Tag Archive | family

Nutella Thumbprint Cookies

Anything is better with Nutella, right? Well that’s certainly the case with these little tasties. A rich buttery cookie is taken straight to heaven when rolled in coconut and a lovely gem of nutella placed in the center. It’s actually a really easy cookie to whip up and oh so yummy. A great cookie recipe for holiday baking or cookie exchanges and it will quickly become a family favorite. Yummy to the max!

Nutella Thumbprint Cookies
Yields 36 cookies

3 sticks (3/4 pound) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Nutella (the amount depends on how generous you are but you’ll need approximately 1/2 cup)

Directions:

1. In a mixer, cream together the butter sugar for several minutes.

Add the vanilla and gradually add the flour and salt until well combined.

2. Transfer the dough onto a piece seran wrap, form into a large ball, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill. If you’re in a hurry you can also pop it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350°. Form the chilled dough into balls, approximately 1 1/4 inches, or weighing 1 ounce if you’re using a scale.

Dip the balls into the egg wash, roll in flaked coconut, and transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet. Use your finger or thumb to form an indentation in the dough for filling with Nutella. 🙂

rolled balls in coconut

Using a teaspoon, fill each indentation with about 1/4 teaspoon of Nutella.

4. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the edges are a light brown and the coconut is toasted. Since all ovens vary slightly, I always recommend baking one cookie first to see what the exact time is to avoid burning an entire sheet.

5. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack. Eat the cooled Nutelal Thumbprint Cookies with a glass of milk or hot cocoa. Enjoy!

Cranberry Tangerine Cookies

Nov26

A very fond memory I have of growing up in Germany is of baking cookies during the holidays. A popular German tradition is holiday cookie baking, where families will spend several days or even weeks preparing for the holidays by baking dozens and dozens of cookies and lining them in prepared holiday tins. When visiting friends and family you bring a box of cookies as a present and often receive one back. German cookies tend to be less sweet than a typical American cookie and often filled with fruit and nuts. This recipe for Cranberry Tangerine Cookies is inspired by the German cookies you could expect in your tin. Filled with cranberries, almonds, and tangerine, they’re the perfect bit of sweet treat you want.

Cranberry Tangerine Cookies
Yields 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon grated tangerine zest
2 tablespoons tangerine juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped (you can also use walnuts or pecans if you prefer)

Icing

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
3 tablespoons tangerine juice
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, cream together butter and the brown and white sugar for several minutes.

Add the egg, tangerine zest and juice, almond extract, and mix well. Gradually add the flour, baking soda, and salt until well incorporated.

Stir in the cranberries and almonds.

2. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes. Since every oven varies slightly, I always recommend you bake one cookie all by itself to see exactly how long you need. Better to accidentally ruin one cookie than an entire tray!

3. Transfer from cookie sheet to a cooling rack.

4. While cookies are cooling, mix together the ingredients for the icing.

Using a fork or a whisk, drizzle icing over the cookies.

Allow icing to set before transferring to cookie tins or eating. Enjoy!

Halloween Crack

Oct13

Fall is truly my favorite time of the year. With Halloween and Thanksgiving just around the corner, sweaters are pulled out of closets, apples are plucked from trees, pumpkins displayed on the front stoop, and I’m whipping up batches of Halloween Crack. Wait, what?!?! Yep, you heard me right. Okay, it’s actually a delicious party mix made of pretzels, M&M’s, peanuts, and other ingredients, all tossed in a homemade toffee concoction but it’s so decadent and addictive that it’s now better known as Halloween Crack. You’ll understand when you grab your first handful. Just trust me. This recipe was given to me by one of my Mom’s friends who used to make it for parties and it was a guarantee that anyone who tasted it had to have the recipe. This is one of those fall recipes that can’t be beat and should definitely make an appearance at your next Halloween or fall party!

Halloween Crack
Yields 16 cups

Important Note: You can swap out and adjust the ingredients to suit your taste. For example, instead of peanut butter sandwiches try using mini Oreos, instead of plain M&M’s try peanut or almond. There are lots of fun and yummy options!

1 package miniature pretzels or pretzel sticks (11 oz)
1 package miniature peanut butter sandwiches (8 oz)
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter
½ cup light corn syrup
2 Tablespoons Vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 package plain M&M (10 oz)
1 package candy corn (15 oz)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix pretzels, crackers, and peanuts. Set aside. Preheat oven to 250°.

2. Using a dutch oven or a large pot with high sides, combine sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and baking soda. Note: The mixture will foam up, hence using a pan with high sides to prevent bubbling over.

3. Pour hot mixture over the pretzels, crackers and peanuts and gently stir until coated.

Pour onto a large greased jellyroll or roasting pan.

4. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 12 minutes. Remove from oven and, while still warm, break apart any big chunks of the mixture. Toss with M&M’s & candy corn.

Allow mixture to cool completely before serving or store in an air tight container to enjoy later.

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bars

Oct1

As soon as the air starts to get crisp and the leaves start to turn, I start dreaming of my favorite fall recipes; hearty soups and stews, apple cider, and wedges of these gloriously amazing pumpkin bars. What makes these bars extra special is that they a cross between a pumpkin cake and a pumpkin pie. These pumpkin bars are so good that they were once heroically saved during a fire that accidentally ignited while I was camping in Yellowstone National Park with friends. Everyone was scrambling to put out the fire but several of the guys screamed for us to save the pumpkin bars, something we still laugh about to this day. As the guys put it afterward, “Thankfully, no pumpkin bars were harmed in the fire.” I hope you enjoy these as much as my family does.

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bars

2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup cinnamon applesauce
2 (15 ounce) cans pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt

Frosting:

8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Beat the eggs and sugar together for several minutes until nicely whipped and creamy.

Add the applesauce, pumpkin, and vanilla and beat until well incorporated.

Gradually add the flour and the rest of the dry ingredients until well blended.

3. Pour batter into a greased jelly roll or sheet pan (15×10″).

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a fork comes out clean. If you don’t have a jelly roll or sheet pan or you prefer thicker bars, you can also bake in a 9×13″ for 25-30 minutes.

***Allow bars to cool completely before frosting.***

4. Frosting: Whip together the cream cheese and butter. Add the vanilla and lemon juice. Gradually whip in the powdered sugar and beat until the mixture is a thick frosting.

5. Frost the cooled bars and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Orange Creamsicle Cake

Sep7

There’s nothing quite like spending a day at the beach or by the pool and cooling down with an ice cold creamsicle. Those yummy orange and cream flavors of a frozen creamsicle were my inspiration for this cake which is loaded with orange flavor and topped off with cream and served chilled. It was a huge hit at my house and very reminiscent of a frozen creamsicle. If you love all things orange then you’ll go nuts for this cake. Did I mention how easy it is?

Orange Creamsicle Cake

Ingredients:

Orange Flavored Boxed Cake Mix (And ingredients to prepare the boxed cake, which is typically eggs, vegetable oil, and water)
1 small box orange jell-o
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup ice cold water
1 (14 oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 oz.) tub Cool Whip
1 packet Orange Creme Duncan Hines frosting creations (optional)

Directions:

1. Bake cake mix according to the directions on the box. Let cool for 15 minutes.

2. Using the end of a spatula, poke large holes all over the cake. (I don’t recommend using a fork. That’s what I did the first time and the jello didn’t spread evenly).

3. In a small bowl, mix jell-o with hot water. Add cold water and stir. Pour all over cake.

Then pour the sweetened condensed milk on top.

Chill for 3 hours.

4. Mix the Orange Creme Duncan Hines frosting creation with the Cool Whip and spread all over the cake. Serve chilled.

4 Ingredient Crock Pot Balsamic Pot Roast

Aug16

I’ve made many a pot roast and this is the easiest and tastiest recipe. I came across this winning recipe in a magazine and after making it a few times thought I’d mix it up a bit by adding in balsamic vinegar. The result was even better than the already awesome pot roast recipe! The balsamic both tenderizes and flavors the meat while giving it a nice tangy zip. The best part is that I can throw everything in the crock pot before work, without having to sear the meat like most recipes require, and dash out the door. No joke, it takes less than 5 minutes to prep or a few minutes more if you decide to add veggies to the pot. Can a recipe be any simpler or any more rewarding?

Crock Pot Balsamic Pot Roast
~Serves 4. If you’re cooking for more then you’ll definitely want to double the recipe.

2 pound boneless chuck roast
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 package dry onion soup mix
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup water
Your favorite pot roast veggies (optional)

1. Place chuck roast in the bottom of your crock pot.

If you like, add optional veggies such as carrots, potatoes, parsnips, etc. Any softer veggies like celery, peas, etc. should be added two hours or so before serving so they don’t turn to mush on you.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the mushroom soup, onion soup mix, water and vinegar.

Pour over the pot roast.

Cook on Low for 8-9 hours or on High for 3-4 hours. If you go the shorter method and decide to add veggies, be sure to check the veggies to make sure they’re cooked through.

Remove roast to a cutting board and allow to cool a bit before slicing. Be sure to slice against the grain! If you slice with the grain it’s almost guaranteed it’ll be chewy.

Helpful Tip: This recipe makes a wonderful gravy which I often pour over egg noodles or mashed potatoes. The men in my family love that combination!

Easy Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken

Aug6

BBQ Chicken

There’s nothing quite like some finger-lickin’ BBQ chicken for dinner. The only problem is when you don’t want to worry about firing up the grill. No worries! This recipe packs all the flavor punches of a traditional grilled BBQ chicken into a simple baked version. We’re talking 40 minutes from start to finish! The secret is cranking up the heat at the beginning to get that crispy skin, then smothering in your favorite sauce and dropping the heat. I love how quick and easy it is—perfect for a weekday meal. It’s also one super economical family meal since you can use inexpensive leg quarters, drumsticks, or a whole chicken cut into pieces.

Easy Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken
Servings are for one whole chicken, cut into pieces but you can easily adjust portions.

4 pounds chicken pieces, with skin on
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon pepper
1 bottle of good BBQ sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil and place a baking rack over it. Make sure the dish has a lip on it to catch the chicken drippings! Spray rack with cooking spray.

2. Clean chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange chicken pieces on the rack. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and paprika.

3. Bake chicken for 35 minutes or until skin is crispy and internal temperature is 165°F. Remove chicken from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

4. Baste chicken with barbecue sauce and bake for 5 additional minutes.

5. Remove from oven and baste with more sauce. Allow chicken to cool sufficiently and dig in!

Honey-Glazed Ham

Jun16

I love a honey-glazed ham over the holidays so when I see hams go on special at my supermarket I’ll scoop one up and do a mini-holiday in between Easter and Thanksgiving. Why wait? I don’t go too crazy–honey-glazed ham, mashed potatoes, and a veggie and scrumptious Sunday dinner is served. While a pre-glazed and pre-sliced ham is nice and easy, buying a whole ham saves a lot (I paid just $10 for a 7-lb ham) and means you can stud it with cloves and make your own simple and tasty glaze. The most time-consuming part of this ham recipe is definitely studding of the cloves so if you have little ones around then this is the perfect job for them.

Helpful Tip: Whole cloves can be pricey if you look for them in the regular spices section. Check out your Hispanic or International foods section in your grocery store and you should see they are much cheaper ($2 vs. $5)!

Honey-Glazed Ham

Ingredients:

1 whole, fully-cooked ham (Keep in mind that ham will cook 17 minutes per pound)
1/3 cup whole cloves

Honey Glaze:

2/3 cup butter
1 cup honey
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Preparing the glaze:

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer while you prepare the ham.

Preparing the ham:

With a pairing knife, deeply score your ham with long criss-crossing stripes, at least an inch deep.

Where the points meet, stud with a whole clove, until the entire ham is covered with cloves.

Remove glaze from heat and glaze ham liberally, reserving some to continue glazing while ham is cooking.

Bake in oven 17 minutes per pound, glazing every 25 minutes or so. Prior to removing the ham, turn on the broiler and broil for 3-5 minutes (keeping a very close eye!) to let the ham and glaze get nice and crispy.

Remove ham from oven and rest about 10 minutes prior to serving.

missbutterbean

Live life to the fullest with yummy recipes, money-saving tips, and crafting fun.

Tag Archive | family

Halloween Crack

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bars

Orange Creamsicle Cake

4 Ingredient Crock Pot Balsamic Pot Roast

Easy Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken

Honey-Glazed Ham