Peanut Butter Cookies

Betty Crocker red cookbook recipe:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (Natural)
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 c butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour (I have found this to be not enough so after I add all the rest of the ingredients I usually add 1/4-1/2ish cup more until the dough isn't sticky anymore)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Bake at 375
Beat 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, butter and egg in large bowl on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Sitr in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Shape into balls and flatten...you know the drill...

Here is the most important part: cook for 8-9 minutes but not all the way done. Then take cookie sheet out and let cookies stay on there to keep cooking a little for about 2-4 minutes. Then remove them to cool. This make them SO soft and chewy! The other thing is you have to use natural peanut butter (the kind with no sugar)



Photo by Jamie

Apricot Chicken

Cook Time: 1 Hour
Ready In: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Yields: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (1 3/8 ounce) packages dry onion soup mix
1 (8 fluid ounce) bottle Russian-style salad dressing
2 cups apricot preserves
2 teaspoons Madras or Mild Curry powder

Oven DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place the chicken pieces in a 4 quart casserole dish. Mix the soup mix, dressing, curry powder and jam together, and pour over the chicken.
3. Cover dish and bake for 1 hour in preheated oven.

This can be done on the stove. Just brown the chicken and then add the sauce mixture, cooking on a medium low heat until done.

I've also let it cook all day in the crock pot, and the chicken is so tender and perfect! Crowds LOVE it for a big pot-luck! Definitely adding it to my arsenal. Thanks Amy!

Apple Crumb Pie

This delicious apple pie has a soft and sweet crumb topping.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 8 tart apples, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced (6 cups/2lbs)
• 1 9-inch unbaked pie crust (can use a frozen pie crust)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine

Preparation:

Put sliced apples into a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix first four ingredients. Stir this mixture into the apple slices. Put this apple mixture into the pie shell.

Combine the remaining flour and sugar in a small bowl. Using a fork or pastry cutter, add the butter or margarine until the mixture is very crumbly. Sprinkle this over the apples.

Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. If the pie crust is browning too quickly, cover the edge with foil. Let cool, or this pie can be served warm, if desired.

C&H Sugar 1001 Cookie Starter

5 cups - all-purpose flour 
3 3/4 cups - C&H® Pure Cane Granulated Sugar 
2 tablespoons - baking powder 
2 teaspoons - salt 
1 1/2 cups - plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened 


In a 4-quart bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir until thoroughly blended. Add butter and use pastry blender or clean hands to work into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal. Makes 10 cups. For best results: Be sure that your baking powder is less than a month old when putting together the mix. If using margarine, do not choose diet, whipped or soft. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Do not press the mix. Let Cookie Starter Mix come to room temperature before use.

1. Assemble the 1001 Cookie Starter – this homemade baking mix becomes the base to easily create a variety of cookie recipes. The 1001 Cookie Starter makes 10 cups, and you know exactly what goes into each one, including the sweetness of pure cane sugar. You can use the Cookie Starter right away or save it, either frozen or refrigerated, for when you are ready to bake.
   
   Storage Tip: Divide 1001 Cookie Starter mix into 1 cup portions before freezing. Use plastic resealable bags or air-tight containers.
2. Add specialty ingredients along with cups of the 1001 Cookie Starter to make various cookies: gingerbread, sugar cookies, fudge balls, brownies, pinwheel cookies and more. Try a few of our recipes below or experiment and create your own recipe with these helpful tips:
   • For sweeter, crispier cookies, add 2-4 tablespoons of C&H^® Light Brown Sugar and/or you can use 2-4 tablespoons of butter or margarine.
   • When making cookies, if your mix is slightly dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk at a time, until dough-like consistency is reached.
   • Experiment with spices, such as ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves or allspice.
   • Enhance the flavor of chocolate cookies by substituting 1-2 tablespoons of brewed coffee at room temperature for another liquid in the recipe. Or, if no liquid is called for in the recipe, in addition to the coffee, add equal parts of cocoa powder.
   • Add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of flour to a recipe to give it a consistency that can be rolled and cut. Remember to allow dough to chill before cutting.
3. Wrap up all your different cookies to give as holiday gifts, then wait for the smiles! See all of C&H^® Sugar's unique Holiday Gift Ideas for more delicious holiday recipes, tips on adding an extra touch to your baked gifts and also some free gift tags you can print at home.

For more recipes, see C&H 1001 Cookie Starter homepage.

Carrot, Beet,Ginger, Lemon, Grapefruit Juice

This juice combo was fantastic! ! It included 1 golden beet, 3 medium carrots, 1” knob ginger, 1 lemon, and 1 grapefruit. So good.

There's a good chance I'll become a crazy juicer lady... You've been warned!

Best-Ever Pie Crust

Best-Ever Pie Crust

yield: Makes 2 pie crusts (enough dough for 1 double-crust pie, 1 lattice-topped pie, or 2 single-crust pies)

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup chilled lard or frozen nonhydrogenated solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Preparation:
Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and lard; using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add 5 tablespoons ice water and mix with fork until dough begins to clump together, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough together. Divide dough in half; flatten each half into disk. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. If necessary, soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.



Via: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Best-Ever-Pie-Crust-238816#ixzz1gXIhWk8e

Summer Peach Pie with Vanilla and Cardamom

Tip: No need to peel the peaches — the peel provides great color, texture, and flavor. Just gently rub off the peach fuzz with a kitchen towel.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon (scant) ground cardamom
• 3 3/4 pounds firm but ripe unpeeled peaches, halved, pitted, each half cut into 4 slices (about 10 cups)
• 2 Best-Ever Pie Crust dough disks 
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Whipping cream (for glaze)
• Vanilla ice cream

Preparation: 

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Combine 2/3 cup sugar and vanilla bean in processor; blend until vanilla bean is very finely minced. Sift vanilla sugar through strainer into large bowl; discard any large bits in strainer. Mix flour and cardamom into vanilla sugar. Add peaches to flour-sugar mixture and toss gently to coat.

Roll out 1 pie crust disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch. Spoon peach mixture into crust; dot with butter. Roll out second pie crust disk on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Drape dough over peach filling; trim overhang to 1 1/2 inches. Fold top and bottom edges under, pressing together to seal. Crimp edges decoratively. Using small sharp knife, cut 2-inch-long X in center of top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush crust lightly with whipping cream; sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar.

Place pie on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden, peaches are tender, and juices bubble thickly through cut in top crust, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool until lukewarm, about 2 hours.

Serve pie lukewarm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

Via: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Summer-Peach-Pie-with-Vanilla-and-Cardamom-238821#ixzz1gXHpqi4M

Layered Pumpkin Butter Dip

Layered Pumpkin Butter Dip

• 8 oz Cream Cheese at Room Temp
• 1/2 Jar Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter (sold at William Sonoma)
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
• 3 Slices Bacon Crisp and Crumbled
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Green Onion

• Spread cream cheese in a small baking dish or gratin. Top with pumpkin butter then bacon, pecans and green onion Serve with crackers.

Microwave Caramels

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light Karo syrup
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Cook 6 minutes, stirring every two minutes.
3. Stir and pour into lightly greased dish.
4. Let cool.
5. Cut, wrap in wax paper & store in air tight container.
   

Baked Fontina

Baked Fontinasource: adapted from How Easy is That? by Ina Garten
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs Italian fontina, rind removed and cubed into 1-inch pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Adjust top rack of the oven so that it sits about 5 inches under the broiler unit. Preheat broiler.
2. Spread cheese out in the bottom of a 12-inch cast iron pan.  Drizzle olive oil over the cheese.  Mix together the garlic and herbs in a small bowl and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the cheese.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top of the cheese.
3. Bake for 6 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and melted through.  Carefully remove the pan from the oven and set it on a heatproof surface – the pan will be hot!  Serve immediately.
   
   
   

Whole Wheat Bread

(Breadmaker)
IN A MICROWAVABLE BOWL COMBINE:
1 & 1/4 CUPS WATER
2 TBLS. OIL
1/3 CUP CLOVER HONEY
1 TBLS. LIQUID LECIT-HIN (Lecithin makes whole wheat bread lighter)
1 TSP. SALT (**DONT LET SALT AND YEAST TOUCH)
MICROWAVE FOR ABOUT 1 MINUTE. POUR MIXTURE INTO BREAD PAN MIXER.
ADD:
3 CUPS FRESHLY GRQUND WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR (OR 2 WHOLE WHEAT & 1
WHITE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR)
3 TSPS. YEAST
1 TBLS. VITAL WHEAT GLUTIN (KEEPS WHOLE WHEAT BREAD FROM
CRUMBLING).
Program for full Whole Wheat mix. Not rapid mix for this recipe. My bread maker takes
about three hours and twenty minutes.

Sherrie's White Bread

(Breadmaker)
1& 1/3 C WATER (Luke warm)
2& 1/2 TBLS. BUTTER (Real Butter either salted or non. I use salted)
1/3 C HONEY (Clover)
1&1/2 TSPS. SALT
3 CUPS FLOUR + 1 CUP (SCOOPED & LEVELED)
1/4 C DRY MILK (NOT INSTANT)
1&1/2 TSPS. YEAST (I use Fleischmen's Bread Machine yeast).

Baking Bread Tips & Tricks

Notes on Yeast

·         Bread Machine yeast has a finer texture.

·         Regular Dry yeast has a coarser texture. It is best started in warm water with a pinch of sugar, especially if it is older. Water should be warm to the touch but not burn your finger.

·         Rapid Rise yeast

·         Stores well in freezer

·         “1 package” = 2 ¼ teaspoons (some sources say 2 ½)

Types of Flour

·         All-Purpose:  Use for everyday baking of cookies, cakes, and some breads.

·         Bread Flour:  Has a higher protein content and gives a better rise for yeast breads.

·         Whole Wheat Flour:  Most recipes are best with a combination of whole wheat and white flour but all whole wheat can be used. Grinding your own wheat provides the freshest and most nutritious flour. Whole wheat bread can be dense and need a little help to rise well and have a better texture. Adding lecithin, vital wheat gluten, and/or other dough boosters/enhancers helps.

·         There are many varieties of flour to try such as rye and specialty “artisan” flours.

Kneading Bread Dough

Bread dough must be kneaded to develop the gluten, which allows it to rise. With heavy-duty mixers (e.g., Kitchen Aid, Bosch) and bread machines, not very many of us knead by hand anymore. For those of us who like to handle the dough and form our own loaves, here are a few things to keep in mind:

·         You can use a bread machine set on “dough cycle” to make just about any kind of bread dough.

·         After removing the dough from the bread machine, you will need to knead it to remove the air bubbles and get it ready to form into loaves.

·         Work on a lightly floured surface (wooden board, counter top, canvas cloth or other specialty mat/cloth)

Forming and Baking

A few tips for forming your own loaves and baking in the oven instead of the bread machine:

·         To form a loaf roll the dough out into a rectangle and then roll it up (as if you were making cinnamon rolls but there’s nothing in the middle). Pinch the dough to close the seam and pull some of the dough down and under at each end to make it nice and smooth.

·         Let the formed loaves rise in a warm place until they have about doubled in size.

·         Cover loaves with a clean, damp cloth while they rise to keep them from drying out. 

·         Always preheat the oven. If you are baking the bread on a stone, leave the stone in the oven while it pre-heats.

·         French and other artisan-type loaves can be baked on a stone or in special pans with perforations.

·         Steam is the key to chewy, crunchy crusts. Spritz the oven with water when you put the loaves in, place a pan with a little water in it on the bottom rack for the first several minutes of baking, or bake in a covered cast-iron or ceramic crock.

·         Bread is done if it makes a “hollow” sound when you tap on it. If in doubt, go for a few more minutes. It takes quite a while to really over-bake or burn bread.

Bread samples tonight include Sister Rydalch’s whole wheat, harvest, and rye, as well as her famous white, and Andrea’s French from a starter and oatmeal English muffin. If you would like recipes or information on starters, let us know.  

Oatmeal English Muffin Bread

5 ¼ C flour

1 C oats

2 pkgs yeast (about 4 ½ t)

1 T brown sugar

2 t salt

¼ t baking soda

2 C milk

½ C water

  

In a large bowl, combine 2 ¼ cups flour, oats, yeast, brown sugar, salt and baking soda. Combine the milk and water and heat the mixture until it is very warm but not hot to the touch. Gradually add it to the dry ingredients and beat well. Stir in remaining 3 cups of flour to make a stiff batter. Spoon into two greased loaf pans. You can coat the greased pans with cornmeal if you wish. Cover with a clean, damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place for 45 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from pans immediately. To serve, slice and toast.

Pain au Levain – French Bread From a Starter

Starter:

½ C bread flour

1/8 t yeast

¼ C warm water

Combine ingredients in a large glass container. Let sit at room temperature for 2-5 days, stirring daily. You can increase the amounts to make more starter, but keep the flour to water ratio the same (2 parts flour to 1 part water).

Sponge:

1 ¼ C bread flour

½ C warm water

¾ C any sourdough starter

Mix ingredients in bread machine on “dough cycle,” which is mixing/kneading and the first rise.

Dough:

1 t bread machine yeast

1 C warm water

3 C bread flour

1 – 1 ½ t salt  (I use a rounded teaspoon)

Add ingredients to bread machine, stir to make sure flour is mixed in a bit, and run on dough cycle again (mixing/kneading and one rise). When dough cycle is complete, remove the dough from the pan onto a lightly floured surface. Knead to remove air bubbles. Save ¾ - 1 C to be your starter for next time. Add any extras you’d like (rosemary, roasted onions, olives, pepper….) and form the loaves. Cover with a clean damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until about doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Just before baking, slash the tops of the loaves with a sharp knife and brush with a mixture of 1 egg white and 2 T water. Spray the oven with water and then spray it again 4-5 times during the first 10 minutes of baking or put a pan with a little water in the oven on the rack under the bread so you don’t have to keep opening the oven (which lets the heat out and could make the bread fall). Bake until the bread is a deep caramel color and makes a hollow sound when you tap on it. The actual time will vary depending on the size of your loaves (long thin baguettes, a large round, etc.).

Freezer Jam

1 quart of raspberries or blueberries

4 C sugar

2 T lemon juice

1 package CERTO liquid pectin

You can make many varieties of freezer jam (see recipes in the CERTO package for amounts of fruit, sugar, lemon juice and sometimes water needed). All the instructions are included on the insert that comes with every package of CERTO (available at Target, grocery stores, etc. – about $3.50 for a box of two packages), so I am not going to retype them here. Just remember when making freezer jam:

·         You will get a fresher fruit flavor because the fruit is not cooked

·         If you use a food processor, lightly chop the fruit. DO NOT puree it. You want chunks of fruit.

·         Use the exact amounts of crushed fruit and sugar called for or it might not set

·         Do not reduce the sugar or use sugar substitutes; it will not set. Look for Sure-Jell reduced sugar pectin if you want to make reduced sugar jam. It comes in a pink box. I don’t know if it is freezer or cooked…

·         Leave about ½” at the top of your containers when you fill them because the jam will expand in the freezer

·         After filling containers, let the jam sit at room temperature for 24 hours to set. Then keep it in the fridge for several weeks or the freezer for up to a year. 

Sweet Potatoes with Apple Butter

4 pounds sweet potatoes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup apple butter
Salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Pierce the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until very tender.

2. Peel the sweet potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher until creamy, then mash in the butter and apple butter. Season with salt and serve.

Contributed by: Marcia Kiesel viaFood & Wine

Apple Crumb Pie

Cook Time: 50 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes Ingredients: 9-inch pastry shell, unbaked, chilled 1 cup sifted flour 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup soft butter 6 cups peeled, sliced cooking apples 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Preparation: Combine flour, brown sugar, salt, and butter; blend until crumbly then set aside. Combine apples, granulated sugar, and cinnamon; mix gently to coat apple slices. Pack apple mixture into chilled crust. Sprinkle crumb topping over apples. Bake in 375° oven until apples are tender, about 50 minutes. Serve this apple pie with vanilla ice cream.

Shepherd's Pie

Modeled after the Cheesecake Factory version—clear sauce, ground beef, diced zucchini, etc. I’ve created a couple of light shepherd’s pie recipes over the years, but this is now my favorite.

There was no need for added fat when preparing the beef and vegetables filling: everything sautéed nicely as a mixture. I used condensed beef consommé as the base for the sauce/gravy, which couldn’t have been easier. I purposely used less meat and more vegetables per serving compared to the restaurant, but you probably won’t even notice.

Then I whipped up a batch of mashed potatoes by beating some microwaved baked potatoes with some fat-free half-and-half. In the restaurant, the mashed potato–topped shepherd’s pie has a golden crust made with Parmesan and (I’m guessing) some melted butter. In this version, you can top your mashed potatoes with a healthy spray of canola or olive oil cooking spray, or you can brush lightly with olive oil before sprinkling with shredded Parmesan cheese.

The Cheesecake Factory serving (which is definitely 2 portions) contains 1,875 calories, 61 grams of saturated fat, and 4,108 mg sodium. The restaurant doesn’t provide the total fat grams.

Ingredients
(makes 4 servings)

1 onion, chopped
3/4 pound ground sirloin (8-10% fat)
2 cups sliced mushroom (cut thick slices in half)
2 cups diced zucchini
1 tablespoon chopped or minced garlic
1 teaspoon oregano leaves (dried)
1/2 cup white pepper
1 cup grated or shredded carrot
1/2 cup frozen peas
10½-ounce can beef consommé (condensed)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water or beef broth
Mashed potato topping
4 medium baked potatoes
2/3 cup fat-free half-and-half
Canola or olive oil cooking spray (1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine can be substituted)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 2-quart baking dish (a 9 x 13-inch baking dish can be used) or 4 individual deep serving dishes with canola or olive oil cooking spray.
2. Pierce potatoes with a fork and microwave on HIGH until completely tender inside. Set aside until easier to handle.
3. Meanwhile, begin heating a large nonstick saucepan over high heat. Add onion and ground beef, breaking the beef into smaller pieces with a spatula. Cook for a couple of minutes. Stir in the mushroom pieces, diced zucchini, garlic, oregano, and white pepper. Continue to cook on high, stirring often until beef is cooked throughout and the vegetables are lightly browning in spots (about 5 minutes).
4. Reduce heat to low/simmer and stir in the shredded carrot, peas, and condensed consommé. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and wine or beer until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture into the beef mixture and continue to simmer until thickened gravy forms (about 1 to 2 minutes). Spread meat and vegetable mixture into prepared baking dish(s).
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the potato (without the peel) with fat-free half-and-half until a slightly thin mashed potato mixture is formed. Spread mashed potatoes evenly over the meat mixture in dish. Generously coat the top with cooking spray (or brush the top with 1 tablespoon of olive oil or melted whipped butter or margarine). Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, uncovered, or until top of mashed potatoes is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Per serving: 415 calories, 30 g protein, 56 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 4
g saturated fat, 2.5 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 58
mg cholesterol, 8 g fiber, 770 mg sodium. Calories from fat = 17%.
Omega-3 fatty acids = 0.1 g, omega-6 fatty acids = 0.5 gram. Weight
Watchers POINTS = 8.

 Via: http://www.silverplanet.com/lifestyles/silver-gourmet/recipe-week/savory-shepherds-pie/55789

Caramel Crunch Apple Dip

Caramel Crunch Apple Dip
Perfect appetizer for any occasion. It is one of our all time favorites.


8oz Cream Cheese
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3+ Cup Chocolate Chips (or to taste)
1 Cup Toffee Chips (or to taste)

On the stove top melt cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips and toffee chips to taste. Serve with sliced apples.