Soft Almond Sugar Cookies

It looks like Christmas outside!  There is a thick coating of fresh, white snow on the ground, the sky is gray, and the tree branches are sparkly.  This would be beautiful...if it were December.  It's not.  It's actually April, and this is my fourth snow day of this school year.  I am less than thrilled.

For some reason, I always seem to post recipes when I have a snow day.  Since it almost feels like Christmas, I thought it would be fitting to post a Christmas cookie recipe.  I love almond flavor, and I love soft cookies, so these were one of my favorites from last Christmas.  Although, I'm sure they would be good any time of year...even during sprinter.  

Soft Almond Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups white sugar

2/3 cup cold unsalted butter

2/3 cup room-temperature shortening

2 eggs

2 teaspoons almond extract

2-3/4 cups cake flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

sugar in the raw/coarse sugar/sprinkles

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with parchment paper.

2.  Cream sugar, butter, and shortening.  Add eggs and almond extract.

3.  Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.  Add flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture.  Mix thoroughly.

4.  Chill dough for 30 minutes.

5.  Roll 2 teaspoons of dough at a time into balls.  Roll each ball in the raw sugar or sprinkles.  Place on prepared pans.

6.  Bake for 7 minutes (do NOT bake more than 8 minutes).  Gently press the tops of the cookies with the back of a spoon after removing them from the oven.  Allow to cool on pan for one minute and then remove to cooling rack.

Source:  Confections from the Cody Kitchen

Pumpkin Gingersnaps

It's Minnesota.  It's March.  It's a snow day, of course.

This whole snow-day thing would be great if I hadn't gotten up and dressed and started driving before I got the call that school was cancelled.  

And it would be great if it weren't the end of the trimester and I wasn't freaking out about how to squeeze all of my lesson plans into the last few days with my students.  

And it would be great if this weren't our third snow day of the year and I wasn't worried about how and when we might have to make it up. 

Ok, rant over.  I wish I had one of these cookies to comfort me.  They're pumpkin...my favorite!  I think they would make me feel better right now.  Maybe just looking at a picture of them would do the trick...

 

...nope, no such luck.  I'm still crumpy.

Pumpkin Gingersnaps

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1-1/4 cups sugar, divided

1 egg

1/2 cup pumpkin

1/4 cup molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-1/3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt.  Set aside.

2.  Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 1 cup sugar for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and beat for 30 seconds or until combined.  Add the pumpkin, molasses, and vanilla.  Beat until combined.  Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined.  Refrigerate dough for at least one hour or up to 3 days.

3.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

4.  Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and pumpkin pie spice.  Fill a bowl with cold tap water, and dip hands in water (this will help sugar mixture stick to dough).  Shake off excess water.  Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls with moistened hands.  Roll balls in sugar mixture and place on prepared baking sheets.

5.  Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until edges are set and cookies look cracked.  Cool cookies on baking sheets for 3 minutes and then transfer to cooling racks. 

Source:  Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Spin-Art Pasta (aka - Spinach-Artichoke Pasta)

I've never actually made spinach-artichoke dip.  I've made spinach-artichoke pizza, and now I've made this spinach-artichoke pasta, but I've never made the classic dip.  Weird.  I should get on that.

On another note, my friend recently told me that her mom has started following my blog and would like me to post more often.  Hey Sandy!  I'll try, I promise!  

Spin-Art Pasta

Ingredients:

1 (13 oz) box shell-shaped pasta

1 teaspoon butter

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

1 (8 oz) package reduced fat cream cheese (not fat free)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained and shopped

1 (9 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry in a clean towel

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 cup chopped cooked chicken (optional)

Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:

1.  Cook pasta following package directions.

2.  Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.  Add cream cheese and stir until melted.  Slowly add milk.  Stir in sour cream, lemon juice, salt, and red pepper flakes.  Add artichoke hearts, spinach, Parmesan cheese, and chicken.

3.  Drain pasta.  Add to artichoke mix.  Toss and season with additional salt and lemon juice if necessary.  Top with additional Parmesan for serving.

Source:  Heat Oven to 350

Brown Sugar Cheesecake

Gosh dang, I produce some good cheesecakes...you might as well just call me the cheesecake factory.

Brown Sugar Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust -

1-1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

1/2 cup toasted ground almonds

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling - 

1-1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 Tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup cream

4 eggs

Topping -

1-1/2 cups sour cream

2 Tablespoons light brown sugar

4 Tablespoons bourbon

Directions:

1.  Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil.  Attach sides of pan.  Mix crust ingredients in a bowl until moistened.    Press crust mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan.  Refrigerate while preparing the filling.

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3.  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and sugar until smooth.  Add molasses, vanilla, sour cream, and cream.  Beat just until combined.

4.  Add eggs one at a time, barely waiting for one to be incorporated before adding the next.

5.  Pour filling into prepared pan.  Bake for 40 minutes.  Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 40 more minutes.

6.  Combine topping ingredients in a bowl while cheesecake is baking.  After the 80 minutes, remove the cheesecake from the oven and carefully spread the topping over the top of the cheesecake.  Be careful!  Your pan will be very full.

7.  Return the cheesecake to the oven.  Bake for 5 minutes and then turn the oven off.  Leave the cheesecake in the oven for one hour.  Do not open the oven door.

8.  Remove the cheesecake from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.    

9.  Decorate cheesecake with nuts or fruit before serving.

Source: Vintage Kitchen Notes

Pumpkin Dream Cake

If anything other than the voice of Charles Kelley could be described as dreamy, it would be this cake.  Pumpkin Dream Cake is seriously dreamy.

Don't judge me...I know it's an awful picture.  It was my birthday, and I really wanted to eat the cake.

  

Pumpkin Dream Cake

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup milk

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons cinnamon

6 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Grease 3, 8-inch round cake pans.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

3.  In a separate large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Beat in the vanilla, pumpkin, and oil.  Alternately, beat in the flour mixture and milk.

4.  Divide batter between the prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  

5.  Remove pans from oven and immediately place in freezer for 45 minutes to keep the cake moist.

6.  To make the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in the maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Beat in powdered sugar on low speed until combined and then high speed until smooth.

7.  Apply a thick layer of frosting between each layer of the cake, and then frost the entire cake.  

8.  Store in fridge.

Source:  The Novice Chef

Tomato, Basil, and Cheddar Soup

We got somewhere around 10 inches of snow yesterday.  Yep, 10 inches.  Another soup recipe seemed appropriate.

I have no idea why I decided to try this tomato soup.  I have never in my life liked tomato soup.  When we would eat grilled cheese sandwiches growing up, I would substitute ketchup for the tomato soup the rest of my family was enjoying.  I am SO glad I tried this soup though.  It was amazing and absolutely nothing like tomato soup from a can.

A word to the wise: If a recipe says it's ok to puree something with either an immersion blender or a food processor, DO NOT USE A FOOD PROCESSOR.  Get thee to a store and buy thyself an immersion blender.  For real.

I either lost my pictures of the soup, or I was so busy eating it that I forgot to take pictures...so here's a beautiful picture of tomatoes from http://rutgers-leslie.blogspot.com/2010/04/growing-perfect-tomato.html

Tomato, Basil, and Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:

2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 cup basil, chopped and loosely packed

2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon sugar

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium heat.  Add the chopped onion.  Cook and stir until tender, about three or four minutes.

2.  Add the garlic and cook for two more minutes.  Pour in the tomatoes, including the juice, and the vegetable stock.  Stir in the basil, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper.

3.  Put the lid on the pot, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir in the Greek yogurt and cheddar cheese until blended. 

4.  Use an immersion blender to puree the soup, if desired.  Top individual servings with chopped basil and grated cheddar cheese. 

Source:  More Fruit Please

Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup

My life has been so BUSY lately.  Between my birthday, Thanksgiving, spending time with friends and family, and the end of the trimester at school, I was too busy to post even one recipe in November.  Whatever down time I had in November was clearly not spent blogging.  I did, however, make a lot of delicious food.

Most people prefer to be catered to on their birthdays.  I prefer to cook for other people.  I generally end up having my family over and cooking up some awesome food for them.  Bet you wish you were part of my family! 

I made Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup for this year's birthday party, and it was a success.  My brother said it was better than Panera's wild rice soup, and my sister-in-law said she'd like to swim in it.  I think that's a good thing.

Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:

3 (10-3/4 oz) cans condensed chicken broth

2 cups water

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 cups half-and-half

1-1/2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 tablespoon chopped pimiento

2-3 tablespoons dry sherry, if desired

Directions:

1.  Combine chicken broth and water in a large saucepan.  Add wild rice and onions, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is tender (30-45 minutes).  Do not drain additional broth once rice is cooked.

2.  In a separate saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in flour, salt, poultry seasoning, and pepper.  Cook and stir constantly for 1 minute or until smooth and bubbly.

3.  Slowly stir half-and-half into the flour mixture.  Cook and stir until slightly thickened.

4.  Add the half-and-half mixture into the rice and broth.  Add chicken, bacon, pimiento, and sherry.  Heat on low for at least 30 minutes (the more the better!).  Stir occasionally.  Soup will thicken the longer it heats.

Source:  Pinch of Yum