Top 10 of 2010

So tomorrow is New Year's Eve....I really can't believe the year is over. It flew by! 2010 was a fairly good year. We've been healthy, employed and trying to enjoy life as much as possible. It's amazing that next year, I'll have a 4 year old. Seriously....wasn't she just born the other day?!?! I'm hoping 2011 brings some good changes to our house. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a couple things to come our way. No, I'm not telling what they are either :)

I've really picked up on my blogging this year and plan to continue and expand next year! I have lots of ideas and recipes to try out....so make sure to keep coming back. I'd also love to hear some feedback...I know you're out there :) Don't be shy!

Now.... on the top 10 most viewed posts of 2010.

10. Cherry Tomato and Cannellini Bean Salad

9. Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins

8. Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

7. Jalapeno Cheese Beer Bread

 

6. Pumpkin Swirl Bread

5. Chocolate Glaciers

 

4. Turkey Gyros

 

3. Creamy Chicken Cups

 

2. Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

 

AND NUMBER 1.....

 

Cream Cheese, Feta and Cranberry Pinwheels

 

Hope you all have a happy and healthy New Year!



Four Layer Lasagna

I have been in the mood for lasanga lately and it was perfect since all the ingredients were on sale last week! And an added bonus, we have leftovers for the next 3 days! Cooking isn't high on my priority this week since I'm trying to relax and enjoy my vacation from work.

I bought a pack of Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles and I was little worried. I usually buy regular noodles, boil them and burn my fingers while trying to assemble the lasagna. Today, was not the case! These were so simple to use and I would have had Madeline help me, but the TV was more important than spending time cooking with me today. I think she's tired of me this week especially since she's been saying she's missing Daddy while he worked the last 2 days.

1 box no-boil lasanga noodles (16 sheets)
2 eggs
15 oz container ricotta cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 lb lean ground beef, cooked, drained
2 jars pasta sauce
2 Tbsp dried oregano

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the ricotta, 2 cups of mozzarella, parmesan cheese and the dried oregano.

To assemble the lasagna,

• Spread one cup of sauce on the bottom of the pan.
• Layer 4 uncooked sheets, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, half of the browned meat, 1 cup of mozzarella and 1 cup of sauce.
• Layer 4 uncooked sheets, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture and 1 1/2 cups of sauce.
• Layer 4 uncooked sheets, the remaining ricotta mixture and browned meat and 1 cup of sauce.
• Layer 4 uncooked sheets, the remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Bake covered with foil until bubbly for 50-60 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until cheese is melted about 5 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Source: Barilla

2 New Cookbooks!

I received two new cookbooks from my sister-in-law and I can't to try out some of the recipes.

The first one is: Fat Witch Brownies 

There are a ton of recipes for brownies, bars and other delicious desserts. Madeline enjoyed looking at this book because of all the pictures! I think the first recipe I plan to make out of here is Banana Bread Brownies. The picture looks AMAZING and bananas and chocolate - one of my favorite flavor combinations!

The second book which I think will be my new recipe bible is The Rodale Whole Foods Cookbook.

There's over 1000 recipes included in the book. The book focuses on fresh food and making recipes healthy and using whole grains. I've already tagged a few pages and can't wait to incorporate them in my meal plans for next week!

Thanks Lindsay for the great gifts! 

Now readers...a question for you, what are some of your favorite cookbooks? I'd like to buy a few more to fill up my shelves!

Photos courtesy of Amazon.com

French Bread Rolls

So, I have never made anything that used yeast before, well...maybe back in middle school during home-economics. I vaguely remember making soft pretzels but I'm not sure how old I was...lets say it's been years.

I was very nervous that I wouldn't use hot enough water or my kitchen wouldn't be warm enough for the dough to rise. BUT I was wrong! It was so easy to make these and I can't wait to try more recipes. I feel an addiction coming on! LOL! I made these for Christmas dinner at my mom's. They are super soft rolls and tasted great!

1 1/2 cups warm water
3/4 Tbsp instant yeast (or 1 Tbsp active dry yeast*)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

In a bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl by hand, combine the warm water,yeast, sugar, oil, salt and 2 cups of flour. *If you're using active dry yeast, let the yeast proof in the warm water and sugar for about 3-5 minutes until it is foamy and bubbly before adding the oil, salt and flour.*

Begin mixing and continue toadd the rest of the flour gradually until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Judge the dough not by the amount of flour but in how it feels. The dough should be soft and smooth and still slightly tacky to the touch.

Knead the dough in the mixer or by hand until it is very smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes in the mixer or 8-10 minutes by hand. Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until is has doubled, about 1 hour.

Lightly punch down the dough and turn it onto a lightly greased countertop. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and form the dough into round balls. Place the rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a lightly greased piece of plastic wrap. Do not pin the plastic wrap under the baking sheet or the rolls will flatten and not rise properly. Let the rolls rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degress. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.

Source: My Kitchen Cafe

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

Well it's the day after Christmas and I feel like Toys R Us threw up in our living room! I'm overwhelmed with all the toys Madeline got for Christmas...she's spoiled to say the least!

This was the first time I had made pecan pie. I didn't want to make a traditional pecan pie and wanted to add another flavor - chocolate. I mean who can really go wrong when chocolate is added! . I made this for Christmas dessert at my in-laws and found out that my father-in-law loves pecan pie...great. I was worried it was a little too wet in the middle and cooked it longer until it was set. BUT it was perfect! It was gooey but not too gooey or sweet. I had lots of compliments and my father-in-law told me that if I wanted to practice making more pecan pies, he'd be happy to be my taste-tester.

I have to thank my friend Megan for sending me fresh pecans. They are amazing!

1 whole unbaked pie shell
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup honey (or corn syrup)
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips
24 whole pecan halves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix together eggs, sugar, salt, honey (or corn syrup), butter and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in the chopped pecans and chocolate chips. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Place the pecan halves on top in any arrangement that your little heart desires. :) I just went around the outside.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Cut a ring of foil to fit over the rim of the pie pan and place over the edges of the crust to prevent browing. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until top is lightly browned for about 30 minutes.

Source: A Cozy Kitchen

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! We're spending the day with my family for a Christmas lunch and then dinner at my husband's parents. It will be a day filled with presents, food and laughs!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This recipe has been sitting in my kitchen for a couple weeks and it was finally time to make it...just in time for Santa! Hope he likes them!

This is a great versatile recipe to add whatever type of dried fruits or chips you'd like. The original recipe called for butterscotch chips, but I had a big box of raisins and wanted to use them up. Madeline helped me make them and she had a great time as you can see! I love getting her into the kitchen and helping me whenever I'm baking and she's loving it too!

1 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups quick oats

1 1/2 cup raisin or other dried fruit or 11 oz bag of butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until well combined. Set aside.

Beat the butter, sugars, eggs, almond and vanilla extracts until well blended in a large mixer bowl. Gradually add in the flour in the wet mixture.

Stir in the oats and raisins until well combined. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on a baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving to a rack until cookies are fully cooled. Store in an airtight container.

Source: Tasty Kitchen


Recipe made by: My Hobbie Lobbie and ButterYum

Cranberry Gift Bakets

So as you probably have read, I was working on gift baskets and here they are! I think they turned out really well and Madeline's head teacher loved it! I found wire fruit baskets at a candy warehouse sale that ended up being perfect to bring everything together.

In my baskets, I included:

mini loaves of Simple Delicious Cranberry Bread
jar of Cranberry Chuntey
Sugared cranberries
White chocolate covered pretzels (bought at the warehouse sale)
2 Peppermint Chocolate Marshmellow pops

And a handwritten thank you card thanking our teachers for all their hard work with Madeline.

Sugared Cranberries

I love cranberries and these were a perfect addition to the gift baskets I was making for Madeline's daycare teachers. They were simple to make and sweet and tart at the same time. They'll definitely be going on my list to make every holiday!

2 Tbsp hot water
2 Tbsp honey
10 oz fresh cranberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a small bowl, mix together the honey with the hot water. Orange zest, vanilla extract or cinnamon can be added to this mixture to add flavor. I added 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Soak 1 package of raw cranberries in the honey/water mixture until coated.

Sprinkle both sugars on a cookie sheet and mix well. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the wet cranberries to the sugar mixture. Stir until all the cranberries are coated and leave in the sugar mixture for 30 minutes or until sugar coating hardens.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Recipe from Hounds In the Kitchen Blog

Dipped Marshmellow Pops

These were so simple and perfect to make with my daughter. She had fun rolling them in the graham cracker crumbs!

lollipop sticks
chocolate chips
marshmellows
graham cracker crumbs
other decorations

Stick a marshmellow on each stick. Melt the chocolate chips at 50% power in the microwave until melted.

Dip a marshmellow into the chocolate and spin the stick to remove some of the excess chocolate. Roll into the graham crackers or other decorations. We used crushed candy canes and nonpareils.

Let dry and enjoy!

Recipe from Our Best Bites

Gooey Enchiladas

I was in the mood for mexican the other night and didn't want tacos, despite my husband's attempt to have them every week. We're a roll my eyes emotion when I need one! I figured enchiladas were the next best thing and quick and easy to make with the zillion of things I had to get ready for Christmas. And oh...I'm still not done!

This recipe calls for a can of black beans mixed into the ground beef to help cut down the calories and I'm sure it would have been great that way - except I mistaked the can of black olives in my pantry for a can of black beans...WHOOPS! So needless to say, I just doubled the amount of ground beef to make up for my mistake. They still tasted great and I love the homemade sauce rather than canned versions! This is definitely a keeper and I'll be making it with beans the next time.

2 tsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
14 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I omitted this)
1/2 lb lean ground beef
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 corn tortillas
1 1/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet; add onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Do not allow garlic to brown. Add the tomatoes, coriander, cumin, oregano and pepper and cook for a few more minutes. Stir in cilantro. The sauce will be chunky.

Meanwhile, cook the ground beef. Drain fat and then stir in the can of beans. Warm the tortillas in the oven for about 5 minutes to soften them and make them easier to roll.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce into a rectangular backing dish. Divide the beef mixture and 3/4 cup cheese between the 8 tortillas. Fold over tortilla sides and place seam side down in the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce on top and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes.

Sprinkle on remaining cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

 Recipe slightly adapted from March 2010 issue of Parents Magazine

Red Beet Hummus

I signed up to bring a dip into daycare for my daughter's Christmas Party today. I hate sending in premade dips and other goodies, so I decided to finally make this red beet hummus recipe I have had in my recipe box for over a year. It's very easy and the hummus is a gorgeous color. I was a little concerned about the texture but after refrigerating it overnight, it was much better. Hopefully all the kids like it!

1 red beet, cleaned and tops removed
1 garlic clove
15 oz can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 juice from a lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt

Wrap a beet and an unpeeled garlic clove loosely in foil. Roast at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until the beet is tender. Remove the skin from the beet and garlic.

In a food processor, puree all the ingredients together until well combined and smooth.

Makes about 2 cups.

Recipe from September 2009 issue of Parents Magazine

Cranberry Chutney

This was my first attempt at canning and I was totally nervous! I am making treat baskets for my daughter's daycare teachers...more to come on them... and wanted to make something different. This recipe was very easy and I can't wait to try it with some crusty bread! I'm excited to do more canning next year!

8 cups whole fresh cranberries

1 1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup diced apples
1/4 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup raisins, golden raisins or dried cherries
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp kosher salt

In a large sauce pan, combine all the ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until the mixture sheets from a spoon.

Prepare your canning supplies, sterilize the canning jars by running them in almost boiling water for a several minutes and boil a few cups of water in a small saucepan for the lids.

Ladle the hot chutney into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace at the top. Wipe the rim and center lids on jars and then screw down bands just until resistance is met. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are covered with water and boil for 15 minutes.

Remove canner lid and then wait 5 minutes longer before removing jars. Cool jars on a cutting board away from extreme temperature changes for 12 to 24 hours.

Makes 6 eight-ounce jars.

Recipe from Sugarcrafter


Recipe made by: Cafe Lynnylu

Slow Cooker London Broil Chili

My husband has been asking for chili for the last couple of weeks and I finally broke down and made a batch. It's definitely chili weather around here and has been for the last week! This is a new recipe and made the perfect amount. It was even better since I had a london broil in the freezer that needed to be used! I apologize for the bad picture - I was hungry and didn't want to wait for the chili to cool down.

2 tsp canola oil
1.5 pound London Broil or top round steak, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp paprika
2 -3 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 can (14.5 oz) Mexican style diced tomatoes with liquid
1 cup water (light or nonalcoholic beer)
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, nonstick skillet. Add the beef, onion and garlic and cook until browned, stirring occasionally about 8 minutes.

Spoon the beef mixture into a slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Serve sprinkled with minced onion and grated cheese, if desired. We went without it.

Recipe from Disney Family Fun

Cream Cheese, Feta & Cranberry Pinwheels

Every year, my parent's friends have a holiday party and we've gone for many years. It's always a great time and a chance to try out a new recipe. I wanted a simple and unique appetizer. There's always a ton of desserts so I knew that was out!

I was a little worried about the feta being too strong but it was perfect and the plate was soon empty and I heard everyone saying how great they were. Doesn't that make you feel great!

8 oz cream cheese, softened
6 oz feta cheese crumbles
1/2 cup green onion, diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
4 soft tortillas

In a large mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese, feta, green onions, cranberries and pepper until well combined.

Spread the mixture evenly over each tortilla. Tightly roll the tortilla and wrap with saran wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Once firm, slice into 1 inch pieces. Serve cold

Recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen


Recipe made by: Healthy with Heather

Pumpkin Scones

I made these almost a week ago, but with my little one being sick, I haven't had a chance to get much done around the house. This was my first time I made scones and it was really easy. I'm looking forward to making more since I enjoy eating them for breakfast. The scones were a great pumpkin flavor and more savory without the icing. The icing would have made them sweet, but I just ate them warm with a little butter.

2 cups flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
6 Tbsp butter, cold
3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
3 Tbsp milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp orange zest

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a large bowl. Cut butter into the dry mixture until crumbly with a pastry knife or 2 knives in a scissor form.

In another bowl, mix the pumpkin, milk, egg, vanilla and orange zest.

Lightly dust another piece of parchment paper and set aside. Slowing add wet ingredients into the dry mixture and form into a ball. Put the dough on the floured parchment paper and form into a rectangle about one inch thick.

Cut the dough into 4 squares, cut each square diagonally in half to end up with 8 scones. Place on the baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake 11 to 14 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.

If you'd like icing, here's a recipe:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp milk

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Add additional milk if mixture is too thick until its the desired consistency to drizzle over the scones.

Recipe slightly adapted from Tasty Kitchen

I'm still here!

Sorry for the hiatus, but when your little one is sick and work is insane....there's not much cooking going on! I have lots of baking and cooking this weekend planned, so make sure to stop back and see what's I've been up to. Let's just say there will be lots of cranberries in my future :)

Green Pumpkinseed and Cranberry Crispy Bars

This is one of those recipes that I have saved for years. I can't remember when I ripped it out of Cooking Light but I'm finally getting through the stack of recipes that are taking up room on my craft desk. I need to organize my recipes better and start working through all the recipes I have saved. I'm a little tired of cookies, I know that's surprising coming from me since I love sweets so much! And I'm sure my husband is tired of all my baking since he's my dishwasher :)

These are a twist on the traditional Rice Krispie treats. They'd be great for bake sales and part of holiday gift baskets. The cranberries add a little tartness and they are chewy. The pumpkin seeds add a little crunch and I definitely will be adding more in the next batch I make.

Cooking spray
1/2 cup raw green pumpkinseeds (also known as pepitas)
1/4 cup butter
8 oz package miniature marshmellows
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
5 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup dried cranberries

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pumpkin seeds, cook 4 minutes or until seeds begin to pop and lightly brown, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cool.

Lightly coat a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in marshmellows, cook 2 minutes or until smooth stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Stir in seeds, cranberries and cereal. Scrape mixture into prepared dish using a rubber spatula.

Press cereal mixture evently into the prepared dish. Cool completely and then cut into 16 bars.

Chicken with Pesto Mushroom Cream Sauce

I saw this recipe over on Joelen's blog and knew it was something I wanted to try. It was simple to make and so tasty. The sauce is amazing and I love the addition of pesto. I would have like to make my own pesto but didn't have fresh basil on hand and had a jar of prepared pesto...there's always next time!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
8 oz sliced baby portobello mushrooms
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup basil pesto
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat just until smoking. Cook chicken until golden brown, approximately 3 minutes on each side. Once browned, transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil.

Add remaining oil to skillet and cook mushrooms until browned about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds. Add cream, broth and chicken to skillet scraping up any browned bits and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes ot until chicken is cooked through about 15 minutes.

Transfer chicken to serving platter and tent with foil. Return skillet to high heat and simmer until sauce is thickenen about 5 minutes. Once sauce is thick, remove from heat and stir in pesto and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Serve over spaghetti with the sauce on the side or over chicken.

Tiny Fudge Tarts

Here’s the last and final cookie recipe from the exchange…but not the last cookie recipe you’ll see from me before the end of the year. I have three new cookie recipes I want to try over the next couple of weeks, I think I’ll have a lot of happy coworkers visiting me.



This recipe is another different cookie that I’ve never eaten before. It had a flaky crust with a fudgy-coconut middle. They were tasty, but I think I’d like them with the chopped nuts in place of the coconut. Hopefully I can get around to making them with nuts and see how they are!

Hope you enjoyed all the cookie recipes…which one is your favorite? Or do you have a recipe I should try out?


Dough

1 ½ cups flour
¼ tsp salt
½ cup butter, softened
3 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla


Fudge Filling


¼ cup butter, softened
1 egg yolk
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup cocoa
½ cup finely chopped nuts or flaked coconut


Mix the filling ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and set aside.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Cut in the butter using a pastry knife or two knives in a scissor fashion. Sprinkle the crumbled mixture with water and vanilla and mix well with a fork.


Using half of the dough at a time, roll out 1/16” thick on a cloth-covered board generously sprinkled with sugar. Cut into 2 1/2” squares. Spread a teaspoonful of the filling into the center of each square. Bring the corners of the dough to the center and seal together. Placed the sealed side up or down on an ungreased baking sheet.


Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes approximately 2.5 dozen tarts.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter cookies…one of my husband’s favorites! This is recipe #3 from my work’s cookie exchange.  Peanut butter cookies are simple and easy to make – especially since most of the ingredients are usually in your pantry!

1 ¼ cup flour

¾ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup creamy peanut butter

½ cup sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream peanut butter, sugars and eggs together.  In  small bowl, combine the baking soda and baking powder and then combine into a larger bowl with the flour.

Add the peanut butter mixture to the dry mixture and combine well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Chill for one hour in the refrigerator.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 9 to 10 minutes.

Snickerdoodles

This is a traditional cookie that I have been making for many years. Snickerdoodles are simple to make and are great for the little ones to help. I plan to make these with my daughter; she’ll have fun rolling them in cinnamon-sugar. These cookies were a little harder than I prefer…I like them when they’re soft and chewy, but they still were delicious!


1 cup shortening
1 ½ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 ¾ cup flour, sifted
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Stir in one egg at a time blending well.


In another large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Slowly add this to the wet mixture and stir until well blended.


Roll dough into small balls. In a small dish, mix together 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Lightly roll the dough balls into the cinnamon-sugar.


Place on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes or until edges are starting to brown.


Makes approximately 30 cookies

Ricotta Cookie Puffs

Here’s the first cookie from my work’s cookie exchange yesterday – Ricotta Cookie Puffs. I think this was probably my favorite cookie from the exchange. It’s totally different than any other cookie I’ve eaten before. I reminded me of a sour cream doughnut, but was moist and delicious! They’ll definitely be made in my house!

1 cup margarine, softened

2 cups sugar

1 lb ricotta cheese

1 tsp baking powder

3 eggs, beaten

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

4 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and all ingredients and mix well.

Grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough onto a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.  Completely cool on cooling racks.

Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

These cookies would be great plain, but add a sugar icing and they’re even better!

1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

½ tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp milk

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. If necessary, add more milk for the desired consistency.  After the cookies have cooled, spread a layer or drizzle icing over cookie.

Store cookies in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Glaciers

Today is my work's cookie exchange. I decided to try out a new recipe. I know I was risking it, but I am confident in my baking skills and this was an easy recipe. I think they turned out great, but we'll see what the other bakers think. There are only 5 of us participating in the exchange, so I'll be posting the other cookie recipes too. I have a bunch of new cookie recipes I want to try out...I'm sure my coworkers are going to be hanging around my office for the rest of the month!

These cookies remind me of a brownie, they're super moist and cakey. I would love to try them with Hershey's dark chocolate cocoa...next time!

1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together until well blended. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with a mixer. Beat in one egg at time and then the vanilla. With the mixer on low, slowing incorporate the flour mixture. The dough should be very sticky! Chill dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper. Sift confectioners' sugar onto a large plate. Put about 8 heaping teaspoons of dough onto plate. Roll each clump in sugar to lightly coat, then shape into a ball. Re-roll the balls into the sugar until they are heavily coated. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Place balls 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake one sheet at a time for 11-12 minutes or until tops are cracked and cookies are just set around edges but soft in the middle. Cool on the baking sheet.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Recipe from Redbook Magazine

Ham & String Beans

The weather is changing around here and it's definitely feeling like winter. Today was one of those days when we all just wanted to lounge around the house and stay warm! We did venture out and get our Christmas tree. It's up and all decorated and making the house smell great. I love fresh pine!

This recipe is a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch recipe. It's super easy, at least the way I make it! You can use a ham hock and cook that down, but I didn't have time and ham slices were on sale this week.

1 inch thick bone-in ham steak
1 lb green beans, trimmed
6 yukon gold potatoes, peeled & cubed

Fill a stock pot with water. Add the potatoes and green beans and salt water. Bring to a boil.

Remove the crust (is that what it's called?) around the edge of the ham steak and the bone. Cut into bite sized pieces. Once the potatoes are fork tender, turn down heat to low and add ham steak. Simmer until ham is warm. Season with fresh ground pepper and additional salt if necessary.

Serve with a little broth and hot rolls. YUM!