There should be a law

against pregnant women reading cooking blogs. I would'nt follow it mind you but it should still exist, and this is why.

Baked Potato Soup
by Smitten Kitchen

Baked Potato Soup

Serves 6

1 head garlic
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise, washed, and chopped small
5 to 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I used 5 cups; add the extra cup after pureeing if you’d like a thinner soup)
2 bay leaves
Table salt
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup sour cream
Ground black pepper

Toppings, optional:
Minced fresh chives or scallions
Bacon bits
Sour cream
Grated cheddar
A drizzle of melted (or melted and browned) butter

Rinse the head of garlic to remove any outside grit or dirt. Cut the top third off the head and peel any loose papery skins off the bottom two-thirds. Instead of discarding the top third (CI’s suggestion), pop out a bunch (or all) of the garlic clove tips and mince them. If you’re Deb, breathe a sigh of relief that you have wasted nothing.

In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add leeks and cook them until soft (but not brown), about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute. Add the larger part of the garlic head (whole, not chopped), broth, bay leaves and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat and simmer until garlic is very tender when pierced with tip of knife, 30 to 40 minutes. Add potatoes and continue to simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Discard bay leaves. Remove garlic heads. Optional: If you’d like an extra garlic boost to the soup, using tongs or paper towels, squeeze garlic head at root end until cloves slip out of their skins. Using a fork, mash the garlic cloves to smooth paste and add it back to the soup. [I felt our soup was garlicky enough without this. It had a great suggestion of garlic without overpowering the baked potato flavor.]

Add sour cream to soup and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper to taste. Using immersion blender, process soup until chunky-creamy, leaving lots of potato texture intact. (Alternatively, transfer a portion of the potatoes and broth to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.) Serve with whatever makes you happy on top, or nothing at all.

Head n over to the recipe page if you want to see some fantastic food porn.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

2 sticks (8 oz) softened butter
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup poppy seeds (one small container)
4 eggs
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
grated lemon rind from one lemon
1/2 cup milk
juice of 1/2 a lemon

lemon sauce (2/3 cup sugar, 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice). Stir sugar into lemon juice until it dissolves.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray 5 mini loaf pans with non-stick spray.
Cream butter and sugar in mixer. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add poppy seeds. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. In blender, put milk, lemon juice, and lemon rind to grind. Add flour mixture to batter alternately with milk and mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Using an ice cream scoop, put three scoops into each pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Pour lemon sauce over hot loaf. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out on rack to cool completely. Keeps for one week when well wrapped and refrigerated.

Recipe can also be used for muffins or other cake pans.

Lemon Cream Cheese Pie

Crust:
1 2/3 Cup graham cracker crumbs, finely crushed
1/4 Cup sugar
1/3 Cup butter or margarine, softened

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese
2 tbsp butter
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp flour
2/3 c milk
1/4 c lemon juice
2 tbsp grated lemon peel (optional)

Lemon Topping:
1-1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup sugar
1 lemon (juice & peel)

Crust:
In plastic bag, finely roll 10-12 graham crackers, or use food processor. Combine crumbs, sugar, and butter. Blend well with fork or pastry blender. Using back of large spoon, press crumb mixture inside 9-inch pie plate to coat bottom and sides evenly.

Filling directions:
In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese and butter. Add sugar and egg yolk. Mix well. Add flour, milk, lemon juice and peel. Pour into graham cracker crust; bake 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Chill.

Lemon Topping Directions:
Mix the corn starch in a 1/3 cup of the cold water and bring the rest of the water to the boiling point. Add the moistened corn starch and cook until transparent. Add the butter, sugar, lemon juice and grated rind and set aside to cool.
Beat the lemon mixture well until smooth and place on top of the baked pie.

Refrigerate and serve when cold.

Watermelon Lemonade

Watermelon Lemonade
from Smitten Kitchen

1/4 cup (2 ounces) fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup (4 ounces) fresh watermelon puree, strained through a coarse strainer to remove seeds
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) simple syrup
3/4 cup (6 ounces) cold water

Stir it all together and serve over ice. Garnish it with a thin watermelon or lemon wedge, if you’re feeling fancy.

Spritzy variation: I have never met a beverage I didn’t think would taste better bubbly, thus, if you’re looking for a spritzier version of this, swap one-third (1/4 cup) or more of the water with seltzer or sparkling water.

Boozy variation: My husband thinks this would taste even better with a splash of vodka. I am not one to argue.

Snowballs

These tasty treats are also well known as Russian Tea Cakes and Mexican Wedding Cookies.

Yield: 30 Cookies

1 cup Butter
1/2 cup Powdered sugar
Pinch Salt
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped fine
1 tsp Vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups Flour

1/2 cup Powdered sugar, sifted.

Put butter and powdered sugar in a mixer with a paddle attachment, and cream them together until smooth. Add the pinch of salt and vanilla extract and mix.

Slowly add the flour until the dough comes together. Now fold in the toasted pecans mixing well. Let dough chill for 1/2 hour in fridge.

Roll the dough into small balls and place on a parchment lined or sprayed baking sheet. Bake at 350 F until cookies are golden brown about 12 minutes. When done remove from oven and let cool. After the cookies are cool roll them in sifted powdered sugar to completely cover each cookie. Enjoy.

Source

Thick, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This is a half recipe. It makes a couple dozen standard-size cookies. (I get more because I make them tinier.) I always feel like I’m swimming in cookies when I make the full volume, but if you’re feeding a crowd, go ahead and double it.

1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) butter, softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt (I often use a half teaspoon, but I like more salt in my baked goods)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, raisins and walnuts, if using them.

At this point you can either chill the dough for a bit in the fridge and then scoop it, or scoop the cookies onto a sheet and then chill the whole tray before baking them. You could also bake them right away, if you’re impatient, but I do find that they end up slighly less thick.

The cookies should be two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes (your baking time will vary, depending on your oven and how cold the cookies were going in), taking them out when golden at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

Source

Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip and Pecan Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2 cups chopped pecans
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment or a Silpat (rubber nonstick baking mat). Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla, and beat until well mixed, about 3 minutes. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove in a separate bowl. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter with the mixer on low speed. Once the flour has been incorporated, add the second half. Stir in the oats, pecans, orange zest, and chocolate chips. Drop the dough, by the tablespoon, onto the cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on a rack. Store at room temperature in a cookie jar or other airtight container.

Source

Readers Favorite

This great recipe for Hot White Chocolate was sent to us by Amanda and sounds positively decadent!

1 1/2 cups (360 ml) milk
3 ounces (90 grams) white chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon instant coffee or espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish:
Grated chocolate or cocoa powder
Softly whipped cream
Place the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is nice and hot.
Place the chopped chocolate, instant coffee powder, and vanilla extract in your blender. Then pour the hot milk into the blender and process until nice and foamy.
Pour the hot chocolate into two cups and garnish with a dusting of cocoa powder or grated chocolate. Can also garnish with softly whipped cream.
Makes 2 servings.

crispy salted oatmeal white chocolate cookies

One of my favorite sites to "borrow" recipes from is Smitten Kitchen. Not only are the recipes all great, btu the photography that goes along with the recipes will leave you drooling. To go along with this months challenge here is a Smitten Kitchen recipe for white chocolate oatmeal cookies...

Crispy Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

The original recipe didn’t have white chocolate in it, but it really works wonderfully in here. Even if you’re a dark chocolate fan. Watch out, use the good stuff and this may even convert you.

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

6 ounces good-quality white chocolate bar, chopped (not “white chocolate” chips; they’re almost always artificial. I am adamant about this.)

1/2 teapoon flaky sea salt (like Maldon or fleur de sel) (for sprinkling on top)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and table salt in a medium bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats and white chocolate and mix until well incorporated.

3. Divide dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons. Roll between palms into balls, then place on lined baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using fingertips, gently press down each ball to about ¾-inch thickness.

4. Sprinkle a flake or two of sea salt on each cookie

5. Bake until cookies are deep golden brown, about 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool.

Monthly recipe Challenge

This months recipe challenge is White Chocolate.
Do you have a great white chocolate cheesecake recipe? Or maybe you're famous for your white chocolate macadamia nut cookies?
We want to hear from you send your white chocolate recipes to housewifeheaven@gmail.com.