Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

I found this recipe in my new Family Fun magazine this month. They turned out sooooooooo good!! I think they're my new favorite cookies! And that's saying something!

Melted caramel candy adds luscious richness to the cocoa goodness of these cookies.

Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Servings: 26

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, separated
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped pecans
26 chocolate-covered caramel candies, such as Dove or Rolo

Instructions
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder and set aside.

Using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk, milk, and vanilla and mix until blended, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture in two batches and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 350º. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, beat the egg white with a fork. Set aside about 1/4 cup of the pecans; put the rest on a plate. Roll 1 tablespoon of the dough into a ball, coat it with egg white, and roll it in the nuts. Repeat with the remaining dough. Put the cookies on the sheet, leaving about 3 inches between them. With your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each cookie, then reshape the outside edges, if they crack.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, then take them from the oven and gently press a caramel candy into each cookie. Bake until the chocolate and caramel soften, about 4 minutes. Grease the tines of a fork with butter and press on each candy to flatten it slightly. Sprinkle on the reserved nuts, then cool the cookies on a rack.

"Leftover" Pizza

I had some left over slices of beef roast from a meal last week, so I threw together this for dinner the next night.

Bake your favorite pizza dough until it's lightly brown.
Brush with olive oil.
Top with sliced onions, sliced green peppers, beef pieces, and sliced or shredded cheddar cheese.
Sprinkle with black pepper.
Bake until bubbly and enjoy!

Steve thought it was a little dry, so he dipped his in red sauce. It would be good dipped in a garlic sauce or even ranch dressing, too!

Farfalle for dinner

I really enjoyed this light pasta for dinner, perfect for summer!

Farfalle with Grape Tomatoes, Basil and Mozzarella

Ingredients
1 box Farfalle
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons onion, minced
1 Pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 Leaves fresh basil, torn or sliced
4 Ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. Add oil and onions to a medium saute pan and heat over medium-high heat. Saute for 3 minutes or until onions are soft.

2. Add the cherry tomatoes to the skillet. Saute the tomatoes for another 3 minutes until the skins are blistered and the flesh is heated through; season with salt and pepper. (I actually didn't season mine, and it tasted fantastic!)

3. Meanwhile, Cook the Farfalle according to the directions on the package.

4. Remove the tomatoes from the heat, puree 1/3 of the sauce in a blender on high, for two minutes. Return the puree to the saute pan.

5. Drain the pasta and toss the pasta with the sauce. Stir in the basil and mozzarella cheese. (I added some grated Parmesan, too!) Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

I saw this recipe in my new issue of Family Fun magazine and had to try it!

Taco Pizza

We made this spicy, mouthwatering pizza for dinner Friday night... and it turned out great!

Taco Pizza

Roll out your favorite pizza crust and bake until lightly browned.

Spread with a can of your favorite refried beans. Spread your favorite salsa over the beans.

Sprinkle with taco seasoned, cooked ground beef; sliced black olives; chopped tomatoes; sliced green onions; and shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake until bubbly (about 12 minutes at 375F).

Enjoy!

Quiche

We had this treat for dinner tonight!

Quiche

Lay your favorite pie crust at the bottom of a 8x8in pan.

Add chopped broccoli and sauteed green onions.

Add some cooked sausage.

Add whisked eggs (I used 6), 1/2 cup milk, salt and pepper to taste.

Bake at 425F for about 30 minutes or until eggs are set and cooked through.

Lay sliced Swiss cheese on top and broil for a couple of minutes.

Voila! You're done! Super easy and super tasty!

French Onion Soup

On days like today: windy, rainy, 45 degrees, thunder... nothing warms you up like a bowl of hot soup! This recipe is sure to make you feel all "toasty" inside. :)

French Onion Soup

3 Tbsp butter

4 large onions (about 2.5 pounds), halved and thinly sliced

1 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp flour

2 cans (14.5 oz each) beef broth

6 1/2-inch-thick slices French bread, sliced diagonally

1/4 pound Gruyere or Swiss cheese (I used Swiss)

1. Melt butter in a large, deep pot over medium heat. Add onions, and stir to coat. Cover; cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are very soft and begin to turn golden brown.

2. Uncover; increase heat to medium-high. Stir in sugar. Cook, uncovered, 6 to 7 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute. Stir in broth and 1 cup water. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

3. Heat broiler. Spread bread slices on a baking sheet; toast under broiler for 1 to 2 minutes per side; set aside. Place six ovenproof bowls or crocks on a baking sheet. Divide soup evenly among bowls (about a cup in each).

4. Use a vegetable peeler to thinly slice pieces of cheese (I bough pre-sliced cheese). Place slice of toast on each serving of soup, top with cheese. Heat under broiler for 3 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Carefully remove from oven and serve warm.

ENJOY!

Dinner and Dessert

I found this recipe for Feta Chicken Breasts in an issue of my Family Circle magazine. It was so divine, and I can't wait to make it again sometime!!

Feta Chicken Breasts

1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

6 thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 4 ounces each

wood toothpicks

1/2 tsp paprika

6 slices bacon

1. Heat oven to 325F. Place a rack in a large baking pan.

2. Drain and squeeze liquid from spinach. In a medium-size bowl, mix together spinach, feta, mayonnaise, and garlic.

3. In batches, place chicken breasts between sheets of waxed paper and pound to 1/8 inch thickness. Place about 1/3 cup of filling down the center of each chicken breast. Roll up and secure each with 2 toothpicks.

4. Sprinkle with paprika. Wrap a slice of bacon around each piece of chicken and place on prepared rack.

5. Bake at 325F for 55 to 60 minutes or until internal temperature reads 106F on an instant-read thermometer. Run under the broiler for a minute or two, if desired.

Makes 6 servings

On a different night I had everything ready to make cherry pie, when I realized we tossed out my old pie plates a few weeks ago and hadn't bought new ones yet. So, I improvised and made mini cherry pies (tarts) in my muffin pan, and topped each with a dollop of whipped cream. Delicious!

Chocolate + Peanut Butter = !

I've been craving peanut butter and chocolate combos lately. So, I decided to make this fabulous dessert!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Pie

3/4 cup hot fudge dessert topping, divided

1 Honey Maid Graham Cracker Pie Crust (6oz) - I made my own...

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/4 cups cold milk

2 pkg (4-serving size each) Jell-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling

1 tub (8oz) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

Spoon 1/2 cup of the fudge topping onto bottom of crust. Place in freezer 10 minutes.

Mix peanut butter and milk with whisk in large bowl until well blended. Add dry pudding mixes; beat 2 min. or until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.) Gently stir in half of the whipped topping. Gently spoon over chocolate layer in crust. Top with remaining whipped topping.

Refrigerate 3 hours or until set. Drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup fudge topping just before serving. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.

Makes 8 servings.

Enjoy!!

Lava Cakes

Seriously, who wouldn't love these chocolaty, warm, gooey, mouthwatering cakes? Especially with a dollop of whip cream on top!! And you don't even need to get out your mixer for these, just a bowl you can pop in the microwave and a whisk, and you're good to go. Enjoy! (see my notes at the end of the recipe for variation...)

Lava Cakes

4 squares Baker's semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 Tbsp flour
thawed cool whip topping

Preheat oven to 425F. Butter four [3/4 cup] custard cups or souffle dishes. Place on baking sheet.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on High 1 minute or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Blend in eggs and egg yolks with wire whisk. Stir in flour. Divide batter between prepared custard cups.

Bake 13 to 14 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 minute. Carefully run small knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto dessert dishes. Serve immediately, topped with whipped topping.

Makes 8 servings, 1 half molten cake each.

Make-ahead: You can prepare the batter for this dessert a day ahead of time. Pour into prepared custard cups, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bake as directed when ready to serve.

My notes: I don't have custard cups so I just use a muffin pan. It makes about 8 muffin sized cakes (1 serving each) instead of 4 custard/souffle sized cakes. I only bake for 7 minutes in the muffin pan.

Fun sides/appetizers

I love trying out new side dishes and things that make good appetizers! The other night I tried both of these recipes for the first time, found in the Family Fun magazine.

Mexican "Sushi" Bites
Made to look like sushi, these make a great appetizer! Especially here in Idaho where you can't find real sushi, they were a fun way to present tortilla wraps.

Ingredients
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup salsa, plus more for dipping
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 Table spoon lime juice
8 (8-inch flour tortillas)
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1) In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, chili powder, and salt. In a separate small bowl, lightly sprinkle the avocado with the lime juice to prevent browning.

2) Trim each tortilla to make a roughly 61/2 inch square. Spread 3 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture on a tortilla. Arrange the spinach over the cream cheese (I also added a layer of sliced turkey lunch meat, too!), then top them with a row each of red pepper, yellow pepper, and avocado. Roll the tortilla up tightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. Refrigerate the rolls for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.

3) Right before serving, slice the rolls crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces and spoon extra salsa into a bowl for dipping.

Serves 10 to 12 (or more!!)

Mango, Jicama, & Cucumber Salad
This makes a delicious side dish to any Mexican style meal.

Ingredients
2 ripe mangos
1 medium jicama
1 medium English cucumber
1/4 cup lime juice
Zest from 1 lime
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup canola oil
Salt to taste

1) Peel the mango, jicama, and cucumber. Cut them into bite-size pieces and place them in a large bowl.

2) Combine the lime juice, zest, and honey in a blender. Run the blender at low speed and slowly drizzle in the canola oil until the dressing is slightly thickened, then add salt to taste

3) Pour the vinaigrette over the mango mixture and toss to coat.

Serves 8