Smells Like Home’s 12 Days of Cookies: Day 4

So these whoopie pies may not be all that Christmas-y but I can assure you they will be a huge hit in every treat package you prepare or at any party you host.  They were just awesome.  But then again, how could they not be? Chocolate and peanut butter once again united, this time as an unforgettable cakey-cookie-wrap-this-thing-up-and-put-a-bow-on-it dessert.  The pies themselves were simple as…well, you know…to put together and the only change I’d make next time is to reduce the amount of dough (batter?) I used for each pie because they turned out much bigger than I expected and puffed up a bit too much…leading to the issue of a low filling to pie ratio.  And seriously, that’s probably the worst thing that could happen with a dessert like this. Almost tragic, actually. Regardless, take a few minutes during this final weekend before the final holiday push next week to make a batch of these.  You will be thanking me (and Martha!) next week.

Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

source: Martha Stewart, Cookies (method slightly adapted)

For the pies:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar2 large eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 1 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• Coarse salt

Make cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl; set aside.
3. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes, until the mixture is pale and fluffy.. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla and beat until well combined. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Using a small cookie or ice cream scoop, scoop rounded 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Gently flatten rounds slightly with moistened fingertips. Bake until set, about 8 minutes, rotating halfway through. (When the top of the cookie is gently touched, it should feel soft, but not wet.) Let cool on sheets on wire racks 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.

Make filling:

Put peanut butter and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add confectioners’ sugar; mix until combined. Raise speed to high, and mix until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Season with salt, if desired.

Assemble cookies:

Spread a rounded tablespoon of filling on the bottom of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Smells Like Home’s 12 Days of Cookies: Day 2

The Make-A-Wish ® Foundation holds a place close to my heart due to the fabulous opportunities they provided my cousin with last year while she was undergoing treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma so as soon as I stumbled across these cookies last week in Bon Appetit (December 2009), I put them straight on my holiday baking list. Even better than finding these cookies, though, was the fact that my cousin was visiting last weekend for a cookie baking extravaganza so she was able to make them with me!!

These cookies were a lot of fun to make but were not the most flavorful chocolate cookies I’ve ever had.  The recipe described them as chocolate shortbread but…well, not so much.  The finished cookies didn’t really resemble shortbread at all.  It’s possible that they were too thin and perhaps if I make them again, I’ll bake the dough as traditional shortbread is made (in a large baking pan or dish) and then cut out the star shapes before the shortbread has completely cooled.  You can see here that rolling and cutting the dough yielded stars that spread quite a bit from their original shape despite the fact they were thoroughly chilled before we baked them off.  Regardless of the recipe though, we had fun making them and my cousin is always a fan of drizzling anything in chocolate.

Thank you, Make-a-Wish ®, for making her dreams come true!!!

Ghirardelli Wish Stars Chocolate Cookies

source: adapted from Chef Emily Luchetti for Ghirardelli (in Bon Appetit, December 2009)

For the shortbread:

• 4 oz  bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), chopped
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Dipping chocolate:

• 12 oz bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), chopped or in chip form
• 1 tbsp butter

1. In a double boiler, melt 4 oz chocolate and set aside to cool slightly.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Add in melted chocolate and vanilla and mix until well-combined.  Add flour mixture to the mixing bowl and stir until just blended.  Form dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap; chill for 1-2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured board, roll dough to 3/8 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters. If the dough is very soft, chill again for at least 30 minutes.
4. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
5. Melt chocolate chips with 1 tbsp butter in double boiler. Dip cooled cookie in melted chocolate mixture and let chocolate set.  Makes about a dozen cookies.

Note: No services or products were received from either Make-A-Wish® or Ghirardelli in exchange for this recipe review.

Posted in baking, chocolate, Christmas treats, cookies, dessert ]]> http://smellslikehome.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/make-a-wish-chocolate-stars/feed/ 0 smells like home slh12daysofcookies12 chocolatestars2 http://smellslikehome.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/maple-snickerdoodles/ http://smellslikehome.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/maple-snickerdoodles/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:24:28 +0000 smellslikehome http://smellslikehome.wordpress.com/?p=1175 ]]>

Smells Like Home’s 12 Days of Cookies: Day 2

Day 2 of the 12 Days of Cookies brings you Maple Snickerdoodles.  You probably haven’t met many people, but I’m one of those who doesn’t remember ever eating a snickerdoodle and has definitely never made them before.  Crazy? Yes.  I know.  It just wasn’t ever one my mom made while I was a kid and wasn’t popular in my family but it’s all I’ve heard about the past few years on my cooking board…aside from oreo truffles of course.  So when I gave Kyle free reign of picking a few cookies to make last weekend this was one of the choices he came up with along with the coconut cream-filled macaroons and the soon-to-be-posted pumpkin brown butter icing cookies.

I’d have to say that he did an excellent job choosing cookies that weekend since these snickerdoodles were awesome.  I’ve had issues with maple flavor being strong enough in other recipes but you could definitely taste the maple in these cookies so I was definitely satisfied although I did add some additional syrup to ensure this would happen (see my other revisions below).  The recipe called to roll the cookies in maple sugar which, incidentally is difficult to find and expensive when you can find it, so I used some vanilla sugar instead.  The vanilla sugar complements the maple flavor very well and didn’t over-sweeten the cookie as some of the recipe reviewers complained about.

So if you’re concerned about baking too far in advance of your holiday events or are completely freaked out about how you’re going to get all of your baking done, have no fear.  These cookies along with a few others I plan to feature in the next 10 days can be made in advance, frozen, and baked-off in a pinch.  For these snickerdoodles, I worked the recipe up through rolling them in sugar and then froze the rolled cookie balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  After they were completely frozen, I tossed them into a plastic zipper bag, making sure to write the baking instructions in a Sharpie on the bag. When you’re ready to bake the frozen dough, preheat the oven and bake the frozen dough for a 10-12 minutes.  Simple!

Maple Snickerdoodles

source: adapted from allrecipes.com

I’ve never been one for features here but this holiday season I found myself already baking more cookies than I had expect to.  So I figured why not feature them all before Christmas? This gives me the incentive to post more and gives you the chance to see a few different cookies with time left to whip up a batch or two…or five.

The first recipe I bring to you this holiday season isn’t really a traditional Christmas cookie per se but is one more often associated with the Jewish holidays.  No matter the religious or cultural association though, these cookies are damn good. And they are so incredibly easy to make!  The cookies alone only have 5 ingredients (one of which is salt) and if you want to skip the filling, you certainly won’t be let down.  The macaroons are simply perfect by themselves.  The toasted coconut edges are fantastic with the sweet soft coconut centers. If you stick with the filling, you’ll add a nice complement of coconut creaminess to the mix but note that the filled sandwiches are considerably more substantial than the single macaroons so keep that in mind when you plan the setting you’ll be serving them in.  Unfortunately, these macaroons were too good to stick around for very long but they will likely make a reappearance before our Christmas Eve festivities. I don’t expect they will stick around in your house for very long either.

You may have some issues finding these ingredients so let me help you out.  I can’t seem to find unsweetened  finely shredded coconut so I used sweetened shredded (by Baker’s) and reduced the sugar from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup (my changes are reflected below). The texture is probably a little different than Martha had planned it to be but it really makes no difference.  I found coconut extract in Whole Foods but you can order coconut flavoring from King Arthur Flour (I don’t know if my local grocery store carries it because I didn’t check there). You can find cream of coconut in some larger grocery stores and probably liquor stores as well.  In the grocery stores, check in the soda isle near the drink mixes; I found it both in a squeeze bottle and in a can.  Martha highly recommends using this over the unsalted butter which obviously doesn’t lend any coconut flavor to the filling.

Coconut Cream-Filled Macaroons

source: adapted from Martha Stewart, Cookies, page 80

For the cookies:

• 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/8 teaspoon coarse salt

For the filling:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons cream of coconut, or unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract

Make cookies: Stir together coconut, granulated sugar, egg whites, coconut extract and salt in a large bowl. Refrigerate, covered, until cold, at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Form heaping teaspoons of dough into balls; space 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Gently flatten to about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges begin to turn golden, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely.

Make filling: Put butter, cream of coconut and shortening in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add confectioners’ sugar and coconut extract; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Assemble cookies: Place a heaping teaspoon filling on the bottom of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Transfer to a platter; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until filling is firm, about 30 minutes. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes before serving. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

There’s not much more I can say about these blondies other than they were FANTASTIC.  I’m mean, really, really awesome. And they got the stamp of approval from my cousin and her freshman roomie after I sent her a care package including these babies during her first college finals week. (She’s on trimesters hence the early finals.) Remember those early days of email…or the days ::gasp!:: pre email…when you ran to your mailbox hoping for something…anything!…from home? Well, since the world seems so much smaller now due to the ability to be constantly connected with each other, I know mail from home while at college is pretty rare.  However, I remember that the days when packages arrived were just the best…so why not take a few minutes and brighten someone’s day with a package of these!!   And if you don’t have anyone to send them to, keep them all to yourself.  I promise, it won’t be difficult and if it were up to Kyle, he would have kept them all to himself. You won’t question how that’s possible after you try them because they’re just soooo good.  The mix of butterscotch chips and pumpkin spice is the perfect combination and I’m pretty sure another batch will be going in the oven this weekend. Gotta keep the man happy, right?

Pumpkin Butterscotch Blondies

source: adapted from Martha Stewart, as found on Annie’s Eats

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with foil.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.  Stir together and set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.  Mix in the pumpkin puree.  With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.  Fold in the white chocolate and 1 cup butterscotch chips with a rubber spatula.
3. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of butterscotch chips over the top of the batter.  Bake until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs, about 35-40 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting.
4. To serve, lift the cake from the pan using the foil and transfer to a cutting board.  Peel off the foil and using a sharp knife, cut into 24 squares.

Who knew that after finally trying a new chili recipe recently, that I would be motivated to try others as well?? I came across this one looking for more WWPoints recipes and knew just by looking at it that I needed to give it a shot.  Plus, it’s a crockpot recipe so I found it terribly difficult to pass up. I did find I had to add a few things to the recipe after it had cooked all day because the amount of flavor I expect from a chili just wasn’t there.  Not a huge deal though and you’ll see my adapted version below.  With my additions, I have to say that I adore this recipe.  I’ve never made a chili with tomato sauce and I was a little worried about it being too soupy but I was really pleased with the overall consistency (nice and thick).  And if you’re a big fan of beans in all shapes and sizes like we are, you’ll definitely find pleasure in this meal. With regards to the WWPoints, as Gina wrote the recipe, it was 3 Points, but because I added dark turkey meat, my version yielded 5 Points/serving. Oh and PS – I still can’t figure out how 20 oz of meat could possibly feed 12 people as stated in the original recipe.

Crockpot 3 Bean Turkey Chili

source: adapted from Gina’s WW Recipes

• 1 lb lean ground turkey (white meat/turkey breast)
• 1 1/2 lb ground turkey (dark meat)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (4.5 oz) can chopped chilies, drained
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, undrained
• 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, undrained
• 1 (15.5 oz) can dark red kidney beans, undrained
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp Chili 3000 mix
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Brown turkey and onion in a medium skillet over medium high heat until cooked through. Drain any fat remaining and transfer to crock pot.
2. Add the beans, chilies, chickpeas tomatoes, tomato sauce and all of the seasonings, mixing well.
3. Cook on high 6 hours.

What’s Fall without another pumpkin recipe?  Since making biscotti for the first time last December, I’ve been thinking about trying other recipes but not until I made pumpkin scones recently did I really think about make pumpkin biscotti.  I probably could have used one of the few (sarcasm) pumpkin biscotti recipes that pop up on a Google search but no, I had an idea in my head that needed to be executed. I decided to adapt Dorie Greenspan’s Lenox Almond Biscotti because I really loved the idea of the crunchy texture of cornmeal with the sweet and savory pumpkin spice flavor…it just sounded perfect…and frankly, it was! There was nothing better than heating up one of these lovelies to go alongside a mug of hot spiced apple cider on a rainy November afternoon. Nothing. My adapted version is below but you can find the original Lenox Almond Biscotti recipe here.

Pumpkin Spice Biscotti

adapted from Dorie Greenspan, Baking from My Home to Yours

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (recipe follows)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin pureé
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries

GETTING READY: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt together. Add the cornmeal and whisk again to blend.
2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed for 3 minutes, until very smooth. Add the eggs and continue to beat, scraping down the bowl as needed, for another 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light, smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract then mix in the pumpkin. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. You’ll have a soft, stick-to-your-fingers dough that will ball up around the paddle or beaters. If the dough is too wet, quickly mix in another 1/4 cup flour. Scrape down the paddle and bowl, toss in the cranberries and mix just to blend.
3. Scrape half the dough onto one side of the baking sheet. Using your fingers and a rubber spatula or scraper, work the dough into a log about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. The log will be more rectangular than domed, and bumpy, rough and uneven. Form a second log with the remaining dough on the other side of the baking sheet.
4. Bake for 17 – 20 minutes, or until the logs are lightly golden but still soft and springy to the touch. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and cool the logs on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.
5. If you turned off the oven, bring it back up to 350 degrees F.
6. Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the logs to a cutting board and, with a long serrated knife, trim the ends and cut the logs into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Return the slices to the baking sheet — this time standing them up like a marching band — and slide the sheet back into the oven.
7. Bake the biscotti for another 15 minutes, or until they are golden and firm. Transfer them to racks and cool to room temperature. Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

source: adapted from Martha Stewart

yields approximately 1 tablespoon

• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice

I’ve yet to come across a human being who didn’t love a good pb&j sandwich.  Pair it with a tall glass of icy cold milk and you’ve got perfection. I know that this sandwich evokes great memories for some but let me say, these pb&j bars will start making memories for you!  They were downright fantastic! Soft, sweet, and just perfect. With some recipes I’ve made containing peanut butter, I’ve run into the issue where the pb does not come through enough but this is not the case with these bars.  The pb flavor is front and center and the combination with the strawberry jelly is one I will not soon forget.  I considered skipping the chopped peanuts on top (personally not a fan) but I’m so glad I didn’t because they added a wee bit of texture and some extra saltiness that these bars needed.  And after reading the Musings post for this recipe, I also decided to add an extra 1/2 cup of jelly (as some commented the bars were a little dry) and chilled them in the fridge overnight before serving to really allow them to set.

If you’ve been following along with my Week with the Barefoot Contessa, you’ve come to the only dessert recipe I chose for the week so I recommend taking a few minutes tonight to make these.  You’ve probably got all of the ingredients needed for the recipe but I don’t recommend waiting to make them.  You’ll come across an exciting pumpkin recipe or some chocolate cake and these mundane-sounding bars will get passed on.  Don’t let it happen!! You will be sorry!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa at Home, page 170

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter (recommended: Skippy)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups (18 ounces) raspberry jam or other jam
• 2/3 cups salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.
4. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.
5. Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don’t worry if all the jam isn’t covered; it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

With Fall in full swing now, it’s impossible for me to resist almost any butternut squash recipe so when I came across this one in The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, possibly my favorite of all of Ina’s books, I knew it was the perfect addition to the Week with the Barefoot Contessa challenge. And I figured this would go over well with the rest of the BB members since the Butternut Squash Risotto went over so well last October.

In short, the caramelized butternut squash was dreamy. I absolutely loved it and Kyle who isn’t a huge butternut squash fan really enjoyed it as well.  The combo of sweet and salty/peppery flavors here were just outstanding! The recipe itself was a piece of cake and since I decided to pick up some already peeled bnut squash, I know I saved myself some frustration by not having to peel it.  I think the key to this recipe is to turn the squash a number of times while it’s baking. This way, you will ensure that all of the pieces are well-coated with the butter-sugar mixture on the baking sheet and will caramelize evenly.  If I hadn’t already offered to bring all of the desserts to Thanksgiving dinner (thus saving my family the pain of eating my grandmother’s desserts), I would definitely bring this as a side dish!!

Caramelized Butternut Squash

source: Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, page 151

• 2 medium butternut squash (4 to 5 pounds total)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut off and discard the ends of each butternut squash. Peel the squash, cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch cubes and place them on a baking sheet. Add the melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. With clean hands, toss all the ingredients together and spread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until the squash is tender and the glaze begins to caramelize. While roasting, turn the squash a few times with a spatula, to be sure it browns evenly. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.

It’s been a while since the Barefoot Bloggers have done a Bonus Recipe Challenge (BRC) and during that downtime, I’ve been working up a big new BRC.  Based on my Week with the Barefoot Contessa I did last year, I wanted to expand the challenge to the whole group.  There are no set posting dates for the five recipes I chose, just that they are posted between November 2-6, and this is my first of the week. So over the course of this week, check back daily for a new Ina Garten recipe that I’ll add to the 70+ Ina recipes I’ve already posted about here!

So the first recipe of the week brings us Chicken Chili.  After having made my favorite chili recipe more times than I can count and after having won my department’s chili cookoff with the recipe last year, I’m finally trying a new chili recipe. Although, I guess you could say that I have been making a different recipe during the past year since discovering Penzey’s Chili 3000 but the recipes only differ by the spices. We’re totally in love with Chili 3000 by the way!

That said, I was looking forward to this recipe.  I’d been itching to try a chicken chili recipe and I certainly wasn’t let down by this one.  While the chili was a little on the soupy side (which can be easily fixed next time since we’re thick chili fans) the flavors were spot on. I loved the big chunks of peppers and chicken (which I grilled rather than roasted – you’ll see my changes below) and with the my addition of black beans, this chili was a hearty and satisfying meal on an unseasonably cold October night here in CT. Go ahead and give it a try for yourself!!

Chicken Chili

source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Parties!, page 232

WWPoints: 4

• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
• 1/8 cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken
• 1/8 cup minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
• 2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken
• 2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes in puree,  drained or undrained – your choice
• 2 15oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute.  Add to the pot with the black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Preheat grill to high heat.
3. Drizzle the chicken breasts with olive oil then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Grill until completely cooked, about 4 minutes per side. While still warm, cut the chicken into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with toppings of your choice, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.