A Successful Quest | The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

February 21, 2011 by 7 Comments

Hello friends. Do you like cookies?

Do you like thick, chewy cookies?

Thick, chewy, chocolate chip cookies?

 If you answered yes to the above questions, then hold onto your hats. Because I have the perfect cookie for you.

My quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie started when I was just a tyke, learning my way around the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, the cookies always tasted delicious, but much of the time the end result was a big cookie pancake, created by the cookies all flattening out and running into each other. Unfortunately, I wanted individual thick, chewy cookies, not one big, thin cookie. *sigh*

And then, a miracle happened. A few days ago, I was perusing a few of my favorite food blogs. And I came upon this post by Joy from Joy the Baker. My heart started racing as I read about cookies that did not flatten into a cookie pancake, cookies that would stay thick and chewy! Cookies that were made with melted butter (what?) and bread flour (huh?) – a recipe very unlike all the others that have failed (for me at least). Well, I just had to try them for myself. Immediately. I braced myself – it was probably too good to be true.

Imagine my delight when the cookies popped out of the oven, thick and perfectly round! And my surprise, when they didn’t sink as soon as they were out of their warm oven cave! And my happiness when I sunk my teeth into one of these cookies, in awe of its moist chewiness! Seriously people, these cookies are top notch. Very worthy of the “perfect” in their name. The secret must be the bread flour. Or the melted butter. Or the combination of the two. Who knows? They taste amazing and that’s really all that matters. Try them today. Happy eating!

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie (via Joy the Baker, originally from Alton Brown)

1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter

2 1/4 cups bread flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 TBSP. milk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375°F.Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.Pour the melted butter into a bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed (it takes a few minutes to get the butter and sugars to come together, so be patient). Add the egg, yolk, milk and vanilla and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough (for at least 30 minutes), then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown, but don’t overbake. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container. Eat!

PS. I know I have been posting a lot about sweets lately, but contrary to the impression I may be making, I do eat healthier things than cookies and cakes and delicious frozen desserts. Stay tuned for some savory and healthy recipes on the way!

Update: I made these cookies again this weekend and used 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup butterscotch chips, and OMG, it was an explosion of amazing deliciousness! I bet this cookie recipe would make a good base for any mix-ins you wanted to use (instead of chocolate chips) – nuts, white chocolate, peanut butter chips, M & Ms, etc.

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Love Tastes Good | Red Velvet Sandwiches

February 13, 2011 by 1 Comment

It’s that time of year again. The time where card, flower, chocolate, and lingerie shops make a killing off of the lovestruck population. Truth be told, Valentine’s Day doesn’t hold that much meaning in my life. Single or attached, I’ve never been blown away by what the love holiday has to offer. I mean, shouldn’t every day be Valentine’s Day? Shouldn’t we take every opportunity we can to show our love for the special people in our lives?

This year, I’m going to share my love via baked goods! Instead of supporting the traditional V-day market, I’m going to make homemade goodies for the special people in my life. What better way is there to share love  than through the belly? I came across this recipe on Bakerella and decided to give it a try, based on two things. 1. It looked easy. And 2. It looked delicious. I had no idea there was a mix for red velvet cake. And unfortunately, my local grocery store didn’t have it, so I decided to improvise with a chocolate cake mix and red food coloring. I was slightly concerned when my cookie dough became a sticky gum once everything was mixed together, but I decided to forge ahead. I’m sure glad that I did, because these babies are rather tasty. My cookies were a bit more dense than Bakerella’s cakey creations, likely due to the necessary changes that I made. So, if you decide to try this (and I definitely suggest that you do), try and find a red velvet cake mix. But if that task proves impossible, try my adaptation! Happy eating! And happy love day! <3

Red Velvet Sandwiches (adapted from Bakerella)

1 box red velvet cake mix (or 1 box chocolate cake mix plus 1 oz. red food coloring)

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together. Spoon the dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bakerella suggests using a mini ice cream scoop – I just used 2 small spoons. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire racks until completely cooled. Fill with the icing recipe below. Makes 24 cookies, and therefore, 12 sandwiches.

Cream Cheese Icing

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1 box powdered sugar

Cream the cream cheese and butter together. Add the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. Spread between two cookies and sandwich them together. Eat and enjoy!

*This makes a large quantity of icing. I doubled the cookie recipe and found that the amount of icing was just right. However, if you’re just making one batch of cookies, it might be wise to cut the icing recipe in half.

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When Life Gives You Lemons | Lemon Crinkles

February 9, 2011 by 1 Comment

I’m having one of those weeks. The kind of week where exhaustion hits you like a train, you don’t get enough sleep, and you literally count the hours until the weekend – those two wonderful days that give you the opportunity to catch up on rest, relax, and do all the things that you wanted to do during the week, if you didn’t have work and other commitments to worry about. Not that I expect to get much sleep this weekend…

See this sweet little face? Those mismatched puppy-dog eyes? That little deformed nose? Do not, I repeat, DO NOT let those impressively cute features fool you. Honey and I adopted our little Bella from the Humane Society at the beginning of January. Don’t get me wrong, we absolutely adore her, we love her to bits. But…she hasn’t let us sleep through the night since. Not since the very first night we brought her home, and she tried to deceive us with her too-good-to-be-true behavior. As a result, we are both completely and utterly exhausted. She wakes up several times each night, and then it takes her nearly an hour to fall back to sleep (if she even does), barking all the while. Standing between me and REM sleep. *sigh* What are we doing wrong?

Perhaps I sound a bit melodramatic here, it must be the sleep deprivation talking. Sorry, I’ll get back on track. I made these cookies during the holiday season, and found them to be quite delightful. They remind me of a light shortbread cookie, but with a hint of lemon flavor (next time I whip these up I think I will double the lemon zest for a stronger lemon taste). These little lemon crinkles go very well with a hot cup of tea or coffee. Remember, when life gives you lemons, make lemon cookies! That’s my current philosophy.

Lemon Crinkles

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Zest of one lemon

4 TBSP. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cups sugar for rolling cookies

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a larger bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, lemon zest and juice.

Add in the dry ingredients, beating until just combined. Roll rounded spoonfuls of dough into balls and then roll in sugar. Place on lined cookie sheets, about 1 or 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing to cool on wire racks. Makes 24 – 36 cookies. Happy eating!

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Holy Oats! | Favorite Granola

January 30, 2011 by 2 Comments

Granola is an old friend of mine. We’ve been having breakfast together for the past, oh, 10 years or so. We usually invite yogurt to the party, and occasionally milk. Unfortunately, I only discovered making homemade granola within the past few years. Kind of ridiculous, considering how easy it is to make, and definitely a travesty when considering all of the delicious varieties of granola you can make it your own kitchen.

 It was love at first bite with this granola. Sweet, chewy clusters with the crunch of whole nuts and dried fruit. Tastes amazing with plain yogurt or milk, and fantastic over ice cream. Yes, this granola doubles as dessert! You might even catch yourself eating handfuls of it as a snack! This recipe is doubled from the original because even with a double recipe, I can still eat my way through a batch of this in less than a week. Give it a try – granola loves to make new friends. Happy eating!

Favorite Granola (adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)

4 cups oats

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

Pinch of nutmeg

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2/3 cup whole almonds (and/or hazelnuts)

2/3 cup raisins (and/or dried cherries)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the oats with the cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until completely combined. Pour the honey mixture over the oats mixture and use your hands to combine them (oh yeah!).

Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread it out evenly, but leave a few clumps here and there for texture. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Sprinkle the almonds (and/or hazelnuts) over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and flip again. Sprinkle the raisins over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven for another 5 minutes. Let cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container.

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The Best Dessert Ever in the History of the World | Butter Brickle

January 8, 2011 by 59 Comments

Ok ladies and gents, pay attention. I’m about to share one of the most incredible recipes with you. I was going to be selfish and keep it to myself, but it is too good not to share. If I could only eat one dessert for the rest of my life, I would eat the masterpiece known as Butter Brickle, or Brickle Brackle if you are a member of honey’s family. No matter what you call it, this frozen delight is fantastic. Another family favorite and the birthday “cake” of choice for several people in my life.

Heaven in a pan. Two layers of crumbly cookie and nuts, drizzled with butterscotch, surrounding a thick layer of vanilla ice cream. Does that not sound absolutely delicious?! But beware…if you make this once, you will make it again, and again, and again…and if you share this delectable goodness with anyone else, you will never be able to return to them again without another pan of Butter Brickle. Consider yourselves warned!

But don’t let that stop you from trying this dessert! Immediately! Just drop what you’re doing and make this right now! And keep the first batch for yourself, and eat it out of the pan while laying around your house in your pyjamas on a cold and snowy winter afternoon. I mean, I would never do that, but you should. At least once. 🙂 Enjoy my friends! Happy eating!

Butter Brickle

2 cups flour

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, melted

1 box of vanilla ice cream

1 jar of butterscotch sauce

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and pecans in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix thoroughly. Spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Watch closely during the last few minutes, as the edges can start to burn.

Using a 9 x 13 inch pan, crumble half of the mixture into the bottom. Top with half of the jar of butterscotch sauce. Cover with ice cream.* Sprinkle the remaining cookie mixture over top of the ice cream and top with the rest of the butterscotch sauce. Cover and freeze for at least a couple of hours before serving.

*Tip: Open your box of ice cream completely and slice the ice cream into 1-inch slices. The ice cream will start to soften slightly once on top of the warm cookie mixture, so let it sit for a few minutes and then spread the ice cream so that it is an even layer.

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Happy New Year! | Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake with Caramel and Cream Cheese Frosting

January 2, 2011 by 2 Comments

Happy New Year! I am still adjusting back to real life after an amazing Christmas with family and friends. I have already had 10 glorious days off from work (and a couple left!), and lots of time spent with the most important people in my life. After having Christmas with my family, I hopped on a plane and joined honey and his family in Manitoba for 5 more days of rest and relaxation. It was so great to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and lounge around on a farm for a few days. Thanks to all who made it memorable!

January usually brings with it a sense of dread – the holiday season is over, yet we still have 4 months (or more) of winter left! Yuck. But somehow, we manage to make it through each year, and I know that this year will be no different. I’m sure that planning a trip to an exotic location wouldn’t hurt either…

Over the holidays, I made this pumpkin spice layer cake and brought it to Christmas dinner at my aunt’s house. The cake was deliciously moist, and the caramel and cream cheese frosting added a wonderful richness. This would be a great dessert year round, but especially over fall and winter because of the warm spicy pumpkin flavor. Happy eating!

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake with Caramel and Cream Cheese Frosting (adapted from Bon Appétit, Nov. 2008)

For the cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

4 large eggs

2 tsp. finely grated orange peel

For the frosting:

4 cups icing sugar, divided

1/2 cup plus 1 TBSP. heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans, tapping out any excess flour. Whisk first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the pumpkin, sugar, and oil in another large bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate between additions. Mix in the orange peel. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed just to blend. Divide the batter between prepared pans. Bake the cakes for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for about 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack, then turn top side up and cool completely.

For the frosting: Sprinkle 1/2 cup of icing sugar over the bottom of a non-stick skillet. Cook over medium heat until the sugar melts (do not stir). Continue cooking until the sugar turns a deep amber color, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Carefully stir in 1/2 cup cream, vanilla, and salt (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir until any caramel bits dissolve. Stir in remaining 1 TBSP. cream. Strain into a small bowl. Cool caramel to room temperature.

Sift 2 cups of icing sugar into a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Gradually beat in the icing sugar. Beat in cooled caramel. Gradually add in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of icing sugar until a good icing consistency is reached (you may not need to use all of the sugar). Cover and chill the frosting until firm enough to spread, about 2 hours.

Using a long serrated knife, trim rounded tops from cakes. Place one cake layer on the cake plate, cut side up. Spread 3/4 cup of frosting over top. Place second cake layer, cut side down, atop frosting. Cover top and sides of cake with remaining frosting, creating a smooth surface. You can make this up to two days ahead. Cover the cake and chill in fridge. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before serving. For an extra garnish, sprinkle candied orange peel over the top of the cake (which I could not find anywhere!).

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A Festive Treat | Christmas Biscotti

December 15, 2010 by 2 Comments

My mom brought these delectable treats to the cookie exchange last weekend. I spent the afternoon in the kitchen with her the day before, and we worked through the recipe together (neither of us had ever made biscotti before). This biscotti is quite delightful, if I do say so myself. The original recipe called for dried raspberries or strawberries, but my mom could not find either, no matter how hard she looked, so we improvised and used cranberries. The biscotti are loaded with pistachios, cranberries, and little bits of white chocolate, making them look rather festive and fitting for the holiday season! Not to mention the fact that they are delicious, especially with a nice cup of coffee or tea.

Never made biscotti before? Have no fear! They are fairly simple to make, just more time-consuming since they are baked twice. Stay inside where it’s warm, take an afternoon to bake these, and fill your home with the delicious scent of biscotti! These would taste great at any time of year I am sure, but the colors and ingredients fit with the holidays perfectly. Happy eating!


Pistachio, Cranberry, and White Chocolate Biscotti (adapted from Bon Appétit magazine, Dec. 2005)

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 TBSP. canola oil

2 tsp. baking powder

2 ½ tsp. almond extract

½ tsp. salt

¾ cup shelled raw unsalted natural pistachios

1 cup sugar

1 cup dried cranberries

3 large eggs

½ cup chopped high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina)

8 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina) and/or 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350oF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, oil, and almond extract in a large bowl until well blended. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in pistachios, dried cranberries, and ½ cup white chocolate. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls in two 12-inch long strips on prepared baking sheet, spacing strips 3 inches apart. Using wet fingertips, shape each strip into a 3-inch-wide log, pressing evenly (logs may look slightly lumpy). Bake logs until lightly browned and almost firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Cool logs for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325oF.

Carefully transfer the logs to a cutting board. Use the same parchment-lined baking sheet. Cut each log crosswise into generous ½-inch-thick slices. Stand biscotti upright, spacing about ¼ inch apart, in 3 rows on baking sheet. Bake until pale golden (biscotti may be soft but will firm as they cool), about 20 minutes. Cool completely.

Line another large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 8 ounces chopped white (or bittersweet) chocolate in medium glass bowl. Microwave for 20-second intervals just until chocolate is soft to touch, about 40 seconds total (do not overheat or chocolate will burn or seize). Stir chocolate until smooth. Dip 1 end or 1 side of each biscotti in chocolate; place on baking sheet. Chill until chocolate has set, about 30 minutes. To store, arrange in single layer in airtight container and chill up to 5 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.  Makes about 3 dozen.

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The Exchange | Neapolitan Cookies

December 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Ready for more cookie recipes yet? ‘Cause there are a few coming down the pipe! Today I hosted a cookie exchange with some of my favorite family and friends. There were so many delicious cookies to share – I fear that I may end up eating my body weight in baked goods in the coming weeks! Clearly the afternoon was a success – check out my haul!

So many amazing treats – I can’t wait to try them all! I decided to share a recipe that I came across last holiday season – Martha Stewart’s Neapolitan cookies. I adapted the original recipe slightly (it also called for espresso powder in the chocolate half of the cookie, but I wanted to keep it a little more simple). The cookies were very well received last year, so I definitely wanted to share them with everyone this year. They take a little bit of time to make, but overall are quite easy, and they taste wonderful. The flavor of the orange, almonds, and cranberries blend perfectly with the chocolate and walnuts. These would make such a lovely homemade gift!


Christmas can be such a stressful time of year, with many demands (cooking, preparing for guests, shopping for gifts), but baking cookies is such a relaxing experience for me. I better be careful – at this rate I may end up with an insane amount of cookies to eat. But that would just mean more for sharing, one of my favorite holiday activities. Wouldn’t you love to receive a tin of homemade cookies from a friend? Try sharing these cookies (or making them for yourself). You won’t be disappointed. Happy eating!

Neapolitan Cookies (adapted from Martha Stewart)

For the orange-sable dough:                                         For the chocolate-walnut dough:

1 ¼ cups whole blanched almonds                              1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar                                                                           ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

¾ cup unsalted butter, room temp.                               1 cup unsalted butter, room temp.

3 TBSP. finely grated orange zest (2-3 oranges)       1 cup sugar

1 large egg                                                                            1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 TBSP. freshly squeezed lemon juice                           1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped

To make the orange-sable dough: Place almonds and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add the flour and set aside. Place the butter and zest in a bowl and mix using an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until white and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. On low speed, add the almond mixture; beat until combined. Add egg and lemon juice; combine. Wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To make the chocolate dough: Sift flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl and set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla until creamy, 3-4 minutes. Working in additions, gradually beat in flour mixture, scraping down sides of bowl twice. Wrap in plastic and store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with plastic wrap. In a large bowl, stir the cranberries into the orange-sable dough. In another large bowl, stir the walnuts into the chocolate dough. Press the orange mixture into the bottom of the pan. Using an offset spatula, (or wet fingers) smooth top evenly. Spread chocolate mixture over the orange mixture and smooth evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350oF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Shake the dough out of the pan and remove plastic. Cut into 2-by-8-inch bricks; cut bricks into ¼-inch-thick slices. Place slices on sheets, spaced 1 ½ inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.  Makes about 6 dozen.

PS. Later this week…Christmas Biscotti!

PPS. What is your favorite Christmas cookie recipe?

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The Baking Begins | Cherry Almond Butter Cookies

December 8, 2010 by 2 Comments

There is something about holiday baking that just gets me feelin’ the Christmas spirit. Maybe it’s the warmth that comes from the oven and fills the kitchen in contrast with the cold outside, maybe it’s the sweet scent of baking butter and sugar that teases your tummy, or maybe it’s the thoughts of sharing delicious cookies and treats with friends and family as you get together to celebrate the season. Whatever it is, I adore it and can’t seem to get enough.

Baking is a big Christmas tradition in my family, and there is never a shortage of sweet treats to choose from. In fact, one might be inclined to skimp on turkey and mashed potatoes in an effort to leave extra room for cookies and squares and tarts!

There are a few Christmas cookie recipes that I turn to year after year, but I also try to pick a couple of new recipes to try every holiday season. These cookies, Cherry Almond Butter Cookies, joined my recipe stash a few years ago when I impulsively bought the Company’s Coming Most Loved Cookies cookbook right before Christmas. Their butter content might make you think of shortbread, and they have a similar buttery sweetness, but the addition of tart dried cherries and crunchy toasted almonds give them a delicate uniqueness. They have become one of my favorites, and if you give them a try, they might become one of your favorites too!

Cherry Almond Butter Cookies (from Company’s Coming Most Loved Cookies)

2 cups of butter, softened (room temperature)

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla

5 cups of all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/3 cups of dried cherries (roughly chopped)

1 cup of toasted slivered almonds

Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the egg and beat well. Add the vanilla and beat until smooth. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add to the butter mixture in 3 additions, mixing well after each addition until no dry flour remains.

Add the cherries and mix well. Divide the dough into 3 portions. Shape each portion into an 8-inch (20 cm) long log. Wrap each log with waxed paper. Chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.  (This is an important step as it makes the cookie dough firm and easy to slice before baking). When ready to bake, discard the wax paper from each log. Cut into 1/3-inch (1 cm) slices. (I was able to get about 20 slices out of each log, for a total of 60 cookies). Arrange about 2 inches (5cm) apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Gently press 2 or 3 almond slivers* in a decorative pattern on top of each slice. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until just golden. Let stand on cookie sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.

*To toast the almond slivers, spread them evenly in an ungreased shallow pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 5-10 minutes, stirring or shaking often, until lightly golden.

PS. Honey just informed me that when he found these in the freezer this afternoon, he polished off 8 cookies in one sitting. Hide these if you want them to make it until Christmas!

PPS. I apologize for the terrible light in my photos. I have zero natural light in my condo, and since I do much of my cooking/baking in the evening after work, the light is even worse! The odd Saturday or Sunday cooking venture might yield more favorable results, but I’m not going to limit myself to just those two days per week.


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How Sweet! | Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

December 5, 2010 by 2 Comments

Honey and I hosted a Christmas party last night! We had a wonderful time with great friends and family – it was a fabulous way to kick off the holiday season! We also spent the 48 hours prior to the party in preparation mode – food and drink planning, grocery shopping, housecleaning…we ended up with about 8 appetizer and dessert dishes. I photographed all of the dishes as I was making them, but once the party got going and I started putting the food out, I was too preoccupied with visiting and of course, eating, to take photos of the finished products! I am kicking myself now, because there were a couple of other recipes that I really wanted to share with you! Oh well, perhaps they will be recreated over the course of the holidays and I will be better prepared to capture them with my camera!

This fruit salsa with cinnamon chips is another family favorite that has made an appearance at many parties and get-togethers. It can be an appetizer, it can be a dessert, and it is so deliciously refreshing. It can take a little bit of time, dicing up the fruit and baking the cinnamon chips, but your efforts will be rewarded once you sink your teeth into the sweet, crispy chips, and the fresh, succulent salsa. The colors and flavors make it very season-appropriate, although it is a wonderful summer treat as well.

Try making this fruit salsa for a holiday party that you’re hosting or attending, and I guarantee your guests will not be disappointed. Stay tuned for Christmas cookie recipes, coming up this week! Happy eating!

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced (Granny Smiths work well)

2 kiwis, peeled and diced

1 pint of raspberries, chopped

1 pound of strawberries, diced

2 TBSP. white sugar

1 TBSP. brown sugar

3 TBSP. fruit jam, either strawberry or raspberry

Fresh mint (optional)

10 10-inch whole wheat tortillas

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 cups of cinnamon sugar (2 cups of white sugar mixed with 2 TBSP. of cinnamon)

For the salsa: In a large bowl, combine the apples, kiwis, raspberries, strawberries, sugars, and jam. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (I usually make the salsa the night before and chill it overnight).

For the cinnamon chips: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush both sides of each tortilla with butter, and generously sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the tortillas are lightly browned. Cool for at least 15 minutes before eating. Store the chips in an airtight container if you will not be eating them right away.

Serve the salsa and cinnamon chips together just like you would serve savory salsa and tortilla chips. Garnish the salsa with fresh mint, if desired. Enjoy!

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