The Earl of Sandwich is owned by the 11th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu, whose family invented the sandwich in 1762. So they claim to know a little bit about making a great sandwich.

Earl of Sandwich is set up pretty much like other sandwiches shops where you order what you want and add extras as you wish. However, here they bake the bread as you order it. I have to say this made a big difference to me. The bread made their sandwich taste very fresh and I liked the crispiness it gave the sandwich. They say they also roast their meats every morning but since I ordered the Tuna Melt with Albacore tuna and melted aged Swiss, I cannot comment on this. I can say that I loved the tuna sandwich and I think it was the bread that made the difference. I was very impressed with Earl of Sandwich. I do think they know their way around the kitchen when it comes to sandwiches.

Besides some really good selections of Signature Hot sandwiches, they also have salads, wraps, desserts and breakfast sandwiches. I’m thinking a Brownie Cream sandwich should be a must when I go back.

Earl of Sandwich also does catering and they offer ordering online. You can also join “The eClub” to receive a FREE SANDWICH on your birthday as well as other exclusive offers. They have three location in San Antonio as well as locations in a few other states and some airports.

http://www.earlofsandwichusa.com/

What do you think?

Congratulations to you Gigi’s Cupcakes, I raise a cupcake in toast to your perfect score.

http://www.facebook.com/GigisCupcakesSanAntonioTexas

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. baking powder

2 eggs

2/3 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups chopped macadamia nuts

1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate pieces

In a saucepan cook and stir bittersweet chocolate and butter over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove pan from heat and cool about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350^◦ F. Line two large cookie sheets with foil or parchment paper; set aside.

In a bowl combine flour and baking powder; set aside. In a mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed about 5 minutes or until mixture is thickened and pale yellow.  Gently stir in flour mixture and cooled chocolate.  Gently stir in nuts and chocolate pieces.

Immediately, using a small cookie scoop (1 ½ inches in diameter), drop dough in mounds 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.  (Dough will thicken as it stands.)

Bake both sheets of cookies at the same time on separate racks from 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are set but centers are soft, reversing sheet to opposite racks halfway through baking.  Completely cool cookies on sheets on wire racks.  Peel cooled cookies off the foil or parchment paper.

Makes 40 cookies

Ingredients

• ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 13-inch casserole with the oil and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the carrots and cook until they are tender, about 15 minutes; drain.  Combine the carrots with the remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared casserole.

Combine the brown sugar, pecans, flour, and butter in a medium bowl.  Stir to blend.  Scatter the mixture over the top of the casserole and bake until the topping is lightly browned, about 55 minutes to 1 hour.  Serve hot.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Today I am busy recovering from the last month of cooking, baking, and entertaining.  While I spend the day with family and friends, and take down the Christmas Decorations, I will leave you with some of my favorite recipes from 2009 Click here for more…

Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

Cream Filling for Cupcakes

Bananas Foster Cream Pie

Butter Croissants

Jalapeno Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

Lime Bars

Tex-Mex Potato Cheese Soup

Onion, Apple and Bacon Tart

Mexican Dessert - Polvorones

Recipe by Culinary Cara:
Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, all of the party planners are looking for the greatest party recipes. Polvorones are soft, buttery, powdery cookies covered in cinnamon sugar. Some people would call them “Mexican Wedding Cookies” or “Mexican Sugar Cookies,” however my recipe does not cover them in powdered sugar. You can find these cookies in several variations and shapes at any Mexican bakery known as a “Paneria.” Like most Mexican recipes, every family has their own rendition. I’ve seen many Polvorones recipes with butter, nuts, and other miscellaneous ingredients, and many lack authenticity. My recipe is the perfect party food because it makes a ton of cookies, and the bite size makes them very handy and also very addictive! This recipe was given to me by my grandmother:

Marina’s Polvorones:

Ingredients:
4 cups All Purpose Flour
½ cup Granulated Sugar
1 ⅔ cups pure Lard (don’t use shortening or butter, they don’t taste the same!)
1 Egg + 2 Egg Yolks
Cinnamon Sugar for dusting

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. In a large bowl, mix flour and sugar. Add lard to flours mixture and knead until combined (gotta use your hands for this one!). Add eggs to dough mixture and continue to knead until all ingredients create a smooth dough. Make dough into 3/4-1 inch balls, about bite size (this is the time consuming part because it makes A LOT of cookies). Place on a baking sheet with about 2 inches of space, and bake for about 10 minutes. The cookies might look under cooked, but you’ll see the browning on the bottom. The best way to test to see how done it is to take one cookie and crush it between your fingers. If it crumbles with some pressure, they are done. Roll baked cookies in cinnamon sugar.

Cara’s Tips:
You MUST use lard for these cookies. The natural fat works best with the high flour content and makes better texture and taste. When removing baked cookies from the cookie sheet, do so with just a few cookies at a time. The cookies are delicate and can crumble if slammed against each other. Line the cookie sheets with foil (shiny side down), to make cleanup a breeze.

Enjoy any Mexican holiday with these cookies. Chances are, however, that you’ll get begged to make these cookies year round! Indulge and enjoy!