S'mores Cookies

I have been a huge fan of S'mores ever since I can remember. My family went camping from the time I was 8 or 9 years old, and roasting those marshmallows to huge, puffy, golden brown orbs of gooeyness was my favorite part of the experience. We always squished TWO marshmallows in between our graham crackers and chocolate. If you're going to get sticky, you might as well go all out, right? :) 

These cookies are reminiscent of those evenings around the campfire--telling stories, laughing, and being mesmerized into silence by the flickering flames. 

S'mores Cookies

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Yields 3-1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2-1/4 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup graham cracker pieces (2-1/2 sheets of graham crackers largely chopped)

for topping:

6 large marshmallows, torn into 6 pieces each 

1-2 sheets of graham crackers, broken into small pieces 

1-1/2 Hershey bars, broken into small pieces (approximately 4 pieces out of each square of chocolate)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. 

In a large mixing bowl, cream together margarine, shortening, brown sugar and sugar. Add in vanilla and eggs and beat until evening combined. 

In a separate bowl, sift or whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. Add in this flour mixture into the creamed ingredients in three additions. Do not over mix. 

Stir in chocolate chips and graham cracker pieces. 

Using a cookie scoop (1-1/2 Tbsp) arrange dough on the cookie sheet. On each cookie, place 1 marshmallow piece in the center followed by a piece of chocolate and graham cracker. (Please put that marshmallow in the MIDDLE of the cookie. The first two pans I baked had marshmallows along the sides, and I ended up with a really big mess of marshmallow overflow.) Bake for 9 minutes until edges are golden brown. Let cool on pan 2 minutes, then remove to cool completely on a wire rack. 

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Pecan Sandies

Pecan Sandies always remind me of my dad. I remember having a package of the Keebler variety in the cabinet, and as a young girl I couldn't figure out why anyone would choose a pecan cookie over a chocolate chip cookie. Now I know why. These shortbread-esque cookies are the purest form of dessert. 

Butter.

Flour.

Sugar. 

Done. 

A simple list of ingredients, quick to put together, impossible to stop eating, these cookies are just asking to be made by you! :D  

Pecan Sandies

recipe adapted from browneyedbaker.com

Yields: 1 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar

1-1/2 vanilla extract 

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup flour

1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

In a medium bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar until creamed. Mix in vanilla extract. Add flour and salt and stir until just combined. Stir in pecans. 

Roll dough into 1-1/2 inch balls or use a cookie scoop. Arrange on cookie sheet and flatten balls slightly with the dampened bottom of a glass. 

Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Once cooled completely, dust lightly with powdered sugar, if desired. 

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Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I am forever willing to try new chocolate chip cookie recipes. It's never bad to have a fresh cookie to indulge my sweet tooth, and I just might come across something wonderful! This adaptation (egg plus egg yolk) of my standard cookie recipe results in a perfectly chewy cookie, with a crisp exterior, and the appearance of perfection. Yumalicious! 

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com

Yields: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup margarine or butter

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla 

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk 

2-1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt 

1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large mixing bowl, cream together margarine, shortening, brown sugar and sugar. Mix in vanilla and egg and egg yolk until combine. Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. 

Drop by tablespoonful onto a large cookie sheet (preferably lined with a silicone baking mat.) Bake 9-11 minutes or until edges and tops of cookies are just golden. Let rest on the cookie sheet 2 or 3 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. 

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Sweet Heat Chili (Slow Cooker)

When I came across this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe, I immediately wanted to try it. Normally, when it comes to chili, I totally wing it and end up with a new recipe each time. I LOVE it. But there was something special, something unique about this recipe, so I did my best to follow it to a T. I love the wide array of vegetables in this chili. I think that's my favorite part of this recipe. It's not just meat, beans, and tomatoes

The only changes I made to the original recipe (besides slow cooking rather than stove-topping it) were roasted red peppers for sundried tomatoes (as I didn't have any) and I added jalapeños--making my chili a bit heavier on the "heat" than the "sweet" side of things. . It was still really delicious, and we're super excited to have leftovers. Chili just gets better with time. 

Sweet Heat Chili

recipe adapted from melskitchencafe.com

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced

1 large green bell pepper, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 to 1 lb ground meat

4 cups beef stock

2 cans (28 oz. each) whole stewed tomatoes

1- 14oz can kidney red beans, drained and rinsed

1- 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced 

3 bay leaves

1 tsp dry mustard

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika 

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt to taste

Directions

Heat a medium skillet over medium low heat and brown the ground meat. Drain and rinse off excess fat.

Pour the cans of stewed tomatoes into a food processor and pulse a few times to desired consistency. 

Combine all ingredients into a 6 or 7 quart slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high 4 hours. 

Serve with a dollop of sour cream. 

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