Buckeye Brownie Cookies

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

filling:

• 1 cup peanut butter (Jif or Skippy work best!)
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

topping:

• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. First, make the cookies. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add in the egg and vanilla. Beat on medium-high until mixture is fluffy and pale in color, about 2 minutes.
4. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl, then add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and beat on low speed until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
5. Use a 2 ounce cookie scoop to portion out equal amounts of dough. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing the dough 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies have puffed up and are set and firm around the edges but still somewhat soft in the middle, 11 to 12 minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven, take the cookie scoop and press the round side of it into the cookies, making an indentation in the center of each cookie. This will create a little cradle for you to put the peanut butter filling in! Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
6. Once the cookies have cooled, make the peanut butter filling. Combine the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl and mix to combine. The mixture will be thick! Scoop out about 1 1/2 tablespoons of peanut butter onto each cookie, gently patting it into rounded disc into the indentation.
7. Next make the chocolate topping. Place the cream in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until the cream is hot to the touch but not boiling, 30 to 45 seconds depending on the strength of your microwave. Add the chocolate chips to the cream and let sit for 1 minute, then use a fork to stir the mixture together until smooth and glossy.
8. Use a small offset spatula or a spoon to top each cookie with about a tablespoon of ganache, spreading it in evenly over the peanut butter filling. Let the ganache set completely, about 30 minutes before serving! Enjoy!

*www.bromabakery.com

Easy, Cheesy, Ramen!

 

Ingredients:

3 packets instant ramen noodles (chicken or beef)

1 packet of ramen flavoring (discard the other two)

1 cup reserved pasta water (just for safe keeping)

3/4 cup milk (2% preferred, but any will work)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon butter

1/4 cup cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon grated parmesan

3 tablespoons chopped green onions or chives, optional

Directions:

• Boil 6 cups of water for the ramen and cook according to the package.  Keep one flavor packet to the side, and discard the others. 
• Once the ramen noodles are al dente, keep one cup of pasta water to the side, and drain the rest of the water. Set the noodles aside. 
• In the same pot the ramen was boiled in, place on low heat on the stove. Add the butter and gently melt it, add in the milk, and shredded cheese. Next, add in the garlic powder and the ramen flavor packet. Keeping the heat on low, continuously stir the mix until it's smooth. 
• Add the cooked ramen noodles to the cheesy mix, and gently fold the noodles in to ensure it's evenly coated. If you need to thin the sauce, use the reserved pasta water as needed (optional). Serve the ramen warm and garnish with the green onions and parmesan. 
  
  *www.sailorbailey.com

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Ingredients:
• 
  
• 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted + slightly cooled
• 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 6 Tablespoons (86g) pumpkin puree (see note)*
• 1.5 cups (188g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup (90g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus a few extra for the tops
• 
  
• 
  
• Directions:
• 
  
• Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the vanilla and blotted pumpkin (see note below for details) until smooth. Set aside.
• 
  
• Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft. Fold in 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. The chips may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to combine.
• 
  
• Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes or up to 3 days. Chilling the dough is imperative for this recipe.
• 
  
• Remove dough from the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• 
  
• Scoop the dough, about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie, and roll each into balls. Arrange cookie dough balls 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Using the back of a spoon or the bottom of a cup/measuring cup, slightly flatten the tops of the dough balls. (Without doing so, the cookies may not spread.)
• 
  
• Bake for 11-12 minutes or until the edges appear set. The cookies will look very soft in the center. Remove from the oven. If you find that your cookies didn’t spread much at all, flatten them out with the back of a spoon when you take them out of the oven. If desired, press a few chocolate chips into the tops of the warm cookies. This is only for looks.
• 
  
• Cool cookies on the baking sheets for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The longer the cookies cool, the even better they taste! The flavor gets stronger and the texture becomes chewier. I usually let them sit, uncovered, for several hours before serving. Chewiness and pumpkin flavor are even stronger on day two!
• 
  
• (Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to one week.)

1. Notes:
2. *Pumpkin: Squeeze as much of the moisture out of the pumpkin puree as you can before adding it to the cookie dough. I simply squeeze the puree with paper towels. See photo in the post for a visual. This will help produce a less cakey cookie. Less moisture is a good thing here! Measure 6 Tablespoons AFTER the pumpkin has been squeezed/blotted. Do not use pumpkin pie filling.
3. 
4. Chilled Dough: If you are chilling the pumpkin cookie dough for longer than 30 minutes, the cookie dough will likely have to sit on the counter at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before scooping/rolling because it will be quite cold and solid. The amount of time it needs to sit at room temperature depends on how long the dough has chilled. If I chill my cookie dough for around 24 hours, I let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
5. Make Ahead + Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature, then continue with step 4. Baked cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute; no need to thaw.
6. Bigger Batch: Cookie recipe can easily be doubled by doubling each ingredient. Chill the cookie dough for 45 minutes.

*www.sallysbakingaddiction.com

Viral Chuck Roast

 

Ingredients:

1 boneless beef chuck roast, about 4 pounds

salt and pepper, to generously season

2 tablespoons taco seasoning, optional (see note)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  

2. Season your roast with salt and pepper GENEROUSLY on all sides.  (If you're using taco seasoning, add at this time too.)

3. Add to a baking dish (no searing needed!), COVER, and bake for 1 hour per pound of meat.  (4 pounds = 4 hours.)

4. Remove the roast from the oven and shred it into large chunks using two forks.  If the roast is not pulling apart easily, put it back into the oven for 30 minutes.

5. Increase oven heat to 425 degrees.  Toss the shredded pieces of roast around in the rendered fat and place it back into the oven, UNCOVERED, for 25 minutes until you see some nice, crispy, caramelized ends.

6.  Serve as desired and enjoy!

Note:

While this recipe requires only salt and pepper, you can also add taco seasoning (2 tablespoons per 4 pounds) to switch up the type of dish you're serving.  Normally, this classic roast would be served with a veggie and potato, but by adding the taco seasoning, you can use the roast in tacos, on nachos, in a burrito bowl, or in a quesadilla!

*www.oliviaadriance.com

Unbirthday Cake Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temp

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

3. Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract.  Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth and combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.

4. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the bowl and beat on low until just combines and no streaks of flour remain.  Remove the bowl from stand mixer and use a silicone spatula to fold in white chocolate chips and sprinkles, mixing until evenly incorporated.

5. Use a 1.5 ounce cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons) to portion out equal amounts of dough.  Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans.  (This size of cookie makes about 10.)

6. Bake until the cookies have puffed up and are sit and firm around the edges but still somewhat soft in the middle, 11-13 minutes.  (If you make the cookies smaller, check around 9-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow the cookies to rest on the sheet pans for 5 minutes, then use a metal spatula to transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

*www.bromabakery.com

Moroccan Chicken Skewers

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1.5 inch cubes

1/3 cup Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon olive oil

4-5 cloves frozen garlic cubes

1.5 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or lemon juice 

1.5 teaspoons ginger paste (or 1.5 frozen ginger cubes)

1/2 tablespoon paprika

2 (heaping) teaspoons cumin (roughly 2.25 teaspoons)

1 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients (yogurt to pepper). Place cubes of chicken in Ziploc bag.

2. Once mixed, transfer marinade to Ziploc bag and toss to coat.  Refrigerate for 1-4 hours. 

3. If using, soak wooden skewers in water for thirty minutes to help avoid burning.  (I use metal, so no need to soak!). Thread your marinated chicken, making sure to leave some ends to grab! 

4. Spray the skewered chicken with a mist of cooking spray on each side, sprinkle with a fresh pinch of kosher salt, and grill on a preheated, oiled grill, or grill pan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes per side. (I used my grill setting on my air fryer (500 degrees) for 4-5 minutes per side.)

5. I served with naan bread and tzatziki!

*www.lillieeatsandtells.com

Balsamic and Herb Pork Tenderloin

 

Ingredients:

2 pounds pork tenderloin

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I used light balsamic, lemon-infused.)

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

5-6 frozen garlic cubes

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

salt and pepper

Directions:

1.  Trim fat from tenderloins.  Rinse and pat dry, and place in a gallon Ziploc bag.

2.  In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients (balsamic vinegar to parsley); it will be a thick marinade.   Pour the marinade onto the tenderloins and refrigerate for a few hours or even overnight.  

3.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees; remove the pork from the refrigerator 15-30 minutes before cooking, as you want it to come to room temperature.  

4.  Sprinkle the tenderloins LIBERALLY with salt and some pinches/cracks of pepper.  

5.  Heat a skillet over medium high heat, and spray a skillet with avocado oil spray.  When meat is at room temp and skillet is nice and hot, sear on all 4 sides (about 2 minutes each side), then transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet.

6.  Bake pork for 10-12 minutes or until it reaches an internal temp of 140-145 degrees.  Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes (depending on your patience) before slicing.  (I like to tent mine with an additional piece of foil on top to lock in heat/juices.)

*www.lillieeatsandtells.com

Snickerdoodle Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• Butter, for coating loaf pan
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3 extremely ripe (even brown) bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (nonfat or full fat)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a loaf pan with butter. 
2. Combine ½ cup sugar with 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of the cinnamon sugar mixture around the inside of the loaf pan, coating it as best as possible. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas with melted butter, stirring to combine. Whisk in ¾ cup of sugar, eggs, greek yogurt, and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet.
5. Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture over the batter. Pour the rest of the batter on top and repeat with remaining cinnamon sugar. 
6. Bake for 60 minutes (I checked at 55), or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing from loaf pan and serving!

*www.bromabakery.com

Sweet and Salty Puppy Chow

Ingredients:

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup salted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups Rice Chex cereal
• 1.5 cups pretzel sticks
• 1.5 cups mini peanut butter sandwich crackers (365, Trader Joe's, or Ritz)
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
• 2.5 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a large microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on high for one minute.  Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir.  Put the bowl back into the microwave and heat for an additional 30 seconds or until mixture is smooth when stirred.  Add the vanilla extract and stir again.  

Add the cereal, pretzels, peanut butter crackers, and se salt to the melted chocolate peanut butter mixture. Gently stir until the mixture is evenly coated.

Pour the mixture into a large Ziploc bag. Add the powdered sugar. Seal the bag and shake until the puppy chow is well coated.

Spread on parchment paper or waxed paper. Let sit until cool and chocolate is set.

Additional Notes:

Store the puppy chow in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. If it is warm in your kitchen, store the puppy chow in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the puppy chow for up to 3 months.
*www.twopeasandtheirpod

Hayley Hendel's Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

2 large, ripe bananas (I used about 258ish grams.)

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

1/4 cup REAL maple syrup

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 cup cottage cheese

2 cups pancake mix of choice

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 12-count muffin tin.

2. In a large bowl, mash bananas, then add peanut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla.  Whisk until ingredients are well incorporated.  Then, mix in the cottage cheese. (If the thought of "bits of cottage cheese" in your muffins sounds unappetizing, you can blend the cottage cheese with a hand mixer prior to adding to the rest of the ingredients.)

3. Next, add in pancake mix and use a rubber spatula to fold until ingredients are just combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.

4. Add batter to muffin liners (to top) and bake for 20-22 minutes.

5. Let cool completely before removing them from the liners.  Enjoy warm! 

(I store mine in the fridge and then heat them for 30 seconds at half power.)

*Hayley Hendel Instagram

Hayley Hendel's Bacon Cheddar Sous Vide Egg Bites

This pan is a splurge purchase, but because of its absolutely no-stick capabilities, it is 100 percent worth it.

Cleaning a muffin pan is one of my least favorite kitchen items to tackle.

Ingredients:

6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice

8 eggs

1 cup cottage cheese

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Place a 9x13 baking dish on the bottom rack and fill 2/3 full with water and allow to warm while the oven preheats.

2. Cook bacon as desired.  (I use precooked, bake mine in an air fryer for 5 minutes, remove and set on paper towel, and allow to crisp.)

3. Omitting the shredded cheese, in a blender, combine remaining ingredients (eggs to pepper).

4. Using avocado oil spray, generously grease a muffin tin and divide blended mixture evenly into 12.  They fill about 3/4 full.  Top each with cooked, crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese.

5. Place muffin tin on middle rack and bake for 25 minutes.

6. Store in sealed container in refrigerator.  When ready to indulge, reheat and serve warm.

*Ingredients to switch up the flavor of egg bites can vary!  Instead of bacon, try diced ham + peppers, or even spinach, tomatoes, and feta for a Greek-inspired flavor combo!   

*Hayley Hendel Instagram

Chicken Milanese

The original recipe serves 4; my modifications to serve 6 are in red, just in case 

you need a bit more chicken for your family or want leftovers!

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1.5 pounds (I used 3 breasts, roughly 1.8ish pounds.)
• Kosher salt and black pepper, for seasoning 
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs (I used Italian-seasoned.)
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (I used an entire lemon.)
• 1/2 cup olive oil, for frying
• Arugula, for serving
• Lemon, for serving (I used the lemon I zested!)

Directions: 

1. Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice the chicken breast halves horizontally, butterflying them open. Cut each breast in half, to create 4 equal size pieces. (Because I used one more breast, I had 6 pieces.)  Cover the chicken with plastic wrap. Use a mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken out until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Remove the plastic wrap and season both sides with salt and pepper.

2. In a medium shallow bowl or baking dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Set aside.

3. In a second medium bowl or baking dish, whisk the eggs and set aside.

4. In a third medium shallow bowl or baking dish, combine the panko, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and lemon zest.

5. Create an assembly line; dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture, coating both sides, shaking off excess. Next, dip the chicken into the eggs, letting any excess drain off. Add the chicken to the panko mixture and press until both sides are well coated. Repeat until all pieces are all breaded.

6. In a large cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully place 1 or 2 pieces of chicken into the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, on each side, or until chicken is cooked through.

7. Remove the chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat the process with the remaining chicken. Add more oil, if necessary.

8. Transfer chicken to a plates and serve with arugula salad and a squeeze of lemon juice. (I drizzled my arugula with lemon-infused balsamic vinegar!)

*www.twopeasandtheirpod.com

S'mores Cookie Cups

The recipe calls for 24 s'mores cups.  Each time I've made these, there's been enough graham cracker mix to make anywhere from 28-30, so if you have extra marshmallows and chocolate, make a few more! 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1¼ cup all-purpose flour (not packed)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 large marshmallows, cut in half
• 2 Hershey’s chocolate bars (24 chocolate pieces)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until creamy and smooth.

3. To the butter/sugar mixture, add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.

4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the large bowl (wet ingredients) and mix until just combined.

5. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough into a greased mini muffin tin.  (Using a tablespoon cookie scoop is super easy!)

6. Using the backside of a tablespoon measuring spoon, press dough down into the muffin tin to create a small indent in the dough. (I like to spray the back of the tablespoon with a little bit of cooking spray avoid the stickiness of the dough to the spoon.)

7. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until edges are just getting golden brown.

8. Remove from oven and gently press a half marshmallow, sticky side down, onto each cookie.  Let the cookies cool completely.

9. Once cooled, preheat the broiler (lowest broiler setting) on your oven.

10.  Place cookies back in the oven and broil for 1-2 minutes, keeping a close eye on them so they don’t burn! (Do not exceed two minutes.  I usually end up just standing there the entire time to monitor.)

11. Once golden brown, remove from the broiler and place/gently set a piece of chocolate on top of each cookie.  No need to press them down; the heat from the marshmallow will help the chocolate to adhere.

12. Let them cool completely before removing them from muffin tin.  (TIP!!!  After I place the chocolate onto each cookie, I give them a minute or two to adhere, and then put the muffin tin into the refrigerator for quicker cooling time.  The cold temp from the fridge hardens the cookie, making it much easier to pop out.  I use a toothpick to poke into the edge of each cookie and it pops right out.  Don't worry, the cookies will soften once they've gone back to room temperature.)

*www.sixsistersstuff.com

Maple Rosemary Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup real maple syrup
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided (I only used 2.  See directions below.)
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped, fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (I used frozen Dorot cubes.)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine maple syrup, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons olive oil, diced shallot, chopped rosemary, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic.

If chicken is not of even thickness, pound for more even cooking.  Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.

In a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, combine maple syrup mixture and chicken; marinate for at least 30 minutes to overnight, flipping the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade and discard.

Preheat grill to medium high heat, around 400-450 degrees.

Brush chicken with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.  (I did not do this.  Instead, I lightly spritzed the tops of the chicken with avocado oil spray.)  Add chicken to grill and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.  Dependent on its thickness, it can take anywhere from 10-12 minutes or so.

Serve immediately.

*www.damndelicious.net