Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

It starts with that first pumpkin coffee, on an unexpected crisp morning in September. {You always have to go to Starbucks or Dunkins for it, because Keurig doesn’t have their fall K-cups out quite yet, and lord knows you didn’t save any from last year.}  Then you stock your fridge with pumpkin beer.  Next you find yourself picking up a few pumpkins at the local farm stand.  All of a sudden you’re pulling out your recipe binder to find last year’s pumpkin recipes, and clogging up your Pinterest board with 15 variations of pumpkin muffins.  Just like that, the annual Pumpkin Madness ensues, and will continue until the day after Thanksgiving, when sparkly bulbs and mistletoe abruptly take the place of your farmstand finds.

For me, Pumpkin Madness is the first sign that my favorite season for cooking has commenced.  I abandon my grill, turn on the oven, wipe Hannaford out of canned organic pumpkin {confession: I just can’t be bothered with the labor of using a whole pumpkin} and go to town cooking up pumpkin everything.

This year, I kicked off the fun with an old favorite: pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.  This is a great gateway pumpkin food if you are weary of the gourdtastic goodness.  They’re just like regular chocolate chip cookies, but with a hint of something different.  And the texture? Oh, the texture.  The light, cake-like consistency will have you convinced that’s okay to consume them by the 1/2 dozen. {I won’t judge.}  Put them in the refrigerator? It's a whole new cookie.  

For the full effect, enjoy with a mug of hot cider.  Happy Harvest!

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies 

(yields exactly 2 ½ dozen if you eat a cookie or two worth of batter)

Ingredients
1 c canned pumpkin (I never measure this, but use just over ½ of a 15oz can.)
1 c granulated sugar
½ c vegetable oil
1 egg
2 c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp milk
1½ Tbs vanilla extract
1 12oz. bag semisweet chocolate chips

Directions 

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, oil and egg.  In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Dissolve baking soda in the milk and stir in to the flour mixture.  Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and  stir by hand until well combined.  Add vanilla and chocolate chips and stir gently. Drop by spoonful on parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Butternut Squash Risotto

As promised, I am sharing the butternut squash risotto recipe that I made for my dinner party last weekend.   I am so glad I discovered this recipe early on in the harvest season.  I suspect I’ll be making it again…maybe even for a Thanksgiving side dish!
 
What I love about risotto is that it always feels like a special dish {perfect for entertaining} but it doesn’t carry the pressure of a difficult dish.   I used to be intimidated by risotto.  “They” say it is a challenge to get it just right, that you can’t step away for a moment, lest you ruin the dish.  True, it does require attention.  The first few times I made risotto, I remained firmly planted in front of the stove throughout the entire process.  But once you have a feel for it, it’s a breeze.  Don’t let the naysayers scare you…they just want you to think it’s difficult so you will be impressed when they make it!  {Actually, “they” might be on to something.} 

There is no shortage of butternut squash risotto recipes out there.  After pouring over dozens of nearly identical recipes, I went with this one from Epicurious.  {Their collection includes recipes from Gourmet and Bon Appetit, and I always seem to find just what I’m looking for.} 
 
Per usual,  I made some changes to the recipe to suit my tastes.  I couldn’t bring myself to add cumin to the dish, especially since I knew I had at least one guest who didn’t care for spicy foods.  Instead, I added some freshly ground ginger. {I use it every chance I get.}  The recipe also called for the addition of roughly chopped spinach or arugula just before serving.  While the greens would have added nice flavor, I just wasn’t willing to sacrifice that creaminess.  Finally, and perhaps most important…go ahead and peel all of the squash.  Trying to remove the skin after roasting is a needless hassle.  I kept some crescent shapes with skin-on, as the original recipe suggested, and the shape was long gone by the time I got the skin off, so they ended up mixed in with the rest anyway.  It’s hard to pass up New England’s farm-fresh squash for a mere $.99/lb. this time of year, but if you really want to keep it simple take my mother’s advice {that I ignored}: buy it pre-peeled and cubed. 
 
Go ahead…pour yourself a glass of wine, put on some good music, hang out in front of your stove for 45 minutes, and get your risotto on.  You won’t be sorry!

Ingredients {4-6 main courses}
3lb butternut squash
6 c nonfat chicken broth (give or take)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tbs unsalted butter
1½ cups Arborio rice
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbs fresh ground ginger
5 or 6 Tbs finely grated Parmigiano-reggiano
1 tsp salt
1½ tsp chopped fresh sage (plus more for garnish

Directions

Roast squash:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Halve squash lengthwise and seed, then cut into 1” cubes and season with salt.  Roast in a shallow baking pan in middle of oven until tender and golden, about 50 minutes. Tent pan with foil to keep warm after removing from oven.

Start risotto after squash has been roasting 40 minutes:
In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a simmer and keep at a bare simmer, covered. Meanwhile, cook onion in butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add rice, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup simmering broth and cook at a strong simmer, stirring frequently, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth 1/2 cup at a time {just use a ladle – close enough} , stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is creamy-looking but still al dente {it should be the consistency of thick soup}, about 18 minutes total. {There will likely be leftover broth.} Stir in squash pieces, then stir in cheese, salt and sage and simmer, stirring, 1 minute. {If necessary, thin risotto with some leftover broth.} Serve risotto immediately, garnished with fresh sage.

Dinner Party

There are few things I enjoy as much as throwing a dinner party.  Sure, big bashes have their time and place {I’m looking at you, holiday extravaganzas!} but when my guest numbers start to climb above 30, I find it challenging {and expensive!} to prepare the quality of food I’d like.  I have visions of a chef-quality kitchen with 6 or 8 burners, 2 ovens, and an endless island of counter space dancing in my head.  But, until that dream comes true, it’s working with what I’ve got and hoping that I can get hors d’oeuvres from the kitchen to the table before the guys at the party have plucked half of them off the tray.  {Not as easy as it sounds…trust me.}

But, dinner parties?  Whole different scenario.  My sweet spot for a dinner party is six.  The table fits six {and even then I’ve got to hope for two kind, skinny guests who won’t mind being wedged in a bit}, many recipes yield six servings {or can easily be 1-and-a-halved to get there}, and I seem to have about six each of most of my favorite little serving dishes.  But most of all, I can take my time and cook GOOD food {or at least attempt to} when I only have six of us to serve.  {If you have ever been to one of my dinner parties, you know that I mean it when I say, “take my time.”  I am working on that.}

Last weekend I hosted a dinner party honoring two dear friends.  They were married a few weeks ago and I wasn’t able to be there, so this was my little way to celebrate them with a few other friends in the same circle.  J was out of town and it was the first time I’d truly entertained without him or one of my old roomies there to take a coat or pour a glass of wine while I kept an eye on the kitchen.  But, with only five good friends to worry about, there wasn’t much to worry about at all.

One of the other reasons I love dinner parties is because I get to cook for a different audience.  J and I will eat just about anything, but we are certainly the exception to the rule.  I really enjoy taking various guests’ allergies, dislikes and dietary restrictions into account and creating a menu that will please all and maybe even get everyone {myself included} to taste something a little different.  In this case, one guest of honor was a vegetarian.  I’ve never prepared a vegetarian main course in my life.  But, immediately I knew I’d be focusing on mushrooms…until I realized the other guest of honor dislikes mushrooms and onions.  Throw in a dislike of seafood {go ahead, be horrified} and an aversion to raisins and this? Was a challenge.  I love a challenge!  

I figured a pasta dish would be the way to go to ensure that we carnivores felt like we were having something substantial.  At first I considered some variety of homemade ravioli, but I ultimately decided on butternut squash risotto.  It was fantastic, if I do say so myself. {And I do.}  The seasons are just starting to change, and it was a nice fall-inspired dish for a chilly night.  Risotto is a little tricky to keep an eye on while you try to enjoy your earlier courses with your guests, but it all works out.  {Note to self: dream kitchen will also have open layout so I can see my guests at the dining room table whilst stirring my risotto at the 6-burner stovetop.  I hate missing even a moment of good dinner conversation.}

The rest of the menu was less challenging to keep vegetarian, and I was happy to find ways to work in a shout out to the groom {a connoisseur of the chicken finger} and also work in some nuts for extra protein.  There wasn’t much of a theme, which is unusual for me, but I kind of enjoyed the summer flavors and fall flavors coming together…it felt just right for early September.

 

 

Here is the full menu.  Butternut Squash Risotto recipe to follow soon!  

~Antipasto Skewers

~Gorgonzola & Fig Crostini with Honey Drizzle

~Baked “Chicken Toes” and Artichokes with Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Sauce

~Spinach, Strawberry & Avocado Salad with Walnuts, Drizzled with Meyer Lemon Oil and  Blackberry Balsamic

~Butternut Squash Risotto

~3-layer Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting and Raspberry Coulis

Chocolate Crack

Over Labor Day weekend, I committed a series of highly uncharacteristic behaviors.  1- I decided to have an impromptu get-together with only about 24 hours notice. {The uncharacteristic word here would be: impromptu.}  2- I encouraged guests to bring dishes to share and kept the things I made to a minimum.  {Typically, I would still go ahead and make enough food to render the guests’ contributions excessive.}  3- This is the kicker.  The things I did make?  They were EASY.  Just 2 simple desserts {Chocolate Crack and Nutella Cookies} and my go-to No-Bake Nacho Dip that I’ve been making since my early 20’s {when it was often consumed by four or five of us girls after four or five cocktails.}  That’s it.  Throwing a party has never been so simple!  I actually sat on the couch, had a glass of lemonade and WAITED for guests to arrive.   

Not that I’ve been converted.  I’ve been thinking about the menu for an upcoming dinner party for weeks.  {More on that next week.} 

So, before my brief simplicity phase passes, I have to tell you about Chocolate Crack.  Yes, that's what I said. Chocolate Crack.   The friend who gave me this recipe actually called them “New Hampshire Breakway Cookies,” which is all polite and family-friendly...but really doesn't convey the urgency with which you will consume these delicious little sweet & salty treats.  Go ahead and make this recipe, and decide for yourself what to call it. 

Chocolate Crack

Ingredients:

Saltine crackers {the original ones, people – this is not the time to watch your sodium intake!}
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
12oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips {approx.}

1/4 cup chopped walnuts {approx.}

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 350.  Line a cookie sheet with foil and Pam it. In a small nonstick sauce pan, bring sugar and butter to a boil over med-high high, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and continue to boil for 3 minutes – do not stir. Immediately spread mixture evenly over crackers and bake for 5-7 minutes. {A rubber spatula works well for the spreading.}  Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips liberally. {I used the better part of the bag.} Pop it back in the over for about 30-60 seconds to soften the chips. Remove from the oven and spread the now-melting chips evenly.  Sprinkle chopped walnuts to taste and set sheet aside to cool.

Once cooled, break into pieces and enjoy. {Patience is not a virtue.  Go ahead and place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator to speed up the process.}  If you manage not to eat it all in one sitting, store what’s left in an air tight container.  

Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes

Everyone loves a beachy cocktail. Even in the dead of winter, sipping on a frozen, fruity drink will transport you to your the Caribbean, where you are relaxing by turquoise waters, warm sun on your cheeks, toes in the white sand, just waiting for your handsome cabana boy to come by and adjust your lounge chair. No? Just me? The point is, when I started to see recipes for margarita cupcakes popping up in various blogs and magazines, I knew I had to try them. Luckily, I had a housewarming party coming up, and the hostess loves margaritas. Excuse, found!

I spent nearly as long searching for the right recipe as I did actually making the cupcakes. Some didn’t call for any liquor {?!} and there were many that called for boxed cake mix with a few clever additions. When I do something, I like to do it right. That translates to no virgin cocktails {even in the cupcake form} and no short cuts.

When I came across The Baker Chick’s Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes post, knew I’d found The One. I loved the recipe, so I really didn’t do much to alter it.

I was short on time, so I decided to pipe in the filling instead of going through the painstaking process of cutting each cupcake. {If you’ve never done this, simply fill a pastry bag with the filling and using a long tip, insert the tip into the center of the cupcake, give it a squeeze, and voila! Cupcake filled.} Unfortunately, my smallest tip was too narrow, and the strawberry seeds kept clogging it up. When I switched to a tip with a wider opening, the filling poured out. {It is quite fluid…but the cupcake absorbs it quickly.} Plan C: I made a few small holes in the top of each cupcake with a straw, and used a teeny-tiny appetizer spoon to get a little filling into each one of them. It was enough to get a little flavor in there, but when I make these again I will take the time to cut the tops OR strain the filling to remove the strawberry seeds so I can pipe it. I saved my leftover filling…it wouldn’t take much to turn it into a delicious cocktail!

To get the full effect, you've got to dress these up like real margaritas! I found some small candy fruit slices {which I cut in half}, added little cocktail umbrellas, and cut some drink stirrers in half to make “straws.”

Cheers!

Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes
{makes 24 cupcakes}

Cupcakes:
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs

3 limes, zested and juiced
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

Strawberry Tequila Puree:
8 oz strawberries, hulled & sliced
1 lime, zested and juiced
1/2 cup of tequila
2 tablespoons of sugar

Frosting:
1 cup shortening
1 cup butter, slightly chilled
4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup strawberry tequila puree

DIRECTIONS:
Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325˚ F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend. Using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Blend in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the lime zest, lime juice and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat each addition just until incorporated. Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

Filling:
While the cupcakes are baking, add your strawberries, lime juice, tequila and sugar to the bowl of a food processor. Puree the mixture until there are no chunks of strawberry. Set aside.

Filling the cupcakes:
Using a small paring knife, cut a cone out of the top of each cupcake. Remove the cut-out cake and spoon a tablespoon of strawberry puree into each cupcake. Replace the top part of the cone, cutting the tip to leave room for the filling.

Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and butter on high until well mixed and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, alternating with a tablespoon at a time of the Strawberry puree. Mix until the frosting is thick and creamy. Spread or pipe onto cupcakes.