Brown Sugar glazed pork

This is one of my favorite dinner recipes, it's so easy and so delicious!
I have made it several times, I usually side it with some mashed sweet potatoes, and steamed broccoli!
Enjoy! :)



Ingredients:
3 fresh garlic cloves
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb)
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup red wine

Steps
1. Crush garlic, using garlic press, into medium bowl. Use knife to remove garlic from bottom of press. Stir in brown sugar and steak seasoning until well blended.
2. Preheat large sauté pan on medium 2–3 minutes. Cut pork diagonally into about eight 1-inch-thick slices. Place pork slices in bowl and press into mixture. Turn and press again to lightly season both sides (wash hands).
3. Place 1 tablespoon of the butter in pan; swirl to coat. Add pork (wash hands); cook 5–6 minutes on each side or until well browned and internal temperature reaches 160°F (for medium). Use a meat thermometer to accurately ensure doneness.
4. Remove pork from pan. Stir in wine and remaining 1 tablespoon butter; simmer 1 minute, stirring continually. Serve wine sauce with pork.
CALORIES (per 1/4 recipe) 230kcal; FAT 9g; CHOL 90mg;
SODIUM 440mg; CARB 8g; FIBER 0g; PROTEIN 24g;
VIT A 4%; VIT C 2%; CALC 2%; IRON 8%
Picture provided by apron'srecipes.com

Cake Pops

Sorry about the whole "No post" thing that has been going on! :(
Life has been incredibly busy lately!
Well, I have just finished up a batch of cake pops! I did bakerella's cake pop christmas trees! They are so cute; if I do say so myself! They taste great too! ( how could you go wrong with cake, icing, and candy melts?) YUM! :)
I have been to lazy to take a picture though, follow the link to bakerella for the recipe, how to, and pictures! :)
http://www.bakerella.com/its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-christmas/

I will follow up with some more recipes soon!

Sarah Lael Davis :)

Mixed berry crumble.

This recipe was awesome! I will definitely make it again! =D

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups Rolled Oats
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 cups frozen berries (used mixed or any of your favorites)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, oats, Earth Balance, and brown sugar until combined. In a 8” or 9” baking dish, lay in frozen berries. Crumble flour oat topping over the berries to cover. Place a piece of aluminum foil under the pie dish to catch any spills. Bake for 65 minutes. Serve warm garnished with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

*can make in individual ramekins if preferred.

German Potato Salad

Happy Labor day, everyone! :) I am having a good day, and I can't wait for dinner: Blue Cheese Burgers, German Potato Salad, and for desert Blue Berry Pie!
Yummmmm! :)

German potato Salad:

1 LB Red potatoes
1/2 LB bacon cooked and crumbled
1 cup chicken broth
2TBS white vinegar
2 TBS olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1 TBS spicy brown mustard
1 small onion diced
1/4 cup parsley chopped

1. Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. When cool enough to handle peel off the skin, and chop into 2 in cubes
2. in medium skillet heat chicken broth and vinegar, bring to a simmer. Add bacon, and remaining ingredients. Bring back to simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3.Pour over potatoes and Serve!

-Sarah

Fig Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups sugar (I did 1 and 1/2 cups and it was just right for our liking)
  
• 2 cups ripe figs, mashed
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:

Beat eggs; add sugar and beat well. Add the mashed figs and vegetable oil. Sift together flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Add the fig mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Beat well. Fold in chopped pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour in greased and floured loaf pans.
Makes 2 large or 3 small loaves.


This is a really good quick bread and it uses fresh figs which right now we have in abundance!
Sorry I do not have a picture for it.~Lauren~

iced mocha frappe :D

For my coffee loving friends. This is a super good recipe! I just love coffee. Yum! This is a Paula Dean recipe soo of course it's delicious.
-Sarah :D

Oh, I also would like to know: What is your favorite Jane Austen book/movie?

4 cups brewed coffee, hot
4 (1-ounce) packages hot chocolate mix (3/4 cup mix)
4 tablespoons sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Whipped cream, for serving

In a heat-proof bowl or pitcher, add the coffee, hot chocolate mix, and sugar. Stir until well combined. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze, covered, for at least 3 hours and up to 1 week.

Put the frozen cubes in a blender. Add the cream and vanilla and puree until smooth. Divide the frappe into tall glasses and top with whipped cream.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time:
Difficulty: Easy

I thought, I would break from my usual pattern and write about what I am reading.
Which, I am SURE you have heard of.
Emma by Jane Austen.
This is my second time reading it! I love this book.

It has also been made into one of my favorite movies. And, if you haven't seen the version with Romola Garai, and Jonny Lee Miller you realllly need to see it! I have watched it twice!!

Beignets

I was in New Orleans over the week! It was very fun.

Doesn't this look good?

It was. =D

Someday, I will try to make some myself.

Low-Fat Cinnamon Rolls

Everybody loves a frosting-coated, gooey cinnamon roll, but most of us could do without all those calories. Is it possible to prepare a leaner cinnamon roll with all the classic flavor? Here’s what we discovered:

Test Kitchen Discoveries

• Skimp on the butter added to the dough and maximize the flavor of the frosting to compensate. Add just 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the dough and make up for the loss of moisture with maple syrup.
• Use dark brown sugar in the filling (in combination with granulated sugar) and add lots of cinnamon for maximum flavor.
• Use light cream cheese and skim milk to make a lean though still rich-tasting frosting.
• Traditional Cinnamon Rolls have 430 calories, 16 grams of fat, and 11 grams of saturated fat per serving. Low-Fat Cinnamon Rolls have 280 calories per serving, 3.5 grams of fat, and 2.5 grams of saturated fat per serving.

STEP BY STEP

Making Cinnamon Rolls

1. Pat the sugar mixture into the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the top edge.

2. Carefully roll the dough into a cylinder, moistening the border with water to seal the dough.

3. Cut the cylinder in half, then in half again (making 4 pieces). Cut each piece into three pieces, yielding 12 rolls.

Low-Fat Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 12 rolls

Depending on the humidity, the dough may need up to 1/4 cup extra flour, as directed in step 2.

Dough
1 1/3	cups warm skim milk (110 degrees)
3	tablespoons maple syrup
2	tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
3 1/2	cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for work surface
1	package rapid-rise yeast or instant yeast
1	teaspoon table salt
Filling
1/2	cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4	cup granulated sugar
2	teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8	teaspoon table salt
1	tablespoon unsalted butter , melted
Icing
1	cup confectioners' sugar
4	tablespoons light cream cheese
1	tablespoon skim milk
1/2	teaspoon vanilla extract

1. For the dough: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Lightly grease large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Coat 13 by 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Mix milk, syrup, and melted butter together in large measuring cup. Mix flour, yeast, and salt together in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium and mix until shiny and smooth, 4 to 6 minutes. (Dough will be sticky; if it seems too wet and is not forming ball, add up to 1?4 cup more flour as needed and knead dough 2 minutes more.) Turn dough onto heavily floured work surface, shape into ball, and place in greased bowl. Cover and rest in warm oven for 10 minutes.

3. For the filling: While dough is resting, mix sugars, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter in medium bowl until incorporated.

4. To make the rolls: On lightly floured work surface, roll dough into 18 by 12-inch rectangle with long side facing you. Sprinkle sugar mixture over dough, leaving 1/2 inch border along top edge, then lightly press sugar into dough (see photo 1). Starting at edge nearest you, roll up dough (photo 2). Brush border with water, then press dough to seal.

5. Using chef’s knife, slice dough into 12 rounds (photo 3), then place in prepared pan with cut side up. Cover pan with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray and return to warm oven until rolls have nearly doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes.

6. Remove pan from oven and heat oven to 350 degrees (rolls will continue to rise on counter as you wait for oven to heat). Remove plastic wrap and bake until rolls are deep brown and filling is melted, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pan front to back halfway through baking.

7. For the icing: While rolls are baking, whisk confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, milk, and vanilla together in small bowl until smooth. Remove pan from oven, turn rolls out onto rack, and flip them right side up. Cool 10 minutes, then spread icing over rolls. Serve hot or warm.

Shared by Lauren

It has been a while,but here I am once again. :) I wonder what I should share? This part is ALWAYS the hardest for me...picking out just one recipe at a time!!

So...I guess I will share the latest new recipe I have tried for chocolate chip cookies.This recipe makes the best simple cookie recipe!The cookies turned out chewy,chocolaty and pretty like there meant to be.:)

The recipe is from Gimme Some Oven if you have not looked at her blog you certainly should! Everything I have made from it has always turned out good!

Dad’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
(From…yep…my dad!)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. butter, slightly softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (mini, regular, or chocolate chunks!)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda. Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips. Drop by large spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Ali’s Tip:

To avoid having flat cookies (with this or other recipes), be sure that the dough you pop in the oven is pretty chilled. So when you’re mixing these up initially, I’d recommend letting the prepared dough sit in the fridge for at least 20-30 minutes before baking your first batch.

Blueberry streusel bread!

Is there anything better than the smell for blueberries cooking?

I was thinking this afternoon how good a blueberry muffin sounded... *yum*
And, then I had an Idea: what about blueberry streusel bread? I googled it, and found this recipe on a blog called "Spoolful Of Sugar". It looked so good that I HAD to make it.
Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 tbsp butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups fresh blueberries

topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp butter, cut in pieces

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a 9" square baking dish.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat to combine. Then mix in the milk until blended. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir just enough to blend the ingredients. (The less stirring, the more tender your bread will be.) Add the blueberries and stir gently, trying to not break the blueberries.

Pour the batter into the prepared dish and spread out evenly.

For the topping, place the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter in a mixing bowl. Cut in with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, which is about 45 minutes

photo: by spoonful of sugar.com

Moussaka

Have you ever watched "My big, fat, Greek Wedding"?
If so you reallly need to try this recipe, then sit down and watch it again. :)
Although, it will not be exactly like the original "Greek" recipe, as it is uses ground beef instead of lamb, it will still be rather tasty. Which, in my opinion ground beef is better, lamb is just not appealing to me... :D Anyways, I served it with a Greek salad, and homemade bread ( made by my sister, Lauren).
Hope you enjoy!

Moussaka:

• 2 eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
• 4 zucchini (about 2 pounds), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3/4 pound lean ground beef
• One 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 3 ounces gruyère cheese, shredded
• 1 pint low-fat cottage cheese

Triple the veggies to use less meat than in a typical moussaka.

Swap lean beef for ground lamb to reduce saturated fat.

Use a cottage cheese topping instead of a traditional white sauce for more protein.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 500°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the eggplant and zucchini in two large bowls and season with salt; let stand for 40 minutes. Rinse the vegetables and pat dry. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared pans and toss with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Roast until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a 9-by-11-inch baking dish. Lower the oven temperature to 350°.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the scallions and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes; add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat, for about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Spoon the meat sauce over the eggplant and zucchini. Top with half of the gruyère.

3. Using a food processor, puree the cottage cheese. Spoon the puree onto the moussaka, top with the remaining gruyère and bake for 17 minutes. Transfer to the broiler and cook for 3 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing.

Chocolate Scones

These are delicious.They are also a great excuse to have a brownie for breakfast.:)~Lauren

Chocolate scones

Recipe:

2/3 cup (160 ml) heavy whipping cream

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups (245 grams) all purpose flour

1/4 cup (25 grams) Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup (75 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup (50 grams) semisweet chocolate chunks or chips

1/3 cup (50 grams) white chocolate chunks or chips

For Tops of Scones:

1 large egg

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Garnish:

Devon or softly whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl whisk together the whipping cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chunks (chips). Add the cream mixture and stir just until the dough comes together (add more cream and/or flour as necessary).

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead a few times. Shape the dough into an 8 inch (20 cm) circle. With a 2 1/2 inch (7.5 cm) heart shaped cookie cutter, cut into scones. Gather any scraps together, knead, and then cut out more scones. Brush excess flour from the bottom of the scones, and place them on the baking sheet. Make an egg wash of one well-beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk and brush the tops of the scones with this mixture.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until they are firm around the edges but a bit soft in the center. A toothpick inserted into the center of a scone will come out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Can serve with clotted cream or softly whipped cream.

Makes about 10 - 2 1/2 inch heart shaped scones.





http://www.joyofbaking.com/ChocolateScones.html#ixzz0oFAnmirF

I love serving this with stewed tomatoes and lima beans.It makes for a good dinner at any time of the year!~enjoy!~ Lauren

Chicken and Dumplings Recipe courtesy of Blue Willow Inn

Chicken and Dumplings are served at almost every meal at The Blue Willow Inn Restaurant and has become a favorite of our guests. It takes a few minutes to prepare, but you can't beat this on a winter night. With crackers or toast this is a complete meal.

Ingredients

1 -3/4 pound broiler-fryer chicken
2 quarts water
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 cups self-rising flour
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup cold water

Directions:

In a stockpot combine water and chicken. Cook over medium heat until done (about one hour). Remove chicken from pot reserving chicken broth. Cool chicken in cold water, remove bones, skin and fat. Cut chicken into bite size pieces.

In mixing bowl combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until batter is coarse.

Add water and mix well with your hands. Bring chicken broth back to a slow boil. Do not rapidly boil.

With floured hands pinch quarter size pieces of flour and drop into chicken broth.

Gently stir after adding several pinches. Repeat until you have used all the dumpling mix. Stir gently; allow to simmer 8-10 minutes.

Slowly stir in chicken.

Serve in soup bowls.

I made this a while back and man was it good!I found it from another blog called gimme some oven.If you enjoy it you should definitely check her blog out! ~Lauren

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Recipe
(Adapted from GoodLife Eats)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup old fashioned oats, not quick cook
• 1 Tbsp. whole flax seeds, optional
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup milk

Topping:

• 1/3 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Grease 4 individual-sized ramekins. Set aside.

Combine the first eight ingredients (oat thru salt) in a medium-sized bowl. Stir well. In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, butter, pumpkin, and milk. Whisk thoroughly. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the oats, and stir until combined.

Divide mixture evenly between the four ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet (this makes it easier to move in and out of the oven.). Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the topping: chopped pecans, butter, and brown sugar. After the oatmeal has baked for 10 minutes, remove and divide topping mixture evenly between the ramekins. Bake and additional 7 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with a splash of milk and raisins, if desired.

Black Bean and Avocado Burritos with Jicama-Cucumber Slaw

We had this for dinner recently! YUMM! I found it in the "Everyday with Rachel Ray" Magazine. It was so good, and it is rather healthy. It was also, *cough* rather easy to make...
Enjoy!

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Two 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 4 burrito-size flour tortillas
• 1 avocado, peeled and diced
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 english cucumber, cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 jicama (about 1/2 pound)—peeled, thinly sliced, then cut into matchsticks

Swap in shredded carrots or mango slivers for the jicama.

Use a vegetable peeler to thinly slice the cucumber lengthwise, then halve each slice crosswise before cutting into matchsticks.

Stir thinly sliced scallions or chopped cilantro into the garlic black beans, or add finely chopped jalapeño to the slaw.

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the beans and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, mashing, until warmed, about 5 minutes.

2. Wrap the tortillas in a paper towel and heat in the microwave for 1 minute. Lay flat on a work surface and divide the beans, avocado and cheese among them; roll up like burritos. Wrap in paper towels and microwave until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; add the cucumber and jicama and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the burritos. :)
   

Refried bean soup.

As I am a big fan of soup, and Mexican food, this recipe is one of my favorites! :)
It's really great for lunch, or a light dinner. Enjoy!

• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 cans (16 ounces each) refried beans
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
• 5 corn tortillas (6 inches), cut into 1/2-inch strips, optional
• Sour cream and shredded Monterey Jack cheese, optional

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, bring the tomatoes, onion and garlic to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in the refried beans, broth and cilantro; simmer for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, if tortilla strips are desired, place strips on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until crisp. Garnish soup with tortilla strips. Serve with sour cream and cheese if desired. Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts)
• picture provided by tasteofhome.com
  

This is a recipe for biscuits that I have been making for about 8 years now.I hope you like it!

Big Daddy Biscuits

Ingredients,
2c.flour,1Tlb baking powder,1Tlb sugar,1tsp salt,1/3c.of butter,and 1c.milk
Directions,
1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.Whisk flour,baking powder,sugar,and salt together in bowl.Then cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.Stir in the milk just until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
2.Turn out onto a floured counter and knead 15 to 20 times.Roll out to about 1inch,and cut into biscuits,with a 2 1/2inch cutter.It should make around 8 biscuits.
3.Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 13 to 15 minutes.
Then place on a plate,lather with butter and jelly and enjoy!:)~Lauren

Chocolate chip cookies.

I was in the cooking mood on Sunday afternoon, and craving a big chocolate chip cookie.
Soooooo... I decided to make some. But, I didn't want to make my usual Nestle Tollhouse recipe. It always turns out flat, crunchy, and not very pretty...
So, I went online to look for a recipe. After awhile, I found this recipe off of a blog.
I made the recipe and only changed one thing: I added 1 cup of butter, and 1/2 of applesauce, instead if the 1 1/2 cups of butter. I was so happy when I took them out of the oven! They actually looked like cookies (not pancakes!)!! :)
I hope you enjoy!

Chewy Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from inside the Land O Lakes Butter package

Makes 26 jumbo cookies

INGREDIENTS:

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 (12-ounce) package (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 375°F.

Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Combine butter, sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping the bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Beat, gradually adding flour mixture, until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets (tip: line the sheets with parchment, if you have some). Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown. (Do not overbake.) Let stand 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets.

Lemon Clove cookies

These are really delicious! The clove adds unique flavor and brings out the lemon!
They are really tasty! Enjoy!


Makes 5 dozen or 30 (2 cookie) servings.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Refrigerate Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 12 to 15 minutes per batch

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Cloves, Ground

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Lemon Extract

Lemon Glaze:

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon water

1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Lemon Extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix flour, cloves and salt in medium bowl; set aside. Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and lemon extract; beat until well blended. Gradually beat in flour mixture until well mixed.

2. Divide dough in half. Form each half into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 9 inches long. Wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut dough into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

4. For the Lemon Glaze, mix confectioners' sugar, water and lemon extract in small bowl untill well blended. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Let stand until glaze is set.

I made this for dinner Tuesday night.I will probably double the amount of peas in it next time,but over all I really enjoyed it!It makes for a nice,light spring dinner.:)
Lauren

Orecchiette with Pancetta and Peas

April 2010

By: Rachael Ray

From: 30-Minute Meals

• 6 Servings

Ingredients:

• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound orecchiette pasta
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1/3 pound pancetta, speck (smoked pancetta) or lean, thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
• Grated peel of 1 lemon
• A handful of grated pecorino-romano cheese
• 2 cups cow's- or sheep's-milk ricotta cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.

2. While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat the EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook until softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the wine, then add the peas and heat through for 2 minutes; season with the thyme, lemon peel and pepper.

3. Add the reserved 1 cup pasta cooking water and the drained pasta; toss to combine. Add the pecorino-romano and toss. Serve in bowls and top with the ricotta, for stirring in as you eat.

Wacky Cake

I am really sorry, I know it has been awhile since my last post! :( I hope you have not been to desolate without me! :)
Anyways... this is a very neat (and yummy!) recipe! It was created during the World Wars when sugar, milk, eggs, and butter were scarce, so cooks has to improvise.
I think they did a good job. Tell me what you think. =)

Wacky Cake

Serves 6 to 8

This moist cake gets even better when served with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

1 1/2	cups all-purpose flour
3/4	cup sugar
1/4	cup natural cocoa powder
3/4	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	teaspoon table salt
5	tablespoons vegetable oil
1	tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
1	cup water
	Confectioners' sugar

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 8-inch-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in pan. As shown in photo 1, make 1 large and 2 small craters in dry ingredients. Add oil to large crater and vinegar and vanilla separately to remaining small craters. Pour water into pan (photo 2), and mix until just a few streaks of flour remain (photo 3). Immediately put pan in oven.

3. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan, then dust with confectioners’ sugar. (If tightly wrapped, cake will keep for 3 days at room temperature.)

picture provided by cooks country.com

These cookies are a really great spring dessert or snack.
Lauren

Blueberry Drop Cookies
Ingredients:

8Tlb spoons of butter (or you can do half butter and half applesauce.That is how I make it and it turns out great)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
One-fourth cup milk
One-half teaspoon almond extract
One and one-half teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
One-half teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries, rinsed and picked over

Instructions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, sugar, egg, milk, almond extract and lemon zest, mixing well after the addition of each ingredient. Slowly add the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in the blueberries and mix until well blended.
2. Cover and chill for 4 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls, one and one-half inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before removing them with a spatula.
Makes about 4 dozen.

Peach Cobbler... :D

I think my favorite of all summer fruits are peaches!
They make me happy. :D This recipe is one of my favorites... It's easy, but good...
I know... both of my recipes I have posted are *easy*, you are going to start thinking I am a "Rachel Ray" or something... :)
Anyways, Enjoy!

Blue Willow Inn's Peach Cobbler.


2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup melted butter, divided
1 (28-ounce) can sliced peaches, drained

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Coarsely mix 2/3 cup sugar, flour, and 1/4 cup of melted butter. Sprinkle about 1/3 of this mixture on the bottom of a baking dish. Add peaches. Top peaches with remaining flour mixture. Sprinkle top with the remaining sugar and butter.
3. Bake 30-40 minutes until brown and bubbly. Serve hot. Ice cream is a good topping.

Orange Marmalade cake

This cake is from a book series called "At home it Mitford". It is one of my favorite series, and this is one of my favorite cakes! You can also substitute Lemon curd for the marmalade, and lemon juice for the orange juice. Both, are equally good!


Esther's orange marmalade cake

for the cake:
3 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs at room temp. beaten slightly
1 TBS grated orange zest
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk at room temp.

for the Orange syrup:
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar

For the filling:
1 (12 oz) jar orange marmalade

For the frosting:

3/4 cup well chilled heavy cream
3 TBS sugar
3/4 cup well chilled sour cream



1.Pre-heat oven to 350 oF. Butter 2 9in cake pans, line with parchment or waxed paper, and butter and flour paper, shaking out excess.
2.In Large bowl sift flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another bowl beat the butter with and electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar, a little at a time, and beat the mixture until light and fluffy. Beat orange zest, egg, and vanilla. BEAT IN 1/3 of the dry ingredients alternatively with 1/3 of the buttermilk until combined well. Add, the 1/2 of remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk and beat until well combined. Finally, beat in the remaining dry ingredients until mixture is smooth.

4.Evenly divide the batter between the pans, smooth the surface, rap each pan on the counter to expel any air pockets or bubbles, then transfer to the oven. Bake for 45 min or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to racks and cool in the pans for 20 min.

To make the orange syrup:
5. meanwhile, make the orange syrup: In a bowl stir together the orange juice and sugar until sugar is dissolved.
6. With a toothpick or wooden skewer, poke holes at 1/2 in intervals in the cake layers. Spoon the syrup over each layer, allowing the syrup to completely absorbed before adding the remainder. Let layers cool completely.

To make the filling:
7. In a small saucepan set over moderate heat, heat the marmalade until just melted. Let cool 5 min.

To Make the frosting:
8. In a bowl, whisk the heavy cream and the sugar until it forms firm peaks. Add the sour cream, a little at a time, and whisk until mixture us if spreading consistency.

To assemble the cake:
9. Arrange one of the layers on a cake plate and carefully peel off the wax paper.
Spread 2/3 of the marmalade over th e top, smoothing it into an even layer. Invert the remaining layer into the top of the first layer and peel off the wax paper, and spoon the remaining marmalade on the center of the cake leaving 1 1/4in border around the edge. Frost the sides and the top border with the frosting, leaving the marmalade on top exposed. Chill for 2 hours before serving.

Chocolate black out cake

Okay,well....:)Now that we have had Rachel Ray share her recipe for the day it`s now time for Martha Stewarts.:)JK
I first made this cake a couple of years ago and we have loved it ever since!Of course if you do not like chocolate (THIS IS NOT THE RECIPE FOR YOU!) It`s rich and creamy and pares well with a nice tall glass of milk.Enjoy!Lauren

Chocolate Blackout Cake

Serves 10 to 12

Be sure to give the pudding and the cake enough time to cool or you'll end up with runny pudding and gummy cake.

Pudding
1 1/4	cups granulated sugar
1/4	cup cornstarch
1/2	teaspoon table salt
2	cups half-and-half
1	cup whole milk
6	ounces unsweetened chocolate , chopped
2	teaspoons vanilla extract
Cake
8	tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), plus extra for greasing pans
1 1/2	cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for dusting pans
2	teaspoons baking powder
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	teaspoon salt
3/4	cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1	cup brewed coffee
1	cup buttermilk
1	cup packed light brown sugar
1	cup granulated sugar
2	large eggs
1	teaspoon vanilla extract

1. For the pudding: Whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, half-and-half, and milk in large saucepan. Set pan over medium heat. Add chocolate and whisk constantly until chocolate melts and mixture begins to bubble, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in vanilla and transfer pudding to large bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.

2. For the cake layers: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl.

3. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cocoa and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in coffee, buttermilk, and sugars until dissolved. Whisk in eggs and vanilla, then slowly whisk in flour mixture.

4. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool layers in pans 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour.

5. To assemble the cake: Cut each cake in half horizontally. Crumble one cake layer into medium crumbs and set aside. Place one cake layer on serving platter or cardboard round. Spread 1 cup pudding over cake layer and top with another layer. Repeat with 1 cup pudding and last cake layer. Spread remaining pudding evenly over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle cake crumbs evenly over top and sides of cake, pressing lightly to adhere crumbs. Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Peanut Butter cup cake! *yum*

This is a really good CHOCOLATE recipe! I first found it on,( http://www.bakerella.com/) and as soon as I saw it I knew (as a chocolate lover) that I would have to make it in the near future. So, on Monday I did.
It's a very easy recipe. It starts *cough* with a Devils food cake mix. I know, the first recipe on this blog; and it start with a cake mix!!! Oh well. :D But, it is soooo good! I just have to share it with you! -Sarah D

Peanut Butter Cup Cake

1 devil’s food cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chopped peanut butter cups (plus more for garnishing – I used 1 bag but I didn't have enough)
8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup peanut butter

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Line with wax paper and coat paper.
• In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides after 1 minute. Fold in 2 cups of the chopped peanut butter cups.
• Pour batter into pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Cool cakes completely.
• Place chopped dark chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream just to a boil and then pour over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts. Add peanut butter and whisk until smooth.
• Trim each cake layer so the tops are flat. Place one layer on a cooling rack and pour 1 cup frosting on top. Spread evenly with a spatula. Add second layer and pour remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Smooth out with spatula.
• Allow frosting to set for a minute and gently press remaining chopped peanut butter cup pieces all over top and sides of cake. Place in refrigerator for about an hour to set. Remove and serve.

We're not twins, we're cooks!

Hello!
Our names are Lauren, and Sarah Davis. We are not twins, we are best friends that happen to be sisters.
We love cooking, and so to keep track of our recipes, and to share them with you we decided to start a blog!
We love chocolate in just about everything,so be prepared for chocolate,chocolate and more chocolate!We also love music,books,piano,running,and milk.:) So here we go...