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Monday, October 31, 2011

Snickerdoodle cupcakes

Tomorrow is my sweetheart's birthday..and because he loves snickerdoodle cookies so much, I decided to bake up these cupcakes to celebrate. The recipe comes from Martha
Stewart's "Cupcakes" cookbook.

1 1/2c. flour
1 1/2 c. cake flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 T. cinnamon
1 c. butter, softened
1 3/4c. sugar
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 1/4c. milk
Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
Sift together the flours, baking powder,salt and cinnamon.
With your beater on medium speed cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to to low and alternately add
flour and milk. Put into muffin tins, filling 3/4 of way to top. Bake around 20 minutes.

Frosting
6-8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 c. butter
1 t. vanilla
4 c. powdered sugar
Cream together butter and cream cheese on high for 2 minutes. Add vanilla. On low speed mix in powdered sugar. Frost cooled cupcakes then sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar and a mini snickerdoodle cookie ( I made regular snickerdoodle cookie dough and just rolled them into teaspoon size balls and baked them for 5 minutes)

Friday, October 28, 2011

Cheesy Chicken Noodle Bake

3/4 pkg. egg noodles
1/2 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/4 c. butter
3 T. flour
1 c. half and half
2 c. cubed, cooked chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 t. celery salt
1/4 t. nutmeg
1 c. mozzarella cheese, grated
2 c. cheddar cheese, grated
Cook noodles until al dente. Drain. Melt butter in saucepan, add flour and mix well. Bring to bubble and add half and half. Stir in sour cream, 1 c. cheddar cheese, celery salt, and cream of chicken soup. Mix together with noodles. Put mixture in greased pan. Cover with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

my favorite pumpkin pie

This Saturday I am taking a pumpkin pie down to Oregon to my grand daughter..she has been calling and begging me to come with one. Not sure if she really is missing her Nana or just wants to eat pie:). This is a recipe from a cookbook called, "Herloom Baking with the Brass Sisters." If you like cookbooks, I highly recommend this one!

1 unbaked pie shell
1 1/2 c. pumpkin
1 c. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/2 t. salt
2 egss
1 T. molasses (this really gives the pie an extra yummy flavor-so don't skip this)
1 T. butter, melted
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 c. water


Mix pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger well. I use my whip attachment on my mixer for this. Add in the eggs, then the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour into a pie shell. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 and bake an additional 50 minutes. Oh so good!

My version of Beef Salad Noodle bowls

This recipe originally posted on The Pioneer Women's website--a great site if you haven't yet checked it out. But like most recipes, I just had to change it up a bit and give it my own spin. So here is my version..both simple and delicious.

1# round steak, pound with a mallet and then slice into strips
3/4 c. soy sauce
5 T. olive oil
2 T. Rice wine vinegar
i T. hot sauce (I used Sriracha)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. minced fresh ginger
2 T. brown sugar
1/2 pkg. frozen stir fry veggies
8 oz. thin spaghetti, cooked

Put 2 T. olive oil in a frying pan and add steak. Cook until brown and meat is well done. Add in frozen veggies. Cook until heated. Mix soy sauce, remaining olive oil, rice vinegar, hot sauce, ginger and brown sugar together for a sauce.
Add sauce to meat and veggies. Stir in noodles and serve in bowls.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Curry chicken in red sauce with pineapple

This recipe is from Quick and Easy Thai..a cookbook I highly recommend if you want to make really good Thai food at home. The original recipe uses shrimp instead of chicken..both are equally good. The ingredients may not be what you have in your usual pantry but are easily purchased at most grocery stores.
Curry sauce
1 can coconut milk
1-2 T. red curry paste
1/2 c. water
1 T. fish sauce
1 T. sugar
1/4 c. fresh basil--either Asian or Italian (the Asian is much hotter)
1 lime zested
1/4 c. pineapple, sliced small
Put 1 c. of coconut milk in sauce pan and heat until warm. Add curry paste, mix in well. Add remaining sauce ingredients and heat on med. low, keeping warm while chicken and rice cook.

Chicken: 2 boneless breast or 6 boneless thighs chopped in small pieces
Cook chicken in corn oil til done and tender. Add to sauce.

Make rice and serve curry over sauce.


C

Greek chicken with Orzo side salad

This is a recipe I got long ago from Bon Apetite and have since reworked to make it my own. The original recipe for the orzo salad came from Rachael Raye but I also reworked it..seems I always just have to add my own touch!

Greek Chicken for two
2 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 c. plain or Greek yogurt
1 t. oregano
juice of 1/2 a lemon
4 T. Feta cheese
Mix the yogurt, oregano and lemon. Put the chicken in a baking pan. Spread the yogurt mixture over the top to coat. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes or until done. Just before serving, sprinkle on feta cheese. Bake until it melts.


Orzo side salad

1-1/4c. orzo
1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, chopped in 1/2
1/4 c. chopped onion
10 kalamata olives, pitted
1 c. chopped celery
3 T. olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
zest from one lemon
1 c. feta
In a saucepan bring about 4 c. water to a boil. Add orzo and cook for 9 minutes.
Drain and rinse with cool water. Drain more. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl.
Add the orzo to the mixture. Serve on assorted lettuce leaves.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

pumpkin cinnamon roll pancakes

In the spirit of October and all my pumpkin loving bliss..I tried these pancakes this morning. They are a little time consuming but yummmy! Very worth the work.
The picture is the pancakes on my husband's traditional Saturday breakfast in bed tray..he is very spoiled.

For the batter:
2 c. bisquick
1 c. milk
2 eggs
2/3 c. canned pumpkin
2 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 T. brown sugar

For the cinnamon swirl:
4 T. butter
1 T. cinnamon
1/3 c. brown sugar
Put all ingredients in saucepan and cook until butter melts. Let sit for about
10-15 minutes.

For the icing:
1 oz. cream cheese
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2-3/4 c. powdered sugar
Mix all ingredients well. Should be a little thin.


Using a large scoop, scoop batter onto a hot griddle. Take a spoon and drizzle the cinnamon mixture over the pancake in a swirl design. Cook til done. When the pancake is done drizzle with the icing and serve.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Cuban Sandwiches with zucchini rounds dipped in tropical ketchup

Cuban Sandwhiches

for each sandwhich: 2 slices thickly sliced french bread
1 slice swiss cheese
2 slices roasted pork
1 slice ham
1 dill pickle sliced thin
Put all ingredients on bread. I grilled mine in a paninni press or you could cook it like a grilled cheese sandwhich is a pan.

Zucchini rounds:
Slice a small/medium size zucchini in rounds
Beat 1 egg. Put 1 c. pankco crumbs in a bowl. Dip the rounds in egg then pankco crumbs. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for about 2o minutes or until brown on top. Dip in tropical ketchup to serve.

Tropical ketchup:

In a food processor mix 1/2 c. ketchup, 1/2 c. slice mango, 1/4 t. red pepper flakes, and 1/2 c. chopped red or orange or yellow pepper.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Nutella stuffed chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting

for the cupcakes:
1 egg
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 t. vanilla
2 T. sour cream
1-1/8 c. flour
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1-1/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. hot fudge (any jarred variety will work)
1/2 c. nutella
Whisk egg and sugar. Add milk, cream. butter and vanilla, mix until combined. Stir in sour cream. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture. Mix until batter is smooth, stir in hot fudge. Line a muffin tin with liners, using a 1/4 c. measure add batter to each cup. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes. When cupcakes are cook take the handle side of a wooden spoon and make a hole in each cupcake's center. Fill with nutella.

For the frosting:
1/2 c. butter
2/3 c. peanut butter
3 c. powdered sugar1-2 T. milk
1 t. vanilla
pinch of salt
Cream butter and peanut butter. Add powdered sugar on low speed. Gradually add milk and vanilla. Add salt. If too thick, add more milk. Frost cupcakes as desired.

Makes around 20

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Sunday, October 2, 2011

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a family favorite for the month of October. My mother made them, I make them and now my daughter also makes them for her family. A great way to start celebrating fall....this recipe makes around 8 dozen so there will be plenty for your family and some to share. Enjoy!


1 c. marg. or butter
3 c. sugar
3 eggs
5 c. flour
2 t. of each: baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and baking powder
1 t. salt
2 c. pumpkin
12 oz. chocolate chips
Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add pumpkin and mix well.
MIx in spices, baking soda, baking powder and vanilla.
Scoop into teaspoon size balls and bake at 375 for 12 minutes.