Italian Flag Cookies (a/k/a Rainbow Cookies)

I have always wanted to make these cookies. I was always a little trepidatious in doing so because there seemed to be a lot involved with making them. I was, of course, CORRECT! The process was long. To be exact, a little over 3 hours for the preparing and baking. Then they have to "set" overnight before they can be finished. I am not going to type out the recipe, but I will provide the link to the recipe I used, which was AMAZING! These cookies, all 96 of them, were devoured the night they were unveiled... and there was only 10 of us! Here is the link: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/05/rainbow-cookies. Some tips... make sure you have a strainer, 3 13x9x2 metal baking pans (this will help the process go a little smoother... I only had two pans :(...DIVIDE the sugar, which is noted in the recipe under ingredients, but not so much in the preparation...make sure you have space in your freezer and refrigerator and heavy cans to compress cake layers.

Happy Baking!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Waffles Stuffed with Banana Cream (say that 5 times, quickly)!

Henry's, well now it is known as Sprout's, was having a sale on oatmeal. All different kinds: Steel Cut, Quick, Old Fashion, and so on... you get the idea. I have never had oatmeal waffles, but have had my fare share of oatmeal pancakes. And, I love them! I decided that last night we were going to have a brenner - breakfast for dinner. On the menu, peanut butter oatmeal waffles stuffed with banana cream and a side of maple cured sausage. Heaven, that's where my taste buds thought they were with this meal!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Waffles
Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup peanut butter chips*
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon chia seeds**
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk
6 tablespoons butter melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar

In a large mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients. In a small mixing bowl, stir together wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until completely blended. Batter will be thick. If it is too thick for your liking, add milk a tablespoon at a time.

Make sure your waffle iron is heated. Pour batter onto lightly greased waffle iron (amount varies depending on size of waffle iron). Close lid and do not open until done cooking. Time varies depending on waffle iron and personal preference. Mine take 3 and 1/2 minutes to cook. Use fork to remove cooked waffle.

For stuffed waffles, which are da bomb, prepare the following recipe before cooking waffles. Then cook waffles. Cut freshly cooked waffles in half. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling onto one side of waffle and then cover with the other half. Drizzle, or pour, your syrup of choice... mine is 100% maple syrup. Enjoy! 

It is mucho importante to serve these immediately while hot!!!

Banana Cream for Stuffing

1 ripe banana smashed***

3 oz cream cheese

2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon course sea salt

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients until well blended. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.

* This could be substituted for any type of chip, nuts, or berries

** Optional. They have added health benefits. Click here for more information.

*** This could be substituted for any type of fruit.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

A favorite treat of mine are Oreo cookies dunked in a cup of black coffee. OH.MY.WORD. that is some serious deliciousness.

With Valentine's coming up, I was struggling to come up with something to make for my son's class. I had a dilemma... food allergies. Two little girls in his class have food allergies. One little girl is allergic to apricots, and the other girl is allergic to peanuts and eggs. This makes things a tad more challenging. I found a recipe for homemade Oreo cookies from Sugar Cooking's blog, but had to alter the recipe, slightly. These cookies are absolutely amazing! WOW, I don't think I will ever purchase another pack of oreos again... they were also very easy to make.

Homemade Oreo CookiesCookie Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa or cocoa powder for baking works well
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
3 to 4 tbsp milk
For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 tsp milk
2 to 3 drops red food coloring*

1. Preheat to 375°F. Retrieve two baking sheets. If you don't have two baking sheets, the remaining dough will have to be refrigerated while the wafers are cooking in the oven. This will stop the cookies from spreading to much.
2. In a bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the milk. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 5 minutes, rotate and bake for another 3 to 4 minutes. Set cookies on cooling rack. Makes about 24 Oreo cookies, total of 48 wafers.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar, vanilla, milk, and food coloring*. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk or coffee.

*optional

Since these are for my son's class for Valentine's Day, I made them a little more special by using a gel icing to write "XO" on the top of the cookie and sprinkling pink decorative sugar over the "XO." Then I placed one cookie in a muffin tin, so each kid will have a special treat.

Blueberry Ginger Muffins

WHOA these are good. Seriously, if you don't believe me just ask my boyfriend who plowed devoured  enjoyed five in less than 10 minutes! Yes, you read correctly... he ate five muffins in less than 10 minutes. He couldn't stop himself... at least that is what it looked like. No self-control I tell ya...

Anywho, these muffins are great and easy peasy to make! I was only able to get 11 muffins, not 12, but I filled my cups almost to the brim.

Blueberry Ginger Muffins
Dry Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp course sea salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 package instant vanilla pudding
Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup no sugar added applesauce
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh (or frozen) blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients with a whisk and make a well in the center. In a small bowl combine wet ingredients, but not the blueberries. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix together with a spatula. Once dry ingredients are completely wet, add blueberries. In a medium size muffin tin, that has been sprayed with cooking spray, spoon batter to 3/4 full. Optional: Sprinkle a cinnamon sugar mixture (1 tbsp sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon) on each muffin. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Tops of muffins should be golden brown.

Mac-n-Cheese with Garlic and Cherry Tomatoes

I love mac-n-cheese...A LOT...who doesn't...pasta and cheese...all in one...what more could a grown woman ask for? A twist, that's what! This is not your typical mac-n-cheese... I like to call it my "sophisticated comfort food!"

Mac-n-Cheese with Garlic and Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups Penne Pasta (uncooked, but rinsed)
2 tbsp mustard (Dijon is best but yellow will suffice)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 1/2* cups of milk (any fat percentage will do)
handful cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan
1/2 cup freshly shredded roman
1/2 cup freshly shredded Gouda
1/4 cup goat cheese
salt and pepper to taste

* If you like a more saucy mac-n-cheese use 3 cups of milk -  2 cups for boiling and 1 cup when the cheese is added.

In a medium size pot (I like to use a pot that can go in the oven, such as a dutch oven, because I like mine a little more crisp on the top), mix together 2 cups of milk (holding back 1/2 cup of milk for use later), mustard, and nutmeg. Then add rinsed pasta to the pot. Bring to a boil, but make sure the milk doesn't get scorched, so stirring is necessary. In a separate pan, add olive oil, garlic, quartered tomatoes, and salt/pepper to taste - cook on medium heat until the edges of the chopped garlic are slightly browned. Once the pasta is cooked to your liking, about 7 to 8 minutes for me, but I like mine al dente, reduce heat to medium, add the remaining milk, and slowly stir in the cheese a 1/4 cup at a time stirring until melted. Then add the cooked garlic and tomatoes (include the remaining olive oil that is in the pan). Salt and pepper to taste. If this is a side it could easily serve up to 6; if this is the main course it could serve up to 4 depending on how hungry they are.

Optional: If you like your mac-n-cheese with a little crunch, cook in the oven at 400 F for 15 minutes. Also, if you want some extra protein and have some leftover chicken, shred and add before putting into the oven.

Mini Baked Donuts

My son loves, loves, loves donuts. I have to be honest, so do I! However, my thighs and arse... not so much. I have been dying to create, or find, an awesome baked donut recipe. In order to move this wish along I ordered a mini donut pan by Wilton. A recipe came with the pan. I tweaked it. Here is my version of the Wilton recipe:

Suspiciously Deliciously Baked Donuts

Dry Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

1/2 cup and 1 teaspoon of milk

1 egg lightly beaten

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted.

Preheat oven to 425* F. Spray donut pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients together. In a small bowl, mix together liquids. Then add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until combined (I like to use a spatula for this). Scoop batter into large ziplock baggie, cut corner off (not too much) and pipe into pan. Fill each donut cup 1/3 to 1/2 full. Bake 4 to 6 minutes (I did 5 and it was perfect) - donuts should spring back when touched. Cool in pan 1-2 minutes. Then transfer to cooling rack. Then ice with your favorite flavor of icing OR sprinkle a sugar and cinnamon mixture (3 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon) on donuts while hot. Also, I added flavors to the batter as I went along, but that I did by my own judgment... like chocolate, lemon, maple, and blueberry. Then I iced with different flavors of icing, not frosting.

Banana Bread... My Way...

I love banana bread. I love when it is moist in the center and has a crunch to the outer shell. I don't like all the fat that usually goes into banana bread. My resolve... devise my own recipe... and, It.Is.Amazing! So I have been told. Here it is:

Banana Bread My Way **

Dry Ingredients

2 cups flour

½ cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 package instant vanilla pudding

1 tsp course sea salt (or sub for table salt but to ½ tsp)

Wet Ingredients

3 medium bananas mashed

½ cup applesauce

3 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs (slightly beaten)

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, add dry ingredients and mix together with a whisk (the whisk adds air). In a medium bowl, mix together wet ingredients, but not the eggs. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Then add slightly beaten eggs. With a spatula, mix together until dry ingredients are wet. Add mixture to a greased (I used butter) and flour coated bread pan. Bake for 55 -  60 minutes, but check after about 30 minutes to see if it needs to be covered with foil to prevent further browning.

**Also, this batch has 2 tbsp chia seeds, which can be found at almost any grocery store or farmer's market. Chia seeds are rich in omega-3, great for staying hydrated, weight loss, reducing blood pressure, and good for controlling blood sugar. Chia seeds have a lot of health benefits, so when I bake I try to incorporate into my recipes.