Ginger Lime Cookies

 

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons loosely packed (4 grams) finely grated lime zest 
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar 
• 3½ tablespoons (50 grams) unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (40 grams) powdered sugar 
• ½ teaspoon (9 grams) peeled and grated fresh ginger (from a 2-inch piece)
• 1 large egg yolk (19 grams)
• ¾ cup plus 1½ tablespoons (105 grams) all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached 
• ¾ teaspoon (3.4 grams) baking powder 
• ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions

1. Add lime zest to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add granulated sugar and rub it into lime zest.
2. Add butter and powdered sugar. Attach flat beater and beat on low to incorporate. Increase speed to medium and beat until light in color and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
3. Add ginger and egg yolk, and beat until incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to mixer bowl and beat on low, scraping down sides, just until incorporated and large clumps form. Remove bowl from mixer and press dough into a large ball.
5. Line a 17-by-14-inch cookie sheet with parchment. Set dough on a piece of plastic wrap and top with a second piece of plastic wrap. Press to flatten and roll to ¼ inch thick. Slip dough onto prepared cookie sheet and refrigerate until firm enough to cut out cookies, 1-2 hours.
6. Lift off top piece of plastic wrap. Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to cut out cookies, and transfer them to cookie sheet, 1 inch apart. Knead scraps and shape into a disc. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until firm enough to roll and cut.
7. Continue until you have used all dough. Refrigerate cookie sheet, lightly covered, at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack in middle position and set oven to 325 degrees. 
8. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate cookie sheet a half turn. Continue baking until cookies are golden around the edges, 5-10 minutes more.
9. Use a thin pancake turner to transfer cookies to a wire rack. Cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container 10 days at room temperature.

Cinnamon Swirl Baked French Toast

INGREDIENTS & DIRECTIONS

• 1 loaf (16 ounces) Cinnamon Swirl Bread, cut into 1-inch pieces (Pepperidge Farm <no raisins> or similar- in this case it’s JessicasBrickOven.com bread I found at Hannaford
• 3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries or fresh blueberries (optional)
• 5 eggs
• 2.5 cups half and half or milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the bread pieces and cranberries into a lightly greased 3-quart shallow baking dish.

Beat the eggs, half-and-half and vanilla extract in a medium bowl with a fork or whisk. Pour the egg mixture over the bread pieces. Stir and press the bread pieces into the egg mixture to coat.  Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

Heat the oven to 350°F.  Bake for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Be careful not to over-toast the top, tent with foil if it starts to brown. 

Serve with maple syrup and favorite breakfast meat. I like breakfast sausages pattys with this. 

Banana Muffins

These delicious banana muffins are light and cake-like. Great way to use up some ripe bananas. 

A new favorite! 

Ingredients

1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

4 large bananas, mashed 

3⁄4 cup white sugar

1 egg

1⁄3 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line cups with paper liners. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl; set aside.

Mix bananas, sugar, egg, vanilla and melted butter in a separate large bowl until well combined; fold in flour mixture until smooth. Add chocolate chips. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. I sprinkle with a little (one packet) of sugar in the raw (turbinado). 

Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 30 minutes. Cool briefly in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Thin Mints

 

Homemade Thin Mints

Alyssa Rivers

These Thin Mints are way better than the popular boxed version! Perfectly crispy chocolaty cookies are sweetened with just the right amount of mint!

PREP TIME 20 mins

COOK TIME 15 mins

TOTAL TIME 35 mins

COURSE Dessert

CUISINE American

SERVINGS 17 cookies

CALORIES 171 kcal

INGREDIENTS

  

Cookies

• 4 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

Chocolate Coating

• 8 ounces chocolate melting wafers
• ¼ teaspoon coconut oil
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Beat together softened butter, sugar, peppermint extract and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until combined and fluffy.
• Sift flour and cocoa powder into a small mixing bowl. Stir in salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until a dough forms, scrape the side of the bowl as necessary while mixing to ensure the flour is mixing well with the butter.
  
• Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten it into a disk, wrap well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• When the dough is firm but still malleable, take it out of the refrigerator and roll it into ¼” thick on a cocoa dusted surface. Cut with a 2” cookie cutter. Reroll the scraps and keep cutting out cookies until the dough is gone.
  
• Place the cookies in a container or lined baking sheet and freeze for about 15 minutes while the oven is preheating.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• When the oven is ready, place cookies on another parchment-lined baking sheet 1” - 2” apart and bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 - 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Combine chocolate, coconut oil and peppermint extract in a heatproof bowl, set it over a pot of simmering water, stir until chocolate is melted completely.
• Dip cooled cookies in the melted chocolate using a fork, turn to coat both sides. Tap excess chocolate off and place coated cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow chocolate coating to dry completely at room temperature or refrigerate to speed it up.

Crockpot Spanish Rice Recipe

 

Crockpot Spanish Rice Recipe

Crockpot Spanish Rice is full of delicious Mexican spices. This savory side tastes like it came from your favorite restaurant!

PREP TIME 10 mins

COOK TIME 2 hrs 30 mins

TOTAL TIME 2 hrs 40 mins

COURSE Side Dish

CUISINE Mexican

SERVINGS 8 cups

CALORIES 66 kcal

INGREDIENTS

  

• 2 cups long grain rice
• ⅛ cup vegetable oil
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt (with parsley flakes)
• 1 teaspoon garlic minced
• 4 cups chicken broth low sodium
• dash cumin
• pepper to taste
• 6 stems chopped cilantro optional

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Grease a slow cooker with cooking spray.
• Heat oil in large frying pan on medium heat. Add rice and cook until golden brown (about 5 minutes).
• Remove rice from heat and add to the slow cooker. Pour in tomato sauce, salt, minced garlic, chicken broth, cumin and pepper and stir to combine.
• Cover and cook on high for 2½-3 hours or until the liquid is gone. 
• Add fresh, chopped cilantro, if desired and serve warm.

Jessica Alba’s Chicken Enchiladas

 

Ross introduced me to this recipe, have made it 3 or 4 times now, it’s great! I now use the slow cooker to cook the chicken breasts in tomato sauce (or salsa). I also use the slow cooker to make rice (see separate recipe). So rich and with rice, this recipe even fed 8! Served with side items: pineapple, cilantro, parsley, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, your favorite hot sauce. 

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5 oz each), cut into strips
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 jar (12 oz) salsa
• 1 cup shredded lowfat cheddar
• ½ cup shredded lowfat Monterey Jack
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 can (2.25 oz) sliced black olives, drained
• 1 can (16 oz) traditional enchilada sauce
• 1 can (16 oz) green chile enchilada sauce
• Mexican hot sauce
• Cayenne pepper
• Vegetable-oil cooking spray
• 8 corn tortillas (6 inches across)

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 425°. In a medium pot, boil stock, chicken, jalapeño and garlic 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Strain chicken, run cold water over it and shred into a bowl. Mix in salsa and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine cheddar, 1/4 cup Monterey Jack, cilantro and olives; set aside. In a large pot over medium heat, combine enchilada sauces and add Mexican hot sauce and cayenne to taste. Stir until simmering. Set aside. Coat an 11" x 13" casserole pan with nonstick spray. Microwave tortillas 20 seconds. Place small handfuls of cheese mixture and chicken in center of each tortilla, roll up and place in pan, seam side down. Sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture. Ladle on sauce, then add remaining 1/4 cup Monterey Jack. Bake 20 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce on the side.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

My sister Wendy helped make these cookies! She wanted the recipe so here we go! Not mentioned are our special additions of quick oats (Bobs Red Mill) and chopped candied pecans (Trader Joes). Maybe 1/2 cup each. Recipe from Baker’s Illustrated. 

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm

1 cup packed (7 ounces) light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup (3½ ounces) granulated sugar

1 large egg plus I egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or paste- Trader Joe’s)

1 - 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and

lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325

degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment

paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt

baking

together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix

the butter

and sugars until thoroughly blended.

Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just

until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.

4. Roll a scant ¼ cup of the dough into a ball.

Following the illustrations on page 433, hold the

dough ball with the fingertips

of both hands and

pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90

degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join

the halves together at their base, again forming a

single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough's

uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on

the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spac-

ing them 2½ inches apart.

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown

and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers

are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating

the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom

halfway through the baking time. Cool the cook-

is on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from

the baking sheets with a wide metal spatula.

Apple Cake

 FRESH APPLE CAKE

---

1 (2 layer) size box Duncan Hines spice cake mix
3 eggs
3/4 c. milk or water
1/4 c. oil
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
3 c. peeled, chopped apples
1 c. nut meats: hickory nuts, pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13"x9"x2" or 2 (9") round cake pans or Bundt pan. Combine mix, eggs, milk or water, oil, cinnamon and nutmeg in large mixer bowl. Mix 2 minutes on medium speed until well mixed. Dredge the apples and nuts with flour. Gently stir in apples and nuts. Bake 60 minutes or until cake tests done.

Frost with Caramel Frosting, your choice or if baked in 13"x9"x2" pan, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Zucchini, Rice and Cheese Gratin

 From Smitten Kitchen

• Butter for dish
• 2 1/2 pounds (about 1 1/8 kg) zucchini
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (I use Diamond brand, use 1 1/2 of other brands)
• 1/2 cup (90 grams) plain, uncooked white rice
• 1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup)
• 5 tablespoons (75 ml) olive oil, divided
• 2 large cloves garlic, mashed or finely minced
• 2 tablespoons (15 grams) all-purpose flour (optional)
• 1/2 cup milk, as needed, although water or broth of your choice would work just fine [1/2 cup needed for streamlined directions, less for original]
• 2/3 cup (55 grams) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Oil or butter a 2-quart baking dish, or 2 smaller 1-quart dishes (as I did, with the intention of freezing one).

Prepare zucchini: Wash zucchini and trim ends. Halve lengthwise, and if seeds are particularly large, core them out. Coarsely grate and place in a large bowl.

Prepare remaining ingredients: In a large frying pan, cook the onions slowly in 3 tablespoons oil for 8 to 10 minutes until tender and translucent. Raise heat slightly and stir several minutes until very lightly browned. Stir in garlic and cook another minute. Add uncooked rice and sauté for another two minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Assemble gratin: Transfer to bowl with zucchini and stir together with 1/2 cup liquid of your choice and all but 2 tablespoons cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Transfer to prepared baking dish.

Bake gratin: Cover tightly with foil and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until rice within is cooked but not mush. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Remove foil, drizzle top with remaining olive oil (or dot with butter), sprinkle on remaining cheese and bake uncovered until browned and crisp on top, about another 10 to 15 minutes. For extra color, you can run it under the broiler for one minute at the end.

Cowboy Cookies

Great recipe! Be sure to use “rounded teaspoons” when scooping out the dough. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup butter, softened 
• 1 cup white sugar 
• 1 cup packed brown sugar 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 2 cups rolled oats 
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheets. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

• Step 2

  In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients. Stir in the rolled oats and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.

• Step 3

  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing.