Chocolate Maraschino cherry cookies

Here's a new cookie recipe that I've been holding back trying.  I like to try a few new ones before the holidays so I get a chance to taste test.

I feel the same way about chocolate and cherries as I do with chocolate and bananas.  You usually can't go wrong with these ingredients.  Whether it's a cake or bread, as in banana adding some chocolate morsels steps up the recipe to another level.  So let's see how this works.

I decided to put a few in a baggie with powdered sugar to see how they taste.  I like them both ways.  If you decide to add some powdered sugar make sure the cookies are completely cooled or the powdered sugar will soak in the cookie.

Chocolate Chip Maraschino Cherry Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp corn starch
1/4 tsp salt(I eliminated the salt and used salted butter).
1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate morsels.
10 ounce jar maraschino cherries drained 

Drain maraschino cherries well. Dice, blot with paper towel until mostly dry; set aside.

In large bowl, cream butter with sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping sides of bowl after each addition. Add vanilla, mix well.

In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, corn starch, and salt. Whisk together.  Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, mix on low speed, just until combined.  With a large spoon Add chocolate and maraschino cherries, mixing until evenly distributed.

Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or at least two hours).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using large cookie dough scoop (2 tablespoons), drop dough onto baking sheets, several inches apart.  Bake for 12 minutes, just until edges are starting to turn golden. Cool for 2-3 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to cooling rack.
The cookies are delicious and soft and not overly sweet.  A good holiday cookie pick.

Blueberry cream pie

Need a easy,quick and yummy dessert?

Try this recipe .

1 pint blueberries rinsed and patted dry

1 small vanilla instant pudding

11/2 cups milk

1 container cool whip

1 regular size graham cracker pie shell

Whisk pudding with milk allowing to thicken slightly.  Add 1/2 container cool whip. Whisk until blended.

Pour into pie shell.  Top with blueberries.

Add the rest of the container of cool whip to top.

Garnish with extra blueberries

Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Add sliced strawberries for extra flavor and color.

Enjoy!

Happy Baking from my kitchen to yours,

7/1/16

Cold tortellini and summer veggies salad

Hi everyone:

I had no intention of cooking today but I was hungry and although I usually do cook on Sunday today I didn't feel like any big meal.  Cold salad came to my mind and I did have refrigerated tortellini so I put together this wonderful summer salad.  Hubby and I had it for lunch.

1 lb. refrigerated cheese tortellini

1 carrot (half grated and half cut in slices)

1 stalk celery

3 green onions sliced

1 small zucchini cut in thick slices and cut in half or quarters

1 can chick peas rinsed (garbanzo beans) (optional)

several black olives (optional)

Your favorite Asian dressing or whatever you like

Cook tortellini for about 2 to 3 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Set aside

Dice and grate carrot, chop celery and onion, wash and cut zucchini.  If you have other raw vegetables you can add them as well.

Toss with your favorite dressing and refrigerate at least an hour.  Serve on a bed of lettuce or gently tear a few pieces of lettuce and add to the bottom of salad before serving. Enjoy!

Since it's summer why not add a few chunky wedges of tomato too....Yummy!

Note:  I added the chick peas and olives to the salad I had left.  Tomorrow's lunch..................:)

From my kitchen to yours,

8/7/16

Crockpot sweet and spicy chicken

Summer is going so quickly.  Well that's how I feel anyway.  We took several road trips that were short drives that made no overnights necessary other than my monthly visit to mom. I considered it a really fun and relaxing time.

 A few movies, shopping excursions and dinner with friends too made it perfect.  It was really a hot one and I'm not one to complain so let's leave it at that.  My flowers were perfect!

I'm feeling the lazy days for sure.  I've been doing this blog for over five years and I'm getting a little frustrated with the amount of people who seem interested enough to visit my page.

I put loads of effort trying to please most everyone.  I do realize it's impossible to please all of the people all of the time lol but I sure try.

This week I started cleaning up my freezer and refrigerator and making meals with what I have.  Sometimes it's a real challenge to come up with something that is easy, delicious and that both hubby and I enjoy.

 I think you'll like this one.  We did. Only 4 ingredients makes it even better.  No salt, pepper or spices other than a little soy sauce and optional sesame seeds were needed because the sauce was plenty flavorful.   I used pineapple habanero sauce because I was feeling sweet and slightly spicy but not overly spicy so that's why I added the chicken broth to cool it down a bit. 

A perfect meal for those who enjoy crockpot eating.

2+ lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into large pieces

2 cups pineapple habanero sauce

1 can chicken broth 

1 tsp. Soy sauce 

Sesame seeds (optional)

 IN a medium bowl place sauce, broth and soy sauce. Stir to blend

Cut chicken in large pieces. Place in crockpot . Pour sauce over chicken and Cook on low 5 to 6 hours. Serve over rice.

Note: to thicken sauce mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with a few tablespoons of sauce and stir or whisk well so all lumps are blended.  Add to remainder of sauce and chicken in the crockpot.




From my kitchen to yours,

8/11/16
9/30/16

Blueberry, pecan, sour cream coffee cake

This is one of the best cakes I have ever made using blueberries. It has the texture of a pound cake and the moistness that we all like in a cake.  I did cut back by one half cup the sugar in the recipe.  It was fine and I didn't think made any difference.  Enjoy this recipe and since fall is here I'm in a big time making mood.....:)

It's a coffee cake so that's even better in my book.  I always look for coffee cake type recipes for breakfast in our house.  I think you all know me by now(Yes it's over 5 years that I have been blogging) and my likes and dislikes I think come out enough for you to remember I am not an egg, bacon etc. breakfast person.  Never have been and I'm sure it's not going to change.

One thing has changed and that is I do eat breakfast everyday.  Yes every single day!  I didn't as a teenager or young adult but through the years have found out so many benefits to starting the day with something in your stomach.

As I have gotten older I have found that small or mini meals really help stabilizing your blood sugar which is so important. 

 My parents became diabetics in their fifties and I did not want to fall into that pattern so I started eating several mini meals a day and one evening regular portion meal. Here's what I do.  In the early morning I eat my small scone or breakfast food.  Around ten a.m I eat a piece of fruit or some protein. 

Lunch is usually pretty simple, salad, or 1/2 sandwich, soup and fruit or even a fruit cup.  It really varies by my hunger and what I have around our house.

Around 3 p.m. I have something small as in a few strawberries, some cottage cheese, veggie or some protein.
  
Dinner is whatever I make.  I don't make substitutions.  I eat whatever I want but I try to make dinner before 7 p.m.

I hadn't planned on this post giving a mini lesson on how to keep yourself healthy by a healthy lifestyle but I guess it must be important for me to add this along with this very delicious cake recipe.  So enjoy it and watch your portions.  I plan on eating a slice (moderate) for breakfast for a few days and will freeze the rest for later.  Wrap slices in clear wrap.  This cake freezes well as do most if not all of my recipes.



Note:  On to the recipe.  I did adapt it slightly as in cutting back on the white sugar.  Instead of 2 cups I used 1 1/2 cups as noted.  I cut back on pecans only using 1/4 cup as well because I should not eat many nuts for I have a challenged digestive system. I did not add salt as my butter was salted.  I also sprayed my pan with coconut oil and did dust with flour.
You can use the exact recipe if you like I just adapted it to our liking.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter softened

2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 5/8 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

• Prep
  20 m
• Cook
  1 h
• Ready In
  1 h 20 m

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch Bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the batter just until blended. Fold in blueberries.
3. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Sprinkle half of this mixture over the batter in the pan. Spoon remaining batter over the top, and then sprinkle the remaining pecan mixture over. Use a knife or thin spatula to swirl the sugar layer into the cake.
4. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the crown of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan over a wire rack. Invert onto a serving plate, and tap firmly to remove from the pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.
5. Happy Baking from my kitchen to yours,
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1. adapted from allrecipes.com