~EASY CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BALLS ~

Ingredients:

18oz Peanut Butter Jar
1/4 Cup Butter
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
12 oz. bag of Nestles Semi- Sweet Morsels

Directions:
1. Mix the peanut butter, butter, vanilla extract and powdered sugar in a bowl. Stir until combined.
2. Shape into approximately 1-inch balls and place on baking pan. Put in Freezer for about 20 minutes.
3. Melt Nestles Semi- Sweet Morsels according to Pkg. (Microwaved)
4. Dip peanut butter balls into chocolate w/ toothpick letting the excess coating drip off, return the chocolate coated peanut butter balls back pan until chocolate is firm.
5. Store in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator.

Classic Spritz Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• colored sugar or sprinkles (optional)
• gel food coloring (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter at medium speed until creamy.

Add egg and vanilla; beat well, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the flour and mix on low speed until just combined. (Dough will be soft, do not refrigerate!)

Fit the cookie press with desired disk and fill with dough.

Press dough onto cookie sheet lined with a silicon baking mat.

Decorate cookies with sugar or sprinkles as desired.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until very lightly golden brown.

Allow to cool for two minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough.

Notes

• Add the gel food coloring after the dough is combined if you wish to add color, but be careful not to over-mix.

Peppermint Cookies and Cream Milkshakes

Ingredients:

3 cups of Peppermint Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups milk
6-8 oreos

Directions:

Blend ice cream, milk, and oreo cookies together in a blender until smooth. Pour into 4 glasses rimmed in melted white chocolate and crushed peppermints.

Carmel Apple Cakemix Cookies

Ingredients (24 cookies)
For the cookies
• 1 Box Betty Crocker Super Moist Spice Cake Mix
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 chopped apple
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• 1/2 cup Caramel Bits
For the frosting
• 1/2 a can of Vanilla Creamy Supreme Frosting

Instructions

For the cookies

In medium bowl, stir together cake mix, 1/2 cup canola oil and 2 eggs until combined and dough forms.
Add 1 cup chopped apples
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 cup Caramel Bits.
Put the dough in the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Drop by tablespoonful onto baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until just lightly browned.
Cookies will be soft to the touch
Let cool remove to cooling rack
While one set is cooling the other set is baking.

For the frosting
Place 1/2 a can of frosting in a microwave safe measuring cup or bowl.
Microwave for 15 seconds or until just starts to melt. Drizzle the soft frosting over cookies.

If you don’t have a decorator a ziploc bag with the corner cut works great too!

White Velvet Cake

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup vegetable shortening at room temperature

3 tablespoons good quality vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Cooking Directions

Sift together both flours, baking soda. baking powder, salt and sugar, Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the vegetable oil, shortening and vanilla. Beat well at high speed with whisk attachment until light and fluffy

Beat the eggs in one at a time.

Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk.

Always add dry ingredients in three divisions and liquid ingredients in 2 divisions. It is very important to begin and end the additions with the dry ingredients. Do not over mix the batter. As soon as it has no lumps in the batter, pour into the two prepared 9 inch cake pans.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Marshmallow Frosting

4 egg whites

¼ tsp cream of tarter

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sugar

½ cup corn syrup

1/4 cup water

Note: any good vanilla frosting is great on this cake

Pretzel Bonbons

Yield: 36 Bonbons

Prep Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 ounces cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup crushed pretzels
1 12-ounce package  Dark Melting Wafers

INSTRUCTIONS

Line a baking sheet or tray with waxed paper. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine peanut butter and cream cheese. Microwave, uncovered, on high (100% power) for 30 seconds or until mixture is slightly softened, stirring once. Stir in powdered sugar and pretzels. Shape the peanut butter mixture into 1-inch balls. Place balls on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and freeze for 15 minutes or until firm.Place Dark Melting Wafers in a microwave-safe container. Microwave at half power or defrost setting for 30 seconds. Stir thoroughly (product keeps its original shape until stirred). If not completely melted, continue to microwave at 15 second intervals and stir until smooth. Overheating will cause wafers to burn.Using a fork, dip balls into melted mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Place dipped balls back on baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes or until firm.

To store, place in a single layer in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Prep: 30 minutes
Freeze: 15
Freeze: 15 minutes
Chill: 30 minutes

Grilled Cheese Pull Aparts

Adapted from Pillsbury

Ingredients
• 1 can Pillsbury® refrigerated crusty French loaf
• 1 block (8 oz.) Cheddar cheese, cut into 18 pieces
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons Progresso® garlic herb bread crumbs
• 1 can Progresso® Vegetable Classics tomato basil soup

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F.
Spray 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.
Remove dough from can. Cut into 18 half-inch-thick slices. Gently stretch and flatten each dough slice; wrap dough around 1 piece of cheese, making sure to seal cheese completely inside dough. Repeat with each piece of cheese and slice of dough.
Quickly dip each dough-wrapped cheese into melted butter; very lightly coat with bread crumbs. (Do not use too many bread crumbs, just enough for a little texture and flavor.) Place wrapped cheese in 3 rows in pan.
Bake 30 minutes or until tops are golden brown and center rolls are no longer doughy. Meanwhile, heat soup as directed on can
Serve warm bread with hot soup

Triple Carmel Cheesecake Bars

 

Ingredients
• 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 3 (1.4 oz. each) chocolate-covered toffee bars,
chopped into small pieces
• 4 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 can (13.4 oz) Mexican caramel spread (dulce de leche)
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup KRAFT Caramel Bits
• 1/4 cup whipping cream

Directions
HEAT oven to 325°F.
MIX graham crumbs, 2 Tbsp. butter and 1/2 cup toffee pieces; press onto bottom of 13 x 9 baking pan.
MEANWHILE, beat cream cheese, sugar, dulce de leche and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Gently pour over crust.
BAKE 40 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen sides; cool. Refrigerate 4 hours.
HEAT caramels bits and cream in microwave on HIGH for 1-1/2 mins, stirring every 30 sec. until smooth. Cool 5 min; pour over cheesecake. Sprinkle with remaining toffee pieces.

Lasagna Soup

Ingredients

1 lb of ground beef
1 lb of ground sausage
1 small onion, chopped
2 cans (24 oz) of spaghetti sauce
2 small cans sliced mushrooms
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups Ricotta Cheese
3 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
4 cups of water
1 or 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
6-8 Lasagna noodles, broken in pieces (you can also use mini lasagna, bow-ties etc)
2 cans of cheese soup (undiluted)
shredded cheddar or mozzarella for garnish

Instructions

Brown the beef and sausage in a pan. Drain.
Add onions and garlic and cook until translucent.
Add rest of the ingredients and cook on low boil for about 10-15 minute longer, until pasta is cooked.

Sweet and Savory Butter Sticks

Ingredients

1 stick of butter
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup milk
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

Instructions

Melt butter in a jelly roll pan. Mix all other ingredients, roll out and cut into strips. Dredge strips through the butter, covering all sides. Bake at 425 degrees until golden brown.

You can add garlic and parsley, or cinnamon, or roll in cinnamon sugar. Good hot or cold.

*we rolled 1/2 in cinnamon sugar and the other in a a mixture of sea salt and garlic powder, after dredging through the butter