Veg Quinoa Chili

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (2)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (omit)
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped (3)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped (omit)
1 red bell pepper, chopped (omit)
1 medium zucchini, chopped (omit)
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (1)
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (1)
3 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (2)
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2-3 tablespoons chili powder, depending on your taste (1.5)
1 tablespoon ground cumin(1.5 t)
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Optional toppings: green onions, avocado slices, cheese, sour cream, Greek yogurt, chips, crackers, etc.

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium sauce pan, combine the quinoa and water. Cook over medium heat until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeño, carrot, celery, peppers, and zucchini. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Stir in the cooked quinoa. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Simmer chili on low for about 30 minutes. Serve warm.
4. Note-garnish the chili with green onions, avocado slices, cheese, sour cream/Greek yogurt, chips, crackers, if desired. This chili freezes well.

All images and text ©Two Peas & Their Pod.

Soft and Chewy Gingersnaps

• INGREDIENTS:

3½ cups all-purpose flour
2¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1¼ teaspoons cinnamon
1¼ teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup molasses
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger; set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the molasses and continue to mix until completely combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract, and mix to thoroughly combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl, reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, giving it a final stir with a rubber spatula.
4. Scoop about 1½ tablespoons of dough, roll into a ball, and place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are set, but centers are still soft. Allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. These cookies can also be frozen for up to 1 month

SOurce: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/soft-and-chewy-gingersnap-cookies/

PB Blossoms

INGREDIENTS:

• ¾ cup peanut butter
• ½ cup vegetable shortening
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Granulated sugar, for rolling
• 48 Hershey’s kisses, unwrapped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. With an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter and shortening on medium speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, and beat until fluffy. Add the egg, milk and vanilla extract, and beat well. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually beat the flour into peanut butter mixture until just combined.
4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie (the cookie will crack around edges). Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, then remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week

Source: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/christmas-baking-the-peanut-butter-blossom/

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Whisk together the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Combine the unsweetened chocolate and butter in a small bowl and microwave at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until combined. Fold in the flour mixture until no dry streaks remain. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
5. Place the granulated sugar and powdered sugar in separate shallow bowls. Working with 2 tablespoons dough (or a medium cookie scoop) at a time, roll into balls. Drop dough balls directly into granulated sugar and roll to coat. Transfer dough balls to powdered sugar and roll to coat evenly. Evenly space the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets.
6. Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until puffed and cracked and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), about 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cool completely on sheet before serving. The cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Source: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/chocolate-crinkle-cookies-recipe/

250 Neiman Marcus

INGREDIENTS:

• 2½ cups rolled oats
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 ounces milk chocolate, grated or finely chopped
• 1½ cups chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Blend the oats in a food processor or blender to a fine powder. In a medium bowl, whisk together the blended oats with the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated. With a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips, grated chocolate and walnuts.
4. Roll the dough into 2-ounce balls (or about 2 heaping tablespoonfuls worth) and place about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time until the edges are set but the center still looks undone, about 10 minutes. Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheets. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days (they can also be frozen for up to 2 months).

Source: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/the-famed-neiman-marcus-cookie/

Levain CCC

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups (383 grams) bread flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
• ¾ cup + 4 teaspoons (170 grams) light or dark brown sugar
• ½ cup (99 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, cold, lightly beaten in a separate bowl
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1½ cups (255 grams) dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup (113 grams) toasted and coarsely chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until it comes together in one cohesive mass, about 1 minute. Add both sugars and continue to beat for another 1 to 2 minutes, until all of the sugar has been incorporated into the butter. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla and continue beating on medium speed until combined, scraping the sides of bowl once (the batter will appear lumpy). Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the flour mixture until just a little bit of flour still remains. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts with a rubber spatula.
4. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces, roughly shaping them into balls (it should not be smooth). Place them,evenly spaced, on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
6. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes, or until light golden brown on top. Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

RECIPE NOTES:

• While dark chocolate chips mimic the original recipe, you could also use semisweet chocolate chips.
• You can omit the walnuts for allergy purposes or personal preference.
• To get cookies all the same size, I recommend using a scale for weighing out the dough.

Source: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/levain-bakery-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Sadelle's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup raisins
• Hot water
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 egg
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 30 minutes, then drain.
2. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture all at once. Mix on low speed until combined. With the mixer still on low speed, mix in the oats, followed by the drained raisins, egg and vanilla extract.
5. Use a ¼-cup measuring cup to scoop the dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Flatten each blob slightly with the bottom of the measuring cup. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 days.
6. When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until the cookies are golden brown around the edges but still soft in the middle, about 17 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/sadelles-oatmeal-raisin-cookies/

Gingerbread Cut Outs

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened slightly
• ¾ cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS:

1. In food processor workbowl fitted with steel blade, process flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking soda until combined, about 10 seconds. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture and process until mixture is sandy and resembles very fine meal, about 15 seconds. With machine running, gradually add molasses and milk; process until dough is evenly moistened and forms soft mass, about 10 seconds. (Alternatively, in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, stir together flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and baking soda at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Stop mixer and add butter pieces; mix at medium-low speed until mixture is sandy and resembles fine meal, about 1½ minutes. Reduce speed to low and, with mixer running, gradually add molasses and milk; mix until dough is evenly moistened, about 20 seconds. Increase speed to medium and mix until thoroughly combined, about 10 seconds.)
2. Scrape dough onto work surface; divide in half. Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll ¼-inch thick between two large sheets of parchment paper. Leaving dough sandwiched between parchment layers, stack on cookie sheet and freeze until firm, 15 to 20 minutes. (Alternatively, refrigerate dough 2 hours or overnight.)
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
4. Remove one dough sheet from freezer; place on work surface. Peel off top parchment sheet and lay it back in place. Flip dough over; peel off and discard second parchment layer. Cut dough into gingerbread people or round cookies, transferring shapes to parchment-line cookie sheets with a wide metal spatula, spacing them ¾-inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough until cookie sheets are full. Bake cookies until set in centers and dough barely retains imprint when touched very gently with fingertip, 8 to 11 minutes, rotating cookie sheet from front to back halfway through baking time. Do not overbake. Cool cookies on sheets 2 minutes, then remove with wide metal spatula to wire rack; cool to room temperature.
5. Gather scraps; repeat rolling, cutting and baking in steps 2 and 4. Repeat with remaining dough until all dough is used.
6. Once cookies are cool, decorate with royal icing, if desired. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Source: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/gingerbread-men-cookies/