vanilla

Toffee Coffee Cookies

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Toffee Coffee Cookies. Thank goodness toffee bits are now available in the baking department of the supermarket. They are right next to the chocolate chip morsels you also need for this unbelievable cookie recipe. I’m going out on a limb here to say that toffee is the star attraction. (Just in case you happen to toss a handful in your mouth as you’re baking. You’ll see.) The caramelized sweetness balances well with the buttery profile of the nutty crunch. The espresso and chocolate melt smoothly as the toffee breaks apart into roasted granules. This recipe makes a small batch, so you may want to double it if you think they’ll disappear before you get a taste. Just saying. 

TOFFEE COFFEE COOKIES 

Ingredients: 

1 cup flour 

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

4 teaspoons instant espresso powder 

1 1/2 teaspoons warm tap water 

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled 

1 egg 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/4 cup toffee bits 

Sugar, for dusting

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, for garnish

Flaky sea salt sprinkles, for garnish 

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk espresso powder and warm water until the espresso powder has dissolved. Add sugar and melted butter; whisk until combined. Whisk in egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir in the flour mixture until a soft dough forms. Fold in toffee bits. Divide cookie dough into 24 portions (1 tablespoon each) and roll into balls. Place 12 balls evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Using the bottom of a greased drinking glass, flatten dough balls slightly. Bake cookies until the edges are set, but the centers are still soft and puffy, about 10-12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. While cooling, place the sugar in a shallow dish. Dust the bottom only of each cookie. Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips on top as a garnish. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with second batch of cookie dough. 

Raspberry Belgian Waffles

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Raspberry Belgian Waffles. Here is one food that grants permission to for any meal, day or night. It can be dressed up with fresh fruit in season, sweet and salty French butter, plus a drizzle of warm maple syrup. The “deep pockets” of a Belgian waffle are designed to hold extra toppings. Perhaps you might fill them with natural fruit jam, toasted pecans, or whipped cream. What a sweet and versatile crowd-pleaser. 

RASPBERRY BELGIAN WAFFLES 

Ingredients: 

2 eggs

2 cups flour 

1 3/4 cups milk 

1/2 cup vegetable oil 

1 tablespoon sugar 

4 teaspoons baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Fresh raspberries, for garnish 

Instructions: 

Preheat the waffle maker. Wash the fresh raspberries; set aside. In a large bowl, combine eggs, flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, sea salt, and vanilla extract. Mix well until the batter is smooth. Using a pastry brush, apply a thin layer of vegetable oil onto the preheated waffle maker. Slowly pour the batter onto the waffle maker. Close the lid and cook for five minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer waffle to a plate. Repeat until all the batter is used. Serve waffles with maple syrup, butter, and fresh raspberries. Enjoy! 

Ohio Buckeye Candy

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Ohio Buckeye Candy. In case you’re not familiar with an Ohio Buckeye, it’s a shiny, dark brown seed from one of their native trees. It features a light brown “eye” which resembles the eye of a deer. Although the actual seeds from the tree are poisonous to humans when eaten raw, this bakery version is all about permission granted. The homemade candy became super popular back in the 1960s. Like most iconic treats, it was created by accident when a woman didn’t get the confection completely covered in chocolate. Oops. Thanks to her, now anyone can sweeten their day. 

OHIO BUCKEYE CANDY 

Ingredients: 

1 cup butter, room temperature 

1 cup creamy peanut butter 

4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

12 ounces special dark chocolate chips 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions: 

In a mixing bowl, use electric beaters to cream together the butter and peanut butter. Slowly add the powdered sugar until you get a smooth consistency. Add the vanilla extract and mix completely. Scoop 4-5 dozen small peanut butter mounds, rolled into balls, onto a baking sheet. Place in the freezer for one hour. Once cold, they are ready for dipping. Meanwhile, pour the chocolate chips and vegetable oil into a microwave-safe bowl. Melt on 50% power in the microwave oven at 30-second intervals. Stir in between to make the chocolate smooth, without lumps, until all the chocolate is melted. Use a toothpick or skewer to dip and coat each peanut butter ball in chocolate, leaving an open circle of peanut butter to show through. This will resemble an Ohio buckeye. Allow excess to drip off. Transfer buckeyes to parchment paper. Allow candy to set before serving. 

Easter Coconut Macaroons

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Grocery List Ideas: Easter Coconut Macaroons! In my childhood I had two choices of candy bars featuring chewy coconut centers: one with chocolate or one with chocolate and almonds. (I’m sure you can recall the names.) I was drawn to the slightly caramelized taste around the edges as well as the sugary sweet dense centers. Years later I realized this was an Easter springtime favorite, highlighting Passover, because it fell into the kosher restrictions of omitting flour. No gluten! Some people dip the macaroons into chocolate. I like the candy-coated chocolate eggs and thought you might, too. 

EASTER COCONUT MACAROONS 

Ingredients: 

14-ounces sweetened flaked coconut 

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, whites only

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

4 ounces candy coated chocolate eggs, roughly chopped 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine flaked coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract. Mix well. In another bowl, place the egg whites and sea salt. Beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture until combined. Using two spoons, form heaping tablespoons of the cookie mixture into mounds on the prepared baking sheet; spacing about one inch apart. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the bottoms and edges are a deep golden brown. The tops should be lightly browned. Allow the macaroons to cool for a minute. Press chopped chocolate eggs into the center of each cookie. Cool completely on a wire rack. 

Quick-Set Party Cheesecakes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Quick-Set Party Cheesecakes! You’re stopping by a friend’s house later on and were asked to bring something delish. These miniature cheesecakes are super-easy and can be whipped up in a few minutes first thing in the morning. They refrigerate while you’re at work or the gym, so no worries there. Top with fresh fruit, seedless jam, chocolate bits, or candied ginger. Dust with powdered sugar for a professional finish. Another one-bite wonderful dessert can be found in the Fruit Tart recipe at the following link. 

http://Snapshotsincursive.com/2015/12/11

QUICK-SET PARTY CHEESECAKES

Ingredients:

24 mini cupcake liners

24 Nilla wafers

2 8-ounce packages Neufchâtel cheese

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

Fresh Fruit, Chocolate Chips, or Candied Ginger

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Beat Neufchâtel cheese and sugar. Add eggs, beating well. Fold in lemon juice and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy. Place cupcake liners in muffin tin. Put 1 Nilla wafer in each. Fill with 1 heaping tablespoon of cheese mixture. Bake 15 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours. Garnish with assorted toppings. 

Belgian Waffles

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Take a Seat at the Table: Belgian Waffles!  Call me crazy, or call me lazy, but truth be told sometimes you need to take a shortcut in preparing a meal. Just because you’re short on time doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice taste. Here’s a perfect example: Belgian Waffles made from starter pancake mix in a box. Add a few extras like pure vanilla and fresh fruit to turn an ordinary waffle into a spectacular one. Make a batch for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. Let the cheers begin!

BELGIAN WAFFLES

Ingredients:

2 cups Log Cabin All Natural Pancake Mix

4 tablespoons oil

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

Instructions:

Preheat waffle iron. Combine pancake mix, oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla in a blender. Blend 30 seconds until lumps are removed. Let batter rest for a few minutes. Grease waffle iron if necessary. Pour batter by scant cupfuls onto center of hot waffle iron. Bake 3-5 minutes or until steaming slows and waffle is golden brown. Carefully remove. Serving suggestions: Fresh fruit, melted butter, dark amber maple syrup, pecans, whipped cream, and a side of bacon. 

Xtreme Frosting Cinnamon Rolls

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Xtreme Frosting Cinnamon Rolls! Does anyone, besides me, often wish there was more frosting in the prepared tube of cinnamon rolls? I mean, who doesn’t want more of the lusciously rich and fluffy sweet mixture? By doubling the amount of frosting per cinnamon roll, there’s never a debate over who is left craving more. 

XTREME FROSTING CINNAMON ROLLS

Ingredients:

12-ounce tube cinnamon rolls

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter, room temperature 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons milk

Instructions:

Bake cinnamon rolls according to package directions. Set aside. While cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare the buttercream frosting. In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar and butter on low speed with a hand mixer. Stir in vanilla extract and one tablespoon milk. Gradually beat in remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. Pour over freshly baked cinnamon rolls and serve immediately. 

Blackberry Griddle Pancakes

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Blackberry Griddle Pancakes! There’s a couple of hard-fast rules for fluffy homemade pancakes. Do not over stir. As much as it comes from habit, don’t do it. Also, always combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately before folding them together. It means more dishes, but it’s worth it. Baking soda and baking powder actually create that wonderful light texture that fills the pancake with air. So, that being said, are you ready to give it a whirl? Remember: a good cook still eats the mistakes. 

BLACKBERRY GRIDDLE PANCAKES 

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda 

1 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 

1/4 cup sour cream

2 eggs

Instructions:

Preheat griddle to 375°. For gas stove griddles, set knob at medium-low setting for 10-15 minutes. While griddle is heating, sift flour into a bowl. Add sugar, sea salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix well. In another bowl, combine milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, cider vinegar, sour cream, and eggs. Mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Gently fold together, without over mixing. Allow the batter to rest for 5 minutes. The batter will be thick and bubbly. Lightly oil the heated griddle with butter. Gently pour 1/4 cup pancake batter onto the griddle. Do not overcrowd. Allow the pancakes to cook until bubbles appear around the edges, about 4 minutes. Then flip pancakes and cook 2 minutes longer until done. Remove from griddle and serve warm pancakes with creamy butter, fresh blackberries, and pure maple syrup. 

One-Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Test Kitchen Favorites: One-Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread! Imagine, if you will, a time years ago when mothers stayed home to raise children, cooked homemade meals, cleaned the house, washed clothes (and ironed them) all as part of the weekly chores. Evening dinner, or supper to some, was followed by a daily dessert. No exceptions. The cookie jar was always full, you didn’t dare ask for a bowl of cereal for dinner, and you cleaned your plate at every meal. About that time my mom decided mixing chocolate chips into a butter-based dough produced a loaf of banana bread that literally became the envy of all the neighborhood kids. Some things were meant to last. 

ONE-BOWL CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 ripe bananas, peeled and crushed

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a loaf pan with a nonstick oil containing flour. Set aside. Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and crushed bananas. Mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Add to the creamed mixture. Stir just until batter is combined. Do not over mix. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with extra chocolate chips, if desired. Bake one hour or until tester comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes and then remove banana bread from loaf pan. Cool longer on a wire rack.