A Dip and a Dunk

Last night, we had a little soiree at our house.  Actually, it wasn't as fancy as it might sound.  It was basically a 'game night'.  :)  Rich and I are as dorky as you may have already realized (!) and love to play games such as trivia, taboo, boggle, pictionary, etc...  We originally had thought it would be a potluck but the afternoon our guests were to arrive we realized we had already cooked enough for everybody so it ended up being a bit of a dinner party!  Rich made his gourment sub sandwich (it involves marinating the bread with an olive oil/garlic/olive/vinegar mixture) and I made the salad as well as Chicken Parmesan in the slow cooker.  Everything came out great!!  ps - thank you Liz for that recipe.  We had some appetizers as well and some friends brought dessert.  It was quite the feast!

I made two items that I haven't yet mentioned that I thought I would share with you.  The first is a Spinach Artichoke Dip and it is so scrumptiously good!   I got the recipe from a friend back in 2003 and never made it.  (Liz - it was Lisa H-C!  Remember her?).  Anyway so it only took me 7 years to make the dip but oh my goodness, it was as good as I remember!

Spinach Artichoke Dip
2 packages of Kraft cream cheese
1/2 cup of mayo
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 clove of minced garlic
1 10 ounce packet of frozen spinach
1 bottle of artichokes (preferably in water, not oil)

• Using an electric whip, whip the cream cheese and mayo until it's blended and has a good dip consistency
• Mix in the parmesan cheese, garlic, spinach and artichoke
• Season with pepper.  Next time I'm also going to use some grated nutmeg.
• Cook in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes

So. Yummy.
We served it warm with tortilla chips but I'm sure that crackers would be great as well.

The other recipe was Bacon Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies.

(silence)

Is your face scrunched up?  Are you wondering if it was a typo?  Are you still with me here?  :)

I found the recipe courtesy Holly at 504 Main.  When I first read it, I thought eww.  However her review was thoughtfully intriguing so I vowed to try it one day.  Well yesterday seemed to be just a perfect day after having bragged for weeks about these cookies to our friends TJ and Dolly .  I was kinda digging getting the 'are you out of your mind?' look on their face.  Want to see what the cookies look like?

 

Yup - they look just like regular cookies!  My guests were all champs and tried at least one bite.  The good news?  Nobody hated it.  The bad news?  Nobody loved it!  Everybody said that it had a 'different taste' to it - not one they could put their finger on.  It definitely does not taste like bacon.  It's like a not so sweet chocolate chip (and pecan) cookie which I actually like because sometimes cookies are just too sweet for me.  And ps - I did not try dunking these in milk.  Yet.  :)

Intrigued?  Here is the recipe, courtesty of Holly, courtesy of NPR.  Thanks to Holly for pushing my culinary experience!  And I do have to agree with Holly that the batter is terribly good.

Bacon Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

5 strips bacon
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans 

• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, turning several times, until browned and done, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Chop finely.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars. 
• Add egg and vanilla extract, and beat until just blended. 
• Add the dry ingredients; beat until just incorporated and the flour is dissolved. 
• Stir in the chocolate chips, pecans and bacon.
• Drop one large tablespoon cookie dough 2 to 3 inches apart (as they will spread) on baking sheet.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until firm and golden brown around the edges, and still slightly soft in the center. Transfer to a rack and cool for 15 minutes.
• Can be stored on countertop for one to two days, then refrigerated in an airtight container.

Let me know if you try it!  I actually really like them.  Rich doesn't which of course is fine with me because then I get to eat them all by myself.  :)  I'm not complaining.

Hope you enjoy the recipes!
~k