Pioneer Woman Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies (Pioneer Woman)

 

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 sticks Butter, Softened
• 2 cups Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups Flour
• 3/4 cups Cocoa Powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1-1/2 cup Good Quality Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
• 2 cups Good Quality White Chocolate Chips

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, scraping the sides once.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix in vanilla.
Sift together dry ingredients, then add in batches to the mixer, mixing until just combined after each addition.
Gently blend in chocolate chips and white chocolate chips.
Using a cookie scoop, add 1 tablespoon portions to baking sheet. Dot the top of each cookie with 3 white chocolate chips if you'd like them to really show up on top. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until cookies are barely done but still soft and chewy.
Let cool on a baking rack. Yummy

Cinnamon Swirl Buns with Cream Cheese Glaze

Cinnamon Swirl Buns with Cream Cheese Glaze

Adapted from Molly Wizenberg’s recipe in Bon Appetit, March 2008

Makes 18 buns. Note I did not say “servings”. That’s between you and your buns.

Dough
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise or instant yeast (from 1 envelope yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Filling
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Pinch of salt

Glaze
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For dough: Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120°F to 130°F, about 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add additional 2 1/2 cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. (You may also use a KitchenAid’s dough hook for this process.) Form into ball.
Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

For filling: Mix brown sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt in medium bowl.
Press down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15×11-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle cinnamon mixture evenly over butter. Starting at the longer side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, trim ends straight if they are uneven (we baked them in a ramekin, incapable of discarding such deliciousness) cut remaining dough crosswise with thin sharp knife (a good serrated worked well here) into 18 equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide).
Spray two 9-inch square glass baking dishes (an 8-inch square metal pan worked just fine, too) with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes, though yours, like mine, may take longer. Don’t skimp on the double-rising time.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack. Cool 10 minutes. Turn rolls right side up.

For glaze: Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: These buns were best the day they were baked. The second day, they were on the tough side. If you anticipate wanting them over a few days, glaze them to order, heating the buns beforehand to soften them up.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/04/cinnamon-swirl-buns-so-much-news/

Butterfinger Ice Cream

Because I love y'all!!

Ingredients:
2.5 cups Half and Half
8 egg yolks
1 cup Sugar
2.5 cups Whipping Cream
4 tsp Vanilla
1/8 tsp Salt
5-6 Butterfingers

Directions:
-In medium sauce pan (3qt), over medium heat, heat the half and half until it's very hot but not boiling. Stir often! Remove from heat and set aside.

-Whisk on speed 2 yolks and sugar for about 30 seconds. Should be well blended and slightly thickened.
-Gradually add half and half while continuing to whisk until well blended.
-Put this mix back in the saucepan and heat on medium heat, stirring constantly, until it steams and small bubbles form at the edge. Do not let it boil.

-Transfer the mix to a large bowl and add the whipping cream, vanilla, and salt.
-Cover and chill at least 8 hours (Don't have 8 hours? Put this bowl in a larger bowl that is packed with ice water and stir continually for 15 minutes)

-Put the Butterfingers in a ziploc and pound them with a meat tenderizer until they are in pea sized chunks.
-Refrigerate these for a little while just to keep them from melting ice cream when stirred in.

-This is where you put it in your ice cream maker
-I stirred it in my ice cream maker for 20 minutes, adding the butterfingers in the last 2 minutes
-It should be soft serve texture at this point, freeze for 1-3 hours to get that harder ice cream texture

Roasted New Potatoes

Roasted New Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 lb. New Potatoes (or however many you want)

2 Tbs. Olive Oil

Large Spoonful - Minced Garlic with juices

3-4 Tbs. Butter

Salt and Pepper

Paprika

Directions:

Half or Quarter New Potatoes unless they are small

Lightly toss/drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and then drizzle the minced garlic over the potatoes

Bake the potatoes, 450 degrees, until tender 20-30 minutes (or however long depending on how many potatoes)

While they are hot (straight out of the oven), toss the potatoes with butter then toss again with salt, pepper, and paprika. 

Make sure to taste one because after my first go round there was not enough salt. Don't feel the need to stick to intensely to the measurements of the directions, I used approximately these but you can alter according to preference and taste. 

Enjoy!

Black Eyed Pea Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 green bell pepper
1/2 of an onion
1 can black eyed peas
1 can diced tomatoes (can use rotel or italian seasoned or plain)
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup bisquick

1. Preheat oven to 375 and grease baking dish.
2. Brown ground beef with chopped bell pepper and onion. Drain.
3. Add in peas(drain and rinse), tomatoes(whole can-don't drain), and spices. Mix. Simmer for 5 minutes or so.
4. While it is simmering, mix up milk, cornmeal and bisquick.
5. Pour beef/pea/tomato/spice mixture into pan. Top with milk/cornmeal/bisquick mixture.
6. Bake for 35 minutes or until top is nice and brown.
7. Yum!

Chicken Pasta Salad

This is a super easy pasta salad recipe from Street Reach Ministries.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb cooked chicken, chopped
4-6 cups cooked pasta
1 cup Good Seasons Italian dressing
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
8 oz feta cheese
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400. Season chicken with salt, pepper and basil. Cook for 30 minutes. Boil pasta. Drain and rinse with cold water. Mix Good Seasons Italian dressing per package instructions. Chop basil. Mix all ingredients and chill for 2 hours. Serves 8-10 people.

OPTIONS

You can also replace the chicken with pepperoni, replace the feta cheese with mozzarella cheese, or add broccoli to make it a little more kid friendly.

Pork Tenderloin (Crockpot)

Note: It is easy to 1/2 this recipe and it is incredibly tasty!

Ingredients:
2lbs. Pork Tenderloin
salt and pepper
1 small Garlic Clove (or 1/4 tsp Minced Garlic - but who can get too much garlic right?)
2 Tbs Dijon Mustard
2 Tbs Honey
2 Tbs Brown Sugar
1 Tbs Lemon Juice or Vinegar (white)
1/2 tsp Thyme (minced is fine)
1 Tbs Cornstarch
1 Tbs Cold Water

Directions:
1. Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper (I like a healthy amount, but you should still be able to see the meat, so it's not a crust by any means. It is, in fact, a sprinkle.)
2. Place the meat in the slow cooker
3. In a separate bowl combine garlic, mustard, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, and thyme
4. Pour this mixture over the meat
5. Turn the meat several times to coat it in the mixture
6. Cook in your crockpot on low 7-9 hours or high 3.5-4.5 hours (On low for 8 hours was the best one I thought, but do as time permits)
7. Remove the pork and cover it with foil
8. Pour juices in a sauce pan and boil over medium heat
9. Simmer 8-10 minutes until reduced 1/3rd
10. In a separate bowl, combine Cornstarch and cold water, then whisk these into the juices and cook 1 minute

Serve pork sliced with the juices on top! Yumm!