 Ahhh an Oreo Cookie!  With its creamy white filling.  Sandwiched by two crunchy, dark chocolate cookies.  Annieeats.com took all the best parts of an Oreo cookie and turned them into a mouthwatering cupcake masterpiece. I just love these little cupcake creations, with the hidden cookie baked into the bottom and the creamy white frosting that sits of top of these little gems. These cupcakes are hard to resist.  Cookies and Cream Cupcakes Makes 36 cupcakes 24 Oreos 1 cup whole milk 6 egg whites 1 Tablespoon vanilla 2 3/4 cup cake flour 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 12 Tablespoons butter, room temperature 24 Oreos, chopped Frosting 1 cup butter 8 ounces cream cheese 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 Tablespoon vanilla 1 Tablespoon heavy cream
Bake 18 minutes at 350.
Combine butter and cream cheese for frosting. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Add vanilla and cream and beat until creamy and smooth. 
Sprinkle with additional Oreo crumbs and a half Oreo.
Did you notice that I was missing a few Oreos? That's what happens when you leave them on the counter and walk out of the kitchen for 15 minutes. (This time it wasn't Mia stealing my Oreos either - it was Ryan.)
 My favorite part? The surprise cookie at the bottom of the cupcake.  Love these.
Ciao!
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 A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. I've come to realize that there are quite a few cultures around the world enjoy some form of breaded, pan fried chicken breast. It may be called different things but it's the same basic ingredients and the same cooking methods.  If you're in Japan - you're eating Chicken Katsu, if you're in Germany - it's Chicken Schnitzel, if you're in Italy - Chicken Cutlets is what you order, if you're in the American south - it's referred to as chicken fried chicken. The point is that it's all basically the same recipe - boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are breaded and lightly pan fried to create a golden crispy exterior.  Regardless of what you call it or where you eat it, pan fried breaded chicken is delicious. I took this recipe from my August 2014 Taste of Home magazine. In this case, it's referred to as Chicken Schnitzel. Chicken Schnitzel 1 egg 1/4 cup milk 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup panko 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes salt and pepper oil for frying 4 thinly sliced chicken breasts
Enjoy!  What do you like to call it? (I call it "good.")
Ciao!  I LOVE fish tacos. I love the fish, the fresh veggies, the avocado - I love it all. When I saw this recipe for fish taco bowls on theliveinkitchen.com, I knew that I would just love these too. Basically, they replaced the tortilla with brown rice and turned a taco into a bowl. Genius. I love that fact that you can really pile the fish and veggies into these bowls without worrying about having all of the filling land in your lap while you eat. (We all know that I've done that I time or two with my tacos.) Besides the fact that these are neater to eat than their tortilla counterparts, they're also really yummy. I am in love with these taco rice bowls.  Fish Taco Bowls 2 teaspoons chili powder Pinch of garlic powder salt and pepper 3-4 cod fillets (or other white fish such as tilapia) Salt and freshly ground black pepper Olive oil 1 red onion, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 cup frozen corn, thawed, or fresh corn cut off the cob 1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained 2 cups cooked brown rice Avocado, cilantro, and lime juice for garnish (optional)
Layer rice in the bottom of your bowl.
Top with garnishes of your choice. Fresh tomatoes, avocado and lime were my favorites.  You seriously need to add these to your summer dinner repertoire. They are awesome. Sometimes, simple meals are the best.
Ciao!  I know that you think it's all cake and cupcakes and cookies at my house and the truth is that there is a LOT of that around. The good thing is that most of the sweets that are baked in this house actually get delivered to other people to enjoy because we really don't NEED to consume all of the sweets.  The sweets that I do make specifically for my family usually look (and taste) quite differently than the ones that I make for other people. I tend to modify the recipes for us - I add less sugar, I swap white flour for whole wheat, and I never really take the time to make our food "pretty".  After making dozens of muffins for clients, I have been craving blueberry muffins lately. I didn't really want to make the bakery style, full fat version because I'm trying to limit my sugar and fat intake so when I found a recipe for Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins in my Cook's Country magazine, I knew that was the recipe for me. (Oops, I mean US.)
Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins Streusel 3 tablespoons sugar 3 Tablespoons brown sugar 3 Tablespoons whole wheat flour 2 Tablespoons butter, melted Muffins 3 cups whole wheat flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoons salt 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 4 Tablespoons butter, melted 1/4 cup oil 1 1/4 cups buttermilk 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1 1/2 cups blueberries
Fold in blueberries.
Cool completely on a wire rack.  Wow - A Davis family muffin AND it's pretty.  Not sure anyone else in this family really appreciated my muffins - but I did. They were mighty tasty.
Ciao.  Happy Labor Day!!!  It's a perfect day to get outside, enjoy some family time and fire up the grill.  Need some picnic inspiration? Give this smoky bourbon chicken a try. The recipe is from Cook's Country - so you already know it's amazing. Smoky Bourbon Chicken 1 1/4 cups bourbon 1 1/4 cups soy sauce 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 shallot 4 cloves garlic 2 teaspoons pepper 2 whole chickens 1 cup wood chips 4 wooden skewers
With chickens, breast side down, cut through bones on both sides of backbone with kitchen shears.
Move chicken to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest 15 minutes.
The pictures of my chicken don't really do it justice. The skin got a little dark on one of the legs but don't let that discourage you from trying it. It really was tender and juicy and flavorful. (I don't eat the skin anyway so it doesn't matter to me if it gets a little charred.)
No matter what your plans are for this 2014 Labor Day, I hope that you enjoy your day to the fullest. Ciao! |
