Fall. Crisp, clean air. Leaves gingerly leaving the strong branches to which they had clung to since spring. And now baking. There is something exciting about the prospect of the changing seasons. Fall has always been my favorite. I enjoy the beautiful array of colors that blanket the Wasatch front mountain range in my backyard, and anticipate the white blanket of snow to follow. It also brings a sense of coziness. Grabbing a blanket to snuggle in, and saying goodbye to the drenching heat of the summer sun. 

While I enjoy a good cookie, my go-to choice is not usually chocolate chip. However, these cookies add a special kick. Also an interesting technique of rolling the cookie dough in powdered sugar before baking creates a thin glaze on the finished product. I obtained this recipe from the Sandlake Country Inn in Oregon years ago. One of my fondest vacations with my husband. The Oregon coast was just beautiful, serene, and calming. (Well except for the bear episode on one of our morning runs, but that is a story for another day). We were able to unplug from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, and simply just enjoy the moment. Which I hope you can also do with this special treat.

These cookies are the quintessential opener to the fall season, and I highly recommend making a batch to share with friends or family. Of course, you can always keep them for yourself. (I promise not to tell)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C Brown Sugar
2 Sticks of Butter (unsalted)
2 Eggs
2 C Flour (I use Cup4Cup GF) 
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 T Cinnamon
1 tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp salt 
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 C Chopped Pecans
1 1/2 C Chocolate Chips
Powdered Sugar

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients, and add slowly to the butter mixture. Fold in the nuts and the chocolate chips. Refrigerate the covered cookie dough overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Form dough into 1 inch balls and roll in powdered sugar until well coated. Place on ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes. 

Try not to eat all in one sitting. (BTW, I made these cookies with the GF flour and it didn't slow anyone down from eating them)

Enjoy! 
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First of all, I can't tell you how excited I am to be back writing recipes and creating wonderful memories. I was fortunate enough to go and visit my sister in Norway last month, and I can barely put into words how amazing this time was. Not only was the landscape breathtaking, but the time to spend with my family in such an amazing country was priceless. I also had another fortunate experience, and that was getting to celebrate my daughters third birthday. In celebration of the big day, I whipped up a recipe for ice cream which included the one ingredient at the urging of my daughter--- Strawberry. We were able to go and pick wild strawberries out near my sister's home. However, our bounty was soon devoured by our little ones, so we had to make due with buying strawberries at the store. (This in no way impacted how amazing this ice cream tasted).

It was so much fun working with my sister! Especially since she is also an amazing writer and photographer. I encourage you to check out her blog Northwildkitchen. Currently she is a finalist for the 2016 Saveur Awards for best new voice. This recipe was also featured in theNORWEGIANAMERICAN. 

I hope you enjoy it. Normally I am not a huge lemon fan in my ice cream, however, the lemon really made the strawberry taste pop. The buttermilk added an amazing richness! So as summer begins to wind down, grab your ice cream maker and whip up this delightful treat.
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Ingredients:
Ice Cream

• 1 1/4 cup (3 dl) heavy cream
• 1/3 tsp lemon zest  (if you prefer a more lemony flavor, add  3/4 tsp)
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 4 egg yolks (we used fresh eggs from the hens out back)
• 1 1/4 cup (3 dl)  buttermilk (if you do not have access to buttermilk, you can add 1/2T and 1 tsp of fresh lemon juice to whole milk)

Roasted Strawberries 

• 2 cups (400g) fresh strawberries, diced
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

​Preheat the oven to 375°F /190°C. In a glass roasting dish, place strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice and mix until evenly coated. Then place the pan in the oven and roast for roughly 10-12 minutes. After it is done roasting you will want to puree the mixture. (You will have leftovers that can be used as well for a topping on waffles, pancakes, or even this ice cream).
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan add the cream, lemon zest, sugar, and salt and bring to a low simmer so that all the sugar is melted. Reduce to a low temperature and cover the saucepan with a lid. Cook the mixture for roughly 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the mixture from the heat, and in a small bowl add the egg yolks. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup of the cream mixture to temper the eggs (the last thing you want is cooked egg yolk ice cream). Once the eggs are brought to temperature, slowly whisk the egg mixture back into the pan, and place back on medium heat. You will want to cook the mixture until it starts to thicken slightly, or coats the spoon. This process should take about 10 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally.
Once the mixture has slightly thickened, remove from heat and add the buttermilk. After you have mixed in the buttermilk, place a strainer over a bowl and pour the mixture through. This will remove any lumps that may have occurred, or any cooked egg. In the bowl, add 1/2 cup of the strawberry puree. Mix well and then cover bowl.
Chill overnight, and then follow your ice cream machine directions on making the finished product. We added diced fresh strawberries (3/4 cup) right before the ice cream was finished to give it some texture.