Thursday, May 26, 2011

Stuffed Bread Sticks

Stuffed Bread Sticks

From: Cooking during Stolen Moments

  • 1 t. yeast

  • 1 t. sugar

  • 3/4 c. warm water

  • 1/4 c. olive oil

  • 1/2 t. salt

  • 1/2 t. Italian seasoning, optional

  • 2-3 c. flour

  • mozzarella string cheese sticks, cut in half

  • slices of pepperoni

  • 2 T. butter or margarine, melted

  • Optional topping: 2 t. Parmesan cheese, 1/2 t. each garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt

1. Let yeast and sugar dissolve in warm water in a large mixing bowl for about 5 minutes. Add olive oil, 1/2 t. salt and optional 1/2 t. Italian seasoning. Slowly add the flour until completely combined and dough is no longer sticky. Knead for 5 minutes, place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour.

2. On a floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle. Cut into rectangles . At the edge of each square, place one piece of mozzarella and two pieces of pepperoni. Roll up and tuck in sides. Be sure to seal well to cut down on cheese melting out during the baking process. Place on a baking sheet. Repeat until done.

3. Drizzle or brush melted butter or margarine over each mini bread stick. If desired, combine the optional topping ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

The kids and I enjoyed these for lunch today!!! Very good!


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Sopapillas

Sopapillas
From: Tara Cooks

We made these the other day as a dessert for lunch. The kids LOVED them!

1 ¾ cup plain flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup milk
Hot vegetable oil for frying
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Honey – optional

Mix dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Add the milk and knead for 1 minute on floured surface. Let dough set for one hour. Roll dough into large rectangle 1/8” thickness. Use a pizza cutter to cut 2” wide strips of dough, then cut strips into 2” squares, then cut squares diagonally in half. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a shallow baking dish and set aside. Heat 4 cups vegetable oil in deep fryer. When oil reaches 375 degrees, drop dough triangles into hot oil. They should rise to the surface, and puff, then brown on the bottom very quickly. Use tongs to quickly turn sopapillas over. When dough is golden brown on both sides, remove from oil carefully, and place on paper towels. While sopapillas are still very warm, put them in the cinnamon and sugar mixture and spoon mixture over sopapillas to thoroughly coat them.

Brownie Chunk and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brownie Chunk and Chocolate Chip Cookies

From: Picky Palate

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup chocolate chips

2 cups cubed prepared brownies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment or silpat liner.

2. Place butter and sugars into the bowl of a stand or electric mixer, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until well combined.

3. Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl, mixing to combine. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips and brownie chunks until just combined.

4. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet about 1-inch apart. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until cooked through. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Baked Sugar Doughnuts

Baked Sugar Doughnuts
From: Back of a Pillsbury biscuit package

1 can Pillsbury refrigerated country style biscuits (I used the cheap Aldi's brand)
3 TBS margarine, melted
1/3 cup sugar (I used all the sugar, and then I used a cinnamon sugar mixture and sprinkled on them when I ran out of the plain sugar)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Flatten eat to 2 1/2 inch round. ( I just rolled them out really flat, didn't measure the size). With a 1 inch round biscuit cutter, cut hole in center. Dip biscuits and centers into butter, then into sugar. Place on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

The kids and I enjoyed these. Not sure which I liked better, the plain sugar or the cinnamon/sugar mixture. They were both really good.

Sticky-Fingers Bars

Sticky-Fingers Bars
From: Smells Like Home

Greg really likes these. They are good chopped up stirred into vanilla ice cream!!!!

For the crust:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
4 (2.07 oz) Snickers bars

For the filling:
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Lyle’s Golden Corn Syrup or light corn syrup
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

1 cup smooth peanut butter (creamy or natural works)
1 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

To make the crust:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving several inches hanging over the short ends of the pan. Grease the foil with butter or cooking spray.

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl on medium speed about 1 minute, until creamy. Add the flour and peanuts and mix on medium-low speed just until incorporated. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Set aside to cool about 10 minutes. Decrease the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Cut the Snickers bars into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Cover the top of the crust with an even layer of Snickers slices, leaving about 1/4-inch between slices.

To make the filling:
Whisk the eggs, sugar, syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl until combined. Pour the mixture over the crust and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until set (it should not wiggle when you remove the pan from the oven). Cool for 20-30 minutes.

Spread the peanut butter in an even layer on top of the filling. Add the chopped peanuts in an even layer. Melt the chocolate in a small bowl in a microwave on medium-high. Check every 30 seconds to ensure the chocolate does not burn. Stir until smooth. Use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the chopped peanuts.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Grab the foil edges and lift the bars out of the pan and cut into bars.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Creamy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Tart

Creamy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Tart

From: Pickey Palate

9 whole graham crackers, finely ground

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 tablespoons melted butter

8 ounces softened Philadelphia Cream Cheese

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a 9-inch removable bottomed tart pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Place graham crackers, sugar and melted butter into a large bowl, mixing to combine. Press into bottom and up sides of prepared tart pan. Bake for 10 minutes, remove and cool for 10 minutes before filling.

3. Place cream cheese, brown sugar, peanut butter and heavy cream into work bowl of stand or electric mixer beating until well combined. Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips, mixing to combine. Pour into cooked crust, add remaining chocolate chips to top and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before cutting into wedges. If you are in a hurry, you can stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes before serving.

Bacon Egg Salad Sandwiches

Bacon Egg Salad Sandwiches
Adapted from: Our Best Bites

1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of salt
Hard boiled eggs
Bread
Bacon Bits

1. Combine mayo, sour cream, green onions, Dijon, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir to combine well.

2. Coarsely chop eggs and add to mayo mixture. Stir gently to combine. Add some bacon bits as much or as little as you would like.

3. Get bread out. Top each bread slice with about 1/2 cup egg mixture, then put the top on the bread. Serve sandwich immediately.

The boys enjoyed this too!!

Bakery Style Cookies and Cream Cookies

Bakery Style Cookies and Cream Cookies

From: Pickey Palate

2 sticks softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, I used semi-sweet

1 cup cocoa powder

15 whole Oreo Cookies, finely ground

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat liner.

2. In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until well combined.

3. Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add to wet ingredients along with cocoa powder, and chocolate chips, slowly mixing until just combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart from each other. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Serve with milk.

Link

Very Good...very addicting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Turkey Bundles

Turkey Bundles
Adapted From: Quick Cooking, November/December 2005 page 22

4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 TBS milk
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups cubed cooked turkey (Perfect use for leftover turkey)
1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts
2 TBS onion (I used more than that)
2 tubes crescent rolls (I ended up using almost 4 tubes)
2 TBS butter, melted (optional)
2 TBS seasoned bread crumbs (optional)

In mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, milk, dill, salt, and pepper until smooth. Stir in the turkey, water chestnuts, and onion.

Separate cresent dough. They said to push them together so they are square, I did triangles, and they were good. Put some of the turkey mixture on the crescent roll, and bring edges to center and pinch to seal. Place on baking sheet. (If desired, brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with bread crumbs. I forgot this step, and they still were REALLY good). Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

These were good. I enjoyed them, the kids at them too.

Cookie Dough Brownies

Cookie Dough Brownies
From: Dessert Lovers Cookbook page 21

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

Filling:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 TBS milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Glaze:
1 cup chocolate chips
1 TBS shortening

Mix sugar, flour, cocoa and salt. Add oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour into greased 13 X 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until brownies test done. Cool completely.

For filling, cream butter, and sugars in a mixing bowl. Add milk, and vanilla, beat in flour. Add chocolate chips. Spread over brownies, chill till firm. For glaze, melt chocolate chips and shortening in saucepan, stirring until smooth. Spread over filling. Cut into squares.

I LOVE these!!! So good!

Can't Leave Alone Bars

Can't Leave Alone Bars
From: Quick Cooking January/February 2001, Page 10

1 package white cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter or margarine,cubed

In a bowl, combine the dry cake mix, eggs, and oil. With floured hands, press two-thirds of the mixture into a greased 13X9 inch pan. Set remaining cake mixture aside.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine the milk, chocolate chips, and butter. Microwave uncovered on high for 45 seconds, stir. Microwave 45-60 seconds longer until chips and butter are melted, stir until smooth. Pour over crust. Drop teaspoonfuls of remaining cake mixture over the top. bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting.

Caramel Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie

Caramel Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie

From: Your Home-based Mom

1 C butter

3/4 C granulated sugar

1/4 C brown sugar

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 C flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 C quick cooking oatmeal

3/4 C Rice Krispie cereal

1 C caramel bits

1 C semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix butter, sugar and egg yolks until light and creamy. Add in vanilla. Add in flour, salt, baking powder. Blend in oatmeal, Rice Krispies, caramel bits and chocolate chips. Mix just until incorporated..

Form cookie dough into balls and flatten with your hand on the cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until the edges begin to brown - about 10 minutes.