Wednesday, October 10, 2012

New Recipe Night: Basil Chicken Thai Pasta

Think The Cheesecake Factory's Chicken Thai Pasta....yum, right? One of my favorite items on their gigantic menu. I never imagined that I would unknowingly recreate it (well, kinda) at home in my own kitchen!!! This is a much less spicy version (next time I will do something to change that) and oh so rich. The recipe called for Thai noodles but I switched it up to mimic TCF's recipe and used linguine instead. Easy, easy recipe...don't be intimidated by the name! By the way, you can find the Progresso Recipe Starters right next to the Progresso soup. 



Ingredients:

*1/2 package linguine
*1 can Progresso Recipe Starters creamy parmesan-basil cooking sauce
*1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
*1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
*1 Tbsp soy sauce
*1 package uncooked chicken breast pieces for stir fry
*2 Tbsp chopped roasted peanuts
*Cilantro (optional for garnish)



Directions:


1) Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain noodles; rinse with cold water. Set aside.

2) Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat cooking sauce, peanut butter, lime juice and soy sauce with whisk until smooth; set aside.

3) Spray 10-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Add sauce mixture; heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Stir in noodles until thoroughly mixed. Sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro. Serve immediately.


Hubby approved! Baby approved!! Leftover city!!! The meal that keeps on giving! Lots of exclamation points!!!! Next time, there will be spice! Oh yeah, one more thing.....ENJOY!!!



Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Sweet Your Heart Out: Sour Cream Apple Pie

I'm writing this post from the comfort of my favorite spot on the couch with the smell of apple pie wafting through the house. Ah, relaxation. Since beginning my journey in the kitchen last year I've been blindsided by a few recipes. This just happens to be one of them. It caught me off guard and left me wondering why I'd never heard of it before. While at a patient's home on a chilly day last week I was offered a small slice of a pie that her caregiver had whipped up earlier that day. But I quickly (and politely) declined after hearing the term "sour cream"....yuck. Not a fan. Never have been and probably never will be. I stood my ground during two more pie offerings until she finally made me take a bite of it. Um, hello flavor. Nice to see you (or taste you, I should say). Sour cream + apples = genius. Yum. Yum. Yum. If you haven't tried this combo you must give it a shot.....and if you have already tried it then hopefully this is a more simple version for you to whip up. Twenty minute prep time! Oh and FYI, I left the peel on the apples....I'm not sure why....my patient made me promise to do so....so I did. 




Ingredients:

*1 cup sour cream
*1 egg
*3/4 cup sugar
*2 Tbsp flour
*1/4 tsp salt
*2 1/2 cups diced apples
*1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust

Crumb topping:
*1/2 cup brown sugar
*1/4 cup butter
*1/3 cup flour
*1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1) Beat sour cream and egg together. Add flour, sugar, salt and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

2) Stir in apples (I left them unpeeled for fear that my patient would come hunt me down if I peeled them)



3) Pour mixture into pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

4) Mix the crumb topping ingredients until crumbly.

5) Remove pie from oven and spread topping over pie. Continue baking for 20 more minutes.

I can't give an accurate description of the taste of this pie although I wish I could. Is it tacky to cut out a slice before I drop it off at the church?? Ha! The pie will find a home at the church tomorrow for the spaghetti dinner fundraiser tomorrow night. I'll try to arrive early and snag a slice of it. Oh yeah, one more thing.....ENJOY!!!

Saturday, September 29, 2012

New Recipe Night: Turkey and Bean Chili

Where have you been all my life turkey chili??? I remember tasting turkey chili as a child but had yet to try it since then. After dishing this out to my family last night I feel as though we've been missing out big time! Out with the beef and in with the lean turkey from now on. This chili made quite the impression. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did......




 Ingredients:


  • *1 cup chopped red onion
  • *1/3 cup chopped seeded poblano pepper (about 1)
  • *1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
  • *1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
  • *1 tablespoon chili powder
  • *2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • *2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • *1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • *1/4 teaspoon salt
  • *1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • *1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • *1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • *1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
  • *1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • *lime wedges (optional)


Directions:

1) Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add first 4 ingredients; cook for 6 minutes or until turkey is done, stirring frequently to crumble. 

2) Stir in chili powder and next 8 ingredients (through broth); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

3) Stir in cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and top with shredded cheese if desired.

I was thrilled to have leftovers to store in the fridge after dinner last night. It's very good for dipping with tiny tortilla bowl chips. I do believe next time I'll add more spice to it. This was super quick...took me about ten minutes to brown the turkey, cut up the pepper and onions and add the rest of the ingredients. Ten minutes? Can't beat that! Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!!



Thursday, September 27, 2012

Sweet Your Heart Out: Easy Cobbler


Ok Pink Dishers, I'm back in the kitchen again after a short hiatus. Something happened last week....life caught up to me. And it slapped me in the face and said "why the heck did you decide to start that blog again???" I didn't have an answer for life last week. But this week I say to life... "because I love it."

And I love desserts. So that's what I'm starting with tonight. I needed easy. Well, let's be honest, I always need easy. But I needed super easy tonight. I love this recipe because it's versatile, easily memorizable (I think I just made up a new word there) and it's just downright scrumptious. Simply scrumptious. I don't think it gets any simpler than this one folks. Pick your favorite pie filling and have at it. The great part about this insanely quick dessert is that you should have all the ingredients in your pantry already!



Ingredients: 

*1 cup sugar
*1 cup flour
*1 tsp baking powder
*3/4 cup milk
*pinch salt
*1 large can pie filling (choose your favorite fruit)

Directions: 

1) Melt butter in bottom of 8x8 inch pan.

2) Mix sugar, flour, baking powder, milk and salt in medium-sized bowl and pour over melted butter.

3) Pour pie filling on top of mixture.

4) Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

Pre-baking

The best things in life are the simple things. Uncomplicated. Five minutes of prep time. DELICIOUS!! What more could you ask for? Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!!!


Friday, September 14, 2012

Sweet Your Heart Out: Double Chocolate Caramel Fudge Brownies

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So here's the deal. I love brownies. Like, a lot. Hubby likes brownies too. No wait....he loves them. Obviously I've been more than partial to those chocolaty squares of goodness on The Pink Dish since it's inception. In fact, it's where my mind immediately wanders everytime I search for a new recipe. Hubby's request this week sounded something like this..."anything that isn't lime, lemon or pineapple." Yes sir. I knew I'd have some down time on Friday and I also knew that the weather was going to be cloudy and cool. A nice warm pan of brownies sounded delightful. I haven't done a lot of baking with caramel so I thought it was high time when I spotted this This Betty Crocker recipe. I think the picture does enough talking about how gooey-ooey these puppies are so I'll just jump right in with what you really need to know.....




Ingredients: 

Filling
*1
package (14 oz) caramels, unwrapped
*1/2
cup evaporated milk
Brownies
*1
cup butter
*2
cups sugar
*2
teaspoons vanilla
*4
eggs, slightly beaten
*1 1/4
cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
*3/4
cup unsweetened baking cocoa
*1/4
teaspoon salt
*1
package (11.5 or 12 oz) semisweet chocolate chunks (2 cups)
*1 1/2
cups chopped pecans
*1
teaspoon oil



Directions: 

  • 1) Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9-inch pan. In small saucepan, cook caramels and milk over low heat until caramels are melted and smooth, stirring frequently.
Caramel balls instead of squares...aren't they cute!?

  • 2) In medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar, vanilla and eggs. Stir in flour, cocoa and salt until well blended. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chunks and 1 cup of the pecans. Spoon and spread batter in pan.
  • 3) Gently and evenly drizzle caramel filling over batter to prevent large pockets of caramel and to prevent caramel from reaching bottom of bars. (Caramel can cover entire surface of batter.)
  • 4) Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until set.
  • 5) In small saucepan, melt remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chunks with oil over low heat, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over warm brownies. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup pecans; press in lightly. Cool 20 minutes. Refrigerate 1 hour 30 minutes or until chocolate is set. Cut into squares. If refrigerated longer, let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
This is not your average brownie. Trust me. I'm pretty picky when it comes to brownies. A brownie connoisseur? Sure, I like the sound of that. They are tall and dense and moist (oh so moist) and sweet and rich (but not too rich) and gooey and ooey and just plain amazing. I've only eaten one so far. This is self-control in action right here folks. Hubby has strict rules to eat the entire pan while I'm gone this weekend. Needless to say, these will be my new go-to brownie.

Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!!


Wait, just one more thing.....is it okay to eat brownies for breakfast???

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Sweet Your Heart Out: Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake Bars

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If looking at the picture above doesn't make your mouth water then maybe taking a gander at the ingredient list below will inspire your taste buds. Speaking of the picture above, I had a blast photographing this dessert. I'm trying (I emphasize the word trying) to improve my photos. This is a work in progress obviously considering I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to using my camera. Point and click. Bare with me, will you my dear readers. ;) Thanks. So before I delve into my baking adventures I need to make a confession. Yes, yes, I'm still making confessions of goofing up even after all this practice I've been getting. Apparently it hasn't been enough because I'm still making the same ol' mistakes. But I guess that's when learning happens. Maybe someday the learning will actually sink in for me. Until then, I'll keep having confession moments to share. Today's confession is this: I forgot a crucial step in the crust baking process...I didn't bake it. Ha! I found myself stamping my feet in frustration when I realized that I'd poured the cheesecake layer on top of a crust that should've been baked in the oven first. Oops. Good news is that it didn't seem to mess things up too bad. The crust was a tad crumbly but the taste and aesthetics did all the talkin' so I was able to quickly forget about my blunder. Alas, I present to you, a lovely fall treat!!!!



Ingredients:


    FOR THE CRUST:
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • FOR THE CHEESECAKE:
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • FOR THE APPLES:
  • 2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg


Directions: 

    FOR THE CRUST:
  1. Cut the butter into the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon until combined and crumbly.
  2. Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 inch baking dish lined with foil.
  3. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until lightly golden brown, about 8-12 minutes, set aside and let cool.

  4. FOR THE CHEESECAKE:
  5. Beat the sugar into the cream cheese until smooth.
  6. Beat in the egg followed by the vanilla extract.
  7. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.
  8. FOR THE APPLES:
  9. Mix the apples, cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg.
  10. Sprinkle the apples on top of the cream cheese layer.
  11. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until cheesecake layer is set
  12. Prior to baking

Step 10. While your dessert is baking go check on baby girl in her crib/jail and see what is keeping her from taking a nap....


"Can't I be your taste-tester??"

The smell of cinnamon and nutmeg had infiltrated the house within minutes. Who needs Scentsy when you have these puppies baking in the oven?! I let the pan set for about an hour to cool before cutting into it. The very disappointing part about this recipe is that I had a mere thirty seconds to taste test it before shipping it off with a friend to take to the church for a fall fest dinner tonight. A very small amount of time to savor the flavor....not to mention that the piece I ate wouldn't have satisfied a mouse. But I can say that the one tiny bite packed a big punch. The apples were soft and cinnamony and melted in my mouth. Talk about a tease. Off went the pan of cheesecake bars to be eaten by the church folk. I'm thinking it's very necessary for me to re-attempt these bars (the correct way next time) so that the three of us can enjoy ALL of them! (Yes, very necessary). Add a caramel topping if you so desire. Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!!



Thursday, September 6, 2012

New Recipe Night: Beer Mac & Cheese


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Beer mac and cheese? Huh? I just didn't get it.

But now? I totally get it.

Let me preface this post by making it very clear that I detest beer. The smell. The taste. The mere thought of how gross it might be to burp after taking a few drinks. Yeah, gross...I know. But seriously. So you can see that this recipe was a stretch for me. This just proves how much in love I am with mac & cheese. Ps...you can't taste the beer, of course, but getting past the thought of it being in the sauce took a moment to overcome. ;)

Just one smell of the sauce after pouring in the cup of beer....intoxicating. Who knew that beer and cheese made such a beautiful pair?! No beer-ish smell present. Just the lovely aroma of something that I knew would be delicious. Step aside wine and cheese....there's a new combo in town. But flavors and smells aside, who doesn't love a big hot bowl of mac & cheese?! So many variations of the baked variety and my goal is to try every single one of them! My eyes stumbled upon this recipe while working at a patient's house. She was kind enough to let me copy the recipe down from her cooking club magazine and I ran as fast as I could to the grocery store to pick up the goodies to make it.


Ingredients:

*12 oz gemelli or fusilli (corkscrew pasta)
*4 Tbsp butter, divided
*3/4 cup finely chopped onion
*2 tsp minced garlic
*1 cup beer
*4 oz cream cheese
*1 1/3 cup milk
*12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cup)
*3/4 tsp salt
*1 1/2 cups bread crumbs 
*3 Tbsp thinly sliced green onion

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2) Meanwhile, melt 2 Tbsp of the butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion 4 to 5 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook and stir 30 seconds or until fragrant.

3) Increase heat to medium-high. Add beer; bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute to reduce slightly. Whisk in cream cheese until melted. Whisk in milk, cheddar cheese and salt, whisking constantly until cheese melts. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until slightly thickened (sauce will still be quite thing), stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in pasta; spoon into baking dish. 


4) Melt remaining 2 Tbsp butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir in bread crumbs and green onions until coated; sprinkle over pasta.


5) Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until casserole is hot and bubbling and bread crumbs are browned and crisp. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. 

Oh it looked so heavenly as I pulled it out of the oven. And the smell....oh, the smell. I served the mac with some baked bbq chicken. Perfect combo! 


The chicken was super duper simple and one of my favorite quick things to pop in the oven when I haven't planned ahead (which is always). It's a sinch....chicken breasts soaked in sweet and spicy chipotle bbq sauce + a squeeze of honey + a couple dashes of garlic powder baked at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in my handy dandy pampered chef deep stoneware pan.


A couple things to note: I added an extra cup of cheese. Yes, a whole cup. No shame here. ;) I couldn't wait to dig in. But I let my tiny taste tester try the first bite. Her eyes did the talking. Wide-eyed and reaching for more. APPROVED! The bread crumbs and green onions made the meal for me. The more bread crumbs the merrier! You won't be disappointed with this dish. Hubby was just happy that he was able to be of assistance with this meal....he finished the second half of the beer sitting on the counter. ;)

Oh yeah, one more thing.....ENJOY!!!


Wednesday, September 5, 2012

New Recipe Night: Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole


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I. Love. Black. Beans. 

So this was a very simple decision once I spotted this southwestern style casserole. Black beans? Check. 

I. Also. Love. Cilantro. 

Cilantro? Check. 

Last night I had a hankering for chicken and rice casserole of any kind. Well, actually I would've loved to make my mom's chicken, rice and cheese casserole recipe....but until God creates a phone up to heaven I would only be guessing about the recipe and it just wouldn't measure up to her's. Google was second best and served me well. My foodie friends, I now present to you this easy peasy spicy recipe marking my return to the world of ovens, shopping lists and actual food that isn't handed to me in a bag through a drive-thru window. "Ahhhhhhh." I think I just heard my body sigh and say a quiet "thank you."



Ingredients:

*2 cups cooked rice
*2 cups diced cooked chicken
*1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
*1 can Mexican-style corn, drained
*1 can diced tomatoes, slightly drained
*1 tsp fresh chopped cilantro
*1 tsp ground cumin
*1/2 tsp garlic powder
*1/2 tsp dried leaf oregano
*1 Tbsp chili powder
*1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper or chipotle pepper
*4 Tbsp butter
*4 Tbsp flour
*1 cup milk
*1/2 cup chicken broth
*1/4 tsp black pepper
*1/2 tsp salt
*1/2 to 1 cup cheddar or monterey jack cheese


Ah, it felt nice to made a purposeful trip to the store again....FINALLY!!! After a summer of purchasing fruit, hamburgers, lunch meat and bread I was in heaven hunting down my ingredient list to make an ACTUAL MEAL!!!

Directions: 

1) In a large bowl combine rice, chicken, beans, tomatoes, corn, cilantro, cumen, garlic powder, oregano, chili powder and red pepper. Stir to blend.


2) In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat; stir in flour until well-blended and bubbly. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir into the rice and chicken mixture.

2.5) Keep the cutting board with chicken out of reach of your dog's tongue. FYI: this chicken was given to begging (and very persistent) dog shown below.....


3) Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese during last 5 minutes of cooking. If desired, serve with a dollop of sour cream or chopped green onion.


Before

After

I served this casserole with a few tortilla chips and some guacamole on the side. Adjust the spicy-ness as you please! I wish I would've kicked it up even more with another dash of extra red pepper. t was a hit. I caught hubby digging into the dish before it could even cool down. Smiley-faced wife right here!!!! I love nothing more than discovering something new that he enjoys. Something else he enjoys???? The funny fella has a great time imitating me and giggling as I take pictures after the food comes out of the oven. I was preparing baby girl's dinner plate and turned around to find him taking pictures of leftover chicken pieces and serving spoons with my camera. He likes to make fun....I like to watch him make fun. It works out well. Laugh if you will, husband of mine....but your belly will thank me later!

Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!!


Tuesday, September 4, 2012

September Rolled Around

Oh, hi there. It is I, the queen of takeout.


So what on earth have I been doing since the day I made that last batch of delectable brownies several months ago???

I can tell you that cooking and baking are not answers to that question.

I'd like to say "being lazy and taking some time away from blogging for the summer".... but that would be a lie. The blog had become a chore and if I'm being honest it was making me fat. Ok, maybe it was the fact that I couldn't stop shoving my face with food.....but either way....the fat was happening. And my sister's wedding was rapidly approaching. Bridesmaid dress was staring at me. My brilliant idea to stop dishing out the food via blog backfired on me. So if I wasn't using my oven, what the heck have I been doing? Well, let's see here.....I've been continuing my family blog, raising a two-year-old, watching my baby sister get married and planning a wedding shower and bachelorette party, taking family trips, training for (sort of) and running a half-marathon, squeezing in an anniversary getaway, sprucing up the house for spring and summer, working full time....I think I'll stop right there. If I keep listing things I'll probably talk myself out of starting this bad boy up again.

But it's time. It's been a year since I kicked off this fun little blog last September so I thought what better time than to fire it back up again. I'm feeling that "fall itch". Warm food, cool-ish (ok, maybe still hotter than the sun) weather, leaves starting to fall. Alright, maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit. Maybe these 100+ degree temps simply leave me dreaming about hoodies, sweatpants and hot chocolate....and food. Comfort food. And sweets. Of course sweets. Duh. Fall is in fact upon is....sooner than later we will stop sticking to our car seats, cranking our ACs up full blast and staying inside to avoid heat exhaustion. Hello, earth to the sun.....it's September. Lay off the heat, would ya?!?!



Weather rant complete. Back to food. And other crafty fun things of course. Because The Pink Dish isn't just about food. It's about whatever is on the top of my head. 

The Pink Dish is BACK!!!!!

Stay tuned for my first delicious recipe (Southwest Chicken and Rice casserole) post coming tomorrow!!!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Sweet Your Heart Out: Homemade Peanut Butter Brownies


HELLO PEANUT BUTTER LOVERS!!!

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This one is for you.....


There are not many days in a week that pass by where I don't have a craving for a nice warm brownie. Brownies are very welcome in the Fanning kitchen. The hubs has never met a brownie he didn't like. The same goes for me. I really had not planned on doing a lot of baking or cooking this week. But something caught my attention as I was waltzing through the grocery store aisles today. I hadn't planned ahead or chosen any recipes which meant I didn't have an ingredient list. What could I bake that would be a no-brainer, quick and easy (something I could finish while the hubs and baby were taking their standard Sunday afternoon naps)? I was standing there blocking cart traffic when all of a sudden a lightbulb flickered on in my head. Peanut butter brownies. Wow. I figured that I could make the basic from scratch brownie that I'd used to make the cookies 'n' cream brownies that we devoured a few weeks ago....but instead of the Oreos I'd use some peanut butter chips. I didn't even know that Nestle Tollhouse made such a thing....but they do. And I was happy. I found myself standing there trying to imagine how close it would feel to heaven of earth if I could pull off these brownies. But they needed one more thing. Peanut butter frosting? Yes. Yes, that's it. Here we go!



Ingredients:

Brownies:
*4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate; coarsely chopped
*3/4 cup butter
*1 1/2 cups sugar
*3 eggs; lightly beaten
*1 tsp vanilla
*1/4 tsp kosher salt
*1 cup all purpose flour
*1 package milk chocolate/peanut butter chips

Frosting:
*1 stick butter
*3/4 cup peanut butter
*2 cups confectioner's sugar
*4 Tbsp milk


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 9×9 inch baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray

2. Microwave chocolate and butter or margarine in large bowl for 3-4 minutes or until butter is melted.

3. Whisk mixture until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar. Add in eggs, extract and salt. Gradually add in flour and stir until just combined.





5. For frosting:  Mix softened butter and peanut butter in bowl with mixer. Add in confectioner's sugar gradually while mixing and then add milk to get desired consistency.


6. Let brownies cool completely and then spread frosting on top.


I just have to quote the hubs on this one as he spoke with a big bite full of brownie: "babe, these are dangerously good." I actually gave myself a lil pat on the ol' back after this recipe. I was pretty proud that I could make my own frosting without following a recipe (simple, but I was proud nonetheless). These treats were 1)moist 2)delightful 3)addicting 4)all gone. Or almost all gone. I still have a few that are going to find good homes tomorrow. Like he said...."dangerously good." I can't take the chance. ;) Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!!






Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Butterscotch "Blarney Stone" Cookies


So here's my story......

Yesterday was blarney stone baking day. It's Sweet Tooth Tuesday a day late! Blarney stone, blarney stone, how do I bake thee?? I'd only eaten them once in my life. I honestly wasn't a big fan of them but my Irish-rooted hubby is a self-proclaimed blarney stone fan. I have been feeling guilty about all of these recent lemon and lime flavored desserts I've been baking up so it was high time to make something I knew he'd devour. After a quick google search whilst walking the grocery store aisles I clicked on the first link at the top of the results page. Hmmm, kind of peculiar. These tiny little mini cookies in the picture sure didn't look like the blarney stones I've seen before. At that point I was officially confused. I'm no expert so I figured there may be more than one kind of blarney stone. Or maybe you could make any kind of dessert with nuts and call it a blarney stone. I even googled information about the history of the blarney stone. I was blarney stoned out and I hadn't even picked a recipe yet. See, I was just confused. I kept thinking "blarney stones are big puffy things covered in frosting and rolled in nuts." (scratching my head). "I'm totally overthinking this, aren't I??" "But the title of the recipe said 'blarney stones'". Hmmmm. So you see where that was going.....where was a little leprechaun when I needed one?

I decided "ah what the heck? I'll give this recipe a try!" I'm so glad I did. And I even made up my own name for these treats. These are the Fannings new version of blarney stones in cookie form....and I'm ok with that. Join me if you will in the new blarney stone revolution!! (man I'm kinda tired of typing the word blarney...are you tired of reading the word blarney?)

This has got to be the most surprising recipe I've baked thus far. Surprising in the fact that it's not what I expected at all. First of all, I had no idea what a fan of butterscotch I was until I took one bite of these. Isn't butterscotch just something you eat in the form of a hard candy when you go to your grandma's house? Not any longer. These have jumped straight to the top of my list of what to make when I'm craving something sweet. Don't let the green color steer you away from making them anytime of the year. Just leave out the coloring or add colors for different holidays. But I must warn you.....these are very DANGEROUS. Since they are bite size it is possible to consume mass amounts of them and not even realize what you are doing until you are staring at a plate that only has a few crumbs left behind. The hubs was a huge fan of these tasty little boogers. Maybe boogers wasn't the best choice of words being as they are green and all. Hmmm, let's try tasty little morsels. That better?? ;) Now that we've got that squared away LET'S START BAKING!


Ingredients:

*1 cup butter, softened
*3/4 cup packed brown sugar
*1/4 cup sugar
*1 package (3.4 ounces) instant pistachio pudding mix
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1/2 teaspoon almond extract
*2 eggs
*Green food coloring, optional
*2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
*1 teaspoon baking soda
*1 package (10 to 11 ounces) butterscotch chips
*1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1) In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugars, pudding mix and extracts until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add a few drops of green coloring if desired.


2) Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chips and nuts (batter will be stiff).


3) Cover and refrigerate for several hours.

4) Shape into 1/2-in. balls; place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.


Make sure and recruit a great helper like I did....

Red hair? Check. Fair skin? Check. She must be Irish.

The mint green color was so pretty while it was stirring in the mixer. I almost couldn't help myself from grabbing a big handful of cookie dough and eating it raw.....but salmonella was not really what I was going for so I refrained. The house smelled magnificent. Oh and did I mention that the recipe made about 75 of these treats? It actually was supposed to make 150 bite size but I made some a bit larger. Ya see, they are just too darn good to describe. So I won't even try. I'll simply try to make enough batches to share with everyone of my friends, family and patients. Send me your order!! Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!! Oh yeah, and one more thing....HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY FRIENDS!