Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocoate Chunk cookies

from oceanspray.com

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

mac n cheese - pioneer woman

Ingredients

• 4 cups Dried Macaroni
• 1 whole Egg Beaten
• 1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2-1/2 cups Whole Milk
• 2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
• 1 pound Cheese, Grated
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Preparation Instructions

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

chili's enchalada soup

Chili's Grill and Bar Chicken Enchilada Soup

1/2 C. vegetable oil
1/4 C. chicken base
3 C. diced yellow onions
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. chili powder
2 t. granulated garlic
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
2 C. masa harina
4 quarts water (divided)
2 C. crushed tomatoes
1/2 lb. process American cheese, cut into small cubes
3 lbs. cooked, cubed chicken

In large pot, place oil, chicken base, onion and spices. Saute until onions are soft and clear, about 5 minutes.

In another container, combine masa harina with 1 quart water. Stir until all lumps dissolve. Add to sautéed onions; bring to boil.

Once mixture starts to bubble, continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. This will eliminate any raw taste from masa harina.

Add remaining 3 quarts water to pot. Add tomatoes; let mixture return to boil, stirring occasionally.

Add cheese to soup. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese melts. Add chicken; heat through.

Makes 1 1/2 gallons or 16 to 20 main-dish servings.

chipotle pork

Chipotle Pork Tacos

from Our Best Bites by sara

8 people liked this

It’s April 1st! How the heck is it already April? Someone answer me that. It can’t be April. My life is so hectic that this month completely sneaked up on me. I actually love April though. I’m having a birthday this month (Woo hoo! You’re probably all wondering what to send me. Don’t worry, I’ll post a list.) I also have a kiddo turning the big 0-3 this month. And my 7th wedding anniversary is this month. See? Fun times. I’m predicting lots of dessert in the next 30 days.

If your life is as crazy as mine and you don’t even know what month it is- then you’ll love this quick and easy dinner. It comes from this month’s issue of Cooking Light (page 74 if you want to get particular) and although I did make some changes, the bones remain the same. I was surprised at how much flavor was packed in with very few ingredients. Try it out!

You’ll need some thinly sliced pork. The original recipes calls for pounding a pork tenderloin with a meat mallet until it’s thin. I took a much easier route and just sliced it thin :) And I didn’t even use a tenderloin- I had a pork sirloin roast in my freezer so I defrosted it it almost all the way (it’s easier to slice when it’s just barely frozen) and then sliced it up thin.

The easy marinade comes together really quick. And this is a recipe that you don’t have to marinade for hours on end. It really just sits while you’re prepping everything else, however- if you have the time, go ahead and make it early. I prepped the pork during afternoon nap time (not my nap time, oh how I wish!) so it was all ready to go at dinner time.

Here’s something I always keep in my fridge: bottled minced garlic. I usually have bottled minced ginger too. Generally speaking, in most cases fresh garlic is best- but there are exceptions, and something like this, that cooks so fast, is one of them.

Plus it’s also just a great time-saver, and also good for emergencies when you find yourself out of the fresh stuff. One of my favorite things is that garlicky juice that’s in there, it adds tons of flavor.

Also going into the mix is lime zest- again, adds tons of flavor. Use a microplane grater, or a regular fine-hole cheese grater and then dice it up with a knife so it’s nice and fine.

Also needed is a tiny bit of brown sugar (I even used brown sugar Splenda because it’s all I had) and oregano. Use fresh oregano if you have it, and dried if you don’t. I was starting to sprinkle in dry oregano when I looked out my window at my totally dead and frozen garden and noticed little green speckles. I ran out there and what do you know- my oregano is popping up again! Nice timing oregano.

Lastly- these can’t be called chipotle pork tacos without the chipotle! I started writing a bunch of info about chipotles and decided it would be much better in its very own post. So read this! You will find canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the Latin isle of the grocery store. There is also Chipotle powder, which we use a lot, but I do think that the actual stuff is better in this recipe. They’re smoky and spicy and wonderful. If you’re like me and can’t handle much heat, either use just a bit, or avoid the peppers all together and add the sauce, which tastes amazing. I actually used a couple tablespoons of adobo sauce (maybe 1 1/2 Tbs?) and no actual peppers. It was mild enough that my little toddlers gobbled it right up. Not much heat at all. Mix that all up and either let it sit there, or pop it in a ziplock bag in the fridge for later.

Heat up a skillet with a bit of olive oil and saute some red onions (original recipe calls for shallots and non-stick spray- onions work great!)

It only takes few minutes for them to get tender. We’re not caramelizing here.

Take those onions out and toss in the pork mixture. It should be sliced thin so it only takes a few minutes to cook.

While that’s sitting there staying warm, get your tortillas ready. I found a new tortilla that I love. Well they’re not “new,” just new to me. I spotted them at my local Albertsons. When it comes to corn tortillas I like white better than yellow. But I feel like it’s sort of hit or miss with which ones I buy. I like the flavor, but I hate how they can be tricky to work with (ie cracking) and sometimes they can be flavorless and kind of…chewy? Not sure what the word is! Anyway- I really like these ones by La Tortilla Factory. It says it’s a “unique blend of corn and wheat” and it sort of tastes like a hybrid to me. They’re soft and they bend and roll easily (I’m seeing taquitos in my future) and I really liked the flavor. Sort of like a blend between a flour and corn tortilla. Anyway, there’s my voluntary infomercial for the day. I think they should send me a pallet of tortillas or something…

Here’s a quick tip- toss your tortillas on a warm grill! You get a little bit of a smoky char, and they get nice and toasty. An indoor grill pan would work too. Whatever you do, do something. I don’t really ever eat tortillas straight out of the bag. You can heat them in a dry skillet, or my fave- a hot skillet with just a bit of non-stick spray, or at the very least warm them up in the microwave so they’re soft.

Weird, it totally looks like that one is on fire. I swear it’s not!

Toss the onions into the pork mixture and serve in tortillas. I served it with this Lime-Cilantro Rice (pretty much my most favorite rice side dish ever). It would be great with or without the pineapple in the rice. We put the rice into the tortillas with the pork mixture and thought the sweetness of the pineapple in there was perfect with the brown sugar in the pork, and also the smoky flavor of the chipotle. It all went together really well. You could serve it on the side too. And don’t forget a dallop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro!

Quick, easy, and delish!

Print This!

Chipotle Pork Tacos

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, April 2011

1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced thin

1 ½ tsp grated lime zest

1 Tbs fresh lime juice

2 tsp minced fresh oregano, or a heaping ½ tsp dry

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (use the peppers for heat and the adobo sauce for a mild smoky bite. I used 1 1/2 Tbs of sauce and no peppers and it was hardly spicy at all.)

2 tsp bottled minced garlic

¼ tsp kosher salt

3 tsp olive oil, divided

1 C thinly sliced shallots, or onions

8 (6 inch) corn tortillas

Sour cream

Chopped cilantro

Recommended: Lime-Cilantro Rice

Combine thinly sliced pork, lime zest, lime juice, oregano, brown sugar, chipotles, garlic, and salt. Set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp olive oil. Add onions and sauté for 4 minutes or until tender. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 2 tsp olive oil to pan and add pork mixture. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink. Add pork to onions. Warm tortillas on a hot grill and fill with pork mixture. Top with sour cream and cilantro. Serves 4.

Lastly- we’ll be in Salt Lake City again this weekend! You can find us at the Bountiful Deseret Book on Saturday from 12-1:30, and then we’ll be at the down town store from 6-8 for Ladies Night! Come see us, we’d love to say hello!

strawberry limeade

Fresh Strawberry Limeade

from Our Best Bites by Kate @ Our Best Bites

18 people liked this

That’s right. Your eyes are not deceiving you. The word “strawberry” is in the title. Sorry, guys. I may have some kind of sick obsession. No, really, I was planning on posting a Jamaican Jerk pork tenderloin today, but in the last few days, my children have each had sinus infections, double ear infections, and pinkeye. I’m woefully behind on laundry because I did something stupid I got a puppy. And she’s really cute even if her breath smells like she ate her own poo (because, let’s face it, she probably did). And then, on this day of days when I was going to make my Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin and catch up on laundry and participate in a fun-yet-enriching activity with my children, I woke up with a burning sore throat. A throbbing head. A stupid fever. Pain in my ears. And I kid you not, the pharmacy was out of antibiotics. So instead of nipping things in the bud like I had planned, things got really bad by the time we found a pharmacy with Z Packs and by the time my husband could go get it for me. My kids screamed at each other in the tub for an hour while I lay on the floor outside the bathroom and willed my fairy godmother to come put them to bed for me (because my husband was tracking down my antibiotics before the pharmacy closed, not because he’s a big jerk). I got good and drugged up and now you get to see what I drink (besides NyQuil) when I’m sick. And hey, let’s face it, when I’m not sick, too (the limeade, not the NyQuil).

You’ll need Strawberry Sauce (make it with vanilla), fresh limes, lots of ice, and Sprite. I told you this was rocket science. But I just found a ticket stub from Tron, which I saw in January, in pants that have no pockets, in pants that I didn’t even have in January. So this is the kind of crazy we’re dealing with. I don’t think I’m capable of anything more than this tonight.

Fill the cup with ice. Squeeze the juice of one lime over the ice.

This is where it gets hard. Fill the glass halfway full with Sprite.

Then add about 3-4 tablespoons of strawberry sauce. This will largely be to taste and also how frothy your strawberry sauce is (the frothier it is, the more you’ll need).

Fill the glass to the top with Sprite. Stir it up with a straw (or don’t if you like the pretty red swirls). Add another lime slice or two and enjoy!Please don’t judge me. :)

Print This!

Fresh Strawberry Limeade
Recipe (can you even call this a recipe??) by Our Best Bites

1 tall glass
Lots of ice
Sprite (or Diet Sprite…or Ginger Ale if you’re feeling wild)
1 1/2 limes
3-4 tablespoons Strawberry Sauce

Fill a glass with ice. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the glass over the ice. Fill the glass about halfway with Sprite. Add 3-4 tablespoons of strawberry sauce. Top the glass off with Sprite and add more strawberry sauce if desired. Garnish with lime wedges (which you can also squeeze into the glass before drinking. Definitely best when served with a straw.

slow cooker tex mex chicken and beans

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 jar (11 ounces) mild or medium salsa (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream, for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Directions

1. In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together beans, salsa, chiles, flour, and 1 cup water. Season chicken with salt and pepper; arrange on top of bean mixture. Scatter onion and bell pepper on top of chicken.

2. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. (Do not open lid or stir.)

3. Remove chicken from stew; shred into large pieces and return to stew. Serve topped with sour cream and cilantro.

Variations

Oven method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Follow step 1, using a 5-quart Dutch oven or large pot, substituting 2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed, for dried beans, and increasing water to 2 cups. Cover pot and bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Transfer to oven, and cook until chicken is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Proceed with step 3.

slow cooker chil chicken tacos

marthastewart.com

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6)
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup prepared tomato salsa, plus more for serving (optional)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 8 hard corn taco shells
• Cilantro, shredded cheese, lime wedges, and sour cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. In slow cooker, combine chicken, garlic, salsa, chiles, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper. Cover; cook on high, 4 hours (or on low, 8 hours).

2. Transfer chicken to a serving bowl, and shred, using two forks; moisten with cooking juices. Serve in taco shells, with toppings, if desired.

Cook's Note

Oven method: preheat oven to 350 degrees. In step 1, use a 5-quart Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid; add 2 cups water. Cover; bake until chicken is fork-tender, about 2 hours. Proceed with step 2.

slow-cooker sweet and sour country ribs

marthastewart.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 pounds country-style pork ribs, separated into single ribs
• Barbecue sauce, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. In slow cooker, whisk together ketchup, sugar, vinegar, mustard powder, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

2. Add ribs to slow cooker, and toss with sauce. Arrange ribs, bone side up, in a single row. Cover; cook on high, 6 hours (or on low, 10 hours).

3. Serve ribs drizzled with pan juices and, if desired, barbecue sauce.

Cook's Note

Oven method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In step 1, use a 5-quart Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid; add 1 cup water. Cover; bake until ribs are tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Proceed with step 3.

homemade fruit rollups

These are great after school snacks that you can make a large batch to last for awhile. Since there is a technique to these, that is why the sugar has stayed in the recipe. I have yet to try them with any of the sweeteners.

1 1/4 pounds of chopped fruit ( see suggestions below)

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tabls. of Lemon juice

wax paper

foil

baking sheet with a rim

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Combine the fruit , lemon juice and sugar in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Transfer the pureed fruit to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Reduce to low heat and cook, occasionally stirring until most of the liquid evaporates and the mix is very thick. This may take 35-40 mins.

Line a 12 x 17 inch baking sheet with rims with nonstick foil or a silicone mat. Use a spatula to spread the mix on the foil in to a thin layer. Bake until barely sticky…. about 3 hrs.

Let baking sheet almost cool completely and peel off of the foil. The side that was down will be moist. Lay the moist side up and on baking sheet and return to oven for about 20 mins or until dry.

Lay the smoother side down on a sheet of wax paper and use kitchen scissors/shears to cut it into strips on the paper. Then roll the strips and store in a zip lock bag.

Suggestions for fruit:

Apples: 3 large Fuji, Gala or Granny Smith apples- peeled and chopped

Raspberry: 5 cups

Grapes: 3 1/2 cups of Concord grapes

Banana: 5 medium, peeled

Strawberry: 4 cups, chopped and hulled

Mango: 2 large, peeled and chopped.

4th of july popcorn

Red, White and Blue Candied Popcorn

from The Idea Room by Amy

I have one last festive recipe for your Fourth of July or Canada Day festivities (Happy Cananda Day today!!)…Red, White and Blue Candied Popcorn (or Red and White for you Canadians)! Super easy and delicious and a fun way to celebrate your Nation.

Here is the recipe from Cooks.com.

Candied Popcorn

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup water

1 tsp. vanilla

6 cup popcorn (popped)

Few drops of food coloring (optional)

Boil sugar, salt and water to 235 degrees (soft ball stage). Remove from heat.

Add vanilla. Pour over popped popcorn and stir until glaze sugars.

Pour candy over popcorn that has been placed in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Mix the candy over the popcorn so that it is evenly spread out. Let cool and serve.

I made two batches so that I could share it with a lot of my friends and family. One batch red and one batch blue. Then I just intermixed some regular popcorn pieces into the red and blue mixture to make it red, white and blue.

Package it up cute or serve it in a big bowl for everyone to share.

Hope you have some fun holiday plans! We are spending our holiday with my husband’s family! We have a lot of fun things scheduled. Hope all of you stay safe and have a great holiday weekend!

Chicken Tomatillo Tostadas

Marthastewart.com

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable oil, for frying
6 to 12 small corn tortillas
Tomatillo Chicken*
Cabbage-Pepper Slaw**
Refried Black Beans***
Sour cream, for serving
Cilantro leaves, for serving
Cherry tomatoes, quartered, for serving
Grated queso fresco, for serving
Grated Monterey Jack cheese, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Add tortillas to skillet, one at a time, and fry, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

To serve, layer tostadas with chicken, slaw, and black beans. Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, tomatoes, queso fresco, and cheese. Serve with lime wedges.

*Tomatillo Chicken

ngredients

4 bone-in skin-on chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds tomatillos
2 serrano chiles
1/2 head garlic, unpeeled, cloves separated
1 large onion, quartered
2 small poblano peppers
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Juice of 2 limes, plus more if desired
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chicken breast, skin side up, on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Transfer to oven and bake for 40 minutes. (Chicken may not be cooked through.)

Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle. Using your fingers or a fork, remove meat from bones and shred into large pieces; set meat aside, discarding bones.

Preheat broiler. Place tomatillos on a rimmed baking sheet. Place chiles, garlic, onion, and poblano peppers on another rimmed baking sheet. Transfer both baking sheets (one at a time, if necessary) to broiler and broil, turning once, until vegetables are charred and softened, about 10 minutes.

Transfer poblanos to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Let remaining vegetables cool slightly and peel garlic. Uncover poblanos and, using a paper towel, remove skins. Remove seeds and stems and coarsely chop. Transfer chopped poblanos to the jar of a blender along with tomatillos, chiles, garlic, onion, cilantro, cumin, and lime juice; blend until slightly smooth but a few chunks remain and season with salt and pepper.

Transfer pureed tomatillo mixture to a large saucepan and add reserved chicken; place over medium heat and simmer until chicken is no longer pink and completely warmed through. Season with salt and pepper and add more lime juice, if desired. Keep warm until ready to use.

**Cabbage Pepper Slaw

Ingredients

2 oranges
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 head red cabbage, thinly sliced on a mandoline
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, ribs removed, and julienned
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Slice the top and bottom of both oranges with a paring knife. Set one of the flat sides on your work surface. From top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit, cut away peel and white pith. Trim off any remaining pith. Holding the orange over a bowl, cut along both sides of each segment, staying close to the membrane, to release. Repeat process with remaining orange; set segments aside.

In a large bowl whisk together vinegar and sugar until well combined. Slowly whisk in vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Add cabbage, pepper, orange segments, and cilantro; toss to coat. Keep slaw refrigerated until ready to use, up to 2 hours.

***Refried Black Beans

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions, very finely chopped
1 dried bay leaf
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder; cook, stirring, until garlic is softened and mixture is fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and discard. Add 2/3 of the black beans and stir to coat. Add 2/3 cup water and mash mixture using a potato masher. Add remaining black beans and stir to combine; add water, if necessary to thin. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm until ready to use.

caramel and chocolate drizzle chex mix

Caramel and Chocolate Drizzle Chex Mix

I'm a fan of food. Before my first semester of college, I experimented with baking and tried out some new things. One of those new things was homemade Caramel and Chocolate Drizzle Chex Mix (yes, I did just make that name up.) It's one of the recipes I've since repeated and still enjoy. I followed their recipe just for the caramel part and added in the chocolatey goodness.

Ingredients:
8 cups of Chex
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter or margarine (but we all know butter tastes better)
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Chocolate, however much and whatever kind is up to you but you can start with 1/4 of a cup

*You should have a cookie sheet lined with wax paper set aside along with the 8 cups of Chex in a microwaveable bowl.

Here's how we make the deliciousness! In a 2-cup microwaveable measuring cup (or a bowl), microwave brown sugar, butter and corn syrup uncovered on high for 1-2 minutes. Stir after every 1 minute, until melted and smooth. Stir in baking soda until dissolved. Pour over cereal and stir. This is sticky and won't cover everything but don't worry! Take the bowl of coated cereal and microwave on high for 3 minutes, also stirring after every 1 minute. I found that using 2 wooden spoons, greased, helped mix everything and reduced spilling. Now spread the evenly coated Chex onto the cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Spread out the pieces to avoid large clumps. Break apart any large clumps.

In a small microwaveable bowl, heat the chocolate. Either dip the pieces in or drizzle over cereal with a spoon. Let everything set and cool. Then, enjoy!

(This is dipped instead of drizzle)

Raisin Bran Muffins

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups Kellogg's Raisin Bran® cereal
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil or shortening

Directions

1. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Set aside.

2. Measure KELLOGG'S Raisin Bran and milk into mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes or until cereal softens. Add egg and vegetable oil. Beat well.

3. Add flour mixture to cereal mixture, stirring only until combined. Portion batter evenly into twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin pan cups coated with cooking spray.

4. Bake at 400° F for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

ginger snap cookies

It's a GingerSnap Night!

from The CrEaTiVe CraTe by Stacie

streusel-topped blueberry muffins

Streusel-Topped Blueberry Muffins

Recipe from Our Best Bites

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. table salt
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. grated orange or lemon peel
1 large egg
3/4 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. canola oil
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. sugar

Streusel Topping
1/4 c. sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spoon the flour into measuring cups and level ith with a knife and combine it in a large bowl with the baking powder, salt, sugar, and citrus peel. Make a well in the center of the mixture. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and oil. Add to the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining flour and sugar and then toss the blueberries in this mixture until they are well-coated. Gently fold the blueberry mixture into the batter. Spoon the batter into lined muffin tins, filling 2/3 full.

To make the streusel topping, combine the 1/4 c. sugar, 2 1/2 Tbsp. flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two butter knives until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over the batter and bake for 18 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Makes 12 muffins.

This was printed from: Our Best Bites
The site URL: http://www.ourbestbites.com
The Title: Streusel-Topped Blueberry Muffins
The URL: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/02/streusel-topped-blueberry-muffins/

chocolate crinkle cookies

Chocolate Crackles

from bakerella.com by bakerella

25 people liked this

I’ve been eyeballing these cookies since I first saw a recipe for them in a special Martha Stewart holiday cookie magazine printed back in 2006 and again in her Cookies Cookbook. Every time I’ve looked through my magazine, these Chocolate Crackles have always leapt off the page and said make me. Make Me. MAKE. ME.

But I didn’t listen until now. I don’t know why it took me so long, but man, I’m glad I finally did.

They are yummy and soft and just plain pretty. But mostly yummy. Oh and chocolatey of course. Very, very chocolatey.

So really that’s all you need to know, right?

Start out with 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate. Oh yeah.

Melt the chocolate in a saucepan over another pot of simmering water. Then set aside to let cool.

I transferred it to a heatproof plastic bowl so it could cool a bit more quickly.

And yes, I tested the temp with my finger. And maybe more than once. : )

While the chocolate cools, mix together the flour, cocoa baking powder and salt…

… until it’s all combined and beautiful.

Set aside and beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs. Mix in vanilla.

And then add the melted chocolate.

Add half the flour mixture, some milk and the rest of the flour mixture.

Don’t worry. I’m going to give you a link to the recipe.

Right now. And again at the end, too.

Anyway.

Once it’s all mixed together, divide the cookie dough into four equal parts. Wrap each part in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until firm.

Now, my cookie dough seemed much more like thick cookie batter, so I also placed it in the freezer to get it a little firmer.

When ready to use, unwrap one section at a time.

I divided it into 12 pieces with a knife because I found that if I handled it too much, the “dough” was starting to melt from the body temperature of my hands.

But dividing it this way ended up working out pretty good.

Grab one of the small pieces of dough and quickly roll into a 1 inch ball. Every few you roll, rinse and dry your hands to avoid them sticking to your hands too much.

Roll it in granulated sugar and then roll it in powdered sugar and place on a baking sheet.

Like so.

Here’s the different stages for reference.

P.S. The recipe link only mentions using one of the sugars, but the one in my magazine calls for both. So I’d do it that way.

Wow. It was tempting to just leave them like this.

But then I wouldn’t get to see them do this after they baked.

They are just so pretty.

And so so good.

Martha Stewart’s Chocolate Crackles

I love trying new things and then crossing them off my “to bake” list.

How about you? What was the last new thing you baked?

kristi approved choc chip cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Kristi Approved by Team LIVE THE LIFE

Another delicious dessert recipe without the added guilt! Super easy and super yummy. Perfect for those holiday parties.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 TB protein powder
1 TB brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
6 TB no sugar added applesauce
1/4 cup plain canned pumpkin
3 egg whites
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 full liquid droppers zero cal-carb sweetener of choice
50 sweetened carob chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. In a large mixing bowl, sift all dry ingredients except for carob chips.


3. In a medium mixing bowl, stir all wet ingredients together.

4. Combine all wet and dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Stir to desired texure. Fold in Carob chips.


5. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Spoon batter into 10 evenly spaced circles on baking sheet.

6. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until edges are crisped.

Makes 10 servings.

Per serving:

Cals: 50

Car: 9

Fat: 1

Pro: 3

smore hot chocolate

S'mores Hot Chocolate

from Our Best Bites by Sara @ Our Best Bites

2 people liked this

I know. I have issues. A slight addiction to warm chocolaty drinks. I just posted some of my favorite specialty flavors, but this one needed its own post! If you're in the SLC area, you can tune into KSL's Studio 5 this morning and watch me whip this up live. Cross your fingers I don't burn myself or over-do the marshmallows and catch the studio on fire. Not that that would be anything like me...

This drink has all the elements of the toasty fire-side (or oven-side) treat, but in a drinkable form! It's out of this world. Try it in mini-cups for an after-dinner treat or a big ol' mug after playing outside in the cold.

First up, the graham crackers! How do you include graham crackers in a beverage? First dip the rim of your mug in melted butter. I use salted butter because I like how the salt cuts the sweetness of the drink. Then dip the mug in crushed graham crackers.

Gorgeous, right? Next, the chocolate. I'm using a classic Hershey's bar, but you can use any chocolate you like. I personally like using the dark Hershey's bar, cuz that's just how I roll....

Break up those chunks and put them right in your mugs

Now to make the chocolate into hot chocolate, just pour in hot milk. I always use whole milk when I do special drinks like this because, well, it tastes good. And it's kind of naughty. And I'm always secretly jealous of my babies when they get to drink whole milk every day.

Use a pitcher with a good spout on it so you don't mess up your pretty cracker rim. Just pour, don't stir. It's doing magical things in there.

Leave those mugs there and prepare the marshmallows. You can't have a s'more without a toasty marshmallow, right?

Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. You don't have to line your baking sheet, but it helps in the case you have any marshmallow goo. You shouldn't end up with marshmallow goo, but I'm just sayin...

Place them under a broiler on low heat and sit there and stare at them. Really, don't go anywhere, just stare. I don't care if it makes them feel awkward, you'll be happy you did when you don't start a kitchen fire.

When the marshmallows are done, carefully stir up your hot chocolate. I like to partially stir so I still have some chocolate goo at the bottom to eat. Just like a real s'more.

Top each mug with a couple of marshmallows, and drizzle with chocolate sauce for pizazz. Yes, I just said pizazz.

These are suuuper cute and delicious in mini mugs as well. Bring a tray out after dinner, or for a party and your guests will literally fall at your feet. Tell them to get up and try your amazing hot chocolate.

One other thing I will mention is that this syrup is amazing. I haven't seen it in stores, I've just had it at the coffee shop in my hot chocolate, but if you're a fan you could order some, it's amazing!

S'mores Hot Chocolate

Recipe by Our Best Bites

serves 4

4 cups whole milk

2, 4oz Hershey’s chocolate bars

2 Tbs butter, melted

2 graham crackers, crushed

8 large marshmallows

Chocolate syrup

4 mugs or 8 espresso sized mugs

Place melted butter in a small, shallowdish that’s as large around as your mug. Place crushed graham crackers in another dish of the same size. Flip your mugs upside-down and dip the rimfirst in melted butter and then in the crushed graham crackers. Break the chocolate into pieces and place onehalf bar in each mug. Heat milk to asimmer and then pour one cup into each mug over the chocolate. Set aside.

Place marshmallows on a parchment linedbaking sheet. Place under the broiler inthe oven on low heat. Watch constantlyand remove from oven when toasted and browned.

Stir hot milk mixture to distributemelted chocolate. Top each mug with 2toasted marshmallows and drizzle with chocolate syrup.