Fall Favorites: White Chocolate Dipped Brown Butter Ginger Cookies with Pistachios

Realizing I'm falling a little behind on my promised "Fall Favorites" posts, I figured I'd better punch out a few before Winter descends.  These cookies popped up on my blog roll the other day and I was instantly captivated.  How could you not?  White chocolate dipped brown butter ginger cookies with pistachios.  They're long in the name and I'll bet in flavor as well.  Wouldn't this be the perfect cookie to bring to a fall gathering?  Feel free to bring a batch by my house anytime!

image/ambitiouskitchen

Happy Thanksgiving

"Be present in all things and thankful for all things."

~ Maya Angelou

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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Side Dish Only Thanksgiving

Could you do a without a turkey on Thanksgiving?  I read a family's story of their side-dish-only Thanksgiving and I was intrigued.  Honestly, while I do enjoy a good turkey on T-Day, it is definitely not my favorite thing on the menu.  I don't know if I could ever convince my family to jump on this bandwagon, but I thought it was an interesting concept.  Cheers to more mashed potatoes, cranberries, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and beyond!  Oh, and don't forget a few heaping helpings of apple pie…

Would you do a side-dish only Thanksgiving?  Do tell...

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Dinner Last Night: Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

I've tried a few slow cooker chicken tikka masala recipes through the years - and this is the one to beat! Flavored with a handful of fragrant Indian spices, the dish really shines.  If making this for a crowd, your guests would never know their sumptuous meal was made via crockpot!  I served mine over my favorite coconut rice and a heaping handful of cilantro for a bit of color and freshness.  All in all - an easy but delicious weeknight meal.  Indulge yourself!

image and recipe/thekitchn

The Pie Project - #1 Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie

And I'm off to a good start - made my first pie!  Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie a la Joy the Baker.  I followed her directions to a T, and the pie turned out flavorful and delicious.  This was my practice pie - we had a group of friends over Sunday afternoon to watch the Seahawks game, so I used the opportunity to test the recipe on my girlfriends before making it for my family at Thanksgiving.   

A few changes I'll make before baking again; cut the apple slices a tad thinner, as there were a few slices that were a little too crunchy for my taste, and add more cornstarch, as the base of my pie was a little soupy.  But otherwise - another win for Joy the Baker.  

image/recipe via joythebaker

Cinderella

I'm not typically one for remakes, but Disney's new version of Cinderella looks pretty good!

The Pie Project

In an effort to up my game as a baker and make a mark on this year's Thanksgiving, I've decided to learn how to make perfect pie crust.  Challenge accepted.  "Have you ever made a pie before?" one might ask...  The answer is, "well yes," I've made pie crust here and there through the years, but not without painstakingly flipping back and forth from a cookbook to my floury surface, fingers sticky with dough, to ensure I don't miss a crucial step.  This is my goal - to become such an "expert" at pie crust, the recipe is no longer necessary - it'll be all from memory.  So, here goes,"The Pie Project."  Make 30 pies.  Not giving myself a deadline, as I'm trying to be realistic as I currently have a full time job and an active 14-month old, among the rest of my life.  But I'm inspired.  And excited.

So...what should my first pie be?  I was thinking about this...

images/food52