Snickerdoodle Truffles

Ah...Autumn is quickly approaching!

For me, Autumn means pumpkins, crunchy leaves, apple cider, pie, sweatshirts, cranberries, and truffles!

I'm not entirely sure why, but I start making truffles once fall rolls around, and I continue to make them through the holidays.  They are just so fun, cute, and bite-sized bliss.  Not to mention, there are SO many different routes you can take with them!

Last fall/winter, I made a ton of truffles, and I wish I had taken pictures of some of them...but I didn't take a single one...not ONE!

Looks like I'll just have to do it all again this year and properly document them.

So to spring us into truffle-land, I present to you Snickerdoodle Truffles!

If you like snickerdoodle cookies, you'll like these little bites of cinnamon and sugar heaven.

Snickerdoodle Truffles

Ingredients:

4 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 c. unsalted butter (softened)
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cream of tarter

Coating/Topping:

16 oz vanilla candy coating
1 tsp cinnamon
a small amount of cinnamon and sugar mixed together

Directions:

Beat cream cheese, butter and sugars until smooth.  Add flour, salt, cinnamon and cream of tarter and mix thoroughly.  Roll mixture into small balls (the size you want is really entirely up to you, I just used my Tablespoon-sized cookie scoop to form mine) and place on a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper (waxed paper works too).  Freeze at least 2 hours.

Melt the candy coating according to the package directions (I use the double-boiler method).  Once it is completely melted, add the teaspoon of cinnamon and mix it in thoroughly.

Remove the dough from the freezer and using a toothpick, dip each ball into the candy coating, turning it to cover the entire surface.  Remove excess coating by lightly tapping along the side of the bowl and then place it back on the baking sheet to firm up.

Sprinkle a little of the cinnamon/sugar mixture on each truffle before it completely hardens.

You should store these in the refrigerator or freezer.

Enjoy!

Enchilada Sauce

Bruce is a fan of my Shredded Chicken Enchiladas, but he's a BIG fan of the enchiladas when they are made with my homemade enchilada sauce.

If you have only ever had enchilada sauce from a can, I implore you to try homemade...it is infinitely better!  Possibly even life changing.

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. flour
2 (14.5 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
2 Tbs chili powder
2 tsp Chipotle chili powder (or more to taste)
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbs packed brown sugar
1 c. water
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a medium saucepan.  Add flour and whisk to combine.  Add tomatoes, seasonings, sugar, and water.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until thickened (about 10 minutes).

Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Super Simple Rice Pudding

Rice Pudding.

The only exposure I had to rice pudding as a child was in the children's book "The Poky Little Puppy", where he eats the entire dish of rice pudding and gets sent to bed.  That's it.  I knew it was pudding, and I knew it contained rice.

My first taste of rice pudding came when I went to Salt Lake with a couple of my girlfriends in December of 2007, and I was completely taken with the sweet, creamy dessert.  Where had it been all my life?!

I actually ended up working at the restaurant that served the rice pudding for the next 3 years, but since leaving that employment, I have had to find other ways to get my rice pudding fix.  At first, I would buy the Kozy Shack pudding from the store, but I soon learned that I could make it myself, and have it taste even better than the packaged pudding.

So, look no further for a delicious dessert!

Super Simple Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. rice (cooked)

2 c. milk (divided)

1/3 c. sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1 Tbs butter

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine rice, sugar, salt, and 1 1/2 cups of the milk. Cook 15-20 minutes or until thick and creamy. Beat the egg in the measuring cup with the remaining 1/2 cup milk and add to the saucepan, cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

You can eat this hot (how Bruce likes it) or cold (how I like it), it is delectable either way.

You can add a sprinkle of cinnamon, add fruit, or raisins (though why you'd ruin it with raisins is beyond me...)

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cherry Almond Tart

To thank my father-in-law for fixing The Justy, I decided to make him a cherry tart, since cherries are his favorite (mine too!).  I had a few ideas for it rolling around in my head for a while.

I knew I wanted cherries.

I knew I wanted chocolate ganache.

I knew I wanted a chocolate crust.

But I couldn't find a recipe that I was totally loving.

So I decided to make my own.  Behold!  Thus the Chocolate Cherry Almond Tart was born.

Chocolate Cherry Almond Tart

Ingredients:
Crust:

1 c. flour
1/4 c. cocoa
1/4 c. toasted almonds, finely ground
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. + 1Tbs unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
1 egg

Ganache:

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (or chips are fine)
3/4 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
2 Tbs butter

Topping:

Cherries (pitted)
chopped almonds

Directions:
Crust:

Combine flour, cocoa, powdered sugar, almonds, and salt in a food processor.  Add butter pieces and pulse until the mixture becomes course crumbs.  Add egg and pulse until the mixture comes together (about 12 pulses or so).  Form a ball with the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours (I let mine sit overnight).

Remove dough from fridge and let sit for a couple minutes so it is not rock hard as you try to roll it out (about 10 minutes).  Place dough between 2 sheets of wax paper and roll into a circle about 1/4" thick.  Transfer dough to a 12" tart pan and press dough into the sides and remove any dough that sits above the edge.  Pierce the bottom with a fork several times.  Place pan into the freezer for 1/2 an hour.

Preheat oven to 375.

Remove pan from freezer and lightly butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil.  Place foil, butter side down on the unbaked crust.  Bake 20-25 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool completely before filling the crust.

Ganache:

Chop chocolate and place in a heat-proof bowl.  Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat cream, butter, and extract until boiling.  Immediately pour the mixture over the chopped chocolate and cover with a piece of aluminum foil.  After a few minutes (I think I waited between 5 and 10 minutes), remove foil and stir the mixture until velvety and smooth.  Pour into your cooled crust.

Topping:

Place pitted cherries into the ganache and sprinkle with almond bits.

Allow the ganache to set before serving.

Sugar Cream Pie

Bruce is gone for the evening on a camping trip with his scouts, making this my first experience as a "Scouting Widow", as my mother-in-law and sister-in-law like to call it.

I decided to try my hand at making a sugar cream pie tonight since I obviously have some alone time on my hands.  My verdict is that it is quite delicious, but that I ultimately should have cooked it a little longer on the stove before pouring it in the pie shell so it would be thicker, and I'll be adding brown sugar to the top.  But I will definitely be making it again.

Enjoy!

Sugar Cream Pie

Ingredients:

1 9-inch pie shell (baked)

3/4 c. sugar

4 Tbs. cornstarch

4 Tbs. butter (melted)

2 1/4 c. half-and-half

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbs. butter (melted)

1 Tbs. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Combine cornstarch and sugar.  Heat butter, half-and-half, and sugar/cornstarch mixture in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles and thickens.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Heat broiler on high.

Pour custard mixture into prepared pie shell.  Mix cinnamon and brown sugar.  Drizzle butter over the custard mixture and sprinkle with brown sugar mixture.  Place under broiler until butter begins to bubble (this will happen quickly, so watch it closely).

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting, longer, if you can resist it!

Mexican Chocolate Cookies

Well,  I finished my accounting class.

YAY!

To celebrate, I took another stab at my Mexican Chocolate Cookie recipe.  I decided to go the non caramel stuffed route this go-around (largely because I didn't have caramel in the house--funny how that works).  But I did have Cinnamon Baking Chips, courtesy of my madre-in-law, so their debut is in these spicy, chocolate goodies!

Enjoy!

Mexican Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

1 c. unsalted butter (room temperature)
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. light corn syrup
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
2/3 c. cinnamon baking chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Line baking sheets with silpat mats (or parchment paper).

Beat butter and sugars together until fluffy.  Add corn syrup, egg, and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and chili powder. Add to the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. Stir in baking chips.

Roll into tablespoon size balls and roll in white sugar.  Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Delicioso!

P.S. I will attempt my foray into Caramel Stuffed Mexican Chocolate Cookies at a later date...stay tuned!

P.P.S.  That plate is one of my favorites, it's a platter actually, and it was given to be by my bestie a number of years ago.  Love it!

Blueberry Lemon Shortbread with Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting

I am not a frosting person.

Never have been.

I can sometimes handle cream cheese frosting, but usually frosting and I just do not get along.

I am the type who will either scrape the frosting off of a piece of cake, spurring flabbergasted and incredulous expressions from those around me.  "How can you not like frosting?!", "It's the best part about eating cake!"

I vehemently disagree.

You might be surprised then, to see that I created a cookie that has frosting on it.  Not only that, but the frosting is my favorite part about this cookie.  I know!  I was aghast, myself!  You should give these babies a try, Bruce basically devoured them when he got home last night, so they are 100% husband approved.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Lemon Shortbread

Ingredients:

1/2 c. unsalted butter (room temperature) *if you only have salted, that is fine, I just had unsalted on hand

1/4 c. powdered sugar

2 tsp. lemon peel

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 c. flour

pinch of salt
1/2 c. blueberry chips (mine are from Prepared Pantry)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and place the oven racks in the top third and bottom third of the oven.

Cream the butter and powdered sugar together.  Add the lemon peel and vanilla and mix til smooth.  Add the flour and salt and mix til completely combined. Add chips.

Place dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and flatten into a large disc 1/4" thick.  Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Remove dough from refrigerator and cut out cookies into desired shape and place on a parchment paper or silpat lined baking sheet.  Refrigerate 10 minutes before baking.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Do not over bake.

Let cool completely before frosting.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)

1/4 c. butter (room temperature)

1/4-1/2 c pureed blueberries (mine were leftover from our wedding that have been in the freezer)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

4-5 c powdered sugar (I completely eyeballed this, add til you get your desired consistency)

With a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter together.  Add blueberries and vanilla.  Mix in powdered sugar until you have reached your desired consistency.

Store frosting in a closed container in the refrigerator.

Mint Chocolate M&M Cookies

Bruce and I had a ton of candy left over from our wedding.

Like, literally, a ton.

Okay, not literally.  But it was a lot.

So we decided to make cookies with some it, and we gave away the rest of it.

We ended up making some Mint Chocolate M&M Cookies, which were frankly delicious, so I'm going to share the recipe below.  Enjoy!

Mint Chocolate M&M Cookies

2 1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. plus 4 Tbs cocoa powder

2 tsp cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 c. butter (room temperature)

1 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs (room temperature)

1 1/4 tsp peppermint extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Sift flour, cocoa, cornstarch, soda and salt together to ensure ingredients are not clumped.  Set aside.

Cream butter and sugars together til fluffy.  Add eggs and extracts and mix til smooth.  Add dry ingredients.

Stir in M&M's by hand to avoid crushing them (ours were a mint green color and looked awesome against the chocolate cookie).

Drop by spoonful onto greased cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes.

Try not to devour them all by yourself.  (We had to give most of them away to avoid eating them all)

Shredded Chicken Enchiladas

I had one of those days where I just did not want to cook, but I really could not get away with eating cereal for dinner...again.

Luckily, I went grocery shopping a couple weeks ago, so I actually had some things to work with.

After taking (an incredibly quick) inventory of my fridge and "pantry", I decided that I'd make enchiladas.  They turned out pretty dang tasty too, if I say so myself (and I do).

Shredded Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can enchilada sauce
salt
ground black pepper
8 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins
2 cups Mexican Blend cheese, divided
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, divided (optional)
6 6-inch corn tortillas
cooking spray

Directions:

Add the minced garlic to the enchilada sauce in the crock pot.  Salt & pepper the chicken and add to the crock pot.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or until chicken is tender and would shred easily. Remove the chicken from the sauce, set aside and let both the chicken and the sauce cool. (If you're not able to do the crock pot option, you can do this on the stove, cooking the chicken in a large skillet in the enchilada sauce for 20-25 minutes).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Using two forks, shred the chicken and then transfer the shredded chicken to a large bowl. Add half the enchilada sauce, 1 cup of the cheese and the 1/2 cup of cilantro to the shredded chicken. Stir to combine.

Spray a 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture along the center of the tortilla. Gently, but firmly, roll the tortilla around the filling and place into the baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Lightly spray the tortillas with cooking spray. This will help the tortillas turn golden in the oven and will also help keep them from cracking. Place baking dish in the oven, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until the tortillas begin to turn golden.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro. Lightly cover baking dish with aluminum foil and place into the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil after 20 minutes and bake, uncovered, for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is golden.

Remove form the oven and let stand 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

You should give these bad boys a try.  I promise they're tasty!

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter

Okay, so I am not a fan of peanut butter.

I will eat it if absolutely necessary, or if for some odd reason I'm craving it (which happened once in 2011, it was a very strange time)

So it may come as a surprise to most of you that I created and am posting a recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies.  But seriously, these things are so good that even I will eat them.  Truth be told, it may be that they are actually half peanut butter and half almond butter (well, a little less than half peanut butter because that's how much I had on hand when I made these...but you could most likely make these with ALL peanut butter (or the nut butter of your choice) if you're crazy)

So here they are...

Peanut Butter Cookies SO Good, Even Lisa Would Eat Them

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup softened butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat sugars, shortening, butter, and nut butters together.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat til smooth and creamy.  Combine dry ingredients and slowly add to the mixture until fully incorporated.

Form dough into balls and roll in white sugar.

Do NOT press a fork into them like you normally would with peanut butter cookies.

Bake for 11-13 minutes (mine were perfect at 11)

Try not to eat them all...because you'll want to.

Chocolate Truffle Tarts

I am in the process of making a Chocolate Truffle Tart for a friends' birthday tomorrow.

While I am not the biggest chocolate fan, I do actually enjoy experimenting with recipes that call for chocolate.  Chocolate desserts seem to have a way of always pleasing chocoholics no matter how mediocre they actually are.

I am pretty sure this tart will be delightful though, I mean, it's a truffle in tart form.  What's not to love about that?

Here is the recipe, courtesy of Annie's Eats

Chocolate Truffle Tart

Yield: about 10-12 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the tart shell:
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp. heavy cream
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup (5 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
¼ cup (¾ oz.) Dutch-process cocoa powder
2/3 cup (2 2/3 oz.) confectioners’ sugar
¼ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

For the filling:
12 oz. good quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. liqueur, such as Kahlua, brandy, or dark rum (optional)  *I just used vanilla

DIRECTIONS

• To make the tart shell, whisk together the egg yolk, cream and vanilla in a small bowl; set aside.  Place the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a food processor.  Process briefly to combine.  Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture; process to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about fifteen 1-second pulses.  With the machine running, add the egg mixture and process until the dough just comes together, about 12 seconds.  Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a 6-inch dish.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator.  (If refrigerated for more than an hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable.)  Unwrap and roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 13-inch round.  Transfer the dough to a 9-inch tart pan.  Mold the dough to the sides of the tart pan and remove the excess off the top.  Set the dough-lined tart pan on a large plate and freeze for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to middle position.  Preheat the oven to 375° F.  Set the dough-lined tart pan on a baking sheet, press a 12-inch square of foil into the frozen shell and over the edge, and fill with pie weights.  Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time.  Remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil and weights.  Continue to bake until just set, 5-8 minutes longer.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• To make the tart filling, place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl.  Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan (or in the microwave).  Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes to melt.  Whisk together until smooth, then whisk in the liqueur.  Pour the filling into the tart shell and chill in the refrigerator, uncovered, until the filling is firm.  To serve, transfer the tart to a serving plate or platter.  Slice with a clean, sharp knife, wiping the blade between slices.

Crock Pot Turkey Pumpkin Chili

So I'm posting another recipe.

Because I can.

And because it's sometimes difficult coming up with things to write about.

I first made this chili back in October I think, and I made it again yesterday.  It's good for cold fall and winter days.  It's a very mild chili as far as overall heat is concerned, but you can adjust that to your taste preference (which is one of the best things about making soups and chilies).

The best part is that it's made in a crock pot!  I've only ever made one pot of chili on the stove. Ever.  I always use a crock pot.  Best invention ever...

Crock Pot Turkey Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients:

• 2 lb ground turkey
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4 cup taco seasoning (or to taste)
• 2 (15 oz) cans white beans (rinsed and drained)
• 15 oz can pumpkin puree
• 4.5 oz can chopped green chilies
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Cook ground turkey in a large saute pan, breaking it up until it is white and cooked through.  Add to crock pot.  Add oil to the saute pan and add onions and garlic.  Saute 3-4 minutes.  Add cumin and saute another minute or so.  Add to crock pot along with beans, pumpkin, chilies, broth, spices and bay leaves.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

Remove bay leaves and adjust seasonings if necessary before serving.

I like to top mine with a little cheddar cheese, but you can also top it with sour cream, green onions, cilantro, or whatever makes you happy.

You should seriously try it though, it's tasty!

Cilantro Tomatillo Dressing Recipe

Below is the recipe for my Cilantro Tomatillo Dressing.

I've been making this for a number of years now, but was always annoyed by how runny it was and how easily it separated when in the fridge.  To mitigate this, I added a Hidden Valley Ranch mix packet which gave it more thickness and prevents the separation.

I love how easy it is to adjust this recipe to your own personal tastes, so go for it!  This dressing is great for salads, on chicken, rice, in burritos, as a dipping sauce...try it wherever!

Cilantro Tomatillo Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup buttermilk

2-3 tomatillos (quartered)

½ bunch fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic

3 tsp lime juice (adjust to taste preference)

1 jalapeno (seeds removed for less spice)

1 green onion

¼ tsp cumin

1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch mix

Put all ingredients in a blender and mix until well-combined.  You can adjust the flavors to suit your tastes (I prefer more lime juice, more tomatillo, and no seeds from the jalapeno).

Refrigerate.

Chicken Pot Pie

I made a Chicken Pot Pie today, and was sad because I wasn't sure I would remember what exactly I put in it, so I wouldn't be able to replicate it.

BUT... I think I was actually able to recall everything.  Though I will say that I have a habit of not measuring my herbs and spices when I cook, so really, everything is based on how you want it to taste.

Chicken Pot Pie
   

·             ⅓ cup butter

·         ½ onion, chopped

·         ⅓ cup flour

·         ½ teaspoon salt

·         ¼ teaspoon pepper

·         1¾ c chicken broth

·         ½ cup milk

·         5 chicken tenders, shredded

·         2 cups vegetables, thawed

·         1 teaspoon sage

·         ½ teaspoon rosemary

·         1 box Pillsbury pie crust

D    Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pie crust for a double crust pie according to package directions. Melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Add broth and milk and stir. Cook until sauce thickens and begins to bubble. Add vegetables and chicken to sauce. Pour into prepared crust and cover with top crust, cut slits in top of crust to vent.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cover the edges with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent burning. Let sit about 5 minutes before serving to set the filling.