Category: Dessert

Rhubarb and Almond Cookies

Yes, I know I have shared a lot of rhubarb recipes this spring. That’s good, right? And my goodness, I adore baking cooking so rhubarb and almond cookies seemed the next logical step! 

So often, I miss rhubarb season because I am too busy getting the garden ready and ending the school year, that I can’t even think about using the rhubarb. And perhaps I am alone in this, but I always associated rhubarb with only being harvested in the spring. I am not sure where I learned that information, but it’s been in my head for as long as I can remember. However, I learned this year that rhubarb can be harvested late into the summer, although you want to do it before it seeds out. Good news, right?!

Initially, I tried to skip adding oatmeal in these cookies for those non-loving oatmeal friends. It just didn’t fly. The moisture from the rhubarb was simply too much for flour to handle. This cookie bakes up nicely and will seem like a crisp cookie straight out of the oven. However, it will soften up as they rest on the counter. Be careful to store them in a flat, covered container to prevent them from breaking apart before you can enjoy them! 

I love the tartness that can be found in these rhubarb and almond oat cookies. The oats and sliced almonds at the bit of texture we all know and love and the use of almond extract rather than vanilla makes for a surprise! Ready to bake? Let’s go! 

Your Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup white sugar 
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour 
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats 
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • ¾ cup diced rhubarb, cut small 
  • ½ cup sliced almonds 

Your Steps to Rhubarb and Almond Cookies

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add egg and almond extract. Beat until incorporated completely. In an additional bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients along with the oats. Stir until just combined. Fold in the rhubarb and sliced almonds. 

Drop by tablespoonsful 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-12 minutes or until set. Allow to cool a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. 

Creamed and dry ingredients!
Some little diced rhubarb and almonds.
Baking time!
A little tart and a little sweet!

Tools of the trade

If I am baking cookies, I am using my Chicago Baking Set. I got it for Christmas from the Mr. a number of years ago and I just love them. The cooling rack is a perfect size and the baking sheets are of great quality! I also recently gifted myself a cookie scoop and holy man, it rocks. If you don’t have one yet and you bake cookies, you probably deserve to gift yourself one too.

Rhubarb and Almond Cookies

These Rhubarb and Almond Cookies are a delight with the tartness of the rhubarb and the texture of the almonds and oats! Give them a try!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Course Cookies
Cuisine American
Servings 32 cookies

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup butter softened
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup diced rhubarb small
  • ½ cup sliced almonds

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add egg and almond extract.
  • Beat until incorporated completely.
  • In an additional bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients along with the oats.
  • Stir until just combined. Fold in the rhubarb and sliced almonds.
  • Drop by tablespoonsful 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 11-12 minutes or until set.
  • Allow to cool a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes

These will be a soft cookie. Be sure to keep them in a flat container to make sure they don’t fall apart. 
Keyword almonds, chocolate chip cookies, Rhubarb, rhubarb cookies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other sweet treats?

Check out the recipes below or head to my Baking page for all the treats!

JessLeave a comment

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

What’s your favorite cookie? Chocolate Chip? Oatmeal? Maybe peanut butter? How about we combine them all in some Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies? What do you think about that?!

I grew up in a very small, northern Wisconsin town. When I say small, I mean graduating with under 20 kids in your class kind of small. (I might be a bit proud of that). And I didn’t even live in the metropolis where my school was located. Nope. I lived 15 minutes away, along with my first friends. Those friends went to daycare with my sister and me and to this day, we still get together at least once a year to celebrate our “first friendship.” One of the friends had a mom that baked the best cookies: My family fondly calls them Mary Lee cookies after her. To this day, they are still my mom’s favorite cookie.

I am so excited to give my take on Mary Lee cookies. A Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie. How are these better than your average cookie? You’ve got browned butter. You’ve never had browned butter in a cookie? Oh my friend, let me tell you it raises the cookie bar so high. These cookies also have more brown sugar than white; key to a chewier cookie. And I dig the little extra baking soda and vanilla. You’ll see…these are going to become a go to cookie for you! Thanks for the inspiration Mary Lee! 

Your Ingredients for Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate chip Cookies

  • 1 cup butter, divided
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup white sugar 
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • ⅔ cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy) 
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 2 ½ cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Your Steps to Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Place one stick (½ cup) of butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Fully melt the butter, and continue to stir until it begins to brown. It will start to become fragrant with a nutty scent. Be sure not to overcook it or it can burn. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream the remaining ½ cup of softened butter and sugars. Add in the eggs and vanilla. Stir until well blended. Gradually add in browned butter, mixing thoroughly. Be sure to use a spatula to get all the browned bits. Cream in the peanut butter. 

In an additional bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this mixture as well as the old-fashioned oats to the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined, making sure to reach the bottom of the bowl. Fold in the chocolate chips. 

Don’t skip this step even if you want to: You must chill this dough for 20-30 minutes before baking. The browned butter will make the dough too soft to bake initially. Believe me, my sister learned the hard way! 

Place chilled dough on an ungreased baking sheet by the tablespoon. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Enjoy with a cold glass of milk ALMOST straight out of the oven. I don’t want you to burn yourself! 

Browned butter. You need this in your life.
Sugar and butter. The best.
Creamed together.
Get all those beautiful browned bits.
Add the peanut butter.
Almost there!
Cookie Scoop. I never knew I needed you!
Where’s the milk?!

Tools of the Trade

If I am baking cookies, I am using my Chicago Baking Set. I got it for Christmas from the Mr. a number of years ago and I just love them. The cooling rack is a perfect size and the baking sheets are of great quality! I also recently gifted myself a cookie scoop and holy man, it rocks. If you don’t have one yet and you bake cookies, you probably deserve to gift yourself one too.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

A little bit of all things that are great: extra vanilla, browned butter, peanut butter, and chocolate. These peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are sure to please!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Chill Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 5.5 dozen

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup butter divided and softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • ⅔ cup peanut butter crunchy or creamy
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 2 ½ cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Place one stick (½ cup) of butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium low heat. Fully melt the butter, and continue to stir until it begins to brown. It will start to become fragrant with a nutty scent. Be sure not to overcook it or it can burn. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream remaining ½ cup of butter and sugars.
  • Add in the eggs and vanilla. Stir until well blended.
  • Gradually add in browned butter, mixing completely. Cream in the peanut butter.
  • In an additional bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this mixture as well as the old fashioned oats to the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined, making sure to reach the bottom of the bowl. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  • Chill dough for 20-30 minutes.
  • Place chilled dough on ungreased baking sheets by the tablespoon. Bake for 10-11 minutes.

Notes

Don’t skip chilling the dough even if you want to. The browned butter will make the dough too soft and it will spread when you bake it.
Keyword browned butter, chocolate, chocolate and peanut butter, chocolate chip, chocolate chip cookies, drop cookies, oatmeal, peanut butter
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Looking to pair these cookies with another sweet treat?

JessLeave a comment

Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Bars

Are you ready for some Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Bars? 

Springtime has finally arrived in Wisconsin, and I am here for it. Unfortunately, my rhubarb is JUST starting to be ready for harvesting. (Just started growing it? Get all the information at the University of Minnesota Extension). Luckily, I have an awesome neighbor just down the road that had an abundance of rhubarb and she invited me over to harvest some. 

Now I would normally bake a pie first for the Mr. but I wanted to try something new. I happened to have some strawberries in the fridge and Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Bars seemed to be the ticket. I tried to cut back a little on the sugar and butter and subbed in whole wheat flour and the results were perfect. The Mr. promptly ate two servings and said they were great! 

Ready to get baking? Let’s Go!

Your Ingredients 

  • 1 ½ cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb 
  • ½ cup chopped fresh strawberries 
  • ⅔ cup packed brown sugar, divided
  • 3 tablespoons water, divided
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice 
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch 
  • ¾ cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted

Your Steps to Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Bars 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, ⅓ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until rhubarb is soft. 

Combine cornstarch and the remaining tablespoon of water. Gradually stir into the rhubarb mixture over medium heat. Bring to a boil, cooking and stirring for 2-3 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside. 

In a large bowl, combine the butter, oats, flour, and salt. Mix until crumbly. Press ⅔ of the mixture into a greased 8 inch square baking dish. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and decrease the temperature to 350 degrees. Spread rhubarb mixture onto the crust and sprinkle the remaining oat mixture on top. Bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool and then cut into 16 squares. 

Chop, chop, chop.
Get ready to cook it down.
Some texture.
Perfect.
Mix up the crust
Bake it up!
Done!
Served and delicious!

Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Bars

The flavors of spring combine in these strawberry rhubarb oat bars to create a delicious treat for any time of the day!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 bars

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
  • ½ cup chopped fresh strawberries
  • ⅔ cup packed brown sugar divided
  • 3 tablespoons water divided
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
  • ¾ cup whole wheat flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons butter melted

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a large saucepan, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, ⅓ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and lemon juice.
  • Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until rhubarb is soft.
  • Combine cornstarch and the remaining tablespoon of water. Gradually stir into the rhubarb mixture over medium heat. Bring to a boil, cooking and stirring for 2-3 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the butter, oats, flour, and salt. Mix until crumbly.
  • Press ⅔ of the mixture into a greased 8 inch square baking dish. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and decrease the temperature to 350 degrees.
  • Spread rhubarb mixture onto the crust and sprinkle the remaining oat mixture on top.
  • Bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool and then cut into 16 squares.
Keyword Oat Bars, oats, Rhubarb, Rhubarb Bars, Strawberries, Strawberry Rhubarb
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other great recipes?

Jess2 Comments

Craisin and Pumpkin Seed Cookies

I am SO excited to share these Craisin and Pumpkin Seed Cookies with you. Why? Well, beyond the fact that it is simply one of the best cookies I have had to date, I am not really sure. 

Maybe because it doesn’t have chocolate in it, and normally, I am all about chocolate in my cookies. Maybe because when it comes to cookies, I generally want a crisp cookie. My top favorite is a browned butter chocolate chip. So this is totally outside my “norm.” Either way, it’s a dang good cookie that I am excited to share! 

The inspiration came from the $4.50 Southern *250 Fine Old Recipes* Cookbook I picked up over spring break this year. In it, I found a sour cream raisin cookie. Definitely NOT my type of cookie, but I was drawn to it. From that, I shifted and pivoted using what I had on hand to create a cookie I couldn’t stop eating. 

The dried fruit I use was a mixture I found at Walmart and was a store brand (go figure!). It was made up of dried cranberries, cherries, and golden raisins. I am sure any combination would be great, but I love this mixture. As for the pumpkin seeds, I use roasted salted pepitas that I pick up from the local natural food store. I like the zing of a bit of salt when you use salted nuts, but if salty sweet isn’t necessarily your jam, you could totally use unsalted. 

Let’s get baking! 

Your Ingredients  

  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon each ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup butter, softened 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt 
  • 1 cup dried fruit of any combination of cranberries, cherries, and golden raisins (I used this mixture from Walmart)
  • ½ cup roasted, salted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

Your Steps to Craisin and Pumpkin Seed Cookies 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Blend flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl. Set aside. 

Cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg. Mix well. Stir in Greek yogurt until combined. Add dry ingredients in fourths, mixing until just combined. 

Fold in dried fruit and pepitas. Drop by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet. 

Bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. 

Butter and sugar!
Some Greek yogurt!
All the color makes me happy!
Ready to portion out.
Ready to bake!
Delicious!

Craisin and Pumpkin Seed Cookies

Warming spices and the flavor of cranberry with the crunch of pepitas make these craisin and pumpkin seed cookies a hit!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Course Cookies
Cuisine American
Servings 3 dozen

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup dried fruit of any combination of cranberries cherries, and golden raisins
  • ½ cup roasted salted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Blend flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl. Set a side.
  • Cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg. Mix well. Stir in Greek yogurt until combined. Add dry ingredients in fourths, mixing until just combined.
  • Fold in dried fruit and pepitas. Drop by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet.
  • Bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Keyword cinnamon, Cookies, craisins, cranberries, drop cookies, pumpkin seeds
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other cookie recipes? Check out the links below or head right to my baking page!

JessLeave a comment

One Cookbook Three Recipes

Normally, I spend a fair amount of time experimenting in my kitchen and garden. Creating recipes of my own or reading others and then expanding and making them my own. However, I have recently been fortunate enough to become involved with a group of collaborators who each choose a cookbook from their bookshelf. Maybe one they love. Maybe one they have never used before and it’s been collecting dust. Regardless, with that one cookbook, three recipes are chosen and we cook throughout the month, sharing the results every Tuesday. 

As for me, I had just recently inherited a number of cookbooks. You see, my grandpa was a fabulous chef. His father, his brothers and he ran a restaurant for some time called “Sam and Sons.” His father has immigrated from Sicily so the Italian blood runs deep. This was evident in the cooking that my grandpa did as the head chef at the restaurant for the 5-10 years that they owned it. 

But back to the cookbooks. My grandpa passed away in August 2020, and one of the things we were able to do was go through his cookbooks to take a piece of him with us. As a sourdough baker, I totally took all the books on bread. I found one on Charcuterie boards. But the one I felt especially drawn to was The Talisman Italian Cookbook by Ada Boni. A book I later learned is no longer in print and is considered THE Italian cookbook.

The Talisman: My one Cookbook, Three Recipes Book

This is the book I chose for my first in the one cookbook, three recipes collaboration. It was so fun that I wanted to share my adventure with all of you. Note that the book has very simple instructions with zero pictures. You have to decide by ingredients rather than images, which is new for me. 

When cooking, I tried to follow the recipe to a T. No going rogue and adding extra spices. I did have a substitution or two, but that was only because I didn’t have the exact ingredient on hand. You can jump to each recipe by clicking the images below!

Biscotta Al Pignoli

Chicken Cacciatora

Potato Soup Italian Style

The Talisman
Biscotta Al Pignoli
Chicken Cacciatora
Potato Soup Italian Style

Recipe One: Biscotta Al Pignoli (Biscuits with Pine Nuts)

I am a baker at heart so of course I scanned the cookie recipes first. I wanted something simple with ingredients I generally have on hand, so I went with the Biscotta Al Pignoli. It was a little unique as I had to incorporate the sugar and eggs using a double boiler, something that I have never done baking cookies. They turned out very reminiscent of meringue cookies, light and crisp. The recipe read:

Your Ingredients: 

  • 1 ½ cups sugar 
  • 4 eggs 
  • ¼ teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 2 ¼ cups pastry flour 
  • 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts

Place sugar and eggs in top of a double boiler over hot but not boiling water, and beat until egg mixture is lukewarm. Remove from over the water and continue beating until foaming and cool. Add lemon rind and flour slowly and blend in gently. 

Drop by teaspoonfuls on buttered and floured baking sheet, leaving a space of 1 inch between them. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and pine nuts. Let stand 10 minutes and bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) for 15 minutes (I recommend cooking for 10 and then checking them. My first batch was a little overdone). This recipe makes about 40 cookies. 

Hit up the double boiler
Mix it up with some zest!
Onto the cookie try with pine nuts!
Baked delights!

Recipe Two: Chicken Cacciatora

I am not going to lie, I needed to cook my second recipe and didn’t have any picked out yet. I grabbed my cookbook on the way to our grocery store and started scanning. What was special about this one? I was drawn to the simplicity of the chicken cacciatora recipe and the fact that I had all the ingredients besides the marsala wine. 

I was tempted to add other spices and things, but again, stuck with the recipe as written. And OH MY GOODNESS. I was in awe of how amazing this dish was. It was the kind of food that makes you eat with your eyes closed, savoring every bite. It was cooked in my Lodge Cast Iron Skillet, which is one of my favorite kitchen tools. I served the chicken and sauce alongside some lightly seasoned polenta, which I had never cooked before either. 

Simply put, this is out of this world good. A MUST try.

Your Ingredients

  • 4 pound spring chicken, cut into pieces (I used 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs) 
  • ½ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup fat
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • 1 clove of garlic, chopped fine
  • ¼ cup chopped carrot 
  • 3 sprigs parsley
  • 1 basil or bay leaf 
  • 4 cups tomatoes 
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Dash pepper
  • ¼ cup Marsala, sherry, or white wine (I did Marsala)

Dredge chicken in flour, sprinkle with salt, and brown in fat until golden on all sides. Place in a covered dish in a warm place. Brown onion, garlic, carrot, parsley and bay leaf or basil in fat left in frying pan. 

Strain tomatoes (when strained you should have 2 cups pulp). Add tomato pulp to browned vegetables in frying pan, add 1 teaspoon salt and dash of pepper and bring to a boil. Add chicken and wine and simmer for 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender. Serves four.

As a side to the chicken cacciatora, I made four servings of polenta. It got cooked according to the directions on the back of the package, using chicken stock as my liquid.

Again, out of this world good. A must try! 

While prepping the chicken.
So close to finished!
Perfection

Recipe Three: Potato Soup Italian Style

I love soups as much (if not more) as I love baking sweet treats. So when I saw that The Talisman had a whole chapter dedicated to soups, I knew that had to be where I drew from for my third recipe. Again, I searched for a recipe that had ingredients that I mostly had on hand. (It’s my favorite way to cook!) My family loves potato soup, so when I found Potato Soup Italian Style, I thought, “this is it!”

It was unique to me because I generally wouldn’t through potatoes and tomato sauce in the same recipe. I also thought it was interesting that the potatoes got boiled skins on, and then peeled and pushed through a sieve. But after some research, I learned that this is the way all the best chefs make mashed potatoes. I pushed mine through a metal strainer like this.

My family enjoyed this soup more than I thought they would. Again, I stuck to the original recipe, not adding any extra spices or seasoning, although I wanted to. Definitely something they would like me to make again!

Your Ingredients:

  • 4 large potatoes (about 2 pounds) 
  • 3 tablespoons butter 
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • ½ clove garlic 
  • 2 carrots, diced 
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 4 cups warm water
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Boil potatoes until thoroughly cooked, peel and put through a sieve. While potatoes are cooking, melt butter in soup pan, add onion, celery, parsley, garlic, and carrot and brown gently. Remove garlic, add tomato sauce, salt, pepper, warm water and strained potatoes and simmer 15 minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese. Serves 4. 

Sauting the veg.
Breaking down the potato.
Almost ready!
Potato Soup, Italian Style

That’s it. That was my adventure as I explored using one cookbook, three recipes. I loved thinking that my grandpa was with me as I cooked from his book, sitting at his old dining room table. It was a special experience, for sure.

Looking for each of the recipes from One Cookbook, Three recipes?

You can find them below with a link or two to my favorite kitchen gear I used to create these delicious Italian Recipes.

Biscotta Al Pignoli

A light Italian cookie reminscent of merague cookies with pine nuts
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Servings 40 cookies

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • ¼ teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 2 ¼ cups pastry flour
  • 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Place sugar and eggs in top of a double boiler over hot but not boiling water, and beat until egg mixture is lukewarm. Remove from over the water and continue beating until foaming and cool.
  • Add lemon rind and flour slowly and blend in gently.
  • Drop by teaspoonfuls on buttered and floured baking sheet, leaving a space of 1 inch between them.
  • Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and pine nuts. Let stand 10 minutes.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Keyword Cookies, drop cookies, Italian cookies, pine nuts
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Chicken Cacciatora

A meal known as "hunter's style:" Chicken Cacciatora has a rich sauce and tender chicken that is simple to throw together.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 people

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 4 pound spring chicken cut into pieces (I used 6 bonelss skinless chicken thighs)
  • ½ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup fat
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • 1 clove of garlic chopped fine
  • ¼ cup chopped carrot
  • 3 sprigs parsley
  • 1 basil or bay leaf
  • 4 cups tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Dash pepper
  • ¼ cup Marsala sherry, or white wine (I did Marsala)

Instructions
 

  • Dredge chicken in flour, sprinkle with salt and brown in fat until golden on all sides.
  • Place in covered dish in a warm place.
  • Brown onion, garlic, carrot, parsley and bay leaf or basil in fat left in frying pan.
  • Strain tomatoes (when strained you should have 2 cups pulp). Add tomato pulp to browned vegetables in frying pan, add 1 teaspoon salt and dash of pepper and bring to a boil.
  • Add chicken and wine and simmer for 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender.

Notes

A great side for this dish is polenta, to soak up all the juices. Cooking according to directions on package.
Keyword cast iron, chicken, tomatoes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Potato Soup Italian Style

"Riced" potatoes make the base of this potato soup creamy and the addition of tomatoes make it unique! A fun Italian take on potato soup.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 people

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 4 large potatoes about 2 pounds
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • ½ clove garlic
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 4 cups warm water
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Boil potatoes (skin on) until thoroughly cooked. Allow to cool slightly and then peel and put through sieve (a metal strainer works great).
  • While potatoes are cooking, melt butter in soup pan, add onion, celery, parsley, garlic and carrot and brown gently. Remove garlic, add tomato sauce, salt, pepper, warm water and strained potatoes and simmer 15 minutes.
  • Serve with Parmesan cheese.
Keyword potato, soup, tomatoes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Strawberry and Lemon Zest Muffins

I am one of the lucky ones. My career is teaching high school math and physics. I recently had one of the most fun group of kids in an Algebra II class. They made me laugh on the regular while also still hanging on to their passion to learn. (Again, I am lucky). When this particular class learned that I was training for a marathon, they championed me, complete with a “We’re proud of you!” card when I finished. Then they learned that I had a food blog, and I suddenly gained a number of followers on my Instagram. Soon enough, I got an email request on my blog for “some strawberry muffins #lit #bestmuffinsever #yumalisous.” I told that young lady that strawberries weren’t in season, but as soon as they were, I would make a recipe for her. So without further adieu, I present Strawberry and Lemon Zest Muffins!

Your Ingredients

  • ½ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil, room temperature (about 70 degrees) 
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour 
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest of one lemon 
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed and diced

Your Steps to Strawberry and Lemon Zest Muffins 

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and preparing two muffin baking tins by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and coconut oil (Note: the coconut should be solid but soft).  Add in vanilla and eggs, whisking until well combined. Stir in Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and zest. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in blueberries. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes until baked through. Serve them with a warm cup of coffee or tea!

A little lemon!
Dry ingredients
A pop of color in the strawberries.
Almost set!
Perfection!

Strawberry and Lemon Zest Muffins

Spring time flavors abound with these strawberry and lemon zest muffins. Bake up a batch today!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 24 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil room temperature (about 70 degrees)
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 cup diced strawberries

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and preparing two muffin baking tins by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, cream sugar and coconut oil (Note: the coconut oil should be solid but soft).
  • Add in vanilla and eggs, whisking until well combined.
  • Stir in Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and zest.
  • Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix into the wet ingredients until just combined.
  • Fold in strawberries. Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling about 3/4 of the way full.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes until baked through. Serve them with a warm cup of coffee or tea!
Keyword Breakfast, Breakfast Bread, lemon, muffins, Strawberries, strawberry
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other breakfast Delights?

Click here to head to my breakfast page. Or let your eyes to choosing by checking out a few recipes below!

JessLeave a comment

Double Chocolate and Toasted Coconut Cookies

I love cookies. I generally try to be a healthy, nutrient dense eater. All the vegetables. I adore a good salad and chicken with quinoa. But cookies? They are a bit of a weakness for me. Bring on the butter. The chocolate chips. The vanilla. I love all of it. But I was looking through my past blog posts and realized for a self-proclaimed cookie lover, I hadn’t created or posted a cookie recipe for some time. I immediately dug through my cupboards and found some fun ingredients to pull together a new cookie recipe. I am so excited to introduce you to my double chocolate and toasted coconut cookies. As soon as I was done baking, I shared them with my colleagues and the reviews were great! 

“I would eat a lot more of those!” 

“Wow Jess! You just came up with recipe?! On your own?!” 

“Oh wow. They have the texture of a chocolate chip cookie but such a wonderful flavor”

I hope you enjoy this twist on a chocolate chip cookie as much as we all did. I mean my daughter asked if she could try one and before I realized it, she had eaten four! Sounds like a cookie you need to give a try, right? 

Your Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar 
  • 1 egg 
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour 
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder 
  • ½ teaspoon salt (kosher salt is great if you like salty sweet!)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda 
  • ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon toasted unsweetened coconut 
  • ½ cup chocolate chips 

Your Steps to Double Chocolate and Toasted Coconut Cookies

To toast coconut, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add coconut and toast for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until just browned. Remove from heat and stir a few additional times to prevent burning. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add sugars and combine until very light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix well. 

Combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Stir into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the cooled toasted coconut and chocolate chips. For best results, chill the dough for 30 minutes (But I get it if you skip it, it’s hard to wait!)

Place dough by the tablespoonful on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before placing on a cooling rack to finish cooling. 

Enjoy! 

Cream until so fluffy!
Add in those dry ingredients!
Toasted Coconut! So good!
Mix it all in…
Perfection! Crinkle!
Let’s gobble them up!

Looking for other tasty Treats?

Check out the links below! I’ve got a soup, a full meal, and bread to match! How great right?

Double Chocolate and Toasted Coconut Cookies

Almond extract, toasted coconut, and cocoa powder combine in these delicious double chocolate and toasted coconut cookies!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill TIme 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 2.5 dozen

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup butter softened
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon toasted unsweetened coconut
  • ½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • To toast coconut, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add coconut and toast for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until just browned. Remove from heat and stir a few additional times to prevent burning.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a medium bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add sugars and combine until very light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix well.
  • Combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Stir into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the cooled toasted coconut and chocolate chips. For best results, chill the dough for 30 minutes.
  • Place dough by the tablespoonful on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before placing on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Keyword chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cookies, coconut, Cookies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

In need of a sweet treat that isn’t over the top? Just the perfect amount of sweet with a touch of healthy? I am so excited to share this banana cake with cream cheese frosting! 

If you have a middle or high school-aged son, you know that they go through an EXCESSIVE amount of food. I do not know where my kid puts it all. Most weeks, he goes through literal bunches of bananas. We can not keep enough in the fruit bowl to the extent that recently a clerk at the local grocery store said, “I have never seen someone purchase this much fresh fruits and veggies.” #proudmoment

But then there are the odd weeks that we buy four bunches and then they sit. And sit. And suddenly we have five overly soft bananas sitting on the counter for days, no one wanting to eat them. The last time that situation arose, I was determined to make a healthy-ish dessert.

HOw did I make it healthier?

My first step to getting a healthier dessert was to swap the sugar for real maple syrup. Simple swap and so delicious. It also works out that the Mr. has been encouraging me to use up our supply from last year (read about our adventures in tapping trees here!) because syrup season will be here before we know it! I also cut down on the oil, added Greek yogurt for moisture, and added some extra banana.

Well, I mixed up this recipe, and from the moment I gave the batter a taste test, I knew it was a good one. And the frosting? I think it is just the perfect amount of sweet (but feel free to add a little more powdered sugar if you want it sweeter!). The baking dish traveled with me to school (I teach high school!) and my colleagues gave it two thumbs up, followed by, “Wait? You have a food blog?!” That made me giggle.

So are you ready to put together a delicious banana cake with cream cheese frosting? Let’s go!

Your Ingredients for Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 ¼ cup mashed ripe banana, 3-4 bananas
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt 
  • 1 egg 
  • ⅓ cup oil 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • ¾ cup real maple syrup 
  • 1 ½ cup flour 
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda 
  • ½ teaspoon salt 

Frosting Ingredients 

  • ½ cup cream cheese, softened 
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar 
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk, optional 
  • ground walnuts, about ½ cup (optional)

Your Steps to Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×9 baking dish (or 7×10, my jam) with non-stick cooking spray. Whisk the egg in a small dish. Whisk bananas, yogurt, oil, vanilla, maple syrup, and egg until well combined. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Pour into prepared dish. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean. 

Allow to cool 20 minutes. While it cools, mix the frosting. Combine softened butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Add vanilla and mix again. Slowly blend in powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time. Add milk, ½ tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is acquired. Frost the cake when the cake is not entirely cool to lock in the moisture. 

Serve immediately. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.  

Wet ingredients!
Mixed together and ready to go!
Going in the oven…
and perfection.
Yes, I used a hand mixer. A literal hand mixer.
So much yum.

Looking for other recipe inspiration?

Check out these sweet and savory from scratch recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

No one will guess that this perfectly sweetened banana cake with cream cheese frosting uses maple syrup for a sweetener.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ¼ cup mashed ripe banana 3-4 bananas
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 egg
  • ⅓ cup oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¾ cup real maple syrup
  • 1 ½ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Frosting Ingredients

  • ½ cup cream cheese softened
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk optional
  • Ground walnuts about ½ cup (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×9 baking dish (or 7×10, my jam) with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Whisk the egg in a small dish. Whisk bananas, yogurt, oil, vanilla, maple syrup, and egg until well combined.
  • Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Pour into prepared dish.
  • Bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean.
  • Allow to cool 20 minutes. While it cools, mix the frosting.
  • Combine softened butter and cream cheese with a handmixer until smooth.
  • Add vanilla and mix again.
  • Slowly blend in pinch of salt and powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time. Add milk, ½ tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is acquired.
  • Frost the cake when the cake is not entirely cool to lock in the moisture. Top with ground walnuts
  • Serve immediately. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Keyword Banana, banana cake, cream cheese, desserts, maple syrup, sweets
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Cinnamon and Sugar Donuts

I somehow ended up in a high school that has donuts in the breakroom nearly every Thursday. For many people, that would cause a problem. Not me. Donuts are not my jam and I can almost always skip them. That is, unless they are homemade. Then I am all over those babies. And the combination of cinnamon and sugar? YUM. So when I was inspired to put together a batch of baked cinnamon and sugar donuts, I didn’t think about it twice. 

I can’t get over just how light and airy the sponge turns out. And the cinnamon and sugar combination brings me back to my childhood where cinnamon and sugar toast with butter was a special treat. Now we’ve just allowed that childhood classic to grow up a bit. 

Ready to get baking? Let’s go!

Your Ingredients for Cinnamon and Sugar Donuts

  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon oil 
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt 
  • 2 ¼ cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon 
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¾ teaspoon salt 

Donut Toppings

  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted 
  • ⅓ cup white sugar 
  • ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon 

Your Steps to Cinnamon and Sugar Donuts 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a regular donut pan with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, combine butter, oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in milk and yogurt. Whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. (Okay, that’s what you should do. But I hate extra dishes…so I refuse.)  Add to wet ingredients and stir until fully incorporated.

Divide the batter among 16 donut cavities, filling ¾ of the way full. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until firm to the touch or passes the toothpick test (a toothpick inserted comes out clean). Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the donuts from the pan and place on a cooling rack. 

While the donuts finish cooling, melt butter. Combine additional cinnamon and sugar in a shallow bowl. 

When cool, brush finished donuts with butter, one at a time. Dip donuts into the cinnamon and sugar mixture immediately following the butter. Continue until all donuts are covered. Optional: You can do both sides of the donuts, but we found that to be too messy at our house. We like to top just the tops. As we say, “You do you though!” 

  • Some wet ingredients.
  • Add in the dairy.
  • Yes, I should have an extra bowl. I am against more dishes.
  • Perfect batter.
  • Perfectly baked.
  • Topped in cinnamon and sugar.
  • Yum!

Tools of the Trade

If you’re baking donuts, you need a wonderful pan. I also LOVE my Pyrex mixing bowls with lids. They can go in the microwave to the counter to the fridge. How perfect!

Other breakfast recommendations

Maybe everyone at your house doesn’t have a sweet tooth and you need some savory inspiration! Here are a few of my favorite breakfast recipes!

Still need more recipes? Check out my baking page!

Cinnamon and Sugar Donuts

A simple baked cinnamon and sugar donut recipe that will make everyone happy to wake up on the weekend! Give it a try!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert, Sweets
Cuisine American
Servings 16 donuts

Ingredients
  

  • 6 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 2 ¼ cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¾ teaspoon salt

Donut Topping Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • ⅓ cup white sugar
  • ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a regular donut pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, combine butter, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in milk and yogurt. Whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and stir until fully incorporated.
  • Divide the batter among 16 donut cavities, filling ¾ of the way full.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes, until firm to the touch or passes the toothpick test (a toothpick inserted comes out clean).
  • Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the donuts from the pan and place on a cooling rack.
  • While the donuts finish cooling, melt butter. Combine additional cinnamon and sugar in a shallow bowl.
  • When cool, brush finished donuts with butter, one at a time. Dip donuts into the cinnamon and sugar mixture immediately following the butter. Continue until all donuts are covered.
Keyword baked donuts, Breakfast, cinnamon, cinnamon and sugar, donuts
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment