dessert – mythankfultable.com

Fluffernutter Cookies…You Heard Me

April 12, 2024 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

In New England, we are known for all sorts of things, like leaf peeping and stone walls, die hard sports fans and quick weather changes. We talk fast, we are critical of everything, but we will also lend a helping hand. Its a meaner vibe than the people of say, Missouri, where I lived for a school year. But I will live here as long as my hand and back can handle a snow shovel, watch the river for flooding, and wake up with the birds around four am. Too many of Noah Kahan songs resonate. But wow am I a thankful New England woman.

Cut to, what I ate for supper last night, which is what brought me here. To the essence of NE, the fluffernutter. Peanut butter, Fluff, bread. I used to like it on the cheapest white bread I could find. Now we do artisinal bread. Lightly toasted. Standing at the counter with two pups waiting for any toasty peanutbuttery goodness.

So, when I saw a recipe with these two ingredients baked up into a cookie? Yes. Yes. Yes.

It is messier than your average cookie- not sure it would be my first pick for a cookie tray, but so worth the time if you are looking for a little sweet treat that brings back the nostalgia of school lunches packed in a metal lunchbox, complete with thermos.

I wish for you on this rainy spring day all the good, and warm gooey cookies. As always, thank you for coming to the table.

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Fluffernutter Cookies…You Heard Me

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Peanut Butter and Fluff come together to make an amazing cookie.

Original Recipe found on stress baking by Leslie Haasch

https://stressbaking.com/fluffernutter-cookies/

Yield 12 Cookies

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

· ⅔ cup all purpose flour

· 1 teaspoon baking soda

· Pinch of salt

· 8 tablespoons butter, room temperature

· 1 cup creamy peanut butter, well-stirred if using natural

· 1 ⅓ cups light brown sugar

· 1 egg, room temperature and lightly beaten

· 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste or extract

· 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup marshmallow fluff, depending on how much you add to each cookie

Instructions

· In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

· In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, peanut butter and brown sugar and beat on medium speed until light an fluffy.

· Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine.

· Add dry mixture and beat again to combine until you have a thick dough.

· Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, preferably up to 1 hour.

· Preheat oven to 325 °F. Prepare two baking sheets with nonstick silicon mats or parchment paper and set aside.

· Grab a medium cookie scoop and fill it halfway with dough, pressing it into the bottom and up the sides. Spoon a teaspoon of marshmallow fluff into the center, and then top with more dough to fill the scoop. Place each ball of dough on prepared baking sheets, with no more than 6 on each, evenly spaced out with plenty of room for the cookies to spread.

· Bake for 9-11 minutes until the cookies have spread and started to crinkle on top. Remove from the oven and let cookies cool for at least 15 minutes on the baking sheet itself – they will continue to spread and set a bit more as they cool. Carefully move to wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy!

Praline Sweet Potato Pie

March 22, 2022 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Every Thanksgiving, I make too many desserts. I am a big believer in, “Swing by the house and have dessert if you have room” on holidays. Until the whole pandemic thing happened. However, as the world has slowly emerged and people are doing bigger family gatherings, I look forward to that being an option again.

My one Aunt is the type of cook that had an open door and a serving station where all of the menu items were kept warm and you ate when you got there. One of my favorite memories of the holidays was knowing Aunty Johanne would make a “to go” plate for me when I was working…and specifically didn’t add turnips. I love them now, but then, not so much.

I love the idea of a beautiful sit down dinner. But lately, I am more in love with the idea that people who have busy lives and other family members to see can think one less person is putting pressure on them to be somewhere. I like being able to say, “If it works and you want pie, we have a LOT.” It’s not a horrible situation to find oneself in, if ever.

I also love the idea that if you make different pies, there are more options, and a person could say, sample several pies and it really equals one or two slices. I also like the idea that a person could technically cut into the pies pre-Thanksgiving dinner, as in for breakfast that day. Because, life is short. Eat pie for breakfast if it makes your heart happy.

One thing I do every holiday is print out a menu for myself and a timeline. I like lists. Like REALLY LIKE LISTS. I always refer to what worked, didn’t work, and have a folder of recipes for what I want to try next time. Desserts have more room for flexibility here, because as long as I have the basics covered: Pumpkin, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan, Tollhouse Cookie, and my Aunty Cathy’s Cheesecake…I can add any crazy pie I want. This was the new endeavor this year.

Sweet Potato pie has always intrigued me. As in, how is it different than pumpkin or squash pie (I never really got the difference between squash and pumpkin). And what does a praline topping really mean? When I make a sweet potato casserole it is the Ruth Chris recipe- with a pecan streusel topping…but baby marshmallows? This was new to me, but I will not shy away from a dessert with a praline topping.

I don’t have the benefit of southern relatives to share this specialty with me. I wish I did. I’m still trying to work my way into my best friend’s fiance’s family from the south. I need to learn everything they want to teach me. (Because, when you visit family up north you want to spend your whole time teaching a stranger all the family cooking secrets…but I digress).

I chose the trusty recipe from Joanna Gaines and Magnolia because they are from Texas, and if she says this is what she makes for her family, it is good enough for me.

This recipe requires pre-blind baking the crust, making a sweet potato filling (not unlike pumpkin pie), and baking. Then topping with a mixture of butter and brown sugar and marshmallows. Had I stopped there, this pie would be amazing. However, I put it back in the oven and toast/melt the topping all together. It is rich and decadent. For me, maybe not a pretty pie before you cut into it…but it’s delicious.

Here’s my take: Sweet potato filling is similar to pumpkin and yet it isn’t. The flavor is bright, there is a nice mix of sweet but not too sweet (which is hard to believe considering there is a gooey marshmallow topping), and I like it in the wildcard pie position at my table. It incorporates a typical Thanksgiving menu item in a new way. I would maybe, moving forward, make some sort of marshmallow meringue and use that as a topping…making the topping lighter and prettier…but I’m saving that for next year’s wild card pie. I made a note in the folder on the list. 🙂

The recipe is simple and precise, and I did not change one word. It is a Magnolia recipe as printed.

In life, I wish for you a dessert table and life table filled with the basics and the spontanteous choices. The ones we know we need and the ones we want to try. Like I mentioned earlier…Life is short. Have a slice of pie for breakfast.

Sending love and light to you. I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table.

Love,

Chrissy

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Praline Sweet Potato Pie

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This recipe is originally from the Magnolia Journal. A single crust sweet potato pie with a marshmallow brown sugar and pecan topping. This pie was a welcome addition to our Thanksgiving table, and will be made again!

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

Pastry for a single-crust pie
1 2/3 Cup Cooked, mashed Sweet Potatoes or one 17.2 ounce can of Whole Sweet Potatoes, drained and mashed
1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
1 Teaspoon finely chopped Crystallized Ginger or 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon freshly grated Nutmeg or 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon Allspice
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
3 Eggs, slightly beaten
1 Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk

Praline Topping

2 Tablespoons Butter
@ Tablespoons Packed Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
1 Tablespoon Milk
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
1 Cup tiny Marshmallows

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450* Prepare pastry for single crust pie.
Place Pie Crust into pie plate and prick bottom of pie crust with a fork. Line pastry with a double layer of foil and bake for 8 minutes covered. Remove foil and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes or until golden. (You can use an alternate blind baking option that works for you)
Cool on wire rack.
Reduce oven to 375*
For the filling, stir in mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.
Add eggs, beat lightly with a fork until just combined.
Gently stir in buttermilk/sour milk until thoroughly combined.
Place pastry shell on a foil lined baking sheet.
Carefully fill pie shell, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
In a small saucepan combine butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, and the milk. Cook until the mixture comes to a boil.
With pie on oven rack, carefully sprinkle pecans and mini marshmallows over the surface of the pie.
Carefully pour hot brown sugar mixture over top.
Bake 15-20 minutes or more or until center of the pie appears to be set when jiggled.
Cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour.
Cover and chill two hours before serving.

Italian Ricotta Cake

March 13, 2022 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Spring is days away, and yet today has been a cluster of snow and sleet. The bulbs are peeking out through the soil, and my favorite crocus at my Mom’s house has bloomed as a sign that yes, life is returning to New England. I am already pulling Easter recipes. I don’t even know the plan for that holiday except, I will be cooking for however many/whenever. It’s enough to sift and sort through the recipes for ideas at this point. Hence, Ricotta Cake!

I need to preface this recipe with a few thoughts. Like the fact that if you are Italian, my way of saying ingredients such as prosciutto, marscarpone, and ricotta would make you cringe. Think soft “a” sounds, and pronouncing all of the syllables. I know the real deal people say “Ricot” with a strong abrupt tone and such…but I am one of those people who say it wrong and know I am not bold enough to say it right. I own it. I say ri-cot-ta. (It sounds as nasally as it reads in real life too).

I will say this. My childhood memories in an Italian family include making tortellini from scratch and a huge table covered with a white bedsheet that became covered with beautiful little belly button pasta as the family worked together to roll, stuff, cut, and pinch. Tortellini soup was a staple, as were many Italian traditions. I have yet to travel abroad, but one day the dream is to visit Italy and absorb every beautiful thing.

Growing up, we had Sunday dinners, and Easter Bread with the egg baked in the middle. (In our family we called this Angootie…I have researched this bread and have yet to find this name or this recipe-although I have found many with other names and ingredients). While I may say ricotta wrong, I do have enough of the Italian memories in my past to know that ricotta it is amazing and to never, ever, use the kind made with skim milk. One of my good friends makes her own. Which, is kinda impressive.

In my growing up though, I had never heard of Ricotta Cake. We were local-bakery-Rum-Cake-people (I am not one of those anymore as a result). In all honesty, one of my children always requests a fudgey chocolate cake from the Italian bakery down the street. But Ricotta Cake? New to me!

A few years ago, a friend at work mentioned she was making it for her family Easter dinner.

Now, I have had ricotta in all sorts of pasta dishes or on pizza in big dollops, on toast both as sweet or savory, (heck I have eaten it from a spoon out of the container-no shame), but never baked in a cake. So try this recipe I did!

This cake is easy to assemble and so amazing. My photos do not do it justice. It is indulgent. It is a butter, sugar, and egg laden recipe. We are not low calorie anything here. It is made in two layers, though it almost resembles a cheesecake-y blondie type texture. It is dense, and creamy, and delicious. I want to liken the top layer to a cheese danish type consistency- but it is so much better.

There is a slight lemon tang to the ricotta layer that balances out the sweetness. My final cake split a little while cooling, even though I ran a knife around the edge as you would a cheesecake before letting it cool. I am not sure if this is typical, and welcome any comments on it! I have made this multiple times and always get the “crackin.”

My theories are in the incorporation stage, or I am over cooking, the heat is too high, or something with the cooling process. (So basically any of the steps I am causing this…) It’s a work in progress. Regardless, this cake is SOOOOO GOOOD. When I served it, I cut it up so the cracks didn’t show…and there were no complaints!

I hope you enjoy this recipe. There is something special about a recipe that is written in a friend or relative’s handwriting, that add to the beauty of the occasion. I always think when we sit down at a table where other people’s recipes are present, it is like they join us for the meal. I am all for a full table, whether in person or in spirit. It is good for the soul.

I am sending you light and love and a big slice of this heavenly dessert.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and I thank you as always, for coming to the table.

Love,

Chrissy

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Italian Ricotta Cake

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This Italian Ricotta Cake recipe is from a friend Suzanne. A sweet, slightly lemony ricotta layer atop a cake base. It is so good. We use this recipe around Easter time, but it is perfect for any time of year.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Base:

1 Cup Butter
2 Cups Sugar
4 Eggs
2 2/3 Cups sifted lour
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Cup Milk
1 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Ricotta Topping:

2 Lbs Ricotta Cheese (Whole Milk)
4 Eggs
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Flour
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed if possible)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Grease a 13x9x2 baking pan and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350

For the bottom layer:

In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients (flour and baking powder)
Cream together butter and sugar and blend through, making it light in color.
Add eggs one at a time, and incorporate after each.
Stir in sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk and vanilla.
Pour combined batter into prepared pan

Top Layer:

Mix ricotta, eggs, sugar, flour, lemon juice and vanilla together.
Pour over top of unbaked cake layer.
Bake in 350* for one hour.
Run a knife dipped in warm water around the edge of the pan to loosen the edges and hopefully avoid cracking.
Allow cake to cool completely before serving.

4. Allow cake to cool in pan.

Stir in sifted dry ingredients

A Love Letter to My Daughter and Her Friends, and Peanut Butter Heart Cookies

February 14, 2021 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Dear Every Girl My Daughter’s Age, including her Friends and Herself:

I feel like there are some things you need to hear and I mean HEAR. Like, in your soul and REMEMBER. Because, this world is crazy, and sometimes ugly. It shoves images and expectations at you, and even though it is a new age and there are so many more opportunities and glass ceilings are shattering…there is still some rampant crappola the world is sending your way.

You are perfection. You aren’t perfect and that is OK. No one is. But you, and all you are, is exactly who and what you were supposed to be. Glorious and resplendent in all of your ways. Every smile, every laugh, every brilliant thing that comes out of your mouth (and even the not so brilliant things) make you you. And wow, is the world lucky to have you.
You may not love your body. But start now. She’s been with you so far, and if you realize it early enough, she is your champion. She will get you to places and do things you haven’t thought of yet. Your body, whatever size, whatever shape, is perfection. Don’t let it define where you belong in this world. You belong. Period. Please don’t waste one more second listening to a culture that wants you hating on yourself. It’s a tragedy.
Your mind is amazing. You are SMART. Your opinions matter. Your thoughts matter. Your creative ideas matter. Your decisions matter. For those of you who think bigger than the space your body takes up, keep being bigger. If they are worthy of you, they will get you and love it about you.
Your heart is bigger and stronger than you imagine. You may have navigated the hard things already. You may not have had any bumps in the road. Life will teach you lessons and one of them, amazingly enough, is that YOUR HEART IS STRONGER than you know. It will survive. You will survive. You will be better for it.
And lastly, no Mom on this earth, whether it be your biological one or adopted one or grafted in one or decided one along the way would ever, ever want you to settle. In any capacity. Do not sell yourself short. Do not accept a “less than” when you are worthy of so much more. You deserve to be successful, loved, and cherished in every capacity. Especially by yourself.

This is my abbreviated and not all inclusive Valentine’s wish for you, but for today, it will have to do.

All the love my heart can hold,

Chrissy (Mom)

(OK, and then there are these cookies. Which are little peanut butter puffs which then have a chocolate candy smooshed in when done baking. 🙂 Listen, every blog can’t be emotional, and every blog can’t be about the recipe. I recommend this cookie if you have a peanut butter lover in your life. Because they are amazing.)

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Peanut Butter Heart Cookies

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This recipe is originally from www.sallysbakingaddiction.com This recipe makes a light, pillowy soft dough that gets refrigerated for up to a day, and then topped with a chocolate heart of your choice. I used two different types of candies for this, a solid chocolate heart, and a peanut butter filled heart. It is hard to tell which were enjoyed more, because they both disappeared rather quickly! This recipe yields 2 dozen cookies.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

· 1 stick (½ cup) Butter (room temperature)

· 1 Large Egg

· ¾ Cup Peanut Butter

· 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

· ½ Cup White Sugar

· ½ Cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar

· ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda

· ¼ Teaspoon Salt

· 1 ¼ Cups Flour

· Chocolate Heart Candies (Dove, Lindt, Reese’s all work)

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda together.

2. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment beat butter until fluffy. Add sugars and cream together until smooth.

3. Add in peanut butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Combine until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

4. Add the combined dry ingredients to the wet ingredients slowly on a lower speed.

5. Roll out dough into balls using a cookie scoop or tablespoon measure and chill. OR Chill dough as a whole for at least half an hour up to a day. The longer you chill, you may need to let the dough sit for a little bit before rolling out into balls. *this is why I roll them before I chill them

6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

7. Place dough balls evenly spaced on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

8. Allow cookies to cook for a few minutes, then press chocolate candy into each cookie.

9. Allow cookies to cool completely, unless the idea of a melty chocolate heart is your thing (it’s my thing).

10. Cookies stay fresh in an air-tight container for up to a week. They won’t last that long. 😉

Siblings and Skillet Cookies

February 9, 2021 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

True story, my brother is one of the funniest and tender hearted people I know. As kids, we used to fight a lot. We were your average born in the 70’s, four-square and kickball in the neighborhood, come home when the street lights turned on kids. We rode our bikes and got lost in the woods. We fought over who would sit in the front seat, who’s feet got to rest on the bar under the table, and lord only knows what else. But mostly, even when we were arguing, we were laughing.

He was organized, I was not. He was the math brain, I wrote stories. He loved video games, I didn’t. We were different, for sure. But family is like that. I see it in my own two children- their similarities and differences, and the way they laugh and look out for each other amongst those things.

I will say this, when I had my wisdom teeth removed, he held half of the ice pack for me in the car ride home. (Thankful we didn’t have cell phones or for sure he would have recorded me).

When my children lost their father, he jumped on a plane to meet us. For the rest of my life I will remember the sense of relief when he walked into that funeral home. One spot of lightness amidst chaos.

He’s that kind of man.

The gift of being older is instead of seeing your differences, you see the similarities and honor the wonderful things you find in your siblings the longer you share this life’s journey.

Now we exchange parenting stories. We both enjoy leadership roles, and have puppies, and even give each other a heads-up and great podcasts or books we’ve listened to and read. I trust him implicitly with the stuff I share. And we both have a Momma we love and joke with. There are moments when I am down and I will call or FaceTime my brother just because I know I will feel better when I hang up. There is a fellowship in sibling hood that is singular in nature.

So, when on one of the many social media platforms on which we follow each other my brother sends a picture of a larger than life skillet cookie, I ask for the recipe. When he sends it to me from Tiktok, I slowly rewatch so I can catch all of the ingredients because, hey we are in the middle of the longest, loneliest winter in the middle of the pandemic, and sometimes, the concept of a skillet cookie is magical.

Who am I kidding, when is a skillet cookie NOT magical?

This is a one-bowl cookie dough you press into a skillet and bake. It is beautifully crispy on the edges and soft and tender in the middle. I, of course changed stuff up and added extra things because I am me. I did not add walnuts (even though that addition would have been amazing) because my children do not like walnuts in dessert. I did add butterscotch chips because they add a little extra something that was delicious, but not necessary. You can mix up the add ins because there are no rules to this cookie except you eat it warm (it is just as good fully cooled but I recommend heating it up a bit first). I also suggest a good quality ice cream. listen, if we are going there, let’s go big.

I think, if the last year has taught us anything, it is the importance of loved ones and spending time with them. We are fortunate to live in a time where technology makes seeing someone half way across the country in a heartbeat possible. Where we can see the funny faces that go with the sarcasm. Where we can check in to see how someone is and laugh as well. If we can share a recipe along the way, aren’t we blessed?

As always, I hope you enjoy this recipe, and thank you for coming to the table.

Chrissy

(Click on link below for full recipe)

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Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Skillet Cookie

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This one bowl mix cookie dough is easy to make and so delicious. You need to get a bowl and scoop of ice cream ready! you are going to want to eat this when it has sightly cooled, but still warm.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

16 Tablespoons of butter (2 sticks)
1 1/2 Cup packed Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup White Sugar
1 Egg
1 Egg Yolk
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
2 1/4 Cups Flour
2 Cups Chocolate Chips or Chunks
Additional add ins:
- Chopped Walnuts or Pecans
- White Chocolate Chips
- Butterscotch Chips (Which I used in my recipe – 1-2 Cups)

Instructions

In the skillet you plan to cook the cookie in, melt two sticks of butter. You can continue to cook until the butter is browned to add another layer of flavor. Set aside to cool.
While butter is cooling add sugars to a bowl, then add melted cool butter to sugars and mix.
Combine with vanilla extract, egg and egg yolk, and dry ingredients.
Stir in chocolate chips, additional add ins (I added 1 -1 1/2 cups of Butterscotch chips)
Preheat oven to 350*
Press combined cookie dough into pan.
Bake in 350* oven for 15 Minutes (If you think it is too doughy you can cook additionally but it should be slightly doughy in the center.

Dark Chocolate Bourbon Sugar Cookies

May 29, 2020 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

I had a friend say to me a few weeks ago, “I am just so happy to see you are writing again.” Which, really warmed my heart. I carried that sunshine around for days, weeks actually. All during which, I did not write one more word.

Here’s what I have learned in the last two months of being home, only traveling for essentials, and basically being a rule follower. People sure do have a lot to say. Social media, bloggers, podcasters, news reporters, friends on the Facebook. Every person seems to have something to share. Right, wrong, insane, liberal, conservative. It’s a lot. I think in the last two months I have let go of some things I probably should have a long time ago. I have stopped following certain people on social media. I have evolved my opinions of some people in both the positive and negative as a result of words and actions or lack thereof. The learning curve has been steep.

That being said, I think to stop and write means to stop and make sense of the words in my head, and to put something out there that people who are already reading a lot want to and can read.

So reader, here we go. I will not offer you numbers or graphs or charts or rules. I will say that having lost one parent I will darned well do whatever I need to do to keep my living parent here as long as I can. I will say I had the gift of being with my Dad when he left this earth. A gift that I know too many people, people I know personally, did not get.

So, where does the writer find the words to fix this? I don’t. I just know that to not write means I am one less voice of hope out there. And we need hope. Well, some of us need toilet paper, and hope.

Friends, it’s time to bust out the boozy cookies. I will say it, I am not a big drinker. (Total transparency, I did join a wine club a month ago). But make a dark chocolate bourbon cookie and roll it in bourbon sugar? Sign. Me. Up. Sorry kids, these cookies are for the grown ups. They don’t taste heavily with alcohol, but they definitely have a rich and fantastic flavor. The original recipe for these cookies is from LoveandOliveOil.com. The original recipe calls for shaved chocolate in the cookie and dutch processed cocoa. I use dark cocoa and left out the chocolate shavings. I didn’t feel like I was missing out AT ALL. I also tried it with throwing in some semisweet morsels. Equally as amazing. A really neat tip in the original recipe is to store the cookies on top of any remaining bourbon sugar, which kept the cookies moist and fresh for a little longer.

What is bourbon sugar you ask? It is turbinado sugar and bourbon shaken together. Yes please. I am a fan of the big crunchy sugar crystals on top of muffins. Big crunchy sugar on a cookie? I’m in. You combine the sugar and the bourbon and it makes you wish the sandy beaches tasted this good. Another fun thing is post rolling the dough in the sugar, you can use a glass to flatten out the cookies to just the right thickness.

Friends, I wish I had answers. Answers to how this will all look or when this will all end. What the new normal will be. As an educator I wonder, what new changes in addition to the ones already made will take place? What about the students without access for a million reasons to an online format education? So many things. I guess, the thing I am learning in all of this, is gentleness. Being gentle with others, and all the more difficult, with myself. Trying to use this time to fix the things. So many things.

Gentleness, and grace. Time for kindness.

All of this, and chockey cookies with crunchy bourbon sugar.

Sending you so much love and light in this uncertain time. Thank you for sitting with me for a bit and for sharing your reading of the words with me. I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table.

Love, Chrissy

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Dark Chocolate Bourbon Sugar Cookies

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This soft cookie rolled in turbinado sugar from the www.loveandoliveoil.com website is slightly modified (I use a dark cocoa powder but essentially it is the orginal masterpiece recipe).I can’t even begin to describe the combination of soft bourbon infused cookie dough and the crunch of the bourbon sugar on the outside except to say yes please.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

· ½ Cup Butter

· ½ Cup Vegetable Shortening

· 1 Cup White Sugar

· ¾ Cup Brown Sugar

· 1 Large Egg plus 1 Large Egg Yolk

· 3 Tablespoons Bourbon

· ¾ Cup Dark Cocoa Powder

· 1 ¾ Cup Flour

· ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda

· ¼ Teaspoon Baking Powder

· ½ Teaspoon Salt

For Rolling:

· 2 Tablespoons Bourbon

· 1 Cup Raw Turbinado Sugar

Instructions

1. In a bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a mixer, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar until creamy.

3. Add brown and white sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add egg and egg yolk and mix until incorporated; scrape down the sides of the bowl and beater as necessary.

5. Slowly mix in bourbon.

6. Add dry ingredients in two parts until incorporated. Mix in finely chopped chocolate.

7. Combine and scoop/roll into balls. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

8. In a mason jar or other container, combine turbinado sugar and bourbon. Top with lid and shake until it resembles wet sand. Pour into shallow dish.

9. Roll balls of dough into bourbon sugar until evenly coated.

10. Arrange dough on parchment lined pan approximately two inches apart.

11. Bake at 325* for 13 – 15 minutes or until slightly puffy.

12. Let cool on cookie pan for ten minutes then transfer and cool completely.

13. If there is extra bourbon sugar in the bottom of an airtight storage container; arrange cookies and cover.

Sunday Dinners and Irish Apple Cake

March 24, 2020 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Sunday dinners are still a thing. Well, at the moment they are a smaller thing, but typically we eat together on Sunday. With work schedules, school schedules, and life in general, we try to all eat together before the week kicks off again. If I am lucky, I don’t have to cook (Sunday I meal prep for the week so the idea of creating something specific for dinner does not bode well). Even if I do, sitting together with my family and puppy at my feet, that’s the norm. I look forward to it. It’s the little things.

My heart is always thankful for the family that gathers together, but once in a while we get to eat with our chosen family, and that is a special treat. It starts with a group text, evolves to a Facebook event with a sign up sheet, and ends with a driveway full of cars and me having someone back my car out when I leave because I am afraid of hitting someone’s truck. True story. There are packaged up leftovers, drinks and laughter. You can move from one room to another and there is always someone to talk to. Those are the extra special Sunday dinners.

This cake made an appearance at last year’s Saint Patrick’s Day Dinner. When the menu included items such as corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, and the like…I was on the hunt for a more traditional dessert. We did have a selection of bailey’s cupcakes and trifle, but for some reason, this simple apple cake called out to me.

Flash forward to now. Here we are at the onset of an “essential trips only” stay in place advisory. I find myself asking if I really need anything…or can we make do? Do we risk exposure to this virus or worse, endangering others if we don’t need to? No. Our family is staying put.

That said, I don’t want to waste one thing. I usually have a large bowl of fruit in the middle of the table and I am finding myself with some apples I need to turn into something and quickly. Enter this recipe.

This simple apple cake is layers of dough and prepared cinnamon sugar apples. It is easy to prepare, and if you make it in a spring form pan, looks really pretty when plated. A quick note about making the cake part, if you grate the butter ahead of time and stick it back in the refrigerator to chill, when you cut in the butter to the dry ingredients, it goes really quickly.

While the dough is light and slightly sweet, this dessert isn’t overly so. The apples retain their texture and so there is a nice tooth to this recipe. In a world of crazy sweets, this cake brings a change to the table. You also don’t feel overly guilty having a slice because hey, its mostly apples.

I don’t know when the next big Sunday dinner will be. I know I will be thankful for the invite. I know there will be laughter and friendship. I know we will be changed by what we are living now. I also know that the hearts of those people were already precious and tethered before something like this came into our lives. Because, those are the types of people I am lucky enough to have in my life. I may swim in my own lane, but I know who is with me in the pool. And while I don’t get to go to every thing, they can have my toilet paper if they find themselves without.

To the next family dinner, when we are hearty and hale, and together again. Sending you love friends.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and thank you for coming to the table.

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Irish Apple Cake

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This lightly sweet apple cake combines spicy apple chunks between two doughy layers, sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar. It can be served with a caramel or custard sauce, but it is delicious on its own. Adapted recipe from Irish Traditional Cooking.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and chopped
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2/3 Cup Sugar
8 Tablespoons Butter, Chilled and Cut/Grated
1 Egg
½ Cup Milk
2 Teaspoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Instructions

Peel and chop apples into chunks. You could do slices if you prefer.
Toss apples with cinnamon and sugar to coat. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350* and spray springform pan or cake pan with cooking spray.
In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and sugar.
Cut in butter using a pastry blender or two knives. until pieces are no larger than pea sized.
In a separate bowl, mix egg and milk together.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
Mix until just combined.
Pat one half of mixture into prepared baking dish.
Spread apple cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough.
Cover apples with remaining dough. It is ok if this is imperfect looking.
Bake for 40 minutes. Cake will be lightly brown on the top.
Remove and let cool.
Right before serving, dust with confectioner’s sugar.

On Raising Humans and Strawberry Jello Pretzel / Pretzel Jello Salad

March 21, 2020 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

It’s funny, because when I started this blog post back in February, I have no idea what I planned to write. But here I sit, and the title still works, so we will go from there.

We find ourselves in a pandemic. I said to my daughter last night, “You get that you are living history right now?” Which, in truth is both interesting and really scary. She looked over at me and smiled. I’ll take it. In a time when we are spending a whole lot of time with our own children, smiles are good things.

As a Reading Teacher in a pretty good sized school, I get the privilege of seeing a lot of little faces. Many cannot pronounce my last name correctly, and that’s ok. I answer to a lot of things. I also get to do the announcements in the morning, and I am missing the jokes of the day I get handed to me on scraps of paper from the students. It’s all of the tiny moments that make up the school day. I really do have great stories. I often say, “If you didn’t work here, you wouldn’t believe it.” And my colleagues? I am one of the lucky ones. Our building is family. That’s a gift.

This week was the onset of “distance learning.” A week where teachers are gathering materials and supporting students online. A time where parents are with their children all day, and working on materials they may or may not understand. It’s all very different looking, and feeling. We are finding work spaces in our home spaces. We are thankful for the internet. We are trying to make it work. And it is challenging for many.

I’ll just say it, raising humans is hard and exhausting. Go back and reread that, because it is worth repeating. If you are a parent and you are depleted at the end of the day, and wondering…”Did I do everything I could?” breathe, you are normal.

We don’t always use our teacher voices when we talk to our own kids. We don’t always see their struggles like we would our students, because, well, they have us for parents…how hard can their lives be?

Now, my kids have always been my priority, and we are past the help with bathing, help with potty, help with bedtime rituals. They don’t really need me. I mean, they need me but not really. I think I did a good job raising them and then, I realize an area where I just missed the mark. Where I say to myself, “how did I miss that?” or “I could have handled that this way.” Hindsight is awesome, isn’t it?

When I knew I wanted to have children, I had three foundational rules as a mom. 1. I would say the following things and mean it. “I am sorry”, “I am proud of you”, and “You are loved.” 2. I would step back and give myself a few breaths before reacting. 3. I would cuddle and hug my kids if they let me. I was raised by non-huggers. I have worked to become a hugger, but I think I actually raised cacti. But hey, we try. I hope I have succeeded in these goals. My eerie calm when stuff goes down proves the step back part worked…but I still find pockets of sucky parenting if I analyze it enough.

So, that being said, one phrase I hate to hear is, “There is nothing to eat.”

Cue the evil eye.

Here is a recipe that will not get that comment. I’ve realize that “There’s nothing to eat” actually means, “I don’t see anything in the fridge I want to eat.” Different sentence. This is not one of those things. This is a birthday, Easter, and picnic/gathering staple. Is it dessert? Is it a side dish? Is it called Jello-Pretzel or Pretzel Jello salad? I don’t know. I just know if I make it the kids eat it.

This was first introduced by the amazing Nonni in PA, and I lost her recipe somewhere along the line and the internet found me another one. I think they are all pretty much the same in that it is a layer of salty pretzels, a layer of cream cheese cool whip goodness, and a layer of strawberries in Jello.

Don’t judge. Salty, sweet, creamy, crunchy. It’s good stuff.

I guess if I were going to parallel it to parenting, its got the whole spectrum, the ups and downs, the smooth and the rough. It’s not just one thing, ever. And, I am finding as my children become adults, the worries get bigger and harder. But that’s for another blog post.

Make this dish. You won’t be disappointed. I am not sure what our Easter will look like, but I can guarantee this will be on the table.

Oh, and you are doing a great job raising your kids, in case no one has told you today.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table,

Chrissy

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Strawberry Jello Pretzel / Pretzel Jello Salad

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This is a layered side dish/dessert that consists of a salty crushed pretzel layer, a sweet cream cheese cool whip layer, and topped with a strawberry jello layer. If you can use fresh strawberries that’s amazing but frozen work just as well!

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

Pretzel Layer

2 Cups crushed pretzel rods
3/4 Cup melted butter (I use salted)
3 Tablespoons Sugar

Cream Cheese Layer:

8 Ounce package of cream cheese
8 Ounce container of frozen whipped topping (cool whip)
3/4 Cup Sugar

Strawberry Layer:

6 Ounce package Strawberry Gelatin
2 Cups Boiling Water
20 Ounces Frozen Strawberries (or Fresh)

Instructions

Preheat Oven to 400*
Mix crushed pretzels, butter, and sugar together and press into a 9×13 pan. This should form a thin pretzel crust.
Bake for 7 minutes and set aside to cool.
In a mixer, combine cool whip and cream cheese to a light fluffy texture.
Spread over cooled pretzel crust and refrigerate until chilled.
Combine boiling water, Jello, and strawberries and combine. Cool slightly.
Pour strawberry mixture over cream cheese layer and refrigerate.
When the Jello Layer is set, cut and serve.

Cherry Crescent Moon Cookies and Finding the Joy

February 11, 2020 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Welcome 2020 a little bit late…I have been busy being a mom. Like, full on seeing the light at the end of the tunnel momming. Not that I haven’t always been a mom, or that things have ever been really quiet in our world.

With one child in college and the other a junior in high school, we are ending the days of carpooling and chauffeuring, of planning calendars for who needs to be where and when, and what does the future hold? Looking for colleges, choosing majors, making decisions for an uncharted path. But I find myself with the knowledge that unfortunately age has granted along with my laugh lines. It’s all about the journey, it’s all about finding the joy.

I have told my children in their endeavors to choose what is next, that you have to love what you do. Not every day, but most days. I have also told them that no one at nineteen maps out what the future holds. Almost no one in my life is living Plan A. It just isn’t a thing. We choose something and then life hands us something else, and we grow, and change, and become something better. So choose the path that gives you joy.

I am not sure that this is the advice of the wealthy. I am not sure that this is the advice you would give your children, but it is the advice I am giving mine. Now, that being said, there is a no-stagnating rule in my home. You are not allowed to just sit and do nothing. You will either go to school or work, or both. You will move forward in one capacity or another, but you will move. Choose wisely, but be flexible, life has a plan of handing you options. My father used to say, “Keep moving forward. As long as you keep moving forward, you’ll be ok.”

So, to this cookie; Which is a little bit about the journey, and a little bit about joy.

This is a cookie my Pennsylvania family makes. Now, that family could be an ex-family, but they aren’t. They could be a removed family as a result of divorce and sad circumstances. They aren’t…and that is by choice. By them as well as me. I am thankful for it. I say this because sometimes, in choosing joy, you choose to do the thing that other people don’t get or understand. Sometimes though, grace and love choose the better thing. The different path. It shapes you, if you let it…and then you find joy when you didn’t expect it. Oh, and a cookie.

This cookie is a soft, pillowy cream cheese dough filled with either cherry preserves or the good old pie filling, then drizzled with an almond glaze and sprinkled with sliced almonds.

They are delicious.

They are little pockets of joy.

They take a little extra time in that you have to make the dough and chill it. Then you have to roll it out, cut into circles, spoon a little cherry filling, then press together. You can use a fork to seal the edges or pinch with your fingers…then there is the post baking decorating that is extra…but oh so worth it. Cherry and almonds and soft dough, oh my.

And, this momma is trying to find her way back to the thing that brings her joy, which is writing. The cooking and baking has continued, but the writing has been stuffed back in the corner of my brain with the cobwebs, and it’s taken me a month to do what a writing professor once said, “Put your Butt in the Chair” and write (Thank you Jane Yolen). I still plan on momming full time/over time, but somewhere, I am hoping to catch up on the blogging and post more. That is the 2020 creative intention, anyway.

With Valentine’s Day on the horizon and cool weather still in the forecast…I highly recommend these tasty little cookies for your loved one. You will not be disappointed. I’d be remiss if I didn’t give you all the Norma Jane warning…”Watch out, the cherries may have pits!”

Find the joy my darlings.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and as always, thank you for coming to the table.

Chrissy

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Cherry Crescent Moon Cookies

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Cherry filled and drizzled with almond glaze, these light cream cheese pastry cookies are the perfect combination of sweet and tart.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup butter, softened
1 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cherry preserves
2 egg whites
¾ cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 – 2 tablespoon water
¼ cup sliced almonds

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in the 1 teaspoon almond extract until combined. Beat in the flour until dough comes together. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill dough about 1 1/2 hours or until easy to handle.

2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. On a lightly floured surface roll half the dough at a time to 1/8 inch thick. Using a scalloped-edge 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out dough. Place rounds 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.

3. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon cherry preserves onto one side of each round; spread to 1/4 inch from the edge. Fold dough rounds in half, enclosing preserves; press edges with the tines of a fork to seal. Whisk egg whites until frothy; brush cookies lightly with egg whites. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until cookies are light brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

4. In a small bowl stir together powdered sugar, the 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, and enough of the water to make an icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle cookies with icing. Sprinkle with almonds. Let stand until icing is set.

Easy Lemon Cream Cheese Bars

April 14, 2019 by chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Lemon, you belong in my life. Easy lemon recipe? Game on. This recipe could pass for either a breakfast treat or a dessert, depending on the time of day you choose to serve it…if that even matters. Basically it is a light, cream cheese batter zingy with lemon zest and juice, with a flaky pre-made crescent dough top and bottom. As in, the hardest part of this recipe is the pat pat pat of stretching out the dough you popped out of a can, and blending the cream cheese part.

While your cream cheese filling is in the mixer, press your crescent roll dough in the bottom of a parchment lined pan (you can skip the parchment but I like to be able to slice/serve and it makes it so much easier).

Smooth the cream cheese mixture over the dough, then cover with another layer of crescent dough.

I wasn’t super careful about the making sure the top was sealed together, because you end up brushing the dough with butter and sprinkling with sugar and additional lemon zest, which…covers the mistakes.

This simple, light, lemony dessert is the perfect addition to any spring table, bringing a sweet, tangy, creamy, pastry combination to your meal.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!

Chrissy

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Easy Lemon Cream Cheese Bars

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These delicious Lemon Cream Cheese Bars combine the sweet cream cheese lemon layer sandwiched in between crescent dough. Very much like a danish, this easy recipe is light and tangy and sweet.

Author: chrissy@mythankfultable.com

Ingredients

Scale

2 containers of refrigerated Crescent Roll Dough (8 ounces)
2 packages of Cream Cheese (8 ounces)
2 Lemons, Zested and juiced (I used more lemon zest because I like it)
1/2 Cup White Sugar
2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
3 Additional Tablespoons White Sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*
Line the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
Take one container of crescent roll dough and press into pan (try to keep it as one whole piece-rectangle)
Mix cream cheese, sugar, zest, and juice together until smooth and creamy.
Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over the bottom layer of crescent roll.
Unroll the second container of crescent roll dough and carefully stretch over the lemon cream cheese layer.
Brush melted butter on top of crescent dough top.
Mix remaining sugar (3 tablespoons) and additional lemon zest together and sprinkle on top of the butter.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the sugar/butter mixture is crackly.
Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to cut into bars.
When cool, use the parchment paper to lift the bars out the pan, and transfer to cutting board.
Cut into squares and serve.