Cornflake Marshmallow Cookies

It is no secret that cookies are not my favourite thing.  I don't eat them often and I am not really good at making them either, although if there was any cookie that would change my mind about that it would be these cornflake marshmallow cookies from Momofuku Milk Bar.

These cookies are so fun and so different than a regular chocolate chip cookie.  And that cornflake crunch is amazing straight off the baking tray, even better in the cookies though!

16 tbs butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups Cornflake Crunch
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups mini marshmallows

Cornflake crunch
5 cups cornflakes
1/2 cup milk powder
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
9 tbs butter, melted

To make the cornflake crunch, preheat oven to 275.

Place the cornflakes in a large bowl and crush with your hands. Mix in the milk powder, sugar and salt.  Pour in the butter and stir until combined.

Place cornflake mixture on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, leave to cool.

To make the cookies, put the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together for 2 minutes.  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for 8 minutes.

Reduce the mixer to low and add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Mix just until combined.  Add in the cornflake crunch, chocolate chips and marshmallows and mix for just a minute.

Using a third cup measure, portion out the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375 and bake chilled cookies for 18 minutes.

Cod with Chile Lime Butter

Randal will very rarely eat fish that is not deep fried and served with tarter sauce, so I knew I had to make this cod with the chile butter at home when he tasted a version of this at a grocery store and loved it. 

We both enjoyed this entire meal, the fish with the chile lime butter and the succotash which was also a new dish for me, but one that we will be making again!

4 cod filets
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Chile lime butter:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
1 tsp serrano chile, minced
1/2 tsp salt

To make the chile butter,  stir together the butter, shallot, chile, lime juice and zest and salt.  Place the butter mixture on cling film and roll into a log.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Pat dry the cod, season with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a large pan, add the fish and cook for 2 or 3 minutes per side until golden.  Finish cooking the fish in a 375 degree oven for 6-8 minutes.  Serve with the chile lime butter.

Corn and Lima Bean Succotash

I don't think I have ever tried a succotash before, it's a very American dish to me, certainly not something we ate when I lived in England, and lima beans were also not something we ate, actually I don't think I ever tried them before I had a lima bean succotash in one of our favourite grocery stores here in Houston, Central Market.  They were sampling this succotash with a spiced tilapia, we both loved it so much we decided to go home and make our version of it, only we had cod not tilapia.

 1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2 cups corn kernals
2 cups lima beans
3 tbsp fresh basil, sliced
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan.  Add onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, cook for another minute.  Add the tomatoes, corn and lima beans.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and stir in the fresh basil.

Menu Plan Monday

 

Monday: Pepperoni pizza and salad

Tuesday: Mango chicken

Wednesday: Tacos

Thursday: Spag bol and salad

Friday: Eating out
  
See other menu plans over at Organizing Junkie

Rosemary Cornbread

Last week we recieved our first bag of fresh herbs of the year.  We are very lucky to get weekly bags filled with rosemary, mint, parsley, basil and more from Randal's coworker.  We made good use of the mint and parsley by making Armenian kebabs and fatoosh salad, but to use some of the rosemary I went with a rosemary cornbread.  I am not a huge fan of cornbread but I do love rosemary which made this cornbread one of the best I have had!

 1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup milk
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 400. 

In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.   Add in the egg, milk, oil and rosemary and stir to combine.

Grease a baking dish and pour in the batter.

Bake for 15-20 minute.

Menu Plan Monday

 

Monday: Biscuit sliders, corn on the cob and salad

Tuesday: Chicken tikka, jasmine rice and naan bread

Wednesday: BLT's and tomato soup

Thursday: Tacos and spanish rice

Friday: Eating out
  
See other menu plans over at Organizing Junkie

Sophie's Minion Cupcakes

Monday was Miss Sophie Bears 4th birthday.  Sophie has been in my daycare for 2 years now and is such a smart, sweet little girl that when she asked me to make her minion cupcakes I just couldn't refuse.  I don't know why but my daycare kids are just loving the minion movie these days, but it has to be the one with the bad bunny!

I found the inspiration for the look of these cupcakes on the Betty Crocker site, but Sorry Betty, I had to make my own vanilla cakes and swiss meringue frosting!

Cupcakes:

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 plumped vanilla bean
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk
10 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a cupcake pan with paper liner.

In a small bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs for 5 minutes, until thick and lemon coloured.  Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture has thickened.  Add in the vanilla extract and the flour and mix just to combine.

In a small pan heat the milk with the vanilla bean and butter until simmering.  Remove the vanilla bean and gradually add the hot milk to the batter.

Fill each liner 2/3 full and bake for 18 minutes, or until cooked through.

Swiss meringue buttercream
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 large egg whites
1 cup + 2 tbsp of sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

yellow food colouring

To make the frosting, put a few inches of water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Put the egg whites, sugar and salt into a bowl that will fit over the pan of water and whisk until it reaches 150 degrees and the sugar has all melted. Transfer mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk on medium speed until the bowl feels cold (this can take up to 10 minutes) add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time, finally beat in the vanilla and food colour.

For the Minions

Black liquorice

Large marchmallows

Brown M&M's

Black icing pen

To make the minion cupcakes, spread a layer of frosting on each cupcake.  Lay a strip of black liquorice just above the center of each cupcake.  Cut the top and bottom off each marshmallow and give some cupcakes one eye and other cupcakes 2 marshmallow eyes.  Use a little of the frosting to glue the candy onto the marshmallows and use the icing pen to draw on the mouth.

Menu Plan Monday

 

Monday: Cod with chili lime butter and corn succotash

Tuesday: Grilled cheese and tomato soup

Wednesday: My birthday - Randal is bringing home dinner

Thursday: Spag bol and salad

Friday: Eating out
  
See other menu plans over at Organizing Junkie

SRC - Tiramisu Cupcakes

Time for another Secret Recipe Club reveal,  this month I was assigned the blog Pale Yellow. April is my birthday month and with the reveal just a few days before my birthday and once I read that Tracy calls herself a baking blogger I went right to the cupcake recipes to find something sweet to make for my birthday dessert.  

Tracy has a lot of delicious looking cupcake recipes, I was torn between the Sangria Cupcakes and these Tiramisu Cupcakes.  In the end I went with the tiramisu as a good tiramisu is probably one of my favourite desserts, so those flavours in cupcake form sounded amazing to me.  

I have made many different kinds of cupcakes over the years, but there is just something about espresso soaked cake topped with mascarpone frosting and a dusting of cocoa that made these one of my very favourite.

Cupcakes:
3/4 cup and 3 tbsp cake flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp milk
1 vanilla bean
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs and 3 egg yolks

Syrup:
1/4 cup hot coffee
1 1/2 tbsp kahlua
3 tbsp sugar

Frosting:
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz mascarpone
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tap vanilla extract
cocoa powder for dusting
chocolate shavings

Preheat oven to 325, line a cupcake pan with liners.

To make the cupcakes, place the milk in a saucepan, split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds, place the seeds and the pod into the pan.  Heat until simmering.

Add the buttter, turn off the heat, stir until the butter has melted and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the eggs and sugar.  Mix until combined.  Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Whisk until the sugar has dissolved.  Put the bowl back on the mixer and whisk until the egg mixture is pale and fluffy.  Add in the dry ingredients.  Remove the vanilla pod from the milk and add to the cake batter. 

Divide batter between cupcake liners and bake for 18 minutes.

While the cupcakes are baking, make the syrup by stirring the kahlua and sugar into the hot coffee.

Once the cupcakes are baked, poke holes in each cake and brush on the soaking syrup.  Leave cakes to cool completely.

To make the frosting, whisk the cream to stiff peaks.

Beat together the mascarpone, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Fold in the whipped cream and pipe onto cupckes, dust with cocoa powder and top with chocolate shavings.
 

An InLinkz Link-up

Lemon Pepper Grilled Asparagus

I am just loving grilled asparagus these days, is there any better vegetable for throwing in the grill?  it is done in 10 minutes or less, takes hardly any prep time and I always make a lot as the next day I take the leftovers, throw it in a pan to warm it through and top it with a fried egg.

1 lb asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Trim the ends off the asparagus.  Place in a shallow dish and drizzle with the olive oil, season with the lemon pepper and salt and toss to combine.

Grill for about 10 minutes, until tender.

Orange Pound Cake

I found this recipe over at Sweet Peas Kitchen  and I just couldn't resist making this orange pound cake.  I love pound cake and while I usually make lemon, or the madeira cake I grew up with I had a bag of oranges just sitting in the fruit bowl waiting to be used.

1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/3 cup orange zest
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Orange Syrup:
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar

Orange Glaze:
2 cups icing sugar
6 tbsp orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease 2 loaf pans.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt, set aside.  In another bowl, combine the orange juice, buttermilk and vanilla.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar, until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the orange zest.

Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour.  Divide between the 2 pans and bake for 50 minutes.

While the cakes are cooling, make the orange syrup by combining the orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Poke holes in the cakes, and pour the syrup over.  Leave cakes to cool completely.

To make the glaze, stir together the orange juice and icing sugar, it should be thick but pourable.  Pour the glaze over the cakes.

Lemon Cookies

A few weeks ago I had a rare day off from daycare, so I decided to spend a few hours baking, something I very rarely get the chance to do these days.  I guess I was in a spring mood because I went the citrus route and made some lemon cookies and an orange pound cake!

1 lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
zest of a lemon
juice of a lemon
icing sugar

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, mix cake mix, the eggs, oil, lemon juice and zest.

Drop tablespoons of the cookie dough into icing sugar, roll in the sugar until completely covered.  Place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes.

Seven Layer Bars

These bars were all Randal's idea.  I had never tried a seven layer bar before, but I guess the husband just got a craving because out of no where he decided I should make some.  I really had no expectations for these bars, but I do like everything that goes into them and Randal took the rest to work and I got some nice compliments!

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 cups shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350.

 Pour melted better into a 13x9 baking dish.  Add the graham cracker crumbs on top of the melted butter, followed by the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and walnuts.  Sprinkle on the coconut and pour the milk over top.  Bake for 25 minutes, cut into squares.

Menu Plan Monday

 

Monday: Spaghetti and meatballs, salad

Tuesday:  Chicken pot pie

Wednesday: Pizza and salad

Thursday: Herb roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans

Friday: Eating out
  
See other menu plans over at Organizing Junkie

Singapore Noodles

I found this recipe in the Rachael Ray magazine.  A few days earlier we made far too much char siu pork and I was looking for something new to try with the leftovers, and even though the original recipe used raw pork loin I figured the char siu pork would just add some additional flavour to the dish.  I had lo mein noodles on hand instead of vermicelli so I just used those, and even though I wasn't so sure about mixing the curry powder with the chinese flavours  this turned out to be a really good stir fry!

3/4 lb pork loin, thinly sliced
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oil
1 red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 carrot, julienned
1 cup sugar snap peas
2 eggs, beaten
4 oz noodles, cooked
spring onions, sliced for garnish

In a small bowl, mix together the curry powder, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of water.

In a large pan, heat the oil over high heat.  Add the onion, pepper, carrot and sugar snap peas, stir fry for a few minutes.  Add the pork, stir for a few more minutes.

Push the pork mixture to the side of the pan, add the egg, leave for a minute, then mix the egg into the pork.

Add the noodles, the curry mixture and stir fry for a few minutes.  Serve with spring onions and lime wedges.