23 Tuesday Aug 2016
Posted in Chocolate, Comfort Food, Desserts, Toppings
Ingredients
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
In 2-quart saucepan, heat milk, chocolate chips and sugar to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat.
Stir in butter and vanilla until sauce is smooth and creamy. Cool about 30 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Store covered in refrigerator up to 4 weeks.
04 Wednesday Nov 2015
Posted in Comfort Food, Cookies, Uncategorized
When Ally and James were little we collected a series of Sesame Street books from the grocery store. There was a new one each week for several weeks. At the time I thought this was the best sugar cookie recipe ever! I always used to go and get Volume 1 off the shelf when I made them. Then suddenly we didn’t have the books anymore and I couldn’t remember what had happened to them. I didn’t have a copy of the recipe either because the book was always so handy. It may have been in the box of toys we lost when we moved from Clayton to Houston in 1996. The one that Kristina’s Treehouse and all the vintage Barbies were in. Or we could have donated them somewhere, forgetting about the recipe.
Anyway, I did not have a copy of the recipe and every time I went to make sugar cookies I missed this recipe! I do love the the sugar cookie recipe Allyson shared from her aunt, Melinda Colton. So today I clicked on a link to a chocolate chip cookie recipe on The Kitchn website (Yep, that’s how they spell it) and when I got to the bottom of the recipe I was interested in I saw these words, “So You Know: Cookie Monster’s Famous Sugar Cookie Dough Recipe.” And I actually got a bit excited as I clicked on the link, thinking, “Could it really be THE recipe after all these years.” Sure enough, there is an actual image of the page from the book! It is the recipe! Here is the recipe including The Kitchn’s tips for baking since they weren’t included in the book.
Ingredients-
3/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon saltEquipment-
Medium-sized mixing bowl
Measuring cup and spoons
A forkInstructions-
1. Put 3/4 cup of butter or margarine (that’s a stick and a half) into your mixing bowl. (I would make this in my Kitchen Aid)
2. Measure 1 cup of sugar.
3. Pour sugar over butter.
4. With fork, squash butter and sugar together until they are blended.
5. Crack shells of two eggs and pour eggs over mixture in bowl.
6. Measure 1 teaspoon vanilla and pour over mixture.
7. With fork, blend everything in the bowl together.
8. Measure 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and pour over mixture in bowl.
9. Measure 1 teaspoon baking powder and sprinkle over flour.
10. Measure 1 teaspoon of salt and sprinkle over flour and baking powder.
11. Mix everything together either with the fork or with your hands.
12. Put dough in icebox to chill (at least one hour)
There are no instructions for baking from this print, but a quick search for others’ experiences with the recipe and recommendations say to roll out cookies 1/4 inch thick, sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 400 degrees.
04 Wednesday Nov 2015
Posted in Comfort Food, Cookies, Uncategorized
So be warned…I have only made this recipe once and they turned out very dry, as in they were little Hockey Pucks! Now, that could be attributed to my poor cooking skills when I was in my twenties or it could be that they were never very good. I remember grandma telling me that the recipe was for drop cookies and she just added more flour.
I loved these cookies when I was young. Grandma made them only for Christmas and Easter and kept them until they were gone in a white Tupperware container.
Here is her recipe in her handwriting-
05 Saturday Sep 2015
Posted in Comfort Food, Lunch, Main Dishes, Pasta
Super easy and much better than the kind from the blue box!
3 T of butter
3 T of flour
1- 12-13 oz. can of evaporated milk
1-16 oz. box of macaroni
1 cup of milk
2 cups of grated cheddar cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
Cook the macaroni according to package directions. While the macaroni is cooking, melt butter in a saucepan and once melted, add flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the can of evaporated milk and the other cup of milk. Stir occasionally until it coats the back of a spoon (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let sit, add salt and pepper. After a minute, add grated cheddar cheese and stir until creamy. Add to drained pasta and serve. This recipe makes the equivalent of two boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese.
22 Saturday Aug 2015
Posted in Bar Cookies, Brownies, Chocolate, Comfort Food, Desserts
METHOD-
22 Saturday Aug 2015
Posted in Chocolate, Comfort Food, Cookies, Desserts
I haven’t tried these yet! I’ll report back when I do. I found this recipe at NYT Cooking.
Method-
20 Thursday Aug 2015
Posted in Bar Cookies, Brownies, Chocolate, Comfort Food
That is the description the Food Network gave these brownies. The recipe is from The Wire Whisk. I haven’t made them yet. I plan to soon. Mascarpone makes everything “the best,”right? Thanks for sharing this brownie recipe Allyson!
Ingredients-
1 cup unsalted butter
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I might try Scharfenn Berger chocolate for these since I can get it at Target)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, softened
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Ganache-
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Method-
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by 8 square baking pan with parchment, leaving at least a 2 inch overhang. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Pour in the hot butter and let stand for 30 seconds. Stir until completely melted. Sift in the sugar and cocoa powder. Beat in the mascarpone, eggs, and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Gently fold the flour and salt into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Check at 35-40 minutes. it is so easy to overcook brownies. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
While the brownies are cooling, make the ganache. Place the chocolate (6 oz.) in a mixing bowl and set aside. Bring the cream and butter to just below boiling point in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture until smooth. Spread the ganache over the brownies while it is still warm. Allow the ganache to set completely before cutting into squares. Once they are cooled completely, use the parchment over hang to gently lift them out of the pan. I cool mine brownies in the refrigerator so this step works out better.
19 Wednesday Aug 2015
Posted in Brownies, Comfort Food, Desserts, Quick and Easy
I have quite a brownie thing going on here in my attempt to find a good recipe again. I had this problem for several years with chocolate chip cookies until I finally found the Subarashi Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I deleted this recipe awhile back when it failed me. Then I regretted getting rid of it. It’s back, I am so glad Ally sent it to me.
Ingredients-
2 cups sugar
1 cup melted butter
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup flour
1- 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Method-
Combine melted butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs and mix until smooth. Add flour, cocoa powder and salt and stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake in a well greased 13X11″ pan (who has a 13X11 inch pan????It must mean 9X13!”) for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. The sides will begin to pull away from the pan. Don’t over bake!
18 Tuesday Aug 2015
Posted in Bar Cookies, Brownies, Chocolate, Comfort Food, Desserts
I made these today with gluten free flour. They were thick and good! I think I’ll like them even better when made with regular flour. The original recipe is found on the Hershey’s website.
Ingredients-
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Method-
1- Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 9X13 inch pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
2- Place butter in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave butter for 1-1/2 minutes or until melted. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add cocoa; beat until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat well. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3- Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownies barely begin to pull away from sides of pan. Be careful not to over bake. It is so easy to over bake brownies. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. I usually put them in the freezer for a few minutes before using the foil to lift them out of the pan and on to the cooling rack. Peel away the foil and cut into bars. Makes about 24 brownies.
18 Tuesday Aug 2015
Posted in Bar Cookies, Brownies, Chocolate, Comfort Food, Desserts
In a separate bowl, whip eggs with brown sugar.
Mix flour with baking powder and salt. Add this dry mixture to egg/ brown sugar mixture. Mix in the butter-chocolate mixture. Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup chocolate chips and nuts. (Some nuts and chocolate chips may be saved to sprinkle on top of the brownies before baking.) Spread batter into a prepared pan.
Bake for 25 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. Cool before slicing.