Thursday, November 18, 2010

Pumpkin Cream Pie


FOR THE CRUST:
1-½ package Graham Crackers (about 15 Cookie Sheets)
½ cups Powdered Sugar
1 stick Butter, Melted

FOR THE FILLING:
1 box (3 Oz. Box) Vanilla Pudding (Cook And Serve Variety)
1 cup Half-and-half
½ cups Heavy Cream
Pinch Of Cinnamon
Pinch Of Nutmeg
Pinch Of Ground Cloves
½ cups (plus 3 Tablespoons) Pumpkin Puree
½ cups (additional) Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
Extra Graham Cracker Crumbs, For Garnish
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Grind graham crackers in a food processor (or, if you don’t have a food processor, place them in a large ziploc and pound ‘em with a rolling pin.) Add powdered sugar and melted butter and process until totally combined. Press into the bottom and sides of a pie pan until nice and firm. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until warm and “set.” Remove from oven and allow crust to cool completely.

In a medium saucepan, mix dry pudding mix with half-and-half and cream. Add spices. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly and thick. Remove from heat. Add pumpkin and stir to combine. Place lid on pot and set aside to cool. When cool enough, place pot in the fridge to cool completely.

When mixture is cool, remove from the fridge. In a mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup heavy cream and brown sugar. Beat until very light and fluffy. Fold in pumpkin cream mixture until combined. Pour into cooled crust.

Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight. Serve with graham crackers crumbled on top.

Recipe From Pioneer Woman
Review: I was really dissappointed with this pie. I have heard so many great things about it but nobody in my family liked it, not even my dessert loving kids. Maybe we were just not in the mood or something but I don't think I'll be making this again. :(

Friday, November 12, 2010

Oreo Turkeys- (ht)


Oreo Cookies
Candy Corn
Whoppers
Peanutbutter Cups
Chocolate frosting
Yellow Frosting
Optional: Red frosting
Optional: black sprinkles for eyes

*For these kinds of things I love to use the little pre-filled tubes of colored frosting you can buy in the baking isle. The chocolate is easy to make, and homemade actually works a little better because you can make it stiff. However for the colored details like yellow and red, these little tubes are great. It doesn't really matter what they taste like and they last forever (which is both cool and disturbing at the same time.) I'm using store-bought tubes for everything here purely for convenience- works great!

First step: Grab a cookie. You don't have to put frosting in there, but I like to because it holds in the candy corn a little better. Just give it a little squeeze of chocolate.

Then stuff in your candycorn. If you're in some sort of candy corn shortage, you can cut off the white tips to use later for your beaks. I think the candy corn sticks in better with the tip so I leave it on. Go ahead and do all of the cookies through this step.

Next put a dab of frosting on the opposite end of the cookie and secure it to the "base" cookie. It helps to place them next to a wall as they dry so they stay put.

While those are drying, unwrap your PB cups. Take a sharp knife and cut a sliver off of one end. (I don't need to tell you what to do with the sliver, do I?) It helps to gently cut in a sawing motion so you don't break the PB cup. (Although I wouldn't have to tell you what to do with a broken one either, would I?) Cut it from the bottom like I show here:

Once those are ready, flip your cookies over, but you may find it's easy to keep them next to the wall. My frosting was a bit soft, so they needed the extra support.

Place a dab of frosting on the pb cup, and place it on the cookie like so:

Now those little guys will need heads, so glue a whopper on there with frosting as well. I put frosting on the side of the whopper that hits both the cookie and the PB cup. Wouldn't want a turkey running around with its head cut off, would we??

While they're still laying there, use a dab of frosting (I use yellow) and glue on the white tip of a candy corn for a beak. Put two yellow dots on for eyes, and for the black spots in the eyes you can use a dab of chocolate frosting, or a mini chocolate chip, or a little sprinkle like I've used. A sprinkle is really the perfect size if you have them.

Once the beak stays put you can flip them over and draw on some little yellow feet. If you have red frosting too (usually comes in a set with the tube of yellow) you can add a little gobble gobble. Or whatever that thing is called. What is it called? I'm too lazy to google. Extra giveaway entry for the first person who can tell me. Okay not really but I'll think you're awesome.

And there you go, cute as can be!

These make really cute place card holders too, for either a kid, or adult table!
Recipe From Our Best Bites

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Apple Dumplings- (ht)


2 sticks butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tubes crescent rolls
2 granny smith apples
12 ounces of Mountain Dew
Cinnamon
Vanilla ice cream

Directions: Peel and slice your apples. Wrap each slice in a crescent dough triangle and place in sprayed (greased) pan. In a bowl, melt your butter and stir in sugar and vanilla. Pour over top of the wrapped apples....or spread on top with a spoon. Pour the Mt. Dew all around and sprinkle with Cinnamon. Place in 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve hot with ice cream!

Recipe From Or So She Says

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Gingerbread Pudding Cake Recipe- (ht)


1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg white
1 teaspoon Spice Islands®, All Natural, No Corn Syrup Added, Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup water
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans

TOPPING:
6 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup hot water
2/3 cup butter, melted
Directions
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg white and vanilla. Combine molasses and water. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, allspice and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with molasses mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold in pecans.
Pour into a greased 3-qt. slow cooker. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Combine hot water and butter; pour over batter (do not stir).
Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center of cake comes out clean. Turn off heat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Serve warm. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Recipe From Taste of Home

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Sour Cream Apple Pie- (ht)



1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups apples, peeled and sliced
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter

Stir together 2 tablespoons flour, salt, 3/4 cup sugar and nutmeg in bowl. Combine egg, sour cream and vanilla in another bowl; mix well. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in apples and spoon mixture into unbaked or par-baked pie shell (depending on preference).

Bake in a preheated 400 degree F (205 degrees C) oven 15 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake 30 minutes more. Remove pie from oven. Increase temperature to 400 degree F (205 degrees C).

Combine 2/3 cup sugar, 2/3 cup flour and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon in bowl. Cut in 4 tablespoons butter until crumbly, using a pastry blender.
Sprinkle crumb topping over pie. Return to oven and bake 10 minutes more. Cool on rack.

Recipe From Taste and Tell

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Rootbeer Cookies


1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1/4 c. buttermilk
1 t. root beer extract
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

Mix brown sugar, butter, and egg until fluffy.
Stir in buttermilk, root beer extract, flour, baking soda and salt.
Mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
Heat oven to 400°.
On greased cookie sheet, drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart.
Bake 6-8 minutes or until almost no impression remains when lightly touched.
Remove cookies immediately from pan.
Place on rack and frost with glaze.

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 t. root beer extract
1 T. hot water

Mix sugar and butter. Stir in root beer extract and water. Spoon over cookies and let set.
Enjoy!
Review: I liked these cookies more than I thought I would. The reason for this being that while I was making them I decided to sample the dough, like I do with all the cookies I bake. Anyway, I took a taste of the dough and it was NOT good. I spit it out dissapointedly and just stuck the remaining dough in the fridge thinking that I probably woukdn't end up baking it. Well I got thinking about it and decided I might as well bake the dang cookies, so I did! And they were really good! I would deffinitely make these again.

Recipe from Dish Delish

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls- (ht)


For Dough:
1/3 cup milk or soymilk
2 Tbs butter
½ cup canned pumpkin or mashed cooked pumpkin
2 Tbs granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
1 large egg, beaten
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour

For Filling:
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbs melted butter

For Icing:
¼ cup (4 Tbsp.) butter
½ cup brown sugar, packed
2 Tbs milk
¼ tsp vanilla extract
dash of salt
½ to ¾ cup sifted powdered sugar

Directions

Prepare rolls: In a small saucepan, heat milk and 2 Tbsp. butter just until warm (120 – 130°) and butter is almost melted, stirring constantly.

In large mixer bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar and salt. Add milk mixture and beat with an electric mixer until well mixed. Beat in egg and yeast. In a separate mixing bowl, combine flours. Add half of flour mixture to pumpkin mixture. Beat mixture on low speed for 5 minutes, scraping sides of bowl frequently. Add remaining flour and mix thoroughly (dough will be very soft). Turn into lightly greased bowl, then grease surface of dough lightly. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto floured surface. Knead a few turns to form a smooth dough, sprinkling with enough additional flour to make dough easy to handle. On lightly floured surface, roll dough into 12×10-inch rectangle.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Brush surface of dough with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Beginning with long side of dough, roll up jelly-roll style. Pinch seam to seal. With a sharp serrated knife, gently cut roll into twelve 1-inch slices. Place rolls cut-side-up in greased 9-inch-square baking pan. (At this point the rolls can be covered and refrigerated overnight if necessary).

Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls about 20 minutes, or until golden. Remove from pan to waxed paper-lined wire rack. Cool 10 to 15 minutes.

While rolls are cooling, prepare icing: In small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Cool over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and cool mixture slightly. Stir in vanilla, salt and powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended. If necessary, add more powdered sugar for desired consistency.

Drizzle icing over warm rolls.

Recipe from Love and Olive Oil

Friday, October 8, 2010

Pizza Muffins


Filling Ingredients:
3/4 cups chopped pepperoni
1/2 cup chopped ham
10 oz can mushrooms, drained and chopped (optional)
1 green or red pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 cup shredded marble cheese
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp dried chillies

Dough Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder

Method:
Stir together all filling ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and oil. Pour this over filling and stir well.
Combine flour and baking powder and add to mixture. Stir to blend well.
Spoon into lightly greased muffin tins.
Bake 20-25 minutes @375ยบ or until lightly browned. Serve hot or cold.
Store in fridge or freezer. Yields 1 dozen muffins.
Review: These were okay, a little bland but if you dipped them in ranch or something they tasted pretty good. I think all they would need is a little salt and stuff to spice it up a bit.

Recipe from Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Chicken Artichoke Bake


8 oz penne rigate, dry
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 egg(s)
1 1/4 cup(s) milk
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cup(s) chicken breast halves, boneless skinless, cooked and chopped
2 cup(s) monterey jack cheese
1 jar artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
1 package(s) spinach, chopped (frozen), 10 oz.
1/2 cup(s) parmesan cheese, grated, divided
1/2 cup(s) breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp butter, with salt, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make pasta according to package directions.

Saute onion in a little olive oil until soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

In large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in onion, pasta, Jack cheese, chicken, artichokes, spinach (thawed!), and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Place mixture in 3-quart baking dish and bake (covered) for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup Parmesan, paprika, bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle mixture over casserole and bake, uncovered, for 10 additional minutes.
Review: This casserole was okay, but I don't think it made it onto a top ten list for anyone in my family. It wasn't as flavorful as I had hoped it would be and none of us liked the spinach in it at all. I would probably only make this again if I just happened to have all of the ingredients already on hand and I needed to use them

Recipe from You've Got Supper

Apple-Cider Pie



Ingredients
Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/3 cup ice water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled stick margarine or butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
Filling:
2 cups apple cider
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice
7 Braeburn apples, peeled and quartered (about 3 pounds)
Cooking spray
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon sugar
Preparation
To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1/3 cup flour and ice water, stirring with a whisk until well-blended. Combine 1 2/3 cups flour and salt in a bowl; cut in margarine and shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water mixture; toss with a fork until moist. Divide dough in half. Gently press each half of mixture into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap, and cover with additional plastic wrap. Roll one half of dough, still covered, into a 12-inch circle, and chill. Roll other half of dough, still covered, into an 11-inch circle; chill.

To prepare filling, bring cider to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 20 minutes). Cool completely.

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine cooled cider, 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, and pie spice in a large bowl. Cut each apple quarter crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Stir apple slices into cider mixture.

Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap from the 12-inch circle; fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray, allowing dough to extend over edge of plate. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Spoon apple mixture into crust, and brush edges of crust lightly with water. Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap from the 11-inch circle, and place on top of apple mixture. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Press edges of dough together; fold edges under, and flute. Cut 6 (1-inch) slits into top of pastry using a sharp knife. Combine egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush top and edges of pie with egg mixture, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Place pie on a baking sheet, and bake at 450° for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove pie from oven), and bake an additional 45 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Review: I was kind of dissapointed with this recipe. It smeeled good while I was making it, it looked and smelled awesome when it was done baking. But then when I finally tried it, it was really tart and not as good as I ahd hoped it would be. Next time I would put some salt in the crust and I would use a bunch more sugar in the filling and maybe even cut back on the lemon juice.

Recipe from My Recipes

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Sunday Beef Stew- (ht)


1 1/2-2 lb. lean stew beef, cut into even smaller bite-sized pieces (just pull out a pair of kitchen shears and cut anything that looks like you'd need to use a knife and fork on)
4-5 medium red potatoes, chopped
4-5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 onions, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 12-oz. cans or 3 c. vegetable juice cocktail (like V8 or even Bloody Mary mix)
1 10-oz. can condensed tomato soup
10 oz. water (just use the can from the tomato soup to measure)
1 tsp. basil
2 beef bouillon cubes (or 2 tsp. beef base)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Now...this is super tricky. Preheat oven to 350. Combine ingredients in a large oven-safe pot that comes with an oven-safe lid.
Cook in heated oven for 3 hours. Remove from oven and serve. Awesome, huh?
You can also cook this in your slow cooker on low for 9-10 hours (or until vegetables and meat are tender) or on high for 5-6.

Serve with a loaf of French bread or homemade rolls and some honey butter

Recipe from Our Best Bites

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows- (ht)


makes about 50 1" marshmallows

3 (1/4 ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup corn syrup

1/4 cup water
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
14 teaspoon salt
about 1/2 sleeve graham crackers

Line a 9x13 pan with plastic wrap and spray it uniformly with cooking spray. Set aside.

Put the 1/2 cup cold water and the 3 envelopes of gelatin in the bowl of a stand mixer. Allow to sit and bloom for 10 minutes.


Meanwhile, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Once it has started boiling, do not stir. Bring to 250F, or until a small amount of syrup dropped in a glass of cold water forms a rigid ball.

In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Mix well.


Attach the mixing bowl to a stand mixer fitted with the wire whip attachment and start the mixer on low speed. Carefully pour the boiling sugar mixture down the side of the mixing bowl. Increase the speed to medium high and add the salt. Mix until stiff, shiny and white, about 5 to 12 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the pumpkin mixture until combined. Return the bowl to the mixer and mix for an additional 3 minutes. You can test to see if it is ready if you dip a spatula in the mixture and it should form a continuous ribbon off the spatula into the bowl.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours.


Put the graham crackers in a food processor and process until you have very fine crumbs. Lay a piece of waxed paper on the counter and spread out about half of the crumbs. Turn the marshmallow pan over onto the crumbs and remove the plastic wrap.

Cut the marshmallows into squares about 1" x 1". Place the remaining crumbs in a bowl and dip the individual marshmallows in the graham cracker crumbs until all sides are covered.

The marshmallows are best eaten fresh, but can be kept in an airtight container or about a week or in the freezer for a month.

Recipe from Taste and Tell

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Swiss and Bacon Dip


8 slices bacon, chopped
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 rounded teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup smoked almonds, coarsely chopped
bread and/or veggies, for dipping

Preheat oven to 400F.

Brown bacon in nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Drain crisp bacon bits on paper towels.

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon, Swiss and scallions with cooked bacon. Transfer to a shallow small casserole or baking dish and bake until golden and bubbly at edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Top with chopped smoked almonds. Place dip on a platter and surround warm casserole with breads and carrots for dipping.
Review: This dip is really, really, REALLY good! The only down side to this stuff is that it's SO not low fat. I ended up using green onions instead of scallions and honey mustard instead of dijon because that is what I had at home but it still turned out really yummy!

Recipe from Taste and Tell

Monday, September 27, 2010

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins


1 2/3 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp. mace
(may substitute pumpkin pie spice for individual spices)
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter - melted
1/2 cup sliced almonds
6 ounces chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees . Put almonds on a baking sheet or pie pan and bake about 5 min., just until lightly browned. Grease 12 cup muffin pan or line with muffin papers. Thoroughly mix flour, sugar, spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Break eggs into another bowl. Add pumpkin and butter to eggs and whisk until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds. Pour over dry ingredients and fold in just until moistened. Do not over mix. Scoop into tins and bake 20-25 minutes. Do not over-bake. Test with toothpick. They should still seem a little underdone when removed from the oven.

Review: I love fall time and being able to make pumpkin everything! These were really good and fallish. They were better when they cooled off rather than hot out of the oven though.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Kansas City Barbecue Sauce- (ht)



1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. apple juice
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1/4 c. vinegar
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent. Add the remaining ingredients except horseradish and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Turn heat to low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes or until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. Add the horseradish and serve as desired.

Spiced Variation: Add a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of cloves, and a pinch of cayenne pepper with the paprika.

Smoky Variation: Substitute 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika for the paprika.

Recipe from Our Best Bites

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Apple Cider Spice Doughnuts- (ht)



1 c. apple cider, preferably fresh apple cider or something high-quality like Simply Apple
1 c. sugar
3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 c. butter-flavored shortening
2 eggs
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 quart canola or peanut oil (for frying)

Spiced Sugar

Shake or whisk to combine:
3/4 c. white sugar
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the apple cider to a boil. Continue to cook over high heat for about 7-10 minutes or until it's reduced to 1/4 c. Remove from heat and allow to cool (you can transfer it to a heat-safe cup and place in the refrigerator or freezer to make things move a little more quickly. Also, if you're in a pinch, you can use 1/4 c. of undiluted apple juice concentrate).

While the cider is reducing, combine shortening and sugar in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer on high for 2-3 minutes or until it's light and fluffy (if you're using a KitchenAid mixer, use the paddle beater). Add eggs one at a time, beating completely after each addition. Add reduced cider and buttermilk and beat until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Add flour mixture to the liquid mixture and beat until just blended. The dough will be very soft--it will be about the consistency of chocolate chip cookie dough (minus the chocolate chips, of course! :) )
Carefully lay a sheet of plastic wrap on top of a baking sheet. Transfer dough to the plastic wrap. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll dough out to about 1/2" thick. Top with another layer of plastic wrap and transfer the pan to the freezer for about 20 minutes or the refrigerator for 1 hour. While dough is chilling, you can prepare the spiced sugar topping.


When the dough has chilled, remove from the freezer/refrigerator. Using a round cookie cutter, cut circles out of the dough. Using a smaller cookie cutter cut the centers out of the circles and reserve the "holes" for little bite-sized pieces of apple-spiced goodness! Place cut dough pieces on a lightly floured baking sheet. When all the dough has been cut out, place the pan back in the refrigerator while you prepare the oil for frying.

In a large, deep saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 1 quart of oil over medium heat. If you don't have a candy thermometer, go buy one--they're not just handy for this recipe, but they are also a) fabulously cheap and b) ALWAYS useful. Anyway, using a candy thermometer, heat oil to 325 degrees. While oil is heating, line a plate or baking sheet with paper towels.
When the oil is hot, carefully place a few pieces of dough into the hot oil (don't crowd the pan, but you can probably get away with cooking 3-4 at a time, at least). The dough will sink down and then rise to the surface. Check the bottom side; if it's golden brown, flip the doughnut. If it's still a little pale, give it another 30 seconds or so and then check it again. After you've flipped the doughnut, the other side will cook significantly faster, so keep an eye on them. All in all, they should take about 90 seconds-2 minutes to cook completely.

Remove doughnuts from hot oil with a heat-proof slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels, followed by a baking rack (if you need the paper towel space for more doughnuts

Repeat frying process with remaining dough and then with the holes--the doughnut holes will cook EXTREMELY quickly, so be careful not to burn them.


Place spiced sugar mix in a large Ziploc bag and then shake a few doughnuts at a time in the mixture.

Makes about 24-36 doughnuts (plus as many doughnut holes), depending on how big you cut the doughnuts and how many times you roll out the scraps.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Hot Caramel Apple Cider- (ht)


1/2 gallon apple cider (64 oz or 8 C)
1/2 C orange juice, fresh squeezed or good quality bottled like Simply Orange
1 orange
8 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks (if yours are more than a year old- buy new ones!!)
1/4 t ground allspice
1/3 C jarred caramel sauce* more to taste if needed
optional: caramel flavored syrup
sweetened whipped cream (or from a can is fine!)
*For a delicious twist, substitute maple syrup for the caramel sauce in this recipe

Let's make this stuff. Begin by pouring 8 C of apple cider into a large stock pot on the stove pot. Set heat to medium-high. Add orange juice, cinnamon sticks, and allspice.

And since I have a feeling people will ask... no, I wouldn't substitute ground cinnamon or cloves. For one thing, the whole spices taste a lot better, but also ground spices will just add grainy pulp to the mixture. I used ground allspice because it's a small amount and sometimes whole allspice berries are difficult to find.

Thoroughly wash your orange and then gently stab the whole cloves into it. If you find it hard to do that without destroying the cloves, use a toothpick to poke little hole first and then insert the cloves. This is brilliant (if I don't say so myself) because it eliminates the need for a little bag to hold your cloves, and stabbing them in the orange releases oils and lots of yummy flavor! (If you are doubling the recipe, you can still just use one orange, just double the number of cloves you poke into it).

Gently drop the whole orange into the pot. Bring cider to a boil and then reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer on low for 60 minutes and longer if you wish. If you're keeping the pot on the stove for an extended period, keep an eye on the orange. If at any time it splits open, remove it from the pot. If the white pith is exposed it will add a bitter taste to your cider. If you're going to have the pot warming for hours on end, take out the orange. After you've simmered for an hour, add caramel sauce and stir to combine and dissolve. Add more caramel to taste if needed.

When ready to serve, ladle into mugs, top with whipped cream, and give it a drizzle of caramel and a sprinkle of cinnamon!

Recipe From Our Best Bites

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Guacamole- (ht)


1/4 small white onion
2 serrano chiles, halved and seeds removed
4 large sprigs fresh cilantro, leaves only
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large Hass avocados
1 large tomato, finely chopped
Additional salt to taste

In a small food processor*, combine onion, chiles, cilantro, lime juice and salt, and process until smooth and liquid. (If using a molcajete, chop the onion and chiles first, then grind with cilantro, juice and salt until smooth).

Cut the avocados in half. Remove pits (I usually smack them with a chef’s knife to bury the edge in the pit, then twist to remove), and scoop the flesh out into a small bowl. Mash with a fork. Don’t let the avocados get too smooth – some remaining chunks are good. Mix in the chile cilantro mixture, add chopped tomatoes, and stir until combined. Salt to taste — I think this guacamole tastes best when it’s a little on the salty side. Serve with tortilla chips.

Recipe From Savour Fare

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Homemade Slime aka GAK


1 teaspoon borax powder
1 1/2 C water, divided
4 oz (1/2 C) Elmer's glue, clear or white
food coloring

Add borax powder to 1 cup of water and stir to dissolve. Set aside. Pour glue into a medium mixing bowl and add 1/2 C water. Add a few drops of food coloring until desired color is reached and then stir to mix glue solution until smooth. Pour the borax mixture into the glue mixture and watch the solids start to form. Stir for a few moments and then use your hands to gather the mass. The mixture will be very soft and wet. Keep kneading until it firms up and feels dry. Discard excess liquid in bowl. The more you knead and play with the slime the firmer it will become. Store in a ziplock bag or air tight container and the slime will keep indefinitely.

*Note that this is not a recipe for human consumption. It is for play purposes only. Make sure to supervise young children.
Review: This is such a fun and easy thing to do with the kids! They love it and it's kept them busy for quite awhile.

Recipe from Our Best Bites

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Easy Baked Macaroni and Cheese


1 (16 oz.) pkg. macaroni
1 c. milk
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 c. swiss, grated
1 c. monterey jack cheese, grated
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
2 tsp. onion salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 c. flour

In a large bowl, stir together the macaroni, milk, and chicken broth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together using a large wooden spoon. Pour into a very large, deep casserole dish. Bake uncovered in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until pasta is fully cooked. Turn oven broiler on for the last two minutes of cooking time to brown up the top part of the mac and cheese. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Recipe from Babble
Review: This dish is really easy and super good! I would suggest baking it in a very deep dish though, otherwise the liquid evaporates before all of the noodles are done.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Creamy Bacon Tomato and Avocado Pasta Salad- (ht)



•6 slices bacon, chopped into one inch pieces
•1/2 pound dried rotini pasta
•1/2 cup mayonnaise
•juice of 1 lemon
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
•1/4 teaspoon white pepper
•1 teaspoon dried dill
•1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
•1 avocado pitted and sliced

1.Cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
2.Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain. Run cold water over the top until the pasta is cooled.
3.While your bacon and pasta are cooking, whisk mayonnaise, lemon, salt, garlic powder, pepper and dill together in a bowl.
4.Stir cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado and reserved bacon into the dressing. Toss to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5.Serve.
Enjoy!

Recipe from Life's Ambrosia

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Black Beans and Rice


4 teaspoons olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 (16-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4-5 cups hot, cooked white or brown rice

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic and saute, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft and tender. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf, oregano and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. If the mixture becomes too thick, add a tablespoon or two of hot water to thin to desired consistency.

Stir in the fresh cilantro and season with salt and pepper; discard the bay leaf. Serve over the hot rice.

Review: This dish kind of like something my mom used to make when it started to get a bit cooler outside. Overall I think this turned out pretty good although the beans got a little soft and I didn't even cook it the full 45 minutes it says to. Also I added some chunks of kielbasa sausage and I didn't use the bay leaf just cause I didn't have one. So I guess since I added the sausage it is no longer a vegetarian meal.

Recipe from My Kitchen Cafe

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Mini Pizza Cups- (ht)



1 tube (11.3 ounces) refrigerated dinner rolls
1 can (8 ounces) pizza sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 ounces sliced turkey pepperoni, chopped
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Separate dough into eight rolls; cut each into quarters. Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
Spoon pizza sauce into each cup. Sprinkle with onion, green pepper, pepperoni and cheese. Bake at 375° for 15-18 minutes or until crusts are browned and cheese is melted. Yield: 32 appetizers.
Recipe from Taste of Home

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Baked Potato Soup



4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
6 cups 1% milk
1 1/4 c. cheddar, divided
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 c. light sour cream
3/4 c. chopped green onions, divided
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled.

1. Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400 for 1 hour or until tender. This step can be done in advance or you can even use leftover baked potatoes. Allow to cool. Slice in half and then scoop insides into a bowl. Discard the skins and break any large chunks into bite-sized (or smaller) pieces.

2. Place flour into a large pot and gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly, but do NOT bring to a full boil! Boiling will lead to curdled soup, and hey, no one likes curdled soup.

3. Add potatoes, 3/4 c. cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir until cheese melts and remove from heat.

4. Stir in sour cream and 1/2 c. onions

5. Cook over low heat until soup is heated thoroughly. Again, this is a recipe where you have to be vigilant--don't let it boil and don't let it burn the bottom of the pot (unless it's someone else's night to do the dishes and you hate them). No running off to check your email.

6. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with bacon, remaining cheese, and green onions.
Review: This was some pretty good soup. I only used about 4 cups of milk instead of six because our family likes thicker soup. I also added a bit more salt. I will be making this one again.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Freckled Strawberry Lemonade Bars- (ht)



1 c. flour
½ c. butter, softened
¼ c. powdered sugar
Dash of salt
3 eggs
1 oz. cream cheese
2 T. flour
1 ½ c. sugar
¼ c. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 c. strawberries
2 T. sugar
1 t. cornstarch

In a large bowl, combine 2 c. of flour, butter , powdered sugar, and salt until well mixed. Press into the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking pan. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cream cheese, 2 T. flour, 1 ½ c. of sugar, and lemon juice. Pour over cooked crust. In a blender, puree strawberries, 2 T. sugar, and cornstarch. Spoon here and there over the lemon mixture. Return to oven and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until lemon mixture is fully cooked and firmly set. Cool completely before cutting into squares (or triangles). Dust with powdered sugar before serving


Recipe from Cheeky Kitchen

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Oatmeal Coconut Chewies


1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to cool room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 cup quick oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased or lined (silpat or parchment) baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are set but not overly browned (bake a few minutes longer for a crispier version).
Review: These are a really good, simple cookie. Jamison loves them because they don't have any chocolate chips in them and I like how chewy they are!
Recipe from My Kitchen Cafe

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Bourbon Chicken


2 pounds boneless chicken
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup cornstarch

In a bowl mix egg and milk. In a separate bowl combine flour and corn starch. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Dip in egg mixture, then flour mixture and deep fry.


Sauce:
2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 cup apple juice
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp. Ketchup
2 Tbsp. Vinegar
1 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Let boil. Add 1 Tbsp of cornstarch to thicken. Stir and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Pour over chicken and serve immediately.
Review: This chicken was very tasty. I used applesauce instead of juice because I didn't have apple juice. It still tasted pretty good but it had an interesting texture to it.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Cashew Chicken



6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small bite sized pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 t ground ginger (put in desired amount, according your taste)
1 t. pepper
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 c. soy sauce
3 T. ketchup
1 T. brown sugar
2 T. vinegar
1 c. cashew pieces


Put a small amount of oil into a frying pan, heat. When oil is hot add chicken pieces. Brown until chicken is entirely cooked. In a small bowl combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger, ketchup and cayenne, pepper and mix together; pour over chicken. Simmer for 15-20 minutes so that meat can absorb the flavor of the sauce. Add cashews and simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve hot over steamed rice
Review: Good Stuff! Next time I make it I won't put quite so much Cayanne pepper though, it was a bit spicy for my family. Also I added more brown sugar than it called for(of course)

Cinnamon Butter- (ht)



Cinnamon Butter
1 cup REAL salted butter
6 Tbsp. Powdered Sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon


Beat butter, sugar and cinnamon till soft and smooth. Refrigerate till served.


Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Chicken Cordon Bleu Wraps


3/4 pound slice roasted chicken, from the deli
1/2 pound black forest ham, from the deli
4 wedges of creamy Swiss cheese such as Laughing Cow (or you can use spreadable cream cheese)
4 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp creamy honey Dijon mustard
1 cup baby spring mix lettuce or baby spinach
4 (8 inch) tortillas
1. In a bowl, mix together the mayo and mustard. Set aside.

2. With each tortilla, spread one wedge of cheese even over the entire tortilla. Next, place a couple slice of chicken on the tortilla follow by a couple pieces of ham. Be sure to leave one end of the tortilla uncovered(about a 1 inch section). This will be the end you will roll the tortilla up to. The uncovered part will help seal the sandwich with the little bit of cheese spread on it.

3. Spread about 1 Tbsp of the mayo/mustard mixture evenly over the chicken and ham. Place a few pieces of lettuce on the tortilla. Roll the tortilla into a log, rolling toward the post of the tortilla that isn’t covered with meat. Wrap tightly with plactic wrap. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

4. Keep logs wrapped tight until ready to serve. Slice each wrap in half on a diagonal to serve.

Review: Yummy stuff, I love wraps

Recipe from Real Mom Kitchen

Sour Cream Banana Bread


1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
3 cups white sugar
3 eggs
6 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease four 7x3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
2.In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans.
3.Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean


Review: Best banana bread ever! I couldn't believe how good this stuff was and it was really easy to make. The only thing I did differently was that I put a whole teaspoon of salt. This is my new favorite bread.




Recipe from allrecipes.com

Broccoli Cheese Soup



1 can chicken broth
1 small onion, diced
1/3 c. flour
¼ c. butter
Pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)
2 c. milk (I used 1% with great results)
1 ½ c. shredded cheddar cheese (sharp)
½ c. shredded swiss cheese
1 lg. head steamed chopped broccoli (chopped VERY small)

Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour and pepper. Cook together for a couple of minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium-high heat until soup starts to thicken. Next add chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses and steamed broccoli. Serve immediately. Makes approximately 4 servings in bread bowls.
Review: I really liked how with this recipe you steam the broccoli seperately and then you add it to the rest of the soup. That way you know your broccoli won't be over cooked. It tasted really good also.

recipe from Cooking a la Mode

Italian Bread Bowls



1 ½ Tbsp. yeast
2 ½ c. warm water
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
7 c. flour
2 Tbsp. cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

**Yields: 6 bread bowls

In the bowl of an electric mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition until a soft but not sticky dough is formed.

Knead dough for about 6 minutes with and electric mixer or by hand, adding a little more flour if necessary. Lightly spray a large bowl with Pam. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.

Punch dough down, and divide into 6 equal portions. Shape each portion into a nice, smooth, round ball. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.
Review: These bread bowl are okay, not my favorite but they served their purpose.
Recipe from Cooking a la Mode

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Chicken Salad Avocado Wrap- (ht)


1 Cup Cooked Chicken (about 1 large chicken breast), cooked and chopped fine
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Parsley
Juice of 1/2 Small Lemon
2 Tbsp Dill Pickle, chopped fine
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Avocado, Cut into fourths
4 Tortilla Wraps

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and mix.
2. Warm a tortilla for about 30 seconds on each side (you can do this on top of the stove or in a microwave for 15 seconds in between moist paper towels).
3. Place 1/4 of an avocado, cut into slices, on the half of the tortilla nearest to you.
4. Spread 1/4 cup of Chicken Salad on top of the avocado.
5. Roll the wrap away from you and cut into halves.
6. Serve.

Recipe from Weelicious

Mongolian Beef



2 lbs. steak (I prefer tri-tip, but you can also use flank steak or any other good cut of beef)
1/4 c. cornstarch (only for stir-fry method)

Marinade:

1 c. soy sauce
1 ¼ c. sugar
1 tsp. pepper
2 T. toasted sesame oil
4-6 green onions, sliced from bottom to top
2 T. sesame seeds

Broiling Method:

Combine marinade in ziplock bag. Cut steak into 1/4 inch thick slices against the grain. (*Note: It's easier to do this with a sharp knife when the meat is slightly frozen-- But not necessary.) Place meat in marinade for 24-48 hours, if possible. Once marinating is complete, pour entire contents of bag into a foil covered 9x13 pan. Broil, turning at least once, until meat is cooked to desired doneness. (Watch it carefully! It cooks quickly!) Serve over rice, with extra sauce.

Grilled Kabobs:

Cut steak into 2 inch cubes. Combine marinade in ziplock bag and marinate meat for 24-48 hours.

When ready to grill, soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 20 minutes to avoid burning. Then spear steak cubes onto skewers. Grill on both sides until cooked to desired doneness. If desired, boil marinade and serve on the side. Serve with rice.

Stir-Fry Version:

Whisk marinade ingredients in a bowl, leaving out the green onions. Slice onions into 1-2 inch sections and set aside. Cut steak into 1/4 inch thick slices against the grain. (*Note: It's easier to do this with a sharp knife when the meat is slightly frozen-- But not necessary.)

Pat sliced meat dry with a paper towel and place in a bowl or ziplock bag with 1/4 c. cornstarch. Shake or stir to coat all sides of meat.

In a large pan or wok, heat 2 Tbs. vegetable oil over high heat. Add the meat and cook until brown on all sides and slightly crispy. Pour sauce over meat and add green onions. Heat through and serve immediately over rice.
Review: I did not like this recipe very much which is a bummer because I was excited about it. The sauce was kind of bland in my opinion and even after I spiced it up a bit it still didn't taste very good to me. It did get my brain thinking of how I could make something similar that could turn out awesome though so I guess that's a plus.

Recipe from Cooking a la Mode

Peaches and Cream Cheesecake- (ht)


1/4 c. flour
3 T. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
3 oz pkg, vanilla pudding (not instant)
1 egg
1/2 c. milk
1 lg. can peaches (sliced, drained, reserve 3 T. juice)
8 oz. cream cheese
3 T. peach juice
1/2 c. sugar


Combine flour, butter, salt, baking powder, pudding, egg and milk and beat for 2 minutes. Pour into greased and floured 10-inch pie pan. Place peaches over batter. Beat cream cheese, peach juice and sugar for 2 minutes (until no lumps). Spoon to within 1 inch of ege on top of peaches. Combine 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle over top. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe from Sweet Treats and More

Cinnamon Cresent Twists- (ht)



1 package (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Glaze:

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons hot water
Separate crescent roll dough into four rectangles; press seams to seal.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter and cinnamon; spread over two rectangles. Top with remaining two rectangles.
Starting from a long side, cut each rectangle into three strips (I use my pizza cutter to do this). Twist each strip several times; seal ends together.
Place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.
Immediately remove to wire racks. Combine glaze ingredients; brush over warm twists.

Recipe from Real Mom Kitchen

Pineapple Limeade- (ht)


1/2 cup of sugar
3 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup lime juice
1 liter club soda, chilled
1 lime, sliced and then cut slices in half

In a large picture, mix the sugar and juices together and chill. You want this nice and cold.
Just before serving mix in club soda and lime slices. Serve over ice. Enjoy! Makes 8servings.

Recipe from Real Mom Kitchen

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Tassie Cups with Whipped Lemon Curd


3 ounces of cream cheese (a cube is 8 ounces, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Start off by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.
Using a food processor, combine the softened cream cheese, softened butter, flour and salt. Pulse and grind until the mixture forms into a ball. Then get a strip of plastic wrap and place it on the counter. Place the dough onto the center of the plastic wrap and wrap tightly into a ball. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour

Once chilled divide dough into 24 little round half dollar size balls. Using a mini-cupcake pan place each ball in a cup (slightly greased). Pressing from the center out, press dough up the sides of the cup until the dough is evenly pressed up the cup. Then place them into the oven for 10-15 minutes until they are barely brown on the edges (mine took about 10 minutes).

Let the tassie cups cool completely, then remove them carefully from the pan and place on a cooling rack.

For the whipped curd take a half pint of heavy whipping cream and using a stand mixer, mix until the whip cream is pretty thick. Take out about a 1 1/2 cup whipping cream and set aside. Then using already made and cooled lemon curd, mix 2 cups whipping cream and 1 cup lemon curd. Be careful that as you combine the two that you fold the curd into the whipping cream and not mix it. You want to keep the air in the mixture and stirring it will do the opposite.

Next take the 1 1/2 cups whipping cream and add a little drop of vanilla and a about 2 tablespoons powdered sugar to the mixture and stir.

Once the tassie cups are completely cooled, spoon in about a little over a tablespoon of whipped lemon curd into the cups (or fill until they are leveled with the tops of the cups). Then place a dabble of whip cream on top and for garnish and color, add a slice of strawberry.
Review: These were really good but took kind of a long time to make so I don't think I would make them just for an every day snack but they look really pretty and would be an impressive thing to bring to a potluck or something. The only thing I did differently is that I added a half of a cup of sugar to the tassie cup dough so it was kind of like a shortbread with cream cheese. They turned out really great and when I took some to the neighbors they thought I was a gourmet pastry chef. Maybe that's what I'll be when I grow up.

BLT Pasta Salad- (ht)


1lb. macaroni pasta
8 slices bacon
2 medium-large tomatoes
2-3 bunches of green onions, plus extra for garnish
1 cup mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip)
1/4 cup white vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add macaroni. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and pour into large mixing bowl, chill.

Fry 8 slices of bacon and, when cool enough to handle, crumble into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

Chop tomatoes and green onions, add to small mixing bowl. Mix in mayonnaise and vinegar. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour mayonnaise mixture over macaroni and stir together well. Stir in the crumbled bacon.

Serve in a pretty dish with some chopped green onions sprinkled on top. Enjoy!

Recipe from Buns In My Oven

Chocolate Marshmallows- (ht)


3 .25 oz envelopes of unflavored gelatin
2 cups of sugar
3/4 cup of corn syrup
4 ounces of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
Water

You'll also need:
Foil
1 teaspoon canola oil or spray oil
A 9x9 baking pan
A stand mixer
A candy thermometer

Line your baking pan with foil and coat it with the oil.

In the bottom of your mixer, mix the gelatin with a 1/2 cup of water. Let it sit for 10 minutes.

Melt the chocolate and then stir in the cocoa powder. Add to the gelatin and beat until combined.
In a large pot, mix together the sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup of water. Insert the candy thermometer and turn the heat onto medium low. Without stirring, let the syrup cook until it reaches 248 degrees.

Remove from heat and slowly add sugar syrup to the gelatin/chocolate mixture. Add the salt, cinnamon and chipotle and mix at high speed for 10 minutes or until it’s fluffy. Add the vanilla and pour marshmallow fluff into prepared pan.

Let it set for at least four hours. Remove marshmallow slab from the pan.

Dredge it in powdered sugar. With a sharp knife, cut marshmallow into squares or you can use a cookie cutter for more whimsical shapes. Also, leave out the chocolate for a yummy vanilla flavor, use some peppermint extract, or dip them in chocolate and sprinkle on crushed candy cane bits for variety. So many possibilites!

Recipe from Dish Delish

Monday, July 19, 2010

Lemon Curd


1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6-8 large lemons)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest

1 cup sugar

6 large eggs

1.5 sticks butter (12 tablespoons) cold, unsalted butter cut into bits

Zest lemons and set aside. Halve lemons and juice. Whisk together juice, zest, sugar and eggs in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Cook over medium low heat for about one minute. Then slowly add bits of chilled butter, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of a whisk and the first bubble appears on the surface (about 5-6 minutes).

Press curd through a large sieve into a shallow casserole dish (a 9×13 Pyrex works well). Cover the surface with plastic wrap to keep a film from forming on the surface of the curd. Chill overnight or for 8 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Recipe from Cafe Zupas
Review: This was a lot easier to make than I thought it was going to be, I did change a few things though. First off I decided to use just the egg yolks instead of the whole egg. I did this because I wanted it to be a little more custardy and I think it worked. because of this I only used 1/2 a cup of lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon of zest and one stick of butter. I kept the sugar the same though. It turned out great and was much cheaper to make than to buy!

Apple Streusel Muffins- (ht)



2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 dashes of nutmeg
2 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped apples
1 1/2 cups grated apples
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan (I use the reusable muffin liners)

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. It will be a light tan color

In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugars and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Stir in grated apples followed by apple chunks, and gradually blend in the flour mixture. This ends up an extremely thick batter, but the extra grated apples which releases moisture into the muffins as the muffin cooks

Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan

Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack

Gingerbread Cupcakes- (ht)



1 box spice cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup milk

Mix together cake mix, eggs, molasses, oil and milk.
Pour into paper liners and fill 3/4 full. (I did 18 cupcakes)
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly touched.
Cool completely before frosting

Recipe from Real Mom Kitchen

Oreo Dessert Pie- (ht)



1 package Oreos, crushed
1 cube butter, melted
1 large cool whip
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 Cup powdered sugar
1 large box chocolate instant pudding
2 2/3 cup milk

Put 2/3 of the crushed Oreos in the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Pour melted butter over the top and press to make a crust. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1/2 of the cool whip and spread on crust. Make pudding with 2 2/3 cup of milk, instead of following the box directions. Spread on top of cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining cool whip . Sprinkle on the remaining crushed Oreos. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe from Clouse Cousins Cookin'

Sweet Lime Chile Enchiladas


4 chicken breast, cooked & shredded
1 12-15 oz. bottle salsa verde
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8-10 flour tortillas
5 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

In a large bowl, whick together honey, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder & salt. add shredded chicken to the lime mixture. let sit 10 minutes.
in a 9x13 pan pour 3/4 of the bottle of salsa verde, just to cover the bottle of the pan. reserve the rest.

Take each flour tortilla & fill with a chicken & cheese. a couple of tablespoons of each. Roll up & place, seam side down in the salsa verde. Repeat process until all tortillas are filled.
After you remove all of the chicken, there will be remaining lime sauce in the bowl. To that sauce, add heavy cream & the remaining salsa verde. Pour this mixture over the filled enchilada & cover with all the remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is brown & bubbly.

Review: These were so SO good! It's making my mouth water even thinking about them right now. The only thing a changed about this recipe is that along with the honey I also added a little bit of brown sugar just because my family likes things a bit sweeter.

Recipe from: Dish Delish

Hawiian Haystacks in the Crockpot



3 large chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
4 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. sour cream
1 pkg dry Italian dressing mix (Good Seasons)
3 Tbsp cornstarch or flour
Rice (prepared)

Mix together soup, cream cheese, sour cream and Italian dressing mix until thoroughly mixed together. Place chicken breasts in crock pot, pour soup mix over chicken. Cook in crock pot on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. Serve hot over prepared rice. Use toppings of your choice; see suggestions below.

Toppings (as desired): shredded cheese, pineapple tidbits, cashews, black olives, chow mein noodles, fresh or frozen peas (thawed), green onions (chopped), bell peppers (chopped), tomatoes (cubed), raisins, peanuts

Review: This recipe is really good and, like most crockpot recipes, super easy and convenient. I did not ad the cornstarch when I made it because I felt like my sauce was already thick enough but that is the only thing I changed.

Recipe from Kitchen Corner