kim, Author at Lovin' From the Oven

Sixlets S’mores Cookies

November 17, 2013 by kim 3 Comments

I am currently sitting in my hotel in Chicago, watching the dark clouds roll past my window. My phone alerted me earlier today of a “flash flood warning.” Apparently a tornado even touched down right around us. Technology is amazing sometimes. Not only did they know where I was, but they were able to send out emergency alerts straight to my pocket without me ever having to ask for it!

I came in to Chicago last night and was gripping for dear life on the landing. The storm last night made the end of our flight quite turbulent. Our pilots did an amazing job with the landing, considering we were coming in with the landing path all the way to the right to make up for the extreme winds. I mean, we were even struck by lightning mid flight!

Since the storm didn’t get any better today, my flight going out is delayed. I don’t have a problem with that since this is my favorite hotel that we stay at. I have no problem staying in bed all day and eating chocolate! SweetWorks sent me a generous package of all different kinds of chocolate. They have some of the best items for Christmas candy, including Foiled Solid Milk Crisp Ornaments (fill up your candy bowl on the coffee table!), Foiled Milk Santas, and Foiled Semi-Solid Milk Chocolate Nutcrackers (these would be wonderful as a stocking stuffer).

My personal favorite are Sixlets. I remember digging through my siblings’ Halloween candy and keeping all of their Sixlets for myself since it was the the perfect chocolate snack.

I used the Celebration Sixlets Christmas Mix to bake into these s’mores cookies. They turned out great! The pop of red and green when you bite into each one really stands out.

The cookie itself has the graham cracker taste in every bite. It balances out the chocolate and marshmallows so it isn’t too sweet. They remain chewy for days, which is always my goal when baking. I sure do love a good, chewy cookie.

Recipe slightly adapted from Cookies and Cups

Sixlets S’mores Cookies

Yield: 12 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/3 cup Marshmallow Bits
3/4 cup Sixlets

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spray a muffin top pan with cooking spray.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add in eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
Stir in graham cracker crumbs, baking soda and salt.
Gradually add in the flour until just combined.
Stir in your Marshmallow Bits and Sixlets.
Fill each muffin cavity with cookie dough up to the rim, pressing down as you go.
Bake for 11-12 minutes.
Allow cookies to cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before removing.

https://lovintheoven.com/sixlets-smores-cookies/

Gingerbread Hot Cocoa

November 14, 2013 by kim 4 Comments

Tis the season for gingerbread! I know everyone gets all hyped up about the Starbucks red cups, but don’t you think they come a little early? I mean, they came out on November 1st! There are still two whole months until Christmas. Thanksgiving really gets looked over since it’s the “middle child.”

I’m not going to lie, though, my favorite holiday is definitely Christmas. Sorry Turkey Day! There’s something about the drop in temperature (which might not be evident in Southern California as much), the Christmas special CD’s, and Love Actually that makes me a sucker for the red and green.

Not only that, but Christmas is baking season! There are desserts galore and the grocery shelves are stocked with every ingredient you could possibly need to bake for approximately 294 days. I was tired of making cookies, so I decided to use the gingerbread marshmallows that Peeps® sent over in my hot chocolate instead.

Have you ever tried these things? Peeps totally nailed it with the taste! I don’t know how they pack so much gingerbread flavor into one little man. I bit off an arm and the sight of Christmas trees instantly popped into my head. I’m not even kidding. They remind me of the gingerbread man in Shrek… except a little more feminine.

They’re spicy, sweet, and inviting. I decided to make my hot cocoa match the flavor by turning it into a gingerbread hot cocoa. This definitely takes Christmas up a notch.

Christmas is coming, folks. Start accumulating your recipes now.

For more PEEPS recipes, crafts and other fun holiday ideas visit them on Facebook!

Gingerbread Hot Cocoa

Ingredients

1 cup almond milk (or any milk)
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp molasses
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
pinch of nutmeg
whipped cream and Peeps gingerbread marshmallows, for topping

Directions

In a small saucepan over low heat, continually whisk together all of the ingredients except for the whipped cream and marshmallows until hot.
Pour into mug and top with whipped cream and marshmallows.

https://lovintheoven.com/gingerbread-hot-cocoa/

I received product to review, the opinions expressed are my own.

Goat Cheese Hamburgers

November 13, 2013 by kim 1 Comment

I’m curious… How many of you guys go tailgating for the football season? I know Niners fan must do it a lot because of the horrendous amount of traffic going into the city well before the game starts. Thanks SF for practically only having one way into the city.

Believe it or not, I’ve never been tailgating in my life. Not once. I didn’t even do it in college and I went to a pretty big football college, too! Does that mean I have no school spirit? Sorry, Bruins!

(note to self: pictures of raw meat are just not appetizing)

I may not have tailgated before, but I’m all about “table-gating” at home. There, I have the comfort of my kitchen and all of the amenities needed in order to cook. Forgot the ketchup? No problem, I’ll just walk over to the fridge and get it.

I’m much more into the food than the game, anyways. I have no idea how football works and can’t for the life of me get into it. I’d like to think of myself as a pretty athletic gal, having played sports in high school, but football just seems so…. slow.

Vlasic sent me a tailgating kit to get the party started. When I think of pickles, I immediately think of hamburgers and picnics at the park. Burgers and grilling go hand in hand. I “grilled” my burgers indoors on a grill pan on the stovetop, but they turned out just as good.

Do you prefer your pickles inside your burger as chips or outside as dills? I’m into both. Farmer’s Garden by Vlasic also has great and crunchy varieties.

I used to hate eating pickles when I was little, but I came around to them about five years ago. Now I can demolish those Disneyland pickles in a bag within minutes.

What tailgating party doesn’t have chips? They’re a must. I’m partial to the jalapeño kettle baked ones, but most chips will do.

This burger is nice and juicy, thanks to the 80/20. Even though it’s a little fattier than other ground beefs, it’s totally worth it. Don’t skimp.

I’ll take two burgers, please.

Goat Cheese Hamburgers

Yield: 3-4 burgers, depending on how big you want your patties

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef (I used 80/20)
7 dashes Tabasco
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms
1/4 of an onion, chopped
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
4 kaiser rolls (mine were topped with cheese)
any other toppings you'd like: lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, pickles, etc.

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the meat, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Divide and form into four patties (or three if you're making bigger burgers). Cook over a grill on medium heat until desired doneness, flipping the burger halfway through.
While the meat is cooking, cook the mushrooms, onion, and brown sugar in another saucepan until caramelized, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
Toast your rolls and put together your burger with the caramelized mushrooms and all your remaining toppings, making sure to put the goat cheese on top of the meat so that it melts. Serve immediately.

https://lovintheoven.com/goat-cheese-hamburgers/

This is a sponsored post by Vlasic, but the opinions expressed are my own.

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