Lia's Cookbook

Maple Salmon

2011-12-14T18:22:00.001-08:00

This recipe from allrecipes.com might possibly be the best salmon of my life. I accidentally made a little too much of the marinade, but it sure made for delicious dressing for my maple salmon salad!

Ingredients

1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound salmon

Directions

In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.
Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and bake salmon uncovered 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork.

Easy Chocolate Crème Brulee

2011-10-23T20:36:00.001-07:00

I love crème brulee. Something about sticking your spoon into hardened burnt sugar is so fun. Plus it’s delicious! So, when I saw this recipe on Allrecipes.com I had to try it!

Ingredients

1 quart heavy cream
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
9 egg yolks
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons white sugar, or as needed

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Set 6 (6 ounce) ramekins on a baking sheet.
Pour cream, sugar, and vanilla into a saucepan, and place over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, and heat until it begins to simmer, then remove from heat. Place egg yolks in a large bowl, and slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture, about 2 tablespoons at a time, until you have added approximately a cup of cream to the yolks. At this point, pour in the remaining cream, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips, and set aside for 5 minutes (really, set it aside. If you try to stir it right away the chocolate will not be melty enough and you will be discouraged).
Stir the mixture until the chocolate is smooth and evenly distributed. Pour into ramekins, and bake in preheated oven until the center is just set, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to cool for 45 minutes, then place into the refrigerator, and chill until cold, about 6 hours.
Place oven rack in topmost position. Turn oven to Broil.
Sprinkle the tops of each creme brulee with sugar until evenly coated, gently pour off excess sugar. Place ramekins onto a baking sheet, and place under the broiler until the sugar bubbles and turns a light caramel brown. Serve immediately.

Nutella Gelato

2011-09-22T18:07:00.001-07:00

So, I didn’t actually make this recipe, someone made it for me and then gave me the recipe. Because it is delicious, I will share it with you all. If you are in possession of an ice cream maker you should make this immediately!

Ingredients:

1 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup Nutella

Directions:

Heat milk and cream in saucepan. Add sugar and whisk together to dissolve sugar over low heat. Add yolks and rest of sugar and blend until yolks thicken (several minutes). Add vanilla. Add a little milk to egg mix and slowly beat. Add egg mix to milk. Simmer until it is thick custard, whisking from time to time. Add Nutella and keep stirring until blended well. Let cool completely (several hours).

Process in ice cream maker!

Chocolate Quinoa Brownies (Gluten-Free)

2011-09-19T17:46:00.001-07:00

My new roommate can’t eat gluten! Luckily, since I mostly eat rice and have discovered which brand of soy sauce is gluten-free, this hasn’t made things difficult (not that it really would anyways, but I always cook too much so it’s easier to have someone to share it with).

The one thing that it does make more difficult is baking. It takes like 5-6 different types of flour to substitute for normal flour! Anyways, these brownies turned out good, but I did discover something: if you are baking gluten-free, don’t tell anyone! No one will notice their brownies are gluten-free (at least this recipe, other recipes maybe are more obvious) but if they know that it is they won’t want to eat them!

Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes
1/3 cup Organic Quinoa Flour or buckwheat flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup organic cocoa powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 2/3 cups organic light brown sugar
2/3 cup light olive oil
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon Authentic Foods Vanilla Powder or 1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla extract
2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 11x13-inch baking pan with lightly greased parchment.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and beat with a stand mixer, or your own elbow grease- with a sturdy wooden spoon- until you get a sticky batter.

Add the eggs.

Add:

2 to 4 tablespoons of warm water, as needed to achieve a dough that sticks together when you pinch it- much like a soft cookie dough.

Now add in:

1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped nuts, as you prefer (or both!)

Stir to combine.

Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan, and using wet or oiled hands, press and smooth the surface evenly. Place the pan into the center of a pre-heated oven and bake until set - about 25 to 35 minutes depending upon your oven and altitude. Insert s thin knife to check if you are unsure to make certain the center has baked thoroughly.

Makes 15 to 18 brownies.

I got this recipes from glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com.

Savory French Toast

2011-08-20T22:17:00.001-07:00

Isn’t it odd that until recently I had never heard of savory french toast? It is delicious!! Also works much better for those breakfast-for-dinner nights.

Ingredients:

5 eggs
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon green onions, finely chopped (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
vegetable oil
butter
8 (1/2") slices day-old bread, cut on the diagonal

Directions:

In a bowl or baking dish, beat together eggs with half-and-half, salt, pepper, green onions, and cilantro.
Heat a medium or large skillet over medium-high heat. Cover the bottom of the skillet with vegetable oil and add a tablespoon or two of butter for taste.
Dip the bread triangles into the egg batter, drain off any excess, and place straight into the hot pan. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side – you want to develop a golden-brown color and the texture should be crispier than traditional French toast. Place cooked toasts on a paper towel-lined plate or rack to drain.
Serve warm with a side of ketchup.

Frozen Hot Chocolate

2011-07-19T19:59:00.001-07:00

Ever since that movie Serendipity came out (whenever that was . . . years ago) I desperately wanted to try hot chocolate from the restaurant of the same name.

Then when I found out that they had frozen hot chocolate, I was even more desperate! Mostly because I wanted to know what made frozen hot chocolate a drink of its own rather than just another chocolate shake.

Well, I never managed to make it to Serendipity (I’m not sure why since they have one in Vegas) but I did find this recipe via Tasty Kitchen. It’s quite delicious, and definitely not just a normal chocolate shake! It’s pretty ridiculously sweet though, so this amount is definitely enough for 4-5 people!

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
1 package Hot Cocoa Mix (about 3 Tablespoons)
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
⅓ cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
⅓ cups White Chocolate Chips
12 ounces, fluid Can Evaporated Milk, Divided
4-½ cups Ice
Whipped Cream, To Taste
Mini Marshmallows, To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Combine sugar, cocoa mix, and butter in the top of a double boiler that is set over gently boiling water. Stir often until melted and a smooth paste forms. Add semi-sweet & white chocolate chips; stir. When chips begin to melt, slowly stir in 1/2 cup of evaporated milk. Stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Make sure you cool it! I got rather impatient and decided to just go for it, but if you do that you end up with more of a cold hot chocolate rather than frozen (and trust me, it’s much better frozen!).

Combine the chocolate base mixture, the remaining evaporated milk and ice in a blender (you can do this in batches) and cover. Blend until smooth. Pour into frosty glasses. Top each with whipped cream. Sprinkle with additional chopped chocolate chips & mini marshmallows, if desired.

Zucchini Corn Fritters

2011-07-05T20:05:00.001-07:00

I posted a fritter recipe last year, but this is a new one! I found this recipe on seriouseats.com. I love corn, so I figured these would be good.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups shredded zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 ears corn
1 small onion, diced small
3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
3/4 cup flour
A few good grinds of black pepper
Canola, grapeseed or other neutral oil, for pan-frying
Sour cream or Greek yogurt, for serving

PROCEDURES

Shred the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater or with the shredding disc of a food processor. Place the shredded zucchini in a colander in the sink or over a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Toss to combine. Let drain while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl and scramble lightly. Cut the kernels from the corn cobs and add the kernels to the bowl along with the diced onion, sliced scallions, chopped cilantro, flour and pepper.
Pick up the shredded zucchini in small handfuls and squeeze out and discard as much liquid as you can. Add the zucchini to the bowl. Mix well to combine.
Pour the oil into a large frying pan to a depth of about 1/4-inch. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Drop large, heaping spoonfuls of the zucchini mixture into the pan to form disc-shaped fritters. Cook in batches without crowding (about 3 or 4 at a time, depending on the size of your pan) until golden brown on the underside (about 2 minutes) and then flip and cook until golden brown on the second side. Remove to paper towels to drain. Add a bit more oil between batches if necessary.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. The fritters should be crisp on the outside and slightly custardy on the inside.

These were a little runnier than other fritters I have made, so they ended up looking a lot like pancakes. Glenn suggested I eat them with some maple syrup. I ended up going for barbeque sauce, but I think the sour cream that is suggested would be good too!

Oven Fried Zucchini Chips

2011-06-24T17:36:00.001-07:00

And the zucchini recipes begin! I made these last night for dinner. Although they are probably meant to be a snack rather than a meal. =)

Ingredients

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, fresh grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup milk
2 small zucchini cut in 1/4-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray or vegetable/olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Grease a large oven-proof wire rack set on a baking sheet.
2. Whisk together bread crumbs, Parmesan, salt, onion powder and pepper in a medium bowl. Place milk in a separate shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk then in breadcrumb mixture patting the crumbs on. Place slices on wire rack. Repeat until all are coated.
3. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

So I basically didn’t follow the recipe at all because I decided to add some garlic powder, which then turned into adding Italian seasonings, plus I used onion flakes instead of onion powder, and soy milk rather than milk. =) But, it still turned out good! I did end up with a LOT of extra breadcrumb mixture, but maybe my soymilk was less sticky than regular milk? I’m not sure. But you can always mix the extra breadcrumbs into your zucchini fritters!

It’s that time of year again . . .

2011-06-13T17:56:00.001-07:00

Yep! Zucchini time! So be prepared for another summer full of zucchini recipes!

I don’t have one right now, but I did find a new way to use zucchini: put it in lasagna! It’s surprisingly delicious in lasagna, and this is coming from someone who doesn’t like lasagna (why I still make it, I don’t know).

Vanilla Bean Scones

2011-05-21T20:53:00.001-07:00

For some reason, my pictures got lost! So even though I took the time to take an adorable picture put I don’t have one to post.

Anyways, this recipe is for the delicious petite vanilla bean scones at Starbucks. Have you had them? They are delicious. The only reason I don’t eat them every day is because I can’t afford to. Luckily, these scones turned out almost exactly the same!

I made them for our Royal Wedding watching party, because what is more English than scones?!

Ingredients

SCONES

3 cups All-purpose Flour
⅔ cups Sugar
5 teaspoons Baking Powder
¼ teaspoons Salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, Chilled
1 whole Large Egg
¾ cups Heavy Cream (more If Needed)
2 whole Vanilla Beans

GLAZE

3 cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted
½ cups Whole Milk
1 whole Vanilla Bean
Dash Of Salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Split the vanilla beans down the middle lengthwise and scrape out all the vanilla inside. Stir into cream. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Sift together flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Cut cold butter into pats, then use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour. Keep going until mixture resembles crumbs.

Mix vanilla cream with egg, then combine with flour mixture; stir gently with a fork just until it comes together (seriously, don’t overmix!)

Turn dough onto a floured surface and lightly press it together until it forms a rough rectangle. (Mixture will be pretty crumbly.) Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Use your hands to help with the forming if necessary. Be really careful because if you press it too much or overmix it gets to a weird consistency.

Use a knife to trim into a symmetrical rectangle, then cut the rectangle into 12 symmetrical squares/rectangles. Next, cut each square/rectangle in half diagonally, to form two triangles. Or, you could do what I did and just cut out fun scone shapes with a cookie cutter.

Transfer to a parchment or baking mat-lined cookie sheet and bake for 18 minutes, removing from the oven just before they start to turn golden. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

VANILLA GLAZE

To make the icing, split one vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out. Stir into milk; allow to sit for awhile. Mix powdered sugar with the vanilla milk, adding more powdered sugar or milk if necessary to get the consistency the right thickness. Stir or whisk until completely smooth.

One at a time, carefully dunk each cooled scone in the glaze, turning it over if necessary. Transfer to parchment paper or the cooling rack. Allow the glaze to set completely, about an hour. Scones will keep several days if glazed.

Easter

2011-04-26T17:17:00.001-07:00

For Easter I made two things to bring over to my aunt Karen’s house for lunch. The first was this fruit bouquet.

It looked really cute! However, it had a tendency to topple over . . . I think perhaps because the little floral arranging foam thing I stuck in the bottom was not actually stuck to the bottom. Oh well, next time.

Another thing I would do next time, find something to go in the pot (like easter grass) so that you can’t see the ends of the sticks. Plus I didn’t make the fruit go far enough down the sticks. . . so many things I would change. But, it was fun to make!

The second thing I made were little rabbit rolls! They were really cute. I found the recipe from Taste of Home, although I supposed you could really make them with any roll recipe.

Ingredients

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
3/4 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons shortening
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Melted butter

Directions

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, sugar, shortening, egg, celery seed, sage, salt, nutmeg and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic; about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; let rest 10 minutes.
Divide dough into 24 pieces. For each bunny, roll one piece of dough into a 20-in. rope. Cut rope into one 10-in. piece, one 5-in. piece, two 2-in. pieces and one 1-in. piece. Coil 10-in. piece for body; place on a greased baking sheet. Coil 5-in. piece for head; place next to body. Form ears from the 2-in. pieces and tail from the 1-in. piece; add to bunny. Pinch and seal pieces together. Repeat, placing bunnies 2 in. apart on the baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes.
Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Brush with melted butter. Cool on wire racks. Yield: 2 dozen.

We actually ended up with a lot of bunny shaped bread because my cousin found a recipe from the Friend that was also very good! You can see that recipe here.

I would recommend making the recipe from the friend, but rolling them like the bunnies above. If you want something sweet and cute for next year.

Missionary Cake!

2011-04-12T09:48:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to share the cake that Cami and I made for Mark Wayne. He’s leaving to a mission in Minnesota (Spanish speaking) so we decided to decorate a missionary nametag cake for him (although I guess it’s not quite right since we didn’t do it in Spanish, plus we were just translating from my other cousin’s Navajo nametag so hopefully this is actually what the nametags look like!).

Anyways, we had been watching Cake Boss and were inspired, so we made this chocolate cake (with a yummy layer of fresh strawberries and whipped cream in the middle). The letters we wrote with melted white chocolate onto a sheet of wax paper and then transferred them when they hardened.

Lemon Crumb Bars

2011-03-28T17:28:00.001-07:00

These are so yummy! I usually love all things lemony except any sort of lemon bars. But, they seem like something I should like so I always try new recipes and I loved these! In fact, I deeply regret sending some of them over to my aunt’s house, if I hadn’t I might still have some left! =)

Mmmm . . . doesn’t that look delicious?

Okay, here’s the recipe!

Ingredients

1-⅓ cup All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 stick (1/2 Cup) Butter, Slightly Softened
1 cup Brown Sugar (lightly Packed)
1 cup Oats
1 can (14 Ounce) Sweetened Condensed Milk
½ cups Lemon Juice
Zest Of 1 Lemon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix butter and brown sugar until well combined.

Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.

Add oats and flour to butter/sugar mixture and mix to combine.

Press half of crumb mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 11 inch pan.

Mix together condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Spread onto the bottom layer of the crumb mixture. Top with the other half of the crumb mixture, but don’t press.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Allow pan to cool after baking. Cut into squares and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until cool.

Serve cool.

Sweet Potato burritos!

2011-03-22T15:20:00.001-07:00

I made these last night and thought they were just okay, but then I had one again today and thought it was delicious, so I guess they grow on you! This recipe makes 12, so you might want to half it! They are very filling!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups canned kidney beans, drained
2 cups water
2.5(ish) tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. Gradually stir in water, and heat until warm (it's going to seem really watery). Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce. Mix in mashed sweet potatoes.
Divide bean and sweet potato mixture evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style, and place on a baking sheet.
Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve.

(I'm thinking they would also taste good topped with some sour cream and lettuce. Mmm . . .)

Mapo Tofu!

2011-03-19T17:56:00.001-07:00

This is my favorite kind of tofu, although I always make it “wrong”. I guess I’ll give the “right” recipe first before telling you my changes.

Ingredients

1 (1-pound) package firm tofu
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
4 ounces lean ground pork or beef
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup chopped green onions

Preparation

Place tofu slices on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Place a dinner plate on top of covered tofu; let stand 30 minutes. Remove plate; discard paper towels. (This seems weird to me, but you don’t want your tofu too watery!) Cut tofu slices into 1/2-inch cubes.

Combine broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chili garlic sauce.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 4 minutes or until done, stirring to crumble. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add tofu; cook 4 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Add broth mixture to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.

Serve tofu mixture over rice (brown rice is best!). Sprinkle with onions.

** So, I don’t really like ground pork or ground beef (or anything ground), so I usually don’t add that and instead add some veggies (broccoli and water chestnuts are good in this). I also tend to add some extra oyster sauce because oyster sauce is delicious!!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2011-02-18T17:21:00.001-08:00

I have actually never had chicken tortilla soup until I made this recipe, so I can’t compare it to anything. That being said, I really liked this recipe! Mostly because it is so ridiculously easy (seriously, one of the easiest crock pot recipes) but it makes quite a bit, so if you’re only cooking for two you might get sick of it before you’ve run out! Unfortunately, you can’t really cut down since part of what makes the recipe so easy is that it’s just a bunch of cans you mix together!

Ingredients

1-½ pound Frozen Chicken Breasts (or just shred some canned chicken)
15 ounces, fluid Diced Or Whole Peeled Tomatoes
10 ounces, fluid Enchilada Sauce
1 whole Yellow Onion, Chopped
4 ounces, weight Can Chopped Green Chile Peppers
15 ounces, weight Frozen Corn
3 cloves Garlic
1 cup Water
22-½ ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoons Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Cilantro, Optional
Tortilla Chips, Crushed
Cheddar Cheese (Optional)

Preparation Instructions

1. Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, corn, garlic, water, chicken broth, seasonings, and cilantro into the crock pot. Stir and cover. Put on low setting for 7-8 hours.

2. Remove chicken breasts and shred with 2 forks. Place back in the crock pot and stir.

3. Serve with crushed chips and a sprinkle of cheese! (I recommend hint of lime chips!)

Spiderman Rice Krispie Treats

2011-02-02T22:07:00.001-08:00

Okay, not really a recipe, but look how cute these Spider-man treats turned out! My cousin Audrey LOVES Spider-man (although maybe not now that she got so many Spider-man things for Christmas and her birthday, haha) so I made these for her birthday party.

I just realized I never ate one! But I assume they tasted good. =) You can’t really go wrong with Rice Krispie treats.

Heath Bar Cookies

2011-01-22T15:08:00.001-08:00

I love Heath bars. Every time I see them in the store I smile because I remember how a friend in high school would eat them just because she loved Heath Ledger. haha.

Anyways, this recipe is adapted from simplerecipes.com. She used walnuts, but I figured chocolate chips would be a better fit with the toffee because it makes the cookies more like eating a whole heath bar!

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped Heath Bar bits (buy the ones without chocolate because we’ll be adding chocolate! You can get them in the baking section)
1 cup milk chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1 Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

2 Beat together the butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, and vanilla.

3 Alternatively mix in the Heath Bar mixture and the flour mixture, a third at a time, until well blended. Chill cookie dough for at least 30 minutes (better an hour, and make sure you do chill them so they don’t spread as much!).

4 Preheat oven to 350°F. On cookie sheets lined with parchment paper spoon out the cookie dough in small 1-inch diameter balls. Place dough balls 3 inches away from each other on the cookie sheets. (Make sure there is plenty of room between the cookie balls).

Anyways, these are so delicious (if you like toffee, or even if you don’t since my cousin claimed she didn’t and still ate 3 cookies). The one thing that I have noticed though is that the toffee makes the cookies rather hard, so these are best eaten fresh!

Sweet Potato and Corn Chowder

2011-01-15T20:01:00.001-08:00

This soup recipe is really delicious. It makes quite a bit so don’t make it unless you have a least 5 people that will be eating it or you’ll be eating it forever!

Ingredients

3 cups whole milk
1 cup yellow corn muffin mix (I used Jiffy)
2 T. butter
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
2 sweet potatoes (or maybe 3 if you’d like), peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
3 cups frozen corn (not thawed)
salt and pepper, to taste

* I didn’t do this, but I think it would probably be really good with bacon bits in it too.

Mix milk and muffin mix in bowl until well combined. Meanwhile, heat butter in large pot over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth and sweet potatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sweet potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes.

Stir in milk and muffin mixture and simmer until soup thickens, about 10 minutes.Add cheese and corn and cook until cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper (I like it with quite a bit of pepper). Serve.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Frosting

2011-01-04T12:32:00.001-08:00

To continue with my pumpkin theme, here is a delicious cinnamon roll recipe from RecipeGirl. It says it yields 12 cinnamon rolls, but I rolled them out a little more and made 24 smaller rolls. If you do that you can let it rise overnight (not in the fridge) and they still won’t get too fluffy. I also added more cinnamon to the filling because it didn’t seem like enough cinnamon for cinnamon rolls. Then again, I really like cinnamon and add lots of it to the frosting when I make normal cinnamon rolls.

DOUGH:
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 large egg, beaten
½ cup lukewarm water
1 packet active dry yeast
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
3 ¾ cups flour, plus extra- as needed
cooking spray

FILLING:
4 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. salt

ICING:
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
¼ cup pure grade B maple syrup
¼ tsp. salt

1. Spray a non-reactive bowl with nonstick spray. Set aside. Line a 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together first 5 ingredients of the dough (through egg) until well combined. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together warm water, yeast and 1 Tbsp. sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is frothy and active. If after 5 minutes yeast does not appear active, discard the mixture and start over with a newer, fresher yeast packet.

4. Place flour in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). Add yeast mixture and pumpkin mixture to the flour. Stir until ingredients have incorporated into a dough. If using a stand mixer, attach a dough hook and knead on medium speed for 5 minutes. If kneading by hand, turn dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes. The desired consistency of the dough should be soft and just slightly sticky. Add more flour as necessary throughout the kneading process until you achieve the proper consistency.

5. Form dough into a ball and transfer to the oiled bowl. Toss dough around in the bowl to coat all sides lightly with oil. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Place in a warm, draft-free spot. Let the dough rise until nearly doubled, usually 1 to 1 ½ hours.

6. Roll dough into a 16×10-inch rectangle on a large, lightly floured piece of parchment or waxed paper. While rolling out the dough, make sure it’s not sticking to the surface. Lift the dough and sprinkle flour underneath, as needed.

7. Spread a thin layer of butter over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border on all sides. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining filling ingredients. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the butter. Roll dough into a tight spiral- jelly roll style- by rolling the 16-inch long edge closest to you over the filling. Continue rolling dough into a log until the opposite edge is on the bottom. Slice dough into 12 even pieces and arrange in the prepared baking dish cut-side up. Cover the pan with oiled plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let rolls rise for 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free area. They’ll get puffy and smash into each other as they rise. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

8. Remove towel and plastic wrap. Bake until tops and edges are golden and rolls are cooked through- 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes before icing.

9. Place a baking sheet over the dish of cinnamon rolls. Invert rolls onto the baking sheet and peel away parchment paper. Flip the rolls onto your choice of serving dish. Whisk together the icing ingredients until smooth, then spoon evenly over all of the cinnamon rolls, allowing it to dribble down the sides.

Yield: 12 cinnamon rolls

Gingerbread Waffles

2011-01-02T21:38:00.001-08:00

So I probably should have posted this recipe earlier if anyone wanted to try it since it is a rather Christmas-y breakfast, but I guess you guys can just try it next year! They were really good! Surprising actually because I don’t really like gingerbread, I just wanted to make it because it seemed like a good Christmas breakfast. One thing that I think made it especially good was the lemon whipped cream on top. I don’t have a recipe for that, but basically just heavy whipping cream and add fresh lemon juice and sugar until it’s a taste that you like! Don’t make it too sweet though, more lemon is better with the waffles.

I doubled the recipe and it fed 19 people (quite a few were kids) with a few leftover waffles (which taste good if you stick them in the toasted oven the next day).

Gingerbread Waffles

3 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter

Preheat waffles iron.In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in pumpkin, milk, molasses and melted butter. Stir the wet into dry until just moist. Do not over stir the waffle batter. Spray the waffle iron and cook waffles in batches. Keep warm in the oven (200 degrees). Serve with lemon whipped cream, butter, powdered sugar, or syrup.

Rice Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Roll

2010-12-28T15:40:00.001-08:00

When we lived in Colorado there was someone in our ward who made these for us (well, I say “us” but I rarely got to eat any because Ray and my Dad ate them all). Anyways, they are sooo good. I hadn’t had them for a few years and I just made some and they are even more delicious than I remembered! Plus, you can keep the roll in the fridge or freezer (and thaw it out before trying to cut it) so you always have a treat if someone stops by!

Ingredients

1 cup corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter
3 Tbsp margarine
6 cups Rice Crispies

filling:
½ cup margarine or butter
3 Tbsp milk
2 cups icing sugar
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

In a large pot, on medium heat, bring corn syrup and sugar to boil. Stir in peanut butter and margarine. Remove from heat; mix in Rice Crispies. Line a 14x18 inch cookie sheet with wax paper. Press rice crispy mixture into cookie sheet, with buttered hands.

In a small pot, melt 1/2 c margarine (remove from heat), add milk, icing sugar, cocoa and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Spread over flattened rice crispy mixture. Starting at wide end, roll up jelly-roll fashion, shaping and squeezing gently. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for a few hours, until set. With a sharp knife, slice into 1/2 inch slices. You may have to use both hands to press knife down, since it’s not a sawing motion.

Naan

2010-12-22T23:30:00.001-08:00

I love naan. I love this recipe for naan. If you don’t know what naan is, it’s an Indian flatbread and it’s delicious!

I’m not sure why I never posted this recipe. I should have because I was trying to find it today and it took me forever, so now I’ll be able to find it easily with my little search bar whenever I want! Make sure you start to make it about 2 hours before you want to eat it because you’ve got an hour and a half of just dough rising time.

Ingredients

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

Five-Spice Smashed Sweet Potatoes

2010-12-22T12:52:00.001-08:00

This recipes comes from www.thebittenword.com. They have a lot of strange-sounding recipes, but the recipes always turn out good!

I made these for Thanksgiving and they were delicious! I think it’s the first time I’ve seen the yams at Thanksgiving eaten that quickly. Plus, I actually liked them and usually I just eat the marshmallows off the top of the yams! haha.

Anyways, I’m making them again for Christmas Eve so I thought I would share the recipe in case anyone else wants to try them as well!

INGREDIENTS

5 pounds sweet potatoes
1/2 cup milk
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup light brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 10 1/2-ounce bag mini marshmallows (6 cups)
3/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425°. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for 45 minutes, until tender when pierced; let cool slightly. Halve the sweet potatoes and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Add the milk, butter and brown sugar and coarsely mash. Season the sweet potatoes with salt and black pepper and spread them in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Lower the oven temperature to 350°.

The sweet potatoes can be prepared through Step 1 and refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.

Root Beer Float Fudge

2010-12-20T21:40:00.001-08:00

This fudge is so good! Well, basically it is the sweetest thing I’ve ever eaten! But, it is delicious because it actually tastes exactly like a root beer float!

Root Beer Float Fudge

from My Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)

*Makes one 9-inch square slab o' fudge

4 cups (2 pounds) sugar

1/2 cup (6 ounces) light corn syrup

1/2 cup (4 ounces) heavy cream

1 cup (8 ounces) milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons root beer extract/flavoring

2 1/2 cups (4 ounces) mini marshmallows

In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, cream, milk and salt. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the mixture reaches 236 degree F on the thermometer. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla and root beer extracts.

Pour the mixture into a 9X13-inch baking pan (you'll be mixing it again later). Leave the pan undisturbed to cool at room temperature for about an hour. (Do not stir during this step or the fudge can turn to sugar.)

When cool enough, pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl and mix on medium speed or by hand using a wooden spoon. If using a mixer, it will require approximately 3 minutes of mixing. Mixing by hand will take about 6 minutes. When the fudge begins to lighten in color, lose a bit of it's shine and thicken slightly, stir in the mini marshmallows and stop mixing.

Butter a 9-inch square baking pan, pour in the mixture, and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Allow the fudge to set and crystallize for 1 hour or longer at room temperature. It will lighten in color as it cools. Cut into desired pieces and serve. The fudge should be stored tightly covered at room temperature or refrigerated tightly sealed for longer storage.