Christmas Dice / Shortbread Bites (with video link)

Happy National Dice Day! And Happy National Cookie Day! At #22 in the Christmas Countdown, these cute little cookies are a great treat, especially because you can make a small batch and don't need any eggs (a bonus right now with the high prices). As you can see, I only made a few dice--which turned out okay, apart from the nonpareil color bleed into the dough lol.

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/ScxZGnYBQUA

Original recipe credit: https://www.landolakes.com/recipe/6705/christmas-shortbread-tidbits/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Cinnamon Chip Snickerdoodles (with video link)

Christmas Countdown #23 -- these are soooooo good!!! I love snickerdoodles already, but these are a whole new level! Definitely will be making these again (and again).

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/vqjreMjvzZk

In the video, I express concern about the ratio of the cinnamon to sugar in the original recipe and added more sugar. This is a good choice in my opinion, but the original would also work fine. I am listing my recommended amounts below.

Enjoy!

Original recipe credit: https://www.hersheyland.com/recipes/cinnamon-chip-snickerdoodles.html

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

330g (2 3/4 c.) all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. butter-flavored (or regular) shortening

1 stick (1/2 c.) salted butter, softened

1 1/2 sugar

2 eggs

10 oz. cinnamon chips

for the coating--

1/4 c. sugar

1 T. cinnamon

Directions:

Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies (with video link)

Welcome to this year's Christmas countdown! First one (#24) are these tasty gems. They are delightfully chocolatey and minty--excellent balance of both. Plus a gently crispy outside and chewy inside--mmm!

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/tjz31gUhaT0

Original recipe is from the Easy Everyday Cooking card collection.

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

3/4 c. dark brown sugar

6 T. butter (I used salted, think you could sub unsalted)

1 T. water

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 egg

1 1/2 c. (180g) all-purpose flour

5/8 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. mint extract (could sub peppermint extract)

powdered sugar, for coating

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

2. Add the dark brown sugar, butter, water, and chocolate chips to a large, microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave in short bursts (15-20 sec, possibly more or less depending on your model) and stir after each burst, until melted and smooth.

3. Let the mixture cool for a couple of minutes, then add the egg. Using an electric mixer, beat in the egg until well combined.

4. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Add this dry mixture to the chocolate mixture and beat with electric mixer until just combined.

5. Beat in the mint extract.

6. Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Form 1" balls of the chocolate dough and roll in the powdered sugar to coat.

7. Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing the balls around 2" apart.

8. Bake for 10 min, then remove and let rest on the sheet for around 4-5 min before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy!

Chicken Marsala with Ravioli (with video link)

Soooo delicious! I've made this recipe a couple of times now, really love it! It's from a cookbook-let that I really enjoy trying recipes from. Here's my version, modified from the one in the book.

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/30KEKqSfCpU

**pardon my dust, entry in progress, will be completed as soon as I can!**

Steak au Poivre Soup

'Steak au poivre' means 'pepper steak', and if you've ever had it, you know how wonderful it is. If not, do note that 'pepper' being in the title indicates this has pepper (specifically, crushed peppercorns) as a main feature. It's quick enough for a weeknight if you have the ingredients all prepped, but I put it in my 'special/involved dinners' playlist since it has steak (special) and with the prep included, takes a little time (though not too much).

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/3pz4jbIVi14

Original recipe credit: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a40398431/steak-au-poivre-soup-recipe/

*pardon my dust, entry will be completed soon!*

Chicken Cotija

Yum!! I was nervous about making this, based on how the comments section for the original was. Very glad I followed what they said plus my own instincts for modifications, as this turned out delicious! Highly recommend, especially with the Mexican potatoes (also in same video).

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/4E--_NSKLe4

Original recipe credit: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/99970/chicken-cotija/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (around 1 lb total weight), each sliced into 2 thinner pieces

salt and pepper, to taste

~1 T. canola oil

8 oz. tomato sauce

1/4 oz. (28g) taco seasoning

2 T. shredded/grated Cotija cheese

~1/4 c. shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat an 8" x 8" glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil, then add the chicken. Cook until browned on both sides. Place the browned chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish. 

3. In a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce and taco seasoning, then pour over the chicken breasts. Top with the Cotija cheese and the Mexican cheese blend.

4. Bake for 20-30 min, until chicken is fully cooked. Enjoy!

Mexican Potatoes

These are a perfect side dish to do with your Mexican main dish! Or maybe even just have by themselves, we liked them that much 😁

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/4E--_NSKLe4

Original recipe credit: https://www.crowdedkitchen.com/crispy-roasted-mexican-potatoes/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs. red potatoes, diced in 1" cubes

1 T. canola oil

1 T. cornstarch

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. chili powder

3/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. coriander

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. cayenne

Directions:

1. Place potatoes in a bowl, cover them with water, let them set for a couple of minutes, then drain. Repeat until the water becomes mostly clear (usually twice or thrice is enough). Let drain in a colander or spread out on a towel.

2. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parch

3. In a large bowl, toss potatoes with the canola oil.

4. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients (cornstarch through cayenne). Stir to combine.

5. Add the spice mixture to the potatoes bowl and stir until evenly coated.

6. Spread potatoes onto prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 35-40 min; stir once or twice during the baking. Enjoy!