Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Pecan Sugar Cookie


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So far this Thanksgiving week Cally and I are having a good time together.  Last night we drove to Cincinnati and attend Pioneer Woman's book signing for her new Holiday book.  She was exactly what I expected, very sweet and just like she is on her cooking show.


Today I worked on a Pecan Sugar Cookie.  While Bill and I were in Georgia last week we stopped at a Nut Store.  We bought a cookie named Pecan Snickerdoodles.  They were amazing.  I am not sure why they were called Snickerdoodles because they did not have any cinnamon in them,  To me they seemed like a sugar cookie.



I started with a sugar cookie and then added butter pecan flavoring, pecans and spiced pumpkin coffee creamer.  If you do not have any creamer on hand you could always just use milk in your cookies.


These cookies are better than the ones I bought in Georgia at the nut store.  I like mine better because they are crunchy on the outside but they are soft and chewy on the inside.  They have a good buttery pecan flavor.  I will definitely be making these Sugar Pecan Cookies this year for Christmas.

Pecan Sugar Cookies
by  Nina

1 1/4 C white sugar
1 C salted butter
3 egg yolks
2 t vanilla
1 t Butter Pecan Lorann Flavor Fountain
2 1/2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t cream of tarter
1/4 t salt
2 T pumpkin spice coffee creamer (or milk)
1 C chopped pecans
additional sugar to dip cookies in before baking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together the sugar and butter until creamy.  Mix in egg yolks one at a time and then add vanilla and butter pecan flavoring.  Add flour, baking soda, cream of tarter and salt and mix until somewhat combined.  Add the pumpkin spice coffee creamer and mix until the dough comes together.  Stir in the pecans.  Form dough into balls.  Dip them in sugar and place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.  Bake for 5 minutes and then remove from oven.  Flatten cookies with the bottom of a glass that has been dipped in sugar.  Return the cookies to the oven and bake for another 7 minutes. Allow cookies to rest on cookie sheets for a few minutes and then move them to cooling racks to finish cooling.


Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Scalloped Corn


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This past weekend until yesterday has been one wild time.  We first started off on Saturday morning driving my in laws car to Florida for them.  They stay in Florida for the winter and this year they decided to fly down and we drove their car down and flew home.  It was a nice trip.  We drove 8 hours on Saturday and stayed with our cousins in Atlanta.  We had a family dinner with cousins and our Aunt Saturday.  It was nice to catch up and get to see everyone!  I especially liked the visit we had with our Cousin Carla's kids.  They are growing up so fast and it was nice to hear what was going on in their lives.


On Sunday morning we headed out to Florida.  We had an 8 hour trip ahead of us that day.  We arrived in Punta Gorda at 4:00pm.  After visiting for a bit we went to dinner over at Fisherman's Village.  Fisherman's Village is on Charlotte Harbor.  It has waterfront restaurants and boutiques.  We ate at the Village Fish Market.  I had bay scallops and they sure were good.  I love fresh seafood!  We were only in Florida a few days.  On Monday Bill and I visited Gasparilla Island to go to the beach.  One of my favorite places on earth is the beach.  I love to pick up shells and listen to the water come up on the beach.  On Tuesday it was time to go as Bill and I had to be back for work on Wednesday.  We boarded our plane to head back to Ohio around 12:30 pm and was to be back in Columbus at 2:57 pm.  About 30 minutes from landing in Columbus the captain comes on the speaker and announces we are having engine trouble and have been instructed to land in Atlanta.  So needless to say I was uneasy about the whole situation.  My dad was waiting in Columbus to get us.  Cally and my mother in law had been tracking our plane so everyone was getting concerned when the status of our flight changed while in air.  Cally notice we were now arriving 2 hours later then we were suppose to and Bill's mom noticed that status changed to collapsed.  We had everyone a little worried until we landed in Atlanta to make phone calls.  So much for a direct flight as we had to get off our plane and get on another plane in Atlanta.  I am just thankful that we landed and got on another plane!! 

Now on to the Scalloped Corn.  Scalloped Corn is one of my favorite side dishes.  We eat it all year round and not just Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I love that this recipe uses club crackers on top of the corn.  After crushing the crackers I lay pad of butter on top before putting it in the oven.  Oh the buttery club crackers are delicious on top of this corn.


Scalloped Corn

1  17 ounce can sweet corn
1  17 ounce can creamed corn
2 eggs
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Cup half and half (can use milk)
2 Tablespoons corn starch
2 Tablespoons flour
sleeve club crackers
butter (I used 6 T)

Beat the eggs, add the corn and sugar.  Mix the flour and corn starch into the half and half and add to the corn mixture.  Pour into a greased casserole.  Top with crushed club crackers and chunks of butter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min to 1 hour






Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Glazed Pumpkin Muffin


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Pumpkin Glazed Muffins
Nina

Muffins:
1/4 C salted butter, softened
1/4 C vegetable oil
1/2 C white sugar
1/2 C packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1/2 C pumpkin puree
2 2/3 C flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t nutmeg
2 t cinnamon
3/4 t salt
1/4 t allspice
1/4 t cloves
1 C Coffee Mate Pumpkin Spice Creamer

Glaze:
3 T melted butter
1 C powder sugar
1 t vanilla
2 to 3 T Coffee Mate Pumpkin Spice Creamer

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line cupcake tray with liners.

With a mixer beat butter, oil and sugars until smooth.  Add eggs and beat until fluffy.  Add pumpkin puree and vanilla.  Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, salt and pumpkin spice creamer and mix until smooth.

Spoon batter into liners (mine made 15 muffins).  Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until tops spring back when touched.  Let cool 10 minutes and then dip muffin tops in glaze.

Glaze:
Mix all glaze ingredients together until smooth.  Dip cooled muffins in glaze and allow to get hard.  Dip a second time allowing the glaze to harden again before serving.


Sunday, November 10, 2013

Cherry Dr. Pepper Cake


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I made this Cherry Dr. Pepper Cake for Billy's 23rd Birthday.  I can not believe he is 23, it seems only yesterday that he was living at home and I got to see his smiling face everyday.  Oh how I miss my kids being home.

The cake was super moist and a fudgey chocolate.  I liked the chocolate icing on the chocolate cake. Usually I like white icing on chocolate cake but this icing hit the spot and was perfect on the Cherry Dr. Pepper Cake.


Cherry Dr. Pepper Cake
adapted slightly from Lick the Bowl Good

2 Cup Cherry Dr Pepper
1 Cup cocoa powder
1/2 Cup salted butter
1 1/4 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup dark brown sugar
2 Cup flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease the inside of bundt pan with Crisco and dust pan with flour.

In a small saucepan, heat the Cherry Dr Pepper, cocoa powder and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted.  Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved.  Remove from heat and cook.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together.

In a small bowl whisk the eggs until just beaten, then whisk them into the cooled cocoa mixture until combined.  Gently fold the flout mixture into the cocoa mixture.  The batter will be slightly lumpy, do not over beat as it could cause the cake to be tough.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.

Cool cake in the pan.  Loosen sides of cake from the pan and turn it out onto a cooling rack.

Dr. Pepper Frosting

1 ounce dark chocolate (60% cocao) melted and cooled slightly
1/4 C salted butter, softened
1/2 t salt
1/8 C Cherry Dr Pepper
1/3 C cocoa powder
1 1/4 C powdered sugar

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix with mixer until frosting is shiny and smooth.  Use a spatula to spread fudge frosting over the crown of the bundt  in a thick layer.


Friday, November 1, 2013

Thanksgiving Kitchen Tools Giveaway


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