Orange Balsamic Roasted Beets

Okay, I like beets! I know they are not everyone's favorite food, but if you're on the fence, be sure to try this recipe. It's my holiday favorite -- I can't tell you how many Thanksgivings I have said that if there was nothing else at the table, other than my roasted beets, I'd be happy.

You can roast the beets a few days in advance, when you have something else cooking in the oven. Of course you'll need to cook them longer if your oven is set to a lower temperature. I like to combine the balsamic reduction and the beets the day before serving to let the flavors meld. Yum!!

Orange Balsamic Roasted Beets 

4 - 6  medium beets (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1/2 C orange juice

1/4 C balsamic vinegar

1 T sugar

1 T olive oil

1/2 t salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450°

Wash and dry beets. Leave root and 1 inch of stem on beets. Coat with olive oil and wrap in foil. Bake at 450° for 1 to 2 hours, or until fork tender. Cool beets to room temperature. Peel. (They should peel easily.) Cut each beet in chunks or wedges.

Combine juice, vinegar, and sugar, in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (10 – 20  minutes). Combine beets, vinegar mixture, olive oil, salt, and pepper; toss well. Chill and serve.

Make Ahead: You can roast your beets a few days in advance and put together the dish at least a day or two before serving.

Hoot n' Holler Whiskey Cake

I first made this delicious loaf cake for Josh's graduation party several years ago. It was my most requested recipe that night. (I thought it was a keeper too, but hey, I'm a fan of fruitcake.) The original recipe came from the Atlanta Journal Constitution but I've adapted it a bit and I think it's better than ever! Easy to make (you can double the recipe if you need an extra loaf), moist, and this yummy cake stores and freezes well. Be sure to make it a few days ahead of time for the best flavor.

Hoot n' Holler Whiskey Cake

Makes 1 large loaf or 2 small loaves

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

1 stick butter
1C granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/4 C buttermilk or regular milk
1/4 C molasses
1 C flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg (preferably fresh grated)
1/2 C chopped dried figs
1/2 C raisins
2 1/2 C chopped pecans
1/4 C bourbon whiskey

Line 9x5" loaf pan (or two smaller pans) with parchment (or waxed) paper. Butter inside of paper.

Beat butter and sugar until creamy -- about 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add milk and molasses and mix until blended. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg and mix until just blended. Stir in figs, raisins, pecans and bourbon.

Pour into prepared pan and bake large loaf for 1 hour 20 minutes, 2 smaller loaves for 45 - 60 minutes -- 300 degrees. Insert a skewer in the center to test for doneness. (If top is getting dark and cake isn't done, tent lightly with aluminum foil.)

Place on rack to cool before removing from pan. When cool, carefully peel back parchment paper and store tightly wrapped in aluminum foil. You can wrap in cheesecloth or a sturdy paper towel soaked in bourbon for added flavor and moistness. Keeps very well in or out of the refrigerator, and it can also be frozen.

Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar before serving if desired.

Lemony Ricotta Cookies

My taste in cookies has definitely changed. When I was younger I liked buttery cookies the best; in fact the butterier the better. Now I'm finding I prefer a more cake-like cookie. This one definitely fits the bill. If you're only a fan of crispy or chewy cookies this recipe probably isn't right for you. This cookie is tender but not fragile and has a delicate lemon flavor. Be sure to make the simple glaze if you bake this cookie because it really contributes to the cookie's lemony flavor.

Lemony Ricotta Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cookies
1 stick butter, softened
2 C sugar
2 eggs
15 oz container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 T lemon juice (can substitute up to 1/2t lemon extract for the lemon juice for more intense flavor)
3 T lemon zest
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 1/2 C flour

Glaze
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
3 T lemon juice (can include a drop of lemon extract)
1 - 2T lemon zest
Yellow food coloring -- optional

Cookies
In a large mixing bowl beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Beat in ricotta cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add baking powder, salt and flour and mix just until blended. Do not overbeat.

Line baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. Drop 2 T dough about 2 inches apart onto lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 13 minutes or until golden around edges. Remove from oven and let cool before removing from cookie sheet. (If possible, use a cool cookie sheet for each subsequent batch of cookies.) Place cookies on waxed paper to cool.

Glaze
Mix together confectioner's sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and yellow food coloring if desired in a small bowl til well combined.

Top each cookie with around 1/4 t glaze and spread to edges. This is easiest on a slightly warm cookie. Let glaze harden for around 2 hours before storing cookies.

Make ahead: Though most recipes recommend not freezing glazed cookies, I have had success flash freezing individual cookies on a cookie sheet and then moving them to a zip lock bag for short term storage. For longer storage, freeze after baking and cooling and before glazing.

Stuffing with a Twist

I love stuffing. Actually I love all the Thanksgiving side dishes and could do without the turkey. I learned how to make stuffing from my Dad when I was a young teen. Even then I liked to cook and I'm so glad that I stood by his side and watched so that when it came my turn, not all that many years later, to serve Thanksgiving dinners, I was ready. Adding rye bread is a bit of a twist on Dad's original recipes but the basics remain. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Stuffing with a Twist

1/2 loaf boule bread (or French bread) and 1/2-1 loaf seeded rye
1/2 -1 lb. sweet sausage, removed from casing
2-3 C celery, chopped
2-3C large onions, chopped
1/2-1 stick butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage or 2 teaspoons fresh sage, minced
1 T poultry seasoning
Optional -- 1/2 t cayenne (or more) if you like your stuffing to have a bit of a kick
2 cups cooked white rice
1 sleeve crushed saltines (or Ritz crackers)
Chicken stock to moisten (usually at least a box of chicken stock)
3 eggs, beaten
¼ - ½ stick butter cut into small pats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook sausage in a large skillet and drain off most of the fat. Add butter, celery, onions and seasonings and sauté until soft. Remove from heat and add bread, rice and saltines to pan, stirring to mix. Add stock til moist (not sopping, but good and moist) and mix well. Taste for seasoning. Add the beaten eggs and mix well.

Pour stuffing into a greased pan, top with pats of butter, and bake until cooked through and golden brown, about 45 minutes

Make Ahead Tips:

• Up to a month ahead: Cube bread and dry slowly in 200 degree oven. Must be thoroughly dry before cooling and saving in zip lock storage bag.
• Stuffing can be fully prepared a day or two ahead of time and then baked when you need it. Allow extra time for baking.
  

Pumpkin Muffins

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and no other food says fall to me like pumpkin bread or muffins. Mom introduced me to pumpkin bread (she likes hers with lots of dates!) many moons ago , when I was just a budding cook, but my recipe has changed over the years. This is the most recent incarnation. It's less dense than the original, and has more of a cake-like texture that I prefer. I'll be making lots of these over the next couple of days and will freeze them so that I have plenty for the upcoming holidays. And don't forget to top with turbinado sugar before baking; it gives the muffins a nice little crunch.

Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 12 normal or 4 large muffins

1/2C oil or melted butter
1C sugar
1/2C brown sugar
2 eggs
1C canned pumpkin
1/2C buttermilk (yogurt or sour cream are good substitutes)
1/2t vanilla
2C flour
1-1 1/2t cinnamon
1/2t allspice
1/4t ginger
1/2t nutmeg
2t baking powder
1/2t baking soda
1/4t salt
1C raisins or dates (I soak raisins for a few minutes in boiling water to plump; then drain)
1C chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare muffin cups, buttering and flouring, or using baking spray.

Cream oil and sugars. Beat til fluffy. Add pumpkin, buttermilk, vanilla, and then one egg at a time, beating after each addition.

Combine dry ingredients and beat in, mixing just til combined. Do not overmix. Stir in raisins and walnuts.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and sprinkle generously with coarse turbinado sugar.

Bake 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn down to 350 degrees and bake 11 minutes for regular muffins and 15 minutes for extra large.

To Freeze: Freeze muffins individually on a cookie sheet. Once frozen, place in a labeled zip lock bag to store up to 3 or 4 months.

Puffed Oven Pancake with Apples

I have been making this puffed pancake ever since my kids were little, but today I branched out a bit and used some of the apples we picked up in North Carolina to create a sweet base for my custardy pancake. And it was good -- I even won over my mom, who has declined this dish until today. In fact, when she smelled the apples cooking she asked what I was making and was definitely disappointed when I said "puffed pancake." That is, until she sat down with my good friend Barb and I to try it out. As Barb said, today she was a member of the clean plate club!

Puffed Oven Pancake with Apples

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Apple Mixture:
5 tart apples, peeled, cored and cut in thin slices
3 T butter
Pinch salt
1/2 t cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
1/4 C brown sugar

Saute apples in oven-safe pan (I use a cast iron pan) with butter and spices. When softened, add brown sugar and cook until syrupy (thick and not a lot of liquid). Put pan with apples in hot oven while preparing batter.

Pancake Batter:
3 T butter, melted
6 eggs
1 1/2 C milk
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 t salt
Optional: Dash cinnamon, dash nutmeg, 1/2 t vanilla extract

Combine eggs and milk in large mixing bowl and mix well. Add flour and salt gradually, as well as cinnamon, nutmeg and/or vanilla if desired. Whisk until fairly smooth but don't overbeat.

To Make Apple Puffed Pancake:
Drizzle melted butter over apple mixture in hot pan and then add batter.

Carefully move back into oven and bake for 10 minutes at 450. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 10 more minutes until puffed and browned around edges.

Like a souffle, this will puff way up and then go back down once it's removed from oven.

If needed, you can test for "doneness" by inserting a knife which should come out almost clean.

Cut into pie-like slices and serve with butter and real maple syrup.

Variations: You can make this puffed pancake without any fruit at all, just pouring batter in the buttered hot pan and baking, or try other fruits. I love it all on it's own!

Chewy Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars

I love a good oatmeal cookie but, it can be challenging to make a cookie with just the right degree of chewiness my family likes. That's one of the things that makes this recipe perfect. It's also EASY, QUICK, and contains ingredients you might already have in your pantry -- perfect for last minute get togethers. All in all, a great bar cookie!

Chewy Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
3/4 C light brown sugar
1/4 C sugar
1 large egg
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 C flour
2 C old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 C butterscotch chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Line 9x9" brownie pan with aluminum foil, letting foil hang over edges. Butter pan and set aside.

Cream melted butter and sugars together in mixing bowl. Add one egg and mix well.

Add cinnamon, salt and flour and mix just until combined.

Fold in rolled oats and butterscotch chips until well combined.

Spoon mixture into lined brownie pan and press down with spoon.

Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 27 minutes, until just beginning to brown at edges and pull away from the pan. Don't overcook.

Cool completely in pan. Once cool, using foil overhang, lift out of pan and cut into bars.

Store in airtight container for up to 4 days, though, in my opinion, these bars are their yummiest a few hours after baking.

Make Ahead: You can prepare these bars ahead of time, cut into pieces, and freeze in one sheet, or flash freeze individually and then pop into a ziploc style storage bag for at least 3 months!

Cajun Mac and Cheese Bowls

Last week Gene and I had dinner at one of our favorite cafes, The Fickle Pickle, and tried a couple of dishes from their new menu. One was their Ragun' Cajun Mac-n-Cheese Bowl. It was very good, and we wanted to give it a try ourselves. Since Matt is coming home from Georgia Tech this weekend, tonight's the night. Hope he likes our rendition. We do!

Cajun Mac and Cheese Bowls

Mac and Cheese
5 T butter
3 T flour
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t blackened seasoning
2 1/2 C milk
1 1/4 lb. cheddar cheese, grated
1 lb macaroni or other pasta that hold sauce (I used conchiglie)
Salt and pepper to taste

In large pot bring water to a boil and add 1 1/2 T salt. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain in colander and toss in a bit of olive oil to keep from sticking. Set aside.

In large cooking pot, melt butter and add flour and seasonings. Cook several minutes, stirring. Add milk slowly until well blended. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat and add grated cheese.

Pour over cooked, drained pasta and mix. Set aside.

Cajun Meat Mixture
3 T olive oil, divided
2 peppers - 1 red and 1 green, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 t blackened seasoning, divided (used Prudhomme's)
1t cajun seasoning, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled, cut in half
2 links andouille sausage, fully cooked, in slices (used Aidells)
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in chunks

In large pan saute peppers and onions in 2T olive oil with 1/2 t blackened seasoning and 1/2 t cajun seasoning until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Remove from pan.

In same pan, saute chicken in 1T oil and remainder of seasonings (1/2 t each blackened and cajun), until cooked through. Add andouille sausage and let brown a bit. Add shrimp and cook just until done, only a few minutes. Add in pepper/onion mixture and stir to combine.

Add cooked meat and veggie mixture to the prepared mac and cheese and stir until well combined.

Place in individual oven-proof bowls to serve.

Optional: You can top with more grated cheddar cheese, or buttered breadcrumbs if you like and then bake at 400 degrees until cheese is melted or breadcrumbs are lightly browned.

Make Ahead: This easy company dish gets even better after sitting a day in the fridge. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly -- around 25 minutes.

Old Fashioned Caramel Popcorn Bars

I saw this recipe in Everyday Food magazine and couldn't resist giving it a try. It tastes like something you'd buy at a candy store, and it was so easy to make! A great Halloween treat -- I'm only a month early ...

Old Fashioned Caramel Popcorn Bars

12 C popped popcorn (use 1/2 C kernels or 2 microwave pkgs)
4 C coarsely chopped salted pretzels
2 C sugar
1/2 C water
1/2 t salt
2/3 C heavy cream
2 C mini marshmallows
Kosher salt and/or cayenne pepper to taste

• Butter or spray a 9x13" baking dish.
• In a very large heat-safe bowl combine popcorn and pretzels.
• In a medium pan, combine sugar, water and salt and bring to boil at medium high heat.
  
• Boil, without stirring 8 to 12 minutes (8 minutes will give you a toffee-like flavor, while boiling for 12 minutes gives you a more distinctly caramel taste.)

• Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream -- there will be some sizzling -- and then mini marshmallows. Stir until melted.
  
• Pour caramel over popcorn/pretzel mixture and stir until combined.
• Spoon into baking dish. It will look like way too much, but push down with plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick spray and it will fit perfectly.
• Sprinkle with a very small amount of kosher salt and/or cayenne if desired.
  
• Cool completely before cutting into bars.
• Store up to 2 days in an airtight container.

Chicken Broccoli "Pot Pie"

Hungry for some real comfort food, but running short on time? Give this super simple casserole a try. All the creaminess of pot pie without the work of making pie dough. Gene liked it so much he almost licked his plate clean, and then we made it for Matt a few days later when he came home from college and it got his seal of approval too. A winner!!

Chicken Broccoli "Pot Pie"

1 1/2 C broccoli florets
2 onions, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
6T olive oil, butter or a combo -- divided
Salt, pepper and cayenne to taste (a little lemon pepper also tastes good)
1/4 C flour
1/2 C chicken broth or white wine (I used broth)
1 C half and half
2 C milk
3-4C good quality bread, torn into pieces
2 1/2 C shredded chicken (make it easy and use a rotisserie chicken)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Steam broccoli (okay to do this in microwave). Once cooked, give a rough chop (the size pieces you'd like to eat in one bite) and set aside.

In a large pot saute 2 onions in 3T olive oil or butter. When softened add minced garlic and cook for one minute. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne.

Add chicken broth or wine and cook a few minutes til evaporated. Add flour and cook several minutes, stirring. Gradually whisk in half and half and milk. Bring to boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Cook til thickened. Remove from heat. Taste for seasoning. Stir in cooked broccoli pieces and shredded chicken.

Mix bread with 3T olive oil or melted butter (or a combo) and a dash of kosher salt.

Place chicken mixture in buttered baking dish. Top with prepared bread and bake at 450 degrees for around 10 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and bread is toasty. (Watch carefully to prevent tips of bread from burning. See my picture for the example of what NOT to do!)

Make Ahead: You can prepare this dish the day before and place in a microwave-safe baking dish. When ready to eat, microwave about 7 minutes, stirring every few minutes, til heated. Top with bread just before baking 8 to 10 minutes.

Sweet and Creamy Coleslaw

Kelly and baby Ella joined us for dinner tonight so I wanted something quick to prepare. We were having burgers, and I love slaw on my burger, so this sweet and creamy coleslaw was just perfect. We ate so much that I had to find a new, smaller bowl to take a picture.

Coleslaw

16 oz bag coleslaw mix
2/3 C mayonnaise
1/4 C sugar
3 T milk
2 T vinegar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

So quick to prepare, this is a great go-to dish for potlucks, and even better the next day!

Pumpkin Pie Dip

When September comes around, my thoughts turn to pumpkin -- pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin fudge, pumpkin syrup in my Starbucks coffee ... pumpkin everything! Two years ago, in an effort to find another way to incorporate this wonderful seasonal food into my diet, I created this yummy and super simple sweet dip. It's great with apple slices, graham crackers, pretzels (love this salty/sweet combo), mini marshmallows and more. Now, off to share it with my good friends!

Pumpkin Pie Dip

8 oz cream cheese (regular or light)
3/4 C canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
3/4 C brown sugar
1 t molasses
1 t cinnamon
1/8 t ginger
1/8 t nutmeg
Dash salt

Combine ingredients in bowl and beat for around 3 to 5 minutes until creamy. Taste for sweetness and spiciness and adjust to taste, if needed.

Stained Glass Jello

I don't know why I like Jello desserts so much, but I go through seasonal "addictions" to them. Coffee jello has been my long-standing favorite, but after tasting this, it has some serious competition. And it not only tastes yummy, but it's gorgeous too -- think Christmas!!

Stained Glass Jello

4 small (3 oz) boxes Jello in different colors - I used cherry, orange, lime and "blue"
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 pkg. unflavored gelatin
Boiling water

Now, here's the "hard" part, or at least the most time consuming part:

Dissolve one flavor jello in 1C boiling water. Pour into a 9X9" pan. Chill til firm. (Can freeze for 8-10 minutes or so to speed process, but DO NOT LET FREEZE.) Cut into very small cubes and pour into 9X13" pan that has been sprayed with non-stick butter spray.

Repeat separately with each flavor of Jello.

In a medium bowl, add 1/2 C water and 2 pkgs. unflavored gelatin. Allow to sit a minute or so to thicken. Add 1 1/2 C boiling water and stir to dissolve and then add 1 can sweetened condensed milk. Stir to combine. Refrigerate til cool. Stir and pour over Jello cubes. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into cubes and serve.

Matt's Ginger Molasses Cookies

It's back to college for Matt. We didn't expect to see him this weekend but he needs to pick some things up from home so I'll have these chewy, delicious cookies waiting for him -- his favorites! Matt is not one of those guys with a sweet tooth, so it's a real compliment that he loves these cookies. We all do!

Matt's Ginger Molasses Cookies

1 1/2 sticks (12 T) butter, melted
1 C sugar
1/4 C good quality molasses
1 egg
2 1/2 C flour
1T ground ginger
1 t cinnamon
Dash cloves
Dash pepper
1/2 t salt
2t baking soda
Extra sugar (regular or turbinado) to coat

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place melted butter, sugar and molasses in a mixing bowl and beat til creamy. Add egg and beat well.

Combine flour with spices, salt and baking soda and sift into butter mixture. Mix just to combine. Don't over mix.

If dough is too soft to roll into balls, refrigerate for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough in sugar (turbinado gives a crispier coat than regular sugar) and place 2" apart on silpat or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

Bake 350 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes. Remove from oven while still soft. Let cool a bit on cookie sheet. Remove to cool on waxed paper.

Make ahead tip: You can freeze the dough in balls, separately on a cookie sheet, and then place in a ziploc bag for baking anytime you're ready. Place frozen cookies on sheet and bake in preheated oven for an extra minute or so.

Banana Bread Cookies

If you have a hankering for banana bread but don't have the time, these soft, cakey cookies will fit the bill! Adapted from one of my favorite food blogs -- Simply Recipes.








1/2 C butter, room temp.
1 C sugar
1 egg, room temp.
1 t vanilla
1 C mashed bananas (around 2 large)
1 t baking soda
2 C flour
1/4 t salt
2/4 - 1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t ground cloves
1/4 t pepper
1 C pecans or walnuts
--Optional: 1/2 - 1 C raisins, soaked to plump (or cover w/ water & microwave for 40 seconds; drain) or 1 C butterscotch chips or 1 C chocolate chips -- use your imagination!
-- Optional: 1/4 C turbinado (natural) sugar for sprinkling on top before baking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar together 5 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and continue to beat until light and fluffy.

In a small bowl, combine mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda reacts with the acid in the bananas to help the cookies rise.

Add the banana and baking soda into the butter mixture. Mix til combined. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture. Mix until just combined -- don't over mix.

Fold pecans, raisins and/or chips into the batter. Drop in teaspoon-sized dollops onto silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. If desired, sprinkle tops with turbinado sugar. (Gives cookies a bit of crunchiness like a banana nut muffin.) Bake for 10 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

Transfer cookies to waxed paper to cool. I like to turn the cookies upside down after cooling for 15 minutes or so to help dry the bottoms thoroughly. This helps to keep cookies from sticking together. Store after completely dry, and leave the container lid open a bit for a day or so to help prevent sticking. You can freeze these cookies individually on a cookie sheet and then plop into a ziploc bag to store up to 3 months.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Peanut Butter Cookies with a Twist

I made these cookies thinking, because of their title, that they'd be more chocolate chippy, and my first bite was a bit of a disappointment. But once I figured out that these cookies, adapted from Bon Appetit, were misnamed, and they were really peanut butter cookies I fell in love. I adore the firm yet crumbly texture. These cookies have my name written all over them!

Peanut Butter Cookies with a Twist

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2/3 C crunchy peanut butter
1/2 C (1 stick) butter)
1/3 C sugar
1/3 C packed light brown sugar

Using an electric mixer, beat these ingredients together for 5 minutes, until creamy.

1 large egg
1 t high-quality vanilla extract

Add these to bowl and beat til smooth.

1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 1'2 C flour

Combine these ingredients and add to above mixture. Beat until dough looks crumbly. Do not overbeat.

1/2 - 1 C semisweet chocolate chips
1 Butterfinger candy bar (2.1 oz) chopped -- about 1/2 C

Stir in chocolate chips and Butterfinger pieces.

1/4 C sugar

Place sugar in a bowl. Use a heaping teaspoon to form balls, close to the same size. Roll in sugar and place 1" apart on cooking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Using the bottom of a flat glass, press cookies to flatten.

Bake at 375 degrees in middle of oven until golden brown -- around 12-13 minutes. Don't overbake. If you are doing two sheets in one oven, have one rack in top third of oven and the other rack in bottom third and switch cookie sheets halfway through baking.

Transfer cookies to waxed paper to cool.

If you want to save some cookies for later, you can freeze them individually on a cookie sheet, and then plop into a ziplock bag to save once frozen.

The Best Chocolate Birthday Cake

Well, today is Gene's birthday and I figured I'd better come up with something better than I did in our early years of marriage, when I served him a whole wheat zucchini cake. (If you know Gene, you probably know that this kind of cake didn't go over so well.) So, I've made one of the cakes I served at Kelly and Clint's wedding. It's delicious and gorgeous too.

You can be sneaky like me and prepare the layers ahead of time and freeze them. Then it's even easier when you are frosting frozen layers. The layers are not nearly as fragile, and there aren't as many crumbs to deal with.

And this cake is especially moist due to a secret ingredient -- pumpkin. Your guests and the birthday boy or girl will never guess it's in there.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GENE!!!

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Cake
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 C dark brown sugar
1 C sugar
3 large eggs, plus 1 yolk
1 1/2 C flour
2/3 C cocoa
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 C buttermilk (or 1/4C plain yogurt or sour cream & 1/4 C milk)
1 C canned pumpkin
2 t vanilla extract

Frosting
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 C confectioner's sugar & 3/4 C confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 C heavy cream

Ganache
4 oz semisweet or bittersweet Ghiradelli chocolate bar, chopped
1 T butter
3 T corn syrup
1/2 C heavy cream

To Prepare Cake
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Line the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and lightly butter bottoms and sides. Sprinkle with cocoa.

Beat the butter and sugars together using an electric mixer at medium high speed until light and fluffy -- around 4-5 minutes. Beat in the eggs and yolk, one at a time. Add the cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the mixture. Combine buttermilk, pumpkin and vanilla in small bowl. Reduce mixer speed to low and alternately beat in the flour and buttermilk mixture just until combined. Pour the batter by measuring cup (so pans have an even amount) into the prepared pans. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

To Prepare Frosting
Beat cream cheese with 1 1/2 C confectioner's sugar and vanilla on low speed, until combined.

In a separate chilled bowl, beat whipped cream with 3/4 C confectioner's sugar on medium high until soft peaks form.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined.

To Ice Cake
Spread around 1 C of frosting in between layers and use the rest to frost top and sides of cake. Chill the cake at least 30 minutes before topping with ganache.

To Prepare Ganache
Microwave heavy cream til boiling in a heat-safe measuring cup. Add chopped chocolate, butter and corn syrup and stir. Let sit 3 minutes. Stir, using a whisk, until smooth. Let sit 3-5 additional minutes (approximately), until ganache thickens and cools slightly. Pour the ganache onto the center of the frosted cake and let drip down sides.

As A Side Note: This cake can be turned into a harvest/Halloween cake by adding 1/4 t orange paste food coloring to the frosting while you're preparing it. This cake looks especially striking!

Rice Pudding

I think rice pudding is one of those foods that you either love or hate. Personally, it is one of my favorite comfort foods, though one that I don't eat a lot. Maybe that's because it seems so time consuming to prepare, or that I've tried recipe after recipe and none, before this, tasted the way I hoped.

Now, with a simple and tasty recipe, maybe I'll get to enjoy this comforting dessert a little more often.

Rice Pudding

3 C cooked rice
2 1/2 C milk & 1/2 C heavy cream (or all milk if you want to keep it lower in fat and calories)
1/2 C sugar
3/4 C raisins (optional, but a must for me!)
1 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
Finely grated (use microplane grater) rind of one lemon or orange
1 t good quality vanilla

Put all ingredients in heavy saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 15-25 minutes. (The timing seems to vary quite a bit from batch to batch.) If you will be serving warm, take off the heat when the pudding reaches the creaminess you want. Remove from heat while still extra creamy if you will be serving chilled since pudding thickens with cooling. Add vanilla and stir in.

When serving, sprinkle with additional cinnamon if desired.

(Quick Fix: If pudding does thicken up more than you hope once chilled, simply mix in some half and half or milk, until desired consistency.)

Basil Walnut Pesto

I have been making this wonderful variation of pesto since a girlfriend's mother-in-law gave it to me around 15 years ago. It's heavier on the walnuts than most pesto recipes and I love it that way!

This is a very versatile and forgiving recipe. You can leave out the basil altogether and just make a walnut pesto, or you can add more basil leaves and make a more traditional pesto. It's great either way, and nothing could be easier to make. Try it served over pasta, spread on crostini or layer with cream cheese as an appetizer, or add some pesto to your traditional grilled cheese sandwich.

And, if you have lots of basil to use, make up your pesto and freeze in cubes. Store in zip-lock style freezer bags. Pesto will keep well for at least 6 months in the freezer, so you can enjoy homemade pesto throughout most of the winter.

Basil Walnut Pesto

2 packed C fresh basil leaves
1 C walnuts
4 good-sized cloves garlic, minced
1 C grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 C good quality olive oil (more or less to taste)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place basil leaves, walnuts, garlic and Parmesan in the food processor and process until well combined. Gradually add olive oil until it's the consistency you desire. Taste for seasonings.

Curried Eggplant

Oh how I love summertime when the Farmer's Markets offer the freshest, often organic, produce straight from local farms. The market closest to our house has one grower who sells the most magnificent eggplants I have ever eaten. Not only are they delicious, but they are so beautiful that you could use them as a centerpiece. So, every week during their growing season I head over there as early as I can (otherwise they'll be sold out) and pick up my week's supply.

This vegetarian dish, which I've made several times before, helps me use my eggplants in a non-traditional and very tasty way, but also provides Matt with another interesting Indian meal.

Curried Eggplant

3 lbs. eggplant (preferably teeny little eggplants (1-2") or Asian eggplants, without a lot of seeds)
1-2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
2 t jalapeno, including seeds, minced -- more or less, to taste (can vary hot pepper types)
1 t salt
2-3 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 t yellow mustard seeds
1 t cumin seeds
1/2 t turmeric
1/4 t pepper
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 C water
1 t brown sugar
Fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Coat large, heavy cookie sheet with sides with olive oil.

Slice eggplant into approximately 1/2 inch thick slices (cut teeny eggplants in half lengthwise) and place in single layer (it's okay to be close together). Drizzle with olive oil or spray with olive oil spray. Salt and pepper. Roast for around 20 minutes, checking occasionally after 15 minutes or so, until eggplant is lightly browned and soft. Set aside.

Cook onion in pan with olive oil until soft.

"Smush" minced garlic, minced ginger and minced jalapeno with 1t salt, using side of large knife. Place in small bowl, add other spices and combine.

Add spices to cooked onion in pan and cook 1 minute. Add roasted eggplant and water, and cook about 5 to 8 minutes, until water is reduced. Season with salt, if needed.

Serve over basmati rice and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.