Homemade Thin Mints

You know how every year in front of Publix they have the girl scouts selling cookies?   I always happen to look at them and consider all my options and always fall in love with the wonderful minty chocolate covered cookies called “Thin mints”

So of course, I had to investigate these amazing little cookies.  What do you know?  A recipe!  For thin mints!  My curiosity took over and guess what happened?  Guess, c’mon, Guess!   Ok, I’m so excited I’ll just spill it all out to you.  I made thin mints!  Isn’t that great, (jumping up and down) the cookies are ahhhh-mazing!

Yes, I guess this time I’m a little overly excited about this recipe but I can’t help it.  THEY ARE SO GOOD and now that I know how to make them I can make them 24/7!  Which, I won’t be doing unless I want to weigh 100,000,000,000 pounds.  Well maybe I’m exaggerating…but you get the point.  That’s how good they are.   You know what the best part is?  They are so easy! 

Homemade Thin Mints

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup milk (any kind)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Dark chocolate coating:
10-oz dark or semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. With the mixer on low speed, add in the milk and the extracts. Mixture will look curdled. Gradually, add in the flour mixture until fully incorporated.
3. Shape dough into two logs, about 1 1/2 inches (or about 4 cm) in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1-2 hours, until dough is very firm.
4. Preheat oven to 375F. Slice dough into rounds not more than 1/4 inch thick – if they are too thick, they will not be as crisp – and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until cookies are firm at the edges. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before dipping in chocolate.
6. In a double boiler, combine chocolate and butter. Melt until chocolate is smooth. Chocolate should have a consistency somewhere between chocolate syrup and fudge for a thin coating. (you can use the microwave for this step, just take care not to burn the chocolate)
7. Dip each cookie in melted chocolate, turn with a fork to coat, then transfer to a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to set up for at least 30 minutes, or until chocolate is cool and firm.
Reheat chocolate as needed to keep it smooth and easy to dip into.

Makes 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies.


~Love Jade~

Oreos!

I love oreos.  I could eat a whole packet of oreos in 2-3 days...myself.  That's the reason why my mom doesn't buy me oreos... So one day and I was on pinterest I saw a recipe for homemade oreos.
I just had to try it.
I mean, Homemade oreos?
What gets better than that?

~Homemade Oreos~
(Makes approximately 3 dozen)
Ingredients 

For the cookies:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 cups Flour
• 3/4 cup of dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt

For the icing:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 2 tablespoons of half & half
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 3-3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar 

Instructions 
 For the cookies:

 1. Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy

 2. Add egg and vanilla mix until incorporated

 3. Slowly add flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt

 4. Contuine mixing until well incorporated

 5. Divide dough in half and refrigerated for 1 hour
 6. Take cooled dough and roll out on a floured surface, roll out 1/4-1/8 inch thick.
 7. Cut dough with a cookie cutter (approximately 2 in in diameter) 

 8. Place cut dough unto a baking sheet.    
 9. Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees
10. Cool cookies

For the Icing:
 1. Combine softened butter, half &half, vanilla and salt and beat until well combined. 

 2. Add powdered sugar 1/2 at a time

 3. Add frosting unto cooled cookies

 4. Eat! 

                                                     Yummy Icing!!!
 

                ~Love Jade~

Scalloped Potatoes

Today I'm making a family favorite with my grandma, Scallop Potatoes.  This One pot simple meal is Delicious and everyone in my family loves it.  Basically it's potatoes,cheese, and ham layered in a pan.  It's my Dad's favorite meal! 

Ingredients:  (4-6 servings)
6-8 Medium Potatoes
1 (8 oz) pound  Ham
8 oz. Velvetta Cheese
3 tbs. Flour
1 can (12 oz) Evaporated Milk
3 tbs. Butter
Salt and Pepper

Instructions:
1. Peel potatoes.
2. Slice potatoes, 1/8 in. thick
3. Cube Ham,
4. Slice Cheese,

5. Layer potatoes first, ham, than cheese

6. Salt and Pepper

7. Sprinkle flour
8. Repeat Layers, end top layer with potatoes,

9. Pour evaporated milk over layers
10. Top with chunks of butter
11. Bake for 45-60 minutes at 400 degrees
12. Serve and Enjoy!!!

                                                    ~Love Jade~


  

DIY ~Guitar Pick Necklace~

Where is my pick!? 

You know those people that wear the funky, but cute guitar picks as a necklace?  I always thought they were for decoration but actually you can really use them!  So here goes!  Do it yourself, Guitar Pick Necklace!


You will need:

• Thin plastic guitar pick
• Hole puncher
• Chain, string or ribbon
•  Jump Ring (optional)
  

  1. Punch hole into guitar pick.  This takes muscles!  Drink milk!

  
   2. Add Jump Ring to hole
  
  
  3. Slide up the Chain! Done!
  
  

Brownies

This is for all the girls in my Bible and Life group Class, especially Emily!  You ate FIVE of them Emily!  Apparently this was a hit so I'm letting everyone have the recipe.  These are a little different though.  You don't mix the ingredient and just pour them into a pan and bake them in the oven.  Instead you cook them half way on the stove and the half in the oven.  They have a Cake like texture but look like fudge brownies.

~Brownies~

• 1 cup of Butter
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1 (12 ounce) bag of chocolate chips
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla
• 1 1/3 cup of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 cups of flour
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 
  2. Melt butter in a medium Sauce pan.
  3. Add milk, stir for one minute
  4. Remove from Heat and add chocolate
  5. Let sit for two minutes to cool
  6. Crack eggs in a small bowl and add a small amount of chocolate-butter mixture to eggs.  This makes the eggs the same temperature as the batter; This cuts the risk of the eggs scrambling in the batter
  7. Add vanilla, salt, and sugar
  8. Gently Fold in Flour
  9. Pour into 9x13 pan
  10. Bake 30-35 minutes
  11. Enjoy!
      
      
      ~Love Jade~

      

Starbucks Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappacino ~Home Made~

I went shopping with my friend Cassie and we decided that we wanted something to sip while we were walking around.  Of course, I chose Starbucks.  As we were walking in I saw a big sign that caught my eye, " Try our new Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino".  Right then and there I fell in Love.  I had to have it!  I mean, How could I not?  Chocolate and cookie Frappe with chocolate whip cream on top.  I ordered it and it was very depressing when I came down to the last sip.  I craved it the rest of the week and I'm sad to say I went back again and ordered a Grande... again.  While I was drinking my Second Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino I thought to myself, I could probably just make this at home!   So here I am, making it at home.

     ~Frappuccino~

• 1 cup of Ice
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 2 shots of espresso or 1-1/2 espresso powder
• 3 pumps of chocolate syrup ( If you go a little over board it's okay, I do it all the time!)
• Teaspoon of Vanilla
• 3-4 mini crunchy chocolate chip cookies
  
  Blend all ingredients until smooth.  You shouldn't see or feel any big chunks when you stir it together. 
  
  ~Chocolate Whip Cream~
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 1/8-1/4 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon of Coco powder

Whip cream until you've Incorporated some air.  Add coco to powdered sugar.  Slowly add sugar until Whip cream is whipped.  Whip cream is done when you stick a spoon in and out and form soft peaks.

Add chocolate whip cream on top of Chocolate-cookie Frappuccino.  Top off with chocolate syrup and Cookie crumbs or chocolate chip powder

Drink and Make again and again!

~Love Jade~

Semi-Home made/ White chocolate Macadamia Cranberry Cookies

Thank the Lord for Pre-made Cookie batter.  I know... The homemade cookies are WAY better but who am I kidding?  I don't always have time to whip up a batch of cookies.  Instead I can just pop a a batch of pre-made cookie dough unto a cookie sheet.  So I looked in the freezer and discovered "White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies".  I decided that these cookies needed a "Jade Flare"  I looked around and decided that dried cranberry's would do the trick!

• White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie Batter
• Dried Cranberry's

Add cranberries to Batter.  Bake as directed.  Eat!

 

~Love Jade~

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