Adam Gertler’s Kid’s Candy Cookies

by penji1

Today just felt like a cookie day and a good way to send off 2011.  This recipe comes from the May 2011 issue of my favorite magazine, “Food Network Magazine”.  Zach, Courtney and I just ate about 6 between the 3 of us, yummy!  Happy New Year everyone!  I hope 2012 is kind to all of you and that you get some but not all of what you want as it’s good to have wants and dreams.  🙂  Thanks for letting me be apart of your 2011 and I look forward to lots more food blogging fun in 2012!  Please be safe tonight!

2 1/4 cups flour (I added an extra 1/4 cup)

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk

1 cup pretzel M & M’s (I didn’t have any pretzel ones so just used regular)

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used 1/2 cup semisweet chips)

1/2 cup toffee pieces

3/4 cup peanut butter chips

1  Preheat oven to 350.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Whisk flour and baking soda together in a bowl.

2  Cream butter, brown sugar and sugar on low until incorporated then increase to high and beat until light and fluffy.

3  Add salt, vanilla, egg and egg yolk; beat until thoroughly combined.  Add pretzel M & M’s and beat for a few seconds until slightly crushed.  Gradually add flour mixture, mixing on low until just combined.  Mix in bittersweet chocolate, toffee pieces and peanut butter chips.

4  Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into balls (or use a cookie scoop) and place on baking sheets, about 2″ apart.  Slightly flatten each ball with your fingers.

5  Bake cookies until edges are golden brown and centers are no longer wet, 11 – 13 minutes.  Cool on sheets for a few minutes before transferring to racks to cool completely.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

by penji1

Christmas Day dessert!  YUM!!!  I got this recipe from the lid of a Sticky Toffee Pudding candle that I bought at Bath and Body Works.  It says “my candle recipe contest Best Recipe Winner”.  The candle smells so tasty and this pudding/cake tastes almost as good as the candle smells.

1 1/2 cups pitted and chopped dates (I left these out because I knew that no one in my house, except maybe Bob, would come near a cake with dates in it)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/4 cups water

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

3 1/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks), softened and divided

2/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon maple extract (I used 1/2 teaspoon and could have added more)

1/4 cup toffee chips

1/4 cup chopped pecans (toasted)

1  Preheat oven to 350.  (The recipe didn’t have an oven time so I just guessed with 350 and it worked fine.)  Grease and flour bundt pan.  (I used the Pam for baking.)

2  Bring water, baking soda and dates to a boil.  Boil 2 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in maple syrup.  Let cool while making cake.

3  Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

4  Beat together 1 cup butter (2 sticks) and sugar until fluffy.  Beat in eggs 1 at a time.  Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and beat until just combined.  Add date/maple mixture; mix until just combined.  Add remaining 1/2 of the flour mixture; stir until just combined.

5  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Bake 45 – 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

6  Meanwhile, bring brown sugar, maple extract, whipping cream and remaining stick of butter to a boil over medium heat.  Let boil 2 minutes, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.

7  When ready to serve, invert cake onto platter.  Drizzle 1/2 of brown sugar/maple sauce over top of cake, reserving other 1/2.  Sprinkle toffee chips and toasted pecans over top of cake.  Spoon reserved sauce over cake slices.

Christmas Morning Muffins

by penji1

I found this recipe on http://www.ezrapoundcake.com where she said that she adapted it from Nigella Lawson’s “How to Be a Domestic Goddess”.  They smelled so yummy while baking and tasted great!

1 1/3 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup sugar

freshly grated nutmeg

juice of 1 – 2 clementines or small oranges (I had, and so used, oranges)

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 egg

5 ounces (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) dried cranberries or 2 1/2 ounces dried cranberries plus 2 1/2 ounces chocolate chips

topping:

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1  Preheat oven to 400.

2  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar in large bowl and add a generous amount of fresh nutmeg.  (I wasn’t sure what constituted a generous amount so I added a teaspoon of dried nutmeg but I think I could have added more.)

3  Take a liquid measuring cup and measure 1/4 cup milk then add freshly squeezed orange juice to the milk until the liquid reaches 2/3 cup.  Add melted butter and egg and beat to combine.

4  Pour liquid mixture into bowl of dry ingredients and stir until the ingredients are just combined but lumpy.

5  Fold in cranberries and chocolate chips.

6  Divide batter among 12 muffin cups.

7  Combined cinnamon and sugar in small bowl and sprinkle over tops of muffins.  Bake 10 – 15 muffins or until golden brown.

White Bean, Sausage and Spinach Soup

by penji1

For us this was white bean, sausage and broccoli soup since I didn’t have any spinach!  The recipe comes from the November 18, 2011 issue of “All You” magazine.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (14 oz) turkey kielbasa or other smoked sausage, cut into 2″ pieces

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed

3 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 (15 oz each) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups baby spinach, kale or collard greens

salt and pepper

1  Warm olive oil over medium heat.  Add sausage and cook, stirring, until browned all over, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.  Discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from pot.  Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 3 minutes.

2  Return sausage to pot and add chicken broth, 3 cups water and beans (I added the broccoli here too).  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir in spinach until wilted, about 1 – 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Chews

by penji1

These are for Bob’s Christmas work lunch today.  The recipe is from Pampered Chef.  Looked like a whole pan of gooey goodness!

2 cups quick or old fashioned oats

1 3/4 cups flour, divided

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter, melted

1 cup butterscotch or caramel ice cream topping

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1  Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 9 x 13″ pan with cooking spray.  Combine oats, 1 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar and baking soda.  Add melted butter and mix until crumbly.  Reserve 1 cup of crumb mixture.  Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of pan.  Bake 15 minutes.

2  Combine caramel topping and 1/4 cup flour, whisk until smooth.  Drizzle over crust, carefully spreading to edges.

3  Combine pecans and reserved crumb mixture.  Sprinkle crumb mixture and chocolate chips evenly over caramel mixture.  Bake 15 – 18 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.  Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Simply Lasagna

by penji1

Bob requested lasagna for dinner tonight so this is my go to lasagna recipe which is pretty easy to put together, not too time consuming.  It’s a Kraft recipe that I’ve had and made for a lot of years now so I’ve refined it a bit.  I’ll give you the original recipe and then my changes to it so you can choose which version you like best.

1 (15 oz) container part skim ricotta cheese

2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 cup chopped parsley (I always leave this out)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 (26 oz) can/jar spaghetti sauce

1 pound hamburger, browned  (I add an onion and a couple of garlic cloves to the hamburger while I’m browning it)

1 cup water

12 lasagna noodles, uncooked  (I use about 16)

Heat oven to 350.  (I cook it at 375.)  Mix ricotta, 1 1/4 cups mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan, parsley and egg until well blended.  Pour sauce into meat in skillet.  Pour water into empty sauce jar/can, cover and shake well.  Pour into skillet and stir until well mixed.  (I also add 1 can of crushed tomatoes.)  Place 1 cup sauce on bottom of 13 x 9″ baking dish.  (It usually needs a little more than a cup to cover the bottom, hence the extra can of crushed tomatoes.)  Layer 3 noodles, (I don’t what kind of 13 x 9″ pan they’re using where 3 noodles covers the whole pan, I have to use 4 – 5 to cover it), 1/3 cheese and 1 cup sauce.  Repeat layers 2 more times.  Top with remaining noodles and sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.  Cover tightly with greased foil.  Bake 45 minutes or until cooked through and noodles are soft.  Remove foil and bake 15 more minutes or until bubbling.  Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Persimmon Muffins

by penji1

The last of the persimmons from the Bountiful Basket were finally ripe so I decided to make some muffins with them.  I found this recipe on http://www.foodnetwork.com.  They smelled really delicious and festive while baking.

2 – 3 very ripe persimmons (or 1 cup smooth applesauce plus 1/4 cup carrot baby food)

1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ginger

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 eggs plus 1 egg white

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or oil (I used oil)

2/3 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (I used sour cream)

Turbinado sugar, for topping (this is also called “sugar in the raw”, I used C & H Pure Cane Washed Raw Sugar)

1  Preheat oven to 350.  Line 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.  (I actually got almost 2 dozen out of this recipe.)  Cut persimmons in half and scoop out pulp into a food processor; pulse until smooth.

2  Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and lemon zest in large bowl.  Whisk 1 1/4 cups persimmon puree, eggs, egg white, butter or oil and yogurt or sour cream in small bowl.  Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined.

3  Scoop batter into muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.  Sprinkle with Turbinado sugar and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 20 -24 minutes.

Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Fudge

by penji1

This recipe comes from “Cooking Light”; another quick and easy neighbor gift and who doesn’t love fudge?

1 (14 oz) can fat free sweetened condensed milk, divided

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder (I only had regular cocoa so used that)

1/4 teaspoon coffee granules (I left these out this time)

1 teaspoon vanilla, divided

3/4 cup peanut butter chips

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1/4 cup salted, dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped (didn’t have any)

1  Line an 8″ square baking dish with wax paper.  Place 9 tablespoons (or 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) milk in bowl.  Add chocolate chips, cocoa and coffee.  Microwave on high for 1 minute or until melted.  Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.  Spread carefully into prepared pan.

2  Combine the remaining milk, peanut butter chips and peanut butter in another bowl.  Microwave on high for 1 minute or until melted.  Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.  Spread carefully and evenly over chocolate layer, and sprinkle with peanuts.  Cover and chill 2 hours.  Cut into 25 squares.

Pretzel Bark

by penji1

This recipe comes from http://www.kraftfoods.com and was super simple and quick to put together.  It’s pictured here in one of those little take out containers that I got at Target.  Yummy little neighbor gift!

1 cup chopped pretzels

1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans, peanuts or walnuts

1 1/2 packages (8 squares each) semisweet chocolate, melted  (I used some of my Dove Chocolate Discoveries milk chocolate)

1  Stir pretzels and nuts into chocolate; spread onto waxed paper covered baking sheet.

2  Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.  Break into pieces.

Rigatoni in Creamy Tomato Sauce

by penji1

This recipe comes from the September 23, 2011 (my son Zach’s birthday!) issue of “All You” magazine.  Quick, easy and tasty – what more could you ask for?

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 oz pepperoni, finely chopped (didn’t have any so left it out)

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or pressed)

1/2 cup dry white wine (left this out)

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream, warmed

1 pound rigatoni (didn’t have any rigatoni so used penne)

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves (didn’t have any of these either)

1  Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add pepperoni and onion and cook, stirring, until onion is soft, 3 – 5 minutes.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.

2  Add wine and cook, stirring, until almost evaporated, 2 – 3 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes and sugar, (I also added 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning here), bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, 15 – 20 minutes.  Stir in cream.  Season with salt.

3  While sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes or as package label directs.  Combine with sauce and basil and serve.  (I sprinkled with a little Parmesan before serving.)