Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes

Who doesn't love a piece of Texas Sheet Cake? This recipe takes the basic Texas Sheet Cake recipe and converts it into cupcakes. When I finished baking, I had Jake (16) test them out.
He loved them, then almost fell off his chair laughing when I told him what they were called.
Why so funny? Because one of his friends (who will remain nameless)  LOVES to say Sheee-it  (with extra emphasis on the eee). Instead of the S-word.
Jake thought I was saying "Texas Sheee-it Cake Cupcakes".
Hilarious, Jacob.

Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes

adapted from Blue-Eyed Bakers

print recipe


For the cake:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/3 cup boiling water
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting:
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
4 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4-6 tablespoons milk to thin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

dash of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar & salt and set aside.

In a large pan on stove,  melt butter. Stir in cocoa powder & boiling water.  Mix well. 

Remove from heat and add dry ingredients, stir until just combined. I use a large whisk to combine ingredients.
Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda & vanilla. Stir into the chocolate/flour mixture and mix until fully incorporated, using either a hand mixer or large whisk. Fill prepared pan & bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

Melt butter in a saucepan.  Remove from heat. Add cocoa powder, vanilla and dash of salt. Whisk or use beaters and mix until smooth. Add powdered sugar  and 4 tablespoons milk and beat until smooth again. Add more milk if needed. 

Top with chopped pecans.

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes

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Funeral Potatoes 101 or What Mitt Ate Last Night (part two)

Did you see the debate last week? I'm not a big fan of politics in general. In fact, every time we see a politician make a speech, see a campaign commercial, or watch a debate, the conversation usually goes like this:

me: sheesh, I would never want to be a politician.
grant: you could not pay me enough to be a politician.
me: being the wife of a politician would be the worst.
grant: that job would stink.
me: you know, people say the same about lawyers.
grant: no they don't.
me: yes they do.

So.
That said, newsflash- we are Republicans.
I know, you're shocked. Mormons and Republicans.
And we like Mitt.  Mittens, as we affectionately call him. Not that we know him, but you know how that goes. We talk like we do.
Anyway.  Remember when I posted that JELLO recipe several months ago? I titled it "What Mitt Ate Last Night". This is the second recipe in the installment of "What Mitt Ate Last Night".
Classic Mormon food.
This will either make you :
a) feel warm and fuzzy inside, and run to the nearest grocery to buy some Cream of Chicken Soup.
or
b) stop subscribing to this blog.

Everyone needs a recipe for this dish in their files. Guaranteed to comfort and clog the arteries. This is my favorite version of Funeral Potatoes. Been making it for 30 years. Funerals, family parties, neighbor dinners, you name it, this dish goes with it.
Bon Appetite :)





Funeral Potatoes
A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe

12 large Russett potatoes, boiled, then peeled and grated or
1 large  24-32oz package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, divided

1/4 cup  melted butter
1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each

Topping options:
1 cup Panko Crumbs or 2 cups crushed Corn Flakes + 2 tablespoons melted butter (optional)
or

1/2 cup grated cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in middle of oven.

Place butter, chopped onions, salt and pepper in a sauce pan over medium heat. Cook just until onions are softened. Place soup, sour cream, 2 cups of the grated cheese in a large bowl. 

Pour the cooked onion/butter mixture over the soup mixture in the bowl. Mix well. 

Add grated potatoes.  Fold ingredients together. 

Pour the mixture into a 9x13 greased pan. 

If using topping, spread the Panko or cornflake mixture or additional 1/2 cup of cheese over the top of the casserole and bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and golden on top. 

Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
About 16  side dish servings.

Tips:

-This recipe has oodles of variations, here are a few:

• You may cut ham into cubes and place in the casserole. 
• I have used low fat sour cream and low fat soup with good results. It is better with regular  soup and sour cream, but is fine with low fat. 
• Some people use part cream cheese, cut into cubes, and cut some of the sour cream and or cheese.
• The onions may be substituted with green onions.   
• You may use flavored cheeses such as Smoked Gouda or Pepper Jack in place of the cheddar cheese.

-Almost everyone makes this recipe with frozen hash browns. That's fine in a pinch, or if you are making it for the masses. Make sure if you use frozen potatoes to thaw them before using.
Funeral potatoes taste best when you take just a little more time and cook your own potatoes. Scrub the russets, boil them until tender. Peel the potatoes and grate them before folding in the soup mixture. Make sure to always boil the potatoes with the skins on, to avoid watery tasting potatoes.

-I like to use Russets when making funeral potatoes. Never use Yukon Golds, the texture is too waxy.

-This recipe freezes well. Follow the recipe and cover with foil or saran wrap. To cook, place in oven at 325 for about 1 hour. You may take it directly from the freezer and bake. You may need a bit more or less time depending on your oven. Sometimes I put it in my oven at 275 for 2-3 hours.  When I bake a frozen dish, I cover it tightly with foil until it's done so it does not dry out. I remove the foil the last 15 minutes of baking or broil for a couple of minutes to get a golden top. 

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Honey Lime Enchiladas

Just finished watching the Utes get beat by Utah State.
PAINFUL.
Oh well. Maybe drowning myself in Honey Lime Enchiladas will help.
Think so?
Me neither. But it couldn't hurt.
If you are looking for a twist on the same old enchilada recipe for Sunday dinner, give these a try.
They won't disappoint.
PS-I would double this recipe if I were you. If you don't, you'll wish you would have.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Mel's Kitchen Cafe

print recipe

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1-2 limes)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 pound chicken, cooked* and shredded , about 2-3 large chicken breast halves
8-10 medium flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce**
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup cream


Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken.Place ingredients into a Ziploc bag and let marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably 6-8 hours in refrigerator.
Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a greased 9X13 baking pan.
Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.
Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with half and half, cream and leftover marinade.
Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Serves 6


Tips:

* For the chicken, I placed 6 large frozen chicken breast halves in a crock pot on low heat for about 4-5 hours. Salt and pepper generously. Add about 1 cup of water, chicken broth or green chili salsa. Shred when chicken is cooked. It is best to do this early in the day, or the day before you want to use the chicken in a recipe. 

-**I made my own green enchilada sauce here's a link to the recipe.

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Triple Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

I still remember the first time I ate an ice cream cake. I was 16 and it came from Baskin and Robbins in my (then) little hometown of Bremerton, WA. My friend Lance worked at B&R on Wheaton Way.  I loved going in and chatting with him and eating a scoop of Fudge Brownie (dark chocolate with brownie chunks) on a sugar cone. One day, I had a slice of an ice cream cake.
Oh.
My.
Finding two of my favorite treats in one dessert- cake and  ice cream, topped with frosting, this was love.
Several years later, when I had kids, I started making ice cream cakes for them. It was way less expensive than buying a birthday cake and always tasted better. Ice cream cake was (and continues to be) a big hit with kids and adults alike. It's simple and one of those treats you'll get requests for over and over again.
This is my new favorite cake recipe to use when making an ice cream cake. So simple to make, you only need one bowl. It's adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe found here.  I modified it to bake up at our mountain altitude, and added sour cream for an extra moist cake.  Love the texture. It's dense enough to support the ice cream and frosting, and still fairly light, like a cake should be. I used Tillamook's "Udderly Chocolate" ice cream for the filling. YUM.

Are you still reading? Do you want to know who the winner is for our "blogiversary" giveaway? Me too. Okay, here goes.

Winner of 10 gift certificates for Tillamook yogurt; 3 gift certificates for Tillamook ice cream; the Tillamook Cheese Cookbook; and the Vintage Cakes Cookbook by Julie Richardson is...

Comment #9, Mandy B who said:
"My favorite cake is my mom's birthday cake - white or yellow cake with her special birthday cake frosting!"

Thanks everyone for playing and for all of your kind comments about this blog and sharing your fave cakes.  Now here's the recipe. Give it a try, let me know what you think...

Step-by-step assembly for your viewing pleasure :)

After you have made and completely cooled the cake, place it on a plate, or  a 10 inch cake pan lined with wax paper. Scoop the ice cream onto the cake. I use a large spoon, because I don't want the ice cream to come out in large rounded scoops. Start covering the first layer with ice cream.

FYI- this is Tillamook's "Udderly Chocolate" a mixture of milk chocolate, white chocolate and chocolate flakes.  Cover the entire top of the first layer with ice cream.

After you have covered the first layer with ice cream, top it with the second cake layer. Place another piece of parchment or wax paper on top of the cakes and press down to bring the sides of the cake together.

Finished product:

Wowie.

Triple Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe

3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ice cream, 1.75 quart container of chocolate (I used Tillamook)
Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)

Place rack in center of oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2-9 inch round cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment, and dust with cocoa.
Into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on medium speed, stir in eggs, buttermilk, warm water, sour cream, oil, and vanilla until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, remove from pans and cool completely. I place the layers on a cooling rack in the fridge to cool them quickly.

Chocolate Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3-4 tablespoons milk or cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

dash of salt

Cream butter, powdered sugar and cocoa in a large bowl. Mix in milk and vanilla, add salt. Beat until smooth add a little more milk if needed.

Assembly, three basic steps:

1. When cakes are cooled completely, place one of the cakes on a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper. I like to place the cake in a 10 inch Spring form pan or 10 inch cake pan, but a plate will work as well. Scoop the ice cream onto the cake. I use about 3/4 of the container. Try to make an even layer of the ice cream, then place the second layer of cake on top of the ice cream. Using another piece of parchment or wax paper, Press down on the top layer of cake. Don't worry the cake will not be ruined, press down evenly, so the ice cream will be compacted and the layers meet up more closely on the sides. Don't cry if part of the cake sticks to the paper, just scrape it off an eat it as an appetizer.
* see additional note below about pressing down on cake.

2. Place the cake in the freezer for at least two hours.

3. When ice cream cake has been frozen for at least two hours, remove from freezer and place on serving plate. Frost top and sides of cake. Place back in freezer and let sit for at least another hour.
If preparing ahead and cake is frozen for several hours, remove about 30 minutes before serving to allow for easier cutting.

Tips:
-Don't let the length of this recipe intimidate you. It's basically cake, ice cream and frosting. Best to start this recipe the day before serving. You can make the cakes, and place in the freezer or fridge for easy handling. Make sure to freeze on a  flat surface.
-I have used lots of different recipes over the years. Boxed, home made, they all work well with ice cream cakes. But home made is always best :)
-You may use any flavor of ice cream. I thought when I picked up this flavor it was plain chocolate. While I loved the flavor and taste of "Udderly Chocolate", I prefer a solid color for the ice cream layer. I just like the way it looks as opposed to the mixed brown and white of this particular carton of ice cream.
-*Pressing down on the second layer of cake: This step is important if you want to be able to frost the sides of the cake and avoid huge gaps between the cakes. Press down evenly. It may be helpful to press down using a cookie sheet to get an even surface.
-This cake keeps well in the freezer for about 2 weeks if covered tightly with plastic wrap.

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Fresh Strawberry-Jello Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting & Giveaway!

Guess what this week is? A Bountiful Kitchen's four year blogiversary.  Whoohoo.
Time to celebrate!  What says celebration better than cake, ice cream and presents?
Let's have a little giveaway. How about a couple of cookbooks -one from me, one from Tilly (mook) and gift certificates for ice cream and yogurt, also from our favorite, Tillamook! Here's the deal...

Two cookbooks:

 This one's from me. 

Guess who donated this one? 

Three of these, any flavor...

Twelve of these, any flavor and variety (light, regular)

The recipe- I made this yummy Strawberry cake a few weeks ago, by request for a family wedding celebration. It's really simple, and uses fresh strawberries in the cake and the frosting. Great for a summer celebration or a girl birthday. Or a Blogiversary ;)

The giveaway- Leave a comment, let me know- what's your favorite cake? Check back on Friday. I'll post the winner (one winner, chosen by Random Counter) and another celebration cake, made with Tillamook ice cream.  You're going to love it.



PS- I was not paid for this post, or given free products. The opinions stated are my own.

Fresh Strawberry-Jello Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

A Bountiful Kitchen, adapted (quite a bit)  from Paula Deen

print recipe

1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix*

1/4 cup flour
1  small (3-ounce) box strawberry-flavored instant gelatin
8-9 oz fresh strawberries (weight after trimming tops off) about 1 small basket, crushed or blended
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water 

1 teaspoon vanilla
Strawberry cream cheese frosting, recipe follows

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened (make sure this is room temperature)
about 2-3 fresh strawberries, cleaned and trimmed, chopped
5 cups powdered sugar 

dash of salt

small amount of milk or cream to thin the frosting if needed
sliced or whole strawberries, for garnish, optional


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with parchment paper, grease pans.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, flour and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil, water and vanilla; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared pans, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, cool completely on wire racks.

Fresh Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in chopped strawberries.  Gradually add powdered sugar and dash of salt, beating until smooth. Thin with milk or cream if needed.

Spread frosting in between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with fresh strawberries, if desired.

Tips:

-This recipe was tweaked according to several suggestions by reviewers on the Food Network site. 

-*I used a Betty Crocker Cake mix. The suggested cake mix weight in the original recipe is 18.25 oz. However, I found only generic (store) brands in this size of cake mix. I opted to use a popular name brand instead. I also used Jello brand gelatin. 

-The cake will have a bright pink/red color. 

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Limeade Slush

Last night my friends Mel and Jo put on a party for 60 ladies in our neighborhood. They served Southwest Salad with Cilantro Honey Lime Dressing, Chicken Taquitos, chips and salsa to go with the Mexican Fiesta theme. 
We read Mexican sayings/quotes: 
La suerte no es como la preñez, que dura nueve meses 
translated-
Luck is not like pregnancy which lasts for nine months
Um, ok. 
Put flowers in our hair. Is this a Mexican tradition? We had a long conversation about this. 
Broke a pinata, filled with (of course) Chicklets. Laughed and visited until the sun went down. 
For dessert they made Mexican Wedding Cookies (Cooks Illustrated version) which were absolutely delicious. And a chocolate cinnamon chile cookie. Yum. To top it all off we had a refreshing lime slush. 
Making slush is really simple. Throw all of the ingredients together, freeze, and a few hours later scoop it into cups and top with a little soda. You're going to love this . 
Ole. 





Limeade Slush
Jo Cash
print recipe


1-12 oz can of frozen limeade, mixed up according to directions
3 cups sugar
8 cups water (in addition to the water you will add to the limeade concentrate)
Juice of 5 limes (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
2 drops green food coloring


10-12 oz cups, about 30
1- 2 litre bottle 7-Up


The day before serving:
Mix first 5 ingredients together in large container. Stir until all sugar is dissolved. 
Freeze overnight or until completely solid. 
Take mixture out of freezer about 1/2 hour before serving and set on counter to thaw slightly. 
When ready to serve, use a large serving spoon to scrape the frozen mixture into cups. 
Fill with frozen limeade to top of cup.  Slowly pour in soda until cup is filled. 
Makes about 30  10-12 oz servings. 
Tips:
-A deep container works best for serving purposes (easier to scrape out frozen juice). A shallow pan (9x13) will freeze faster. You will need 2-3 9x13 pans. 
-I've also had this slush with diet grapefruit soda in place of the 7-UP. 

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Strawberry Freezer Jam 101

Raise your hand if you have never made jam.
Cooked or freezer.
Serious??
You've never made jam?
This post is about to change your life. A happy life. You can have it. Once you have made your own jam. And it's sitting on your counter. Every time you walk by, it will make you smile. It will make you feel like you have accomplished something. Tuck it away in your freezer. Take a new jar out every few weeks. Smile again. You are worth it. Your family is worth it. Happiness in a jar.
Have I convinced you yet?
Here it is, step by step instructions. This is simple. Takes about an hour start to finish to make about 6 pint jars*. Six months worth of smiles.
You'll never go back to store bought.
Promise.

Start with fresh, ripe strawberries. Two pints of strawberries.  Wash, hull and cut in half. Set aside. Prepare jars too. Wash and dry 1-2 cup jars or plastic containers. Make sure to have tight fitting lids.



Crush the strawberries with a food masher, food processor or blender. Don't puree too much, the jam should have bits of fruit. Pour berries into a measuring cup. You will need two cups of crushed berries.

 Measure out 4 cups of sugar and set aside. This step is important. I can't begin to tell you how many times I used to dump sugar into the bowl of crushed strawberries, and then lost count. Whoops. Now I always pre-measure into a separate bowl.

Stir the sugar into the crushed fruit in a large bowl. Mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes, stir occasionally.

Stir one box of Sure Jell Pectin and 3/4 cup cold water in a small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Boil one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Stir pectin mixture into fruit mixture. Stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy, about 3 minutes. A few sugar crystals may remain.

Pour the jam into prepared containers, leaving about 1/2 inch space at the top for expansion during freezing. I like to use a funnel made for canning as shown above. It fits into any size jar, and makes it easy to fill jars with liquids. I think I paid about $1 for it about 20 years ago.

 Almost done! After filling the jars, take a clean washcloth that is a little moist, and go around the edge of the jar to remove any jam that may have slopped over the edge.

Screw on the lids tightly. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours until set. Refrigerate up to three weeks, or store in freezer for up to one year. Thaw in refrigerator.
PS - I left that jar opened on the left for ahhhem, testing purposes.

Strawberry Freezer Jam
Sure Jell Pectin recipe
print recipe

2 cups crushed fresh strawberries (about 2 pints)
4 cups sugar
1 (1.75 ounce) package Sure Jell 100% Natural Premium Fruit Pectin
3/4 cup water

Mix crushed strawberries with sugar, and let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, stir the pectin into the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 1 minute. Stir the boiling water/pectin into the strawberries. Mix well.

Ladle the jam into clean jars or other plastic containers.

Place tops on the containers, and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours. 

Place into freezer, and store frozen until ready to use.

Yield 3 pints

Tips:

-It's always a temptation to double the recipe in one bowl. I did this for several years to save time, against the warnings from experienced jam makers. After batches of runny or not quite right jam, I have learned to stick with one batch at a time in a bowl. I still make more than one batch at a time, just use a separate bowl for each batch. 

-*I always make a double batch. 

-Four cups sounds like a lot of sugar, and it is! If you want to cut the amount of sugar, look for the low-sugar box of pectin. It works well. If you cut the sugar in this recipe, and use the Sure Jell pectin I used, your jam will turn out runny. Follow directions, choose the right pectin while at the grocery. 

-I have used various types of pectin, and like Sure Jell the best. Some brands require using Corn Syrup in addition to sugar. With the Sure Jell freezer recipe, it's just fruit, sugar, water and pectin.

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Cutler's Brownie Marshmallow Cookies

It's no secret that brownies are my favorite (and cookies, cake and pie). When I need a chocolate fix, and want to avoid baking, my car steers itself to Cutler's. These cookies are a little bit of choco-marshmallow heaven on earth.
Curt Cutler, the B-town Cookie King, taught a class at a South Fork recently. He's always willing to share tips and tricks to making perfect cookies. Curt's #1 tip? Using cake flour in all of his cookie recipes. When you are baking at a high altitude (we are at about 4,400 ft in Btown), adding additional flour or using cake flour is essential to produce cookies that look like cookies, and not pancakes. Another tip- Curt used to buy marshmallow creme until a little while back, when the supplier wasn't able to deliver- he checked out a few recipes and started making his own. Oh my. So good. Simple too. Forget about that stuff in the tall glass jar at the grocery. Once you whip up Curt's marshmallow creme,  you'll never look back. Trust me, you'll love these cookies.

Cutler's Brownie  Marshmallow Cookies

Cutler's Cookies, Bountiful, Utah
print recipe

1 cup butter

1 2/3 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder

2 1/3 cups cake flour*

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until blended well. Add dry ingredients and mix.  Cookies can be rolled, formed into drop cookies, or pressed into a 9 x 13 pan (double recipe and bake time).  Roll and form cookies and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  Cookies are done when top is slightly cracked and no longer looks wet.

Marshmallow Creme

3 egg whites

2 cups light corn syrup

½ teaspoon salt

2 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

Combine egg whites, corn syrup, and salt.  Beat on high speed for 10 minutes or until thick.  Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until blended.  Add vanilla and blend.  May be frozen for later use.

Chocolate Frosting

1 cup butter

4-5 cups powdered sugar

milk

½ cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat soft butter, cocoa, and powdered sugar together until smooth. Add a splash of milk and vanilla, blend well.

Assembly:

Spread cooled cookies with about 1 tablespoon of marshmallow creme. Top the creme with frosting. 

Try not to eat the whole batch before your kids get home from school. 

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Italian Oven Fries

We had these at River's Run last time we visited Mary and Will in Mississippi.  I use this recipe when I'm short on time and want to whittle away at the 50 lb bag of Idaho potatoes in my garage. It's a quick, kid friendly side dish that goes with almost any meal. YUM.

Baked Italian Fries
adapted slightly from Mad Hungry
print recipe

6 or 7 Idaho Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/3-inch-thick French fry-style strips, soaked in cold water
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs or some combo of dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, and basil
2 cups freshly grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) salted butter, cut into cubes
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400* degrees.
Drain the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Spread 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on each of 2 rimmed baking sheets and spread out the potatoes. Overlapping is fine.
Sprinkle the dried herbs evenly over the potatoes. Liberally spread the cheese and parsley on top. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the cheese. Scatter the cubed butter around the pans.
Bake until the potatoes are golden brown, rotating the pans after 30 minutes, for 45 to 50 minutes total. Use a spatula to lift off the potatoes with all the crusty cheese adhered to them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. 

Potato Prep: For a French-fry cut, peel the potatoes and slice lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Stack the slices on top of one another, a few at a time, and slice lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick strips. Peeled and sliced potatoes can turn brown pretty quickly. To avoid this, try floating the peeled, cut pieces in cold, salted water. When you're ready to cook, drain them and pat dry.

Tips:

-Soaking the potatoes in water is not necessary if you are in a hurry. I have made this recipe several times and skipped this step.

-You may also skip the peeling step. Just scrub the potatoes clean before slicing. 

-* I turn the oven to 425 convection and bake them for about 20 minutes total.

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Cook's Illustrated Beef Tacos

One of my favorite dinners as a kid was tacos. How I loved taco night! It's a favorite at our home too. Well, maybe my favorite, because it's such a quick and easy dinner. My usual taco night ritual includes throwing some lean ground beef into a pan, adding a chopped onion, some V-8 juice and a package of taco spice mix. Lately, I've been on a "make your own mix" kick. I found this recipe from Cook's Illustrated and decided to give it a try. Yum. Loved it. 
Oh, and in case you are super lazy and don't love your family and are thinking "why would I make these when I can jump in the car and pick up 3 tacos for $1 at Taco (fill in the blank) ??"  Read this:

 In a study conducted...it was found that Taco Bell’s “meat mixture”, which it dubs “seasoned beef” contained less than 35 % beef. If these figures are correct, the product would fail to meet minimum requirements, set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to be labeled as “beef”. The other 65% of the “meat” is made up of water, soy lecithin, maltodextrin, silicon dioxide, anti-dusting agent and modified corn starch (amongst other ingredients more suited to a test tube than a taco). Full article found here.

Yikes! The "meat" is less than 35% meat????  Scary.

Taco Tuesday. 
This one's for you. 




Cooks Illustrated Beef Tacos
Cooks Illustrated
print recipe


Tacos:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt
1 pound extra-lean ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
8 taco shells

Directions:
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. 
Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. 
Stir in the garlic, spices, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant about thirty seconds. 
Stir in the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about five minutes. 
Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, and sugar until thickened, about 10 minutes. 
Season with salt to taste. 

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Super Simple 5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm probably the last person on the planet to try this recipe. I saw it the other day on my new found love, Pinterest, and pinned away. My comment was something like "Serious? 5 ingredient cookies?"
I wondered how good they could really be, without flour, and only 5 ingredients. I showed them to Jake and he said, "If these are good, I'm making them every weekend for girls, they'll think I'm a genius".
Hello, Jake, I hate to break it to you but it will take a lot more than this...
So we whipped up a batch. The skeptic in me thought -these will probably be awful.  Guess what? Pleasantly surprised. I followed the directions exactly, and in less than 1/2 hour we were sampling some pretty tasty cookies.
I'm thinking my friends (who will remain nameless)  that have cooking/baking challenges will be able to throw these together in a flash, and succeed in the kitchen! Great for peeps with gluten issues too. And college students. How about those living abroad who have trouble buying ingredients for treats? Everything except the egg can be packaged and sent.
Super simple, pantry-ready, yummy homemade cookies in just a few minutes. Yum.

5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp baking soda
½ heaping cup milk chocolate chips ( I like Guittard brand)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips. When blended, mix in the chocolate chips. Using a small scoop, form 1 1/2 inch balls (dough will be very wet and sticky) and place onto an un-greased parchment  or Silpat (silicone) lined cookie sheet*. Don't  make them too big because they spread. 

Bake for 9 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely before removing. 

Tips:

-I also baked one pan without a liner of any type, ungreased on the cookie sheet, they did not stick and turned out just like the other pans. 

-I did not pat the scoops of dough down at all before baking. 

-Yield about 24 cookies. 

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Giant Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

My friend Eden Bennett gave me this recipe about 100 years ago.
I think it's the best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.
Ever.
Oh, make sure you have some milk chilling. You'll need a big, tall glass.













Giant Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Eden Bennett
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2 cups butter, slightly softened, no substitutes
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups quick oats
1 1/2 bags Guittard or other milk chocolate chips

The day before or several hours before baking:
Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until no longer grainy. About 3 minutes.

Combine all dry ingredients in bowl. Mix in a little at a time to wet ingredients. Do not over mix. Blend just until wet and dry ingredients are combined, You may also mix by hand to prevent over-mixing. Fold in chocolate chips.
Scoop dough onto one large jelly roll pan, using a 2-3 inch cookie or ice cream scoop. Place cookie dough onto pan, closely together until all of the dough is scooped out. You should have approximately 36 balls of dough.
Cover pan with Saran wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until dough is chilled completely.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place dough onto cookie sheets, no more than 6 cookies per pan. Slightly flatten top of cookie with spatula or palm of your hand.
Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cookies cool completely on baking sheet.

Tips:
-I like the flavor of Guittard Milk Chocolate Chips. The Guittard chips are also larger than a standard chocolate chip.
-To bring the butter to perfect temperature, remove from refrigerator and microwave 1 cup (2 cubes) at a time for 15-20 seconds.  Or set on counter for about 30 minutes.

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