oreo truffles

I really like looking at Bakerella's Blog. She makes cake pops. And other things, but mostly cake pops.

I'm not sure I could do the cake pops. So, instead, I made oreo truffles. Same sort of idea, but it seems much simpler. To me, anyways.

All you need is:
1 package of cream cheese
1 package of Oreo Cookies
1 package of Candy Melts

You need to get the Oreo's from this:

To this:

By putting them in a food processor and chopping them up.

Once you have your cookie crumbs, add the cream cheese and mix it together. (If you soften the cream cheese a little first, it works better.)

Then roll the mixture into balls.

Put the oreo balls into the fridge, or freezer for about 5 minutes so they don't fall apart in the chocolate.

Melt your candy melts. Dip the oreo balls. Put on wax paper to dry.



Mis-adventures of the cookie press

I was grocery shopping the other day (at a large grocery store that starts with "S" and ends with "store"), when I came across a cookie press thinking, "How hard could it be, you put the dough in, you press it out..." So, I put it in my cart and brought it home.

It came with alot of discs, and some icing tips...

Went online, found a recipe (because apparently the dough consistency has to be different).

Made the dough, put it in the press, and got started.

This cookie press was not good... or maybe I was using it wrong... but I'm going with it was not good.

I pressed out the dough, ALOT came out... I couldn't figure out how it was going to make 8 dozen cookies like the recipe called for. I mananged to get 8 out of the press, and baked them. They didn't look quite right... but they tasted good :)

Took the first 8 out of the oven, went to press a few more, and the press didn't work. I'm not sure what happened... but I wasn't happy. So, I put the kids to bed, came back and played around with the press abit longer. Ok. Definitely something wrong.

Day 2:

I drove to the craft store, aaannnndddd... bought a NEW cookie press. By Wilton. If it's Wilton it has to be decent, right?

Right :)

Made some more dough, put it into the press:

Let me tell you, these are MUCH prettier than the ones I made with the first press. You can actually tell what shape these ones are.

Into the oven... and 8 minutes later...

SUCCESS!!

Want to make some?

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups butter softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°. In bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; mix well. Gradually add  flour mixture to butter  mixture; beat until combined. Do not chill. Fill cookie press with dough and with desired disks, press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool for two minutes before moving to cooling rack.

You can find different varieties of the recipe here:
Wilton

Redemption - Oatmeal Shortbread Santas

It's been awhile since I've baked something (not including birthday cupcakes)

(which were pretty tasty btw)

and I found a tube of cookie dough in the fridge, so I made it.

It felt like cheating.

I needed to bake for real to redeem myself.

I saw this picture in a magazine, and figured it seemed like a good project...

They are rolled cookies. Usually I have NO luck with rolled cookies. They always stick, the dough is too soft, they misshape... but, I was up for the challenge.

The recipe is simple:

Here's what you need:

2/3 c. Butter or Margarine, softened

1/2 c. Packed brown sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 c.    All Purpose flour

3/4 c. Quick-cooking Oats

1/4 tsp. Baking Powder

I know what you're thinking, I forgot the egg. Nope. No egg. I checked the recipe 3 times. Definitely, no egg.

To decorate you need white frosting (because it's from a Betty Crocker magazine they say to use "Betty Crocker Easy Flow white decorating icing"), red sprinkles, red and blue (or whatever color you want) smarties/m&m's.

I couldn't find the said "easy flow icing", but I did find:

Wilton Decorating Icing, which let me tell you, was super handy. Since it is a Wilton product, you can attach Wilton decorating tips RIGHT TO THE TUBE! I love it.

Anyways...
To make the cookies:

In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until creamy. Stir in flour, oats, and baking powder. Gather dough into ball. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 mins.

Heat oven to 350°. On a well floured surface, roll dough 1/4" thick. Cut with 3" heart-shaped cookie cutter. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes, or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating.


The trick to get them not to stick is definitely the flour. LOTS and LOTS of flour. Flour on the surface, flour on the rolling pin, flour on your hands. Flour. Also, I rolled them out on a silicone baking sheet which also seemed to help, and made for a way easier clean up.

And then comes the fun part. Decorating.

When you're done, it should look something like this...

Crayons for little hands

If you have kids, you probably have ALOT of broken crayons around.

Usually, I throw them out and buy new ones, but here's a way you can recycle them...

1. Peel
2. Brake into small pieces (if they aren't already)
3. Melt



After you break the crayons into bits, put the pieces into a lined mini muffin pan:

Put them in the oven at 300° for 10-15 minutes. Allow the "new" crayons to cool completely before you pull the paper liners off. They'll probably look something like this:

No more broken crayons :)

Turn on the oven to warm up your house

I made brownies last week. I was going to tell you how...last week... but, I lost the recipe. So, here's a picture instead.

This is what they looked like. They were really good.
If I find the recipe again, I'll put it up.

Today, I made cookies. Partly to warm up my house by using the oven, mostly because I wanted cookies.

Peanut butter to be exact.

1 c.       Brown Sugar
1/2 c.    Peanut butter
1/2 c.    Margarine
1           Egg
1 1/4 c. Flour
3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt

Preheat your oven to 375°
In a large bowl mix together brown sugar, peanut butter, margarine and the egg with an electric mixer until smooth.
In a smaller bowl, mix together the remaining dry ingredients.
Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture, stir until smooth.
Drop by spoonfuls onto an UNgreased cookie sheet, do not press down.
Bake for ~10mins or until golden.

And here's what you get:

It makes about 3 dozen depending on how big you make the dough balls, and how many you eat during the wait time. I used a melon baller, seems to keep them consistent. Enjoy

Just say "NO!" to T.V. on Tuesday

If you've ever watched TV on a Tuesday, you probably know, there's nothing to watch.

Seems like a good excuse to make cookies to me.

I'm pretty picky about my chocolate chip cookies. I've tried many different times to get them just right. Today, I think I came as close as I can get. Thanks to Bakerella.

2 1/4 c. Flour

1 tsp.    Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 c.       Butter

1 c.       Brown sugar

1/2 c.    Sugar

2           Eggs

2 tsp.     Vanilla

1 1/2 c.  Chocolate Chips

-Preheat oven to 350°
-Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl with a whisk. Set aside.
-Combine both sugars and butter. Beat with a mixer (this makes the dough super fluffy and light. it's great)
-Beat in eggs and vanilla
-Add flour mixture to sugar mixture in two additions. (I mixed them together with a rubber spatula)
-Stir in chocolate chips

-Use a mini ice cream scooper (or a melon baller works too) to drop dough onto parchment covered cookie sheet (also, I didn't have parchment paper, so I used my silicone baking sheet, which I love. Makes for an easy clean up).

-Bake 8-10 mins.

And here's what you get:

Not that I want to pat myself on the back, but I think these give Pillsbury a run for their money.

Only one thing could make them better:

So if you are having a day like this:

Make some cookies.

Look how happy it made them.

Mr.Christie may make a good cookie, but Betty Crocker makes a tasty muffin

Since I made cornbread stuffing one year for thanksgiving, that has now become the item I  HAVE to bring.

Cornbread

Booooorrrinnnng.

It's very simple. Here's the recipe if you want to make some:

1 c        Flour

1 c.       Cornmeal

1 tbsp.  Sugar

1 tsp.    Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/4 tsp. Salt

1 1/4 c. Buttermilk

1           Egg

1/4 c.    Butter, melted

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet over the dry and stir together. Grease an 8" pan, pour in batter, and bake at 375° for about 25 minutes.

Soooo... while I waited for that to bake, because I was bored,  I decided to try out a recipe I found in a Betty Crocker magazine for Gingerbread Cupcakes. It was well worth it.

Here's what you need:

1/2 c.   Sugar

1/2 c.   Butter, softened

1/2 c.   Molasses

2           Eggs

2 c.       Flour

1 tsp.    Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger

1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Ground Allspice

3/4 c.    Water

And here's how you make them:

1. Preheat oven to 375°, place paper baking cup in 18 regular-size muffin cups.

2. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, butter, molasses, and eggs with an electric mixer. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and water. Spoon about 1/4 c. of the batter into each muffin cup.

(she could be a spokesmodel for that mixer)

(he likes to help too)



3. Bake 15-18 mins. or until toothpick comes clean. Cool for 5 mins, remove from pan to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 20 mins.

So tasty!

There was a recipe for icing as well, which I didn't get to... I was told (numerous times) by my spokesmodel, that "they would taste better with icing, I wish we had icing." So, if you make them, add some icing. I think they taste fine without any.... you be the judge.

Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker "Fall Baking" magazine Oct/Nov 2010





Camera

I like to take pictures.

Alot.

Right now I use this to take them:

I would really like to use:

 It's a Canon Rebel.

It takes beautiful pictures.

One problem.

It costs alot of money.

Wanna help me get one?

You know you dooooo.....

Click the button:

Black Bananas

For some reason I always buy extra bananas with the intent of making them into some sort of tasty treat. They sit on the counter. No one eats them. They turn brown. They get thrown in the garbage.

This time, I put the extras in the freezer for a few days. And when I took them out, they looked like this:

Gross.

So, I got ambitious, and decided to make muffins. You should make some too. Because they taste good. Here's what you need:

3/4 c. Ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 c. Sugar
1/4 c. Oil
1        Egg
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 c.    Flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 c. Plain Yogurt
1/4 c. Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat Oven to 375°. Spray 12 muffin cups with vegtable oil.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat together bananas, sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl until well mixed.

3. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to banana mixture, stir in yogurt. Fold in chocolate chips.

Like this:

(little hands are a big help... most of the time)

4. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups and bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes, or until toothpick comes clean. Serve immediately.

Before:



When you have impatient children who don't want to wait 15 minutes, you need to find something to occupy them. We made chocolates.

Melt



Mold

Serve

Yum.

Annnnddddd.... the muffins...

So... next time you have extra bananas, now you know what you can do with them.