Caramel-Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

It's already September?! Every year keeps flying by faster. I've tried to hold off on the "fall" recipes, but it's felt like fall here in Alaska since mid-July, so I can't stop myself anymore. These cookies are so amazingly good. C'mon, apple-flavoring and caramel mixed in a cookie? How can you resist? You can either eat these straight out of the oven (give them just a couple minutes to cool off though--that caramel gets HOT!) or warm them for just a few seconds in the microwave. They're best if the caramel is soft and gooey

Printable Recipe

Caramel-Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

 from The Cooking Photographer

1 cup butter, very softened
1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (7.4 ounce) box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix *Not sugar free*
2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 (14 ounce) bag Kraft Caramels


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Line rimless cookie sheets with parchment paper. (I used my Silpat--had a little trouble with some of the caramel, but in a pinch, it works.)

In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.

In a stand mixer, cream together butter, sugar, salt, and all 10 packets of apple cider mix until smooth and fluffy.

Beat in eggs and vanilla extract, then mix in the flour mixture until just combined.

With a standard cookie scoop, scoop the dough, scraping off the excess as you go up the bowl.

Flatten the dough slightly in your hand and place a caramel in the center.

Work the dough around the caramel sealing VERY well (so the caramel won't leak out).

Place the cookies two inches apart on the sheets.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

After baking, carefully slide the parchment with the cookies onto the counter.

Let cool until they are no longer soft but still slightly warm.

Twist gently to remove, and cool the rest of the way upside down on the parchment or on a cooling rack.

Makes 51 cookies.

Awesome Oatmeal Cookies

I've searched long and hard for the perfect oatmeal cookie recipe. After countless attempts, I think this one is it. While I've never had an oatmeal cookie from Starbucks, I kept running across descriptions that include "cult-following" and "absolute be all end all best oatmeal cookie I had ever tasted", so I knew we had to try it, and this does makes a dang good cookie. Because the Commissary was out of the big box of dark raisins, I had to get the tiny boxes and empty them all out (see what I do for the sake of a picture?). This also taught me that the little boxes are a rip-off. It took all but two of them for my 1/2 cup. Go with the big box.

Printable Recipe

Awesome Oatmeal Cookies

from Southern Plate

1 stick margarine, softened
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (granulated) sugar

1 large egg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup dark raisins (plus more for putting on top)
1/2 cup golden raisins (plus more for putting on top)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup diced walnuts, optional
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt


Place sugars and margarine in mixing bowl. Mix until well blended.

Add egg and cinnamon, and mix again.

In separate bowl, place all remaining ingredients.

Stir with a spoon and dump into mixing bowl with wet ingredients. Mix until well blended.

Spoon by heaping tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets.

Top with a few additional raisins of each color.

Bake at 350 for twelve to fifteen minutes until the edges are lightly browned.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from cookie sheets and cooling completely.

Makes about 2 dozen

Baked Apples

It was cloudy and cool out today, so even though it's nearing the end of May, it felt more like fall weather. And that made me want apples and cinnamon. We went with baked apples. It's a pretty simple recipe, but it sure was a nice dessert. We topped it off with caramel sauce.

Printable Recipe

 

 Baked Apples

from Food Network

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
6 same-size Granny Smith apples
2 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 teaspoon-size pieces
1 cup apple juice
Caramel sauce (optional)


Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.

Core apples, making sure not to puncture the bottom of the apples so that the juices will remain inside.

Remove skin from 1/2-inch around top of apples at the opening.

Fill each cavity with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Top each apple with a teaspoon of butter.

Place apples in casserole dish and pour apple juice around them..

Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove from heat, garnish with caramel sauce if desired, and serve.

Unfried Fried Ice Cream

I've only had fried ice cream once, when I was about 12 years old, but I remember thinking that it was pure heaven. I even have a recipe for fried ice cream that's been sitting in my binder for years, but I've never attempted it. When I saw this recipe on Southern Plate, it seemed like the best of both worlds. The delicious flavor without actually frying! My boys love Honey Bunches of Oats (the Almond variety--they ask for "Flakes with Nuts" when I ask what they want for breakfast), but I hate that the end of the bag has so many crumbs left over. So I've gotten in the habit of pouring the crumbs into a plastic baggie (because there are always a lot of decent-sized flakes mixed in), and we save it up until we have enough to make these. Always a favorite, and it's super easy but impressive enough for all of us.

Printable Recipe

Unfried Fried Ice Cream

from Southern Plate

1/2 gallon Vanilla ice cream

3 cups Honey and Oats Cereal (or any cereal you'd like to try--get creative!)

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. cinnamon


Scoop frozen ice cream out onto waxed paper lined baking sheets and place in freezer for at least an hour, or until hardened. 

During that time, place cereal in gallon zipper bag and crush. (Since I had the cereal saved in a small bag, and it was already crushed, I just mixed the cereal into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.)

Melt butter in microwave, and stir in sugar and cinnamon.

Pour into bag with cereal and seal.

Knead with hands until well mixed.

Pour out onto lined baking sheet and place in oven at 350 just until toasted, about five minutes. Keep close watch as cereal will burn easily.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Roll hardened ice cream balls in mixture, pressing lightly as you do so.

Place coated ice cream in 9x13 dish and return to freezer or serve immediately. 

For serving, drizzle with honey and top with whipped cream and a cherry.

Makes 10 scoops.

Strawberry Cream Puff Cake

I know my posting has been a little sporadic recently. We finally, finally got rid of our snow, and we've had lots of sunny (but still cold) days, so we've been spending some much needed time outdoors. And that's pushed everything else back. But I can't apologize. We've had too much fun to be bothered with silly things like cooking and cleaning. I hope this recipe makes up for lost time though!

After making several other recipes, I was left with 1 cup of whipping cream (not quite enough to do Chicken Alfredo like I'd planned), so I went searching for something to use it up. And then I saw the strawberries I'd gotten on sale a few days ago and remembered this Strawberry Cream Puff Cake that we'd made a few months ago. Jackpot! We absolutely love this one. It looks amazing and sophisticated, but it's pretty low on the difficulty scale. I think the only problem I had was that I didn't have a springform pan (it's been on my wish list forever, but I'm still waiting). No matter. I used a pie dish. All in all, it was a fabulous spring/summer dessert.

Printable Recipe

Strawberry Cream Puff Cake 
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

2 cups fresh strawberries (or 16 oz. bag frozen strawberries, thawed)
1 tsp. sugar

Cream Puff Base:

5 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
2/3 cup flour
3 eggs

Cream Cheese Mixture:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup powdered sugar


Hull and slice strawberries.

Mix with 1 tsp. sugar.

Store in fridge while you are preparing the cake.

(If you are using frozen strawberries, mix the thawed strawberries and juice with 1-2 teaspoons sugar and bring to a simmer in a saucepan. Cook until slightly thickened. Cool completely.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan (or a 9-inch pie plate or circle cake pan). 

Bring the butter, water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan.

Add the flour all at once and stir quickly until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir the mixture until smooth.

Let cool for 5 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time and beat until the mixture is shiny with a satiny sheen. Don’t overbeat (but it will take a bit of stirring until it comes together).

Using a spatula, spread the mixture on the bottom and one inch up the sides of the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 minutes. (Our oven is a little too hot, so I start checking at 20 minutes to make sure the bottom hasn't puffed up too much.)

Remove from the oven and prick pastry with a toothpick 10-12 times.

Return to the oven and bake 5-10 minutes more until golden brown but not overbaked (you can insert a toothpick into the center and if it comes out with sticky dough, it still needs longer in the oven).

Cool completely.

Beat the cream cheese until smooth.

Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat with the cream cheese until mixture is smooth and light.

Add the remaining ingredients and beat until stiff peaks form.

Spread onto the cooled cream puff shell.

Top with fresh sliced strawberries.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Lemon Chess Pie

Another favorite from Southern Plate. This pie makes me think of summer, and summer is something we're definitely in need of in Alaska. When I made it, I didn't have lemons, just a bottle of lemon juice, so I didn't add the lemon zest. We thought it was fine without it. And I love that even though you have to separate the eggs, you're not just using the yolks, or just the whites. I hate throwing them away or trying to find some way to use them up quickly in another recipe. It's nice to avoid the problem altogether.

 I have to ask you to forgive the picture again. I baked it for an extra 5 minutes, trying to get it to set in the oven (which it never did), so the top is browner than I'd like. I'm not sure what the problem is. Partially my horrid oven, but since I used RealLemon juice, I had to do 8 Tbsp to get it close to 2 large lemons, so the filling seemed too liquidy anyway. Guess it's another one to experiment with (I think this happened last time I made it), but it's still delicious! Even though it didn't set in the oven, it did set more after sitting on the counter for an hour, and after chilling in the fridge, it was just right.

Printable Recipe

Lemon Chess Pie

from Southern Plate

1 cup sugar

4 Tbsp. butter

Grated rind and juice of two large or three small lemons

4 eggs, separated (Separate carefully--there can't be any yolk in the whites, or they won't foam up well.)

1 deep-dish pie crust (baked)


Cream sugar with butter until light and fluffy.

Beat in egg yolks.
 
Add grated lemon rind and juice, beat in.
 
Beat egg whites in a separate bowl (with clean beaters) until stiff. (Egg whites at room temperature will foam more quickly than egg whites that have just been taken out of the refrigerator.)

Gently fold whites into lemon mixture.

Pour into pie shell and bake at 350 until set and light, about twenty five to thirty minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake

We've had this cake as a dessert, we've had it for breakfast, and it just gets better each time I make it. How could you go wrong with blueberries? Or a cake you can eat for breakfast? Since we don't normally have fresh blueberries on hand (expensive!), we've always used frozen, and it's amazing. This is also another recipe for which I'm so glad to have found the powdered buttermilk! Makes life so much easier. And I know it does call for Kosher (coarse) salt. Maybe I'm the only one, but for some reason I had it in my head that this must be an expensive variety, or hard to find, so for a long time, I just used regular salt. And then I actually looked for Kosher salt. Not expensive, not hard to find. All of these years wasted. But no matter. Moving on! I highly recommend that you try this one right away. And then thank me by making me one too.

Printable Recipe

Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake

from Alexandra's Kitchen

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (I'm not a butter snob--you can use whatever you want)
2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon (I always forget to buy lemons, so I use 4 tsp. bottled lemon juice)
3/4 cup & 2 Tbsp. sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries (or I use a 12 oz bag of frozen blueberries, thawed & drained)
½ cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp. sugar (for sprinkling on top)


Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 3/4 cup & 2 Tbsp of sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour. (If you are using frozen blueberries that have been thawed, pat them dry between  a few paper towels before tossing with the flour. I actually wait to add them to the flour until right before I'm going to fold the blueberries in.)

Whisk together the remaining 1 & 3/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar.

Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.)

Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 9-12 servings.

Banana Bread with Streusel Topping

Banana bread is one of my favorites, and I've gone through a lot of recipes in my search for the perfect one. I wanted one that was moist and had a good crust, and this one has both. It has a yummy streusel topping and center, and what's best is that you get two loaves out of this, so you can share with a friend. Or have an extra loaf for yourself later. I have looked all over for the original recipe, but it has completely disappeared. If I ever find it, I'll be sure to give the creator credit! (Please don't judge the bread by the picture. Our oven is kind of finicky, and this batch is a little overdone. The streusel is usually much more crumbly.)

This also is great for mini loaves to give to friends! It makes 4 loaves and then I had enough to do a dozen mini muffins (apparently I was in the mood for tiny food). If you make mini loaves, reduce the baking time by 1/4 (so 38-45 mins) and leave the temperature the same.

Recently, I found something wonderful in the beverage aisle that's been a big help in baking: powdered buttermilk! No more making my own every time I need it for a random recipe. Maybe I'm the last person on earth to discover it, but in case there's one other person that hasn't seen it, here you go! Just put the dry amount (for example, it's 4 Tbsp. buttermilk powder to make one cup prepared) in with the dry ingredients, and then add the water (1 cup) with the liquid. For this recipe, just add the buttermilk powder with the flour and everything, and then stir in the water. Couldn't be easier!

Printable Recipe

Banana Bread with Streusel Topping

3 large bananas
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup flour


Preheat oven to 350. Grease two bread pans and set aside.

In an electric mixer, mix bananas and sugar until the banana is completely mashed.

Add in the butter, eggs and vanilla extract, and mix until well creamed.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix well. Mix in the buttermilk until well combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the crumb toppings with a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly.

Pour half of the bread batter into the two bread pans. Then layer half of the streusel topping on top of the bread batter.

Pour remaining batter over the crumb mixture and then top with the rest of the streusel topping.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.


Makes 2 loaves.

Coconut Cake

I tried out this recipe last year for our dessert on Easter, and it was fabulous! It's not so much the cake (you can use any box cake you want), but the icing makes it so good. And the best part is that it's a refrigerator cake, which means it tastes even better if it's been sitting in the refrigerator for a couple days. That frees you up from making one more thing right before the meal. Love it! I've already got mine sitting in the fridge, ready to go.

This originally came from one of my favorite blogs, Southern Plate. The woman who writes it, Christy Jordan, is about the sweetest person I've ever, well, not met since she's lives about as far away as you can get from here, but I almost feel like she's a dear friend. If you haven't seen her blog, be sure to do so!

For our Easter meal, we're having: Ham, Green Beans, Scalloped Potatoes, Megan's Macaroni & Cheese, Deviled Eggs, 60 Minute Rolls, Fruit Salad, and Coconut Cake. Can't wait! And come back next week for some ways to use up leftover ham!

Printable Recipe

 

Coconut Cake

from Southern Plate

1 box yellow cake mix
2 cups sugar
16 ounces sour cream
12 ounces coconut (frozen, bagged on shelf, or canned)

1 1/2 c whipped topping

Prepare cake mix according to package directions in a 13 x 9 pan.

Combine sugar, sour cream, and coconut. Fold in whipped topping gently. Chill.

When cake is finished baking, let it cool for 10 minutes. Poke holes all over the top of the warm cake, then spread the icing over the cake.

Cover and refrigerate 1-3 days before serving.

Magic In the Middle Cookies

I was pleasantly surprised with these cookies (although I shouldn't be--I got it from one of my favorite blogs). They were even better than expected--a chocolate cookie holding a soft peanut butter filling. And for once, when they say it makes 26, it really does make 26!

Printable Recipe

Magic In the Middle Cookies

from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

 Chocolate Dough
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus extra for dredging)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

Peanut Butter Filling
3/4 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth, your choice
3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners' sugar


Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla and the eggs, beating to combine.

Then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well.

In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and confectioners sugar until smooth.

With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls. (I use the natural peanut butter, and it's not sticky at this point, so I don't usually flour my hands. I'm leaving it in though, in case regular peanut butter makes a stickier filling.)

Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough (a lump about the size of a walnut), make an indentation in the center with your finger and place one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation.

Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together cover the center; roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out.

Roll rounded cookie in granulated sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.

Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Use the bottom of a drinking glass to flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick.

Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they're set and you can smell chocolate.

Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Makes 26 cookies.

Classic Southern Triple-Decker Strawberry Cake

I made this cake for a dinner with friends, and all week long I've been wishing for more. So, so good! It was great the first time around, and even better after it was refrigerated--the strawberry taste really came out then. I actually combined a couple recipes to put the cake together. The original one called for a buttercream icing, but I thought cream cheese would be even better. I must not have been the only one, because the icing recipe I based mine on was attached to a VERY similar cake recipe. The name makes it sound complicated, but other than chopping the strawberries, you can throw this one together pretty quickly. (Don't forget to factor in the cooling time when planning.) Run to the store and get the ingredients because you don't want to miss this one!

Printable Recipe

Classic Southern Triple-Decker Strawberry Cake

from Southern Living

 Cake

1 (18.25-ounce) package white cake mix

1 (3-ounce) package strawberry gelatin
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting 
adapted from Food.com

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature 
8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature 
3 ½ - 4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat cake mix, strawberry gelatin, eggs, sugar, 1/2 cup strawberries, milk, vegetable oil and all-purpose flour at low speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute.

Scrape down sides, and beat at medium speed for 2 more minutes, stopping to scrape down sides, as needed.

Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 23 minutes, or until cakes spring back when pressed lightly with a finger.

Let cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely (about 1 hour.)


While the cake is cooling, prepare the icing.

Combine the cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer on low speed for about 30 seconds.

Stop the machine and add the sugar and strawberries. Blend the frosting on low until the sugar has been incorporated.

Then raise the speed to medium and mix the frosting another minute or until the frosting lightens and is well combined.

Store in the refrigerator until cake is ready.


To assemble, spread the icing on the top of the bottom cake layer.

Add another cake layer and repeat.

Add last layer and frost the top.

Continue frosting the sides.

Garnish with whole and halved strawberries.

Serve immediately, or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Makes 12 servings.

Cream Cheese Brownies

These were so, so yummy! Can you tell they were part of our Valentine's Day meal? The original recipe calls them Red Velvet Brownies, but technically most red velvet use vinegar and/or buttermilk to make the red coloring. I don't count adding red food dye as qualifying for red velvet. So I'm calling them Cream Cheese Brownies. Regardless, they are a tasty concoction, a moist brownie right in the middle between being fudgy and cakey. Next time I'll leave out the red dye--even with using the gel, it took quite a bit to get them red, and I could really taste it. But they sure were pretty!

Printable Recipe

 Cream Cheese Brownies

from Jamie Cooks It Up

Prep. Time: 20 mins.   Bake Time: 45-55 mins.

Brownie Layer:
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 eggs
2 t vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp red food coloring gel (optional)
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (I used chocolate chunks, and they were divine!)

Cream Cheese Layer:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla 


BROWNIE LAYER

Place 1 cup melted butter, 2 cups sugar and 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa into your stand mixer, or large mixing bowl. Mix it until well combined, about 2 minutes. 

Crack one egg and add it to the batter. Mix until the egg is incorporated. Repeat with the three remaining eggs, mixing them into the batter one at a time.  

Add two teaspoons vanilla to the batter and mix it in. 

Put 1-1/2 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a small bowl and whisk with a fork to combine the two. Add these dry ingredients to your batter and mix until they are well combined.

(If you want to make them red, add 1 teaspoon red food coloring gel to the batter and mix until the batter is a nice color.)

Toss in 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips and mix until combined. 

Line a 9x13 pan with wax paper, parchment paper or tin foil and spray it with cooking spray. This will help you lift the brownies out of the pan when they have cooled and are ready to cut. 

Spread the batter out evenly in the pan.


CREAM CHEESE LAYER

Place 1 package softened cream cheese into your stand mixer or medium sized mixing bowl. Beat it until nice and smooth.  

Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until all ingredients are well combined. 

Drop the cream cheese mixture onto the brownie layer in spoonfuls. 

Drag a knife through both layers to create a marbling effect.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. 

Let the brownies cool on a wire rack, then lift them out of the pan, cut and serve.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

After making another pumpkin recipe, I had an extra cup of pumpkin that I couldn't figure out how to use. A quick search brought up this recipe. Originally, she used regular chocolate chips, but we've been using chunks lately, and they seemed to give the muffins just the amount of chocolate they needed. She also used 1/3 cup of applesauce instead of oil, but I was all out, so that's your call. I sent a few muffins with Anthony to work, and the reactions from the guys ranged from swearing (in a good way, if that's possible) to an offer from one to divorce his wife and move in with us. I think this recipe is a keeper.

Printable Recipe

 Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

from The Petite Filet

 

1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1-1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chunks


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins.

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Stir into pumpkin mixture until well mixed.

Add chocolate chips, and stir to combine.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake 20-25 minutes.

Allow to cool in the pan for two minutes. Transfer to a baking rack to finish cooling.

Makes 1 1/2 dozen muffins.

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have never been one to hoard my recipes, but this one is hard for me to post. While I can easily follow someone else's recipe, I'm not very creative. These cookies are one of the few recipes that I came up with on my own, so I'm tempted to hold onto them. But in the end, they're just too good not to share.

For the cherries, we love Traverse Bay's Montmorency Dried Cherries that you can get on Amazon. They're wonderful for baking, adding to oatmeal, or just eating by the handful. And they're perfect for food storage! They fluctuate in price, but when they're around $20 for 4 lbs, it's a better price than I've found in any store. If you don't want to wait, or you don't feel like you need that many dried cherries, I'm sure you can find something comparable at any grocery store. My friend Missy used chopped up Maraschino cherries, and they tasted great, but the cookies were too sweet. I think using a tart cherry is probably the best way to go.

In Alaska, they are best the first day (nothing seems to last long in Alaska, except snow), so feel free to eat them all in one sitting. If you're outside of the state, I guess you can spread it out a little more.

Printable Recipe

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
1-1/4 cups dried cherries
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together butter, shortening, and sugars.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add vanilla.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to the batter while beating on low.

Add both chocolates, cherries and nuts, and mix by hand until combined.

Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet, and return the extra dough to the refrigerator between batches.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Do not over bake.

Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then remove cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 5 dozen.

Caramel-Pecan Brownies

I like to make desserts on Saturdays and Sundays, since everyone's at home. Usually it gets pretty hectic, and having something sweet always seems to help the mood. So welcome to Sweet Saturday!

This is the recipe you've all been waiting for. And you probably didn't even know it! These brownies have TWICE won first place at our church Chili Cook-Off and Brownie Bake-Off. They are truly one of the best brownies I've ever had, and surprisingly quick and easy to put together. I got the recipe from Kraft Foods, but I did have to make an important change at the end. They absolutely have to be refrigerated for several hours before you cut them. The caramel is much too sticky, and it just makes a mess when cutting at room temperature. I've made them multiple times, and I can't see anyway around it. Definitely use the foil like they say, and even better, use the non-stick foil; otherwise, the edges of the brownies will stick where the caramel oozes out, and you will be picking foil out of the caramel. And if you are lucky enough to own an Ulu knife, it is fabulous at cutting through these. The only problem is, every time I use it, I have to wonder if the Native Alaskans that created it are rolling in their graves. Hey, they said it was versatile.

Printable Recipe

Caramel-Pecan Brownies

from Kraft Foods

4 squares unsweetened chocolate

3/4 cup  butter or margarine

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup flour

1 pkg. (14 oz.) caramels

1/3 cup whipping cream

2 cups pecan halves, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a 9x13-inch pan, place non-stick foil along the bottom; extend foil over the sides to serve as handles. If you are not using non-stick foil (although I really, really recommend you do), grease the foil.

Place chocolate and butter in a double boiler.*

On medium-low heat, melt chocolate and butter, stirring often, until chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat.

Add sugar and eggs, and mix well.

Add flour and stir until well blended.

Spread half the batter into prepared pan.

Bake 25 min. or until the top is firm to the touch.

Meanwhile, place caramels and cream in the double boiler on medium-low heat and stir often. (You can also do this in the microwave--do 30-second intervals, then stir.)

When caramels begin to melt, stir continuously until they are completely melted.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of pecans.

Spread caramel mixture over brownie layer in pan; cover with remaining brownie batter. Don't worry if some of the caramel is visible.

Sprinkle the remaining nuts on top.

Bake 30 min. or until top is firm to the touch.

Cool in pan on wire rack.

When brownies are at room temperature, refrigerate for 2 hours.

Lift brownies from pan with foil handles before cutting into squares.

Makes 24 servings.

*You can easily make your own double boiler. This is the way I do it--Double Boiler