CHOCOLATE CHERRY COOKIES

These cookies won first place in Better Homes & Garden 1981 Prize Tested Recipes recipe contest, and readers still request it. Mine don't look exactly like the picture in the BH&G All-Time Favorites Cookbook -- the frosting I think was a tad too thin and baked down over the cherries, exposing the cherries. So I reduced the added liquid in the recipe below so that hopefully it won't happen. Nevertheless, these are very good -- chocolatey with a rich chocolate frosting and then there's that cherry. They make up quickly, too, even though they look complicated. I made a few changes, which I've noted below. I did have one problem: the recipe stated a 10-oz. jar of maraschino cherries which I bought, only to find that there weren't enough cherries to do all the cookies. So I cut the cherries in half. The cherries in this cookie are the star, so be sure you get a jar big enough so that you don't have to cut them in half.

Chocolate Cherry Cookies
INGREDIENTS: 1-1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, lightly spooned and swept
(I added the 2 Tbsp. flour)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp. Stevia Plus)
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. instant coffee granules (decaf is ok)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 tsp. coffee brandy, such as Kahlua (I used Samosa brand) divided use
44-48 maraschino cherries (a 10-oz. jar has only 30 cherries)
6 oz. semisweet chocolate pieces (1 cup)
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)

DIRECTIONS: Have all ingredients at room temperature before starting. In a medium bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients and whisk well; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter for a minute or two, then add sugar and beat till well combined and fluffy. Add the egg, coffee granules, vanilla, and 2 tsp. brandy and beat well, scraping bottom and sides as needed. Gradually stir in flour mixture till everything is incorporated into a soft dough. Chill for about a half hour if you have the time.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. With your thumb, press down center of each ball. Drain cherries, reserving juice. Place a cherry in the center of each cookie.

Prepare frosting: In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate pieces and condensed milk. Heat and stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in the remaining 1 tsp. coffee brandy and 1 tsp. reserved cherry juice. (If frosting is too thick to spread, thin it with additional cherry juice, but you don't want it too thin or it will bake down off the cherries.) Spoon 1/2 - 1 tsp. of the frosting over each cherry, spreading to cover the cherry.

Bake cookies 10-14 minutes or until edges are firm. (Mine took 13 minutes.) Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to wire racks and let cool. Yield: 48 cookies (I got 44 cookies.)

KISSES

I don't know why these cookies are called kisses. It always makes me think of the cookies that have a Hershey's kiss in the middle. But these have Lekvar in the middle. Lekvar is readily available in the jams and jellies section of many foodstores, especially in the northeast. However, I cannot get it in New Bern, unless I buy the Solo prune filling in the can. Actually, I prefer making my own Lekvar once I found out how easy it is. Anyway, this recipe has been in my file for 30 years, and I got it from a neighbor when we lived in Whitehall, PA. She moved to Bethlehem, PA and I haven't heard from her in years. Joann, if you're out there, your cookies will be remembered forever. These are a basic shortbread cookie and, as such, they are not very sweet. The jam is tart, making this a delightful snack, not overly sweet, but very satisfying. You can substitute any tart jam if you are unable to find Lekvar or are unwilling to make it. Or you can buy Solo prune filling. These are not hard to make, but can get messy. To simplify matters, I spoon the Lekvar into a resealable plastic bag and cut a corner off, then pipe the prune butter into the cookie depression. Otherwise you have to use two spoons and it gets all over your fingers...yuk, yuk, although you can lick it off...yum.

Kisses

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 lb. unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, divided use
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1-1/2 cups finely ground walnuts
1 cup Lekvar or other tart jam

DIRECTIONS: Have all ingredients at room temperature before starting. In medium bowl, beat together the softened butter and sugar till smooth and fluffy. Separate eggs. Add the yolks to the sugar/butter mixture and beat till well incorporated. Stir in the flour and salt. Refrigerate dough for one hour or more. (It will keep in fridge for several days.) When ready to bake, take dough out of fridge and let sit on counter for 15-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare baking sheets with parchment. Whisk the egg whites in a small bowl with about 1/4 cup water. Roll dough into 1" balls. (See photo below.) I used my round measuring teaspoon for this and lined up all the balls at once. I had an assembly line going: the finely ground nuts were in a pie plate; the egg whites were whipped with water in a bowl; the Lekvar was in a plastic bag with the corner cut; and the dough balls were lined up.

After you get enough dough balls for one cookie sheet, dip them in the egg white mixture, then drop them on the pie plate with the nuts. The pie plate should hold one cookie sheet full of dough balls, so get them all in there before you start rolling them. Otherwise, you will get nuts in the egg whites when you go back and forth. Roll the balls in the nuts so they are covered all around, then put them on the lined cookie sheets. With your thumb, make a depression in each cookie, and fill with some Lekvar. Bake about 13-16 minutes (mine took 15 minutes) or till cookies are set. When they come out of the oven, pipe some more Lekvar in center of each cookie. (It works better if you do this in two stages; trust me on this one.)

Lekvar filling

INGREDIENTS: 1 10-oz. bag of pitted prunes (2 cups)
1/2 cup apple juice concentrate
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS: Simmer all ingredients covered on stove in small pot for 1 hour, until very soft and most of water is evaporated, stirring as needed. If necessary, uncover pot during last 5-10 minutes to facilitate evaporation. Remove from heat and mash with fork or spoon. This will keep in the fridge for several months in a glass jar. It's delicious with cream cheese on bagels, toast, muffins, or breads. This recipe will yield approx. 2 cups, enough for 2 recipes of Kisses.

AMARETTO BUTTER BALLS

It's time to bake Christmas cookies. I started with these little goodies that I made for the first time last Christmas. The recipe is from allrecipes.com, and it was submitted by Michele O'Sullvain. It was rated 4 out of 5 by 10 members. Although the chopped nuts are optional, I think they really add a lot. When making any of these butter balls, you must shake them in powdered sugar when they come out of the oven, and then again after they have cooled completely. If you wait till the cookies are cool to shake them in the sugar, it won't stick. If you only coat them once, the first coat will disappear. I freeze my cookies and then take them out when I want them. They thaw quickly, and they stay fresher in the freezer. The only thing I added to this recipe was 1/2 tsp. almond extract to accentuate the almond flavors. These are easy and pretty fast. The cookie itself is not sweet, but when you add the two coats of powdered sugar, it's just right. They're very tender because of the butter and the nuts, so handle carefully.

Amaretto Butter Balls
INGREDIENTS: 3/4 cup finely chopped almonds (optional)
1 cup butter
1/2 cup 10 X sugar
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned and swept
1/2 tsp. salt (I used sea salt -- it has minerals)
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/4 cup amaretto liqueur (I used Bols Creme de Noyaux -- probably about
20 years old)
1/2 cup - 1 cup 10X sugar for rolling

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Have all ingredients at room temperature before starting. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar until smooth. Stir in the flour and salt and blend well, then mix in the liqueur and extract. Fold in the chopped almonds if desired. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls. (I used a rounded measuring teaspoon.) Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or till cookies are set and begin to crack. (Mine took 12 minutes, and I tested them with a toothpick in the center, just like for a cake.) Remove cookies from oven and let them cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack. Before setting them on the wire rack, carefully roll them in powdered sugar. (They are tender and can break easily.) After cookies are completely cool, roll them again in powdered sugar.

MY NEW CUISINART

My old Cuisinart served me well for 30 years. As I was whipping up the Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, the filling was oozing out of the crack in the work bowl. It was time to replace my favorite kitchen appliance. Internet research gave me the facts: there are only 3 food processors to buy -- the KitchenAid 750, the Cuisinart Custom Pro 11-cup, or the Cuisinart 14-cup Power Prep Plus. There simply are no others to even consider. The Custom Pro 11-cup was the top choice for pastries and pie crusts because the pulse mechanism stops in 2 seconds, supposedly making a huge difference with pastry doughs. Next, the price shopping. Costco offered the Custom Pro with "added value." The added value was an extra work bowl and your choice of either a pizza pan with cutter or a storage unit for the discs. Their model only came in stainless steel/black, which was perfect for my kitchen. I was sold. Because we purchased it Thanksgiving Saturday, we got the special price of $129.95 + tax. Unbeatable, or so I thought. When I got it home, I was surprised to see that the work bowl was smaller than my old work bowl. I mistakenly thought I had a 7-cup work bowl because my old model was the DLC-7. Then I went to my Cuisinart file and looked at my records. What I had was a 14-cup model of the DLC-7. It was the perfect size. I thought I had a 7-cup model and that I was upgrading to the 11-cup. In reality I was downgrading to the 11-cup! Well, it's too late now. I've already used it. I won't be able to make large cheesecakes in it like I did in my 14-cup, but it will be ok. And I do have a 6-quart KitchenAid stand mixer to make the cheesecakes in. At my age, I doubt I'll ever replace it. If someone makes me a good offer on it, though, I will sell it and buy the 14-cup model.

APPLE CRANBERRY CRUMBLE MUFFINS

This recipe comes from the Robin Hood flour people (I think they're British), and it's very good. I've made these muffins several times since I found the recipe in 2005. These are very light and moist; the crumble topping makes the top of the muffin very crispy, crunchy, and the flavors of the cranberries and apples....well you know. You'll get 12 very large standard-size muffins from this batter.

Apple Cranberry Crumble Muffins

INGREDIENTS: Topping-- 1/4 cup brown sugar (I used 1 tsp. Stevia Plus, 3 Tbsp. sugar +
1 tsp. molasses)
1/4 cup chopped almonds
3 Tbsp. quick oats
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. melted butter (I used Smart Balance buttery spread)


Muffins-- 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned and swept 1-1/2 cups brown sugar
(I used 1 Tbsp. Stevia Plus + 3/4 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp. molasses)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 large egg
1 cup plain yogurt (I used lite sour cream)
1/2 cup Canola Oil
2 cups peeled and chopped apples (I used 1 very large Rome apple)
3/4 cup cranberries (I cut the big ones in half)
I added 1/8 tsp. sea salt and 1 tsp. lemon juice

DIRECTIONS: Topping: Combine all ingredients. Mix well. Set aside.

Muffins: Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Have all ingredients at room temperature before starting. Prepare muffin tins by greasing and flouring. For coated pans, just spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

Chop the apples, place them with the cranberries in a small bowl and toss with the lemon juice. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, yogurt (or sour cream) and oil (and molasses if you are using). Add the liquids to the dry ingredients all at once, whisking a few times till almost combined. Gently fold in the cranberries and apples. Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin wells (a little more than 1/4 cup of batter to each well). Sprinkle crumble topping over each muffin. Place muffins in oven and immediately reduce heat to 375 degrees F. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or till toothpick inserted in center of muffin returns almost clean. (Mine took 19-1/2 minutes.)

REDUCED FAT, REDUCED SUGAR CAPPUCCINO MUFFINS

We're getting ready to visit friends in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I had some coffee yogurt to use up, and thought cappuccino muffins would be a great way to use it up. I decided to play with the recipe a bit to reduce the sugar and fat in these muffins and make them a little more healthful. ("Healthful" dessert is an oxymoron,, no?) These came out really, really good. So good, I might just stick to this recipe next time I make them. Cappuccino anything is tops on my list -- the flavors of chocolate, cinnamon and coffee are my favorite. Here's the recipe -- if you try it, please let me know how you liked it.

Reduced Fat, Reduced Sugar Cappuccino Muffins

INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour + 1-1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

3/4 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp. Stevia Plus (or 1/4 cup Splenda, if you prefer)

3-3/4 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 cup chocolate chips, divided use

6 oz. non-fat coffee yogurt + 6 oz. reduced fat sour cream or milk

3 Tbsp. coffee powder

2 Tbsp. coffee brandy

1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Topping: 1 tsp. cinnamon, 2 Tbsp. sugar

DIRECTIONS: Have all ingredients at room temperature before starting. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Prepare muffin tins by spraying lightly with flour-added non-stick cooking spray. (For coated pans, just spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.) Melt the butter in microwave, covered, in a microwaveable medium mixing bowl. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar & sugar substitute, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. (Aerate the flour with a whisk, spoon it lightly into measuring cup, then level off with spatula or knife.) Add half the chocolate chips and whisk again.

Add the wet ingredients and coffee powder to the melted butter and whisk till well combined.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquids all at once. Whisk lightly just till barely combined. Batter can be rough and lumpy. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each muffin well. Top with remaining chocolate chips, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place the muffins in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 375 degrees F. Bake for 14-17 minutes, or till muffins test done when toothpick is inserted in center.

Notes: I used King Arthur whole-wheat flour, Samosa brand coffee brandy & Ghiradelli

milk chocolate chips mixed with Hershey's Special Dark chocolate chips.

Stevia Plus is available online and in health food stores.

OLD-FASHIONED CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

What can be more comforting than chicken noodle soup? I don't make it too much any more, because our local butcher shop has the best chicken rice soup I've ever tasted. It has big chunks of chicken in not-too-salty broth with tender rice for the amazing price of $3.00/pint. Because it's not too brothy, a pint feeds two of us when I add some chicken broth and extra veggies. I made this batch of soup because of the paella I made recently. When I boned the chicken thighs for the paella, I was left with meaty bones that went into the freezer. I added a chicken breast to the thigh bones for this soup.

Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

INGREDIENTS: 1 quart chicken broth

2 cups water

3 celery stalks cut in bite-sized chunks

2-3 carrots cut in bite-sized chunks

1/2 cup onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 chicken leg quarter, or 2 chicken thighs, or meaty bones from 10 chicken

chicken thighs

1 chicken breast, skin on and bone in

1/2 - 1 cup chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS: Heat chicken broth and water on high in large (5-6 quart) stockpot. While broth is heating, chop vegetables and add to pot with seasonings. Wash chicken well in salted water and add to pot. Bring almost to a boil, reduce heat to lowest setting, cover and cook for 5-6 hours. (It's important that the soup does not boil, not even a low boil.)

Pour soup through a strainer or colander, separating the broth from the chicken and veggies. Pick the meat from the bones, discarding bones, fat and skin. Chop meat into bite-sized pieces.

using all soup at once, return broth to pot, skimming off excess fat. Add the chopped parsley.

Now it's time to cook the noodles. You have two choices: cook them in the broth, then add the chicken and veggies when they're done; or cook them in salted water in a separate pot and add them at the end. I cook the noodles in a separate pot in salted water because I like the taste better and I want as much broth as possible with my soup. If you cook the noodles in the broth, the noodles will use up a good amount of the broth. You also have the choice of discarding the cooked veggies and adding fresh veggies to the pot.