Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to post to my blog!  Now that my 3 and a half month old is being thoroughly entertained by his little play yard, hopefully I can get back in the game.  Little Grayson loves being held by his mamma and eats all day, so that has made it very difficult to get on the computer.

My goal is to work on losing some of this post-baby weight, so my inspiration the next several months will be on healthier foods.  Saying this “out-loud” on my blog will hopefully help hold me more accountable.  I’m also working on portion control, so if I do indulge on some sweets, it will just be in small doses.

When Grayson was first born, I had a few minutes to spare to do a little baking while he napped, and I wanted to make something new to share with my neighborhood book club.  I LOVE shortbread (as you can see by these posts for Shortbread and Chocolate Shortbread) and thought these looked tasty.  There is only a small amount of espresso in these cookies, so the espresso flavor is very light.  You can add more if you like, or leave it out altogether if you are not an espresso fan.  These cookies go perfectly with a cup of coffee or my favorite, an iced mocha!

Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: about 24 rectangles

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1 tsp instant espresso
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups powdered (confectioners’) sugar
1 cup semi-sweet (or dark) chocolate chips

Method:

1.  Lightly spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray (or use butter if desired).  In a small bowl, dissolve the espresso into the vanilla extract.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt.  In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed and mix until light and fluffy.  Add the espresso-vanilla mixture and mix until combined. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture until the dough just comes together.  Mix in the chocolate chips.

3.  Spread the dough out evenly into the prepared pan.  With the tines of a fork, prick the dough all the way through.  Cut the dough into 24 rectangles (I do mine 6 x 4.) Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.

4.  When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Bake the dough for 30-40 minutes, until the top looks dry and golden-brown.  Immediately recut the cookies into 24 rectangles (following the lines where you previously cut.)  Cool completely before removing then from the pan.  Store in an air-tight container.

Thoughts and Tips:

These are also great dipped half-way in melted chocolate!

For thicker cookies, use a smaller pan such as 7 x 11 inch or 8 x 12 inch.

I prefer using un-bleached all-purpose flour when baking.

To make the cookies easier to remove from the pan, you can line it with parchment paper that hangs over slightly on the edges.  Just pull up on them to remove the entire batch from the pan.

Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and Happy New Year!  I was very busy baking up a storm in December, and didn’t end up having much time to post here on my blog.  I tried out many new recipes, but didn’t find anything I was excited about enough to share.

I did receive several new books for Christmas that I can’t wait to start cooking and baking from.  Here are the ones I got, with recipes I look forward to trying:

• The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, by Deb Perelman

Deb Perelman writes the Smitten Kitchen blog, which I first discovered about a year ago and now I have her book!  I have already made the delicious Whole-Wheat Raspberry Ricotta Scones (which are also excellent with blueberries).  I can’t wait to try the Chocolate Chip Brioche Pretzels, Cheddar Swirl Breakfast Buns, Wild Mushroom Tart, just about every recipe in the “Sweets” section, and of course most of the Party Snacks.

Her book has a lot of recipes that I haven’t seen anywhere else, like the Vinegar Slaw with Cucumbers and Dill, which I think would go nicely with my Crockpot Pulled Pork, and the Fingerlings Vinaigrette with Sieved Eggs and Pickled Celery which sounds like a fantastic variation of potato salad.  I love that she is a fellow leek lover and I look forward to making the Leek Fritters with Garlic and Lemon.  Mushroom Bourguignon sounds like a great meat alternative dinner and I’m very anxious to try Maya’s Sweet and Sour Holiday Brisket.

As I am a huge pizza fan, and could eat it just about everyday, I plan to go on a mission to find the perfect pizza dough recipe.  I’m curious to try her Rushed Pizza Dough and compare it to the Leisurely Pizza Dough.  Needless to say, I’m very excited about this book!

• Cake Balls:  Amazingly Delicious Bite-Size Treats, by Robin Ankeny and Charlotte Lyon

As you might know, I enjoy making cake pops, and this book has a ton of great cake ball (and cake pop) flavor ideas.  I love the simple, yet elegant decorations and presentation.  There’s not one recipe that I wouldn’t try; they all look delicious.  Now I just need to figure out where to start!

•  Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast, by Ken Forkish

I’ve been reading all about this book in various magazines that I subscribe to.  Needless to say, I had to add it to my Christmas wish list.  I think my husband may be even more excited that I am to learn how to make more “artisan” style breads at home, which this book goes into great detail describing.

I learned a lot about bread making when I went to baking and pastry school and most home bakers are missing the steam ovens that are used by professional bakers.  This steam is essential to producing the perfect crust.  This book contains recipes for Basic bread, Levain Bread, and Pizzas (did I mention that I love pizza!).  The only downside about this book is that you may find that you need to buy some of the equipment needed to make the recipes, which, unless you are very dedicated, may not be something you want to invest in.

• Kara’s Party Ideas, by Kara Allen

Kara Allen writes the blog, Kara’s Party Ideas, which I learned about via blogs that I follow as well as Pinterest.  She just recently came out with this book that includes a variety of party themes and decorating ideas, and it even comes with a CD that includes free templates from the parties in the book.  Hopefully I can use some of these ideas for future birthday parties for my kids.

• The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook:  Sweetness in Seattle, by Tom Douglas and Shelley Lance

Last but not least….I got the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook!  I can’t believe I never visited the Dahlia Bakery when I lived in the Seattle area!  I did get to eat at the Dahlia Lounge Restaurant for my 30th Birthday and try their legendary Coconut Cream Pie, which was delicious and just happens to be included in the book.  I’ve really been missing Seattle food lately, and this book helps take me back to that yummy place (along with watching Top Chef: Seattle).  I enjoyed reading the intro section (Bakers are Crazy).

I can’t wait to try making the English Muffins, Dahlia Doughnuts, “the Nora Ephron” Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, and Chocolate Truffle Cookies with Crackly Crust.  I love that there is a doggy treat (Ruby’s Bones) recipe, as I’ve always wanted to try making treats for my dog.  Just about every recipe in the pies, tarts, and cakes sections made my mouth water, especially the ones with chocolate in them.  During the warmer months, I will have to try out some of the ice cream and sorbet recipes.

The only negative thing about this book, is that I wish there were pictures included with every recipe.  I always eat with my eyes first, and I love to know what the item I’m about to make is supposed to look like.  Some recipes have several pictures to demonstrate techniques, which is handy, but others have none.

I’d love to know what some of your favorite cookbooks are, so feel free to leave me a comment on here or Facebook!

Now that I’m finally getting caught up on my blog, I’ll be having my baby within the next few days since I’m due any minute now.  If there’s another big lapse in posts, that’s why!  I also got a new photography light for Christmas from my husband, so hopefully you will start to see some improvement in my pictures (I just have to figure out how to use it!).  Until next time….

Yes, I’ve been on Pinterest, again.  I was looking for some new cookie recipes to make for a cookie exchange, and I found two different ones that looked yummy and festive.  I wanted to make one type of cookie with chocolate and something a little more different, but with seasonal ingredients.  Unknowingly, the two recipes that I found were basically the same recipe by the same person from a blog that I follow, just swapping out a few ingredients.  No wonder they looked good!  I switched out some of the ingredients to adapt them to my tastes, and voila!

Both recipes included pudding in the ingredients list, and since I have never used pudding in cookies before, I was curious to see how they would turn out.  I love that they are soft and chewy!

Going down the baking aisle this time of year is always fun, as you will find all sorts of different chocolate chip flavors and baking bits.  Back in October, I found some Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips, among other things, and once I discovered these recipes, I knew I found the perfect opportunity to try them out!

This one is my favorite of the two since I’m such a chocoholic!

Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Pudding Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 (3.9 oz) package instant chocolate fudge (or chocolate) pudding mix
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder)
1 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
1 cup dark chocolate (or semi-sweet) chips (I used Nestle Dark Chocolate Chips)

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.  Add pudding mix and mix until combined.  Add eggs and vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

2.  In another bowl, whisk together the baking soda, flour, and cocoa powder.  Gradually add to mixer until just combined.  Mix in peppermint and chocolate chips.

3.  Form into 1 inch balls, or use a scoop, and place onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet.  Flatten balls slightly with your fingertips.  Bake 9-11 minutes or until done.  Allow to cool on pan for several minutes before moving to a wire rack.  Store in an airtight container.

The Cranberry White Chocolate Pudding Cookies are basically the same, just switch out the Chocolate Fudge pudding for French Vanilla flavor and use white chocolate chips and cranberries instead of the chocolate and mint chips.  If you prefer more cranberries, you can always add up to a half of a cup more.  Also, omit the cocoa powder and add a little bit more flour.

Cranberry White Chocolate Pudding Cookies

Yield:  3 dozen

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 (3.4 oz) package French Vanilla (or regular vanilla) instant pudding mix
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.  Add pudding mix and mix until combined.  Add eggs and vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

2.  In another bowl, whisk together the baking soda and flour.  Gradually add to mixer until just combined.  Mix in white chocolate chips and cranberries.

3.  Form into 1 inch balls, or use a scoop, and place onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet.  Flatten balls slightly with your fingertips.  Bake 9-11 minutes or until done.  Allow to cool on pan for several minutes before moving to a wire rack.  Store in an airtight container.

Adapted from Chef In Training/I {heart} Nap Time.

I have not tried these, but you may also like these similar cookie recipes using pudding:

Mint Chocolate Pudding Cookies by Table for Two
Butterscotch Pudding Triple Chip Cookies by two peas & their pod 

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  I enjoyed spending time with family and eating lots of delicious food.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I’m now entering my most favorite time of year…Christmas!  Plus, I’m really craving dark chocolate, so I decided to make Holiday Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies.

This is also my favorite baking time of year, so hopefully I will get to post some great holiday recipes.  It also happens to be the busiest time of year, especially when preparing for a new baby so if the posts get farther and farther apart, I apologize ahead of time.

Normally, my husband and I wait until the weekend after Thanksgiving to put up and decorate the Christmas tree, but we just couldn’t wait, so we did it early this year and started our decorating the weekend before Thanksgiving.

These cookies started as a baking experiment that turned out well, luckily.  If you like chocolate, you’ll love these cookies!  They would be great any time of year using regular chocolate chips.

Holiday Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield:  About 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick (8 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp instant coffee granules
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 package (10 oz) Holiday baking chips (I used Nestle Toll House)
1/2 package (about 5 oz) dark chocolate chips

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.  Cream for several minutes until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until incorporated, scraping sides of bowl as needed.  Mix in vanilla.  In a small bowl, dissolve 2 teaspoons of instant coffee granules in 1 Tablespoon of water.  Pour into butter/sugar/egg mixture and mix until combined.

2.  In another large bowl, whisk together unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour.  Gradually add to mixer and mix until just combined.  Stir in both types of chocolate chips.

3.  On a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper, scoop dough by rounded spoonfuls, about 2 Tablespoons of dough (I like to use my scooper and fit 12 per baking sheet).  Bake 9-11 minutes until the tops look crackly.  Allow to cool on the pan for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack.  Store in an airtight container.

Tips and Thoughts:

On the first day, the cookies will be crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle, but will soften up a little on the next day.

The coffee granules bring out the chocolate flavor of the cookies but can be omitted if desired.  It could slightly change the texture of the cookies.

I absolutely love doughnuts (especially these and these doughnuts from where I used to live in Washington) and have been very curious about making them at home.  I guess it’s better that I don’t live around them anymore so that I’m not tempted to eat doughnuts as often!

I must admit, I get a little intimidated whenever I see a recipe that requires deep-frying, but recently I discovered doughnut baking pans.  I have also seen a few doughnut recipes on Pinterest lately and decided to give making doughnuts at home a try!

Since we still have a few more weeks of Fall before we start thinking about Christmas, I wanted to make some Baked Cinnamon Pumpkin Doughnuts.  (Although, I have already started thinking about Christmas since it is my favorite holiday!  Is it too early to start decorating?)

I have to say, my daughter absolutely LOVED these and ate two of them after eating a bowl of cereal.  This is a lot of breakfast for a girl who doesn’t usually eat much for breakfast.

I urge you to give these a try if you like pumpkin, and the pans don’t cost much at all.  I ordered mine from Amazon, but I have also seen them at several local craft stores.

You really only need one doughnut pan, but it is easier and less time-consuming if you have two.  I also wanted to try the mini doughnut pan, which made super cute mini doughnuts.  The only thing about the mini pan is that it is difficult to fill and I ended up overfilling my pan so one side didn’t have the hole in the middle.

If you don’t have a doughnut pan, or don’t want to buy one, you can still use this recipe to make pumpkin muffins, which are equally delicious.  Simply follow the directions for the doughnuts except you will need a muffin pan (or two) and bake them for a bit longer.  See below for adjustments.

I really like that these doughnuts are light and fluffy, but what I really love about these doughnuts is the buttery cinnamon sugar topping!

Baked Cinnamon Pumpkin Doughnuts

Yield:  about 18 doughnuts or 36 mini doughnuts

Doughnut Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
3 eggs, large
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (see below for substitution)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 3/4 cup, plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Topping Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1-2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon, depending on your taste

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray doughnut (or muffin pan–or use muffin liners) with cooking spray.  In the bowl of a mixer, combine the oil, eggs, sugar, and pumpkin puree.  In another large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking powder, and flour.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix until just combined.

2.  Fill the wells of the pans about 3/4 full.  I like to use my tablespoon scoop to fill my pans but any small spoon will work.  I used about 3 tablespoons per doughnut (or about 1 tablespoon per mini).  If you need to, use your (clean) finger to evenly distribute the batter in the wells of the pans.  Bake for about 15-18 minutes (bake minis about 11-13 minutes).  Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing.  Cool briefly on a wire rack.

3.  While doughnuts are baking, melt the butter for the topping.  Combine sugar and cinnamon in a large zip top bag and shake to combine.  Remove about 1/2 cup of the cinnamon/sugar mixture and put in another bowl.  When the doughnuts are still warm, but cool enough to touch, toss them gently in the zip top bag filled with cinnamon/sugar.  Carefully dip one side (the prettiest side) in the melted butter, shaking off any drips.  Then, dip the butter side of the doughnut into the bowl filled with the cinnamon/sugar mixture and serve!

*These are best served warm the day they are made, but if you have any leftovers, store in an airtight container.

Tips and Thoughts:

To make your own pumpkin pie spice for this recipe, use 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, and 1/4 tsp ground ginger.

If you are using muffin pans instead of doughnut pans:  For regular sized muffins, bake for 23-25 minutes.  Adjust the time a little less for mini muffins and a little more for large muffins.  They are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

If you want to skip the butter step, these are still good just tossed in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.  If you’d like to make a glaze, combine 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, 2 Tbsp milk, and 1 tsp vanilla.  After doughnuts have mostly cooled, drizzle over tops and serve.

You will probably have extra cinnamon/sugar leftover in your zip top bag.  This is great to have on-hand to use for many other baked goods, like Snickerdoodles.

I have yet to find a delicious local bakery in my new area and would love any suggestions.  I especially love freshly baked breads (specifically looking for a good baguette and ciabatta) and breakfast pastry items.

Doughnut recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour

Every year my mom makes this delicious treat for my dad for his birthday.  Since my dad just celebrated his birthday (Happy Birthday, Dad!), I thought it would be the perfect time to share this recipe.

I eat it year round and seem to be especially obsessed with it during my pregnancies.   It is perfect for brunch or dessert.

Like buttermilk and yogurt, baking with sour cream makes baked goods very moist and tender.  I just can’t get enough of this Sour Cream Walnut Coffee Cake!  I love how the layers of cake and streusel filling look when it is sliced.

Sour Cream Walnut Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 pint (16 oz container) sour cream

Streusel Filling:

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts (my dad loves black walnuts)

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt or tube pan.  In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add to creamed mixture alternating with sour cream, mixing after each addition (beginning and ending with the flour mixture).

3.  To make the filling:  combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts in another bowl, mixing well. Spoon 1/3 batter into prepared 10″ bundt/tube pan.  Sprinkle 1/3 nut mixture over batter, and repeat this process 2 more times.

4.  Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let stand 5 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack.

5.  To make the glaze:  combine the powdered sugar, water, and vanilla in a small bowl.  When cake is fully cooled, drizzle with glaze.

This recipe was originally clipped many, many years ago from Southern Living Magazine, however, when I searched for the recipe online, I was unable to find it.  This is by far the best coffee cake I have ever tasted and highly urge you to try it!

These are not your average scone!  These Pumpkin Scones are super moist due to the pumpkin, even a bit healthy with the added walnuts, and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.

I really like that these are not overly sweet, except for the glaze, which you can add more of less of depending on how sweet you want them (or even omit it all together).

These scones are “drop” scones, which is nice because I don’t have to get my hands all messy and doughy and means less cleanup!

Pumpkin Walnut Scones

Yield: 16 large scones

Ingredients:

For the scones:

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (or 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice)
1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 cups walnuts, finely chopped
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/3 cups milk

For the glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
3-4 Tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and brown sugar.  With a pastry blender (or a fork), cut the butter into the mixture to resemble coarse meal.  Stir in walnuts.

2.  In another bowl, stir together the pumpkin and milk.  Gently fold into the flour mixture until just combined.  The dough will seem very wet.  Drop by heaping spoonfuls (I used my 1/4 cup scooper and generously scooped the batter.) onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet.

3.  Bake until the edges are golden brown about 15-18 minutes.  (To ensure doneness, insert a toothpick into the center.  The scones are done when it comes out clean.)  Allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes and move to a wire rack to cool completely.

4.  To make the glaze, combine the sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl.  I prefer my glaze to be a bit thick so that it doesn’t all run off the scone, but add either more milk or more sugar until it is your desired consistency.  Drizzle over cooled scones.

Tips and Thoughts:

These are best served on the day they are made, but if you are planning on serving them the next day, glaze the scones on the day you plan on serving them.

If you end up having left overs, as this recipes makes many giant scones, store in an airtight container in a single layer.

To spice up the glaze a little bit, try adding a dash of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.

If you like scones, you may also want to try these delicious Whole Wheat Raspberry (or Blueberry) Ricotta Scones.

I started making Leek and Potato Soup in high school and it quickly became a cool weather favorite!  This soup is so easy to make and just requires a little chopping.

If you are unfamiliar with leeks or haven’t cooked with them before, see tips below on cleaning and cutting leeks.  They are full of dirt and grit so it is important to get them nice and clean before eating.

This recipe is also a great way use up any left over onions or potatoes you may have lying around your kitchen.

If you like this soup, you might also like to try this Creamy Potato, Roasted Cauliflower, and Cheddar Soup.

Emily’s Creamy Leek and Potato Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
3-4 leeks, halved and sliced thinly
3-4 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
32 oz low-sodium chicken stock
1-2 cups water (or additional chicken stock)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup aged cheddar, shredded for serving

Method:

1.  Add butter and olive oil to a large Dutch oven, over medium heat.  Add onion and leeks and cook until transparent and starting to caramelize approximately 15 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

2.  Add potatoes and chicken stock to the onion and leeks.  Add enough water (or stock) to completely cover the potatoes, approximately 1 to 2 cups.

Bring to a boil and simmer 20-30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

3.  Puree soup with a stick blender (or regular blender, working in batches) until smooth.  *Watch out for splatters!

Turn heat to low and add heavy cream.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat. Divide into bowls and serve with shredded cheddar.  (I love lots of shredded aged cheddar and cheese toasts.)

Tips and Thoughts:

Tips on cleaning and cutting leeks:

First, cut off the dark green tops of the leeks, leaving only the white and light green part:

Remove the root end:

Rinse them under cool running water, and cut the leeks in half lengthwise, leaving a small amount of the white part uncut so that the rest of the leek stays intact as you slice them.

Remove the outer layer of the leek.  Rinse once more under cool running water, getting between each layer of the leek to ensure all dirt is gone.

Slice and use for the soup:

The amount of potatoes needed depends on their size.  If you have large potatoes, use 3; if you have small, use 4 to 5.  The more potatoes you use, the thicker your soup will become.  You can’t really use too many onions, leeks, or potatoes in this soup as long as you don’t go over-board!

Here’s how big I cut mine for the recipe:

October is National Cookie Month, and as many of you know, I love to make cookies!

Here is my favorite Oatmeal Cookie recipe.  These cookies are soft, chewy and full of cinnamon!  I like to eat them without raisins, but you can always add them if you like! (See note)

On a side note, as I mentioned in a previous post, my daughter and I got to go to the farm last week for a field trip with her school!  We were able to pick our own pumpkins, learn all about apples, and feed some farm animals.

Here are some cool pumpkins they had at the farm:

My daughter, feeding the animals:

Unfortunately, the pumpkins we got to pick at the farm were very small so we took Daddy to another pumpkin patch over the weekend to pick out some bigger ones to carve.

Stay tuned to see what we end up carving into the pumpkins!

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: 3+ dozen

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
3 cups oats (quick or old-fashioned)

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy.  Add egg and vanilla; beat well.

2.  In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg; mix well.  Gradually add to butter/sugar mixture, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Add oats; mix well.

3.  Drop by rounded tablespoons (I love using my cookie scoop) onto a Silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake 8-9 minutes for chewy cookies, or if you like your cookies more on the crisp side, 10-11 minutes.  Store tightly covered.

Tips and Thoughts:

If you’d like to add another dimension of flavor, you could substitute some or all of the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice.

I like to use a lot of cinnamon, but if you prefer less, try using 1 teaspoon instead of 2.

To make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, add 1 cup of raisins when mixing in the oats.

I been a fan of Chai tea since I first tried it a few years ago, and it is perfect this time of year.  The spices in chai tea can vary, but it often combines the flavors of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and black pepper.

As I am constantly on a quest for new recipes, I recently discovered these Chai cookies and found my new favorite Fall cookie!

These cookies will make your house smell wonderful!  I’m a huge fan of chewy cookies and these are perfect with a cup of chai or black tea, or even coffee.

Chewy Chai Sugar Cookies
Adapted from My Baking Addiction

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp (freshly) finely ground black pepper
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (room temperature)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, and black pepper.  Set aside 1/4 cup of mixture, for rolling cookies.

3.  In the bowl of a mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (or you can use a hand-held mixer), cream together the butter and sugar mixture until light and fluffy about 3 minutes.  Add the egg and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Mix in the vanilla.

4.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture until the dough just comes together.

Form the dough into balls (I use a small scoop for forming my cookies), about the size of a walnut.

Roll balls in the sugar-spice mixture and place on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.

5.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are just beginning to turn very light golden brown.  Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.