Baked Cinnamon/Sugar Tortilla Chips

What if I told you that you could whip up a tasty treat for your friends and family in less than 30 minutes? I have been wanting to test out this recipe for YEARS. Yes, YEARS. The reason I had waited for so long was because I thought they were really hard to make or I needed to use a deep fryer. Well, these are not hard at all to make and you can bake them in your oven! Given that I had purchased a pack of flour tortillas earlier in the week at Kroger for just a $1.00, I knew it was time to give it a try, figuring if it was a disaster, I would have only spent a little over a buck (considering butter, sugar and cinnamon were also in the recipe). Much to my amazement, they turned out AMAZING!!!! Yeah! Since all of my chips from the first batch are gone, I guess I better go back to the Kroger and stock up on flour tortillas!


Ingredients

1/4 cup melted butter, unsalted
 10 8-inch flour tortillas
  (I used La Banderita soft taco flour tortillas)
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove, melt the butter. Set aside. Separate the 10 tortillas and on each tortilla put about 3 teaspoons of the melted butter on one side only, either spreading the butter with a pastry brush or with a teaspoon. Set aside. In a small bowl, put the white sugar and cinnamon and mix well with a small spoon. Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon/sugar mixture evenly on top of each tortilla. With a pair of kitchen shears or using a knife, cut each tortilla into eight equal sized wedges (triangles). Place each wedge, cinnamon/sugar side up, on an ungreased cookie sheet. I used a 14-inch by 16-inch cookie sheet and could fit 24 wedges on it at a time. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tortillas are starting to crisp up. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool. Store in a covered container for up to two days. For maximum freshness consume within 24 hours!!!

Double Chocolate Sour Cream Coffeecake

When I was about 12 years old, I had a baking event that is eternally etched in my memory. I was trying to remove a cake from a tube pan and most of the cake landed in a bowl of soapy water that was in the sink. I remember being devastated. I learned two important lessons that day - wait until an item in a tube pan is completely cool before trying to remove and don't EVER try and remove a cake from a pan while standing over a sink!!! I was so upset by that event, that it took me a very LONG time before I even wanted to attempt using a tube pan again (like a few decades). There is something "unique," though when you bake either a cake or coffeecake in a tube or "Bundt," pan. To me, it elevates your "bakery," to a whole different level! Yes, I could order one on-line, but how about making one?!?!?! From the outside, this coffeecake looks pretty good doesn't it?

You would never know in a million years, that inside the coffeecake, there are chocolate chips that have melted.

Oh, my. This coffeecake was out of this world - delicious! Dominic will pretty much eat anything that isn't nailed down these days - he is going through a HUGE growth spurt. Believe it or not, he won't eat anything with chocolate chips in it. When I handed him a piece of this coffeecake, he didn't even blink an eye and gobbled it down. He had no clue that his piece contained chocolate chips!!!! If you see Dominic, please don't tell him - it will be our little, "secret!" We moms always have a trick or two up our "sleeves."  LOL.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups white flour
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


Topping:

1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons baking cocoa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup fluted tube or Bundt pan generously with non-stick spray. Set aside. In a large bowl, put the butter and white sugar and cream with an electric mixer or by hand with a large spoon until smooth. Add the eggs and mix well. Add the flour, sour cream, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Mix by hand with a large spoon or with electric mixer until smooth. “Fold” in the semi-sweet chocolate chips until well incorporated with a large spoon. In a small bowl, put the white sugar, cinnamon and baking cocoa.  With a small spoon, mix together. Set aside. Take half of the mixture in the large bowl and pour into the prepared pan. Spread evenly. Sprinkle half of the topping mixture on top followed by the rest of the mixture in the large bowl. Sprinkle the other half of the topping mixture evenly on top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the coffeecake comes out clean. Remove from oven and let the coffeecake cool on a rack. When cool, turn pan over and remove gently. Place on a large plate. Keep covered at room temperature for up to three days. Makes 10-12 servings.

Peanut Butter Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

The hubby LOVES anything involving peanut butter. Sometimes he will even stick a spoon into the jar! Whenever a batch of peanut butter "criss-cross," cookies are around, they typically don't last too long around "Cathy's Kitchen." In all my years of baking brownies, I don't think I have ever made peanut butter brownies. Well, yesterday I rectified that. Wow, these brownies smell SO good while they were baking! I think that's one of the reasons why I love to bake so much - it makes our house smell AMAZING. Too bad you can't bottle those smells, isn't it? Anyways, I was so impatient waiting for these brownies to cool - it seemed like it took FOREVER. I have tried to frost cakes before they were cooled off and it's been a disaster - hunks of cake come up with the frosting on the knife - not a pretty picture. I was pretty good about waiting for the brownies to cool and then I added the frosting. Oh my goodness, these were pretty darn good, if I do say so myself! The hubby had a  "sample" after dinner last night. I didn't have to guess how he liked his piece, there wasn't a crumb left on the plate.

Ingredients

Brownies:

3 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter, smooth
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
   (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8-inch square pan with non-stick spray. Set aside. In a large bowl, put the eggs, light brown sugar, white sugar and white flour. Combine well with large spoon. Add the peanut butter, butter, baking powder, salt and vanilla extract. Mix well until smooth by hand. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the brownies comes out clean and is golden brown. Remove pan to wire rack to cool. These brownies are awesome on their own, but if you want to make them even more yummy, make the frosting! In a small bowl, put the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter and vanilla extract. Combine with large spoon. Add two tablespoons of milk and if too thick, add an additional tablespoon. If still too thick, add milk a teaspoon at a time until desired consistency. Frost brownies and sprinkle with the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (if you want) and then cut into 9-12 squares. Store covered in fridge for up to three days.

Ham and Cheese Frittata

I have known my stepson since he was six years old. When he was growing up and would come to our house, I would make him his very own "made-to-order omelet," for breakfast. He was very good for my ego, because he would tell me that I should open up my own restaurant! Cooking and baking for those that I love is certainly one of my passions.

After doing a little bit of research about what a frittata is, it's basically a baked omelet. My first attempt at a ham and cheese frittata yielded a nice looking product, but, oh my, it was so salty - guess I shouldn't have put a cup and a half of ham in - yikes. My second attempt turned out much better! Since cheese has been on sale at Kroger  lately, I had stocked up! I had Swiss, mozzarella and Colby Jack to choose from. My first frittata used Colby Jack and it was okay, but not quite the right flavor. Mozzarella didn't seem like the right cheese either - I guess I think of that as "pizza" cheese. Swiss was so yummy and it melted wonderfully!!

 My stepson has grown into a smart and handsome man and he and I still remain close. He is now 32 and engaged to a gal we all love! I can't wait for him and his future wife to visit us. I already know what will be on the "menu," for breakfast at "Cathy's Kitchen," a made-to-order frittata!

Ingredients

8 large eggs
1 cup cooked ham, chopped
1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 1/2 inch glass pie plate with non-stick spray and set aside. In a large bowl, put the eggs, ham, cheese and black pepper. Beat well with a fork or wire whisk until well combined. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until the frittata is starting to turn brown and the middle is cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool just a bit. Serves eight. Store covered in the fridge for up to three days.