Healthy (?) Strawberry Scones

So I had a bunch of strawberries that I had bought because they were on sale and I like fresh strawberries. Problem is, I never seem to eat enough of them quickly enough before they start to go bad. Long story short, I found a recipe to make using up the good ol' berries before they went to waste.

Side note: I hate waste. A lot. But I like fresh/natural food. Which means I am often scrounging around to find a good recipe to make with the random food I buy. I know a lot of people will be all like "Make a menu and only buy what you need!" or "Go to the store that day and buy the veggies fresh there and then!" but this way forces me to try new things and cook and eat veggies. I hate wasting, so this system seems to work for me SO FAR.

Back to the scones. I found the recipe on one of my favorite blogs Skinnytaste.com. Go there. It's got a lot of good stuff lightened up. I made another recipe from there as well called Chicken Divan, but that's for another post I guess.

The scones are wonderful and come together pretty easily once you get the strawberries diced up. I think 18 minutes might have been a little to short of a time for my oven as they didn't get all golden brow. I was afraid of overcooking them though since I didn't want dry crumbly awfulness. They came out really moist (not scone-like I guess...) and they get a little soggier over time (especially after sitting in tupperware overnight). Right out of the oven they were fluffy and tender and wonderful, so maybe they are more of a "bake and immediately eat" type of thing.

Anyway, everyone still likes them, and the family is eating them (as am I) so I count them as a success. They have a really great flavor with all the strawberry. Maybe some vanilla or something would have added even more! I don't know. Maybe next time (AKA next summer when berries are back in season!)

Note: Seriously don't overmix the dough though. That would make for some tough and sad scones. I barely let mine come together and it stayed pretty tender if I do say so myself.

Low-fat Strawberry Scones

(adapted from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/06/low-fat-strawberry-scones.html)

• 1 cup fresh strawberries, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup sugar plus 1 tsp for topping
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 (half stick) cup frozen butter
• 3/4 cups 1% light buttermilk (cold)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven in 400 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Cut up the butter into pea sized pieces, put on a plate, and freeze for at least 10 minutes to make sure it's good and frozen. A little longer wouldn't be too bad. (NOTE: the original recipe calls for you to freeze the whole stick and then grate it into the flour. I didn't do this, so I don't know how it all works out)

Mix together all the dry ingredients (flours, sugar, salt, baking powder) in a large bowl. Mix together your buttermilk and vanilla in a measuring cup and let it sit in the fridge until you're ready for it.

Cut the frozen butter into your flour mixture using your fingers or a pastry cutter until the butter is distributed throughout and the flour seems a little crumbly. Slowly pour in the cold buttermilk/vanilla mixture and mix in using a fork. Mix until JUST combined, there is no more dry flour, and the dough looks pretty uniform.Fold in the diced strawberries. 

Drop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet in large rounded spoonfuls (I just used a large soup spoon...). It should make about 8 scones. Don't press down or shape too much or the scones will start to get a little tough. They should be nice rounded little piles of goodness. 

Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let them cool on the cookie sheet on a cooling rack for 5 minutes before removing to just the cooling rack. Serve and enjoy!

-Emily

Apple Cinnamon Loaf

1/3 Cup    Brown Sugar (not packed)
1 tsp         Ground Cinnamon
2/3 Cup    White Sugar
1/2 Cup    Butter - softened
2              eggs
1 1/2 tsp   vanilla
1 1/2 cup  Flour
1 3/4 tsp   baking powder
1/2 cup     Milk
1 Apple Peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour 9x5 loaf pan. Mix brown sugar and Cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. Beat white sugar and butter together in bowl until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, add vanilla. In another bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Stir into creamed butter mixture. Mix milk into batter. Pour half the batter into prepared loaf pan. Next add half the apples and half the brown sugar mix. Lightly pat apple mix into batter. Pour remaining batter in and top with apples and brown sugar mix. Lightly pat and lightly swirl. Bake for 30-40.

"Chewy" pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

As it is that season and pumpkin seems to be EVERYWHERE,  I made some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies that I found on this site:

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/09/04/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies/

I love normal pumpkin cookies, but they are usually a cake-y texture (I imagine it's due to the way that pumpkin cooks, but I don't know). I wanted to see if there was a way to get the pumpkin cookies to be more like normal chocolate chip cookies (chewy!). SO I searched and found the recipe above.

I didn't change a thing, other than I used a mix of white whole wheat and regular unbleached all-purpose flour. Oh and the chocolate chips that I used were the dark chocolate chips made by Ghiradelli, which are much bigger and more like chocolate wafers than chips (but oh so delicious). Look at those chocolate puddles of goodness:

I wasn't sure how they would turn out or how they would be received, so I only made a half batch to begin with, which was 9 cookies. They are incredibly easy to whip up. The melted butter is the most difficult ingredient to work with because I was afraid it would cook the pumpkin or re-solidify before I could finish, but it all turned out ok.

Now, it says to flatten them down a little in the original recipe, but they don't spread AT ALL. So go ahead and flatten them almost down to the thickness you want in the final cookie. I ended up flattening them a little after they came out, but the chocolate chips were so melty that it was difficult. The second time I made them, I flattened them out to about 1/3 of an inch or so BEFORE I baked them, and it worked out just fine:

Now the texture on this is not particularly chewy. They are less cake-y, to be sure. They are soft and fluffy and absolutely DELIGHTFUL, but not chewy. Be sure to not overcook them though or they will dry out. They look a little raw when the first come out, but leaving them sit for 10 minutes on the tray to cool works out well (you can even leave them a little longer... which I did by accident... it was fine). Then DO let them cool completely before trying to eat. The flavor is much better the second day, but letting them sit in a sealed container for a few hours gets the job done if no one wants to wait.

Anyway, they were quickly scarfed down, so I made a full batch two days later because a bunch of family people were coming, and everyone loves cookies! They were just as amazing the second time, and didn't last long.

Final verdict: DELICIOUS! I ate so many that I knew making them again would be dangerous because I couldn't control myself. The spicing is perfect, and the pumpkin taste is subtle. They are not chewy, but the fluffy, airy, wonderful melt-in-your-mouth texture was fine by me too. And everyone else. I would definitely add them to my cookie rotation for the fall!

Chewy pumpkin chocolate chips cookies:
(as adapted from : http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/09/04/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies/)

Makes 18 cookies

1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/4 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 Tbsp pumpkin puree (I used Libby's from the can stuff)
1 c. white whole wheat flour
1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 c. dark chocolate chips (or split it with raisins, which I did the second time for my mom)

In a bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugars, adding in vanilla extract and pumpkin once until smooth.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour the wet ingredients (the pumpkin/sugar/butter mixture) into the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until combined and uniform. Fold in the chocolate chips. The chocolate started to melt a little bit, but it was ok. Pop the whole cookie dough into the fridge for about an hour (necessary step!). The original post says you can keep it in the fridge for 3 days, but I didn't test that, so I don't know.

Preheat the oven 350F. Once it finishes preheating, line a couple of baking trays with parchment paper. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it into balls, about 2 Tbsp at a time. Flatten out the cookies to a little thicker than your final desired thickness. They really don't spread out while baking. Let them bake for 8-10 minutes (mine took 10). They will look underbaked, but that's a good thing. Don't let them dry out in the oven!

Allow the cookies to cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a cooling rack. Let them sit for at least an hour before digging in. It's difficult, but try. They stay good for about a week in a sealed container on the counter. The flavor is stronger on day two, and the texture is a little softer and chewier after the rest in the container for a little.

Enjoy! I will be trying another pumpkin cookie soon I hope that looks a little chewier in the pictures. We'll see!

-Emily

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings made easy

I love Chicken and Dumplings, especially on a chilly day. I'm in graduate school and it was my turn to host a study group. So I decided to whip this easy recipe up.

 Ingredients:
Four Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
1 Can of Cream of Chicken
1 Can of Cream of Mushrooms
1/2 Tsp of Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp of Onion Powder
Sprinkled Thyme
Sprinkled Rosemary
1 Can of Pillsbury Biscuits

Directions:
 Place chicken on bottom of crockpot
Pour in Cream of Chicken and Cream of Mushrooms
Add all the spices,
Fill till chicken is completely covered with water
Cook on high for 3.5 hours
Take chicken out, shred, and put back in the slow cooker
 Take the uncooked biscuits, and cut into smaller pieces, throw into slow cooker
Cook on high for another 1.5 hours

 My notes: This time, it came out a little watery. I do the same thing each time though, so I am not sure what was different. I am thinking of putting in more of the cream of mushrooms, or maybe more cream of chicken and then add actual mushrooms. Others also like to add veggies and/or potatoes. I'm not against it, I just never have. I am sure it's delicious. Everyone seemed to like it. :) Have any ideas for me to try next, let me know!
 

Yummy Quick Chicken!

Last night my family was busy packing up for their vacation that started today. They are going to Disney World (punks are leaving me behind). What that also means, was dinner was pushed to the back of everyone's minds.

Everyone was flustered and running around, so Brittany came to the rescue and whipped out the 5 ingredient cookbook. I love this book. It may be one of the things that got me into cooking to begin with.

 So here's recipe, my modifications, and a pretty picture.

 Recipe: 
 1/2 Cup of Ranch Dressing
1Tbsp of Flour
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
1/4 cup of shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese

• Preheat Oven
• Mix Ranch and flour in a shallow bowl, and then dip the chicken to coat. 
• Place chicken in a greased 13'-9' casserole dish
• Mix both cheeses and sprinkle on top of the chicken
• Cook for 25 minutes at 350 degrees

Modifications:
Yeah...I ran out of ranch. So instead, I used about 1/4 cup of Ranch, 1/4 cup of sour cream, and I put about 1/2 tsp of Garlic and 1/2 tsp of onion powder. It worked. I couldn't tell the difference.

I do not really measure out the cheese. I love cheese. I also use both shredded and grated parmesan cheese. So I use a lot more cheese.

We also use something our grocery store has called skinny chicken. It has less calories and fat, yet it's amazingly juicy.

My thoughts:
This is a dish I have made a few different times. I am thankful the sour cream/garlic/onion mix worked out. I love this dish, and highly recommend it to anyone who only wants to be in the kitchen for 30 minutes to make a delicious meal. My family seems to enjoy it too. So yay!

Adapted from: 5 Ingredients or Less by Gooseberry Patch

Snickerdoodles stuffed with Pumpkin Spice Kisses... Fail?

So today I made snickerdoodle cookies stuffed with pumpkin spice Hershey Kisses, and while they sure are tasty... the kiss did NOT melt through the cookies to make an amazing molten pumpkin spice layer like I wanted. I imagine this is because I froze the kiss first because I was afraid it was going to melt TOO much and become a big sopping mess. This was not the case. So you live and you learn. Now I have snickerdoodles with a surprise kiss in the middle. That's ok, right?

See the bump in the middle? That's the unmelted Hershey kiss. Ah well. They still taste pretty good.

Recipe adapted from http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2013/08/sea-salt-caramel-stuffed-snickerdoodles-2.html

Snickerdoodles stuffed with Pumpkin Spice Kisses

Makes 18 cookies

Ingredients:

Sugar Coating:

2 Tbsp Sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Cookies:

1 c. white whole wheat flour

1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. All-purpose flour

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 egg

1/8 tsp. vanilla

Optional: splash of chai tea concentrate

18 Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses (unwrapped)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix together the sugar coating in a bowl and set aside. 

Sift together the flours, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Cream together the softened butter and sugar until soft and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add splash of chai tea concentrate if desired and mix until everything is combined. Slowly mix in the flour mixture until completely combined and dough is uniform. (OPTIONAL: Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes) 

Roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball with a kiss in the center. Roll the ball in the sugar coating mix and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes (mine took 10-11, but the original recipe called for 7-8. Probably depends on if you chilled the dough or not). Cookies will look a little underdone (especially in the cracks) and slightly puffed up. They will settle as they cool. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then place on a wire cooling rack until completely cool.

NOTE: I did NOT add the part about freezing the kisses as I don't think it was a good idea!