Chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies

I buy the large cans of oatmeal only because I love oatmeal cookies. Plus, if you put oatmeal in cookies that makes them healthy, no? My recipe is based upon one I found online that says theirs was based on a Test Kitchen recipe. I haven't verified that but I thought I'd just let you know. I have also halved the recipe. We make cookie in our house in half batches a) because 2 people shouldn't eat an entire batch of cookies in 2 to 3 days (and who are we kidding because we so will), and b) I'm too lazy to form and place that many cookies on the trays and rotate them through the oven. I'm not sure what it is. I love to mix cookies, but hate to get them on the trays.

Ingredients:
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cups dried cranberries (I used Trader Joe's dried cranberries with orange flavor)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and cocoa powder. In a large bowl, beat the butter with a hand mixer until creamy. Mix in granulated and brown sugars. Beat for 3 minutes until fluffy. Beat in egg. Using a wooden spoon mix in dry ingredient mixture. Stir in rolled oats and cranberries. I would also add in chocolate chips here, but I didn't have any. It could use a stronger chocolate flavor.

Keep your baking assistant away from mixed cookie dough. She ate about 3 cookies worth of raw dough. Don't worry. You've got a better chance of being struck by lightening than you do dying from eating raw cookie dough.

I scooped out 2 tbps of dough, rolled into a ball and placed them 2 inches away from each other. Next time I will make the dough balls bigger and much closer together. These cookies do not spread much as the cook. Use parchment paper or Silpats to keep cookies from sticking to the tray. Use magnets to keep your parchment paper from rolling while you add cookies. Remove magnets before baking. Duh.

At this point I would like to say that if you are baking cookies and do not own a roll of parchment paper or Silpats you are missing out. I spent years scraping (and ruining) cookie sheets and even hesitated to make cookies fearing the clean up. Go get some. I love mine.

Bake cookies for 16 minutes at 350. I recommend eating them warm. Not that they are bad once cooled. They're just so much better still warm.

Shameless picture of the apron that I made and love. I make big messes when I'm in the kitchen.

Green salsa

15 or so tomatillos
2 sweet onions
2 or 3 hot peppers
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt to taste

Makes roughly 2 1/2 cups salsa.

Remove papery husks from tomatillos and cut into meduim size chunks. Remove stems, too. Cut up onions the same size as well as the peppers. Make sure to remove stems and seeds from peppers. Use caution when cutting peppers. Don't rub your eyes and consider using gloves.

Put all veggies in a Pyrex roasting pan. Broil in the oven. Stir occasionally. Continue until the veggies begin to blacken then remove.

Use a blender, wand mixer or Cuisinart to blend to a desired texture. I prefer it to be uniform and smooth. Salt to taste and add cumin. Eat.

Can be eaten with chips, put on tacos or put on chicken before cooking.  Or with a spoon. I don't know how well it stores or freezes as we rarely don't consume it all.

As always feel free to add and subtract veggies and/or seasonings to your own tastes.

Polack Shortcakes

As far as I can remember into my childhood, my mother usually served strawberry shortcakes on angel food cake. A few weeks ago, Paddy and I bought some strawberries at Whole Foods. Berries notoriously go moldy in our home because we forget to eat them the first day. Never again.

On that day, I decided to make shortcakes for our strawberries. I've never made shortcake before, but I'm sure I saw a recipe on the Bisquick box. Miraculously we had all the ingredients in the house. First ingredient is 4 pints of strawberries. Check. Next was 1/2 cup of sugar. I poured it in my Pyrex mixing bowl and set to work adding all the other ingredients..until I got to the 3 tbsp of sugar part. Why would I add another 3 tbsp of sugar when we already added 1/2 cup. Turns out that 1/2 cup of sugar is supposed to go on the strawberries. Woops. Oh, well, I finished and baked them anyways.

Over the past few weeks I've messed with the recipe until I feel confident to post it here. (Or I've been busy eating shortcakes and finally decided to stop being lazy and post it.) In any case, you'll love it. Shortcakes that are so sweet and heavenly and cakey. No dry, cardboardy biscuits here.

Polack shortcakes:
1/2 cup of sugar
2 1/3 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
some shakes of cinnamon
3 tbsp melted butter

Mix ingredients. Make 6 lumps on a Silpat baking sheet. (If you don't have Silpats, they're heavenly, get them.)

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes.

They're so good you'll eat any leftovers naked once the berries and whipped cream are gone.

Here's tonight's finished dessert of blackberry shortcakes, but Paddy used my shortcakes to complete it so I'll have to have him tell you what he did. It's so damn good.

5-Hour No Knead Bread update

On Monday Paddy requested bread. Like a dummy, I packed all my cook books but two of them. I did not leave out my bread cook book. Sigh. I made Caine's 5-Hour No Knead Bread. I also put in garlic powder(1 tsp?), ground chipotle powder(2 tsp?) and some chopped fresh cilantro (handful?) It was so good I made 4 more loaves on Tuesday to use up all the fresh cilantro bunch.

We had it for lunch. We had it for dinner. I'm having it for lunch again. The toddler is in love with it. She's going to start pooping loaves of bread. It's all she asks for. "Brrrrrread? Brrrrread?" She seriously asked for it for breakfast.

Flour Fail

Paddy and I talk about buying the 25 pound bag of flour at Whole Foods all the time but don't because we're moving "soon" (in 3 months ish.) I have started baking bread very regularly to use as sandwiches for our lunches to save money on eating out. I now go through large amounts of flour, so we went to Whole Foods to get the 25 pound bag.

The bag is really a 50 pound bag. We got it anyways because it's just $1.00 a pound and organic and bread flour (has more gluten than regular flour.)

On the way home the umbrella stroller that was also in the trunk with the sack o'flour put a hole in the bag. Not at the top, or the bottom. Right in the middle. Paddy did some cursing bringing it into the house, as I was putting the weentsy one down for a nap and 22 weeks pregnant. (See moms? I do responsible pregnant things like not carrying the 50 pound bag of flour or teh 50 pound bag of sand.) Did I mention we also bought a 50 pound bag of sand to make a mini sandbox for Weentsy? It's not as much sand as you'd think.

Since we're moving "soon" I have packed up all non-necessary containers and kitchen things. Including my new gallon and half gallon sized glass containers which would be super helpful right about now with a ripped bag of flour. Instead I have a canning pot filled with flour. And a soup pot. And that took enough flour out of the bag to get it below the hold level.

Paddy is now dreaming of loaves of potato bread. And sourdough bowls. And dinner rolls. I'd better get baking.

Jane's Chili

I just made this up today. I make up my chili recipe every time I make a pot. But I make this for Jane because the girl loves chili and beans and I sneak in lots of veggies and some grains. Then I don't feel as bad letting her have an Oreo for dessert.

1/2 pound ground meat (I used beef today.)
1 onion
4 stalks of celery
1 quart canned quartered tomatoes
1/2 bag of frozen chopped broccoli
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
broth (I used turkey)
garlic powder
cumin
chili powder
ground red pepper
quinoa

In a soup pot, brown the ground meat. Do not drain. Add onions and celery. Dump in tomatoes with juice and half the bag of chopped broccoli. Feel free to add other veggies. I have used carrots, beets, corn, etc. in the past. Drain and rinse beans. Add to pot. Also feel free to use what ever kind of beans you'd like or to soak up some dried beans over night. I was being lazy today and used the canned ones. Season with chili seasoning. Make it as hot, or not as you'd like. Jane can handle some burn. ;)

Add broth. I probably added about 6 oz. I have homemade broth frozen in silicone cupcake cups. Each one is about 1.5 oz and I think I tossed in 4 ish. It happened to be turkey stock. Use whatever you have or like.

Bring pot to a boil and let simmer for a while. Mine probably was around an hour, but I wasn't really paying attention. Cook until the veggies are tender. Pour in some quinoa (or any other grain) I probably added 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of quinoa. The goal is to absorb the extra liquid and thicken things up. Cook for however longer your grain needs to properly cook.

Serve. Freeze in smaller sized portions to defrost.

Jane after 2 bowls of her chili and an Oreo.

Caine's 5-hour No Knead bread

3 c flour (dip, level, pour please)
1.5 tsp salt
7 grams yeast
Mix em (I use a whisk.)
Add 1.5 c water
Fork it til it's "wet and shaggy" (Caine says, it will look wrong.)

**Please us a fork, too. I was lazy and kept using the whisk. It worked, but was a bitch to get the dough out of in the end.**
Cover with plastic wrap(I usually mark my plastic wrap with a sharpie so I remember when it's 'done.')

Wait 3 hours
Turn it out onto an (olive)oiled board and fold it 2 times
**This is where you can fold in other yummies, like roasted garlic and/or herbs. I just added home dried basil because I was too lazy to roast garlic and it was late. Next time, Gadget!**

Cover it on the board for 30 min
Preheat dutch oven and lid to 400°
Put dough in dutch oven w/seam side up (Can also pour some olive oil on dough. Paddy really 'poured' too.)
Cover and bake for 30 minutes
Uncover and cook for 15 minutes

Slice, slather with butter, eat.
Start your next loaf.

French Toasted Banana Bread

Make banana bread with recipe below. Slice 1/4" slices. Beat 4 eggs with some milk. Dip slices in egg/milk mix. Coat well, even let soak in a good amount. Cook in hot fry pan, flip over when ready. Eat. Then lay with your stuffed belly up. Rotten bananas never tasted so good.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
4 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup mashed banana (2-3 bananas)
1 dark chocolate raspberry bar (or whatever chocolate you want to add. or just leave plain.)

**I often substitute apple sauce for eggs, other dairy or dairy like products for sour cream. I have also halved the recipe because I only had one banana.**



Directions:

1. Cream butter, sugar and bananas. (I use wand mixer here and just toss in whole bananas) Add eggs, beating well, then add sour cream and vanilla.

2. Mix dry ingredients. Add to creamed ingredients. Smash chocolate bar with meat mallet in ziplock bag, then mix into batter.

3. Pour into well-greased loaf pan. Bake in 350° pre-heated oven for 1 hour-ish.

Seventeen hour Cinnamon Buns

This recipe comes from my beloved Betty Crocker cookbook that was my Nana Jane's. They don't actually take seventeen hours. It just seems that long while you're waiting for dough to rise when you really want to be eating cinnamon buns. Totally worth the wait. Don't be silly. Just make 2 batches.

1/4 cup warm water
1 pkg. active dry yeast
3/4 cup luke warm milk* (I used rice milk)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/4 cup soft shortening (I used Earth Balance "butter")
3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups flour

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Measure flour by dip-level-pour method or sifting(if you are so anal retentively inclined.) Add milk, sugar, salt, egg, shortening and half flour to yeast. I say half because a Polack doesn't read directions well and had to fish out mostly half of the flour. Seriously, who lets me in the kitchen? Mix with a spoon until smooth. Also, may have considered using the wand blender here next time. Add enough remaining flour to "handle easily." I ended up adding all the flour and then a little more.

Round up in greased bowl, bringing greased side up. Cover with cloth. Let rise in warm place (85°) until double, about 1 1/2 hours. Or in my case an hour because I used the warm oven Paddy had just made bacon in. Punch down; let rise again until almost double, about 30 minutes.

Roll dough into oblong, 15x9" approx. Mix 2 tbsp. softened butter, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon. (Okay, I used about 4 tbsp "butter", 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tsp cinnamon. No one ever complains about too much butter, sugar and cinnamon in their cinnamon buns, right?) Spread all over dough.

Roll up dough tightly at the wide side. Seal well by pinching edges of roll together. Even up roll by stretching slightly if necessary. Cut roll into 1" slices. Place in a greased 13x9" glass pan. Cover and let rise until double, 35 to 40 minutes. (See? Isn't the wait killing you right about now?) Heat oven to 375°. Bake for 20 minutes.

Mix a little bit of milk into a lot of powdered sugar to make the icing. Yeah, eyeball it. You can do it. Frost cinnamon buns while warm. EAT!

Internet ciabatta

In my efforts to learn to make bread this is one of the recipes I have come across that both Paddy and I like very much. The first time I followed the recipe. This time I used rice milk instead of cow's milk, which had no effect. Next time I think I may add some herbs or maybe olives? Oh, and when I say I followed the recipe, I meant ingredients. I always push the rising times beyond what the recipe says to make things as sour as possible.




Ingredients

* 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
* 2 tablespoons warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
* 1/3 cup warm water
* 1 cup bread flour

* 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
* 2 tablespoons warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

* 2/3 cup warm water
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 cups bread flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions

1. To Make Sponge: In a small bowl stir together 1/8 teaspoon of the yeast and the warm water and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy. In a bowl stir together yeast mixture, 1/3 cup of the water, and 1cup of the bread flour. Stir 4 minutes, then over bowl with plastic wrap. Let sponge stand at cool room temperature for at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.

2. To Make Bread: In a small bowl stir together yeast and milk and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy. In bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with dough hook blend together milk mixture, sponge, water, oil, and flour at low speed until flour is just moistened; add salt and mix until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Scrape dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

3. Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. (Dough will be sticky and full of air bubbles.) Turn dough out onto a well-floured work surface and cut in half. Transfer each half to a parchment sheet and form into an irregular oval about 9 inches long. Dimple loaves with floured fingers and dust tops with flour. Cover loaves with a dampened kitchen towel. Let loaves rise at room temperature until almost doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

4. At least 45 minutes before baking ciabatta, put a baking stone on oven rack in lowest position in oven and preheat oven to 425 F (220 degrees C).

5. Transfer 1 loaf on its parchment to a rimless baking sheet with a long side of loaf parallel to far edge of baking sheet. Line up far edge of baking sheet with far edge of stone or tiles, and tilt baking sheet to slide loaf with parchment onto back half of stone or tiles. Transfer remaining loaf to front half of stone in a similar manner. Bake ciabatta loaves 20 minutes, or until pale golden. Cool loaves on a wire rack.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ciabatta/Detail.aspx

Buffalo Bacon Deviled Eggs

Because everything is better with bacon and buffalo sauce.

Ingredients:
11 eggs (yeah, one was broken)
3 Tbs stone ground mustard
3tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt
pepper
red pepper
1/2 c mayo
1/2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 Tbs Frank's hot sauce
2 Tbs lemon juice
J&D's bacon Salt

Hard boil eggs. Peel, cut in half length wise, put yolks in a mixing bowl. Clearly I did a poor job cutting the eggs in half. I will try harder next time. I will have to do some research. Perhaps there is a trick I do not know.




Mash up yolks with all other ingredients except the bacon salt. I use our magic wand, milk shake maker blender to make it super smooth. You should have one in your kitchen. At first I thought it would not be an oft used tool,but I was wrong. Our first one died and we needed to replace it fast.

Use a teaspoon to scoop your filling into your (mangled) egg halfs. Sprinkle liberally with bacon salt. Eat.

This is the point where I would post a picture of my final product, which I forgot to take. I sent the deviled eggs to work with Paddy because I can't eat eggs or it will make the weentsy one a devil.I did ask him to take a picture for me, which he forgot too. In fact, 30 minutes later when he pulled into work he had forgotten about the deviled eggs entirely. They sat in the back seat of his car for 3 days. He did eat one (before they had been sitting in the car for three days.) Paddy says, "I only had one and it was a bit salty. Dunno if it was just that one or all of 'em. Not horrible, but would have used less salt next time." I'm sure it would help if I could have tasted it, but better luck next time. ;)