Heart Shaped Shortbread Cookies with Raspberry Butter cream Filling

Shortbread Cookies with Raspberry Butter Cream

My kids and I have fun looking through recipes and coming up with things we want to try.  Of course this month we want everything heart shaped.

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks butter at room temperature)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. milk
5 Tbsp. cocoa powder (optional)

For the Filling:
5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
a dash of raspberry jello powder
a dash of milk


    For the cookies preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Line two pans with parchment paper or a Silpat.  Beat the butter until creamy and add the sugar.  Add flour and cocoa powder if you are making chocolate cookies.  Add the vanilla and milk until the dough comes together.  Chill the dough in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.  Then roll out the dough and cut into heart shapes.

   Bake for 10-15 minutes.  Do not over cook!

   For the filling, beat the butter and add the powdered sugar, vanilla, raspberry jello powder, and enough milk to form a thick frosting.

   When the cookies are cool spread frosting in the middle and put another cookie on top.

   Enjoy!

Kid Friendly Valentine Cards

Is it just me or does every Valentine you find on Pinterest that is supposed to be made by kids really just look like the mom did everything but write the kids' names?  

This year I found some cute ideas out there, but then I made my kids do everything.  I just made it easy for them to this by providing supplies. 

Our first Valentine says, "Have a FAN(TACHE)TIC Valentines!"

The next says, "You're Cute as  Button."

   What made these easy for the kids to make is the stamps I made out of sponges.  I just bought some cheap sponges at the store and cut them into a heart and a mustache.  I also cut the paper into rectangles.

So to start the kids just stamped each sheet of paper with a heart or a mustache.

 We let them dry and then we added the words and some decorations.  I found this cute tape at Walmart that added easy flare.  Stickers are always good too.  We glued buttons to the "Cute as a Button" cards.

 Then we punched two holes in each card and added a sucker because really what is a Valentine without some candy?

Oatmeal Breakfast Cups to Freeze!

 I'm always looking for something healthy and fast to make for breakfast because I'm usually the last one to eat after I help my kids get ready, make their lunches, and feed them breakfast.  

So I found these Oatmeal Cups and fell in love.  Their healthy, fast, AND you can freeze them!

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup banana or about 1 banana mashed

1/2 cup honey or some other kind of sweetener

5 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats

2 tbsp. flax seed meal (LOVE this stuff!)

1 tbsp. cinnamon ground

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 1/4 cups milk (I used powdered milk to try to use my food storage and water of course.)

Optional toppings: nuts, berries, raisins, chocolate chips

    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

    Mix the wet ingredients: eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana, and honey.  Then mix in the dry ingredients.

You can either add in the extra toppings now so they are baked throughout the cup or you can sprinkle them on top and individualize them.  I used blueberries and chopped pecans in mine.  But if your kids like chocolate chips and you don't add some chocolate chips on the top of a few.

    Spray two muffin tins or put in cupcake liners.  Fill each muffin tin cup so they are all even.

    Add any extra toppings now and put the tins in the oven for 30 minutes until you can pierce it with a toothpick and it comes out clean.

     Cool on a rack completely and place in freezer bags.

     I pull out one or two oatmeal cups for breakfast and microwave them for 30-40 seconds.  

Puff Pastry Hearts with Cream Filling

My New Years resolution is to keep track of my recipes better, especially the ones I change.  So what better way than to blog?

   Last week I tried an alcohol and coffee free Tiramisu recipe that turned out disastrous, but the cream was delicious so I decided to try that part again.  Then my kids voted on what recipe looked the most ideal to try it on.  We got the idea from here.   We did change it a bit though.

Ingredients:

     1 Package Puff Pastry Dough thawed

     4 egg yolks

     1/2 cup granulated sugar

     1/8 tsp. salt

     1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

     8 ounces mascarpone cheese

     1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

     berries of your choice

 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Roll out the Puff Pastry dough just a little bit and cut it into heart shapes or whatever shape you desire.  Place each heart on a baking pan covered with a Silpat or Parchment paper. Prick each heart with a fork to keep them from puffing up irregularly.  You can also sprinkle some sugar on top if you desire.  Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.  Put these on a cooling rack.

    Now start making the mascarpone cream.  In a medium saucepan start two inches of water simmering.   In a heat proof bowl beat four egg yolks.  Add 1/2 cup sugar  and 1/8 tsp. salt and mix some more.  Then mix in the 1/4 cup cream.  Now beat this mixture over the simmering water for 4-7 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon.  After four minutes mine did coat a spoon but it was thin.  Doing it longer will make it thicker.  Take it off the heat and allow it to cool for 15 minutes and then add the mascarpone cheese.  

    Whip the whipping cream and slowly add the cheese mixture.  

    Then cut each puff pastry heart in half and spread each side with the cream.  Insert a berry in between each side and enjoy!

                                           

                                                      The missionaries loved them.     

                                                    

Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread 

First boil together:

2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup water

When butter is melted take off the heat and place in the bowl you will be using to mix for it to cool completely.

Meanwhile dissolve 2 Tbsp. yeast into a cup of warm water. Let that sit for 10 minutes.

When the butter mixture is cool add the yeast, 2 beaten eggs, and six cups of flour.

Beat together until it is a uniform ball and place in the fridge for four hours.

I make these into little pockets so I set up a little station where everything is at my disposal to create these babies. They take some effort.

Roll out the dough. I sometimes have to just pick it up and stretch it. It fights back.

 Cut into squares with a pizza cutter.

Brush a little melted butter or margarine on each square and put cut up ham and grated cheese on each one.

Then pick up the two opposite corners and squeeze them together.

Then squeeze the other two corners together and you have a neat little pocket.

Or my new method which is MUCH FASTER is to roll them like a burrito!

Then press all the seams together to make it secure.

Place them on a sprayed pan or one with a Silpat on it and brush with melted butter.

Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes until golden. Careful the bottoms seem to burn easily for some reason.

Store in the fridge in a container or a bag. You can freeze too. Just make sure they are completely cool before you put them in the freezer.

Here's another topping choice you have. I make little pizza pockets too. Repeat the first three steps... roll out the dough, cut, etc. Then dab a spoonful of pizza sauce into the center of each square.

Then place a few pieces of pepperoni or your favorite pizza toppings.

Fold together the same way and bake for the same amount.
My kids and husband love them both ways. You can make this recipe healthier by decreasing the sugar, adding wheat flour or just by adding different fillings. I've added green peppers cut up before and that was good. Coming next is the dessert you can make with Monkey Bread!

Monkey Bread II

Okay, now for the dessert Monkey Bread. I made two batches of monkey bread this week and I had some left over when I ran out of toppings and my back couldn't take rolling it out anymore, so then I made the dessert.

For the dough recipe go

Melt some margarine... about 1/4 of a cup depending on how much dough you have. Mix a few tsp. of cinnamon, a packet of butterscotch instant pudding, 1/2 cup white sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar together.

Place them all in convenient containers to dip dough balls in.

I usually use a loaf pan to bake this in but it is always hard to get all the dough cooked this way so I decided to try a pie pan and it worked a lot better!

 Usually I roll and dip as I go, but I decided to roll all the dough into balls first this time and it went a lot faster and was a lot less messy.
Roll the dough into balls and then dip one by one in the margarine and then the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place in the pan close together and bake in the oven at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Make sure the dough on the bottom is fully cooked. Just lift up one of the top ones to check.
Take out of the oven and frost with whatever you want. I just used a tiny bit of my left over margarine from dipping and added 2 cups of powdered sugar and a dab of milk. I added purple food coloring because we were having a PPP night at a youth activity at church and the treats had to start with P. I fudged with purple Monkey Bread.

They are delicious cold or warm. Enjoy!

Another Burrito Filling

I made some Sweet Pulled Pork for dinner one night and had a ton left over.  So I decided to try putting it in burritos.  It was actually pretty good.

Here's the recipe:

Sweet Pulled Pork 

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp. vinegar

4 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 small pork roast

 Mix first four ingredients together and pour on pork roast in crock pot.  Cook for 4 ish hours until tender.  Shred with a fork and cook for 30 more minutes until juice cook in.

Eat on rice or put in burritos with cheese and white rice.  

School Lunches

My son is in first grade this year and its our first time having to pack a lunch.  I have been searching for ideas.  Here is what I have come up with:

I freeze everything from cookies, brownies, burritos, corn dogs, pigs in a blanket, etc.  That way I can just grab each food item I want and threw them in the Iron Man Lunch Box.

Corn Dog Recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/corn-dogs/

Cookie recipes I have fallen for:  

This is a chocolate hazelnut chip cookie!  Seriously it uses Nutella!  http://www.jif.com/Recipes/Details/6645

I make my own Hot Pockets by rolling ham and cheese in either Monkey Bread dough or Pizza dough.  I also fill them with broccoli and cheese or pizza fillings with pizza sauce of course.  Freeze great.  My kids and husband Love LOVE LOVE!

Lastly burritos.

First I have to share the filling recipe because its great and I use it in a multitude of ways:

Lentil Tacos

3/4 cup onions, finely chopped (can use dehydrated)

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. canola oil

1/2 lb. dry lentils (How much is that?  Look at the bag or guess!)

1 Tbsp. chili powder (feel free to add more)

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. oregano

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup salsa, give or take

   If uses raw onions saute in oil with garlic powder in until tender.  Then add the lentils and the rest of the spices.  Cook, stirring for one minute or two.  

Then throw everything in a crock pot with the rest of the ingredients (broth and salsa).  If using dehydrated onions just saute the lentils and then put it all together in a crock pot.  cook for 3 hours if you like crunchy lentils and 6ish for soft.  I put mine on low in the early afternoon and they were perfect at dinner

Use as tacos, toppings for nachos, or filling for burritos.

If you are making burritos I add cheese, and Spanish Rice.  I bake them at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool completely and freeze.  Hot sauce on the side is recommended.

For the Spanish Rice I really like this recipe:

Spanish Rice

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion chopped

2 Tbsp. minced garlic (or 2 tsp. garlic powder if you are desperate)

2 cups favorite rice (I don't think brown would work in this though)

3 cups stock of choice (vegetable or chicken)

2 Tbsp. tomato paste or one cup diced tomatoes strained (or use fresh)

pinch of oregano

1 tsp. salt

Use appropriate amounts of stock to rice according to your rice's packaging instructions.  Usually its 2:1.  

Brown the rice in a large skillet with the oil.  Add the onion and garlic, cooking until onions are softened.

Then throw everything in whatever you use to cook rice.  I have a great microwave rice cooker but you can use whatever.  Cook for 15-25 minutes depending on rice and your cooker.  Let stand for five minutes.  

I use this Spanish rice with so many things: tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc.  I stick it inside a lot as well as along side.  My kids love it.  What other endorsement do you need?