Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

Your taste buds will be awakened with these delicious Espresso Cookies.  They are made with soft and chewy espresso-vanilla dough, chocolate chips, and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt. Basically…a heavenly combo. The recipe makes 21 cookies. The recipe was adapted from gimmesomeoven.com

A word about ingredients

Espresso powder

• There’s just the right amount of espresso here to announce that these are decidedly coffee-flavored cookies, without being too subtle or too overblown. And the espresso — as the coffee flavor is always faithful to do — brought out an even richer depth of flavor in the semisweet chocolate chips and paired beautifully with the buttery-vanilla flavor of the dough as well. I made sure that the texture of the dough remained perfectly soft and chewy, just the way I like it. And the finishing pinch of flaky sea salt adds the perfect salty crunch to each bite.
• Espresso powder is the magic ingredient that adds delicious flavor to these cookies! feel free to use any brand of espresso powder that you prefer. (Also please note that espresso powder is different from and packs considerably stronger flavor than instant coffee.)

Cornstarch: 

• I always add a few teaspoons of cornstarch to chocolate chip cookies, which helps to keep them extra soft and chewy.

Flaky Sea Salt

• It is an optional ingredient but add an extra salty crunch to each bite.

Espresso Cookies
Ingredients:

• 1 -1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons espresso powder
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Optional: A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on each cookie 
• Optional 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

• Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt until combined. Set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugars. Using a separate mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugars on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy and a pale yellow color, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally as needed.
• Combine egg and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the dry ingredient mixture, and beat on medium-low speed until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand, using a spatula or wooden spoon, until they are evenly combined.
• The batter is on the dry side but comes together when shaped into dough balls. Chill dough for 30 minutes and then form dough into 2-inch balls. 
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are slightly crispy and the tops of the cookies are lightly golden. The centers may look slightly undercooked. Remove the cookies and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if you would like.
  
  
  
  

  Another espresso cookie recipe to consider is using half espresso chocolate chips and regular semi-sweet chocolate when making your traditional cookie dough. 

  

  Recipe at  https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2020/07/espresso-to-go.html

Turkey Reruns

Turkey Leftovers (Rerun) 

What to do with turkey leftovers. But in this case, if the turkey is all gone chicken is always a good substitute. 
 

Artichoke Divan

Turkey Divan

Turkey Mushroom Soup 

These recipes pictured above can be found on the link below

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2019/11/thanksgiving-rerun.html

Turkey Tetrazzini

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2021/11/turkey-tetrazzini.html

Creamy Turkey Wild Rice Noodle Soup

Cooking Tip; Use chicken broth to reheat and thin out soup the next day. 

The recipe serves 6 and can easily be made in a slow cooker. Advance prep makes preparation of this soup easier to put together. I have used a rotisserie chicken in the past but this "go around" used leftover turkey meat. Note there are two unusual ingredients in this soup, Dijon mustard and apple juice. Both add a LOT to the soup's flavor don't skip. Veggies and wild rice can be prepped the day before assembly. This was such a tasty meal, well worth the effort.
If making a day ahead wait until reheating stage to add in noodles to avoid getting mushy.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chicken or turkey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup each of diced sweet onions, celery, and thinly diced carrots
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1- 32 oz box low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley 
• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
• 2 bay leaves 
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cups cooked wild rice
• 2 cups dried pasta noodles broken in half  e.g. fettuccine or spaghetti 
•  2 tablespoons butter
•  2 tablespoons flour
•  3/4 cup 2 % milk
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions: 

• In a large soup pot heat olive oil and saute onions, celery, carrots, and garlic for about 2 minutes. Then cover and sweat veggies 5 minutes longer. 
• Add chicken broth, spices, cider, mustard, cooked wild rice, and chicken or turkey. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Uncover add in broken noodles and cook for 7 minutes more. 
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat melt butter and add in flour. Cook roux stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk slowly and add in cream. Use a whisk to blend all ingredients. Add to the soup broth and cook on low heat until the soup starts to thicken.  Remove bay leaves. 
  

Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes

and to ensure you are off to a great start today try these fluffy Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes they may be one of the best pancakes you’ll ever eat! Just imagine your favorite pancake recipe, now add an Italian flair to it with creamy ricotta and fresh lemon zest with juicy blueberries. These pancakes are melt-in-your-mouth soft and tender, they’re perfectly fluffy, and you’ll love that bit of brightness and tang from the lemon. These are the perfect pancakes for your Sunday. Freeze leftover pancakes to enjoy during the week. The recipe makes 16 pancakes using a 1/3 cup of batter for each.

Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes

Cooking Tips: Do not over-mix the batter. Doing so activates the flour's gluten and too much gluten development leads to tough pancakes. Also, let the batter rest after mixing it for 10 minutes. This gives the gluten time to relax, which in turn helps keep the pancakes tender. 

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon each of baking soda and baking powder
• `1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, stir to soften
• Blueberries rinsed and patted dry on a paper towel 
• Butter for greasing griddle or cooking spray

Directions:

• Stir together the first six ingredients and set aside
• In another bowl whisk buttermilk, egg yolks, vanilla, and zest. Stir the flour mixture into the buttermilk mixture. Gently stir in ricotta cheese. 
• Beat egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into batter and then fold in blueberries. 
• Set aside the batter to rest for 10 minutes.
• Grease and heat a non-stick griddle at 350 degrees. Splash a drop of water on the griddle. When the griddle sizzles ready to cook the batter. 
• Use 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake.  Keep warm in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 200-degree oven for up to 15 minutes. 
• Serve with butter and warmed syrup.

 

I've made a pot of Creamy Turkey Wild Rice to share with you.

Turkey Rerun

 

A turkey sandwich made with fresh bread rates high on my list after Thanksgiving. So high I am making my own turkey this weekend for more leftovers though we were sent home with this "cute little box" holding leftovers from our hosts The Iversens. 

Bob is an experienced meat carver while Cathy attends to sides and table setting.

Martha was more than ready to dive into Cathy's retro Lime Gelatin Cottage Cheese Salad.

Indeed it was a feast enjoyed by all. Check out these delicious pumpkin and apple pies. We did manage a small slice to cap the meal several hours later. 

Northwoods Wild Rice Salad was one of my contributions and serves 6. I did double the dressing. If you are wondering where in AZ I came up with wild rice I brought a bag from MN just in case I couldn't find it here. The dressing was outstanding with this salad. 

Northwoods Wild Rice Salad 

Cook's Notes:

One cup of uncooked wild rice makes about 3 cups of cooked rice. Substitute chicken broth for water to add more flavor.  As a time saver, the rice can be made the day before and refrigerated until needed. 

Salad Ingredients: 

• 3 cups cooked wild rice or a blend
• Mixed greens and romaine
• 1 cup each mini sweet red and yellow peppers and diced red onions
• 1-1/2 cups red grapes (halved  if using larger ones) 
• 1-1/2 cups sugar snap peas, ends trimmed 
• 1 large honey crisp apple, diced
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans
• 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries or a few tablespoons of arils (pomegranate seeds found in a small container in the produce section) 

Dressing Ingredients (for 4):

• 1/3 cup olive oil (high quality)
• 3 tablespoons (high quality) white balsamic vinegar or Cranberry Pear Balsamic 
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 minced garlic clove
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Makeup dressing in a blender. Transfer the dressing to a screw-type jar and refrigerate until needed. 
• Mix up salad ingredients and drizzle with dressing. Top with toasted pecans.

Despite the fact it's past Halloween I did manage to find one pumpkin to create this fruit kabob appetizer with a yogurt dip.   

A turkey rerun idea Cranberry Turkey Sliders with Havarti Cheese

Turkey Wild Rice Soup and Turkey Tetrazzini   

Happy Thanksgiving

 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

You'll never miss a recipe posted on sockfairies.blogspot.com now as a new gadget (widget) has been installed near the top of the page right-hand side. Sign up with your email and each time a recipe is posted will be sent directly to your email.

Apple and Cranberry Crisp with Ginger Pecan Topping

Please Pass The Pumpkin-Count Your Blessings

The reality is how easy to get caught up in other things in life. Sometimes we need to stop, focus, and be intentional about counting our blessings. Make this the year of starting the tradition of the Gratitude Pumpkin. All you need is a pumpkin (Craft Store) a permanent marker and a heart full of gratitude. Before your meal have each person add a few things they are thankful for. Just keep turning the pumpkin around to add in each person's thoughts. 

 

Apple and Cranberry Crisp with Ginger Pecan Topping

Cook's notes: Take the chill out of a cool night by serving warm apple and cranberry crisp. The tart Granny Smith apples pair well with juicy cranberries. The crystallized ginger adds that extra oomph. An alternative in the ingredient list is using 2 Granny Smith apples and 2 Honey Crisp apples. A scoop of vanilla caramel ice cream elevates the fall dessert to a whole new level. 
The recipe was adapted from Bon Appetit October 2003
Filling Ingredients:

• 4 medium-sized Granny Smith apples. peeled, cored, and cubed (about 4-1/2 cups total) 
• 1-1/4 cups frozen or fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger or 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1/2 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon

Topping Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats, not quick
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon, ginger and apple pie spice mix
• 1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2/3 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions:

• Prepare topping ingredients using a food processor. Pulse all topping ingredients except pecans until coarse and the butter is pea-sized. Add in pecans and refrigerate for 45 minutes or until thoroughly chilled.
• Preheat oven to 375 and grease an 8 x 8 baking dish.
• Mix all filling ingredients and add to the baking dish. Recrumble the topping and spread the mixture evenly over the filling. 
• Bake until the topping is golden brown, the apples are tender and the juices are thick and bubbling about 35 minutes.
• Serve the crisp warm with ice cream. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Ham, Cheese and Scrambled Egg Sliders

Oh, the possibilities of using sliders for entertaining, tailgating, and a Sunday breakfast. 

How about  BBQ Chicken and Pork Sliders?

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2021/11/shredded-chicken-and-pulled-pork-sliders.html

or Meatball Sliders?

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2023/11/day-of-dead.html

or Ham and Cheese Sliders? 

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2016/07/celebrating-two-notables.html

and today another new Sunday choice Ham, Cheese, and Scrambled Eggs Sliders.

From my standpoint, you can never have enough of the addictive Hawaiian Sweet Rolls.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Hawaiian Sweet slider rolls
• Slices of Colby jack cheese or cheddar cheese
• Slices of deli honey ham
• 10 eggs, scrambled
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon each of Elote seasoning and parsley flakes
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 4 tablespoons of butter, divided
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced mini peppers

Directions: in pan

• Grease a 13 x 9 glass pan. Keep the bottoms of 12 rolls together and place in the pan.
• In a blender mix eggs, milk, and spices
• In a nonstick fry pan saute onions and peppers in 1 tablespoon of butter. Add in egg/ milk mixture and the rest of the butter. Scramble eggs until creamy and slightly set. Salt and pepper to taste. 
• Place ham slices over the bottom of the rolls

• Then add cheese and 

scrambled eggs

and the top of the rolls.

• In a small bowl melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and mix both together. Baste the top of the rolls. Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.
• Bake covered with foil for 18 minutes.
• Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more. 
  

Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up Festive Drinks

Bringing you some festive holiday drinks

Santa Clausmopolitan

It's a festive holiday drink specially made with Pomegranate-Cranberry juice, vodka, a touch of citrus, crushed ice, and a few frozen cranberries. Sip and enjoy your drink with an appetizer plate. The recipe makes 4 drinks.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Pomegranate-Cranberry juice or Cran-Raspberry juice
• 1 cup vodka
• 1/4 cup orange liqueur
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• Crushed ice
• Frozen cranberries

Directions:

• Add juice, vodka, orange liqueur, and lime juice in a pitcher or large cocktail shaker. Shake. add crushed ice, and mix again.
• Pour into chilled martini glasses and add a few frozen cranberries to each glass.    

check out the link below for the following drink recipes

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2022/12/reindeer-bar-day-two-drinks.html

Warm White Russian

Chocolate Blitzen

Cranberry Kir Royale

Check out the link below for Christmas Mimosa and Mistletoe Margaritas

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2021/12/a-toast-to-2021.html

Pomegranate Martini

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2013/12/festive-holiday-drinks.html