Dragon Treat S'Mores Bars

Chocolate Chip Cookie S'Mores Bars for Your Dragon

If you're anything like we are, you've been killing yourself trying to think of a good treat for you and your dragon to share. Well look no more. You won't need a fire to toast these s'mores, but you will love the melted marshmallows, chocolate chips. and graham cracker crust. 

This original recipe uses chocolate chip cookie dough without brown sugar to create a s'mores cookie bar that even your dragon will want to keep eating. Our dragon loved it! Not to mention that this dessert is easy to make and takes no time at all. Who said you need fire to make a good fireside snack?

Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake time: 25-30 minutes

Makes a 9x13 pan or s'mores bars

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

1 bag (10oz) mini marshmallows

10 graham crackers

3 Tbsp melted butter

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Step 2: In a large bowl, mix together the 1cup of softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Cream together.

Step 3: Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt in medium-sized bowl. Add dry goods to the large bowl and mix together thoroughly.

Step 4: Stir in chocolate chips completely. Add mini marshmallows and stir in. Make sure they are completely stirred through the dough.

Step 5: Using a food processor, crush the graham crackers. You can also do this is by putting them in a plastic bag and crushing the crackers with a rolling pin. Pour the graham crackers into a small bowl. Stir in 3 Tbsp melted butter. Using a spoon or your fingers, press the graham crackers mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Make sure the crust is evenly spread across the bottom.

Step 6: Spread the dough over the graham cracker crust in the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the top of the marshmallows is beginning to brown. Test with a toothpick to make sure that it is cooked through completely.

Trust me, these cookie bars are delicious. The graham cracker crust and marshmallows add something extra to a cookie bar that will leave your mouth watering. Not to mention, your dragon's mouth.

Enjoy!

Flamingo Incognito: Colorful Dragons to Decorate Your Lawn

Thanks to the wonderful world of Pinterest, I recently found some awesome pieces to decorate a lawn. We've all seen the pink flamingos sometimes (why the crazy those were invented, I'll never know) and some of the more clever/creative ways to decorate them, but this new artist takes flamingo alteration to a new level. 

Copper Dragon Flamingo Incognito

Artist Kate Higgins of CedarMoon Studio has been turning flamingos into camouflaged characters for a little while now. Her unique Etsy shop is filled with some of the zaniest, colorful lawn creations I've ever wanted to stick all over a yard to bother the suburban neighbors. They are fantastic! 

Smoke Dragon Flamingo

Although we like all of the Incognito Flamingos, the dragons are our favorites here at House Cook (naturally). 

Deep Purple Dragon Flamingo

Check out all of CedarMoon Studio's flamingos on Etsy, and follow them on Facebook for a dose of creative awesome everyday. 

Dragon Droppings: Where Chocolate Chip Cookies REALLY Come From

Even delicious comfort food can come from the strangest of places...

Sure, dragon's spend most of their time burning things and looking menacing, but even they have to do their business at least once a day to maintain healthy dragon colons.

Whether your a wildling or a high-born, dragon droppings, when baked at 350 degrees, make an extremely delicious comfort food or dessert snack that's known to the locals as Chocolate Chip Cookies.

We've got a recipe for you to match all others and will be a sure-fire win at any Cook's Landing bake sale. So, let's bake us some dragon poo!

Dragon Poo Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Makes roughly 24-28 cookies 

Ingredients

1/2 c shortening (or canola oil)*
6 tbsp white sugar 
6 tbsp brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c and 2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 c semi sweet chocolate chips**

*We prefer Crisco, but canola oil also works if you're low on shortening, but it's soupier and bakes darker

**We've grown up on semi-sweet and haven't ever tried anything else, but chocolate chips all taste the same once they're in cookie form).

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together your shortening (or canola oil) - microwave the

shortening for 10 seconds on medium power level or less to make it softer - white sugar, and brown sugar

Step 2: Once that's got a good creamy texture, mix in your egg and vanilla extract. Then mix in your flour, salt, and baking soda.

Step 3: Now comes chocolate chip time! Our recipe recommends 1/3 cup, but if you've got a clan like ours, cut open the bag and pour in chips until there's a 6 chips per 1 T. of dough ratio. At least. 

Step 4: Drop dough on an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart in about 1 tbsp dollops  If you used canola oil, you're probably gonna have to scoop and drop with a spoon, but if you used shortening then you can easily roll the dough into balls with your hands.

Step 5: Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. If you see the bottoms getting darker than the dough then they're done.

Set on a rack to cool or let them sit on the pans 'til you start seeing that they are mysteriously disappearing.

Enjoy the deliciousness! The Sisters of House Cook recommend a nice glass, or mug, of milk for optimal dipping, to accent the chewy cookies.

Targaryen Tacos: spicy food for people who can't catch on fire

So, you've been looking for a way to spice up your life and have the added benefit of being a person who doesn't get burned in fire. Awesome. You're just like our fave, Daenerys Targaryen, who sat in fire with her dragon eggs and come morning in the smoldering fire... behold! Dragons babies! Totally-unharmed-skinny-blonde-girl! Not getting burned in fire is a great skill to have. It opens up a whole world of foods to you...but we're not going to get too crazy. Today, we bring you delicious Targaryen Tacos.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 5-10 people

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 medium sized jalapeno pepper
1 roma tomato
30 cilantro leaves
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp onion powder
Dash of salt
Juice from 1 fresh lime

Preparing the Taco Meat...

Step 1: Slice half of each of the bell peppers into thin strips and place a medium size bowl. Finely chop the half jalapeno and place in bowl. Chop roma tomato and add it to the bowl. Very finely chop the cilantro leaves and add them as well.

Step 2: Place ground beef in a skillet and put it on the stove. With the heat on high, use a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Continue to break and stir the beef until it is completely browned. When it's browned thoroughly, remove the grease with a strainer.

Step 3: Pour water over the beef and stir in chili powder, garlic salt, ground red pepper, onion powder, and salt. Add the vegetables and stir in well. Continue stirring for 3-4 minutes. Squeeze the juice of one lime over the beef and stir in. Allow the meat to simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately.



I like my tacos with freshly chopped roma tomatoes, grated mozzarella cheese, and salsa. Dress your taco however you like, but I guarantee you'll love the beef.

If you like guacamole with your tacos, try our unbeatable guac recipe.

Dragon's Breath Dawn: an iced drink for the hot summer

This week has felt dragon-filled for us in House Cook. Our Khalee-C, Julianne, and one of her dragons have been traveling across the country with the oldest in our bunch, Sarah-Lambert. We'll share more about their travels later, but for now we introduce you to the tasty drink they enjoyed last night. 

Yesterday was a hot Kansas day for our two wanderers and today promises to be hotter with temperatures topping 100 degrees. Still, it's not as bad as the Texas heat which felt like having a hair dryer on high pointed at your face. To cool down, we've created a delicious and pretty drink that's like an Orange Julius meets an Hawaiian Sunrise: our very own Dragon's Breath Dawn. 

This tasty drink is cool and refreshingly sweet with a hint of lime to give it a nice bite. 

Dragon's Breath Dawn Recipe

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

3/4 cup vanilla ice cream

3/4 cup orange sherbet 

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 1/2  cups orange juice 

dash of maraschino cherry juice (per glass)

1 cup crushed ice

Blend together ice cream, sherbet, orange juice, and lime juice. Once they are totally mixed, mix in the crushed ice. Pour into glasses and drizzle no more than a teaspoon of maraschino cherry juice in each glass.  Drink right away for a nice, cold treat! 

Devilish Dragons and the Eggs They Eat: our favorite deviled eggs recipe

Eggs are a devilish treat full of tricks. They crack, scramble, poach, and run. Today, we've solved their tricksy ways by deviling them with our khalee-c's very own deviled eggs: a Dragon's favorite snack. 

Previously, our khalee-c, Julianne, has showed you what to do when your dragon eggs don't hatch and how to eat a red velvet cupcake (if you hate them). This time, she brings you her own, unique recipe for deviled eggs. We all love these when we feast... and so do her dragons. 

The Khalee-C's Deviled Eggs Recipe

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 16 halves 

Ingredients8 eggs
2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp mayo*
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne red pepper

*we used light miracle whip today and it tastes just as good

Step 1: Boil your eggs. We find that the best way to do this is to place the eggs in a large saucepan covered with water and bring to a good rolling boil then remove them from heat, cover and allow to cook through in the hot water for 5-7 minutes.

Step 2: Peel your eggs. A good way to get the shell to come off easily is to lightly tap all around the egg shell with a spoon or against the counter and then carefully peel the shell off while holding the egg under a small stream of cold running water. 

Step 3: Cut each egg in half and scoop the yolk into a bowl. Mix your mustard, mayo, garlic, and salt with the yolk and stir well until the mixture is creamy.

Step 4: Place your yolk mixture into a piping bag with an open star tip (any open shape of tip will do--this is the one we like). Fill your egg halves with the yolk mixture. For a pretty and delicious finish, lightly sprinkle a tiny bit of the cayenne pepper over the yolk mixture in the eggs. 

Yum! Your snack is ready to share with your dragons! 

Wondering what a khalee-c is? Khalee-C is our own name for Julianne and is a mix of khaleesi (the mother of dragons from 'Game of Thrones') and "Cook."