Asparagus is yummy but surprisingly some find cooking it to be a little intimidating. Here is a video that shows you three different but delicious ways to cook this nutritious veggie. Personally, I’d vote for the third preparation style, what about you?
Just Yum!!
By Karen, The Food Charlatan
Snickerdoodle Cookies do not have to be bland flavorless hockey pucks! My favorite easy recipe gives you the BEST soft and chewy Snickerdoodles that are bursting with flavor from a double dip in cinnamon sugar. I'll give you all my tips to make sure your cookies don't turn out dry and crumbly!
1 cup salted butter, 2 sticks
1 and 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a few baking sheets with parchment paper, or line with a silicone mat.
Make the dough. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1 cup butter for a couple minutes until smooth, scraping the sides and bottom a few times in between.
Add 1 and 1/3 cup white sugar and 1/3 cup packed brown sugar. Beat for 2 minutes, taking the time to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl in between. Your butter and sugar should be light and fluffy with no chunks at all.
Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat well, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Make sure you beat it long enough that it becomes smooth and homogenous.
Add 3 and 1/4 cups flour (be sure to spoon it into the measuring cup! Don't dip your cup into the flour bin, you will pack your flour and end up with too much!) Don't mix the flour in yet.
Use a small spoon (I use my teaspoon) to stir 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar into the flour. Gently beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Don't overdo it. There should still be flour streaks when you stop your mixer. Use a spatula to scrape down the edges of the bowl.
Continue beating just a few more seconds until all the flour streaks are gone. Do not over mix! You want to make sure all the ingredients are combined, but once that is done, stop mixing. Over mixing dough = tough cookies.
Use a large cookie scoop or a spoon to shape the dough. You want dough balls that are about 1 and 1/2 to 2 inches across. I used this cookie scoop.
Roll the cookies. In a small or medium bowl, add 1/3 cup sugar and 1 and 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon. Stir together. Roll the shaped cookies in the cinnamon-sugar to coat. (Reserve the remaining cinnamon-sugar!)
Place cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet with about 2 inches in between them. I can fit 12 cookies on an 11x17 baking sheet.
Bake the cookies at 350 for about 9-11 minutes, until the edges are barely set. It's ok if the centers of the cookies (about the size of a quarter) are still shiny. The rest of the cookie should be matte. It's VERY important to not over bake snickerdoodles; underbaking slightly is what helps give them that soft and chewy texture. (Dry Snickerdoodles taste like chalk. Don't be like that.)
Shape the cookies. Immediately after taking the cookies out of the oven, use a spoon to push the edges of the cookies toward their centers. This makes the cookies round in shape and makes the center thicker and more chewy. You have to do this within 30-60 seconds of taking them out of the oven, before the edges harden. Enlist help if you can! See my Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe for more details about this technique!
Let the cookies set up on the pan for at least 3-5 minutes. Remove the cookies to a wire cooling rack and let cool for a few minutes.
While the cookies are still warm, but cool enough to handle (and not falling apart), place each cookie back into the bowl of cinnamon sugar*. Coat one side of the cookie, then flip it over and coat the other side. This gives you the ultimate cinnamon-sugar edge to your snickerdoodle! Enjoy one right away with a glass of milk!
Freezer instructions: You can freeze this dough and bake later! I like to shape the dough into balls, roll them in cinnamon sugar, and store them in a ziplock bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. I never thaw cookie dough before baking. Just bake straight from frozen and add a couple minutes to the bake time. Voila!
*If you are squeamish about using the same cinnamon-sugar that you used to roll the raw dough in, feel free to just get a new bowl and measure out another 1/3 cup sugar and 1 and 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon (or just eyeball it).
calories: 147 kcal, carbohydrates: 22 g, protein: 2 g, fat: 6 g, saturated fat: 4 g, polyunsaturated fat: 1 g, monounsaturated fat: 2 g, trans fat: 1 g, cholesterol: 26 mg, sodium: 140 mg, potassium: 44 mg, fiber: 1 g, sugar: 12 g, vitamin a: 189 iu, vitamin c: 1 mg, calcium: 9 mg, iron: 1 mg
Are you preparing a turkey for your holiday meal? Turkey and its juice can be contaminated with germs that can make you and your family sick. For example, turkey can contain Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter, and other germs. Whether you’re cooking a whole bird or a part of it, such as the breast, you should take special care. Follow the steps below to safely store, thaw, handle, and cook your turkey.
Frozen raw turkey should be stored in the freezer until you are ready to thaw it. Make sure your freezer is at 0˚F or below. Don’t store a turkey in a place where you can’t closely monitor the temperature, such as in a car trunk, a basement, the back porch, or in snow.
Fresh raw turkey can be stored in the refrigerator 1–2 days before cooking.
Use one of these methods to thaw your turkey:
Thaw your turkey in the refrigerator.
Keep your turkey in its original wrapping and place it in a container before putting it in the refrigerator. The container will prevent the turkey’s juice from dripping on other food.
Allow about 24 hours of thawing for each 4 to 5 pounds of turkey.
A turkey thawed in the refrigerator can remain in the refrigerator for 1–2 days before cooking.
Thaw your turkey in cold water.
Be sure your turkey is in a leak-proof plastic bag before you place it in the sink. The bag will prevent the turkey’s juice from spreading in the kitchen. It will also prevent the turkey from absorbing water, which can make your cooked turkey runny.
Make sure your turkey is fully covered with the cold tap water.
Change the water every 30 minutes.
Allow about 30 minutes of thawing for each pound of turkey.
A turkey thawed in cold water must be cooked immediately after thawing.
Thaw your turkey in the microwave.
Follow the microwave manufacturer’s instructions for thawing turkeys.
A turkey thawed in the microwave must be cooked immediately after thawing.
Never thaw your turkey by leaving it out on the counter. A turkey must thaw at a safe temperature. When a turkey stays out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, its temperature becomes unsafe even if the center is still frozen. Germs can grow rapidly in the “danger zone” between 40°F and 140°F.
Raw turkey and its juice can contaminate anything they touch. Be sure to handle your turkey correctly to prevent harmful germs from spreading to your food, family, and friends.
Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds before and after handling turkey.
Use a separate cutting board for raw turkey.
Never place cooked food or fresh produce on a plate, cutting board, or other surface that held raw turkey.
Wash cutting boards, utensils, dishes, and countertops with hot soapy water after preparing raw turkey and before you prepare the next item.
Do not wash or rinse raw turkey. Washing your turkey can make you and your family sick. Poultry juices can spread in the kitchen and contaminate other foods, utensils, and countertops.
It’s safest to cook stuffing in a casserole dish instead of inside your turkey. Cooking stuffing in a casserole dish makes it easy to be sure the stuffing is thoroughly cooked. If you do cook stuffing in the turkey, put the stuffing in the turkey just before cooking.
With either cooking method, use a food thermometer to make sure the stuffing’s center reaches 165°F. Germs can survive in stuffing that has not reached 165°F. If you cooked the stuffing in your turkey, wait 20 minutes after taking the bird out of the oven before removing the stuffing.
To roast a turkey in your oven, set the oven temperature to at least 325°F. Place the completely thawed turkey in a roasting pan that is 2 to 2-1/2 inches deep. Cooking times depend on the weight of the turkey and whether it is stuffed.
Use a food thermometer to make sure the turkey has reached a safe minimum cooking temperature of 165°F. Check by inserting a food thermometer into the center of the stuffing and the thickest part of the breast, thigh, and wing. Even if your turkey has a pop-up timer, you should still use a food thermometer to check that it is safely cooked. Let the turkey stand 20 minutes before removing all stuffing from the cavity and carving the meat. This will let the stuffing cook a little longer and make the turkey easier to carve.
If you are cooking your turkey using another method, such as smoking or frying it, or roasting a turkey that is not fully thawed, follow these guidelines for cooking your bird safely.
Learn more about safe minimum cooking temperatures for other foods and how to use a food thermometer.
Refrigerate leftovers at 40°F or colder within 2 hours of serving to prevent food poisoning. Slice or divide big cuts of meat, such as a roast turkey, into small quantities for refrigeration so they can cool quickly. Reheat all leftovers to at least 165°F before serving.
Cooked turkey and dishes made with turkey, such as a casserole, can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or can be frozen to store longer.
Always refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or 1 hour if exposed to temperatures above 90°F (like a hot car or picnic).
Original Link: https://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/preparing-your-holiday-turkey-safely
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