Just a short post to share some of the recent things I've concocted in the kitchen. First up are the cold coffee drinks. Still love to have my caffeine fix when it's hot, but I CANNOT drink hot coffee in the summer. So here are some lovely frappucino type coffee creations you can make at home. (I'm trying to avoid Starbucks because geez they're expensive!)
The first recipe I happened up on is for a caramel frappucino which you can see here. Although I have tweaked it a bit to my own tastes the standard is pretty good.
Next up is a Mocha Cookie Crumble frappucino that I pretty much Squeed over because of the chocolate fix.
And then I found ALL THE COFFEE THINGS and my brain kind of shut down for awhile. But feel free to explore the coffee goodness LOL.
And last but not least, I made some pretty awesome banana bread that was even fairly healthy. Happy Summer cooking, y'all!
Banana - Nut Bread
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 small)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg white
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
baking spray with flour (this stuff was pretty awesome)
Combine first 7 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until blended.
Combine flour & next 3 ingredients; stir in pecans. Add flour mixture to banana mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 3 inch loaf pan coated with baking spray w/ flour. Bake at 350 for 1 hour & 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack; remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Comfort food for the Winter
One of the best defenses I have against Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is making comfort food during Winter. And while we're almost out of Winter (thank the Gods!) I'm still making comfort food. Cuz the SAD doesn't go away until the Spring sun breaks through. So here are some of my favorite comfort foods to get through the Winter.
Shepherd's Pie
2 medium onions, chopped (or 1 large onion)
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1.5 pounds ground lamb (I sub either beef or turkey)
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
1 heaped tablespoon flour
1/2 cup white wine (not cooking wine, something you would actually drink)
1/2 cup water
seasonings to taste: parsley, thyme, salt, & pepper
1/2 teaspoon terragon
3 large potatoes, peeled (this does mean LARGE potatoes. Use twice as many small potatoes
to get the right consistency.)
1 stick butter (I use light butter to make myself feel healthier)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cooked corn (I use either canned or frozen)
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
Colby/Jack shredded cheese (use however much you want to top the mashed potatoes)
Cook onions, garlic, and ground meat together until meat is browned. Drain off fat & add tomato paste, chicken stock, & flour. Cook for about a minute then add wine & water. Add seasonings to your taste then simmer gently for 15 minutes (or until your potatoes are done boiling.) Boil potatoes while the meat mixture is cooking. Mash potatoes then add butter & milk & salt and pepper to taste. Put meat mixture in a large greased backing dish (circular is better to get a good platform for the mashed potatoes. I have a cast iron stock pot that I do the whole thing in.) Spoon the corn & carrots over the meat mixture and spread mashed potatoes on top so the meat & veggies are completely covered. Sprinkle with cheese & bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Another favorite is chili & here's an awesome recipe for Chicken Chili
Southwestern Chicken Chili
And finally, an all veggie stew you can make in your crock pot
Ratatouille Bean Stew
1 cup dried garbanzo beans
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5 ounce can of chicken broth
1 4.5 ounce jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large zucchini, sliced
1 medium red or green bell pepper, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or to taste)
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian style herbs, undrained
Soak beans as directed on package for 6 - 8 hours
In 3.5 to 4 quart slow cooker combine garbanzo beans, onion, garlic, broth, mushrooms, & salt. Mix well.
Cover, cook on low setting for 10 to 12 hours. About 35 minutes before serving stir in zucchini, bell pepper, Italian seasoning, and tomatoes. Cover, cook on high setting an additional 35 minutes or until veggies are tender.
(Because this last one is a crock pot meal you can be really versatile with the timing. You can do the large part of the cooking overnight, put the inner part of the crock pot in your fridge, then pull it out about an hour before you want to do the last part of the cooking.)
Shepherd's Pie
2 medium onions, chopped (or 1 large onion)
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1.5 pounds ground lamb (I sub either beef or turkey)
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
1 heaped tablespoon flour
1/2 cup white wine (not cooking wine, something you would actually drink)
1/2 cup water
seasonings to taste: parsley, thyme, salt, & pepper
1/2 teaspoon terragon
3 large potatoes, peeled (this does mean LARGE potatoes. Use twice as many small potatoes
to get the right consistency.)
1 stick butter (I use light butter to make myself feel healthier)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cooked corn (I use either canned or frozen)
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
Colby/Jack shredded cheese (use however much you want to top the mashed potatoes)
Cook onions, garlic, and ground meat together until meat is browned. Drain off fat & add tomato paste, chicken stock, & flour. Cook for about a minute then add wine & water. Add seasonings to your taste then simmer gently for 15 minutes (or until your potatoes are done boiling.) Boil potatoes while the meat mixture is cooking. Mash potatoes then add butter & milk & salt and pepper to taste. Put meat mixture in a large greased backing dish (circular is better to get a good platform for the mashed potatoes. I have a cast iron stock pot that I do the whole thing in.) Spoon the corn & carrots over the meat mixture and spread mashed potatoes on top so the meat & veggies are completely covered. Sprinkle with cheese & bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Another favorite is chili & here's an awesome recipe for Chicken Chili
Southwestern Chicken Chili
And finally, an all veggie stew you can make in your crock pot
Ratatouille Bean Stew
1 cup dried garbanzo beans
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5 ounce can of chicken broth
1 4.5 ounce jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large zucchini, sliced
1 medium red or green bell pepper, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or to taste)
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian style herbs, undrained
Soak beans as directed on package for 6 - 8 hours
In 3.5 to 4 quart slow cooker combine garbanzo beans, onion, garlic, broth, mushrooms, & salt. Mix well.
Cover, cook on low setting for 10 to 12 hours. About 35 minutes before serving stir in zucchini, bell pepper, Italian seasoning, and tomatoes. Cover, cook on high setting an additional 35 minutes or until veggies are tender.
(Because this last one is a crock pot meal you can be really versatile with the timing. You can do the large part of the cooking overnight, put the inner part of the crock pot in your fridge, then pull it out about an hour before you want to do the last part of the cooking.)
Monday, May 21, 2012
Mulling things over
Donald just left for a six week training TDY in Montgomery, Alabama & right before he left his mother made a point to ask how she could talk to the kids while he was gone. It occurred to me that Grandma making plans to talk to the kids (catch the plural there?) would be wonderful...except that she doesn't ever try to talk to the kids when their father is home. Which means she's reacting to the fact that Donald not being here means (in her mind) that she can't contact the kids. I would actually really enjoy it if the MIL would make a point to talk to the kids because that's a sign of a healthy relationship. But...someone who only wants to contact their grandchildren because their son is out of the area and they're feeling threatened...that's pretty much the definition of a crappy relationship. And my kids deserve better than that so it really pisses me off.
On a side note, we made these pumpkin pancakes yesterday and they were fabulous! I'd highly recommend them with maple syrup and some whipped cream.
On a side note, we made these pumpkin pancakes yesterday and they were fabulous! I'd highly recommend them with maple syrup and some whipped cream.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Double Peanut Butter Cookies
This is a recipe I meant to make over the Thanksgiving/Yule/Christmas time frame, but it didn't happen. Cuz that whole holiday typhoon doesn't leave a whole lot of time. So I'm making Donald these cookies for Valentine's Day since we're on a very fixed budget (thanks to the asshat who trashed out rental home in NM & made us use the money in our savings account to fix it up again.) I've never been the whole "I love Valentine's Day" girl...in fact I'm pretty much anti-V day because it's just about making money for corporations. But hey, I can still bake the cookies LOL
Side note: this is a fairly small recipe, so feel free to double it for a larger batch.
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup Creamy Peanut Butter (not low fat)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup Reese's Peanut Butter chips
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat butter, sugar, & peanut butter in large bowl until creamy. Add egg & vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda, & salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in peanut butter chips. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet, 6 cookies per sheet. (I make my cookies smaller b/c my kids don't need a HUGE cookie like that. And I use parchment paper, but YMMV.)
Bake 12 - 16 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool 1 minute, remove to finish cooling on wire rack. Makes about a dozen HUGE cookies.
Side note: this is a fairly small recipe, so feel free to double it for a larger batch.
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup Creamy Peanut Butter (not low fat)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup Reese's Peanut Butter chips
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat butter, sugar, & peanut butter in large bowl until creamy. Add egg & vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda, & salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in peanut butter chips. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet, 6 cookies per sheet. (I make my cookies smaller b/c my kids don't need a HUGE cookie like that. And I use parchment paper, but YMMV.)
Bake 12 - 16 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool 1 minute, remove to finish cooling on wire rack. Makes about a dozen HUGE cookies.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Holiday Cookies
One of the holiday traditions I have is baking cookies. Before we had the boys I would bake a TON of cookies to send to family and friends. Now I don't have as much free time as the 2.5 yr old and 4 yr old have to constantly be broken up from fighting each other. But....I make the effort to make some. Because it has become a tradition and it's a way I can give gifts to people I care about without spending too much money. And this year money has been especially tight because of those evil renters who wrecked out house in New Mexico.
In no particular order, here are the cookies I've made this year:
For chocolate chip cookies I always go with the classic Nestle Toll House cookies, which you can find the recipe for here
Pumpkin Cookies
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup canned or cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Blend together sugar, pumpkin, oil, & vanilla. Combine dry ingredients & stir into wet ingredients, mixing well. Fold in raisins & nuts. Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Yields 3 - 4 dozen
Andes Creme de Menthe Chunk Cookies
1/2 cup salted butter - softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 package (10 oz.) Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
Blend butter, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, & eggs until mixed. Sit in Andes chips, and then the flour. Chill approximately 1 hour in refrigerator. Measure out about 1 oz. of dough, roll it into a ball, & place on greased cookie sheet. Raise oven rack one level above middle. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes before removing from pans. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Peanut Butter cup cookies
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking sda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounces) semi sweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped peanut butter cups (about 6 of the 1.6 ounce packages)
In a large mixing bowl cream the butter, peanut butter, & sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, & salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips & chopped peanut butter cups.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.
Double Chocolate Espresso cookies
can be found here and surprisingly didn't make anyone hyper.
In no particular order, here are the cookies I've made this year:
For chocolate chip cookies I always go with the classic Nestle Toll House cookies, which you can find the recipe for here
Pumpkin Cookies
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup canned or cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Blend together sugar, pumpkin, oil, & vanilla. Combine dry ingredients & stir into wet ingredients, mixing well. Fold in raisins & nuts. Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Yields 3 - 4 dozen
Andes Creme de Menthe Chunk Cookies
1/2 cup salted butter - softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 package (10 oz.) Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
Blend butter, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, & eggs until mixed. Sit in Andes chips, and then the flour. Chill approximately 1 hour in refrigerator. Measure out about 1 oz. of dough, roll it into a ball, & place on greased cookie sheet. Raise oven rack one level above middle. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes before removing from pans. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Peanut Butter cup cookies
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking sda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounces) semi sweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped peanut butter cups (about 6 of the 1.6 ounce packages)
In a large mixing bowl cream the butter, peanut butter, & sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, & salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips & chopped peanut butter cups.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.
Double Chocolate Espresso cookies
can be found here and surprisingly didn't make anyone hyper.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Double-Chocolate Espresso Cookies
I'm going to adlib along with the recipe because although these are absolutely amazing, they're also not a normal cookie. They don't act like normal cookies as I found out by baking them last night :)
3 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks, divided
1/2 cup butter or light butter, cubed
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules (or 2 Starbucks Via packets)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
In a small heavy saucepan, melt the unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate, butter, & coffee together. Stir until smooth. (Resist the urge to scoop up the melty goodness in the pan and have a glass of wine instead.) Remove from heat & set aside to cool. (I didn't actually let the chocolately goodness cool & discovered the dough is REALLY runny if you don't let it cool. My next attempt will be to mix all ingredients while chocolate is still warm & then let it cool for 5 minutes. It thickened up after the chocolate cooled off.)
In a small mixing bowl, beat sugar and eggs for 3 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in the chocolate mixture. (Sip more of your wine to get your mind off the insanely good smell of chocolately goodness mixing with sugar.) Combine the flour, baking powder, & salt. Add to chocolate mixture & mix in remaining semi-sweet chocolate.
(Grab the biggest cookie pan you have because my medium cookie sheet would only hold 9 of these at a time b/c they flatten out and get pretty big while baking.) Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. (Parchment paper works wonders & saves your cookie sheets from spray residue.) Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes (depending on how big your cookies are) or until puffed & tops are cracked. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks. (This is very important - the suckers fall apart if you don't let them cool long enough. I ended up letting mine cool for 7 minutes & they did much better.)
Enjoy your cookies & try to refrain from eating the entire batch by yourself ;-)
BTW, I found out through trial and error that it's almost easier to mix all the dough up (while having your wine, of course) & then stick it in the fridge overnight to get firmer. Makes the cookies so much easier to deal with on the cookie sheet ;-)
3 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks, divided
1/2 cup butter or light butter, cubed
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules (or 2 Starbucks Via packets)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
In a small heavy saucepan, melt the unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate, butter, & coffee together. Stir until smooth. (Resist the urge to scoop up the melty goodness in the pan and have a glass of wine instead.) Remove from heat & set aside to cool. (I didn't actually let the chocolately goodness cool & discovered the dough is REALLY runny if you don't let it cool. My next attempt will be to mix all ingredients while chocolate is still warm & then let it cool for 5 minutes. It thickened up after the chocolate cooled off.)
In a small mixing bowl, beat sugar and eggs for 3 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in the chocolate mixture. (Sip more of your wine to get your mind off the insanely good smell of chocolately goodness mixing with sugar.) Combine the flour, baking powder, & salt. Add to chocolate mixture & mix in remaining semi-sweet chocolate.
(Grab the biggest cookie pan you have because my medium cookie sheet would only hold 9 of these at a time b/c they flatten out and get pretty big while baking.) Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. (Parchment paper works wonders & saves your cookie sheets from spray residue.) Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes (depending on how big your cookies are) or until puffed & tops are cracked. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks. (This is very important - the suckers fall apart if you don't let them cool long enough. I ended up letting mine cool for 7 minutes & they did much better.)
Enjoy your cookies & try to refrain from eating the entire batch by yourself ;-)
BTW, I found out through trial and error that it's almost easier to mix all the dough up (while having your wine, of course) & then stick it in the fridge overnight to get firmer. Makes the cookies so much easier to deal with on the cookie sheet ;-)
Friday, November 18, 2011
Thanksgiving favorites
I hate winter with a passion. But I do enjoy cooking and baking, so I guess it balances out. There are all sorts of recipes floating around Twitter right now for Thanksgiving, so I figured I'd put some of my favorite dishes here & share.
This Colcannon recipe is amazing. I add 8 pieces of bacon instead of 4, and add fresh garlic when cooking the cabbage & onions, but everything else stays the same. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/dianes-colcannon/detail.aspx
Once upon a time I heard that pumpkin pies made with fresh pumpkin tasted better. So I searched allrecipes and found this amazing pie recipe that I've used for six years now. I will never go back to canned pumpkin after this. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fresh-pumpkin-pie/detail.aspx
The next two recipes come from A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook by Patricia Talesco and are fabulous.
Corn Bread with Honey (Journey cake)
1.5 cups cornmeal
.5 cups flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
.5 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
Dash of cinnamon (optional)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, & salt in a mixing bowl. In another bowl beat buttermilk, oil, and eggs. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients ; mix thoroughly. Pour batter into a greased baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes. While cornbread bakes, blend the butter, honey, and cinnamon. Baste the top of the bread with the butter mixture during the last 5 minutes of baking. Serve hot or cold.
Zucchini-Cranberry Bread
2 medium zucchini, shredded
2.5 cups sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
4 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons grated orange peel (sub lemon if you're out of orange)
3 cups whole wheat flour
.5 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cranberries, chopped (dried cranberries are much easier)
.5 cup chopped nuts
.5 cup raisins (Optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of a loaf pan. Beat the zucchini, sugar, oil, milk, eggs, vanilla, and orange peel in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt in a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid. Fold in the cranberries, nuts, and raisins. Pour into the loaf pan. Bake until it's done in the middle (use the toothpick trick) about 60 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
We always have our Thanksgiving meal in the evening & for lunch I do meat & cheese & fruit trays. The kids get a kick out of them because they get to "pick their own food." We're doing a brine for the turkey this year, so I'm hoping it turns out well. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
This Colcannon recipe is amazing. I add 8 pieces of bacon instead of 4, and add fresh garlic when cooking the cabbage & onions, but everything else stays the same. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/dianes-colcannon/detail.aspx
Once upon a time I heard that pumpkin pies made with fresh pumpkin tasted better. So I searched allrecipes and found this amazing pie recipe that I've used for six years now. I will never go back to canned pumpkin after this. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fresh-pumpkin-pie/detail.aspx
The next two recipes come from A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook by Patricia Talesco and are fabulous.
Corn Bread with Honey (Journey cake)
1.5 cups cornmeal
.5 cups flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
.5 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
Dash of cinnamon (optional)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, & salt in a mixing bowl. In another bowl beat buttermilk, oil, and eggs. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients ; mix thoroughly. Pour batter into a greased baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes. While cornbread bakes, blend the butter, honey, and cinnamon. Baste the top of the bread with the butter mixture during the last 5 minutes of baking. Serve hot or cold.
Zucchini-Cranberry Bread
2 medium zucchini, shredded
2.5 cups sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
4 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons grated orange peel (sub lemon if you're out of orange)
3 cups whole wheat flour
.5 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cranberries, chopped (dried cranberries are much easier)
.5 cup chopped nuts
.5 cup raisins (Optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of a loaf pan. Beat the zucchini, sugar, oil, milk, eggs, vanilla, and orange peel in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt in a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid. Fold in the cranberries, nuts, and raisins. Pour into the loaf pan. Bake until it's done in the middle (use the toothpick trick) about 60 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
We always have our Thanksgiving meal in the evening & for lunch I do meat & cheese & fruit trays. The kids get a kick out of them because they get to "pick their own food." We're doing a brine for the turkey this year, so I'm hoping it turns out well. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Pumpkin Chip Cookies
I wanted to make some pumpkin cookies with white chips, so I went to allrecipes.com and found this -http://allrecipes.com/recipe/white-chocolate-pumpkin-dreams/detail.aspx
But....it wasn't what I was really looking for. Because I wanted to taste the pumpkin as well as the white chocolate chips. So...I modified it a bit.
First off, I cooked down a small pumpkin pie pumpkin. If you don't know how to do this, you preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut the pumpkin in half from the middle, not through the stem. Take out the guts & seeds. Then get a cookie sheet & put some aluminum foil on it. Rub some oil onto both the foil and the inside of the pumpkin (don't forget to get the parts that will be touching the foil.) Then stick the pumpkin onto the cookie sheet & put it into your oven for 45-60 minutes depending on the size of your pumpkin. You will be able to smell the pumpkin when it is fully cooked & it's ready to come out...also the flesh will be soft. You can scoop out your freshly cooked pumpkin with an ice cream scoop & freeze whatever you don't use.
Here's what I put into my cookies versus the original recipe -
1 cup light butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces white chocolate or vanilla chips
1/2 cup pulverized pecans
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.
I didn't use the frosting because some of these cookies I'm sending as gifts to other people. They turned out really yummy and I think at least a bit healthier than the original recipe.
But....it wasn't what I was really looking for. Because I wanted to taste the pumpkin as well as the white chocolate chips. So...I modified it a bit.
First off, I cooked down a small pumpkin pie pumpkin. If you don't know how to do this, you preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut the pumpkin in half from the middle, not through the stem. Take out the guts & seeds. Then get a cookie sheet & put some aluminum foil on it. Rub some oil onto both the foil and the inside of the pumpkin (don't forget to get the parts that will be touching the foil.) Then stick the pumpkin onto the cookie sheet & put it into your oven for 45-60 minutes depending on the size of your pumpkin. You will be able to smell the pumpkin when it is fully cooked & it's ready to come out...also the flesh will be soft. You can scoop out your freshly cooked pumpkin with an ice cream scoop & freeze whatever you don't use.
Here's what I put into my cookies versus the original recipe -
1 cup light butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces white chocolate or vanilla chips
1/2 cup pulverized pecans
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.
I didn't use the frosting because some of these cookies I'm sending as gifts to other people. They turned out really yummy and I think at least a bit healthier than the original recipe.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)