(Almost) Swig Sugar Cookies and one long story behind them...

If you live in St George, Utah, or have visited St. George over the past few months you've heard about the buzz surrounding SWIG. It's a little cookie shack (two locations) rumored to be hauling in thousands of dollars each day. They sell cookies, ice cream, donuts, shaved ice and get this- "Dirty Diet Coke".  The Mormons in St. George are a pretty tame bunch ( I know this, bc they're my peeps). Slap the name "dirty" on a soda and you have a small stampede outside your place of business. This is about as wild as it gets if you're a Mormon :) The "dirty" in the soda, btw is a free add-in flavoring such as coconut, cherry, lime, etc.

Here's a pic of a famous St. George landmark, in case you haven't ever been there. It's a beautiful town located about 2 hours north of Las Vegas.

St George Temple

The skinny :

The big deal at Swig is the sugar cookie (which is actually baked by the folks at Dutchman's Market/Cravings Bakery in Santa Clara). Dutchman's has a FB page, if you scroll down their page, they show a pic of the cookies sold in their store, along with what they call "muddy" sodas. Maybe they call it a muddy soda after mud filled their shop? Dutchman's went under (literally) last year when there was a devastating flood in Santa Clara. They recently re-opened and are selling cookies in their bakery. It looks like they sell their cookies at room temperature, prefrosted. The Swig cookie is served cold and frosted with room temp frosting after you place your order. St George is a hot, dry place, so a cool cookie and Coke are a perfect combo.

My opinion:

I Pinned a recipe posted online that was supposed to be a knock off recipe of the Swig Sugar Cookie. After looking at the recipe, I knew it would not produce a cookie like the Swig cookie. It looks beautiful in the post, but doesn't have the Swig cookie texture. A few years ago, I posted this recipe, which is almost identical to the knock off recipe posted. It has a lighter, more shortbread-like texture than the Swig cookie. I've baked sugar cookies with cream cheese or sour cream in the dough, and thought the sour cream gave the cookie a (heavier) texture, similar to the Swig cookie.  Have I totally lost you yet?  I tried an entirely different recipe, altered a bit to create a heavier cookie. Still not quite right. I pulled up recipes and compared and decided the Swig cookie is so dense, it is likely to not have any egg in the dough. I altered the cookie again, and swapped the baking soda for baking powder. I also tried cream of tarter (see my note below about that experiment).  Yes, I feel like I should be auditioning for a job at America's Test Kitchen.  My final result is a cookie very similar to the Swig cookie. If you strip away the frosting on the Swig cookie, it is a very bland tasting treat. The cookie is so bland, that I added vanilla and sugar to make the cookie more flavorful. I couldn't help myself. 

The End. Almost:

For what it's worth, I've had better sugar cookies. This is coming from a person who has eaten hundreds of sugar cookies in my life, thus far. Not a proud moment. Anyway. I prefer a softer, lighter and more moist sugar cookie than the Swig cookie. After extensive taste testing on several of the Swig Sugar cookies, I've decided the cookie is more like a cross between a shortbread slash flattened out sweet biscuit than a cookie. It is not very flavorful and quite dry- which may be a good thing, since it is often served with a Coke or Dr. Pepper. And don't forget about the flavor shot in the drink. A bland cookie goes well with a sweet drink and/or a flavor-spiked soda. 

I'm standing by my theory that all the fuss is about a cold cookie, served in a hot climate, with a fun drink.
That said, I gave samples to lots of friends, fam, etc. Almost everyone loved this cookie. They all raved about how good it is. Was. Whatever.

Are you still reading? Wow. You get a prize. 

I'm going to bring you some cookies. Yes, some of the one hundred and twelve dozen test cookies I've made over the past few days. I'm not joking. 

Here it is, my version of the Swig Cookie, for your baking pleasure.

Oh, don't forget the Dirty Dr. Pepper. 

You'll need it. 

(Almost) Swig Sugar Cookies

A Bountiful Kitchen

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dough:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4-1 cup granulated sugar*

1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

sugar 

frosting:

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon sour cream

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoons vanilla

dash of salt

1 drop red food coloring

1-2 tablespoons milk**

Preheat oven to 300 convection or 325 regular bake

Take butter out of refrigerator and microwave for about 15 seconds. Place butter and cold sour cream in a mixing bowl. Mix for about one minute. Add sugar and vanilla, mix until smooth. Add all dry ingredients at once. Mix just until flour disappears and the mixture comes together in a ball of dough, about 1-2 minutes on very low speed. 

Scoop the dough onto a cookie sheet. I use either a 1 3/4 inch or a 2 inch scoop. A two inch scoop will produce a cookie similar in size to the Swig cookie. If you don't have a cookie scoop, roll the dough into a ball about the size of a golf ball. 

Place about 1/4 cup sugar into a small bowl. 

Flatten the cookies with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar (press the bottom of the glass against the cookie first, then dip it in the sugar so the sugar will stick) . Press the cookies so they are flattened a bit. 

Bake in oven for about 14-15 minutes or until edges are lightly golden and cookies are firm to the touch. Remove from oven, let cool. Place the cookies in the fridge and chill. 

Prepare the frosting:

Beat together the butter, sour cream, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. When all ingredients are incorporated, add the drop of food coloring and milk if the frosting needs to be thinned. 

Frost after the cookies are completely chilled. 

Makes about 14 small or 8-10 large cookies.

Tips and (surprise) a few more comments:

-*If you want the cookies to taste more like the Swig cookies make these adjustments to the dough:

 omit the vanilla and reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup. I prefer the cookies to be a bit sweeter, so I liked 1 cup of sugar in the dough. 

-**The Swig cookie is frosted with quite a thin layer of frosting. I prefer my frosting to be a bit thicker. If you want to frost the cookie with a thinner frosting, add about 3-4 tablespoons of milk to the frosting.
 -The bit of crunch on the edge of the Swig cookie could be from the baking method, or from cream of tarter substituted for the baking powder. Cream of tarter adds a bit of a crunch, but also a hint of tang, which I didn't detect in the Swig cookie. In one of my test batches, I tried 1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter along with 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, and thought the cookie was too tangy, not at all like the Swig cookie.
-This cookie stays quite well in the fridge for about a week if kept in an air tight container.

Disclaimer!
I read some of the comments left by readers on another knockoff recipe. Some of the comments left were (to put it mildly) not very nice. What's up with that? People. Relax. It's just a recipe. 

I posted this recipe because several people have asked me about the Swig recipe.
This is not the Swig recipe. It's a recipe similar in texture and flavor. If you want to try another knockoff recipe, which I mention in this post, you can check it out here.

My work is done. On to the dishes...

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BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing

Memorial Day weekend kicks off the start to Summer. Summer. Summer.
It's been a long Spring here in Utah. One of those keep 4 blankets,boots,hat,gloves,scarf and portable heater at all times in your car for the baseball game seasons. So glad it is finally warming up.
Summer means salads. I've been looking for an excuse to try out this recipe I Pinned a while back.
Verdict? Loved it. My new favorite.
I think there is a similar salad at CPK? This salad comes from the blog Erin's Food Files. She adapted the recipe from Mel at Mel's Kitchen Cafe, but added her own twist, by throwing in some roasted sweet potatoes and succotash (a dish consisting of corn and any type of beans cooked together).
Hello Summer. So glad you're almost here.

BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing
Adapted from Erins Food Files and Mel's Kitchen

print recipe

Chicken* early in the day, or day before prepare chicken in marinade:
4 chicken breast halves, any fat trimmed off
3/4 cup of barbecue sauce to marinate chicken

Salad:
1 large head romaine

12 cups lettuce Spring Mix or Spinach (about 1/2 of a Costco box of Spring Mix)
2 sweet potatoes, baked or grilled on bbq  just until soft

olive oil for brushing on sweet potatoes

Succotash:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of 2 limes
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
2-15 oz cans black beans, drained & rinsed ( I like S&W brand regular or organic)
3 cups corn, frozen
1 teaspoon each sea salt & pepper

Dressing:
1 1/3 cup mayonnaise, light or regular, I used light Best Foods
2/3 cup buttermilk, sour cream, or nonfat greek yogurt, I used light sour cream
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
few generous dashes fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (you may use either home made or bottled) and additional for drizzling on salad
2-3 tablespoons milk, if needed for thinning dressing

The day before serving salad or early in the day:

Chicken:
Marinate chicken in BBQ sauce at least 6 hours. I like to use a large Ziplock bag. After marinating, preheat grill, and cook chicken until done.  Barbecue the chicken on low heat for about 8-9 minutes per side, depending on thickness of meat. Remove from heat, check for doneness. If cooked through, let rest for about 5-10 minutes. Slice after cooled.

Succotash:
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add beans & corn, season with salt & pepper. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Dressing:
Combine all the ingredients together and whisk (or shake, if using a jar) vigorously to combine. I used a blender and pulsed the ingredients.

Assembly:

Place lettuce on platter or large bowl. Layer on top of lettuce with black bean & corn succotash, sweet potatoes, and chicken. Drizzle with additional BBQ sauce, followed by the Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing.

Tips:
-Great dish for make-ahead. I made the entire salad the night before and bagged all of the ingredients separately. Then in the afternoon, took to a luncheon and assembled it in just a few minutes.
-You may use any combo of ingredients for the succotash. It would be delicious with red or yellow peppers, chopped onion (red, yellow or white) or tomatoes. I added  small grape tomatoes and loved the color and flavor.
-This serves about 20 as a side dish, and is easily halved.
-I like to make my own bbq sauce (recipe found here), but didn't have any on hand, so I used 'Sweet Baby Rays" bottled sauce in this dressing, and for the marinade.
-For the sweet potatoes, I wrapped the potatoes in foil and grilled them on my bbq (350 degrees) for about an hour. After they were softened, I cut them into about 3/4 inch slices, brushed both sides with olive oil and grilled them just until they were cooked a bit more and had grill marks on the outside of the potatoes.
You can eliminate the step of wrapping in foil and baking the potatoes. Simply place the peeled, sliced potato onto a greased baking sheet and bake or broil until softened. Or grill pieces on the bbq grill.
After the potatoes are cooked, gently chop.
-If you are a cheese lover, grate some cheese on top - Monterrey Jack would work well. I don't think this salad needs cheese, there are lots of flavors in the salad, and with the creamy dressing, I think cheese is a little overkill. Just my two cents :)

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Cape Cod Chopped Salad and promises

Promises, promises. I know. I told you days ago I would post two more salads and an appetizer for your Mother's Day menu, which is THIS WEEK. It's been a little hectic around here.

For one, Stephen returned home from his mission to Puebla in March. That deserves its own post (later). Here's a little glimpse of the "most wonderful day, ever" .

That was the most anticipated hug, ever. Two years is a long time.

And then, there is/was baseball, baseball, and more baseball. 

My cute mom came to visit...

Cuddling with my favorite 6 month old grand baby. 

Brookie graduated from the U. Two college graduates. Check. 

All good stuff. Just not a lot of blogging time.
Alrightly. The Mother's Day Menu 2013:
Salad number one. Loved this recipe. All of the main ingredients are my favorites alone, but this combo is one of those "match made in heaven" deals. Creamy Roquefort cheese, soft butter lettuce, toasted sweetened walnuts, dried cranberries, a crunchy apple, and bacon.
Your mom is going to love this.

Cape Cod Salad

adapted from Barefoot Contessa
print recipe

8 ounces thick-cut bacon
12 ounces baby arugula, or butter lettuce
1 large apple, I like Gala or Granny Smith, skin on, sliced thin
1 cup toasted walnut halves, 1 tablespoons sugar if desired
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled

Dressing:
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place walnut halves on lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until fragrant. If desired, sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of sugar right after removing from oven. 

Remove bacon from package, keeping bacon in one slab, lay on cutting board and slice into 1 inch thick slices. Fry in non stick pan over medium high heat, separating pieces as you cook. When bacon is cooked and crispy , remove from heat. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.

For the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.

In a large bowl, toss together the greens, apple, walnuts, cranberries, bacon and blue cheese.

When ready to serve, toss all salad ingredients with just enough dressing to lightly coat leaves of lettuce. 

Toss the salad with just enough dressing to moisten. Serve immediately.

Serves approximately  6 as a side salad.

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Billion Dollar Bars aka Homemade Candy Bars

Do you Pinterest?
Apparently everyone is Pinning these days.
Last week, Bonnie Oscarson was named the new General Young Women President of the LDS (Mormon) church. The lead line of a news story I read about Sister Oscarson stated that she is on Pinterest. Of course,  people weighed in on her activity online. Some of the comments stated were negative. Others positive. My thought?
Wow, she's one of us :)
Here's a recipe I found recently and Pinned. If you are a peanutbutterandchocolate kind of gal, you have to make this.
R I G H T  N O W .

Billion Dollar Bars

Twirl and Taste

print recipe

Bottom Chocolate Layer:

1 cup milk chocolate chips (or half semi-sweet)
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
1/3 cup peanut butter
Melt milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter in a pan over low heat; stirring constantly. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13″ baking pan lightly coated with nonstick spray or lined with plastic wrap which is long enough to drape over sides of the pan. Spread mixture and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Nougat Layer

4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1-1/2 cups marshmallow creme
1/3 cup peanut butter
1-1/2 cups chopped salted peanuts (optional)
Melt butter over medium heat in pan; add sugars and evaporated milk; bring to a boil, and cook additional 5 minutes while stirring. Remove from the heat and add marshmallow creme and peanut butter. Pour over the bottom layer and gently spread mixture. If you use peanuts, scatter across the top. Place in the refrigerator for 15 - 30 minutes.

Caramel Layer

1 (14-ounce package) caramel candy
1/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon butter
Place the unwrapped caramel candy, butter, and cream in a medium saucepan. Place over low heat and stir until the mixture has completely melted and is smooth. Pour in the pan and quickly spread over nougat layer. Place in the refrigerator for 15 - 30 minutes.

Top Chocolate Layer

1 cup milk chocolate chips (or half semi-sweet)
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

chopped almonds
Melt milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter in a pan over low heat, stirring consistently. Pour over the caramel layer and spread. 

Sprinkle chopped nuts over top of chocolate while still soft. 

Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares. These are very rich, cut into small squares. If eating right away, place on platter and serve. If the bars start to get too soft, place in refrigerator to firm up a bit. 

Store in an air-tight container in refrigerator.

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The Big Move

If you aren't into sentimental babbling on food blogs, you'll have to come back another day...
I've been putting off writing this post for a few months, but need to record it for posterity sake :)
No recipe with this post. Only a few pics and a little movie at the end.
It finally happened.  We moved.  The quickie version of how/why this happened: We never planned on moving, but the timing was right to build a house so we took the plunge and bought a lot last April. In May we put our house up for sale, and a couple of days later papers were signed and we had sold our family home.
Before we bought our house in Bountiful, we had moved 7 times in 12 years.  We were students 7 of those 12 years.  In 1994, we found the perfect place to raise our little family. When we moved into our Bountiful home, our kids were (barely) 9, 4 and 2.  I felt like I was still a kid myself. In July of 1996 we added one more to our family, our last baby, Jacob. A couple of years after that, we bought a dog and a Suburban- so we could all ride together in one car.
I felt like an impostor. Who was this kid, driving a bunch of kids around in this huge SUV?!

 A few pics of the Sundance Circle years...

1996, the early years :)

The height chart on the garage wall  :)

Years and years of playing baseball in the yard and at our favorite 

neighborhood ballpark, Mueller Park.

Countless recipes tested out in the Bountiful Kitchen :)

Good times with friends at neighborhood gatherings.

We had some great times in our home. We had lived in two other houses, but this was different. When we walked into our home in 1994, we both knew it was where we were suppose to be. It was the perfect place for us to raise our family.
What makes a house a home, and neighbors your family? I've thought a lot about this in the past several months. I've decided when you open your heart and serve each other, regardless of race, religion, income or age, you are naturally bonded. Your friends become part of your family. You watch out for their kid and they watch out for yours.  Our neighbors spent countless hours serving our family. I couldn't begin to name the people who have volunteered in my kids school classes, taught Sunday School lessons, brought us dinner when we were sick, coached softball, baseball, basketball, soccer (at one time or another with each of my kids), taught music in Primary, written notes of encouragement, given up weeks of their lives to lead at  Girl's Camp, Scout Camp, Pioneer Trek, and Youth Conference, etc, etc, etc.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.

What did we take away from our Sundance years?
Just before we moved, I taught a lesson to a group of young women. We talked about becoming people of one heart, with our hearts in turned to the Savior.  This lesson summed up exactly how I felt about the lessons we had learned from our neighbors the past 18 years. They loved us in spite of our imperfections and weaknesses. They knew what it meant to "...stand as a witness of God, at all times, and in all things, and in all places." They shared that knowledge with us through everyday acts of kindness, courage and love.
I made this little video for my lesson, featuring a few of the Young Women I was privileged to teach for several years, and our neighbors and friends who will be a part of our story forever.

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Strawberry Spinach Pasta Salad with Fresh Lemon Vinaigrette

Here's a recipe for a fresh and simple salad, perfect for brunch. I served this at a gathering last week and it was a hit. Inspired by one of my favorite salads at Plates and Palates in Btown. They serve something similar, without the pasta. It's a great make-ahead salad if you are looking for a recipe you can throw together just before serving.

Happy Easter weekend!

Strawberry Spinach Pasta Salad with Fresh Lemon Vinaigrette
A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe

3 chicken breast halves, cooked and chopped about 3-4 cups total

3/4 pound pasta, cooked according to package directions any shape
bottled poppy seed dressing, optional (such as Brianna's brand)
1 quart fresh strawberries, washed, sliced and drained*
green onions, chopped, optional
8-12 cups fresh spinach or a mixture of spinach and greens, washed and dried

1 cup dried cherries or Craisins
1 cup salted cashews

Fresh Lemon Vinaigrette:

1 cup canola oil

1/2 cup white balsamic or cider vinegar 

1 fresh lemon, juiced, about 1/3 cup

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

The night before or early in the day before serving:
Cook the chicken breasts, trim off any fat, chop and set aside. I like the chicken to be in 1/2 inch chunks.
Cook the pasta and drain. Let cool. If desired, pour about 1 cup poppy seed dressing over pasta and store in fridge until ready to assemble salad.
Prepare the strawberries and layer in a pan, such as a 9x13 cake pan, to prevent the berries from bleeding onto each other or the salad. This method will insure the berries are completely dry before assembling the salad.
Chop green onions, set aside.
Make the dressing:
Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a blender or in a bowl using an immersion blender or whisk. Set in fridge until ready to use. When ready to assemble, whisk again, just before pouring.
To assemble salad:
Place spinach in bowl or platter, or assemble on individual plates. Layer the following on top of greens:
Pasta (you may toss with additional poppy seed dressing if the pasta has soaked up most of the dressing),  chicken, strawberries, green onions and dressing. Top with cashews and dried cherries.

Tips:
-*Making sure the strawberries are washed, sliced and drained is essential. If the strawberries are not drained, they will bleed onto the chicken and pasta, giving off the appearance of red chicken or pasta with red or pink spots. Trust me :o
-I made this recipe up without any cheese, but if would be yummy with a little blue, Gorgonzola or goat cheese sprinkled on top.
-If you would like the dressing to be thicker, add about 1/4 cup of mayo (light or regular) to the recipe.
-You may also substitute honey for the sugar in the dressing recipe.

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Tessa's French Peasant Bread

Guess what the weather forecast is for the weekend. If you said SNOW, you're a winner.  Heavy sigh. Last week, we went to Southern Utah for baseball.

Oh.
Sun. I remember you. Warm. Blue skies. Sunscreen. No boots.
Then Monday came, reality along with it. Back to the North.
Snowy day= The perfect time to bake bread.

If you are a lifer on A Bountiful Kitchen, you know I love my friend Tessa. And I love her cooking. Tessa brought this to a dinner party at Christmas and I fell in love.  So simple. No kneading. No mixer required. Makes two loaves. Perfect for sharing on a cold winter day.


Tessa's French Peasant Bread
Tessa Reinemer
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1 pkg dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups flour
oil
cornmeal
melted butter

Place yeast, water, sugar and salt in warm water and stir until dissolved. Add flour and stir until blended. Do not knead.

Cover and let rise for one hour or doubled in size. Flour or grease hands and remove dough from bowl and place in 2 rounds on oiled cookie sheet ( or parchment paper ) sprinkled with corn meal. Let rise and additional hour. Brush top with melted butter.
Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and cook an additional 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and brush again with butter.
Serve warm.

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Cutler's Frosted Peanut Butter Cookies

It's January 15. Are you ready to break your New Years resolution? Read on.
Back in November, Curt Cutler taught a class on one of his best sellers: Frosted Peanut Butter cookies. The class was packed, and everyone left with little tricks and tips on how to make the perfect chocopeanutbutter treat. You've never had one of these delightful goodies? Think of chocolate chip cookie dough, only with peanut butter chips instead of chocolate. Add a thin layer of peanut butter frosting, topped with chocolate butter cream frosting.
Oh my.
Forget the diet.
Get out the mixer.
BTW - If you live in the area and want to learn how to make Cutler's famous Sugar cookies  Curt's teaching a class on Wednesday, January 30.  Two classes:
10 am  and 2 pm  (update-both filled as of 1/24). Ten dollars buys you: instruction, recipes, a sample and lunch. Pre-registration required. Hurry classes are filling up fast.
Where else can you get a deal like that?
Btown.
Love it.






Cutler's Frosted Peanut Butter Cookies
Curt Cutler
print recipe

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 1/4 cups cake flour ( he uses cake flour in all of Cutler's cookies)
1- 12 oz bag Reese's Peanut Butter chips (no substitutions)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.
Cream together butter, sugars, salt, baking soda and powder.  Add vanilla and eggs. Mix well.
Add flour and peanut butter chips. Mix just until flour and chips are blended together.
Using a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, or just a large spoon, scoop into 2 inch balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet about 4 inches apart.  I bake about 8 cookies per sheet.
Bake for about 12 minutes, or until set.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup butter, soft-room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (not natural)
milk to thin to proper consistency (whole milk is best)

Cream together room-temperature butter and powdered sugar. Add peanut butter and beat until smooth. Add milk a tablespoon at time, just until frosting is smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Chocolate Frosting
1 cup butter or 1/2 and 1/2 blend butter/margarine
5-6 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (or less if you like a lighter cocoa frosting)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 to 1/3 cup milk

Cream butter and 5 cups powdered sugar. Add cocoa and vanilla. Add milk a tablespoon at a time until frosting is smooth. If needed, add more powdered sugar.

After cookies are cooled, frost with peanut butter frosting. Then frost on top of the peanut butter frosting with the chocolate frosting. When spreading the chocolate frosting on top of the peanut butter frosting, be very gentle and leave a small space between the edge of the peanut butter frosting and the chocolate frosting for a layered frosting look (see photos).

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Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Day three of our CCE; this recipe won the LDS Living Best Cookie Recipe Contest in 2011. If you are baking for a lemon lover, they’ll love this treat. Some people say you either are a chocolate or lemon lover.
Really?
It’s like choosing which child is your favorite.
Always a fun discussion to have with your children.
Oh reminder, Christmas is 20 days away!
You’re welcome.
Happy baking :)

Lemon Crinkle Cookies
adapted from LDS Living Magazine

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Makes 1 dozen cookies ( I recommend doubling this recipe)

Ingredients:
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cup cake flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (I use the convection setting).
Grease light colored baking sheets lightly with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Or use parchment lined baking sheets.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again.
Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly.
Pour powdered sugar into a bowl.
Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough (I use a 1 ½ inch cookie scoop) into a ball and roll in powdered sugar.
Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.
Bake for 8-9 minutes* or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies are set.
Remove from oven and let cookies cool completely.

Tips:
*If using a non-stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.
-The original recipe calls for 1 ½ cups all pupose flour. I baked these several times and found the cookies were not as puffy as I would like. We live at about 4400 ft above sea level and have to add additional flour to achieve a cookie that is not completely flat after baking. I tried adding additional all purpose flour, but found using a total of 1 ¾ cups of cake flour produced the result I wanted- a cookie that was still chewy and moist, but not flat.
-If you are baking in an oven that is a professional model (Wolf, Viking, etc) made for home use, bake at 325 convection, 6-7 minutes.
-My friends Jo, Diane and Nan made a recipe similar to this for a shower in our neighborhood. My other friend Jo (yes two friends named Jo) made lemon sorbet to go with the lemon cookies. YUMMY. Click on their names for links to some truly wonderful recipes :)

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Lion House Rolls

Hello. Announcement.
IT'S THANKSGIVING IN TEN DAYS.
If I had high bp, I'm sure it would be rising right about now. If you know me, this is my all time favorite holiday of the year. I spend weeks pouring over cookbooks, online, magazines, etc. Looking for fun new dishes to try, pies to make.  Not this year. I actually had a guy who is laying tile for me remind me that Thanksgiving is next week.
No, it  could not be.
Yes, it is, he said.
Really? Are you sure?
Great. I lost the whole end of October-beginning of Nov.
here's why.

Thing One:
A house.
At 50, (oh, yes that day is right around the corner) we decided to throw all caution to the wind, sell our home of 18 years and build a new house.
It's not like I personally get on the work gloves and boots and head over to the site everyday to pound nails, but, I like to talk like I am building it.

Here's a preview (of the kitchen)

Thing Two:
A Baby. Our first Grandchild!
I have a need to snuggle and smother this little one with kisses as much as possible.
Hence the no cooking zone in my kitchen lately.

I'm starting prep for the big day tomorrow. I'll make the dough and freeze, so all I have to do on Thanksgiving is take the rolls out of the freezer, thaw, raise and bake.  Then I'll have more time to sit and enjoy the grand baby.
Thanksgiving, yes.

PS If you have ever eaten a Lion House Roll, you know two things.
1. They are delicious.
2. They are probably the biggest roll you have ever eaten in your life.
This recipe tastes better than the rolls purchased at the Lion House and Deseret Book.
Everything homemade is better.
Promise.

Lion House Rolls
Adapted from Pinterest
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2 cups warm water ( 110 to 115 degrees)
2/3 cup non fat dry milk powder
2 tablespoons dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter , melted
2 teaspoons salt
5 -5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
about 1/4 to 1/2 cup additional butter for inside and top of rolls

In large bowl of electric mixer, combine water and milk powder, stir until dissolved.
Sprinkle yeast over warm water and add 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Let sit until yeast bubbles. Add  egg, additional 1/4 cup of sugar and melted butter.  Mix on low speed until ingredients are incorporated. Add  2 cups of flour. Mix well. Add two teaspoons of salt. Mix on low speed of mixer until ingredients are mixed well. Increase speed of mixer for  2 minutes at medium speed.
Add 2 cups more flour; mix on low speed, then for 2 minutes as medium speed. (Dough will become stiff and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand).
Add about ½ cup flour and mix again, by hand or mixer.
Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff.
(It may not be necessary to use the entire amount of flour.)
Scrape dough off sides of bowl and coat sides of bowl with about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil  around sides of the bowl,  so it is covered with oil.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in warm place until double in size.
After dough has risen, sprinkle cutting board or counter with flour and place dough on floured surface.
Roll out and cut rolls.  See note below to watch instructional video on the method use in making Lion House Rolls.
Place on greased (or parchment lined) baking pans.
Let rise in warm place until rolls are double in size (about 1 to 1 ½ hours).
Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned.
Brush with melted butter while hot.

Tips:
-The video mentioned is found here.
-I tried the method shown in the video but was unable to flip the rolls and have the rolls turn out in a uniform way. I simply rolled the dough on a floured surface and placed them on the pan to rise.
-If you are making these ahead of time, make the rolls up to the point where the rolls are placed on the cookie sheet. Do not let them raise a second time, cover with a sheet of wax paper and then wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Place immediately in freezer. When ready to bake, take out of freezer about 4 hours prior to baking. Remove plastic wrap and wax paper. Cover loosely with a towel. Let sit in draft free warm place until rolls raise. Do not set pan directly on granite or stone counter top. The counter will be too cold to allow rolls to raise properly. Set a towel down on the counter first, then place the pan on top of the towel.
-Here's a link for a cute idea to roll up little "notes of thanks" inside of your rolls for Thanksgiving, a great idea for kids. The recipe is different than the Lion House roll recipe, but you could use the idea with either recipe.

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Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes

Who doesn't love a piece of Texas Sheet Cake? This recipe takes the basic Texas Sheet Cake recipe and converts it into cupcakes. When I finished baking, I had Jake (16) test them out.
He loved them, then almost fell off his chair laughing when I told him what they were called.
Why so funny? Because one of his friends (who will remain nameless)  LOVES to say Sheee-it  (with extra emphasis on the eee). Instead of the S-word.
Jake thought I was saying "Texas Sheee-it Cake Cupcakes".
Hilarious, Jacob.

Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes

adapted from Blue-Eyed Bakers

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For the cake:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/3 cup boiling water
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting:
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
4 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4-6 tablespoons milk to thin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

dash of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar & salt and set aside.

In a large pan on stove,  melt butter. Stir in cocoa powder & boiling water.  Mix well. 

Remove from heat and add dry ingredients, stir until just combined. I use a large whisk to combine ingredients.
Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda & vanilla. Stir into the chocolate/flour mixture and mix until fully incorporated, using either a hand mixer or large whisk. Fill prepared pan & bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

Melt butter in a saucepan.  Remove from heat. Add cocoa powder, vanilla and dash of salt. Whisk or use beaters and mix until smooth. Add powdered sugar  and 4 tablespoons milk and beat until smooth again. Add more milk if needed. 

Top with chopped pecans.

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes

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Boy Scout Stew

Some days are made for stew. Yesterday was one of those days. It was the first snow here. Yikes. October 23. While I'm not a huge fan of eating stew, I do like to make it. Something about chopping, mixing and having the aroma slowly fill your house on a cold day.

This is a recipe I've had for years. I've tweaked it countless times, and it's pretty close to perfection.  I named it Boy Scout Stew because it seems like the Scouts always make (translation, the wife of the Scout Master makes) a variation of this to eat on their camp outs. Did I tell you Jake received his Eagle Scout award a few months back?

Hooray and thank you to leaders who have mentored, served and loved my kid.
You gave your time to countless campouts, hikes, bike rides, merit badge clinics, build snow caves (and then sleep in them) and fish among other activities. I can only imagine how the tents/cabins smell after the boys live in them for a week at scout camp- without a shower, brushing their teeth, or changing their underwear. Your patience and the lessons you have taught my kid will never be forgotten.
You're the best.

Boy Scout Stew
A Bountiful Kitchen
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3 lbs beef brisket or chuck,  cut into 2 inch cubes
2 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup flour
3-4 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
6 cups v-8 vegetable juice cocktail
2 cups water
2 Knorr beef homestyle stock cups (4.6 oz each), or 2-3 bullion cubes
3 cups celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 cups carrots, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces or baby carrots, whole
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut into one inch cubes

Place meat in a medium bowl, season with thyme, salt and pepper. Toss with 1/2 cup flour.
Place the oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven. Heat to medium high.
Working in about three batches, cook the meat until it is browned on all sides, when the batch is browned, remove and set aside on plate. If there is flour left in the bowl, sprinkle it over the last batch of meat browning in the pan. Remove any remaining meat from pan, set aside.
Keeping heat on medium high, add a little more oil if needed. Place the onions and garlic into the pan on stove, cooking and stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
Return the meat to the pan with the onions and garlic. Add Worcestershire sauce. Cook for about 1 minute.  Add all remaining ingredients.
Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serves 8-10

Tips:
-Knorr Homestyle Stock cups are sold in the soup section of most grocery stores. They come in a package with 4 cups enclosed. I like the flavor of the Knorr brand. You may use Swanson brand liquid flavoring, regular bullion cubes, or other types of stock flavoring if desired.
-Only purchase beef that is a lower quality cut, such as brisket or chuck. This will produce the best result when slow cooking.

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