Pumpkin Chocolate Whoopie Pies

For the cookies:
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of kosher salt

For the filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt

Make the cookies: Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper (or use 2 baking sheets and bake the cookies in batches). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Using a stand mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then the buttermilk and vanilla. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Drop 8 scoops of batter, about 2 tablespoons each, onto each prepared baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart. Bake until the edges are set but the cookies are still soft, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks and let cool completely.

Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a small bowl with a mixer until smooth. Slowly beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add the pumpkin, cinnamon and salt and beat until smooth.

To assemble the whoopie pies, spread a heaping tablespoonful of filling on the flat side of a cookie and sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Pizza Hummus

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 to 3 cloves garlic
3 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, 1/2 cup liquid reserved
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt


Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomato paste, oregano and basil and cook until slightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the tomato paste mixture to a food processor. Add the garlic, chickpeas, chickpea liquid, tahini, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt. Puree until smooth and creamy.

Sour Cream and Onion Hummus

3 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, 1/2 cup liquid reserved
2 to 3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
Kosher salt

Put the chickpeas, chickpea liquid, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, dried onion, onion powder, granulated garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Puree until smooth and creamy.

The Baked Brownie

Yield: 24 brownies

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Bake Time : 30 minutes

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder
11 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9×13-inch glass or light-colored baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.

3. Put the chocolate, butter in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.

4. Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

5. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve.

7. Store at room temperature in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

(Recipe adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)

Alton Brown's Soft Pretzels

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt

Directions

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Marshmallow Popcorn

Marshmallow Popcorn


2 bags of microwave popcorn
3 cups of mini marshmallow
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
½ cup corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Mix popcorn and marshmallows together and set aside. Mix in heavy saucepan butter, sugar, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour over popcorn and mix well. 

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

I got this recipe from Aunt Cathy, but I also found it here.   They are AWESOME.  Cathy makes them even better by making a thick(ish) lemon glaze to put on top.  So yum.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Makes 2-3 dozen

Ingredients:
½ cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoons baking soda
1½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.
Bake 9-11 mins. 

I make a glaze of powdered sugar and lemon juice and put it in a ziplock and snip off the corner and squeeze a swirlly line of it on each cookie. YUM, Best Part!!!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping

from melskitchencafe.com

Base:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

Cream Cheese Layer:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Apples:

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel Topping:

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup caramel sauce (homemade recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, two tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine all the streusel topping ingredients and mix until crumbly. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture is crumbly but combined. Press evenly into a 9X13-inch baking pan lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

While the crust is baking, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Then add eggs, one at a time and then the vanilla. Mix well. Pour over the warm crust.

Spoon the apple mixture evenly over the cheesecake layer. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apples. Bake for 30 minutes until the filling is set.

Cool the bars to room temperature. Drizzle with the caramel topping (or plate individual slices and drizzle with topping one by one).

Caramel Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cups half-and-half or cream

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon vanilla

Mix butter, brown sugar, half-and-half or cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until cold. If the caramel sauce has cooled in the fridge long enough to harden, warm slightly before drizzling on bars.

Chocolate Kiss Cookies

Michele made these sunday and I've probably eaten well over a dozen. They are amazing!!! She added the toffee bits to part of the batch, which were my favorite, especially with the caramel kisses. thinking I might try some with hugs. The white kiss might look pretty awesome!

1 1/4 cups butter
2 cups white sugar
2 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
54 milk chocolate CARAMEL candy kisses, unwrapped
1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration
Toffee Bits, (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
In large bowl mix butter and sugar till fluffy, add eggs and vanilla mix well. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, toffee bits and add to creamed mixture.
Roll dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter then roll in white sugar. Place balls on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Place unwrapped chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie while still hot. Let cool and enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Dutch Oven Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Got this recipe from a friend, and we just had it while camping. We made some white rice to go with it. SOOOO GOOOD!

-The ingredient sizes are huge, so she usually halves things. Just so you know, you might have to experiment and adjust.

1 lb. bacon

6 Chicken breast, skinless/boneless

1 C Onion, diced

1/2 C Green Pepper, diced

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

12 oz Ketchup

2-3 T Cornstarch

1/2 T Season salt

1/8 tsp Pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 C Brown Sugar

1 C Pineapple juice

1/4 C Bamboo Shoots, drained

16 oz Pineapple tidbits, drained

1/2 T Soy Sauce

With 12 coals on bottom and 12 on top, add bacon and cook until done. Drain grease. Add Chicken, onion, and green pepper. Cook together until chicken is done. Add Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, brown sugar, and pineapple juice, bamboo shoots, pineapple tidbits, and soy sauce. Mix in well. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Uncover and let mixture simmer down until thick, stirring often. Serve over rice.

Peanut butter bars

School Lunch Peanut Butter Fingers!

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

Heat oven to 350 degrees, cream together butter, sugars and peanut butter, then add eggs baking soda, salt and vanilla.  Add flour and oats.  Smooth into 11x15 baking sheet.  Bake 12-15 minutes or until just golden brown.

As soon as you pull the pan out of the oven, lightly spread 1/2 - 3/4 cup peanut butter over the top letting it melt. 

Frosting:  
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Combine butter milk and cocoa in a saucepan and heat until boiling.  Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until spreadable.  Spread on top of peanut butter.

Cinnamon Roll/Twist Recipe

Cinnamon Roll/Twist Recipe

So this is my sister's recipe that she posted on my other blog. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks great. So if any of you try it out let me know how it goes. :)

Ingredients:

2 pkg quick rise yeast(or 2 Tbs) dissolved into 1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 cups milk scalded
1/2 shortening
1/2 sugar
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
6 cups flour (add more if needed)

Directions:

When milk is lukewarm, add shortening, sugar, eggs, yeast, and 3 cups flour. Beat well with mixer. Add the rest of the flour one cup at a time until dough is soft but not sticky. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size. Roll dough to aprox. 25 x 22 inches spread with butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.


Fold in half lengthwise. Cut into strips 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide, twist, and turn starting in the center to form a roll. Place on baking sheet and bake at 375' for 15 to 20 mins or until golden brown. Spread Icing over top right while hot. Serve warm.


Icing :Mix 1 pound powdered sugar, 1/2 cube butter, 1 tsp vanilla, add milk to consistency to spread.

Picture before icing....

Aren't those pretty!?

After Icing

Mint-Chocolate Pudding Pops

Our Best Bites Popsicles

1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1 3/4 C half and half
10 Oreo cookies, crushed (about 1 heaping cup)
1/4 t peppermint extract

Blend pudding mix, extract, and half and half in a blender until smooth. Stir in crushed cookies by hand. Place in molds and freeze.

Strawberry Cream Popsicles

Our Best Bites have loads of Popsicle recipes. These are some I want to try and thought you'd enjoy. Check out their site for more.

1 small box instant vanilla pudding
1 C milk
6oz vanilla yogurt (strawberry is great too)
12 medium strawberries (about 1 3/4-2 C roughly chopped)
2-3 T sugar

remove stems from berries and pulse with 2 T sugar in a food processor until completely smooth. Taste and add more sugar if needed. You should have just over a cup of puree. Set aside.

In a blender combine pudding, yogurt, and milk and blend until combined. Layer or swirl the pudding mixture with the strawberry mixture in Popsicle molds and freeze until solid.

Sourdough bread - Cranberry bread

Sour Dough Bread

3 cups flour
¼ tsp instant yeast (SAF)
1 ¼ tsp salt
¼ - ½ cup sour dough start
Variations – cranberry/Almond/Cinnamon bread
Add 1-1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
½ cup craisins
½ cup almonds
¼ tsp more yeast
2 tsp more water
1/2 bag white chocolate chips

Mix above ingredients in a glass or plastic bowl. Do not use metal.
1-1/2 cups water
½ tsp vinegar
Stir all the ingredients only until combined.
Dough should be pretty stiff. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for
at least 12 - 18 Hours. When surface is dotted with bubbles the dough is ready.

After dough is rested, place dough on well floured surface and lightly dust with flour. Knead dough gently about 7-8 kneads.

Spray a second oiled bowl and place dough seam side down in the bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in size and doesn not readily spring back when poked , about 2 hours in a warm room.

After the dough has risen about 1 ½ hours begin preheating oven and cover pot with a lid (dutch oven is best) for last 30 mins. To about 450º F. Pot should be at least 4 – 8 qt. Heavy covered pot.

When dough is risen, carefully remove HOT pot from oven. Turn dough over into the pot ( now seam side up). Cover with hot lid, and bake 27 min. Uncover and continue baking for an additional 5 + mins. Remove to wire rack and cool before cutting ( if you can wait!)

Teriyaki Sauce

OBB has a really great Teriyaki Sauce! I loved it. You all should try it. Specially with the Bacon Chicken Skewers from OBB. It's a beautiful bite of magic in your mouth.

Teriyaki Sauce

1 tb Cornstarch
1 tb cold water
1/2 cup White Sugar
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
1 clove Garlic, Minced or pressed
1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper

Combine Sugar, Soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, pepper in a sauce pan. While it's coming to a boil mix cornstarch and water together. When it boils add in the cornstarch. Stir until thickened. Remove from Heat. Use how desired.


*Mom don't be afraid of the Garlic. This really is good. You can also use fresh ginger.

Ice Cream Crunch "Cake"

2 (1.5 qt) Vanilla Ice Cream
1 (9oz) pkg Chocolate cookies
1 (7-8oz bottle) Chocolate Shell Ice Cream Topping
1 (1.5qt) Chocolate Ice Cream
5 cups Whipped Cream

Put a 9'' spring form pan in the freezer for 15 minutes. Let 1 container of Vanilla Ice cream soften to room temp.
Remove the pan from freezer. Spread a 1/2 inch thick layer of Vanilla on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Freeze until firm About 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, pulse the chocolate cookies in a food processor to break into large chunks. Add the chocolate shell topping and pulse until the crumbs are moist, about 5 pulses; set aside.
Let the chocolate ice cream soften. Spread over the vanilla layer, firmly packing the ice cream into the pan. Spread the chocolate cookie mixture over the chocolate ice cream. Freeze until set, about 1 hour.
Remove the remaining vanilla ice cream and spread over the crumb layer. Packing it tightly, them smooth with an off set spatula. Freeze until firm.
To un mold, wipe the outside of the pan with a hot wash cloth., then run a hot knife around the inside. Unlatch and remove the side. If the ice cream is too soft refreeze.
Spread 3 cups whipped cream over the top and sides of the cake. Freeze until set. Put the remaining 2 cups in a pastry bag and decorate the edges and top of the cake. Sprinkle with colored sprinkles if desired.
To serve, slice with Hot knife.


* Try mixing this up with different flavors of cookies and ice cream. There are unlimited choices!

Breakfast Frittata

Anyone seen the movie Morning Glory. Harrison Ford's character has a big part in it about Frittatas. He goes on and on about how you can use anything in your refrigerator. He's right. Look what I did.



Left over dinner Fajita mixins:
Onions
Peppers
Meat, diced
Eggs
Cheese
Potato, grated and washed


We had fajita's for dinner. Onions, peppers, steak, and chicken. Obviously you see we had leftovers. In the morning I took out the random bits of meat and veggies and sauteed them up with a potato that I grated and washed. Right there you could have some awesome hash browns. We on the other hand added Eggs beaten with a splash of milk. Pour it on top and let the eggs set a bit. The top will still have some raw egg so throw on some grated cheese and put it in your broiler until it's all cooked up. Enjoy with Salsa or Ketchup! Yum!

You could do this with anything. I know mom sure hates onions and peppers. Add in some spinach, or tomatoes. Maybe your husband is a bacon lover. Or the kids only like Ham and cheese.
Whatever makes your omelet happy in the morning will make a tastey frittata.

Cheeseburger Roll

If you have a husband like mine-- a meat and potatoes kind of guy--  he may like this.
Its kind of like a meat loaf with a crust.

Fresh from the oven

 Cheeseburger Roll

1 lb ground beef
6 Tb. shortening
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
2 c. flour
3/4 c. milk
2 Tb. chopped onion
1/4 c. ketchup
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and onion in 3 TB of the shortening.  

Add the ketchup and cheese.  Remove from heat.  Stir until cheese is melted. 

Sift flour with baking powder and salt.  Cut in last 3 Tb. of shortening, add milk.  Knead.  Roll out onto a floured surface into a 1/2 in. thick rectangle.  Top with hamburger mixture. Wrap sides up over hamburger and pinch sides together so its sealed nicely. 

Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 for 30 mins or until golden brown. 

Serve with country gravy.  

Sliced and topped with the brown gravy we had. 

I made this tonight for Steve.  He doesnt get it often, because I'm not crazy about it.  I didnt have a country gravy packet (I'm lazy that way) so we had brown gravy instead.   I had mine with a big salad.  The best part is that the outside bread is nice and crusty.  Its good with the gravy.

I think this could be good with any ground meat.  Maybe ground turkey?  Steve wanted me to use up some of our ground elk, but I didnt.  I hate the smell of it cooking.   It may be a nice change to your meal.  And its sure to be a man pleaser.  :)

homemade chicken broth

I made homemade chicken chicken broth!

Steve and I had a rotisserie chicken one night for dinner.  After dinner, we stuck it in the fridge.
Next afternoon I pulled it out, plopped it into a pot, threw:
a couple carrots
a couple leafy ribs of celery
1/4 of a large onion
2 smashed cloves of garlic

Then, measured by small palmfuls (equivalent to a tablespoon or so) I added:
thyme
parsley
rosemary
bay leaf

Filled the pot with water, and brought it to a boil.  After it boiled, turned it down to simmer and covered.
Let that pot simmer for about an hour.  I left mine for longer.
Strain all the solids out of the broth, and ta da!

You can package it up and freeze it, or use it right away, which is what I did.
I made a yummy chicken noodle soup to take care of us sickies at the house.

Though this isnt their exact recipe, I got this idea from ourbestbites.com

Peanut Butter Brownies

1/2 cup butter or margarine
4 4-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup chunky style peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Melt butter and chocolate over low heat or in microwave. Cool. Blend in
sugar, peanut butter, salt and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in
flour. Spread in a greased 9" x 13" baking dish. Bake at 350° for 25 min

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

from OurBestBites.com

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken (for extra yumminess, use grilled taco chicken!)
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas (and actually, flour ones are really good as well)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.
Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.
Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.
Then roll it up as tight as you can.
Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.
Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.
The ones pictured below are actually flour tortillas- which I found out I like just as well (maybe even better!) than corn ones.
Dip 'em in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or this dressing.
Makes 12-16
Wanna make it a meal?
Serve with a side of Black Beans and a simple green salad with Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing. Wash it down with some Brazilian Lemonade!

Strawberry White Chocolate Mousse Crepes

Serves 8-10
For the mousse:
1 cup milk, 2% or higher
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter
3 ounces best quality white chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
For the crepes:
2 ounces (1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon) cake flour
2 ounces (1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk, 2% or higher
2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar, for garnish

Begin by preparing the mousse. In a medium sauce pan combine the milk, cornstarch, sugar, and egg yolk. Whisk until well mixed. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until it thickens and comes to a simmer, about ten minutes.
Turn off the heat and add the vanilla, butter, and white chocolate. Stir until completely melted then pour the mixture through a strainer into a separate bowl. Cover with plastic and chill for at least four hours, or overnight.
In a small bowl combine the gelatin with the water. Let stand for ten minutes to bloom. Once bloomed melt in the microwave for ten seconds. Let cool to room temperature.In a medium bowl combine the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat until it thickens. Gradually pour in the gelatin while still whisking. Beat until it forms medium peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the white chocolate base in three additions. Cover and chill for one hour.While the mousse chills prepare the crepes. In a medium bowl combine the cake flour, all-purpose flour, and the sugar until evenly mixed. Set aside. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, butter, and vanilla. Add the milk and whisk to mix. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until smooth. Cover and chill for thirty minutes. While the batter chills combine the strawberries with the sugar and vanilla. Toss to coat, cover with plastic and chill until ready to use.Once the batter has chilled heat an 8-inch crepe pan, or small non-stick skillet, over medium heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and pour about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the batter into the center of the pan. Immediately swirl the pan to evenly distribute the batter in the pan. Cook until the crepe is just turning golden brown on the bottom, about 1 to 2 minutes, then flip the crepe and cook for 30 seconds to one minute more, or until the crepe is lightly golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and layer the cooked crepes between sheets of parchment paper. Cool to room temperature. To assemble spread about 1/2 cup of the mousse into the center of the crepe. Top with the strawberries. Roll the crepes into a tube and then dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

From http://www.evilshenanigans.com/2011/02/strawberry-white-chocolate-mousse-crepes/

Nikki's Hearty Pancakes

3/4 cup flour (you can use whole wheat or white)
1/3 cup oatmeal
1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg beaten
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbs oil
1/4 cup walnuts
If the batter is a little runny, I will add some more flour, until its the consistency that I desire.

Chocolate Gelato

8 oz chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

put chocolate and cocoa in a blender. Bring 2 cups water and sugar to simmer in saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolved. Pour hot sugar syrup into the chocolate blender, cover and pulse until the mixture is smooth but not foamy. Add the extracts and salt and pulse to combine. Refrigerate until very cold.
Whisk the chocolate mixture and transfer to a ice cream maker and freeze according to ice cream maker instructions.

Zabaglione with Berries

1 qt Strawberries, sliced
1 tbs sugar
5 egg yolks
1 egg white
3 tbs sugar
1 tbs grape juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt


mix sliced strawberries and sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
put yolks, white, sugar, grape juice, vanilla and salt in a double boiler. Whisk vigorously over medium heat until thick and creamy. 8-10 minutes. Immediately pour over berries and serve with biscotti.

Raspberry- Almond Pizza

1 pizza crust
butter
sugar
1/4 cup Raspberry jam
1/3 cup mascarpone or cream cheese
3 tbs powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
raspberries
toasted almonds


Preheat 450º roll out pizza crust brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden 8 or so minutes.
Brush with jam; then bake 2 more minutes. Beat cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread over the raspberry cooked crust. Top with raspberries and almonds.

Chocolate Chips Dutch Baby

1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup half n' half
dash cinnamon
3 tbs butter

small bowl, combine chocolate chips and sugar. set aside.
Beat flour, eggs, cream, and cinnamon until smooth.
Place butter in 9'' pie plate. Heat oven 425º for 4-6 minutes or until melted. Pour batter into hot pie plate. Sprinkle with sugar chocolate mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
Serve with butter, or syrup if desired.

Eggshell Chalk

4-5 egg shells
1 tsp. flour
1 tsp. very hot water
drops of food coloring

Wash and dry egg shells completely. Place clean and dry egg shells in a small bowl and grind into fine dust. When egg shells are almost completely ground, discard any larger pieces. In a separate bowl, place flour and hot water. Mix well and add 1 tablespoon of the egg shell powder, stirring until a paste forms. Add drops of color and continue to mix. Remove mixture from bowl and shape into a log. Wrap mixture tightly with a strip of paper towel. Set aside chalk piece and let dry for about 3 days, until hardened. Carefully unwrap paper towel to reveal chalk. Use on Sidewalks only.

Modeling Clay

1 cup bakingg soda
1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup water
drops of food coloring


In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine baking soda and cornstarch. Mix well and add water. Continue to heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is the consistency of mashed potatoes. Continue to stir, as mixture will thicken very quickly. Cover a flat surface with additional cornstarch. Spread mixture over cornstarch and knead by hand until mixture turns into a workable clay. Divide clay into several sections. Make a hole in the center of each section and add a few drops of food coloring to the hole in each section. If desired, use a different color for each section. Knead the sections by hand until the color has distributed throughout. Use modeling clay to make fun sculptures and creations. For a permanent sculpture, let the modeled clay air dry over night. Place leftover clay in a ziplock bag and refrigerate. Use left over clay within 3 days.

Finger Paints

2 cups flour
2 tsp. salt
3 cups cold water
2 cups hot water
food coloring

in a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine flour and salt. Add cold water and using a whisk or hand mixer beat mixture until smooth. Add hot water and bring mixture to a boil, stirring until paint is glossy. Remove from heat and add drops of desired color food color. Stir until mixture is completely colored, adding more drops if needed. Let pain cool completely before using.

Homemade Bubbles & Wands

1 cup Water
2 tablespoons corn syrup
4 tablespoons liquid dishwashing soap


In large dish, combine water, corn syrup, and soap. Mix thoroughly.


Wands:

Form wire clothes hangers or thin pieces of wire into various shapes.

Chocolate Fondue

Ghirardelli chocolate chips - or any really good chocolate you have-
cream
cinnamon
vanilla

We made this for 6 people and used a pound of chocolate. There was left overs. Start small and work your way to more depending on how much you eat.

This is how I would start
1/2 bag chocolate
1/4 cup cream
light sprinkle of cinnamon
light cap full of Vanilla

Heat until melted and combined.

Dip: strawberries, bananas, angel food cake, rice krispies, apples, oranges, pretzels, marshmallows, graham crackers, nut clusters.
Anything that is good with chocolate.

Change the flavor by changing the mix ins. Raspberry extract, orange extract, coconut extract, almond extract would all be good. You could also change your chocolate, White, milk, semi sweet, or bitter.

brownies galore

Mandy asked for some easy recipes to make as treats for her sunday class. Here are a few BROWNIE recipes. I have a baking cook book and there is a whole chapter on Brownies. They are the easiest recipes in the chapter and all sound delicious. I also have a cookie chapter, cake chapter, pie chapter. etc.
If any of you are interested in a recipe you know where to find me. There are so amazingly delicious looking brownies in here that are not as easy as these. BUT look well worth the time and effort. yum!

note: it is a very common thing to put walnuts in a brownie for the world. (All of these recipes have a nut in them.)
Except for us flukes who don't like them... just leave them out.

p.s. don't forget the amazing lemon bar recipe post found in MAY 2009!!

Strawberry Jam Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup strawberry jam
1/2 cup walnuts

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and honey. Combine the flour, baking powder, allspice, and nutmeg; gradually add to the creamed mixture.
Divide the dough in half; spread on portion into a lightly greased 9 inch square pan. SPread with jam. Drop remaining dough by teaspoonfuls over jam. Sprinkle with walnuts.
Bake 350 for 35-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Triple-Nut Brownies

1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, divided
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup whipping cream
2/3 cups EACH of chopped walnuts, pecans, and almonds

Line greased 9 inch square pan with foil; grease the foil and set aside.
In a bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture is crumbly. Press into prepared pan. Bake 350 for 10 minutes.
In a sauce pan, heat the brown sugar, honey, and remaining butter until bubbly. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in cream and nuts. Pour over crust. Bake 16-20 minutes or until surface is bubbly.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Using foil lift bars out of the pan and cut into diamonds. **


** With a large knife, make a diagonal cut from one corner of the pan to the opposite corner. Make diagonal cuts at 1 1/2 inch intervals. parallel to the first cut.
Make a lengthwise cut through the middle of the pan. Make lengthwise cuts at 1 1/2 inch intervals parallel to the first lenthwise cut. Forming Diamonds.

Oatmeal Brownies

1 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup m&m's
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 package (family size) fudge brownie mix

In a bowl, combine the oats, m&m's, flour, sugar, nuts, baking soda, and butter. Set aside 1 cup for topping.
Pat the remaining mixture into a greased cookie sheet. Prepare brownie batter according to package directions. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture.
Bake 350 for 25-30 minutes. Or until toothpick is clean.

Triple-Layer Cookie Bar

1 1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter
2 eggs
TOPPING:
1 package (7oz) coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

In large mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add eggs; mix well. Spread into greased 9x13.
Bake 350 for 8 min. Sprinkle with coconut over crust; drizzle with canned milk. Bake 20-25 minutes or longer just until lightly browned. In a heavy sauce pan or microwave melt chocolate chips and peanut butter; stir until smooth. Spread over top. Cool. cut into bars.

Polka- Dot Cookie Bars

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract- or just use vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package white chips- leave 1/4 cup aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract.
Combine in another bowl the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and white chips; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Spread into greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle top with 1/4 remaining chips.
Bake at 375 for 18-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I'm sure you could make this in a 9x13 for a more brownie like bar.

Fun Marshmallow Bars

1 package devil's food cake mix
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup water
1 egg
3 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup chocolate m&m's
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry cake mix, butter, water, and egg; mix well. Press into a greased 9x13. Bake at 375 for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Sprinkle with marshmallows, m&m's and peanuts. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until the marshmallows begin to melt. Cool on wire rack. Cut into bars.

You could change this recipe up by changing the cake flavor and toppings.

True Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Dressing

1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch
1 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
1 cup buttermilk
3 Tomatillos
3 cloves garlic
1 cup cilantro
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 lime for juice

Blend until smooth.

tips: I used more lime juice and more cilantro for better flavor!

Creamy Ranch Pork Chops

Also from Campbell's Kitchen- Made this for some friends, we all loved it.  We ate it with some ranch mashed potatoes (smashers) and put the gravy over the potatoes.  Not how I originally planned it, but very tasty.

1 tbs vegetable oil
4 boneless pork chops (3/4 in thick)
1 can cream of chickens soup
3/4 cup of milk
1 pkg ranch salad dressing mix

Heat oil in a skillet over medium/high heat. Add the pork and cook until well browned on both sides.
Stir the soup, milk and 1/2 the ranch (1 oz) in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 10 mins or until pork is cooked through.  Sprinkle with paprika (i didnt).

** I actually took the pork out of the skillet, and put it on a plate covered with foil while I mixed up the gravy.  Then I put the pork back in at the end.  This was simply because I didnt have a big enough skillet at the time.

Inside-Out Pot Pie

I was really craving a pot pie, but didnt want to go to the hassle of the pie crusts.  So I found this on Campbell's Kitchen.

4- chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (16oz) frozen veggie combo (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
8 hot biscuits

Cook the chicken in a skillet over medium/high heat until well browned.
Stir the soup and veggies in the skillet. Reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook for 5 mins or until the chicken is done.  Serve the chicken and sauce over the biscuits.

**This was super tasty and SUPER easy.  I actually used fresh veggies but just steamed them a little first.  I also threw in peas.   You could easily change up the sauce for your tastes.  I added a little milk to make it go farther.  I added extra soup, too, now that I think about it.  Steve and I both liked it.

Peach Cobbler

HAPPY NEW YEAR POST!!!!

Preheat: 350

1 can Peaches !!save the syrup!! ( a can big enough for 9x13)
3 TBS Butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 TBS peach syrup

Melt the butter, add the sugar and syrup and spread on bottom of 9x13 pan.
Next place the peaches on top.

my tip: I very lightly sprinkled my peaches with cinnamon. Nothing better than butter, brown sugar and cinnamon!!

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
mix together

then add:
1 cup flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup syrup from peaches.

Spread the batter on top of the Peaches and Bake 350 degree until Golden Brown! (15-20 min)