Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Spice Cookies

I LOVE these cookies! Really I LOVE anything that is baked with pumpkin(except pumpkin pie). These cookies are super simple(3 ingredients) and really...they are super yummy!!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Ingredients:
  • 1 Box Spice Cake Mix
  • 1 15 oz. can pumpkin
  • 1 1/2 - 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients together. Drop dough, by spoonfuls, onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls

These Cinnamon Rolls are the BEST!! I didn't use Pioneer Woman's maple frosting, but I'm sure it is wonderful... just like everything else that she makes. I used the butter cream frosting that I use for sugar cookies. I will definitely be making these again!


Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients:
  • 1 quart Whole Milk
  • 1 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 2 packages Active Dry Yeast
  • 8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
  • 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
  • 3 cups (to 4 Cups) Melted Butter
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
    _____
    MAPLE FROSTING:
    1 bag Powdered Sugar
    2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
    ½ cups Milk
    ¼ cups Melted Butter
    ¼ cups Brewed Coffee
    ⅛ teaspoons Salt

Directions: Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. “Scald” the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1 ½ to 2 cups melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.
Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 375 degrees (edited to say 375 instead of 400, as The Pioneer Woman now suggests) until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.
For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Fettuccine Alfredo and Garlic Butter Shrimp

I can't remember where I got this recipe for Alfredo, maybe Martha Stewart.? I don't usually make it with fettuccine noodles. We like short pasta at our house, penne or farfalle. Also, when I made the Alfredo sauce, I didn't have the heavy cream....SO I used whole milk instead and used two egg yolks instead of one.
The shrimp was SO yummy with the pasta. I had my nine year old helping me fix this meal. I asked him to 'toss' the shrimp together with the steamed pasta. He proceeded to mutilate the broccoli into itty bitty pieces as he was 'tossing' them together. He had a little TOO much fun. I guess he needs a lesson on 'tossing'. It was still SUPER yummy, just not quite as pretty:) or maybe more pretty...whichever you think.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients:

  • 4 T. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
  • 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
  • 1 pound fresh fettuccine or best-quality dry fettuccine (I used whole grain penne)

Directions: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While you are waiting for your water to boil, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add heavy cream and cheese. When cheese is melted, add egg yolk(I add a little of the sauce to my egg yolk to temper it and then add it back to the warm sauce). Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. Add fettuccine to boiling water, and cook until al dente, following package directions. Drain pasta, and transfer to a large serving platter. Pour sauce over fettuccine. Serve immediately.

Garlic butter shrimp

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds large shrimp
  • 3 T softened butter
  • 1 t. garlic powder or garlic salt. I used salted butter, so I went with the garlic powder
  • 3/4 t. red pepper flakes
  • 1 t. finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: Mix butter, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and parm cheese together well. Add mixed butter to a hot frying pan or cast-iron skillet(med heat). Add shrimp and cook ~2-3 minutes per side until cooked through.