PAGE MOVED

Hey cookers and bakers, my page has moved! You can now find it at http://cookinwithsnort.weebly.com. You can find everything there. For the Bake 52 recipe, please click on the Bake 52 tab. Thank you!

Cereal Crusted French Toast

I have to admit that I did see this technique done on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. I love that show and one day when I was watching an episode I saw that this girl was making cereal crusted french toast using Captain Crunch. I didn't have Captain Crunch, but I did have some Oat Blenders Cereal and it has some sweetness to it, so I thought - why not!?

What you need:
About 2 cups of crushed cereal
4-5 eggs (yolks optional)
Bread (about 4 pieces)
*Please note that this recipe is based on using four pieces of bread and I had egg left over, so I probably could have done six pieces.

Whip your eggs and crush your cereal in different bowls (or plates).

Next take your bread, dip it in the egg mixture, then press each side of the bread in the cereal. You are going to get messy, so be prepared for it.

Next make sure you pan is on medium so you don't burn your cereal. Let cook just like cooking regular french toast, flip, repeat. Simple!

What you get is a great delicious mix of cereal and french toast. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or syrup and you are ready to eat.

I came up with this after deciding I needed something fun for my boys to eat for breakfast. Hope you enjoy! I might try a different cereal next time.

Mac and Cheese

My cousin asked me if I had any mac and cheese recipes and I forgot about posting it until now. I don't have any pictures, but you don't need pics of mac and cheese because you know what it's going to look like - DELICIOUS!!!

This is probably one of the easiest mac and cheeses (non box kind) that one will ever cook and frankly, I have given this to a couple of people who use it regularly.

Snort's Mac and Cheese
1 package of either big or small macaroni (or shells or twists)
1-2 cans of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese
1/2 shredded cheddar cheese

Cook packaged macaroni as directed and stir in the cans of cheddar cheese. It's going to be sticky and the heat from the cooked noodles will help loosen the cheese. Stir in the shredded cheese and put in the oven for about 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Take out and enjoy!

You can add crumbled bacon or any type of meat product you would like (I prefer bacon). I also like to take some bread crumbs and mix them with melted butter and sprinkle it on top before popping it in the oven for 10 minutes. It adds a nice flavor to the dish.

Shem, this is for you!

Apple Pie with Brandy Soaked Cranberries

I didn't get to try this pie out, but my husband said that it was "very well" received at his work on Thanksgiving. I think a lot of it had to do with the crust - it was a crust that I had never tried before and I definitely will be using this crust for ALL of my pie crusts. I also tweaked it to incorporate what I had in my cupboard (mainly for the alcohol).

I found this recipe on Epicurious and I have had it forever but haven't used it. And when I say forever - I mean from 11/6/2007 forever! haha

APPLE PIE WITH WHISKEY(BRANDY) SOAKED CRANBERRIES (OR CHERRIES)

Crust:
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup (or more) ice water

Filling:
1 cup dried tart cranberries (or cherries)
2 tbsp of brandy (or whatever whiskey-like alcohol you have)
3-3 1/2 pounds of medium-sized apples (I mixed between red and green)
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
*I also added a little bit of white sugar to add a different sugar effect

You can do a topping (which it calls for but I didn't use) which is 1 tbsp whipping cream beaten with 1 tbsp sugar (for glaze)

Preparation
For Crust:
Blend first 4 ingredients in processor 5 seconds. Add butter and blend, using on/off turns, until coarse meal forms. Add 1/4 cup ice water. Blend until dough comes together in moist clumps, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball, Divide in half. Shape into disks. Wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour.

For Filling:
Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Mix cranberries and brandy in small bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir apples, sugars and cinnamon in large bowl. Fold in cranberry mixture.

Roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured surface to 12 inch round. Transfer to 9 inch diameter glass pie dish. mound filling in crust (filling will be high). Roll out remaining dough disk and drape over pie. Fold top and bottom overhangs together it seal. Crimp edge of crust decoratively. Brush glaze over top of crust, but not crust edge. Cut several small slits in top of crust.

Bake pie 10 minutes. Cover crust edge with foil and bake until apples are tender, about 50 minutes longer. Cool pie 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp with cream or vanilla ice cream.

My 2 year-old son helped cut out the decorative pieces that are supposed to be stars. He had a blast helping me.

Fluffy Pancakes

Pancakes are a big staple in our house, primarily because Cash and Jeff could live on them if he could. They love pancakes and lately Jeff has been asking me to make them "more fluffy". I was like, "how do you do that?" So what do I do, I google it. I got an idea of what I could do and came up with my own way of making the perfect fluffy pancake.

1 1/2 cup of Betty Crocker's Buttermilk Pancake Mix
3/4 cup of cold milk (it calls for water, but milk is better)
1/8 cup of sugar

Simple right?

First make sure you whisk the milk and the sugar together to create a mix that is frothy.

The best way to do this is buy using a whisk handle that attach's to your hand mixer.

Next you will want to add your pancake mix and start mixing. You can add more mix if you like a little thicker pancake. I usually will just add a little at a time until I get to where I want my batter. Once you are done it should look like this:

Notice the air bubbles! This is extremely essential when making pancakes because this is what is going to help give you "the fluff". Also when you add the sugar to the milk (see above) that is what helps generate "the fluff" as well.

Once you have your batter, make sure you have heated up your pan (start on medium and DO NOT go any higher). Spray you pan once it is hot enough and pour in your batter.

While cooking you are going to see these air bubbles and you will not want to touch them. Once the pancake is a little solid around the edges and starts bubbling more, flip it over! You know you have the right doneness when you have this crisp ring around the edge after you have flipped it over.

You will also want to see these bubbles in the pancake as well.

The other side probably won't look like your first side but if you get it golden brown like the first side then you have done your job. Make sure not to smash the pancake with your spatula because it will probably raise after you have flipped it. Be patient, it will fall to where it needs to be and it will fluff up.

Once you are done, transfer to a plate, add butter and cover with syrup! Voila! The perfect fluffy pancake!

P.S. Don't mind the plate, this was for one of my boys and they love these paper plates!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you are like me, you love to eat Pumpkin this time of year. I love pumpkin. From pumpkin pie (the only kind I like is the kind I make I don't know why), to pumpkin cookies. I have never made pumpkin cookies before, but I have this cookbook that I haven't used forever and it has some great recipes. It's from 2006 but it's worth it because it has recipes for all holiday occasions.

The book is called Taste of Homes Holiday's & Celebrations Cookbook 2006.

The only Thing I would change about this recipe is adding 1/2 cup more pumpkin and another teaspoon of pumpkin pie flavoring. Other than that it's delicious!

Enjoy!






Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies 
Page 138 of the cookbook

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin*
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1 to 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice*
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
*you can add more, I wish I would have
Frosting (is optional)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbls boiling water
2 cups chopped pecans

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugars until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; gradually add to pumpkin mixture.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown (I had to go about 14 minutes). Remove to wire racks to cool.

For frosting, in a bowl, combine the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and enough water to achieve desired consistency. Frost cookies; sprinkle with pecans.

Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers is one of my husband's favorite thing to eat and it's so simple too. I actually enjoy them as well and I haven't always been a fan of them - especially growing up as a child.

Here is what you need:

4 good sized green peppers (hollowed out)

1 lb of hamburger

1 can of Italian stewed tomatoes

2 cups of cooked rice

1 cup mozzarella cheese

Italian seasoning

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

• Cook your hamburger and your rice separately until cooked. Add remaining ingredients and stir.
• Once you have hollowed out your green peppers, I like to place one of the stewed tomatoes at the bottom before you put the mixture in. It adds a nice surprise at the end.
• Stuff your mixture into the peppers and place mozzarella cheese at the top. 
• Put in the oven at 375 degrees and cook til the cheese is melted and the peppers are al dente. It takes about 20-25 minutes. You don't want to cook them until they are super soft or it just falls apart when you try to cut into it. :D

Enjoy!