Moved…

Moved… again…

I am officially at cookiesncows.com!

Round Up

Last night I made some homemade, maple sweetened, marshmallows.  They are pretty good stuff.  Their taste is lighter, and of course more mapley  (I decided mapley is a word now), than their store bought counterparts.  I am pretty sure I over whipped them, so I am going to wait to share pictures of my mallows with you until I try again.  In the meantime you can find the recipe here.

Another great dish I made this week was Skillet Pasta with Sausage.  But I totally forgot to get a picture of it before we ate it all.  So once again, until I remake it you’ll have to go find the recipe here.

If you love spaghetti you have to try this one from John Deere Mom.  It is one of our favorite dinners ever.  And once again I have totally forgotten to get pictures of it before we ate it all…

So what have I learned this week?

1. How to make yummy marshmallows.
2. Take pictures before eating it all!!

Real Food in Real Life

When I decided I was going to quit buying processed food I was surprised at how easy the change was.

I used to buy 2-3 boxes of crackers, a box of fruit gummy snacks, chips, cold cereal, packaged cookies, and such every week.  When I cut out all of those processed foods I was able to buy so much more produce, meat, and lots of other unprocessed odds ‘n ends.  I made the switch from BBQ sauce with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) to BBQ sauce with out.  I buy organic produce, condiments, and sauces when I can afford to.  I use butter instead of margarine. Real maple syrup instead of HFCS versions.

I was already cooking most everything from scratch, so the change wasn’t that hard.  I just had to substitute some of the ingredients I was using for their unprocessed (and tastier) versions.

But it wasn’t all a cake walk.

To my surprise within about a week I started craving all the processed foods I cut out.  It wasn’t a fun 1.5 weeks that it took to stop craving all of that.

The boys also had a rough time the first week.  They didn’t like that I didn’t have their usual snacks lying around for them to eat all day long.  After about 1.5 weeks they quit asking for snacks all day long.  They seemed to be staying full for longer.  Wyler seems to be getting less picky.  (He actually has started to eat ham, and is willing to taste other foods he used to run screaming from.)

I still have a way to go before we are processed food free at home.  I have been trying to use up things in our pantry, but then once they are gone I am not buying them any more.  There are a few things I buy that is somewhat processed, but as I go I am planning on learning how to make those foods at home.

Someday I would love to have a milk cow, raise our own chickens, pigs, and grass-fed beef.  I want a successful garden where I can control how much chemicals (aka none…) are put on my food.

But for now I am doing the best I can with what I can find at Bashas’ and Walmart.

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies

Did you know this week is Random Act of Kindness Week?  It is almost over, unfortunately I didn’t know it was RAK week until it was halfway over.  I’ve been trying to do several RAK’s over the past few days.

For one of our RAK’s I made some Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies, and delivered them to a friend.  I found the recipe, via Pinterest of course, over at Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Confession:  I’ve never been that big of a red velvet fan.  I pretty much only do red velvet on Valentines.  These cookies turned out to be pretty delicious, and will be made through out the year!

For this recipe I tried out a few tips for perfect cookies from Your Cup of Cake, and I think it helped my cookies turn out even better.

You will need:

• 1.5 + 1 Tablespoon (198g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened (don’t microwave it!)
• 3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar (the real stuff, and not the weird white sugar with molasses stuff)
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated cane sugar
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1.5 Tablespoons red food coloring (liquid, gel, or 2 tsp beet powder alternative)*
• 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus a few for after baking

Directions:

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

Using a stand mixer, or a hand held mixer, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute.  Switch the mixer to medium speed and beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Once mixed, add the food coloring and mix until combined.

Turn the mixer off and add the dry ingredients, then turn the mixer on low.  Slowly beat until a soft dough is formed.  At this point you can add more food coloring if you’d like the dough to be redder. Stir in the chocolate chips, on low speed. The dough will be sticky.

Tightly cover the dough  and chill for at least 1 hour (and up to 4-5 days– make sure you let the cookie dough sit out at room temperature for about 45 minutes before baking if chilling for more than 1 day.). Chilling is mandatory.

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

Scoop 1.5 Tablespoons of dough and mold into a ball, and place 9 balls onto each baking sheet. Bake for 10-11 minutes. The cookies may have only spread slightly, that is ok. Simply press down on the warm cookies to slightly flatten and form crinkles. Press a few chocolate chips onto the top of the cookies, and let the heat from the cookie slightly melt them – this step is optional as it is for decorative purposes only.

Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. Cookies may be frozen for up to 2 months. Cookie dough may be frozen up to 2 months – thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cookie dough balls may be frozen up to 2 months. Bake for 1-2 extra minutes (do not thaw).

*Note from Sally “Update September 2014: I’ve successfully made these cookies using beet powder instead of red food coloring – this is a wonderful natural alternative to food coloring. Use 2 teaspoons for a slight red color to your cookies.”

S’more Brownies

Warning Fire Hazard!

A couple year ago I found a recipe for S’more Brownies.  I was super excited to give these a try.  Who doesn’t like brownies?  Or S’mores made with perfectly toasted marshmallows?

Unfortunately they went up in flames.  Literally.

I was trying to get the marshmallows on the top a nice golden brown. Only I discovered that once they start to brown, you have just about 5 seconds to grab your pot holders, and pull the brownies out from under the broiler.  Once one mallow goes up in flames you have just a couple of seconds to put the flame out, before it spreads to all the rest.

The recipe sat, mostly forgotten, in the back of my cupboard waiting for me to brave this delectable fire hazard again.  I finally decided to give them another try.

And I managed to keep them from bursting into flame.  Go me!

You will need:

9 whole graham crackers, halved crosswise*

3/4 cup butter (not margarine), cut up

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup cane sugar

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup flour

1 1/2 cups semisweet or milk chocolate chips

35 regular marshmallows, or a bunch of mini marshmallows (probably about half a bag), or marshmallow cream*

*I am still looking for a good homemade graham cracker, and marshmallow, recipes so I can make this “real” food friendly

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the bottom and sides of a 13×9-inch baking pan.  Arrange graham crackers over bottom of pan, overlapping slightly or breaking to fit, if necessary.
2. Melt butter and unsweetened chocolate in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until blended. Stir in eggs until blended and smooth; stir in flour. (Batter will be smooth, thick and shiny.) Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon and gently spread over graham crackers.
3. Bake 35-40 minutes or until top is just set and toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached.
4. Heat broiler. Place marshmallows on their sides evenly over top of brownies, or carefully spread marshmallow cream over top of brownies. Broil about 30 seconds or until marshmallows are puffed and tops are golden brown.
5. Once cooled cut with a buttered knife.

How do you prefer your marshmallows toasted, golden or flaming?

Cinnamon Rolls

One of my favorite things to do when I make bread is to include a batch of cinnamon rolls. I mix up my bread dough as usual, turn half of it into a loaf of bread, and the other half into cinnamon rolls.

When I make my cinnamon rolls I don’t measure anything.  I just go based off what sounds good at the time.  Some days I am in the mood for more of a cinnamon flavor, and others I want a sweet roll with only a hint of cinnamon.  This last time I made it I wanted it to be just about even.

For the rolls you will need:

1/2 recipe of White Bread, dough

Brown sugar

Butter, softened

Cinnamon

Grease a 9×13 inch cake pan, and set it aside.

Roll out your dough into a rectangle.  Or in my case, something that kinda sorta resembles a rectangle.  I am no good rolling things in the shape I want… circles are weird flat blobs, rectangles are trapezoids with one side rounded… Anyway, you want it to be 1/4 inch thick. I rolled mine too thin… another thing I need to work on not doing while rolling doughs out.

Generously butter the dough.  Then spread handfulls of brown sugar over the top.  Then top that with cinnamon.

Here is one of my main issues when making cinnamon rolls.  I have a hard time deciding which side to roll.  If I roll the short side I have fewer cinnamon rolls, but they are larger.  If I roll from the long side I have more cinnamon rolls, but they are smaller.  So pick a side, and roll it up.

Cut into 1.5-2 inch slices, using a serrated knife. Arrange in pan and set aside to raise for 45-60 minutes (I bake it after I bake the loaf of bread).

bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

While it is baking mix up the frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons softened butter, 1 teaspoon butter, and milk.  Once again I don’t measure the milk.  I add it a Tablespoon or so at a time until it forms a thick glaze.  I know some people like it to be thicker and more frosting like.  I leave it up to you.

When the cinnamon rolls are done baking pour/spread the frosting on them.

When they have cooled enough to eat without burning yourself, dig in!

White Bread

I grew up on good homemade bread, both wheat and white.  We would start cutting into the bread while it was still almost too hot to touch, and have the first loaf polished off before it could cool.

One of my most favorite snacks is a thick slice of hot fresh bread, smothered in butter and homemade strawberry freezer jam.  And the best dinner I’ve had consisted of fresh bread, fresh goats milk, cheese, and the fresh veggies from our garden. All such simple dishes, and yet all so delicious and memorable!

I’ve been making bread off and on over the last 6 years.  Most of that time having to mix and knead it all by hand.  Now that I have a Kitchen Aid it is so much more fun, and much easier, to make bread.

I’ve been experimenting with sourdough for a while now.  But when I get behind on baking, or just keeping the starter fed regularly, I break out my mom’s white bread recipe.   Other than switching out the shortening for coconut oil (in its solid state) I follow it to a T.  And I rarely, if ever have any issues with it.

You will need:

1/4 cup sugar or honey

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

2 cups warm water, about 110 degrees Fahrenheit

1/2 Tablespoon salt

4 tablespoons cool coconut oil

6-7 cups flour (I find it easier to measure my flour by weight, which would be 27 – 31.5 oz)

You start out by combining your sugar or honey, active dry yeast, and warm water (I usually go feel, but what is warm to me may be hot/cold to someone else, so I had to refer to the side of the yeast jar for a temperature.  I needs to be about 110 degrees Fahrenheit.) Then I let it sit for 5 minutes so the yeast can bubble up.  (I guess some people call it blooming or something like that…)

After 5 minutes I add the salt, coconut oil, and about 3-4 cups flour.  I let that all mix together on low.  As it mixes I slowly add the rest of the flour until the dough is no longer sticky.  You want it to be tacky, but not sticky.  Then I let it knead for about 8-10 minutes.

Ready to raise

I put about 1 Tablespoon oil (confession time, I have never measured it, so I am just throwing out a number and hope it is right…) in another large bowl.  I form the dough into a large ball, put it into the bowl, then turn to coat it, and the bowl, in oil.  Then it gets covered and set in a warm location to raise until doubled in size, 45 minutes to an hour.

Doubled in size

After punching it down I let it rest while I grease two 9×5 inch bread pans.  I divide the dough in half, shape into loaves, and place into the bread pans.  It is then set aside to raise until doubled again.  This time for about 30 minutes.  Halfway through raising I preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ready to bake!

Once doubled in size you bake it for 30 minutes.  I test to see if it is done by taking the loaf out of the pan and lightly thumping on the bottom.  If it sounds hollow it is done.   I then butter the top of the bread.  From what I’ve read you are supposed to let it fully cool to finish cooking before you cut into it.  I rarely have the self-control to wait that long.  It’s up to you.

Enjoy!