Cooking Up Cottage

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  • Cinnamon Raisin Cookies

    cinnamon raisin cookies 2This is a delicious cookie that combines two of my favorite things: raisins and cinnamon!  It has a buttery flavor that you will love.  This recipe is an old favorite of mine.  It is one of the three cookie recipes that my sister and I would bake on snowy days when we were bored. We would make this cookie because it was easy to make and we usually had all of the ingredients on hand.  We would alternate between this recipe, Peanut Butter Cookies, and chocolate chip cookies.  My sister would spend all day trying to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie, which is something she still tries to do to this day.  You can tell this Cinnamon Raisin Cookie recipe takes me down memory lane, and after you make it you will see why. So let’s get out the ingredients, because you won’t want to miss out on this wonderful cookie.

    You will need an egg, softened butter, brown sugar, vanilla, water, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and raisins.

    Cinnamon Rasin Coookies ingredientsBreak the egg into a bowl and whisk the egg until it is light and foamy.

    Whipped up eggNow get out a large mixing bowl and add the softened butter and brown sugar. 

    addind brown sugarCream the shortening and brown sugar together.

    creaming sugar and butterPour the beaten egg into the creamed mixture.

    mixing in eggAdd the vanilla and the water.

    adding vanillaStir the mixture until you have a smooth creamy batter and set the mixing bowl aside.  Measure the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.

    flour for cookies

    adding salt Pour about half of the flour mixture into the creamed sugar mixture and stir it in.

    adding flour to sugar mixtureThen stir the second half of the flour into the batter.   Next measure and sprinkle the cinnamon over the batter and then stir it in. 

    adding cinnamonThen dump in the raisins and stir them in the batter.

    mixing in rasinsDrop spoonfuls of batter on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

    dropping dough on cookie sheetBake in a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.  Cool cookies on a wire rack.

    cinnamon rasin cookies cooling on rackNow it is time to enjoy this buttery, and yummy cookie.  If your kids are bored this winter, they may want to try this recipe out.  

    [amd-zlrecipe-recipe:20]

  • Valentine Printable

    Valentine-Printable

    valentine-2Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and I have the perfect, free printable that will make this holiday extra special.  Take a look at this really cute cupcake printable that has adorable hearts.  This enchanting picture attached to some delicious treats is a great way to get your Valentine feeling special.  This printable would be fun at Valentine’s Day parties, and they would be fun for kids to print and hand them out to their classmates for Valentine’s Day presents. The free printable tags come in two special designs that you won’t find anywhere else.  All you have to do to make these Valentines is print them out on white card stock, cut them out, and attach them to your gift.  You can punch a hole in the top and hang them on your gift or just simply slide a lollipop stick through the card by cutting a slot for the handle to stay in place.  Valentine’s Day only happens once a year so don’t miss your chance to make a big impression on your special someone.    

    Valentine's-Day-Card-1                                                 Click here to print Valentine’s Day card. 

                            It takes around 7 minutes for this file to download because it is a large file.

  • Mini-Rueben Sandwiches

    Mini-Ruben-SandwichesThe big game is quickly approaching and that means it’s time for some appetizer recipes.  The first time I had these Mini-Reuben Sandwiches was over the holidays.  From the moment I tried these cute little sandwiches, I was hooked and I knew I had to make them.  They are the perfect appetizer for a crowd on game day.  Your guests will love the delectable flavor of the warm melted cheese and corned beef.  These little sandwiches will please the heartiest and the daintiest eaters at your party.  One of the great things about this appetizer is that they are easy to assemble, which means you won’t miss any of the game.  It only takes a couple minutes to make these sandwiches.  Then it’s off to the oven they go.  Before you know it they are ready to be served.

    Here are the ingredients in this game day favorite.  Thousand Island dressing, a loaf of Cocktail Rye bread, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, corned beef, and butter that is not pictured here. 

    rueben ingredientsButter 20 pieces of Cocktail Rye bread and place them on a foil lined baking sheet, butter side down.

    buttered side down bread Next spread Thousand Island dressing on each piece.

    spreading thousand island

    Then drain the sauerkraut and put 2 tablespoons on each piece.

    adding saurcraut

    Pile the corned beef on each piece.

    adding meatPlace a piece of Swiss cheese on each sandwich.

    adding cheeseSpread Thousand Island dressing on the top piece of bread and place it on each sandwich.

    spreading thousand island on the top

    sandwiches togetherButter the top slice of bread for each sandwich.

    butter on topBake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Then after the ten minutes turn the oven to broil and broil the tops of each sandwich for 3-5 minutes.

    finished sandwichesNow your sandwiches are ready to serve.  So next time you have to feed a crowd at your house for the big game whip up a batch of Mini-Rueben Sandwiches; they are sure to be a crowd pleaser!

    [amd-zlrecipe-recipe:19]

  • Potato Soup

    potato soupThis is comfort food at its best!  Loaded with ham, bacon, cheese, and potatoes…this is a meal in a bowl. You could serve it on a big game day for a crowd or to your family on a weeknight.  I made this Potato Soup recipe last Thursday night when we had a blizzard.  It’s was the perfect food for a cold night!  I happened to have all of the ingredients in my cupboard.  This soup has the same white sauce base as my recipe for Scalloped Potatoes and Ham with more milk added to the sauce.

    Start by pealing and chopping your potatoes into bite sized pieces.

    potatoes for potato soupNext place the chopped potatoes in a pot and fill the pot with just enough water to cover the potatoes.  Bring the potatoes to a boil and boil them for 5 minutes.  After the potatoes have boiled, drain them and set them aside in a bowl until you are ready to add them to the soup.

    potatoes in waterWhile the potatoes are boiling, you can cook the bacon in a pan or in the microwave.  When the bacon is done, you can set it aside on some paper towels for it to cool.  When the bacon is cool, you can chop it into small pieces.

    bacon for potato soupNext chop up the onion and heat it up in a pan with some butter until it is cooked and tender.

    onion for potato soupNow you can set the cooked potatoes, cooked bacon, and cooked onion aside and start on the soup.  Melt the butter in a pan and then pull the pan off of the heat.  Then mix in the flour to make a paste.

    paste for potato soupNow add the milk and put the pan back on the heat.  Heat the mixture over medium heat until it starts to bubble, stirring constantly.  You have to stir this soup the whole time or it will scorch on the bottom of the pan.  As the soup heats up, it will thicken.  When it bubbles, turn down the heat to low.

    thickened potato soupAdd the potatoes, chopped bacon, diced ham, chopped onion, shredded cheese, salt and pepper.

    adding bacon

     

    adding cheese to potato soup Warm the soup on low until everything is heated up and until the cheese is melted.  Stirring it occasionally.  Now you are ready to serve your soup.  You can garnish each bowl with some bacon, cheese, sour cream, and chives. 

    [amd-zlrecipe-recipe:18]