In The Kitchen: Fried Apple Fritters

I've spent the better part of the last 2 days, working diligently to clean up the toy, wrapping paper, and packing peanut explosion that detonated in my living room on Sunday morning...

It is definitely, you can say, my LEAST favorite part of the holiday season.....though playing chicken in a badly designed parking lot with a crazed, last minute Christmas Eve shopper, ranks right up there too....

I realized today, that I needed something to turn my post Christmas blues around....and what better way, then completely changing directions.....and instead of cleaning up a mess.....I'm going to make one!

I brought out my Grandma's old handwritten cookbook....the one with the yellowed, dog-eared pages.....but with recipes that will make my husband drool from half a world away, my sons clean their plate, and I bet would even tame the craziest of Christmas shoppers.....

These Beauties....with their golden brown color....and glistening with their dusting Cinnamon and sugar has renewed my Holiday Spirit, my faith in my fellow man.....and completely made me forget my new years resolution of .......what was it again?

Must not have been important.....

Fried Apple Fritters

1 Egg

2/3 c. milk

1 t. veg. oil

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. plus 2 Tbs Sugar, divided

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/8 tsp. Salt

5 Apples, (Granny Smith work Really well)

Peeled, Cored and Thickly sliced.....note I said Thickly

(too thin, and they will fall apart)

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Vegetable Oil for Deep Frying

Directions

1. Combine Egg, Milk, and oil. Mix until blended, then set aside. In a separate Bowl, Mix Flour, the 2 Tbs of Sugar, Baking Powder and salt. Pour Dry Mix into Egg Mixture., and Blend until Smooth.

2. Heat oil in deep sided skillet....I highly recommend investing in a Cast Iron Skillet! Heat oil to 365 Degrees

3. Dip Apple Slices into Batter, throughly coating both sides. Deep fry 1-2 minutes on one side, then flip, making sure both sides get nice and evenly browned. Drain, then sprinkle with 1/4 C. Sugar and Cinnamon.

4. Eat alone....or.....serve with Vanilla Icecream

Baking

How can you tell when the Christmas Season is in full swing at our house?

When two boys channel their inner Cake Boss meets The Swedish Chef....

My mini Culinary Masters....know the ins and outs of Holiday Baking.....

Rule 1) Who needs measuring? A REAL Baker just Feels the recipe.....

Rule 2.....Taste Testing is a must....for quality control purposes....

Rule 3.....Live by the advice of the incomparable Ms Julia Child

“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude.”

In The Kitchen: Banana Bread

There are 101 reasons I think I love Banana Bread....once I slather softened butter on a big thick slice, make it 102....

Not only was it probably the easiest A I ever received in all my years of school...as the first baking project in 7th grade Home Ec Class...

It is the perfect Go to gift idea for when your neighbor has had knee surgery, or it's the end of the year and you still feel the need to bribe your child's teacher.

Baking a loaf or 5 always makes the kitchen smell amazing, and makes me long for crisp Fall Afternoons.....

Banana Bread is cheap....

Banana Bread is versatile.....throw in some nuts....or if you really want to get all bra-burning crazy, add some chocolate chips ( that will get the tongues wagging)

....and in this day and age, it's the only way on this green earth, my 3 year old will get near Bananas....

Plus Banana Bread is kind of miraculous in it's own way. I mean, who in their right mind would think that anything good could come from mushy, brown bananas that really look like they would be better served tossed in the trash than in my Kitchen Aid Stand mixer.

Behold....probably the easiest and by far (in my humble opinion) the BEST Banana Bread Recipe known to man.....

Banana Bread

Ingredients

2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. butter

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/3 c mashed overripe bananas

optional:

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

or

1/2 c. chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 in. loaf pan

2. In large bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl, you are going to want to cream the butter and brown sugar. To the Butter Mixture, you will add the 2 eggs and the mashed bananas. stir until well blended.

3. Add the Banana Mixture to the Flour Mixture and stir until blended. Add Walnuts or Chocolate chips at this time. Pour Batter into prepared loaf pan

4. Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes, until inserting a toothpick into the center comes out clean. Cool for at least 10 minutes before placing on wire rack.

Best served warm....with a big ole slather of butter......the guilt can come later

To Die For Triple Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate......That amazing word that conjurs many a happy memory, and makes me yearn for nothing more than the latest episode of the "Real Housewives Series" and something warm, gooey and rich. Chocolate has helped me through everything from late night cram sessions in collegs ( thanks to a VERY large stash of Reese's Cups) to the latest escapade pulled off by Super Noah and his side kick Wonder Ryan....usually a Big Bowl of Ben and Jerry's Half Baked....or a walk by handful of chocolate chips from the pantry.

The delectable goodness that is chocolate, has at times ruled my life ....usually during that time of the month....and also is a major accessory to the crime of me gaining a whopping 75 lbs with each pregnancy. It is friend as well as foe.....I am whether good or bad, exposing all who are around me to my self-described addiction....

I'm finishing off my 5th one of these absolutely AHMAZZING Cookies as I write this post. Now granted I don't ever really need a reason to make chocolate cookies....the fact that today is one day closer to the weekend works for me....but this particular batch of chocolatey heaven is made especially for Noah's Teachers and Bus Drivers as a BIG thank you f0r making his transition to preschool sooo easy. We doubled the recipe so that there were plenty for not only our gift recipients, but also plenty for us to enjoy.

Even though the fact that these cookies contain three versions of my favorite food group (and YES chocolate is a food group), Noah being able to get his wee hand dirty, and have an amazing time playing "baker" with mommy....and putting his own personal stamp on his gift to his teachers, meant everything....

This is a super easy recipe, and I promise you will be licking not only the bowl, but the spoon, the cookie sheet....and maybe even the countertop if there are any leftover blobs of dough.....

To Die For Tripe Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

2/3 C. Butter Softened

2/3 C. Shortening

1 C. Granulated Sugar

1 C. Packed Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/3 c. unsweetened Cocoa Powder

3 c. flour

1 1/2 c. semi sweet chocolate morsels

1 c. chopped walnuts

1/2 c. milk chocolate pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With Stand Mixer or in large mixing bowl, beat butter and shortening for 30 seconds, until smooth. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat to combine. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowls periodically.

Next Beat in the Eggs and vanilla, until combined. Then beat in cocoa powder and the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until it is hard to mix. The last 1/2 cup you may need to add and combine by hand. Stir in Chocolate morsels, walnuts and chocolate pieces until well combined.

Measure out a 1/4 c. size ball of dough and drop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Press each cookie to create a 1/4 in. round. (These cookies do not flatten on their own) Bake for 12-14 minutes , then cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling.

makes 24 cookies

All you need to finish off these amazing morsels of goodness is a BIG tall and preferably Ice Cold Glass of Milk!