Tag: Betty Crocker

Chocolate Chip Cookie, take three!

Ok as ridiculous as this sounds…last summer my BFF Amber and I attempted the Classic Chocolate Chip cookie recipe from Betty Crocker and failed…TWICE lol!

First round the cookies retained their pre-baked shape, they were hard little cookie balls.

Round two wasn’t any better. (Maybe I should have measured some things lol) This time they spread from one end of the cookie sheet to the other!

Although both tasted ok…Neither was that delicious cookie we were craving!

With out recent winter weather in Michigan I was itching to get back into the kitchen. So I made a third and final attempt at this recipe!

It’s a miracle! They came out perfectly! I did modify the recipe because the dough like the first round was so dry it was like bread crumbs. So I added 2-3Tbsp of water and here we are perfect Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I chose water instead of milk or oil because I didn’t want to add anymore fats etc… As these can change the chemistry of the cookie and I likely would have had continued problems.

So there you have it! Cookie accomplished! Thanks for following along!

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National Pie Day…maybe…

Cruising through the twitter-sphere tonight I came across several tweets for National Pie Day. For some reason I thought National Pie Day was in March…but whatever! It’s a great reason to share a pie recipe right!

There are a few pies out there that I think of as old school recipes that you really can’t find in many cookbooks or video streams. So I thought I would share one of those tonight. This is a recipe for Lemon Coconut Impossible Pie!

So, what is an impossible pie? Glad you asked! The impossible pie first became popular in the 1970’s as a recipe printed on boxes of Bisquick, although the recipe itself dates back much earlier. Betty Crocker cookbooks point out that impossible pie’s were named so because they are impossibly easy to make since there is no need to create a crust. Early versions we’re coconut flavored showing the early southern origins of the original recipe.

Here’s what you’ll need to create this awesome custard pie!

2c. Whole milk

1c unsweetened coconut flakes

3/4c sugar

1/2c unsalted butter, melted

1/2c flour

4 large eggs

1/2 lemon zested and juiced

1 tsp vanilla

1 container of whipped topping (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9in. pie plate.

In a mixing bowl beat on medium speed the eggs and sugar until thickened. Add in melted butter, milk, lemon zest and vanilla. Once well mixed add the flour slowly mixing well.

Pour into the greased pan, bake 40-50minutes. Once the center is cooked completely but slightly wobbly remove from the I’ve and allow to cool completely. Once cooled refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Serve with whipped topping or by itself. Enjoy!

Betty’s BFF’s are back!…what cookies??

So after a very long liason, my bff Amber and I decided to continue our Betty Crocker Adventure! Tonight we ventured back into the kitchen and live on Facebook with a few new recipes. Some we’re perfectly delicious others….are probably not our strongest kitchen performance lol! 

So what’s on tonight’s menu? How about Panfried Pork Chops With Cider Sauce, Seven Layer Salad, and for a sweet touch Betty Crocker’s heirloom recipe for chocolate chip cookies! 

The seven layer salad went together quick, was simple, and tasted fabulous! Other versions of this that I have had included hard boiled egg, but this was a really nice combo of veggies. The peas were a sweet contrast to the salty bacon, and the radishes and celery added a nice crisp bite! 

Recipe is here: https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/seven-layer-salad/63edf3bc-a969-416d-9ebd-20794f5066c3

Our main course consisted of seasoned bone in pork chops with a yummy cider sauce! I used my favorite enameled cast iron pan to fry up these tasty chops, if you don’t have a cast iron pan I highly recommend that you get one, Target has them at very reasonable prices! 

The chops we’re juicy well seasoned and the sauce added a nice tart little kick but wasn’t overpowering, I would definately make this again! 

Recipe here: https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/panfried-pork-chops-with-cider-sauce/4392dba0-9fc1-49ef-90ee-cdcc50865844

Now let’s talk about these cookies…I can’t help but chuckle just at the thought! We blew it with the cookies folks! This was definitely a baking fail for me lol! The first batch went into the oven and came out of the oven looking exactly the same! They were bready, dry, cookies balls lol! 

So, we tried again hahaha! No good this batch turned into one huge cookie spread out all over the pan, but it tasted really good! 

I guess this recipe will need a replay at a later date! Here’s the link if you’d like to give it a try for yourself!  https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/ultimate-chocolate-chip-cookies/77c14e03-d8b0-4844-846d-f19304f61c57

Otherwise a successful meal that we all enjoyed! Happy cooking folks! 

Sunday Dinner

Growing up Sunday Dinner was always sort of a better amped up version of everyday dinner. Something better than just your everyday casserole. I always appreciated the extra effort that went into preparing a nice Sunday dinner. 

Yesterday my husband mention that a good brisket would be nice or maybe a pork tenderloin… So I went to the store this morning and picked up few things to make his Sunday dinner dreams come true. I decided on the beef brisket and immediately referenced my Betty Crocker Red Book hoping to knock another recipe of the list!

Here is the link to the recipe that I used for Onion and Pepper Braised Brisket!

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/onion-and-pepper-braised-brisket/d0ff8f39-a24d-491f-b351-ca84b7857cef
I want to talk a little about choosing the correct type of brisket. You’ll notice the recipe specifically states not corned beef brisket. So what’s the difference, glad you asked! Corned beef brisket has been heavily brined or soaked in a salty solution to tenderize and flavor the meat. Using this product will make a very different dish! So be sure to get a regular beef brisket. My grocer did not have a brisket available so I am substituting with a top roast. If you need to substitute try to find a cut like Top Roast or Rump Roast that have similar fat content and good marbling. 

The recipe I am using takes about three hours but read the instructions carefully because some recipes can take as much as 11 hours! This includes some marinating time to help tenderize the meat, and may need to be started the night before cooking. So double check your recipe and plan accordingly! 

This is a flavorful recipe, the meat turned out great, juicy and delicious, although a little spicy! I think next time half the chili sauce and add some tomato sauce to it.Happy Sunday! Enjoy!!

Dinner time!

Back to the kitchen! I wanted to make something different for dinner. We get hooked on the same things over and over again, and I wanted something different. So I consulted Pinterest, and found nothing! That’s when I decided to check with my Betty Crocker Red Book! Sorry Amber but I’m going it alone again!

I found a recipe for beef stroganoff. I used to love beef stroganoff when I was growing up, and hadn’t had it in a long time so why not!

Beef Stroganoff first premiered in Russian, Elaina Molokhovet’s, cookbook “A gift to young housewives” in 1871 as beef a la stroganov with mustard. Oddly the original recipe did not call for any mushrooms or onions as it is presently well known for! Another version from 1909 calls for crispy potato straws (French fries) as a side dish which is considered the traditional side for this dish in Russia. As the dish spread to China before WWII it was popularly served in hotels and restaurants with variations like sides of rice or pasta instead of potatoes. 

Even today there are many different versions some served with a tomato based sauce others with the sour cream served as a condiment on the side. In the US it is more common to see the sour cream mixed in the sauce and added to the dish at the last minute before serving, which is true of Betty Crocker’s version. 

Here is the link to Betty’s recipe! 

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/classic-beef-stroganoff/c17a904f-a8f6-48ae-bedb-5b301a8ea317 
I thought it was good, much like what I had growing up. The sauce is tangy and creamy, the meat was tender. My husband said it’s OK for beef stroganoff. My daughter however is not a fan. She said it smells so good…but it’s so not good… Lol! Can’t win ’em all I guess! Enjoy!

A little warm spice on a cold day

For some reason snowy days make me want to bake. I like the cold still quiet coupled with a warm oven and then smells of fresh baked cookies and bread.

We got a light snow over night and slick roads mean my husband is out plowing snow and salting walkways. Leaving me home to work on laundry, binge watch Sons of Anarchy, and do some baking!

I decided to make ginger snaps, a crisp cookie full of warm spices, perfect with a cup of coffee on a cold day. 

I’m still working my way through the Betty Crocker Red Book so I utilized Betty’s recipe. A pretty standard blend of cinnamon, cloves,  and of course ginger! The choice of shortening over butter and two tsp of baking powder spoke to the historically crispy texture that this recipe would produce. 

Ginger snap recipes go back to colonial times. The term snap describes the crispy almost cracker like texture of this cookie. A derivative recipe of gingerbread this was often a dessert saved with tea or coffee. The cookies originally made with molasses instead of refined sugar because molasses was more readily available and much less expensive making this recipe accessible to many financial classes of people. 

So there’s a little history for you, and now the recipe! Stay warm and Enjoy!

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/gingersnaps/1149da11-2d16-442a-b70d-9377cf2b8950

So much to say!

​It’s been a very busy fall and winter season full of a lot of great friends and amazing food. So where do I start! 

Let’s start with football season and the food of it all. I love cozying up in the family room to watch my husband’s intensity build during the game. He’s a passionate U of M fan!  I have several go to dishes for football season but by far my favorite is chili!! I have two recipes that I use regularly, one is a super simple cook and eat without the long cook time. And the other is a white chicken chili that is to die for! 

This chili features chicken, northern white beans, cream cheese, chicken broth, white chili seasoning and a few veggie staples like onion, green pepper, parsley and spinach. It’s delicious! I top mine off with mozzarella and sour cream. It’s a warm, creamy, chili with just the right amount of spice!

Also the past several weeks I have been working on my own on the Betty Crocker cookbook challenge. My best friend Amber and I have had little time lately to hang out and work on it together but I’m dying to try all of these recipes so I’ve been going it alone! So far I have made Chicken Marsala, Deviled eggs, homemade cranberry sauce, scalloped corn, sugar cookies, pressed spritz cookies, decorator icing, and most recently Swiss steak. 

I can’t believe how great all of these recipes have been! I’m looking forward to trying all of the others! All of these recipes can be found at 

http://www.bettycrocker.com

Since my last post a major food holiday took place, Thanksgiving! I cook at home for my family every year, this year we decided to participate in a local 5k race before endulging in all of our yummy holiday food, it was a ton of fun! 

And later we enjoyed an equally as amazing Cherry pie, my daughter Brianna helped weave the crust she did great for her first try! 

I think that brings us up to date! We’re prepping for the Christmas holiday and of course I decided this would be a perfect time to make some major renovations to the house…what was I thinking…I’ll keep posting hope you are all having a great holiday! Enjoy!!