eat Archives | butter loves company

mom’s famous spiced pecans

October 11, 2020 by Butter Loves Company

These Spiced Pecans are a perfect combination of sweet, salted, spicy, and crunchy. They are a staple on our tables during the holidays. While our holiday celebrations may look a little different this year, we will 100% have these spiced nuts to snack on while we watch movies and snuggle up.

As for spices, cayenne pepper and cumin are doing most of the work here, but the nuts are made sweet with a sugary glaze and are contrasted by a bit of salt. My mom’s original recipe doesn’t call for cinnamon, but I like to add a bit to warm up the flavor a little. The pecans are first boiled and then fried, bringing out the nuttiness and creating a super crunchy texture.

These are extremely hard to stop snacking on once you start and throughout the years have become a comforting flavor around this house. They are great for a holiday appetizer, an on-the-go snack, or for an edible gift for friends, family, or neighbors.

These spiced nuts are easy to make but I highly encourage you to read through the full recipe twice before starting. It is extremely helpful to prepare your workstation before you start any of the boiling and frying. The first time I made these I was running around looking for bowls and things. Everything worked out fine but it is a much more seamless experience if you are prepped!

funfetti cookie dough truffles (no-bake)

May 19, 2020 by Butter Loves Company

This post has been sponsored by Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I think we can all use a little sprinkle in our life right now! Today we are making No-Bake Funfetti Cookie Dough Truffles. Yes, you read that right! Lots of colorful sprinkles, sweet edible funfetti cookie dough, and a smooth white chocolate coating come together in this easy treat.

These are perfect for anyone out there who likes to sneak a little cookie dough bite when they are baking cookies. I especially like sneaking funfetti cookie dough because of how sweet and vanilla-y it is and because I love the little sprinkle crunches.

Since we aren’t baking these, we are making edible cookie dough for the truffle centers. We do this by omitting the raw ingredients you’d find in regular cookie dough, namely egg, and using Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk to act as a sweetener and binder. Since regular all-purpose flour found in cookie dough is also raw, to be extra cautious, we are using almond flour which is just ground almonds and can be eaten without heating. You can also easily use all purpose flour if you just heat treat it first. To heat treat it, I microwave my flour for a minute, stirring every 15 seconds, to heat off any potential bacteria. Do what works best for you!

I grew up eating truffles that my mom made and she always coated them with a chocolate shell, so we are throwing it back to those days and doing the same here. Since these are funfetti on the inside, I stuck with that white chocolate flavor for the coating. You could also use milk or dark chocolate for the coating if you prefer. Use any sprinkles you have on hand to make them your own.

These truffles come together so quickly you could easily do it as a virtual video project with your loved ones and any kids in the family. I hope you enjoy these treats! If you make them, I would love to see how they turn out, be sure to tag me @butterlovescompany and @eaglebrandmilk so we can see!

Love, and be well.
Jenna

maple coconut cookies

May 4, 2020 by Butter Loves Company

This post has been sponsored by Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The stay-at-home orders continue and so do the baking adventures—this time we’re having Maple Coconut Cookies! We’re so excited to now have our good news public—after months of secret-keeping we are thrilled to be able to share we’re having a baby boy! While it is a strange time to be pregnant and things have not been as I would have imagined (or any of us could have, for that matter), we are so grateful to be growing our family and to have another sweet mouth to feed in the coming months.

One of the things I am most excited to do when our little babe arrives is to bake together. I know it’ll be some time before his little hands can stir but it makes me smile so hard thinking about it! This Maple Coconut Cookie recipe is perfect for getting kids involved. They are easy to mix together—just 5 steps, no stand mixer required, no dough chilling—and they taste super comforting. They come out really thick and stay moist and chewy inside thanks to Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk, maple syrup, and sweetened shredded coconut (which also gives them some texture). I also drizzled them with a maple glaze because it really ups the maple flavor. If you happen to have maple or coconut extracts you could also add in a teeny bit to enhance the flavor even further.

You can customize the extra mix-ins to whatever you have on hand right now. We added pecans and white chocolate because I love the combination of pecan and maple, and the white chocolate sounded delicious for extra pops of sweetness. You could omit both or substitute in chocolate chips, sprinkles, dried cranberries, other nuts, whatever your heart desires!

These cookies remind me of a combination of breakfast cookies and maple candy. Something about the maple flavor makes me think of a plate of pancakes and the sweet glaze transports you to a Vermont ski lodge gift shop (For me, at least, that is where I used to buy maple candy! Ha!).

Love, and be well.
Jenna

snickerdoodle blondies

April 2, 2020 by Butter Loves Company

This snickerdoodle blondies post has been sponsored by Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I think we can all agree the past month has been some combination of unusual, unexpected, anxiety-inducing, scary…the impact of COVID-19 has brought on many different feelings depending on our personal situations. While we adjust to social distancing and staying at home for a bit to help flatten the curve, and allow our amazing health care professionals to do their best jobs at keeping people safe and healthy, many are turning to baking to help cope with the anxieties, entertain the kids, and feed our families.

This Snickerdoodle Blondie recipe is easy to pull together using various pantry ingredients, including one of my favorites: Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk. The sweetened condensed milk helps the bars maintain a moist, chewy texture like you find in your favorite snickerdoodle cookies. There are two other components that give these blondies the signature snickerdoodle cookie flavor: cream of tartar and cinnamon. The acid of the cream of tartar gives the cookies a slight tangy taste and the cinnamon is where snickerdoodles get their warmth. We add a little cinnamon in the center of the blondies as well as across the top, so there is no mistake of their snickerdoodle-ness.

The recipe is perfect for getting kids involved, as the process is straight-forward, the measuring and mixing is a breeze, and sprinkling the cinnamon-sugar on the top of the dough is pretty fun if I do say so myself. I hope you enjoy the process of baking these Snickerdoodle Blondies with your families, as I know I will enjoy baking them with you too, virtually!

I love these Snickerdoodle Blondies because the edges have a tiny bit of cakiness and the middles are super fudgy. They are reminiscent of coffee cake flavors but are distinctly more “brownie” in texture. If you are feeling fancy and want to take the baking with kids activity to the next level, you could also frost these blondies and cover them in sprinkles!

Also, a random bonus: when these are baking they smell exactly like Disneyworld. I’m not sure why, but I know it is true. The kids might like that as well!

Love, and be well.
Jenna

eggnog sandwich cookies

December 17, 2019 by Butter Loves Company

This post was sponsored by Eagle Brand®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Twinkly lights, balsam candles, eggnog, cookies… it’s holiday time, friends! This is also my absolute favorite baking time of year since it is even extra cookie-focused.

One of Greg’s favorite parts of the holidays is eggnog with a little nutmeg on it, so as I was pondering what cookies to make for the cookie boxes I give out, I figured it would be great to incorporate that winter-y classic flavor.

To achieve the creamy, sweet notes you find in eggnog, I turned to Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk. It’s made only with milk and sugar and adds wonderful flavor to both the cookie dough and the filling here. Its smooth texture and thickness gives the cookies just enough moisture without making the dough too wet.

Eggnog also has an eggy richness so we’ll use both a whole egg and an extra yolk. For warming spices, turn to cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger and don’t be shy with them!

I decided that these cookies would be best with some filling to really accentuate the creaminess you get with a glass of eggnog. You could of course just make the cookies as-is and they will still taste delicious. I like to scoop them smaller than my typical cookie since they will be sandwiched together.

These Eggnog Sandwich Cookies will be perfect for your cookie swaps, dessert tables, or secret Santas (Who wouldn’t appreciate an edible gift?).

Xo,

Jenna

For another wonderful recipe using Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk, see my Pumpking Thanksgiving Trifle.

braised short rib pasta sauce (short rib ragu)

October 3, 2019 by Butter Loves Company

This braised short rib pasta sauce is made with hearty fresh veggies and rich red wine. The ribs are slow-cooked until they fall off the bone. The cooking liquid is strained to create a deeply decadent and silky sauce. Toss it with some pasta (homemade, if you have it) and hunker down on the couch.

By popular demand, I’m sharing one of my favorite meals I’ve made in a while: braised short rib pasta sauce. Save this for heartwarming, soul-satisfying weekend cooking throughout the Fall and Winter months. Meaty and rich short ribs cook down in a flavor-packed combination of veggies and red wine. The veggies and wine (along with some parsley) will be the base of the sauce, and we’ll strain it so there is no need to be meticulous with chopping.

After hours in the oven, the short rib meat is fall-off-the-bone fork tender and the braising liquid has reduced to concentrate the flavors even further. We’ll remove the meat from the pot and then strain the liquid into a separate pot where you’ll finish the dish. The strained liquid is your silky, meaty, tomato-y sauce. Into that goes all of our short rib meat, deboned and shredded.

Finally, toss all of that goodness with some al dente pasta and you have a short rib ragu that will feel like a hug. Do not skip grated Parmesan to finish it off! So luxurious. I can’t wait to make this short rib pasta for the rest of the winter.

Braising Short Ribs for Pasta

You can find short ribs at the grocery store more often during the Winter months. They may have boneless or bone-in. Bone-in is preferred for this as it helps generate a thicker sauce and keeps the meat together-ish while it is cooking in the oven. It is important to brown the short ribs first as it helps to seal in the fat.

If you make this recipe, please let me know by sharing on Instagram and tagging me @butterlovescompany! I would love to see what you think, and drool over it!

Xo,
Jenna

If you’re looking for other good winter meals, might I suggest:

Rigatoni with Sausage and Fennel

Baked Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Sweet Potato

braised short rib pasta sauce pappardelle

pecan tart with maple cheesecake filling

September 25, 2019 by Butter Loves Company

This post has been sponsored by Fisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

You all may want to sit down. Because this recipe is SO good. I need you all to hunker into your seats, grab a fork, and dig into this Pecan Tart with Maple Cheesecake Filling. Here is the low-down:

Nutty, crisp, and buttery crust
Sweet, creamy, and tangy filling
Smooth, airy whipped cream
Caramelized candied pecans

I love baking with nuts any time of year but from fall through the new year, pecans—like Fisher® Chef’s Naturals® Recipe Pecans—take center stage. Fisher is the #1 selling recipe nut brand and super convenient for bakers. You can find them at ACME in the baking aisle (or check out ACME’s mobile app).

Save today at your local ACME! There is a Stock Up Sale going on at your local ACME, running 10/2-10/15.

You can also shop Fisher Nuts – Stock Up Sale and save at any of the Albertsons Companies Family of Stores, including Albertsons, Safeway, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Shaw’s, Star Market, and Carrs/Safeway.

Whether in a pecan pie, pecan sticky buns, spiced nuts, or now, this pecan tart, pecans are seriously a star of the season. This recipe uses Fisher pecans as the base of the tart crust and for the sweet and crunchy candied pecan topping. They’re so versatile and really balance the cool creaminess of the autumn-inspired maple cheesecake swoops.

Fisher has been a family-run business since 1922, founded by father and son immigrants, and now, the 4th generation of the family continues to run the company. They have American Heart Association (AHA) certified walnuts, pecans, and almonds, which are gluten free, vegan, non-GMO verified, and preservative-free. This Pecan Tart with Maple Cheesecake Filling can also be made gluten free very easily (it is basically gluten free as-is but just double check your ingredient labels if you want to confirm your version is GF).

The tart is surprisingly easy to make, as the tart crust comes together in a food processor, the cheesecake is no-bake and can just be spread into the cooled tart shell, and the candied pecans can easily be made ahead. It is actually best when you make the crust and filling ahead so it has ample time to set in the refrigerator. You can make your own whipped cream or use a prepared option.

This would be perfect for fall gatherings like game day, Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving, or for a nice Sunday dinner.

Check out a Free 3 Months of Online Cooking Classes via Smart Kitchens with Purchase of 2 Fisher Nuts (in a single transaction).

Xo,

Jenna

Save today at your local ACME!

tropical pineapple coconut scones

September 18, 2019 by Butter Loves Company

This post has been sponsored by DOLE®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Scones are one of my favorite quick breakfast baked goods. Their tender centers and crispy, buttery edges are a perfectly satisfying combination. These Tropical Pineapple Coconut Scones are made a little healthier, and a little more delicious, by using wheat flour and DOLE® Fridge Pack Pineapple Chunks.

The combination of pineapple and coconut in the scones will transport you to the tropics, even if you are rushing out the door for work. You’ll love how simple they are to make; you don’t even need a stand or hand mixer—just a big bowl and your own hands. If you gather the ingredients together, you can be eating the scones in less than 30 minutes. Hello, tropical scone paradise!

Using the Pineapple Chunks is a great way to incorporate fruit servings into your breakfast. We’ll use about half of one DOLE Fridge Pack (each has 3.5 servings of fruit), and then you can just pop the cover back on for easy fridge storage. (Snack on them later or try adding them to another recipe!) They are naturally gluten-free, rich in Vitamin C, non-GMO, and the packaging is BPA-Free.

Because the Pineapple Chunks are in 100% pineapple juice, you can actually make a quick pineapple glaze for the scones using the juice and a little confectioners sugar. This is optional for these scones but adds even more tropical flair.

The new DOLE Fridge packs are available in 4 varieties, and you can find them near the Canned Fruit at your local grocery store:

I found myself daydreaming about laying on a beach chair on a faraway island when I was eating these. It is a welcome way to start the day if you ask me. I can’t wait to see how yours turn out!

Xo,
Jenna

For more recipe ideas, check out Dolesunshine.com!

chocolate chip and funfetti cookie cake

September 15, 2019 by Butter Loves Company

Does the thought of a cookie cake make you think of the mall you visited growing up or the work birthdays and events you attend these days? For me it’s both and that’s part of why I love them so much. The other thing I love about them is that they’re so easy to make and enjoy in the comfort of your own home too! Today’s chocolate chip and funfetti cookie cake is a combination of two favorite cookies.

This cookie cake recipe includes instructions to make half the dough chocolate chip and half the dough funfetti. You can swirl the two together by scooping each randomly into the pie dish. OR, you can make it half and half like you would your Friday night pizza order (a half pepperoni and half mushroom and olive in our house).

Cookie cake is basically a giant cookie that is perfect for slicing and sharing. You get the crisp edges you love in cookies along with super soft and intentionally underbaked centers. To make the cookie cake more, well, cake-y, we add a little cornstarch. It also helps with making the cake soft.

I decided to make this for our first wedding anniversary since Greg REALLY loves cookie cakes. I was going to make funfetti only but he wanted chocolate chip, so here we are with a compromise. This gives you the best of both worlds: melty semi-sweet chocolate, creamy white chocolate, and colorful sprinkles.

This is really easy to put together since you will be using the same base dough for both. Essentially you will just remove half of the dough while it is naked (aka before adding chocolates and sprinkles). You’ll add the chocolate to the remaining dough, and then swap halves and add the white chocolate and sprinkles.

Bake this chocolate and funfetti cookie cake in a cake pan or a pie dish. I like using a glass pie dish. You can add some buttercream on top for extra flair. I would recommend just a vanilla American buttercream which is made with butter, confectioners’ sugar, a little milk or cream, and vanilla extract. YUM!

Xo,
Jenna

P.s. If you are in the funfetti mood, you can also check out Confetti Broyé or a Funfetti Pie Crust. Both add a little celebration to the table. 🙂

butternut squash alfredo

September 4, 2019 by Butter Loves Company

This post has been sponsored by Ronzoni SuperGreens® Pasta. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

You all know how much I love pasta, which is why I’m super pumped about today’s recipe. We’re taking all the luxurious creaminess of a traditional alfredo sauce and giving it a fall-forward veggie twist by using butternut squash in the sauce, plus a green spaghetti!

This Butternut Squash Alfredo uses Ronzoni SuperGreens® Thin Spaghetti from ACME Markets. The pasta is packed with greens as it is made with spinach, zucchini, broccoli, parsley, and kale. So, not only are we making the sauce a little more nutritious by using squash in place of the heavy cream and cheese you often find in alfredo but we’re also getting an excellent dose of veggies within the pasta itself.

The butternut squash alfredo sauce can be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator for up to a week (or frozen for about a month), making it perfect for weekday meals for the family. I love that the pasta is a good source of fiber, vitamin A, thiamin, folate, iron, and riboflavin. I’m always looking for more ways to get iron into our diets, so finding out I could do that by twirling this pasta was quite the pleasant surprise!

The sauce has a slight sweetness from the squash and warmth from a dash of nutmeg, which is perfect for the autumn season. It’s balanced by the saltiness of some grated Parmesan and the welcome earthiness of the Ronzoni SuperGreens® Thin Spaghetti. I added shrimp for a little protein, but you could also omit or swap with ground turkey or chicken if you prefer. Just be sure to cook your protein fully before combining with the sauce and spaghetti.

The pasta can be found at your local ACME in the pasta aisle (it’s the only major green pasta made with 5 green vegetables on the market today), and be sure to check out the ACME mobile app in case there are any coupons or deals on your other ingredients!

I can’t wait to eat this butternut squash alfredo pasta throughout the fall and winter months. Prime pasta months if you ask me!

Xo,

Jenna

Save now at your local ACME!