Trifles for the win

The month of May has cruised right into the month of June and trying new recipes has gone right out the window. Making standby recipes and standard faire has been more top of mind than anything else. May was crazy – so many nights out and events to get to and a girl to get graduated. June has proved equally crazy with so many things to get planned and prepped for two weeks of camping in the middle of nowhere… it’s been… something. Somewhere in there I remembered that we had dinner with friends planned! Oh! I could bring a dessert! I’d promised something light and refreshing. Clearly you can see what I made wasn’t light, not in the least. The last time we got together I made a trifle, am I the trifle maker now? I decided to make a fudge brownie trifle! We got home the night before around 11:30 PM from a day in Wisconsin so I got up early to go walk, set the oven timer to turn on right when I got home – so all I had to do was toss the brownie mix together and get that in the oven before church. When we got home from church, I put it all together which went very quickly. This was a hit, an absolute hit. Brownies, pudding, Cool Whip, and Oreos… There’s nothing light about this – but it was delicious! Next friend dinner is at our house… I’ll be on main dish duty! I’ve got this! Can I make a main dish in a trifle bowl?

Oreo Fudge Brownie Trifle
1 box brownie mix *plus egg, water, oil, etc.
2 box instant chocolate pudding - mixed according to box directions
16 oz cool whip
1 box Oreos

Prepare brownie mix as directed on box. Once fully cooled, cut brownies into 1-inch small squares.
Crush Oreos in a gallon zip bag, set aside about ¼ cup.
Place ½ brownie pieces on first layer of trifle bowl.
Spread ½ of pudding mixture over brownie bites.
Pour ½ of cool whip container over pudding mixture.
Sprinkle ½ of Oreo cookie pieces over whip cream.
Repeat pattern a second time.
On top layer, sprinkle ¼ cup of Oreo pieces.
Refrigerate for an hour and enjoy!

Cinnamon Chip Bread Wins Hearts Everywhere

If I had to pick a favorite flavor, I think it would likely be cinnamon. Ask my allergist and she'll tell you I should pick something else, but we aren't asking her, are we?
I have made a version of this bread before - but I'm always willing to give another a try. This one I doubled so I could share some bread with others and oh man did it rise right out of my mixer! I buy my cinnamon chips from a place in Utah called Gygi - and last time I sure got a lot of them. the ingredients are simple and with my NutraMill mixer, it comes together in just a few minutes. This bread is best eaten toasted with some butter (or country crock or Aldi version) on it. So good. You know how else it's good? As French Toast. Yes... oh my... so very good. Try this one! Even if all you can get are Hershey Cinnamon Chips, it'll still taste good, just be a bit more orange.
We took some to a friend who just has surgery and to our neighbor who just came back from international travel. Don’t worry, that double batch meant we still had plenty for ourselves. Mmmm let’s toast a slice!

Cinnamon Burst Bread
Ingredients
5 ¼ to 5 ½ cups (745 to 781 g) all-purpose or bread flour, divided
2 tablespoons (27 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon instant or active dry yeast
1 ¾ cups (405 g) warm water, 105 to 110 degrees F.
¼ cup (49 g) neutral-flavored oil, like grapeseed, avocado, vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg
2 teaspoons table salt
1 ½ cups (270 g) mini cinnamon chips (see note)
Butter, for brushing tops of loaves

Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add 3 cups of the flour, sugar and yeast. Mix. Add the warm water and mix until combined. Cover the bowl and let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add the oil, egg, salt, 1 more cup of flour, and the cinnamon chips. Mix on medium speed, and continue to gradually add flour (up to another 1 1/2 cups, more or less) until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Judge the dough by how it looks and feels, not necessarily by the total amount of flour added (humidity, elevation, how the flour is measured will all affect how much flour is needed).
Knead the dough for 4 to 5 minutes.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled, about an hour. Alternately, you can transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise.
Lightly grease two 8 1/2-X-4 1/2-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Set aside.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased counter and divide into two pieces.
Press each piece into a thick 9-inch square. Roll up into a tight log without stretching the dough. Turn the edges under and press all the seams to seal.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make sure the oven rack is in the middle position.
Place the loaves in the prepared pans. Cover and let rise until the dough rises about 1/2 inch above the top of the bread pans. Don't let the dough rise too high in this step. It springs up quite a bit in the hot oven.
Bake the loaves for 32 to 35 minutes until golden on top and baked through. An instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the bread should register 195 degrees F.
Out of the oven, carefully turn the loaves out onto a cooling rack and brush melted butter on the tops of the loaves. Let the bread cool completely, before cutting into slices and serving.

Maybe I need a real wok?

Sometimes I make Asian dishes and I end up substituting things because my normal grocery stores just don't have it and I don't want to go to the local Asian grocery store because it's out of the way and honestly, the owner is scary. I mean maybe not scary, but crabby is fair. My sister in law told us about Weee! - an online Asian supermarket and we are hooked. They have everything we need for all our Asian cooking... which really isn't that much, but it's enough to love shopping and having things delivered to my front door the next day. My kids are in love with the single serve Korean rice packages, the seaweed snacks, and Andy likes anything and everything. The only thing I left out of this recipe was the chili because nope.... just nope. I could have ordered it from Weee! But nope.
I'll warn you... the fish sauce is something else. Whoa... I mean yes add it - it certainly adds to the overall flavor, but don't go dipping French fries in it. Whoa...
These noodles were loved by all and even eaten as leftovers by all! That's a win. We made a double batch and well worth it. Will for sure be adding these to the rotation.

Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
Ingredients
8 ounces wide rice noodles
Stir-Fry Sauce
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 tablespoon water
Stir-Fry
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic (minced)
2-3 Thai red chilies (sliced (adjust to taste))
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite-size pieces)
1 small onion (sliced)
1 medium bell pepper (sliced, red)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 carrot (julienned)
2 green onions (cut into 2-inch pieces)
1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
Lime wedges (for serving)

Soak the 8 ounces of wide rice noodles in warm water for 15–20 minutes until they soften. Drain and set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons lime juice, and 1 tablespoon water until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 4 minced garlic cloves and 2–3 sliced Thai red chilies. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the 1 pound of chicken pieces to the wok. Stir-fry for 5–6 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and lightly browned.
Toss in the sliced onion, bell peppers, broccoli florets, and julienned carrot. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
Add the softened noodles and stir-fry sauce to the wok. Gently toss everything together, ensuring the noodles are well coated with the sauce. Cook for another 2–3 minutes until the noodles are tender and the sauce has been absorbed.
Stir in the green onions and 1 cup of Thai basil leaves. Cook for an additional 1 minute until the basil is wilted.
Garnish with extra basil leaves and serve with lime wedges on the side. Enjoy immediately!

Giant delicious cookies added to the calendar

It's been a busy year so far with weeks and weekends packed with a full calendar. We finally had a mostly free weekend and these cookies seemed like a great way to celebrate a free weekend. The wild part of this recipe is it's for eight cookies... a full cup of butter for eight cookies. I was pretty sure if I made them that big, we'd be cutting them into pieces to eat them, so rather than make eight giant cookies, I used an ice cream scoop and ended up with 27 cookies instead, still very large for our standards and very delicious. I could have used much more dark chocolate pieces on top, or the sides, but what was there was wonderful. Both kids wandered through, "Ooooh those look good!" they seemed surprised when I offered them one, oh yay! Plenty of chocolate all over hands and faces and rave reviews. I don't think these cookies will be around too long, which is the sign of a great cookie!

Thick Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
2 ¾ cups (330g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp cornstarch
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¼ cups (267g) brown sugar
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (255g) high quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
3.5-4 oz high quality milk or dark chocolate bar chopped or broken into small pieces
flaky sea salt

This recipe yields eight 5.5-5.7 oz cookies. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Beat for 30 seconds, until fully combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix until incorporated. I like to finish mixing with a spatula to ensure everything is evenly combined. The dough will be thick.
Using a kitchen scale, portion the dough into 5.5 to 5.7 oz balls. Roll each ball between your hands, then shape it so it’s slightly taller than it is wide.
Chop the chocolate bar into small pieces, then press the pieces and a few extra chocolate chips onto the outside of each dough ball.
Place 2 cookies at a time on the baking sheet. Bake for 15–18 minutes. I pull mine at 15 minutes—the centers will look slightly underdone but will set as they cool.
Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring.

Waving cupcakes make kids smile and have blue teeth!

Wave cupcakes were on the menu for an event for girls club as our them has been Walk on Water.
I found a video that had 5 different shades of blue water, big sugar clams with pearls, graham cracker crumbs for beach - this is what I have. I realized my ability to make different blues wasn't happening and my time also wasn't going to work for 5 different blues. When I shopped for the supplies the store didn't have graham crackers and until that night in bed I forgot I was going to use some from home, totally forgot. You know what? These were great, the girls loved them, they knew what they were and enjoyed them all the same!  (Note: these are blue so my no blue food rule still applies, but kids LOVE blue food, why?  I have no idea.)

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature (3 sticks)
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 - 4 Tbsp heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, using the paddle or whisk attachment whip butter on medium-high speed (if using whisk attachment whip on high speed) until nearly white and very fluffy, about 7 - 8 minutes, frequently scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Add in powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until blended, then increase speed to medium and beat until very light and fluffy, about 5 - 6 minutes, frequently scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Immediately spread over cooled cake or cupcakes.