Saturday, December 24, 2011

My Christmas Baking Tray: 2011




  • Pretzel Turtles:


  • 20 small mini pretzels
  • 20 chocolate covered caramel candies
  • 20 pecan halves

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
  2. Arrange the pretzels in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place one chocolate covered caramel candy on each pretzel.
  3. Bake for 4 minutes. While the candy is warm, press a pecan half onto each candy covered pretzel. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.




Soft Sugar Cookies
by Alison Tolbert

1 cup sour cream
2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla (I like almond)
6 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine sour cream, sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla/almond. Beat for 2-3 minutes.

Add dry ingredients and mix well. Let the dough chill in fridge for 25 minutes or until firm.

Roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick and use cookie cutters to make shapes or circles. You may have to add a little flour to roll them out so the dough is workable but remember the less flour you use the softer your cookie will be.

Bake until LIGHT golden brown about 8-10 minutes. When you take them out they will seem underdone but they aren't. Let them cool on the pan and they will be perfect and moist. It you like them harder and more crunchy just bake them a little longer. 

Makes around 4 dozen.

Here's the frosting recipe I used:
Buttercream Frosting
1 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp almond extract
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
In a mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue creaming until well blended. Add salt, vanilla, and whipping cream. Blend on low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy. 



White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookie
adapted slightly from  For the Love of Cooking

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped macadamia nuts
1 1/2 to 2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl then set aside. Beat together the melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, egg, egg yolk and vanilla with a mixer until creamy. 
  
Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture until just mixed. Stir in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips by hand. Drop by the spoonful onto a greased or parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges look golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet for at least 4-5 minutes so the cookies can set before moving to a rack.

Scream Cheese Brownies


Mix by hand: 
1 brownie mix with ingredients required in mix (I like Betty Crocker's Triple Chunk Supreme or use half of this homemade brownie recipe: posted below)

Homemade brownie recipe:
8 eggs 
2 teaspoons salt 
2 cups of butter, melted  
1 1/2 cups Hershey’s cocoa
4 cups sugar 
4 teaspoons vanilla 
3 cups flour 

Beat eggs with a mixer in a large bowl. Then add sugar, salt, vanilla and beat for 1 minute. 

Add melted butter and blend. In another bowl, mix flour and cocoa with a whisk until well blended.

Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix until well combined. 

Cream cheese layer:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs 
1 teaspoon vanilla 
2 tablespoons flour
orange food coloring (optional)

Mix by hand your favorite brownie mix. Spread ½ of the brownie mixture in 9x13 inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Mix cream cheese, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and flour and mix well. Add orange food coloring to desired color. Spread cream cheese mixture on top. Drop remaining brownie batter on top and pull a knife through. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Frost with chocolate icing when cool if desired.

Caramel Topped Shortbread Bites

makes about 64 one inch square bites
Shortbread Layer:
  • 10 tbsp. salted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • Zest of half an orange
  • 1 egg yolk, whisked
  • 1 2/3 cups All Purpose flour
Caramel Topping:

  • 14 tablespoons butter
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup  light corn syrup
  • 2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. orange extract
  • Sea salt flakes, to top

Directions
Prepare an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper with the edges of the parchment hanging over two of  the sides. This allows you to remove the bars easily once cooled.
Combine the melted butter, sugar, salt and zest with a fork in a large bowl. Add the yolk and again combine with the fork. Add the flour and stir with a heavy spoon or your hands and combine the dough until it is well combined. Place the dough in the prepared pan and press down evenly with your hands until the pan is covered. Refrigerate for 30  minutes to one hour. Remove and bake at 350 for 25-28 minutes, until very lightly browned. Allow to cool while you are preparing the caramel.
In a heavy bottomed pot, such as enameled cast iron, combine all caramel topping ingredients save for the extracts. Bring to a boil and stir until sugars are dissolved and the mixture is well combined. Using a candy thermometer, watch for the goal of about 230 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in the extracts. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then pour over the shortbread base. Sprinkle with sea salt, then refrigerate for several hours. Once chilled, cut into small squares, serve and enjoy!

Popcorn Cake
Pick out the kernels that didn’t pop…broken teeth aren’t so cute.
Now mix in 2 cups of M&M’s and 1 1/2 cups broken pretzel sticks..not crushed, just broken into smaller pieces…
Melt 1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter over low in a large saucepan.
When melted add in a 16 oz bag of mini marshmallows (8 cups)
Stir until melted and smooth.
Remove from heat and pour over your popcorn mix.
Stir until all the ingredients are combined and then press into the prepared pan.
Cover with foil and let your cake set for at least an hour to cool.
When you are ready to serve the cake loosen sides of your cake from the pan by running a butter knife around the edges.
Flip your pan over onto your serving platter.

***Disclaimer: Although I have baked and tried each recipe none of the following recipes were created by me nor are any of these pictures taken by me (all are borrowed)

Monday, December 12, 2011

Summer On My Mind:

With this cold weather I got SUMMER ON MY MIND....This Summer I am Going to....

EAT THIS....

BUY THIS...

PAINT MY NAILS LIKE THIS...

DO THIS...

DRINK THIS...

READ THIS...

Ultra Healthy "Pasta" Dish:

I used a spiral maker that I purchased on Amazon.Ca
And created two different types of spiraled raw organic zucchini for 
variety. I used 2 Cups 
Add One cup of bought or homemade tomato sauce I used my moms homemade
"no salt, no sugar" tomato sauce and it was delicious, thanks mom!
Add one cup cooked chickpeas (don't forget to soak them
the night before) before you cook them, or you could use chick peas from a can

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Coconut Carrot Bites:

I wanted to make something that conquered my sweet tooth but did not contain flour or sugar, I created these....


1/2 c uncooked oat flakes
1 ripe banana, mashed
stevia, I used 4 individual packets
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 oz. milled flax seed
1/2 oz. pecans
2 tbsp coconut
1/2 c shredded carrots

Yield: 8 golf-ball size cookies

I mixed all these ingredients together, rolled in balls and placed oven @ 300 degrees for 7 minutes although they were ultra tasty I could have baked them longer... Next time I will bake until outer shell is golden brown.

Friday, December 9, 2011

THE DALAI LAMAS INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE...


1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three Rs:
      Respect for self
      Respect for others and
      Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to  enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds  your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

YUM in my TUM!

although I post a lot of sweet treats on here i am the first to admit i don't indulge in them often.
However I have found some (sweet) Treats of my own...


1) Persimmon: A delicious and Filling fruit; it has approx 117 calories per fruit and tastes like a thick melon/apple/citrus/custard i am the worst at describing but that's how it tastes to me, i will for sure be 
enjoying these much more often as i feel they have a real dessert taste to me and I have a large sweet tooth.

2)Yves Veggie Ground round: I love this to make vegetarian tacos, chili and pasta dishes
it tastes better than the real thing and the nutritional facts blow real ground beef to the moon
3) Nutritional Yeast: Is a product used mostly by raw vegans and vegetarians, it is a great item to make a cheezie taste with out the antibiotics. Tonight i mixed two tablespoons with 1/2 c. almond milk and a little cornstarch to make a creamy delicious pasta sauce yum! 60 cal per heaping tablespoon
4) Quinoa: last but not least, although i have had this in my pantry for quite some time i have not experimented  with it alot until now, i love it in egg whites, salads or as a side dish i am sure i have a lot more experimenting to do with 117 calories per 1/2 c.