Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

 

 

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chile powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer or your handy dandy kitchen aid mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down side of bowl. Add eggs and beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, and chile powder. Using heaping tablespoons, form balls of dough and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place, about 3 inches apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are set in center and begin to crack, about 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

Cranberry Jalapeno Relish

Ingredients:

24 oz fresh cranberries (two bags and I prefer Ocean Spray)
½ cup fresh lime juice (about 3-4 limes, plus zest)
½ cup water
 1 small shallots, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper (feel free to use the canned ones, you can go more or less on this depending on preference)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 ½ cups sugar

1. Pulse the cranberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Be careful not to over process because you don’t want the berries pureed.
2. Add all the ingredients, except the cilantro, to a medium pot with a heavy bottom. Simmer on medium heat, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until thickened. Mix in the cilantro. Cool before serving.


*Tips*
Have left over turkey?  Slice some up on a honey-wheat roll with cheddar cheese (Cabot of course) and Cranberry Jalapeno Relish and serve! 

Don't have any turkey left over?  Spread some of the relish on top of a block of cream cheese and use as a spread for crackers!

Banana Nut Muffins

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 overripe bananas
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly butter 2 muffin tins (or line them with muffin cups).
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork, or hand masher, in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together like you mean it, for a good 3 minutes. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins to fill them about halfway. Give them a rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.
Bake until a toothpick stuck in the muffins comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before turning the muffins out. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Optional*
Cream cheese frosting pairs really well with these muffins!  And who doesn't like a little sweet treat to start the day right?!

Roasted Eggplant and Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

Ok, so this is my all time favorite Sunday recipe!  The veggies are nice and crispy and the no boil lasagna noodles are a savor!  I was so hesitant on trying them, especially since I was raised on the "homemade" stuff, but hopefully my Nonna won't see this!

By roasting the eggplant and portobello mushrooms under very high heat for a very short time you bring out the rich earthy flavors of the veggies and when you layer them between some whole milk ricotta (or as my Nonna would say: "Ri-got"), homemade sauce, and piles of fresh shredded mozzarella,  the outcome is nothing short of delicious!!  Savory, yet lightly filling on a lazy Sunday afternoon,which just so happens to pair well with a glass of wine, sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and a good football game on the big screen!

Now, with this recipe, you will need to set aside about 45 minutes to an hour for "salting" the eggplant.  Salting, also known as purging, accomplishes two goals: it pulls out juices that carry bitter flavors, and it collapses the air pockets in the eggplant's sponge-like flesh, which prevents it from soaking up too much oil and becoming all gross and greasy.

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes oven-ready lasagna noodles
• 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
• 6 oz spinach (about 6 cups)
• 1 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded (makes 4 cups)
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (the powder kind)
• 5-6 cups homemade Marinara Sauce (if you have to use store bought sauce, go with Prego traditional, about 1 large jar should suffice)
• Roasted Eggplant and Portobello Mushrooms (see below)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Blend spinach and ricotta in a food processor and set aside.
3. Spread about 1 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 13″ by 9″ baking dish, and arrange 3-4 lasagna noodles over top (you can break some if needed).
4. Spread another 1 cup of sauce over noodles, and add half of the roasted vegetables and 1/3 of the cheese.
5. Top with 3 more noodles, then the spinach/cottage cheese mixture.
6. Repeat with another layer of sauce, vegetables and cheese.
7. Top with noodles, the remaining sauce, the remainder of the mozzarella, plus the parmagiano reggiano, if using.
8. Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes, and let rest 10 minutes before cutting.

Roasted Eggplant and Portobello Mushrooms

• 2-3 medium sized eggplants
• 4-5 portobello mushrooms (remove the brown fuzz under the mushroom cap)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt

1. Preheat broiler, and arrange a rack at top of the oven. Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds. Sprinkle generously with salt on both sides, and layer in a colander. Let eggplant sit for at least 45 minutes, then rinse with cool water and dry well with paper towels.
2. Slice portobello mushroom caps into 1/3 inch strips. Coarsely chop stems. Toss mushrooms and eggplant with 1/4 cup oil and arrange in a single later on a baking sheet. Broil until soft and charred, flipping after about 4 minutes and cooking about another 3 minutes on the other side.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp peppermint extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks (preferably Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs and peppermint extract.
3. Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt
4. Gradually stir in dry ingredients and chocolate chips.
5. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten balls slightly.
6. Bake cookies, rotating half way through, until edges begin to firm but center still appears soft, about 9 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completely.

Spicy Beef and Butternut Squash Chili

 Ingredients:

* 2-3 lbs stewing beef, chunks (depending on preference)
* 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
* 1 medium yellow onion, diced
* 4 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tablespoons of pre-minced -easier)
* 6 10 ounce Cans of diced tomatoes (I used Ro*tel original w/green chillies)
* 1 6 ounce can of tomato paste
* 1 tbsp cumin
* 2 tbsp chili powder (or more, it depends on your preference)
* 1-2 jalapeno peppers, diced
* 2 cups cubed butternut squash (about half a medium squash, you can also buy the squash pre-peeled and cubed at the grocery store, be careful with the squash because its really hard to cut and peel! The skin is really tough!)
* 2 cups cooked black beans (1 can)
* salt and pepper
* sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, green onions to serve, optional


1. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy pot. Add beef in a single layer on the bottom (you will need to do 2 batches) and cook until browned on all sides. Transfer beef to a bowl, and set aside, and repeat with second batch adding another 2 tbsp oil to the pot.

2. Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in the same pot used to brown the beef (I usually drain out the beef juice). Add onion and cook over medium heat until very golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and saute 2 minutes. Add jalapeno, tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin and chili powder. Season to taste. Return beef to pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Add butternut squash and black beans. Continue to simmer another hour, or until beef is very tender and squash is cooked through.

About Kate

Hi I'm Kate, the writer, photographer, and cook in the "A Spoonful Of Kate" kitchen!  I currently reside in New England with my always willing to "taste test" husband Brian.  Food and good cooking has always been a passion in my life. When I was a little girl and my Nonna (Italian for Grandma) would let me help her make anything from sauce to homemade meatballs to her famous broccoli bread and pizzas!  I can remember standing on my step stool at the kitchen table at about 5 years old and rolling out the pasta dough, cranking it through the pasta maker, and waiting hours for it to "dry out" on my Nonna's dining room table.  I had such a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day when we would sit down together and dig into a spread of homemade Italian yummyness!  Today, I've expanded my pallet to not just Italian foods, but to any foods that are quick, easy, and taste good!  So, as my Nonna would say "Buon appetito!"