Spicy Creole Chili

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 lb. ground chicken

12 oz. andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices

2 tsp. chili powder, divided

2 cups chopped white onion

1½ cups chopped green bell pepper

1 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. salt

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained, rinsed

1 (10 oz.) can Ro*Tel with Habaneros, undrained

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken, sausage and 1 teaspoon chili powder; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove meat mixture from saucepan; set aside.

Add onion, pepper and garlic; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add cumin, paprika, salt and remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder; cook 1 to 2 minutes more or until spices are fragrant.

Return cooked meat mixture to saucepan; stir in crushed tomatoes, beans and undrained tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until mixture is hot. Top each serving with sour cream and parsley, if desired.

Cook's Tips:

For extra heat, add a few dashes of hot sauce.

This recipe can be found here.

Turtle Cookies

2 cups minus 2 Tbsp. cake flour

1 2/3 cups bread flour

1¼ tsp. baking soda

1½ tsp. baking powder

1½ tsp. kosher salt

2½ sticks unsalted butter

1¼ cups light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups dark chocolate chips

1 cup caramel bits

1 cup chopped pecans

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

3. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds.

4. Drop chocolate pieces, caramel bits, and pecans into dough and gently combine.

5. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

7. Scoop heaping tsp of dough onto baking sheet

8. Bake until golden brown but still soft, 11 - 13 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more.

9. Repeat with remaining dough.

This recipe can be found here.

Root Beer Pudding Cookies

3/4 cup butter softened

3/4 cup lt brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 sm box vanilla pudding mix

2 eggs

1 tsp. root beer concentrate

2 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup white chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together.

Beat in instant vanilla pudding and mix well.

Add eggs and root beer concentrate and beat until well incorporated.

Add flour and baking soda. Beat until fully incorporated.

Stir in white chocolate chips.

Roll into 1″ balls and place on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes.

This recipe can be found here.

Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies

2¼ cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 cup butter

½ cup light brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 small box pistachio pudding

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 ½ cups chocolate chips

¾ cup chopped salted pistachios

Whisk flour, baking soda and salt together.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°

In a large bowl, beat butter on med/high until smooth (approx. 1 minute).  Add sugars and beat about 2 minutes.  Add pudding mix, vanilla and eggs, beating on high until combined (2 minutes).  Scrape down the sides and beat again as needed to combine.

Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed until combined. Add chocolate chips and pistachios.  (Can refrigerate for 20 minutes.)

Using 1½ Tbsp. scoop, arrange 3 inches apart on sheet.  Bake 12 – 13 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove from oven and allow to cook on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.


I don't remember where I found the recipe.  If someone can find the orignial recipe, please let me know!

Turtle Cookie Balls

1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened

70 vanilla wafers, finely crushed (about 2-1/3 cups)

3 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

¼ cup chopped pecans

Mix first 3 ingredients until blended.

Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls. Freeze for 10 minutes.

Dip balls in melted chocolate and place in a single layer in a shallow waxed paper-lined pan.

Sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

This recipe can be found here.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

½ tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. almond extract

2½ cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1¼ cups chopped macadamia nuts

1 pkg. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Add eggs once at a time. Next, stir in the extracts.

Gradually add the dry mix to the batter. Mix in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips.

Scoop dough by tablespoon. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes and remove to cool.

This recipe can be found here.

Chocolate Chip Almond Toffee Cookies

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

 1 tsp. baking soda

 ½ tsp. salt

 1 cup butter

 3/4 cup sugar

 3/4 cup brown sugar

 3 oz. almond paste

 2 large eggs

 1½ tsp. vanilla extract

 1 bag toffee bits

 1½ cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees°.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.

Beat the butter and sugars together for about two minutes. Add the almond paste in pieces and mix until well combined. Add in eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.

Add dry ingredients just until dry ingredients disappear. Stir in toffee bits and chocolate chips.

Scoop dough onto lined baking sheet with a medium cookie scoop. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are golden brown around the outside.

Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

This recipe can be found here.

Norwegian Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter

1⅓ cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. baking powder

3 cups flour

1 cup mini chocolate chips

¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

3 Tbsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine butter and 1⅓ cups sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, vanilla, salt, and baking powder and mix until combined.

Turn mixer to low and add in flour until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Divide dough into 4 equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 15-in. rope. Place 2 ropes 4 in. apart on a parchment paper-lined 15x10x1-in. baking pan; flatten each with a fork to 1/4-in. thickness. 

Combine ground cinnamon and 3 Tbsps. sugar and sprinkle this on top of strips.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. Immediately cut each into cookie strips using a pizza cutter or sharp knife.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days.

This recipe can be found here.

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

½ cup butter, softened

¾ cup light brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup Nutella, divided in half

2 1/3 cups flour

1¼ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cornstarch

½ tsp. salt

1¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two large baking sheets with baking mats. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in ¼ cup of Nutella until combined.

Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. Add chocolate chips and mix on low for about 5-10 seconds until evenly disbursed. Turn the mixer off and add the remaining Nutella. Beat for 5-10 seconds so the Nutella streaks through the cookie dough and is not fully mixed.

Scoop dough into about Tbsp. of dough each, into balls.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, until slightly golden brown around the edges.  

Let cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Finish each with a sprinkle with sea salt. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

This recipe can be found here.

Biscoff Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

2 large egg, at room temperature

2 large egg yolk, at room temperature

4 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup Cookie Butter

4½ cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

2½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add sugars and beat on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract on high speed. On high speed, beat in the cookie until completely combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt together until combined. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. Switch to high speed and beat in the chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be a little sticky. Scoop out dough , then chill for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

This recipe can be found here.