The "Other" Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been a Toll House girl my whole life. No deviations, got the recipe right on the bag, no questions asked. Until now.

While making Pane Toscana over Christmas, I was feeling a little wild-n-crazy, so I tried the so-called "Extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies" recipe on the Gold Medal Flour bag. "Extraordinary" may be pushing it, but they are real darn good. The Beloved and girls have declared they will only eat this kind from now on, and I have to say...I think I agree. So here you go:

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter - softened
1-1/4 c. sugar
1-1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 Tb. vanilla

4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1 bag (24 oz.) chocolate chips
2 c. chopped nuts (optional - we say yuck!)

Directions:

(Preheat oven to 350*)

1. Mix dry ingredients in small bowl, whisking with fork to distribute salt and baking soda evenly in flour, set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl, blend butter and sugars at medium speed*, adding eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.

3. Gradually add in flour mixture until well incorporated** (dough will be stiff and even a wee bit crumbly), then fold in chocolate chips

4. Scoop onto ungreased cookie sheets by generous tablespoonful (I have a fabulous 1/8 c. scoop that is the perfect size for this recipe) and bake 11-13 minutes*** until lightly browned on top.

Yield: approx. 6 dozen

* I use my trusty KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer - as long as the butter is nice and soft, use the whisk blender attachment

** I switch over to the dough hook at this point

*** I use Baker's Secret (2 layer air pocket style) cookie sheets and a rounded 2 Tb. scoop, so the bake time increases to 15 minutes - keep an eye on 'em the first time you make these and adjust accordingly - same goes for using a SilPat on a regular flat cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, which I've also done.

Holiday Potluck #4 - Chicken Wing Dip

A big hit on game days - play with the ingredients to suit your tastes - bleu cheese instead of ranch dressing, jack instead of cheddar, etc., just keep the proportions about the same:


Chicken Wing Dip

Ingredients

* 2 chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded (canned chicken is ok too)

* 8 ounces cream cheese, softened

* 3/4 cup buffalo wing sauce or Red Hot sauce (more if you like it spicy)

* 3/4 cup ranch dressing (or bleu cheese, or half ranch and half bleu)

* 1-1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or cheese blend

Directions

Mix ingredients together with fork, place in a large, microwave-safe bowl and heat on medium-high (70% power), in one minute increments, until heated through, smooth, and creamy. Place in a crock pot or fondue pot on low to keep warm. Serve with celery cut in one inch pieces, tortilla chips or even better, toasted cocktail bread rounds or bagel chips.

For you low-carbers trying to fulfill your upcoming New Year's Resolution while enjoying the playoffs, this is actually an Atkins-friendly experience if eaten with celery (2 g. carbs per large stalk).

Holiday Potluck #3: Broccoli Casserole

From the family kitchen...a holiday staple!

Ingredients:

1 large bag frozen broccoli florets

1 small can water chestnuts (optional)

1 8 oz. bag (or equivalent) shredded cheddar cheese (be generous!)

1/2 c. mayo (as above - more is ok, just don't use Miracle Whip!)

1 can cream of mushroom (or broc) soup

1 tube Ritz crackers, crushed fine

small bag or about 1/3 c. slivered almonds

Instructions:

1. Spread broccoli into bottom of casserole dish (mix in chestnuts, too, if used)

2. Use a fork to mix together mayo and soup until well-incorporated

3. Quickly add crushed crackers (tip: crush while still in unopened tube using rolling pin or serving spoon to gently whack into submission) and fold in shredded cheese

4. Spread mixture over top of broccoli with rubber spatula, covering as completely as possible

5. Sprinkle almonds over top

6. Bake 30 minutes at 375*, or until topping is lightly browned around edges and slightly bubbly throughout surface.

This family standard is great with any holiday meal (turkey, ham) and is a huge favorite with guests. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Holiday Blog Potluck Entry #2

The Most Excellent Larry's Sweet Potatoes:

This is a recipe I dug out of a Reader's Digest cookbook called "Cook Now, Serve Later". It's a hit at the family Christmas dinner, but I'm sure it'll work jes' fine for Turkey Day.

ORANGE-PRALINE SWEET POTATOES

2-1/2 lbs SP's, peeled, quartered and boiled until tender.

1/3 c. OJ1 tsp orange rind, grated

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp gnd ginger

1/4 tsp black pepper

5 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 egg

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 tsp grd cinnamon

1/2 c chopped pecans

(1) Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, mash the SP's. Add the OJ, rind, salt, ginger, pepper, 2 Tbsp butter and egg. Beat with electric mixer until smooth. Spooon potatoes into a buttered, shallow, 1-1/2 qt casserole or 10-inch quiche pan, smoothing the top.

*NOTE* I have never ever used a quiche pan, just so you know!!
[Yahsureyoubetcha, Larry... ;-) --Ed.]

(2) In a small saucepan, combine remaining 3 Tbsp of butter, sugar and cinnamon. Ove low heat, cook uncovered until blended. Spread the mixture on top of potatoes and sprinkle with the pecans.

*NOTE 2* I always use more pecans than 1/2 c because I can. I like to have pretty good coverage.

*NOTE 3* At this point the potatoes can be refrigerated , tightly covered, for up to 24 hours, if so desired

(3) Bake covered for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes or until heated through.

Serves 6 - I double this for the holidays, and if you do, just use a bigger pan. I usually use a 13x 9 x 2 glass casserole dish.

Potluck Entry #1: Kasia's Candied Sweet Potatoes

Kasia gets a gold star for going first!

Our family's candied sweet potatoes (I suppose yams would work too, but I'm pretty sure we use s.p.'s...), courtesy of The Big Seester:

You will need: a mess of sweet potatoes (depending on size, maybe one per person and a few extra; but these make yummy leftovers even if they aren't QUITE as good as they are fresh),

a lot of butter, and a lot of brown sugar (we use light brown).

Scrub the potatoes and boil them 'til the skins are loose (don't overcook or they'll be mushy).

Pull off the skins and slice the potatoes thickly (about 1/2" thick).

In an electric skillet, melt a stick of butter and add enough brown sugar for it to get syrupy.

Fry the potato slices in the sugary buttery goop.(In case you couldn't tell, this year will be the first year I will actually be making these. So it is entirely possible that I am leaving out important information. Use the recipe at your own risk... ;-))

I'm thinking medium heat for the skillet, and you fry them 'til they're goopy outside, soft through, and a touch brown on the outside but not burnt. I hope I'm right... (worried look)

No worries allowed! Sounds like a good one....sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar syrupy substance? Oh yeaaaaaahhh!

Part of the fun in your early married years, dear soon-to-be-hitched Clam, is making stuff for the first time and sharing your kitchen triumphs AND tragedies. Makes great stories for the youngsters. Sometime I'll tell you about Christmas, 1993, and my Picasso Christmas Cookies. (NOT my fault, btw...)

Zuppa di Pane Toscana

Or...Tuscan bread soup, as promised!

Some preliminary background and considerations:

Tuscan bread soup is a staple in the region. There are literally hundreds of authentic recipes for this soup, depending on who your Nonni is. :) Genuine Tuscan bread is dense, coarse, rather non-descript in flavor (has little salt), and only comes to life if served "dipped" with a nice olive oil, balsamic vinaigre, and seasonings like minced garlic, sharp grated pecorino or parm, oregano, etc. But you can tell by its very humble nature that it is what has sustained the farmers, shepherds, and warriors of that region for thousands of years. That makes it venerable as far as I'm concerned.

The type of bread used - wherever you get it - is key. It must be a firm, tough-crusted, non-crumbly, genuinely Italian-style bread. Rustic or "artisan" style, if you will, and day-old at least. Your typical grocery store small-"i" italian bread will not suffice - it is made with white flour and will become a slimy, mushy mess in this soup. As with pasta, the preferred flour comes from durum wheat, which breaks down more slowly than, say, its Pillsbury bleached white counterpart. My Pane Toscana recipe is ideal for making this recipe, but we hardly ever have enough left! Fortunately, it's an easy recipe, so it is worth making an extra loaf to be used for soup.

You might be able to find a recipe you like better than this by searching the 'net, but this one is hard to goof up, tastes great, and is one I got in person from a restaurant in Assisi on the feast of St. Francis 4 years ago, painstakingly and very roughly translated and transcribed onto a napkin (which was destroyed by BAD WILEY!). Anyway, the memory still cracks me up. Our waitress and I were staring at each other's lips, making wild hand gestures and pantomimes trying to get it right, and laughing like crazy. Granted, I'd had a fair amount of vino...but I prefer to think she was laughing with me.

So, after that long introduction....here's......

Zuppa di Pane Toscana

Ingredients:

* 2 - 2.5 pounds stale Italian bread, sliced and toasted (or, if you are a savage like me, you can tear your slices into large chunks/quarters for easier chowing)

* 1.5 qts (6-7 c.) whole milk, heated (be generous...you'll see why in a minute)

Tomato Soup Base:

* 1 lb. fresh, sun-ripened tomatoes (buy the nicest, reddest squishy-est plum tomatoes you can find off-season)

* 1 smallish onion, chopped medium-ish

* 1 smallish clove garlic (or more to taste), finely chopped

* 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

* 2 sweet basil leaves, shredded (fresh is great, but also hard to find in winter, so don't sweat it if you use dried)

* 1/3 pound freshly grated sharp pecorino, Parmigiano, mozzarella, or even asiago (if you're into that kinda thing...) I've also chunked up a log of buffalo mozz. and tossed it in. Not bad at all.

* salt and crushed red or fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. To prepare the tomato soup base, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a medium saucepot (not frying pan!) until the onion becomes translucent.

2. Slice the tomatoes into the pot, squeezing them in your hand as you add them.

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper, simmer for about 15 minutes, adding the basil during the last 5 minutes or so (keeps its flavor better that way).

4. While the tomato mixture is cooking, preheat oven to 350* and heat the milk to very warm, but below a simmer.

5. Dip toasted bread slices in the warm milk, dunking quickly them so they are well-moistened but not soggy (a la french toast), and let the excess milk drip back into the pot for the next slice.*** (<-- I like a creamier tomato soup, so I toss the leftover milk into the tomato base at the end...I think this is what the waitress suggested, too. Totally up to you.)

***I use a potato masher as an improvised "dunking rack" for this part - rest the bread slice on top of the masher: dunk, drip, repeat....this is where the tearing slices into chunks came from. Masher's too small to hold a whole slice, and it makes it easier to eat!

6. Put a first layer of dipped slices in a round, tall-sided casserole dish, layer it with tomato mixture, then cheese, and continue until the bread is used up. Pour remaining tomato base over the top.

7. Heat in the oven for 15 minutes, take out and sprinkle with cheese or a little fresh basil for garnish - serve it warm with a tasty Chianti, Sangiovese, or if you like whites, some Vernaccia di San Gimignano (<--best shopping day EVER!)

This is no-fail yummy, but search about and experiment with any of the zillion recipes you find out there. I have a Tuscan cookbook with a heartier winter version of this Zuppa that involves white beans and added root veggies, which I've not yet tried. I'll let you know how it goes!

Holiday Blog Potluck!

You can do it! Post your favorite recipe in the combox and I'll re-post it with a backlink to your blog. Let's all try something new this year!

Cranberry-Apricot Pork Roast

Oh. My. Goodness. From the experimental dinner files:

Ingredients:

* 2.5-3 lb boneless pork loin roast, well trimmed of fat
* 1 can (16 oz) whole-berry cranberry sauce (NOT jellied sauce!)
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 can (5.5 oz) apricot nectar (you could also substitute real apple cider)
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
* 2 tsp cider vinegar (or white if you must)
* 1 tsp dry mustard
* 1 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (I use "Hot Shot" red/black pepper blend)


Directions:

1. In a 3-qt or larger slow-cooker, mix all ingredients (except pork) together with a fork

2. Add pork; spoon some of the cranberry mixture over the top.

3. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or until pork is tender, spooning sauce over top of roast periodically.

4. Remove pork to cutting board and slice - it will be very tender, so use care when lifting out.

5. Spoon fat off sauce and strain some of the fruit to serve atop slices if plating before bringing to the table, or serve sauce with pork.

Whoa. This is GOOD! We served this roast with a jar of good German red cabbage, sprouts, applesauce, and mashed potatoes. And lots of good German beer. 4 stars from the beloved AND the girlies. I still can't move, I'm so darn full, but I had to share.

Brandied Apple Butter

Apple season is winding down here in Upstate NY, but here's one to make if your local market has bushel bags on sale:

........................................ (Photo shamelessly snatched from Autumn Rose's blog)..........................................

Ingredients:

* 5 lbs. apples ,(cored , peeled, and chopped fine)

* 2 cups fresh apple cider

* ½ cup white sugar

* 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

* ½ tsp. ground cloves

* ½ tsp. ground ginger

* 1/4 tsp. salt

* ½ cup brandy of choice

Preparation:

1. Place the apples in a large crock pot.

2. In a medium bowl mix all of your spices, salt, apple cider, and brandy. Pour the mixture over the apples and stir until all of the apples are well incorporated in the liquid.

3. Cover and set the crock pot on low. Cook covered for 12 hours.

4. Stir the mixture until it is completely broken down and resembles loose apple sauce.

5. Add additional sugar and brandy to taste, and cook an additional 2 to 3 hours uncovered.

6. Once the mixture has taken on a thick jam like texture, turn the crock pot off and allow the mixture to cool for about 30 minutes.

7. Spoon into sterile jars and boil in water for 7 minutes.

8. Place jars on a rack and allow the jars to self seal. You will hear the lids pop as they seal.

9. Store on shelves or in the refrigerator for future use.

(NB: Steps 7-9 assume you will have leftovers or are not planning to use or give away immediately)

Yield: 4 pints

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time:12 hours covered, 3 hours uncovered

Try this on a toasted English muffin, toast, or home made biscuits, even waffles or pancakes....oh so tasty! Delightful at breakfast or as an addition to afternoon tea with chilly girls just arriving home from school.

For an extra sinful experience, try making a quick spread of 1/2 c. small curd cottage cheese and 1 Tb. each of cream cheese and sour cream, with a little powdered sugar added for sweetness - process or mix thoroughly with a fork. Play with the proportions (this is a half-batch of something I made up to fill crepes back when I had time to do such things - I've never exactly written it down before).

Spread on a bagel or Texas toast, then spoon the apple butter on top.

YUM-O-RAMA!

Chicken with lemon pasta and asparagus

Another family favorite - just got some wonderfully thin, baby asparagus at the store....yummy yummy yummy!

Doesn't it look gorgeous?

Ingredients:

* 3-4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or equivalent in breast "tenders") cut into bite-size strips

* 1 bunch asparagus - thin is best, but if you love asparagus like we do, it matters not - rinsed and cut into 1" pieces

* 1 bag tri-color rotini (corkscrew) pasta

* 1 lemon, cut into quarters, squeezed (save the juice!), and peel reserved

* olive oil - plain, or lemon-flavored is nice

* salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400* and start pot of water to boil for pasta, and start chopping up your chicken pieces, asparagus, and prepare your lemon: chop, squeeze, remove remaining flesh and seeds, and ZEST the lemon (see tip below).

2. Place asparagus pieces in 13x9 glass (or similar) pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast for 10 minutes in oven; start cooking pasta.

3. Heat 2-3 Tb. olive oil in large skillet, add chicken and brown, adding seasonings to taste. When it is fully cooked, remove to bowl, reserving all the drippings and oil. Return pan to stove - do not rinse it out.

4. Your asparagus and pasta should be done just about now - remove asparagus from oven and drain pasta, returning it to pot or large serving bowl. Using a spatula, scrape all contents (oil included) of asparagus pan into pasta, and do the same with your bowl of chicken. Set aside.

5. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to pan and warm it over low heat, scraping and reserving the browned bits from just having cooked your chicken. Add fresh lemon zest and gently cook to a light-golden brown. Remove from heat, then pour in lemon juice and whisk mixture together. This is your sauce.

6. Pour sauce over contents of pasta/chicken/asparagus mixture and toss together - add more olive oil if need be, but you should have enough.

Options: if you want a creamy sauce, add a can of cream of asparagus or cream of mushroom soup to your lemon juice/zest mixture before pouring over the pasta mixture; consider seasoning your chicken with lemon pepper for a little extra flavor.

Serve with grated parmesan cheese, Italian bread, and a nice fruity white wine, and enjoy!

Behold the lemon zester - this is the one I own, courtesy of "The Pampered Chef" ($9.95), and I got it specifically to make this recipe.

The "zest" of the lemon is the white stringy stuff on the inside of the peel. After you juice the lemon, peel away the fiber and flesh (like peeling an orange) and then use your zester to scrape away at the white zest, until you've nearly scraped through to the yellow rind. A good size lemon will yield a few tablespoons of zest. You can also use a traditional grater to zest the lemon, just be careful not to get your fingers or knuckles!