1 cup shortening (I use butter)
1cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups peanut butter chips

Cream shortening, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Combine flour and baking soda, add to creamed mixture. Stir in peanut butter chips.
Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until light brown. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. Makes about 5 dozen 2 1/2-inch cookies.

Posted by Carol under Uncategorized

I love popcorn! Recently Liz went to Florida and bought me popcorn seasoning from The Spice and Tea Exchange. It was pretty tasty. Here are the basic ingredients:

INGREDIENTS

• Salt
• Cheddar cheese powder
• Paprika
• Chives
• Marjoram
• Garlic
• Vinegar powder
• Pepper

So far I have only been able to find cheddar cheese powder and vinegar powder online, so this may not be a make at home mix. I will continue to search for the best popcorn seasoning!

Posted by Carla under Popcorn!

I made this lasagna for my Valentine’s cupcake party this year. It was quite a hit. The pan was scraped clean within ten minutes of setting it on the table. Thank you Cook’s Illustrated!

If Italian fontina is unavailable, use whole milk mozzarella rather than a rubbery Danish, Swedish, or American fontina. Whole milk is best in the sauce, but skim or low-fat milk also work.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms , rinsed well
• 1 cup water
• 2 pounds portobello mushroom caps (about 10 medium), cleaned and cut into 2- to 3-inch by 1/4-inch slices
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large red onions , chopped medium (about 4 cups)
• 8 ounces button mushrooms , cleaned, stems trimmed, and broken into rough pieces
• 4 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon)
• 1/2 cup dry vermouth
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , plus additional for greasing pan
• 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 cups milk (see note above)
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves plus an additional 2 tablespoons
• 8 ounces Italian fontina cheese , rind removed and shredded (about 2 1/4 cups)
• 1 1/2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup)
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest from 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS

1. Cover porcinis with water in small microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap, cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Lift mushrooms from liquid with fork and roughly chop (you should have about 3 tablespoons). Strain liquid through fine-mesh strainer lined with paper towel into medium bowl. Set mushrooms and liquid aside.
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread portobello mushrooms in even layer on rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, tossing to coat mushrooms evenly; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss again. Roast mushrooms until shriveled and all liquid released from mushrooms has evaporated, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time. Set mushrooms aside to cool.
3. While portobellos roast, heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned around edges, about 10 minutes. Transfer onions to large bowl and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, process button mushrooms in food processor until uniformly coarsely chopped, about six 1-second pulses, stopping to scrape down bowl as needed. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chopped button mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and all moisture has evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to medium and stir in porcini mushrooms, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vermouth and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add butter and cook until melted. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Slowly add reserved porcini soaking liquid, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits. Add milk and nutmeg. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce has thickened and reached consistency of heavy cream, 10 to 15 minutes (you should have about 4 cups). Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons parsley and 1/4 cup basil.
7. Combine fontina and Parmesan in medium bowl. Toss cooled portobello mushrooms with onions in large bowl. Place noodles in 13 by 9-inch ovensafe baking dish and cover with hot tap water; let soak 5 minutes, agitating noodles occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on kitchen towel. Wipe baking dish dry and coat with butter.
8. Using rubber spatula, evenly distribute 1 cup mushroom sauce in bottom of baking dish; position 3 noodles on top of sauce. Spread 3/4 cup sauce evenly over noodles followed by 2 cups mushroom-onion mixture and 3/4 cup cheese. Repeat layering of noodles, sauce, mushroom-onion mixture, and cheese two more times. Place 3 remaining noodles on top of last layer of cheese. Spread remaining sauce over noodles and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Lightly spray large sheet of foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover lasagna. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes.
9. While lasagna is baking, combine remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, 2 tablespoons basil, and 1 teaspoon garlic with zest in small bowl. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees, remove foil from lasagna, and continue to bake until cheese on top becomes spotty brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove lasagna from oven and immediately sprinkle evenly with herb mixture. Cool 15 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve.

Posted by Carla under Dinner

Serves 4.   Published November 1, 2009.   From Cook’s Illustrated.

We strongly recommend purchasing “dry” scallops (those without chemical additives). If you can only find “wet” scallops, soak them in a solution of 1 quart cold water, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons table salt for 30 minutes before proceeding with step 1. In step 2, season the scallops with pepper only. If you are unsure whether your scallops are wet or dry, conduct this quick test: Place 1 scallop on a paper towel-lined, microwave-safe plate and microwave on high power for 15 seconds. If the scallop is “dry,” it will exude very little water. If it is “wet,” there will be a sizable ring of moisture on the paper towel. (The microwaved scallop can be cooked as is.) Prepare the sauce (if serving) while the scallops dry (between steps 1 and 2) and keep it warm while cooking them. See our related recipes for Orange-Lime Vinaigrette, Ginger Butter Sauce, and Caper-Mustard Sauce.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2
pounds dry sea scallop , 10 to 20 per pound, small side muscles removed (see note)

Table salt and ground black pepper
2
tablespoons vegetable oil
2
tablespoons unsalted butter

lemon wedges or sauce (see related recipes) for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Place scallops on rimmed baking sheet lined with clean kitchen towel. Place second clean kitchen towel on top of scallops and press gently on towel to blot liquid. Let scallops sit at room temperature 10 minutes while towels absorb moisture.
2. Sprinkle scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of scallops in single layer, flat-side down, and cook, without moving, until well browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon butter to skillet. Using tongs, flip scallops; continue to cook, using large spoon to baste scallops with melted butter (tilt skillet so butter runs to one side) until sides of scallops are firm and centers are opaque, 30 to 90 seconds longer (remove smaller scallops as they finish cooking).
3. Transfer scallops to large plate and tent loosely with foil. Wipe out skillet with wad of paper towels and repeat cooking with remaining oil, scallops, and butter. Serve immediately with lemon wedges or sauce.

Posted by Carla under Dinner, Fish

This is my favorite split pea soup recipe. The recipe is from James Peterson’s Splendid Soups and it yields a bright green light soup. I always half this recipe, which makes about 4 servings. I use bacon, not pancetta, and I skip the straining in the third direction.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pounds slab bacon or pancetta (unrolled), rind removed, cut into 1×1/4″ strips
• 1/4 cup olive oil if you’re using pancetta
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 cups green split peas
• 2 quarts chicken broth or water
• 1 clove
• 1 bouquet garni
• 2 10 oz packages of frozen peas
• 1 cup heavy cream
• salt
• pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook the bacon in a 4-quart pot over medium heat until it just begins to turn crisp, about 10 minutes. If you’re using pancetta, cook it in olive oil, because it doesn’t provide enough fat of its own. Remove the strips with a slotted spoon and reserve.
2. Cook the onions in the fat left in the pot until they soften and turn translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the split peas, broth, clove, and bouquet garni, cover the pot, and simmer for about 1 hour, until the split peas are completely soft.
3. Add the frozen peas and heavy cream and bring to the soup to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes and puree, a bit at a time, in a blender or food processor. Strain the puree through a medium-mesh trainer. If you want to thin the soup, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer or simply thin it with extra broth or water.
4. Season with salt and pepper, ladle into individual bowls, and garnish with the reserved bacon or pancetta and, if you like, croutons sizzled in butter.

Posted by Carla under Soups

This is the cake I made for Angela’s 30th birthday and she quite liked it (I hope). (she loved it. xo Angela) I took it from More from Magnolia; Recipes from the World-famous Bakery and Allysa Torey’s Home Kitchen by Allysa Torey.

CAKE

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

ICING
(This icing tastes better if made the day before the cake because the brown sugar gives the icing a slightly grainy texture that improves if allowed to set overnight.)

• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 5 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

GARNISH

• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped toasted pecans

Note: To toast the pecans, place on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant.

FOR CAKE:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and lightly four three 9×2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.
3. To make the cake: In a small bowl, combine the flours and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each additions. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the bater in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended.
4. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
5. When the layers have cooled completely, ice the cake by filling between the layers first with Caramel Frosting and then sprinkling with one-third of the pecans on each layer. Then ice the top and sides, and sprinkle the top with the remaining pecans.
   1. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Add the milk, syrup, and vanilla, and beat until smooth and creamy, 3-5 minutes. Use immediately or store, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.

FOR ICING:

Makes enough for one 3-layer 9-inch cake or 3 dozen cupcakes.

Posted by Carla under Dessert, yum.