Peanut Clusters

1/2 lb Almond Bark
1 Cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
2 Cups Peanuts

Dawn's Peanut Clusters

My favorite peanut clusters are the ones made with Dry Roasted peanuts!

6 cups Dry Roasted Peanuts

Almond Bark and One bag of Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Melt in microwave

Heat Almond Bark - 90 seconds  (will use more bark next time I make these)

Add bag of chocolate chips - 45 seconds

Stir - 15 seconds

Stir together! YUM!!

Gradually add peanuts

Stir - use rubber spatula scrap - to get all of the chocolate mixture onto peanuts.

Spoon out peanuts onto wax paper - I made several sizes!

Can't wait to eat them!!!!!

Gooey Yummy Bars

Dave Linn made these DELICIOUS bars for our school's staff Christmas lunch - I had three of them. . .shhhh. Don't tell anyone! I can't wait to make them!!!  SIMPLE EASY TO MAKE!!!!!

Eagle Brand Christmas Cookies

Crust:
12 graham crackers (crush)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (melt butter)

Combine the above ingredients, line an 11 x 13 pan and bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sprinkle the following over the graham cracker crust!
6 ounces chocolate chips
6 ounces butterscotch chips
1 cup coconut
1 cup pecans or nut of choice

Pour 1 can on eagle brand sweetened/condensed milk over the top.  Bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Don't over bake.

Dawn's New Recipe Challenge

So I am now obsessed with using marshmallows in recipes.   I am also curious about using pretzels in recipes as well.  So I am trying to develop a new yummy recipe that incorporates marshmallows, pretzels and heath bits.  Wish me luck!!!  Not sure when I will come up with it - but it a goal of mine! HHEHEHE

Pretzel Rod Pretties!

I made pretzel rods with white almond bark and sprinkles.

I just melted almond bark in microwave for 90 seconds - stirred and heated a few more seconds until smooth.

I purchased the smaller pretzels rods from big lots - only $1.00 - you can't beat that.  

This was only the second time I have almond bark covered pretzels.  Last time I used the longer rods and it wasn't as easy as using the shorter rods.   The broken pieces I just rolled in the melted bark and sprinkled red sugar on them - they were DELICIOUS - I ATE THEM ALL!!!!!!!  I also threw in some almonds there at the end just to play.  They turned out UGLY!! but still good. 

I think I will try white chocolate next time.

Happy Birthday to Dawn!!!!!

Today I received the cutest cake in the world!! From my husband and dogther

Peanut Butter Blondies with Milk Chocolate Frosting

Recipe from Joy the Baker

Makes one dozen big brownies in a 9×13-inch pan

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 5 cubes
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup smooth and natural peanut butter
2 eggs
2  teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease a 9×13-inch pan, line with parchment paper if you have it on hand, then grease the parchment paper.  If you don’t have parchment paper, these blondies will be just fine.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and sugar together until the butter is just melted.  Remove from the burner and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then add the peanut butter.  Stir until incorporated.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes more, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.  You want the sugar, butter and peanut butter mixture to be cool enough that the eggs won’t begin to cook when they’re added in.

Whisk together salt, flour and baking powder.  Add dry ingredients all at once to the wet ingredients.  Stir until just incorporated.  Pour the thick batter into the prepared pan and smooth out.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the blondies comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before frosting.  

Milk Chocolate Frosting

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 – 2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons milk
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, melted

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, cocoa powder and salt.  Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar followed by 1 tablespoon milk.  Beat well.  Add another cup of powdered sugar, followed by 2 tablespoons of milk.  Melt milk chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double boiler.  Add melted and slightly cooked milk chocolate the frosting and beat to incorporate.  Add the final 1/2 cup of powdered sugar if you need a bit more thickness.  Spread evenly over peanut butter blondies.

Cornflake Peanut Butter Drops

This is the first recipe that I have made from the 9th edition Home Cooking--Dickinson County Style Cookbook.  This recipe was shared in the cookbook by Lorie Rimmel.   One of my senior students said, hey these are like the one's we used to eat at the Middle School!!! I told her same recipe!

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup peanut butter

5 1/2 cups of corn flakes (I used 6 1/2 cups)

In a large saucepan combine sugar and corn syrup.  Bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Stir in peanut butter.  Add the corn flakes and stir until mixed.  You can either:  Spread mixture evenly on a lightly sprayed jell-roll sheet pan.  Roll with metal rolling pin or spray a wooden rolling pin.  Cut immediately after pressing OR you can just drop the cereal mixture onto wax paper.

I started dropping piles of mixture, but found it easier to pour mixture on wax paper and grab and size my piles of cornflakes.

I also considered drizzling chocolate on them - I think that would have made them even more delicious.  Next time I am going to try and make these with Wheat Chex cereal, instead of cornflakes.  I actually used cinnamon and sugar cornflakes.

Peanut Butter and Reese's Cookie Cups

Tomorrow is Shannon's day to take treats to work - he is taking these peanut butter cookies, salsa and meatballs.

If you have never eaten these yummy cookies - you are really missing out!  My mom and sister make these cookies for family gatherings and they do not last long.  These are the type of cookies that you can't just eat one, two or even three!  This was my first time making these cookies - I had to of course try one - pretty delicious!!!  I really want to eat another!!!!!!!

Two bags of 8.5 oz. Reese's:  contained 54 peanut butter cups.   Made 54 peanut butter cookies with Reese's.  11 oz bags contain 35 - next time I will purchase this size.  Since I had so much dough left over.

I had enough dough to actually make 14 more cookies.  I added semi-chocolate chips to the extra dough and placed two marshmallows in the centers - as well as put heath bits in the cups prior to putting the dough into the cups.

Hint:  I would place Reese's peanut butter cups in freezer for 30 or more minutes prior to removing the wrappers.  Having them cold makes it easier to remove the wrappers - and do not melt as fast when placing them into the cookies.  Work fast when placing the peanut butter cups into cookies - otherwise cookies will sink in the center.

Ingredients
1 cup of butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Heat oven to 375.  Remove wrappers from candies.

Beat butter, sugars, peanut butter, egg and vanilla until fluffy in large bowl.

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended.
(I used my mixer and just added the flour, baking soda and salt.)

Using 1" cookie scoop - place scoop of dough in each mini muffin cup.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Immediately place Reese's peanut butter cup in center.  You shouldn't have to press much.

Cool completely in muffin pan.

Step 1:  Beat butter, sugars, peanut butter, egg and vanilla until fluffy in large bowl.

Step 2:  Gradually add to butter mixture: flour, baking soda and salt; beating until well blended.  

Step 3:  Using 1" cookie scoop - place scoop of dough in each mini muffin cup.

 

Step 4:  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Step 5:  Press lightly, a peanut butter cup into each cookie.

Eat Only Food in Our House Challenge

So I am challenging my husband to eating only the food within our house.  Starting back on December 1st - we can not purchase any new food items - except Milk (and maybe onions - gotta have onions).  We have some homemade food items in our deep freeze that needs eating - soup and I am not sure what some of them even are - but I know they can't go to waste. . .  We have plenty of frozen chicken breasts and frozen vegetables.  My husbands favorite, NOT!  Not sure how he is going to do.  He did purchase bread for breakfast on Sunday - shame!  Last night we had round steak - first time I had cooked this, baked beans and green bean casserole. Not bad!  We do have  more steak, but no ground beef.

Dawn's Cookie Cup Creation!

So that is my title for now - thinking of something better though!

Ideas:  Heath Cookie Marshmallow Sensation,  Chocolate Chip Cookie Heath Sensation, Sunken Heath Cookie Cups, Gooey, Crunchy Cookie Cups,

So tonight I found some cookie dough in the deep freeze that I had made a few months back.  I thought that I would try something different with them.  My mother makes peanut butter cookies in miniature muffin tins with a peanut butter cup in the middle.  So I thought that I would try chocolate chip cookies in the mini muffin tin.  Here is what I came up with! DELICIOUS.   These are very similar (or exactly the same I guess) to the Disappearing Marshmallow Brownies listed earlier.  I used a silicon mini muffin tin - these little babies were so easy to get out of the cup.  Silicon ROCKS!!!!

Ingredients:

Chocolate chip cookie recipe or you may use any chocolate chip recipe -  Toll House, even store bought works great.

Heath Bits - plain

Butterscotch chips

Mini Marshmallows

Directions:

Step 1:  Sprinkle plain heath bits into each muffin tin.

Step 2:  Using a 1" cookie scoop - scoop dough.  Tear scoop of dough in half.
For each muffin holder - place half a scoop of cookie dough in each cup and press dough into cup.

Step 3:  Sprinkle about three-four butterscotch chips in each cup.  Place marshmallows on top of dough.  I was experimenting - I placed three on some, and others one or two right in the center.

Step 4:  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Step 5:  I lightly pressed marshmallows to flatten.

YUM     YUM     YUM     YUM    YUM 

These cookies are GOOEY!!! SO DELICIOUS!!!  The marshmallow in the center causes the cookie to sink in the middle.  With the Heath on the bottom of the cookie - oh my goodness - SO YUMMY!!!  Gives it a buttery and light crunchy bottom and sides.  With the marshmallow in the center - it makes it gooey - sweet and stringy.  I also sprinkled Heath bits on top of some in another batch.

I could not stop at just one, two, three, four. . . I am not going to tell you how many I ate! They are that good!!!!!  One batch I actually hid one marshmallow in the center - those turned out great as well.

CUTE LITTLE COOKIES!! This was the first time that I had made cookies in a muffin tin!  The cookies to my surprise were not cakey - but buttery and cookie like!!!!  To make the cookies more attractive - hide the marshmallow in the center - that works great as well!

Pecan Praline Crunch

1 (16 oz.) pkg. original or cinnamon Quaker oat squares cereal (8 c.)
2 c. pecan pieces
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Combine cereal and pecans in 9x13 inch pan. Set aside.Combine corn syrup, brown sugar and butter in saucepan; heat to boil over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and baking soda and pour over cereal mixture. Stir to coat evenly. Bake 1 hour; stirring every 20 minutes. Spread on baking sheet to cool; break into pieces. Yield: 10 cups. Store in airtight container.