This recipe was given to me by a friend of mine. It took me a while, but I finally tried it and man it was yummy. I am posting her original recipe, then I am posting my altered version. the first one was, alothough yummy to me, was too spicy for the babies. The great thing about it, is this recipe can totally be altered to fit your taste.
Zesty Chili or Taco Soup
Ingredients:
1lb Ground Turkey breast
1/2 lb (2 links) Pork or Turkey sausage (I used sweet italian sausage and it was yummy, next time I am gonna use spicy turkey sausage)
1 onion diced
1-14.5oz can diced tomoatoes
1-14.5oz can fire roased diced tomatoes
1-14.5oz can Zesty Chili Style diced tomatoes
1- 14oz can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1- 14oz can Spicy Chili beans
1 can sweet corn
1 small can of diced green chilies
Chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (it comes in a small can, they are very hot so I used 1 pepper, diced very small and then put some of the adobo sauce in the chili)
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 packet of Ranch dressing powder
1.5-2 tablespoons of chili powder
cumin, salt, red pepper flakes, ground red pepper all to taste
Directions:
1. Soften 1 chopped onion in a pot with 2 tablespoons of olive oil
2. Once onions are soft, brown turkey meat and sausage
3. Once brown, add all tomatoes and simmer for 10-20 mins
4. Drain and rinse the black beans and add to chili
5. Add chili beans with juice
6. Add corn with juice
7. Add all other ingredients and spices to taste and simmer about an hour or leave in crock pot all day.... you know the longer it cooks, the better it is!!!
Bonnie's Altered for my kiddos recipe:
Ingredients:
1lb Ground Turkey breast
1/2 lb (2 links) sweet italian sausage
1/2 of medium onion, diced
1-14.5oz can crushed tomoatoes
1-14.5oz can fire roased diced tomatoes
1-14.5oz can Zesty Chili Style diced tomatoes
1- 14oz can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1- 14oz can Spicy Chili beans
1 can sweet corn
1 small can of Rotell
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 packet of Ranch dressing powder
2 tablespoons of chili powder
cumin, salt, red pepper flakes, ground red pepper all to taste
Directions:
1. Soften 1 chopped onion in a pot with 2 tablespoons of olive oil
2. Once onions are soft, brown turkey meat and sausage
3. Once brown, add all tomatoes and simmer for 10-20 mins
4. Drain and rinse the black beans and add to chili
5. Add chili beans with juice
6. Add corn with juice
7. Add all other ingredients and spices to taste and simmer about an hour or leave in crock pot all day....
When cooking in the crockpot, I cooked it on low for 8 hours, and served with cornbread! It was totally Yummy, Thank you Erica, for sharing!!!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Candy Cane Fudge
Just in time for Christmas!!!
CANDY CANE FUDGE!!! Can we say yummy?
Ingredients
2 (10 ounce) packages vanilla baking chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups crushed candy canes
1 dash red or green food coloring
Directions
1.Line an 8 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, and grease the foil.
2.Combine the vanilla chips and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until almost melted, remove from heat and continue to stir until smooth. When chips are completely melted, stir in the peppermint extract, food coloring, and candy canes.
3.Spread evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Chill for 2 hours, then cut into squares.
Ingredients
2 (10 ounce) packages vanilla baking chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups crushed candy canes
1 dash red or green food coloring
Directions
1.Line an 8 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, and grease the foil.
2.Combine the vanilla chips and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until almost melted, remove from heat and continue to stir until smooth. When chips are completely melted, stir in the peppermint extract, food coloring, and candy canes.
3.Spread evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Chill for 2 hours, then cut into squares.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Cake
I know... I know... I know as if you didn't see enough Pumpkin recipes in October...
But this one was way too good not to share, and reshare in October!!!
Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Cake
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
4 tsp active dry or rapid rise yeast
1/4 cup warm milk (100-110F; low fat is fine)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
Filling/Topping
3 tbsp butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp milk or cream
Directions:
1. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Dissolve the yeast in a small bowl filled with the warmed milk and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Stir milk mixture, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and egg into the flour mixture. Mix well, until very smooth.
3. Pour into prepared pan and let rest for 15 minutes.
4. While the dough rests, make the topping. Mix together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl using a fork until all the butter has been incorporated into the sugar and mixture is crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle evenly on top of rested dough and press the mixture down into the dough with your fingertips (or swirl in with a spatula).
5. Place pan into a cold oven, then set the oven temperature to 350F.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes, until bread is golden brown at the edges and the center of the bread springs back when lightly pressed. Some of the sugar mixture on top may still be bubbling.
7. Cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, then prepare the icing.
8. Whisk the powdered sugar and milk together to form a smooth, pourable icing and drizzle it onto the bread using a spoon.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.
Serves 9.
Hope you enjoy as much as we did!
But this one was way too good not to share, and reshare in October!!!
Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Cake
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
4 tsp active dry or rapid rise yeast
1/4 cup warm milk (100-110F; low fat is fine)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
Filling/Topping
3 tbsp butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp milk or cream
Directions:
1. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Dissolve the yeast in a small bowl filled with the warmed milk and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Stir milk mixture, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and egg into the flour mixture. Mix well, until very smooth.
3. Pour into prepared pan and let rest for 15 minutes.
4. While the dough rests, make the topping. Mix together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl using a fork until all the butter has been incorporated into the sugar and mixture is crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle evenly on top of rested dough and press the mixture down into the dough with your fingertips (or swirl in with a spatula).
5. Place pan into a cold oven, then set the oven temperature to 350F.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes, until bread is golden brown at the edges and the center of the bread springs back when lightly pressed. Some of the sugar mixture on top may still be bubbling.
7. Cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, then prepare the icing.
8. Whisk the powdered sugar and milk together to form a smooth, pourable icing and drizzle it onto the bread using a spoon.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.
Serves 9.
Hope you enjoy as much as we did!
<3 Mommy of 6
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Pie Crust???
With it being the holiday season, I thought about making my pie crusts AGAIN... and I just want to crawl away to the commissary and buy some premade... I HATE making pie crust... Yes it is true, this super mom, and Martha Stewart as I have been called has her kitchen nightmares!!!
So here are a few tricks I have learned:
Shrinkage? When you put the effort into making a homemade pie crust for a Caramel Banana Cream Pie or other recipe that calls for a prebaked crust, it can be very disappointing if the crust that you worked so hard to make shrinks and gives your pie a less-than-perfect presentation. There are two ways that pie crusts can shrink and a couple of things that you can do to prevent it.
Pie crusts can shrink away from the bottom of a pie plate when you’re pre-baking the shell if you don’t put pie weights inside of the crust. Pie weights can be anything from a set of ceramic balls designed to be pie weights to a big batch of dried beans that are poured into a parchment-lined pie crust; pie weights are anything that will hold the pie crust down while it “sets” in the oven. This typically happens with pastry crusts and you don’t need to use pie weights for graham cracker or crumb crusts.
Pie crusts can also shrink away from the sides of a pie plate, giving a crust a very uneven appearance and creating openings for filling to sneak into and make the crust soggy. This shrinkage can’t be solved with pie weights because it is primarily the result of not resting the pie dough enough. Just like when you are baking bread, gluten develops when you work with pie dough. Rolling out the dough and working with it to fit into your pie plate tightens up the gluten, and if you bake it straight away, that tightness will result in the crust shrinking and becoming tougher during baking. To prevent this type of shrinkage, rest the pie dough for about 5 minutes after you roll it out onto your work surface and before you press it into your pie plate. Once it is in the pie plate, put it back in the fridge (or leave it on the counter if your kitchen is very cool) to rest for about 15 minutes before baking. This resting gives the gluten time to relax and will help keep your crust from shrinking during baking.
How to make a flaky crust?
Pie crust is typically made with just a few ingredients: flour, water, salt and fat. The fat is usually butter or shortening, and occasionally a little bit of sugar or cinnamon makes its way into the crust for flavor. It’s a simple recipe and it should be simple to make, but the reality is that it can be tricky to make a perfectly flaky pie crust. That said, it certainly doesn’t have to be tricky.
Butter is the ingredient that makes pie crusts flaky. When the pie crust bakes, the butter melts into the dough and two things happen. The fat from the butter tenderizes the dough, making it tender, and the water in the butter evaporates, creating a little air pocket in the dough, making it flaky. You need that puff of air from escaping steam to create flaky layers, and this is why all butter recipes are the best for other super flaky recipes, such as puff pastry and croissants. Shortening and lard are solid fats that make crusts tender, but do not add flakiness because they do not have the water content that butter – which is about 80% fat and 20% water – does.
When you cut in the butter, whether you’re working by hand or pulsing your dough in a food processor, you want your dough to be sandy and have pieces of butter about the size of a large pea still in it. Larger pieces of fat in the crust will result in a flakier texture. For this reason, it is good to stir in the water in the recipe by hand, rather than adding it into a food processor where it could become overmixed. Don’t use too much water or the dough will become tough, so add it in gradually.
Practice makes perfect (unless you are me, then NEVER stop practicing) when it comes to pie crusts, but using a recipe that is mostly butter, or all butter, is going to get you the flakiest crust every time.
So here are a few tricks I have learned:
Shrinkage? When you put the effort into making a homemade pie crust for a Caramel Banana Cream Pie or other recipe that calls for a prebaked crust, it can be very disappointing if the crust that you worked so hard to make shrinks and gives your pie a less-than-perfect presentation. There are two ways that pie crusts can shrink and a couple of things that you can do to prevent it.
Pie crusts can shrink away from the bottom of a pie plate when you’re pre-baking the shell if you don’t put pie weights inside of the crust. Pie weights can be anything from a set of ceramic balls designed to be pie weights to a big batch of dried beans that are poured into a parchment-lined pie crust; pie weights are anything that will hold the pie crust down while it “sets” in the oven. This typically happens with pastry crusts and you don’t need to use pie weights for graham cracker or crumb crusts.
Pie crusts can also shrink away from the sides of a pie plate, giving a crust a very uneven appearance and creating openings for filling to sneak into and make the crust soggy. This shrinkage can’t be solved with pie weights because it is primarily the result of not resting the pie dough enough. Just like when you are baking bread, gluten develops when you work with pie dough. Rolling out the dough and working with it to fit into your pie plate tightens up the gluten, and if you bake it straight away, that tightness will result in the crust shrinking and becoming tougher during baking. To prevent this type of shrinkage, rest the pie dough for about 5 minutes after you roll it out onto your work surface and before you press it into your pie plate. Once it is in the pie plate, put it back in the fridge (or leave it on the counter if your kitchen is very cool) to rest for about 15 minutes before baking. This resting gives the gluten time to relax and will help keep your crust from shrinking during baking.
How to make a flaky crust?
Pie crust is typically made with just a few ingredients: flour, water, salt and fat. The fat is usually butter or shortening, and occasionally a little bit of sugar or cinnamon makes its way into the crust for flavor. It’s a simple recipe and it should be simple to make, but the reality is that it can be tricky to make a perfectly flaky pie crust. That said, it certainly doesn’t have to be tricky.
Butter is the ingredient that makes pie crusts flaky. When the pie crust bakes, the butter melts into the dough and two things happen. The fat from the butter tenderizes the dough, making it tender, and the water in the butter evaporates, creating a little air pocket in the dough, making it flaky. You need that puff of air from escaping steam to create flaky layers, and this is why all butter recipes are the best for other super flaky recipes, such as puff pastry and croissants. Shortening and lard are solid fats that make crusts tender, but do not add flakiness because they do not have the water content that butter – which is about 80% fat and 20% water – does.
When you cut in the butter, whether you’re working by hand or pulsing your dough in a food processor, you want your dough to be sandy and have pieces of butter about the size of a large pea still in it. Larger pieces of fat in the crust will result in a flakier texture. For this reason, it is good to stir in the water in the recipe by hand, rather than adding it into a food processor where it could become overmixed. Don’t use too much water or the dough will become tough, so add it in gradually.
Practice makes perfect (unless you are me, then NEVER stop practicing) when it comes to pie crusts, but using a recipe that is mostly butter, or all butter, is going to get you the flakiest crust every time.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Homemade Girlscout Cookies- Thin Mints
Homemade Thin Mints
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup milk (any kind)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp peppermint extract
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. With the mixer on low speed, add in the milk and the extracts. Mixture will look curdled. Gradually, add in the flour mixture until fully incorporated.
3. Shape dough into two logs, about 1 1/2 inches (or about 4 cm) in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1-2 hours, until dough is very firm.
4. Preheat oven to 375F.
5. Slice dough into rounds not more than 1/4 inch thick – if they are too thick, they will not be as crisp – and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cookies will not spread very much, so you can put them quite close together.
6. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until cookies are firm at the edges. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before dipping in chocolate.
Dark Chocolate Coating
10-oz dark or semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1. In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter. Melt on high power in the microwave, stirring every 45-60 seconds, until chocolate is smooth. Chocolate should have a consistency somewhere between chocolate syrup and fudge for a thin coating.
2. Dip each cookie in melted chocolate, turn with a fork to coat, then transfer to a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to set up for at least 30 minutes, or until chocolate is cool and firm.
3. Reheat chocolate as needed to keep it smooth and easy to dip into.
Makes 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies
Another one of my favs!!! I hope you enjoy these as well!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Homemade Girlscout Cookies- Do-Si-Dos
Homemade Do-si-dos a.k.a. Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients for Cookies
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant or regular)
Ingredients for Filling:
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Start with the cookies. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and peanut butter. Beat in the sugars until fluffy, then add in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in vanilla extract.
4. Working at a low speed, mix in the flour, followed by the oats (if you don’t have quick-cooking, pulse whole rolled oats in the food processor to chop them up a bit).
5. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, drop teaspoonfuls of batter (roughly 3/4-in. sized balls), leaving about 2 inches between each to allow for spread.
6. Bake for about 10 minutes, until cookies are a light golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, making small holes in 1/2 of the cookies (for the tops of the sandwiches) before they set up. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Once cookies have cooled, make the filling.
8. In a large bowl, cream together smooth peanut butter, butter and confectioners’ sugar until very smooth. Spread 2-3 tsp onto half of the finished cookies and sandwich with the remaining halves. If you chose to make yours with GS-lookalike holes in some of the cookies, use these as the tops of the sandwiches.
Store in an airtight container.
Makes about 48 sandwich cookies.
Note: *Use unsalted butter with this recipe, as different brands of peanut butter can vary hugely in salt content and it’s possible you’ll end up with a too-salty cookie with the salted butter, salted peanut butter and added salt. If you must use salted butter and are using brand of peanut butter that seems a bit salty, you can always reduce or eliminate the added salt. Personally, I like the salty sweet combination with peanut butter, but it’s only fair for me to give a little warning just in case!
These are my favs!!!
<3 Mommy of 6
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Homemade Girlscout Cookies- Tag-a-longs
Homemade Tagalongs (a.k.a. Peanut Butter Patties)
Ingredients for Cookies:
1 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and milk. The dough should come together into a soft ball.
3. Take a tablespoon full of dough and flatten it into a disc about 1/4-inch thick. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Cookies will not spread too much, so you can squeeze them in more than you would for chocolate chip cookies. (Alternatively, you can use a cookie cutter, as described in the post above).
4. Bake cookies for 11-13 minutes, until bottoms and the edges are lightly browned and cookies are set.
5. Immediately after removing cookies from the oven, use your thumb or a small spoon to make a depression in the center of each cookie
6. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ingredients for Filling:
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (natural or regular)
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar*
generous pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
about 8-oz semisweet chocolate
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, salt and vanilla. When the mixture has come together, heat it in the microwave (again in short intervals, stirring frequently), until it is very, very soft. Working carefully with the hot filling, transfer it to a pastry bag (or plastic bag with the tip cut off) and pipe a generous dome of the filling into each cookie’s “thumbprint”.
2. Chill cookies with filling for 20-30 minutes, or until the peanut butter is firm.
3. Melt the chocolate in a small, heat-resistant bowl. This can be done in a microwave (with frequent stirring) or on a double boiler, but the bowl of melted chocolate should ultimately be placed above a pan of hot, but not boiling, water to keep it fluid while you work.
4. Dip chilled cookies into chocolate, let excess drip off, and place on a sheet of parchment paper to let the cookies set up. The setting process can be accelerated by putting the cookies into the refrigerator once they have been coated.
Makes about 3-dozen
Note: *You might need slightly less sugar if you’re using the conventional peanut butter, as it tends to be a bit sweeter. Taste the filling before using to make sure you like the sweet/savory balance.
Enjoy,
<3 Mommy of 6
Friday, December 10, 2010
The Long and Awaited
Girl scouts aren't the only ones who can make these babies!!!
I love when friends make request, and are so very patient about waiting for me to post! A friend of mine from here, asked me for this recipe oh way back in June I think!!! Sorry Carol for just now posting!!! Hope you enjoy though!
Now wipe the drool away from your mouth! LOL!
Ingredients for Cookies:
1 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
up to 2 tbsp milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (it’s possible you might not need to add milk at all). The dough should come together into a soft, not-too-sticky ball. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough is very sticky.
3. Roll the dough (working in two or three batches) out between pieces of wax paper to about 1/4-inch thickness (or slightly less) and use a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and use a knife, or the end of a wide straw, to cut a smaller center hole. Repeat with remaining dough. Alternatively, use scant tablespoons of dough and press into an even layer in a mini donut pan to form the rounds.
4. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are set. If using a mini donut pan, bake for only about 10 minutes, until edges are light gold.
5. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ingredients for Topping:
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
2. Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
3. Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 tsp per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it gets too firm to work with.
4. While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate.
5. Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.
Makes about 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies.
Note: These cookies are fairly time consuming to make, but if you take your time and have fun with them, the results will be worth it. That said, if you want something a little bit quicker, try baking a batch of Samoas Bars instead, which require no rolling and cutting of the dough!
Enjoy,
<3 Mommy of 6
I love when friends make request, and are so very patient about waiting for me to post! A friend of mine from here, asked me for this recipe oh way back in June I think!!! Sorry Carol for just now posting!!! Hope you enjoy though!
Homemade Samoas (a.k.a. Caramel de-Lites)
Ingredients for Cookies:
1 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
up to 2 tbsp milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (it’s possible you might not need to add milk at all). The dough should come together into a soft, not-too-sticky ball. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough is very sticky.
3. Roll the dough (working in two or three batches) out between pieces of wax paper to about 1/4-inch thickness (or slightly less) and use a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and use a knife, or the end of a wide straw, to cut a smaller center hole. Repeat with remaining dough. Alternatively, use scant tablespoons of dough and press into an even layer in a mini donut pan to form the rounds.
4. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are set. If using a mini donut pan, bake for only about 10 minutes, until edges are light gold.
5. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ingredients for Topping:
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
2. Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
3. Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 tsp per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it gets too firm to work with.
4. While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate.
5. Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.
Makes about 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies.
Note: These cookies are fairly time consuming to make, but if you take your time and have fun with them, the results will be worth it. That said, if you want something a little bit quicker, try baking a batch of Samoas Bars instead, which require no rolling and cutting of the dough!
Enjoy,
<3 Mommy of 6
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pillows
Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows
makes 18
Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed and rolled out just slightly
1/3 to 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup chocolate chunks or chips
water for brushing the edges of the pastry
cream or half and half for brushing the tops of the pastry
granulated sugar for sprinkling on top of the pastry
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Thaw frozen puff pastry in the the fridge. When no longer frozen gently roll out puff pastry on a well floured surface, extending the puff pastry about an inch on all sides.
3. Fold the puff pastry in half like a book to create a crease. Cut along the crease with a pizza slicer to divide the puff pastry in half. Stack the two halves, then slice the pastry into two sheets of 18 even squares. Remove the top squares from the bottom squares and set them aside for later.
4. Using a small spoon, dollop a small amount (about a heaping 1/2 teaspoon) of peanut butter into the center of 18 of the puff pastry squares. Top each mound of peanut butter with about 5 chocolate chips.
5. Using a pastry brush (or your finger if you don’t have a brush) dampen the edges of each square with a bit of water. Top each square with another pastry square and use a fork to crimp and seal the edges of the pastry. Make sure the edges are well sealed or all the filling goodness will pop out during baking.
6. Place filled and sealed pastry squares on a foil lined and lightly greased baking sheet. Brush each square with cream and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar.
7. Bake the squares for 8 to 12 minutes or until they are perfectly golden. Some of the puffs may have exploded a bit. I think that’s inevitable. It’s ok. Remove from the oven and allow to cool fro 5 minutes before serving warm. They’re best slightly warm. Super delicious!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Homemade Almond Joys!
makes about 30 little bars
Ingredients:
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
30 almonds
about 20 ounces (a bag and a half) of good quality semi sweet chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, spread raw almonds onto a baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Stir in the unsweetened coconut. The mixture will be thick. Place mixture in the freezer for 3o minutes. It’s easier to work with if it’s a little cold.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the coconut mixture from the freezer. With clean hands shape one tablespoon of coconut into a little log about 2 inches long and 3/4-inch thick. Press the logs together very well so they don’t crack when dipped. Place the log on the lined baking sheet and continue until all of the coconut mixture is gone. Rinse hands occasionally if they get too sticky. Press an almond on top of each coconut log. It might not completely stick. That’s ok. Place the baking sheet in the fridge to chill while you melt the chocolate.
4. Place a medium pot with two inches of water over a medium flame. Bring the water to a simmer. Place chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and place the bowl over the simmering water. Stir the chocolate as it melts. Turn off the flame once the chocolate has melted but keep the bowl of melted chocolate over the hot water.
5. Remove the coconut candies from the fridge. Place one coconut almond log on a fork. Use a spoon to scoop a bit of chocolate over the almond. This will help the almond stick to the candy and not fall off during dipping. Lower fork into chocolate and spoon chocolate over candy to coat. Lift fork and gently shake to release some of the chocolate. Scrape the bottom of the fork along the side of the bowl and place on the lined baking sheet. You might need a toothpick to help get the candy off the fork. Repeat until all candy is coated in chocolate. If chocolate gets thick, just turn on the flame and heat slightly.
6. Let dipped candy harden in the fridge for 45 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. If you need to layer the candy in a container, use waxed paper to separate the layers.
These are absolutly yummy! Enjoy!
<3 Mommy of 6
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Toasted Marshmallow Shake
Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake
adapted just slightly from Spike Mendelsohn’s (you know that really cute guy with the hat from Top Chef) recipe!!!
makes two small or one large milkshake
Ingredients:
8-10 large marshmallows
3 large scoops vanilla ice cream or a heaping 1-cup of vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Place marshmallows on skewer and toast until slightly charred over a gas flame. If you don’t have skewers or a gas range, you can toast the marshmallows on a sheet tray in the broiler for 2 or 3 minutes. Keep an eye on the marshmallows as they’re in the oven. They’re liable to burst into marshmallow flames pretty quick.
2. Place on a plate to cool slightly.
3. In a blender mix together ice cream, milk, vanilla extract and toasted marshmallows. Save one or two toasted marshmallows to top the milkshake(s). Blend well. For a thinner milkshake add more milk. If you’d like it a bit thicker… add more ice cream.
4. Pour into glasses and top with toasted marshmallows. Enjoy on the quick
Ok, now go try them!!!!
<3 Mommy of 6
Monday, December 6, 2010
I know I know I know.... As if you didn't see enough pumpkin in October!
But this one is too good not ot share, and reshare next October!
Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Cake
ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
4 tsp active dry or rapid rise yeast
1/4 cup warm milk (100-110F; low fat is fine)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
Filling/Topping
3 tbsp butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp milk or cream
Directions:
1. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Dissolve the yeast in a small bowl filled with the warmed milk and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Stir milk mixture, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and egg into the flour mixture. Mix well, until very smooth.
3. Pour into prepared pan and let rest for 15 minutes.
4. While the dough rests, make the topping. Mix together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl using a fork until all the butter has been incorporated into the sugar and mixture is crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle evenly on top of rested dough and press the mixture down into the dough with your fingertips (or swirl in with a spatula).
5. Place pan into a cold oven, then set the oven temperature to 350F.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes, until bread is golden brown at the edges and the center of the bread springs back when lightly pressed. Some of the sugar mixture on top may still be bubbling.
7. Cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, then prepare the icing.
8. Whisk the powdered sugar and milk together to form a smooth, pourable icing and drizzle it onto the bread using a spoon.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.
Serves 9.
Enjoy, I know we did!!!
<3 Mommy of 6
But this one is too good not ot share, and reshare next October!
Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Cake
ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
4 tsp active dry or rapid rise yeast
1/4 cup warm milk (100-110F; low fat is fine)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
Filling/Topping
3 tbsp butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp milk or cream
Directions:
1. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Dissolve the yeast in a small bowl filled with the warmed milk and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Stir milk mixture, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and egg into the flour mixture. Mix well, until very smooth.
3. Pour into prepared pan and let rest for 15 minutes.
4. While the dough rests, make the topping. Mix together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl using a fork until all the butter has been incorporated into the sugar and mixture is crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle evenly on top of rested dough and press the mixture down into the dough with your fingertips (or swirl in with a spatula).
5. Place pan into a cold oven, then set the oven temperature to 350F.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes, until bread is golden brown at the edges and the center of the bread springs back when lightly pressed. Some of the sugar mixture on top may still be bubbling.
7. Cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, then prepare the icing.
8. Whisk the powdered sugar and milk together to form a smooth, pourable icing and drizzle it onto the bread using a spoon.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.
Serves 9.
Enjoy, I know we did!!!
<3 Mommy of 6
Peppermint Sandwich cookies
This is a long recipe, but oh so worth every minute!!! Enjoy these little gems this winter!
Peppermint Sandwich Cookies
recipe found on joythebaker.com
adapted from The Essence of Chocolate
makes about 3 dozen cookies (mine batch came closer to two dozen for some reason)
For the Filling:
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract (depending on how strong you want it)
For the Cookies:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup plus 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
15 Tablespoons (7 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, but into 3/4-inch cubes, at room temperature (this is important)
For the Filling:
1. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the finely chopped white chocolate and peppermint extract. Make sure all the chocolate is covered by the cream. Let stand for 1 minute (this is important), then whisk the white chocolate until completely melted.
2. Transfer the filling to a small bowl and let stand until room temperature. You’ll need the filling thicker to assemble the cookies, so cover the filling and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or an hour, until a thick consistency is reached. If the filling hardens too much, it can be rewarmed in the microwave for a few seconds. It's best if left at room temperature until the proper consistency is achieved. This meant leaving it out overnight for me.
For the Cookies:
1. Position the racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed. With the mixer running, add the butter a few pieces at a time. The mixture will have a sandy texture at first and then will begin to form peddle-size pieces. As soon as the dough starts to come together, stop the mixer. Make sure all the butter is well incorporated. If there are large butter pockets, mix for a few seconds more.
3. Form and roll the dough straight from the mixer. The dough becomes hard to work with if chilled.
4. Transfer the dough to a board and use the heel of your hand or a pastry scraper to shape the dough into a block about 5 by 7 inches. Cut the block into two pieces.
5. One at a time, roll each block of dough between two pieces of lightly floured parchment paper until about 1/8-inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut into 2 inch rounds. Place 1/2 to 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. You can form and roll the dough scraps once after the first roll.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking. Remove from the oven and cool on the sheets for 2 to 5 minutes. They'll be too soft to move straight from the oven. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
To Assemble the Cookies:
1. Place half of the cookies upside down on a work surface. Whip the filling lightly with a whisk to loosen it. It will lighten in color and fluff up. Don’t overwhip or the filling may begin to separate.
2. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip. You can just scooped the filling out by the half teaspoonful. Pipe or dollop one teaspoon of filling in the center of each upside down cookie. Gently, using your fingers, press the cookies together until the filling comes just to the edges.
3. Roll edges in crushed peppermints for an added joy!
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Peppermint Sandwich Cookies
recipe found on joythebaker.com
adapted from The Essence of Chocolate
makes about 3 dozen cookies (mine batch came closer to two dozen for some reason)
For the Filling:
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract (depending on how strong you want it)
For the Cookies:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup plus 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
15 Tablespoons (7 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, but into 3/4-inch cubes, at room temperature (this is important)
For the Filling:
1. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the finely chopped white chocolate and peppermint extract. Make sure all the chocolate is covered by the cream. Let stand for 1 minute (this is important), then whisk the white chocolate until completely melted.
2. Transfer the filling to a small bowl and let stand until room temperature. You’ll need the filling thicker to assemble the cookies, so cover the filling and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or an hour, until a thick consistency is reached. If the filling hardens too much, it can be rewarmed in the microwave for a few seconds. It's best if left at room temperature until the proper consistency is achieved. This meant leaving it out overnight for me.
For the Cookies:
1. Position the racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed. With the mixer running, add the butter a few pieces at a time. The mixture will have a sandy texture at first and then will begin to form peddle-size pieces. As soon as the dough starts to come together, stop the mixer. Make sure all the butter is well incorporated. If there are large butter pockets, mix for a few seconds more.
3. Form and roll the dough straight from the mixer. The dough becomes hard to work with if chilled.
4. Transfer the dough to a board and use the heel of your hand or a pastry scraper to shape the dough into a block about 5 by 7 inches. Cut the block into two pieces.
5. One at a time, roll each block of dough between two pieces of lightly floured parchment paper until about 1/8-inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut into 2 inch rounds. Place 1/2 to 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. You can form and roll the dough scraps once after the first roll.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking. Remove from the oven and cool on the sheets for 2 to 5 minutes. They'll be too soft to move straight from the oven. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
To Assemble the Cookies:
1. Place half of the cookies upside down on a work surface. Whip the filling lightly with a whisk to loosen it. It will lighten in color and fluff up. Don’t overwhip or the filling may begin to separate.
2. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip. You can just scooped the filling out by the half teaspoonful. Pipe or dollop one teaspoon of filling in the center of each upside down cookie. Gently, using your fingers, press the cookies together until the filling comes just to the edges.
3. Roll edges in crushed peppermints for an added joy!
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
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