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

Guacamole

One of my goals with this blog is to utilize some of my skills that I went to school for in this blog...that means that I would like to incorporate some videos that have been edited ect.  This video was taken on my cell phone in a last minute thought to start working towards this goal.  I didn't edit it, I didn't script any of this out and I am wearing my workout clothes and all.  My future videos will be much better.

Regardless of how cavemanish this video is...I love my guac recipe.  It is so damn good.  I have never found a better recipe yet. You need to make this right now and get it into your face!  Trust me.  So please excuse my kitchen mess and the awkwardness of this video and make yourself some guacamole! 





Guacamole

Ingredients

2 Avocado (Mashed with a fork

1 1/2 tbsp. Lemon Juice

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 bunch ringed and chopped cilantro (no stems)

2/3 tomato (Diced)

1/4 small onion (Diced)

1/8 tsp. Garlic powder



Directions

Mash avocado in a bowl with a fork with lemon juice.  Once mashed add salt, pepper, cilantro, tomato, onion and garlic.  Stir until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.  (Typically if I add anything it is a bit more salt and lemon juice)  Serve! 

If you are going to have this out for a bit, I add another splash of lemon juice to the top to reduce browning.

To store leftovers in the fridge, scrape the sides of the bowl down and add another splash of lemon juice.  Place plastic wrap directly against the guacamole.


© Kim Bohme and A Bohme Cooked Meal

Almond Cake

I am on a quest. There is a restaurant in town called Ariana and they have an almond cake called Almondrado Cake. Eating that cake brought me closer to heaven and it made me a better person just by eating it. I am on a never ending quest for recreating that cake!

 This cake is not a perfect match but it is damn good. I love how this cake is mostly made up of ground almonds and was insanely moist. It makes me feel like I am eating something healthy!

This is right out of the oven!

This is dressed for eating.

Almond Cake
 (slightly adapted from Delicious Wordflux) 
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Serves 12
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature (plus a little more for greasing the pan) Flour, for coating the pan
3 cups whole almonds (with skin)
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large yolks
4 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 large egg whites

Position the rack in the middle of the oven and pre-heat to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan with parchment paper, and grease the paper and the sides of the pan. Coat the pan with flour and tap out the excess.

Press the almonds and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a food processor until the consistency of fine cornmeal. Add the butter and pulse to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a handheld mixer in a big bowl, beat 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the yolks on medium-high until very light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add the zest, salt, and cinnamon and mix until incorporated. Whirl in the almond mixture and almond extract.

In an impeccably clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy then slowly whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar until the whites form soft, luscious peaks. Drop a scoop of the egg whites into the almond mixture and stir to lighten. Carefully fold in the remainder of the whites until no streaks show. Spoon the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake until the cake is golden brown and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let rest for 10 minutes before releasing the cake from the pan.

Serve with whipped cream and strawberries.

© Kim Bohme and A Bohme Cooked Meal

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

We recently had friends over to our house and I had to find something to feed them with in the morning.  I made this the night before and it was ready for them when they woke up in the morning.  This cake was moist and there was a delightful tang from the lemon and buttermilk. The texture of this was dence and flakey and with each bite of cake you get bursts of blueberry.  The top of this cake is crunchy from the sugar!  This cake is a winner.

Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake
Adapted from Alexandrea Cooks
Serves 6-8
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon
7/8 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar (Seperated)
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 cups flour (set aside 1/4 cup of this to toss with the blueberries)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the egg and both extracts and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries. The batter will be VERY thick!
4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.



© Kim Bohme and A Bohme Cooked Meal