Skillet Green Beans

I have found a recipe for Green Beans that the entire family loves. In fact, they are asking me when I am going to make this recipe again.  The recipe is very simple and comes together quickly.  The ingredients are few -green beans, vinegar, bacon, onion powder, salt and pepper.  As you can see from the ingredients, the  beans get their flavor from the bacon grease, onion powder, and cider vinegar. They are delicious. 

Skillet Green Beans
From My Recipes adapted by From My Southwest Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 pounds  green  beans, trimmed
4 thick hickory-smoked bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Cook green beans in boiling salted water to cover  4 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Plunge beans into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain.

2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet.

3. Add the green beans to the skillet.  Sprinkle with the onion powder and stir.  Stir in  the vinegar.  Increase heat to medium - high and sauté the green beans for 5 minutes or until hot.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Toss with reserved bacon and serve.

Serves 6

Chewy Sugar Cookies

Christmas time is here and at my house that means lots of holiday baking.  There is something about baking during the holidays that is extra special.  Sharing with family and friends, co workers, cookie exchanges, enjoying the treats you ban yourself from all year -  just to name a few.

This recipe is for a delicious chewy sugar cookie. It is a drop cookie.  The dough consists of your traditional cookie ingredients plus cream cheese.  The  dough a little softer so you have to handle the dough gently and briefly.    The result is a sweet tender sugar cookie.

Chewy Sugar Cookies
From Cook's Country Magazine

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling
2 ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat over to 350 degrees.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.  Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Place 1 1/2 cups sugar and cream cheese in large bowl.  Place remaining 1/3 cup sugar in shallow dish and set aside.  Pour melted butter over sugar and cream cheese and whisk to combine (some lumps of cream cheese will remain but will smooth out later).  Whisk in oil until incorporated.  Add egg, milk, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.  Add flour mixture and mix with rubber spatula until soft, homogeneous dough forms.
3. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces, about 2 tablespoons each.  Using your hands, roll dough into balls.  Working in batches, roll balls in reserved sugar to coat and evenly space on prepared sheets, 12 balls per sheet.  Using bottom of drinking glass, flatten balls to 2 inches in diameter.  Sprinkle top of cookies evenly with 4 teaspoons of sugar remaining in shallow dish ( 2 teaspoons per sheet); discard any remaining sugar.
4. Bake cookies 1 sheet at a time until edges are set and just beginning to brown, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through  baking.  Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.  Let cookies cool completely before serving.

Makes 24 cookies

Christmas: Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint cookies are one of my favorite Christmas cookies.  The delicate buttery cookie  dipped in chopped nuts with a touch of jam in the center is truly delicious.  They are also a great cookie to have the kids help with.  My kids love making the thumbprint and dropping the jam in the center.

This recipe from Simply Recipes is one of the best recipes I have found for Thumbprint cookies.  They were a hit with family and friends.  I made half with nuts and half without.  They were both delicious.

Thumbprint Cookies
From Simply Recipes

INGREDIENts:

1 cup of butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces), room temperature
1/2 cup of sugar
2 eggs, room temperature - separated
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 cups of flour
1 cup of chopped nuts (optional)
3/4 cup of your favorite jam
Parchment paper

Directions:

1 Cream the butter and sugar.  In a medium bowl whisk together the flour and salt.  Set aside.

2 Add the yolks and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. 

3 Add the flour and salt. Mix until just combined. Chill dough in the fridge for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 350F.  While dough is chilling whisk the egg whites until frothy.  If you are not using nuts, save the egg whites for a later use.

4 Roll the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. If using nuts, dip the balls into the egg whites then roll them into the nuts until covered. Place the balls on parchment lined cookie sheets or on cookie sheets with silicon baking sheets.

5 Press down with your thumb to make a small well in the center of the cookie.  Caution: Do not press too hard or the cookie will fall apart. Fill with 1/2 teaspoon of jam.

6 Bake for 12-15 minutes or until slightly firm rotating halfway thru baking. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet to firm up before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes 2 dozen

Christmas: Pecan Pralines

 Pecan Pralines

My husband's favorite Christmas sweet is Pecan Pralines.  They are  delicious confections made from  lots of  butter, sugar, cream and of course pecans.  My favorite recipe is from "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen."   The pecans taste great when they are cooked in the syrup and not just added at the end.  Using both pecan pieces and pecan halves make the pralines extra good and crunchy.

When making pralines, I have all the ingredients premeasured, cookie sheets lined, and all my equipment - spoons and candy thermometer ready to go.   I also read and re read the recipe.  The cooking process requires your undivided attention - you are constantly stirring the syrup mixture.  Use a wooden spoon when you are making the pralines.   The candy needs to be stirred while it is hot and a wooden spoon will not absorb the heat like a metal spoon.





I always have a bowl of ice water handy.  They syrup can "spit" at you while you are stirring, or you can get some on your hands as you are spoon dropping the pralines.

Last, but not least,  I have a good candy thermometer.  It saves me alot of frustration.   I have not been  able to master the softball stage in candy cooking.

  Pecan Pralines

 From Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen

                           

Special Equipment:  Candy Thermometer, Wooden Spoon

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 cup chopped pecans

2 cups pecan halves

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1.  Line  two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a 3- quart  heavy bottomed saucepan melt the butter over medium to medium high heat.

3. Add the sugars and the cream to the melted butter.  Cook 1 minute stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
4. Add the milk and chopped pecans.  Cook 4 minutes more, stirring constantly.  Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking and stirring 5 minutes.
5. Add the pecan halves and vanilla.  Continue stirring and cooking until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on the candy thermometer.
6. Remove the pan from the heat.  Quickly and carefully drop the batter onto the cookie sheet(s)  by heaping spoonfuls.  Use a second spoon to scoop the batter off the first.
7. Cool completely and store the pralines in an airtight container, or wrap each praline in plastic wrap or foil.

Makes about 24 pralines

Cooking and Stirring

Spooning Out Pralines

Bowl of Ice Water  

Christmas: Red Velvet Peppermint Swirl Brownies

Red Velvet-Peppermint Brownies

When I read the title of this recipe, I knew I had to make it.  I love red velvet anything, add peppermint and cream cheese,  and I am in dessert heaven.   Being it is the holiday time, I do not need an excuse to bake something yummy.   I don't worry about the calories,  I just go for it.   I was surprised on how easy these brownies were to make.  You make two layers - the chocolate layer and the cream cheese layer.  Swirl them together and you have beautiful and tasty brownies.
For the chocolate layer:  The chocolate is melted with  the butter in the microwave.  Eggs are then added along with the food coloring, peppermint extract and vanilla extract.  Stir until everything is combined and stir in the dry ingredients.  The batter is poured into a lined 13x9-inch baking dish.
For the cream cheese layer: Next you make the cream cheese topping.  Cream cheese and sugar are beat at medium speed until fluffy.  Add egg whites and vanilla extract and beat until combined.  Stir in the flour and the cream cheese layer is complete.  Spoon it over the brownie batter and swirl the cream cheese into the brownie layer and bake.  Remove the brownies from the oven and cool completely before cutting into squares.
The result: Delicious brownies with melt in your mouth goodness.  They are more fudgy than cake like.  The taste of peppermint is ever so mild and that makes these brownies extra good.  They are a  great treat for your family and friends or to put in your holiday goodie tins:)

Red Velvet-Peppermint Swirl Brownies
From Southern Living Magazine

Ingredients:

1 (4-ounce) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
3/4 cup butter
2 1/4 cups sugar, divided
4 large eggs
1 (1-ounce) bottle red liquid food coloring
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line bottom and sides of a 13x9-inch pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.
2. Microwave chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals.  Whisk in 2 cups sugar.  Add eggs, 1 at a time whisking just until blended  after each addition.  Add food coloring, peppermint extract, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups flour and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Chocolate and Butter

Melted Chocolate and Butter

3. Beat cream cheese and remaining 1/4 cup sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Add egg whites and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla, and beat until blended.  Stir in 2 tablespoons flour until smooth.  Drop cream cheese mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls over batter in pan; gently swirl with a knife.

Chocolate Layer

Dollops of Cream Cheese on Chocolate Layer

Cream Cheese Swirled in Chocolate Layer

4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 32 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 1 hour).  Lift brownies from pan, using foil sides as handles.  Gently remove foil; cut brownies into squares.

Makes about 2 dozen

Baked Goodness

Peppermint Holiday Rice Krispies Treats

Rice Krispies Treats are great for the holidays.  You can decorate them, use bright holiday colors, experiment with different  flavored marshmallows.  I also enjoy making them because they are quick, easy, and fun for kids to make. I found a box of Holiday Color Rice Krispies and some Peppermint Marshmallows.   I thought these are perfect to make a quick batch of  Christmas treats. 

Start by melting some butter in a saucepan.  Next add your marshmallows and stir until melted.  Add your Rice Krispies and coat well with the marshmallows.  Press into an 9x13-inch baking dish.  Cool, cut and eat.  That's it.

I loved the seasonal flavor the Peppermint Marshmallows gave to these treats.  It wasn't overpowering,  just a hint of cool peppermint flavor.



Peppermint Holiday Rice Krispies Treats
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
4 cups Peppermint flavored marshmallows - miniature
6 cups Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal with Holiday Colors

Directions:
1.  Spray a 13x9x2-inch baking dish lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.  In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat.  Add the marshmallow and stir until they are melted.
2. Stir in the Rice Krispies cereal. Keep stirring until all of the cereal is coated.
3. Press cereal mixture into the prepared pan using waxed paper.  Set aside and let cool.
4. Cut into squares and serve.

    
 
 

Christmas: German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

These cookies are Scrumpdillyicious:)  I love em. I could have sat down and eaten all of them by myself. What makes them soo good is this rich German Chocolate filling in every bite.  Think of pecan pie filling with coconut and chocolate.  This delicious filling is  spread over a chocolate shortbread crust.  MMM gooey, chocolaty goodness.   These cookies are not that hard to make.  The crust is made in a food processor and then patted down in a foil lined baking dish.  You bake the crust and then sprinkle chocolate chips over the crust.  Let the crust cool.  You then make your filling - brown sugar, eggs, light corn syrup, butter coconut, and toasted pecans.  Spoon the filling over the crust and bake.  Cool,  refrigerate and eat. The family loved these cookies, except for the child who HATES coconut.  I do not know where the child got this hatred of coconut. After devouring these cookies the   majority of the family agreed on two main things.  Instead of having both Pumpkin and Pecan pies for Thanksgiving,  we will have Pumpkin Pie and our German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars. Second,  this cookie will be the main focus of our Christmas Cookie Neighborhood Exchange.  Now to share this recipe with you.

German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
From Southern Living Magazine

Ingredients:

3 cups pecan halves and pieces
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Getting Ready To Toast Pecans

2. Line bottom and sides of a 13-x9-inch pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides.  Lightly grease foil.
3. Pulse flour and next 3 ingredients in a food processor 5 to 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Press mixture on bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of prepared pan.

4. Bake crust at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate morsels over crust.  Cool completely on a wire rack (about 30 minutes).

5. Whisk together brown sugar and next 3 ingredients until smooth.  Stir in coconut and toasted pecans, and spoon into prepared crust.

6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and set.  Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour).  Chill 1 hour.  Lift baked bars from pan using foil sides as handles.  Transfer to a cutting board; cut into bars.

Yummy Goodness:)

 Makes about 24 bars

Christmas:Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Don't these cookies get you in the holiday spirit?  They are so pretty and  they remind me of Christmas.  And the taste is absolutely delicious.  You cannot eat just one.

I first saw these cookies when the kids and I were eating lunch at Panera Bread.  They looked so inviting.  I already had a cookie with my lunch, so I decided to go home and find a recipe for these holiday cookies.

I found several recipes, but the one I loved was from Chelsea's Culinary Indulgence.  This recipe is very easy.  Start by getting a box of red velvet cake mix (the recipe suggested Duncan Hines), some flour, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.  Mix them together with a stand mixer until the batter is smooth.  You then stir in 1 cup of white chocolate chips.  Roll about 1 tablespoon of the dough into a ball and roll the ball in powdered sugar.  Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until the cookies begin to crack.  Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

That's all there is to it.  The cookies are ready to enjoy.  For my family it was love at first bite.  These cookies are going to be made many times over at the Saucier House.

This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
From Chelsea's Culinary Indulgence

Ingredients:
1 box Duncan Hines red velvet cake mix
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup white chocolate chips
Powdered sugar for rolling the cookies

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line your baking sheets with parchment  paper and set aside.
2.  Over a large bowl, sift cake mix and flour.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the cake mix, flour, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract.  Mix well until smooth.  Stir in white chocolate chips until combined.
3. Take about 1 tablespoon of the dough and roll into  a ball.  Roll the ball in powdered sugar until fully coated.  Place the cookie balls on the prepared baking sheets.  Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are set and the cookies begin to crack.  Note: Even if the cookies don't look completely done take them out of the oven after about 10 minutes.  Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Christmas: Gingerbread Scones

Scones go perfect with a nice cup of tea or coffee.  These scones are no exception.  They have the flavors of the holidays and are tender and flavorful.  They are like eating a delicious ginger snap cookie in scone form.

I made three changes to the recipe.  First the instructions state to cut in the butter.  I like to grate my butter and work it in with my hands.  I like to feel the mixture.  Also, the  aroma of the spices is delicious as you are working in the butter.  Second, I added 2 tablespoons more milk.  My dough wasn't coming together as it should- it was dry.  Just that little bit of milk cured the problem.   I liked the texture of this dough. It wasn't too sticky and this made it easy to work with.  Finally, instead of cutting the dough into 12 wedges, I only cut it in 8 wedges.

Once the dough was patted into a circle, you cut it into 8 wedges, brush with some egg white and sprinkle with coarse sugar, and bake.  These scones smelled wonderful as they were baking.    Remove from oven, cool and eat.

I enjoyed mine with a cup of Starbucks Blonde Roast Holiday blend I made in my Keurig.  A great way to start any day or just for some "me" time.

Gingerbread Scones
From "Taste of Home" Magazine

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, separated
Coarse sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, whisk the first seven ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In another bowl, whisk molasses, milk and egg yolk until blended; stir into crumb mixture just until moistened.
2. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 6-8 times. Pat into an 8-in. circle. Cut into 12 (I did 8) wedges. Place wedges 1 in. apart on a greased baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl, beat egg white until frothy; brush over scones. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Yield: 8 scones

Christmas:Gingerbread Party Mix

Gingerbread Party Mix

The kids and I planned on watching "A Christmas Story" for our movie night tonight.  Instead of eating our traditional movie snack of popcorn I decided to try something else.  I remembered a recipe I saw in "Family Circle" magazine for a holiday Chex Mix.  I decided to check it out.  The recipe was so simple and required minimal adult supervision, I thought this would be a great treat the kids could make.  No oven, just the microwave.
You start by combing all the cereals and cinnamon graham snacks -the kids used Cinnamon Teddy Grahams in a large microwavable bowl.  In a smaller microwaveable dish, the butter is melted and the spices and vanilla extract are stirred into the melted butter.  Toss the cereal mixture with the butter and microwave for 5 minutes.  Spread the mixture on paper towels and drizzle melted white vanilla baking chips over the cereal. Let it set and you are ready to eat.   The Party mix was very tasty.  I loved the holiday flavors and the touch of white "chocolate" and candied ginger.   A great snack to enjoy while watching a movie.



Gingerbread Party Mix
From Family Circle Magazine

Ingredients:
3 cups Cinnamon Chex cereal
3 cups Rice Chex cereal
1 1/2 cups cinnamon graham snacks
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons crystallized ginger, chopped
1/4 cup white vanilla baking chips

Directions:
1. In a large microwavable bowl, add cereals and graham snacks; set aside.  In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on high 40 seconds or until melted.  Stir in cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla until blended.  Pour over cereal and stir until coated.

Cereals and Teddy Grahams

Melted butter and Spices

2. Microwave uncovered on high 5 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.  Stir in ginger until blended.  Spread mixture onto paper towels.  In small microwavable cup, microwave vanilla baking chips uncovered on high 1 minute, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted.  Drizzle over snack; let stand until set.  Store in airtight container.

15 servings

Butter and Cereal Mixture Combined

Mixture on Paper Towels

Baking Chips Drizzled Over Chex Mix

Bowl of Holiday Goodness