High Desert Table

Your everyday guide to Southwestern cooking

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Discover Santa Fe’s Sweet Haven: Chainé’s Piñon Chocolate Chip Cookies

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A few blocks west of the plaza, nestled between Palace Avenue and San Francisco Street you’ll find Burro Alley, paved with cobblestones and the resonance of old Santa Fe. At one point the alley served as a place for burros to park and unload firewood. Now it’s a quiet, pedestrian-friendly, just off-the-beaten-path home for a handful of local businesses.

One of my favorite shops in town, Modern Folk Ware owned by potter Jennie Johnsrud, recently moved next door to Chainé, a dessert shop owned by Chainé Pena with creative, made-from-scratch, small-batch French macarons and cookies. Both shops have loyal and passionate followings so it feels almost too good to be true that now they are right next door to each other.

Chaine - Speciality Cookies Shop in Santa Fe
photo credit Chaine Pena

On the day I walked in with my kids to celebrate their last day of school for the year, Pena, a 6th generation Santa Fean, had just pulled a batch of biscochitos from the oven. Her mom was helping her in the open kitchen, while my boys carefully eyed an array of generously portioned cookies and row after row of colorful macarons. They eventually both made the same choice — a bright red “Santa” macaron, filled with a chocolate cookie & mint cream.

So when Pena offered to share her famous Pinon & Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe with all of us here, it felt like such a gift. Pena started baking as a hobby before she took a macaron baking class in France where she fell in love with this technically intricate cookie. When she began posting her creations on social media and people started asking if they could place orders, it’s then she knew she was on the right path. Pena says,

Chaine Pena with macaron - Santa Fe
photo credit Isaiah Hererra

Unexpected flavors

“I love that cookies are a straightforward treat that most people love. What really makes me excited about my cookie offerings is playing with texture and flavor to create something a little different like our lemon meringue cookie or creme brulee. It’s fun to pack an unexpected dessert flavor into a few inches of a cookie.”

Thankfully for us, she is giving us one of her most beloved recipes for the always classic chocolate chip cookie spiked with a hefty dose of piñon nuts.

Chainé is open 11am-3pm Wednesday through Saturday at 38 Burro Alley. Macarons and Cookies can also be preordered on the Chainé website or via email at chainescookies@gmail.com.

Chaine Macarons with flowers
photo credit Chaine Pena
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Discover Santa Fe’s Sweet Haven: Chainé’s Piñon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pinon Chocolate Chip Cookies - hand holding a stack of cookies
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Explore the charming Burro Alley in Santa Fe, where Modern Folk Ware and Chainé create a sweet haven for locals. Dive into the story of Chainé Pena’s passion for desserts and her famous Piñon Chocolate Chip Cookies. Learn the art of baking these treats at home with Chainé’s exclusive recipe.

  • Author: Marianne Sundquist
  • Prep Time: 1.25 hours
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 1.5 hours
  • Yield: Around 30 cookies
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: bake

Ingredients

Units
  • 1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature, and the best quality you can get your hands on
  • 3/4 c. light brown sugar, loosely packed
  • 1/2 c. granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 t. vanilla paste or extract
  • 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, her favorite is Bob’s Red Mill
  • 1 t. baking powder
  • 1 t. baking soda
  • 1/2 t. sea salt, she uses pink
  • 2 t. cornstarch
  • 2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, her favorite is Ghirardelli 5mm baking chips
  • 2 c. piñon nuts, unsalted & shelled

Instructions

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or with a wooden spoon by hand), cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until it’s fluffy and fully incorporated.

Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Scrape the sides of the bowl one to two times between mixing to ensure all the butter and sugar remnants combine with the eggs.

In a separate bowl, using a sifter or a fine mesh strainer, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and cornstarch. Add ¾ of the dry mixture to the wet. Mix just until it slightly comes together. Add the chocolate chips and the nuts to the remaining flour mixture and give them a toss. (this step helps the chocolate and nuts disperse evenly throughout the dough).

Using a cookie scooper, a large tablespoon, a ¼ c. measuring cup, or a scale (about 2 oz) portion out rounds of dough. Refrigerate pre-portioned cookie dough for 45 min to one hour.

Time to bake! Preheat your oven to 375. On a parchment-lined cookie sheet place your cookies and give them plenty of room to grow. Bake for about 11 – 13 minutes until the edges and top are just browned. Allow cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

 

Chaine - Speciality Cookies Shop Santa Fe - Macarons
photo credit Chaine Pena

Easy Apple Crisp Crumble: Quick, Delicious, and Perfectly Sweet

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There are few desserts as satisfying as an apple crisp. Within minutes of hitting the oven, the scent of baking apples, spice, and toasted oats fills the kitchen in the most delightful way. Over the last week I’ve been in the kitchen cooking all kinds of foods and out of everything I made last week, this easy apple crisp crumble not only emerged as the favorite sweet treat at dessert time, it was also the easiest and fastest thing I made. It comes together in less than 30 minutes and then takes another hour in the oven. I love to build it the day before and pull it from the fridge 30 minutes before baking it the next day.

You’ll notice that this recipe calls for a light sprinkle of High Desert Salt right before it goes in the oven. This is a blend I make and includes flakey sea salt, lavender, red chile, and green chile powders, but feel free to experiment with any combination of these ingredients you have on hand.

Naturally Sweet

The entire recipe uses only one cup of brown sugar and makes a crisp that fills the largest size of all my baking dishes, a 9”x13” rectangle. Because of the natural sweetness of the apples, this is all that’s needed and I think it’s a pretty special dessert for this reason alone. Hot from the oven, we spooned vanilla ice cream on top, and over the next few days, we enjoyed leftovers cold for breakfast with plain greek yogurt.

Easy Apple Crisp Crumble - Fresh Apples on a marble slab
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Easy Apple Crisp Crumble: Quick, Delicious, and Perfectly Sweet

Easy Apple Crisp Crumble in a ceramic bowl with ice cream
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Indulge in the delightful aroma of baked apples with this easy apple crisp crumble recipe. A quick and satisfying dessert that takes less than 30 minutes to assemble, featuring a delicious blend of spices and a crunchy topping. Perfect for any occasion, and the natural sweetness of the apples makes it a special treat. Try it with a sprinkle of High Desert Salt for an extra flavor kick!

  • Author: Marianne Sundquist
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8-10 servings
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: bake
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units

For the filling:

  • 8 good-sized firm apples, peeled, cored, and diced
  • 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
  • 1 T. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 T. pumpkin spice blend (or a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove)
  • pinch of salt

For the topping:

  • 1 c. old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 c. all purpose flour
  • 1/2 c. cornmeal
  • 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
  • 1 t. ground cinnamon
  • 1 stick of salted butter, melted

For assembling:

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 f.

Easy Apple Crisp Crumble - peeled apples - PIN

First, make the filling

In a large bowl stir together the apples, brown sugar, vanilla, all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice blend, and a pinch of salt.

Easy Apple Crisp Crumble - chopped ingredients in a dish

Next, make the topping

In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, all-purpose flour, cornmeal, packed brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and melted butter.

Easy Apple Crisp Crumble - ready for the oven

Assemble the crisp

Rub butter all over the bottom and sides of a 9”x13” baking dish (or one of a similar size). Pour in the filling and top with the crisp mixture. Sprinkle the top of the crisp with High Desert Salt (if using) and bake for around one hour, or until the top is golden brown and the sides are bubbling. Let cool for ten minutes before serving.

Easy Apple Crisp Crumble in a ceramic bowl with ice cream

Slow Cooker Beef & Chile Stew

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The last few weeks I’ve been feeling the pace of life speed up. Between school, work, and shorter days, I knew it was time to pull out my crock pot and make a big pot of something warm that would feed us throughout the week. This Slow Cooker Beef & Chile Stew is a nourishing, hearty, and deeply flavorful recipe that brought a hefty dose of warmth and ease to our meal times lately.

Save some for a snow day

Whenever I make a big pot of something, I usually try to squirrel away a quart in the freezer to share or for a rainy day. I put two quarts in the freezer this time, and we ate the rest for multiple breakfasts and dinners. This stew is particularly good for breakfast with an egg on top and a warm tortilla on the side. If you don’t have a slow cooker, keep reading! You can easily make this in a Dutch oven by braising it at 300 F. for three-ish hours.

Choosing a cut of meat

You’ll notice the recipe calls for beef stew meat, which is easy to find in most grocery stores. In general, the best stew meat is cuts with collagen-rich connective tissues that slowly melt and tenderize in a low heat and slow cooking environment. Chuck, Round, Sirloin, and Brisket are perfect candidates for this type of stew-making, while more tender cuts are best enjoyed by searing, grilling, or roasting. Also, it’s important to remember that other meats like lamb, bison, elk, and pork can also be used interchangeably.

As with many recipes that turn out to be family favorites, I started with what I had. I had butternut squash, onion, a head of cauliflower, a tub of mild red chile and chopped green chile in the freezer, bacon, and an open bottle of red wine. I then picked up mushrooms, beef, and broth, heading home with everything I needed to put this one-pot meal together in the slow cooker.

Flexible veggies

As you look at the ingredients, remember that you can swap out other vegetables, if, for example, you don’t love mushrooms. Potato, pea, pearl onion, cabbage, parsnip, turnip, celery root, and carrot are just some of the vegetables that could be substituted for the ones used here. And if you want to add greens I would recommend adding them towards the end of the cooking process.

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Slow Cooker Beef & Chile Stew

Slow Cooker Beef and Chile Stew - in a bowl with spoon
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Indulge in the warmth and ease of this Slow Cooker Beef & Chile Stew, a hearty one-pot meal perfect for busy weeknights. Packed with nourishing ingredients, including beef stew meat and a medley of vegetables, this recipe delivers deep, flavorful satisfaction. Discover the joy of batch cooking as you freeze portions for later or savor it with an egg on top for a comforting breakfast. Learn how to customize the stew with various vegetables and explore the versatility of cuts like Chuck, Round, Sirloin, and Brisket.

  • Author: Marianne Sundquist
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 5 hours
  • Total Time: 6 hours
  • Yield: 5 quarts
  • Category: stew
  • Method: braise
  • Cuisine: New Mexican

Ingredients

Units
  • 3 slices, applewood smoked bacon, sliced
  • 2 1/2 lb. beef stew meat, trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 T. Masa Harina
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1 large red onion, diced
  • 8 oz. crimini mushrooms, quartered
  • 6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 T. High Desert Herbs or Herbes de Provence
  • 1 c. red wine
  • 2 c. (1 pint) New Mexico red chile puree
  • 2 c. (1 pint) New Mexico chopped green chile
  • 1 medium head cauliflower, all tender stems and florets cut into 1” pieces
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded & cut into 1” pieces
  • 6 c. chicken broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

The step with the bacon

In a large heavy-bottomed pot over low heat, slowly cook the bacon until the fat is rendered and the bacon crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and add it to the slow cooker crock.

Sear the meat

Turn the heat up to medium-high. Gently toss the trimmed beef with the masa harina, salt and pepper. Sear the meat on all sides until caramelized, working in batches if needed so as not to overcrowd the pan and meat in the slow cooker crock with the bacon.

Prep the rest

Add olive oil to the pot. Add the onion and mushrooms. Cook for around five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and dried herbs. Cook for a minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the red wine and let simmer for a few minutes, scraping any bits of goodness from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Carefully transfer this mixture to the slow cooker crock. Place the crock into the slow cooker base.

Cook it slow

Add the red chile puree, chopped green chile, cauliflower, butternut squash, and chicken broth. Let cook in the slow cooker for 5 hours.