Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Nutella Cookies

Do you ever have those moments when you are looking at a recipe and you HAVE TO HAVE whatever you are looking at… I have these moments on a regular basis. This usually happens when I am watching TV and the people are eating. Half the time I don’t realize that my sudden craving is related to watching people scarf their dinner down on TV. My husband is the one who typically the one who lets me know that my sudden fried chicken craving is due to Modern Family. I was looking through my RSS feed that is filled with other food blogs looking for something new to add to my Pinterest account and I saw these beauties.

YUMM!

I knew in that very moment that I needed to bake these ASAP. There was no doubt in my mind that I would be cramming one of these bad boys in my face within a couple hours. I am so glad that I did. These Nutella White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies are soft chocolate pillows of yum. They are not overly sweet which is what I was expecting. They are so pretty and satisfied my sweet tooth.

These are so thick and chewy!

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Nutella Cookies
From Diethood

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Makes 6 dozen

Ingredients

2 sticks butter, soft

1/2 cup Nutella

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 bag (12-ounces) white chocolate chips, divided

1 bag (5-ounces) dried cranberries, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Prepare a cookie sheet and set aside. Do not grease.

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and Nutella; mix until creamy.

Add light brown sugar, sugar, and baking soda; continue to beat until combined.

Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Add vanilla and continue to mix until thoroughly combined.

Add flour in batches; beat each batch until combined. You may have to stir in the last batch of flour.

Stir in 1/2-bag of white chocolate chips and 1/2 bag of dried cranberries.

Drop by rounded spoons on prepared cookie sheets, 2 inches apart.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until edges are just browned.

Cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes then transfer to wire rack.

Decorate with the rest of the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries as they cool.

Cool completely.

Serve.

© Kim Bohme and A Bohme Cooked Meal

Pasta E Fagioli

I hate to admit it but I love going to The Olive Garden.  I am not a huge pasta fan either.  I rarely crave pasta.  However I could eat soup, salad and breadsticks from Olive Garden on a regular basis.  I usually order the Pasta E Fagioli as my soup.  It's rich and has all sorts of veggies and beans in there. I don't feel guilty about eating it either!  This made me want me to find a version that I could make a home. I have found it.  This recipe makes a vat of soup and is great when you are having a large group gathering.  Hooray for crockpot meals!

MMMM...so darn good it's steaming!

Pasta E Fagioli Soup in a Crock Pot 

Adapted from restaurant.food.com

Servings: 12-14

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

2 cups of corn (I typically use frozen)

2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (16 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained

1 (16 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained

3 (10 ounce) cans beef stock

3 teaspoons oregano

2 teaspoons pepper amd salt

1 teaspoon garlic

5 teaspoons parsley

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (optional)

1 (20 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

8 ounces pasta

Directions

1- Brown beef in a skillet.

2- Drain fat from beef and add to crock pot with everything except pasta.

3- Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.

4- During last 30 min on high or 1 hour on low, add pasta.  (Or you can cook pasta on stove, according to package directions…doing this leaves extra “broth” for your soup!  This is my favorite way to do it)

This can be frozen for up to 3 months.

© Kim Bohme and A Bohme Cooked Meal

13 Bean Soup

I have never really liked bean soups.  They are usually too thick and goopy.  However when I saw this recipe I knew that I wanted to try it.  I was pleasently surprised when I ate this.  It was full of flavor and the addition of the ham and carrots was amazing.  If you want a guilt free meal and one that you dont have to stand over the stove to make...this is right up your alley.

This picture doesn't do this soup justice!

13 Bean Soup

Adapted from One Hundred Dollars a Month

Ingredients

29 ounces 13 bean mix (can be found in the bulk section of most stores)

1 large onion, chopped

4 chopped carrots

3 celery ribs, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups frozen corn

8 cups vegetable broth ( I used chicken broth)

2 {14 1/2 ounce} cans diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Ham hock or ham shank ( I used two shanks...they are meatier)

Directions

Rinse beans in warm water and add to your crock pot (Use a very large crockpot). Add all other ingredients, stir, and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Take out ham and shred meat off the bones and add the meat back to the soup. Serve warm with a crusty hunk of bread.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for later use.  (Good for up to three months)

© Kim Bohme and A Bohme Cooked Meal

Cherry-Almond Vanilla Cupcakes

Say hello to this pretty little things!  They are so damn cute!  When I was thumbing through this magazine I knew in a heartbeat that these were going to be the first ones to try.  I LOVE all things cherry and almond.  I actually used to have a perfume that was cherry almond.  When I look at the drink menu if there is something with both cherries and Amaretto...I am sold. Not to mention I like to drink Shirley Temples and eat the cherries out of the bottom and I have mad talent with cherry stems too. This is also the first cupcake that I ever made that I actually used a piping bag with.  

So what do they taste like?  This cupcakes are very sweet and smell of almond.  They were perfect!  I would make these again in a heartbeat!  Maybe I would add a slivered almond or something just so that people know what they are putting in their face!

Cherry-Almond Vanilla Cupcakes
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Special Intereste Publications Cupcakes 2011

1/2 cup butter (room temperature- let stand for 30 minutes)
4 egg whites (room temperature- let stand for 30 minutes)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk (you can make your own buttermilk if you don't have any on hand by placing 1 tbsp. of lemon juice into a 1 cup measuring cup and filling the cup with milk.  Let stand for 5 minutes)
1/3 cup maraschino cherry juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
12 maraschino cherries halved
24 whole maraschino cherries (Drain on a paper towel)
1 batch cherry almond butter frosting (See Below)


Directions
1. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners or coat with nonstick cooking spray.  In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda.  In a 2-cup glass measuring cup combine buttermilk and cherry juice; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar, vanilla and almond extract; beat until combined.  Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each just until combined.
3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.  Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups.  Press a cherry half into the batter of each cupcake.
4 Bake for 15-18 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touch and a toothpick comes out clean.   Cool cupcakes in muffin tin on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Remove cupcakes from muffin cup.  Cool completely on wire racks.
5. Using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, pipe Cherry-Almond Butter frosting. Top with whole  cherry.

Cherry- Almond Butter Frosting

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup powdered sugar + 3 cups separated
3 tbsp. maraschino cherry juice
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Directions
On a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating well.  Beat in cherry juice and almond extract.  Gradually beat in remaining powdered sugar.  If necessary add additional cherry juice until you reach your desired consistency.  Makes 2 cups.


© Kim Bohme and A Bohme Cooked Meal