COOKING WITH CLORIS -- NON-ALCOHOLIC NEW YEAR’S HOT PUNCH

Planning a New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day party this year? Why not make a batch of Cloris’s non-alcoholic hot punch? -- AP

NON-ALCOHOLIC NEW YEAR’S HOT PUNCH

Ingredients:
(Note: for an alcoholic variation, add 1 qt. white rum)

1 qt. white grape juice
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 qt. water
cinnamon sticks

Pour liquid ingredients into a large pot. Heat to a simmer. Serve warm with cinnamon sticks.

COOKING WITH CLORIS -- NO-BAKE CHEWY FUDGE COOKIES

Need some last minute holiday treats? Try Cloris’s No-Bake Chewy Fudge Cookies. -- AP

NO-BAKE CHEWY FUDGE COOKIES
makes 4 dozen

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1 cup flaked coconut, packed
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar, cocoa, milk, and butter to a rolling boil. Boil for one minute. Stir in vanilla, oats, coconut, and walnuts.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Cool until firm.

How’s that for easy? Anyone going to try some? -- AP

COOKING WITH CLORIS -- ZUCCHINI LATKES

Latkes are traditional Jewish potato pancakes, usually served with sour cream or applesauce. Today, Cloris gives us her version with a twist, given that the zucchini is still coming in fast and furiously. If your harvest is over, this is a great recipe for some of that shredded zucchini you froze. You did freeze all that extra zucchini, didn't you? -- AP

ZUCCHINI LATKES 

serves 4

Ingredients:

4 medium or 1 large unpeeled zucchini
1 onion

3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt

olive oil

Coarsely grate the zucchini and onion into a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, blending well.

Fry by tablespoons in hot oiled skillet, turning once when golden brown. Place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve with applesauce, sour cream, or tomato sauce. If using tomato sauce, top with grated parmesan cheese.

Another winner from Cloris, right readers? Who will be trying this yummy recipe? Post a comment to enter the drawing to win a book from Friday's guest author. -- AP

COOKING WITH CLORIS --CHOCOLATE CHIP CUCUMBER BREAD

As you may have heard, Hurricane Irene walloped the east coast last week. Here in New Jersey, we had massive flooding. Right before the hurricane hit, Cloris picked whatever was pickable from her garden, not knowing what would survive the storm. Apparently, she missed a few cucs because the day after the storm she discovered a couple that could devour Cleveland. Not wanting to waste food, she decided to try her hand at cucumber bread. What works for zucchini, should work for cucs, right? Did it ever! This recipe is to die for! -- AP

CHOCOLATE CHIP CUCUMBER BREAD

3 eggs

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 cups peeled, seeded, grated cucumbers

1 cup vegetable oil

1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs.  Beat in sugar, oil and vanilla until well blended.  Beat in cucumbers. Combine the dry ingredients and add to cucumber mixture, mixing until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour into two greased and floured 9” x 5” loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. 

This is by far the moistest bread I’ve ever devoured, and I’ve devoured a lot of Cloris’s baked goodies. Readers, who’s going to try it? Post a comment to be entered into the drawing for a book by our Friday guest author. -- AP

COOKING WITH CLORIS -- GUEST AUTHOR/COOK CARIDAD PINEIRO

Food editor Cloris McWerther is once again checking out colleges with her daughter. In her stead today we have author Caridad Pineiro stepping in to offer a thirst-quenching treat. Caridad is the NY Times bestselling author of over twenty-six paranormal romance and romantic suspense novels and novellas. Her popular THE CALLING vampire series returns in 2012. THE FIFTH KINGDOM, a romantic suspense, was just released, and THE LOST, the first book in her new SIN HUNTERS paranormal romance series arrives in August. Caridad has also written the foreword for OBSESSED: EROTIC ROMANCE FOR WOMEN edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel which will be available in August 2011.  Her popular THE CALLING vampire series returns in 2012, but vampire lovers will enjoy A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS (October 2011) which includes Caridad's novella, WHEN HERALD ANGELS SING. For more information on Caridad, visit her website.  -- AP



First of all, thank you so much for having me here, Anastasia.  I just love all your helpful hints and am so honored to be able to share my humble recipe for sangria.

Sangria is a popular wine punch served throughout Portugal, Spain and Latin America.  It’s usually made with an inexpensive wine, some other alcoholic beverage, like brandy, and in some recipes, a sparkling soda or seltzer.

In THE FIFTH KINGDOM, my hero and heroine are in Mexico City posing as an engaged couple in order to draw out members of a terrorist group.  Their ploy requires that they spend some time lounging around a luxury hotel while acting like a couple-in-love and that includes sharing some tasty beverages poolside.  In the heat of a Mexico City day or during a hot summer night, sangria is a delightful way to cool off. I’ve been playing with the recipe and have created this refreshing variation on the traditional mix.

Feel free to try out some variations like adding some pears to the mix, using white wine or even substituting prosecco or champagne for the sparkling apple cider.  When choosing the fruits, stick to what’s in season for the best results and make sure the fruit is ripe.  For a tropical taste, substitute pineapple and mangos.  For some additional recipes, you can visit http://www.sangriasecrets.com/.

Caridad’s Sweet and Sexy Sangria

Ingredients

1 bottle red wine (a Malbec, Rioja, Tempranillo, Cabernet or Pinot Noir will do. Maipe Malbec and Folie à Deax’s Menage a Trois red wine are good choices and sub $10 at Costco)
1/2 bottle Chilled Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Cider (or any other sparkling cider)
2 oranges

1 apple, cubed
1 cup frozen strawberries (freezing them helps keep the sangria chilled without watering it down)
1/2 cup grapes

1 cup brandy (cherry brandy really helps the fruity flavor pop!)

Directions

• Peel oranges. Cut into eighths and then cut the eighths in half. Cut grapes in half. Cut frozen strawberries in half.
• Place fruit into a pitcher and add the wine and brandy. Let fruit and wine macerate for at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator. If you can wait longer before serving, the flavors will be better.
• When you are ready to serve, add chilled sparkling cider to fruit and wine mixture.
• Remove some fruit from this mix and place in individual wine glasses. Pour wine/cider mixture into the wine glass and serve.
• Decorate the edge of the wine glass with a slice of orange or a fresh strawberry.

What I like about this mix is that you get the extra fruitiness and sweetness with the addition of the cider and brandy and you don’t have to add sugar to get that.

Some recipes call for lemon in the mix and also don’t ask you to peel the citrus, but I find that the lemon and the peels make the mix too acidic.  If you find that the mix is not sweet enough, feel free to add some sugar or make a simple syrup and add it to the mix.

Boy, does that recipe ever sound fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing it with us today, Caridad. Readers, what do you think? Post a comment to enter the drawing for a free book from our Friday Book Club guest author this week. -- AP