Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

This recipe is from the Pioneer Woman, I love that lady's site!  I have been wanting to make these cookies since last winter and just never got around to it, but this year was not going to pass me by without making them.  They were super easy to throw together, chilled in the fridge for an hour and turned out very cute and very yummy!  They were the perfect treat to take to friends and co-workers. 

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

2 sticks butter (1 cup) slightly softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
4 oz (4 squares) vanilla almond bark or white baking chocolate (vanilla almond bark works better and its much cheaper)
Large handful red or green peppermints or candy canes

Cream softened butter with powdered sugar.  Add egg and vanilla and mix to combine.  Add dry ingredients and mix together until dough comes together.  Place plastic wrap directly on dough and refrigerate for 2 hours.  (I was impatient and pulled the dough out after 1 hour and it worked just fine!)

In the meantime, unwrap candies and place them in a plastic bag.  Beat with a mallet or rolling pin until crushed.  You can crush them finely but I left some smaller chunks and thouht they looked better that way. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll cookie dough in walnut sized pieces and place on a cookie sheet.  Gently press balls flat with a plain, smooth surface.  Bake for 7-9 minutes, being careful not to burn.  Cookies will remain the same general size and shape after they bake.  Remove from oven, place on cooling rack and allow them to cool completely. 

Place crushed candies in a bowl.  Microwave almond bark in 15 second intervals, stirring each time.  Dip cooled cookies in almond bark coating half the cookie.  Then sprinkle or dip into peppermints.  Gently set them on parchment or another non stick surface until they are cool before serving.  Makes about 30-35 cookies.

Pumpkin Bread

Two posts in one day, I know, don't have a heart attack on me!  Just making up for lost time :)
I got this recipe from http://www.straightupgoodfood.blogspot.com/.  Its a much healthier version of pumpkin bread and  I made a few adjustments to make it even healthier.  It comes together really quickly, bakes for 40 minutes and is delicious.  And if you haven't tried toasting pumpkin bread and then smearing a little butter on it you are missing out because it is heavenly!  Seriously it is, try it!

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Makes 2 loaves

Dry mix:
2 cups all purpose white flour
1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon all spice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger

Wet mix :
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups pumpkin (Original recipe had 1 3/4 c pumpkin and 1/2 c oil)
2/3 cups sugar (Original had 1 3/4 cup sugar)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350, grease 2 loaf pans.
2. Mix all dry ingreidents in a large bowl. Stir well with a metal whisk, set aside.
3. In a medium bowl beat eggs, oil and sugar together. Add buttermilk and pumpkin and mix well.
4. Fold wet mixture into dry and stir just until blended, making sure there are no dry clumps but being careful not to overmix.
5. Pour batter into prepared pans, bake for 1 hour, check at 55 minutes with toothpick or thin knife, which should come out clean with a few moist crumbs.
6. Let bread sit for at least 15 minutes before removing from pan.

* Bread will keep wrapped in the refrigerator for 1 week or in freezer for up to 1 month.

** To make this a little less healthy you can replace wheat flour with white and add 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips. Or just keep the wheat flour and add the chocolate chips. This recipe is very versatile, add more or less of the spices to your preference or use all wheat flour for an even healthier version.

***The recipe says two loaves but they ended up being pretty short loaves...so if you like taller loaves you could easily put it all in one pan and just cook it a little longer.

Soft Ginger Snaps

I have been cooking tons lately...just too lazy to post anything!  But at the request of some friends I am posting this recipe...

During the summer KJ and Aaron were in Utah and I once again over took Aaron's parents house so I could see the Smiths.  Aaron's mom, Cindi, had made a lot of these cookies and she told me to help my self the couple of times I was up there...and  I ate a ton of them!  Soft ginger snaps have always been my favorite and this recipe immediately became my new favorite.  I have made them 3 times in the past 1.5 months!  Thank you Cindi for the recipe, you are wonderful! :)

Soft Ginger Snaps

Cream together:
1 1/2 c shortening
2 c sugar

Then beat in:
2 eggs
1/2 cup light molasses

Sift together and add:

5 c flour

2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking soda

Mix well.  Roll into small balls and roll balls in sugar.  Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 7 minutes until crinkles show on top.  Bake these for exactly 7 minutes, its the perfect time to make them golden brown, crinkley and soft.

When I use my tablespoon cookie scoop I get about 40 cookies.  I like them smaller so I use the 1/2 T cookie scoop and get about 80...then I can eat a ton :)
Forgive the horrid pics...I snapped them quickly on my way to FHE and had to take the cookies with me...

Better Than Crack Brownies

So I didn't get a picture of these, they disappeared so fast!  Don't make them though, they will make you lose all self control and you will eat the whole pan yourself!  Or just do like I did and take the majority of them to work...then you can share the weight gain that is inevitable :)  Seriously though, if you even remotely like chocolate and peanut butter you have got to try them!

Better than Crack Brownies

1 box brownie mix (made per directions on box)
1 cup chopped reeses peanut butter cups (I used more)
1 1/2 cups peanut butter (I used chunky)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups rice krispies

Bake brownies just like the box tells you to in a 9 X 13 pan for about 20 minutes.  Then pull them out and sprinkle peanut butter cups all over the top and put back in the oven for the remaining 4-6 minutes.  Heat PB and chocolate chips in a pan until melted and smooth, then add in the rice krispies and stir to coat.  Pour evenly over the top of the pan of brownies and then try to have self control while you let them cool!  I think next time I will cool them in the fridge...and I think they would be very tasty chilled.  Enjoy!

Tacos...what I am obsessed with lately...

Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

One of my very favorite things about the holiday season is ginger cookies, gingersnaps, gingerbread, gingermen...you name it, I love it!  I stumbled upon this recipe and it will be added to my ginger collection!  Dont over cook them, they stay soft and chewy and are super easy to make!

Ginger Crinkles
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 cup sugar for dipping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the oil, sugar, egg and molasses.  Mix together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger and add to the liquid ingredients.
Roll dough into walnut size balls and sdip into sugar. 
Bake at 350 until slightly brown for about 8-10 minutes.  Do not overcook!!

Poutine

I think that is how you spell it...this is from Canada!  It was different and I was starving but I liked it!  Give it a try!

Poutine

French Fries (we used shoestring, next time will try steak fries)
Brown Gravy
Cheese Curds (what they use in Canada, we used cheese "crumbles")

Bake fries in oven, when they are done pour hot gravy over them and sprinkle with cheese.  Let cheese get a little melty and then enjoy!

Grape Nuts Bars

I love grape nuts and somehow this came up in conversation with a co-worker. He showed up the next day with a 4 pound box that was about 3/4 full! I didn't want to be eating grape nuts for the rest of my life so I decided to try a recipe on the back. It honestly took 5 minutes to make and they are really chewy and tasty and have tons of grains and fiber! Even my roommate who doesn't like grape nuts thought they were pretty good.

Grape Nuts Bars
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup peanut butter
4 cups grape nuts cereal

Combine sugar, corn syrup and peanut butter in bowl and microwave for two minutes, stirring after each minute. Add cereal and stir in. But in a foil lined, greased 9 x 13 pan. Allow to cool completely. Then lift bars out on foil and cut into 30 pieces. Each piece had something like 140 calories and 2.5 grams of fat...give or take a bit!

I brought half of them for my co worker, we decided they would be good with chocolate, nuts, coconut, etc to make them like a granola bar!

Super Soft Bread

This bread was amazing right out of the oven and stayed soft for the next week! I found it...I got the recipe off of a blog I stalk: www.mymuffinthursdays.blogspot.com . Its my friend Ben's sister-in-law Emily whom I have never met but she has some pretty good recipes! I don't usually make bread, it seems to never turn out but this was super easy. Try it!!

Super Soft Wheat Bread

4 c warm water

1/4 c honey

1/4 c sugar (you can use all honey if you want)

1 1/2 T yeast

1/3 cup canola oil

5 tsp salt

8 or more cups flour (I started out with 6 wheat and 2 white but added quite a bit to get it unsticky)

Dissolve honey, sugar and yeast in warm water. Let this sit for a few minutes until everything is dissolved and there are bubbles forming on the top. Pour into mixer bowl, add canola oil, salt and 4 cups flour. Mix for 2-3 minutes.

Add 4 c flour and mix until dough pulls away from the side. You can either put flour on your counter, pull out the dough and knead by hand till it is smooth and elastic or you can do like I do and let the kitchen aid mixer do all the work.

Jamie's note here: There is an easy way to test when the dough is ready, you pull off a chunk and slowly stretch it between your hands. If it rips then its not ready, if it stays together and becomes really thin then you have enough gluten and its perfect. One of these days I will remember to take a picture of this step and show you!

Place in a large bowl, cover and let rise for an hour or until doubled. Its ready when you make an indentation in it with your finger and it stays indented.

Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Shape each loaf and place in sprayed bread pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until tops are browned. Or if you have a food thermometer stick it in and when the temp is 190 degrees and rising its done.

Allow to cool in pans for a few minutes and then pull them out. Enjoy!!

Tomato Update

We have 4 tomatoes off of Tomato and they are delicious! I think we might go buy a couple more plants...the 21 tomatoes off him are not going to be enough....

Blackberry Icecream

Delicious! It is kind of a lot of work and for some reason it took 2 hours to turn into icecream...we make icecream weekly and it never takes that long. It was so worth it though! I think I might go eat some right now...

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/07/blackberry-ice-cream-part-1/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/07/blackberry-ice-cream-part-deux/

Asian Noodle Salad

We feed those poor boys dinner and it was all "girl food"...stuffed peppers, asian noodle salad. There was some chile cheese bread that redeemed us though, i think. So we are going to make them a more manly meal this next Sunday. Anyway, us girls thought the salad was delicious! I am too lazy to retype the entire recipe so here is the link:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/03/my_most_favorite_salad_ever_ever_ever_ever/

Check out the rest of this site. Its one of my favorites when I am looking for new recipes to try!

Brazilian Lemonade

This stuff is amazing...I think it just might be our favorite drink. Last time Kimberly made it she added extra lime. I liked it better that way, gave it a little kick and not as sweet. Jill, Kimberly and I are having our moms over for dinner tonight and are going to make it again because we like it so much! And the margarita glasses make it that much more enjoyable!

Brazilian Lemonade

2 limes

1/2 cup sugar

3 T sweetened condensed milk

3 cups water

ice

Wash limes, cut off the ends and cut into wedges. Place in blender with sugar, sweetened condensed milk, water and ice. Blend in electric blender. Strain through strainer to remove rinds and serve over ice. Best when served immediately and does not keep more than an hour or so!

And this is the logical thing to do with your glasses when you are done drinking the lemonade!

Burgers...Buns...Fries...

I really like to grill, really like to...even though our grill is a piece of crap. Anyway, I found a couple or recipes on a blog I like, http://www.prudencepennywise.blogspot.com/ and decided to try them out. The meal was very yummy and I think we all ate a little too much!

Catalina Cheeseburgers

1 1/4 lb. ground beef

1 4oz. can diced green chiles

1 egg

2 tsp minced garlic

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 T ground black pepper

Mix it all together, form into patties and throw on the grill. After you flip them add cheese so it gets all melty and yummy. Put on hamburger bun with tomatoes and a big bunch of cilantro. The cilantro really added a great flavor!

Homemade Hamburger Buns

1 cup milk plus 1 T divided

1/4 sugar

2 T butter

1 tsp salt

1 egg, yolk and white divided

2 1/4 tsp yeast

3 cups flour

In microwave safe bowl combine 1 cup milk, sugar and butter. Heat just until butter is melting and liquid is warm, not hot. In bowl combine salt, egg white, yeast and 1 cup flour. Add liquid to this mixture and then add remaining flour one cup at a time until its not sticky. Knead dough, place in greased bowl and cover and let raise for an hour. When you can poke dough with your finger and indent stays you know it is ready. Punch down and shape into 10 balls. Place on baking sheet and let raise till doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 450. Mix egg yolk and 1 T together and brush over top of rolls. Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until nicely browned.

These were super simple to make and tasted so much better than the cheap buns you buy at the store!

Homemade Fries

Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes/Yams

Cut up potatoes into fry shape, don't cut too thick or they will take forever to cook. Place in bowl of cold water for at least ten minutes. Drain and pat dry. Then place on a greased cookie sheet and drizzle a couple tablespoons of oil over them. Mix around with your hands to cover fries then arrange in a single layer on the pan. Sprinkle with salt or favorite seasoning. Place in 475 oven for about 15 minutes or till tops of fries are browned. Pull out and flip fries over and cook till the other side is browned.

Meet Tomato

This is tomato, our tomato plant. We bought him at Walmart a month or so ago. When I took these pictures there was 6 tomatoes growing. Last night when I went out to water him there were 17! Can't wait for them to start turning red so I eat them and use them in some recipes!!

Lightened-Up Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

We were out of regular flour and sugar but had a bunch of blueberries that needed to be used. So we pulled out the whole wheat flour, ran across the street to borrow some sugar, improvised on the recipe a little bit and came up with some healthy and tasty blueberry muffins. (original recipe is from BHG).

Lightened-Up Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

1 cup milk

1/4 cup plus 2 T applesauce

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs whites or 1 egg

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/3 cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup fresh, frozen or canned (drained) blueberries

Heat oven to 400 degrees and spray muffin pans (makes 12 muffins). Mix milk, applesauce, vanilla and eggs whites in a bowl with a fork. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder and salt with a spoon just until combined (batter should be lumpy). Gently stir in the blueberries. Divide among muffin cups. Bake 15-20 minutes till golden brown, immediately remove from pan and emjoy!

Mango Sorbet

I was going to put this recipe up, it is amazing! Seriously amazing! But my roomie said we don't want our secret to get out so I am not putting it up. I am just going to tempt you with a picture of it...

Copycat

We ate at a really cool old fashioned diner in Oakley Utah this past Saturday called the Road Island Diner. It was really tasty! So we decided to recreate the meal. We improvised a little bit but it was really really good. There was not one bite left in the pan! Its not much of a recipe, you can use any amount of any of the ingredientst that you want. First start by cooking a bunch of hashbrowns till they are crispy and brown, layer them in a sprayed 9X13 pan. Then put a layer of ham, green chiles and tomatoes. Then cook up some scrambled eggs, slightly undercook them since this is all going in the oven. Layer those and then top with slices of cheese, any kind will work. Pop it in the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly and voila, you are done. It was even better with some salsa verde on top, yum!

Paninis and Soup

I got a panini grill a year or so ago and I love it! It makes the best sandwiches, even if its just a grilled cheese. All you need is some good bread (french, sourdough, foccacia, etc) and sandwich toppings and you are set. Here are some we have made recently that have been a big hit!

Tomato, Avocado and Mozzarella Panini

2 slices bread (I used french bread)

Tomatoes, sliced

Avocado, sliced

Mozzarella cheese in thick slices

Assemble sandwich with a little salt and pepper and pop on the grill. So tasty.

Amazing Turkey Panini

Spinach Artichoke Mayo

Pesto

Turkey slices

Muenster slices

Tomato slices

Foccacia Bread

On one slice of bread spread Spinach Artichoke Mayo, on the other slice spread some pesto. Then build your sandwich with turkey, muenster and tomato. Throw it on the panini grill. This one has tons of flavor. The idea for it came from a sandwich at Zupas and from what I hear our rendition was better than the original!

To make the spinach artichoke mayo: put a glob of mayo, a handful of spinach and a few artichoke hearts in a food processor and blend them all together.

Its been rainy and cold for over a week here in Utah so soup has sounded really good. This was really easy to make and tastes really good!

Tomato Basil Soup

1 can tomato soup (26 oz)

1 can milk (fill up soup can)

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)

1 T olive oil

Salt, pepper and garlic to taste

Chopped up basil, grated cheese and croutons.

Put first four ingredients in pan and simmer on stove until hot. Season with salt, pepper and garlic to taste. When ready to eat dish into bowls and sprinkle with basil, cheese and croutons.