Co-Hosting with Mom's Test Kitchen Link Party

Pin It Now! Hi everyone!  This week I am proud to be a co-host at Mom's Test Kitchen for her link party.  Please feel free to head on over, link up your recipes, and show her lots of blogger luvin'!

AAAHHHHH!!!  It's October!!!  Only 3 months until Christmas!!!  Can someone please tell me where 2012 has gone??

Before I get too off track rambling about my life passing by, lets get to this week's party!!  Thank you all so much for coming back each week to link up your recipes!!  I love seeing what you've been making!  And I want to say Welcome to the new faces we're getting!  I love meeting new people & I'm so happy you've decided to come party with me!!

So now let me introduce you to this week's co-host ~ Lindsay from Mommy's Sweet Confessions!  This lady is a dessert lovers best friend!!  If you ever need a good laugh, you have to go check out her Toddler Tales!!  Every mom will appreciate the humor found there!!

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Hi everyone!  First off, thank you so much to Jaime for reaching out and inviting me to be a co-host for one of her fabulous link parties, truly an honor! 

My name is Lindsay, and I am the blogger behind Mommy's Sweet Confessions.  I love to bake and cook, I am a chocoholic, and I love sweets.  I try to bake whenever my energetic three year old son and my one year old darling son decide that they are going to let me.  Believe me, they like to make it a challenge! 

This recipe for Taco Chili Mac Skillet is my absolute favorite go-to one pan meal.  It is flavorful, hearty, easy to make, satisfying, and it only takes one pan. What could be better?
This can probably be made with staples that you have in your cupboard and freezer.  You can even substitute ingredients that you do have, if you don't have some of these.  Kidney beans are great, white beans are great, any shaped pasta will work perfect.  Have no fear, substitute as needed!  This is a meal that works for you, not a meal you work for. The spices can be adjusted to your families liking, the way it is written is a bit on the spicy side.  Not drink three gallons of milk to put the fire out spicy, but wake up your taste buds spicy.  It is an incredibly adaptable recipe so play around and find what works for you.

Taco Chili Mac Skillet Recipe 

(Adapted from The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook recipe for Chili-Pasta Skillet)


Makes approximately 8, 8 oz. servings


Ingredients:

• 1 to 1-1/2 lbs ground turkey (or ground chicken or ground beef)
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 8 oz uncooked orzo pasta
• 1/2 cup enchilada sauce (I used Trader Joe's enchilada sauce in the bottle)
• 2 Tbs. dried minced onions or 1/2 cup chopped fresh onion (I used dried)
• 1 Tbs. taco seasoning
• 1 Tbs. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. chipotle chili powder (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups water

Garnish:

• shredded cheese
• cilantro
• sour cream
• tortilla chips

Directions:

1.  In a large skillet brown and thoroughly cook the ground turkey.  
2. Once it is cooked, add the beans, green chilis, diced tomatoes (do not drain), orzo, enchilada sauce, dried onions, chili powder, chipotle powder, taco seasoning, garlic salt and the water.
3. Stir well, cover, and bring to a simmer.
4. Simmer on medium-low until the orzo is cooked through and the water has been absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 20-30 minutes.
5. More water may need to be added as it cooks, so if it is looking dry, or the pasta is not cooked but the water is absorbed, just add more, it will simmer away and do no harm.
6. Add salt to taste.
7. Top with any garnishes desired.

Just wanted to say thank you again to Jaime for allowing me to be a part of the wonderful blog she has going on right here.  Hope you all enjoy the recipe!

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Thank you so much Lindsay for sharing such a great dinner recipe with us!!  Now y'all be sure to head over to her page to pick out a great dessert to finish up this meal!!  I'm thinking these Chewy Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies would be a great choice!

Just the

reminders:

• Myself & Lindsay would love to have you as new friends!! Please take a
  minute to follow us both via GFC, Twitter, FB, or any other social media you
  prefer
  
• Please feel free to grab the button in the sidebar or add a direct link back
  to this week's party
  
• And finally, go make some new friends ~ spend a few minutes checking out
  some other recipes that you might want to try out yourself & comment!
  Everyone loves comments!!
  
• Please note that by linking up you are giving permission to use the
  photos along with a link back to your post in the Mom's Test Meal Mondays
  Features post & on Mom's Test Kitchen's Social Media Networks

And remember, if anyone is interested in being a co-host for Mom's
Test Meal Mondays, please email me at momstestkitchen (at) yahoo (dot) com! I'd
love to have you!

Soft Pumpkin Molasses Cookies

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A few days ago my dad emailed me asking if I had any goodies laying around that he could bring to a work meeting the next day.  Sadly, I didn't, but heck, that wasn't going to stop me from sending him well armed!  I made some of my pumpkin cinnamon rolls and while they were rising, I was trolling my favorite blogger's facebook posts and saw that Sweet Pea's Kitchen had just minutes before put up a recipe for pumpkin gingersnap cookies.  They looked amazing, and I had exactly the amount of pumpkin left over from the rolls, so I decided "what the heck!" I'll throw these in for good measure too if they turn out.  Well, Sweet Pea's Kitchen has yet to disappoint, they were out of this world amazing!!  I sent them to work with my dad the next day, and from what I hear, they were well received :) (As in, there were none left to bring home). Here is my take on hers, with just a few tweaks.  Hope you enjoy!

Oh yea, they were so good, I have made three total batches this week :)

Soft Pumpkin Molasses Cookies
(Adapted from Sweet Pea's Kitchen's Pumpkin Gingersnap Cookies)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), softened 
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1/2 cup of pure pumpkin 
1/4 cup of molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Coating:

1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup granulated sugar 


Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and salt; set aside. 
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and the brown and granulated sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg and beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds.
4. Add the pumpkin puree, molasses and vanilla and beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds.
5. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed. Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour. The dough can be chilled for 2-3 days.
6. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
7. Place the 1/4 cup sugar and pumpkin pie spice for rolling in a shallow bowl, mix well to combine. 
8. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a 1½-inch ball (I use a 1-1/2 tablespoon cookie dough scoop), roll the ball in the sugar mixture, and place it on the prepared baking sheet.  
9. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart.  Using your fingers or a spoon or fork, gently flatten the dough balls to about 1/2-3/4 inch thick, as they do not spread much.  Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and cookies look cracked, 10 to 12 minutes.
10. The cookies will come out flatter and denser the warmer they get, so for the most fluffy, pretty cookies, try to keep the dough chilled between batches.
11. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets about 3 minutes; using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.  

 

Sweet Confessions Sunday Link Party #9

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Sweet Confessions Sunday Link Party #9

Hi everyone!  This week for the Sweet Links Spotlight I let you guys determine the top post.  Well, your clicks did.  This weeks top feature was the most clicked link of the week.  Thank you to all the new party goers this week, I am tickled pink to see you all here!  Congratulations to everyone, all the links were fantastic and I can't wait to see what you have this week to share!

 

Sunday's Sweet Links Spotlight

 Most Clicked:  Everyday Insanity: Potatoes Au Gratin in the Crock Pot

The Dedicated House: Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings 

 

 Jewelry Making Journal: Rustic Cuff Bracelet Tutorial

 

Second Chance To Dream: 20 Yummy Pumpkin Treats 

 

Mandatory Mooch: Grandma's Cut Out Cookies 

If you were featured, grab yourself a button and post it proudly :)

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/u427/Lindsay_Stotts/mommybutton_featured1.jpg" alt="Mommy's Sweet Confessions" width="150" height="150" /></a>

Don't forget to spread the word, invite some friends, and have them let me know you sent them. Love to meet new friends!

Pie Crust "Fries"

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So one of the desserts I made for my son's 1st birthday party was pie crust "fries."  Essentially pie crust dough rolled out, cut in strips, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and then baked.  I got these adorable french fry containers from the Oriental Trading Company.  They were so easy and so much fun!  Check out the other goodies here.  Because really, what is better than a bunch of pie crust dough covered in cinnamon sugar???

Here is a blog post and pictures from King Arthur Flour, Pie "Fries"

Pie Crust " Fries"
Pie crust recipe adapted from KAF's All Butter Pie Crust)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (16 tablespoons, 8 ounces) unsalted butter*
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
• 1 tsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• *If you use salted butter, reduce the salt in the recipe to 1/2 teaspoon. 

Topping:

•  1/2 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, mixed

Directions:

1) Whisk together the flour and salt.

2) Dice the butter into small cubes, or cut it into pats. Work it into the flour until it's well-distributed, but not fully incorporated. Larger, pea-sized pieces of butter will be scattered throughout the mixture.

3) Tossing with a fork or your fingers, drizzle in the ice water. Stop adding water when the dough starts to come together, and grab it in your hands. If it holds together easily, without crumbling, it's ready. If it has dry spots, or pieces break off easily, add a bit more water until it's totally cohesive.

4) Gather the dough into a ball, and divide it in half. Gently pat/shape each half into a rough disk. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling. If dough has been refrigerated longer than 30 minutes, allow it to warm at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, until it rolls easily.  Here you can also place it in the freezer in a ziploc bag and save it for another batch if you don't need a lot.

5)  After it has been refrigerated, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, to 1/4 to an 1/8 of an inch thick.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

6)  Sprinkle liberally with the cinnamon sugar mixture, pressing in lightly.

7) Using a pizza cutter or pastry cutter, cut the dough in to 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch wide strips, and about 3-4 inch long segments.  Using your fingers or a spatula, transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet.

8)  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until puffy and golden brown.  Make sure to watch them carefully, they burn easily.  Remove from oven, let cool, and enjoy!

Sweet Confessions Sunday Link Party #8

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Sweet Confessions Sunday Link Party #8

Hi everyone!  This week for the Sweet Links Spotlight I let you guys determine the top post.  Well, your clicks did.  This weeks top feature was the most clicked link of the week.  Thank you to all the new party goers this week, I am tickled pink to see you all here!  Congratulations to everyone, all the links were fantastic and I can't wait to see what you have this week to share!

 
Sunday's Sweet Links Spotlight

This weeks most clicked link is....Everyday Insanity's Autumn Granola!

A few of my other favorite links this week (SOOOOOO hard to choose!)....

Here is an amazing looking  Chicken Pot Pie with Green Apples and Cheddar Biscuits from Chew, Nibble, Nosh.

 

These are totally being added to my Christmas cookie list.  Maple Glazed Oatmeal Cookies from Chocolate, Chocolate and More.

I love suprises, especially in my cupcakes!  These Caramel Surprise Cupcakes from Krumble Cakes and Sweets look delicious!

 

And, what could finish off all this amazingness better than this Caramel Apple Pie Popcorn from Lady Behind the Curtain.

If you were featured, grab yourself a button and post it proudly :)

<a href="http://www.mommyssweetconfession.com" target="_self"><img src="http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums


/u427/Lindsay_Stotts/mommybutton_featured1.jpg" alt="Mommy's Sweet Confessions" width="150" height="150" /></a>

Don't forget to spread the word, invite some friends, and have them let me know you sent them. Love to meet new friends!

Perfect Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

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I am really starting to love the concept of baking with pumpkin.  These pancakes have the wonderful, rich, warm flavor of pumpkin pie, in a light, fluffy, moist pancake package.  Sorry the pictures aren't very good, but I was so hungry I really didn't want to take the time to wait to make them as pretty as I could.  Maybe someday I will update it.  My son helped me make these this morning and he had a blast.  He loved them too.  My littlest boy helped clean off grandma's stack of pancakes too, and he is only 1!  Overall, these were a gigantic hit, and I am so excited to get to share with you!

I put a range of spice measurements, so if you like a ton of spice flavor, add the max, if you like subtle flavor, use the lesser.



Perfect Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

Makes 12-14 medium sized pancakes (approx. 4 inch diameter)

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
•  1 1/4 cups milk (buttermilk, soy milk, almond milk, regular milk)
•  2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling) 
•  1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour (approximately 6.4 ounces)
•  3/4 teaspoon salt
•  2 heaping teaspoons baking powder
•  1/4 cup malted milk powder (or 3 tablespoons granulated sugar total)
•  1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
•  3/4 to 1 tsp ground cinnamon
•  1/4 to 1/2 tsp nutmeg
•  1/4 tsp allspice
•  1/4 tsp ginger
•  1/2 teaspoon vanilla
•  1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (optional, but good to use if not using buttermilk)

Directions:

1. Place egg whites in medium mixing bowl and set aside. 
2. Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, including the remaining yolks, until well incorporated.  
3.  Mix the egg whites that were set aside, with either a hand mixer or by hand until they form stiff peaks when the whisk or beaters are pulled out and inverted.
4. Add in 1/4 of the egg white mixture to the batter and carefully fold in.  Pour in remaining egg whites and gently fold in until incorporated.  
5. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes while preheating a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Do not mix the batter again once it has rested, as this will deflate the happy air bubbles you have worked so hard to make.
6. Once water drops sprinkled onto the skillet dance around in the pan, it is ready for the batter. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup for medium size pancakes, and carefully pour onto skillet.  
7. Let these bake undisturbed until they are dry around the edges, and bubbles are starting to break on the surface.  Flip them over and bake another 30 seconds-1 minute or until browned on the bottom.
8. Repeat with remaining pancake batter. 
9. Top with whipped cream, real maple syrup, and enjoy!

 Tips for Success

1. If the pancakes are coming out too thin, add a bit more flour into the batter to thicken it up. 
2. If they are too thick and dry, add some more milk.
3. If your non stick skillet is pretty good, no extra butter, cooking spray, or oil is needed.  I never use any, and they never stick.
4. Pancakes only need to be flipped once, so be patient, they don't take that long to cook.
5. Adjust the temperature as necessary, if they are getting to dark or too light.
6. Letting the batter rest 15 minutes is very important, it lets the baking powder do its job, don't skip if you don't have to.

Slow Smoked Pulled Pork

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My husband is the master of all things revolving around outdoor cooking.  I don't barbeque, and I don't use our smoker.  That is his territory, and he rightfully belongs there, because he is the king of outdoor cooking.  His barbeque chicken is the most tender, flavorful barbeque chicken ever tasted, and the things he does with a smoker are just incredible.  One of our favorites is this slow smoked pulled pork.  It is addictive, full of phenomenal smokey, sweet, rich flavor, and it taste like bacon, taken to a whole new mind blowing level.  Our house smells so amazing when he makes this, between the smell wafting inside through the door, and when it is in the house after it is finished.  Oh if I could bottle that smell...

Anyways, if you have a smoker, and love BBQ pulled pork, this is a must try recipe for you.  It takes a little love and TLC, and a bit of a time commitment, but the end result is so worth it.  Do it on a day your having people over, it makes a ton, or make some new friends, because I guarantee neighbors are going to be wondering what smells so dang good!
 
If you need some ideas on what do with all this pulled pork, here is an idea.  These are some slow smoked pulled pork stuffed pretzel rolls I made a while back.  Took them as an appetizer to our Fourth of July family party, and they were gone before most people got there.  My favorite use for the pulled pork.  We just mixed the shredded pork with BBQ sauce, then made the pretzel roll dough that can be found here .  Pull of the amount needed to make the rolls, but flatten the dough pieces, put a heaping tablespoon of filling, and wrap the dough around it and seal it.  Proceed with the baking soda bath and baking as usual.  Incredible!!!

This pic was before I figured out how to take decent pictures, but this is a smoked pulled pork pretzel roll.  OMG Yummy!

SLOW SMOKED PULLED PORK

Ingredients:

• 5-7 pound pork shoulder/pork butt roast
• Yellow mustard
  

Rub (Double if you have a larger amount of pork) :

• 3 Tbs paprika
• 1 Tbs garlic powder
• 1 Tbs brown sugar
• 1 Tbs dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp chipotle powder (optional, but tasty)
• 1 Tbs Chili powder
• 1 1/2 Tbs sea salt

Equipment:

• Foil
• "In-Oven" thermometers
• Cookie sheets
• Smoker 
• Apple or white grape juice (100%)
• Cherry wood or hickory wood chips for smoker

Directions:

1.  Preparing the meat:

• Remove the meat from the package and place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with foil.
• Squirt a generous amount of mustard (trust me, it may seem odd, but there is no mustard taste when it is done) on all sides of the roast and rub around to coat.
• Mix all of the spice rub ingredients together until they are well incorporated.  If you have two large roasts like I did, double the spice mix.  This was about 14 pounds between the two of them (gotta love Sam's Club). 
• Rub the spice mix over all the sides of the roast, patting into the mustard to help it stick.
• Insert the thermometer probe into the center, making sure not to hit the bone.
• It should resemble the set up below:

Prepped pork roasts with mustard and spice rub applied

     2.  Get the smoker ready:

• This will vary depending on the smoker style but for our upright smoker, this is what we do:
• In the water portion of the smoker, place about half apple juice (or some other juice) and half water.
• Place the wood chips in the appropriate area of the smoker.
• Put the meat in at about 225 degrees F.
• Make sure the thermometer read out is working and readable.

     3.  Smoking the meat:

•  When the internal temperature of the meat reaches 100 degrees F, fill a CLEAN squirt bottle with more of the apple juice (or other juice) and squirt it down real well every hour or so.
• When the temperature reaches 165 degrees F, pull it out and place it on a double layer of foil, wrap it most of the way up (making sure to not move the thermometer), and pour about 1/2 cup of the juice of choice in, and then finish sealing the foil around it.
• Place back in smoker until the internal temp is anywhere from 190-210 degrees F.
• The true test of when it is done is if the meat is able to be shred with a fork.  We usually cook ours to a temperature of 205 degrees F, but it also depends on where there thermometer has been placed, and how well it works.  If it shreds, its good to go.
• Once it reaches the correct temperature, pull it out, take it inside and check for shred-ability.  If it is good to go, then keep it wrapped in the foil for about 1 hour, for the juices to redistribute. 

See all that darkness?  That is FLAVOR!  In my family, there are fights over the bark, or the outside part of the roast.

•  Shred it up, and enjoy it mixed with a BBQ sauce of your choosing, or plain with some coleslaw, or in tacos, the possibilities are endless, but it is so flavorful, I am sure you will have no problems finding some way to use them.

Get Your Chef On: Peanut Butter--Peanut Butter and Jelly French Macarons

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Thanks to White Lights on Wednesday and Four Marrs One Venus for hosting this awesome cooking challenge called Get Your Chef On.  This challenge's secret ingredient is Peanut Butter.  I have decided, with wonderful encouragement from my husband, to make Peanut Butter and Jelly French Macarons.  I eat so much peanut butter I am ashamed to admit it.  Unfortunately, all my peanut butter recipes I had were already posted by me previously, so here is a simple use of it, in a fancy package, but the peanut butter is the star, with its rich creamy flavor, countering the macaron and jam sweetness.

Make sure to visit the wonderful hosts of this fun challenge at:

Julie @ White Lights On Wednesdays

Jen @ Four Marrs One Venus

And check out all the other GYCO participant entries at the bottom of this post.

Delicious peanut butter and jelly filling just peeking out of the macarons.

I recently published a blog post on Macarons 101.  I love making macarons, and I think that their beauty and flexibility for flavors and colors makes any frustration from learning how to get them to come out successfully, worth it.  Make sure to check out my Macarons 101 post for all sorts of tips, tricks, and clarifications that I am not including here.  I hope you will give these a try, they are so much fun, and whether or not they come out perfect, they still taste crazy good and are fun to eat. 

 PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY FRENCH MACARONS

(Adapted from Not So Humble Pie)

Ingredients:

120g almond meal**
200g powdered sugar
3 large egg whites
30g granulated sugar

Sprinkle of salt (or cream of tarter, or lemon juice, see directions)
Food coloring gel

Filling:

3/4 to 1 cup natural peanut butter (chunky or smooth, your choice, but smooth will pipe better)

1/2 cup jelly, jam, or preservers (I used boysenberry preserves)

Topping:

Finely chopped peanuts--Please keep in mind though, if you put these on them, it may cause them to look cracked on top.  If you are striving for perfection, leave them off.  If you want a nice texture and salty little
punch, add them.

**Almond meal from somewhere like Trader Joe's has the almond skin ground up in the meal, adding a speckled look to the final product.  If you are doing light colored macarons and do not want any speckling, get slivered almonds and pulse them up in a food processor to break them down into rough meal, and then add the powdered sugar and pulse until it is a fine powder.

Equipment:

2-3 baking sheets lined with parchment paper

Food scale

Fine mesh sifter

Stainless steel or copper bowl

Piping bag and any fairly wide round tip, or a gallon ziploc bag

Macaron piping templates

Note: Prep is important!

Make sure you have everything you will need all ready to go before you beat the egg whites.  Once that is started, things go quick.

Line 2-3 heavy gauge aluminum baking sheets with parchment. Prep a piping bag with a round tip. I place the bag into a tall drinking glass and cuff the bag's opening over the top, this makes the bag easy to fill hands-free.

Here I have macaron templates that I printed out, under the parchment paper.  Please just don't forget to remove them before you stick them in the oven, like me.

Weigh out almond meal and powdered sugar and sift together to remove any clumps. (If you own a food processor, I highly recommend blending the ingredients and then sifting, but I made my last batch with just sifting and they came out great, your choice.)

Sifted almond flour and powdered sugar.  See the brown speckles?  This is the outer part of the almond, and if you want the perfectly uniform looking macaron with no speckles, then grind your own slivered almonds that do not have the skin on them.  This is almond meal from Trader Joe's.

Place the egg whites into a large mixing bowl (stainless steel or copper), if you're using stainless feel free to add a pinch of salt, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or couple drops of lemon juice to help strengthen the whites (I use salt). If you're using copper you need not and should not add any additional acid (more on this below).

Weigh out the granulated sugar. 

Begin beating the eggs on low speed. What you're doing here is unraveling the egg white's proteins (these are what will capture the air bubbles you whisk in), they're bundled up and you need to gently unwind them. A light touch does this far better than scrambling them on high speed. Once the egg whites are very foamy, begin sprinkling in the sugar as you beat. Increase the speed to medium, if necessary, and beat the meringue to stiff glossy peaks. (If they start looking grainy, clumpy or dry, you've gone too far.)  You should be able to turn the bowl upside down and have them go...No where.

This is a stiff peak :)

Add the food coloring (for the full recipe it usually takes 2-4 drops of gel, for a half batch 1-2 drops does the trick).  Add all of the almond/sugar mixture and fold in until no streaks remain. The resulting batter has been said to resemble molten lava.

Three drops of red food coloring gel, not liquid food coloring.  I could have probably used one more drop.

When you start mixing, it looks crumbly and dry.  Keep going.

Getting closer, little bit more needs to get incorporated.

See that ribbon of batter coming off the spatula?  People liken the correct consistency to that of molten lava.  This is my interpretation of molten lava.  Falls in a very ribbon like fashion.

Pour the batter into your prepared piping bag and pipe rows of batter (this is where the templates come in real handy, just place them UNDER the parchment paper, and don't forget to take them out before baking) onto the baking sheets, giving them space to spread.  If you do not have a piping bag and tip, then fill a gallon ziploc bag and cut the tip off, leaving about a half inch wide opening with which to pipe.

Have this all set up in a tall glass before you start, with the end twisted so that the batter doesn't come out.  Makes pouring batter in so much easier.

Tap the pan on the counter to bring up any air bubbles and quickly pop them with a toothpick.  Sprinkle the top of the batter with the finely chopped peanuts if you desire.

Even with a piping bag I don't get perfect circles.  Don't worry, they taste just as good.

Allow the cookies to rest on a level surface for 20-60 minutes, until they are no longer tacky to a light touch. If you have problems with burst shells, you may need to allow them to rest longer.  If it is humid, it may take much longer, if it is hot, it may not take very long.

When they are dry to the touch, and not tacky any more, they are ready to go in the oven.

While they rest, place an oven rack in the middle of your oven, and one below that.  On the lower one place an empty baking sheet, this acts as a heat shield.  Preheat to 275-310°F (I've had the most success with about 295°F). I do not use fan-forced (convection) heat. If your oven tends to brown the cookies, consider placing a rack in the top of the oven with a baking sheet on it to shield the cookies. 

Bake the cookies for 16-22 minutes, or until firm and they come off the parchment or silpat easily and fairly cleanly when slightly cooled.  If you try this when they are still in the oven, they may leave their insides on the paper even though they are actually cooked through.  When you push lightly, the feet should not move or squish, this is the best indication of doneness.  They have been cooked an appropriate amount when they are easily removed from the parchment paper after cooling.  If they cooled and still stick, then bake the next batch longer.  Don't be afraid to bake them until they are done.  Aging fixes over baked shells, under baked shells can't be fixed.

So fun to watch the magic happen!

While they are baking, warm the peanut butter up just enough so it is loose enough to get off of a measuring spoon and onto the macaron without having to push or pull on the macaron at all. 

Yum!

When they are done, take them out, let them cool a few minutes and move them to a baking rack or clean piece of parchment.  Match like sizes and shapes in pairs, and fill with filling.  Dollop about a 1/4 to 1/2 tsp peanut butter on to one half, and then dollop 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of jelly, jam, or preserves in the center of the peanut butter, being careful not to over fill.  Put the matching side on, press down until the filling just reaches the edges and let them set up for a bit so the filling doesn't run out.  Store in an air tight container in the fridge, or place in freezer.  Enjoy after aging for 24-48 hours, unless using a very moist filling that you are planning to consume immediately.

These can be as colorful and as fancy as your heart desires.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze

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My next foray into pumpkin deliciousness--Pumpkin cinnamon rolls.  I am a die hard cinnamon roll fan, it is no joke, I love me some cinnamon rolls.  When I saw everyone posting pumpkin cinnamon rolls, I knew I wanted to make them eventually.  When I read my husband off a list of pumpkin goodies from my fellow bloggers, the one he was actually interested in (other than the ice cream) was these cinnamon rolls.  Go figure, this coming from my savory loving husband. 

Since I had made King Arthur Flour's cinnamon rolls before and knew that I really liked them, I decided to give their pumpkin cinnamon rolls a try as my first pumpkin yeast bread endeavor.  Made some adjustments to the dough, filling, and glaze recipes, but it is adapted from their Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Rolls.  As usual, they did not dissapoint!  I like these even better than my KAF standby cinnamon roll recipe.  I am currently fighting the urge to go indulge in another one, and my three year old son has already eaten like two (well, he "shared" two and a half with his grandma, but I think he got more than his fair share), and my newly turned one year old is diligently working on his half of a cinnamon roll, and he is acting like it is the greatest thing he has ever eaten...which it vary well may be.  All in all, rave reviews! 

I tweaked KAF's glaze recipe a bit to make it a maple glaze, and the only negative I have to say about that was that I needed to double the recipe.  So, if you want truly ooey, gooey cinnamon rolls, double the glaze.  A few modifications were made to the dough as well, because it was what I had on hand.

Perfect with a cup of coffee, a news paper, and some wonderful fall weather.  Well, I guess here in SoCal I can get at least two out of three.

I made the dough last night, let the dough rise, rolled them out and made the cinnamon rolls, and then I put them in the pan I was going to bake them in and covered them and put them in the fridge to do their second rise.  When I pulled them out this morning I let them sit out for about an hour on the stove top before I baked them to finish their second rise, since my fridge is realllllly cold, they didn't rise much in the fridge.  They only needed to bake about 32 minutes, so not much more than the unrefrigerated dough.

PUMPKIN CINNAMON ROLLS WITH MAPLE GLAZE
(Adapted from King Arthur Flour's Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Rolls)


Makes 12 rolls

Ingredients:

Dough

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup lukewarm water*
• 1/4 cup soft butter
• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• *Adjust the amount of water by the time of year or your climate. For summer, or in a humid environment, use the lesser amount of water. In winter, or in a dry climate, use the greater amount. It's always best to start with the lesser amount; you can

Filling

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
• raisins, cranberries, or nuts (optional, I omitted)

Glaze

• 1 cup glazing or confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• enough milk, apple juice, water, or coffee creamer to reach desired consistency

Directions:

1) Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients together — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — until you've made a soft, fairly smooth dough. 

2) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise for 1 1/2 hours, until it's almost doubled in bulk.

3) Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface. Roll it into a 14" x 22" rectangle; the dough will be thin. 

4) Sprinkle the dough evenly with the brown sugar, and then with the cinnamon, pressing in the filling to the dough slightly. Spread a thin layer over the dough, leaving one short edge free of filling. 

5) Sprinkle with nuts or dried fruit (or both), if desired. 

6) Starting with the long end, roll the dough into a log. 

7) Cut the log into 12 slices. 

8) Place the rolls into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan that's at least 2" deep. Set aside, covered, to rise for 1 hour, or until the rolls look puffy.

9) Bake the rolls in a preheated 375°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until they're lightly browned and feel set. (If they were refrigerated the night before, bake for closer to 30-35 minutes).  Remove them from the oven, and set them on a rack. Turn them out of the pan, and allow them to cool for about 15 minutes. Towards the end of the cooling time, make the glaze.

10) To make the glaze: Heat the butter and maple syrup together till the butter melts. Whisk in the sugar, salt, vanilla, and whatever amount of other liquid needed to get the desired consistency.

11) Drizzle the warm rolls with the warm glaze. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.

 

Pumpkin Pie Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches with Nutella Swirls

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What to do with a cupboard finally stocked with pumpkin puree, and an open container of Greek yogurt that needs to be used?  Make ice cream sandwiches of course!  OK, maybe that is a far leap.  I am just dying to make pumpkin something, and searching and searching through all my fellow bloggers incredible pumpkin recipes, was not making my decision easy, or even possible.  I was asking my husband what sounded good and read him off options and he thought ice cream sounded good.  I had made frozen Greek yogurt pops before, had seen the idea of the ice cream sandwiches using graham crackers, which I saw somewhere, but I can't remember where now.  Long story short...through all my angst about not being able to decide on a recipe, I managed to make this one up.

Pumpkin Pie Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches with Nutella Swirls

Makes 9 servings

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups fat free plain Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 Tbs. honey
• 3 Tbs. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 cup nutella spread
• 9 graham cracker sheets

Directions:

1. Line a 8x8" baking dish with foil and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine yogurt, pumpkin, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and mix well.
3. Break the graham cracker sheets in half, so you have 18 squares.  Place 9 squares in the bottom of the lined baking dish, doing whatever necessary to cover the bottom (I had to trip a few off, and turn a few different ways to get them to all fit).
4. Pour the yogurt mix over the graham crackers, spreading evenly.
5. Warm the nutella in the microwave for 10-20 seconds until it is loose enough to drizzle.  Drizzle it evenly over the yogurt mix, and using a knife, swirl it in to the yogurt mix.
6. Top with the remaining 9 graham cracker squares and place in freezer until set, 2-3 hours.
7. Remove the frozen sandwiches by lifting the foil out.  Using a large, sharp knife, cut along the edges of the graham crackers, making 9 squares.  Eat immediately or wrap individual sandwiches in wax paper and return to freezer.

Sunday's Sweet Confessions Link Party #7

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Sweet Confessions Sunday Link Party #7

Hi everyone!  This week for the Sweet Links Spotlight I let you guys determine the top post.  Well, your clicks did.  This weeks top feature was the most clicked link of the week.  The rest of the features were determined by my husband, he just doesn't know it.  These are the ones he came up to me and said "Oooo that one looks good!" Thank you to all the new party goers this week, I am tickled pink to see you all here!  Congratulations to everyone, all the links were fantastic and I can't wait to see what you have this week to share! (P.S-I chose the featured posts this week this way because I could not decide at all they were so amazing!)

Sunday's Sweet Links Spotlight

 This weeks most clicked link was from The Dedicated House with the post

Another goodwill find for Annie Sloan chalk paint.  Can't wait to see the transformation!

 

My hunny's #1 pick this week.....Baking with Blondie and their Sesame Noodles with Peanut Sauce.  He saw this and wanted me to make it that night for dinner.  I went out and got the ingredients, made it, and boy was it good!!!  You all have to go try it out, it packs crazy wonderful flavor!

My hunny isn't a huge sweet eater (although he likes them more now then before he met me), but snickerdoodle cookies, those are one of his faves.  Double Cinnamon Snickerdoodle Cookies from Creations by Kara, twice the deliciousness!  These definitely peaked his interest.

 

And his last pick for the week, these divine looking Apple Pie Cookies from The Farm Girl.  He knew I had some pie dough in the freezer begging to be used, so when he walked by and saw these and said "Ok, those look really good!!" I knew it wasn't an empty comment.  I am definitely putting these on my "to bake" list.

 

New Button!  If you were featured, grab yourself a button and post it proudly :)

<a href="http://www.mommyssweetconfession.com" target="_self"><img src="http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums


/u427/Lindsay_Stotts/mommybutton_featured1.jpg" alt="Mommy's Sweet Confessions" width="150" height="150" /></a>

Don't forget to spread the word, invite some friends, and have them let me know you sent them.  I will try to pick a featured blogger each week that brings the most people to the party.

Meet and Greet Social!

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 It's Time for a Meet and Greet Social! 

Brought a few goodies to the party to share :)

White Bean and Green Chili Grilled Cheese

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I love grilled cheese.  My waist line does not.  I have not made any grilled cheese-type meal in so long I can not even recall how long it has been.  This was inspired by a Yahoo article I read a long while back on how to make the best grilled cheese, and they mentioned mixing in white beans to make it a more filling meal.  I took that idea, and used it to cut back on the amount of cheese needed, and in the end it yielded a hearty, flavorful, lighter version of a grilled cheese sandwich.  It was more a hint of cheese, but of course, if you can spare the calories and want ooey gooey melty cheesy goodness, by all means, double the cheese.  This likens more to a pressed sandwich than grilled cheese in some respects, but to me, it tasted like a mild, yet delightfully tasty sandwich version of a jalapeno popper--without the guilt.  I used some delicious whole wheat hoagie rolls that we had that needed to be used, and they provided a wonderful crispy crust , perfect for this.  I am sure it would be fantastic with even regular sandwich bread though too, and it will be my next one with the filling I have leftover from today.

I really enjoyed this sandwich.  It was filling, satisfying, and did not leave me with the greasy, still hungry, feeling of a typical grilled cheese.  And it provides some extra protein and fiber as well, without all the fat!

WHITE BEAN AND GREEN CHILI GRILLED CHEESE

Makes 4-6 sandwiches, depending on how much filling is used.

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz) can white beans, rinsed and drained well
• 2 Tbs. fat free plain greek yogurt (I like Fage)
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 small (4 oz.) can diced green chilies (drained of any excess liquid)
• 2 oz. colby jack cheese, shredded
• 1/4-1/2 tsp salt, to taste
• 4 to 6 (6 in.) hoagie sandwich rolls, or 8-12 sliced sandwich bread, depending on filling use

Directions:

1. In a bowl, using a fork, mash the rinsed and drained white beans into a paste.  This can also be done in a food processor.  
2. Add in greek yogurt, cumin, chilies, cheese and salt, and mix thoroughly.
3. Heat a saute pan on medium low heat.
4. If using rolls, split them length-wise down the side and spread 1/4 to 1/6 of the white bean mixture inside.  Close the roll back up.
5. If you desire, spray the pan with some olive oil spray, drizzle of olive oil, or a pat of butter and place the filled sandwich rolls in the pan.  Place a plate on top of the sandwich and top with a heavy can.  This will help press the sandwich and give it a crunchy exterior.
6. After about 3-4 minutes, or when the bottom is browned and crisped, flip sandwich over, replace the plate and can and press for another 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the exterior is crisp.

Apple Pie Mookies

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I really liked my chocolate chip banana mookie recipe.  Mookies, in case you are not familiar with my previous post, are what I dubbed this cross between a cookie and a muffin.  These are fluffy, slightly cakey cookies, with just a phenomenal hearty texture.  When I started to think about what other kinds of "mookies" I could make, I must have had apples on the brain.  Thus, apple pie mookies were born.  With oats, hearty chunks of apples, wonderful warm apple pie spices, and butterscotch chips, these just scream cozy fall day.  And considering it is 95 degrees out, I could very much use a mental escape to a more pleasant season.  The apples are softened but juicy, and a tart contrast against the sweet butterscotch chips.  Slightly chewy oats give way to a fine, cakey crumb.  Seriously, I don't know how many ways to describe the awesomeness except to say you just have to try them.

Let me just say, my house smells beyond amazing right now.  If I could eat the air I would.  But I guess I will settle for eating these cookies instead.  And at just around 100 calories each, I can afford to have a couple!  

These are absolutely a must try.  Really, seriously, in the stratosphere tasty.


APPLE PIE MOOKIES

Makes approximately 34-38 mookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 large egg
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup almond meal (if you don't have or don't want to use, add an extra 1/4 cup flour)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1-1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup tart apples, diced and peeled (like granny smith)
• 6 oz (1 cup) butterscotch chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together flour, almond meal, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger in a small bowl and set aside.  
3. Place butter, and sugars into a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until they are well combined.  Depending on how soft the butter is, it may take several minutes for the mix to come together.
4. Reduce speed to low.  Add egg, applesauce, and vanilla and mix until combined.   Beat for 1 minute on medium until well combined.
5. Add flour and spice mix and mix on medium until well combined and fluffier.  
6. Mix in oats, apple pieces and butterscotch chips with mixer or by hand until well incorporated. Don't fear, this dough is very moist.
7. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or 2 Tbs cookie scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets spacing about 2 inches apart.  Using a fork, flatten the dough into a disk shape, they do not spread much.
8. Bake cookies until they just start to turn golden brown and just set, about 12 to 13 minutes. The centers will be fairly firm, like a cooked muffin, when done.