RECIPES | threewomeninthekitchen

deborahreinhardt

Dec 44 min read

Simple Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Just four ingredients are needed for this classic cookie. Make this holiday treat for your family.

chocolate crinkle cookies on a floured board TS photo — Simple Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Have you started your holiday baking?

My mom and grandma Dorothy started holiday baking right after Thanksgiving. Theirs was a cookie manufacturing enterprise that churned out dozens of beautiful Christmas confections, which were given as gifts and enjoyed by our family. I’ll bet your family’s matriarchs did something similar.

Or maybe you’re like my friend, Jan, who, with a few family members make 2,000 cookies in a single day! Jan says organization and kitchen help are necessary ingredients for a successful day of cooking baking.

I am not these women. Rather, I am a lazy baker who likes sweets. So, my necessary ingredients are boxed mixes and let me say there’s no shame in this game. That’s why this month, I’m sharing baking recipes that start with quality boxed cake mixes that will yield tasty and pretty cookies. First up are these Simple Chocolate Crinkles, a recipe that starts with Tastefully Simple’s Classy Chocolate Pound Cake mix.

I appreciate that there’s less additives in Tastefully Simple box mixes (this is true throughout their product line). For example, the first five ingredients to Classy Chocolate Pound Cake are sugar, bleached wheat flour, chocolate chips, cocoa, and modified cornstarch. Compare that to a Devil’s Food mix by Duncan Hines, the first five ingredients are enriched bleached wheat flour, bleached flour, niacin, reduced iron, and thiamine mononitrate.

Naturally, you can make chocolate crinkle cookies from scratch; there are pages of recipes online. But with one box mix plus a little butter, two eggs, and powdered sugar, I had three dozen delicious, fudgy cookies in about an hour by using this shortcut and clean up was a breeze. Let’s get cracking!

Tastefully Simple classy chocolate pound cake mix, a stick of butter, two egg, and small bowl of powdered sugar on a kitchen counter — Just four ingredients are needed for Simple Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

To make Simple Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, which yields 36 cookies, you’ll need these ingredients:

1 package TS Classy Chocolate Pound Cake Mix
½ cup butter, softened
2 large eggs, beaten
½ cup powdered sugar

I didn’t use all the powdered sugar when rolling the cookies before baking so you probably could start with 1/3 cup if you want to cut down on waste. I’ve also seen recipes for crinkles using regular cake mix, but I’ve never tried these, although the recipes seemed similar.

If you need to soften butter in a hurry, heat a microwave-safe bowl for a couple of minutes and place over the stick of butter. This may need to be repeated a few times, but I’ve used this method, and it works. This time, I remembered to leave the butter on the counter for a few hours before I started to bake!

Follow these directions to make Simple Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

I used a standing mixer for this recipe (less clean up), starting with cracking the two eggs into the bowl and mixing them for about 20 seconds. Then I added the softened butter and pound cake mix. The dough will be heavy, but you’ll need to mix until all ingredients are combined.

Remove the dough onto a floured board and knead with your hands to finish bringing the dough together. Place powdered sugar in a shallow dish.

Form 1-inch balls — about a heaping teaspoon each — and roll liberally in powdered sugar. Place on a large parchment-lined baking sheet. If you don’t have parchment, simply grease the baking sheet. Place the balls 2 inches apart.

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes (I did the full 13) and allow cookies to cool on the pan for a minute before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

I also dusted the cookies before serving with the powdered sugar left over in the bowl.

crinkle cookie balls rolled in powdered sugar on a baking sheet ready for oven

What makes the cracked top?

The original crinkle cookie recipe is often attributed to Mrs. Fred Fredell's of St. Paul, Minnesota, who debuted the creation about 50 years ago. The cracked top to these cookies is achieved by powdered sugar drawing moisture from the surface of the dough ball, causing the top to dry out and crack as the cookie bakes and expands. Pretty interesting!

What’s also interesting is the popularity of these cookies in the Philippines. I’m not sure how these cookies became so available and beloved, but these are enjoyed all the time, according to my research. If any readers who have lived in the Philippines know the answer to this, I'd love to hear from you! Clever Filipino bakers make ube crinkles using purple sweet potatoes that create beautiful purple cookies.

Will these cookies freeze?

I wouldn’t recommend this. The powdered sugar likely would dissolve during thawing. I even noticed a slower dissolving while storing in the airtight container (but another quick dusting and nobody’s the wiser). If you don’t want a few dozen cookies in your house, try mixing the dough and freezing half of it to make cookies later. Or better yet, bake them all and give to your friends!

Tastefully Simple makes baking a snap

If you don’t have any Classy Chocolate Cake Mix in your pantry don’t despair! Order a box or two and you’ll have it delivered to your door in time for your holiday baking. The TS Cakes to Cookies Assortment even comes with a recipe book that would be all you need for a holiday bake-off with friends or family.

About the blog

Three Women in the Kitchen is an award-winning food blog offering today’s home cooks comforting, hearty recipes with a personal touch. The website also pays tribute to Deborah’s mother, Katie Reinhardt, and paternal grandmother, Dorothy Reinhardt (the “three women” in the kitchen). Whether you’re an experienced or a novice cook, you’ll find inspiration here to feed your families and warm your heart. Subscribe today so you won’t miss a single delicious detail.

deborahreinhardt

Nov 302 min read

Garlicky Shrimp and Veggie Kabobs

Make this simple and healthy appetizer featuring shrimp, garlic butter and fresh veggies. It will be a welcome addition to your holiday party menu.

grilled garlic shrimp on skewers with zucchini, onion, tomatoes — Garlicky Shrimp and Veggie Kabobs

Shrimp almost always makes its way to the holiday appetizer buffet, usually in the form of the watered-down ring with bottled cocktail sauce in the middle. True confession: I’ve brought the ubiquitous shrimp ring to a potluck party when I’ve been pressed for time. But with Garlicky Shrimp Veggie Kabobs, you can present a festive shrimp appetizer that’s so much better tasting in the same time it would take you to buy something already made. If you’re hosting a party, these kabobs cook in about 10 minutes; it could even be a fun kitchen activity for you and your guests. Let’s get cooking.

To make Garlicky Shrimp Veggie Kabobs, which yields 4 servings, you’ll need these ingredients:

5 Tablespoons butter
1½ Tablespoons minced garlic
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pound (21–25 count) raw shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1 medium zucchini
1 small red onion
12 fresh button mushrooms
12 grape tomatoes
Skewers

This is a recipe from Tastefully Simple®, so its Garlic Garlic seasoning is recommended. I cook with this blend of minced dehydrated garlic, onion, salt, and spices quite a bit and would recommend it for any home cook’s pantry. But if you don’t have this on hand, use fresh garlic — minced — and sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon salt on the shrimp before grilling.

The original recipe also called for a stick of butter, that I had a lot of unused garlic butter, so I modified the amount to 5 Tablespoons, which is just under 1/3 cup. I also like that this allows more of the lemon juice to shine through the garlic and fat.

Follow these directions to make Garlicky Shrimp Veggie Kabobs

Prepare an indoor grill or a grill pan to medium heat. In a small microwave-safe bowl, add butter and garlic. Heat on high for 30 seconds or until butter has completely melted. Stir in lemon juice.

Thread shrimp and veggies on skewers. Remember, if you’re using wooden skewers, these must be soaked in water for 30 minutes prior to using.

Place skewers with shrimp and vegetables on the grill and cook, occasionally basting with remaining melted garlic butter. The shrimp will turn pink and reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees when done (about 8 to 10 minutes).

About the blog

deborahreinhardt

Nov 263 min read

Pizza Monkey Bread

Soft biscuit dough, mozzarella, pepperoni, and herbs bake into a wreath-shaped bread ring for a tasty holiday appetizer.

Thanksgiving always has been the gateway to Christmas for me. I’d be happy to skip over turkey and sweet potatoes and jump into cheeseballs, trays of cookies, cherished holiday songs and movies. Although many businesses push the holidays closer to Halloween every year, I’m old school and refrain from turning on the Christmas classics until Thanksgiving.

If you’re like me and will start the holiday movie marathons this weekend, I have fun snack for you to share with family and friends. Pizza Monkey Bread also is a great dish to bring to the party when invite reads “heavy appetizers” on the menu. Pair it with a non-alcoholic cranberry spritzer for the littles or a glass of wine or cold beer for the adults. It’s easy to make, fun to eat, and has a bit of a festive flair. There’s no shortage for monkey bread recipes online — I’ve tweaked this one from the Wisconsin Dairy Council, adding fresh garlic and dried herbs. Let’s get cooking!

To make Pizza Monkey Bread, which yields 12 servings, you’ll need these ingredients:

2 cans refrigerated, flaky biscuits
½ cup melted butter
3 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/3 cups turkey pepperoni, diced
2 cups mozzarella cheese
Grated Parmesan

I used Tastefully Simple’s Spinach & Herb Seasoning which is a nice tradeoff for dried parsley. When I make this again, I’ll do 2 Tablespoons of Spinach & Herb and 1 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning. The dairy council’s recipe included fresh parsley and granulated garlic.

If you wanted to make this vegetarian, swap the pepperoni for one of the many brands of plant-based Italian “sausage” and just dice it up to add into the bread.

photo of woman dipping a piece of Pizza Monkey Bread into pesto — Have a bowl of pesto or marinara sauce at the ready when you're ready to enjoy Pizza Monkey Bread.

Follow these directions to make Pizza Monkey Bread

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in dried herbs and fresh garlic.

Open the biscuits and separate. Cut each biscuit into quarters and drop pieces — about four at a time — in the saucepan to coat in butter mixture.

Place pieces in an ungreased bundt, working your way around the circle. Sprinkle about ¼ of pepperoni and cheese. Repeat another three times until all biscuit pieces, cheese and pepperoni are used.

Cover the bundt pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes until the top has browned and center is cooked (use a knife as a tester).

To serve, gently run a knife around the outside of bread after it’s set for a few minutes and carefully invert the pan onto the serving board or plate. I like to set a small bowl of pesto out to serve as a dipping sauce, but you also could use your favorite marinara — or both because it’s the holidays! Sprinkle the top of the bread with grated Parmesan. Garnish with fresh rosemary or cherry tomatoes in the center.

My daughter came into the kitchen when this came out of the oven — she was working from home today — and asked what I was making. After we got the photos, we happily tore into this monkey bread! I heard her tell co-workers about it when she went back to her desk. I think your friends and family will “go ape” for this snack!

Half-eaten monkey bread on a board — We really tore into the Pizza Monkey Bread! It's a great appetizer for your holiday gatherings.

Can I reheat this bread?

If there is leftover bread (and that’s a big “if”), wrap it in foil and store in the refrigerator for a day or two. Place the bread on a baking sheet and heat it in the oven at 350 degrees F — still wrapped — for 5 to 8 minutes.

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