Cranberry Relish

2-3 c. cranberries

1 orange (including rind)

1 c. sugar

grind in a food processor

Yummy with turkey and we liked it with ham too.

Cornucopia Salad

2 heads romaine lettuce

1 cup celery, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

1 11oz can mandarin oranges, drained

1 avocado, cut into chunks

1 apple, diced

1/4cup dried currents or raisins

1/2cup dried cranberries

1/4cup sliced almonds, candied (combine almonds with 3T sugar in fry pan and cook

until sugar melts and coats almonds, cool on aluminum foil and break apart)

1/2c crumbled blue cheese (may be served on the side for those who like it)

Dressing (Or use Paul Newman’s Balsamic Dressing or Ken’s brand Creamy Balsamic dressing))

1/2t salt

1/2t pepper

1/3c oil

2T sugar

2T balsamic vinegar

Boterkoek

Dutch Boterkoek

This is Dave's dad's recipe

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

½ lb butter

t vanilla

t almond extract

3 eggs

Mix together butter, sugar and extract.

Add beaten egg (save some to brush on top for golden brown finish)

Add flour to form dough

Put dough in ungreased pan. 9-12” or 2 rounds

Mix the reserved 1 tsp of beaten egg with 1 tsp of water, and brush over dough.

Decorate with sliced almonds, if desired.

Bake at 350°F for 25-40 minutes or until done (firm to the touch).

This is a dense cake, but should be soft on the inside and hard on the outside, but not too hard

THIS RECIPE ALSO SOUNDS GOOD:

4 c. flour

2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 lb. butter

1 can almond filling

Cream together sugar and softened butter, then add egg and stir. Add flour a little at a time; stir well. Use 2 pans (11 x 7 x 1 1/2) and divide the batter into fourths. Use 1/4 of the batter in the bottom of each pan. Spread 1/2 can of almond filling in each pan then add another fourth of the batter over that. (May help to press the dough flat in your hands, then press in pan.)

Beat an egg and brush some on top. May also add some sliced almonds. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until golden brown on top. Cut into pieces while still warm.

Pumpkin Layer Dessert

This is the dessert I served at the baby shower. It is so easy and delicious...and it makes your whole house smell yummy!

Crust:

1 package yellow cake mix

1/2 cup butter

1 egg

Filling:

1 can (30 oz) pumpkin pie filling

1 can (5 oz) evaporated milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, butter and egg until crumbly. Set aside 2/3 cup for topping. Press the remaining crumb mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish.

2. For filling, in a large bowl, combine the pumpkin pie filling, milk and eggs; pour over crust.

3. For topping, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon and reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over pumpkin layer.

4. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate.

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Wanted: soups, crockpot recipes!

I'm putting a request out...we need more soup and crockpot recipes! Come on, give me your favorites! Thank you, ~K

Whole Wheat-Banana Bread

Ladies, get out your wheat grinders!This is from the new Fall Baking Mini Magazine. I've made it twice - its a nice variation from usual recipes which contain no whole wheat. This recipe makes 2 loaves.

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup oil
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 cups mashes bananas (about 4)
chopped nut and chocolate chips optional

Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the oil and sugar, adding the eggs. Add the dry to the wet alternately with the bananas. Spread in 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 350 for 55-65 minutes.

Light Wheat Rolls

These rolls are so delicious, I can't believe they're "light". This will definitely become a standard at our house from now on!

Light Wheat Rolls

2 pkg active dry yeast
1 3/4 c warm water
1/2 c sugar
1 t salt
1/4 c butter, melted and cooled
1 egg, beaten
2 1/4 c whole wheat flour
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1/4 c melted butter additional, if desired

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Mix sugar, salt, butter, egg, and whole wheat flour in mixer. Stir in all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Cover with damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough, cover, and let rise until doubled again, about 30 minutes.

Grease 2 dozen muffin cups. Punch down dough, and divide into 2 equal portions. Roll each into a 6x14” rectangle, and cut rectangle into twelve 1x7” strips. Roll strips up into spirals, and place into muffin cups. Brush tops with melted butter. Let rise uncovered in a warm place about 45 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 400. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and brush again with melted butter.

Cornbread and Honey Butter

Ok, whenever I have made cornbread, it's always been the Marie Callendar's mix...which I always thought was good, until now. I don't think I am ever going back to it. And the Honey Butter...wow! I got this recipe off of the mykitchencafe blog and it's super easy. So here it is...

Ingredients:
1/2 c. cornmeal
1 1/2 c. flour
2/3 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. oil
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c. milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk. Stir until just mixed, batter will be runny. Pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish and cook for 35-40 min.

Honey Butter
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. marshmallow fluff

Whip all ingredients together with an electric mixer and serve at room temperature. Can also be refrigerated and softened. This does make a lot, so think about halving it if you don't need very much.

Emily's Wet Burrito Meal

My sister Emily loved mexican food. She was a server at a mexican restaurant for several years and was always very picky about her mexican food; she considered herself an expert (we loved to tease her about that!). This is the recipe for her famous wet burrito meal. Don't make the mistake of calling these enchiladas, Emily would have corrected you! And you MUST make this as a meal, the burritos are only good in COMBINATION with the beans and corn. This is a great vegetarian dish also, and I just love it with homemade guacamole and chips on the side!

Wet Burritos
16oz. sour cream
1/4 c. chopped green onion
8 + oz. Monterrey Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
12 + oz. Colby, shredded
2 t. cumin
1 pkg. Enchilada powder
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 c. water
1 pkg. burrito size tortillas

Mix 1st five ingredients (set aside additional cheese for topping). Spoon in tortilla, roll up, place seam side down in greased pan. Set aside. For sauce, bring last three ingredients to boil, let simmer for 10 min. Taste, and add Tobasco, more tomato sauce, salt, etc. Pour over burritos. Bake 20 min @ 350. Top with more cheese and bake an additional 5 min, till cheese melts. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Black Beans

2 cans black beans
1/2 large red onion
1 green bell pepper
1 T minced garlic
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T Tobasco
1 T cumin
(topping: chopped sweet Vidalia onions)

Blend all but the beans in a blender until very smooth, add to beans and cook 8 hours on low in crockpot. Top with chopped sweet Vidalia onions.

Fiesta Corn

Fresh corn
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
salt, pepper, butter, and Tobasco to taste

Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Cookies

This is my favorite chocolate cookie recipe - it's from the Nestle website. I often don't have chunks, so I just use chips. Also, you can use PB chips - I like this recipe much better than the greasy, flat baking recipe on the back of the Reeses PB chips package.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) semi sweet chunks (or chips)
  

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350º F.

COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chunks. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set but still soft. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Best Ever Lemon Blueberry Muffins

The title doesn't lie. I tried another recipe from Prudence Pennywise, (it's her photo too), and it's another winner.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins (adapted from a few recipes)

2/3 cup sugar

grated zest and juice of one lemon
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspooon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick butter, melted and cooled
1 and 1/2 cups blueberries, (frozen is fine)
For icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, rub sugar and lemon zest together with finger tips. Whisk in flour, powder, soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and melted butter until well blended. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and very gently toss to combine. Add berries. Bake in paperlined muffin tins for 18-20 minutes.Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice to make a glaze. Drizzle over muffins.

Post Maternity Pasta Salad! (maternity part optional)

When my sister Jackie had a baby a couple of months ago a friend brought her a big bowl of this pasta salad. Jackie said it was the perfect post-maternity meal and she ate it for days until it was gone. I love it because it has everything, the chicken, the spinach leaves, and the pasta, it's a meal unto itself. It is so refreshing and not too heavy, and has a great consistency too, all the right textures. And perfect for summer. Here are the ingredients, but you can definitely add or subtract according to your tastes.

Pasta Salad
16 ounces bowtie pasta, cooked al dente

1 1/2 (10 ounce) bag fresh spinach (tear to bite size pieces)

1 (6 ounce) bag craisins

3 (11 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained

2 (8 ounce) cans sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

6 ounces honey roasted peanuts

2 cups cooked chicken, cut into small pieces (I like a little more chicken, I used about 3 cups)

Dressing: (makes more than you will probably need)

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup bottled teriyaki sauce

2/3 cup white wine vinegar

6 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Blend dressing ingredients together in blender or food processor, or I just did a really fast whisk. Mix dressing and cooked pasta in medium bowl and marinate for two hours (that really makes a difference, stir once or twice during that marinating time). Combine rest of salad ingredients in large salad bowl, add pasta and dressing and toss. (I wouldn't recommend adding the spinach until you're ready to eat).

Grilled Pizza

I thought I'd try this recipe from Prudence Pennywise, and it turned out really good! The pizza crust was especially good. I just used bottled sauce, not the recipe's sauce, but I'll include it since it's probably good, too.

Honey Whole Wheat Grilled Pizza with Assorted Toppings and Super Fast Pizza Sauce

Making the Pizzas:

#1 Give your grill grates a quick scrub. Spray the clean grates with no stick cooking spray. Preheat the grill to medium.

#2 Have a spatula and all your topping ingredients ready on a tray near the grill. Have your pizza dough rolled out (small pizzas are easier than large) and brushed lightly on both sides with olive oil.

#3 Place one pizza on the grill. Close lid for 90 seconds. Open lid and look at your dough; if it has bubbles and smells like it's cooking, take a peek of the underside. If it has grill marks and is dry to the touch, flip it over. If not, give it a little more time.

#4 Once flipped over, work quickly to spread a bit of sauce and sprinkle lightly with cheese and sparsely with other toppings. Close the lid again for 60 seconds. If your pizza toppings are melted and all looks well, take it off the grill and you're done. If your dough seems done, but the toppings aren't quite melted, move your pizza to a cooler spot on the grill. (I move mine to the higher level.) If your dough isn't done, close the grill again for 60 second intervals.

Honey Whole Wheat Crust:
Notes: You'll be done in minutes if you have a free standing mixer.
1/2 cup very warm water, plus more later
1 tablespoon active dry yeast (I like SAF yeast)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for coating
1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I like Prairie Gold and King Arthur)

In a small bowl, combine water, yeast, and just a drop of the honey. Stir to dissolve. Let stand for

five minutes. If the mixture is puffed, you know your yeast is active. In a large bowl, combine yeast mixture, an additional 1/2 cup water, honey, olive oil, salt and white flour. Stir until combined. Add wheat flour, a little at a time, kneading as you go along. Knead for about four minutes, or until smooth. Shape bread into ball and coat on all sides with olive oil. Place in clean bowl (I wipe out the mixing bowl with a paper towel) and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour. The best place to let your bread rise in the summer is in a warm car with the windows rolled up.
Punch down dough and divide into four equal portions. Roll each portion into a circle. If it shrinks back too much, let the dough rest for five minutes. It's much easier to handle four smaller (about 6-8 inch) pizzas on the grill. Brush both sides of the dough lightly with olive oil.

Super Fast Pizza Sauce:
Notes: This makes enough sauce for the grilled pizza, but if you ever wanted to bake your pizza, I'd double this recipe.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 fat clove garlic, minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
generous pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 (14 ounce) can Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with their juices and all other ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until juices are thick. At this point you will have a chunky sauce. You can take a hand held potato masher or fork and mash it down a little bit for a semi chunky sauce, or use an immersion blender (or transfer to a regular blender) to make it smooth, if you prefer.

Prudence's grilled pizza toppings:
Pepperoni for the kids
She used about 1 and 1/4 cups mozzarella plus 1/2 cup Parmesan for all the pizzas
Sliced Tomatoes
Fresh Basil
Roasted Red Peppers
crushed red pepper flakes

GRANOLA BREAKFAST BARS

My sister found this delicious recipe and shared it with me.  They are super healthy and hearty...perfect for a breakfast-on-the-go or mid-afternoon snack.

2 cups oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup milled flax seeds

3/4 teas. salt

1 cup chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or dried fruit

3/4 teas. cinnamon

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup honey

2 teas. vanilla

1 egg

*Peanut butter bar : 1/2 cup oil = 1/4 cup oil + 1/4 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 9x13 baking pan.  In large bowl, mix oats, flour, brown sugar, flax, salt, choc. chips, and cinnamon until combined.  Stir in oil and remaining ingredients until well blended.  With wet hand, press oat mixture into pan.  Bake for 24 minutes, until pale golden on edges.  Cool completely in pan.  When cool, cut with pizza cutter and wrap.  Makes 24 small bars.

Restaurant-Style Tomato Soup

I have been on a quest for the perfect tomato soup, just like the kind I order at "Stacey's" one of my favorite restaurants in Northern California - this one is really close.
2-28 oz cans diced tomatoes
EVOO
Salt and Pepper
3 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
4+ cloves garlic, minced
2 cans chicken broth
2 bay leaves
Bunches of fresh basil
dash of cayenne pepper
Heavy Cream


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Strain the diced tomatoes, reserving the juices, and spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with 1/4 cup EVOO. Roast until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat about 1/2 cup EVOO over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and garlic, cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the broth and tomato juice. Add the roasted chopped canned tomatoes when finished roasting. Add the bay leaves, cayenne, and basil. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Add more fresh basil, puree with a hand held immersion blender until smooth. Add 1/2 cup+ heavy cream. Serve with crusty sourdough bread from San Francisco!

Banana Chocolate Cupcakes

1 box Yellow Cake Mix
1 cup water
1 cup mashed bananas
3 eggs
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Mix ingredients 30 sec. on low, then 2 min on medium. Pour into cupcake papers and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

I frosted them with chocolate butter cream made of butter, cocoa, vanilla, powdered sugar and milk.


Banana Split Cupcake Variation
(This is the original recipe)
Make cupcakes as above, only add 1 cup chopped, drained maraschino cherries.

Marshmallow frosting:
1 cup marshmallow creme
1 tsp. shortening
1 1/2 cups vanilla frosting
Mix all ingredients, frost, drizzle with 1/2 cup melted chocolate chips and top with a cherry.

Dare You

Dare you to try making these and report back!!!

For the  full recipe check out  Plum Pudding. 

Annie's Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

from allrecipes

INGREDIENTS
2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
1 pound strawberries

(You can use different types of fruit- feel free to experiment.)
2 tablespoons white sugar (I leave this out)
1 tablespoon brown sugar (I leave this out)
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups cinnamon sugar (I use less)

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3. Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle tortillas with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet.Spray again with cooking spray.

4. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

QUICK SUMMER SLAW

1 16-ounce package coleslaw

1 bunch green onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds

1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds

1/2 cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, balsamic, or raspberry vinegar (your choice)

1 package chicken-flavored ramen noodles

Toss coleslaw, green onions, sunflower seeds and almonds together in a large bowl.  In a smaller bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, vinegar, and the seasoning packet from the noodles until well blended.  Pour over slaw.  Just before serving, stir in dry, crushed ramen noodles.  Serves 4-6

Basil Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

David's mom is here visiting and brought this yummy salad dressing recipe!
1/2 cup lemon juice
Fresh Basil - a handful from the garden
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon garlic
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 package good season Italian Dressing Mix
1/4-1/2 cup EVOO

Combine everything except the EVOO in a food processor or hand blender. Then add the EVOO - serve over your favorite salad - sooooo yummy!

Best Buttermilk Biscuits

I've tried many recipes - this is the best I have found
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt (scant)

Mix dry ingredients. Than cut in 1/4 cup crisco with your fingers until it is crumbly.

Add 1 cup buttermilk and mix GENTLY with your fingers - do not over mix.

Turn out on floured surface and pat into a flat round - do not roll or overwork the dough. (Dough will be a little sticky and hard to work with - butter your hands and just pat it together - it will work) Cut into circles and place in greased dish. Brush with melted butter. Bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes. I double the recipe for our family

TIPS - I've done a lot of research on biscuits and here are general tips that apply to all biscuit making:
1. Work everything by hand and with your hands
2. Don't over work the dough - the less you touch it, the lighter they will be
3. Biscuits must touch each other in the pan to rise properly.
4. It is OK to eat as many as you want - they are so delicious

LOADED OATMEAL COOKIES

I got this recipe from another mom at our "Mommy and Me" class.  She kept raving about it so I finally asked for the recipe and tried them today.  They are so delicious...and healthy!  I actually had all the ingredients, except the wheat germ, so I used wheat bran instead and it worked great.  I also eliminated the cranberries and nuts.  This mom was telling me that sometimes she grates carrots or zucchini and throws it in instead of the cranberries, nuts, etc.  You can pretty much do anything with this recipe.  Have fun with it!

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teas. cinnamon

1/2 teas. baking soda

1/8 teas. salt

1 egg

1 teas. vanilla

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup flax seed meal (check Albertson's health food section)

1/4 cup wheat germ

2 oz. chocolate chips

1/4 cup dried cranberries 

1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.  Beat in flour.  Stir in oats, flax seed meal, wheat germ, chocolate, cranberries, and walnuts (dough will be a little crumbly).

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 9-11 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.  Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute.  Transfer to wire rack to cool.  Makes about 30 small cookies.

Wild Rice

One of my favorite side dishes is Uncle Ben's Wild Rice. I don't really like paying $4 for a small box of rice so I decided to try to find a version I could make. I found one recipe here.

Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice

Source: Recipe Source

1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder

1 teaspoon dry chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon dry minced parsley

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons season salt

2 cups water

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 c Premium Minute Rice

1/3 c dry wild rice

Combine all of the ingredients as listed in Dry Mix in medium saucepan. Add to this water, butter, rice and dry wild rice. Bring to boil. Stir once or twice just to combine. Cover pan with lid tightly. Simmer gently 8 to 10 minutes or until almost all liquid has been absorbed. Makes 3 cups cooked rice.

My notes: I have made this a few times now and haven't always put in all of the spices or salt, but I've always liked how it turned out. I also don't use minute rice, so I have to add a little more water or chicken broth and let it simmer about 20 minutes.

Moist and Rich Orange Cake

Moist and Rich Orange Cake
This is a dense, heaver cake - full of orange flavor
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons fresh orange zest

Preheat oven to 350, prepare 2 round pans by greasing them and dusting with flour.

For the cake, begin by creaming together the sugar and butter. Slowly add the sour cream, eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients, mix until smooth. Add orange juice and zest, mix to combine. Place into prepared pans. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until cakes test done.

Fluffy Orange Frosting
1 TB cornstarch
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 TB butter
1 tsp. orange zest
1 1/4 cups cold heavy (whipping) cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 TB powdered sugar

Dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice in a small saucepan. Stir in the sugar and butter and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts. Increase the heat and boil the mixture for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the orange zest. Cover and refrigerate until thick and cold.

When the sauce is chilled, beat it and the cream together on high speed until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and continue beating until firm peaks form.

Spread in between the layers of cake and all the sides.

Note - next time, I would double the frosting recipe - I like to have a generous amount to work with and lick and this was just enough to lightly cover the cake.

Secret in the Sauce

I just thought I'd share with you friends what I did for dinner tonight to trick my family into healthy eating. I had a huge can of spaghetti sauce leftover from the Young Women's pizza project. I wanted to use it, and planned on adding my own spices to make it not taste so, well canned.

At the last minute I threw into the blender several big yellow squash, and some bell peppers, and added the puree to the sauce with my herbs, seasoning, etc. Well, I know this is not an original idea, but I had to tell you it made the best yummiest sauce, a really good consistency and I smiled to myself the whole meal as the kids gulped down their veggies!

Orange Sour Cream Bars

Bar Ingredients:

3/4		cup sugar
3/4		cup sour cream
1/2		cup butter, softened
1 1/2		cups all-purpose flour
2		tablespoons orange juice
1		teaspoon vanilla
1/2		teaspoon baking soda
1/2		teaspoon salt

Frosting Ingredients:

3		cups powdered sugar
1/3		cup butter, softened
2		to 3 tablespoons orange juice
1		tablespoon freshly grated orange peel, if desired

Heat oven to 375°F. Combine sugar, sour cream and 1/2 cup butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add all remaining bar ingredients; continue beating until well mixed.

Spread batter into greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake for 17 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, combine powdered sugar and 1/3 cup butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Continue beating, gradually adding enough orange juice for desired frosting consistency.

Spread frosting over cooled bars. Sprinkle with orange peel, if desired. Cut into bars.

Cinnamon Breakfast Cake

How yummy is cake for breakfast! This is a family favorite that I hadn't made in a long time. My kids LOVED it!

2 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup oil

Mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients, then combine and spread in a 9x13 greased pan. Top with topping and swirl a knife through the layers a few times. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 TB cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
cut ingredients together and sprinkle over cake batter.

Grilled Curry Chicken with Spinach-Coconut Rice

We made this for Sunday dinner, and had it for leftovers tonight (and it tasted even better). The picture I'm posting is the leftover meal, so it's all dumped in one bowl. It is so yummy and a good warmer weather meal. Delicious with the limes squeezed over!

Grilled Curry Chicken with Spinach-Coconut Rice

1 1/2 c plus 2 T canola oil, divided
2 T smooth peanut butter
2 T chopped cilantro
1 T salt
1 T curry powder
2 t minced ginger
1 t tamarind concentrate (hard to find, I usually just omit)
5 t minced garlic, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken
1 can (13oz) unsweetened coconut milk
3 c jasmine rice
2 large onions, sliced
1 1/2 lb fresh baby spinach, cleaned
Salt to taste
Lime wedges and cilantro for garnish

In blender combine 1 1/2 c oil, pb, cilantro, salt, curry, ginger, tamarindo, and 3 t garlic, until smooth. Place chicken in resealable plastic bags and pour in marinade. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove chicken from marinade, pour marinade liquid into small sauce pan and boil until reduced by half. Grill (or broil) chicken, 12-14 min, turning once. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing into strips. Serve with sauce on side. (I usually pour some sauce over the chicken slices before serving to get more good saucy flavor.

Meanwhile, pour coconut milk into large measuring cup. Add enough cold water to make 6 cups, bring to boil in sauce pan. Stir in rice and return to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. (I do this all in my rice cooker, it's fine).

Heat remaining oil in large nonstick skillet. Add onions and saute’ until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add remaining garlic, spinach, and 2 T water. Cover and simmer until spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. Stir into rice; toss to combine (I don't do this, cause some wimpy people are scared by spinach and delicious grilled onions, so I dish them separately).

Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs.

Coconut-Pineapple Loaf Cake

I found this recipe in Martha's Everyday Food - I made it tonight and wanted to eat the entire loaf!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained well

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, tossing occasionally, 6 to 10 minutes; set aside. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch (8-cup) loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low, and alternately add flour mixture in three parts and sour cream in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not overmix).
3. Using a rubber spatula, fold pineapple and 1 cup coconut into batter. Spoon into prepared pan, and smooth top; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup coconut. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes (cover pan with foil halfway through). Let cake cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

This is by far the BEST homemade wheat bread I have ever tasted!  The liquid lecithin and wheat gluten can be found at Lassen's or another health food store.   We got our dough enhancer from Emergency Essentials.  The amounts of lecithin, gluten, and enhancer can be played with to obtain your preferred texture.  

2 1/2 cups hot water (a little hoter than bath water)

1/4 cup oil

1/3 cup honey

1-2 Tbs. liquid lecithin

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1-2 Tbs. dough enhancer

1-2 Tbs. vital wheat gluten

1 1/4 Tbs. yeast

1 Tbs. salt

1-3 cups whole wheat flour

Add water, oil, honey and lecithin to mixer with hook attachment.  Then add the 3 1/2 cups flour.  On top of the flour add the dough enhancer, gluten and yeast (no salt yet).  Mix until smooth.  Let stand for about 10 minutes.  This is sponging.  This process allows the wheat bran to absorb the moisture, thus making the dough "dryer."  It's difficult to add too much flour after sponging the bread dough.  On speed one, add the salt and rest of the flour.  Stop adding flour when the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl.  At this point, turn your mixer to speed 2 and mix for about 5 minutes.  Form dough into 3 well-greased bread pans.  Let rise about 50 minutes.  Place loaves into a COOL oven (not preheated).  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

CHOCOLATE CHIP APPLESAUCE CAKE

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 teas. cinnamon

2 Tbs. cocoa

1 1/2 teas. soda

2 cups applesauce

1/2 cup oil

1/2 teas. salt

2 eggs

brown sugar

chocolate chips

Blend together and pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and chocolate chips (we use a lot).  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Pizza Crust & Sauce

Thin Crust Pizza Dough
2 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. sugar
4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cup warm water

Dissolve yeast in water and sugar. Add remaining ingredients and kneed 5 minutes. Let rise 1 hour, punch down, then rise 30 more minutes. Divide dough in half and roll out on floured surface and top with sauce and toppings. Bake between 400-450 degrees until done. Makes 2 pizzas.

Quick and delicious pizza sauce
1 - 15 oz can tomato sauce
1- 6 oz can tomato paste
sprinkle of sugar
salt
oregano
basil
garlic powder
paprika
dash of cayenne pepper

mix together and add to pizza

Chocolate Yummies

Ingredients

• 4 cups KELLOGG'S® RICE KRISPIES® Cereal
• 8 graham crackers, whole pieces
• 3 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 3 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

Directions

1. Coat 13x9x2-inch dish with cooking spray. Place 6 whole pieces graham crackers in single layer in bottom. Cut remaining piece to fit in bottom. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over crackers.
2. Place dish in preheated 400 degree oven. Watch carefully and remove dish when marshmallows have puffed but not browned. Let cool
   
3. In a large double boiler, over low heat, melt together chocolate morsels, corn syrup and margarine. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until smooth. Stir in cereal until well coated. Spread cereal mixture evenly over marshmallows. Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm. Cut and store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

These enchiladas are so good!!! I got the recipe from one of my favorite cooking blogs.. http://www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/. I did make a couple of changes to the original recipe. The initial recipe calls for 6 Tbsp. Honey, but I use 4 Tbsp. so it's not so sweet. Also, I add a little of the sauce on the inside of the enchiladas so they don't end up dry. You could also add some garlic and onions if you'd like. The first time I made this I used 3 small chicken breasts, but this time I used 2 large. Also, in a pinch you could buy a rotisserie chicken and shred that.

Ingredients
4-6 Tbsp. honey
1/3 c. lime juice
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded
8-10 flour tortillas
1 lb. monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 oz. green enchilada sauce
1 c. (approx.) heavy cream

Mix the first four ingredients and add the shredded chicken. Let marinate for at least a half hour. Mix the green sauce and the cream together. Use as much or as little cream you like according to taste. Spread approx. 1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Fill the tortillas with the chicken, cheese, a scoop of sauce, and roll up. Pour the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 30 min. until brown and crispy on top.

Amanda's Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups Crisco
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
5 cups flour

Mix and roll out. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Frost

Golden Graham S'mores

So, this recipe first came out in 1971 on the box of Golden Grahams cereal.  I remember LOVING the tasty bars when I was little.  I went to make them for my children for FHE and could not find the recipe anywhere - every Google search produced a similar recipe, but not the right one.  Luckily my mom had saved the cereal box recipe from years ago.  I thought I would post the recipe before it vanishes forever.  

Grease a 9x13 inch pan

Pour 8 cups (1 13 oz box) Golden Graham cereal in a bowl.

Over low heat stir:

4 cups mini marshmallows

1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

5 TB butter

1/4 cup Karo syrup

Stir the above ingredients on low heat until melted.  Remove from heat and add 1 tsp. vanilla.

Pour hot mixture over Golden Grahams and add 1 additional cup mini marshmallows.  Press into pan and let cool.  Cut into squares.

Cuban Pork and Coconut Mango Rice

Cuban Pork
Ingredients
1 cup orange juice (I use fresh)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup vinegar
Bonless pork chops - 1" thick (can use bone in)
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
t tsp. cinnamon
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
sprinkle of Jamacain Jerk Seasoning

Mix all the marinade ingredients and add the pork. I marinade overnight so the citrus really penetrates. Then grill the pork chops - yummmmm

Coconut Mango Rice
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 large sweet onion (such as Vidalia )
2 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice (I use basimati)
14 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
2 mangos finly chopped
1 sweet red pepper diced
1 green onion, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice or lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 cup coriander leaves, coarsely chopped (optional)

Directions
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add sweet onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir until grains are coated with butter. Shake can of coconut milk; add to rice along with water, salt and curry. Cover and bring mixture to a boil. Stir and reduce heat to low; Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
After rice has cooked 20 minutes, stir in mango, lime juice, red pepper and green onion. Cover, remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes to warm mango.

Green Bean Vinaigrette

Green Bean Vinaigrette

1-2 lbs. fresh green beans, washed and stems removed, and steamed, (we like them still crisp)
(dip in ice water to keep bright color)
1/4 c balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar would work too)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
3/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp shallots, minced
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Briefly mix vinegar, salt, and mustard, I just whisk with a fork. Slowly add the oil in stream, whisking. Taste to adjust salt and add more oil or vinegar if needed. Add the shallots and pepper. Toss in a bowl with steamed green beans for about 30 seconds. Royce used to hate green beans, but this recipe totally converted him, now it's his favorite vegetable!

"Hawaiian BBQ Chicken"
This is one of my favorite recipes. We eat this at least twice a month and since there is only two of us, I get to enjoy the leftovers for lunch for several days. It is really good served with rice. I don't have a picture right now, but the next time we have it I will take one then.


6 chicken thighs
1 Cup pineapple juice
2 cans pineapple chunks, (these are the small cans, or just use one large can) use the juice from these for the above 1 cup of pineapple juice
1/2 Cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, or dried if you don't have fresh

Marinate the chicken thighs with the rest of the ingredients for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator, I marinate for a least two hours in a zip-lock bag.

Place thighs, marinade including the pineapple chunks, in a baking pan and cook for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Turn heat to broil and broil for an additional 5 minutes until the skin is crispy.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Put the pan on the stove and make a Rue, (flour and water mix) add this to the sauce and stir until thickened.

Top the chicken with some of the gravy and use the rest of the gravy for rice.

Don't do what I did. This is pretty embarrassing; I used to have this huge blue glass pan that I would cook this recipe in. Not thinking, I put the "glass pan" on the stove (not a good idea) to mix the Rue in when the pan exploded. I had blue glass all over the kitchen!

Lemon Chicken

This is a totally easy recipe I actually got from the 3rd ward's cookbook! Then I looked on the side of the soy sauce, and it is basically the same recipe found there. Super Duper easy and surprisingly good, not the taste I expected. I even got to use my first lemons from my lemon tree! We'll definitely make it again. (You could serve it with pasta or rice, we just had good bread).

Lemon Chicken

4 chicken breast
2 T butter
1 clove garlic, crushed (I used 2)
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp flour
1/2 c. cream or millk, slightly whipped ( I didn't slightly whip)
salt & pepper to taste
juice of 1 lemon

Brown the chicken in the butter and garlic til white (about 5-6 minutes per side). Add the lemon juice, soy sauce, and seasonings. Lower heat to simmer, cover and cook 25 minutes. When done, remove chicken pieces to a separate plate and add to the skillet the cream/milk, stirring constantly, then the flour, still stirring. Replace the chicken in the skillet and let simmer another few minutes.

Chicken and Broccoli Bake

This is my children's favorite dinner!  I got the recipe from an old Lion House cook book.  Where it calls for cooked chicken, I sometimes substitute (cover your ears, Amanda) canned chicken from Costco.   It still tastes really yummy.  I also sprinkle fried onions on top before baking to give it some extra pizazz.  The recipe doesn't call for this, but we like to serve it over rice.

Ingredients

2-4 chicken breast halves, cooked and diced

2-3 10-oz. packages frozen broccoli, cooked or 2 lbs. fresh broccoli trimmed and cooked

1 can (10 1/2 oz.) cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon lemon juice

fried onions (opt. but we love it)

cooked rice (you don't need this, but we like it)

In a 9x9x2-inch dish, arrange broccoli with flowerettes pointed out toward edge of dish.  Lay chicken meat over broccoli.  Make a sauce by combining soup, milk, and mayonnaise and stir until smooth.  Add cheese and lemon juice.  Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli to cover chicken pieces completely.   Sprinkle with fried onions, if desired.  Cover pan with aluminun foil and bake at 350 degrees F. for about 30 minutes.  Serve over rice, if desired.  Makes 6 adult servings.

Garlic Cheese Bread

This Garlic Cheese Bread is so good!!! This picture really doesn't do it justice. It tastes really similar to the garlic bread served at a restaurant called The Smoke House. The Kraft cheese powder it calls for is a little hard to find (I found it on Amazon). If you can't find it, just use the cheese packet that comes in the Kraft Mac n Cheese box...it works just as well. Sorry, I don't have any measurements or exact cooking times because I just estimate each time I make it.

Ingredients
1 loaf of french bread (or any kind you like, also works well with baguettes)
butter, softened
garlic powder
Kraft Mac n Cheese Cheese Topping
grated parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Slice the bread and spread a generous amount of butter. First sprinkle the garlic powder, then the cheese topping (generously), and top with some parmesan. Bake in the oven 5-10 min. til crusts are as crispy or soft as you like. Then turn the broiler on high and cook til somewhat melted and browned (if you like). Serve immediately.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

(adapted from Melanie at http://www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/)

After spicing up jarred sauce for years, I figured it was time to see if homemade sauce was really worth the time. After making this, my family and I all decided that yes, homemade sauce is definitely worth the time.















Ingredients
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 c. onion, chopped
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I use 2 lbs)
4 tsp. chopped garlic
1 6oz. can tomato paste
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 14oz. can diced tomatoes (I use Italian style)
1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 carton fresh mushrooms (optional)
1 1/2 c. water
1 tsp. chicken base, granules, or 1 bouillon cube
1 tsp. beef base, granules, or 1 bouillon cube
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. cooking red wine (I use a little more than 1/4 c.)
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (optional)

Heat Olive Oil over med/hi heat. Saute onion until translucent and slightly browned. Add garlic and stir constantly for 1 min. Add beef and cook; drain. Add tomato paste and spices and cook for 1 min. stirring until combined. Add diced and crushed tomatoes, water, chicken & beef base, sugar, and wine. Stir until combined then add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. After simmering for an hour, add the butter, stirring until melted and combined.

Martha's One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

So the newest Martha Stewart Living came today and it had cupcakes on the cover - so I was sooooo excited! I read through all 15 cupcake recipes and decided to make this one. I love it and and will make it again and again. Not only is it super quick, it has hardly any fat in the recipe AND the cupcakes are super moist and taste nothing like a box mix. I am not going to tell how many I ate! I added the cream filling and now they are exactly like a hostess cupcake - only better!

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup warm water

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 TB oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with 18 paper liners. Sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, water, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. (Batter is very runny) Pour batter into prepared muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes.

Cream Filling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup Marshmallow Fluff
1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
Beat filling ingredients until fluffy. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a "filling" tip. Insert the tip of the pastry bag about 1/2 inch deep into each cupcake; squeeze lightly to fill with cream. Top with chocolate glaze

Chocolate Glaze

2/3 cup heavy cream

4 ounces bittersweet (or dark ) chocolate chips

1 TB corn syrup

Heat cream in small saucepan over med. heat. Place chocolate and corn syrup in a small bowl. Pour hot cream over chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Let cool then dip the top of each cupcake into the glaze.

NYC Black and White Cookies

As I sit typing this recipe, I am licking the yummy chocolate off my hands and trying not to get crumbs in the keyboard - these sure are yummy - taste EXACTLY like the ones from NYC!

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 cup butter, softened

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. lemon extract

2 1/2 cups cake flour

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 375.  Butter baking sheets.  In a mixer combine the sugar and butter until fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time.  Then add the milk and extracts and mix until smooth.  In another bowl, combine the flours, baking powder and salt.  Add the dry to the wet in batches stirring well.  Using a soup spoon, drop spoonfuls of the dough on the prepared baking sheets. (The dough will seem similar to a thick cake of muffin batter.)  Bake for 20 minutes.

To make the frosting.....

Place 4 cups powdered sugar in a bowl.  Gradually add 1/3 to 1/2 cup boiling water until the icing is thick but spreadable.  Remove half of the frosting to the top half of a double boiler set over simmering water and add 1 ounce of bittersweet or dark chocolate.  Stir until melted. Frost half the cookie white and half the cookie chocolate.