Garlic-Braised Chicken

 

INGREDIENTS

•  Olive oil
• 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4)
•  Salt
• 20 peeled garlic cloves
• ¾ teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 cup dry chardonnay
•  Steamed white rice, for serving

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom. Season the chicken with salt on both sides, then add to the pot skin side down. Cook until the skin turns golden and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. If the skin browns too quickly, lower the heat. Flip, and sear the other side briefly, about 1 minute. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
3. Add the garlic to the schmaltzy oil over medium-high, and stir until fragrant and very lightly golden at the edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the white pepper, then immediately add the wine and 1 cup water. Scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pot while bringing the liquid to a simmer. Nestle the chicken in the pot skin side up, cover and cook in the oven until the chicken and garlic are meltingly tender, and the wine has reduced, about 1 hour. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Serve with rice.

Peppermint frosting

FOR THE PEPPERMINT FROSTING: 

½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter, softened

2 cups/200 grams sifted confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons heavy cream or milk, plus more if needed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ teaspoon peppermint extract, plus more if desired

 Pinch kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

 Red gel food coloring (optional)

 Shaved chocolate and sprinkles, for decorating (optional)

make the frosting: Add the butter to the bowl and mix on medium-high with an electric mixer until smooth, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Turn the speed to low, and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar. Mix until the sugar is moistened, then add 2 teaspoons of the cream, the vanilla extract, 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and salt. Turn the speed up to medium-high, and whip until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes, adding a bit more cream a teaspoon at a time, if necessary, to make a smooth and light frosting. Taste the frosting, and add a few more drops of peppermint extract if desired. The frosting can be kept at room temperature while the cake finishes baking and cooling.

Top the cooled cake with an even layer of frosting, then use the tip of a toothpick to dot the frosting with a few small dots of gel food coloring, if using. Use a spoon or offset spatula to swirl the food coloring into the frosting to create candy cane-like stripes — just a few swipes will do the trick. If you mix it in too much, the frosting will turn pink. Top the cake with sprinkles and shaved chocolate, if desired. Store leftover cake loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

hibiscus ginger swirl cookies NYT

Ingredients

1 cup/230 grams unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup/165 grams granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 ½ cups/360 grams all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons/28 grams finely chopped candied ginger

3 tablespoons turbinado or other coarse raw sugar

2 tablespoons/18 grams finely ground dried hibiscus (from ¼ cup dried hibiscus flowers)

1 tablespoon fresh orange zest

2 tablespoons dried edible flower petals, such as rose (optional)

Step 1

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 5 minutes. Add 1 egg and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, candied ginger, salt and ground ginger, and whisk together. Turn the mixer off, add flour mix to the butter all at once and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer speed to low and beat until flour is fully incorporated, scraping the bowl again if needed, about 30 seconds. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, pressing down to form a flat square. Refrigerate the dough until firm, about 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the turbinado sugar, hibiscus, edible flowers (if using) and orange zest.

Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a 10-by-13-inch rectangle. Peel off the top sheet of parchment paper. Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl, and brush the surface of the dough with the egg mixture. Sprinkle the hibiscus mixture over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border along one of the long edges. Press down lightly on the sugar to make sure it adheres to the dough. Turn the dough so that the coated long end is closest to you and, starting from that end, roll the dough into a tight log. Use the bottom sheet of parchment to help lift and roll the dough. Slice the log in equal halves, and wrap each half with 1 sheet of parchment. Refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to slice, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Slice each log into ½-inch rounds. Lay the rounds on the prepared baking sheet, spacing at least ½-inch apart.

Bake until the cookies are golden at the bottom edges, rotating once halfway through baking, about 22 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The baked cookies can also be stored frozen in an airtight container for up to 10 days. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Root Beer Ham

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bone-in, fully cooked unsliced half ham (8 to 12 pounds)
• 2 (12-ounce) cans root beer
• 2 large shallots, halved lengthwise
• 2 large dried or fresh bay leaves
• ¼ packed cup dark brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar

• PREPARATION

  1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Using a sharp knife, make parallel cuts across the surface of the ham, about 1/2 inch deep and 1 inch apart, then repeat in the opposite direction to create a diamond pattern.
  2. Place the ham in a deep, large roasting pan, cut side down, and pour the root beer over the ham. Add the shallots and bay leaves to the root beer in the roasting pan. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake, basting once halfway through, until the ham is heated through (it’s already cooked). The internal temperature should reach 135 degrees, about 15 minutes per pound (2 to 3 hours total).
  3. When the ham is done heating through, carefully remove from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Uncover the ham and ladle out 2 cups of the root beer braising liquid into a large skillet.
  4. To make the glaze, add the brown sugar, mustard and rice vinegar to the root beer in the skillet and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally and watching that it doesn’t boil over. Cook until reduced significantly, syrupy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and drip off slowly, 10 to 15 minutes.
  5. Using a spoon or a brush, apply half of the glaze all over the surface of the ham. Bake, uncovered, until the glaze is bronzed, bubbling and gorgeous (but not burned), 8 to 12 minutes.
  6. Transfer the ham to a cutting board to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing thinly and serving with the extra glaze. Carefully pour the braising liquid into a gravy boat and serve alongside, as well.