- Three Chocolate Hot Chocolate -

Why hello Spring, when did you get here? Because according to our radar, it snowed on your first day. That's why I'm still pretending you don't exist and sipping hot chocolate!

True, in other areas of the States it might feel like Spring...maybe even Summer. But here in preppy little New England, we still have snow and temperatures in the 30s. Not that I'm complaining, though while I love warmer weather and shorts, it's not easy to pull off a convincing excuse for drinking hot chocolate in the Summer. So for all you looking to hold on to hot chocolate weather just a little bit longer, check out my three chocolate hot chocolate and try it out before the flip-flops come back!

Three Chocolate Hot Chocolate

2 c. Milk 2%
1/4 c. Whole Milk
2 Tbls. Heavy Cream
1/3 c. Milk Chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 c. Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 c. Semisweet Chocolate, finely chopped
1 tsp. Vanilla
Whipped Cream

Directions:
In medium saucepan, whisk all ingredients, except the whipped cream, together over a medium heat, stirring most of the time, until the the chocolate is dissolved (this includes the chocolate flecks which hang around on the top for a while even after the chocolate has melted in), it takes about 10 minutes or so. Pour into mugs and finish off with a dollop of whipped cream. Serves 2. Enjoy!

- Chicken Piccata -

While meal planning for the week, I decided to log in to Pinterest and check out some of the recipes I had stashed on my food boards. This recipe, Chicken Piccata, everyone on Pinterest was raving about, saying it was the best recipe for chicken ever. I think they might be right! It was lemony and delicious, just like everything should be. You should really check it out! 

Note: I made a few changes when I did the recipe: I put the chicken stock and lemon juice in at the same time to reduce together. I also added a little more chicken stock than was called for (about 2 tablespoons extra). And also, I flattened my chicken with a meat hammer until each breast was about a 1/4 to a 1/2 and inch thick. 

Here is the recipe for Chicken Piccata

Enjoy!

- Cookbook Recipes In the Works -

And on and on it goes...but I'm getting there!

- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies -

As much as I adore peanut butter like every other red-blooded American, I must admit that  the plain and simple peanut butter cookie does not make my list of favorites. This probably has something to do with the fact that I just "can't hardly" stand a dessert or sweet treat that doesn't involve chocolate. And that fact probably had something to do with why peanut butter chocolate chip cookies make my list of favorites - America's favorite combination made into America's favorite baked good. 

Of course after all this patriotic talk, there is one American in this country who just can't stand that combination: my mother. I just have to keep reminding myself that she's almost a 1/4 Belgian (and you know how they are about chocolate over there, whereas we American's thrive on Hershey's and the like). But then, my mom can't whistle either...perhaps she's an alien ;) Yet, with all this dislike of "the wonderful combination", the one thing mom really loves is a good, fresh out of the oven peanut butter chocolate chip cookie. So all you out there from distant alien planets, take note! 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients:
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) Butter (room temperature)
3/4 c. Granulate Sugar
1 c. Brown Sugar
3/4 c. Peanut Butter
2 Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 1/2 c. Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:
In bowl of electric mixer fitter with paddle attachment, cream together butter and both sugars on a medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter and mix on low speed till incorporated (scrape down the sides and mix some more if necessary). Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla until just combined. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix carefully so as not to spew the flour everywhere. Once blended together, add the chocolate chips. 

I like to lay out about a foot and a half of plastic wrap and spoon the dough into a blob onto it. Then top it with another sheet of plastic wrap and seal the dough in nicely. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour or two. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put parchment paper on a cookie sheet and drop the dough into two tablespoon size balls on the cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Makes about 2 dozen, depending on the size.

Enjoy!

- Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade -

Snow is everywhere here in New England, and since the snowboarding season, for me, is over, I find myself hankering for summer. What say's summer more than Lemonade? Umm...nothing. So deep into winter, with the snow falling just outside, I created my very own Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade. I'm really excited to share this one with you guys, since I am sure many of you are itching for some feeling of summer, like me. With much hurry, I furiously made this beverage and ran to the family room to snuggle up on the couch with my mom and sister to watch Downton Abbey and sip lemonade. Nothing more perfect.

Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade

Ingredients:

12 oz. bag Frozen Raspberries

3/4 cup Granulated Sugar

The juice of 4 Lemons

The juice or 1 Lime

2 liter Bottle Lemon-Lime Soda

1/2 cup Fresh Raspberries

Directions:

In medium saucepan over a medium heath, stir together the sugar and the 12 oz. of raspberries (I just threw them in frozen). Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes, until it is all cooked down like a slush. 

In medium bowl (like for punch), pour in the lemon and lime juice. Strain the juice from the raspberry and sugar mixture into the lemon juice. Mix and press with wooden spoon until there is nothing left but the seeds and pulp. Add the lemon-lime soda. Add some ice cubes and then the fresh raspberries. Refrigerate for an hour until ready to serve. (Will serve about 12 give or take).

Enjoy!

- Cranberry Walnut Bread -

Don't be frightened! I think many people get frightened at the thought of something with cranberries in it. For my food related business I once put out some Orange Cranberry Bread, and not one loaf sold. And because it was amazingly delicious bread, and looked great, I couldn't understand why. My Mom said it was probably because people are not sure about the cranberries. Sour? Is that it people? Is that the reason? The sour part, personally, I consider the point, and I highly recommend it to all those dubious and non-dubious. It turns the flavor tables on you in a extremely addicting way that you won't regret. Until you gain an extra ten pounds from eating three loaves in a row, that you'll regret, but I do not take any responsibility for the actions of the uncontrollable.

So I decided that instead of doing just a plain cranberry bread, I would add a little bit of a twist (and a crunch) with walnuts! Now who doesn't like a good walnut? With all the flavors going on in this bread, I wasn't sure it was going to work out. My uncertainty was put to rest when I tasted it. You must have a try too!

 

 

Cranberry Walnut Bread

Ingredients:
2 c. All Purpose Flour
2/3 c. Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 c. Buttermilk
1 tsp. Orange Zest
1/2 c. (1 stick) Butter (melted)
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 c. Cranberries
1/2 c. Chopped Walnuts
1 T. Flour

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 375. Spray a 9x5x3 loaf pan with cooking spray, and line with parchment paper.

In electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until blended.

In medium bowl, mix together buttermilk, melted butter, and orange zest. With mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients until well blended. On medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, just until blended.

In a small bowl mix together the 1 T. flour with the cranberries. With electric mixer on a low speed, add the cranberries and the walnuts just until mixed together.

Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the oven for an hour to an hour and ten minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Bon Appetite!