Effortless Brownie Mix Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When I plan a dessert or "coffee" table, I make it a point to include something chocolate among the dishes I prepare. While my personal taste runs toward lemon, chocolate is so universally popular that its presence is missed when it is not offered. So, with that in mind, I made a plate of chocolate cookies to include with the other dishes on my "coffee" table earlier this week. I was pressed for time, and in order to get everything done, I resorted to something I rarely do. I used a brownie mix as the base for the chocolate cookies I planned to serve. I used a Ghiradelli brownie mix as the base for the cookies, and it took all of five minutes to make these moist, intensely flavored chocolate bites. The cookies are not particularly attractive, but they are delicious. They will be most enjoyed by those who like the flavor of bittersweet chocolate. The cookies look undone when they come from the oven, but they continue to cook on the cookie sheets once they are removed for cooling. If you need cookies in a hurry, I recommend you give this recipe a try. All you need to make them is a bowl and wooden spoon, so its a great starter recipe for children or adults who find themselves working in a vacation cabin or poorly equipped kitchen. Do give them a try. Here is how they are made.

Child's Play - Peanut Butter Pancakes or Waffles with Honey Butter

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'll wager you didn't know that I have super powers. I can see some of you recoiling at the thought of peanut butter pancakes or waffles. I hope you'll man-up and give them a try despite your initial hesitation. The original recipe came from the Land O' Lakes collection, and this, like all the recipes they publish, has been carefully tested and makes delicious fail-proof pancakes and waffles. The recipe is simple enough for the kids to make by themselves, but they may need some supervision the first time they attempt them. It's important to incorporate the peanut butter into the other liquid ingredients, and that is most easily done by softening the peanut butter, which can be smooth or chunky, in a microwave until it can be easily stirred or melts into the other ingredients. Once that's mastered, they can be left on their own. I'm including the honey butter that was included in the original recipe, but there are other options. My gang happen to be peanut butter purists, so, rather than honey butter or maple syrup, they drizzle melted grape jelly over their pancakes, which they call PBAJP's. Now, I realize this is not a recipe for the masses, but if you are a mom or grandmother with young children who enjoy working in the kitchen, I hope you let them give this recipe a try. If they like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, they love the pancakes and have fun making them. Here is how they are made.

Child's Play - Ice Cream Crunch Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love recipes that draw children into the kitchen and involve them in cooking. Supervision is, of course, necessary, but this dessert - an ice cream cake - can be made by a ten year old. As a matter of fact it was made by a 10 year old past weekend. This is a recipe for a cake worthy of a minor feast. Young cooks will need an apron or old clothes, and you'll need lots of paper toweling and a smidgen of patience to pull this off. It's a messy but doable dessert and the kids love it. Their pride when the cake is unmolded is unmistakable. That alone would make it worthwhile, but the cake is actually good. It's made with just four ingredients. Crisp rice cereal is blended with chocolate and peanut butter to form a soft crunchy brittle that's worked into ice cream. You wouldn't want to serve this to the queen or your gourmet club, but it's great for occasions where family and friends gather for birthdays or barbecues. There are no special ingredients used here, but good ice cream and chocolate help this along. You'll want to make this at least 8 hours before serving. Once you've tried this you'll probably want to experiment with other flavors, but here is the basic recipe for starters.

Leftover Ham - Sweet and Smoky Barbecued Ham with Rice

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This will be the last ham recipe for the current year. We've added four recipes to our leftover ham collection and it's time to say enough is enough. I've pulled the last shred of meat from the Easter ham bone, and the Silver Fox has made me promise there will be no more ham until forever or New Year's Day, whichever comes first. Tonight's dish, despite its tangy undertones, may be too sweet for some, though I must say that children seem to love it. It is a simple recipe that can easily be made by young cooks who have mastered the use of a food processor. The recipe is a play on the famous Ham Barbecue that is a favorite of locals in the Pittsburgh area. One of our children attended school there, so, while I'm not an authority on the subject, I am very, very, very familiar with the sandwich and how it can be adapted for those who don't have access to Isaly's Chipped Chopped Ham. My version is much like a barbecued Sloppy Joe and while I prefer to serve it over rice, it can also be spooned into buns. The relish provides most of the sweetness that permeates the barbecue and you can, if you wish, experiment the with the amount of it you use. I honestly think barbecued ham is an acquired taste, but a surprising number of people love it. Hopefully, you are among them and are interested enough to give this recipe a try. Here is how my version of Sweet and Smoky Barbecued Ham is made.

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I must begin this post with a caution. While this is a pleasant sweet bread, it's not of the caliber you would serve to the queen or your mother-in-law. Why then am I featuring it? Because it can be prepared with no special equipment and it is very, very easy to make. I have a series of recipes that I call cottage coffee cakes, so named because they can be made with a bowl and spoon in kitchens that are only minimally equipped. I also make this bread when I've volunteered to bring something for morning meeting and the clock has run out on me or me on it. When I am in my own kitchen, I sift the dry ingredients together and combine all the liquids in a large pyrex cup. When we are on the road, anything goes and I usually use a fork to combine the dry ingredients in a bowl to which wet ingredients are added in the order that's specified in the recipe. The bread made with a bit more finesse is lighter, but I must admit both are flavorful and they are perfect for a Sunday breakfast when you are in a hurry or teaching a young cook. The finished cake/bread is moist  and I suspect you'll absolutely love its crunchy sugar topping. I hope you'll keep this recipe in mind for the appropriate occasion. Here is how the swirled loaves are made.

Peanut Butter Bars + Mazola Summer Grill Giveaway Winners

The winners of the drawing for the Mazola Summer Grilling Giveaway are Taste the Rainbow, and Carol Z. Please email your address information to me, so I can pass it on to the Mazola representative for mailing to you. Congratulations, gals!

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I know that bacon is the poison of choice for most of my readers. While I, too, love the stuff, I'm partial to nuts and I must admit my allegiance is more firmly entrenched in the peanut butter camp. As a little girl, I'd sneak a jar of peanut butter and some saltines to my hideaway, a closet tucked under the front hall staircase, where I'd go to make my favorite "cookies" - peanut butter, finger smeared, on salty crackers. Lacking the foresight to bring utensils, I managed to get peanut butter on myself, the chain that dangled from the bare bulb and the door knob, and because I was still so young,  I could never figure out how my mother knew I had been in there. Unfortunately, I was usually intemperate in my use of peanut butter. Back in the day, nothing was super-sized, and my mother's weekly shopping placed only a small jar of peanut butter in the pantry. At least once a week, you could hear the far from dulcet accusation, "Hell's bells, Mary, that was meant for lunch," coming from her kitchen. And because that was then and not now, once she calmed down she would apologize for swearing. Such a wicked woman, it's no wonder I'm a mess and still inordinately fond of peanut butter and desserts that are made with it. The recipe I'm featuring tonight comes from Ellen Dorsey, who most of you know as Moomie, of famous bun fame. I found the recipe for Ellen's peanut butter bars on her website which you can find, here. The recipe makes a really nice bar cookie that is packed with peanut flavor, thanks to the use of peanut butter in both the dough and frosting. The simplicity of the recipe makes it a perfect cookie for children and novice cooks to make and  I think those of you who try Ellen's recipe will be really pleased with the results. Here is how these peanut butter bars are made.

Waist Watcher's Special - Frittata with Ham and Roasted Peppers

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is one of those everyday recipes that's hard to categorize. Cost-wise it is a candidate for Frugal Friday. Then again, its scaled proportions make it a perfect feature for the Table for Two series. The ease with which it can be assembled begs for a Child's Play designation, but I've chosen, instead, to make it a Waist Watcher's Special, mainly because that category needs recipes to beef it up and put it on a par with the other collections on One Perfect Bite. There is not much to the base recipe, but a quick scan of it will invite creative substitutions more to your liking and the tastes of your family. My only suggestion is to stick to the proportions recommended in the base recipe. Pick your cheese, add herbs and spices to taste, but do not be adventurous with quantities. I used linguica and hot pepper flakes in the version I made for the Silver Fox. I also liberally seasoned the egg mixture with salt and pepper. Think it through, massage it to your taste and I guarantee you won't be disappointed with the results. It will never make your last meal wish list, but it will happily keep you from starving and you won't be embarrassed to serve it. This is a perfect dish for a brunch or light supper and it is as close to effortless as a dish can be. Do try it. Here is how it is made.