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Cooking With Courtney

Cooking With Courtney

Friday, October 31, 2025

Sourdough Discard Pop Tarts

 




Ingredients and Instructions

1. In a food processor combine
1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sourdough discard
1 stick cold butter sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 Tbsp sugar

2. Pulse until well combined into a dough
3. Turn out and divide dough in two. 
4. Thinly roll first piece into large square on flour surface
5. Cut into eight 3x4 in rectangles
6. Spoon 1-2 tbsp of your filling of choice in the center of each rectangle
7. Brush a little water around the edges to help with the seal
8. Roll out and cut the other piece of dough into eight rectangles and place one on top of each pop tart
9. Use a fork to seal the edges
10. Place pop tarts on a baking sheet with parchment paper
11. Brush with milk and bake at 375 degrees for 20 mins
12.  Allow to cool and pour icing over each one and top with sprinkles 

Icing: 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1-2 tbsp half-n-half or whipping cream, mix well

** For filling I used strawberry jam heated with a little corn starch to thicken it just a bit.  I'm going to try peach next ;0) 

Thursday, October 30, 2025

Hot Wassail

Nothing says fall like a glass of hot wassail. So delicious. 



Ingredients 

2 cups orange juice

2 cups pineapple juice

2 quarts apple cider

3/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp whole cloves

1 cups sugar

1 cinnamon stick, broken

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a stock pot and simmer for 20 min

2. Remove cloves and cinnamon stick before serving

**Also great in a crock pot or beverage warmer 

Monday, October 6, 2025

Spooktacular Halloween Feast




 Jack-o-lantern Pasties 

Ingredients

2 refrigerated package of 2 pie crusts (or 2 recipe homemade pie crust)

1/2 lb cube steak

1 carrot

1/2 onion

1 potato 

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 cup water

2 tsp beef bullion (or 2 cubes) 

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp kitchen bouquet 

Directions: 

1. In a food processor mince potato, carrot, and onion. Then add beef and mince again.

2. Add Worcestershire and salt and pepper and pulse until well mixed 

3. I’m a saucepan combine water, bullion, cornstarch and kitchen bouquet. Whisk over medium heat until boiling and let it thicken into a gravy. 

4.Mix meat mixture and gravy in a bowl 

5. Unroll pie crust and cut 8 tops crusts and 8 bottoms bottom crusts

6.  Place about 1/3 cup meat mixture on the bottom crust, brush a little water on the pie crust edge to help with sealing.  Place the top crust on and seal edges

6. Brush top with milk

7. Bake at 400 for 30-40 min until crust is fully cooked. 


Jello Brains with Eyeballs



Ingredients

Brain Jello mold

2 large packages of jello (flavors that will create a light pinky peachy color)

2 cups boiling water

2 cups ice water

9-10 rambutans (fruit)

18-20 blueberries

Strawberry Syrup (optional) 

Directions

1. Fully Dissolve jello in boiling water (stirring), add ice water and mix

2. Pour into jello mold and allow to set in the refrigerator (a couple of hours) 

3. Peel rambutans, cut in half long ways and remove seed (some seed shell may remain that ok)

4. Place a blueberry in each seed cavity 

5. When jello is set remove onto a platter (setting the mold in hot water for a couple seconds can help release the jello from the mold)

6. Arrange "eyes" around the brains and drizzle strawberry syrup if desired for extra spooky. 



Saturday, October 4, 2025

Halloween Party Drinks (non alcoholic)

 These 2 punches will be a surefire hit at your Halloween party



Witches Brew Punch



Ingredients

1 jug Green Berry Rush Hawaiian punch (or any green colored drink) 

1 lt lemon lime soda

1 container lime sherbert

Dry ice (for misty affect) ** Don't touch dry ice with bare hands, use tongs.  Don't put dry ice directly in the drink, only in a separate bowl underneath the actually punch bowl.  Pour water over dry ice to activate the misty effect. 

**If adding alcohol I would suggest green apple vodka

Blood Punch 



Ingredients

1 bottle grape juice

1 bottle cran-apple juice

1 bottle V8 Strawberry Banana juice

1 Lt lemon lime soda

1 container raspberry sherbert 

**If adding alcohol I would suggest raspberry vodka



Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Now That's A Party! - Halloween Party

 Here are some awesome recipes for a kid friendly Halloween party. 



Store bought treats

Boo Sticks - Draw a ghost face on some white cheese sticks



Jack-o-Lantern Cuties - Draw a jack-o-lantern face on mini oranges



Homemade Treats

Witch Fingers - 1. Cut Celery sticks into finger shapes. 2. Spread backside with peanut butter. 3. Use a bit of PB on a dried cranberry for the nail. 


Mini Mummy Dogs - 1. cut hotdog in half. 2. Cut croissant dough into strips. 3. Wrap the dogs with the croissant strips. 4. Bake a 375 for 12-15 min. 


Pumpkin Cheese Ball

1. In a mixing bowl combine: 1 package softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup minced orange pepper, 1 sliced green onion, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp garlic salt (optional) 1/2 cup chopped chipped beef 

2. Form into a ball and cover outside with more cheddar cheese. Wrap in plastic wrap.  Use string to wrap around forming the pumpkin shape.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour. 

3. To serve, remove string and plastic wrap and top with the orange bell pepper top 


Witches Brew Punch - Combine lime sherbet, sprite and green koolaid.  

To have the misty effect, place some dry ice in a container below the punch and when you pour some water on it, it will mist and bubble. **Don't touch dry ice with bear skin, it will burn. Use tongs. 



Add Halloween cookies and or cupcakes and you have yourself a spooky party! 





Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Traditional Sourdough Bread

 






See my Sourdough Starter post here

1. Feed Starter and allow to at least double in side *placing on heating matt speeds up the process
2. Using a scale set to grams: zero out mixing bowl
3. Add 300 g warm water and 125 g starter, mix together
4. Add 500 g bread flour (less is you live in a dry area) In Kansas City, it is very humid
**in the summer I use 285g water, 115g starter because it’s so humid**
5. Add 10 g salt, mix together until loosely combined, cover and allow to rest 30 min
6. Do a slap and fold to start gluten production, place back in bowl, cover and rest for 30 min (or just in the bowl stretch and fold works fine too) 
7. Do your first stretch and fold to further develop gluten, cover and rest for 30 min
8. Do your final stretch and fold, dough should be smooth and firm
9. Transfer to an oiled lidded container and allow to bulk rise and ferment until dough has doubled in size *placing on a heating matt speeds up the process
10. Turn out dough and shape, place upside down in a floured basket and pull over seams creating a tight ball, cover and allow to rest for at least 30 min.  Store in fridge if not ready to bake 
11.  put a dutch oven in a cold oven and heat to 450 degrees
12. Turn dough onto parchment paper and score to allow steam to escape while baking
13. Place bread and parchment paper inside the hot dutch oven and cover with lid, bake for 20 min
**hopefully bread rose correctly and the "ear" formed at the score
14. Turn oven down to 425, Remove lid and bake another 25-30 min
15. Allow to cool completely before slicing. 

Baking for 2 Mini Loaves 
Covered 450 degrees for 20 mins 
Lower oven to 425 degrees, uncovered for 15 

For 4 Bread bowls 
Covered for 450 degrees for 15 
Lower oven to 425, uncovered for 10 min 



Sunday, August 10, 2025

Sourdough Discard Tortillas


 1. In a mixing bowl combine 2 cups flour, 1/3 cup sourdough discard, 1/4 cup avocado oil, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 tsp salt, 

2. Knead inside bowl to fully combine

3. Cover and let rest for 30 min

4. Divid into 8 pieces

5. Roll out each piece as thin as you can get it

6.  Place each tortilla (one at a time) in a skillet on medium heat , cook on both sides until done.