RaeAnne Thayne's Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Welcome, guest author RaeAnne Thayne! RaeAnne is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 40 romance novels, including her latest, WOODROSE MOUNTAIN, the second book of the Hope's Crossing series.

Three Random Questions for RaeAnne Thayne

You worked at your local newspaper after getting your journalism degree. What’s the most interesting story you ever covered?

Tough question! I wrote hundreds of stories and can only remember a handful, alas. That part of my life seems like another world, since I’ve been writing fiction full-time for nearly fifteen years! One that has stuck with me was a story I did on how effective music therapy can for people with dementia. I observed a woman who was basically non-responsive most of the time but when her family would hand her a violin, she would play this gorgeous, heartbreaking music. She couldn’t remember her husband of more than forty years but Bach and Mozart somehow seeped out of her subconscious.

What kinds of activities were you involved in when you were in high school?

I was very involved in drama and debate in high school. We had a great program at my high school and actually had an off-campus repertory-type theater, where we put on a different play every month of the school year and a couple in the summer. It was a great experience and taught me so many skills I find myself using today as a novelist, like dialogue and character blocking. I intended to be a drama teacher until my junior year, when I was ended up on the school newspaper staff and decided this was where I belonged. Little known fact about me, I was also the scorer for our high school baseball team and traveled with the team. My first actual professional newspaper job was as a part-time sports writer while I was still in college.

In WOODROSE MOUNTAIN, your heroine Evie Blanchard moves from Los Angeles to Hope’s Crossing in search of a more peaceful life. Is your town more like L.A. or Hope’s Crossing? How so?

My town is very much like Hope’s Crossing, except we’re not really a tourist destination (though we should be!). I live in a gorgeous small town nestled in the mountains of northern Utah. We’ve lived in two different houses in this town and in our first home, we had a pasture next door. More than once, we would wake up to find the cows next door had broken through a fence and were wandering across our lawn. The main similarity between my town and Hope’s Crossing is the quiet pace and the inherent goodness of the people who live here. They might have the same weaknesses as everyone else, but most of my neighbors are genuinely kind people.

Recipe: Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract (can omit and add one more teaspoon vanilla)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or prepare with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown and white sugars until smooth. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract. Combine the flour and baking soda in a separate bowl; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Don’t overcook. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Cheaters Chicken Stroganoff from Laura Marie Altom

Welcome to Laura Marie Altom, whose latest book is A BABY IN HIS STOCKING, a heartwarming Christmas romance. (How cute is that cover and title?!) In a moment, Laura Marie is going to share an incredibly heartwarming Christmas story from her own life. Seriously, it's going to melt your heart. But first, here's a little bit about A BABY IN HIS STOCKING:

Wyatt Buckhorn is only a pal. If sharing scorching kisses that leave a woman feeble-brained means they're pals! But that's all the oilman-slash-rancher can be to Natalie Lewis. Five months pregnant and jilted, Natalie refuses to trust any man, least of all a man who is the definition of playboy. Throw in that every run-in turns into a fiery encounter, and "just friends" gets complicated. Which is a shame, because Natalie's life is messy enough.

Besides, she knows Wyatt's secret--he's sterile, and so enforces a strict kid-free rule. But when circumstances have them caring for a whole clan of Buckhorn youngsters over the holidays, Natalie sees a side of Wyatt that's definitely kid-friendly. Weakening defenses, and even weaker knees, have Natalie determined to destroy Wyatt's anti-family policy . . . before he leaves town for good.

A Chat with Laura Marie Altom

Share a special holiday memory with us.

When our boy/girl twins were high school freshmen, our son asked if a friend could stay with us for two weeks. His mother had just been evicted and he had nowhere to go. Of course, we welcomed him into our home. He was skinny and literally had nothing except the clothes on his back and a few extra, threadbare shirts. Two weeks flew by and Russell grew more at ease in our home. When the time came for his mother to get him, he became sullen. Only she didn't come.

Months passed and she still hadn't picked up her child. By this time, I was mad. How could a mother do this to her kid? My husband and I called a family meeting and had a talk with our twins about how they wanted to proceed. Would they be okay with us claiming Russell as our own? They agreed and we hired a family law attorney. Russell's mother finally made an appearance--in court. With a simple signature, Russell officially became our son.

We wanted that year's Christmas to be extra special. What could we possibly give Russell to show him how much he'd grown to mean to us, and how permanent his new home was? We decided to give him a kitten, but that was easier said than done! You would think in a town the size of Tulsa, Christmas kittens are easy to find--wrong! LOL!! Hubby and I drove for an entire day to pick just the right kitty.

For two days, our dogs pitching a fit, we hid the kitten in the master bedroom. Keeping the secret was so much fun, and when it came time for Russell to be given the coveted last gift of Christmas morning, we placed Foxy in his arms. That was such a special year. We take for granted how blessed we are to have the basics, but seeing our lives through Russell's eyes, everything felt new.

Russell and our twins are now college sophomores. Like any family, we've had our share of emotional ups and downs. With Christmas 2011 fast approaching, I'm excited to put all of the year's worries aside to instead focus on what's truly important--family.

These are pics of Foxy then and 23lb Foxy now!! She dwarfs our Yorkie, Daisy!!

If you were to win an all-expenses paid vacation, where would you like to go?
Bora Bora!!! I have a serious thing for palm trees, and that crazy aqua-colored water you only see in the tropics. My idea of the perfect day would be exploring some isolated cove, snorkling and lounging and maybe picking up a few shells. If a hunky waiter wanted to bring fancy umbrella drinks, that would be great, too!!

Your parents sent you to a dude ranch when you were a kid. Did that experience inspire your Buckhorns series?
Hmm, wish I had some great romantic tie-in, but nope, the Buckhorn Ranch is WAY ritzier than the place I stayed!! LOL!! I do have magical memories, though. Learning to barrel race, escaping our cabin in the middle of the night to stare up at the stars, jumping into the pool on sweltering Oklahoma summer afternoons. Dude ranch was the best!!

Cheaters Chicken Stroganoff

Since Hubby's an engineer and works a traditional nine-to-five day, I always feel a little guilty for living the writer's lifestyle of lounging in my PJs all day. Sure, I might be typing away, but still, I know I've got it pretty good!! LOL!! As such, I pretty much always have dinner ready for when Hubby gets home. We've been married 22 years, so I guess he likes my cooking!

I loathe following recipes--it's way more fun to just play, so this is my much easier take on a traditional beef stroganoff that usually gets me nice, clean plates. To my way of thinking, that's the best compliment my family can give!!

That said, here are there ingredients. Feel free to add more or less of everything. For me, it's all about personalizing it for your family's tastes.

• Three or four skinless, boneless chicken breasts split and diced into bite-sized cubes • One diced medium sweet onion • 1/3 of a stick of butter. • Salt to taste

Melt butter in a generous skillet, then saute chicken and onion until chicken is cooked. Sprinkle salt over all a few times while stirring.

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup • 1 cup sour cream • 1/4 to 1/2 cup white wine • 1 small can of mushrooms or 1 cup fresh (If using fresh, saute them with the chicken and onions.)

When chicken is cooked, add remaining ingredients and stir. Now's the time to get out your tasting spoon. You might want to add more wine or salt.

I usually pair this with a fresh veggie, or as in the picture, a light spinach side salad. A nice glass of wine is always yummy!! Hope you enjoy!!

Did Laura Marie's adoption story touch your heart? Be sure to post a comment here to let her know. And don't forget to buy A BABY IN HIS STOCKING!

Mac and Cheese ala Marin Thomas Plus Contest!

I'm delighted to welcome Harlequin American Romance author Marin Thomas. Marin's latest book, A RODEO MAN'S PROMISE, is available now. Marin will choose a random commenter today to win a free copy of A RODEO MAN'S PROMISE (US and Canada only). Be sure to post a comment, and then check back tomorrow morning to see if you've won. She will post the winner's name in a comment, along with her email address so you can claim your prize.

Buy from Amazon: A RODEO MAN'S PROMISE

Hot, Young Cowboy...
Winning dominated Riley Fitzgerald’s mind...until the day he met Maria Alvarez. Now, all the rodeo champ can think about is winning Maria’s heart--a task that may be tougher than busting broncs.
Beautiful, Older Teacher...
As a struggling teacher of at-risk teens in an impoverished, gang-infested neighborhood, Maria doesn’t trust the affections of a rich, hot-shot cowboy, especially one who’s ten years her junior. But she can’t deny the attraction between them--and luckily, Riley’s never been one to back down from a challenge.
Is She Out Of Her Mind?
There’s only one thing that’s more important to Riley than earning another world title, and that’s earning Maria’s trust. He’s got one chance to prove to Maria that he’s all the man she’ll ever need, and she’s the only woman he’ll ever want.

Three Random Questions for Author Marin Thomas

Susan: You’ve lived in a lot of different places and recently moved again. What’s the hardest adjustment for you to make when you move to a new state, a new town, a new home?

Marin: New State…Adjusting to a change in political climate…whether it's a red state or blue state every aspect of our lives is affected by the predominant political party of the state we live in….school districts, social programs, taxes, TV news coverage and general laws specific to that state.

New Town…Finding new doctors and dentists.

New Home…Starting from scratch creating that "homey" feel. I hate having to prioritize my wish list of home repairs and makeovers…I want everything done now!

Susan: What’s a non-writing accomplishment that makes you proud?

Marin: My Academic-All American status when I played basketball at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Susan: You write wonderful cowboy heroes, including this month’s A RODEO MAN'S PROMISE. What’s something interesting that happened to you in real life while learning about cowboys and rodeos?

I attended my first rodeo at age 16 in Colorado. I was wowed by the good looking, larger-than-life cowboys strutting their stuff around the arena. My uncle knew the father of one of the bull riders so he took me down to the cowboy-ready area and introduced me to the bull rider. The cowboy grinned, flashing his missing front teeth then dug around in his gear bag until he found his dental bridge. He stuck it in his mouth and said, "There, now I can talk." That took all the romance out of my cowboy fantasies. When I began writing rodeo stories I decided then and there that my cowboy heroes would not be missing any of their pearly whites!

Marin Thomas's Mac and Cheese

1 (12 oz) container cottage cheese
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
4 cups cooked elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (Sharp or Mild)
½ cup 2% Milk
1 green onion, chopped
½ Teaspoon pepper
½ Teaspoon salt
1 Egg
Topping
½ cup Breadcrumbs
¼ teaspoon paprika

Mix cottage cheese and sour cream in blender until smooth. Combine all ingredients with the noodles and pour into greased baking dish. Mix bread crumbs and paprika, sprinkle on top of casserole then coat top of dish with cooking spray. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 more minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Variations: You can use low-fat dairy products in this recipe and it tastes just as good. For a heartier “crunch” use homemade croutons instead of the bread crumbs. Lightly toast croutons in butter and garlic salt spread over casserole and sprinkle with paprika. My husband loves the flavor of crisply browned croutons as you can see in the photo.

Linda Goodnight's Light Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Linda Goodnight is the author of heartwarming, inspirational romance novels, including her latest, THE CHRISTMAS CHILD. Linda has won the RITA Award for excellence in inspirational romance. Visit Linda online at www.lindagoodnight.com.

Linda, I love Christmas romances! Reading them is one of my favorite ways of getting into the holiday spirit. Would you please share the back cover blurb of THE CHRISTMAS CHILD?

Linda: I'd love to!

Who is little Davey?

A young boy is found huddled in a Dumpster in Redemption, Oklahoma, hungry, dirty and clutching a Christmas book. The scared, mute child captures Kade McKendrick’s guarded heart, and the undercover agent is determined to find answers. All he has is a name-Davey-and the boy’s trust of teacher, Sophie Bartholomew. As Christmas draws near, can sweet Sophie help the battle-scarred cop and the silent boy learn to smile-and maybe even to love-again?

In Redemption River, where healing flows...

Three Random Questions for Linda Goodnight

1. Share a random happy memory from childhood.

Let me tell you a story about a book, a mulberry tree, and a mama hog named Sally Ann. I have always been a bookworm and one of my secret escapes from two brothers was to take a book, hide somewhere on the farm and read all afternoon in peace and solitude. Sometimes I hid in the peach orchard and sometimes in the barn loft behind stacks of peanut hay with the barn cat, Bright Eyes. But this particular day I headed for the mulberry tree to indulge my taste buds in the sweet, ripe berries while I indulged my imagination in a book.

Everything went well that afternoon until my book ended and I was ready to climb down. You see, I’d forgotten one thing. The mulberry tree was inside a fence—a fence which happened to house a large Poland China sow and her six piglets. (To a nine year old she looked enormous.) Sally Ann was known to have a fierce temper but at the time I’d climbed up the tree she was nowhere around. Now, as I descended she spotted me and came squealing with jaws agape and evil intent. After scrambling back up, I hovered in the branches for a while and then tried again. Sally Ann was not to be challenged. She charged. I retreated. This went on for some time until I gave up the battle and decided if I was destined to die of old age in a mulberry tree at least I wouldn’t die hungry. After what seemed like hours, Sally Ann lost interest and wandered far enough away for me to escape.

Now, you’re probably wandering why that’s a happy memory. Truthfully, I don’t know why, but it is. I loved those lazy, innocent childhood days on the farm.

2. What kind of commercials make you cry, if any?

My family claims that I cry at anything-which is pretty much true. I am painfully sentimental which means sweet Christmas commercials from Hallmark and the Budweiser Clydesdales get me every time. I particularly love commercials where someone returns home after a long absence, especially if the returnee is a soldier in uniform. The minute I see him walking up to the door with that duffel bag in tow, music playing in the background, snow on the ground and a wreath on the door, I’m sniffling. I also get teary at commercials where the father of the bride fights emotion as gives his little girl away. Though I never remember what they’re advertising, I love those moments. Don’t you?

3. In what ways do you relate to the heroine of your latest book, and how are you different?

The heroine of THE CHRISTMAS CHILD, Sophie Bartholomew is a fifth grade teacher who loves Christmas, kids and baking cookies. That description fits me too, though I’m no longer teaching. We’re also both small town girls, but the similarities end there. Sophie is the eternal optimist, a character trait I envy but don’t have. She has a big, sweet smile and is a doer who thinks she can make the world a better place by giving to others. I wish I was more like her!


It seemed only fitting that I share a cookie recipe that Sophie and her students would make for their annual cookie sale. These are a light, sweet chocolate just perfect with a glass of cold milk.

Recipe: Light Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 squares of unsweetened chocolate melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups self-rising flour
1 cup peanut butter chips
½ nuts optional

Preheat oven to 350°. Cream the butter and sugars. (I use a mixer.) Beat in the egg, chocolate, and vanilla. Mix in flour. Add the peanut butter chips and if desired, the nuts.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased or sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Renee Ryan's Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake

I'd like to welcome Renee Ryan to the blog, whose next book from Love Inspired Historical, COURTING THE ENEMY, is an inspirational romance set during World War II. Visit Renee online at ReneeRyan.com

Three Random Questions for Renee Ryan

1. Tell us about something fun you did over the summer.
I had the pleasure of moving my daughter out of her dorm and into her very first apartment. Okay, I know that doesn’t sound like a lot of fun, but I was able to reconnect with her after her first year of college. I hadn’t realized I would miss her as much as I did. We had a great time rushing around town, getting lost (on my part) and eating lots of frozen yogurt. I even enjoyed buying all the necessary items for her new apartment, especially the things for her kitchen. Who knew there were so many different sized pans?

2. What do you remember about the first date you ever went on?
We were both way under dressed. It was a semi-formal event for one of the high school clubs. We were naïve sophomores and thought semi-formal meant jeans without holes in them. At least we were both equally embarrassed when we walked into the room. I guess that helped the first-date jitters, or at least put the tension on the situation rather than each other. I dated that boy for months after that, forever in teenage years. :)

3. COURTING THE ENEMY is a World War II historical romance. Share an interesting fact that you learned while researching this time period.
One of the best things about writing COURTING THE ENEMY was that I was able to set it in the United States just a few miles from where I grew up as a child. The story is focused on a Nazi plot to bring the war to American soil. The Nazi’s actually did land a group of saboteurs off the coast of Florida, walking distance from my home. Thankfully, the attempt failed. Because my father is a WWII vet and lived close to where this real-life event occurred I was able to research the area with him by my side. A blessing all around.

Recipe: Renee Ryan's Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake

2 cans of cherry pie filling (21 ounces each)
1 box of chocolate cake mix
2 sticks of butter, sliced into 12 pieces each
2.25 ounce bag of chopped pecans
1/8 cup white sugar
This recipe is so easy and so delicious
Preheat the oven to 350.
In a 9 x 13 cake pan:
Dump the 2 cans of cherry pie filling into the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the box of chocolate cake mix evenly on top of that. Distribute the butter slices on top of the cake mix. Spread the pecans evenly over the butter and cake mix. Finally, sprinkle the sugar over all.

Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes and serve warm.

Many variations: 2 cans peach pie filling and yellow cake mix, walnuts. Or 2 cans peach pie filling, white cake mix, pecans or other nuts (or no nuts)... use your imagination!

This is also delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Kielbasa Potato Pie

Prepare yourself. Today’s recipe is likely to cause overeating. It is deeeelicious! You can now get printer-friendly versions of all my blog recipes at my newly redesigned website, susanmallery.com. Hover over the Members Only Lounge button, then click Recipes.

Have you ever woken up and found yourself in the mood for kielbasa? No? Well, me either, so color me surprised when it happened to me today. But I also knew that I needed to make something I could put on the blog, and kielbasa on its own just isn’t complicated enough. What would my recipe say? Warm kielbasa, the end?

Wouldn’t exactly make people race to follow my cooking blog.

So I asked my Facebook fans what they were having for dinner, and someone used that magical phrase, “comfort food.” Which instantly made me think of mashed potatoes and chicken pot pies. Could I come up with a recipe for Kielbasa Pot Pie, but with a mashed potato crust?

I Googled “potato pie crust” and found this terrific looking recipe for Fiesta Potato Pie from Cake, Batter, and Bowl. It looks excellent, but I thought the kielbasa might make the mashed potatoes too soggy, and I thought shredded potatoes would give a more interesting texture. So then I found this recipe from, of all places, Breastfeeding Moms Unite: Vegetable Pie with Grated Potato Crust

With the crust settled, I moved onto the filling. I thought about using canned cream of mushroom soup as the liquid in the Kielbasa Potato Pie, but I was afraid it would be too salty. Kielbasa (also known as polish sausage) is very salty on its own, so I used a simple white sauce instead, with no added salt. If you’re in a rush, try low sodium cream of mushroom soup and be sure to let me know how it turns out.

Kielbasa Potato Pie

Crust:
2 baking potatoes, grated
¼ C onion, grated
¼ t ground pepper
2 eggs
1T melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grate the potatoes and squeeze out as much moisture as possible with paper towels. Put the grated potato in a bowl with the onion and pepper. Toss with a fork until well mixed. Crack open the eggs on top of the potatoes, mix the eggs with the fork, and then toss it all together.

Spray a deep pan with nonstick spray. Put the potato mixture in the pan and press down. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, then brush with melted butter and bake 5 more minutes.

Filling:

3 T butter
1 C fresh mushrooms, minced
3 T flour
1 ½ C milk
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch chunks
½ C frozen peas
1 can of whole kernel corn, or 1 C of frozen corn
1 lb Polska Kielbasa (polish sausage), sliced into ¼-inch rounds.
½ C sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in the flour one tablespoon at a time, then add milk a bit at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in the carrots, peas, and corn and simmer for 10 minutes.

When the potato crust is done, remove it from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Place half of the kielbasa slices on the crust in concentric circles. Top with half of the vegetable mixture. Add the rest of the kielbasa, then the rest of the vegetables. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Top with cheese and broil until the cheese is browned, 2-4 minutes. Check every minute to be sure the cheese doesn’t burn.

 

Crispy Baked Parmesan Ranch Chicken with Parmesan Roasted Asparagus

Is there a limit to the number of words that are allowed in a recipe title? At first, I was going to call this new recipe Ranch Chicken. Simple, right? But then I decided to add Parmesan – both to the recipe and to the title. Parmesan Ranch Chicken.

Then when the chicken was done, and it came out so delicate and crispy, I thought, “Well, I have to add ‘Crispy’ to the title. They need to know that right up front!”

Parmesan Ranch Chicken sounds good, but Crispy Parmesan Ranch Chicken sounds delicious! Then I realized that you might wonder what made the chicken so crispy. Did I deep fry it? No! I baked it. And it still turned out delicate and crispy. It’s much healthier than deep fried chicken, and it tastes incredible.

But I thought that Incredibly Delicious Crispy Baked Parmesan Ranch Chicken was going a little too far.

Crispy Baked Parmesan Ranch Chicken

Serious bottle of ranch mix from Sam's Club

2 lbs Chicken breasts with bones (skin optional)
1 C Ranch dressing
1 C Flour
1 t Dry ranch mix
1 t Black pepper
2 T plus 1 t Parmesan cheese, shredded, divided
1 T Olive oil for drizzling

Place the chicken in a Ziploc bag and add ranch dressing. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours. (8 hours or overnight would be even better.) Drain.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a clean, dry Ziploc bag, add the flour, ranch mix, pepper, and 2 T of Parmesan cheese. Mix well. Add the chicken pieces one at a time, close the bag, and shake to coat. Place the chicken pieces on a cookie sheet with raised edges. Sprinkle with remaining teaspoon of Parmesan cheese, then drizzle with oil. Bake until the pieces are golden brown and reach the desired temperature, about 40-50 minutes.

The chicken recipe used only a small portion of the Parmesan cheese. Plus, in my refrigerator, I had a bunch of asparagus. So I Googled asparagus+parmesan and found this recipe for Parmesan Roasted Asparagus from PickyCook.com.
It was so easy, and it cooked at the same temperature as the chicken. While the chicken started cooking, I prepped the asparagus and then put it in about 20 minutes before the chicken was done. My house smelled amazing.

I love it when a plate comes together! This is seriously some of the best chicken I’ve ever had, and I made up the recipe. I’m so proud of myself. Or should I say full of myself?

Fluffy Puffy Pancakes

Last week, a reader emailed me via SusanMallery.com to share a recipe for pancakes that she said are “melt-in-your-mouth good.” So good, in fact, that her boys hover in the kitchen chanting, “Are they done yet? Are they done yet?”

Sounds like a great excuse for breakfast for dinner to me! (I only have pancakes for breakfast when we go to a restaurant. I’m not nearly energetic enough to cook until at least 3 pm. I need coffee, more coffee, and lunch before I can think about doing anything that involves mixing. Even then, it’s hit or miss.)

Recipe: Fluffy Puffy Pancakes

4 eggs – separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the griddle to 375 degrees. Whip the egg whites until they’re stiff, then set aside. Beat the egg yolks with the vanilla, cottage cheese, and sour cream. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until moist, then fold in the egg whites. Pour four-inch pancakes on the hot griddle. Keep warm in the oven.

Yield: 11 four-inch pancakes, plus one half-inch pancake for Nikki, my toy poodle

When I saw the list of ingredients, I was skeptical. (Sorry, Coleen!) Four eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, and vanilla seemed like a lot of wet stuff when compared to less than a cup of flour. But I soldiered on, regardless.

I whipped up the egg whites with an electric mixer. I have no knack for wrist action with a whisk. If I ever appear on a TV cooking show, they’ll have to use a stunt double for the whisk segments. If I’d had two bowls with my KitchenAid, I would’ve used the electric mixer for the other parts, too. I’m a somewhat lazy cook, though, and I had to weigh the amount of effort of mixing by hand against the amount of effort of pouring the egg whites into a separate bowl. I mixed the rest by hand.

I realize today that I forgot the vanilla. That’s not as bad as it could’ve been – I almost forgot the sugar and the salt. I’m pretty sure some mysterious chemical reaction would’ve failed to take place without those two ingredients. In my defense, I was watching HGTV at the time, and I can’t be expected to focus on cooking when I’m trying to figure out which home the House Hunters will choose.

Fortunately, the pancakes were delicious even without the vanilla. “Melt-in-your-mouth” is a terrific description. Because of the stiffened egg whites and the wet-stuff to dry-stuff ratio, the pancakes felt almost fizzy on my tongue. Little pockets of air popped when I pressed the pancake to the roof of my mouth. (Yes, I play with my food.)

The sour cream and cottage cheese gave the pancakes an ever-so-slight tartness, which contrasted nicely to the sweetness of the maple syrup. I had real maple syrup because I ate these on Canada Day and wanted to give a nod to my northern friends.

Yum! Thanks, Coleen! Don’t they look pretty?

Cookie S'Mores

Last week, while I was racing around to get ready for my book tour in Illinois, I had the TV tuned to the Cooking Channel. My attention was fractured. I was thinking about ALMOST PERFECT, the second Fool’s Gold book, which is available now. (Click the link to read a free excerpt. I’m so excited to hear what readers think of Liz. She’s a mystery writer, and she’s been killing her first love, Ethan Hendrix, over and over again in her books.) So there I was, thinking about ALMOST PERFECT and wondering whether anyone would notice my newly painted toenails.

The upshot is, I only caught the tail end of a barbecue segment. Paula Deen and others were eating dessert – s’mores made with cookies instead of graham crackers – but I had missed the recipe! I looked on their website, but I couldn’t find it there, either. I was disappointed – I wanted to share the recipe with you in time for 4th of July barbecues.

Then I thought to myself, “How hard could it be?”

That question has led to many kitchen disasters throughout my life, but I’m pleased to report that this time, the results were delicious. I must warn you, though: there’s so much sugar in this treat that you may well slip into a coma after one bite. Encourage your kids to wear a safety helmet before eating!

Recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie S’Mores

Ingredients:

2 dozen chocolate chip cookies – homemade or store-bought
144 mini marshmallows (approximate)
144 chocolate chips (approximate)

Preheat the grill to medium-high. Place one chocolate chip cookie on a square of aluminum foil. Put about six mini marshmallows and about six chocolate chips on the cookie. If the marshmallows roll off, then split them with your finger and press the sticky side into the cookie. Place a second cookie flat-side up on top of the marshmallow layer. Wrap loosely (but airtight) with the foil. Grill over direct heat about 4 minutes on each side. Unwrap carefully. Yield: 1 dozen s’mores

Next time, I’m going to try these with peanut butter cookies. Kids should love these easy treats. You can even make them if you’re going camping! (As long as you remember to bring helmets.)