Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am a stickler when it comes to my cookies.  To this day I still make the cookies my mom made when we were kids and still makes to this day but sometimes you have to venture out  do something different for once.  Now I have been seeing this all over Pinterest for months but have been afraid to try it and that is cornstarch.  As every pin says is that it is suppose to make the cookies stay super soft and it does!  This cookies is super soft it is amazing!  

Now in this recipe it says just to scoop them out,  the cookies do not spread out it stays pretty thick and soft.  Myself I like my cookies a little thinner rather than tall thick ones so I press on them with my palm and flattened them and they are still super soft.

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

In a medium bowl, flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add half of the flour mixture and mix for 15 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until barely golden brown around the edges. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

http://sweetpeaskitchen.com

Keep a look out for Mug month!

Keep a look out for the month of June and single servings of food made in a mug!

Week 1:

Week 2:

Week 3

Week 4:

Chili Coke Roast *slow cooker recipe*

This is just an updated photo version.  I have this recipe on my blog already but it was 3 years ago and the picture was horrible but the roast is still amazing sweet and savory and it just falls apart. 

3 LB Beef Roast

1 Cup Chili Sauce

1 Pkg of Onion Soup Mix

1 Can of Coke-a-Cola

Directions

Put the Roast into the Slow-cooker and put all other ingredients into it. Cook on low for 6 hrs. Should just fall apart!

UP Themed Dinner

Tonight the girls choose UP! I had a little trouble so I went to my bestie Stacy for help and she gave me the idea for the waffle house so thank you!!  It turned out great and the girls said this was the best one yet!

House: Waffles *find recipe here* You will need to double the recipe

Balloons: Raspberries and blackberries

Sky: Whipped Cream and Jello

Waffles:

I only have a round waffle maker so I had to cut them into squares which turned out out to be the perfect size.  The house used 1 1/2 waffles.  To make it all hold together use tooth picks

Balloons:

Put the berries on top of tooth picks

Sky: 

Make jello as directed on box and cool in fridge until solid

Mix jello after it sets.  Spoon whipped cream into cup sideways and then layer it with the jello and repeat until cup it full

Steak with smoked Gruyere

We are on week 3 of 30 minute meals!

This one turned out so delicious juicy and the favors together were outstanding.  You can also use any steak that you would choose now we are a family of 5 so I didn't get anything expensive.

4 steaks of your choosing

1 med onion

1 cup gratted Smoked Gruyere

salt and pepper

4 tablespoons butter

Set your broiler on 300* and make sure your first rack is down to the 2nd shelf

Pound your steak out to about 1/2 inch

sprinkle with salt and pepper

Put in broiler for 10-15 mins per side depending on how you it like it cooked

In the mean time melt the butter in a pan and slice your onion in thin rounds

Sautee your onion on low heat

Grate your cheese and place it over steak for 3-5 mins or until melted in broiler

Take out and serve

Upside down apple cake

This is probably the best cake I have ever tasted.  Not overly sweet full of frosting and the wonderful taste of fall with cinnamon, ginger, cloves green apples and a wonderful glaze to finish it off.  Well it is spring but it is still good.  I am hoping I am making the neighbors jealous with the wind blowing their way through the windows.

Topping

2 medium green apples
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons apple juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup light corn syrup
Cake
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons apple juice
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 large green apple, peeled and finely chopped

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9″ round cake pan.  Line the bottom with parchment, and grease the parchment.
2) Slice the top, including the stem, off one of the apples and set it aside before peeling and slicing the rest of the apples into 1/4″ thick wedges.
3) Place the apple top, stem side down, in the middle of the pan, and overlap the rest of the apple wedges in a ring around it.
4) Prepare the topping by heating the butter, sugar, apple juice, cinnamon, and corn syrup together over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
5) Pour 1/2 cup of the syrup mixture into the prepared pan, and set the rest aside.
6) To make the cake: Beat the oil, brown sugar, apple juice, eggs, spices, and salt together for 2 minutes at medium speed
7) Mix the flour with the baking soda, and stir it into the batter. The batter will be very sticky
8) Add the chopped apple and mix until just blended.
9) Drop scoops of the batter atop the apples in the pan, gently spreading to cover.
10) Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean.
11) Remove the cake from the oven, and run a thin spatula around the edge to loosen.
12) Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a serving plate, bottom side up. Scrape out any sauce that remains in the pan, and spread it over the cake.
13) Reheat the reserved topping. If butter starts to separate as you reheat, add water by the teaspoon and stir until the butter rejoins the rest of the sauce.
14) Pour the sauce over the cake. Serve cake warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream if wanted

http://www.recipesquickneasy.com

Baked Corndogs

So I thought I would go a little kid friendly for the 30 minute meal this week.  It didn't turn out like I thought it would but it was tasty but looks wise was horrible.  From the picture in the cook book it looked like every regular corn dog and I was wondering how it would round out at the bottom when you baked it and it did as i expected the bottom flattened out like a cookie.  Like I said it still tasted amazing but next time I will stick to the deep fryer.

Suggestion:  Make little boats out of the aluminum foil to help with the rounded effect.

Another thing:  I looked on http://www.foodnetwork.com/ to rate this recipe and I noticed the recipe online calls for 1 cup of flour but the recipe from her cookbook does not.  It is up to you what to use.  I used the one with no flour.

2 boxes corn muffin mix, 8 1/2 ounces each (recommended: Jiffy brand)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 tablespoon chili powder, eyeball it in your palm
2 teaspoons cumin, eyeball it
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper sauce (recommended: Tabasco or Frank's Red Hot
8 jumbo pork or beef franks

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a shallow dish, combine muffin mix with flour, then stir in eggs, milk and melted butter. Season the mix with chili powder, cumin and cayenne  The batter will be a thick, sticky biscuit dough. Place a hot dog in the bowl of batter and swoosh it around to coat it. Remove coated dog to a nonstick cookie sheet and use your fingers to spread batter on any exposed dog spots. Don't coat it too thick, just shy of 1/2-inch should do the trick. If it's too thick it will just slide off the dog while it's baking, leaving the dog exposed. Repeat until all 8 are coated. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until evenly deep brown all over.

Rachael Ray Cookbook: 365 No repeats