Farewell.

Did you know that there are 2.2 million cooking blogs out there? Okay, I really don't know the true stats on that but I'm pretty sure there's a kajillion. I love reading many of them and could never compete. I love to cook but I don't love to try and capture what I bake/simmer/create on film. And I also don't have time to blog about my footloose and fancy free time (ha!) in the kitchen these days. So I will say farewell to this blog. Thanks for reading and hopefully some of you enjoyed a recipe or two.

Hanky-Panky Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

Perfect for the heartwarming holiday. An easy red velvet chocolate cookie with cream cheese icing tucked in the middle. I've baked them with both a red velvet cake mix and with a regular chocolate cake mix with red food coloring added. Both were delicious. Red velvet cake mixes are a little more difficult to find (Duncan Hines makes them). Either way, they'll be a hit!

Cookie:
1 pkg milk chocolate cake mix (*if using Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake mix, see note)
2/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 tsp red food coloring

Combine all ingredients; mix thoroughly. Roll into 24 balls or use a cookie scoop to make uniform cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Do not overbake (cookies will be soft). Wait 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Icing:
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup butter at room temperature
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend cream cheese and butter together. Slowly mix in powdered sugar and vanilla. Blend until smooth and fluffy. To assemble sandwich cookies, take two cooled cookies and press together with a generous dollop of cream cheese icing. Chill assembled cookies in refrigerator to set.

*If using Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake mix, decrease shortening to 1/2 cup and omit red food coloring.

Blondies ala Mode

The only thing that comes close to the comforting marriage of warm and cold - brownies ala mode - are their kissing cousin, Blondies ala Mode. Oh my. Here are two recipes for you. I could go on about each of them individually, but I will combine them (and you should too) and experience their sinful goodness!

Blondies ala Mode
Blondies:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2/3 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift dry ingredients together (flour through walnuts) and set aside. Combine butter and brown sugar together; mix well. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients with butter mixture a little at a time. Batter will be very thick. Spread evenly into a 9x13 baking dish that the bottom has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Caramel Sauce:
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter (no substitutes)

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 3 minutes, stirring regularly. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Makes approximately 1 1/2 pints.

To assemble dessert, top a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on an individual warm blondie. Top with caramel sauce and garnish with additional chopped walnuts.

Coconut Brunch Bread

Who are we kidding? This rich, buttery, coconut confection is such a pound cake but oh what a pound cake! I've had this recipe for a few years and never got around to making it. As you know, anything with coconut is on my must-try list. I reduced the fat slightly and exchanged coconut milk for the regular milk the recipe called for...I was not disappointed.

Next time I think I will serve its decadent slices with some Lemon Curd.

Coconut Brunch Bread
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Dash salt
2 teaspoons coconut extract
1 cup coconut milk

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar and oil. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture alternately with coconut milk. Generously grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until cake springs back when touched.

As soon as cake comes out of the oven, combine 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, 3 Tablespoons butter in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Whisk in 1 teaspoon coconut extract. While the hot cake is still in the Bundt pan, slowly pour syrup over the top. Allow to cool in pan; syrup will soak into cake. Remove from pan and dust with confectioner's sugar.

Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip

What a weekend of get-togethers! My handsome nephew just arrived home Friday night from the New York, New York Spanish-speaking mission and his "homecoming" was today only to be followed by a surprise birthday party for my brother Bill and our soon-to-be family member, Derek (he and my cute niece Chelsea are to be married in May). I've been waiting to try this recipe and thought this weekend would be the perfect time. The warm, bubbly dip was slightly spicy, filling and seemed to be the perfect tasty accompaniment to several foods.

Serve with crackers, crusty bread rounds and celery sticks

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
3/4 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot)
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing or Bleu Cheese dressing
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

In a medium skillet, heat chicken and hot pepper sauce over medium heat. Add cream cheese and stir until smooth. Stir in dressing and 3/4 cup shredded cheese. Cook until mixture is heated through. Transfer to a crock pot or baking dish and top with remaining shredded cheese. For crock pot, cook on low until hot and bubbly (about 1 hour). For oven, bake on 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve warm.

THE EASIEST Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies You'll Ever Make!

1 pkg yellow cake mix (I prefer Betty Crocker)
1 small can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup water
2 cups chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together; stir until well combined. Drop by generous spoonfuls on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes (depending on size).

Cowboy Wontons with Spicy Ranch Dipping Sauce

I had something similar to these at a restaurant a while ago and have been wanting to recreate them ever since. They come together quickly and the flavor combination is perfect. Serve them as an appetizer or like we did, with corn-on-the-cob and a green salad for dinner.

Wontons:

3 cups cooked, shredded chicken in barbecue sauce

12 uncooked egg roll wrappers

canola oil

Spicy Ranch Dipping Sauce:

1 cup buttermilk

2 cups mayonnaise

Juice from one lime

3 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp Worcester sauce

1/2 tsp ground chipotle pepper

1 tsp paprika

For wontons, spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of chicken mixture in center of uncooked egg roll wrapper. Moisten each corner with a small amount of water. Bring two opposite corners together and pinch to fasten. Bring remaining two opposites corners together and repeat, forming large wonton shapes. Keep prepared, uncooked wontons covered to avoid them drying out.

Using a deep skillet, heat a generous amount of canola oil to 300 degrees OR over medium-high heat until a few drops of water bubble in the oil. Carefully place 3 wontons at a time in heated oil and cook, turning periodically for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown and egg roll wrappers are bubbly. Using tongs, remove from oil and allow to cool slightly on paper towels.

For dipping sauce, whisk together all ingredients and place in refrigerator approximately 1 hour before serving. This will allow the flavors to combine and the sauce to thicken slightly. Serve cooked wontons with generous amounts of dipping sauce.