Chocolate Oatmeal Chews

Goodness, sorry I haven't posted anything for a while, but what a week it's been!!!
My hubby has been home, so we've been able to get out and about doing last minute things before Christmas, which has meant more meals eaten out than in, and I also had a birthday in there (have a look at the 'blog' page to see where I was taken for a surprise :o).

Well it's now Christmas Eve, so I thought I would bake some cookies as our cookie jar is looking decidedly empty - we had a mixed tin of treats given to us by a friend the other day, but they are long gone!!!

Chocolate Oatmeal Chews
55-60 cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups oats
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

• preheat the oven to 375 F.
• in a large bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter on medium to high power for about 30 seconds until silken.
• add both sugars, baking soda and salt; beat until combined, scraping the edges down occasionally.
• beat in the eggs and vanilla until blended completely.
• add the flour and mix until incorporated.
• stir in the oats and chocolate chips either in the stand mixer or by hand.
• drop heaped teaspoons of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
• bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
• let stand on the cookie sheets for 1 minute then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

 Chocolate Oatmeal Chews ingredients.

beat the butter until it's silky smooth.

add the sugars, baking soda and salt - don't forget to scrape down the edges!!

add the oats.

don't forget those yummy chocolate chips :o)

the dough started to get quite stiff so I finished mixing it by hand.

drop heaped teaspoons onto the ungreased cookie sheets - these spread quite a bit so make sure you leave plenty of room between each one (at least 2 inches).

let them cool for a minute on the sheets before transfering to wire racks.

how do you like our new cookie jar?  On sale at our local Canadian Tire, complete with various cookie cutters inside - I love it :o)

Spicy Mini Meatballs

I LOVE MEATBALLS!!!!
There, I've said it.  I just wanted that to be out in the open and for you all to hear it from me first - I love them hot, cold, baked, bubbling in marinara sauce, over pasta, in a sub....hey, slap them on a flip flop and I'd still probably eat them (thanks Guy Fieri for that analogy :)

Whenever I make my own meatballs I tend to have a basic ingredients list and then I get to the spices and stand for about 10 minutes in front of my spice rack (i.e. a large Tupperware container in the pantry) to decide which way I want to take them; italian seasoning for that subtle aromatic flavour, mesquite for a more smoky hint, maybe cajun for that spicy 'slap'.  Today, after enlisting the opinion of my hubby by thrusting various tubs under his nose and asking "what do you want your meatballs to taste like?", we went with the cajun and a huge hit it was too, if I do say so myself.  This mix would also make great meatloaf or even burgers - maybe mini sliders!! :o)

Spicy Mini Meatballs
makes 80-90 mini meatballs (1-1 1/2 inch diam)

1 kg  ground beef
3/4 cup quick cook oats
1 cup milk
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs cajun seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

• line a couple of rimmed baking trays with wax paper and set aside.
• in a large bowl combine ALL the ingredients and with clean hands mix thoroughly until it resembles an almost pate consistency.
• form the mixture into 1-1 1/2 inch diam balls (the size of a small walnut), and place on the prepared baking tray.
• at this stage you can freeze the meatballs on their trays, and once frozen pack in ziploc bags in individual or 2 person servings for future meals.
• to cook, defrost and either pan fry in a little oil or, as I like to do, place in a baking dish and bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through but still moist.
• these can be eating as bite size appetizers on toothpicks, mixed with marinara sauce over pasta, or as we had them for lunch today as open-faced meatball subs.

Spicy Mini Meatball ingredients - oops, it wasn't until after I'd downloaded my photos that I realised I hadn't included the main ingredient in this shot - the ground beef!!!

begin throwing everything in one big bowl - don't you just love recipes like that? :)

you can mix it all together using a spoon if you really don't like to get your hands all gooey.

when it's at an almost pate stage it's ready to form.

pinch off a little mixture and roll between your palms to make 'balls'.

place them all onto the prepared trays ready to either cook or freeze - I managed to get 88 out of today's batch and don't they look adorable :)

yummy, cajun goodness!!!!

Sugar Cookies

Probably one of the most baked cookies during the holiday season is undoubtedly the sugar cookie.  Now I don't claim that this recipe is in any way my own - I haven't added some obscure ingredient that will set mine apart from the hundreds of other variations out there.  In fact, this is probably the most used variation if my quick search on the internet is anything to go by, but it just wouldn't be Christmas without these - it's one of the few times that I venture forth into the 'piping' world, which I apologies to you in advance.  That is without doubt, one skill that I have NOT perfected. 

Sugar Cookies
makes 40-60 depending on cutter size

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

• in a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• in the bowl of a stand mixer cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy.
• add the eggs, incorporating one at a time; then the vanilla.
• gradually stir in the flour mixture to form a moist dough.
• divide the dough and flatten into discs approximately 1 inch in thickness; wrap in plastic cling and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• when ready, roll out the dough, either on a lightly floured surface or as I find easier (and not as messy), between two pieces of wax paper to 1/4 inch thickness.
• cut out into all sorts of fun shapes and sizes and place onto ungreased cookie sheets about an inch apart.
• place the cookie sheets back into the fridge for 10-15 minutes to harden the dough back up slightly (this will stop the cookies from spreading too much and losing their shapes).
• meanwhile preheat the oven to 400 F.
• when the cookies have firmed back up bake for 6-8 minutes; leave to cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• once the cookies are completely cool you can pipe them if you feel so inclined; combine 2 cups of confectioners sugar, 1 egg white and 1 tsp of lemon juice to form the royal icing.  Place into a piping bag with a small thin nozzle (or because I don't have one of those, I just used a small ziploc bag with a tiny piece of a corner cut away!), and let your imagination go :)   I also decorated some of the smaller cookies by melting chocolate in the microwave and placing the tines of a fork that had been dipped in the chocolate across the top of each cookie (see last photo).

 Sugar Cookie ingredients.

just before I add the flour mixture.

make into 3 discs, wrap in plastic film and refrigerate.

meanwhile decide what shape cookies you're going to make - I've managed to accumulate quite the collection.

I went with these - small star, tree, gingerbread man and snowman, and large gingerbread man, snowman and 'quirky' house :)

work with one disc at a time - I find it easier to roll the dough between two pieces of wax paper (it's a lot cleaner too :)

roll to about 1/4 inch thickness.

the gingerbread men and snowmen are out to play!

cool them completely before decorating.

if you have fresh lemons use them, but I don't always have them on hand, so the bottle kind works fine in the royal icing.

as I mentioned, piping ISN'T my forte.

(the 'SHAW' in the middle is because these were made for my hubby to take to work, and that's who he works for :)

 some of the smaller cookies got a decoration of a fork dipped into melted chocolate across the top - this little guy tried to get away from his friends, but the punishment is severe in our house for desertion!! :)

Peppermint Patties

Let us all take a deep breath for a moment.....to get ourselves ready for the over-indulgence of the holiday season!!  These should get you off to a good start if you haven't already :)

I've always loved peppermint patties (or any variation of chocolate and mint candy).  I can remember as a child my Mum, who was and still is, a huge chocolate addict loving her box of After Eight mints that someone invariably bought her for Christmas.  Unfortunately they're pretty much out of my life now because I'm diabetic. Just the look of the ingredients sitting in the pantry spikes my blood sugar, but saying that I decided that I wanted to try and make some to give away for Christmas treats to friends and family. They're surprisingly easy to make, if a little time consuming, but well worth the effort.

Peppermint Patties
makes 50

4 1/2 - 4 3/4 cups confectioners sugar
1 can (300ml) condensed milk
1 Tbs peppermint extract
2 cups dark chocolate chips
2 Tbs shortening

• first of all make sure that you have enough room in your freezer to accommodate a large cutting board or baking sheet - it's easier to sort this out BEFORE you have the patties already on the board and then can't fit them in (as I found out myself!!!).
• line a large cutting board or baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.
• in the bowl of a stand mixer add 3 cups of the sugar, the condensed milk and peppermint extract; blend until combined.
• gradually add the extra sugar, in 1/2 cup increments until a dough forms in the consistency of modelling clay (I used just over 4 1/2 cups in the end).
• take pieces of dough and roll between your palms to form balls about the size of a small walnut; place on the wax paper lined cutting board and flatten to form discs no thinner than 1/4 inch thick.
• place the trays in the freezer and freeze for 1 hour.
• in a microwavable bowl, melt the chocolate chips (stirring after every 30 second increments), until smooth.
• add the shortening and stir until mixed in completely.
• working as quickly as possible, place the frozen discs on the tines of a fork and dip into the melted chocolate to coat.  Scrape the back of the fork against the edge of the bowl to let excess chocolate drain off.
• place on wax paper and leave to set completely.  They can be put into the refrigerator to set quicker is you just can't wait to taste them!
• Happy Holidays :)

 Peppermint Patties ingredients.

sweet, sweet and more sweet.

combine the sugar, condensed milk and peppermint extract until a firm dough.

form balls the size of small walnuts.

flatten to make discs.

it's easier if you cube the shortening, that way it combines quicker once you melt the chocolate chips.

melt the chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring between each one.

place the 'sugar' discs on the tines of a fork and dip into the melted chocolate.

it might not look like it but there is wax paper down that I'm placing them onto :)

don't they look beautiful :)

even though I suffered for it later, I had to taste test at least one - that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it !!!

I had a little of the chocolate left over, so I put some wax paper down and dropped circles of it on there to set - these can then be used any way you like, either broken up in choc chip cookies, or just stick a few into ice cream for a treat.

Pork Chops in Red Sauce

I can't believe that I'm going back on my comment from the last post already!!
Here I was thinking that I wouldn't have time this week to feed my hubby anything but cookies, treats and take-out, and what do I do?  I cook him pork chops!!!  He's soooo spoilt (only joking honey ;o)

It's not as if I slaved over a hot stove all afternoon to get these chops on the plate - it's a simple yet very delicious way to serve pork chops.  They come out so unbelievably tender you almost don't need a knife to cut them.

Pork Chops in Red Sauce
serves 2

2 large pork chops (or 4 small)
1 onion, sliced
1 cube beef bouillon
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp mesquite seasoning
1 can condensed tomato soup
pinch salt & pepper

• preheat the oven to 375 F.
• in a medium bowl dissolve the beef bouillon cube in the hot water.
• once the cube has dissolved completely, add the garlic powder, mesquite seasoning, soup, salt and pepper; mix well and set aside.
• place the pork chops in a baking / casserole dish and cover with the sliced onion.
• pour the tomato mix over the chops to cover them completely.
• cover the baking dish with either a lid (if you have one) or aluminum foil, and bake for 1 hour.
• these are great served with practically anything, rice, noodles, potatoes - whatever you have a hankering for.

 Pork Chops in Red Sauce ingredients.

dissolve the beef bouillon cube in the hot water.

mix in all the other sauce ingredients.

cover the pork chops with the sliced onion.

pour the sauce over to completely cover the chops.

after an hour of cooking it almost falls from the bone.

tonight I served them with these potatoes.