Alice in the Kitchen

Cinnamon Chip Cookies

Ever since I ordered these fancy (and melt-in-your-mouth delicious) cinnamon chips over at the Prepared Pantry, I’ve been waiting to find a great recipe to take advantage of them.  After a little thinking, I thought I could make a variation on the mint chocolate chip cookies that used a store bought sugar cookie mix (which I just happened to have in my pantry) – mixes like these are a great time saver and good way to try new things like this with confidence that the results will be a success.

You’ll need:

• 1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) sugar cookie mix
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla (or vanilla bean paste)
• 1 egg
• 1.5 cups of cinnamon chips

Preheat your oven to 350.  Combine the cookie mix, butter, vanilla, and egg until a soft dough forms.

Stir in your cinnamon chips.

Scoop out a tablespoon of dough and roll into balls.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet (or you can use wax paper).

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Delicious!  Would be good with a little frosting on top too.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

This is one of Matt’s favorite holiday treats – double layer pumpkin cheesecake.  The best way to describe it is as a vanilla cheesecake with pumpkin puree.  I think of this as pumpkin pie with a fancy twist – and it would be perfect to serve at any holiday event.  It has a very nice texture – and because of the double layers, it isn’t overwhelmingly “pumpkiny” but it will still take the spot of pumpkin pie on the dessert table, without any complaints.

You’ll need:

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup cool whip

Preheat the oven to 325.  In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Blend in eggs one at a time.

Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.

Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended.  Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set.

Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.  Cover with cool whip before serving.

and you’ll have beautiful layers when you slice!

Great Baked Ziti

This is a great, zesty baked ziti.  The sour cream makes it really different and creamy but without the typical ricotta taste.  This is a simple alternative to lasagna and you won’t be disappointed!

You need:

• 1 pound ziti pasta
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
• 6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat.  Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.  Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.  Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Layer 1/2 the ziti.

Layer provolone.

Then the sour cream.

Now half the sauce.

Then top with ziti, mozzarella, and remaining sauce.  Top with parmesan and bake for 30 minutes.

Delish!

Ham Delights

This is an old family recipe that I keep stumbling upon in different online recipe collections and food blogs.  It’s basically dressed up ham and cheese sandwiches.  But they’re pretty good and would be a good party food.

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 onion, grated
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 2 (12 ounce) packages white party rolls (I used potato rolls)
• 1/2 pound chopped cooked ham
• 5 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together butter, poppy seeds, onion, Worcestershire sauce and prepared mustard.

Slice rolls in half horizontally and set aside tops.

Spread bottoms with the butter mixture.

Top with ham and Swiss cheese.

Replace tops and melt remaining mixture so you can pour it over the top.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

I also read online that these also freeze great!  Not the fanciest dinner (sorry Matt!) but they are really yummy.

Pasta Vodka

I still remember the first time I had vodka sauce.  I was in college on Spring Break in New Jersey, and we went out for brunch at a place with a cook-manned pasta bar.  I was probably 20 years old, and when I read the sauce options, “Vodka Sauce” certainly seemed like the most daring choice.

It was delicious.  Creamy, but not too creamy like an alfredo sauce, and still with a great tomato flavor.  Vodka sauce is an Italian sauce made from a relatively smooth tomato sauce, plus cream, vodka, and typical Italian herbs.  I knew I had to find my own version so I could make this delicious sauce at home.  This recipe is easy, delicious, seems fancy.  It reheats and even freezes great, and it is definitely one of my favorite Italian dishes.

You’ll need:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 cup vodka
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 can crushed tomatoes(32 ounces)
• Coarse salt and pepper
• 16 ounces penne pasta
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn

I like to serve mine with chicken, so I boil a few breasts and shred it.  Shrimp would be great too.  It’s also nice to serve with shredded parmesan, but it’s not necessary.

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness.

Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes.

Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer.  Season with salt and pepper.  While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente.  While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.

Stir cream into sauce.  When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat.

Drain pasta.  Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves (and chicken if you’re using it).

New Orleans BBQ Shrimp

When I was in New Orleans in May, I was lucky enough to have a friend introduce me to the Palace Cafe where we had the most fabulous New Orleans BBQ shrimp.  I should point out that New Orleans BBQ shrimp isn’t really what I would call BBQ shrimp.  It’s more like gravy-shrimp.  Which is still totally delicious.  Maybe better than BBQ shrimp.

So I read a recipe for Emeril’s BBQ shrimp and this is a slightly modified version of that recipe – and it’s delicious!  It would be nice to serve this to company.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3 pounds large Gulf shrimp, in their shells
• 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
• Cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 lemons, peeled and sectioned
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter

(And you’ll want to serve with biscuits or french bread to dip in the sauce, so buy that too.)

Peel the shrimp, leaving only their tails attached. Reserve the shells and set aside.  Sprinkle the shrimp with 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning and fresh cracked black pepper.  Use you hands to coat the shrimp with the seasonings.  Refrigerate the shrimp while you make the sauce base.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the onionsand garlic and saute for 1 minute.  Add the reserved shrimp shells, the remaining Creole seasoning, the bay leaves, lemons, water, Worcestershire, wine, salt, and black pepper.  Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat, allow to cool for about 15 minutes.  Strainnto a small saucepan. There should be about 1 1/2 cups.

Place over high heat, bring to a boil, and cook until thick, syrupy, and dark brown, for about 15 minutes.  Makes about 4 to 5 tablespoons of barbecue sauce base.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the seasoned shrimp and saute them, occasionally shaking the skillet, for 2 minutes.

Add the cream and all of the barbecue base.  Stir and simmer for 3 minutes.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

For the apple cupcakes:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 apples, cored, peeled, and chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 2 regular size cupcake pans with cupcake liners.  In a large bowl using an electric mixer on low speed, combine the sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract until blended. In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low until blended. Stir in the apples.

Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full with batter and bake until the cupcakes spring back when touched with your finger, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pans for a few minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the caramel buttercream:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 stick salted butter
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar

In a saucepan, stir together granulated sugar and water.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.

Cook without stirring until mixture turns a dark amber color.

Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla (I used my vanilla bean paste), stirring until very smooth.

Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable.  In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter until lightened and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar.  Mix until thoroughly combined.  Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the caramel.

Beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 2 minutes).

Frost your apple cupcakes with your caramel buttercream.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Do you love mint chocolate chip ice cream?  If so, you should make these cookies.  If not, you should make these cookies.  They are the perfect combination of mint and your basic chocolate chip – making them just different enough to excite your taste buds but familiar enough that you go back for seconds (and thirds and fourths).  This recipe is based off of a prize-winning Betty Crocker recipe, and it’s easy to see why it was prize-winning!  It couldn’t be easier, and it it a crowd pleaser.

These would be perfect for St. Patrick’s Day – and just about every cookie occasion in between now and then!  Happy baking!

You’ll need:

• 1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) sugar cookie mix
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
• 8 drops green food color
• 1 egg
• 1 cup Andes baking chips (if you can’t find these, you can do what I did and chop up your own Andes chocolates – but you have to unwrap  a ton so look for the chips!)
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set.

Zesty Turkey Meat Sauce for Spaghetti

Spaghetti with meat sauce is one of my favorite meals, and this version lightens up the old classic without losing much flavor.  It’s quick and easy, and you won’t even miss the beef and sausage (not too much, at least).

You’ll need:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup Italian seasoning
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 pound ground turkey
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup red wine

Heat up the olive oil in a large saucepan with the garlic and italian seasoning over medium heat.  After about a minute, add the ground turkey.

“Brown” the turkey until it is cooked through.

Now, add all the remaining ingredients, and reduce the heat to a simmer.

Simmer over low heat for an additional 30 minutes (or more, however much time you have really!), and serve with your favorite spaghetti-like pasta!