Monthly Archives: August 2011

Mexican Chocolate Cookies

I love the idea of adding a bit of a kick to something sweet.  These Mexican Chocolate Cookies do just that by adding cinnamon, cayenne pepper and black pepper.  The spices don’t take away from the sweetness at all.  In fact, these cookies are sweet, chocolatey, chewy and delicious.  The hint of both peppers kicks in softly at the end and complements the bittersweet chocolate well.  The recipe says to bake them for 10 minutes so even though they won’t look done, take them out anyway.  I left mine on the cookie sheet on a wire rack to cool for five minutes and they were perfectly done.  Even after two days, they were still soft and chewy so resist the temptation to leave them in the oven a few minutes longer (unless you want them crunchier).  Trust me, you’ll be happy with them!

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Chipotle Bean Burritos

When I was a vegetarian, I always had black beans in my pantry and ate a lot of burritos.  These Chipotle Bean Burritos mixes black beans with kidney beans along with a touch of chipotle chile powder.  The chile powder provides a slight heat that you don’t really notice it until after the third or fourth bite.  The combination of the mashed beans with the whole beans provides different textures.  The toppings are standard: tomato, lettuce, scallion, cheese, and sour cream.  I’m not a raw onion fan but liked the scallions here which provided a slight crunch.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions (because this is what I had on hand):   

  • Reduced-fat mozzarella for the reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend
  • Spinach for the romaine lettuce

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Pomegranate-Lime Fizz

They say pomegranates are good for you and that vodka isn’t.  So, I figure this Pomegranate-Lime Fizz must be a nice balance 😉  Pomegranate juice is fairly tart and isn’t necessarily something I would think to sit down with a glass of when I’m thirsty, but I do enjoy a nice pomegranate cocktail like this.  The orangy Triple Sec adds a mellow sweetness to the tart juice, sour limes, fizzy club soda and vodka.  I forgot the Triple Sec at first, poured myself a glass and nearly threw the whole batch out.  But the addition of the Triple Sec rounded out the drink nicely, balancing all those flavors – just don’t forget it like I almost did. 

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Real Simple Magazine

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