Double Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients:

1 3/4 Cups all-purpose flour
1/3 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon teaspoon
1 Cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup packed brown sugar
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 Cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 Cup white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; set aside. Beat butter, 1 cup sugar and brown sugar in large bow with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until well blended. Gradually  beat in flour mixture on low speed until blended. Stir in semisweet chips.

3. Drop dough by level 1/4 cupfuls onto greased cookie sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Flatten dough until 2 inches in diameter with bottom of glass that has been dipped in additional sugar.

4. Bake 11 to 12 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to wire rack.

5. Melt white chocolate. Drizzle on cooled cookies and sprinkle with cranberries.

pumpkin cream chees muffins

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon baking soda

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups pumpkin

1/4 cups vegetable oil

1 cup applesauce

8 ounces cream cheese

1 bag chocolate chips

1 Preheat oven to 350.
2 Put the entire brick of cream cheese on a piece of wax paper or parchment paper and shape it into a long log.
3 Put it in the freezer while you mix and fill the pans, up to an hour.
4 Unwrap and cut with a sharp knife so each cream cheese disk equals. About 1 tablespoon size.
5 Mix all ingredients together (except cream cheese).
6 Fill muffin tins (greased or paper cups) half full.
 7 Put cream cheese disc in the middle, pressing down.
 9. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the muffin part (do not touch the cream cheese!). 10 Let cool & enjoy!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Dessert or Breakfast??

Recipe:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons vinegar

Directions

1.In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.

2.Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour the batter onto the griddle, about 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot. Top with caramelized apples and fresh whipped cream.

Caramelized Apples

3 Granny Smith apples

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 tbsp. brown sugar, or to taste

Peel and quarter the apples, removing the cores. Slice each quarter into thin slices. In a nonstick skillet, heat the butter. When it is melted but not browned, add the apples and saute them over high heat for 2 minutes, turning them often so the cut sides brown. Sprinkle them with the sugar and continue cooking for 2 minutes more or until the sugar caramelizes and the apples are just tender. Serve at once.

Pumpkin Pie Shake

Pumpkin Pie Shake:

4 Scoops Vanilla Ice Cream

2 Slices Pumpkin Pie

1-3/4 cups milk (depending on how thick you want it)

Topping:

Whipped Cream

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Directions:

In a blender combine ice cream, pie and milk until well combined. Pour into two glasses. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice.
Makes two shakes.
Enjoy!

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes:

2/3 cup (about 15) crushed oreo cookies


2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

3/4 cup Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 12-muffin pan with paper cups.

2. Combine cookie crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press 1 tablespoon onto bottom of each paper cup. Bake 5 minutes. Set pan aside.

3. Beat cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until blended. Add eggs; beat well. Stir in Chocoate Chips. Pour into muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.
 
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Serve Cold.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

Frosting:

3oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened

2 (16-ounce) packages powdered sugar, sifted

1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries

Preparation

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer 20 seconds or until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and chopped strawberries, beating at low speed until creamy. (Add more sugar if frosting is too thin, or add strawberries if too thick.)

Cupcakes:

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 oz unsweetened chocolate melted

1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 350F Line the muffin cups with paper liners,

2. Stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In anothr bowl with an electric mixer on high, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Beat in the melted chocolate. Reduce the speed to low and add the flou mixture alternately with the buttermilk in batches, beinning and ending with the flour mixture and beating just until blended.

4. Fill cupcake liner two--thirds way up with batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Coconut Macaroons

Coconut macaroons

Ingredients:


2 2/3 cups flakes coconut (7oz)


2/3 cup sugar


1/3 cup all-purpose flour


1/4 teaspoon salt


3 egg whites



1. Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly grease a large cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl combine coconut, sugar, flour, and salt. Stir in egg whites.

2. Drop mixture by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are light brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanutbutter Buttercream Frosting

Frosting-

Ingredients:


1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/3 cup butter

3/4 cup peanut butter

4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

4-6 tablespoons milk

Makes: About 3 cups.

Directions:

Cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Cupcakes-

Ingredients


1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350F  Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Set aside.

2.In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full.

3.Bake for 15 to 17 min or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Frost with Peanutbutter frosting  when cool.

Roasted Garlic Soup

2 large garlic heads, whole, unpeeled


1 clove(s) garlic, minced

3 tablespoon(s) olive oil

1 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter

2 cup(s) onion, minced

1 tsp oregano leaves

1 large (1 1/4 cups) potato, peeled and cubed

4 cup(s) chicken stock

1/2 cup(s) dry white wine

1 teaspoon(s) salt

1/2 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground pepper

1/4 cup(s) heavy cream

Directions

1.Roast the garlic: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a serrated knife, cut the top off each garlic head so that the tip of each clove is exposed. Place the garlic heads on a large piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Fold the foil to form a packet. Place the packet in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Cool slightly. In a small bowl, squeeze the garlic head until all of the roasted flesh is released. Discard outer husks and bay leaves.

2.Make the soup: In a large heavy-duty saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil and butter, add onions, and cook over medium heat until translucent--about 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the potato, chicken stock, white wine, roasted garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cover and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for 35 minutes.

3.Finish the soup: Using a blender, purée the soup in small batches until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the heavy cream. Heat until warmed. Ready to serve.

40 Clove Garlic Chicken

Ingredients
1Tbsp Butter

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2-3 lbs. Roasting Chicken, washed and cut into pieces

to taste Salt and Freshly Ground White Pepper

4 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary

1 Cup Flour

40 Cloves Garlic, Peeled

1 Cup Dry White Wine

4 Cups Chicken Stock

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream


1. Heat butter and olive oil in a deep, heavy skillet.

2. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and rosemary. Toss in flour.

3. When the pan is hot, but not smoking, add the chicken, skin side down.

4. Sauté chicken until golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan.
5. Add garlic cloves and sauté until light brown.
6. Add white wine and chicken stock. Return chicken to pan.
7. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
8. Remove chicken and keep warm, turn heat to high and reduce liquid by 66%. Remove to blender, add cream and puree sauce. Adjust seasoning and serve over chicken.

Recipe from  the stinking roses website

Caramel Corn

Ingredients:

7-8  cups popped popcorn

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

6 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1.Remove all unpopped kernels from popped popcorn. Put popcorn into a 17x12X2 inch baking or roasting pan. Keep popcorn warm in a 300F oven while making caramel mixture.

2. Butter large piece of foil; set aside For caramel, in a medium saucepan combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils. Continue boiling at a moderate, steady rate without stirring, for 5 minutes more.

3. Remove sauepan from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla Pour caramel over popcorn; stir gently to coat. Bake in a 300F oven for 15 minutes. Stir mixture; bake 5 minutes more. Spread caramel corn on buttered foil; cool. Store, tightly covered for up to one week.

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens New CookBook.

Olive Garden Inspired Tiramisu

Tiramisu

Ingredients: 


3 egg yolks

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup mascarpone cheese

16 ounces cream cheese

1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

20 to 24 lady fingers

1/2 cup cold espresso

1/2 cup Kahlua coffee liqueur

2/3 cup cocoa powder



1. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring it to a boil over medium/high heat, then reduce heat so that the water is simmering. Whisk egg yolks, heavy cream and sugar together in a medium metal bowl, then place the bowl on top of the saucepan (you can also use a double boiler for this step). Stir the mixture often for ten minutes. After the sugar dissolves the mixture should begin to thicken and turn light yellow. Remove it from the heat to cool.

2. Use an electric mixer to combine mascarpone, cream cheese and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix until mostly creamy, but with a few small chunks remaining.

3. Add egg yolk mixture to the cheese mixture and mix just until well-combined.

4. Combine espresso and Kahlua in a bowl. Pour this mixture onto a dinner plate. One-by-one touch the bottom of each lady finger in the espresso. The lady finger will quickly soak up the espresso/Kahlua mixture, but you don't want the entire lady finger soaked. The top half of each lady finger should still be dry. Arrange the soaked lady fingers side-by-side on the bottom of an 8x8-inch serving dish or baking pan.

5. Spoon about half of the cheese mixture over the lady fingers, then add another layer of soaked lady fingers on top of the cheese mixture.

6. Spoon the remaining cheese mixture over the second layer of lady fingers and spread it evenly.

7. Put two teaspoons of cocoa powder in a tight-mesh strainer and gently tap the side of the strainer to add an even dusting of cocoa powder over the top of the dessert.

8. Cover and chill for several hours. To serve, slice the dessert twice across and down creating 9 portions.