Cinnamon Swirl Cream Biscuits

Posted on January 28, 2012 by

I love weekends! Sleeping in, doing whatever you want, nowhere to go, nowhere to be-it’s just perfect! One of my favorites things to do over the weekend is to make a nice breakfast that we can sit down at the table and eat together. I have had these biscuits bookmarked for a while. They are a great alternative to the more time-consuming cinnamon rolls that I make for special occasions. With these cream biscuits you can have them on the breakfast table in under 40 minutes. They can be made quickly and easily since they don’t require cutting fat into flour or cutting out dough rounds. Heavy cream is used in place of butter resulting in a lighter, more tender biscuit. Serve warm with a cup of coffee or tea and get ready to enjoy your weekend! :)

One Year Ago: Peanut Chicken Salad Wraps 

Cinnamon Swirl Cream Biscuits

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For the Biscuits:

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

For the Topping:

  • 1 tablespoon egg white
  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • dash vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. In a small bowl stir together brown sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add 1 1/4 cups cream and stir with wooden spoon until dough forms, about 30 seconds. Transfer dough from bowl to countertop, leaving all dry, floury bits behind in bowl. In 1 tablespoon increments, add up to 1/4 cup cream to dry bits in bowl, mixing with wooden spoon after each addition, until moistened. Add these moistened bits to rest of dough and knead by hand just until smooth, about 30 seconds. Roll dough into 9- by 12-inch rectangle, about 3/8 inch thick.
  4. Brush surface of dough rectangle with melted butter and sprinkle evenly with brown sugar mixture. Roll up the dough tightly, under-tucking after each completed rollover. Cut into 8 rounds, flatten with your hand, and arrange biscuits in ungreased 10-inch pie plate; bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
  5. While biscuits are baking, whisk together egg white, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla in small bowl until smooth and glossy, about 1 minute. Spread icing over hot biscuits.

Yields: 8 biscuits
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 25 minutes

Source: Cook’s Illustrated, May 2000

Posted in Breads & Muffins, Breakfast | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Cookie Dough Truffles

Posted on January 27, 2012 by

We all know about my love of cookies, in fact I have over 75 cookie recipes on this blog. That’s right, over 75! If you haven’t had a chance to check them out, head on over to my recipe index for all of them. All of us who have ever made homemade cookies know how tempting the raw dough can be. Although I am aware that sneaking a bite of dough carries a risk, I find it absolutely irresistible. With these cookie dough truffles I can indulge with no fear, so go ahead and break off a piece. Just make sure you leave enough to dip in chocolate. ;)  These bite sized truffles would make the perfect Valentines Day treat for your sweetie, that is if you are willing to share! :D

One Year Ago: Blueberry Crumble Bars 

Cookie Dough Truffles

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Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons shortening

Directions:

  1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in milk and vanilla until combined, about 1 minute. Mix in flour just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
  3. Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball. Place on prepared pan, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  4. Melt shortening and chocolate together in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.
  5. Working about 4 balls at a time, dip balls in chocolate using a spoon or a dipping fork and place on a waxed paper lined baking sheet. Keep the undipped balls in the refrigerator until ready to dip.
  6. Once you have covered all the balls in chocolate, place in the refrigerator until the chocolate coating is set. If desired, drizzle chocolate on the balls for decoration.

Yields: 5 dozen
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Ready In: 2 hours 10 minutes

Source: adapted from Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

Posted in Candy, Dessert | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments

Banana Nutella Muffins

Posted on January 26, 2012 by

Banana muffins sound a million times more delicious when you swirl a dollop of Nutella into them. Don’t you think? In fact adding Nutella to anything makes it more delicious. Ok, well maybe not everything, but definitely baked goodies. :D These moist muffins have a deep banana flavor, crunchy hazelnuts, and a hefty dose of hazelnut spread making them irresistible. Serve warm with extra Nutella smeared on them instead of butter, trust me on this one! ;)

One Year Ago: Blueberriest Muffins 

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Banana Nutella Muffins

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 3 very ripe bananas, soft, darkly speckled, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup Nutella
Directions:
  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with wooden spoon. Lightly fold banana mixture into dry ingredients with rubber spatula until just combined and batter looks thick and chunky. Fold in hazelnuts.
  4. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups.  Place 1 teaspoon of Nutella on top of each muffin. Swirl with a toothpick. Bake until golden and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and serve
Yields: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 24 minutes

Source: adapted from Orange Spice Banana Bread

Posted in Breads & Muffins, Breakfast | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

Double Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Posted on January 25, 2012 by

Get ready to take peanut butter cookies to a whole new level by adding milk chocolate and peanut butter chips. Peanut butter and chocolate has always been my favorite of all flavor combinations, so I knew these cookies wouldn’t disappoint. These babies are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, just the way a perfect cookie should be. Lately I have been craving peanut butter like nobody’s business and instead of spooning right out of the jar I figured I would make some cookies that I have had my eye on for a while. I am really kicking myself for not making these earlier, they are “hide them from the family” good! I used smooth peanut butter for these cookies, but crunchy peanut butter will work just as well. Do yourself a favor and whip up a batch of these, I promise they won’t last long!

One Year Ago: Pecan and Almond Chocolate Toffee 

Double Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

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Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky (I used smooth)
  • 3/4 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon, divided
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and the salt; Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 3/4 cup sugar and brown sugar and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips.
  4. Place remaining tablespoon of sugar in a shallow bowl.  Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a 1½-inch ball, roll the ball in the sugar and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart. Using a fork, lightly indent with a criss-cross pattern, but do not overly flatten the cookies.
  5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not. Cool cookies for 1 minute on baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Yields: about 44 cookies/111 calories per cookie
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 12 minutes

Source: adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally adapted from Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

Posted in Cookies, Dessert | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

New York-Style Crumb Cake

Posted on January 24, 2012 by

What’s your favorite part about crumb cake? Is it the light, moist cake or the crumb topping? For me it is all about the crumbs, and this cake is loaded! Now don’t get me wrong, the cake part is very important too, but come on-look at all those crumbs! Luckily this one has it all-a moist and tender cake layer loaded with melt-in-your-mouth cinnamony crumble nuggets. This recipe calls for cake flour, which is essential for creating this tender , buttery cake. Don’t be tempted to substitute all-purpose flour for the cake flour, as doing so will make it dry and tough…and nobody wants that! Enjoy with a cup of freshly brewed coffee or tea for a wonderful way to start your day.

One Year Ago: Mexican Lasagna Chip Dip 

New York-Style Crumb Cake

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For the Crumb Topping:

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar (2 2/3 ounces)
  • 1/3 up dark brown sugar (2 2/3 ounces)
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon table salt
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and still warm
  • 1 3/4 cups cake flour (7 ounces)

For the Cake:

  • 1 1/4 cups cake flour (5 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 6 pieces, softened but still cool
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk
  • Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Directions:

  1. For the topping: In a medium bowl, stir together sugars, cinnamon and butter until combined. All flour and stir until mixture forms a thick, cohesive dough; set aside to cool 10 to 15 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 8-inch square baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up two sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends.
  3. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, on low speed, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt to combine. While the mixer is running on low speed, add butter one piece at a time; until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no visible butter chunks remaining, 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg, yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
  4. Pour mixture into prepared pan, spread into corners, and level surface with rubber spatula. Break apart crumb topping into large pea-sized pieces and spread in even layer over batter, beginning with edges and then working toward center. Bake until crumbs are golden and wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan by lifting parchment overhang. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

Yields: 8 to 10 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes

Source: Cook’s Illustrated, January 2008

Posted in Breakfast, Cake | Tagged , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Honey Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas

Posted on January 23, 2012 by

Looking for a high protein snack that will keep you full and satisfied for hours? Roasted chickpeas are one of my favorite low-calorie snacks. They are a great and healthy alternative to mixed nuts, chips, and other munchies. I can’t begin to tell you how many batches of roasted chickpeas we consume in this house. I have made them using both fresh chickpeas and canned chickpeas and honestly you can’t tell the difference after they are roasted. For that reason I usually use canned because they are ready to use. :) The most important thing about making roasted chickpeas is to make sure your chickpeas are throughly dried before tossing into the spice mix. If they are not dried enough they will be soft and chewy on the inside not crispy and crunchy. If I am not pressed for time I will rinse off the chickpeas and lay them on a paper towel lined baking sheet for at least an hour to air dry. After an hour or so I blot them again with a towel just to be certain that they are thoroughly dry. After drying whip up the spice mix, dump onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast until crunchy and no longer soft in the middle. Roasting the chickpeas turns them from a soft bean to a crunchy corn nut-like snack.  Throw a baggie of these in your lunch box and avoid that mid afternoon snack attack.

One Year Ago: Spanish Rice 

Honey Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas

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Ingredients:

  • 2 (15 ounce) cans of chickpeas (or 4 cups cooked chickpeas)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 4 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon honey

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Drain and rinse chickpeas in a colander under running water. Throughly dry chickpeas with a kitchen towel.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. Add chickpeas and toss until coated with spice mixture. Spread chickpeas out on a rimmed baking sheet.
  4. Roast, shaking the pan occasionally, until the chickpeas are crunchy and no longer soft in the middle, 35-40 minutes. Test taste every few minutes until desired texture is reached.
  5. Place hot, roasted beans in a small bowl and coat evenly with honey. Spread beans back out on baking sheet and allow to dry. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Yields: about 4 cups/16 servings (1/4 cup, 112 calories)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes

Source: adapted from The Pastry Affair

Can’t get enough of these crunchy chickpeas? Check out my Oven Roasted Chickpeas with Moroccan Spices! :D

Posted in Snacks | Tagged , , , , | 16 Comments

Cinnamon Squares

Posted on January 22, 2012 by

Moist and tender cinnamon cake with a cinnamon-coffee-chocolate swirl running through the center make for a sweet breakfast or a tasty dessert! These cinnamon squares remind me of a coffeecake, except it is topped with a rich chocolate ganache instead of a crumb topping. This delicious cake is really easy to make, which is a welcome change from many of the cakes that I tackle in my kitchen. There are no cutting of layers or decorative pipped icing. In fact, you don’t even need a mixer! Just mix by hand, spread half of the cinnamon batter into an 8-inch square pan, sprinkle with chocolate and cinnamon chips and a mixture of cinnamon, sugar and espresso, then top with the rest of the batter. After it has baked and cooled, you add a simple two ingredient chocolate frosting on top and enjoy! Pair with a steaming hot espresso next to a warm fire and don’t be surprised if this cake mysteriously disappears, it tends to do that! ;)

One Year Ago: Jalapeno Cornbread 

Cinnamon Squares

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For the Cake:

  • 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup  cinnamon chips

For the Frosting:

  • 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line the bottom with parchment or wax paper. Place the pan on a baking sheet.
  2. To Make the Cake, stir 2 tablespoons of the sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon and the espresso together in a small bowl; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, the remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar, the baking powder, salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon cinnamon; set aside.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and gently whisk until you have a homogenous batter. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the butter with a light touch, just until the butter is absorbed. You will have a smooth, shiny batter.
  5. Scrape half of the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the chocolate and cinnamon chips over the batter and dust with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Cover with the rest of the batter and smooth the top again.
  6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is puffed and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan; a thin knife inserted into the center will come out clean. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it rest for 15 minutes before unmolding it onto another rack. Peel off the paper, invert it onto the first rack, and cool to room temperature right side up.
  7. To Make the Frosting, put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and fit the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring gently and often, just until they melt. Be careful not to overheat the mixture so much that it thins out; the chocolate should be smooth, very shiny, thick and spreadable. (If it thins, leave the frosting at room temperature for a bit, until it thickens a little.)
  8. Using an offset metal icing spatula, spread the frosting in generous sweeps and swirls over the top of the cake. Allow the frosting to set at room temperature before serving.

Yields: 9 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour (includes cooling)
Bake Time: 40 Minutes

Source: adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours

Posted in Cake, Dessert | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Individual Yorkshire Puddings

Posted on January 21, 2012 by

Yorkshire pudding is an essential and easy dish to serve alongside your Sunday roasts. I made these Yorkshire puddings the first time about a month ago for Christmas dinner and they were a huge hit. Unfortunately my family devoured every last bit of the roast, preventing me from sharing the recipe with you. But don’t worry, the roast was absolutely incredible and I will be making it again soon! We have had many Sunday prime rib roasts over the years but I have never tackled these light and airy popovers. Yorkshire puddings are the traditional accompaniment for a prime rib roast typically using the fat dripping from the meat. If you don’t plan on making a roast anytime soon you can make them with bacon drippings as well. These popovers rise dramatically high and have a crispy, lightly browned outer crust with a tender, moist, and airy interior.

One Year Ago: Beef and Pinto Bean Chili 

Individual Yorkshire Puddings

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Ingredients:

  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 3 tablespoons hot beef or bacon drippings, divided

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk until well combined, about 20 seconds.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour and salt until combined and add to egg mixture; whisk quickly until flour is just incorporated and mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Cover batter with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.
  3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  4. Whisk 1 tablespoon of drippings  into batter until bubbly and smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer batter to 1-quart liquid measuring cup.
  5. Measure 1/2 teaspoon of remaining 2 tablespoons drippings  into each cup of standard muffin pan. Place muffin pan in oven to heat for 3 minutes (fat will smoke). Working quickly, remove pan from oven, close oven door, and divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Immediately return pan to oven. Bake, without opening oven door, for 20 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. Remove pan from oven and pierce each pudding with skewer to release steam and prevent collapse. Using hands or dinner knife, lift each pudding out of tin and serve immediately.

Yields: 12 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Bake Time: 33 minutes

Source: adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, November 2002

Posted in Breads & Muffins | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Posted on January 20, 2012 by

As I was trying to decide what to make the other day, I stood in my pantry looking at a bag of half eaten cinnamon chips that were just begging me to use them. I know I have professed my love of these little chips a few times over the past few months, but if you haven’t picked yourself up a bag yet, you really need to!  Instead of eating the entire bag of cinnamon chips by the handfuls like I wanted to do, I decided that I needed to find a recipe that I could throw them in. Anything cinnamony that could use an extra kick-that’s when I stumbled upon a recipe for these snickerdoodle blondies. I am a big fan of all things snickerdoodle-muffins, cupcakes, cookies-you name it, I love it! I knew I had to give these blondies a whirl. The only bad thing about these blondies are that they are really easy to make. Like so super easy I would have no problem baking these guys at 2 in the morning then devouring the entire pan while my husband sleeps easy…yeah. Ten minutes and these guys are in the oven baking up an incredibly intoxicating aroma that is guaranteed to wake anyone within a 50 foot radius of your house. And don’t worry too much if you can’t find the elusive cinnamon chips, they taste just as great without them. Serve with a cup of piping hot chai tea and you will be in cinnamon heaven in no time! :D

One Year Ago: Chicken Fajitas 

Snickerdoodle Blondies

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For the Blondies:

  • 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup cinnamon chips

For the Topping:

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9×13 inch metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up two sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. Place another piece of parchment paper in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.)
  2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, and then the vanilla. Beat, scraping the bowl, until thoroughly combined. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until just combined. Give the dough a final stir with a spatula or wooden spoon to make sure the flour is incorporated. Fold in cinnamon chips
  4. Transfer the batter to prepared pan; using spatula, spread batter into corners of pan and smooth surface (batter will be thick).
  5. To make the topping, in a small bowl combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.
  6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the surface springs back when gently pressed. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool completely. Using parchment overhang, lift brownies from pan and cut into 2-inch squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Yields: 24 blondies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 25 to 30 minutes

Source: adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, originally adapted from Dozen Flours

Can’t get enough of these yummy blondies? Check out a few of my favorites! :)

   Apple Toffee Blondies

   Raspberry Almond Blondies

   Butterfinger Blondies

   Chewy, Chunky Blondies

   White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondie

   Brewer’s Blondies

Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Lentil Chili

Posted on January 19, 2012 by

When the snow is falling outside all I feel like making are comforting meals that can easily be eaten on the couch while I am wrapped up in my favorite blanket. Soup and chiliare one of my favorites meals this time of year. They are so warm, filling and usually healthy. This simple weeknight friendly chili recipe uses lentils instead of beans for a quick comforting meal. It also has an unexpected ingredient…chocolate! The chocolate adds an unexpected depth and richness to this hearty chili. It can easily be adapted to be a vegetarian recipe by substituting the bacon for olive oil. Do you eat lentils? If not, you really should! Lentils are one of the healthiest foods around. They are high in protein, cholesterol free, virtually fat-free, and low in calories. They are also budget-friendly, high in folate, fiber and a great source of iron. This hearty chili takes only an hour to make and is a great way to brighten up a snowy winter evening.

One Year Ago: S’More Granola Bars 

Lentil Chili

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Ingredients:

  • 2 strips bacon, diced (or 2 tablespoons of olive oil)
  • 2 cups onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and minced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic,minced
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoons cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
  • 3 cups V-8 or tomato juice
  • 3 cups hot water
  • 2 cups brown lentils, rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon chopped semi-sweet chocolate or chips
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
  1. In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate;set aside.
  2. Sweat the onions, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic in the bacon drippings (or 2 tablespoons of olive oil) until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and coriander; cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, V-8, water and lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.
  4. Stir in chocolate until it melts, 2-3 minutes. Add the lime juice and bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Garnish each serving with sour cream and avocado.

Yields: 8 servings (1 ¼ cups per serving/ 229 calories)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Source: Cuisine at Home, October 2010

Posted in Main Dish, Soup, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments