Chocolate Covered Strawberries

I prepared some chocolate covered strawberries today to use as a garnish for a dessert for Valentine's Day tomorrow. It can be a bit difficult to get fresh strawberries at this time of year, however these strawberries were easy to find and taste quite fresh and sweet. Strawberries seem to be jumbo-sized now compared to what I remember getting years ago (some of these strawberries are closer in size to an apple!), but that makes them perfect for dipping! Chocolate covered strawberries are very quick and easy to make, but they  give a professional-looking touch. They add a real aspect of elegance to any dessert, and they are also great by themselves.
To prepare these strawberries, I washed them, patted them dry, and trimmed a few of the leaves. Then I dipped them each directly into a pot of melted semi-sweet chocolate and gently swirled them to coat. I placed them on a tray lined with parchment paper, and let them chill in the refrigerator for ten minutes. Then I melted one ounce of white chocolate, put it into a plastic bag, cut a tiny hole in the corner, and drizzled the chocolate over the strawberries. You can also just use a fork to do this, but I find you have more control using a plastic bag. I let them set in the fridge again.
I left the strawberry in the middle uncovered because I figured once it was dipped in chocolate, you wouldn't be able to tell that it is actually heart-shaped. It is a little hard to see at this angle, but I think the store tried to include one heart-shaped strawberry in every package for this week!

Chocolate Sauce

Here is a master recipe for chocolate sauce, which may come in handy for a wide variety of things. It is great as decoration, drizzle or garnish; a great topping for ice cream, pancakes, and cake; and may also be used in recipes for squares, cakes, and hot drinks.

Chocolate Sauce
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch salt
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, mix the first three ingredients. Add the water and butter, stir and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil, without stirring, for 2-4 minutes, until the sauce is of desired thickness. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Serve warm as a hot fudge sauce, or allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week, gently reheat before serving if desired.

The amount of sugar may be adjusted up or down, depending on how sweet you want your sauce to be. It is also good to add in some chopped chocolate (any variety) with the butter for a richer, more chocolatey taste. Using whipping cream (or evaporated milk) in place of water will also result in a richer sauce. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

Reverse Nanaimo Bars

Here is a unique twist on a popular classic: Reverse Nanaimo Bars. For those who aren't familiar with Nanaimo Bars, they are a popular Canadian confection named after their place of origin, Nanaimo, British Colombia. These are fairly easy, three-layer, no-bake squares. There are a few different recipe variations around for them, but they all have the same basic idea. They start with a chocolate base chock full of coconut, walnuts, and graham cracker crumbs. That is followed by a buttercream layer flavored with vanilla custard powder, and a smooth topping of melted semi-sweet chocolate. Custard powder was invented by a man who's wife adored custard, but she was allergic to eggs. So he came up with the powder. It can be tricky to find in some areas, but instant vanilla pudding can be used in place of it (I have even omitted it completely, the bars are still delicious!). Nanaimo bars are easy and quite visually appealing, the only drawback is that they must be prepared in three stages, and refrigerated after each one. The only lengthy part of the preparation is the chilling. It is a good recipe to make when you have several small chunks of time on your hands instead of one big one. 
In this variation, instead of the usual white layer between two chocolate, there is a chocolate layer between two white. The base is pretty much the same, except in place of cocoa powder, there is melted white chocolate. The middle still contains custard powder, but also has the addition of cocoa. And the top is simply melted white chocolate, with a semi-sweet chocolate drizzle for a little extra garnish. I really like traditional Nanaimo Bars, but this twist was nice for a change, it was something different and was still very tasty.
These squares turned out nice and sweet, without being too rich. They are easy to cut and store, and surprisingly the chocolate topping did not crack. The flavors of white chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate work very well together.

Valentine Ideas

Valentine's Day is approaching, and there are many, many different recipes out there geared towards the occasion. You can cut pretty much any food into a heart shape, and it will be suitable for Valentine's Day. Any red or pink foods are also appropriate for Valentine's Day, especially raspberries and strawberries, and deeply indulgent chocolate desserts are also very popular at this time of the year.

Popular dinner menus for Valentine's Day include: lobster, pasta, tomato, seafood, steak, and shrimp dishes.
Popular Valentine's Sweets: heart shaped cookies, brownies, cakes.
Popular Valentine's Desserts: chocolate mousse, parfaits, tortes, molten chocolate cakes, flourless chocolate cake, cupcakes, red velvet cake, meringues, cheesecakes.
Popular Valentine's Treats: truffles, chocolate-dipped strawberries, chocolate hearts, chocolate kisses, cinnamon hearts, candy hearts.

Some cute ideas for Valentine's Day:

• Heart shaped pancakes or waffles with strawberries.
• Sandwiches cut into hearts.
• Spaghetti with hearts - meatloaf cut into hearts.
• Heart shaped pizzas or breads.
• Cut out sugar cookies or brownies decorated with red sprinkles.
• A heart shaped cake with buttercream roses.

PHOTO CREDIT:"send-valentine-cards"    http://valentine-greeting-cards.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html  . Valentine Greeting CArds, n.d. Friday, February 10, 2012.

Cheesecakes

Cheesecake is a fairly easy and delicious dessert to make. They can range in size, can be almost any flavor, from sweet to savoury, and can be bake or no-bake. Cheesecakes can also be made with any type of crust, and any type of garnishes.
The main ingredient in cheesecakes, of course, is cream cheese. Most recipes recommend that you use full-fat cream cheese for the best results, but some recipes use low-fat or even fat-free cheesecake. Sometimes sour cream or yogurt is also added to the cheesecake to further enhance the rich, creamy texture and flavour. Another important ingredient in cheesecakes is eggs, which can be any amount upwards of three. Eggs provide stability and help the cheesecake to rise, since no baking powder or baking soda is used. Sugar provides the sweetness in dessert cheesecakes to make them sweet. And every cheesecake needs a splash of flavouring, whether it be vanilla extract, orange zest, cold coffee, lime juice, or almond extract.

The one problem many of us have with cheesecakes is cracking, which often occurs during baking or shortly after. If your cheesecake does crack, hide it with garnishes. Whipped cream, chocolate glaze, fruit, and chocolate curls are all good at concealing
cracks. However, there are some steps and precautions you can take to prevent your cheesecake from cracking.

* Make sure cream cheese is at room temperature before using, and not softened in the microwave.
* Thoroughly beat the cream cheese with the sugar.
* Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, but being careful not to overbeat.
* Any ingredients added after the eggs should be beat until just blended.
* Cheesecakes should be baked at a lower temperature for a longer amount of time.
* Bake cheesecakes in a water bath.
* Do not open the oven until the minimum amount of baking time is reached.
* Do not over bake cheesecakes. They should still jiggle a bit in the middle.
* Do not test a cheesecake for doneness by inserting anything into it.
* Run a butter knife around the edge of the cheesecake immediately after removing it from the oven to loosen it from the pan.
* Allow cheesecakes to cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating.
* Cheesecakes should be baked in springform pans.

Cooking Shows

I don't watch much television in general, but when I do, I pretty much only watch cooking shows. Which isn't so easy to do, when you don't even get the Food Network. However, there are other channels that show cooking shows, particularly on Saturday afternoons. Some of my favorite cooking shows are: Cook's Country and America's Test Kitchen, Come Dine With Me, Recipes To Riches, Lidia's Italy (which my grandmother started me on), Fabulous Cakes, and my favorites starring Buddy Valastro, Cake Boss, Kitchen Boss, and Next Great Baker. Some of these shows are competitions, some are reality, and some are just straight-forward cooking shows. For the most part, cooking shows are relaxing and educational experiences, especially when you don't have the time, patience, or freezer space to bake yourself. I enjoy watching cooking shows as I always learn something new and get to experience a different way of doing things. However, I do have a few pet peeves with regards to cooking shows.

1. When the chefs do not wash their hands or decontaminate surfaces after they have come into contact with raw meat or raw eggs. Maybe it is because I have a phobia of cross contamination, but I find this particularly disturbing. 
2. When the chefs fail to scrape bowls or leave a lot of batter behind. They are wasting!
3. When the chefs say, "I have one right here already prepared." I know they don't have time to prepare the entire dish on the show, but it just seems like they already have three versions of their dish made in advance, all at different stages in preparation. They could just stick it in the oven and say, "And we'll be right back" and show a clock moving to represent time passing. 

I also find it funny that every ingredient is already measured out for them in small bowls. It is obvious that they have someone else doing the dishes for them!

PHOTO CREDIT:"11949853282019859913television_alexander_d.__01.svg.hi"   http://www.clker.com/clipart-3224.html  . Clker.com, n.d. Wednesday, February 8, 2012.

Banana Streusel Muffins

This is a muffin recipe I created from several different adapted muffin recipes. It starts out with a basic muffin recipe, flavored and moistened with some mashed banana. Then add a cinnamon streusel topping. These bake into lovely, moist muffins with a crackly sweet topping.

Banana Streusel Muffins
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cups all-purpose (white) flour
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (about 3 medium) mashed overripe banana
2 large eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400◦F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease them.
In a small bowl, mix the sugar and the cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center.
In a separate medium bowl, mix the banana, eggs, oil, and milk until smooth. Add to the well. Stir until just moistened.
Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter. Sprinkle each evenly with cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Candy Cane Biscotti

Since it is February, I decided I should finally use up all of the leftover Christmas candy once and for all. There were still some leftover candy canes lying around the house, and although they would probably still be good next year (they are only sugar), I don't want to have them around that long. I recalled stashing away a recipe in my huge binder of cooking things for candy cane biscotti, and sure enough, I found it.
Biscotti are Italian cookies meaning "twice baked". The dough, which is fairly dry compared to most cookie doughs, is formed into long logs and baked. Then after briefly cooling, the logs are cut diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices, arranged cut side up on a baking sheet, and baked again at a slightly lower oven temperature. Biscotti have a characteristic crunch, and their long shape and dry texture make them perfect for dipping in coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or milk.

Candy Cane Biscotti
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose (white) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup crushed candy canes

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, mix well. Stir in the candy canes.
Divide dough into four equal pieces, shape each piece into a flattened log, about 9x1 inch. Place a few inches apart on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are cracked and the dough is set. Cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325◦F. Cut each log diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices (you should get about 10-12 slices per log, including the ends). Place ends, cut side up, on the baking sheet (if your parchment paper is full of sticky, melted candy cane mess like mine was, use a new sheet). Bake for another 12 to 15 minutes, until cookies are light golden and crisp. Cool completely on a wire rack.

If you want to dress up these biscotti, they are nice dipped in a little melted white (or semi-sweet) chocolate, and sprinkled with more crushed candy cane. These have a nice crisp exterior and minty flavor. Makes about 4 dozen.

If I had waited another week, these would have made a nice treat for Valentine's Day, as they are speckled with red, white, and pink candy cane pieces. Oh well, I'll be sure to make something else nice for Valentine's Day.

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls are one of those indulgent comfort foods. You just cannot (and should not) try to make them healthy, otherwise they aren't true cinnamon rolls anymore. Cinnamon rolls must contain large quantities of sugar and butter, they must be enriched with egg and milk, and of course, they must contain a nice dose of cinnamon. Many cinnamon rolls are also iced, although I don't tend to bother with that. Although cinnamon rolls must be indulgent, I think they are sweet and rich enough without a frosting. Plus, I like to enjoy them straight from the oven, so they don't tend to stick around long enough to be frosted anyway. However, if a cinnamon roll just isn't a cinnamon roll to you without the frosting, a cream cheese frosting or a plain vanilla glaze are both excellent choices. A drizzle of melted chocolate is also a welcome addition!

A certain family member has been asking me to make cinnamon rolls for a while now, but I've been pretty busy lately, so I didn't get the chance until today. I must say, I had quite the hankering for cinnamon rolls myself! I used my usual cinnamon roll recipe, one given to me by my grandmother. I am so glad she did, as I have never tasted a cinnamon roll as good as these. They are made from a simple biscuit dough - no yeast, and no waiting for dough to rise. The dough is soft, fluffy, and very easy to work with and roll up. The filling is the usual cinnamon roll filling: butter, sugar, and cinnamon. The only slight problem with this recipe is the baking time. It's a bit too long, because the smell of the cinnamon rolls cooking starts to drive you crazy before they are done!

Potato Puffs

These make a nice little addition to any meal, and are a welcome change from the usual mashed or baked potatoes. They are simple to make, although they do require two steps: boiling and mashing then baking. You simply peel and wash as many potatoes as you need, boil them until tender, and mash them. Season with salt, pepper, and any other spices you would like. Add a little milk, butter, and beaten egg, and mix until smooth. Then drop onto a baking sheet lined with foil. I used an ice cream scoop to do this, which made perfectly sized and shaped potato puffs. Bake at 350◦F for 10 minutes, until just set. Drizzle each puff with a little melted butter and bake for another 20 minutes until golden. I then broiled mine for a few minutes on high to get a nice crisp exterior. This puffs are crispy and golden on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. 

Sweet and Sour Glazed Pork Chops

There were some extra pork chops from last night's supper, but no leftover sauce, so I whipped up a new little glaze to put on them. I decided on a sweet and sour glaze, which gave the chops a delicious, tangy flavor, and keep them moist in the reheating process. Here is the sauce I made:

In a medium saucepan, put 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 tablespoon ketchup, and 1/2 tablespoon soya sauce. Heat and stir over high heat until the mixture begins to boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 5-7 minutes until thickened. 

I cut the pork chops in half to more thoroughly coat them in sauce, placed them in a casserole dish, and poured the hot glaze over them. I covered and baked at 300◦F for half an hour to reheat. This glaze would work well for other meats too, it would be really nice on chicken or beef. It certainly is finger-licking good!

Creamy Mushroom Smothered Pork Chops

Tonight for supper I cooked up a quick, easy, and quite tasty dish. First, I sauteed some pork chops in a frying pan in a little oil over high heat. The trick to a nice sear and a flavorful crust is to have the pan really hot before adding the chops. I cooked them for about 5 minutes per side, just to get some color on them. I found it best to just leave them plain -  don't dredge them in egg, coat in flour, or season, as there will be enough flavor in the sauce. Then I transferred them to a lightly oiled ovenproof pot, covered it and put it in a 350◦F oven to finish cooking the pork chops. They took about 30 minutes.
For the sauce, I added a little extra oil to the pan I used to saute the pork chops. Then I added some diced onion, and cooked it, scraping up the brown bits from the pork, until the onions caramelized. I then added some fresh sliced mushrooms, and deglazed the pan. I made it into a sauce by adding some cream of mushroom soup and gently simmering until smooth and thick. This thick, creamy sauce is an excellent accompaniment to the tender, juicy pork. Serve each chop with a generous spoonful of sauce, plus a little extra on the side. Quick, easy, and delicious!

Fast Food Restaurants

Time for another just for fun post. Today I am going to see how many international fast food restaurant chains I can name.

• McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Harvey's, Subway, A&W, KFC
• Dairy Queen, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Quizno's, Greco, Captain Sub, Sonic
• Arby's, Domino's

Actually, there aren't as many as I thought. I don't tend to eat out at fast food restaurants very often. Basically only when I am travelling. I prefer to prepare my own, fresh, wholesome food at home. However, keep in mind that there are healthy options available at most fast food restaurants if that is your only option.

PHOTO CREDIT:"Fast%20food%20restaurants%20001"  http://pizzarecipes.net/healthy-pizza-recipes.html . PizzaRecipes.net, n.d. Wednesday, February 1, 2012.

Chocolate Cinnamon Muffins

Chocolate Cinnamon Muffins
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
heaping 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
6 Tbsp oil or melted butter

Preheat oven to 400◦F. Grease or line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. 
In a large bowl, stir together the first 5 ingredients. Mix in the cinnamon and chocolate chips. Make a well in the center.
In a separate small bowl, beat the remaining ingredients. Add to well. Stir just to moisten.
Scoop batter in prepared tins. Bake for 20 minutes, until well risen, firm, and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
These are delicious (but a bit messy) warm!

These were quick, easy, and decadent. They rose very nicely and were nice and moist. The hint of cinnamon really helped to bring out the chocolate flavor in these muffins. One change I made, was I used mini chocolate chips, then placed a spoonful of regular-sized chocolate chips in the center of each muffin. Fresh from the oven or reheated in the microwave, this made a nice molten center.

Tee, Susanna. "Chocolate Cinnamon Muffins." Recipe. 1 Mix, 100 Muffins, Bath, UK: Parragon Books Limited, 2008. 55.

My First Cake

Since I have not baked anything recently, today I will show you my first cake. This wasn't the first cake I had ever made, I had made many before that, but this was the first cake I decorated somewhat professionally. This was right after I took a three day basic cake decorating course. Before this, decorated cakes for me would simply consist of a simple layer of frosting, and maybe adding some sprinkles or other decorations, but that was about it. Taking this course changed everything. It taught all about buttercream and piping; how to pipe borders, lettering, edging, and best of all, how to make buttercream roses (I'm still working on that one). This course was very enjoyable and helpful to me. After taking it, I went out and bought some more decorating equipment, whipped up some more cakes, and practiced, practiced, practiced. I learned so much about cakes and decorating techniques. 

This is the cake I decorated on the final day of the course. I was trying to practice many of the techniques I had learned. I used a simple one layer 8-inch round cake, iced in vanilla buttercream. Then I dyed the remainder of my buttercream blue to use for decorating.  The bottom border is a shell border. The top border is a star border. The top of the cake contains some piped rosettes. These three techniques were all done with the same star tip. I added some writing with a simple open tip. Then I made buttercream roses using a special flower tip and a flower nail. These were some of the first roses I had ever made. I am quite proud of them, considering it was 32◦C that day, and the buttercream was beginning to melt! Since this cake, I keep improving upon my decorating skills with each new cake. I love cake decorating. It is so fun and relaxing!

Master Sugar Cookie Recipe

Sugar cookies are suitable for any occasion. They can be plain and simple or decorative and fancy. They can be cut into virtually any size and shape imaginable. They may be decorated with icing, sprinkles, sugar, candies, glazes, or chocolate. They can be piled high with cream and fruit, or sandwiched together with a filling. They can also be jazzed up a little with the addition of spices, cocoa, or chocolate chips. Here is a basic recipe for simple sugar cookies. The recipe may easily be doubled or tripled.

Sugar Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, mix well. Stir in the remaining ingredients until incorporated. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a flattened disk and wrap well with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight. Remove from the fridge 15 minutes before rolling.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325◦F. Grease or line baking sheets. Roll out the dough, one half at a time, into 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Cut out shapes with a cutter dipped lightly in all-purpose flour. Bake cookies 1-inch apart on baking sheets for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned, depending on size. 

Cool cookies completely before frosting and decorating. Sprinkles and sugar decorations may be placed on before baking. Cookies may also be rolled into 1-inch balls if you don't have time to refrigerate, roll, and cut.

Here are some sugar cookies that were decorated to look like atoms for a chemistry class. The ratios of protons, neutrons and electrons may not be totally realistic, but they look pretty cute.

DECORATING IDEAS: Frost cookies with icing, melted chocolate, or a corn syrup glaze. Leave as is, or add candies: sprinkles, jelly beans, candy-coated chocolates, chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, marshmallows, etc.  Sandwich cookies together with chocolate filling, peanut butter, jam, icing, cream cheese, etc.  Pipe a swirl of whipped cream on each cookie and top with a fresh strawberry or other fruit.

Learn From Your Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes. To err is human. Mistakes are an inevitable process of life. Unfortunate as they may be, mistakes can teach some very valuable lessons. I have acquired much of my cooking advice through mistakes, trial and error. You have to experiment and take some chances to find out what works and what doesn't. For example, I learned that when in doubt, use parchment paper to line your pans. Parchment paper is guaranteed not to stick to anything. Waxed paper or foil on the other hand, may stick to your squares and make them unnecessarily difficult to eat. Forgetting to set a timer may result in burnt baked goods. And all-purpose flour is not always a suitable substitution for tapioca. It doesn't thicken nearly as well. 
Some of the best things in baking have come from mistakes. Brownies are believed to be invented when a chef forgot to add a leavening agent to his chocolate cake. Also, many acceptable substitutions we use today came from trials. The use of sour cream in cake mixes to keep them moist most likely originated when someone was out of milk.

Other mistakes I have made? One time I halved a recipe for chocolate cake to make just one layer. It ended up overflowing out of the pan and onto the oven floor. When your cake starts to smell like burnt marshmallow, check it out. It's probably not a good sign! Don't halve candy recipes either, they don't set properly. Oh, and moist cakes don't tend to support themselves very well. That's how I ended up with my creation, "Caramel Chocolate Mudslide".

Typically, you should follow all of the instructions of a recipe as closely as possible, but know when to trust your own instincts. And don't be afraid to experiment a bit, that's how really great results are achieved! And listen to those many pieces of baking advice you have heard, most of them are right. Like frosting a warm cake? Don't do it. Peeking into the oven while a cake is baking? It will probably affect it's rising. 

Bottom line here: Mistakes will happen, especially in the kitchen. Accept them, admit them, and learn from them.

Hamburgers

Tonight my father whipped up a batch of his famous hamburgers for supper. In the summertime, he likes to barbecue them, but in the winter, that isn't a very practical idea. Cooking them in the oven is a decent substitution, although I still prefer the taste of them when they are barbecued. Dad's hamburger recipe is quite simple, he uses just fresh ground beef as the base, along with some binders such as egg and breadcrumbs, and some flavor additions such as minced onion and ground black pepper. Nothing fancy and nothing too difficult. He also makes the hamburgers relatively small in size compared to the burgers you see in restaurants today. None of those 1/4 or 1/2 pounders here! Some of my family's favorite toppings for hamburgers include: lettuce, tomato, cheese, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and relish. Barbecue sauce, raw onion, and bacon slices are also good. We tend to eat our burgers on just plain old hamburger buns, but fancier sesame or foccacia buns would also be good. There is nothing like a classic hamburger for supper!

Cookie Baking Tips

Cookies are easy, relatively quick, and delicious little bundles of joy! They can be anywhere from simple no-bake to elaborate rolled and filled cookies. Drop cookies are excellent recipes for beginner bakers to try. Rolled and cut-out cookies are fun to make for holidays and special occasions. Filled and iced cookies are great for fancier occasions and parties. Whatever type of cookies you want to make, here is a basic list of tips that should help every type of cookie turn out delicious.

1. Start with room-temperature ingredients. Room temperature ingredients are the best for baking, so take butter, eggs, and milk out of the fridge a half hour or so before starting.
2. Make sure butter is properly softened. If a recipe calls for softened butter, make sure it is thoroughly soft before using. Do not use the microwave to soften butter, as it yields uneven results.
3. Cream butter and sugar together well. If a recipe states to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, this step will take a couple minutes by machine and several minutes by hand. Ensure that it is done properly for the best texture and rise in cookies. Also make sure that any eggs and vanilla are thoroughly incorporated as well.
4. Chill dough if needed. For most rolled and cut-out cookies, and drop cookies with a particularly sticky dough, the dough must be chilled for several hours before baking. This is often done right in the mixing bowl, or the dough is separated into disks and wrapped with plastic wrap. Allow dough for rolled cookies to warm up slightly if too stiff to roll.
5. Flour any rolling surfaces, rolling pins, cookie cutters, and hands that will contact these cookies to prevent sticking.
6. Bake only one tray of cookies at a time, in the center rack, to prevent uneven cooking or burning.
7. Check the cookies after the minimum baking time and every minute after. They are usually ready when they are just set, can be lifted without breaking, or are slightly brown on the bottom.
8. Make sure cookie sheets are thoroughly cooled before placing another batch of cookies on to them bake. This prevents the cookies from spreading.
9. Do not grease the pans unless a recipe calls for it. Lining pans with parchment paper is a very good and convenient idea. This way, sheets of cookie dough can be prepared in advance and just slipped onto a baking tray to bake. A particularly good idea if you don't have many cookie sheets. It also eliminates the worry of cookies sticking, and cleanup is a breeze.
10. Transfer cookies from the baking sheets according to recipe instructions. Some say immediately to prevent sticking, some say wait a few minutes for the cookies to set. Cookies should be transferred to a wire rack or a plate with a spatula to cool completely before storage.
11. Store cookies in an airtight container or a sealed plastic bag. Many cookies can last up to a week at room temperature, freeze for longer storage. Store different types of cookies in separate containers.
12. Cookies should be completely cool before frosting or filling. However, sprinkles and hard candies may be placed on cookies before baking.

 

                                       PHOTO CREDIT:"jollys-cookies_n"  http://greatlakesgazette.wordpress.com/2010/06/24/a-jolly-good-place-in-petoskey/ . Great Lakes Gazette, n.d. Wednesday, January 25, 2012.

Salmon

Salmon is a very nutritious fish best known for its benefit of omega-3 fatty acids (the good fats). Salmon is an excellent protein choice for supper. It is relatively low in calories and the bad fats, and high in protein and the good fats. Nutritionists are always recommending we eat more fish rather than meat, and that we consume more omega-3s. Salmon is the way to go!  Fresh salmon can be a little tricky to get sometimes and can be a bit pricey, but canned salmon is always a great alternative. It is quite inexpensive, and the presence of bones (soft, perfectly edible) contributes high amounts of calcium and Vitamin D. Another tasty choice is smoked salmon, which can usually be purchased refrigerated or frozen. It has a very nice flavor and is great to make appetizers and hors d'oeuvres. Salmon can be prepared by baking, grilling, smoking, or pan-frying. My favorite preparation method for salmon is to smoke it on maple planks on the barbecue, with just a sprinkle of brown sugar for flavor. Salmon also goes well with a variety of different foods. A fool-proof choice is to pair salmon with stir-fried broccoli and rice. Salmon also pairs well with risotto and noodles, makes an excellent sandwich, and creates a delightful appetizer served atop a slice of baguette with cream cheese. I had salmon for supper tonight, and if there were leftovers, I would use them for a sandwich tomorrow. But of course, there isn't any left!

Dad's Raisin Bread

My father's mother always used to make loaves upon loaves of homemade bread. So I guess that is why my father gets the urge every once in a while to try his own hand at bread. He has made homemade bread a few times before, usually white but sometimes raisin or cinnamon raisin. He has had his fair share of troubles, from poor recipes to low risings, but this time he really nailed it. I think he has finally found a perfect recipe for raisin bread, with a few of his modifications of course. First of all, the recipe didn't call for any eggs, but Dad added one. We also found the bread a tad too salty, so next time he will cut the amount of salt in half. And it just isn't true raisin bread without adding cinnamon!

This bread has a nice, soft texture with a crisp outer crust. The raisins are plump and juicy. You can really taste the rich, buttery texture in the bread. It is fairly firm bread, that is good for toast in the morning or for sandwiches for lunch. It rose very nicely and baked well. While the bread baked, the enticing aroma that filled the entire house was almost too much to handle. We were not able to wait the 10 minute recommendation of cooling the bread in the pan. Surprisingly, the bread didn't fall apart even though we hacked into it while it was still piping hot. I hope Dad makes this bread again real soon. Delicious!

Crunchy Multi Seed Loaf

Yesterday I had the craving to make and enjoy some homemade bread but I didn't have a lot of time to do it. I didn't have the time to mix up the dough, I didn't have the patience to knead, and I didn't have the oven space to allow the dough to rise. So I took the easy way out and made a quick-bread, more like a loaf. Loaf breads are a lot quicker and easier than making traditional yeast breads, and they can also turn out quite well. They aren't quite as sturdy as yeast bread, and they are usually richer, so they are not the ideal choice for sandwiches. They are an excellent choice for breakfast and snacks though. Loaf breads use chemical leavening such as baking powder or baking soda in place of yeast, so they do not need to pre-rise. They also tend to be moister and sweeter than yeast breads. This loaf was very moist, sweet, and soft. The taste and texture reminded me of banana loaf without the banana. This loaf contained whole wheat flour, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, brown sugar, buttermilk, and egg, making it quite hearty and nutritious.

Merry Fruit Squares

The other day I came across some leftover mixed fruit from Christmas time baking in the cupboard. Although this stuff will last for a year, thanks to a large amount of sugar and a multitude of preservatives (not exactly healthy stuff, but essential ingredients of fruitcakes), I don't feel like looking at it for that long. I really didn't feel like mixing up any more fruitcakes or fruit breads, as we just finished eating those. So I went looking for a different recipe that uses mixed fruit. 

I came across a tasty-sounding one in Company's Coming "150 Delicious Squares". If you have some leftover fruit, or happened to pick some up at the after-Christmas clearance sales, you should try these yummy squares!

Merry Fruit Squares
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup glazed cut mixed fruit  
1/4 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

*I used about 2/3 cup each of chopped mixed peel and glazed mixed fruit, because that's what I had. I didn't use any nuts.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until they are thick and increased in volume. Add the sugar and continue beating. Beat in vanilla. Add remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Pour into greased (or lined) 8x8 inch square pan. Bake at 350◦F for about 30 minutes until set. Cool and cut into squares. Freezes well.

These squares are quite soft in texture, almost cake-like. They are sweet, moist, and just a little sticky. They are chock full of delicious fruit. The batter is very basic, simply eggs, sugar, vanilla, flour. The recipe suggests you could add an icing, but the squares really don't need it. They would make a colorful addition to a dessert plate any day. They are very quick to whip up - just one bowl. And they cut very easily. Yum!

Paré, Jean. "Merry Fruit Squares." Recipe. 150 Delicious Squares, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1981. 95.

Chocolate Oatmeal Muffins

I found this delicious recipe in my Hershey's Recipe Collection recipe binder. It makes twelve very moist and very decadent muffins. They also contain oatmeal, so you could eat them for breakfast. They are still much healthier than some store-bought or coffee shop muffins. They are also quick and easy to make. I left out the chopped walnuts, and I certainly didn't miss them!

Chocolate Oatmeal Muffins
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk or soured milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (I left these out)

Preheat oven to 400◦F. Grease or line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a small bowl, stir together the oats and the buttermilk. Let stand for at least 20 minutes.
In a large bowl, stir together the oil, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add oat mixture, mix well. In a separate medium bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients. Add to oat mixture, stir until just moistened. Stir in nuts, if using.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

West Side Publishing. "Chocolate Oatmeal Walnut Muffins." Recipe. Hershey's Classic Recipes, Lincolnwood Illinois: Publications International, Limited, 2009. 338.

Cereal

For some reason I've got breakfast on the mind, so I am going to name as many different types of cereals (brand names) as I can. I won't go into individual flavors or varieties though. I won't even peak into the cupboard.

• Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Cinnamon Toast Crunch
• Kashi, Vector, Oat Bran, Frosted Flakes, Corn Flakes, Chex, Shreddies
• Oatmeal Crisp, Honey Bunches Of Oats, Reese Puffs, Nesquik, Honeycombs
• Sugar Crisp, Special K, Heart to Heart, Red River, Quaker, Cocoa Puffs
• Alphabets, Cap'n Crunch, Mini Wheats, Lucky Charms, Life , Raisin Bran
• Muslix, Just Right, Great Grains, Apple Jacks, Trix, Bran Flakes, Fiber One
• Honey Smacks, Golden Grahams, Wheet-A-Bix, Cookie Crunch, Total
• Magix, Crispix, Cinnamon Harvest

I'm sure you can think of many more. Out of this list of 45, I am not exactly proud to announce that I have consumed 30 of them at least once in my lifetime (for most, it has been a lot more than once).

A lot of these cereals have also been transformed into cereal bars, snacks, cookies, etc. Their labels are largely recognized by the mascots they used, as in Rice Krispie Squares with Snap, Crackle, and Pop, and the toucan on the box of Fruit Loops and Fruit Loops Bars.

This list is largely composed of sugar cereals, and there are a lot more that I have not mentioned. These cereals really should not be considered breakfast cereals at all, but rather desserts. They have very high sugar contents, and do not make a good start to the day. Examples include: Reese Puffs, Nesquik, Froot Loops, and Cookie Crunch. Even cereals that sound healthy may contain large amounts of sugar, such as Honey Bunches Of Oats and even Multi Grain Cheerios. Check those labels!!

PHOTO CREDIT:"b209192437 (1).jpg" 
http://www.healthkicker.com/720496554/choosing-the-right-cereal/. healthkicker, n.d. Friday, January 20, 2012.

Brown Rice

When we say brown rice in our house, we are not referring to the whole grain, healthier version of the popular grain. Rather, we are actually referring to white rice that looks brown due to the addition of flavorings and spices. Does this make a healthier side dish? No, probably not, but does it taste good? Definitely! It is a recipe my mother has been making for a long time. It goes well with a variety of main courses, and makes a good-sized amount to feed the whole family. It also makes good leftovers, and is good for potlucks.

This dish is flavored with dry onion soup mix and soya sauce. Sometimes we add sliced mushrooms and/or chopped green pepper to this dish for added color and flavor. The dish is very easy to make. You simply mix dry rice with the flavoring ingredients directly in the casserole dish, pour boiling water over it, and place it in the oven. The temperature and cooking times can vary, depending on if you want to bake something else along with the rice at the same time.

Minecraft Cake

Here is a cake I made to resemble a video game character. This is the creeper in the video game "Minecraft". This is just the head of the creeper, although it would have been very neat to make the full body from cake too, and have it stand up (this also would have been very difficult and would make quite a large cake). I don't know much about video games, but apparently the creeper character is known to explode. Well, my cake didn't explode, which is probably a good thing, because then it would not have been able to be eaten.

To make this cake, I made a rectangular chocolate cake. I started by dirty-icing the entire cake in vanilla buttercream. I marked out a pattern of squares, each 2cm x 2cm in the icing. I started with the face, piped with chocolate icing, and used a picture I printed off of the internet as my guide. Then I made three different shades of green buttercream, and generated a random pattern of how the colors would go in my head. I used a basketweave tip turned upside down, so that the lines (or basket weave) would not show. Essentially, this made just a flat tip. I piped straight lines to fill in all of the squares. This was a fairly simple cake to make. The piping was not difficult, as it consisted simply of lines and squares. It was a very fun cake to make though, and although it may seem a bit tedious, I didn't find that at all. I finished off with a simple shell border around the bottom edge.

Roasted Chickens

Roasted chicken! Yum! These little birds are so much quicker and easier to prepare than an entire turkey, and leftovers are also easier to handle. We ended up cooking three birds to feed our family, with leftovers, but one bird would make a nice meal for a smaller family. It is also nice to have some precooked chicken on hand. Freeze it and save it for later to add to soups, stews and casseroles. Roasted chicken dinners are very good, they are usually composed of vegetables, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. However, if you are tired of the traditional roast chicken dinner, roasted chicken is also very good for hot chicken sandwiches, casseroles, soups, and divans. Chicken is an extremely versatile meat that goes with a wide variety of vegetables, grains, and flavors. Roasting chicken allows you to easily cook an entire chicken, and lends a moist and tender quality to the chicken. It isn't difficult, and all you need really is a suitable roasting pan. Here we have a large enough roasting pan to accommodate three whole chickens, but we've also got a smaller roasting pan for when we only want to cook one. In my opinion, if you are going to have the oven on to cook one bird, you might as well throw in another or two, as they may come in handy later on for a quick and easy meal!

Slow Cooked Root Vegetables

This is a nice vegetable dish to make in the wintertime, when there aren't many vegetables in season, the ones that are in season aren't all that appealing on their own, fresh vegetables don't have the best flavor, and hot, slow-cooked dishes are the way to go. This recipe combines equal amounts of carrots, parsnips and turnips with some sweet potato and onion. They are flavored with olive oil, salt, pepper, brown sugar and parsley. All of the vegetables are cut into approximate one inch chucks, seasoned, and thrown into the slow cooker. Simple, easy, and no work after the vegetables are prepared. This side dish makes a nice accompaniment to any meal. I was a little bit skeptical when my father first pulled out this recipe, but he really pulled it off. Not bad at all for a dish of cooked winter vegetables! I really wish I had remembered to take a picture of these vegetables when they were still in the crock pot right before they were served, as they looked very lovely presented that way. But I didn't, so here is a picture of them in a bowl.