Your Top 5 List of Cookies

It's no secret that we LOVE cookies in my household. My husband and I were trying to come up with our top 5 list of what our favorites would be..... But we are stuck on a few. I love gingersnaps while he hates them. He is teaching a cookie class next week and we are trying to get the menu/list/recipes together for the class.

So, I want to know what are your top 5 cookies!!!

Here's a few of my husband's favorites (and mine too!)

Reese Cup Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Heath Bar Cookies

(I made these Labor Day weekend and they disappeared in about 24 hours. They were in my eyes the perfect cookie. I've just yet to blog about them.)

Gingersnaps

(My favorite recipe is from one of my old cookbooks.)

So there you have 4 cookies--- what should be #5????

The Treats Truck! Baking Book-- Review and Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to my fellow A08er Krystal!!!! 

She was the winner of the The Treats Truck Baking Book!!!

Garlic Parmesan Skillet Bread-- What's Baking

For What's Baking this month, our hostess asked us to come up with a savory baked good. I was elated! I knew exactly what I was going to make. I make these rolls quite a bit and even made them for Thanksgiving but they were gone before I get pictures of them. Yet again.

So I remembered these little babies in my google reader and decided to whip them up. The garlic smell while they were baking was AMAZING. I think next time I might add some more butter but even Cole ate this bread!

Garlic Parmesan Skillet Bread
recipe adapted from this recipe on Plain Chicken




1 can buttermilk biscuits
3 Tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced 
2 tsp Italian seasoning 
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Melt butter in oven proof saute pan or iron skilled.  Add garlic, cheese, and seasoning.  Cut biscuits into quarters and toss in saute pan.  Place whole pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and flip onto platter on serving.






(If you haven't entered the giveaway,be sure to soon! It ends Monday!!)

The Treats Truck! Baking Book-- Review and Giveaway

I am totally fascinated by food trucks so when the opportunity arose to review The Treats Truck! Baking Book, I jumped on the offer! I love to bake and I love food trucks and I loved this cookbook! 

This cookbook is honestly the funnest cookbook I've seen in a long time. It would be a great beginner baking book but also a cookbook for someone who just loves to bake because it has so many great offerings! (Cameron LOVED looking through it and was really disappointed we didn't have time to bake anything from it yet.) There are the basic things like Chocolate Chippers and then fun cookies like Kitchen Sink Rice Krispy Treats.

The owner/author talks about what treats are popular on the truck and how the truck is named Sugar! It was really fun to read and I even passed the cookbook around work and all of my coworkers noticed how it was colorful and just really wanted you to bake a cookie or cake from it.

Now you get a chance to own it for yourself!

Hi Sugar!

The Rules:

Mandatory entry: Leave me a comment letting me know your favorite cookie! Be sure to leave an email address so if you win, I can contact you!

For extra entries:

Follow via Google Friend Connect

Like The Boys Made Me Do It on Facebook

You have a total of 3 entries to win this cookbook!

This giveaway will end on November 28,2011 at midnight eastern time. 

Disclosure: I was given a copy of this cookbook for review and a copy for a giveaway. No other compensation was given/

Wordless Wednesday

Our Annual Gingerbread House (well houses and a train!)

Secret Recipe Club: Baked Cheesy Spread

Time for Secret Recipe Club! I was super excited for this month because I got assigned The Freshman Cook who had my blog last month! (and created these awesome andes mint brownie bites!)

Every week Teri creates a list of what she will be making for the week and when I saw this posting I knew what  I would be making! (This was a really fun sneak preview too!)

 Teri said the exact same things I was thinking when I saw this. 

• The recipe uses items you probably already have in your pantry/fridge.
• We thought you could substitute the dried apricots for apricot (or any other flavor of preserves)
• It's Holiday season and you are always searching for a new recipe or something quick and easy to bring to the next party-- Yes, I said next party because if your work place is anything like mine there will be about 4 parties between now and December 25th.

Baked Apricot Spread

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup Sour Cream

1/4 cup dried apricots, sliced

1/4 cup almonds,sliced

Crackers, for serving

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix cream cheese and cheddar cheese in a medium bowl until well blended. Add sour cream and apricots and mix well. Spread into a greased pie plate and sprinkle with the sliced almonds. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the nuts are lightly toasted.

Cool Slightly and serve with crackers.

12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies- Microwave Sea Salt Caramels

Caramels are my ultimate all time indulgence. Thanks to Pinterest, I now have the easiest version EVER.

Caramels have a special place because the nickname my family calls me is Cara-melle.

 If something has caramel in it, you can guarantee I am going to get it. 

Add in a little sea salt and you have the best treat!

I was truly impressed by the flavor of these caramels and at how quickly they came together. I'm so happy I tried them and can't wait to make them again!

Microwave Sea Salt Caramels

adapted from this recipe at Food.com

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk1 tsp. sea salt
  

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients together in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Cook in the microwave for 6 minutes, stirring every two minutes.
3. Once mixture is cooked, stir and pour into greased dish.
4. Sprinkle sea salt on top of caramel and let cool.
5. Cut, wrap in wax paper & store in air tight container.

Wanna-Be Pecan Pie

Shhh... I'm going to tell you a secret....

I'm a Southern girl that doesn't like pecan pie!

I'm not a nut person. I don't really care for the texture and therefore you won't find too many recipes with nuts on here. Cameron also had a nut allergy (which he grew out of) for a few years so it was something we didn't keep around for a while. 

I honestly didn't know how my friends were going to react to this pie but everyone LOVED it. In fact, pecan pie haters even liked this pie. This pie was gone by Sunday and I am making another one for my work Thanksgiving dinner (and probably won't be sharing it with people outside of my immediate work area!)

I'm going to try this next with chocolate covered pretzels. Yeah, baby.

(see how pretty it is!- my sister got a dslr camera and is practicing with my food!)

Wanna-Be Pecan Pie

recipe adapted from this recipe on Southern Plate

  4 Eggs
• 1-1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Deep Dish Pie Shell, unbaked
• 3 T butter, melted
• 1-1/2 cups crushed pretzels
• 2 T sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. For Filling:Place first five ingredients in large mixing bowl. Stir together with wire whisk until well combined.
3. Pour into unbaked pie shell.
4. Combine the last 3 ingredients (pretzels,sugar, and butter) bowl and stir well with a spoon until pretzels are coated evenly.
5. Sprinkle pretzel mixture evenly over pie.
6. Bake in 350 oven for 1 hour, covering with foil after 30 minutes to prevent over browning. (Allow to cool completely before serving.)

 “Come join Love the Pie with TidyMom  sponsored by Cherokee USA, Le Creuset, Wilton, Bags by Bloom and  Harvard Common Press”

Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Pie

This past weekend I had a Shutterfly House Party and really wanted to test out some new pie recipes on my friends (guinea pigs!). I say guinea pigs but I do have some great friends and coworkers because even as weird as some of my ideas might be, they will always try them and tell me the truth!

Pumpkin Pie is the quintessential pie of Thanksgiving and while it is nice as itself, it is also nice to change it up every now and then. I love the combination of pumpkin and cream cheese and thought this pie would be wonderful.

This pie is really good if you like cream cheese. The picture in the magazine showed more of a pumpkin base and then a cream cheese topping but mine ended up the opposite. Everyone still enjoyed this pie and my sister  and I found out it was better cold than warm.

I can't wait to share with you the other 2 pies that I made! They would be great additions to your Thanksgiving table!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Pie

recipe adapted from The Food Network Magazine Pie insert, November 2011

1 Pie shell, unbaked (can be homemade or frozen)

3/4 pumpkin, pureed (not pie filling)

1/4 milk,evaporated

3 eggs

2/3 cup sugar, divided

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Make a pumpkin pie filling with the pumpkin, evaporated milk, 1 egg, and half of the sugar and the pumpkin pie spice. 
3. In a second bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, 1/3 cup of sugar, and 2 eggs.
4. Stir 1/3 of the pumpkin filling into the cream cheese mixture.
5. Pour the pumpkin filling into the crust and the top with the cream cheese mixture. 
6. Swirl together with toothpick.
7. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until center is set.

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Chicago Metallic.

12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies-Peppermint Kisses

One of my absolute favorite blogs, Sing for Your Supper, posted these little cookies last year. I have had them saved for almost a year and couldn't wait to try them out!

I absolutely love peppermint during the holidays and this cookie has candy cane "flour" in it as well as a dusting of crushed candy canes on top. This comes together easily and is just basically an embellished sugar cookie. They have the perfect peppermint flavor- not too much and not overwhelming. Everyone (minus the peppermint grinch, my husband) loved them. I really debated about putting some peppermint extract in the white chocolate that goes on top but ended up not doing it.

Amy (of Sing for Your Supper), actually creates a candy cane flour that is used in this recipe. It is essentially the "dust" of crushed candy canes or peppermints. I used my Pampered Chef chopper and just beat some peppermints up to get the "flour" that I needed!

Peppermint Kisses
adapted from this recipe on Sing For Your Supper

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup candy cane flour**
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

crushed peppermints, for garnish (about 1/2 cup)

1 cup white chocolate chips or almond bark, melted

***Amy (of Sing for Your Supper), actually creates a candy cane flour that is used in this recipe. It is essentially the "dust" of crushed candy canes or peppermints. I used my Pampered Chef chopper and just beat some peppermints up to get the "flour" that I needed!

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder and candy cane flour together.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably one fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for a minute or so, until smooth. Beat in the sugar and continue to beat for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and pale. Add the egg and yolk and beat for another minute or two; beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and steadily add the flour mixture, mixing only until it has been incorporated. When mixed, the dough will be soft, creamy, and malleable.

Drop the dough onto the baking sheets by rounded spoonfuls.
Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the sheets at the midpoint. The cookies should feel firm, but they should not color much, if at all. Cool completely.

Heat the white chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals until melted and creamy. Drizzle over the cooled cookies. 

Makes about 40 cookies.

Wordless Wednesday

12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies- Chocolate Sour Cream Cookies

We're half way there baby!! That's right! It's week 6!

I keep finding new cookies I want to make and really need to start focusing! 

It is so much fun to be a part of this group again! 

I found these a few weeks ago over on my friend Branny's blog. I loved these little cookies as did my family. Surprisingly, these have chocolate chips in them and Branny included almonds in hers . I'm not a nut person, so I didn't add them.

I find that it is always nice to have different types and textures of cookies during the holidays and I would definitely make this cookie again!

Chocolate Sour Cream Cookies

adapted from this recipe at Branny Boils Over

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped almonds, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. 

Beat in egg, sour cream and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to the creamed mixture. 

Stir in  chocolate chips and almonds.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. 

Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until set.

 Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. 

Find Family Favorites with Bush’s Beans

Can you believe that it is already November 1^st? The holidays are right around the corner!


While I look forward to them every year, I also remember how busy this time of the year is. One thing that Roger and I always try to do with our boys is eat dinner together. While we may not be successful every day, it is something that is very important to us. Also, with 3 boys, it is imperative that we get them to try new things, and that we also make meals that are family-friendly. Luckily our boys are generally open to new things that they are served. Cameron is the only one that really makes a face, but then he tries it and likes it!

One thing that my family loves is Bush’s Beans. There are very few things that everyone will eat and beans are definitely on that list! Plus, I love being able to have a few “meatless” meals each week and still be able to get my boys the nutrients they need!

This Two Bean and Sweet Potato Hash was a real winner in my house! We even had it twice in one week- once as a side and once as part of a main dish with a pork loin. If you have never had the “Bean and Sweet Potato combo”, you are in for a real treat!


Find Family Favorite Recipes with Bush’s Beans is the Sidecar Series for November at Kitchen PLAY. Our special event this month is an early Thanksgiving (as we don’t have Cameron Thanksgiving weekend this year). My Bush’s Beans dish has the beans that my family loves yet also has sweet potatoes which are a “traditional” Thanksgiving side dish.

Be sure to check out the other mouthwatering pictures of Bush’s Beans on Facebook!


Two Bean and Sweet Potato Hash
The Boys Original recipe


1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
½ cup onion, diced
1/3 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 can Bush’s Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Bush’s Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp. Olive Oil
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped


1. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan.
2. Add diced onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add garlic and sweet potatoes. Cook for additional 3 minutes.
4. Add diced red pepper and salt and pepper and cook for another 3 minutes.
5. Add both Cans of Bush’s Beans and cook for another 3 minutes.
6. Add chopped cilantro and cook for an additional minute.
Serve with your favorite entrée or as a breakfast dish with eggs!

This was a sponsored post but all opinions are my own.