chocolate

Pumpkin Cookies

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As I had leftover canned pumpkin from the Pumpkin Mac & Cheese I knew a dessert was in order. I have made plenty of breads, cupcakes, and cakes so wanted to try something new and pumpkin cookies were created.

I love cookies. They are probably one of my favorite desserts. They keep well for about a weeks worth of treats & they freeze well for later yumminess. They are also portion controlled which is a good thing if you love sweets.

Pumpkin Cookies (makes about 3 dozen)

  • 2 sticks butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch each ginger, nutmeg, allspice, & cloves
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate hips
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper (If you only have one, be sure to rinse the cookie sheet after it has been used to cool it back down before lining it again).
  2. In a large bowl cream the butter & both sugars until light & fluffy. Add the pumpkin, egg, & vanilla and mix until combined.
  3. In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking soda, salt & spices. Slowly add this to the wet ingredients & mix until combined.
  4. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips, & cranberries.
  5. Drop rounded spoonfuls on the baking sheets 2in apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes until tops are golden & edges are starting to set (they will still be very soft & fall apart easily so care must be taken). Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes on the pans. Slide parchment paper with cookies onto a wire rack & let cool completely.
  6. Transfer to containers & eat within a week.

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The Return of Baking Sunday 2014

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I have longed professed my hatred or severe dislike of football. Instead of suffering throughout the day, I decided to make it my own day where I spend much of my time in the kitchen (usually baking) and doing other things that I enjoy, i.e. watching shows & movies my fishing guide doesn’t enjoy, knitting, sewing, blogging, etc.

As the 2014-2015 season approached he kept asking me if I was excited and I would reply yes. Of course I am excited! I get to spend a whole day doing what I love and he gets to enjoy it as well (the football & the fruits of my labors from the kitchen). In the winter I am out ice fishing and the summer I am out shooting, fishing on open water, and doing misc projects around the house so the time is not as easy to find to spend in the kitchen. Thus, football season/sunday is baking season/sunday and I could not be more thrilled.

This first Sunday back I made the boys cuban type sandwiches, prepped veggies for my breakfast scrambles for the week, made beef bourguignon for dinner, and I made peanut butter balls. I do a few variations of these treats but this is my original plus the football theme.

There is nothing fantastically awesome about what I accomplished, & my art skills leave something to be desired, but it was fun none the less. Plus, apparently we won the game. I like to think it was my Vikings themed PB Balls that did the trick.

 

Football themed Peanut Butter Balls (makes approx. 2 dozen)

  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup peanut butter
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup each white & semi-sweet chocolate pieces
  • 2 tbsp shortening
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • milk or yogurt if needed
  • white writing gel
  • assorted food coloring

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the butter and peanut butter together in a medium bowl. Add the powdered sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Form into 1in balls and football shapes.

Melt the semi-sweet chocolate and 1/2-1 tbsp shortening to get a fluid melted chocolate (use a double boiler or the microwave on 50% power). Dip the football shapes into the melted chocolate and place on the parchment lined sheet.

Melt the white chocolate and 1-1.5 tbsp. shortening to get a fluid melted chocolate (use a double boiler or the microwave on 50% power). Add butter and yogurt or milk if the chocolate does not become fluid. Divide into two portions. Stir in food coloring that matches your local sports team’s colors (I used purple & gold for the Vikings). Dip the balls into the melted chocolate and place on the parchment lined sheet. Take the spoon you used to stir the melted chocolate and drizzle the the other color over them.

Place the sheet in the fridge to set. Once firm, remove and draw football lines with the white writing gel. Serve to football fans and be praised.

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Mint Chocolate Balls

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I used to love Girl Scout cookies. Over the years, however, I feel that the quality has gone south as many food items tend to do in the quest for “healthier” or just cheaper ingredients. One cookie I never liked was the Thin Mint. I am the exception though. Everyone else I know loves this cookie & many store them in the freezer. I have never been a fan of mint desserts. I prefer mint in gum & teeth products. That is it. It is always odd to see people’s expressions when I decline a mint candy or cookie around the holiday season. They looked so confused.

One person who never declines a mint cookie or candy is my fishing guide. He loves those Girl Scout cookies & any other form/brand that they come in. This past week he has been gone for work so I decided that as a welcome home treat I would attempt to make them myself. I pulled a recipe and went to the kitchen.

Clearly I should have looked at more recipes. This one was not that great. The dough, which was said would be crumbly, was an understatement. In an attempt to help hold it together I added a tablespoon of milk but the dough was still like that of a Russian tea cake or pfeffernusse cookie. In the end I decided to make balls like those other cookies that the dough resembled instead. The result was very close in flavor. My fishing guide asked if they were crushed up thin mints in chocolate. Jackpot! The next time I make them I will try for a different dough in order to make them actually look like the beloved Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie.

Chocolate Mint Balls (note this recipe only makes about 1.5 dozen as I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. Double the recipe if you want more cookies)

-1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
-1/2 cup powdered sugar
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1/4 tsp salt
-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
-4oz. semi-sweet chocolate
-1/2 tsp peppermint extract
-1 tbsp milk

In a medium bowl cream the butter until light. Add the powdered sugar and continue mixing. Add the vanilla, salt, cocoa powder & flour and mix well. Add in a tablespoon of milk & mix until just combined. Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. The dough will be very crumbly and will only slightly hold together if pressed firmly.

mint dough

Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap while pressing into a ball. Chill for 30-60 minutes.

mint dough ball

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grab chunks of dough and press into a small ball. (Do them on the smaller side so the cookie to chocolate ratio is more like that of a thin mint. Too much cookie will be dry since they are balls and not flat rounds). Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10-15 minutes. Cool the cookies completely.

Once the cookies are cooled, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave, stirring after every 30 seconds. Stir in the peppermint extract.

Using a fork, roll cookies completely in the chocolate. Let the excess drip off & place dipped cookies on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper to set. Store cookies between layers of wax paper in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

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Winter Love Hot Cocoa

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Someone asked me if I was sick of winter yet. I smiled and said, “No. I love winter.” I proceeded to explain that I am very active in the winter (as I am an avid ice fisherwoman) & that winter up here in Almost Canada is better than it is in central to southern Minnesota. I know you think I am crazy but let me explain.

It snows a lot more in central to southern Minnesota than it does up here. There is also more freezing rain & slush further south. In Almost Canada it may be colder and the snow definitely lasts longer, but the constant snow & slush in the air & on the ground is not the same. I also do not have to drive 1-3hrs one way to get to work & then repeat that commute after work. I know that is the biggest part of loving winter even more since I moved. I drive about 1.5 miles to get to work or any other place in town. It is a very nice change. I also explained this to the person who asked me if I was sick of winter. He smiled & said that he was glad I said that. That it was nice to hear someone positive & say good things about winter.

I think that people here in Almost Canada sometimes forget about the beauty of a small town & what winter has to bring. Almost everyday I hear people say how they are sick of the cold & how winter came early and will probably stay late, etc. I’m not saying I’m thrilled about the -30F for the past two months. Yes, two months. It has been brutally cold, but I still love winter. The cold signifies ice which means fishing. The snow looks beautiful on the lake when you are driving a snowmobile in the morning with the sun coming up or as you stare out of your portable.

 

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After a long day of fishing & being out in the cold (especially cold since the heater broke on the way out to the lake), I thought it would be nice to have some hot cocoa and remember why I love winter & this small town.

Hot Cocoa

  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup powdered milk
  • 1 tsp corn starch
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • few dashes cinnamon
  • dash cayenne

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Fill mug half full with mix & top with boiling water or milk. Stir, add marshmallows, & enjoy the warming comfort of hot cocoa. Store the rest in an airtight container for the season.

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(If desired one can add a teaspoon or two of instant espresso or coffee to the individual mugs as well. So good…)