do chickens have fingers?

I realized that from what recipes I usually post it may look like we eat nothing but cookies.

In my dream world that would be true, but, alas, it is not real life.

This is a recipe that comes from Cook This, Not That, Kitchen Survival Guide.

I’m a big fan of this book series. I feel like I’m reading a horror novel when I read about restaurant entrees that have about 1500 calories.

This is a recipe for chicken fingers which uses panko (japanese bread crumbs) which I am also becoming a huge fan of because of its wonderful crispiness without being fried.

Healthified Chicken Fingers

1 lb, boneless, skinless chicken tenders (I just slice up chicken breasts)

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 egg whites lightly beaten

2 cups panko

Preheat oven to 450. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl. Place the crumbs on a plate and season those, too. (I used some season-all here.) Dip the chicken tenders into the egg, then toss in the crumbs being sure to coat fully.

Place the breaded chicken pieces on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crumbs have browned and the chicken in firm.

mmm, sugar

They may not be the prettiest cookies ever decorated, but they were decorated with love.

And sprinkles.

Lots of sprinkles.

Because there just isn’t enough sweet stuff out there at Easter already, we made some of our favorite cookies yesterday.

My family is actually pretty picky about who likes which cookies, but this is one that everyone loves.

This is just a really good recipe for:

Sugar Cookies

(from Ivory Family Favorites Cookbook)

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

3 Tblsp. sour cream

1/2 tsp. almond or lemon extract

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3 1/4 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, sour cream, almond or lemon extract, and vanilla and mix well. Add soda, salt and flour and mix on low just until combined. Roll dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 3-4 hours. Roll out on floured surface and cut into shapes. Bake on ungreased (I grease them) cookie sheets at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes. (These cookies don’t brown.) Cool on racks, then frost and decorate.

I haven’t found a recipe for frosting that I absolutely love, but this is a good one and makes just about exactly enough for one batch of these cookies:

Frosting

1/3 cup butter, softened but not melted

4 cups powdered sugar (about half a 2 lb. bag)

1/4 cup milk (or more)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

pinch of salt

In mixing bowl, beat butter slowly with powdered sugar. Add milk and continue beating. Add vanilla, almond extract and salt. If needed, add more milk to make frosting spreadable. Color with food coloring if desired.

homemade oreos

The picture is really missing a tall glass of milk.

This recipe isn’t original or new, but it is a really good one for Sunday afternoons.

Or Tuesday mornings.

Or Thursday nights.

They also disappear quickly whenever I take them somewhere.

A few hints: Make the cookie dough about the size of a shooter marble.

The cookies will be crisp right after they bake, but they soften up after a day and become like oreo cakesters.

Don’t use canned frosting. It’s not half as yummy.

These keep well in the freezer and last longer (out of sight). They also taste really good right out of the freezer too; like a little ice cream sandwich.

Homemade Oreos

Cookies:

1 box Devil’s food Cake Mix

3/4 cup oil (I don’t use all the oil-probably 2/3 cup)

2 eggs

Mix well. Roll into balls. Place on greased baking sheets. Bake 350 for 8-10 minutes. Cool.

 

Filling:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter

1 tblsp vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter together with vanilla. Add powdered sugar and mix well.

Spread filling between cookies and sadwhich together.

Enjoy.

Work out harder the next day.

lighter (and not-so lighter) snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles are the first cookies that I remember making when I was growing up.

This recipe cuts out some of the fat and thus calories that most other recipes for this cookie have.

The result is a more cake-like cookies, and they didn’t spread very much, but it is still had that good cinnamony chewiness I love.

Then because I had some leftover cream cheese frosting from some other cookies, I decided to try this:

Mini Snickerdoodle Cream Cheese Sandwich Cookies!

At this point you pretty much loose out on any healthified properties, but man were they tasty.

(I have this theory that I could eat a brick if it was slathered with cream cheese frosting.)

Try it out, with, or without the frosting.

Lighter Snickerdoodles

from bettycrocker.com

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup margarine, softened

1/2 package (8 ounce size) reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1 egg

2 egg whites

2 3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Heat over to 400 degrees

2. Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, margarine, cream cheese, and eggs in large bowl.

3. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt and mix into the other mixture.

4. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

5. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Mix the 1/4 sugar with the cinnamon. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar.

6. Place on greased cookie sheets and flatten each ball with the bottom of a drinking glass.

7. Bake for 6-8 minutes. (Don’t overbake!)

8. Remove to wire racks to cool.

9. Eat and enjoy!

well hello, dolly

I made a few of my favorite cookies for Cali’s baptism. As I tested each kind I thought to myself, “This is my favorite cookie.” I came to the realization that my favorite cookie is probably whatever cookie I am putting in my mouth.

This one is an easy bar cookie that goes by the name Hello Dolly Bars or 7 Layer Bars or Magic Layer bars or a few other names and with varying ingredients. It’s gooey, chewy, and scrumptious.

And it’s pretty much 100% bad for you indulgent. Just wanted to throw in that disclaimer.

Hello Dolly Bars

(recipe from The Essential Mormon Cookbook)

1/3 butter or margarine, melted

1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup chopped pecans (okay to leave out)

1 cup flaked coconut

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (fat free)

Mix butter and graham crackers.

Press into a 9x13 inch pan.

Sprinkle with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, pecans, and coconut.

Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Cut into bars when cool.

Makes 20 bars.

healthier peanut butter cookies

Peanut butter cookies were one treat I could pass up as a child. I wish I was still that way now.

This was actually my first time making peanut butter cookies because of the peanut allergy in our house, but I really, really wanted some cookies.

I found this much lower-fat version with some whole wheat flour in there in my Eating Well Dessert Cookbook.

I thought they were very yummy.

They are best right out of the oven when they are still soft, but they were still good when they cooled down and went mostly crisp.

It did make a lot of cookies though, (4 dozen) so I will probably half the recipe next time.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES (from Eating Well Dessert Cookbook)

2 cups packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose white flour

2/3 cup whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup chopped peanuts (i left this out)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease cookie sheets.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, peanut butter, oil, eggs and vanilla; add 5 teaspoons water and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. In a small bowl, stir together white and whole-wheat flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients in to the brown-sugar mixture just until combined.

3. Roll the dough between your palms into 1-inch-balls. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Flatten the cookies with a fork, (I think peanut butter cookies without the identifying criss-cross should be illegal as Cali has been given them at school before with bad results) Sprinkle with peanuts, pressing them lightly into the dough with your fingers

4. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 8-10 minutes, or until just golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool. (Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days)

95 calories per cookie; 2 grams protein, 3 grams fat (0 grams saturated), 15 grams carbohydrates; 65 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol

cinnamon caramel corn

This recipe originally came from the blog Our Best Bites.

I kind of wish I hadn’t found it because its so addictive, but it is super easy because you make the caramel in the microwave and there is no candy thermometer involved. I have been making it to give away as Christmas gifts.

The original recipe had pecans in it and was drizzled with white chocolate.

I just added cashews and left the chocolate off.

Cinnamon Caramel Corn

12 C popped popcorn (about 1/2 C kernels)

1 C cashews

1 C brown sugar

3/4 t cinnamon

1/4 C karo syrup

1 stick real butter (1/2 cup)

1 t vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 250 degrees

Place popcorn and cashews in a LARGE bowl and set aside.

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a 2 liter capacity microwave safe bowl. Mix well. Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture. Pour corn syrup over the top of everything. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then stir to combine. Return to the microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more.

(at all times resist the temptation to lick the hot caramel. IT IS HOT.)

Remove from microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda. Stir to combine. Mixture will foam and rise. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and cashews and stir very well so everything is well coated.

Spread popcorn mixture onto a foil lined cookie sheet. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and spread out on a large piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil. Break into chunks and enjoy.