Farmgirl Gourmet | Farmgirl Gourmet

Slow Cooker Meatball Subs

FarmgirlGourmet — Fri, 24 May 2013 22:37:14 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I get cravings for slow cooker meals. It could be anything as long as it’s in the slow cooker filling my house with delicious smells all day long.

One of my son’s favorite things to eat are Meatball Subs. I think that boy could eat his weight in his favorite sammie if given the opportunity. This recipe only takes four hours in the slow cooker and is delish on a toasted roll with a sprinkling (or a heap) of tart cheddar cheese.

Slow Cooker Meatball Subs

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 8 sandwiches

Serving Size: 1 sandwich, 4 meatballs

Slow cooked meatballs in a quick tomato sauce makes an easy weeknight meal.

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs (or other bread crumbs)
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the Sauce:

1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
3 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
1/8 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg (or ground nutmeg)
salt & pepper to taste
8 hoagie rolls, split and toasted
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl add the ground beef, egg, onion, bread crumbs, oregano, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Shape into 32 balls and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, uncovered. Remove from oven and discard the fat.
In a 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker, add the crushed tomatoes, red pepper, brown sugar, dijon, chili powder, garlic powder, sriracha, nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the cooked meatballs, stirring gently to coat.
Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
Place meatballs on toasted hoagie rolls and top with extra sauce and cheese. Serve immediately.

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"Slow Cooker Meatball Subs" was written by Heather Scholten for Farmgirl Gourmet and was originally posted on May 24, 2013. Copyright ® 2013 Heather Scholten of Farmgirl Gourmet and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. All other rights reserved.

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Recipe: Life

FarmgirlGourmet — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:44:09 +0000

While I was away on business this week, my Facebook and inbox were flooded with friends telling me about the news. Angelina Jolie’s news that is. You’re probably asking yourself, why would people feel compelled to tell you about a movie stars media attention. Well, the story goes like this…..

In March of 2005, my phone rang and it was my mother on the other end of the line. She had tears in her voice as she told me that she was no longer in remission and that her breast cancer had metastasized to her liver and brain. 2 years earlier they found a large lump and she opted to have a radical bilateral mastectomy in hopes of stopping the cancer in it’s tracks. This wasn’t her first rodeo, it was her second bout in the ring with breast cancer and this phone call made her third! She tried to assure me that it was all going to be ok, but it was loud and clear in her voice that this was going to be a hard fight that she might not win. I threw together some clothes and jumped in the car for the 5 hour drive to be by her side. There was nowhere I’d rather be then supporting her personally. We spent 2 weeks together chatting, watching soaps and just being while she laid on the couch feeling awful from the chemo drugs and the monster inside. I knew I couldn’t stay forever as I had 2 small children and a husband at home eagerly awaiting my return.

I spent a lot of time reflecting on life on that 5 hour drive home. How could a woman be dealt such a horrible hand. 3 diagnosis’ of breast cancer? My Mom was no stranger to breast cancer – her mother battled the disease on two different occasions as well and came out the winner (she’s 93 and doing great). As soon as I got back home I decided I needed to speak to my doctor about my own health. I thought she was my advocate, but her views differed greatly from my own. I sought out a new woman’s health doctor and made an appointment. That day changed my life forever. As I sat in her little exam room and told her my story, her eyes filled with tears. She advised me to see the High Risk Breast Cancer clinic for more in-depth advice and got me an appointment the very next day. I was given a page-full of ideas on how to approach this new found risk and was urged to speak to my mother about having genetic testing. I had never really heard of it, but was willing to do whatever. Thankfully, so was my Mom. She started the ball rolling and we anxiously awaited the test results to come back. When they arrived, our lives changes forever. She was positive for the BRCA2 gene mutation. A group of less agressive breast cancer strains, but still very serious. My new-found advocates urged to keep the testing going and asked that my grandmother be next. She obliged instantly. Her result, positive for the exact mutation. Next up was me and yep, you guessed it - positive. My sister was last and in keeping with the Scarlet Letter (the nickname I gave the mail from Myriad) she was positive too.

Back to the clinic I went with 3 copies of this report in my hand and asking a zillion questions like “when will it be my turn”, “what can I do”, “I don’t want to be a sitting duck”. In 2005, prophylactic bilateral mastectomies were not commonplace. Oh, prophylactic means “preventing” or not medically necessary. I hit the interwebs and spent FAR too many hours looking at options. I don’t know if I even slept for several months, I just recall my nose being pressed to the computer monitor as I looked at stats on Tamoxifen and pictures of mastectomy scars and printed out page after page of medical reports on breast cancer. It was all a lot to take in, but a process I needed to go through to make the biggest decision of my life.

At the end of 2005 I told my doctor that I was ready. Ready to be the one calling the shots – not that nasty breast cancer gene, and that I wanted to have a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy, TRAM flap reconstruction and a full hysterectomy. Basically all parts that made me a woman needed to go. We started the ball rolling with picking surgeons and I spent the next 6 months talking about the big day with plastic surgeons, breast surgeons and OB/GYN’s until the team was assembled (my 3 Amigos as I liked to call them). I had to go through genetic counseling to make sure I was ready for what was about to happen to me. It was definitely no light matter and was taken very seriously.

May 6, 2006 I showed up at the hospital very early in the morning with my husband, Mom, Dad and kids in tow. They wheeled me away after a lot of kisses and tears for an 11 hour surgical journey that would take my risk of getting breast cancer from 90+% to less than 5%. I spent several days in the hospital after that day with tubes and drains and a morphine button that didn’t always seem to work. Ok, it did, but I was in so much pain that the 8 minute intervals between button pushes felt like years. I spent the next couple months unable to stand up straight and shuffling along as if I were a 100 year old lady. It was no easy ride and I wouldn’t wish the pain on my worst enemy. All the while I was dealing with this new body of mine, my mom was still battling her demon. She was so incredibly strong for me, encouraging me and taking care of me when she really should’ve been taking care of herself.

7 years have gone by since that 11 hour surgery. I know that this new body does not make me invincible and I still worry that breast cancer may cross my lips one day, but waking up every day and knowing that I did what I felt was right for me and my health, gives me hope. Hope that advances in medicine to be preventive may give me the opportunity to tell my grand children some day that I managed to live my life without ever having breast cancer.

I applaud Angelina Jolie for coming forward and talking about her decision. It’s not easy to do. After my surgery I would tell anyone with ears what I did which was usually met with the glazed over, deer in the headlights look followed by an awkward look down at my breasts. It’s information that most people can’t wrap their minds around. ”You did what?” So hearing that a high profile celebrity with a far reaching audience has done the same and is speaking openly about it has brought me to this post (and a lot of urging from Heidi the past 2 days). I felt that it was time to put it out there – when the media is filled with the uncomfortable information of choosing to have your breasts removed, in hopes that the deer in the headlights look has diminished a little and eyes are wide open to take it all in and absorb it and embrace it.

In closing – follow your heart. There are some things in life that you may feel compelled to do that may not be cool, mainstream, or thought to be too radical, but if you believe with all your heart that it’s right for you, for your health and longevity, you need to listen carefully. It knows the way! Always.

In January 2007 my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and elected to have a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy and has been healthy since. On February 17th, 2007 my beloved mother lost her 13 year battle with breast cancer but gave our family a gift of genetic information which will help our children and their children make informed choices about their own health and well being. She is missed everyday but her strength and beauty surrounds us always. My grandmother is 93 and a 40 year breast cancer survivor. She’s a true testament to health, courage and strength and I will be blessed to be half the woman she is. My daughter and son will have the opportunity to have genetic testing at ages 16, if they choose. Genetic testing is a choice that is not for everyone and I respect whatever they decide to do whole-heartedly.

Thank you for reading.
xo – heather

"Recipe: Life" was written by Heather Scholten for Farmgirl Gourmet and was originally posted on May 16, 2013. Copyright ® 2013 Heather Scholten of Farmgirl Gourmet and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. All other rights reserved.

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Chocolate Cherry Brownies + {Giveaway}

FarmgirlGourmet — Tue, 07 May 2013 05:00:38 +0000

This delicious post is part of a blog tour for a new cookbook called The Flying Brownie by Shirley Fan. The book contains 100 recipes that are “shipment friendly” and is the only book devoted to recipes that are meant to be mailed. That means if you love sending sweet treats to friends far and wide or your son or daughter off at college, than this book is definitely for you. There are recipes of all shapes and sizes from Apricot-Almond Granola Bars to Butterscotch Blondies and everything in between. Don’t get me wrong, this book would be great even if you plan on keeping the goodies all to yourself.

It was tough to land on one specific recipe, but when I flipped to these Chocolate Cherry Brownies, I knew it was on. They are soft, chewy and a little crunchy on the edges. If you ask me that’s the trifecta of brownie deliciousness. The dried cherries add a welcome chewy surprise to the rich brownies as well.

From the book:

I love the flavors of chocolate and cherries, so I put them together in this rich and decadent brownie, which holds up very well for long and bumpy trips and will keep up to 2 weeks.

To help Shirley celebrate her book, I am giving away a copy. See below the recipe for how to enter.

Chocolate Cherry Brownies

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: Makes 16 Brownies

A quick chocolate brownie recipe that's loaded with tart dried cherries and ships well. Easily converted to gluten-free.

Ingredients

10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks)
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose)
3/4 cup dried tart cherries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving extra for overhang; set aside.
In a medium-size saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt. Whisk together until melted and combined; remove from the heat and set aside to begin cooling.
While the butter mixture is still a bit warm, add the eggs and vanilla. Stir together until the batter becomes thick and glossy. Mix in the flour and stir until combined. Fold in the cherries.
Spread the mixture in the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with small crumbs clinging to it, 33-35 minutes.
Let cool in the pan on a rack. Remove the brownies from the pan by grasping the edges of the parchment paper, and cut into 16 squares. Wrap the bars individually with waxed or parchment paper or plastic wrap, seal with tape, and pack in a zipper-top plastic bag or other container. Alternatively, layer unwrapped bars in an airtight container, separating the layers with waxed or parchment paper.

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The Flying Brownie Cookbook

The Fine Print: Harvard Common Press asked if I’d like to participate in this virtual book tour for Shirley Fan. This post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own. I was provided a book for review and Harvard Common Press will ship a copy of this book to the winner of my giveaway.

"Chocolate Cherry Brownies + {Giveaway}" was written by Heather Scholten for Farmgirl Gourmet and was originally posted on May 06, 2013. Copyright ® 2013 Heather Scholten of Farmgirl Gourmet and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. All other rights reserved.

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#ILoveAvocados For Cinco De Mayo Sweepstakes

FarmgirlGourmet — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:09:39 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Avocado App for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I was recently approached to check out a new phone app called the Avocado app. Imagine a text app but with the ability to pre-load a bunch of different images of you or your pets or whatever. Kind of like emoticons but with pics. The app is a way for two people to stay connected and my husband and I have been having fun sending each other notes like this one that my hubs sent me today.

You definitely need to check out the I Love Avocados For Cinco De Mayo sweepstakes to win fun prizes from Avocados from Mexico and also we will be live tweeting on May 7th between 3:00 and 4:00 pm EST here’s the info: #iloveavocados for Cinco de Mayo Twitter party

There’s still time to find a great recipe for Cinco de Mayo. I personally love a good guacamole (see below) but if you want more, here’s the link to a whole slough of them. Cinco De Mayo recipes

Drunken Guacamole

2 large avocados, peeled, pitted and diced

2 tablespoons minced white onion

2 tablespoons minced pickled jalapenos

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 lime, juiced

1 ounce tequila

salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Add avocado, onion, jalapenos, garlic, lime, tequila and salt & pepper to a medium bowl and genlty mash the avocado, stirring to combine. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.

Makes 4 servings

More ways to enjoy avocado deliciousness.

Like Avocados from Mexico on Facebook

Follow Avocados from Mexico on Pinterest

Follow Avocados from Mexico on Instagram

Like Avocado app on Facebook

Follow Avocado app on Twitter

"#ILoveAvocados For Cinco De Mayo Sweepstakes" was written by Heather Scholten for Farmgirl Gourmet and was originally posted on April 30, 2013. Copyright ® 2013 Heather Scholten of Farmgirl Gourmet and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. All other rights reserved.

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A Harry & David Mother’s Day Giveaway!

FarmgirlGourmet — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000

It’s almost Mother’s Day! Have you thought about what you want to give to your Mom, Grandmother, Aunt or special Mom in your life? Well, I am giving away the beautiful box of goodies pictured above to one lucky reader and they can send it to that deserving Mom in their life just in time for Mother’s Day. The entry form is at the end of this post.

In 2007 my mom lost her 12 year battle with breast cancer, so Mother’s Day is bittersweet for me. I am excited when my kids come home with handmade cards & potted flowers, but still have a veil of sadness that I don’t get to do the same for my own Mom. I know that she’s looking down on special days like that and smiling at me and I have to take solace in that thought. So who do I celebrate on Mother’s Day instead? My 93 year old grandmother…..

She’s probably, hands down, the most incredible person I know. At 93, she is still a powerhouse and grows a huge garden, makes bread that will blow your face off and just bought a snazzy new red car to tool around town in. She’s no stranger the cancer monster either. She’s battled breast cancer twice in her 50′s and 40 years later lives to tell about it. She is one AMAZING woman and I am so proud to call her my grandMOTHER.

I sent her the Mother’s Day gift tower from Harry & David without telling her and she’s been calling everyone she knows asking who sent it. Tricky, I know, but worth it to make her day. Just like one lucky winner who will make their favorite Mom’s day as well. Let’s get to the giveaway, shall we?

Harry & David Mother’s Day Giveaway

Disclaimer: Harry & David offered to send a Mother’s Day gift of my choosing free of charge. I was not compensated to write this post and all opinions are my own. I happen to love the Harry & David company and products and choose to work with them gratis when possible.

"A Harry & David Mother’s Day Giveaway!" was written by Heather Scholten for Farmgirl Gourmet and was originally posted on April 29, 2013. Copyright ® 2013 Heather Scholten of Farmgirl Gourmet and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. All other rights reserved.

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Cod Pockets & Cookbook Review

FarmgirlGourmet — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:14:50 +0000

Did you know that I have over 300 cookbooks? My sweet husband remodeled a room in our house a couple of years ago and turned it into my office. There was this weird little closet and a window that looked out into the attic – room with a view? Not from that window. Anyway, he ripped all of that out and made me a wonderful bookcase to house my ~~hoarding problem~~ collection of cookbooks.

I was asked by Cooks & Books & Recipes if I’d like to review the latest cookbook from the Pike Place Fish Market guys and seeing as I need to fill up this bookcase, I said yes. 301 cookbooks. Check. I was able to choose any recipe my heart desired and after looking through the book several times, I finally landed on this super easy recipe for “Cod Pockets”. The recipe is loose in that you can tailor it however you see fit with regards to the veggies involved. That’s right up my alley as I always shy away from the usual suspects – zucchini and squash. I loaded it up with sweet peppers and fresh basil and a nice big chunk of cod and in a snap we were eating this low cal, super delicious, wished I had a hunk of bread to mop up the juice fish dish.

Continue reading about the Pike Place Market Fish cookbook and get this recipe for Cod Pockets at: Cooks & Books & Recipes blog. Check out all of the other blogger book reviews and scrumptious recipes while you’re there.

Disclaimer – I was provided a book for review free of charge. All opinions are my own.

"Cod Pockets & Cookbook Review" was written by Heather Scholten for Farmgirl Gourmet and was originally posted on April 24, 2013. Copyright ® 2013 Heather Scholten of Farmgirl Gourmet and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. All other rights reserved.

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Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Drumsticks

FarmgirlGourmet — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:34:58 +0000

I don’t know if you are in to Pinterest but I can just say – if you haven’t discovered it…you may just want to leave it that way. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Pinterest, a lot, but it is like a giant vortex of deliciousness that will suck you in with it’s sticky tentacles and you can kiss some hours of your life goodbye forever.

A while back I repinned a photo by my friend Jessica at The Novice Chef that has been haunting me for 2 months. That happens to me a lot when I get into a Pinterest frenzy and start pinning things I know I want to make. Her recipe for Sweet & Sticky Baked Chicken Drumsticks looked so good I knew I had to make it. Check out this picture? Drool! Click the image below to go to her website – you owe it to yourself to see what she’s puttin down over there.

I tweaked her recipe just a tad to make it slow cooker friendly and swapped out parsley for cilantro and that’s it. It’s hard to improve on perfection!!

Sticky Chicken Drumsticks – Slow Cooker

Yield: 5 servings

Serving Size: 2 drumsticks

Ingredients

1/2 cup local honey
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
2 teaspoons sriracha (or other hot pepper sauce)
black pepper
10 chicken drumsticks, skin removed and discarded
cilantro
toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

In a sauce pan add the honey, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sriracha and season to taste with black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sugars have dissolved and the sauce is beginning to thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
In the bowl of a slow cooker, add the skinned chicken drumsticks and pour the sauce over. Move the chicken around a bit with tongs to coat completely. Put the lid on and cook on high for 4 hours, flipping chicken a couple of times during the cooking process. Just before serving, sprinkle with torn cilantro leaves and sesame seeds.
Serve with steamed white rice and your favorite veggie and devour!

Notes

Recipe adapted from The Novice Chef

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Recipe adapted slightly from The Novice Chef Blog. Please be sure to stop by her website and show her some love.

Other Deliciously Sweet & Sticky Recipes

Hot and Sweet Drumsticks – The Pioneer Woman
Sweet and Spicy Drumsticks – A Spicy Perspective
Sweet Lemon Glazed Drumsticks – Recipe Girl
Sweet n Sticky Baked Chicken Drumsticks – The Comfort of Cooking

"Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Drumsticks" was written by Heather Scholten for Farmgirl Gourmet and was originally posted on April 22, 2013. Copyright ® 2013 Heather Scholten of Farmgirl Gourmet and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. All other rights reserved.

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Sea Salted Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

FarmgirlGourmet — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:21:01 +0000

My childhood wasn’t one filled with tons of cousins, aunts and uncles and weekend barbecues with extended family. My parents divorced early in my life and my Mother had to make her way just the 2 of us, so needless to say, we moved – a lot. Don’t get me wrong, I have cousins, aunts and uncles. I just didn’t get to see them very frequently and in some cases only once or twice a year.

Seeing your cousins so infrequently is tough on a kid. You are kind of the outsider and have to reestablish your friendships and sometimes it’s time to go by the time you’re buddies again. Enter my cousin Jill. She’s the 3rd oldest grandchild on my fathers side of the family (I’m the oldest – have you seen my grey hair). She and I never really had that magical cousin connection when we were growing up. We spent every other Christmas together at family gatherings and the occasional summer excursion. Remember when we went to Disneyland Jill and your Mom and I went on the Matador? I’ll just leave it at that. Anyway, it wasn’t until Jill was getting married that we reconnected and through the beauty of Facebook we have managed to become great friends over the last few years. I love the power of social media platforms that bring together 2 people who have known each other their whole lives, but now they can officially say they are true friends.

I love you Jilly!

Let’s get to the cookies before I cry.

A month or so ago she sent me a message on Facebook telling me about a cookie she had invented. She’d tested it a few times and decided it was time to tell the world about it. She sent me the recipe (cuz everyone knows I {heart} recipes) and I filed it away. I had thought about the cookie recipe many times but it wasn’t until Monday that I whipped it out and gave it a shot.

They are super easy to make – one bowl = my favorite kind of baking. They have whole wheat flour instead of regular AP (which Jill facetiously says makes them “healthy”) and are LOADED with toffee and chocolate. Hello lovers.

A sprinkle of sea salt on the top is the Pièce de résistance to these chewy morsels of deliciousness.

I begged Jill to let me share these cookies with you (ok, I really just FB messaged and asked sweetly). They need to go viral and be in as many bellies as possible. They are that good!

I can’t stop eating them.

Gluten gives me migraines, but I don’t care, Yes Sir, may I have another.

A big thanks to Jill for sharing this recipe with me and for allowing me to share it with you. If you need editing done – check out her website Avalon Editing. :)

Let’s stop all of this chatter and just go make some, sound good?

Sea Salted Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 23 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 30 cookies

A one bowl recipe for Chocolate Chip cookies kicked up with Heath Bar bits and whole wheat flour.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1 1/3 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 ounces chocolate chips
8 ounces Heath Bar Toffee Bits
sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchement, set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat to incorporate. Add the flour and baking soda and beat just until incorporated. Pour in the heath bits and chocolate chips and use the lowest speed to mix into the cookie batter.
Use a hinged scoop for uniform cookies or drop by tablespoon. Space the cookies 2 inches apart and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.
Bake 23-25 minutes. The cookies will look a little underdone in the center, that's OK, remove and cool on a wire rack. Repeat with any remaining cookie dough. Or conversely, eat it raw like my husband and I did.
Enjoy!

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"Sea Salted Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies" was written by Heather Scholten for Farmgirl Gourmet and was originally posted on April 18, 2013. Copyright ® 2013 Heather Scholten of Farmgirl Gourmet and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. All other rights reserved.

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Potato Chip Oven-Fried Chicken

FarmgirlGourmet — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:00:42 +0000

I have been working with Zak Designs for a couple of years now and last November they asked if I would be interested in helping them build their recipe database. Each month I get the opportunity to create deliciousness for their blog, like this recipe for Potato Chip Oven-Fried Chicken. Can I just say….it was DELISH…capital D, capital E, capital – you get the picture. Super easy, super juicy, super go check out the recipe!

Potato Chip Oven-Fried Chicken

Meeme Kiwi Tray from Zak Designs was used in the photograph.

"Potato Chip Oven-Fried Chicken" was written by Heather Scholten for Farmgirl Gourmet and was originally posted on April 11, 2013. Copyright ® 2013 Heather Scholten of Farmgirl Gourmet and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. All other rights reserved.

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Brown Butter Carrot Cookies

FarmgirlGourmet — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:01:23 +0000

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed a photo that I took this morning of an old recipe box. The first thing I look for when I hit up a garage sale is anything recipe related. Books, recipe boxes or show boxes full of newspaper clippings. Not that I really need more recipes (I have over 300 cookbooks) but I guess I feel it’s my duty to “save” the recipes. What if no one bought it and they ended up in the trash? Years of collecting, handwriting, typing and cataloging. That would just be a sad moment.

I was thumbing through a couple of my rescued recipe boxes this morning and happened on this one for Carrot(t) Cookies and knew I needed to make them right away.

I could’ve made them as written but I have a major aversion to using shortening. I just don’t like using it…go figure. So I whipped out the butter (which I happen to love more than Bourbon) and browned it with star anise, then popped it in the fridge to chill it again.

I love adding whole spices when I brown butter for cakes or pies. I make a country apple pie every Christmas that has a spiced brown butter custard that is making me drool while I type this. Soooooo gooooooood!

These cookies are more on the shortbread or scone front than a typical chewy or cake-y cookie, but don’t fret…they are incredibly addicting. In fact, I am currently having a back and forth conversation in my head about why I deserve to have another one (read 5th one). They’re screaming my name from the kitchen as I type. Make it stop. :) Alright, let’s stop all this chatter and get to the recipe! Thanks to Ella Pike – whoever you are for inspiring carrot deliciousness!

Brown Butter Carrot Cookies

Yield: Makes about 18 cookies

An old recipe for carrot cookies reinvented using spiced brown butter in place of shortening. Scone like cookies filled with steamed carrots and topped with a tangy orange glaze.

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 whole star anise
1 large egg
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups baby carrots (6.5 oz), steamed until soft, coarsely mashed and cooled.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted

Orange Glaze:

juice from 1 orange
zest from 1/2 of the orange
pinch of salt
about 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Add the butter and star anise to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until the butter begins to brown and smells nutty, about 15 minutes. Discard the star anise and pour the butter into a small glass bowl and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, or until solid.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
Beat the butter in the bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment until creamy and smooth. Add the sugar and egg and beat until combined. Add the mashed carrots and vanilla and beat just until combined. Add the baking powder, salt and sifted flour and mix just until combined.
Use a hinged scoop to achieve uniform cookies, or drop 1/4 cup sized balls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 15-18 minutes, until centers are set. Cool on a wire rack.
To make the Glaze: add the orange juice, zest, salt and powdered sugar to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle over the cookies and allow to set for 15-20 minutes before serving.

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"Brown Butter Carrot Cookies" was written by Heather Scholten for Farmgirl Gourmet and was originally posted on April 10, 2013. Copyright ® 2013 Heather Scholten of Farmgirl Gourmet and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0. All other rights reserved.

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