Chocolate Nut Cookies

Two or three years ago, I found these nut-shaped cookie molds in the King Arthur Flour Baker's Catalogue. After purchasing them impulsively, I promptly placed them in the back of my baking-gadgets drawer and forgot about them. When the most recent catalog came in the mail, it had a recipe for Chocolate Nut Cookies, which uses these molds. I knew these cookies would be perfect for Thanksgiving, so I dug out my set and got to work.


Oh, I'm so glad I made these! They are time-consuming, but not difficult. They taste like brownie edges with a nice fudgy surprise in the middle. I think that making these will become a new Thanksgiving tradition.

The link to the recipe is above. Here are some of my tips that I compiled as I tried these out:

1. I used the weight measurements given in the recipe. If you don't have a kitchen scale and will measure your flour with cups, note that KAF tests their recipes with the spoon in/level off method (as opposed to the dip-and-sweep method).

2. Err on the side of smaller rather than larger when chopping the pecans. Large pieces will mar the definition of the mold shape. I toasted my pecans prior to chopping them.

3. Use a level measuring teaspoon of dough to fill each mold. The finished cookies will have a small indentation in the middle which is perfect for holding a nice amount of the ganache filling.

4. Give them away as soon as possible to avoid damage to your diet.

Taco Crackers

Taco Crackers
from Taste of Home Magazine

1. Place 3 (9 oz) packages oyster crackers in a large roasting pan; drizzle with 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 
 and toss to combine.

2. Combine 1 envelope taco seasoning (1 oz), 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano,
and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder; sprinkle over the crackers and toss to coat.

3. Bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring once. Makes 16 cups.

Pumpkin Heaven

I love to bake. More precisely, I love to bake cookies. Along that vein, I have been collecting the Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine annually since 1996. I first flip through and look at all the gorgeous and delectable photos of the cookies, then I spend a little more time
perusing the pages and making mental notes on my favorites. Lastly, I read through the recipes and decide on a few must-makes for the holiday season. The cookies that caught my interest almost immediately in this year's edition were the Melt-In-Your-Mouth Pumpkin Cookies, whose recipe was submitted by reader, Emily Orton, of Bonner Springs, KS. According to Emily, "they have the consistency of cake and should be sold in bakeries".


On the first day that was cool enough for baking, I fired up the oven (an arduous task as my oven will now only turn on if I first light the right back burner on the stove-top. Note to self: call repair-man before Thanksgiving.), whipped up some dough and proceeded to bake some super-yummy little cakes. While they cooled, I mixed up the caramely goodness that was to frost the tops of these pumpkin gems. Lastly, the taste test. These were as good as I had imagined: Soft and cakey, with a mild pumpkin-pie flavor that is nicely enhanced by the brown-butter, caramel flavors in the icing. They have been added to my "make again soon" list.






Melt-In-Your-Mouth Pumpkin Cookies


Preheat your oven to 350-degrees. In a large bowl, beat 2 cups softened, unsalted butter on medium-high speed for 30 seconds. Add 2 cups sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg to the butter and beat until combined, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; beat until combined. Beat in 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree. Lastly, beat in 4 cups (20 ounces) all-purpose flour.

Drop the dough by heaping teaspoons (the flatware kind) 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are set. Remove from the cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack.

For the frosting, heat 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar in a saucepan until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup whole milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat in 2 + 3/4 cups powdered sugar until smooth. Spread frosting on cooled cookies and sprinkle with additional cinnamon. Makes 60-ish cookies.

Men's Dip

Whenever I bring this layered Mexican-style dip to a party, I inevitably find a group of men hovering around it. I'll admit that I eat my fair share of it as well. I like to serve it with Fritos (the "scoop" kind). The picture above is a version without sour cream, 'cause hubby doesn't like it. He does love this dip, though, and has been known to eat it as a meal.

To make it, you'll need an 9x2-inch round or 8x2-inch square dish. The first layer is a can of Fritos bean dip. Spread this evenly over the bottom of the dish. Next, spread about 3/4 cup of a smooth guacamole, followed by 1/2 cup sour cream. Drain a can of Rotel tomatoes and chiles and spread these over the sour cream. A small can of chopped olives is the next layer. Finely grate enough colby-jack cheese to cover the top of the dip. (Some people also like to sprinkle sliced scallions on top.)

Dig in with your Fritos Scoops and enjoy!

Star Washcloth

I was browsing around on Ravelry and I came across this sweet star-shaped washcloth. I had all of the supplies on hand and knew I had to make one right away. If you want to make one too, you can find the pattern here. I have a feeling I won't be stopping at one of these. They are easy and fun to make, not to mention that they are super cute!

This particular wash cloth is going to be part of a gift for a sweet, little bambina. I found this organic, all-natural baby wash at Target. It cost a bit more than I would usually spend on such a product, but it smelled so good and heck, it's for a gift, so I decided to splurge a little. I hope the wee one will be happy with her present.

Slow-Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

It has finally started feeling like Autumn, sunny but with a crisp chill in the air. I have been wanting to try out some new soup recipes and it is now time to do just that. This recipe is from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, the tome I turn to most often when I want to make something tasty. I was glad that I made this recipe because it turned out to be very tasty indeed! It has a beef stew-type flavor but is not quite as heavy. Simply delicious!

I had to go out and purchase a new slow-cooker for this recipe because the 5-quart size I received as a wedding gift 13+ years ago wasn't big enough. I found a 7-quart Rival Crock Pot at Kmart for $30 (plus there is a $5 rebate!). It isn't one of those fancy-dancy programmable pots that you can find nowadays, but I figure that the less it has going on, the less likely it is to break. It made an excellent pot of soup and that's good enough for me!

To make the soup, first trim and cut up a 3-pound chuck roast into 1/2-inch pieces. Dry the meat with paper towels and salt and pepper it generously. Brown the beef in two or three batches using 2 teaspoons of oil per batch in a hot skillet. Put the beef into the slow-cooker. Heat up 2 more teaspoons of oil and cook 2 onions and 2 carrots that have been chopped medium, along with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook them about 5 minutes or until they are soft. Stir in 1/2 cup of a dry red wine and let it simmer for about a minute. Put the onions and carrots into the cooker along with a 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes, 4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth, 4 cups of low-sodium beef broth, 1 teaspoon dried thyme and 2/3 cup pearled barley. Cook for 6 to 7 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high, until the meat is tender. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Tuscan Garlic Chicken Pasta

Here's another winner from Cook's Country magazine. This was in the recipe card section of the April/May 2009 issue. My 9-year old gobbled it up and went back for seconds! It makes a lot (we had enough for 2 dinners) and reheats nicely. Just a warning: it is very garlicky.

Start heating enough water to boil 1 pound of penne pasta. Mix 6 minced garlic cloves, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil together and heat this mix in the microwave for about a minute, until you can smell the garlic. Dry 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the garlic flavored oil in a large skillet (be careful not to add the garlic pieces or red pepper flakes) and cook chicken until brown and cooked through. Cover the cooked chicken with foil for 5 minutes, then slice into bite size pieces.

Salt the pasta water (about 1 tablespoon salt) and boil the pasta until al dente. Reserve some of the pasta water in a measuring cup to thin out the sauce later on. After draining, put the penne back in the pot and add the sliced chicken, 1 (5oz) bag of baby arugula or baby spinach (I used spinach), 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, 6 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese and the rest of the garlic oil. Thin with pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

(Does anyone know why Blogger sometimes takes out the spaces between your paragraphs? Or how to put them back?)