Gingersnaps with Pumpkin Dip 2 October 2009
Posted by heidikins in Cookies, Favorites.1 comment so far
It is officially Fall! I am one of those people that is obsessed with the flavors of fall, specifically, gingerbread. I love dark gingerbread cake, I love crispy gingerbread men and the smells of hard-baked gingerbread houses. However, my favorite ginger-flavored snack is, hands down, soft gingersnaps. Most bakeries hard-bake their gingersnaps and while that is tasty, it just doesn’t compare with deliciously soft gingersnaps. This recipe came from a former co-worker, Heather, and is my all-time favorite and they are particularly delicious with RA’s Pumpkin Dip, recipe originally posted here.
Mexican Rhubarb Chocolate Chunk Brownies 7 July 2009
Posted by heidikins in Dessert, Favorites.2 comments
People, my life is now complete–these are, without any question, the best brownies I have ever tasted. And I’ve had a lot of brownies in my day. These are a bit sweet, but not too sweet. They are a bit tangy, but not too sour. They are dark and spiced with cinnamon and rum. They are deliciously cake-like and gooey with surprise bits of not-quite-melted chocolate in every-other bite. I am actually salivating just thinking about them. A few days ago I was inexplicably craving rhubarb and was looking for something rhubarby and delicious. I found a bunch of recipes for rhubarb-something cobbler, rhubarb-something pie, rhubarb-something crumble–with the something’s being strawberry or peach or cherry. They looked delicious.
However, as soon as I found this recipe from Guy Fieri, I knew I had to try it. Chocolate always wins out over fruit in my book. I had to make a quick trip to the grocery store for New Mexican Chile Powder, which is not hot like Cayenne Pepper, it’s a more mild ground-up red pepper. I found this in the produce section of my local supermarket in a plastic bag, not a glass bottle. I also found it at Wal*Mart on the spice aisle, also in a plastic bag.
These brownies will change your life. I have eaten them for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a midnight snack for a couple of days now and I will be whipping up another batch this afternoon. Life changing, people. Go forth and bake!
Pasta Fantastico 29 June 2009
Posted by heidikins in Favorites, Pasta.add a comment
I both love and hate going out for Italian food. There are dozens of restaurants with wimpy pasta dishes smothered in weak sauce. Last time I made one of my favorite pasta dishes, Rosemary Chicken, it occurred to me that I already had the bones of a fantastic white sauce recipe. With a little tweaking, it could be The Most Amazing Pasta In The World–or, Pasta Fantastico.
My friends, I have had this dish for about 5 meals in a row (meal-sized leftovers for one person tend to last quite a while) and I am still not sick of the stuff! I will admit, up front, that this dish will dirty three different pans–but it will be one of the more amazing things you have ever cooked. I think you could easily barter chef responsibilities for dishwasher responsibilities and everyone will be happy; Pasta Fantastico is just that good.
Coconut-Ginger French Toast with Almond-Maple Syrup 25 June 2009
Posted by heidikins in Breakfast, Favorites.1 comment so far
Lately I have had some major coconut cravings, and the idea of coconut for breakfast just seemed too divine to pass up. So I concocted this delicious treat from a basic French Toast recipe and I don’t think I can ever go back to “regular” French Toast again.
Also–if you are using bottled, store-bought syrup, please stop it immediately. Syrup takes about 3 minutes to make and it is so much better–it’s not thick and nasty (and cold!) like that Butterworth stuff. Seriously–homemade syrup will change your life, and I’m including the recipe after the break.
Almond-Coconut “Aloha” Cookies 27 May 2009
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It’s official. I have found the best cookie in the world–coincidentally, it is a recipe I formulated and tested myself. Now, before you get all skeptical, keep in mind this isn’t like saying my 6th grade science project is in the running for a Nobel Prize. This is like saying that Almond-Coconut “Aloha” cookies (trademark pending) is one, big batch of Awesome-Sauce. A few weeks ago I was reading on my friend Lauren’s blog and she mentioned bits of what became a beautiful idea. She said her boyfriend added handfuls of coconut and almonds ground in the food processor to regular chocolate chip cookies and they were delicious. Hello, idea. Almond flour, a bit of almond flavoring, coconut, white chocolate chips–it’s like a tropical sunrise in your mouth! Sold and sold. I’ve been tinkering with this recipe for a week or so and I’ve finally got the measurements just right for deliciously addicting cookies.
heidikins’ Banana Bread 23 May 2009
Posted by heidikins in Bread & Rolls, Favorites.add a comment
I have tried several different banana bread recipes, some are lovely, most are middle-of-the-road, and one was entirely too oily for my taste. I finally decided to combine the bits and pieces I liked from each of these recipes and come up with my own, blue-ribbon winning Banana Bread. I have made 3 batches of this in less than a week and have decided this is definitely a keeper!
Oatmeal Raisinet Cookies 15 March 2009
Posted by heidikins in Cookies, Dessert, Favorites.1 comment so far
My grandpa was obsessed with oatmeal cookies, so my grandma always made sure to have a fresh batch of oatmeal cookies in the kitchen. For this reason, I always associate oatmeal cookies with my grandparents. Granted, my grandpa always ate his oatmeal cookies with peanut butter spread on the back and topped off with a slice of cheddar cheese. I haven’t tried that concoction yet, I guess I’m not quite that brave. At any rate, I guess I was having a sentimental moment, because I was craving oatmeal cookies.
This recipe did not disappoint; in fact, I’ve made them twice in the last three days. And I’ve eaten them all in the last three days. I’ve made them with raisinets and with chocolate chips, both are delicious. Mix them up, eat a good bunch of the dough–the dough is always the best part–and them eat the rest with a big glass of cold milk.
