Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches

I made these for a church pot-luck. And everyone asked me for the recipe. Everyone. Seriously!

Carrot Cake Cookies

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I used cinnamon because I didn't have pumpkin pie spice)

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots, (about 3 large carrots)

(I added 1 Cup raisins)

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 8oz. packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 C. butter, softened

2 C. sifted confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper, and set aside.

2.  Combine sugars and butter; beat until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until well combined.

3.  In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice; stir to combine.

4.  Gradually add flour to butter mixture; mix on a low speed until just blended.

5.  Mix in oats and carrots. Chill dough in refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour. (I tried after one hour but the cookies seemed to melt on the cookie sheet. I left the dough in the fridge overnight and then cooked them and they were much nicer.)

6.  Using a 1/2-ounce ice-cream scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Transfer to oven, and bake until browned and crisped, rotating pan halfway through baking to ensure even color, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat baking process with remaining dough.

7.  Once cooled completely, spread cream-cheese filling onto a cookie. Sandwich together with a second cookie.

8.  Repeat with remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

This recipe comes from: http://whiskandaprayer.blogspot.com/2011/04/carrot-cake-cookie-sandwiches.html

ENJOY!!

Mexican Tomato & Corn Salad

For the salad

1 Tbls olive oil

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

2 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes

1 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese

2 Tbls chopped fresh cilantro

salt, pepper, and sugar to taste

For the Dressing

1 Tbls grated lime zest

1 Tbls lime juice

1 Tbls white wine vinegar

1 Tbls olive oil

1 Tbls minced garlic

In a large skillet, heat the 1 Tbls olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the corn and cook until soft, but not mushy (3-5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Cool corn slightly and set aside.

Whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, vinegar, 1 Tbls olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, cheese, cilantro, and corn. Toss the salad with the vinaigrette and season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.

(Source: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2012/06/mexican-tomato-and-corn-salad.html)

Lime & Coconut Crumble Bars

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8×8-inch baking pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add in flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until everything comes together in a crumbly mixture and flour is evenly distributed. Mix in oats and coconut. Mixture will be somewhat dry and sandy.

In a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, lime juice, and lime zest.

Put two cups of the oat mixture into the bottom of prepared baking dish and press firmly into an even layer. Pour lime mixture on top and spread evenly. Crumble all remaining oat mixture over the top of the lime mixture, covering it completely.

Bake bars for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares and serve. Store remaining bars in the refrigerator.

(Source: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/lime-and-coconut-crumble-bars/)

Peter's Lasagna

I don't know who Peter is (this is not reference to my brother, Peter), but his lasagna is quite delicious. I made this for some friends who came over for dinner, and they raved about it. Will definitely be a "go to" recipe for lasaga-making.

1 recipe pasta and lasagna sauce (see below)
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
8 oz. shredded mozzarella, divided
4 oz. shredded fresh Parmesan
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 16-oz. tub Ricotta

Béchamel Sauce
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) real butter (no substitutes)
1/4. c. white flour
2 1/2 c. milk


Pasta & Lasagna Sauce

1/2 lb. ground beef or Italian sausage
2 15-oz. cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
3-4 (which is 5-6 in Kate Language) cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 onion, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped or grated
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into small pieces
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 tsp. sugar
About 1/4 tsp. baking soda (this neutralizes the acid)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan or skillet with a lid, brown ground beef (or sausage), onions, and garlic until meat is cooked and onions are tender. Add the remaining ingredients to the cooked meat, stir, and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. After an hour, remove from heat.



LASAGNA DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350.

To prepare Béchamel sauce, melt butter over medium-low heat in a medium saucepan. When melted, whisk in flour until combined. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Heat until bubbly and thickened to a medium consistency. Traditionally, when you make a lasagna with Béchamel sauce, you have a layer of red sauce and then a layer of Béchamel on top. I just mixed the two, but do whatever suits your fancy.

After you’ve made (and mixed) the Béchamel, combine 6 oz. mozzarella (about 1 3/4 c.), ricotta, Parmesan, and the beaten egg.

Using a ladle that measures 1/2 c. (or a 1/2 c. measuring cup), spread 1 c. of sauce onto the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Add 3 noodles. Spread a layer of the cheese mixture. Spread 1 1/2 c. sauce and repeat so you have 4 layers of noodles. You should end with a layer of sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella (and some extra Parmesan if you have some left over).

Cover tightly with foil and bake about 50 minutes.

Remove from oven and remove foil. It will probably look a little runny. Don’t be scared; let it stand about 15-20 minutes. During that time, it will thicken up nicely and it won’t even be that oozy when you cut it.

(Source: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/02/part-ii-peters-lasagna/)

Overnight Baked French Toast

8 eggs
2 cups half and half (one pint)
1 cup milk (whatever kind you have on hand)
6 Tbls brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 /2 tsp kosher salt (a little less if using table salt)
1 Tbls vanilla extract
1 lb loaf of french bread
butter for greasing baking dish (2-3 tablespoons)

Topping
4 Tbls packed brown sugar
4 Tbls white sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 Tbls cold butter

For Serving
melted butter
maple syrup
powdered sugar
berries
whipped cream

Crack eggs into large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in half and half and milk. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Set aside.

Use softened butter to butter bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking dish. Cut bread into 1 inch chunks and place in dish. Whisk egg mixture one more time and then pour evenly over bread. Use a rubber spatula to very gently toss bread, moving bread on bottom to top, and making sure all of the piece on top get dipped in egg mixture. Spread out evenly, cover dish, and place in fridge overnight.

To make topping, place brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and stir to combine. Cut cold butter into very small pieces and add to bowl. Use clean hands to break up butter and combine mixture until crumbly. Cover and place in fridge until morning.

When ready to bake preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic from dish and sprinkle topping evenly over top. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until top is golden brown. You can stick a knife or skewer in the casserole to make sure the egg mixture is set on the bottom. *Note I have left a generous baking time window because it varies on ovens and the size of your bread cubes. I used to cook this closer to 60 minutes at my old house, but in my new convection ovens it’s done closer to 45. Keep an eye on it and let me know how long yours takes to bake!

Let cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting into squares. Drizzle with melted butter and syrup, top with berries, whipped cream and a sprinkle of powdered sugar if desired.

(Source: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/12/overnight-baked-french-toast/)