Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I love a soft and chewy cookie.  Maybe a little crispy on the outside edges but definitely moist and chewy in the middle.  My Mom used to always store her cookie dough overnight in the refrigerator because she said it always gives you a better tasting and softer cookie.  You could always find several batches of cookie dough in our refrigerator and every now and then she would let us pinch off a little and eat it!   You will love these cookies! 

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1/2 cup butter

⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1½ cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

In a large bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla with a stand or hand mixer until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Add the wet and dry mixtures together and then stir  in the oats, raisins and nuts.  Transfer dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and form a ball. Wrap and chill in the refrigerator for overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Using a scoop, measure out  2 inch balls of chilled cookie dough and arrange on the cookie sheet leaving two inches between each ball.  Flatten the dough ball just a bit with your fingers.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the center looks slightly under cooked. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on the warm baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

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Meatball Stroganoff

I love this twist on beef stroganoff! Tender egg noodles and wonderful meatballs in a rich savory gravy. Oh my! Such yummy comfort food!

Meatball Stroganoff

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup Heinz Homestyle Savory Beef Gravy, divided

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic

1 tablespoon dried minced onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Worcester sauce

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup evaporated milk

2 tablespoons dried parsley

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups of beef broth

3/4 cup sour cream

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Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl along with a half cup of the beef gravy. Add more breadcrumbs as needed for the right consistency. Shape into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, forming about 24 meatballs.

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In large skillet, melt olive oil and then add butter. Add meatballs in batches and fry on all sides over medium heat until all sides are browned. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all meatballs are browned. When finished, drain off excess fat from skillet but do not wash or clean the pan. 

Melt 1/4 cup butter in the skillet and stir to make sure you blend the pieces of beef and onion and garlic left on the bottom. Using a whisk, quickly whisk in flour and cook for about one minute or until very lightly browned.  

Next, whisk in the beef broth a little at a time, whisking constantly for about 1-2 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in half cup of Heinz

Homestyle Savory Beef Gravy. Stir in sour cream; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add meatballs back to skillet and cover. Simmer on low heat for about 30-40 minutes.

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In the meantime, cook egg noodles as directed on package. Drain well and add to platter. Serve meatballs and gravy over hot egg noodles.

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Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits

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When I was growing up, we always had homemade biscuits in the breadbox that sat on the kitchen counter.  I can remember always waking up to the wonderful smell of my Mom's homemade buttermilk biscuits. We had them for breakfast with lots of butter and jam or with creamy sausage gravy.  Sometimes she would make a dessert using leftover biscuits from that morning and this is exactly how they looked!

Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits

Strawberries

1 quart strawberries, sliced

1/4 cup sugar

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Biscuits

3 tablespoons sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed

2/3 cup half-and-half

8 teaspoons of sugar for biscuit tops

1/4 cup half and half for  biscuit tops

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, toss the strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar together and then set aside.  Blend together the flour, baking powder, salt and 3 tablespoons of sugar. With a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter until a coarse meal is formed. Transfer the dough mixture into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center.

Pour in 2/3 cup half-and-half and gently  mix it with a fork, being careful not to over mix or the biscuits will be tough.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over itself a couple of times until it just holds together. Pat the dough out to 3/4-inch thickness and cut out 8 round 3-inch biscuits. Transfer the biscuits to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of each biscuit with the 1/4 of half-and-half and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon sugar.

Bake in a preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the biscuits have risen and are a light golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
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For the whipped cream

1 cup chilled heavy cream

1/4 cup sour cream

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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In the bowl of a mixer, whisk the heavy cream, sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract on high speed until soft peaks form.  Assemble the shortcakes by slicing  biscuits in half and adding some whipped cream. Then add the strawberries topping them with more whipped cream.  Add the top of the biscuit and add a dollop of whipped cream on top and garnish with a single strawberry.

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Marie's Bacon and Tomato Pasta Salad

I love this blog.  It's where I go when I need new ideas. It's where I go when I want some delicious.  My friend Marie over at the English Kitchen has the best recipes on the Internet!  Go take a peak and let her know Welcome Home sent you!

Marie's Bacon and Tomato Pasta Salad

All the flavors of my favorite tomato bite appetizers in a pasta salad.  Scrummy yummy!  

1/2 pound of fussilli pasta (8 ounces)

4 to 5 spring onions, washed, trimmed and chopped

2 cups of cherry tomatoes, washed and halved 

2 stalks celery, trimmed and diced

1 pound of  bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled

1 cup good quality mayonnaise 

1/4 cup blue cheese dressing 

2  tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

salt and black pepper to taste

chopped parsley to garnish  

Cook your pasta according to the package directions.  Drain well.  Rinse in cold water and drain again.  Set aside.

Whisk the mayonnaise, blue cheese dressing, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper together in a serving bowl.   Stir in the spring onions.   Add the cooked pasta and cherry tomatoes.  Toss to coat well.   

Cover and chill for at least an hour.   Remove and stir in 3/4 of the bacon.  Sprinkle the remainder on top along with some chopped fresh parsley.   Serve.  

For more wonderful recipes from Marie, go to her blog at The English Kitchen!

http://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/bacon-and-tomato-pasta-salad-and.html

Apple Turnovers

 My Mom didn't call them Apple Turnovers. She didn't call them fruit pies or apple pockets. She called them hand pies it's the first dessert I can remember her teaching me how to make. She used to fill them with any fruit she found at the local produce stand...peaches, apples, cherries, strawberries and blueberries. So good and so easy to make now that we can buy puffed pastry already made and ready to use.

Apple Turnovers (Apple Hand Pies)

1 package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
2 medium Fuji or Gala apples – peeled and diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
course sugar for topping (optional)

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt butter in a large skillet and add diced apples. Cook for about 3 minutes. Next add brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, cornstarch, and nutmeg. Continue cooking until apples are tender and sauce has begun to thicken. Stir apples occasionally while cooking. Remove apple mixture from heat and add the vanilla. Set aside to cool.

Unfold pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface. Smooth or roll out seems to make sure they do not separate. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut each sheet into four squares.

Mix the egg white and water together to make an egg wash. Brush egg wash all along the edges of the pastry squares. Next spoon about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the mixture into the center of the 1 pastry square leave about an inch on all sides. Fold pastry in half diagonally and pinch the edges with a fork to seal. Prick with fork for steam vents. Sprinkle a little course sugar on top if desired. Repeat with remaining squares.

Transfer to an baking sheet. Leave at least an inch between pies. Bake at 400 degrees for 14-16 minutes until the top is puffed and nicely browned. Remove turnovers from pan to a wire rack and cool 10 minutes.

Vanilla Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla

Combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Mix to a smooth, thick consistency. Add more milk to thin, if necessary. Drizzle glaze over warm turnovers and serve.

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Glazed Almond Bundt Cake

I love bundt cakes.  I think the world needs more bundt cakes! I am one

of those people that never gave up on them long after bundt pans seemed

to disappear in the stores.  As a matter of fact, I'm still using the same 

bundt pan I used in the 70's!  Another thing I love is almonds...so this

happens to be one of my favorite cakes to bake.  So moist and delicious.

And wait 'til you smell the aroma coming from your oven!  OH MY!

Glazed Almond Bundt Cake ​​

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 and ½ teaspoons almond extract

1 and 2/3 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup ground almonds

1 cup milk ​

Glaze
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1/4 cup milk (more or less as needed)

¾ cup powdered or confectioners sugar

½ teaspoon almond extract

½ cup sliced almonds, toasted ​

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground almonds. Set aside. ​In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with 1 cup milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan. ​ Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and invert on a wire rack. Cool 10 minutes longer.

Glaze:

Place rack on waxed paper. ​ Combine 1/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and toasted sliced almonds; pour over warm cake. For a thicker glaze use more sugar. For a thinner glaze use more milk. Sprinkle with more almonds as desired.

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Chicken Lettuce Wraps

The first time I ever ate at PF Changs, my friends told me the chicken lettuce wraps were a must.  I noticed everyone around me was ordering them and so I thought why not?  Oh my gosh! They were so good that I ended up ordering them for my appetizer AND my dinner.  I couldn’t get enough of them that night.  I decided to make them at home and so I went online to find a copycat recipe. I added a few of my own things to make them even better.  Now I make them all the time!  I even grow my own Butter Lettuce so I can have them as often as I want! They are so good and so easy to make, I eat them a couple times a week all summer long!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1 head butter lettuce (also called Boston Bib)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground chicken

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste

1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground chicken and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks; drain excess fat.

Stir in garlic, onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger and Sriracha until onions have become translucent, about 1-2 minutes. 

Stir in chestnuts and green onions until tender, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, taco-style. Delicious! 

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