Celebrate National Cookie Day

What better way to celebrate than with a recipe for Chocolate Chip Pan Cookies. This is a favorite, and a great recipe that stays fresh for mailing. I like it because it’s fast and easy. My kids like it because it’s soft and chewy. Once I used it as a Christmas gift by making a mix of the dry ingredients and including it with instructions for finishing. You can half the recipe and include a cast iron skillet along with the instructions. What a great gift!

I am including links to all my cookie recipes that were favorites at Sweets and Eats. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Decorated Sugar Cookies

Decorated Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Icing

Lemon Crisps

These instructions can be printed on Christmas paper and included with the mix (1/2 recipe) and a 10 inch cast iron skillet for gifting.
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Chocolate Chip Pan Cookies

This recipe was inspired by my mentor, Jane Noland
Course Cookie, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword bar cookie, chocolate chips, easy, pan cookie
Servings 20

Equipment

  • 9×13 pan or 2-10 inch round pans
  • can use 10 inch round cast iron skillet for 1/2 recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups flour unsifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 each eggs
  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped nuts optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Combine first three ingredients and set aside.
  • Cream butter, sugars and vanilla. Beat in eggs.
  • Gradually add dry ingredients. Add chips and nuts.
  • Spread into greased 9×13 pan and bake for 20 minutes or until done.
  • Cool and cut into squares.

Notes

Recipe can be halved and placed in a clear bag.  Halve chocolate chips and place in another bag to separate.  Add to another clear bag with printed recipe and tie with decorative ribbon.  Can be packed with 10 inch cast iron skillet for gifting or simply given by itself.  

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    Bronzing and Oven Roasting- 4 Recipes for A Quick Meal

    I don’t want to cook! So here are my go-to recipes for a fast and easy meal that has great flavor. Bronzing was developed by Chef Paul Prudhomme as a substitute for his blackening technique which cannot be done in a home kitchen due to the smoke and high heat. I use all his Magic Seasonings depending on the type of meat I cook. Some seasonings are hard to find, so I have included the recipe for Poultry Seasoning. It is good to make up and keep on hand, especially for days like this! Enjoy

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    *Bronzed Chicken Breasts

    Chef Paul Prudhomme invented the technique of blackened fishB a method not suitable for indoor home cooking since it produces so much smoke. His bronzing methods are just as delicious

    Ingredients

    • 1 stick butter melted
    • 8 boneless skinless, chicken breast halves, well chilled
    • about 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Cajun Magic Poultry Magic in all

    Instructions

    • Heat heavy griddle or large, heavy aluminum illet to 350 F, about 7 minutes over medium heat (2 inch flame) on gas stove, about 23 minutes over medium to medium-low heat on an electric stove. Or use an electric skillet.
    • Dip chicken in melted butter and sprinkle generously with about 2 teaspoon Poultry Magic. Lay chicken on hot griddle or skillet surface. Cook chicken until underside is bronze in color, 4 to 5 minutes. (Watch and you=ll see white line coming up sides as chicken cooks; when line is about one-half the thickness, chicken is ready to be turned.) Turn chicken and cook until done, about 4 to 5 minutes more. Serve immediately

    Notes

    Variation: Bronzed Trout- use fresh trout fillets or other firm-fleshed fish, about 2 inch thick at thickest part. Use Cajun Magic Seafood Magic
    for seasoning.
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    Poultry Seasoning

    Recipe for Magic Poultry Seasoning
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Cajun
    Keyword Magic Seasoning
    Author Paul Prudhomme

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons salt
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon white pepper
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

    Instructions

    • Mix all seasonings together and store in a spice container.

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    Oven Roasted Potatoes-No need to peel the potatoes!

    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Keyword sweet potatoes
    Servings 4

    Equipment

    • baking sheet

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 3 to 4 cloves garlic minced
    • 4 medium baking potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces
    • 1/3 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
    • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese optional

    Instructions

    • Combine first 5 ingredients in a 13x9x2 inch metal baking pan; toss gently to coat. Bake at 500 F for 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring every 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 5 additional minutes.
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    Oven Roasted Broccoli

    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Keyword broccoli
    Servings 4

    Equipment

    • baking sheet

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ pound broccoli florets
    • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 3 teaspoons minced garlic
    • ½ – ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 425 F. Lay broccoli florets onto a baking sheet covered with foil.
    • Season the broccoli with 1/4 cup Olive Oil, 3 tsp. Minced Garlic, 3/4 tsp. Kosher Salt, and 1/4 tsp. Red Chili Flakes. Put into the oven for about 20-25 minutes.
    • Sprinkle 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese over the top of the broccoli and return to the oven until the cheese melts.
    • Remove from the oven and serve – super simple, easy, and delicious!

    Notes

    Some times i add an onion.

    This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links, at no cost to you. Products are examples of what I own or what I recommend in order to help you make the best choice for you. Thank you for your support.

      Jambalaya

      James and I met the nicest family while fishing at Taneycomo in Branson, Missouri. On the first day, Percy didn’t hesitate to share his fishing spot and tackle. Saved us a ton of time. We spend half the week just finding the fish. We fished everyday and got our limit almost daily.

      Percy and his family were staying in the cabins next to us. One day we were drawn outside by the most wonderful smell. I am all about cooking, and when I found out he was from Baton Rouge, Louisiana I knew he was someone I could learn from.

      Jambalaya was on the menu today. I found out that he has competed with his recipe and he knew all the “ins and outs” about it. I’m still listening, taking pictures and soaking it all in.

      Percy starts by browning the meat until it is tender and cuts easy
      Once you add the water, taste for seasonings. The color of the water will be the color of the rice- nice and brown.
      Once the rice is added, the Jambalaya is stirred until it starts to thicken.
      Reduce the fire to low and put a lid on the pot.
      Percy is a true Cajun, understanding the importance of developing flavor by browning, scraping and deglazing.

      I wasn’t there for the finished product, but we got a large plate later and it was so good- simple yet full of flavor. And i learned about the rice that browns and sticks on the bottom of the pan that a lot of people like. I loved it, it adds to the texture and flavor of the dish.

      His recipe serves 12, so I halved it for you and surprisingly, it turned out great! Enjoy and thanks Percy for sharing.

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      Jambalaya

      Course Main Course
      Cuisine Cajun
      Keyword Boston butt, rice, sausage
      Servings 9
      Author Percy Brown

      Equipment

      • Bayou cast iron pot with lid
      • large paddle for stirring
      • outdoor fish fryer

      Ingredients

      • 2 pounds long grain white rice (can use parboiled rice)
      • 6 pounds meat (4 lbs. Boston butt & 2 lbs. smoked sausage)
      • 6 cups water (a little under 1 gallon per 5# of rice if doing a bigger pot)
      • 4 pounds chopped yellow onions
      • 7 teaspoons salt
      • 1 tablespoon black pepper
      • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
      • 5 teaspoon garlic powder
      • 1 cup vegetable oil
      • Hot sauce to taste

      Instructions

      • Slice smoked sausage into about 1” slices and cube the Boston butt into about 2” cubes
      • Pour the vegetable oil into a black iron pot
      • Heat the oil up in the black iron pot then add the cubed Boston butt
      • Brown the Boston butt until it is tender and you can cut it with a spoon (make sure that you do not burn the meat so you will need to do a lot of stirring while it is browning)
      • Once the Boston butt is good and brown, remove it and put it into a separate pan then put the sausage in and brown the sausage then remove and set into a pan.
      • After removing the sausage, scoop out the remaining oil in the pot and put the chopped onions in.
      • Brown the onions until they are a caramel color and tender. When you stir the onions make sure that you get the residue off the side of the pot that the meat left behind, you can use a little water to help by pouring it around the sides.
      • Once the onions are browned and tender add the pork and sausage then stir together.
      • Add water and seasoning in with the meat and onions. This is when you want to taste it and add more ingredients if you need to. The color of the water will be the same color of your rice when it is finished.
      • Bring the water to a rolling boil and dump the rice in. Stir the rice in the boiling water until it starts to thicken.
      • Reduce your fire to low and put the lid on the pot
      • Remove the lid and flip the rice about every 15 minutes until the rice is tender. (Try not to scrape the bottom of the pot when flipping the rice)
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      Jambalaya Half recipe

      Course Main Course
      Cuisine Cajun
      Keyword Boston butt, rice, sausage
      Total Time 2 hours
      Servings 6
      Author Percy Brown

      Equipment

      • cast iron Dutch oven with lid

      Ingredients

      • 1 pound long grain white rice can use parboiled rice
      • 3 pounds meat 2# Boston butt &1# smoked sausage
      • 4 cups water
      • 2 pounds chopped yellow onions
      • 3 1/2 tsp of salt
      • 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
      • 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
      • 2 1/2 tsp garlic powder
      • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
      • Hot sauce to taste

      Instructions

      • Slice smoked sausage into about 1” slices and cube the Boston butt into about 2” cubes
      • Pour the vegetable oil into a black iron pot
      • Heat the oil up in the black iron pot then add the cubed Boston butt
      • Brown the Boston butt until it is tender and you can cut it with a spoon (make sure that you do not burn the meat so you will need to do a lot of stirring while it is browning)
      • Once the Boston butt is good and brown, remove it and put it into a separate pan then put the sausage in and brown the sausage then remove and set into a pan.
      • After removing the sausage, scoop out the remaining oil in the pot and put the chopped onions in.
      • Brown the onions until they are a caramel color and tender. When you stir the onions make sure that you get the residue off the side of the pot that the meat left behind, you can use a little water to help by pouring it around the sides.
      • Once the onions are browned and tender add the pork and sausage then stir together.
      • Add water and seasoning in with the meat and onions. This is when you want to taste it and add more ingredients if you need to. The color of the water will be the same color of your rice when it is finished.
      • Bring the water to a rolling boil and dump the rice in. Stir the rice in the boiling water until it starts to thicken.
      • Reduce your fire to low and put the lid on the pot
      • Remove the lid and flip the rice about every 15 minutes until the rice is tender. (Try not to scrape the bottom of the pot when flipping the rice)

      This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links, at no cost to you. Products are examples of what I own or what I recommend in order to help you make the best choice for you. The first four items are similar to what Percy used for the 12 cup recipe. I halved the recipe and used a dutch oven as shown in the last picture. Thank you for your support.

        Mexican Pizza

        This recipe was used for a unit on food for children. It is quick and easy enough for children. I often used it for a quick meal at home.

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        Quick Mexican Pizza

        This is a perfect kid recipe.
        Course Main Course
        Cuisine Mexican
        Keyword cheese, flour tortilla, hamburger meat
        Servings 4 people

        Ingredients

        • 2 cups 8 oz/ shredded Colby/Monterey Jack cheese
        • 2 lb. ground beef
        • 4 flour tortillas 10 in.
        • 1/4 cup salsa
        • 1 /2 tsp. Chili powder
        • 2 tsp. Cumin
        • green/red peppers onions, mushrooms, etc. (as desired)

        Instructions

        • Cook meat, drain. Stir in chili powder and cumin seasonings. Spread 1/4 cup salsa and 1/2 cups meat mixture on each tortilla. Top each with 1/2 cup cheese and desired toppings. Bake in preheated 400 degree F oven 8-10 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned.

          Bananas Flambe’

          Spirited cookery is a favorite of mine. I’ve made a few mistakes. I remember my friend and I making dinner for our boyfriends. We wanted to impress them so we decided to make something to flame. Two Home Ec. majors and we failed to heat the liqueur so it would be hot enough to flame. First try–didn’t flame so we stirred it in. Second try– still didn’t flame so we stirred that it. On the third try it didn’t flame. What the heck, we will serve it anyway. My husband says he got drunk on eating chicken! And it tasted horrible with all that brandy stirred in.

          Not to be defeated, I went on to Cherries Jubilee and when they made Bananas Flambe” table-side at Culinary School, I knew I had to make it at the local Charity Ball. It was a hit and very impressive. I always included the recipe at my couples cooking lessons. The men loved flaming it. Guess they always love playing with fire. Don’t be intimidated, it is a easy recipe and worth the try. Enjoy!

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          Banana Flambe’

          A very impressive dessert inspired by Johnson and Wales Culinary School
          Course Dessert
          Cuisine French
          Keyword bananas, flaming, ice cream
          Servings 4 servings

          Equipment

          • medium skillet

          Ingredients

          • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
          • 2 tablespoons butter
          • 2 bananas peeled, cut in half crosswise, then cut in half lengthwise
          • 1/4 cup rum
          • 1/4 cup banana liquer

          Instructions

          • Prep all ingredients. Place a medium skillet over medium heat. Add butter and sugar stirring until caramelized. Add bananas and coat with caramel. Remove skillet from flame and add rum away from flame, return to heat tilting pan slightly to flambe'. Let the flames die down. Lower flame, remove pan from heat. Add banana liqueur and return to heat. Cook slightly to reduce sauce. Serve bananas over vanilla ice cream or pound cake and nappe' with sauce.

          Notes

          Safety Practices:
          • Store liqueurs away from heat.
          • Remove pan from heat before adding liqueur.
          • Tilt pan gently towards flame to ignite, show confidence.
          • Do  not leave unattended
          • Never pour liqueur in a flaming pan
          • For an electric range, heat rum in a small saucepan over medium heat (do not boil).  Quickly pour rum over banana mixture, and immediately ignite with a long match just above the liquid mixture to light the fumes (not the liquid itself).
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