Super Soft Snickerdoodles

A couple years ago, I posted a snickerdoodle recipe on this blog. But I never found myself going back to make it a second time. You know why? They weren't soft! And I'm not a fan of crunchy cookies. The softer, the better, in my opinion! If you're the same way, this recipe certainly will not disappoint. I can guarantee, I WILL be making these again! Everyone in the house loved them. Even the dog wanted a taste :)

Super Soft Snickerdoodles

Ingredients: 

1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature 

1 1/2 c. white sugar 

2 eggs

2 3/4 c. all purpose flour 

2 tsp. cream of tartar 

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt 

For Rolling: 

1/3 c. white sugar 

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon  

(mix together in a small bowl and set aside)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or spritz with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Mix until dough comes together. 

Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and then roll in the cinnamon sugar mix. Place on prepared cookie sheets and bake in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes. Pull out while still slightly doughy in the centers and allow to cool on the pans for several minutes and then transfer to cookie racks to cool completely. Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies. 

Recipe found here: http://seattleflourchild.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/seahawk-doodles-also-known-as-snicker-doodles-cookies-for-game-day/

Brown Butter Sweet Potato Alfredo

I came across this recipe on Pinterest (where else??) and it looked too interesting not to try. I've always been an alfredo fan, but I just can't bring myself to eat it with all the sticks of butter and loads of heavy cream that go into it! So I loved that the puréed sweet potato takes the place of those heavy ingredients in this recipe. The end result was amazing! I may even love it more than the classic sauce. I hope you'll give it a try too.

Brown Butter Sweet Potato Alfredo

Ingredients: 

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, browned*

2 small or 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed 

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour 

1 c. milk (I used 2%)

1 3/4 c. water, divided

1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

1 clove fresh garlic, minced 

1/8 tsp. nutmeg 

Salt and pepper to taste 

1 lb. dried angel hair pasta, cooked according to package directions 

Directions: 

Bring a pot of water to boil and add the cubed sweet potatoes and cook until easily pierced with a fork. Drain and place cooked sweet potatoes into a blender with 1 cup of water and carefully purée until smooth. 

To brown the butter, place in a skillet heated over medium and immediately whisk until it begins foaming, about 2-3 minutes. Brown bits will start showing at the bottom, at this point, remove the skillet from the stove and swirl the butter around in the pan so it doesn't go from brown to burned. 

Place the skillet with the butter back over medium heat and whisk in the flour for 30 seconds. Next, slowly add the milk, whisking as you pour, until mixture thickens, about 3-4 minutes. 

Next, add the sweet potatoes and remaining cup of water. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Then add the Parmesan cheese, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine and turn off the heat once heated through. If sauce is too thick, you may add more water to thin it out. Serve over prepared angel hair and enjoy! Makes 4-6 servings. 

Original recipe found here: http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/2014/01/08/brown-butter-sweet-potato-alfredo

It's been a while!

Hello, friends! It's been almost exactly 14 months since my last blog post....and I've really missed it! The main reason I haven't kept up with it is time...or lack thereof. But I got a handy new Blogger app for my iPhone so I'm going to see if I can stay on top of posts using that. Don't hold me to it though! I'm going to try it out and see how it goes :)

So let me give you a quick update on life. I'm now working as a part time assistant to the accounting manager at a title company, and I absolutely love it! I work 30 hours a week. Randy is no longer at Lowes. He works about 15 hours a week as the worship leader at our church, going on his 6th year there. He's also Mr. Mom these days, which works out really well. We've been in our new house for almost 2 years and have redone all of it but the kitchen and bathrooms.

Margot is 4 1/2 and learning to read, do math and science, and she's all about anything Disney princess. She's super goofy and sweet, tall and skinny, and lots and lots of fun! Amelia is 2 1/2 and has turned out to be our strong-willed, outgoing and talkative one. And she has the biggest eyes you've ever seen! She loves animals and singing more than anything, and makes us laugh a lot with her crazy dance moves she comes up with.

One of the biggest reasons I've missed blogging, is that I used to use it as my own personal cyber recipe box. And all the recipes we've tried over the last year plus have kind of been forgotten. I haven't had a place to store them and come back to them and make them again. So I'm kind of blogging for selfish reasons I guess :) but I'm ok with that! One big change that's happened in my kitchen is that I no longer incorporate meat in my meals. I do this for health reasons, cost cutting and some of my own personal convictions. Hopefully that won't bum you out or scare you away. I hope you'll stick around and find something you like here!

Chloé

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

 

In all my years of baking, I've never made scones! They're one of my favorite pastries but I never got up the nerve to make them before. They seemed too messy and complicated. I finally sucked it up and gave them a try. They were indeed messy. But not complicated at all! AND they turned out amazing! I'm already making another batch today for some friends :)

 

 

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

Ingredients:

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. sour cream

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. white sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. cold butter, diced
1 c. frozen raspberries*
1/2 c. white chocolate chips
1 tbsp. butter, melted
Sugar for sprinkling

 

Directions:

Whisk together the milk and sour cream and refrigerate until needed. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium or large bowl. Add the diced, cold butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the size of small peas. Add the milk mixture and fold with a spatula until just combined.

Place the dough onto a liberally floured work surface (this is where it gets messy!). Using floured hands, dust the dough with flour and knead 6-8 times, until it holds together in a ball. Add flour as needed to prevent sticking.

Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into an approximate 12-inch square. Fold dough into thirds, like a letter, using a spatula to release dough if it sticks to the counter top. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form an approximate 4-inch square. Roll into a 12 inch square again. Sprinkle raspberries and white chocolate evenly over surface of the dough. Using a spatula, loosen the dough from the work surface and roll up tightly into a log. Place seam side down and press log into a 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using a sharp, floured knife, slice rectangle into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles. Transfer to baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven for 18-24 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 large scones.

 

Recipe found here

 

 

*I like to use frozen raspberries and break them into small pieces before adding them to the dough. It disburses them more evenly and you don't get big mouthfuls of raspberries when you bite into the scone.

 

Chewy Chocolate Almond Cookies (gluten-free)

It's been a while, guys! Life is very full (in a good way) and I just haven't had the time to sit and update my little blog. Honestly, I've been thinking about deleting it all together...we'll see. Anyways, I've been cooking and baking like crazy, as well as doing tons of house and craft projects but these cookies were just too good not to share! Even if you don't do the gluten free thing, these are definitely worth a try. Probably in my top 5 favorite cookies. The flavor and texture are out of this world!



Chewy Chocolate Almond Cookies

Ingredients:
8 oz. semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tbsp. butter, softened
2 eggs
1/3 c. white sugar, plus additional for rilling
1/2 tsp. almond extract
3/4 c. finely ground almonds

Directions:
Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between. Once melted, stir in the butter until thoroughly combined. Using a mixer, beat the eggs, sugar and almond extract until light and frothy, about 60 seconds. Fold the egg mixture into the the chocolate, then fold in the ground almonds.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion out dough balls and roll in sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets and bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, just until cookies are set. Allow to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. Makes 2 dozen cookies.


Recipe adapted from here

Toasted Coconut Rice Krispie Treats

Oh my gosh...these are like a little piece of heaven in your mouth! So simple, yet so delicious! I love rice krispie treats and a looooove coconut so I knew I couldn't go wrong mixing the two together. I may or may not have eaten these for breakfast today ;)



Toasted Coconut Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. butter
10 oz. bag mini marshmallows
1 1/2 c. toasted shredded sweetened coconut*, divided
1 1/4 tsp. coconut extract
5 c. Rice Krispies cereal
Directions:
Generously spray a 13x9 pan with cooking spray and set aside.  In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium/low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Stir in half the toasted coconut (3/4 cup) and the coconut extract. Remove from heat and stir in the cereal until well combined. Spoon into the prepared pan and press down with your fingers (it helps if you put a little cold water on your finger tips to prevent sticking). Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup of toasted coconut on top and press lightly. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting and severing.

*To toast coconut, heat a skillet over medium heat (no oil needed) and add coconut. Stir constantly until lightly browned and crunchy, about 5 minutes.

Healthier Sesame Chicken

Here's yet another photo my hubby snapped on his iPhone at the dinner table. I've been too lazy to get my camera out I guess! This recipe is from my friend Jessy's blog. I've had it saved all year and finally got around to making it this week! Mine didn't turn out nearly as pretty as hers but it sure did taste amazing. And it was SO easy! I usually shy away from making Asian dishes at home because they usually involve many steps and a deep fryer. This didn't require either. We'll definitely eat this again!

Healthier Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 c. reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 c. white sugar
1/2 tsp. sesame oil

1 tbsp. sesame seeds
1/4 c. chopped scallions

Directions:

In a gallon size Ziploc bag, combine flour, salt and pepper. Add chicken to the bag, seal and shake well to coat. Generously spray a large skillet with non stick cooking spray and heat to medium-high heat. Add chicken to the hot skillet and cook, stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes, until no longer pink. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium and add soy sauce and sugar to the skillet. Stir until the sugar dissolves, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the sesame oil and sesame seeds. Finally, add chicken and scallions. Toss and serve immediately over hot, steamed brown rice. Makes 4 servings.

Raspberry Almond Bars - take 1

I say "take 1" because I have a pile of raspberry almond bars/tarts/cakes etc. that I'll be trying out over the next several weeks to determine which recipe is best. Then I'll make my favorite for a big event I'm baking for in September.

This one turned out well. I don't have anything to compare it to though since it's the first! But it was really easy to make and they don't seem dry (something I'm trying to avoid). I'm feeding these to a group of ladies this evening...so we'll see if they go over well!

Raspberry Almond Bars

Ingredients:

2 c. white flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

3/4 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. almond extract
10 oz. raspberry preserves
1/2-3/4 c. sliced almonds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 13x9 pan and set aside. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute on medium speed. Beat in the egg and almond extract. Next, slowly add the flour mixture until well combined. Press the dough into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly with raspberry preserves. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until dough is set. Cool completely, cut into squares and serve.

Mango Coconut Sorbet

Wow! This post is long overdue! So sorry for how dead it's been around here. We're still busy busy getting our house in order....I'll have some room reveal posts soon! Over the last couple weeks I redid our laundry room, Amelia's room and put some finishing touches on Margot's room. It's looking and feeling great!

I really wanted to take a moment and share this sorbet recipe with you. It's just too good not to! I made this for my family earlier this week and it was consumed immediately! Everyone raved about it. Even a couple people who don't care for either flavors loved it. Mango and coconut are two of my favorite things to eat so I was super excited to make this! It met all my expectations and then some! I can't wait to make it again. Someone snapped this photo and posted it on Instagram. I borrowed it since it was the only one taken :)


Mango Coconut Sorbet

Ingredients:
3/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. water
2 c. peeled and cubed ripe mango
13.5 oz. can coconut milk
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1.5 tsp. coconut extract
1/2 c. flaked coconut, toasted*

Directions:
In a small saucepan over med/low heat, combine the water and sugar and stir occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Next, place the mango cubes, coconut milk, lime juice and coconut extract into a blender and pulse until smooth. Add the sugar water and pulse a few more times until well combined. Place mixture into a container with a lid and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours. Once mixture is chilled, place in your ice cream maker and freeze to soft serve consistency. Transfer to a freezer container with lid and freeze 2-3 hours, until firm. Serve topped with toasted coconut*. Makes 6 servings.

*To toast coconut, heat a large skillet over med/high heat (no oil needed) and add coconut. Stir constantly until lightly browned and crunchy, about 5 minutes. Cool and serve.

Cake Batter Cookies

I've seen lots of recipes for these cookies floating around blogs and Pinterest and I finally decided to give them a try. It's probably a really bad thing that I did! They were SO easy to make and SO delicious! And the flavor combos are endless...chocolate cake mix with peanut butter chips, lemon cake mix with poppy seeds, vanilla cake mix with chocolate chips, etc. etc.
I made these for 4th of July and slapped some vanilla frosting and a scoop of vanilla ice cream between a two cookies and made sandwiches out of them. They are the perfect cookie for making sandwiches because they're extremely moist and chewy but hold they're shape well.



Cake Batter Cookies

Ingredients:
18.25 oz. vanilla cake mix
1 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. colored sprinkles

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350, grease a couple of cookie sheets and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cake mix, baking powder, eggs, oil and vanilla on medium speed, just until combined, about 30 seconds. Stir in the sprinkles. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets and bake in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes. They will be very soft, so allow them to cool about 5 minutes before removing them from the pans to cool. Makes 2 dozen cookies.