Homemade Baking Mix

There’s no need to buy a boxed baking mix ever again – because it’s super easy to make your own  with ingredients that you already have in your own kitchen. Use for scones, biscuits, cobblers or in any recipe that calls for a boxed baking mix

3 cups flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon cold butter, cut into pieces

• In a medium bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• With a fork or pastry cutter, cut in the small cold pieces of butter until the butter is pea size or smaller.
• Store covered in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Strawberry Lemon Muffins

Based on the delicious James Martin recipe for Lemon Drizzle Muffins, this variation is by Baker Street

2 eggs, beaten
85g/3oz caster sugar
240ml/8fl oz milk
100ml/3½fl oz vegetable oil
300g/10oz plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 lemons, zest only
8 to 10 strawberries, roughly chopped up

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and line a muffin tin with paper cases.
• In a large bowl, combine the egg, sugar, milk and oil.
• Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt and then add the lemon. 
• Gently stir until combined. 
• Add the strawberries and combine until evenly distributed. 
• Do not overmix.
• Spoon the mixture into the pre-prepared muffin cases.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes until well risen and golden. 
• Cool on a wire rack.

Loaded Potato and Buffalo Chicken Casserole

Simple and Delicious. Thank you My Fridge Food

2 lbs Chicken Breast cut into cubes
8-10 medium potatoes cut into cubes
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs. pepper
1 tbs. paprika
1 tbs. garlic powder
6 tbs. hot sauce

topping:
2 c. Cheese - Fiesta Blend or Cheddar and Jack Mix
1 c. Crumbled Bacon
1 c. Diced green onion

• Coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray  
• Preheat oven to 500F - that's right 500F is correct
• In a large bowl mix together olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and hot sauce. 
• Add the cubed potatoes and stir. 
• Scoop the potatoes into the baking dish. (leave behind as much of the olive oil mix as you can)
• Bake the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
• While the potatoes are cooking, add the cubed chicken to the bowl with the leftover olive oil / hot sauce mix and stir.
• Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from the oven and lower the temp. to 400F. Top the cooked potatoes with the raw marinated chicken.
• In another bowl, mix together cheese, bacon, and onions. 
• Top the chicken with the cheese mix.
• Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the topping is bubbly.
• Serve with more hot sauce and ranch.

Stuffed Buffalo Chicken

Quick and easy. Thank you My Fridge Food

1 lbs. boneless chicken breast
black pepper
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded,divided
1 tsp. butter
1/4 cup Franks Hot Sauce
1/4 tsp. celery salt

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, 
• Spray a baking dish with cooking spray
• Butterfly your chicken, by cutting it horizontally. 
• Do not cut all the way through. 
• Sprinkle the inside of the chicken with pepper. 
• Evenly top the the chicken with cheese and fold over the chicken to close it. 
• It should look like the chicken breast before you cut it.
• In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter for 8 seconds. 
• Stir in hot sauce and celery salt.
• Add the chicken to the dish and drizzle the hot sauce over the top. 
• Place it in the oven for about 35 minutes or until no longer pink inside

Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies

Soft, thick, and puffy white chocolate chip cranberry cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch (aka cornflour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (135g) white chocolate chips
3/4 cup (105g) dried cranberries

• Beat the butter for 1 minute  until completely smooth and creamy. 
• Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix until fluffy and light in color. 
• Beat in egg and vanilla. 
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt together until combined. 
• Slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The dough will be quite thick. 
• Add the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries  
• Mix until evenly disbursed. 
• Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours  
• Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough.
• Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes
• Preheat oven to 350F. 
• Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. 
• Set aside.
• Once chilled, the dough will be slightly crumbly, but will come together if you work the dough with your hands as you roll into individual balls. 
• Scoop about 1 Tablespoon of dough and roll into balls. 
• Place 10 - 12 on each baking sheet. 
• Bake in batches for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. 
• They will look extremely soft when you remove them from the oven. 
• Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. 
• If the cookies are too puffy, try gently pressing down on them with the back of a spoon. 
• They will slightly deflate as you let them cool. 
• Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

Make ahead tip: 
Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature before rolling into balls. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. 

Oatmeal Cranberry Sandwich Cookies with White Chocolate Creme Filling

Oatmeal cranberry cookies filled with sweet white chocolate buttercream frosting. Add these cookies to your holiday baking list! Thank you Two Peas and their Pod

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup of dried cranberries

For the White Chocolate Buttercream:
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk, or as needed

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 
• Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
• In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. 
• Set aside.
• Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy. 
• Mix in the egg and vanilla. 
• Slowly add the dry ingredients. 
• Mix until just combined. 
• Stir in the oats and dried cranberries.
• Roll cookie dough into tablespoon size balls and place on prepared cookie sheet. 
• Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. 
• Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes. 
• Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. 
• While the cookies are cooling, make the white chocolate buttercream. 
• Place white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl 
• Heat in 30-second intervals until chips begin to melt, about 1 minute. 
• Stir and repeat, heating chips about 10 seconds at a time, until thoroughly melted. 
• Stir until chocolate is smooth and no more lumps remain. 
• Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed in a mixing bowl until fluffy. 
• Beat in half of the powdered sugar, melted white chocolate, vanilla and milk until mixture is smooth and creamy.
• Slowly beat in remaining powdered sugar until smooth 
• If frosting is too stiff, add in a little more milk.
• To make the sandwich cookies, spread or pipe white chocolate buttercream on the inside of one cookie. 
• Top with another cookie. 
• Continue making sandwich cookies. 
• Store cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature.

Note-you may have extra buttercream, depending on how much you add between each cookie. You can keep the leftover buttercream in the fridge for up to a week.

Homemade Apple Pie Spice

As we head into Fall baking, there is no need to spend $2-$3 on a store bought jar of Apple Pie Spice, when you probably  have the 4 ingredients in your kitchen! Thank you $5 Dinners 

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
Dash of cardamom (optional)

• Place all ingredients in small, sealable container and mix together. Use as directed in recipes that call for apple pie spice.
• Store in a dry place, up to 6 months.