Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Each Christmas, I spend months thinking about what cookies I'm going to bake. I scour my favorite recipe banks for interesting yet mass-appealing cookies. Often times I'll find a recipe and know I have to include it in my packages based on certain tastes: JJ loves oatmeal and molasses, Kris loves chocolate, Dad loves shortbread, Grandma loves jam, etc. As for me, I love spice! I had nine recipes on my list, and only one was a chocolate cookie, so it seemed a second was necessary (yes, necessary, ask 7-months pregnant Kris). I was a little selfish and thought of how I could make a spicy chocolate cookie. I browsed a bit and finally it hit me, Mexican Hot Chocolate! Sure enough, the cooking channel website had the exact recipe I was looking for.

Because I knew children (and my mom) would be eating these, I left out the cayenne and added half the amount of chili powder the recipe calls for. I also added an additional 1/2 c. flour as I felt the dough was a bit too wet. These cookies were on the more labor intensive side, they start out like a brownie with melting unsweetened chocolate and butter, then incorporating it into the batter. However, they were more than worth it! And the very next day after receiving her cookie package, my husband's boss asked for the recipe! If that's not the sign of a great cookie, what is?

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

from the cookingchanneltv.com

1 stick (4 oz.) butter

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325*

Over a double boiler, melt together butter and unsweetened chocolate, once completely melted, remove from heat and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and eggs on low speed until combined.

Add chocolate/butter mixture and beat until combined. 

Stop mixer, add cocoa powder, cinnamon, chili powder, salt, baking soda and cayenne.

Beat until just incorporated, stop mixer.

Add flour, beat until all flour is absorbed, about 15 seconds, then add chocolate chips and beat until distributed, about 10 seconds. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, scoop dough in heaping tablespoons full onto cookie sheet about 2" apart. 

Bake in the center rack, one sheet at a time, for 14 minutes.

Cookies should be puffy and soft, but set. 

Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Yield 2 dozen cookies

Grilled Bok Choy Salad

Without having joined a CSA, I don't think I would have ever made this recipe. Each week when I get my box of produce, I do recipe searches for some of the items I don't use on a normal basis. I've only cooked with bok choy two or three times, so I wanted to try something new. When I found this recipe, I knew it would be a huge hit! Whenever I can find a recipe or make a dish that uses multiple CSA items, it's even better, so seeing scallions on the ingredient list was a bonus.

It also seemed fateful that another ingredient this recipe called for was orange juice and segments, which we've got plenty of these days! Last weekend, my husband, Violet and I went down to his grandparents to pick some fruit from their trees. I may have a love-hate relationship with Florida, but this was definitely a "love" day! Violet loved helping harvest the fruit, and I was able to bring it to friends and family.

The red cabbage was also already on hand because when we were in Cincinnati for Thanksgiving, my dad harvested the last of his fall garden, which included several heads of broccoli and red and green cabbage. I came home with bags full of cabbage! 

Finally, this salad is topped with wasabi peas, one of my absolute favorite snacks. I never have to worry about my husband eating them, or the baby and dogs begging for some!

This salad was so flavorful and fresh, slightly warm (in both temperature and heat!) and perfect for winter. I served pan fried tofu on the side topped with a little of the extra vinaigrette to complete the meal.

Grilled Bok Choy Salad

adapted from Bobby Flay

1 head of bok choy
1 small red cabbage
2 large scallions
1 orange
1 package ramen noodles
1/4 c. cilantro leaves
1/2 c. wasabi peas
Salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Dressing:
1 orange, juiced (1/4 c.)
1/4 c. aged balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. sriracha
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
Quarter the bok choy and cabbage heads, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place cut side down on the grill, cook for 2 minutes, then rotate and cook each additional side for 1-2 minutes.
Remove from the grill pan and set aside.
Slice scallions in half and place cut side down on the grill, cook for 1 minute, remove and set aside.
Prepare dressing by mixing all ingredients and whisking well, taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Slice cabbage and bok choy into 1/4" strips, add to a large serving bowl.
Chop scallions, add to cabbage and toss well.
Segment the orange and arrange on top, sprinkle with cilantro and wasabi peas, for garnish.
Pour half of the dressing onto the salad, and serve with the remainder on the side.

Cherry Almond Cookies & Pistachio Spice Shortbread

Let's not act surprised that my first blog post in months is my Christmas Cookie post! I couldn't let December pass by without it, could I? This is actually round 1 of 2 or 3 cookie baking sessions. This year, I wised up and brought my Cincinnati cookie packages with me at Thanksgiving rather than spend the big bucks to mail them later in December. Who doesn't want a giant box of cookies the day after Thanksgiving?! 

I used some of my traditional favorites, and added two new ones! The lovely people at Oh! Nuts are always so kind to send bloggers (even the semi-retired bloggers) a few items each Christmas to try out in our baking. I chose dried cherries and pistachios, and made two different cookies with them. The  blue arrow is pointing to the Cherry Almond, and the lavender arrow is pointing to the Pistachio Spice Shortbread. They were both phenomenal, and I recommend them! 

I made them exactly as written, so I'll just link you to the original.

Cherry Almond Cookies

Pistachio Spice Shortbread 

There is one other juicy bit to share with you! I have felt a bit uninspired to blog over the past few months, but I finally have my cooking muse! I joined a CSA here in Jacksonville (KYV Farm) and I am so excited to start making and creating recipes with the beautiful produce! I will also be sharing a few more cookie recipes with you as the month goes on because we have to balance all of the kale and squash out with something, right? 

Roasted Acorn Squash and Arugula Salad with Gorgonzola

I try so hard to love all vegetables equally, but acorn squash is probably my least favorite of all the squash out there. So now that we've had it three weeks in a row in the CSA basket, I figured I should find a way to love it. It's not fair to compare it to sweet and versatile butternut, easy to prep delicata, new and exciting kobocha, or pasta-sub spaghetti. It's small, hard to prep, it's earthy, the skin is tough, and it doesn't naturally scream 'use me in this recipe' unless it's stuffed - though it does make for a pretty presentation - but it's hard to eat that way.

So I did some googling and recipe searching. I came across a recipe for Acorn Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza, which sounded interesting, and used my CSA arugula! However, when the time came I just didn't get around to making pizza dough, so a salad sounded like the next easiest thing. This salad was perfect, and I absolutely loved the squash. I even found a bonus, acorn squash holds up really well to roasting, it doesn't get too soft or crumble like others can. The finishing touch to this salad, however, was a thick, syrupy pomegranate balsamic vinegar I recently was gifted. It balanced out the bitter and earthy tastes from the other ingredients perfectly!

Roasted Acorn Squash and Arugula Salad with Gorgonzola

2 acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1" cubes

1 tbsp. maple syrup

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

1 large bunch of arugula
1/2 c. crumbled gorgonzola
Aged balsamic vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400*
Toss squash in syrup, 1 tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper, then arrange on a baking sheet.
Roast for 20 minutes, toss squash, and roast another 10-20 minutes, until caramelized and tender.
Arrange arugula in a salad bowl, toss with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Remove squash from oven, cool for 5 minutes, then arrange atop arugula, sprinkle with gorgonzola and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Serve immediately or arugula will wilt.

Maple-Mustard Glazed Carrots

If you searched the archives of this blog, you'd find a hard time locating recipes that called for butter. While I was working really hard to lose weight, I cut calories everywhere I could. Butter and olive oil seemed like wasted calorie bombs. All I saw was 190 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving. However, as I entered more of a maintenance mode, I began to embrace things like butter, sugar, and healthy fats in small doses.

As I began cooking with butter, I realized a little goes a long way in regard to flavoring the dish and helping to caramelize vegetables. That 1 tablespoon of butter wasn't so scary when it was divided up into 4 portions, and certain vegetables became much more palatable!

When I received a bunch of gorgeous bi-colored carrots in my CSA bag, I searched one of my favorite recipe banks, the Williams-Sonoma website! I found this recipe, but swapped out maple syrup for brown sugar because I love the maple-mustard combo! These carrots were delicious, they had a great balance of flavors and are a really simple side for any meal!

Maple-Mustard Glazed Carrots

adapted from Williams-Sonoma

2 c. peeled and sliced carrots

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. whole grain dijon mustard

1 tbsp. pure maple syrup

salt and pepper, to taste

Herb garnish, if desired (parsley, chives, scallions)

Add carrots to a saucepan, cover with water.

Boil over high heat until water is evaporated (about 5 minutes), turn heat to low.

Add butter, mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper. 

Stir well to combine.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Pour into a serving dish and garnish, if desired.

Goat Cheese Mashed Turnips

Every Thanksgiving when my mom starts delegating dishes, we all smirk when Popie volunteers his mashed turnips. On any average day, most people aren't going to want mashed turnips, so when they're on the table at Thanksgiving along with a dozen other delicious sides, it's just sad. Popie ends up taking home 90% of the turnips, he and Grandma being the only ones who took a small scoop. 

When I got turnips three weeks in a row in my CSA share, I felt like I should take it upon myself to make an honorable mashed turnip recipe. After browsing some websites and finding 5-star recipes, I learned the secret to liking turnips... 1 pound of butter! While I did recently profess my love of (a small pat) butter in dishes, I couldn't stomach a stick or two, so I decided to make something up on the fly. 

I pulled out the cheese drawer - because that's how you make any vegetable desirable - and settled on goat cheese! I also had a few small new potatoes left over from another recipe, so I took a shot with this and it came out really well! We enjoyed these turnips with lentil-loaf and green beans. 

Goat Cheese Mashed Turnips

Veggie by Season original

2 lbs. turnips, peeled and quartered 

1/2 lb. new potatoes, peeled and quartered

Kosher salt and black pepper
4 oz. goat cheese
2 tbsp. butter
Fresh herbs, chopped (like rosemary, thyme, basil or tarragon)

Place turnips and potatoes in a pot, fill with cold water until vegetables are covered.
Heat over high, bring to a boil, add a pinch of salt, then turn to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until turnips are very tender.
Drain well, place back in the pot, add goat cheese, butter and a hearty grind of black pepper.
Using a potato masher or hand mixer, begin mashing until turnips reach desired consistency.
Taste, adjust salt and pepper.
Pour into a dish and garnish with herbs and another grind of pepper.

Roasted Zucchini, Black Bean and Goat Cheese Enchilada Stacks

Back when I first learned how to make tamales, I bought a bag of masa. After using a few cups to make the tamales, I had a giant bag left over, and no idea what to do with it. That was when I discovered that corn tortillas are made with masa. It was one of those "wow, ash...." moments I'd rather not admit happened. My bag of masa was about $3, and could make hundreds of fresh tortillas, so I did a little cost analysis and figured that it was no longer worth it to spend $1 on a bag of corn tortillas, I just HAD to buy a tortilla press and make them from now on. I also had another ulterior motive, my husband doesn't love corn tortillas, but tolerates them. I think they're so much better than flour, they have more substance to them, and hold up much better when baked. So now there is no reason to buy flour tortillas when we have pounds of masa on hand. 

When I saw this recipe on Bridget's blog, I immediately starred it for future dinner use. But as I do with any enchilada recipe these days, I knew I'd be converting it to a stack. Our tortillas press makes tiny little tortillas, and after we are close to perfecting them, but not just yet so sometimes they're not malleable enough for rolling. Rather than end up crying over split enchilada rolls, I make stacks. Some things just aren't worth fighting!

These stacks were absolutely delicious. Roasting the zucchini ahead of time ensures a non-watery end product, the goat cheese is creamy and cuts some of the heat and spice from the sauce. And no dinner is complete these days without a CSA veggie, so I used a bunch of chopped cilantro in place of the avocado Bridget served her enchiladas with. I also used a mole sauce rather than an enchilada sauce, you can find the enchilada sauce at Briget's blog, or the mole sauce here, from my blog (it's a bit more labor intensive, but I had been wanting to make a big batch anyway).

Roasted Zucchini, Black Bean and Goat Cheese Enchilada Stacks

from The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Enchiladas:

3 zucchini, cut into 1/4" dice

1 small onion, chopped

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

zest from 1 lemon

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 c. cooked black beans (I cook dried black beans, you can use canned)

5 oz. goat cheese, divided

12 corn tortillas 

Sauce recipes:

Enchilada Sauce

Dark Chocolate Mole Sauce

Heat oven to 450*
On a rimmed baking sheet, toss zucchini, onion, olive oil, zest and salt.
Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the oven and reduce heat to 350*
Combine zucchini, black beans and 4 oz. goat cheese in a mixing bowl, carefully mix.
Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.
Layer in tortillas, filling and sauce.
Crumble remaining goat cheese on the top, bake for 20 minutes, until browned and bubbly.
Serve with chopped cilantro.

Chard, Sweet Potato and White Bean Gratin

Have you ever felt like you've met your food soul mate? Someone eats all of the same things as you, and whose preferences and favorites are also yours? I swear, whenever I read Joanne's blog, whether it be a dinner entree, a dessert, baked good, or mention of a favorite ingredient, I'm like, yes!! Me too!! Sometimes I wish we were neighbors so we could take turns cooking for each other.... or just have her cook for me every night!

So with that said, my google reader is full of starred posts from Joanne. I've had this gratin in my 'to make' list for the longest time (a year, in fact!), and after receiving a bunch of kale and a bunch of Swiss chard last week in my CSA box, it seemed like the perfect time to make this! I have a baby sweet potato lover, so she was excited about this dish. It was warm, comforting, and hearty, yet relatively healthy.

Chard, White Bean and Sweet Potato Gratin

adapted from Eats Well With Others (originally from Spilling the Beans)

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 bunch of kale

1 bunch of swiss chard

1 tbsp. butter

1 small yellow onion, minced

2 cloves of garlic

2 c. 2% milk

2 tbsp. corn starch

1 large sweet potato

2 cups cooked white beans (I cook dried, you can use 1 15 oz. can, rinsed)

Kosher salt and pepper

Nutmeg

1 c. shredded Gruyere

Preheat oven to 400* 

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Tear kale and swiss chard from the stem and chop leaves in 1/2" ribbons.

Add to skillet, sprinkle with kosher salt and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted and there is no moisture left in pan, remove skillet from heat and set aside.

Add butter to a saute pan, add onion and garlic, sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, cook for 3-5 minutes, until softened.

Pour milk into a measuring cup, add cornstarch and whisk to form a slurry, pour into onions and garlic.

Whisk occasionally, and bring to a simmer, cook until thickened, add fresh grated nutmeg and half of the cheese, whisk to melt and combine, turn heat off. 

Butter a baking dish, add a layer of sweet potatoes, a layer of beans, a layer of swiss chard, and a layer of the sauce.

Continue with layers as desired (I made 3 layers), cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake 15 more minutes, until golden on top.

Deep Dish Apple Bourbon Streusel Pie

Last weekend I invited some friends over for dinner, but they weren't just any friends. They were the one and only couple I've ever set up on a blind date, and they're still together 18 months later! I'm really proud, obviously. They like to cook, so during the week before dinner, we threw around ideas and had a few dishes we each could make. We ended up with quite an eclectic menu, but it was all so delicious. 

For dessert, I went to the Williams-Sonoma website for some ideas, and the recipe on the front of the 'desserts' tab looked perfect. This pie is meant to feed a crowd, but it was just the four of us, so I cut the recipe in half. I also added some old fashioned oats to the crumbly topping because I think all streusel toppings need it! The only difficult part of making this pie was choosing a bourbon from my husbands collection. For the record, I went with Maker's Mark because he has 2 bottles, and wouldn't miss a few tablespoons! 

Deep-Dish Apple Bourbon Streusel Pie

just slightly adapted from this Williams-Sonoma recipe

Dough: 

1 3/4 c. unbleached all purpose flour

1 tbsp. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

8 tbsp. butter, very cold (or frozen)

1 egg yolk

1/4 c. ice water

Filling:

3 lbs. baking apples (I used 1.5 lbs. Golden Delicious, 1.5 lbs. Gala)

1/3 c. packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. vanilla extract

pinch of kosher salt

2 tbsp. bourbon

Streusel:

1/4 c. unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 c. old fashioned oats

1/4  c. packed light brown sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 c. chopped pecans

4 tbsp. very cold butter (or frozen)

To make dough:

Add flour, sugar and salt to a mixing bowl.

Using a box grater, grate butter into the flour mixture, toss with a fork to distribute.

Add egg yolk and 1 tbsp. water, toss dough with a fork, when it begins to come together, quickly mix with fingertips, be careful to keep butter pieces in tact. 

Add water by the tbsp. to moisten flour just until dough comes together.

Form into a disc and wrap in saran wrap.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes to a day in advance.

Prepare filling:

Add all ingredients except apples to a large mixing bowl.

Peel apples, core and slice into 1/4" slices.

Toss apples with sugar mixture, coat pieces evenly.

Prepare streusel:

Add all ingredients except butter and nuts to a mixing bowl.

Grate butter into streusel, use a fork to distribute evenly.

Add nuts, stir with a fork.

Place streusel in the refrigerator while preparing pie.

Preheat oven to 350*

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into shape of your baking dish (I used a deep pie dish).

Place pie crust into baking dish, flute edges by pinching.

Pour apple mixture into pie crust, scrape out all of the syrup and drizzle over apples evenly. 

Crumble streusel mixture on top.

Place pie in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.

Check to see if top has browned too much, if so, cover with aluminum foil.

When crust is golden, top is browned and apples ooze up the sides, remove from the oven (timing depends on shape of your baking dish)

Cool and serve warm to room temperature with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Pumpkin Black Bean Chili

I'm probably breaking some sort of rule by posting a fall-ish recipe in August, but isn't it what bloggers do? Or better yet, isn't it what Floridians do? By August, I am so sick of the 90*+ days that all I can do is dream of cool fall days back in the midwest with Football, crisp apples, and my favorite sweater...

I am a huge fan of sweet potatoes and black beans, but it can get awfully starchy. Butternut squash and pumpkin make nice substitutes while lowering the carb and calorie count of a dish. This chili combines a few of the best late summer veggies with the best fall has to offer, pumpkin and pumpkin beer!

As you northerners start to feel fall creeping in, enjoy this dish while I stubbornly sweat in eternal summer eating my chili!

Pumpkin and Black Bean Chili

adapted from Crumb blog

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 small yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

Salt and pepper

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. cumin

8 oz. pumpkin beer, such as Harvest Moon

1 tbsp. pure maple syrup

1 15 oz. can solid packed pumpkin

1 28 oz. can fire roasted crushed tomatoes

2 c. vegetable stock

2 c.black beans (canned or dried and cooked)

1 c. frozen corn kernels

Heat a soup pot over medium-low, add EVOO and bring to temperature.

Chop and add onions, garlic and bell peppers, season with salt and pepper. 

When veggies have softened, add spices, pour in beer and deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up bits with a wooden spoon. 

Turn heat to high, add maple syrup, pumpkin, tomatoes and stock.

Bring to a simmer, turn heat to low and add black beans and corn.

Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings.

Top with sour cream, cheese, cilantro, or any of your favorite chili toppings.