of
the log; press and roll log into sugar; transfer to a cutting board.
Using a sharp knife, slice log in 1/2-inch slices; transfer to cookie
sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely and store in an
airtight container or freeze.

Michele's Chocolate Espresso Snowcaps

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 teaspoons instant espresso
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon milk
Confectioners' sugar, for coating

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, espresso, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until well combined; mix in cooled chocolate. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; beat in milk until just combined. Flatten dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Freeze until firm, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Pour confectioners' sugar (about 1/2 cup) into a medium bowl; working in batches, roll balls in sugar two times, letting them sit in sugar between coatings.

Place on prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies have spread and coating is cracked, 12 to 14 minutes; cookies will still be soft to the touch. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Jennifer's Fleur de Sel Toffee

INGREDIENTS
Vegetable oil, cooking spray
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter
2 2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
Fleur de sel, for sprinkling

Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Bring butter, sugar, water, and corn syrup to a boil in a large saucepan, whisking frequently until sugar dissolves and butter melts. Cook, undisturbed, until mixture registers 300 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 12 minutes.

Whisk toffee mixture, then immediately pour onto prepared sheet, tilting pan to spread over entire surface. Let stand for 30 seconds, then sprinkle with fleur de sel. Let cool. (Do not move the pan for first 30 minutes.) Break toffee into pieces. Toffee will keep, covered, for up to 1 week.

Yields 2 pounds
Recipe from Martha Stewart