Saturday, January 17, 2015

Cookies and Cheese!


Hello....it's been a while.  I'm 40 lbs heavier.....but IT'S NOT MY FAULT.  It's The Pioneer Woman's fault.  WHY??

I get up on Saturday mornings and put on the TV.  And there she is.  In all of her lodge-y, ranch-y, deep-fry-everything greatness.  Ree, the goddess of the cast iron world. If she makes it, I have to try it.  Have to. 

So, today, after a QUICK trip to the Coach store, it was a stop at the supermarket for a few items.  Because GOD FORBID I use any of the stock I have in my pantry.  I just keep buying and buying and buying.  One day, I'll find a use for the 5 lbs of almonds and 18 boxes of pudding.  (it was on sale, they practically PAID me to take it out of the store) 

First up, cookies.  Ree made some "slice and bake" cookies that had Nutella in them.  I didn't have Nutella and I wasn't going back to the store. I'm tired of catching shoplifters.  SO, I took a few different recipes, put them together and came up with this: 

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies with cinnamon chips
and
Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies with cinnamon chips, chocolate chips and walnuts. 

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla (sound like a lot, but it's good!!)
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 cup oats (I used Foof's organic oats, it's all we had)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or reg salt, but a little less)
  • 1 bag of cinnamon chips (hard to find, but Hannaford has them!!)

This is the dough!  

I used my trusty cookie scoop 
(which the girl at Sur la Tab tried to say was an ICE CREAM SCOOP....I said "for who?  A barbie?"

Bake at 350 for about 10 min.  



After scooping out about 2 dozen, I put the bowl BACK on the mixer and added more deliciousness!! 
(see below, about 2 pictures down)
 

These are my fave measuring spoons.  Upside down.  And I can't rotate them.
I got them at "Spoiled Rotten" in Ogunquit, ME.
BEST STORE IN OGUNQUIT 

Can we PLEASE, for the love of all this is holy, THROW AWAY THE OLD PHONE?!??! 

Everyone needs a GIANT BAG of chocolate chips.  I think it's 4 lbs. 
 I added a cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts to the dough that was remaining. 

It got REALLY thick.  Like, my mixer now needs a muscle relaxer, thick. 


The remaining dough made 3 dozen more cookies. 


You know why I love parchment paper so much? 
(and I only buy it on sale)


Because you can WHIP it off the cookie sheet and get another batch going. 


I was like a sweatshop for cookies.  



While those were cooking, I started on THIS: 

4 Cheese - Mac and Cheese! 
(Pioneer Woman's Recipe) 

1 pound elbow macaroni

Salt

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, peeled

1/2 cup grated fontina

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (chèvre)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 cup grated Romano

Freshly ground black pepper

Minced fresh parsley, as needed

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/mac-and-four-cheeses.html?oc=linkback

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions in lightly salted water, leaning toward the al dente side. Do not overcook!

Put the cream, butter and garlic clove into a Dutch oven and heat on the stove over low heat. When the cream is hot, add the fontina, goat cheese, Parmesan and Romano.

Drain the macaroni (reserving some of the cooking water if needed) and add it to the pot. Stir gently to combine, adding hot macaroni water as needed for consistency. Don't overmix; if there are little clumps of cheese here and there, it's fine! Taste and add about 1/2 teaspoon salt if needed. Add some pepper and minced parsley and stir. Serve immediately.






I didn't take a picture of the Parm and Romano before I grated them....and if you don't know what they look like, you shouldn't be in the kitchen.  


And the entire kitchen smelled like feet.  Greg didn't believe me that it was the cheese.  He had to check for himself. 



IT WAS DELICIOUS!!  

(I wanted to SKIP the Goat Cheese, Greg said "If you're going to make it, make it the way it says to make it.  If we hate it, we'll change it for next time.  Smart little Bastid, he is.)



My helper in the kitchen, with a mouth full of whipped cream. 


Now....we will crumble them and put them in ICE CREAM SUNDAES!!  
(If there's any whipped cream left!!) 


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