Picture Perfect Cooking

I am always on the look for new and interesting recipes to try.  My E-mail inbox has new cooking newsletters for me almost every day so I should never run out of ideas!  One of the newsletters I subscribe to is from Family Fun magazine, and I really enjoy it.

Their recipes are usually simple and family-friendly for those picky eaters in your life and this pancake recipe more than qualifies.  The peanut buttery taste goes great with syrup or honey as a topping.  I think it would be good to just spread a little grape jelly on them, too, but I did not get a chance to try this!

Note: I made this batch exactly by the recipe, but I think I will add more milk next time, may 1 1/3 cups instead of the called-for amount.  The batter was just a little too thick.

1 cup all purpose flour

2/12 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (Chunky would probably be good, too.)

2 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large egg

1 cup + 2 tbsp milk (needs a little more)

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, sugar, and oil until smooth.  Beat in the egg and then the milk.

Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until blended.

Next, lightly coat a griddle or skillet with oil and heat it over medium-high heat.  Drop the batter onto the griddle by 1/4 cup measures.  Cook until tiny bubbles appear on the surface, then flip them and cook a few minutes more.  I served these as suggested by the website with warm pancake syrup,sliced bananas, and chopped peanuts..  They were delicious!

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Le Creuset

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There seems to be a lot of “talk” on cooking blogs lately about chocolate chip cookie recipes.  Everyone seems to have their own version and I do as well.  I have used this basic recipe for over 14 years with yummy results.  You can add chopped nuts or different chips to it.  I have used milk, white, or butterscotch chips instead of the usual semi-sweet and they are all good. 

I hope you enjoy this basic recipe and modify it to suit your tastes!

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare 2 cookie sheets.  I use two so one can be cooling in between batches while the other is in the oven.  Mix the 2 sugars together with an electric mixer.  Add softened butter and stir until creamy.

Add eggs & vanilla. Add flour one cup at a time and stir until just combined.  Stir in chips and nuts if you are using them.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls on to the cookie sheet.  I use a small scoop and it works great.  Bake until lightly browned around the edges, about 10-12 minutes.  These cookies usually don’t spread much but instead make a small mound cookie as you can see in the photo.

Here is a neat trick I learned many years ago.  To make the cookies last longer, put a piece of bread in the bowl with them.  The cookies will absorb the moisture in the bread and stay softer longer!

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This is one of those recipes that kind-of sort-of fell in my lap.  When my mom passed away a few weeks ago, a wonderful cousin of ours brought food to my nanny.  She had baked a country ham, made a cake, and also made this delicious pasta salad.  The salad was tangy but not sour, and was loaded with different vegetables.

Later on, I thanked her for the food and also asked if she minded giving up her pasta recipe.  She did not mind a bit and I was surprised as to how easy it is!  You can tailor it to your own tastes and to whatever you happen to have in the fridge which is great. 

1 box pasta (Cuz used penne. I used rotini because that is what I had.)

1 bottle Italian dressing

pinch of sugar

assorted chopped vegetables of your choice (I had carrots and celery in the fridge. Cuz used cucumbers, sweet peppers and green olives.)

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the pasta.  Cook for 10 minutes and drain.

Rinse the cooked pasta in cold water to stop the cooking process.  Pour the Italian dressing over the pasta and stir gently to coat.  Add the pinch of sugar and stir gently.  Chill in the fridge overnight or for several hours to allow the dressing to soak into the pasta.

Chop the veggies a couple of hours before serving.  Notice my handy-dandy little chopper from Rada.  I may have to do a post just on it later.  Add the veggies to the salad.

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My family loves potatoes cooked just about any way.  I can bake, fry, mash, roast, grill, or boil and usually everyone likes them.  I have had this recipe for quite a while and just had not had the time to try it, but now I have.  I fixed these for Sunday dinner at my Nanny’s last week and the response was great.  The original recipe called for ranch dressing, but I used Italian and it gave it a little extra kick.  Of course, bacon and cheese go great with potatoes.

1/2 cup Italian dressing

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup bacon bits

2 lb. small red potatoes, quartered (The package I bought had 1.5 pounds so I added 1 Yukon Gold potato that I had.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 13×9” baking dish with non-stick spray.  Mix dressing, cheese, and bacon bits in a large bowl.  Add potatoes and toss lightly to coat.

Spoon the potatoes into the baking dish and cover with foil.  Bake for 40 minutes.  Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. (I like my potatoes crispy on the outside, so if you are a soft potato fan, leave the heat at 350.)

Remove from oven and enjoy!

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Some things are just better when they are homemade.  Biscuits, fruit preserves, and salad dressings are a few things that come to mind.  Angel food cake may rate at the top of this list for me.  I have been using this recipe since 1998 with great success. 

My grandparents used to raise organic free range chickens for a company that sold organic eggs.  I made this cake many times for the company owner to use as a demonstration to show the difference between “store” eggs and his.  Let me tell you, it is no trick.  My grandmother still has chickens and I will only use the freshest eggs possible.  If they are a few days old and are room temperature, the cake will still be good.  That is what I used for these photos, but the best thing to do is gather the eggs from the henhouse and use them before they are ever refrigerated.  It can make a huge difference in the rise and texture of this dessert.  I know that is not possible for many, but if you can do it, I highly recommend it!  You will never eat a “bought” angel food cake again!

1 cup + 2 tbsp cake flour (sift before measuring)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

12 egg whites, room temperature

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cream of tarter

1 tsp vanilla

1 additional cup granulated sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Sift flour and 3/4 cup granulated sugar together 4 times. I use 2 paper plates and sift back and forth between them. 

Beat egg whites, salt, cream of tarter, and vanilla on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Sprinkle in 1 cup of sifted sugar.  Beat on medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes.  Reduce speed to low and sprinkle in flour/sugar mixture.  Pour batter into an UNGREASED angel food cake pan.  Mine has a removable bottom which makes it a lot easier to remove the cake.

Before putting the cake into the oven, cut through the batter with the tip of a knife to get rid of any air bubbles.  Bake for 35-38 minutes.  Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes.  Then remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely.

One of my favorite ways to serve angel food cake is simply to cover a slice with sweetened strawberries.  I had a few packages of frozen strawberries from last year that I put to good use with this!  Also, a little frozen whipped topping never hurt either!

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Mmm, mmm!  This cake is so rich and good.  I have had this basic recipe since 1999 and it is still a favorite.  This cake recipe was a runner-up in the December 2000/January 2001 issue of Taste of Home magazine!  That’s right…I was published!

For cake:

2 sticks butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 large jar marshmallow crème

For frosting:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

3 tbsp cocoa

1 tbsp vanilla

1 lb powdered sugar

6-9 tsp milk

1 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 13×9” baking pan with nonstick spray.  Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat until smooth and creamy.

Add eggs one at a time and then add vanilla.  Mix in the cocoa and flour.  Stir in the nuts and pour the batter into the prepared pan.  The batter is more like brownie batter than cake.  It is a little thick. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until tester in the center comes out with a few crumbs.  My oven took a little longer than 30 minutes, but start checking it then.  While the cake is still hot, spread the marshmallow crème over the cake, then let it cool.

For the frosting:  Cream together the butter and powdered sugar.  This mixture will be dry.  Add the vanilla and cocoa.  Add the milk by starting with the 6 teaspoon amount.  My frosting was still too dry so I just add one teaspoon at a time until the consistency was right.  It took 9 teaspoons total for mine. Mix in the chopped pecans and spread the frosting over the cake.  Enjoy!!

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Here is one of my own concoctions…pizza baked in a cast iron skillet.  We like our pizza pretty simple, so I just use tomato-basil sauce and lots of cheese, but you can add whatever toppings you desire.  By making it in the skillet, the crust can be pressed up the sides to accommodate all kinds of things.  Take it and run with it! Now, I just have to learn to make my own pizza crust dough!

1 package pizza crust mix

1/2 cup water

1 tsp olive oil

3/4 cup tomato basil sauce

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

I also used 3 slices of provolone cheese on this one.  Go crazy with the toppings.  Use whatever you like!

Preheat oven to 450.  Spray a seasoned cast-iron skillet with non-stick spray.  Pour the water in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 25 seconds on high.  Pour the crust mix in the water and stir to combine.  Form the dough into a ball (it will be sticky).  Pour the olive oil into your clean hand and rub the dough ball all over with the oil.  Place the dough back in the bowl, cover, and let rest for 5-6 minutes.

Next, spread the dough in the bottom of the skillet and up the sides about an inch.  Bake in the oven for 6 minutes and remove.  Now is the time to add your toppings, which for us, was sauce and cheese.  Put back in the oven and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

The easiest way to slice this pizza is to slide it out onto a plate.  If you have a well seasoned skillet and you used a little non-stick spray, it should slide right out.

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This recipe has been around for a long time!  My mom used to make these regularly when I was a kid and I think they were even served in the school lunchrooms.  (My mom’s were better.)  They are a quick and easy treat, so give them a try.

1/2 cup butter

2 cups granulated sugar

1/8 cup cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp vanilla

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3 cups quick-cooking oats

Line two cookie sheets with wax paper and set aside.  I used a spring-handled scoop to dip the cookies, but more on that later.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa and milk in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and boil for one minute.

While this is cooking, ready the rest of your ingredients.

After the mixture has boiled for one minute, remove from the heat and add the vanilla, peanut butter and oats.  Stir to combine.

Dip out about a tablespoon of the mixture for each cookie.  This is where I used the scoop.  It helped a lot.  Allow the cookies to cool and set up.  Try to keep from eating them while they are soft, but it’s hard to do!!!

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