Chocolate mint chip cookies

When I went shopping for groceries, I wanted to make sure I stocked up on staple baking ingredients. So, I got flour, sugar, chocolate chips, pecans, and the. I splurged and picked up some Andes Mints chips. If you haven’t had or seen them, you are sorely missing out! I remember, every Christmas morning, going through my stocking and loving all he little toys and trinkets; but, I loved that there was always a box of Andes Mints left on the mantle. That meant they were fair game for whomever wanted some. I think I ate most of shared them.

Fast forward to today. I stared blankly at the chips and the recipe found on the back of the package. This just wouldn’t do. I thought the chips needed a good, strong chocolate cookie to match the minty goodness I had grown to love. So, searched online for a good base cookie, but everything I saw was a chocolate chip cookie-like base with…well, with chocolate added. I needed something with more of a cocoa base. Since I didn’t find anything, I decided to just make my own recipe.

Before I give you the recipe, I will give you a couple pointers. This is a very dry recipe, so when you add the dry to wet ingredients, use your hands. It’s the best way to feel how well it’s mixed. These cookies, unlike most, do not expand when in the oven. If you put the dough in a ball shape or flatten it out, it will stay that way. I wasn’t sure how they would bake, and I ended up flattening half of the first batch before they finished baking. Finally, like any baked good, they will continue to bake, even after out of the oven. So, used parchment paper and bake only for the time indicated. The parchment paper will keep them from sticking.

Amber’s Chocolate Mint Cookies
• 1.5 sticks softened butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 & 3/4 cups flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 bag of Andes Mints baking pieces

In a large bowl cream sugars and butter, add eggs and vanilla thoroughly. In another bowl mix dry in ingredients. Add dry to wet ingredients and mix with hands. Add chocolate mint chips well.
On lined cookie sheet, drop rounded (or flattened) spoonfuls about and inch apart. Bake at 375* for 8.5 minutes. Allow to cool approx 2 minted before transferring to cooling rack.

You can see the difference in the rounded cookies vs. the flattened ones. They both tasted amazing. Just ask my two-year-old that ate three as soon as he woke from his nap!

It’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas

Things are beginning to really look, and smell, like Christmas around here. From the last post, mincemeat cake, to the tree being up, we are ready to celebrate the season!

I found lots of Pinterest ideas for scenting the house and decided that I would come up with my own. Enjoy!

Spicy Orange Simmer
• 4 juicing oranges, quartered
• Two “healthy” dashes of cinnamon
• 1 TBSP whole cloves

Put into medium sauce pot all ingredients, cover with water. Simmer on low. Add water as it dissipates.

Amber’s Notes: I love Christmas time. The scents, the lights, the snow great weather. In it all, remember the real reason for the season! Christ, the Savior, is born!

Mincemeat Cake

So, it felt great to get back to the store to shop today.  I never thought I would enjoy shopping, but I did.  I went with my list and made sure I re-upped my staples (sugar, flour, eggs, milk, chocolate chips, etc.)  What I didn’t do was take my cookbook with me to make sure I had all the random ingredients for specific recipes.  Needless to say, I had a small panic attack was able to calmly decide what to make when I realized I didn’t have any enchilada sauce, tortillas, or powdered sugar (not the same recipes).

So, I went back to the pantry and looked at what I had available: fig preserves, pear mincemeat from this post, and other various pantry staples.   I remembered a recipe, back in May, that called for mincemeat.  That would have to do.  I also had all the other ingredients.

I was excited to be able to use a preserved item that I preserved myself.  I even had to use a knife to unseal the lid, it was THAT well-sealed!  I remember having to do that when opening my grandmother’s preserves and jams.  I guess I did it right?!  And when I added it to the mix, i had to taste the concoction (since it had been January since I made it)…umm…YUM!

Anyway, the cake is fairly simple and the mincemeat could easily be substituted with other fruit preserves.  I think fig would probably work well. *note: I have not tried it with other preserves or jams, so I can not attest to the consistency of a cake made with them.

This cake was a fairly wet mix and I had a hunch that the baking time would need to be increased.  I was right.  I tested the center of the cake at the end of the stated time and needed to increase the time 5 minutes TWICE.  I also used a ceramic corningware dish.  It calls for a 13x9x2 pan with no specificity of the kind, but I’m sure it was supposed to be an actual metal pan.  However, the result was DELISH!

Enjoy!

Mincemeat Cake

• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup homemade mincemeat (I used pear mincemeat)
• 1 cup milk, or buttermilk
• 1 tsp soda
• 2 cups flour
• pinch of salt

Beat together sugar, butter, and eggs.  Add mincemeat.  Mix soda in milk; add  to creamed mixture alternately with flour and salt.  Pour into 13x9x2 pan.  Bake at 375* for about 20 minutes (test center to determine done-ness).  Top with recipe below

Topping

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 TBSP grated orange peel
• 2 TBSP orange juice
• 1.3 cup coconut (or nuts) I used 1/6 coconut & 1/6 pecan
• 2 TBSP softened butter

Mix together all ingredients and pour on top of warm cake.  Broil in oven until top of cake is bubbly

Grandma’s Notes: 5/27/95- Lance and Marcus came; Marcus plowed the garden.  6/4/95- Church service was good.  When we think about it, how terrible life would be without love.  Barry Monroe was at church with Haley.  Went home and finished book.  I think I’ll read it again.  Started reading; then to bed.

Home again…

I am on my way home from a 13-wk job in Texas. I will guarantee recipes will be done for the holidays. Thanks to the followers that have kept up with me, even though I wasn’t cooking!

Dear Grandma…

Dear Grandma,

Thank you for all the great recipes.  I am sorry that in my busy 21st century life I have not been able to balance family, home, work, and cooking.  I don’t envy how busy you must have been with THREE growing boys and a farmer husband.  How did you manage to do it all?!  I only hope that when my life’s pace slows a bit, I will be able to do justice to the last few recipes I really want to try.

Sincerely,

Your hard-working, pseudo-homemaking granddaughter,

Amber

 

I haven’t forgotten!

I really wish I had more time to be as thorough as I once was with the baking & cooking.

I made orange honey bread the other day…it ended up looking more like a bread bowl than a loaf.  And I guess it tasted good.  I mean for something with no sugar, it was ok.  However, not so good I would give the recipe.  Sorry grandma, not this one.

Next time…next time. 

Mexican cornbread

There are quite a few things I love about Texas…tonight, one of those was hatch chiles.  If you aren’t familiar with them, you should be.  They have a fantastic smoked flavor and go with everything!  That being said, I wanted to sub them into a cornbread recipe to go with some pulled pork.  However, dinner was ready and I hadn’t even taken out the ingredients!

So, I just went ahead a made it for whomever, and whenever.

Look at that color!  The picture doesn’t do it justice.

Mexican Cornbread
1 cup cornmeal
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup melted butter
3 smoked hatch chiles cleaned and diced up(recipe calls for 1/2 lb ground beef sauteed with onion and jalapenos)
Grated rat cheese (pretty sure she meant cheddar)

Mix all ingredients, except for cheese and chiles.  Pour one half of the batter into a hot, greased skillet.  Place chiles on top of mix and cover with cheese.  Pour remaining batter on top.  Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350°.

Grandma’s Notes: 8/5/93- Carried April to the doctor with her east.  I had to put in drops.  She fought me like a little tiger.
THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME TAKE COURAGE WHEN THINGS GO WRONG.  MAY I NEVER GIVE UP.