Nutmeg and Koko Facebook Page

Hey, everyone! We are super excited to tell you all that we now have a Facebook page for Nutmeg and Koko! Check it out here and be sure to like it!  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nutmeg-and-Koko/812118095465781?ref_type=bookmark

Recycled Cookies

Hello Everyone! How are you all doing?  Fine?  That's good.  Me?  My mother thinks I am evil.  You know how grandmas send home goodies after you've visited them?  My grandma sent home a large bag of chocolate chip cookies.  They are very hard not to eat.  Unfortunately, my mother found that out the hard way.  She couldn't keep her hands out of the bag!  She told me to make something else out of them for the blog.  So I did.  Who reading this has ever had lunch-lady brownies?  I decided to encase the cookies between two layers of those.  Those were even harder to stay away from.  Now, I am forbidden to ever recycle cookies in that way again.  I hope you all enjoy them as much as my mom did!

Recycled Cookies

1 cup of butter 

1/2 cup of cocoa

2 cups of all purpose flour

2 cups of sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon coffee extract

1 cup of your favorite kind of cookie, crumbled

Frosting

1/4 cup of softened Butter

1/4 cup of  milk

1/4 cup of unsweetened Cocoa

3 cups of Powdered Sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt the butter in the microwave and put into mixing bowl, add cocoa and mix together until smooth.

Add flour, and sugar. Beat together and then add eggs, and vanilla. Mix until combined.  Do not over stir!

Pour half into greased, floured  9x13 baking pan, and sprinkle cookie crumbs over it.  Spread the rest of the batter over it, and bake for 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Combine all ingredients for frosting, and frost brownies after ten minutes of cooling.  Enjoy!

Usually, I say how good these are and tell you to try them, and this time I am going to say it again.  These are really hard to resist!  I hope you will try them!

Lemon Meringue Pie

Hello, guys! This week I am posting a little late, sorry. We have had VBS all week, and I have been really busy and tired! 
One of my dad's favorite desserts for Father's Day is lemon meringue pie. I made it for him for the first time ever this year, and, although it was slightly runny, it turned out really good! This pie is everything you are looking for in a lemon meringue pie. Tart, lemony, and delicious. Yumm!! 

                                   Lemon Meringue Pie

                           1 9-in. pie crust, baked

                           1 cup sugar

                           1 cup boiling water

                           3 Tablespoons cornstarch

                           4 egg yolks

                           1/2 cup lemon juice

                           2 tsp. lemon rinds (fresh is best!)

                           4 egg whites

                           2 Tablespoons sugar

                           1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 

Combine sugar, water, and cornstarch in a saucepan and cook it until it is thick. You want it REALLY thick...mine wasn't thick enough I don't think, so make sure it is super thick.

Add in the egg yolks, lemon juice and lemon rinds. Save the egg whites for the meringue. Cool the filling, then pour it into the baked shell. 

For the meringue, beat the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar on high until it forms stiff peaks. Spoon it over the filling and bake for 15 minutes, or until the peaks are browned. Enjoy!

(I wish I could have a picture of a piece, but it was cut and eaten when I wasn't home! I promise, it's good anyway!) 

Mom's World Famous Spaghetti Sauce

Hello! Today's recipe is for a dinner that is very delicious. My mom has always made her own spaghetti sauce, and it is really yummy. She very kindly allowed me to share it with you today! Trust me, you will never go back to the stuff in a jar again! 

Like I've said before, I live in a large family, so this recipe makes quite a bit. Enjoy! 

Mom's World Famous Spaghetti Sauce

                                2 lbs. ground beef

                                2 tsp. garlic

                                1 Tablespoon oregano 

                                1 Tablespoon basil

                                1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

                                3 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning

                                2 cans mushrooms

                                3 (12 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes

                                1 medium can tomato sauce

                                1/2 bell pepper, chopped

                                1 medium onion, chopped

In a large pot over medium heat, brown the ground beef. Drain if necessary. Return the meat to the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, bell pepper and onion. Stir until well combined. Add in all of the seasonings and mix it well. Cook it for 8 hours on a low heat with no lid. Serve over noodles and enjoy! Yum! 

The Most Amazing Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Ever

Hello, everyone! Sorry the post is a little late. I totally forgot to post yesterday! 

I found this recipe over at The Pioneer Woman's site, and when I tried them, I knew I would never use another recipe. They are so gooey and delicious! This picture doesn't show all of the gooeyness, because there were not very many left when I went to take a picture! I also made a quarter of the recipe, because the original made 50. I do live in a large family, but we don't need that many cinnamon rolls. This made the perfect amount for us.  It is definitely a must-try. 

                             Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

           For the dough:
                           2 cups milk
                           1/4 cup oil
                           1/4 cup sugar
                           1 tsp. active dry yeast
                           2 cups and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (divided)
                           1/4 tsp. baking powder
                           1/4 tsp. baking soda
                           3/4 tsp. salt
                                         
           For the filling:
                           1/3 cup (roughly) melted butter 
                           1/2 cup sugar
                           cinnamon (as much as you want)

          For the icing:
                         2 cups powdered sugar
                         1 tsp. maple flavoring
                         1/4 cup milk
                         1/8 cup melted butter
                         1/8 cup coffee (I used more, but you don't have to)
                         pinch of salt


In a small saucepan, heat the milk, oil and sugar slowly, just until it reaches a boiling point. Remove it from the heat, and set it aside to cool. Once it is cooled, sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit for 1 minute to activate. 
Add the 2 cups of flour. Stir it until just combined, then cover it with a towel and let it sit for about 1 hour. 
Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the 1/4 cup of flour. Knead it until it is smooth, then place it in a bowl and refrigerate it for another hour. (If you are making the dough a day in advance, you can refrigerate it overnight)
Once the dough is chilled, take it out of the refrigerator and put it on a lightly floured surface. 
Preheat the oven to 375*.
Roll it out into a large rectangle. It needs to be thin. 
Spread the melted butter generously over the dough with a basting brush. Sprinkle the sugar on top, then the cinnamon. 
Roll the dough towards you, making sure it stays tight. Using dental floss or a sharp knife, slice the roll into 1/2 in. slices, then place each one in a 9-in. round baking pan greased with melted butter. Don't pack them too tightly; put about 8-9 in each pan. 
Put them on the counter or in a warm place for 20 minutes to rise, then bake them for about 18-20 minutes, or until barely golden brown. 
While the cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare the icing. Just mix all of the ingredients together until it is smooth. It will be thin, but not too thin. Add a little more of things to bring it to the taste you want. 
As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, pour the icing over them, making sure you evenly coat each one. They soak it up and get better and better as they sit. 
They are best warm, when they are gooey and fresh. Try out this recipe and let us know how it went! So yummy!! 
                                                                           

Lemon Iced Tea

Hello, everyone! This is Nutmeg again! I will be posting for Koko the next few weeks, because she is on vacation. The weather has been so hot lately, I decided to post a recipe for a wonderful summer drink. I love iced tea, and I love lemon, so I combined the two to make this delicious lemon iced tea! It is very refreshing and cool. Perfect for a really hot summer day. 

                                   Lemon Iced Tea

                             1 Iced Tea bag 

                             1 quart boiling water

                             Juice from one lemon

                             1 large lemon, sliced 

                             Sweetener of your choice, to taste

                                                      

Pour the boiling water over the tea bag and add the lemon juice and lemon slices. Let it steep for a few minutes. 

Sweeten the tea to your satisfaction, then place it in the refrigerator until it is cold. Pour it over ice and enjoy! 

Makes about 2-3 large glasses. 

Peanut Butter Truffles

Hi, everyone! I hope you all have been enjoying your summer! I certainly have! 

I must say I am pretty proud of myself with these truffles. These are for all of you Reese's peanut butter cup fans out there. These truffles come pretty close to tasting like one. They are really, really delicious. 

                                   
                               Peanut Butter Truffles

                     1/2 cup peanut butter
                     3/4 cup powdered sugar
                     3 Tablespoons butter
                     1 tsp. vanilla
                     1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
                     1/4 cup peanut butter (optional) 

In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Form the mixture into 1-inch balls, and place them on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Place in the freezer to firm up.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double broiler, or in a Pyrex in the microwave. (be careful, the chocolate will burn easily!)

Dip each of the balls into the chocolate, making sure they are evenly coated. Place them back on the cookie sheet, and put it back into the freezer to harden.

In a small bowl in the microwave, melt the peanut butter. It only takes about 1 minute. Pour the peanut butter into a Ziploc bag and cut a hole in the corner. Carefully drizzle the peanut butter over the truffles and place them in the refrigerator. They will keep in an airtight container for about 4-5 days. (If they last that long!) 

Cheater's Strawberry Shortcake

Hello Everyone!  How many of you like strawberry shortcake?  I do!  It is so simple!  I found a way to make it that makes it even simpler!  It goes down a little too quickly for my taste, but that is just me.  This is a great dessert recipe for in a pinch(so long as it isn't formal)!

Cheater's Strawberry Shortcake

Twinkies(1-2 per person)

1 pkg. strawberries, sliced

sweetener to taste

1 container cool whip or reddi whip(whichever you prefer)

Directions

Mix together sliced strawberries and sweetner, and spoon over Twinkies.  Top with whipped cream and enjoy!

 This was really yummy!  I hope that it helps when you need a quick dessert!

Rolo Brownies

Hey, everybody! The recipe I'm going to share with you is quite delicious. It all started when my friend gave me a rather large bag of Rolos.  I am quite fond of Rolos, so I was delighted. It was around that time that I discovered my lactose intolerance. I still ate them, and shared them, but there were just too many. I then had the idea to make Rolo brownies. They were quite good, and my family really enjoyed them. I do want to warn you...the caramel in the Rolos gets rather chewy, but they were still really good. The caramel frosting added the perfect touch to them.

The way I made these was rather strange. I was hoping to be able to use a single brownie recipe for the whole thing, but it wan't enough. I ended up using a brownie mix for the top layer. It saved ingredients, and it also saved a lot of time. You could probably double the brownie batter recipe, and it would still work. Any way you do it, it should turn out fine.

I hope you enjoy, and Happy Baking!

                       
                               Rolo Brownies
Brownies:
             1 cup butter, melted
             1 1/2 cups sugar
             1 Tablespoon vanilla
             4 eggs
             1/4 cup milk
             1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
             1 cup cocoa powder
             1 tsp. salt
             1 Fudge brownie mix (with all of the ingredients required)
             30-35 Rolos

Frosting:
             1/2 cup butter
             1/2 cup brown sugar
             1/4 cup milk
             1/2 tsp. vanilla
             1 3/4 cup powdered sugar


Preheat the oven to 350*. Spray a 9x13 cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gradually add it to the wet ingredients, and mix until all of the ingredients are incorporated. (The batter will be thick) Prepare the brownie mix according to the package directions. It's now time to put the brownies together!

Spread the first batter on the bottom of the pan, then layer the Rolos on top. Pour the second brownie layer over the Rolos, and bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. (There may be some chocolate from the melted Rolos) Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the icing. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and vanilla, and gradually bring it to a boil. Boil for two minutes, stirring constantly. Carefully add the milk and return it to a boil. Make sure you stir it constantly, or it will burn to the bottom and harden. Once it reaches a boil, remove it from the heat and add the powdered sugar. Add a little more milk if it is too thick, or more powdered sugar if it isn't thick enough.

Spread the icing on the cooled brownies, and enjoy! So yummy!

Rhubarb Crisp

Hello Everyone!  Rhubarb is wonderful!  It grows pretty much anywhere, and it can be eaten raw!  You can make so many things out of it!  I think my favorite rhubarb thing would have to be the Rhubarb Cake I posted a few weeks ago, but my dad really enjoyed this one.  All I have to say is, halleluiah  for rhubarb!

Rhubarb Crisp

4 cups rhubarb, cut into 3/4 " pieces
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup melted butter

Directions

Combine rhubarb, sugar, flour and put into 8" x 8" x 2" glass baking dish.

Combine flour, brown sugar, rolled oats and melted butter and sprinkle streusel over rhubarb mixture.  

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.  Let cool completely.  Enjoy!

This was really yummy, I hope you will try it!