Thai Chicken Bites with Peanut Noodles

This might be our new favorite kind of chicken.  None of these need to be exact measurements.
Sweet chili sauce
chicken breasts
oil
1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup of flour
seasoning salt

Whisk together flour, panko, and seasoning salt.  Cut up chicken into bite size pieces and toss with flour.

Heat a layer of oil in a skillet on medium heat.  Once the pan is heated add the chicken and flip after a few minutes and golden brown on one side and then cook for a couple more minutes and brown on the other side.  Remove from heat and toss with sauce in pan.  It's not spicy so you can use quite a bit of the sauce.

Now on the noodles.  I used bottled peanut sauce but you can use your own. 
1 package of rice noodles
peanut suace
a few cilantro leaves
a lime
sesame seeds
bean sprouts and chopped peanuts would be great toppings too

Pour boiling and I mean boiling water not hot over noodles and let rest 5-10 min until tender and then drain.

Toss with peanut sauce to taste and top with fresh lime juice, sesame seeds and cilantro.

Mexican Chocolate Fondue

Super easy.  It takes less than 10 min.  Some of the flavors may seem odd but they add a nice flavor.

1/2 cup of chocolate chips
1/2 cup of cream
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
1 tablespoon of vanilla

Whisk cream with vanilla, and spices in a small sauce pan or fondue pot on a low heat.  Warm until it begins to bubble

Turn off heat and whisk in chocolate chips and let rest for 5 min. Then whisk together and turn heat back on low

 I diced up some soft pretzel and pound cake but you can use whatever.  Fruit is always good too.

Almond Raspberry Scones

2 cups of flour
1 1/2ish cups of raspberries
1 cup of cream
6 tablespoons of butter cubed up (cold)
3 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of slat
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.  Cut cold butter into flour using a pastry cutter or fork until it resembles course corn meal

Gently mix in cream and almond extract and then raspberries.  They will get mashed and its okay

Form dough into a large but still thick disk and cut into eight wedges

Bake at 400 for 15-18 min. Remove from oven and cool before glazing

Whisk together some powdered sugar, milk and almond extract to desired consistency  Drizzle glaze over scones and then let the glaze set up.

Swiss Cheese and WIne Bread

I had coffee with a friend the other day and they were selling wine and cheese bread so when I got home I thought I would give it a try.

3 cups of flour (bread flour is better but you can use all purpose)
2 teaspoons of surgar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 stick of butter
3 eggs
2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1 pound of Swiss cheese (or other kind)

Mix together sugar, butter, salt and wine.   Heat slowly until it reaches 115-120 degrees and the butter is partially melted.   It is important that it does not get over or it will be too hot and kill the yeast.

Whisk together flour and yeast and then mix in wine mixture to flour  Thoroughly combine

Mix in eggs and then knead for 5 min

Cube up cheese.  I bought sliced cheese which makes it easy to cut up.  Knead in cheese and then place in a greased bowl.

Cover and place in a warm place and let rise until doubled about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down and turn into a loaf pan and let rise for about 40 min to 1 hour until doubled.

Bake at 400 for about 40 min.

Let cool and slice

Salted Caramel Butter Cookies

Cookies
1 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1 1/2 sticks of butter

Cream together butter and sugar and then add yolks and vanilla

Slowly mix in flour

Scoop and make a valley and then chill for 30 min. Bake at 350 for 10-12 min then cool completely

Now for the caramel
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of butter
3 tablespoons of cream

In a small sauce pan whisk together butter and sugar.  Heat over medium low heat until bubbling and then cook 1 min longer.  Remove from heat and then whisk in cream. Cool for 15 min

Spoon caramel into valley and then sprinkle with course sea salt and let cool completely

Chocolate Mint Cookies

1 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of sugar
1 1/2 sticks of butter
3/4 cups of cocoa powder (I love Hershey's Special DarkO
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract
1 teaspoon of espresso powder

Whisk together espresso, cocoa, and flour

Whisk together softened butter and then sugar and add in egg and peppermint until fluffy

Slowly stir in flour mixture.  Scoop with a small cookies scoop about a tablespoon and flatted.  Then refrigerate for about 30 min

Bake at 375 for 15 min.  Cool completely.  Melt chocolate chips in freezer bag in microwave and drizzle onto cookies and then let cool so the chocolate can firm up.

Chocoalte Mint Patties

These took only 10 min of active time

1 pound of powdered sugar
4 oz of softened cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract

Whisk together cream cheese and powdered sugar and roll into small balls

Make a valley with a measuring spoon and then refrigerate covered for at least an hour

Melt some chocolate chips in a freezer bag in the microwave.  Cut off a corner and squeeze into valley.  Chill to harden up chocolate.