Every time I get a new Cook’s Illustrated there is at least one thing that I must make immediately. This month it was Chocolate Crinkle Cookies.

These cookies were amazing!!! A perfect balance between chocolate sugar cookies and brownies. I used Dutch-processed cocoa powder, so they came out dark, slightly bitter and perfectly chocolatey. They were soft and gooey in the middle with a nice cookie crust on the outside.

I usually bring cookies into work so that I don’t end up eating them all. These, however, barely made it out of the house.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (click here to print recipe without pictures)

– 1 cup all-purpose flour
– 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
– 1 tsp baking powder
– 1/4 tsp baking soda
– 1/2 tsp table salt
– 1/2 tsp kosher salt
– 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
– 3 large eggs
– 4 tsp instant espresso powder
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
– 4 tbsp unsalted butter
– 1/2 cup granulated sugar
– 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salts together; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk brown sugar, eggs, espresso powder and vanilla; set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine chocolate and butter and microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring often, until melted, about 2 min.

4. Whisk chocolate mixture into egg mixture until combined. Fold in flour mixture until no dry streaks remain. Let dough sit at room temp for 10 min.

5. Place granulated sugar and confectioners sugar in separate plates. Scoop 2 tbsp dough, roll into a ball and drop into granulated sugar and roll to coat. Then drop in confectioners’ sugar and roll to coat. Place on prepared sheet, repeat with remaining dough.

6. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until puffed, cracked and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, about 12 min, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cool completely on sheet.

(adapted from Cook’s Illustrated)

I like to entertain and to have something for my guests to snack on. My go-to is this super easy, very impressive recipe for cinnamon sugar almonds. They taste great and make the house smell amazing!!

I serve them alone or with cheese and crackers.

I always have them on hand at home (in an air-tight container) for an afterwork/before-dinner treat!

Cinnamon Sugar Almonds  (click here to print recipe without pictures)

– 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
– 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
– 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
– 1/2 tsp kosher salt
– 1 egg white
– 2 cups almonds

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. Mix sugars, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Set aside

2. In a medium bowl, whisk egg white with 1 tsp cold water until frothy. Add almonds and stir to coat.

3. Add sugar mixture to almonds and stir to combine. Place almonds in single layer on prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake for 1 hour, stirring to keep from sticking every 20 min. Remove from oven, cool to room temp and place in air tight container to store.

It is finally starting to feel like fall around here. The temperature has dropped to the 60s, the air is crisp and the leaves run the whole gamut from red to yellow. Thus, not only is it soup weather, it’s chili weather!!!

I like a meaty chili with simple flavors, a nice background of heat, topped with cheese and crumpled tortilla chips for texture.

Chilie con Carne   (click here to print recipe without pictures)

– 1 lb ground beef (85%lean)
– 1 lb ground turkey
– 1 onion, diced small
– 1/2 green bell pepper , chopped
– 1/2 small jalapeño pepper
– 1/2 red Fresno chili pepper
– 2 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
– 2 garlic cloves
– 1/2 can (28oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
– 1 can black beans with liquid
– 2 tsp smoked paprika
– 2 tsp cumin
– 1 tsp garlic powder
– 1 tbsp chili powder
– Salt and pepper

1. In a small food processor, process all peppers, garlic cloves and 1/4 onion until a paste forms.

2. Put all ingredients and paste into slow cooker, along with 1/2 cup of water, stir to combine. Cook on high 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Season to taste

3. Top with crushed tortilla chips, cheese, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, what ever else you want!

Enjoy!

My dad moved to Israel just when it declared its independence. He had (and still has) a huge sweet tooth and the developing country did not have any candy stores, thus his mother would make candied orange peel from the orange grove in the front yard.

Every year I try to make him this delicacy for his birthday.

It takes time to make the candy and for it to dry, but this can be done in advance as long as it is wrapped and frozen (for up to 2 months).

Candied Orange Peel – sugar coated or chocolate dipped  (click here to print recipe without pictures)

– 2 large oranges, 1/4 inch of top and bottom cut off
– 4 cups sugar, divided
– 3 cups water
– 6 oz dark chocolate, melted in a double boiler or in the microwave

1. Cut peel on each orange into 8 vertical segments. Remove each segment (including white pith) in 1 piece. Cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips.

2. Cook orange peel in large pot of boiling water 15 minutes; drain, rinse, and drain again.

3. Bring 3 cups sugar and 3 cups water to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add peel. Return to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until peel is very soft, about 45 minutes. Drain.

4. For sugar coated orange peel: Toss 1/2 orange peels and 1 cup sugar on plate, separating strips. Lift peel from sugar; transfer to sheet of foil. Let stand until coating is dry, 1 to 2 days.

5. For chocolate dipped orange peel: Line remaining orange peel in single layer, separating each strip, on sheet of foil. Let stand for 1-2 days. Once completely dry, dip 1/2 of each strip into melted chocolate and transfer back to foil. Let stand until dry, at least 5 hours.

(adapted from epicurious)

I had some friends over late in the summer and was looking for an easy and fun dessert. Earlier that week my Cooking Light magazine came and it had the perfect thing: Pina Colada Skewers!!!

It’s a dessert and cocktail in one! They were a huge hit!

They take some time because you need to soak the pineapple overnight and the gelee needs to set for at least 4 hours. So plan accordingly, but they are so worth it!!!

I would highly recommend getting longer toothpicks, as mine were too short and I had to minimize the amount of fruit on each one.

 Pina Colada Skewers     (click here to print recipe without pictures)

1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
2/3 cup sugar
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut water
2 envelopes plus 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray
1/2 cup white rum
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 whole pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 72 chunks
18 strawberries, halved lengthwise

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Spread coconut on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 7 minutes or until golden, stirring after 4 minutes. Combine coconut, cream, coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat (do not boil). Remove from heat; cover and let stand 20 minutes.
3. Place coconut water in a medium bowl; sprinkle gelatin over top. Let stand 5 minutes or until solid.
4. Strain coconut milk mixture through a sieve over a bowl, pressing to extract liquid. Discard coconut. Gradually add coconut milk mixture to gelatin mixture, stirring with a whisk. Return mixture to pan; heat over medium heat just until gelatin dissolves (do not boil). Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill 4 hours or up to overnight. (The layers should separate naturally.)
5. Combine rum and lime juice in a large zip-top plastic bag; add pineapple, and seal bag. Refrigerate 4 hours or up to overnight, turning bag occasionally.

6. Drain pineapple mixture. Cut coconut mixture into 72 cubes. Thread 2 pineapple chunks, 2 gelée pieces, and 1 strawberry half alternately onto each of 36 skewers.

(from Cooking Light)