Sugar Cookies: Crisp and Chewy

I’m a chocolate chip cookie girl but I do appreciate a good sugar cookie. One of my favorites are the kind with pink frosting and sprinkles on top. The cookie is so soft it crumbles in your hand and the huge amount of pink frosting makes me going back for seconds, maybe thirds ;). You know what I’m talking about it! I don’t even want to know how many calories are in one of those cookies.

My chocolate chip cookies need to be crisp on the outer edges and chewy in the middle, with lots of chocolate chips. This is how these sugar cookies are, crisp on the outer exterior and a chewy middle topped with lots of sprinkles! I used dark brown sugar and that gave the cookies a more richer taste. The dark brown sugar complimented the saltiness of the cookie with the addition of salted organic butter. People couldn’t believe they were sugar cookies because they taste like a chocolate chip cookie without the chocolate chips. Nope these are just a really good sugar cookie!

Perfect Sugar Cookies
Adapted from Vanilla Sugar

Ingredients
2 sticks salted butter, sliced thinly and kept cold
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups spelt flour
1 teaspoon sea salt (optional with salted butter, I added it anyways)
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Coarse sugar sprinkles, for decorating

Directions
In a bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and soda, set aside.

In a mixing bowl, mix butter with both sugars until just mixed. It won’t be creamy but crumbly because the butter is kept cold. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mix till incorporated.

Add in the dry to the wet and mix till just incorporated. The dough should be a little dry. We want to mix as little as possible so the butter doesn’t begin to melt. Place bowl in fridge to firm up and chill. At least an hour.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. With a large cookie scoop, roll into balls and then into the coarse sugar sprinkles, to coat the entire cookie dough ball. Place onto a parchment lined cookie sheet or nonstick cookie sheet. Do not press flat. Bake for 20-22 minutes depending on your oven temperature. Look for almost golden brown edges.

Ran out of sugar sprinkles and used these little guys instead!

I made a few changes to the recipe ingredient wise but to get the exact recipe for Perfect Sugar Cookies go to Vanilla Sugar.

Enjoy,
Fallon

 

 

Sunday Supper

I made a delicious lasagna Sunday night. I finished off all the red sauce I had stored in the freezer and decided to make use of it. Once I leave Augusta, Mike won’t get homemade meals and since he isn’t one to cook, unless you call boiling eggs a cooking technique he is going to rely on pizza and sandwiches. I’ve already started to freeze some items for him and this lasagna is one of them. It will be a delicious meal he can pull out of the freezer and enjoy for dinner one night.

These are awesome!

I made a ricotta mixture with fresh spinach, eggs, shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese. I added Italian sausage to his side of the lasagna, while mine was sausage free. I loved the no bake noodles I picked up, they were flat and so easy to assemble. Once cooked they were thin and light, just like a homemade lasagna noodle.

It was a delicious dinner that had Mike going back for seconds. I’ll miss cooking him dinner, especially our Sunday suppers.

   

Someone is camera shy!!

Buon Appetito,
Fallon

S’Mores Fudge with Spiced Rum

What is a better way to celebrate my last week in Augusta; by baking up a storm. Actually it is just my excuse to clean out the pantry and make delicious goodies that Mike can take to class and share with the other captains. If not it goes in the trash and that is just a waste. I hate to waste!

Fudge is definitely more of a holiday thing for me because it is so rich and decadent. I’ve had this recipe bookmarked from the beginning of the year and just now trying it out. I don’t know what took me so long but wow was it delicious! She recommends to use a fat free condensed milk but when I came across a totally natural condensed milk in Earthfare that was just milk and sugar, I was down. Usually fat free condensed milk is just as high in calories and sugar, just less fat, which doesn’t make sense to me, get the real stuff! I added in all kinds of chocolate to equal 12 ounces, from dark chocolate chips, 72% dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate etc. I couldn’t believe how much chocolate I had in my pantry, hehe. The 1 ounce of rum was something I’ve never added to fudge before and will not be the last. It makes for a nice surprise.

 

Fall is here, let the baking begin! This fudge reminded me of Christmas as I was tasting a few squares. I just can’t wait for the holidays to come, I’m excited for them this year! What about you?

S’Mores Fudge with Spiced Rum
Adapted from Steph Chows

Ingredients
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups (12oz) dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, etc
1 oz spiced rum (use Captain Morgan if you have it around)
1 1/4 cup mini marshmallows
3 graham crackers, crushed

Directions
Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a medium sauce pan and bring to simmer over medium heat. Once simmering add the chocolate.

Stir occasionally until chocolate is melted and creamy. Pour in rum and stir until incorporated. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of mini marshmallows and 2/3 of the graham crackers. Pour into a parchment lined 8x8 baking square, spread evenly and add the remaining 1/4 cup mini marshmallows and graham crackers onto the top. Refrigerate until set. Once set, remove from pan and cut into 1 inch squares.

This is the first fudge I’ve made using a sweetened condensed milk without corn syrup. You know what? This fudge was SO CREAMY. It wasn’t hard or chalky which some fudge has been in my time. Even though the fudge was cold  from being set in the fridge, once you took a bite it just melted in your mouth.

   

Always,
Fallon

 

 

 

Hello+Fun Giveaway

Hey Bloggers! Sorry I’ve been MIA this past week. Today is my last day of work in Augusta, until I get back to Las Vegas. I’ve been so busy with work, starting up a new side job, organizing myself to search for new jobs, keeping my exercise up, hanging out with my boyfriend as much as possible, that the laundry piles are high and I’m nowhere near done packing. I have priorities! I haven’t taken any photos of what I’ve been cooking up in the kitchen either. Maybe I’ll whip up some cookies this weekend?? I have 4 sticks of butter that I do not want to waste!

In the meantime check out The Pretend Chef today and enter her blog’s giveaway for some yummy King Arthur items! Apparently something happened and the giveaway was cancelled!

See you soon!
Fallon

At the Signal dining out in Augusta, GA.

 
You got to stay goofy to stay sane. ;)

Mike’s Birthday Cake

This year Mike requested that I make one of his favorite cakes, Cannoli Cake. I usually only make it around Christmas time to share with family but he insisted I make it for his birthday. Well your wish is my command! Happy Birthday babe!!!

I wonder if I’ll have to make it again for Christmas? hehe

Cannoli Cream
By Fallon

The cannoli cream filling is actually really easy to make! I’ve definitely perfected how to make it just right with using 3 cups whole milk ricotta (strained overnight for extra liquid), 1 cup sifted confectioner’s powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 3 ounces of mini chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate that has been chopped up.

Combine the ricotta cheese and powdered sugar with a hand mixer and combine. Add in the cinnamon. Mix in the chocolate and place in the fridge for an hour to let it thicken up. I chopped my bittersweet chocolate in the food processor, so easy.

You can add pistachios and orange zest as well. Mike ONLY likes the chocolate but I can guarantee it will taste even better with those extra add-ins. You can use this as a cake filling, pancake/waffle topper, toast, homemade cannoli shells and whatever else you can think of. I prefer spoonfuls. ;) I did double the recipe for the cake because we like a lot of extra cannoli cream. I do have a cannoli filling recipe that I’ve made that is slightly different with the addition of vanilla extract and pistachios. And how about a Mexican Cannoli?

 
He couldn’t wait any longer, his mouth was watering to try his cake!        

Buon Appetito,
Fallon

Extra Cannoli Cream…

What me again?!?! That’s right! I’m posting twice on this beautiful Monday! I woke up at 4:45am thanks to Mike not shutting off his alarm. I tried to doze off but I just couldn’t handle it anymore. I had a small breakfast and headed out to the apartment gym. I did 20 minutes of cardio with the treadmill and then Jillian Michaels Shred It DVD. I was a sweaty mess but it felt oh so good!

I came back, made Mike some oatmeal and I made myself another breakfast… a protein shake! Then I decided to make the cannoli cream filling for his cake. So far this cake is coming out amazing but now I have a whole jar of cannoli cream… I’m thinking I should sell it before I decide to eat it. Oh and of course ALL the extra cannoli cream didn’t fit in that jar, so I had to spoon feed myself the extras, with the extra cake I cut off to layer it. Yeah cake at 10am, I must be crazy BUT at least I did get my workout in.

How much would you pay for this? Whole milk ricotta, powdered sugar, cinnamon and Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate shavings.

   
Almost done, it just needs the cream cheese/ whipped cream frosting and a little decoration.
I also placed it strategically near the lettuce, so I can remember to eat a salad today.. then cake. ;)

Well technically it is the last day to celebrate “summer.” Cannoli Cake is more a holiday cake but since Mike is a labor day baby we get to enjoy this cake early! Tomorrow is a new day but today is all about celebration!

Always,
Fallon

Tomato, Basil and Millet Salad

Happy Labor Day! I hope everyone has been enjoying their long weekend. Mike and I just came back from Atlanta this weekend. We saw the Atlanta Braves play against the LA Dodgers and sadly they lost Friday night, but it was still fun! Then Saturday we went to Six Flags and went on every single roller coaster. Mind you.. I’ve never been on roller coasters this crazy before but I got over my fear quickly after Mike made me go on DareDevil!

(Source)

That is how it starts, straight up at 90 degrees and straight down at 90 degrees. Umm crazy! LOL

Anyways I just wanted to stop by real quick to show you this wonderful salad before I head out to get in a REALLY good workout this morning. I had some lingering millet in my pantry and I wanted to turn it into a cold salad. I’ve done it with wheatberries before and that turned out delicious.

I had basil and the little tomatoes to use up. I googled for ideas and right away Wholefoods popped up with their Tomato, Basil and Millet Salad. Umm perfect and super delicious! This complimented the basil chicken very well. It makes a ton and is a great vehicle for leftovers to take to work. And to REALLY save time I used my favorite balsamic vinaigrette dressing but making up your own isn’t a bad idea either if you have extra time.

Tomato, Basil and Millet Salad
Adapted from Wholefoods

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked millet, rinsed and drained
2 cups chicken broth (vegetable broth works too)
1 cup water
1 (15oz) can pinto beans (or black beans, black-eyed pea, garbanzo etc.)
1 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup finely sliced basil
1/4 cup favorite balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Spinach
Crumbled fresh goat cheese (optional)

Directions:
Toast millet in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and golden brown. Remove saucepan from heat and carefully add broth and water. Return to heat and bring to a boil over medium high heat and then reduce to medium low, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and millet is tender, 20- 25 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside, let stand, covered for 5 minutes. Transfer millet to a large bowl and fluff with fork, and set aside to cool.

Add the beans, onions and basil to millet, gently toss and set aside. Add the dressing, toss to coat evenly. Then add the tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Serve on top of spinach and crumbled up fresh goat cheese on top (optional).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy this lovely salad, it reminds me of summer and is great to bring over to a friends gathering. Our Labor Day will be low key. I’m going to grill up some brats and kraut for Mike, while I enjoy some meatballs I made last week. Dessert will be amazing though, Mike requested a Cannoli Cake for his birthday which is tomorrow (Sept. 6th). I’m so proud of my Cannoli Cake making skills, just wait and see! I’ll share with you later this week.

Love,
Fallon

Pumpkin-Banana Bread with Spelt Flour

I’m going to get real with you for a second. I’ve been craving a delicious pumpkin bread since August. Something about warm, cinnamon-y, pumpkin bread sounded real comforting! I wanted to make it more healthy as well, since I’m trying to do that with most of my recipes I make now. How can you make a baked good more healthy but still taste good? It is simple, don’t sacrifice flavor and quality. Bananas work perfectly when making a recipe more healthy. Thank goodness for September.. let all the pumpkin eating begin!

This particular recipe I found was good but I wasn’t sure if it would work exactly, you know how that can go sometimes. I took my time and decided to make some adjustments. What worked, turned out to be a really fantastic pumpkin bread. I used my huge bread loaf pan to make one big pumpkin bread. What I thought was hilarious is I came home from work one day and it looked like someone had a lunch time party at my place. My boyfriend likes to get some of his army buds over at lunch time to play with the Xbox and eat some pizza. Well..my pumpkin bread was nearly gone. I asked Mike who ate it and he said, “I just put it out and they started eating it. They liked it.” So if the guys in the Army approve.. then I think you should try it out for yourself. ;) If you truly want vegan pumpkin bread, this one is easy, just swap out the eggs and use 3 flax eggs instead!

Pumpkin-Banana Bread
By Fallon

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups spelt flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/3 cups stevia in the raw
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11 x 2.5 x 5.2 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl mash the banana till smooth but a little chunky. Add in the pumpkin puree, oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed. In a medium-sized bowl, place flour, stevia, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; stir with a whisk till combined. Add flour mixture to banana/pumpkin mix and beat until just moist.

Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick placed in center comes out clean.

Let cool COMPLETELY in loaf pan, then flip onto a cutting board and slice 20 servings for thinner slices and 16 for large slices.

If you go the 20 slices route check out these stats: 146 calories per slice, 4 grams of protein and fiber. Not going to lie.. I enjoyed my pumpkin bread with a vanilla protein shake. Oh yeah!

I’m off to Atlanta this weekend! Mike’s birthday is on Tuesday and I’m treating him to an Atlanta Braves game tonight and Six Flags tomorrow. I’m kind of scared of Six Flags.. but I better suck it up because it was my idea.. OH BOY! haha ;)

HAPPY LABOR DAY WEEKEND!

Love,
Fallon

Baked Polenta Rounds with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Ricotta Cheese

OMG is it really September 1st today? I can’t believe what a year I’ve experienced so far. Seriously. This will be my last full month in Augusta, GA and I’ll be heading home beginning of October. It is time for me to pack up and head back to Las Vegas. I can’t wait to see my friends and family but I’m going to miss being with Mike. This has been the first time we were able to see each other on a daily basis, making him lunch for work, good dinners and getting to know each other even more. It has been a wonderful experience and I’m truly going to miss it and him. Keep your fingers crossed for me that he WILL come home for Christmas this year. Mine will be extra crossed.

Anyways.. I wanted to share with you a delicious pumpkin bread I made last week. I’ve been eating it all week with my protein shakes for breakfast. hehe. The pictures are still on my camera. Don’t worry I’ll get to it. ;) So instead I’m sharing with you this delicious side dish I made to serve with the Marinated Basil Chicken Breasts, some baked polenta rounds. With only 5 ingredients needed, you can make this up real quickly!

You know those tubes of polenta you see in the store? That is what I used, sliced up and baked in a 400 degree oven. While that was heating up I mixed up some ricotta cheese with chopped up sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh basil.

After the polenta baked up for 10 minutes, I added a teaspoon of ricotta mixture to each round. I topped with some shredded parmesan cheese and let them bake till the cheese was warmed through. I garnished with a chiffon of fresh basil and served with my delicious basil chicken breasts.

It was absolutely scrumptious!!! I decided to leave some polenta rounds plain, saved them for my lunch salad the following day and used them as croutons. Yum yum!

Have a wonderful first day of September! I’m so excited the holidays are almost here. OH and remember.. keep your fingers crossed for me. ;)

Also I’d love if I could get more fans to like my Facebook page for Fallon’s Cucina! And if you haven’t done so already, become a member of my blog by following! Just look on my main page to the right hand side and become a member! I love having the support and love!

Love,
Fallon