I know everyone says their recipe is the "best", or "award-winning", or "famous", and I'll tell you, I have tried them all! I have found that most of them must not know what makes a good sugar cookie...at least in my opinion! So last night at midnight I tried this recipe (Loron decided he needed a treat for work today) and I think it is the best ever. I tweaked one that I found on allrecipes and I think it is pretty much sugar cookie nirvana! Try this one and let me know what you think. P.S. If you ever visit my blog I would love for you to leave a comment!
Summer's Sugar Cookies
1 C butter
1/2 C shortening
2 C sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 lemon -- juiced and zested
5 C flour (I have to use a little more because of the altitude here, so about 5 1/2 C)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Cream together butter, sugar, and eggs. Add vanilla and lemon ( I used meyer lemons,, they have such a nice mild flavor, I also really like orange in these, so try either one). Combine dry ingredients and then add to wet and mix. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. Roll out on floured surface, roll to 1/4 to 1/2" thick. Cut out and place on ungreased baking sheet, bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 6-8 minutes (I think 6 is plenty). Let cool and frost with favorite buttercream icing. Made about 4 dozen med-sized hearts.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
CAFE RIO CILANTRO LIME DRESSING
Ingredients
1 1/3 c. Sour cream
¾ c. Mayonnaise
½ bunch Cilantro chopped
1 package Ranch dressing mix
4 tbsp. Salsa verde (green salsa)
2 cloves Garlic
1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce (optional)
Juice of one lime
milk to thin it Out
Preparation
*mix together in blender and that’s it!
THIS THE DRESSING RECIPE I ALWAYS USE. I ALSO SPOTTED THIS RECIPE ONLINE AND IT LOOKS PRETTY TASTY TOO.
SWEET PORK
2 pounds pork
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)
1 c. brown sugar
Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.
Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.
In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.
Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!
CILANTRO-LIME RICE
1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.
BLACK BEANS
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")
CILANTRO RANCH
1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalepeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)
Mix all ingredients together in the blender. Thats it!
K so now to make it all PERFECT... Here is how we put it all together: First of all, we bought the aluminum deep-dish pans (they had these at the grocery store, you will know when you see them.. they look JUST like the Cafe Rio tins). Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle cheese on it, and put in the oven at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce (we used the leafy green lettuce, NOT ICEBURG) and a little scoop of diced tomato and onions (pico de gallo). We made up some gaucamole and put some of that on the salad (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). We also added a little spoonful of sour cream. Add some crushed tortilla chips (we have yet to find the little tortilla strips), a shake of parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the cilantro ranch dressing and there you have it!
It really is easier than it looks. It only took me about an hour to make (after the pork was in the crock pot). The rice and beans are SUPER easy, you definitely want the beans and rice to get the whole experience! Also, be generous with the cilantro!
Ingredients
1 1/3 c. Sour cream
¾ c. Mayonnaise
½ bunch Cilantro chopped
1 package Ranch dressing mix
4 tbsp. Salsa verde (green salsa)
2 cloves Garlic
1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce (optional)
Juice of one lime
milk to thin it Out
Preparation
*mix together in blender and that’s it!
THIS THE DRESSING RECIPE I ALWAYS USE. I ALSO SPOTTED THIS RECIPE ONLINE AND IT LOOKS PRETTY TASTY TOO.
SWEET PORK
2 pounds pork
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)
1 c. brown sugar
Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.
Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.
In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.
Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!
CILANTRO-LIME RICE
1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.
BLACK BEANS
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")
CILANTRO RANCH
1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalepeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)
Mix all ingredients together in the blender. Thats it!
K so now to make it all PERFECT... Here is how we put it all together: First of all, we bought the aluminum deep-dish pans (they had these at the grocery store, you will know when you see them.. they look JUST like the Cafe Rio tins). Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle cheese on it, and put in the oven at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce (we used the leafy green lettuce, NOT ICEBURG) and a little scoop of diced tomato and onions (pico de gallo). We made up some gaucamole and put some of that on the salad (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). We also added a little spoonful of sour cream. Add some crushed tortilla chips (we have yet to find the little tortilla strips), a shake of parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the cilantro ranch dressing and there you have it!
It really is easier than it looks. It only took me about an hour to make (after the pork was in the crock pot). The rice and beans are SUPER easy, you definitely want the beans and rice to get the whole experience! Also, be generous with the cilantro!
Britt's Pumpkin Cookies
Warning: The following recipe is very addictive and can lead to extra pounds on the hips!
Cream Together:
2 C sugar
2 C butter
2 eggs
Add:
2 tsp vanilla
2 C pumpkin
Combine:
4 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
Combine wet and dry ingredients
Grease cookie sheet and drop cookie dough on pan. Cook in preheated 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.
While cookies are baking make the icing:
In a saucepan combine:
1C butter
2C brown sugar
1/2C milk
Stir constantly and let boil for 1 minute. Add 1 tsp vanilla. Pour into a glass bowl and refrigerate until cool. When cool whip in icing sugar until you get a nice thicker consistency (but still can be easily spread)
These are not the prettiest cookies but they taste so good that it does not matter!
Cream Together:
2 C sugar
2 C butter
2 eggs
Add:
2 tsp vanilla
2 C pumpkin
Combine:
4 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
Combine wet and dry ingredients
Grease cookie sheet and drop cookie dough on pan. Cook in preheated 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.
While cookies are baking make the icing:
In a saucepan combine:
1C butter
2C brown sugar
1/2C milk
Stir constantly and let boil for 1 minute. Add 1 tsp vanilla. Pour into a glass bowl and refrigerate until cool. When cool whip in icing sugar until you get a nice thicker consistency (but still can be easily spread)
These are not the prettiest cookies but they taste so good that it does not matter!
Breadsticks
These are the most delicious breadsticks, and so easy to make! There a favorite recipe from my Missoula Recipe Group days.
Breadsticks Recipe:
1 TBSP Yeast
1 1/2 C warm water
2 TBSP Sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 C flour
1/2 C butter
Dissolve yeast, water, and sugar in mixing bowl. Let double. Combine salt and flour. Add to wet. Mix and knead for at least 3 minutes. Let dough rest for 10-20minutes. Melt butter. Spread half of butter on a cookie sheet. Then roll out dough on to that. Spread the rest of the butter on the top of the dough. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garlic salt, or italian seasonings, whatever you like. Using a pizz cutter cut in breadsticks. Let rise for 20 minutes. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
Breadsticks Recipe:
1 TBSP Yeast
1 1/2 C warm water
2 TBSP Sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 C flour
1/2 C butter
Dissolve yeast, water, and sugar in mixing bowl. Let double. Combine salt and flour. Add to wet. Mix and knead for at least 3 minutes. Let dough rest for 10-20minutes. Melt butter. Spread half of butter on a cookie sheet. Then roll out dough on to that. Spread the rest of the butter on the top of the dough. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garlic salt, or italian seasonings, whatever you like. Using a pizz cutter cut in breadsticks. Let rise for 20 minutes. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
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