Month: December 2015

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Great Grandma Helen’s Swedish Meatballs

WIN_20151121_131938Swedish Meatballs are a holiday favorite here at Crowded Earth Kitchen. I have wonderful childhood memories of Christmas Eve celebrations at Great Grandma Helen’s house, where a great big Nesco full of Swedish Meatballs was the focal point of the kitchen. I have no idea how many Swedish Meatballs Great Grandma made for Christmas Eve, but it seemed like millions to me. I make these throughout the winter, as the aroma of Swedish Meatballs simmering in a slow cooker is magnificent on cold, snowy days.

Swedish Meatballs are a surefire crowd pleaser, for foodies and picky eaters alike. This recipe freezes well, allowing you to plan ahead for big events. Also, Swedish Meatballs are equally delicious as a main entree for a full dinner OR as a hot appetizer when a sit-down dinner isn’t planned. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef

1 pound ground pork

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup bread crumbs

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon finely minced onion

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup milk

1 quart beef broth (for simmering)

Directions

Step 1) Combine brown sugar, salt, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves in a small bowl. Mix well with a fork to evenly distribute spices.

Step 2) Combine all ingredients except for beef broth, including spice mixture from Step 1, in a large mixing bowl. Mix with your hands until thoroughly blended.

Step 3) Roll mixture into small meatballs, no more than 1 inch in diameter. These aren’t intended to be large, Italian-style meatballs, but rather small “cocktail size” meatballs.

Step 4) Place meatballs on baking sheets with shallow sizes and brown in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove meatballs from pan (drain fat). If you are freezing your meatballs, allow them to cool and stop here – freeze them in airtight containers. Allow to thaw in refrigerator before proceeding with Step 5.

Step 5) Place meatballs in a Crock Pot, Nesco, or other slow cooker. Top with 1 quart of beef broth. Heat on low setting (Crock Pot) or 275 degrees (Nesco) for at least one hour or until heated through.

 

King Crab Rolls
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King Crab Rolls

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Happy New Year, Everyone!

King Crab Rolls just might be my very favorite special occasion food.  While King Crab is expensive, it is spectacularly delicious.  Alaskan King Crab is a wild caught (never farmed) product, and is sustainably harvested.  I feel much better about splurging on a pricey ingredient if I know my purchase is not harming the environment.

Everything about this recipe, from the decadent seafood to the homemade rolls toasted with real butter, shouts “Special Day!”  Whatever you happen to be celebrating, King Crab Rolls will make your mealtime grand!

picture337AIngredients (makes 4 large rolls)

1 1/2 pounds shell-on King Crab legs

1/2 pound bay scallops (optional)

1 teaspoon seafood seasoning blend

1/4 cup real mayonnaise

picture3481/4 cup finely chopped celery, including leaves

1 loaf of fresh Simple Bread

1/4 cup butter

Directions

picture337Step 1) Drop crab legs into a large pot of boiling water seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon of seafood seasoning blend.  Leave crab legs in boiling water for 3 minutes if they were fresh, or 10 minutes if they were frozen (typical).

Step 2) Drain crab legs and crack with a hand held nutcracker or clean picture338Apliers.  Extract meat using a small fork (a fondue fork works well, if you have one).  King Crab legs are spiny – hold them with a potholder to avoid hurting yourself!  Be patient with this step.  It may take 30 minutes or so to extract all of the meat.  Your effort will be worthwhile!

picture351Step 3) If using bay scallops, sauté them in a saucepan for 3 – 5 minutes until they are a milky white color.  Drain.

Step 4) Gently combine crab meat, scallops, mayonnaise, celery, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning blend.  Try not to break up the crab meat.  Refrigerate.

Step 5) Cut four generous, 2 inch thick slices from your loaf of Simple Bread.  Then, cut through the middle of each slice from the top, stopping 1 inch from the bottom crust.  Your slices should open in narrow “V” shapes, as shown above.

Step 6) Place 1/4 cup of butter on a baking pan with low sides, and melt by placing in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes.  Watch carefully, and remove pan when butter is just melted!

Step 7) Place each of your four “V” shaped bread rolls down on the melted butter, then flip over so that each of the two outsides are buttered.  Return pan to oven to toast your bread rolls for five minutes.

Step 8) Remove your toasted bread rolls, and carefully fill with equal quantities of your seafood mixture.  Serve right away, while the rolls are warm and the seafood is cold.

Enjoy your special occasion!

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Kids in the Kitchen: Cake Mix Cookies

WIN_20151228_164903These are not fancy heirloom cookies – if you are looking for something to enter in the State Fair, may I gently suggest something else? No, these are “the kiddos are home from school and it’s too cold to send them outside” cookies! With only four ingredients, even the most pint-size of kitchen helpers can make their own batch. Sure, they might spill a few chocolate chips on the floor… but that’s easier to deal with than crayon drawings on the bathroom wall or trapeze fun with the living room drapes. So, go gather up your kitchen help and lets get started!

WIN_20151228_160640Ingredients (Makes about 36 cookies)

1 box of cake mix, any flavor (we used Devils Food)

2 eggs

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

1 cup of baking chips, any flavor (we used peanut butter chips)

WIN_20151228_161711Directions

Step 1) Mix together all ingredients. The smaller the kitchen helper, the larger the bowl – big bowls help to prevent spills. Just make sure a grown-up holds onto the bowl, so the whole thing doesn’t go sailing across your kitchen. I’ve, ah, seen that happen before, and it isn’t pretty!

Step 2) Drop cookie dough in rounded teaspoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Step 3) Allow cookies to cool right on the pan. So easy!

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Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag!

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Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Here at Crowded Earth Kitchen, the kiddos are home all week for their holiday break. This vintage post offers up a fun and easy activity to keep your little ones safe from boredom until they return to school!

Making homemade ice cream is a lovely pastime. Just pull out that antique wooden, hand cranked ice cream maker and… Oh Wait… you don’t happen to have one of those? Well, never fear! A pair of zip lock plastic bags will work just fine.

Plastic bags?

Yes.

Don’t believe me? Give it a try! Just make sure to post a comment about your fabulous ice cream, OK?  🙂

WIN_20150622_145042Ingredients and Supplies (Makes 2 servings)

2/3 cup whole milk

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon flavor extract (vanilla, peppermint, etc.)

WIN_20150622_1503134 cups ice

1 cup coarse salt

2 “zip lock” sandwich bags

2 “zip lock” gallon size freezer bags

Directions

WIN_20150622_150328Step 1) Add 1/3 cup milk, 1/3 cup cream, and 1/2 teaspoon flavor extract to each sandwich bag. Gently squeeze out the air and carefully seal each bag.

Step 2) Add 2 cups ice and 1/2 cup coarse salt to each gallon size bag. Add a sandwich bag from step 1 to each gallon size bag. Carefully seal the gallon size bag.

WIN_20150622_150512Step 3) Place the gallon bag on a small towel. Fold the towel over the bag to protect your hands from the cold (ice+salt gets REALLY cold), and gently rock the towel back and forth on a flat surface for 5 minutes. Flip the bag over and gently rock for another few minutes, or until the contents of the sandwich bag are completely frozen.

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Chocolate Ice Cream! Use 1 teaspoon of chocolate syrup instead of a flavor extract.

Step 4) Remove sandwich bag from gallon size bag and carefully wipe away any salt from zip lock opening. Carefully open bag and transfer ice cream to a serving bowl. Enjoy immediately!

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Peach Spoon Cake

WIN_20151214_184414This simple dessert looks like a peach cobbler but tastes more like a yellow cake with peach filling. Peaches aren’t in season? No problem – frozen peach slices will work just as well. I enjoy Peach Spoon Cake as a weeknight dessert, but it could also make a decadent treat for Sunday brunch. Enjoy!

WIN_20151214_173727Ingredients (Serves 6)

1/3 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 1/4 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 peaches, cut into quarters

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

WIN_20151214_174654Directions

Step 1) Grease a 2 quart casserole dish and set aside.

Step 2) Blend together butter, sugar, almond extract, and egg. Stir in milk, flour, baking powder, and salt.

Step 3) Transfer the batter to the casserole dish. Top with quartered peaches. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Step 4) Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow Peach Spoon Cake to cool before serving.

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Grandma Jenni’s Chocolate Pixie Cookies

WIN_20151224_094706Merry Christmas! Here at Crowded Earth Kitchen, Grandma Jenni’s Chocolate Pixie Cookies are a Christmas favorite. I’m baking these for you in “real time,” on the morning of Christmas Eve. I hope you enjoy them!

My mother-in-law gave me this recipe as part of a bridal shower gift, and explained that these cookies were her son’s very favorite. I still remember making my first batch of Chocolate Pixies as a newlywed, and realizing that these take a bit longer to prepare than plain old chocolate chip cookies. When I showed the finished batch to my husband, I told him “Wow – your mother really loves you!”  🙂

In all seriousness, Grandma Jenni’s Chocolate Pixie Cookies aren’t difficult to make, they just take about 15 minutes longer to prepare than many other cookies. That’s because the recipe begins with unsweetened baker’s chocolate, which needs to be melted and cooled before continuing. See, that’s not so difficult. The end result is spectacular. If a brownie and a cookie got married and had a Christmas baby, well, that’s a Chocolate Pixie.

WIN_20151224_083100Ingredients (Makes about 40 cookies)

4 tablespoons butter

4 ounces unsweetened baker’s chocolate

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups powdered sugar, for rolling

WIN_20151224_090425Directions

Step 1) Over low heat, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir frequently, and really keep that heat low to avoid scorching!

Step 2) Use a rubber scraper to transfer the melted chocolate mixture to a large mixing bowl. Allow the chocolate to cool for a few minutes, then mix in sugar (not the powdered sugar!).

Step 3) Add eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each egg. Add vanilla and mix well.

Step 4) Add all dry ingredients (not the powdered sugar!) and stir until well combined. Cover and chill dough for at least one hour.

Step 5) Roll chilled dough into small balls, using about 1 heaping teaspoon of dough for each ball. This is easier if you butter your hands a bit, to prevent sticking.

WIN_20151224_091321Step 6) Roll dough balls in powdered sugar and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Make sure dough balls are at least two inches apart, as cookies will spread.

Step 7) Bake at 300 degrees for 12 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Don’t forget to leave a plate of Grandma Jenni’s Chocolate Pixie Cookies for Santa!

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Crowd Pleasing Cranberry Sauce

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Don’t forget the cranberry sauce on your holiday buffet. It adds bright festive color as well as palate-cleansing flavors to your party! Here’s a recipe for a big batch. Enjoy!

WIN_20151118_165543Ingredients (Makes 6 cups)

6 cups fresh cranberries (24 ounces)

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Finely diced peel (yellow part only) from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons strawberry gelatin powder (i.e., from a small box of strawberry Jello)

WIN_20151118_171406Directions

Step 1) Bring cranberries, sugar, and water to a boil in a . Boil gently with stirring for 2 minutes, or until most of the cranberries have “popped” (you’ll be able to hear this).

Step 2) While the cranberries are coming to a boil, peel a lemon with a vegetable peeler. This is the easiest way to remove the yellow zest from the white pith. You don’t want the white part – it’s bitter! After you have peeled off the yellow zest, dice the zest with a paring knife.

Step 3) After the cranberries have boiled for 2 minutes, stir in the lemon peel and strawberry gelatin powder. Cook for another 30 seconds, then remove from heat.

Step 4) Allow the cranberry sauce to cool in the saucepan for a while, then transfer to a serving bowl. Cranberries may be served at any temperature, but I think they taste best cold (they also set up better, and are less “liquidy” when cold). My preference would be to place the serving bowl full of cranberry sauce in the refrigerator for an hour or two (or even overnight) before serving. Enjoy!

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Inside Out Bloody Marys

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This just might be the easiest item to prepare on your entire party buffet… and the most popular! Who doesn’t love a good Bloody Mary? Sure, the spicy, tomato based vodka beverage is tasty, but everyone knows the best part of a well made Bloody Mary is the garnish. Here at Crowded Earth Kitchen, we ran with that idea and created Inside Out Bloody Marys. The beverage itself is shot sized and potent, accompanied by an assortment of excellent pickled vegetables. Rock On!

Ingredients (Serves 12)

12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) spicy Bloody Mary mix, chilled (Preservation and Co. Bloody Mary Mix 32 Oz. Jar)

12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) good quality vodka, chilled

1 cup of pickled mushrooms

1 cup of pickled beans (Tabasco Beans, Spicy, 16 Ounce)

1 cup of pickled okra (TABASCO Spicy Pickled Okra 12 oz. jar)

Double (3 ounce) shot glasses

Toothpicks

Directions

OK, friends – this is easy enough to prepare even if you’ve already enjoyed a full size Bloody Mary or three.  😉  Begin by arranging your relishes in the center of a party platter. If you want more than three options, go for it. Try thick slices of dill pickles, ginger pickled carrots, garlic stuffed green olives, rosemary pickled cherry tomatoes, etc.

Next, arrange your shot glasses on the outer edge of the party platter. Fill your shot glasses half full with chilled vodka, and top with chilled Bloody Mary mix. Serve immediately!

 

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Crab Melt Appetizers

WIN_20151031_211358‘Tis the season for holiday parties and other food-appropriate gatherings. Consider bringing an appetizer to your next event… something fun that doesn’t require utensils to enjoy. Crab Melt Appetizers are perfect for this, because they’re easy to prepare and completely portable. You can prepare them ahead of time right up until the very last step (broiling). Drive them to your party on a baking sheet, borrow your host’s broiler for a quick few minutes, and Voila! Bubbling hot Crab Melt Appetizers for everyone!

WIN_20151031_204703Ingredients (Makes approximately 24 appetizers)

8 ounces mild cheddar cheese, shredded

8 ounces crabmeat (canned is fine)

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

WIN_20151031_2050331 loaf French bread, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1/4 cup green olives, sliced thin

Directions

Step 1) Melt cheddar cheese, butter, and Worcestershire sauce in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently.

WIN_20151031_205753Step 2) Whisk crabmeat into cheese mixture (drain crabmeat first if using canned).

Step 3) Use a teaspoon to spread the crab mixture onto slices of French bread. Top with a few slices of green olive.

Step 4) Arrange slices on a baking sheet and broil for 3 – 5 minutes or until the cheese on your crab melts begins to bubble and brown.

Step 5) Remove from broiler and serve. Happy Holidays!

Variations

If you love these flavors as much as we do, you might want to experiment with the following variations…

  • Instead of topping your crab melt appetizers with green olives, try thin slices of red bell pepper. So pretty!
  • Instead of spreading the crab mixture onto slices of French bread, keep it warm in a fondue pot. Set a bowl of bread cubes and fondue forks alongside the fondue pot, and invite your guests to help themselves to Crab Melt Fondue!
  • Feeling adventurous? Try scooping the seeds out of cherry tomatoes, and spooning the crab and cheese mixture into the hollowed out tomatoes. Arrange tomatoes in a pie dish so that they are touching each other (to prevent tomatoes from tipping over). Broil until the crab melt mixture begins to turn golden brown. So fancy!
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Free Book Giveaway WINNER and Poll!

Happy Holiday Season, Everyone!

We hope you enjoyed our 12 Days of Cookies extravaganza! Please vote for your favorite cookie in our poll, below:

To celebrate our 12 Days of Cookies, we offered a Rafflecopter giveaway contest featuring a free, author signed copy of How to Bake a Chocolate Soufflé. Thank you for all of your entries!

Congratulations to our randomly selected winner, Cherry at Cherry Mischievous!

How to Bake a Chocolate Souffle Blue Cover

To order an author signed copy of How to Bake a Chocolate Soufflé ($11.99) for the bookworm on your gift list, click on the PayPal link below!

Buy Now Button with Credit Cards

 

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Armenian Cookies

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Don’t forget to enter the 12 Days of Cookies FREE GIVEAWAY DRAWING!

This recipe is a sneak peek of the goodness to be found in The Global Recipe Project Cookbook, scheduled for publication in early 2016. These nut filled cookies or “kurabia” are particularly delightful when prepared with finely ground almonds, served with fresh coffee, and enjoyed with friends! For a delicious variation, try rolling these cookies in powdered sugar after they are baked and cooled.

WIN_20150925_173618Ingredients

3 eggs

1 ½ cups butter

5 ½ cups flour, sifted

1 ½ cups sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup milk

2 cups finely ground nuts

2 egg whites

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

WIN_20150925_180222Directions

Step 1) Combine 1 ½ cups sugar and butter in a saucepan; melt over low heat. Allow to cool.

Step 2)  Beat 3 eggs. Add to sugar/butter mixture. Mix well.

Step 3) Gradually add flour and baking soda and mix until well combined.

Step 4)     In a small bowl, beat 2 egg whites. Add finely ground nuts, 1 tablespoon sugar, and cinnamon. Gently fold to combine. Set aside.

Step 5)     Roll dough from Step 3 onto a floured surface until it is ¼ inch thick. Cut dough into 3 inch circles.

Step 6)     Place ½ teaspoon of nut filling from Step 4 in the center of each circle of dough. Fold the edges of dough together and gently press to seal; filled dough should take the shape of small eggs.

Step 7)  Bake cookies in a preheated 300 degree oven for 20 minutes.

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Cinnamon Sandwich Cremes

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cinnamon cookiesCelebrate your inner child with these Cinnamon Sandwich Cremes. Lightly spiced cookie rounds held together with creamy frosting… well, that’s enough to make me feel like I’m five years old again! These cookies freeze well, if you have the willpower to save them.

WIN_20151102_164629Ingredients (makes about 80 small cookie rounds, for 40 Cinnamon Sandwich Cremes)

1 cup real butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 generous tablespoons cinnamon

For the icing:

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

WIN_20151116_215045Directions

Step 1) Cream together butter and brown sugar.  Add egg and mix well.

Step 2) Add flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix by hand; dough will be stiff.

Step 3) Chill dough for at least one hour before rolling 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface.  Cut dough into 2 inch circles, and carefully transfer to greased baking sheets.

Step 4) Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

Step 5) While cookies are cooling, blend together butter, powdered sugar, ground cloves, and milk to make icing. Spoon 1/4 cup of icing into a plastic sandwich bag, and snip a tiny corner from the bag to make a homemade pastry bag. You should be able to easily squeeze icing from the bag and onto the bottoms of half of the cookie circles. Top with a second cookie circle; bottoms of cookies should be on the inside, by the frosting. If the icing is too thick, add a bit more milk. If the icing is too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.

VARIATIONS:

  1. For Cinnamon Vanilla Sandwich Cremes, omit ground cloves from icing. Instead, scrape the seeds from 1/2 of a vanilla bean into the icing. Delicious!
  2. For Cinnamon Ice Cream Sandwiches, omit the icing altogether. Instead, spread 1 tablespoon of cinnamon flavored ice cream in between each pair of cookies. Freeze immediately. Make sure ice cream sandwiches are quite firm before serving.
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Orange Star Cookies

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Think sugar cookies with a boozy, citrusy something extra – WOW! These tender little stars are glazed with sweetened orange liqueur for a cookie finale that’s all grown up. Don’t miss out on the boozy variations on these cookies, below!

WIN_20151103_135814Ingredients (Makes approximately 50 cookies)

2/3 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon orange extract –

1 3/4 cups flour

For the glaze:

1 tablespoon triple sec orange liqueur

1 drop yellow food coloring

1 tablespoon sugar

WIN_20151103_135405Directions

Step 1) Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and orange extract. Blend well.

Step 2) With a sturdy wooden spoon, mix in flour, cinnamon, cream of tartar, and baking powder. Dough will be stiff.

Step 3) Chill dough in a covered container for at least two hours or overnight.

Step 4) Whisk together orange liqueur, food coloring, and sugar (a coffee mug works well for this).

Step 5) Roll chilled dough 1/4 inch thick on a floured counter top. Cut star shapes from dough using a small cookie cutter (mine is approximately 2 1/2 inches in diameter).

Step 5) Place stars on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 8 minutes, or until bottoms of cookies just begin to brown.

Step 6) Immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Use a pastry brush to coat warm cookies with glaze. Allow Orange Star Cookies to cool completely before storing.

VARIATIONS: Like the idea of boozy cookies? Well, don’t limit yourself to orange liqueur, my friend! Try one or more of the following options:

  • Caramel Apple Stars: Replace the orange extract in the cookie dough with caramel flavoring. Replace the triple sec orange liqueur with apple schnapps. Replace the orange food coloring with green food coloring.
  • Amaretto Stars: Replace the orange extract in the cookie dough with almond extract. Replace the triple sec orange liqueur with amaretto. Omit food coloring, and sprinkle glazed cookies very lightly with brown sugar.
  • Chocolate Raspberry Stars: Replace the orange extract in the cookie dough with 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Replace the triple sec orange liqueur with raspberry schnapps. Replace the orange food coloring with red food coloring. Sprinkle glazed cookies very lightly with red sugar crystals.
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Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss Cookies

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Don’t forget to enter the 12 Days of Cookies FREE GIVEAWAY DRAWING!

On my last trip to the supermarket, baking chips were “Buy One, Get One Free.” Why, yes please! Here at Crowded Earth Kitchen, we stocked up and began experimenting with recipes. Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss Cookies were a big winner. They’re packed with yummy peanut butter flavor, and incorporating mini Hershey’s Kisses offers a bigger punch of chocolate flavor than plain ol’ chocolate chips. This recipe makes a HUGE batch – perfect for cookie exchanges, sharing with friends, or freezing in snack bags for school lunches. Enjoy!

WIN_20151111_170255Ingredients (Makes 100 cookies)

1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter

1 1/4 cups butter, softened

4 eggs

2 cups white sugar

2 cups brown sugar

1 tablespoon almond extract

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

5 cups flour

1 (10 oz) bag peanut butter chips

1 (10 oz) bag Hershey’s Mini Kisses

WIN_20151111_164741Directions

Step 1) Using an electric mixer, cream together peanut butter, butter, and sugars. Add eggs and almond extract. Blend well.

Step 2) Using a heavy wooden spoon, stir in salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour (one cup at a time). Lastly, blend in peanut butter chips and Mini Kisses.

Step 3) Drop rounded teaspoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches in between cookies.

Step 4) Bake cookies in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10 – 12 minutes or until cookies are set and the bottoms are just beginning to brown. Cool on a wire rack.

These cookies freeze well!

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Zesty Lemon Slice Cookies

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Sliced cookies of any variety are super easy to make. Because the dough for sliced cookies is easiest to work with while frozen, these cookies are a great choice when you want to make dough at your leisure, pop it in the freezer, and bake just before serving with no mess or fuss. A few sprinkles on these cookies lend a festive flair for the holidays, while the zesty lemon flavor offers a perfect balance to all of that holiday chocolate!

WIN_20151103_143245Ingredients (Makes approximately 60 Zesty Lemon Slice Cookies)

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

1 egg

2 cups flour

1/2 cup diced candied lemon peel

multicolored sprinkles

WIN_20151103_143753Directions

Step 1) Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and lemon extract; mix well.

Step 2) Stir in flour, baking powder, and cream of tartar. Dough will be stiff.

Step 3) Refrigerate dough in a covered container for at least two hours or overnight.

Step 4) Working with half of the dough at a time, roll dough into a long, thin rectangle on a floured counter top. Sprinkle each rectangle with half of the candied lemon peel.

Step 5) Roll the rectangles into long, thin logs. Roll each log in multicolored sprinkles. Wrap each log in parchment paper and freeze for at least two hours.

WIN_20151106_091614Step 6) Slice frozen dough logs into 1/4 inch slices. Place dough slices on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies in a preheated 375 degree oven for approximately 8 minutes, or until bottoms of cookies just begin to brown. Cool Zesty Lemon Slice Cookies on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container.