Marietta's Almond Butter Cookies

I'm always looking for ways to put a new spin on old recipes.  This year I used a recipe for classic peanut butter cookies as a template for a new twist on an old favorite...and it was a hit!

Image source: Wikimedia

Marietta's Almond Butter Cookies

1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup additional to roll cookies

1 stick butter, at room temperature

1 egg

1 cup smooth almond butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup almond flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a baking sheet.

 In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat egg into mixture. Mix in almond butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine salt, baking soda, and flours and blend the together with a whisk. Add dry ingredients to moist ingredients in two or three increments. 

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and then roll in sugar. Place on baking sheet and flatten with fork. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Homemade Maple Walnut Cranberry Sauce

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I have some time to sit down and share with you a wonderful recipe for home made cranberry sauce.  It comes from, "The New Basic Cookbook" which is authored by the two women who owned and operated The Silver Palate, a takeout gourmet business that was popular in New York City some years ago.

I have made this recipe many times over, and it's always a winner!

Maple Walnut Cranberry Sauce

10-12 servings

12 oz. bag fresh cranberries, rinsed

zest of 1 orange

1 cup cranberry-raspberry juice

1 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup walnut halves

Place the rinsed cranberries, orange zest, cran-raspberry juice and maple syrup in a sauce pan on the stove.  Bring the contents to a boil, stirring often.  

Reduce heat to medium and allow to simmer for 10-12 minutes. You will notice that the cranberries will pop open and a foam will appear on top as you proceed.  Keep stirring until the cranberries are pretty much all popped open and the sauce has thickened. At that point, remove the pan from the heat.

If any foam remains on top of the mixture, skim it off. Stir in the walnut halves an allow to cool>

Once it is cool enough to handle, place mixture in an airtight container and store in refrigerator until ready to eat.  

This sauce will stay fresh under refrigeration for a few days...try some during this holiday season. If you like cranberry sauce, you will enjoy this!

Recipe source: New Basics Cookbook

Image source: Wikimedia

Beef and Cannellini Bean Minestrone

Here is another soup recipe...a hearty and satisfying meal for a chilly evening! Here is  the
 recipe. I got it from Giada DeLaurentiis of the Food Network.

For Weight Watchers: 5 points per serving (excluding Parmesan cheese).

Beef and Cannellini Bean Minestrone

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 rib celery, trimmed and diced into 1/4-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces lean (8 percent fat) ground beef
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, add the oil and heat over medium heat. Stir in the onion, carrot and celery and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high and add the ground beef and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the beef is browned and cooked through, about 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and mix to combine. Add the broth, tomatoes, beans, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan.




Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/beef-and-cannellini-bean-minestrone-recipe.html?oc=linkback