Thursday, December 31, 2009

Soda Bundt Cake

This is just a little something I made for friends coming over. It is a good something different. Chocolate.... Mmmmmm... think I might go have another piece right now!


adapted from Lick the Bowl Good

2 cups Coke, Dr. Pepper, Root Beer, etc (do NOT use diet)
1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously spray the inside of a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter it, dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour.
In a small saucepan, heat the Dr. Pepper, cocoa powder, and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten, then whisk them into the cooled cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy--do not overbeat, as it could cause the cake to be tough.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn it out onto the rack.

The Frosting
2 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup root Dr. Pepper
2/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
 Beat all ingredients together with an electric mixer until a good consistency.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Oreo Balls

Boy did these ever go over well! I used white chocolate and drizzled bittersweet on top and they were very tasty.


1 regular package of Oreo cookies
1 package of cream cheese
Chocolate for the outer coating

They say you can use a food processor, but I don't have one so I used a ziplock bag an a rolling pin to squish the Oreos, insides and all. Add in the cream cheese until it creates a homogeneous mixture. Refrigerate 1 hour. Roll into balls of whatever size you want an dip in melted chocolate. I would recommend white or milk chocolate. 

Lava Cakes


The first time we had a dessert like this we were living in Italy. Still a fan of boxed mixes back then, I found this one called "Cuor di Ciobar" at the grocery store we frequented. We fell completely in love! So much that I went and bought about 10 boxes to take back to the states with us when we moved. Alas, these boxes didn't even last us an entire year. I searched and searched for a recipe like it. Once I finally gave up trying, I found this on a card by the chocolate in the grocery store in Illinois. It's been on our fridge ever since. It's super easy and delicious! Remember, the better chocolate you use, the better the flavor will be.


4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate (or 4 ounces if you weigh it)
1/2 c butter
1 c powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 T flour

Preheat oven to 425° F. Butter and flour (or use baking spray in) six 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler (or very carefully in the microwave for about 1 minute) mixing with a whisk until incorporated. Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour. Divide batter evenly among prepared dishes. Place on baking sheet.
Bake for 12 to 13 minutes or until sides are set but centers are soft. Remove and serve while still hot. You can serve in the cups as soon as they're cool enough to handle or for a fancier plate, run a thin knife around top edge of cakes to loosen slightly; carefully invert onto serving plates. Lift ish off of cakes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 cakes.
Batter can be prepared a day in advance, poured into cups, covered and put in the refrigerator. Simply bake as directed when you're ready.


Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Chicken Soup

I take a very "whatever is in the kitchen" view to soups in general. I've never been disappointed, so use what you have that sounds good!

6-7 chicken legs or thighs (breast can be used but is not as flavorful)
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 t garlic
6 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2c mushrooms, sliced
2c of the starch of your choosing (egg noodles, mini soup pasta, rice, that sort of thing)


Boil chicken in 6-7 cups of water (make sure the meat is always covered) until it's cooked through (I usually just leave it an hour or 2 while I'm doing other stuff around the house).
Remove and cool.
Add to the remaining water the remaining ingredients. Take the meat off the chicken bones and cut into pieces. Add to soup. Leave on a low simmer for 30 minutes. Add your starch to the soup and leave at a low simmer for another 30 minutes or more.
If water level ever seems low, just add more!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

I have to admit I have stolen this recipe from my sister-in-law, Anya. Try it. You'll like it. Oh and heat up some refried beans with cheese and put them on the side. Dinner that tastes like you worked really hard when you really didn't.
10 (or so) tortillas
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
a million cups of shredded cheddar cheese... no, about 4 cups (or more) will do
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
16 oz. sour cream
1 small can diced chiles

Mix together last 3 ingredients.
Put a light coating of mixture on the bottom of a casserole dish. Then roll into each tortilla a small handful of chicken, a generous amount of cheese and a spoonful or two of the sauce mixture. Place into the pan. Cover with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until it's heated and cheese is melted throughout. Turn oven and broil and toast the top of the cheese.
Delicious! Thanks for the great dinner recipe, Anya!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Mexican Wedding Cakes

These go by many names: Mexican Wedding Cakes, Russian Tea Cakes, Pecan Sandies... all are the same basic idea. Something about these cookies says Christmas to me. They are so delicious but messy, so no serving them at any black tie events, okay?

1 cup butter, softened
8 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all the ingredients together with a mixer until well blended. Roll dough into round small balls. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool completely then roll in additional confectionary sugar

Pecan Pie

I got this recipe in early college when my love for baking was really just starting to blossom. I got it from a junior high school boy. It was his grandmother's recipe and its' still the one I turn to for my own pecan pie.
3 eggs
2/3 c sugar
1/2 t salt
1/3 c butter (melted)
1c dark corn syrup
Beat together (she calls for a rotary beater, but I use a whisk)
Add 1c pecan halves (I obviously like to arrange mine after pouring)
Pour into pie crust. Bake at 375 degrees F until almost set in the center and pastry is nicely browned, about 40-50 minutes. Cool and serve.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

First Christmas cookies of the season!
These are our favorite holiday cookies, hands down.
Our first Christmas married we were in Italy. We had just moved there one month prior and moved into our home just days before the holiday but still had no furniture. Phil had duty. He was stuck on the ship. I was in a new country 6 months pregnant and alone. We had already planned to celebrate the next day. So what did I do Christmas day all homesick and lonely? I made these. I took them still melty and warm to Phillipp on the ship. Every single guy on the way to Phil begged for one but were denied (poor things). These are some powerful cookies! If you like peanut butter and chocolate, make these. You won't be disappointed.
1/2 c butter
1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
2T milk
1t vanilla extract
1 3/4c flour
1t baking powder
1/8t baking soda
1/4t salt
1/3c granulated sugar (for decoration)
48 (approx) chocolate kisses or hugs, unwrapped (Phil's favorite are the hugs)

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter or margarine and peanut butter. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla and beat again.
In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture until combined.
Cover and chill for 1 hour (approx). Meanwhile preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in decoration sugar.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove and immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie. Quickly transfer cookies to a cooling rack (if you wait too long the chocolate will melt and warp when transferred).
My original recipe says "let cool" but I disagree. My favorite way to eat these cookies is fresh out of the oven when the kiss has just melted almost up to the tip. The real problem is trying to stop eating them that way...

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

I am a fan of cheesecake. A big fan! This was my favorite (plain) recipe so far. I substituted the innards of a vanilla bean for 1 of the teaspoons of vanilla extract.

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup melted margarine

Filling:

4 8-ounce pkgs. cream cheese

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

½ cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 eggs

Topping:

1/2 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place a large pan or oven-safe skillet (that the cheesecake pan will fit inside) filled with about 1/2 inch of water into the oven while it preheats. This will be your water bath. (I used a cake pan. Surprise, surprise, I know. I had to put more water in because it took me a while to get the rest together and most of the water had steamed out of the oven before I was ready to put the cheesecake in).

Combine 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon into a medium bowl. Mix in 1/3 cup melted margarine. Press the crumb into a 9-inch spring form pan that has been lined on the bottom and side with parchment paper. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan and about 2/3 the way up the side. Wrap a large piece of foil around the bottom of the pan to keep the cheesecake dry when placed in the water bath in the oven. Put the crust in your freezer until the filling is done.

Use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese with sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Blend mixture for a couple of minutes or until the ingredients are smooth and creamy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl and then add them to the cream cheese mixture. Blend the mixture just enough to integrate the eggs.

Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the filling into it.

Carefully place the cheesecake into the preheated water bath. Bake for 12 minutes at 475 degrees, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake turns a light brown or tan color. Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool.

When the cheesecake has cooled, combine ½ cup sour cream and 2 teaspoons sugar. Spread the sweetened sour cream over the entire top surface of the cheesecake. Cover and chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Sweet Potato Pie

I have never made sweet potato pie before. Actually, I've never even eaten sweet potato pie before! After this one, I'm completely won over. This one is completely from scratch (although I cheated and used a pre-made pie crust). I loved this pie and this recipe!


1 (1 pound) sweet potato
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
  1. Boil sweet potato whole in skin for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. Run cold water over the sweet potato, and remove the skin.
  2. Break apart sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust.
  3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a souffle, and then will sink down as it cools.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Beef Stew

Stew is a comfort food for me. For some reason it reminds me of my Mom and a warm house on cold days. It's the perfect dinner for autumn. This recipe took me maybe 20 minutes to throw together (chopping veggies and all) in the morning while we were eating breakfast and dinner was ready with no work at all in the evening. I definitely needed that today!
The meat turned out so tender this way. I would recommend adding a bit more flour to make the roux after the meat is cooked. Mine ended up still very liquidy when all was said and done.
12 small red potatoes, cubed
1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into wedges
2 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes1/3 cup butter or stick margarine
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon celery seed (I used celery salt and it turned out just fine)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon pepper
  1. Place potatoes, carrots and onion in a 5-qt. slow cooker. In a large skillet, brown beef in butter. Transfer beef to slow cooker leaving juices in the pan.
  2. Stir flour into the pan drippings until blended; cook and stir until browned. Gradually add water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add salt, parsley, celery seed, thyme and pepper; pour over beef. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Georgia Chicken

This is one of Paula Deen's recipes. We really really like it! It's a good everyday recipe. Tonight I made it for the boys and I with some mashed potatoes. So good! I often forget the mozzarella. I like it just as well that way.
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter (I've substituted olive oil before successfully, but it does change the flavor some)
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons minced shallots (I usually use yellow onions)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 ounces grated mozzarella cheese

Melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes. Add chicken and cook 10 minutes on each side, or until tender. Transfer chicken to platter and sprinkle with grated cheese. Top with mushroom mixture. Cook and let stand 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Quick Cinnamon Biscuits

We are definitely cinnamon roll people. That's probably mostly my fault. Nope, blaming it on Mom. She was the one who got me hooked on the hot, fresh kind out of the oven. The over buttered/over sugared version they serve at the mall cannot compare. I love making them at home but come breakfast time there is usually not enough patience for me to get through the entire rising process. I tried these this morning and thought they were great! A little work getting the dough to roll but worth it!
Yield: 9 biscuits

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, (can be omitted)

Biscuit Dough

  • 2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Icing

  • 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 4 to 6 teaspoons milk or heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

For the Filling: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

For the Dough: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. add 1 1/2 cups cream, and stir until the dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. With your hands, fold the dough over a few times in the bowl, until the dough is smooth.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour your hands, and pat the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle, about 9 X 13 inches. Brush the surface of the dough with the remaining tablespoon of cream. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar topping.

Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a cylinder. Slice into 9 equal rounds. Place the rounds, cut side down, into an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish or a pie plate. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly browned.

For the Icing: While the biscuits bake, mix together the confectioners’ sugar and milk or cream until smooth. When you remove the biscuits from the oven, immediately drizzle them with icing. Serve warm.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Adri's Chicken Tetrazzini

My good friend, Adri made this one night when the boys and I visited. She was kind enough to share the recipe so I could make it again at home. Sooooo good!
7 oz spaghetti, broken into thirds
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons water
2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350
Boil and drain spaghetti
In 2 quart sauce pan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in broth and whipping cream. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute
Stir spaghetti, water, and chicken into sauce. Pour spaghetti mixture into ungreased 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake uncovered for about 30 min or until bubbly in the center.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Chicken Pot Pies

This recipe was a lot of work, but I'm definitely going to be making it again. It's worth the extra work to have it mostly from scratch. Even the boys at it... and it had vegetables inside!!
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, garlic salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and stir in chicken mixture.

Fill the bottom pie crust with mixture. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

(I made these in custard cups with pre-made pie dough. They took about 25 minutes to bake.)

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Coffee Cake

Coffee cake is one of Phil's favorite things. Cake in the morning justifiably. What could be wrong with that? It also goes perfectly with coffee, which is another must for him. This is my favorite recipe so far that I found here.

Cake
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream or yogurt*

*Feel free to use low-fat (NOT nonfat) sour cream or yogurt; if using yogurt, try vanilla or another complementary flavor, if desired.

Topping
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream together the butter or margarine, sugar, and eggs. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the sour cream or yogurt, stirring after each addition.

Grease and flour a regular-sized (9 1/2-inch) tube pan or bundt-style pan, or a 9 x 9-inch pan. Spread half the batter in the pan, and sprinkle with half the topping mixture. Repeat with remaining batter and topping.

Bake the coffeecake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake tests done. Cool it for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan. (If you've baked it in a 9 x 9-inch pan, just serve it right from the pan.) Place the cake right-side-up (topping up) on a plate to serve.
Yield: about 12 generous servings.


Sunday, May 3, 2009

Strawberry Shortcake

I love to go strawberry picking and today we brought home over 5 pounds! I have a feeling as I find ways to use the strawberries we picked this evening, I'll find a few more things to post on here as well.
This recipe is for 12 shortcakes. I cut it in half for us and just used 1 egg white.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 egg, beaten
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
3 tablespoons white sugar Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and cream of tartar. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives. Stir in cream and egg. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 2 minutes. Press into a half-inch thick sheet. Cut into squares. Place on baking sheets.
Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes, or until golden. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons sugar over sliced berries.
Let shortcakes cool before splitting and filling with sugared berries.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

"Mexican" Pizza

This is a recipe I stole from a friend. It combines the best of two of our favorite dinners: Pizza and nachos.
For starters, my favorite Pizza dough:

Quick Pizza Dough
(Makes 2 pizzas)

1t sugar
1c warm water
3c unbleached flour
1 packet active dry yeast
1t salt
2T olive oil

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar into water then sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let stand 10 minutes or until it has developed a good foam. Stir oil into yeast water then incorporate half or more of the flour and salt until a sticky ball forms. Knead dough with leftover flour mixture. Knead about 5 minutes. Cut in half, cover and let rise 10 minutes. Roll each ball into desired shape for your pizza. Let rise 15 minutes before adding toppings. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes. It should be solid on the bottom but not overcooked.

Here's the part my friend contributed:
Mexican Pizza

1 pizza dough
1/2 lb ground turkey or beef
Taco seasoning
1 can pinto beans
Fiesta blend cheese

Brown the ground meat and incorporate taco seasoning as indicated on the packaging. Let cool slightly. Mush the pinto beans and spread on pizza dough. Sprinkle meat on top. Top with cheese.
She incorporated lots of other things to spice it up. She uses pintos with jalapenos in it and puts peppers on top. Since I'm cooking for a young crowd who aren't all crazy for hot stuff, we skipped the extra spices and it turned out great! I was skeptical but the tastes together worked out really well. A big thank you to my friend Lyndsay!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Crumbly Cornbread

We make this with chili all the time. It is so yummy it usually doesn't last a day in our house.


1 c flour
1 c yellow cornmeal
1/2 c whit sugar
1 t salt
3 1/2 t baking powder
1 egg
1 c milk
1/3 c canola oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 inch round or square pan.
In a large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in the egg, milk and oil until combined. Pour batter into pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Apple Crisp

3-4 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 c rolled oats
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 or 8x8 baking dish. Put in sliced apples.
In a separate bowl mix oats, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is mostly even and crumbly. Sprinkle mixture on top of fruit and bake for 40 minutes.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Everyday Waffles

These we make about every other Saturday. I don't beat the eggs, even though the directions say to. I usually just mix it all together and it comes out yummy anyway. Our favorite is with peanut butter and syrup.

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.
Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

This is an awesome spin on regular peanut butter chip cookies. Much more substance. These might be my new favorites!
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, salt and peanut butter. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flours and baking soda; stir into the batter to form a dough. Mix in the peanut butter chips and walnuts. Scoop mounds of dough as large as two tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be at least 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until well risen and brown. Do not overbake they will firm up a little as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Easy Fluffy Yummy Biscuits



2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 cup milk (more or less)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in milk until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead a couple times until it all comes together. Pat or roll dough out to 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with a large cutter or drinking glass dipped in flour. Repeat until all dough is used. Brush off the excess flour, and place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges begin to brown