Greek Layer Dip

This recipe sat on my counter for a least 6 months while I waited for the perfect time to try it. If you love Mediterranean food, this is the dip for you! It makes A LOT, so halve it if you aren't feeding a crowd. 

-Cook's Country

4 ¼ cups hummus
1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt
1 cup ¼-inch English cucumber pieces
½ cup jarred roasted red peppers, patted dry and chopped
⅓ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
3-4 scallions, sliced thin
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup feta cheese
Pita chips

Spread hummus in a single layer on large, shallow serving platter. Carefully spread yogurt in even layer over hummus.

Combine cucumber, red peppers, olives, scallions, oil, mint, salt, and pepper in bowl. Spoon vegetable mixture in even layer over yogurt. Sprinkle with feta. Serve with pita chips.

Ice cream sandwiches

These cookies are great for making ice cream sandwiches. Don't bake them too long or the cookies will be too crisp and won't make a soft sandwich.

2 squares (1 oz) semisweet baking chocolate
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup dark cocoa powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt

Microwave chocolate on high until melted. Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Stir in melted chocolate. Sift together flour, cocoa, soda and salt and stir into chocolate mixture. Form into a disc and refrigerate until chilled (2 hours).

Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough out to ⅛" on a Silpat and cut to desired shape. Prick with wooden skewer and bake 8-10 minutes. Cool completely before making sandwiches.

Coconut Key Lime Pie/Tartlets

This recipe works great as a large pie, or as tartlets. I really like the coconut, but you could easily leave it out.

-Stephanie Warner, 2014 Carling Cookbook

Crust:

8 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces

5 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled

3 Tbsp. sugar

Filling:

1 Tbsp. lime zest

⅓ cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 30 key limes)

2 egg yolks

1 can sweetened condensed milk

⅓ cup sweetened coconut flakes toasted in oven until light brown (or a little more for topping)

Topping:

Heavy whipping cream + sugar

Remaining toasted coconut

To make crust, put broken graham crackers into food processor and process until you get fine, even crumbs, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle butter and sugar with it and pulse until incorporated. Put in a 8 or 9 inch pan depending on your like of thickness (I like it thick!). Bake in oven at 325 for 13-18 minutes until crust is fragrant and beginning to brown. I like to make this the night before for ease.

To make filling: sprinkle ⅓-½ of the ⅓ cup of toasted coconut flakes directly on top of crust. In bowl, combine all the rest of filling ingredients (not coconut) and mix with spoon until it thickens. Pour into crust and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until set (not jiggly). Cool completely, a minimum of 1 hour. Top with freshly whipped cream and the rest of your toasted coconut flakes.

Rolo Cookies

I've had this recipe for a really long time and forgot about it until I saw some Rolos on clearance at the store. This is a good one! 

-Bonnie James/Pillsbury Bake-Off, modified

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 ½ cups flour
¾ cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
48 Rolos


Cream butter and sugar; add vanilla and egg. Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda separately. Add to sugar mix. Heat oven to 375. Mix remaining nuts and sugar. Shape 1 tbsp dough (I use medium Pampered Chef scoop) around a Rolo. Bake on greased cookie sheet 7-10 min, or until set. Cool 2 min.

Shepherds Pie

I've made this recipe a couple times and the family approved it as blog worthy. :)

-America's Test Kitchen, modified

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef

Salt and pepper

2-1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg yolk

salt & pepper

8 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin (optional)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

4 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and chopped (optional)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups beef broth

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 cup frozen peas & carrots

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Place potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain potatoes; return to saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, to evaporate any remaining moisture, about 1 minute. Off heat, mash potatoes smooth with potato masher. Stir in butter. Whisk milk and egg yolk together in bowl, then stir into potatoes. Stir in scallions; season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover; set aside.

Heat oil in broiler-safe 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and mushrooms and cook until vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 6 minutes. Add ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook until bottom of skillet is dark brown, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour, stir and cook for 1 minute. Stir in broth, Worcestershire, bay leaf, thyme, and carrots; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits.

Combine cornstarch and remaining 2 teaspoons water in bowl, then stir into skillet. Continue to simmer, stirring constantly, until filling is slightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Remove bay leaf. Season with pepper to taste.

Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Place mashed potatoes in large zipper-lock bag; snip off corner to create 1-inch opening. Pipe potatoes evenly over filling to cover entire surface. Smooth potato with back of spoon, then use tines of fork to make ridges over surface. Place skillet on rimmed baking sheet; broil until potatoes are golden and sauce is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly; serve.

Cheese Crackers

These crackers have been on my to-make list for years, but for some reason they intimidated me. So, I decided to tackle them for our first Baking Club meeting. They were surprisingly easy and delicious! The trick is to roll them very, very thin. I rolled them right on my Silpat and left them there for baking.  I used the round end of a large pastry tip to cut the circles.

-Tasty Kitchen

8 ounces, weight Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

4 Tablespoons Butter, Cut Into Cubes

1 cup Flour

¾ teaspoons Salt

2 Tablespoons Cold Water

Pulse everything (except water) together in the food processor until the dough resembles coarse sand.

Pulse in water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Remove dough from the processor, wrap in plastic, and chill for 20 minutes.

Roll out the dough and cut into desired shapes. You can use a toothpick to make the eyes and smile if desired. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, or until crispy.

Makes approximately 7 dozen crackers.

Grasshopper Ice Cream

I received a fun new Cuisinart ice cream maker for my birthday, and we've been having lots of fun making different flavors. I think this one has been everyone's favorite.

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup granulated sugar

pinch salt

2 cups heavy cream

2 tsp. mint extract

½ package Keebler Mint Grasshopper Mint & Fudge Cookies, chopped and frozen

In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine the milk, sugar and salt until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and mint extract. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

Turn on the ice cream maker; pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add chopped Grasshopper cookies. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for 24 hours.

The 'Best Biscuits'

Brandon and I enjoyed some great biscuits on our trip to Portland and have been looking for a great biscuit recipe to recreate the deliciousness of Pine State and Jim & Patty's. I think this recipe comes pretty close! Lots of butter and sour cream makes everything better, right? Makes 12 large biscuits.

-Your Homebased Mom

4 C flour

2 Tbsp baking powder

1½ tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp soda

½ C butter

16oz sour cream

3-5 tsp water

Melted butter

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl or your food processor. If using food processor, pulse until butter is small and well-blended pieces or cut in butter by hand using a pastry cutter

Add in the sour cream and water and mix well

Pulse again until well mixed

Add more water if it is too dry (just a little at a time.)

Knead a few times on the counter and roll out to 1 inch thick

Use a biscuit cutter to cut or dip a drinking glass into flour and cut

Freeze individually on a cookie sheet

After they are frozen, place in a freezer bag to store, use as needed

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet

Bake at 400 for 15-17 minutes or until top is golden

Twice during the baking process baste the tops of the biscuits with melted butter