Indian Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

This was a serious winner, the whole family, kids included, loved it! If you're short on time, substituting rotisserie chicken (skip broiling in the oven) would work well. 

I always double the sauce for our family of six. You could even quadruple the sauce to freeze for later!

Recipe found here

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled, divided
1 onion, chopped fine
5 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 serrano chili pepper, stemmed, seeded, and minced (for more spice reserve, mince, and add ribs/seeds)
1 Tablespoon garam masala 
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper 
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt 
1 cup heavy cream
2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed (Can substitute chicken breasts, sliced in strips)
1/2 cup plain Greek yoghurt
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided (optional) 

Serve with Basmati Rice and/or Naan bread 

Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and serrano and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is softened, and onion begins to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. 

Add garam masala, coriander, cumin, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add water and tomato paste and whisk until no lumps of tomato paste remain. Add sugar and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Off heat, stir in cream. Using immersion blender or blender, process until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds. Return sauce to simmer over medium heat and whisk in remaining 2 Tablespoons butter. Remove saucepan from heat and cover to keep warm. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days; gently reheat sauce before adding chicken.) 

Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Combine chicken, yogurt, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in bowl and toss well to coat. Using tongs, transfer chicken to wire rack set in aluminum foil - lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil until chicken is evenly charred on both sides and registers 175 degrees, 16 to 20 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through broiling. 

Let chicken rest for 5 minutes. While chicken rests, warm sauce over medium-low heat. Cut chicken into 3/4 inch chunks (or strips if you prefer) and stir into sauce. Stir in 2 Tablespoons cilantro and season with salt to taste. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with remaining 1 Tablespoon cilantro, and serve. 

Smitten Kitchen Sprinkle Cookies

 Recipe found HERE

3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
3/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt 
1 cup (8 ounces, 225 grams or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature  
1/4 cup (2 ounces, 55 grams or 1/4 of an 8-ounce brick) cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar 
1 large egg 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
1/4 teaspoon almond extract 
1 cup rainbow sprinkles 

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking large sheets with parchment paper. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk to blend. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and extracts and blend again. Add flour mixture and beat just until flour disappears. In some cases, this dough will feel too soft to roll into balls in your hands; if so, let it chill in the fridge for 20 minutes or so before using. 

Scoop balls of dough — I like these cookies best with a #40, or 1 1/2 tablespoon, scoop; the texture is less dynamic when made smaller — and roll them briefly in the palms of your hands before dropping them in a bowl of rainbow sprinkles and gently rolling to coat them evenly. I find that the sprinkles adhere much better to tacky exterior of balls of dough that have been briefly warmed by your hands — trust me here. 

Transfer balls of sprinkle-coated dough to baking sheets at least two inches apart. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press down on the cookies until they are about 1/4 to 1/2-inch tall. If you see any bare spots in the sprinkles that bother you, you can sprinkle a few more on top. 

Bake for 9 to 10 minutes until they look underbaked but lightly golden underneath. [If they’re not quite soft in the center, they will be fully crisped through the next day.] Let set on the baking sheet on a rack for a few minutes before transferring to cooling racks to cool the rest of the way. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

DoubleTree Signature Cookie Recipe

Recipe Found HERE 

½ pound butter, softened (2 sticks)
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 ¼ cups flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch cinnamon
2 2/3 cups Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 3/4 cups chopped walnuts 

Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes. 

Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice, blending with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl. 

With mixer on low speed, add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, blending for about 45 seconds. Don’t overmix. 

Remove bowl from mixer and stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Portion dough with a scoop (about 3 tablespoons) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart. 

Preheat oven to 300°F. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center is still soft. 

Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for about 1 hour.

Cook’s note: You can freeze the unbaked cookies, and there’s no need to thaw. Preheat oven to 300°F and place frozen cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.

Soft & Chewy Drop Sugar Cookies

Recipe Found HERE

1 cup (2 sticks, 16 tablespoons) butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Additional granulated sugar or sprinkles, for rolling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until lightly and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the egg and vanilla and mix again for 1-2 minutes until the batter lightens in color. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.

Scoop the cookie dough into rounded balls (about 2 Tablespoons), roll in granulated sugar or sprinkles and place on the prepared baking sheets a couple inches apart (about 12 cookies per baking sheet).

Bake for 11-13 minutes until slightly crackly on top (but not much color around the edges or bottom to keep them soft and chewy). Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Favorite Green Smoothie

Recipe Adapted from HERE

10 WW pts on green plan

1/2 small banana, frozen
3/4 cup mixed berries, frozen (I use strawberries, mango, and pineapple)
1 big handful of spinach (a very packed down 1 cup)
1 Tablespoon almond butter or nut butter of choice
1/4 - 1/2 avocado
1 Tablespoon golden flaxseed
1/4 cup whey protein powder (2 scoops collagen peptides or protein of choice)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice

Blonde No-Bake Kiss Cookies

Mariah M.

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
4 cups instant oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter
Hershey Kisses

In a medium sized sauce pan, bring the sugar, milk, & butter to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.

Add oatmeal, vanilla, and peanut butter. Stir thoroughly. Drop onto wax paper, add kisses and let stand for 30 minutes.

Rustic French Apple Tart

Recipe Found HERE

Sunny A.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CRUST
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1-1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup very cold water

FOR THE FILLING 
1-3/4 lbs baking apples (3 large, Gala or other baking apple)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon salt

FOR ASSEMBLING & BAKING 
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar
1 Tablespoon apricot jelly or jam, optional for glaze

INSTRUCTIONS
Make the crust: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Pulse briefly to combine. Add the cold butter and process just until the butter is the size of peas, about 5 seconds. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture and process just until moistened and very crumbly, about 5 seconds. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times, just until it comes together into a cohesive ball. Pat the dough into a disk. Flour your work surface again and dust the dough with flour, as well. Using a rolling pin, roll into a circle 8 to 10 inches in diameter, turning and adding more flour as necessary so the dough doesn’t stick. Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate while you prepare the filling (you’ll roll the dough out further on the parchment paper so go ahead and clean your work surface).

Make the Filling: Peel, core, and cut the apples into 1/8-inch-thick slices (you should have about 4 cups) and place in a large bowl. Add the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, melted butter, and salt; toss to combine.

Take the dough from the fridge and slide the parchment paper onto the countertop. Roll the dough, directly on the parchment paper, into a 14-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. It’s fine if the edges are a little ragged. Place the parchment and dough back on the baking sheet – the pastry should curve up the lip of the pan.

Assemble the tart: Sprinkle the flour evenly over the pastry. Arrange the apple slices on top in overlapping concentric circles to within 3 inches of the edge. Don’t worry about making it look perfect! It doesn’t make much difference in the end and you don’t want the dough to get too warm. Fold the edges of the dough over the apples in a free-form fashion, working your way around and creating pleats as you go. Patch up any tears by pinching a bit of dough from the edge.

Using a pastry brush, brush the pleated dough evenly with the beaten egg. Sprinkle half of the turbinado sugar over the top crust and half over the fruit. Chill the assembled tart in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the center position.

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the crust is golden and cooked through. (It’s okay if some of the juices leak from the tart onto the pan. The juices will burn on the pan but the tart should be fine -- just scrape any burnt bits away from the tart once it’s baked.) Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool.

While the tart cools, make the optional glaze. In a small bowl, mix the apricot jam with 1-1/2 teaspoons water. Heat in the microwave until bubbling, about 20 seconds. Using a pastry brush, brush the apples with the apricot syrup.

Use two large spatulas to transfer the tart to a serving plate or cutting board. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature. The tart is best served on the day it is made, but leftovers will keep, loosely covered on the countertop, for a few days.

Make Ahead: The dough can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated. Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes or until pliable before rolling.

Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The assembled tart may be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place the baking sheet in the freezer until the tart is frozen, then wrap tightly. (Wait until right before baking the tart to brush the beaten egg and sprinkle the sugar onto the crust.) Bake directly from the freezer. (It may take a few extra minutes to bake from frozen.)