Chewy Chocolate Crispy Cookies

Central Market is an institution here in Austin.  One of my absolute favorite discoveries from their vast array of in-house-baked goodies is hands down their Chewy Chocolate Crispy Cookies.  Apparently the recipe is a well guarded secret!  Luckily I was able to come upon this copycat recipe via Candace Creations.  This is a chewy, soft, chocolaty cookie, with a crunch of chopped pecans.  Pure Texas, and purely delish!



Central Market-Style Pecan Chewy Chocolate Cookies 
• 8 ounces chopped pecans
• 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place pecans on a cookie sheet and toast for about 8 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F.
- Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.
- Place sugar, cocoa, flour and salt in mixer bowl and stir together.
- Beat in egg whites, one at a time, scrapping bowl.
- Beat in vanilla and continue beating at high speed for 1 minute.
- Stir in cooled, toasted chopped pecans.
- Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies for spreading. - - Bake 1 sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes, turning sheet halfway though baking time.

avocado chocolate mousse

via

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado, skin and pit removed
• 3 1/2 tablespoons dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 3 1/2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

1. Place avocado and dark chocolate cocoa powder in food processor. Add honey.
2. Process avocado, cocoa powder and honey for approximately one minute, pausing to scrape the sides, or until a thick, smooth mousse forms
3. Spoon mousse into a small bowl, top with slivered almonds, fresh fruit or chocolate chips and enjoy

cauli mash

I want to call these mock-mashed potatoes, but I don't think that name gives this dish justice, but neither does pureed cauliflower....mashed cauliflower seems to be fitting.  I've been experimenting with different versions and have settled on my fave.  This is my low-fat version, and honestly I was surprised, it's just as tasty as the full fat cream & cheddar version.

Low-Fat Mashed Cauliflower (2 servings, ww+ points = 1)
1/2 head of cauliflower
1 T fat free milk
1 t powdered butter substitute (Molly McButter or similar)
1 slice fat free sharp cheddar cheese singles
1 T powdered white cheddar popcorn seasoning
salt & pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS: Cut cauliflower into approx. 2" pieces.  Place in microwave safe covered bowl w/ milk.  Microwave for 10 min, stirring every few.  Remove cauliflower mixture & transfer to blender or food processor.  Add cheese, butter substitute, white cheddar seasoning, salt, & pepper.  Blend/process until smooth.  You may need to add a little more milk to reach desired consistency. 

Tiramisu

I took an amazing Italian Cooking class a few years back and this dessert has definitely emerged as a favorite. I had misplaced the recipe and the gal who taught the class was kind enough to share it with me again. Be sure to check out her site, Anne's Italy, and book a class with her on the wonders of Umbrian Cooking if she's in your area!

TIRAMISU (“pick me up”)
..............................
(makes enough for 20 people)
..............................
20 oz. Ricotta
1 lb. Marscapone
1/3 c. of sugar or to taste
Yolks from 10 eggs
One large chocolate bar, chopped into some fine & some chunky pieces
Grated coconut
Brewed espresso coffee
large box of Original Grahams (or similar vanilla cookie) – preferred cookie……. OR
3 boxes of lady fingers
DIRECTIONS: Mix first 3 ingredients together. Blend egg yolks and add to cream mixture. Combine chocolate and coconut reserving some chocolate for the top layer. Dip cookies into coffee mixture until soft, but before they fall apart. (You may also use coffee with some milk, if preferred.) Cover bottom of a pan thoroughly with soaked cookies. Add a layer of the cream mixture and some of the chocolate/coconut mixture. Repeat layering until all cookies are used. Top with chocolate as the final layer. Chill in refrigerator for 3 hours or in freezer for 20 minutes.

cream cheese pumpkin pie pots

I was slated to enter a pumpkin recipe contest at my work's Fall Festival & low and behold the evening before at 10pm, I realized that no grocery store in North Lake Tahoe had any canned pumpkin! There's apparently a pumpkin shortage... Thankfully I remembered a great post from my hometown friend Megan's Megasimple Blog about roasting and pureeing pumpkin. (Check it!) She used smaller sugar pie pumpkins. At 10 o'clock on a Fri. night all I could find were the large jack o'lantern variety, and they worked out fine for me.



Cutting into the large jack o'lantern was probably the hardest part of the deal. I put the cut pieces in a 375 degree oven for an hour and 40 min with a pan of water below them.



Here's the pumpkin right after coming out of the oven.



After roasting, you'll then want to scoop out and puree the insides, as pictured above, and you'll have some pumpkin ready for the recipe. If you're lucky enough to find pumpkin in a can you can skip this roasting/pureeing process. (Since I was up til 1am making this recipe happen, I would have been excited for the canned version!) This yielded way more pumpkin than I needed, so I pureed the rest and froze it for later use...stocking for the next pumpkin shortage!



While the pumpkin was roasting I prepared my graham cracker crust.
This recipe is for the crust to fill 6 wide mouth 8 oz. mason jars. After the crust, my pictures seem to trail off as the evening got later....


After putting a little under 1/4 c. of crust in the jars, you then need to smash it down, as in the picture above: before (on the right) & after (on the left), then you bake!

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
8 graham crackers crushed (I crushed mine in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions: Combine graham crackers and sugar. Add melted butter and stir until moist. Divide evenly into 6 wide mouth 8 oz. mason jars (a little less than 1/4 c. each). Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 min.


NO-BAKE CREAM CHEESE PUMPKIN PIE
(amended from this recipe I posted about in 2007: the best pumpkin pie ever!)
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Neufchatel Cheese softened
1 Tbsp. cold fat-free milk
1 Tbsp. sugar
1-1/2 cups thawedWhipped Topping
1 cup cold fat-free milk
1 can (16 oz.) or 2 cups pumpkin
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) Vanilla Flavor Instant Reduced Pudding
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
6 prepared graham cracker crusts in mason jars (see above)

Directions: Beat Neufchatel cheese, 1 Tbsp. milk and sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in whipped topping. Spread onto bottom of crust in each mason jar (about 1/4 cup each). Be sure to swish the jar around to even out your layers. Then pour 1 cup milk into a medium bowl. Add pumpkin, pudding mix and spices. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.) Spread over Neufchatel cheese layer in each mason jar (again about 1/4 cup). Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Garnish with additional dollop od whipped topping, if desired. Store leftover pie pots in refrigerator.... but believe me, they won't last long!

peanut butter cup bars

1 c. butter
1 c peanut butter
2 c graham cracker crumbs
2 c powdered sugar

1 1/2 c semi-sweet choco chips
4 Tbsp peanut butter

Directions: Melt butter & 1 c peanut butter. Add graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. Mix until well blended. Press into ungreased 9"x 13" pan. Melt choco chips with 4 Tbsp peanut butter (either on stovetop or microwave) and spread on top of graham cracker mixture. Refridgerate for at least 1 hour.

via one more moore

baked pasta with chicken sausage

via melskitchencafe


INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound rigatoni
10 ounces frozen baby spinach, thawed and drained well (can substitute 1 9-oz. bag fresh spinach)
12 ounces precooked smoked chicken (or turkey) sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick (Jennie-O is a solid choice)
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, 4 ounces cut into 1/2-inch cubes and 4 ounces shredded
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS: ( Makes a heaping full 9"x13" pan or 2 8"x8" pans). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Cook for another minute.

Stir in tomatoes, oregano and basil; simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add cream; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. (If using fresh spinach, add it to the pot of boiling pasta right at the end and cook until wilted.) Drain, and return contents to pot.

Add tomato sauce, sausage, spinach and cubed mozzarella to the pot; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Scoop pasta into lightly greased 9X13-inch pan (or divide evenly between two 8X8-inch pans). Top with grated mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.

*Freezable Meal: Prepare recipe right up until the baking step and then cover with a double layer of aluminum foil. Freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. To bake, increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours. If baking from frozen, bake covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes, uncover and bake 30 minutes longer.

queso blanco dip

I added some more veggies to healthy it up. Well, as healthied up as queso dip can get! original recipe via

Queso Blanco Dip
Yield:
about 2 cups
Ingredients:
• 1/2 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
• ¼ cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 or 2 jalapeño pepper(s), seeded and finely chopped - (depending on heat you want)
• 12 oz. white American cheese, shredded
• 4 oz. Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• ¼-2/3 cup milk
• 1 tomato, seeded and finely diced
• 2/3 cup salsa (I use my own canned version - you can find the recipe here!)
• 2 tbsp. cilantro, minced
Directions:
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and jalapeño to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add both of the shredded cheeses and ¼ cup of the milk. Whisk or stir until completely melted. Mix in the tomato and cilantro, and add additional milk gradually as necessary to achieve desired consistency. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately.

oreo ice cream sundae brownies

These were a big hit last weekend on our annual weekend ski trip to Sugar Bowl, so I thought I'd share!

INGREDIENTS:
1 box Brownie Mix
eggs & oil (as called for by the brownie mix)
1 heaping half cup (6 oz) Cookies & Cream ice cream
1/4 Cup hot fudge topping (chilled or room temp)
*(optional) 1/4 cup of water - (I used this to thin out the mix, as it was super thick, & it still made for great results.)

Preheat oven & grease baking dish (size, as called for on brownie mix box) Combine brownie mix, eggs, and oil as directed on the back of the box. Add ice cream and hot fudge to the brownie batter and stir to combine. *This is where I added the optional 1/4 cup of water, as the mix was too thick to pour. Use your own judgement on the mix's consistency & proceed accordingly!* Pour half of the brownie batter into the baking dish, layer with Oreos, then top with remaining batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes or as directed on the back of the box.

NOTES: I used a Family Size Brownie Mix, which called for a 13"x19" baking dish. I'm guessing that the larger mix equated to the extra thick batter. So, if going w/ the larger mix, be sure to add the additional 1/4 cup of water!



Recipe via kevinandamanda.com adapted via picky-palette.com. Check out her Phish Food Ice Cream Sundae Brownies.....I'm so trying that once next!

Cousin Adam's Apple Pie

via my cousin Adam

INGREDIENTS:
1 bottle of Everclear
1 gallon of Apple Juice
1 gallon of Apple Cider
12 Cinnamon Sticks
6 Quart Mason Jars

DIRECTIONS:
Boil Apple Juice, Apple Cider, & 12 Cinnamon Sticks in a large pot for 45 minutes. Strain out cinnamon sticks. Add 4-6 shots of Everclear (depending on the potency you would like) per quart jar & add the boiled liquid, divided equally amongst each jar. Cap & lid jars, store at room temp or cooler, & enjoy! (pictured above is a double batch)

UPDATE:

So, I posted this, before I actually attempted making it. Now that I've made a batch, I've learned a few things...
I used pint mason jars, not quart jars, as the recipe above, and divided 1 bottle of Everclear equally (about 3 shots each) among 7 pint mason jars. It made for a potent, but amazing batch. Also, only 9 cinnamon sticks came in the package I bought, so I used 9, instead of the 12 the recipe calls for. (I don't think it made any difference in the end result) Once I filled up the 7 jars, I realized I had tons of the apple juice/cider liquid left. So, I ran back to the store & picked up a 2nd bottle of Everclear. I repeated the same process, dividing the 2nd bottle of Everclear equally amongst the new set of 7 mason jars. I ended up w/ 14 pint jars of goodness!

Superbowl: Bloomin' Onion

In honor of the Superbowl, Amy & I tried our hand at making a deep fried Bloomin' Onion via this recipe from foodnetwork.com

ALMOST FAMOUS BLOOOMING ONION RECIPE
For the Dip:
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon* drained horseradish (*we used 1/2 a tablespoon)
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Onion:
• 1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia (about 1 pound)
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 gallon soy or corn oil
• Kosher salt

Combine all of the dip ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Slice the onion:
(Check out the illustrations here for some extra help: how to slice a Bloomin' Onion)

How to Slice a Bloomin' Onion
1. Cut off 1/2 inch from the pointy stem end of the onion, then peel.
2. Place the onion cut-side down. Starting 1/2 inch from the root, make a downward cut all the way through to the board.
3. Repeat to make four evenly spaced cuts around the onion.
4. Continue slicing between each section until you have 16 evenly spaced cuts.
5. Turn the onion over and use your fingers to gently separate the outer pieces.

Whisk the flour, cayenne, paprika, thyme, oregano, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl. In a small deep bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and 1 cup water.

Place the onion in a separate bowl, cut-side up, and pour all of the flour mixture on top. Cover the bowl with a plate, then shake back and forth to distribute the flour. Check to make sure the onion is fully coated, especially between the "petals." Lift the onion by the core, turn over and pat off the excess flour; reserve the bowl of flour.

Using a slotted spoon, fully submerge the onion in the egg mixture (spoon on top, if necessary). Remove and let the excess egg drip off, then repeat the flouring process. Refrigerate the onion while you heat the oil.


Heat the oil in a large deep pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 400 degrees. Pat off excess flour from the onion. Using a wire skimmer, carefully lower the onion into the oil, cut-side down. Adjust the heat so the oil temperature stays close to 350 degrees. Fry about 3 1/2 -4 minutes, then turn the onion over and cook until golden, about 3 1/2 -4 more minutes; drain on paper towels. Season with salt and serve with the dip.

girl scout-style cookies: samoas

via instructables


Ingredients:
Basic Shortbread Recipe:
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
Topping:
• 3 cups) shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted
• 15-oz soft caramels
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp milk
• 8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate

Directions:
1. Prepare Dough -
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add this to the butter mixture. At low speed, add in the milk and vanilla. Separate the dough into halves and wrap in plastic or store in tupperware. Refrigerate until the dough is as firm as a stick of butter.
2. Toast Coconut -
While the dough is refrigerating, preheat your oven to 350F. Toast the shredded coconut on a baking sheet for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Let cool while shaping and baking cookies.

3. Cut -
Ensure you've got the oven at 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners. Once your dough is firm enough to roll out without making a big mess, roll dough on lightly floured surface. (This dough is made to be soft enough to withstand the incorporation of more flour during this phase.) Once your dough is rolled to about 1/8" - 1/4" thickness, use a cookie cutter to cut out whatever shapes your heart desires. (For traditional-like Samoas, cut out a hole in the middle!) Re-roll the scraps and repeat.

4. Bake -
Bake your batches of cookies one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet 180 degrees, halfway through baking. This ensures that all the cookies turn the same color instead of getting browner in the hotter parts of your oven. Cool your cookies on the sheet for about 5 minutes, and transfer to a wire rack. Let cookie sheets cool before putting new cookies to be baked on them.


5.Prepare the Topping -
Place your caramels, milk and salt in a microwaveable bowl and nuke for 1 minute at a time, stopping to stir, until nice and melty, about 3-4min. (If you're using homemade caramels, you can reduce the amount of milk and microwave time. If you are using hard caramels, increase the milk.) Stir the toasted coconut into the caramel mixture.

6. Top Cookies -
Using a knife, an offset spatula, or whatever device floats your boat, spread the caramel mixture on top of your cookies. Be generous.


7. Add the Chocolate -
Lay out a sheet of waxed paper. Chop up your chocolate and microwave it in 30 second bursts, stirring between each, until nice and melty. Dip the bottoms of your cookies into the chocolate and place on waxed paper.

Use the remaining melted chocolate to drizzle over top of the cookies once they're all dipped. A spoon works for this, but you could also use a piping bag or the corner snipped off a plastic baggie. Store in an air tight container for best results.

homemade sprinkles

'Sometimes you just want to say, I made this 100% from scratch!'
via bravetart

I know how this looks. I know having a recipe for homemade sprinkles essentially brands me as some kinda baking weirdo, culinary elitist, or just someone with too much time on her hands.

But it’s not like that. I’m not crazy. Really. I like grocery store sprinkles just fine. Yet, sometimes you just want to say, “I made this 100% from scratch!” Sometimes, you need to make your own sprinkles.

UPDATE :

CHECK OUT THIS STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL via thekitchn (w/ lots of great picts!)

8 ounces powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla, or other extract

assorted food colorings
as many piping bags as you have colors, fitted with a small, plain tip

Mix the first four ingredients until a semi-thick paste forms.

Divide the paste into as many portions as you have colors, tinting each batch with the color of your choice.

Put the colored paste into a piping bag and, on a sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper, pipe out as many long, thin lines as you can. Take care the lines do not touch each other.

Repeat the process with the remaining colors and allow the piped lines to dry for 24 hours. Really. You will have an unworkable mess if you say, “Oh, it’s been 8 hours. I can go ahead and do the next step.” 24 hours. They need to be dried out to the core for this to work.

After the time has elapsed, use a bench scraper or knife to scrape off the dried sprinkle lines and then to break.chop the lines into fairly long pieces for "jimmies" or quite short for "hundreds and thousands".

Store in an airtight container, indefinitely.

salty & sweet

This made for some fab & relatively easy Christmas presents. I made a couple batches & then filled up mason jars w/ the mix, tied 'em up w/ a few ribbons, & done!

White Chocolate Snack Mix
• 2 cups white chocolate chips, melted
• 1 cup mini twist pretzels
• 3 1/2 cups cereal: Cheerios, Chex, or similar
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup salted peanuts
• 1 1/2 cups M&M's
• 1 cup raisins

DIRECTIONS: Melt white chocolate chips in large bowl. (I do so in the microwave in 30 sec. increments, stirring in between each 30 interval. Note that it's easy to scorch chocolate in the microwave, if you put it in for too long &/or forget to stir!) Add all other ingredients, stirring to coat. Once all of pieces are coated, lay them out on sheets of wax paper. Once dry, break up & store in an air tight container

NOTE: Don't be afraid of adding &/or subtracting other cereals, candy, or nuts. This is one recipe you can't really mess up!

mint cookies via megasimple.blogspot

I tried making these fab Andes Mint Cookies from my friend Megan's awesome blog - if you haven't checked out megasimple.blogspot.com do so now!

You can find the recipe on her blog, here!