February - Recipes of the Month!

Hi Everyone! Over here at The Roxburgh Group we LOVE our food and especially our sweets! Probably a little too much for our own good...but oh well :) Below are our favorite newly discovered recipes for the month of February. Pick your favorite and give it a try! Or try all of them! With great food like this, it's hard not to unleash the inner cook in all of us. Enjoy!

Recipes of the Month

• VELVEETA Potato Bites

What You Need

2 lb.  baking potatoes (about 6), peeled, cut into chunks

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 egg, beaten

1/4 tsp.  black pepper

1/4 lb.  (4 oz.) VELVEETA®, cut into 24 cubes

1 pkt.  SHAKE 'N BAKE Extra Crispy Seasoned Coating Mix

1-1/2 cups  TACO BELL® Thick & Chunky Salsa

Make It

COOK potatoes in boiling water in large saucepan 15 to 20 min. or until tender; drain. Cool 10 min. Mash potatoes until smooth. Add onions, egg and pepper; mix just until blended.
HEAT oven to 400ºF. Empty coating mix into pie plate. Roll potato mixture into 24 balls, using about 2 Tbsp. for each. Insert 1 VELVEETA cube into center of each ball, completely enclosing VELVEETA. Add to coating mix; turn to evenly coated. Place on rimmed baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
BAKE 14 to 16 min. or until heated through. Serve with salsa.

TACO BELL® and Logo are trademarks owned and licensed by Taco Bell Corp. 

 

• Homemade Samoas Girl Scout Cookies

 

 

Yield: About 4 dozen (2-inch) cookies
Prep Time: 2 hours (includes chilling)
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

For the cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the coconut topping:
3 cups shredded sweetened coconut
15 ounces store-bought or homemade soft caramels
3 Tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces dark chocolate (See Kelly's Notes)

Directions:

Make the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In three increments, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter, mixing between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the milk and vanilla extract, blending until combined and the dough begins to come together in large pieces. Use your hands to divide the dough in half, pressing it together to compact it into two disks. Wrap the disks securely in plastic wrap and refrigerate them until firm, about 1 hour. Once the dough has chilled, roll each disk out onto a lightly floured surface until it is 1/8-inch thick. Cut out as many cookies as possible with a doughnut-shaped cookie cutter. (See Kelly's Notes for cookie cutter alternatives.) Place the cut-out cookies on a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet half-way through, until the cookies are pale golden brown. Transfer the cookies to a wire wrack to cool completely.

Make the coconut topping:
Spread the coconut flakes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the coconut for about 10 minutes in a 350ºF oven until toasted, stirring frequently to ensure even browning and so that it does not burn. (See Kelly's Notes.) Remove the toasted coconut from the oven and set it aside. Melt the caramels, milk and salt in a double-boiler by placing the caramels in a medium saucepot set over a large saucepot of simmering water. Cook, stirring, until the caramels are fully melted. Remove the saucepot from the heat and combine 3/4 of the caramel with the toasted coconut in a large bowl. Carefully spread the remaining 1/4 cup of caramel atop the cooled cookies then press on a portion of the coconut mixture. Let the cookies cool for 30 minutes. If the caramel-coconut mixture thickens too much at any point while pressing it onto the cookies, return it to the double-boiler and warm it until it's spreadable again. Melt the dark chocolate in a double-boiler or in the microwave. Dip the bottoms of the cookies in the chocolate and place them on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Use a fork to drizzle the tops with chocolate. Let the cookies sit until the chocolate hardens fully.

•  Spicy Parmesan Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 8 ounces penne
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, Parmesan, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce and red pepper flakes. In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine shrimp and olive oil mixture; marinate for at least 30 minutes to overnight, turning the bag occasionally.
• In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp and sauce mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 2 minutes. Stir in pasta and gently toss to combine; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan and green onions, if desired.

ngredients

For the Frosting:
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips or Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips for garnish
For the Cake
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons brewed coffee (or water)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup usweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• Powdered sugar, to aid in rolling
For the Filling:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2-3/4 teaspoons peppermint extract (taste after 1/2 teaspoon)
• 6 drops green food coloring
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips or Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips

Instructions

Make the Frosting
1. Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over low heat until it just starts to bubble around the edges. Pour cream over chocolate chips, let sit for 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Add extracts and stir. Refrigerate until thick, several hours. The frosting is more of a glaze; it will not harden like a true ganache. Once it cools in refrigerator, cover with plastic wrap and stir it occasionally until ready to frost cake. You can make the frosting the day before.
Make the Cake
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a jelly roll (10x15”) pan with foil and spray with cooking spray (I like to use the spray with flour).
3. Beat eggs at high speed for 3 minutes, until frothy and dark yellow. Beat in sugar, coffee, and vanilla extract.
4. Whisk together cocoa, salt, baking powder, and flour. Stir into wet ingredients just until blended.
5. Spread in prepared pan. Batter will be in a very thin layer and you will need to use a wooden spoon or spatula to spread it to all the corners of the pan. Bake for 9-11 minutes (mine took 10).
6. While the cake is baking, set a clean kitchen towel out on a large work surface. Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar (about 1/4 cup). As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, turn it over on the kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove foil carefully.
7. Working at the short end, fold the edge of the towel over the cake. Roll tightly, rolling up the cake into the towel. Let cool completely while rolled, at least one hour.
Make the Filling:
8. Beat heavy cream in an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. (You can also use a hand mixer, but it will take longer.) Slowly add in powdered sugar during beating, one tablespoon at at time. Add 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Beat until whipped cream forms. Add up to 1/4 teaspoon more of peppermint extract to taste. Stir in food coloring.
Assemble Cake
9. Once the cake has cooled, unroll it carefully. Spread the filling on the cake, leaving 1” without filling at either end. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips or mint baking chips and re-roll cake. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour before frosting.
10. Place cake roll on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet. Pour chocolate ganache glaze evenly over the cake, making sure it covers the ends and sides of the cake. Transfer to serving plate and top with mini chocolate chips or mint baking chips for garnish. Chill at least one hour before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator, loosely covered.
11. Note: You'll have leftover frosting. Eat it with a spoon, or make it into hot chocolate!
12. Note: The cake should stay chilled until right before serving or the whipped cream filling will get warm and it will be hard to slice.

Read more at http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2014/02/mint-chip-cake-roll/#y929t9bZHbqLDeds.99

•  Healthy Mexican Sweet Potato Skins

Ingredients

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 can corn, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ yellow onion, chopped
• 2-4 INDIVIDUAL chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced or pureed (not the whole can!)
• 1 ounce light cream cheese
• ¼ cup light sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt (+ more to taste)
• ½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 6 tablespoons shredded cheese (Pepperjack, Cheddar, Colby Jack… anything will work)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes.
2. While sweet potatoes are baking, place corn in a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with no butter or oil. Sprinkle with salt and other Mexican seasoning (as much as you want). Do not stir! Let corn roast for several minutes before stirring. Let it roast for a few more minutes before stirring again. Continue this for about 10 minutes, until corn is browned and roasted on the outside. Set aside in a small bowl with the black beans.
3. Saute the onion in the butter over medium heat until soft and translucent. Set aside.
4. Remove sweet potatoes from the oven when fork-tender. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut the sweet potatoes in half. Scrape the flesh of the sweet potatoes out, leaving the skins intact. Sometimes leaving a thin layer of potato inside of the skins helps them hold together better.
5. Mix the flesh of the sweet potatoes with the cream cheese, sour cream, chipotle peppers, and salt. You can use a mixer or just a spoon, depending on how soft the potatoes are. When well-mixed, gently stir in the black beans, roasted corn, sauteed onions, and cilantro.
6. Scoop the filling into the skins and top each with 1 tablespoon shredded cheese. Broil for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

ngredients

For the Frosting:
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips or Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips for garnish
For the Cake
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons brewed coffee (or water)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup usweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• Powdered sugar, to aid in rolling
For the Filling:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2-3/4 teaspoons peppermint extract (taste after 1/2 teaspoon)
• 6 drops green food coloring
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips or Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips

Instructions

Make the Frosting
1. Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over low heat until it just starts to bubble around the edges. Pour cream over chocolate chips, let sit for 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Add extracts and stir. Refrigerate until thick, several hours. The frosting is more of a glaze; it will not harden like a true ganache. Once it cools in refrigerator, cover with plastic wrap and stir it occasionally until ready to frost cake. You can make the frosting the day before.
Make the Cake
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a jelly roll (10x15”) pan with foil and spray with cooking spray (I like to use the spray with flour).
3. Beat eggs at high speed for 3 minutes, until frothy and dark yellow. Beat in sugar, coffee, and vanilla extract.
4. Whisk together cocoa, salt, baking powder, and flour. Stir into wet ingredients just until blended.
5. Spread in prepared pan. Batter will be in a very thin layer and you will need to use a wooden spoon or spatula to spread it to all the corners of the pan. Bake for 9-11 minutes (mine took 10).
6. While the cake is baking, set a clean kitchen towel out on a large work surface. Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar (about 1/4 cup). As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, turn it over on the kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove foil carefully.
7. Working at the short end, fold the edge of the towel over the cake. Roll tightly, rolling up the cake into the towel. Let cool completely while rolled, at least one hour.
Make the Filling:
8. Beat heavy cream in an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. (You can also use a hand mixer, but it will take longer.) Slowly add in powdered sugar during beating, one tablespoon at at time. Add 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Beat until whipped cream forms. Add up to 1/4 teaspoon more of peppermint extract to taste. Stir in food coloring.
Assemble Cake
9. Once the cake has cooled, unroll it carefully. Spread the filling on the cake, leaving 1” without filling at either end. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips or mint baking chips and re-roll cake. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour before frosting.
10. Place cake roll on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet. Pour chocolate ganache glaze evenly over the cake, making sure it covers the ends and sides of the cake. Transfer to serving plate and top with mini chocolate chips or mint baking chips for garnish. Chill at least one hour before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator, loosely covered.
11. Note: You'll have leftover frosting. Eat it with a spoon, or make it into hot chocolate!
12. Note: The cake should stay chilled until right before serving or the whipped cream filling will get warm and it will be hard to slice.

Read more at http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2014/02/mint-chip-cake-roll/#y929t9bZHbqLDeds.99

• Reese's Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookies

• 1 and 1/4 cups (160g) all-purpose flour (careful not to overmeasure)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup (103g) dark brown sugar (or light brown)
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature*
• 3/4 cup (185g) creamy peanut butter*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 18 Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped

Drizzle

• 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons creamy peanut butter

Directions:

Make the cookies: Toss the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl until combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together on medium speed until combined. On low speed, beat in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla. Turn the mixer to high and beat until light in color and smooth. Turn the mixer to low and slowly pour in the dry ingredients. Mix until combined and a dough is formed. Cover tightly and chill the cookie dough for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days). Chilling is mandatory. Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Take 1 Tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Take another 1 Tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Stick a peanut butter cup into one ball, kind of like a "cradle" as shown above. Top the peanut butter cup with other cookie dough ball and seal down the sides so that the peanut butter cup is securely stuffed inside. Roll the large cookie dough ball in your hands to ensure it's smooth. Repeat with the rest of the dough and 18 peanut butter cups. Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes or until very lightly browned on the sides. Some cookies may be taller than others, depending how the peanut butter cup was positioned inside. Just press the cookies down a bit to flatten them out. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for at least 10 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the drizzle: melt chocolate chips and peanut butter together in the microwave, stirring often to prevent seizing. Add 1 teaspoon of shortening if the mixture isn't smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies.
Cookies stay fresh stored covered at room temperature for up to 7 days. Cookies freeze well, up to 3 months. Stuffed cookie dough balls freeze well, up to 2 months. Bake for 2 extra minutes, do not thaw.