Vanilla Sugar Cookies

Vanilla Sugar Cookies

Because, why not? Sugar cookies are good, but turn the Vanilla up to 11 and you just can't go wrong.

My thoughts on vanilla: there is no such thing as too much. I am admittedly a food snob and will not tolerate imitation vanilla flavoring. It has to be real vanilla in one form or another. We have experimented with emulsions and vanilla extracts. We may experiment with vanilla bean paste and this would be a great recipe test subject. Bridget Edwards at The Pioneer Woman has put together some good info on using Vanilla Bean Paste. And here is a recipe for making your own.

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 c flour
• 2 t cream of tartar
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 1 c butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 T vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Directions

Mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy (cream it). Add the eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add the flour in small doses to the mixture and mix in at a low speed. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or until firm*.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Shape dough into 1" balls. Roll formed balls in colored sugar for some extra decoration. Place balls 2" apart on a baking sheet. Bake 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet 1 minute. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

*This is an important lesson I learned watching one of Alton Brown's cooking shows: because of the high butter content in these cookies, they need to be kept cool especially as you work the dough into shapes; otherwise, the heat from your hands can start to melt the butter out of the dough and it can become tough or too dry. If you have the option and plan to cut shapes out of the dough, get a large marble sheet and throw it in the fridge beside the dough so that you can roll out the dough on a chilled surface.

Apple Fritter Waffles

Apple Fritter Waffles

I believe we found this on the Honeyville website and modified it a bit to fit the ingredients we had on hand. We tried this, not as a dessert, but as a dinner. I won't say that it was a mistake, but I will say that the kids really liked breakfast.

Glaze

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c powdered sugar
• 1/4 c milk
• 2 t Vanilla

Directions

Mix all ingredents together.

Waffle Mix

Ingredients

• 2 c flour
• 3/4 c sugar
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 T Cinnamon
• 1 c milk (original recipe called for 2 1/2 T buttermilk powder + 1 c water)
• 1/4 c melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 c chopped apples (original recipe called for 1 1/2 c freeze dried apples)

Directions

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt with a whisk until uniform. In a separate bowl beat together milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla with an electric hand mixer until combined. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and beat until a thick batter forms adding extra milk if needed. Gently fold in apples until fully incorporated. Pour small amount into heated waffle iron and cook until golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove and cut into four pieces. Drizzle pieces with the glaze.

TL;DM - Too Lazy; Didn't Make

Add cinnamon and some chopped apples to your favorite bagged waffle mix. You still need to make the glaze, but if you can manage to get your hands on some glaze from Krispy Kreme you can save yourself having to make that as well.

Better Than Canned Clam Chowder

Better Than Canned Clam Chowder

I don't know who came up with this recipe originally. I found it in our "official" mission cookbook. One time we made this soup for our English class during a Cooking with the Elders session. It was well received especially since Italians are much more amenable to seafood than most Americans (at least the ones I know).

At home, we double the recipe because the kids tend to inhale this stuff. Don't forget the salt. I made the mistake of thinking I would make it healthy by leaving it out. It was still edible but something was off. I add salt to the leftovers and the next day it was mush improved.

Ingredients

• 2 bottles clams
• 3/4 c diced onion
• 3/4 c diced celery
• 1/2 c diced potatoes
• 1/3 c butter
• 1/3 c flour
• 2 c cream
• 3/4 t salt
• 1 T vinegar
• 1 1/2 t fresh parsley
• 1/4 - 1 c milk (optional)

Directions

Simmer onion, celery, and potatoes in the clam juice until tender. For those who are more squeamish at the smell of fish, you may want to open a window. In a medium-large sauce pan, combine the butter, flour, and cream in the traditional white sauce manner (that means I'm too lazy to spell out how to do that here).  With the sauce prepared, add the cooked vegetables and clams to the mix. Add milk until you reach the desired consistency (or runniness).

Breakfast Casserole for a Ward Christmas Party

Breakfast Casserole for a Ward Christmas Party

As the name suggests, this casserole can only be served one time during the year. If served at any other time during the year, it just won't taste right.

Ingredients

• 24-30 oz bag of shoestring potatoes (aka hash browns)
• 2 c shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 c milk
• 1/2 t season salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1/2 c melted butter
• 2 c diced ham
• 6 eggs

Directions

Grease a 9 x 13 pan and spread out potatoes across the bottom, brush with the melted butter. Bake uncovered @ 425° for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and layer ham and cheese on top of potatoes. Beat the liquids together and pour over cheese and ham layers. Return to over and bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes.

Maple Icing

Maple Icing

Another slightly less sugary alternative in the frosting/icing department.

Ingredients

• 1 T + 1 t Maple Syrup
• 4 T powdered sugar
• 1/2 T butter

Directions

Melt butter, combine with remaining ingredients. Mix until smooth and uniform.

Optional Directions

Cook up some bacon and cover them with this frosting. That requires this recipe to be removed from the healthy tag though...

Mint Frosting

Mint Frosting

A slightly healthier alternative in the frosting department; less sugar, more flavor.

Ingredients

• 1+¼ cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter (softened)
• 1.5 tablespoons milk
• 1 drop peppermint essential oil (1 is a nice, tame mint flavor; 2 would be more of a full peppermint flavor)

Directions

Combine all ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth and uniform.

Fish Tacos V1.0

Fish Tacos V1.0

Why version a recipe? Well, obviously I know that this recipe has room for improvement and will require future updates. Besides, I want to get you hooked on our recipes and then turn it into a service based subscription where you pay a nominal fee monthly rather than just buy a recipe book once and get all the value at once. Where is the fun in that? That does not produce an adequate revenue stream for me or my upstream providers.

Ingredients

• 1-2 lbs Mahi Mahi (if you can find it; otherwise, use your favorite white fish)
• 1 head of green cabbage (red works too if you want it to look weird)
• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• The juice from one lemon picked at midnight on the first full moon after the vernal equinox (or plain lemon juice is just fine)
• 16 oz sour cream (low fat if you are afraid of heights)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 package white corn tortillas
• salt and pepper

Directions

Heat EVOO in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until it starts to brown and release it's stinky goodness. If not already filleted, fillet fish to 1/4 - 1/3" thickness. Add fish to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until it flakes easily. Drizzle each side with the lemon juice and lightly salt. In the meantime, thinly slice about 3/4 of the cabbage. In a large bowl combine the cabbage, sour cream, cumin, and pepper. Heat the tortillas so that the are more pliable. Assembly: place a large chunk of the cooked fish on the tortilla, cover in the cabbage mixture, top with your choice of salsa and/or guacamole (mango salsa works excellently with fish tacos). Fold or roll the tortilla. Place one end in your mouth. Take a large bite. Chew at least 20 times per bite. Swallow. Repeat the last three steps until there is no more taco.