Big Ol' Mess!

Do you like it hot and spicy?  If so, this is a recipe for you!  This is a recipe my husband found in a Marlboro (yes, the smokes) cookbook at the fire station.  It really has a kick so be prepared.  We love jalapenos here on the "Miller Ranch" so it has become one of our new favorites.  Speaking of jalapenos, I will be so excited when our jalapenos are ready for harvesting out of the garden.  We canned "jalapeno salsa" a few years ago that was soooo good and I can't wait to share the recipe with you this summer.  Anyways, on to the recipe at hand~

{ Big Ol' Mess }

Ingredients:

12 ounce jar of sweet & sour sauce

1 green bell pepper, chopped & seeded

3 jalapenos, chopped & seeded

1/4 cup Tobasco sauce

1 pound smoked sausage, diced

1 small onion diced

6 cups prepared white rice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*.  Combine all ingredients, except white rice, in bowl and stir until combined.  Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish and cover.  Bake for 45 minutes.

While "Mess" baking, make rice per package directions.  Serve "Mess" over prepared rice.  Enjoy!

Buttery Coffee Cake

Good Friday afternoon!  Yea, Blogger is finally back up!  Sorry to keep you waiting for a new recipe post.  Between my personal schedule being hectic this past week and then Blogger going down, it's been a while, so "HELLO"!

Today's recipe is a new favorite of mine.  I made this coffee cake last weekend for our Mother's Day brunch and it was a huge hit!  How can a recipe with 3 sticks of butter in it not be good?!  Did I mention there are also 2 sticks of cream cheese and a few cups of sugar.  This is definitely a treat, but well worth it.  I hope you enjoy as much as we did. 

Buttery Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

Cake

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup sour cream

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling

2 (8 oz. packages) cream cheese, softened

1 egg yolk

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1/2 cup butter, softened

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350* and set oven rack on lowest setting.  Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan. 

Cream butter with sugar for 3 minutes.  Add eggs and sour cream and mix an additional 3 minutes.

In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat well until combined.  Batter will be thick.

Spread half of the batter in prepared baking pan. 

In another bowl, cream together all filling ingredients until smooth, then carefully spread over the cake batter.

Spoon the remaining cake batter over the top of the cream cheese filling.  It will be more like dotting tablespoons of batter on top of the filling.

Mix all topping ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle evenly over cake.

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until middle feels set.

It is sooooo good.  I cannot wait for you to try because I know you will love!

 Original recipe can be found at food.com

White Chocolate & Cranberry Cookies

These are my all time favorite cookie.  Or at least they are my favorite that I actually bake.  I have a few other favs, but none of which I make.  I found this recipe online back before Christmas and have baked numerous times since.  I also just realized when I baked these this morning that I could make them egg free for my son.  There is zero difference in taste between the recipe with egg and the egg substitute I used in this recipe.  I was really excited they still tasted as good because now I won't have to bake 2 separate batches.  Yea for less mess!  Do you have a favorite cookie, if so, send the recipe my way, I would love to try!  Have a great Tuesday!

White Chocolate & Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon brandy/vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup white chocolate chips (my favorite are Ghirardelli)
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and brandy. Combine the flour and baking soda; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. For best results, take them out while they are still doughy. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Egg Substitute:

1 1/2 tablespoon oil

1 1/2 tablespoon water (can add 1/4 tablespoon more if too dry)

1 tsp baking powder

Mix together and add in place of 1 egg in any baked recipe.  Wouldn't recommend in baked good that require more than 2-3 eggs. 

Enjoy!!