Category: OKK MEMES & PRIOR CONTRIBUTORS

Homemade Yellow Cupcakes – What Did You Bake Today?

  As the cake mixes in my pantry get used up, I haven’t been replacing them.  I have decided to make cake from scratch.  This week I had a special request from my family for cupcakes.  I thought it would be a good opportunity to inaugurate my plan.  The result: everyone thought they were amazing and we had none left after dessert was served (yes, it made 18).
From The Good Home Cookbook
White Layer Cake (which isn’t white and became cupcakes)
2 cups flour
1 Tbls baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
Frosting of your choice (I used a can….have to use up what I’ve got before that’s homemade, too)
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk.  Divide equally into 18 greased or paper lined cupcake pans.  Bake 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until done.  Let sit in pan 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire wrack to cool.  Frost when completely cooled.
 
What Did You Bake Today?

Cookie tips, tricks, recipes, more at Our Krazy Kitchen

Do you know the secret to soft, chewy cookies? Under bake them ever so slightly. Cookies are the smallest baked items from our ovens, and they continue to bake while they cool, so even a minute more in the oven makes a huge difference. Also remember that many ovens are in need of recalibration for accurate temperature control, so even if a top chef’s recipe calls for 10 minutes in the oven, the cookies in your oven might only need 8 minutes. It’s a good idea to invest in a reliable food thermometer.

Link your dessert recipes with MckLinky below, and if they are holiday desserts, Christmas cookies, Chanukah family favorites, or other Christmas treat recipes you’ll want to also link them during our Christmas Party starting December 17.

Pick your favorite badge!


Please leave a link to your post, not your homepage,
and be sure to link back to this post or blog.

Artichoke Garlic Cheese Bread ~ Monday Munchies

ARTICHOKE GARLIC CHEESE BREAD
Italian Bread, Halved
1 jar artichoke hearts, drained REALLY WELL & chopped small
3 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1/2 cup shredded Asiago Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup Best Foods mayonnaise
butter
PURE

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Spray a cookie sheet with PURE.
  • Lightly butter bread halves.
  • Place bread halves buttered side up side by side.
  • In a mixing bowl whisk the seasonings into the mayonnaise.
  • Fold in artichoke pieces, garlic and Parmesan cheese.
  • Spread over bread halves and top with mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake 15 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.
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Haystacks – Monday Munchies


Haystacks

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups butterscotch chips (or 2 more cups chocolate chips)
1 12-ounce can of cocktail peanuts
6 ounces chow mein rice noodles

Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips in the top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water. Stir in nuts and noodles. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper, foil or parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Top with colored sprinkles if desired. Cool. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Doesn’t get much easier than that does it?!

Don’t forget Simply Delicious Sunday over at OuR KrAzY KiTcHEn!

hosted by me over at OuR KrAzY KiTcHeN
HOMESTYLE MEATOAF

MASHED CARROTS
1 small bag baby carrots, halved
2 Yukon gold potatoes, washed and cubed
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 +/- cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

  • Boil potatoes and carrots until fork tender. Drain well.
  • In a large mixing bowl place softened butter on the bottom followed by the hot carrots and potatoes.
  • Mash together until uniform consistency.
  • Add cream until desired consistency and seasonings.
  • Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese

GARLIC LEMON BRUSSELS SPROUTS
1 dozen equal sized Brussels sprouts, washed and halved
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar (Balsamic Vinegar works well too)
1 lemon, juiced
3 green onions, sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
3 tablespoons butter

  • Wash, halve and drain the Brussels sprouts.
  • Melt butter over medium high heat.
  • Add green onions and garlic. Saute’ until golden.
  • Add Brussels sprouts and continue sauteing until tender.
  • Add lemon juice and champagne vinegar. Heat through.
  • Serve immediately.

MUSHROOM RAGOUT
3 cups mushroom mix (I used baby bellas and portabellas)
1 small shallot, minced
4 sprigs Thyme, minced
1/2 cup red wine
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 ounces demi-glace*
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
salt & pepper to taste

  • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.
  • Saute’ mushrooms until golden and tender.
  • Add shallots, garlic and thyme.
  • Continue to saute’ until translucent.
  • Deglaze the pan with the wine.
  • Add the cream and demi-glace.
  • Simmer until desired consistency.
  • Serve over HOMESTYLE MEATOAF and mashed carrots.







*Demi-glace is a rich brown sauce in French cuisine used by itself or as a base for other sauces. The term comes from the French word glace, which used in reference to a sauce means icing or glaze. It is traditionally made by combining equal parts of veal stock and sauce espagnole, the latter being one of the five mother sauces of classical French cuisine, and the mixture is then simmered and reduced by half. The term “demi-glace” by itself implies that it is made with the traditional veal stock. Demi-glace is hard to find and a bit expensive so I substitute 1 tablespoon Better than Beef Bouillon Aujus Base with 1/4 cup boiling water and it tastes great!
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Homestyle Meatloaf, Mashed Carrots, Garlic Lemon Brussels Sprouts & Mushroom Ragout

HOMESTYLE MEATOAF

MASHED CARROTS
1 small bag baby carrots, halved
2 Yukon gold potatoes, washed and cubed
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 +/- cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

  • Boil potatoes and carrots until fork tender. Drain well.
  • In a large mixing bowl place softened butter on the bottom followed by the hot carrots and potatoes.
  • Mash together until uniform consistency.
  • Add cream until desired consistency and seasonings.
  • Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese
GARLIC LEMON BRUSSELS SPROUTS
1 dozen equal sized Brussels sprouts, washed and halved
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar (Balsamic Vinegar works well too)
1 lemon, juiced
3 green onions, sliced
3 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons butter

  • Wash, halve and drain the Brussels sprouts.
  • Melt butter over medium high heat.
  • Add green onions and garlic. Saute’ until golden.
  • Add Brussels sprouts and continue sauteing until tender.
  • Add lemon juice and champagne vinegar. Heat through.
  • Serve immediately.

MUSHROOM RAGOUT
3 cups mushroom mix (I used baby bellas and portabellas)
1 small shallot, minced
4 sprigs Thyme, minced
1/2 cup red wine
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 ounces demi-glace*
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
salt & pepper to taste

  • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.
  • Saute’ mushrooms until golden and tender.
  • Add shallots, garlic and thyme.
  • Continue to saute’ until translucent.
  • Deglaze the pan with the wine.
  • Add the cream and demi-glace.
  • Simmer until desired consistency.
  • Serve over HOMESTYLE MEATOAF and mashed carrots.







*Demi-glace is a rich brown sauce in French cuisine used by itself or as a base for other sauces. The term comes from the French word glace, which used in reference to a sauce means icing or glaze. It is traditionally made by combining equal parts of veal stock and sauce espagnole, the latter being one of the five mother sauces of classical French cuisine, and the mixture is then simmered and reduced by half. The term “demi-glace” by itself implies that it is made with the traditional veal stock. Demi-glace is hard to find and a bit expensive so I substitute 1 tablespoon Better than Beef Bouillon Aujus Base with 1/4 cup boiling water and it tastes great!

The Most Lemony Cookie of all Time~ Simple Saturday w/ girlichef

SimpleSaturdaysKrAzYKiTcHeN

Something I grew up making and loving…because they’re tasty, come in countless varieties and are simple…Cake Mix Cookies. How easy is it to open up a box of cake mix and add some eggs, water and fat? Too easy. Feeling like some fun add-ins. Add them in! I’ve had many flavors and combinations, but one of my favorites continues to be some Lemony ones that my friend Gin introduced me to.The Most Lemony Cookie of all Time

1 box lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon extract
1 7 oz box of Lemonheads®
zest from one lemon
powdered sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 F
Grind Lemonheads® in food processor into a fine powder.
Add all ingredients and blend well except powdered sugar.
Use melon ball scooper to measure small dough balls and roll in powdered sugar.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. It is very important not to bake these cookie for more than 10 minutes. Ten minutes give these cookies the perfect texture inside and out.

Do you have a favorite Cake Mix Cookie Combo? Or any other fun, simple things to make during this crazy busy holiday season?

*Originally posted at girlichef

Save Room for Dessert during the holiday season

The holiday season is here! Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah or perhaps nothing at all, chances are you save room for extra desserts on the buffet table for parties, the dinner table at home, or use desserts as gifts during this time of year.

Link your dessert recipes with MckLinky below, and if they are holiday desserts, Christmas cookies, Chanukah family favorites, or other Christmas treat recipes you’ll want to also link them during our Christmas Party starting December 17.

Pick your favorite badge!

Please leave a link to your post, not your homepage,
and be sure to link back to this post or blog.

Apricot Rum Raisins

Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Housewife inspired me to make these a few weeks ago so I dug deep into the recipe archives to find grams recipe as I hadn’t made them in years. Kristen’s directions are much easier and clearer than grams as well as much more up to date. Thanks Kristen.

APRICOT RUM RAISINS

1 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons yeast
4 eggs, beaten
7 1/2 cups flour
  • In a saucepan melt butter.
  • Add milk and water whisking until smooth consistency and JUST boiling.
  • Cool 5-10 minutes so you don’t kill the yeast.
  • Add the sugar, salt and yeast to form a sponge like blob.
  • Add the eggs until uniform consisitency.
  • In a mixer with a dough hook attached, combine flour and yeast mixture.
  • Knead well. Put in refrigerator for at least several hours, but overnight is better.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Roll a ball of dough the size of a golf ball into a rope and coil into a circle. Make sure the center is thinner than the outer edges to hold the filling in. Sometimes I prefer squares, but you just have to work with your dough after you have it coiled.
  • Fill with a heaping tablespoon of filling per danish (recipe below).
  • Let rise an hour in a warm place.
  • Bake 15 minutes.
  • Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. If you prefer a drizzle thin out this frosting with a couple extra tablespoons of milk until desired consistency.
Cream cheese apricot raisin filling
1 bag large dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins, chopped

1/4 cup golden rum

  • Soak apricots and raisins in rum for an hour or overnight.
  • Drain off rum.
  • Set aside.
8oz pkg cream cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoons grated orange peel
  • Blend cream cheese, egg, powdered sugar and orange peel together until smooth.
  • Fold in apricots and raisins into the cream cheese mixture. Or my favorite is to fill them as 2 separate fillings with the cream cheese first and the apricot in the center of that.




Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Jen over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
Tuesdays at the Table is hosted by Cole at All the Small Stuff
Tempt my Tummy Tuesday is hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace
Vintage Recipe Thursday is hosted by Joy at Joy of Desserts
Foodie Friday is hosted by Michael Lee at Designs by Gollum
Save Room for Dessert is hosted by Joy at OuR KrAzY KiTcHeN
What Did you Bake Today? is hosted by Kristen at OuR KrAzY KiTcHeN
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Shameless promotion

LOL I couldn’t resist this email that came through my inbox this morning as shameless self promotion for the up coming cookie exchange over atOuR KrAzY KiTcHeN.

T H E ITALIAN ELBOW

An Italian grandmother is giving directions to her grown grandson who is coming to visit with his wife.

“You comma to de front door of the apartmenta. I am inna apartmenta 301.

There issa bigga panel at the front door. With you elbow , pusha button 301. I will buzza you in. Come inside, the elevator is on the right. Get in, and with you elbow , pusha 3.

When you get out, I’mma on the left. With you elbow , hit my doorbell.”

“Grandma, that sounds easy, but, why am I hitting all these buttons with my elbow?

“What . . . .. .. You coming empty handed?”

Are you ready for the Christmas party at OuR KrAzY KiTcHeN? I know you’re not coming empty handed! Don’t forget to check it out and bring your favorite recipe link.

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Candy Cane Cookies – Monday Munchies


INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup margarine, butter, Crisco or butter Crisco
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring (optional – green)

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine (or whatever), white sugar and powdered sugar. Beat in the egg and *vanilla extract. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until well blended. Cover or wrap dough and chill for at least one hour.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets (or use parchment paper). Divide dough into halves. Color one half red by mixing in the food color (green for some too if you want). Roll a small amount of each dough about 3 inches long. Twist colors together like a rope and curve the end like a cane. Place onto prepared cookie sheets.
  3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven.

*If you like peppermint you can add peppermint extract, about a teaspoon in place of the vanilla.