COOKIES, BARS & CANDY – Page 20 – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

Simply Delicious Sunday [3] ~ Chocolate Carrot Cake

Won’t you join us?

CHOCOLATE CARROT CAKE with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

cake
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup packed golden brown sugar
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup butter, softened
3 Jumbo eggs or 4 large
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup golden rum*
3 cups grated carrots
8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained well
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Pour rum over raisins and set aside for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour 2-9 inch cake pans.
In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa, cinnamon and sugars.
In another bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar, vanilla and 1 egg. Add additional eggs and beat until well creamed.
Add dry ingredients gradually until well blended.
Add carrots, pineapple and walnuts until well blended.
Drain raisins and fold in last.
Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes.
Invert cakes onto rack and cool completely.

*As an option you could soak the carrots in orange juice instead and then substitute 1 teaspoon maple flavoring for the rum.

NOTE: To make this as the plain Rum Raisin Carrot Cake, just eliminate the cocoa.

frosting
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar

In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Add lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until blended.
Add powdered sugar gradually until well blended and smooth.
Ice first layer and then add 2nd cake top and ice again including sides of cake.
Refrigerate 1 hour to set icing before serving.

I look forward to seeing your home style recipes! Don’t forget to link your specific recipe post link on Mr. Linky so we can see what’s cooking at your house! Be sure to put the title of your recipe in parenthesis! It makes it so much easier for everyone to search for recipes.

I also participate in the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks, Homemaker Mondays hosted by Robyn at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven, Making a Happy Home Monday hosted by LL at As for me and my house…, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace, Slow Cooking Thursday & Tips on Tuesday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, $5 Dinners is hosted by Erin at $5 DInners and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

♥

Simply Delicious Sunday [2] ~ Chicken Paprika in Balsamic Cream Sauce & Banana Blueberry Crunch

Won’t you join us?

When I was a little girl we went a restaurant on the west coast called the Sea Lion for special occasions. The restaurant sat right on the beach and my favorite time to go was during a storm. My family always reserved a window table in advance. The waves would crash up on the windows while you were eating and it created such an ambiance that ALL food tasted better in my opinion. I wasn’t much on fish back then (silly me) so I would always order their Paprika Chicken which I have not yet been able to completely duplicate, but have settled for this recipe until I can. The flavor is similar, but creamy. Their recipe was more like a broasted chicken, but the flavor combination was just so unique!!

CHICKEN PAPRIKA IN BALSAMIC CREAM SAUCE
2 pounds chicken tenders
1/2 teaspoon each sea salt & white pepper
1/2 cup flour for dredging
1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
2 large bunches green onions, thinly sliced
olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon chicken base
1/2 cup heavy cream

Mix together the sea salt, white pepper and 1 tablespoon of paprika with the flour in a plastic bag.
Coat each chicken tender well with flour seasoning mix. Reserve any remaining flour mixture.
In a large skillet heat olive oil.
Brown chicken pieces until golden on each side, until almost cooked through, set aside.
Add onions to oil and saute until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add balsamic vinegar and lemon juice to deglaze the pan scraping up any bits stuck to the pan for added flavor.
Whisk the boiling water, chicken base 2 tablespoons paprika together until smooth.
Bring to a boil.
Add any remaining flour seasoning mix and whisk until smooth.
Reduce heat, return chicken to pan and simmer 5-10 minutes.
Add cream and simmer 5-10 minutes more until chicken is cooked through.
Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

BLUEBERRY CRUNCH
I usually make everything from scratch, but this recipe is too good to mess with much. I have reduced the fat a bit and altered the ingredients to meet my family’s likes, but other than that this recipe is fantastic as is. The key is to remember to layer exactly as listed! It is great in a pinch since most ingredients are always in the cupboard or freezer. The original recipe called for the butter before the nuts and coconut, but I changed that. By putting it last, the nuts and coconut toast up fantastically.

1 large can crushed pineapple, undrained
2-3 cups frozen blueberries
1-3 ripe banana(s), sliced thin
1 cup sugar
1 box yellow cake mix, dry
1/2-1 cup minced walnuts
1/2-1 cup flaked coconut
1 1/2 -2 sticks butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Layer exactly as listed in even layers
Bake 45-60 minutes until it tests done

♥

Favorite Ingredient Friday blends into Homemaker Monday ~ Cookie Edition & Bonus Honey Baked Ham glaze

Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy

Homemaker Mondays is hosted by Jen at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven Making a Happy Home Monday is hosted by LL at As for me and my house… and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace

CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL RAISIN PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
aka KITCHEN SINK COOKIES
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Jumbo eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cups minced walnuts
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup golden raisins

Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and espresso powder.
Cream butter and peanut butter together.
Add the sugars and cream again.
Add the vanilla and eggs and cream until smooth.
Gradually add flour mixture until well blended.
Add oatmeal until well blended.
Add nuts and combine well.
Add chocolate chips and combine again.
Add raisins and mix well.
Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.
Press down slightly.
Bake 12-15 minutes.

My great aunt who I only got to see a couple times a year used to make these every year special for me and I would wait out on the steps for her arrive just to see them. She always made them soooooooooo pretty and perfect!

HOLIDAY WREATHS
(these are better when they are made a few days ahead)
30 large marshmallows (or 1 jar marshmallow cream)
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon green food color
3 1/2 cups cornflakes
Red Hots

Combine marshmallows, butter, vanilla and food color in top of double boiler. Heat and stir frequently until well blended.
Gradually stir in cornflakes until well blended.
Drop onto wax paper and arrange into wreath shapes. I plop them onto the wax paper and then push out from the center to form the wreaths.
Decorate with red hots.
Let cool.
If your house is warm – chill in refrigerator until set.

CRUMB COOKIES
(This is a large recipe and is great for using up all those holiday crumbs)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter
3 eggs
1 pound crumbs (cookies, cake and/or crackers)
1/4 cup milk
1 cup molasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground gloves
5 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup ground nuts
2 cups chopped golden raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and cloves. Set aside.
Cream butter.
Add sugars and cream again.
Add eggs and cream yet again.
Add molasses and beat until fluffy.
Add crumbs and blend well.
Add milk, raisins and nuts and blend well.
Gradually add flour mixture.
Chill dough for at least an hour.
Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and then roll in a bowl of fine sugar.
Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and press down gently.
Bake 15-20 minutes.

and just for Janet:

OLD FASHIONED RUM BALLS
1/4 cup dark or golden rum (I also use spiced sometimes)
3/4 cup vanilla wafer crumbs (I use my mini food processor)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup finely ground walnuts
4 cups powdered sugar

Melt the butter
Mix in sugar, cookie crumbs, nuts and rum.
Chill until firm.
Roll into balls.
Roll in coconut, more nuts, colored sugar or leave plain.
You can also change the flavor by adding 1/4 cup cocoa.

HONEY BAKED HAM GLAZE

1 cup honey
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup pineapple apricot preserves
3 ounces orange juice concentrate
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
7-10 pound ham, spiral cut

In a small food processor combine all the ingredients and pulse until smooth.
Heat in a small saucepan until translucent.
Let cool to lukewarm.
Place ham in a shallow roasting pan.
Pour glaze over ham making sure to allow glaze to run in between spiral layers.
Cover and allow to sit 48 hours in refrigerator.
Bring to room temperature before baking.
Wrap tightly with foil.
Bake at 200 degrees for 6-7 hours until done.
Unwrap and baste once an hour making sure to get glaze between the layers.
Unwrap, increase heat to 450 degrees and bake another 15 minutes for a crisp skin.

Tuesdays with Dorie ~ Buttery Jam Cookies

Heather of Randomosity and the Girl chose Buttery Jam Cookies on page 80 for today.

I thought these were going to be too biscuity for my tastes, but hubby loved them. After the sugar cookies last week, this week’s dough tasted so similar even with the apricot jam, but also bland, so I did make a small addition for flavor this week. I added a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and it helped a lot.

Laurie of Quirky Cupcake formed Tuesdays With Dorie as a form of accountability for baking at least once a week using the cookbook, Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

♥

Tuesdays with Dorie ~ Linzer Sables ~ OOPS ~ Swearing In instead

I was supposed to post Linzer cookies for TWD last Tuesday and I completely forgot! We received a call from my youngest stepson and he asked that we be present along with his mother and girlfriend for his swearing in as a full time fire fighter/paramedic at 830AM and we live over 4 hours away so we got up really early!! We were so proud and excited for him! I completely forgot about the cookies though!! I’ll have to make 2 different recipes next week.

♥

Tuesday's with Dorie ~ Chocolate Peach Blackberry Apricot Rugelach

Piggy of Piggy’s Cooking Journal has chosen, Rugelach from page 150 for today. I needed to work with what I had so I did make a few substitutions that hubby, my taste tester, said made a wonderful difference from the traditional. I didn’t have any currants so I substituted dried apricots that I soaked in Rum. We’re not bittersweet chocolate fans either so I substituted semi-sweet chocolate and coarse ground my own. I didn’t have either of the suggested jams as I make my own and didn’t want to buy a jar that would go to waste so used home made Peach Blackberry jam. The recipe called for cutting the cream cheese and butter into four pieces. I think in the future I will cut into eighths for easier handling. Using the fourths was too cumbersome with my older food processor and I eventually finished coarsing it by hand. I also didn’t need all the chocolate or nuts ~ could have gone with half as much as the recipe calls for.

All in all they tasted great and ultimately that is the true test. They weren’t as pretty as they should be, but I didn’t have time to make a second batch of dough! They are all gone though so I guess flavor won over pretty!

Laurie of Quirky Cupcake formed Tuesdays With Dorie as a form of accountability for baking at least once a week using the cookbook, Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. I already love it and hubby isn’t complaining about being my taste taster. In fact he loves to throw in his own suggestions.

♥

Homemaker Monday, Making a Happy Home Monday & Tips on Tuesday ~ Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies

Homemaker Mondays is hosted by Robyn at 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven
Making a Happy Home Monday is hosted by LL at As for me and my house…
Tips on Tuesday is hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

We love the aroma of fresh baked cookies around here.
Baking is one of the things I try to do regularly.
This week it was peanut butter crunch cookies dipped in chocolate.

This recipe makes 4-5 dozen cookies.

TUESDAY’S TIP: I split the dough into thirds and with wax paper makes cookie rolls. I freeze 2 of the rolls for future use and make 1 tray at a time so they are always fresh baked and I only make the mess once for 3 batches.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter*
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 JUMBO eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream butter and peanut butter together. Be sure and scrape sides of bowl.
Add sugars and cream again.
Add 1 egg at a time until well blended.
Sift together dry ingredients and add in thirds until well blended.
Divide dough into thirds.
Roll 12 walnut sized balls.
Flatten with a fork.
Bake 10-12 minutes.
On wax paper roll the other 2 portions of dough and freeze for future use.
I sometimes dip them in melted almond bark.

*I prefer JIF or Skippy peanut butter

♥

Cococnut Peach Crisp

I needed a dessert for tonight and didn’t have time to run to the store so I grabbed a bunch of stuff from the cupboard and made this. I think I’ll call it Coconut Peach Crisp and boy was it yummy!!

1 can peach chunks, drained
1 small can pineapple
1 box Jiffy White cake mix
1/4 cup crushed pecans
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup regular or golden raisins
1/4 cup melted butter

Spray a 9×9 baking dish with PURE
Drain the peach chunks.
Mix together the pineapple and peach chunks in the bottom of the dish.
Top with the DRY cake mix evenly.
Sprinkle raisins and pecans on top of that.
Top with coconut.
Pour melted butter over top as evenly as possible.
Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

I can’t wait to try it with fresh peaches and the golden raisins!
♥

Tasty Thursday ~ Frosted Pineapple Cheescake

Frosted Pineapple Cheesecake

1 box yellow cake mix*

1 (3-ounce) box Jell-O cheesecake pudding**

4 eggs

1/2 cup safflower oil

1 cup whole milk

1 large can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 cup sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the cake mix and pudding mix. Add the oil and milk, beat well. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Beat until smooth. Pour into a well greased 9×13 baker. Bake 45-60 minutes (or until center springs back). While cake is baking mix together the pineapple and sugar on top of stove until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and let cool slightly. While cake is still hot, punch holes in cake with a large round chopstick and pour hot pineapple mixture over cake. Let cool.

FROSTING:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add lemon juice. Add powdered sugar gradually and beat until creamy. Spread over cooled cake. Refrigerate to set frosting.

*Also good with white or butter cake
**DO NOT USE sugar free!

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks, Tasty Thursday hosted by Pumpkin Patch, Watchin’ What We Eat hosted by Lorie at Honey I Shrank Myself and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

Cream Cheese Cookies

CREAM CHEESE ORANGE SLICE COOKIES COOKIES

COOKIES
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Beat cream cheese and butter together until well creamed.
Add sugar and blend again.
Add flour, orange peel and soda.
Mix well.
Shape into a log.
Chill 30 minutes.
Cut 1/4 inch slices.
Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 15-18 minutes until edges begin to golden.
Cool on rack.

DIP
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon orange liqueur

In a small saucepan melt melt chocolate chips, orange juice and orange liqueur together until smooth.
Dip 1/2 of each cookie into the chocolate mixture.
Cool on wax paper until chocolate mixture hardens.

Favorite Ingredient Friday ~ Devil's Food Orange Cake & Orange Butter frosting

CAKE

4 medium navel oranges, room temperature
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 Jumbo eggs
1 cup whole milk
2 cups flour

Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Generously grease a Bundt pan (I like a decorative Nordicware or Wilton pan)
Squeeze oranges, saving pulp
Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Then add 1/2 cup of the sugar, the cinnamon and 1/2 cup of the orange juice, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Cool.
Mix the baking soda into 2 teaspoons of orange juice.
In a large mixing bowl cream the shortening with 1 cup sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
Alternate the milk and flour, sifting the flour into the cream mixture and blend until smooth.
Add the baking soda mixture and blend well.
Add the cooled chocolate mixture and blend well.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Level pan by dropping on counter top to remove air bubbles.
Bake until springy 55-60 minutes.
Cool 10 minutes and then invert onto platter.
Cool before frosting.

FROSTING

1/2 cup butter, softened
5 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, pulp and all
2 teaspoon orange zest

Beat butter until fluffy.
Beat in 1/2 of the powdered sugar until smooth.
Add orange juice, vanilla and orange peel. Blend until smooth.
Slowly add the remaining sugar and blend until silky.
Adjust sugar and orange juice until desired consistency and flavor is reached.

If you don’t have this mess in the end,
you did it wrong!

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

Favorite Ingredient Friday ~ Dessert Edition ~ Cheese Danish

hosted by Overwhelmed with Joy

4 oz. cream cheese*
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 – 8 oz. crescent rolls
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter

Combine first 5 ingredients and cream together.
On a large greased cookie sheet, roll out the first can of crescent rolls, sealing all the edges.
Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over top of crescent rolls.
Top with the other can of crescent rolls and seal all the outside edges top to bottom.
Beat together the egg and melted butter.
Brush egg mixture over crescent rolls.
Bake at 35 degrees for 20 minutes.

*can substitute 4 oz. cream cheese for 2 oz. cream cheese and 2 oz. jam (favorite flavor)

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

Category: COOKIES, BARS & CANDY