Cookies, Scrapple, Brulee

DEAR SOS: The chocolate chip cookies I tasted at Lunaria restaurant in West Los Angeles were so good that I would love to have the recipe. Any chance?

--CHERYL

DEAR CHERYL: Lunaria’s executive chef, Dominique Chavanon, passed on this recipe. And the cookies are good.

CHEF DOMINIQUE CHAVANON’S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, cream butter with sugars and vanilla until light. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture. Stir in semisweet chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees 12 to 15 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen (2 1/4-inch) cookies.

Each serving contains about:

136 calories; 93 mg sodium; 19 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.13 gram fiber.

DEAR SOS: Do you have a recipe for scrapple? It seems to me that it’s made with cornmeal, eggs and pieces of cooked pork.

--LOU ANN

DEAR LOU ANN: Settlers who came to Pennsylvania from Germany’s lower Rhineland brought with them this method of using scraps of meat. They turn them into a flavorful sausage and extend it with buckwheat or cornmeal. Amish slice pieces off the baked loaves, pan-fry them and serve them with catsup, syrup or apple butter.

PHILADELPHIA SCRAPPLE

2 pounds pork shoulder

5 cups water

1 onion, sliced

1 small bay leaf

1 cup white cornmeal

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup minced onion

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Flour

Shortening

Combine pork, 4 cups water, sliced onion and bay leaf in large saucepan. Cover and simmer 1 hour. Drain pork and reserve broth. Discard bones and chop meat fine. Mix cornmeal, remaining 1 cup water, salt and 2 cups reserved broth in saucepan. Cook, stirring until thick. Stir in meat, minced onion, thyme, sage and pepper. Cover and simmer 1 hour.

Turn into 9x5-inch loaf pan and chill until firm. Cut into 12 slices, dust lightly with flour. Heat shortening in skillet. Fry scrapple slices until browned on both sides. Serve at once. Makes about 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

299 calories; 880 mg sodium; 76 mg cholesterol; 14 grams fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 24 grams protein; 0.53 gram fiber.

DEAR SOS: I’d love to get my hands on the recipe for Creme Brulee The Times published some time ago. The sugar topping is caramelized with a propane torch.

--ALELI

DEAR ALELI: Here’s one caramelized under the broiler. It’s safer that way.

CREME BRULEE

8 egg yolks

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 quart whipping cream

1/2 vanilla bean, split

2 pears, peeled, cored and sliced, optional

Beat egg yolks and 2 tablespoons sugar until thick. Scald cream with vanilla bean in saucepan. Whisk cream slowly into yolks. Strain. Discard vanilla bean. Divide mixture among 8 small ramekins or souffle dishes. If desired, divide pear slices among ramekins.

Place ramekins in pan of hot water and bake at 300 degrees 25 to 30 minutes or until custard is set. Just before serving, sprinkle each ramekin with 2 tablespoons sugar. Place under broiler until sugar melts and caramelizes. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

586 calories; 54 mg sodium; 437 mg cholesterol; 50 grams fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0 fiber.