Cookie Carnival:....no cookies for me this month!

I've been a little "cookied" out with all the cookies I've been baking lately with the Tuesdays with Dorie group. I decided to pass up this month's Cookie Carnival recipe, which was Pink Grapefruit Sandwich Cookies....very interesting in my opinion. I'm not a fan (at all!) of grapefruit, which is probably why I was also not going to attemp to make these....they would have eventually ended up in the trash! The recipe is below for those of you that are grapefruit fans! Check out this month's round-up to see the other Cookie Carnival particpants pictures and opinions regarding the cookie. I hope to be back next month to participate!

Pink Grapefruit Sandwich Cookies
You can bake the cookies and make the filling a day ahead.

Makes 15 sandwich cookies.
* Grated zest of 1 Ruby Red grapefruit, plus 1/4 cup freshly squeezed juice
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
* 3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
* 2 large egg yolks
* Pink Grapefruit Cream Filling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a small bowl, combine zest with 1 tablespoon sugar; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and remaining sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add egg yolks, and beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in reserved zest-sugar mixture. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the juice, and beat to combine.
3. Turn out dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, and shape into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out disk to 1/8 inch thick using a lightly floured rolling pin. Using a lightly floured 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds and place about 1 inch apart on prepared sheet. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until edges are golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes. Transfer parchment paper and cookies to rack to cool completely.
5. Using an offset spatula, spread 1 tablespoon filling onto flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, keeping flat sides down. Once filled, cookies can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Ingredients for filling
Makes enough to fill 15 sandwich cookies.
* 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
* 2 cups confectioners' sugar
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed Ruby Red grapefruit juice
Directions
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in honey. Add juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until filling holds together and is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and set aside until ready to use.

Daring Bakers: Lavash Crackers with Gluten-free/Vegan Dip

I was excited to read about the September Daring Baker's challenge chosen by Shellyfish (don't really know her first name...maybe Shelly?). I have never made crackers before and I loved that we had the opportunity to make them "our own" by adding our choice of toppings. The second part to the challenge was to serve the crackers with a gluten-free/vegan dip of our choice. Luckily, I have no food restrictions in my household and we are not vegetarians...so I really had to dig for a dip that didn't contain cream cheese, cheese, ect. I chose a hummus recipe by Ina Garten, it was okay, really wasn't my favorite, and won't be one I'll be making again. I served the crackers and dip to the Warren Spouse's Cooking Club participants. They couldn't believe someone would actually go to the effort of making their own crackers, but they all agreed they were very tasty!


Lavash Crackers
I'm told Lavash is an Armenian-style cracker, similar to Middle Eastern or North African flat breads.The key to a crisp lavash is to roll out the dough paper-thin. The sheet can be cut into crackers in advance or snapped into shards after baking. The shards make a nice presentation when arranged in baskets. Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers.

1 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 Tb sugar
1 Tb vegetable oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb water, at room temperature
Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings (I used kosher salt and paprika for my topping)

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, sugar, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

2. Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

4. Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

7. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.

Hummus (from Barefoot Contessa's Cookbook)
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 1/2 tsps kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
6 Tbls freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbls water or liquid from chickpeas
8 dashes Tabasco sauce

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste for seasoning and serve chilled or at room temperature. Makes 2 cups.

Fall favorites

We were invited to a friend's house for dinner this past Tuesday evening, and I asked if I could bring anything and she suggested bread or a dessert. I happened to have everything on hand for Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip cookies....I had been waiting for a few weeks to make these, but didn't want them just sitting around my house! My friend, Sarah, made these cookies for our Bible study when we both lived in Montana (she now lives in Pennsylvania). I LOVED them and immediately asked for the recipe, and after a bit I decided to 'invest' in the cookbook in which she found them, "Best-Loved Cookies." They ended up being the perfect after dinner treat as Gina had prepared a Thanksgiving feast (just a couple months early)! Pumpkin White Chocolate Drops

2 cups butter or margarine, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

1 can (16 oz) solid pack pumpkin

2 eggs

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 bag (12 oz) vanilla baking chips

1 container (16 oz) ready-to-spread cream cheese frosting

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets (or use silpat mat). Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin and eggs; beat until smooth. Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda; beat just until well blended. Stir in chips. Drop dough be teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets. Bake about 16 minutes or until set and bottoms are brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Remove from cookie sheets to wire rack to cool. Combine frosting and brown sugar in small bowl. Spread on warm cookies. Makes 6 dozen.

Thanks Gina for the wonderful dinner Tuesday night, and Sarah for the original recipe!!

My inspiration to start blogging....

Over at Tip Junkie yesterday, the question was posed, "Who or What was your inspiration to start blogging?" I started in the "blog world" by reading a blog titled 'Cookie Madness'. Anna (I don't personally know her, but feel I do from her blog!) posts about a baked good every day, along with some things going on in her household, and baking contests she is entering (she was a Pillsbury bake-off winner a few years back!). I read her blog for about two years before starting my own.

When I moved to Wyoming, I wasn't working and wanted something that would show my love for cooking/baking while passing the time until my husband got home. I also felt I could share recipes with my family and friends which would give them a little glimpse in to my life each day, as we live many miles apart and aren't able to see each other as often as we would like. One of the other main reasons I started was to share recipes with my sister, Leslie. She is a young working mother and wanted some recipes that would be easy to prepare for her family after coming home from working all day. I've since received a number of phone calls from her asking about ingredients or where to find them in the grocery store :), because she is wanting to try a recipe I've just posted about....love you, Leslie!

Since starting my blog, I have found baking communities in which I participate. It is a fun way to try new recipes and to know there are hundreds of others all over the world making the same thing you are around the same time each month!

I am excited because many of my close friends have also started blogs! It is a great way to stay in touch with their families when you aren't able to make a phone call or send a card. Many of my friends with blogs are those I have met while our husbands were all stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base. We have all moved on to different parts of the country but have maintained our friendships, often through blogging or the internet.

Sending lots of love to my friends (who blog)....Laura, Susy, Jenn, Sarah AND most importantly to my family back in Indiana and to my "most faithful fan" in Illinois! I hope you enjoy reading my blog as much as I enjoy sharing it with you.

TWD: Dimply Plum Cake

I was on the fence about this recipe and really didn't intend on making this particular dish. Rather than 'regretting' not making it later, I scaled the recipe down to make one serving (as I knew my husband would NOT like this) and I'm glad I tried it. It wasn't 'outstanding', but it was good enough to eat. I put the batter in a 4" ramekin and used one plum half. I could have done without the plum, but the cake portion was actually pretty good. I really liked the subtle orange flavor from the zest added to the batter. Final verdict...it was good enough to eat once, but I probably won't make this again (unless I tried a different fruit on top). Thanks goes out to Michelle at Bake-en for choosing this week's recipe!

Cream Cheese Wontons

The beginning of our 'Japanese' meal this past weekend began with Cream Cheese Wontons. These are so easy to make, I'm not sure I'll be purchasing them frozen in the store anymore!

Cream Cheese Wontons
6 oz cream cheese
2 chopped green onions
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp garlic
1/3 cup seafood shreds (I used cooked shrimp)
pkg wonton wrappers

Combine all ingredients minus the wrappers in small bowl. Using tsp or small cookie scoop, place cream cheese mixture in middle of wonton wrapper. Brush egg white around the edge, bringing edges together to seal. Fry in hot oil until wonton wrapper is a light brown color. This recipe made approximately 25 wontons for me. Serve with Sweet and Sour sauce while hot.

Sushi!

Here are a couple of pictures of the Sushi my husband made this past weekend. He made California rolls, shrimp, and veggie rolls. Our friends, the DeWitt's, had never experienced sushi before and I'm not sure they really enjoyed the experience either! It's definitely something that grows on you and I'm still not a fan of the raw varieties, although I think I could eat shrimp tempura rolls all day! "Sushi Umi" (local restaurant in my hometown of Terre Haute, Indiana) in December anyone?

'Mock' version of PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

My husband and I really enjoy P.F. Changs, so much so that we drive 45 minutes just to eat at this restaurant! About a year and a half ago we were able to take a trip to Spokane, Washington (for the NCAA Basketball tournament) with our friends, the Menzie's. They enjoy P.F. Changs just as much as we do and they 'introduced' us to the chicken lettuce wraps. I was a little leery at first as I wasn't quite sure about using a lettuce leaf to wrap around the filling; however, I'm so glad we tried them!

We recently had some friends over for dinner which consisted of Sushi and fried wontons. These particular friends had never tried sushi before, so I thought I may need something else to serve along with the sushi in case it wasn't a hit. I searched the internet and found a recipe for PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps with the 'Special Sauce'! So exciting!! In the rush to get dinner on the table, I wasn't able to capture any pictures of this, but I highly recommend you try this recipe if you are a fan of the Chicken Lettuce Wraps from Changs (especially the sauce, as that's what makes it so good). I couldn't believe how similar this version tasted compared to the restaurant's....very close! My husband said something was missing, but I couldn't tell a difference.

PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Special Sauce
3 Tbls oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnuts
2/3 cup mushrooms
3 Tbls chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
4-5 leaves iceburg lettuce

Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add chicken and cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from wok and let cool. In the meantime chop water chestnuts and mushrooms until the size of a pea. Chop cooled chicken breasts to the same size. Combine chicken, water chestnuts, mushrooms, garlic and onion in medium size bowl.

Stir-fry sauce
2 Tbls soy sauce
2 Tbls brown sugar
1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar

Combine ingredients in small bowl. Pour over chicken mixture (from above) and toss to coat. Heat wok back up on high heat, add 1 Tbls oil (I chose to use sesame oil which added a lot of flavor). Once wok is hot, add chicken mixture and cook until hot. Remove from heat to a serving bowl.

Special Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tbls soy sauce
2 Tbls rice wine vinegar
2 Tbls ketchup
1 Tbls lemon juice
1/8 tsp sesame oil

Make sauce by dissolving sugar in water in small bowl. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use. (This is the sauce in the "middle" at PF Changs--the base which they add the hot mustard and chili paste.)

1 Tbls hot mustard
2 tsp water
1-2 tsp garlic and red chili paste

Mix water with hot mustard in small dish. Place garlic chili paste in another small dish. Add amount desired (increasing the heat) to the special sauce. Use the special sauce as a dressing for the lettuce wraps.

Enjoy Menzie's and Mack's (and everyone else out there)!

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake

I love Fall and I am always anxious to pull out my 'pumpkin' recipes and bake! This past weekend my husband and I had some friends over for dinner and while the hubby took care of the main course (sushi), I made the dessert. Sushi and pumpkin really don't go together, but I was really in the mood for a Fall dessert. I came across this recipe from the October/November 2007 Taste of Home issue. I baked it the day before as it needs to refrigerate over night and my house smelled wonderful while baking! Some people do not like cracks in the top of their cheesecakes...I personally don't care if I have small cracks. The nice thing about this particular recipe, you cover the top with an almond topping, so it hides any imperfections. My only complaint (before tasting) is that mine did not rise as much as a cheesecake should. I'm sure it has something to do with the altitude, but I wasn't sure what changes to make to the recipe to account for this other than decreasing the sugar a bit (which I did!). Hopefully if you choose to make this cheesecake yours will stand a little taller!

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies (about 32 cookies)

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 pkgs cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 squares (1 oz each) white baking chocolate, melted and cooled

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Almond Topping:

1/2 cup chopped almonds

2 Tbls butter, melted

1 tsp sugar

In a small bowl, combine gingersnap crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in melted white chocolate. Combine pumpkin and spices; gently fold into cream cheese mixture. Pour over crust. Place pan on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until center is just set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the topping ingredients; spread in a shallow baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring twice. Cool. Carefully run a knife around edge of springform pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Transfer topping to an airtight container; store in the refrigerator. Just before serving, remove sides of pan; sprinkle topping over cheesecake. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 12 servings.

TWD: Chocolate Chunkers

This cookie is amazing! I halved the recipe and used chopped pecans versus peanuts and dried cranberries rather than raisins. I love how it turned out and it tastes like Fall with the cranberries, definitely a "make-again" cookie! Can you see in the picture how the inside is a little darker than the outer crust? It's like fudge! I further tweaked the recipe a bit to adjust for baking at a high altitude and was excited that I didn't have a flat cookie this time, actually this cookie hardly spread at all. Thanks to Claudia at Fool for Food (she is from Germany, and so is her blog) for this great pick!

"Hawaiian" Brownie Bites

Tonight is the first Bunko game for this year and the theme is 'Hawaiian'. We are asked to bring a snack to share so I came up with Hawaiian Brownie Bites. I used a boxed brownie mix, dropped the prepared mix by scoopful into a mini muffin pan and baked. Once they came out of the oven, I used the back of my scoop to make a small indentation on the tops to form a cup. I then filled it with whipped topping sprinkled with toasted coconut and chopped macadamia nuts. Easy, quick, and delicious!

New Cooking Blog

Check out a new cooking/recipe blog that I am administering for the Warren Spouse's Cooking Club. We meet once a month and will have a different theme each time. This year we are traveling "Around the World" and will be making various dishes from foreign countries. We just had our first social last night, so there are already some yummy appetizers and pictures posted. Check it out at www.cookwithwsc.blogspot.com!

TWD: Chocolate Whopper Malted Drops

This week's recipe was chosen by Rachel of Confessions of a Tangerine Tart. What a cute blog name! I was really looking forward to these cookies as I enjoy Whoppers....however, I really wasn't impressed with mine. I used regular malt powder, so they weren't overly "chocolaty" as some other TWD bloggers wrote about, but I just wasn't impressed. I'm anxious to see pictures of some others that were baked up to see if they were as flat as mine. I'm beginning to think this baking at a high-altitude (6500 feet!!!) is getting a little old (we've only been here a year and have three years left, so I better get used to it!). I've been reading up on adjustments I need to make when baking, but sometimes...I forget as I'm engrossed in the recipe...hence the flat cookie! Better luck next week (hopefully) as it's another cookie!

Chocolate Quintuplet Brownies

The recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan's, "Baking from my home to yours" cookbook. The Tuesdays with Dorie group made this particular recipe back in January, way before I joined. As I was looking through the book, this recipe caught my attention -- it looked so good and super chocolaty! Luckily, I had everything on hand as I was called to see if I could make a last minute dessert to take to a friend's house. I didn't have time to make the "icing" per the given directions, so I improvised and sprinkled some white chocolate chips on the top right after the brownies came out of the oven. Once they melted, I spread them with a spatula and that was the icing. I used hazelnuts for the nut and really liked the flavor it gave the brownies. I would definitely make these again! Click here for the recipe, it's worth it!

Guitar Birthday Cake

Tonight we are having pizza and playing games with a group of our friends. I volunteered to bring dessert, and at the time did not know that today is one of our friends birthdays. I didn't really have any particular dessert picked out, so once I was told about Kai's birthday, I thought up a plan for a birthday cake. Kai is the intern worship pastor at our church, which means he sings and plays the guitar. While living in Montana, I took Wilton cake decorating classes with some girlfriends and have a ton of "decorating" tools. I went on a hunt for a guitar cake pan thinking that would be kind of fun for Kai. My search was successful and here's the result.....

Sesame-peanut noodles - My 100th post!

My husband and I love trying new oriental recipes, especially since we haven't found a good restaurant in Cheyenne where we can get our fix (but we do manage to drive 40 minutes South quite often to visit P.F. Changs!). Last night I made this very simple and easy recipe, Sesame-peanut noodles.

Kosher salt for boiling pasta

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup toasted sesame oil

1/3 cup roasted peanuts, cashews, or whatever nut you prefer (I used peanuts)

1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbs red wine vinegar

1 Tbs mirin or sherry

2 medium garlic cloves

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy)

1 English cucumber, peeled (I omitted)

1 pound soba noodles

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I omitted)

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3 scallions, green parts only, sliced 1/4 inch thick on an angle

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. (Omit this step if you are using toasted sesame seeds, which you can find at the store.) In a food processor, combine the peanut butter, sesame oil, peanuts, soy sauce, vinegar, mirin or sherry, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Process to a puree'. Stir in half the toasted sesame seeds. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon; discard the seeds. Slice the cucumber halves crosswise about 1/4 inch thick; set aside. When the water comes to a boil, add the noodles and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain very well, shaking the colander until it stops dripping, and dump into a bowl. Add the peanut mixture, cilantro, and black pepper, and toss to coat. Turn out onto a large platter. Arrange the cucumber slices around the edge of the platter, sprinkle the scallions on top, and sprinkle the remaining sesame seeds on last. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4.

a WHOLE roast Chicken

My mom should be proud! Growing up we ate a LOT of chicken. I think it's attributed to the fact that my mom really likes chicken, you could prepare it many different ways, and it was always pretty cheap (a whole chicken that is). Since being married, I have resorted to using the skinless, boneless chicken breasts when serving chicken for dinner. They are so easy, hardly any prep work, and just the right serving size for two. However, this past weekend some of our friends from Montana (the Menzie's) were passing through town and stayed with us for a night. I wanted to make something for dinner that wouldn't require a lot of prep work, dirty dishes, and would be fairly easy to clean up. I came across a recipe titled, "Simplest Roast Chicken with Lemon and Herbs." I figured it couldn't get any easier that that! Sorry, I wasn't able to get a picture of the perfectly golden brown whole chicken, but here's the recipe.

3/4 tsp plus 1 pinch Kosher salt
1/4 tsp plus 1 pinch ground black pepper
1 4lb chicken, rinsed inside and out and patted dry with paper towels
1/2 lemon
1/2 head of garlic
1 bay leaf
1 bunch of fresh tarragon
2 Tbl unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put a roasting pan with rack in there to heat up. In a small bowl, stir together the salt and pepper. Cut off any lumps of fat you see around the neck of the chicken. Then balance the bird on the neck end and sprinkle the inside cavity with about half the salt and pepper mixture. Put the lemon half into the cavity, along with the garlic, bay leave, and about three quarters of the tarragon. Sprinkle the outside of the chicken with the remaining salt and pepper. Melt the butter. When you are ready for the chicken, open the oven and pull out the oven rack supporting the roasting pan. Put the chicken, breast side down on the rack and pour (or brush) half the butter over the chicken. Now close the oven door and roast for 40 minutes. Using tongs, turn the bird, breast side up, and pour the remaining butter over the breast. Continue roasting until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 to 170 degrees, about 35-40 minutes longer; or about 1 hour and 15 minutes total cooking time.

Much to my husband's delight, we had leftover chicken that I picked off the bone and added to my mom's homemade egg noodles for dinner the next night!

TWD: Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

Whew, what a title! There is so much going on in this cookie that you do need a long title just to describe it all! This week's recipe was chosen by Stephany at Proceed with Caution. It had many of my favorite things included in the list of ingredients....chocolate, peanut butter (chunky at that!), cinnamon, and nutmeg. The timing for this recipe worked out perfectly for me as I have a function that I am responsible for bringing snacks to this evening...so a cookie platter it is with today's cookie and a few different ones I have had waiting in the freezer. Overall, I like the flavor of this cookie, I could stand a little more peanut butter and a little less cinnamon, but I would definitely make this again with a few minor adjustments. Enjoy!