Twilight bites.....The Most Bewitching Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Ever!

My dear readers! You have  been blessed! 

 What follows is the recipe for the most amazing chocolate chip cookie I've ever eaten. This recipe was created by my dear friend Bethane and it's beginnings were handed down to her by her mother Barbara who to this day still holds my personal blue ribbon for fudge! I am passing this recipe on with great anxiety, because I have spent years trying to convince my friend that she needs to enter this recipe in a cookie baking contest but to no avail. She just loves to bake them for all of us,  but being a typical Cancerian is terribly shy and wishes no accolades. So, I'm giving them to her and in turn giving you the most satisfying cookie recipe that I know. 

Bethanes mom was a very proper church going lady who had a marvelous sense of humor at times. She always thought that I was way too worldly for her daughter and warned her endlessly about me, but she was also the only woman except my mother who kept all of my press releases and clippings. I loved her and her marvelous fudge, but her daughter has taken these cookies to a whole new level. However, you can walk into Bethanes house at times right before she starts to bake and smell a lovely strange almond scent, a bit like a delicious Hough Bakery (Native Clevelanders WILL remember) cake. That's Barb...and remember I said that she had a great senses of humor. The tweaks and additions to this recipe are Bethanes but knowing her mom she approves. She wouldn't have made these in life (highly improper) but she's quite a free spirited little entity  and would have loved the more unusual additions of the cayenne and the star anise in the baking spice!  I'm pretty sure that it was she that tipped the cayenne pepper into Bethanes  cauldron , giving the initial bite to these fabulous cookies. Please note...they do have a bite and they warm the back of your throat on a cold evening in the best way possible!

They are best eaten warm, but they are good at anytime. My entire family is addicted to them including my father who guards the plates that she brings him and hides them in his room so no one else can find them. She keeps them in a lovely Witches Brew jar in her kitchen which only adds to the pleasure. they would be fine with milk or tea, but I love to eat them with Bourbon, neat :)

Bethane and Barb's "Twilight Bites"

3/4 c. drk brown sugar
3/4 c. fine white sugar
1 c. (2 sticks) butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream above together.
Add 1 lg. egg at a time, mixing at med. - high speed.

Sift together:
1 c. whole wheat flour (or substitute wheat if necessary)
1 + 1/4 c. white pastry flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

1 teaspoon of Penzeys cake spice   http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/shophome.html

1 tsp. high quality cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
Dash or two of cayenne pepper

Mix dry ingredients with wet above.
Add:
6 oz pkg semi-sweet baking chips (swirled or flavored) or chunks
4 oz. butterscotch baking chips
1/2 - 3/4 c. crushed walnuts

Blend all together and drop tsp. on ungreased baking sheets in a preheated oven @ 375F. for 12 min. Best eaten warm and shared with friends!

Painting "Stirring the Cauldron" property of the Halloween Art Gallery- Check them out for fabulous and fun Halloween art!

 http://www.halloweenartgallery.com/large-view//14276-6--/Painting/Figurative.html

  

Apple Butter with Spices and Bourbon

Nothing says Autumn to me like apple butter! It used to be in the historical town that I lived in that we would get up early on a crisp october morning and go to the Century Village to drag out the huge copper cauldrons, light the fires and spend the day from sunrise until late doing the back breaking work of making the apple butter that the town would sell all year. I'll never forget the smells, fire and cooking apples and later the sugar and cinnamon that were added to the bubbling brew before it was ladled into mason jars. 

We've since moved from Burton but every year I still make apple butter. It's really easy to do and the recipe is basic. Fresh peel and sliced apples, sugar, a pat of butter  and lots cinnamon, that's it! Cook in the slow cooker for about 10 hours and you've got apple butter! This year though I added a bit of a twist and came out with a batch that's a bit more like a chutney  and absolutely delicious. 

Into my slow cooker I put about 14 sliced but unpeeled apples, a diced onion, a cup of maple syrup, a cup of apple cider and a cup of  really good Woodford Reserve bourbon. Then I added no less than 4 teaspoons of cinnamon, half a stick of butter and some organic liquid smoke. I turned on the slow cooker for 10 hours low heat and left for awhile. Upon my return the house was filled with the most incredible fragrance of fall. Towards the end I added a bit more smoke and lots of chopped walnuts, then  ladled it into clean mason jars for gifts. Be sure to put them into the refrigerator so that they don't spoil and use them fairly quickly. This particular batch of apple chutney I'll be enjoying with roasted meats and game or if I'm lucky,  a fresh scone out of the oven. 

  

Wily Witches Brew

The other day while out shopping I spotted these wonderful bottle labels at Michael's craft stores. They are part of the Martha Stewart Halloween collection and despite whatever opinions you might have of Martha, she loves Halloween and does it right! these labels I couldn't resist!  If you go to Martha's website http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/pumpkins  you'll find quite a lot of wicked crafts and wonderful themes to incorporate into your Samhain bash. 

My favorite witches brew?  Take a bottle of good (not great) red wine and put it into a saucepan. Warm gently to not quite a boil and add a cinnamon stick, about 1 teaspoon of cloves, one cup of apple cider  and one cup of brandy. Continue to warm for about two more minutes, take pan off of the heat and let cool. Sweeten to taste with a bit of agave nectar, pour into your bottles or a punch bowl and play!

Welcome from the Windesphere Witch!

I love Halloween and I thought that this year I'd keep a blog, hoping to perhaps inspire others to have fun with the spirit of the season! I post potions and spells, creepy decorations and plenty of recipes to help you throw the best parties ever!