Chocolate peppermint cookies

These are one of my favorite “Christmas” cookies. 

 From: cooking classy 

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups (237g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
• 1 cup (98g) unsweetened cocoa powder (scoop and level to measure)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened about halfway (it should be fairly firm still)
• 1 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (160g) packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 16 oz. white chocolate, broken or chopped
• 1/4 cup (approx) finely crushed peppermint bits

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with silicone liners or parchment paper.
• In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until well combined. 
• Mix in eggs one at a time then blend in vanilla extract and peppermint extract.
• With mixer set on low speed slowly add in flour mixture and mix just until combined.
• Scoop dough out by a rounded tablespoon (about 25 grams each) and shape into balls (if dough is sticky you can chill as needed but mine wasn't sticky at all).

Camp pasta salad

 From-

Cindy Diaz 

The pasta salad is 

1 lb pasta

1 cup feta crumbles

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup diced cucumber 

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes 

Chopped green onion

1 pkg baby spinach

The dressing:

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 

1/2 cup sugar

1 garlic clove

1 green onion chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

1 cup vegetable oil

Put all ingredients except for oil in blender

Blend then slowly add oil while blending

Toss everything together. 

Butter cream frosting

 

Red white pasta

- food nanny

Alfredo Sauce:

• 1/2 cup 1 stick butter
• 1 3-ounce package cream cheese
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and ground black pepper

RED-AND-WHITE MOSTACCIOLI:

• 1 pound uncooked mostaccioli
• 1 26-ounce jar meatless spaghetti sauce or 3 cups homemade sauce, divided
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over low heat. Mix in the cream cheese. Stir in the cream and garlic powder. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, stirring often, while you cook the pasta. If the sauce needs additional thickening (for example if you're serving it as a dipping sauce without pasta), you may sprinkle in flour, 1 teaspoon at a time. Cook and stir for desired consistency.
2. Stir the Parmesan cheese into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mostaccioli:

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
3. Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain.
4. Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in a 9x13- inch baking dish. Layer half the pasta, half the Alfredo sauce, half the spaghetti sauce, 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. Repeat the layering with the remaining pasta, Alfredo sauce, spaghetti sauce, and cheese.
5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 30 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
7. Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain.
8. Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in a 9x13- inch baking dish. Layer half the pasta, half the Alfredo sauce, half the spaghetti sauce, 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. Repeat the layering with the remaining pasta, Alfredo sauce, spaghetti sauce, and cheese.
9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 30 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly.

caprese pasta salad

 

Ingredients

Vinaigrette Dressing

• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil
• ▢ ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 2 -3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1 clove minced garlic
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Caprese Pasta Salad

• ▢ ½ pound dried pasta (farfalle or other small pasta works best)
• ▢ 8 ounces mozzarella pearls (or cubed fresh mozzarella)
• ▢ 2 cups grape tomatoes sliced in half
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh basil leaves thinly sliced
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste

Texas sheet cake

Annie's favorite dessert. 

1 C butter

1 C water

4 T cocoa

2 C flour

dash of salt

2 C sugar

1/2 sour cream or buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375%, Grease jelly roll pan. combine butter, water and cocoa in sauce pan- heat to boiling stirring occasionally. remove from heat and add flour, sugar and salt. mix well. add sour cream, soda and eggs. Mix well. Pour in prepared pan. Bake at 375% for 21 minutes.

Frosting

1/4 C butter

4 T. cocoa

6 T. milk

3 1/2 C powder sugar

1 tsp vanilla

combine butter, cocoa, milk in saucepan. bring to boil. take off heat, add powder sugar and vanilla. spread over hot cake. 

Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Casserole with Spinach

 

Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Casserole with Spinach

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• author: Alexandra Stafford
 
• total time: 1 hour
 
• yield: 6 to 8 servings

Use the proportions below as a guide. You can omit the sausage to make it vegetarian — I almost always make it without sausage these days. If you want to scale it up or down, a good rule of thumb is 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal brand) for every 4 eggs… use even less if using Morton’s Kosher salt. 

Update: I’ve increased the oven temperature from 250ºF to 325ºF — when I made this most recently at the lower temperature it took way too long to cook, though my oven has been acting up. If you’ve had success at the lower temperature, go for it. Otherwise, try 325ºF, which will have this casserole done in just about 30 minutes. 

Also: I now add a cup of half and half. I think including some sort of milk product — milk, cream or half and half — makes the eggs more forgiving. When you overcook this casserole when it is eggs alone, it can be a bit rubbery tasting. When dairy is added, I find it remains more custardy. When I think about my favorite egg custard dish, Tartine’s Quiche, which calls for 2 cups of dairy (milk and crème fraîche) for 5 eggs, it makes me want to try this with yet another cup of half and half. I will be sure to report back when I do. 

Finally: When I make it vegetarian, I simply sauté the onions for about 10 minutes; then fold in the spinach just until it wilts. Then I proceed with the recipe as usual. 

 

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INGREDIENTS

• 2– to  4-oz baby spinach (I typically use 4 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed
• 0.5 – 0.75 lb. hot Italian sausage, optional
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced or diced
• 1 to 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 4 oz. grated cheese, I like Gruyère or Fontina
• 12 eggs
• 1 cup half and half
• freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 325ºF. Place spinach in a large colander and set it in the sink. Grease a 9×13-inch pan lightly with butter or with nonstick spray.
2. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil till it shimmers. Cook the sausage till it browns and is nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Break it up with a spoon or a spatula as it cooks. Spoon the sausage over the spinach in the colander in the sink. Return the skillet to the stovetop, add a little bit more oil to the pan if necessary, and set it over medium heat. Add the onions. Season with salt. Cook the onions till they begin to caramelize, 7 to 10 minutes. Spoon the onions over the sausage and toss with a spatula or large spoon to gently wilt the spinach. Transfer the spinach-sausage mixture to the prepared pan. Spread the cheese over top.
3. Break the eggs into a large bowl, season with 1 to 1.5 teaspoons salt (when I am using Morton’s kosher salt, I use 1 teaspoon; when I use Diamond Crystal, I use 1.5 teaspoons) and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Add the half and half, and beat with a whisk until the mixture is well blended. Pour the eggs into the pan. Season with more pepper to taste. (Note: You can strategically pull leaves of the spinach from the custard so they are at the very top, where they will stay during the baking process — this is purely for visual effect.) Transfer pan to the oven and bake for 25-40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Start checking at 25 minutes, then every 5 minutes thereafter till it’s done — depending on your oven and the material of the pan you are using, it may take more or less time to cook.
4. Remove pan from the oven, and let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Find it online: https://alexandracooks.com/2019/05/10/sausage-egg-and-