Last week I was in the mood to bake cookies which, if you haven’t noticed, is a rarity around here. I’d rather bake a pan of brownies or a cake or pretty much anything besides cookies. Cookies get on my nerves. You have to bake pan after pan of them and the whole process just drags on for hours. Not my thing.

Anyway, back to the cookies. I tweeted that I was in the mood for a cookie with a ton of oatmeal and everyone suggested either ranger cookies or cowboy cookies. I’m not really sure of the difference – I think ranger cookies are supposed to have Rice Krispies and M&Ms whereas cowboy cookies just has chocolate chips, or in my case, chocolate chunks. I went with the cowboy cookies since I had all the ingredients for that one.

These cookies are fabulous. I love oatmeal cookies that have tons of stuff in it (not just oatmeal cookies with 3 raisins) so these are right up my alley. Coconut, chocolate, walnuts, every bite has something in it. The kiddo loved them, too. I made a half batch and they were gone within 2 days!

Cowboy Cookies
adapted from Martha Stewart

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats (not instant or quick-cooking) 
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
3/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
Vegetable-oil cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

   Into a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.

   With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

2. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Beat in oats, chocolate, walnuts, and coconut until just combined.
3. Coat baking sheets with cooking spray; line with parchment, and spray parchment. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto prepared sheets, about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges of cookies begin to brown, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks to cool 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers

How was everyone’s weekend? Hopefully all of you in the US have another day off to enjoy!

Today I’m sharing the nachos I made to go with our red and white cupcakes. I had planned a big ordeal for Alabama’s first game of the season but, as those of you down here know, the game was blacked out. We cancelled all plans and decided to just have nachos when we learned that we wouldn’t be watching our home team play. Well, except the cupcakes. Any excuse for cupcakes, right?

Of course I loved these nachos, they included 2 of my favorite things: sausage and pinto beans! My husband, who doesn’t like beans at all, also loved these! I put out salsa, sour cream, and pickled jalapenos as toppings so we got to add what they wanted and it worked out great.

I didn’t add any jalapenos to the bean mixture because I was feeding a 3 year old but I definitely would in the future. I think the beans can handle quite a bit of heat without it becoming overpowering so I think a small jalapeno would be perfect. I added it to the recipe below but, of course, you can leave it out and it will still be delicious.

This will definitely be my go-to snacky meal from now on. The prep was a little long but you only have to wait about 5 minutes after your put it in the oven!

Spicy Sausage & Bean Nachos
adapted from Everyday Food

1 pound fresh hot pork sausage
4 scallions, white and green parts separated and chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 jalapeno, minced
2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
12 ounces large tortilla chips (restaurant style)
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 1/2 cups shredded monterey jack
salsa, sour cream, and pickled jalapenos (optional, for serving)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking meat apart with a wooden spoon, until sausage is browned and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to paper towels to drain.

Add scallion whites, garlic, and jalapeno to skillet; cook until fragrant and soft, about 20 seconds. Stir in beans and cook 1 minute. Add broth, chili powder, cumin, and salt. With a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon, mash beans until chunky-smooth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Spread half the tortilla chips in a large ovenproof platter or baking dish. Top with half the beans, half the sausage, and half the cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Bake until cheese melts and nachos are hot, about 5 minutes. Serve nachos topped with scallion greens, salsa, sour cream, and pickled jalapenos.

This week’s Project Pastry Queen recipe was chosen by Katy of Katy’s Kitchen. Katy chose the Jailhouse Potato-Cinnamon Rolls which I have been waiting to make since I got the book.

These cinnamon rolls call for mashed potato to be added to the dough. Weird, right? The purpose of the potato is not for taste but to add a softness to the dough that you wouldn’t achieve with just flour. You can’t taste it in the finished product (although my husband swears he could) but you can definitely tell that they are softer than other cinnamon rolls.

The dough is… a pain, to say the least. Thanks to the power of Twitter I had already been warned by Shawnda that the dough was ridiculously wet. I cut the potato water in half and think I could have gotten away with even less. The dough was so soft that it was hard to work with. It was one of those doughs that spreads itself into a rectangle as soon as you put it on your workspace. Sure, less work for me but that’s not a good sign, especially when you have to roll the dough next.

You know how when you roll cinnamon rolls the roll stays tight and in a, well, roll as you slice them? Yeah, not this dough. As I was rolling it, it was spreading and falling and doing many other things that you should never use to describe cinnamon rolls. It was frustrating and resulted in some long, skinny cinnamon rolls.

The cinnamon rolls were awesome though! So worth the trouble. They were so soft even after being reheated and the filling was sweet, spicy, and just delicious. I think they might be my new favorite but I will work on the recipe to see if I can get some pretty round rolls.

Make sure you check out Katy’s blog for the recipe and then hop around the Project Pastry Queen blogroll to see if these guys gave everyone else trouble.

…also known as Roll Tide cupcakes.

Welcome to football season! Those of you who were around last season will remember that we are huge football fans and what better way is there to celebrate football than with cupcakes? I made these in honor of Alabama who we’re hoping will have another amazing year. Last season I made red velvet cupcakes when Alabama made it all the way so I had to get creative with the red and white. I know these aren’t exactly crimson, but close enough, right?

They are a delicious white chocolate cake with strawberry and white chocolate cream cheese frosting. It should be illegal for so much goodness to be in such a tiny cake! The frosting is like those cream cheese stuffed strawberries with white chocolate mixed in. Yeah, it’s amazing.

The best way to do the 2-color swirl? I have no idea. What works for me, though, is putting the 2 colors in separate pastry bags with the ends cut off and then putting those 2 bags in a larger pastry bag with a piping tip. You don’t risk any bleeding since the colors are completely separated until they come out of the large bag. For the recipe, I included enough to do the 2-colors but if you want to do one or the other, make a double batch of whichever one you choose.

White Chocolate Cupcakes
from Baking Bites

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 325F. Line muffin pans with 18 cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt the chopped white chocolate by heating it in 30 second intervals in the microwave. Stir well with a fork between each interval and cook only until the chocolate is smooth when stirred.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by melted white chocolate and vanilla extract. Working in two or three additions, alternate adding in some of the milk and some of the flour mixture, ending with a final addition of flour. Mix until just incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.

Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 325F for 20-23 minutes until a tester comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a fingertip. Cool completely before frosting.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 ounce white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 teaspoons heavy cream
3 – 4 cups powdered sugar

Using a stand mixer, combine cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add white chocolate, vanilla extract, and heavy cream and mix until combined. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until it reaches desired consistency. If you want to pipe it, make sure it’s stiff enough to stand up on it’s own.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened 
3/4 cup strawberries, mashed by hand or with food processor
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 – 4 cups powdered sugar

Using a stand mixer, combine cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add mashed strawberries and vanilla and mix until combined. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until it reaches piping consistency.

My friend Pam started a new cooking group called Light Bites and you know I had to join. We, along with our friend Melynda, are going to take turns choosing recipes from Cooking Light to cook or bake. We would love more members so visit this page if you’re interested.

The first recipe that Pam chose is Chicken & Couscous Salad. Umm… you may notice that my dish doesn’t have chicken. Or couscous. Or anything the recipe calls for except green onions. Can I explain myself?

I got back from my trip pretty late last Tuesday and it totally threw me off my schedule. I woke up the next morning thinking I had to make this immediately and since I didn’t want to go to the store, I had to work with what I had.

I used quinoa instead of couscous, decided I didn’t need chicken since the quinoa is a protein, used carrots instead of the veggies in the original, and topped it with some chopped almonds instead of pine nuts.

After I got done making it, photographing it, and sweating the idea of Pam being mad at me for making something completely different, she reminded me that it wasn’t supposed to be done until today. Doh!

It was actually pretty good for being a random ingredients thrown together. I don’t generally like quinoa but the cumin is strong enough to kind of cancel out that weird taste that quinoa has. Pam has the original recipe up for you if you’re interested.

We’re making bacon mac & cheese next week. Yes, from Cooking Light. Just throwing that out there in case anyone wants to join.

(Bet you can’t guess who chose that one.)

Chicken thighs aren’t something I cook with often. Something about the way it just falls apart really skeeves me out. But I saw this recipe and knew it would be delicious. Mushrooms and bacon? Yes, please. Mushrooms and bacon with a marsala sauce? MAKE IT NOW.

Because the chicken is braised, it does become very soft very quickly and I’m afraid if you’re not watching it, it will begin to fall apart. The original recipe calls for bone-in thighs and I’m sure that would hold it together better but you guys know how I feel about chicken on the bone.

The sauce is so delicious! The marsala taste is obvious but it’s different from most marsala sauces since it has tomato in it. It’s very rich and you don’t need much to be satisfied. I didn’t eat a lot of chicken but the sauce on top of some caramelized onion risotto with the bacon and mushrooms was a great dinner. Make sure you use low-sodium broth and taste before you season because the bacon does add quite a bit of salt.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms & Bacon
adapted from Elly Says Opa!

2 thick strips of bacon, chopped
1 pound boneless chicken thighs
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 sprig of thyme or small pinch of dried thyme
2 cloves garlic
1/2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 cup marsala
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper

Heat a small dutch oven/casserole to medium-high.  Add the bacon and cook until your desired doneness and the fat has rendered.  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Drain off the fat if there is more than 1/2 Tbsp. remaining.

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add to the hot pot, searing on both sides.  Remove and set aside.

To the pot, add the onion, cooking until translucent.  Add the mushrooms, thyme & garlic and sauté an additional few minutes until the mushrooms have released most of their moisture.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook it off for about a minute.  Pour in the marsala and deglaze, scraping the browned bits up and allowing the wine to evaporate almost entirely.

Add the broth and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, add the chicken back in, and then simmer on low for about 30 minutes, until chicken is tender and cooked through. Stir in the bacon and season to taste. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

Growing up I always confused banana pudding and banana splits. Don’t ask me how, I just did. I would request Blue Bell’s Banana Split ice cream thinking that I was asking for Banana Pudding and then I would be so disappointed when my beloved ice cream had cherries in it. It happened every single time.

Well no more disappointment for me. I can make my own banana pudding ice cream that is every bit as good as Blue Bell’s, maybe even better. It really tastes like I took a big pan of banana pudding and put it in the freezer. It’s safe to say that it’s my new favorite ice cream and even my husband, who is a die-hard strawberry ice cream fan, said it was one of my best.

And while we’re talking about bananas, I have been getting so many comments and emails about the Cream Cheese Banana Bread I posted awhile back. If you haven’t made it, you really should!

Banana Pudding Ice Cream
adapted from Southern Living

3/4  cup  sugar
2  tablespoons  cornstarch
1/8  teaspoon  salt
2  cups  milk
1  cup  heavy whipping cream
1  egg yolk
1 1/2  teaspoons vanilla extract
3  medium-size ripe bananas, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/3  cup  firmly packed light brown sugar
1  tablespoon  butter
1  cup  coarsely crumbled vanilla wafers, plus more for sprinkling on top

Whisk together first 3 ingredients in a large heavy saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk and cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 10 to 12 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat.

Whisk egg yolk until slightly thickened. Gradually whisk about 1 cup hot cream mixture into yolk. Add yolk mixture to remaining cream mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk in vanilla extract. Cool 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°. Combine bananas, brown sugar, and butter in a 2-qt. baking dish. Bake 20 minutes or until browned and softened, stirring after 10 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes.

Coarsely mash banana mixture; stir into cooled cream mixture. Place plastic wrap directly on cream mixture, and chill 8 to 24 hours.

Pour mixture into freezer container of a 1 1/2-qt. electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Before transferring ice cream to an airtight container for further freezing, stir in vanilla wafers. Sprinkle more crushed wafers over top before serving.

Chicken nuggets are a staple around here. My 3 year old goes through stages where he won’t eat anything but chicken nuggets so when we’re dealing with that, I prefer to make them so that I know exactly what goes into them.

These are our favorites nuggets! My husband and I were eating them long before our kid started eating solid foods so you know they’re good. Before I discovered panko bread crumbs, I used the regular kind and they worked fine so if you don’t have panko in your pantry, don’t make a special trip for them. Also, a little dried thyme is delicious in these – just mix it into the bread crumb mixture.

Parmesan Chicken Nuggets

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size cubes
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a medium bowl, mix together Panko, Parmesan, and salt; set aside. Put melted butter in a pie plate or other shallow dish.

Dip chicken into butter and then coat with Panko mixture. Place on baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

One week ago I was on my way to Minneapolis to hang out with a fabulous group of bloggers so I thought I would finally recap the crazy day we spent in Betty Crocker’s kitchen.

We were invited to the kitchens to play with all of Betty’s boxed mixes but before they let us loose in the kitchens, we went on a brief tour of General Mills headquarters and also learned the history of Betty Crocker over breakfast.

I think all 30 of us had to wipe the drool off our faces when we looked down into Betty’s kitchens. They are amazing. Ovens around every corner and so much counter space to work on. What more could you ask for?

We were broken up into groups so that we could take turns at the different station they had set up and at each station they had a Betty Crocker consultant to teach us about the mixes and nudge us along when we got distracted talking about all those things that only bloggers talk about.

There was a definite fall feel to the cake station. We made a Jack-o-Lantern Cake and Mini Pumpkin Cakes and also got to sample Ice Cream Cone Cakes and Tie-Dyed Cupcakes.

Next up was the brownie station. You guys know I don’t use boxed mixes often but I can almost guarantee I have a brownie mix in my pantry at all times. I love the boxed brownies!

At this station, we made Brownies ‘n Berries Dessert Pizza and Brownie Pops.

They also had Brownie Goody Bars (which I heard were amazing) and Rocky Road Brownies for us to sample.

Believe it or not, the Bisquick station was my favorite. I had never bought Bisquick before and I thought the only thing it was good for was pancakes.

We had Cherry Swirl Coffee Cake (didn’t make it into the picture) and Apple Oven Pancake to taste while we made Fresh Lemon Cream Crepes and Caprese Pizza with Crispy Pancetta. I can’t find links for the last 2 but if anyone wants either, just email me.

The pizza… oh the pizza. The pizza was the only thing I sampled all day. I saw it when we walked it and vowed not to ruin my appetite on brownies. And it was worth it. Beyond delicious.

After lunch (where we learned that Pumpkin Spice, Gingerbread, and Snickerdoodle cookie mixes will be out this holiday season!!) we went to our final station: cookies. I had no idea the cookie mixes were so versatile. I’ve always used cake mixes to make different things, but cookie mixes? Who knew.

We made Citrus-Kissed Fig Thumbprints and Cranberry Macadamia Bars and also had Red Velvet Rich and Creamy Cookies and Creme Brulee Cheesecake Bars to sample. Since coming home, I’ve seen more than one blogger who was at the event make those Fig Thumbprints so they must be really good!

Right before we left for the airport, they took us on a quick tour of the photos studio and prop room. It was really cool to see how they set up for magazine and cookbook shoots and to see just how many people it takes for a single shot. One guy said they were able to get 10 shots on a good day… imagine how long they spend on each shot!

I had an amazing time at Baking with Betty and my only wish is that we could’ve had more than one day in the kitchens.

General Mills paid for my trip and all expenses but I was not asked to blog about or even mention this event. The opinions are all mine.

This week’s Project Pastry Queen pick is from Joelen of What’s Cookin, Chicago and she chose the Texas Big Hairs Chocolate Hazelnut Meringue Tarts.

This is basically a chocolate tart except with meringue piled on top hence the “big hairs”. I wasn’t feeling the meringue today so I whipped up some cream instead and I think it was perfect with the bitter chocolate ganache.

Joelen has the recipe on her blog for you but I’m going to suggest that you make more crust because I hardly had enough to fill my 9 inch springform. The recipe actually calls for 4 small tart pans and I really don’t think I would have had nearly enough crust if I’d gone that route.

My husband really liked the tart but I did think the ganache was too bitter. I would probably use semisweet if I was to make it again. I also look forward to try the “big hairs” meringue one day soon.

Make sure you visit the Project Pastry Queen blogroll to see how everyone else did and sure you enter my giveaway for The Pastry Queen book.