Chocolate Crackle Cookies

These are simply AMAZING!
Come join the fun at My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday recipe swap sponsored by OXO

*8oz bittersweet chocolate
*1.25cups all purpose flour
*1/2cup unsweetened cocoa powder
*2tsp baking powder
*1/4tsp salt
*1/2cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
*1.5cups packed light brown sugar
*2 eggs
*1tsp pure vanilla
*1/3cup milk
*1cup granulated sugar
*1cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Melt chocolate in the microwave for 30seconds at a time, stirring after each 30second incrament. Set aside and let cool.
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt
Using a mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Add melted chocolate. Mix the dry ingredients with wet, alternating with the milk. Divide dough into four pieces and wrap each in plastic wrap. Store in fridge to harden for 2 hours
Preheat oven to 350degrees and take dough out of fridge. Divide dough into 1" balls and roll in granulated sugar then powdered sugar. Place on cookie sheet at least 2" apart.
Bake until surface crackles. Let cool on cookie sheet and transfer to wire racks.

These are so good!

Lamb Chops, Asparagus and Home Made Au Gratin Potatoes! MMM!

I think I might have spent about $15.00 on this meal and it fed two adults with plenty of veggies left over. Ayden won't eat lamb so I had extra pork tenderloin in the fridge for him. He devoured the potatoes!
We had a rack (8  chops) of lamb chops, a bundle of asparagus and a 28oz bag of fingerling potatoes. I kept saying how good this meal was.. I love lamb but making everything yourself is such a treat.. especially when it's all pretty simple. Here's what I did!

Au Gratin Potatoes:
*Slice potatoes thin ~ I used my food processor
*Boil for 8-10 minutes
*In the meantime, get 2tbsp butter and 2tbsp flour on the stove for the sauce. Whisk in 2cups milk, slowly. If you don't have whole milk, add 1/2tbsp corn starch (to thicken sauce). Keep whisking until the sauce thickens.
*Add salt/pepper to taste. I added about 1.5tsp salt and 1/2tsp pepper
*Drain potatoes, add to same pot and stir in the sauce.
*Add to buttered dish and add about 1cup cheese.
*Place in 350degree oven for approximately 10 minutes.
*Once cooked, turn broiler on to brown cheese.
*EAT! :)

Baked Asparagus:
*Wash and snip ends of asparagus
*Add 1tbsp olive oil to cookie sheet and place asparagus on sheet
*Add salt and pepper and roll around the tray to get evenly coated
*Add shredded parmesan cheese
*Bake for 10 minutes at 350degrees
*EAT!

Lamb Chops (or Lamb Pops):
*Cut all lamb chops apart from each other
*Season with salt, pepper and coat with olive oil. Let the meat come to room temperature before cooking.
*Get a skillet that can go from stove to oven. Todd (my husband) used a cast iron pan. Turn the heat on, add 1-2tbsp olive oil and let that heat up. Once it's hot, brown the lamb chops on both sides and place in oven set at 350degrees.
*Let the lamb cook about 10-15 minutes
*Remove and EAT!

All of these meals can go into the oven at the same time. Start the potatoes first, move onto the asparagus and then onward with the lamb. It's really simple to do and a definate "must try". If you've never eaten lamb, you are missing out.
I hope you try this! Enjoy!
*PS .. I had some purple potatoes mixed in.. they were really pretty!*

Turkey Sausage Biscuits (Toast)

This is a VERY simple recipe and we eat this at least 3 times a week. My son made this about 90% by himself! He loves to help me cook.. I love that :)

Turkey Sausage (very healthy alternative from pork sausage) - However much you think you'll eat
Milk
Pancake mix or regular all-purpose flour

Heat the sausage in a skillet and cook if it's not already pre-cooked. Add flour on top of that and make sure you stir it into the sausage. Hopefully all of the flour disappears! Add about 1/2 cup milk at first (don't use skim milk.. it'll never turn into a sauce!) Keep adding until you're happy with the gravy consistency.
Serve with toast or biscuits!




Ayden took this picture. He is good! :)



"Ru Cake" or otherwise known at Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

These are SOOOO good. Very sweet and these go well with a cup of warm coffee. It's like a brownie slash cake. If you have ever had these, you are seriously missing out. Please try these soon!

Cake Crust:

1 yellow cake mix

1 large egg

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Filling:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

2 large eggs

1tsp vanilla extract

1 pound box confectioners sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350degrees and spray a 13x9x2 baking pan with veggie oild. Mix all of the ingredients together for the cake mix. It will be the crust so spread that out in the pan.

Next, combine all ingedients for the filling, mix together and pour into the pan on top of the crust.

Bake until the center stops wiggling :) It took me 25 minutes but yours could be different cooking times depending on your oven. Remove and let cool completely. Cut and serve.

*I think this is delicious cooled. It's "okay" when it's still warm but all of the flavors really come to life when it's at room temperature.

Enjoy!