Snickerdoodles!

With Fall peering in between the heat I figure it was time for a good cinnamon recipe. I love cinnamon, it is one of my favorite spices. If you have a baked good of mine and you aren't sure what that subtle flavor is in the background...guess cinnamon, it is usually the right answer. Because I don't want to overload the blog with fall recipes (and I have many that need to be prepared and pictured), I thought I would start with a nice and simple Snickerdoodle cookie recipe. Snickerdoodles are fairly new to my life. I can guarantee that I had never tasted a snickerdoodle cookie until I had graduated from college (the first time). I don't know why, I think it has to do with the fact that few people in my family bake cookies on a regular basis and that I was always more tempted by the double fudge or sugar cookie at Great American Cookie Co (yes that was two facts, but nobody ever says "it has to do with the facts").

When I tried a snickerdoodle for the first time (and it was I that made them on the request of a friend) I was floored. These are amazing I thought...no...they are the perfect non-chocolate, non-oatmeal cookie. A simple and light slightly sugary, slightly buttery cookie that is crisp on the outside and soft and tender on the inside! Magnificent! Then you coat it in cinnamon (sigh) and sugar! Wow! I love the way the cookies "crackle" a bit when done if you have made them right.

I use a recipe out of my Betty Crocker cookbook. It is simple (making the dough literally takes 10 minutes in my stand mixer) and I usually have the ingredients on hand. Make sure you do not over bake...nobody likes a super crispy snickerdoodle.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose or unbleached flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
(P.S. I usually make more cin sugar mixture than this, but it is a good starting point, we usually have tons on hand because we like it on fruit and in our oatmeal)

1) Heat oven to 400ºF.
2) Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, the butter, shortening and eggs in large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
3) Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls.
4) Mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
5) Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
6) Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack



Enjoy!

Adventures with Goat Cheese

Tonight we had a delicious salad/bread combo that I had to recommend. We are very fond of dinner salads and tonight was no exception. We tossed fresh spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, shaved red onion, and avocado together. No big deal right...just another everyday salad...oh no my friends...that wasn't the end of it. The first batch of pomegranates showed up at our local grocery store last week so we added pomegranate seeds. I am not really a fan of pomegranate juice, but I really love how fresh pomegranate seeds burst in your mouth with a sweet, yet tart, almost grapefruit taste. We then added marinated and grilled (thank you George Foreman) skirt steak that was thinly cut against the grain of the meat (please ladies and gentlemen...cut your skirt steak against the natural grain of the steak). We then topped it off with goat cheese crumbles. It was delicious. Sweet, savory, tart from the cheese and pomegranate seeds, creamy avocado contrasted with crunchy cucumber...oh yum! We dressed it with a modified version of Matt's mom's balsamic dressing (balsamic vinegar, sugar, olive oil, a touch of mustard, and an ice cube shaken together). It was a perfectly sweet and tart addition to the salad.

We also served it with one of my favorite little treats. We rather enjoy Panera's baguette bread. It is perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside and the cell distribution of the bread is amazing. It is a perfect mixture of large and small air pockets which is important to the baking and tasting process. We cut the bread, slather it with goat cheese (the spreadable kind like Chaverie works best for this), and top it with shaved red onion. Put it in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, top with cracked black pepper and if you desire, a drizzle of olive oil and consume. So delicious, so simple, I am so going back into the kitchen for more.

Enjoy!

Yuck, but ok...

I am so not into Chili's Restaurants. I usually get terrible service and an overpriced stomachache for all of my troubles when I go there. I go there because when you are trying to get 6 or 7 people to decide on a place to eat, it is better to be the path of least resistance. I am going to Chili's later this week with some friends from my old job to have a beverage. We usually order chips and salsa and maybe a snack. I found a link to get free chips and queso by signing up for their email list. I will indulge them for an email or two if it means more enjoyment for the people I am going with. If you, too are interested in free chips and queso the website it... chilisemailclub.com . Enjoy?!?

Chocolate Oreo Goodness

So I do not think I posted this recipe before...if I did, I apologize, blame it on baby brain...

This recipe is perfect for the upcoming holiday parties where you volunteer to bring a dessert or cookie to share with the group. This is way easier than baking cookies from scratch and it is almost as easy as the already made cookie dough. These Oreo Balls (there is no other word to use for them, they are balls) are soft, moist, and delicious in the middle and surrounded by a firm chocolate coating on the outside. They don't taste like oreos so you will have everyone guessing as to what your ingredients are...

Ingredients:
One package of oreo type cookies (I have used the store brand and reduced fat before and they have been great)
One package of cream cheese (again, store brand, reduced fat is great)
One package of Chocolate Bark (it is in the baking aisle by the cocoa powder and chocolate chips)

Steps:
In large food processor (I do this in two batches) process the oreos and cream cheese together. Make sure it is well blended. Put in fridge for at least one hour. After mixture is chilled take out and begin forming into little balls (I use my cookie scoop, a melon baller would work well too). Heat a few squares of chocolate bark at a time in the microwave (20 sec, stir, repeat until melted). Drop the oreo balls into the chocolate bark and make sure it is covered. Use forks or fingers to remove and place on wax paper. When chocolate coating is set, consume with pleasure!

If you would like to top with crushed candy canes, a bit of cocoa powder, or cinnamon, do so when the coating is not set (immediately after taking out of the coating). This way the bits will stay attached into the coating....





If you want a candle in one for a birthday, just press in before the coating is set.

I have thought about trying this with mint oreos around Christmas but haven't...yet. My sister-in-law has a similar recipe that involves making a red velvet box cake and breaking that up with a container of cream cheese frosting, then repeat the same method with the chocolate bark. The red velvet cake is pretty at Christmas.

Enjoy!

Traditional Bread Pudding

Because fall is approaching and I was perusing food pictures that are waiting to be blogged, I decided to post the Luby's Bread Pudding recipe. I know what you are thinking...Luby's...yuck! I happen to love Luby's and treasure my eating there with my family dearly. There are definitely some items I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole, but most of their items are quite good. I also like that I can go and eat the veggie plate (with either 3 or 4 veggies and a roll) and Matt can still get his carnivorous intake (by ordering the Luann with a meat, two veggies, and a roll).

The bread pudding recipe is good. I cannot vouch for the bread pudding in the actual restaurant. In fact, restaurant bread puddings in general should be avoided (except for Madden's blackberry pudding...which I might have the recipe for...I'm not at liberty to say). The recipe for this bread pudding is traditional and comes out slightly crunchy on top with perfect bread pudding softness under the top layer. The egg mixture, bread, raisins, and pecans mix well together. My Grandaddy loved this bread pudding so much that he would specifically go to restaurants, order it, taste it, then proceed to tell the waiter and manager that mine was better!




Here is their actual recipe, I will add my modifications at the bottom...

Luby’s Bread Pudding with Lemon Sauce
“A Most Requested Recipe”

CINNAMON SUGAR
6 T granulated sugar
2 T ground cinnamon

PUDDING
3 c milk
7 extra-large eggs
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 t vanilla

6 oz. (6 to 8 slices) white bread,
torn into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 c raisins

LEMON SAUCE
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 c fresh lemon juice
2 T cornstarch
1 T plus 1 1/2 t water
4 drops yellow food color

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. For cinnamon sugar, in small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon.
3. For pudding, in large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla until well blended.
4. Place bread in 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle raisins. Pour milk mixture over bread and raisins. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. 5. Cover with foil.
6. Bake 45 minutes.
7. Remove foil and continue baking 10 minutes.
8. For sauce, in small saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice. Mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
9. In custard cup or small bowl, mix cornstarch, water, and food color until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Add to saucepan,
stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Serve over pudding.

Serves 8.

We usually add more raisins (sprinkle them in until "it looks right") and add pecans (same amount as raisins). We also make extra cinnamon sugar and sprinkle a bit throughout the bread mixture. Lastly, we have never made the lemon sauce, instead we serve it warm with a healthy dose of heavy whipping cream poured on top. So enjoy this decidedly fall/winter dessert. It always makes an appearance at my Dad's for Christmas dinner with Prime Rib and other traditional Charles Dickens like fare...

In case you are traveling

Here is an article about 10 of the must eat foods in different parts of the USA...I have always talked about making a foodie trek to do some of these things...

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-35710989

Blackberry Cobbler

A quick little thumbs up for a store bought item...

Today we took a Blackberry cobbler over to a friends house to share with ice cream. We bought the HEB brand because it was considerably less and we had read that many stores offer a satisfaction guarantee on their items (so we wouldn't lose anything monetarily...just immediate enjoyment of cobbler). We popped in the oven according to the directions and let it sit after an hour of cooking until we were ready to partake. The cobbler was great! The crust was flavorful and crusty (how ironic, I know) with nice butter flavor, but without imitation butter feel. Their was also a top and bottom crust which for me is a definite deal breaker! The filling set up nicely and didn't get watery juice everywhere. There was a nice fruit to syrupy goodness ratio and the blackberries tasted fresh. So give it a try if you are looking for an easy dessert. It was only 2.96 and paired nicely with a 1.50 pint of Blue bell vanilla ice cream. You would be hard pressed to make a homemade cobbler for less than 3 bucks...