(SRC) Taco Pizza

We eat a lot of pizza in our house.  At least once a week we are throwing a pizza in the oven or ordering one up from one of our local pizza joints.   It's a meal that everyone enjoys and will eat. 

 As I searched for my recipe pick for this month's  Secret Recipe Club assignment I immediately settled on this fantastic pizza recipe.  I knew my family would eat it and I would enjoy making it.  I thank you, Anna of Cheese with Noodles  for sharing this recipe with me!  

Just as I suspected it was so much fun to make this pizza!  It came together quickly and with simple, pantry ready ingredients.  One of the best parts of this recipe is that the pizza dough is homemade AND the technique for allowing the dough to rise is done in the oven as it bakes.  Completely brilliant!  The dough is mixed up and then patted/rolled onto the prepared pizza pan and then placed into a cold oven which is only then turned on to 375 degrees F.  As the oven heats up, the dough gently rises.  Simple as that!

As you can see from the picture above instead of using the traditional pizza sauce, refried beans are used in it's place.  Thus the foundation for this Mexican flavored pizza.  I sprinkled a Mexican blend of cheese and then some chopped cherry tomatoes and sliced black olives.  Once the pizza was baked to melt the cheese I then placed some avocado slices and chopped up cilantro for additional "taco" ingredients and color.  This recipe is perfect for all taco toppings.  It all depends on what you like and what you have on hand.   I envisioned adding some lovely red onions, dollops of sour cream and a side of salsa on my next Taco Pizza.  Yum!!

Definitely try out this Taco Pizza.  It won't disappoint!!   I was completely delighted with it and send Anna of Cheese with Noodles big hugs of gratitude for this recipe.  I can't wait to make it again along with some of her other mouth watering recipes (I have my eye on her recipe for Triple Peanut Butter Cookies). 

Taco Pizza 

(recipe from Cheese with Noodles)

Pizza Dough Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 Tbsp taco seasoning (my addition) 

1 TBSP sugar

1 tsp salt

1 packet yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

1 cup water

2 TBSP olive oil

Pizza Toppings 

1 can refried beans

2 cups shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend) 

A variety of toppings from below.....

sliced black olives

cherry or plum tomatoes, cut into quarters or small pieces

red onions, chopped into small pieces

avocado slices

ground beef, cooked and seasoned with taco seasoning

dollops of sour cream

salsa

cilantro, chopped 

Directions:

In a large bowl fitted for a mixer prepare pizza dough by whisking together flour, taco seasoning, sugar, salt and yeast.  Add in water and oil and with your dough hook mix well all together. Dough should resemble a soft gum.  Add in water or flour if need to be to obtain such a consistency.  

Grease pizza pan and then gently pat dough out onto the sheet.  Make sure there is rim of dough higher on the edges than in the inside.  Place into a cold oven and heat to 375.  Bake for 15 minutes - starting timer when you place the pizza in the oven. Remove from oven and then spread refried beans over the dough and sprinkle with cheese.  Evenly scatter toppings that you wish to be baked such as tomatoes pieces and black olives.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is fully melted.  Top pizza with remaining desired toppings, slice and enjoy!! 

Happy Taco Pizza Baking!

An InLinkz Link-up

EASY Applesauce Muffins

I have always enjoyed baking with applesauce.  I love how it can replace oil and still give a nice moist texture to what I am baking.  I recently discovered a beautiful recipe for muffins that uses 1 1/2 cups of applesauce.  This large amount of applesauce not only replaces some of the oil but it gives a wonderful flavor to the muffins.  

My girls gobbled up these muffins.  "Yum, yum",  they said.  They had them for breakfast heated up with a lovely pat of butter smeared on it and then again for snack after school with a layer of PB.  I had quite a few myself and found that I liked them best heated up with a cup of tea.  Whether you are looking for a healthy muffin for breakfast or a sweet treat for an afternoon snack this is the muffin recipe for you.  I altered the original recipe just a tiny bit by splitting the flour into 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 whole wheat.  I also added some chopped walnuts and an apple chunk to the top of each muffin to give it a special appeal to the aesthetics and texture of the muffins. 

Best part of this recipe.  It's EASY!!  Let's make some muffins friends!

EASY Applesauce Muffins
(recipe slightly adapted from Catch My Party)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs 
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 apple - peeled, cut into chunks

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease 2 regular size muffin tins and set aside.   

In a large bowl combine well first 8 ingredients (all of the dry ingredients) and set aside.  In a medium size bowl combine eggs, oil and applesauce - stir well until thoroughly combined. 

Add wet mixture into the dry mixture - mix well all together with a wooden spoon.  Batter will be thick. 

Fill prepared pans 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle muffins with chopped walnuts and insert one apple chunk into the top of each one.   Bake for 20-22 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.  Cool slightly and serve. Store muffins in an air-tight container.  Enjoy!!! 

Happy EASY Applesauce Muffins Baking!

{SRC} Breakfast Quesadillas

Do you ever find yourself stumped as to what to feed your kiddos?  I am constantly on the hunt for new meal ideas for my girls that are not only appealing to them but also healthy and well balanced.  This month my wishes were granted for a fantastic breakfast/snack to offer the girls.  It was through my fantastic Secret Recipe Club assignment for the month of May that I discovered, Breakfast Quesadillas on My Hobbie Lobbie. 

Trisha of My Hobbie Lobbie has a wide variety of recipes on her blog.  They range from a vast amount of delicious Goan food from India to healthy options for breads and even sinfully rich dessert recipes.  A well rounded collection of recipes. Honestly, it really wasn't easy for me to pick a recipe from Trisha's collection.  Just as soon as I picked one I would then find yet another one that I wanted to make.  But, as I stated above I am constantly keeping my eyes peeled for new, fun and healthy recipes to make for my precious girls. Breakfast Quesadillas won!  Winner for me and winner for the girls too.  They LOVED these delicious wedges of yumminess.  

The recipe calls for a tortia that is slathered with peanut butter and then layered with banana slices and sprinkled with dark chocolate chips.  Once the tortia has been folded in half it is then cooked in a frying pan on both sides until the insides become all warm and melty and the tortia is a pretty golden brown. Delicious.  And yes, healthy. 

I had lots of fun with this recipe as the second time I made it I switched it up a bit and made my own variation.  I made a scrumptious almond butter, maple cream and strawberry version.  Devine.  Deliciously devine.  

The possibilities are endless with these breakfast quesadillas.  Imagine making one with Nutella, almond butter and banana slices or even cream cheese and green olives for a savory version. Yum!  What version would you like best? 

Breakfast Quesadillas 

(recipe from My Hobbie Lobbie)  

Ingredients:

1 tortia - white or whole wheat

3 Tbsp peanut butter, smooth or crunchy

1/2 banana, sliced

10-15 dark chocolate chips 

non-stick spray, butter or coconut oil - for greasing your frying pan 

Spread peanut butter on 1/2 or all of tortia.  Place banana slices over PB and then sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips.  Fold tortia in 1/2 and place in a heated medium size frying pan that has been greased well.  Lower heat to medium-low and cook each side until golden brown, about a minute on each side.  Cut into wedges and serve.  Enjoy! 

Happy Breakfast Quesadillas Making!

An InLinkz Link-up

ONE Bowl Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

My girls love being in the kitchen with me.  Stirring, measuring, rolling and mixing are all skills that they have become comfortable with and are quite good at doing.  Yes, there is often a thin layer of flour or sugar on the counter when all is said and done but the smiles on their faces and confidence in their step makes the mess worth every inch. 

Recently my girls and I decided that we really should make a chocolate cake.  We had already made a lovely chicken dinner all together so why not finish it off with a fantastic chocolate cake!  I grabbed this recipe from Taste of Home and within 15 minutes the girls and I had placed our cake into the oven.  Boom! The hardest part was waiting for it to bake....and then of course cool so we could frost it. 

We all agreed that this cake was THE. BEST. ONE bowl chocolate cake we had ever made (even though it was really the first one we had ever made).  It was moist, chocolaty and very tasty. A chocolate perfection.  The frosting and sprinkles made it extra special as it really could be eaten without such decadence but who eats chocolate cake without frosting?  Not our household.  Cake and frosting are always paired together. 

Grab your kiddos and have some fun in the kitchen baking up this cake.  It is truly simple to make.  And of course delicious too!   Definitely well worth the wait for it to bake, cool and frost.  

ONE Bowl Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting 
        (recipe from Taste of Home)

Cake Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup hot water 

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 baking cocoa
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 TBSP milk - to get desired consistency
Sprinkles, chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips - if you wish to make your cake extra special


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour a 9x13 pan and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together first 6 ingredients.  Add in eggs, oil and buttermilk.  Mix well all together and then add in hot water and mix to combine.  

Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Cool completely before frosting.

Make frosting by beating butter until light and fluffy - about 3 minutes.  Add in powdered sugar and then cocoa and vanilla.  Add in milk 1 TBSP at a time to achieve desired consistency. 

Frost cake and sprinkle with sprinkles, chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips etc.   Enjoy! 

            Happy ONE Bowl Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Baking! 

Blueberry Pie Pancakes

I am always on the look out for new pancake recipes.  I kind of have a thing for pancakes....my girls do to.  When I came across a "pin" on Pinterest for these lovely blueberry pancakes I couldn't resist trying my hand at the recipe.  Goodness am I glad I did! Such. Good. Pancakes this recipe created!!!  And yes, these pancakes do taste like blueberry pie.  I believe it is the combination of oats and blueberries along with a touch of sugar, a sprinkling of cinnamon and vanilla extract that makes such a taste possible in these pancakes.  Honestly, I can not wait to make these pancakes again.  They are my new favorite pancakes. 

The original recipe was only enough for one serving so I tripled the recipe.  And unlike many pancake recipes are NO eggs in this recipe.  If you are a pancake lover like me and like blueberries these pancakes are a must for you.  :-)

Blueberry Pie Pancakes

(recipe slightly adjusted from Chocolate Covered Katie)

Ingredients:

1 cup blueberries - fresh or frozen
1 cup flour (of your choice - I used all purpose)
6 Tbsp rolled oats
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 Tbsp sugar
1 cup milk (I used 2 %)
1 Tbsp oil (if you wish)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients and then wet ingredients.  Stir together just to combine - do not over mix.

2. Pour batter by 1/4 cupful onto a hot and greased frying pan or griddle.  Flip pancakes once.  Serve with topping of your choice....such as warmed REAL maple syrup and sweet cream butter....d'lish!

Happy Blueberry Pie Pancake Making!

This post has been linked up to A Slice of Southern :-)

Kielbasa Pasta Casserole

As a full-time working mom I always rejoice when I have a recipe that is comforting and delicious up my sleeve.  Something that comes together easily and that everyone (hopefully) will eat in the family.   If I am lucky there will be left-overs for the following day as a snack, lunch or even another dinner - I am NOT afraid of left-overs!!!

I hope your family enjoys this delicious casserole as much as mine did.  Simple ingredients of sauce (homemade or from a jar...your choice), diced tomatoes, pasta, cheese, spices, a little seasoned bread crumbs and kielbasa are the characters that make up this dish. Of course adding mushrooms, black olives, green peppers or even some nicely sauteed onions would be lovely additions to this dish.  Go ahead and make it as simple or as colorful as you wish.

Kielbasa Pasta Casserole

(recipe from Just A Pinch Recipe Club)

Ingredients:

16 oz dry ziti pasta (I used gremelli)

1 lb kielbasa, sliced in 1 inch pieces

1 Tbsp oil

2-3 (14.5 oz) cans diced or stewed tomatoes

1 large jar tomatoe sauce

1 tsp oregano, dried

1/4 cup parsley, fresh ( I used 2 Tbsp dried)

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/4 cup italian bread crumbs

8 - 12 oz. shredded cheese (I used a mixture of mozzerella and parm)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Boil large pot of salted water and cook pasta for 8-10 minutes until al dente.  Drain pasta.

2. Cook sliced kielbasa over medium heat in oil until lightly browned - about 5 minutes.

3. In a large bowl combine pasta, cooked sausage, tomatoes, sauce and spices.  Mix well all together.  Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. 

4. Sprinkle bread crumbs over pasta mixture and then top with cheese.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for 10-15 minutes longer until cheese has melted and golden.

Yum! 

Serve with warm crusty bread, a salad and a smile on your face...all will be happy!

Happy Kielbasa Pasta Casserole Making!



Fluffernutter Blondies (for the Secret Recipe Club)

I have a delightful treat of a recipe for you today! Yum, yum, YUM....Fluffernutter Blondies.  I found this recipe on the blog, The Spiffy Cookie that was assigned to me this month through the Secret Recipe Club. Definitely a recipe to make for those that you love, that you adore, that you know REAL well and even those that you may just know by name.  You will make ALL of them happy with these blondies (except those that are allergic to peanut butter as there is indeed PB in them as predicted by the name of these treats).  When you bite into one of these bars you will take a double take to the treat in your hand as you will think you just took a bite of a fluffernutter sandwich.  The taste of peanut butter and fluff melts in your mouth as you enjoy

The owner of The Spiffy Cookie, Erin is just adorable!  She is a graduate student that just adores to cook and bake - hmmm, sounds like someone else I know! Erin has worked hard on filling her blog with lots and lots of recipes.  Definitely take a moment to hop over to blog to check out her recipes. Also be sure to keep your eyes open for the gorgeous pottery in some of her pictures as SHE is one that has made them! Erin is an all around talented

gal. :-)

Fluffernutter Blondies

(recipe from The Spiffy Cookie)

Ingredients:

8 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened + 2 Tbsp for melting

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1 cup flour

1/4 + 1/3 cup peanut butter, divided

1/2 cup marshmallow creme (otherwise known as, fluff)

1/4 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 pan (I used a 9x9 pan with success) - set pan aside.

2. Cream together 8 Tbsp butter, white and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in eggs and vanilla extract - mix to combine. Add in salt and flour - again mix until incorporated. Next add in 1/4 cup peanut butter.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan.

4. In a small sauce pan add in the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter, 1/3 cup peanut butter and marshmallow creme.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly as it melts until it is smooth.  Drizzle this lovely mixture over the batter in the prepared pan.

5. With a knife swirl the peanut butter/fluff melted mixture into the blondie batter.  Lastly, sprinkle the white chocolate chips over the top.

Pop pan into oven and bake for 20-25 minutes (23 minutes was just right for my blondies). Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Yum!  Enjoy!

Happy Fluffernutter Blondies Baking!

Shrimp Fried Rice

It is essential to have a quick, super yummy, stress free and healthy dinner recipe up your sleeve for this time of year. I am sure many of you are starting to get that heavy almost dizzy feeling of holiday craziness swirling around in your head by now.  Goodness it is almost 2 1/2 weeks until Christmas (yes, I said 2 1/2 weeks!) by golly!  Don't panic.  It will ALL get done some how or another.  And if it doesn't....well, there is always next year.  Can you tell how I calm myself down when I start to panic about not being able to fit it all in or complete all those last minute "most make" or "must bake" or "must finish" projects?  I reason with myself.  That's all there is to it.  And then I eat something delicious and all my stress disappears just like that!  Magic. Simple and pure magic. 

 Today I want to share with you a little magical recipe for dinner time (or lunch if you are so inclined).  It is simple.  It is quick. It is even flexible as far as ingredients are concerned.  And yes, it is SUPER good!  Shrimp Fried Rice.  And, if you really want you could add cooked beef or chicken to the rice instead of shrimp.  Or you could just load it up with lots of veggies and call it a Veggie Fried Rice.  Go nuts with this recipe.  Make it your own variation of fried rice with what you choose to add in to it.  No matter what it will be magically d'lish!

Shrimp Fried Rice

(recipe found on my go-to recipe source, Tasty Kitchen - I just LOVE this site!!)

Ingredients:

1 cup rice (white or brown)

4-6 Tbsp butter (you choose how crazy you want to get with your butta...I used 4 Tbsp and it was plenty)

1 lb shrimp,  washed, shelled and deveined

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 onion, chopped

1/3 cup soy sauce (more or less depending on your taste)

3-4 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1. Cook rice in 2 cups water until done.  Add in butter and toss around a bit so that it melts into rice nicely.

2.  Saute chopped onions until soft and translucent.  Add to rice along with soy sauce, peas and shrimp.   Cook all together for a good 5-7 minutes making sure peas are no longer frozen and shrimp is not over cooked.

3. Just before serving toss in chopped green onions and then sprinkle some on top of dish just for good measure (and to make it pretty).

Enjoy!

Happy Shrimp Fried Rice Making!

Super EASY and Super YUMMY Chicken Chili

Recently as I was browsing through one of my favorite food sites, Tasty Kitchen, I came up upon a lovely recipe for Chicken Chili.  The list of ingredients were very simple (all of which I had on hand) and it was put together in a crock pot. I was sold!  Simple ingredients, easy prep and slow cooker friendly - I couldn't ask for anything better. 

I altered the original recipe from TK member, forevernowandthen, in a couple of places. The original recipe called for a large (16 oz.) jar of salsa of which I didn't have so I used a small jar of salsa and a can of Rotel tomatoes.  The original recipe also called for 2 cans of white beans - I only had 1 can of white beans so I added a can of light kidney beans.  I have to say my alterations resulted in a very yummy meal.

Chicken Chili

(recipe altered from Forever Now and Then )

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless and skinless chicken, diced and cooked

1 jar (16 oz.) salsa  (I used a small jar of salsa and 1 can Rotel tomatoes)

1 1/2 lbs Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded (you could easily use a combo of Monterey and Cheddar cheese instead of all Monterey)

2 cans (15 oz. each) white beans (I used 1 can white beans and 1 can light kidney beans)

Directions:

1.  Place all ingredients (cooked chicken, salsa, cheese, beans) in crock pot and stir well to combine.

2. Cook on low for 2-3 hours.  Stir one about half way through the cooking period.

Serve with  tortilla chips and a dollop of sour cream (if you wish).  Enjoy!

Happy Chicken Chili Making!

(Carrie's Famous) Tater Tot Shepard's Pie

In the beginning of this month I had the pleasure of escaping on vacation with a group of dear friends of mine for a whole week to Cape Cod.  We were all of 15 - 9 women and 7 children (ages 7 months - 9 years old) in one lovely house over looking the water.....

We enjoyed one sunset after another...each one more beautiful and full of magic than the one before.

Watching the sun set each evening was just one of the many highlights of our vacation.  FOOD...absolutely scrumptious food was a huge part of our vacation too.  Making sure those kiddos were well fueled for all their swimming and low-tide adventures was very important.  Carrie, as seen below with her adorable little doggie named, Saki ....

....made 3 scrumptious, kid-friendly casseroles that were gobbled down with happiness by all.  One of the three casseroles that she made was a Tater Tot Shepard's Pie.  It was SO good!  When we came home from vacation it was one of the first meals I made for my family.  They loved it as I know you guys will too.

(Carrie's Famous) Tater Tot Shepard's Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ground beef or turkey

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 can cream of corn

1 can sweet corn, drained

1-2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1  bag frozen Tater Tots

Directions:

1.  Over medium heat saute chopped onion until soft.  Add in ground meat and cook to brown. Turn off heat and then drain grease.  Stir in garlic salt, ground pepper and Worcestershire sauce.  Pour meat mixture into a 9x13 baking dish.

2.  Over ground meat mixture layer spoon can of creamed corn and drained can of sweet corn. Sprinkle a layer of grated cheese over corn.

3. Layer frozen tater tots over grated cheese.....

....and then sprinkle with more cheese to finish it off.  Pop into preheated 350 degrees oven.  Bake for 25-30 minutes (check after 20 minutes to make sure casserole is not getting too brown).

Serve up some yumminess!

Happy Tater Tot Shepard's Pie Baking!

Baked Mac and Cheese

My goodness it has been a long time since the last time I posted a recipe!! WAAAY too long!  I am hiding my head in shame....but honestly my excuse is only because life has simply grabbed ahold of me and wouldn't let me deviate from taking care of my kiddios by making sure they were feed, cleaned and most importantly HAPPY! I have often looked at my computer longingly , wishing to sit down in front of it and type out a blog post but then I suddenly get pulled in another direction and then yet another day goes by without a blog post.  I know you guys get it.  I'm sure you totally get it as the very same thing happens to many of you mommas or not.  But most importantly know that I've missed all of you! - my dear and precious followers and fellow bloggers.  I've so missed you!

Anyway, upward and onward with my recipe today that I wish to share with all of you...Baked Mac and Cheese!!!!   Like Chocolate Chip cookies I am always looking for a new and super yum recipe for Mac n Cheese.  I make it often (from the box and from scratch) so it's fun to switch it up a bit and make a different recipe every once and awhile from the one I use most often.

This recipe is great.  Full of good cheese, a dab of sour cream and even a couple eggs and viola the magic of pasta and cheese come together to form a lovely dish of Mac and Cheese.  The credit of this recipe goes to the fabulous Tina of Mommy's Kitchen who found the recipe from the good ole adorable Deen Brothers (Paula must be SO proud of them!!!).

Baked Mac and Cheese

(recipe found on Mommy's Kitchen from the Deen Brothers cookbook, Recipes From the Road)

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (or small pasta of your choice)

4 cups shredded cheese - I used a mixture of Colby Jack and Cheddar (yummy combo!!)

1 cup milk - whole milk is suggested, I used 2% and it was great

1/2 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 tsp salt

dash of hot sauce - optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13 baking dish - set aside.

2. Cook pasta according to directions on package.  Drain pasta and return to pot that it was cooked in.

3. While pasta is still HOT add in the cheeses and stir well to combine.  Spread pasta and cheese mixture into prepared baking dish.

4. Whisk together milk, sour cream, eggs, butter pieces, salt and hot sauce (if you are using it) in a medium bowl.  Pour mixture over macaroni and cheese.

5. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bubble good.  Let stand out of oven for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!!!

Happy Baked Mac and Cheese!

Chewy M and M Cookies (with a surprise ingredient)

I caught your attention when I said "SURPRISE" didn't I? I sure hope I did!  Surprises are one of my most FAVORITE things in life to give and to receive. :-) Hopefully, many of you will be surprised with this ingredient in these cookies as I have never seen such an ingredient in cookies before.  The surprise ingredient is BREAD FLOUR.  What do you think?  Was that a surprise?  Well, whether it was or not you have got to try this recipe....especially if you like cookies that are chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside along with a perfect not overly sweet taste.  You will not be disappointed with this cookie recipe. 

As you can see in the above picture I choose to use Spring M and M's to gently stir into my cookie batter.  Of course good old fashioned chocolate chips can be easily substituted for the M and M's. 

Chewy M and M Cookies

(recipe comes from Delightfully Dowling....a blog full of drool worthy recipes)

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 1/4 cup bread flour (Hello, surprise ingredient)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 sugar

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

2 Tbs milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups M and M's (or chocolate chips)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl sift together flour, salt and baking soda.  Set flour mixture aside.

2. Cream together melted butter, white and brown sugar on medium speed for a couple minutes.  Then add whole egg and egg yolk along with milk and vanilla extract.  Mix all together until well combined.

3. Chill dough for at least an hour.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liner.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Scoop cookie dough into nice balls with a medium size ice cream scoop onto cookie sheets and then place in oven (I like to bake my cookies one cookie shee at a time) and bake for 11-12 minutes.

4. Cool cookies and store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Mr. Chicky sure did!!! ;-)

Happy Chewy M and M Cookie Baking!