Chocolate Gingerbread Drops

I admit that I'm known to claim that all of my Christmas cookies are my "favorites," but these chocolate gingerbread drops may actually be among my real favorites.  I love chocolate, I love gingerbread, and the cherries add the perfect zing to pull the two flavors together.  So good!

The recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens from a few years back.  (You can find it here.)  I typically use a heavy hand when adding the chocolate and cherries, because I like my cookies with lots of extra goodies. 

A couple of tips:  (As always) use good chocolate, and don't chop it so finely that you lose the chunkiness.  Use tart cherries.  And, be careful not to overcook them, or they'll be too dry. 

Operation Christmas Cookies

Every year, I make a big platter of cookies for each of  my friends, neighbors, and a select set of co-workers.  The cookie platters typically have about 50 cookies on them, with around a dozen or so different varieties of cookies.  They are very impressive (if I do say so myself)!  It usually takes me a couple of weeks to make all of the cookies, and it ends up taking a whole day to assemble and deliver the platters. 

I officially kicked off the 2010 operation yesterday with two types of cookies.  On the left are thin-mint type cookies from Martha Stewart, and on the right are Martha's cashew-caramel cookies.  (I promise all of the cookies aren't Martha Stewart's!).  I try to balance old and new varieties and holiday cookies and all-time favorites, but the recipients frequently ask for me to keep certain cookies in active rotation.  Both of these are ones that have been requested.

Stay tuned to see what comes next!

Awesome Zucchini Bread

I got a ton of zucchini at the farmer's market and decided to turn some of it into zucchini bread. I found this Paula Deen recipe.  I don't have a lot of experience with her recipes, but it looked pretty good so I decided to give it a try.

The only change I made was to use pecans instead of walnuts.  WOW!  It was just amazing--addictive, actually.  I particularly like it for breakfast toasted with a smear of cream cheese.  And, it was super easy and freezes beautifully.  Ironically, I like zucchini (served unfried and without marinara sauce) only ok, but I love, love, love this zucchini bread.

I did make it a second time substituting apple sauce for half of the oil.  It still tasted pretty good, but it didn't have the crispy, crunchy top, so I wouldn't do that again. 

This is a great way to use up some of that farmer's market bounty.

(Photo courtesy of the Food Network.)

Blueberry Peach Pie

For me, this pie IS summer.  I don't know where the recipe came from--my mom has been making it forever--but it is one of my all-time favorite summer treats.  The almond pie crust and the sweet peaches and blueberries, combined with whipped cream . . . SO GOOD!  Plus, I just love how rustic and unpretentious it looks.  Let me know if you try it!

Pie Crust:

1 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup slivered almonds, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3-4 tablespoons water

Combine all ingredients.  Press mixture into a 9-inch pie pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Filling:

1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1/4 cup lemon gelatin
4 cups fresh peaches
3/4 cup blueberries

Combine first three ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Add lemon gelatin, stirring until dissolved.  Cool.  Pour over fruit and toss gently. 

Pour fruit and gelatin mixture into pie crust.  Chill at least one hour until set.  Serve with whipped cream.

Birthday Cupcakes

I took these cupcakes to work on my birthday last week to bribe people to come by my office to wish me happy birthday (I'm a little delinquent in posting them on account of my trip).  My cab driver seemed to think it was a little odd that I had baked cupcakes on my birthday, but I likened it to bringing cupcakes for the class in elementary school, which he thought was just hysterical.

The recipe is Martha Stewart's One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes with Meringue Butter Cream frosting.  I was actually a bit worried about the cupcakes because about half of the recipe didn't come out right (literally, they didn't come out of the cupcake pan, even with the liners).  But they were outstanding--the cake was moist and chocolate-ly, and the tops of the cupcakes were slightly chewy.  And the frosting was a great complement to the chocolate cake--sweet but not too sugary.  The shaved chocolate on top added a nice extra touch of chocolate.

I had thought I was going to retire this recipe based on the problems I had baking them, but based on the RAVE reviews, I think I'll be making them again and again!