I know it's January and everyone is dieting- or at least "cutting back on sweets". BUT it's my birthday this week and I believe a cake would be lovely! I can think of many complicated, fancy, frou frou cakes that would be yummy, but IF I have one, I will be the one baking it so I get to chose. My all time favorite is an old Southern favorite... Cream Cheese Pound Cake. It tastes best after a few days in a cool place (usually the formal dining room table covered in Grandmother's Depression glass cake dome.) Cream Cheese Pound Cake becomes moist and the flavors "ripen.
Slice it thickly and top with fresh fruit and ice cream. Slice it thinly, slather it with butter and toast it for breakfast. Drizzle it with chocolate or lemon glaze. Dust it with powdered sugar. Frost it with caramel icing (ahhhh.. if only Mama were here to make it!). Dollop it with REAL whipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate curls..........
However you serve it, you've first got to bake it! So, let's get to the kitchen! This is soooo easy....
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
1 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened (no substitutes!)
1 (8-oz.) pkg cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups sifted cake flour (or use all-purpose, sift 3 times and remove 2T per cup)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract, optional
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease a 10-inch tube pan with Crisco (not Pam!).
Combine margarine, butter and cream cheese in large bowl of heavy duty electric mixer; beat well. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition. Add flour to creamed mixture; mix until well combined. Stir in flavorings. Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 mintues. Remove from pan and cool completely.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Friday, January 4, 2013
Winter weather calls for soup! I just can't seem to get warm without either a hot mug of chocolate (Have you tried Wms Sonoma hot chocolate? To die for! Especially with homemade marshmallows!), hot tea or a bowl of soup. I want either or all of them HOT and steamy... you know, the kind of mug/bowl that you can see the steam curling above?
When I was a little girl, a special treat was lunch at a drugstore in Selma, AL (That I cannot for the life of me remember the name of! Help me out, some of my Alabama friends!) that served Chicken Pot Pie. It was the favorite stop when Mama and I went shopping. For Christmas, I got this great Nordstrom's cookbook from my cousin Carol with a recipe for Chicken Pot Pie Soup! Wow! What a great combination of flavors. Let's try this one on a cold January day.
One of the things I really like about this soup is the process for thickening. If you've never tried this, it is something you will want to learn and use often. (In French it's called Buerre manie, kneaded butter). Simply work the flour into softened butter, then stir that mixture into the liquid. Easy way to thicken soups or stews without lumps! You'll have chicken broth leftover, but save it to use in another soup or freeze it for later. This soup is velvety smooth. Serve with biscuits or strips of baked pie crust.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
adapted from Norstrom's Family Table Cookbook
5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
2 chicken breast halves with skin on and bone in
1 medium onion, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoons black peppercorns (or 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper)
1 stick butter, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch dice
6 mushrooms, quartered
2 unpeeled red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup thawed frozen peas
Combine broth, 1 cup water, chicken breasts, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Bring to boil and turn down to simmer. Add parsley, thyme and peppercorns; partially cover and cook slowly until chicken is tender and cooked through (approx 30 minutes).
Strain into a heatproof bowl, reserving the broth. Place chicken on carving board and set aside to cool.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven. Place the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a heatproof medium bowl and let stand at room temperature to soften. Add chopped onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms and cook, stirring until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and stir well. Stir in 4 cups reserved broth and bring to a simmer. (Reserve the remaining broth for another recipe. Can be frozen.) Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add flour to softened butter and mash with a fork or rubber spatula to make a smooth paste. Whisk in about 2 cups of cooking liquid from the Dutch oven to make a thin paste. Whisk this mixture back into the Dutch oven along with cream. Simmer until the soup is velvety smooth and lightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken and peas and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
When I was a little girl, a special treat was lunch at a drugstore in Selma, AL (That I cannot for the life of me remember the name of! Help me out, some of my Alabama friends!) that served Chicken Pot Pie. It was the favorite stop when Mama and I went shopping. For Christmas, I got this great Nordstrom's cookbook from my cousin Carol with a recipe for Chicken Pot Pie Soup! Wow! What a great combination of flavors. Let's try this one on a cold January day.
One of the things I really like about this soup is the process for thickening. If you've never tried this, it is something you will want to learn and use often. (In French it's called Buerre manie, kneaded butter). Simply work the flour into softened butter, then stir that mixture into the liquid. Easy way to thicken soups or stews without lumps! You'll have chicken broth leftover, but save it to use in another soup or freeze it for later. This soup is velvety smooth. Serve with biscuits or strips of baked pie crust.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
adapted from Norstrom's Family Table Cookbook
5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
2 chicken breast halves with skin on and bone in
1 medium onion, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoons black peppercorns (or 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper)
1 stick butter, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch dice
6 mushrooms, quartered
2 unpeeled red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup thawed frozen peas
Combine broth, 1 cup water, chicken breasts, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Bring to boil and turn down to simmer. Add parsley, thyme and peppercorns; partially cover and cook slowly until chicken is tender and cooked through (approx 30 minutes).
Strain into a heatproof bowl, reserving the broth. Place chicken on carving board and set aside to cool.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large Dutch oven. Place the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a heatproof medium bowl and let stand at room temperature to soften. Add chopped onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms and cook, stirring until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and stir well. Stir in 4 cups reserved broth and bring to a simmer. (Reserve the remaining broth for another recipe. Can be frozen.) Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add flour to softened butter and mash with a fork or rubber spatula to make a smooth paste. Whisk in about 2 cups of cooking liquid from the Dutch oven to make a thin paste. Whisk this mixture back into the Dutch oven along with cream. Simmer until the soup is velvety smooth and lightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken and peas and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
A very late Merry Christmas!
You know what "they" say about good intentions? ( For those of you who don't... " The road to hell is paved with good intentions.") Well..... I had good intentions of getting back from our Christmas Market trip, going into baking mode at warp speed, posting inspiring recipes and having a jolly Christmas with family and friends. I'm sad to say not much on that list happened this year.
As those of you who traveled with us via email know, the trip was great, the Christmas Markets were beautiful, the food was interesting and we had snow! The return home was a nightmare. Loooooong story made short: our flight home was cancelled, we spent a miserable night in a fleabag hotel at the Paris airport, my suitcase was lost for a week and I've been sick ever since we got home. We had a 4 hour "Christmas quickie" with children and grands at my daughter's house on Christmas Day then back home to the very quiet and lonely mtns. No pitter patter of little feet, no Christmas cookies, no leftovers, no friends for dinner.....it was a pitiful holiday! And I did not post a single Christmas recipe! I apologize to you, my friends who have cooked with me for all seasons!
New Year's HAS to be better! I've already soaked the dried black eye peas, the kale is pre washed and the ham is but a single slice. We WILL have a traditional Southern New Year's Day meal... Sure to bring wealth, health and happiness. I wish the same for you!
Happy Cooking in 2013! I have 3 new cookbooks that we must work our way through....
As those of you who traveled with us via email know, the trip was great, the Christmas Markets were beautiful, the food was interesting and we had snow! The return home was a nightmare. Loooooong story made short: our flight home was cancelled, we spent a miserable night in a fleabag hotel at the Paris airport, my suitcase was lost for a week and I've been sick ever since we got home. We had a 4 hour "Christmas quickie" with children and grands at my daughter's house on Christmas Day then back home to the very quiet and lonely mtns. No pitter patter of little feet, no Christmas cookies, no leftovers, no friends for dinner.....it was a pitiful holiday! And I did not post a single Christmas recipe! I apologize to you, my friends who have cooked with me for all seasons!
New Year's HAS to be better! I've already soaked the dried black eye peas, the kale is pre washed and the ham is but a single slice. We WILL have a traditional Southern New Year's Day meal... Sure to bring wealth, health and happiness. I wish the same for you!
Happy Cooking in 2013! I have 3 new cookbooks that we must work our way through....
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Christmas and Fruitcake
I am soooo excited! We leave in a few days for a Danube River cruise in Germany and Austria to see the Christmas Markets! We fly into Nuremberg for 3 days then get on a Viking River Cruise from Nuremberg to Regensburg, Melk, Vienna and end in Budapest! Can you just imagine how beautiful it will be? We are hoping for snow! DH is keeping a close watch on the weather forecast and so far (fingers crossed) it looks probable! Yeahhhhh! And think of all the good food... street food at the outdoor markets... hot spiced wine, hot chocolate (is there anything better than European chocolate?), spiced cookies, gingerbread, sausages...... OH MY!
This trip hasmade forced me into high gear to get everything done for Christmas before we leave. We will be home for Christmas, but just barely! I've been checking off my list for weeks now. Christmas painting and cards finished, addressed and ready to mail. Presents bought online, shipped and wrapped (well.. most of them are wrapped!). Decorations... hmmm.... maybe we'll put up our pop up pre-lit tree one day this week? Baking.... one food gift finished and delivered!
Confession time: I LOVE fruitcake. It's one of those things that you either really love or really hate! I am sad to find that most of my young friends are in the latter category and thus I mourn the eminent demise of the Christmas fruitcake tradition. :(
Since I am in the minority in our family and since every fruitcake recipe makes SEVERAL cakes, I seldom bake fruitcake anymore but do love fruitcake cookies almost as much. I was thinking that this might be THE year to actually bake fruitcake... I could squeeze it in this week and let it steep in bourbon while we are gone to Germany.... hmmmm .... OH! NO! I still have NO OVEN!!!!!!!!!
Aaauuuuggggghhhhhhhhh!
I'm posting both recipes in case I have readers who also love fruitcake. This is a recipe I've made since the 1970's (OMG, am I REALLY that OLD?) and I'll post my favorite cookie recipe, too.
If you are a new reader, go back to the past couple of years to find LOTS of favorite Christmas cookies... Gingerbread Men, Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, Roll and Decorate Sugar Cookies, Spritz Cookies ... etc....
I'll be e-mailing (hopefully) daily journals from our trip. If you'd like to travel with us to the Christmas Markets, let me know and I'll add you to the list. Meanwhile, I'll be back with more Christmas recipes in a couple of weeks.
Happy Baking!!!
Fruitcake
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 lb light brown sugar
1 lb butter
9 eggs
3/4 teaspoon of each: Ground cloves, nutmeg, mace
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 box golden raisins
1/4 lb citron (I ususally omit this!)
1/4 lb candied orange peel
1 lb candied cherries
1 lb candied pineapple
1 lb candied mixed fruit
2 quarts pecans, chopped
1 pint fig preserves (or blackberry)
1/4 cup sweet wine
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line loaf pans or tube pan with greased wax paper or parchment paper.
Chop the fruits and nuts and dredge in 1/2 of the flour in a LARGE container. Combine remaining flour and spices. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add flour alternately with wine. Add creamed mixture to fruit mixture ( I mix with wet hands!).
Place a pan of water on the bottom rack of oven. Bake fruitcakes for 2 1/2 hours. Cool for 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pan . Store in airtight container wrapped in bourbon soaked cheese cloth. Every few days, sprinkle a little more bourbon over the cake.. keep in a cool, dark place.
Yield: 3 loaf pans or 1 tube pan and 1 loaf
Helen's notes: Start this cake early! It will get better, the longer it sits! IF I had an oven, I would make it this week for Christmas!
Rum Bars
These are almost as good as Fruitcake!
4 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups candied red cherries, chopped
1 1/2 cups candied pineapple, chopped
Light rum
Grease a 15x10-inch jellyroll pan. Spread 3 cups pecans in the greased pan. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar; add eggs, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Gradually add flour; stirring well. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
Combine cherries, pineapple and remaining pecans. Gently press mixture into batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr 15 minutes. Cool slightly; cut into 2x1-inch bars. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle rum over each bar. Store in airtight container to allow to mellow.. 2 to 3 weeks.
Yield: 6 dozen
This trip has
Confession time: I LOVE fruitcake. It's one of those things that you either really love or really hate! I am sad to find that most of my young friends are in the latter category and thus I mourn the eminent demise of the Christmas fruitcake tradition. :(
Since I am in the minority in our family and since every fruitcake recipe makes SEVERAL cakes, I seldom bake fruitcake anymore but do love fruitcake cookies almost as much. I was thinking that this might be THE year to actually bake fruitcake... I could squeeze it in this week and let it steep in bourbon while we are gone to Germany.... hmmmm .... OH! NO! I still have NO OVEN!!!!!!!!!
Aaauuuuggggghhhhhhhhh!
I'm posting both recipes in case I have readers who also love fruitcake. This is a recipe I've made since the 1970's (OMG, am I REALLY that OLD?) and I'll post my favorite cookie recipe, too.
If you are a new reader, go back to the past couple of years to find LOTS of favorite Christmas cookies... Gingerbread Men, Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, Roll and Decorate Sugar Cookies, Spritz Cookies ... etc....
I'll be e-mailing (hopefully) daily journals from our trip. If you'd like to travel with us to the Christmas Markets, let me know and I'll add you to the list. Meanwhile, I'll be back with more Christmas recipes in a couple of weeks.
Happy Baking!!!
Fruitcake
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 lb light brown sugar
1 lb butter
9 eggs
3/4 teaspoon of each: Ground cloves, nutmeg, mace
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 box golden raisins
1/4 lb citron (I ususally omit this!)
1/4 lb candied orange peel
1 lb candied cherries
1 lb candied pineapple
1 lb candied mixed fruit
2 quarts pecans, chopped
1 pint fig preserves (or blackberry)
1/4 cup sweet wine
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line loaf pans or tube pan with greased wax paper or parchment paper.
Chop the fruits and nuts and dredge in 1/2 of the flour in a LARGE container. Combine remaining flour and spices. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add flour alternately with wine. Add creamed mixture to fruit mixture ( I mix with wet hands!).
Place a pan of water on the bottom rack of oven. Bake fruitcakes for 2 1/2 hours. Cool for 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pan . Store in airtight container wrapped in bourbon soaked cheese cloth. Every few days, sprinkle a little more bourbon over the cake.. keep in a cool, dark place.
Yield: 3 loaf pans or 1 tube pan and 1 loaf
Helen's notes: Start this cake early! It will get better, the longer it sits! IF I had an oven, I would make it this week for Christmas!
Rum Bars
These are almost as good as Fruitcake!
4 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups candied red cherries, chopped
1 1/2 cups candied pineapple, chopped
Light rum
Grease a 15x10-inch jellyroll pan. Spread 3 cups pecans in the greased pan. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar; add eggs, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Gradually add flour; stirring well. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
Combine cherries, pineapple and remaining pecans. Gently press mixture into batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr 15 minutes. Cool slightly; cut into 2x1-inch bars. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle rum over each bar. Store in airtight container to allow to mellow.. 2 to 3 weeks.
Yield: 6 dozen
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Thanksgiving Leftovers
It's the day before Thanksgiving and here I sit with no oven! Thankfully, our original plan was to go to our daughter's for Thanksgiving, but I still feel frustrated and out of sorts by not having an oven! To make matters worse, the Sears call center is obviously NOT in the US. Have you ever tried to explain Thanksgiving dinner to an Indian (?) woman? In addition, she couldn't understand my Southern accent and, needless to say, I couldn't understand much of her accent either! Then she spent 10 minutes rattling on and on about an extended warranty that I should purchase on the spot ($300) if NOT, I would have to pay for the service call...well, DUH. Stay tuned for the rest of the story next week when the serviceman ( hopefully) gets here. Grrrrrrr!!!
On to more exciting things! By the time most of you have time to read this your turkey dinner will be history, but you will probably be blessed with plenty of leftovers. I'm posting our family's favorite leftover recipe. I hope you will like it as much as we do. It is super quick and easy and It also freezes well. So, make a double batch and freeze in meal size portions for later... like while you're decorating the Christmas tree!
Quick Turkey (or chicken) Tetrazzini
8 oz. thin spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 pkg sliced mushrooms, sautéed in butter or 1(8oz) can mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups diced turkey
2 cans cream of chicken soup
16 oz sour cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (reserve 1/2 cup for topping)
1/4 cup Sherry or white wine, optional
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl ; spoon into a 3-quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes.
To freeze: combine ingredients and spoon into freezer container. Thaw in refrigerator before baking. I line a baking dish with foil, spoon the mixture in, wrap in foil and freeze. When it's frozen, remove from dish. Then to serve, thaw, remove foil,place in same dish and bake!
On to more exciting things! By the time most of you have time to read this your turkey dinner will be history, but you will probably be blessed with plenty of leftovers. I'm posting our family's favorite leftover recipe. I hope you will like it as much as we do. It is super quick and easy and It also freezes well. So, make a double batch and freeze in meal size portions for later... like while you're decorating the Christmas tree!
Quick Turkey (or chicken) Tetrazzini
8 oz. thin spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 pkg sliced mushrooms, sautéed in butter or 1(8oz) can mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups diced turkey
2 cans cream of chicken soup
16 oz sour cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (reserve 1/2 cup for topping)
1/4 cup Sherry or white wine, optional
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl ; spoon into a 3-quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes.
To freeze: combine ingredients and spoon into freezer container. Thaw in refrigerator before baking. I line a baking dish with foil, spoon the mixture in, wrap in foil and freeze. When it's frozen, remove from dish. Then to serve, thaw, remove foil,place in same dish and bake!
Friday, November 16, 2012
Thanksgiving Extras
Last November I shared our family's favorite traditional recipes. (If you missed it, search the blog for November 2011.) Today I thought you might enjoy a couple of variations on the traditional. The recipe for Broccoli Rice Casserole is an old one, but low fat and a good alternative to high fat side dishes (and leaves room for rich desserts). Even the kids might be persuaded to eat veggies this way.
Don't faint when you see the ingredients.. I really DO occasionally make this, even with the nasty cheese product! Absolutely anyone can make this recipe - no cooking skills required.
The next recipe is Frozen Pumpkin Pie. I've had this one for ages and ages. I was even featured in the Florida Times-Union food section MANY moons ago with this recipe. I've kept it over the years because it's a nice change from Libby's Pumpkin Pie (straight off the pumpkin can!). And on those years when we have a really warm Thanksgiving, it is refreshing. This is also a great make-ahead.
Low Fat Broccoli Rice Casserole
1 (20-oz) bag frozen chopped broccoli (or 2 (10-oz) boxes), cooked
2 cups cooked rice
1 can low fat cream of chicken soup
1 (8-oz) container light Cheese Whiz
1/4 cup chopped onion, optional
Pepper
Mix all ingredients. Pour into a 2-quart greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees until it bubbles.
DONE!
Frozen Pumpkin Pie
1 1/2 cups crushed pre-sweetened cereal (Frosted Flakes)
1/3 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Mix together and press into 9-inch pie pan. Chill one hour.
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 gallon vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream (or Butter Pecan and omit extra pecans)
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon grond nutmeg
1(8-oz) container Cool Whip, thawed
Combine ingredients in mixer. Mix until well combined. Spoon into pie crust. Freeze for 8 hours (or overnight). Top with Cool Whip before serving.
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Don't faint when you see the ingredients.. I really DO occasionally make this, even with the nasty cheese product! Absolutely anyone can make this recipe - no cooking skills required.
The next recipe is Frozen Pumpkin Pie. I've had this one for ages and ages. I was even featured in the Florida Times-Union food section MANY moons ago with this recipe. I've kept it over the years because it's a nice change from Libby's Pumpkin Pie (straight off the pumpkin can!). And on those years when we have a really warm Thanksgiving, it is refreshing. This is also a great make-ahead.
Low Fat Broccoli Rice Casserole
1 (20-oz) bag frozen chopped broccoli (or 2 (10-oz) boxes), cooked
2 cups cooked rice
1 can low fat cream of chicken soup
1 (8-oz) container light Cheese Whiz
1/4 cup chopped onion, optional
Pepper
Mix all ingredients. Pour into a 2-quart greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees until it bubbles.
DONE!
Frozen Pumpkin Pie
1 1/2 cups crushed pre-sweetened cereal (Frosted Flakes)
1/3 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Mix together and press into 9-inch pie pan. Chill one hour.
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 gallon vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream (or Butter Pecan and omit extra pecans)
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon grond nutmeg
1(8-oz) container Cool Whip, thawed
Combine ingredients in mixer. Mix until well combined. Spoon into pie crust. Freeze for 8 hours (or overnight). Top with Cool Whip before serving.
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Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Chocolate Comfort Cookies
My house smells like a chocolate shop! These cookies have just come out of the oven and although it is early in the day, they are very tempting! This has to be my very favorite cookie of all time. I really think I've shared this recipe in the past, but if I can't find it on the blog, I'm afraid you might not be able to either and I would really HATE for you to go through life without having eaten these triple chocolate cookies! The great thing about them is that they never dry out. You can keep them for weeks (ha! ha! NOT likely to happen!) and they will still be soft and chewy. SWOON!
The recipe calls for dried cranberries, toasted nuts (pecans) and chocolate chunks. You can omit the cranberries, but I have to tell you that they add a nice "bite" of tartness to the cookie. I use toasted, chopped pecans but you can use walnuts, macadamia or hazelnuts. I generally make them with Ghiradelli dark chocolate chunks. I do believe the dark chocolate makes them better, but use semi-sweet if you would like.
Today, I had 1/2 of an 8-oz block of cream cheese (leftover from another recipe) so I used the entire 4 ounces. I have a "thing" about wasting even 1 oz of cream cheese. If I did not have this leftover, I would have bought the 3-oz size as the recipe states. I can't tell any difference at all in the results!
If a recipe says "softened" butter, etc it sould be the consitency of playdough. Does that help?
Spray the measuring cup with Pam before measuring marshmallow creme.
Give this one a try and I think you'll agree.. the BEST chocolate cookie EVER! Let me know what you think!
Chocolate Comfort Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 (3-oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk ( I used 1/2 and 1/2)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa ( I used Guittard from Wms Sonoma)
1 cup marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped, toasted nuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 pkg (2 cups) chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking pans with parchment paper.
Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar in large bowl of electric mixer. Add egg and beat until well combined. Beat in vanilla, milk and melted chocolate. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and unsweetened chocolate in large bowl; whisk until well combined. Add to creamed mixture and mix until the dry ingredients are no longer visible. Add marshmallow creme and mix until the white disappears! Stir in nuts, cranberries and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons onto baking pans. Bake for 13 minutes. Cool on pans for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Yield: 4 dozen.
The recipe calls for dried cranberries, toasted nuts (pecans) and chocolate chunks. You can omit the cranberries, but I have to tell you that they add a nice "bite" of tartness to the cookie. I use toasted, chopped pecans but you can use walnuts, macadamia or hazelnuts. I generally make them with Ghiradelli dark chocolate chunks. I do believe the dark chocolate makes them better, but use semi-sweet if you would like.
Today, I had 1/2 of an 8-oz block of cream cheese (leftover from another recipe) so I used the entire 4 ounces. I have a "thing" about wasting even 1 oz of cream cheese. If I did not have this leftover, I would have bought the 3-oz size as the recipe states. I can't tell any difference at all in the results!
If a recipe says "softened" butter, etc it sould be the consitency of playdough. Does that help?
Spray the measuring cup with Pam before measuring marshmallow creme.
Give this one a try and I think you'll agree.. the BEST chocolate cookie EVER! Let me know what you think!
Chocolate Comfort Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 (3-oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk ( I used 1/2 and 1/2)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa ( I used Guittard from Wms Sonoma)
1 cup marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped, toasted nuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 pkg (2 cups) chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking pans with parchment paper.
Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar in large bowl of electric mixer. Add egg and beat until well combined. Beat in vanilla, milk and melted chocolate. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and unsweetened chocolate in large bowl; whisk until well combined. Add to creamed mixture and mix until the dry ingredients are no longer visible. Add marshmallow creme and mix until the white disappears! Stir in nuts, cranberries and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons onto baking pans. Bake for 13 minutes. Cool on pans for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Yield: 4 dozen.
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