Hello everyone!  Happy March!  I do hope that you are all beginning to see signs of spring.  The winter has been so very long.  I have daffodils and hyacinths blooming outside of my bedroom window.  Of course, it is also supposed to snow within the next day or so.  Such is spring in Illinois.  One day it is 70 degrees and the next day it snows. 

 It is during the long cold days that I often think about summer days of the past.  I love summer.  Some of my favorite things happen in summer and many of my best and happiest memories are from warm days and nights.  I have always adored swimming.  I could not even guess how many hours I have spent in a pool.  When I was a pre-teen and teen, I would go occasionally to my cousin Janet’s house to spend the day in her family’s pool.  It was an above ground pool and not at all large but we had so much fun.  My Aunt Eileen would always have a snack waiting for us and often it would be butter pecan cake.  I normally do not love a dessert unless it is chocolate but that cake was fabulous. I have never found another to match it.  Janet passed away many years ago and Aunt Eileen passed away this past year.  I have considered asking if anyone in the family has the recipe. 

The recipe that I want to share with you today reminds me of that delicious cake.  These cookies do in fact begin with a butter pecan cake mix with some other yummy additions. They are very moist and keep well for several days.  I always double this recipe because they disappear quickly.  I will be giving you the recipe for a single batch today.  The measurements are easily doubled.  

You will need a butter pecan cake mix.  When I developed this recipe the cake mix that I used was 15.25 oz but, yet again, the cake mixes have become smaller.  Now that same brand is 13.25 oz.  If the box that you purchase is smaller than 15.25 oz., you can add about ¼ cup of flour or you can add the same amount of cake mix from another box of butter pecan or yellow.  The recipe still works without the addition but the cookies may be slightly flatter.

You will also need ½ cup (1 stick) of salted butter, melted and slightly cooled.  You want to cool it a little so that you do not cook the eggs.  Speaking of eggs, you will need 2 large ones.  You will need 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup of finely chopped pecans plus 1 cup of toffee bits.  You can use the bits of brickle type of toffee bits or the bits that have chocolate coating.  

I have to tell you about my method for chopping pecans.  I have the cutest nut grinder ever.  She is shown in the picture below and her name is Hazel.  Get it?  Hazel…nuts…hazelnuts…bwahahaha.  Ok, I’m weird, I know. 

Now for making these cookies.  Mix the cake mix, melted and cooled butter, and the eggs together until combined well.  This should only take a minute or so but make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl a couple of times.  If the dough seems too soft at this time you should go ahead and mix in the extra cake mix or flour now.  By too soft, I mean if it does not hold its shape or stick to the beaters without dripping off.  Stir in the semi-sweets, pecans and toffee bits.  The dough will be very thick at this point.  Cover the dough and chill for 1 hour.

When the hour is up, preheat the oven to 365 degrees and line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the cookie sheet, using your fingers to make the dough balls kind of tall.  This will ensure that the cookies stay rather thick and puffy instead of flattening out.  Bake the cookies for 9 to 10 minutes.  I bake mine for 9 minutes.  They will look rather light when removed from the oven but will continue to bake a bit while cooling.  Leave them on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack or board to cool completely.

The cookies keep very well in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.  I have frozen these cookies once they are completely cooled using parchment paper to separate the layers and it worked quite well. 

Of course, they are absolutely best while still slightly warm with some cold milk or some hot chocolate.  These butter pecan cake mix cookies are slightly cakey with gooey chocolate and crunchy bits of pecan and toffee.  I hope that you try these easy and delicious cookies and enjoy them as much as my family does.

Until next time, lovies!  

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Butter Pecan Cake Mix Cookies

These butter pecan cake mix cookies are slightly cakey with gooey chocolate and crunchy bits of pecan and toffee.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time9 minutes mins

Chilling1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 24 minutes mins

Course: Dessert, Snack

Keyword: Butter Pecan, Cake Mix, Cookies

Author: Wench Sherry

Ingredients

• 1 15.25 oz Butter Pecan Cake Mix or 13.25 oz
• 1/2 cup salted butter melted and slightly cooled
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup pecans finely chopped
• 1 cup toffee bits
• 1/4 cup flour or cake mix from another box optional

Instructions

• Mix the cake mix, melted and cooled butter, and the eggs together until combined well with an electric mixer.  This should only take a minute or so. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl a couple of times.
• If the dough is very soft and will not hold its shape, add 1/4 cup flour or 1/4 cup extra cake mix from another box. This is optional.
• Stir in the semi-sweets, pecans and toffee bits.  The dough will be very thick at this point.
• Cover the dough and chill for 1 hour. 
• When the hour is up, preheat the oven to 365 degrees and line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the cookie sheet, using your fingers to make the dough balls kind of tall.  This will ensure that the cookies stay rather thick and puffy instead of flattening out.
• Bake the cookies for 9 to 10 minutes.
• Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack or board to cool completely. 

Are you all tired of winter yet? I am. I tire of the cold pretty quickly these days. I love living in Illinois but I wish that the winters were not so freaking endless. I start to long for green leaves and warm nights right about mid-January and by Valentine’s Day I am downright done with winter. Well, I am right in the midst of that period and am looking forward to sunshine and 80 degrees. So, I thought that I would share a recipe today for a sweet treat that brings to mind summer days. You can certainly make it all year long like I do and maybe it will help to ease the depression of dull gray winter skies. 

This recipe is for lemon brownies. I know. I know. That does not sound right and you can just call these lemon bars if you wish. Brownies are supposed to be chocolate. I mean, they are typically literally brown. I don’t know but I suspect that the name is derived from their color. But, these lemon treats are called brownies and I respect that. It is kind of cool when you think about it. I have always liked things that are a bit different; that don’t conform to conventions. Lemon Brownies are moist, delicious, sweet and tart like a lemon bar but are also dense and chewy like a brownie. If you love lemon you will love this recipe. If you cannot tolerate calling them brownies, then don’t. Call them squares or bars or hedgehogs if that makes you happy, but make them and enjoy them.

This is a recipe that I found on Pinterest and tweaked a little to my liking.  The brownies are made from scratch but don’t let that frighten you. They are super easy. They are great for potlucks or taking to the office.

For the brownies, you will need 1 cup of softened unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 large eggs at room temperature, 1 ½ cups all purpose flour, and 1 teaspoon baking powder for the brownies. For the glaze, you will need 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon extract or vanilla, and enough lemon juice to make your glaze the correct consistency (around 4 tablespoons). If you are using vanilla, you can use clear vanilla to make the glaze really white.

Let’s get this party started. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a 9 X 13 baking pan with parchment paper.

Zest your lemons and squeeze out the juice, making sure to remove any seeds. I needed 2 lemons to get the right amount of zest and fresh juice because mine were smaller in size. Feel free to use bottled lemon juice to supplement if you don’t have enough for both the brownies and the glaze. Set aside both the zest and the juice in separate bowls or measuring cups.   

Whisk together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the butter, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically. This will take several minutes. 

Add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined.

Add the flour mixture gradually, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix until just combined.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan evenly. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 28 minutes. Do not overbake. A toothpick inserted in the center should have some moist crumbs but no liquid batter. 

Cool the brownies on the counter. While the brownies are cooling you can mix up the glaze.

For the glaze, mix the powdered sugar, lemon extract or vanilla, and lemon juice in a large measuring cup or medium bowl with a whisk until smooth.  Start off with about half of the lemon juice and add more until you get the right consistency. You want a pourable glaze.

Once the brownies are cooled, pour the glaze over the top and spread to cover completely. Allow the glaze to harden and then cut the brownies.

These keep well in an air-tight container on the counter for a few days or you can keep them in the fridge for a little longer.  

I hope that this recipe brings a little sunshine into your day. Here’s to the prospect of sunny days, sandals, and warm breezes coming through open windows. Until next time, Lovies!

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Lemon Brownies

Lemon Brownies are moist, delicious, sweet and tart like a lemon bar but are also dense and chewy like a brownie. If you love lemon you will love this recipe.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Cooling time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Author: Wench Sherry

Ingredients

Brownies

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

Glaze

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp lemon extract or vanilla
• 4 Tbsp lemon juice approximately

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 X 13 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Zest your lemons and squeeze out the juice, making sure to remove any seeds.  I needed 2 lemons to get the right amount of zest and fresh juice because mine were smaller in size.  Feel free to use bottled lemon juice to supplement if you don’t have enough for both the brownies and the glaze. Set aside both the zest and the juice in separate bowls or measuring cups.
• Whisk together the flour and baking powder and set aside.
• Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the butter, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar until light and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically.
• Add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined.
• Add the flour mixture gradually, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Mix until just combined. 
• Spread the batter into the prepared pan evenly.  Bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 28 minutes.  Do not overbake.  A toothpick inserted in the center should have some moist crumbs but no liquid batter.
• Cool the brownies on the counter.  While the brownies are cooling you can mix up the glaze.
• For the glaze, mix the powdered sugar, lemon extract or vanilla, and lemon juice in a large measuring cup or medium bowl with a whisk until smooth.  Start off with about half of the lemon juice and add more until you get the right consistency.  You want a pourable glaze.
• Once the brownies are cooled, pour the glaze over the top and spread to cover completely.  Allow the glaze to harden and then cut the brownies.

To me, one of the best parts of baking and cooking is sharing what I make with others.  I love to make someone else happy with something yummy that I have created.  I have nothing against using a mix, refrigerated cookie dough, or frozen pie crust.  It does not matter if you bake from scratch or pop something in the microwave.  What counts is that you put forth an effort to brighten someone else’s day.  It really is the thought that counts.   

And, while I do love to get compliments on my cooking and baking, the warm fuzzies I get when I think that someone really enjoys what I have made is even better.   

This is where working in an office environment comes as a real asset.  Since I enjoy baking and cooking so much I tend to have more goodies around than I should.  My sons have homes of their own and don’t live right next door.  There is a limit to what my husband and I can eat.  I need an outlet for my baking and cooking finished products and that is where my coworkers come in. 

When I worked at Illinois College I could bake several times a week and the student workers would devour everything that I brought to work.  Now that I am in a state office I can drop baked goods in the breakroom and they will disappear within a couple of days.  When someone is having a stressful day at work a cookie can help get them through to quitting time.  I will admit that I use them to taste test new recipes and experiments but they don’t seem to mind.  I get to perfect my craft and they get free treats – it is a win-win situation.   

Hello Lovies! So, who out there likes chili?  Who loves chili?  Who gets upset when you spell chili with one L instead of two or vice versa?  Who out there is a chili purest?  Everyone has opinions about chili! But some people are downright indignant if you stray from their preferred recipe for chili.  They are probably the same folks that are adamant about chocolate chip cookies.  If you are one of those people you should probably not read any farther. This recipe might upset you greatly. However, if you are an open-minded individual who just loves to eat yummy food no matter what the name, then please continue. Actually I would like for everyone to continue reading anyway. I promise you won’t regret it. 

I like chili. I am not a huge fan of chili who will eat it at every possible opportunity. I would never order it in a restaurant because there are always so many other options to choose. I do enjoy going to a chili cookoff and trying all the different types. This particular recipe is called Turkey Kind-Of Chili. This is my slightly tweaked version of a Rachel Ray recipe that I found years and years ago. I love this dish. My kids love this dish. Would I expect you to taste this and say, “Hey, this is chili.”? No, I would not. I would hope that you would make some noises of pure enjoyment and ask for more though.   

Why do I say that this doesn’t seem like chili? Well, there are no beans or chili powder for one thing. And it is made with turkey for another. So, why should chili lovers (and non-lovers) try it?  Because it is freaking delicious! 

This super comforting dish is made with ground turkey and very finely diced veggies with wonderful warming spices and a tomato base.  Add a dollop of sour cream and a corn muffin topper and you have the perfect tummy pleasing meal.  Don’t worry. I am going to tell you how to make the corn muffin toppers too.   

To concoct this beautiful pot of yum you will need extra virgin olive oil, unsalted butter, ground turkey, minced garlic, celery, carrots, onions, a fresh jalapeno, salt and pepper, ground cumin, ground coriander, your favorite beer, hot sauce, and canned tomato sauce. Amounts for everything will be in the recipe that follows.

To make the mug toppers you will need Jiffy corn muffin mix, milk, eggs, shredded Colby Jack cheese and dry minced onion plus some butter for the griddle or skillet.

Hello Lovely Friends!  Well, there is so much to talk about that I don’t know where to start.  So, I think that I will just talk about the yummy recipe that I want to share with you today rather than my ridiculous life.  Here goes. 

Who else has been lucky enough to have potlucks as part of your past or current existence?  I spent many, many, many an evening at political potlucks as I was growing up.  My dad was a party chairman in our county and a local politician for most of my childhood.  One of the best parts of that was going to the monthly potlucks.  It is not a fable that little old ladies can cook up magical food.  I have had the privilege to sample some of the best of midwestern cooking and baking.  As my boys were growing up, my husband was also a local politician and they got to experience this phenomenon themselves…and they loved it.  Nevermind that we had to sit quietly and listen to the speeches and obligatory meeting minutes etc.  We got to eat the best food and it was worth it.   

The recipe that I want to share today is reminiscent of one of the greatest (in my opinion) potluck desserts of all time….Texas Cake.  I adore Texas Cake.  I do not make it often and I have no reason for that.  Most people would say that it makes such a large cake and it is too much for everyday baking.  To that, I say, pssshhhaw.  There is never too much chocolate cake. End of story.  I think that, for me, Texas Cake has a special place at the potluck or family gathering and I don’t want to relegate it to an ordinary dessert.   

This recipe is not for Texas Cake, though.  It is for Texas Cake Cookies!!!!!  They taste just like the cake but in my warped, chocolate-fueled brain, cookies are eminently more simple and homey and comforting.  Cookies are for everyday and not just for special occasions.  I’m weird, I know.   

What makes these cookies so special is the icing so don’t skip it.  I am not a person who loves to frost cookies but this is the exception.  I have iced these with and without the addition of chopped pecans.  Both are wonderful.  To me the pecans are a part of the Texas Cake charm but some people are not into them and that is ok by me too. You may notice that in some of my pictures there are cookies made with and without pecans. I made these for a family gathering and I knew that some of my peeps do not like nuts in their cookies.  Go figure.  

Hello Lovies!  Well, here I am again, apologizing for being away for so long.  I don’t know what is going on with me.  I love to make these posts.  Really.  No kidding.  But, I have such a hard time getting my butt in gear to do it nowadays.  At first, I had the excuse of no time because when I started working for ISBE back in 2020, I really did not have the time.  That job was all consuming and my travel time 5 days a week just left no time for fun.  I just worked, drove and slept.  But then when the pandemic began and we went completely remote I had tons more time.  However, I didn’t have the desire.  There was just too much terrible in the world for the inspiration to break through.  I was not happy doing that job even remotely and that tension and stress on top of all the Covid worries took its toll.  Well now, I have a job that I really like and I love my new coworkers.  We have been off and on remote.  Right now we are remote 2 days per week and in the office 3 days.  I am hoping to use some of the hours that I gain on the remote days to get back on track…again. 

So, like much of the Midwest, we had a big snowstorm a couple of weeks ago.  We had plenty of warning and were prepared.  On one of the days our office was actually closed due to the weather and I decided that I could not waste the opportunity to make something delicious.  I wanted to make something very cozy and comforting that would be perfect for a snow day.  Cinnamon always goes with a snowy landscape in my opinion.  I have had this recipe for a long time but had never made it because it is pretty decadent even though it is made with simple ingredients and is quick and easy.  This is not a snack/dessert that you should eat often.  But you should eat it at least once in your life or you are missing out.  

I refer to Cinnamon French Toast Rollups.  There are similar recipes to this one that use a cream cheese filling but this one is simply made with the same ingredients as cinnamon toast plus the ingredients for french toast with an optional cream cheese frosting for drizzling

These Cinnamon French Toast Rollups are like the middle of a gooey delicious cinnamon roll with a slightly crunchy coating.  They are made with just a few ingredients but the result is amazing.  They are perfect with hot chocolate or hot tea or even a cold glass of milk.  I made them as a dessert but anyone would be thrilled to have them as a snack after playing in the snow or maybe even binge watching your favorite show.  I recommend eating them while still warm but you can zap them in the microwave for a few seconds if they cool off.  

You will need sliced white bread (either sandwich slices or Texas Toast ).  You will also need unsalted butter, cinnamon, granulated sugar, eggs, milk, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract.  For the frosting you will need unsalted butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar.

Plan ahead and get your butter and cream cheese to room temperature.  Or you can be like me and forget to get it out.  Then just zap it in the microwave for a few seconds.  Just don’t melt either of them.  You want them to be very soft though.  You will see why.

Hey hey, everyone!  Or should I say Ho Ho Ho?  It is getting to be that time of year.  But first we must get through Thanksgiving.  I love Thanksgiving, although not as much as Christmas, because of the food, of course.  Not just the eating of the food but the cooking and baking as well.

We normally host the Thanksgiving feast for my family and will be doing so again this year.  I am not gonna tell a big whopping fib (Santa is watching you know) and say that I really enjoy hosting the big family meal.  I enjoy it once the food is all prepared and everyone is there having a good time.  But, the weeks leading up to the event are a royal pain in the butt.  I always over-prepare.  I stress about how clean the house is and worry too much about the tiniest details that no one notices anyway but that is how I roll.  I should be home right now doing some of that cobweb busting and carpet cleaning.  However, I am writing this while sitting in Union Station in Chicago waiting for our train to take us back home.  My husband had a school board conference in Chicago and asked me to come along.  I shouldn’t have because of all the work waiting for me at home but I decided to live a little.  So, I have been shopping and eating and walking my way up and down Michigan Avenue for 3 ½ days.  Oh my gosh, the walking. I kind of wish that I had a Fitbit so I could see how many millions of steps I have made this weekend.  I doubt that I lost any pounds because we have not dieted by any means but I probably came out about even.  I know that I burned some serious calories but I also indulged in some pretty good food.  Right now, I have a bag of “Nuts on Clark” caramel corn/popcorn mix and some fantastic Red Velvet Cherries to munch on while we wait.  Sooooo good.  I wasn’t going to buy anything to eat here at the station even though we are going to be here for about 3 hours waiting for our train but, dang, that popcorn place smelled too good to pass up.  And speaking of too good to pass up, I have a doozy of a dessert recipe to share with you today.  I am hoping to get this posted by Thanksgiving but no promises.

I want to share a recipe for Creme Brulee Caramel Pie.  My niece, Amber, has a serious addiction to Creme Brulee apparently.  She asked me last summer to bring Creme Brulee to some family gathering.  Well now, I have a large family and had to figure out a way to make a large batch rather than mess around with those little ramekins for everyone but I accomplished it.  My sons also love Creme Brulee but I don’t make it often, although I should.  They also love caramel pie.  So, when I saw a recipe for this pie, I had to try it. I tweaked the recipe a bit to suit my family’s tastes and this is the result.

This pie has a simple graham cracker crust.  Then comes a luscious layer of Dulce de Leche topped with a homemade cooked vanilla custard.  Add a bit of sugar to the top and burn it to a nice crispy and golden glorious finish.  Wow!  The velvety smooth texture between layers of buttery crunch and sugary crunch is unbelievable.  You are sure to impress with this pie and it is so very simple to make.

Hi Everyone!  I feel so ashamed that I have not posted a recipe for soooooo many months.  Believe me when I say that there is no good excuse.  I wish I had one.  I wish that I could say that my life had become so busy with exciting new adventures, and I was conquering new worlds every day and had no time to put together a recipe and photos for you.  But no.  I cannot even give you a bad excuse or any explanation at all.  I am still cooking and baking, although not quite as much because I have no outlet for the finished products.  The agency where I work was fully remote for over a year and now that we are back, I am unsure how home-baked goods would be received because of the dreaded Covid germs.  I haven’t been brave enough to try it yet.  Anyway, for some stupid reason that only exists in my head, I could not make myself write up an article to post.  Which is incredibly weird because I love doing this.  I am just going to apologize and move forward. 

So, I hope that everyone is surviving.  I know that none of us are back to normal.  I am not sure when we will ever be something close to normal.  My husband and I both had Covid-19 many months back.  It was very mild for both of us, and we feel fortunate for that.  We did lose our sense of taste and smell.  Ok, that was super weird!  I, of course, had lost some taste or smell before when I have had colds and congestion but nothing like that.  Luckily, it came back quickly.  Although maybe if I could not taste for a long time, I might not want to eat so many sweet things and I might lose some pounds.  Nah, who am I kidding?  I know that chocolate is wonderful so I would probably eat it anyway. 

Since I have been away for so long and since we are all struggling to feel warm fuzzies these days, I decided to share a comfort food recipe with you.  This is a meal that my mom used to prepare, and I have always loved it.  Likewise, my kids have always loved it and I am confident that you will too.  Most of you have probably had these before but I have found that many people don’t make them at home because they don’t know how.  I am speaking of what I call Hobo Burger Packets.  They have many names.  I have seen them called burger bundles, foil packet burgers, and boy scout burgers, to name a few.  I realize that Hobo might not be the politically correct term to use but that is the one I know.  And, I don’t mean it in a derogatory way.  I think that they are called that because they are in a little bundle.  They are your basic foil pouch dinner, and they are endlessly customizable.  My mom always did them the same way.  I have only changed the seasonings so far but, Holy Cow, you could also change the veggies and the meat if you felt so inclined.  But this is the basic, no fuss, no frills, super-easy, always delish recipe.  Please forgive the quality of these photos.  I took them on a dark day and the colors are not great.  And…full disclosure I took them several months ago.  You will notice that the picture of the finished product shows a snowman plate.  I quit using my snowman dishes in February normally.  So, yeah, it has been that long.  Sigh.

Hi everybody!  Boy, do I have a treat for you today.  If you have read some of my previous posts you know that I am a huge chocoholic. I don’t mean that I am physically huge..although I am also not petite.  I could probably be huge if I ate all the chocolate that I really want to eat.  I could seriously eat chocolate all day long.  I love chocolate cereal for breakfast and I love chocolate protein powder in my smoothie for lunch and I love some dark chocolate for dessert after supper.  I guess I do eat chocolate all day.  Huh..how about that?  Well, anyway, my sons also love chocolate and they especially love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter.  And then, the younger son, Alex, loves the combination of peanut butter, chocolate and marshmallow.  I taught him right.  

So, recently, I saw a recipe for some s’mores type bars with peanut butter in the cookie dough.  And then, I saw one for bars with peanut butter cups nestled in the dough.  And, I thought, well, why not combine those two things.  Since then I have discovered that this is not an original idea.  Rats. I searched and found numerous versions of this type of bar.  But, I baked up some bars and took some to work and sent some to Alex’s house.  I thought that they were really good. But, then my attention was diverted to some other culinary expedition.  I didn’t think much else about it until recently.  During a Skype dinner with Alex he mentioned that I could certainly make those again and send him some in the mail.  He thought that they were really good too.  Soooo, I of course made them for him.  I have to admit the boy (I mean young man) has good taste.  These wonderful moist bars are made from a peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie dough that has a gooey marshmallow fluff and peanut butter cup filling.  They are super easy and immensely delicious.  So, here we go.

You will need 1 cup (2 sticks) softened salted butter, ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter, 2 cups packed brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 2 eggs, 2 ½ cups flour, 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 large container of marshmallow fluff (or 2 7 ounce containers) and Reese’s peanut butter cups.  Now, the amount of Reese’s cups that you need and the kind you use are totally subjective.  I used Reese’s eggs because I had purchased some bags on clearance after Easter.  If you use the large cups you won’t need as many (probably about 20).  If you use the minis you will obviously need many more (but you can buy them unwrapped and save yourself that trouble).  You can also use the dark or white chocolate peanut butter cups or use another brand.  You do what makes you happy.  

Hi Lovies!  How is everyone?  I hope that you are all surviving this very weird time in our lives.  We are still doing the stay at home thing here in Illinois.  At least, most people are.  I know that there are some who have just had enough and have broken out.  Not me.  I am trying my best to play by the rules here for everyone’s sake.  I hate not being able to hug my boys, my sisters or my dad but I also don’t want for any of them to get sick.  I believe that I can stick it out a bit longer.  It is stressful though.  The worry and anxiety can be overwhelming.  And, like many people, when I am anxious I turn to food.  Yeah, I know, not healthy, yada yada yada.  I have come to accept that this is me and I can only do the best with what I have and what I am.  So, I like to bake and cook when I am worried.  That doesn’t mean I have to eat all of it.  It just makes me happy to make it.  It is something that I can control and that makes me feel more grounded.  

Now, I don’t know about you but I am a huge fan of comfort foods and that is what I naturally turn to in worrisome times.  A really good, filling soup or macaroni and cheese or bread pudding are typical comfort foods. I do love all of those and make them from time to time.   But, if I am stressed out, I begin to crave the dishes that my mom made when I was a kid..or at least a version of them.  One of my favorite suppers when I lived with my parents was fried pork chops and milk gravy.  Sometimes Mom would make mashed potatoes to serve with the gravy but if she was pressed for time she would just use a slice of white bread as a substitute.  I actually prefer the bread, I think.  Mom usually just floured her pork chops before frying and they are certainly delicious that way.  However, I think that my husband’s method is even better.  I was lucky enough to marry someone who can cook.  This has been especially great since I have started working full time again because, when I am going to my office, I don’t make it home until after 6:00.  Most nights, my husband has to make our supper.  When I pull my car into the garage and step out I can usually tell what he is cooking by the aroma.  When I smell these pork chops I am instantly comforted.  They are moist and flavorful with a nice thick, and slightly crispy breading.

I don’t know if this recipe comes from my husband’s family.  I think that he has taken a dish from his childhood and made it his own.  So, we have named them Turpin Breaded Pork Chops. We love these pork chops.  They do remind me of a fall or winter dish but we make them all year round.  I think that the sides that you serve with them determine what seasonal vibe you get.  Mashed potatoes are always a safe bet but coleslaw and corn on the cob are great for summer while fried apples and green beans are cozy cold weather sides that pair well with these. Browning these pork chops gives them a nice thick and crispy breading and the steaming process guarantees that they are super juicy and tender.  They are perfect in every way.

There are very few ingredients for this recipe.  You will just need 4 – 6 nice pork chops.  I like to use the sirloin chops for this but feel free to use whatever you have.  Just be aware that the really thick chops need to get done in the middle and the breading might brown too much.  I find that the sirloin chops are slightly thicker than your ordinary chops and still stay nice and juicy but the breading does not burn. You will also need 4 eggs (lightly beaten), 2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper and 1 ½ cups crushed saltines (1 sleeve of crackers should do it).  And you will need about ¼ to ½ inch of canola or vegetable oil in your skillet.  If you want to make fewer or more pork chops just adjust the dredging ingredients.  This recipe is very flexible.