Oh So Much to Recap!

I may just not such too much here, but post lots of pictures.  Let's see how this goes.

I got to go home to be with my parents last week.  I left on Thursday the 12th.  Of course, just to complicate all the many things I had to do Wednesday night before I left, such as laundry, pack, laundry, have the house in order, laundry, feed the kids, laundry....about 6:30 that night, the boys came screaming up the stairs and saying Taylor split his head open and is bleeding all over!!  The little monkeys were jumping on the bed and one fell off and broke his head!  Upon inspection, Taylor did get a cut right above his eyebrow.  It wasn't very big, about half an inch and it really wasn't bleeding THAT much, but it was split just right and we thought he'd better be taken in for stitches.  LONG story short, I took Taylor to Prompt Care while Kevin skipped some meetings he had and stayed home with the other boys.  Taylor was a great little trooper and got two little stitches.  The doctor told him he was the best patient of the day. 

Of course, Taylor wouldn't let me take his picture.  He even said the reason why was because I would just put it on my blog.  Right!  Got him anyway.  ;)  

And the night I got back from my trip--got a nice picture of the eye!  Sneaky, Mom!!

I had a wonderful time on my little trip going home to Idaho and visiting my parents and seeing my nieces and nephew and their boys and a few of my friends.  Did I mention THANK YOU to my amazing husband for letting me go home?  I did lots of baking at my parents' house--surprise!  ; )

My mom, my nieces Saharra and Kayla and my nephew's girlfriend, Kelly and I had a girl's night out and ate at a little place called Brick 29 Bistro.  Oh my goodness, my favorite food ever!  I had this dish once before when I was home about two years ago, but it was even better this time.  It is a butternut squash ravioli that is swimming in an amazing cream sauce with spinach and warm grape tomatoes on the top and sliced almonds and capers.  Just saying that, it sounds strange, but this is my idea of food heaven.  I LOVE it.  Someone find me that recipe!  : )  I was so happy to only eat about half of it and have more the next day!  We also ordered an appetizer of hummus with warm, soft, fresh pita bread.  YUM!!!   I know that I don't even want to know what the nutrition information in that ravioli dish is.  There are only 5-6 ravioli in the dish, but it's because they are huge.    We played games back at Mom and Dad's that night.  It was fun.  I love those girls!  I made a new Levain copycat version of these NYC cookies that I love for everyone to try.  I found this recipe at Lisa Michele's blog.  I used her recipe (halving it), but didn't have dark brown sugar, so I just used all light brown sugar.  LOVE this cookie.  Could I have been in more of a food heaven in one night?  I don't think so.  I made a half batch of the cookies three times while I was home.  No pictures, but lots of sharing!

I didn't get pictures taken of everyone like I had planned and wanted to, but here's a few of the pictures I did get.

My Mom and Dad!  Look at my momma's beautiful smile and teeth!

Bye Bye at the airport.

Saharra and Zane

Kayla--she wouldn't get up so I could take her picture.  Ha.

Probably one of my "oldest" friends, Stacey, and her daughter, Emily.  And ha to you Stac--old!  You are the big 40 now and all!  ; )

That's a little bit about my trip and stay tuned for my baby's birthday--Sam turned two the day I got back, on Monday the 16th.  But it's super late and I need sleep.     

TWD--French Yogurt Cake

Today's recipe for Tuesday's With Dorie as we bake our way through her wonderful book, Baking From My Home To Yours was chosen by Liliana at My Cookbook Addiction (you can get the recipe for this cake on her blog).  It's a very simple French Yogurt Cake.  I made it twice.  The first time I used orange zest instead of lemon and topped the slices with some orange marmalade.  It was pretty good. 

Pretty tasty, but not quite what I was hoping for.  I didn't care for the orange marmalade.

So I made the cake again when I went home to Idaho to visit my parents this last week.  (Fun times as I got away without kids and my WONDERFUL husband played Mom AND Dad for five days--Thanks, Hon!!!  It was so good to be at home with my parents and see more family and friends.  Did I say thanks, Kev?)

When I made the cake at my parents house, I decided to forgo the zesty flavor and just used vanilla extract.  I used a whole tablespoonful. For both cakes I used all purpose flour (no almond meal).  The cake came out nice and moist and really is such an easy, nice dessert.

Bad lighting at my folk's house. 

I was using a different camera while at my parents and it just didn't take as good of pictures as my usual tried and true camera.  This cake was drizzled with a simple powdered sugar glaze, but at the last minute, I added about 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract to the glaze.  And I have to say, the lemon flavor made the cake.  My mom and I were really wishing I'd put the lemon zest in the cake.  After this picture was taken, I really smothered the glaze over the top and sides of the cake.  It made us both think of and LONG FOR Paula's Deen's Lemon Blossoms.  Have you seen these or tried them?  They are little mini size lemon cupcakes drenched in a lemony glaze that are SO good and simple to make with a cake mix and lemon flavored pudding and are very pop-able--as in you can eat a lot of them quickly and still want more and well, they aren't healthy at all, but did I mention they are SO good?  Okay, anyway, back to the yogurt cake.  I can't wait to make it again sometime SOON with the lemon that Dorie originally put in her recipe and use the simple lemon glaze that I made.  I'll feel better about eating it than Paula's Lemon Blossoms because this cake is more healthy, right, I  mean, it has yogurt and just a little canola oil and it's got fruit in it.  Healthy, right?!  ;) 

Great pick for a wonderfully, simple cake, Liliana.  Thanks!  Perfect ladies luncheon dessert, or for a bridal or baby shower, or for, well, anything!

Peanut Butter Exhibition #5---My Banana Bread Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

Banana Bread Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich--The Peanut Butter Boy's Great Peanut Butter Exhibition #5-Sandwich

This sandwich is heaven to me. First you need banana bread--I just made up a recipe for this and it's pretty good--you can use any recipe for banana bread you'd like. Take two slices and slather each generously with your favorite peanut butter. I used Skippy Natural for this one. After putting peanut butter on both slices of bread, slice fresh banana on top and drizzle with some honey. Put slices together and oh. my. goodness. Did I say this is a great sandwich?

I'm telling you--HEAVEN! (And just as a note, I normally would put mini chocolate chips in the banana bread, but I'm at my parents house and my mom doesn't eat chocolate, so I left it out just for her.) Go get a glass of milk, you're gonna need it with this amazing sandwich. Ooh and we'd thought it would also be divine in a panini press!)

Here's the recipe I made up for the banana bread!

Katrina's Last Minute Banana Bread

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons canola oil

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1  1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1  1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup overripe mashed banana, (about 3 medium bananas)

3/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8x4 inch bread pan with cooking spray, set aside.  Combine yogurt, oil and sugar in medium sized bowl.  Blend together well.  Add vanilla and egg and whisk together.  Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour and stir with a wooden spoon, just until combined.  In another bowl, mash banana with a fork until well mashed.   Fold in banana and chopped walnuts just until combined.  Spread batter in baking pan and bake for 35-45 minutes.  Test with toothpick inserted in center.  It should come out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 5-10 minutes, remove from pan and let cool to room temperature.

TWD--Lemon Cup Custard and Dark Chocolate Raspberry Surprise Cookies

Today's Tuesday's With Dorie recipe from Dorie Greenspan's book, Baking From My Home to Yours, was Lemon Cup Custard, page 387, chosen by Bridget from The Way the Cookie Crumbles.  Check out her blog for the recipe and see what all the other bloggers thought of the custard by checking out the TWD blog list.

I enjoyed making this because I've never made custard before and well, it was very simple.  I followed Dorie's recipe exactly, even putting the custards in a roasting pan bath to bake them. 

They actually came out beautifully and perfect looking after they baked.

I was a bit concerned about these not tasting lemony enough, even though I did exactly as was written.  I infused the milk with lemon zest for 30 minutes, then strained it and added 1/8 teaspoon of lemon extract.  It all came together with ease.  My only concern was having read the problems and questions section on the TWD site I knew many were complaining about the lack of lemon taste and the over-eggy taste to the custard.  I was then comforted by an actual comment from Dorie just letting people know that is how it is supposed to be and that they just might not care for that type of custard.  Okay.

So I prepared the pretty little dishes to serve to the boys and Kevin and I for our snack one evening.

 

Everyone tasted theirs.  Kevin and I shared a bite of one.  The end results?

 

Scott ate his up (upper left).  I think lately he's starting to just eat everything he's given and well, he likes eggs.  Sam's serving is in the middle there.  He really just played with it.  Taylor and Parker ate the strawberry off the top and took a bite or two.  Kevin and I took at bite and ours sat in the fridge until the next day when Scott ate them both after school.  We all agreed it really was just barely lemony at all.  And that it was quite eggy.  Just not our idea of an after dinner dessert.  Well, I guess for Scott.  

I thought it was going to be more smooth and creamy, but it was more set and almost like a soft tofu???

I'm glad I made it and it totally confirmed to me what I've thought all along--"Give me chocolate or give me death."    Thanks for the fun pick, Bridget, as I know I'd have never even given lemon custard a try.

And on that note---CHOCOLATE!

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Made some fun chocolate cookies.  Have you seen these?

Dark Chocolate Hershey's Kisses with Raspberry Flavoring and---

3 Musketeers Raspberry with Dark Chocolate

These were just screaming chocolate cookies to me.  So I made up some cookie dough and chopped up about 4 oz. of the Hershey's Kisses.  Then I scooped up some dough, flattened it out on the parchment lined baking sheet, stuck a mini 3 Musketeers on top and covered it with more dough.  A lovely hidden surprise.

 

If you like chocolate and raspberry, you'll like these fudgy cookies. 

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Surprise Cookies

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 oz. Hershey's Dark Chocolate Raspberry Flavored Kisses, chopped

14 mini 3 Musketeers Raspberry with Dark Chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and butter.  Melt in 20-30 second intervals, stirring in between each timing.  Stir until melted and smooth.  Set aside.  In a medium sized bowl, combine the sugar, egg and vanilla.  Whisk together until well combined.  Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt with a wooden spoon, just until incorporated.  Fold in chopped chocolate Kisses.  Taking about a tablespoon sized amount of dough, flatten it on the baking sheet.  Lay an (unwrapped! ha, duh!) mini 3 Musketeers on top.  Add about another tablespoon of dough on top and spread it out with your fingers to cover the mini chocolate bar.  Place each cookie a couple inches apart on the sheet.  I did eight cookies on one sheet and six on another.  These are nice and big.  Bake for 10-13 minutes.  Let set on baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

 

A nice gooey, raspberry nougat-y chewy center and fudgy cookie with a crisp outside. 

My Favorite Cookie??? Banana Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Okay, I really don't think I could pick a very favorite cookie.  BUT these are way up there on the list.  Chocolate Chip Cookies are probably my favorite kind of cookie, but I LOVE all things banana.  I even like Banana Laffy Taffy and Banana Runts, which is really saying something, because if it isn't chocolate, I don't really care for candy.  I always buy more bananas than I know will get eaten here.  I want those overripe bananas on my counter calling my name to make something with them.  I often just do my favorite low fat banana muffins, but I'm also always on the look out for cookies, bars, bread, you name it.  Well, I just found probably my favorite banana cookie.  I wonder sometimes if I deprive (with my dieting/healthy eating) myself too much of things I love and just end up going gah-gah over them.  I suppose in a way I don't really care, I'm just happy to have THIS cookie now at my fingertips.  THIS cookie is from Jenny at Picky Palate.  If you don't know who she is in the food blogging world, then really what rock have you been living under? ;)

Jenny and her blog and her baking/cooking are an inspiration to me.  She enters and is accepted and even often wins all kinds of cooking/baking contests.  She was most recently featured on the Food Network's Ultimate Recipe Showdown for desserts and of all things, she did a recipe for Caramelized Roasted Banana Bread Drop Doughnuts!  Hello!  More bananas.  I will make these when I REALLY feel like splurging, because I just don't make fried food, but will for sure make theses doughnuts sometime soon.

Okay, back to today's cookie.  While recently searching through Jenny's banana recipes on her blog, I found THE banana cookie of all banana cookies.  I do like a healthy, oaty, banana cookie, but don't always like how cakey and well, healthy they are in texture and taste.  Jenny's Banana Peanut Butter Cup Cookies are not that way, they are just different, but still have some elements of "healthy" that are great.  I followed Jenny's recipe pretty much the same, except that she used regular sized Reese's peanut butter cups in hers and I just happened to have a bunch of mini cups and used those.   So, here's the recipe as I made them.  Go check out Jenny's on the links I've provided above.  Note--I love peanut butter and chocolate with banana.  If you don't, well, then I think you're bananas!  ha-just kidding

  

Banana Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, by Jenny Flake, Picky Palate, adapted every so slightly

1/2 cup mashed rip banana (I used 2 small)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 medium egg or 1/2 large egg beaten (I used 2 tablespoons of Egg Beaters w/touch of yolk)

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (I used Skippy Natural)

3/4 cup whole wheat flour (you can use all purpose, but add an extra 1/4 cup if you do)

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

10 regular sized Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped (I used 14 mini cups, chopped)

1/3 cup additional sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream  together in bowl of electric mixer the mashed banana and the sugars.  Mix in vanilla, egg and peanut butter to combine.

Add the combined flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir just until combined.   Fold in the chopped peanut butter cups.  Don't over mix.

Scoop cookie dough by tablespoonfuls and roll in sugar.  Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.  Using the palm of your hand, gently press down the cookies to about 1/2 inch thick.  Bake for 7-10 minutes (I baked mine for 8 1/2 minutes.)  Let cool for a few minutes on baking sheet.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Makes 2 dozen cookies.

 

Love these, thanks Jenny.  Don't know why I didn't make them last May when you posted them.  You gotta try these, People!  In fact, I think one is calling my name right now! ; )

TWD--Rewind, One Year Ago--Snickery Squares (No Cake To Get Me Fired)

First of all, my apologies to Lyb of and then I do the dishes for not making her pick this week of Dorie's Chocolate Armagnac Cake--The Cake That Got Me Fired, check out her cake and the recipe on the link to her blog.  There were quite a few reasons I chose not to make this cake, but I must say the picture of it in the book looks amazing and I can't wait to see what all the other bloggers have done with this chocolate cake!  I don't drink or even buy alcohol, so that was one of the reasons I decided not to make the cake--not knowing what to use as a substitute.  There was also the fact that this cake had 12 prunes in it.   Hmmm.  I hear you can't even tell, but didn't feel like buying them.   Probably the biggest reason I decided not to make it was the fat factor.  Now I realize being a part of TWD means baking something yummy, gooey and pretty much fattening each week, but I feel I would have been tempted to eat too much of this cake.    That said, what did I decide to do--bake up one of the things I missed before I joined the group.  Looking through the recipes I missed before joining last September, I was drawn to page 120 in the book, Snickery Squares.  I decided I'd make them, especially after noticing they were what was made exactly one year ago. 

Snickery Squares are Dorie's take on the popular Snickers candy bar.  They are a bit differnt in that they have a shortbread crust, kind of like Twix (which I love!).  These were simple to make (my way) and they are GOOD!  Good enough that I will be "getting rid" of them ASAP!  After the shortbread layer, there is a Dulce de leche layer, studded with my pick, toasted almonds (I just happen to have a ton of almonds and no peanuts right now.)  After the caramel layer, a layer of chocolate is spread on the top, then generously sprinkled with more toasted, chopped almonds.  Who would not love that?  (Sorry nut allergy people!)

  

These were made in an 8 inch square pan and I kind of think the shortbread layer was a little thick, so when I make these again sometime, I will try them in a 9 inch pan.  In the recipe, it was suggested to make a caramel-glaze for the nuts.  I decided not to do that and just used toasted almonds.  And what could be better than dulce de leche?  Of course, chocolate with it!  I used a semi-sweet chocolate instead of bittersweet.  Here's my version of the recipe, but please, go buy Baking From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan.

Snickery Squares, adapted from Dorie Greenspan

For the crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

For the filling:

about 1 cup toasted almonds

13 oz. can store-bought dulce de leche caramel

For the topping:

7 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan with foil.  Spray lightly with cooking spray.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugars and salt.  Add the cut up butter and pulse about 12 times, just until mixture looks like coarse meal.  Pour the yolk over the ingredients and pulse until the dough forms clumps and curds--stop before the dough comes together in a ball.

Turn the dough into the pan and gently press it evenly across the bottom of the pan.  Prick the dough all over with a fork.  Bake for 15-20 minutes. (I did mine 18 minutes.)  Cool on a wire rack to room temperature.

Toast the almonds (I used the microwave).  After they have cooled, chop them, but not too fine.   Spread the dulce de leche  evenly over the shortbread and sprinkle over about 3/4 cup of the nuts.  Press down to nestle them into the caramel.  Smooth out top again.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe dish, stirring after 20-30 second intervals.  Once melted, add the cut up butter in pieces and stir until each piece is melted before adding more.  Smooth the chocolate over the dulce de leche.  Chop the remaining almonds more finely.   Sprinkle them over the chocolate layer.  Refrigerate until set.  Remove from pan using edges of foil.  Cut into desired sized bars.

 

See ya next week for Tuesday's With Dorie with some Lemon Custard.

Not Your Mama's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Sunflower Seed Cookies

Hi!

I recently stumbled upon a blog that for some reason after a year of baking and blogging I hadn't seen yet.  Gourmet Mom on the Go is such a cute blog done by Mandy with lots of fun ideas for recipes that kids can help with and such yummy things--like this or this and many more!  What do you think caught my eye?  Why THESE!  Cookies!  You had to know.  Cookies that I just had to make and cookies that were really good.

At first I wasn't totally happy because they came out thinner than I like and thinner (my butter may have been too soft/warm) than Mandy's pictures--go see! ;)  But they are very tasty and worth trying sometime.   They are a perfectly chewy cookie!  Since they were a bit thin, I thought ice cream sandwiches would be great.  And the kids loved them.  (I didn't have one/two with ice cream sandwiched in between, but all the boys and Kevin ate one and liked it.  I have been using the excuse that they have an element of nutrition about them to keep "tasting" them.  There's oats and almonds--total nutrition!  ;)  Give these a try for a great chewy chocolate chip cookie.

Not Your Mama's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, adapted from Missy Hintze (Mandy's friend)

In a normal blender (I used a food processor) grind all together:
4 oz. (3/4 C) Whole almonds
8 oz. (about 2 1/3 C) oatmeal (I was just a little short and used 2 1/4 cup of quick cooking oats)
2 oz. (1/4 C) white sugar
In mixer cream:
1 C butter (2 sticks)
12 oz. (1 ½ C) Brown Sugar
Then add:
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 t. soda
1 t. salt
To creamed mixture add:
Ground oats and almonds
4 oz. (1 C) white flour (I used 1  1/4 cup to make up for being short on the oats)
12 oz. Semi-sweet chips
3.5 oz. Milk Chocolate bar chopped (I used a Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar with almonds-that's what I had and figured it would go well with the ground almonds in the cookies--it did!)
Mix all together.
(Reserve some chocolate to top cookies before baking to beautify. I didn't do this, but have many times before)
Drop by Tablespoons or cookie scoop onto parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake in a convection oven 350* 9 min. or until lightly golden. If you do not have a convection oven, bake at 375* for 10 min.
Because of the high brown sugar content – these cookies would be great frozen and then thawed – they become even more chewy. (I've got some in the freezer right now--more so I'd not eat them!) ;)

Thanks Mandy and Missy!

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You may not know, but the Kansas state flower is the sunflower.  Kansas Day was/is "celebrated" on Jan. 29 every year in the schools here.  Parker brought home a recipe that I'd been wanting to try since then.  We had some sunflower seeds (salted even though the recipe suggests unsalted, just cut the salt in the recipe at bit, which I forgot to do, they came out fine!)  I will print the recipe as it was written, but add my changes in red.  These turned out to be a great, also healthier cookie (with the changes I made).  And I finally got to use the candy coated sunflower seeds I bought at World Market a few months back!  Perfect.

One could easily pop the whole 3 oz. of these in your mouth in a short time.  They are great little crunchy bites of goodness.

Sunflower Seed Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 egg (I used 1/4 cup Egg Beaters w/touch of yolk)

1 teaspoon almond extract (vanilla would work, but I really liked the almond)

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat flour)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1  1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

just less than 1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds (I used candy coated sunflower seeds and 2 tablespoons roasted, salted sunflower seeds)

1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add egg and extract.  Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, whisk together.  Add to the creamed mixture just until combined.  Drop by tablespoonfuls on parchment lined baking sheets, flatten slightly.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  Makes about 2  1/2 dozen.

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Made these again for the Cub Scouts Blue and Gold (American theme)--

Just make three batches of rice crispy treats, three different colors pressed into a pan one on top of the other.  Fun and festive!

I've made these a number of times (Boy, the last ones under the "times" link are a lot more colorful.  They are at the end of the post.  I think I used a better kind of food coloring-Wilton gels.)  Yummy treats!

Banana Graham Crackers with Peanut Butter--and Has Spring Sprung?

Taylor had snack for preschool again today.  I try to have fun with this.  I whipped up my recent homemade graham crackers, but with a twist.  I had some very ripe bananas to use up, so I thought I'd just mash them up and see what they'd be like.  I was really just worried that they would be too soft and not crunchy like a graham cracker.  But they actually turned out great.  The banana taste is a little subtle, but noticeable and kicking them up with peanut butter spread on top, not to mention a banana slice and chocolate chip--my idea of food heaven! ; )

See---how cute are these?

Taylor helped me put a little dab of peanut butter on the chocolate chip to make sure they stuck to the banana.  These were great and pretty simple to make!

Banana Graham Crackers

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat flour this time)

2 cups graham flour (whole wheat is fine)

1/4 cup evaporated cane juice sugar (regular sugar is fine)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon molasses

1/4 cup water (may need a little more--I used another tablespoonful)---omitted the water for these

2 small-medium bananas, very ripe, mashed

In bowl of food processor, combine flours, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon.  Pulse a few times.  Add the cold butter and pulse until texture is dry and crumbly.

In a separate bowl, mix together the honey, molasses and mashed banana.  Add to food processor and blend together until it forms a ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll the dough out on a well floured surface, or between wax paper.   Roll the dough out pretty thin and cut with cookie cutters or cut into rectangles.  Make fork marks in the dough.  Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper (that's what I use, just a baking sheet would work fine).  You could sprinkle these with sugar or cinnamon/sugar before baking.   

Bake for 12-13 minutes until golden and crisp.

You know you want one!

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Yesterday it was a gorgeous day, about 60 degrees.  Today--even better, probably closer to 70.  "Hello, winter?  Are you there?  No, okay--BYE!"

We have a huge driveway, after school the kids had just about every inch of it covered in chalk drawings.  We blew bubbles, too.  In the afternoon, our driveway is shaded by the house, so it was a bit cooler than farther out in the sun.  So Taylor and Sam have jackets on.  Today--no pictures, but no jackets, no long sleeves, it was beautiful!  The sad part about all this--tomorrow is supposed to be a high of about 40 (if we're lucky!) and yucky, rainy all day.  Sigh.

No pictures of Scott and Parker, who did most of the drawing, they were off on their bikes every time I tried to snap a shot of them.

Can't believe this little guy will be two in a few weeks!

 

Taylor thought it was funny to color his face with blue chalk.

Happy Springing!

TWD--Caramel Crunch Bars???

This week's Tuesday's With Dorie recipe was chosen by Whitney from What's Left On the Table, you can get the recipe on Whitney's blog or buy Dorie's book!  The recipe is for what Dorie is calling Caramel Crunch Bars, but well, I guess these do have some crunch, but no caramel.  The recipe calls for sprinkling toffee bits on top, but I decided to go with something else as my kids (and Kevin) don't really care for toffee bits. 

These bars are like shortbread with chocolate pieces in it, "frosted" with melted chocolate and topped with--well, really whatever you want.  Since I didn't go for the toffee bits, I wanted something that would "make" my boys eat them.  Hmm, what do they love most of all---SPRINKLES!  They will eat anything with sprinkles on it.

 

Dorie suggest bittersweet chocolate in the bars and for the topping.  She did suggest also using a really good quality milk chocolate as well.  I used Hershey's Special Dark for the chopped chocolate in the bars and just a good semi sweet chocolate for the top.  I didn't want to use bittersweet to make sure the boys would like and eat these.  I left out the espresso and cinnamon.  The recipe was simple and the cookies are buttery--even to almost a caramel-y flavor--and crunchy.  These are GOOD!  And bad. ; )  I only tasted a small amount.  The boys really like/liked them and I will be happy to let them keep eating them (just so I won't).  I really could just keep downing these.

Oh, and I decided to do about half with chopped walnuts instead of the sprinkles.  I prefer the nutty ones, but the sprinkles are definitely colorful and fun!  There isn't much more to say--thanks, Whitney for a simple and yummy pick this week!  Check out what all the other baker's came up with this week by clicking on the link and scrolling down to the TWD Baker's list.  Dorie also suggested making ice cream sandwiches with these, which I was going to do, but ran out of time today, so we just served them with ice cream.

 

Hey, I really do still have four boys and an amazing husband, just nothing they're doing has been worthy of taking pictures, especially since sickness has been going around--and well, I'm tired of it!   Crossing fingers that we're about done with it, well, except Kevin, he just got it today.  Have a good week, all.

Andes Mint Chip Cookies and Heavenly Peanut Butter Blondies

I made a couple of REALLY good goodies recently.  First up, Andes Mint Chip Cookies.  I found these little gems on Stephanie's blog, Confessions of a City Eater.  She was the brilliant gal who picked the Devil's Food White Out Cake for our Tuesday's With Dorie recipe last week.  As I was snooping around her blog, I found these Andes Mint Cookies and 1-thought they look really good, 2-I have a couple bags of Andes Mint Pieces that were on sale after the holidays, 3-I was making some cookies for the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby.

I think these were great--if you like mint.  The cookie dough is perfect and worth trying with any chip additions.  The cookies are crisp on the outside and perfectly soft, chewy on the inside  I followed the recipe Stephanie used that she got from Tootsie Roll Industries, except the recipe called for salted butter and no added salt and I only had unsalted butter, so I added some salt.  No biggie.  Check out Steph's blog, lots of good stuff there!

Andes Mint Chip Cookies--from Tootsie Roll Industries, adapted slightly

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I only used 1 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt (if using salted butter, omit the salt)

2  2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 pkg. (10 oz.) Andes Mint Baking Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Cream together butter and sugars for a few minutes, until fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs and beat until well mixed.  Scrape sides of bowl.  Add baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour and mix just until combined.  Stir in Andes Mints. 

Place cookies on sheets using a small cookie scoop or about a tablespoonful each.  (The original recipes says to flatten slightly, I did some both ways and like the ones I didn't flatten better.)  Bake for 8-10 minutes.   Cool on sheets for two minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool.   Makes about 3 dz.  (I got about 40.)

DELICIOUS and REFRESHING!

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Next--

I also had six fun size Butterfingers, a bunch of mini Reese's PB Cups and Reese's peanut butter chips to use up, so I made Dorie's Chewy, Chunky Blondies and filled them up with lots of peanut butter goodness.  This blondie recipe from Dorie's Baking From My Home to Yours book is definitely the best go-to blondie recipe I've found.  I've made these blondies before, more than once, I've even used the dough to make some great cookies.

Chewy, Chunky Heavenly Peanut Butter Blondies, adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Chewy, Chunky Blondies

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1  1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup Reese's peanut butter chips

about 14 mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped

1 cup milk chocolate chips

6 Fun Size Butterfinger Candy Bars, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a 9x13 baking pan with a non-release foil or parchment paper (Really, just spraying the pan with cooking spray works, but I love using the foil or parchment as the edges hang over the sides and are used for releasing the bars or cake from the pan with ease.)  I do spray the foil or parchment very lightly with cooking spray also.

Cream together the butter and sugars for a few minutes, until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating one minute between each addition.  Mix in vanilla.  After sifting together with a wire whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, add to creamed ingredients and mix just until combined.  Stir in chips and candy with a wooden spoon or spatula until combined.  Spread in pan and bake for forty minutes.  Begin testing with toothpick inserted in center after 30 minutes and remove from oven when toothpick comes out clean.  Mine baked 35 minutes.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Remove from pan using excess foil or parchment and cut into desired sized bars.