Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pecan Cookies

 

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. cinnamon

¾ cup butter

1½ cups dark brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup pecans, toasted

 

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the egg, beat well. Gradually add flour mixture and beat until mixed.  Add pecan pieces.

Use a small cookie scoop to drop dough onto the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container. 

This recipe was adapted from here.

Frosted Flakes Cookies

 

½ cup butter softened

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar packed

⅓ cup vegetable oil

1 egg

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup quick cooking oats

2 cups flour

1½ cups chocolate chips

1½ cups Frosted Flakes cereal

 

Note: this dough requires chilling.

Cream butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can also use a hand mixer. Add oil and stir until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, mix until smooth, then stir in the salt and baking soda.

Mix in oats and flour until just mixed. Stir in chocolate chips and Frosted Flakes cereal. There is no need to crush the cereal; a stand mixer will do that for you. If you’re using a hand mixer, you may want to crush the cereal into large pieces before adding it to the cookie dough.

Scoop 2 tablespoon balls of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet covered in wax or parchment paper. No need to spread the balls out, you’re just going to chill them. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least one hour. (If you chill longer than 4 hours you may need to let them warm up a few minutes on the counter before baking.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with silpat baking mats. Place cookies 2” apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the bottoms just start to turn golden brown. Cool at least 5 minutes on cookie sheet before removing to rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

This recipe can be found here.

Spanish-Style Braised Chicken and Almonds

 

8 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar

⅓ cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped fine
2 hard-cooked large eggs, yolks and whites separated, whites chopped fine
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
Pinch saffron threads, crumbled
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1½ tsp. lemon juice

 

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300°. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown thighs, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer thighs to plate and pour off all but 2 teaspoons fat from skillet.

Add onion and ¼ teaspoon salt to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until just softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in two-thirds of garlic, bay leaf, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in vinegar and water; cook, scraping up any browned bits, until it starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth and tomatoes and bring to simmer. Nestle thighs into skillet, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook until chicken registers 195 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes.

Using potholders, remove skillet from oven. Being careful of hot skillet handle, transfer thighs to serving platter, discard skin, and tent loosely with aluminum foil.

Discard bay leaf. Transfer ¾ cup cooking liquid, egg yolks, almonds, saffron, and remaining garlic to blender. Process until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of jar as needed. Return almond mixture to skillet along with 1 tablespoon parsley and lemon juice. Bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, whisking frequently, until sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and egg whites. Serve.

This recipe can be found here.