Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudgies

 I have officially finished my second year of teaching! Those of you who don't know me have no idea how exciting that really is. This year was a tough one for me...I'm not going to go into details because I don't want to relive it, but the important thing is cookies! On my last official duty day at my school, I took about 6 dozen cookies for the staff as a sort of thank you for everything they have done for me. I'm very thankful to each and everyone of them and I don't know how to show appreciation better than cooking or baking. I had a tough time choosing cookies, but this specific cookie was requested by my co-teacher.

These cookies are amazing if you are looking for something with chocolate, peanut butter, and a fudge texture. If you make them really well, you won't even see the peanut butter; it's like a little surprise when you bite in. I don't remember when I found them but I'm glad I did. Jenny Flake over at Picky Palate knew what she was doing.

I recommended these cookies to a friend and she called me the next day saying these cookies changed her life. She has decided that these cookies are a life-changing event and that everything in her life will now be B.C. (before the cookies) and A.C. (after the cookies). She also informed me how messy these cookies were to make :) If you don't mind a little mess, please make these cookies!

Time: 30ish minutes
Ingredients
1 cup peanutbutter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

2 sticks softened butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 TBS vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper...or grease it lightly, your choice.

First we will prepare the peanut butter filling. Mix up the peanut butter and sugar and then mix in the eggs. Combine until smooth and set it aside.

Now for the chocolate dough. Cream the butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla in a large mixing bowl with a stand mixer or hand beater. Next, slowly mix in flour, baking soda, and salt. Finally add in the cocoa powder and chocolate chips until it is just combined. I recommend using a wooden spoon or spatula to stir and nothing plastic...it is pretty dense. Once you have mixed it place it in the fridge for a little bit. You don't have to do this, but I think it helps.

Now comes the fun messy part of assembling the cookies. There are a couple different ways you could assemble them. The original poster used three balls of dough and then squished them all together. I used one big disc of dough and a smaller. I will detail how I did it. Use a large cookie scoop or spoon to scoop a chunk of chocolate dough into your hand. (You might want to spray your hands with cooking spray first, but I didn't.) Flatten the dough in your hand and then use a small scoop or spoon to dish up some peanut butter dough into the middle of your flattened chocolate dough.

Now roll it up into a ball, hiding the peanut butter dough inside the chocolate. It's more fun that way.

 

 Place your chocolatey goodness on your prepared pans about and inch apart and squish them down until they are about 1/4" thick.

I forgot to squish them down before I snapped a picture...

Put your pan in the oven and let them bake for about 16 minutes or until they are set. When they are ready, let them set on the sheet for about 5 minutes and then take them off.

 These are fantastic warm, but are also very tasty cool. These last for quite a few days if stored in tupperware and are fantastic as the outside of ice cream cookie sandwiches! Enjoy!

 Original source: http://picky-palate.com/2011/06/06/chocolate-fudge-peanut-butter-cookie-stuffed-cookies/

Slutty Brownies....Finally!

So looking at my blog, I can see that I have not posted since the beginning of April...it is now towards the end of May. That lack of activity can be attributed to a hectic schedule. But, school is over for the year! The end of the year is a time of ridiculous crazyness, but it is over! To catch up, I have ended my last year as a Kindergarten Dual-Language teacher and will be teaching K-6 Spanish in a different district. As for TBDH, he is still figuring out what he wants to do. Currently is is interning with a computer repair service and looking for jobs. We will see what happens.
As school was coming to an end, I decided I needed to take something special to the staff. These brownies seemed perfect. Oreos were on sale and I had an idea. I found these Slutty Brownies on Pintrest from several different sources, but they were all essentially the same. One source actually did give some reason for the name. She says that these are easy and just a little bit dirty. One source also called them Lasagna Brownies, but I'm a fan of the Slutty moniker. I tried making these brownies once and they turned out pretty good, but I knew they could be better. I tried a second time but they weren't as good as the first time. So I had an idea to help these reach their full potential. Essentially these brownies are cookie dough, Oreo, and brownie. The first and second time I made these I discovered the cookie dough bakes much faster than the brownie, creating a drier crust and with a very moist top. I was hoping for more moisture in the cookie layer too.
My brilliant idea was to make these in muffin tins instead of a large pan! Brilliant, right?! It's not that exciting until to taste them. So moist and delicious. You must try these!

Time: 40 minutes
Makes about 2.5 dozen brownies with extra cookie dough
Ingredients
Full recipe of your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough (I use the Nestle Tollhouse recipe for these, with slight alteration)
Brownie batter (I'm a fan of Betty Crocker's Fudge Brownie Mix)
1 package of Oreos

Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
1 stick of soften butter
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cup chocolate chips

Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies
1 brownie mix
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375

For the cookies
Cream the butter, sugars, and vanilla extract until all combined. Beat in the two eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet until all is mixed. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips. Let that sit aside while you make the brownie batter and try to not eat all the dough. Cookie dough is my weakness...

For the Brownies
Combine brownie mix, water, oil, and eggs until all the mix is moistened. It's ok if their are some lumps.

Assembly
You can either line muffin tins with papers or spray them very well with cooking spray. Press cookie dough into each muffin well until it is about half full. Next, press an Oreo into each well.

Finally, top the wells off with brownie batter until the Oreos are covered.

Place the deliciousness into the oven for 16-18 minutes or until brownie top is done. Let the pan cool for about 5-10 minutes before lifting the liners out. If not using liners, let the brownies cool even longer before trying to remove them. You can let them cool completely before eating them, but you might as well try one while they are warm. I have also heard these are good with vanilla ice cream on top, but I never make it that far. My only regret is that I didn't take a picture of this sliced open...it's beautiful when you see the layers.

I was testing liners vs. non-liners..both are amazing :)

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Food that can be homemade and frozen are amazing. I never really like store-bought taquitos, but these are pretty tasty, and I know everything that is in them. These are one of those foods that are easy to throw together, freeze, and pull out another day for deliciousness. If you are a fan of those dry freezer taquitos, please try these from A Homemade Kitchen. They are worth your time to make them.

Time: 20 minutes to prep, 20 to bake
Ingredients
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup salsa
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 finely minced garlic clove
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro (I never have this, but have been told parsley can substitute. I just sprinkle some in)
1 small roasted red bell pepper, finely chopped
1-2 green onions, sliced
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (I used rotisserie chicken last time..worked great!)
1 cup shredded cheese (I used colby-jack but use what you want)
10-12 6 inch flour or corn tortillas (I prefer flour)
cooking spray
salt

If you roast your own bell pepper, start this first. If you don't know how, here is a quick rundown. Cut the pepper in half and remove seeds and whatnot. Stick it cut side down in an oven under the broiler. Leave it in there until the skin starts turning black and blistering. Take it out and immediately put the pepper in a plastic baggie and seal it. Once the pepper has cooled down, take it out and peel the skin off. Continue with everything else.

Your pepper should look something like this when you take it out of the oven.

Mix everything except the last three ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Really...that's all you do..

First 10 ingredients...

+ cheese and chicken..

Warm the tortillas slightly in the microwave. I suggest putting a few between two paper towels and nuking them for about 10-15 seconds or until they are soft. Spoon your nummy mixture into the middle of the tortillas.

Roll them up!

If you are going to bake them now, put them on foil or parchment paper, spray the tops with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Pop them in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 425 until they are crispy and lightly golden. the cooking spray is to help them crisp up. If you prefer other oils, go for it. My brother is a fan of bacon grease. If you have some, go for it. Sadly I did not take a picture of the baked one...next time...

If you are not going to cook them yet, roll them up and put them on a baking sheet and pop them in the freezer until they are solid. Transfer them to a plastic bag and you are good to go! When you are craving one, put them on a sheet, spray and sprinkle and bake! They might need a bit more time to bake but they are still delish!

Original post at http://www.handletheheat.com/2011/10/homemade-kitchen-creamy-chicken.html

Baked Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese is one of those comfort foods that everyone loves in some form. Growing up, I never had the stuff from a box, and I was OK with that. Mom always made it from scratch using Velveeta, milk, butter, and whatever pasta we happened to have. As I started making it for myself I started adding pepperjack cheese, broccoli, bread crumbs, and baking it from time to time. Then one day I came across this recipe from How Sweet It Is and we decided we should try it. (By the way, that blog is definitely worth a look...good stuff happens there..)

On a side note, Law School Husband made a big decision this week. He decided that he did not want to continue this career path. After talking with several professors, friends, and me, he withdrew from school and is now searching for what will truly make him happy. I am very supportive of this decision, however I can no longer call him Law School Husband! From now on, he will be known as TBDH (to-be-determined-husband or the-best-damn-husband).

Back to food, I am not typically a fan of food that has buffalo in the title, but this intrigued me. It doesn't have much buffalo sauce and it is a change from standard mac and cheese. So we gave it a shot. I have made this several times now and it gets better every time I make it!

Time: 35ish min
Ingredients
1 lb pasta (shells, elbow macaroni, whatever floats your boat)
2 cups of cooked chicken, shredded or cubed (I almost always use some sort of leftovers for this)
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, about 4 oz or half a small brick
1/3 cup shredded cheddar, and a little extra for topping
1/3 cup buffalo sauce
1 tsp garlic pepper
salt and black pepper
1/3 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Cook chosen pasta according to standard directions, drain and set aside.

In a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat, melt the tablespoon of butter. When it had melted, add the flour and whisk to make it smooth. Let your roux sit for a bit and get a pretty golden color.

Yours should look more golden than this...remember I do food, not photography.

Once the roux has become golden, add the milk and stir to mix in the roux. Continue to whisk or stir until the milk has thickened. Next, add in the grated cheese and keep stirring until the cheese melts in to the milkyness and everything become smooth.

 

 

 

Not quite smooth at this point..

Once it is all smooth, add in the buffalo sauce and garlic pepper. Stir it all up and add salt and pepper to taste.

So orange and delicious...

It if seems a little thin, it will be ok. Baking it helps it thicken a bit more. Once the sauce is seasoned to your liking, combine the pasta, chicken and sauce. I just dumped everything into the pot I cooked the pasta in but do whatever you please.

 

Mix it all up until everything is combined. Grease a 9x13 pan or a preferred casserole dish. This can also be made in individual ramekins if you feel like it. Dump the mixture in and make it even.

Mine is much small than a 9x13, but I was also only making a half recipe.

Top you pasta with some extra cheddar cheese and bread crumbs and throw it in the oven!

Mine was already in the oven before I realized I needed to snap a picture.

After about 20 minutes, the cheese should be bubbly. I recommend turning the broiler on for 3ish minutes to help the bread crumbs crisp up more and create a nice crust on top.

Dish it up and enjoy!

I'm tempted to try this with bacon, but TBDH was sure how the bacon would be with buffalo sauce...I just really like bacon. It is suggested in the original posting to top your plate with green onions, Gorgonzola cheese, extra buffalo sauce, or cilantro, but we like it just as it is.

Original post at http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/05/baked-buffalo-chicken-pasta/

Creamy Cajun Pasta

I didn't realize until a friend asked me about my blog that I haven't posted in almost a month. School has been crazy! Everything has been piling up and my blog has honestly slipped my mind. But I'm back! It's spring break and my batteries are slowly recharging. I plan to start posting more frequently again. The recipe for today is one that I have made several times and that I have started spotting on pintrest. Cajun Chicken Pasta comes from the popular Ree Drummond ThePioneerWoman.com. If you have not visited her site, your probably should. She has some amazing recipes on there and even has her own book now. Good stuff. This pasta is absolutely delicious if you like spicy, creamy pasta. It's got a cajun zing, veggies, and a creamy sauce to top of your pasta of choice.

Time: 30-40 minutes (depends on how fast you chop and slice things)
Ingredients
3 chicken breasts cut into cubes (I normally use 1 huge one for LSH and I and it makes plenty)
4 tsps cajun mix (use whatever you have or the recipe to follow)
1 lb pasta (Pioneer Woman uses fettuccine but I just use whatever long pasta we have.)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter (You know it's good when olive oil AND butter are involved.)
1 whole green bell pepper sliced
1 whole red bell pepper sliced
1/2 onion sliced (she used red but I always use yellow)
3 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
Cayenne pepper
Salt
Pepper
Parsley

Go ahead and cook the pasta according to directions and let it hang out while you get everything else cooked.

Before you do anything else, make sure you have all your ingredients ready to go. I'm lazy and do not always prep my ingredients before I start cooking. You better do the right thing and prep for this one or else you will have some issues. Cube that chicken, slice those veggies, and have cups ready for you broth and cream. Also have a whisk available.

Toss the cubed chicken with 2 tsp Cajun seasoning.

Pour 1 Tbsp olive oil in a deep heavy skillet (preferably not non-stick) over medium high heat and introduce the oil to 1 Tbsp of butter. I'm not really sure why both are necessary, but it doesn't seem like something to be messed with. Once the oil and butter are well acquainted, throw in the chicken and watch it sizzle. Brown the chicken on all sides and remove it to a plate. The chicken does not get fully cooked in this step.

Leaving the pan hot, add in the other Tbsp of oil and butter and let them get reacquainted. Throw in the peppers, onions, and garlic. Careful with this step because stuff my sizzle and pop as it hits the pan! Sprinkle on the other 2 tsp of Cajun seasoning and cook over the high heat. The goal is to stir slowly and allow the veggies to blacken as much as possible. Once they are good and blackened, toss in the tomatoes and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Remove the veggies to the same plate or bowl as the chicken.

Still keeping the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Scrape the bottom of the pan as the liquids heat up and get all those blackened goodies incorporated into the sauce. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium low and pour in the cream whisking fiercely. Cook the sauce until it starts to thicken. At this point, taste and decide if cayenne pepper, black pepper, or salt are needed. We like it spicy but it's up to you.

Once it has thickened a bit more, add the chicken and veggies to the sauce, including all the juiced from the plate/bowl. Stir over medium heat for a couple minutes until the sauce thickens even more and is bubbly.

When it has reached your desired consistency, toss in the pasta and mix it all up. Top with a bit of parsley and you are good to go! FYI, the longer this pasta sits, the thicker it will become.
 

Original recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/09/cajun-chicken-pasta/

Cajun spice mixture (from TLC Cooking)
1/4 cup salt
2 Tbsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp paprika
1 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp dried cloves

Mix it all together! This makes a lot but it's a good spice mix to just have on hand. It keeps well in a air-tight container.

Spicy Saucy Beef

Take-out Chinese food is one of those things that you really shouldn't eat, but that almost everyone loves. LSH and I are no exceptions. I make a lot of homemade stir fry, but that just isn't the same as take-out Chinese. There is something about those thick, rich sauces that makes American Chinese food so awesome. This beef recipe from Meseidy at The Noshery has that amazing sauce. The first time LSH and I had this beef our mouths just watered. It's rich, it's thick, it's savory, it's spicy, it's yummy! If you are a fan of take-out Chinese recipes, especially those with beef, you should probably try this.
The original recipe recommends frying the beef up with some corn starch, but I don't think that is necessary. I just cook it up as is. Also, the veggies in this can change. Again, the original called for green beans, but you can use whatever. LSH and I tried green beans once and it was OK but the last time I made this I used green bell pepper and carrot and it was delicious. 

Time: 20-30 minutes
Ingredients
12 ounces flank steak (or whatever cut of meat you want, I use whatever is on sale), thinly sliced
Salt
Pepper
Oil
4 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 Tbsp rice wine or white wine
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
7 Tbsp brown sugar (amazing!)
1/2 Tbsp chile paste (I used Siracha)
1/4 cup water
1/2 Tbsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup fresh green beans, or bell pepper, or carrot, chopped
Rice

Toss the pieces of meat with a little salt and pepper and heat a bit of oil in a pan over medium heat. Throw the meat in the pan and cook it until it has reached your desired doneness. Set the meat aside.

Now you get to whip up the delicious sauce. Mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, wine, and honey. Add in the brown sugar, chile paste, water, ginger, and crushed red pepper. Stir it well and set it aside.

This is what makes this dish yummy!

 In a deep skillet, or wok if you have one, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat and saute the onion, garlic, and veggies until slightly tender.

Nom nom stir-fried veggies!

Stir the sauce mixture to make sure the sugar is mixed in and pour it on top of the veggies.

Let the sauce heat until bubbly and toss in the meat.

Let all those delicious flavors come together...

Mix up everything and let it head for another 5 minutes or until it has reached desired thickness.

Look at it bubble!

If you want it to thicken up a bit more, you can add in a dash of corn starch.

Serve this amazingness on top of some hot rice and enjoy!

Original post at http://thenoshery.com/2009/03/23/spicy-crispy-beef/

Fake Chicken Vindaloo

I don't claim to be a food expert at all, but I know what tastes good to me and what doesn't. For those of you who are experts, good for you and don't chastise this Vindaloo recipe. I did say it was fake. For those of you who have no idea what Vindaloo is...awesome! I know you won't judge me. Regardless of how accurate this recipe is, it's tasty if you are looking for something rich and curryish. This recipes comes from The Food in my Beard and is meant to be eaten in arepas. However, LSH and I decided to eat it over rice. Eat it however you want. This Vindaloo comes together pretty quickly and can be easily adapted. The measurements I will put for this recipe are approximate. I'm pretty sure I ended up adding way more curry powder and some other assorted spices. I also added potatoes. I made this own a while ago and we decided that potatoes would make it even better and they sure did. Play with it and make it your own!

Time: 30-45 minutes
Ingredients
2 sliced onions
2 1/2 Tbsp curry powder
3-5 chiles, depending on what heat you want, sliced (I used whatever was frozen in my freezer..I think jalapenos and Thai chiles were involved...)
Ginger (the original post recommends fresh, but I used powdered) - use however much you are comfortable with
5 cloves of minced garlic
4 chicken breasts
2 cups chicken broth (or enough to cover the chicken breasts in a pan)
1-2 potatoes diced
Hot cooked rice

Start with a deep skillet with a bit of olive oil over medium heat. Toss in the onions and soften them. As delicious as caramelized onions are, don't let them get to this point. Add in the curry powder, chiles, ginger, and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until everything is softened and mixed. Throw the whole mixture in a food processor or blender and transform it into a paste. It's ok if there are still some chunks. It's up to personal preference. At this point you can try it and see if it needs more of something.

Sear both sides of the chicken breasts in the skillet. Add in the paste and cook for about 2 minutes still over medium heat. Pour in the chicken broth until the chicken is covered. You might use all of the 2 cups, you might need more, you might need less. Just cover those breasts... Stir it all around until the sauce smoothens out.

Add in the potatoes and simmer the lovely mixture until the chicken is completely cooked through and the taters are soft.


Add this point you can do what you want with the chicken. I took it out, shredded it, and then tossed it back into the sauce and we ate it over rice. Deliciousness...

Original post at http://www.thefoodinmybeard.com/2011/01/chicken-vindaloo-arepa.html