Cardamom and Lemon Cookies

I have said it before and I'll say it again, I was the world's pickiest eater growing up! Never in a million years would I have ever thought of making a cookie using cardamom. Up until a few years ago, I didn't even know what cardamom was!!!  Cardamom is a spice that I think tastes like cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg rolled into one.  This is what the spice area looks like at my local Kroger, quite a selection, huh?

Yikes, thank goodness, a large portion of it is alphabetized or else I would be at a total loss!! I have really "branched" out in the past five years or so using different spices, especially when I make chicken, beef or veggie chili. A few nights ago, when I made chicken chili,  I put in cumin, turmeric and "Thai" inspired red curry powder. I also have been known to sneak in some marjoram into chicken soup. I was so excited the first time I made these cookies that I had a bit of a "heavy hand" with the cardamom. The second go round I used less. At the store, cardamom might be a little more expensive than some of the other spices, but trust me, a little goes a long way! Take a look sometime at how much saffron is, that one is super duper pricey!

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup pink powdered lemonade
  (I used Country Time)
1 large egg, beaten
2 1/2 cups white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
*one tablespoon sanding sugar or sprinkles, optional
   (I used the Kroger brand "coral" sanding sugar)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter, white sugar and the pink powdered lemonade together with a large spoon or electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients in the order given (except the sanding sugar or sprinkles) and mix well with a large spoon. Roll batter into balls with the palms of your hands - you should be able to get 2 1/2 dozen balls if you make them a little smaller than a golf ball.  Place a dozen at a time on the lined cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes. Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for five minutes and then remove to wire rack to cool. Store covered at room temperature. Makes 2 1/2 dozen yummy cookies!

* For a delicious and quick dessert idea, take a scoop of vanilla ice cream and put in between two cookies and squeeze gently. 

Jeannette's Chocolate Covered "Grasshoppers"

In less than a week, it will be two months since my mom's passing. It has been a difficult time, but I think my dad phrased it the best - you learn to "adapt." He and my mom were married for over 55 years.

While looking through two of my mom's recipe boxes today, I came across a recipe for Chocolate Covered Grasshoppers. The name certainly sounds intriguing, doesn't it?!?!?! I always thought Chocolate Covered Grasshoppers had some form of mint in it. A quick Internet search though, brought up "real" grasshoppers covered in chocolate. Um, no, I don't think so! The recipe is from my mom's friend Jeannette, who I always remember living near Miami, Florida. She has five children, all relatively close in age. I met most, if not all of her children at one time or another. I think the youngest was my age. Anyways, I can just imagine Jeannette in her hot kitchen in Florida with her children making these. They are no-bake/drop cookies, so you don't need to heat up the oven! These cookies are really yummy!!

Thanks mom for saving this recipe and for instilling my love for baking and cooking, which I have had for a really, really long time!

Ingredients

6 tablespoons cocoa
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup milk
4 cups "quick" oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, put the cocoa, white sugar, butter and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a large spoon until it becomes a smooth consistency. When it hits a "rolling" boil, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the oatmeal and vanilla extract. Stir until all of the oatmeal is covered with the chocolate mixture. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper or parchment paper. I was able to get 32 "grasshoppers" making them that size, if you prefer teaspoonfuls, then it will make more! Chill in the fridge for a minimum of one hour. Store covered in the fridge. *I'm still trying to figure out why they are called "grasshoppers." They certainly don't look or taste like a "grasshopper" to me, not that I know what a grasshopper tastes like!!!

Strawberry and Watermelon Popsicles

Have you ever heard of a cookbook called, "The Sneaky Chef?" It is written by a gal that likes to "sneak" healthy foods into meals. A "white puree" consists of cauliflower and zucchini and it is incorporated into things like mac and cheese and lasagna. A "purple puree" is spinach and blueberries mixed together and put into brownies, pancakes and tacos. You kind of get the idea..... I have a much easier way to get someone to eat something they are not interested in eating - put it into a blender and make it into a popsicle!!! Lauren LOVES watermelon and strawberries, so she ate these willingly. Dominic on the other hand, turned his nose up at the watermelon. He flat out refused to eat it. This "sneaky" mom put some watermelon and strawberries into the blender yesterday afternoon, poured them into the popsicle mold and they were frozen and ready to eat after dinner. Dominic had no clue that I had "snuck" the watermelon into the popsicle when he ate it last night. Sometimes a mom has to do what a mom has to do!!!

2 cups strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced
2 cups seedless watermelon, cubed

In a blender, put the strawberries and watermelon and puree until you get the consistency you want (I put a 1/2 cup of each fruit at a time into the blender). When I tried to put it ALL in the blender, it was too much and the blender clogged up! Pour into a popsicle mold (made for four)  and freeze for a minimum of eight hours.

There will be just enough leftover mixture to put into a glass and drink (the hubby was the happy recipient of that yesterday). Enjoy!

Meat and Cheese Manicotti

My family loves my lasagna. I have been making it for a very LONG time. Last night, I decided to "rock" my family's world by making manicotti!!

Lauren helped me out and took Dominic to a music therapy session, so I could focus on making dinner. I stuffed about half of the manicotti shells before I realized I didn't have enough mixture to put in the shells! Good grief. I had to "un-stuff" them, add more ricotta cheese and "re-stuff."  It was what you would call a learning "curve" to make these. After dinner, I asked Lauren which she liked better, lasagna or manicotti. She just recently graduated from college and hasn't had my home cooking for a while. She told me she liked the manicotti better.  I knew she learned a lot in those four years!!

Ingredients

8-ounce package manicotti noodles, uncooked
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
24-ounce jar tomato and basil pasta sauce
1 large egg, beaten
15-ounce container ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese (1 cup reserved)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large pot, cook the manicotti according to the manufacturer's directions. Drain and rinse with cold water and set aside. In a medium saucepan, brown the ground chuck until it is no longer pink and then add the pasta sauce. Stir to combine thoroughly with a large spoon and set aside. In a medium bowl, put the egg, ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, salt, basil and black pepper. Stir with a large spoon. Pour half of the meat and sauce mixture evenly in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Stuff each manicotti noodle with a heaping teaspoon of the cheese mixture. Lay on top of the meat and sauce mixture. Pour the remaining half of the meat and sauce mixture on top of the stuffed manicotti and then sprinkle the other cup of mozzarella cheese on top. Bake uncovered for about 30-40 minutes until it is bubbly.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter "Icebox" Pie

*Photo courtesy of Mary Gajda - Capital Area Women's Lifestyle Magazine.

My hubby is a great cook, but with a very demanding job, I do about 90% of the meals. This past Monday, I was asking him what he wanted for dinner and he said, "I'm making my split pea and ham soup!" It was DELICOUS. Anyways, one of his VERY favorite combinations is peanut butter and chocolate. Since he made the soup for me, I made him a chocolate and peanut butter "icebox" pie. This decadent pie is quick to whip up and requires no assistance from the oven! The hardest part is waiting for it to freeze up.  My husband is a supportive and loving father to his three children, so for a surprise, I am going to make him this pie again for Father's Day!! Please don't tell him, it will be our little "secret."

Ingredients

6-ounce graham cracker crust (ready to eat)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chunky or smooth peanut butter
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
3.9 ounce box chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
1 cup milk
8-ounce whipped topping, slightly thawed
2/3 cup Reese's "Minis" Peanut Butter Cups, chopped
2/3 cup Reese's Pieces

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and the peanut butter together slowly, stirring constantly with a large spoon, do not boil! Remove from heat and set aside. Immediately add the powdered sugar and combine well with a large spoon until smooth. Spread evenly into the graham cracker crust. In a small bowl, put the contents of the chocolate instant pudding and pie filling and add one cup of milk. Mix well with a large spoon (it will be thick). Spread on top of the butter, peanut butter and powdered sugar mixture. Sprinkle 1/3  cup of the Reese's "Minis" Peanut Butter Cups and 1/3 cup of the Reese's Pieces. Cover with the whipped topping and then sprinkle 1/3 cup of the Reese's "Minis" Peanut Butter Cups and the 1/3 cup of the Reese's Pieces. Freeze eight hours. Serve frozen - it's delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Butter Pecan Biscotti

Up until a handful of years ago, I didn't even know what biscotti was.  Earlier this week, for some reason, the idea of making butter pecan biscotti popped into my head. Of course I had to act on it! When I showed Dominic what I had made, he picked one up, looked at it and said "it has walnuts." I have tried multiple times to explain to him that there are pecans, not walnuts in the biscotti. I was pretty sure Dominic would eat it, because earlier in the week he ate part of a granola bar that had peanuts and almonds in it, so I figured since he had almonds (which he has never eaten before) he would eat pecans. WRONG!!  After he fully inspected the biscotti, he put it back down on the plate. I grabbed it and ate it. Dominic is missing out, these are yummy!!!!


Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups white flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Parchment paper is my new best friend - it saves time because you don't have to wash the cookie sheets so often, you just toss the parchment paper in the trash! In a large bowl, beat the butter, white sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer or by hand with a large spoon until smooth. Next, add the eggs, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder and salt. Combine well with the large spoon and then "fold" in the pecans. Using your hands or the spoon (I like to use my hands), split the dough in half and gently form two "logs" each measuring eleven inches long and five inches wide. Put in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the logs comes out clean. You don't want soggy biscotti!! Pull out of the oven and let them hang out on the cookie sheets for five minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut each log into 12 pieces and then place cut side down back on the cookie sheets. I was able to fit the 24 slices back onto one cookie sheet. Bake for an additional 20 minutes and then remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.  If you want to make an easy glaze, in a small bowl put 3/4 cup of powdered sugar and add one tablespoon of water. Mix with fork or spoon until smooth. Drizzle evenly over all 24 biscotti. Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea!!!

Springtime Cake

*Photo courtesy of Mary Gajda, Capital Area Women's LifeStyle Magazine

About five years ago,  I was on my way home from the Kroger and my cell phone rang. I answered the phone and this gal said something along these lines, "I'm from the Rachael Ray Show, I'm one of the producers and we loved your "double duty" idea! can we talk?" (The idea was using powdered lemonade in a biscotti). I said, "well, I'm in the car now and have a bunch of groceries, can we chat when I get home?" I ended up talking with the woman from the Rachael Ray Show for a while and when she got to the question about how often I watch the show, being the extremely honest person I am replied, "as often as I can!" That wasn't exactly what they wanted to hear and after a few email exchanges, I never heard back! Anyways, the reason I told the above story was because when I made cake pops for the first time recently, I came up with another "double duty" idea!! My idea is this - when you are dipping the cake pop into melted candy melts, you need a place to put them to harden up and dry. Take a 12-count egg carton, flip it over, take the stick and press into the bottom of each egg "cup." After you are done with the egg carton, it can be recycled! I sent my idea to the Rachael Ray Show, again. We shall see!

Ingredients

For cake:

4 cups white flour

2 cups white sugar

1 cup margarine, melted

4 large eggs

5 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups milk

Other ingredients needed:

16-ounce container vanilla frosting, any brand

1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

Green food coloring

Small plastic or wooden fence (35 inches x 1.93 inches)

Sliced almonds (2.25 ounces)

Candy melts/wafers, any color, any brand (16 ounces)

6-inch lollipop sticks (50)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square pan and a 9-inch round pan with non-stick spray and set aside. In a large bowl, put the ingredients in the order given for the cake and mix well with a large spoon, whisk or electric mixer until smooth. Pour the batter evenly into the two pans and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. Remove pans from oven to cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, remove both cakes from their respective pans. Place round cake on a serving platter. Use 1/2 of the container of frosting (approximately one cup) to frost the round cake. To make the "grass" add a few drops of green food coloring to the cup of coconut and using a fork, mix gently until you get the shade of green you like. Sprinkle the coconut evenly on top of the cake. Toss the sliced almonds on next. Set aside. In a medium bowl, break the square cake finely into crumbs with a fork or with your hands.  Add approximately one cup of frosting (the other half of the container) to the crumbs and combine well with your hands until dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of one hour. Roll into four dozen equal-sized balls, cover with plastic wrap and chill again for one hour. In a medium bowl, melt the candy melts/wafers according to the manufacturer's instructions. Place a lollipop stick into the melted melts/wafers and then press half way into each cake ball. Let it harden up (about one minute) - this little trick will keep the ball from detaching itself from the stick! When the cake pop is ready, dip completely into the melted melts/wafers and place into the egg carton "stand." When dry, place seven cake pops on top of the cake. If you want the cake pop shorter, just cut off the bottom of the stick. When done, wrap the white fence around the cake. Enjoy!!