BIZZY BAKES

This is the cookie, we are baking for Cookie Carnival.  Each month, Tammy selects a cookie, we all choose to bake with her.  I learned a lot from making this cookie, th e two tone cookie crinkles.  I made my mistakes, along the way and hope I learned from them. When I cut the shaped cookies, I was not exacting about the size and shape and as a result, my cookies are not consistent.   The result was that they did not line up correctly.  Regardless of this, they are visually good enough and taste-wise, also good enough. Summing up the cookie, it is a double cookie with a ganache filling.  With a vanilla and chocolate component, you know it is good. I have no idea why these are called crinkles. I don't like making big cookies and usually choose a smaller version but being the first time, I made this, I stuck to the directions.  Big cookies are still not my faves but this one came out as a good to eat, attractive cookie.

I am planning to make Thursday - Breakfast for Dinner Night.  So, look for eggs, pancakes, French Toast and all your favorite foods served on Thursdays. Monday - Mock Seafood Lasagna (Taste of Home) Tuesday - Sesame Salmon Wednesday - Four Cheese Baked Penne Ellie Krieger Thursday -Peach  Sausage Puff Pancake (Taste of Home) Friday - Chicken Salad (Nigella style) Saturday - Chulent (like a stew that cooks for 24 hours)

Monday, Hurrah, is another Baking with Dorie day and we have made muffins found on page 15 of Dorie Greenspan's book, Baking from My Home to Yours.  I love Dorie and I love all the baked goods that have come about, as a result of her. The originator of the group is Grapefruit of Needful Things .  We have been together for almost a year, now and in that time, I think, we baked a diversity of delicious desserts.  As a big fan of Dorie, I do use her as my main source for many baked recipes. If you are interested in joining the group, let Grapefruit know.  We have a great time and would love for you to join us. Grapefruit is also the gal who selected this week's baking challenge.  You will find the recipe on her blog, Needful Things.   Thank you .  Why is Blogger refusing to stop underlining?  I can't turn it off.  Any thoughts on this? This was a quick and easy recipe.  I did add a topping but that took a few minutes to chop the nuts and fruit.  The main flavor was th

Saturday, January 29, 2011 Fast Potato Gratin * Tackling Bittman * Veggie/Fruit of January    I could live on potatoes.  Put a potato in a dish and I am eating it.  Add some sour cream and I happy.  Bake it, fry it, boil it, cream it, steam it......do as you please.....I love potatoes. Gratin has been on my list to do f or ages and toda y is my day.  These potatoes were sliced on my kitchen toy, a mandolin that cuts in several way.  Although this is called julienne, I think of it as cottage fry look.  These slices were thinner than I have ever used.  They were close to paper thin and I was fearful, they might not work when cooked.  They did beautifully.    They crisped on the outside but stayed softer, in the middle.  They were just another successful potato recipe, hopefully to be made again, with onion. Fast Potato Gratin  Adapted from Mark Bittman Yield 4 servings Time 40 minutes Ingredients: 2 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled Salt and pepper

Coconut-Butterscotch Muffins  I like to bake, almost daily and it is important to me, to have variety.  I would not be happy making pies or cakes or muffins, everyday.  It may be a platitude but I think, variety in baking is the spice of life. I had a topping mix left from another recipe and did not want to keep it, taking up space.  My choices were muffins or a coffee cake.  Muffins won.  I had not eaten lunch and was hungry.  Muffins are done quickly and easily and for some reason, sounded acceptable for lunch while a coffee cake did not. I name the muffins after the topping, a blend of coconut, dried apples, butterscotch chips and chopped almonds.  With a small amount of canola oil, I had a nice streusel for the muffin. Coconut-Butterscotch Muffins  Ingredients - 2 cups AP flour 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon instant coffee 1 tablespoon baking powder  1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 cup Brownulated brown sugar (granulated brown sugar or packed brown suga

Cherry Almond Glazed Chicken I have discovered that when you like certain flavors, you can apply them to different foods, even those far from the original combination.  Cherry-Almond has been terrific in cakes and muffins and other sweets but I have not used it with meat, until last night. My taste in food has expanded and I have been experimenting with a mix and match kind of cooking and it has produced some really terrific meals, such as this one. Cherry Almond Glazed Chicken Ingredients 1 pound chicken cutlets 1/r cup cherry jam 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 cup slivered almonds Directions: Preheat oven 375 degrees. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken in a baking dish.   Bake 25 - 30 minutes. I served with mashed potatoes and green beans in lemon-pepper "butter". This is linked to - Whatcha Making Wednesdays   Tailgating Time

Double the Fun, Double the Pleasure Cannelloni Style What better way to save time than to use one set of ingredients for two recipes?  I must admit, my intention was to make only Cannelloni but alas and alack, my lasagna noodles stuck together and my attempts to peel them apart, ended up with bits and pieces. Waste not, want not is my motto, at least for the moment, so I grabbed those noodles and pretended they were not stuck together.  I layered them with sauce and cheese, topping with shredded mozzarella and there was my lasagna casserole. Spinach Cannelloni 1 box lasagna noodles cooked according to directions on box - you can cut off a minute or two from the cooking time. 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 2 cups frozen spinach, well drained 1 container ricotta cheese (2 cups) 3 tablespoons Parmesan 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella 1 egg, beaten seasoning - 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, smidge of black pepper according to taste,  1

Maple Glazed Salmon  We rarely eat salmon, during the week, but last Thursday, we were yearning for it.  What is nice about salmon is that it can be made simply and still be filled with yumminess.  For this salmon, I mixed a few ingredients and stuck it in the oven to end up eating this light and flavorful dinner. Who said maple syrup is for pancakes and French Toast?  Not me. Maple Glazed Salmon Ingredients: 4 pieces of salmon  1/8 teaspoon of white pepper  (substitute black pepper, if you prefer) 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Directions: Preheat oven --- 400 degrees. Mix soy sauce and maple syrup in a small bowl.  Add the white pepper and garlic powder.  Mix together. Place the salmon in a baking dish.  If you want to use it as a marinade, let it stand in refrigerator for at least one half hour.  Pour out marinade and  bake for 20 minutes. If you do not want to marinade for any period of time, leave marinade in pan

Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Soup, steaming on the table, filled with colorful vegetables ....what a wonderful way to start my first post.  I have this feeling, I should be saying, "Soup again?" We have had several soups, over the past two weeks since the cold weather has settled, in New York. Now that I have tasted this soup, I have to proclaim that it is better than all the soups, we have had this month and they were just fine.  This was spectacular.  It was so rich and filling.  I had one bowl and could not eat more.  It is more like a meal than soup and with the little, I had left over, I am serving it as a side dish.  Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup   adapted from Todd Wilbur Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time:  35 minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup