Sundried Tomato Dip & Black & Whites
I'm a native New Yorker but can't think of an appetizer that says "New York" - maybe chopped liver on crackers but that's so unhealthy. We like Ina's Sundried tomato dip on baguette slices. Maybe an antipasto platter? or Mezze (that would be healthier...hummus, babaganoush, kalamata olives, tabbouli with pita chips and pita wedges and some tzatziki). I added Black & Whites because that says NY even though they're not an appetizer. If you can buy them that would be best. Here's a recipe I found and plan to try (I even bought the no trans fat Crisco) along with Ina's Sundried Tomato Dip recipe:
Black and Whites
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup sugar
½ cup solid veg shortening + additional for greasing the baking sheet
2 large eggs at room temp
½ cup milk (regular, low fat or fat free)
4 tsps vanilla
1-1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
6 T water
2 T light corn syrup
3-3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a large baking sheet and set aside. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside as well.
Beat the sugar and shortening in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth.
Turn off the beaters, add half the prepared flour mixture, and beat at low speed until the flour has been incorporated but some graininess remains in the batter. Beat in the milk and 2 tsps vanilla until smooth, then beat in the remaining flour mixture at low speed just until incorporated, just until no rifts of white flour are visible.
Scoop up ¼ cup of the batter and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Dip your palm in a little flour, then gently press the dough into a 3” circle. Continue making more of these circles, spacing them about 3” apart on the sheet. Bake until lightly browned at the edges, set on top, but springy in the middle, about 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
Once the cookies have cooled completely, place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl; set aside. Place the water and corn syrup in a medium saucepan set over medium heat, stirring constantly at first until the corn syrup dissolves and then not at all until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the confectioners’ sugar until fully dissolved. Pour half this mixture over the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Stir the remaining 2 tsps vanilla into the remaining sugar mixture in the saucepan.
Frost half of a cookie top with the vanilla icing and the other half with the chocolate icing, making a straight line right through the diameter of the cookies that divides the icings. For color fast reasons, it’s best to work with the vanilla before the chocolate. If possible, use two spoons or spatulas, one for each icing. Should either icing become too stiff while you’re working with it, put it in a medium bowl that will fit securely over a saucepan with about 1” of water brought to a boil over medium high heat; stir over the heat just until the icing softens. Makes about 16 cookies.
Source: The Ultimate Cookbook
Sundried Tomato Dip – Barefoot Contessa
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (8 tomatoes)
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
10 dashes, hot red pepper sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, red pepper sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature
