Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

The good news for you is that no kids equals lots of extra time, which means I can actually try some of the delicious recipes I have pinned on Pinterest. Here is an amazing cookie recipe that I baked for our neighborhood cookie exchange. Seriously, these are easy, delicious and gorgeous!  You really can't go wrong! I will admit that these were so good I did debate keeping the 3 dozen cookies I made for myself and not swapping cookies. But I didn't go all bah-hum-bug and I shared the goodness and got lots of yummy cookies in return!

Via Tasty Kitchen via Elissa on Pinterest

Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies from Tasty Kitchen
1 cup Butter 
2/3 cups Granulated Sugar 
2 cups Flour 
1/2 teaspoons Almond Extract (or Vanilla Extract)
1 jar Raspberry Jam (12 Ounce Jar, Use As Much As You Need) 
1 cup Powdered Sugar 
1 Tablespoon Water 

Cream together the butter with the granulated sugar. Mix in flour and extract. Scoop out a spoonful of the mixture and shape into 1-inch balls. (The mixture will just barely come together.) 

Put each ball onto a cookie sheet and press your thumb into each one to make an indention. Put as much jam as you can put into each thumbprint. Bake 14-18 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Once cookies are cooled, mix together the powdered sugar with the water and drizzle onto the cookies. 

Makes about 24 cookies. Enjoy!

Zucchini Week- Saved Best for Last!

The arrival of the boys put a little kink in "Zucchini Week". Did you notice that we missed the last day of "Zucchini Week"? Unfortunately for you, I saved the best recipe for last. Now it is a month later and I'm hoping you still have a few zucchini's left for this one because it is delicious! Actually it is officially delicious since it won first place at the North Carolina State Fair this past year. That's right, its award winning which means you really can't go wrong!

Please don't be detered by the name of this dish.  The magic is in how all of the ingredients come together.  You won't regret making it, I promise.  And if you do regret it, just send the rest over to me!

Zucchini Olive Oil Cake with Crunchy Lemon Glaze adapted from Dolce Italiano by Gina DePalma
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 small zucchini) 
1/4 cup (59 mil) fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup (58 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (130 g) confectioners sugar

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 F.  Lightly grease a 10-cup Bundt pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, and olive oil together on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat in the vanilla extract.

Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined, then increase speed to medium and mix for 30 seconds.  Mix in the zucchini and pecan pieces.

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, smooth the top with a spatula and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Rotate the cake halfway through baking to ensure even browning.

Make the glaze while the cake is baking. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and granulated sugar until combined.   Then, whisk in the confectioners sugar until the glaze is smooth.

Remove the baked cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place the wire rack over a piece of wax paper and flip the cake onto the rack. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze all over the hot cake.  Allow the cake to cool and the glaze to dry completely before serving.

Store cake in a covered cake saver or covered with plastic wrap and consume within 2 days.

Serves 12.

Did you miss Zucchini Week?  Here's a quick recap of the yummy recipes!

Day 1- Zucchini Bacon Quiche
Day 2- Stuffed Zucchini
Day 3- Lowfat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
Day 4- Zucchini Casserole
Day 5- Almond Parmesan Squash
Day 6- Oven Baked Zucchini Sticks
Day 7- Zucchini Olive Oil Cake with Crunchy Lemon Glaze (see above)

Zucchini Week- Day 6: Oven Baked Zucchini Sticks

I have always been a fan of fried zucchini.  It is just so delicious, especially with some marinara sauce or ranch!  Mmmm.  I have seen oven baked zucchini sticks on various blogs for years now and kept meaning to try them.  Well, Zucchini Week finally gave me enough motivation to do so and I'm so happy I did.  These were delicious and super simple to make!  I could see these being a big hit with kids!

Oven Baked Zucchini Sticks
3 medium zucchini cut into thick matches
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix together bread crumbs, cheese and seasonings in a large plastic bag.  Coat zucchini with olive oil by mixing together in a bowl.  In small batches, put zucchini in bag of breading to coat.  Place on a greased baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Turn zucchini.  Bake for additional 15-20 or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Zucchini Week- Day 5: Almond Parmesan Squash

I came across this recipe on Pinterest and it looked delicious.  Then when I saw the comments on the post, I knew I had to try it!  I was intrigued by the almond meal, which I found at my local Kroger, and the general creamy goodness.  It did not disappoint.  We ate it with pork and cucumber salad, but I could definitely see making this as a side to a fancy meal.

Almond Parmesan Squash from Marmalade and Mileposts
2 tablespoons butter
1 lb (2 medium) zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 lb (2 medium) yellow squash, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 onion, chopped
ground pepper
coarse salt
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup almond meal (not ground almonds or almond flour) + extra for topping
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese + extra for topping 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Melt butter in a large skillet.  Saute onions, zucchini, and squash slices.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes until crisp-tender.  Pour cream over vegetables and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and gently stir in the almond meal.  When combined, stir in the parmesan cheese.  Place entire mixture into a baking dish and top with extra almond meal and parmesan cheese.  Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown.  Enjoy!

 

Zucchini Week- Day 4: Zucchini Casserole

Last night I tried a brand new recipe that is generically called Zucchini Casserole.  I'm a big fan of casseroles, but I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this one.  But I first fell in love with this recipe for two reasons.  #1 It is super simple.  #2 It uses a lot of zucchini- 4 cups!  And since it always seems like I have mountains of zucchini in the early summer, I figured it would be nice to have a recipe that could go through some quantity.

Then last night I the hubby and I both fell in love because of one simple reason- it.is.delicious.  We paired it with steak, green beans and corn on the cob.  With the creamy texture and yummy comfort-food taste, it was a much healthier alternative to your typical mashed potato side.  This is definitely going on the keeper list!

Zucchini Casserole from Skinny Taste
4 cups grated zucchini
1 cup Bisquick (I use the Heart Smart version)
1 small onion, grated
3 egg whites, 1 whole egg (minus the shell, of course) 
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grate parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix everything together. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes.  It should be golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean.  Enjoy!

For those of you counting Weight Watcher points, this recipe makes 12 servings that are 2.5 points or 3 points+.

Guess It Wasn't That Bad

I guess the Lowfat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread wasn't that bad.  Here is what is left of the plate I brought to work!

If you want to try the recipe, you can find it here.  I'm thinking the "healthy" taste I didn't like was from the whole wheat flour.  Or it could have just been user error.

Zucchini Week- Day 3: Lowfat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Well, you can't win them all.

I found a recipe for Lowfat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread that looked delicious.  It was from one of my favorite cooking blogs, so I figured I couldn't go wrong.  I whipped it up and things looked promising.

But it tasted... um... healthy.  I found myself trying to pick out the chocolate chips, which isn't a good thing.  So I did what anyone with extra baked goods would do- sliced up the rest of loaf to take to work.

Don't worry I'm not really that evil of a person.  I did include an appropriate warning.

Have no fear I have a delicious zucchini recipe coming up tomorrow!

Zucchini Week- Day 2: Stuffed Zucchini

Today's recipe has been a favorite in our house for a very long time. It actually was one of the first recipes that I could successfully complete!  I may not have been the best cook when we first got married, but I have come a LONG way! Appropriately, it is a recipe from Rachael Ray. Although she has a horrendous man-voice, I give her credit for teaching me how to cook. It is also appropriate that it is a meat-less recipe.  In my early cooking days, I was completely freaked out by raw meat and the inevitable meat juice that came with it. Therefore, most of my cooking was vegetarian to the hubby's dismay.  But this one got his approval since the stuffing tastes like sausage. I always look forward to zucchini season each year so I can make this recipe since it is yum-o as Rachael would say!

Mama Elsa's Stuffed Zucchini from Rachael Ray
6 5 inches zucchini (1 1/2 pounds total) 
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), 3 turns of the pan, plus more for drizzling 
5 garlic cloves, 1 crushed and 4 finely chopped 
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (a couple of pinches) 
1 medium onion, finely chopped 
1 diced tomatoes (15 ounces), drained and juice reserved 
Salt and freshly ground pepper 
1/4 cup dry white wine (a glug) 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces 
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs (3 generous handfuls) 
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (a couple of generous handfuls) 
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (a generous handful) 
10 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Halve the zucchini lengthwise and hollow them out with a small scoop or spoon. Drizzle the zucchini boats with a little EVOO and place them in the middle of the oven to roast (they will be ready when you take the stuffing off the heat). 

Chop the zucchini centers. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of EVOO (2 turns of the pan), the crushed garlic clove, the red pepper flakes, the onion and the chopped zucchini. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the zucchini begins to caramelize. Finely chop the tomatoes and add them to the stuffing. Stir until heated through. Season with salt and pepper and deglaze the pan with the glug of white wine. Cook until the wine evaporates, then stir in the reserved tomato juice. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the tomato juice slowly cook off as well. 

While the stuffing cooks, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of EVOO (1 turn of the pan) and the butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the chopped garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the bread crumbs and lightly toast them, about 2 minutes. Add the cheese, parsley and lots of fresh pepper and remove from the heat. When the liquid has almost cooked out of the stuffing, stir in the bread crumb mixture and the basil and remove it from the heat. 

Remove the zucchini from the oven and fill each with a mound of stuffing. Place the boats back in the oven and bake for 5 minutes to crisp the bread crumbs. 

Enjoy!

Get Your Zucchini's Ready!

Welcome to Zucchini Week!  Like Shark Week, only less scary.

Through the generosity of my neighbors, coworkers and The Produce Box (if you live in NC definitely check them out), we are up to our ears in zucchini!  Here's proof!

And this isn't even all of them!

So I figured when life gives you lemons make lemonade zucchini make any and every recipe you can find that uses zucchini! The good news for you is that means a week worth of zucchini recipes, so all of us can find a way to use them up!

Zucchini Week- Day 1: Zucchini Bacon Quiche

I have been making quiche on the weekends for the past few weeks (see here and here), and we've been loving it!   Since this is the week of the zucchini, I figured it was only appropriate to make a zucchini quiche.  Although when I saw this recipe from Taste of Home, I knew I had a winner.  This might be my favorite quiche that I have made yet!

Zucchini Bacon Quiche from Taste of Home
1 tube (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
6 bacon strips, diced
3 cups thinly slice zucchini (about 1-1/4 pounds)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups (8 oz) part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Preheat oven to 375.

Grease a pie pan and place the crescent dough in the pie pan.  I seperated them into eight triangles and started with the corner pointing towards the center and then I just improvised to get the entire pan covered.  Just make sure you pinch the dough together to seal the seams. Spread mustard on the dough- this is the secret of this recipe.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. In the remaining bacon grease, saute zucchini and onion until tender.   Then combine all ingredients and pour into crust.

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cover edges loosely with a foil if pastry browns too quickly.

Enjoy!

Broccoli, Ham and Cheddar Quiche

I think it may be official that our house is a big fan of quiche. Our love started with Caramelized Onion, Tomato, Basil, and Goat Cheese quiche. This weekend we needed to use up some broccoli and ham, so we figured throwing some cheddar cheese in there would be delicious. And it was. Along with some fresh strawberries and home fries.

Now on to the important part. The recipe! So that you can become obsessed with quiche too!

Broccoli, Ham and Cheddar Quiche
1 store bought pie crust
2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped small
1 1/2 cups chopped deli ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
5 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp brown mustard
1/8 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Place pie crustand place into pie plate. Add broccoli, ham, cheese and onion into crust. In a separate bowl whisk eggs, milk, mustard, and pepper. Pour egg mixture into pie shell and bake for 50 minutes. Allow to coolfor 5 minutes before serving.

Does your family have a traditional weekend meal? Any suggestions for a delicious quiche recipe to try next weekend?

Toasted Almond Caramel Cupcakes

It is birthday season at my office, so I whipped up these cupcakes for something a little different than the Brownie Buckeyes that have been recently become the most requested.  This recipe is a bit more work than I'm usually up for, but they are well worth it!  Super delicious!

Toasted Almond Caramel Cupcakes
from Betty Crocker

1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1 box white cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs as called for on cake mix box
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans).

In shallow pan, toast almonds 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Reserve 1 cup almonds for garnish. In food processor, grind remaining almonds until finely ground.

In large bowl, mix cake mix, water, oil, eggs and almond extract. Fold in ground almonds. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake and cool as directed on box for cupcakes.

In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; boil and stir 2 minutes. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling. Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes.

Gradually stir powdered sugar into brown sugar mixture. Place saucepan of frosting in bowl of cold water. Beat with spoon until smooth and spreadable. If frosting becomes too stiff, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Frost a few cupcakes at a time with 1 tablespoon frosting each; press reserved almonds lightly into frosting. Store loosely covered.

In-laws, Gourmet Garden and Quiche

My in-laws came to visit this past weekend.  They are awesome!  It's true!  I'll even say that when they aren't around reading. I wanted to have something easy yet delicious for breakfast brunch when we were all awake.  Love that my father-in-law takes his sleeping more seriously than I do.  So I decided to take inspiration from a breakfast Kevin and I enjoyed at a bed and breakfast and make a quiche with tomato, basil and goat cheese.  How could you go wrong?  Then I found this recipe which added in caramelized onions.  Oh heaven!  And then I got excited that I didn't need to spend a fortune on fresh basil because we already had some.  Score!  In a tube.  Huh?  In the freezer.  Confused?  Then you need to invest in Gourmet Garden!  You can find it in the produce section.  Thank me later. 

Anywho, here's the most awesomely delicious quiche recipe.  There are talks of quiche making every weekend, so there might be more quiche recipes headed your way.

Caramelized Onion, Tomato, Basil, Goat Cheese Quiche
1 onion, sliced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp of frozen basil
1 tomato, sliced
4 ounces herbed or plain goat cheese, crumbled
6 eggs
1cup whole milk
2 tbsp. feta cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
1 nine inch store bought crust


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a pan over medium-low heat and add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add onions and slowly saute them until caramelized and light brown in color, about 20 minutes. Add salt, to taste, and set aside.


Place crust dough into pie pan.  Spread the onions onto the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle goat cheese evenly over onions. Arrange sliced tomatoes on top of the filling.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Carefully pour the egg mixture into crust. Sprinkle feta on top of the egg mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Turn the oven up to 425. Bake for an additional 15 minutes until the filling is set and browned on top. Let rest and cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

P.S.  Gourmet Garden has no clue who I am or even that I am writing about them.  I just love the convenience of their products (Basil, Cilantro and Parsley are my favorites) and wanted to pass it along to you.  Sharing is caring, right?

Brownie Buckeyes

Today is Administrative Professionals Day.  And in my office we are have three admins, who happen to all be awesome!  So I wanted to make a special treat for them (and everyone else).  Because my boss likes to remind me that there doesn't need to be a reason for me to bring in cupcakes!  Since I typically make cupcakes, but was looking for something a little different to mix things up.  I was also eyeing something peanut-buttery since that flavor isn't my favorite. Yes, I know I'm weird that I don't like peanut butter. So why was I trying to make something I wouldn't like?  Because I don't want to continue to splurge after only making it a week on the diet.  When I found this recipe for Brownie Buckeyes I knew it would be perfect!  Here's my version.

Brownie Buckeyes
Box of Brownie Mix (whatever is on sale)
Whatever it says you need on the back of the box (eggs, oil, water, etc.)
Bag of miniature Reese's cups

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix the brownie batter as instructed on the box.  Then distribute among 24 cupcake wrappers.  Then top with an unwrapped (no one likes to eat foil) miniature Reese's cup.

Bake for 18ish minutes until they are done.  You should be able to tell when they are done.  And if you are going to error on a side, pick the not yet done side since everyone loves gooey brownies!

Not Quite Potato Chips

... but Kale chips are pretty tasty.

Previously I heard about the deliciousness that was Kale chips.  I didn't really pay too much attention since I'm not a huge chip person.  But since starting the Ideal Protein diet, I am looking for any and all recipes that are on plan.  And thankfully Kale chips are!  Woohoo!

I followed this tutorial, which was quite completely.  Although I did change a few things up.  Here's my version.

Kale Chips
Kale
Olive Oil
Seasoning

Preheat oven to 350.

Wash kale.  Completely dry kale.  Dry again to be sure.  Rip kale from stalk.  Rip kale into bite size pieces. Place on cookie sheet that has been sprayed/lightly greased with olive oil.  Spray kale with olive oil.  Sprinkle with seasonings of your choice (garlic powder, garlic salt, onion powder, salt, etc.).

Cook until they are the consistency of paper.  Mine took around 8 min.  But smaller pieces will take longer.  Wait until they are cool to package up.  We learned that hard way that you will otherwise you end up with soggy kale and that's just no fun.

Feed leftover kale stalks to your dog.

Chocolate Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes

I'm not sure why I haven't been posting my cupcake recipes.  I am now known as "the baker" at work, which is pretty amusing considering I definitely consider myself slightly past the beginner stage.  Anyway, this recipe was a clear crowd favorite!  Enjoy!

Chocolate Cherry Coke Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from Homemade by Holman adapted from Annie's Eats

Cake:
3 cups all purpose flour
6 T cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups Coke (don't use diet)
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 can cherry pie filling

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 T Coke

Icing:

1 container of whipped cream
Maraschino Cherries for garnish


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with liners or spray with baking spray. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa in a bowl and set aside.

In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine sugar and butter and beat on medium-high until light and creamy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating about 1 minute after each. In a large mixing cup or small bowl, combine buttermilk, Coke and vanilla extract. (Make sure you wait for the foam to go down when measuring the Coke and don't worry if your mixture looks curdled when you add the buttermilk.)

Beginning with the dry ingredient mix, add in 4 parts to the butter mixture, alternating with the Coke mixture. Beat each addition just until incorporated.

Transfer the batter to the muffin tins, filling each tin about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the tops spring back when touched lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool about 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, use a paring knife to cut out a cone shape in the middle of each cupcake. Add a spoonful of cherry mixture (2-3 cherries) to the well.

Mix together the glaze with a whisk in a small bowl. The mixture should run slowly off a spoon so you can drizzle the cupcakes but it won't run all over the place.

Pipe the whipped cream onto cupcakes as desired and top with maraschino cherries for garnish.

Birthday Recipe

Yes, it is my birthday!

Yes, I love anything cake batter flavored.

Yes, I love me some sprinkles.

May I present, the perfect birthday treat!

Birthday Cake Rice Krispie Treats
3 tablespoons butter 
1 10oz bag of miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup of yellow cake mix
6 cups of rice krispies
1+ 10oz container of sprinkles


Melt the butter in a large pan.  Then add marshmallows.  As they are melting, add the cake mix (dry) one spoonful at a time.  Stir so that it gets all mixed in.  Once you have complete gooeyness, add the rice krispies.  Stir to almost combined.  Then add sprinkles.  **I'm a huge lover of sprinkles so I added the entire 1.75oz container.  But if you want to be less fun, you can tone it down a bit.**  Put mixture into a baking dish.  I use 9x13.  Then top with sprinkles.  This step is essential, so don't be all no fun now!

Mmmmm... breakfast!

Christmas Cookies Part 3: Creme de Menthe Brownies

I remember these brownies from all of our "fancy" parties.  And by fancy, I mean parties where there were adults.  As a little kid, I thought their limited appearance was because they were special.  Now I know it is probably more to do with the minuscule alcohol content since serving these only to kids could be frowned upon.  But despite or maybe because of the alcohol content, these brownies are delicious and pretty!

Creme de Menthe Brownies

For the Brownie Layer:
Two boxes of brownie mix (Ghirardelli recommended)
Double whatever ingredients the box calls for

Mix everything together and pour into a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 325°F 45-55 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

*If you don't want extra thick and chewy brownies, then just follow the directions on the box.

For the Mint Layer: 
1 stick of butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons creme de menthe
green food coloring if the creme de menthe isn't green

Mix the butter with the powdered sugar and the crème de menthe. Spread it over the cooled brownie layer.

For the Top Chocolate Layer:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons butter
Crushed candycanes

Melt the chocolate chips together with the butter, either in the microwave or in a double boiler on the stove. Pour the chocolate layer over the crème de menthe layer. Sprinkle with crushed candycanes.  Transfer the baking pan into the freezer or refrigerator and allow to cool before you cut and serve.

Christmas Cookies Part 2: Muddy Buddies

This is my go-to Christmas Cookie, well maybe I should say Christmas Treat.  It is very, very easy to make and always is a crowd pleaser.  I have filled individual bags with it or even brought it in a large bowl to be eaten in the office with baggies to fill and take home to family. 

Muddy Buddies from Betty Crocker
9 cups Corn Chex®, Rice Chex®, Wheat Chex® or Chocolate Chex® cereal (or combination)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.

In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.

Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Christmas Cookies Part 1: Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

These are fondly referred to as "piles of poo" in our household, because... well...  You can figure that part out!  But I guarantee that they are delicious despite their appearance and have been a holiday favorite of my coworkers (from all of my jobs actually)!

Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups oatmeal
Waxed paper

In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil, the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Let boil for 1 minute then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. On a sheet of waxed paper, drop mixture by the teaspoonfuls, until cooled and hardened.


***Confession:  One of the reasons I agreed to getting granite in our kitchen is because I knew it would make these cookies harden quicker.  Kevin was not thrilled by this tid-bit since he isn't a fan of the poo piles covering our entire house since one year I got a little carried away and made 5 batches and covered every flat surface in our apartment (including the treadmill and ironing board)!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Seriously!

If you haven't tried whore pie, you need to get on that.

Note: That sentence sounds much dirtier than I ever intended!

If you are too lazy to click on the link above and discover a hilarious blog, here is the recipe.


Whore Pie aka Chicken Pot Pie
1 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts

2 cans Campbell’s Cream of Potato soup
2 cans chicken breast (or the equivalent in boiled & diced chicken)
frozen carrots, peas, carrots (toss in however many you like)

Line your pie pan with one pie crust. Mix soup, chicken, & veggies in a bowl. Toss this mixture on top of the pie crust. Place the second pie crust on top & press edges. Make like a serial killer & stab a few holes in the top of the crust. Pop in the oven for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.