Cookie Crazy

There is really only one tradition in my family when it comes to Christmastime. And that is my beloved Peanut Butter Balls. They are a sweet reminder of many, many happy Christmases past. I make them at least once each holiday season, and in fact just took them to a party last week. But when Mep of Not to Brag asked me and two of our other beautiful friends, Heather and E..., to be a part of a virtual cookie party, I thought it might be time to try something new.

As my now no doubt nervous in-laws are aware, I have a penchant for trying new dessert recipes. Unfortunately, my ability to create these masterpieces is severely outmatched by my desire to pick the most complicated and obscure recipes available. The year of the pumpkin flan comes to mind. It is to their credit that at each holiday event of the past 7 years, they have gamely nibbled on my creations. And not once have they made gagging noises or spit anything out, even though I am quite certain that they have all wanted to on at least one occasion. Even my husband, who is a human garbage disposal of food has on occasion been less than complimentary of my efforts. Which means it was BAD. So for this challenge I was really determined to make something that was not especially complicated and more importantly, tasty.

I looked over my cupboard and with a distinct aversion to the idea of a trip to the grocery store on this cold evening, I found a recipe that made use of the materials I had on hand. Which as it turns out, weren't so meager as I had feared. I was able to produce two ingredients that are favorites of mine, and most amazingly, in a quantity adequate for my needs. Specifically: white chocolate chips and cranberries. And with the discovery of some quick oats on the top shelf, I knew I was on my way.

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 6 ounces white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a large bowl using an electric mixer combine the sugar, brown sugar and butter; mix well to cream together. (I used my Kitchen-aid stand mixer for the whole process. I don't know how I lived without it.)
3. Add in egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
4. Add the cinnamon, baking soda, salt and flour and mix well.
5. Fold in the oatmeal, dried cranberries and white chocolate chips - making sure that all ingredients are uniformly distributed.
6. Drop teaspoonfuls (or roll into balls, but that is quite messy and doesn't make a discernible difference) about 3 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges are lightly golden.
7. Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer cookies to cooling rack.

I wish you could see the nice little red cranberries that accent this cookie, but that color just doesn't show up well.

They came out a little crispier than I was expecting. That might be due to the pan I used. It might be due to overcooking. It might be that I used light butter. Really, none of that matters because these cookies are HEAVENLY. They are exactly the right mix of crispy and chewy. When I set the plate down in front of Neil, he said "looks good" in a non-committal way. I can't blame him. But after one bite, he was making yummy noises and proclaimed them "damn good!" Which is a far cry from the usual "fine" that passes for high praise in this house. 

I definitely recommend giving them a try, I just know these little beauties will be crowd pleasers! Enjoy!


And be sure to visit Mep, E... and Heather to see what yummy confections they made!

Souper Easy Recipe: French Onion

It is that time of year again. Soup season! There is just nothing like a steaming bowl on a chilly fall day. It warms you from the inside out. One of my forever favorites is French Onion. Ironically, I actually don't care much for onions, but something about this soup just works for me. For years and years, if I were enjoying a bowl at home, I bought a can of Campbell's and threw it in the microwave. But once I tried making this for myself and saw how easy it is, and how fantastic it tastes, I don't think it's possible to go back to my old college-y ways.

Ingredients:
4 - Tablespoons Butter (I suppose you could use margarine but I don't recommend it. Ever.)
2 - Onions (I use one red and one white but you can use whatever combination strikes your fancy.)
1 - Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 - Teaspoon Sugar
1 - Tablespoon Flour
4 - Cans (10.5 oz) Beef Broth
1/2 - Cup Red Wine (Use good stuff. Never cook with something you wouldn't drink.)
1/2 - Teaspoon Garlic Salt (or to taste)
1/2 - Teaspoon Salt (or to taste)
1/2 - Teaspoon Black Pepper (or to taste)
Sliced Provolone or Swiss Cheese
French Bread

1. Melt the butter in a medium soup pan. Thinly slice the onions and saute in the butter at medium heat until soft. Add the Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes.














2. Stir in the flour and mix well with onions and pan sauce. Add broth, wine, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Slice 3/4 inch pieces of French Bread. I toast mine in our toaster oven, but you can also cook in the oven at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes.

4. Fill oven-safe bowls 3/4 full with soup. Add the toasted bread and a slice of provolone or swiss cheese. Return to toaster oven or oven, 425 degrees, for about 10 minutes until cheese is melted. (You can also hollow out bread bowls. And that is a VERY tasty way to go, but the extra 400 calories kill me.)

Enjoy!

Soups On!

I've been in a soup kind of place lately. With the chilly weather outside, snuggling up with a warm bowl of deliciousness just seems perfect. Not surprising then that last night I broke out the soup pot again. I have a recipe magazine/book that I bought some years back because it looked interesting, but was called "Weeknight Menus," so I figured it would be fairly easy stuff. The joke was on me, though, because while the recipes are most certainly interesting and definitely delicious, quick and easy they are not.

I have a couple that I make regularly, like my Thai Basil Shrimp which I will someday post, but for the most part I have not ventured further into the book. It wasn't until earlier this week, tired of all of my standard fare, that I decided I was going to get more out of this book. To hell with the time and effort involved. So I went through with pen and paper and created a grocery list of all of the things I would need for the four recipes I was planning to make this week. Last night I was featuring Chipotle Shrimp Soup. At the grocery store, I found pretty much everything I needed, except for Chipotle in Adobo Sauce. Which as it turns out is fairly common in Mexican cooking, but not so much in my local Safeway. So, quick thinker that I am, I bought jalapenos with the plan of making my own adobo. Sortof. More on that in a minute.

Side note: I also got some Cilantro which I absolutely adore and would put in everything if I could. When I was checking out, the lady looked up at me as she was scanning those tasty green sprigs and pointed out that it was Cilantro, she wanted to make sure I knew what I had because earlier in the day a woman had accidentally gotten it instead of Parsley. I assured her that I did indeed want Cilantro but I understood the mistake, the two look a lot alike. I had once gotten Parsley instead of Cilantro. She smiled and said, "well, they're pretty much the same thing, right?" I was shocked and appalled. Cilantro has a distinct flavor that is very, very different from parsley. It is used frequently in Asia, India, Latin America, Africa...pretty much everywhere but the US and Europe. Friends, this is not a mistake you want to make. Although sometimes called Chinese Parsley, Cilantro and Parsley are NOT interchangeable.

So back to the soup.

Here are the ingredients:

3 slices thick sliced bacon, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup sherry wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 medium sized red potatoes, diced
1 cup whole milk
1-2 tablespoon chipotle chile in adobo, minced (or to taste) *
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced**
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and halved lengthwise
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used fat-free half and half and it was fine, but it would certainly be VERY tasty with the fully leaded version)

Saute bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp. Add onions,celery and garlic and saute 3-4 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Stir in flour and cook one minute. Deglaze with sherry, stirring to scrape up bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in broth, corn, potatoes, milk, chipotles, and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes. Add shrimp and cream to soup. Simmer 5 minutes to cook shrimp. Salt to taste.
















Truth be told, the recipe wasn't that complicated, but between the dicing, slicing and sauteeing, it easily took 45 minutes. So while easy, it is not quick. Great for occasionally, but not weekly. It is spicy, which I love but that can be toned down by using less Chipotle, and satisfyingly filling. My husband raved (This soup is great!) about it, and high praise from him is usually along the lines of "it's fine." This recipe makes about four servings but can easily be doubled and is very good reheated. Great for a chilly winter day!

*I couldn't find this, so I diced one jalapeno pepper and poured a half teaspoon smoke seasoning, 1 teaspoon ketchup, 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar and a dash of salt over it. I left it to sit while I prepared the rest of the ingredients, stirring it up occasionally. I know this is probably the bastard son of chipotle in adobo, but I gave it a try and it came out great.

**For those of you that don't often work with Thyme: Instead of mincing, I will run my fingers down the stalk (no comments from the peanut gallery) brushing the itsy bitsy leaves off. It's easy and your hands smell like yummy Thyme for hours.

Comfort Food

I am always looking for ways to make my life easier. One of them is in the preparation of meals for my beloved and myself. Not much is easier than the crockpot. I can put the food in at some point during the day, while Sophie is napping or otherwise occupied, and then not have to worry about it again. At dinnertime, I just scoop it out and dinner is served. One of my favorite dishes is Chili. Back home, my stepdad used to make Chili on football Sundays, so it's a comfort food for me. When I was pregnant, I craved it something fierce. I ate a bowl of turkey chili at least once a week. Each and every time, it was followed up by atomic indigestion, but it was soo worth it. With all the cold weather, it's a perfect time to enjoy this tasty dish. Here's my recipe for a satisfying bowl of Chili. It's a might spicy, but won't send anyone careening for a glass of milk. (That's what you're supposed to drink to salve a spiced up tongue.)

Cara's Chili Con Carne

• 2 lbs Ground Beef or Turkey (I also like to do one pound of each, you get the flavor of the beef without all the fat.) Brown thoroughly and drain excess grease.
• 1 Can Rotel Tomatoes and Green Chiles (undrained)
• 1 Can (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes (undrained)
  
• 2 Cans Red Kidney Beans (drained and rinsed)
  
• 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced (I use the storebought jar of pre-minced garlic, big time saver.)
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin
• 1/8 Cup Chili Powder or 1 Packet Chili Seasoning*
  
• 1/2 Cup Water
  
• Salt and Pepper to taste (I generally add about a teaspoon of salt and a half teaspoon of pepper.)
• Red Peppers, Green Peppers or Onions (Optional, I like my chili without any of these, but lots of people love them, so add as you see fit.)
  

Put everything in a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir occasionally.
















I generally serve a salad as a starter, so we get some greens, but that's it and you've got yourself a meal. I like to throw on a little grated cheese and some dill pickle slices. The pickles add just a bit of zing. I love them, but they're not for everyone. If you like pickles, give it a try. Finally, tons of crackers, some cornbread and the Doctor.

That, my friends, is happiness. What is comfort food for you?

*Purists will say that no self respecting chili chef would use a packet of seasoning. I have made it both ways and don't really have a preference. If I remember to buy a packet when I'm at the store, I'll use that. Otherwise, I'll just use chili powder.