Kimmie's Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the best!

1/3 C. butter
2/3 C. butter-flavored Crisco
1 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 1/2-2 3/4 C. flour
2 C. chocolate chips

Cream everything except flour and chocolate chips on medium high speed for 5 minutes.  The dough should be almost white.  Stir in the flour and chocolate.  Bake at 360 degrees for 9-11 minutes, or until light brown.

Pineapple Pork for Tacos

I have another recipe that is similar that I've used for a couple of years now.  It's a little messier, quite a bit sweeter, and not as interesting.  This is lighter, but so yummy.

Pineapple and Green Chile Pork Tacos

3 lb. boneless pork roast (I just use the Costco roast)

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple with juices

1 (16 oz) jar tomatillo salsa (green salsa or salsa verde)

2 (4 oz) cans green chiles, undrained

⅔ cup brown sugar

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on high for four hours or on low for 6 to eight hours. Remove the pork from the crock pot, pour out all the juices. Shred pork, season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the juices and fruit until it’s the kind of juicy you want. We put some of the
leftover juice into some black beans and cook them down; so good!

Alfredo Sauce

I don't like alfredo sauce.  It's frequently grainy, or kinda tasteless, or just wrong somehow.  But this....  this was good.  Really good.  Really bad for you, but so good.  Also, super fast.  Less time than it takes to boil the noodles.  And no chemicals!  Love it!



Alfredo Sauce

1 stick of butter

1 clove of minced garlic

1 pint of heavy cream

1 cup of fresh Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp cream cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

In a sauce pan over medium heat – melt butter and add garlic and cook for two minutes, then add in heavy cream and cream cheese and heat until bubbling, but do not boil. Add in Parmesan Cheese and mix until the cheese melts. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. Mix the hot sauce into the noodles and serve.

Shredded Beef for Tacos

This was another Pinterest find, and so not an epic fail!  I used two chipotle peppers, and it may have been a little too much.....  maybe.  Nice and spicy, not too juicy, not too dry.  So good!
The directions weren't completely clear so I have edited them to make more sense. 


Shredded Beef for Tacos

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 pounds beef

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 cup beef stock

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced

1/2 large sweet onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

Whisk together the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix into the beef, covering each side evenly.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully place the beef in the skillet and sear on each side until browned. Add the diced onion and minced garlic on top of the seared beef in the slow cooker.
Remove the beef from the skillet and place in the bottom of a slow cooker. Leave the pan on the heat, and add in the beef stock to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste and minced chipotle and whisk into the pan sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for a 3-5 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Pour the pan sauce down over the onions, garlic, and beef in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Apple Pie for Mom

This is the pie recipe I use to make Mom's birthday pie.  I don't use the crust recipe, because I am too lazy, but it is a good one.

Classic Apple Pie

Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp grated lemon zest (1 medium lemon)
1 cup salted butter, chilled
6-8 Tbs ice water

Filling:
6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)(I toss them with a little lemon juice to prevent browning and add a little tartness)
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup salted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

Egg Wash:
1 large egg, beaten
1 Tbs white sugar

To prepare crust:
Mix flour and lemon zest together with wire whisk in a medium bowl. With pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut in butter with flour until dough resembles coarse meal.
Add ice water and blend until dough can be gathered into a ball. Divide dough in half, flatten into disks, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or a plastic bag. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

To prepare filling:
Combine sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch with a wire whisk in a large bowl. Add apples to sugar mixture and toss with a wooden spoon until dry ingredients coat the apples completely.
Preheat oven to 400°F.

On a floured surface use a floured rolling pin to roll out one piece of dough into a circle 11 inches in diameter. Fold the crust in half, then in quarters.
Place point of folded crust in center of a 9 inch pie plate and carefully unfold. Trim excess dough, leaving about 3/4 inch hanging over edge of pie plate.

Spoon in apple filling and sprinkle butter pieces on top.

To prepare top crust:
Roll out second piece of dough into a circle 10 inches in diameter. Again, fold in half, then in quarters, and place on top of filling. Fold extra crust of the top layer over the bottom layer. Crimp layers together decoratively.
Cut several slits in pie top, brush with egg wash, and spinkle with 1 Tbs sugar.
Place pie on center rack of oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce oven to 350°F. Bake an additional 30 minutes, or until crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling through steam slits.
Remove from oven and cool to room temperature on rack.
Yield:8 slices

Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake

Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake
While making this cake, I was highly dubious of it turning out.  I'd never made mousse, never messed with making flourless cake, but decided it was worth a shot.  WOW!
Mark said it was worth all the trouble, which actually meant something since he cleaned up the raspberry mess for me.  Kimmie said it was her favorite thing I've ever made.  And while I thought that the raspberry would be my favorite layer, that chocolate mousse was so dense and creamy, I could have eaten it all day.  Mine was not this pretty, but who cares!

Flourless Chocolate Cake Layer:
7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, separated
pinch of salt
1/3 cup light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 9" springform pan or heart shaped springform pan by removing and turning the base upside down, setting it inside the ring, and clamping the pan. Generously grease the sides and base of the pan with butter.

Place chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl. Prepare a double boiler by filling a saucepan with 1" of water and setting it over low heat on the stove. Set the chocolate filled bowl over the pan and allow the chocolate and butter to melt slowly, stirring often. Remove melted chocolate from stove top and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and egg yolks.
Whisk egg whites and salt until foam forms. Sprinkle in about 1/2 of the brown sugar and whisk until combined. Add the rest of the brown sugar and whisk to soft peaks (pick up the whisk and the eggs should form a peak but flop over.) You can use a stand mixer or handheld mixer for this process if you desire, just don't over beat the eggs or they will become like Styrofoam.
Gently fold 1/3rd of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites being careful to not deflate the egg whites. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes. The cake will have risen, the edges will look set, and the center will spring back when touched. Set aside to cool for one hour. Once cooled, the cake will sink down in the center. NOTE: The toothpick test does not work with this cake. Just follow the instructions above.

 

 

Chocolate Mousse Layer:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons sugar
3 egg yolks, room temperature
Whisk whipping cream to soft peaks. Set aside. Melt the chocolate in a large bowl.  Pour water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved creating a simple syrup. Whisk egg yolks in a medium bowl. Continue to whisk while slowly adding a small amount of simple syrup. Slowly drizzle in the remaining simple syrup continually whisking. Combine eggs with melted chocolate, stirring until well incorporated. Heat chocolate mixture in the microwave for 15 seconds then stir. Add one third of the whipped cream and whisk until well incorporated. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until fluffy. Pour mousse over the chocolate cake layer. Spread evenly over top then refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes.

 

 

White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse:
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
16 ounces frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon sugar
6 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Garnish:
8 ounces fresh raspberries, rinsed and patted dry

 

Pour water into a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over top and set aside for 5 minutes to bloom. Pour thawed raspberries into the bowl of a food processor and puree. Pour puree into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Allow the raspberry juice to drip into the bowl. Press on the solids to get as much juice out of the puree as possible. Discard solids. Pour raspberry juice into a small saucepan. Add sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil, stirring often until the juice reduces to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the bloomed gelatin. Stir until the gelatin is dissolved. Put chopped white chocolate into a large bowl. Pour hot juice over chocolate. Allow to sit for 3 minutes. Stir until melted and smooth. 

Whisk cream to soft peaks. Whisk 1/3rd of the whipped cream into the white chocolate mixture. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until light and fluffy. Pour over the chocolate mousse layer and spread evenly. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Remove from refrigerator. Run a thin knife or offset spatula around the edge of the pan. Release the latch on the pan and carefully remove the metal ring from the cake.
Cake (without raspberry garnish) will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Keep in a cake dome to keep refrigerator smells out. Serves 8-12.

Beth's Cornbread

From Beth's hands to Kimmie's hands to mine;  so good!  This is a sweeter cornbread, but I think it's totally worth it.

Mix together in a medium bowl:

• 2/3 cup cornmeal
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

Mix together in another bowl:

• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 12 oz can of evaporated milk
• 2 beaten eggs

Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and stir until barely combined. Pour into in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Makes 18 3"x 2" servings.