Raspberry Cornflake Cookies (Cookie Contest, Part 2: Prime Time)

Yesterday we wrote about the Better Homes and Gardens State Cookie Contest we were invited to enter, how I developed a starting recipe and the results we got when we tested out that recipe.  That was on Sunday, and based on our taste test and my having given the cookies to coworkers for feedback, I had revised the recipe and was ready to make another batch.

While we were at work on Monday, our Better Homes and Gardens 15" x 10" Baking Sheet arrived in the mail.  We got this free for entering the contest, with the condition that we use it to make our contest entry and show it in one or more of the pictures we submit with the entry.  My first impression was that this was an awfully small baking sheet.  It has a lot smaller cooking area than most baking sheets.   However, in using it, we found some pretty neat things about it.  First off, the nonstick surface worked like a charm, as the cookies came off the sheet with no problem, and without having to use cooking spray or parchment paper.  Second, it heated very nicely and very evenly, resulting in our cookies being really nice and crisp and evenly golden-brown. 

Based on our own impressions and my coworkers' feedback, I made two changes to the recipe I started with.   Flavor-wise, the most significant change was to add some vanilla extract.  This added another dimension of flavor to the cookies, and it also balanced out the salt and baking soda flavors.  The other change didn't impact flavor much, but it did impact texture. By using butter-flavored shortening in place of the butter I used the first time around, the cookies spread less while cooking, making for a thicker cookie, and they were a lot less greasy.  These were both positive changes.

My experiments the first time around had helped me figure out how to bake these cookies for best result, so with those couple changes, I was ready to go.

The cookies turned out great!   They had a great initial crunch, due to the ample amount of cornflakes used in the dough and the big pieces of cornflake that resulted from carefully hand-stirring the flakes into the dough.  After the initial crunch, the cookies had a great chew, thanks to the coconut and oats.   They had a great buttery flavor with a rich vanilla undertone, and the raspberry jam and fresh raspberries added a delightfully contrasting tart-sweet flavor aspect.    These were definitely cookies I could proudly enter into a national contest.

As before, I took most of the cookies to share with my coworkers.  They loved them.  My hope is that some of our readers, and those who vote in the contest, will make some, and love them just as much.

Here's the recipe we entered!

Raspberry Cornflake Cookies

yield = 28 to 30 cookies

½       cup butter-flavored shortening

½       cup (packed) light brown sugar

½       cup granulated (white) sugar

1        large egg

1        teaspoon vanilla extract

½       teaspoon salt

1        cup all-purpose flour

½       teaspoon baking soda

½       teaspoon baking powder

½       cup (packed) sweetened, shredded coconut

½       cup rolled oats

1 ½    cups cornflakes

9        teaspoons seedless raspberry jam

1 ½    cup fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Set oven rack at middle position.

Use a stand or hand mixer to cream the shortening and sugars until smooth.  Incorporate egg, vanilla and salt.   Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and mix to incorporate.  Mix in coconut and oats with the mixer, then add cornflakes and stir in gently by hand.

Arrange heaping tablespoons of dough on the baking sheet.  Make a small indentation in the top of each ball of dough (a round ½ teaspoon measuring spoon works perfectly for this).  Add a heaping ¼ teaspoon of raspberry jam into the indentation of each cookie.

Put the baking sheet in the oven.  Bake 10 minutes, then remove the sheet from the oven.  Arrange 3 raspberries in and around the jam.  

Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake another 5 minutes or so or until the cookies are golden-brown and set.  Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. 

We would love for our readers to take part in the Better Homes and Gardens State Cookie Contest.  To see our entry and those of the other contestants, and to vote, go to the Better Homes and Gardens LiveBetter Facebook Page.  On the left side of the page, click on "State Cookie Contest."  From there, you can view the entries and vote.  Our entry is the Iowa Raspberry Cornflake Cookie.  You must "like" the BHG LiveBetter page to vote. 

Voting starts tomorrow (Thursday, June 30) at 9:00 eastern time and continues through July 27, with the winner announced July 28.   You can vote once each day.   We would like to win, of course, but we hope our readers will check out some of the other entries as well... and hopefully make some excellent cookies! 

Cookie Contest, Part 1: Experimenting

A few days ago, we got an email from a promoter for Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  They were planning a promotion for their line of cookware, which is available exclusively at Walmart.  We were invited to join BH&G's first-ever "State Cookie Contest," in which we'd be competing with food bloggers from all 50 states.  In exchange for agreeing to take part, we would be sent a free 15" by 10" cookie sheet from the Better Homes and Gardens Bakeware line.  The winner of the contest would get some nice gifts, including a full bakeware set and a second set to give away to one of our readers. 

That sounded pretty good to us, so we replied and said we were interested.  We got word back almost immediately that we'd been accepted.

That meant I had to come up with a cookie recipe that would represent Iowa in some manner, and which would also be good enough to have a chance of winning a national contest.

The "representing Iowa" idea came to me easily enough.   Iowa is known for, among other things, corn, and as it happens, cornflakes make an excellent cookie ingredient.  That said, cornflake cookies aren't a particularly new idea - they go back at least to the 1950s - and there are a lot of varieties out there.  So, I knew I'd have to go beyond that basic idea.

Eventually I decided I'd add a raspberry element to the cookies.   I figured that would add a whole different layer and type of flavor to the basic cookie, but I also went with raspberries for a more personal reason:  our own raspberry bushes are bearing a lot of fruit right now (between a half-pint and one pint per day).  I figured you couldn't get much more of an "Iowa" cookie than one made by an Iowan using ingredients grown in his own back yard.

With those decisions made and a little more thought, I made the following preliminary recipe:

1/2     cup unsalted butter
1/2     cup light brown sugar
1/2     cup granulated (white) sugar
1        large egg
1/2     teaspoon salt
1        cup all-purpose flour
1/2     teaspoon baking powder
1/2     teaspoon baking soda
1/2     cup rolled oats
1/2     cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 1/2  cup cornflakes
          seedless raspberry jam
          fresh raspberries

I figured this would be a good starting point, from which I could start to experiment and fine-tune the recipe.

Using our Cuisinart stand mixer, I creamed together the butter and sugars, then added (in stages) the eggs and salt, then the flour, baking powder and baking soda, and then the oats and coconut.  I then stirred in the cornflakes by hand, so there would be big pieces of cornflake in the dough.

Next I scooped heaping tablespoons full of dough and arranged them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Using a round half-teaspoon measure, I made an indentation in the top of each ball of dough, flattening it some. 

I then placed a heaping quarter-teaspoon of raspberry jam into the indentation, then put the baking sheet into the oven and cooked for 14 minutes.

I decided to place a single raspberry into the jam-filled center of some of the baked cookies.   That didn't look so great.  As Juli put it, maybe that look would fly if I was making a cookie for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but since that wasn't the case, I knew I'd have to do something else. 

Juli suggested I skip the raspberries and just go with the jam, especially since when we sampled the first batch, we both noticed the flavor of the raspberries didn't blend well with the other aspects of the cookie, due to the raspberries not being cooked.  I knew I wanted to keep the raspberries, though, so I decided to add a few raspberries to each cookie before putting them into the oven.

Doing that resulted in the raspberries blending in well with the rest of the cookie, but the finished cookies didn't look good.  First off, as the cookies flattened and spread out, the raspberries did the same.  Second, the extra moisture from the raw raspberries resulted in the centers of the cookies looking less-done than the rest, not to mention sort of mushy.   Still, the flavor improvement told me I was on the right track.

With the next batch, I made the cookies as I had with the first batch, but removed them from the oven after about 8 minutes, when the cookies were partly cooked and had started to set.  I then arranged the raspberries in and around the jam centers, then tossed the cookie sheet back into the oven to finish cooking.

Those ones looked great - no spreading, no mushy appearance - and the flavor was great, too.  

There were some problems with these cookies, though.  First off, they spread out a lot more than I'd expected, and as a result, the jam ended up soaking through the cookies.  They also looked a bit greasy, especially on the bottoms of the cookies.  Plus, the flavors of the salt and baking soda were more noticeable than should be the case.  It was obvious I'd need to add some vanilla.

I took the cookies to work, to share them with my coworkers and to ask for some additional feedback.  Overall, they were quite well-received, and the feedback was consistent with what Juli and I had already determined.    With that feedback in mind, I was ready to make some adjustments to my recipe and make another batch of cookies.

(to be continued)

Indian-Spiced Roasted Cauliflower

There are lots of ways to cook cauliflower, but I've found that baking is a perfect way to bring out caulliflower's flavor.  As an added bonus, baking prevents the cauliflower from getting all mushy, as can happen when it is boiled or steamed.  I knew I'd want a vegetable dish to go with the Lamb Curry I made last weekend, and since I had picked up some cauliflower during my most recent trip to the grocery, I decided I'd bake it up with Indian spices to go along well with the main dish.

This is a pretty easy recipe to make, and what time it takes to prepare is mostly cooking time.  In just a little over 1/2 hour, you end up with nicely browned, perfectly-cooked, flavorful cauliflower.  Neither Juli nor I found this dish to exciting enough to stand on its own as a main course, but it made for a very nice side.

Indian-Spiced Roasted Cauliflower

yield = 4 servings

3                   tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2             teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2             teaspoons ground coriander
1/4                teaspoon kosher salt
1/4                teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8                teaspoon cayenne pepper
1                   large head cauliflower, separated into
                      florets
1/2                fresh lemon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine olive oil, cumin, coriander, kosher salt, turmeric and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.  Add cauliflower florets and stir to evenly coat.

Arrange cauliflower on the baking sheet.   Place in oven and bake 15 minutes.  Remove baking sheet from the oven, turn the cauliflower florets and return to the oven to bake an additional 10 minutes.  Transfer caulifower to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

Lamb Curry with Chilis and Mint

I got a meat grinder/sausage maker for my birthday this year, but I haven't yet had an opportunity to try it out.  I had planned to grind up some lamb to make a type of ground-meat kabob on the grill sometime this weekend, but the weather unfortunately did not cooperate.    It was too wet for me to enjoy standing outside tending the grill, but I still had lamb on hand and needed to do something with it.   No other great idea came to mind, so I fell back on my default "when in doubt..." solution and made a curry. 

I decided I'd make a lamb curry featuring hot chili peppers, but also including an ample helping of mint, so the coolness of the mint would balance out the heat of the chilis.   I also selected a mix of curry spices heavy on the coriander, which I knew would go well with lamb.  The result was a curry unlike any I've ever made, or had.  Marinating the lamb in lemon juice and spices, browning it in hot oil then stewing it for a long time in a rich, flavorful gravy resulted in the meat being tender and boldly-flavored.  The dish was hot, but not overpoweringly so, and the lemon juice and tomato added a pleasant bit of acid bite, mellowed out by the addition of yogurt and the mint at the end.

I served up this lamb curry with some baked spiced cauliflower (which I'll talk more about in another post), some vegetable samosas we purchased at Maria's Grocery, a couple different sorts of chutney, basmati rice and naan.  This made for a very satisfying meal with ample leftovers for next week.

This recipe is a definite keeper.  It is a bit on the spicy side, so it may not be the best choice for any of our readers that aren't familiar with, and fond of, Indian-style curries, but for those who like curries, or who simply appreciate a bit of heat, I recommend this recipe if you want something delightfully different. 

Lamb Curry with Chilis and Mint

yield = 6 servings

2              lbs lean lamb (leg, shoulder, etc.), cut into
                  bite-size pieces
1              teaspoon turmeric
1/2           teaspoon table salt
2              tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
3              tablespoons vegetable oil
1              large onion, chopped
2              jalapeno peppers, thinly-sliced
2              tablespoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
2              teaspoons minced garlic
2              teaspoons coriander powder
1              teaspoon ground cumin
2              bay leaves
1              cinnamon stick
1              can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
2              cups low-sodium chicken broth
6              ounces plain yogurt
1/4           cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Add the lamb, salt, turmeric and two tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 a fresh lemon) to a bowl.  Stir thoroughly and let sit for about 30 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.   When the oil is shimmering, add 1/2 of the lamb and cook, stirring often, until browned on all sides.  Transfer the cooked lamb to a clean bowl and repeat with the remainder of the lamb pieces.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the Dutch oven and heat for 1 minute.  Add the onion and jalapeno and cook until the onion has softened and started to brown (about 6 minutes).  Add the ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin and bay leaves and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.

Add the cinnamon stick and stir in the tomatoes, scraping along the bottom of the pot to remove any cooked-on bits.  Heat to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook for one hour, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.

Remove from heat and stir in the yogurt.   Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the mint.  Serve with basmati rice and naan or other Indian-style bread.

Kone Korner

Reed's Kone Korner is something of a summer mainstay in Knoxville.   It opens around Memorial Day every spring and closes sometime in the fall, and in between those times, it serves up a lot of ice cream and fast food. 

Kone Korner opened in 2000.  Since then, it has offered soft-serve ice cream, sundaes, shakes and other wonderful ice cream concoctions incorporating a wide array of flavorings and toppings.  They also serve tacos, taco salads, beefburgers, tenderloins, fries, fried cheese balls and other sorts of fast food.   The prices are very reasonable, especially when one factors in the ample serving sizes and the quality of the food.  On nice days, Kone Korner is generally quite busy from lunchtime until closing.   Knoxville also has a DQ, but I can't think of any reason why anyone would want to go to Dairy Queen when Kone Korner is open.

It's really a pretty simple place.    The store itself is a little building located in a good-sized parking lot.  There are several picnic tables arranged beneath a shelter, providing ample seating.  You simply walk up, make your order, and in a couple minutes you've got a tasty summertime treat.

Last time Juli and I stopped by Kone Korner, I got a Banana Split, while she got a Tropical Siberian.  This was sort of unusual, because I usually get a Siberian while she gets a sundae of some sort.

The Siberian is more or less Kone Korner's take on the DQ Blizzard, i.e. a soft-serve vanilla ice cream shake with a whole bunch of tasty ingredients mixed in.   Choices include fruit, nuts, chopped-up candy and cookies and so forth.  The Tropical is made with pecans, coconut and pineapple, but when we order one we always ask them to include some banana as well   They're delicious.

The Banana Split is pretty standard:  A sliced banana and three piles of soft-serve topped with hot fudge and pineapple and strawberry sauces, plus nuts, whipped cream and a cherry (I skipped the whipped cream).  It's an ample helping of ice cream goodness with excellent toppings. 

If you're in or near Knoxville, Iowa on a warm summer day or evening, drop by Kone Korner.  You'll be glad you did.

Reed's Kone Korner is located at 405 West Pleasant Street in Knoxville, IA.  Their hours are Mon-Sat 11 am to 10 pm and Sunday noon to 9 pm.

Italian Burgers with Basil and Provolone + Grilled Vegetables

We've both been in the mood for burgers lately.  Juli wanted me to make some simple burgers with BBQ sauce, but I was in the mood for something a bit more novel than that.   I ended up making some Italian-seasoned burgers and topping most of them with melted provolone and fresh basil leaves from our garden, other than the one that I just covered with BBQ sauce while the burgers were still grilling, so Juli could have what she'd been craving.  These burgers were good.  Really, really good! 

Along with the burgers, I grilled some zucchini, summer squash and tomatoes.  I made the squash as I've previously described, save that I used only olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper and fresh chives as seasonings.  I topped the tomatoes with nothing but olive oil, salt and pepper.  All of the veggies grilled up really nicely, and they went great with burgers and a Caesar salad.

I used Barilla Spicy Marinara in and on these burgers, but any store-bought or homemade marinara would work just fine.   You could warm up the marinara before topping the burgers with it, but we found they tasted great without warming up the sauce. 

These burgers are fast and easy to make, they're really tasty, they're a great way to use fresh basil and they make for a nice change from ordinary burgers.   There's not much else to say about them, other than to include the recipe below and encourage you to give them a try sometime.

Italian Burgers with Basil and Provolone

yield = 6 servings

2 1/4           pounds 85% lean ground beef (chuck)
1/4              cup fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2                 tablespoons marinara sauce
1 1/2           teaspoons freshly-ground black pepper
1                 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4              teaspoon kosher salt
1/2              teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2              teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
1/4              teaspoon onion powder
18-20         medium to large fresh basil leaves
6                slices provolone cheese
6                hamburger buns or other large, round sandwich rolls
                  additional marinara sauce for topping

Prepare grill for medium-hot, direct grilling.

Add ground chuck, Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2 tablespoons marinara sauce, black pepper, garlic, kosher salt, red pepper flakes, oregano and onion powder to a large bowl.  Mix ingredients thoroughly by hand, then form the meat mixture into six large patties.  Indent the middle of each patty slightly by pressing with fingers.

Place the patties on the grill, cover and cook for 5 minutes.  Flip, cover and cook for another 4 minutes, then top each burger with 3-4 basil leaves and one piece of provolone.   Cover and cook another minutes or so, until the cheese has melted. 

Transfer the burgers to a serving platter.  Top with marinara and serve on buns.

Grilled Tomatoes

yield = 2-3 servings

2                 large, ripe tomatoes
                   olive oil
                   freshly-ground black pepper to taste
                   kosher salt to taste

Core each tomato, then slice the tomatoes sideways into 3 or 4 slices of equal thickness, with the number of slices depending on the size of the tomatoes (I cut ours into three slices each).

Brush on both sides with olive oil, then season on both sides to taste with kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper. 

Grill over direct, medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then turn and grill another 5 minutes on the other side.  Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.

Pretzel Crisps: A Great New Snack!

Just to let you know, I don't get any money or free stuff for telling you about this product.  I just like to share things I've found that I think are really good.

I worked a really long day Sunday, and I was hungry for a snack, and found these at the grocery store.  They are pretzel-sized and shaped, but completely flat little crackers- very quirky looking!  I chose the "Everything" flavor which has sesame, poppy, and caraway seed along with garlic and onion flavoring.  VERY good!  I'll definitely be purchasing these again.  I ate mine with some cheese curds.  Yum!

Dining in Des Moines: Gusto Pizza Co.

NOTE:  I apologize for having to post a lot later in the day than usual.  Our cable service, including our cable Internet, is out right now.  Things will likely be disrupted for a few days until the never-dependable Mediacom people get things working again, but we'll be doing our best to keep our schedule of posting at least once daily. 

At my workplace, we often have representatives from pharmaceutical companies drop by to provide us with informational presentations about their products.   These often also include a free lunch, plus the representatives generally leave medication samples for our medical staff to dispense.  These are passed along to some of our clients who aren't able to afford their medication.  All in all, it's a pretty good deal.  We hear about upcoming medications, new research, changes in prescribing guidelines and so forth, mentally ill individuals get access to medications they might otherwise not be able to afford, and my colleagues and I get a free lunch out of the deal.

A couple months ago, one of the representatives brought several pizzas from a new place:  Gusto Pizza Co.  In addition to more typical offerings, the representative provided us with some of Gusto's specialty pizzas, including the Thai Kwon Dough, a Thai-flavored pizza with spicy peanut sauce, chicken, carrots, peanuts, bean sprouts and cilantro.   I liked the slices I tried,  but it wasn't until last night that Juli and I finally got around to visiting Gusto.

Gusto has a fairly good number of offerings for a place that advertises themselves mostly as a pizza place. In addition to appetizers, salads and, of course, pizzas, they offer sandwiches, desserts, wine,  a wide range of beers and both fountain and artisan sodas.  The pizzas,  though, are the centerpiece  of their menu. 

Gusto features a wide range of pizzas, plus a "Create Your Own Gusto" option, in 10 or 14-inch thin-crust pies.   They also offer gluten-free crust in the 10-inch pizza, and vegan mozzarella for a small additional extra charge.  Some of their pizza specials include the Vincent Van Goat, with maple-glazed ham, Genoa salami, goat cheese, rosemary olive oil, capers and fried peppers, the Pizza de Burgo with garlic butter, sauteed shrimp, tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella and romano, the Duke with smoked BBQ brisket, colby jack, red onion and cilantro and the West of Philly, with alfredo cream sauce, skirt steak, roasted red peppers, onions and relish, plus the Thai Kwon Dough, which I described above.  The make-your-own ingredient options are quite diverse, including artichokes, meatballs, blue cheese, figs, pears and a diverse assortment of cheeses. 

We ended up ordering some garlic butter bread sticks with red sauce, a pizza and dessert.  After considering the various pizza options, we went with a 14-inch Spartacus - red sauce, Graziano Bros. Italian sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella , cremini mushrooms and banana peppers - without the peppers but with Romano cheese and fresh basil.   Although that was plenty of food, I couldn't resist trying out their desserts.  In addition to gelato and cannoli, they offer a revolving selection of chocolate desserts.   I selected with the German Chocolate Brownie, though the other "chocoholic" offering - a white chocolate brownie with Heath bar topping - was also tempting. 

There are several good things to be said about Gusto.  First off, our pizza was excellent.   We would have liked the crust to be a bit more flavorful and distinctive, but it was serviceable.  The toppings, in contrast, were truly excellent:  fresh mushrooms and cheeses, generous portions of quality meat, and a flavorful sauce.  The pizza was perfectly cooked and quite satisfying.    The dessert was also excellent, not to mention a great bargain:  $4 for a brownie big enough to provide ample portions for two people. 

We also appreciated that Gusto uses and offers a lot of quality locally-produced items.  In addition to Graziano Bros. sausage and La Quercia prosciutto, they serve an assortment of Millstream beers and sodas, plus an assortment of Iowa-brewed beers, including some from Peace Tree Brewery.

Gusto is mostly a serve-yourself place along the lines of a fast-food restaurant - you place your order at the counter, fill your own drinks and seat  yourself, though the wait staff does bring your order to your table when it's finished cooking.  As such, we didn't interact much with the employees, but the interactions we did have were pleasant.  Juli forgot to bring her umbrella with her when we left, and one of the staff rushed out to return it when she found it.  We really appreciated that.

There were, however, a few things we didn't really like about Gusto.  The decor can charitably be called "modern" but I found it stark and uninviting.  One wall included three big-screen TVs, but none had the captions on, which resulted in them being mostly a distraction or an annoyance.  Plus, the open seating arrangement and more-than-ample space resulted in the restaurant being pretty loud.   The volume of the piped-in classic rock music was a bit too loud, and even over the music, pretty much any sound carried through the entire restaurant.  This last quality was brought home all too vividly when a couple of rather self-absorbed young women seated themselves near our table and launched into a discussion of their romantic adventures that we were able to hear just as clearly as if they'd been sitting with and talking to us.   The restaurant wasn't too busy when we were there, as we arrived a bit early for the dinner rush, but I would imagine the noise level would be quite unpleasant when the place is more packed.

We recommend the food at Gusto.  Everything we've tried was quite good, and their interesting selection of high-quality toppings makes Gusto stand out among the local pizza offerings.   We'd rank it as our second favorite local  pizza, right after Bordenaro's (see also http://www.bordenarospizza.com/ ), and while we like Bordy's excellently-crisp crust better than the Gusto crust, Gusto's premium toppings are of much higher quality.  We were less pleased with the restaurant itself, with neither the decor nor the noise level being to our liking.   The restaurant wasn't distracting enough to keep us from enjoying our visit to Gusto, but in our opinion  the  food at Gusto outclasses the ambiance of the place by a wide margin.    

Gusto Pizza Co. is located at 1905 Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines.  Hours are Monday through Thursday 11 am to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday 11 to 11 and Sunday 4-9 pm.