Cocoa Cookies with Raspberry Filling

This was annoyingly time consuming to make. I used the star shape and the elephant shapes for the bases. The holes were the mini star, the baby elephant, or a handcut circle.

• 3/4 c butter, softened
• 1 c sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 1/4 c flour
• 1/3 c cocoa
• 1/2 t powder
• pinch salt
• raspberry jam (~12 t)

1. Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. Combine the flour, cocoa, powder and salt. Add to wet mixture in 2 additions.
4. Divide the dough in half. Flatten into discs. Wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate for 1-24 hours.
5. Roll out each disc to 1/4" thickness in between wax sheets.
6. Using large (2") cutter, cut 24 cookies. Using smaller cutter, cut out 1/2" hole. With remaining dough, cut out another 24 cookies, but without the hole.
7. Place 1 inch apart on parchment lined sheets.
8. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 min.
9. Bake 2 sheets at a time, top and bottom thirds at 350. Rotate and switch halfway through. Bake about 12 minutes.
10. Once cooled, spread ~1/2 t jam on bottom cookie and top with holed cookie.

Dogs in a Blanket

I used to love hot dogs as a kid. There was a stage where cheese filled ones were my favorite. Then one day I had a giant hot dog and found a vein inside and it grossed me out. I have not enjoyed hot dogs since. However, DBD has recently found a love for them and so I gave in and cooked these up with a homemade 'blanket' as we didn't have any buns (and I also remember a childhood love of pigs in a blanket, which I'd only had a few times). The kids helped stretch their dough and wrap their own dogs. With the leftover dough we made fun shapes and salted them for a snack. Kids each ate ~2 (one didn't eat bread of second, one didn't finish half a dog of second) and there was one leftover for a packed lunch. Only 2 stars because it's still just a hot dog, but it was a fun dough activity.

• 6 hot dogs
• 1 c warm water
• 2 T sugar
• 2 T oil
• 2.5-3 c flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 egg
• 1 T milk

1. Combine dough ingredients in bread machine and set to dough cycle. Wait 1.5 hours.
2. Remove dough and pat down on floured surface. Divide in 12 pieces.
3. With half the dough, roll each piece to 8-14" long piece and twist around hot dog. 
4. Mix egg with milk and brush dough with mixture.
5. Bake on sheet at 400F for 15 min, until bread is browned.
6. Use remaining half of dough to make shapes (ball, pretzel, breadstick, etc) and brush with egg-milk. Sprinkle with salt. Bake 15-20 min, until done.

Belgian Rice Milk Waffles

used recipe in waffle iron booklet but subbed rice milk for regular and reduced oil by 1 T. First one came out too crisp, cooked remainder for less time (3.5-4 minutes) which helped. need to see if using milk makes it softer...

• 1 c flour
• 3 t powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 T sugar
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 c rice milk
• 3 T oil
• 1 t vanilla (next time don't use this - tastes like a fortune cookie!)

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, powder, salt and sugar.
2. Beat egg whites until stiff.
3. Add yolks and milk to flour mixture.
4. Stir in oil and vanilla.
5. Fold in whites.
6. Cook in waffle iron 4 minutes.

Butter Chicken = Chicken Makhani

I chose the easy recipe that required just throwing everything in the slow cooker. I don't have any garam masala so used a mixture of spices on hand. This is the sort of dish that comes with lots of variations. For all the different tweaks you can do, see the notes below.

• 2 lb chicken (I cut up breasts but recipes recommend thighs)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 T butter
• 2 1/4 t ground cardamom (or 15 pods if you have them)
• 2 heaping t curry powder (I used a madras curry powder)
• 1 t cayenne (I subbed paprika but next time use pure chili powder)
• 2 t tandoori masala
• 1/2 t ground ginger (or use fresh)
• 1 t garam masala (or substitute: dash of cloves, 2 dashes of cinnamon, 1/2 t ground cumin, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 t paprika, 1/4 t chili powder [should be cayenne], optional: nutmeg, coriander, cardamom, black pepper) (and I threw in some turmeric)
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 c natural yogurt (optional)
• 1/2 c + 2 T tomato sauce (should use paste)
• 2 T lemon juice (didn't have any)
• salt

1. Dump everything in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low 6-8 hours.
2. Salt to taste. Serve with rice or naan.

Variations

• Use whole breasts, whole thighs, or cut up chicken.
• Optional: Marinate the chicken first.
• Optional: Stir fry cut up chicken, onions, garlic with the butter before adding to crock pot.
• Add the cup of yogurt 15 minutes before serving, not at the beginning.
• Add more garam masala or curry powder at end of cooking to adjust to taste.
• Add half cup of peas.
• Use frozen solid breasts on low for 8 hours.
• To make matching rice, use jasmine rice and use coconut milk as part of the liquid. Add cardamom and cinnamon. 
• Sprinkle freshly chopped cilantro over the dish.
• If you only have lite coconut milk, add 1-2 T shredded coconut.
• Use tabasco sauce in place of cayenne.
• Add a diced potato 2 hours before serving.
• Substitute cinnamon stick (or powder) for cardamom pods
• Use sour cream instead of yogurt; milk + coconut extract instead of coconut milk.
• Use a pressure cooker instead of a slow cooker to drastically speed up cooking time.
• Add 1/4 c finely ground cashews to thicken. Or ground almonds.
• Use 1 freshly chopped tomato instead of the tomato paste.

Coconut Sorbet

This was easy to make but I prefer mango and strawberry.

• 1 can coconut milk, chilled
• 1 lime
• 1/4 c maple syrup
• dash of almond extract

1. Pour the coconut milk into a bowl.
2. Zest the lime into the bowl.
3. Juice the lime and add to bowl.
4. Pour in maple syrup and extract.
5. Whisk.
6. Pour into ice cream maker.

Molasses Bread

What to do with molasses besides gingerbread? I tried some in a yeast bread in place of sugar. Based on this recipe. The dough came out quite dark and fragrant. It makes for a very large loaf. After baking, it rose even more - I would reduce the yeast and/or molasses. The bread came out too soft (maybe switch the milk and water amounts) though the molasses flavor was definitely there.

• 4 c bread flour
• 1 T yeast
• 1/2 c hot water
• 1 c milk, scant
• 2 t salt
• 1/3 c molasses
• 2 T butter

1. Throw the ingredients in the bread machine and use the dough cycle.
2. Punch down the dough and braid. Place in greased 9x5 bread pan. Let rise until nearly doubled (about 1 hour).
   
3. Bake until browned and sounds hollow.
   

Other Ideas
Whole Wheat Molasses Bread
Molasses Whole Wheat Raisin Bread

Brunette Brownies

My best friend from elementary school once sent me a recipe for blonde brownies. That hand written recipe is lost somewhere so I looked up another recipe on allrecipes. I renamed these to brunette brownies since the brown sugar makes them brown instead of yellow/blonde. Here is the modified version.

• 1 c flour
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/8 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts
• 1/3 c butter, softened
  
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 t vanilla (original is 1 T and this is overpowering)
  
• 3/4 c semisweet chocolate chips, split

1. Mix flour, powder, soda and salt in medium sized bowl. Stir in nuts.
2. Cream butter and brown sugar.
3. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well.
4. Add flour mixture, a little at a time.
5. Stir in 1/2 c chocolate chips.
   
6. Spread in 8x8 glass baking dish. Top with remaining 1/4 c chocolate chips.
7. Bake 30 min.

Review
** - the original 1 T of vanilla was too much. If I were to make this again, I'd reduce it to 1 t. I had a chocolate craving so made this in a pinch. I guess I still prefer regular brownies but don't often have the ingredients for it. I might try less sugar and maybe a mix of white and brown to lighten the color.

Cardamom Apple Turnovers and Swirl Bread

I just made these turnovers for breakfast. Next time, I'd add more apples and less sugar to the filling. I thought 5 would be enough so I used the other half of the dough to make a swirl bread. Recipe as I made it below. Based on the original from Scribbit.

Dough

• 1 T yeast
• 4.5 c all purpose flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1 t cardamom
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 c butter, softened
• 1 c milk

Filling

• 2 apples
• cinnamon
• allspice
• nutmeg
• ginger
• salt
• sugar
• raisins, butter, brown sugar
  

1. Use bread machine to make dough on the dough cycle (This can be done overnight).
   
2. Remove and knead several times on floured surface. Cut in half.
   Turnovers
3. Divide one half into 5 pieces.
   
4. Peel apples, quarter and then core. Cut each quarter into 4 pieces.
5. Sprinkle with lots of cinnamon. Add allspice, nutmeg and ginger to taste. Add a dash of salt. Optional: Add a half teaspoon of sugar.
6. Shape dough piece into circle. Place 3-5 slices of apple on half. Fold over and seal.
   
7. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Let rise 30 minutes.
8. Bake 25 minutes at 175C.
   Swirl Bread
9. Shape dough into rectangle.
10. Spread softened butter over all or sections of surface.
11. Sprinkle with brown sugar and raisins.
12. Chop remaining apple slices from above. Spread evenly on dough.
13. Roll from short side. Place seam side down in lightly greased bread pan.
    
14. Let rise until 1.5-2x, about 30-45 minutes.
15. Bake 175C for 30 minutes.
    

Review
** I thought the dough was a little too sweet, and the apple filling didn't need any additional sugar. The bread was a little too airy for my liking. The turnovers were tasty and filling, but next time I'd like more filling and less bread.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 3/4 c milk
• 1/4 c butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 c flour
• 1/3 c brown sugar
• 2.5 t powder
  
• 3/4 t salt
• 1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts
  

1. Beat milk, butter, egg and sugar.
   
2. Stir in remaining dry ingredients. Mix.
   
3. Stir in chips and nuts.
   
4. Drop into 12 greased or paper lined muffins tins.
5. Bake 18-20 min or until golden brown.

Frozen Passionfruit

The heat in August is tormenting - the last thing I want to do is bake. It doesn't get simpler than this for a cool and refreshing snack.

• passionfruit

1. Place in freezer and wait several hours or days.
2. Cut in half
3. Eat with spoon.
   

Mango Bread

I started making banana bread, but realized I didn't have any bananas to use. I merged the banana recipe with several mango ones I found online. This bread turned out incredibly moist. However, I wasn't that happy with the mango flavor - it didn't seem to come out. Perhaps next time increase to two cups of mango?

• 2 c flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 t baking soda
• 3/4 c sugar
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1/2 c butter, softened-melted
• 1.5 c mango
• 2 eggs

1. Mix the dry ingredients together.
2. Add the softened butter, mashed mango and eggs.
3. Pour into 9x5 loaf pan. Let sit 20 minutes.
4. Bake at 180C/350F for 50-60 min.

Hints
- use a mango variety that isn't stringy/fibery.

- try this recipe next time: http://foodblogga.blogspot.com/2009/03/move-over-banana-bread-mango-breads-in.html