Cookies

For an afternoon jewelry party, I thought the perfect culinary road to travel would be one of confectionery.  I sifted through my recipes and decided on three.  A variety of sweet and savory; of light and rich. 

When Aunt Joan titled this recipe "Delicious Cookies", she could not have been more accurate.  Dressed with a simple royal icing, they are rich in texture with a hint of anise to refresh the taste buds. 


4 cups flour
1 cup sugar 
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3 extra large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 sticks margarine (softened)
1 tsp. anise extract 
2 tbsp. baking powder


By hand (or, by cheating and using a stand mixer), beat eggs.  Add margarine, sugar, sour cream and anise extract.  Mix the baking soda, baking powder and flour.  Add a little at a time to the egg mixture.   Allow to chill in fridge for 45-60 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 365-375.  Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Roll into 1 tsp. balls and place on sheet.  Bake 7-8 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.


Note: For icing, mix enough powdered sugar and water until thin enough to drizzle.  Add 1/2 tsp anise extract.  Frost cookies and allow to dry. 


Simply by sampling, one would never know that contained in these Flourless Brownies are an entire can of nutrition packed black beans.  Their creamy consistency and moderate sweetness are just enough to satisfy a sweet tooth craving.  Thanks Jenny for sharing!


15 oz. black beans, drained and rinsed
3 large eggs
1/3 cup melted butter, more for baking dish
1/4 cup cocoa powder 
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cane sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Butter an 8 inch baking pan.  Place the black beans, eggs, melted butter, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.  remove blade and gently stir in chocolate chips.  Transfer to prepared pan.  Bake 30-35 minutes.  Cool completely before cutting. 


Note: For some reason I had brain freeze on my first attempt and forgot to add the sugar.  They taste MUCH better with sugar :)  


If you thought Oreos couldn't get any better, try this recipe.  Adding cream cheese and smothering them in white chocolate takes them to a whole new level of deliciousness.  I have Bridgette to thank for the recipe for Oreo Truffles.  


1 package Oreos
1 package cream cheese, softened 
1 package white chocolate chip morsels 


Crush entire package of Oreo cookies into a fine powder.  Mix together cookie crumbs and cream cheese.  Melt white chocolate chips over a double boiler.  Make cookie mixture into 1" balls.  Dip into melted chocolate until they are covered.  Place on a tray and refrigerate.


Note: Because I don't have a double boiler I used a sauce pan to heat the chips.  Without the luxury of a double boiler, I wasn't able to keep a constant heat source (for fear of burning the chocolate). So, I thinned the melted chips with a little bit of cream.  This kept it thin enough to dip and cover the cookie balls.  They were still yummy, however, stickier since the chocolate didn't harden into a nice shell.  I will definitely be making these again!  

Cream of Artichoke Soup

Flipping through my cookbook, I found Aunt Joan's recipe for Cream of Artichoke Soup.  I knew right away that it would be a perfect week night meal.  Calling for only 5 basic ingredients, it's budget friendly (perfect for newly weds) and cooks up in less than 15 minutes.  


Despite the short ingredient list and quick cooking time it is packed with flavor and richness! With a hearty slice of bread alongside, it was delicious and satisfying winter meal.  


1 10.5-ounce can condensed cream of celery soup
1 12-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
1 12-ounce jar water packed artichoke hearts 
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 cup cream
salt & pepper 


In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream of celery soup and chicken broth; stir until smooth.  Add the artichoke hearts and cayenne.  Bring to a boil.  Pour soup into a blender and mix until consistency is smooth.  Return to pot and slowly stir in cream.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot. 

Black Bottom Cups

Over the weekend, we celebrated Dan's birthday.  We had a delicious meal, enjoyed quality family time and, indulged in delicious desserts! My contribution in the sweets department; Aunt Jackie's Black Bottom Cups. Their layered look makes for a cute presentation.  They're perfectly moist and are a delicious combination of creamy and chocolaty.  

Combine: 
1 cup (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 unbeaten egg
1/3 cup sugar 
1/8 tsp. salt


Beat well. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. 


In a separate bowl, sift together:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa 
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt


Add:
1 cup water
1 tsp. vinegar 
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 tsp. vanilla


Beat well.  Fill muffin cups 1/3 full with chocolate mixture.  Top with cream cheese mixture.  Sprinkle with a little sugar and chopped nuts (optional).  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Makes 18-20.  

Salisbury Steak

So much of what I've learned about cooking was taught to me by Meme.  The secrets to making the best apple pie, the technique for making crepes, the golden rules; 1. always wear an apron 2. long hair should always be tied back, and 3. never measure over a bowl. 

I was so glad to have Mem around for the days leading up to my wedding.  Since she lives in Florida, it was a treat to be able to spend so much quality time together.  Of course, we made sure to include watching cooking shows, going blueberry picking and talking recipes.  

This recipe for Salisbury Steak is one of many that she shared with me.  Like a hug from the inside, this comfort food was the perfect fix after a day of snowy, slushy weather.  

1 can condensed golden mushroom soup 

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or turkey

1/2 seasoned bread crumbs 

1 egg

1 chopped onion

1/3 cup water

Combine 1/4 cup of the soup with remaining ingredients except water.  Mix.  Shape into patties and place in a shallow baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 3o minutes.  Spoon off fat.  Combine remainder of soup and the water.  pour over the patties.  Bake 10 minutes longer.  

Notes:  I didn't have seasoned bread crumbs on hand. So, I added a dash of parsley and thyme to the plain Panko bread crumbs that I had in the pantry.  

Poker Night

The best parts about game nights are the laughs with family and friends and, of course, the food.  For our family poker night, Aunt Suzanne's Chinese Chicken Wings and Buffalo Chicken Dip met the challenge of pleasing a big crowd of healthy appetites!


Aunt Suzanne's Chinese Chicken Wings are all that is awesome about wings. They are the perfect combination of sweet and savory and just the right amount of messy. Thanks for sharing Aunt Sue!


1 cup regular sugar
1 cup brown sugar
garlic powder (enough for flavor)
5-10 oz. soy sauce
approx. 8 lbs. chicken wings/wingettes


Mix together sugars, garlic powder, soy sauce (enough to have a thickened but pour-able sauce).  Spread wings into a glass Pyrex dish.  Pour sauce mixture over all wings.  Place in a 250 degree oven and cook for 2 1/2 hours basting every 20 minutes.  Low temp and frequent basting are the keys to an awesome wing flavor.


Notes: After oven cooking, I transferred the wings to a crock pot.  They transferred nicely and only got better as they continued to marinate in the delicious juices.

   The recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip was shared with me by both Aunt Jean and Julie B.  It has a good kick with just enough cheese to counteract the spice and keep the crowd coming back for more.  It doesn't get much better than a bowl of melty, cheesy, spicy goodness.




8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch dressing
1/2 cup hot sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken


Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine ingredients in a bowl and place in baking dish.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly.  Serve with chips, crackers or vegetables.


Notes: I used blue cheese dressing, Rhode Island Red Hot Sauce and shredded cheddar.    

Hot Fudge Sauce

Ah, February, the month of love.  We make extra efforts to let our family and friends know we care for them.  As a cooking enthusiast, I can think of few better ways to manifest love than through food.  So, this Valentine's Day, Sheila's Hot Fudge Sauce is the go-to gift.  The sauce requires a few simple ingredients and cooks up quickly.  Pour it over ice cream, fruit, cake or, let's be honest, grab a spoon and eat right from the jar. To say it is delicious is an understatement.  Thanks Sheila! 


3 cups sugar
1 stick margarine
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla


Melt margarine & chocolate.  Stir in sugar and vanilla.  Slowly add evaporated milk.  Cook until steamy.  Do not boil.  


Notes: I stayed stove side during the entire cook time (about 10-15 minutes) to make sure it didn't boil or burn.  
One batch filled 2 12oz. mason jars 

Garbanzo Salad

Quick, easy, delicious and nutritious. Adjectives that only begin to describe Kathy's Garbanzo Salad.  After scoring some beautiful fresh parsley at a local farm stand, I made this salad to accompany our dinner. Simple to make yet, bursting with flavor, color and texture. The salad that I had intended to be side dish, stole the spotlight and became the star of our dinner table. Thanks for sharing Kath! 

The recipe is as follows: 

6 oz. drained chickpeas 

1 oz. shredded swiss or cheddar

1 medium tomato, diced

1/4 cup scallions, sliced diagonally

1 tbsp. fresh flat leaf parsley

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1 garlic clove, mashed

dash pepper

8 romaine lettuce leaves (for garnish)

In a medium bowl, combine chick peas, cheese, tomato, scallions and parsley.  In a small bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, salt, garlic and pepper.  Pour over chick pea mixture and toss to combine.  Line serving platter with lettuce leaves and top with chick pea mixture.  

Notes: Instead of Swiss or cheddar, I used provolone since we had a that on hand