Hot Chocolate Cookies

Hot Chocolate Cookies

Yield: 30 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2/3 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3-¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 4 (1-oz) packages hot chocolate mix (not sugar-free; a total of about 1 cup of hot chocolate mix)
• 1-¼ teaspoons salt
• 1-¼ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows, frozen (see note)

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, hot chocolate mix, salt and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients slowly until incorporated. The dough will be thick.
3. Fold in the milk and semi-sweet chips. Chill the dough for an hour. Chilling the dough allows the ingredients to blend and also makes a thicker cookie.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Make balls of dough, around 1 1/2 tablespoons each, and place onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Hand place the marshmallows in the cookies. Although I have a pic of folding them in, I've found this is the best way. Make sure to tuck the marshmallow inside the balls if you can so that you don't have marshmallows sticking to your pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. The cookies will still look soft. They will continue to cook as they cool. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. I love these warm. If your eating them after they have cooled you can warm them in the microwave for 10 seconds.

via www.thegirlwhoateeverything.com

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake with Streusel Topping

From twopeasandtheirpod.com

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Streusel Cake

Yield: 16 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35-40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

This easy pumpkin cake is a MUST make for fall!

ingredients:

For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup chocolate chips

For the streusel:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup chocolate chips

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well blended. Add the pumpkin puree. Reduce speed to low, and mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. 

4. To make the streusel, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add in the butter, using 2 table knives or your hands, and cut into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle streusel evenly over the top of the cake. Next, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the cake. 

5. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the sides pull away from the pan and a toothpick comes out clean. Place cake on a wire rack and cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.

Old Fashion Sugar Cake

Nick's Birthday Cake 2014

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 
• 1 cup milk 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 
• 4 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 4 large egg whites 
• confectioner's sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Cream together shortening and milk for about 3 minutes, (it will look like small curd cottage cheese.) Add in vanilla. 
2. in a separate bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add flour, one third at a time to the milk mixture, blending well after each addition. 
3. Lastly, add in egg whites, beating just until all combined. 
4. Pour batter into a greased and floured (do not use a spray) 10 inch cast iron skillet. 
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, using a toothpick inserted in the center to test for doneness. 
6. Let cool on wire rack for at least 45 minutes before serving, lightly dust with powdered sugar if desired. 

Notes

You can also bake this in 10 inch casserole dish or a 10 inch baking pan.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

via iowagirleats.com

Ingredients: 
4 Tablespoons butter
1 large carrot, shredded
1/2 C onion, chopped
salt and pepper
4 Tablespoons gluten-free or regular all purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
3 cups small-chopped fresh broccoli florets
8oz freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for serving

Directions: 

1. Melt butter in a large soup pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat then add carrots and shallot, season with salt and pepper, and then saute until carrots are tender, 3-5 minutes.
2. Sprinkle in flour then whisk to combine and cook while whisking for 1 minute. Slowly stream in chicken broth while whisking constantly to avoid lumps (I add a big splash at a time then whisk until smooth before adding more.) Add milk then season with salt and pepper and then turn heat up to medium-high to bring soup to a simmer. Turn heat down to medium then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add broccoli florets to pot then simmer for 20 more minutes, or until broccoli is tender. Remove pot from heat then add cheese in three batches, stirring until completely smooth before adding the next batch. Mash florets slightly with a potato masher to reach desired texture – this is optional. Taste soup then add salt and pepper if necessary and then ladle into bowls and serve with shredded cheese on top.
4. NOTE: I do not recommend freezing this soup.

Slow Cooker Beef & Broccoli

It's a little strong as is... Next time I will tone it down. 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless, beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips (I used Tri Tip)
• 1 cup beef consumme or beef broth
• ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
• ⅓ cup dark brown sugar (I used light)
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 4 tbsp. sauce (from the crockpot after dish is cooked)
• 2-3 cups Frozen broccoli florets
• White rice, cooked

Instructions:

1. In the insert of the crockpot, whisk together beef consume, soy sauce, dark brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic.
2. Gently place your slices of beef in the liquid and toss to coat.
3. Turn crockpot on low and cook for 4-5 hours.
4. When done, in a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and cooking liquid to create a slurry, pour into crockpot, stir to mix well. Cook on low for an additional 30 minutes to thicken up the sauce.
5. Toss in your broccoli florets then serve hot over white rice.

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  4-5 hours 30 mins

Total time:  4-5 hours 40 mins

Serves: 4

Slow-Cooked Carnita Tacos with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

ingredients

• 4 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs or pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon cumin
• 4 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
• 1 large onion, cut into 8 pieces
• 1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
• 2 avocado, halved, pitted, sliced
• Fresh cilantro sprigs
• Sliced red bell peppers (optional)
• Corn tortillas
• Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

preparation

Toss pork in bowl of slow cooker with salt, black pepper, and dried oregano to coat. Place onion pieces atop pork, pour in broth. Cover slow cooker and cook pork on low setting until meat is very tender and falling apart, about 6 hours.

Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to cutting board. Discard onion pieces. Shred pork. If desired, sear meat in cast iron skillet. Transfer carnitas to platter. Place avocado slices, cilantro sprigs, and sliced red bell peppers, if desired, alongside. Wrap corn tortillas in damp kitchen towel; microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Serve carnitas with warm tortillas and tomatillo salsa.

roasted tomatillo salsa

ingredients

• 1 pound tomatillos (about 6 large), papery husks removed, rinsed
• 1/2 large onion, cut into thirds
• 2 serrano chiles, halved, seeded
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (loosely packed) fresh cilantro leaves

preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss first 5 ingredients in 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Roast in oven until tomatillos and onion are very soft, about 1 hour. Transfer contents of baking dish to processor and add cilantro. Puree until almost smooth. Transfer salsa to bowl. Chill or serve at room temperature.

Carrot and Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

So good.

• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 (8 oz) pkg reduced fat cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, oil, honey, and vanilla.  Don’t worry about clumps of the brown sugar, those will dissolve as it sits while you prepare the remaining ingredients.  Then fold in the carrot, zucchini, and walnuts
2. In another bowl combine add the flour, baking powder, ginger, and baking soda.  Whisk to blend together.
3. Add to flour mixture to the wet mixture. Stir just until combined. Spread batter into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
4. Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
5. Once the cake is cooled prepare the frosting.   In a medium mixing bowl, beat the fosting ingredients with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy.  Spread or pipe the frosting over the cooled bars.  Makes 36 bars.

Spicy Fish Tacos

Made these tonight and they were a hit. Even Ruby ate them. The coleslaw is very good. I went mild, too mild actually, on the seasoning. Next time I'll spice it up a little more.

Spicy Fish Tacosfrom Kraft Recipes

Ingredients:

1 pounds cod fillets
1/4 cup Mayo
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder (I used my homemade taco seasoning but it needed more umph)
4 radishes, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped (I only used 1/2)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Optional: 2 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
3 cups coleslaw mix
8 corn tortillas (or flour)
1 avocado, cut into slices

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

Rinse the cod and pat it dry with a paper towel. Set aside.

In a very small bowl, whisk together the garlic, chili powder, and 1 tablespoon of Mayo. Spread the mixture over the cod and place the fish on the prepared baking sheet. Place the sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

While the fish is baking, toss together the radishes, pepper, cilantro, green onions (if you want them) and lime juice. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of Mayo and toss to combine.

Heat a skillet (cast iron, if you have one) and heat the corn tortillas, 1-2 at a time, until they are hot. Keep warm until ready to serve.

When the fish is done, flake it with a fork and divide among the tortillas. Top with avocado slices (if desired) and slaw. Serve with lime wedges. Makes 4 (2 taco) servings.

Protein Pancakes

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup low-fat (1%) milk
• 2 tablespoons expeller-pressed canola oil
• Canola spray oil
• 
  

Method: 

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl, blend together eggs, cottage cheese, milk and oil. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix until just blended. 

Lightly coat a large skillet or griddle with spray oil then heat over medium heat. Working in batches, form each pancake by spooning about 1/4 cup of the batter onto the skillet. Cook, flipping pancakes once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to plates and serve.

Nutritional Info: 

Per Serving:Serving size: about 3 pancakes, 310 calories (120 from fat), 13g total fat, 3g saturated fat, 220mg cholesterol, 600mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 9g sugar), 17g protein

BACON AND EGG TOAST CUPS

Ingredients

• 6 slices of bacon, uncooked or precooked
• 6 slices of bread
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 6 eggs
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Spray large muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. In a frying pan, cook bacon about 3-5 minutes, until partially cooked but not completely crispy (if using precooked bacon skip this step). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Cut out circles (about 3 1/2 inches) in each piece of bread using a cookie cutter or a drinking glass turned upside down.
3. Press the bread rounds into the greased muffin wells. Curl a piece of bacon around the periphery of each piece of bread, positioning it between the bread and the muffin tin to help keep it in position. This can be a little tricky until you get the hang of it. Sprinkle a small amount of shredded cheese in the center of each piece of bread. Crack one egg over each piece of bread being careful not to break the yolks. You may not want to use all of the egg white. If you do you may need to adjust the cooking time to a little longer.
4. Once all the bread pieces have been topped with eggs, bake until eggs are cooked through to your liking (about 15 minutes for me) and bacon is crispy. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin well and pop the egg cups out. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Read more at http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/12/bacon-and-egg-toast-cups.html#Lij5LFFm2yeG9PRu.99

JELLY ROLL PANCAKES

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Add all of the ingredients to a blender or mixer and blend until smooth.
2. Melt a little butter in a pan and cook the batter as you would regular pancakes. The key is to cook on really low heat until just barely golden.
3. Serve with butter, powdered sugar, syrup, jam, or Nutella.

Read more at http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2009/07/jelly-roll-pancakes.html#S0shOD9AyWgTAgVM.99

SAUSAGE AND EGG BREAKFAST BURRITOS

Ingredients

• 6 Tablespoons butter
• 1 (32 ounce) package frozen square hash browns country-style
• 1 (16 ounces) pound hot Jimmy Dean pork sausage
• 6 eggs
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
• 1 (15 ounce) can Stokes green chili (or some other brand green chili)
• 6-8 slices of thick bacon, cooked until crispy (optional...we added it this time and it was tasty)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 10 large tortillas or more small ones

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet and add hash browns in a single layer (you may need two skillets). Cook hash browns according to package directions or until browned.
2. While hash browns are cooking, you are going to use one pan to cook everything else, one ingredient at a time, then add it to a large pot where you will mix everything.
3. Brown sausage in a separate pan. When sausage is done, add it to a large pot. Scramble eggs in the skillet and add to the large pot. Add diced green chilies, green chili sauce, and bacon (optional) to the large pot. When the hash browns are done, add them to the large pot and incorporate gently. Add the cheddar cheese and fold in gently until melted.
4. Fill warm tortillas with filling and enjoy! We like to make burritos, wrap them in aluminum foil, and store them in the fridge so they can be easily warmed up for breakfast or for company. Makes around 10 large burritos.

Read more at http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/06/sausage-and-egg-breakfast-burritos.html#dSVi4zxKtgRD583r.99

Mandarin Broccoli Salad

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup white wine or red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt or mayonnaise
Salad:
• 4-5 cups broccoli florets, chopped
• 8 slices bacon, cooked, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/2 cup craisins
• 10 ounce can mandarin oranges, drained well

DIRECTIONS

1. For the dressing, combine the eggs, cornstarch, vinegar, salt, sugar, mustard, and water together in a medium saucepan. Whisk well. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it bubbles and thickens - it should be the consistency of pudding (take care not to heat too high or stop whisking or there might be small bits of cooked egg in the mixture).
2. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes. Stir in the yogurt or mayonnaise and let cool completely.
3. Toss all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir in the dressing and toss lightly until all the ingredients are covered with dressing.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours before serving

Veggie Chickpea Pitas with Yogurt Dill Sauce

Veggie Chickpea Pitas with Yogurt Dill Sauce

Yield: about 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the filling:

• 1½ cups chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the yogurt sauce: 

• 1 cup greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp. minced fresh dill
• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp. white wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

Pita bread, for serving

• Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

• To make the filling, combine the chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion in a medium bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Mix gently until evenly combined.
• To make the yogurt sauce, combine the greek yogurt, dill, lemon juice, vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• To serve, halve the pita bread. Fill each pocket with the chickpea-veggie mixture and top with the yogurt dill sauce as desired.
  via Annie Eats

Whole Wheat Pitas

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Yield: 8 pita

INGREDIENTS

2¼ tsp. instant yeast
1 tbsp. honey
1¼ cups warm water (105˚-115˚ F), divided
1½ cups bread flour, divided
1½ cups whole wheat flour, divided
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
Cornmeal, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

• In the bowl of a stand mixer*, combine the yeast, honey and ½ cup of the water.  Stir gently to blend.  Whisk ¼ cup of the bread flour and ¼ cup of the whole wheat flour into the yeast mixture until smooth.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until doubled in bulk and bubbly, about 45 minutes.
• Remove the plastic wrap and return the bowl to the mixer stand, fitted with the dough hook.  Add in the remaining ¾ cup of warm water, 1¼ cups bread flour, 1¼ cups whole wheat flour, olive oil and salt.  Knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.  Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat, and let rise in a warm draft-free place, about 1 hour, until doubled in bulk.
• Place an oven rack in the middle position.  Place a baking stone in the oven (if using) and preheat to 500˚ F.
• Once the dough has risen, transfer to a lightly floured work surface, punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces.  Form each piece into a ball.  Flatten one ball at a time into a disk, then stretch out into a 6½-7 inch circle.  Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet or other work surface lightly sprinkled with cornmeal.  Once all the rounds have been shaped, loosely cover with clean kitchen towels.  Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, until slightly puffy.
• Transfer 4 pitas, 1 at a time, onto the baking surface.  (Note: These can be baked on a baking stone or directly on the oven racks.  I use a pizza stone, but either method is fine.) Bake 2 minutes, until puffed and pale golden.  Gently flip the pitas over using tongs and bake 1 minute more.  Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.  Repeat with the remaining pitas.  Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• *As always, anything mixed in a stand mixer can be mixed by hand.

SOURCE

adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride, originally from Gourmet, May 2003

Sweet Hot Mustard Chicken Thighs

INGREDIENTS:

8 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 1/2 cup Dijon mustard 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder 1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, sliced into rings 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, or as needed

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Make 2 slashes crosswise into the skin and meat of each chicken thigh with a sharp knife, cutting to the bone. Cuts should be about 1 inch apart. Transfer thighs into a heavy resealable plastic bag.
2.	Whisk Dijon mustard, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, mustard powder, salt, black pepper, ground chipotle pepper, and cayenne pepper in a bowl until smooth. Whisk garlic into marinade.
3.	Pour marinade into bag over chicken thighs and massage marinade into chicken, coating each thigh thoroughly and working the marinade into the cuts. Seal bag and refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight for best flavor).
4.	Move a rack to the center position in oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly oil the foil.
5.	Scatter onion rings onto prepared baking sheet. Place chicken thighs on top of onion rings. Spray or brush thighs with vegetable oil; sprinkle thighs with additional salt and cayenne pepper if desired.
6.	Roast chicken in preheated oven until the skin is browned, meat is tender, and the juices run clear, 35 to 45 minutes.
7.	Transfer chicken and onions onto a serving platter. Pour pan drippings into a saucepan, bring to a boil, and continue boiling, stirring often, until drippings are reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Skim excess fat from pan sauce.
8.	Spoon reduced pan sauce over each chicken thigh and serve.