Cooking in Pajamas

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen . 1 cup All-purpose flour 1 cup Whole wheat flour 1 tbsp Baking powder 1/2 tsp Salt 1/2 cup Butter, diced and keep cold 1/2 cup Whipping cream 3 Eggs 1 1/4 cup Old Cheddar cheese, diced or shredded 1 clove Garlic, minced 1/2 cup Red onion, diced Preheat oven to 400°F.  Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. In a small frying pan, melt about 1/2 tbsp of butter and sauté the onions and garlic until soft. Place the sautéed onion and garlic mixture in the freezer to cool quickly. Transfer the onion and garlic mixture in a small bowl with the cheddar cheese.  Coat them lightly with a little bit of flour. Whisk to combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the remaining butter with a pastry blender or a fork until the butter is pea-sized lumps. Lightly whip 2 eggs with the cream and add to the flour-butter mixture. Fold the mixture until it begins to come together to form a dough.  The doug...

Pasta dough 2 c. Whole wheat flour 1 1/4 c. All purpose flour 4 Eggs 3-5 Tbsp Water Filling 1.5-2 lbs Ground beef 1 bulb Garlic, roasted 3 c. Spinach, fresh 1 Large onion, finely chopped 3 Eggs 1/2 c. Rolled oats 4-5 Tbsp Parmesan, freshly grated To roast the garlic, cut off the top of the bulb and drizzle with olive oil.  Roast at 350°F for 45 min. While the garlic is roasting, cook the ground beef and onion on a frying pan and drain the excess fat and liquid.  Set aside. Cook the spinach until just wilted.  Add to the ground beef mixture. Combine the ground beef, roasted garlic, spinach, ground beef mixture, oats, Parmesan and eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Blend it in a food processor until well mixed.  This can be made ahead of time, store in the fridge for 3-4 days or freezer for several weeks. To make the pasta, add the two types of flour, eggs and 1 tbsp of water into the stand mixer mixing bowl.  Using the paddle attachment, ...

Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod 's Cinnamon M&M Oatmeal Cookie . 1/2 c. Unsalted butter, room temperature 3/8 c. Brown sugar 3/8 c. White sugar 1 Egg 2 tsp Vanilla 1 c. All-purpose flour 1/2 tsp Baking powder 1/2 tsp Baking soda 1/4 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Cinnamon 1 c. Rolled oats 1 c. Unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted 1/4 c. Flax seeds 1/2 c. M&M's 1/2 c. Milk chocolate chips Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Using a non-stick frying pan, toast the coconut flakes until golden brown on low to medium heat.  Once the browning process begins, stir frequently to ensure even toasting and remove quickly from heat as soon as the coconut is toasted.  This takes only a few minutes.  Toast only 1/4 to 1/2 cup of coconut flakes at a time, depending on the size of your pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, rolled oats, flax seeds and toated coconut flakes.  Set as...

Adapted from Easy Decadent Truffles on Allrecipes and inspired by Oreo Truffles from The Girl Who Ate Everything . 8 oz (1 pkg) Light cream cheese, room temperature 2 c. Icing sugar, sifted 3 c. Oreo crumbs 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla 2 c. Dark chocolate chips 6 oz Baker's white chocolate (not chocolate chips!) In a large bowl, whisk together the oreo crumbs and icing sugar.  If not sifted beforehand, make sure there is no sugar lumps. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add the oreo/sugar mixture until well blended. Chill for 1 hour to firm up the cream cheese mixture. Melt the chocolate (white or dark) in the microwave on high power, stirring every 30 seconds until most of the chocolate are melted.  Then, remove from the microwave and stir until all the chocolate is melted and no lumps are left. Roll the chilled cream cheese mixture into 1" balls.  Working quickly, dip cream cheese balls into melted chocolate using 2 forks (or spoons).  Place on wa...

1/4 c. Vegetable oil 1/2 c. Brown sugar* 2 tsp Vanilla extract 1/2  tsp Almond extract (optional)* 2 Eggs 1 3/4 c. All purpose flour 1/4 tsp Salt 1 tsp Baking powder 1/2 c. Dried cranberries (mine were pomegranate flavoured) 1/2 c. White chocolate chips*   [Note: Original recipe used 3/4 cups of white sugar instead of brown sugar and it also used the 1/2 tsp of almond extract and 1 1/2 cups of pistachio nuts. Omit salt if using salted pistachios.] Preheat oven to 300°F. Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Mix oil and sugar together until well combined.  Add vanilla (and almond extract, if using).  Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Combine flour, salt and baking powder.  Slowly stir into the egg mixture.  The dough will be soft and sticky. Fold in the cranberries and white chocolate chips. Divide the dough in half and form two long skinny logs.  Silicone spoons works well for forming the logs since the...

Adapted from Cookie Craft . 1 c. Butter, unsalted 3/4 c. Brown sugar 1 Egg 2 tsp Vanilla extract 2 3/4 c. All purpose flour 1/2 tsp Salt Sugar sprinkles [Note-1: If you are not decorating with sugar sprinkles, increase the sugar content to 1 cup.] [Note-2: I have made this recipe using white granulated sugar instead of brown sugar.  The cookies were lighter in colour and has a gritty crunch to them which adds character to the texture.  I liked it.  If you are using only white sugar, reduce the flour to 2 1/2 cups; the 2 3/4 cups makes a crumbly dough and it's harder to work with.] [Note-3:  Substitute the vanilla extract with 1 vanilla bean for the great vanilla flavour.] Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Brown the butter over the stovetop and transfer to another mixing for cooling. Once the butter is no longer hot to touch, beat in the brown sugar until all the lumps are gone. Add the ...

Cake recipe adapted from Joy of Baking and filling recipe adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything . 1 3/4 c. All purpose flour 3/4 c. Dutch-processed cocoa powder 1 tsp Baking powder 1/4 tsp Baking soda 1/4 tsp Salt 3/4 c. Unsalted butter, room temperature 3/4 c. White sugar 1 Egg, room temperature 1 tsp Vanilla extract 1/4 c. Buttermilk (or 1/4 c. Milk + 3/4 tsp Lemon juice) 1/2 c. Strong coffee, lukewarm (or 1/2 c. Water + 1 tsp Instant coffee) 1 pkg (8 oz.) Light cream cheese, room temperature 1/4 c. Unsalted butter, room temperature 2 c. Icing sugar 1.5 tsp Peppermint extract 10-15 Small candy canes, crushed Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Combine buttermilk and coffee. Set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 3 additions...