Ina Garten's Oatmeal Raisin/Pecan Cookies

This recipe was on one of the Barefoot Contessa  a while back and has become a favorite of everyone that I share it with except Craig who doesn't care for raisins. I guess you can make everyone happy.

There are a couple of important things with this recipe.
1     soak your raisins in very warm water while you are mixing up the rest of the dough, then drain them just before you add them to the dough mixture

2     toast those pecans it makes a world of difference in the flavor of these cookies.

Ina Garten’s Oatmeal Raisin/Pecan Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups pecans
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 1/2 cups raisins
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool. Chop very coarsely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together into a medium bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the oats, raisins, and pecans and mix just until combined.

Using a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop 2-inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with a damp hand. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.



Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/raisin-pecan-oatmeal-cookies-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Pineapple/Mango Salsa

What I am going to tell you makes about a pint of salsa so cut to what you need. 
I came up with this a few years ago and have used it with smoked pork chops, ham, grilled salmon and chicken and haven't found any thing that it isn't great with. It is kind of like a chutney, I guess in the way that I use it. Remember that I am not someone who really likes thinks spicy hot, I'm more of a middle of the road person and so is my husband.

Pineapple/Mango Salsa

2 C. fresh pineapple diced fairly small
1 mango, pared, seeded and diced fairly small
6 scallions, thinly sliced, include some of the green
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 of a red bell pepper diced small
Dash of Kosher salt
1/4 C honey
The juice of each of these:
Fresh orange
Fresh lemon
Fresh lime

For heat I put in cayenne pepper to taste or you could us a jalapeno pepper, seeded and de-vained.

This can be served straight away or if you allow it to masserate over night in the frig it is better.

I took a 1/2 pint of it to the local grocery and had some of my local foodies try it. It got thumbs up for sure. I plan to take this with and serve it with smoked pork chops at a group camp out over Memorial Day. There will be baked potatoes, green salad with strawberries and honeyed almond with my Raspberry Poppy Seed Dressing.  For dessert it will be Ina Garten's Oatmeal Raisin Toasted Pecan cookies.  Should be good.