It time for me to post my blogger find of the month.This find is actually one that I came across a few months ago and LOVE.It’s so simple and so yummy!I found this recipe at Taste With The Eyes, home of amazing chief, photographer and blogger Lori Lynn.Please go visit her, you’ll instantly want to stay for dinner.
I’m going to post the link to Lori’s site and to the recipe so you all can go check them out.Mine was yummy but not as beautiful as hers.
Are you guys like me, wondering where the month went?Before I know it I’ll be making stews, Halloween treats, cooking a turkey and planning for Christmas dinner.I also forgot to post the Barefoot Bloggers recipe last Thursday so this Thursday I’ll play catch up and post
my version of Ina’s pizza.I also have 4 awards/tags that I need to address so I’ll do that on Sunday.Right now I want to take time to pay tribute to other food bloggers out there that are working, creating and sharing their wonderful recipes for the rest of us to try.I am always so amazed and humbled by all the recipes that you guys create.
The first recipe comes from Baked Perfection.She has an amazing blog that is always fun to look at and inspiring. The recipe is for S’mores Cookies.She baked these cookies way back in May and since then I have seen them pop up everywhere.After seeing them again two weeks in a row I finally broke down and made them.I have been reluctant because I’m not much of a S’mores fan.I like my chocolate straight up.Anyway, the cookies are so beautiful that I just couldn’t hold out any longer.Well, I will say that they were not as easy to make as she made them look.She is a gifted baker. I found that there was a learning curve to baking these cookies.It could be me or it could be the Texas heat, who knows.I found if I placed the chocolate and marshmallows on after baking instead of during then they looked very pretty.When I was finished and tasted them I thought, “OH NO, they taste like a S’mores”.Very sweet and too much mixed with my chocolate but I think that’s the idea of these cookies.When my 4-year-old tasted the cookies all we could hear were the groans of satisfaction.I think that these are a bit more work than the average cookie but I WILL be making them again for my sweet little guy.
Oh and check out the picture below to see what my daughter was doing to these cookies.
In a medium bowl combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, salt, and dash of cinnamon. In a second larger bowl beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowl
y beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 minutes, and remove from the oven. Push 3 to 4 marshmallows and a few pieces of Hershey bar into each cookies. Return to the oven and bake an additional 3-4 minutes until fully cooked. Cool cookies on a wire rack.
Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.
The second recipe comes from my new friend at Simple Recipes.
She has such a great blog. Her step-by-step pictures are so incredibly helpful.She needs to collaborate with some of the cookbook publishers and show them how it’s done.I’m not sure my cupcakes would have been so yummy without all her helpful pictures.OK, so her recipe is for Chocolate Chiffon mini cupcakes.I make mini cupcakes almost weekly and was very excited to make her cute, little, chocolate cupcakes.The first day of first grade was a great opportunity to make them and to celebrate the accomplishment of my son.I topped them just as she did with Marshmallow and I’m so glad I did.The cupcakes themselves are so light that the marshmallow added that little bit of sweet that makes them a special treat.I only iced half of them thinking that it would be too much and now I wish I had iced them all.Make them! They are cute, simple and yummy!
Oh and wouldn’t they be great for a shower or party?
Ingredients: 4 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 tablespoon chocolate powder
6 tablespoon sugar, divided into half
¼ teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Preparation: Preheat oven to 325F, Sift flour, chocolate powder, baking powder and salt into a small bowl. Separate the eggs carefully. Add the cream of tart to the egg whites and mix using a clean and dry beater until stiff, add the other half sugar and continue to beat until flip upside down it does not fall.
Add the oil to the egg yolk and beat until the color is a pale yellow, add the other half sugar and continue to beat. Add the water and the vanilla extract, beat until well mixed. Add the dry ingredients and beat for more approximately 2 minutes.
Gently fold the egg whites to the batter using a spatula, make sure that you mix very gently. Pour the batter to the cupcake forms and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Frost the mini cupcakes with ready made marshmallow and garnish with cherry.
Makes 24 mini cupcakes.
Blogger Finds is back. When I started my blog I would end each month paying tribute to other bloggers and their recipes. Now that I’m back on track I’m back with my Blogger Finds. I found this recipe a few months ago but without a camera I could not do these cookies justice. For chocolate lovers like me this recipe is a keeper. It does use a box brownie mix and that can be a pain since I don’t normally have one on hand. Anyway, these cookies were found at Life's Ambrosia. Des has a wonderful blog, great pictures and she up-dates often. Check her out.
Here is the copy of the recipe as seen on Life's Ambrosia. The only change that I make is to use whole-wheat flour. The chocolate in these is so worth all the extra calories. Join me and go out and get a box of brownie mix and get baking! Even Stretch can't keep away from these cookies!
Fudgy Brownie Cookies Makes 20-30 cookies
You will need: · 1 package fudge brownie mix (I used Duncan Hines) · 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour · 1/4 cup packed brown sugar · 2 eggs · 1 stick butter, melted, cooled · 2-3 tablespoons cold water · 1 cup dark chocolate chunks (I found of bag of dark chocolate chunks but if you can’t just chop a dark chocolate bar into chunks)
1. Whisk together flour, brownie mix and brown sugar. 2. Using a heavy spoon, stir in eggs one at a time. Followed by butter and 2 tablespoons water. If the batter appears like there is too much flour add 1 more tablespoon of water. Batter will be very thick. 3. Fold in chocolate chunks 4. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. 5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 6. Grease a cookie sheet. 7. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough on the cookie sheet, you want pretty thick cookies here to get the brownie feel, about 3 inches apart. Press down slightly. Don’t flatten completely. Bake for 8-10 minutes. 8. Remove from oven; allow to cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
This is the second installment of Blogger Finds. Blogger Finds is my little way of honoring some of the blogs that I visit and the wonderful dishes that their authors create and share. When you see a link to another blogger’s site please visit them, they are some of the best and they have some wonderful dishes to share.
This month I tried Black Bean and Corn Empanadas from Cheryl of Cooking, Dunkin Style. Cheryl, in addition to having some great meals, has an adorable puppy that you don’t want to miss on Tuesdays. Anyway, back to the empanadas, these are so yummy and very easy to make. My husband and kids just loved them. My husband would eat them daily if I would make them. The idea of using puff pastry is so smart and such a great way to get away from frying them. Thanks again Cheryl for sharing with all of us bloggers.
The recipe as it appears on Cooking, Dunkin Style. (Any changes made will be in red) 1/2 onion, diced1 can black beans, drained
1/2 can corn, drained (you could use a whole can I am just not a fan of corn)
2-3 breasts of chicken, poached in water, and diced into cubes I cooked mine quick in my fry pan.
2 whole canned chilies, diced 1 can
salt and pepper 1 tsp Bandia Spice 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 cup Mexican blend cheese I didn’t add cheese, I forgot
1/2 cup Cotija cheese crumbled (you can get this just about anywhere) Again, no cheese
2 jalapenos peppers, seeded and minced No Jalapenos, I would if the kids were older.
1 tbl onion powder I didn’t add this
1 tbl chives
1/4 cup tomato based salsa of your choice
2 tbl lime juice
2 tsp Franks Red Hot Didn’t add, too hot for the kids.
Salsa Verde (to taste)
1 package puff pastry I used two boxes.
Poach (mine-not poached) your chicken breasts, remove from pan, cool and dice, then place in a large bowl.Add in the beans, corn, salsa, and remaining ingredients. Mix well, taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper. Add salsa verde by the spoonful until it is at the level of taste you desire.
You don't want this mixture loose and moist; keep it on the dry side. You can adjust any of the above ingredients or seasonings.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and use pan spray on your baking sheet.Place your room temperature puff pastry into a floured surface; roll it out a bit until the seams integrate. Cut into 4 pieces.
You are going to fold them into triangles, so place several tablespoons of your filling in the middle of each piece.Using your finger and a small vessel of water, dip your finger and run it around the edge of the pastry.Fold over and using your fork pinch and seal the edges.
Cut several holes in the top for venting. Brush each empanada with a bit of vegetable oil (I sprayed mine) and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until golden brown and puffy.
Awards This month I was the proud recipient of two awards. The first from Culinary Wannabe and the second from Savor the Thyme. So now I will pass these awards on to other deserving bloggers.
From Culinary Wannabe the award below. Culinary Wannabe, I was very honored to receive this award from you as you have been visiting my blog almost from beginning. Your comments and your visits are must appreciated. Thank-you!
This award is for: "These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated."
I would like to pass this award to Sara of Sara's Kitchen. Sara has also been a regular at Foodie with Little Thyme since the beginning. She always has kind words to share and has an expansive cookbook collection. She makes some very beautiful dishes too.
I thought that I would start to pay tribute to many of the bloggers whose sites I visit. I would like to take a moment to recognize them for their talents and their commitment to food and blogging. The best way I know to flatter them is to try some of their recipes, post them and let others know about them and their talents. I would like to say that I’ll celebrate them weekly but I have many of my own recipes I would like to try and share too. So how about twice monthly? Do you like it? Let me know in the comment section what you think of this idea. Keep it or throw it in the disposal? Also, when you see a link to another blogger’s site, please visit them, they are some of the best.
This week I tried Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Sticks and Banana Nut Bars. The Zucchini sticks came from Kevin of Closet Cooking and the Banana Nut Bars from Grace of A Southern Grace.
Here is the recipe as it appears on Closet Cooking. If I made any modifications they will be in red italics.
Parmesan Crusted Baked Zucchini Sticks with Marinara Sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used panko)
1/2 cup Parmigiano reggiano (grated)
1 teaspoon oregano I used Fresh
1 pound zucchini/courgettes (sliced into sticks and pat dry) I used 5.
salt and pepper to taste White pepper corns
1 egg (lightly beaten) I used 3 eggs
Directions:
1. Mix the breadcrumbs, parmigiano reggiano and oregano in a bowl.2. Season the zucchini with salt and pepper.3. Dip the zucchini in the egg and then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture.4. Place the zucchini on a baking sheet in a single layer with the skin side down.5. Bake in a preheated 425F oven until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
Here is the recipe as it appears on A Southern Grace. Again, if I made any modifications they will appear in red italics.
1 cup freeze-dried banana dices I didn’t add the bananas. I wanted to but I didn’t have any on hand.
4 tablespoons Barney ButterI used MaraNatha brand of Almond Butter.
1 10.5-oz bag marshmallows
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the Barney Butter and marshmallows for 1 minute; stir. Continue heating at 15 second intervals until the mixture is smooth. Dump in the cereal and banana dices and stir until well coated. Using a buttered spatula, evenly press the mixture into a 13x9-inch pan lined with wax paper. Let cool and cut into squares.
Both of these recipes are YUMMY and very easy to make. I will definitely be adding them to our family cookbook. Thank you to both Kevin and Grace for these wonderful recipes. Thank you for your willingness to share them and to blog about them. I hope everyone who reads this post will become a regular visitor to your blogs if they are not already.
These are so sweet I can't resist them! So cute, so easy and SO YUMMY! The hardest part about them is transporting them.
I found this recipe Wednesday on Culinary Wannabe's blog site and made 3 batches since then. You can just as easily decorated them for Easter or other holidays. Picture this a little coconut nest with little Jelly Beans sitting in it. You still have time, go make them! Happy Valentine's Day !
Recipe as seen on the blog of Culinarywannabe: (Go visit her site. You'll be glad you did!)
Red Velvet Mini-Cupcakes Adapted from How Sweet It Is Bakery - Ellen Sternau and Beth Pilar Yields 48 Mini-Cupcakes: 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 1/2 cups cake flour 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 cup buttermilk 2 large eggs 1-2 tablespoons red food coloring 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon vinegar
Cream Cheese Frosting: 8 ounces cream cheese 1/2 pound unsalted butter, room temp. 2 cups confectioners sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract Valentine's M&Ms or other appropriate decorations( I used heart sprinkles)
Mini-Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 325℉ and line two mini-cupcake pans with wrappers. Mix all dry ingredients together and all wet ingredients together in 2 separate bowls. Pour wet into dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Immediately pour mixture into tins, filling about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then cool completely.
Frosting: Mix butter and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly mix in confectioners sugar and vanilla extract. Place frosting in a piping bag (I used a star-shaped tip), and frost as desired. Or frost using a spatula. Top with decorations.
