Empty Cookie Jar Dilemna

My sweet daughter baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies last week.  I love that she is self sufficient at cookie baking and I enjoy sitting back and watching her bake.  Of course I didn't sit still while she was in the kitchen - I couldn't resist the taking advantage of the opportunity to photograph the whole event.  I'll turn her into a food blogger yet.

One of the reasons that she decided to bake cookies was to fill an empty cookie jar.   I don't normally have a cookie jar on my kitchen counter but last Christmas one of my neighbors gave me a really pretty one and I like to display it at Christmas time.  My daughter however thought it was a crime to have an empty cookie jar.  She has taken it upon herself to make sure the cookie jar stays full all season.

I have an old standby chocolate chip cookie recipe from Betty Crocker that I love.  It never fails to produce really deliciously chewy chocolate chip cookies.  I usually double the recipe and freeze any cookies that are left over.  

Betty Crocker’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
2/3 cup butter                     1 ¾ cup flour
½ cup sugar                        ½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup brown sugar           ½ teaspoon salt
1 egg                                       6 ounces chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix butter, sugars, egg and vanilla in bowl of a standing mixer.  (I love action shots.)

Add dry ingredients. 

Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop onto cookie sheets.

Bake 10 minutes at 375.

 

Hooray for a full cookie jar!  (For a little while anyway.)  Make a batch of chocolate chip cookies and a cup of hot cocoa to go with them.  It's a perfect snack for a cold winter evening.

 

Bon Appetit!

Leftovers - in disguise

We had some pretty amazing meals over the holidays and now my refrigerator is bursting with leftovers. What do I do when I have too many leftovers in my refrigerator and I can't seem drum up enough excitement to eat them?  I turn them into something else so they don't look like leftovers anymore.  In this case, I had leftover herbed basmati rice and leftover dry rubbed grilled chicken breasts.  I turned to a chicken casserole recipe that I was passed down to me from my mom.  It's an oldie but goody.

My Mom’s Chicken Casserole
3 cups chopped cooked chicken           
2 cups diced celery                                1 can cream of chicken soup
1 Tablespoon minced onion                4-6 Tablespoons butter
1 cup mayonnaise                                  1 ½ cups crushed cornflakes
1 ½ cups cooked rice                            ½ cup slice almonds
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Saute celery and onion in butter to soften.

 

Combine celery, chicken,

mayonnaise,

rice,

 
lemon juice

and soup.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Spoon into casserole dish.  (I divided mine into 2 smaller dishes so that I could freeze one for another day.)

Put cornflakes in a ziploc bag.

Crush the cornflakes with a rolling pin or step on them carefully.  My son's size 11 shoes make great cornflake crumbs in a hurry.

Brown cornflakes and almonds in butter and sprinkle over casserole.

Bake 45 minutes at 350.

Once again I forgot to snap a picture of the casserole before we ate - sooner or later I'll get the hang of this food blogging thing.  Anyway - my daughter had 3 servings of chicken casserole - obviously it was a big hit.  The casserole was delicious and it's a great way to use up leftovers.  Your family doesn't even have to know that they're eating leftovers.

Bon Appetit!

Watch out Godiva

It is no big secret that I am a major chocoholic.  (As much as I hate to admit it - I'm even a Ghiradelli facebook fan.)  Last December I found a recipe for Ghiradelli chocolate truffles that were so good - I wanted to make them again this year.  Since I worked out the kinks during my first truffle attempt last year, they were much easier to make this year.  These truffles are so good - I have to hide them from myself so I don't eat them all at once.

Ghiradelli Truffles
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups double chocolate chips
6 Tablespoons butter

In saucepan, bring cream to a simmer.

 
Remove from heat.  Stir in chocolate and butter.

 
In skillet, bring 1/2” water to a slow simmer.  Set saucepan in skillet and stir mixture until chocolate melts.

Remove from heat.

 
Pour mixture into shallow bowl to cool.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Dip melon baler into warm water and scrape across top of chocolate to form a 1” ball.

Roll ball in coating and transfer to waxed paper.  Gloves help keep the heat from your hands from melting the chocolate.

Roll each truffle in the topping of your choice.  I used cocoa powder, pecan pieces, crushed peppermint and I left some plain.

Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months. (I bet they won't last that long.)
I don't buy truffles any more - they're easy to make and even better than store bought.

Bon Appetit!

Cranberries - Not just for Thanksgiving

Last month, I professed my love of cranberries on my blog.  They have such a beautiful, vibrant red color that I decided to incorporate them into my Christmas menu as well.  I found this recipe for Cranberry Swirl Bread in a Taste of Home Holiday Baking magazine.  This was my first attempt at this recipe but I can tell already that it's going to be a keeper. 

Cranberry Swirl Loaf
3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, cubed

Filling
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Topping
2 Tablespoon flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons butter

In a mixer bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast and salt.

In saucepan, heat the water, milk and butter.

Add to dry ingredients.  Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.  Knead.

Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise 1 hour.

For filling, combine cranberries, brown sugar and water in a saucepan.

Cook over medium heat  about 15 minutes or until berries pop.  Remove from heat, stir in butter, walnuts and lemon juice.

 

Punch down down.

Roll into a 20x10 inch rectangle.

 
Spread filling to within 1/2" from edges.

Roll up dough starting with a long side.

Place in a zigzag pattern in a greased loaf pan.

For topping: combine flour and sugar in a small bowl.

 
Cut in 1 Tablespoon butter with a pastry cutter.  Melt remaining butter and brush over loaf.  Sprinkle with topping.

 
Cover and let rise 40 minutes.

Bake 40 minutes at 350.

I served this swirl loaf to my family on Christmas morning.  It was a really nice addition to my brunch menu.   It was even better lightly toasted.  If you are looking for a delicious and beautiful bread to serve at your next brunch - give this one a try.

Bon Appetit!