Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

They look good, don't they?

They are...well, were {grin}. The kids thought they tasted like mint chocolate chip ice cream, but warm. They were originally just cocoa fudge cookies, but I added a bit of a seasonal kick to them. They look like teeth breakers but actually the candy canes soften after a bit.

Cocoa Fudge Cookies {w/Candy Canes}
Yield: 2 dozen
Cookies:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter
7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Topping:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
2 packages of 12 {or more} candy canes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup; level with knife. Combine flour, soda, and salt; set aside. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in cocoa powder and sugars (mixture will resemble coarse sand). Add yogurt and vanilla, stirring to combine. Add flour mixture, stirring until moist. Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until almost set. Cool on pans 2-3 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pans and cool on a wire rack. This recipe is actually from a Cooking Light recipe, so in case I've made a mistake you can get it here.

For topping {this one's all me}, lightly crush candy canes with a rolling pin in a plastic bag. Pour crushed candy canes onto a shallow dish. Combine powdered sugar and milk to make icing and spread over top of cookie {you don't need very much}. This will act like a glue. So now, either sprinkle candy cane on top of cookie or turn cookie upside down onto plate to pick up the candy canes. Let sit until icing is solid.

Voila! Enjoy!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Salsa!



In the Spring I bought a Jalapeno Pepper plant from our local farm market. I wanted to start a vegetable garden and I thought since I'm not a major gardener I'd start small to get my feet wet, so to speak. I found an unused pot and started my {small} container garden. I paired my hot peppers with basil in the same pot. I've used the basil almost immediately on everything from homemade spaghetti to bruschetta.

The jalapenos I've had to wait a while but the wait has been worth it. My mom gave me her salsa recipe and we made a mild and a HOT batch. I'm not one for hot foods but this was good. My husband has used it on his pizza, tacos, cheese and crackers...anything he can think of.
So here's the yummy recipe...Enjoy!

3 large tomatoes - coarsely chopped
3 canned or fresh jalapeno peppers - beware!!
3T chopped green onions with tops
1T fresh parsely - chopped (use more as you like)
1 clove garlic - crushed
1 1/2T cider vinegar (I used lemon/lime juice)
1/2tsp. salt
1/8tsp. ground cumin
1/2 small (8oz.) can tomato sauce

Mix all together and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Can be frozen, but becomes watery upon thawing. Just drain if that happens. Use all fresh ingredients for best results.