February 2008 - Kitchen Scrapbook

When you’re out of eggs… and you get a cookie craving:

February 28, 2008 December 13, 2019

Posted on February 28, 2008
Filed Under Cookies and bars

I guess I never paid enough attention, but do you know how many cookie recipes take eggs?! I’d say roughly 99% percent of them! Lexi wanted to make cookies and we had no eggs, so I started going through cookbooks. There were nobake cookies in the Derstine Cookbook, but we wanted ‘bake’ cookies. Finally, we found “Mary’s Cream Cheese Cookies” in the Treasured Recipes for our Mothers cookbook by the Lebanon Valley Christian School in PA.

“Who’s Mary?” Lexi asked.
“We don’t know her. She just gave the recipe to put in the cookbook”, I said.
“Well, we should cross out her name and just call them Cream Cheese Cookies cuz we don’t know her.” was Lexi’s reasoning.
We didn’t cross anything out… Mary is still getting credit for the cream cheese cookies in our cookbook.

Mary’s Cream Cheese Cookies

1 c. butter
6 oz. cream cheese (we just threw in the whole 8 oz)
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Add rest of ingredients. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour. (Ha, the dough didn’t last in the fridge for 30 min! With 2 eager helpers asking every 10 seconds if it’s ready yet, I got it out after about 5 min. Worked just fine.) Form balls and roll in crushed Wheaties.
(This is still at the beginning of rolling. Tiffany hasn’t started playing in the Cornflakes yet. What a mess it turned out to be!)
Bake 350. That’s all it said. Not how long to bake them or anything. I baked them for 10 min, then thought they didn’t seem quite done, so I let them in for 2 more min. and that seemed perfect. So, 12 minutes it is. The batch made exactly 3 dozen cookies. Also, we didn’t have Wheaties, so we used crushed Cornflakes.
On whether we liked them or not, let’s just say that those 3 dozen cookies look like they might not last a full 24 hours around here! They are nice and soft and moist, not dry like regular sugar cookies. Must be because of the cream cheese. I think I might try these sometime for frosted sugar cookies (without the Wheaties/Cornflakes), like at Christmastime. I’m sure they’d need to be refrigerated the full length of time to be rolled out though.

Comments

9 Responses to “When you’re out of eggs… and you get a cookie craving:”

Freida on February 28th, 2008 8:47 am

neat site! And the cookies do look good. I’ll have to try them sometime when I get in the “no-eggs” predicament.
Aug on February 28th, 2008 10:05 am

Hey, very cool! I still need your Xanga site though so I can be informed when you post. Now I can just go here to look for recipes instead of to “Taste of home’s” site! ???? I love the way you explain everything and take step by step pictures. So much fun, since i love to cook too. Yeah, looking forward to some healthy stuff that maybe I can try in March.
Katrina on February 28th, 2008 10:56 am

Those look really good.
Shannon on February 28th, 2008 12:37 pm

I’ve run into the “no eggs” problem already too. Gonna have to keep this recipe around, looks good.
Sharon on February 28th, 2008 2:50 pm

I have finally found an egg-free substitute that works in cookies, because my predicament, unlike yours, is that Sawyer is allergic to eggs :-(. So YAY!!! for this recipe. (By the way, the substitute is probably something you don’t have on hand–1+ T. flax meal mixed with 1+ T. water per egg).
rosa on February 28th, 2008 4:39 pm

The new site looks really nice. I’ve been enjoying your xanga site for awhile and am looking forward to getting your updates here. I’m hoping you will be posting more often now that you have a “real” site!
Janice on February 29th, 2008 11:44 am

I don’t think I’ll wait until I have no eggs on hand (as the chickens keep laying a few), but the next time the cream cheese craving strikes. I LOVE cr. ch!
Marilyn Martin on March 3rd, 2008 6:46 am

I like the look of your new site and am looking forward to many more great recipes!
Shandolynne on March 12th, 2008 12:36 am

I found your site through your comment on Nate & Tricia’s blog. I tried these cookies tonight. YUMMY!

Breads Biscuits and Rolls

It’s a Winner!

February 22, 2008 December 19, 2019

Talking about the Red Lobster biscuits here. I tried the recipe from Heidi and it beat the other one! Those were EXACTLY like the ones at Red Lobster. It does have twice the butter though too, so I’m sure that helps! Freida, you’ve gotta try these sometime. I think the secret is (besides the extra butter!) beating the dough with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds. Let me tell you, that’s HARD work! But I could notice a big difference after I did that… it was much fluffier.

So, here it is, the biscuits that make you think you’ve got a seafood dinner coming up next. But then you’re glad after all that you are in the comfort of your own home when you jerk back to reality as your 22-month-old spills soup on her lap.

Red Lobster Biscuits

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 cups milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Mix Bisquick, cheddar and milk into soft dough. Beat w/ a wooden spoon for about 30 seconds. Add melted butter and garlic powder. Spoon onto greased cookie sheet. Smooth down tops. Bake for 8 to 10 min at 450 degrees.
While baking, melt butter in pan and stir in garlic powder. When done, brush butter on top and serve hot.
Heidi adds “This is how I have it written out, so I’m guessing you do the butter and garlic powder twice. I don’t know, its been so long since I have made them. I’m going to try them again and see, but I guess if you think that sounds like a lot of garlic, I would leave it out when I brush the butter on.” I did both the butter and garlic twice (once mixed in the dough and once brushed on top).
biscuits

Thanks Heidi! And Freida!

Comments

4 Responses to “It’s a Winner!”

Emily Beachy on February 28th, 2008 5:21 pm

These are EXACTLY like Red Lobster!!! Yru a little sea salt sprinkled on top yet too! WOW!
Shannon on July 10th, 2008 5:34 pm

I made these tonight. Eric thought he was at Red Lobster!!! Fettucine Alfredo, Shrimp Scampi and these biscuits!!!!
Marissa on July 23rd, 2008 8:04 pm

I made these last night to go with ceasar salad… so good! My usual biscuits turn out like hockey pucks! Thanks for the great recipe!
Kris on August 4th, 2009 8:26 pm

Wow! These look delish! Thanks for sharing the recipe.. I’m going to make this one later on.

Breakfasts, Sweet Rolls and Coffee Cakes

Wake up and smell the coffee… cake

February 21, 2008 December 12, 2019

Posted on February 21, 2008
Filed Under Breakfasts, Sweet rolls and Coffee cakes

I have started making breakfasts on Saturday mornings! I know, most of you probably already do that, plus do it Monday mornings and Tues mornings and Wed mornings… Anyway, I do try to steer clear of recipes that require me to get up early though! Here’s one we had recently on a Saturday morning…

Peach Coffee Cake… which actually ended up being Apple Coffee Cake. Recipe taken from the 2006 Quick Cooking Annual Cookbook

1 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 can (21 oz) peach pie filling (I used homemade apple pie filling that Mom gave me, or was it Grandma? I am blessed!)

ICING:
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
3 to 4 tsp. milk

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder; add to the creamed mixture and beat until just combined. Spread 3 3/4 cups of batter into a greased 15″ x 10″ x 1″ baking pan. (I didn’t measure out 3 3/4 cups!)

Carefully spoon the pie filling to within 1″ of edges.

Spoon remaining batter over filling.
Ok, THIS is harder than it looks! At times like this, I’m glad I’m not a perfectionist. At this point in the recipe, I had decided I might not feature this after all. Thankfully, it came out of the oven looking much better with the ‘islands’ more connected and not so choppy and oddly shaped!)
Bake at 350 for 20 – 25 min or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (cover loosely with foil if edges brown too quickly).

Cool on a wire rack. In a small bowl, combine the icing ingredients. Drizzle over coffee cake. Yield: 16 – 20 servings.

Mmmmmmm! Just delicious! I came back to them later for a late-morning snack and I thought it actually tasted even better at room temp than when it was warm from the oven… just my opinion. I’ll bet this would be good with about any fruit. I do want to try it with peach sometime… I didn’t have any peach filling on hand when I went to make these.

Thanks to those of you who tried the biscuits and then mentioned it. It’s always fun to hear feedback from you if you try recipes on here! Also, a big thanks to heidirhodes for taking time to post your recipe! I’m planning to try that one next time I make them.

Comments

One Response to “Wake up and smell the coffee.. cake”

S.L. Martin on February 22nd, 2008 11:25 am

Just checking if the comments work.

Breads Biscuits and Rolls, Soups

Soup, Salad, and Red Lobster Biscuits

February 16, 2008 December 12, 2019

Posted on February 16, 2008
Filed Under Breads Biscuits and Rolls, Soups

You know the term “just quick throw a soup together”? Well, I don’t see it that way!!! Every time I make a soup from scratch, it’s alot of work. But I do get a satisfaction out of starting with raw whole veggies and ending up with a good soup. And it’s fun to make… I just don’t buy the thing of it being ‘quick’. Any comments on that?

This soup is actually pretty easy though because the only raw veggies in it is potatoes and onions.

Chunky Potato Soup . ..I’m not sure where this recipe comes from, it’s handwritten it on a blank cookbook page

3 med red potatoes
2 c. water
1 sm onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
Crushed red pepper flakes
Black pepper
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cubed ham

Peel potatoes and cut into 1″cubes. Cook until tender.

Drain, reserving liquid.
Saute onion in butter until tender, but not brown.

Add flour, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Cook 3-4 min.

Add potatoes, 1 cup liquid, milk, and sugar to saucepan. Stir well. Add cheese and ham. Simmer 30 min, stirring frequently. Serves 12. Very good! That red pepper gives it some kick and extra flavor.
I know my dipper for the soup is way too big! I bought a smaller one just this morning.

Red Lobster Biscuits …from Freida

Preheat oven to 450. Mix 2 cups Bisquick, 1/2 cup water or milk, and 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese. Drop onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 min. After baking and while still hot, brush on 1/4 cup butter mixed with 1 tsp. parsley flakes, 1/2 tsp. garlic salt or powder, and 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning. Serve hot!

I have tried to copy Red Lobster biscuits SO often! I think every time we go there, we say we’ve gotta figure out how to do them. And this is the closest I’ve gotten to them yet! Still not quite as light and moist, but very close. Definitely the best biscuit recipe I’ve tried so far! You know they’ve gotta be good though… the tops are laden with melted butter! You really oughta try them!!!!!
EDIT: This was my 1st attempt. Then, I got another recipe, which is better… so if you try the biscuits, please use this recipe instead.

Comments

One Response to “Soup, Salad, and Red Lobster Biscuits”

kitchens on May 13th, 2008 12:07 am

I love soup so thick you have to eat it with a fork!

Holiday Cooking

It’s conversation hearts!

February 12, 2008 December 19, 2019

Did you ever have brainstorms hit you while laying in bed at night and can’t go to sleep? …

hearts7

This is a fun way to spend alot of time not doing much!

Bake an angel food cake (I used a cake mix) in a jelly roll pan lined with tin foil, not greased. Bake the cake for about 20 min. Flip upside down onto another piece of tin foil. Let cool for at least a half hour. Cut hearts out of the cake with a 1 1/2″ cookie cutter. Don’t go too close to the edge or it won’t cut through well.
hearts6 I got 65 hearts out of it, but I’m sure I could’ve got more.

Make a glaze… put some powdered sugar in a bowl and add a little vanilla, then add milk little by little and beat with a wire whisk until it seems about the right consistency to glaze, but not too thin that you can see the cake thro’ it.
hearts5
To glaze the hearts, put them on a wire rack with Saran wrap underneath to catch the drippings. Divide the glaze into however many different colors you want, then add a drop of food coloring to it. I’m out of green and blue food coloring, so I had to make do with yellow and red.

Spoon the glaze over the hearts.
hearts4

To make sure all the sides get covered, get more glaze on the spoon and pat it around the outside.
hearts3 It took me about 30 – 45 seconds to do one heart… the sloppier you are, the faster it goes, the funner it is, and the more glaze you waste.

Now they’re all glazed… I wonder how many times I said, “Don’t touch!” this morning…
hearts2

Now, copy off of the real conversation hearts or think of your own and write on them with red frosting (I mixed up regular buttercream frosting for that, not glaze). I just used a plastic sandwich bag and cut off a tiny part of the corner… my writing tip would’ve been too big.

hearts1

After the cake was cooled, total time to make these was about 3 hours. If you like the idea, you could do them in a morning. I think they’d look kinda cute to scatter around down the middle of the table for a Valentines meal. They actually look cuter in real life than on the pictures. I’m going to scrapbooking in a few minutes and am taking them along. Should be a hit with the kids!

Comments

Holiday Cooking

Valentines Meal 2008

February 7, 2008 December 19, 2019

Every year, my family gets together to do a Valentines meal. Mom started it just for fun when we were little… I first remember it when I was 5 or 6 years old and I’m 2nd to the oldest of 6 children. We pretty much had the same menu every year until the last few years, when we started varying it. But, this year, we decided that next year will be the traditional menu again that we had growing up. I’m really looking forward to it!

Now, back to this year…

This was a place setting… uh, yeah, we did have a couple fires start from those little tea light candles beside the plates!

In the red tulle is a snack mix combo…
vtines10 vtines2
The cupcake dessert is strawberry mousse in a whit chocolate cup.

And here is our menu…

Pizza… the first ones were staying warm by the fire while the others were in the oven.

Breadsticks… I had a hard time getting a good picture of these, and I’m adding the second picture because I think the dish is SO neat… isn’t it?! My sister-in-law got it at Kohls I think she said, for those of you who would ask in the comments.

Salad… there is lettuce under all that good stuff!

Layered finger jello…

Fruit pizza for dessert…

A couple things that made us laugh during the meal…

1. Every other goblet had a strawberry on the rim and every other one had a lime slice. One of the guys happened to get a lime instead of a strawberry and said, “I’d rather have a strawberry than a pickle on my goblet.” After we all laughed, one of the other guys said, “I don’t see what’s so funny. Mine does have a strawberry, but I’d rather have a strawberry too.”

2. There were 2 fruit pizzas and one was on a Pampered Chef pizza stone. As it was being passed, one of the guys (not one of the ones in laugh #1) said, “What is this on? A concrete platter?”

And just some bonus pictures yet…

The pizza crew…

The salad-maker and her husband…

10-day-old Nicole in her Valentines sleeper…

The table… although this picture doesn’t capture the effect and lighting very well at all, and you can’t hear the fireplace crackling…

My dau Tiffany ‘wow’ing over her Valentine from Grandpa.

Comments

Beef, Easy Meals

Your crockpot… use it!

February 4, 2008 December 12, 2019

Posted on February 4, 2008
Filed Under Beef, Easy meals

Do you ever feel like a broken record when it comes to meals? Whenever I try to think of something different for Sunday lunch (I mean something dressier than a frozen pizza), my great ideas are always weeded out by “Nah, I’d have to get up too early” or “No, that needs basted while baking and I won’t be here” or “I’d never have time to make that AND get us out the door in time” etc. So, it often ends up being the good ol’ roast, potato, veggies in a crockpot meal. Not that I’m complaining… we love that meal! I’m just sayin’ I do feel like a broken record sometimes when I say, “I guess we’ll do a roast in the crockpot for lunch tomorrow”, even though I try to use a different voice inflection and wording than I did the week before.

One thing I LOVE about this meal is I don’t make it. Who wouldn’t love that?! Really, that’s even better than that meal that I said, “Seriously, I spent no longer than 35 min on this meal!” Here’s the secret: I have a husband who cooks better than I can. (I am NOT kidding about that!!!!) Anyway, he puts the frozen roast in the crockpot before we go to bed Sat night. He tries different things with seasonings and flavorings. Yesterday, it was Parmesan cheese, bay leaves, seasoning salt, and b-b-que sauce…

He puts water in with the roast and seasonings and onion wedges
and turns the crockpot on Low.
In the morning, around 7:30 or 8:00, he put in potatoes, whole fresh mushrooms, and carrots.

When we get home from church, everything is perfectly done.

I usually put some crescent rolls from a popable can (speaking of a broken record, you may know by now that I’m a big fan of those too!) in the oven and set the table and dish everything and… lunch is served!

Crazy thing is, as easy as that meal is, we still opt for a frozen pizza or grilled cheese and tomato soup lunch sometimes. Or something on the grill in the summer.

What do you usually do for Sunday lunch?

Note to Kitchen Scrapbook readers: There were some interesting comments on this post and I wish they would’ve copied over from my old site when I copied the posts onto Kitchen Scrapbook. It was surprising how many people have a roast on Sunday! Other common lunches were quick things, like leftovers or breakfast foods.

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Valentine’s Day is coming up! Stay tuned for a Valentine’s meal post in a few days!