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Friday, April 20, 2012

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies!




1 package devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips
sugar for topping

Mix together cake mix, eggs and peanut butter. Mix until smooth.  Dough will be stiff.  Fold in chips.

Roll 1-2 inch balls.  Dip tops in sugar and put on greased cookie sheet...flatten slightly (these will not be big cookies) Bake for 10-12 minutes.  If you press the tops and there's just a small indentation they are done! Makes 2 dozen cookies.







Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Wheat Thin Crackers...almost :-)


  • Homemade Wheat Thins
  • adapted from awesome recipe at Serious Eats

  • 1 cup all purpose flour (if you don't have flaxseed meal just add more flour)
  • 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon seasoning (I wanted Italian crackers so I added Italian seasoning)
  • 4 tablespoons, about 1/2 of a stick butter
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce 
  • Additional salt for topping. I also sprinkled parmesan cheese on the top
Combine the flour, sugar, salt and seasoning in food processor bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and mix it in thoroughly. You can also use your fingers, a pastry blender, or a mixer, if you don't have a food processor. Combine the water and Worcestershire Sauce, and add it to the flour mixture, mixing until smooth.

Preheat oven to 400.

Divide dough into manageable pieces, leaving covered the pieces you are using.
Evenly  spread a little flour on your surface and use a rolling pin to roll out dough very thin.  I found it easier to roll them thin, then cut, put on parchment and roll even thinner.

You can sprinkle salt on the tops, or sesame seeds, or Parmesan, even garlic salt. I might even try some shredded cheese next time I make them.

They are DELICIOUS!!


The key to crispy is to get them as thin as you can! 

Friday, April 13, 2012

Grilled BBQ Cheese sandwiches and crispy roasted potatoes (jo-jos)

Grilled Chicken and cheese sandwich!! 

Super YUMMY. I used chopped left over chicken, mixed in a little bit of BBQ sauce, crispy real bacon bits, a slice of cheese on each side. I learned a trick that if you put a thin layer of mayo on the outside of the bread when grilling...your bread will be crispy on the whole slice and not soggy.

To Make Oven Fries


Microwave quartered potatoes covered in salty water


 
Cook for 10 minutes on high,
 Drain water. 








Drizzle a fair amount of olive oil over the potatoes, I also added some medium chunks of onion.
Gently toss the potatoes, and sprinkle with favorite herbs. I used Italian Seasoning 
Put in a hot oven at 450 degrees for about 25-30 minutes until crispy.

Enjoy!!

The potatoes were more like jo-jos than fries but they were seasoned well and very tasty!!!

Today my recipe is part of Full Plate Thursday! You can find LOTS of great new recipes and friends too at Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Nutella Crinkle Cookies

My husband's boss in town for a couple of days.   He had to fly 1/2 way across the country to get here, and after his meeting here; he's going to a couple more places to visit.  I'm a big believer in hospitality and making being away from home a little less stressful, so I decided to make some cookies for hubby to take to the office with him.

I LOVE chocolate crinkle cookies.  Lately with the cost of nuts being through the roof, I've had to be creative in including the nutty taste in my cookies!  Enter Nutella...ok honestly it didn't start out as a food enhancer.  My 5 year old has sensory issues and will eat only certain foods...peanut butter is one of them. We were hoping to slowly switch out the peanut butter with Nutella...but he would have nothing to do with it..so being the mother of invention at our home...I started baking with it.

Nutella Crinkle Cookies Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

4-6 oz of Nutella spread
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Topping:

1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted

Directions:
Beat the eggs and sugar until thick, pale, and fluffy (about 3 to 5 minutes). 
Then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the Nutella and beat until incorporated.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to shape into balls (several hours or even overnight).

After chilling dough....preheat oven to 325 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the sifted confectioners sugar in a shallow bowl. First, form the chilled dough into 1 inch balls, and then roll each ball in the confectioners sugar. Make sure each ball is completely coated, with no chocolate showing through. Place the sugar-covered balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.

Bake cookies for about 8 to 10 minutes or just until the edges are slightly firm but the centers are still soft. (For moist chewy cookies do not over bake. Over baking these cookies will cause them to be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. These cookies are best eaten the day they are baked.





Monday, April 9, 2012

Black Magic Cake...Mandy Style


Black Magic Cake
slightly adapted from recipe on Just-a-pinch




Cake
1 3/4 c all purpose flour
2 c sugar
3/4 c cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c strong black coffee, cooled
1 c sour cream
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 tsp real vanilla extract


Directions for Cake:
Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer.
Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
Beat at medium speed for two minutes. Batter will be thin.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13 pan or two 9 inch cake pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes for a 9x13, or 30-35 minutes for layer pans


CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1/2 c margarine, softened
2 oz melted unsweetened chocolate, cooled
3 c powdered sugar
3 Tbsp milk
2 tsp real vanilla extract


Directions for Frosting:
Combine frosting ingredients and mix with a hand or stand mixer. Spread frosting on cooled cakes.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Crazy Cooking Challenge-Blueberry Muffins


I stumbled upon a great idea on a great blog!! I'm super excited to be participating in it!


It's called the Crazy Cooking Challenge.  Please, please vote for me...I'm #80.

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It's once a month. You're assigned a special ingredient or item that you have to make. In the past they've had chocolate cakes, fudge, mashed potatoes, even spaghetti. 


This month it's Blueberry Muffins




Once the challenge is "on", if you are participating you peruse around the internet looking for a blog that has a recipe that you'd like to try and go for it!!! So the recipe I found that sounded delicious was for a lemon blueberry muffin. With Easter being this weekend, I thought it would be a great addition to our Easter table.
I hope that you'll enjoy the recipe and make sure to check out the other recipes in the blog hop!


The blog I chose the recipe from is "The Girl Who Ate Everything".


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I am not a big blueberry fan.  Must have been some childhood trauma that my mom didn't tell me about.  I love all other berries but blueberries...we have a "I'll tolerate you in small doses" kind of relationship.

When I was looking for a recipe, I wanted something that was fresh and not heavy.  These muffins DID NOT DISAPPOINT.  I really liked them.  Okay, not enough to say that I love blueberries but enough to say, "WOW, those are pretty tasty".

When I went to the store to buy blueberries, I saw some yogurt and thought...hey I can use that in place of the milk to give it some tang.  It really did...if you don't like yogurt or don't think it will be something you'd like, please follow the original recipe that is just 1 cup of milk.  It did make the muffin light in texture.

My husband on the other hand, LOVES blueberries and he devoured two muffins! 


Lemon Blueberry Muffins

slighty adapted from original recipe
Makes 12 muffins.



My beauties :-) 

  

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
zest of one lemon
1 egg
1 6 oz yogurt and milk to make 1 cup
1/2 cup softened shortening or butter (I used butter)
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries **note if you use frozen please toss with a little flour to absorb the extra liquid.  I used fresh.

Topping 
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 T lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar

Mix dry ingredients and set aside. 

Beat eggs, milk mixture  and  butter. 

Add dry ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in blueberries gently. 

This part is soo beautiful I had to add a picture,


Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. 


Combine butter and lemon juice for the topping. 
While the muffins are still warm, dip the tops in the butter and lemon juice, then dip in sugar. 


They are tasty and I hope that you'll add them to your muffin recipe box! 
Enjoy!






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About Me

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I love to cook. It is my passion.