Chocolate Shortbread Fingers

The month of May has been rather hectic for us, which hasn’t left much time for baking.  This past weekend we had a wedding where we stayed overnight so by the time we got back on Sunday I was looking for something that wouldn’t take long to whip up.  These Chocolate Shortbread Fingers fit the bill as they have a minimal number of ingredients and only bake for 20 minutes.  Plus it’s always nice when you can just throw one baking sheet in the oven and be done with it.

I appreciated the simplicity of these cookies – nice and chocolaty with hint of cinnamon.  They’re not as gooey as Dennis would like (they are shortbread, after all), but the flavor is spot on.  When you’re looking for a simple but attractive cookie to feed a crowd, it would be hard to beat these.

Chocolate Shortbread Fingers (adapted from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook)

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons flour

4 ½ tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder (I used 3 tablespoons of Dutch-process, then used this Black Onyx cocoa for the rest to really bring out the chocolate flavor)

Heaping ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup superfine sugar (I just took regular granulated sugar and put it in the food processor for about 30 seconds)

Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 325.  Butter a 12 x 8 inch rimmed baking sheet and line with parchment paper, leaving a 10inch overhang on long sides.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda until combined. 

In a mixer beat the butter and superfine sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.  Add flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined.

Spread dough evenly in the prepared pan, either with an offset spatula (this always gives me problems) or patting down with your fingers using Saran wrap.  Chill in the fridge or freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.  Prick dough all over using a fork and bake until just firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack.  While still hot, cut the shortbread into pieces.  Sprinkle with granulated sugar. 

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Spring started out rather warm in the area, but recently it’s been pretty dreary.  On one of those rainy Sundays Dennis and I decided to try out a Chicken and Dumplings recipe, since that’s one of his favorite stews.  This recipe came from a slow cooker cookbook, but if you wanted to do it on a weekday you would have to prepare most of it the night before.  You could just dump it in the slow cooker that night, leave it in the fridge, then plug in the slow cooker the following morning.

I loved the way this recipe turned out – it not only warmed us up but also tasted great.  Be warned that this makes a lot of servings.  We each had a big bowl that night, and it also provided me with lunch for the rest of the week.  I’m hoping the cooler weather is on its way out, but if not at least I have an excuse to make this again.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings (from Slow Cooker Revolution)

Stew

2-3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 onions, minced

2 celery stalks, sliced ¼ inch thick

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup dry sherry

4 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth

4 carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick

2 bay leaves

1 cup frozen peas

3 tablespoons fresh parsley

Dumplings

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Dry the chicken with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat just until smoking.  Brown half of the chicken lightly on both sides, 5-8 minutes, then transfer to a bowl.  Repeat with 1 tablespoon more oil and remaining chicken, and transfer to bowl.

Heat remaining tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add onions, celery, garlic, tomato paste, and thyme, cooking until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 8-10 minutes.  Stir in flour and cook for one minute.  Slowly whisk in sherry, scraping up any browned bits.  Whisk in 1 cup broth, smoothing out any lumps, and transfer to slow cooker.

Stir remaining 3 ½ cups broth, carrots, and bay leaves into slow cooker.  Nestle browned chicken with any accumulated juice into slow cooker.  Cover and cook until chicken is tender, about 4-6 hours on low.

Transfer chicken to cutting board and let it cool slightly.  Shred into bite-size pieces.  Let stew settle for a few minutes, then remove any fat from surface.  Discard bay leaves.

Stir shredded chicken, peas, and parsley into stew, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add additional broth if needed.  Cover and cook on high until simmering (or transfer to large pot and bring to simmer over medium heat).

For the dumplings:

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl.  Microwave milk and butter together until warm, about 1 minute, then whisk to melt butter.  Stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just smooth and incorporated.

Drop golf ball-size dumplings on top of simmering stew.  Cover and cook until dumplings have doubled in size, 25 to 35 minutes.  Serve.

Salted Oatmeal Cookies

This past Sunday was Greek Easter, one of the tastiest holidays out there.  By the time we arrived delicious Greek appetizers like spanakopita were already laid out and waiting to be devoured.  Dinner consisted of a variety of meats, as well as the famous Greek dish pastitsio, grilled vegetables...need I go on?  You would think that after all that food no one would have room for dessert, but that's just crazy talk.  I knew when I was looking for a recipe that it had to be something on the lighter side.  Marshmallow-topped brownies need not apply.

I had oatmeal left over from last week's recipe so I went on a search for something different to do with it.  I stumbled across this recipe from the Washington Post which is based on a beloved cookie from Teaism, a tea house in D.C.  I'm a big proponent of the sweet-salty combo so I jumped at the chance to work that into a cookie.  The original recipe didn't call for chocolate chip cookies but how can you go wrong adding chocolate?  I ended up splitting the dough in half and adding chocolate chips to only some of the cookies, but next time I think I'd make them all chocolate chip.

This cookie was gobbled up by my family, as well as my co-workers.  Everyone commented on how much they loved the mix of salty and sweet and I have to agree. If you're looking for a spin on a traditional oatmeal cookie, I can't recommend this highly enough.

Salted Oatmeal Cookies (adapted from TheWashington Post)

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups flour

2 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for a few minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the sugars, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon, beating until the mixture is well blended. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until well incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour and oats, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary and mixing just until they are incorporated. At this point I put half the dough into a bowl, while I added chocolate chips to the other half and mixed briefly.  Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least an hour before baking.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets.  Scoop the dough into balls and place about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle sea salt generously on top of each ball of dough, as you would sugar. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 11-13 minutes or until the cookies are puffed and beginning to turn golden, being careful not to overbake. (The cookies should have a tender interior.) Transfer the cookies, still on the parchment paper, to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Every once in awhile I try to make something on the healthier side.  You can only eat so many marshmallow-laden treats (though I’m sure Dennis would disagree).  I knew I wanted to do something banana-based, so when I stumbled upon a recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies I knew I had found a winner.

If you like oatmeal cookies then I think you’ll really enjoy these.  They have that chewiness that you expect from an oatmeal cookie, with just a hint of banana.  Chocolate chips are always a welcome addition but you could leave them out or substitute something else (walnuts, peanut butter chips?).  I did wish these had a bit more banana flavor so I think you’d be fine using a banana and a half to amp up the banana flavor.  These make a great afternoon snack or maybe even a special breakfast treat.

Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (from Two Peas and Their Pod)

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large very ripe banana, mashed
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugars, mix until smooth. Add in vanilla extract and egg. Next, add the banana. Beat well.

Slowly add in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

Drop cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto lined baking sheets.  Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Makes about 2 ½ dozen cookies.

Irish Soda Bread Cookies

Apparently I just can’t be trusted to plan ahead for holidays, as I woke up on St. Patrick’s Day and realized we had no Guinness in the fridge and no Irish Soda Bread in the freezer.  Whoops.  Luckily I came across this recipe for Irish Soda Bread Cookies, which was not only a breeze to make, but also provided me with some extra cookies to bring into work on Monday.  As Dennis put it, “These taste just like Irish Soda Bread, only in cookie form.”  I couldn’t have said it better myself. 

Irish Soda Bread Cookies (adapted from AllRecipes)

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup buttermilk (I never have buttermilk so I just used ¼ cup milk combined with just shy of a teaspoon of lemon juice.  Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes)

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in raisins.

Mix in beaten egg. Pour in milk and mix with a fork to make a soft dough (may need a little more milk).

Scoop out teaspoonfuls of dough and put onto lined cookie sheet. 

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until slightly browned.