So yesterday I started following a recipe but halfway through I decided it sounded boring so I strayed from the path and made it my own! And I would proudly like to announce that is turned out wonderfully! Hope you enjoy this as much as we did!
Cozy Cream Chicken
Start out by putting 2 large chicken breasts in the bottom of a crock pot. Sprinkle with a packet of Hidden Valley Italian dressing mix and add 4 tablespoons of butter and a tablespoon of minced garlic to it. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of water with 1 chicken bouillon cube, 1 8 oz package of cream cheese, and 3/4 cup half and half. Once this is all melted together, stir in 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
Add a few sprinkles of green Tabasco sauce to the chicken. Then break it up into pieces...all I needed was a fork it was so tender. Add the cream cheese sauce to the crock pot and let it cook on low for about another hour.
Boil 1/2 pound pasta (I used large shells). Add to the crock pot and serve! So so tasty!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
Just a head's up...these are AMAZING and adorable! Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 4 large Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup Peanut Butter
- 3 tablespoons milk, or as needed
- 2 - 2 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
Peanut Butter Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.
- In a separate bowl, combine cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
- Beat in vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Gently fold in Peanut Butter Cup pieces.
- Divide batter into cupcake liners.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cream butter and Peanut Butter until fluffy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, alternating with a little milk at a time.
- Beat well, until desired consistency.
- Frost cupcakes and garnish with a Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
Peanut Butter Frosting
The only thing I will change next time is the amount of liquid I add to the frosting. I needed a little bit more to make it a little smoother after frosting the cupcakes...you live and learn!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake
So good! If this wasn't good, I was going to be so angry because it took me half an hour to find my springform pan (and my husband actually ended up finding it after he came home from work). I was so not happy! But it turned out amazing and I'm pretty sure you can eat it for breakfast because it is part cinnamon roll! Yummo! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Cinnamon Roll Batter:2/3 cup white sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
½ cup whole milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cheesecake filling:2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons flour
3 eggs
Cinnamon Filling:1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting:3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch Springform pan.
For the Cinnamon Roll Batter:In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Add the egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat for another minute. Scrape down bowl.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine the sifted and creamed ingredients together. Mix on low speed until thoroughly combined.
Spread half of the batter onto the bottom of the Springform pan. This is the hardest part. It will be sticky and thick so spray your hands with baking spray and press down. It doesn't need to be perfect - it's very forgiving. It will be a thin layer but will rise up during baking. Transfer the remaining batter to a small bowl and set aside.
For the Cheesecake Filling:Using a stand mixer or hand mixer (a clean bowl), beat cream cheese and sugar for 2 minutes on medium-high speed in a large bowl.
Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
Add the vanilla and flour and beat for another minute.
Pour all of the cheesecake batter on top of the cinnamon roll batter that is in the prepared pan.
Cinnamon Filling:In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Drop spoonfuls of the cinnamon filling over the entire top of the cheesecake making sure not to get too close to the sides. If you get too close to the sides the filling could bubble out when baking.
Take the rest of the base batter and drop spoonfuls over the entire top of cheesecake. Swirl gently with a knife. The batter is thick but just gently do it the best you can.
Bake for about 45-55 minutes or until the center is set. Cake will be puffy and lightly browned. You can cover it will foil for the last 10 minutes if it is getting too brown for your liking. Let chill for 20 minutes at room temperature and then cover and move to fridge for 4 hours. Remove cake and let it warm up to room temperature just a bit. Drizzle with Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below).
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:Beat together cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Mix in additional milk if desired to reach the consistency you like. Since the top of the cheesecake is pretty delicate, I opted to drizzle the frosting instead of using a spatula. I placed all of the frosting in a large gallon Ziploc bag. I snipped off the corner with scissors and drizzled the frosting in a crisscross pattern.
I would have taken a picture, but there is less than half left :) Oops!
I lied...here is a picture of what is left!
Ingredients:
Cinnamon Roll Batter:2/3 cup white sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
½ cup whole milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cheesecake filling:2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons flour
3 eggs
Cinnamon Filling:1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting:3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch Springform pan.
For the Cinnamon Roll Batter:In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Add the egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat for another minute. Scrape down bowl.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine the sifted and creamed ingredients together. Mix on low speed until thoroughly combined.
Spread half of the batter onto the bottom of the Springform pan. This is the hardest part. It will be sticky and thick so spray your hands with baking spray and press down. It doesn't need to be perfect - it's very forgiving. It will be a thin layer but will rise up during baking. Transfer the remaining batter to a small bowl and set aside.
For the Cheesecake Filling:Using a stand mixer or hand mixer (a clean bowl), beat cream cheese and sugar for 2 minutes on medium-high speed in a large bowl.
Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
Add the vanilla and flour and beat for another minute.
Pour all of the cheesecake batter on top of the cinnamon roll batter that is in the prepared pan.
Cinnamon Filling:In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Drop spoonfuls of the cinnamon filling over the entire top of the cheesecake making sure not to get too close to the sides. If you get too close to the sides the filling could bubble out when baking.
Take the rest of the base batter and drop spoonfuls over the entire top of cheesecake. Swirl gently with a knife. The batter is thick but just gently do it the best you can.
Bake for about 45-55 minutes or until the center is set. Cake will be puffy and lightly browned. You can cover it will foil for the last 10 minutes if it is getting too brown for your liking. Let chill for 20 minutes at room temperature and then cover and move to fridge for 4 hours. Remove cake and let it warm up to room temperature just a bit. Drizzle with Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below).
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:Beat together cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Mix in additional milk if desired to reach the consistency you like. Since the top of the cheesecake is pretty delicate, I opted to drizzle the frosting instead of using a spatula. I placed all of the frosting in a large gallon Ziploc bag. I snipped off the corner with scissors and drizzled the frosting in a crisscross pattern.
I would have taken a picture, but there is less than half left :) Oops!
I lied...here is a picture of what is left!
Monday, October 8, 2012
Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Sauce
This is a delicious cake with a just-sweet-enough caramel sauce that is a perfect dessert for this fall weather! I tried in out on our small group last night, and they loved it! Hope you enjoy!
Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Sauce
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 cup vegetable oil
CARAMEL SAUCE:
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
Dash salt
1-1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. In another bowl, beat the eggs, pumpkin and oil until smooth; add to the dry ingredients. Mix until well blended, about 1 minute.
2. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350ยบ for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
3. For sauce, combine the brown sugar, flour and salt in a saucepan. Stir in water and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cut cake into squares and serve with warm sauce.
Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Sauce
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 cup vegetable oil
CARAMEL SAUCE:
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
Dash salt
1-1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. In another bowl, beat the eggs, pumpkin and oil until smooth; add to the dry ingredients. Mix until well blended, about 1 minute.
2. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350ยบ for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
3. For sauce, combine the brown sugar, flour and salt in a saucepan. Stir in water and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cut cake into squares and serve with warm sauce.
This is sooo tasty and I really hope you give it a shot! I recommend pouring the sauce right before you eat it, as opposed to pouring it all on the cake. Even the next day, this cake is super moist and delicious. It totally satisfies my sweet tooth and pumpkin cravings this time of year, without being too sweet or pumpkiny ( I made up that word!) Let me know if you try this out and what you thought of it!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Better Than Take-Out Sweet and Sour Chicken
First off, I have to say, this was A-MAZING! I can't wait to make it again-maybe a double recipe!
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sweet and Sour Chicken
The chicken coating:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
salt + pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
The sweet and sour sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
4 tbs ketchup
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt
Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Cut chicken into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.
Absolutely amazing...my husband declared it better than any take-out! I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Creamy Crock Pot Chicken
This is a super versatile recipe that could be used over noodles, on buns, the inside of chicken enchiladas, or just eaten by itself!
Creamy Crock Pot Chicken
Ingredients:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken
16 ounces sour cream
1 packet Italian dressing mix
1 packet onion soup mix
Directions:
1. Place chicken in the bottom of the crock pot.
2. Mix all other ingredients together.
3. Pour mixture over chicken.
4. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
5. Shred chicken with a fork or tongs.
6. Serve over hot noodles or rice, on buns, or add some green chilies and stuff inside enchiladas!
Enjoy this super easy recipe!
Creamy Crock Pot Chicken
Ingredients:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken
16 ounces sour cream
1 packet Italian dressing mix
1 packet onion soup mix
Directions:
1. Place chicken in the bottom of the crock pot.
2. Mix all other ingredients together.
3. Pour mixture over chicken.
4. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
5. Shred chicken with a fork or tongs.
6. Serve over hot noodles or rice, on buns, or add some green chilies and stuff inside enchiladas!
Enjoy this super easy recipe!
The Best Cookie I Have Ever Made
These cookies are almost too good for words! I made 8 dozen in 2 days and they were all gone 3 days later! Good thing swimsuit season is almost done :)
Snickers Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 24 mini Snickers
• 1 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚
1. Place flour and baking soda together in a bowl and whisk to combine; set aside
2. Place 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking and suing the handle of pan to swirl butter around in the skillet. Swirl butter constantly until it becomes dark golden brown in color and gives off a nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to large, heat-proof bowl. Stir remaining 6 tablespoons of butter into hot butter until completely melted.
3. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla to brown butter mixture and whisk until fully incorporated. Add eggs and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Rest mixture for 3 minutes, then whisk for another 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth and shiny. Using sturdy rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
4. Put a small amount of dough on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Place mini Snickers on top of each dough blob. Cover each Snickers with a large tablespoon of dough.
5. Bake until cookies are golden brown, but still puffy with the edges beginning to set, but the center still soft - about 10 to 14 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.
These are so amazing and so worth the extra time in making the brown butter! I tried putting a big blob of cookie dough on the sheet and wrapping the Snickers bar, but found it to be MUCH easier to put a little dough down, then the Snickers, then cover the Snickers with additional dough! I hope you enjoy these as much as we did! :)
Snickers Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 24 mini Snickers
• 1 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚
1. Place flour and baking soda together in a bowl and whisk to combine; set aside
2. Place 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking and suing the handle of pan to swirl butter around in the skillet. Swirl butter constantly until it becomes dark golden brown in color and gives off a nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to large, heat-proof bowl. Stir remaining 6 tablespoons of butter into hot butter until completely melted.
3. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla to brown butter mixture and whisk until fully incorporated. Add eggs and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Rest mixture for 3 minutes, then whisk for another 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth and shiny. Using sturdy rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
4. Put a small amount of dough on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Place mini Snickers on top of each dough blob. Cover each Snickers with a large tablespoon of dough.
5. Bake until cookies are golden brown, but still puffy with the edges beginning to set, but the center still soft - about 10 to 14 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.
These are so amazing and so worth the extra time in making the brown butter! I tried putting a big blob of cookie dough on the sheet and wrapping the Snickers bar, but found it to be MUCH easier to put a little dough down, then the Snickers, then cover the Snickers with additional dough! I hope you enjoy these as much as we did! :)
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