Flourless Peanut butter cookies

These are beyond Neat-O!

Just peanut butter, egg, sugar(pretty much) and done!

Next time I make these I think I will drizzle chocolate on top.  These things kept me coming back for more...cause theres NO flour!  Cheap, gluten-free,tasty treat. :)

Flourless Peanut butter cookies

Yeilds 18 cookies

1 Cup PB

1 Cup Sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

Coarse sea salt(optional)



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place racks in the upper and lower third of the oven.

In a medium bowl, mix the peanut butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until well combined. Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture about 1 inch apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten the mounds with the tines of a fork, making a crosshatch pattern on the cookies. Sprinkle coarse salt on top of the cookies.

Bake until golden around edges, about 10 minutes, switching the position of the pans halfway through baking. Transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Cookin with my cast iron

I recently bought a cast iron skillet(when i say recent i mean today.  Its a lodge cast iron 12", its huge and i only paid $12 for it!  I've wanted one but just couldn't bare to pay the price for a new one-thank goodness for thrift stores.  Anywho, time to time i come across a recipe that looks awesome but cant make because it requires a cast iron skillet/etc.  Well, here are two that i've been saving till i could get my hands on one.

  Queenie's Peach cobbler

• 1 stick of butter
• 1 C sugar
• 1 C flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 C whole milk
• 1 can sliced peaches, don't drain     
• I personally like some cinnamon in my mixture...so im going to add 1 tsp cinnamon

Melt butter in skillet.  In separate bowl mix sugar, flour, salt, powder, and milk.  Pour mixture into prepared skillet and add peaches.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
from: www.cookingincastiron.com 
image

Nectarine brown butter buckle
from here 

3/4 cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter, plus additional for greasing pan
1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of allspice
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup whole milk or buttermilk
1 1/2 pounds nectarines, halved, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges (about 4 cups)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Streusel
Reserved butter from cake (above)
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar
1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Brown your butter: Melt butter in a small/medium saucepan over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Keep your eyes on it; it burns very quickly after it browns. Set aside and let cool (the fridge will hasten this along).
Prepare you pan: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 10-inch round cake pan, springform or cast iron skillet with parchment paper and butter the paper and rest of the pan generously; set aside.
Make the cake: Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and allspice in medium bowl to blend. In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup cooled browned butter (set aside remaining 1/4 cup for topping), sugar and then eggs, one at a time. Stir in milk or buttermilk. Stir dry ingredients into this wet mixture; mix until just combined and spread batter in prepared pan. Toss nectarine wedges with lemon juice and arrange them in a single layer on top of the batter.
Make the streusel and bake the cake: Stir remaining brown butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt together until large crumbs form. Sprinkle the nectarine-topped batter with crumbs. Bake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack.

the most blogged about by Nie of famous oreo cookie recipe

Taken from: Cjanes blog


oreo cookies
(a la julie)



1 package of devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
3/4 cup of shortening

blend all together at once.

roll soft dough in small balls
on a cookie sheet.
(don't press down,
keep balls intact before baking)

bake at 350 degrees
for 8 minutes
(don't you dare over-bake)


frosting for the middle:

8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 stick of butter
2 tsp. vanilla
2 to 4 c. powdered sugar
mix until smooth.

when cookies are cool:
frost backs of cookies
and make sandwich with another cookie.


but the real test is "are they really considered homemade if its from a box?".

No.

so i did find this one:

chocolate cookies

1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda

Whisk together. In separate bowl, whisk together:

1 cup butter (If you use unsalted (why?) add 1/8 tsp salt)
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs

Combine. Drop small cookies onto greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350. Move to wire rack after they’ve cooled.

Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Whip until quite stiff (but not quite butter-like). In separate bowl, beat:

1 (8 ounce) pkg cream cheese (I use Neufchatel, because I am extremely calorie-conscious)
1 cup white sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. If too soft, refrigerate for a bit (and next time whip the cream more before folding, and don’t over-fold). Assemble cookies, or just scoop a large dollop of frosting onto a cookie en route to your mouth



now you tell me which one you like best. Please share if you've made both and which you prefer. thx

picture found here

Betty's Graham Cracker Crust

Prep: 10 minutes Chill: 1 hour

need:

1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup- sugar
1 1/2 cups finely crushed grapham crackers**(see below)



1. Melt butter; stir in sugar. Add crushed crakers; toss to kix well. spread evenly into a 9 inch pie plate. press onto bottom and sides to form a firm,l0 99,. even crust. Chill about 1 hr or till firm. (or bake in a 375 degree oven for 4-5 minutes, then cool.) Makes 8 servings.

**Tip:

put crackers in plastic bag,zip shut and with rolling pin crush it.

pic from here

Sweet potato Buttermilk Pie

an alternative to pumpkin...I can't wait to try it!

"Whipped egg whites give this pie a frothy texture, buttermilk gives it a tangy flavor and together you end up with a sweet potato pie that’s less leaden and more cheesecake-like than the tradition. Yes, I know you read that whole sentence and only registered the word “cheesecake”!

Oh, and Alex and I don’t see eye to eye on the lemon juice in this recipe. I find the lemon distracting, and slightly clash-y with the cinnamon and warm spices in this pie, and possibly overpowering the sweet potato flavor. Alex likes the extra tanginesss. I’m going to leave it up to you depending on where you want your pie to be on the acidic scale. I believe the buttermilk alone will give you some brightness but the lemon will take it a step further.

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes), peeled and chopped into a 1/2-inch dice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpoe flour
3/4 cup full- or lowfat buttermilk (or, you can make your own)
1 All-Butter, Really Flaky Pie Crust (a half recipe will yield a single crust), prebaked (instructions below)
Whipped cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Pour 1 1/2 inches of water into a 3-quart stock part with a strainer basket suspended over it and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes, cover and steam until fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Place the steamed sweet potatoes in a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Mash them into a smooth puree with a fork or potato masher (though I suspect that a potato ricer would also do a great job). You should have 1 1/4 cups puree; discard any excess (by topping with a pat of butter, sprinkling with salt and making yourself a most-excellent snack). Add the butter, lemon juice if using, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula after each addition.

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a whisk, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until they’re a creamy lemon-yellow color, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the egg mixture to the sweet potato mixture and stir until the eggs are thoroughly incorporated and the filling is a consistent bright orange color. Add the flour a little at a time, stirring after each addition until thoroughly incorporated. Add the buttermilk and again stir until smooth and even.

With a cleaned whisk (or electric hand mixer), whisk the egg whites to soft peaks in a clean, dry bowl. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the sweet potato-buttermilk mixture until thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture into the prebaked crust and bake on the middle rack of the oven until the center is firm and set, 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove the pie from the oven and cool completely on a rack. Serve at room temperature (or cold from the fridge; you can cover it with plastic wrap before chilling) with a dollop of whipped cream."

From smittenkitchen.com

Lion House dinner Rolls

2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk (instant or non-instant)
2 tablespoons dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup butter, shortening, or margarine (I use canola oil)
1 egg
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, or bread flour

In large bowl or electric mixer, combine water and yeast; let sit 5 minutes.
Add dry milk yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups flour.
Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed.
Add 2 cups flour; mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. (Dough will be getting stiff and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand).
Add about ½ cup flour and mix again, by hand or mixer.
Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff (It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour).
Scrape dough off sides of bowl and pour about one tablespoon of vegetable oil all around sides of bowl.
Turn dough over in bowl so it is covered with oil. (This helps prevent dough from drying out).
Cover with plastic and allow to rise in warm place until double in size, about 45 minutes.
Scrape dough out onto floured board.
Divide dough into two.
Turn dough over so it is floured on both sides; gently flatten to about 1 inch thick.
With rolling pin, roll out to a rectangle about 12 inches long, 8 inches wide, and ¼ inch thick.
Brush with melted butter.
With pizza cutter or very sharp knife, cut dough in half to make two strips about 4 inches wide.
Make cuts through strips of dough every 2 inches, making about 12 pieces of dough.


Starting with short end, roll up one piece of dough, with butter on the inside.
Place roll on parchment-lined pan with other short end down on the paper (I just use a greased pan).
Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Be sure all rolls face the same direction on baking pan.
Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until light to medium golden brown. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter. Makes 2 dozen rolls.

Helpful Tips for Making Rolls

Always add flour gradually and keep dough as soft as you can handle. A soft dough will produce a lighter roll.
It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour called for in the recipe—add only enough flour to make dough manageable.
To shorten dough's rising time, use one of these methods:
1) When dough is thoroughly mixed, oil bowl and cover dough with plastic wrap. Fill sink or larger bowl with about 2 inches of hot water or enough water to come about half or three-fourths the way up outside the dough bowl. Place bowl of dough in bowl of water and allow to rise until double in size.
2) Just before mixing dough, turn oven on lowest possible temperature. Place a pan of hot water on bottom oven rack. When dough is thoroughly mixed, place in oiled bowl. Cover dough with plastic wrap; place in oven. Turn oven off, shut oven door, and allow dough to rise until double in size, about 50 to 60 minutes. Shape or cut into desired rolls. Place rolls on greased or parchment-lined pans and allow to rise until double in size. Bake according to recipe.
Brush top of rolls with butter when first taken from oven.

Cookie Pie crust

20 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 10 minutes
340 calories per serving view nutrition facts
1 pie crust suggest servings


~Ingredients~
1/2 cup margarine melted
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup flour, all-purpose

Directions
In a small mixing bowl, mix together all ingredients.

Press into a 9-inch pie dish.

Prick with a fork.

Bake at 475 degrees for 8 to 10 mintues

Melt-in-your-mouth Strawberry Muffins

1 Cup all purpose flour
1 Cup whole wheat flour
1/2 Cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2eggs
1 cup Stonyfield farm yogurt(pref plain or any else)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped strawberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:

Preheat oven 375 degrees f. Ina bowl, mix together flours, sugar, and baking soda. In another bowl, mix eggs, yougurt, butter and vanilla. Toss strawberries into the flour mixture. Then pour yogurt mixture into flour mixture and stir. Spoon batter into greased nuffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until topps are golden brown. Yields 12 muffins

picture from:
http://kimmallari.multiply.com/journal/item/205

Black Bread

...someday...when i want to impress.....and have an electric mixter.



Black Bread



Makes 2 loaves






2 packages (2 tablespoons) active dry yeastPinch of sugar1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)2 cups water1/4 cup molasses1/4 cup apple cider vinegar4 tablespoons unsalted butter1 ounce unsweetened chocolate1/2 cup whole-wheat flour3 cups medium rye flour3 cups unbleached, all-purpose or bread flour1 cup bran2 tablespoons caraway seeds1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds1 tablespoon salt1 tablespoon instant espresso powder1 tablespoon minced shallots1/4 cup cornmeal1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Special equipment: Spice grinder (optional), instant-read thermometer




1. In a small bowl, combine yeast and sugar with warm water. Stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.




2. Heat two cups water, molasses, vinegar, butter and chocolate until the butter and chocolate are melted. Set aside.




3. Combine whole-wheat, rye and white flours in a large bowl. Set aside.




4. In bowl of a heavy mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine two cups mixed flours, bran, seeds, salt, espresso and shallots. At low speed, add yeast and chocolate mixtures. Mix until smooth and beat at medium speed for three minutes. (If you don’t like whole seeds in your bread, grinding them in a spice grinder, coffee grinder or mortar and pestle allows their flavor to come through without the texture. I always make my black bread this way.)




[Note: This, or any bread, can also be made by hand, simply mixing the ingredients in a large bowl with a wooden spoon and kneading the dough on a counter until springy and smooth.]




5. At low speed, add half cup of remaining mixed flours at a time, until dough clears sides of bowl and begins to work its way up paddle. It will be very sticky but firm.




6. Scrape dough off paddle, gradually add flour mixture, and knead to make a springy yet dense dough. You might not use all of the flour mixture.




7. Form into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Turn once to grease top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm area until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Combine cornmeal, flour and remaining caraway seeds and set aside.




8. Gently deflate dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into two portions and form into two rounds or loaves. Loaves should be placed in a loaf pan sprayed with nonstick spray, while rounds should be placed seam down on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, sprinkled with cornmeal mixture. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled and puffy, about 45 minutes to one hour. Slash an X into the top of a round before baking it; no such slashing is needed for bread in a loaf pan.




9. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until loaves are well-browned, or register an internal temperature of 200 to 210°F on an instant-read thermometer. Baking time in your oven may vary — check in on the bread when it is 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through the baking time to make sure it has not super-speedily baked. Remove from baking sheet to cool completely on a rack.

the urge is there

Okay So I do believe I have the desire to make a healthier change soon. That is, in my bread choice. Why not homemade? Its healthier and tastes better...besides...a picture like this should be enough to tip the scale.


do you have the desire too..click here


yeah, its pretty much one of my new fav sites :0)

ashley
[post, post]

Makes one 2-lb. loaf

2 1/2 cups (11.25 oz) unbleached high-gluten or bread flour1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz.) whole-wheat flour1 1/2 tablespoons (.75 oz.) granulated sugar or honey1 1/2 teaspoons (.38 oz.) salt3 tablespoons (1 oz.) powdered milk*1 1/2 teaspoons (.17 oz.) instant yeast2 tablespoons (1 oz.) shortening or unsalted butter, at room temperature1 1/4 cups (10 oz.) water, at room temperature



1. Stir together the high-gluten flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar (if using), salt, powdered milk, and yeast in a 4-quart mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Add the shortening, honey (if using), and water. Stir (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) until the ingredients form a ball. If there is still flour in the bottom of the bowl, dribble in additional water. The dough should feel soft and supple. It is better for it to be a little too soft that to be too stiff and tough.
2. Sprinkle high-gluten or whole-wheat flour on the counter, and transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook). Add more flour if needed to make a firm, supple dough that is slightly tacky but not sticky. Kneading should take about 10 minutes (6 minutes by machine). The dough should pass the windowpane test and registers 77 to 81 degrees F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
3. Ferment at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
4. Remove the dough from the bowl and press it by hand into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick, 6 inches wide, and 8 to 10 inches long. Form it into a loaf by working from the short side of the dough, rolling up the length of the dough one section at a time, pinching the crease with each rotation to strengthen the surface tension. It will spread wider as you roll it. Pinch the final seam closed with the back edge of your hand or with your thumbs. Place the loaf in a lightly oiled 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch bread pan; the ends of the loaf should touch the ends of the pan to ensure an even rise. Mist the top with spray oil and loosely cover with plastic wrap.
5. Proof at room temperature for approximately 60 to 90 minutes (as in, original recipe says 90 minutes, I walked into the kitchen at 60 and said “whoa!” as it had almost risen too much; clearly final rising times vary), or until the dough crests above the lip of the pan.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with the oven rack on the middle shelf.
7. Place the bread pan on a sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees for even baking and continue baking for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the oven. The finished loaf should register 190 degrees F in the center, be golden brown on the top and the sides, and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.
8. When the bread is finished baking, remove it immediately from the loaf pan and cool it on a rack for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours (yeah, good luck with that), before slicing or serving.