Mmmmmm…Mississippi Mud Cookies Monday, Aug 31 2009

Mississippi Mud Cookies

I WANT TO EAT THESE FOR BREAKFAST!! (Image by Beth Dreiling Hontzas)

From Southern Living, August 2007 (click here for more info)

 Ingredients:

 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup milk chocolate morsels
1 cup (plus 2 Tbsp. miniature marshmallows)

 Directions:

 1. Microwave semisweet chocolate morsels in a small microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.
2. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in chopped pecans and 1/2 cup milk chocolate morsels.
4. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Press 3 marshmallows into each portion of dough.
5. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks.

…Because cookies baking in the oven will make almost everything better…

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Mmmmmmmm So Delicious!! Tuesday, Jul 21 2009

The Best Banana Blueberry Bread Ever!

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

1 cups ap flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

4 large ripe bananas

1/3 cup buttermilk (or regular milk)

3/4 to 1 cup chopped walnuts

2 Tbsp vanilla extract (my friend Kristen got me the BEST Mexican vanilla that I used for this)

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 cup blueberries (plus extra for garnish)

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well in between each addition.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk.

Add bananas (smashed up), vanilla, and walnuts and stir until combined. Fold in blueberries.  DO NOT OVER-MIX.

Lightly grease TWO 8″ loaf pans.

Pour the batter into both pans evenly.  Sprinkle some blueberries in a row on top for a garnish (I use about 15 berries per loaf).

Bake for 40 minutes and set on a metal rack to cool completely.

Slice with a sharp knife and enjoy   Try not to eat the whole loaf in one sitting.

…Because bananas and blueberries are meant to be baked and shared with friends…

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A Recipe I Love! Friday, May 8 2009

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

(Makes about 8 pancakes)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup old fashioned oats (not instant!)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons maple syrup

4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins

cooking spray (for the pan)

Step 1: Beat eggs. Add buttermilk, butter , maple syrup and vanilla and mix well. Add whole wheat flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Mix well until mostly smooth (there will be a few lumps.  Don’t over-mix). Fold in raisins and let batter sit on the counter for a few minutes.
Step 2: Heat your griddle or pan over medium heat. Spray pan with cooking spray.
Step 3: Pour 2 Tablespoons of batter onto the pan. Cook on the first side until bubbles that form start to pop. Flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook until golden brown. I like my pancakes barely cooked, so I flip them as soon as I possibly can. Repeat until all the batter is gone. Serve and enjoy!

I like to sprinkle a little bit of powdered sugar on top to complete the look

…Because.  They are pancakes, therefore they are delicious…

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Mmmmm Cupcakes! Friday, Apr 17 2009

Because the weather is wonderful and the weekend is fast approaching, today is the perfect day for a recipe!!

I'm making these on Mother's Day for my 2 moms!

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Makes 20 cupcakes

For the cake:
2 1/4 cups  flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temp
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk (I use skim)
2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped

For the lemonade syrup:
1 cup lemonade concentrate, thawed
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the icing: 
1 cup fresh strawberries, roughly chopped
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temp
18 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temp
2 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tsp. lemon juice
1.5 tsp. vanilla extract

For lovely garnish:
Fresh strawberries
Lemon slices

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  

Line muffin pans with paper liners and spray the inside of the liners so the cupcakes don’t stick.  

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.  Stir together with a fork and set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until it is light and fluffy.  Add the sugar and beat until well combined.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.  Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and beat on low speed until just incorporated.  Add in the milk and mix until smooth. Add in the remaining flour mixture and mix on low speed until just blended.

Fold in the fresh strawberries with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly into the paper liners, filling them about 3/4 full.  Bake about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (I always aim for less time so I don’t over-bake).  Allow to cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, mix together the lemonade concentrate and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl to make the lemonade syrup.  Poke several holes in the top of each cupcake with a skewer and pour the syrup over the cupcakes, allowing it to soak in.  (Put foil paper underneath your cooling rack so you don’t make a mess!)

To make the icing, puree the strawberries in a food processor or blender.  Strain the puree through a mesh sieve to remove the seeds, and set aside.  Beat the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and very fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.  Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.  Mix in strawberry puree, a tablespoon at a time, until you achieve your desired texture and flavor of frosting (I added about 7 tablespoons of puree).  

Frost cupcakes as desired and garnish with fresh strawberries and lemon slices. 

…Because lemonade is awesome and so are cupcakes.  Add the two together and you can’t go wrong…

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M&M Oat Bars! Saturday, Feb 28 2009

Today I have been in a really chocolatey mood.  There’s no denying it and there’s no escaping it– I have been thinking about chocolate since I woke up, but I haven’t been able to get ahold of any yet (sad!). 

In thinking about all of the chocolatey treats I could make this weekend, I thought I would post up one of my favorites, which combines 2 of my great loves in life– oats and M&M’s.

Here it is: 

M&M Oat Bars

1 cup AP flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 stick softened unsalted butter
1 egg
1 T water
2 t vanilla
1.5 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1.5 cups M&Ms (I like the milk chocolate ones but I bet the peanut butter ones would be delicious as well)

This is what they look like before they face the heat!!

 

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Grease a 9×9 square baking pan and then line it with parchment paper. The grease will help the parchment paper stick to the pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside for later.

Beat the sugar and butter until creamy.  Add

the egg, water and vanilla and beat until well blended.

Add the oats and the flour mixture and stir in. Add 1 cup of the M&Ms into the batter and mix in. Do not over-mix. Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan with a spatula. Sprinkle with the remaining M&Ms.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the center is set (make sure you check on them). Transfer to a wire rack, cool, and slice.

…Because if everyone had enough chocolate each day, there would be a lot more happy people running around…

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So Good! Wednesday, Feb 18 2009

As promised, here is the amazingly delicious recipe for Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes that I had on Valentine’s Day morning at the bed and breakfast in Nashville, Indiana…

Do NOT eat these every day!

Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes

• 1 cup quick-cook oats
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1.5 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup raisins
• Milk (up to 1 cup as needed*)

Combine oats and buttermilk and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.

Add all remaining ingredients except milk.  *Slowly add milk until batter becomes the consistency of yogurt (no thinner!)*. 

It should be thicker than regular pancake batter.  Serve hot with caramel sauce on the side.

Caramel Sauce

• 2 T melted butter
• 3 T heavy cream
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)

Bring to a boil until sugar completely melts. 

Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract.  Pour over pancakes and enjoy!

…Because special occasions suddenly become more special when a pancake is added to the agenda…

 

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So Amazingly Delicious!! Thursday, Feb 12 2009

I recently found out about a blog called Honey & Jam that I LOVE.  Hannah posted a recipe for Butterscotch Blondies that I decided I had to make ASAP.  Her photography is amazing and I borrowed the main picture from her post for this post– Hannah, I hope you don’t mind (if you do tell me and I’ll pull the picture). 

I adapted the recipe a little bit and they turned out really great!  My husband ate about 5 the first night I made them.  Every single time I went towards the general vicinity of the kitchen he said “can you bring me 2 more please?”  He couldn’t resist

Picture by Hannah at www.honeyandjam.blogspot.com

Butterscotch Blondies2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, melted (I used 3/4 cup)
2 teaspoons vanilla (I put in 3 because I LOVE vanilla)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup butterscotch chips (I used 2 cups)

 

Heat oven to 350.

Line bottom of 9×13 inch pan with aluminum foil, spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Combine brown sugar, butter and vanilla in a large bowl and stir slowly to mix. Add eggs and mix with a wire whisk until well blended. Slowly stir in flour mixture until it is moistened. Beat with wire whisk for about 30 seconds, until smooth.

Add butterscotch chips. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until center seems set. When checking, shake the pan a little and see if batter jiggles.  I baked them for 35 minutes and they were perfect.  I need to make sure I let them cool COMPLETELY next time before attempting to cut into them.  They cracked a little bit but they were still wonderful.

…Because butterscotch is a wonder of the world…

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Mmmmmm Delicious!!! Saturday, Jan 31 2009

I like big muffin trays because I don't have to take extra trips to the kitchen for more!

I absolutely must have breakfast every morning or it throws everything off kilter for the entire day.  For the past couple of years I have made oatmeal a part of my typical breakfast routine, but it’s not often that I can resist a yummy baked treat (like a muffin).  Because I like to make sure that my husband eats breakfast as well, I have figured out that baking a tray of muffins on Sunday evening will ensure he gets something healthy and nutritious to start off his workday too (unless he eats them all on Sunday– which has happened before).   One of my favorite bloggers, Lindsay, also happens to share my love of all things oat-related.

Here’s a healthy, comforting, and delicious muffin recipe you should try (they sort of taste like moist banana bread):

Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Yield: 12 large muffins
Bake: in 400ºF oven for 20 minutes

1 1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup yogurt, plain low fat
1/2 cup milk, low fat
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sunflower oil
2 large bananas, ripe, mashed
1 egg, large, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Instructions
In a bowl mix together rolled oats, yogurt and milk. Let soak for 10 minutes.

Mix oat flour, salt, spices, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl.
Add brown sugar, mashed banana, egg and oil to rolled oats mixture. Mix well.

NOTE: If you don’t have any oat flour on hand (who does?), you can make it yourself by putting old fashioned rolled oats into a food processor and grinding them up until they become the texture of flour.  About 1.5 cups of oats = 1 cup of oat flour.

Add dry ingredients to the rolled oats mixture. Mix well. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.

Enjoy.

…Because oatmeal is one of those things you just can’t get enough of…

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Mmmmmm SO YUMMY! Tuesday, Nov 18 2008

I’m not typically a HUGE fan of Red Lobster, but I am a fan of their cheddar biscuits.  I probably could eat about 10 in one sitting.

I was looking around online for restaurant recipes that I could recreate at home and found the recipe below for their deliciously addictive cheddar bisciuts (and found out that, apparently, this recipe is the most searched for “clone recipe” on the Internet).  Don’t make them all the time or you may have to buy a new wardrobe…

RED LOBSTER CHEDDAR BISCUITS

Picture obviously from ThinkInsideTheIceBox.com

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups Bisquick baking mix

¾ cup cold whole milk

4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick)

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

 Brush on Top:

2 tablespoons butter, melted

¼ teaspoon dried parsley flakes

½ teaspoon garlic powder

pinch salt

 Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a large fork. You don’t want to mix too thoroughly. There should be small chunks of butter in there that are about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and ¼ teaspoon garlic. Mix by hand until combined, but don’t over mix.

3. Drop approximately ¼-cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop.

4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.

5. When you take the biscuits out of the oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter is a small bowl in your microwave. Stir in ½ teaspoon garlic powder and the dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter. Makes one dozen biscuits.

…Because you can make them at home at 1:00am (when the restaurant is closed)…

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Mmmmm: Salad Dressing! Tuesday, Nov 11 2008

Krissy’s Tomato Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

1/2 cup vegetable oil or light olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon garlic granules or powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in jar, cover and shake well.  Shake before each pouring…

I really am a creature of habit and once I find something I like, I could literally eat it every single day for years (it certainly happened with oatmeal!).  I am obsessed with spinach salad topped with grilled chicken, pecans, and chopped up hardboiled egg drenched in this dressing.  I think I may make it this week…

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