Holiday Cookies

 

 

Today I woke up feeling all sorts of holiday festive, after making gingerbread this weekend I figured I could keep the ball rolling and make some more delicious cookies J The M&M recipe Is my chocolate chip recipe I just didn’t have any chocolate chips left so I used Christmas M&M’s they were still just as tasty! I have a love for sprinkles so I decided it was time to make some funfetti cookies as well….i ended up making like 6 dozen cookies. For the sake my my hips I’ll be sending some to work with the husband…they are so delicious that I would surely eat them if they stayed in my house! The funfetti cookies  are great to roll out and cut into shapes also…but im way too lazy for that. It’s a miracle I was even baking today… so I try not to over do it and realize how much I dislike baking.  Hope you enjoy the cookies the boys in the house sure did!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

Chocolate Chip/M&M cookies

*** THESE ARE HUGE BAKERY STYLE COOKIES***

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1egg

1egg yolk

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (M&M)

 

Directions:

1.Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

2.Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3.In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

4.Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

 

 

 

 

 

Funfetti Cookies

 

1 cup Butter, Room Temperature

1-¼ cup Sugar

3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract or Almond

1 whole Egg

2-½ cups Flour

¼ cups Cornstarch

¾ teaspoons Baking Soda

½ teaspoons Salt

½ cups Rainbow Jimmie Sprinkles

2 Tablespoons Nonpareil Sprinkles

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

 

Cream the butter and sugar in your stand mixer (or hand mixer) for about 2 minutes, until fluffy. Add the vanilla, almond, and egg. Beat until well combined.

 

In a separate bowl, sift in the flour, cornstarch, soda, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and continue on low speed until it’s all added and combined. Mix in the sprinkles (don’t overmix or the sprinkles will start to bleed into the dough).

 

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop cookie dough onto cookie sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart (fits 8 cookies per sheet). Bake for about 15 minutes. (Note: Only bake until they very slightly start to turn light golden brown just on the edges. You don’t want them to totally turn golden or they’ll be crisp cookies. Check them around 10 minutes, then 12, and so on.)

 

Cool on a wire rack.

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies

 

As I promised, I have a super easy dessert to give you guys. I’m more of the type to enjoy eating desserts rather than making them but like I told you before if its easy enough for me to make it then I will share J I stumbled upon these today and ive been slightly more adventurous with baking with the holidays and all, I thought I would give them a try. They turned out great!!! Super addicting.

They are delicate and light, creamy and moist…mmmmmm coookies. Theres only one left on my kitchen counter so the boys would love to tell the world how yummy they were. I foresee making this recipe one day when a child or husband of mine gives me one of those “oh by the way I volunteered you to make something for tomorrow”.  I used my hand mixer to mix them as best as it would, and then used my wooden spoon to form it all together. When you use the mixer it will seem like the dough is too dry..but fear not! It isn’t, you just have to use a spoon to combine all the buttery crumbs J

 

Ingredients:

1 C. butter

 ¾ C. cornstarch

 ¾ C. powdered sugar

 1 C. flour

 1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

1tsp almond extract

 

Directions:

1.cream butter until fluffy. 

2.Add cornstarch & sugar and blend well. 

3.Beat in flour until thoroughly mixed.  Drop by small teaspoons onto baking sheet Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

4. Cool on wire rack & frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

 

 

 

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

 1  package cream cheese, softened

 1 C. powdered sugar

½ t. vanilla

 2 tbsp milk

 

 

Roasted Ranch Broccoli and Chicken Pockets

OK seriously these chicken pockets were sooooo dang good its ridiculous! I absolutely love broccoli its one of my favorite veggies, my husband on the other hand picks the broccoli out of everything, he also hates ranch. So when I decided to try this recipe I was nervous that if it wasn’t good he wouldn’t eat it. To my most amazing surprise he ate every bit of it…but then again when something is smothered with cheese and bacon who wouldn’t love it! I give this recipe two thumbs up for sure!!!

Ingredients:

4 Boneless skinless chicken breast halves

 4 cups Broccoli Florets

 1 cups Shredded cheddar cheese

 4 slices Cooked bacon; crumbled

4 tbsp Ranch dressing divided

- Oven to 350

Directions:

1. Drizzle a little oil on the foil, salt and pepper your chicken, and layer everything on. Chicken,broccoli,ranch,cheese,bacon.

2. Fold into pretty little pouches and poke 4 holes to let steam out.



 3. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes....open up and enjoy!!!!

Beer Cheese, potato and Sausage Casserole

 

 

 

Ingredients:

3 cups idaho potatoes, peeled, boiled and cut into cubes when cool

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 cup beer

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 lb Velveeta cheese, diced

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 lb skinless smoked sausage  

1/8 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

1.Cut skinless smoked sausage in half, lengthwise, and then chop into 1/2 inch "half moon" cuts. Cook in a frying pan for about 15 minutes, turning frequently to SLIGHTLY brown.

2.Meanwhile, put cooked & diced potatoes in 2 quart casserole. Add cooked meat and give it a gentle toss.

3.Mix all remaining ingredients (except for shredded cheddar cheese & the paprika) in a saucepan over medium heat until warm, melted and smooth. (Use a whisk and stir constantly.).

4.Pour cheese sauce over potatoes and meat. Sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top, and then sprinkle paprika evenly over the top.

5. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 35-45 minutes (watch, until golden brown on top).

 

Chili Lime Shrimp Cups

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of my favorite things to have for dinner aren’t dinner at all, im a huge fan of finger foods as dinner, its quick and normally less clean up too! Plus kids always love kid size food, definitely a bonus. These delicious little concoctions are super simple, easy to throw together last minute for dinner or even for a party! Every time shrimp is on sale I like to load up my menu with it, being originally an island girl I just love my seafood, although we may not be near the beach I still like to spice things up and get away from the normal chicken and beef we normally have J

 

 

Ingredients:

20 wont ton wrappers

20 peeled shrimp

Sour cream

One avocado

1 tbsp chili powder

Salt

Pepper

lime

 

 

1. coat your wonton wrappers in a little oil, and arrange inside of a mini muffin pan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Season your shrimp with the chili powder,salt,pepper, and half of the lime juice

 

 

3. bake your wonton wrappers at 350 for about 8 minutes until they all look brown and crispy.

4. sautee your seasoned shrimp until they are no longer see through.

5. Pull out your wonton cups, smash up you avocado and dallop a teaspoon of avocado and sour cream in each cup.

6. Place one shrimp in each cup and squeeze remanding lime juice over each cup/.

 

 

 

 The end result is soooo simple and delicious :)

 

Better Late than Never- Menu Monday

I cant believe so much time has passed since my last post, Things have been so insanely hectic in the Pike house, it was just one thing after the other. First I was sick, then everyone wasn’t feeling well, I got sick again, my son got a nasty infection in his leg from a bug bite…Now finally things are starting to settle back to normal. Only two more weeks of my husband training and then peace will reside in my home again!!! I cannot wait!

As for the amount of food ive been cooking…its been pretty minimal considering all the mommy work ive had on my plate so don’t worry you haven’t missed much because I haven’t been cooking J I even got out of cooking thanksgiving dinner this year, although I did whip up a mini thanksgiving on black Friday. So bare with me, only two more weeks of my scattered post. This week I started my menu on a Saturday so I’ll post two extra recipes that I already made this weekend.

 

 

12/1 Saturday- Chili Lime Shrimp Cups

12/2 Sunday- Potato and Sausage Casserole with Beer Cheese

12/3 Monday- Roasted Ranch Broccoli and Chicken Pockets

12/4 Tuesday- Butternut Squash Ravioli

12/5 Wednesday- Leftovers

12/6 Thursday- Stuffed Mushrooms and Shrimp

12/7 Friday- Creamy Avocado Chicken Enchiladas

 

12/8 Saturday- Pizza Rolls

12/9 Sunday- Chicken Fried Chicken, Mashed potatoes and Gravy

12/10 Monday- Garlic Pork Loin and Roasted Asparagus

12/11 Tuesday- Black Bean Tostadas

12/12 Wednesday- Leftovers

12/13 Thursday- Arroz Con Pollo (chicken and rice)

12/14 Friday- I’m not cooking J