From appetizers to soups, entrees to desserts, here's to happy eating in 2005

excerpts taken from an article By Karen Haram
SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Selecting the best recipes from the hundreds we run each year in Food is a tough job - but I had a great time doing it.

In fact, it was so difficult to pare down the best of 2004 that we couldn't limit our favorites to a top 10, instead settling on a baker's dozen - 13 recipes - to feature in our best-recipes-of-2004 wrap-up.

This year, there were no areas that stood out from the others. Picks included two appetizers, two soups, three entrees, two side dishes and four desserts.

Because we eat with our eyes as well as our mouths, Christine McCrae's beautifully decorated sugar cookies were a big hit with readers. Since it's her livelihood, the recipe for McCrae's sugar cookies remains a closely guarded secret, but she was happy to share another of her favorites, Spicy Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Generous amounts of vanilla and cinnamon, plus a bit of finely ground black pepper and optional ancho chile powder enliven the cookies, taking them a step beyond the traditional chocolate chunk cookies and giving them that extra spark that South Texans love.

 

Spicy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

• 1 cup chopped Texas pecans
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican pure vanilla extract
• 10 ounces best quality semisweet or milk chocolate, coarsely chopped into chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and set aside. Toast pecans for 8 minutes and let cool. In large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Whisk together until thoroughly mixed. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl once during mixing. Add eggs and then vanilla and mix to combine. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat at low speed just until blended. Mix in chocolate chunks and toasted pecans. Drop cookies by rounded tablespoonsful onto prepared sheets. Bake the cookies about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Let cookies stand on baking sheet for 3 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Makes 40 cookies.

Source: Christine McCrae