Icebox Pinwheel Cookies

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Food coloring
• Sprinkles

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, then add the vanilla.
3. Turn the mixer off. Add the flour and then beat just until combined. Remove the dough and separate it into two equal pieces. Shape one piece of the dough into an 8-inch square, wrap it securely in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. (This will be the white portion of the cookies.)
4. Return the remaining piece of dough to the stand mixer bowl, and with the mixer on "low," add in the food coloring, drop by drop, until it reaches your desired pink color. Remove the pink dough, shape it into an 8-inch square, wrap it securely in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge.
5. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
6. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut each square in half to form two rectangles. Wrap half of each color of dough in plastic wrap and return it to the fridge. Place the white dough in between two pieces of wax paper and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Roll out the colored dough between two separate pieces of wax paper until it is a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick.
7. Peel the top layer of wax paper off of the white dough and then peel the wax paper off one side of the pink dough and use the other side to transfer the colored dough on top of the white dough. Very lightly roll the two layers together.
8. Starting at the shorter end of the rectangle, roll the dough as tightly as possible into a log. Repeat the rolling and stacking process with the remaining dough in the fridge. Wrap the logs in wax paper and then plastic wrap and refrigerate them for 1 hour.
9. Remove the dough logs and roll them on the counter several times so they don't develop a flat side. Unwrap the dough logs and place the sprinkles in a large, shallow dish. Roll the dough logs in the sprinkles until they are completely coated. Re-wrap the dough logs in wax paper and plastic and refrigerate them for 4 more hours.
10. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and slice each log into 1/4-inch rounds. Place the rounds about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets, as the cookies will expand when baked.
11. Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes until pale golden, and then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

Apple Cider Doughnuts

Ingredients

• 1 cup apple cider, cooked down to 3/4 cup
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling dough, if necessary
• 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

1. Place apple cider in a small saucepan over high heat, bring to a rolling boil, and allow cider to reduce to about 1/4 cup; remove from heat and set aside. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon. Set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, mix together the butter, 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, and the brown sugar until well combined. Mix in egg. Mix in vanilla, buttermilk and reserved cider.
3. Scrape down the bowl and add sifted flour mixture. Mix just until blended. Remove dough from mixer and pat into a flattened ball.
4. Place dough between 2 pieces of parchment or waxed paper. Dust paper lightly with flour if dough is sticky. Roll out dough to a rough disk about 1/2-inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
5. Fill a deep skillet or wok with oil to about a 1 1/2-inch depth and hook a frying thermometer on to the edge of the pan. Be sure the oil covers the red tip of the thermometer. Heat oil to 300 to 320 degrees over moderate heat. (Be sure to watch the thermometer temperature at all times. Turn burner heat up and down as necessary to maintain temperature.)
6. Meanwhile, peel off 1 sheet of parchment paper from chilled dough. Cut dough using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter. Reserve “holes.”
7. Use a slotted spoon to carefully place three or four doughnuts into the hot oil. Then use tongs to turn doughnuts carefully while frying to a deep golden brown on each side, about 4 minutes total. (Do not over crowd the pan.) Drain on a platter lined with paper towels. Fry “holes” separately.
8. Meanwhile In a small brown lunch bag, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar with remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Place warm donuts in bag and shake until coated with mixture. Serve warm.

Korokke (Croquette)

Ingredients

• 2 lb. (about 4) russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 carrots, finely diced (optional)
• 4 Shiitake mushrooms (optional)
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 eggs for the breading
• 2 cups Panko
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• Oil for deep frying
• Tonkatsu Sauce

Directions

1. In a large pot, put water and potatoes and bring it to a boil. Cook potatoes until a skewer goes through the potato easily.
2. Remove the potato from the heat and drain the potatoes completely in a colander. Transfer the potatoes back into the pot.
3. Move the pot back to the stove. On low heat, shift the pot so that remaining moisture will completely evaporate (but don’t burn them).
4. Turn off the heat and mash the potatoes. Unlike mashed potato, you don’t have to mash them completely. You can leave some small chunks for texture. Set aside.
5. Meanwhile, chop onion, carrots, and mushrooms finely.
6. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium high heat. Sauté onion until soft.
7. Add carrots and Shiitake mushrooms and cook until they are soft.
8. Add the meat and break it up with a wooden spoon. When the meat is cooked through, add salt, white pepper, and black pepper. Set aside.
9. When both mashed potato and meat mixture are ready, add the meat mixture into mashed potato in the large pot, making sure to leave any liquid behind in the pan. Discard any liquid left in the pan.
10. Add an egg and mix all together until everything is well combined.
11. Set aside till the mixture cools down a bit (so you can actually hold the mixture with your hands).
12. While the mixture is still warm, but not hot, start making Korokke balls.
13. Dredge each ball in flour, egg, and Panko.
14. In a wok (or frying pan), heat oil over medium high heat. Deep fry Korokke until they are golden brown. The inside is already cooked, so all you need to do is to make it nice brown color.
15. Transfer Korokke to paper towels and let the oil be absorbed by the paper. Serve immediately with Tonkatsu Sauce.

Corn Muffins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup fine stone-ground yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream or low-fat plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup milk

Directions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with 8 cupcake liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to combine; set aside.
3. Whisk the egg in a second medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add the sugar to the egg and whisk vigorously until thick and homogenous, about 30 seconds. Add the melted butter to the sugar/egg mixture, whisking well to combine.
4. Add the sour cream and milk and whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; mix gently with a rubber spatula until the batter is just combined and evenly moistened. Do not over-mix.
5. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, dropping it to form mounds. Do not level or flatten the surface of the mounds.
6. Bake until the muffins are light golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 16-18 minutes, rotating the muffin tin from front to back halfway through the baking time. Cool the muffins in the tin for 5 minute before removing. Serve warm.