11/2 sticks of unsalted butter

11/2 cups of dark brown sugar

1 bag of chocolate chips

2 eggs

21/2 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

11/4 teaspoons baking soda

2 boxes of Andes mints

Melt butter and dark brown sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add chocolate chips and stir until melted.  Cool for about 10 minutes.

Beat the eggs.  Slowly add them to the chocolate mixture.

Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together.  Mix into chocolate mixture.

Put the saucepan in the fridge for about an hour.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Scoop the dough onto the parchment paper using a damp 11/2 inch ice cream scoop.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Place an Andes mint on each cookie and bake for another 30 seconds.  Take the cookie sheets out of the oven and gently spread the mint over the cookie using a butter knife.  Put the cookie sheet on a wire rack to cool for a couple of minutes.  Use a spatula to transfer the cookie from the pan to continue cooling on the rack.

There should be some mints left over to snack on, yum!  This is a delicious cookie.  I have tried a few other types of mints, but none work, melt as well as the Andes mint.  For the holidays, especially Christmas or St. Patrick’s Day, it is great if you use the Andes mint that are green on the outside and have chocolate in the middle-it makes the top of the cookie a pretty green and still tastes fabulous!

CAKE:

1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin

3 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 package yellow cake mix

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Mix all ingredients with a mixer on low speed for 1 minute, then on high for two minutes.

Pour into a 9 x 13 baking pan.

Bake in a 350 degree for about 35 minutes.

Cool on wire rack.

FROSTING:

1 package cream cheese, room temperature

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Mix all with a mixer until well blended.  Spread on cake.

This cake is super easy to make and it is very moist and yummy.  It can be made into cupcakes or round cakes if desired, just adjust baking times according to the instructions on the box.  I like my cake spicy, so I added a little extra allspice, ground ginger, and ground clove to my cake.  I don’t like really sweet frosting, but if you do, just add more maple syrup or brown sugar.

COOKIE

1, 8 oz package of softened cream cheese

1 cup, 2 sticks, softened unsalted butter

2 cups flour

1 cup confectioner’s sugar (plus more for dusting cookies)

2 teaspoons baking powder

Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer for one minute.

Sift flour, sugar, and baking powder into another bowl.

Slowly add dry ingredients into cream cheese mixture.  Beat in mixer for about two minutes.

Shape dough into golf ball size balls.  Place two inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Press your thumb into each ball to make a cavity for the filling.  Spoon filling into cookie.

Bake cookies in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 12 – 15 minutes.  They are done when the bottoms are lightly browned.  Place on wire rack to cool.  When completely cooled dust with powdered sugar.

CHEESE FILLING

1, 8 oz package of softened cream cheese

1 cup cottage cheese

1 egg yolk, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in mixer and mix until combined and smooth.

These cookies are soooo delicious.  The sweet cheese filling is the best! However, you can substitute the filling for jam, pie filling (cherry is good) or even Nutella if you like. Just be careful with all fillings- cook the cookie long enough, or the filling kind of bottoms out.  I have not had nutmeg or lemon juice when I made these and they still came out ok.  The sweet cheese filling is also great in breads and pastries.

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

41/2 cups flour

Put yeast into a small bowl.  Add the warm water and mix with a fork.  Let stand for about ten minutes, until the yeast starts to froth.

Put the yeast mixture into a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.  Add the sugar, milk, and egg.  Mix together briefly.  Slowly add the flour.

Mix the dough until it no longer sticks to the side of the mixer’s bowl.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth.  Let it rise in a warm area until the dough has doubled.  It should take about an hour.

Naan dough

Risen Naan dough

Punch down the dough.  Tear of billiard ball size portion of dough.  Place dough on an oiled cookie sheet and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until doubled, about 1/2 hour.

Once the dough has risen, heat a cast iron skillet on the stove.

Pull the dough into an oblong shape, kind of like how you form/stretch pizza dough.

Place the dough on the hot skillet.  Cook a few minutes on each side, until nicely browned.

The naan tastes best when eaten right away.  It can be refrigerated or frozen.  If you need to reheat it, it is best to reheat it a hot cast iron pan, or under the broiler.  Reheating it in the microwave will make it soft instead of crispy.

Naan

Naan

• 40 Servings
• Prep: 20 min. Bake: 35 min. + cooling

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 3/4 cup cold butter, divided
• 2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• TOPPING:
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter, cubed
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted
• 1 cup roasted salted almonds
• 1 cup salted cashews, toasted
• 1 cup pistachios, toasted

Directions

• Line a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan with foil; grease the foil with 1 tablespoon butter. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; cut in remaining butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in egg until blended (mixture will be dry).
• Press firmly onto the bottom of prepared pan. Bake at 375° for 18-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
• In a large heavy saucepan, bring the honey, brown sugar and salt to a boil over medium heat until sugar is smooth; stirring often. Boil without stirring for 2 minutes. Add butter and cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until smooth. Remove from the heat; stir in the hazelnuts, almonds, cashews and pistachios. Spread over crust.
• Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until topping is bubbly. Cool completely on a wire rack. Using foil, lift bars out of pan. Discard foil; cut into squares. Yield: about 3 dozen.

Rustic Nut Bars published in Taste of Home December/January 2007, p28

From the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries

From the cast court collection

‘Rotunda Chandelier’ by Dale Chihuly

• Make however many beer can chickens you think you need a few days before the party. See the recipe in a previous post. Let them cool so that you can touch them with your fingers.  Then, shred.  This is the pain in the butt part.  It takes time, so I just park myself and the chickens in front of the TV for the duration of the process.  I know some people shred with two forks, I find it easiest for me to just use my fingers (clean ones).  I set the chicken on a large plate and pull off and discard (or munch on) the skin. Then, I just pull off large pieces, like the leg or thigh, and tear them into small pieces.  As you do this, a lot of juice should run off.  Keep this with the shredded chicken bits.  When you are done, put the shredded chicken with the juice in a large plastic bag.  Save the bones for making soup.
• Like I said, I bake the chickens a few days before the party.  So, I refrigerate the chicken.  Whenever I open the fridge, I rotate the bag.  This moves the chicken juice around.  In a day or two, the juice has been absorbed by the chicken.  This makes for very tender and juicy chicken.  (I also stop here and use this chicken for salad topping, etc.)
• The day of the party/event, a few hours before serving, line the bottom of a crock pot with your favorite BBQ sauce.  Mine is Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet ‘n Spicy.  Mmmmm.  Place a layer of shredded chicken over the BBQ sauce.  Continue layering sauce and chicken.  Heat on low.  I add a little liquid sometime during the heating process so the BBQ doesn’t burn.  Beer is best, but chicken stock’ll do.
• Serve the BBQ chicken with onion kaiser rolls, kaiser rolls, or mini corn muffins.  I like to use Jiffy corn muffing mix.  For some reason, when I make the mini muffins, everyone eats them.  When they are larger muffins or in squares hardly anyone does, go figure.

Doobie Brothers and Chicago Northerly Island Charter One Pavilion Chicago, IL July 16, 2010

GW and I just went to see the Doobie Brothers and Chicago play at Northerly Island in Chicago.  It was a super fantastic show.  Here’s the set list:

Doobie Brothers:

Dangerous

Jesus is just alright

Take me in your arms

(new song-didn’t catch the name)

Working in New Orleans

Back to the chateau

(spaced out here and forgot to write it down)

Don’t start me talkin’

Little bitty pretty one

Black water

China grove

Long train runnin’

Chicago:

Make me smile

So much to give

Dialogue

If you leave me now

Call on me

Old days

Hard habit to break

Beginnings

I’m a man

Just you and me

Saturday in the park

After all that we’ve been through

Feeling stronger everyday

Does anyone really know what time it is?

and the best part-when they had both bands, 16 people, on stage playing together

Rockin’ down the highway

I just wanna be free

Takin’ it to the street

(again spaced out here, would’ve been a Chicago song)

Listen to the music

25 or 6 to 4

BREAD:

1 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

3 eggs

6 cups flour

1 cup dried cranberries

TOPPING:

1 lb container small dry curd cottage cheese

2 eggs

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• Warm milk, I do that in a microwave.  If you’re less lazy than I, do it on the stove in a small saucepan.  Add the butter.  I usually cut the butter into pieces so it melts into the milk faster.  Add the sugar, salt, and allspice to the milk/butter.
• Stir the yeast into the warm water in a small container.  It should bubble a bit if the yeast is good.
• Place the milk into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the bread hook.  Add the yeast.  Crack the eggs into a bowl.  I do this so that it is easier to take out the random egg shell, if necessary.  Beat the eggs lightly with a fork.  Add the eggs to the milk mixture.
• Sift 3 cups of flour.  I do this over a large bowl with a large sieve.  Those flour sifters make my hand hurt and that makes me cranky.  Slowly add the flour to the milk mixture (by now you should have the mixer going)
• Add the cranberries.  Of course, I use the bourbon soaked cranberries as seen on a previous post.  Feel free to snack on some as you add them to the mix.
• Sift 3 more cups of  flour and slowly add it to the mix.  Let the mixer do the work.  It is ready when it no longer stick to the sides.
• Put the dough in a large greased bowl.  Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel.  Let the dough rise until doubled, about an hour.  It rises in an hour on a warm day or in a warm area of the kitchen.  When I make this bread in the winter, it seems to take forever for it to rise.  It is worth taking the time to make sure it rises, though.  It makes the bread more moist and “fluffy”, for lack of a better adjective.
• Punch the dough down and divide it in half.  I just cut it in half with a butter knife.  Since it is a dense dough, it can be a little troublesome to try and divide it just by pulling.
• Spray two cake pans with baking spray with flour.  I know it’s cheating, but it really saves so much time and spreads so much easier.  I take this time to bring out my inner Martha Stewart and use the time saved with the spray to cut two circles of parchment paper to line the cake pans.  This bread really likes to stick to the pans and this really helps, so it’s worth the time.  Put each half of the dough into a pan and spread it as much a possible to the edges.
• Mix all the topping ingredients together.  This is easy to do in a large bowl with a rubber spatula.  Spread it over the bread.  It is best to spread it as close to the edges as possible.  The areas of bread not covered by the topping will brown/burn faster than the rest of the bread when baking.  Let the dough rise again until doubled.  This usually takes more than an hour for me.
• Bake for 45min to an hour in a 350-degree oven.  Let cool on racks.  Take out of pans by cutting around the edges with a butter knife to loosen the bread from the pans.
• This bread is slightly sweet and great for breakfast with a hot cup of coffee.  I had a lot left over the other day and made a turkey sandwich with the bread.  Mmmmm, so goooood!