The Cozy Little Kitchen

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Super Duper Simple! Chocolate Chip Pancakes

(I have to preface this post with, just about 10 minutes ago was a fiasco around here! Mr. Cozy was off to the store to grab a few things, and I thought I'd start this new post. Well, somehow after about 2 pictures --the way I always start assembling my posts-- I hit the publish button instead of preview! Oh no!! So in a frenzy I somehow managed to knock my coffee mug over off the coffee table onto my new rug and favorite cable knit throw in the world!!

The entire mug of coffee. Everywhere. Big big mess!

So here I am after cleaning all of that up, thankfully able to wash the throw on a gentle cycle, and back to being in a frenzy to publish this as a real post! Yes, I have my crazy moments, too! :)

Chocolate chip pancakes are a great way to start off the weekend! This is almost an embarrassingly simple recipe, I just got excited while making them and wanted to take some pictures to share!

Mr. Cozy actually started making chocolate chips pancakes like this in high school, and now it's a favorite of ours when we want to splurge at breakfast! It's just a fancied up box mix recipe that delicious and easy!
Have a yummy--Superbowl!-- weekend!

Super Duper Simple Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Box Pancake mix (I used Maple Grove Farms of Vermont)

Vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

Butter

Chocolate Chips

Maple syrup

(Yes, these are not gourmet!)

In a bowl, follow pancake mix directions and then add a drizzle of vanilla bean paste or vanilla and mix into the batter. This pairs so well with chocolate!

Set batter aside.

In a large pan over medium-low heat, hold a stick of butter by the paper, and swirl it around the pan a couple of time to coat.

Drop batter and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Flip over when pancakes gets bubbly and edges slightly brown.

Cook just another minute or so.....(not sure why I'm giving you a step by step of pancakes. Haha, I'm not a perfect pancake maker by any means, but this is just how I do it.) Remove the cooked pancakes, put on a plate and cover with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.

Wipe off butter in between and add more in between batches, so the browned butter doesn't end up burning. This happens to me most of the time, it seems!!

Stack up as high as you like, and serve with warm maple syrup....I have it on here, but the camera doesn't seem to capture the pale amber goodness descending down the fluffy pancakes!

MmmMmm!

I said they were easy to make!

I have to show you how cute this little candle "sweater" is!! Thank you, Sarah!

I'm linking up with!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Maple Fried Apples

Fried apples remind me of...home.

It's a comfort food to me, because Mom has made them for special breakfasts all my life! Places like Cracker Barrel have made fried apples more popular, but to me there's nothing like them made from scratch! When they're so easy to make, why not?

I use two different kinds of apple--Granny Smith for tartness and Jonagold's for sweetness--and the contrasting colors of red and green are so appealing to the eyes! Adding real maple syrup and walnuts along with some warm spices, trust me when I say these apples are melt in your mouth goodness!

Fried apples are good to eat with any country breakfast or dinner, for that matter! But they are also a wonderful addition over pancakes (with extra maple syrup) or stirred into old fashioned oatmeal--that's how Mr. Cozy ate are them over the weekend. Whatever way you decide to eat fried apples, they will lend a bit of sweetness that's sure to be delicious!!!

Seriously, wherever I eat fried apples, I'm taken back to Mom's kitchen in a waft of cinnamon and sugar....

You've heard it said before, and I find it's true, that there's no place like home!

( Like many things that I've always remembered "just making", I don't have an exact recipe for fried apples. Don't worry, these are very easy to make and hard to mess up! Honestly, you can be very creative and add whatever sugar or spice you prefer. I tried to make them with at least a little bit of health in mind, so this time the only sugar I used was the maple syrup, but brown sugar is AMAZING or molasses. I like the combination of cinnamon and apple pie spice, because it that you have all of the flavors that compliment apples. Also, I used walnuts for their Omega 3's, but pecans would also be delish. I keep the peel on the apple for the fiber and color, but peel them if you like. I hope you love this recipe, too!)

Maple Fried Apples

Butter, the real thing!

2 Jonagold apples, unpeeled and sliced

1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled and sliced

Lemon Juice

Real Maple Syrup

Cinnamon

Apple Pie Spice

Walnuts (or Pecans)

Be sure to wash your apples well before slicing since we're not peeling them. Slice them not too thin or thick, so they won't completely lose shape. Squeeze lemon juice over apples while they sit.

In a medium sized cast iron skillet, add about 3 Tbsp. of butter and turn on medium heat.

When butter is mostly melted and sizzling, add apples and about 3 Tbsp. maple syrup. Stir.

Add a couple dashes of cinnamon and a few dashes of apple pie spice. Stir everything together well, and allow this to cook for a few minutes until apples begin to get tender.

Add walnuts and cook a few minutes more until apple get more tender, the buttery syrup thickens, and all the flavors combine. (I carefully do a taste test here to decide if I need to add any more syrup or spice.)

Serve warm from the pan!

Makes 2-3 servings

I'm linking up with:

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Luscious Meyer Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze

Maria: I am Maria Portokalos, and welcome, welcome to our home

Harriet: (hands bundt cake to Maria)

Maria: Oh. Thank you... What is it?

Harriet: It's a bundt

Maria: Bun?

Harriet: Bundt

Maria: Bun, buh...bonk, bonk, bonk

Harriet: BUNDT

Maria: Bonnnnnnn...tt

Harriet: BUNDT, BUNDDD..TTT

(whispers)

Maria: It's a CAKE! I know! Thank you, thank you very very much.

Maria: ....(aside) There's a hole in this cake...

(We LOVE "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", and my husband insisted I add this dialog! Hilarious. Now I always think of this scene when I see a bundt cake!!)

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We have a big lemon sweet tooth around here, and this lusciously moist cake is my new addition!

Adapted from Nigella Lawson's lemon cake recipe, this is Meyer Lemon Cake with my own lemon glaze!!

Isn't she a gleaming sweet and tart beauty!

I chose to use Meyer lemons because they are a treat that I look forward to every year around this time. They are not so bright yellow and not so tart. Basically, a cross between a mandarin orange and a lemon. They are delicious in desserts or served with sweet tea. I also made a lemon meringue pie with these last year, scrumptious!

I'm glad that I decided to use a bundt pan for this recipe! Personally, I think cakes with a glaze look prettier in a pan where it can seep down the sides to show off the lovely curves of the cake.

Incredibly moist and decadent, this luscious cake is sure to be loved by anyone who loves cake.

Or lemons.

Or dessert, for that matter!!!

It's a cold rainy night here, so I think I'm gonna get cozy in my favorite chair by the fire and help myself to a slice!

Have a wonderful night and stay warm!

Luscious Meyer Lemon Cake

1/2 lb. butter (2 sticks), softened

2 c. sugar

3 eggs

3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. buttermilk (or sour cream)

2 tightly packed Tbsp. grated lemon zest

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

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Lemon Glaze

I don't go by a strict recipe:

Powdered sugar

Fresh lemon juice

Butter

Stir together about 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar and just a few tablespoons of lemon juice together. (To make a glaze like consistency.)

Add 1 Tbsp. butter and microwave just until the butter nearly melts.

With a whisk, stir everything together until very smooth.

As I say in the directions, whenever I add the "final glaze" I also add more sugar for it to really thicken, so it will very slowly drizzle down and not completely get soaked up by the cake.

You can alter this recipe to suit your taste. It's a very simple, but delicious glaze for this cake!

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Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 10 in. tube or Bundt pan.

(Here's all the ingredients minus buttermilk)

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs one at a time, blending well after each one.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Stir in dry ingredients into egg mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Add lemon zest and juice.

Pour batter into prepared cake pan.

Set on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 1 hr. and 5 minutes, or until cake pulls away from sides of pan and tester pick comes out clean.

(Clean up your mess while it's baking.....here's just a portion of mine?!!)

Cool cake in the pan and set on rack for 10 minutes.

Take cake out of pan and using a fork or toothpick, make holes in the top of the cake. Pour half of the glaze on while it's still hot.

Let it sit for a bit longer for the glaze to soak in and the cake to cool more. About 15 minutes.

(Here's where if you make it the day before, you can loosely wrap the cake plate with foil and refrigerate for the glaze to make the cake extremely moist and delicious.)

Add a little more powdered sugar to make the glaze thicker and drizzle the rest over the cake.

YUM!

Eat immediately for warm from the oven taste although if you refrigerate it overnight it will be incredibly moist the next day!

( I had to "clean up" the reminder of the piece I cut.

Everyone knows the gooey goodness on the bottom is the best part! :)

If you are interested in this recipe, you have to check out a semi-homemade lemon cake family recipe that's a favorite of mine!

(Recently I've been having trouble linking up each linksy party icon to every blog, so I put them on the sidebar...but my husband is helping me figure out another way! Sorry Linsky host friends for the confusion!!)

Linking up with:

Sweet Treats Thursday

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Cozy Brown Sugar Bars

You may be thinking, another dessert recipe from Leslie!?? Ha, why yes it is. Contrary to how it appears, I haven't been skipping meals for dessert! (Only in my dreams:) I've still been making things like delicious pork loin with balsamic glaze and apples, enchiladas with favorite black beans, chili and cast iron skillet cornbread, marinated chicken fingers with roasted yukon gold potatoes....on and on. I do still make entrees, but my pictures of most of them are awful since they're prepared at night and pictures are taken with a flash. Bad excuse, but true! I promise I'll be better at bringing you some savory recipes soon!!!

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My family came over this weekend, and it was great! I made a big pan homemade lasagna, green salad and garlic toasted whole grain bread with kalamata extra virgin olive oil (Trader Joe's) for dipping! I have to say that I think bread and e.v. olive oil is one of the best healthy indulgences ever! So yummy and heart healthy, just don't eat too much!

When they arrived, I had some fresh apple cider with cinnamon sticks and cloves simmering on the stove top! There's nothing more inviting on a cold day than to come in for something hot to drink. Warms your body and soul!

I had just pulled these brown sugar bars out of the oven not long before everyone arrived! Freshly dusted with powdered sugar, they were waiting with the cider piled high on an eyelet trimmed tea towel on a dainty pedestal.

These moist and chewy bar cookies are a treat I used to make when we lived in Louisville for cell group at church. They always seemed to be a hit, because they'd be wiped out in just a few minutes!

Brown Sugar bars are incredibly simple to make and require only a few ingredients! Yes, they do contain sugar, but to my surprise there is no butter (or oil) at all in the recipe! They taste more decadent that they are.

I like to add chopped pecans to them and shower them with powdered sugar to give them a beautiful finish. This is a Paula Deen recipe from her Just Desserts cookbook, that I love!

I'm sure you'll find these brown sugar bars the perfect little treat to whip up! Just right on a chilly, wintry day (or stormy one like it is here...) these gooey centered-crispy edged bars are divine with a glass of milk, coffee or hot apple cider!

Brown Sugar Bars

Makes 16 2-in. squares

1 egg

1 c. brown sugar, lightly packed

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. chopped pecans or other nut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 in. square pan. (I used Pam for baking.)

Stir together egg, sugar and vanilla in a bowl.

Sift (or whisk) together flour, soda and salt in a smaller bowl.

Quickly stir flour mixture into egg mixture. Add most of the nuts.

Spread in pan and sprinkle on the rest of the nuts.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. The batter will puff up and get golden around the edges, but stay very moist inside.

(This past time I thought I should bake it a few minutes longer, because I thought the inside needed more time. Well, I kind of over baked them a little! So unless your oven is not too accurate, 20 minutes should be plenty of time!)

Allow them to cool for at least 25 minutes and carefully cut them up. I made 16 small squares.

Using a sifter, shower them with as much powdered sugar as you please!!!

See how pretty they become?

Be sure and check out all parties (on my sidebar) that I'm linked up to!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Warm & Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm feeling under the weather today with a myriad of allergy and sinus problems, in turn swimming in Kleenexs at this point. I'm disappointed because we were going to have my family come over today (they live away, so it's always an exciting visit), but when I woke up with a pounding headache and trouble breathing I knew today wouldn't be a good day for that. Unfortunately. So we're going to try to make the visit happen next weekend!

I so enjoy when we have visitors. Family or friends! We love having loved ones over to our house while I fix a big meal or watch a movie with some homemade popcorn...or just whatever! I have to admit that I'm generally a private person ( I don't just spill my problems to just anyone), but I still want our home to have an open door!! One day we hope this also goes for our children's friends. We want to be the "fun house" to come to! :)

And you know, sometimes it's nice for a girlfriend, sister or Mom to come over and have deep conversation about what going on in life over some coffee or sweet tea. I think God wants us to be there for the people in our lives. I know we're all quite busy these days, but when you know someone may be in need of a hug or a listening ear, they should be able to have someone to lean on.

That someone may be you or I!

Enter these delicious cookies.

I made some of these for Mr. Cozy's parents, who came over for a really nice visit yesterday. His dad brought his truck over so we could load up some firewood a neighbor-friend was giving us. While they were doing all the hard work (thanks guys!!) my mother-in-love and I had a cookie with some hot cocoa and a good talk! It was a good time!

I decided I wanted to make some cozy oatmeal cookies! Is it just me, or is there something almost comforting about eating a warm oatmeal cookie?

I love them with raisins or dried cranberries or nuts, but this time we agreed that chocolate chips sounded the best! It a perfect combo of the classic oatmeal cookie and favorite chocolate chip cookie! I decided to add a tinge of cinnamon in these to give it the warmth I'm crazy about this time of year. This recipe turned out great! I have to say though, I made just a few yesterday (the ones in the pics) and refrigerated the rest of the dough, and just made a couple more today after the dough been in the fridge 24 hours. They are better today! They turned out a little thicker with a richer flavor!!! So I highly recommend refrigerating the dough before baking...if you can wait that long, that is!

I wanted to show ya'll a bit of my "winter kitchen" nook with my new snowman tea towel Mom gave me for Christmas and my Cookies platter with snowflakes, that I love! There in front of that is our pretty little red and white hot chocolate maker that was a Christmas gift from my dear friend, Shareen, and her husband. (Check out her blog if you haven't already! She is a lovely person all around with some delicious recipes!) We love to make real hot chocolate on an occasional cold winter's night! I'll have to feature it sometime. :)

I hope that you oatmeal cookie fans out there get the chance to make a batch of these scrumptious, chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on a chilly afternoon. I know that you'll love them, too!