Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

My family loves my cookies very much. I hope that you and your family enjoy them. 

 

2 Sticks chilled UNSALTED butter

1 Cup packed Brown Sugar

½ Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
½ tsp Almond Extract
½ tsp Fine Sea Salt or 1 tsp Kosher Salt
½ tsp Baking Soda
2 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 package 10-12 oz Chocolate Chips
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a separate glass bowl, sift or mix dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, salt). Set aside.

Chop chilled butter sticks into cubes.

Cream butter and sugars together on medium speed with mixer until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, beating between each egg.

Add extracts and mix until well blended.

With mixer on, add dry ingredients in small amounts and mix just until blended.

Add chocolate chips.

Drop 1 ½ " dough balls onto greased or parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake 8-9 minutes or until edges are golden brown. (just the edges!)Let the cookies sit on cookie sheet 3-5 minutes before transferring to wire rack.

Start over on cool cookie sheet.

Photo:obsessedwithbaking.blogspot.com

Whoopee Pies

No one is certain who invented the whoopee pie; folks in both Pennsylvania Amish country and Maine have claimed it. As for the name, one theory is that it comes from children saying "whoopee!" upon finding the moist, chocolaty sweets in their lunch pails. Your kids can experience the same glee after baking their own -- and with pink-tinted filling, the pies will elicit cries of joy on Valentine's Day.

CAKES

2 cups flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup softened butter

1 cup sugar
1 egg +
FILLING
½ cup softened butter
1½ cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon vanilla
Red food coloring (optional)

Heat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, stir together the buttermilk and vanilla extract.

In a large bowl with a hand mixer set at medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until evenly blended, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg, increase the speed to high, and beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute more.

Pour half the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture, and beat at medium speed until combined. Add the buttermilk mixture and continue beating until just blended. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat again.

Use a cookie scoop or spoon to place a heaping tablespoon of batter on a prepared cookie sheet. Add more mounds of batter, evenly spacing them, until there are nine on each sheet. Slightly flatten each mound with a spoon.

Bake the cakes one sheet at a time for 10 minutes (they should be moist and spongy). Let them cool on the sheet for 2 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Reline the sheets and scoop, shape, and bake the remaining batter.

Using an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat all the filling ingredients except the coloring in a medium bowl until evenly blended, about 2 minutes. If you want to give the filling a Valentine hue, fold in drops of red food coloring until the desired tint is reached.

To make each pie, spoon and spread a heaping tablespoon of the filling onto the bottom of a cake, then gently press another cake on top.

Source: Nancie McDermott from family fun magazine

Cupcakes for Cupid

Cupid's arrow hits the mark with these heart-shaped treats. To create the heart shape, place a small marble or a 1/2-inch ball of aluminum foil between each liner and one side of the tin (a great job for kids). This will push the paper into the batter to form the notch in the heart. You can use boxed cake or homemade.

http://corwinhouse.blogspot.com/2011/01/red-velvet-cake.html

Source: Family fun magazine

Marinated Filet Mignon

4 (14 ounce) filets
6 mushrooms, sliced
2 slices bacon, quartered
Salt and pepper

Marinade:
1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
5 each cloves
1 cup brandy
1 cup burgundy
1 cup vegetable oil

Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups beef stock
1 cup marinade
16 whole mushrooms

Make two slits in each filet, about 3 inches long and not quite to the underside. Stuff these with slices of mushroom, bacon pieces and salt and pepper.

Make marinade in a 9 x 9 x 3-inch pan or dish by combining the peppercorns, bay leaves, allspice, cloves, brandy, burgundy and vegetable oil. Place prepared filets in this mixture and refrigerate for 24 hours or more.

Remove and drain filets, when ready to cook. Grill according to taste, rare, medium or well done.

To make a sauce to cover meat, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in flour and brown. Blend in until smooth, the beef stock and marinade. Stir in mushrooms and heat through.

Pour sauce over filets. Decorate with parsley and onion rings.

Serves 4.

Source: Brennan's Restaurant, New Orleans, Louisiana Photo Courtesy: almostgastricbypass.blogspot.com

Boston Market Rotisserie Whole Chicken

1 (3 1/2 pound) whole chicken
Onion chunks
Unpeeled apple wedges
10 chunks celery

Fill the cavity with apple, onions and celery. Place it in a Pam-sprayed Dutch oven or a roasting pan deep enough that it can later be sealed in foil without the foil touching the skin of the chicken.

¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Seasoned salt

Mix all ingredients well in saucepan and warm just to melt honey. Put on skin of chicken. Bake at 350 degrees F for an hour plus 15 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the chicken, basting chicken without turning, 3 or 4 times during baking or until nicely browned. Immediately upon removing from oven, seal baking dish tightly in foil and let stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Source:recipegoldmine.com Photo Courtesy: www.healthyplates.ca

Noodles and Company Mac and Cheese

1 lb. elbow noodles
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups half and half
1/2 tsp salt
3 Cups Monterrey Jack (or Colby Jack)

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour making a roux. Gradually stir in half and half whisking until thickened. Stir in salt. Remove from heat. Add cheese, stir until cheese melts. Top with fancy shredded mild cheddar cheese.

Source:momslikeme.com

Black Kettle Pasta with Garlic Butter

 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1/8 cup white wine
1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1/16 teaspoon white pepper
1/16 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives
1 1/2 pounds fresh angel hair pasta, cooked
fresh Parmesan cheese (to garnish )

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add all remaining ingredients except cheese and pasta and heat through. Ladle over warm fresh pasta. Garnish with cheese and parsley.

Makes 8 servings.

Source: Black Kettle Restaurant - Milwaukee, Wisconsin photo:copykat.com

Buffalo Wild Wings Sauces

Cooking Instructions:
Heat shortening in your fryer to 350 degrees F.  Fry wings for 10-12 minutes, or until light brown. Remove wings and drain on a rack or paper towels briefly.  After draining wings place wings in a plastic container with a lid. Add 1/4-1/3 cup of your sauce of choice to the container. Replace lid and shake well to coat wings.  Pour wings out onto a plate and add celery on the side, plus ranch or bleu cheese dressing for dipping.

Parmesan Garlic

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Spicy Garlic

1 Cup Frank’s cayenne pepper sauce
1/3 Cup vegetable oil
1 Teaspoon granulated sugar
1 Teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon course ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Medium Wing Sauce

1 cup Frank’s cayenne pepper sauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Hot Wing Sauce

1 Cup Franks cayenne pepper sauce
1/3 Cup vegetable oil
1 Teaspoon granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 Teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
2 Teaspoons water
2 Teaspoons cornstarch

Blazin’

6 fresh habanero peppers (with seeds)
5 lemon drop peppers (or other small hot pepper)
8 jalapenos (with seeds)
2-3 garlic cloves
2 cups white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
fresh ground black pepper
salt

Mango Habanero

2 cups Mango Nectar (found in your local grocery store)
Any habenero hot sauce.  I recommend El Yucatan.  The amount is up to you, depending on how spicy you like your wings.
1 Tbsp corn syrup. (sugar works too)
1/4 cup Frank’s cayenne pepper sauce
1/3 cup melted butter

Asian Zing

2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup chili-garlic sauce (sriracha!)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Carribean Jerk

Tablespoons margarine
2 Tablespoons minced onion (white and light green parts only)
1 Cup water
3/4 Cup ketchup
1/2 Cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons white distilled vinegar
2 Tablespoons Frank’s cayenne pepper sauce
2 Teaspoons ground black pepper
2 Teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Teaspoons lemon juice
1-1/2 Teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 Teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 Teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 Teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 Teaspoon onion powder
1/8 Teaspoon ground clove
1/8 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 Teaspoon rubbed sage

Source:epicportions.com

Bennigan's Ultimate Baked Potato Soup

Yields 8 (1 cup) servings or 4 main dish servings

3 pounds all-purpose potatoes, scrubbed
and pierced in several places
1 tablespoon stick butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Toppings
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Crumbled bacon
Chopped scallions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Bake potatoes 1 hour or until tender when pierced. Peel when cool enough to handle.

Melt Butter in a 4- to 6-quart pot over medium low heat. Stir in onions and garlic; cover and cook 10 minutes until soft, but not brown. Add 2/3 of the potatoes and mash with a potato masher. Add broth, milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

Cut remaining potatoes in small cubes. Add to soup and stir gently to reheat. Sprinkle each serving with toppings.

Photo: copykat.com Source: Woman's Day magazine