Food

Milk Chocolate Toffee Chip Cookies

/ Jodi / 26 Comments

milk chocolate toffee chip cookies 3

Looking for a milk chocolately, toffee, chewy, yummy cookie recipe to treat your family or friends with? Of course you are – right?! (Or you can come to my house where there are always cookies!)

milk chocolate toffee chip cookies 2

Look no further.  Your search has ended.  Bells are ringing.  Angels singing.  These blissful cookies will become a family favorite.  I dare you to each just one.

milk chocolate toffee chip cookies

Milk Chocolate Toffee Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

4 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
5 cups all purpose flour
1 11.5 oz bag Nestle Milk Chocolate Chips
2 8-oz bags Hershey’s Heath English Toffee Bits’O Brickle Toffee Bits

Directions:

With electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until completely incorporated. Add vanilla and eggs, and beat until light and fluffy. Add baking soda and salt, and mix another minute. Gradually add flour and beat until well incorporated, but do not overbeat.

Fold in Milk Chocolate Chip morsels and Toffee Bits. Refrigerate dough for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. With your hands, form a cookie dough ball about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.  Place on baking stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake. Allow to cool on baking stone for 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Apricot Chocolate Chip Scones

/ Jodi / 28 Comments

apricot chocolate chip scones

I love waking up early on weekend mornings.
After all, it means extra hours in my weekend!

This past Sunday, I got up before anyone else was awake and basked in the moments of pre-dawn with freshly-brewed coffee and Italian Sweet Cream, the opportunity to paint, and the chance to bake something yummy for breakfast before anyone was awake, so they could rise to the smells and tastes of fresh baked scones.

Awwhh!  This is my happy place….

apricot chocolate chip scones 2jpg

Scones are quick and easy and so delish!
They throw together quickly and bake in 15 minutes.

These Apricot Chocolate Chip Scones were well  received by the sleepy eyes waking up at our house.

Slather them with a little butter or dunk them in your coffee or tea, and you may have found nirvana….  just sayin’.

Here’s the recipe.  Enjoy!

Apricot Chocolate Chip Scones

Ingredients:apricot chocolate chip scones

  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 3 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
  • 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • coarse raw sugar for topping (optional)

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  cut in butter with pastry blender until crumbly.
  • Stir in apricots and chocolate chips.
  • Add eggs, half and half and vanilla, and mix until soft dough forms.
  • Turn dough onto floured surface and knead lightly.
  • For dough into rectangle approximately 15 inches wide by 4 inches high.  Cut in half, then each half in half, and each half in half again until you have 8 equal sections.  Cut each section in diagonal until you have 16 triangular sections.
  • Placed on baking stones or greased baking sheets.
  • Brush top of each with a little more half and half and sprinkle with coarse raw sugar if desired.
  • Bake approximately 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

PS  You might also like my “almost famous” Cinnamon Chip Scones.  Click here for the recipe.  They are an all-time fave!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Apple Fritter Cake

/ Jodi / 48 Comments

apple fritter cake

It’s the beginning of apple harvesting season in our little corner of the world and today is actually the annual Mars Applefest.

apple fritter cake 4

With apples and cinnamon on the brain this week, I wanted to make something special for dessert when my friend, Janet, was coming over for dinner.  I’m getting sad that she will soon be heading south for the winter, so trying to enjoy the few weeks we have left.

I found a recipe for Apple Fritter Bundt Cake from Crumbs in My Mustachio that was just what I was looking for.

apple fritter cake 3

Who doesn’t love an apple fritter?!  And made into a yummy cake to share?? …. Well – that sounded heavenly.

apple fritter cake 2

Oh – and was it ever!!!  We all LOVED it!  I know I will make this one again!  Here is the recipe as I slightly adapted.

Apple Fritter Cake

Ingredients:apple fritter cake 3

  • 4 large apples, peeled and chopped (I used golden delicious)
  • 2/3 cup + 3 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp milk
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Grease and flour bundt cake pan.
  • In medium bowl, mix together peeled, chopped apples, 3 Tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp cinnamon.  Set aside to let sugar and cinnamon liquefy with apple juice.
  • In a small bowl, blend together 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.  Set aside.
  • With electric mixer, cream together 2/3 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter.  Add eggs, on at a time, blending well, then add vanilla.  When well creamed together, add 2 tsp baking powder and 1 1/2 cups flour.  When well blended, add milk slowly until all incorporated.
  • Add half of apple mixture to prepared bundt pan.  Top with half of brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.  Top that with half of the batter.  Repeat with other halves.
  • Bake for approximately 40 minutes until done.
  • Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto plate to continue cooling.
  • Make glaze by mixing powdered sugar with 1-2 Tbsp milk, until you achieve desired consistency.  Drizzle on top of warm cake.

This cake is AMAZING warm and cold.  I refrigerated leftovers and loved it cold from the fridge.

ENJOY!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Homemade Margherita Pizza with Roasted Tomatoes

/ Jodi / 53 Comments

homemade margherita pizza with roasted heirloom tomatoes 1

The other day, our sweet friend and master gardener, Jack, gave us a generous box full of his amazingly beautiful heirloom tomatoes freshly picked from his garden.

Jacks Heirloom Tomatoes

Not only are they practically works of art how beautiful they are, but there is nothing like the taste of these gems!  (I do believe I would trade an entire box of chocolate covered salted caramels for one of these super sweet garden goodies!)

Roasting Heirloom tomatoes

When trying to decide what I could I make with them to give them the showcase they deserved (and eating one for breakfast while contemplating!), I decided to roast them up for fresh homemade Margherita pizza.

Roasting Heirloom tomatoes close up

If EVER I wished for scratch and sniff or “smell-a-computers,” I so wish I could share how my entire house smelled while garlic and fresh basil and thyme infused with these golden and crimson chunks of lusciousness.

roasted heirloom tomatoes

And I even decided to sacrifice one of them to ferment and save some seeds to see if I could master growing these in my own garden next year.

Fermenting heirloom tomato seeds

And then…..

After making some fresh dough, I rolled it out and placed a generous portion of these precious concentrated bursts of flavor atop.

homemade margherita pizza with roasted heirloom tomatoes

I topped that with slices of fresh Mozzarella, finely grated, salty Parmesan cheese, and coarsely chopped fresh basil right from the plant in the garden.


homemade margherita pizza with roasted heirloom tomatoes 2

And just for a bit of extra yumminess (and because I had some in the fridge), I topped it off with some chopped up thickly sliced smokey bacon ( O…. M….. G!!!)

homemade margherita pizza with roasted heirloom tomatoes slice.

This is the BEST pizza I ever ate in my life!  My son Nick took what was leftover for lunch, and I had the one solitary piece that was left in the refrigerator for breakfast the next day – stone COLD – and it was even better than I remembered the night before!

It had to be those tomatoes!  Thanks Jack!

Homemade Margherita Pizza with Roasted Tomatoes

Roasted Tomatoes:homemade margherita pizza with roasted heirloom tomatoes

  • 6-8 large tomatoes
  • 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
  • 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Cut tomatoes into quarters and spread in a baking dish.  Add garlic, basil, thyme, salt and pepper.  Drizzle all with olive oil.  Bake in 350 degree F oven for one hour.  Turn oven off and leave tomatoes in until ready to use.   (I roasted in the morning and let them set all day).

Dough:

  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
  • 2 tsp (1 envelope) active dry yeast

Mix flour and salt in a large bowl.    Mix water and yeast until dissolved in a measuring cup or small bowl.  Combine both until well incorporated.  Turn dough out onto counter and knead for several minutes.  Place in oiled bowl covered with towel, and let rise until ready to use.  (It really doesn’t matter whether it is an hour or several.)

Toppings:

  • Roasted Tomatoes
  • 1 lb Fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh coarsely chopped basil
  • Any other toppings you like (or not)

Punch down dough and divide into 2 balls.  Stretch and roll out onto two baking stones to form thin crust.
Top with Roasted tomatoes, cheeses, basil, and anything else you like.
Bake at 425 degrees for approximately 20 minutes until crust is done and cheese is browned and bubbly.
Let set for 10 minutes before serving.
ENJOY!  

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Peach and Red Raspberry Galette

/ Jodi / 34 Comments

peach raspberry galette

I’ve always wanted to make a galette.

I love the beauty of the free form, rustic French-inspired dessert that is like a simple version of a fruit pie.

peach raspberry galette slice

I had some peaches and raspberries hitting their peak of ripeness that were just screaming to be combined into a dessert fit for “company” dinner with our BFF Janet visiting one day this past week.

peach raspberry galette 2

Can you tell how well loved my baking stone is?

And Grandma always taught me a pie was done when the filling started bubbling and oozing out (usually onto the oven floor), so I figured the same holds true for a galette.

It turned out beautifully and was a fine tribute to end our dinner on the last day of summer!  The guys loved it, but Janet was too full of stuffed peppers and Yukon gold mashed potatoes to eat hers, so she took some home.   (Did you enjoy Jan?)

Here is my recipe derived from combining my pie crust recipe with several galette recipes found on the web.  You could make it with apple filling.  How yummy would it be with apples, golden raisins and walnuts??!!!  It would also be great with plums or apricots or cherries or blueberries.

Have you ever made a galette?  I’m feeling rather “French” as I write this.  Jouir!

Peach Raspberry Galette

Ingredients:peach raspberry galette

Crust:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup butter-flavored Crisco shortening
  • Dash of Salt
  • 2/3 cup cold water

Filling:

  • 5 large peaches
  • 1/2 fresh lemon, juiced
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup fresh red raspberries
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup sliced raw almonds
  • 2 Tbsp coarse sugar

Prepare dough by combining flour, Crisco, and salt with pastry blender until it forms a crumbly mixture.  Add water, and mix just until incorporated.  Form ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate while preparing filling.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut peaches in half, pit, and slice into 1/2 inch wedges (leaving skin on).

In a large bowl, combine peaches, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, sugar and flour.

Dust a large baking stone with flour.  Remove pastry dough from refrigerator, and roll out to 15″ circle.  Place on baking stone.  fill center with peach filling, leaving 2-3 inches of dough all around.  Gently add fresh raspberries.

Fold dough up and around edges.  Cut butter onto top of filling.  Brush pastry dough with beaten egg.  Sprinkle with sliced almonds and coarse sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees F.  Reduce heat to 375 degrees F and bake until pastry is golden and juices are bubbling, about 20 minutes more.

Let cool completely, and serve with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, sweetened yogurt or all by itself.  Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Smoked Gouda Penne ‘n Cheese

/ Jodi / 24 Comments

smoked gouda penne 'n cheese mac n cheese

With the Fall nip in the air, comfort foods like Mac ‘n Cheese come to mind and come to our table!  This kicked up version is super simple, yet amazingly delicious.

This is not your pantry’s boxed macaroni and cheese!  This is a gourmet version to make for your family without having to be a gourmet chef.

smoked gouda penne 'n cheese close up

I pretty much wing it to taste, but I will do my best to list ingredient measurements that you can work with.

This could be served alone with a salad for a vegetarian/meatless meal or you could serve it alongside your favorite protein.  You can even throw some grilled chicken or shrimp or seafood in for a heartier meal.

smoked gouda penne 'n cheese

We had it Sunday with chicken sausages on the grill and some homemade coleslaw with a fresh vinaigrette dressing.

Don’t like smoked gouda cheese?  For shame!  But…. you can throw any kind of your favorite cheese in – cheddar, muenster, brick – or a combination of all!

Have fun and enjoy!

Smoked Gouda Penne 'n Cheese

Ingredients:smoked gouda penne 'n cheese mac n cheese

  • 1 lb Penne Pasta
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups milk (I use Skim)
  • 8 oz. freshly grated smoked Gouda cheese
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions until al dente,  Drain in colander and rinse with cold water.  Set aside.
  • In medium saucepan, prepare a rue by melting butter, then stirring in flour.
  • Bring to a simmer, then gradually whisk in milk slowly to thicken the sauce.
  • Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese until melted.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Stir all but 1/4 cup cheese sauce into pasta.
  • Pour all into greased baking dish.
  • Top with reserved cheese.
  • Bake for 20 -30 minutes until browned and crispy on top and edges.

Cheers & Cheesy Hugs,

Jodi

Chewy Honey Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

/ Jodi / 32 Comments

chewy honey oatmeal raisin cookies 2

It’s cookie time!

chewy honey oatmeal raisin cookies
Not that I need an excuse, but Fall is a wonderful time to bake, and this week’s cookie recipe is a yummy crispy-on-the-edge, but chewy-and-gooey-in-the-middle Honey Oatmeal and Golden Raisin Cookie.

chewy honey oatmeal raisin cookies 3

Oatmeal cookies are one of hubby’s faves, and I also wanted to take a treat into the office for a meeting where we were having a special guest who enjoys my cookies, so Oatmeal it was!

chewy honey oatmeal raisin cookies 1
Your search for the ultimate oatmeal raisin cookie ends here! These are amazing! The touch of honey gives them just the right finishing touch to add that crisp outside texture with the tender inside. These cookies are out of this world! (And not just because I made them in Mars!)

Chewy Honey Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:chewy honey oatmeal raisin cookies 2

  • 1 lb. (4 sticks or 2 cups) Butter (softened to room temperature)
  • 2 1/2 cups packed Brown Sugar
  • 4 Eggs
  • 4 tsp Vanilla
  • 2 Tbsp Honey
  • 2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 6 cups Rolled Oats
  • 2 cups Golden Raisins

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • In an electric stand mixer, cream butter. Thoroughly blend in brown sugar.  Then add eggs, vanilla, and honey.  Beat well.
  • Add in baking soda an cinnamon and mix.
  • Gradually add the flour and mix until just incorporated.
  • Remove from mixer and manually stir in the rolled oats and raisins.
  • Drop dough by rounded tablespoonful onto baking stone (or cookie sheet).  Bake 10-12 minutes until cookies begin to brown.
  • Allow to cool on baking stone 5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to complete cooling.
  • TIP:  I like to chill my dough for at least one hour before baking.

Hope you enjoy!  Bake up some love this weekend!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Rolo Chocolate Caramel Cookies

/ Jodi / 52 Comments

Rolo Chocolate Caramel Cookies 2

I am constantly looking for new twists on my traditional “almost famous” chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Rolo Chocolate Caramel Cookies

When making cookies this past week, I substituted chopped mini Rolo candies for the chocolate chips.

Rolo Chocolate Caramel Cookies 3

I can usually resist my own cookies, but I may never make these again, because I could NOT pass them up!

Rolo Chocolate Caramel Cookies

Ingredients:

4 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
5 cups all purpose flour
2 Pouch Bags of Mini Rolo Candies (chopped – I cut each mini Rolo in half)

Directions:

With electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until completely incorporated. Add vanilla and eggs, and beat until light and fluffy. Add baking soda and salt, and mix another minute. Gradually add flour and beat until well incorporated, but do not overbeat.

Fold in chopped Mini Rolo Candies. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. With your hands, form a cookie dough ball about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.  Place on baking stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake. Allow to cool on baking stone for 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Warning!  These are highly addictive!  Enjoy!!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Almost-Homemade Easy Crockpot General Tso’s Chicken

/ Jodi / 39 Comments

Almost Homemade Easy Crockpot General Tso's Chicken

Gotta love “almost-homemade” recipes – right?

And what is better than a crockpot recipe for those busy days when we need it?!

And WHO does not love General Tso’s Chicken?  Please don’t tell me if you don’t?!  It will shock me beyond belief.

Almost Homemade Easy Crockpot General Tso's Chicken 2

This recipe turned out so yummy that I have to call it yet another……

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

A winner because it is YUMMY…

and a winner because it is EASY!

Here is how I made it.

Almost-Homemade Easy Crockpot General Tso's Chicken

Ingredients:Almost Homemade Easy Crockpot General Tso's Chicken

  • 2 1/2 lbs fresh or frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bit-sized pieces
  • 2 cups corn starch
  • 1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1 15-oz bottle Iron Chef General Tso’s Sauce and Glaze (this yummy sauce is what makes it “almost” homemade and VERY easy!)
  • 1/4  cup oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions

Directions:

  • Mix corn starch, salt, and pepper in a gallon-sized Ziploc Bag
  • Add chicken to corn starch mixture and shake to coat well.
  • Heat oil in a stir-fry skillet.
  • Add corn starch coated chicken, and fry 3-4 minutes until lightly browned and crisp.
  • Pour entire contents of skillet into crockpot.
  • Add bottle of sauce.
  • Cook on LOW for 4 hours
  • Add green onions
  • Serve with steamed Jasmine rice

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Fried Egg Burger ala Marty

/ Jodi / 16 Comments

fried egg burger

Happy Labor Day!

It’s a day for barbecue…

A day for burgers and hot dogs and family and friends…

A day for picnics or just relaxing…

A day to celebrate the end of summer.

Here’s a photo of a burger hubby recently made.

We love to mix Lipton Onion Soup mix in with our ground beef to make the burger patties.

For this yummy sandwich, we topped the grilled burger with a fried egg, sauteed peppers and onions, an heirloom yellow tomato, a greens mix of arugula and spinach, and some smoked Gouda cheese sandwiched between some toasted sourdough bread.

What your favorite way to to enjoy a burger?

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi