Homemade Peanut Butter Cups I’ve always wanted to make my own chocolate and peanut butter cups. The recipes are so easy, I’m not sure why I’ve never gotten around to it until now. They really took no time at all, in nearly 30 minutes I was already sinking my teeth into these oh-so-rich peanut butter cups. I looked at a few recipes and skipped on most of them. Some of them used shortening, or called for ingredients I didn’t have. I used the recipe from Have Cake, Will Travel; they looked like the perfect ones. My notes: I took the advice from Have Cake, Will Travel and added 2 tablespoons of peanut butter to the melted chocolate; I did not add extra salt; I melted the chocolate in a heavy-bottom saucepan rather than the microwave; I used regular sized cupcake liners, not minis, so mine are closer to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups size; I used the freezer instead of the refrigerator to set up the chocolate on the bottom. They are so delicious. Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter CupsAdapted from Have Cake, Will TravelMakes 12
Homemade Oreos I almost never repeat recipes. I have soooo many recipes bookmarked and dog eared that it just doesn't make sense to bake the same thing twice. This recipe is the exception. These cookies are the most demanded item that I bake. As a matter of fact you probably won't even believe me if I tell you who requested these cookies. I first saw these cookies on Smitten Kitchen (one of my absolute favorite blogs, ever!) The filling is a dead ringer for the oreo filling. These will definitely impress anyone you make them for.
Easy Fried Rice with Chicken Have leftover chicken or rice? This easy Fried Rice with Chicken is a quick and easy meal you can get on the table in 15 minutes. (Or less if you don't have to cook the rice!) We eat a lot of Tex-Mex inspired meals around here so this Asian favored dish was a yummy departure from the norm. I used leftover chopped chicken that I cooked the other night and instant brown rice. The dish got 2 thumbs up from the hubby and daughter and only one thumb up from my son. Easy Fried Rice with Chicken Ingredients: 3 cups cooked rice (brown or white, which ever you prefer)2 cups cooked chicken, chopped3 tbs sesame oil1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)3/4 small onion, chopped3 to 4 garlic gloves, minced or about 1 tsp garlic powder3 eggs, slightly beaten1/4 cup soy sauceDirections: Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Looking for more quick and easy dinner solutions? Enjoy! Don't miss any more posts!
Mozzarella Sticks When I told my friends I was planning on making homemade mozzarella sticks for a guy’s weekend out of town the idea was met with a profound lack of enthusiasm. Everybody knows that I like to experiment in the kitchen, but somehow the idea of making a bar food staple like mozzarella sticks from scratch seemed like a complete waste of time to the group. After being lectured about the innumerable brands available in the freezer section at the grocery store and a heated debate about whether marinara or ranch is the better dipping accompaniment, I decided to risk further heckling and see if I couldn’t one-up T.G.I. Friday’s in my own kitchen. It might have been the alcohol, but the first batch was gone within a matter of seconds. With the right breadcrumbs, fragrant Italian spices and an organized assembly line for the essential double-dredging technique, perfect, scratch-made mozzarella sticks can be made at home in no time and with little effort. For the Mozzarella Sticks: Serves 4
Chocolate Turtle Cookies I hope you’ve saved room for one last cookie recipe, because these were my favorites of the season! When Steph, the social media manager from America’s Test Kitchen, sent me a copy of I had a hard time deciding which cookies to make. I asked Joseph if he could help me narrow down the options and when I opened the cover he saw these chocolate turtle cookies and said, “Those. Make those.” I told him he couldn’t take the easy way out; he had to look at all 64 recipes and tell me which one he wanted. But even after going through the entire special issue, he stuck with his original answer: the chocolate turtle cookies. And frankly, it’s just further proof that I picked out the perfect guy because he was so right. I know, it’s a new year, and eating healthier is on nearly everyone’s list of resolutions. Ingredients 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened 2/3 cup sugar 1 large egg, separated, plus 1 egg white 2 tablespoons milk
Party Food! Pizza in a Bite October 20th, 2008 by katie Getting together to watch a game? Or maybe watching a different sort of game? Pizza bites are awesome party food. This recipe makes three trays which means you can pop them in the freezer and always have a quick appetizer on hand. Pizza Bites 2 recipes pizza dough (or 2 cans refrigerated pizza dough)8 oz block mozzarella cheese4 oz thin sliced pepperoni2 tsp Italian seasoning (combine oregano, basil, parsley, and garlic)1/4 cup olive oil3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheesepizza or marinara saucePrepare pizza dough and roughly chop pepperoni. I used to use the refrigerated pizza doughs for this recipe, but I actually find the homemade dough far easier to work with. Basic Pizza Dough 1 pkg active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp loose yeast)1 cup warm water1 tbsp olive oil1 tsp salt2 3/4 cup flourCombine yeast and warm water, stir to dissolve.Add oil, salt, and flour. What’s for dinner this week?
Chocolate Wasted Cake Ever since my brother started using the phrase "I wanna get chocolate wasted" from the movie Grown Ups I've been wanting to make this cake for his birthday. Being a chocoholic myself, I had no trouble coming up with ways to fill this cake with layer upon layer of chocolatey goodness. Just looking at this cake, I think you'll agree that it definitely deserves its name. Photo Credit: Ryan Rivera To create this chocolate beauty, I baked two layers of delicious chocolate cake. Then, I completely covered the sides of the cake with Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips. Next, I topped the cake with an assortment of chocolate candies. Last, I drizzled some melted chocolate all over the cake. I hope this cake inspires you to create your own chocolate wasted cake. Special thanks to Jef at My Food Geek for sharing some food photography tips with me recently. Chocolate Wasted CakeThis is an egg-free recipe I created to accommodate my son's food allergies. Preheat oven to 325 350 F degrees.
Asian BBQ Chicken - Once Upon A Chef Think of this dish as Chicken Teriyaki with a South Asian flair, or India meets the other flavors of Asia. It sounds exotic but it’s actually kid-friendly and easy to make. The marinade is a simple mix of soy sauce, brown sugar, fresh lime juice, a bit of oil, garlic, ginger and spices. After the chicken marinates a few hours, you simply grill it until it turns a dark, golden brown, then scatter finely sliced scallions over top. Note: For the chicken, you’ll need boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Ingredients 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 2-3 limes1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil3/4 teaspoon Garam Masala (substitute curry powder if you can't find it)3 cloves garlic, minced1-1/2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (use less if you don't like heat)8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs2 scallions light and dark green parts only, thinly sliced
General Tso’s Chicken My friend Peng has been bugging me to make General Tso’s chicken for several months now. He lives in California and is really into the Asian-Mexican fusion thing, so he’s fixated on the idea of a General Tso’s burrito with fried rice and kimchi. I don’t know how I feel about that, but I’m nothing if not accommodating, so here I am…making General Tso’s chicken. I don’t usually order General-anything from Chinese restaurants, but Dan loves the stuff. Wikipedia tells me that while General Tso’s chicken is thought to have originated somewhere in Hunan Province, China, there is no historically recorded recipe for it in Hunan, and General Tso’s own living descendants, when interviewed, had never heard of the dish. Whatever the origin, it seems like everyone I know loves General Tso’s chicken, Chinese people included. So, it turns out that General Tso’s chicken isn’t all that hard to make. General Tso’s Chicken (Adapted from Appetite for China’s recipe)