Thousand Layer Chocolate Chip Cookies

This past Saturday was a big day for me.  After nearly 2 years of running and 3 months of training, Saturday was my very first half-marathon.  The morning of the race was beautiful, the sun was shining and the temperatures were comfortably cool.  I faced the race with confidence and excitement.  Halfway through the 13.1 miles, the weather changed and thunder and lightning began.  Since we were running along the coastline of Lake Michigan, the race officials decided the lightning presented a safety issue and decided to call the race.  They did give the runners a choice to continue running at our own risk.  I was over halfway by time this news made its way to me and there was no way I was going to stop.  The thunder and lightening became more intense and then the skies opened up and it down poured.  The wind picked up and I heard reports of hail as well (though I didn't experience any).  I ran through water 2 inches deep, and I crossed the finish line soaking wet, freezing, and completely exhilarated that I met my goal and finished.  I'm looking forward to running another half in the future, hopefully one that doesn't get cancelled halfway through, so I can get an official finishing time.  But for now I am proud to say, I'm a half marathoner!

These cookies have absolutely nothing to do with running.  I wouldn't have minded seeing a plateful of these waiting for me at the finish line though!  The name of these cookies, Thousand Layer Chocolate Chip Cookies, does a good job of describing the many layers in these fabulous treats.  They are certainly more time consuming than your average chocolate chip cookie, but they are out-of-this-world delicious.  These cookies are worth the extra time, and I guarantee anyone you make them for will love them.  Now if only I can convince half-marathon planning committees to serve these at the finish line...

Thousand Layer Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes approximately 20 cookies (depending on the size of your cutter)

Ingredients:
2-1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2-1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
3 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into long, thin shards
1 large egg, lightly beaten (for egg wash)
1.  Cut up 2 sticks of butter and place them in a large saucepan.  Whisk over medium heat until the butter is melted.  Turn up the heat and continue cooking the butter, whisking occasionally, until the butter turns brown.  (Don't walk away, as the butter can burn quickly once it turns brown!)

2.  As soon as the butter turns brown, remove the pan from heat and pour the butter into a medium heat-proof bowl.  Place butter in the fridge to solidify (about 4 hours). 

3.  Remove the butter from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.  Bring the remaining half stick to room temperature as well. 

4.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

5.  Scrape the brown butter into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add the remaining butter, brown sugar, and sugar.  Beat until fluffy and light, about 3-5 minutes.

6.  Add the egg and beat for 1 minute.  Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

7.  Add in the vanilla and beat to combine.

8.  Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly add in the dry ingredients.  Mix until the flour is just incorporated.

9.  Place the cookie dough on a lightly floured surface.  Divide into 3 equal pieces and form each piece into a 4x6" rectangle.  Wrap each rectangle in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

10.  Remove the rectangles from the fridge and unwrap.  Place one of the dough rectangles on a lightly floured surface and sprinkle with half the chocolate shards.

11.  Top with another piece of dough and sprinkle with remaining chocolate.  Top with remaining piece of dough.  You should have a tall cookie dough rectangle in front of you.

12.  Dust the top layer of cookie dough lightly with flour.  Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough into a rectangle about 9x6" and about 1-1/2" thick.

13.  Use a 2" round cookie cutter to cut cookies out.  (I used a glass instead, and my cookies were about 4".)  Re-roll any scraps to get the most cookies out of your dough.

14.  Place cut cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, cover loosely, and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.  (The longer the cookies are refrigerated, the deeper their flavor.  I didn't want to wait longer to try a cookie, so I left mine in only an hour.)

15.  While the cookies are chilling, prepare the egg wash by beating 1 egg in a small bowl.

16.  Remove cookies from the fridge and separate them on cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.  Brush each cookie with the egg wash.

17.  Bake at 375 for 11-14 minutes, until the edges of the cookies have just set.  Cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

Source:  Une Gamine Dans La Cuisine

Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches

I love to use coupons when I shop.  I'm no extreme couponer by any means, but it's become a personal challenge--a game--for me.  Each week I aim to buy everything that we need and come in under budget.  Thanks to coupons, I've been able to achieve that goal most weeks. 

I do my grocery shopping on Friday mornings and when Mike gets home from work I'm excited to show him the deals I got that day.  I show him products and have him guess what I paid for them.  Cheesy, I know...but it's fun to see how much money we're saving.

Sometimes I'll buy items that are on sale for an irresistible price, but are products that I don't typically purchase.  One of those items was a box of Carrot Cake mix.  I don't remember what I paid for it, but I know it was cheap.  However, because Mike doesn't like cake, I did not want to make an entire cake for myself. 

So there the cake mix sat. 

Until I saw this recipe.  I knew I hit the jackpot when Mike took a bite of the cookie sandwich and mumbled "mmmm".  I intended to share these cookies with my parents one Sunday, but Mike and I enjoyed them too much to share.  Oops!  At least that gives me an excuse to make them again...


Carrot Crinkle Cookie Sandwiches

Makes 10

Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs
1 (18.25 oz) box Carrot Cake mix
flour, as needed
1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/4 cup powdered sugar

1.  In a large bowl, mix butter, eggs, and carrot cake mix until no lumps are left.  (*If needed, add flour 1/8 cup at a time to achieve a batter that can be rolled into balls.  I needed to add nearly 1/2 cup of flour.)

2.  Roll dough into 1 inch balls and coat in powdered sugar.

3.  Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets that have been lined with parchment paper.

4.  Bake cookies at 375 for 8-10 minutes, until the tops have cracked and the tops are mostly set. 

5.  Cool cookies for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

6.  While the cookies are cooling, cream butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth.

7.  Beat in vanilla and cinnamon.

8.  Add powdered sugar and beat until frosting is smooth.

9.  Spread frosting onto one cookie and then top with another, pressing down slightly to adhere cookies.

Serve immediately.  Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge--bring to room temperature before serving.

Source:  The Novice Chef

Oreo Marshmallow Treats

 

One of my favorite things about creating and making recipes is the opportunity to change it up and make it your own.  I especially like to change up recipes that are usually made pretty much the same every time, like making S'mores Puppy Chow or Funfetti Puppy Chow instead of basic Puppy Chow.  I've also made a few variations on Rice Krispies treats like Cookie Dough Marshmallow Treats and Cookie Dough Scotcheroos.  

I've been on an Oreo kick lately.  I bought a package a couple of months ago to make some Snowman Cookies and I've been hopelessly addicted ever since then.  My favorite way to enjoy an Oreo is just to eat it plain, but then I had the idea to add Oreos to Rice Krispies Treats.  And what a grand idea it was!  I'm also trying to incorporate the use of coconut oil into my diet so I decided to replace the butter with coconut oil.  It added just a slight hint of coconut to the treats, but I thought it was a fantastic, and slightly healthier, addition!

Oreo Marshmallow Treats

Makes 1 9x13" pan, 16-20 servings

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 (10 ounce) package regular sized marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
10 Oreo cookies, broken into pieces (I used chocolate filled, but any kind of Oreo would be delicious)

1.  In a microwave safe bowl, heat coconut oil and marshmallows on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. 

2.  Stir until smooth, returning to microwave in 30 second intervals if necessary.

3.  Add cereal to marshmallow mixture and stir until well coated.

4.  Add broken Oreo cookies and stir until just combined.

5.  Press mixture into a greased 9x13" pan.  Cool before cutting and serving.

Double Coconut Fried Chicken

It's the 7th of the month (already!) and that means it's time to reveal my recipe for July's Crazy Cooking Challenge.  This month's theme was fried chicken.  I'll admit--it's not something we usually eat in our house.  It was fun to search other blogs for a delicious fried chicken recipe.

I found a few that looked delicious, but didn't seem too special.  And I wanted something really unique.  When I came upon a recipe for Coconut Fried Chicken at Jan's Sushi Bar, I thought it would be perfect!  I took it one step further and fried the chicken in coconut oil.  Do you know how good coconut oil is for you?  The health benefits and uses are incredible!   

This chicken was delicious!  The coconut flavor really shined and the chicken was incredibly juicy. I would recommend using unsweetened coconut (that the recipe called for) instead of sweetened.  I only had sweetened in the house and I think the sugar caused it to blacken.  The flavor was still delicious!

Double Coconut Fried Chicken

Serves 6

You will need:

12 chicken drumsticks, skins removed
2 large eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut oil

1.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, water, and spices.  Whisk until well blended.

2.  In a shallow pan, mix together the flour, coconut, and salt.

3.  Heat the coconut oil in a large, heavy skilled over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees.  

4.  Working in small batches, dip the chicken drumsticks into the egg mixture, then transfer to the coconut mixture.

5.  Coat each strip lightly but evenly with the coconut mixture, using your hands to help the coconut adhere to the chicken if necessary.

6.  Place drumsticks in the skillet and fry until brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

7.  Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

8.  Continue dipping and frying until all the chicken drumsticks are cooked.

Source: Jan's Sushi Bar

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cookie Frosting

Last weekend, Mike and I packed up the truck and drove 5 hours to go camping with my Mom's family in Canada.  It was hot, but thankfully we had a bit of shade on our lot.  We enjoyed catching up with everyone, swimming, campfires, and lots of good food (of course!).

My Dad's birthday was on Saturday and so I made him cupcakes to celebrate.  He loves chocolate and peanut butter (who doesn't?) so when I saw these cupcakes, I knew I had to make them.  I'm so happy that I did--these cupcakes were delicious, but the icing on the cake, literally, was the peanut butter frosting!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cookie Frosting

Makes 24 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
1-1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 Tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

For the ganache:
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
For the peanut butter cookie frosting:
9 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
3 cups powered sugar

1.  In a small bowl, whisk together the coffee and cocoa powder until dissolved.  Set aside.

2.  In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking power and salt.  Set aside.

3.  In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the butter, brown sugar, and sugar.  Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.

4.  Beat in eggs one at a time until combined.  Blend in vanilla.

5.  Turn the mixer on to low speed and add the dry ingredients alternating with the coffee mixture.  Mix after each addition until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

6.  Divide the batter into paper lined cupcake tins, filling each 2/3 of the way full.

7.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

8.  When the cupcakes have cooled, make the ganache.  First, place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl.

9.  Bring the heavy cream to simmer, pour it over the chopped chocolate, and let it stand for about 2 minutes.

10.  Whisk the heavy cream and chocolate until a smooth ganache forms.  If necessary, let the ganache sit at room temperature to thicken before using.

11.  To make the peanut butter cookie frosting, combine the peanut butter and butter in the bowl of your stand mixer and beat on medium for 1 minute.

12.  Add in the powdered sugar and mix on low until completely combined.  Increase the speed to medium and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes.

13.  Scoop about 1 Tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture and form it into a round patty.  Use the tines of a fork to make a crisscross pattern on top of the patty.  (You want it to look like a classic peanut butter cookie.)  Repeat with remaining mixture.

14.  Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the ganache to ice it.  (If your ganache is too thick to dip, use an offset spatula to spread it over the cupcakes.)  Place a peanut butter "cookie" on top of the ganache.

Store in a airtight container in the fridge.

Source:  Sweet Savory Life via Annie's Eats

Baked Crispy Potatoes

My favorite thing about cooked potatoes is the crispy outside.  Growing up, my dad would often fry crispy potatoes in a cast-iron skillet.  I always tried to pick out the potatoes with the most crisp edges.  Then I would add a generous amount of salt to my potatoes before devouring them.  I don't add salt to a lot of my foods, but crispy potatoes need their salt!

This version of crispy potatoes is a little healthier than my dad's because it's baked, not fried.  The result is a perfectly crisp exterior and a fluffy interior.  The potatoes are coated with salt before they're baked, giving them a wonderful crunch. 

Baked Crispy Potatoes

Serves 2

You will need:

2 large potatoes (I used russet)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon sea salt

1.  Wash and dry potatoes.  Slice into 1/4" thick slices. 

2.  In a Ziploc bag, combine olive oil, sea salt, and potato slices.

3.  Seal the bag and carefully shake it until the potatoes are covered in a starchy paste, about 2 minutes.

4.  Place potatoes, in a single layer, on a baking sheet. 

5.  Bake at 450 for 20 minutes, until the bottoms of the potatoes turn golden brown.  Then flip the potatoes, return to oven, and bake another 10 minutes.

6.  Remove potatoes from oven and sprinkle with additional salt, if desired.

What are some of your favorite childhood foods?

"That One Dessert"

You may have noticed by now that I like to experiment and try new things.  Especially when it comes to food!  Put me in the middle of a specialty grocery store and I could spend hours browsing through the selection.  I could also spend lots of money there, so that's why I tend to avoid specialty stores.  One day, I was at my "favorite" grocery store when I saw these incredible waffle cone bowls.  I got super excited and I had to buy a box.  Now, I know they're not really new or different, but until recently I'd only seen them at ice-cream shops, never in the store!  I bought a box, brought it home, and there it sat.  Waiting for the perfect use.  (Because just using them for ice-cream was way too boring!)

This snack...or dessert...was created on a whim one night.  I wanted something fruit, but sweet.  Chocolaty, but not overpoweringly so.  And so, this creation was born.  I immediately knew it was a keeper.  A few nights later, Mike requested dessert and I asked if I could surprise him.  He agreed and so I put together my creation again.  I knew I'd hit the jackpot when Mike loved it, and requested it again a few nights later!  Since then, we've had this dessert many times.  I'll admit, I even enjoyed it for lunch one day :)

Feel free to experiment with other fruits, white chocolate chips, or even nuts.  Whatever suits your fancy--I'm sure it will be delicious!

As far as the title for this post "That One Dessert"...Mike and I could not come up with a name for this dessert.  When I make it, we typically refer to it as "that one dessert" "you know, the one with strawberries, bananas, chocolate chips, and marshmallows in the waffle bowl?"  But that makes for an awfully long recipe name!  So, if you come up with a fantastic name, I'd love to hear it!  And, if I choose your name, I'll post a link to your blog giving you the credit!

That One Dessert!

Serves 2

You will need:
2 waffle bowls
1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)
1 banana, sliced
6 strawberries, sliced
20 mini marshmallows

1.  Sprinkle a few chocolate chips in the bottom of each waffle bowl.  Place bowls on a cookie sheet.

2.  Place waffle bowls under your broiler for about 30 seconds, just so the chocolate melts.  (You can skip this step, but I always do this so the bottom layer of chocolate is melted.)

3.  Place a few banana slices in the bottom of each bowl, followed by a few strawberry slices, and topped with a few chocolate chips.  Repeat layers.

4.  Sprinkle marshmallows on top of each fruit-filled bowl.

5.  Place under your broiler for 1-2 minutes, just until the marshmallows turn golden brown.

Eat as is, or topped with whipped topping, or ice-cream

The perfect bite!!!

Strawberry Mango Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips

Coming home from vacation is hard work!  After a week of being waited on, not having to cook or clean, and lots of fun and relaxation, it's hard to return to reality.  We got home Sunday morning, and went straight to bed.  Monday was spent doing laundry, getting groceries, and doing some yard work.  And then Tuesday, Mike and I both headed back to work.  It's a tough adjustment after doing nothing but relaxing and having fun on vacation!

We had a fantastic time in Hawaii.  We got to visit 4 of the major islands and we experienced a lot of new things.  One of my favorite things (of course) was all the food.  We both fell in love with apple bananas, and I'm really hoping we can find them around here.  (Any ideas where to look?)  I got to try a lot of new foods, but one of my favorite things was the abundance of fresh fruit.  Each morning I had a variety of fresh fruit with breakfast--Hawaiian pineapple and guava just can't be beat!

Both strawberries and mangoes rank at the top of my list of favorite fruits.  I didn't have any strawberries in Hawaii, but I did have some delicious mango.  This salsa combines my two favorites into one delicious appetizer.  The most time consuming part of this recipe is dicing up all the mangoes and strawberries.  Hopefully you  have a chopper that will make it easier than it was for me!  I made cinnamon sugar tortilla chips to use for dipping.  As you may guess, I did make this salsa a little while ago--I bought it to girl's night with my cousins and it was a huge hit!

Strawberry Mango Salsa

Serves 10-12

You will need:

2 medium mangoes, diced

1 quart of strawberries, hulled and diced

1 Tablespoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

sprinkle of parsley

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Refrigerate before serving.

Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips

Serves 10-12

You will need:

12 flour tortillas (or however many comes in the package you purchase)

4 Tablespoons butter, softened

4 Tablespoons sugar (or equivalent amount of your choice of sweetener)

1-1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon

1.  Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

2.  Spread butter over each tortilla and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar mixture.

3.  Using a pizza cutter, cut each tortilla into 8 wedges.

4.  Place wedges, sugar side up, in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  You will need more than one cookie sheet.

5.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, until tortillas are browned and cripsy.

Serve cinnamon sugar tortilla chips with strawberry mango salsa.

Slightly adapted from: Barbara Bakes

Giant Streusel Topped Blueberry Muffins

There are very few foods that Mike and I don't agree upon.  One minor one is fish--I don't care for it, but he doesn't mind it.  The biggest issue is fruit.  I could eat fruit every meal for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy.  Mike eats his banana every day and would be pleased to continue that way for the rest of his life, with the possible exception of strawberries.

I was thrilled to get to go blueberry picking last year.  Even though Mike doesn't eat them, he still encouraged me to go picking (by myself, of course!) and freeze an incredible amount of blueberries!  I use them year-round for smoothies, in pancakes, and in muffins.  When Tina announced that this month's Crazy Cooking Challenge was to find the recipe for the ultimate blueberry muffin, I jumped on this opportunity to scour the web for the best recipe.  And friends, I do believe I have found it! 

My search led me to Christy's site, The Girl Who Ate Everything.  If the story she told in her blog post didn't draw me in, the pictures of her muffins certainly did!  Her story had me giggling, and her pictures had me drooling.  I knew I found an amazing recipe.  I borrowed a giant muffin tin from Mike's mom so I could make specialty-shop sized muffins.  Let me tell you--they did not disappoint!

Streusel Topped Blueberry Muffins

Makes 12 muffins (or 4 giant muffins)

You will need:
2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup whole milk
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Streusel topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1.  Prepare streusel topping by combining the sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon in a small bowl with a fork (or your hands).  Mix until the texture resembles wet sand.

2.  Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.  Set aside.

3.  In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter together until fluffy.
 
4.  Add in the eggs, vanilla, and milk and stir until combined.

5.  Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

6.  Gently fold blueberries into the batter. (I toss my blueberries with a small amount of flour first to keep them from sinking in the batter.)

7.  Scoop into greased (or paper lined) muffin tins.  Sprinkle muffins with streusel topping.

8.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Source:  The Girl Who Ate Everything

Top 11 of 2011

As 2011 draws to a close, I thought it would be fun to look back on some of the top recipes I posted in the past year.  I put a lot of time, effort, and love into each recipe that I make, so it's difficult for me to choose my favorite recipes...I like them all! 

If you look at the right side of the page, you can see the top 10 recipes on my blog, ranked by the amount of page hits each recipe gets.  I decided to post my top 11 recipes (11 for 2011, of course!), chosen by the number of comments on each recipe.  I hope you'll enjoy this recap of this past year's top recipes!

#1--Mess-less S'mores

#2--Strawberry Cream Cheese Bread

#3--Speculoos

#4--Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls

#5--Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge

#6--Funfetti Cinnamon Rolls

#7--Blueberry Muffins

#8--Pizza Rolls

#9--Banana Muffins

#10--Breadsticks

#11--Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

And just for fun, 11 of my favorite recipes from this past year, some of which didn't get the attention they deserve!  I really want to encourage you to take a look back at the previous postings from your favorite blogs...as I was working on this, I found some recipes I'd completely forgotten about!

Chocolate Covered Seafoam

Chicken, Apple, and Caramelized Walnut Salad

S'mores Popcorn

Grilled BLT Pizza

Strawberry Cheesecake

Cheesy Potato Soup

Stroopwafels

Fried Dill Pickles

Melting Snowman Cookie Balls

Chocolate Topped Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Grilled Flatbread

Here's to a delicious 2011 and a fabulous 2012!

Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake

One of my absolute favorite things to have for breakfast is cinnamon rolls.  Fresh from the oven, hot, and gooey.  In my book, it doesn't get much better than that!  When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it.  It combines 2 of my favorite things, cinnamon rolls and french toast, into one quick and easy breakfast casserole.  It reminds me of the French Monkey Bread I made last year. 

I think this would be the perfect breakfast for Christmas morning.  It comes together quickly and you can pop it in the oven while you're opening Christmas gifts.  I served it with Brown Sugar Baked Bacon. 

Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake

Makes 1 9x13" pan, about 12 servings

You will need:
1/4 cup margarine, melted
2 cans of cinnamon rolls with icing
4 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1.  Pour melted margarine into the bottom of a 9x13" pan.

2.  Open both cans of cinnamon rolls and set the icing aside.  Cut each cinnamon roll into 4 pieces.

3.  Place cinnamon roll pieces on top of margarine in the pan.

4.  In a small bowl, beat the eggs.

5.  Mix in the whipping cream, vanilla, and cinnamon.

6.  Pour egg mixture over the cinnamon roll pieces.

7.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

8.  Spread icing on top of the cinnamon rolls.  Serve warm.

Adapted from:  Mom's Crazy Cooking

Hot Chocolate Snowballs

Last week I shared a recipe for Hot Chocolate Mix, and today I thought I'd share a recipe for the perfect cookie to enjoy with a cup of Hot Chocolate!  As a bonus, it also uses some of the Hot Chocolate Mix!  If you made it already, you're ahead of the game.  If not, go ahead and click on over to check it out...I'll still be here :)

When I saw this recipe on Alli-n-son, I knew I would love it.  As you'll find out tomorrow (when I do a guest post at Mom's Crazy Cooking), one of my favorite cookies is Pecan Snowballs.  This is a fun twist on snowballs and for someone who loves chocolate (me!), it's the perfect combination.  This cookie was my choice for the baking day I had with my Mother-in-law and Sister-in-law earlier this month.  I'm glad I chose it!

Hot Chocolate Snowballs

Makes 36 cookies

You will need:

2/3 cup butter, softened

3 ounces Neufchatel cheese, softened (can also use cream cheese)

2/3 cup hot chocolate mix

1/3 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for rolling

2 teaspoons vanilla

1-3/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1.  In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, Neufchatel cheese, hot chocolate mix, powdered sugar, and vanilla.

2.  Add in flour and salt and mix until well blended.

3.  Cover and chill for 1 hour, or until dough can easily be handled.

4.  Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place 1 inch apart on a greased cookie sheet.

5.  Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes, or until firm.

6.  Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes before rolling in powdered sugar. 

7.  Let them cool completely on a wire rack.

Source:  Alli-n-Son

Baked Buttermilk Donuts

A few weeks ago I volunteered to pick up donuts and bring them to work for Mike and his co-workers.  I couldn't resist picking up a donut for myself while I was at the bakery.  That one donut struck a craving that I just couldn't kick! 

Luckily for me, I had just won a gift certificate to Michael's so one of the things I picked up was a donut pan.  As soon as I got home I pulled out the ingredients and got to work making some baked donuts.

Of course, you just can't compare baked donuts with a fried donut.  Sure, they're both delicous in their own way, but each really does have it's own flavor and texture.  And, if you're anything like me, you can justify eating a baked donut for both breakfast and a mid-morning snack because it's practically a muffin...right?

I made both "regular" sized donuts (the size from the Wilton pan) and "mini" donuts (from my Avon pan).  1 regular sized donut was equivalent to about 3 or 4 mini donuts (really, they are mini!), so of course I could justify eating 3 or 4 mini donuts at a time because it's basically like eating 1 regular one...right?

I know, my logic might be flawed...but indulge me! :)

Baked Buttermilk Donuts

Makes 24 "regular" sized donuts

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons margarine, melted

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1-2 Tablespoons water (adjust amount as needed to make a thick glaze)

1.  In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

2.  In a smaller bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and melted margarine.

3.  Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

4.  Fill donut pan 3/4 of the way full (or follow the instructions for your donut pan).  These donuts do rise, so don't fill the pan to the top.

5.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until donuts spring back when touched.

6.  While donuts are baking, mix together ingredients for the glaze.  Allow the donuts to cool before dipping the the glaze and top with sprinkles if desired. 

Slightly adapted from Wilton