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Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha
I have a sizable addiction to any combination of chocolate and peppermint, and especially to Starbucks’ Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha or Peppermint Mocha – hot or cold – it really doesn’t matter to me. I long for the stuff. I make up excuses to go to Target because there’s a Starbucks inside the store. You just can’t beat shopping while sipping on a frappuccino. Sometimes my sweet mom even sends me a Starbucks gift card in the mail… just because. My adoration is great. For my mom and for Starbucks. But mostly for my mom, of course.
When I saw this recipe last winter, it practically sang to me. Of course I had to try it, and it did not disappoint. Pouring this into the blender made a nice froth that I topped with a little bit of whipped cream. The recipe made one large serving so you might want to share with a friend.
Find a quiet corner, a warm blanket, and a really good book. Now make yourself a steaming mug of this peppermint white chocolate mocha. It’s also a great treat to enjoy while you decorate for the holidays. Enjoy!
Recipe: Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha
(adapted from Joy of Baking)
1 1/2 c. milk (any fat content will do)
3 oz. white chocolate, chopped (make sure the ingredients include cocoa butter)
1 Tbsp. instant coffee or espresso powder
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. pure peppermint extract
Place the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is nice and hot. Meanwhile, place the chopped white chocolate, instant coffee powder, and vanilla extract in your blender.
Pour the hot milk in the blender and process until nice and foamy. Garnish with shaved chocolate or whipped cream.
Peanut Butter Popcorn
Here’s a recipe for those of you with a serious sweet tooth. Peanut butter popcorn with chocolate drizzle. I didn’t enjoy this one any where near as much as I loved that cinnamon popcorn I made a while back. It tasted more like candy to me, than the salty/sweet snack I was craving. Jim and Sam liked it though, so I wanted to share it.
I’ve also got a camera update. I happily upgraded just a little from my old, broken point and shoot camera to a new Nikon L100. It’s still a point and shoot but it offers me more flexibility and choices when I’m taking pictures. Now I just have to learn how to use it! And thank you for all the blog-commiserating when my camera broke!
Recipe: Peanut Butter Popcorn
(slightly adapted from Frantic Home Cook)
8-10 c. popped popcorn
1 c. light corn syrup
1 c. granulated sugar
1. c. peanut butter (I used smooth, but I think chunky would be great too.)
2 pinches of kosher salt or sea salt
chocolate candy melts for drizzling
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Stir corn syrup and sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Be careful! This is super hot! Pour mixture over popcorn and stir to coat. Pour popcorn onto baking sheet and bake in oven for 10 minutes. Spoon popcorn onto wire rack covered with waxed paper or parchment paper. Allow to cool completely. Melt candy melts in microwave following package directions. Drizzle over popcorn and allow to set. Break popcorn into pieces. Store in airtight container.
Pumpkin Soup with Bacon
Oh my gosh. This soup is absolutely delicious, and just one more amazing way to use a can of pumpkin puree. I saw this at Furey and the Feast and couldn’t stop thinking about it. I ended up making it for lunch the other day, then we had it again as a side with dinner. It is fabulous. You get sweet, savory, and salty in every bite. Perfection. I think it’s my new favorite soup!
Recipe: Pumpkin Soup with Bacon
(slightly adapted from Furey and the Feast)
**I cut the recipe in half and still got a 2 qt. pot full of soup. Making the full recipe would make a lot!**
8 strips of thick bacon
2 c. onions, diced
1 c. carrot, diced
1 c. celery, diced
1 29-oz. can pumpkin puree
1 c. apple cider (or white wine or apple juice)
8 c. chicken or vegetable stock
1 c. water
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika (or cayenne pepper for more heat)
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 c. half and half (or heavy cream)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Chop bacon into small pieces. In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crispy. Remove from pot with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
Add onion, carrot, and celery to bacon fat in pot and cook for one minute. Add pumpkin puree and cook over low-medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir puree occasionally. It will caramelize a little and become a little bit darker.
Add cider, stock, water, sugar, and all spices; stir to combine.
Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover pot, leaving lid slightly ajar to allow room for steam to escape. Simmer soup for one hour. Soup will reduce by about 1/4.
Taste soup to adjust seasoning. Use a slotted spoon to transfer vegetables to blender (or use an immersion blender to puree in pot). Also add a little broth. Puree until smooth. Return to pot. Turn off heat and add half and half and butter. Mix in bacon or use as a garnish in middle of each bowl.
I don’t really have a recipe for you, but I do have this picture of the turkey I made for the kindergarten class’s Fall party. How stinking cute is he anyway? Grab some tooth picks and wooden skewers, stop by the produce aisle, and start creating! By the way, the kids LOVED this. Even though there was chocolate pudding to be had, they wanted seconds of grapes and cheese instead!
Chili con Cocoa
The pumpkin chili I made a while ago got me thinking about how much more versatile chili is than you might think. When I came across this recipe, which adds cocoa to the mix, I wanted to give it a try. I made a few alterations here and there, but the original recipe comes from Hershey’s Kitchens. I figure if I’m gonna trust someone when it comes to chocolate, I couldn’t pick a better name than Hershey, right?
But to be honest, this is really just an okay chili. You don’t actually get the chocolate flavor until the end of each bite. It’s kind of an afterthought, but when it comes across your palate, it’s a little too much. A little too bitter. Maybe if I’d just added the cocoa powder or the dark chocolate, it would have been better. I was hoping it would just give it a nice deep flavor. Or maybe it’s just a personal taste thing, but we just weren’t crazy about it.
Recipe: Chili con Cocoa
(adapted from Hershey’s Kitchens)
2 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 lbs. ground beef
2 Tbsp. Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 c. water
2 large cans of chili beans (I used Bush brand.)
3 oz. dark chocolate
chili toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, grated chocolate, optional
Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot; add onion. Cook, stirring frequently as onion becomes translucent. Add ground beef, cook until browned and cooked through. Drain. Stir in cocoa powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, allspice, cinnamon, tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat. Add beans and dark chocolate. Simmer 45 minutes.
Kale, White Bean, and Pasta Soup
I’ve been on the lookout for great soups lately. The weather has been wet and dreary and it’s getting colder, darker. It kind of seems like we skipped right by all the beauty of Fall. My little maple tree in the backyard was gorgeous for a day. The next day the leaves were scattered all over. Anyway, this all brings me back to wanting some nice warm, satisfying soup recipes.
This one really fits the bill. It’s hearty and healthy, and is definitely going to be simmering in my kitchen a lot this winter. It uses the usual vegetables, plus an addition of turnips and kale. The original recipe calls for a spice called Harissa, which I had never heard of. I googled for a substitute and found that I could use a combination of spices that I did have and get a similar flavor. I’ve marked all my changes in green next to the original recipe.
Recipe: Kale, White Bean, and Pasta Soup
(adapted from a recipe found at Cookbook Catchall)
1 lb+ Kale, thick center stems removed, chopped roughly
1 lb dried cannellini beans (note: for faster cooking time, soak beans overnight) (I used 2 cans of white northern beans – rinsed and drained slightly.)
1 26 oz can chopped tomatoes (I used a big can of diced tomatoes.)
1 large onion, diced
3 medium-sized carrots, diced
3 turnips, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus rind (I didn’t have a rind because I had bought a tub of already grated Parm.)
1 cup small pasta (My pasta was a whole wheat seashell pasta.)
1 Tbs Harissa (These are the spices I used as a substitute for Harissa: 1 1/2 tsp. paprika, 1 1/2 tsp. coriander, 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper. If you want more heat, add more cayenne pepper.)
2 Tbs olive oil
8 cups water (or half water, half vegetable stock) (I used 4 c. chicken broth and 4 c. water.)
1 small bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, leaves chopped roughly
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sweat carrots, onions and celery in olive oil with a healthy sprinkling of pepper until translucent. Add turnips and saute for a few minutes.
Add water, tomatoes and dried (or canned) beans and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature to a simmer. Add Parmesan, Parmesan rind and Harissa (or spice substitutions) (note: Harissa is very spicy – if you do not enjoy spicy soup, reduce quantity or omit Harissa).
Simmer for 45 – 90 minutes until beans are just tender (timing will depend on whether you soaked the beans overnight). Add additional water, cup by cup if soup is too thick. Add pasta, kale and sprinkle liberally with salt. Add additional Harissa or pepper to taste.
Cook until pasta is barely tender (it will continue to cook once you have removed the soup from the heat). Again, add additional water if thinner soup is desired. Remove and discard parmesan rind. Add Italian parsley. Serve with some nice, rustic bread.
Pumpkin Pancakes
My, but those folks at Libby’s know what to do with a can of pumpkin. I really think they are the best source for amazing pumpkin recipes. These pancakes come straight from them, the only thing we changed was the flour. I think they’re just about perfect.
Before I give you the recipe, I have to point out my Boo Radley sleeping behind my shot. Unless I’ve got a vacuum cleaner in front of me, he could care less what goes on around him. That’s pretty much his standard pose.
Back to breakfast. Be sure to use the Pumpkin Maple Sauce if you really want to take these over the top. We, which in the case of pancakes really means Jim, didn’t make the sauce for this batch, but it is truly delicious.
Recipe: Pumpkin Pancakes with Pumpkin Maple Sauce
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour (If you don’t have any, just substitute with a cup of all-purpose flour.)
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1/4 c. water
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Pumpkin Maple Sauce (recipe follows)
Combine flours, brown sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large bowl. Combine evaporated milk, pumpkin, water, egg, and oil in a separate bowl. Mix well. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened; batter may be lumpy.
Heat griddle over medium heat; brush lightly with butter or oil. Pour 1/4 c. batter onto hot griddle; cook until bubbles begin to burst. Turn and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with Pumpkin Maple Sauce and chopped nuts, if desired.
Recipe: Pumpkin Maple Sauce
Heat 1 c. maple syrup, 1 1/4 c. pumpkin puree, and 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice in a small saucepan until warm. Serve over pumpkin pancakes.
Pumpkin Smoothie
Okay, I know this isn’t the most appetizing picture to post on a blog that’s mostly food-related. Blame it on the state of my household right now. Or the state of my mental health. It’s all related. When you don’t get a good night’s sleep in days, you get a little punchy. And this smoothie was really screaming for a pile of whipped cream with cinnamon sprinkled on top, but there’s no whipped cream because I haven’t left my house in about a week, so I went with the spider instead. Very Halloweenish, right?
My sweet girl has been knocked down with the flu. On day 3 when I called the doctor, it was too late for an anti-viral medication, so we’ve just been riding it out. She’s feeling a lot better today and her temperature is finally normal, so I wanted to share with you the breakfast drink that’s been getting me through the day.
This is kind of a recipe, but really more of a guide. And so easy that you don’t even need me to tell you all this, but you can’t stop me. {evil laughing} See? Not enough sleep. Anyway, this is a pumpkin smoothie. Or maybe I should call it what it really is… a chocolate pumpkin banana soy smoothie. Too many words. Let’s just say pumpkin smoothie and call it a day. It’s tasty and full of good stuff, and it’s been a great way to kick start my day. If you make it, I suggest you go with the pile of whipped cream instead of the spider though.
Recipe: Pumpkin Smoothie
(makes one serving)
3/4 – 1 c. chocolate soy milk (or any kind of milk you have… or some vanilla yogurt… or some milk AND some ice cream… hmm)
1/2 c. pumpkin puree (one small can of pumpkin makes three smoothies)
1 small banana
1 Tbsp. agave nectar (or brown sugar or honey, to taste)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice… I’ve tried both and liked the straight cinnamon best)
handful of ice cubes
Add all ingredients to the blender and puree until smooth. Top with some whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon. (This is going to be really thick if you use yogurt instead of milk, so you’ll also need to add a little milk.)
Beef Stew
Fall’s officially here. It’s not the pumpkin recipes or the apple picking that gives it away. It’s the beef stew. This stew represents shorter days, cooler weather, and the ultimate comfort food. It’s, hands-down, the best beef stew ever. Sam might tell you that’s an opinion, not a fact. Kids… and school… and all this book-learnin’. Geesh. He’d still be pretty quick to agree with me anyway.
I’ve been making this stew for just about all my married life. In case you’re wondering, that’s 17 years worth of stew, people. A friend gave me the recipe ages ago and I’ve never needed to look for another. Served with some warm buttered bread, this is the ultimate in Fall food.
Recipe: Beef Stew
2 lbs. beef stew meat
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, diced
1 onion, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
dash of allspice
carrots, peeled and cubed (amount to your liking)
red potatoes, cubed (amount to your liking)
Brown meat in oil in a heavy pot. Add 2 1/2 c. hot water and next 9 ingredients. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add carrots and potatoes; cover and cook an additional 35-45 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Thicken with a flour and water mixture.
