Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted by: Annie

If you want to make new friends at work- MAKE THESE COOKIES! Or if you want someone to do something for you - MAKE THESE COOKIES. Or if you want a present- MAKE THESE COOKIES (they really really are THAT good), and totally worthy of the of caps lock usage. To quote my roommate Dana on her experience (eating the batter!), "It was so good I swear it like warmed up in my mouth."


And also, do I need to point out... they use one of A Bitchin' Kitchen's favorite ingredients- pumpkin! (original recipe found here- I played with the spices a bit because I did not have ginger, and I also used half chocolate chips and half butterscotch chips)

What you will need:

 

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

nonstick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 

Spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl beat the butter until smooth. Add in the sugars, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then add in the vanilla, and pumpkin. In another large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Add in the chips. Scoop the cookie dough by tablespoons and bake for 15- 20 minutes. Cool on wire racks and then devour.

Roasted Vegetable Minestrone

Posted by: Annie

Another perfect dish for fall! This recipe was a hit with my roommates and we plan to devour the leftovers throughout this week as an easy weeknight meal.

What you will need:

2 whole zucchini (cubed)

2 whole butternut squash (cubed)

8 oz white mushrooms, stems removed and quartered

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt

2 additional tablespoons olive oil

2 whole carrots, sliced

1 medium onion diced

3 stalks celery, sliced (leave the leaves on!- say that three times fast)

8 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup fresh green beans (cut)

2 cups medium pasta shells (uncooked)

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together zucchini, squash, mushrooms and olive oil and a dash of salt. Spread out the vegetables on two baking sheets and roast in the oven for 5-10 minutes. (Remove when the veggies look brown and toasty!)

In a large pot heat the olive oil and add carrots, onions, celery and cook for three minutes. Add in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for an additional ten minutes. Next, add in the cannelini and green beans. Cook on low for five minutes. Stir in the pasta and cook for another five minutes. Mix in the tomatoes and cook for another five minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add in the roasted vegetables at the end. Stir and bring the soup to a simmer. Ladle into dishes, top with Parmesan cheese and serve!

Source

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Posted by: Maggie

I have always adored peanut butter.  One of my earliest memories is standing on a chair mixing peanut butter and sugar in a bowl in my family's old house in Long Branch, NJ.  I wasn't cooking - I mainly just remember getting in trouble for making a mess.  Probably in my 4 year old brain I thought that peanut butter = good, peanut butter and sugar = more gooder.

Now that I'm 26, I no longer mix peanut butter and sugar, but I do enjoy peanut butter slathered on a banana quite frequently for breakfast.  This bread combines those amazing flavors, and just gets better with the addition of chocolate. 

This comes from Visions of Sugar Plum - one of my favorite sources for yummy and original recipes.

Here's what you'll need:

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup mini-chocolate chips
1/3 cup peanut butter chips
2 very ripe medium bananas, mashed
3/4 creamy peanut butter (not the natural kind)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 9-inch loaf pan - tap the pan over the sink to get rid of excess flour.

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  Stir in chocolate and peanut butter chips to combine; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together banana and peanut butter on medium speed until creamy.  Beat in sugars until creamy (about a minute), and beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.  Reduce the mixer speed to low, and beat in flour mixture, alternating with milk until well combined (about two minutes).

Add half the batter to a medium bowl, and beat in cocoa powder until combined.  Alternate spoonfuls of banana batter and chocolate batter into the prepared pan.  The original directions said to swirl a knife through the pan to marble the batters (I forgot to do this).  Sprinkle the top with additional peanut butter and chocolate chips, if desired.

Bake for 60-65 minutes or until bread pulls away from edges of pan, is risen and golden brown, and a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs attached.

Cool on a rack for 1 hour, and remove from pan to cool completely prior to slicing.