lovinfromtheoven

Apricot Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

/ Jodi / 25 Comments

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Do you love buttery shortbread as much as I do?
Add a dab of apricot jam and a drizzle of icing, and O M G!

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I wanted to bake one more batch of Christmas cookies and wanted them to be something with apricot for hubby as it is one of his faves.

I usually make Apricot Kolaches, which we love, but I just ran out of time and energy to make them this year.  When I found this recipe for Apricot Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies at Little Spice Jar, I thought I would give them a try.  No rolling, no folding, no pinching, less time, less work, and all the ingredients that that make yumminess for a Christmas cookie is a winner in my book.

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If you are still baking and still looking for that last amazing, delicious, beautiful cookie, here is a great recipe for you to try!

Apricot Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:apricot-shortbread-thumbprint-cookies-3

  • 2  cups butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 4 tsp vanilla
  • 4 cups flour
  • 10-12 oz jar apricot filling or preserves
  • Glaze:
    • 2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
    • 2 Tbsp half & half or milk
    • 2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar in electric mixer 1-2 minutes.  Add egg yolks and mix completely.  Add vanilla.  With mixer on low speed, add flour slowly and mix until dough forms.

Place dough in airtight container or Ziploc bag and chill for at least 4 hours.

Heat oven to 350.

Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls.  Place on backing stone or cookie sheet, and bake 3 minutes.  Remove from oven and carefully indent center with your thumb.  Add 1/4 – 1/2 tsp apricot filling.  Return to oven for approximately 12 minutes.

Allow to cool for 30 minutes.

Prepare glaze by stirring powdered sugar, half & half and vanilla until smooth.  Pour into small baggie.  Snip small corner of baggie.  Squeeze gently to pipe in stripes on cookies.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*recipe originally found at Little Spice Jar

Best Ever Pecan Pie

/ Jodi / 31 Comments

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If you have it with coffee, it counts as breakfast.
Right??
Confession – I ate a slice of pecan pie for breakfast the day after Thanksgiving.

There.
It’s out!

And O M G – was it delicious!

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I made this pecan pie for Thanksgiving, and I have to admit,  I was too full of turkey and stuffing and much too busy holding my new granddaughter to even give a second thought to dessert that day.

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But the next morning (while decorating for Christmas 😉  ), I decided to have my piece.

This recipe is simply divine.  If you’ve never tried making a pecan pie, you really should try this.  You won’t be sorry!  MMM MMM Good!

Best Ever Pecan Pie

Ingredients:pecan-pie-2

Pie Crust:

  • 1 cup flour
  • Heaping 1/3 cup Crisco shortening
  • Dash of Salt
  • 1/3-1/2 cup cold water

Filling:

  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 cups whole pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare pie crust by blending flour, shortening and salt with pastry blender until fine crumbs form.  Add cold water and mix just until dough comes together and can be formed into a ball.  Do not overwork dough – this makes it tough.  Place ball on floured surface and roll out to fit into 9″ pie plate.  Fold dough in half and then in quarters.  Life and unfold in pie plate.  Pinch edges to flute.

Prepare filling by boiling brown sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan for 2-3 mins.  Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, beat eggs lightly.  Slowly pour the syrup mixture into the eggs, stirring constantly.  Stir in butter, vanilla and pecans, and pour into crust.

Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes or until set.  Cool completely.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

 

Easy Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

/ Jodi / 53 Comments

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When my sister-in-law posted one of those amazing Tasty Videos on Facebook for a Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie, I just knew I HAD to try it!

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We love apple pie.  We love cinnamon rolls.  Who doesn’t??!!  Putting them together to make an EASY apple pie = Winner!

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If you struggle with making homemade crust or are looking for a new twist on traditional apple pie, this is an easy and super yummy semi-homemade version to try.

I made it for a birthday brunch yesterday when the family came over to celebrate hubby’s upcoming birthday.  After gorging ourselves on smoked sausages (that hubby smoked himself in his Pit Barrel Cooker we got him this past Father’s Day), Spinach, Feta, Bacon & Roasted Red Pepper Egg Casserole, Warm Biscuits and Sausage Gravy (homemade by our oldest son), and a fresh berry fruit salad, we waited a little while before eating this.  But when we did….. thumbs up all around!

I tweaked the recipe up a bit to assure the apples would be fully cooked without overbaking and drying out the cinnamon rolls.  It turned out wonderfully amazing!  And the smell……..  can you even imagine the wonderful smell?!?!

Hope you will give this delicious treat a try.  (Thanks for sharing Terri!)

Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

Ingredients:cinnamon-roll-apple-pie-3

  • 6 cups peeled, cored, and thinly sliced tart apples
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 3 Tbsp flour
  • 2 cans Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.

Melt 1 Tbsp butter in large skillet, add apple slices, sugar, and cinnamon.  Cook on medium heat for approximately five minutes until tender.  Add flour and stir.  Cook one more minute until thickened.

Roll out each cinnamon roll in one tube until flat and thin using a small amount of flour to avoid sticking to rolling pin and counter.  Layer on the bottom and up sides of pie pan to form bottom crust.  Add the cooked apples.

Roll out each cinnamon roll in second tube until flat and thin, and layer on top of apples to form top crust.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes.

Allow pie to cool and drizzle with icing from one tube of cinnamon rolls.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

/ Jodi / 33 Comments

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What do you do when you have over-ripe bananas and a half of a can of leftover pumpkin puree (from making Chewy Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cookies – which Hubby has officially declared his current all-time favorite cookie!)?

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Well – you make wonderfully sweet and delightful Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Bread of course!

Have you ever thought of combining pumpkin and bananas in a yummy sweet bread?

Wowza!  Pure blissful deliciousness!

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If you are looking for a lovely Autumn sweet bread to enjoy with your morning coffee, afternoon tea, or to curb your after-dinner sweet tooth, look no further.  And how fun is it to make four mini loaves instead of one big loaf so you can keep one (or two) and share the others as sweet surprises for friends or loved ones!  To me, that is more than half the joy in baking…. creating something I can share to make someone smile and brighten their day and tantalize their tummy.

Make this bread to share as a Thanksgiving hostess gift or guest’s sweet surprise.  Or just make it to enjoy!  I’m betting you will!  Warm from the oven, a slice with some melting salty butter is just about heavenly!

Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

  • Servings: 4 mini loaves
  • Print

Ingredients:pumpkin-banana-chocolate-chip-bread-1

  • 3/4 cup softened butter
  • 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
  • 3 mashed ripe bananas
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on high approximately 2 minutes.  Add eggs and continue mixing until light and fluffy – 1-2 more minutes.  Add pumpkin and mashed bananas.  Mix well.

Add dry ingredients:  baking soda and powder, cinnamon, salt, and flour, and beat just until blended.   Remove from mixer.

Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips with wooden spoon or spatula.

Pour into 4 greased mini loaf pans.  Sprinkle tops with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

Bake for 40 mins or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in pans and then remove loaves to cooling rack to completely cool.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Jewish Apple Cake (Bread)

/ Jodi / 39 Comments

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What better smell is there in Autumn than cinnamon and apples baking up in yummy cakes and pies and breads?

This recipe for Jewish Apple Cake is one I got from my BFF Jill, who doesn’t necessarily love to bake or cook, but when she does, she has some amazing recipes.  This is one of them.  The first time I tasted it, I had to have the recipe, and now I make it more than her.

In fact, she texted me yesterday morning, and I said, “Guess what I just took out of the oven?”  She mentioned she hasn’t made it in “forever.”  (That might be why she is thin, and I’m – well  – Not!)

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I’m not sure why this is called “Jewish” Apple Cake, so I did a little Wiki research (and I’m going to look forward to hearing what my BFF Bubby has to say.)

Per Wikipedia:  Jewish apple cake is a kind of dense cake made with apples and sold mostly in Pennsylvania in the United States. It has limited known connections to Jewish cuisine. It is thought that this cake is actually a Pennsylvania Dutch culinary item that was erroneously attributed to Jews because it seemed “old world.”  It may also be considered Jewish because it contains no dairy, and it may therefore be eaten with meals containing meat, in accordance with Jewish laws of kashrut.

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Seems most people make this in a bundt cake or springform cake pan, but Jill always made it in loaves of bread, so that is the way I do too!

Besides… when you do, you can keep one, and give two away… which is exactly what I plan on doing.

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This cake/bread tastes delicious with coffee or tea for breakfast or a snack or dessert.  It is not too sweet, but cinnamony, and apply, and nutty enough to rock your world!

Hope you’ll give it a try.  Let me know if you do.

Jewish Apple Cake (Bread)

Ingredients:jewish-apple-cake-3

  • 4-5 pared apples, sliced thin (I used Honeycrisps)
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 2 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup oil
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour 3 bread loaf pans (approx. 8″x4″).

Mix together, apples, walnuts, 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon.  Set aside for sugar and cinnamon to soak into the apples and nuts.

Whisk together 2 cups sugar, eggs, vanilla, orange juice, and oil.  Add baking powder and flour, and stir just until batter is incorporated.

Alternate layering:  batter, apples, batter, apples, batter.

Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool  in pan 10-15 mins.  Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.  Store in airtight bag.  Freezes well.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

New Lighter Chicken Parmesan

/ Jodi / 30 Comments

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Our little garden is just bursting with tomatoes this time of year, and the little cherry tomatoes are so juicy and sweet and delicious and plentiful that I wanted to use them creatively in a recipe instead of the usual simple throwing of them into our dinner salad.

I also have a really healthy crop of fresh basil.

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Anyone that’s been around thecreativelifeinbetween.com for more than a minute likely knows I LOVE chicken for dinner and am always looking for new, creative ways to prepare it.

So last night, I decided to try a newer, lightened-up version of the classic chicken parmesan recipe that is typically dipped in milk and egg wash, rolled in bread crumbs and fried in oil before topping it with cheese and baking it.

For this recipe, I marinaded the chicken in buttermilk – a great tip for making baked (or fried) chicken moist and tender – and then simply topped it with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano instead of rolling it in bread crumbs.

I’ve said it before, and many of you know this well, but there really is no substitute for the real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  Powdered cheese in a green plastic container will not do.   Other cheeses called “Parmesan” will not do.  The real deal –  Parmigiano-Reggiano is worth the spend (even if you have to skimp somewhere else – like that Starbucks latte or the pricey bottle of red wine).  Nothing can compare to the sharp, complex, fruity/nutty, strong savory flavor and slightly gritty texture of Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Inferior versions can impart a bitter taste, so if you think you do not like “Parmesan” cheese, because you ate the powdered stuff from the green plastic container as a kid, please give the real “parmesan” a try!  You won’t regret it.

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I then roasted it along with lots of sweet, juicy marinated tomatoes with tons of fresh garlic and basil and healthy extra virgin olive oil.

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We ate ours over whole grain thin spaghetti and a tossed fresh green salad.  It was divine!

Don’t expect it to taste like the familiar fried version soaked in sauce (which is quite yummy in moderation!), but allow yourself to enjoy the fresh, lighter flavors of this wonderful winner, winner of a chicken dinner!  (You knew I had to say it – right?!)

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Here is my recipe, which is adapted from one I found on Epicurious.  Hope you’ll give it a try and let me know how you like it.

New Lighter Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:new-lighter-chicken-parmesan

  • 3 lbs boneless chicken breasts and thighs
  • 1 cup buttermilk (you can easily make by adding 1 Tbsp vinegar to 1 cup milk)
  • 3 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup finely minced fresh garlic
  • 1/4 cup finely minced fresh basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 8 oz. fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced

Directions:

Wash and prepare chicken.  If chicken breasts are thick, cut them in half horizontally so they will cook faster and more evenly.  Marinade chicken in buttermilk for a minimum of 2 hours or up to overnight in an airtight container or large Ziploc bag.

Whisk together olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, and salt.  Pour over tomatoes and stir.  Let marinade a couple hours if time allows.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Remove chicken from buttermilk marinade and place on a baking stone or dish with sides that will fit all pieces evenly without overlapping.  Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and pat to press into chicken.  Spoon marinated tomatoes in between chicken pieces pouring remaining oil marinade over top.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes until chicken is cooked, cheese begins to brown, and tomatoes begin to bubble and brown.  Add a slice of Mozzarella cheese on top of each piece of chicken, and return to oven for approximately 5 minutes until the Mozzarella is browned and bubbly.

Serve over whole wheat or regular pasta or by itself with a fresh green salad.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Chocolate-Covered Cookie Butter-Stuffed Oreos

/ Jodi / 54 Comments

About

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O. M. G!  Have you tried the new Oreo Thins yet?  If there is one store bought cookie I love, it is Nabisco’s Oreo.  There’s really nothing like them.

I rarely buy them, but I have been curious about the new Oreo Thins I’ve been hearing about.  Double Stufs are DIVINE, so how are the Thins?

I needn’t wonder long, because when I saw an incredible idea for Cookie Butter Stuffed Oreos from Ruthanne, the incredibly creative baker at Easybaked, I knew I had to try them.

And they are AMAZING!

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But who stops at amazing, when you can make them doubly amazing by topping them with a scoop of cookie butter…

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placing another on top of that…

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sandwiching….

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and covering with chocolate?!

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I was dying to try them, but knew we didn’t need a batch of these around the house for the three of us.  So when my son Nick was heading over to celebrate his future father-in-law’s birthday yesterday, I asked if I could make them for him to take over for a little birthday gift.

He offered to help, so I gave him the jobs of “hand model” and sampler to assure they were okay to send.

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He approved!

I filled a little pint-sized red berry basket with a dozen, wrapped it in clear cellophane and tied with some raffia to send on it’s way.

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And now we only have to worry about having eight of these decadent little buggers around to taunt us with their amazingness!

Such a fun treat!  I hope you’ll give them a try.  And for more cuteness, check out Ruthanne’s Emoji Oreo Pops!    I’m kinda tempted!!   😉

Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Stuffed Oreos

Ingredients:chocolate-covered-cookie-butter-stuffed-oreos-7

Directions:

Place 20 Oreo Thins Cookies on a cookie sheet.  Top each cookie with a teaspoon-sized scoop of cookie butter.  Press a second Oreo Thin on top to make a sandwich.  Freeze for approximately 30 minutes.

Melt Candy Melts in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each increment, until chocolate is melted and smooth.  (It took mine about 3 increments.)

Take 3-4 cookies out of the freezer at a time, and carefully dip – one at a time – in the melted chocolate.  Use a fork to tap excess off, and slide the bottom of the cookie along the edge of the bowl to remove excess.  Set on parchment or wax paper to harden.

Add sprinkles (if desired) before chocolate hardens, or drizzle with white or contrasting chocolate after it hardens.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Fresh Peach & Blueberry Streusel Muffins

/ Jodi / 48 Comments

fresh peach and blueberry struesel muffins

Do you know a muffin man?  One that might live on your lane?

If so, you might want to make him this yummy Fresh Peach and Blueberry Streusel Muffin recipe this weekend for Father’s Day brunch.

After all, we would be muffin without our dads – right?

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Silly nursery rhymes and puns aside….   I was excited to try out some new silicone muffin “pans” I got on clearance at Tuesday Morning a while back, and they did not disappoint.

No need for liners, the muffins popped right out, and clean up was SUPER easy!

The pair of baking pans I bought were slightly odd-shaped I came to find out when I tried to stand the finished little buggers up.  They are wider at the top and quite narrow at the bottom.  (They are likely shaped for some other baking delicacy, but the muffins still tasted AMAZING even though they could stand up straight on their own! Hence my inspiration for the picture to the left.)

These muffins are bursting with fresh fruit flavor and moist from the addition of creamy vanilla yogurt and milk.

And who can pass up a crumbly topping swirled with icing?!

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Peaches are just coming in season around our neck of the woods.  Mixing the tart burst of blueberries with the sweetness of ripe peaches is a muffin combination that is sure to make for happy tummies when you bake these for your family or friends or even just for you!

Fresh Peach and Blueberry Streusel Muffins*

Ingredients:fresh peach and blueberry struesel muffins

Muffin Batter:

  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) softened butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup half and half or milk
  • 1 cup peaches, peeled chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups blueberries

Crumb Topping:

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp white sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) softened butter
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Glaze:

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 tablespoons half and half or milk or Italian Sweet Creamer*
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray muffin pan with nonstick spray.

For muffin batter, beat butter on high speed in electric mixer until smooth, about 1 minute. Add sugars and beat on high until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, yogurt, and vanilla, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat until mixture is combined.  Add, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and beat 30 seconds or so to combine.  Add flour and mix until well combined.  Add milk and mix until no lumps remain.

Add a teaspoon of flour to the blueberries to coat and do the same to the peaches.  This helps them to no all sink to the bottom of the batter when baking.

Fold fruit gently into batter.

For the crumb topping, combine sugars, cinnamon, and flour.  Mix in softened butter until thick and crumbly.  You can use a spoon or fork or even your fingers.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them all the way to the top or even a little over. Divide the crumb topping among each of the muffin cups, crumbling with your hands to make some big chunks.

Bake for 5 minutes at 425, then lower temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.

Make glaze by mixing the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla together. Drizzle over muffins when most of the way cool.

*slightly adapted from SpoonfulofNature

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi