“That’s pretty, Mommy!”

Last week, I got some great recipes from my friend, Dena. And, both got rave reviews at our house…so, they’ll for sure be made again! … And, Quinn thought it was pretty and smelled SO good…

To see a great, detailed description of this recipe, click here to see her blog post!

Taco Ring
1 pound ground beef
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons water
2 packages (8 ounces each) crescent rolls
additional sides of your choice (salsa, cilantro, tomato, quac, sour cream...)

Preheat oven to 375. Cook ground beef in skillet until beef is no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix, cheese, and water. Unroll crescent dough; separate into triangles. Arrange triangles in a circle with wide ends overlapping in center and points toward outside:

Scoop meat mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle.

Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring.  Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown.
 
To serve, cut into slices and top with extras of your choice.

I got that boom, boom, boom…

First of all, my random title is a tribute to Quinn’s favorite Black-eyed Pea song! :) Secondly, this recipe was a GREAT New Year’s Day treat this year. Spicy, but OH SO GOOD!
The Pioneer Woman’s Black-Eyed Pea Dip
1 can (14-ounce) Can Black-eyed Peas
1/4 whole Onion, Chopped Fine
1/4 cup Sour Cream
8 slices Jarred Jalapenos
1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
3 Tablespoons Salsa
Hot Sauce, to taste
Salt And Black Pepper To Taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain black-eyed peas and partially mash, leaving some whole.

Add all other ingredients, stirring to combine.

Spread into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Serve with tortilla chips!

*Note: if you have them available, you can use the canned black-eyed peas and jalapenos (they're canned together.) If you do this, you can omit the extra jalapenos.

Don’t throw away the package!!!

Right before I was about to throw away the Cherry Cordial Hershey Kisses wrapper, I happened to turn it over and see this recipe! And, OMG, am I glad I did! AMAZING and easy!! A must try!

Cherry Cordial Crème Cookies
***Put Hershey's Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates filled with Cherry Cordial Creme, unwrapped, in the freezer for several hours or overnight.

Ingredients:
Hershey's Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates filled w/ Cherry Cordial Creme
1 package (1 lb 6.5oz) original supreme brownie mix w/ syrup pouch
1/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. Stir brownie mix, syrup pouch, cocoa, water, oil, and eggs in medium bowl until well blended. Drop by scant teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes or until set. Cool 3 to 4 minutes; sprinkle with powdered sugar. Immediately press frozen chocolate into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely.

Santa’s Cookies 2011

When I found this recipe on Pinterest, I knew they had to be Santa’s cookies this year. We had so much fun making them, and once the icing was applied, they were scrumptious! I will admit that they were a little bland before the icing was put on…but, you be the judge! Santa loved them, regardless! :)

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening (not butter!)
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
(I usually DOUBLE this recipe when I'm making for gifts. A single recipe will make approximately 24 BIG cookies.)

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the shortening and sugar together on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla and blend together until creamy.
With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients  (add it 1/3 at a time) mixing just until incorporated and evenly mixed.  You will have a very sticky dough at this point so it is very important to CHILL THE DOUGH FOR AT LEAST 1-2 HOURS.


Roll out with plenty of flour on your board to avoid sticking issues. But don't work the dough TOO much or it will get tough. Also make sure to flour your ROLLING PIN and COOKIE CUTTERS as well. Don't roll the dough too thin. I shoot for just a little over 1/4" thick.

Once you have cut out as many shapes as will fit, scoop them off the board with a spatula and transfer to a cookie sheet. It helps if you nudge a little bit of flour under the cookie as you lift it off the board.
If you have silicone baking mats use those. You can also use parchment paper or aluminum foil (which I used). Cooking directly on the cookie sheet works too...it's just more clean up. :-)
Bake the cookies for between 10 and 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Timing is CRUCIAL...so keep an eye on them.  You are shooting cookies that are just BARELY, BARELY starting to brown on the edges.

Powdered Sugar Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 tablespoons milk.
food coloring (I usually use about 4 to 5 drops of just the regular kind you buy at the grocery store)

I start with 2 tablespoons of milk and keep adding about a teaspoon at a time after that until the frosting is at just the right consistency.  Not too thick, but not too runny. Then I pretty much GOB it on the cookie...and spread. Top it off with the decoration of your choice