Saturday, November 3, 2012

Lauren's Mexican Kitchen

Easy to make and delicious. Chicken, cheese, and salsa never looked so good!


Salsa Chicken Tostatas 


 Ingredients
  • 1 can 10-12oz canned chicken
  • 3 Tbsp jalapeno or other hot pepper
  • 1 1/2 c picante salsa
  •  1/2 c shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese
  • 4-6 6" yellow corn tortillas, fried or baked*
  • 1-2 hungry friends
  • Optional: 1-2 tomatillos
Directions:
1) Slice hot pepper in half.

2) Cut out the pith and seeds out of the pepper.
3) Dice somewhat finely.
4) Put rinsed tomatillos in a medium saucepan and cover them with water. Set the saucepan over medium heat. Once it comes to a simmer, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes and tomatillos are soft and mushy but not coming apart. Remove them with a slotted spoon
5) Combine salsa, tomatillos, and diced peppers in a blender and puree.

6) Heat salsa puree in a saucepan over med-high heat until it starts to bubble. *Skip this step for a cold option.*
7) Add chicken to the salsa and use a wooden spoon to break up the chunks of chicken.
8) Heat until chicken is evenly combined with the salsa.
9) Spread a layer of the Salsa Chicken over each fried tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Enjoy!

*Corn tortillas can be found already fried in supermarkets if you choose not to fry your own.


Saturday, October 20, 2012

Spice Krispy Treats

Is there anything better about fall than the arrival of pumpkin spiced things suddenly into our lives? The good marshmallow making people gave us yet another, pumpkin spiced marshmallows, making Pumpkin Spiced Rice Krispy Treats possible!


Pumpkin Spice Krispy Treats
Printable recipe


Ingredients:
  • 3Tbsp butter
  • 1 18 oz bag pumpkin spice marshmallows
  • 5 Cups Rice Krispies cereal
  • non-stick cooking spray







Directions:
1) Spray a medium sized baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2) Put butter in a small bowl and melt in microwave.
3) While butter is melting, put marshmallows in a large microwave safe (and sized) bowl.
4) Pour melted butter over marshmallow and stir to coat evenly as possible.
5) Microwave marshmallows on high for about 5 minutes, stirring every minute until fully melted.
6) Mix in rice Krispies, one cup at a time, until evenly distributed.
 7) Transfer to baking pan, and smooth using a rubber scraper coated with non-stick cooking spray.
8) Let cool completely or refrigerate before cutting.
9) Serving suggestion: Enjoy with a hot pumpkin spice latte!



Sorry DailyGrace, I can't agree with you but I will post your video (or part of it) because it's relevant-ish and that's what I do.
Original video source

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Batter Up

Anyone who enjoyed Dunkaroos oh so many years ago will love this chocolatey treat.  And it's so easy to make! Try serving up this fun dessert at your next party.

Chocolate Cake Batter Dip
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
  • 2c. chocolate cake mix
  • 3/4c. milk
  • 1/4c. marshmallow fluff
  • Animal Crackers

Directions:
1) Combine cake mix and milk in a medium
bowl.
2) Whisk in marshmallow fluff.
3) Serve with animal crackers.
4) Enjoy!


Saturday, September 29, 2012

Look to the Cookie!

Inspired by yet another episode of Seinfeld:

The Black and White Cookie
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

(yields about 1 dozen 6-inch cookies)

Cookies:
  •     2 cups all-purpose flour
  •     1 3/4 cups cake flour
  •     3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  •     1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  •     2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  •     1 1/2 cups sugar
  •     4 large eggs, room temperature
  •     1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, at room temperature
  •     3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  •     1 batch each of vanilla and chocolate glazes (recipe follows)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350º and line two cookie sheets with parchment.
2) In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 3/4 cups cake flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
 3) Using a mixer, cream together butter and sugar on medium-high speed for at least 5 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and has significantly lightened in color.

4) Set the mixer to its lowest speed, adding in eggs one at a time, stirring 30 seconds after each addition.
 5) Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir in vanilla extract.
6) Add half the dry mixture then, once fully incorporated, add about half of the buttermilk. Repeat with remaining flour and butter milk until incorporated into the batter.
7) Using 1/4 c cookie scoop (4 Tbsp), drop 3 mounds of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing each mound about 3 inches apart.
8) Use a spatula to flatten out the mounds slightly.
9) Bake the cookies 18-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly brown.
10) When the cookies are ready, remove from the oven and let rest on the pan for 5 minutes before loosening with a spatula and turning out to cool on a wire rack.


Glaze Cookies:
1) Fill icing bottles with vanilla and chocolate glaze.
2) One at a time, outline half the cookies with vanilla first.
3) Fill in the outline then smooth out with a knife.
4) Once all the cookies have been done, use any remaining icing by going over the iced side, icing will smooth out on its own.
5) Repeat with chocolate. If necessary, warm in the microwave 15 seconds at a time, shaking bottle between intervals.
6) Let the glaze set before storing or eating the cookies. Store the cookies in an airtight container, layered between strips of wax paper, for up to 1 week.


(Glazes follow)
Two races of flavor living side by side in Harmony. It's a wonderful thing isn't it? 


Glazes:
Printable recipes

Vanilla Glaze:
  •     2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
  •     2 1/2 tablespoons milk,
  •     1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  •     3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze:
  •     3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
  •     1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  •     1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
  •     2 tablespoons boiling water, plus additional as needed
  •     1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  •     3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Glaze:
1) Sift confectioner’s sugar into a large bowl
2) Whisk in milk, corn syrup, and vanilla.
3) Add additional milk or confectioners’ sugar as needed until slightly stiff but drips smoothly from whisk.
Or, as in my picture, spatula.

Chocolate Glaze:
1) In a glass bowl, melt chocolate and butter in microwave for about1.5 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.
2) Stir in corn syrup and vanilla extract.
3) Add half the sugar and then 2Tbsp boiling water.
4) Repeat with remaining sugar and an additional 2 Tbsp boiling water.
5) If chunky or thick, microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring in between.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

You Got Peanut Butter in my Chocolate

Get the best of all worlds with these crispy, creamy, chocolatey, peanut buttery crinkle cookies!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crinkle Cookies
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray or parchment paper
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
  • 3/4 cup peanut butter chips
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, divided
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1) Pre-heat oven to 350ºF.
2) Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray, or lay a sheet of parchment paper on it.
3) Melt the chocolate chips in a glass bowl in your microwave, stirring twice, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4) Using electric mixer with whisk attachments, beat egg whites in a large bowl to soft peaks.
5) Gradually beat in 1/2 c sugar. Continue beating until mixture starts to look like marshmallow fluff.
6) Mix 1 cup sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt together in a medium bowl.
7) On low speed, beat dry ingredients into the egg whites.
8) Mix in chocolate, then stir in the peanut butter chips. Dough will be somewhat stiff.
9)  Place remaining (1/2 cup) sugar in a small bowl.
10) Roll rounded tablespoons of dough, individually, in the sugar...
...ctoating thickly.
11) Place on baking sheet about 1.5" apart.
12) Bake 9-11 minutes until cookies puff and crack.

13) Cool on baking sheets 20 minutes before transferring to cooling racks. 
14) Store in an air-tight container. Makes 22-24 2-inch cookies.