two classics

This week brings mac-and-cheese and homemade oreos, two childhood classics that I hope will get you out of the winter doldrums if, like me, you happen to be stuck in them.  The mac-and-cheese makes quite a bit, but it reheats beautifully and makes a good lunch; alternatively, just halve the recipe.  Happy Friday!

p.s.  Definitely make the oreos because they are the BEST.  :  )

homemade oreo cookies

recipe from here

makes about 12 large oreos

Ingredients

chocolate cookies

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup cocoa powder (I use Hershey's Special Dark)

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) butter, softened

1 large egg

filling

¼ cup (½ stick) butter, softened

¼ cup + 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (Crisco from a can or from a stick)

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl or a food processor, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar.
2. Add in the butter and egg and process or beat on low speed until combined.
3. Using a small cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop out small balls of cookie dough onto a non-stick cookie sheet.  After each cookie is scooped out, flatten the cookie dough into a flat round cookie.  The cookies should be about an inch apart from one another, and you should be able to fit all the cookie dough on two cookie sheets.
4. Bake cookies at 375 degrees F for 8 to 9 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool before filling.
5. To make the frosting, beat together the butter and Crisco until smooth.  Slowly beat in the powdered sugar.  When smooth, beat in the vanilla.
6. To assemble, use the same sized cookie scoop or spoon to scoop a small ball of filling onto one cookie.  Spread with a knife and top with another cookie OR, if you originally used a small enough cookie scoop to make the chocolate wafers, you can simply smush the cookies together to evenly spread the filling between the cookies.
7. Serve with milk.  And, if you happen to have some extras, store them in an airtight container. 

goat cheese & cheddar mac-and-cheese

recipe from here

makes about 5 servings

Ingredients

(about) 1 pound small pasta (I used a mix of the Barilla whole wheat fusilli, Schnucks brand whole wheat fusilli, and Schnucks brand shells, so this amount is quite flexible as long as they have similar cooking times)

4 tablespoons butter

⅓ cup flour

2 ½ cups milk (I used whole milk)

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (you can also substitute more cheddar for this if you don't like goat cheese)

8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (I used Kraft's yellow "mild cheddar," but you can use any other form of cheddar you would like)

1 teaspoon salt or salt to taste

⅛ teaspoon (or more to taste) chili powder

Dash of black pepper

Paprika, for serving

Instructions

1. Add a little salt and a small amount of olive oil to a large pot of water and set over a burner to boil.  When the water is ready, cook the pasta according to the package directions
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in another large pot.  Melt the butter and then let it brown.  Sprinkle in the flour.  Let the flour-butter mixture cook for a minute or two, whisking it constantly.  In the meanwhile, heat the milk in the microwave for one minute.
3. When the flour-butter mixture has cooked for a minute or two and the milk has been heated, slowly whisk the milk into the flour-butter mixture.  Let cook, stirring consistently, for about 8 minutes, or until the milk mixture has thickened.
4. When the milk mixture has thickened, add in the salt, chili powder, pepper, and goat cheese.  Stir until the goat cheese has melted.
5. Slowly add in the cheddar cheese, stirring until it has melted completely.
6. When the sauce is smooth, taste it and add more salt or chili powder (Note:  because there is so much dairy, it would take a lot of chili powder to make it spicy.  Adding the chili powder just gives it a little flavor.).
7. Serve in bowls, sprinkled with paprika.