Polpettine di Tacchino

I started with a recipe that I found in People Magazine for Turkey Meatballs by Mario Batali and adapted it to my family's taste.  Mario made these meatballs on "The Chew" as an appetizer.  He also makes them at his restaurant Otto.  I definitely changed the recipe.  I reduced the amount of red pepper flakes down from 1 tablespoon to 1 teaspoon in both the meatballs and the sauce.  I don't like to breathe fire when I eat meatballs.  In fact, I reduced the salt and pepper way down, too.  I reduced the cooking time down from 1 hour to 40 minutes.  I have seen this recipe online with a cooking time of 2-1/2 hours!  You would have to bring the oven temperature down to about 300 degrees in order to cook it for that long.  I feel like this recipe would be burned beyond recognition if we used the 2-1/2 hour 350 degree cook time!  I know that Mario believes in slow roasting meats so I will try the longer method some time but not in a 350 degree oven.

I didn't have red wine in the house (unbelievable but true) so I used 1/4 cup vodka and 3/4 cup chicken broth.  The sauce was great anyway.  

I served these meatballs with oven-baked Risotto.  Yum!

Polpettine di Tacchino

A delicious and flavorful meatball recipe

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 hour

(Serves: 6)

1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground pork
2.5 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (Mario uses 1 Tbsp)
1-2 tablespoons salt
1-2 tablespoons ground black pepper


For the sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cup dry red wine
1 sprig rosemary
1 (16-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes and their juices, crushed by hand
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
dash salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, pork, bread crumbs, milk, garlic, eggs, rosemary, chili flakes and salt and pepper and mix with hands until just combined. Form into 5-ounce balls and place in a shallow casserole. Roast in the oven until dark golden brown. Set aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Meanwhile, in a large oven-proof skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook over medium heat until well browned. Add the chili flakes and salt and pepper, to taste. Add the rosemary and red wine and stir until the wine is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the meatballs, transferring to a large container if necessary, and cook in the oven 30-40 minutes. Serve in shallow bowls with the sauce, topped with the parsley leaves.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Fudge Cupcakes

I had been mulling over this recipe for quite some time.  I wanted to make these cupcakes ever since I read the book Fudge Cupcake Murders by Joanne Fluke.  I even went so far as to take the Eden Lake Cookbook out at the library to get the recipe.  I photocopied this recipe and held onto it for months.  I finally decided to make them about a week ago.  My husband and I each ate one without the frosting.  It wasn't very exciting but after they were frosted, zowie they were great!  I don't know why but the frosting adds the needed zing.  Try them, you'll like them!

FUDGE CUPCAKES

From Fudge Cupcake Murders

By Joanne Fluke

Ingredients:

4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate (1 oz. each)

½ cup raspberry syrup (for pancakes – Knott’s red raspberry)*

¼ cup white sugar (granulated)

1-2/3 cups flour (don’t sift)

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup butter, room temperature (one stick)

1-1/2 cups white sugar (not a misprint – you will use 1 and ¾ cups sugar in all)

3 eggs

½ cup milk

Directions:

1.       Line a 12-cup muffin pan with double cupcake papers.  Since this recipe makes 18 cupcakes, you can use an additional 6-cup muffin pan lined with double papers, or you can butter and flour an 8-inch square cake pan or the equivalent.

2.       Microwave the chocolate, raspberry syrup and ¼ cup sugar in a microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 1 minute.  Stir.  Microwave again for another minute.  At this point, the chocolate will be almost melted, but it will maintain its shape.  Stir the mixture until smooth and let cool to lukewarm.  (You can also do this in a double boiler on the stove.)

3.       Measure the flour, mix in the baking powder and salt, and set it aside.  With an electric mixer (or with VERY strong arms), beat the butter and 1-1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy.  (About 3 minutes with a mixer – an additional 2 minutes if you are doing it by hand.)  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition to make sure they are thoroughly incorporated.  Add approximately 1/3 of the flour mixture and 1/3 of the milk.  (You don’t have to be exact – adding the flour and milk in increments makes the batter smoother.)  When that is all mixed in, add another third of the flour and another third of the milk.  And when that is incorporated, add the remainder of the flour and the remainder of the milk.  Mix thoroughly.

4.       Test your chocolate mixture to make sure it is cool enough to add.  (You don’t want to cook the eggs!)  If it is fairly warm to the touch but not so hot you have to pull your hand away, you can add it at this point.  Stir thoroughly and you are done.

5.       Let the batter rest for five minutes.  Then stir it again by hand, and fill each cupcake paper three-quarters full.  If you decided to use the 8-inch cake pan instead of the 6-cup muffin tin, fill it with the remaining batter.

6.       Bake the cupcakes in a 350 degree F. oven for 20 to 25 minutes.  The 8-inch cake should bake an additional 5 minutes.

*If you can’t find raspberry syrup, mix ¼ cup seedless raspberry jam with ¼ cup light Karo syrup and use that.

FUDGE FROSTING
 

Ingredients:

2 cups semi-sweet (regular) chocolate chips (a 12-ounce bag)

14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

18 cupcakes or 12 cupcakes and 1 small cake, cooled to room temperature and ready to frost

If you use a double boiler for this frosting, it is foolproof.  You can also make it in a heavy saucepan over low to medium heat on the stovetop, but you’ll have to stir it constantly with a wooden spoon or a heat-resistant spatula to keep it from scorching.

Fill the bottom part of the double boiler with water.  Make sure the water does not touch the underside of the top.

Put the chocolate chips in the top of the double boiler, set it over the bottom, and place the double boiler on the stove top at medium heat.  Stir occasionally until the chocolate chips are melted.

Stir in the can of sweetened condensed milk and cook approximately 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the frosting is shiny and of spreading consistency.

The cupcakes are even better if you cool them, and let them sit for several hours (or even overnight) before frosting them.

Hannah’s Note: If you want to make these in mini-cupcake tins, fill the cups 2/3 full and bake them at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes.

 Enjoy!

The Creative Cook