Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my new favorite chocolate chip cookie.  The cinnamon is a nice surprise.

2 c. minus 2 Tbsp. cake flour
1 ⅔ c. bread flour
1 ¼ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. sea salt
1 ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¼ c. packed light brown sugar
1 c. plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (10 oz.) bag of dark chocolate chips
8 oz. milk chocolate chips
sea salt for sprinkling

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; whisk together well till combines.  Set aside.

Using a mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes on medium.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  On low speed, add in vanilla.  Continuing on low, add dry ingredients in two additions, mixing just until combined.  Do NOT over-mix the dough once you have added the flour.

By hand, stir in chocolate chips.  At this point, dough can be refrigerated up to 72 hours until ready to bake.

When ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone mat.  Using a round cookie scoop, scoop mounds onto the cookie sheet, rolling them gently in your hand to make them rounded, if needed.  Sprinkle each dough ball with sea salt and bake until lightly golden 8-12 minutes.  Allow to cool on pan 3 minutes and then remove to wire cooling rack.  Repeat with remaining dough.

Barbecue Chicken Apple Pizza

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. unsalted butter

2 ½ c. onions, thinly sliced and halved (1 large onion)

2 large apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (I used granny smith)

1 pre-baked, purchased whole wheat pizza crust (11 inch round)

⅔ c. barbecue sauce

1 c. cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced or shredded

¾ c. smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

¾ c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

additional barbecue sauce for drizzling over top, optional

Preheat oven (and pizza stone - I don't have one so I just used a cookie sheet) to 450 degrees.  In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil and butter.  When they are hot, add onion slices; cover and cook, stirring frequently 10 minutes.  Remove lid, increase heat just slightly, and cook additional 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions have reduced in size and are soft and slightly golden brown.

Add apples and cook, stirring connately, another 2-4 minutes, until apples are just barely starting to soften.  Remove from skillet and Set aside apples and onions.  (I usually cook my chicken at this point in the same skillet that I cooked the apples and onions.)

Spread barbecue sauce evenly on pizza crust, and top evenly with chicken and Gouda cheese.  Spoon apple-onion mixture evenly over entire pizza, then sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.  Bake 8 minutes or until the ingredients are hot and cheese is melted.  If desired, drizzle a very small amount of barbecue sauce over top.

Pecan Pie II

This year for Thanksgiving, I volunteered to bring a pecan pie and while this one is super easy and tasty,  I decided the "food holiday" should be celebrated with a made from scratch pie.  It's another Ree recipe from her holiday cookbook.  The brown sugar addition to this pie over my original makes it very rich and delicious.

Pecan Pie

This picture at this link shows pecan halves in the pie, but Ree actually uses a heaping cup of finely chopped pecans.  Really just a matter of preference, but I did like the chopped pecans.

Smoked Turkey

Jason and I have become a pretty good team of coming up with good ways to doctor up meat and get it ready for smoking.  We made it this year for our Sunday school Thanksgiving lunch and for family Christmas.  Usually I don't care for turkey because it is so dry, but this has been moist every time!

Turkey Brine

3 c. apple juice
2 gallons water
1-½ c. salt
2 c. brown sugar
4 fresh rosemary sprigs
orange peel from 3 oranges
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp. tri-colored peppercorns
5 bay leaves

In a LARGE pot (we use a turkey fryer pot), bring all the ingredients to a boil.  Once boiling, turn off heat and allow to cool completely.  Then chill.  Once chilled, fully submerge turkey in brining solution for 16-24 hours.  Keep in fridge.

When preparing to smoke, remove turkey from solution and rinse with water.  Dry turkey completely, inside and out and rub down with herb butter recipe below.

1 stick butter, room temperature
peel of one orange, sliced into very thin strips
2 rosemary sprigs, stripped and finely minced.
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

We then stuff the cavity with the leftover oranges, whole garlic cloves, and rosemary sprigs.

Jason smokes in big green egg using soaked pecan wood chips.  Cooking time varies based on temperature and size of turkey.

Oreo Ice Cream

This past fall, the hospitality committee at church (of which I am a part) hosted an old school Men's cake bake and ice cream social after an evening service.  I've always loved cake bakes, so I was a solid vote for this fun party.  My Granddaddy always made a German chocolate cake for the men's cake bakes at my childhood church.  It was a huge success and I took my go to favorite ice cream of Cake Batter Ice Cream.  But this oreo ice cream was my favorite from the night.  I was so glad to get the recipe to add to my ice cream arsenal.

Oreo Ice Cream

1 c. milk (always whole milk for rich ice creams!)

1 c. sugar

½ tsp. salt

1 ¼ c. half and half

1 tsp. vanilla

3 c. whipping cream

20-25 oreos, crushed

Scald milk until bubbles form around edge.  Remove from heat.  Add sugar and salt.  Stir until dissolved.  Stir in half and half, vanilla and whipping cream.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.  Add crushed oreos to chilled mixture and immediately freeze as directed.

Makes 2 quarts.

Green Bean, Walnut & Feta Cheese Salad

This is from my favorite Presbyterian cookbook and I recently made it for my bunco group.  Not for everyone, strong flavors, but I thought it was delicious.  It may be a little easier to eat with cut green beans and not the whole green beans the original recipe called for.  I can't see where the particular bean would make a difference.

Green Bean, Walnut & Feta Cheese Salad

1 (4 oz.) pkg. crumbled feta cheese
1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
¾ c. olive oil
¼ c. white balsamic wine vinegar (I couldn't find this so I just used balsamic vinegar)
1 T. chopped fresh dill (or 1 tsp. dried)
½ tsp. minced garlic
¼ tsp. salt
3 cans Del Monte blue lake whole green beans, drained
1 sm. red onion (same thing as purple onion)

Bake walnuts in shallow pan at 350 for 8 minutes, until toasted.  Combine oil, vinegar, dill, garlic and salt.  Mix for marinade.  Drain beans, slice red onion into thin slices and separate into rings (I might try half rings next time, too).  Pour marinade over beans and onions.  Refrigerate 1 to 2 days.  Before serving, add walnuts and feta cheese and toss well.

Fiesta Pasta Salad

2 c. small rotini noodles
1 c. salsa
½ c. mayo
½ tsp. salt
14 oz. can kidney beans, drained (I prefer a softer bean, like ranch beans)
1 c. shredded Mexican cheese
1 c. chopped tomatoes
1 medium red pepper, chopped
10 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
2.25 oz. can sliced black olives (I use chopped)
¼ c. chopped red onion

Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and cool.  Place the cooled pasta in a large bowl.  Combine the salsa, mayo, and salt.  Pour over the pasta; mix gently.  Add the beans, cheese, tomatoes, pepper, corn, olives and onion.  Chill.

**This recipe is even better if you make it a day or two ahead of time.

Chicken and Spinach Bake

This has been the best thing from my year of cookbook cooking.  I've cooked it many times this year (and it is even in the oven now).  Enjoy!

Chicken and Spinach Bake

9 oz. package, fresh spinach
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, uncooked
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1.4 oz. packet Italian salad dressing mix
Balsamic vinegar
2 c. shredded mozzarella
angel hair pasta or rice

Place the spinach in the bottom of a coated 9x13 baking dish.  Place the chicken breasts on top of the spinach; season with salt and pepper.  Place the tomatoes and mushrooms on top of the chicken.  Mix the Italian salad dressing according to the package directions, substituting balsamic vinegar for the regular vinegar.  Pour the dressing over the spinach, chicken, tomatoes and mushrooms.  Top with the cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Serve over angel hair pasta or rice.