New Hello Kitties

It's been a while, but I finally got around to photographing more of my collection. Who needs half a dozen Hello Kitty bags? I do, apparently. My favorite of these bags is probably the red one in the photo at top right. I bought that back around 2004.

I couldn't resist this line of Hello Kitty kitchen products. This is a set of melamine mixing bowls, a set of 3 kitty shaped cookie cutters, and what I guess to be a box of sandwich bags (the writing on the box is entirely Japanese, so I can't be sure). Baking and Hello Kitty: two of my most favoritest things coming together!

We Have Lift Off!

This is my first year gardening. I'm doing a combination of container and conventional gardening, trying to figure out what works best for our space, and what I can handle. My conventional garden is not ready yet, and hot weather is approaching, so I used my containers to get a head start on the season. I planted leaf lettuce and onions. Leaf lettuce is between 2 and 3 dollars per pound at the local grocery store. I got my lettuce seeds for 30 cents per packet. The math is pretty irresistible.

I'm experimenting with both self-watering and regular planters. I was worried the self-watering planters might be a gimmick, but I'm impressed with the results. The planter on the right is self-watering and the planter on the right is not. This is the lettuce. For the onions, I see almost no difference in performance between the two kinds of planters.

What kind of gardening adventures are you having today?

Cheddar Crackers

I love snacks like cheez-its, but I'm trying to avoid the chemicals in processed foods. I figured I could bake something similar from scratch, and I came up with this recipe. I'll never buy a box of commercial cheese crackers again!

CHEDDAR CRACKERS

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded*
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1-3 tbsp milk
• kosher salt

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add in the cheddar and mix until combined. Add in flour and salt. Mix until pea-sized crumbles form.

2. Now, that our ingredients are combined, the goal is to get the batter to come together into a dough ball. Add the egg. If dough is still too dry and crumbly, add one tablespoon milk. Mix on high speed. Continue adding milk, one tablespoon at a time, mixing on high speed between each addition, until your dough comes together. Once dough is finished, shape it into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

3. Split refrigerated dough into two pieces. Roll out each piece to a thickness between 1/4 and 1/8 inch. The thinner the dough, the crispier the cracker. Cut dough into small squares with knife, or use a mini cookie cutter. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the crackers as close together on the sheet as you'd like; these actually shrink up a bit when baked. Sprinkle the top of each cracker with a bit of kosher salt.

4. Bake for 10 minutes in a 375 degree oven. The crackers are done when they start to brown on the outsides. Times can vary depending on how thick you rolled the dough and the how big you cut the shapes, so it's good to keep an eye on these. Allow to cool and then transfer to an airtight container. Enjoy!

*Pre-shredded cheese is great for some things, but not these cheddar crackers. The additives used to keep the cheese sticking together in the bag also keeps it from melting properly.

Source: Cats and Casseroles original recipe

Happy Easter!

Everyone loves bunnies!

Double Chocolate Crackle Cookies

Mmm... chocolate. One picture hardly seemed like enough.

These cookies are popular around Christmas, but I see no reason not to enjoy them year-round. The recipe calls for Dutch-process cocoa powder, but I used natural (Hersey's to be exact) and had no problem. These cookies have a dense texture and taste to them that reminds me of a devil's food doughnut. They'll definitely help fix any chocolate cravings you might be having!

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CRACKLE COOKIES

• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 c. white chocolate chips
• 1 c. powdered sugar

1. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer, mix in melted butter and eggs. Don't be alarmed if your batter seems stiff and crumbly, that's the nature of these cookies. Turn off the mixer when it appears all the ingredients are well mixed.

2. If your batter is still crumbly at this point, use your hands to bring into a ball. Kneed the white chocolate chips into the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.*

3. Roll dough into small balls. Coat the balls with powdered sugar. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool fully before eating. Makes about 24 cookies.

*Just a side note: The purpose of chilling the dough is to prepare if for being rolled into balls. In general, a cold batter with make a better sphere. However, since this dough is fairly stiff on its own, you're probably ok to skip refrigeration if you have a cold kitchen, or are just in a real hurry. I refrigerate, but I'm a sucker for following the rules.

Source: Food Network Magazine, December 2010, vol 3, no 10.