Sunday, January 15, 2012

Snickerdoodles

I love a good snickerdoodle cookie.  I have used Paula Deen’s recipe from her first cookbook The Lady & Sons for years.  I ordered her cookbook off of QVC years ago before the days of the Food Network.  One of the few items I have ever purchased on QVC but then we digress.  Back to the light and delicious cookie.

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Snickerdoodles

Recipe by Paula Deen

1 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tarter

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

Cream shortening with sugar and eggs.

Sift together flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, and salt.  Combine with the egg mixture.

Chill dough thoroughly then roll into small balls (walnut size).  Roll balls in cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake for 8-10 minutes on a ungreased baking sheet until lightly browned but still soft.

Enjoy!

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Flat Apple Pie

We watched Pioneer Woman whipped up these flat apple pies on her new cooking show yesterday.  They looked so good we decided to make them.  We served them after dinner.  Everyone agreed these were fantastic.

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Flat Apple Pie

recipe by the Pioneer Women (slightly adapted)

Ingredients

  • 5 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 recipe Perfect Pie Crust, recipe follows
  • 6 tablespoons butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In large bowl, stir together the apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, flour, salt and lemon juice. Set aside and see how long you can keep from sneaking a slice of apple.

With a rolling pin, begin rolling out the Perfect Pie Crusts into large circles. Roll the dough from the center outward. Be gentle and patient, it'll take a little time to get the dough completely rolled out.

If you think the bottom is really sticking to the surface below, use a nice, sharp spatula to loosen the dough and sprinkle some extra flour on top. Then flip it over to finish rolling. Remember to roll from the center in single, outward strokes, no back-and-forth rolling.

Again with a spatula, loosen and lift the dough and carefully place the circles on large baking sheets.

Place half the apple mixture on one crust and the other half on the other crust. Fold over the edges of each crust so that it covers 2 to 3 inches of the apple mixture. No need to be artistic - the more rustic the better. Dot the tops of the pies with chunks of the butter.

Bake until the filling is golden and bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. If the crust appears to brown too quickly, cover the edges with aluminium foil for the remaining baking time.

Allow to cool slightly, then slice into wedges with a pizza cutter. Eat 'em on the go!

 

Perfect Pie Crust:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 sticks cold butter
  • 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 egg
  • 5 tablespoons cold water
  • 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add in the butter and shortening. Using a pastry cutter, gradually work the butter and shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles. This step should take 3 or 4 minutes.

Lightly beat the egg with a fork, and then add it to the mixture. Next, add in the cold water and vinegar. Stir the mixture together until it's just combined, and then remove half the dough from the bowl. Yield: dough for 2 crusts.

 

Caramel Sauce

  • 4 Tablespoons Butter
  • 1 cup Brown Sugar, Packed
  • 1/2 cup Half-and-half
  • Pinch Of Salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Mix butter, brown sugar, half & half, and salt in a saucepan over medium low heat. Cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thicker. Add vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Remove from heat and drizzle over pie.  We drizzled over the individual pie pieces as opposed to the whole pie.

Enjoy! 

 

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Chicken Broccoli Pasta

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This is one of our favorite weeknight meals.  We love the creamy texture of the sauce with the broccoli and pasta.  Even my kids love it.

Chicken & Broccoli Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chicken broth

1 8 oz package cream cheese, cubed (or whipped cream cheese or cooking cream cheese)

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

4 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated

1 lb bowtie pasta

1-2 bunches of broccoli cut into florets

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.  During the last 3 minutes of cooking the pasta, add the broccoli to the pot.  Drain and set aside.

While cooking patsa, heat oil in a large skillet over medium/medium high heat.  Add chicken cooking until no longer pink about 3 minutes stirring frequently. 

Remove the chicken from the pan.  Add chicken broth to the pan scraping the pan (deglazing). 

Reduce heat to medium.  Whisk in cream cheese stirring until smooth. Stir in 1/2 mozzarella (3/4 cup) cheese.

Stir in chicken, pasta and broccoli into the sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.  Cover with lid to melt cheese then serve.

Enjoy!

Click here to print this recipe!