Gingerbread Whoopie Pies

Back on Facebook and found this Christmas Recipe.

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup molasses

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

2 1/3 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup hot water

Cream Cheese Filling

2 – 250g packages Cream Cheese, softened

4 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

pinch of salt

Stuff you will need

Stand mixer

Several mixing bowls

Whisk

Mixing Spoon

Muffin Top Baking Pan

Directions

Preheat oven to 325F. Spray a muffin top pan (or whoopie pie pan) with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the shortening, sugar, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla extract and egg on medium speed until smooth.

In another large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Add 1/3 of dry mixture to wet mixture and stir. Add 1/3 of the hot water to the wet mixture and stir. Repeat steps alternating between adding the dry mixture and hot water.

Scoop batter into muffin top pan. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan before removing to a cooling rack.

Cut bottoms off each muffin top so you are just left with the top part. Set aside.

Cream Cheese Filling

Add icing sugar, PHILADELPHIA® Cream Cheese, salt and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Beat on low speed until combined.

Add milk, 1 tablespoonful at a time, beating in between, until mixture is smooth.

To assemble, add 1 heaping tablespoonful of cream cheese filling to one half of gingerbread. 

Cover with another half of gingerbread to create a sandwich. Enjoy!

Air Fryer Hash Brown patties

Hello friends.  Back on Facebook, finding recipes that I need to try.

Ingredients

Hash Brown Patties

Stuff you will need

Air Fryer

Directions

Place 4 frozen hash browns in the air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes at 380 degrees F. 

Open the basket, flip hashbrowns and cook for additional 5 minutes at 390 degrees F.

Chicken Chow Mein

Tonya was on Facebook and found this recipe.  She insisted that I make it.  Turned out rather good.

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breast boneless, skinless (cut into bite-sized strips)

3 Tbsp. olive oil

12 oz. Chow Mein noodles

2 cups cabbage

1 large carrot julienned

1/2 bunch green onions – sliced

2 garlic cloves

Chow Mein Sauce

6 Tbsp. oyster sauce

3 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

3 Tbsp. light sesame oil

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

Stuff you will need

Cutting board and sharp knife

Wok or very large pot

Colander

Mixing bowl and whisk

Directions

Prepare Chow Mein Sauce

In a small mixing bowl, use a whisk to combine oyster sauce, granulated sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, chicken broth and cornstarch. Set aside.

Cook the noodles according to package instructions, drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

Heat a large wok or large sauté pan with olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add chicken and cook until golden brown. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add carrots, cabbage and pressed garlic and sauté for just a few minutes until veggies are slightly softened and the cabbage is a bit translucent.

Add chicken and noodles back into the pan. Pour sauce over the top and continue cooking all the ingredients together for another 2 minutes.

Garnish with chopped green onions and it is ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Notes

* There are really no rules when it comes to the types of vegetables you use. The basic vegetables are carrots, cabbage, and green onions. If you want to branch out, tailor the vegetable mixture to your liking. Bok choy, bean sprouts, celery, broccoli, spinach, kale, or baby corn (if you have the acquired taste for baby corn!) are example of great options to try.

* Chicken is the popular protein choice but try changing it up sometime and use beef, shrimp, or pork – you may find you prefer another meat!

Butter Swim Biscuits

 

Back on Facebook and finding recipes.

Ingredients

2 ½ cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk
½ cup butter, melted

Stuff you will need

8x8 baking dish

Mixing bowl with mixing spoon

Whisk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Add flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt to a medium bowl. Use a whisk to sift ingredients.

Pour in the buttermilk and stir until mostly combined, being careful not to overwork the batter.

Pour the melted butter into an 8x8-inch baking dish. Place the dough on top of the butter and use a spatula (or your hands) to evenly spread the dough out to the edges of the pan.

Cut the unbaked dough into 9 squares (3x3 pattern). Bake for 28 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

Allow the butter to be absorbed into the biscuits before cutting and serving.

Corn Nuggets

Back on to Facebook again and seeing recipes that I'm pretty sure my grandkids would love.

Ingredients

1 can of cream corn

1 can kernel corn, drained

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg white

2 tablespoon milk

Salt & pepper to taste

3 cups vegetable oil

Stuff you will need

Can opener

Mixing bowl with a mixing spoon

Cookie sheet lined with tin foil

Pam cooking spray

Spoon

Deep fryer, or heavy skillet

Cookie sheet linked with paper towel

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix the cream corn with the drained corn. 

Line a baking tray with aluminum foil, and coat it with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Put spoonfuls of the corn mixture on the tray and freeze for 3 hours, until it becomes firm.

Once the corn kernels are frozen, heat one to two inches of oil in a large, deep skillet. 

While the oil is heating, combine the cornmeal, flour, egg whites, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. 

Dip the frozen corn pieces into the mixture. Quickly frying in hot oil to golden brown. 

Remove, and place on paper towels to drain.

Cream Cheese Mints

Melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese mints are such a delightful and old-fashioned confection that is always a welcome addition to any dessert table. They’re the perfect sweet and creamy treat with an irresistible minty flavor, and you can customize their color to match any season or holiday.

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese, softened 

4 tablespoons butter, softened 

2 teaspoons pure peppermint extract 

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

1 (2-pound package or 7½ cups) powdered sugar

Yellow, blue, green, and red gel food coloring (3-6 drops for the desired color)

1 cup powdered sugar for rolling the mints

Stuff you will need

Stand Mixer with wire whisk attachment

Cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

4 mixing bowls with mixing spoon

Fork

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the softened cream cheese and softened butter for 1½ to 2 minutes, until smooth. 

PRO TIP: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature to ensure the mint mixture doesn’t have any lumps in it.

Add the peppermint and vanilla extract, and continue mixing for another 1 to 1½ minutes.

Lower the electric mixer speed to low. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each cup. Once all the powdered sugar has been added, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue mixing for 1 more minute until completely smooth.

Evenly divide the cream cheese mixture into 4 separate bowls. 

Add 3 to 6 drops of 1 color to the first bowl and stir until the color is even and no streaks are visible. Repeat the process with the remaining colors in the remaining bowls. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

PRO TIP: The amount of food color gel used is up to you, depending on how deep you want each color to be. Using 3 to 4 drops is usually enough to achieve the delicate pastel color traditionally associated with these mints.

Add 1 cup of powdered sugar to a medium-sized mixing bowl. 

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle a dusting of powdered sugar onto the parchment paper.

Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the tinted cream cheese mixture. Roll into a ball. Cut the rolled ball in half. Roll the 2 halves into smaller balls, and then roll in the powdered sugar. Place the coated ball on the prepared baking sheet.

Gently press the tines of a fork on top of the coated ball. If the fork sticks to the ball, you can dip the fork in the powdered sugar. Repeat the process until all colors are coated and pressed. 

PRO TIP: You could also swirl the mint colors together when rolling the mints into the halved balls. 

Allow the pressed mints to dry on the coated parchment paper for at least 4 hours. If the weather is humid, once the tops of the mints are dried, you will need to turn the mints over and even transfer them to a drying rack to allow the softer side to finish drying.

How to serve: You may have seen these dreamy pastel mints at baby showers, bridal showers, graduation parties, weddings, or at another special occasion. They are one of the easiest holiday candy recipes, and these little treats can be tinted in different colors to match the event.

These yummy mints would also make a sweet gift added to a pretty gift box tied with a pretty ribbon.

Storage: Store any leftovers of these homemade mints in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Make sure to separate the layers of mints using wax paper. 

You can freeze these cream cheese butter mints in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Again, be sure to separate the layers with a piece of wax paper. 

These delicious cream cheese mints are a delight any time of year and will be a huge hit for anyone you serve them to. Be careful, they are slightly addictive, and you may not be able to resist once you pop the first one in your mouth.

FAQ

How do I store these mints?

This simple recipe can be stored on the counter for up to two weeks in an airtight container.

Can I use silicone molds to shape these mints

This easy cream cheese mints recipe could also be made in silicone molds to create fun shapes if you prefer.

Can I use different extract flavors for these mints?

The sky’s the limit for these mints. Any flavor of extract you can think of would be a great idea to try out for these creamy mints.

What about different flavors?

You can substitute other flavors for the mint flavoring, such as strawberry for the pink, watermelon for the green, and banana for the yellow in this easy recipe.

Comments and questions are ALWAYS welcome.

Crusty Italian Bread

 

Found on Facebook.

Friends, family, co-workers, neighbors… everyone loves this yummy recipe!

Ingredients

makes 2 loaves

1 1/3 cups warm water

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

4 cups flour

Stuff you will need

Stand mixer with dough hook

TeaTowel or plastic wrap

8x8 cake pan

Sharp knife

2 bread pans

Directions

Place warm water, yeast and brown sugar in mixing bowl. Stir and let stand for a few minutes until it start to bubble and foam a bit.

Add olive oil and salt. Mix and add the flour gradually. You want to add enough that the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. You want to mix it with the dough hook for a few minutes.

Cover and let the dough rise until doubled about 30 minutes.

Punch down dough and divide in two and form into two loaves (I doubled the recipe this time.)

Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat together:

1 egg

1 Tablespoon water

Brush the risen loaves with the egg mixture.

Make a single long quick cut down the center of the loaves with a sharp knife.

Now here’s the secret. Place at least 1 cup hot water in a shallow pan and place it on the rack underneath the bread. 

The steam will make the crust turn perfectly. You may need to add a bit more water during cooking. You do not want it to evaporate.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the loaves turn golden brown and sound hollow when you tap them.

Remove from pan and let cool on racks. I always like to rub butter over the hot crust!

Beef Gravy Mix

I was on Facebook and found the following was submitted by 

Happy Sandy's Kitchen

I was asked about my Beef Gravy Mix... so here's the recipe.
As I said earlier...
My mom makes great homemade gravy, my sister makes great homemade gravy, and I make really good homemade gravy.... see the trend here? We're a gravy making, eating, and loving family!
I tried, just for convenience, a packaged gravy mix. It was ok... not great... just ok. It did get me to thinking though about making my own gravy mixes with quality ingredients that would still give me the convenience I sometimes need. The picture shows the ingredients I used. When I made the gravy I was very pleased to discover, it was really good!! No after taste, no msg, no artificial flavors, etc... just good gravy!
I wanted to share my recipe with you.

Ingredients

1/2 cup flour
3 tbsp powdered beef broth base
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground thyme

Stuff you will need

Mixing bowl with whisk

Canning jar with lid

Directions

Mix all ingredients together and store in a canning jar (I used a pint size jar) or other airtight container.

To make the gravy, add 1/4 cup of the mix with 1 cup milk or water.

If you stir it in really well with a whisk you won't get any lumps in your gravy.

Bring to a boil and then turn heat down and simmer until gravy thickens.

Add more liquid for a thinner gravy.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

For some reason, I would have thought that "loaded" anything was more than just adding bacon and cheese to it.

Who knew?

Ingredients

8 medium Russet Potatoes

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 package of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 small onion, chopped

Chives, to taste

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Stuff you will need

Pot

Colander

Cutting board with sharp knife

Mixing bowl with mixing spoon

Directions

Wash and cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. 

Add to pot and cover with water and boil until fork tender, about 20-25 mins. 

Using the colander, drain and cool the potatoes. 

Once they’re cool, mix the mayo and sour cream. 

Add the onions, chives, and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Top with extra shredded cheese and bacon and serve.

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome.

Dry Cream Soup Base

Found on Facebook, thanks to Shirley Parsons-Macpherson

A replacement for cream of celery, chicken or mushroom soup concentrates.

 

Ingredients

2 cup dry milk powder

1/2 cup potato flakes

1/2 cup corn starch

2 tsp parsley flakes

2 tsp dry minced onion

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp marjoram

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

Stuff you will need

Mixing bowl

Whisk

Canning jars with lids

Directions

To make:  Combine everything into a mixing bowl and whisk to make sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed.  Store in a canning jar.

To use: Combine 2/3 cup mix + 1 cup broth.  

To make a specific soup variation add the following:

Cream of Chicken:  add 2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules.

Cream of Mushroom:  add 1 TBS ground dry mushroom, or other mushroom equivalent.

Cream of Celery:  add 1 TBS ground dried celery, or other celery equivalent.

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome.