Chocolate-It's What's for Dinner

These cookies come out really pretty. BUT they should come with a warning: Do not wear black while eating these cookies. You will have white all over you. I saw these in the November/December 2014 Cook's Illustrated magazine and knew I needed to make them.  They are very soft and sort of gooey - just what I needed. Get ready to wash a bunch of bowls but you don't need a mixer. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (Adapted from Cook's Illustrated ) 4 oz bittersweet chocolate 4 T butter (1/2 stick) 1 c flour 1/2 c cocoa powder 1 t baking powder 1/4 t baking soda 1/2 t salt 1 1/2 c packed brown sugar 3 eggs 1 T espresso powder 1 t vanilla extract 1 t chocolate extract 1/2 c sugar 1/2 c confectioners' sugar In a bowl melt butter and chocolate in microwave at half power, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool while preparing the other ingredients. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl - set aside. In a separate bowl mix brown sugar, e...

I saw this recipe for flavored sugars in Cooking Light and had to try it. The possibilities are endless:  rim of glasses for cocktails, stirred into oatmeal, on top of quick breads or muffins, on toast instead of cinnamon sugar, yogurt and did I say rim of glasses for cocktails? They do not recommend using a mini food processor.  They recommend using a spice or coffee grinder.  I have a coffee grinder but I only use it for coffee. Once the coffee oil gets in there, anything else you use the grinder for tastes like coffee.  So did I want to buy another grinder just for spices and nuts and then have to store it too? NO! So I thought I would try a little experiment.  I decided to start with strawberry first. I used the mini prep to get it as fine as a I could and then... put it in the mortar & pestle to finish it off. It worked wonderfully. Mix with sugar and there you go! I had thought I would do a couple of different flavors. The only t...