Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Another one of my favorite cookies that my grandmother would make around Christmas are Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. They are chocolate cookies rolled in powdered sugar. If made correctly they are soft and delicious! I say that because last year I must have over baked them a little because they didn't come out tasting as great as usual. But this year's batch were pretty good. I used a small cookie scoop and overfilled it a little bit so my cookies come out the same size. This cookie dough is much easier to work with when it's cold, so if you are taking any breaks while baking, put the dough back in the fridge when you're not working with it. Some years I sifted the powdered sugar before rolling the cookies in it but the cookies come out best if you do not sift it. Also, my cousin Vincent reminded me to NOT bake these on convection as that blows the sugar off the cookies! If you love chocolate, definitely give these a try!


Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

½ cup Mazola Corn Oil
4 squares unsweetened chocolate (melted) (4 ounces)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup confectionary sugar

Mix oil, chocolate, and sugar. Blend in one egg at a time until well mixed. Add vanilla. Stir in salt, flour, and baking powder.

Chill several hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350°.

Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into confectioners’ sugar.  Roll around and shape into a ball.  Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake.

Makes about 50 cookies.

Baking squares

Oil, melted chocolate, and sugar

Mixed with egg



All ingredients mixed together

Chilled dough

Roll dough into balls and then roll in powdered sugar




Right out of the oven!








Photos by JoJo

Russian Teacakes

Every year around Christmas my grandmother would make tons of different kinds of cookies. My favorite kind are called Russian Teacakes. They are little butter cookies with chopped walnuts that are baked and then covered (twice) in powdered sugar. They are simple but so delicious! I make them sometimes around Christmas and luckily had time to make them this year. It's been a while since I had made them but since it's fresh in my memory I have a few tips. Make sure you let the butter soften so the consistency of the cookies comes out right (not too crumbly which makes them difficult to shape). There is a lot of butter in this recipe so that is pretty important and really makes a difference in how the batter comes out. I also couldn't remember how big to make them and I think they ended up a little larger than they should have been. If you have a small cookie scoop, that size seems to work well (don't overfill the scoop, because that makes them too big since they grow a bit while baking). Also, there is no need to sift the powdered sugar before rolling the cookies in it. They come out best if you do not sift it. All in all, they were delicious as always!


Russian Teacakes
(Also called Mexican Wedding Cakes)

1 cup margarine or butter, softened
½ cup confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2¼ cups Gold Medal Flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup finely chopped walnuts
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400°.  Mix thoroughly butter, sugar, and vanilla. Work in flour, salt, and nuts until dough holds together. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly on wire rack. While warm, roll in confectioner’s sugar. Cool. Roll in sugar again.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Mix butter, vanilla & powdered sugar


Add flour & salt

Add chopped walnuts

Shape dough into 1-inch balls


Bake until set



Roll in powdered sugar twice






Updated photos from July 2021:






















Thursday, November 10, 2011

Chicken Piccata

Last Friday I was looking online for a simple chicken dish to make. I wanted some kind of chicken in wine sauce, and wanted to use what I had at home so I could just start cooking once I got home from work. I found some chicken piccata recipes but didn't have any chicken stock at home. Then I found Ina Garten's recipe and it was just what I was looking for. It doesn't even have capers (which was fine with me, even though I did have some at home) like most chicken piccata recipes. I made angel hair spaghetti and spinach to go with the chicken. It was delicious, I highly recommend trying it! The original recipe (and video) can be found on The Food Network.

A few notes on this: The recipe calls for one chicken breast split in two and pounded thin. I used two split chicken breasts and kept the rest of the recipe as is. I probably should have pounded the chicken a little thinner, because it took longer than 2 minutes to cook without it still being raw in the middle. That is the only thing I'll change the next time I make this.

A little lesson on where the word "piccata" comes from can be found here - just thought it was interesting!


Chicken Picatta
Recipe courtesy Ina Garten

2 split (1 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 extra-large egg
½ Tablespoon water
¾ cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
Good olive oil
3 Tablepsoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved
½ cup dry white wine
Sliced lemon, for serving
Chopped parsley leaves, for serving

Preheat oven to 400˚. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to ¼-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper in a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the egg and ½ tablespoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first into the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread crumb mixtures.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, wipe out the sauté pan with a dry paper towel. Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, wine, the reserved lemon halves, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves and serve 1 chicken breast on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Makes 2 servings.


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Peanut Butter & Nutella Swirl Cookies

I've really been slacking on putting recipes on here. I found one that I've been dying to try, but just haven't had time yet. These Peanut Butter & Nutella Swirl Cookies look so good! If I ever get around to making them, I'll post my own pictures and the recipe with any tips. I hope mine look this good...

Photo from Delighful Bitefuls Blog

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