Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Pudding Cookies
May 18, 2012 | 
Author Don’t forget to bid on your favorite treats featured on Wilde in the Kitchen’s Relay for Life Bake Sale – ends tonight at 11pm Eastern Time!
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Look I made cookies that do not contain peanut butter! It’s boreder-line insanity, but this girl also loves fruit almost as much as peanut butter. Even though lemon isn’t the first fruit I think of, it seemed like the right thing to do for a nice refreshing warm-weather cookie.
These cookies could stand by themselves with their lemon flavor, but the glaze makes them extra lemony. So if you want more of a subtle lemon poppy seed cookie you can skip the glaze, because I enjoyed them both ways. Either way they are very soft and moist, almost as if you were eating little drops of lemon poppy seed bread.
One year ago: Spicy Chicken and Pepper Jack Pizza with Whole Wheat Crust
GLAZED LEMON POPPY SEED PUDDING COOKIES
Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
COOKIES
1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1-3.4 oz. package instant lemon pudding mix
2-1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
Zest of 2 lemons
1-1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
GLAZE
4 tsp fresh lemon juice
1-1/4 cup powdered sugar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in pudding mix until blended. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix to combine. Stir in lemon zest and poppy seeds. Batter will be thick.
- Using a cookie dough scooper, place golf ball sized dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn golden. Do not overbake! Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before moving to a cooking rack to cool completely.
- For the glaze, in a medium bowl whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice. Add more sugar or lemon juice if needed. Drizzle over each cooled cookie and let sit until icing has set.
Source: Cookies adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything. Icing adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod.
Thai Chicken Pizza
Please take a moment to check out Wilde in the Kitchen’s Bake Sale benefitting Relay for Life. And bid on my “Big, Fat, Chewy Multichip Cookies” or any of the other delicious treats up for grabs!
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I enjoy both traditional and nontraditional pizzas. But with how frequently I have pizza for dinner it’s refreshing to have some very different options out there.
So now it is time for a very nontraditional pizza. There is no tomato sauce or even pesto, instead the sauce is sweet Asian chili sauce. To continue with the lack of tradition, it’s topped with zucchini, peanuts and cilantro. The only things not out of the ordinary are the chicken, mozzarella and basil. But do not fear the unexpected because your taste buds will love this – that is if you are into nontraditional pizzas and Asian flavors.
In other news, I am off to a wedding in northern NJ on Friday followed by a day trip to NYC and then snuggles with my nephew Luke in Boston! Consider this your warning for baby pictures appearing next week.
One year ago: Grilled Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
THAI CHICKEN PIZZA
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
1 recipe pizza dough
Olive oil, for brushing
1/4 cup sweet Asian chili sauce, plus extra for drizzling
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 large zucchini, thinly sliced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3 Tbsp chopped peanuts
2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp minced fresh basil
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 500 with a pizza stone on the bottom third. Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round. Lightly brush the perimeter of the dough with olive oil. Spread the chili sauce over the crust in an even layer. Layer with the shallot, zucchini, red pepper flakes, shredded chicken, and cheese.
- Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Sprinkle evenly with the peanuts, cilantro, and basil before slicing and serving, with additional sauce drizzled on top if desired.
Source: Annie’s Eats
Baked Oatmeal with Blackberries and Bananas
The OXO Salad Dressing Shaker Giveaway has come to an end, are you the winner? Check out the original post, or your e-mail to see if it’s your lucky day!
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Overnight oatmeal folks. It’s when you mix all the ingredients together, but instead of popping in the oven or on the stove top, you cover it up and let it sleep in the refrigerator overnight. Just like you – except you will be in a cozy warm bed. After you wake up and pre-heat the oven, place it in to bake and proceed with your usual getting-ready-in-the-am-routine. Thirty minutes later you will be enjoying a nice warm bowl of goodness!
For some strange reason, blueberries were absent from Kroger when I went grocery shopping for this recipe so I snatched up the blackberries instead. I obviously don’t know what it would’ve been like with blueberries, but I do know that with blackberries this was outstanding (notice the modesty). Even the leftovers were awesome! I just added a little extra milk after reheating and it was like new again.
One year ago: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
BAKED OATMEAL WITH BLACKBERRIES AND BANANAS
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 very ripe medium bananas, sliced into 1/2″ pieces
1 1/2 cup blackberries
1/4 cup honey (or agave), divided
1 cup uncooked old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, divided
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon, divided
Pinch of salt
1 cup 2% milk (or any milk you desire)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
- Lightly spray a 8 x 8″ or 9 x 9″ ceramic or glass baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
- Arrange the banana slices in a single layer on the bottom of the ceramic dish. Sprinkle half of the blackberries over the bananas, 1/4 tsp of the cinnamon, 1 Tbsp of the honey and cover with foil. Bake 15 minutes, until the bananas get soft.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the oats, half of nuts, baking powder, remaining cinnamon, and salt; stir together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining honey, milk, egg, and vanilla extract.
- Remove the dish from the oven and allow to cool. Then pour the oat mixture over the bananas and blackberries.
- Pour the milk mixture over the oats, making sure to distribute the mixture as evenly as possible over the oats. Sprinkle the remaining blackberries and walnuts over the the top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the oatmeal for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the oatmeal has set. Serve warm from the oven. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
Source: Adapted slightly from Gina’s Skinny Taste.
Raw Cookie Dough Bites
Love cookie dough? I guess the better question may be, who doesn’t love cookie dough? It didn’t seem like it could truly ever get any better, until someone decided to fake us all out and make it healthy. Somehow the combination of ground up nuts, oats, agave and chocolate chips manages to taste like chocolate chip cookie dough. They are easily made in your food processor, and stored in the freezer. No baking necessary!
These things were so good, they curbed my cookie cravings. No joke. Until they were all gone of course, then I was diving right back into the cookie jar. Suppose I should’ve made more of them instead.
RAW COOKIE DOUGH BITES
Makes approximately 20 bites
Ingredients:
2/3 cup raw almonds
2/3 cup raw walnuts
2/3 cup raw rolled oats
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp dark chocolate chips
Directions:
- In a food processor, process the almonds, walnuts, oats, cinnamon and salt to a fine meal.
- Add the agave nectar and vanilla and process to combine.
- Next, add the chocolate chips and pulse just to combine.
- Roll the cookie dough into balls (about 1 Tbsp each) and place them on a cookie pan lined with parchment paper.
- Place the pan in the freezer for about an hour to firm up. Store balls in a tightly covered container in the freezer.
Source: A Dash of Compassion
Posted in Appetizers & Snacks, Cookies, Desserts, Truffles & Bark | 
Tags: agave nectar, almonds, dark chocolate, oats | 
14 Comments »
Pasta with Brussels Sprouts, Gorgonzola & Pecans
Brussels sprouts strike again! Ever since I finally realized how much I loved these little guys last year I’ve been obsessed. Every time I make a meal that requires a vegetable side side, I’ve been drawn to Brussels sprouts like a moth to a flame. But in this case I didn’t even have to weasel them in as a side because they are part of the main dish! And it happens to be meat-less as well, which is a rare occurrence in my kitchen.
I almost swapped the Gorgonzola out for some goat cheese just because I saw it in the cheese pile, but decided to stick with what the recipe said before I start playing around with it. Gorgonzola was a great choice because it adds an extra tang which brings all the components together – I don’t think goat cheese would have been tangy enough to accomplish the same task but at the same time could’ve still been delicious in a different way.
PASTA WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS, GORGONZOLA & PECANS
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
4 cups (20 oz) Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced to shred
Salt and pepper
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
13.25 oz lb whole wheat shells
1-1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup (2 oz) chopped pecans, coarsely
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup half and half
3/4 cup (3 oz) Gorgonzola, crumbled
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange brussels sprouts in a thin layer on the baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, stirring half-way through.
- Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water and a bit of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook 9-11 minutes until al dente; drain.
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter. Add pecans, cooking until pecans are toasted and butter is browned, about 3 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently. With a slotted spoon, remove pecans and place on a plate. In the same skillet, melt the remaining butter. Cook garlic until softened, another 3 minutes, still stirring frequently. Add half and half and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, and add 3/4 cup Gorgonzola, stirring until melted.
- In a serving bowl, toss pasta, pecans, Brussels sprouts, and Gorgonzola-cream sauce. Serve immediately.
Source: Prevention RD
Posted in Entree, Pasta, Vegetarian | Tags: brussels sprouts, gorgonzola, pecans, whole wheat | 15 Comments »
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola
Seems like I post an awful lot of peanut butter recipes. But after consulting my blog tags, this will only be #38 including peanut butter out of 405 published posts. Here I was thinking I should cut back, when in fact I need to shower you with a lot more! Doubt there would be many complaints.
Yes this granola is peanut buttery. It even has some peanuts and dark chocolate chips to go along with your dose of peanut butter. Because any excuse to have peanut butter with chocolate for breakfast, or a snack, is the way I live my life. You could even whip this up quick for your favorite mom in your life! Ya know, just in case you almost forgot that Mother’s Day is this Sunday…
I won’t be seeing the mothers in my life this weekend, but next weekend I get to see three in Boston! (To answer your confused faces: my sister-in-law Kate who is obviously the newest mother in my life albeit not my mother, my step-mother who will be driving up as well with my dad, and my mom herself who is also driving up with my step-dad. “When Mothers Attack”?) And I will be cooking for all of them to make up for the week delay of love-showering.
One year ago: Raspberry Mango Margarita Pie
PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP GRANOLA
Makes approximately 5 cups
Ingredients:
4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, lightly chopped
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, lightly chopped
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine oats and flaxseed. Mix well.
- In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter and honey. Microwave for 30-60 seconds, or until melted. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla.
- Pour wet ingredients into oat mixture and stir until the oats are evenly coated. Evenly spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and stir. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the granola is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Stir in the peanuts and chocolate.
- Store in an airtight container.
Source: The Spiffy Cookie original
Posted in Breakfast, Granola | Tags: dark chocolate, flaxseed, honey, oats, peanut butter, peanuts | 12 Comments »
Italian Dressing Mix & OXO Salad Dressing Shaker Giveaway
The frequency at which salad dressing is homemade in my kitchen is less than a salad itself. And if you’ve read my blog long enough, you will have noticed that there is a whopping 4 posts that have the word “salad” in their title. I do eat a lot of green leafy things, but it tends to be in the form of green monster smoothies several times a week (it’s my ultimate lazy-no-bake meal option). But despite my history with salads, when I was given the opportunity to test the OXO Salad Dressing Shaker I couldn’t turn it down.
I started out by making a homemade Italian salad dressing which was destined for marinating zucchini. The markings on the side of the shaker really helped in reducing the number of dirty dishes created since there was no need for measuring cups (yay!). The dry seasoning then went for a swim before screwing the top on.
Make sure the pour spout is closed and then shake shake shake. Shake your booty! No seriously, when I shake things a lot my whole body starts to join in. But moving on… so once your dressing has been fully shaken, You just push open the spout with your finger and pour all in one fluid motion. Afterwards, any leftover dressing can be stored in the shaker with the spout closed. Did I mention this contraption reduces dirty dishes?
Now that I know how easy it is to make my own dressing at home, you might see a few more salad posts pop up in the future. Maybe I will even use the dressing on an actual salad next time - gasp!
Want a salad dressing shaker for yourself? Just answer this simple question in a comment on this post: What is your favorite salad dressing? Giveaway ends on Tuesday, May 15th at 11pm central time. Winner will be notified by e-mail and given 24 hours to respond. GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED.
The winner is #16 Lynna from Hearts in my Oven.
One year ago: Pineapple Chicken Kabobs
ITALIAN DRESSING MIX
Makes approximately 1/2 cup mix (or 4 cups prepared dressing)
Ingredients:
DRY MIX
1 Tbsp garlic salt
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp white sugar
2 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp celery salt
1 Tbsp salt
DRESSING (Makes approximately 1 cup)
1/4 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp water
- In a small bowl, mix together the garlic salt, onion powder, sugar, oregano, pepper, thyme, basil, parsley, celery salt and regular salt. Store in a tightly sealed container.
- To prepare dressing, combine white vinegar, olive oil, water and 2 tablespoons of the dry mix in the salad dressing shaker.
Source: Adapted slightly from Allrecipes.com
Disclosure: I received two OXO Salad Dressing Shakers for free from OXO’s Blogger Outreach Program – one to review and one to giveaway. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
Posted in Dressing Sauces & Condiments, Giveaways | Tags: basil, garlic, onions, parsley, vinegar | 40 Comments »
Homemade Imo’s Pizza
Are you prepared to meet the thinnest crust ever?! If you are not a thin crust person, this pizza is not for you. Go on and just close the browser right now, I won’t be offended but I will scoff at you because I think this pizza could convert you. So on second thought please stay!
By a show of hands, how many of you have ever had Imo’s pizza? Okay, how many more of you have at least heard of Imo’s pizza? Anyone who did not raise their hand will not understand the craze that this pizza creates, but should still dive in and create this pizza at home. Especially if you don’t have the time to drive to St. Louis. Because today I give to you, homemade Imo’s Pizza.
So what makes this pizza so special, other than it’s geographical exclusivity? Well for starters it has a supremely thin crust, that is crispy yet a little floppy all at the same time. This crust is covered by a moderately thin layer of freshly made pizza sauce, then topped off by Imo’s very own brand of shredded cheese known as Provel – a mixture of white cheddar, Swiss and provolone, with a hint of hickory smoke flavor.
One benefit to living 4.5 hours from St. Louis, is that the grocery stores here happen to carry this fantastical cheese blend. But luckily for everyone else it is easy to fix up a homemade version of it. Granted it won’t be processed all together, but the flavors are all there and that’s what counts. So no matter where you are in the world, you too can experience Imo’s pizza!
For me, the cheese is the selling point. It gets so bubbly and the white cheddar brings such great flavor to otherwise traditional pizza toppings. And it just so happens to be one of my favorite kinds of cheese, and am amazed that I have not topped off any of my pizzas with it before (prepare yourself for more of it to come). Of course, don’t forget to slice it up into Imo-style small square slices, and prepare to fight over your favorite pieces. Are you a middle-crust or an edge-crust person?
One year ago: Avocado Fries
HOMEMADE IMO’S PIZZA
Makes 2-12″ pizzas
Ingredients:
CHEESE
2 cups Imo’s Provel cheese
OR
1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup provolone cheese, shredded
1 tsp liquid hickory liquid smoke
SAUCE
16 oz. whole tomatoes (diced into fine pieces)
6 oz. tomato paste
1-1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp crushed dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried thyme
CRUST
2 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp dark corn syrup
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp water
TOPPINGS
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
Favorite pizza toppings
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with pizza stone* located on the bottom third of the oven.
- For the sauce: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
- For the cheese: If you can’t find Provel in your local market, it can be easily created. Toss cheeses in a large bowl with the liquid smoke until cheeses and smoke flavoring are completely incorporated.
- For the crust: In a large bowl, sift together the flour salt and baking powder. Add the olive oil, dark corn syrup and water and mix until thoroughly combined. The dough will be stiff. Divide the dough in half, shape into two round balls and roll out thin into two 12″ crusts. Move the crusts to a pizza peel lightly sprinkled with cornmeal.
- Top both crusts with half of the pizza sauce (save the rest for another time), and then divide the cheese between the two. Add your favorite toppings, and sprinkle the seasonings on top.
- Transfer one pizza onto the preheated pizza stone* and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the underside of the crust is golden brown, and the cheese is golden. You want the crust to be crispy but not too overdone or else it will start to become chewy. Repeat with the second pizza. Allow to settle before slicing into squares, as traditionally done at Imo’s Pizza.
*If you do not own a pizza stone, cook pizza on a thin baking sheet placed on the bottom rack of the oven.
Source: Adapted slightly from Food.com
Malted Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
Have you ever made a cookie so good you want to eat the entire batch all at once before they have the slightest chance to age? These cookies fall under that category. So soft and chewy, with a hint of malted milk and filled with both milk chocolate and peanut butter morsels – because it is pretty much blasphemy to make a dessert without peanut butter in my kitchen. I ended up mailing a bunch of them to my friend Megan for her birthday – and she was as addicted to them as I was!
“Oh sweet glorious cookie of mine. I’ll just have one more… Okay for real just one more. Crap I want another. I need to go to the gym before I cave and sit down on the couch with the entire batch on my lap. Then after I work out I can totally justify one more 
.” – Seriously that happened.
Speaking of cookies, anyone who was involved with The House Of Mews Bake Sale needs to check out this month’s issue of The Lamplighter, a newspaper released in Midtown of Memphis where the House of Mews is located. There is an article on page 8!
MALTED CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT BUTTER CHIP COOKIES
Makes approximately 32 cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter flavored Crisco, room temperature
1-1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup malted milk powder
2 Tbsp chocolate syrup (I used 1 Tbsp hot fudge ice cream topping + 1 Tbsp milk)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups peanut butter chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
Directions:
- In a mixing bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes. Add egg.
- Combine flour, soda, and salt. Gradually add this to the creamed mixture, mixing well after each addition. Stir in chocolate and peanut butter chips.
- Shape into 2 inch balls and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until edges become to brown. Middle should be slightly underdone and still puffy when you remove them from the oven.
Source: Adapted slightly from Pinch of Yum.
Posted in Cookies, Desserts | Tags: chocolate, crisco, malted milk powder, peanut butter | 17 Comments »
Pineapple Burgers
First off, I wanted to thank every one of you for all the wonderful birthday wishes. I had a great (and tiring) weekend, filled with too much food and staying up way past my bedtime. Weekends are always much too short, especially birthday weekends when friends like Becky come to visit. But definitely had plenty of fun to make up for not going to the Beale St Music Fest for the first time since I moved here 5 years ago (cannot believe it’s been that long).
But on to this burger. Many burgers I have encountered that include pineapple, merely have it as a layer in the toppings. But this burger is special – it is stuffed with an entire ring of fresh pineapple. There is even a sweet and tangy sauce to top it off.
That bun is purely for decoration only. Sure it’s real but I didn’t touch the thing. I grew up without eating these burgers on a bun because, well, the recipe never says anything about a bun! And honestly, I love this burger without any silly bun. But I included it anyway because a burger patty sitting on a plate by itself isn’t very photogenic.
Random question, do you spell it ketchup or catsup? Cause my mom totally spelled it catsup on the written recipe card I have and I never knew she and I spelled it differently then me.
PINEAPPLE BURGERS
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried cilantro
4 pineapple rings
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp mustard
4 buns and favorite burger toppings, if desired
Directions:
- Preheat your broiler to 500 degrees and place rack 6 inches away from broiler unit. Cover a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with non-stick stray, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, garlic and cilantro. Form into 8 thin patties (slightly bigger than the pineapple rings). Place a ring on 4 of the patties and top with remaining 4, seal edges.
- Place burgers on prepared baking sheet, and broil for 5 minutes on each side.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the brown sugar, ketchup and mustard. Pour over cooked burgers and serve with chips.
Source: Adapted slightly from my Mom.
