Homemade Oreo's

This weekend I felt like making some sweets to have around the house - so I decided to indulge in a time-honored American Classic... OREO COOKIES! I have never been a huge fan of the entire OREO; In fact, I would always eat the cookie after discarding the filling from the center. However, after having made my own - I am a fan of the entire cookie now! Homemade 'Oreos' are absolutely DELISH!!

I checked a few different food blog recipes before attempting my own creation. I found a really great cookie recipe from Bakerella and mixed up a few variations of my own filling before coming up with the perfect one - ENJOY!!

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Homemade Oreo Cookies
Prep Time:  |  Ready In: 

Cookies  (Adapted from Bakerella):
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled
1 egg
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Cream Filling:
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
8 oz. White Chocolate
Powdered Sugar (for thickening)


1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar until well combined. Whisk in the vanilla and chocolate. Whisk in the egg until combined.

2. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, salt and soda until combined.

3. Stir flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. Mix with your hands if it helps to combine the two. Let the dough sit for an hour to firm up.

4. Transfer the dough to a sheet of wax paper. Shape into a log about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Place log along the edge of wax paper and roll. Shape as you roll to maintain a smooth cylinder. Twist ends of paper to secure and help keep the shape compact. Refrigerate at least two hours or until firm. If log settles and flattens on one side, rotate every 15 minutes or so to maintain a round shape.

5. Heat oven to 325 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. Cut dough in quarter inch thick slices and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cookies are firm to the touch.
Note: I under baked mine (almost half the time) and they were still great. Just watch them because it’s hard to tell by looks if they are done since they are so dark to begin with. These baked in batches well, so bake a few to test if you have time. And if your cookies are smaller, adjust the baking time.

7. Make the filling: Bring cream to a boil in a small sauce pan. Place chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, then pour boiling cream over chocolate, whisking to combine. Let cool to room temperature. In small doses, whisk in powdered sugar until a thick consistency is reached. Remember, the mixture will continue to thicken as it sets.

8. Assemble the cookies: Spread 1 cookie with a dollop of filling, then sandwich with another cookie. Lay the cookies on a flat plate or sheet and place in freezer to allow the filling to finish hardening. Enjoy :)


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2 weeks in... 6 lbs down!

Thank you, un-processed lifestyle - I lost another 3.5 lb this week! It was quite a surprise given that my cardio workouts had been sacraficed due to a busy schedule. However, it just goes to show - its all about what we feed our bodies!

Happy Sunday :)

Bread, Hazelnut Spread, Crackers, Mustard and more...

Today was loaded with new recipes! I got a craving for snacks this week, so I decided to try my hand at a few for the week. On this week's menu: Homemade Mustard, Vanilla Extract, Powdered Sugar, Hazelnut Spread, Rosemary Flatbread, Rosemary & Cheese Crackers and Lentil-Barley Burgers.

My neighbor was the one who suggested I make the Hazelnut Spread (aka Nutella), and that just sounded so yummy! There was only one problem... where the heck do you buy Hazelnuts when it's not Christmas time?! I went to all the grocery stores (including Randazzo specialty store where I found my Vanilla Beans) and no luck. I was desprite, so I turned to Google, because it has all the answers... this led me to place an order through www.nuts.com - who'da thought ;-)  Three days and $14 dollars later, a pound of roasted hazelnuts were waiting at my doorstep! This website is great - very prompt in their order, the processing updates were delivered to my mail, and plus, the box was really cute... it made me smile.

Hazelnuts are not the easiest things in the world to skin. Luckily, I found some tips on the internet about using a kitchen towl to help remove them. Eventually, I got sick of this method and just threw them in with more skin the most may desire, but I figured, "eh, live and learn!"

Did you know how easy it is to make powdered sugar from scratch? You just need a food processor, some sugar, patience and viola... powdered sugar!

The Rosemary Flatbread is now one of my favorite snacks! One batch lasts me the enitre week, and it tastes good dipped in the Mustard and Hot Sauce I made. This week, I shared a portion of it with my neighbors across the street. I hope they enjoy it. The Rosemary & Cheese Crackers are a tad too dry, but they taste great with a dollop of raspberry preserves & goat cheese atop.

It was a nice day to be in the kitchen - it started snowing outside and was a pretty view from the window! Happy Cooking!


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Powdered Sugar
Ready In: 10 min

Sugar (I prefer Domino Organic Sugar Cane)
Food-Processor

Simply run the sugar through the food processor and with a little patience you will soon have powdered sugar!



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Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread  (Adapted from OurBestBites.com)
Ready In: 30 mins

1-1/2 cups (heaping) Hazelnuts, preferably skinned and toasted
1/8 cup Powdered Sugar
8 oz Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) Butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, room temperature
1/2 cup Heavy Cream -OR- 1/2 cup Whipping Cream + 2 tbsp Milk
Jars or Containers (will fill 2 8-ounce jars)

If your hazelnuts are not pre-toasted, read this website on how to toast them in the oven.
(If nuts have skins, rub them in a kitchen towel to remove, see photos in post for tips.)

Grind hazelnuts and sugar in a food processor until a fairly smooth, buttery paste forms (~1 min).

Place chocolate in a medium metal or glass bowl. Set bowl over a large saucepan of simmering water; stir often until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over saucepan; add butter and whisk until completely incorporated. Whisk in cream, then hazelnut paste.

Pour mixture into jars, dividing equally. Let cool - mixture will thicken and become soft and peanut butter-like as it cools. Screw on lids. 

This can be made up to 4 weeks ahead; keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature for 4 hours to soften. Can stand at room temperature up to 4 days.


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Homemade Mustard  (Adapted from Food Network)

Prep Time: 15 mins  + Overnight Soak  |  Ready In: 9 hrs

5-1/2 tbsp Yellow Mustard Seeds

1/3 cup drinking-quality White Wine

1/3 cup White Wine Vinegar

1 Shallot, minced

3/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp White Pepper

Pinch of Ground Allspice

In a non-reactive bowl, combine all ingredients and refrigerate overnight, covered.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and process until mustard has obtained the desired texture and thickness; it is equally delicious whether you leave it chunky or smooth. Store in an airtight, non-reactive container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.


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Rosemary Cheese Bites
(Recipe taken from GoodLifeEats.com)







Rustic Italian Bread
(Recipe taken from the back of the bread flour bag)







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Homemade Hot Sauce

Anyone who knows my sister and I, knows that we have a weak spot for Cholula Hot Sauce. Even the waiters at our favorite restaurant know to put a new bottle on our table when dinner is served. Though the bottle contains no preservatives or artificial ingredients, I still had no idea what 'xanthan gum' was on the ingredients list. Thus, begins my journey into making my own Homemade Hot Sauce!

I found several recipes online for hot sauce, but they all seemed to vary quite a bit. That said, I decided to make up my own, based on a few of the more notable recipe authors. I liked Emeril's method of simmering the peppers and garlic with water into a soft reduction before blending. I also was limited on the hot peppers I had to work with... I decided to buy from Kroger rather than a specialty store; I know better next time!

All-in-all, the sauce was really easy to make - it will just be a matter of adjusting the taste to my preference in the future. I cut the heat back a little too much by using a whole tomato - I will probably only add a small portion in the future. And more garlic... you can never go wrong with more garlic!

Enjoy!

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Homemade Hot Sauce
Prep Time: 5 min  | Cook Time: 20 min  | Ready In: 30 min

1 Pablano Pepper, seeded and sliced
5 Habanero Peppers, seeded and sliced
2 Red Chili Peppers, seeded and sliced
5 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Distilled White Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt
1 Small Tomato (optional)


1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, peppers and a dash of salt. Saute for about 3 minutes.

2. Add the water and bring mixture to a simmer, reducing the heat slightly if necessary. Simmer until the water is reduced to barely any and the peppers are soft (~15-20 minutes).

3. Remove the peppers and garlic from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.

4. Add the peppers/garlic mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth. Slowly add almost all the vinegar while running the blender. (leave some vinegar aside).

5. Add some salt to taste (in small amounts) and mix well.

6. (optional) Add diced tomato to the mixture and blend well. Add more vinegar to the mix until a smooth consistency is reached.
(If you wish to cut back the heat of the sauce, opt to add small amounts of diced tomato until desired taste is reached. I recommend adding small amounts at a time and taste testing. I initially added the whole tomato and I lost too much of the spicy heat that I like.)

7. Bottle the sauce, refrigerate and enjoy!

1 week in... 2 lb lost!

After one full week into my un-processed lifestyle, I am quickly realizing just how healthy I had already been eating. My breakfast remains the same, the only thing that changed with my lunch is the removal of shredded cheese and croutons, and my hummus is now homemade rather than store bought. The biggest change lies within my dinner and snacks. I now have Lentil Burgers and Homemade Ravioli stored in my freezer for the days when I come home too late to cook, replacing the go-to Progresso Soup and Lean Cuisine. My desire to snack has significantly reduced since I have to make these snacks from scratch.

It was less than a week into this lifestyle when I got on the scale, only to realize I had lost 2 lb with just this simple change. It caught me by surprise because I hadn't gotten as much time on the bike or cardio as I would have liked this week, but good new all the same!

:)

Homemade Beer & Gouda Pretzels, Rosemary Flatbread

This weekend I had lunch with my girlfriends and I made Homemade Beer & Gouda Pretzels with a Sweet Mustard Dipping Sauce. All I can say, is I am glad I practiced this recipe a few weeks ago, because it went a lot smoother the second time around. Perhaps, because I finally bought a cooking thermometer instead of using the 'ol touch test to gauge the tempurature of the hot liquid.

My time in the kitchen was limited this weekend, but I did have enough time to whip up a quick snack for myself to graze over the next few days. This week, I tried my hand at Rosemary Flatbread... it was so delish and so simple to make!

Happy Cooking!


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Homemade Beer & Gouda Pretzels
This recipe was adapted from Taste of Home and very tasty! To add some more flavor, I used a tad more beer and caraway seeds than the recipe calls for.

Sweet Mustard Dipping Sauce
4 simple ingredients that combine well to compliment the pretzels, as well as raw veggies.

Mayonnaise
Regular Mustard
Dijon Mustard
Honey

In a small bowl, simply mix together somewhat equal parts mayo and mustards. Add the honey to the mix in small amounts until the desired taste is reached.


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Rosemary Flatbread
I adapted this recipe from SmittenKitchen, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite food blogs! If you get a chance, browse through some of the other yummy recipes.

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These cravings shall pass….

The other night, while watching TV, I seemed to only notice the TWIX and M&M commercials… of course, the things I will not be eating anytime soon! Then the craving set in… I scurried through my kitchen thinking how badly I wanted chocolate and what could I do with my cocoa powder to satisfy this. I tried mixing cocoa with some natural peanut butter – meh, not what I wanted. Then I hit up Google and found so many recipes for homemade snacks and treats! Did you know you can make your own “Cheese-Its”, “Oreo’s” and “Nutella”?  Oh, yeah – I’m sure gonna try!

This whole process started not because I needed to eat healthier meals, but because I wanted to reduce my cravings for quick-snacks. As much fun as it sounds to make all these yummy homemade treats, I’m guessing that this will force me to ration my portions simply because I know that I will NOT be making these snacks as often as you can just grab-n-go from the convenience store.

My next agenda is to make and stock-up on homemade condiments (Ketchup, Mustard, Hot Sauce, Salad Dressing, Vanilla Extract) and quick snacks (Hazelnut Spread, Cheesy Crackers, Oreo’s, Granola Bars). I anticipate these items taking a lot of time… I just hope everything tastes up to par!

I will post recipes and pictures once I get to the baking. Happy Cooking! J