COCONUT MACAROON COOKIES

COCONUT MACAROON COOKIES
My mom sent me this recipe.  She really likes it - and I agree.  They are yummy and so easy to make.  I drizzled chocolate on top - would be good dipped in chocolate too.  Used the fresh coconut we got from Bountiful Baskets.
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Homemade-Coconut-Macaroons?_mid=2271465&_rid=2271465.1311011177.220141

• 2-1/2 cups flaked coconut
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (didn't have on hand - used recipe in McCleve 2nd edition cookbook for substitute)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the coconut, flour and salt. Add milk and vanilla; mix well (batter will be stiff).
• Drop by tablespoonfuls 1 in. apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

Nutritional Facts1 cookie equals 110 calories, 6 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 4 mg cholesterol, 65 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat.

NORTH POLE COOKIE DOUGH

NORTH POLE COOKIE DOUGH
http://www.bhg.com/recipes/recipedetail.jsp?recipeId=R153917
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/chrgift/north-pole-cookie-dough.html

These are so, so so, good.  We just did a pizza cookie (1/2 recipe just right for one pizza stone)

A ready-to-bake treat such as North Pole Cookie Dough is the perfect hostess gift. Consider presenting it in disposable pint-size ice cream containers. You can find them online or simply ask for a few from your local ice cream shop. Just don't forget to add a festive tag with baking instructions!

North Pole Cookie Dough recipe

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (two sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
1 cup roasted almonds or toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Place 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips in microwave-safe dish. Microwave 30 seconds on high, stir and continue to microwave in 10 to 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Set bowl aside and cool to room temperature.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In large bowl, beat butter and both sugars using electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add melted, cooled chocolate and vanilla, blend until fully incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture slowly; mixing until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chunks, nuts and mini marshmallows.
Fill pint containers with cookie dough and refrigerate up to four days or freeze up to one month.

When giving as a gift, attach following baking instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Drop dough by rounded tablespoons, or using small cookie scoop, onto parchment-lined baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Flatten dough slightly using back of spoon.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are lightly cracked but centers are still soft.
Remove from oven and cool slightly on baking sheet before transferring cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 3 "pints" of dough or 2 dozen cookies.

WAFFLES

BLUEBERRY WAFFLES
http://www.food.com/recipe/blueberry-waffles-178934

We really liked this recipe.  They were nice and crisp.  Made 5 waffles.  Modified the recipe according to the comments (changes in recipe).

Sifted together:
2 c flour (used 1 cup whole wheat)
3 tsp baking powder
2 T sugar

Mix in medium bowl:
2 egg yolks (save whites to whip)
1 1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla

Add dry ingredients to egg mixture.  Then fold in:
1 cup (or more) blueberries (used fresh but I am sure frozen would work)
1/4 c melted butter

Then whisk egg whites (used braun) until stiffly beaten.

BACON AND CHEESE WAFFLES
Taste of Home cookbook Family Collection pg. 34.  These are super yummy and would be good with fried chicken and smashed potatoes for dinner.

1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1 T butter, melted
2 cups pancake or biscuit/baking mix
6-8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a medium bowl beat egg; add milk, sour cream and butter.  Stir in pancake mix; mix well.  Fold in bacon and cheese.  Bake in waffle maker.

BANANA OATMEAL WAFFLES
I just had to come add this to the blog because I came to my "add to blog" pile about three times to get this recipe.  We all really like it. It is especially good with peanut butter and mini choc. chips on top.  So delish with buttermilk syrup.

Ingredients

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats (not instant)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• ---
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs (usually do one flax)
• ---
• 2 medium-size ripe bananas, thinly sliced crosswise
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted - is added at the end
• maple syrup or honey, for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat your waffle iron. Melt the butter; reserve.
    
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and brown sugar.
    
3. In another bowl, beat together the buttermilk and eggs with the whisk until well blended.
    
4. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Mix in the banana slices and melted butter.
    
5. Lightly butter or spray the grids of your iron, if needed. Brush or spray the grids again only if subsequent waffles stick.
    
6. Spoon out a full 1/2 to 2/3 cup of batter (or a little more than the amount recommended by your waffler's manufacturer) onto the grids. This batter is thick and lumpy, so push and spread it to the edge of the grids with a metal spatula or wooden spoon. Close the lid and bake until golden and crisp. (It may need a little longer than other waffles because the batter is thick.)
    
7. Serve the waffles immediately or keep them, in a single layer, on a rack in the preheated oven while you make the rest of the batch. Stir the batter between waffles to redistribute the banana slices.

Serve with maple syrup, honey or melted butter, or with a raspberry puree, a strawberry butter (mix 3 tablespoons of softened butter with 2 tablespoons of strawberry preserves), or some whipped cream cheese sprinkled with chopped pecans.

MAPLE BROWN BUTTER DESSERT WAFFLES
http://www.marthastewart.com/863977/maple-brown-butter-dessert-waffles
Found this recipe in Martha Stewart FOOD magazine.  I think we had them for dinner instead of dessert.  So yummy!  Perfect with some fruit and bacon.
Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave 6 tablespoons butter until melted, about 30 seconds. Add eggs and buttermilk; whisk to combine. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and whisk until batter is almost smooth; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup and confectioners' sugar until smooth. In a small saucepan, heat 6 tablespoons butter over medium, swirling pan occasionally, until golden brown and most of the foam has subsided, 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately pour into maple mixture and whisk until mixture forms a ribbon when you lift the whisk. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
3. Heat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Pour 1 1/3 cups batter onto iron and close; cook until waffle is golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining batter.
4. Pour maple glaze onto a dinner plate. Dip one side of each waffle into glaze. To serve, cut each waffle in half and sprinkle with pecans.

Cook's Note

Make the batter and glaze up to 2 hours ahead; cover and keep at room temperature.

Brown butter is butter that has been heated until light brown in color and nutty in flavor and aroma. Once the butter turns brown, use it immediately or transfer it to a bowl to keep it from overcooking.

Grade A maple syrup is lighter in flavor than darker, more robust Grade B; both will work in this recipe.

COCONUT ICE CREAM

COCONUT ICE CREAM
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/fresh-coconut-ice-cream-recipe2/index.html
The kids were fascinated with coconuts for some reason.  So I noticed they were on sale at Broulim's and bought one.  The first one we bought was bad inside, so we got another one.  We cracked it open and tried to drink the juice - none of of liked it.  Then I froze the coconut for about 30 min and then we were able to separate the flesh from the shell.  Then I shredded it in the food processor to prepare to make this ice cream.  Scott thought it would be good next time to make chocolate ice cream and then add the coconut.  Or I found the below chocolate sauce that would be good too.

• 4 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen coconut, thawed
• Pinch salt
• 5 egg yolks

Directions

In a non-reactive saucepan, combine the half-and-half, sugar,coconut, and salt, over medium heat. Bring the cream to the boiling point and scald it. Remove from the heat. Beat the egg yolks in a bowl. Add the cream mixture, about 1/4 cup at a time, to the beateneggs, whisking in between each addition, until all is used.

Pour the mixture into a saucepan, and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

Pour the filling into the ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer's instructions for churning time.

Mexican Chocolate Sauce:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/fresh-coconut-ice-cream-with-mexican-chocolate-sauce-recipe/index.html

• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 pound Mexican chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine the half-and-half and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture until a thin paper-like skin appears on the top. Do not boil. Add the chocolate and vanilla and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.

Remove from the heat and let cool.

The sauce can be kept refrigerated for several days, but it must be returned to room temperature before serving.

TACO BAKE

TACO BAKE

We loved!  Great with spanish rice and green salad.  Used 8" springfoam pan.  Instead of salsa con queso I used: mixed 1# velveeta and 1 can mild rotel and microwaved 5 minute stirring every 1-2 minutes.

UPDATE: We also like with corn, chips and guac.  This is one of Scott's favorite dishes.

http://www.thecountrycook.net/2012/05/taco-bake.html

1 pound ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning

* water as called for on back of seasoning packet

3 large flour tortillas (8-inch size) (can crisp in oil first - we liked)

1/2 cup salsa con queso

1 1/2-2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (any kind of cheese is good or a mixture)

sour cream, optional

olives, optional

fresh tomatoes, optional

Brown and crumble ground beef. Drain excess grease. Add in taco seasoning and water (following directions on back of seasoning packet).

Once the taco meat is ready, turn off heat and add in 1/2 cup salsa con quest. I like a mild salsa con queso. This is a spicy dish so a hot salsa con queso would just be too spicy for us. If you have anyone in your family that is very sensitive to spicy dishes, you could always use a regular, spreadable cheese dip.

Give it a good stir, until thoroughly combined. It don’t look all that pretty, but don’t worry, we’re gonna dress her up a bit.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray an 8-inch round baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Layer the bottom of the pan with a flour tortilla.

I like to use a springform pan just to make it a bit easier to get out after it is finished baking. But this taco bake is pretty easy to slice up and serve even without the springform pan. Now add about 1/3 of the ground beef taco filling on the the first layer.

Then add 1/3 of the shredded cheese.

Continue until you are done with all the layers: another tortilla, more taco mixture, more cheese.  Bake at 350F degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Until cheese is melted and edges are slightly golden brown.

Allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Add toppings (sour cream, tomatoes, olives).  Then slice and serve.  

BEEF TACO BAKE
http://foodisablessing.blogspot.com/2011/10/beef-taco-bake.html 
Goes good with tortillas or chips.  I agree with what Emily McCleve said about this recipe when she posted it on her blog:
One of my neighbors gave me this recipe a few weeks ago.  It sounded simple and tasty, so I was excited to try this week.  I tweaked it just a bit to my personal preference, and it tasted great.  Each night, it gets better and better somehow.  And the best part is that it's lasted us three dinners so far, and we still have some left--which is surprising.  Usually a dish like this will last two nights max, but this one is really filling, so you don't have to eat much to be satisfied.  I'm definitely keeping this one. 


1 cup rice, uncooked (white or brown works just as well here)
3/4 lb ground beef
1 package taco seasoning (or just under 1/4 cup taco seasoning and about 1/2 cup water)
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can tomato soup
1 cup salsatortillas (optional)
sour cream (optional)
cheese (optional) 

1. Cook rice according to package directions and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Meanwhile, brown ground beef and drain the fat.  Stir in taco seasoning (and however much water the taco seasoning tells you to add). 
3. Combine rice, ground beef, black beans, corn, tomato soup, and salsa in a 9x13 baking dish.  Cover and bake for 25 minutes, or until bubbly.
4. This dish can be served alone or rolled up in a tortilla with a dollop of sour cream.  Enjoy it again and again until it's gone.  

RICH LEMON & CITRUS BARS

Made a Glazed Lemon Cake that we liked.  
Our Best Bites Cookbook pg. 50

RICH LEMON BARS

Found this in the lemon cookbook pg. 88. I made these for Scott to take to his English class for his presentation. His teacher said these were the best lemon bars she has ever had. I used the fresh lemons my Mom sent home with us when we were visiting in Arizona.

1 1/2 c. plus 3T flour

1/2 c. powdered sugar

3/4 c. butter

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. lemon juice (used a big fresh lemon)

additional powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. In medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 c. flour and 1/2 c. powdered sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press onto bottom of lightly greased 9x13 baking pan; bake 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, baking powder, lemon juice and remaining 3T flour; mix well. Pour over crust; bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Refrigerate any leftovers.

CITRUS BARS

Loved these (especially Abagail and I)!!  I think next time I could try less sugar???

• For The Crust

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

• For The Filling

  • 1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice (from 1 grapefruit)
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest, plus 1/2 cup orange juice (from 1 orange)
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 1/2 cup lemon juice (from 3 lemons)
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Make crust: In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse just until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add 1/4 cup more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overmix. Form dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour (or up to overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 12-by-16-inch rectangle (patch any holes well). Place in a 10-by-14-by-1-inch rimmed jelly-roll pan with dough going up the sides; trim overhang. Prick dough all over with a fork and freeze until firm, 20 minutes. Line dough with parchment paper, leaving overhang on all sides. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges are dry, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment and weights; bake until bottom is dry and flaky, about 10 minutes.
3. Make filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together citrus zests and juices, granulated sugar, and eggs until well combined. Pour into crust and bake until custard is just set in center, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack, 1 hour. To serve, dust with confectioners' sugar and cut into 18 squares.