Grilled Peaches with Amaretti*

Craig Dessert

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Ingredients

8 ripe peaches, cut in 1/2 and pitted
1/4 cup vanilla sugar, recipe follows
1/4 cup good dark rum (recommended: Mount Gay)
1/4 cup good almond liqueur (recommended: Amaretto Di Savonna)
8 amaretti cookies, crumbled
Creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream to serve, optional

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Heat a grill with a single layer of charcoal.
  3. When the coals are hot, brush the grill with a little oil to make sure the peaches don’t stick.
  4. Place the peaches, cut side down, on the grill and cook for a few minutes, until they’re slightly charred.
  5. Place the peaches in an oven-proof dish, sprinkle each half with a little vanilla sugar.
  6. Combine the rum and amaretto and drizzle 1/2 of it on the peaches.
  7. Bake the peaches for about 10 minutes, until they’re very tender.
  8. Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold with crumbled amaretti cookies on top or with the cookies on the side, and with a dollop of creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

Vanilla Sugar:

Find a jar tall enough to hold 2 vanilla beans. Fill the bottle with sugar and cover tightly. Store on a pantry shelf. After about 3 months you will have a wonderful ingredient for cooking and baking. Keep adding vanilla beans and sugar to the jar and you will have it for years.


Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies*

Craig Dessert

Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1/4 Cup Softened Butter
2 tbsp Coconut Oil
1/3 Cup Rapadura (or Sucanat)
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Large Egg
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1 1/2 Cups Blanched Almond Flour
3/4 Cup Fair Trade Dark Chocolate Chips (65% Cacao or Higher)
1/2 Cup Crispy Walnut Pieces (Optional)

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
  3. Using an electric mixer, mix together the butter, coconut oil and rapadura in a large bowl until very creamy (like frosting). Add the vanilla and egg, mixing until well incorporated. Mix in the baking soda and salt. Then slowly mix in the blanched almond flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until well blended.
  4. Using a spoon, fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
  5. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about three-inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
  6. Bake approximately 9-10 minutes, or until golden brown around edges.
  7. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Inexpensive Game Console

Craig TechieTalk

For only $99 you can buy an OUYA game console and basically play games developed for the Android OS.  Included in the $99, you get the SDK (Software Developer’s Kit).  Pretty goof deal with a lot of potential world wide.

Digital Currencies

Craig BizBuzz

Last week the Feds came out with new regulations regarding ‘digital currencies’.  The regulations say that digital currencies like bitcoin are to be treated essentially as foreign currencies. Companies that exchange digital bitcoins for real money will have to comply with the same regulations as traditional currency exchangers — namely, they must verify the identity of anyone exchanging money for bitcoins and report large transactions to the government.  However, using bitcoins to purchase goods, however, is specifically exempted.

BitPay is the equivalent of PayPal allowing buyer and seller to exchange bitcoins for items, and in some cases those items can be illegal drugs, since just like cash, the transaction is anonymous.  Seems the interest in bitcoins has increased because of the banking/debt problems in Cypress.  Some people are using gold as a safe haven and some are using bitcoins as a safe haven.  There is even a site where you can exchange bitcoins for government issued note.

It’s a brave new world!

Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage

Craig Main Course

Ingredients

3 – 4 lbs corned beef brisket
6 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
1 cup thinly sliced carrot
1 bay leaf (or two small ones)
1 cup beer
1 small cabbage, cut in wedges (optional)

Preparation

  1. Place potatoes, onions, carrots, and bay leaf in crock pot.
  2. Trim excess fat from brisket; put meat on top of veges.
  3. If desired, place cabbage wedges on top of meat.
  4. Pour beer over all.
  5. Cover and cook on LOW heat setting 9-11 hours.
  6. Slice brisket thinly across grain (let it cool 5- 10 minutes for easier slicing).
  7. Serve with vegetables.