Flourless Almond Butter Cookies (with video link)

#20 in the Christmas Countdown is this quick recipe for a small batch of yummy cookies: flourless almond butter cookies...dipped in melted chocolate...with some flaky salt and sprinkles...mmm!

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/ba4aRJmFIGA

Original recipe credit: https://crisco.com/recipes/flourless-almond-butter-cookies/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

1 c. almond butter

1 c. light brown sugar (packed)

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

~1 T. butter flavored shortening

flaky/coarse sea salt

sprinkles

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together almond butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until well combined.

3. Use a cookie scoop (3 T size if you have such) to portion out dough onto prepared baking sheet, spacing portions 2" apart.

4. Bake for 10-12 min (I went the full 12), until edges are starting to get a tiny bit browned.

5. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.

6. When the cookies have cooled, place the chocolate chips and shortening in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave in small bursts (around 15-20 sec, depending on your model), stirring after each, until chocolate is melted completely and smooth.

7. Dip each cookie about halfway into the chocolate, then place on a rack. Top with a small amount of the flaky salt and some sprinkles. Enjoy!

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.

 

Ingredients:

 

1/2 c. salted butter, softened

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 T. non-pareils

 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325°F.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and almond extract.

3. Add the flour and salt and mix in at low speed.

4. Stir in the non-pareils by hand. 

5. On a work surface (parchment works well), pat the dough into a rectangle that is about 1/2" thick.

6. Cut the dough into "dice". Decorate dice on exterior with non-pareil "pips".

7. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake for 15-16 min. Let cool, then enjoy!

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:

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the shortening, butter, and sugar.

4. Beat in eggs.

5. Gradually mix in reserved flour mixture, then stir in cinnamon chips by hand.

6. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Form dough into slightly larger than 1" balls and roll to coat in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

7. Place dough balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing the balls at least 1 1/2" apart. Transfer to oven and bake for 8-11 minutes. 

8. After removing from oven, let cool on baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

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

Note: I have modified the directions slightly from what is shown in the video, as I plan to do it this way going forward (additional Marsala wine).

Ingredients:

5 T. olive oil, divided

1 lb. chicken breast (or thighs), cut up in bite-size pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper

flour for coating the chicken pieces

9-12 ounces frozen, small cheese ravioli 

2 oz. prosciutto, chopped

8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced

2 T. chopped/minced shallot

3/4 c. dry Marsala, divided

3/4 c. chicken broth

~2 T. fresh sage, chopped 

2 T. butter

2 T. parsley, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

 

Directions:

 

1. In a large skillet, heat 3 T. of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Coat chicken pieces in flour (I suggest putting flour and chicken in a zip top plastic bag and shaking), then place in the skillet. Cook until browned all over, around 5 min. Transfer chicken pieces to a plate.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the ravioli according to package directions and set aside.

3. After all the chicken is cooked, add the prosciutto to the pan and cook for 1 min. Transfer to the same plate as the chicken.

4. Add remaining 2 T. of olive oil to the pan, let heat for a moment, then add the mushrooms to the pan. Cook until starting to brown a little, around 3-4 min.

 

5. Add the shallot to the pan. Cook for around 1 min.

6. Deglaze the plan with 1/2 c. of the Marsala. Stir and scrape up browned bits. Let cook for 2-3 minutes.

7. Add the chicken broth to pan and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then return the chicken mixture to pan. Stir in the remaining 1/4 c. of Marsala, followed by the sage. Let cook for 1 minute.

8. Remove from heat, then stir in the reserved cooked ravioli, followed by the butter. After the butter has melted into the sauce, stir in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve up and enjoy!

Steak au Poivre Soup (with video link)

'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/

 

Ingredients:

 

3 T. whole black peppercorns

1 lb. filet mignon, sirloin, or other steak (I used a strip steak and T-bone (de-boned))

kosher salt

1/4 c. + 2 T. olive oil

4 T. butter

2 thyme sprigs, plus 1 T. chopped leaves

2 shallots--1 chopped finely, 1 sliced in rings

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. Cognac or brandy (I used the latter)

5 c. low-sodium beef broth

1 1/2 lb. yellow potatoes, cut in small chunks

1 c. heavy cream

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

 

Directions:

 

1. Crush/grind peppercorns coarsely. Season steak(s) all over with kosher salt and as much of the crushed peppercorns as you can (I had like a teaspoon leftover). Press the peppercorns into the meat.

 

2. In a very large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat 2 T. of the olive oil until shimmering. Cook steaks for 3 minutes, then flip. Add the butter and the thyme sprigs to the pan. Cook steak for 3 minutes more, using the butter to 'baste' the steak as it continues cooking.

3. Transfer steaks to a cutting board and cut heat. Strain the oil/rendered fat in the skillet and reserve. Wipe skillet 'clean' and return reserved strained oil to skillet.

4. Return skillet to stove over medium heat now and add the chopped shallot. Cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften (around 2 min.)

 

5. Add the garlic and the thyme leaves. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

6. Add flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes.

7. Switch to a whisk and carefully add the brandy. Whisk it in, followed by slowly whisking in the beef broth.

8. Add the potatoes and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes, until they are tender.

9. While potatoes cook, in a small pan, heat the 1/4 c. of olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot slices/rings and let cook for around 2-3 minutes, until oil starts to bubble. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for additional 4-5 minutes, until shallots are golden brown. Drain them on a paper-towel lined plate, season lightly with salt, and set aside.

10. Back in the skillet with the potatoes, reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream and Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring often, for around 5 minutes.

11. Cut steak into cubes and add to the skillet, along with any accumulated juices. Stir to coat. Let cook for 1 minute.

12. Ladle soup into bowls, top with crunchy shallots, and enjoy!

 

Chicken Cotija (with video link)

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!