December 2011 - Page 2 of 2

White Chocolate Coconut Cranberry Cookies

December 5, 2011 ·

Well hello there. Look up, and please update your bookmarks! That’s right. Alida’s Kitchen has a new web address. I dropped the ‘blogspot’ from the URL, so it is now www.alidaskitchen.com. I purchased this domain many months ago and was waiting for the right time to pull the trigger. Since my physical kitchen has a new address (we moved!), it seems like a fitting time to make the switch. I will do whatever I can to make sure this transition is seamless, and as always I welcome your comments and feedback.

So enough about that, let’s get on with today’s recipe – White Chocolate Coconut Cranberry Cookies.

Who doesn’t love the classic pairing of white chocolate and cranberry. The sweetness of the white chocolate against the tartness of the cranberries is just delicious. The coconut adds a little something extra special, and the oats give the cookies a chewy texture. All together, we have a tasty combination that is a fun and festive addition to your cookie plates this holiday season!

White Chocolate Coconut Cranberry Cookies
Yields approximately 36 cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons skim milk
2 large eggs
1/2 pound (2 sticks) light butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1/2 cup sweetned flaked coconut
1 cup white chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside
In a small bowl, whisk together the vanilla, milk and eggs. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, in a separate bowl, on medium speed, beat butter and both sugar until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add in milk mixture – beat well. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
Stir in the oats, cranberries, coconut and white chocolate chips.
Place dough in refrigerator until firm (at least 2 hours to overnight).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
Shape 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing 3 inches apart. Press with the bottom of a glass (covered with parchment or waxed paper) to flatten dough.
Bake until golden but still soft in the middle, 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ooey-Gooey Peanut Butter Brownies

December 1, 2011 ·

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Duncan Hines, I was a lucky recipient of several coupons for free Duncan Hines products. Even better…they gave me extra coupons to share with you! I promise the entry details will be very easy, but more about that in a little bit. First, let me tell you about these brownies!

The first time I made these brownies was over 5 years ago for a party. I had to whip something together quickly and fortunately remembered seeing this recipe using a cake mix. Chocolate brownies, marshmallow and peanut butter – bound to be a hit, and using a cake mix ought to speed thing along, right? So I gathered the ingredients and got to work. The convenience of using the cake mix was very useful, and the result….these bars were fab-u-lous! The best part of the night – I caught someone tucking a couple bars in a napkin and placing them in her purse 🙂 I took that as quite the compliment!

Not that I needed any convincing before, but these bars sealed the deal. Always keep a box of cake mix in the pantry. Which leads me to the coupons for a free Duncan Hines product for you. I have a coupon for 8 of you, so you can make these brownies, stock your pantry or do whatever delicious idea tickles your fancy.

The rules are simple – if you want a coupon, send me an e-mail with your mailing address (U.S. mailing addresses only), and I will send you a coupon. That’s it. The first 8 e-mails I receive with a U.S. mailing address will get a coupon. Once the coupons are gone, I will update this post noting the offer has expired. So go! E-mail me at alidaskitchen@gmail.com with your mailing address and get baking! ~ The coupon offer has now expired.

Ooey-Gooey Peanut Butter Brownies

Yields 24 servings

3/4 cup fat free sweetened condensed milk, divided

1/4 cup light butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup skim milk

1 (18.25 ounce) package Duncan Hines devil’s food cake mix

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme

3/4 cup peanut butter morsels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup condensed milk, butter, milk, cake mix, and egg white.
Spray 13 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Press two-thirds of batter into pan; pat evenly (layer will be thin). Bake for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, in a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup condensed milk and marshmallow creme. Stir in peanut butter chips.
Spread marshmallow mixture evenly over brownie layer. Drop remaining batter by spoonfuls over marshmallow mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes. Cook completely in pan on wire rack.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Disclaimer: As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I received a coupon for a free Duncan Hines product (up to $3.99 value) for free. I also received 8 coupons to share with you. The details of my experience are exclusively my opinion, and I was not otherwise influenced or compensated.