walk with us

bake along with me

Saturday was devoted to baking. If you follow me on Twitter or are a facebook friend, you got to see photos of the finished products as they came out of the oven. I had a couple requests for recipes, so I thought I'd share it all here again. Caveat -- they are photos taken with my cell phone, and I'm just linking to recipes. I just want to share today.

That's grocery shopping loot, part 1. There was also a part 2, 3 and 4. I didn't have a list of what I wanted to make, so I just grabbed what I thought I could use in something.

Recipe #1 was Peanut Blossoms. My mom used to make these when I was a kid, and I wanted to recreate that. I used a recipe I found on the Hershey's website. It was awful. The cookies were crumbly, and frankly, this was not a good start to my cooking day. I almost gave up and just sat and watched TV all day.

Items number 2 and 3 were much better. I made M&M Dream Bars, which are Mykiah's favorite holiday cookies, and Hello Dollies (without the coconut). I hadn't planned to make the Hello Dollies, but when I realized I had the ingredients sitting around, I put them together quickly. Actually, Brady put them together quickly. He was a great sous chef.

My 4th item of the day was Chocolate Crinkles. I actually have no idea how these tasted. I just wanted them to look pretty. They always look so nice on a cookie tray.

While waiting for the crinkle dough to cool, the boys and I made some white chocolate party mix. This recipe goes way back with my family, and I can't imagine the holidays without it. P.S. That's actually a link to my recipe, and I didn't use the vanilla chips and oil. I just melted some white almond bark.

While I was mixing that up, my boys asked if I'd make them some ranch pretzels. Not really holidays food, but you've got to have some savory with your sweet, right?

Once again I managed to mess up the doubling of the Best Ever M&M Cookie recipe. This time it wasn't my fault, though. I asked Brady to do the math for me, and he shorted me a cup of flour. Which got fixed, but not until the 3rd cookie sheet went in the oven.

A super easy but fun addition to my holiday baking was chocolate dipped rice krispie treats. I made a double batch of rice krispie treats, spread them in a 9x13 pan (so they were nice and thick), and put them in the fridge to harden. Later, Dan melted some dark almond bark while I cut the treats into squares. I then dipped the top of the treats into the almond bark, and my head Sprinkler (i.e. Brady) put sprinkles on top. These were easy, fun, and they'll look great on a cookie tray.

My last cookie for the day was a new variety of Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies. My father-in-law loves my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, but I am always in search of the *best* recipe. I think I found it. Unbelievably, I went through my entire baking day without tasting any of the goodies. Until these. I had to try the new recipe, right? These were total yum. There were so many flavors layered into this cookie. It was perfection. To make them unbelievable, add a cup of finely chopped pecans to the batter. Unreal.

I was not done. Not by a long shot. On Sunday morning, I made my favorite large batch cookies with a variety of chips... peanut butter, butterscotch, chunks, semisweet and M&Ms. Plus walnuts.

Last, but not least in my husband's eyes, were the peanut clusters. Melt a package of almond bark. Add a bunch of dry roasted peanuts. Scoop by the spoonful onto waxed paper. Yum.

I wanted to get all these recipes up in case anyone was planning a baking day this weekend. If you try some, let me know. I love to hear it.

As for me, my freezer is full. I will be sharing my goodies with anyone who would like some. I don't bake to feed my family, but to feed my spirit. I'm filling up.

recipe: Dan's Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookies

Thanksgiving weekend, Dan got a hankering for some chocolate chip and walnut cookies. "Only chocolate chips and walnuts. Don't be throwing any onions or anything else in there."

OK, so he's figured out that when he's not looking I throw dehydrated onions or onion powder in almost everything. And I thought I was being so sly.

I don't have a regular old chocolate chip cookie recipe. The ones I really like make a gazillion cookies, and we didn't need that many.

I altered a recipe I found in one of my mom's many church cookbooks, and the result was pretty darn good.

Here's me in the kitchen:

And here's the recipe:

Dan's Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookies

 

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 package (4.5 oz) instant vanilla pudding
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 pkg (14 oz?) semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix both sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and pudding mix. Batter will be stiff. Add nuts and chips. Drop by rounded spoonful onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

To download this recipe in a printable version, click here: Download Danscookies

Recipe: Kiah's Deviled Eggs

So it has become tradition for Mykiah to make deviled eggs when my family gets together. For Thanksgiving, these weren't served with dinner, but were a treat that evening when people were putting together turkey sandwiches. Or, you know, eating Rice Chex. Kathy.

So here's the girl making her specialty, using my mom's recipe:

Kiah's Deviled Eggs

6 eggs
2 tbsp mayo
1 ½ tsp grated onion (or dehydrated onion flakes)
1 ½ tsp sweet pickle relish
½ tsp spicy mustard
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp pepper

Hard boil eggs. Cool. Peel and cut eggs in half.

Remove yolk from eggs and put into a medium bowl. Mix yolk with the above ingredients (well, except the eggs).

Here's what that looks like, premixing.

Spoon mixture back into the eggs. Serve cold.

My mom actually has a cool Pampered Chef deviled egg server (that I bought her for a gift... cuz I'm cool like that). Here's how they look before I get ahold of them:

It's funny. I never ate eggs until I was pregnant with Brady. Now I'm picky about my eggs, but I definitely crave them at times. These eggs are totally cravable.

Download in printable form here: Download Kiahsdeviledeggs

Recipe: Crispix Snack Mix

So a couple of weekends ago, we were walking through Walmart. There on an endcap was boxes upon boxes of Crispix. Dan said something about snack mix.

I pretty much love Chex mix. The worcestershire, the spice.... yum.

I could do it with Crispix. Actually, there was a recipe right there on the box that sounded intriguing.

 

Crispix Snack Mix

5 cups KELLOGG'S® CRISPIX® cereal

5 cups SUNSHINE® CHEEZ-IT® White

Cheddar Crackers

1 cup small pretzels

1 cup cashews

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon onion salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine cereal, crackers, pretzels and cashews. Set aside. In small mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients, mixing well. Pour seasoning mixture over cereal and cracker mixture. Gently stir until evenly coated. Pour mixture onto 11 x 13 -inch baking pan.

Bake at 250 degrees F for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container. Now, me being me, you're going to have to know I messed with the recipe. First, I added a lot more pretzels and nuts to the recipe. I think I ended up tripling the seasoning mix. I like pretzels and nuts, Crispix and cheese crackers less so. Second, I added a shot of ground red pepper to the seasoning. Give it a little zing. It was so good I made 2 batches. The first was gone in hours. To download this recipe in printable form, click here: Download Crispixsnackmix

Donna's Pancakes

I've pretty much always been pancake impaired. I don't mind whipping up a batch of waffles, but pancakes are just not my thing. I've been married almost 20 years and managed to avoid making pancakes.

Until recently.

Pancakes are Mykiah's second favorite food. Except spaghetti. I hear "Can we go to IHOP?" all the time.

Lately there was a lot of "Mom, can you make me chocolate chip pancakes?"

Against my better judgement, I decided to try to make the girl chocolate chip pancakes. I don't have a griddle, which makes flipping a pancake pretty easy, so I was making them in my skillet. Also, when using the skillet, I can only make one pancake at a time, which stresses me out. A lot. On the evening last week when I decided to make these, I was highly stressed. I was asking Brady to set the table, and he was arguing with me because technically, it's Chesney's job. Chesney, however, was busy with something else, and I really wanted the table set then. Finally, I just set it myself.

And burned the pancake in the process.

It was only burned slightly, and only on one side, so I tried to serve it to Chesney. She looked at it and said, "Do I really have to eat this?"

I walked over, picked up her plate, and chucked that pancake right out the back door.

[Chesney went out and picked it up later, after she had eaten. Brady did not get a pancake because I ran out of batter and it was his fault I burned the first one. Stop. Laughing.]

So after my little meltdown, I did manage to make a fairly good batch of pancakes. When I make waffles, I usually use a mix (just add water!), but this time I used a recipe sent to me by my good friend Donna. I threw some mini chocolate chips onto the pancake after I poured it into the skillet -- this let me make chocolate chip for the girls, but plain for Dan and I.

Here's the pancake I made for Ches (that actually turned out well):

You could also add fresh blueberries or bananas or nuts. Whatever you like in your pancakes. I like mine plain.

Donna's Pancakes

1 c. flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 egg
1 c. milk
3 Tbsp oil

Mix all and drop by large spoonfuls on hot griddle (water drops sizzle and 'dance' before evaporating). When bubbles start popping regularly, flip. Serve with butter and syrup.

To download this recipe in printable form, click here: Download Donnaspancakes

Recipe: Best Yet M&M Cookies

I subscribe to several baking blogs, and recently I read with amusement of one blogger's search for the perfect M&M cookie. What she found didn't surprise me... the perfect cookie has some shortening in it.

When my Kitchen Aid first came home to live with me, I was a butter snob. No sense baking if I wasn't using real butter.

Then I went on a quest to find dairy free cookies. In doing so, I discovered that a little shortening in the better actually makes for a better texture for the cookie.

Here's the link to the original post: Cookie Madness 

I doubled this recipe, as I often do. If I'm going to make cookies, I'm going to make a bunch. I also made a mistake in doubling, but I managed to get it fixed before I ruined more than 1 sheet of cookies. I used Halloween fun color M&Ms, and this was my trial run for Christmas M&M cookies. I think it's a keeper.

Best Yet M&M Cookies

1 stick unsalted butter, softened   
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar               
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract       
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour        
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda           
3/4 cups plain M&Ms
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

This dough will need to set in the fridge for at least an hour after mixing, so no need to preheat the oven yet.

Combine the butter and shortening in mixer. Beat until creamy. Add both sugars and continue beating on high for two minutes, scraping bowl. Beat in the vanilla and egg. Continue beating for another minute or until fluffy.

Stir together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add this mixture to the sugar mixture and stir until mixed. Stir in the M&Ms and chocolate chips. Chill batter for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drop batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, spacing 3 inches apart and bake for 12-14 minutes. The cookies do spread, so keep that in mind when spacing out the cookies. Let cool on cookie sheets for about 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool.

Makes about 22 cookies

To download this recipe in printable form, click here: Download Bestyetmandm

Recipe Index, Part 1

I love to troll for recipes on the internet, and I have several cooking/baking blogs on my Bloglines. One of the things that really bugs me is when I can't easily print a recipe from a blog.

Took me a few years to figure out that my own readers might have the same aggravations when trying to print recipes from this blog.

I spent a big chunk of my Halloween evening patiently waiting for trick or treaters that never materialized, and formatting recipes for download. I went back a year before I got tired of it. I'll attempt to do another chunk next weekend.

I updated each recipe post with the printable file, but thought I'd also index them here, just in case you missed some.

The recipes are in .pdf format, which means you'll need Adobe Acrobat to open and print them. I know I print all my recipes and put them in a 3 ring binder with page protectors (ever handy for those times when you kick up flour dust with the KitchenAid). I'd love to hear your ideas!

Recipe Index, Part 1

Anything Goes Cookies: Download Anythinggoescookies

BBQ Chicken Wrap: Download Bbqchickenwrap

Bubble Pizza: Download Bubblepizza

Chewy Triple Chippers: Download Chewytriplechippers

Easy Chimichangas: Download Chimis

Chocolate Sundae Crunch: Download Chocolatesundae

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies: Download Creamcheesechochip

Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: Download Doublepbchoccookies

Jenn's Cookies (dairy free!): Download Jennscookies

Meatloaf: Download Meatloaf

Oriental Cole Slaw: Download Orientalcoleslaw

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: Download Pbchocchipcookies

Peanut Crunch Cake: Download Peanutcrunch

Dan's Kool Aid Play Dough: Download Playdough

All Day Potato Soup: Download Potatosoup

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread: Download Pumpkinbread

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie: Download Pumpkinoatmealcookie

Pumpkin Streusel Cake: Download Pumpkinstreusel

Refried Beans: Download Refriedbeans

Spaghetti Pie: Download Spaghettipie

Tuna Salad: Download Tunasalad

Turtle Cake: Download Turtlecake

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies: Download Whitechocolatecranberrycookies

| Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I can't take any credit for this one. It was alllll Mykiah. She hauled her dad down to the store to purchase the ingredients, she mixed it, she baked it.

She didn't much eat it. She did not inherit her mother's inability to resist anything chocolate. She had a slice for breakfast last Sunday, and that was it.

This recipe makes two loaves, so I froze one for the future. As it happened, I unexpectedly needed to bring a snack on Friday, after two nights of late parent-teacher conferences. I called Mykiah from work Thursday night and asked her to pull the bread out of the freezer to defrost. It was a hit at work. Not one piece left by noon.

Should you be looking for a little snack for a Halloween party at work this week, I highly recommend this bread. Very appropriate for the season, too.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1-1/2 cups canola oil
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (we used the minis.... spreads the chocolate through the batter more evenly)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Mykiah also threw in some pumpkin pie spice here. Maybe a pinch of ginger.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil. We did this in my KitchenAid. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. 

Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves (16 slices each).

Freezes exceptionally well. 

To print this recipe as a .pdf file, click here: Download Pumpkinbread

| recipe: Peanut Crunch Cake

I've probably shared this recipe here already, but I made this cake this weekend and thought I'd share it again.

We have an absolutely fabulous counselor at school. He rocks magic, ventriloquism, and juggling and keeps our pre-K students entertained for hours. We love it when he comes in to do a lesson, and he loves the adoration he gets from 4 year olds. It's a whole mutual thing.

A couple of weeks ago, our counselor did our pre-K team a huge favor. So when I signed up to make a dessert for our staff luncheon yesterday, it was suggested that I make our counselor's favorite cake. He fell in love with it a few years ago when I brought it to a different luncheon, and since then I've made it for him once or twice to thank him when he does good deeds for our team.

It didn't take much convincing to get me to make this cake. It's absolutely delicious. So here is my famous Peanut Crunch Cake....

Ingredients

• 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
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• 1/2 to 3/4 cup peanut butter chips, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts

I use a package of "nut topping" for the chopped peanuts. I find it in the nut section at our local grocery store. I also just use a package of chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. The more the merrier.

This recipe was so made so much easier using my Kitchen Aid mixer. I hadn't made it since I got the Kitchen Aid, and making this reminded me why I love that thing so much.

First, mix the cake mix, brown sugar and peanut butter with your mixer until it becomes crumbly. Like this:

Scoop a half cup of the crumbles out of the bowl and set them aside. Add in the wet ingredients -- oil, water, eggs -- and mix on low until moistened. Scrape the sides, then turn that mixer up a bit and let it go for 2 minutes.

My favorite part of the KitchenAid has to be the ability to turn it on to beat for a few minutes and in the meantime be cleaning up my earlier messes. I love not having to stand there and hold the mixer.

Add 1/2 cup each of peanut butter and chocolate chips to the batter.

Pour the batter into a greased 9x13" pan. If you've got one with high sides (like a lasagna pan), use it. This recipe seems to grow exponentially while baking. One that I made this weekend actually overflowed the pan, spilling into the bottom of the oven and stinking up the house. The actual cake was fine, but the stink....

OK, back to the recipe. Sprinkle that 1/2 cup of crumblies on top of the batter. Add the rest of the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Or, if you're Mykiah, just dump all the chips and then try to spread them out.

Sprinkle those chopped nuts over the top, too. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. I check it at that point, and usually end up cooking it for another 5-10 minutes. This is a very dense cake and it takes a bit to get it done. I also usually cover the edges of the cake with foil so they don't over brown. That's just a little picky thing of mine.

  The end result is yummy. I totally stole that photo from the Taste of Home website. I orginally clipped this recipe out of the magazine approximately 11 years ago, and I've been making it ever since.

My family appreciates it very much.

Hope yours does too!

To print this recipe as a .pdf file click here: Download Peanutcrunch

Recipe: Chocolate Sundae Crunch

You know, I was looking to see if I could find this recipe online. I have it in print, but I'm generally lazy and prefer to copy and paste where possible. I was just sure the recipe was online somewhere.

I knew that I had once had this recipe published in Quick Cooking magazine, back when I was the Busiest Cook in the Country. Someone could probably tell you what issue that was... OK, it's Jan/Feb 2004. That info was with the recipe.

Anyway, I'm looking all over the Reiman Publications website, and can't find it. Know why? They changed the name. It's Crunchy Chocolate Pudding Squares. That's probably a more descriptive name for the dessert, but I'm just not feeling it. I've always called it Chocolate Sundae Crunch. Dan calls it "that stuff with the amazing crust and chocolate pudding."

Let's just call it yum.

Chocolate Sundae Crunch

Ingredients

    * 2 cups self-rising flour
    * 1-1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
    * 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
    * 1 cup butter, melted
    * 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
    * 1 cup confectioners' sugar
    * 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
    * 3 cups cold milk
    * 1 package (5.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
    * Colored sprinkles, optional

Directions

    * In a bowl, combine the flour, pecans and brown sugar. Stir in butter. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

    * In a bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in 1 cup whipped topping. Spread over crust. In another bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Spoon over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set. Spread with the remaining whipped topping. Chill until set. Garnish with sprinkles if desired. Cut into squares. Yield: 12-15 servings.

Here's the dry crust mixture:

I used real butter this time:

This is what it looks like pressed into the pan, before you bake it:

I love my Kitchen Aid. It mixed up the cream cheese spread so easily. This used to be a real pain.

Then I used the Kitchen Aid to whisk up the pudding:

And this is what it looks like before you take that first bite:

 

To print this recipe as a .pdf file, click here: Download Chocolatesundae