Basic Butter Cookie

 

                                                                     

• Cookie

1 cup butter - room temperature

¾ cup white sugar

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

         Chocolate

1 cup dark chocolate chips

½ teaspoon vegetable shortening/oil

Nonpareils

•  
  Instructions

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• Preheat oven 375F 
• Combine butter and sugar until well combined
• Add egg yolk, vanilla, and salt, beat well.
• Slowly add flour until completely combined
• Pipe cookies into shapes, chill in fridge for 10ish minu10-12 minutes, edges will start turning light brown
• Allow cookies to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack
•  Dip in chocolate only after cookies are 100% cooled.

Tip

• Only pipe cookie dough onto a cold cookie sheet.
• Use large tip - dough is thick
• Chocolate starts to harden fast so time your sprinkling on non-parrels
• Melt chocolate and shortening/oil in a small bowl. Heat until completely melted, I use a microwave in 20 second increments stirring well in between.

        Make any shape!

        

 

Horseradish Aioli

    Recipe 

   1/4 Cup Hellman's Mayo

   1T good Horseradish (liquid removed)  

   1 medium garlic clove grated

   1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

   1 tsp.fresh chives (save some to sprinkle on top) 

   Salt and pepper to taste

Beatty’s Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

My favorite cake  

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup good cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
½ cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room
1 teaspoon kosher salt temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Butter two 8-inch round cake pans

Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ones. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely. (Not to worry; the top will sink a little in the center.)

Place one layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread a thin layer of buttercream on the top only. Place the second layer on top, flat side up, and spread the frosting evenly first on the sides and then on the top of the cake. Cut in wedges and serve at room temperature.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ones. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely. (Not to worry; the top will sink a little in the center.)

Note: For cupcakes, reduce bake time to 25-30 minutes.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (frosts one cake, or 12 cupcakes)

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate, such as Valrhona (see note)

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1¼ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules, such as Nescafe

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl over a pan over simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don’t whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

Note: I use Valrhona Le Noir 56% Cacao Semisweet Chocolate. You can use also use a good bittersweet chocolate but don’t use chocolate chips because they have stabilizers in them.

Copyright 2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, All Rights Reserved

Ina's Shrimp Orzo Salad

For The Dressing:

      1/2 cup lemon juice-freshly squeezed 

       2 teaspoons kosher salt
       1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
       3/4 cup olive oil

For The Shrimp:

        1 ½ lbs large shrimp, peeled & deveined (16-18 count)

        2 tablespoons olive oil

        1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

        1/4 ground black pepper

For The Salad:-

        5-6 green onions, white and green parts

• 1 cup fresh dill, chopped (I leave this out, my
•  family hates it)!

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• 1 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

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• 1 English cucumber, medium diced

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• ½ cup red onion, small diced

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• 1 cup feta cheese

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Instructions 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

To Cook the Orzo: Fill a large pot with water and 3 tablespoons of Kosher salt and bring it to a boil. Add the orzo and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until it is al dente, about 9-12 minutes. Drain and place into a large salad bowl.

Make the salad dressing: While the orzo is cooking, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl.Pour dressing over the cooked orzo and set it aside.

To roast the shrimp: Place shrimp, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and give it a gentle toss. Transfer the shrimp onto a sheet pan in a single layer. Roast in the oven until it is cooked through, 5-6 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the oven.

To assemble the salad: Into the bowl with orzo, add cooked shrimp, green onions, dill, parsley, cucumber, and red onion. Give it a toss. Add feta on top. Taste for seasoning and add in if necessary.

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour for flavors to blend. Serve.

Blankets for Kylian

My First Great Nephew 

Embroidered Towels - Girl Scout Donation

Donations for the Girl Scout Holiday Fair
Pattern by Aunt Martha

Embroidered Christmas Napkins

 Christmas Miniatures by Mamaw's Vintage Embroidery

Peanut Butter Blossom

 Holiday Favorite!

Love to use different colors of sugar!

Classic Chicken Lo Mein

Recipe courtesy of Jet Tila

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/lo-mein-noodles-7114663

Ingredients

1/4 cup (60 ml) chicken stock
3 tablespoons (45 ml) oyster sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons (45 ml) vegetable oil
4 teaspoons ginger, thin julienne
2 teaspoons (10 g) garlic, minced
1/2 pound (250 g) chicken breast or thigh, thin bite-sized slices
2 to 3 cups fresh egg noodles, such as pancit
1/2 carrot, julienned
1/4 pound (125 g) baby bok choy, bottoms removed, cut on bias
3 scallions, cut into 1/2-inch bias pieces 

Directions

1. For the sauce: Stir together the chicken stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch and sesame oil. Set aside.
2. For the noodles: Heat a pan to high and add the oil. Once you see wisps of white smoke, add the ginger and garlic and cook until light brown and fragrant, about 20 seconds. Stir in the chicken and cook until medium, about 1 minute. 
3. Add the noodles, carrots and bok choy to the pan and cook until tender, about 1 minute. 
4. Stir the sauce, pour into the pan and incorporate all ingredients well. 
5. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce starts to bubble and thicken. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with the scallions and serve immediately.

Aunt Lois' Famous Delicate Sugar Cookies

Thanks Aunt Lois and Cheryl too!

1 Cup powdered sugar    
1 Cup white sugar
1 Cup butter (softened)
1 Cup vegetable oil
2 Eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond flavor

Cream above together

Add 4 cups of flour PLUS 1 heaping tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cream of tarter

Add to first mixture and mix well. Roll into small balls* and roll into white sugar, place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press down with a fancy bottom glass dipped in sugar.

Bake 350 for 10 minutes

*A small potato/cookie scoop works great

Italian Farro Soup

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup farro, spelt or barley
1 cup dried white beans, soaked for several hours or overnight
2 cups chopped tomatoes with juice
6 cups stock or water, more as necessary
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh basil, optional
Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Put oil in a large saucepan and heat, add onion, celery, carrots, pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables have softened. Add garlic, stir for 1 min then add farro, beans, tomatoes and stock, and stir.
2. Bring to a boil, then simmer, cook until farro and beans are tender, approx. 1 hour. Add parsley and basil, adjust seasoning to taste and serve with parm. If soup gets too thick add more stock.

Aunt Irene's Pickles

      

I have clear memories sitting in my Aunt Irene's kitchen at the table pushed against the wall, freshly scrubbed pickling cucumbers and jars of all sizes everywhere. Dill, excitement, and eventually exhaustion filled the air. I don't think there was a food I loved more than these, the only downside is they are fermented and not “pickled" and therefore don't last as long. I first tried making these in my 40s, I have had luck and failures, but the process floods my mind with the happiness.