Rolled Sugar Cookies

I adore these cookies, but I don't make them often because they are a bit of a project and highly addictive.  Today was a cool and windy autumn day, a perfect one for staying inside and baking!  This recipe is special to me because it's one my late dad created.  He wanted the perfect rolled sugar cookie recipe, so he took a bunch of recipes and averaged them, then tweaked the amounts until he got this.  It really is wonderful and reminds of my childhood every time I make it :)  I often make 1 1/2 or 2 times the recipe so that I can share (and so that we can all pig out on them lol).  The pictures are of what it looks like for 1 1/2 times.  The frosting is my approximation of what my mom always made, which I use not only for these cookies, but cakes and other treats as well!

Ingredients:

1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. lemon extract
2 eggs
2 tsp. milk
2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

additional flour for rolling

--frosting--

4 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 T. butter flavored Crisco (or regular Crisco)
dash of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
7 T. milk

sanding/decorating sugars and/or décors

Instructions:

1. Cream butter, sugar, vanilla, and lemon extract together.

2. Add eggs and mix until combined.

3. Add milk and mix until combined.

4. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl.  Add mixture gradually (around a cup each time)--I advise switching to a dough hook either at the beginning of this or by the last addition.

5. Chill dough for at least 2 hours (have left it as long as overnight and was the same).

6. Preheat oven to 375°F.  Scoop out ball of dough around the size of 2 baseballs (this does not have to be exact--you just want to not have too much to roll out at once).  Return remaining dough to fridge until ready for more.

7. Generously flour a clean work surface as well as a rolling pin.  Roll dough in the flour to coat, then pat into a disc shape.

8. Place in center of flour and roll, checking occasionally with spatula/turner to make sure dough is not sticking to surface.  If it is, scrape dough up and start over.  (This is very dependent on temperature and humidity, I think.  It was a humid day here this time and the dough stuck the first two times I rolled it!).  Roll to 1/8" thickness.

9. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes and place them on nonstick cookie sheet.

10. Bake for 7-9 minutes (most of my batches were 7 or 8), until cookie edges are just starting to turn golden brown.

11. Let cookies cool on sheet for 3 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

12. Make frosting:  place all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix until smooth consistency is achieved.  If too thick, add milk 1 T. at a time until frosting is smooth but still holds shape.

13. Frost cookies and top with sanding sugar immediately afterward.

14. Grab some milk and enjoy!

Note: cookies will soften after being frosted and set (covered), so don't worry if they turn out a little crisp :)

Chicken Bites with Peanut Sauce

I'm not entirely sure how to describe the flavor of these; you can eat them without the sauce for a totally different taste (which is what my brother chose to do), but they are intended to be dipped in the sauce to complete the taste profile.  And for this, you will need to like peanut butter--it dominates heavily...and tastily :)  This recipe comes from the "Easy Everyday Cooking" card collection and the only modification I made (which it suggests on the car, actually) is to cook them under the broiler instead of on the grill (though I have made them that way before as well).  Oh, and to use chicken tenderloins instead of cutting up chicken breasts--why make more work when it's not needed?

Link to my YouTube of preparation: https://youtu.be/VS6ILCv5k4Y

Ingredients:

1 T. canola oil
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. honey
1 T. bottled minced garlic
1 T. ground ginger
1 T. curry powder
2 T. chicken tenderloins

--sauce--
1 c. chicken broth
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. vinegar
1 tsp. sesame oil
5 T. peanut butter

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler on high.  Coat broiler pan with nonstick spray.

2. Mix together first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl.

3. Add chicken to the bowl and mix until coated.

4. Thread coated chicken onto skewers (I put 2 per skewer.  Be sure to have soaked wooden skewers at least 20 minutes prior to use.) and place on broiler pan.

5. Broil for 7 minutes, then turn skewers and broil 7 more minutes to even cook chicken.

6. Meanwhile, for the sauce, combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer.

7. Add peanut butter.  Stir and cook until peanut butter has combined well with sauce.

8. Serve skewers with some dipping sauce and enjoy!

Herbes de Provence Rub

If you have the chance or means, get herbes de Provence from France.  I've tried the varieties sold here in the states and somehow they just aren't quite the same.  Thus, I stock up when I go to France (or ask those who are going to get some for me).  I have a tin just for them in my kitchen (which, of course, I bought on my most recent trip to France):

I love trying recipes with them--especially easy ones like this!  As the original post points out, this rub is not just for steaks--it could go on chicken or pork easily, too.  I was actually wanting to use up the porterhouse steaks in my freezer, so that is how I came across this gem.  Highly recommend!  Here is the link to the original recipe:
http://thelemonbowl.com/2015/06/herbes-de-provence-rubbed-porterhouse-steaks.html

Ingredients:

meat of choice (I chose 2 porterhouse steaks)
1 T. herbes de Provence
2 T. kosher salt **I am going to use less next time, as this was quite salty!**
1 T. fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp. bottled minced garlic
2 T. olive oil

Instructions (with steaks, stovetop):

1. Mix together all ingredients (except the meat) in a bowl to form rub.  It will have a paste like consistency.

2. Rub steaks generously with the mixture on both sides.

3. Heat cast iron skillet over med-high heat and melt 2 T. butter in it.  Add steaks to pan and cook to desired doneness.

4. Serve with favorite side and enjoy!

100th recipe post! Orange-Soy Glazed Chicken Thighs

So excited to be writing my 100th recipe entry!  And such a good one, too--one of my very favorite recipes.  Very easy and extra tasty, could eat this far too often.  Since I'm the only one that likes green onions in my house, I end of leaving them out every time I make this (I didn't the first time and really enjoyed them, so I do recommend).  Being a mushroom lover, I must admit that the shiitakes are my favorite part--I could make a meal of those alone in this delectable sauce!  The original recipe for this came from Fine Cooking, for which a website no longer exists.

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/qybta6I_M_g

Ingredients:

nonstick cooking spray
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper
16 (or 24, if you love them like I do) shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. sugar
2 T. mirin
1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
2 T. orange juice
1 1/4 tsp. cornstarch
toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.  Coat broiler pan with nonstick spray.

2. Season chicken all over with salt and pepper.  Arrange the shiitake caps gill side up on broiler pan in clusters of 2 (or 3, if you are using 24).  Season with salt and pepper.

3. Place chicken on top of each cluster of mushrooms.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until thermometer inserted in thickest part of a thigh reaches 165°F (took 25 for mine).  Change heat to broiler on hi and broil for 5 minutes to brown thighs on top.

5. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and orange zest.  Cook over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar.  **note: watch this closely--it will boil over if you don't (yes, personal experience speaking!)**

6. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice and cornstarch.  Add this mixture to the saucepan and return to a simmer.  Cook for 1 minute after reaching simmer.

7. Pour sauce over chicken and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top to garnish.  Enjoy with your favorite side (I chose Basmati rice)!

Spice Cake Donuts with Pecan Streusel

Ok, well, sort of donuts.  More like coffee cake in the shape of donuts--which are good, too, of course :)  Upon finding this recipe, I actually wanted so much to make it that I went out and bought donut pans.  Now I'll have to find more recipes to use them, but that just means more blog entries, right?  Anyhow, these were quite tasty, well worth getting up a bit early to prep.  Having made them now, I am adding in notes on what I will do differently the next time (yes, I will make these again for sure!)
Here is the link to the original recipe:
http://thegoldlininggirl.com/2015/09/spice-cake-donuts-with-pecan-streusel/

Ingredients:

--for donuts--
1 box spice cake mix
1 egg
1 c. water
1/4 c. canola oil
3 T. melted butter

--for streusel--
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. chopped pecans (I used food processor)
3 T. melted butter

--for icing--
**the amounts here are the original ones; this makes A LOT of icing, so I plan to cut in half for next time**
3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. unsalted butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract
around 3 T. milk (I didn't measure)

Instructions:

1. Spray donut pans with non-stick spray and preheat oven to 350°F. **the original recipe calls for using 2 pans that hold 6 donuts, yet the yield she lists at the top is 16 (?).  I ended up with a bit of leftover batter and I overfilled the pans (supposed to be 3/4 full and I went nearly all the way full).  Will simply pipe remaining batter into cupcake tins next time.**

2. In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for the donuts part.

3. Pour batter into a gallon-sized ziploc bag.  Cut off a corner and use bag to pipe batter into donut pans.  Do not exceed 3/4 full (see note above in #1).

4. In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Stir until well combined.

5. Stir in pecans and butter.  Texture will be coarse crumbs/small chunks.

6. Sprinkle streusel over tops of donut batter in pans.

7. Bake for 12-14 minutes (I went 14).  After removing from oven, leave donuts in pans for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

8. Make the icing: place powdered sugar in a medium bowl.

9. Melt butter in small saucepan (or small skillet, like I used) over medium heat, stirring often, until butter just starts to brown (you will see tiny brown dots forming at the bottom).

10. Remove from heat and pour over powdered sugar immediately.

11. Add vanilla and milk.  Stir until well combined.  Add milk as needed until texture is just thin enough to drizzle.

12. Drizzle over top of donuts and enjoy!

Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

Back after a few days off--been a busy week and not much time for cooking, unfortunately.  Anyhow, I'll get straight to the point--these cookies are perhaps the best peanut butter cookies I've ever made/had.  Seriously.  Especially with a glass of milk (don't make them unless you have some on hand lol)!
I only did two things differently from the original below: used butter flavored Crisco instead of butter or margarine (didn't have any sitting out already) and baked them longer than time listed.  Here is link for the original:
http://www.food.com/recipe/soft-peanut-butter-cookies-205890

Ingredients:

1 c. butter flavored Crisco
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. light brown sugar (packed)
1 c. sugar, plus more for coating dough balls
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. Cream butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and sugar together.

3. Add eggs, one at time, beat well after each addition.

4. Add baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla.  Mix well to incorporate.

5. Mix in flour (depending on your mixer, you may have to add final cup or so by hand).

6. Form dough into 1" balls and roll in sugar to coat.

7. Place coated dough balls on cookie sheet.

8. Use a fork to flatten cookies, making a criss-cross pattern.

9. Bake for 9-10 minutes.

10. After removing cookies from oven, let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

11. Grab a glass of milk and try not to eat every batch ;)

Honey Pepper Stir-Fry Beef

Stir-frying by nature is usually a quick dinner option--this one is quicker than most, as it has only a couple of ingredients, yet delivers great on taste!  I was skeptical, I'll admit, yet the picture in the book I got it out of looked great, so I figured I'd go for it.   Very happy I did--this will now be a go-to recipe when I don't have much time!  The book I adapted the recipe from is The Complete Cookbook Stir-Fry: Tasty Recipes for Every Day.  This was the first recipe I made from it, very encouraging results!

Ingredients:

1 T. peanut oil
1 lb. flank steak, cut in bite size strips across the grain
1 tsp. bottled minced garlic
3 T. honey
3 T. low-sodium soy sauce
3 T. oyster sauce
2 to 3 tsp. fresh ground/cracked peppercorns (depending on how spicy you want--I used my pepper mill and went for less spicy)

Instructions:

1. Heat wok over medium-high heat, then add oil.  When oil is shimmering, add beef and garlic.  Stir-fry for around 4-5 minutes.

2. Combine honey, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and pepper in a small bowl.  Add sauce to pan and bring to simmer.  Simmer for around 3 minutes.

3. Serve with desired side and enjoy!