New Blog Worth Visiting

I just found a blog titled: My Husband Cooks. I put a link to it on the right sidebar...he just posted a great recipe for Peach Sorbet that I'm going to try. It's done very well, and I love the way they post. Enjoy!

Posted by Debi

Brown Sugar Cookies - Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients

• 14 tablespoon Unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup Granulated sugar
• 2 cup Brown sugar packed
• 2 cup Unbleached flour plus 2 Tablesoons
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 large Egg
• 1 large Egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large (18 by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. In shallow baking dish or pie plate, mix granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, rubbing between fingers, until well combined; set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in medium bowl; set aside.

3. Add remaining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and salt to bowl with cooled butter; mix until no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. Divide dough into 24 portions, each about 2 tablespoons, rolling between hands into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Working in batches, toss balls in reserved sugar mixture to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart, 12 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but it will take 3 batches.)

5. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned and still puffy and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone; see photo below), 12 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do not overbake.

6. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 12 minutes (per dozen)

These are amazing! I've eaten WAY too many already!
Posted by Ashley
Photo credit: me! fresh out of the oven!

Robbie's Copy Cat Recipies - Zuppa Toscana Soup like Olive Garden's®

Has anyone heard of this website?

Robbie's Copycat Recipies

I LOVE soups, in fact, I could probably eat soup and salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day of my life. So anyways, last night I tried the Zuppa Toscana Soup like at Olive Garden and I must say...it is pretty spot on. I added zucchini because I love zucchini but it really didn't make it taste any different at all. If I were to do this again (which I will) I would not put as much sausage in it.

I have included the recipie below but strongly urge people to visit the site and try some of the other recipies out. If anyone tries one let us know how it went! I have the ingredients to make Bruchetta like at Carraba's next ;)


Zuppa Toscana Soup like Olive Garden's®
Spicy sausage and bacon, russet potatoes and
greens in a creamy broth.
Submitted By: Jessica Dudley
Serves: 10
Prep. Time: 0:35

1 lb. spicy Italian sausage - crumbled
1/2 lb. smoked bacon - chopped
1 qt. water
(2) 14.5 oz. cans (about 3 2/3 cups) chicken broth
2 lg. russet potatoes - scrubbed clean, cubed
2 garlic cloves - peeled, crushed
1 med. onion - peeled, chopped
2 cups chopped kale OR Swiss chard
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper - to taste


-In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage, breaking into small pieces as you fry it; drain, set aside.
-In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown bacon; drain, set aside.
-Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in a pot; simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender.
-Add sausage and bacon to pot; simmer for 10 minutes.
-Add kale and cream to pot; season with salt and pepper; heat through.

Posted by Erin S.
~Photo not my own~

Fast and Easy Croutons

I found this wonderful recipe on another blog. It's so simple to do and they taste delicious!

Madame Monet’s Crouton Recipe:

Makes 1 1/2 cups, to serve 2-4 people, depending on portion size

Step 1: Remove crusts from bread (preferably whole-wheat, but any type of bread will do), and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (1-cm cubes.

Step 2: In a LARGE metal or glass bowl, prepare a mixture of: 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper to taste, and 1 tablespoon mixed dried green herbs of your choice. Set aside.

Step 3: In a stainless steel pan (or Dutch Oven with a large flat bottom, especially for larger quantities) melt an equal amount of butter to whatever amount of olive oil you use (the mixture should be 50-50). For one-and-one-half cups of bread cubes, use two tablespoons EACH of olive oil and butter. When melted together, dump in the bread crumbs, stir quickly, over medium heat (if you don’t use enough oil, they will burn quickly). Leave them to brown on all sides, stirring constantly for about four or five minutes (larger quantities in a Dutch Oven will take about fifteen minutes, and should be stirred every minute or two).

When browned, dump into the bowl with the herb mixture, and fold together delicately with a spoon. To retain crispiness, do not cover before they are completely cool and dry. They will keep up to several days, unrefrigerated. It’s also easy to make a smaller quantity just for one meal.

NOTE: I used day old french bread and didn't remove the crusts. I also stirred them constantly over medium-high heat. I didn't have a stainless steel pan, so I used the only flat bottom frying pan I have. It worked perfectly!

Posted by Debi