Category: Cooking

Cooking, Recipes

The Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies Ever!!

Karen @ Crafty Commons

At work we have food days every so often and this past Wednesday we had one for Administrative Assistants Day – because ours is awesome!! School would not run without her. Anyway, I decided to make a Hummingbird Cake. Unfortunately I took it out too early and it caved. You know what I mean. So I decided I would also make cookies. I found these cookies on food.com. It just calls for peanut butter, sugar and an egg. I thought it needed something other than plain white sugar. Plus I can’t imagine a peanut cookie without … brown sugar of course!

Start with…

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1 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

I put all the ingredients in a bowl

I then used a fork and mixed it all together. I kept wondering if this was going to work.

Finally I took a small amount, rolled it into a ball and then rolled it in additional white sugar. I cooked it at 350 for about 12 minutes. And guess what? It worked!

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They are little soft when they first come out so be sure to let them cool. Of course if one does break …

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… then you have to eat it. I know, it’s a shame. I got 22 cookies out of the recipe. Took it to work and brought home an empty container! Always a good sign. They are definitely sweet and go great with a glass a milk.

If you try them, let me know how they turned out for you. hope you like them too!

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Cooking, Recipes

Indian Snack Mix – aka Spicy Chex Mix

Karen @ Crafty Commons

When I was in college, too many years ago, I knew a woman from India. She was a student and was living with her aunt and uncle. Her uncle was a professor at Oklahoma State. I never had him, he was a math professor and I was not a math person at all! I took college algebra and that was it. As a teacher, stats was required but I found a class that met the requirement but was not a complete stats course. It was much easier and my brain did not explode as it may have if I had to take stats.

But I digress. I started this post to tell you about the India Snack Mix recipe I got from my Indian friend. Her aunt created the recipe based on a recipe from India but it used product she could find in the U.S. such as corn chex. It is soooooo good and I make it for my classes during Discover Languages Month in February. The kids always love it and ask for the recipe. It does have one ingredient, hing, that I have never included because I haven’t found it in the small town stores I shop. However, with Internet shopping, I can buy it online. I’ll have to do that.

If you try it, let me know if you liked it (or not).

The picture is one that someone took and posted on my recipe on Food.com.

Chex Mix with a kick!
Chex Mix with a kick!

Indian Snack Mix

INGREDIENTS

2 cups Corn Chex
2 cups shredded wheat cereal, crushed
3 cups Rice Krispies
1 (12 ounce) package chow mein noodles
1 tablespoon red pepper powder or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/8 teaspoon hing (Can be found in international grocery stores or omit)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
12 ounces Spanish peanuts
3/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped onion, added to each serving
1/2 cup lemon juice, added to each serving

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a large bowl, mix cereals together. Do not mix in noodles.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Fry mustard seeds and cumin seeds well.
  3. Add noodles and heat for approximately 2 minutes.
  4. Add other spices and mix well. Mix in peanuts. Add two handfuls of the cereal mix and mix well. Add oil mix to remaining cereal mix in bowl and stir well.
  5. Place in baking dish and cook in 250 degree oven for 25 – 30 minutes.
  6. Serve in individual bowls. For each serving, stir in 1 tablespoon chopped onions and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, more or less to taste.
  7. You can also add more red pepper if you like foods that are EXTREMELY hot. Serve with something cold to drink.

Read more at: http://indian.food.com/recipe/indian-snack-mix-30490?oc=linkback

Christmas, Cooking

Weight Watchers Fruit Cake

Karen @ Crafty Commons

My dad loves fruit cake and is a Weight Watchers lifetime member. I found this recipe on the WW site and thought I’d make it for him! I linked the page on WW. There are a couple of other recipes on the page that would be good.

Fruit Cake

Makes 16 servings

PointsPlus™ value 4 | per serving

What did the fruit cake ever do to deserve such ridicule? Here’s a version we’ve never seen anyone turn down—moist, light, full of dried fruit, perfect for breakfast or with a cup of coffee mid-afternoon.

Ingredients

  • 1 serving nonstick cooking spray
  • 3 Tbsp walnut oil
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp molasses
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup chopped dried raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped dried apple
  • 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
  • 1/2 cup chopped dried pitted dates
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup cake flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 275°F. Spray a nonstick 1-quart loaf pan with nonstick spray and set it aside.
  2. Whisk the walnut oil, melted butter, molasses, vanilla, and egg white in a medium bowl; set aside.
  3. Mix the cranberries, raisins, apple, orange peel, dates, and 2 Tbsp flour in a large bowl. In a second large bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cake flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, allspice, and salt. Stir into the dried fruit mixture. Then stir in the walnut oil mixture until a loose batter forms. Pour into the prepared pan, spreading it to the sides.
  4. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on the rack. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to store at room temperature.
Cooking

Maple Rounds

Karen @ Crafty Commons

I came up with a new recipe. At least as far as I know it’s a new recipe. I called it Maple Rounds – rounds because I cut them in round shapes, you can do whatever you want. Everyone who tried them, loved them. My sister did tell me that it might be a little too “mapley”. Next time I make them, I might reduce the maple a tad. The recipe is adapted from the Rolled Sugar Cookie recipe in the 1981 ed. of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. I love this cookbook! I have newer versions of the BHG cookbook but this is my favorite. I know because the pages are stained, torn, and well-loved. It’s a 3-ringed binder and many of the pages are just lying in the book, the holes long torn.

Maple Rounds

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 6 Tbsp butter – you could use margarine but I think butter is best
  • 1/3 cup shortening
  • 3/4 sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp maple flavoring

Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter and shortening for about 30 seconds, then add sugar and beat until fluffy.  Add the egg, milk and maple flavoring. Beat well. Add the flour mixture until well combined. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. I usually chill overnight. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough to about 1/8th of an inch. With a glass or cookie cutter, cut and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.  Makes about 3 dozen.

Glaze

Stir together 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1/2 tsp. maple flavoring and 1-2 Tbsp. milk. May use more milk depending on desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

Let me know what you think if you try them!

Autumn, Cooking

Cran-Apple Pie

Karen @ Crafty Commons

I made this Cranberry Apple pie for my church’s bazaar. It will be served as a dessert with the lunch at the bazaar. It looks and smells soooo good! Unfortunately I will be out of town for a conference and won’t be able to try it. 😦  I have got to make another one so I can have some.

I used Taste of Home’s Cran-Apple Pie recipe. Doesn’t it look yummy!

Cooking

Casseroles

Karen @ Crafty Commons

I’ve never been fond of casseroles but my mother-in-law makes them all the time and I’ve come to realize what a great time saver they are! I haven’t cooked since I can’t remember when so I decided I would make a casserole using a recipe I got from a woman at church. It’s called Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole and it’s a recipe from Kroger®. Since I was making it for just my mother-in-law and me, I cut the recipe in half. It was pretty good and I am going to have to remember to make it again.

    

I need to practice my photography skills but you get the idea. Recipe below:

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

  • 1 cup Sour Cream
  • 1 1/2 cups Chicken Broth
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups Instant Rice, uncooked
  • 20 oz. pkg. fully cooked chicken breast, diced
  • 4 1/2 oz. deli ham, cut in cubes
  • 6 oz. sliced swiss cheese, cubed
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup corn flakes
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
  1. Preheat oven to 400º.
  2. Stir sour cream, chicken broth, Dijon mustard and black pepper in a large bowl.
  3. Add rice, chicken, ham, and swiss cheese and stir to combine.
  4. Spread evenly  into a 13 x 9 casserole dish.
  5. Mix corn flakes, parmesan cheese and melted butter. Sprinkle over casserole.
  6. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, until heated through and topping is golden brown.
  7. Enjoy!