recipe: oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies

i think i first saw these on seriouseats.com - they are so ridiculous and so delicious. i keep wanting to try a combo other than oreo/choc chip, but honestly all the delicious options are way too overwhelming. i used the Nestle chocolate chip cookie recipe as the base for these, verbatim (my go-to trusty recipe).

ingredients list: 
- 2 & 1/4 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 6 oz chocolate chips
- 1/2 package Oreos


to make: preheat oven to 375. combine four, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in large bowl until creamy. add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. little by little stir in flour mixture, then add the chocolate chips. 

roll dough into 1-inch balls. take 2 balls, place an Oreo in between them, and shape the dough around the Oreo until it's completely covered. repeat with remaining dough, and place prepared dough onto parchment - lined cookie sheet, leaving a least 2 inches in between each cookie. this should make about 12 (very large) cookies. 


bake for 9 to 11 minutes until golden brown on edges, then cool on wire racks. 
***
um... these are as good as homemade chocolate chip cookies, but with Oreos inside. no brainer. my only complaint is that they are hard to make "pretty"... it's hard not to use too much dough on each cookie, and they can come out looking like giant flying saucers. best if served warm. 9*********.

recipe: guinness stout cupcakes

was making chocolate cupcakes for a b-day party on st. paddy's day. only seemed right that they were injected with a lil bit of booze. i snagged this Irish Car Bomb cupcake recipe from Red Shallot Kitchen.

ingredients list: 
- 1 cup Guinness beer
- 1 cup butter
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup sour cream


to make: preheat oven to 350 degrees. line 24 cupcake tins with liners (or 60 or so mini cupcake liners). bring 1 cup of Guinness and 1 cup butter to simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. set aside to cool.


whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in large bowl and blend. using a mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in a large bowl. add Guinness butter mixture to the egg mixture and beat until just combined. add flour mixture little by little and stir until completely combined. pour into cupcake liners, filling 3/4 of the way full.

bake about 15-17 minutes if doing full sized cupcakes, or about 11 minutes to mini cupcakes, until a toothpick comes out clean. cool on a wire rack.


i iced most cupcakes with a vanilla icing, then when i ran out used chocolate ganache on the rest. the Bailey's frosting on the site sounded great, but i didn't test it out this time. 
***
these cake out OK... they were not very sweet, but had a good flavor overall. i think next time i would add some chocolate chips so they have a little more chocolatey-ness to em. 5*****.

recipe: trail mix

i've made this recipe for parties a few times now, and it's essentially like crack. so yummy, so addictive (when you make it you know how unhealthy it is so it makes it a -little- easier not to eat so much of it). the recipe was adapted from the Sweet Party Mix recipe from allrecipes.com.

ingredients list:

- 4 oz of crispy corn and rice cereal (Crispix)

- 4 oz of cheerios cereal

- 6 oz of small pretzels

- 8 oz peanuts

- 3/4 cup butter

- 3/4 cup dark corn syrup

- 1 & 1/2 cups brown sugar

- 1 (12.6 oz) package peanut M&Ms

to make: lightly grease a large roasting pan. preheat oven to 250 degrees. 

in a large bowl, mix cereals, pretzels, and peanuts. in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and mix with dark corn syrup and brown sugar. pour the mixture over the cereal/pretzel/peanut mixture, and stir and shake until everything is coated. pour the coated mixture into the prepared roasting pan. cook for 1 hour in the preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes (note: do not forget this stirring step!). when it has finished cooking, stir in the peanut M&Ms.

cool on wax paper, and store in air tight container or zip locks.

***

rating on this one is a 9*********. it's a solid recipe (that can be modified a lot based on what cereal/nuts, etc you have on hand), it's delish, and easy as hell. love it.

recipe: pot sticker stir fry

tonight's (very quick!) dinner, inspired by the frozen pot stickers in the freezer. i'm sure homemade pot stickers would be lovely in it, but that doesn't work with with a 15-minute prep time.

ingredients list (for 2):

- 10 frozen pot stickers

- 1/3 box Thai rice noodles

- 2 tbsp vegetable oil

- 2/3 cup water

- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced

- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced

- 1/2 onion, diced

- 1/4 cup carrots, thinly diced

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 tsp red chili paste
- 1/4 cup lo-so soy sauce
- 1/4 cup hoisen sauce
- 1/4 cup green onion, diced
- toasted sesame seeds
- fresh cracked black pepper

*Edit 9/4/14: This stir fry recipe has come a staple in our house, in rotation about once a week (sometimes with pot stickers, other time just with meat - chicken, shrimp, leftover pork roast - anything goes). I've been adding in about 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder, and a few tbsp of teriyaki sauce into the sauce mixture - the extra sweetness/seasoning makes it ~just~ right.

to make: stir together red chili paste, soy sauce, and hoisen sauce in a small bowl.

bring a large pot of water to a boil. once boiling, remove from heat, add rice noodles, and let sit for 8 minutes until rice noodles are soft.

while rice noodles are cooking, add 2 tbsp vegetable oil and 2/3 cup water to a boil in a large wok/skillet over medium-high heat. add pot stickers, cover, and cook until water has evaporated and pot stickers start to turn golden brown. add red pepper, green pepper, onion, and carrots, and saute until vegetables are soft and start to turn golden. add garlic, ginger, and a touch of black pepper and cook for one minute. add sauce to the wok, and allow to cook for 1 minute. stir in noodles, and serve with green onion and sesame seeds for garnish.
***
for such a fast recipe, this was super-yum. it tasted like something you could legit order in an asian restaurant. next time i will probably add a little sweet (a little sugar into the sauce mix), but even without it was great. 7.5******~.

recipe: sugar cookies

had to go to a lil tot's birthday, so i needed a kiddie-friendly desert. i really enjoy a good sugar cookie, but it's not a cookie that i gorge myself on. since i'm re-trying to eat better, it seemed selfishly like a perfect dessert. haven't make sugar cookies in forever and honestly forgot what my go-to recipe(s) were for it, so i snagged one off allrecipes.com - appropriately named Sugar Cookies.

ingredients list:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 & 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- sprinkles, food coloring, or whatever you will be 'decoring with

to make: in a medium mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening, and sugar. add egg and vanilla, and mix until combined. combine flour, baking powder & baking soda, and gradually add to the creamed mixture.

mother of god i love sprinkles

either: 1) shape into 1-inch balls and roll into sugar or sprinkles, then place on prepared baking sheet, and flatten with a glass; or 2) divide dough in half, and add food coloring to one half. roll out into two long rectangles, then stack one sheet of dough onto the other. carefully roll into a long tube, then add sprinkes to the outside of the 'tube' (to do this put dough on waxed paper, pour on sprinkles, then keep rolling the dough around until covered). refrigerate for at least an hour before slicing and placing on the prepared baking sheet; OR 3) cookie cutter it!

bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
***
rating: yummy! this is a solid sugar cookie recipe... nice & crispy and just sugary enough. 7.5*******~.

national cheese doodle day

... is march 5! i found myself at the bottom of a bag of traditional Bachman Jacks cheese curls (it has been forever since i've had them - i've been over crunchy Cheeto'ed of late). like any major holiday i over ate and feel absolutely sick to my stomach now, but my god it was worth it. happy cheesy :o)

recipe: penne with vodka sauce

i LOVE penne vodka. oddly enough, even though it's super-easy i rarely make it. i made this last night along with my lil italian feast... i used the Penne with Spicy Vodka Tomato Sauce recipe from allrecipes.com, eliminating the sausage from the original recipe since i was making chicken with it. 

ingredients list:
- 1 lb uncooked penne pasta
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 small onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (note: this will be *spicy* penne. if you want traditional vodka sauce, i'd cut it at least in half)
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp vodka
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

to make: bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, and add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes until done, then drain and set aside.

while pasta is cooking, in a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. add onion and cook until edges start to turn golden, adding garlic and red pepper for the last minute of cooking. add tomatoes and salt, and bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. add vodka and cream, and bring to a boil. reduce heat to low, simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add pasta and fresh parsley. toss and serve.
***
this was a great recipe, but although it said it was a 'spicy' vodka sauce, i didn't think it would be with a 1/2 tsp red pepper. well it was - i think because the pepper sautees for a minute all of the heat comes out. though i was craving traditional vodka sauce, it was still yum and this easily adjusted to taste for next time. this would be fantastic with a bit of panchetta added to the mix... so easy, so yum. i'd pop it a 7.5*******~.

recipe: stuffed roasted red pepper chicken

this was one of the first recipes i ever made, back in the hayday of our old apartment. it's super easy, but looks very cute when done. i don't think i've made it in over a year (or two?) so yesterday seemed like time to give it another run when i was feeling like making an italian din din. it's the Stuffed Chicken Valentino recipe from allrecipes.com, and looking back i think i made it verbatim from the original.

ingredients list:
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
- 3/4 tsp dried italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 1 (6 oz) jar roast red peppers, drained
- 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
- 4-6 tbsp mozzerella cheese, shredded
- salt & fresh pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil

to make: preheat oven to 350 degrees. slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise, leaving the halves attached on one side (open and laid flat, the chicken should now resemble a butterfly. i always have a horrible time slicing this and am lucky when it doesn't look like a butterfly with holes in it :-/ ) place chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap, and pound flat.

combine parm cheese with italian seasoning and chives, and sprinkle over chicken breasts. at one end of each breast, place 3 strips of roasted pepper. top with 1-1.5 tbsp shredded cheese. roll each breast up, starting on the side with the peppers & cheese. insert a toothpick in each roll to prevent unrolling. place in prepared baking dish. season with salt & pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.

bake for 20 minutes, then set oven to broil and continue cooking for an additional 5 - 10 minutes. allow to sit a few minutes before serving.
***
this one is always yum. i use a little less italian seasoning than the recipe calls for since it's such a strong flavor, but i think even if that was switched out for garlic & onion powder and some paprika concoction that would be yum. rating 6.5******~ (it's delish, but not the MOST flavorful recipe ever. just a solid old go-to).

recipe: bruschetta

this is my fav bruschetta recipe - Double Tomato Bruschetta from allrecipes.com (tweaked slightly). the bread is just toasted (and soft) enough, and the balsamic / cheese / tomato / basil ratio is just right. the best part of it is that this doesn't have any giant hunks of ingredient on it that peel off all awkwardly when you try to eat it. i've had a lot of bruschetta that does that and it's just GD awkward, then it's all falling over your face.

ingredients list:
- 6 roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, diced
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 french baguette
- 2 cups shredded mozz cheese

to make: in large bowl, combine all ingredients EXCEPT the baguette and mozz cheese. allow mixture to sit for 10 minutes; meanwhile, preheat oven to broiler setting.

cut baguette into 3/4 inch slices. arrange slices in single layer on baking sheet, then broil for 2 minutes, until slightly brown. add tomato mixture on top of each baguette slice, then top with mozz cheese. broil for 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
***
this is fav... always at least an 8 ********. 

Dunkin Donuts Angus Steak & Egg Sandwich

d&d breakfast sandwiches used to be a fav in my house... when you had a long night and were hung over, there was nothing more perfect than a delicious d&d breakfast sandwich to nurse you back to health. somewhere down the line, however, the bagels changed, the bagel -toasting- changed, the egg changed, and the sandwiches 100% lost all of their flavor and luster. a few months back i tried a sausage, egg & cheese and remember looking at my sandwich (which LOOKED tasty) and just yelling at it - i could not fathom how this delightful looking treat had NO flavor at all. i couldn't taste it! it was like eating fake display food - cardboard bagel, bland sausage, plastic cheese & sponge egg.


note: it comes on an onion bagel, but i'm partial
to the sesame since the sesame texture / flavor
compensates for the cardboardy bagel.

the commercials for the Angus Steak & Egg Sandwich are compelling... half of me yearned for the past, of a tasty d&d breakfast savior. so... tuesday morning after a long drive from albany to CT, i caved and hit up the d&d drive thru (with LESS than zero expectations). surprisingly, the steak actually has flavor. it might be a fake smoke seasoning, but there is something in it that was pretty tasty. the egg and cheese still got nothing, but it's at least a step in the right direction. don't open up the sandwich, because the appearance of the steak is just wrong... i have no idea what kind of meat concoction this is, but it is certainly not a verifiable steak. i think it has man-made striation?

striation meet sponge

the sandwich is worth having just once to satisfy curiosity (or if you are not within range of a deli to get a real breakfast sandwich). i would recommend ordering it WITHOUT the egg because the egg is SO tasteless and spongey it's flat out frightening - no doubt not worth ANY of the calories in it, nevermind the chemicals it is composed of (i would be shocked if that egg is anything over 5% natural egg). cheers. 3 ***.

good articles - sour mix & OJ

as we head into the weekend, i just can't wait for the adult beverage that soon awaits me.


today i came across two articles that just to happened to do with a few of our fav drink mixers, and both are guaranteed to teach a lil something about keeping our drinks as pure as possible:


1) Serious Eats: DIY vs. Buy: Should I Make My Own Sour Mix? (spoiler alert: the answer is YES. and it's very simple.)


2) Food Republic: What's Really In Your Orange Juice? (spoiler alert: 'fresh-squeezed' carton = mechanically separated OJ crap)

recipe: horseradish cream sauce

i first made this last year when i slow roasted a brisket... mmm. i decided to whip up a batch this week for the leftover sirloin tip roast we had from earlier in the week. the recipe i used was Alton Brown's Horseradish Cream Sauce - it was so yum the first time i didn't test out a new recipe (or change anything). some horseradish sauces are a bit too horseradishy... this is well balanced.

ingredients list:

- 1 cup sour cream

- 1/4 cup finely grated fresh horseradish

- 1 tbsp dijon mustard

- 1 tsp white wine vinegar

- 1/2 tsp kosher salt

- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

to make: add all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl and whist until smooth and creamy. refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight so the horseradish flavor settles & the melds with everything else. it can be stored in an aPlace all of the ingredients into a medium mixing bowl and whisk until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow flavors to meld.

recipe: fiesta chicken

this was a throw-together meal of its finest. i was lacking ingredients, but had to had to use the chicken tenders thawed in the fridge and headed down a mexican path...

ingredients list:
- 8 chicken tenderloins
- 1/2 a red pepper, diced
- 1/2 a (small) onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilis
- 1/2 garlic powder
- dash cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- dried cilantro

to make: sautee chicken in vegetable oil over medium high-heat, flipping once. after chicken has been 'flipped', add the onion and red pepper and cook until the pepper and onion are soft. add garlic, chicken broth, green chilis, garlic powder, cayenne, and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until broth has cooked down. add sour cream and salt & pepper to taste, and cook until the mixture has thickened. sprinkle with cheddar cheese and a few dashes of cilantro before serving. 
***
i don't always have luck with throw-togethers, but this was yummy. i wish i had rice to serve it with b/c that would have been perfect. i think... 6.5 ******~. it's a bit spicy, so if you're not into that i'd cut back on the green chilis. for me it was just enough kicker.