Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The Good, The Bad, and the Delicious - A Look at Mexican Cookies

There are many kinds of Mexican cookies, some of which are specifically for parties, celebrations, and others, which make a special treat at any time. There are Mexican wheat cookies, Mexican sugar cookies, Mexican painted cookies, and many more mouthwatering varieties. These cookies are all sweet and tasty and they literally melt in the mouth.

Mexican Wedding Cookies - Mouthwateringly Tasty
These are Mexican traditional cookies and are truly delicious. Mexican wedding cookies are made from shortbread and groundnuts, such as pecans, walnuts and almonds, are often added to the mixture. These popular cookies are served at Mexican weddings and anniversaries and also around Christmas. There are different variations on Mexican wedding cookies throughout the world, including Russia and Sweden where they are known as teacakes. You might even like to try your hand at following a Mexican wedding cookie recipe if you have a wedding or anniversary coming up.

Delicious Cookie

Mexican Biscocho Cookies
Biscochitos is another popular cookie in Mexico. It originated in Spain. When the Spaniards came to Mexico, they also brought the cookie. They are made with anise seeds and sprinkled with cinnamon. Depending on the maker, some of these cookies include different ingredients. You might find some biscochitos with orange juice and wine taste for added flavor. The cookies are cut with cookie cutters or made into diamond shapes. Some people even drink wine while eating them.

What are Mexican Marranitos, Cochinos, or Puerquitos?
Marranitos is a cookie with different names. It is also called cochinos or puerquitos in different Mexican-American communities. It is known as "gingerbread pigs" even though there is no ginger in the cookie. The cookie is shaped like a pig. Traditional marranitos get their spicy flavor from molasses. In Mexico, the bakers make their own molasses syrup by taking brown sugar and placing it into cones. It is then boiled with the right amount of water.

Once it has turned into the syrup it is then added to the dough for the little pigs. The cookie is very moist and rich in taste with a flaky top.      

Mexican Churros - Ideal with Hot Chocolate
Originating from Spain, Churros are tasty fried cookies that are seen in both Mexico and other countries. It is made from a light paste that is sweetened. The paste is piped into oil and fried until golden brown. Cinnamon is added to make it taste even sweeter. Churros are best when eaten warm. It is typical to find street vendors selling Churros. They can make them fresh right on the street.

It used to be hard to find churros outside of Hispanic areas a few decades ago because they were only available at sporting events and carnivals. Nowadays they are easy to find in Mexican grocery stores and local restaurants because Latin food is becoming increasingly popular with many nationalities. Some companies manufacture churros with an inner filling in a delicious flavor such as chocolate, strawberry, or apple. Many Americans have discovered the wonderful flavor of churros.

So, now you know there are various types of Mexican cookie recipes. You might like to find a churros recipe or other Mexican cookie recipe and make your own Mexican sweet treats. Once you realize how good they taste, you will want to make them for your whole family to enjoy!

The Good, The Bad, and the Delicious - A Look at Mexican Cookies

South of the border doesn't just mean beans discover Mexican dessert recipes full of flavor and incredible taste. Easy dessert recipes Mexican that your family will love to eat all the time.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Delicious Recipes For the Blendtec Blender

If you have been perusing blender reviews, you will have noticed that the Blendtec blender is among the highest quality blender in the market today. There are hundreds of delicious recipes you can choose from when attempting to eat healthfully using the Blendtec blender. Over time, you will find that your waist line begins to recede, and your overall fitness level gradually becomes higher.

Need a little extra energy? Why not blend up some of your own signature peanut butter. Blender reviews state that the Blendtec is one of the best blenders to create the smoothest, richest peanut butter in town. All you have to do is throw some peanuts into the blender, and hit the pulse button repeatedly for about a minute. During the blending process, you can mix up your peanut butter with a spatula, and continuously mix in butter until you have reached your desired peanut butter consistency.

Delicious

Another delicious concoction which can be made by the Blendtec blender includes Tortilla soup. This soup, which is less than 100 calories per serving, incorporates tomatoes, carrot, onion, peppers, garlic, and taco seasoning. One of the best parts about the Blendtec blender is that you can create soups without having to warm them up on the microwave and on the stove. The longer you blend your soup, the hotter it will be. Therefore, you can simply throw your desired ingredients into the Blendtec, push a button, and you will instantly have healthy, hot, homemade soup. It doesn't get more convenient than that.

If you read through blender reviews, you will find that those who use these high powered blenders have joined together into their own community to promote healthy eating. Many blender users enjoy sharing recipes and stories. It is important to remember that you can use your blender for fun occasions such as a fun margarita night for a girls' night in. These blenders can help to create delicious, restaurant quality adult beverages which can be enjoyed by everyone! Don't forget, the Blendtec can also create delicious party dips such as guacamole, hummus, and salsa. Not only can you use the Blendtec blender to promote healthy eating, but you can also use it to facilitate a night of deliciousness and fun!

Delicious Recipes For the Blendtec Blender

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Sunday, November 27, 2011

Protein Shake Recipes - Tasty and Delicious

Long ago people used to hate the taste of whey protein. These days, it comes in all sorts of flavors and is really tasty. But there are still tons of great ways to make an even better shake by using regular whey protein and chucking in a load of other good ingredients. Here are just a few ideas.

Choco-Shake

Delicious Cookie

Normally I would not recommend you consume chocolate but if you are in a huge weight gain stage then it's OK.

Take 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder and add half a cup of water and egg whites. Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder. I also like to throw in some nuts too. Some guys like to add peanut better. I know some guys who even add a Snickers bar! For reasons above I don't advise adding chocolate. Of course, chocolate flavored protein power is completely fine.

Raspberry Surprise

Take 2 scoops of vanilla flavored powder and add 5 ice cubes, 20 raspberries and around 6 ounces of water. This is intensely refreshing and chewing on the seeds make this a very satisfying shake. This shake is almost "chewable" if you see what I mean!

Coffee Shake

Add 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder to a cup of skimmed milk. Add 4 ice cubes and a cup water. Finally a tablespoon of coffee granules then blitz together. I love to have this as my morning shake to wake me up!

Banana Power

Take one scoop of vanilla protein plus one small banana. Add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and 2 cups of milk. Blend as usual. Very tasty!

Protein Shake Recipes - Tasty and Delicious

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Saturday, November 26, 2011

Recipe for Traditional Swedish Christmas Cookies or Pepparkakor

In any traditional Swedish home, the smell of these home baked cookies will be found wafting throughout the home at Christmas time. The Swedes really love cooking for the holiday season and the Christmas Eve celebration is the highlight of the year.

Don't be worried by the literal translation of Pepparkakor, which means pepper cookies, it may have been that in olden times there was a little pepper in the recipe, but now there's just a tasty mix of spices.

Delicious Cookie

Christmas Spice Cookies or Pepparkakor

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

8 ounces (2 sticks) butter 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 egg 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 1/4 cup orange juice 2 teaspoons orange zest 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons ground cloves

1. Preheat oven to 400˚ F.

2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in egg, corn syrup, orange juice, and orange zest.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Stir flour mixture into the creamed butter until combined.

4. Roll dough out to 1/8 inch and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the oven. Cool cookies on wire racks.

These are a wonderful cookie recipe for children to make and taste even better when cut out with all manner of shape of cookie cutters!

Enjoy making and eating this traditional Swedish cookie recipe.

Recipe for Traditional Swedish Christmas Cookies or Pepparkakor

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Simple and Delicious Greek Recipes

Greek food is classic Mediterranean styled cuisine, made with numerous delicious natural ingredients. With a heavy focus on feta cheese, along the usual ingredients of olive oil, fresh vegetables, herbs, grains and meats/ seafood. Here's a couple of quick and simple Greek recipes you can knock up in your kitchen. They can be made up as a tasty standalone lunch, or perhaps as a meze appetizer. Either way, feta at the ready!

Greek Stuffed Potatoes Recipe

Delicious

Ingredients

6 potatoes- pick the larger ones!
9 ounces of feta cheese
1 tbsp of parsley
3 egg yolks
2 ounces of butter
Nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Wrap up the potatoes in foil and bake in the oven at 200 degrees centigrade for around 40 minutes to make them nice, soft and browned on the skin. After the time has passed take them out and remove the foil, cutting a horizontal slice at the top of the potato, removing a segment and making a pouch for your filling. Cook the pulp and add the chopped feta, nutmeg, yolks, diced parsley and the butter. Season the potato and filling with salt and pepper to taste. Fill the potato then cover with the slice, and serve up a delicious potato with a yummy gooey topping!

Peppered Feta
Ingredients

Mixed salad leaves
1 pound feta cheese
3 tsp black pepper
90 ml honey
Mediterranean bread to serve

This recipe will serve 4, and you can make them individually or as a group. So, place the salad leaves on the plate (or plates) and, patting the feta cheese dry, cut it into cubes and arrange on the salad leaves in the central of each bunch. Take a small bowl and mix the coarsely ground black pepper and honey before drizzling the mixture on top of the feta cheese.

Add a piece of bread (or two!) to each plate and serve up.

Simple and Delicious Greek Recipes

These are just a couple of Greek Recipes [http://www.greekrecipe.org/], you can find many more on this website!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Traditional Cuban Dessert Recipes

If you enjoy South American sweet treats, you will love Cuban dessert recipes. A lot of them are similar to easy Mexican recipes for desserts, which you have perhaps already made at some point. Lots of tropical fruits grow in Cuba, including bananas, mango, soursop, pineapple, tamarinds, coconuts and guava, which means that fruity desserts are especially popular.

Well loved Cuban desserts include rice pudding and merenguitos, which are sweet meringue puffs. Torrejas are like French toast. They are sweet fried bread slices served with syrup and raisins. In Cuba, French toast is served for dessert rather than breakfast. Cubans also like to make cookies and pastries using the locally sourced fresh fruit. Fruit turnovers and parfait desserts are really popular there.

Delicious Cookie Recipes

Flan, which is also known as creme caramel, is very popular in nearly all Spanish speaking countries, including Cuba and Mexico. This delicious egg custard is flavored with vanilla and has a smooth, silky texture.

An Easy Recipe for Boniatillo

This sweet potato pudding is popular during the holidays in Cuba. The pudding is flavored with cinnamon, cream, lime juice, vanilla and more and everybody will love the delicious flavor of this wonderful and traditional Cuban dessert. Chill it for a couple of hours or serve it hot. It tastes great either way! This recipe makes enough to serve four people.

What you will need:

2 cups brown sugar 1 1/2 lbs sweet potato 2 limes 1 stick cinnamon 1 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon salt 3 egg yolks 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon or grated cinnamon stick Water, as needed How to make it:

Peel and chop the sweet potato and cover it with water in a pan. Add a teaspoon of salt and boil it for twenty minutes or until tender. Drain the potato and mash it using a fork, blender, or food processor.

Peel the limes and save the fruit for another use. Put the peel in a big pan with the brown sugar, cinnamon stick, and two cups of water. Cook the mixture over a moderate heat until it reaches 250 degrees F, stirring it all the time. You will need a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature.

Take out the peel and cinnamon and turn the heat down to low. Add the mashed sweet potato and keep stirring the mixture until it is smooth. Take it off the heat. Beat the cream, butter, egg yolks, and a pinch of salt until smooth, and then add this to the sweet potato mixture.

Cook it over a low heat for a couple of minutes, then take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla. If the mixture is too runny, you can mix a quarter cup of cornstarch with a quarter cup of water and add this. Divide the sweet potato pudding between serving bowls and garnish each one with a little ground cinnamon.

Traditional Cuban Dessert Recipes

If you enjoy Cuban food, you will also enjoy making easy Mexican recipes. South American desserts, and Mexican food desserts especially, feature a wide range of delicious ingredients such as chocolate, fresh fruit and more, and they finish off a meal perfectly.

MexicanDessertRecipes.net The Sweet Side of Mexican Food

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Delicious Mexican Prawns in Salsa

This is a slightly spicy dish and is enjoyed by many people around the world. It is good for starters or you can even use it as a main course to serve your guests. You can serve it immediately while it is hot, or you can chill it in the fridge before you serve it. It taste equally good both ways.

Here are the ingredients that you will need to prepare:

Delicious Cookie

1. 750g of prawns, shelled
2. 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
3. 2 tablespoons of coriander, chopped
4. 2 red chillies, chopped
5. 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
6. 4 tortillas
7. 2 tablespoons of lime juice

Ingredients for the avocado salsa:

1. 1 avocado, peeled and chopped
2. half red pepper, chopped
3. 2 spring onions, chopped
4. half teaspoon chili powder
5. 1 tablespoon coriander leaves
6. i tablespoon lemon juice

Follow these instructions:

1. Place the prawns, cumin, coriander, chillies, oil and lime juice in a mixer bowl, toss thoroughly and leave it to stand for 5 minutes.

2. Place the avocado, lemon juice, spring onions, red pepper, chili powder and coriander leaves in another bowl and then mix well. Leave to stand.

3. Heat a nonstick frying pan and add in the prawns and stir-fry for a few minutes until the prawns are cooked. Then place the prawns on the tortillas and serve with the salsa on top.

This is an exciting dish with lots of rich flavours and your guests will love the taste. Have fun preparing it!

Delicious Mexican Prawns in Salsa

Check out other seafood recipes here. You can find a comprehensive guide on other interesting and popular food recipes from around the world.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Most Popular Christmas Cookie Recipes - Chocolate Mint Dream Cookies

One bite of these yummy cookies and you'll know why they call them dreamy.

3/4 cup butter, softened

Delicious Cookie Recipes

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Cookie Icing

Chocolate Drizzle

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the butter and confectioners' sugar. Beat in the chocolate and mint extract. Gradually add in the flour. Stir in the chocolate chips (dough will be soft).

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2-inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until firm. Cool completely.

Cookie Icing

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 to 2 drops food coloring

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and spread over the cooled cookies. Let set.

Chocolate Drizzle

In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and the shortening in the microwave; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.

Makes 54 cookies.

=> Most Popular Christmas Cookie Recipes: Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

A hearty cookie featuring cranberries and white chocolate.

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup raisins

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

1 pkg. vanilla or white chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.

In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in the vanilla.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the oats, raisins, cranberries and orange peel. Stir in vanilla chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2-inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool completely.

Makes 72 cookies.

=> Most Popular Christmas Cookie Recipes: Jeweled Thumbprint Cookies

These light cookies feature glistening jam in the middle that resemble jewels.

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup raspberry and/or apricot preserves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.

In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg yolk and extract. Gradually add in the flour. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle.

Roll dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place 1-inch apart onto prepared baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each ball.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool completely.

Fill with preserves.

Makes 72 cookies.

Most Popular Christmas Cookie Recipes - Chocolate Mint Dream Cookies

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Saturday, November 19, 2011

Quick and Easy Delicious Recipes for Using Apples - Bread Pudding, Crisp, and Stuffing

The recipes in this article are all about that versatile, healthy fruit - apples. For desserts try the Caramel Apple Bread Pudding; doesn't the name just make your mouth water? Don't like bread pudding? Try the Easy Apple Walnut Crisp. And apples aren't just for dessert! This Quick and Easy Apple Stuffing is delicious and really dresses up a bag of stuffing mix.

CARAMEL APPLE BREAD PUDDING
10 slices cinnamon-raisin bread, cubed
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 medium Granny Smith apples, diced
1 cup caramel sauce

Delicious Cookie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss the bread with the melted butter. In a 9-inch square baking pan that has been sprayed lightly with nonstick cooking spray, layer half the apples, half the bread mixture, and half the caramel sauce. Repeat the layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until the apples are tender and the bread is golden brown.

EASY APPLE WALNUT CRISP
6 cups sliced apples
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Arrange the apples in a 9-inch square baking pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

In a bowl mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in the chopped walnuts and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the apples.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until the apples are tender and the topping is crisp.

Yield: 9 servings

QUICK AND EASY APPLE STUFFING
1 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup chopped apple
1 1/2 cups apple sauce
1 pkg (8-oz) stuffing mix
1 cup low-fat, low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a medium nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and celery; cook while stirring for approximately 5 minutes. Add the apple and cook while stirring for another 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients.

Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and place the stuffing mixture into the pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through.

Yield: 8 servings

Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Delicious Recipes for Using Apples - Bread Pudding, Crisp, and Stuffing

For more of Linda's quick and easy recipes visit her blog at http://grandmasquickfixrecipes.blogspot.com
For her diabetic information and recipes visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com

Friday, November 18, 2011

Christmas Recipes - How to Make Peppermint Bark

One of the easiest options to make PEPPERMINT BARK CANDY is to use white chocolate. You will need:

1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies 1 pound white chocolate or white bakers chips

Delicious Cookie Recipes

Melt the chocolate or chips in a pan over water ( a double boiler if you have one). Crush the peppermint candies finely by placing them in a plastic bag and using a rolling-pin or a hammer. The bottom of a can also works well. I would suggest doing this on a cutting board and not on the counter top. Stir the peppermint candy into the melted chocolate. Spread onto a greased cookie sheet and allow to cool. Break into pieces.

PEPPERMINT BARK FUDGE CANDY

You will need:

3 cups granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup evaporated milk 3/4 cup light corn syrup 2 tablespoons butter 2 cups crushed peppermint candies

In a saucepan over medium heat combine the sugar, salt, baking soda, milk and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue to stir and cook until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage, 236 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat. Let cool 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and peppermint. Beat by hand until the candy thickens and begins to look cloudy. Quickly drop by spoonfuls onto wax or parchment paper or well greased cookie sheets. Allow to cool. You could sprinkle additional chopped candies over the tops if you wish.

For a lighter, melt in your mouth version try PEPPERMINT MERINGUE BITES. For these delicate treats you will need:

2 egg whites 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (helps stabilize the egg whites) 3/4 cup of sugar 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla extract 1 cup crushed peppermint candies or candy canes (red are peppermint and green are usually spearmint) 2 to 6 drops of green or red food coloring (this is optional).

I mix up 2 batches for the holidays, one red and one green. They look as great on a cookie platter as they taste. But beware, you may be making these almost daily. They are that good.

Lightly grease baking sheets, or line with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.

Slowly add sugar and continue beating until the egg whites are stiff. This can take up to about 7 minutes, depending on your mixer. Alternately you can do this by hand with a whisk. Gently fold in the peppermint candies.

Folding is done by taking the spoon or preferably a spatula and plunging it into the egg whites. You then pull back up through the mixture and fold the mix from the bottom over the top.

Do this gently so as not to break down the egg whites you have beaten so successfully.

Drop the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets to form small mounds. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes at 350 degrees until dry to the touch. Cool and store in air tight containers.

Any of these recipes will give you an attractive addition to your Christmas dessert tables or cookie trays. Try them all. Each version will appeal to different guests because of the difference in textures and hardness. Remember, taking the little bit of time required to make these and other homemade treats tells your family and friends just how much you care. Enjoy.

Christmas Recipes - How to Make Peppermint Bark

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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

White Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Recipe

The white chocolate raspberry cookie recipe combines the magical duo of white chocolate and raspberries. Truly out of this world! A great one for that special Valentine!

Ingredients

Delicious Cookie Recipes

4 ounces white baking bars or white chocolate baking squares, chopped.

4 ounces white baking bars or white chocolate baking squares, melted

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Topping:

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

3 ounces white baking bars or white chocolate baking squares

1/2 teaspoon shortening

Hardware

Large bowl

2 x 1-quart saucepan

Cookie sheets

Mixer

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 2: Lightly grease a large cookie sheet.

Step 3: Coarsely chop 4 ounces of white baking bars; set aside.

Step 4: In a 1-quart saucepan, melt 4 ounces of white baking chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly; set aside to cool.

Step 5: In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer set on medium-high speed for 30 seconds.

Step 6: Add sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined.

Step 7: Beat in eggs and melted baking bars until combined.

Step 8: Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining flour with spoon.

Step 9: Stir in chopped white chocolate baking bars.

Step 10: Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets.

Step 11: Bake 7-9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cookie set for 1 minute before transferring to a cooling surface.

Topping:

Step 1 Just before serving, in a 1-quart saucepan melt jam over low heat. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of jam over each cookie.

Step 2: In another 1-quart saucepan, melt 3 ounces white baking chocolate squares and 1/2 teaspoon of shortening over low heat until smooth and creamy.

Step 3: Using the tines of a fork, drizzle white chocolate over cookies. Let stand until set.

Makes 48 cookies.

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White Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Recipe

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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Fortune Cookies - Sweet Wisdom

Fortune cookies are crunchy Asian American cookies that are made of sugar, flour, vanilla, and edible oil, with a special 'fortune' placed inside. They are delicious deserts, especially after eating a Chinese food or dish. They also can be served as popular gift items. Many people love to bake them at their own homes and offer them as gifts to near and dear ones.

If you wish, you too can bake fortune cookies at home to make them more personalized and serve it to friends and loved ones or to your family members, especially the children! This is also a good way to teach children some good things in life and some proverbs while providing a better explanation and meaning. For this reason, fortune cookies currently in the market usually carry good quotes and messages.

Delicious Cookie

The 'fortune' is actually piece of paper that has words of faux wisdom and some complex prophecy. The fortune cookies are also called lucky fortune cookies because at times they have been found to possess some lottery lucky numbers inside them and some prophecies that are really fruitful to many people. The moment one finds some cookies in front, he or she cannot resist the temptation to taste a few and also find what lies inside it.

Some popular quotes and indigenous messages that are found in the cookies are - 'Take a minute and let it ride, then take a minute to let it breeze.' 'We are here to love each other, serve each other and uplift each other.' 'If everybody is a worm you should be a glow worm.' You find such types of memorable quotes and wise words in them that elate the mind and spirit. As you crack open the cookie you are definite to find some message or prophecy of good fortune awaiting from you.

Well, leaving the fortune unrevealed, let us talk a little about its tastes and the delicacies of the cookie. These cookies are popular not only because of their hidden messages but also its taste as well. They keep that delicious waffle taste while made of healthy ingredients. Almost every person who has tried a fortune cookie can say that they have brought some back home for their children. Kids love them because of the sweet taste and the "cool" message they get when they crack it open.

Though today the mainland of China and Taiwan are aware these cookies, however they choose to keep distance from the idea. One of the main reasons why they are not popular in those particular areas is because the fortune cookie originated in the Western world. Even though the fortune cookies seem like Asian style crackers, majority of Americans and Canadians love them more than Asians themselves. If you have yet to try some or have not tasted them for a long time and get a box of it and enjoy at the comfort of your own home.

Fortune Cookies - Sweet Wisdom

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Saturday, November 12, 2011

Delicious Face Masks

Every woman wants to look beautiful. Well, who wouldn't want to? That's why we spend time and of course money just to look pleasing to the eyes of many. But we don't have to spend thousands of bucks just to achieve the face we want. Do you know that our leftovers inside our refrigerator can be use as our facial masks? Well it can be use; in fact our kitchens are goldmine of natural beauty products.

You must always consider your skin type when choosing a facial mask, a right mask results to a face that is refreshed and rejuvenated. It will also help balance your skin tone and reduce the size of your pores. Below are some delicious masks that you could try.

Delicious

Apple Facial Mask
For acne-prone oily skin, this apple facial mask will best suit you. What you only need are one medium-sized apple and 5-tablespoon warm honey. To make the mask, combine all the ingredients then apply to newly cleared face and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Wash well with warm water and pat dry.

Chocolate Facial Mask
If your face has a normal or dry skin, you could try this very yummy mask. Compare to apple mask, this requires a couple of ingredients like 1 tablespoon cocoa powder and cream, 1 teaspoon cottage cheese, oatmeal and 4 teaspoon of honey. Blend the ingredients together then apply to newly cleared face and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Wash well with warm water and pat dry.

Peach Facial Mask
This mask is for dry skin. What you only need are 1 medium peach, mash it with the use of a fork, 1 tablespoon honey and oatmeal. Combine the ingredients together then apply to newly cleared face and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Wash well with warm water and pat dry.

These masks should be applied once a week or every other week. And also, don't forget to apply it on your neck area.

Delicious Face Masks

The author has been writing articles online for over 4 years now. Not only does this author specialize in health, fitness and relationships you can also check out his latest websites on Cheap Glass Vases and Crystal Wine Glass

Friday, November 11, 2011

Baby Shower Recipes - Delicious Lemon Squares

If you want to serve something really delicious to your guests at baby shower party, then this delicious lemon recipe is a perfect one to try. It is among one of my favorite recipes for this occasion and the great thing about it is that each of your guests would also love it due to its unique taste.

Here's all you need:

Delicious

3 cups flour
1.5 cup butter
8 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup icing sugar
2.5 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons sugar
5 Eggs

Servings: 12

Directions for making Delicious lemon squares:
1. Soften the butter in a deep bowl.
2. Blend sifted flour, half teaspoon baking powder and cup of icing sugar & make a uniform mixture.
3. Pre-heat the oven at 350 degrees.
4. Now take a 12 inch square pan and grease well by rubbing butter all inside it. Spread above mixture in the pan and press firmly.
5. Put the pan in oven and bake for 15 minutes and bring out to cool.
6. Mix eggs and granulated sugar and beat well.
7. In another bowl, mix 5 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice and baking powder. Stir well and add above mixture of eggs and sugar to it.
8. Make a uniform blend of all above and pour it over the baked layer.
9. Again bake it for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
10. Remove from oven and allow cooling.
11. Sprinkle rest of icing sugar over it and cut into small squares.

You can garnish it with firmly sliced lemon pieces or sliced raspberry or cloud-berry. You can also make orange squares, if you do not want to use lemon in this recipe. Simply use orange juice instead of lemon juice and your delicious orange squares are ready to be served to your guests. Garnish it with slender round slices of orange and your amazingly appetizing recipe is all set to lure your guests.

Baby Shower Recipes - Delicious Lemon Squares

Isha Suri is an expert SEO content writer and a professional Corporate Communicator. She writes for almost every niche, be it medical, health or travel & leisure.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Spumoni - Part 3 - A Delicious Easy Recipe

Well, I'm sure by now you've decided that, while spumoni might well be a delicious Italian Dessert, it's WAY too much work. I wanted to provide a reasonably authentic recipe for this delicious dessert for those who wanted to hone their cooking skills. However, the tedious and time-consuming recipe listed in the previous post is not one that everyone will care to try.

With this in mind, I sought out an easier, more user-friendly recipe that would enable more people to try spumoni without the huge investment of time, energy and skill. The recipe I'm bringing to you today will be easier and faster to prepare and offers the opportunity to be selective in the ingredients for those who are fat, calorie and carb conscious.

Delicious Cookie

Easy Spumoni

Divide one half gallon of vanilla ice cream into 2 parts, 1 quart each. Need 1 quart of chocolate ice cream 1 bottle of Maraschino cherries Rum flavoring 1 pkg Instant Pistachio pudding Almond flavoring sliced almondsFor the first layer:

Slice the maraschino cherries thin and line the bottom of a square pan with them. Add the rum flavoring to your personal taste to one portion of the softened vanilla ice cream. Spread this mixture over the thinly sliced cherries in the square pan. Freeze this mixture.For the second layer:

After the first layer has frozen for several hours, take the remaining portion of the vanilla ice cream and allow it to soften. Mix 1/2 of the package of Pistachio pudding into the softened ice cream. Spread this mixture on top of the cherry-vanilla mixture and allow to freeze several hours.For the third layer:

Add almond flavoring to taste to the softened chocolate ice cream. Spread this chocolate mixture over the two vanilla mixtures. Place the sliced almonds on top of the chocolate ice cream. Allow the whole mixture to freeze for several hours. Serve as you would for regular ice cream.Enjoy this easier recipe for this delicious Italian Dessert. Feel free to substitute reduced fat or no added sugar ice creams if desired to meet the dietary needs of your friends and family....or if you feel brave....if you feel REALLY brave....try the REAL recipe....either way, you'll marvel your guests when you serve this pretty and tasty Italian Dessert. Have some real fun with this recipe and create your own variations and add your own touch to it. The fun of cooking lies largely in your ability to use your imagination to make it "yours". I've found that once you start "improvising", you'll get hooked for life!

One note-Spumoni usually has claret sauce drizzled on top. I found the following recipe:

Boil 1 c sugar and 1/4 c water 8 minutes; cool slightly, and add 1/3 c claret or light red wine.

Bon Appetit!

Spumoni - Part 3 - A Delicious Easy Recipe

Vicki Fassler, Having fun blogging and making money in the process. Come join me, won't you?
http://www.italiandesserts.org
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Sunday, November 6, 2011

How to Make Delicious Cookies That Are Easy to Ship to Soldiers, Kids at College, Etc

This article contains cookie recipes that are delicious, easy to make, and will pack and mail easily. Whether you are shipping cookies to a member of the military overseas, college students, to others out of town or you just like a good homemade cookie at home, these recipes are perfect for you. Choices include Snickerdoodles or Butter Cookies. Christy, my daughter, used to make the snickerdoodle cookies for her papaw and ship them to him from Texas to Indiana. They are so easy, she made them by herself as a preteen. The butter cookies are iced. If you are shipping them a long distance you may wish to leave off the frosting. If you ship them frosted, be sure your frosting is completely dry before packing. Or you can make into sandwich cookies by frosting one cookie and pressing a second onto the frosting.

CHRISTY'S SNICKERDOODLES

Delicious Cookie Recipes

1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cream shortening, the 1 1/2 cups sugar, and eggs together. Add the cream of tartar, salt, and baking soda; mix well. Stir in the flour and mix well. Mix the 2 tbsp of sugar and the cinnamon together in a small bowl. Roll the cookie dough into small balls and roll balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake at 400 degrees on a ungreased cookie sheet for 8 to 10 minutes.

BUTTER DROP COOKIES

COOKIES:

1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp milk
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

FROSTING:

1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
1 lb (4 cups) powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets and set aside.

To make cookies:

In a medium mixing bowl at medium speed of electric mixer, cream together shortening, sugar, and milk until well blended. Beat in the vanilla extract and egg.

Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder into the creamed mixture. Drop by tablespoon onto the baking sheets arranging about 2-inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Let cool about 1 minute on cookie sheet then remove to wire racks to cool completely before frosting or decorating.

To make frosting:

Combine shortening, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract in a small mixing bowl. Beat at low speed of an electric mixer for about 15 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at high speed for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy.

Enjoy!

How to Make Delicious Cookies That Are Easy to Ship to Soldiers, Kids at College, Etc

For more cookie recipes visit my blog at http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com

For more of Linda's recipes and diabetic information go to http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com

Friday, November 4, 2011

Chicken Salad Recipes - Amazingly Delicious!

These chicken salad recipes are delicious. Just check these out and I'm sure you'll be amazingly surprised.

So here we go for some chicken salad recipes :

Delicious

>>Walnut Chicken Salad

~1 can premium white chunk chicken -- drained (12 1/2-ounce)

~2 granny smith apples -- cored, peeled and diced

~1/2 cup walnuts -- roughly chopped

~2 tablespoons mayonnaise or reduced-fat mayonnaise

~2 stalks celery -- washed, trimmed and diced, up to 3

1.Combine all ingredients; toss to combine. Presentation: Serve as a main dish salad or as a sandwich on a flaky croissant with alfalfa sprouts, Swiss cheese and tomato.

>>Confetti Chicken Salad

~1/4 c fresh lime juice

~3 TB olive oil

~1 clove garlic crushed

~1 ts chili powder

~1/4 ts salt

~2 c chicken cooked and cubed

~1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips

~1/3 c green onions sliced

~2 TB fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

~2 jalapeno peppers stemmed seeded, min

~3 c cooked rice cooled

~2 avocados seed, peel, cut in chu

Blend lime juice, oil, garlic, chili powder and salt in large bowl. Add chicken, red pepper, onions, cilantro and hot peppers.

Cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours. Add rice and avocado chunks; toss lightly, and serve.

Yield: 4-6 servings

>>Cajun Chicken Salad

~ 2 c Cooked chicken, chunked

~ 1 tb Lemon juice

~ 1 t Cayenne pepper

~ 1 t Garlic powder

~ 1/2 t White pepper

~ 1 t Dried basil

~ 1/4 t Dried thyme leaves

~ 2 c Iceberg lettuce, torn into 1-inch pieces

~ 1 c Romaine lettuce, torn into 1-inch pieces

~ 1 md Green pepper, chopped

~ 1 c Mushrooms, sliced

~ 1 c Cauliflower flowerets

~ 1 c Grated carrots

~ 1/2 c Sunflower seeds

Combine chicken, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, white pepper, basil and thyme in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Combine lettuces, green pepper, cauliflower, mushrooms and carrots in a large salad bowl. Toss to distribute evenly. Add chicken (including marinade). Sprinkle with sunflower seeds.

That's it for today! If you want more chicken salad recipes just check below:

Chicken Salad Recipes - Amazingly Delicious!

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Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Tips for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

There's nothing better than eating a pile of chocolate chip cookies while drinking a tall glass of ice cold milk. Whether you are a kid or an adult, this time- tested recipe should bring a smile to your face and perhaps make you emit a contented sigh. Oh yes, we all know how to eat those little pieces of heaven, but how exactly do you make them?

Here are some tips to help you:

Delicious Cookie

1) Use the freshest ingredients - This will definitely help you make sure that your cookies are of the premium grade. Remember that old computer principle "Garbage in, Garbage Out"? Well, that works with cookies, too. Despite how well you bake an item, if it's made of crappy ingredients, it won't turn out well.

2) Experiment - Although you might think that your grandma's recipe is the best, you should definitely try to create your own variation of the cookie recipe. The most basic thing you can do is to change the amount of chocolate you put in. Remember that this affects not only the taste, but the texture of the cookie as well. Nestlé's research once showed that people felt that the ideal cookie had to have sic to ten chocolate chips. Only a few people actually wanted more.

Another thing you can do is play around with different types of chocolate. Sure, it would be most convenient for you to use those pre-packaged chocolate chips, but in order to come up with the perfect cookie recipe, you have to live a little and do some hard work. Try chopping up a chocolate bar into chunks. You could also try to use candy-covered chocolate like M&M's to top your cookies.

You should also experiment with other ingredients. Changing around the quantity of shortening, the butter and the shortening can affect the texture of the cookie. You should know that people have different tastes when it comes to the cookie's texture. There are those who like it moist and soft while other like it dry and hard, providing great contrast with the milk and chocolate.

3) Storage - Chocolate has an unbelievably long shelf life. Milk chocolate can actually be stored for about six months, while dark chocolate can be stored for as long as a year. If you intend to store chocolate for your baking needs, you need to make sure that you follow the right procedure.

Store them in sealed containers so as to prevent moisture from seeping through and develop the whitish film called "bloom" on the surface. Although this film is harmless, it can be quite unattractive. You also shouldn't expose your chocolate to hot temperatures. Although freezing is okay if you plan to bake with it, you shouldn't expose it to temperatures above 78 degrees as this may cause it to melt.

You might think that there's vary little difference between melted and solid chocolate if used for baking especially since you can just freeze it and it will turn solid again. However, you should realize that melting actually causes the cocoa butter to separate and your chocolate will lose some of its creaminess.

4) To nut or not to nut - Nuts can be quite controversial in baking a cookie. There are people who swear that nuts make all the difference in their baking while there are those who just hate it. Actually, most Americans prefer their cookies without nuts. This is primarily because of the texture.

If you want the nutty flavor without the texture, you should try grinding some nuts into the mixture instead of adding whole or chopped ones.

5) Burn, baby, burn - A burnt cookie is an inedible cookie. Although the best way to avoid burning your cookies is to maintain constant vigilance, there are a few other steps you should try out. First you should make use of a shiny baking pan. This will help prevent burning. You should also know that when you make use of thin pans, the cookies are likely to burn.

Another thing you should do is make use of only the top and middle racks of the oven. This will help you make sure that the chocolate chip cookies burn evenly and that none are exposed to too high temperatures.

Tips for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

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Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Different Types of Cookie Sheets Yield Different Tasting Cookies

Anybody who takes the time to make cookies from scratch obviously wants them to come out perfectly and taste delicious. Mixing ingredients is almost unheard of these days with just about everything being available in pre-mixed or pre-made packages. Most people simply buy a roll of cookie dough, slice it, and stick it in the oven for 15-18 minutes. However, for the individuals out there who still take the time to make their own cookie dough, it's important to know the differences between all the types of sheets available in stores today. There are a multitude of them, and believe it or not, they all yield different results.

Insulated Non-stick Sheet

Delicious Cookie Recipes

Most insulated sheets are made to be non-stick, and because insulated sheets are sometimes on the more expensive side, they tend to resist scratches, chipping, and peeling. Insulated cookie sheets are basically two sheets that have been connected around the edges, which creates a small pocket of air that cannot escape. The air inside of the pocket heats to the set temperature of the oven when the sheet is placed inside.

Insulated cookie sheets are very reliable for evenly baked cookies. Because the air inside the sheet heats to the temperature of the oven, it allows all the cookies on the sheet to cook and brown at the same rate. The evenly heated air prevents the sheet from being hotter in certain spots, which is a common occurrence with regular sheets. In addition to yummy cookies, most insulated sheets are easy to clean because of their non-stick surfaces.

Aluminum

Aluminum cookie sheets are very commonly used. Aluminum conducts heat well which is why cookie sheets made of this material usually produce an evenly baked cookie. The only down side to aluminum is that it sometimes prevents cookies from reaching the perfect shade of brown.

Cookie sheets made of aluminum are very sturdy and they won't rust even if they have to be soaked in water for and extended period of time. Heavy aluminum baking sheets are better to use than the thin types that are available for less money. Thin aluminum sheets can bend and/or warp in a hot oven which can cause cookies to cook unevenly.

Non-Stick Cookie Sheets

When non-stick cookie sheets were invented, a whole new world of baking emerged. The ease of cleaning a cookie sheet with a non-stick surface is amazing, and it practically eliminates the need to butter the sheet before cooking. Washing a non-stick sheet is a breeze and hardly requires anything but a quick scrub.

Non-stick sheets have a surface coating that makes them easy to clean, yet they are still able to produce delicious cookies. Keep in mind that the darker the non-stick surface, the quicker the cookies will brown. Therefore, it's important to read the instructions that come with the sheet to find out if the manufacturer recommends that the oven's cooking temperature be lowered to compensate. It may be necessary to lower the temperature of the oven by about 25 degrees.

In conclusion, cookie sheets can be made of a number of different types of materials, or even a combination of materials. Every sheet will yield a different end result for the same exact cookie recipe. The darker the sheet, the faster the cookies will brown because a dark sheet absorbs heat more readily and transfers the heat directly to the cookies. Aluminum cookie sheets are good conductors of heat but are not good for ensuring that the cookies will brown. Insulated cookie sheets will ensure evenly baked cookies no matter how they are spaced on the sheet. For best results, try out a cookie recipe on all three types of sheets and determine which yields the desired results.

Different Types of Cookie Sheets Yield Different Tasting Cookies

This article has been provided by Debbie Dragon with ReliableWriters.com. Reliable Writers has a team of ebook writers that can write quality ebooks on virtually any topic.