Norwegian Sour Cream Porridge

Last year I made Rommegrot during Hostfest here.  My husband totally loves it, and this classic Scandinavian dish isn't too hard to make.  I while ago I wrote about an old unsalvagable Scandinavian cookbook that belonged to my grandmother.  This Norwegian Sour Cream Porridge (a different version of Rommegrot) was in that cookbook, and I knew that I had to give it a try.  This recipe uses sour cream in it which gives it a bit of a tang, and cream of wheat cereal to help thicken it up.  It is more of a soupy texture than a pudding texture as well.  Everyone enjoyed this version of Norwegian Sour Cream Porridge, but the original Rommegrot is still our favorite!

Norwegian Sour Cream Porridge

1 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon quick cooking cream of wheat
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a saucepan, simmer sour cream 3 minutes, stirring.  Mix the wheat cereal with a little of the milk to make a smooth paste; beat into sour cream.  Gradually stir in milk, sugar, and salt, cooking and stirring until soup is smooth and thickened.  Ladle soup into warm bowls.  Pour melted butter over soup and sprinkle with sugar mixed with cinnamon.  Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Cranberry Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

We're starting something new today!  My oldest Hungry Puppy (from here on known as Hungry Puppy M) has been really getting into baking lately, so she's decided to post an occasional recipe here.  This recipe was baked and post written by her.

Hi, I am Hungry Puppy M. Lately, I have been baking muffins for Sunday breakfast. My mommy asked me if I could bake some extras for her class and I did! We looked for the perfect recipe and we finally found it. This recipe is awesome and I personally loved it. I hope you do to! Bon Appitite!  Recipe from Breakfast & Brunch: Classic Recipes By Louise Weber (editor)

Cranberry Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder 
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons grated orange peel

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Lightly spray a regular muffin tin with cooking spray, or for mini muffins, use a mini muffin pan.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, poppy seeds, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add milk, melted butter, and the egg, stirring just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in dried cranberries and orange peel. Grease the muffin tins and fill them 3/4 full.

Bake in preheated oven for about 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or for mini muffins, about 8 to 9 minutes). Let cool in pan about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and serve warm or let cool completely. Makes 12 regular size muffins, or about 60 mini muffins.

Enjoy!  -Hungry Puppy M

Coconut Almond Granola Rice Krispie Treats

Several weeks ago, I made this granola specifically so i could use it for these Coconut Almond Granola Rice Krispie Treats.  It was so easy and they were so perfect.  These amazing rice krispie treats will fulfill your every dream.  I can't even express how delicious these are! A delicious mix of  rice krispies, granola, coconut, almonds, and chocolate is held together by sweet gooey marshmallow.  So easy to put together, and so perfect for any occasion!

Coconut Almond Granola Rice Krispie Treats

3 cups rice krispies
2 cups granola (Make your own, or use store bought)
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 bag (10 ounces) marshmallows (you can use large or mini)
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.  

In a large bowl, stir together the rice krispies, granola, coconut, and almonds.

Place the marshmallows and butter in a large bowl.  Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until the marshmallows are melted and smooth.  Stir in the coconut and almond extracts.  Add the rice krispies mixture and stir until evenly coated with the marshmallow.  Let cool for a couple of minutes, then very quickly stir in the mini chocolate chips and transfer the mixture into the prepared pan.  Lightly spray your hands with cooking spray and press down on the treats gently to form an even layer.  Refrigerate the treats until firm, then cut.  Makes 24 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Hot Cinnamon Strawberry Ice Cream

Last Valentine's Day, we tried the red hot strawberry ice cream from Coldstone.  It was such an interesting combination of spicy cinnamon and sweet strawberry, we really loved it!  I kind of forgot about it after that. I have been toying with the idea of making a cinnamon cake using cinnamon oil to give it a spicier flavor, and that ice cream popped back into my head, and I just had to try my own version.  This super easy recipe comes together really fast. You do need to cook the strawberries for about 5 to 10 minutes which I think helps them to not be so icy when they freeze, but if you'd rather, you can leave out that step and add the berries uncooked.

Hot Cinnamon Strawberry Ice Cream

Strawberries:
1 pound fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Ice Cream Base:
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 quart (4 cups) half and half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon oil (not extract)

Place the strawberries in a food processor and pulse until the berries are chopped (you don't want them puree). Place the pulsed strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a small saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium high heat until the mixture comes to a boil.  Continue to cook for about 5 to 10 minutes.  Transfer the strawberries to a bowl, cover and place in the refrigerator to chill, about 4 hours, or overnight.

For the ice cream base, whisk together the condensed milk, half and half, vanilla, and cinnamon oil.  Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill, about 2 hours, or overnight.

When you are ready to freeze the ice cream, pour the ice cream base mixture into your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions.  During the last several minutes of freezing time, pour the chilled strawberries into the ice cream maker.  You may need to freeze this in two batches, depending on the size of your ice cream maker (my ice cream maker is 1 1/2 quarts, so I did this in two batches).  When the ice cream has finished freezing, serve immediately for soft serve, or transfer to a container with a lid and place in the freezer until ready to eat.  Makes about 2 quarts.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Honey Vanilla Almond Granola

I don't make granola very often, but when I do it disappears so fast! A nibble here, a bowl there, breakfast, snacks, toppings, and it's gone! This time I wanted to make it for a recipe I'm going to try out. I put granola on my grocery list, but then thought, why can't I just make it myself? So. I used this recipe as a basic outline, then added and tweaked to fit what I wanted it to be. It turned out so great, it might be our favorite so far! Note: I made a second batch of this granola using quick oats instead of old fashioned oats just to experiment with the consistency. The quick oat batch had a consistency more like what you get from store bought granola. Make it how you love it best!

Honey Vanilla Almond Granola

5 cups old fashioned oats
2 1/2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 egg whites

Preheat the oven to 300F.  Lightly grease a half sheet pan.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the oats and almonds. Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, stir together the coconut oil, honey, brown Sugar, and cinnamon. Place in the microwave and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring after each until bubbly. Be careful that it doesn't boil over in the microwave.  Stir in the vanilla and almond extract.  The mixture will bubble up a bit. Pour the honey mixture over the oats and stir until evenly moistened.

Place the egg whites in a bowl and beat until white and foamy. You don't need peaks here, just foam.  Stir the foamy egg whites into the oat mixture. Pour the granola onto the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer.

Bake the granola for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Do not stir. This plus the egg whites will keep the granola in those lovely clumps.  Remove granola from the oven and let cool completely. Break the granola into pieces and store in an airtight container.  Makes about 12 cups.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Crispy S'mores Bars

These crispy s'mores bars are super delicious, although they fell a little bit short on the crispy.  I was a tad bit worried that the cocoa rice krispies would get soggy in the chocolate mixture and turn out to be more chewy than crispy, and they did.  Not extremely, but a little bit.  They are still wonderful, though, and will disappear in no time.  A chocolatey rice krispie and marshmallow layer sits on top of a graham cracker crust, and is topped with toasted marshmallows.  Original recipe found here.

Crispy S'mores Bars

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 15 or 16 full graham cracker sheets)
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
7 Tablespoons butter, melted
16 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk
2 cups cocoa rice krispies
4 cups mini marshmallows, divided


Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until crumbs are evenly moistened.  Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared dish and press firmly and evenly onto the bottom of the dish.  Chill for 30 to 60 minutes, or until cold and firm.

Place the chocolate chips and milk in a microwaveable bowl and heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted and smooth.  Let the chocolate mixture cool for 10 to 20 minutes.

Pour the cocoa rice krispies and 2 cups of the marshmallows into the cooled chocolate mixture and stir until combined.  Pour the chocolate mixture over the chilled graham cracker crust and spread evenly.  Top with the remaining 2 cups of marshmallows.  Place the pan under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes (watching constantly!!!) until golden brown and toasted.  Chill the bars for several hours or overnight until firm.  Cut into bars and serve.  Makes 24 bars.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles

Every Sunday I make cookies for church.  There are some people who go early to have meetings before church actually starts, so I make cookies for them.  I've been doing this for a while now, and new inspiration is always welcome, so I've been letting people know that I take requests.  My first request came in last week for peanut butter snickerdoodles, and I was so excited!  I searched for a recipe, but came up empty on what I was specifically looking for.  I found this recipe, and modified it to suit my needs.  What a brilliant cookie idea!  These soft and chewy peanut butter cookies are lightly spiced with cinnamon, and rolled in a mixture of sugar and Vietnamese cinnamon for an extra spicy cinnamon bite! 

Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles

Cookies:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup peanut butter 

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour 

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

Cinnamon Sugar:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons Vietnamese cinnamon (you can substitute regular cinnamon)

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.  Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and beat on low just until incorporated.  Cover the dough and chill for about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

For the cinnamon sugar, combine the sugar and Vietnamese cinnamon in a small bowl.  Scoop the dough into tablespoon size balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Place dough on the prepared baking sheet with enough room in between for the cookies to spread.  Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly puffed and cracked on the top.  Remove cookies from the oven and let cool for several minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Makes about 48 cookies.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Chocolate Tapioca Pudding

This is another recipe that I found in the box of my Grandma's old recipes.  I think it may have come from an old Hershey's cookbook since it calls for Hershey's products.  This pudding is so chocolatey and I love the tapioca texture.  Also, you don't need to use your oven which makes it perfect for those hot summer days!

Chocolate Tapioca Pudding

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3 Tablespoons quick cooking tapioca
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 3/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the sugar, cocoa, tapioca, and salt in a saucepan.  Whisk in the egg and milk.  Let mixture stand for about 5 minutes.  Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.  Pour the pudding into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until cold.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Berries and Cream Sandwich Cookies

These cookies are kind of totally amazing.  A luscious frosting is sandwiched between two practically perfect sugar cookie stuffed with dried cranberries, cherries, and blueberries as well as white chocolate chips.  Original cookie recipe found here. Original frosting recipe found here.

Berries and Cream Sandwich Cookies

Cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 - 3 Tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup dried berry blend (I used craisins, cherries, and blueberries)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring
1 1/2 teaspoons meringue powder
1 pound (about 3 3/4 cups) powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon milk (if needed)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg and vanilla until well blended and smooth.  Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and beat until combined.  Beat in just enough buttermilk to soften the dough slightly.  Stir in the dried berries and white chocolate chips.

Drop dough by tablespoon size balls onto the prepared baking sheet.  Use the bottom of a glass to flatten the dough balls slightly.  Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, or until just set in the center.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for several minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, cream together the butter, shortening, vanilla, butter flavoring, and meringue powder until smooth.  Add 1/2 of the powdered sugar and beat until blended.  Gradually beat in the remaining powdered sugar.  Beat the frosting until smooth, adding the milk if necessary to reach the desired consistency.

Spread the frosting on the back of a cooled cookie, and place another cookie on top to make a sandwich.  Makes about 24 sandwich cookies.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy