Dylan & Erica’s Place…

My wonderful husband got me a cookbook for Christmas and it has nothing but cookies in it.  Its really neat.  Well on Sunday I asked Dylan what he wanted me to make out of this cookbook.  His choice.  I was certain it was going to have mint or peanut butter in it.  YUCK! I hate mint.. I hate peanut butter so I was thinking its not going to be a cookie I want.

Well I was wrong.  He decided to pick this cookie called, chocolate chip cookes in a cookie.  The recipe says this cookie is a cookie for all cookie lovers.  The lovers that love crisp chocolate chip cookies and the lovers who love soft chewy chocolate chip cookies.

This recipe is simple.  You make a batch of cookie dough.  Some of the cookie dough is baked into crisp cookies.  Then these cookies are cooled and mixed into the remaining unbaked dough and then baked together.

The result, a soft and chewy cookie with crisp pieces of cookie throughout the whole cookie.  My favorite cookie of all time. They were so good that less than 24 hours after they were baked, my cookie jar looked like this..

Twice Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies, Adapted from Elinor Klivans, 2005

2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups chocolate chips, semi sweet

Preheat oven to 350. Position oven rack in the middle of the oven. Line 2 sheets of baking sheets with parchment paper. One will be used later.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until blended, about one minute. On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing until it is incorporated, Mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop 10 heaping tablespoons (about 3 level tablespoons of each) of dough 3 inches apart onto one of the prepared baking sheets. Set the remaining dough aside. bake until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned but the centers are golden, about 13-15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Line the baking sheet with a clean piece of parchment paper.

Break the cooled cookies into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces.  Add the pieces to the reserved dough and mix on low speed just to distribute them evenly, about 10 seconds.  Using an ice cream scoop, scoop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until they feel firm on the top but are still soft in the center and the edges are beginning to brown slightly, about 15 minutes.  Cool the cookies on the  baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

I love cookies.  Nothing is better than a glass of milk and a hot warm soft cookie.  Whats my favorite?  Good question. Chocolate chip? Well that is good, however its a little too plain jane for me.  Chocolate chip oatmeal? Oh well those are delicious, but I wanted something different. I had some cranberries in the pantry that I needed to get rid of  therefore, chocolate chip oatmeal cranberry walnut cookies evolved in my kitchen.  They were delicious.  So soft.  So yummy.  They were so great Dylan ate AT LEAST a dozen.  I kid you not.  At least a dozen!  When I asked him where they all went, he smiled, and pointed at his belly and then he went upstairs to the treadmill.  And to make this even better is the fact that Dylan doesn’t even like cranberries! He claims you can’t taste them.  I think he just realized he likes cranberries.  One day everyone should ask him about his cream cheese adventure and if he likes cream cheese.

Enjoy these cookies with a nice cold glass of milk.  Oh and if you are trying to stay on your New Year Resolution.. Try making the cookies smaller and just eating one with skim milk.

Chewy Cranberry Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Adapted from here

1 ½ cups  All purpose flour
1 tsp Baking soda
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Ground cinnamon
2 ½ cups Old fashioned oats
2 sticks Unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup Packed light brown sugar
½ cup Granulated sugar
2  Large eggs, beaten lightly
1 T Honey
2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
6 oz Dried Cranberries
5 oz Chopped pecans about 1 cup 3 oz Mini chocolate chip morsels about ½ cuo

Directions:

• Oven to 350 degrees F.  Line sheet pans with parchment.
• Mix the dry ingredients together, then stir in the oats. Set aside.
• Beat the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, then scrape down the bowl; add the honey and vanilla and beat until blended.
• Add the flour mixture in two additions, beating each until well combined.
• Stir in the cranberries and pecans and chips.
• Drop by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on parchment lined sheet pans.
• Bake until the centers of the cookies are soft and no longer look wet; about 11-13 minutes.

Repeated from last week =)  

Recently I found this website, Blake Makes from Foodie Bride which gives out free food. Yes free food. I saw on Foodie Bride’s blog that she made some yummy yummy brownies with Peanut Butter Dulce de Leche. Who on earth would make such a thing. Doesn’t that person know there probably is 1,000 calories in one serving of that stuff? Seriously? There has to be. Well I don’t know exactly. I haven’t tried it…. YET. I should be receiving this finger licking goodness pretty soon. I heard its in the mail.

I was one of the lucky 40 or so people to get my hands on some Peanut Butter Dulce de Leche. Problem is.. What do I make with this goodness? I will only have one jar and man I want to make EVERYTHING and anything with this. Or wait, I just want to eat it. Darn it, I need to make something. Hmmm so I got to pondering…I thought about my dad. Let me tell you a little about my dad.

My dad is amazing. He is a wonderful baker (my mom is the “cook” in the family, my dad and I only know how to bake and fry stuff. Wow, we are alot like Paula Deen). Back to my dad. My dad is also a little nuts. He loves ice cream. Ice cream .. any kinda of ice cream. This man eats a bowl of ice cream every.single.night before he goes to bed. Every night. Every night. To make it even better he even has a candy bar with it. Yes this isn’t healthy but the man gave up drinking beer and started eating ice cream. I’m sure his doctor is happy :-).

I remember growing up my favorite thing to do on weekends is making homemade ice cream. My dad used to go to the store and get TONS of ice and rock salt and hours later we would have homemade ice cream. It was so good and yummy and Oh.My.Goodness CREAMY. Gosh I miss that. I got to thinking PBDDL ice cream.. this is going to be the best ever!!! I can’t wait to make it. You have no idea. With some sprinkles on top.. Thank you for stretchy pants and gym shorts.

First item of business make some ice cream with PBDDL. I have a feeling Ben and Jerry’s might be calling up Blake and me and wanting our recipes. Hey if Steven Colbert can do it, we can right?

So I did it everyone.  I made my first batch of Peanut Butter Dulce de Leche Ice Cream.  Yummy. It was so creamy and delicious.  The chocolate ice cream went SO well with the PBDDL.  Not to mention the peanut  butter cookies.  Nothing says dessert better than ice cream sandwiches. NOTHING! Take a look at my ice cream and enjoy.  Maybe one day Blake’s PBDDL will be on your selves in your local supermarket.  Or you could always take a trip out to New Orleans, get some gumbo, pralines, watch some LSU football, and visit Blake and get some PBDDL.  My next trip.. I’m so doing that =).  I’m so lucky to have a Louisianian husband!

Chocolate Ducle De Leche Ice Cream and Peanut Butter Cookies = Sandwiches! , Adpated from Emeril, 2004

For the ice cream:
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 pound semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
5 large egg yolks, beaten
1 small jar of Peanut Butter Dulce De Leche

For the cookies:
1 cup  crunchy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Ice Cream:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, heavy cream, sugar, and chocolate.
Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the chocolate melts completely.
Heat the mixture to the scalding point (where bubbles form around the edge of the pan).
Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl.

Whisk in 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into the beated egg yolks.

Then whisk the egg mixture into the remaining hot cream mixture in the saucepan.
Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to
coat the back of a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean mixing bowl.
Cover the top of the mixture with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator
until thoroughly chilled around 2 hours.

Process in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s directions.
When the ice cream is nearly completely churned, spoon in the peanut butter dulce de leche to create a swirl in the ice cream.

Transfer to an airtight, lidded container and freeze for 2 to 3 hours or up to overnight.

Cookies:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and position 2 oven racks in the center of the oven.

Combine the peanut butter, sugar, and egg in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth.
Divide the dough into 12 portions, each about 2 heaping tablespoons each.
Roll each portion in your hands to form a smooth ball.

Place the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Press down on each ball of dough with a fork to form a crosshatch pattern.

Bake the cookies, switching the baking sheet positions mid way through cooking,
until they are lightly golden, 12 to 14 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

I’ve always wanted to learn how to make biscotti and never knew how ridiculously easy it is. Just like making a normal cookie. As I said before I got a recipe book from my awesome husband for Christmas and Martha Stewart showed step by step how to make these “cookies”. I also used Foodie Bride’s version to help acquire just what I wanted.

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 3 large eggs,plus one large egg slightly beaten
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup shelled raw unsalted pistachios
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup white chocolate, chopped (for biscotti)
• 8 oz white chocolate, chopped (for dipping)
• 1 Tbsp vegetable shortening

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, 3 eggs, oil, and almond extract in large bowl until well blended. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in pistachios, dried cranberries, and 3/4 cup chopped white chocolate. Shaped each piece into a 16-by-2-inch log, and transfer to prepared baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. With the palm of your hand, flatten logs slightly. Brush beaten egg over the surface of dough logs, and then sprinkle generously with sugar. Logs may look slightly lumpy.

Bake logs until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Cool logs on sheet 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Carefully transfer logs to cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut log crosswise diagonally into generous 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place a wire rack on a large rimmed baking sheet. (The slices are baked on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, which allows air to circulate around the biscotti and eliminates the need to flip them during the second round of baking. Arrange slices, cut sides down, on the rack. Bake until firm to the touch about 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven; let biscotti cool completely on rack.

Line another large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place shortening remaining chopped white chocolate in medium glass bowl. Microwave in two increments of 30 seconds, stir until smooth.

Dip 1 end or 1 side of each biscotti in chocolate; place on baking sheet. Chill until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Biscotti can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Yields: ~3 dozen cookies
Adapted from Martha Stewart, Basics of Baking 2005 and Confections of a Foodie Bride

So my brother and husband wanted some cookies.. and I got a new cookbook for Christmas so I decided to make some peanut butter sandwiches (cookies).

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies , Adapted from Martha Stewart Baking Handbook, 2005

• 2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 1
• large egg
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cups of creamy peanut butter ( I used natural)
• *** Peanut butter filling (recipe below)

Mix together flour, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Mix together butter, peanut butter, and all sugars in an electric mixer on medium high speed until light and fluffy. About 2 - 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture until all combined. (Low speed).

Divide the dough in half and shape into two flattened disks. Wrap in wax paper and place in refrigerator at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325. If the dough has been refrigerated overnight, let dough stand at room temperature to soften. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 1/4 thickness. Using a pizza cuter, cut dough into 2 1/2 by 1 inch rectangles. Using the floured tines of a fork, score the top of each cookie. Place the cookies on a baking sheet (covered with butter or butter and flour etc). Place 1 1/2 inches apart, and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until lightly golden around the edges and firm in the center for about 15 - 20 minutes.

Once the cookies are cooled spread 1 tablespoon of filling onto the flat sides of the cookies. Sandwich with the remaining cookies, keeping the flat sides down.

Peanut Butter Filling, Adapted from Martha Stewart Baking Handbook, 2005

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter, (I used natural)
• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar ( I sifted mine)
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Combine all ingredients in electric mixer and mix on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Use immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days.

*** My husband claimed that the filling tasted like plain creamy peanut butter so if you don’t want to make this filling just use the rest of the creamy peanut butter and mix a small amount milk or heavy cream to make it a little thinner.

Cooked Ham

This recipe I made all on my own… Its amazing actually because it is so simple. My dad was amazed at the glaze I made and along with how it came out.

• 1 11 - 15 lb ham
• 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon of maple syrup
• 1 cup of orange juice
• dash of cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together until sugar has dissolved. Brush on ham 1/2 hour before ham is to be taken out.

Note: I used a roaster to roast my ham. I approximated the time to keep the ham in the roast. It took about 20 minutes per pound. It came out super juicy and super yummy!

Gingerbread Cookies

Christmas is nothing without gingerbread men. I made these Christmas Eve and my mom really thought they were from a box.

• 1 Stick of butter
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of Grandma’s molasses (this is the molasses I used)
• 1 egg
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tsp. of baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. of salt
• 1 tsp. of ginger
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. of ground cloves

Beat butter with sugar and molasses. Mix in egg. Sift dry ingredients and mix into wet mixture. Divide dough in half, form into 2 disks, and wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour in freezer or 2 in fridge.

Heat oven to 350F. Roll out portion of dough 1/4″ thick on lightly floured surface. (I had to use more flour than lightly, however my cookies came out wonderful. The key to rolling out dough is using flour and enough to make sure your dough doesn’t stick. Also when making cut outs make sure you also flour your cookie cutter). Important! Chill remaining dough. Ice cold dough is much easier to work with than room temperature dough. This is also a key to making gingerbread cookies.

Cut with cookie cutter, place on greased baking sheets. Bake 8 - 10 minutes. For soft cookies bake 8 minutes. For snappy cookies, in example, gingersnaps, bake for 10 minutes. Cool on cookie rack.

Yields: ~3 dozen cookies
Adapted from Grandma’s Molasses Original

Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 Granny Smith apple - peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 (8 ounce) wedge Brie cheese
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and apple in butter until tender and browned. Set aside.

Arrange brie on top of thawed puff pastry. Top the cheese with the apple and onion mixture. Fold puff pastry over the cheese, and pinch closed. Brush with melted butter.

Bake about 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Adapted from All Recipes

Fried Green Bean Bundles, adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

• 1/2 pound fresh green beans
• 3-4 green onions, cut into 8 strips
• good shake of Tony Cachere’s
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Heat oil to 350 in a deep frying pan. I used a mini fryer
Blanch the green onion strips - bring a small pot of water to boil and cook the green onions for 2-3 minutes, until ribbon-like. Drop into a bowl of ice water until cool.

Place the flour (seasoned with Tony’s, salt, and pepper) and buttermilk into separate dishes for battering.

Bundle 5 green beans by tying in the center with a green onion strip. As Foodie Bride explains.. Take a deep breath!! You will not get a tight bundle because the green onions (not green beans) will snap if you pull too hard. Pull the ends of the onions snugly around the green beans, don’t worry if they don’t feel that tight, and dip into the buttermilk and then in the flour, coating well. The more you coat the better the bundles hold together. Fry the bundles in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

Makes 8 bundles.