Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

(because I just haven't featured enough cookie recipes on here...)

Ever been to one of those bakeries that sell those really yummy, chewy cookies?

And when you try to make some at home, they never turn out quite right?

Well, I found a recipe that actually works. They're not undercooked, but they're soft and chewy.

(shout out to my neighbor Libby who let me use some of her vanilla when I realized halfway through the process, that I didn't have any. Hope you liked the cookies!)

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Original recipe by Cooks Illustrated

But I found it on this darling site called "Our Best Bites")

(Photo source here)

Ingredients

• 2 C plus 2 T flour
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 12 T butter (1 1/2 sticks) melted and cooled until warm
• 1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
• 1/2 C granulated sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 C semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in mediumbowl; set aside.
Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars untilthoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients;mix until just combined. Stir in chips.
Take about 1/4 C dough and form into a ball.  Break ball in half and place dough on cookie sheet with broken edge facing up*.  (Or just use a standard sized cookie scoop). Bake until cookies are set around outer edges start to hardenyet centers are still soft and puffy, 10-13 minutes.  Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store inairtight container.

*Cool trick: Form scant 1/4 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball using fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves. Each half will have a jagged surface where it was ripped from the other; rotate each half up so the jagged surface faced the ceiling and press the halves back into one ball so that the top surface remains jagged. (The nooks and crannies you have created will give the baked cookies an attractive and somewhat rough, uneven appearance.) Place formed dough onto one of two parchment paper-lined cookie sheets, about 9 balls per sheet.

Chocolate Explosion Cheesecake

I swear, I have to throw the leftovers of this one out.

It's that good. Like, my thighs are begging me to take the rest to the neighbors...

the ones with skinny legs. So. TRY IT. Then give the rest away.

Unless you're having a rough day. If that's the case? Enjoy. :)

I know it looks like there are a lot of steps, but don't get overwhelmed. It takes a little extra effort, but honestly, the recipe looks more complicated than it really is. I made it for a party this weekend, and it was a total hit. I was so darn proud of myself. Like I could've sold it at the Cheesecake Factory or something. If you're making it to take to an event, I suggest making it the day before.

It needs to sit in the fridge for at least 8 hours.

I altered the original recipe a bit. In the real one, it says to bake it for an hour, but after reading a lot of reviews, I decided to let it bake a little longer than that. I figured Paula must have some fancy shmancy oven that bakes stuff really fast. The rest of us homemakers and bakers have to settle with the regular kind. :)

Prepare yourself. It's really rich (but oh so good).

Good luck!

(yall can thank me later)

Chocolate Explosion Cheesecake

(Original recipe by Paula Deen)

(and yes, mine turned out looking just like this... minus the strawberries.

Photo source: Food Network)

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Chocolate Layer:

• 6 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Cheesecake Layer:

• 1/2 cup caramel syrup
• 1 (16 1/2-ounce) package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Chocolate Ganache:

• 6 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
• 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

For the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the melted butter, stirring to combine. Press the crust into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 minutes; let cool.

For the chocolate layer: Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter (or microwave on high in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes total). Whisk in the sugar, eggs, and flour until just combined. Pour into the bottom of the cooled crust and bake for 15 minutes; let cool.

For the cheesecake layer: Spread the caramel topping evenly over the cooled chocolate layer. Cut the cookie dough crosswise into 1-inch slices. Place the slices in an even layer over the caramel, pressing gently together to seal the edges.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and flour until just combined. Stir in the sour cream. Pour the mixture over the cookie dough layer and bake for 1 hour and 20-30 minutes (if it looks really jiggly in the middle, it's not done enough). Remove from the oven and gently run a knife around the edges to release the crust from the sides of the pan. Let cool completely.

For the ganache: Using a double boiler, combine the chocolate and cream and melt (or microwave on high in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth, about 1 minute total). Spread over the cooled cheesecake. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.

Beef and Cheese Manicotti

This last week has been crazy busy for me.

Lots of birthdays, a baby shower, and trying to keep up with a toddler leaves a person kinda worn out. Anyways, the plus side is that I've been able to try out new recipes. This is one I made last night for my family. It was my little sister's, mom's, and grandmother's birthdays (all within the same week). We had them over for dinner last night, and it was so fun. I really love to entertain.

Sure, I get a little stressed trying to get everything perfect, but honestly? It's half the fun.

I tend to break a lot of rules though.

One being that I love to try out new recipes for the first time when I'm inviting people over.

I know. Usually an entertainer's nightmare.

But it always works out for me (knock on wood!), so I just roll with it. My family loves Italian food (but we're sooo not Italian). I went searching for something that looked really yummy on Food Network.

Gotta say, I love Giada. Sometimes I don't quite trust her cooking. I mean, she's super skinny. Her husband is all athletic. And usually skinny = nobody's eating her food.

Anyways, I digress.

She totally won me over with this one, though.

SUCH a crowd pleaser.

I changed a few things, but nothing major. Just enhanced it a bit. :)

Seriously, you have to try it.

Beef and Cheese Manicotti

(Original recipe by Giada de Laurentiis)

(Photo courtesy of Food Network)

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 14 (8-ounce package) manicotti
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups marinara sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Directions

Heat a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, onion, 1 clove garlic, sausage, and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool.

Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.

Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix. Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture. Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.

Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, then the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the stuffed pasta. Dot entire dish with the butter pieces. Bake the manicotti uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the sides of the dish, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the manicotti stand 5 minutes and serve.

Yields 6 servings.

(depending on how much you eat. this fed all 6 of us, plus we had plenty for leftovers)

Banana Puddin'

Who doesn't love banana pudding?? It's one of my favorite summer desserts: cool, creamy, and not ridiculously heavy. In my family, it's a staple at parties and reunions. What am I saying? It's a staple for any occasion. My brother used to have his own bowl already made at one of our local diners when he was a kid. Had his name on it and everything. Everyone loves it, it's easy to make, and there's plenty to go around. Just about everybody's mama has her own favorite recipe. This recipe is the one that my grandmother makes. And she got it from her neighbor and bff. Heck, for all I know, it originated off the back of the Cool Whip container. But either way, it's good. Good food doesn't have to be complicated; you just have to like eating it. So here ya go...

(ps. there's a link I found at the bottom on how to keep it fresh)

Banana Pudding

(Original recipe by Nellie Austin... or the back of a Cool Whip container...)

Photo source: ifood

Ingredients

• 2 small or 1 large package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 4 cups milk
• 8 oz sour cream
• 6 bananas, sliced
• Vanilla wafers
• 1 container of Cool Whip

Directions
Mix pudding according to directions. Add sour cream and 1/2 of Cool Whip. Layer wafers, bananas, and pudding mix. Top with remaining Cool Whip and refrigerate overnight.

That's it! See?? Super simple!

Cool tip: How to keep banana pudding from turning black

Tastes Like Lasagna Soup

This soup is oh-so-yummy and filling.

Tastes Like Lasagna Soup

(by Paula Deen)

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chuck
• 1   onion, chopped
• 1   green bell pepper, chopped
• 3   cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
• 1   (32 ounce) box chicken broth
• 2   (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
• 1   (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cup broken lasagna noodles
• 1   (5 ounce) package grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• garlic crostini, recipe follows

Garlic Crostini:

• 1 thin French baguette
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves smashed garlic
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large Dutch oven, combine ground chuck, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well. 
Stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese.
Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into 8 to 10 ovenproof bowls. Evenly sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Broil soups, 6-inches from heat, 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly. Add a garlic crostini slice on top. Serve immediately. 

For the garlic crostini: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
Cut bread into 1/4-inch round slices. Place on baking sheet and brush each slice with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; place in oven and bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Rub each side with smashed garlic cloves. 

Yields 8-10 servings

Mandarin Romaine Salad

I have a great relationship with my former coworkers. I used to work for a small, costume jewelry store doing their engraving (among other things, but mostly engraving...). Anyway, all us ladies would get together for dinners, craft nights, etc. One of the ladies always served this salad when we ate at her house. She has some really strict dietary restrictions, so for her to find such a yummy salad (that the rest of us could enjoy) was pretty rare. We loved it so much that we all asked for the recipe.

I don't know where she got it from, so I swiped a picture from Taste of Home that looked similar to it.

(and yes, I'm totally going to act like I haven't neglected the blog again...)

Mandarin Romaine Salad

(by Maureen Dailey)



Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 5 tsp sugar
• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 1/2 head iceberg lettuce
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 green onions, including tops, chopped
• 1 can (11 oz) mandarin orange sections, drained

Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup salad oil (canola)
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use. In a small saute pan, combine almonds and sugar. Using low heat, stir constantly until almonds are coated with melted sugar and slightly browned. Remove from heat. When cool, break almonds apart.

Tear romaine into bite-sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl. Add celery, green onions, and orange sections. Toss and refrigerate.

Before serving, toss with almonds and dressing.