Friday, September 27, 2013

Choclate Chip Cheesecake Cookies

Ingredients:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 (16.5 ounce) rolls refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, keep chilled until ready to use.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until well mixed, set aside.
Slice cookie dough rolls into 1/4-inch slices.  Arrange slices from one roll on the bottom of a greased 9x13 in glass baking dish, press together so there are no holes in the dough.
Pour cream cheese mixture over dough evenly.
Top with remaining slices of cookie dough.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden and center is slightly firm.
Remove from oven, let cool, then refrigerate. 
Cut into slices when well chilled.

**You can of course make and use your own choc chip recipe.  Just chill the dough before using it. The cookies I made I used the store bought/pre-made toll house choc chip rolls, because of time restraints.  Next time I make these I will make toll house chop chip cookies from scratch.  If it turns out any differently I will edit this post with updated instructions.

Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:
1 bag (16 oz bag) of Obrien hashbrowns (the Obrien hashbrowns have the onions and peppers in it)
1 pound sausage
2-3 cups grated cheese
12 eggs

Directions:
Cook hashbrowns, season if desired, set aside.
Cook sausage, drain.
In a large bowl combine hashbrowns and sausage, mix together.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then add eggs to hashbrown/sausage mixture, mix well.
Add grated cheese to mixture, mix well.
Pour into a pyrex/baking dish (9x13 size works well)
Cook at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.
Check after 45 minutes.
Casserole if done when all the eggs are cooked through.

**NOTE**
I will usually cook the sausage and hashbrowns the night before, and refrigerate mixture over night.  In the morning add eggs and cheese, give it a good mix, then cook.

This recipe also works really well in a dutch oven when camping.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Salted Caramel Pots de Creme (gluten free)

Salted Caramel Pots de Creme

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Prep Time:
2 hr 10 min
Inactive Prep Time:
--
Cook Time:
1 hr 0 min

Level:
Easy

Serves:
6 servings

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 cup sugar
1 ounce milk chocolate, finely chopped, (I used mini chocolate chips)
6 large egg yolks

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Heat the heavy cream, milk, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until just starting to bubble. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Make the caramel: Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in another small saucepan over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until amber, about 10 minutes. Brush any sugar crystals off the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the warm cream mixture (the mixture will bubble). Add the chocolate and stir until smooth.

Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk about half of the caramel into the yolks, then add the remaining caramel and whisk until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large liquid measuring cup.

Divide the mixture among six 6-ounce ramekins. Set the ramekins in a large baking dish, then add enough hot water to come about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake until the pots de creme are set around the edges but still jiggle in the center, 45 to 50 minutes.

Remove the ramekins from the water and let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with salt.



Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_721817_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html?oc=linkback

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Coconut banana bread

Coconut Banana Bread
- Kerstin Bates

2 c. sugar
1 c coconut oil, melted
1 large handful of shredded sweetened coconut
1 c nuts (optional, I don't use)
6 bananas(2 cups)
4 eggs well beaten
2 1/2 c flour (if making gluten free use 2 c gluten free flour blend, I like cup4cup flour blend)
1 t salt
2 t soda
Cream oil, sugar and then eggs. Add mashed bananas. Add dry ingredients and do
not over mix.
Bake 350 for 45 min.