Author: almost_rosey

50 States, 50 Cookies: Missouri

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Chocolate Chip Cookies are my go-to cookie. They are so easy. These are very good. They have a great texture & flavor. I’m pretty sure they closely resemble the tollhouse recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag so chances are you have made these as well. I have to say I don’t normally add walnuts to my chocolate chip cookies so it was a nice variation.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies from Bob’s Red Mill United States of Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Cream shortening, sugars, egg, and vanilla till light and fluffy. Stir together dry ingredients;then stir into creamed mixture; blend well. Add chocolate and nuts.
  3. Drop from teaspoon 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 9 -10 minutes. Remove from sheet immediately and transfer to cooling rack or waxed paper to cool.

50 States, 50 Cookies: Kentucky

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I was never into horse racing until I met my guy. I had gone to Canterbury a few times as a youth & enjoyed it but that’s where my experience with horse racing ended. My guy is very into horse racing & handicapping. He used to be much more involved but since moving to Almost Canada it’s harder to stay current with it. The track is too far away so you just don’t pay attention as much.

He is the one who got me into handicapping/horse racing. I used to be pretty decent at it. I never won big but it was fun and I did well enough. For the most part we only pay attention to the Derby or the Triple Crown these days. We watch the prep races online to stay up to date. We were actually lucky enough to witness a triple crown winner, American Pharaoh, in 2015. The Triple Crown hadn’t been won yet in our lifetimes. He also won the Breeder’s Cup that year becoming the first horse in history to win what it now termed “The Grand Slam.”

This year there will be no triple crown winner as the Derby winner lost the Preakness. That being said I was lucky enough to cash a ticket on him for the derby. I ended up winning $100 which is my biggest win yet. Not too bad for someone who is very out of practice playing the ponies.

Kentucky Derby Pie Cookies from Bob’s Red Mill United States of Cookies

(PS I din’t take a photo cause they were nothing special. Yummy. Just not as good as I would have hoped)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup evaporated cane sugar
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp bourbon
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp corn starch
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chunks
  • 1/2 cup pecans
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350.
  2. Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, beat the butter with the sugars until creamy. Add vanilla, bourbon and egg. Beat on low for about 15 seconds.
  3. Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined. Add the chocolate chips and pecans.
  4. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies are puffy and starting to turn golden. Cool on baking rack for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Summer of Rhubarb: Rhubarb Drop Scones

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The summer of rhubarb has begun! Rhubarb screams summer and Minnesota cooking to me. I have grown up with rhubarb & have always loved it (no berry mixing required). These drop scones are not like your traditional scone in texture but are perfect for breakfast or with a coffee or tea.

 

Rhubarb Drop Scones

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
1 egg yolk

1 cup sour milk ( 1 tbsp lemon juice with 1 cup milk & let stand for 5 min)
raw sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter pieces and, using a pastry blender & your hands, mash it all up until the mixture resembles coarse meal and the butter is worked throughout. Add the rhubarb.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk and sour milk. Add this to the flour-fruit mixture. Stir until combined.

Drop large spoonfuls of the dough onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pat them down slightly until they are a uniform thickness (about 1/2 – 3/4 inch). Sprinkle the tops with raw sugar. Bake for about 20 minutes (a little less if you opt for smaller scones) or until the scones are golden and the edges beginning to brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.

 

50 States, 50 Cookies: Kansas

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I often joke that I am a 70 year old man based on my beverage choices of scotch or gin. That being said, I’ve never jumped on the butterscotch bandwagon. I, like many others, associate butterscotch with grandparents. In that aspect, I am not like an elderly person with my taste preferences. I find butterscotch puddings and candies to be rather disgusting.

I thought these cookies would be not that great due to the butterscotch but the flavors work perfectly together. The sweetness of the butterscotch with the saltiness of the sunflower seeds is a perfect pairing. I’m not ashamed to admit that I really like these cookies. I liked them so much that one night I had scotch and sunflower butterscotch cookies for dinner.

Sunflower Butterscotch Cookies from Bob’s Red Mill United States of Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 cups rolled oats (I used quick cooking)
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips
  • 1 cup shelled sunflower seeds
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy (couple minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix to combine. Stir in oats, butterscotch chips and sunflower kernels.
  4. Using a cookie scoop, drop dough onto prepared cookies sheets, two inches apart. Top with a couple extra sunflower kernels and butterscotch chips. Bake for 8-11, or until lightly browned around the edges.
  5. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
     

Korean Venison & Broccoli

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I’m embarrassed to say that my guy has done the majority of cooking with our venison. He has made chicken fried venison, various steaks, and every roast we have had in the past two years. It’s not that I can’t try cooking the roasts, that’s just how it has worked out. He perfected the roast recipe so I have just let him cook all of them. I have made a few dishes with the venison. Most of which I have yet to post.

One of the very first meals I made with my first deer was Asian Venison & Broccoli (which I did actually blog about). That deer is long gone but I was fortunate enough to harvest another deer last season. When I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner I figured I would try something similar. One of the only vegetables I can easily get in my grocery store is broccoli.

I also always have the other ingredients for the marinade in my pantry so figured it would be quick and easy.

The marinade I found was from bon appetite. It’s called bulgogi which is Korean. I’ve used in on chicken and am absolutely in love with the flavors (I do cut out a few of the ingredients for convenience but I like the way it turns out my way). Normally when you cook it you grill it or pan fry it without adding additional sauce to it so that it has a nice char on the outside. I wanted a sauce for the rice & broccoli though.

Korean Venison & Broccoli (serves 2)

  • small amount of sesame & olive oil
  • 8 oz venison steak*sliced into thin strips
  • 1/2 to 3/4 head broccoli, cut into florets and blanched or lightly steamed.
  • 1/2 cup white rice, cook according to package directions

*I did also brine my steaks (before slicing them) in 4 cups water and 2 tsp salt which is a very mild brine but so much salt is being added in the marinade & sauce I didn’t want the salt to be over powering. Rinse the brine off and pat dry before slicing.

Marinade

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1-2 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper
  • few dashes ground ginger
  • 1 tsp corn starch
  • few dashes salt

Sauce

  • 1 tbsp each hoisin, oyster, soy sauce, and water
  • 1-2 tsp rice vinegar
  • dash or two ground ginger & garlic powder

 

Add marinade to venison (except for corn starch & salt) and allow to stand for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix sauce ingredients together.

Heat a small amount of sesame oil or sesame & olive oil in a skillet (I find too much sesame oil is overwhelming so usually do a blend for stir-fries). Add the corn starch & salt to the venison and stir. Add the marinaded venison and cook briefly over medium to medium high heat (about 30 seconds per side). Add the broccoli and the sauce and allow to come to a boil. Cook for another 2 minutes or so. Add a smidge more corn starch if needed to thicken sauce. Serve over rice.

 

Dinner Party Tiramisu

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I really enjoy having friends over for dinner. I like being a hostess. I would prefer to have nicer plates & actually make a pretty table like they do on TV but have never invested in it. Regardless, I enjoy having company, planning a menu, making sure everyone has what they need, and that they are enjoying themselves.

A long time ago, in another life I like to say, I used to have friends over for dinner often. Roughly every other weekend I would have people over. One of those people was my guy. At that point in time though we were friends. We were on the verge of transitioning into where we are today.

One night I had an Italian themed dinner. I had planned a menu of parmesan encrusted chicken breasts with roasted red pepper sauce, some sort of side that I can no longer recall, and tiramisu for dessert.

I have always loved tiramisu but had never made it before that dinner party. My trusty cookbook had a recipe so I thought I would give it a go. It did not turn out pretty but tasted fantastic. As I was making it & reading the recipe, it said to cut it into thirds. I cut it into 3 pieces in the pan. Whoops. It meant cut the whole cake into thirds so that you’d have cake, filling, cake, filling, etc. I didn’t care too much. I found it more funny than anything else so decided to just keep it and have it be super tall. It would be an excellent conversation piece if anything else.

I was finishing as much prep as I could do before people arrived. They were running late which didn’t bother me cause I was running a bit behind too. I went into a cupboard to grab a mixing bowl and managed to knock out the bowl of my food processor onto the floor. I stepped back to get it & stepped on what I though was a rock. I looked and saw it was the blade of my food processor. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. I had stepped on the plastic part that attaches it to the bowl or so I thought. I took a few steps to put it away and turned around & realized I was not as lucky as I thought. There was blood everywhere. The blade was so sharp (honestly it had never been used) that it had sliced my foot super clean so that I hadn’t known I had gotten cut.

I saw a roll of paper towels on the counter, grabbed it, & hit the floor putting pressure & the towels on my wound. In my head I was thinking that this couldn’t be happening. I was having friends over for dinner in a matter of minutes. This is all their fault. If they had been there they would have seen what had happened & yelled at me to not step back.

Of course I knew that it wouldn’t have really been that way. If anything I would have still stepped back & rolled on it from them trying to warn me & probably cut myself a lot worse. By the time they arrived it had been a few minutes. I was wanting to hold it tight for a bit to see if I could stop the bleeding. I didn’t know how deep it was & didn’t really want to look. I finally did & they joked that they wanted to see. I went in the bathroom & unwrapped my foot & knew that the dinner would have to go on without me as I needed to go to the ER.

I was such a good hostess though. As I was getting ready to leave I told everyone where I was in the dinner process. Where they could find all the ingredients, the recipes, & any miscellaneous items. I left. My guy (well not my guy at the time but you know what I mean) came out to watch me leave & I waived goodbye.

I ended up with 10 stitches. I had never had a stitch in my life. My first one (or ten) happened when I was almost 27 years old. I did not pay attention to my doctors advice to not drink. I actually took a shot of whiskey in the parking lot after being picked up. I lived in wright county at the time so I’m sure there was at least one other person doing the exact same thing. My friends had been having fun in the 3 hours that I spent in the ER. They managed to make dinner and saved me a plate. They waited to have the tiramisu until I got back. We hung out & I didn’t have to get up once.

That part of my life seems so long ago but it’s really only been 6 years. It’s amazing what can change in 6 years. In that time my guy and I figured out where we wanted to be in terms of our relationship. We moved to Almost Canada. We got married & just celebrated our one year anniversary. We have a whole new life.

We actually hosted an Italian night with friends we have made up here. Of course I offered to make the tiramisu. It made me remember my first tiramisu & how horribly ugly it looked. I wish I had a photo. When I told my guy I was making tiramisu for dessert all he said was… ‘make sure you cut it correctly this time.’ I guess he never forgot that evening either or at least the tiramisu.

I did make this one appropriately with the exception of doing 2 layers instead of 3 as I don’t think my knife skills are up to par to make thirds. That’s OK though. It was fun hosting. Everyone seemed to enjoy the tiramisu & I didn’t end up in the ER. I’d call that a success.

 

50 States, 50 Cookies: Indiana

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When I first looked at the recipe I thought that it was just a snickerdoodle. They are similar but calling them a sugar cream pie is a very accurate description. They are so soft, pillowy, & super creamy. When they first come out of the oven they are still on the raw side. Let them sit for a few minutes before you eat one and you might never make a regular snickerdoodle again.

Sugar Cream Pie from the Unites States of Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Salted Butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 2 3/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached All Purpose White Flour
  • 2 teaspoons Cream of Tarter
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 4 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Nutmeg

Directions:

  1. Cream the butter, 1 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar together.
  2. Add eggs and vanilla and continue to beat until smooth and fluffy.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt.
  4. Slowly add dry mixture to wet mixture and blend until combined.
  5.  In a small bowl combine 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  6. Roll dough into balls and then roll in the sugar / cinnamon / nutmeg  mixture.
  7. Place dough onto cookie sheets and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to chill.
  8. Preheat oven to 400 degrees farenheit.
  9. Bake cookies for approximately 8-10 minutes until they are slightly brown around the edges.
  10. Cookies will be extremely soft & undone so let sit for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet & then remove to cool completely. They will set up perfectly.

50 States, 50 Cookies: Illinois

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I’ve found that with baking there are people who either love coconut or those who hate it. I’m on the love side so was super excited to make these not only for the flaked coconut but for the coconut oil in them instead of butter. These cookies did not disappoint either. They were so scrumptious & perfectly chewy. Make these & convert yourself to a coconut lover.
Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies
INGREDIENTS
  1. 1/2 cup room-temperature coconut oil
  2. 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar which is what I used)
  3. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  4. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  5. 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  6. 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  7. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  8. 3 tablespoons chickpea canned liquid (or liquid from any canned white bean – I didn’t have this so used about 2 tbsp milk)
  9. 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  10. 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  11. 3/4 cup  chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a mixing bowl, cream the coconut oil and coconut sugar with an electric mixer, just until combined. Add the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, vanilla and chickpea liquid. Beat to combine.
  3. Add the flour into the wet mixture and beat until well mixed. Fold in chocolate chips and coconut with a spatula.
  4. Spoon rounded tablespoons onto a baking sheet, then flatten each cookie using the palm of your hand, or a flat spatula.
  5. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden.
  6. Let cool on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes. Transfer to cool for several minutes more. Store in an airtight container for up to five days. Makes about 9-12 cookies.
  7. Enjoy!

50 States, 50 Cookies: Idaho

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I love potato chips. I love them so much I rarely buy them. It’s hard for me to just eat a serving or I end up nibbling on them all day. That being said, I’ve never really been into the chip concept in desserts. I do like the sweet & salty combos but not when it comes to chips. These cookies were good but I’d rather just have a Russian tea cake & eat the chips separately.

Buttery Walnut Potato Chip Cookies from United States of Cookies

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter- softened
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1-3/4 cups Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached All Purpose White Flour
  • 1 cup crushed potato chips
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • ¼ cup mini chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. In mixer bowl, combine butter & sugar & beat until light & fluffy
  3. Mix in vanilla followed by flour & beat until mixed well & creamy
  4. Fold in chocolate chips, walnuts & potato chips
  5. Take tablespoon size portions & lightly roll into a ball & place on ungreased cookie sheet
  6. Bake 14-16 minutes or until golden brown on the bottoms (because it’s shortbread, they will still look soft on top- they will set as they cool)
  7. Allow to cool on pan for several minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely

50 States, 50 Cookies: Florida

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When I was younger I was never a fan of key lime pie. It wasn’t until I started baking regularly that I liked it. Of course I didn’t make real key lime pie. I used regular limes because it’s almost impossible to get key limes where I live & to get ripe key limes is even harder.  I was always told by my parents & grandparents that you had to have real key lime pie from Florida.

A few years ago I went to Florida with my family. We went to a restaurant known for their key lime pie & it was there that I finally understood the appeal of it.

These cookies are a nice twist if you are a fan of key lime pie but they are nowhere near as tasty. Of course…I had to use regular limes but I still stand by that the pie version is way better than the cookie version.

Key Lime Cookies from Bob Reds Mill United States of Cookies

6 oz unsalted butter softened (1-1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1-1/2 tsp Key Lime Zest
2 Tbsp Key Lime Juice
1-1/2 cups Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
3/4 cup Pecans toasted and chopped fine
Powdered Sugar for topping
Instructions
In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Stir in Key Lime zest and juice.
In a separate bowl, stir flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Stir in pecans. Fold dry mixture into butter mixture and beat until combined. Bring the mixture together with your hands and form into two logs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut into ¼ inch thick rounds and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. (Make sure you leave ample space between the cookies because they will spread.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a baking rack. Dust with confectioners sugar and allow to cool on the rack.