Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

The following recipe is something that has intimidated me for so long. I just looked at them as such an opportunity for mistakes! I decided to make them for my friend Jill's wedding shower at work and I am so glad I did. They were not as hard as I expected at all. I do have a few hiccups to work on, namely those air bubbles in the flooded icing, but otherwise I can't wait to make them again. I have already started planning the multitude of occasions I can make them for. I should go buy stock in a cookie cutter company because I need so many cutters for all the cute ideas I have planned. What I love most is how durable they are. You can stack them, they store well, and they last awhile. Perfect!

I will say, don't make these if you are crunched for time. It is a time consuming adventure but I am sure I will get faster as I gain experience. Please visit Annie's blog, linked below, and check out her cookies. She is awesome with royal icing and is truly inspirational all around!


Source: Annie's Eats

COOKIES:

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 ½ t. almond extract
1 t. vanilla
1 t. salt
2 ½ c. sifted flour

Directions:
Cream butter. Add powdered sugar. Blend in egg, almond extract, vanilla, salt and flour. Chill dough until firm, about 2-3 hours. Roll to ¼” thickness on well-floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 min. Cookies should not brown. Frost and decorate when cool.

ROYAL ICING:
ngredients:
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. meringue powder
5 tbsp. water

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the sheen has disappeared and the icing has a matte appearance (about 7-10 minutes). Transfer the contents of the mixing bowl to an air-tight container. This will be the stiffest consistency of the icing, and at this point it is still too stiff to use for decorating. Add water a very small amount at a time and stir by hand until fully incorporated. Continue until the icing has reached a consistency appropriate for piping. (Remember, if you are having any difficulty piping, it is still too thick. Add a little more liquid and try again.) Using a pastry bag, pipe around the edges of each cookie. Let stand so the icing will set. Make sure to keep the leftover icing covered at all times when not in use so that it does not begin to harden.

Once all the cookies have been edged, transfer some of the remaining icing to a separate air-tight container. Thin out by incorporating a small amount of water at a time, until the icing drips off the spoon easily when lifted and then smooths in with that still in the bowl. If you go too far and the icing is too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar to thicken it again. Once the icing has reached the desired consistency, transfer it to a squeeze bottle (or a plastic bag with a hole in one corner), and flood the area surrounded by the piping on each cookie. If it does not completely spread to the edges, use a toothpick to help it along. Allow to set.

Use the remaining thicker icing for piping decoration as desired. Gel icing color is best as it does not add a significant amount of liquid. Liquid food coloring can be used as well – add powdered sugar as needed to compensate for any thinning that occurs.

Asian Salad

Applebees. Blech. No offense to anyone who likes it, but I just don't. I like the nostalgia of it- going there after 10 in high school and college for half priced appetizers. But the food is just ok. My mom however LOVES the Oriental Chicken Salad there. Last time I went there I tried it after hearing about it so long and I was pleasantly surprised. It was pretty good. I loved the dressing and the salad itself was not bad. Not good enough to go running back, but good enough that I don't break into a cold sweat if someone suggests going there for lunch or dinner now.

When I saw this recipe pop up in my Google Reader I squealed a little bit. Now I can make that tasty salad at home! The original recipe, linked below, calls for chicken. If I was making this as an entree I would definitely use the chicken. However I was using it as a side dish for a BBQ so I did not. I also did not fry the rice noodles. I chose to boil about 2 ounces and chop it up. I loved this salad so much. The dressing was fabulous and will be one of my go-to salad dressing recipes. A serious must try.

Source: Adapted from Blog Chef

Ingredients:

Dressing-
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil (optional)
¼ cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar

Salad-
1 head of lettuce, iceberg or romaine, rinsed and chopped
2 ounces of rice noodles, boiled and chopped
1/2 cup of chow mein noodles
1 small can of mandarin oranges, drained
2 chicken breasts (optional), grilled


Directions:
To make the dressing- In a salad dressing carafe or container combine brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, vegetable oil, and rice vinegar. Shake and mix well (dressing should be prepared at least half hour before making the salad- I made mine the night before and it was perfect)

In a large bowl combine lettuce, cooked chicken (if using), and mandarin oranges. Let chill for 10 minutes in the refrigerator. Just before serving add the rice noodles and chow mein noodles. Pour dressing on the salad or allow everyone to put the dressing on their own plates of salad.

One year!

I can't believe that today marks one year of my journey blogging my way through my kitchen adventures. I actually created my blog in June of 2008. I had goals and ambitions of starting a food blog but then I never followed through with it. For some reason on September 28th, 2008 I grabbed my camera and snapped a photo of my dinner. It came out "good", or what I considered good at the time, so I figured I should try blogging. I didn't have a purpose, or a goal, I just figured it was something I could do and might actually enjoy.

I never in a million years dreamed my blog would turn into what it has. I didn't start my blog thinking I would quit but I also didn't start my blog thinking it would become a passion. I can distinctly remember John and I questioning how long I thought I'd do this for. At the time I had no clue if I would do it for a week, a month, or even a year. I haven't always been good at sticking with things in my life. It's not due to lack of dedication at all- I just never found my niche. I tried dance class and liked it, but didn't follow through. Same for cheerleading, gymnastics, art classes, etc. I always had so many interests and never really followed through with any of them for too long.

Turns out that after so many years of thinking I didn't have a niche I truly do. It took 25 years, several attempts in different classes, and several years of feeling like I was missing something to find it. My niche is in the kitchen. It's standing in front of a stove, stirring and chopping. It's researching recipes. It's photographing my food. It's researching ways to make my photographs better. It's researching ways to make my food better. It's finding a way to feel relaxed and purposeful. This blog has become my outlet and my passion.

I love all of my readers. It still amazes me that so many people read this blog! While my daily hits may be nothing compared to some food blogs it is still unimaginable to me that so many people want to see what I am making. I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading my blog. It is truly a little piece of me that means much more than just a bunch of recipes. It is a sense of pride, joy, and accountability.

I look forward to the next year. I look forward to challenging myself more. I look forward to developing both my photography and my cooking. And above all else I look forward to writing about the experience. Nothing is more enjoyable or relaxing to me than sitting in front of my laptop and typing away. I enjoy rereading my posts and remembering what was going on in my life with each of those recipes. It's like a private diary set to the tune of food. I hope you enjoy my blog, I hope you continue to enjoy my blog, and I hope to continue growing for both you and I!

Crock Pot Applesauce

If I told you that the above applesauce was made by 18 six year olds would you believe me? Because it was! This is my latest adventure of cooking with first graders and it was once again fun, delicious, and exciting. I have been making this recipe for years now with my students but this year I perfected it! I have been messing around with types of apples, amounts of sugar, etc. I finally got it just right. My kids ate this up so fast and were begging for more. One even asked for "the formula" so she could make it at home. I sent it down to the office for the office staff and the guidance counselor called over the loud speaker to ask me for the recipe. She said it was the best applesauce she has ever had. If you are looking for a great applesauce I can't recommend this highly enough- it's so good.

Source: Stephanie Cook's Original

Ingredients:
6 Granny Smith apples
3 Red Delicious apples
3 McIntosh apples
3/4 cup of light brown sugar
1.5 tablespoons of lemon juice
Cinnamon to taste (I used several healthy shakes of cinnamon)

Directions:
1- Peel and slice your apples, place them in the crock pot.
2- Pour in the lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
3- Cook on low for about 4 hours.
4- Using a potato masher mash up the apples. It will be very juicy and liquid. Turn off the crock pot and allow it to sit for about 30 minutes so it reabsorbs the liquid and thickens. Stir well.
5- Serve warm of chilled!

Buttermilk Quick Bread

I love magazines. I love opening my mailbox and seeing a new magazine stuffed in there. The only downfall is that they take up a lot of space. Also, I don't know about you, but I rarely reread magazines. Since I started subscribing to cooking magazines the pile has really grown. As someone who loathes clutter I couldn't take it anymore. I went through all of them, ripped out every page I dog eared, and recycled the magazines. ::Deep exhale:: It felt great. So now I have this huge stack of magazine pages that are in no order or organization. I told myself I'd buy a binder, separate them by course/category, and file them. Hmm... hasn't happened. So I decided to just start making them so I can throw out the pages. Now that is cathartic.



The first recipe I chose to make was this bread because I had all of the ingredients on hand. It literally took me 10 minutes from start to putting it in the oven. And the results? Awesome. A tasty, light, breakfast bread. It's perfect with some jelly, fruit preserve, or butter. If you want a delicious bread to add to a brunch, or even just to snack on, give this a shot.

Source: Cooking Light, January/February 2009

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 large egg whites
Cooking spray

1- Preheat the oven to 350.
2- Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
3- Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the buttermilk, butter, and egg whites into the well.
4- Whisk to combine- only until just moist, don't over combine.
5- Pour into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
6- Bake for 45 minutes.
7- Allow to cool in the pan on top of a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
8- Remove the bread from the pan, allow to thoroughly cool.
9- Slice into 12 slices.

** 3 points per slice (12 slices total)

Chicken Pot Pie

My husband loves chicken pot pie the way I love pasta and cookies. That my friends is some serious love. He drools a little bit at the thought of it. Really. The weather has been getting cooler, the air crisper, and even some leaves are starting to change colors. This inspired me to make a chicken pot pie for the hubster. I had honestly never had chicken pot pie before so I didn't have high hopes and expectations. I know this isn't the traditional form of chicken pot pie since it doesn't have crust on the bottom but it was seriously tasty. John gobbled up his plate so quickly. He even had seconds which he never ever does. The chicken was so tender from cooking in the crock pot- I really think that added a lot to the recipe. I really enjoyed this too and look forward to trying other varieties.


Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1 pound of chicken breasts, frozen or fresh
1 bag of mixed veggies
1 tube of 10 refrigerator biscuits
1 can of 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup of chicken broth
1 cup of chicken gravy
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375.

1- Place the chicken, cream of chicken soup, and chicken broth in the crock pot. Cook on low 5 hours or until the chicken is cooked, shred and set aside. Don't drain the chicken- you will use the gravy.
2- In a 9 inch pie dish combine the chicken and the gravy it is sitting in, the bag of frozen veggies, and the chicken gravy. Stir to evenly coat.
3-Open the biscuits and slice each biscuit into 4 pieces. Evenly distribute the biscuits over the chicken and veggie mix. Top with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Sprinkle on the cheddar cheese.
4- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the biscuits are golden and the gravy is bubbling.

Apple Upside Down Cake

When John and I first lived together I didn't cook much. I had a few recipes that I liked but that was about it. I learned to cook from food blogs. I started off small. I would make small recipes, easy recipes, and recipes with 5 or less ingredients. I then slowly worked my way up. When I was first learning I went to Barnes and Noble and looked at various cooking magazines in an attempt to find one that fit my style. I remember picking up Cook's Illustrated, flipping it open, and quickly putting it down. I was so intimidated at the time by the long articles, black and white layout, etc. It just seemed like something serious cooks used. Looking back I should have picked it up because maybe I would have learned a little faster- that magazine is truly full of useful cooking information and recipes.

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law gave me a subscription for my birthday to Cook's Illustrated. As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I would make it for Rosh Hashanah since apples and honey are a typical treat associated with the holiday. While this recipe doesn't have honey it does have plenty of sweetness. This came out wonderfully. The cake was so delicious and would be a great base to a coffee cake recipe. The original recipe states that you should use a 9 inch cake pan with a 2 inch rim. Mine only had a 1 inch rim and it worked out just fine, but if you have a 2 inch rim I'd use it. This cake was a big hit. I suggest it for the beautiful fall weather up ahead!



Source: Cook's Illustrated, Fall 2009

Ingredients:

Topping:
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, plus extra for coating the pan
4 Granny Smith of Golden Delicious apples, peeled and cored
2/3 cup of light brown sugar
2 teaspoons of lemon juice

Cake:
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sat
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions:

1- Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch round cake pan, set aside. Heat the oven to 350.
2- Halve the apples from pole to pole. Cut 2 apples into 1/4 inch thick slices, set aside. Cut the remaining 2 apples into 1/2 inch thick slices.
3- Heat 4 tablespoons of butter in a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides add 1/2 inch thick apple slices and cook, stirring 2-3 times, until apples begin to caramelize, 4-6 minutes. Add the 1/4 inch thick apples, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves and coats the apples, about 1 minute.
4- Transfer the apple mixture to the cake pan. Lightly press the apples into an even layer. Set aside and prepare the cake.
5- Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt together, set aside.
6- Whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs together in large bowl until thick and combined, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter until combined. Add sour cream and vanilla, whisk until combined.
7- Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into the pan and spread evenly over the fruit.
8- Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes.
9- Cool pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run pairing knife around the sides of the cake to loosen.
10- Place wire rack over the cake pan. Holding the rack tightly, invert the cake pan and wire rack together. Lift the cake pan off. Be sure to place the wire rack over a cookie sheet to catch any drips. Let the cake cool 20 minutes of longer, then transfer to serving platter.

Baked Egg Rolls

Chinese take out is a fond memory from my childhood. I would get giddy when I saw the white plastic bag with the yellow smiley face stacked high with take out containers. Back then I only ate chicken and broccoli (minus the broccoli... I was a bad eater), lo mein, and egg rolls. Oh egg rolls. How delish. And how fattening. But how delish. When John and I first lived together I used to buy this box of 40 mini egg rolls from the freezer section of the grocery store. They were so good baked and 9 of them were a serving for truly minimal calories. I served them as a side dish quite often. Unfortunately my grocery store stopped carrying them! I check every single time but they aren't there.

Since it looks like I need to give up on the delicious frozen egg rolls I figured I could make my own. They didn't seem THAT hard to do. And sure enough they really aren't. These came out really nice and crunchy. I would need to stuff mine a little bit more next time. I went a light light on the filling because I didn't want them to bust open but they needed a little more. Definitely worth a try- they are pretty good and healthy too!

Source: Joyful Abode

Ingredients:
egg roll wrappers
a bag of cole slaw mix
a can of mushrooms
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2-1 tablespoon of soy sauce
salt and pepper
cooking spray
small bowl of water

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put your cole slaw in a large microwave-safe bowl, cover, and microwave 3-6 minutes.
2. Chop your mushrooms and put them in a mixing bowl. This is also when you’d put in the bean sprouts, shrimp, or other fillings.
3. Splash in some soy sauce.
4. Add the garlic and sprinkle in the ginger.
5. By now your cole slaw mix should be cooked. Drain it to get out any excess liquid.
6. Then combine the cole slaw mix with the rest of the ingredients.
7. Place a row of filling in the center of each wrapper.
8- Fold in two of the corners.
9- Put a bit of water on the top edges with your finger. Fold up the bottom, and roll as tightly as you can to the edge.
10- Repeat for the rest of the wrappers, and place the egg rolls on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray or olive oil. Spray the tops of the egg rolls with the oil, too.
11- Bake 15 minutes, then flip the egg rolls over and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving (this will let the wrappers get a little more crisp too).
12- Serve with soy sauce mixed with rice vinegar for dipping, or your favorite dipping sauce

** 1 point per baked egg roll

Wagon Wheel Pasta Salad

I tend to take some time to warm up to trends. Uggs. Leggings. Booties (although I'm still unsure about those things.) I have to see it several times, done several ways, and then I decide if it's for me. The same can be said with my food blog. Everyone and their mother made penne a la Betsy. I did too- just way later. Then everyone and their mother made crispy yogurt chicken. Yup- again I made it. Just months later. Then there were the cake balls and best big fat chewy chocolate chip cookies. Again, a little late to the trend. Let's not forget the Oreo truffles. So the newest trend was this pasta salad. Everyone was raving about it, making it, swearing up and down by it. I knew I'd make it eventually, but in true fashion I waited until months after the craze. I guess I'm a follower, and not a very good one at that!

Well one thing I have learned is that usually the craze was well worth it. Sure enough the same could be said for this salad. I made it for my neighborhood block party and it was delicious. Being the weirdo that I am I took note of who's plate had it and who's didn't. I saw many plates loaded with this stuff! It is a different take on pasta salad and definitely worth the craze. Enjoy- it's quite tasty!

Source: Cara's Cravings

Wagon Wheel Taco Pasta Salad
1lb wagon wheel pasta
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 10oz package frozen corn
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
8oz shredded Mexican-blend cheese
1 1/2 cups salsa
1/2 cup olive oil
3-4 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp cumin
1-2 tsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
freshly ground salt & pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, diced

Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa, and cheese. Add the cooled pasta and mix well.

In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Pour over the pasta salad, add the cilantro, and mix well. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Just before serving, stir in the diced avocado.

Cookies and Cream Rice Krispie Treats

Sometimes I just feel like baking. A short time ago I couldn't understand baking frequently because I equated baking with eating baked goods. I saw constant baking as constant weight gain. Now I see baking as something so different. I bake to relax. I bake to share my hobby with others. Baked goods make people happy and I enjoy that. The other day I came home from work and I was stressed. The school year was new and busy, grad school was kicking up again, and my to-do list was growing. Now a productive person would start the to-do list. I on the other hand made these rice krispie treats! Hey- it all gets done eventually.

These came out really good. I decided to make them for John's coworkers since it had been awhile since I sent in a treat. They came together in less than 10 minutes and were beautiful looking. A real must try- especially if you have kids! My version uses the same ingredients as Picky Palate but I have altered most of the quantities. I will link you to the original below. Overall delicious- make them soon.

Source: Inspired by Picky Palate

Ingredients:
5 cups of Rice Krispie cereal
3 tablespoons of butter
1 10.5 oz bag of mini marshmallows
12 oreos, smashed
1/4 cup of milk chocolate chips, melted

Directions:
1- In a large saucepan heat the butter over low heat. Stir in the marshmallows and stir constantly until melted.
2- Add the rice krispies, stir until evenly coated. Add in the Oreo cookies- stir.
3- Using a greased spatula press the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Allow to cool and harden.
4- Slice into pieces. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the pieces and allow the chocolate to harden. Enjoy!

Confetti Cupcakes

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to meeeeee... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME"

Ok, enough. Sorry.

Being an elementary school teacher allows you to live and relive all of the fun parts of childhood. My first graders are so fun and they just love being kids. When I mentioned to them that it was my birthday this week they immediately wanted to know what goodies I was bringing in, specifically if it would be munchkins or cupcakes. When I said cupcakes they burst out into an uproar of cheering and clapping... they are funny little people. These are the cupcakes I chose to make for them (and myself!) Funfetti is my favorite boxed cake mix and I figured they would be just as easy to make from scratch. Sure enough they are. These cupcakes are so delicious and fun. They taste almost exactly like Funfetti. Delicious!

The big one on top is for John. I had to make little ones for the kids because of the limited sugar rules we have these days in schools. They came out so colorful and cute- but everything is cuter when it's mini, right?



One last picture, and one last fact. While discussing my birthday I told the kids I was going to be 85. HALF of them believed me. The other half swore I wasn't that old- I had to be only 39. Hmph. I guess I'm not aging well since I'm only 25 but hey- what do 5 and 6 year olds know?!


Source: Baking Bites

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
3 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp butter, soft
2 tbsp rainbow sprinkles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
In a measuring cup, whisk together milk, egg whites and extracts. Set aside
In the bowl of an electric mixer (or a large bowl if you prefer to work by hand), combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir to combine. Cut in butter with the paddle attachment at low speed (or cut in by hand), until mixture is coarse and sandy. Add milk mixture and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl and continue beating for 20-30 seconds. Stir in sprinkles.
Divide batter evenly into prepared tin. Bake for for 15 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.
Makes 12.

Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice

Warning: If you do not like spicy food walk, no better yet RUN, from this post. This stuff was packing heat. I love spicy food and can really handle some kick but wow- this is hot. Not bad hot. Not why did I do this hot. Just hot.

I have been meaning to make this recipe for quite some time now. We love shrimp and I enjoy cooking with shrimp because it is the only seafood I really enjoy enough to make at home. John on the other hand will eat just about anything that lives and breathes in the ocean. When I think of shrimp dishes I often think of pasta so this was a little different from our normal shrimp dinners.

I will say it was quite tasty. Once you get over the initial "WOW!" you are sure to enjoy this. Be sure to pour yourself a tall glass of water and then dig in!

Source: Adapted from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

3 cups rice, cooked
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 whole egg, scrambled
1/2 onion, chopped
2 gloves garlic, diced
5 scallions, chopped, whites and greens separated
oil spray
1/2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp asian fish sauce (Oyster sauce)
salt and fresh pepper
In a bowl, season shrimp with cayenne pepper, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Scramble eggs with a drop of water and season with salt and pepper. In a hot wok, spray a little oil and cook the eggs. When cooked, remove from pan and set aside.

Let the wok get really hot. Add oil spray and saute onions, scallion whites red pepper flakes, and garlic for about 1-2 minutes. Add shrimp and saute until no longer translucent. Add rice and cooked egg along with soy sauce and fish sauce, mixing well for about 2 minutes. Add greens of the scallions and serve.

** 7 points per 1.5 cups

Chocolate Mascarpone Brownies

Mascarpone cheese is something I discovered from the beautiful Giada De Laurentiis. I have made several of her recipes that use mascarpone cheese and I was about to try a cupcake recipe of hers when I decided I just didn't feel like making them. Hmph. I googled mascarpone brownies figuring they must exist somewhere on the vast world wide web and low and behold this recipe popped up. Now I am sure Giada's cupcakes would have been a tasty treat for the dinner I was going to but these brownies are a show stopper. Make them. Make them now. Stop reading this and go make them. Well, maybe finish reading it so you know how, but then do it. They are fudgy and delicious, soft and chocolatey, everything a brownie should be. Perfection!

Source: RecipeZaar

Ingredients:

BROWNIES

1 cup unsalted butter
3 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, softened
3 large eggs, at room-temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

GANACHE

6 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 tablespoons whipping cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1- Preheat oven to 325°F; have ready a buttered 8-inch square glass cake pan.

2- In a small saucepan, melt the butter and bring it to just below a boil; have the chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl--pour the hot butter over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds.

3- Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

4- Sift in the sugar and cocoa powder.

5- With a wooden spoon, beat in the mascarpone, eggs, and vanilla, mixing until smooth.

6- Gently fold the flour and salt into the batter.

7- Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly--this is important since, if the batter isn't spread evenly, it won't bake evenly.

8- Place into preheated oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

9- Place pan on a cooling rack and let brownies cool for 30 minutes.

10- Once the brownies have sat about 30 minutes, begin making the ganache.

11- Place chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl; in a small saucepan, bring the cream and the butter to just below the boiling point, over medium heat.

12- Pour this hot cream-butter mixture over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth; ganache is now ready to use and can be spread over the brownies.

13- Should you wish to wait a bit, make sure the ganache is warm when you spread over the brownies, as it does firm up which makes spreading hard to do.

14- Don't cut into the brownies until ganache has firmed up; I find it best to put the brownies into the fridge to speed this along.

Barbecue Chicken Calzone

This recipe was more or less a spur of the moment decision. I knew I was making the pizza dough that I previously posted and that it resulted in two meals worth of dough so I decided to make one batch of it into calzones. Someone had mentioned barbecue chicken calzones on my cooking forum so I decided to make them. While that is probably how meal planning goes for most people it is not how it goes in my house. I plan out meals. I plan them out at least one week, but often two weeks, in advance. I plan down to the side dishes, the vegetable, etc. So a spur of the moment meal like this was shocking but definitely a good choice.

This recipe was excellent. We loved it! I will say it makes 2 big calzones. I thought they'd be personal size but they were not. Next time I would freeze half the dough because we aren't good with leftovers. I heavily adapted the original recipe. Below is what I did but you can click the link to see the original. The original calls for onion and cilantro, both would be delicious, but I didn't have either in the house. This is really good and definitely a meal that will be repeated in our house. Next time I'd add a little bit more BBQ sauce- other than that, perfect.

Source: All Recipes

Ingredients:
1 batch of pizza dough
8 ounces of chicken, cooked and shredded
4 slices of center cut bacon, cooked and diced
1/3 cup of BBQ sauce
1 ounce of cheddar cheese (I used one cheese stick, diced)

Directions:
1- Place a pizza stone in the bottom third of the oven.
2- Heat the oven to 500.
3- Take the dough, divide it in half. Roll each half to an even thickness.
4- Toss the chicken, bacon, BBQ sauce, and cheese together.
5- On one piece of dough, cover half the dough with half the chicken mixture. Be sure to leave a little room around the edge. Fold the other half over so it is covering the mixture.
6- Using your thumb and pointer fingers pinch the dough around the edges.
7- Repeat with the other piece of dough and the remaining mixture.
8- Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Fall Leaves Sugar Cookies

John and I love Barnes and Noble. If we are bored and have nothing to do we will often go there and waste some time (and spend some money...) Recently I picked up a magazine, Harvest Baking by Land o Lakes, and have been dying to make some of the goodies I found in there. I knew these would be my first attempt from the magazine because they are just so cute.

Now I don't normally consider myself a stubborn person but these cookies made me nuts. The dough was so hard to work with! It would go from so firm/bordering too hard to soft and unworkable in literally 60 seconds! I rolled and rerolled the dough so many times before I got it to work. I finally figured out a method that worked- freezing the cookie sheets, then flouring them, rolling out the dough, freezing the sheet with the dough for a couple minutes, cutting the cookies SUPER quickly, and sticking it back in the freezer if it got soft. Yikes. The cookies came out adorable but next time I make them I would just use a different sugar cookie recipe as my base. I will say that despite all of my issues they are delicious and very cute! Definitely worth the effort once I figured out a technique.

Source: Harvest Baking, Fall 2009

Ingredients:
1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons of milk
1.5 teaspoons of almond extract
2.5 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
Red, orange, and yellow gel food coloring
Course white sugar

Directions:
1-Cream your butter and sugar together.
2- Add egg, milk, and almond extract, beat until smooth. Reduce speed to low, add flour and baking powder, beat until well combined.
3- Divide the dough into 3 bowls. Add a small amount of food coloring to eat bowl until they are the desired color.
4- Shape into balls, flatten until 1/2 inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate 2-3 hours, until firm.
5- Preheat the oven to 400.
6- Working with half of each color dough, tear the pieces into small chunks and lay them on a floured surface so they are touching. Then use a rolling pin and roll the dough out so the pieces form a marbled design. Make sure the extra half of each cookie dough stays in the fridge!
7- Using a leaf shaped cookie cutter cut the cookies and place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with decorating sugar.
8- Repeat steps 6 and 7 with the remaining dough.
9- Bake 7-9 minutes. Cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

** If your dough is too soft and you are unable to work with it place it in the freezer a few minutes.

Perfect Pizza Crust

I have 100% conquered my fear of yeast! YESSSSS! This opens up a whole new worlds of cooking and baking. For a long time I have flirted with the idea of making my own pizza dough. However I really enjoy Boboli and similar fake pizza so I thought I shouldn't mess with a good thing. Well... well, well, well. I will NEVER go back. I made it, I am converted, and I am in love. This recipe is called "Perfect Pizza Crust" and it's not a lie- it's so perfect. I even had a major problem (I dropped the pizza on the way into the oven- luckily it fell on the bottom cookie sheet but it was a disaster. My carefully arranged veggies were a mess- my neat round dough was semi-rectangular... ugh...) and it still came out perfect. It's crispy and thin and everything pizza should be. I am in love. With pizza crust. Sigh.

Source: Annie's Eats originally from Baking Illustrated

Basic Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
½ cup warm water (about 110°)
1 envelope (2 ¼ tsp.) instant yeast
1 ¼ cups water, at room temperature
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups (22 oz.) bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 ½ tsp. salt
olive oil or non-stick cooking spray for greasing the bowl

Directions:
Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed. Slowly add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix at low speed until a cohesive mass forms. Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it.

To bake, place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 500° for at least 30 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Form both pieces of dough into smooth, round balls and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.

Working with one piece of dough and keeping the other covered, shape the dough and transfer to a pizza peel or round of parchment dusted with semolina or cornmeal. Top as desired. Slide the dough onto the pizza stone. Bake until the crust edges brown and cheese is golden brown in spots, about 8 to 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining ball of dough or freeze for later use.

Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love cookies. A little bit too much. So much that I can't really buy them, keep them in the house, be within 50 feet of them, you know, the norm. Or maybe not the norm... but it's my reality, so I deal. Unfortunately (yet rather fortunately in all other ways) I married a man with a metabolism of gold. He eats whatever he wants and just doesn't gain weight! Feel free to hate him for this, I know I do. Another unfortunate fact is that his favorite snack is also cookies. He eats at least 6 cookies every night. This is kind of counter productive to my attempts to keep them out of the house, but whatever, I like him so I deal.



I wanted to make some chocolate chip cookies for John's sister and her husband Michael so I decided to make these cookies that I saw on Lauren's blog. I knew they would be excellent because, honestly, how could they not be?! And sure enough, they really are. I like how the rice krispies give them a crunch. These are some really fabulous cookies and definitely worth a try!

Source: Adapted from Baking Blonde

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick unslated butter
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons hot water
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each. Mix in hot water and vanilla. Add flour mixture, in two batches, beating just until combined – be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips and Rice Krispies. Cover and refrigerate for 30 min. or longer.

Preheat oven to 375. Scoop out tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls. Place all balls on one baking sheet, and chill at least 30 min. Remove from fridge and place 12 balls on cookie sheet at a time. Bake until the middle looks just set and the edges begin to turn a light golden – about 8-12 minutes. Remove and let sit on the sheet for a minute. Move cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Baked Ziti with Mascarpone

I am going to share with you the one (and only!) thing I don't like about fall. Shorter days. We don't eat dinner until pretty late because the absolute earliest my husband gets home is 7ish. Tonight it was pretty dark at 7 so I didn't get any natural light for my picture. I am hoping to make a light box or invest in some lighting to alleviate this issue, but until that happens I apologize for the crummy picture (and potentially future crummy pictures).

Baked ziti is my fave. I just love it. So when I saw this recipe pop up on
Lauren's blog I got a little giddy. The main reason I was excited was because this recipe doesn't use ricotta. I love ricotta but the hubster doesn't. He deals- but I think he secretly groans when he sees me put ricotta into dishes. I was skeptical about the sour cream since I am so-so about it but it really was delicious. If you love baked ziti try this twist on the classic- you won't regret it!

Source: Adapted from Elizabeth's Cooking Experiments

Ingredients:

1/2 box of ziti
1/2 jar of sauce (or equivalent of homemade)
4 ounces of mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup of reduced fat sour cream
1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese
1/8 cup of parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

In a large bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, sour cream, and cooked pasta.

Layer the pasta, sauce and cheese in a large greased casserole dish as follows:
1/2 pasta
1/2 sauce
1/2 cheese
remaining pasta
remaining sauce
remaining cheese

Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and top with Parmesan cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Healthy Banana Chips

As a child you believe that everyone eats the same foods you eat, does the same things you do, and goes to the same places you go. It's shocking when you first realize that this is actually not true.The first time I was really exposed to just how personal food is was probably college. For the first time in life you are surrounded by people who have had all different experiences and you see that not everyone eats what you eat, does what you do, or goes where you go. The second time I really had to get used to this was when John and I moved in together. We had been together a little over 2 years at that point so I knew him well but I certainly didn't know as much as I would learn from living with him. One snack that John loved but I had never had as a child was banana chips. I love bananas but I had never seen such a thing! Call me sheltered, I certainly was.

I always have bananas in the house because they are one of my favorite snacks. I also love baking with them, cooking with them, etc. I wanted to make some banana chips but I wasn't willing to dip them in sugar and deep dry them. To me that defeats the point of eating fruit! I decided to dehydrate them in the oven and it worked out perfectly. They weren't the hard, candy type of banana chips you buy from the store but man oh man are they good.

The hardest part of making these is trying to balance your oven door so that it stays open 1 inch. Mine seemed to be built to stay closed or 5 inches open, nothing in between. With careful practice it worked, but it took time. These banana chips would be great mixed in yogurt, eaten alone, or mixed into a snack mix like I made!



Ingredients:
2 bananas, ripe, unbruised, peeled

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 170.
2- Slice the bananas into thin slices.
3- Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray, lay them out on the sheet.
4- Bake for 2 hours with the oven door opened about 1 inch.
5- Flip. Bake an additional hour or so. They should be slightly firm.

** 2 Weight Watchers points per 1/2 of the recipe

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

This past weekend was a real preview of the early days of fall. The air was crisp, the wind was brisk, and I didn't feel like I was sweating just from standing outside. While I am sure that fall isn't here yet and summer will heat up the days again soon, I really enjoyed this sneak peak. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to make a fall food- a casserole. Typically I am not a huge fan of casseroles. There isn't any real reason, I just don't love them. My mom never made casseroles so they weren't something I grew up on. However now and then I run across a recipe for one that intrigues me. This recipe is certainly one of those.

I have been meaning to make this recipe for a few weeks now. I finally forced myself to make it since I knew the ham only had a few more days left before it joined the rest of my fallen fridge friends in the garbage. I really am so bad with wasting- I am striving to improve on this. So even though I wasn't feeling this I made it and I am glad I did. It was really quite tasty. I loved the pepper and onion flavor in the dish. Below is my version- I halved the original recipe and altered a few other measurements, but I am linking you to the original as well. Overall a must try for the fall!

Source: Adapted from Picky Palate

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1/4 lb diced ham
1 Cups cooked shredded chicken breast
1.5 Tablespoons butter
1/8 Cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 2/3 cups of chicken broth
2 Cups cooked rice of choice
1/4 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 Cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat oil into a large 5 qt rimmed skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in garlic, ham and chicken. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Melt butter then stir in flour, salt and pepper until combined.

Slowly stir in chicken broth until well combined. Stir in cooked rice then transfer to a baking dish.

Top with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cover the dish with foil the last 10 minutes for oozing cheese.

Pan Seared Potatoes in a Fresh Herb Sauce

I mentioned in a previous post about how I was challenging myself to create one original recipe a week. This recipe is my weekly installment of my original recipes! And my oh my, what a recipe it was. I had decided to make some form of potatoes to go with a store bought rotisserie chicken, but I couldn't figure out what to do with them. I decided I would slice them thin and create some type of sauce to pour over them. I mixed a little of this and a little of that together and at the last minute decided to add the potatoes to the sauce and allow the two to mingle in harmony on the stove for a few minutes. I am so glad I did because this really allowed the potatoes to absorb the sauce and create an almost au gratin style potato, minus all the cheese and cream.

When I took the first bite of these I actually sighed. They were heavenly. They were so creamy and delicious without being laden with cream and cheese. They were full of flavor and perfectly crisp on the outside, while soft on the inside. I really recommend this recipe and I am not just saying that because I invented it- I am saying it because it's that good!

Source: Stephanie Cooks original!

Ingredients:
1 large russet potato, peeled and sliced thin
3/4 cup of chicken broth
1 handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon of flour
2 tablespoons of cream (light, heavy, etc.)
Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Directions:
1- Pat dry the potatoes and make sure all excess moisture is removed.
2- Pour the olive oil in a large skillet and heat over a medium heat.
3- Evenly spread the potatoes over the oil in a single layer and allow to cook until crisp, flip and repeat. Once they are cooked through remove to a plate and cover.
4- Repeat step 3 with any remaining potatoes.
5- Once all potatoes are cooked add the chicken broth and scrape up all burnt on bits. Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste. Add the parsley. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
6- Sit in the flour and beat until well combined.
7- Pour in the cream, stir well.
8- Return the potatoes to the skillet. Stir until evenly coated.
9- Allow to cook together for about 2 minutes. Serve hot!

Gian's Cookies

I am going to get a little sentimental with you for a minute. I miss my hometown so much. I had a great childhood, a wonderful experience in school, and just so many fond memories. My parents moved one town over a couple years ago and it still makes me so sad! I know it's only one town but it's not my childhood home, or my grocery store, or even my WaWa (if you don't know what WaWa is it's like a 711 essentially only 100 times better). It's not my local streets where I know every curve and house, it's not anything I am familiar with since I never really lived there.

One of the places in my hometown that I haven't found an equivalent for in the town John and I live in is Gian's Bakery. Honesty I am not even sure how their cakes or pastries are because my favorite thing there was cookies with chocolate chips ON TOP. They have to be on top. That is the key element. My friend Maria and I would go there and each get two cookies, pay something silly like 31 cents, and be on our way. I have tried these cookies from many places and they are always good but not as good. So I decided to try to make them. Shockingly, when I google "Cookies with chocolate chips on top" nothing came up. Hmph. So I decided I am just going to have to try this myself.

I decided to go with a butter cookie recipe because they were definitely a butter cookie base. I then pulled them out of the oven two minutes before they were done and put the chocolate chips on, and put them back in. The results? Delicious. They are very similar in taste but not in consistency. Gian's were flakier, these are cakier (not a word but that's ok). I like them best out of the fridge which is strange because I don't typically like any baked goods out of the fridge, but these were perfect chilled. I hope you make these soon because they were one of the best cookies I have made!

Source: Inspired by Gian's Bakery, cookie dough from All Recipes

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mini chocolate chips (Don't use full sized- the cookies are too delicate and they will sink)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Sift together the flour and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg yolks, almond extract and vanilla extract. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients.

Scoop by rounded 1/2 tablespoon into a lined cookie sheet. Bake 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Return to the oven for about 2 more minutes. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for at least 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Gnocchi

As a self-proclaimed pasta and potato girl it's a little shocking that I just recently tried gnocchi for the first time. John and I were out to dinner at an adorable restaurant in NYC, sitting in this beautiful courtyard with flowering trees, and enjoying the atmosphere. Then I looked at the menu and had a "OH NO!" moment. There were only about 10-15 items on the menu and most had beef or veal worked in... 2 things I don't like. I saw the potato gnocchi and figured why not. It was the best possible choice because they were fantastic. I was so impressed with the texture and delicacy of the dumpling that I knew I'd try them again.

I became inspired when I saw a recipe for an Asian gnocchi on Cate's World Kitchen and decided to try my hand at making my own gnocchi. The recipe explicitly states how tricky gnocchi are to make. The comments reiterate the fact. I was scared that I would waste over an hour of time and fail but they were so perfect. I didn't use the fork to create the lines because I personally prefer them without the lines, but you can always do that. They were so delicate and honestly not as hard to make as I expected. Best of all these are VERY inexpensive so if you want to entertain without spending a ton of money I suggest this recipe.

Source: 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients:

Scant 2 pounds of starchy potatoes (2 large russets)
1/4 cup egg, lightly beaten (about 1 large egg)
scant 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour
fine grain sea salt

Directions:
Fill a large pot with cold water. Salt the water, then cut potatoes in half and place them in the pot. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender throughout, this takes roughly 40-50 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the water one at a time with a slotted spoon. Place each potato piece on a large cutting board and peel it before moving on to the next potato. I used a fork and lifted the skin, then pulled back with my fingers.

Using the back of a fork push the fork into the potato and repeatedly push the fork into the potato. This will mash the potato into a fluffy pile. Don't over-mash - you are simply after an even consistency with no noticable lumps.

Save the potato water.

Let the potatoes cool spread out across the cutting board - ten or fifteen minutes. Long enough that the egg won't cook when it is incorporated into the potatoes. When you are ready, pull the potatoes into a soft mound - drizzle with the beaten egg and sprinkle 3/4 cup of the flour across the top.

Using a spatula gently lift the left side of the mixture and fold it over the right. Keep repeating, alternating sides, until the mixture is well incorporated and a light crumble.

Using your hands gently knead the dough. You want it to by moist but not sticky. Slowly add the additional 1/4 cup of flour as needed until you achieve this consistency. (I used about 1/2 of the remaining flour).

Cut it into 8 pieces. Now gently roll each 1/8th of dough into a snake-shaped log, roughly the thickness of your thumb. Use a knife to cut pieces every 3/4-inch (see photo). Dust with a bit more flour.

If desired, push each piece onto a fork, forming it into a c-shaped pillow. If not, leave them as they are.

Either reheat your potato water or start with a fresh pot (salted), and bring to a boil. Cook the gnocchi in batches by dropping them into the boiling water roughly twenty at a time. They will let you know when they are cooked because they will pop back up to the top. Fish them out of the water a few at a time with a slotted spoon ten seconds or so after they've surfaced. Have a large platter ready with a generous swirl of whatever sauce you are using ready. Once all of the gnocchi are cooked top with a little bit more sauce and stir gently.

Enjoy!!!!