JAMSquared

Category Archives: Baking & Cooking

Cinnamon Crackle Cookies

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Last week was KidStuf week at SHPC. I had been eyeing this recipe and thought it would be good since I could give half to KidStuf and keep half for us. James and I both liked them, but they are a slightly crispy cookie and James prefers softer cookies. Somewhat similar to my Mom’s Sugar Drop Cookies, but crispy.

Cinnamon Crackle Cookies

Cinnamon Crackle Cookies

Source: The Taste of Home Baking Book, but you can also find a printer-friendly version here

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons grated orange peel (I omitted since I didn’t have any oranges)
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel (I used slightly more since I omitted orange peel)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • additional sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, softening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. In another bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, cream of tartar, nutmeg, orange and lemon peel and salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture.

Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Yield: 6 dozen (I only got 5.5 dozen.)

Ready to Go in the Oven

Cheesy Beef Pasta

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A few weeks ago, I wanted something quick to make for dinner. This is the result, Cheesy Beef Pasta. James enjoyed it, so I will be making it again.

Cheesy Beef Pasta

Cheesy Beef Pasta

Source: me

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 10.75-oz. can condensed tomato soup
  • 1 10.75-oz. can cheddar cheese soup
  • 1 1/3 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cups uncooked variegated spiral pasta
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used Monterrey Jack since that is what I had on had, but feel free to use Cheddar or another variety)

Directions:

In skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef and onion until beef is browned, stirring to separate meat. Add soups, water and Worcestershire sauce. Heat to a boil. Stir in pasta. Cover and cook over low heat 12-15 minutes or until pasta is done, stirring often. Sprinkle with cheese.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Peppermint Pinwheels

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I recently joined the committee at SHPC that makes dessert for the KidStuf Program, a monthly extravaganza for parents to engage kids more deeply in conversations about scripture and our Christian faith. For February, I made these Peppermint Pinwheels, a refrigerator cookie. I saw this recipe on a Food Network special before Christmas and I thought the red and white cookies would also be good for Valentine’s Day. I gave most of them to the KidStuf Program and saved some for James to take to work in his lunch.  They were quite tasty (we also had a few the night I baked them) and were really pretty easy to make.

Peppermint Pinwheels

Peppermint Pinwheels

Source: Food Network

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract (I used mint extract since I didn’t have any peppermint)
  • 1 teaspoon red food coloring

Directions:

In medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder; set aside. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and beat until incorporated. Add teh vanilla and peppermint extract. Gradually add the dry mixture, beating until combined. Remove half of the mixture from the bowl. Add food coloring, beating until fully combined. In waxed paper, roll out dough to form a large rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat this step with the uncolored dough. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Tear out 1 sheet of waxed or parchment paper. Sprinkle surface with confectioner’s sugar to prvent sticking. Very carefully, slide the red dough on top of the white dough. Trim edges if uneven and patch is necessary. Roll dough into a log, creating a swirl effect. Place the dough back in the refrigerator and let chill for 2 hours. To prevent a flat bottom place in round glass and lay glass on side in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Slice the dough into 1/4-inch slices and place on a parchment lined sheet about 1-inch apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.

Yield: 3 dozen

Slicing Cookies

Baking in the Oven

Oatmeal Surprise Cookies

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I’ve been meaning to try out this cookie recipe for a while. Jessica’s baptism brunch/lunch was a perfect opportunity. They turned out terrific. I really liked the slightly crispy cookies (a larger cookie scoop might make them chewier), but James wasn’t the biggest fan, so I won’t be making them for just our household as it’s probably not a good idea for me to eat that many cookies.

Oatmeal Surprise Cookies

Oatmeal Surprise Cookies

Source: Simple & Delicious Sept/Oct 2009

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 3/4 cups quick-cooking oats
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate-covered raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Combine the flour, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in oats and raisins.

Drop by tablespoons 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Flatten slightly. Bake at 350°F for 13-15 minutes (for me 10 minutes) or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: 3 dozen (I actually ended up with almost 6 dozen.)

Oatmeal Surprise Cookies Ready to Go in the Oven

In addition to the Orange Bundt Cake and these Oatmeal Surprise Cookies, I prepared the Ham Florentine Wreath and Melon Fruit Slush previously blogged about when I hosted a bridal shower for Julia. I also made a turkey and mozzarella bread, a fruit salad with a honey poppy seed dressing (I will tweak the dressing recipe and share later) and Paula Dean’s Mini Phyllo Cups Filled with Shrimp Salad. The shrimp salad cups were delicious, but I wish I had made more than 36 cups as I had leftover shrimp salad although it was still tasty on a roll for my lunch. My Mom helped out by bringing a Pumpkin Cranberry Bread she baked.

Orange Bundt Cake

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We had a busy weekend. Jessica’s baptism was yesterday and we had a lot of family in town. There will be a bunch of posts related to the baptism and this first one involves the Orange Bundt Cake I baked for the brunch/lunch we held after the baptism.

It is a very moist delicious cake that I like to make when I buy orange juice, because I have a tendency of forgetting about it being in the fridge. This is the kind of cake that Sandra Lee would call semi-homemade.

Last Piece of Orange Bundt Cake

Orange Bundt Cake

Source: James’ mother

Cake Ingredients:

  • 1 18-oz. package orange cake mix
  • 1 3.4-oz. box instant vanilla pudding
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 4 eggs

Glaze Ingredients:

  • 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1-2 tablespoons orange juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil and flour Bundt pan.

In a large bowl, blend all cake ingredients at low speed until moistened. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan and bake at 350°F for 38 to 43 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack.

For the glaze, mix confectioner’s sugar and orange zest; add enough orange juice to make it thin enough to spread. Drizzle over cake.

Yield: 12-15 servings