Million-Dollar Caramel Cookies

 

 Million-Dollar Caramel Cookies

(Makes 4 dozen)

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar, plus 1 TBSP
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1⁄2 cups flour, plus 1⁄4 cup
• 3⁄4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 Heath candy bars
• 1 bag Rolo chewy caramels

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, beat butter and sugars until fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla and beat well.

2. In a separate bowl, mix 2 1⁄2 cups flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture a little bit at a time and blend well. If the dough feels too sticky, sprinkle in a little extra flour. Cover and chill dough in fridge for about 30 minutes.

3. Chop Heath bars into small pieces. Place in a small bowl and toss with 1 Tbs sugar.

4. Once dough has chilled, wrap a piece around each caramel, forming a 1-inch ball and covering the candy completely. Dip top of the dough ball into the candy topping and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Cookies will look quite soft, but do not over bake. Cool in pan slightly, then move to a rack or the counter to finish cooling. Store in a covered container.

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

originally from The Sisters Cafe Blog

64 oz of chicken stock
3-4 chicken breasts or 8-9 chicken tenders

Bake chicken and cube once baked. Set Aside.

Put chicken stock in a pot and start to heat up.

Add to the stock:

4 carrots or 1/2 bag baby carrots chopped
2 stalks of celery sliced
1 onion diced
1 1/2 cups of frozen peas (my family skips this part, but you may like it!)

Bring stock to a boil and simmer while you make the dumplings.

Dumplings:

2 beaten eggs
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder.

Mix together until dough forms. Roll out on floured surface and use a pizza cutter to cut into bite size pieces. Having them the same size is not really important. Add noodles to the soup and stir them around. Simmer for 20 minutes while making the cream sauce.


To make cream sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 flour
3 cups milk

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour until smooth. Stirring with a whisk, add the milk slowly. Cook until thickened. Add to the soup, along with chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes and serve. Add salt and pepper if desired.

Hope you enjoy. My family loves this soup which is saying a lot...especially for me. I'm not a soup fan but I love how this is creamy and just have a really good flavor!

Chicken Chimichangas

Might be good with  Natalie's Corn Salsa...

2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2/3 cup salsa
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Flour
veggies (carrots, peas, peppers)
2 cups grated cheese
8 flour tortillas

Mix the first 9 ingredients together & simmer 5 minutes at medium heat. Remove from heat and add cheese. Brush outside of tortillas with butter. Place mixture on inside. Fold ends in and roll. Place in a baking dish. Bake at 475 for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with lettuce, sour cream, cheese and guacamole, etc.
Also good with pork instead of chicken.

Corn Salsa

1/2 cup Olive oil

1/2 cup White vinegar

1 pkg Ranch dressing mix

2 cans Mexicorn, drained

1 can black beans, drained

4 Roma tomatoes, chopped small

1/2 Red onion, chopped small 

2 Avacados, chopped

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white vinegar, and  the powdered ranch dressing mix.  Add beans and veggies and mix well.  I always add the avacado last, right before serving.  It's almost better on the second day... although the avacado will turn a little brown - but will still taste delicious!

Whole Wheat Carrot Cake

I created this recipe changing around a couple of recipes I found on various websites. It turned out so well, I hope you enjoy, too! Also, enjoy the Maple Cream Frosting recipe at the bottom.

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/2 cup oil

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup crushed pineapple, drained

1/4 to 1 cup flaked coconut (based on preference and availability)

1 cup shredded nuts of choice (optional)

Combine sugar, apple sauce, oil, eggs, vanilla, carrots, and pineapple in mixer. Add all dry ingredients. Mix on a low setting about 2 minutes. Pour batter into 2 9-inch, greased cake rounds. Bake at 350 for 27-30 minutes. If using a 9 1/2 x 13 pan, add 3-5 more minutes. Insert knife to check doneness--when the knife come out clean, the cake is done. Eat plain warm or let cool and frost. See maple cream frosting below.

Maple Cream Frosting

8 oz package reduced fat cream cheese, softened (just leave it on the counter while you are making the cake)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup powdered sugar (add more if you want a stiff frosting, this is more like a thick glaze)

Beat cream cheese and maple syrup until smooth. Add powdered sugar slowly. Beat until smooth. Add more powdered sugar if you desire. Frost your cake!

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

This is an updated version of my Foolproof Bread recipe that includes how to do overnight cinnamon rolls and an orange rolls variation.

Foolproof Bread Cinnamon Rolls

Warm water: 3 cups (water temp should be about as warm as you can stand on your wrist from your tap; too hot will kill yeast)

Flour: Start with 4 ½ cups; add an additional 2-2 ½ cups when prompted in recipe (6-7 cups total)

Yeast: 4 tsp.

Salt: 1 T

Oil: 2 T

Apple Sauce: 2 T

Honey: 1/3 cup

FILLING:

1 cube butter

1 ½ cups brown sugar

3 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup shredded pecans

1 ½ cups raisins

Mixing Instructions:

Combine 4 ½ cups wheat flour and warm water. Using the dough hook for your mixer, mixing flour and water to paste consistency. Mix in yeast and then add salt, honey, and oil and apple sauce. Turn on mixer. As the motor bears down, turn up the speed. Add additional flour, one cup at a time, until dough pulls away from sides of bowl (careful not to add too much flour). Let knead 10 minutes.

Remove the dough once it’s kneaded, and roll it out on a lightly oiled surface into a large rectangle about 16X36 inches and approx. ¼ inch thick. Melt ¾ cube butter and spread it evenly over the dough. (I often melt the other ¼ cube and put a bit in the bottom of the pans before I put the cinnamon rolls in). In a separate bowl mix 1 ½ cups brown sugar with 3 tsp. cinnamon. Spread mixture evenly over dough. Spread 1 cup shredded pecans and 1 ½ cups plumped raisins evenly over dough. Roll up dough to form a roll starting with the long side. Seal the seam by pinching dough together. With seam side down, cut into 1 inch slices using fish line or floss. (Slide string under the roll, cross it over the top, and pull apart.) Place rolls on a non-stick baking sheet. Let rise until double in size. Bake: 350◦ 13-18 minutes. Yield: 32 rolls (or more).

OVERNIGHT VARIATION:

Prepare the rolls and put them in the pans; do not let them rise. Cover with plastic and refrigerate. In the morning, remove the rolls and let them rise until they’ve doubled in size (this takes about 45-55 minutes from the time you take them out). Then bake as directed.

Orange Roll Variation:

Instead of cinnamon, use the zest of 3 oranges mixed with the brown sugar. I also use the zest of another orange plus the juice of that orange and add it to my favorite cream cheese frosting to put on top.

Zupfa Bread

This is always a hit. The recipe makes 6 loaves.

3/4 C Butter
2 C Milk (melt butter w/ milk on low in the microwave)
1 TBS Salt
3/4 C Sugar
5 eggs hand whipped
3 TBS yeast in 1 C warm water (an additional 3TBS of the sugar in)
11 C (approx) White Flour (until dough becomes sticky and satiny)

Raise covered, punch down and divide into 6 equal balls
Divide each ball into 4 equal parts, roll into strands and braid left to right (over under over under), repeat.

Bake 350 for about 25-30 minutes