Add some Spice to your Snow Bound Weekend!

I know what you're thinking at first glance- what in the world do chili peppers have to do with cookies?

On a wintry weekend like this, it's time to go bold- even spice tings up!
This spicy cookie is a favorite in my circle of friends, many of whom originally turned their noses up at the very thought of adding red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper to a confection.

The beauty of this recipe is that the spices add heat- but not actual flavor- to the cookie. The results? A cookie that really packs a punch! At first bite, you'll experience a tinge of heat, which is immediately quenched by the chocolate coating.

And what coffee shall I pair, you may ask? These cookies pack their own punch already so I would suggest sticking with our Carillon Blend, a light bodied blend of Costa Rican beans which boast a clean and fresh finish.

So grab those friends and neighbors within walking distance this snowy weekend, and introduce them to a whole new way of baking!

Thanks for visiting!
Hostess with the Most-ess

www.rivercitybean.com

Spicy Chocolate Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp. Milk
1 egg
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
2 cups flour
Almond Bark- melted

1. Cream butter and sugar, add baking powder and spices. Beat until combined. Beat in egg and milk, then beat in flour until combined. If necessary, knead dough slightly to blend. Shape dough into a ball and divide in half. Shape each half into a 6 1/2 inch-long roll. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for 4 – 24 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 375. Cut dough rolls into 1/4 in. slices. Place slices 1 inch apart on ungreased cookies sheets. Sprinkle with additional black pepper. Bake 8 – 10 minutes, until edges are golden. Cool on wire racks.

3. In a small saucepan, melt Almond Bark over low heat, stirring occasionally. Dip each cookie halfway in chocolate; shake off excess. Cool on waxed paper until chocolate is set.

It's Gingerbread Season!

The leaves are turning and I now have to leave the house with a warm coat, which could mean only one thing- it's gingerbread season!

With the holidays right around the corner, I always roll up my sleeves and take out this recipe. I find it to be the perfect gift for fellow hostesses, as well as for those on my Christmas list!

Many people are surprised to see that I use cake mix, but there's nothing better for a busy hostess than a cake mix as a base to speed things up! The pumpkin gives it its most flavor.

Our holiday Gingerbread coffee is the perfect compliment, although if you are all gingerbreaded-out (if that's possible), then I'd suggest trying our cinnamon coffee.

I have another version of it for the microwave, for those times when you have much too much on your plate. We'll save that for another time!

Thanks for visiting!
Hostess with the Most-ess

http://www.rivercitybean.com/


Pat’s Gingerbread Cake
This is a recipe that I’ve made for many Christmas gifts. So incredibly moist, and topped off with confectioners sugar – a really pretty holiday dessert.

1/3 cup molasses
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
1 Tbsp Cinnamon Spice Blend , or All Spice Blend
1 box German chocolate cake mix
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using bundt pan, oil and flour pan. In large mixing bowl, whisk pumpkin, molasses, eggs and Cinnamon or All Spice Blend until smooth, using a whisk.

Add cake mix; mix with a scraper until thoroughly blended, about 1 minute. Pour batter into pan, spreading evenly. Bake at 350 degrees from 40-50 minutes until toothpick is inserted in the middle, comes out clean. If necessary, loosen cake from sides of pan using a scraper; invert onto serving plate.

Let cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

(Should be cool to do this, if too warm, it just melts into the cake. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping, if desired. Alternate topping: Warm lemon sauce poured over cake…

Tomato? Tomahto? I say Pecan Pie...

I'll be up front with you- I have no idea who this recipe belongs to in my family, but each Thanksgiving, this time honored favorite has a place on my Thanksgiving table.

Last year, I put together a 120 page cookbook of family recipes and fun pictures shared throughout the years and I simply had to include Aunt Jenny's (or is it Jeanne's?) Pecan Pie. It's been passed down through so many generations that we are not quite sure who deserves the credit!

This page in particular featured a photo from my own Grandmother's 1931 cookbook that she put together herself, by pasting different recipes clipped from newspapers and pasted into a "Daily Reminders" book dated 1931.

A nice coffee compliment? Our Southern Pecan Coffee, of course!
Great Aunt Jenny’s (Jeanne’s) Pecan Pie

We really have no idea who’s pie this is…Jenny, Jeanne, Janey, it’s all superfoulusly bedazzling anyway. You say tomato I say tomahto…One thing’s for sure – It’s absolutely delish!

9 inch pie shell – pillsbury
(1) 8 oz package of cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

Blend these ingredients together and spread in pie crust. Sprinkle with 1 ¼ cup chopped pecans.

In bowl mix:
1 cup clear karo syrup
1 cup sugar
3 eggs (whipped)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk these ingredients together. Pour over the mixture in pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes. (Until firm set in center). It will look puffy.

Thanks for visiting!
Hostess with the Most-ess
http://www.rivercitybean.com/

Our Brush with Fame- River City Bean meets the Food Network

When River City Bean was a vendor at last year's Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show (www.metrocooking.com), we had no idea that our newest fan would be Iron Chef Bobby Flay from the Food Network!

The Show itself featured both Paula Deen and Bobby Flay, but it was Bobby whose heart we won over with our coffee.

Melany had purchased Bobby's cookbook for her father for Christmas and waited an hour in line for him to sign it. When it was finally her turn, Melany commented to Bobby that he looked really tired. He then admitted to working a fundraiser the night before and having arrived in DC at 3am.

Suddenly, it was River City Bean to the rescue! Melany came back with some caffeine goodness- in a Paula Deen "Hey Y'all!" Pink Mug no less, and Bobby called her an Angel. Word got back that to us that Bobby thought it was a delicious cup of coffee.

Any modern hostess is delighted to hear that their guest loves their coffee, so you can imagine our thrill to have a fan in Bobby Flay. Perhaps we'll have to roll up our sleeves and ready ourselves, in case we get asked for a Coffee & Confections Throwdown.

Thanks for visiting!

Hostess with the Most-ess

http://www.rivercitybean.com/

Biscotti and Yours Truly- A Brief History

Biscotti and I go back. Way back.

Sit back and I'll spin you a tale of my sad little Geography grade, which took a major hit when I brought in lovely homemade Biscotti to share with my class. The theme had been "foods from around the world," and I really thought I had nailed it. I was so excited, in fact, that I had completely forgotten to actually bring the recipe with me, which had been a requirement. Automatic 20 points off? Ouch.

So Biscotti and I took a break, and a long one at that. I simply could not justify all the time and effort that went into making them. Until, alas, I came upon this great little find from my go-to site allrecipes.com.

A cake mix inspired Biscotti recipe wearing the mask of a little homemade number rich in taste? Don't mind if I do!

The beauty of this recipe is that it can be reinvented by simply picking up a different cake mix flavor- I've personally tried white chocolate, apple spice and butter pecan, in addition to the tried and true chocolate.

Biscotti is the perfect way to end a meal with friends. While plating these little lovelies, I'm always quick to offer my guests our Raspberry Mocha Parfait-a timeless combination of Chocolate and Raspberry. I never know what's going to steal the show- the amazing aroma coming from my coffee pot or the melt in your mouth quality of the Biscotti.

So have no fear my fellow modern hostesses- take back your precious time, pick up a box of your favorite cake mix and dive into the world of Biscotti. As long as you arm yourselves with our Raspberry Mocha Parfait, you can't go wrong.

Thanks for visiting!
~Hostess with the Most-ess

www.rivercitybean.com


Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening

Directions
1.In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry cake mix, flour, butter, chocolate syrup, eggs and extracts; mix well. Stir in the almonds and miniature chocolate chips. Divide dough in half. On ungreased baking sheets, shape each portion into a 12-in. x 2-in. log.

2.Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes o until firm to the touch. Cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; carefully cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 1/2-in. slices. Place cut side down on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.

A Cheesecake to Remember

Cheesecakes are a funny thing. I always contended that people were afraid to make them, since you had to 1) learn what a spring form pan was and 2) actually buy one.

I got over my cheesecake phobia some time ago, and over the years, I have enjoyed sharing many variations with friends and family. It is the Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake, however, that is nearest and dearest to me.

The year was 2007 and I was feeling pretty good about this selection for my friend's annual Fall soiree. In fact, I was feeling so confident that when the knob fell off the oven, I just stuck it back on and went back to my mixing.

Not surprisingly, the dessert came out a lovely shade of black. I quickly donated it to my compost pile, and gave it a kick, for drama's sake. I'm happy to report that after putting the oven knob back on properly, Round Two came out simply delectable!

Many people save pumpkin desserts for around the Thanksgiving table, but it makes its way to my home as soon as the leaves begin to turn. My favorite coffee pairing is one from our Gourmet collection- Cinnamon Spice, is a perfect blend with just a hint of cinnamon (http://www.rivercitybean.com/gourmet-flavoured.html).

I recently paired the two for a dinner party and it was a big hit. The only loser of the night? My compost pile, which will have to wait another day for a donation.

Thanks for visiting!
~Hostess with the Most-ess
www.rivercitybean.com

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter, melted

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup white sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies, pecans, and butter. Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake crust 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool.

2.In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla just until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture. Blend 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the remaining mixture.

3.Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.

4.Bake 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until filling is set. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Allow to cool before removing pan rim. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Recipe originally posted on allrecipes.com by Renee.