Salted Oatmeal Cookies With Dark Chocolate

This is my daughter Brittany's recipe. I'm still angry with her for serving them because they are so damn good. You really have to control yourself from eating too many. They're thick and chewy and the unexpected little hits of sea salt make the taste of the dark chocolate really pop. You want another just for that surprise. Make sure you use the Ghirardelli 60% cacao chocolate chips!

I am not a cookie baker and as much as I enjoy the challenge of making all kinds of other eats, I've never made a batch of cookies before in my life. But because I liked these so much, I had to make some myself.  These are good kept in the freezer too, by the way. They have a nice snap when frozen.

Ingredients

2  cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking) 

1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 

3/4 teaspoon baking soda 

2  teaspoons flaky sea salt, divided

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened unsalted butter 

4 tablespoons coconut oil 

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 

1 large egg 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

6 ounces Ghiardelli 60% cacao dark chocolate chips

Directions

Heat oven to 375° F with the rack in the upper and lower thirds.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment.

Combine the oats, flour, baking soda and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Beat the butter, coconut oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until lightly and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined (do not overmix). Stir in the chocolate.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon of sea salt.

Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until lightly brown around the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

White Chili with Pork and Chorizo

Over the years I've come to like white chili better than red. Here is my take on white chili. So simple but so good, made in a crock pot. Don't be heavy-handed with the spices. They all play well together and you get a more rounded depth of flavor if they are understated. The chorizo really makes this - use just about 1/4 lb but the flavor infuses through the chili. We are lucky to have a good Mexican market near by that makes their own.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless pork spare ribs roughly cut into 1 inch chunks
1/4 lb fresh soft chorizo sausage (not hard), casing removed
1/2 large or one medium sweet onion chopped
2 cans cannellini beans
1 large or 2 small poblano peppers, chopped
1 dried hot chili pepper - leave whole
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Salt & pepper to taste
Lime juice
1 handful of chopped cilantro
Sour cream

Directions:

Add the pork, chorizo, onion, poblano, the chili pepper, fennel seeds, oregano, cumin, chili powder and a little salt and pepper to the crock pot, cover with water and stir. Leave the beans out til later.

Set the crock pot to cook on low and walk away. Cook for 5 hours.

At 4 1/2 hours, drain and add the cannellini beans.

Serve in bowls with a squeeze of lime juice, a dollop of sour cream and some of the fresh cilantro. Serve with cornbread. Thas' right.

Enjoy!