Peppermint Candy Cane Brownies

Found HERE! 

Brownies:
4 squares unsweetened chocolate (4oz)
1 C butter (2 sticks)
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1t vanilla
1 1/4 C flour
1/2 t baking powder
Frosting:
2 C powdered sugar
4 T butter, softened
1 1/2 t peppermint extract
1 T milk
pink food coloring

Chocolate Glaze:
6 oz (about a cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips ,you could also use dark
6T real butter
Additional:
1/2-1 C crushed candy canes (Use Bob’s NOT Spanglers!)
First, the Brownies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roughly chop baking squares so they’ll be easier to melt, then place them in a microwave-safe bowl along with the 2 sticks of butter (also chopped).
Melt in 30-45 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Set aside. Don’t accidentally stick your finger in the melted butter and chocolate combo because it will laugh at you for forgetting that it is unsweetened.
In a stand mixer or with electric beaters, beat eggs for about 3 minutes until thick and frothy.  Add sugar and vanilla and beat to combine. Then add in the melted chocolate and butter that you set aside. Combine flour and baking powder and whisk into brownie batter by hand until just combined. Pour into a lightly greased 9×13 pan. If you want to make the job much easier, line your pan with foil first.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness and don’t over bake! When brownies are done, cool on a cooling rack. When completely cool, pop in the fridge to chill. (makes the frosting spreading easier).
Next layer is the frosting:
Combine all frosting ingredients and beat until light and fluffy. Add extra milk by teaspoonful if you need a little more. Spread evenly over cooled/chilled brownies and place back in the fridge to chill again while you do the final step.
Chocolate Glaze:
Place chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and cook in 30 second intervals until smooth.
Set aside for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, so it can cool off just a bit. Remember in the first step when I told you to not accidentally let your finger fall in the chocolate butter mixture? Totally doesn’t apply to this chocolate butter mixture. Quickly spread on top of brownies. I say quickly because the frosting is cool and the chocolate is hot. If you take your sweet time and over do it, you’ll make a big gooey mess. Just spread it on quick.
Sprinkle the crushed candy canes on top and return to the fridge until chocolate is set on top.
Remove from fridge a few minutes before serving. Cut into squares, eat, ooh and ahh, and then eat another one. Or two.

 ***Super yummy! Rich, so make sure you have people to share with. Hubby thinks this is a waste of good brownies (he dislikes peppermint and chocolate together!)***

Slice N Bake Lemon Gems

These come from Taste of Home:

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup colored nonpareils
• LEMON ICING:
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Directions

• In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon peel. Combine flour and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
• Shape into a 1-3/4-in.-diameter roll; roll in nonpareils. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until firm.
• Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 9-11 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
• In a small bowl, combine icing ingredients. Spread over cookies. Yield: 28 cookies.

***Excellent!  Great lemon flavor!  Kind of like a shortbread cookie.***

Buttermilk Blueberry Cake

I found this recipe on SkinnyTaste!  Modified just a bit:

• 2 3/4 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup softened unsalted butter
• 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 cups blueberries
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tsp vanilla
• baking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°.  Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with baking spray.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, in a medium bowl, beat sugar and butter for about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Add buttermilk and vanilla until incorporated.


Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.  Gently fold in blueberries.

Place the batter into the prepared cake pan; bake cake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30-32 minutes.  Serve room temperature.

***Delicious!  The original recipe was intended to be low-fat. But I wanted this as a dessert, and didn't necessarily need it to be low-fat, so I changed it.  Simple to make!***

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

These are an adaptation of one of our favorite recipes, Monkey Squares. I decreased the sugar a bit, added chocolate chips, and omitted the browned butter icing. Hey, there are some limits to being able to call something a muffin rather than a cupcake :-)

1 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
½ cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 ¾ cups (4) ripe bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour (I did use GF)

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with papers, or grease and flour each tin. Beat first four ingredients until creamy. Blend in bananas and vanilla one minute. Add dry ingredients and blend one minute. Stir in chocolate chips.  Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes about 24 muffins.

***So good! I actually like the decreased sugar so much, I might change it in the original recipe! I like to have something portable in the mornings, and these turned out to be great!***

Peanut Butter Cups

I found this recipe at Taste of Home and I'm glad I did!

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
• 4-1/2 teaspoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 ounces each), coarsely chopped
• Colored sprinkles, optional

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter, butter, confectioners' sugar and salt until smooth; set aside.
• In a microwave, melt the chocolate chips, candy bars and remaining peanut butter; stir until smooth.
• Drop teaspoonfuls of chocolate mixture into paper-lined miniature muffin cups. Top each with a scant teaspoonful of peanut butter mixture; top with another teaspoonful of chocolate mixture. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Refrigerate until set. Store in an airtight container.
  Yield: 3 dozen.

***Hubby and I made these together on Valentine's Day! Super easy, fun, and definitely delicious!***

Cinnamon Cookie Crunch Popcorn

I came across this recipe on Our Best Bites. They always have great recipes!

Slightly modified:

12 cups air-popped popcorn
16 oz white chocolate (chips are fine)
1/2 cup red hot candies
10 Oreo cookies (Glutino GF work great)
optional: 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon flavored oil (I left out)
3 tablespoons semisweet or dark chocolate chips
kosher or sea salt (I left out)

Instructions
Pulse red hots in a food processor until they are just roughly chopped.

Break cookies up into rough chunks, by smashign in a baggie. Do not crush into crumbs!

In a medium sized microwave safe bowl, melt white chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth. Gently stir in red hots and chocolate cookies and then add cinnamon oil to taste (if desired).

Pour mixture over popcorn and stir well to coat. Pour popcorn mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and set aside. Melt chocolate chips and drizzle over popcorn mixture. Sprinkle kosher or sea salt lightly over mixture to taste (if desired). Let popcorn mixture harden. When completely dry, break into chunks and store in airtight container.

***Super yummy! Great flavor combination. It is super sweet, so I didn't find it hard to control myself, but really great to pop a few chunks here and there throughout the day! What a fun holiday treat!***

Cranberry Ecstasy Bars (just like Starbucks!)

Found this recipe in a FOODday several years ago:

Cake:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup minced dried cranberries
1 1/2 oz white chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger

Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
3 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus 3 Tbs powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp grated lemon zest
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup minced dried cranberries

Drizzle:
1 oz white chocolate
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp milk

Preheat over to 350
Line a 9x13 pan with parchement paper, and lightly greased (or spray Pam) the paper

To make the cake:
Cream together butter and sugar
Add eggs and vanilla
Sift together flour, ground ginger and salt; add to butter mixture until well incorporated
Fold in dried cranberries, white chocolate, and minced ginger
Spread the batter in the prepared pan
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown
Let cool completely in the pan

To make the frosting:
Mix together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and salt until well mixed
Remove cake from pan and trim edges until cake is uniformly flat
Spread frosting onto top of cake
Sprinkle minced cranberries over top
Refrigerate for 1 hour

To make the drizzle:
Microwave white chocolate in glass bowl, in 15 second increments, stirring after each
Once fully melted, whisk in powdered sugar and milk
Scrape into a sturdy plastic bag, cut a tiny piece off the corner, and squeeze to drizzle decoratively over cake

To serve, slice the cake lengthwise down the center
Cut each rectangle into 4 equal portions, and slice each of these diagonally

Enjoy!

***LOVE these! It seems overwhelming at first, because there are so many steps, but really it's pretty easy! So much better than the Starbucks version, and I love knowing exactly what is in my treat! We cut them even smaller, because they are so rich!***

Apple Cake

A recipe from a dear sweet friend, Carol!

1 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup oil
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup OJ (or juice of 1 orange)
3 cups flour
4 eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 cups thinly sliced apples
Cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Mix all ingredients except the apples and cinnamon/sugar for sprinkling.
Pour 1/4 batter each in two loaf pans. Spread 1 cup apples over each pan.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Repeat layers.

***Can add chopped walnuts when you layer the apples if you like!

Bake on 350 for 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean/crumbly.

***So yummy! Mine did not turn out as perfectly as Ms. Carol's, but she's been practicing for a very long time :-) So yummy!!! Hubs likes his with the walnuts, me-not so much!***

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

2/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 Tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 372
Mix butter, baking powder, sugar and salt together.
Beat in egg, milk and vanilla.
Add flour.
Do not over mix!

Chill dough for 1 hour in fridge
Roll dough out to about 1/4 inch thick
Use cookie cutters, any shape for any occasion!
Place on cookie sheet (I line mine with parchement paper)
Bake for 7-8 minutes (Just until ever-so-slightly starting to brown on the bottom edges)

Allow to cool before frosting!

***Super fun activity to do with kiddos! My nieces love to come over and decorate for different holidays!***

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Modified from a recipe found at Finding Joy in my Kitchen:

1 C pumpkin puree-try homemade!
1/2 C butter
1 egg
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp all spice

1 1/2 C flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 C brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 C dark chocolate chips

Mix wet ingredients and spices together. Add in dry ingredients, except chocolate chips. Once well mixed, stir in chocolate chips.

Fill muffins tins 2/3 full (either greased or lined), should make about 18-20. Fill the remaining spots with about 1/4 cup water (this helps the muffins bake more evenly).

Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean/crumbly.

Enjoy!


***Yummy! I usually make zucchini muffins, but pumpkin seemed fitting this time of year. Great idea!***

Pear (or Apple) Crisp

I found the recipe for Apple Crisp over at:



This is my slightly tweaked version, because I was using Pears!

5 meduim-large pears (or apples)
1/4 cup sugar (less if your pears are pretty sweet, more if using tart apples)
2 T flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 C old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 C brown sugar
1/3 C flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 T butter, melted

Peel, core and slice/dice pears. Stir pears, sugar and flour together in 9x9 pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and slightly stir again.

In a bowl, mix oats, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together. Stir in melted butter.

Sprinkle over the pears.

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.

Let sit for 10 minutes.

Scoop into bowls and serve! Tastes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream too!

***Super yummy!!! Great way to use up some extra pears (or apples), and really easy for company or for the holidays! We will definitely make this over and over again!***

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Found this recipe on Food Network, courtesy of Paula Deen. Of course I modified it!

3 cups all purpose flour (I used GF for half!)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chocolate chips

Optional: 4Tbs cocoa powder

Directions
Preheat oven at 325 degrees F. Grease (2) 9 by 5-inch loaf pans.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, and chocolate chips. Stir in sifted ingredients. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove loaves from pans and cool. Chill before slicing.

*Can also make 24 cupcakes-Bake for about 18-22 minutes*

***Delicious! I made one loaf GF and one regular. Hubs wanted the regular to be chocolate zucchini bread, so I added 2 Tbs Cocoa powder, which he loved! This will be another regular in our house...good way to sneak in some veggies too!***

Peanut Butter "Cheese" Ball

I found this amazing recipe HERE! (Slightly adapted to fit what we had at home)

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (not all-natural)
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup crushed toffee
Graham cracker sticks, teddy grahams, and/or apple slices for dipping

Directions:
Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until blended.

Spoon onto a large piece of plastic wrap; bring up all four corners and twist tightly forming into a ball shape.

Freeze for about 1 hour or until firm enough to keep its shape. Place toffee and chocolate chips in flat dish. Remove plastic wrap from ball and roll ball into morsels to completely cover, pressing morsels into the ball if necessary.

Place ball on serving dish; cover and freeze for 2 hours or until you can't stand it anymore and HAVE to eat it NOW!

Serve with graham cracker sticks, teddy grahams, or apple slices for dipping or spreading.

***Super yummy snack. We ate this with apples to make it a little more healthy...and really, it isn't the worst thing you could eat anyway :-) Will definitely be making this for parties in the future!***

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Slightly adapted from HERE!

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe medium bananas
• 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour(I used GF)
  
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 10 tbsp peanut butter (divided into 8 tablespoons and 2 tablespoons)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Line a muffin tin with 12 liners.
Mash bananas in a bowl, set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.
In a large bowl cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer.
Add egg whites, bananas, apple sauce, vanilla, and 8 tablespoons peanut butter, and beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl.

Add flour mixture, then blend at low speed until combined. Do not over mix.

Pour batter into muffin tin halfway, then add 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining peanut butter into each muffin well.
Top off each muffin with remaining batter, and bake on the center rack for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

***Super yummy!!! "Healthy" snack...Hubs LOVED them!!!***

Berry Jam-Pectin Free!!!

A little softer set than jam with pectin in it...but soooo good!

(excuse the mess on the counter!)

Recipe Adapted from Real Simple, July 2011

20 cups (12 pints) Strawberries, washed, stems removed, chopped
5-8 cups sugar (depending on sweetness of strawberries and your taste)
4 Tbs Lemon Juice
1 tsp salt

Combine all together in a large pot, mash lightly with a potato masher.

Cook over medium-high heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mixture should thicken slightly.

Transfer to containers and refrigerate up to 1 month, or freeze up to 1 year.

~Can also do with Raspberries: 15 cups (6 pints) raspberries, 6 cups sugar, 3 Tbs Lemon Juice, 3/4 tsp salt.~

***Delicious!!! We have used all the strawberry already! I have made strawberry lemonade, smoothies, strawberry cheesecake frozen yogurt, PB & J sandwiches...and of course, hubs is eating it by the spoonful!***

Strawberry Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt

I found a recipe for Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream here:

I modified it slightly, to our tastes and what we have in our kitchen. Delish!

2 cups strawberry puree/jam
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
8 oz cream cheese (full fat works best)

Mix all ingredients together well in a blender (make sure there are no cream cheese chunks).

Pour into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions (mine takes about 20 minutes).

Enjoy right away as soft serve, or freeze for 2-4 hours and scoop!

***Super yummy flavor! I think I will try other flavors with the cream cheese in it, because that rich flavor is amazing!***

Gooey Butterscotch Bars Recipe

Ingredients

1 recipe sugar cookie mix
2/3 c butter, softened
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
*Mix well*
1 egg
1 Tbs Milk (I used soy)
1 tsp vanilla
*Mix well*
2 c flour
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant butterscotch pudding mix
1 package (14 ounces) caramels
1/2 cup evaporated milk (I used soy)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions

Add the pudding mix in at the end with the flour. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until set.

In a large saucepan, combine caramels and milk. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until melted. Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla.
Pour over crust.
Sprinkle with butterscotch chips.
Cool completely. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: about 3 dozen.

Adapted from Taste of Home!

***Delicious! Of course, I made mine GF. Which meant no packaged sugar cookie mix. I like things from scratch anyway! Oh, and the original recipe called for nuts...which I left out! Not my favorite thing!***

Cinnamon Sugar Flatbread Crackers

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (I used GF)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons sugar + 3/4 tablespoon cinnamon for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well. Add water and olive oil and mix until a dough forms, using your hands at the end. Form it into a ball.

Dust a baking sheet with flour (or use parchment paper) and roll the dough as thin as you can with a rolling pin. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture all over top and cut with a pizza slicer into small or large crackers. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Let cool completely.

Adapted from How Sweet Eats, found HERE!

***Great Flavor! I did not get mine thin enough, so they were not super crispy, but still good. Would make excellent plain crackers without the cinnamon and sugar. And since it was the afternoon, and I have been craving Smores...oh yeah, I went there!***

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

I have had a craving for chocolate covered strawberries for a while now. And my friend Melanie started talking about them last weekend...since then, I have been obsessing about them! So, with Valentine's Day here, I thought it would be the perfect time to make some!

Basically, I melted some chocolate chips (semi-sweet) in the microwave with a few drops of canola oil (to keep it from hardening so much when cool).

Make sure to wash and DRY your strawberries. And make sure you have the chocolate in a small, deep container so you can really dip them.

Place on parchment/wax paper when done and cool in fridge. DELICIOUS!

***Happy Valentine's Day to you and your loved ones!!!***

Peanut Brittle

2 cups sugar
1 cup Karo Syrup
1/2 cup water
dash of salt

2 cups raw spanish peanuts
1 Tbs Butter

1 tsp vanilla
1/2 Tbs baking soda

Heat sugar, karo, water, and salt in large pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until temperature reaches hard ball stage on a candy thermometer.

Stir in peanuts and butter. Continue heating, stirring constantly, until temperature reaches hard crack stage on a candy thermometer.

Take off heat, quickly stir in vanilla and baking soda. Once thoroughly mixed, pour onto large cookie sheet.

Let cool for about 2 hours. Peel off foil and break into pieces.

Enjoy! And try not to eat the whole batch in one sitting!

***Made this with my MIL last weekend! She makes it every year and I finally got to join in the fun!***