Peanut Butter Cookies for Two

Thursday, October 22, 2009

If you like peanut butter, you'll love these cookies. They are a chef's best friend.  They are very quick to make, easy clean up and delicious. I've scaled down this recipe because the original just makes too much.  This recipe makes about 12 cookies, which is perfect for two people.

Peanut Butter Cookies for Two

1/4 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 egg
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. + 1/8 c. flour
Sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 30-40 seconds. Add sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Mix until combined. Scrape sides of bowl while mixing. Beat in egg and vanilla until well incorporated. Beat in flour and mix well. Depending on how warm your kitchen is, you may want to refrigerate the dough for about 15 min so the do will be easy to handle.

In a small bowl, add about 1/4 sugar. Roll spoonful of dough into 1" balls. Roll ball in dough and place on cookie sheet.  Flatten cookie with fork, making crisscross with fork tines. Bake at 375 degrees for about 9 minutes or until bottoms are slightly browned. Cool on wire rack.

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may like:

Pumpkin Cookies with Walnuts

Apple Crisp for Two

Joanne's New England Clam Chowder

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Here is another secret family recipe I would like to share with you all - my mother's New England Clam Chowder.  My parents have been making this for years and people always ask them when they are going to make it again. It's something that they cook together: he makes the roux; she does the rest. It's creamy and the perfect meal to eat on a cold day.  You can double or triple the recipe to your liking.

Joanne's New England Clam Chowder

2 10 oz. cans of baby clams
1 c. clam juice
6 slices of bacon
1 c. chopped onion
4 c. diced potatoes
3 c. half and half
1/2 c. cocktail Sherry
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Drain clams and pour liquid into a measuring cup. Add water to clam juice to make 1 cup of juice. Rinse clams under water and set aside to drain.  Cut bacon into 1/2 " strips (Mom uses kitchen shears) and fry in a large saucepan until crisp.  Add onion and cook until tender.  Add potatoes and clam juice.  Cover and let simmer until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes).  Add half and hlaf and Sherry and let simmer.

In a small sauce pan, melt butter and add flour to make a roux.  Cook until thick and light golden brown.  Stir into soup.  Cook slow and stir until thick.  Add remaining seasonings and clams. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.  Serve with oyster crackers.

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may like:

Beef Stew

French Onion Soup

Beef Stew

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

I have a confession... I do not own a Crockpot. You would think that I would have one sitting next to my mixer, but I don't. Whenever I make something that takes a long period of time to cook, it's always on the stove.

I had a craving for stew yesterday and started searching around for recipes and funny enough, most of them were made in a Crockpot.  I had a few ideas and started cooking away.  It seemed to be missing something and I had no clue what it was. I was on the phone with my mother and she was the savior of the stew (my mother didn't think I'd give her credit and here it is). She asked me if I had red wine and if I did, add some to it. It was exactly what it needed.  Thank you Mom - see I do listen sometimes.  This serves about 3 servings - enough for dinner for two and lunch for tomorrow.

Beef Stew

1 1/4 lb. top round stewed beef - cut into 1" chunks
1 tbsp. canola oil
2 c. beef broth
1 c. water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 tsp. Gravy Master
1/4 c. red wine (I used Merlot)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1/2 box frozen pearl onions
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1/2 c. cold water
2 tbsp. flour

In a 4 qt. Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add beef and cook for 15 minutes, until sides are browned.  Add broth, water, bouillon cubes, Gravy Master ,wine, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 2 1/2 hours or until beef is almost tender. 

Add carrots, onions and potatoes.  Cover and cook for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Pour water and flour into a covered container. Shake until mixed. Add mixture to stew and stir constantly.  Heat until boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir for 1 minute until thickened.

Enjoy!


If you liked this, you may like:

French Onion Soup

Beans in Stew Habichuelas Guisadas

Apple Crisp for Two

Monday, October 19, 2009

I find it very hard to find a recipe that is just for two people. I love to cook and love to eat what I cook but after the third night of reheats, it gets a little tiring. Lately, I've been going thru my recipes and am trying to scale down my recipes to two servings. One example of a recipe would be Apple Crisp. My husband loves Apple Crisp but by the 3rd day, gets thrown in the garbage. I played around with my Apple Crisp recipe and instead of using a pie plate, I baked it in a loaf pan and it came out terrific.


Apple Crisp for Two

2 Granny Smith apples; peeled, cored and sliced
1 tbsp. orange juice
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. oats
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
Dash salt
3 tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel, core and slice apples. Place apples in a buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Pour orange juice over apples (this will keep apples from turning brown). In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until well combined. Cut in butter, until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake in oven for about 30 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve with ice cream and whipped cream.

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may like:

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Mini Cheesecakes