Cowgirls in the Kitchen

Cowgirls in the Kitchen – Shanna Hatfield

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Howdy!

I love to bake and often experiment with ideas to come up with new cookie recipes. Or try out unusual ingredients.

Root beer is a well-liked flavor at our house, so when I saw a recipe for Root Beer Cookies, I knew I had to give them a whirl!

Root Beer Cookies

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup butter

1 egg

¼ cup buttermilk

2 teaspoon root beer extract (or concentrate)

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375?.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add egg, beating well. Beat in buttermilk and root beer extract.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. (I like to line mine with parchment.)

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove to wire racks to cool.

Root Beer Frosting

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter (softened)

1 tablespoon root beer extract

Mix powdered sugar with softened butter, and root beer concentrate.

Frost cookies.

Store in airtight container up to five days.

Yield: approx. 24 cookies

NOTE: You can cut back the root beer extract to 1 teaspoon. We like ours with extra “pop!”

Have you ever baked with soda pop?

Cowgirls in the Kitchen – Making BACON COOKIES by Cheryl Pierson

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Hi everyone! Cheryl Pierson here, and today I’m bringing you a recipe  for BACON COOKIES for our COWGIRLS IN THE KITCHEN segment!

If you’re like me, you think bacon makes everything better. Well, I must admit, I never thoght about it making a COOKIE better, but I have to say, these do look delicious.

I haven’t made these yet, but I’ve got everything I need to do it with–yes, even that 1/2 cup of bacon grease, which we know is a staple in any southern kitchen. So there is no actual bacon MEAT involved, just the bacon fat renderings.

Another thing I like about this recipe is you can substitute gluten-free flour for the rebular flour, which, in our household, is a must if either of my kids is here to help us eat these!

Recipe and pictures are from a wonderful cooking website called CAKED BY KATIE! Here’s the link if you would like to see more of her wonderful creations.

https://cakedbykatie.com/

Bacon Cookies

  • Author: Katie
  • Total Time: 20 Min
  • Yield: 2 Dozen

Thick and chewy bacon cookies filled with sweet butterscotch chips and salted peanuts. Salty/sweet fans this cookie recipe is for you!

  • 1/2 cup bacon fat, room temperature

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar

  • 1 large egg, room temperature

  • 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

  • 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour *can sub gluten-free flour 1:1 baking blend

  • 1 cup butterscotch chips

  • 1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped

Instructions

EQUIPMENT:

  • Mixer

  • Cookie sheet

  • Spoon or cookie scoop

  • Parchment Paper

  • Spatula

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer cream bacon fat and sugar on high for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.

  2. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

  3. Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt into a bowl and mix on low until fully incorporated and dough forms.

  4. Mix in the butterscotch chips and chopped peanuts by hand with a spatula.

  5. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, drop onto parchment-lined cookie trays approximately 2 inches apart and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers appear just slightly under-baked.

  6. Let cool on the tray for at least 10 minutes before removing it to a cookie rack. Enjoy!

I would love to know if you make these and what you think of them. I can already tell my family is going to be huge fans when I get them made–probably this weekend. I saw so many unique cookie recipes that I wanted to try when I was decidong which one to include in this post. Do you have a favorite cookie recipe? I’m a cookie freak–I think I love them better than cake! I’m off to find my bacon grease!

Cowgirls in the Kitchen With Linda Broday

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Hi everyone, I’m Linda Broday and welcome to my little kitchen. I am not the best cook and I have to confess I don’t even really like to cook. My mama, God bless her heart, sure did try to instill some of her love for cooking in me but it just wouldn’t take. She was one of the best cooks and everyone loved to go to her house and it wasn’t for the candy she hid under the sofa. LOL My mama sure did love her sweets, and unfortunately, that got passed on to me. I’ve made these cookies so you know they aren’t very difficult. I did get some a little bit brown. Ha!!! Typical.

POTATO CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup (133 g.) light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup (65 g.) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups (180 g.) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 3/4 cups (145 g.) crushed kettle-style potato chips, divided

Directions

Step 1 In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat brown sugar, butter, granulated sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Beat in egg, vanilla, and baking soda until combined, then reduce speed to low and beat in flour just until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips and 2 cups potato chips. Cover bowl and refrigerate 1 hour.

Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Place remaining 3/4 cup potato chips in a small flat dish.

Scoop dough into balls about 3 tablespoons (2 ounces) each. Roll in potato chips, gently pressing to adhere. Arrange on prepared sheets, spacing about 1″ apart. With a clean palm, flatten balls into pucks about 2 1/2″ in diameter.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets top to bottom and back to front after 7 minutes, until puffed and golden brown around the edges, 11 to 14 minutes.

Let sit 2 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Enjoy!

These will store in an airtight container for 3 weeks. I tell you they are so tasty. But don’t expect a soft cookie. These are crunchy sweet goodness.

What are your cookie favorites? Have you ever made any unusual kind?

Cowgirls in the Kitchen – Pam Crooks

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The fillies love sharing their favorite recipes, and I’m happy to be the first to kick off our new “Cowgirls in the Kitchen” series featuring cookies with a little bit of a different flair.

I found my Peanut Butter and Cheez-It Cookie recipe in a Midwest Living magazine recently, and the combo immediately caught my eye.  Who doesn’t love peanut butter and cheese together? These still taste like peanut butter cookies, and the crushed crackers blend in beautifully.  Add in the peanut butter chips (I also had chocolate chips), and what’s not to love?

 

Peanut Butter and Cheez-It Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter, plus more for topping
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 1/2 cups bite-size cheese crackers, crushed
  • 3/4 cup peanut butter-flavor chips
  • 16 whole bite-size cheese crackers for topping, if desired

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line two or three cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine peanut butter, granulated sugar, butter, and brown sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

  2. Add milk, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and salt; beat on low to combine. Add eggs, one at a time, followed by flour, beating on low to combine after each addition. Stir in crushed crackers and peanut butter chips.

  3. Divide dough into 16 equal portions (about 1/2 cup per cookie). Shape into 2 1/4- to 2 1/2-inch balls. Place balls about 3 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Slightly flatten each ball into a 3-inch round, reshaping edges if needed. Top each cookie with a dab of peanut butter and a whole cheese cracker.

  4. Bake one sheet at a time, until light brown and centers appear set, 18 to 22 minutes. (Internal temperature of cookies should be at least 160°.) Cool on cookie sheets 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Notes:

Be sure to beat the dough for the five minutes instructed. It really does change the texture of the dough, making it creamier, and the cookies bake up nicely.

Sometimes instructions confuse me.  🙂  So when it said 3 1/2 cups crackers, crushed – does that mean 3 1/2 cups BEFORE crushing or after?  So I measured out the 3 1/2 cups of crackers and THEN crushed them.  Worked perfectly.

I baked the cookies in two sizes – 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup portions – before rolling into balls and flattening them.  The 1/2 cup size bakes up like a monster cookie, and both portion sizes are thick and chewy.  I did use my thermometer to check for temperature since the dough was so thick.

My grocery store didn’t have peanut butter chips, only a  peanut butter chip and chocolate chip combo.  I love the addition of the chocolate!

Also, I garnished the bigger cookies with a dollop of peanut butter and a cracker as suggested, but I didn’t bother with the smaller sizes.  Totally your preference!

As the instructions state, this batch only makes 16 cookies if you make them full size.  More, of course if you use smaller spoonfuls.  I hope you enjoy!

Cowgirls in the Kitchen – Cathy McDavid

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I mentioned in my last blog that I was going through all my closets and reorganizing. Whew! Thank goodness that huge job is over and done with.

One of my many interesting discoveries was my late mother’s “The Good Housekeeping Cook Book”. The moment I unearthed this treasure I was hit with a thousand memories of her cooking up some delicious meal or dessert with this book propped up open on the counter. Until I opened the cover and read the handwritten inscription, I don’t realize it had been a wedding gift from my mom’s younger sister­—something that makes this keepsake even more special.

What I love about this cookbook is not only does it have more recipes than I could possibly make in a lifetime, it also includes sections on how to use leftovers, home canning, wines, box lunches, entertaining, meals for the business girl (I need to check this one out), dinner planning tips, and a guide to properly serving meals. And while dated and old-fashioned in many ways, the book is nonetheless charming and a look into life seventy-five years ago. There are also many wonderful recipes that I can’t wait to try. Here’s a twist on the classic sweet potato casserole I might make for Thanksgiving.

 

What’s the old saying? Everything that’s old is new again? It’s true for me when it comes to this cookbook. All these old recipes are brand new to me again. I’ll think of my mom every time I use one.

How many of you or your mother or grandmother had this cookbook in their kitchen? I think it was a staple back in the day 🙂

Cowgirls in the Kitchen – Karen Kay

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Howdy!

Here’s hoping you’ll excuse my late response.  Too much going on over the weekend, and for some reason I did not list it on my calendar that I work off of.  So, please forgive.

This following recipe is an easy one and what my grandson requested for his birthday this year…which we celebrated yesterday.

So, here we go:  This is a recipe from an older version of the Fannie Farmer cookbook, but is not now in my newest edition.  It’s a brownie recipe, but it’s one my grands love the best.  Now, I’ve made several other brownie recipes, but this one is their favorite:

 

Parker Brownies:

Oven temperature 300 degrees

2 Oz. unsweetened chocolate (can substitute 3 tblsp. cocoa and 1 tblsp. butter for each oz. of chocolate)

1/4 cup butter

1 cup suger

1 egg

1/’8 tsp. salt

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. vanilla

Confectioners Sugar

 

Directions:

  • butter and lightly flour a 8 inch square pan
  • Bake 30 minutes — no longer
  • Decorate with confectioner’s sugar on top

Easy meezy.  This year, because my grandson had requested brownies, I made 2 batches in 2 separate pans, although you could double the recipe, using a 9 in by 13 in pan.

I’ll get this posted and then come in and say a little more.

Addition:

Yesterday, I topped one brownie on top of the other and added homemade ice cream on top.  Here’s this very, very, very, very simple and easy recipe for homemade ice cream:

3 cups heavy cream

1 cup maple syrup — it must be maple syrup and not sugar.  The sugar will not work with this recipe

2 egg yoks

1 tbsp. vanilla.

Directions:

Put in a blender or Food Processor.

Blend until firm and then freeze in a large, square pyrex bowl.  There will be a thin line of butter milk on the bottom of the ice cream.  In truth, this thin line of buttermilk my grands often say they love best.

Enjoy!

Cowgirls in the Kitchen – Mary Connealy

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I have a file of recipes that are family favorites.

It was hard to pick one and I can keep this going for a long time.

This is a recipe I loved as a child and made for my own children.

One warning, it’s a weird LOOKING recipe.You make this nice batter and then pour WATER over it. You put that in the oven, chocolate-y water swirling on top, thinking, nope, that can’t be right.

IT IS! Eat this warm if at all possible, with ice cream.

This creates this LOVELY chocolate fudge sauce at the bottom of the cake. It is so delicious.

Leave a comment to get your name in a drawing for a signed copy of my new book, to be released in OCTOBER. Riches Beyond Measure, book #3 in the Golden State Treasure Series.

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

1 C. flour

¾ C. sugar

2 T. cocoa

2 t. baking powder

¼ t. salt

Mix together in bowl. Add:

½ C. milk

2 T. butter (melted)

Pour into ungreased 9 x 9 cake pan. Stir together:

1 C. brown sugar

¼ C. cocoa

Sprinkle over batter.

Pour over batter:

1 ¾ C. hot water

Yes it looks awful, but trust me. Pour the water on.

Bake at 3500 for 45 minutes. Cake on top is done, sauce in bottom isn’t. Its hard to tell if its done. It has to be eaten hot, even microwaved isn’t as good. Serve with ice cream.

Riches Beyond Measure
When they leave the ranch in search of stolen treasure, will the spark between them survive the perils ahead?

When an earthquake strikes Two Harts Ranch, it shakes the life of Annie Lane along with that of Cord Westbrook, who has been working as a cowboy on Annie’s family ranch in anticipation of purchasing his own. The only thing delaying his plan is the deep attraction he feels toward Annie, a widow with a child and an established life as a teacher at the Hart School for Orphans. Unfortunately for Cord, she seems determined to avoid romance.The aftermath of the earthquake reveals that prized artifacts from the long-sought MacKenzie’s Treasure have been stolen from the ranch. But the return of the MacKenzie family from out east has everyone focused on what other precious finds might be waiting at the end of the legendary two-part map. As Cord, Annie, and the MacKenzies set out in search of riches, they face dangers more treacherous than earthquakes. With gold in their sights and love within reach, Cord and Annie realize that some treasures may fade, but life’s true riches are far more valuable than earthly goods.

Embark on a rousing California wilderness adventure filled with danger, deception, and second chances in this riveting conclusion to Mary Connealy’s Golden State Treasure series–ideal for fans of frontier romances, cowboys, and treasure hunts.

Cowgirls in the Kitchen – Jeannie Watt

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Hello everyone! Today we’re talking cornbread. Is there anything better with chili, stew or soup? I’ll come right out and say that I’m picky about the texture of my cornbread. I like it moist on the inside and crispy on the edges. Too many times I’ve bitten into a golden square of deliciousness, only to blow crumbs because it was as dry as a desert inside. After trying recipes that gave me overly dry or overly spongey cornbread, I came up with my own. I like it. I hope you do, too.

Jeannie’s Cornbread 

NOTE: you must use a cast iron pan

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put the 2 tablespoons of butter into a 10 inch cast iron pan and set the pan in the oven to melt the butter. Be careful not to burn the butter.

Blend the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, soda and baking powder in a bowl.

When the butter is melted, or close to melted, break eggs into large bowl and beat them until they are nice and foamy. Pour in the milk and buttermilk (shaken before poured) and beat again. You want air in your liquids.

Add the flour mixture, then stir only enough to mix. Do not beat this batter or you’ll get rubbery cornbread.

Pull the hot pan out of the oven and pour in the batter. It’ll sizzle and start rising–so satisfying! Pop it back into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Happy eating everyone!

Cowgirls in the Kitchen – Jo-Ann Roberts

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I descend from a family of excellent Italian cooks and bakers, and in the case of my grandparents, specifically my maternal grandfather, Luigi D’Ambrosi, prolific gardeners.

After he married my grandmother, Olivetta, a widow with four children, they set up housekeeping on Willow Street in Rensselaer, NY, just over the Hudson River from Albany. To pay the bills for their growing family (they added five more children!), he took a job at Huyuck Paper Mill. But his true passion was his garden.

The four-bedroom house was nestled into the side of a hill. It was on that hill where my grandfather worked his magic. In those dozens or more raised beds, he grew tomatoes, peppers, Italian pole beans (planted from seeds he carried from Italy), lettuce, and zucchini. Sprawling vines of watermelons, cucumbers, and cantalopes spilled down the other side of the hill, past rows of corn.

But further up on that hill, wild blueberries grew on low bushes…bushes just right for his grandchildren to pick a bucket or two for supper or for baking a Blueberry Tea Cake.

I remember this cake having blueberries bursting in every bite. But for me, the crumb topping just added that sweetness that every kid enjoyed licking off their fingers.

Since those carefree summer days, four generations of our family have enjoyed baking and eating this cake.  And the best part is that anyone can pretty much whip up this cake on a moment’s notice, as all of the ingredients (besides the berries) are pantry staples and it takes so little time to assemble. Buon Apetito!

 

Blueberry Tea Cake

Yields 9-12 servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 3/4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

For the crumb topping:

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8×8 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
  2. To make the crumb topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.
  3. Add the cold butter and toss to coat, using your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs; set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  6. Beat in egg and milk until well combined.
  7. Gradually add flour mixture to the sugar mixture at low speed, beating just until incorporated.
  8. Gently fold in the blueberries.
  9. Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish.
  10. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the batter.
  11. Place into oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown.
  12. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

 

Cowgirls in the Kitchen – Kit Morgan – June 23

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Cowgirls, Cast Iron, and Cold Taters: The Storied Scoop on Potato Salad!

Whether you’re wrangling cattle or wrangling kids to the picnic table, no summer gathering is complete without that humble hero of the side dish world: potato salad. Creamy or tangy, warm or cold, dressed up with dill or spiced with mustard, this kitchen staple has been dishing up comfort for generations.

Potatoes themselves didn’t make their way to Europe until the 16th century, but once they did, it didn’t take long for cooks across Germany and beyond to start combining boiled potatoes with vinegar, mustard, and onions. That early version became the ancestor of what we now call potato salad.

When German and other European immigrants packed up their culinary traditions and headed to the New World in the 1800s, they brought their beloved potato recipes with them. American potato salad likely sprouted from North German roots. They were cold, creamy, and often filled with chopped eggs and sweet pickles. Meanwhile, South German potato salad served warm with vinaigrette and bacon found its own fans here, especially on ranches and around chuck wagons.

I like to think of a cowboy cook spooning hot potatoes into a tin bowl, tossing them with a little bacon grease, vinegar, and salt before setting the dish beside a pot of beans. No mayonnaise in sight. It wouldn’t work for trail life! But by the time our grandmothers were making potato salad in icebox kitchens and feeding entire Sunday school classes, the mayo version had taken hold.

In honor of that legacy, here’s a good, old-fashioned American-style potato salad recipe you might’ve found in a vintage church cookbook or tucked in your grandma’s recipe tin.

Grandma’s Classic Potato Salad

  • Ingredients:
  • 2½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 3-6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise (or to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • ½ cup finely chopped celery
  • ¼ cup sweet pickle relish
  • ¼ cup chopped red onion
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Optional: paprika for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Boil potatoes in salted water until fork-tender, about 15–20 minutes depending on size. Drain and cool completely.
    2. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, eggs, celery, relish, and onion.
    3. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and mustard, then fold into the potato mixture.
    4. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
    5. Sprinkle with paprika before serving if you’re feeling fancy.

But don’t think America’s the only place where folks love their taters. Potato salad has gone global! In France, they use olive oil and fresh herbs; in Russia, it’s a holiday staple known as Olivier salad; in Japan, they mash the potatoes and mix them with veggies, ham, and a touch of rice vinegar. Turns out, everyone loves a good potato!

My family’s own recipe has been handed down for generations, and I believe originated in the 1930s or 40s. Omit the mustard. It was all about the mayonnaise. And Nana Bee’s recipe is pretty much like the standard
Grandma recipe, only she used sliced green olives instead of pickle relish. She also used regular white or yellow onion, no red. We’ve never measured the ingredients. It’s all to taste. In fact, I’m making some of our family’s traditional potato salad this week. How can I not after writing this post? Now I’ve got the craving!

So tell me, what kind of potato salad did your mama make? Did she serve it up with fried chicken on Sundays or pack it in a basket for summer picnics? Leave a comment below and let’s swap recipes and stories like it’s a quilting bee.

Because some dishes aren’t just food. They’re memory, love, and heritage all in one.

 

Petticoats & Pistols