Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies–Brrr, It’s Cold!

In my head I’m belting out “Baby, it’s cold outside!” It’s in the 40s right now. The 40s. Last week I was complaining about the 50s and I feel like a jerk for that. I’m sorry! I was adjusting. Funny thing is, I’m going to North Carolina next weekend and it’ll be even colder there. Thank goodness I’ll have the mittens my Grandma made me. Maybe when I’m there she’ll teach me how to make a pair. That would be sweet!

Meanwhile, I’m doing everything I can to stay warm. I’ve got on my fuzzy socks and am under about 42 layers of blankets as I type this. If I had hot chocolate, I’d be drinking that, but instead, I have cookies. Of course I have cookies.

Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies, from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon chile powder

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down side of bowl. Add eggs and beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined.

2. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, and chile powder (if using). Using heaping tablespoons, form balls of dough and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place, about 3 inches apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are set in center and begin to crack, about 10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. (Store in an airtight container, up to 1 week.)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Martha Stewart is a genius. Her recipes, or at least those that I’ve tested, are solid. They’re not fussy, they’re to the point, and they are good. Very good. I’ve made these cookies several times and they are always a crowd pleaser. They’re sweet with just a subtle hint of spiciness. If you didn’t know the recipe called for chili powder, you’d wonder where the kick came from. They’re light, tender cookies that will stay soft for a couple days. But don’t expect them to last that long – they’ll be gobbled up in no time.

Next time it’s too cold outside to leave the house, fire up that oven and get to baking.

Might I suggest having a couple with a glass of hot chocolate?

The chocolate chip cookie is a classic. What is your favorite unconventional cookie?

The Friday Five 6.15.12

1. What I’m Reading: Yesterday I called Martha Stewart pretentious. I’ve always loved her and still think she’s superwoman. So today I will redeem myself and call her a genius. This cookbook is awesome!

2. What I’m Listening to: I love this song so much! It gets me going in the morning. You should see how bouncy I am on my ball when this comes on my Spotify. PS: Who uses Spotify? I just purchased the premium package and LOVE it.

3. What I’m Eating: WHERE ARE THESE IN SOUTH CAROLINA? I have called everywhere. You think I’m joking? You’re wrong.

4. What I’m Bookmarking: I want this cake for my birthday!! Please! Please!  Mandarin Orange Cake with Pineapple Whipped Cream Frosting: 

5. GIFs I’m Loving:

WHEN I THINK ABOUT VODKA:

Ok, I’m not addicted to vodka, but I *do* love it almost as much as I love Britney Spears.

SOME GIRLS MY AGE:

ME:

True story. Kids are cute…but not with my last name!

HAPPY WEEKEND!!!

CSA Week 9 / Fun With Melons…and Salsa!

You know the drill. Gruber Farm CSA time!! As each week goes by, I become more and more obsessed with having a weekly box of produce. The convenience. The variety. The freshness. Need I say more?

Week 9 contents:

• jalapeno peppers
• tomatoes
• green peppers
• green beans
• corn
• mini watermelons!!

How cute are the watermelons? Boding and I couldn’t get over them.

We kissed them.

We loved on them.

We cradled them like babies.

Then we tossed them up in the air with joy. (I’m not ready for children.)

And then we put them away so we could use the other goodies to make SALSA!

Xtina’s Sweet & Spicy Salsa

Ingredients:

• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 small jalapeno peppers, diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp. honey (secret ingredient!)
• 1 tsp. salt
• juice of 1 lime

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in food processor or blender. Pulse until desired consistency is reached.

When I finished making the salsa, I had my roommate do a blind test with my salsa versus Publix’s salsa. She preferred mine! I was so excited. I felt like a younger, prettier, less pretentious Martha Stewart.

After our silliness with the watermelon and salsa, we made a seriously simple dinner:

Cumin-roasted chicken topped with salsa and sliced avocado, corn on the cob, and Trader Joe's spicy soy & flaxseed tortilla chips.

These chips have 6 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and 500 mg of omega 3’s per serving. They’re definitely a better alternative – no perservatives either!

How do you like your salsa?

Chunky? Pureed well? Spicy? Fruity?

Cilantro: love it or leave it?

CSA Week 5: Orzo with Chicken and Green Beans

I’m now on my 5th week of my CSA with Gruber Farm. I’m really enjoying the variety of each box and how fresh the vegetables are. Every box is a new surprise. Sometimes I don’t even wait until I leave my pickup location to look at what’s inside.

Week 5 contents:

• collards
• broccoli
• purple potatoes
• zucchini
• yellow squash
• strawberries
• string beans
• kale (not pictured – I donated it to one of the nice gym employees)

This face shows how excited I was about the purple potatoes.

In my right hand are some fancy beets that are known as both “Candy Cane Beets” and “Bullseye Beets” for the striped pattern inside.

The inside of the purple potatoes are pretty too. They are a purplish color because they contain anthocyanin – the same antioxidant found in blueberries.

I’ve shared plenty of beet recipes with you: Beets with Yogurt & Walnuts, Citrus Walnut Beet Dip,  Beet Chips, Glazed Beets, and my very favorite Beet Risotto with Goat Cheese.

I’ve even made mashed purple potatoes with goat cheese!

Time for something new. Check out this recipe from my hero, Martha Stewart. Did I choose to share this recipe with you because it contains Orzo? Yes.

Orzo with Chicken, Corn, and Green Beans

Ingredients

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 pound orzo
• 8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 whole roasted chicken, (3 pounds), skin discarded, shredded (about 3 1/2 cups)

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook orzo until al dente, according to package instructions; add green beans during last 6 minutes of cooking. Drain; rinse under cold water until cooled.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add corn and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Toss pasta and green beans with corn mixture and chicken. Season generously with salt and pepper.

(via)

You can make this in about 20 minutes! And when you pick up that box of orzo, I hope you think of me. ;)

I pretty much just asked for a slew of tweets of orzo pictures, didn’t I?

Tonight is the first meeting of the book club I organized last month. I’m so excited to have everyone over to discuss Fifty Shades of Grey. I  can just imagine the conversations we’ll have…

What’s your favorite green vegetable?

Are you in a book club? What are you reading right now?

Food, Fashion, and Funny

The Food. I’m often asked where I get my recipe ideas from. The long answer is “All day I dream about food.” (A.D.I.D.A.F.?) The short answer is magazines. I currently subscribe to ELEVEN magazines, 10 of which are either health or food related.  I’m sure this is an abnormal amount to be receiving monthly, but subscriptions prices are much cheaper than buying off the newsstands. Here are the magazines I subscribe to, in the order of how much I love them.

Food Network - tons of recipes from your favorite chefs, both easy and difficult, and fun kitchen products.

Real Simple – ideas for food, home, body, and soul. Lots of tips & tricks for simple living.

Women’s Health – tips for getting in shape, exercises, workout gear, and healthy recipes.

Health – very good resource of information!

Fitness – very similar to Women’s Health but with less information.

Every Day with Rachael Ray – This magazine made me not hate Rachael Ray anymore. She has some great recipes and this magazine is very fun to read.

Shape – just like WH and Fitness.

Saveur – highlights authentic cuisines from all over the world. The recipes are pretty intense and a bit unrealistic.

Clean Eating – this magazine is informative, but sometimes the recipes are so “clean” that they’re boring and tasteless.

Martha Stewart’s Whole Living – I love Martha, but this isn’t her best magazine. It’s a bit boring.

Food & Wine – fun to read about foods from all over the world, but the recipes are also unrealistic. 

Which magazines do you subscribe to? Which are your favorites?

The Fashion. Saving money by purchasing yearly subscriptions means you can splurge in other areas like fashion! I just added another Longchamp Le Pliage to my wardrobe. I went to Gwynn’s with the intention of buying a basic black tote that I’d be able to wear year-round. But when I spotted the large the “Palm Green” shade, I could not resist.

 

And finally, The Funny. My old roomie, Boding, just sent me this picture message : “What the heck? I asked for a wagon on a hill and someone put a tombstone. Someone is getting cut.”

Why the heck would Publix think someone would want a tombstone on a birthday cake?!?!