$250 Cookie

If you've been reading my blog, then you'll know that Dr. Sweetpea is an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie addict. I already have several OCC cookie recipes on my blog because I'm constantly looking for a new recipe to try. I recently came across this recipe in the NY Times dubbed the $250 cookie. Urban legend has it that when a woman asked for the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie recipe from Neiman Marcus Cafe, the restaurant charged her $250 for the recipe. Anyway, years later, Neiman Marcus released their cookie recipe to the public for free after enduring the myth. Dr. Sweetpea devoured several of these cookies in one sitting. 

$250 Cookie

(Source: New York Times) 

1 cup butter

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups oatmeal

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

12 ounces chocolate chips

1 (4-ounce) milk chocolate bar

1 1/2 cups chopped nuts

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together butter and both sugars. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Finely grind oatmeal in a blender or food processor. Combine the oatmeal, flour, salt, baking powder and soda in a medium bowl, and slowly add it to the wet ingredients. Beat just until combined. Grate chocolate bar using a microplane grater and add it, along with chocolate chips and nuts to the batter. Mix just to combine. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls (I used a 

2 tablespoon cookie scoop), 2 inches apart, on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

I've been looking up a ton of oven fried chicken recipes because Dr. Sweetpea loves them. I've already posted a few in this blog but I also like trying new recipes too. I came across this recipe on Cooks Country and made them for Dr. Sweetpea to eat midweek. Thankfully, he loved the chicken and it'll remain in our chicken collection!

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

(Source: Cooks Country)

2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 (1-ounce) envelope ranch seasoning mix
1 tablespoon salt
3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, skin and excess fat removed
5 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces

Adjust oven racks to lowest and middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Whisk buttermilk, sour cream, 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning mix, and salt in large bowl until salt dissolves. Add chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, pulse bread and remaining ranch seasoning mix in food processor until finely ground. Bake bread crumbs on rimmed baking sheet on middle rack, stirring occasionally, until light golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to shallow dish.

Line rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bowl (allowing excess brine to drip back into bowl) and dredge in bread crumbs, pressing to adhere. Transfer coated chicken to prepared baking sheet and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Bake on lowest rack until bottom of chicken is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Move baking sheet to middle rack and reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Bake until chicken is golden brown and white meat registers 160 degrees (or dark meat registers 175 degrees), 20 to 25 minutes. Serve.

Seared Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy and Caramelized Onion Potato Gratin

I bought a huge pack of pork chops from HEB the other day because I saw that they were on sale. Thankfully, Dr. Sweetpea loves pork chops whenever I make them for our dinner but I wanted add a little something special to go with them so I made Caramelized Onion Potato Gratins. Dr. Sweetpea devoured his meal and said the potato gratin is the best he's ever had. I for sure want to make the gratin for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year. 

Seared Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy

(Source: Cooks Country)

4 bone-in rib or center-cut pork chops, 3/4 to 1 inch thick

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound white mushrooms, sliced

1 small onion, chopped fine

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Pat chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chops until well browned and meat registers 145 degrees, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and tent with foil.

In now-empty skillet, cook butter, mushrooms, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, covered, until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove lid and cook until moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mushrooms and stir to coat. Slowly stir in broth, thyme, and any accumulated pork juices and simmer until gravy has thickened, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in mustard and season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Caramelized Onion Potato Gratin

(Source: Cooks Country)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 onions, chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2/3 cup white wine

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

1 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in brown sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add 1/3 cup broth and cook until softened and deep golden brown and sticky, about 5 minutes. Transfer caramelized onions to medium bowl.

Bring remaining broth, wine, cream, and remaining salt to boil in now-empty skillet, scraping up any browned bits. Off heat, stir in vinegar; cover and keep warm.

Shingle half of potatoes in 3-quart baking dish; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon thyme and ½ teaspoon pepper. Spread caramelized onions over potatoes and top with remaining potatoes, remaining thyme, and remaining pepper. Pour broth mixture over potatoes.

Bake until bubbling around edges, about 30 minutes. Top with Gruyère and bake until gratin is golden brown and fork inserted into center meets little resistance, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve.

Mackinac Lemon Blueberry Muffins

I've only been to Mackinac Island once and that was with my parents when I was a teenager. The only thing I remember is the island didn't have any cars and the weather being rather cool even though it was in the middle of the summer. Anyway, I saw this Mackinac Lemon Blueberry Muffins recipe in my Cooks Country magazine and had to make them right away. They're sweet, tangy, lemony, and oh so perfect. Dr. Sweetpea has been eating a muffin every morning on his way to the hospital. This is definitely a keeper for us and will be something I make regularly.

Mackinac Lemon Blueberry Muffins

(Source: Cooks Country) 

1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar

5 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sour cream

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs

7 1/2 ounces (1 1/2 cups) frozen blueberries

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray 12-cup muffin tin, including top, with vegetable oil spray. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons lemon zest in small bowl; set aside.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in bowl. Whisk sour cream, 5 tablespoons melted butter, eggs, remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar, and remaining 1 tablespoon lemon zest together in large bowl.

Using rubber spatula, fold flour mixture into sour cream mixture until just combined. Fold in blueberries until just evenly distributed; do not overmix. Using greased 1/3-cup dry measuring cup or #12 portion scoop, portion batter among cups in prepared muffin tin; evenly distribute any remaining batter among cups. Brush batter with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with sugar-zest mixture (about 1 teaspoon per muffin cup).

Bake until muffins are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with few crumbs attached, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking. Let muffins cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 10 minutes. Transfer muffins to rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Meatball Subs

As much as I love cooking up a nice meal for the two of us, there are days when I'm tired after work and don't want to put much effort into our dinner, especially since Dr. Sweetpea's hours are unpredictable. That's why I love whipping up meatball subs for our dinner every once in a while. Sometimes I'll just buy a bag of frozen meatballs but cook them in our favorite spaghetti sauce. However, this time, I decided to make meatballs from scratch and they were amazing! Super easy to make midweek and super tasty. Dr. Sweetpea was raving about these meatball subs when he came home from work. 

Meatball Subs

(Souce: Cooks Country)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/4 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef

3/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs with Italian seasonings

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 (6-inch) Italian sub rolls, split lengthwise

1 1/3 cups jarred marinara sauce

4 thin slices deli provolone cheese (4 ounces)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease rimmed baking sheet with oil. Mix beef, bread crumbs, eggs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in bowl until well combined. Form mixture into twelve 2-inch meatballs, place on prepared sheet, and bake until browned and meat registers 160 degrees, about 15 minutes. Transfer meatballs to plate; discard accumulated grease on sheet.

Carefully line now-empty sheet with parchment paper. Place rolls on sheet and lay 3 meatballs inside each roll. Top meatballs on each sandwich with 1/3 cup marinara sauce and 1 slice provolone. Bake until cheese is melted and sauce is heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve.