Snickerdoodles

Although I am very opposed to using shortening in anything I make, the only recipe that had the right texture for snickerdoodles was one containing shortening! So here it is!

2 ½ cups flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup shortening

1 ½ cups sugar, plus ½ cup for rolling

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Whisk flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a stand mixer, mix butter, shortening and 1 ½ cups sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add eggs one at a time and beat until incorporated. While mixer is on low, beat in flour mixture until combined. Combine ½ cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Make balls of dough using about 2 tablespoons and roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place two inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375* until edges are just beginning to brown but centers are still soft, puffy and cracked, about 10-12 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets for 10 minutes and remove to cooling rack.

Dough balls can be frozen up to a month in the freezer. Bake the frozen dough balls in 300 degree oven for 18-20 minutes.

Molasses Spice-Lemon Cookies

 I got this recipe from the book "The Perfect Cookie." People at work loved them!

Whisk together in a bowl:
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

In another bowl whisk together until combined:
12 Tbsp. melted butter (a cube and a half)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 large egg

Stir flour mixture into molasses mixture until incorporated. Cover bowl lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. Roll dough into 3/4 inch balls and roll in a small bowl containing 1/2 cup sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until tops are just beginning to crack. Cool on pans for 5 minutes.

For filling, mix together:
3 Tbsp. softened butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. lemon juice

Spread a heaping teaspoon or so in between two cookies. Let filling set about an hour before serving.

Horner Family Chocolate Chip Cookies

I got this recipe from my baby brother's mother-in-law. It has morphed over the years, but it's only gotten better!


Blend together:
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs

Add:
1 1/3 cups softened butter
1 1/3 cups shortening
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together and add:
7 cups of flour (if 2 cups are oat flour, it's really good!)
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt

Stir in:
3-4 cups chocolate chips

Scoop out in 1 1/4 inch balls and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Makes about six dozen or so.

Spinach Enchiladas

These taste like a cross between stuffed shells and enchiladas. Got the recipe from allrecipes.com.

1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 package (10 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, divided
20 (5 in.) corn tortillas
1 (19 oz.) can enchilada sauce (I used a 14 oz. can of green enchilada sauce for mine.)

Preheat oven to 375*. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook about a minute but before the garlic is browned. Add spinach and cook about 3-5 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat. Stir in ricotta cheese, sour cream and one cup of the Monterey Jack cheese. Warm up the tortillas in a frying pan on med/low heat until malleable. Put about 2-3 tablespoons of mixture in each tortilla, roll and place seam side down in a 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas when completed. Sprinkle the other cup of Monterey Jack cheese on top. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and turning slightly brown at edges. Makes 10 servings of two enchiladas, or about 6 servings of about three enchiladas. I ate three. :) I also will likely add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the cheese mixture next time.
 

Southwest Macaroni

Okay, this isn't the best pic...I was so hungry that I was busy eating while the leftovers were cooling on the stove top so I could portion it out for lunches. I looks more aesthetically appealing when it's fresh and hasn't sat for 20 minutes!

3 cups uncooked macaroni shells
1 can chopped green chiles (4 oz.)
1 jar pimientos (2 oz.) They often come in 4 oz. jars so use half if this is the case.
1 cup canned milk
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I usually use 1 1/2 cups because I love cheese!)
1/2 cup sliced olives (about one small can)
1/2 tsp. salt

Cook macaroni shells in a sauce pan according to package directions and drain. Return pasta to saucepan. Stir in remaining ingredients, cooking on med-low heat until cheese is melted and sauce has thickened and is hot, about 5 minutes. makes about 6 (smallish) servings.

Slow Cooker Beans

I went to a pot luck for Independence Day with my family and my mom taught me this recipe. It's really good and so simple!

4 cans of various beans, drained. I chose black, red kidney, white kidney and garbanzos (chick peas)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, finely choped
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced (I run mine through a press)
10 strips of cooked bacon, cut up into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup barbecue sauce or more (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix up ingredients in the slow cooker. Slow cook on low for 4-6 hours. Makes about 8 cups, maybe more. Super easy!

Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies

So some of my friends and people from my church youth group need to eat gluten-free. This recipe compliments the previous cookie recipe (Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies) because that one requires an egg and an egg yolk. This recipe here requires an egg and an egg white. Perfect split of three eggs between the two!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 egg
1 egg white
2 1/2 cups almond flour (I use Blue Diamond)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in extracts, egg and egg white. In a bowl, mix almond flour with soda and salt. Beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Portion out dough with tablespoon-sized scoop two inches apart onto parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Bake at 350* for 11-13 minutes or until edges brown up a little. Let stand on cookie sheet 5 minutes; then remove to cooling rack. Store loosely covered. Makes about 3-4 dozen.