Candy Corn Cookies

Every year in the fall I buy five or six bags of candy corn.  Not for consuming, but for decoration.  This drives my family nuts because they always want to eat them.  Fortunately, the vase of candy corn is out of reach (for half our household).

This morning I received my daily email from Martha Stewart Cookie of the Day and it contained a recipe for Candy Corn Cookies.  I had an extra bag of candy corn (well hidden) and went to work.  You can also use store bought sugar cookie dough - just make sure you don't overcook so you can stick the candy in the hot fresh-from-the-oven cookie.

The recipe is for a basic sugar cookie and makes a small batch (I ended up with 18 per batch).  There is also a chocolate version.  I made both at the same time, to save time.  The ingredients for both flavors are the same with the exception of adding unsweetened cocoa and reducing the flour amount for the chocolate cookies.

Roll out the dough...

When cookies are out of the oven, push in a candy corn.  You need to do while they are hot. Before:

And after:

Now it's chocolate's turn...

A quick cookie with a big impact.  I just hope they taste as good as they look!  You could add any type of candy to the top... mini peanut butter cup, M&M, Rolo...

Candy Corn Cookies, courtesy of Martha Stewart
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft

1/2 c. sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c. flour
About 18-20 candy corns

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter and sugar in a medium bowl; beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Add flour, and mix until a dough forms.

Scoop out level teaspoons of dough, and roll into balls (chill dough briefly if it becomes too soft to handle). Place balls on baking sheets, 2 inches apart.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are firm and cookies are dry to the touch (do not let cookies color), 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from oven; gently press a candy corn into center of each cookie (surface of cookies may crack slightly). Cool on sheets 1 minute; transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Variation: Reduce the amount of flour given in the recipe to 1/2 cup. Add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder along with the flour in step 1, and proceed.

Husky Cupcakes and Jello Shots

This weekend is the big Husky Homecoming game.  Our tailgate will get an extra kick of purple and gold spirit with the help of my extra lovely gold lamay tablecloth, purple and gold vase (pictured above...an oatmeal container with ribbon glue-gunned on), and fun food.

I bought a bag of yellow chocolate from the craft store, heated it in the microwave, placed in a ziploc bag and snipped off one corner.  I then made 'W's on to parchment paper.  This is one of the easiest garnishes ever!  The 'W's cooled in just a minute or so and were the perfect addition to our cupcakes with purple frosting! (I will admit to cheating... QFC made my dozen cupcakes for $5!!)

And Homecoming deserves an extra special gelatin shot.  My favorite drink is an Arnold Palmer (ice tea/lemonade), and my new favorite alcohol based drink is a John Daly (same as Arnold Palmer but with vodka added or ice tea flavored vodka).  But because a John Daly is more of a summer drink, I've got a bit of ice tea vodka left.... that called for a John Daly shooter!

The base layer is lemonade and whipped cream vodka.  The top layer is ice tea vodka.  Hello my friend!

GOOOOO Dawgs!

2011 Halloween Costume!

Check out my cute Robot!

Two cardboard boxes, some duct tape and hot glue, shapes cut from cardboard, two cut keg cups made in to 'ears' and a black pipe cleaner. Add some candy and a 4 year old boy, and you get a robot!

The BEST Onion Rings

I kid you not.  These are the best onion rings I have ever tasted.  My husband always orders onion rings if it's an option instead of fries.  The fact that he told me these were the best he has ever had solidifies my opinion.  If you even slightly like onion rings, you MUST try this recipe.

I sliced one large onion and separated the rings.

I put the flour mixture in a storage container and added onion slices.  Put the lid on and shook to coat the onions evenly.  You could also use a sealed plastic bag to do this.

Then dipped each ring in to the batter, then dipped in to the crunchy chip-panko mix and placed on an oiled cookie sheet and baked.

The end result were crunchy onion rings.  No slimy onion on the inside, no gobs of grease.  Just extra satisfying rings!

Oven Fried Onion Rings
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)

1 c. mayo
2 eggs
1/2 c. flour

3 c. crushed potato chips
2 c. panko bread crumbs (don't use regular bread crumbs)
1/2 tsp salt

1 large onion
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
salt

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  In a resealable container or plastic bag combine flour, salt, pepper and cayenne.

In a bowl combine the may, eggs and 1/2 c flour. Whisk until a smooth batter is formed.
Crush all the chips finely and place in bowl with the panko and 1/2 tsp salt.

Peel the onions and cut them into 1/2 inch rings.

Cover a baking sheet with a piece of parchment. Drizzle with 3 tbsp vegetable oil, then put in to oven for 5 minutes or until the oil starts to smoke.

In the meantime, toss the onion rings in the flour mixture.  Dip each ring into the batter. Tap off the excess batter.  Then coat the rings with the crushed potato chips and panko.

Place the rings on the hot baking sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes, then flip each ring over and bake for additional 6-8 minutes. You may need to do this in two batches depending on the size of the rings and how many you can fit on sheet.  Do leave a little space between rings!

Remove rings from oven and sprinkle with a little salt and serve with your favorite dip.  We used ketchup and my husband added a few drops of tabasco to give his dip a kick.

Towering Pear Salad

I saw this idea on Pinterest (a time wasting obsession).  A salad made much more impressive by stacking it between pear slices.  Yes, you can do this.  It really is easy.  You just need a steady hand when carrying the salad from kitchen counter to the dinner table!

Take a pear and cut it in to 3 slices (I also cut a bit off the bottom so the pear was sturdy).

Wah-lah!

Now cut out the center seed area of pear.

Wah-lah!

Start with the base slice of pear and top with some salad. I used mixed greens, blue cheese crumbles, candied pecans and a balsamic vinegrette.  Now add the center layer of pear and top again with more salad.  Top with the final piece of pear.  You're done!  I did add a little drizzle of agave nectar over pear. 

This salad gives an amazing presentation and was the perfect start to my husband's birthday dinner!

Southern Comfort

Today we were feeling like some southern comfort.  Tony smoked a pork shoulder for 12 hours yesterday.  Today we celebrate the end result with pulled pork sandwiches and a spicy vinegar sauce (plus, everything tastes better from a Mason jar).

A little homemade coleslaw salad... (mix together a bag of shredded cabbage, dried cranberries, toasted slivered almonds, a bunch of green onions sliced, and some poppyseed dressing)

And homemade pickles...

Add a few buns and some Shiner beer, and dinner is set. 

2011 Costume Update

Costume update!  We've added silver accordian 'arms'.  Next up?  The robot's 'head' and yellow spray paint.

Pancakes and Applesauce

This morning we had the urge for pancakes.  Instead of our usual boxed mix I felt like making my grandma's from-scratch pancake recipe.  I still recall my grandma making these pancakes on special occassions... any holiday (orange for Halloween, green for St.Patrick's, pink for Valentine's....), birthdays and any other reason for a yummy breakfast.

I also remember the torture.  The torture of waiting for the egg whites to be beaten and then folded gently in to the batter.  When you're five years old, this is a painful process knowing how good the end result tastes.

The flour, egg yolks, etc are mixed together in a bowl.

The egg whites, sugar and cream of tartare are beaten until stiff in a separate bowl.

Fold in the egg whites to the flour mixture.

Heat up your griddle or frying pan and pour batter on.  Start with a single small pancake (1/4 c. of batter) and test if your griddle is too hot or cold, and adjust if necessary.  You know your pancake is ready for flipping when the edges firm up and bubbles are rising through the batter. 

These pancakes put every box mix to shame.  Tony and I were amazed at the difference between taste and consistancy and have promised to never make a batch of box mix pancakes again.  I realize this is a brave pledge, but the extra effort (maybe an extra five minutes and having to use a hand mixer) is so worth the flavor.  I now know why we all loved grandma's pancakes and appreciate the effort she put in to her special breakfasts even more now.  Thank you grandma for your special recipe that immediatly brought back memories of you in your bathrobe, standing at the kitchen counter, mixing the batter.  I cherish these newly recalled flashbacks.  I felt like a kid again.

And I have my mom to thank for asking my grandma for her pancake recipe and writing it down.  In pen.  My grandma had the knack to write recipes, very lightly in pencil and many of her recipe cards are now hard to decipher.

Grandma Smith's Pancakes, courtesy of Charlotte Smith

After breakfast, our neighbors dropped by with a bag of fresh picked apples from their property in Winthrop.  What a treat!  We discussed the recipe options and Blake was set on fresh made applesauce.

I peeled all the apples and gave B a plastic knife.  He sliced a few apples (with supervision!) but because it is a tough job, I cut the rest while he watched. 

Jodi and B's ApplesaucePlace peeled apple slices (8-10 apples) in a saucepan with 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup apple juice or water, and a pinch of salt.  Cover and simmer until apples are tender and you can mash with wooden spoon.  Keep an eye on the apples and stir often so the sugars don't burn!  You may find that you need to add a little more sugar depending on sweetness. 

Optional flavor additions....

teaspoon of cinnamon

tablespoon of unsalted butter

Or add both cinnamon and the butter!

2011 Halloween Costume Progress

B has decided to be a robot for Halloween.  This is actually a great relief.  For a while he wanted to be Spiderman, but there will probably be quite a few of those in his class this year.  Robo-Blake will be very easy to keep track of wearing a big box! 

Step one... find a box.  This one was originally used by my friend Piper for her move.  Then by us for our move.  Its well used and perfect.  I cut a hole for B's head, two holes for B's arms and cut out the entire 'bottom' of box for his legs to move freely.

C will be Olivia the Pig if I can find the perfect red dress and striped leggings!

Stay Tuned!

Bread Machine Fail

This is what happens when you don't confirm that the paddle is securely attached to the bread machine pan before adding ingredients.  Talk about major lesson learned.  Our entire house smells like warm, fresh bread and we can't eat a bite of it!

Rigatoni with Sausage Sauce

Maybe it was dinner at Il Terrazzo on Monday night, or maybe it is the fall weather settling in.  But today I was in the mood for pasta with a meat sauce.  I found this recipe for rigatoni with sausage sauce at the same time I discovered the roasted sausage and pepper recipe. 

The ingredient list was short and so were the directions.  A win-win for an evening when I'm dealing with a sick little one and an energetic big kid.

Cook the meat just until the pink is gone. 

Remove the sausage from pan and set aside.  Then add the chopped onion, garlic and red pepper flakes.

Add in the tomatoes and then the sausage.

After the sauce has simmered a bit, you toss in some fresh chopped basil.

Dinner is ready!

Rigatoni with Sausage Sauce, courtesy of Isernio's Sausage

Serves 4-6 as a main course.

4 Isernio’s Italian Sausages or 1 lb. bulk roll (pork or chicken, crumbled)

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

3 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped or pressed

1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes (optional)

28-oz can Italian style plum tomatoes with juice, squeezed by hand or broken up in skillet with wooden spoon.

3/4 lb Rigatoni pasta or cut pasta of choice (I used 1lb box of Rigatoni)

10 fresh basil leaves, torn

Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

4-6 Tbsp grated Pecorino Romano cheese

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and cook sausages over medium heat until brown. No need to cook all the way through, just cook until browned on both sides.You can also use bulk sausage, breaking up with a wooden spoon and cooking until all pinkness is gone, do not brown. Remove meat from skillet and set aside. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to the skillet, add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook on medium until the onion is soft, 8-10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, 1/2 tsp. salt and a few grinds of black pepper to taste. Cut sausages diagonally into 3/4" slices and return to skillet. If using bulk sausage, add cooked sausage now. Bring sauce to a boil then reduce heat to a medium low, just bubbling simmer. Cook sauce uncovered for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.

While the sauce is cooking, bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. Add 2 Tbsp salt to boiling water, add the Rigatoni and cook until al dente, about 12-14 minutes, or according to the package instructions.

Taste the sauce for salt and pepper, and adjust if needed. Drain the pasta completely and place in the sauce. Toss the pasta with the sauce to ensure each piece is coated. Add the torn basil, a drizzle of good olive oil and mix well. Serve immediately with freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese.

This recipe can be doubled or tripled. Use your judgment and taste. A larger quantity of sauce will take slightly longer to cook.

Roasted Sausage and Peppers

I had the opportunity to meet Frank Isernio and his wife last night.  Our family loves Isernio products, so it was nice to put a face to the name.  I also enjoyed learning that there are people that love going to grocery stores or farmers markets as much or more than I do!

In honor of meeting Frank, tonight I'm making a simple dinner that is featured on the Isernio's Sausage website, Roasted Sausage and Peppers.  Just a few minutes of prep work and about 50 minutes in the oven results in a filling and beautifully colored meal.

Seed and slice three bell peppers and slice one onion.  Add olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme...  I took the optional route and added two peeled and sliced baking potatoes to the mix.

In a skillet, brown sausages on both sides and then place on a baking sheet. 

Pour the bell pepper, onion, potato mixture over the sausages and put in a 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes.  Yes, it really is that easy. 

And just like that, the roasted sausages and veggies are ready to be served.  Both our kids loved this dish and asked for another helping.  This would be a great dish for a football viewing party or even a filling served on large, crispy rolls as a sandwich.

Roasted Sausage and Peppers, courtesy of Isernio's Sausage
6 Isernio's Italian Sausage links (pork or chicken)
3 bell peppers - yellow, orange & red, seeded and cut into 1" strips
1 large onion thinly sliced
4-5 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano or 1 tsp. dried oregano
Optional: 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4" thick half rounds

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat, brown the sausage on both sides, about 4 minutes per side until lightly browned, set skillet aside. Sausage does not need to be cooked through, just browned on the outside.

Place the onion, peppers and oregano in a large bowl. Drizzle generously with about 4 Tbsp olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Place the browned sausages, peppers & onion mixture on a large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan, uncovered.  Bake at 350° for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.

OPTION: If you have a Convection Oven, bake at 350° on “Convection” for 30 minutes, stirring half way through cooking. If you add potatoes, they will brown better in a convection oven.

Taste for salt & pepper, serve immediately.

Pumpkin Butter

After roasting two big sugar pumpkins I was left with a pile of inner goodness.

A quick turn of the immersion blender and the innards were turned in to smooth puree.

Taking about 3 1/2 cups of puree and heating on the stove with sugars and spices, I simmered the mix for about 30 minutes and ended up with mouth watering pumpkin butter.  What is pumpkin butter?  It contains no butter, but could be called a sweet, pumpkin-flavored butter substitute.  You can spread it on toast, pancakes, waffles, apple slices....  If you're too lazy to make it yourself, you can always pay $11 for a small jar at Williams-Sonoma or $7 for an even smaller jar at Sur La Table.  Thus, I recommend you make it from scratch and save some cash. 

The occasional stirring on the stove and your house filling with the smell of warm, spicy pumpkin is worth it.  Both of my kids couldn't eat their afternoon snack of toast and pumpkin butter fast enough.  Both asked for more.

The best part of this recipe?  You'll have some extra for friends or neighbors.  I already have a list of recipients that will receive some pumpkin butter in the coming weeks.  Cross your fingers that you're on that list!

Jodi's Pumpkin Butter
30 oz fresh pumpkin puree (about 3 1/2c) or one large can of pumpkin puree.
3/4 c. apple juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
Juice from a large lemon wedge

Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugars in saucepan and mix well. Bring mixture to a boil and stir often to avoid burning.  Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the mixture has thickened a bit. Stir frequently and stir in lemon juice.

Once mixture has cooled, pumpkin butter should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.