What’s Cookin’ in the Parsonage?

2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp butter
1 Cup chopped onion
1 Cup Green pepper, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, minced
8 Cups Frozen Hash browns, thawed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 ounces diced ham
3/4 shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Heat oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and garlic; cook 3 minutes. Add potatoes, salt, pepper, and ham; cook 16 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown, stirring occasionally. Top with cheese; cook 2 minutes or until cheese melts.

Now, on to dessert…

My husband could be a Cookie Monster.  In the day, he would devour a package of cookies in a sitting.  No more.  Now he’s far more conscious of how long it takes to remove the pounds!  But he does indulge in a single cookie with great delight.  One of his favorites is a soft sugar cookie with icing- the kind you see in the bakery section of the grocery store.  When I saw a recipe on Pinterest for Perfect Frosted Sugar Cookies, I knew he would love it if I made those for him.  I was right! =)

After I baked them, I put them in a freezer bag and popped them into the freezer.  When he wants a cookie, he just pulls one out and pops it into the microwave for a few seconds.  He says they’re every bit as good as the one at the bakery!  All they need is a glass of milk!

This recipe says it makes 1 dozen cookies, but those are huge. I made mine normal size and got a little more than 2 dozen.

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup all vegetable shortening (unflavored), at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 recipe Vanilla Frosting, recipe follows
Vanilla Frosting
• 1/3 cup salted butter, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 – 3 Tbsp half-and-half – or milk
• food coloring, optional

• Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt into a large bowl, then whisk it just a few times, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, on medium speed, whip together butter, shortening and sugar until very pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in egg and mix until combine, then add egg white, vanilla and almond extract and mix until combine. With mixer running, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix just until combine. Transfer dough to an airtight container and refrigerate 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375 during the last 10 minutes of refrigeration.
• Scoop dough out an even 1/4 cup at a time (If you want BIG cookies)  and roll into a ball. Place dough ball on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle top lightly with flour, then using something flat and smooth (such as the storage container lid), press and evenly flatten dough to 1/2″ thick (so you should have about a 2 2/3″ – 2 3/4 ” circular cookie). Transfer flattened dough to a Silpat or buttered cookie sheet and repeat process with remaining dough (you’ll have to use 2 cookie sheets). Bake in preheated oven 9 – 11 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Cool completely then frost with Vanilla Frosting (note that frosting begins to set quickly so if you are adding sprinkles, sprinkle each cookie immediately after frosting it, don’t frost the whole batch of cookies then try to sprinkle them because the sprinkles wont stick).
Vanilla Frosting
• Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip until frosting is smooth and fluffy. Mix in food coloring if desired 

What is your fella’s favorite treat?  

From my parsonage kitchen,