Snowball Cookies

So you know that scene in Elf when Buddy gets into the snowball fight and within seconds has a whole pile of perfectly rolled snowballs? Ya so I don't really know where I was going with this except that he makes snowballs, and this post is about snowball cookies. 

Some people call them Mexican Wedding Cookies, but if you are making them around the holidays they must be called snowball cookies. Last week Oklahoma got a tiny amount of flurries but besides that we have been sitting pretty in the 60s...not okay. Let it snow, let is snow, let it snow!

Snowball Cookies (Mexican Wedding Cookies) adapted from The Domestic Rebel
yields 40 cookies

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon
2 cups ground pecans (I bought chopped and grounded them finer in a food processer) 
2 cups flour
powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In an electric mixer, beat together the butter, white and brown sugars until fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon to combine. Lastly, add in the ground pecans and the flour until the dough comes together. The dough may be crumbly, but using a spatula or your hands work to bring it together. 

Using a cookie dough scoop, roll Tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place them about 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 10-13 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time to ensure an even cook. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for about 10 minutes or until cooler to the touch. Immediately roll the cookies into powdered sugar to coat.

Once cookies are cooled, send them through another light roll in the powdered sugar for a second coat. Then serve! Cookies can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to a week.

Annie

Peppermint Bark

Chocolate and peppermint are the pumpkin spice of Christmas. I am a huge mint and chocolate fan, so when peppermint bark makes it's appearance around Christmas, its gimme gimme gimme. 

I was so excited to make a fun treat for my co-workers. I know it's cheesy, but I've been thinking about what I could make for a while.  Perks of the working world is always having people to pawn my treats off on. I wasn't just pawning it off on this time, I made it special for them! Hint** if you are still needing a co-worker gift, go straight home and whip up a batch, you still have a day or two!

My first batch was a disaster. Chocolate chips do not qualify as "good quality" chocolate. My first attempt I used chips and the white and chocolate layer completely broke apart when I tried to break it up. I also didn't let it set up long enough. 

After doing some research, I found 3 tips that are imperative for peppermint bark. 1. Use good quality chocolate (I used Ghiradelli) 2. Don't rush the process, let it firm up in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. 3. Break into pieces face down. This keeps the mess to a minimum and doesn't crush the candy cane pieces. 

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:
8 oz *good quality semi-sweet chocolate (I used Gihradelli)
12 oz *good quality white chocolate (More white chocolate, cause I love it)
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
5 candy canes or a handful of peppermints

Directions:
Line a 9x9 pan with foil. 

Place a heat proof bowl over a small sauce pan filled with about an 1-2 inches of water. You don't want the water to touch the bottom of the bowl. Bring the water to a simmer and keep simmering. Place about 6 oz of the chocolate in the bowl and stir often until melted. Add in the rest of the chocolate. Once it is all melted together, stir in 1/4 tsp. of the peppermint extract. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly along the bottom. Refrigerate until firm. About 2 hours. 

While the chocolate layer is firming, place your candy canes in a Ziploc bag and crush into small pieces. Don't crush too small otherwise you will end up with powder.

Once the chocolate layer is firm and set up, repeat the melting process with the white chocolate. melting about 8 oz, then adding the rest at the end as well as then the remaining 1/4 tsp. of peppermint extract. pour over the chocolate layer and spread evenly. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the top and lightly press into the chocolate. Back to the fridge it goes for 2 hours or overnight. 

*Good quality chocolate is imperative, so you don't get separation between the layers. Chocolate chips will not work.

Once the bark is set up. Take it out of the pan and place face down on a kitchen towel. This will help from all of the peppermint pieces breaking. Using your hands break into random shaped pieces. Store in the fridge before gifting or in between eating!

Annie

Merry Berry Scones

Have you ever loved Christmas so much you wish you could eat it? Is that weird to say? Gingerbread, peppermint, hot chocolate etc. all remind you of Christmas, but these scones taste like a Christmas tree wrapped in a sweater, with a santa hat on, drinking hot cider while watching a Christmas movie. Short version, they taste like a bottled up edible version of Christmas. 

It's sure to be a Very Merry Berry Christmas with these cranberry and rosemary scones. I'm a scone person when it comes to breakfast pastries. My parents and I had this conversation the other day when I brought them some scones to try. My mom claims she is a muffin person, my dad and I are team scone. I like the crumbly texture of a scone compared to the cupcake wannabe that you get from a muffin. Are you team muffin or scone? 

Merry Berry Scones
yields 8 scones

Ingredients:
2½ cups flour
6 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp. dried cranberries, chopped small
4 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and diced
1 cup milk of choice (I used almond milk), plus 2 tablespoons more for brushing on top
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 to 3 Tbsp. water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, dried cranberries, and rosemary in a large bowl.

Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, using two butter knives, or your hands until it looks like coarse meal. Whisk together the milk and vanilla extract, and stir it into the flour mixture. The dough will be a little sticky, but not too wet.

Shape the dough into a ball, then flatten it into a disk; wrap it in plastic wrap and chill 10 minutes in the freezer.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Form the dough into a circle about 7 to 8 inches in diameter and ¾ inch thick. Cut the circle of dough into 8 equal wedges.

Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet, lightly brush the tops with a little milk, and bake until puffed and light golden brown on top and bottom, about 14 to 16 minutes. Cool completely.

Once cooled, whisk together all ingredients for the glaze, adding the water a little at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. Dip the tops of the scones into the glaze, letting it run down the sides; decorate with a few cranberries and sprigs of rosemary. Place the scones onto a wire rack and let the glaze set completely before serving.

Have a Merry Berry Christmas!

Annie

It's Getting Chili

Once the temperature drops I pretty much crave chili for every single meal. It's the ultimate cold weather, warm you up meal. Chili is easily one of my favorite foods. I've attended too many chili cook-offs to count, made several pots myself and eaten an unhealthy amount of Fritos all for the sake of an excellent bowl of chili.

I've rounded up a pretty stocked list of different kinds of chili. Turkey chili, white chicken chili, veggie chili, etc. I adore all kinds of chili, buuuuut if you ask me nothing beats my momma's. I know everyone says that, but I'll fight you on it that her's really is the best. It even won my high school chili contest back in the day. No beans, ground beef, lots of spices, and tons of Fritos. Scroll through for some pin worthy chili recipes, but keep scrolling for momma Tucker's chili recipe!

1) Quick Bison Chili

2) Carne Asada Beer Chili

3) Chipotle Turkey Quinoa Chili

4) Spicy Chicken Chili with Pumpkin Beer Biscuits

5) Lentil and Quinoa Chili

6) Crockpot Chipotle Pulled Pork Pumpkin Chili with Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

7) White Chicken Chili

8) Salsa Verde Turkey Chili, made by me here.

9) 5-Ingredient White Chicken Chili, made by me here.

10) Warming Lentil Chili with Pumpkin

11) And now, the only chili recipe you need.

Mom's Chili

Ingredients:
2 lbs. lean chili meat
1/2 lb. lean ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 heaping Tbsp. chili powder
1 heaping Tbsp. cumin
3/4 heaping tsp. oregano
1/2 heaping tsp. sage
2 heaping Tbsp. cornmeal
1-1 oz. Williams chili seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Heinz chili sauce
1-6 oz. tomato paste
1-1 lb. can fire-roasted tomatoes
Fritos, sour cream, cheese, green onions to garnish

Directions:
Over medium heat, add a little bit of olive oil to a large stockpot or dutch oven. Sauté ground meats, onion, green pepper, and garlic until veggies are tender and the meat is almost cooked through. Add remaining ingredients, combining well. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover your pot, and simmer for 2 hours. Add more seasoning if desired. It's all up to your taste buds. Garnish with lots of cheese and Fritos. I like to do a bottom layer of Fritos, then a big helping of chili then lots of cheese, sour cream, green onions, and more Fritos!

Annie

Chocolate Chip Cookies Round 2

I mentioned a few weeks ago how I am on a quest to find my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. First attempt I made these pillow-like cookies. I kept testing and recently made another batch of cookies. This recipe was sent to me form Molly. She saw my mission and passed along her family's favorite recipe. 

With a few alterations they came out nice! Thin, lots of chocolate and and just a good ole cookie.

This recipe uses two different kinds of flour and requires you to chill the dough. I made mine with mini chocolate chips to ensure a piece of chocolate in every bite.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Round 2

Ingredients:
2 cups cakes flour
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
2 1/2  sticks unsalted butter, room temp (1 1/4 cups)
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
12 oz. mini semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies

Directions:
Combine flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

When time to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop 2 Tbsp. sized cookies onto sheet, 2-inches apart so they have enough room to spread out.  Bake for 10 minutes. 

My first batch burned, but only because we had a little spillage from the night before's dinner and it caused a big smokey mess. Once I got that cleaned up the cookies turned out great, but still on the hunt for my go-to CCC recipe. Fortunately that means more chocolate chip cookies to come.

A fine recipe indeed but still working on finding my go-to. More testing to come!

Annie