October 13, 2019

M&M Cookies

Posted by HI Cookery under 10 October | Tags: , , , , |
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M&M Cookies

October 13: National M&M Day

Those who love chocolate chip cookies like us will certainly enjoy its colorful, crispy “cousin”—M&M cookies. The candies are a festive substitute for the chocolate chips and can be made with the colors of the season (warm oranges, yellows and chocolate M&Ms for fall; red and green M&Ms for Christmas; pastel M&Ms for spring and Easter, etc.). But we followed the classic M&M cookie recipe for our blog post today in observance of National M&M Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from M&Ms)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¾ cup (1 package) M&Ms

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the butter with the brown and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg. Stir in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add this into the butter-egg mixture. Stir until a smooth dough is formed.

Fold in the M&Ms, reserving a few to press onto the top the cookies (optional). Scoop one-inch balls onto a lightly greased baking sheet, leaving them about two-inches apart. Flatten slightly for flatter cookies (optional). Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Yield: Approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Notes

  • We recommend letting the cookie dough rest after folding in the M&Ms. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for half an hour before scooping into balls. This also helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
  • Adjust baking times for softer cookies (10-12 minutes) or crisper cookies (12-15 minutes).
  • Learn more about M&Ms from the official candy website at http://www.mms.com.

 

October 7, 2019

Mocha Frappuccino

Posted by HI Cookery under 10 October | Tags: , , , , |
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Mocha Frappuccino

October 7: National Frappé Day

Before we switched to mostly drinking tea, Highlander would spend several dollars a day at Starbucks drinking coffee—and that, when added up, was a budget buster! So sometimes it made “cents/sense” to make our own blended coffee drinks, such as a mocha frappuccino, at home for a whole lot cheaper. And we could control the amount of sweetened condensed milk, chocolate and whipped cream added to the coffee to suit our tastes. We still go to Starbucks once in a while, but not as frequently as before, to indulge in a frappé. But instead of buying one today, we made our own to observe National Frappé Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups espresso or strong brewed coffee (we used leftover Kona)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ cup chocolate syrup
  • ice cubes
  • whipped cream

 Directions

In a blender, pour the coffee, milk, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.

Add the chocolate syrup. Top off the blended with ice cubes. Blence until smooth. Pour into two tall glasses. Swirl some whipped cream on top. Add a straw and enjoy cold.

Notes

  • We halved the above recipe for the two of us and still had an extra serving left over.
  • Add about ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the recipe for some texture and flavor.
  • We drink more tea now (just plain—no sugar or milk/cream) than the sugary blended coffees but still indulge in a frappé once in a while. Although it saves us more money than buying Starbucks drinks daily, sometimes good quality organic tea can get pricey, too.
  • We bought a Starbucks frappucino and saved the logo cup, cover and green straw to drink the rest of our homemade frappé.
 

October 3, 2019

Kale Parmesan Chips

Posted by HI Cookery under 10 October | Tags: , , , |
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Kale Parmesan Chips

October 3: National Kale Day

Our farmer friend Eugene K. generously gave us a big bag of fresh vegetables, including kale. Islander prefers spinach overall but after tasting baked kale “chips”, she now craves kale this way for a healthy snack! This quick and easy homemade recipe for baked kale leaves tossed in olive oil and Parmesan cheese and lightly seasoned with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes are a totally tasty way to observe National Kale Day!

Recipe

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch kale
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

 Directions

Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Mist with cooking spray. Wash and dry the kale. Tear the leaves into small pieces. Place in a bowl and toss with olive oil and cheese. Season the salt, pepper and flakes.

Spread the leaves out on the prepared pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through until the leaves are crispy. Remove from the oven and cool. Store remaining chips in an airtight container.

Notes

  • Thanks to Eugene K. for the kale from his farm.
  • We hope to add more kale recipes to our blog soon. Search back later.
 

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