S'Mores Cookies

Ingredients

6 full Graham Cracker Sheets

1/2 pound Butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar (firmly packed)

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

2 large Eggs

2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

2 cups Milk Chocolate Chips

3/4 cup Mini Marshmallows 

3  (1.55 ounce) Milk Chocolate Bars (separated into 36 squares)

Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.  Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (preferred) or parchment paper.

Place the Graham Crackers in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or wooden spoon into coarse crumbs.  Set aside.

Using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat together the Butter, Granulated Sugar, Brown Sugar, and Vanilla until creamy (about 1 minute).  Add the Eggs and beat well (about 1 minute more).

In another mixing bowl, stir together the Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat until well blended (about 1 minute).

Stir in the Chocolate Chips with a wooden spoon.  Add the Graham Cracker crumbs and combine.

Using a 1/4-cup dry measuring cup, drop mounds of the dough onto the lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart (using half the dough).  Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through, until golden brown and firm on the surface but with slightly soft centers (about 12 minutes.

Remove from the oven and immediately push 3 Marshmallows into the middle of each cookie in a large open triangle.  Insert 2 or 3 Chocolate pieces in the center of each triangle.

Transfer the cookies to a wire cooking rack.  Let the cookie sheet cool slightly then repeat with the remaining Dough, Marshmallows, and Chocolate pieces.  Store in an airtight container.  

(Recipe adapted from Tracy Pollan on The Chew)

Enjoy!

Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients

For the meatballs: 

¾ pound ground chicken
½ pound chicken sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the soup:
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup ¼-inch diced carrots (3 carrots)
¾ cup (¼-inch diced celery (2 stalks)
10 cups homemade chicken stock
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
¼ cup minced fresh dill
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1- to 1¼-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don’t have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan cheese. 

(Recipe taken from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa.)

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Cherry Chip Crisps

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup dried tart cherries 

1 pkg. Nestle Toll House Cherry Filled Delightfulls

1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Position 1 rack in bottom third and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Blend first 4 ingredients in bowl of a stand mixer. Add eggs and beat until blended (about a minute).  Add next 4 ingredients.  Continue beating until mixture is blended. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in cherries, Delightfuls and white chocolate chips.

Spoon batter by rounded tablespoonfuls or using a tablespoon size scoop onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart (cookies will spread). Bake until tops of cookies are golden brown, rotating baking sheets after 7 minutes, about 14 minutes total. Transfer cookies to rack; let cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

(Recipe adapted from Epicurious)

Swiss Chard Lasagna

I made this dish in my 12" cast iron pan and it came out perfectly.  The flavors come together nicely and I topped it with some freshly grated Parmigiana-Reggiano on the plate.

Ingredients:

3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 pound Swiss chard, stems removed and both thinly sliced
Coarse salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 can (28-ounces) fire roasted whole tomatoes with the juice
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1 pkg. No-boil lasagna noodles
1 lb. whole-milk mozzarella, shredded
Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375*. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 T oil, onion, and chard stems. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in chard leaves, season with salt, and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and add feta cheese. Wipe skillet; return to medium-high heat. dd remaining 1 T oil, garlic, and pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with juices and simmer, breaking into pieces, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt.

Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish.  Top with 2 lasagna noodles, 3/4 cup sauce one-third of chard mixture and 1 cup cheese. Repeat layering twice. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and cheese.  Loosely cover with parchment-line foil.  Bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes, then slice and serve. Grate Parmigiana-Reggiano over the top if desired.

(Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.com)

Mangia!

The Best Apple Crisp Ever

Apple Crisp was probably one of my very first desserts I made as a child. I had a children's version of  a Betty Crocker cookbook, and I would make this recipe again and again.  Over the years I tweaked it to appeal to my own taste and it's my "go to" dessert in the Fall.  It's so easy and versatile, and you can make it in a large dish, round dish or individual ramekins.  I use sweet apples so that I do not need to add any sugar to them.  The only sugar is in the wonderful, rich and oatmeal laced topping.

This recipe will make an 8" x 8" dish or 4 individual 1 cup ramekins/dishes.

Ingredients:

6 large sweet, soft apples (like Cortland or Macintosh), peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 c firmly packed brown sugar (I prefer dark, but light works as well)
1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c old fashioned oats
1/2 tsp. salt
5 T cold butter, cut into 1/2 pieces

Preheat oven to 375*.  In a large bowl, toss apples with cinnamon and place in 8"x8" dish or 4 ramekins.
In same bowl add remaining 5 ingredients.  Using a pastry blender or your hands, work butter and dry ingredients together until course crumbs appear.  Sprinkle topping over apples.  Place dish(es) on a baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes until filling is bubbly and topping is browned.
Best served warm.  Serve with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Yumly!

Lentil, Sausage & Tomato Soup

Ingredients
1/2 lb. hot or sweet Italian sausage, your preference
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 T chopped garlic or more to taste
1 (16 oz) pkg. dried lentils
1 c shredded or sliced carrots
2 (32 oz) cartons vegetable stock or broth
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato puree
1 small carton fresh baby spinach
1 small container sliced cremini mushrooms
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1 T salt or to taste
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Place sausage in a Dutch oven.  Cook over medium high heat until browned.  Add onion, celery and garlic and saute until tender and translucent. Stir in lentils, carrot, broth, tomatoes & mushrooms. Season with bay leaves oregano, thyme, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until lentils are tender.  Add spinach the last 10 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesan Regianno cheese.

Mangia!

Caramel Apple Blondie Cheesecake

Ingredients

3/4 c toasted & chopped pecans
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 large eggs, divided
1/2 c firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 c butter, melted
1 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1-1/2 c peeled and diced Granny Smith Apples (about 2 apples)
Caramel Apple Topping
Caramel Sauce

Preheat oven to 325*.  Sprinkle pecans over bottom of a non-stick 9" springform pan.  If not non-stick, grease and flour the pan.
Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric stand mixer until blended and smooth. Add 3 eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.
Whisk together brown sugar, melted butter, and remaining egg in a large bowl until blended.
Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients; add to brown sugar mixture, and stir until blended. Stir in apples. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Carefully spoon cream cheese mixture over batter.
Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until set. Remove from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.  Transfer to a serving plate.
Meanwhile, prepare Caramel Apple Topping and Caramel Sauce. Spoon topping over cheesecake; drizzle with 1/2 c Caramel Sauce. Serve with leftover Caramel Sauce on the side.

Caramel Apple Topping

Melt 1/4 c butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add 1/2 c sugar and 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, 5 to 6 minutes or until mixture turns a light golden brown. Add 5 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Cook, stirring often, 15-18 minutes more or until apples are tender and caramelized. Remove from heat and cool 20 minutes.

Caramel Sauce
1 c firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 c butter
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c honey

Bring brown sugar, butter, heavy cream and honey to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, and cool 15 minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week. To reheat, microwave at HIGH 10-15 seconds or just until warm; stir until smooth.

(Recipe adapted from Southern Living Fall Entertaining Magazine)

Enjoy!