A Jeanne in the Kitchen

This year is a banner year for all my robins. I am seeing more this year than I ever remember seeing in the past. They are everywhere. My trees are filled with them on a daily basis too. I love my birds. My dad and I used to watch our birds together all the time, so seeing my birds always makes me think of my dad.

Many of these are in the big pine tree right outside my office window.

It is once again time for cookies, but then again, I think it is always time for cookies. You know how much I LOVE cookies. I am always willing to try something new. I am always on the lookout for new and exciting recipes to try.

My latest cookie adventure was to make some caramel stuffed chocolate cookies. I used the latest batch of caramels that Priscilla and I just made Video #18 – Making Caramels with Priscilla and some of my black cocoa powder that Julia gave me. These cookies are definitely little treasures. They are black gold. I made some with chopped pecans and some without, “because … sometimes you feel like a nut and sometimes you don’t”. You can make this with regular cocoa powder too, but I thought it was fun to use the black cocoa instead.

Black Gold Cookies

Supposedly this recipe makes 5 dozen cookies, but I never get the amount they say I am supposed to get, so I don’t even worry about it anymore. Have you ever noticed why I don’t add the yields to my recipes? I have just learned, over the years, through many, many trials and errors, I just get what I get. I got almost 4 dozen cookies this time; definitely NOT 5 dozen like i was supposed to get.

1 cup or 2 sticks of softened butter

1 cup +1 TBSP sugar, divided

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder – I used black cocoa powder, but any cocoa powder is fine

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup chopped pecans

60 pieces of caramels or Rolo candies

Preheat the oven to 375*F or about 200*C.

Add 1 TBSP of sugar to the chopped pecans, mix together well and set aside.

Combine all the dry ingredients and set aside.

Mix the butter and sugars together until creamy. Add the eggs, one at as time, mixing in between each addition. Add the vanilla. Then add the flour mixture, 1/2 at a time, and mix until just blended.

Form about 1 TBSP of dough into a ball then make an indention in the center of each cookie for the caramel. Since I used my own caramels, I shaped the pieces into small balls that would fit into the cookie wells. Once the caramels have been placed inside the cookie wells, fold the dough around the caramels to completely cover them, or hide the treasures inside.

Once the caramels are buried in the chocolate cookies, pat them slightly to flatten them a bit, then lightly press them into the pecan and sugar mixture. Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart, nut side up.

Bake for about 10-13 minutes, or until the tops are slightly cracked. Cool for about 3 minutes then remove and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.

These are soft ooey-gooey cookies that will literally just melt in your mouth. Every mouthful will be oozing with soft caramel. These are so yummy! I bet you can’t stop at just one. 🙂

Make the best out of everyday and make everyday a cookie day. Stay warm, stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

The history of cassoulet is a history of Languedoc. One legend places the birth of cassoulet during the siege of Castelnaudary by the Black Prince, Edward the Prince of Wales, in 1355. The besieged townspeople gathered their remaining food to create a big stew cooked in a cauldron. The little town of Castelnaudary, in the Lauragais area of Aude, is the capital of cassoulet. This famous culinary specialty of the south-west, the family meal of choice, goes back to the Middle Ages and is one of the most widely-enjoyed dishes in France!

A cassoulet is a traditional French dish that is made with a variety of meats and baked white beans. The name comes from its cooking pot, the cassole d’Issel. As with many dishes, a cassoulet has humble beginnings, and was once the simple fare of farmers and rural country folk, but soon was discovered by the citizens of Paris and was elaborated upon to become a rich and complex dish. By the 19th century, this simple rustic dish found its way to the elites of Paris and gained in popularity as a delicious dish that was enjoyed by all, rich or poor.

Since Spain borders Southern France, it only makes sense that the two counties share a lot of similarities in their foods too. There are probably just as many versions of cassoulets found in Northern Spain as there are in Southern France, that are very similar and just as good, with their own Spanish personalities. I love both Spanish and French food, as well as both of their cultures, though I have a slight preference for the Spanish. I made my own version of a Spanish styled cassoulet that was a perfect dish for a cold, chilly night. I served it with my cheesy onion bread Cheesy Onion And Bacon Bread and a big, bold cabernet on the side. !Delicioso!

Since a cassoulet is traditionally a very rustic dish, it is usually comprised of whatever meats and/or sausages that are on hand at the time. I was inspired by a dish I made along time ago, that was similar, but was more of a tapas dish. This time, however, I was looking to making it more of a meal rather than simply tapas. Sausage Cooked in Red Wine I made it with some leftover ham, Andouille sausage and a spicy chicken sausage that I cooked in a red wine and vegetable sauce. I admit, I cheated on the beans, and used canned beans rather than cooking them from scratch. Canned beans are always a welcomed ingredient and fantastic time saver. 🙂

Modern Spanish Cassoulet

2 lbs of various sausages, sliced

1/2 lb- 1 lb of cooked ham

1 cup pumpkin, peeled and diced

2 cups tomatoes, diced

1-2 cups mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, diced

1 1/2-2 cups red wine

1 1/2-2 cups beef broth

2 TBSP garlic

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste

4-5 fresh thyme sprigs

1 TBSP fresh sage, chiffonade or cut into very thin strips

1-2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed

Cook the onions, garlic, pumpkin, red pepper flakes and mushrooms in olive oil until tender, then add the wine and bring to a boil.

Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil once again, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 30-40 minutes or until all the meats are cooked and everything is tender. Since I used canned beans, I just cooked those separately and served my stew on top of them. If you are cooking your beans from scratch, cook your beans according to the directions on the package first, then add them to your stew at this point, as a time saver. You can certainly do it the “old fashioned way” too and cook everything all together, but you had better prepare to be in the kitchen for quite some time if you are going to do it this way. Why be a slave to the stove when time is precious?

I served it over the cooked beans with my cheesy onion bacon bread and a bold cab on the side for a perfectly rustic, warm Spanish meal on a cold, chilly night. This warm dish certainly helped to take the chill out of the air and warmed us up from the inside out.

Stay warm, stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

I didn’t have to walk at all for this one. This beautiful Spotted Starling was posing in the tree right next to my office window. I took these shots from inside, looking out. I think Starlings are so beautiful.

Have a great day Everyone. Stay safe, stay warm and stay well.

I saw my first Common Goldeneyes for the season. They were just having a great time swimming in the cold waters today.

Hope you all have a golden day today and everyday.

Fall is quickly changing into winter and the temperatures are dropping fast. As I write this, I am looking out my office window to a blanket of fresh white snow, about 2-3 inches thick that dropped from the skies last night. The trees that not so long ago were dressed in beautifully colored leaves are now wearing their winter coats and are covered in snow. I love the changing of the seasons. With these cooler temperatures comes the time to turn the oven back on for long periods of time, not only for the much needed warmth but also for the delightful aromas and tastes that come from the oven while baking. It is time for baking breads once again.

This time I made a cheesy onion and bacon bread that helped take the chill out of the air. The oven was on for over an hour and the house smelled Heavenly. The bread was delicious too. 🙂

As usual, I started with a recipe and then it grew from there. I added peppered bacon and jalapenos to the mix and the flavors of the bread just popped and really came to life. It warmed us up from the inside out.

Cheesy Onion And Bacon Bread

2 1/2 tsp dry active yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1/2 cup lukewarm milk

1 TBSP honey

1 TBSP olive oil

1 egg

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

3-4 slices peppered bacon, diced, optional

1-2 jalapenos, diced fine, optional

1 TBSP onion, diced fine or dried onion

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3-3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

Mix the yeast and the water together and let sit for about 10 minutes, or until frothy.

Combine the milk, honey and the egg and beat slightly. Then add the mustard.

Combine all the dry ingredients, including the cheese, together and mix well.

Cook the bacon, jalapenos and onion until the bacon is done.

Add the cooked bacon and jalapeno mixture to the dry ingredients and combine well. Make a well in the center and add the egg, milk and mustard mixture. Start mixing it all together with a wooded spoon or a spatula.

Once all the ingredients are combined, dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and start kneading it all together for about 8-10 minutes, or until it forms into a soft, elastic ball.

Rub the olive oil into a big bowl, coating the whole bowl and place the dough in the bowl and cover. Place in a warm area and let the dough rise for about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, again, turn it onto a lightly floured surface, punch it down and shape into a log. Place the log into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Place the dough seam side down. Cover and let rise again for about another hour, or until the dough has risen to the top of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 350* F.

Make an egg wash and brush the top and sides of the bread.

Bake for about 1 hour, or until the bread is golden brown and hollow when tapped. Let it cool for a few minutes before slicing it and then enjoy. You’re going to love this flavorful bread.

We had some chili in the freezer that we took down, and I served the chili over a baked potato with his delicious cheesy onion bread on the side, along with a glass or two of a rich, full-bodied red wine. I think it was a cab. It was a perfect way to warm up on a cold, chilly night, or should I say “chili” night. 🙂

Stay warm, stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

There is something very comforting about oatmeal cookies. They just kind of remind me of my mom and life in more simple times. As with anything, there are many different variations too.

Oatmeal cookies are one of the most popular cookies in the world, coming in at 32.91%. Oatmeal raisin cookies are a close second, with 32.12% and chocolate chip cookies come in at a distant third, with 7.09%. In the United States, however, chocolate chip cookies reign supreme, coming in at 40%.

Oatmeal cookies originally came from England, and have been around since the early 1800’s. When first created, however, they were not the cookies as we know them today, but were instead made into oatcakes that soldiers would carry with them for quick energy boosts during battle. Americans call these sweet little flat cakes cookies, whereas in the UK and its “colonies”, cookies are known as biscuits. The word “cookie” is derived from the Dutch word koekje or “little cake,” which is a diminutive of “koek” (“cake”), which came from the Middle Dutch word “koke”.

Oatmeal cookies became popular in the United States by a lady named Fannie Merritt Farmer, but really gained in popularity when Quaker Oats decided to print the recipe on their boxes of oats.

I found an interesting new recipe for oatmeal chocolate cookies and just had to try it. They are white chocolate oatmeal cookies, but not with white chocolate chips. Instead they are made with melted white chocolate that is poured into the batter to make these cookies smooth and creamy. They are almost like velvet and just melted in my mouth. Fortunately though, I made them for the church so there weren’t any left for me to munch on. Having a lot of cookies around the house can be very dangerous for me, since they are my absolute favorite dessert. 🙂

White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Once again, I followed the recipe exactly, as I do when I am baking, and once again, I found the recipe needed some tweaking. The original recipe only called for 1 1/4 cups of flour, but I found it made the cookies too soft and they spread out too thin, so next time I make these, and there definitely will be a next time, I will add more flour. I am giving you the adjusted recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 190* C.

1 cup or 2 sticks of softened butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

3 tsp vanilla

1 tsp orange or coconut extract

6 oz of melted white chocolate

1 3/4-2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups oats

Combine all the dry ingredients except for the oats, and set a side.

Mix the butter and sugars together until creamy, then add the egg, vanilla and orange or coconut extract. I didn’t have coconut extract, so I used orange instead. I liked them with the hint of orange. Add the melted white chocolate and blend everything together well, then add the flour mixture, 1/2 at a time, mixing in between. Fold in the oats.

Once everything is blended together, drop about 1 TBSP of dough onto the ungreased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 10-13 minutes or until lightly golden in color.

When done, invite a bunch of friends over to share, because this batch will make a lot of cookies. It makes between 4-5 dozen.

Have a great day Everyone. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

We all know life gets crazy, hectic and chaotic at times. When you still are looking for tasty things to make, even in these crazy times, there is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping things simple; you know, that K.I.S.S. rule that I am so fond of.

I just made some deliciously fun and easy-peasy pumpkin Nutella pinwheels that definitely fall into the K.I.S.S. category. There are only four simple ingredients, but by looking at them, and definitely by eating them, you would never know. You would think they took hours to make and needed a lot of ingredients. Just goes to show, looks can be deceiving. 🙂

Pumpkin Nutella Pinwheels

As I mentioned above, these delicious pinwheels only require four basic ingredients. I made more because I needed more for the church coffee cart.

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup Nutella spread

2 cans premade crescent roll dough

powdered sugar

Combine the pumpkin puree and the Nutella mix and set aside.

Roll out the crescent dough to a rectangle and flatten slightly. Spread the Nutella pumpkin mix over the dough.

Roll the dough into a tight spiral, starting at the small side. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for at least 10 minutes for the dough to set.

Once you are ready to cut the dough, preheat the oven to 425* F or about 210*C. With a sharp serrated knife, slice the dough and place each pinwheel on a parchment lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until they are lightly golden.

Cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar. Simple, easy-peasy and delicious! Baking doesn’t get much better than than.

Have a great day Everyone. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

My lakes are slowly coming back to life with all of our late fall/winter residents. I am seeing a lot of ducks and geese, as well as a lot more mergansers too. I love them all. They are always welcome.

A pair of Hooded Mergansers swimming along.

Just the boys for now.

And the Mallards

The boys

and the girls.

I hope your day is just ducky, today and everyday.

As you know, I get my recipes from all over the place, including a lot of them from following fellow bloggers just like you. Some of you have some amazing recipes. I like to say I am inspired by your recipes, rather than just using your recipes, because, inevitably, I always change them around a bit to make them my own. My latest borrow was from our very own Mia Kouppa at https://miakouppa.com/ for her Pear Chocolate Bread. Thank you for this wonderful and tasty idea. The only things I did differently this time were that I used semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate pieces and I added a chocolate ganache as a topping once the breads were cooled. So see. I can actually follow directions; for the most part. 🙂

Pear & Chocolate Bread

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 190* C.

Spray two loaf pans with cooking spray.

3 eggs

1 1 /2 cups sugar

3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp salt

3 cups flour

4 cups pears, peeled and chopped

1-1 1/2 cups chocolate morsels or chopped chocolate pieces

equal portions chocolate pieces and heavy whipping cream for chocolate ganache, optional

Combine all the dry ingredients and set aside.

Mix the oil, eggs and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla. Then slowly add the dry ingredients 1/2 at a time, mixing in between each addition. Mix until just blended together.

Add the chopped pears and chocolate pieces and fold into the mix.

Once everything is mixed together, evenly divide the batter into the prepared pans.

Bake for about 55-60 minutes, or until it is golden brown and a toothpick that has been inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Allow the breads to cool completely before removing them from the pans and topping them with the chocolate ganache, if using. Then slice and share with friends and family. Chocolate ganache is so easy-peasy to make. it is equal portions of chocolate and heavy whipping cream cooked together until it is all smooth and creamy. Stir constantly so the chocolate does not burn over a medium heat. You can also use the microwave too, just stir it after every minute to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Thank you once again Mia for this deliciously moist treat. I had to try some of the broken pieces, you know, for quality assurance of course. It passed with flying colors. 🙂

Have a great day. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.