Sarah's Birthday Pasta

My daughter turned 25 this last week.... I feel old to have a 25 year old daughter. But it was fun to have her home. I always let my kids pick what they want for dinner on their birthdays and this year was no different. She couldn't decide at first, but then she said she wanted my chicken Alfredo or something like it with bacon.... so we thought and I suggested a few things but this is what we came up with. I used  my sun dried tomato Alfredo sauce and we put grilled chicken, sauteed mushrooms and artichokes, and cooked bacon! And to mix it up a bit we used farfalle pasta (bow tie pasta) instead of fettuccine. She also requested bruschetta for an appetizer and the rest of us were lucky to get any...the leftover tomato mixture made a good garnish for the top of the Alfredo, it looked pretty and tasted great, I steamed fresh asparagus to go with this pasta and we had  crusty baguette bread warmed in the oven... mmmmm is this what heaven on a plate tastes like? oh, and it's not for the calorie conscious.. but this was a splurge for a birthday dinner.... YUMMO! Happy birthday Sarah!!

Sarah's Birthday Pasta
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and sliced into 1/4 inch thick  pieces
4 to 6 pieces bacon, cooked and chopped into bite size pieces
1 small package sliced mushrooms
1 (14-oz) can Artichoke hearts, quartered (not the marinated kind, just canned in water)
1 box Farfalle Pasta (bow tie) you may not need the whole box
Sun dried tomato Alfredo Sauce (see recipe below)
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook chicken however you desire. I like to marinate mine in McCormick's Garlic, Herb and Wine marinade for a few hours, and then grill on a medium hot grill for about 7 minutes per side or until done. I let cool and then slice into thin slices to put in my pasta.
Cook your bacon, I like to put mine on a cooling rack that I place on a cookie sheet. Then I bake it at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes... perfect bacon. Let cool slightly , then I slice into bite size pieces.
Heat a pot of salted water to boil so you can cook your noodles.
Start your Alfredo sauce (see recipe below).
I start my mushrooms next, by putting a little olive oil in a skillet and heating it over medium heat, then add your mushrooms and cook about 7 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Next I toss in my artichoke hearts and cook for about 2 more minutes to warm them up.
Once your pot of water starts to boil, add your pasta and cook according to the package directions or until al dente (bow tie pasta takes a bit longer than fettuccine.... I think I cooked mine about 12 minutes).Then drain and set aside.
When your sauce and the pasta are done, add the chicken, most of the bacon (save just a bit for garnishing if you like), mushrooms,  artichokes, and pasta (you may not need the whole box, I had a little left over) to the sauce. Toss to combine. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and reserved bacon pieces as desired. Enjoy!!

Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce
6 Tablespoons butter
1 whole garlic bulb, roasted (click here to see how to do that) or 1 heaping Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup diced sun dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil with 2 tablespoons of the oil
3 ounces cream cheese, softened or brought to room temperature (this could be optional, I found a few recipes on the internet that had it and thought it would help thicken the sauce, but not necessary)
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half and half or milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
dash of Cayenne pepper
dash of nutmeg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for Garnishing

Melt butter in a large skillet with deep sides (you will add everything to this pan later) over medium heat. sqeeze the garlic out of the skin onto a plate and mush with a fork. Add the garlic paste (or minced garlic) and the sun dried tomatos and some of the oil that they come in (about 2 tablespoons) to the butter and cook for about 1or 2  minutes or until slightly browned. Add the cream cheese and cook until the cheese kind of blends into the butter then whisk in the cream and the half and half, keep the heat at about medium to medium-low, and bring this to barely a simmer (if this boils too hard, the cream and the butter separate and look curdled) Once its at a low simmer, cook for about 5 minutes then add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and Parmesan cheese. Bring mixture back to a low simmer and continue to cook another 5 to 8 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring often. ( Remember, don't simmer at too high of heat or it will separate)
Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.

Creamy Cheddar Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup

 Lately I have been in a soup mood.... it's about the only thing that sounds good on a cold day when you come home tired and stressed from work. The Pioneer woman made Broccoli soup on her show a few weeks ago, and in one of my magazines they had a whole section on soup, and one of them was a broccoli soup. I had been craving a good creamy soup for a while, but I didn't really like either recipe on it's own, so I took what I liked about both and combined them and did a few things of my own too. This is the recipe I came up with! Remember...you don't have to use Cauliflower in this soup, you can use all broccoli, but I like both. Also, I used fresh broccoli and cauliflower. You could use frozen if you like, just thaw it out a little before hand. You could even use the frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mix if you like. I loved it! Enjoy!

Creamy Cheddar Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients to get soup started:
2-3  Tablespoons olive oil
1 whole onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 heads broccoli, (cut into florets) you want about 3 cups
1 head cauliflower (cut into florets)you want about 2 cups
3 cups water (or just enough to almost cover veggies in soup pot)
2 Teaspoons chicken bouillon
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium/high heat. When hot, saute onion and celery for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broccoli and cauliflower, and just enough water to almost cover your veggies. Add Chicken bouillon and stir to combine. Bring this to a boil, then turn down the heat a little, but keep it simmering. Cover and cook about 15 to 20 minutes or until broccoli and other veggies are tender.
While your broccoli is simmering. Make a white sauce.
Ingredients for White sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
heaping 1/3 cup of flour
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
dash of nutmeg
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Then add the flour and whisk to combine, let this butter and flour mixture cook for a minute or two, but keep whisking once in a while and don't let it burn. Then slowly whisk in the 3 cups milk. Stir and cook until this mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Takes about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, hot sauce(hot sauce just enhances the flavor I think), and nutmeg, Stir to combine. Remove from heat.
Once your broccoli is tender, add the white sauce to the soup pot along with:
1 cup cream (or half n'half)
Stir to combine. At this point you can use a potato masher to smash some of the broccoli up, I put half of it in a blender and pureed, then added back to the pot. or if you have an immersion blender (something I need to invest in I think) use that to puree some of the soup but leave some of the broccoli chunky.
Next stir in :
3 to 4 cups grated cheese (I used Medium Cheddar, but Sharp Cheddar or Jack cheese would be good)
Stir to combine and melt cheese. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve in individual bowls. Garnish with more grated cheese, croutons, and bacon bits. Enjoy!!

Cherry 'Kiss' Cookies

 I posted this cookie recipe last week I think for Valentines day, but since then I have made them again and tweaked the recipe a bit. They were good with the original recipe but I thought they needed a little something more. So I added a little more Almond Extract, toasted almond slices, and more cherry juice. I topped them with Hershey's kisses with almonds... Perfect!!!! I LOVE cookies with a little crunch to them, and with a little more almond extract and almond slices added to the dough... all I can say is YUMMO! And since tomorrow is Presidents day, make some of these in honor of George Washington... after all he chopped down a cherry tree!!

Almond Cherry 'Kiss' Cookies
Ingredients :
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice

3/4 teaspoon almond extract 

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup chopped maraschino cherries
1/2 cup (or slightly more) toasted almond slices
48 Hershey chocolate kisses  with almonds
granulated sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Toast almond slices by spreading in a thin layer on a cookie sheet and baking for about 7 minutes or until slightly browned. (watch closely, you don't want to burn them.) Set aside.
In a mixing bowl beat butter for 30 seconds on med-high speed. Add powdered sugar and salt beating until combined (scrape sides of bowl). Beat in the cherry liquid and almond extract. Beat in as much flour as you can then use a spoon to mix any remaining flour, the chopped cherries, and toasted almonds slices.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass dipped in granulated sugar, flatten the balls until they are about 1/2 inch thick. Bake about 10 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. Right away place a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Raisin-Date Oatmeal Crumble Bars

I watched the Pioneer Woman on the food network the other day, I love her show, I love her house! Especially her kitchen!!! But anyway, she made a version of  this recipe on her show. (go here for the original recipe) It looked yummy, but while I was watching it I thought that I would like to try it with a different filling, jam didn't sound good to me (that's just me though) I love Raisin filled cookies and thought that the filling from my cookie recipe would be good in these bars! Then, thinking of past recipes, my mom had made a date bar when I was young that I loved too, so I thought I would combine dates and raisins in the filling and add coarsely chopped pecans too! Remember though, you can use all raisins and no dates if you want. Oh my goodness these were divine... if you love raisin filled cookies you will love these... served warm with ice cream or whipped cream  and you will think you are in heaven... I did. Before I knew it I eaten a whole row! (you know how it is... you have to even off the edge of the pan..... ) Enjoy!

Raisin-Date Oatmeal Crumble Bars
Ingredients:
1-3/4 sticks salted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing pan
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cup oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Raisin-Date filling (See recipe below)

Directions
Make your filling--(see recipe below or you could use jam)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch rectangular pan.
In a large mixer bowl, combine together the butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt, and mix with your mixer. Don't worry if this is a little dry, crumbly dough, that's how it's supposed to be. Press half the oat mixture into the prepared pan. Spread with the raisin-date filling. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly. Bake until light brown, 25-30  minutes. Let cool completely, and then cut into squares.

This is how they look, lightly golden around the edges.... notice the row I about finished off by myself..Yikes!
Raisin-date filling
1 cup raisins
1 cup water
Grind in blender or food processor, keep it kind of chunky.
Add to saucepan with:
1 cup chopped dates (I used a whole package of chopped dates, they were coated with sugar)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (if your dates have sugar on them use 1/2 cup sugar,  if they don't have any added sugar use 3/4 cup granulated sugar when making your filling)
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
Dash of salt
1/2 to 1 cup finely chopped nuts (opt) I used coarsely chopped pecans
Cook over medium heat until thickened slightly (about 3 to 5 minutes) Set aside and let cool while you make your crust.

Chocolate Espresso Cake

 I made this cake for my Boss's husband's birthday. I thought I would post it now since it's almost Valentine's day and it's a rich Chocolate cake. It was yummo! I got the recipe here and followed it close except I didn't have espresso powder, I used Starbucks medium roast instant coffee instead (I use in baking, I couldn't find the espresso powder) I also toasted some almond slices, and garnished the sides and top with those and chocolate shavings. I dare you to make this for someone special this Valentines day. YUM!

Chocolate Espresso Cake

serves 16

For the Cake

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup milk (whole or 2%), at room temperature

6 Tablespoons of grapeseed  oil (or canola oil)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup very hot water

For the Buttercream

4 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

1 cup (8-ounces) butter, at room temperature

2 teaspoons espresso powder

1 teaspoon water

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Ganache

12 ounces semisweet chocolate

1/4 cup (2 ounces) butter, diced and at room temperature

1 cup heavy cream

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

For the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line  a 15 1/2" x 10 1/2" jelly-roll pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick baking spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt at medium speed until blended.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.  With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, about 5 minutes.  Reduce the speed to low and pour in the hot water; mix until blended.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and blend again.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out of the center clean, about 20-25 minutes.  Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Buttercream
In a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a clean whisk attachment, beat yolks at medium speed until they become light and lemony in color and ribbons form when the whisk is lifted, about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water.  Cook over medium-low heat, swirling pan occasionally, until the sugar completely dissolves and the syrup comes just to a boil.  Increase the heat to high and boil syrup until it registers 238 F on a candy thermometer. With the mixer on medium speed, carefully add the hot syrup to the egg yolks in a thin, steady stream.  Beat the mixture until it cools to room temperature and is light and fluffy, about 10 minutes.  Gradually add the butter a tablespoon at a time until completely incorporated.  In a small bowl, dissolve the espresso powder in the water; beat into the buttercream.

Invert cake onto a large wire rack and peel off the parchment paper.  Invert cake again onto a large cutting board.  With a serrated knife, cut the cake equally into thirds.  Set a large wire rack over a baking sheet (this will collect the poured ganache).  Arrange one cake layer on rack; spread half the buttercream evenly over top.  Add another cake layer and spread remaining buttercream on top.  Place the remaining cake layer over buttercream.  Place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set and chill slightly.

                       (this is what your 3 layer's of cake should look like)

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chocolate and butter.  In a small saucepan, heat cream and sugar over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until small bubbles appear around the edge of the pan.  Pour the hot cream mixture of the chocolate and butter; stir until the mixture is completely melted and smooth.  Cool, stirring occasionally, until it is thickened and cooled, but not pasty, about 20 minutes.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and pour the ganache over the top of the cake, spreading with an off-set spatula so it coats the sides.  If ganache does not cover the sides completely, pour any excess that has collected on the baking sheet back into the bowl and spread again.  Refrigerate the cake until the ganache sets, at least 1 hour.  Using two large spatulas, carefully transfer the cake onto a serving platter.  Leftover cake can be stored in the refrigerator, covered for up to five days.  Set the cake out at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Garnish with toasted almond slices and chocolate slivers.... Enjoy!

Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

I have posted a recipe for Whoopie pies before but then I ran across this one!! EASY and Delicious!! Have you ever made cake mix cookies? These are made from a cake mix which makes the cookies moist and soft and well ...cakey... perfect for Whoopie Pies!! Whoopie Pies are like Moon pies (if you have ever heard of those) They are about the size of the palm of your hand and filled like a sandwich cookie... This recipe says to make big ones with 2 tablespoons of dough for each whoopie pie... I used a teaspoon, making mini moon pies I guess.... You can do either... and make them round. I shaped mine like footballs for a Super bowl party we had a work. YUM! I'm also warning you the peanut butter filling is addicting... I doubled the batch (which I posted!) because you can't have enough frosting in the middle if you ask me.. and that way there is a little left over to eat by itself. If you're like me I like the peanut butter in Reese's PB cups the best and this tastes a lot like that! See my note after the cookie recipe for instructions on how to get the football shape.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies
1 box chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup canola or grape seed oil
3 eggs
1/4 cup water

Mix all four ingredients together and place on cookie sheet by two tablespoons sizes balls. Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes or drop by smaller teaspoon size balls and bake 8-10 minutes, depending on how crispy you’d like them. I baked my for 9 minutes they were perfect for whoopie pies.

** for the football shaped whoopie pies, I made a quenelle, for a short video on how to do that go here, (I didn't get my spoons hot though, ) I used two teaspoons (not measuring spoons) and did a small quenelle and placed on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper... I baked for 9 minutes and voila! you have a football shape! After I filled them I did my football laces with a thick mixture of powdered sugar and water, about 1/2 cup sugar and then I added water a teaspoon full at a time until I got the right consistency, not too runny. Place in a baggy, snip the corner off and make your foot ball laces.

Peanut butter filling:
1 cup chunky peanut butter (creamy works too!)
6 tablespoons butter
4 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons milk

Beat peanut butter and butter together then add powdered sugar and milk and mix until creamy. Beat on medium high speed for a minute or two to fluff the frosting.
Fill a piping bag with a large round tip  and swirl the filling onto the bottom side of one cookie,then topping it off with another cookie... making a sandwich.

 This makes 12 large whoopie pies, I made mine smaller with just a teaspoon full of dough, and got about 22.

Sesame Chicken Noodle Bowls

I went from craving Mexican food to craving something Asian.... while browsing on Pinterest I ran across a few recipes for dishes with steamed veggies and noodles. MMMM they looked good. I just got hooked to America's Taste Kitchen / Cooks Country, and while browsing that sight I ran across this recipe.... of course I tweaked it by adding more vegetables to it, and I grilled my chicken and then sliced it. But it was delicious and just what I was hungry for. YUM! I might add that it was pretty easy too! I think next time I make it I will add some steamed broccoli or a stir fry mix with broccoli in it just because I can! Enjoy!

Sesame Chicken Noodle Bowls
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter (chunky peanut butter adds better flavor!)
2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
Water (hot)

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves  (I used 3 large ones, use 4 if they are small)
Table salt
Ground black pepper
1 pound fresh Asian noodles or 12 ounces dried spaghetti (I used whole grain spaghetti--cooked 7 minutes or until al dente)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
4 scallions , sliced thin on diagonal (or 1/2 of a regular onion, diced, works well too)
1 medium carrot , grated (Use a food processor so the pieces are thicker, or julienne your carrot into thin strips)
1 stalk celery, sliced thin on the diagonal
4 or 5 fresh mushrooms, sliced thin

Instructions:
To make the sauce:
 Toast sesame seeds in medium skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon sesame seeds in small bowl. In blender or food processor, puree remaining 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, and sugar until smooth, about 30 seconds. With machine running, add hot water 1 tablespoon at time until sauce has consistency of heavy cream, about 5 tablespoons; set blender jar or work bowl aside.

2. Bring 6 quarts water to boil in stockpot over high heat. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to 6 inches from broiler element; heat broiler. Spray broiler pan top with vegetable cooking spray; Sprinkle the chicken with a little salt and pepper on both sides, then place the chicken breasts on top of the broiler pan and broil chicken until lightly browned, 4 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken over and continue to broil until thickest part is no longer pink when cut into and registers about 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes.  (you could grill your chicken on an outside grill, cooking over medium high heat for about 7 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chicken)
 Transfer cooked chicken to cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Slice your chicken in about 1/4 inch thick slices, cover and set aside.
Add salt and noodles to boiling water; boil noodles until tender, about 4 minutes for fresh and 10 minutes for dried. While your noodles cook, heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. When hot add the onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms to the pan, and saute for about 4 to 5 minutes until crunchy tender.
 Drain the noodles, then rinse with a little hot running tap water; drain again. In large bowl, toss noodles with sesame oil until evenly coated. Add  noodles to the skillet with the vegetables, then add the sliced chicken,  and sauce; toss to combine. Divide among individual bowls, sprinkle each bowl with portion of reserved sesame seeds, and serve. YUMMO!

Mocha Almond Fudge Cookies

Since it's February and the month is all about chocolate I thought I would post this recipe today. I made these cookies over the weekend...Sunday afternoons are when I usually crave something gooey and chocolaty. Maybe it's because I know I have to go back to work on Monday and need to spoil myself a little. This recipe is based  on the good old Chocolate Oatmeal cookie recipe I got from my mom, but I tweaked it a little. I love Mocha Almond Fudge Ice Cream, I just love that rich mocha chocolate flavor with a hint of Almond, so when I was trying to decide what cookie recipe to make, I thought  to myself 'Hey, why not experiment a little and see what you can come with?" I had some Starbuck's instant coffee packets in the cupboard (I use occasionally in cooking since I'm not a coffee drinker) and I thought that would help give my cookies the mocha flavor I was craving... Coffee really enhances the flavor of chocolate, but if you don't have coffee on hand, by all means you can still make these cookies just leave it out! I added toasted sliced almonds, almond flavoring, toffee chips, and Nestle's dark Chocolate chips and Viola..... YUMMALICIOUS!! I think I ate 5 right out of the oven!! Then I took the rest to work on Monday to share with the office.... mmmmm!

Mocha Almond Fudge Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Dark cocoa powder (I used a Rich Dark Dutch Cocoa powder but if you don't have dark, use what you have)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 single serving packet Starbucks House Blend Instant Coffee (optional)
1 Tablespoon water (or 2 if your dough seems dry after you add the flour and oatmeal)
1 cup quick Quaker oats
1 cup Nestle's Dark Chocolate chips
1/2 cup  Heath Toffee Bits
1/2 cup toasted sliced Almonds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cookie sheet by lining with Parchment paper, or spray with a non-stick cooking spray (I prefer parchment paper). Toast your Sliced Almonds on a separate cookie sheet by spreading in a thin layer and baking in the preheated 350 degree oven for about 5 to 7 minutes... watch closely! They burn quick! Let cool.
Sift together the flour, soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes) . Next add the egg and mix until combined. Then comes the vanilla extract, almond extract, coffee (if you are going to use it), and 1 Tablespoon water. (you can dissolve the coffee in the water if you like and then add to the cookie dough, I just tossed them in as is) Mix until all the flavoring's are incorporated.
Slowly add in the flour mixture to the butter mixture and continue mixing until the flour is incorporated, then stir in your oatmeal. (If your dough seems dry add another Tablespoon of water or milk) Now add the chocolate chips, toffee bits, and sliced almonds and stir with a spoon  to combine.
Drop by tablespoons full onto prepared cookie sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes!! (I found that baking for 8 minutes is about perfect, then let sit on cookie sheet for another minute) Let cool on cooling rack.... enjoy with a tall glass of milk and you'll think you've made it to heaven!! YUM!