Flash back recipe

We had some friends over one night for treats and Wii game playing. I decided to not venture off into any new and foreign recipes - so I made previously tried and loved yummy bunny goods. Click the name to be directed to the post with recipe. :)

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Chocolate Chip and Butterscotch Cookies

Strawberry Shortcakes with homemade Whipped Cream

*Cocoa Cats*

There is more than one way to skin a cat.... a cookie cat that is! That is exactly what Carter and I made this afternoon; some cute cocoa kitties! I was actually going to make a traditional Christmas Scandinavian treat tonight, but lacked one of the ingredients - so I perused the book and thought these looked fun- (Cats are one of Carter's favorite animals...) - They were super super simple to make and had minimal ingredients. They came out soft and moist, with a rich cocoa taste. I used some frosting from cookies I made the other month, that I had stored in the freezer (thus the blue). Carter kept pointing and say/signing Cat! Cat! (we do sign language with him) It was so darn cute. It was a hit with Don and Carter~ Success! Have fun making these critters (idea: use orange frosting for Halloween time! )

(I had some dough left over, so I made little paws! hehe)

Recipe:

• 1/3 Cup Shortening
• 1/3 Cup Butter (softened)
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 1/3 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 Egg
• 2 Tbs Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 3/4 Cup all-purpose flour

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat or stir the shortening and butter together till creamy and smooth. Add sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Beat until combined. beat in egg, milk and vanilla until creamy. Add flour and stir till fully combined.

2. Now the recipe calls for chilling the dough for about an hour or 2 for it is easy to handle. I decided to just add a little extra flour to make the dough slightly tougher and just roll out and shape. ....So your choice! :) Roll the dough and using a cat cutter, cut out the animals. Now, another side road I took...I did not have a cat cutter! haha...but I did have a large circle. So I cut out large circles and then took a knife and cut out a triangle on top for an ear then line and another triangle for the other ear. Then just chiseled off the edges to make triangle shaped cheeks. :) It worked...

(uncooked kitties)

(cooked kitties)

3. Place cookies in a baking sheet, (parchment paper!) Bake cookies at 375F for about 7-9 mins. (or until edges are firm and bottom is light) 7 mins worked perfectly for my "cats". ....Take the *cats* out and allow to cool fully. Then use your icing skills to create the purr-fect feline faces! I used my icing recipe found in my previous post for black belt cookies

Don and Carter approved! They both gobbled them up..and, of course, a cat wouldn't be complete without a large glass a milk by their side. Yum Yum....

however: I would have liked them more if they were ginger, and not cocoa. I ate one. That was enough for me!

"The Chewy" Chocolate Chip Cookie

I love to peruse the different recipes and reviews on sites such as foodnetwork.com and found this one. "The Chewy" as it was titled was by chef Alton Brown. I had all the ingredients, and there were many many positive reviews. Now I feel I already have my favorite Chocolate Chip recipe, but I wanted to try other variations to see where they stood. Well these stood flat, literally. They were "chewy", but aren't most cookies? My husband and I like the large, fluffy comforting type cookies. These were not it. My husband of course ate them, because he will eat anything, and I shared one with Carter. Instead of bagging them up and having Don take them to school the next day to pawn off on fellow students I felt embarrassed to even have "outsiders" eat my work. ((outsiders that is, those who were not living in my house)) So instead I bagged them up and sucked the air out and threw them in the far back corner of the freezer. I figured they were still edible and might come in handy if a cookie attack every occurred for Don or I...or Don...or Don.... Did I say Don? :)
To my surprise these little frozen yummies came in handy! They tasted better after being frozen and were a nice addition to a little bowl of vanilla ice cream, or just a random snack attack. Of course...it did not take long for my freezer cookies to end up in the belly of cookie monster husband. ...and where does he get off blaming me for his newly found chunkiness? Hmmmm

Verdict: Good...but on to other recipes.

Recipe:
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium sausepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in the bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes.

DON'T OVER COOK!...yuck

Sesame Chicken and Hot Lava Cake --Valentines Day!

February 14th....the most dreaded or anticipated love day of the year. Of course, I had someone to spend it with again, 5th year in a row might I add :) So what can you do on V-day with a husband in school, a 1 year old that you can't take to a busy late night restaurant and when the piggy bank looks anorexic? Make your own fabulous night of course!
I had text Don earlier that day and asked him to be home by 7:30pm because I made reservations at P.F. Chang's.-- (he was probably thinking I was crazy!!)-- So when he got home a few mins shy of 7:30 I had almost everything done :D He was surprised..and greatly relieved... because the thought of taking Carter to a restaurant during this busy night and at bed time is not a fun idea. So we fed and played with Carter (I had already given him his bath), we read scriptures, sang some songs and off to sleep he went. Don and I changed into some fancy fancy stuff, I took pictures and placed dinner on the table, lit the candles - turned Pandora (.com) on and we feasted to a lovely at home Valentines dinner.

Don and I

Let's EAT!

I made Sesame Chicken over white rice, with Chow Mein and Snow Peas.

Sesame Chicken, Fruit, Sparkle Drink and Candles...mmmm!

My hurried make-shift sign :D

Sesame Chicken Recipe:
You'll need one of these packets from your local grocery. Look in the Asian isle. I found Ingles or Albertsons carries them. I have ordered them from the company before too.
The directions are on the back of the seasoning packet...but this is how I do it:
Take about a pound of chicken and trim then cut into chunks.
Place chunks in a large sealed plastic bag with a 1/4 Cup of Soy Sauce and 1/4 Cup of Corn Starch, plus 2 Tbs of water. Mix around and marinate for 5-10 mins.
Get a large skillet out and pre-heat with Canola oil. Pour out the chicken and mixture and stir till chicken is brown and cooked thoroughly.
After the chicken is cooked pour in a little more oil, then the packet of seasoning along with 1/2 Cup of white sugar, and 1/4 cup of water. Mix all around and turn heat down to about a 3-4. The combination of seasoning and corn starch with will make the mixture nice and thick.
After the mixture is thick you can dish out over a bowl/plate of rice and add either Chow Mein Noodles, more Sesame Seeds or Cashews. :) ENJOY!
The fruit I used were Strawberries, Bananas and Watermelon. YUM!
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Now for DESSERT!
(read all before making..warning tip)
I made a quick easy version of the Hot Lava Chocolate Cake.
I bought a cool GIANT cup cake pan at WalMart.
I used a box of Devils food Cake and mixed as directed. Then I filled both sides of my pan to 3/4 full. Popped in the oven and let cool afterward before transferring out of pan. (Make sure you grease your pan with Crisco or Pam Spray and then lightly flour, for the cakes can come right out!..I use Pam Spray Canola).
Take cakes out of pan and onto a cutting board or something similar.
Take a sharp long knife and cut a circle out of the top and carve out the cake "inners".
Save top and scraps. Now fill the cake with Hershey's Chocolate Syrup. Though, I am pretty sure next time I will use a higher quality chocolate - like a fondue type - Then stuff the scraps into your mouth, or give them to your child (which he then spits out all onto the floor and steps on it and makes a huge mess...wait, did I just say that out loud?) and take the top and plug your chocolate syrup stuffed cake. CAREFUL! I made the mistake of making my cake too full and when I plugged it up it split the sides and pretty much bled to death. Not pretty.

So I decided to do something different with my other piece. I sliced the top straight off, instead of carving it out. This way after I fill the cake with chocolate there will be no added pressure with the top going back on. it will just lay on top of the sliced edges. GENIUS I tell you! :-P
So try and not make my first mistake. Okay, now you filled it in and you placed the top on. Good job. Now wrap in plastic and place in the freezer till whenever you are going to use it.


I made this treat in the morning and froze it for the day. When we sat down for dinner I took it out of the freezer and placed it on the kitchen counter. When we were ready to eat I popped it into the microwave for 1 min 30 secs till nice and warm. I then sprinkled it with powder sugar and drizzled more chocolate over the top. Wish I had some ice cream! You can serve with whip cream and strawberries if you'd like. YUM!... it looks impressive and is very easy to do. Enjoy!

Fresh Whole White Bread and Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Mmmmm smells good in my home! I am going to try and make a nice homemade bread of some sort every Sunday. I don't know why but Sunday always seems like great day to make bread. Bread is one of my BIGGEST weaknesses. I could eat it everyday, and only bread....and cheese. Yes, gotta have the cheese. Curse you Italian genes!

(I guess this makes me the bread winner in the house?)

So, even though I made this recipe the other week I never documented it.

Recipe:

(makes 2 loaves)
5 3/4- 6 1/4 Cups all purpose flour
1 package of active dry yeast (or 1 Tbs of active yeast in the jar -- this is what I do)
2 1/4 Cups of Milk
2 Tbs Sugar
1 Tbs Butter
1 1/2 Tsp Salt

1. In a large mixing bowl combine 2 1/2 Cups of flour and the active yeast; set aside.
In a medium sauce pan heat and stir milk, sugar, butter, and salt just until warm (120-130F) and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to dry mixture and stir with wooden spoon (that's what I do) - or beat with electric mixer on high for 3 mins (scraping sides). Add as much of the remaing flour as possible and stir in with wooden spoon.
2. Turn dough out into a lightly floured surface and knead in the best you can to made a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 mins) Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased pan - turning once to grease the surface of the dough. Cover; let rise in a warm place covered with a towel for about 1 hour, or until double in size. (45-60 mins).
3. Punch dough down turn dough out into a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half, cover and let rest 10 mins. Meanwhile lightly grease 8x4x2" loaf pans.
4. Shape dough into loaves pans.
5. Place the shaped dough in a warm place, covered and let rise till double in size (I always skip this and just let it rest for 10 mins then sick them in the oven)
6. Bake at 375F for 40 mins, or until bread sounds hollow. (tap the top of the bread with your fingers) I find mine are cooked in about 23 mins. Just watch your oven.
7. Remove from pans, and cool on wire rack.
8. Thank Ashley and then devour hot bread with honey, jam or butter. Mmmmm
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I made these for some special people tonight as well --YUM!!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

• 1/2 Cup Shortening
• 1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/8 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Egg
• 2 Tbl Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 and 3/4 cup Flour
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• Chocolate kisses/hugs

1. In a large mixing bowl beat the shortening and peanut butter with an electric mixer.
2. Add sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Beat until combined. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla until combined. Mix in flour.
3. Shape dough into balls, roll them in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Push Chocolate into cookie
5. Bake at 350F for 10-12 mins.

Chocolate chip butterscotch cookies and fruit pizza

Okay so I have not saved much from any of my previous yum-tastic endeavors; but what I do have are the following:

(post taken from a entry on my main web blog)

I love to make home made goodies, and Don thoroughly enjoys almost all my experiments. The first is a scrumptious cookie recipe that Don and the people he works with beg for all the time. It is a chocolate and butterscotch cookie recipe. Super easy and super yummy! These cookies are moist and keep their wonderful "fluffiness" even after cooled.

Here are the cookies:
"tada"

...and here is the recipe:

Oven @: 375F

Mix in a bowl with an electric mixer - till smooth and creamy:

• 1/2 Cup of shortening
• 1/2 Cup of Butter

Add to the bowl and mix till smooth:

• 1 Cup packed Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

Then beat in:

• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla

After all that is combined start adding in as much of the 2.5 cups of Flour that you can. Use a wooden spoon, or large thick fork (I use the fork). Stir Stir Stir!

Then Add till desired:

• Chocolate chips
• Butterscotch chips

The saying you can never have enough chocolate is true in many cases, but not here. Careful not to overload the bowl with too many "chips". Your mixture will be overloaded and not have enough "cookie" to keep its form.

Final step:
Scoop out nice little balls and place on a non greased cookie sheet. I usually take my large fork I stirred everything with and scoop out just a nice chunk and then, using a Popsicle stick, scrap off onto sheet. The oven will melt the dough into a nice round cookie - so no need to flour up your hands and roll out each serving.
375F oven for 8-10 mins. Watch carefully, you don't want an over baked batch!
Take out of oven and wait a min. or so - then transfer to wire cooling rack. YUM YUM enjoy!

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Fruit Pizza! Don and I absolutely love this treat and it is actually pretty simple to make. Little costly at times, because of fruit prices, but makes a lot!

Here is the treat we made:
"tada"



...and here is the recipe/steps:

Step 1: Buy or make a batch of sugar cookie dough. I've made mine in the past, but for this one I just bought 2 pre-made Pillsbury sugar cookie dough. I took a cookie sheet, sprayed with Pam and (with flour on my hands) started to roll out and smushed to cover the whole cookie sheet. It takes a bit and a lot of spreading - but you'll get there. Don't worry! (a rolling pin is awesome, if you have one small enough to fit into the cookie sheet). After that is thinned out and spread throw into the oven at the designated temperature and cook for about 10 mins. Make sure you watch carefully, burnt "pizza bottom" is never that yummy.

Sugar Cookie Crust Bottom... post-cooked

Step 2:
For your frosting you'll need this:

• 8 oz Cream Cheese
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Powder sugar

Mix those ingredients together and spread over the top of your cooled cookie crust.

Frosting applied

Step 4:
After your spread is done, cut up any type of fruit you want to use on your pizza. Some examples that we like to have are Strawberries, Bananas, Kiwis, Grapes, Black or Blueberries.etc...
Once you have those all cut up begin your creation! Design however you like - I have made much prettier ones in the past. I was short on time (thank you Carter) so I gave no thought to my fruit order and just started putting them on. Still yummy though! :)

Step 4:
Okay, FINAL step. You have to (okay, maybe not have to, but is a good idea) to apply a glaze over the whole pizza after laying your fruit. Helps keep in all the moisture and prevent the fruit from browning and getting nasty. This recipe makes a ton, so I always cut it in half - but here is the "un-cut" version.

Glaze:

• 1 cup Sugar
• 3 Tbs Cornstarch
• Dash of Salt
• 3/4 Cup of Water
• 1 Cup Orange Juice
• 1/4 Cup Lemon (juice)

I just mix that well - then take a large spoon and start dripping it over everything. You feel like you're watering down your pizza, but don't worry - it taste great and won't ruin all your hard work. Congratulations! You've made your very own Fruit Pizza that your spouse, friends and your taste buds will thank you for. Serve up and Enjoy!..... or, if for later, cover with tin foil and place in fridge. Taste better when chilled.

Fruit Pizza
"yum"