Peanut Butter Blossoms with Hershey's Kisses

Most of the time life is not about complicated things. My husband's birthday was a few days ago. And, it's the little and simple things that really make him happy (next to flying an airplane, of course). I thought I would surprise him with one of his all time favorite cookies, "Peanut Butter Blossoms". His grandmother (Mima) use to make this when he was a kid, so it's a classic for him and very nostalgic of his childhood. These cookies could not be any easier. There are many versions of this recipe, including one that calls for prepackaged peanut butter cookie mix, but it is really so much better to make your own from scratch. This was so simple that I did not even need to whip out the mixer. I just used a wooden spoon to mix everything. I got the kids involved by unwrapping the Hershey's Kisses (that was probably the most time consuming part) and they also placed them on top of each cookie....so much fun for them. Below is a recipe made with whole wheat flour that still captures this classic cookie's profile but very homemade and oh so good!!!

Peanut Butter Blossoms with Hershey's Kisses

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt (just a little to bring out the flavor)

1/4 cup sugar (to roll cookies in)

Approximately 48 milk chocolate Hershey’s kisses, unwrapped (I'm going to try dark chocolate next time)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine sugar, brown sugar, butter and peanut butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, milk and continue beating until well mixed. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. (If dough is too soft, refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes.) Roll balls in 1/4 cup sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until very lightly golden brown. Immediately press 1 chocolate kiss in center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets; cool completely on wire racks. ENJOY!

Makes about 3-1/2 dozen

Spiced Almonds

One of the foods I love to snack on are nuts. They're easy to transport and pack a lot of nutrition in a small amount. I love almost every variety of nuts. I especially love almonds, whether it's plain, savory or sweet. I have included below a really simple and easy spiced almond recipe that give these nuts just a little kick.

Almonds are not only loaded with high quality protein (6 grams per one ounce), but they are rich in vitamin E, fiber, and vitamin B to name a few.

Spiced Almonds

Ingredients

2 cups whole unsalted almonds

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Directions

Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a bowl.

In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, garlic, cayenne pepper and salt. Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Stir the spices into the oil and cook, stirring until warm, about 30 seconds. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently, until the nuts are warm and the spices are evenly distributed. Add the hot pepper sauce and stir to distribute. Remove the almonds from the pan and allow them to cool before serving.

Sunday Dinner: Main Dish - Tilapia, Dessert - Flan

Pan-seared Tilapia with Steamed Rice and Brussels Sprouts

I love Sunday family dinners. On tonight's menu: Fish. I was raised on fish, but cooking fish at home is tricky. First picking very fresh fish is important, and it cooks really fast, so you have tend to it every second. The advantage of cooking fish at home, rather than getting it at a restaurant, is that even the really good restaurants cook fish in a lot of butter. Let's face it, butter makes it taste good, so you keep coming back. Here's a really quick, simple, healthier Pan-Seared Tilapia recipe that anyone can tackle.

Pan-Seared Tilapia

Ingredients

• 4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. Rinse tilapia fillets in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides of each fillet with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish; gently press each fillet into the flour to coat and shake off the excess flour.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; cook the tilapia in the hot oil until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 4 minutes per side. Brush the melted butter onto the tilapia in the last minute before removing from the skillet. Serve immediately.

...and for dessert, Flan. Again, another food that I grew up eating, the Filipino culture has a lot of custard desserts (known as leche flan). My grandmother made the BEST flan desserts ever! I'm in a state of nostalgia every time I have a piece. The key, similar to fish, is not to over cook flan. The silky texture is destroyed with over cooking, check if it's done about 10 minutes before recommended cook time. This is a once in a while dessert because it is very rich, but it's Sunday Dinner, so a treat is in order, baked fresh. Below is a simple Kahlua Flan recipe that will wow!

Flan...one word, Silky Yummy! Ok, maybe two words...

Kahlua Flan

(Emeril Lagasse recipe)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)
• Mexican chocolate shavings and cocoa powder, garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, cook the sugar over medium heat until it starts to melt. Lower the heat and cook until caramelized to a golden brown. (Do not stir or touch the sugar, but swirl the pan to melt evenly.)

Pour into a metal flan mold or 9-inch cake pan. Turn the dish and swirl to evenly coat the bottom. Let caramel cool and harden.

Place the dish in a larger roasting pan and add hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the condensed and evaporated milks and Kahlua and whisk well to blend. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until set and just firm in the center but still jiggles slightly, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.

To serve, run a thin sharp knife around the rim of the flan. Place a platter or large plate on top of the flan and gently flip over so the plate is on the bottom. Lift away the mold. Garnish with powdered cocoa and top with Mexican chocolate shavings.

Cut into wedges and serve immediately.