Cooking with Chip

I decided on my 5th week of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies to make a bar cookie.  I made these a few weeks back and took them to a party and they got rave reviews... my friends like to tease me when I make them desserts asking if I could figure out how to pack more calories into each serving than I already do!  Well these certainly live up to the calorie overload they have learned to expect! In all honesty I did find them to be tasty and a lot like a traditional 7 Layer Bar except with a brownie base instead of the traditional grahm crackers.  I made the recipe as written but I figured in a time pinch you could easily use a box brownie mix made per the instructions on the box and topped with all the yummy toppings.  I have a mixed feeling about them because I personally found there to be too many toppings so I would have probably scaled them back (but take that for what its worth because I am not really into desserts I just like making them) but my friends love...

I love making these for a quick weeknight meal and they can be very versatile.  If making them as a main course for dinner I make them just like full size burgers but they can also be made into mini burgers to use as an appetizer or to serve at a party.  I also buy the Hawiian rolls in the super market to serve them on and lukcy for me those now come in mini and full size buns!  I typically use canned pineapple rings to make these but if you have the time and want to put in the effort obviously fresh pineapple would be great as well! Hawaiian Burgers For the Mini Burgers: 1 pound lean ground beef 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 4 canned pineapple slices (cut these into quarters if you serve as mini burgers) 4 Hawaiian sweet or 12 small dinner rolls, split Lettuce For the Sauce: 1/4 cup barbecue sauce 1/4 cup pineapple preserves 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar Combine ground beef and Worcestershire sauce in medium bowl, mixing lightly but thor...

I have been craving shrimp for weeks now... so I decided it was time to do something about that! I have been racking my brain for something that was going to satisfy my craving and then this morning it came to me from the strangest place. My friends were going to Black Hawk, Colorado to meet their family for brunch and a light went off in my head... The Timberline restaurant in the Ameristar Casino makes some amazing food and you guessed it, one of my favorite shrimp dishes in the world. They served bacon wrapped bbq shrimp on a bed of mashed potatoes with some fried onion strings as an appetizer and it is to die for! This is my attempt at recreating their amazing dish, my  Traditional BBQ Sauce recipe is a bit different but its still amazing. These great little bites are excellent for an appetizer or even a main dish... and they make great party finger food.  (If your going to use them as a main dish you can grill them on skwers rather than individual bites.)  They a...

Sorry for the delay in getting my third week cookie recipe posted for the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies, this week has been insane!  Hopefully more to post on the insanity later for anyone interested! I am having a very difficult time getting into the Christmas spirit yet.... here in Colorado its still in the 60's and I am getting ready for my first Halloween party tonight so the thought of a cold snowy Christmas day hasn't even entered my mind yet!  With all of that in mind I thought what really screams Christmas to me and how can I make that into a cookie?  Cranberries and Cinnamon!  These cookies are wonderul and remind you of oatmeal cookies that have been kicked up a notch!  Enjoy! White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups quick-co...

This week for the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies I decided that chocolate was in order.  And what goes great with chocolate?  Why more chocolate of course!  If you have a sweet tooth and a craving for chocolate these cookies will hit the spot!  Makes you want a nice cold glass of milk to wash it all down!\ Ultimate Chocolate Dipped Cookies 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 12-ounce package (2 cups) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate pieces 3/4 cup butter, softened 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces or white baking pieces Chocolate Ganache Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the 2 cups chocolate pieces and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Set aside to cool slightly. In a...

Fall has finally arrived in Colorado and it brings with it some great rainy days (considering October started with 90+ degree days we were not sure it was coming).  I thought, what shall I do with myself now that my plans have been cancelled for today?  Well the answer was obvious of course!  See what is in the cabinet to make a great batch of cookies... and what did I find?  Peanut butter and Heaht Toffee Bits!  Sounds interesting, lets try it! If you have kids or a spouse, have a plate of these on the table when they come home with a glass of milk and you will be their favorite person in the world! Toffee Peanut Butter Cookies 1/2 cup Shortening 3/4 cup Peanut Butter (I used creamy only because I was out of chunky which is my favorite) 1 1/4 cups light Brown Sugar 3 Tablespoons Milk 1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract 1 egg 1 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda 3/4 teaspoon Salt 1 1/3 cups Toffee Bits Heat oven to 375 degrees. In ...

I know I know I promised to back off of the pecan recipes for a few weeks but I was asked to make a Pecan Pie for a friend of mine today and here in Colorado is a very gloomy rainy day so I thought, I have some free time, why not take some pictures and share my recipe with my readers. One thing you will find is that I love working with natural ingredients as much as possible so I do not use corn syrup in my recipe. I find that corn syrup gives you a very "candy" like taste in the pie and by using sugar you end up with a pie that is more like "pie" than a thick goopy candy! Try it once and you will never use corn syrup to make your pecan pie ever again! Pecan Pie 2 Eggs 1/2 cup Butter, melted and cooled 1 cup Light Brown Sugar 1/4 cup White Sugar 1 Tablespoon All-Purpose Flour 1 Tablespoon Milk 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 1 1/2 cups chopped Pecans Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, beat eggs until foamy, and stir in melted butter.  (Make sure t...

For my second week of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies I wanted to make something with mint...  These great little cookies certainly didnt disappoint.  If you read my blog you know that I grew up learning how to cook from my Grandmother and her favorite candy is Andes Mints, so this is for her this week... something sweet and minty and oh did we mention the butter? Mint-Glazed Butter Thins 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract, divided 1/4 teaspoon salt 11/4 cups all purpose flour 2 cups powdered sugar, divided 2 tablespoons (or more) heavy whipping cream Position racks in top and bottom third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Using electric mixer, beat first 4 ingredients, 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, and salt in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in flour. Place 1 cup powdered sugar in bowl. Working with 1 level...

I actually started making these cookies in high school of all things.  I took some to class one day and shared them and the kids started paying me to bake them at home and bring them in.  I love the soft buttery cookie with the cinnamon sugar topping.  I may have to head to the kitchen and have one now! Snickerdoodles 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt Large pinch of grated nutmeg 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon or orange rind 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, to coat 2 tablespoons sugar, to coat Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.   Prepare baking sheet by brushing with melted butter. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and grated nutmeg. Cream together the butter and sugar and add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla and lemon or orange rind. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the sifted ingredients and mix well. Scrape ...

I love making truffles at Christmas and they can be a bit time consuming but the different variations you can make with them is endless.  Here I took one of my favorite drinks and turned it into a favorite bite size snack! White Russian Truffles 3/4 cup Kahlúa 1/4 cup vodka 1/2 bag (5 1/2 ounces) Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips 1/2 bag (5 1/2 ounces) Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips 1 cup finely diced walnuts 3 cups finely crushed Pepperidge Farms Milano Cookies Chop walnuts in a food processor or by hand. Crush cookies in a food processor. Combine the walnuts and cookies in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Set up a double boiler. When the water is boiling rapidly, put the white and milk chocolate chips into double boiler. As the chips begin to melt, stir them together with a whisk. When the chips are fully melted, add the Kahlúa and vodka to the double boiler. Whisk until smooth and the edges begin to bubble a bit, about 5 minutes. Pour the hot Kahlúa-chocola...

I love pecans and I have probably made that very obvious this week with three recipes containing pecans.  I promise this will be the last one for a while!  That being said... the wonderful crunch and nutty aroma released by the pecans when toasted and the buttery fudge make for an amazing treat... I should start a campaign to make fudge year round and not just for holidays! Butter Pecan Fudge ½ cup butter ½ cup sugar ½ cup packed brown sugar ½ cup heavy whipping cream 1/8 t. salt 1 t. vanilla extract 2 cups powdered sugar 1 cup pecan halves, toasted and coarsely chopped In a large heavy saucepan, combine the butter, sugars, cream and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Stir in powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in pecans. Spread into a buttered 8-in. square dish. Cool to room temperature. Cut into 1-inch squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrig...

I will admit as I write this that I do not like mushroom so this is definitely not one of my favorite sauces but a dear friend requested I teach him how to make this sauce and I thought I would share it with everyone here! Marsala sauce sounds intimidating but is extremely easy to make if you have the right ingredients on hand. For anyone who loves Italian food you will not be disappointed making Chicken or Veal Marsala with this sauce.  (It's great over grilled beef medallinos as well, too few people have tried a great marsala this way!) Marsala Sauce 3 tablespoons olive oil (for a richer sauce you can use Butter, but Olive Oil is a healthier option) 1/4 cup diced shallots 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced 3 tablespoons flour 1/2 cup Marsala wine 1 1/2 cups beef stock Salt and pepper, to taste 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional) Add olive oil to heavy hot saucepan. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms, saute until mushrooms are tender. Add flour and co...

Butter Pecan ice cream is my favorite ice cream flavor but being lactose intolerant I don't indulge myself nearly as much as I would like so thse cookies always hit the spot!  Anyone who reads my blog regularly knows I love simple recipes and this one is one of the easiest you will ever make! Butter Pecan Cookies 3/4 cup pecans 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/3 cup sugar, plus more for coating 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet, toast pecans until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Let cool completely; finely chop. With an electric mixer, cream butter and 1/3 cup sugar until light, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla, salt, and flour, scraping down sides of bowl, just until dough comes together. Fold in pecans. Separate dough into 12 pieces; squeeze dough to shape into balls. Roll in sugar. Place, 3 inches apart, on a baking sheet. Gently flatten with the bottom of a glass (...