T is for Taco Crescent Ring Recipe

Taco Crescent Ring Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground beef

1 package of taco seasoning mix (your choice)

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

2 cans of Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls

For inside before serving:

Shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sliced ripe olives, chopped green onion, taco sauce or salsa as desired, or as a variation serve with guacamole in the center ring

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees 

In a skillet, cook meat until brown and crumbly and no longer pink

Add taco seasoning mix and about 1/2 cup of water

Simmer four to five minutes.

In a bowl, mix the meat mixture with the shredded cheese

Unroll both cans of dough and separate into sixteen triangles

On an ungreased large cookie sheet, arrange triangles in a ring so the short sides of the triangles form a five inch circle in the center.  Dough will overlap and should look like the sun.

Spoon the beef mixture onto the half of each triangle closest to the center ring.

Bring each dough triangle up over filling, tucking dough up under bottom of dough to secure it.  Repeat around the ring until the entire filling is enclosed (some filling might show a little)

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until dough is golden brown and thoroughly baked.  Cool five to ten minutes.

Carefully move to a serving plate before cutting into serving slices.  Don’t forget to fill the center ring with your favorite ingredients before serving.

Note:  I did try this recipe that came across my email and it was good, but I would add a bit more cheese and a bit more liquid to make the end product juicier.  My husband liked it but said it was a bit drier than tacos.  I think the dough soaks up some of the juice.

Also, it’s a bit hard to get this sun shape even all the way around.  I think with practice it would be easier.

N is for Naan Bread

Lately I’ve really become a fan of Naan bread (pronounced Non) and buy it all the time at Costco.  It's very cheap (18 pieces for $4.99.)  These are like mini-pitas.  This bread's particularly good with Indian food, but goes with everything.  I found this recipe for it on Pinterest and want to try it when I have time.  It sounds easy.  And how can you go wrong when there’s only four ingredients?  That’s my kind of recipe.

Ingredients:

4 cups of flour

4 cups of plain yogurt

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

Stir together dry ingredients.  Blend in the yogurt until the mixture forms a soft dough.  Add more flour if necessary.

Knead for five minutes

Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a towel.  Let rest an hour or longer (you can leave it overnight if you wish)

Take the dough out and cut into ten equal pieces.  Form into a ball and flatten into a disc.

Heat a griddle over medium heat and also heat your broiler to high.

One at a time, cook each disc for 4-5 minutes and browned on the bottom.  When it starts to puff up take a spatula and move the naan to the top rack of oven under the broiler.  Let cook 1-2 minutes, or until nicely browned and puffy.

If desired, you can brush top with butter.

This recipe makes 10 pieces of bread.  When cooled store in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator.

Prep time approx 10 minutes

Cook time approx 30 minutes

Banana Bread anyone?

This recipe came across my inbox a couple of weeks ago and I’ve wanted to try it.  If you have ripe bananas and love chocolate, give this a whirl.  It’s really chocolaty and not sweet at all, but its rich and a dense bread.  If you’re diabetic, you can use a sugar substitute.  Make sure to add extra if you buy unsweetened chocolate instead of the semi-sweet.  This bread is more like cake and would be good with a dollop of whipped cream.

 Ingredients

Chocolate Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf

There's an old saying in baking that the ugliest fruit makes the best desserts, and I completely agree. One man's bruised banana is another man's banana bread. I like to make a loaf of this once a week so I can have a slice with my coffee in the morning or toast a slice for a simple dessert.

Ingredients:

·                     1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan

·                     2 cups all-purpose flour

·                     3/4 cup sugar

·                     1/4 cup cocoa powder

·                     1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

·                     1 teaspoon kosher salt

·                     4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

·                     2 large eggs

·                     3 very ripe bananas

·                     1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·                     1/2 cup of chopped walnuts (optional)

 

 Just out of the oven

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

2. In another bowl, cream the butter until lightened, then beat in the chocolate, eggs, bananas and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients just until combined; do not overbeat.

3. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake until a toothpick stuck into the center of the bread comes out almost clean, 50-60 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for at least 15 minutes before unmolding.

 It rose nicely

 Ready to serve

Here’s a fruity dessert

I tell myself this isn’t that bad, even if it is cake, because I’m getting some fruit along with it.  Isn’t applesauce good for everyone?

This is easy to make and oh-so-delicious.  Enjoy.

Amish Applesauce Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

½ cup vegetable shortening

2 eggs

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. baking soda

½ t. salt

1 ½ cups applesauce

1 t. vanilla

½ cup of chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Coat a 9 X 13 inch baking pan with shortening or cooking spray

In a large bowl, cream sugar and shortening with electric mixer on low speed.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.  Beat until well mixed.  Add applesauce and vanilla.  Mix well and then stir in the walnuts.  Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.

Bake 30-35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let cool.

For a fancier treat, drizzle with glaze that’s made by mixing ½ cup of confectioners sugar with 1-2 teaspoons of water.  I add 2-3 drops of vanilla to this also.  After you remove the cake, let cool for about 30 minutes before icing.  It should be warm, but not hot.

Cast Iron Cake

Everyone should have at least one cast iron frying pan in their cupboard.  Cast iron has so many uses and isn’t just for frying chicken.  I’m not sure exactly who used the first cast iron skillet, but I think it’s associated with the south and southern cooking.

You can use this type of skillet for defrosting meat and other things.  A cat iron pan becomes smooth (seasoned) from lots of use and then things never stick.  You can place it in the oven and not have to worry about burning or melting the handles.  It’s virtually indestructible and is one of those things that get better with age.

Besides main dishes, you can bake cornbread or cakes.  Here’s an easy cake recipe.

Blueberry Muffin Skillet Cake

Ingredients:

8 T. unsalted butter

1/3 cup of milk

1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1 t. vanilla

Zest of I lemon, divided

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup of sugar

1 ½ t. baking powder

3/4 t. salt

2 cups of fresh blueberries

For the topping:

3 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

½ cup of all-purpose flour

¼ cup of sugar

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Place the butter in a 9 or 10-inch cast iron skillet and heat over medium until the butter lightly browns.  Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the batter into a dish to cool.

In a large measuring cup, whisk together the milk, egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined.  Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk half of the lemon zest with the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add the milk mixture and browned butter.  Gently stir together until just combined.  Don’t over mix; a few streaks of flour are okay.  Fold in the blueberries and scrape the mixture into the cast iron skillet you used to brown the butter.

Make the topping:

Use your fingers to combine the butter, flour, remaining lemon zest and sugar until crumbly.  Sprinkle over the top of the batter.  Bake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool on a rack for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.  May be stored at room temperature up to two days in an airtight container

Approx time: 45 minutes

Yield: One 9-inch cake

And the Last Recipe is a Rich one

Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies

This sounds like Christmas, is easy to make, and is probably all the sweets we need before it’s time to break out the treadmill.  LOL  Have a great holiday everyone!

Overview

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 24 cookies

Ingredients

1 box (18.25 oz) Red Velvet cake mix (I used Duncan Hines®)

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 large eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the cake mix and baking powder. Set aside. In a smaller bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, and vanilla together by hand. Add the egg mixture to the cake mixture and stir to form a dough - stir and fold vigorously until all of the pockets of dry cake mix are gone. The dough will be oily. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop 9 rounded balls of dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each, onto prepared baking sheet. Stick a few more white chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough balls for looks, if desired.

Bake each batch for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle each cookie with confectioners’ sugar. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

This recipe and pictures from Bed, Bath and Beyond

Indulge yourself in this one. Wow, another killer!

White Chocolate Cranberry Coconut Macaroons

Overview

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Yield: 15 cookies

Ingredients

Macaroons

2 and 3/4 cups shredded coconut (sweetened)

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries

 

White Chocolate Glaze

3 ounces pure white chocolate

1/4 teaspoon shortening

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

 

Make the macaroons:

In a large bowl, combine the coconut, sugar, flour, and salt. Add the egg whites and stir with a large rubber spatula until combined. Stir in the almond and vanilla extracts, then the chopped dried cranberries.

Measure one heaping tablespoon of mixture for each and drop into a mound on the prepared cookie sheet, making sure they are nicely round and 2 inches apart.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Make the white chocolate glaze:

Melt the white chocolate and shortening together in a small microwave safe bowl in 20 second intervals until melted, stirring well after each increment. Drizzle over cookies. 

Cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for up to five.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

This recipe and pictures from Bed, Bath and Beyond

This is always a nice Standby

One thing good about these is that they can be dressed up for any occasion.

Holiday Sugar Cookies

Overview

Prep Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Cook Time: 9 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Yield: 16 cookies

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cornstarch1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar (can not be omitted)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sprinkles, plus more for sprinkling on top before baking

Instructions

Toss the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt together in a medium bowl until combined. Set aside.

Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed.

Switch the mixer to medium speed and beat in the granulated sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Turn the mixer off and pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Turn the mixer on low and slowly beat until a dough is formed. Once mixed, beat in the sprinkles. The dough will be very thick. Cover the dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

Scoop a large sections of dough (about 2 Tablespoons of dough each) and roll into balls. Place 8 balls onto each baking sheet and add a few more sprinkles on top of each.

Bake each batch for 8-9 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The cookies will look very soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

This recipe and pictures from Bed, Bath and Beyond

Recipe Number Nine Sounds Festive

Ginger Sparkles Cookies

Overview

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 34 minutes

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup dark molasses

1 large egg

1/3 cup granulated sugar for rolling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

Toss the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together on high speed until combined and creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed. Once mixed, add the brown sugar and molasses and beat on medium speed until combined. Beat in the egg, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Turn the mixer off and pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer on low and slowly beat until a soft dough is formed.

Roll the dough into balls, about 1 Tablespoon of dough each. Roll each ball in the granulated sugar and place 8 balls of dough onto cookie sheet. Bake each batch for 11-12 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and under baked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

This recipe and pictures from Bed, Bath and Beyond

Here’s killer recipe number 8

Double Chocolate Chip Swirl Cookies

Overview

Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Cook Time: 11 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Yield: 2.5 dozen cookies

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

White Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons milk

1 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

Make the chocolate chip cookie dough:

Toss the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl until combined. Set aside.

Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed.

Switch the mixer to medium speed and beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Turn the mixer off and pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Turn the mixer on low and slowly beat until a dough is formed.

Once mixed, beat in the chocolate chips. The dough will be very thick.

Make the white chocolate chip cookie dough:

Toss the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed.

Switch the mixer to medium speed and beat in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Turn the mixer off and pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Turn the mixer on low and slowly beat until a very soft dough is formed.

Beat in the milk on medium speed, then the white chocolate chips. The dough will be very sticky.

Cover both cookie doughs tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes so it is not rock hard.

Bake the Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

Measure 1.5 Tablespoons of chocolate chip cookie dough and roll into a ball.

Take 1.5 Tablespoons of white chocolate chip cookie dough and roll into a ball.

Smoosh the two balls together and roll them into 1 large ball. Repeat for each cookie.

The chocolate cookie dough will get onto your hands, so wash/wipe them after you roll each cookie.

Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes. The cookies will look very soft, puffy, and almost undone.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

This recipe and pictures from Bed, Bath and Beyond