Mud Hens

Well, well, look who decided to post something after 2 years! 
So, shall we get started? Mud Hens. What are Mud Hens? Beats me. But, the better question would be, are they delicious? The answer is yes! Sweet, buttery, brown sugar goodness with a bit of saltiness. Think Kettle Corn or a Werther’s Original candy. Yum. Simple to make and no mixer involved. No mixer! Yay! Let us all take a moment for one less thing to wash…….. Okay, you can continue reading now.
Where did the name come from? After careful research I discovered that no one really knows. What I do know is that the name is also used for a minor league baseball team located inToledo, Ohio and a bird found in a marsh. If you know, please leave a comment.
Now, before someone out that goes crazy about my version of the recipe, I would like to point out that I know there is a different one involving marshmallows and chocolate chips. I also know that it is terribly southern and I live in the greatest state in the South, but I also live in an almost marshmallow free house where they are looked down upon and spoken badly of for their less than food like qualities. Don’t get me wrong, I would never say this but others have unless it is Thanksgiving and Fluff Salad is involved but I digress.

Moving on….
I would now like to share a few things that I have learned during my 2 year hiatus.

1. The statistic is somewhat true that Americans only bake 4.5 times a year. I bake more than that but it is not far off.

2. When you have a 6 year and a 3 year old you are only asked to bring/bake two things to school. Shaped sugar cookies with sprinkles and cupcakes with a ring stuck on top. Being slightly quirky *cough, cough*, I had a hard time buying store bought cupcakes. A really hard time. (Disclaimer: No one said they had to be store bought. Those came with said rings that 6 year old wanted.) I must confess that I bought them, took the rings out, baked my own, and stuck the rings in mine. Yes, I’m nuts. But, if I’m going to be a nut I would really like to be a walnut. At least they are loaded with Omega-3’s.

3. Baking powder really does settle in the bottom of the can from lack of use.

4. Baking 151 dessert recipes in a year was really kinda mean to my family. I’m sorry that you all became pre-diabetics. Hope you are enjoying my new hobby of reading until my eyeballs fall out. This one should really not affect your health as much as it is affecting mine. J

5. I have learned other things that I either do not feel like sharing or I don’t remember. A 6 year old and a 3 year old will do that to you. 

So now the big question that you all are dying to ask is if this post is the beginning of many more to look forward to in the weeks to come? Shoot no, I have 37 books on“my shelf” to read. But hey, if nothing else you never know when I might pop up.

 

Mud Hens
Courtesy of CookieClubRecipes.com

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs, well beaten
2 c. self-rising flour
1 c. pecans (I used walnuts)
2 tsp. pure vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Melt butter and add sugars. Blend well by hand (no mixer). Add beaten eggs, stir well. Add self-rising flour and stir until all lumps are gone, just until blended. Add pecans and vanilla. Turn out into a greased and floured 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread with fingers or a spatula dipped in water to cover dish. Bake approximately 40 to 50 minutes being cautious not to over cook. When cool, cut into squares and enjoy!

 

Tahiti Blondies

If you are a regular FoodNetwork watcher of the show Throwdown you might have heard of this Blondie by another name. In this particular Blondie episode, the challenger made Tahiti Blonde Sweeties. Ring a bell? I had wanted to make this dessert for a long time but never took time to find the recipe. I found this copycat recipe on cookiemadness.net a few weeks ago and just had to make it for Mr. Man’s family birthday party. Can you believe he is one? I know, me either. Anyhoo, these were really wonderful right out of the oven. Made me feel like I was sitting on a beach in a sunny destination. If you put one up to your ear you can hear the ocean.:)
Things to note. The description in the recipe for the toothpick test was brilliant. Very accurate. Next time I will not press so much juice out of the pineapple. I got a little over zealous and I guess I thought I was dealing with frozen spinach instead of canned pineapple and it was a little too dehydrated and got lost in the flavors. Finally, now you might want to brace yourself for this one, it had too much coconut. I know, such a shocker coming from the coconut queen but it was leaning too much towards macaroon for me. So I suggest loosely packing it in the measuring cup. Other than that I give it two thumbs up!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tahiti Blondies
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup macadamia nuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup Hershey’s white chips
8 oz can of unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained, and pressed dry
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment or non-stick foil.
Mix flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture, then the coconut, nuts, pineapple, and chips. Do not over mix or the blondies will be more like chocolate chip bars.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick test gives a moist crumb. Do not over bake. Let cool, lift from pan, cut into bars.

Crispy Praline Cookies

Some days I just can’t decided what to make, and today was one of those days. I try to setup a schedule for the week, but sometimes I just do not want to make what I have planned. I was going to make shortbread today, but I wasn’t in the mood. I felt a little brown sugary today. I found this recipe in my file. Apparently, I cut this out of Southern Living in October 2002. What was I doing in October ’02? Hmmm. Oh, Oh, sorry. Cookies, you are here for the cookies. Not to hear about me being in graduate school in October ’02 which *clears throat* I never finished. Oh well, baking is more fun!!
This is a very thin crispy cookie just like the name implies. I baked mine for exactly 13 minutes. The cookie has a caramelized flavor with a light lacy edge. They do spread while baking so make sure you allow room. I tried to get mine to bake in perfect circles, however that is not really possible. You just have to except what the cookie gives you. I tried rolling them into balls after scooping them out of the bowl. Although, it made the cookie small and dense; this is not what you are looking for in this recipe. The lacy edge is very tasty and I would hate for you to miss that part.

Crispy Praline Cookies
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir together all ingredients in a large bowl, blending well. Drop cookie dough by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 350° for 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute; remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Crispy Praline-Chocolate Chip Cookies: Add 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels; bake as directed.
Yield: Makes about 2 dozen