Chocolate Chunk Cookies

My favorite baker, Sally, says this is the most downloaded recipe from her blog.  I can see why.  Delicious, easy to make, soft and chewy.  No mixer required!  But, you need a little extra time with these because they require chilling in the fridge for at least 2 hours (up to 3 days).  You can also roll the chilled dough into balls and freeze (up to 3 months) to bake as desired (just add a minute to baking time).

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips or chunks

Directions:

In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt, set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk melted butter and sugars together until no lumps remain.  Whisk in the egg then egg yolk and vanilla.  Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix together.  Fold in chocolate chunks.  Cover dough and chill for at least 2 hours.

Take dough out of refrigerator and allow to soften for about 10 minutes.  Roll about 2-3 tbls of dough into balls.  Bake at 325 degrees for 11-12 minutes.

Super Soft Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm sick.  Springtime allergies are kicking my butt more than I can ever remember.  Hubby is travelling and I'm home alone with my sick self.  I need comfort food.  To most that may mean things like meatloaf and mashed potatoes but I was craving a chocolate chip cookie.  For several days I fought the urge to bake some but finally gave in.  However, my craving changed from chocolate chip cookie to peanut butter chocolate chip cookie.  I've never had these before.  I love love love my peanut butter and chocolate together but never in an actual chocolate chip cookie. Not sure I have even heard of one, not a peanut butter blossom or the like, but an actual chocolate chip cookie with peanut butter base.

I googled, found many recipes and settled on one on Rachel Ray's website.  Now Rachel is a wonderful cook, but not known for her baking, so I was a little surprised that my search found her as a top recipe.  Turns out it isn't exactly her recipe, but a contributor to her site.  Even more surprising to me was that the recipe was adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction, my favorite baking blog.  That girl knows how to do Chocolate and Peanut Butter!  I actually searched Sally's first but didn't find what I was looking for, but it all worked out....Soft peanut buttery delicious chocolate chip cookies.  I really craved just one, and against my better judgement ate just a few and will save the rest for hubby. They seem like they should freeze real well, but I probably will not find out.  Easy and delicious!  I'm still sick, but these certainly aid on the road to recovery.   Thank God I'm not allergic to chocolate or peanut butter!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 cups flour

Pinch of salt

1 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Cream the butter and sugars together, add the peanut butter, egg and vanilla and combine.

In separate bowl, whisk together baking soda, flour and salt and slowly add to the peanut butter mixture until combined.

Fold in chocolate chips.  Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  This is required for a lot of drop cookie recipes to prevent the cookie from spreading too much while cooking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheet with parchment.  Roll tablespoon size cookie into ball, place on cookie sheet and slightly flatten.  Now, this is where I would make a change the next time I bake these cookies.  I would roll the ball into a small bowl of sugar to slightly coat the outside before I flatten on cookie sheet....works either way though.

Bake 10 minutes until set and very light in color.  They will look under done but will firm up upon cooling.  Store in air tight container up to 5 days.

Snicker Bites

 

Recipe adapated from lifeloveandsugar.com

 

Ingredients:

Cookie cups:

• 3/4 cups butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 48 mini Snickers bars

Icing:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/8 cup cocoa
• 1/8 cup peanut butter
• 1-2 tbsp water

Instructions:

• Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.
• Add milk, egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
• Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. 

•  Grease a mini muffin tin.

• Make small dough balls and press into the bottom of each mini muffin cup. Press the center down just a bit to make an indention, where you'll add the mini snickers later. You want each cup to only be about 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven and press mini snickers into the center of the cookie cups.

Allow to cool for 3-4 minutes in the muffin tin.  Remove cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.


To make the icing:
Beat the butter and shortening together until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar to the butter mixture, one cup at a time, and mix until smooth.
Add peanut butter and cocoa and mix until smooth.
Add 1-2 tbsp of water until the icing is the right consistency.

To make caramel sauce:

1 cup sugar
6 Tablespoons salted butter, cut up into 6 pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt

• Heat sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.
• Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.
• Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2-3 minutes.
• Very slowly, drizzle in 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when added.
• Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.
• Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to cool down before using.

 Top the cookie cups with the icing, then a little bit of caramel sauce.

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:

For the stew:

3 - 3 1/2 pounds of cooked and shredded chicken (a rotisserie chicken works fine)
4 Tablespoons butter
4 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
2 celery ribs, sliced 1/4" thick
1 medium onion, chopped fine
6-8 Tablespoons flour
5 cups of chicken broth
1/4 cup of milk
1 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1 to 2 cups of peas (canned or frozen)
3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

For the dumplings:
2 cups of All-Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup of whole milk
3 Tablespoons Butter, melted

Directions:

In a large dutch oven, saute the carrots, celery and onions in butter until vegetables are soft.  Add 6 Tbls flour and continue cooking over medium heat for a few minutes to cook out the "flour" taste.

Add the chicken broth, 1/4 cup of milk, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper.  Stir scrapping bottom of pot.  Add more flour if you prefer thicker sauce.   Add the chicken, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 1 hour.

To make dumplings, When stew almost done, in a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix well with a wire whisk.  Add 3 Tbls. melted butter and 1 cup of milk. 

When stew is done, add peas and chopped parsley.  Mix well.  Remove and discard bay leaves.  Return to a simmer and drop dumplings by rounded tablespoon onto the top of the stew.  Leave a little space between dumplings if you can because they will rise while cooking.

Reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook until the dumplings have doubled in size, about 15 to 20
minutes.

Hershey's Best Brownies

I can't believe I've never made brownies not out of a box until now.  I've made numerous "bar" recipes from scratch but never strictly brownies.  So I web searched and settled on "Hershey's Best Brownies," mostly because I had all the ingredients.  They are excellent!  I will use this as my go to brownie recipe from now on, no more boxes!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING (optional, recipe follows)

Directions:

• 1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

• 2. Place butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 2 to 2-1/2 minutes or until melted. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Add cocoa; beat until well blended. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat well. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour batter into prepared pan.

• 3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Prepare and frost brownie with CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING, if desired. Cut into bars. Makes 24 to 36 brownies.

CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING

• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 6 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 to 4 tablespoons milk

Beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to spreading consistency.  Makes 1-2/3 cups frosting.

Chicken Pesto Lasagna Roll-ups

Courtesy www.damndelicious.net.  These are damn delicious!

Ingredients:

12 lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups of milk
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded (I often use a bought rotisserie chicken)
30 ounces ricotta cheese
1 cup basil pesto
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups marinara sauce, divided
Grated Parmesan

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly oil or nonstick spray 9 x 13 baking dish.

Cook lasagna noodles as directed on package; drain well.

To make bechamel sauce:  melt butter in large saucepan.  Whisk in flour until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes.  Gradually whisk in milk and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Spread 1/2 cup bechamel in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

In large bowl, combine the chicken, ricotta, pesto, 1 cup mozzarella, salt and pepper, to taste.
Lay noodles flat and spread chicken cheese mixture evenly along each noodle, about 1/2 cup each.

Roll up and and place seam side down in the baking dish; repeat with remaining noodles and filling.


  Top with remaining bechamel and 1 cup marinara, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

Place into oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Serve on a bed of marinara and garnish with Parmesan.

Seasoned Pretzels

Adapted recipe courtesy of Sallys Baking Addiction.  This is a variation of Sally's original recipe, but the one that I prefer.

Ingredients:

1 16 oz bag hard pretzels
3/4 cup olive oil
1 pkg dry hidden valley ranch dressing
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dill weed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

Break the pretzels into pieces. Place them in a large zipped-top bag. Add the oil and the spices. Shake it all together very well.



Spread the pretzels onto the prepared baking sheet.




Bake for 50 minutes, making sure to stir the pretzels around two or three times during baking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Funfetti Sugar Cookie

Soft-baked Sugar Cookie courtesy of Sally's Baking Addiction.

Great Christmas cookie, but change up the sprinkles in different colors for different holidays!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups spoon & leveled all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar (cannot be omitted)
• 1/2 cup sprinkles

Directions:

In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the softened butter for about 1 minute on medium speed. Get it nice and smooth, then add the sugar on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Mix in egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides as needed. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cream of tartar. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 different parts. The dough is quite thick and you may have to stir the rest by hand. Once combined, fold in 1/2 cup sprinkles.

Scoop a large sections of dough (about 2 Tablespoons of dough each) and roll into balls. Make sure the balls are taller, rather than wide.

Chill the balls of dough on the cookie sheet for at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours in the refrigerator.*  This step will prevent spreading in the oven.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Bake chilled cookie dough for 8 minutes, no more. The cookies will appear undone and very soft. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for 3 minutes and move to wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies stay soft & fresh for up to 1 week at room temperature. Cookies freeze well. Cookies may be rolled into balls and frozen up to 3 months to bake at a later date. Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
 

*Room temperature egg is required. To bring the egg to room temperature quickly, place in a warm glass of water for about 10 minutes as you get the other ingredients ready.

*Chilling dough is mandatory.
 

Spinach Artichoke Cups

Courtesy of  the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

Ingredients:

24 slices of soft sandwich bread
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
1 (6 ounce) jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped coarsely
6 ounces of cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. Using a biscuit cutter or the rim of a glass to cut a 3 inch circle in each piece of bread.  Gently press each circle in the muffin tin. 
3. Bake in the oven for 3-4 minutes or until just lightly toasted.
4. In a medium bowl, add the spinach, chopped artichokes, cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and garlic salt.  Mix until combined.
5. Place a heaping tablespoon of the spinach mixture into each cup and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese on top if desired.
6. Bake for 5-6 minutes or until mixture is hot and bread is golden brown.  Remove from muffin tins and serve.

• 24 slices of soft sandwich bread
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
• 1 (6 ounce) jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped coarsely
• 6 ounces of cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 Tablespoons sour cream
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

Read more at http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2013/12/spinach-artichoke-cups.html#QXL7wrXxKH1aytE5.99