Happy Halloween!

Dreaming of a tropical Halloween!!

Annual batch of Monster Cookies!

Brown Sugar & Pumpkin Pie Spiced Pumpkin Seeds.

Have a great day everyone!

Cookie Butter Cookies

I’m currently on a self-imposed ‘cookie-free diet’.  So it’s a little weird that I’m choosing this time to be posting a new cookie recipe for you guys.

But you know what? A girl’s gotta do some things just because she’s nice like that.  I leave you guys hanging for days and days with nothing delicious to drool over so sometimes I just have to make it up to you.

Truth be known, I made these cookies over a month ago and they disappeared so fast my scale never knew what hit it.  I guess I finally found my favourite way to use Trader Joe’s infamous Cookie Butter. 

These were the perfect spicy little alternative to a regular peanut butter cookie.  My intention was actually to use almond butter but when I opened my cupboard and found the Cookie Butter staring at me, I knew what to do.

It’s slightly odd to use a butter made of cookies to make cookies, but hey man…whatever works! :)

Cookie Butter Cookies

adapted from How Sweet it Is Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

yields a baker’s dozen

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup Cookie Butter/Speculoos
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter, Cookie Butter and both sugars together until fluffy.
3. Add egg and vanilla, mixing until combined.
4. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined.
5. Add chocolate chips.  Mix to combine.
6. Drop tablespoon-sized dough balls on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookie bottoms begin to brown.  Let cool on rack.

The perfect combination of crispy outside and chewy inside. 

Get a glass of milk or a cup of hot tea and get to work!  Enjoy.

Thanksgiving for Two

Sometimes I randomly get inspired to cook a meal for four.  Even when there’s only two of us coming to the table.  This happened for last weekend’s Thanksgiving meal.

We weren’t planning on cooking a festive feast, but after discussing the fact that there was a nice roasting chicken just sitting in the freezer waiting to be used we got inspired to put a meal together.

(do you know this is the first time I’ve ever made real cranberry sauce?  Hey Mom, this year don’t buy the canned stuff at Xmas.  LOL.  Who knew it was as easy as boiling some sugar and water?)

My main motivation for making this meal was knowing we would be throwing together some Brussels with Bacon.  Oh yum.  I could just eat a big bowl of those…who needs the rest?!

Beer can BBQ chicken with rosemary, gravy made from homemade chicken stock, sour cream whipped potatoes, the magic Brussels sprouts, smashed carrots & turnips, homemade cranberry sauce, fresh bread and chilled white wine. 

And homemade pumpkin pie of course.  Another first.  Another winner.

I am thankful for a sweet man, three sweet dogs, and a relaxing weekend in the kitchen.  xo

A Wedding Shower

A few weeks ago our friend Nicole got married.  It was a small, simple family wedding and no one threw her a shower!

So a few of us girls decided that we didn’t care if she was already married, she couldn’t very well live happily ever after without a shower!

So we used it as an excuse to buy her prezzies, wear cute dresses, drink champagne, and make a table full of delicious retro snacks.

Cheeseball, salmon pinwheels, devilled eggs, onion dip, gruyere puffs, chips, veggies, and pink popcorn!

Pretty hair, pretty dresses, pretty jewellery.  Handsome Bear.  :)

And cake.  Pink cake.  Orange Glow Chiffon Cake to be precise. 

Once upon a time, 1950’s housewives believed orange to be the new lemon and chiffon to be the new Angel food.  It didn’t stick, but it sure was delicious. 

Congratulations Nicole!