Friday, August 18, 2017

Honey Balsamic Sheet Pan Chicken

  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 6 tablespoons honey
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 pounds chicken breasts (4 each), trimmed
  • 1­½ pounds baby red potatoes, quartered
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 1 pound green beans, trimmed
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, a tablespoon of olive oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Stir well to mix.
  3. Place the chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over the top. Seal and toss the chicken to evenly coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
  4. While the chicken marinates, place the potatoes and cherry tomatoes on a sheet pan. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and stir to coat. Bake for 25 minutes.
  5. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and toss the green beans with the potatoes and tomatoes.
  6. Remove the marinated chicken breasts from the plastic bag, reserving the remaining marinade in the bag. Place the marinated chicken, evenly spaced, on top of the vegetables. Pour the marinade from the bag over the top of the chicken and vegetables.
  7. Return the sheet pan to the oven. Bake for 30 to ­40 minutes, periodically basting the chicken breasts with the pan juices, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius).
  8. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 to ­10 minutes. Spoon the pan juices over the top of each chicken breast before serving.

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 + 1/8 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For rolling

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon


  1. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice for 20 seconds, set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar (not until pale and fluffy, just to combined. Occasionally scrape down sides and bottom of bowl throughout entire mixing process if not using a paddle attachment that constantly scrapes bowl while mixing). Mix in egg yolk, then mix in pumpkin and vanilla extract. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients then mix until combined. Divide dough in half and place each half in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill 45 minutes to 1 hour (dough should be slightly sticky so the cinnamon sugar will stick when rolling but they should be manageable to roll in the palms of your hands). Preheat oven to 350 degrees during last 10 minutes of refrigeration.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Scoop dough out 2 even tablespoons at a time (run the measuring spoon against side and edge of bowl so it will slightly deflate the dough while also giving an equal tbsp, twice per ball) and shape into a ball, roll dough ball in cinnamon sugar mixture to evenly coat then transfer to Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheets spacing cookies 2-inches apart. Bake in preheated oven 12 - 14 minutes (they should look just slightly under-baked as they'll cook slightly once removed from oven). Cool on baking sheet about 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.