Poppy & Berry Salad with Toasted Almonds

My best friend introduced me to the idea for this salad. And. I. Love it!!! Absolutely love it. I think I could happily eat this salad every day for the rest of my life. It is simple, summery, and incredibly delicious.

2 C Berries of Choice, fresh or frozen (I use the Berry Medley)
1 Head Lettuce
1 C Slivered Almonds
Poppy Seed Dressing
Pinch of Salt

1. Wash and chop lettuce. Place in large bowl.

2. In a large pan, over medium heat, cook almonds with a pinch of salt until almonds are toasted.

3. Drizzle lettuce with dressing and sprinkle with berries. Add toasted almonds on top.

4. Serve into individual bowls.

Mahlzeit!
-Coriaunty

Malted White Chocolate Chip Cookies with Candied Pecans

Since I am on a decidedly weird "baking with nuts" kick, let's keep going with it, huh?  I wanted these cookies to really showcase the pecans, and I think that I did a smash up job.  These cookies have a malted flavor and are studded with white chocolate chips and candied pecans.  Divine.  The dough is insane (should I admit that I ate some and froze some...for later?).  These cookies are an absolute success.


Malted White Chocolate Chip Cookies with Candied Pecans


1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons Malted milk powder
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (heaping) white chocolate chips
1/2 cup candied pecans, chopped


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


In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) cream together the butter, sugars, and malted milk powder.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat well until combined.  Beat in the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in the white chocolate chips and candied pecans.


Scoop the dough with a large cookie scoop and place on the prepared pan .  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned at the edges.  Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies cool for several minutes on the pan.  Remove the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Makes about 18 cookies.


Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Ice Cream Bar Brownies

These Ice Cream Bar Brownies are such a fun little treat for anyone, but especially any hungry puppies that you might have around.  Moist and fudgy brownies dipped in colorful candy melts and topped with sprinkles.  A fun twist on a classic treat.


Ice Cream Bar Brownies


1 13x9 pan brownies (use your favorite, a mix, or this Fudgy Brownie Recipe, just double it)
1 bag colorful candy melts
Rainbow colored sprinkles
popsicle sticks


Cut the brownies into 16 rectangular bars.  Insert a popsicle stick into each brownie.  Melt the candy melts.  Dip each brownie into the melted chocolate and sprinkle with the rainbow sprinkles.  Place dipped brownies on a sheet of wax paper to set up.  Makes about 16 ice cream bar brownies.


Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Rueben Loaf

Rueben sandwiches are one of my most favorite things to eat. Using her freshly-baked rye bread and homemade sauerkraut, my mom used to cook up these sandwiches and serve them to us fresh off the griddle. The only down side was that the toasted bread would rip up the top of your mouth a little bit. But it was so good that a little pain was definitely worth it. This version of a rueben sandwich is much faster than cooking individual sandwiches, and the outside of the bread stays so you can fully enjoy your meal, injury free! The only thing I will change for next time, is I will use a rye bread dough rather than a plain pizza dough.

1 Recipe Pizza Dough (use your favorite recipe, or this one will work)
8-10 oz Corned Beef, thinly sliced
3 T Thousand Island Dressing
1 C Sauerkraut (drained)
4 oz Swiss Cheese, thinly sliced
1 Egg White
Fennel Seeds

Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray. Roll dough out into a long oval shape on the pan (should cover the majority of the sheet).

Spread dressing over the dough, keeping away from the edges by at least 1.5 inches. Then spread your corned beef on top of the dressing, followed by the sauerkraut, followed by the cheese.

Cut edges of dough diagonally into 1.5 in strips.

Pull the strips of dough up and over the middle of the cheese. The two opposite sides of the dough should overlap.

Brush with egg and sprinkle with fennel seeds.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Mahlzeit!
-Coriaunty

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Brown Sugar Glazed Pecans

I am not a fan of nuts.  I do actually like cashews quite a lot, but other than that, not so much.  This was always a problem for me growing up because my Mom put nuts in everything.  Everything.  Cake, cookies, dinner, salad...you name it, it had nuts in it at some point or another.  Needless to say, once I started cooking for myself, the nuts hit the road.  It is incredibly unusual and rare to find nuts in something that I make.  I had a thought, however.  Brown sugar glazed pecans in chocolate chip cookies.  Oh my goodness.  They turned out amazing!  The nuts are not so huge as to be obnoxiously present, but their toasted sweetness is perfect.  I used the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever? recipe with a couple small changes.


Chocolate Chip Cookies with Brown Sugar Glazed Pecans

2 1/4cups (10 ounces) cake flour

1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 Tablespoon butter

In a small saute pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together.  Add the chopped pecans and stir until evenly coated with the brown sugar mixture.  Continue cooking, stirring often for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the pecans are lightly toasted.  Remove the pan from the heat and let pecans cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  In a stand mixer and medium-high speed, cream together the butter and sugars for about 5 minutes.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla.  Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips and glazed pecans.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the dough.  Refrigerate the dough for 24 to 72 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Scoop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown but still soft in the center.  Let cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Makes about 48 cookies.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy

Triple Threat Chex Mix

This over the top chex mix is incredibly delicious and addicting.  I will not disclose the amount that didn't actually make it in the bucket.  Because I'm a little embarrassed about it.  Let's just say that I spent most of today at the gym.  Caramel coated chocolate chex mixed with peanut butter M&Ms, peanut butter cups, and marshmallow bits...drizzled with caramel, white chocolate, and milk chocolate.  Need I say more?  Just be careful or you too will be spending more quality time at the gym.

Triple Threat Chex Mix

1 Box (14.25 ounces) Chocolate Chex cereal (about 8 or 9 cups)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

6 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup mini peanut butter cups (or chopped peanut butter cups)

1/2 cup peanut butter M&Ms

1/2 cup marshmallow bits

1/2 cup caramel bits, or chopped caramels

1 Tablespoon cream

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Place a large piece of wax paper on the counter.  Place the cereal into a large microwaveable bowl.  Set aside.  

In a 2 cup pyrex measuring cup, place the brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup.  Microwave for 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute.  Add the baking soda and stir well until completely mixed in.  Pour the caramel mixture over the cereal and toss together until the cereal is evenly coated.  Place the cereal in the microwave and microwave for 3 minutes, stirring after each minute.  

Pour the cereal mixture onto the prepared wax paper and spread evenly.  Let cool, then break into small pieces.  Sprinkle the peanut butter cups, M&Ms, and marshmallow bits evenly over the cereal mixture.  In a small bowl, combine the caramel bits and cream and microwave in 30 second intervals until the caramel is melted and smooth.  Drizzle the caramel over the cereal and candy mixture.  Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle over the cereal mixture.  Melt the white chocolate chips (being careful not to seize the chocolate) and drizzle over the cereal mixture.

Let the Chex mix cool and harden.  Break the mixture apart into small pieces and transfer to a covered container.  Store in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!  -Cardaommy

Triple Chocolate Oreo Chunk Cookies

I love these cookies.  They are amazing.  They are simple to make, rich and fudgy.  Just delicious.  My oldest hungry puppy is not a super fan of chocolate, but every day she asked me for the "brown cookies" to put in her lunch box.  That's about the best testimonial a Mom can get.  My plan for these cookies was actually to make ice cream sundaes with them.  I put a fresh from the oven warm cookie at the bottom of a bowl, topped it with a tiny (or not) bit if cookie dough, topped with a little (or not) scoop of chocolate silk ice cream, topped with a dollop of whipped cream, topped with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Whoa.  Just stop.  Think about what you just read.  Wipe up the drool, and go make these cookies, huh? Original recipe found here.

Triple Chocolate Oreo Chunk Cookies

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup Jet Puffed marshmallow bits

6 to 8 Oreo cookies, chopped 

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

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.  In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg.  Add the vanilla and beat until well blended.  Add the flour mixture and gently beat until no streaks of flour remain.  Gently stir in the white chocolate chips, semi sweet chocolate chips, marshmallow bits, and chopped oreos. 

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Do not overbake, you want these cookies to stay soft and fudgy.  Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes.  Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Makes about 18 cookies.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy