Lemon Drop Cupcakes

I'm sure by now we all know Pinterest is both a blessing and a curse. I really have done more crafts and tried more new recipes due to having a visual bookmarking system. But I also get those images stuck in my brain and I just can't seem to get them out. A cleaning solution can fly out of my head quicker than a wasp; but a picture of a dazzling cupcake has me hooked.

Ever since I saw these babies on someone's Pinterest board, my mind's been swimming with lemon. Well, I finally clicked through the link and found out ... there was no recipe. I had to do some searching, even, to find out these were mini-cupcakes from Tori and Dean's wedding vow renewals.  (They haven't been married THAT long ... right?)

So I had to settle for an easy recipe I found on another site. I made two dozen of these for the high-school boys we "dorm parent," and they disappeared extremely quickly. (Of course, they are high-school boys. So you might take that with a grain of salt.) The simple recipe takes almost no time to prepare, so I think these will be a go-to recipe of mine for feeding the boys or taking to a party. And they can be made very low-cal as well!

Lemon Cupcakes with Light Lemony Frosting

Adapted from Dashing Dish

Cake:
1 box lemon cake mix
12 ounces lemon-lime soda

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tins with cupcake papers. Mix cake mix and soda together until all is incorporated and there are no lumps. Fill papers about halfway full. Bake 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely.

Frosting:
8 oz. Cool Whip
one 8-oz. package instant lemon pudding mix
juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup milk

Fold pudding mix and lemon juice into Cool Whip and beat until creamy. Add milk and stir until uniform. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Add sprinkles and fresh lemon zest if desired.

Cranberry Orange Cake with Triple Sec Frosting

I don’t ever watch TV in real time anymore.

Occasionally, my husband and I get to watch The Big Bang Theory together on a Thursday. (Please don’t ask why we’re still watching it. I would have given up years ago.) During the summer, sometimes I caught Big Brother live. But with the school year full force and fall truly here, it just doesn’t happen. Our only shows are both on Thursday, and my husband is almost always in the dorm Thursday nights, so we watch them later.

All that to say, I never saw The Great British Baking Show until they aired it on Netflix. And as much as I love it, I can’t remember to watch the new seasons when they’re on. So chained to Netflix I am, and so recently I got to devour the new season they released.

While I truly missed the old hosts and Mary Berry, it’s the simple British-ness of the show that I adore. They’re so NICE. The people are not professionals. I just love it.

So when Laura from Little House Big Alaska announced she was going to do a Great British Baking Show Bake-Along, I was ALL IN! I have really enjoyed expanding my baking horizons lately, and an excuse to bake even more makes me thrilled. Not to mention to try some of the British-y bakes that I’ve seen on the show.

Our first challenge was to do a fruity cake. Simply, a cake that had fresh or dried fruit. I recently made an Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze that is incredibly good, but I wanted to try something new – well, kind of. A while back, I tested out a Williamsburg Orange Cake from the 1970s Betty Crocker Big Red Cookbook. (I’ve sang its accolades before.) It was OK, but I felt like the recipe needed some tweaking. It needed a little more height and maybe a little more interest.

Some minor changes and I had my fruit cake. I give you Cranberry-Orange Cake with Triple Sec Frosting, slightly adapted from Betty. It feels old-fashioned, with the fruit and walnuts, but the naked sides and three-layer style help modernize it. It was gobbled up right away, so I’m feeling like it’s a winner for fall! 

Cranberry-Orange Cake with Triple Sec Frosting
Yield: 12-16 servings 

Ingredients 

Cake 

• 2 3/4 c. cake flour 
• 2 tsp. baking soda 
• 3/4 tsp. salt 
• 1/2 c. butter, softened 
• 1/4 c. shortening, like Spectrum Palm Shortening 
• 1 1/2 c. sugar 
• 3 eggs, room temperature 
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 
• 1 1/2 c. whole buttermilk, room temperature 
• 3/4 c. dried cranberries, chopped and tossed in 2 tsp. flour 
• 1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts 
• 1 T. grated orange zest 

 Frosting 

• 1/2 c. butter, softened 
• 4 1/2 c. powdered sugar 
• 1/3 c. Triple Sec or other orange liqueur 
• 2 tsp. grated orange zest 
• 1 T. milk or cream 

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray three 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray; line with parchment paper and spray again. (I will swear by pre-cut parchment circles for cakes. They are seriously sent from heaven.) 
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 
3. With a mixer, beat together butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one a time, beating after each. Add vanilla and mix. 
4. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry mixture, just until incorporated. 
5. Fold in cranberries, walnuts, and orange zest. 
6. Divide between pans and tap pans down to distribute batter. Bake 25-30 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. 
7. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then move to cooling racks. Cool completely. 
8. Frosting: With a mixer, beat butter and powdered sugar together. Add Triple Sec and orange zest. Slowly add milk until the frosting is to your liking. Beat a few more minutes to make it extra fluffy! 
9. For the naked cake look, place on cake layer on a serving plate. Spread frosting on layer, making sure there is extra around the edge. Repeat with remaining layers. Cover top layer well, then run an offset spatula around the sides of the cake to spread remaining frosting. (You can frost the sides if desired but you might need to increase your amount of frosting made slightly.)

Brownie Batter Hummus

A few months ago, ALDI had this brownie batter hummus I heard a few people talking about. We got it once, and not only was it delicious but it got my kids to willingly eat some beans! (They didn’t know that, but hey…)

We have rice and beans every Monday night in the summer, and sadly neither of my boys chooses to eat this meal. So they’re really hungry, but I have done my part in feeding them. This week, though, I decided to shake it up and serve some chocolate hummus alongside the standard red beans and rice.

ALDI has stopped carrying the Brownie Batter Hummus, but I whipped up some of my own and I think it turned out great. If you want to sneak some fiber into your kids, too, here’s one easy way. We like this with graham cracker pieces, pretzels, or apples.

(Sneak may not be the right word, as they are well aware this is beans. But apparently chocolate trumps that knowledge and they happily devour it.) 

 

Brownie Hummus

Yield: about 1 cup hummus 

This tasty dip is super healthy, gluten free, and can be dairy-free and vegan as well with almond milk. 

Ingredients

• 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 
• 3 T cocoa powder 
• 1 heaping T coconut oil 
• pinch salt 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar 
• 2-3 T milk (can sub nut milk if needed) 

Instructions 

1. Add all ingredients except milk to the bowl of a food processor. 
2. Process until smooth. 
3. Add milk and process for another 15 seconds or so, until creamy and smooth. 
4. Serve with graham crackers, pretzels, or fruit. Or eat with a spoon. Whatever. 😉 

Notes For the smoothest hummus, remove the outer, translucent part of the chickpeas (the hulls). I didn't do this, but if you are fancy you go right ahead.

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin in Garlic, Herb, and Red Wine Sauce

Right now I am participating in the most fun and interesting blog campaign I've ever done. The Pork Board and Publix are promoting "the other white meat" as a great way to get lean protein and eat more healthfully this year.

For four weeks, I'll be sharing recipes for a specific cut of pork. This week, it is pork tenderloin.

We've decided to share the pork wealth by inviting some friends over to help us eat the pork each week. I hate having leftovers sitting forever in the fridge, and I love having people over, so it worked out well!

Orange-Ponzu Pork Tenderloin with Stir-Fry

Yesterday I made two tenderloin recipes: this Grilled Orange-Ponzu Pork Tenderloin with Cabbage and Carrot Stir-Fry from the Pork Be Inspired site and a recipe I concocted myself from several sources, Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin in Garlic, Herb, and Red Wine Sauce. To accompany the slow cooker pork, I made Jalapeno Creamed Corn as well.

Both platters were beautiful and went over well. Here were the thoughts from my panel of judges (my husband and three other adults):

• The texture of the grilled meat was better than the texture of the slow-cooked tenderloin. (I used a grill pan, because I don't have an outdoor grill.)
• The Asian recipe could have used some spice. If I made it again, I would definitely add red pepper flakes to the stir-fry. 
• No one seemed to worry about the pink pork. The new standard is to cook pork to 145F so it doesn't get dry. (Thanks to my sponsors for my lovely new digital meat thermometer! I'm so excited to finally have one.)

All in all I was pretty happy with both dishes, although I personally enjoyed the slow-cooker pork more. Here is the recipe ... but make sure you read the blurb that comes after it!

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin in Garlic, Herb, and Red Wine Sauce

3 T dried minced onion
1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 c. water
1 c. red wine
3 T soy sauce
3-4 large cloves garlic, peeled and cracked
2 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed of silvery fat
black pepper

In slow cooker, mix all ingredients except pork and pepper. Place pork in slow cooker and flip to coat well with liquid and spices. Sprinkle pork with black pepper.

Cook on low 3-4 hours or until pork is cooked to 145F. To serve, slice tenderloin and serve with jus from the slow cooker.

[The first six ingredients are just a homemade dry onion soup mix. If you are in a hurry or don't stock many spices, you can substitute one package of soup mix.]

 
So, hey! At the end of this four-week series, I am giving away a great package including coupons for $40 of fresh pork, a meat thermometer, a reusable bag, a pedometer, and a nice reusable water bottle. To enter, comment on any post in the series. You can comment once on each one, and then you'll have four entries! I will choose a winner after the fourth post goes live around February 17.

Just leave a comment answering this question: what tenderloin recipe from the Pork Be Inspired site looks good to you? I think I'd like to try Pork Egg Rolls and Pork Tenderloin Cancun with Chorizo Potatoes.

Thank you to the Pork Board and theMotherhood for sponsoring this series of posts. I received coupons, a gift card, and a stipend for my time and groceries, but all opinions are my own.

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Top Ten Recipes of 2011

It's still January, right? So it's completely valid for me to share my Top Ten Most-Visited Recipes of 2011.  Need something for dinner tonight? Look no further!

1. Five Minute Spinach Salad with Cherry Vinaigrette (OK, the vinaigrette doesn't have vinegar, so let's just call it a "juicy salad dressing." - Super customizable, tasty, easy. A trifecta of yummyness!

2. Chocolate Coconut Oat Bars - A great recipe for cooking with kids, this was my first month in the Secret Recipe Club. And it just might give you a hint of what's coming for my February Secret Recipe Club post ...

3. Mexican Corn Dip / Oreo Truffles - The fact that I don't have any pictures of these hasn't stopped the traffic to these delicious recipes. They're both on the same post, "Party Food." Just a few ingredients and you'll be the talk of the party with my "Magically Delicious Corn Dip."

4. Summer Bow-Tie Pasta - Mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and basil are summer staples. This warm pasta salad is enough for a main dish and bring your normal caprese salad to a new level with homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

5. Mom's Enchiladas - Thanks to a lot of traffic from Once a Month Mom, this remains one of my biggest posts ever. Thanks, Tricia!

6. Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies - Totally worth upsetting my husband over changing his mama's pumpkin cookie recipe. These tasty treats are an incredible combination of coffee and pumpkin and reminiscent of the Starbucks fall drink.

7. Scalloped Corn - One of my family's holiday go-to recipes.

8. Chocolate Avocado Cake with Blackberry Cream Cheese Frosting - Divinely moist without the addition of eggs or milk, this chocolate cake is perfect for allergy-sufferers. I'm sorry the frosting isn't vegan ... but it is amazing, too.

9. Broccoli and Cheese Soup - This Cooking Light favorite is one of my oldest recipes and still just as good. 

10. Tilapia with Honey-Tangerine Sauce - Beautiful and tasty. Pretty enough for a dinner party and fast enough for a worknight meal.

Risking a little bit of egotism ... do you have a favorite recipe from my site? (OK, or any blog?)

Added to Top Ten Tuesday at OhAmanda.
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Balsamic and Herb Marinated Cheese

 

 

This recipe is not going to win any awards for being photogenic. I probably should have taken pictures of the individual ingredients. It was sort of festive for the Christmas dinner, with the green onions and parsley and red pimientos. But really, this is a recipe you make for its taste.

I am not sure where the recipe originated. I am guessing it probably came from the pages of a home magazine, or perhaps the newspaper column, years ago. I first tasted it at a baby shower and couldn't get enough. I begged my friend Jennifer for the recipe and have been making it ever since.

The cream cheese is delicious spread on Wheat Thins or a similar salty cracker. You can eat the cheddar by itself or on a milder cracker. It's a definite one-up on plain old cheese and crackers. Serve this at your next get-together; I promise you won't come home with much, if any. Which might leave you a little disappointed.

Balsamic and Herb Marinated Cheese

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 T chopped fresh parsley
3 T minced green onions
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
one 2 oz. jar chopped pimientos
8-ounce block sharp cheddar cheese
8-ounce box cream cheese (place in freezer for a few minutes to make easier to cut)
Wheat thins or cracker of choice

Cut your cheeses into 1-inch cubes and place in a serving or casserole dish.

Whisk together all other ingredients; taste for seasoning. Pour over cheeses and refrigerate at least 2-3 hours or overnight. You can pour out some of the liquid before serving once marinated.

Have you ever had marinated cheese? What's your favorite party appetizer?

Added to Tasty Tuesday and Things I Love Thursday.

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BLT Bites: They'll Beg You for the Recipe

You just can't go wrong with bacon, cheese, and mayonnaise, right? But when these ingredients come together with some fresh ones, it makes magic.

I have made these tasty appetizers a few times ... even though I don't eat them. I guarantee they're good, though, because every time I make them there is a buzz of "WHO brought these?" around the room. I am pretty sure I had no fewer than eight women ask me for the recipe at a small Christmas party last week.

So make this your signature appetizer! I won't tell anyone that they're really not that hard to make. And you'll be famous among your family and friends.

BLT Bites

Adapted slightly from Taste of Home

2 packages Campari tomatoes (or substitute cherry or grape, but Camparis are SUPER sweet)
1 lb bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled ... or 4.5 ounces real bacon bits
2/3 cup mayonnaise
3 green onions, white and light green parts, chopped finely
3 T grated Parmesan cheese
2 T fresh chopped parsley or 2 tsp dried parsley flakes

The hardest part of this recipe is prepping the tomatoes. Take the tiniest slice off the bottom of the tomatoes if you want them to sit flat on a plate. You don't want to cut hardly anything off, just make it a little flat. If you are going to rest them on lettuce leaves or kale (my favorite presentation, although it's a little retro), this isn't as important.

Take a small slice off the stem end of the tomatoes and then scoop out pulp and seeds with a teaspoon. Set upside-down on paper towels to drain.

Cook your bacon. But really, I won't blame you if you use one of these instead. I did. Otherwise I eat too much bacon before it makes it in the bowl.

In a small bowl, mix together cooled, crumbled bacon (or bits), mayonnaise, green onion, cheese, and parsley.

Flip tomatoes back right-side-up and sprinkle very lightly with salt. Spoon filling into tomatoes. Refrigerate for several hours before serving to let flavors meld.

I failed to get a picture of the finished product, so here is the Taste of Home photo. The Campari tomatoes are much bigger than the cherries, so you'll want to do less "mounding" of the filling until you're sure you have enough to go around.

Source: tasteofhome.com via Vanderbilt Wife on Pinterest

Added to Fusion Fridays, Mouthwatering Monday, and Spotlight: Bacon at Eat at Home Cooks. 

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Tasty Oatmeal Pancakes

It's that time again: Secret Recipe Club reveal day! My assigned blog for this month is Make Myself at Home. Catherine is a stay-at-home mom with a cute little daughter, and her recipes seem very kid-friendly. I am definitely going to make this Copycat Cafe Rio when I have some more time on my hands (pork barbecue! with cilantro rice! and tomatillo salsa! MMM). Award-winning Peach and Strawberry Cobbler will need to be made next summer.

But for now, I went with an easier recipe that used items I already had in my kitchen. (That seems to be a recurring theme in my Secret Recipe Club posts! Except for Avocado Cake.)

These Oatmeal-Raisin Pancakes seemed like a fun twist on a classic. I like that they use oats and mostly whole wheat flour, so we are getting more whole grains. I was a little worried about the lack of butter or oil in the batter, as I've never made pancakes without one or the other, but the consistency was wonderful.

I split my batter and made one batch with raisins and one batch with butterscotch chips. Both got a big thumbs up from the family! You could also add in one of these items or a combination:

• walnuts or pecan pieces
• mini chocolate chips
• banana slices
• chopped strawberries or whole blueberries
• for Christmas, some ginger (powdered) and nutmeg and replace the brown sugar with molasses for a gingerbread-y twist!

Oatmeal Pancakes

1 1/2 c. rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
2 c. milk
1 c. whole-wheat flour
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 T brown sugar
1 T baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. add-ins (raisins, butterscotch chips, or see above)

Measure oats into a large mixing bowl. Pour milk on top and let sit 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk well.

Add eggs, vanilla, and applesauce to oatmeal/milk mixture and stir well, until eggs are beaten and well-incorporated. Stir in dry ingredients. Fold in add-ins.

Cook on a buttered griddle over medium heat on the first side until bubbles form, then another 2 to 3 minutes on the second side, until brown.

Serve with real maple syrup or Catherine's butter syrup.





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Cranberry, Nutmeg, and Vanilla Breakfast Cake (or Muffins)

Last year during a batch cooking escapade, I made these Cranberry Vanilla Muffins (from last November's Once a Month Mom menu). I liked them OK, but Mr. V really liked them, so I slid them away in my memory to play with at a later date.

I really wanted to try to sweeten up the cranberries, but even with letting mine sit in sugar for a little while, it didn't do anything. If you're serving these to kids or don't care for the very tart cranberry, you can sprinkle the top of the cake or muffins with some turbinado (raw) sugar. You could sub in dried cranberries for a sweeter flavor. Or just make Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake instead!

My pregnant tastebuds were a lot less receptive to the tart flavor than my non-pregnant ones are--possibly due to too much ice cream during David's incubation period. Maybe. I really enjoyed the combination of the cranberries with the nutmeg, and I hope you will, too!

source: kuljuls

Cranberry, Nutmeg, and Vanilla Breakfast Cake (and/or Muffins)

Adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 cup sugar
4 T melted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
10 oz. fresh cranberries (one bag), coarsely chopped*

Whisk together vanilla and sugar in a large bowl until completely incorporated. Add in butter, sour cream, and eggs, and stir well to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Add to wet ingredients and stir. Pour in milk and stir until smooth and uniform.

*The only way I have found that I can efficiently get cranberries chopped is with my Kitchen Aid chopper. They roll away from a knife. A food processor or blender might work, but I find the chopper easier to clean.

Fold in chopped cranberries.

Pour into greased 8-inch cake pans or muffin tins. This recipe makes two 8-inch cakes, one cake and 8 muffins, or about 14 muffins.

With oven at 375F, bake muffins for 20 minutes and cakes for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center is clean. Cool on wire racks.


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Thanksgiving Recipes

I shared these recipes on Vanderbilt Wife ... three years ago! They are still two of my favorite holiday recipes and make an appearance pretty much every Thanksgiving and Christmas. The cranberry chutney makes canned, jellied sauce seem laughable and can be cooling in the fridge in 15 minutes. The lattice crust on this pie seems fancy but is simple; and because it is served cold, you can make the pie a day or two ahead and have extra time - and oven space - for your holiday feasts!

From our kitchen to yours, enjoy.

Cranberry, Cherry, and Walnut Chutney

from Cooking Light, November 2005

1 c. sugar
1 c. water
1/2 c. port, sweet red wine, or 100% grape juice
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 c. dried tart cherries
1 pkg. fresh cranberries
2/3 c. chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 tsp. grated orange rind
1/4 tsp. almond extract
orange rind strips, optional

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Add cherries and cook 1 minute. Stir in cranberries; Return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, until all cranberries pop.

Remove from heat. Stir in walnuts, rind, and extract. Garnish with orange rind strips if desired. Cover and chill.

[Combine leftovers with a can of mandarin oranges and pour over raw chicken, then bake in the crockpot on low 6-8 hours for an amazing dinner!]

Cherry Cheesecake Pie

from Woman's Day Magazine

1 box refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts) (or homemade)
1/2 c. sugar
1 T cornstarch
2 (8 oz.) bricks Neufchatel cheese
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 can cherry pie filling
1 egg white, beaten

Heat oven to 350.

Fit 1 crust in a 9-inch pie plate. Cut other crust into 1-inch strips.

Mix sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add cream cheese; beat with mixer until smooth. On low speed, beat in egg and extract.

Spread batter evenly in crust; spoon pie filling on top.

Brush crust strips with egg white. Place strips over top in lattice pattern.

Bake 50-60 minutes, until crust is golden brown.


Linking up with:
Sweet Tooth Friday
Mouthwatering Monday
Tasty Tuesday

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Pecan Doodle Cookies

Do you suffer from grocery amnesia? I can't count the number of times I've gotten halfway through a recipe and went to reach for that ingredient I was sure I had just to find it wasn't there after all. My short-term memory is just nonexistent, so this is a regular occurrence in my kitchen.

Solutions?

A. Beg Send husband to store to pick up forgotten ingredient(s), while trying to maintain quality of already-cooked recipe.

B. Go to neighbor's house. This works if you have friendly neighbors with well-stocked cupboards. If you live in a dorm with others who eat in a dining hall and are rarely home during the day anyway? Not so much.

C. Improvise or substitute.

The frequency with which I use Option C is the reason why I can't direct my husband to just prep a recipe. It's sad.

I was in the middle of prepping my Secret Recipe Club find for the month when I was forced to pursue Option C. Barb's Almond Doodle Cookies looked delicious to me. And then I went to grab that bag of sliced almonds I was sure was in the freezer ... and alas, it wasn't there. Anywhere.

So I used pecans.

Fascinating story, right?

Barb's blog, Mom's Fridge, is full of monthly menu plans, simple recipes, and COOKIES. I love cookies. I don't do much normal cooking anymore since we generally eat in the dining hall, but I do bake for us and for the boys who live in our dorm.

These delicious, puffy, sugary cookies will definitely be in my repertoire now. The cinnamon-pecan blend is a little unusual but absolutely mouthwatering.

Pecan Doodle Cookies

makes 3 dozen

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. almond extract (or vanilla)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 T cinnamon, for rolling

With a stand mixer, cream butter, sugar, almond extract, and eggs. Add flours, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt and mix until well-combined. Stir in nuts.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake on greased cookie sheet 12 minutes at 375F (do not flatten balls).  Cool on wire racks.

Obviously Libbie (3) helped with making some of the cookies.

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Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies

Remember how I said that I don't like pumpkin spice lattes? These cookies have convinced me that I need to give them another chance. I still don't like pumpkin-flavored brewed coffee, but maybe the extra milk and stuff makes it tolerable. Honestly, I'm not sure I've ever had one of the Starbucks PSLs; I just haven't ever liked pumpkin and coffee together.

These cookies change everything!

I was baking some of my regular pumpkin cookies as a treat for my husband, who is having a crazy week at work. I started thinking about these coffee chocolate chip shortbreads I made for Bible study this weekend ... and how I had some extra instant coffee hanging around ... and how much people like those pumpkin spice lattes ...

I couldn't resist trying out a variation on my regular cookie, even though I knew it might make Mr. V hysterical. (I've mentioned his opposition to my changing anything about his mama's meatloaf recipe, right?) I kept the cookie recipe the same but added some coffee pizzazz to the icing, along with a shot of heavy cream for that "latte" feel.

The result: delicious! Make some. Now. If you don't have any instant coffee, just put some strong brewed coffee in there and see what happens. I bet it's still delicious.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies

makes about 3 dozen cookies


2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter (can sub shortening or use a mixture of the two)
1 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Sift the first five ingredients together (flour through salt).

In a separate bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Beat well.

Add dry ingredients all at once and stir gently to form a smooth batter.

Drop by tablespoons on an ungreased cookie sheet. (I use a small cookie scoop.) Bake 12 to 14 minutes at 350.

Let rest on cookie sheets for a few minutes when they come out of the oven; then transfer to cooling racks and let cool.

Frosting:

3 T butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp instant coffee granules
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 T heavy cream

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add milk, brown sugar, and coffee granules and bring to a bubble over medium heat. Once bubbling, cook two minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. (I transfer to a bowl and refrigerate.)

When cool, stir powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream into the sugar mixture. Spoon or drizzle over cooled cookies.

Are you a pumpkin spice kinda person?

Added to Tasty Tuesday and Sweet Tooth Friday.




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Parmesan and Herb Chicken Fingers

It's time once again for the Secret Recipe Club reveal! This month my assigned blog was The Cookaholic Wife. Nichole shares "sweets, treats, and recipes for beginners"—a great site to find some yummy desserts on.

I needed an appetizer, though, to share with the other women on the retreat I went to this past weekend. So I settled on Parmesan and Herb Chicken Tenders, a Rachael Ray adaptation.

I decided to forgo the frying step in the recipe, simply because I know I can make crunchy, baked chicken fingers; also, it's another pan I would have to wash. I hate washing dishes.

I also had to make some changes in the herbs. (I didn't realize the amounts were for fresh herbs, either, so I may have gone a little herbalicious!) We just moved, and the spice containers I use were still packed. I was missing several spices, so I exchanged the rosemary and thyme for plain old Italian seasoning, which I could find. I'm sure fresh herbs would be divine as well.

Here is my version of the chicken fingers, with props to Rachael Ray, Nichole, and Sara at The Piggly-Wiggly.

Parmesan and Herb Chicken Fingers with O'Charley's-Style Honey Mustard Sauce

Makes 15-20 tenders

You will need three dishes for chicken-dipping, if you don't have the Pampered Chef coating tray set that I am coveting.

 

 

In thing 1:
1 1/2 cups flour (whole wheat or white)

In thing 2:
3 eggs
1/4 c. + 2T water

Beat water and eggs together in dish.

In thing 3:
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 T Italian seasoning
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 1/2 T minced garlic
3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
generous sprinkling of salt and pepper

Mix all together with a fork.

You also need:
cooking spray
1 1/2 to 2 pounds chicken tenderloins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Place baking racks on top of two rimmed cookie sheets (I use cooling racks on top of jelly-roll pans). Spray racks with cooking spray.

Dip tenders in flour; shake off excess. Dip in egg and then coating, coating well and pressing the panko mixture on. Place tenders on racks. Spray tenders with cooking spray or drizzle with olive oil.

Bake 20-25 minutes, until tenders are cooked through and slightly brown. Serve with honey mustard or spaghetti sauce.

O'Charley's-Style Honey Mustard Sauce

1/2 cup salad dressing (Miracle Whip)
3 T dijon mustard
2 T honey
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes or a pinch cayenne pepper

Stir all ingredients together well. Refrigerate until serving. Makes about 3/4 cup sauce.

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Cranberry-Citrus Cookies and Care Packages

A while back, we did a post on ParentLife Online about mailing care packages overseas to active military troops.  It's one of those things I've meant to do for a long time and just never have. The next time I was at the post office, I went ahead and got a flat-rate box and promised myself I WAS going to follow through on something this time!

My thoughts went to a new friend of mine whose husband has been overseas the whole time I've known her - and most of her son's life. Her baby is two days younger than David, and I can't imagine spending most of that first year on my own. No help with night wakings. No "please take the baby so I can take a 10-minute bath." It's all her.

I never hear her complain, though, and she has been nothing but an encouragement to me as our parenting styles are similar. I wanted to bless her family and show our thanks by sending her husband a package. My friend insisted it go to his whole unit, since they don't all get packages. She is so kind!

I searched the Internet for cookies that would hold up to being mailed overseas during the dead of summer. No chocolate. Nothing soft. I finally found these Cranberry Cookies and modified them slightly. They are chewy, citrusy, and delightful; and from what I heard, the unit in Iraq thought they were pretty darn good, too!

Cranberry and Citrus Butter Cookies

Adapted from Blisstree.com
Makes about 6 dozen

1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup milk
2 T lemon juice
1 T orange zest (dried or fresh)
1 large egg
3 cups AP or white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans
1 to 1-1/2 cups dried cranberries (sweetened is fine, and you can sub any dried fruit you like, although I don't think raisins would work very well)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cream butter and sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy and combined. On low speed, mix in lemon juice, orange zest, and egg.

Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add pecans and cranberries and fold to combine well.

Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes, until edges are brown. Let sit on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire cooling racks.

To package for shipping, put cookies in gallon plastic bags. Pop popcorn and cool; then put it in additional plastic bags. Pad the bag of cookies with the bags of popcorn inside a box. Add letters, cards (kid-decorated are fun!), magazines, or toiletries items. Send off!

Added to Foodie Fridays at Designs by Gollum and Sweet Tooth Friday at Alli-N-Son. 

I recommend:

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Shoyu Chicken Sushi

Don't leave! I solemnly swear that I would never eat raw chicken. I'd never had chicken sushi either, but anything's worth a shot.

OK, now that we have that covered, it's time to introduce my blog from the Secret Recipe Club this month: Grumpy's Honeybunch. Shelby is the mom of some grown kids and the wife of "Grumpy." She makes mostly health-conscious recipes and shares them, as well as many links to other great sites. I loved Grumpy's commentary on her recipes--reminds me of my husband!

(P.S. If these "lighter" stuffed jalapenos had been there when I was searching for recipes, I TOTALLY would have made them. I probably still will!)

I got very daring this month and let my husband (Mr. V) pick a recipe from the site. He chose Shoyu Chicken, which is apparently Hawaii's answer to teriyaki. First off, you should know the chicken itself is divine. It's sweet-spicy with a great depth of flavor. We marinaded the chicken overnight and then cooked it on a grill pan; but you could use an actual grill (we don't have one) or bake it in the oven.

But Mr. V and I were already planning to make sushi for our anniversary on July 31st. We had seen in How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman a recommendation to make sushi with teriyaki chicken; but when we came across the Shoyu Chicken recipe the whole plan came together!

Mr. V and I were sushi-at-home novices, but found the process not to be too difficult after a trip to the Asian market. Here is what you need for some awesome at-home sushi!

Shoyu Chicken Sushi

chicken thighs, cooked and shredded, from a recipe of Shoyu Chicken 
sushi rice
cucumber and/or carrot cut into long strips
toasted nori sheets
pickled ginger and wasabi for serving, optional

For each roll, lay out a sheet of nori on top of a bamboo sushi mat. Spread out a small amount of rice over the nori, leaving about an inch space at the top and bottom. Put your fillings - chicken and vegetables - as close to the bottom of the sheet as you can while still being on top of the rice.

Roll away from you tightly using the bamboo mat. Cut into six rolls with a freshly sharpened knife.* Serve with soy, pickled ginger, and/or wasabi.

*I sharpened my large chef's knife, per instructions from a friend. I found the best way for slicing was to make a small slit on the top and then use it to cut the rest of the way through, rather than bearing down on the whole piece at once, if that makes any sense.

I served the leftover chicken with sauteed baby bok choy and fried green tomatoes with an Asian spin. SO good!

Enjoy your sushi, and then go visit the rest of my friends in group A of the Secret Recipe Club.



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