Coffee Chocolate Chip Sablés

Whether plain or chocolate dipped, these buttery crumbly shortbread cookies will please any coffee lover! Or cookie lover!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp instant coffee

1 tbsp boiling water

1 cup room temperature butter

2/3 cup icing sugar

1/4 tsp sea salt

pinch of cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

4 oz chocolate chips, roughly chopped

about 2 oz 70% dark chocolate for dipping (optional)

Add the instant coffee to boiling water then set aside to cool.

Beat the butter, icing sugar, sea salt and cinnamon in a large mixer bowl for 3 minutes, then add the vanilla and cooled instant coffee. On low speed add the flour in 2 additions and mix just until combined, then add the chopped chocolate chips. Divide the dough in half and roll between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/4" thick. Fold in ends of paper to cover the dough and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 2 days. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. 

When ready to bake butter a mini muffin tin. As you can see in the photo above I use butter wrappers for buttering tins. Keep them in the freezer for this purpose... butter is expensive, use every bit! Use a 1" cookie cutter. I used an empty large pill bottle or you might have a small shot glass, use whatever fits your tin. Place the cut dough in the buttered tins and bake at 325°F for 12 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan and sampling!

I used this 70% dark chocolate for my dipped cookies. Melt a few squares in the microwave, 10-15 seconds at a time until almost completely melted. Stir and let the rest melt in the bowl on the counter. Then dip cookies halfway, tapping on the side of the bowl to remove the excess. Set on racks for about 1 hour.

Makes 70 two-bite cookies

Adapted from karenskitchenstories.com

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Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies

Bake these soft, pumpkin spiced cookies before pumpkin season is over!  The perfect fall bite!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin purée

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup icing sugar

Mix the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice together. In a large mixer bowl combine the brown and white sugar, eggs, pumpkin, vanilla and melted butter. Add the dry to the wet ingredients in 2 or 3 additions and mix until a soft dough forms. Let the dough rest 5-10 minutes. Set out 2 bowls, one with the 1/3 cup white sugar and one with the icing sugar. You may need a smidge more of each but start with 1/3 cup each. Using a small cookie scoop, turn balls of dough into the white sugar and toss to coat. This will help them keep their shape. Then roll in the icing sugar, generously coating before placing on parchment lined baking sheets 2" apart.

Bake at 325°F for 12 - 14 minutes.

Makes 64 cookies

Store in air tight containers for 1 month.

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Sausage Veg Bake

Use this recipe as a jumping off point and sub your favourite sausages and veggies for a different meal every time! 

Ingredients:

2 cups butternut squash chunks

1 small zucchini, sliced thick

1 celery stalk, sliced thick

1 bell pepper

1 onion

2 sausages, cut in 2" pieces

2 tsps minced garlic

2 tbsps olive oil

Toss the vegetables and garlic with oil and arrange on each side of a foil lined and oiled baking sheet (I like lots of veggies!) Then place the sausage pieces down the middle. I used  smoked meat and halloumi flavoured sausages this time. Use your favourite.

Bake in a 425°F oven for 30 minutes. Toss once about halfway through the cooking time. Love the roasted veggies!

Serves 2

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Caesar Breaded Chicken

All hail Caesar, the great and versatile salad dressing! And what it does for this chicken is next level, keeping it nice and juicy under it's crispy Panko coating.

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 tbsps Caesar salad dressing (we like Renées)

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella 

salt, pepper and parmesan to taste

1 tbsp melted butter

1/2 cup Panko crumbs

lemon wedges to serve

Place the chicken breasts in an oiled baking dish. Spread 2 tablespoons of Caesar on each breast then salt, pepper and parmesan to taste. Top each with 1/4 cup of mozzarella. Mix the Panko and melted butter together and sprinkle that on top of the cheese.

Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165°F.

Give them a squeeze of lemon then serve with steamed broccoli or a nice side salad would work too. Maybe a Caesar?

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3 Tiered Christmas Village

I was looking for a different, more compact way of displaying my Christmas village this year.  And I didn't have to look any further than my front closet!

Just took the shoes off my shoe shelf and cleaned it off. (Not my picture here)

I put a piece of thin cardboard on each shelf for stability, then a layer of cotton (snow ❄️). Each upright piece got a coating of "snow" as well.

The windowsill holds the first level of the 3 tiered village and more cotton drifts cover the wires from the lighted buildings.

What do you think about it?

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Bundt Pan Chicken

Juicy, roasted chicken with a lemony medley of onions, celery and carrots.

Ingredients:

3 lb chicken

1 onion sliced thick

2 medium carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, sliced thick

1 lemon, unpeeled and quartered 

A few sprigs of rosemary

Bay leaf

Olive oil

Salt, pepper and thyme

First, cover the hole in the middle of the bundt pan with foil. Then place the onion, carrot and celery pieces all around the bottom. Add the lemon, rosemary and bay leaf.

Take your chicken, rub it all over with olive oil. Then generously salt, pepper and thyme it and stand it over the foil covered bundt pan hole.

Roast at 425°F for 55-60 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F. Give the lemon pieces a gentle squeeze (press with a spoon, not your hand) and return to the oven another 5 minutes.

Your chicken and lemony vegetable dinner is ready!

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Jumbo Cheesy Meatballs

Baking meatballs in the oven sure beats standing over the stove frying them and then having the mess to clean up! These cheesy meatballs are great served with rice and a nice salad, but if you want to serve them over spaghetti just up the amount of tomato sauce and you'll be fine.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

2 lbs lean ground beef

1 egg

1 cup shredded mozzarella 

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 tsps onion powder

1 tsps garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Sauce:

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella

fresh chopped parsley

Combine the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl. Divide the mixture into 16 portions and roll each into a ball. Place in an oiled 10" baking dish. Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes.

Then spoon tomato sauce over the meatballs, top with cheese and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Add fresh chopped parsley and serve.

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Cheesy Corn and Potato Fritters

Crispy on the outside and pancake-like on the inside. These fritters can be served for breakfast, lunch or supper. Great use of leftover mashed potatoes!

Ingredients:

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

1/4 cup grated onion, squeeze extra liquid out in paper towels

2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 eggs

6 tbsps flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup kernel corn, canned or frozen and defrosted

1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

vegetable oil for frying

Combine the potato, onion, cheddar and eggs. Then mix the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and parsley together before adding it to the potato mixture. Finally add the corn.

Using a scoop, measure balls out and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Gently press them down to form patties using damp hands. Chill in fridge at least 1 hour.

When ready to cook, heat oil in a skillet to medium high and cook patties 3-5 minutes per side or to as browned as you like. (I like mine brown!)

Makes 8 patties

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