Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Somedays all you want to do is hide under a pile of blankets and watch your favorite movies. For me that day is today. The cold weather and snow is settling back into central Illinois and it gives me no motivation to do much. I really should go for a run, but I am not feeling it right now. Andrew and I are signed up to run in the first annual Heights Half Marathon here in Peoria. So far this winter we have been lucky to have warmer temperature to do our runs in, but not today or this weekend for that matter. But that is not going to stop me…I have ran many times in the snow and ice. But for right now all I want to do is sip some hot chocolate, relax and devour some freshly baked mexican hot chocolate cookies. I have had these cookies on my list of things to bake for a while. When I first spotted them over on The Busty Baker‘s blog I knew I had to make them. If you have never checked out Danae’s blog you need to head on over and say hi…tell her Christina sent ya!  I stumbled upon her blog last November while following a link to some of her beautiful cookies that were featured on Foodgawker. Whenever I come to a blog that I have never visited before I always check out the about me section. I about fell out of my chair when I realized that I actually knew The Busty Baker in real life! Danae and I grew up in the same town and met all the way back in elementary school. We were really good friends and she used to come over to my house all the time and we would play together. Well fast forward a few years, college, and a move to Indianapolis and I couldn’t believe that I was looking at one of my childhood friends! Such a small world! She has tons of delicious baked goods on her site, including these amazing Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies. What better treat for Valentines Day than these spicy little cookies? They have the perfect amount of heat to keep your sweetie guessing what that secret little ingredient it. The ground chipotle gives these cookies a nice smoky heat which you hardly notice until after you’re done. These soft and chewy cookies are rolled in a spicy sugar mixture before baking to produce a scrumptious crinkly sugar crust. Want to turn up the heat even more? Just add some extra chipotle chile to the mix.

One Year Ago: Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup 

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Source: adapted from The Busty Baker, originally adapted from Martha Stewart

Want to spice up your Valentines Day even more? Bake a batch of these Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies!

This time of year you can never have too many cookie recipes, especially if you like to make homemade goodies for your sweetie for Valentines Day. Ooey-gooey and rich with chocolate and coffee flavors, these brownie cookies have a dense and fudgy texture that’s just perfect. A topping of toffee chips that melt into the cookies during baking sets them apart from many other cookie recipes out there.

One Year Ago: Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Bread 

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• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounce bag toffee bits

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and butter together using 30 second bursts. Stir until smooth.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the sugar and eggs until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the instant coffee and vanilla and beat again.
4. Add the chocolate, baking powder and salt. Then slowly add the flour and cocoa powder and mix until combined.
5. Fold in the toffee chips, reserving 1/4 cup for the tops.
6. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets spacing 2 inches apart. Dip the tops of the balls into the reserved toffee bits.
7. Bake for 11-12 minutes. Once out of the oven, immediately sprinkle the tops with any remaining toffee chips. Cool on the baking sheets.

Yields: 30 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 12 minutes

Source: adapted from A Spicy Perspective

It’s no secret that I love the peanut butter and chocolate combination. There is something about creamy peanut butter and rich chocolate that is completely irresistible to me. Any and every peanut butter and chocolate recipe I see I feel the need to Pin. The only way you can make this marriage of flavors even better is to add another one of favorites…Nutella! And that is exactly what Bobbi over at Fresh and Foodie did. I bookmarked these over a year ago when I first spotted them on her blog. She so many amazing recipes and drool-worthy photos. If you haven’t seen her blog you need to head on over and check her out…that is after you run into the kitchen and make these no-bake bars! These bars combine three of my loves…peanut butter, chocolate, and Nutella! They taste just like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup with a hefty dose of Nutella. These rich little bars are a cinch to make…no oven or mixer needed! Just melt, stir, and refrigerate.

One Year Ago: Greek Salsa Chicken 

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Source: adapted from Fresh and Foodie

If you are looking for an easy weeknight meal, look no further than these Barbeque Pulled Chicken Sandwiches! I have been making this recipe for a few years now and it is always the first recipe I pull out when I know the day is going to be long and crazy. I am sure all of us have had one of those days. We really don’t want to put much thought into dinner, but we also don’t want to grab fast food on the way home. Here is where these delicious no fuss chicken sandwiches come in. Just toss everything into the slow cooker before work and when you come home all you have to do is pull, scoop and eat. The chicken slowcooks on top of a bed of onions while smothered in a sweet and tangy sauce. Six hours later you come home to the most incredible smell emanating from your kitchen. The slow cooker does all the work!

One Year Ago: Orange Chicken 

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Source: adapted from Food.com

Zingy lemon poppy seed pound cake bursting with lemony flavor, crunchy poppy seeds, and drizzled with a scrumptious lemon glaze. This melt in your mouth pound cake is the perfect accompaniment for your morning tea. You can even serve a slice of this pound cake with some thick and creamy lemon curd spooned on top for a wonderful dessert. If you are a fan of a zingy lemon pound cake, this recipe is for you! It has two extra doses of lemon flavor. After it is baked a lemon syrup is brushed all over the warm loaf. The syrup soaks into the loaf giving it an intense lemon flavor and helps keep it super moist. But I didn’t stop there! Once the loaf is completely cool a simple lemon glaze is drizzled over the top and sides of the loaf. This incredible pound cake makes the perfect gift for family and friends, but is so delicious, you won’t want to share! Might as well make two loaves!

One Year Ago: Pretzel Bites with Cheese 

Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake

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For the Pound Cake:

• 16 (2 sticks) tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups cake flour (6 ounces)
• 1/3 cup poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (8 3/4 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons juice from 2 medium lemons
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Lemon Syrup:

• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar

For the Lemon Glaze:

• 1 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
2. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In a small bowl, toss 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture and poppy seeds together, set aside.
4. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave butter, covered with plastic wrap, at full power until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk melted butter thoroughly to reincorporate any separated milk solids.
5. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process sugar and zest until combined, about five 1-second pulses. Add lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla; process until combined, about 5 seconds. With machine running, add melted butter through feed tube in steady stream (this should take about 20 seconds). Transfer mixture to large bowl. Sift flour mixture over eggs in three steps, whisking gently after each addition until just combined. Fold poppy seed mixture into batter after flour is incorporated.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue to bake until deep golden brown and skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto wire rack.
7. While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.
8. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.
9. To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Yields: 1-9×5 pound cake
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 50 minutes

Source: adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, March 2002

One of my favorite restaurants in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio is Schmidt’s Sausage Haus. Every time we make it back to Columbus Schmidt’s is always one place that we have to stop. They have been serving traditional German-American food since 1967, making it a landmark eatery in Central Ohio. When Andrew was attending medical school we lived in German Village and Schmidt’s was only a five-minute walk away. We would walk down there at least once a week and have dinner. During football season we would buy their bratwurst and a few of their appetizers and bring them tailgating. Everything on their menu is absolutely incredible, but one of my favorites is the sauerkraut balls. Football season just isn’t the same without having sauerkraut balls at our tailgate. This past college football season I went on a hunt to try to recreate those delicious sauerkraut balls in my own kitchen. These deep-fried, savory little sausage sauerkraut balls were a hit! Serve warm with some Dijon mustard for a finger food that will have everyone coming back for seconds!

One Year Ago: Chicken Pitas with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette 

Sauerkraut Balls

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Ingredients:

• 1 pound pork sausage
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 (14 ounce) can sauerkraut, squeezed dry and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs, divided
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup milk
• 6 cups vegetable oil for deep-frying

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium high heat, fry pork sausage and onion until sausage is evenly brown and onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Drain and allow to cool slightly.
2. Crumble sausage mixture into a large bowl and add drained sauerkraut, mustard, garlic salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons bread crumbs. Combine cream cheese and parsley, and mix into sauerkraut mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Shape sauerkraut mixture into 3/4 inch balls.
4. Place flour in a shallow dish.
5. In a second shallow dish, place egg.
6. In a third shallow dish, remaining bread crumbs.
7. Dip each sauerkraut ball first into the flour, then the egg and roll in bread crumbs. Deep fry in batches for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

Yields: 32 Sauerkraut Balls
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Ready In: 2 hours (includes chilling time)

Source: adapted from Allrecipes.com

Looking for Last Minute Super Bowl Recipes? Check out my 25 Super Bowl Recipes for Super Bowl XLVI? Click Here for desserts, dips, main dishes and desserts!   

I have been obsessed with Pinterest lately! Pinning this and that all while trying not to drool all over my computer. While I like pinning lots of different things, as you can imagine, I love pinning recipes. A picture of snickerdoodle muffins kept popping up all over my Pinterest page just begging me to make them. Could it be, one of my favorite cookies in a breakfast treat? I had to investigate! Luckily I had all of the ingredients in my pantry so I actually ended up baking these babies at 10pm at night. Yeah, my willpower seems to fade the later it gets! These muffins made the best late night snack I have had in a while! I really need to stop looking at Pinterest after dinner! I found using an ice cream scooper with a release lever the easiest way to scoop out the batter. The dough is ver