Chocolate Peanut Butter Biscotti

Recipe courtesy of Chef John Michael Burnett - John Michael's Baking

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2 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Whisk together the wet ingredients until incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet whisking (or using the mixer with the paddle attachment) until combined into dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead gently forming into a log, gently flattening the top of the log making more of a squared rectangle. Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes at 350°. Let cool and slice in approximately 1/4 inch slices.

For smaller biscotti you can divide the dough and form into 2 logs.

For a crisper finished product, after slicing lay cut side up and bake for an additional 5 minutes (though it is not necessary).

For an additional wow factor finished product, you can melt either dark or white chocolate and dip the biscotti in the melted chocolate, or drizzle chocolate over the biscotti.

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Texas BBQ Brisket

Recipe courtesy of Chef Robert D. Ehrlich & Chef George Schneider
- Culinary Academy of Long Island At Star Career Academy

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1 beef brisket (trim fat) 4-5 lbs.
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves(minced)
1 onion (small dice)
3 cups ketchup
1 cup brewed coffee
1 tbsp. liquid smoke
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1 chipotle chile
(from can with adobo sauce, minced)
2 tbsp. adobo sauce

Melt butter in saucepan over moderate heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent (1-2 minutes). Add garlic and sauté 2 more minutes. Add ketchup plus remaining ingredients. Bring to boil and reduce to medium to low heat to simmer 10-15 minutes until reduced by 1 cup. Stir while reducing. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Season brisket with favorite barbecue spice. In hot roasting pan add 1/4 cup olive oil. Sear brisket on all sides. Place roasting rack in pan and set seared brisket on top. Add enough sauce to come up 1/3 of brisket.

Set oven to 325°. Place brisket in oven. After 1 hour reduce heat to 300° and let braise 2 to 2 1/2 hours until fork tender. Let brisket rest 20 minutes. Slice and serve.

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Holiday Spiced Cranberries

Recipe courtesy of Chef Marney White - Marneycakes

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1 tsp. dried & grated orange peel
1 bag (aprox. 4 cups) fresh cranberries
1 tsp. nutmeg (freshly grated)
1/4 tsp. crushed cardamom pods
3/4 cups dried & chopped apricots
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

1. Cook sugar and water in a heavy medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.

2. Add cranberries and all remaining ingredients except apricots, walnuts and raisins.

3. Cook until berries begin to pop, about 10 minutes. Crush half of the cranberries against the side of the saucepan with the back of a wooden spoon. Add apricots, walnuts and raisins. Then turn off the heat and let the cranberry sauce cool in pan. Serve warm or chilled.

4. Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. This keeps in the freezer in Tupperware Freezer Mates, or Tupperware Rock N' Serve containers for months.

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Ginger Pumpkin Spiced Shortbread Cookies

Recipe courtesy of Chef Andrew Greene
- The American Culinary Federation Long Island Chapter
- At Your Stove

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1 box of cake mix
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of clove
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of allspice
1 lb. butter

Mix the above ingredients and portion the batter by individual scoops onto a baking sheet.

Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes, rotating halfway through the cooking time to evenly brown.

Cookies should still be soft to the touch, like a muffin top.

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Herb Roasted Turkey

(11 to 13 Pounds Turkey)
Recipe courtesy of Leisa Dent - LL Dent, Carle Place

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Injection Brine

Thyme, Basil, Sage and Rosemary - 1 tbsp. of each chopped fine so the injection needle will not clog.
8 tbsp. butter ½ now & ½ for later
garlic (optional)
&pepper to taste
paprika to color
3 ½ cups of water

Oven heated at 350°.

Take herbs, salt and garlic chopped fine, melt 4 tablespoons of butter to make a paste. Add your 3 cups water a little at a time and liquefy it all so there is no clogging of the injector needle.

Fill your injector with the mixture and give your turkey the injection in the breast, thighs and the legs.

Rub 4 tablespoons of brine on the skin of the turkey.

Pour the remaining ½ cup of water into the cooking pan.

No house should be without a meat thermometer - internal temp 165° for poultry.

Cook your turkey for 2½ hours.

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Candied Orange Peel

(Makes 3+ cups candied orange peel.)
Recipe courtesy of Jeanne Kitson - Afresh Approach, Bay Shore

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8 large thick-skinned oranges
3 cups sugar
3 tbsp. Grand Marnier

Cut both ends off of the fruit, quarter the fruit, and cut off most of the pulp. Place the fruit in a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan and fill with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 5 minutes. Strain the fruit and place it back in the saucepan. Fill with fresh cold water, bring to a boil over high heat, and boil for 5 minutes. Strain the fruit again, place it back in the saucepan, and again fill with fresh cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 5 minutes.

Strain the fruit and refresh it under cold water. If any of the pulp is left, cut it off and slice the peel 1/8-inch thick. Place the slices in the saucepan with 1-1/2 cups of the sugar and the Grand Marnier. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally with a long-handled wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar, about 5 minutes. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until there is no syrup remaining in the pan, about 1 hour.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or wax paper). Mound the remaining sugar on one of the baking sheets. Fill a large spoon with some of the fruit slices and place them on the sugar. Toss the fruit in the sugar, separating the individual slices and covering them completely with sugar. Place the sugar-covered slices on the other baking sheet. Leave them to air dry, about 30 minutes.

Serve the candied orange peel at room temperature. Store the peel between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 months.

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Smoked Salmon Bruschetta & Lemon Feta Vinaigrette

Recipe courtesy of Rachel Birke - The Melting Pot, Farmingdale

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Smoked Salmon Bruschetta

3 oz. smoked salmon (julienned)
1 tbsp. red onion slices
10 each capers
7 Toasted Bread Slices
2 tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes
(cut into strips - packaged dry)
1 1/2 oz. lemon feta vinaigrette

Mix first 5 ingredients thoroughly in bowl. Place atop bread slices. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan and scallions and serve immediately.

Lemon Feta Vinaigrette

1/8 cup dijon mustard
1/8 cup white vinegar
1/2 tbsp. chopped garlic
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/4 cup blended oil
1/3 cup feta

Whisk all ingredients - feta should remain in small chunks.