Hana's Sugar Cookies

My friend Hana is an amazing cook.  Recently, she's added "cookier" to her list of culinary and artistic accomplishments.  She makes the most amazing sugar cookies - works of art, really - that she sells under high demand.  I'm not a fan of sugar cookies, but this recipe is delicious.  She decorates the cookies using the flooding technique, resulting in absolutely amazing creations.  She was gracious enough to share the recipe :).

Ingredients

(I usually 4 times recipe. 2 batches, two times.)

Cookies:

• 1 c. butter (must be real butter)
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 T. milk
• 1½ tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3 cups flour

Frosting:

       Melt in a small saucepan (heat, but do not boil):

• 1/2 c butter
• 1/4 c. evaporated milk

      Take off cook top and add:

• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 lb. powdered sugar, about 4 cups

      (These ratios are great for icing cookies with a butter knife.  For flooding see direction below.)

Directions

Cream butter, sugar, and egg. Add the dry ingredients and the milk and vanilla. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour for easier handling if you have time. Roll out thick. Cut dough with favorite cookie cutters and place on cookie sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for about 7-9 minutes. Watch the cookies for doneness. They are done when they no longer look wet, but before they've browned any on the edges.

Flooding icing:

Start with your floor consistency.  Add a few cups of powdered sugar to a bowl and then add some of the condensed milk/butter/vanilla mixture.  Use a hand mixer to combine.  Add more powdered sugar or more liquid mix until you get to the flooding consistency.  This should be a 3-4 second drag with a butter knife.  Meaning when you drag a butter knife through the icing the indent should settle to even (completely disappear) in 3-4 seconds.  Once to the correct consistency add your food coloring of choice and put almost all of the icing into piping bags.  Then use the little left in the bowl to add powdered sugar to until your icing is thicker for the outline.  Too thick and it's hard to squeeze out.  Too thin and it flows too fast and can roll off your cookies.  While working if any of your icing bags become too solid, take of metal tip and microwave for 4-6 seconds.

 

Caramel Popcorn

We love this soft, chewy caramel popcorn recipe.  We found it here:  http://katiesfavefoods.blogspot.com/2012/06/carmel-popcorn.html?m=1


7 bags microwave popcorn, popped (I use air popped or bagged skinny pop)
1 cup karo syrup
2 cups brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan, combine karo syrup and brown sugar.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat.  Pour in condensed milk and stir to combine.  Add butter and stir until melted.  Add salt and vanilla.

Turn heat back on and bring to a boil again for 1 and 1/2 minutes.  Pour over popped popcorn and stir to evenly coat.

Crepes

This recipe is from my friend Janae.  She is the master of crepes.

1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Blend until smooth. 

Makes about 15 crepes.

Cornbread Casserole

This recipe is an oldie but goodie from Stephanie.

Preheat oven to 400.

1 lb ground beef (I use ground turkey)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 can corn - drained (I use frozen)
1/2 c green pepper - chopped (I often use the frozen red/yellow/orange bell pepper mix from Trader Joe's, chopped in my Ninja)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 8.5 oz. pkg corn bread mix (and ingredients to make it)
1 2.8 oz French fried onions (if I don't have these, I just add some dried minced onion)
cheddar cheese

Brown meat, and add everything else - except the cornbread, cheese, and 1/2 of the onions.

Put mixture in casserole dish.

Spoon cornbread mix* on top.

Bake uncovered 20 minutes.

Top with cheese and remaining onions.

Bake until cheese melts.


*I have struggled to get the cornbread to cook through, even after baking for 1 hour.  Any tips?  Maybe just cook them separately but serve them together?  The flavor of this dish is great - it's just better with cooked cornbread :).

Chickado

(Avocado Encrusted Chicken..."Chickado" naming rights go to my dad :))

This was an experiment that could have turned out very bad, or very good.  Gratefully, it turned out delicious!  Two guests (one child and one adult) suggested that this be on a restaurant menu :).  In the event you're up for trying it, here you go:

Chicken breasts
Mashed/pureed avocado

1 1/2 cup Panko
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
2 Tbsp minced cilantro


Preheat oven to 400.
Line baking pan with parchment paper.

Combine Panko, garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and cilantro.  Set aside.

Pound chicken breasts to even thickness.  Pat chicken dry.

Spread avocado over each piece of chicken, then dip in Panko mixture (I spread avocado on one side and set it in the Panko mixture, then spread avocado on the top side, and put the Panko mixture over that).

Set coated chicken onto parchment-lined pan (ungreased).  Bake for 25 minutes, or until it reaches 165.

Baked Beans

I found this recipe here:  http://ourbestbites.com/2010/05/not-too-sweet-baked-beans/

We're not a fan of spicy, so I excluded the hot sauce.  I couldn't find baby butter beans, so I used regular ones.  I was a bit nervous because they were huge, but they were fine.  I opted for the slow cooker version.  This will be my go-to bean recipe.

Not-Too-Sweet Baked Beans

Recipe adapted from The Big Book of Backyard Cooking

Ingredients:

1 15 1/2-oz. can Great Northern beans
1 15 1/2-oz. can navy beans
1 15 1/2-oz. can baby butter beans
1 15 1/2-oz. can pinto beans
2 14 1/2-oz. cans stewed tomatoes
1/3 c. molasses
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
2 Tbsp. prepared mustard
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. Tabasco or other hot sauce
6 oz. bacon (1/2 of an average-sized package), divided
1 medium onion, thinly sliced

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Reserving two slices of bacon, cook the remaining bacon in a large skillet. While it’s cooking, place all beans in a colander and rinse and drain. Transfer to a large baking dish.

Pulse the tomatoes in a blender or food processor about 5-6 times or until they are breaking down but not smooth. Pour over beans. Add molasses, brown sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper.

When the bacon has cooked, remove bacon from the pan and cook the onions in the bacon drippings, stirring frequently. While the onions are cooking, crumble the cooked bacon over the beans. Add onions and combine all the ingredients well. Cut remaining slices of bacon into 1″ pieces and place over the beans. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Allow to stand for 5 minutes and then serve.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

Follow the instructions for cooking in the oven, except place the ingredients in the crock of a slow cooker instead of baking dish. Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.

Kaye's Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs

This is the basic recipe, that is sufficient for 1-2 pounds of pork spare ribs.  We do boneless...I'm sure you could do bone-in if you were inclined.  Kaye suggested 5-timesing the recipe for big groups.

3 Tbls. Brown Sugar

2 Tbls. Corn Starch

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 C. Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 C. Ketchup

8 oz. Crushed Pineapple

1 Tbls. Soy Sauce

Simmer sauce for 20 minutes, constantly stirring.

Cut spare ribs in half.

Cook on low in crock pot.

[Kaye's directions were to cook on low all night (8 hours), or 4 hours at 325 in large glass bowls.]

Serve with rice and peas.