Simply Great Chicken - Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies - Cosmo Popsicles

So I came home from work one day last week, sat down on the couch with my laptop, turned the tv on and waited for the computer to load up. I didn't understand why I was having so much trouble getting on line. Nothing was happening... I asked my hubby if he could figure out what was wrong.



He looked at it, turned it upside down, then right side up.... Hubby said... "I think it's toast...it's done....dead. My reaction.... Yeah right, just make it work Honey.... Hubby " No seriously it's toast Hon. My reaction....



I laid in the fetal position for a while...muttering....I can't visit blogs, I have to put a post up....I can't look for recipes.... For crying out loud you just don't realize how much you use your computer till you don't have one! My hubby being the smart sensitive man he is said.....I can't live in this house with you if you don't have a computer!!! He bought me a new laptop, and I'm a happy woman and back online!!! WHOOO HOOO!!! Ok the post, Carol made one terrific looking chicken recipe, I made sugar cookies and Cyndy has some very adult popsicles she'd like to share, I need a couple of those after last week. Here we go!!!

Carol made:

Simply Great Chicken




There are some days when complicated recipes with lots of ingredients don't bother me at all....then there are other days when easy is best. Who says you need a list of ingredients longer than your arm to turn out a mouth-watering dinner? Not me!!!

I was looking for something quick, easy and different to do with bone-in split chicken breasts that I got on sale and defrosted. I stumbled across this in one of my over abundance of cookbooks and thought hmmmmmmmmmm...that's not a combination I would have thought of. What the hey-let's give it a whirl.

The kitchen smelled wonderful while this was baking...I couldn't wait for dinner. All I can say is WOW! The name says it all....it's simple....and it's GREAT! The chicken is SO moist and juicy....we couldn't believe it!

I baked this on convection mode in my oven and didn't baste them...if I were to bake them in my regular wall oven, I would probably give them a baste or two the last 10-20 minutes or so to glaze them up nicely.....I also gave them a quick brush of the juice in the bottom of the pan before serving.

If you're in a hurry to get that chicken in the oven cooking away and you don't want to fuss with emptying the pantry and spice cabinet for ingredients....this recipe is for you!

Printable Recipe

SIMPLY GREAT CHICKEN
(Source: Country Chicken cookbook)

1 broiler-fryer chicken (3 1/2-4 lb.), cut up and skin removed (I used bone-in split chicken breasts-about 3 1/2 lb.)
1 (.7 oz.) envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix (such as Good Seasons)
1/2 c. packed brown sugar

Place chicken in a single layer in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, combine dry salad dressing mix and brown sugar; sprinkle over chicken.
Bake, uncovered, @ 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until juices run clear. 4 servings.




Bunny made:

Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies



I have this slight obsession with finding a sugar cookie recipe that will come as close as possible to my beloved Pepperidge Farm Sugar Cookies that I by at the grocery store. I love these cookies, I mean seriously they're everything that I want, soft, chewy and positively delicious! I wanted a recipe that would give me those cookies. I found a recipe that absolutely surpasses all my expectations! I'm sorry Pepperidge Farms, I never thought I would say this, but you pale in comparison, yes... it's true. I don't ever have to by another boxed or bagged sugar cookie again, this is the one, the softest, chewiest , melt in your mouth sugar cookie I've ever made. One recipe obsession down....!. HA HA!!

Printable Recipe

Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
Recipe from the Fallen Souffle blog

Ingredients

* 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 1 egg
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract (depending on how lemony you want them to be!)
* 1 tablespoon dried lemon peel
* 1/2 cup sugar for rolling cookies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Using a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and very fluffy.
4. Beat in egg, vanilla extract, lemon extract and lemon peel.
5. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
6. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in sugar. Place on lined cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned.
8. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.



Cyndy made:

Cosmo Popsicles




WARNING: These Popsicles are for adults only!


We had company over the other night and I made a few cocktails. The first was from a liqueur I made up one day while playing in the kitchen during the Christmas season. I call it Cosmo liqueur. I pour this over crushed ice and garnish with a lime twist in a Martini glass rimmed with Pomegranate sugar. When my company left, I still had some left over and I thought POPSICLE! Well, they were in the freezer for hours and only got slushy, so I melted them down and did some tweaking. Froze them overnight and here's the result. I gave one to my friend Rose. I didn't tell her what was in them at first. All she said was "OMG, how did you put a Cosmo in a popsicle!?" My answer? "I'll never tell!" LOL, I guess I should tell her...................someday.

Printable Recipe

Munchy?s Cosmo Popsicles

1 8oz container frozen Cranberry cocktail concentrate
3/4 cup Smirnoff Orange flavored Vodka
¼ cup Chambord liqueur
2 tsp lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water (if you want just the liqueur, add only ½ cup of water. The extra cup of water is so the Popsicle will harden)



Combine all ingredients, adjust to taste and pour into molds.
If you want sorbet, combine all ingredients, adjust to taste and then place in refrigerator for approx 2 hours to get really cold, then pour into ice cream maker.

Note: I make this by the gallon at Christmas time and put them in decorator bottles and give them as gifts to friends.