How you doin’? This recipe was actually created during the 7th month of Covid lockdowns back in 2020… you remember all that fun, right? We were contemplating a change in the recipe format on our website back then… just as we are now.
 
From 2020: “To be honest with you, we only thought we would be on lockdown for a couple of weeks. We never dreamed we would still be writing daily recipes for 7 months. We’ve spent as much time on this blog as I did writing one of my cookbooks. We still must write the copy and test the recipes to make sure they work before we send them out to you. The changes are simple, so don’t get all frustrated and fired up.”
 
Friday’s Cocktail will be our 1000th recipe on this blog. For those who receive this blog via email, you may have already noticed a change in the masthead. For those who follow an online link from social media, starting with Monday’s recipe, #1001, you’ll be directed to a new blog section on our website called “Perspectives on Food”… which was the name of a printed newsletter we used to send out about a hundred years ago. Rest assured, if you need to look up an older recipe (pre-1000), you can still find them in the Covid-19 Survival Guide Section.
 
All of this change makes me crave a cookie. And this very special cookie is made with yummy cinnamon and graham cracker crumbs. If you want a little variation, throw in a bag of butterscotch or chocolate chips.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  9 to 11 minutes
Cool time:  10 minutes
Yield:  4 dozen cookies (note: large yield)
 
Ingredients 
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 -1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups butterscotch or chocolate chips (optional)
 
Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350⁰F and line a couple of sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl; set aside.
3. Beat the butter and both sugars with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth; about 4 minutes.
4. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next.
5. Add the vanilla.
6. Carefully, add the flour mixture a little at a time… don’t over mix.
7. Add the optional chips, if using.
8. Scoop the dough out onto lined baking sheets by rounded tablespoons; you can use a #20 scoop, if you have one.
9. Bake in the preheated oven until slightly browned at the edges, about 9 to 11 minutes.
10. Let the cookies cool on a tray before transferring them over to a wire rack.

ChefSecret:  I like to add a little crunch to the cookie by sprinkling the tops with a little raw sugar. It’s easy to freeze the dough in logs, then slice and bake them fresh as you want them.

Quip of the Day:  “The early spring gardening season in our neck of the woods is off to a great start. I planted myself in front of the TV and I’m already starting to grow.”
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Baking #Dessert #Cookies #ChewyCinnamonCookies #CinnamonCookies #GrahamCrackerCrumbs #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
                                                       ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? While pecan nuts used to be just a Southern thing, they have grown in popularity and become a favorite across our nation.
 
Pecan Tartlet Cookies come in many forms. Among the most common are drop cookies, thumbprint cookies, and (my personal favorite) Pecan Tartlet Cookies. While the first two are cookies with a pecan pie flavor, Pecan Tartlet Cookies are the closest to the classic pecan pie—with a decided crust and filling.
 
The real magic is in my crust. Whereas most cookie recipes have you beat softened butter and cream cheese with flour, I take a pie crust approach, pulsing cold, cubed butter and cream cheese with a blend of flour, sugar and salt to form the dough. This means the crust is light and flaky.
 
The filling should be simple to make, sweet but not cloying, and packed with pecans. Finally, and maybe most importantly, the ratio of filling and dough needs to be spot on. They need to be baked until golden brown, fragrant, and toasty good. These Pecan Tartlet Cookies will have everyone running to the kitchen to  grab one right out of the oven. They’re yummy any time of year, but keep the recipe handy for the year-end holidays, too!
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Bake time 25 minutes
Yield:  24 cookies
 
Ingredients 
For the dough
Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the pan
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
10 tablespoons cold and cubed unsalted butter
5 ounces cold and cubed cream cheese
 
For the filling
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Confectioners’ sugar, as needed for dusting
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350°F.
2. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.
3. Lightly spray the cavities of a 24-cavity (or two 12-cavity) mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

To make the dough:

1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the cutting blade attachment, pulse the flour, sugar and salt.
2. Add the cold cubed butter and cream cheese and pulse until the dough comes together in one mass, about 30 to 50 one-second pulses.
3. The mixture will look dry at first and then turn pebbly. Do not add any water or liquid. Keep pulsing until it comes together.
4. Divide the dough into 24 one-tablespoon portions (about 2/3 ounce each).
5. Use your hands to roll each portion into a ball and place a ball into each cavity of the prepared mini muffin tin.
6. Chill the dough in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up slightly.
7. Use a small measuring spoon, skinny shot glass, or your knuckle to push the dough into the cup and all the way and up the side, creating a well in the center. Take care to press the dough and create wells that are deep and wide because the dough and filling will puff as they bake.
8. Return the muffin tin to the freezer while you make the filling.

To make the filling

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the maple syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, granulated sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, salt and cinnamon until combined and there are no lumps of sugar. Add the pecans and stir to coat the nuts in the maple syrup mixture.
2. Equally divide the pecan filling into each dough well, about a heaping 1/2 tablespoon each.
3. Bake the Pecan Tartlet Cookies until puffed, the dough is golden to golden brown around the edges, and the filling is set; about 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Cool the Pecan Tartlet Cookies slightly in their pan set over a wire rack, about 2 minutes. Transfer the cookies directly to the rack to cool completely. If desired, dust very lightly with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
5. Leftover Pecan Tartlet Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

ChefSecrets:

• Take care to press the dough in the tin and create a deep well. The dough filling will rise a good amount which can lead to the syrup from the filling spilling over if the well isn’t deep enough.
• If the dough chills too long—it’ll crack along the top edge and will look jagged after baking. If it cracks, you can press the dough back together and the heat of your fingers will smooth it out.
• When you divide the filling into the wells, give it a stir every few portions. This helps evenly distribute the pecans and syrup.
• Sliding a small offset spatula or tip of a paring knife along the side helps to pop the Pecan Tartlet Cookies out of the pan.
• Don’t let the cookies cool completely in the pan. If any sugar bubbles over, which is totally normal, it can make them stick to the pan, making it a bit more difficult to remove.

Quip of the Day:  Why just dream it when you can go nuts and do it? Forget about nutting up or shutting up, always opt for the nut-up option.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. We have added a new search feature to make it easier to navigate through our blogs.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Baking #Dessert #Cookies #PecanTartletCookies #Pecans #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  

                                                                        ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? Are you a crunchy snack eater? I certainly am. I really don’t enjoy granola as a milk-soaked breakfast food. What I do like is munching on granola clumps while watching TV. It’s the combination of a not too sweet crunchy bite (lots of texture) that’s also a seemingly healthy snack food… the latter being a misnomer—it might not be that healthy at all. If you are like me, I have the perfect recipe for you. But first a little history.
 
With good intentions, Granola was invented in 1863 in Dansville, New York by Dr. James Caleb Jackson at the Jackson Sanitarium, a prominent health spa that operated into the early 20th century on the hillside overlooking Dansville. And then it all (both Jackson Sanitarium and granola) kind of disappeared.
 
The food and name were revived in the 1960s and fruits and nuts were added to it to make it more of a health food that was popular with the health and nature-oriented “hippie” movement. At the time, several people claim to have revived or re-invented granola. During Woodstock, a soon-to-be hippie icon known as Wavy Gravy, popularized granola as a means of feeding large numbers of people during the festival. Another major promoter was Layton Gentry, profiled in Time magazine as "Johnny Granola-Seed."
 
In 1964, Gentry sold the rights to a granola recipe using oats, which he claimed to have invented himself, to Sovex Natural Foods for $3,000. From there it was sold to a number of different companies. Here’s where it gets interesting.
 
In 1972, an executive at Pet Incorporated of St. Louis, Missouri, introduced Heartland Natural Cereal, the first major commercial granola. At almost the same time, the Quaker Oats Company introduced Quaker 100% Natural Granola. Quaker was threatened with legal action by Gentry, and they subsequently changed the name of their product to Harvest Crunch. Within a year, Kellogg's had introduced its "Country Morning" granola cereal and General Mills had introduced its "Nature Valley".
 
And then, there were granola bars. Granola bars have become popular as a snack. Granola bars consist of many of the same ingredients—with just a little more of the sticky stuff. Mix granola with honey or other sweetened syrup, pressed and baked into a bar shape, resulting in the production of a more convenient snack. Granola bars are the perfect individually packaged snack easy to carry in a purse, backpack or other bag for munchin’ later alligator (ode to the hippies). While passed off as a health food, they're basically cookies masquerading as healthy alternative to cookies.
 
And now here is my perfect clumpy granola snack recipe that may be a little healthier than a chocolate covered commercial granola bar.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Bake time:  20 to 30 minutes
Yield:  2-1/4 pounds+
 
Ingredients 
2 cups old fashioned oats
1-1/2 cups almonds, roasted or toasted, roughly chopped
1-1/2 cups sunflower seeds, hulled
1 cup unsweetened coconut, wide slice shredded
1/4 cup sesame seeds, white, hulled
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup canola oil
2-1/2 tablespoons whole cane sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Optional: Add 1/2 cup raisins
 
Directions

1. Preheat your convection oven to 300°F (325°F if a conventional oven). Measure out all the ingredients and have at hand.
2. Combine oats, chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, unsweetened coconut, sesame seeds and wheat germ in a large bowl.
3. Combine honey, oil, whole cane sugar and cinnamon in a saucepan bringing it just to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar completely and fully incorporate the oil. Do not burn the sugar!
4. Mix wet ingredients into the oat mixture; coat the dry ingredients well. (See ChefSecret below)
5. Spread mixture onto sheet pans in a single layer to ensure the greatest exposure to the heat.
6. Bake in a convection oven at 300°F (325°F if a conventional oven) for about 10-15 minutes; check the color and dryness of the mixture.  Coconut should be browning but not burning.  If ready, use a large spatula (to minimize breaking the clumps apart) and turn the layer over to expose the underside of the mixture and bake for another 10-15 minutes.  The granola should be toasted brown in color (not burnt) and dry.
7. Let the mixture cool completely before packing or storing.  If bagged too soon, the granola will become soggy and lose crunchy texture.

ChefSecret:  It’s best to divide the dry ingredients into two bowls and coat each one with half the wet mixture; then recombine all ingredients together to ensure thorough coverage.

Quip of the Day:  Why did the granola switch to a low-fat diet? It wanted to be a ‘cereal’ killer!
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.
 
#Snack #Baking #Granola #Almonds #Raisins #Craisins #CrunchySnack #Cinnamon #2025Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                          ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? Do you know the difference between yellow, white and red onions? Different recipes call for different onions with distinct flavors and textures. The varieties of onion can be a bit confusing, but once you know the characteristics of each color of onion, decision making is pretty simple. In a pinch, you can do what I do most often—substitute different colors for each other. Afterall, choosing the “wrong” onion is not the end of the world! But don’t shed any tears over which is the best onion to use, just follow my lead below.
 
The Yellow Onion
Let's start with the most common variety of onion—the yellow onion. A yellow onion is a good jack-of-all-trades onion. You'll want to be careful using them raw, unless you like a really intense onion-y taste. They hold up wonderfully well to cooking, which mellows out the bold flavor while still maintaining their structural integrity. If you're looking to caramelize a bunch of onions for French onion soup, yellow onions are the best option.
 
The White Onion
White onions are milder than yellow onions… they are a kinder, gentler onion than their bolder cousins. The white onion is what you're usually going to reach for if you want something with onion-y flavor and raw crunch. These are great as a topping for burgers or as an ingredient in an uncooked salsa or pico de gallo. They provide plenty of flavor, just milder. They also make an ideal addition to dishes that require hot and fast cooking, like grilling and stir-frys. If you cook them too long, white onions are liable to fall apart.
 
Full disclosure—if you’re in a pinch, switching out a white onion for a yellow onion or vice versa, you won't notice too much of a difference. Both are well-suited for use in a stock, a stew, or as a side dish, whether caramelized or fried, as onion rings or strings.
 
The Red Onion
Red onions are much more intense than white or yellow onions. With their bright, reddish-purple color and glossy shine, they may fool you (they almost look as harmless as a candy apple), but they sure as hell don't taste like one. Easily the sharpest and most pungent and intense of the three main onion types. Red onions are the ones that will really get the tears flowing when you try to mince, dice, cut or slice them. Oddly enough, these sharply flavored onions are also often used raw. Like milder white onion, they add great texture to salads and sandwiches alike, but with a more pungent bite. Red onions are also especially tasty when pickled.
 
Although their brilliant red color will dull and darken when cooked, the flavor remains pleasing in this context. Chop them up and add them to a beef stew if you want something piquant to cut through the richness. Or better yet, put them on a skewer and place them on the grill, where their structural integrity will keep them pleasantly soft without going mushy on your kabob skewers.
 
                            The Best Fresh Red Onion & Tomato Salsa
My fresh salsa recipe is simple to make from scratch and tastes great. It gets even better if you have time to let the flavors blossom for an hour or two (or even overnight). They are perfect on top of chili or enchiladas or with your favorite chips as a dipper at any get-together!
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Bloom time: 2 hours-overnight
Yield:  5 cups
 
Ingredients 
3 cups freshly chopped ripe tomatoes
1 cup finely diced yellow onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeño pepper (seeds and seams removed)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
 
Directions

1. Stir all ingredients—tomatoes, yellow onion, green and red bell peppers, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeño pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper—together in a bowl until just combined.
2. Let the salsa blossom in a refrigerator for at least an hour or two or even overnight.
3. Serve and enjoy!

ChefSecret:  For a spicier salsa, do not remove the seeds or seams from the fresh jalapeño pepper. Yowee!!

Quip of the Day:  Chile peppers don’t gossip—they just let things simmer.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.
 
#Appetizer #Ingredients #Onions #YellowOnions #RedOnions #WhiteOnions #Salsa #Tomato-OnionSalsas #Chips-Dips #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                            ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? My rich and decadent Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake is the perfect dessert for any chocolate lover.
 
The buttermilk adds a tender texture, while the cocoa powder gives it a deep chocolate flavor. With a hint of vanilla and almond extract, this cake is moist, flavorful, and perfect for any occasion.
 
Finish it off with a white buttermilk vanilla icing or a dark or milk chocolate drizzle.  If you can’t make up your mind, use both glazes!
Ingredients 
1 cup softened salted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
3 large room temperature eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups whole buttermilk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350° F.
2. Grease and dust a bundt pan or two loaf pans or an angel food cake pan. Dust with cocoa powder to prevent white streaking.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract. Beat for 5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
6. Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk to the creamed mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
7. Once all the dry ingredients are added, stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
8. Add the chocolate chunks and beat the batter for 30 seconds on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.
9. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan(s).
10. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
11. Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes, until the sides release from the pan.
12. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.
13. Once the cake is completely cooled, ice, frost or drizzle with your favorite frosting or just dust with powdered sugar. See my recipes for glazes below.

Chocolate Glaze
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chunks or chips
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
 
Directions
To make the chocolate glaze

1. Combine the semi-sweet chocolate morsels, butter and corn syrup in a microwave-safe glass bowl.
2. Microwave at medium power (50% power) 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or until morsels begin to melt, stirring after 1 minute. Stir until smooth.
3. Stir in the vanilla.

 
White Buttermilk Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
 
To make the white buttermilk glaze

1. Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Add up to 1-3 tablespoon buttermilk, if desired, for more drizzle-able consistency.
3. Drizzle warm glazes over cooled cake.

 
ChefSecret:  Your choice… you can use different baking pans for this recipe.  I usually have bad luck with Bundt pans as the more intricate the design the better the chance the cake will stick to the pan.  I used an old-fashioned angel food cake pan for this recipe.

Quip of the Day:  What do you call a cake that’s always cold? A frost-ed cake.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Baking #Dessert #ChocolateCake #ButtermilkChocolateCake #Buttermilk #2025 #QuarantineKitchen #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  

                                                                             ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025