Double Chocolate Drop Cookies

Well, it seems as though the Christmas/Holiday season is now upon us. Snow is covering the ground here (and its’s super cold), the Christmas lights are lit downtown, Starbucks is selling gingerbread and eggnog lattés, Christmas music is dominating my music rotation, and I’ve actually started Christmas shopping! This weekend, we are hoping to pick up a tree and decorate the condo. And, tonight I watched the tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Centre on TV. Oh, how I miss NYC!

Back in late October, Jesse and I were in NYC for a week-long vacation. While there, we made a few stops at Magnolia Bakery for a treat. Cookies are always my treat of choice. I really don’t discriminate when it comes to cookies, as I love them all. But I am likely to choose a cookie with chocolate over other options. The cookies at Magnolia Bakery are delicious – specifically these chocolate cookies. In order to re-create the Magnolia Bakery cookies at home, I picked up a copy of the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook while in NYC. I also bought my mom a copy, as I know how much she loves to bake. Thankfully, this past weekend, mom whipped up a batch of these yummy double chocolate drop cookies for me. (Boy, am I glad I bought her a copy of the cookbook!) And to be honest, I ate 12 cookies in less than 48 hours. Oops!

These cookies are perfect to make for the holiday season, as they are easy to throw together and freeze really well. They are perfectly chocolatey with a nice crisp texture. They are ideal for dipping in a glass of milk or hot cup of tea. They would be really nice to include in a Christmas cookie exchange or to include on a dainty platter over the holidays.

On a side note, I am SO excited to start my advent calendar on Saturday! Jesse and I both bought the tea advent calendar from David’s Tea. It’s so cool! Every day during the month of December, you get a new type of tea to try. Varieties include Cream Caramel, Cocoa Chai Rooibos, Sleigh Ride, Creme Brulée, Alpine Ski, Merry Cranberry and Santa’s Secret. I look forward to a new surprise every day! I just hope this does not cause my David’s Tea addiction to grow. Hmmm….

Ingredients
  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 6 tablespoons of unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  • 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
  • 5 tablespoons of solid vegetable shortening
  • 1 cup of granulated white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of granulated white sugar (for sprinkling)
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup of miniature semisweet chocolate chips


Method

1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar until smooth (about 3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla. Beat well.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Preheat oven to 350’F. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet leaving several inches between for expansion. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Place the cookie sheets in the refrigerator and chill the dough for 20 minutes.

5. Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Source: The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook by Allya Torey and Jennifer Appel

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Coconut Chili

On Sunday, my family and I got together at my parents’  place to watch the 100th Grey Cup game. (Grey Cup is Canada’s version of the Superbowl). The Grey Cup took place in Toronto this year. Calgary Stampeders went into Toronto in hopes of winning against the home team (the Toronto Argonauts), but the Argos had others plans. In the end, the Toronto Argos won in front of their hometown crowd. As much as I love celebrating Grey Cup and watching the big championship game, I’m always sad that football season is over.
As we do every year, we had WAY too much food for our Grey Cup festivities on Sunday. But it was all so, so, so delicious! Mom made taco dip (a family staple), spinach dip and mini pitas stuffed with a delicious spread of mayo, cheddar, roasted peppers and toasted almonds. Yum! My sister brought homemade jalapeño poppers. They were awesome! I’ll have to share her recipe soon. They were baked and felt much less greasy then the fried ones, but they had just as much flavour (if not more!). I brought along a huge bowl of green goddess guacamole dip. Mmmm!
After our appetizer overload during the game, we sat down for some homemade chili. I made a vegan chili for everyone to try – one perfect to share for this week’s edition of Vegan Tuesdays! I’ve actually never used my slow-cooker, so I thought I’d finally try it out. I picked a slow-cooker chili, so dinner could slowly cook during the football game.
The chili turned out great! I welcomed a huge dose of veggies after I had polished off so many appetizers. The coconut milk adds a really nice element to the chili. I’ve never had coconut milk in chili before, but it added something special. The spices were well balanced with the sweetness of the butternut squash and apples. We served the chili over a small scoop of rice and it was perfect. A wonderful, heart-warming meal – just right to celebrate the end of another football season.
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Ours was great. We went to see the movie Lincoln on Friday and really enjoyed it. I highly recommend it :) We also went out to a karaoke party on Saturday. It’s official – I cannot carry a tune to save my life. *hehe* But I can dance to the Spice Girls like nobody’s business!
Enjoy your week! xo
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Coconut Chili

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours, 10 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Serving Size: 1 and 1/2 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 medium apples, peeled and diced
  • 2 cups of peeled + diced butternut squash
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced (or 1 tsp of garlic powder)
  • 1 medium can of black beans, drained + rinsed
  • 1 medium can of chickpeas, drained + rinsed
  • 1 can (400ml) of low-fat coconut milk
  • 2 teaspoons of chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
  • 2 cups of vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • cooked basmati rice (optional)
  • chopped fresh cilantro, parsley or chives (for garnish)
  • shredded unsweetened coconut (for garnish)

Method

  1. Place all ingredients except the garnishes/rice in a slow cooker. Cook on high heat for 4 to 6 hours (or on low for 8 hours). During the last hour, taste the chili and season with salt and pepper. Add more chili powder as desired. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you like chill on the spicy side. In the last 45 minutes of cooking, open the lid to allow the chili to thicken. If the chili looks a bit dry, add a bit more vegetable broth.
  2. Serve over basmati rice. Garnish with fresh herbs and shredded coconut.
Source: Winnipeg Free Press originally from Crock-Pot Cookbook

Currently…[November Edition]

Back in August, I started a new feature called “Currently…” which is inspired by a feature of the same name from Sometimes Sweet blog. I think it’s just a fun snap shot of what life is like at any given moment. 

Please feel free to do your own “Currently…” post. If you do write one, please leave a comment for me linking back to your page, so I can check it out. :) It’s a great way to get to know fellow bloggers.

Here are my other two “Currently…” posts: August + September 

Dreaming About: moving to New York City – even if it’s just for a year.

Reading: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. Now this is an interesting book. It’s not a book I would have chosen myself, but I’m reading it for a new book club I’ve joined with Destini at The Healthy Wife. And to be honest, I’m having trouble putting it down. It’s been extremely interesting. It’s about a student that is bullied and decides to shoot up his high school. It’s a story about the trial and about what led him to make the decision to bring a gun to school. It’s quite an intense book with a delicate subject matter. But it’s well written and you really start to care about all of the main characters. I’m almost done reading the book and am anxious to see how everything plays out. I highly recommend the book. 

As a side note, I just love how books can take you to another place + time. I love getting lost in a book and feeling connected to the characters. I love being drawn into the story. I have a huge long reading list of books I want to read during the winter (when I will likely be in hibernation from the cold). I think the next book I’ll read is The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce.

Oh, also! The new cookbook by Terry Hope Romero “Vegan Eats World” is awesome. I highly recommend picking it up for awesome vegan recipes that are globally inspired.

Watching: Modern Family. Each week, I can count on Modern Family to make me laugh and not take life so seriously. Love it! Do you watch Modern Family? If so, do you have a favourite character? 

Jesse and I have also been trying to do a few movie dates a month, as we love checking out new movies together. We saw Lincoln on the weekend and loved it. The week before that, we checked out Skyfall – the new James Bond movie. It was also a great film. Next up, I’m hoping to check out Life of Pi. Have you seen it? Would you recommend it?

Listening To: Jeremy Fisher. I saw him perform last week (for about the 12th time) and was blown again yet again. He is an incredible singer-songwriter from Ontario. He has a number of albums out now. My favourite will always be Let It Shine because it always brings back great memories. I’ve also been listening to Michael Buble’s Christmas album. Do you have a favourite Christmas album?

Craving: Christmas baking! In particular, shortbread cookies and my mom’s poppycock (caramel corn). Yum!

Looking Forward To: putting together a list of New Year’s resolutions. I know it’s cliche, but I enjoy starting the new year with some goals. I always have a ton of goals, but I use the beginning of a new year to choose a few to focus on. Do you have any resolutions for the New Year?

I’ve also been looking forward to the Christmas season. I’m excited to attend Jesse’s work Christmas party next week and to celebrate the Holidays with some friends. I’m looking forward to picking out a tree with Jesse in the next week and decorate our condo. I’m very excited to do some Christmas baking with my mom and my sister. And I cannot wait for “Vegetarian Christmas” which is a dinner I host for my family a few days before Christmas every year. It’s always so much fun! 

Working On: Some changes to The Fig Tree blog! They should be up online very soon! :)

Planning On: Watching many of my favourite Christmas movies over the next month. First up, Elf. It always makes me giggle. I’ll also be watching Christmas Vacation (” the shitter was full!” ), The Holiday, Love Actually, The Santa Claus (with Tim Allen), The Santa Claus (with Dudley Moore) Home Alone, Frosty the Snowman, The Grinch, Shrek Christmas, Christmas on 34th Street and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. On Christmas Eve, my dad and I always watch It’s A Wonderful Life. My favourite Christmas tradition <3 

I’ve also been planning on what I’ll be making for Vegetarian Christmas dinner on December 23rd. I love planning the menu (cocktails, appetizers, main dishes, salads, side dishes and desserts). I always go overboard, but that’s half the fun! :) Any ideas or suggestions on what to make?

Wishing: I could go somewhere warm this winter! It’s already hitting -30’C here in Canada which is COLD. We’ve also been getting a lot of snow too. I love snow, but I think I’ll be ready for a beach somewhere by mid-January. Sadly, I used up all of my vacation this year, so I’ll have to wait until April before I can travel. Jesse and I have been tossing the idea around of finally getting to Iceland in May. Fingers crossed we can work something out! :) 

Pondering: What to do for New Year’s Eve. Last year we attended a wedding on New Year’s Eve and it was a wonderful time. This year, we’ll have to figure out what to do and I cannot think of anything! *hah* I’d love to dress up and spend time with friends. And have a delicious glass of champagne at midnight. 

Reflecting On: Our trip to NYC in October. What a fantastic adventure. I loved NYC and would love to find a way to move there! So much energy. So many places to explore. 

Loving: Picking out Christmas presents for my family. It’s fun to think of things they will love. I especially love being able to shop for most items online now! I hate going to malls at Christmas! *hah* It turns me into a Scrooge! I’ve also been trying to think of Christmas presents that support local stores + businesses. I think it’s really important to support local businesses year around whether it be restaurants, shops, or local products.