Chocolate Nutella Cookies

Super chocolatey moist cookies. They don't taste much like Nutella but I bet they would if I had the hazlenut extract. But they are really yummy and chewy and easy! And that's not a typo, there really are no eggs.

Chocolate Nutella Cookies
Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
2/3 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon hazelnut extract (you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon vanilla if you can’t find or don’t like hazelnut extract)
1/3 cup Nutella
1/3 cup milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Set the mixture aside. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until smooth. Add the extracts and beat for another 30 seconds or so. Add the Nutella and beat until smooth.

With the mixer running, add half of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add the milk, mixing until combined completely, then add the remaining flour mixture and mix completely. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes (and as long as 2-3 days).

When you’re ready to bake the cookies, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and place them on the lined cookie sheet, allowing about 2″ between the dough balls.

Lightly press the dough balls with the bottom of a drinking glass and then bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are crackly on top and soft, but starting to set. Remove from the oven and allow them to stand for about 5 minutes and then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Coconut Lime Sours

I was introduced to this tasty treat at Jeni Georgia's and loved the unique taste.  Kayla also tried these at the Georgia's and begged me to get the recipe.  We finally made them together...so yummy!  This is the recipe courtesy of Bonnye Jolley.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
4 T. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 stick, plus 2 1/2 T. margarine
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup almonds, chopped
2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
3 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 T. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. lime zest

Directions:
Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.  Cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Press crust into ungreased 10 by 15 inch baking pan (I used 9 x 13).  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix eggs, nuts, brown sugar, and coconut until well blended; spread over baked crust.

Bake an additional 15 - 20 minutes or until set.

While still warm, loosen the edges with a metal spatula.  Mix together the powdered sugar, lime juice, and zest with a fork.  Working quickly, spread the lime paste all over the top with a spatula while still warm.  Let cool to room temperature and cut into bars.

Mom's Best Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad and I don't always get along. There are some amish macaroni salads that I like, but usually I skip this at a BBQ. Recently my mom tried this recipe and it is by far, the best macaroni salad to ever go into my mouth. I had seconds and was practically licking my plate. It probably has something to do with the sweetened condensed milk in the sauce, but everyone there agreed it was awesome. I'm sure this will be a frequent repeat in our house.

Ingredients

• 16 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
• 4 carrots, shredded
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water, and drain.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the carrots, red onion, green pepper, red pepper and celery. Mix in the mayonnaise, condensed milk, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the macaroni, toss gently, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. I usually make this a day ahead of time, and stir it occasionally to blend the flavors. The macaroni will absorb some of the liquid.

Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein

We had this last night and it is certainly a keeper. Even the kids agreed! It is actually from Family Fun. My sisters have passed it around and have been telling me it was a winner but I hadn't actually gotten around to making it till last night. I had all the ingredients on-hand except the oyster sauce so I skipped that one. I probably would have only used a drop or two anyway, cause I don't like it very much. I also doubled the sauce- I just don't like it dry at all.

So try it as-is or fix it the way you want...you will not be disappointed!

Ingredients

8 ounces thin spaghetti, broken in half
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups chopped broccoli
1 1/2 cups sliced onion
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces sirloin tips, cut crosswise into thin strips
3 tablespoons beef broth
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce

Instructions

Stir the spaghetti into a pot of lightly salted boiling water and cook it according to the package directions. Drain the noodles well, then return them to the pot and toss them with the sesame oil.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and onion and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and continue stirring while the mixture cooks for another 30 seconds. Add the sirloin and cook it, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until it is no longer pink.

In a small bowl, mix the broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and oyster sauce. Add the soy sauce mixture and the pasta to the skillet and continue cooking, stirring often, for 1 to 2 minutes or until everything is heated through. Serve the lo mein hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Lemonade Deliciousness

It's that time of year for making lemonade. Here are my two favorite recipes:

Crazy Coconut Lemonade

***Note*** Here is the step by step video to see how Ingrid makes it.

In each glass put about 4-6 mint leaves, 2 slices each of lemon and lime, and 2 Tbsp.of sugar. Muddle it (take the end of a wooden spoon and smash it around real good).

In blender mix:

1 cup of Coconut water
2-3 Tbsp.of coconut cream(milk)
2 Tbsp. of lemon juice
2 Tbsp. of lime juice
and ice.

Pour blended mixture in glass and light stir. Add more sugar if you need. Enjoy!!!!!


Tucano's Brazilian Lemonade

4 juicy limes
1 cup sugar
6 c. cold water
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Mix water and sugar very well and chill. Wash limes w/soap. Cut off ends, then cut into 8ths. Place 1/2 of limes in blender, add 1/2 of sugar water and pulse 5x. Place a fine mesh strainer over pitcher and pour blended mixture through strainer. Throw out the peel. Add milk. ( I found 6 Tbsp to much, start off with 3) Taste as you go. If bitter use a little more sugar or milk. Serve immedietly.

The best pancakes I have ever made

I don't know if the secret is the buttermilk or the oats, but these pancakes are fantastic and I love that it makes a ton of mix for you to hang onto until you need to whip up some breakfast. Everybody in our family had seconds, they were so moist and good for you too!

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

from melskitchencafe.com

*Note (added 3/2011): I've updated this recipe several times to reflect that I generally use 100% whole wheat flour (five cups total, instead of using 2 cups of all-purpose flour). I prefer white wheat flour, although red wheat could be used and will lend an even heartier taste to the mix. Also, I made it the other day and before I added the oats to the mix, I threw them in my blender (yep, blender) and pulverized them to a powder. We loved the result! Loved it. Although the texture with the unblended oats is fantastic in it's own right, blending the oats lends a smooth texture to the mix and finished pancakes. I'll be doing it that way from now on!

*Makes 10 cups of dry mix

3 1/2 cups rolled (quick) oats

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 cup vegetable oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). If desired, grind the oats in a blender or food processor before adding to the other dry ingredients for a smoother mix. With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct (I've never had to add additional oil). Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup buttermilk (a combination of half plain yogurt and half milk will also work), and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don't break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side. As a sidenote, buttermilk can be frozen indefinitely for future batches of pancakes, so it's worth keeping it around!

*1 cup of mix will make about 4-5 4-inch pancakes.

Kristi Hill Dinner---Cornbread and Santa Fe Chicken Stew

Erika posted brownies from Kristi last week and today when I decided what I was making for dinner, I remembered they were both Kristi's recipes too! She made this dinner for a relief society activity a few years ago and we have loved it ever since!

Cornbread

1 package yellow cake mix prepared as directed (you will use half for cornbread and can make a few cupcakes with the rest)

2 cups of cake batter

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup flour

3 T. sugar

1 T. baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup soft butter

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Combine dry ingredients and mix. Cut in butter until well blended. Beat egg and milk together. Add to dry and mix until blended. Add cake batter and stir together. Pour into 8x8 pan or into cupcake pan. Bake 20-25 min at 375.

Santa Fe Chicken Stew

1/2 sweet yellow onion

1 tsp olive oil

3-4 chicken breasts, cut bite sized

Saute onions and chicken until chicken is barely done.

15 oz can Great Northern White Beans

14.5 oz. can Mexican style tomatoes, undrained

14.5 oz can petite cut tomatoes, undrained

20 oz. chicken broth

1 can corn or a cup of frozen

4.5 oz can chopped green chilis

2 tsp chili powder

1/2- 1 cup chopped cilantro

2-3 green onions, chopped

Add all ingredients to pot. Hold cilantro and onions until ready to serve.

*garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese, and avacados. (sometimes I throw in some taco seasoning to the soup too.)