Chocolate Crinkles

Chocolate Crinkles

These cookies are from my childhood and couldn't be easier to make. I like to keep the dough in the fridge and bake only as many cookies as I can eat at a time so that they are always freshly baked. Last night I served these with homemade vanilla ice cream.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:


1. Melt chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat together flour and baking powder. In a mixer, blend eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cooking oil together. Gradually add to chocolate mixture, until well mixed. Gradually add flour mixture to chocolate mixture. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until firm enough to handle.

3. Turn oven to 375. With your hands, shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place powdered sugar in a small bowl. Roll the balls in the powdered sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

4. Bake for 10-12 minutes (only 8 minutes in my oven) or until edges are firm. Cool on rack. If desired, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.

Just in Time for Turkey Day....

The other day I was in full-force nesting mode (I think the baby will be here soon..less than 20 days until I'm due!) and was cooking up a storm (now I'm baking up a storm). I've been collecting food magazines lately and have been trying as many recipes as I can before the baby comes.

One recipe that sounded like a good "freezer meal" (something we can pull out of the freezer on a day I can't cook) was Gourmet's Coffee-Braised Beef with Cinnamon and Orange. We ended up eating the roast that day, however, because I thought I had overcooked it. Fortunately I didn't overcook the roast and it was as tender as can be. I will definitely be trying this recipe again with a slow cooker (rather than in the oven) as it leaves a wonderful scent wafting through the house and it would be even more simple in the slow cooker.

Since I had recently found out that my baby was on the small side, I decided to make an extra effort to eat more. So far I've done pretty well. That night I made 3 different sides that would all work wonderfully for Thanksgiving.

1.) Roasted Artichokes

This recipe came from the box the artichokes were sold in (from Trader Joe's). I boiled the chokes a few days before and prepared them so that all I had to do for this meal was roast them with the chuck roast. The combo of balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and basil complimented the entire meal. However, I still prefer my artichokes with lemon, garlic, and pepper straight off the grill.

2.) Stuffed Mushrooms

Usually I just grill mushrooms if I'm already grilling but I decided to try something different. I didn't feel like putting much effort into making stuffed mushrooms so I just used a recipe from the Food Network.

I could barely keep myself from eating all of the mushrooms before my husband came to the table. These are super simple and very tasty. To make my life easier I had already chopped up the ingredients and toasted some homemade breadcrumbs (always better than store bought in my opinion) the night before.

3.) Brussel Sprouts and Potatoes

I've made this recipe before but this time I included the potatoes. While this dish should provide leftovers (with only 2 of us eating the meal), I couldn't leave a single morsel on the plate. Every piece of bacon, potato, and sprout was consumed during the meal. This would be a great side for Thanksgiving. You can prepare all of the ingredients ahead of time.

With all of the baking I've done lately I should have some more posts soon but just in case...have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

** I will most likely be posting more than one post at a time so be sure to check below each post for a new entry!**

Tip: Spring Rolls

A few months ago I discovered a package of spring roll wrappers in the refrigerated (noodle) section of Ranch 99 that was different from the rest. They looked like lumpia wrappers but didn't specify on the package.

I made spring rolls using these wrappers and they were truly the best spring rolls I've ever made and some of the best I've ever tasted. The wrappers fry to a perfect golden color and are crispy without bubbling up. Hopefully they stock these wrappers everytime! (If I get them next time I go to 99 Ranch Market I'll try to remember to take a picture of the package.)

Red Bean Buns

I have finally made steamed red bean buns with the help of a fantastic bao mix that I bought from Ranch 99.

The instructions are in English and are very easy to understand. I used my electric mixer with the paddle attachment to mix the dough and the dough hook to knead it (the mix requires 45 minutes total kneading time). When it came time to making the buns I used a rolling pin to make the dough thin.

The final result was delicious. Using about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of sweet red bean paste seemed to be ideal. I steamed the buns 4 at a time in my small steamer for 15-20 minutes. They reheat nicely in the microwave.

Apple-Oat Muffins

Last Christmas I got my mom a subscription to Vegetarian Times because she was trying to cook more healthy meals with less meat. Well, that gift idea failed because she just passed the magazines off to me without trying any of the recipes. So she gets to wait and see if the recipes turn out well for me before she tries to make them.

Most recipes in Vegetarian Times are super simple or they require vegan products that I won't spend the money on . However, occasionally I find something delicious to make.

Before I went on bedrest I made a batch of Apple-Oat Muffins from VT that were delicious and much healthier than the average muffin.

Apple-Oat Muffins
01-MAR-06, Vegetarian Times

Makes 12 -- Low-fat

This muffin is so delicious and moist, it’s one of our top 5 favorite recipes in the issue. The batter fills the muffin cups more than most recipes, but it won’t overflow when baked.

2 cups peeled, finely diced apples, such as McIntosh (2 to 3 medium apples)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
8 oz. plain low-fat yogurt (1 cup)
1/4 cup non-fat milk
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Coat 12 standard muffin pan cups with cooking spray.

2. Place diced apple on paper towels to drain; pat dry. Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl, and stir with whisk. Combine yogurt, milk, oil, vanilla and egg in small bowl and stir to blend. Make well in center of flour mixture; add milk mixture, stirring just until moist. Mix in apple.

3. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups. Bake 20 minutes, or until muffins spring back when pressed lightly in center. Remove from pan, and cool on wire rack.

PER SERVING: 174 CAL; 4 G PROT; 3 G TOTAL FAT (0 SAT. FAT); 32 G CARB.; 19 MG CHOL; 248 MG SOD.; 1 G FIBER; 16 G SUGARS