Giant Cowboy Cookies

These oversized cookies combine favorite trail mix ingredients with a classic oatmeal cookie. The precise flavor--from M&M's to dried fruit--is the chef's choice.
Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats
2 1/2 cups total mix-ins:
semisweet chocolate chips, M&M's, chopped walnuts or other nuts, and/or raisins or other dried fruit
Kids' Cooking Skills:
Use this recipe to teach your child how to customize cookies with favorite ingredients, use a spatula to fold in ingredients, and flatten cookies with a wet glass.
Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars, then beat in the eggs. Stir in the vanilla extract. Finally, stir in the flour mixture.
3. Using a spatula, fold in the rolled oats until thoroughly.
4. Bake 12-14 minutes or until just browned around the edges.

www.waycoolcookingschool.com

Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake
8-12 servings

1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. apple sauce
2 3/4 c.granulated sugar

6 eggs
1 T. Pure Vanilla Extract
3 T. lemon extract
2 T. poppy seeds
3 c. sifted all-purpose flour
8 oz. (1 c.) plain yogurt
1 lemon, sliced and seeds removed
juice of 1 lemon
2 T. honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Spray an aluminum (not a dark pan) angel food cake pan (9 3/4" diam., 4" high) with nonstick spray that contains flour or grease and flour the pan.

• Lie lemon slices on the bottom of the angel food cake pan (or whichever kind of pan you choose –mini-loaves make great gifts).
• Cream butter and sugar together.
• Add applesauce, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon extract and poppy seeds.
• Add flour and yogurt gradually, alternating ingredients until well blended.
• Pour cake batter into angel food cake pan over the lemon slices; pan should not be more than ¾ of the way full.
• Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until cake springs back when touched.
• Allow to cool for 20 minutes, mix honey and lemon juice together and brush over the top of your brush over the top of your poundcake.
• Serve and enjoy!

To everyone that attended and volunteered to assist me with the cooking demonstration, THANK YOU!!!

Red, White & Blueberry Flambé 4-8 servings

1 angel food cake, ½ of cake cut/pulled into cubes/pieces
1 cup strawberries, diced (fresh is better because it will have more fruit than syrup, but if you can only find frozen, that's ok - I suggest that you thaw them and drain the juice)
1 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh - doesn't matter)
½ cup brandy, divided into 2 measuring cups of 1/4 cup each
4 Tablespoons of honey
¼ tsp. allspice, measured out twice
1-2 drops red food coloring, if desired
2 long matches
Whipped cream or ice cream or both (optional)

• Have two small skillets set over medium-high heat.

• In one skillet, place strawberries.

• In second skillet, place blueberries.

• Add 1 - 2 Tablespoons of honey to each skillet.

• Add ¼ tsp. allspice to each skillet.

• Stir both well with different heat proof spoons/spatulas (you don't want to mix colors!).

• When both skillets come to a rapid boil, reduce to medium heat.

****NEVER POUR BRANDY DIRECTLY FROM BOTTLE TO SKILLET. THIS COULD CAUSE THE BOTTLE TO EXPLODE!****

• From your measuring cups, add ¼ cup brandy to each skillet and wait 5 - 15 seconds (you may see "steam" begin to rise – this is what will ignite; if you don't see the alcohol evaporating, still ignite within fifteen seconds).

****NEVER PERFORM FLAMBE WITH FAN RUNNING OVER YOUR STOVE. THIS COULD CAUSE A BIG FIRE IN YOUR KITCHEN.****

• Light a LONG match, step a foot away from the stove, turn your face away and ignite the vapor from the alcohol.

• Repeat for second skillet.

• If you would like for your strawberries to be a darker red in color, add just a drop or two of red food coloring to your strawberry sauce.

• When flames have gone out in both skillets, you are ready to serve!

• Arrange white angel food cake cubes on a small dessert plate.

• Using a small spoon, make a red "stripe" on one side and a blue "stripe" on the other side.

• Serve with ice cream or whipped cream and stake an Old Glory toothpick in your dessert & ENJOY!

For cake:

1 stick of butter, softened 1 c. granulated sugar 2 eggs, beaten 2 c. cake flour 1 1/2 baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 c. milk (substituting yogurt, buttermilk or sour cream will make cake too moist - don't do it!) 1 tsp. vanilla extract zest of 3 limes (pick out limes with pretty peel)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs. Sift together cake flour, baking soda and salt. Add to eggs/butter. Add milk. Cover mixer with towel, mix on low, then medium, just until ingredients are moistened. Scrape sides. Zest 3 limes (avoid pith!). Chop zest into small pieces. Add to batter and mix just until well blended. Don't overbeat! Transfer batter to a greased and floured 9" aluminum round pan. Bake 25 - 35 minutes, until toothpick comes clean and cake springs back.

Milk "filling": 2 1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk 3/4 c. heavy cream 3/4 c. evaporated milk

Mix three together very well. Stir slowly so that the thinner milks won't splash everywhere.

Let cake cook in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto cooling rack for 20 minutes. Transfer to plate (keep in mind that cake must be refrigerated after frosting). With toothpick, poke holes all over cake, wiggling the toothpick around so that you make holes big enough to soak in the milk. Pour milk on, about 1/2 c. at a time and use a spatula to guide the milk into the holes. If milk seaps out of the sides, that's ok. The cake should be completely soaked.

Lime Meringue Frosting: 1/2 c. light corn syrup 1/2 c. granulated sugar 1/8 tsp. salt 2 egg whites juice of 3 limes

Combine corn syrup, sugar, salt and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Bring 3 cups of water in the bottom of a double boiler to a simmer. Mix with a hand mixer for 2 - 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium. Mix for 4 more minutes. Add lime juice (careful not to add seeds!) Mix for 1 more minute.

Using a mini-offset cake spatula, frost your cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut, serve and ENJOY!!

1 flank steak (1 - 1 1/4 lb.), marbled but not too much fat garlic salt 2 T. extra virgin olive oil 4 c. water 2 1/2 tsp. beef base (use 2 c. water and 2 c. beef broth if you don't have beef base) 2 - 14.5 oz. cans crushed tomatoes with mild green chiles 1 heaping Tablespoon garlic 1 c. red wine of your choice (optional) 10 oz. fajita veggies (5 sliced bell peppers and 1 large sliced onion) 1 handful of cilantro, chopped 6 oz. tomato paste

In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat 2 T. extra virgin olive oil (it will move like water). Season flank steak on both sides with garlic salt. Brown on each side, about 4 minutes each. Place crockpot liner in crock pot. In crock pot (doesn't matter what size crockpot you have), combine water & beef base; stir until dissolved. Add garlic, red wine & tomatoes with green chiles. Stir and add flank steak (you may cut it in half if it won't fit all in one piece). Turn crock pot up to high heat and let cook for 6-8 hours. After several hours, add cilantro and tomato paste. Stir until tomato paste is dissolved. Add fajita veggies and let cook 30 more minutes. Serve with your favorite side (black beans or yellow rice, perhaps!) and enjoy!