Saturday, November 28, 2009
Mexi Can Pie
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Menu: November 22 - 28
Monday, November 16, 2009
Menu: November 17 - November 23
Friday, November 13, 2009
Egg-in-the-Hole
"The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl"
I'm salivating all over the place just looking at it. The book is full of personality, great photography (not just of food but ranch life), funny stories, and of course lots and lots of pictures to explain how to prepare her recipes.
This morning for breakfast I tried out the easiest recipe from the "In the Morning Section". Egg-in-a-hole. I'm a lover of runny eggs, and I'm amazed to say this is my new favorite way to eat them.
1 piece of bread
1 egg
salt and pepper
butter
cut out a circle in your bread (I used a glass) I didn't want to waste the circle, so that bread went into the pan too.
heat skillet- melt some butter
add bread
after about a minute add the egg into the hole
salt and pepper liberally
wait 1 minute
flip
wait another minute or longer is you don't like runny
All done-
Eat and enjoy.
you can find her book on Amazon for 14.95 (instead of 27.50)
Her entire website is worth you time too www.thepioneerwoman.com
Thursday, November 12, 2009
"Cafe Rio" Sweet Pork Salads (Complete Recipe)
Pico de Gallo
Next time I will take the time to dice the tomatoes and onion really evenly so that it looks prettier. I was in a big hurry this time. :)
Creamy Tomatillo Sauce (Cafe Rio)
Creamy Tomatillo Sauce (Cafe Rio)
Shredded Sweet Pork (Cafe Rio)
Black Beans (Cafe Rio)
Notes: I think the key to this recipe is to only cook it until the beans are heated through. I cooked mine too long, so the tomato juice started to thicken and didn't drain off as easily when I served them. This means that the beans should probably be the last thing you prepare for the salads. Also, I'm not sure the cilantro is necessary in this recipe. It didn't seem to add much to me. There's a lot of cilantro in these salads elsewhere, so if you would like to cut back on it in one area, this would be a good one.
Cilantro Lime Rice (Cafe Rio)
Monday, November 9, 2009
Menu: November 9 - November 15
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Won Tons
Secret Sesame Chicken
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Manicotti
Key Lime- Grilled Chicken
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Chocolate Covered Oreo Cookie Cake
I absolutely love this cake! It's very impressive looking and so simple. The best part is how it tastes though. I have made this cake twice for two different birthdays and plan to make it again many more times.
Ingredients:
1 (18 ounce) package devil’s food cake mix
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
4 baker’s semi-sweet chocolate baking squares
1/4 cup butter, cut up
1 (8 ounce) package Philadelphia Cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups thawed Cool Whip Topping
12 Oreo cookies, coarsely crushed
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare and bake cake mix in two 9-inch round cake pans (I used 8 inch and they turned out fine) as directed on package. Cool in pans 5 minute. Invert onto wire racks; remove pans. Cool layers completely. Place chocolate and butter in small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2 minute or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Cool 5 minute. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add the whipped topping and cookie crumbs; mix lightly. Place 1 of the cake layers, top-side down, on serving plate; spread with the cream cheese mixture. Cover with the remaining cake layer, top-side up. Spoon glaze over top of cake. Let stand until set (I didn't...I like the chocolate a little melted). Store in fridge.
* I put some cookie bits on top of the cake the first time and then not the second time...both ways were delicious!
* It looks like a ton of filling when you put it in the middle, but trust me, put it all. You will like it.
* Recipe found here: http://dineanddish.net/2009/04/standing-ovation-recipe-chocolate-covered-oreo-cookie-cake/
Brownie Trifle
We tried this recipe when some of my family was in town way back in April. It was a big hit! Very very easy (seems like the theme of the recipes I post) and very delicious.
Ingredients:
9X13 pan brownies, cut into bite size pieces
1 large or 2 small boxes of chocolate pudding (made)
1 large container of Cool Whip
1 package crushed toffee bits (I used a bag of crushed Skor)
Directions:
In a trifle bowl layer half brownies, half pudding, half Cool Whip and then half toffee bits. Repeat layers using remaining of the ingredients. That's it! Yum! I want to have some now.
Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Chicken Tikka Masala
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Broccoli Chicken Casserole
My sister-in-law posted this recipe on her blog and I was way curious about it. I really like the broccoli casserole that my family makes, but I was fascinated enough that I tried this recipe. It was really good! I will be making it again!
Directions:
Layer the following top (1) to bottom (5):
1. 1" buttered cubes of French bread (about 1/2 loaf)
2. 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3. sauce (see below)
4. 2 cups cooked cubed chicken breast
5. 2 cups steamed broccoli
Sauce:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp lemon juice
-Mix sauce ingredients together before adding to casserole layer.
-Layer ingredients in a greased 9X13 glass dish. Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes. Bread will be toasted and cheese will be bubbly.
Roasted Red Potato Wedges
Brian requested that we have potato wedges last week, so I used the opportunity to look for a good new recipe. This recipe is not only very simple and easy, but very delicious! I recommend serving these with steak/chicken and salad. We just had them with salad and called it a meal. They're crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. I changed the recipe but here is the original.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Wash and slice potato in wedges and place in 9X13 glass dish. Combine melted butter, garlic, salt, and pepper in bowl and pour over potatoes. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and toss to coat (I just used my hands and got the potatoes really coated...but it's messy that way). Cook at 425 degrees for 40 minutes, turning the potatoes once halfway through cooking time.
*It actually only took about 35 minutes when I made them. Just cook them until they're brown and crisp.
Lemon Chicken
This is a recipe I found on a food blog of someone from my old ward. It's really easy and quite good. It only requires a few ingredients. I recommend to serve it with a vegetable and biscuit/rice/roll side.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 package (9 oz) hollandaise sauce mix
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, divided
Directions:
1. In a large resealable bag, combine flour and lemon-pepper. Flatten chicken to 1/2-inch thickness. Add chicken one piece at a time, and shake to coat.
2. Prepare sauce according to package directions. Stir in lemon juice. Meanwhile in a skillet, saute chicken in 2 tablespoons butter for 4-6 minutes on each side.
* As you can tell I cut my chicken breasts in strips. You can use whatever cut you want but I think it works best if the chicken is in smaller pieces.
* I am generous with the amount of lemon pepper I use. Two teaspoons didn't seem like enough.
Friday, July 31, 2009
YUMMY Cinnamon Rolls
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The best Quesadilla Triangles EVER!!
This recipe is made to serve 8 people - 16 flour tortillas but I've cut it down to 4 people (8 tortillas) and 2 people (4 tortillas) so it's possible. And they are so filling I am only able to eat one, if I eat two I am stuffed. I got this recipe from "In the Kitchen - The Costco way". Jeff and I went to Costco one weekend and they were handing out free cookbooks which have fantastic recipes using Costco products and this was one of them. I improvised the recipe a little bit because I don't buy everything at Costco so I will give you both recipes.
6 MorningStar Farms* Chipotle Black Bean Burger, Garden Veggie Patties or Gardenburger The Original, thawed (I just cooked enough chicken for the amount of people eating, shredded it and sprinkled poultry seasoning on top- very simple).
1 each red, yellow, and green bell peppers, cut in 1/8 inch dice
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (this I do buy at Costco- it's cheap compared to grocery stores)
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (also buy at Costco) ( I add 1 cup if I don't have Montery jack cheese)
1/2 cup shredded Montery jack cheese ( I have never added this because I don't buy this cheese on a regular basis, but I am sure it will taste very if you were to add it)
1 cup roasted tomato salsa ( I just use 1 cup of the brand Pace salsa - I actually buy a huge container of this at Costco, but you can also buy a smaller jar at any grocery store and I am sure any brand of your favorite salsa would work too)
16 10-inch flour tortillas
Melted Butter
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degress F
2. Cut thawed burgers into 1/4 inch diced ( like I said above I just shred chicken and add a little poultry seasoning)
3. In a large bowl, combine burger (chicken), peppers, cheese and salsa. Mix thoroughly and set aside
4. Cut each tortilla into a 7-inch triangle - ( I don't like to waste tortilla even if it may be a little bit easier to handle- you could try both ways - their way or I like to fold in what i would have cut off then wrap the rest of the tortilla around the filling to make a triangle. I hope that makes sense, if not I can try and explain again in the comments.
5. Place about a little less than half a cup of filling in each triangle; fold each corner into the center, overlapping one another.
6. Brush quesadillas with melted butter and cook in a nonstick pan over medium heat until browned, about 1 min per side. Place in the oven for 5 min (I leave it in till the cheese is melted, which takes about 10-15 min) or until heated through
Cilantro lime sour cream Dipping sauce
4 oz sour cream
1 1/2 Tbls freshly squeezed lime juice
1 oz fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 tsp. each: ground cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and mix well
( When I had 4 people over for dinner this was not enough so I would make double if you have more people)Here's a little bit of closer look on how I wrapped it. If you have any questions please comment.
Trifle ( It honestly needs a new name for how good it really was)
1 (3oz) package of strawberry gelatin (jello)
1 (3.4 oz) package instant cheesecake pudding mix* (Jeff doesn't like cheesecake so I used Vanilla)
1 (11 oz) angel food cake loaf
2 cups of strawberries
2 med bananas
Blueberries - this wasn't in the recipe but I add some anyways- it was really good
1/2 pint whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Mix jello according to pkg. directions. Refrigerate until slightly thickened. (I put 3/4 cup boiling water, 1/2 cup cold water, and ice cubes- it helps it thicken a lot faster - remove remaining ice cubes)
2. Mix pudding mix according to pkg directions. Set aside.
3. Cut angel food cake in half. Break up one half the cake and place in 3 quart trifle bowl- ( I just used a big glass bowl- whether it was trifle bowl or not I have no idea)
4. Cap, wash and slice strawberries into halves. Sprinkle one cup berries over cake in bowl (this is also where I added the blueberries)
5. Pour one cup thickened jello over cake and fruit.
6. Slice one banana over mixture in bowl. Top with half of pudding.
7. Whip cream in small mixing bowl with sugar and vanilla
8. Spread whipped cream over pudding layer.
9. Repeat layers, ending with whipped cream and garnish with extra berries, if desired (I also as added blueberries on top as you can see)
*Substitute vanilla or white chocolate instant pudding mix, if preferred
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Blueberry Cream Muffins (with streusel topping)
I've looked through my camera, and I have seven wonderful recipes to share with you. I think I'll start with the most recent though, because it is pretty much my favorite of them all.
Here in Oregon, it is blueberry season! It is so cool to go and pick your own blueberries (for the fraction of what they normally cost at the grocery store)! I went picking for the first time last week, and they were delicious. I barely had enough left for baking after all the berries James and I ate...in fact, I actually didn't have enough, so I supplemented with frozen blueberries.
Anyway, I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. I actually combined two recipes and a couple comments from users. Here's what I ended up with:
Blueberry Cream Muffins with Streusel Topping
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 1/4 c. white sugar
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. oil
1 t. vanilla
2 c. sour cream
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
4 c. flour
3 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Streusel topping:
1/3 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 c. butter (1/2 stick)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare muffin pan(s) by lining with paper liners or greasing the pan.
Beat eggs. Gradually stir in sugar (both kinds), while still beating. Stir in oil, vanilla, and sour cream. Mix until smooth. Add salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.* Gently stir in flour. Do not overmix; stir until just combined (batter will be slightly lumpy). Carefully fold in blueberries.
Prepare streusel topping by mixing all the ingredients together. I started with a fork, but quickly set it aside and just mixed with my hands. Mix until crumbly.
Fill muffin liners all the way to the top. This recipe makes 24 large (bakery sized) muffins, so you don't need to worry about running out of batter. Sprinkle streusel topping generously on each muffin. Bake for 20-25 minutes. I almost took my first batch out too early. I found that it took about 24 minutes in my oven. I tested the muffins by using a toothpick; when it came out clean, they were done.
*Of course, the original recipe has you mix together the dry ingredients separately. Feel free to do this if you want. I'm just lazy. ;)
Here are links to the main recipe that I used: Blueberry Cream Muffins. I used the suggestions of the commenter MommyFromSeattle (her comment is on the top right now).
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Scotcharoos
I always loved when my mom would make these. My Mom and Jennie made these when they were out here recently for the baby's arrival and we made them again this last weekend because they're just that good!
Ingredients:
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
Directions:
In saucepan mix corn syrup and sugar over heat until just starting to boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Pour over rice krispes (in large bowl) and mix until evenly coated. Spread mixture in greased 9x13 pan.
In saucepan, melt chocolate and butterscotch chips over low heat until melted. Pour over bars and spread evenly. Let cool until chocolate sets up. If you want them to set up quickly put them in the fridge/freezer.
Easy Empanada Salad
I found this recipe on a blog of someone from my old ward. She posts recipes on her blog from time to time and this one looked particularly easy and interested me. So we gave it a try and it was quite good and very easy!
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
half of a small onion, chopped
1/4 c. frozen corn (I used a little more)
1 package Grands Biscuits
salad ingredients
Directions:
Brown beef with onion then drain excess fat. Mix in taco seasoning according to package and add frozen corn. Simmer until slightly thickened. Flatten biscuits out until about 6 inches in diameter. Scoop a heaping spoonful of meat mixture into the center of the biscuit, then fold it over and press the edges to seal it (I wet my finger and ran it around edge before folding it over and then I pressed it shut with a fork around the edge). Place empanada on a greased cookie sheet. Once all of them are finished, bake the empanadas at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve over lettuce and whatever salad ingredients you want. We served ours with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, black beans, salsa, and sour cream (Brian had his with ranch). Yum!!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Easy Dinner Rolls
So, Saturday night I made the dough for Melt-In-Your-Mouth Dinner Rolls and was way excited to have rolls the next night with the yummy soup I was making. In the morning I checked the dough and it seemed really dense so I assumed I put too much flour. I really wanted rolls that night so I looked online to see if I could find a recipe that would be done by that night. I came across this recipe and it had good reviews, so we gave it a shot. They turned out great! I will definitely have to make these again. Once again, my picture isn't very good, but there are lots of pictures with the recipe online.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water (110 degrees F)
- 2 packages yeast (Do not use the quick rising in this recipe)
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/4 cups flour
Directions:
Combine water and yeast in large bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. With wooden spoon, stir in butter, sugar, eggs and salt. Add flour, 1 cup at a time and beat in as much as you can (you will probably be able to use all the flour). Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days. Grease a 9x13 baking pan. Turn dough onto floured surface. Divide into 24 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place in rows in prepared pan. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees for 17 minutes or until golden brown.
* Brian also spread melted butter over the top before and after these were baked.
* We used all the flour it called for
* We put foil on top for the last few minutes so the tops wouldn't get too brown before the insides were done.
Oh, and the other rolls turned out after all, so we had A LOT of rolls :). Here's the original link again.
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Dinner Rolls
This is the recipe that my parents have always used because it's really easy and makes delicious rolls. The nice thing about this recipe is that it doesn't require kneading. Also, you make the dough the night before and just keep it in the fridge until you're ready to make the rolls. I forgot to take a picture until the next day so it's not the best. These are also a little darker than I usually cook them.
Directions/Ingredients:
Dissolve 1 pkg. yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
Add:
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
Let stand for 20 minutes.
Scald 1 cup milk.
Add:
1/3 cup margarine
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
Cool then add 2 beaten eggs.
Combine all with 4 and 1/2 cups flour. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Roll out 2 hours before serving (so that they can rise). Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes (mine didn't take quite so long because they were small).
*Brian brushed on a little melted butter right before they went in and then right after they came out. It makes them more fattening, but definitely adds to the flavor.
Dessert Improvisation
It was nothing fancy, but it tasted good (and it was smooth and creamy ;) )!
Here's my "recipe":
Quick and Easy Chocolate Banana Cream Pie
Ingredients:
1 large box cook and serve vanilla pudding
2 c. milk (for pudding)
1 graham cracker pie crust
1 large banana, sliced
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 T. whole milk (cream would be better, but I didn't have any)
whipped cream or Cool Whip for topping*
*I would have preferred cool whip or fresh whipping cream for the topping, but I didn't have any. If you use Reddi Whip like I did, you should top each slice as you eat it rather than topping the entire pie ahead of time. The canned whipped cream breaks down in the refrigerator into a puddle of melted goop. Eww.
Directions:
Prepare chocolate ganache layer by melting the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl over a pot of boiling water. Once the chocolate is completely melted, stir in the milk (or cream). Pour into the bottom of your crust. Place in the freezer for a few minutes to allow the chocolate layer to cool and harden slightly. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding over the stove using one less cup of milk than it calls for. Remove the pie from the freezer and add a layer of sliced bananas on top of the chocolate. Next, pour the pudding over the bananas and refrigerate until cool and set up. When you are ready to serve the pie, top with whipped cream or Cool Whip.
Like I said, it's a very simple dessert. But it was fun for me to create it myself using just the ingredients we had in the cupboard. I recommend you try it sometime! (And post your recipes and pictures! :) )
Monday, May 4, 2009
Menu: May 3 - May 9
We haven't been planning menus lately because I went out of town and then Paul went out of town. We're back and settled back down into the swing of things. And I FINALLY planned a menu on Saturday.
Sunday: Swedish Meatballs (CFG)
Monday: Old South Hoppin' John (CFG - don't ask me why it's called that...)
Tuesday: Tacos
Wednesday: Chicken and Broccoli
Thursday: Meatball Minestrone (CFG)
Friday: Individual Chicken Cobblers (CFG)
Saturday: Good ol' Rice and Beans (CFG)
*CFG=Cheap. Fast. Good! We're trying a whole bunch of recipes from my new cookbook this week. And they really were cheap to shop for!M
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Crash Hot Potatoes
So, I wanted to see if he would eat these, being a potato lover myself. The pioneer woman has it on her amazing website- check it out. http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/ The picture is hers.
New potatoes (as many as you want)
olive oil
kosher salt
pepper
rosemary or preferred seasoning
Boil salted water
Add new potatoes
cook until tender
Preheat oven to 450*
Generously coat baking pan with olive oil
Place potatoes evenly spaced on pan
using potato masher mask twice
coat each potato with olive oil (can use pastry brush)
Add lots of kosher salt, pepper, and herb of choice
Bake for 20-25 minutes
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/
btw- Stan had seconds
Monday, April 20, 2009
Book Recommendation
Ones we've loved so far:
German Pancakes with Strawberries
Cousin's Corn Bread
Savory Pot Roast with Potatoes and Gravy (my new fav. way to do pot roast)
Bride's Biscuits ( I even made it one time forgetting any shortning or butter and they were still good)
Fiesta Dip
Taco Beef Soup
French bread
Banana Bread
Herb Croutons (1st time making my own and I'm not going back to store bought)
Sloppy Joes
Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies (my Stan's fav. cookies ever, and cookies are his fav. dessert)
Stan and I joke that it should be added to the Standard Works.
Please note:Everything we have tried we have LOVED except for the missionary meatloaf (way to sweet for our taste), the glazed carrots and peas (too muc work for not enough excitement), and pioneer bread (too dense and molasses-ish. (3 out of 14 isn't bad- esp. since the rest are to die for and blessedly easy)
Buy this book.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Fiery Chicken with Vegetables
Note: The recipes in the cookbook all seem to call for long grain rice. Of course, that's not what we eat in our house. :) I just skipped the instructions for preparing rice that were given in the recipe and prepared my own in our well-loved rice cooker. I'll include the instructions from the book, in case you would like to prepare the rice that way (or if you don't have a rice cooker).
Fiery Chicken with Vegetables
Ingredients:
1 can fat-free chicken broth (1 c. for the rice and 3/4 c. for the vegetable sauce)
1 c. long-grain rice (I actually made 2 cups of Japanese style short grain rice)
1 lb. chicken breasts
1 T. vegetable oil
1 bag frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetable mixture (without sauce)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. soy sauce
2 t. minced ginger (either fresh or bottled...I bought a jar of it)
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
2 T. cornstarch
Directions:
Prepare rice by combining 1 c. chicken broth and 1 c. water in a covered medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the rice, stir, and reduce heat to low. Cover the pan and simmer until rice is done, about 20 minutes. (Or, like I said, prepare rice in a rice cooker...you can even substitute part of the water with chicken broth for flavor.)
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. While the oil heats, defrost your chicken if needed. Once oil is hot, add the frozen vegetables and stir occasionally. While the vegetables start to cook, cut the chicken into small cubes, adding them to the skillet as you go. Cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 5-6 minutes.
Add garlic to the pan and stir. Next, add soy sauce, ginger, sugar, and red pepper flakes*. Stir well and cook for about two minutes to blend the flavors. In the meantime, combine cornstarch and 3/4 c. chicken broth in a small container with a lid. Cover and shake to combine until there are no more lumps.
Drizzle mixture over the chicken and vegetables. Stir continuously until sauce thickens, about 1 minute (it really does thicken up pretty quick). Serve over a bed of rice.
*The red pepper flakes are the reason this recipe is called "Fiery". If you like things a little less spicy you can reduce the amount of red pepper flakes. If you don't want it to be spicy at all, you can leave them out. Paul and I enjoyed the kick, and it wasn't too spicy for us. :)
Cream Puffs
The nice thing about cream puffs is that they aren't nearly as difficult or complicated as they seem. Here is my family's tried and true recipe (in three parts):
Cream Puffs (the pastry part):
Ingredients:
1 c. water
1/2 c. (one stick) butter
1/8 t. salt
1 c. flour
4 eggs
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir until the mixture forms a ball (this only takes about a minute). Remove from heat and cool for ten minutes (this is important because if you add the eggs when it is too hot, they will start cooking and make the dough lumpy). Add eggs one at a time. Each time, stir well with a wooden spoon until the egg is completely incorporated. This is the key to good cream puffs, and it gives your arm quite a work out.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking sheet. Drop dough onto the baking sheet by the heaping spoonfuls. I like to make my cream puffs pretty small so it makes about 24 cream puffs. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, checking after 20 minutes. Cream puffs are done when they are golden and the peaks are light brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Notes:
This recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. As you can see, there isn't any sugar in the puffs themselves, so they can be used for appetizers or lunch items if you want to fill them with chicken or tuna salad, or anything else you can come up with.
Cream Puff Filling
Ingredients:
1 large box vanilla instant pudding
1 pint whipping cream
milk
Directions:
Prepare pudding according to the directions on the box, using only half the indicated amount of milk. While pudding chills, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in the pudding gently, until the cream and pudding are completely mixed together. This makes enough filling for two batches of cream puffs. It's a lot. :)
There are two ways to fill the cream puffs. Either you can slice them in half and scoop a generous amount into each one, or you can poke a hole in each one and fill them using a frosting bag and wide piping tube. Slicing them in half is much easier and faster, but also messier.
If you like your cream puffs without chocolate on top, you can simply sprinkle some powdered sugar on top at this point and call them done. :) If you are a chocolate lover, like me, continue on to the final step.
"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting:
This recipe comes from the side of the Hershey's Cocoa container.
Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter or margarine
2/3 c. cocoa
3 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
Directions:
Melt butter in the microwave. In a medium heat-safe (pyrex glass or metal works well) bowl stir together melted butter and cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed to spreading consistency. Add more milk or more powdered sugar as needed. Stir in vanilla.
At this point, the frosting is finished. However, my dad likes the frosting on his cream puffs to have a fudge-like quality (and so do I :) ). In order to achieve this, he holds the bowl of frosting over a stove burner (hence the heat-proof bowl) on medium-low heat, stirring continuously until it just begins to melt. At this point he pours the chocolate over the filled cream puffs in a thick layer. If the frosting starts setting up before he has finished topping the cream puffs he holds it back over the heat to soften it again. Because he partially melts the frosting, it sets back up and ends up having a consistency that is more like fudge than frosting.
They end up looking great and tasting amazing! :) Enjoy!
(Either serve the cream puffs immediately, or refrigerate them until serving. They don't last very long in the fridge, so I wouldn't make them too far in advance.)