Nutella Cupcakes

My hungry puppies went NUTS for these cupcakes.  Begged me to make them, then subsequently devoured them. I measured all of my ingredients, so the measurements are there along with approximate conventional measures.  The cake became a little bit dry, but...the frosting, oh my, the frosting.  Maybe next time I will hollow the cupcakes out, then fill them with frosting, then top them with frosting.  Or do you think that would be too much.  Hey!  We're talking Nutella here!  In frosting!  Never too much.


Nutella Cupcakes


Cupcakes:
130g butter (about 9 Tablespoons), room temperature
110g (about 5 tablespoons) honey
2 Tablespoon milk
4 Tablespoons Nutella
2 large egg
200g (1 3/4 cup) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt


Nutella Frosting:
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature
4 Tablespoons Nutella
3 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoon milk


Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners and set aside.  With an electric mixer, beat butter and honey until fluffy, then beat in the milk and Nutella.  Add the egg and beat well.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir gently until all of the flour is worked in.  Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.  Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool completely.


For the frosting, beat the butter and Nutella until smooth and well combined.  Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, then beat in the milk until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.  Spread the frosting on the cupcakes.  Makes 12 cupcakes.


Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Motley Greens and Bean Salad

One of my absolute favorite things to do is cook for other people. Some days, though, I just need a little me time and me food. Today was one of those days. I knew I wanted something light and fresh, partly in retaliation to the nasty blizzard going on. No fatty comfort food today! So I raided my not-so-very-average-college-student pantry to see what sorts of things made my eyes tell my stomach it needed to eat said things. Out came garbanzo beans, pepperoni, and a variety of vegetables. And pepper jack cheese. My stomach really needed that today.

I wasn't quite sure how I was going to throw all these things together, but I figured since it's a me day and only me is eating it, if the dish is a disaster, no big deal. Fortunately, it was not a disaster. Everything hit just the right spot. Despite being a very unique combination of ingredients, all the flavors worked together yet stood apart at the same time. The crunch of the cucumber contrasted the softness of the garbanzo beans and tomato, while the pepperoni was slightly chewy and spicy. A subtle sweetness and tang, provided by the apple balsamic vinegar, cut through the spice, while the pepper jack countered that by supporting the pepperoni spice and binding everything together. When only a few bites in remained in my bowl, I didn't know which morsel to consume last. In the end, I went for a chunk of pepperoni, cucumber, garbanzo been, and cheese. A perfect ending to a perfect salad, built perfectly for me.

3 C Chopped Tomatoes
2 1/2 C Chopped Cucumber
6 Small Green Onions, chopped
1 tsp Basil
1 1/2 C Small Shell Pasta, cooked
4 oz Pepperoni or Chicken, cut into quarters or bits
16 oz Garbanzo Beans
1 1/2 C Grated Pepper Jack Cheese
2 T plus 1 T Red Apple Balsamic Vinegar
1 T Sugar
1 tsp Salt
3 T Water
1/4 tsp Black Pepper

1. In a large bowl combine tomatoes, cucumbers, green onion, and basil.

2. In a smaller bowl combine 2 T red apple balsamic vinegar, salt, water, and pepper. Add combination to the vegetables. Mix and let chill in the refrigerator to prevent wilting while you prepare the rest of the dish.

3. In a large skillet, brown pepperoni and drain grease. If using chicken, cook until mostly done. Add 1 T red apple balsamic vinegar and garbanzo beans. Stir. Add cooked pasta and continue to heat until everything is hot. Add cheese and mix until all components are coated with cheese. Add this to the vegetable mixture and quickly but gently mix. You may have to break up some chunks of cheese/bean/pasta/pepperoni in order to incorporate into the vegetables. Chill for at least an hour and serve cold.

Mahlzeit!
-Coraiunty

Maple Rhubarb Toasted Bread Pudding

Word on the street is that I am moving, and that means that I need to empty out my freezer.  I wasn't sure what to do with the rest of the rhubarb that I had, but knew that I didn't want to do a coffee cake or something ordinary.  I had never heard of rhubarb bread pudding before so it seemed like a good plan.  After whipping this up in (literally) 7-ish minutes, I popped it in the oven and something amazing came out.  Honestly?  It almost didn't make it to the photo.  I won't tell you what happened to the rest of it.

I don't like bread puddings that come out slightly dry.  I like a higher custard ratio to my bread to keep it moist.  The sourdough bread in here is incredible.  Maybe it sounds weird, but the sour of the bread with the tart of the rhubarb and the sweetness of the maple custard absolutely worked.  My not quite 2 year old hungry puppy scarfed it.  Yes, she scarfed rhubarb, which is a little disconcerting because rhubarb is not my favorite thing.  You wouldn't be able to tell by what is left in the pan, though, I kind of scarfed this dessert too.

Maple-Rhubarb Toasted Bread Pudding

4 slices good quality bread (I used homemade 7 grain sourdough)

1 cup chopped rhubarb (fresh or frozen)

3/4 cup milk

3 Tablespoons butter

2 eggs

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Demarara sugar to sprinkle over top (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325F.  Grease a 9 inch square baking dish.  Toast the bread slices, then stack them on top of each other and cut into cubes.  Place the toasted bread cubes and the rhubarb in the prepared baking dish and toss together gently.

Heat the milk just enough to melt the butter, and set aside.  In a small bowl, beat the eggs, maple syrup, sugar, and salt.  Whisk in the milk/butter mixture, and pour evenly over the bread mixture.  Press bread down gently to ensure it is soaked with the milk mixture.  Sprinkle the demarara sugar over the top, then bake for 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy 

Family Caramel Pudding

This recipe is another King Arthur Flour recipe that I really enjoy.  It is kind of a pudding cake with a wonderful caramel sauce with the wonderful flavor of raisins and dates.  The cake is tender inside and crispy and just a bit sticky on the edges where the caramel has baked into it.  

Family Caramel Pudding

Brown Sugar Syrup:

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) water

2/3 cup (5 ounces) brown sugar

2 Tablespoons (1 ounce) butter

Cake:

1 1/4 cups (5 3/8 ounces) all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar

1/2 cup (4 ounces) milk

1 large egg

1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) melted butter

1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) raisins

1/4 cup (1 3/8 ounces) chopped dates

Preheat the oven to 350F, and grease an 8 inch square pan.  For the syrup, combine the water, brown sugar, and butter in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

For the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.  Stir in the milk, egg, and melted butter until the batter is well combined.  Stir in the raisins and dates, and spread the batter into the prepared pan.  Carefully pour the brown sugar syrup over the top of the batter.  Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cake begins to pull away from the edges of the pan.  Remove from the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving warm.  Makes 9 servings. 

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Rhubarb Swirl Dessert

So, I usually (like never) make pudding and cool whip based desserts.  Not my thing.  At all, really.  So I almost didn't make this dessert.  However, since I did, I can tell you how incredibly smart of me it was to make it.  Wow, it was good.  The rhubarb was not too tart, and the pudding mixture mellowed out the power of the rhubarb and strawberry jello.  Since I conveniently have more rhubarb that I need to get rid of soon, I may just make this again.  And again.  Did I say that I might make this again?

Rhubarb Swirl Dessert

Graham Cracker Crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, melted

Rhubarb Swirl:

4 cups diced rhubarb

3/4 cup sugar

1 (4 serving) box strawberry Jello

1 (4 serving) box instant vanilla pudding

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 (8 ounce) tub Cool Whip

Place the rhubarb in a medium saucepan and pour the sugar over the top.  Let sit for about 1 hour.  In the meantime, to make the crust, mix together all of the ingredients and press into a 9 x 13 inch pan.  Chill for 1 hour.

After the rhubarb has set for an hour, simmer the rhubarb for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender.  pour in the Jello and mix until dissolved.  Set the rhubarb mixture aside and cool until syrupy.  Prepare the vanilla pudding using the milk and vanilla, then fold in the cool whip.  Once the rhubarb mixture has cooled a bit, pour it into the pudding and gently swirl together.  Transfer to the prepared graham cracker crust and chill overnight.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Mom's Buttermilk Pancakes

When I was growing up we had either pancakes or waffles almost every Saturday. In fact, when I go home my mom still makes pancakes and waffles on Saturday mornings. That's one of the things I miss the most about being away from home (my mom, not the pancakes. Although I do miss Saturday morning pancakes, too). Because these pancakes are so wonderfully delicious and remind me of my mom, I got the recipe from her. That way, on Sunday nights like tonight when I don't know what to make for supper, and when I kind of need my mommy, I can make her buttermilk pancakes and the 1000 miles between us seem to be just a little bit shorter. Tonight I enjoyed these with my buttermilk syrup (recipe follows), whipped cream, and fresh strawberries.

Pancakes:
1/2 Cube Butter, melted
2 Eggs
2 C Buttermilk
4 T White or Brown Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 C Oats
1-2 C Flour, depending on how thick you like your pancakes
Dash of Cinnamon (optional)
Pinch of Nutmeg (optional)
Splash of Vanilla (optional)

Combine melted butter with eggs. Stir in buttermilk and sugar. Add baking powder, salt, baking soda, oats, and flour. Add  cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, if desired. Mix.

Heat a pan on the stove over medium heat and grease with non-stick spray. Pour batter by less than 1/4 C  portions onto pan. Flip when the little bubbles on top of the pancake have popped and the underside is golden brown.

Buttermilk Syrup:
1/4 C Margarine or Butter
2 C Sugar
1 C Buttermilk
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Vanilla or Coconut Extract

Melt margarine or butter in a sauce pan. add sugar and buttermilk. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add baking soda and coconut/vanilla. Store for up to one week in the refrigerator.

Mahlzeit!
-Coriaunty

Barbecue Shrimp with Cheesy Polenta

If you can believe this, I had actually forgotten just how good this dinner was.  Thankfully, I have rediscovered exactly how much I love it.  The polenta is so smooth and full of cheesy flavor, and the shrimp and homemade barbecue sauce go so nicely with the polenta.  Do you think it sounds weird?  Maybe it does, but it doesn't taste weird and since that is what matters, I think we're good.  I you prefer, you can also change out the polenta for grits instead, adding the butter and cheese as normal.

Barbecue Shrimp With Cheesy Polenta

1 recipe homemade Polenta (recipe to follow)

1 teaspoon butter

1/2 large onion, diced

1 cup frozen corn

1 recipe Honey Barbecue Sauce (recipe to follow) or use your favorite

12 ounces medium sized, precooked shrimp

In a large skillet, cook the onion in butter until tender, then add the corn and barbecue sauce.  Cook and stir until simmering, then quickly stir in shrimp and remove from heat.  Serve the barbecue shrimp over the cheesy polenta.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Honey Barbecue Sauce

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon molasses

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Serve.  Makes about 1 1/3 cups.

Cheesy Polenta 

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup cold water

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons butter

2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

In a saucepan, bring 2 3/4 cups water to a boil. Meanwhile, combine cornmeal, cold water, and salt in a small bowl. Carefully add cornmeal mixture into boiling water, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until mixture returns to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until mixture is very thick, stirring occasionally. Add the butter and shredded cheese, and stir well.

Southwest Barbecue Pizza

Usually the pantry of the average college student isn't too advanced to begin with. Add a few weeks of not going to the grocery store to that, and the situation becomes pretty grim. Scrounging and scraping around in the pantry for every last scrap of edible material, our average college student probably doesn't even know what he is ingesting. Luckily for us, I am not an average college student and I definitely do not have a typical college student pantry. However, I haven't been to the grocery store in a very long while, so my situation today was a little bit grim. But out of the darkness comes the light! And so it did, my friends. So it did.

I was feelin' something slightly spicy, mostly healthy, and not too heavy. Looking through my pantry, I spotted some corn and beans. And that's when the light went off. I hurriedly snatched the corn, black beans, and mushrooms and dashed to the kitchen. I tossed them all together, added a little of this, a little of that, threw it on a crust and BAM! Southwest Barbecue Pizza. The crust (a KAF recipe, and the best crust I've ever had) was perfectly light and chewy. The topping had a slight spice and smokey taste that blended so well with the various vegetables. The raspberry BBQ sauce lent a subtle sweetness and cut through spice while still enhancing all the flavors. This southwest pizza absolutely hit the spot and was perfect because I could tailor it to exactly what I wanted. I will be making this over and over and over!

Topping:
1 can Sweet Corn
1 can Black Beans
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 tsp Salt
1 1/2 - 2 tsp Chipotle Powder
Oregano, to taste
Basil, to taste
1 Bratwurst or other Sausage of choice, cut into small bits.
1 small can Mushrooms
1 1/2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Sweet Baby Ray's Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Crust:
2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
7/8 to 1 1/8 C Lukewarm Water*
2 T Olive Oil
3 C All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 tsp Salt
*Use the lesser amount in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate), and somewhere in between the rest of the year, or if your house is climate controlled.

For Crust:
1. Dissolve yeast in 2 T lukewarm water and a pinch of sugar. Let yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes until the mixture has bubbled and expanded.

2. Combine the dissolved yeast with the remainder of the ingredients. Mix and knead everything together--by hand, mixer, or bread machine set on the dough cycle--till you've made a soft, smooth dough. If you're kneading in a stand mixer, it should take 4-5 minutes at 2nd speed, and the dough should barely clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the bottom. Don't over-knead the dough; it should hold together, but can still look fairly rough on the surface.

3. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow it to rise till it's very puffy, about 90 min.

For Topping:

Combine corn, beans, and chopped onion in a medium-sized bowl. Add salt, chipotle, oregano, and basil. Mix well. You may need to add more seasoning, depending on how seasoned you like your topping.

Assembly:
Roll dough out and place on pizza pan. Pour desired amount BBQ sauce on and spread to edges of dough, using a spoon. I like my pizza saucy so I add a little extra BBQ sauce. Next, pour filling over dough, spreading evenly. Top with mushrooms, bratwurst bits, then shredded cheese. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes until dough is cooked.
Yield: 1 large rectangular (Sicilian-style) pizza

Mahlzeit!
-Coriaunty

A Meal For A Champion

Strange as it may be, these little packets of Gu have become a relatively regular part of my diet. Why? Because I'm running a marathon in April and these little guys are one of the few things that keep me from falling over dead during the run (one of my mother's greatest fears--well I've gotta keep her thinking about me somehow!). While I probably wouldn't ever just rip one open and eat it for a meal, I have to admit that Gu isn't all that bad. However. There are certain flavors that just work, and certain other flavors that might as well be acid running down your throat. I eat one Gu about every hour on my long runs (usually when I'm out for anything 10+ miles), which definitely pulls me through. My feet may hurt and my legs may be tired and my skin may be roasted (as was the case last Saturday on my 21.2 mi run), but if I'm not hungry and bonking, I can rock the whole run. I bought mine, upon the recommendation of Chemist Cuisinier PhD, at REI because you get a discount if you buy a certain amount. We have both discovered that what works for her doesn't necessarily work for me, and vice versa; you've just gotta figure out what works for you. Here is a list of Gu flavors that don't make me gag and vomit.

Flavors that don't make me throw up:

Vanilla Bean

Jet Blackberry

Tri-Berry

Lemon Sublime

Flavors that make me want to die:

Chocolate Outrage

Strawberry (Clif Shots)

Mahlzeit!

-Coriaunty

bills Coconut Bread

This, I think, is my absolute favorite quick bread in the entire world.  I came across this recipe quite some time ago, and was intrigued by the origin.  bills is a successful restaurant that was started in Sydney, Australia in 1993 (I have never been there, but I have high hopes for the future!)  I believe that there are now six bills restaurants; four in Australia, and two in Japan (Tokyo and Yokohama - places that my brother knows well).  Anyhow, this bread comes from that restaurant, and I believe that it is the actual recipe that they use.  I've said this before, but if at all possible, weigh out your ingredients on a kitchen scale.  This will produce the most accurate result.

This bread is extremely moist and tender.  It is full of coconut, and has a luscious warmth from the cinnamon.  Yes, cinnamon.  I was very skeptical at first about adding a load of cinnamon to my coconut bread, but man o man was it a good idea.  No wonder they have a highly successful restaurant and I don't.  Now all I think about is what I can eat all the time with coconut and cinnamon in it...oatmeal...cookies...oatmeal cookies...

bills Coconut Bread

2 eggs

300 ml (1 1/4 cups) milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

350 g (2 1/2 cups) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

225 g (heavy 1 cup) caster sugar

150 g (2 cups) shredded coconut

75 g (1/3 cup) butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F.  Grease and flour a loaf pan and set aside.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla.  In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Stir in the sugar and coconut.   make a well in the center and pour in the egg mixture.  Stir until just combined.  Add butter and stir until just smooth, being careful not to over mix.  Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.  Makes 1 loaf, 12 slices.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Nutella Pastry Tarts

I don't quite know where to start with these.  They are flaky.  They are buttery. They are so good you might want to cry.  I found this recipe online a while ago, and pretty much re-invented everything except for the basic idea.  They were originally called Nutella Poptarts, but I cannot, in good faith call these anything even close to a poptart.  These transcend the unappetizingly pedestrian poptarts to such a degree that you won't be able to call them poptarts either.  I apologize for the picture, but I actually wasn't going to write about these.  I slapped them together in a big hurry, and by the time I tried one, the light was almost gone.  You know, in the movie "I Am Legend" where Will Smith is always watching that last sliver of light get narrower and narrower before disaster (in the form of quasi human people eaters) strikes...?  Yeah, that was me without (unfortunately) Will Smith, and (fortunately) the quasi human people eaters.  Anyhow.  That explains the picture, lets get to the FOOD!

These pastry tarts start with my favorite pie crust, but use only real butter - no shortening involved this time.  It turned out to be the flakiest, most buttery pastry that has ever come out of my kitchen.  I mixed the Nutella with an egg white for stability while baking.  I was a little bit worried that the Nutella would ooze out of the pastry during the bake time, and that I would have to lick it off the pan as soon as it was cool enough to stick my tongue on it.  I just couldn't bear to subject my hungry puppies to that image, hence the egg.  Please make this.  You might hate me for it, but I can bear it because you will love these pastry tarts!

Nutella Pastry Tarts

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

4 to 6 Tablespoons ice water

7 ounces Nutella

1 egg white

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt.  Add the cold butter and cut into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, fork, or two knives, until it forms crumbs no larger than a pea.  Slowly add the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together.  In a separate bowl, combine the Nutella and egg white, and mix carefully until well combined.  This will be difficult at first, but just keep stirring and they will come together.

Roll out the pastry dough into a large rectangle, relatively thin.  Cut the rolled pastry into 12 rectangles.  Scoop the Nutella onto 6 of the rectangles, and carefully spread it to within a 1/4 inch of the edges of the pastry.  It helps to dip your fingers in cold water when you spread the Nutella, as it won't stick to you quite as much.  Brush a little water around the edges of the Nutella covered pastry, and carefully place an empty pastry on top of it.  Gently press down on the edges to seal them.  Transfer the pastries to a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least one hour or overnight.

When ready to bake the tarts, preheat the oven to 350F.  Remove the plastic wrap from the tarts and pop them into the oven straight from fridge so they are still cold.  Bake the tarts for about 30 to 35 minutes, until they are golden brown.  Remove them from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.  Take a bite, sigh with bliss, eat the rest.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Snickerdoodles

Today I needed a fast, easy cookie recipe that  1.) didn't require a trip to the store to get special ingredients, and 2.) that would be loved, accepted, approved of, and eaten by both an FHE family and a relief society. Completely stumped and in a bind, I texted Chemist Cuisinier, PhD, who--once again--saved me by suggesting I make snickerdoodles. I went back to my The Great Cookie Book book and tossed together a recipe for snickerdoodles. As per usual, I did a test cookie--thank goodness! What I pulled out of the oven was more of a snickerpuddle than a snickerdoodle. Bring on the flour! I ended up adding about 1/3 C more flour and increasing the bake time by a few minutes. Once I had the correct amount of flour and the bake time, everything was fabulous! Slightly chewy on the outside, very soft on the inside. Perfectly sweet with a balance of cinnamon and slight tang/tart. Both FHE family and Relief Society gobbled them all up. It only took me the length of Star Wars IV to make these (that's including my flour trial), and my reputation as a fabulous cook continues to go untarnished. I will definitely be making these again.

1 1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Margarine or Butter, softened
1/2 C Shortening
2 Eggs
2 3/4 C All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Cream of Tartar
3 T Sugar, for rolling
3 tsp Ground Cinnamon, for rolling

1. Heat over to 350
2. In a large bowl mix sugar, margarine or butter, shortening and eggs thoroughly. Stir in flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt until blended. Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfulls into balls.
3. In a small bowl mix 3 T sugar and the cinnamon, roll balls in sugar mixture.
4. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheet immediately and cool on a wire rack.

Mahlzeit!
-Coriaunty

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Waffle Cookies

When I first came across this recipe I was so excited! The idea of waffle cookies sounded so fun and interesting that I could hardly wait to make them. I finally had some time to make them last night and...I was disappointed. While they tasted just fine, they were not cookies at all. I basically had about 24 1-square-inch chocolate chip waffles. Don't get me wrong, as waffles these are just fine and make a fun little snack, but if you're looking for cookies these are not it. I do have to say, though, that they are better the second day after being stored in a container. Even so--although they would make a delicious breakfast--I probably will not be making these again.

1/2 C Unsalted Butter, melted
1/2 C plus 2 T Light Brown Sugar, packed
2 Large Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
3/4 All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 1/2 C Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats (not instant)
1/2 C Semisweet Chocolate Chips

In a large bowl, whisk the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in dry mixture to the wet. Add oats and chocolate chips and stir until combined.

Coat the grids of the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Use a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop to portion out a cookie onto each waffle square. Close the iron and cook until set and beginning to brown (1.5-3 minutes). Use a thin metal spatula to transfer the cooked cookies to a wire rack and repeat with the remaining dough, coating the grids with spray as necessary. Yield: 24 Cookies

Mahlzeit!
-Coriaunty

Cheesy Chicken and Potatoes

This is another fail-safe, must-make, go-to recipe. I created it after witnessing a roommate during my freshman year make something somewhat similar and much more basic, and have repeatedly made it since then (each time enjoying just as much, if not more). Tender, juicy chicken and spicy, herbed potatoes are engulfed by warm, melty cheddar cheese. This dish is warm, filling, and full of flavor; it won't stick around long once it's made! I haven't found anything to really go with it as a side, so I just sit down to a bowl full of just cheesy chicken and potatoes.

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
2-3 Potatoes (medium), peeled and cubed
1 1/2 C Grated Cheddar Cheese
1 Clove Garlic
1 Small-Medium Onion, chopped
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp Chipotle Powder
3/4 tsp Salt
Basil
Oregano
Splash of Olive Oil

In a large bowl toss potato cubes in a small bit of olive oil (just enough to coat). Add salt, paprika, and chipotle. Sprinkle desired amount of oregano and basil and mix until all potatoes are coated. Bake at 375 on a greased pan until tender (about 30 minutes).

In a large skillet (one with high edges) saute garlic in a little bit of olive oil. Add chicken. When chicken is half done add onion and continue to cook until chicken is done and onions are tender. Add cooked potatoes to the pan. Take the pan off the heat and add cheese. Mix until everything is coated with melted cheese.

Mahlzeit!
-Coriaunty

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

May I just start out by saying how heavenly and luscious and delectably delicious these are? ... These are so heavenly and luscious and delectably delicious! I decided to put almond extract in the chocolate chips rather than vanilla, and I am so glad I did. The chocolate, almond, and strawberry flavors create an extremely unique but perfectly harmonious trio. The chocolate is so smooth as it melts in your mouth and the strawberry is oh so juicy. Heavenly! One more time, just for the record: Heavenly!

A word of caution to this tail: be ever so careful melting the chocolate, or you will fail. Well, almost. If you add the almond extract to the chocolate chips before melting them, you will end up with a hard lump of seized chocolate. And your spatula will melt. We won't go into the details of how I know this; just take my word for it on this one. I used the extra melted chocolate to make chocolate covered pretzels--also delicious.

3/4 C Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
2 T Butter
1 tsp Almond Extract
1/4 C White Chocolate Chips
20 Fresh Strawberries

Wash a dry strawberries. Melt chocolate chips with butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring so as to keep it from burning. When butter and chocolate chips are melted, add almond extract and stir until combined. Remove from heat. Dip strawberries in the chocolate 2-3 times before placing on waxed paper. Chill chocolate-covered strawberries for about 5 minutes.

While strawberries are chilling, heat white chocolate over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and retrieve chilled strawberries. Using a spoon, drizzle white chocolate over each strawberry. Chill strawberries again until all chocolate is hardened. They are best when kept refrigerated and served cold.

Mahlzeit!
-Coriaunty

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

This recipe has a special place in my heart...and my stomach. It was the very first meal I ventured to photograph after deciding to pursue food photography (that covers the heart part), and it tastes so good (there's the stomach). I don't remember the exact place I found the original recipe (somewhere from allrecipes), but I made it once then changed it anyway by adding some things to give it a bit more interest and diversity. The chicken is perfectly tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor. Rice with the marinade drizzled on top is a perfect compliment to this jerk chicken. The whole dish is packed with flavor and spice which tantalize, tease, and delight your taste buds. Even just smelling the sauce while you're making it is like heaven. This dish is will please over and over and will be requested often (trust me!).

1 Small Onion
3 T Brown Sugar
4 T Soy Sauce
4 T Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Ground Thyme
1/4 tsp Sesame Seeds
3 Cloves Garlic
1/2 tsp Ground Allspice
1 Chipotle Pepper
1/4 tsp Sriracha Sauce
Freshly Ground Ginger (I usually put about 1 T in because I love ginger)
4 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts

Combine onion, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, thyme, sesame seeds, garlic, allspice, chipotle pepper, and sriracha in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Pour 3/4 mixture in a plastic bag. Poke chicken several times with a fork and place in bag with marinade. Marinate overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Place chicken and marinade in bottom of a baking dish. Cover and bake for 30-40 minutes. Check the middle of the chicken to make sure it's done.

Serve with rice and remaining 1/4 sauce.

Mahlzeit!
-Coriaunty