Double Chocolate M & M Cookies

Chocolate Baking Squares? Check. Cocoa Powder? Check. M&M's? Check. Chocolate lovers: These cookies are for you! I have made these cookies several times now and still can't get over how delicious they turn out every time. I absolutely love the fun colors of these cookies due to the dark chocolate cookie mixed with the bright pops of M&M's. Not only are they gorgeous, but they're also some of the most delicious cookies I've ever had. They are my husband's absolute favorite cookie, hands-down. He asks me to make them almost every week, and almost every week I refrain since it's too tempting having a few dozen cookies sitting around waiting to get eaten. These babies are soft and chocolatey (obviously....) with a bite of crunch from the colorful M&M shells. In my opinion, the more M&M's in these cookies the better. They are also a cinch to throw together and they store beautifully for about 2 days. Although these usually don't make it past my husband and I's mouths, they can also be frozen for those days when you have the "had-a-bad-day" syndrome. :) Enjoy! (Recipe courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour


• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder


• 1/2 tsp. baking soda


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• 4 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate, coarsely chopped


• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into 8 pieces


• 1 1/2 cups sugar


• 2 large eggs


• 1 tsp. vanilla


• 3/4 cup M&M's

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, place the chopped chocolate and the butter. Microwave on 50% power for one minute. Stir and repeat for another minute. If chocolate is not fully melted, continue microwaving on 30 second intervals, stirring in between. Let the mixture cool slightly at room temperature, 2-3 minutes.

In a large bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer), combine the chocolate mixture, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until combined. Gradually add in flour mixture on low speed. Fold in the M&M's with a wooden spoon - do not mix with mixer or the M&M's will break up into little pieces rather than stay whole.

Line baking sheets with silpat liners, or spray them with cooking spray. Drop dough onto cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls, placing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake the cookies until they have slightly flattened and they begin to crack - about 14-15 minutes. The cookies will be soft, but a toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the middle. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for 2-3 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: My cookies took longer bake than the original recipe directed. Watch cookies carefully when they have baked for about 13-14 minutes. They will have cracks on the tops when they are finished baking.

Orange-Chocolate Checkerboard Cookies

These officially marked the start of the fall season for me. I'm not sure if it was the brown and orange colors, the warm and soft combination of flavors, or the checkerboard look that reminded me of the University of Tennessee's football end zones (Yes, I married a football enthusiast :)), but I couldn't get enough of them. These cookies do take a little more time then your regular drop cookie, simply because a lot of refrigeration is required between making dough. Even though they look very complicated, they are actually extremely easy - the most difficult part is waiting for them to harden in the fridge! I couldn't get over how soft these were. Even after sitting in a Tupperware for a day or two, they were still chewy and had the perfect texture. If you love orange flavor, I would recommend adding in a little orange juice or orange extract and cutting the vanilla amount in half. I also think this dough would be great frozen. Just thaw it out for 24-hours in the fridge, slice into cookies and bake. (Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens "Our Best Recipes" Cookbook)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened


• 1 1/2 cups sugar


• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder


• 1/4 tsp. salt


• 1 egg


• 1 tsp. vanilla


• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


• 2 tsp. finely shredded orange peel


• 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.

Divide dough in half. Stir in orange peel into one half of the dough; stir in melted chocolate into the other half of the dough. If necessary, cover and chill about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle. Shape each half of the dough into a 10-inch long roll. Wrap each roll in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Chill about 2 hours or until firm.

Cut each chilled roll lengthwise in half, then cut each half lengthwise again - you will have 4 pieces of each roll. Reassemble into 2 rolls, alternating chocolate and orange quarters. Wrap and chill about 30 minutes more or until firm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place slices 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are slightly browned. (Cookies will still be very soft to the touch - don't overbake!) Transfer to wire racks to cool. Makes about 60 cookies.

Peach Bread Pudding

Anybody agree with me that sometimes bread pudding can be too mushy or soggy to eat? I completely 100% agreed with this until I made this recipe. Don't ask me why I decided to make bread pudding when I normally don't like it very much, but I couldn't resist. I had several over-ripened peaches sitting on my counter and a bag of old bread that was pleading to be used before it was thrown away. I cannot even begin to describe how delicious this recipe was! By far one of the best desserts I think I have ever had - I'm not joking here. Warm, sweet and soft, but NOT soggy, with bits of sweet/tart peaches and a creamy warm vanilla sauce that I ate straight with a spoon. And I am not ashamed. It was surprisingly very easy to make and didn't require many steps or hardly any work.
I added one unusual ingredient to the vanilla sauce that completely changed the recipe - for the better: Creamer. Yes, coffee creamer. I don't drink coffee, but I always have creamer on hand for oatmeal and for my hot cocoa in the winter. International Delight has a new flavor our called: "vanilla caramel cream" that is perfect for that warm, rich caramel flavor that we all crave. Next time you make a dessert that calls for heavy cream or milk, substitute in a little creamer and you'll be shocked at the delicious results! (Recipe and picture adapted from Tasty Kitchen.)

Ingredients:

• 3 whole eggs


• 3 Tbsp. butter


• 2 Tbsp. vanilla


• 2 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk


• 2 cups sugar


• 1 tsp. cinnamon


• 2 cups fresh peaches, pitted and diced


• 1 pound old stale bread, cut into 1" cubes


• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Vanilla Cream Sauce:

• 1/2 cup butter


• 1 cup sugar


• 1 tsp. vanilla


• 1 whole egg


• 3 Tbsp. creamer (to taste)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, beat 3 eggs, add 3 Tbsp. melted butter, 2 Tbsp. vanilla, and 2 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk. Add 2 cups sugar slowly, stirring until it's dissolved. Add cinnamon, peaches and bread cubes, mixing well. Allow the bread to soak for 30 minutes.

Spray a 9x13 cooking pan with cooking spray and pour in the bread mixture. Sprinkle with pecans if desired. Bake uncovered 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

For the vanilla sauce: In a small saucepan, cream 1/2 cup butter with 1 cup sugar. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 egg. Add in the creamer. Stir over low heat for 5 minutes Serve warm over individual servings of pudding.

Cheesy Chicken Crepes

Growing up, my mom and I used to love going to a nearby restaurant called "European Connection." It was a quaint deli/cafe that made all of their food with crepes! I always loved their "half-attack" which used a large crepe cut in half, and then filled with meat, cheese, vegetables, and sauce on one side, and berries, chocolate, whipped cream, etc. on the other. I had completely forgotten about their delicious "main meal" crepes until I saw this recipe in my Taste of Home cookbook. What a fantastic idea to put hearty fillings into light delicate crepes. Why didn't I ever think of doing that... This particular recipe is creamy, cheesy and full of flavor. And if you make extra crepes, you can even have them for breakfast the next day. Score!

Ingredients:

Crepes:

• 1 cup milk


• 3 eggs


• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour


• 1/2 tsp. salt

Filling:

• 1 cup cooked broccoli (optional)


• 1 cup sliced mushrooms


• 1/3 cup diced onions


• 2 Tbsp. butter


• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour


• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• 1/2 tsp. pepper


• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder


• 3/4 cup mayonnaise (or cottage cheese)


• 1 1/2 cup milk


• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese


• 2 cups cooked chicken, diced

In a large bowl, combine the milk and eggs. Add flour and salt to milk mixture and mix well. Let stand for 15 minutes.
To cook the crepes: Heat a lightly greased nonstick skillet; pour 1/3 cup batter into the center of skillet. Lift and tilt pan to evenly coat bottom. Cook until the edges begin to peel away from the pan and the crepe starts to bubble. turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Remove to plate. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet as needed.

For filling, in a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onions in butter until mushrooms are tender; set aside. In a 2-qt. saucepan, combine the flour and rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir in the mayonnaise until blended. Cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes. Gradually stir in 1-1/2 cups milk. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add 1 cup cheese; stir until melted. Remove from the heat; add chicken and the mushroom mixture.
Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture down the center of each crepe. Roll up and place seam side down in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with extra cheese and fresh rosemary if desired.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 6 servings.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Yes, I realize that it is the middle of the summer and the average temperature around here has been 98 degrees, but I still made this soup on Sunday afternoon. Neal and I had eaten a pretty big lunch after church and wanted something light and simple for dinner, so we had sandwiches and caulifower soup. It was so easy and delicious. This is a very creamy soup and works best as a side dish rather than a main course. It also has a very mild flavor and doesn't even taste like vegetables. And did you know that one cup of cauliflower has most of your daily Vitamin C allowance? Pretty awesome! (Recipe adapted from Taste of Home Cookbook)

Ingredients: (4 servings)

• 4 cups chicken broth


• 3 cups cauliflower, chopped (fresh or frozen)


• 1/2 cup whipping cream


• 1 tsp. sugar


• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg


• 1 tsp. garlic powder

In a medium saucepan, mix together the chicken broth and cauliflower and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and allow to simmer, uncovered for about 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft. Pour everything into a blender and puree until all of the cauliflower chunks are smooth. Transfer back to the saucepan and stir in the whipping cream, sugar, nutmeg and garlic powder. Warm through on low heat if necessary. Serve immediately and top with fresh chives if desired.

Note: This recipe could also be made with carrots or broccoli in place of the cauliflower. Or mix together a variety of the three vegetables to make up 3 cups.

Homemade Buttermilk Syrup

I'm not sure if I will ever be able to go back to buying regular syrup at the grocery store anymore. This stuff is incredibly delicious and very evil... This is more of a caramel based syrup rather than maple so you can use it on anything: waffles, pancakes, ice cream, or just eat it with a spoon like I do! I stumbled across this recipe one day when I made waffles for breakfast, went to the pantry to grab my syrup, and realized there was only about 1 tablespoon left in the bottle. Now, if you know me at all, you know that I have to have a lot of syrup with my waffles. This wouldn't even be enough to cover half of my waffle, let alone begin to touch my husband's. This was just a little problem.. Thank goodness for Our Best Bites who had this sinfully delicious recipe that went above and beyond solving my syrup problem. My next syrup project is to try it over a chocolate waffle with ice cream.. Mmm... (Recipe and picture courtesy of Our Best Bites.)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c. buttermilk*


• 1 1/2 c. sugar


• 1 stick butter


• 2 Tbsp. corn syrup


• 1 tsp. baking soda


• 1 tsp. vanilla

Combine buttermilk, sugar, butter, corn syrup and baking soda together in a LARGE pot. Bring ingredients to a boil and reduce heat to low (needs to still be bubbling). Cook, stirring very frequently, for 8 - 9 minutes. When it's down, it should turn a light golden color. Remove from heat and add vanilla. There will be a thin layer of foam on top. It tastes great, but you can remove it if you'd like by spooning it off the top. Use while it's still warm, or store it in the fridge until ready to use.

*I never have buttermilk on hand for any of my recipes, so I use the following trick: Mix together 1 Tbsp. lemon juice OR white vinegar and enough milk to make 1 cup. Let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes or until the milk begins to curdle. Yay for easy buttermilk!

Orange Rolls

Have you ever heard of The Pioneer Woman and her incredible website? I'm a leetle obsessed with her, and particularly with her cooking section. She published a cookbook a couple of years ago and one of the crowning recipes that made it into her breakfast section was her cinnamon rolls. Aside from the 840 comments (Yes, that's eight hundred and forty) she's received on this recipe on her website, her cookbook was also a #1 New York Times bestseller for weeks. I feel ashamed to admit that I've been following her website almost every day for the past several years, and only now made these cinnamon rolls. After trying them I could smack myself!! 2 years without making these?! Merideth... Honestly. These. Are. Amazing. They turn out so soft and a little gooey on the inside which is a must for any type of sweet roll. I adapted the frosting to make them into orange rolls, but her original frosting with maple extract also sounds amazing. And if you're worried about using yeast and the anxiety it always causes, stop right now! I am definitely not very experienced with yeast but these turned out perfect. They rose when I told them to and turned out so big and perfectly plump! The Pioneer Woman's recipe makes around 6-8 pans of rolls so I adapted it to make only one. Yes, these are made from scratch and do take a little extra time and attention, but plan them out for a special party or for a lazy Sunday afternoon - you won't be sorry!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk


• 1/4 cup vegetable oil


• 1/4 cup sugar


• 1/2 package active dry yeast


• 2 cups all-purpose flour


• 1/4 (heaping) tsp. baking powder


• 1/4 tsp. baking soda


• 1/4 Tbsp. salt


• 1/4 cup butter, melted (1/2 cube)


• 1/2 cup brown sugar


• Cinnamon for sprinkling


• Zest from one orange

Orange Frosting:

• 1/4 bag powdered sugar


• 1/8 cup milk


• 3 Tbsp. melted butter


• Juice from one orange (about 1/4 cup)

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1/2 cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it - overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle brown sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon and the orange zest.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pan.
Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 375 degrees until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don't skimp on the frosting.

The Best Banana Bread

I'll be the first to admit that I often buy fresh fruit and vegetables and eat more of them, but then I forget about them and before I know it they're mushy, moldy, or too gross to eat. But the beautiful thing about bananas is that when they turn to their soft brown stage, they become perfect for banana bread! This recipe is by-far the best banana bread I have ever made or eaten. The batter is so fluffy and light and immediately looks different from regular banana bread which, in my eyes, is definitely a good sign. The bread itself comes out extremely moist and sticky and tastes so delicious. The moistness is a result of two unusual ingredients: cream cheese and sour cream. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I eat both of these plain every now and then. How can you turn anything down that has the word "cream" in it? I was feeling naughty the day I made this and added in chocolate chips, but the bread itself is absolutely delicious without any additions. Aside from my ramblings and descriptions, the bottom line is this is the best banana bread ever and you need to try it. (Recipe courtesy of How Sweet It Is)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter


• 3 oz. cream cheese


• 1 cup brown sugar


• 2 ripe bananas, mashed


• 1 egg


• 1/4 cup sour cream


• 1 1/2 cups flour (can substitute whole wheat)


• 1 tsp. baking soda


• 1 tsp. baking powder


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease loaf pan. Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in mashed bananas, egg and sour cream and mix until smooth. Stir in dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake for 50-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

Whenever I hear about the recipe "Chicken Cordon Bleu," I always think of the class high school prom dinner with this as the main course. Maybe I'm crazy, but it seems like it's one of those fancy, but not overly-priced meals that works great for something like a high school dance. Anyway, the main reason I rarely, if ever, make these is simply because of the time it takes to butterfly the breasts, stuff them with ham and cheese, attempt to roll them up and stick them together with toothpicks, roll them in breadcrumbs.. You get the picture. It's just way too many steps. Enter Chicken Cordon Bleu without the endless steps and mess. Chicken breasts are cut in half length-wise and then topped with slices of ham, Swiss cheese and bread crumbs and baked until golden brown and crispy. Then there's the sauce.. the creamy Parmesan Dijon sauce that tops it all. De-licious. Granted, it's definitely not as pretty as regular chicken cordon bleu, but when you're short on time and you're just feeding your family, then pretty isn't exactly the main thought that crosses your mind.

Ingredients:
Chicken Cordon Bleu:

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise to form two thinner chicken breast cutlets


• 4 slices deli ham


• 4 thin slices Swiss cheese


• 1 cup bread crumbs


• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Parmesan-Dijon Sauce

• 2 Tbsp. butter


• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour


• 1 cup milk


• 1 chicken bouillon cube (or 1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules)


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard


• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce


• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer each chicken breast with 2 slices of ham and two slices of cheese. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the melted butter and sprinkle over the top of the chicken. Bake the chicken for 30 -35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and bread crumbs are golden.

While the chicken bakes, in a medium sauce pan melt the butter. Add in the flour, stirring constantly, for about 1-2 minutes until it forms a roux. Slowly pour in the milk while stirring. Add in the salt and chicken bouillon cube. Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 3 - 5 minutes. Once the sauce has bubbled and thickened, remove from heat and add in the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep warm until chicken is finished baking. Serve over warm chicken immediately.

Note: If sauce is too thick, stir in more milk until it is at your desired consistency.

Santa Fe Chicken Salad Wraps

I'm usually pretty good at packing a lunch with me when I go to work everyday, but I'm not very good at bringing a variety of meals that I don't get tired of quickly. Sometimes I feel like I eat sandwich after sandwich until I would rather starve than eat another one. Lately I've been spicing things up a bit by trying new wraps filled with everything from eggs, bacon and potatoes to chicken salad. This is a fantastic recipe that has a slight Mexican zing to it. It is very versatile and can be used for lunch or dinner and it is very healthy compared to some of my other lunchtime options. I served it last night for dinner and it made plenty for my husband and I with enough leftover to bring for lunch today! And I have to admit: you just can't beat having a home-cooked meal for lunch. (Picture and recipe adapted from Good Life Eats)

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup sour cream


• 3 Tbsp. lime juice (or juice from one lime)


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• 1/4 tsp. pepper


• 1/4 tsp. cumin


• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder


• 1-2 Tbsp. minced cilantro


• 1/4 cup diced onion


• 1/3 cup corn kernels


• 1/3 cup black beans


• 1/3 cup diced green or red pepper


• 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded


• Burrito-sized tortillas


• Sliced avocado


• Lettuce or baby spinach

In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder and cilantro. Add the onion, corn, black beans, pepper and chicken and stir to combine. Cover and chill until serving.

To prepare the wraps: Layer chicken salad, lettuce and avocado slices in the center of the tortillas. Fold in the ends and wrap up to seal it.