A different after-dinner mint!

Saw and stole this one from marthastewart.com


For a refreshing postmeal bite, try frozen chocolate-dipped mint leaves -- on their own or as a garnish for ice cream or chocolate cake. Melt 1/2 cup dark chocolate (bars work fine), and dip in fresh mint leaves, holding on to the stem side with your fingers or kitchen tweezers. Place on a parchment-covered baking sheet, and freeze, uncovered, until hardened, about 20 minutes (or up to 5 hours). Gently remove from parchment, and serve immediately.

Dare I say it? Yes... It's a good thing. ;)

Reese's Puffs Snack

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 (6 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
5 cups Reese's Puffs cereal (slightly crushed if desired)
1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts (optional)
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows


Directions
1Butter a 9x9 or a 8x8-inch square pan.
2In a 3-quart saucepan melt butter or margarine.
3Add in corn syrup and chocolate chips, stirring occasionally; remove from heat and stir in peanut butter.
4Gradually stir in the cereal and chopped peanuts (if using) until completely coated.
5Gently stir in the marshmallows.
6Transfer the mixture to the buttered baking dish, then press down with back of the spoon.
7Let stand about 1 hour until firm.

Stole these form Jori

SPAM SKILLET CASSEROLE

Once again, thanks to gmail's spam folder. :)

SPAM SKILLET CASSEROLE

Recipe By     :
Serving Size  : 6    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Casseroles                       Main dish

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   2                    Baking potatoes, cut into
                        -1/8″ slices
   1       cn           SPAM Luncheon Meat, cubed
                        -(12 oz)
   1       c            Thinly sliced carrots
   1       c            Thinly sliced onions
     1/2   c            Thinly sliced celery
   2                    Garlic cloves, minced
   2       tb           Flour
   1       t            Coarsely ground pepper
     3/4   t            Dried whole thyme
   1       cn           No-salt-added green beans,
                        -drained (16 oz)
   1       cn           No-salt-added whole
                        -tomatoes, drained and
                        -chopped (16 oz)
   1       cn           No-salt-added vegetable
                        -juice cocktail (5 1/2 oz)
                        Butter-flavor vegetable
                        -cooking spray

  Cook potatoes in boiling water 3 minutes or until crisp-tender.
  Drain. In skillet, cook SPAM until browned; remove from skillet. Add
  carrots to skillet and saute 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add
  onion, celery, and garlic; saute until vegetables are tender. Combine
  flour, pepper, and thyme. Stir flour mixture into vegetable mixture;
  cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add SPAM, green beans, tomato,
  and vegetable juice cocktail. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer
  5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat; arrange
  potato slices over SPAM mixture to cover completely. Spray potato
  slices with vegetable cooking spray. Broil 6″ from heat source 10
  minutes or until golden.

Lighter Snickerdoodles

I had this recipe printed out on a paper, and so I figure if I can post it here, its one less paper I have to move to Nashville.

"A less fattening version of an old favorite. Now you can eat even more!"

PREP TIME 20 Min
COOK TIME 10 Min
READY IN 1 Hr 50 Min

Original recipe yield: 4 dozen

INGREDIENTS

* 1/4 cup butter
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 4 ounces lowfat cream cheese
* 1 egg
* 2 egg whites
* 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, 1 1/2 cups of white sugar, and cream cheese. Beat in the egg and egg whites until smooth. Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Cover, and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small dish, mix together the remaining white sugar and the cinnamon. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and roll the balls in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place the balls at least 2 inches apart on cookie sheets, and flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Homemade Granola

Homemade Granola

4 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds (I buy them in bulk and keep them in the freezer)
1 cup coconut
1 cup maple syrup
2/3 cup oil



Mix all ingredients and spread on a large greased baking sheet - the thinner the layer, the better. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes; turn/stir the granola and spread back out; bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until brown.

Let the granola cool for just a few minutes - it begins to harden very quickly and sticks to the pan very easily. Move it around into piles and allow to harden a bit more - then break up into desired size bites. Cover and store - lasts at least a couple of weeks.

Recipe from Natalie

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

I'm so making these someday. Look at them! Wow.


Craving chocolate and sweet peanut butter all wrapped up into one indulgent bar? Start with a no-fail brownie mix, then add layers of peanut butter and melted chocolate chips. Yum.

Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:2 hr 30 min
Makes:36 brownies

Brownie Base
1 box (1 lb 6.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box
Filling
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk
Topping
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray or shortening. (For easier cutting, line pan with foil, then grease foil on bottom only of pan.)
2. In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, pouch of chocolate syrup, water, oil and eggs until well blended. Spread in pan. Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. In medium bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over brownie base.
4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave topping ingredients uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds; stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes; spread over filling. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set. For brownies, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Follow High Altitude directions for 13x9-inch pan on brownie mix box.


Nutrition Information (yikes!)

1 Serving: Calories 200 (Calories from Fat 90); Total Fat 10g (Saturated Fat 4 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 105mg; Total Carbohydrate 25g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 19g); Protein 2g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

From BettyCrocker.com Love this website!

Banana Cake

I was cleaning out my church bag, and I found a newsletter from the Buffalo Ward, from October '07, and there's a recipe that I wanted to put here.

Briste's Banana Cake

1 Yellow Cke Mix
1/3 c. Oil
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. buttermilk (instead of water)
3 ripe bananas (mashed)
3 eggs

Bake @ 325F for 30 minutes or a little longer. Test cake

Frosting:
1 stick of butter
1 lb. Powdered Sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Continue adding cool whip to this mixture until fluffy (min. one tub)

Shortcut Carrot Cake

I love a good shortcut, and this is no exception! Check it out!

Shortcut Carrot Cake


Prep: 30 min
Ready In: 1 hr 30 min
Serves: 18

1 pkg. (2-layer size) spice cake mix
2 cups shredded carrots (about 1/2 lb./225 g)
1 can (14 fl oz/398mL) crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped toasted pecans, divided
2 pkg. (250 g each) PHILADELPHIA Brick Cream Cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Prepare cake batter as directed on package; stir in carrots, pineapple and 3/4 cup of the pecans. Pour into two 8-inch square baking pans. Bake 25 to 30 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in centres comes out clean. Cool 10 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

MEANWHILE, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer or wire whisk until well blended. Stir in whipped topping.

PLACE one cake layer on serving plate. Spread with 1-1/2 cups of the cream cheese mixture. Carefully place second cake layer on top of first layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pecans. Store in refrigerator.

Substitute
Substitute yellow cake mix plus 2 tsp. ground cinnamon for the spice cake mix.

Jazz It Up
For a special decorative design, use a wooden toothpick to draw four diagonal lines across top of cake; sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup pecans over lines.

Variation
Try using raisins instead of the pecans.

Courtesy of Kraft

Spam Crescents

I'm going to preface this recipe by saying that yes, I do love spam. And also by saying that I grew up in Hawaii. Spam, eggs and rice was breakfast. Spam was a huge part of life in Hawaii. (Well I'm sure it still is, but *my* life isn't *in* hawaii anymore, so that's why I used it in the past tense.

I'll also say that I love gmail. Every time I go to empty out my spam folder, I get a new spam-related recipe! It's so great! (Well, it is for me anyway!) Enjoy!

SAVORY SPAM CRESCENTS

Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Sandwiches

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
10 sl Bacon, cut in small pieces
1/4 c Finely chopped onion
1 cn SPAM Luncheon Meat, cubed
- 12 oz
1 Egg, beaten
3 tb Grated Parmesan cheese
2 tb Chopped fresh parsley
2 tb Dijon-style mustard
1/8 t Pepper
2 pk Refrigerated crescent roll
-dough (8 oz)

Heat oven to 375'F. In skillet, cook bacon and onion until bacon is
crisp; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients except crescent roll
dough. Separate each package of crescent dough into 8 triangles.
Spread top half of each triangle with SPAM mixture; roll up. Place on
baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Pineapple Buttermilk Meringue Pie

Pineapple Buttermilk Meringue Pie


1 9-in pie crust (homemade), prebaked
20-oz can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup pineapple juice (reserved from canned pineapple)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Meringue
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup water
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375F.
Drain can of crushed pineapple and reserve 1/2 cup of pineapple juice (listed in ingredients above as a reminder not to discard the juice!).
In a large saucepan, whisk together sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Stir in pineapple, reserved pineapple juice, buttermilk, egg yolks and lemon juice. Stir well, then turn on the stove to medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. It will have a lemon curd type of consistency with slow bubbles when it is done.
Cover pan and cool to room temperature.

While filling cools, prepare the meringue.
In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and becomes clear. Cool to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Gradually beat in sugar, followed by the cooled cornstarch mixture (add in dollops with mixer on medium speed). Beat in vanilla extract.

Pour cooled pie filling into baked pie shell. Top with meringue, spreading it to the edges of the pie crust to cover the filling completely. Smooth top with a spatula.
Bake pie at 375F for 10-12 minutes, until meringue is lightly browned. Pie may also be put under the broiler to brown.
Cool, then refrigerate before serving.

Makes 1 pie; serves 8-10.

From bakingbites.com

Single Pie Crust

Single Pie Crust

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
4 tbsp butter, chilled in about 4 pieces
2 tbsp shortening, chilled in about 4 pieces
3-4 tbsp ice water

Whisk together flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Rub in butter and shortening with your fingertips until mixture is very coarse, but no pieces larger than a large pea remain. Using a fork, stir in ice water until dough almost comes together into a ball. Press dough into a ball with your hands and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 30-60 minutes before using.

To prebake, preheat oven to 375F. Roll dough out to fit a 9-inch pie pan and trim the crust. Prick the bottom with a fork a few times. Line the inside of the crust with aluminum foil, not covering the edges, and fill with pie weights or about 2 cups of dried beans. Bake for 25 minutes, until very lightly browned. Remove foil and weights and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until medium brown at the edges.
Set aside to cool.

From bakingbites.com

Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies!

Double-delight peanut butter cookies
Carolyn Gurtz, Pillsbury Bake-Off grand prize winner

24 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup Fisher® Dry Roasted Peanuts, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Domino® or C&H® Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup JIF® Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/2 cup Domino® or C&H® Confectioners Powdered Sugar
• 1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® Create ‘n Bake® refrigerated peanut butter cookies, well chilled

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 375° F.

In small bowl, mix chopped peanuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside. In another small bowl, stir peanut butter and powdered sugar until completely blended. Shape mixture into 24 (1-inch) balls.

Cut roll of cookie dough into 12 slices. Cut each slice in half crosswise to make 24 pieces; flatten slightly. Shape 1 cookie dough piece around 1 peanut butter ball, covering completely. Repeat with remaining dough and balls. Roll each covered ball in peanut mixture; gently pat mixture completely onto balls.

On ungreased large cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Spray bottom of drinking glass with CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray; press into remaining peanut mixture.

Flatten each ball to 1/4-inch thickness with bottom of glass. Sprinkle any remaining peanut mixture evenly on tops of cookies; gently press into dough.

Bake 7 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Store tightly covered.
TIPS

1 Serving: Calories 150 (Calories from Fat 70); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 1 1/2g, Trans Fat 1/2g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 125mg; Total Carbohydrate 17g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 11g); Protein 3g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 2% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1

Easy Banana Bread

I believe I stole this recipe from my roommate Marcia in college, but I've been using it for so long now, everyone thinks it's *my* recipe. BUT It is awesome, and here it is:

Easy Banana Bread

1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas

In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs; mix well.
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; Add to creamed mixture alternately with bananas, beating well after each addition. Pour into a greased 8in x 4in x 2in loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Makes 1 loaf.

"Yellow Flag" Dessert Skewers

Ingredients:

1 pineapple, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 frozen pound cake, slightly thawed, cut into 1-inch cubes
Honey, for drizzling


Directions:

1. Soak 8 wood skewers in water. Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high. Alternately thread 4 cubes each of pineapple and pound cake on each skewer.
2. Grill, turning once, until lightly charred, about 1 minute per side. Drizzle with honey.

Loving this idea! Thanks to Natalie for posting it!

Cafe Rio Pork

Stolen from Jori. (Thanks!)

Cafe Rio Pork

In crockpot add

1 pork roast
fill pot 1/2 way with water
cook on low 8 hours

Drain water,remove fat shred roast

Combine 1 can of coke,2 cups brown sugar,2 cups salsa pour over shredded pork cook for a couple of more hours.

Cafe Rio Pork

Stolen from Jori. (Thanks!)

Cafe Rio Pork

In crockpot add

1 pork roast
fill pot 1/2 way with water
cook on low 8 hours

Drain water,remove fat shred roast

Combine 1 can of coke,2 cups brown sugar,2 cups salsa pour over shredded pork cook for a couple of more hours.

Baked French Toast

Baked French Toast [Amy Elmore]

1 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1 loaf French bread cut into 1 inch thick slices

5 eggs
1 ½ cups milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Place first 3 ingredients in medium size saucepan and heat over medium heat. Spray 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick vegetable oil. Pour hot mixture into baking dish. Place sliced bread over mixture, pushing bread together closely to get more slices into dish.

Mix eggs, milk and vanilla and beat slightly. Pour over bread. Make sure each piece is covered.
Cover baking dish with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight.

In morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees and place uncovered dish in oven for 30 minutes. May be served directly from dish or turned over and served onto plates. Serves 8 - 10.

Easter Nests

Ingredients:
* 6 oz good-quality dark chocolate roughly chopped
* 4oz Rice Krispies
* 72 mini chocolate eggs
* Cupcake papers or ring molds

Directions:
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Bring just to a boil, turn off of the heat and allow the chocolate to melt in the bowl. Stir in the Rice Krispies.

Spoon the mixture into cupcakes cases. Flatten a little and make a well in the centre. Fill each one with three speckled mini chocolate eggs. Allow to set and hide from the growu-ups!

Recipe courtesy of Hostess with the Mostess

Kummelweck Rolls

Kummelweck Rolls

1/4 cup caraway seeds
1/4 cup coarse salt
2 envelopes active dry yeast
5 cups (approximately) flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup oil
2/3 cup milk
3/4 cup warm water
2 eggs
1) Combine the caraway seeds and the coarse salt in a small bowl and set aside.
2) In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast, 2 cups of flour, the salt, oil, milk, and water. Mix well at medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add the eggs and beat the mixture another minute, adding as much flour as the mixer will take. By hand, stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
3) Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead, adding flour if necessary, until it is smooth and elastic. Place it in a large greased bowl, turning it to grease the top. Cover and let the dough rise until it has doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Punch the dough down and knead it for two minutes on a floured board.
4) To shape the rolls, cut the dough into 24 pieces. Tuck the edges of each piece under and shape it into a flat, round roll. With a sharp kitchen knife, cut four evenly spaced, shallow arcs into the top of each roll from the center to the edges, pressing at the center with your thumb to make an indentation. The pinwheel pattern should resemble that on a Kaiser roll. Sprinkle the tops of the rolls with the caraway-salt mixture, then transfer them to baking sheets and cover them. Let them rise until they have doubled in bulk.
5) To bake, place a heat-proof pan of water on the floor of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When the oven is hot, put in the rolls and bake them for about 30 minutes, until they are brown.

Serve as "Beef on Weck", a classic Buffalo, NY meal.

Checkerboard Cookies!

Checkerboard Cookies
From: Holiday Cookies 2001

Though they look complicated, these tender cookies are easy to make if you use a ruler. To ensure an even design, measure the strips of dough carefully. The dough can be made a day or two in advance and refrigerated, or frozen for several weeks.
Ingredients

Makes about 4 dozen

* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
* 3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
* 1 large egg

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract, lemon extract, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, scraping down sides of bowl.
2. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface; it will be loose and crumbly. Knead dough by pushing small amounts away from you with the heel of your hand for 1 to 2 minutes. Divide dough in half. Sprinkle cocoa powder over one of the halves. Knead until cocoa has been fully incorporated.
3. Place each half of the kneaded dough between two sheets of plastic. Using a rolling pin, shape dough into two 7-inch squares, about 3/8 inch thick. Using a sharp knife and a ruler, slice each square into nine 3/4-inch-wide strips.
4. Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water. Cover work surface with plastic wrap. Place three strips of dough on plastic, alternating white and chocolate strips. Brush tops and in between the strips with egg wash. Gently press strips together. Repeat, forming second and third layers, alternating colors to create a checkerboard effect. Wrap assembled log in plastic. Repeat process for second log, reversing color pattern. Refrigerate 30 minutes, or freeze 15 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. line a baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Slice each log into 1/4-inch-thick slices; place on baking sheet. Bake until done, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven, and let cookies cool 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container up to 2 days.