Lemon Ricotta Cookies

I found the most delicious cookie recipe on FoodNetwork.com. Of course it is by the beautiful (and frightfully thin) Giada De Laurentiis. If you like lemon and you like cookies you will love this recipe. The best thing is that they stay soft for days. My family loves them and my husband asked me to make them for his office. Enjoy!

Prep Time:15 min
Inactive Prep Time:2 hr
Cook Time:15 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 44 cookies


Ingredients
Cookies:
•2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•1 teaspoon baking powder
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 stick unsalted butter, softened
•2 cups sugar
•2 eggs
•1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
•3 tablespoons lemon juice
•1 lemon, zested
Glaze:
•1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
•3 tablespoons lemon juice
•1 lemon, zested
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cookies:

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lemon-ricotta-cookies-with-lemon-glaze-recipe/index.html

Here is an easy recipe I got from a friend at work. It is quick and pretty tasty.

Loaded "Baked Potato" Soup

Prep Time:

15 min

Total Time:

30 min

Makes:

4 servings, about 1 cup each

What You Need!

1 lb. baking potatoes (about 2), cubed

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup milk

3 slices Bacon, cooked, crumbled and divided

1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided

1 green onion sliced, divided

1/4 cup Sour Cream

Make It!

MICROWAVE potatoes in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 5 min., stirring after 2-1/2 min. Stir in broth and milk. Microwave 10 min., stirring after 5 min. Carefully crush potatoes with potato masher.

RESERVE 2 Tbsp. each bacon and cheese and 1 Tbsp. onions for topping. Stir remaining bacon, cheese and onions into soup.

SERVE topped with reserved bacon, cheese, onions and sour cream.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Holla!

So, I was tempted to make these by a friend on facebook. I had some time today and it was game on. These were Heavenly! I literally died went to heaven and came back. I should have doubled the batch but unfortunately I ran out of yeast. I think I will pick up some more yeast today and make these again tomorrow. Try these I promise you won't be sorry. Also I found this recipe online and made some minor adjustments to bump up the flavor. These are soft, light, and fluffy. The glaze is divine.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Carmel Glaze:
Makes 12

Rolls:
1/3 c milk
2 T butter
1/2 c pureed pumpkin (I used canned)
2 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1 lg egg, beaten
1 pgk dry active yeast or 2 1/4 t yeast
2 c flour

Filling:
2 T softened butter
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/3 c brown sugar

Glaze:
1/4 c butter
1/2 c brown sugar
2 T heavy cream
1/4 t vanilla
dash of salt
1/2 to 3/4 c powdered sugar

1 Prepare rolls: In a small saucepan, heat milk and 2 T butter until just wam (12o-130") and butter is almost melted, stirring constantly.

2 In a mixer bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, and salt. Add milk mixture and beat until well mixed. Beat in egg and yeast. Add half of the flour and mix on a low speed for 5 minutes ( scraping frequently). Add the rest of flour and mix throughly (the dough will be very soft). Turn into and lightly greased bowl, then grease the surface of the dough lightly. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, it takes about an hour.

3 Punch dough down. Turn onto a floured surface. Knead a few turns to form a smooth dough. Roll out into a 12x10 rectangle.

4 In a small bowl combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spread butter on on dough (I just use my fingers) and then sprinkle the sugar mixture on. Begining with the long side of the dough, roll up. Pinch the seam to seal. Gently cut into 1 in slices. Place rolls in a 9in. square pan or in 2 round cake pans.

5 Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, 30 to 45 min.

6 Bake at 350 for 15-20 min, or until golden brown.

7 While rolls are cooling, prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan melt butter. Add brown sugar and heavy cream. Cook on med low heat for 1 min. Pour mixture into a bowl. Let cool for a min or two. Add vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar. Beat until well blended and glaze cinnamon rolls.

Hello strangers! (Ok, I know I'm the stranger.)

I was just censured for posting pictures of food I've made lately on Facebook rather than the blog. So... ok, I'm back with a build up of bunches of recipes. But don't think I'm going to give it all to you at once. I've got to make these last a while!
Since it's autumn, I'll start with a perfect breakfast for a crisp fall morning.

French Toast with Apple Butter and Honey
I prefer to make this with good quality french or italian bread rather than plain sliced bread. I always mix vanilla and cinnamon in with my egg & milk mixture when I make french toast. After giving each piece a little butter, top with spoonfuls of apple butter and drizzle with honey or pure maple syrup.
Delicious served with a glass of milk.

Stuffed Tomatoes

Today my friend and co-worker Katelin brought in a bunch of tomatoes. Her dad brought them to her and she was going out of town... wouldn't want to waste all those yummy local tomatoes. OK, truth is another co-worker gave me tomatoes a week before that I still haven't touched. Feeling guilty to let them go to waste I decided to experiment a little bit. Tonight stuffed tomatoes sounded like a tasty dinner. After flipping thought a few recipes improvised and made own.

Stuffed Tomatoes

First I cut the tops off of 4 tomatoes and scooped out the seed and guts with a large spoon. Rinse off each tomato and let drain upside down on a paper towel. Next I sauteed onions, garlic and mushrooms until clear, add some cooked spinach (I thought chicken would be good too but I didn't have any defrosted). Mix veggies with ricotta cheese (i used about a cup for 4 tomatoes), an egg yoke, and shredded mozzarella cheese. Combine mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Salt the inside of each tomato and fill with mixture. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for about 20-25 mins or until golden brown.

A wonderfully delicious dinner and I am sure they will make an equally enjoyable lunch tomorrow. Thank you Katelin. I wonder what else I can stuff in a tomato?

Potato Crisps

I have an alarming addiction to potato chips. I love the way they smell when I pull open the bag. I love the way they look when I peer into the open bag. I love the way they sound when I take the first delightful bite and it crunches. I love the way they feel against my teeth as I bite and how they rub lightly across my tongue. Mostly, I love how they taste. The salt, the flavor, the oil. I mean, why would I eat low fat chips? If I'm going to eat potato chips, after hours of literally working my butt off at the gym, they're going to be the full-fat variety so it's worth every single crunchy bite.

I'm quite particular when it comes to the brand of chips I'm eating. Lays are the best. I'll settle for Ruffles when necessary, and I've eaten Clover Club in a pinch, but Lays are really where it's at. I like a variety of flavors, but most of the time I'm happiest with the Classic Lays. I mean, why mess with a good thing? Sometimes simple is best... or at least that's what I thought until I went to England and experienced Walkers Potato Crisps. Walkers is the Lays of Great Britain. So, if it's the same company and same product, why are Walkers so much better than Lays? Because the Brits are freaking awesome!

They love the weirdest flavors: Cheese & Onion, Steak & Onion, Smoky Bacon, Roast Chicken, Prawn Cocktail, Pickled Onion, Tomato Ketchup, and Worcester Sauce . I mean, who doesn't love that? How did they come up with these flavors? I'm here to tell you that Prawn Cocktail and Pickled Onion and much better than they sound... so much better that my mouth is watering at the mere thought of them. When I was in England I bought a new crisp flavor each day so I could try them all. Luckily we walked about 10 miles a day, so the extra calories were negligible (and I lost 15 pounds).

I do wonder, when Brits come to the U.S. do they think our chip flavors are weird? I mean, maybe Sour Cream and Onion sounds as vomitous to most of them as pickled onion does to most of us. Regardless, I am left begging the question, "Why, oh WHY doesn't Lays sell those fantastic flavors in the United States?" I simply must have a bag of Worcester crisps RIGHT now!

Italian Pesto Pasta Salad

I made this recipe for the first time about four months ago for a large family function. I started with The Olive Garden dressing, but have since switched to Kraft Italian Pesto Dressing & Marinade. I consistently have requests to bring my pasta salad to parties. As always- you'll have to experiment to find the quantities and combinations that work best for you.

Italian Pesto Pasta Salad
Prep time 1 hour
Serves A Lot

Ingredients
1 bag of your favorite pasta (I recommend the Garofalo brand available at Costco) in Fusilli, Radiatori, or Penne shapes. (You could also use macaroni or bow ties, but I recommend the other shapes.) If you're making a small quantity you will obviously want to only use a portion of the pasta instead.
1 English cucumber (I recommend English cucumbers because you don't have to peel them, they taste superior, and they are prettier)
2-4 roma tomatoes
1/2-1 whole red/purple onion
1-2 cans whole, black olives
1 package pepperoni (you could use bacon instead, or no meat at all)
1/2-1 whole bottle Kraft Italian Pesto Dressing & Marinade

1/2-3/4 cup freshly grated hard cheese (I recommend Parmeseano, Grana Padano, or Pecorino Romano. They are all available in the Kirkland brand at Costco for very reasonable prices. The great thing is that they stay good for months, so it's fine to have a large quantity on hand.)

Directions
Fill a very large pot with cold water. Add 2 Tbsp salt. (I know it sounds like a lot of salt, but in an Italian cooking class I just finished taking we were taught to add quite a bit of salt to the water when boiling pasta. It really does make the pasta taste better and requires you to use less salt in the rest of the recipe, therefore making it healthier.) Bring to a boil and then add the pasta. Cook until el dente. While the pasta is boiling, chop the cucumber, tomatoes, and onion into very small pieces. I recommend cutting the cucumber and tomatoes in half and then, using a spoon, remove the seeds. This will make the salad keep longer and it doesn't become "slimy." Often dishes with cucumbers and tomatoes look and feel "slimy" because the seeds are left in. After removing the seeds, continue to cut the vegetables into very small chunks. I like to put the tomatoes and cucumbers in a large glass bowl and sprinkle a little bit of kosher salt on them. Cut the pepperoni into quarters (You may not use the entire package. I often only use half.) and add the pepperoni to the cucumbers and tomatoes. Cut the onion into very small pieces and add it to the other items. Add the olives. Grate the cheese. By now the pasta should be done. Drain it and let it cool completely. You could prepare the pasta one or two days in advance if desired. Once it is completely cooled you may add it to the mixture. Add the grated cheese. If the pasta is not cooled the cheese will melt, and you don't want that. Mix everything together and then slowly add the Italian Pesto Dressing until it "looks" and tastes right. It's really a personal preference how much dressing you add. I recommend keeping it in a glass bowl as plastic and metal can change the taste of a dish. You can refrigerate it for several hours before serving, or serve immediately. The salad will keep for several days, if refrigerated, as long as you've removed the seeds from the cucumber and tomatoes.

On a side note, I also like to take red leaf or romaine lettuce and "fill" several pieces with the pasta salad and then wrap it up like chinese lettuce wraps and eat it. That just helps me get an extra serving of vegetables in :) If I'm just making it for myself, I'll double the cucumber and tomatoes in the recipe to help me get extra vegetable servings. Also, be creative! I've added marinated artichoke hearts and green, red, yellow, and orange peppers in the past with great success. Have fun and enjoy!