I know, I know...I am the best wife ever!
Monday, July 11, 2011
I.AM.THE.BEST.WIFE.EVER.
I surprised Adam and got him a prize for his Man Cave. It's 99.9% finished and I am so excited! So, I searched high and low for a mini refrigerator that was cool enough for the Man Cave, and luckily 2 weekends ago I found one on clearance at Lowe's for a whopping $70 bucks! It was a steal of a deal! So I bought it and loaded it with his favorite beer.
I know, I know...I am the best wife ever!
I know, I know...I am the best wife ever!
S'mores Cookies
I have these S'mores cookies that I love to make. They are so delicious. You crush up the graham cracker and mix it in the dough and mmmmm it's good! Well the other day I found a different recipe here. Instead of putting the graham cracker in the dough, you bake the dough on top of the graham cracker! GENIUS! I don't think they look particularly good when all is said and done, but man O man, are they delicious!
S'mores Cookies
Ingredients:
11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ½ cups flour
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
3 regular sized Hershey’s bars, broken into pieces (I broke my individual pieces into halves the 2nd time around)
1-2 packages graham crackers, broken into squares
Directions:
Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (this is very important! I didn't do this at first and I had such a mess it was horrible!) Square up the graham crackers on the cookie sheet, making sure the sides are touching.
Beat butter and sugar together until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time, until just blended, then add in vanilla. Combine baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and flour in a bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the cookie dough. Mix in the chocolate chips and mini marshmallows.
Drop a small spoonful of cookie dough on the center of each graham cracker. (Remember to make sure they are touching.) Bake for 5 minutes, then remove to add pieces of chocolate to the top of each square. Return to over and continue to bake until desired brownness is achieved. (I went 4 more minutes and I think that might have been too long.) Transfer to a wire wrack to cool. (Another reason why the parchment paper is great. You just pick it up and move it over!) After cooking, break the cookies back into individual squares and serve.
Enjoy!
S'mores Cookies
Ingredients:
11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ½ cups flour
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
3 regular sized Hershey’s bars, broken into pieces (I broke my individual pieces into halves the 2nd time around)
1-2 packages graham crackers, broken into squares
Directions:
Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (this is very important! I didn't do this at first and I had such a mess it was horrible!) Square up the graham crackers on the cookie sheet, making sure the sides are touching.
Beat butter and sugar together until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time, until just blended, then add in vanilla. Combine baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and flour in a bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the cookie dough. Mix in the chocolate chips and mini marshmallows.
Drop a small spoonful of cookie dough on the center of each graham cracker. (Remember to make sure they are touching.) Bake for 5 minutes, then remove to add pieces of chocolate to the top of each square. Return to over and continue to bake until desired brownness is achieved. (I went 4 more minutes and I think that might have been too long.) Transfer to a wire wrack to cool. (Another reason why the parchment paper is great. You just pick it up and move it over!) After cooking, break the cookies back into individual squares and serve.
Enjoy!
BBQ Chicken Pizza
I got to thinking this past week that all I ever post is about all the treats I make, and this blog was suppose to be about the simplicity of the kitchen in general, not just baking. So I'm going to try and post some of the things I make for dinner often. One of our favorites is BBQ Chicken Pizza. It's so simple and so delicious!
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Ingredients:
1 Pkg. Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (We use Trader Joe's)
BBQ Sauce
Red Onions, thinly sliced
Chicken, grilled and chopped into bite size pieces
Chicken Seasoning (I used Roasted Garlic & Herb)
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Directions:
Prep pizza dough according to packaging directions. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and grill them in a frying pan. Top with seasoning. Thinly slice how ever much onion you want on your pizza. We love red onion, so I put a lot.
Spread dough evenly across a pizza pan or cookie sheet. Pour BBQ sauce over dough until you have a nice thin layer. Sprinkle cheese over sauce. Add onions and chicken. Bake according to directions on pizza dough bag. (For Trader Joe's it's 9-12 minutes @ 400 degrees F.)
And there you have it! So simple and easy!
Enjoy!
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Ingredients:
1 Pkg. Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (We use Trader Joe's)
BBQ Sauce
Red Onions, thinly sliced
Chicken, grilled and chopped into bite size pieces
Chicken Seasoning (I used Roasted Garlic & Herb)
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Directions:
Prep pizza dough according to packaging directions. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and grill them in a frying pan. Top with seasoning. Thinly slice how ever much onion you want on your pizza. We love red onion, so I put a lot.
Spread dough evenly across a pizza pan or cookie sheet. Pour BBQ sauce over dough until you have a nice thin layer. Sprinkle cheese over sauce. Add onions and chicken. Bake according to directions on pizza dough bag. (For Trader Joe's it's 9-12 minutes @ 400 degrees F.)
And there you have it! So simple and easy!
Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are amazing!!! A few months ago I was browsing a blog called The Picky Palate and I ran across this recipe. I had all but forgotten about it until the other day when I was browsing through my bookmarked recipes, looking for something to make for my sister-in-law's birthday. Boy, did I hit a winner!!! You can find the original recipe here. When I ran out of Oreos, I used the Girl Scout's Thin Mints Cookies :)
Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
1 package of Oreo Double Stuffed Cookies
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 cup of loose brown sugar (not packed)
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup chocolate chips (I tend to go easy on the chocolate chips, but add more if you want!)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat butter and sugars together until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla, and beat until just blended. Add in baking soda, salt, and flour and mix until it is well combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
Take a small spoonful of cookie dough and flatten it in your hand. Place an Oreo on top of the cookie dough. Add a thin layer of cookie dough to the top of the Oreo, and flatten the dough with your fingers, making the two ends of the cookie dough touch. Cup the cookie in your hands so that the cookie is round and even.
Bake for 5 minutes, then turn 180 degrees, and continue baking for another 5 minutes. They should retain the cookie dough like color, even though they are done. If you want, go ahead and bake them longer :) Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire wrack to cool.
When you take your first glorious bite, the soft Oreo will just melt in your mouth! It's absolutely divine :)
Enjoy!
Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
1 package of Oreo Double Stuffed Cookies
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 cup of loose brown sugar (not packed)
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup chocolate chips (I tend to go easy on the chocolate chips, but add more if you want!)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat butter and sugars together until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla, and beat until just blended. Add in baking soda, salt, and flour and mix until it is well combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
Take a small spoonful of cookie dough and flatten it in your hand. Place an Oreo on top of the cookie dough. Add a thin layer of cookie dough to the top of the Oreo, and flatten the dough with your fingers, making the two ends of the cookie dough touch. Cup the cookie in your hands so that the cookie is round and even.
Bake for 5 minutes, then turn 180 degrees, and continue baking for another 5 minutes. They should retain the cookie dough like color, even though they are done. If you want, go ahead and bake them longer :) Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire wrack to cool.
When you take your first glorious bite, the soft Oreo will just melt in your mouth! It's absolutely divine :)
Enjoy!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Blueberry & Strawberry Muffins
I found the best Blueberry & Strawberry Muffin recipe! I made these about a month ago for our community group and they were a hit! You can make these with just strawberries too. I plan on making blueberry ones this afternoon and as soon as my fruit trees are ready I'm going to try peach too! You can find the original recipe here. I love the world wide web :)
Blueberry & Strawberry Muffins
Ingredients:
Batter:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk (I used 1%)
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped into small pieces
Topping:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup butter cubed into tiny pieces
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place muffin/cupcake cups in muffin/cupckae pan. Combine sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Mix the vegetable oil, egg, and milk in a glass measuring cup and then add it to the dry mixture. Stir in fruit. Scoop the mixture into the cups all the way to the top. (I ended up only needing 11).
For the topping, mix the sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add in the cubed butter and mix in with a fork. Add to the top of the muffins. (Bakers Note on the topping: I found that I had way too much mixture and not enough butter. I followed the directions on the mixture, but I forked out the butter pieces and places them on the top of the muffins. Then I sprinkled some of the dry mixture over it. I also heavily sprayed the tops of the muffins with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray, because I thought it looked too dry.)
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.
Enjoy!
Blueberry & Strawberry Muffins
Ingredients:
Batter:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk (I used 1%)
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped into small pieces
Topping:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup butter cubed into tiny pieces
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place muffin/cupcake cups in muffin/cupckae pan. Combine sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Mix the vegetable oil, egg, and milk in a glass measuring cup and then add it to the dry mixture. Stir in fruit. Scoop the mixture into the cups all the way to the top. (I ended up only needing 11).
For the topping, mix the sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add in the cubed butter and mix in with a fork. Add to the top of the muffins. (Bakers Note on the topping: I found that I had way too much mixture and not enough butter. I followed the directions on the mixture, but I forked out the butter pieces and places them on the top of the muffins. Then I sprinkled some of the dry mixture over it. I also heavily sprayed the tops of the muffins with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray, because I thought it looked too dry.)
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.
Enjoy!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Lemon Squares
Our lemon tree is on its way out for the season, and I couldn't think of anything to do with my remaining lemons besides making lemonade...so I decided to try and make lemon bars. I remembered I had a recipe that came with one of my Martha Stewart baking pans I got for my bridal shower, so I gave it a whirl.
We were going to dinner at my in-law's anyways, and I wanted to bake something. My husband, in his oh-so-kind way suggested sticking to cookies, since those usually turn out the best when I decide to experiment :) I told him it's Martha Stewart, how could it go wrong? I am happy to say that they turned out delicious, and I don't even like lemon bars!
Martha Stewart Lemon Squares
Crust:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, frozen
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flower
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
Filling:
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flower
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Toping:
Powdered Sugar
Directions::
Grate frozen butter on a cheese grater with large holes and set aside. Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and stir until combined and mixture looks crumbly. Butter a 9x13 baking pan and line with waxed paper. Pour mixture into dish and press evenly onto bottom with your hands. Freeze the crust for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake crust until slightly golden, 16-20 minutes.
While the crust is baking, mix the filling together. Whisk eggs, and add sugar, flour and salt until smooth. Stir in milk and lemon juice. Pour over crust as soon as it comes out of the over.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees, then bake until the filling is set and the edges are slightly golden brown, about 18 minutes. (In my oven it was about 23 minutes, and I should I baked it until the edges were brown because my center was gooey... good but gooey.)
Let the pan cool for a few minutes on a wire wrack. Then gently lift them out of the pan and cool completely on the wire wrack. Top with powdered sugar and cut into squares. Absolutely delicious!!!
Enjoy!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Honey Apple Cookies
I've has some apples laying around for about a week...and I have no intention of eating them anytime soon. So I decided I wanted to make my Cinnamon Spice Apple Cookies. Well, I started making them and decided I wanted to tweak my own recipe. Instead, I decided to add honey and just leave it at that. They turned out delicious!!!
Honey Apple Cookies
Ingredients:
10 Tbsp Butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups flour
2 medium apples, grated
2 Tbsp honey (mine was straight from Texas, thanks honey!)
Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugars together until creamy. Add in egg and mix well. Add in cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Mix in flower alternately with grated apple. Lastly, mix in honey until well blended.
Drop by rounded spoonful onto baking sheet. Bake for 4 minutes. Rotate, and cook an additional 4-5 minutes. After a few minutes, transfer to cooling rack. Serve with a nice cold glass of milk :)
Enjoy!
Honey Apple Cookies
Ingredients:
10 Tbsp Butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups flour
2 medium apples, grated
2 Tbsp honey (mine was straight from Texas, thanks honey!)
Directions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugars together until creamy. Add in egg and mix well. Add in cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Mix in flower alternately with grated apple. Lastly, mix in honey until well blended.
Drop by rounded spoonful onto baking sheet. Bake for 4 minutes. Rotate, and cook an additional 4-5 minutes. After a few minutes, transfer to cooling rack. Serve with a nice cold glass of milk :)
Enjoy!
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