Chocolate Topped Pistachio Pound Cake (with video link)

#17 in the Christmas Countdown this year is this very delicious cake!

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/Gym2P-fhbx0

Ingredients:

240g (2 c.) all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 c. pistachios, roasted and finely ground

1 c. extra fine granulated sugar

2 T. honey

1 c. unsalted butter, softened

1/2 T. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

3 eggs

1/2 c. sour cream

for the topping--

3 T. cocoa

2 T. unsalted butter, melted

1 c. powdered sugar

2-3 T. hot water

1/4 c. chopped pistachios, for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan, then dust with flour.

2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and pistachios. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together sugar, honey, butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract until creamy and fluffy.

4. Mix in the eggs one at a time.

5. Mix in the flour mixture and sour cream in alternations.

6. Once well combines, pour batter and spread into the prepared loaf pan. Transfer to oven and bake for 1 hour (possibly more--until it passes the 'toothpick' test).

7. Let cake cool completely in pan.

8. For the topping: in a small mixing bowl, combine the cocoa, butter, and powdered sugar. Stir in the hot water 1 T. at a time until desired consistency is reached.

9. Spread or drizzle the chocolate topping over the top of the cooled cake, then sprinkle the chopped pistachios atop. 

10. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Gingerbread Custard-Style Ice Cream (with video link)

# 18 in the Christmas Countdown is here! It was going to be # 19, but as explained in the video, I foolishly tried to rush, didn't cool the mixture enough, and caused a significant delay to the process. Anyway, it's finally done and it's delicious!

Link to my YouTube "making of the recipe" video: https://youtu.be/KVRvwatrH2k

Original recipe credit: https://www.cookiedoughandovenmitt.com/gingerbread-ice-cream-3/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

5 egg yolks

1 c. light brown sugar, packed

1 tsp. vanilla bean paste

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

3 c. heavy cream

1 c. whole milk

3 T. molasses

3 Little Debbie soft gingerbread cookies, finely chopped

sprinkles

Directions:

1. Make sure your ice cream maker/machine is ready for when you will need it in step 9.

2. Place egg yolks in a large, heatproof bowl and set aside.

3. Add the brown sugar, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to a medium saucepan. Whisk/stir to combine.

4. Place saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the heavy cream, milk, and molasses. Whisk to combine and keep whisking occasionally, until mixture just begins to simmer/barely boil.

5. Remove pan from heat. Take a ladle-full of the hot mixture and slowly stream it into the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking constantly as you do so. Repeat with a second ladle-full of the hot mixture.

6. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the hot mixture. Return to the stove over medium-low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon near constantly (not vigorously, just enough to keep bottom of pan from scorching). Cook until mixture has thickened to the point that it "coats" the back of the wooden spoon (this was around 6 min for me). Remove from heat.

7. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer into a large, heatproof bowl. Let cool to room temperature on the counter (or better yet, a cooling rack), stirring occasionally to make sure the top does not form a 'skin'.

8. Once the mixture has reached room temperature, cover with plastic wrap (I push it down into the bowl to just cling to the surface, but you don't have to), and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.

9. When it is completely chilled, pour into your ice cream maker/machine freezer bowl and turn it on. For mine (Cuisinart ICE 21P1), I ran it for 15 min.

10. At the 15 min mark, add the chopped gingerbread cookies and sprinkles. Let run for 2-3 additional minutes, then pour mixture into a freezer container.

11. Freeze for at least 2 hours before serving (I went overnight). Enjoy!

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!