Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

I am back to cooking (and blogging) now that life has calmed down a lot!

Yesterday I tested a cookie from Taste of Home- Best Loved Cookies & Bars for the Christmas season. This cookie was very easy to make and I think gives the uh-ah factor that I look for during the holidays. The only thing I will need to do differently next time is melt the chocolate for the top a little bit more so it does not go on so thick.

24 maraschino cherries

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all- purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk chocolate chips, divided

1/2 teaspoon shortening

Pat cherries with paper towels to remove excess moisture; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in cherry juice and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

Insert a chocolate chip into each maraschino cherry. Wrap a tablespoon of dough around each cherry. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt shortening with remaining chips; stir until smooth. Dip tops of cookies in melted chocolate. Let stand until set. Store in air tight containers.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

I miss cooking...and blogging...

Unfortunately I have not been doing a lot of cooking, and therefore not a lot of blogging this month. I have been busy with all sorts of things, including a class for work that is Friday-Sunday for the past two weekends.

Tonight I am cooking for some friends who just had a baby, lasagna and pineapple coconut loaf cake. I have blogged about both recipes in the past.

Next weekend things should slow down a bit and I will be back in the kitchen! I have plans for several recipes but the one I am the most excited to try is homemade bread!

TTFN!

Italian Chili

I made this one out of Soups Stews & Chilies a special edition magazine from the editors of Cuisine at Home (love their regular bi-monthly magazine by the way) and thought it might be a good way to start out some cool weather.

The recipe was easy to follow and is filled with things that I thought Peter would just flip for. Italian sausage, pepperoni, beans ect. It filled the house with the beautiful smells of Italian cuisine and I couldn't wait to try a bowl!

Well.......Peter thought it was too rich and didn't finish his bowl.....I never did get a good answer out of him about the actual taste of the dish. I do have to agree with him that it was very rich but it was also pretty tasty, it reminded me of pizza. However, I do not think I will be making it again, it was good but not a keeper.

Foodbuzz Publisher Community Launches

If you look to the left on my blog you will see links to Foodbuzz which is a great online community of Foodies like me who like to cook, bake, and dine out all around the country. I joined the Foodbuzz family in March 2008 and I must say I am so proud to be a part of it!

I would like to help them in officially announcing their publisher community! Check it out when you have some time, this is a great place to meet people who love food and to hear reviews and feedback about your local restaurants!

Cheers!

A Seasonal Treat

Even though I try I just can not seem to break my coffee addiction.....I am just too weak!

Every year around this time Coffeemate releases their Peppermint Mocha creamer and I just can not resist it. I saw it a Publix, on sale for 2 for $4.00 and I just had to buy the last four on the shelf!

Peter was so disappointed in me, he said that I am hoarding coffee creamer like people hoard gas! I say so be it!! This stuff is hard to come by and is only around for a limited time!!

Sage Rubbed Pork Chops with Warm Apple Slaw

DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!

Really, really delicious! Peter is into pork chops recently so I have been looking for creative and healthy ways to fix them and this one is a winner from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger. The classic combination of sage, apples and pork immediately caught my eye and with the addition of carrots and cabbage I had a feeling the dish would hit the spot.

The recipe is fairly easy to put together. I like to prep everything before I start cooking to ensure nothing becomes overcooked. I shredded the carrots into long strips with my vegetable peeler, I thought it gave a nice visual interest. I also must admit that I took some help from the store and bought preshredded cabbage. I love cabbage and cook with it a lot, but often times I find chopping a head of cabbage a little daunting so this is one area that I normally buy preshredded.

The chops which marinate in a mixture of chopped fresh sage, minced garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper for about 10 minutes and then they are browned in the pan. The chops are then removed and the onions, apples and more fresh sage sauteed until soft. Then in go the rest of the veggies with a bit of cider vinegar. This cooks down for a short time and then the pan is deglazed with chicken stock. The chops are then placed back into the pan and covered to simmer for about 5-7 minutes longer. The result is absolutely one of the best meals I have had in months.

At only 330 calories per serving Sage Rubbed Pork Chops with Warm Apple Slaw will be a meal made in the Kallos household again and again.

Pasta E Fagioli

I arrived home around 7:00 PM last evening from my trip to London feeling so happy to have had the experience and homesick all at the same time. London was absolutely fantastic and more beautiful than I imagined. It was also a very busy 10 days at the convention I was attending.

I am fighting a bit of jet lag and feeling a little blue....I think because I am completely exhausted so I thought that a nice comforting soup would be the best bet for dinner tonight.

Pasta E Fagioli from my latest special edition magazine from Cooks Illustrated. The recipe sounded like it would be light enough for the still warmish temperature and comforting at the same time and I was right.

It is filled with tomatoes, beans, onions (I added the chicken because Peter prefers a heartier soup) and a surprising ingredient....anchovy paste! It really did add a great richness to the soup without a fishy taste. Topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and crisp prosciutto it really hit the spot!

This one is a keeper and has me in the mood to make more soups. I love Autumn, I can not wait for the air to get crisp and cool, it really inspires me to spend more time in the kitchen.