chocolate-chip snack muffins on a blustery day

 What a blustery, chilly, few days!  I should be grateful it's not snow - which I see on my Facebook feed from my New England friends, but something about the gusty winds sends me straight to the kitchen to make something a little sweet, a little chocolatey, a little nibble to brighten up the day.  These chocolate chip snack muffins came to mind - perfect when you want a little something, but not overwhelmingly sweet or complicated.  I found the recipe years ago on Two Peas and their Pod, and loved it instantly.



Chocolate Chip Snack Muffins


2 cups King Arthur all purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar ( I used dark brown)
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch or two of kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted (8 tablespoons)
2 extra large eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk (you can also use plain yogurt)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.  
Line a regular (not Texas size) 12 muffin tin with paper liners.
Place the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl:  the flour, sugars, baking powder and salt in mixer bowl.
In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla, stir well, then add to the flour mixture, then add in the chocolate chips.  Mix briefly but thoroughly, then use an ice cream scoop to fill the paper liners.  I had just enough batter to make one more bigish muffin, so I buttered a souffle cup for the 13th muffin.

Bake for approximately 18 minutes (ovens do vary, so touch a muffin gently on the top to make sure it's slightly firm to touch - if it isn't ,just bake a few more minutes)

Voila!  Perfect after-school snack for the kids - and for you!  

snowy dark cherry and chocolate cake

We have heaps and heaps of snow outside -14 inches when I measured yesterday, but of course there are drifts and mountains more from shoveling and snowblowing.  But the sun is up and it looks very, very pretty.  And I drifted snow on this chocolate and cherry cake, (confectioner's sugar, of course), looking equally as pretty against the dark chocolate.

The recipe comes from Life's a Feast, and the first time I made it in a bundt pan, it stuck to the mold, even though I had buttered and greased it heavily.  The second time it stuck again, so this third time, I halved the recipe and used my trusty heavy aluminum 8"x2" cake pan from Wilton.  Perfect.


Chocolate and Dark Cherry cake :

3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 extra large egg, at room temperature

7/8's of a cup of King Arthur flour
1 and a half tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, this time I used Hershey's
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch kosher salt

scant 1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup frozen dark unsweetened cherries, thawed ten minutes and sprinkled with 1 T. sugar
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used Toll House)

Cream the butter and sugar for five minutes, then add the egg and continue to beat for five minutes.
Measure the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a bowl, stir, set aside.
Measure the milk and vanilla in a glass and set aside.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in two batches, mix again, then add the cherries and chocolate chips.  Stir the batter with a spoon or spatula - it should be smooth and creamy.

Fill the cake pan evenly and bake 25 minutes.  The cake should be mostly firm when you gently press the top with your finger.
Remove cake from oven to a cooling rack, and let cool at least 20 minutes.
Turn the cake, still in the pan, upside down and tap the pan gently with a rolling pin, flip it right side up and run a dull knife around the edge.
Hold your breath and flip the cake onto a rack, place another rack on top gently, then flip the cake right side up.  If there are pieces stuck to the pan, remove with a dull knife and stick onto the cake while the pieces are still warm.

Sift confectioner's sugar over the cake when cooled, and serve.

Happy snow day!

mousse au chocolat

Novemberrrrr.  As in brrrr.  We have had one morning with hard frost on the ground - and the windshield, and another with a coating of snow.  I had been working on a magazine article for January/February, which made me feel even colder, but then, a little magic.

I think I found my original mousse au chocolat recipe!  Long ago, when I worked in a French restaurant in Cambridge, that was often how my morning started - making a tray of this creamy, light but wonderfully chocolate dessert.  Somehow, I misplaced the original recipe, and tried many others, but it was never the same.  Today, I am over the moon with happiness, and the memories come flooding back.

A few months ago, I found a picture from that time:  Nick the waiter - who was still in high school, I think.  Another reminder of that lovely, airy little restaurant, where I worked the day chef shift .  The first several hours were mine alone, following the list the owner Sally had left for me the night before:  start two stocks, make the mousse, make a soup or two, prep the veg, check the vegetable and fruit delivery, maybe make a chocolate cake or roulade.

There was magic in those quiet hours in the kitchen.  A few times I had the evening shift, which was busy and noisy and the kitchen jammed with waiters and chefs, neighbors dropping in (including Julia Child, who sat on the garbage pail and chatted with us) , music playing:  nope, not for me.  For me, the kitchen is almost a meditation, though there are times I cherish friends and family in the kitchen, like Thanksgiving, or birthdays, or breakfast with the grandchildren.

Mousse au Chocolate (chocolate mousse):
This makes about 2 1/2 cups of mousse.

To make:
3 extra large eggs, room temperature, separated
pinch of kosher salt
4 ounces (1 bar) Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate
3 tablespoons cold water
1-2 teaspoons dark rum or triple strong coffee
2 tablespoons sugar

Place egg whites in a very clean mixer bowl, reserving yolks in a small bowl.

Break up the chocolate (reserving a small piece to grate on the top of the mousses) and place chocolate pieces in a microwave-safe china or glass bowl.  Add the 3 tablespoons water to the chocolate pieces and microwave 2 minutes, or until chocolate is melted.

Carefully stir the egg yolks into the warm (not hot!) chocolate and mix well, then add the rum or coffee and stir again.

Beat the egg whites on high using the wisk attachment, and adding the pinch of salt to the egg whites.  Continue beating, adding the sugar a little at a time to the egg whites.  Continue beating until the whites are stiff and slightly glossy.

Fold the chocolate mixture into the whites and carefully fold again and again until the mousse is well blended. 

Spoon or ladle the mousse into ramekins or glasses, cover gently with plastic wrap, and place in fridge to chill.  Grate with the reserved piece of chocolate bar just before serving.

This makes about 5 servings, depending on the size of the ramekins or glasses.

Hope you are all staying warm!

triple chocolate chip cookies

Whenever I visit family, I almost always whip up a little something special, and that was especially true of parental visits.  My father, stepmother, and mother were not bakers, but they ALL had a sweet tooth - and they all liked chocolate.  While I can take one bite of a Reine de Saba and leave the rest,  I would guess it would last a day or two at the most, especially with my stepmother.

When she tasted the first cookie,  her eyes got very big as she looked at me, and then she said, "My god, you could start a business with these!", and then proceeded to eat four more.  And these are BIG cookies, averaging out at 4 inches each.

I never did start a business with them, though I made plenty of muffins for years for a local store - these cookies are less sturdy, and the ingredients can be expensive.  But I always remember her remark, every time I make them.

Today I halved the recipe, but forgot to write down the measurements, so I'll leave that to you to figure out.  If you don't have a drawer full of measuring cups, just fill your one cup measure to , say,  3/4ths, then measure out the amount in tablespoons, then halve it to get half the amount called for.  I thought that was pretty clever for 6 o'clock in the morning:)



Triple Chocolate Chip cookies

This makes about 18 large cookies.
Preheat oven to 325F.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or clean foil.

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 and 3/4ths cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk chocolate chips (I used Toll House)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Toll House)

Cream butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs in mixer bowl .  Add the flour, cocoa, and baking soda and mix until smooth, then briefly mix in the chocolate chips.

Use a regular sized ice cream scoop (I use a spring-loaded one) place scoops of dough evenly spaced, 6 to a baking sheet.  The dough should be quite firm, and it was because the flour was cool and so was the kitchen.  If you make this during really hot weather, you can chill the dough briefly in the fridge to firm it up a little.  

Bake for 15 minutes, remove baking sheet to cool another 15 minutes before using a spatula to remove cookies to a cooling rack.  When they are warm, they are a little fragile.  

The sun is out and the snow is melting , a little, anyway -  enough to finally see the top of my birdbath emerge from a snowdrift.  Spring!

chocolate and fresh dark cherry cake & chilly nights

Oh my goodness, life has been hectic.  The first few chilly almost-freezing nights led to that frantic Oh-my-gosh-winter's-coming awareness.  The plants need to be covered, the trip to the pick-your-own apple orchard.  Izzie's second grade soccer games, and almost-3 year old Frankie in a 2 day kindergarten.  Baby Noah meeting his Aunt Noa.  With both my daughter and daughter-in-law working, and three children's schedules, I happily get called on for babysitting in a pinch.

Furnaces cleaned, wood stoves readied, cleaning up the garden , and making time for hikes and walks before the snow, lots of time in the kitchen, making ratatouille and this wonderful cake from Life's a Feast :  a light chocolate snacking cake, filed with dark unsweetened cherries and semi-sweet chocolate chips.  We had a party in the kitchen one morning at 8 am with a roomful of family and lots and lots of food, including this cake, a stellar memory of September .

The original recipe (see it here) called for bottled cherries, but I used my favorite flash frozen dark sweet pitted cherries, sprinkled a little sugar on them, and let them thaw for 20 minutes or so, so the batter wouldn't be cold.  And for a little more chocolate for all the chocolate lovers I added chocolate chips, but otherwise followed the recipe.  It came out perfectly.


Chocolate and dark cherry cake

Preheat oven to 350F.

Butter or grease a bundt pan very well.  Set aside.

7 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature

1 3/4 cups King Arthur flour
3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used Ghirardelli)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt

3/4 cup milk
1 t. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups thawed frozen dark unsweetened cherries
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Cream the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Measure the flour, cocoa powder, making powder, cinnamon and salt into a bowl and stir, set aside.
Measure the milk and vanilla in a cup and set aside.
Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk and vanilla mixture.
Mix until blended well, then fold in the semisweet chocolate chips and the cherries.

Carefully fill the bundt pan evenly, then bake for 50 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool on cooling rack for at least 20 minutes.  
Carefully tap around the bundt pan with a rolling pin  - hopefully this will help the cake slide out easily.
Upend the cake onto cooling rack and let cool.  Dust with confectioner's sugar or cocoa powder and serve.

September: thunderstorms and emergencies. But there is always Reine de Saba.

  What?  It's September?   Apologies, I have been dealing with one emergency after another. I have not had a good nights slumber in weeks, and I look at my bed with longing and exhaustion.  I cut a little bouquet today, made up of lemon verbena and rosemary - and a few sprigs of white phlox, hoping tonight I might finally get a good night's sleep.

First it was the smoke detectors.

1 am, and I wake to a chirp.  Another chirp, a bleat.  Then all three detectors go off, and I stumble to the phone to call the fire department.  A sleepy eyed volunteer fireman checks the house, pushes a button, and heads off into the night.  The next day I buy new batteries for the detectors, and install them.

Three nights later, the same thing.  12 midnight, and I'm entertaining the firemen again, but this time, the fire horn goes off. I hear the chatter on the firemen's beepers, telling them I don't think we really need all 20 firemen here, and  I promise firmly to call the electrician pronto , who arrives late the next day, who tells me I need new smoke detectors.  I grovel and ask him to show me how to disconnect the detectors, since it is clear there is no emergency.  Four nights of blissful rest, until the new detectors are installed.  One restless night, waiting for the blare again, but so far, so good.  Did you know smoke detectors are only good for ten years?  Me neither.  Mine were 9 1/2 years old - so do the smart thing and get some new ones, if only for uninterrupted sleep.

Then last night, rain and thunderstorms for 12 hours straight.  The rumblings turned into thunderclaps, and lightning strikes:  no phone line and no tv,  computer connection off for ten hours.  The rain thunders down in streams and pounds the roof,  the lightning flashes send me down to sit on the basement steps.  The house shakes, the whole world rumbles and flashes.  I finally fall asleep at 3.

But was there food, you ask.  In between all this, there was making Emeril's delicious Muffuletta for my daughter's luncheon with Izzie, and emailing her the icing for the Reine de Saba cake she made for her Dad.  Harvesting the overgrown Italian parsley for everything from smoothies to pesto-ish sauces.  I'm embracing a longing for homemade bread, as the evening is turning chilly, and making turkey meatballs for Frankie tonight.  The chilly air has me thinking about sweets and soups, so finally, I hope, back to normal.

Sweet dreams, I hope:)

easter leftovers and mexican chocolate scones

Do you still have Easter leftovers?  I'm thrilled that I finished off the the leftover ham yesterday - baked in a little tiny casserole with white sauce and peas and pasta.  Today's lunch was the last of the brightly colored eggs in a classic egg salad with fresh dill and hot relish.  And my dessert?  I sent the carrot cake home with the kids so I had a splendid excuse to make Mexican Chocolate scones this morning, some for me, some for a teenager I know who said this was his favorite recipe of all.  With all the sweets we inhaled on Easter Day, I'm  craving just a little bit more, before I faithfully go back to eating healthy.  ( I can hear my mother as I wrote that last word:  "It's healthfully and healthful, not healthy!" )  Hope you're enjoying the sunshine today!

Mexican Chocolate scones:

2 cups King Arthur all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 1/2 t. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 stick (4 oz) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup buttermilk ( if the mixture is dry, add another tablespoon or two, but be careful not to make the mixture too wet)

 Preheat oven to 350F.
Place the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder in mixer bowl and mix briefly, then add the butter and mix until the butter is incorporated well.  If you can see little bits of butter, that's fine.
Add the milk chocolate chips and buttermilk and mix until it JUST comes together.

Gather dough and pat in a circle.  Cut the circle in half in one direction, then half in the other direction, so you have four large quarters.  Cut each quarter in half, so you have eight triangles.  Place scones on a baking sheet and bake for about 22 minutes, or until the scones feel light and are slightly browned when you pick one up.   

Place scones on a cooling rack to cool.

dark chocolate & espresso valentine cakes

Wowser, that was some blizzard we got!  Still digging out from the 3 foot snow that arrived the night of the 7th, but thankful we never lost power.  The last two nights I've fallen asleep still in my snow pants, and I'm thankful to have finally cleared most of the snow that the plows couldn't manage to reach, and the car is finally uncovered.  Bliss.  And now I'm behind on the Valentine express!

What goes together better than chocolate and coffee ?  That's what I thought, and I actually prefer these spongy little cakes to a chocolate bar, at least most of the time.  Intense flavor for a little cake like this, and the thought did cross my mind that whipped cream or buttercream frosting would sandwich nicely between a split cake, especially because they aren't super sweet.  An exalted Devil Dog, if you will, which I have eaten exactly twice in my life, but never forgot.  These could also be made as cupcakes, with a swirl of frosting, wouldn't that be cute?

Adapted from Muffins by Marie Simmons

2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup sugar

2 T. instant coffee or espresso powder

2 t. baking soda

pinch kosher salt

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/3 cup double strong brewed coffee

1/3 cup melted unsalted butter

2 t. vanilla

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease medium heart shaped muffin tins.

In a mixer bowl, mix in the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda,salt,  and espresso or coffee powder.

In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, milk, coffee, melted butter and vanilla briefly, then add to the flour mix, mixing well.

Add the chocolate chips and mix briefly.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill the muffin cups. 

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the center of the muffin is slightly firm to the touch.

Let cool, then turn out onto a cooling rack.

This makes 15 heart shaped muffins.

Below is a picture of the snow from inside the front storm door.  There was so much snow I couldn't get the door open, so I had to raise the storm door panel and climb out to shovel:)

rich and creamy homemade hot chocolate

We've had a LOT of snow lately.  And cold, as in zero degrees, which of course made getting around a little slippery.  Ice dams, icicles, snow melting, then freezing, and then more snow.  It's a real winter this year - and once again I came in from a walk thinking of the hot chocolate I like to make on days like this.   

It's silky.  It's rich, and thick, and when you lick the last of the chocolate from the rim of your cup, the inside is glazed with it.  

I adapted this from a wonderful recipe of Sherry Yard's, but reduced the milk so that the hot chocolate was even thicker.  A demitasse is enough for me ( if I had a demitasse cup, which I don't) - I only pour a third of a cup at a time, and that's just enough.  It reheats beautifully on low heat - what a treat for breakfast this morning!

To make about 4 smallish servings:

4 oz. coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 60%)
1/2 cup heavy cream

Toss the chocolate into your food processor and whiz it until the chocolate looks like little crumblike pellets.  Place the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl.

Heat the cream to boiling, pour over the chopped chocolate, and let sit 2 minutes,  then stir with a spoon until chocolate is melted.

In another pan, heat until hot:

3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream

Whisk in:
1 T. good unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used Ghirardelli again)
and the bowl of melted chocolate ganache.
You can also add a tablespoon or so of Godiva Chocolate liqueur, if you want.

Serve immediately in warmed cups with a little whipped cream dusted with cinnamon - but  I love it straight, hold the cream.

Happy Winter!

on the 5th day of Christmas: ultimate chocolate brownies and the Dolly Llama

Today's doings in the kitchen?  Mixing up the most delectable chocolate batter for Maida Heatter's brownies, and listening to Dylan Thomas read his glorious Christmas poem, A Child's Christmas in Wales ( which you can hear him read in his plummy voice here).  

When my children were younger, they would suffer through this poem every Christmas season, but they have now escaped parental obligation ( though I'm waiting for the day when one of them says to me, "Remember that cool poem about snowball fights and firemen on Christmas Day? ".  I expect it will be a long wait). Dolly Llama smiles her mysterious smile on the tree, humoring my fantasy.

Shepherd's pie on the menu for tomorrow, with lots of butter and fresh rosemary.  I've been hearing the *snow* word in the weather reports!  Are you ready?

a different chocolate-chip cookie

Yesterday was the first REALLY chilly day - frost on the windshield, a puffy jacket for my walk, and while it warmed up to the 40's during the day, I felt the onset of winter coming.  The first thing I did when I got home in the afternoon was march straight to the kitchen, to make chocolate chip cookies.  Maybe cranberry chocolate chip cookies?  I got out the ingredients , heaved a sigh, and went to the computer.  I was longing for a change in the cookie department, so I went to Pinterest , and then TasteSpotting to browse. 

Eureka!  I still can't remember where I found it, but this Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread cookie from The View from the Great Island grabbed my attention.  I love the buttery flakes of shortbread cookies, and this one had peanut butter AND milk chocolate chips to boot.  And I tell you, friends, this is a fine, fine cookie.

Sue kindly gave me permission to use her recipe, but I made one very large change to her directions.  It being late at night, and me in the mood for a fat cookie, I used an ice cream scoop and made seven enormous fat cookies, instead of her small ones.  And I didn't chill it, either - the anticipation was too great.  I advise you to read both recipes and decide which to make.

Sue's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Shortbread cookies:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Line a baking sheet with clean foil.  

1 stick unsalted, room temperature butter

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 t. vanilla

1 1/4 cups King Arthur all purpose flour

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1/2 t. kosher salt

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

chopped pecans for the tops- and next time, I'm going to try a sprinkle of Maldon salt flakes, too.

Cream the butter and peanut butter , then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Using a standard ice cream scoop ( or you can form balls of dough with your well-washed hands), press the dough gently into the scoop, then place on baking sheet.  For me, this made seven large fat cookies.  They don't spread much, so you don't need to worry about spreading.

Sprinkle chopped pecans on top of the cookies, place in hot oven, and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and carefully slide a spatula under each cookie and place on cooling rack.  They take a while to cool, because they're so fat, so don't be tempted to take a huge bite - and burn your tongue.

Enjoy, and thanks, Sue!

Update!  I've now made 5 or 6 batches of these cookies and found that if you use a 1 1/2 inch cookie dough/ice cream scoop, it will make 12 or 13 cookies.  Bake for 20 minutes, then cool.  I top half the cookies with Maldon flaked salt, the other half with chopped pecans.  Such a winner of a recipe, everyone loves them!

buffaloes, brownies, and a life change

Excuse the long silence, but I've been out wandering.  I visit the buffalo herd down the road almost every day - now I see black pigs in the field next to them, but too far away for a picture.  Longing to meet the new owners of this 80 acre field just down the hill from town and find out what they're planning  - seeing the wild West come to New Hampshire is somewhat mind-boggling.


Lots of walks, a little hiking, and making a batch of these brownies in memory of my Dad on Father's Day.  Even though I've been working on a super duper healthy diet, I couldn't resist taking a (LARGE) bite out of one of them.  These brownies are undercooked, then frozen, then thawed to room temperature and cut into luscious, almost mousse-like squares. The recipe is here, and it is lovely!

I watched an amazing movie about changing up your eating habits and diet:  Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, that has me now drinking green stuff - me?  Got to say, if I can get rid of the two auto-immune diseases I have (CFS and Fibromyalgia), I would be so grateful, so I'm giving it a try.  And if I lose the ten extra pounds I've gained from too many tasty bites of nachos and those brownies, that's even better!


Hope you have a grand and beautiful day, dear friends!

cranberry chocolate chip cookies

Spring has spronged!  One brief sunny day, the trees unfurled and there it was:  a beautiful green world.  Later that day, I found, to my delight, my favorite chocolate- not in a bar, but in fat little chocolate chips.  Which, of course, meant making one of my favorite cookies:  Plump ( though frozen) fresh cranberries, tangy dried cranberries, and 60% cacao chocolate chips in a buttery dough.  Mmmm.  Now, let's just hope I can figure out how to post on the new Blogger format:)

To make:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Line two cookie sheets lined with foil or parchment.

2 sticks unsalted, room temperature butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla
2 1/2 cups King Arthur all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
pinch of kosher salt 
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup frozen or fresh cranberries
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips ( I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao chips)

In mixer bowl, cream butter and sugars.  Add eggs and mix.  Add vanilla and mix again.  Add flour and baking soda and salt and mix , then add in the dried cranberries, fresh cranberries, and chocolate chips.  The dough will be quite stiff.

I use different sized ice cream scoops ( the spring-loaded kind) for the cookies - one small for regular size, and a bigger one for those large cookies everyone loves.  Leave about 2 inches between cookies as they do spread a bit.

For regular cookies, bake for 16 minutes;  for the monster cookies, it's 20 minutes.
Bake sheets one at a time in upper third of the oven. Your second batch of cookies should bake 2 minutes less (18 minutes) since the oven is hotter.

Set baking sheet on cooling rack until cookies cool, then remove to cool further on another rack.  This is especially important if you're wrapping them in plastic wrap.

Mexican Chocolate Icebox cookies - and an ice cream sandwich

What? Ice cream sandwiches on the 4th of April? Yes, indeed! As you see above, the pond has no ice - and no snow to be seen and it's 62 degrees and sunny. Isn't that perfect weather for a spicy, chili pepper-infused ice cream sandwich? Raise your hand if you agree:)

I can't take credit for the recipe, which comes from Saveur. Found in my stash of recipes to try, there was no photo of the cookie, so I had no idea how they were going to look. They turned out to be a lacy and very spicy cookie, that just begged to be paired with vanilla bean ice cream.

The cookie dough rests in the freezer for at least 8 hours, so factor that into your timing.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies, depending on size.

1/2 cup King Arthur all-purpose flour

3/4 cup good quality unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder

3/4 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. cayenne

pinch of salt

a few grinds of fresh black pepper

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1 large egg

12 T. cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1. Whisk flour, cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Place sugar, vanilla, and egg in mixer bowl and beat until thick and pale. Add butter and beat until smooth. Slowly add the flour and cocoa mixture and beat until all the flakes of butter are incorporated into the dough.

Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a fat log about 8" or 9" long. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer for at least 8 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 350F. Fit cookie sheet with foil, shiny side up. Unwrap one of the logs and cut with a sharp knife into discs about 1/2 inch thick. Place discs on cookie sheet, not too close together as they spread.

4. Bake for about 12 minutes, then remove to cool. When completely cool, use a spatula to remove from cookie sheet and set on cooling rack.

Continue to bake the rest of the cookies as above, or leave one log in the freezer for another day.

Serve alone with tea or coffee, or use a mini ice cream scoop to arrange three scoops of vanilla bean ice cream in between two cookies.

Have a beautiful day!