Cream Puffs

My middle made these for her French Class and I figured why not update this old post from 2008? You can find the original post here and below is the updated version. So easy to make and they taste so good.

Pasta al Limone (With Shrimp)

This pasta dish is creamy and flavorful. The ingredients are simple and easy to find many times I already have them on hand. It's not a difficult dish to make but it is so good. perfect quick weeknight meal.

Perfect Ginger Cookies

 These cookies are an old favorite. They are a little bit different than the Chewy Ginger Molasses cookies I have shared before. That post is a mess by the way and I need to update it. These cookies have a crispy edge but chewy center that still snaps. I think they are perfect. To give these cookies that crispy edge I use shortening, then I added butter for a chewy centers. You can use all butter but you'll have a softer cookie. All shortening will give you a crispy cookie. For the sugars I used both brown and granulated, I have two measurements for the granulated sugar because we like a less sweet cookie. These can be rolled in cinnamon sugar or in powdered sugar. The granulated cinnamon sugar will give you more of a caramelized crunch, the powdered sugar will give you a pretty crinkle cookie look.

Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies (Chewy)

Rich, flavorful, chewy with crispy edges. I love chocolate chip cookies and this recipe has all the elements I just mentioned. The browned butter and dark brown sugar give these cookies a butterscotch toffee flavor and the dark brown sugar makes them chewy. I do have quite a few other recipes on this blog.  I can't help it. This one, the Gideon cookies, the Kiss Me  Chocolate Chip Cookies, so many yummy ones. Just pick one, the Skillet Chocolate Chip cookie is the easiest.

As far as this recipe I will definitely make them again. With or without the Toffee chips. I would love to put nuts in them, but my child can't eat nuts. I use less chocolate and toffee in these than most people would but we love the cookie like this.

This is a great batter to customize.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Fudgy Skillet Brownie

I was craving Mexican Hot Chocolate donuts and the Chocolate Chili ice cream from Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour at Universal Studios. Of course we can't get there so  made these brownies and they always hit the spot. 

If you are looking for a fancier brownie, try these Fudgy Cheesecake Brownies.

Coconut Cherry Pandan Cupcakes

These cupcakes are made with this Pandan Sponge cake batter here. My favorite cake. For the frosting, I made it as written but added coconut cream, a drop of red food coloring and almond extract along with the coconut extract. The pipette is a shot of cherry juice. SO yummy.

Nice and fluffy inside.

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Coconut Pandan Bread

Coconut and Pandan are one of my favorite baked good flavors. Coconut Pandan sponge cake is one of my top 3 favorite cakes. If you haven't had Pandan the aroma is sweet and floral like vanilla but it doesn't taste like vanilla at all. Pandan is used in many Southeast Asian desserts like you see vanilla used in the US. I use a Pandan extract for this recipe, you can find Pandan leaves in some Asian markets, I have some that I keep in the freezer. You can make your own extract with it. 

Coconut-Lime Bars, Lime Bars

Lime bars, and twist off of a yummy classic treat. During this shelter in place, my middle child has been baking up a storm. These Lime Bars are just one of the yummy treats she's baked. We have an abundance of limes, so I'll be freezing some of the juice also. We didn't add food coloring to these bars to make them green but the specks of lime zest against the yellow make them pretty. We also have used Natural Erythritol in place of the powdered sugar and it worked very well. I have two huge bags of this stuff that DH purchased. So if you want to make this with less cane sugar, you can use that.
The original recipe was for Lemon Bars, I'll post the Lime Bar recipe and then the Coconut-Lime Bar recipe below that. The Coconut-Lime Bars are a yummy twist. I used to make a coconut shortbread that is a favorite of ours.
Some tips:
Use a glass pan. Spray it with cooking spray then line it with parchment paper, then spray the parchment paper. The filling is a bit sticky and this will help you get your Lime Bars out of the pan.

Dutch Baby, Brunch Baby

I made this Dutch Baby months ago but I thought it was so pretty so I decided to post it. The recipe is the same as it ever was and you can find those here. Different variations and the original.

Ditch Baby 2015 brunch with coddled eggs...

Dutch baby from 2016 brunch.

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Brownie Batter Cookies

Today I have two cookies to share. Both are easy to make and require minimal ingredients, they are very similar but one will yield a thinner cookie, the other a thicker cookie. There's an Italian place here that makes these amazing thin brownie batter cookies and I have been meaning to recreate them for a while now and like some people during this shelter in place I have a little more time at home. My first batch of cookies came out like the last photo. Thicker, a bit chewy on the edges, just not thin. They were still delicious though and we will make them again. I just wanted thin, chewy in the middle and a bit crispy like brownies from the edge of a pan. The result is the cookie you see in the first and second pictures.
Which cookie do you think you'd like better? I like both, and it just depends if I'm in the mood for a thicker chewy cookie or a thinner crisp-edged cookie.

Copycat Gideon's Bakehouse Cookies

I have so many Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes on this blog, but let's face it, sometimes you want them chewy, cakey, extra chocolatey. Mood. Right? For extra chocolate richness, this is the recipe you want. If you've ever been to Gideon's Bakehouse or the Polite Pig at Disney Springs you may know about these cookies. Voted the best cookie in Florida they are really yummy. There's rich chocolate, vanilla, and a tender cookie that's a little underbaked but not raw. They are in my top two favorite cookies at Disney Springs, the other being the Jammy Dodgers at Cookes.

Ajitsuke Tamago Ramen Eggs

 Ajitsuke Tamago Ramen Eggs.  We like these with Ramen bowls, on chilled noodle salads, with sticky rice, as a snack. They are very easy to make. I like the eggs soft boiled, my middle child likes the eggs medium set.  So, cook the eggs to your liking.

Play with the spices you add to the marinade as well. Try five spice, make them spicy, leave out all the spices. Also adjust the water to your liking. Less water, the eggs will be more salty. Time spent in the marinade will also determine how salty the eggs are.

It is not necessary to move the eggs around in the marinade as long as they are covered.  If you don't mind white spots on the eggs from where they are touching the sides of your container and each other just put them in the marinade and put them in the fridge. If the white spots will bother you, move the eggs around so they are evenly colored.

I make the eggs in the Instant Pot because it gives me consistent results. It doesn't matter how you cook your eggs, as long as they are cooled and peeled.

Butterfly Blush- Color Changing Sushies

Hello everyone! Sorry I've been so absent. I hope you are all doing well! My youngest recently had a birthday party and I wanted to serve something fun to go along with the roll your own spring roll bar we had. I thought about having a bubble tea/boba tea bar but I wasn't sure which flavors to offer and such. Looking in my tea cabinet I saw my jar of Butterfly pea flowers. I make tea with them and cook with them quite a bit. I though they would be fun to use.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

This soup is a big hit with my kids! I'm so glad because it's easy to make. The fresh rosemary is so fragrant. I use store bought gnocchi for a quick meal. I've added a note at the bottom to make this without the cream. Both versions are wonderful. You can even make the soup with leftover baked chicken which is easy peasy. We love kale but if you prefer spinach that can be used also. It's a great weeknight dinner and I make extra for lunches the next day. Just heat it up and put them in a container for school.

Butter Chicken (Butter Shrimp)

This is a quick and easy version of Butter Chicken that doesn't skimp on flavor. It's great for those busy weeknights. I marinate the chicken the night before. I've also prepared the shallots, garlic, and ginger in a small container. Pour a tiny bit of olive oil cover it and keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready for it. My kids have prepped this for me. It's so easy.

We like this served over rice or with Naan bread or Pita bread. Any of those are perfect for soaking up the sauce in this dish.

 You can also make this with shrimp. The only thing with shrimp is you need to make the sauce first in the pressure cooker, I use an Instant Pot. Then stir the marinated shrimp into the cooked sauce, and let it simmer on saute mode until the shrimp is cooked. 

Unicorn Noodles For Spring Rolls

Look at this gorgeous color on these noodles. Blue and purple. I used an old standby that is used in Southeast Asian cuisine to color rice, desserts, and drinks. The Butterfly Pea flower is a beautifully vibrant flower that dyes two distinct colors. The blue you see on the far left is the regular flower.

Rainbow Jello

Rainbow Jello cups.

I haven't had Rainbow Jello is years. This is not a hard dessert to make at all. It's really quite simple, just time consuming. You make each layer after the prior layer has set. That perhaps is the hardest part, the waiting. If you don't time it right you get messy layers (as shown above). You can make this is a large pan and just the Jello into squares after also.

Curry Shrimp Lettuce Wraps And Noodle Bowls

Curry Shrimp Lettuce wraps are a favorite around here. It's an easy meal to throw together and is pretty healthy. Lots of colorful veggies, it's a great way to get my kids to eat vegetables. I have posted Curry Shrimp before, made with a curry powder. This is a version made with Thai curry paste, both are flavorful and good. Just use your favorite kind of curry. Make this as spicy or mild as you like. If you don't like shrimp you can cook fish filet with these flavors, or even strips of chicken and use those in a wrap.

Fudgy Skillet Brownie

Fudgy Skillet Brownie.

Brownies. I like them crisp on the edges but fudgy on the inside. If they have that papery top, perfection. Easy is a huge plus, virtually no dishes makes it a winner. These brownies are rich and chocolaty. The edges get crisp, but they aren't dry or cake like. Perfect for an after school snack or dessert topped with berries and ice cream. Wrap them up for a tasty gift.
If you are looking for a fancier brownie, try these Fudgy Cheesecake Brownies.

Sopapillas

Sopapillas

Sopapillas are a New Mexican food that is much like Fry Bread. They are hollow because they puff up when fried. Almost like a roll in other parts of the country, they are served as such. They are served with meals, sometimes they are stuffed with taco meat, beans, etc. For a sweet treat they can be drizzled with honey. You can fill them with ice cream and top with chocolate sauce.
I spell sopapilla with out the "i" after the first a, that's just how I grew up seeing it spelled. Though I have seen it spelled sopaipillas. They are not strictly New Mexican, you find them in both Mexican and Spanish cuisines. But I grew up eating them in New Mexico.