Granny & Tres Leches Cake, or"A Little Piece of Heaven"

I hope everyone had as wonderful a weekend as I did.  Saturday was my Aunt Nellean's 80th birthday, and I got to spend the day with a lot of wonderful family that I don't often get to see.  Nellean is my grandmother Hattie's older sister, and is she a ball of fun to be around!  Nellean has spent her life caring for others and is well-known throughout her community for being a wonderful cook.  I'm sure she has baked hundreds (and probably thousands) of pies, stack cakes, rolls and fried pies for church and community fundraisers.  She has suffered great losses in her 80 years, but has always carried herself with dignity and faith.  She is truly a woman to be admired. When I think of Aunt Nellean, I can't help but automatically think of her high and light rolls, her mile-high meringue on homemade pies and her absolutely delectable $300 cookies.

Being around Granny's family is an obvious reminder that she is no longer here, which is always painful, but it's always nice to spend time with them.  One of the things I do when I start missing her is head to the kitchen and start cooking.  As I have mentioned before, she was an excellent cook, and it was a rare occasion that she didn't have some leftover cornbread or some fresh cake sitting on the counter. For me, cooking is kind of like therapy: I find it relaxing and calming.

So, today has made a few days that I haven't really cooked since we've been busy with other things and I was ready to get back into the groove.  I ended up having a Latin American kick tonight and ended up making platanos fritos (fried plantains), enchiladas, refried beans with fresh crema, Tres Leches cake and espresso coffee with cinnamon and nutmeg-topped whipping cream.  I have already passed along my enchilada recipe and wanted to share my Tres Leches cake with you.

Tres Leches is Spanish for "three milks," so you see where we're headed with this...This cake is absolutely my favorite cake. Period. It is a custardy-textured cake that is soaked in sweetened milk and topped with sweetened whipping cream. If you have never had one, you would probably think there is something wrong with it at first glance, since the cake literally drips with milk.  So, here it is: a perfect dessert for spring and summer!

Tres Leches Cake

Cake:
3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
5 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Syrup:
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 c. half and half

Topping:
2 c. heavy whipping cream
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9" x 13" cake pan and set aside.  In mixing bowl, combine butter (at room temperature) and sugar.  In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to the butter and sugar mixture. Then add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. (Batter will look rather thin and like it will be a small amount, but this is how it should look.) Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and pulling away from sides of pan.

After cake has cooled off, poke holes all over the cake using a fork.  In a bowl, combine ingredients for syrup and pour over cake.  Cover and place in refrigerator overnight if possible, or at least 4 hours.  After removing from fridge, take a spoon and scoop up any extra milk that has gathered around edges and pour back onto center of cake.

Prepare topping by whipping heavy cream and sugar together until it holds stiff peaks.  Fold in vanilla at last.  Spoon topping onto cake and smooth out.  Serve cold and keep refrigerated.

Cake just after pulling it out of the oven



Just after pouring milk syrup on the cake to soak in. (Don't worry; it's supposed to look like this.)

Cake topped and  finally ready to serve

Ready to eat! Yum-O!



Spaghetti Pie

This isn't really a "recipe" but I thought I would share this dish with you all just in case it had never occurred to you to try it.  If you're like me, then spaghetti is one of your household staples. My husband loves it; it's cheap; it's relatively good for you; and it's fast. However, in order to break up the monotony of spaghetti (even though I often fix it different ways to keep the flavors lively), I sometimes make what I call spaghetti pie.

 

This was a little over-browned (woops!) but still tasty!

It's essentially spaghetti, but it's baked in a pie plate and is generously interspersed with Italian cheeses. To make it, prepare the same amount of spaghetti noodles as you normally would, then drain them and drizzle with olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking to one another. (I've also read that adding olive oil to your spaghetti helps your body absorb lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant found in tomatoes.) The rest is just layering and baking.  Very easy and something different than everyday spaghetti!

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Noodles (prepared)

Spaghetti Sauce (prepared)
Blended Italian cheeses
Parmesan cheese

In a pie plate or square baking dish, layer above ingredients making sure to generously coat the spaghetti noodles with sauce. (Using a meat sauce will increase the heartiness of the meal.)  Finish layering with cheeses and place in moderate oven (350 degrees) for about 30 minutes or until cheese is well-browned.
Serve with garlic bread/toast and salad.

Granny's Biscuits

Hi, everyone! I have been so busy for a couple weeks now and it has me seriously behind on my blogging.  I guess you could say I've had spring fever lately and it's kept me busy with all kinds of stuff.

One of my favorite things to make, regardless of what the item actually is, is something that reminds me of someone.  Food has a way of taking you to a happy place filled with love and memories of people that you have cared about.  As I have said before, there are a million ways to make biscuits and it seems that every cook has her own, unique, trademark way of doing it.  Granny's biscuits are no exception.

Granny's biscuits are one-of-a-kind and oh-so-good!

Granny's biscuits are very unique; I have never known anyone to make them the way she did, and she said that she didn't either.  As a rule, biscuits are simply a mixture of flour, baking powder, salt, milk and fat.  Granny however, simply used self-rising flour (which already includes the baking powder and salt) and buttermilk.  That's it!  And they are soo good! She claimed that she came upon making them that way accidentally as she and my grandfather (who was slowly dying of heart failure) had very little money after my grandfather could no longer work.  She said she just started leaving the fat out of the biscuits in order to conserve resources, and had no idea that she was creating a masterpiece in the process!  So, here's the recipe:

Granny's Biscuits

2 c. self-rising flour (plus more for handling)
1 c. buttermilk (approximately)
About 2-3 T. oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In a large, cast-iron skillet (or an old-fashioned black bread tin, if you happen to have one) pour enough oil to coat the bottom of the skillet or tin. Pour off any excess. (There should be a generous amount of oil in the skillet, but you don't want any to be standing.) In a mixing bowl, pour buttermilk into flour all at once, and stir vigorously until blended.  Be careful to not over-beat.  Turn out onto generously floured surface and sprinkle with flour.  Dip hands into flour, and using index fingers, pinch off enough dough for one biscuit.  Roll gently between hands to form and then lay in skillet.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Using a spoon, coat biscuit dough individually with oil, but be careful to remove any excess oil that may run-off and pool up between biscuits. (The idea is to make sure biscuits are well-coated on all sides with oil, but not soaking in it.)  Place in oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until well-browned on top.  Remove immediately and serve hot.  These are especially good with homemade apple butter. 

If you're like me, and you like the crunchy part of any bread, you can also fix yourself an individual "biscuit" by using a separate skillet and patting out about 2 biscuits worth of dough in it like you would pat out a pizza crust.  It will bake up crisp and delicious!!!

The interesting thing about her biscuits is that they are crunchy on the outside (due to the oil basically frying the dough) and very moist and chewy on the inside.  I promise they are unlike any you have ever had, but if you make them right, you will be making them again. 

Enchiladas

Hi, everyone! I've not been feeling well lately and have been super busy, thus my lack of blogging.  However, things are settling down somewhat, and I thought I would share one of my new favorite meals with you guys--turkey enchiladas (which go great with Spanish rice).  I know what you're thinking....and yes, I meant to write "turkey."  Of course, if you're not hip with using turkey in place of ground beef, you could always use it instead (or even shredded chicken or pork for that matter).  I have been buying it lately for two reasons: it is cheaper than ground beef/chuck, and it's better for you.  If you're not confident that the rest of your family will happily swallow turkey enchiladas, then do what I did---don't tell them it's turkey! Haha! The first time I made this, my husband had no idea that it wasn't ground beef and he loved them. It wasn't until later in the grocery that he spotted me buying turkey and then proclaimed that he would not be eating anything I made with it...that's when I confessed to my little switcheroo, and he had to eat his words. (Cheesy, I know, but I had to say it...Haha!)

Enchiladas

1 lb. ground turkey or beef
1 package of McCormick Enchilada Sauce Seasoning
1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce
1 1/2 c. water
8 (6-inch) flour or corn tortillas
1-2 c. Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, make enchilada sauce according to package directions. (1 package seasoning + 1 1/2 c. water + 8 oz. tomato sauce).  Brown the ground turkey or beef in a hot skillet and drain any fat. Transfer 1/2 c. of enchilada sauce to ground turkey or beef.  Take each tortilla, and dip into enchilada sauce to thoroughly coat.  Transfer to baking dish.  Lay tortilla flat, and place two generous spoonfuls of turkey or beef onto center, then roll up, leaving the tortilla edge on the bottom.  Repeat with remaining tortillas.  Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, being sure to generously coat them.  Top with cheese and bake for 15 minutes.  Serve hot with Spanish rice or refried beans.

Yummy is all I've got to say about these babies!



Pineapple Breakfast Muffins

I had some crushed pineapple left over from my pineapple & ham pizza, so I thought I would throw it into some muffins for a tasty, quick morning snack.   If you don't like pineapple, you could always substitute in your favorite fruit.  These muffins are incredibly light and moist! They go just perfect with your morning coffee!

These muffins are very light and delicately textured.

Pineapple Breakfast Muffins

2 c. all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. milk
4 T. melted butter
1 egg
3/4 c. crushed pineapple

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tin with paper liners or generously grease.  Combine all dry ingredients; then add milk, butter, egg and crushed pineapple. Stir until combined.  Batter will be lumpy.  Fill muffin tins until 2/3 full.  Bake about 15-20 minutes or until delicately browned on top.  Serve hot with butter if desired.  Makes 12 average-sized muffins.

Substitute the pineapple with your favorite fruit if desired.

Homemade Pineapple & Ham Pizza

Pineapple and ham--my favorite!

I hope you all like my new layout as much as I do.  It isn't that I didn't like the other one, but I just wasn't satisfied with it somehow or other. I couldn't ever really put my finger on what it was that I thought wasn't just quite right; I really love this one, though!

This evening for supper I made pizza.  Pizza is one of my go-to meals, because I always have the ingredients on hand, and it doesn't take long to make. It's also cheaper (and better!) than the frozen ones which I usually try to keep on-hand for whenever I really just don't feel like making anything.  Of course, you could always substitute your favorite toppings (i.e. green peppers, pepperoni, hamburger, onions, black olives, mushrooms, sausage, etc.)  in place of the pineapple and ham if you aren't a fan of it.  We, however, like to mix it up now and then so that "pizza" doesn't just mean cheese and pepperoni. This is  how I make my pineapple and ham pizza:

Pizza Crust

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. or 1 pkg. rapid rise yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 T. sugar
2 T. oil
3/4 -1 c. hot tap water

Combine flour, yeast, salt and sugar in mixing bowl.  Add oil and hot tap water; beat well. (Add 3/4 c. water at first, then more if needed to thin the dough.) Dough should be soft, but be able to hold its shape.  Cover with a towel and let rest 10 minutes.  Punch down, turn-out on generously floured surface and knead about 1 minute or until dough is firm.  Pat out into greased pan(s).  Bake at 350 degrees until crust is just set, but not browned.  Spread with favorite toppings and bake at 425 degrees for about 17-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is slightly browned.  Cut and serve hot.  (My mom uses this recipe for two crusts; I prefer a thicker crust, so I use this for only one pizza.)

Pizza Sauce

1 (8 oz.) can of tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1/2 T. sugar
pinch of garlic powder
1tsp. basil
1-1 1/2 tsp. oregano

Combine all ingredients in small bowl and spread on prepared pizza crust.  Top with cheese and topping of choice. (Since I was making a pineapple and ham pizza, I added an additional 1/2 tablespoon of sugar to my sauce to sweeten it up a bit.)

Toppings

3 c. shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
1 (8 oz.) can diced or crushed pineapple (without juice)
6 pieces of Canadian bacon, sliced
Parmesean cheese

Spread cheese evenly on top of prepared crust. Then distribute pineapple and Canadian bacon evenly on top of cheese.  Cover with additional shredded cheese if desired, and sprinkle Parmesean on top of this.  Bake at 425 degrees for about 17-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is browned.

Also: Try making individual, deep-dish pizzas in cast iron skillets sometime! They make for an extremely good crust.

Dough is mixed-up; now resting for 10 minutes before kneading.

 Dough has baked for about 6 minutes at 350 degrees until set.
Now we can top it!

Hot, cut and ready to eat!

 Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by! =)

Cream Puffs

There are very few cakes which are moist enough to suit my dad's taste.  So, many years ago, (probably even way before I was born...) my mom started making him cream puffs for his birthday instead of cake.  Since Dad's birthday fell on a weekday this year, and both he and Mom work, I decided to make the cream puffs so that Mom wouldn't have to worry about it.  Let me warn you...if you have never had cream puffs before, you are missing out on one of the great pastries of the world.  As Dad would say, they're so good, you can't hardly sit still and eat them.

Cream Puffs (Dough)

1 c. water
1/2 c. butter
1 c. all purpose flour
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat water and butter to boiling point in saucepan.  Stir in flour and stir constantly over low heat until the mixture leaves the sides of pan and form a ball (about 1 minute).  Remove from heat and cool.  Beat eggs in, one at a time, blending well after each addition.  Mixture should be smooth and velvety.  Drop by generous spoon-fulls on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in hot oven for about 45 minutes.  Puffs should be browned and dry to the touch.  Makes 8 large puffs.

Custard

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
6 T. all purpose flour
2 c. top milk
2 eggs, or 4 yolks
2 tsp. vanilla
1 T. butter

Mix sugar, salt and flour in saucepan.  Stir in milk and  cook over low heat, stirring until it boils. Cook for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Transfer a little of this mixture into beaten eggs (or yolks), being careful to add mixture slowly while stirring vigorously .  Transfer egg mixture back into saucepan, stirring constantly.  Return to heat and bring to a boiling point.  Remove from heat, and blend in vanilla and butter.

After puffs have cooled, slice off tops (reserve) and scoop out soft filling. Fill inside of puffs with custard and replace tops.  Sprinkle powdered sugar over them if desired.

Spoon dough out onto ungreased baking sheet

 Puffs are done when golden brown and dry to the touch

Slice off tops (reserve) and scoop out filling

My bowl full of scooped-out filling

Fill each puff with custard, then replace tops

Ready to serve!
(As you can see, I made a double batch; it's one of the requirements of making them
for the family...)

Caribbean Jerk Grilled Trout

It's spring, everybody! (And about time!!) Warmer weather means one important thing for me when it comes to cooking: grilling out.  We do a lot of grilling during the spring and summer, which is nice for a variety of reasons: enjoying being outdoors, no messy kitchen to clean-up, tasty food, and hubby is top chef! We don't have one of those  $1,000 + intimidating, stainless steel contraptions, rather a simple charcoal grill, which I prefer to gas anyway. I like grilling with charcoal because: 1) It gives more flavor to the food; 2) I have a gas stove, so why wouldn't I just use it instead of a gas grill? and 3) it makes your general vicinity smell like summer! 

 

Rainbow Trout

One of my absolute favorite things to fix on the grill is fish. Of course, you probably have to be a like-er of fish to even think about grilling(or at least be some what adventurous) unless it's something you're already accustomed to. Unfortunately, it seems that many Americans who eat fish tend to stick to the panko-breaded, battered, deep-fried crunchy stuff a la Long John Silvers.  Not that I'm knockin' on that, because I enjoy a crispy, golden fillet (and crunchies! ) from time to time myself.  However, the best fish, in my humble opinion, is always grilled.  In fact, as much as I love a great prime rib, I would opt for good, grilled fish over steak any day.  I would also have to admit that many of the best meals I've ever had consisted of fish as the main course: grouper in Florida, mahi mahi in Hawaii, trout from the Bonefish Grill, sea bass prepared by a local acquaintance and whole tilapia made by my friend's mother. All of these, by the way, were grilled or baked--a coincidence? I think not.   





There is so much to be said of fish that is properly prepared: it's tender, it's moist, it's flavorful, it's delicate, and...it's even good for you! (Well, the grilled kind is good for you; the deep-fried, batter-clad catfish we love so much probably isn't...) So the next time you fire up the grill, think about trading some of those hotdogs and hamburgers in for some grilled fish and shrimp.  One of my favorite methods of preparation happens to be one of the easiest: open a bottle of marinade and let your fish/shrimp marinate for at least 30 minutes before throwing it on the grill.  Fortunately, there are about as many kinds of marinade available as there are ways to use it.  Find one that has a flavor you like (i.e. Caribbean Jerk, Teriyaki, etc.) and try it out!  It's also great over grilled veggies, especially peppers, mushrooms, squash and zucchini.  My favorite marinade is currently KC Masterpiece's Spiced Caribbean Jerk 30 Minute Marinade. It's soo good...sweet and spicy! (Just like me--haha!)

Caribbean Jerk Grilled Trout 

Fresh trout (frozen will do, but fresh is much better)

KC Masterpiece Spiced Caribbean Jerk 30 Minute Marinade

(Hot grill)

Place trout in a shallow dish, skin-side down.  Spoon marinade onto fish, applying liberally.  Turn fish over so that skin faces upward, and generously apply marinade to skin as well.  Cover with plastic wrap, place in refrigerator and allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes.  Place on preheated grill, skin-side down, and close grill lid.  Allow to cook for about 7 minutes, then begin testing for doneness.  (Cooking time will vary based on thickness of fish and grill temperature.)  Fish is done when easily flaked with a fork and juices are clear.  Serve hot.



Trout is such a beautiful fish--so appetizing to the eye!



Marinate for at least 30 minutes

 You can also marinate shrimp the same way

Hot off the grill and ready to eat!

Not exactly the most appetizing of pictures (Hubby won't eat the skin for some reason...),
but you can see how the flesh is tender and flaky--just perfect!

Happy spring, everyone!

(P.S. Cream Puffs tomorrow to celebrate my dad's birthday...can't wait for those!)

Cafe Mexicain

This coffee recipe comes from one of my new-found treasures, Betty Crocker's Guide To Easy Entertaining.

 As a coffee-lover, I am especially pleased to find new ways to enjoy my favorite, hot beverage, and hope you will be as pleased with this recipe as I am.  Now, my kind of coffee is very straightforward: very strong, with a little cream.  I don't get into all this specialty coffee (although, I confess, my abstinence is largely due to the fact that I simply can't bring myself to pay that much for one cup of coffee, or bag of coffee for that matter).  Besides, I like the coffee and cream just fine...usually. Occasionally, if I am out and about in the early morning, I will stop at McDonald's and get some "fancy" coffee--you know, the one with the whipping cream on top--but this is pretty much the extent of my specialty coffee experience. 

I bring this up because, if you're like me, and enjoy a good cup of strong coffee, but would occasionally like to spice things up a bit--yet, cannot bring yourself to pay a war-price to have someone else make it for you--there is hope!  You can do it at home yourself!  So the next time you want to exchange your boring cup of Joe for something a little more exotic, try this:

Cafe Mexicain

1/2 c. heavy cream
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 T. confectioner's sugar

Mix cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar into cream.  Whip until stiff just before serving.  Place a generous dollop on top of hot, black coffee.  Makes 6 servings. (I also added about 1/2 tsp. of vanilla, which was delicious!)

   

Warning! This could be addictive!

*On a side note, I don't know why the recipe title is spelled as it is, because "Mexicain" is definitely not Spanish, but I decided to leave it as is spelled in the book from which it came for the sake of being authentic.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies!

I've gotten behind in my cookie swap recipes due to having spent time with my little sister who is home on break from college. However, I am really excited to share my cream-filled cookie recipe with you guys, as these whoopie pies are a real treat! On a side note, you can make whoopie pies of different flavors: chocolate, pumpkin and oatmeal being the most common.  But it's very versatile, so you could really do a lot of experimenting with them if you felt like being creative. I, for instance, would love to make some maple or butter pecan whoopie pies someday! The recipe I am sharing is that of a Mennonite bakery which is well-known in my little corner of the world for their breads and sweet treats.  Whoopie pies are just one of the many baked goodies that line their store shelves, and the recipe itself is for a rather large quantity of pies, so it may be that you will want to scale-down the ingredient proportions to fit your own baking needs.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

1 1/2 c. margarine
3 c. granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2/3 c. cocoa
2 1/4 c. buttermilk
5 1/2 c. flour

Cream margarine and sugar. Blend in eggs, vanilla, salt, soda and cocoa.  Add flour and buttermilk separately, mixing after each addition.  Chill dough at least 1 hr. Drop onto greased cookie sheet by rounded tablespoonfulls.  Make cookies equal in size.  Bake for 8-10 minutes in moderate oven (about 350 degrees). Cookies should be nice and rounded. After cookies have cooled, place a scoop of filling between two cookies, and wrap individually in plastic wrap for storing. Makes 42 whoopie pies.

Filling:
1 c. margarine
8 oz. softened cream cheese
2 tsp. vanilla
4 T. flour
3-4 c. powdered sugar
2 T. milk

Beat margarine and cream cheese together.  Add remaining ingredients and beat until light and fluffy.

Whoopie pies make for a special treat

For more great cookie recipes, visit here and here!

Jelly Surprise Cookies

In case anyone was beginning to wonder why I am posting so many cookie recipes this week, it is because I'm participating in a cookie swap via my Australian blogger friend at CALM Homemaking 1950's Style. Each day we are posting a different cookie recipe with a different theme:

Monday: Chocolate
Tuesday: Spice
Wednesday: Jam/jelly
Thursday: Cream-filled
Friday: Dried fruit

For my "cookie of the day," I made apple jelly "surprise" cookies. The surprise, of course, is a dollop of jelly in the center of a folded-over shortbread cookie. If you don't like working with super-sticky dough, or having to roll dough, you might want to skip this recipe as it can definitely try one's patience. However, if you're like me, and find that patience can be a learned virtue, you might want to give it a shot.  Just remember a couple things when working with dough that is super-sticky and super-soft: 1) flour is your best friend; 2) the colder, the better; 3) try covering your rolling pin with a clean stocking (knee-highs are great for this!); and 4) try using a large, wooden cutting/bread board to work on if you don't have a granite counter top.

If rolling pin is sticking, try covering it with
a stocking coated in flour.

Jelly Surprise Cookies  

1/2 c. soft shortening, butter or cream cheese
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 T. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
jelly of your choice

In a mixing bowl, cream together shortening (or other fat), sugar and eggs. Stir in cream and vanilla.  Combine flour, soda and salt in separate bowl, then add gradually to creamed mixture.  Chill thoroughly.  After dough has chilled, preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Pour dough onto generously-floured counter top, and sprinkle top of dough with flour to cover. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out until very thin, about 1/16" thick, and cut with floured biscuit or cookie cutter.  Transfer onto lightly greased cookie sheet, and drop a teaspoonful of jelly onto center of each cookie.  Pull dough from one side of cookie over jelly and onto other side, pressing edges together to seal. (Fold cookie in half as you would for fried apple pies.) Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until just starting to brown. 



I used homemade apple jelly because it's the only kind I had on hand, but you
can use whatever you like.

*It will be nearly impossible to transfer the cut dough onto the cookie sheet by using fingers alone; the dough is so delicate, it will most likely tear.  Use a metal spatula, dipping in flour before each use to "scoop" up the dough for transfer.  Using the spatula in the same way to fold the cookies over for sealing will also be easier than trying to use your fingers.

If you're interested in the other great recipes from our cookie swap week, you can check them out here.  Chantal is collecting our recipes and re-posting them on one page for convenience.

Snickerdoodles

I've always loved snickerdoodles because they're crunchy on the outside, yet chewy on the inside--you get the best of both crunch and chewy cookies, all in one!  They go great with coffee, and make a perfect afternoon treat.  They are also a great spice cookie, as they have good flavor that is not overpowering.

Snickerdoodles

2 3/4 all purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. soft shortening
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 T. granulated sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

In large mixing bowl, cream shortening, 1 1/2 c. sugar and eggs until light and fluffy.  In separate bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt.  Gradually add to shortening mixture and blend until batter is dough-like.  Chill until easy to handle.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees, then shape dough into walnut-sized balls.  Mix remaining sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl, and coat each ball of dough with this mixture.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2" apart and bake for 8-10 minutes until done, being careful not to over-bake. 

Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Cornmeal Waffles

I first heard about chicken and waffles in one of my favorite novels, Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain, one of the great noir masters. (You may have seen the 1945 film by the same name with Oscar-winner Joan Crawford--also one of my favorite film noirs.)  In the novel, Mildred opens her own restaurant and works her way up the social and financial ladder by specializing in selling chicken and waffles.  Ever since reading this, I've been intrigued by the idea.  After doing some more research, I learned that this seemingly-odd combination is actually pretty common fare in the South, and is also frequently prepared in other parts of the country as creamed chicken and waffles.  I figured it was worth a try, and was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.  Of course, nothing was new about the fried chicken, and nothing especially new about fixing waffles; however, these are cornbread waffles, so in that respect they are very different from any you would normally eat.  I also found in doing my research that many people actually make regular, breakfast-style waffles (which I have yet to try with this dish), but I do think the cornbread waffles are a nice change-up from the typical cornbread that I would otherwise make.

Nothing says "South" like chicken frying
in a cast iron skillet!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

1 frying chicken, cut up
buttermilk (about 4-6 cups)
1 c. all purpose flour
1 T. salt
1 1/2 T. paprika
dash of pepper
about 2/3 c. oil for frying

Place chicken in container where all sides of each piece can be covered with buttermilk.  The amount of buttermilk needed will depend on the size of the chicken and the container in which it is placed. Cover with plastic wrap, place in refrigerator and allow to marinate at least 4 hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl (or bag) mix flour, salt, paprika and pepper.  Place each piece of buttermilk-coated chicken in flour mixture and coat generously, being sure to cover entire surface.  In a large cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat, until hot enough so that drops of water will sizzle when sprinkled onto it.  Place dredged chicken in hot oil, one piece at a time, making sure that no piece directly touches another. Do not overcrowd skillet. You will most likely have to fry the chicken in two or three batches.  Fry on each side about 5-6 minutes, or until golden and crispy, then transfer onto foil-lined baking sheet.  When all chicken has been browned and transferred onto baking sheet, place in oven and bake for about 35 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Cornmeal Waffles

3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 c. cornmeal
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. butter, melted (or use oil from skillet in which chicken was fried)
1 egg
2/3 c. milk

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.  Add butter or oil, egg and milk.  Stir until combined (batter will be lumpy).  Pour into hot, greased waffle iron, and bake until done.  Serve hot.

Buttermilk fried chicken, cornmeal waffles and green beans...welcome to the South!

Meringues

If you want a really fancy-looking treat that is also relatively healthy for you (these have no fat--how many cookies can you say that about!?), try these impressive looking meringues.  They are a dessert that looks complicated, but is actually very easy (not to mention cheap).

Meringues

2 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 c. superfine or powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
food coloring (optional)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Add cream of tartar to egg whites and beat until stiff; gradually add sugar, beating until whites hold stiff peaks. Fold in vanilla and food coloring. Drop by teaspoonfulls or pipe onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 40 minutes at 250 degrees, but do not allow to brown.  Let cool in oven for 30 minutes before removing.

Meringues are a very light and special treat