Double Chocolate Cookies

It's a snow day!  I just love snow days!  I'm home from work, my kids are home from school, and my husband's home too :)  Perfect occasion to bake up something yummy and fun (and maybe even make a card or two :) )

We all just love these cookies-they're soft with somewhat of a cake-like texture, and extra chocolatey:

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup salted butter, softenened

3 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and cocoa powder.  Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.
• In a large bowl, blend brown and white sugars and butter with an electric mixer at medium speed to form a grainy paste.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips.  Blend at low speed just until combined.  Do not overmix.
• Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets, 1-1/2 inches apart.  Bake for 18-22 minutes.  Immediately transfer cookies to a cool surface.

Enjoy!

Rice Pudding

Brrrrrrr.....A freezing cold day:  -20C with the wind chill!!!!  Makes me think of warming up with some comfort food like a nice bowl of chili - and for dessert: some creamy rice pudding.

Anita and I both love this rice pudding recipe.  I've been making it for years.  It can be served either hot or cold-I love it both ways.

Rice Pudding

• 1/2 cup short-grain rice (I use Arborio)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• pinch of salt
• 5 cups milk
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tbsp. or less cinnamon for sprinkling

1. Combine rice with boiling water in a large, heavy saucepan.  Cover.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed.
2. Combine sugar with cornstarch and salt.  Whisk in 1 cup milk.  Stir until smooth.
3. Add sugar mixture and remaining milk to rice.  Combine well.  Add nutmeg and raisins.  Stirring, bring to a boil.
4. Cover, reduce heat to barest simmer and cook for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until mixture is very creamy.  Stir occasionally.
5. Stir in vanilla.  Transfer pudding to serving bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Serve hot or cold.

Banana Bread Bake-Off

I've been walking past the fruitbowl for the last couple of days, ignoring these lonely looking bananas, trying not to feel guilty knowing that they'd end up in the green bin if we didn't start eating them-and I knew there was no way we were going to do that before they over-ripened!

So I searched the internet for a banana bread recipe, and came across one on Pinterest that claimed it was the "best banana bread."   Of course I had to try it, but also made some changes to the recipe:  I subtituted baby bananas with mine, light brown sugar with regular brown sugar, and I used 2 loaf pans instead of one, which is why I think they turned out so flat.  Despite this, I have to admit, it was the best banana bread that I'd ever had, and I would make it again.  It had a nice, slightly dense and moist texture, although Anita insists her banana bread is better - so I've added her recipe below also :)

Here's the recipe with my adaptations: 

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly butter an 8-1/2" x 4-1/2" loaf pan (I used 2) and set aside.  Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda and set aside.

2.  Put the butter, honey, sugar, salt and cinnamon in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Cream the mixture on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and add the bananas and vanilla on medium speed until the mixture looks broken, about 1 minute. 

3.  Turn the speed to medium-low and mix in the egg until incorporated, about 5 seconds.  Turn the speed to low and gradually add the sifted flour mixture, mixing just until no traces of flour remain.  Add the sour cream and mix until the batter has a few remaining white streaks.  Gently fold in the chocolate chips.  Be sure to avoid over-mixing. You can also mix everything by hand in the order listed above, if preferred.

4.  Transfer the batter to the greased pan(s) and bake in the centre of the oven until a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes.  Cool the bread in the pan for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool completely on a rack.

Here's Anita's recipe:

Chocolate Banana Bread
1 cup vegetable oil (or softened margarine)
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
6 bananas, mashed
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sour cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly grease 2 - 9"x5" loaf pans.
In a large bowl, cream together vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs.  Stir in bananas and vanilla.  Sift in flour, baking soda, and cocoa.  Mix well.  Blend in sour cream and chocolate chips.
Pour batter into pans.  Bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle of loaf comes out clean.
*To make muffins, fill muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.
*This recipe is also easily halved.

Pop, Pop, Pop!

SANTA brought our family a popcorn maker this Christmas :o) -not your regular air popcorn maker-but rather a stainless steel, stove-top "Sweet & Easy Snack Machine."  Take a look at this beauty:

 Check out the cute details like the embossed popcorn and the popcorn handle:

 Here's how it opens:

 This is what it looks like inside:

My husband decided that he wanted to make the first batch and of course, when I handed him the instructions, he tossed them aside adding,  "How hard can it be to make popcorn?"  Well, a little harder than he thought, it turned out:  Lots of black popcorn along with a burnt-popcorn-fume-filled house for his efforts (at least he tried, right?)  

My 10yr old son and I dared to try attempt #2.  This time, we followed the simple instructions of combining 1/2 cup kernels and 2 tbsp. oil (we used sunflower oil), and stirring slowly for the entire process (about 3 minutes).  We did this until we only heard an occasional 'pop':

And, just like the instructions promised, after 3 minutes or so, voila:

 
After adding melted butter and salt, we happily devoured a perfect bowl of delicious popcorn (with only 4 unpopped kernels left at the bottom of the bowl)!

This awesome machine also makes fun snacks and comes with recipes such as, "Cookie Explosion," "Almond Bark Nuts," and "Godfather Popcorn" (made with Italian seasoning). 

I have yet to try any of them, but will post them if I do.

Oh, and the best part (for me) is that as long as it's used for traditional popcorn making only, washing it is not necessary!!  A simple wiping with a paper towel will do :0)