PeachBBSpicyQ Sauce

 PeachBBSpicyQ  Sauce (adapted from The Hungry Homebody)

4 c. peaches, chopped, pitted, and peeled
2/3 c. red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2/3 c. finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
3/4 c. + 1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 c. vinegar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp. sriracha sauce
1 1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium high heat and cook for 25 min. Puree with a handstick blender to your desired consistency.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Bread

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup salted butter, room temperature

½ cup sugar

¼ cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup ripe banana, mashed

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a standard loaf pan and set aside.

2. In a small bowl whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together.

3. In a separate large mixing bowl beat butter and sugars until combined. Mix in peanut butter and banana. Mix in egg and vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl. Add flour mixture and beat on low until combined. Pour in milk and beat on low until batter is smooth. Mix in chocolate chips.

4. Add batter to loaf pan and evenly spread out. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the center springs back when pressed with a fingertip. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely.

Peanut Butter "Cheese Ball

Peanut Butter "Cheese Ball"

adapted from Nestle

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (not all-natural)
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
Graham cracker sticks, teddy grahams, and/or apple slices for dipping

Directions:
Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until blended.

Spoon onto a large piece of plastic wrap; bring up all four corners and twist tightly forming into a ball shape.

Freeze for 1 hour 30 minutes or until firm enough to keep its shape. Place peanut butter and chocolate chips in flat dish. Remove plastic wrap from ball and roll ball into morsels to completely cover, pressing morsels into the ball if necessary.

Place ball on serving dish; cover and freeze for 2 hours or until almost firm. (Can be made ahead. If frozen overnight, thaw at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.) Serve with graham cracker sticks, teddy grahams, or apple slices for dipping or spreading.

Honey-Oat Cookies with Chocolate Coated Sunflower Seeds

Honey-Oat Cookies with Chocolate Coated Sunflower Seeds

1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar (I used Demerara sugar)

1/2 cup honey

1 egg, 1 egg white

1 cup plus 1/3 cup flour

2 cups oats

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 heaping cup chocolate covered sunflower seeds

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar until smooth. Add honey and eggs and beat well.
2. In another small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and oats together. Add to the wet mixture and stir gently to combine. Add in candy coated sunflower seeds.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 7 minutes until golden around the edges and still slightly raw in the center.
4. Remove from oven and let set for a few minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before packaging.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies

Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies



For the pretzel layer:
2 cups pretzel, crushed (but not to a powder)
1/2 butter, melted
1 Tbsp. sugar




1 box of your favorite brownie mix (9x13 size), or your favorite brownie recipe

For the peanut butter frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. While oven is preheating, put the butter in a 9x13 cake pan to melt. Crush the pretzels. When butter is completely melted, stir in the sugar then add the pretzel pieces. Stir the pretzels around until they are completely coated in the butter/sugar mixture, then spread them evenly across the bottom of the pan. Put the pan back in the oven and bake 10 minutes. Remove and cool.

Prepare brownies (enough for a 9x13 pan) according to directions and pour over cooled pretzels. Bake brownies according to directions, then cool completely!

To prepare the frosting, put the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth; a minute or two. Do not whip or the cream will start to separate.

Frost brownies and cover. Refrigerate for an hour two before serving.

SOURCE: Frosting from Ina Garten

Artichoke Bread

 

 

Artichoke Bread

Ingredients:
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)
2 green onions (sliced)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese (room temperature)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mozzarella (grated)
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (grated)
1 loaf Italian bread (sliced in half lengthwise)

Directions:
1. Mix the artichoke hearts, green onions, garlic, cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano reserving some of the cheese.
2. Hollow 1/2 an inch out of the center of both halves of the bread.
3. Spread the mixture into the hole in the bread slices and top with the reserved cheese.
4. Bake in a preheated 350F oven covered in foil for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Icebox Cake

4 cups cold heavy cream
8 ounces mascarpone cheese

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon whiskey (optional)

8 dozen chocolate chip cookies (2 1/4 inches, baked until crisp)

Chocolate shavings, for garnish

Directions

1. Whisk 3 cups cream and the mascarpone in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar and whiskey. Whisk until medium-stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use (or up to 3 hours).
2. Arrange 9 cookies in a circle (with cookies touching) on a cake stand or a plate. Place 2 cookies in center. Carefully spread 1 cup cream mixture evenly over cookies, leaving a slight border. Repeat to form 7 more layers, ending with cookies (you'll have a few cookies left over). Refrigerate, lightly draped with plastic wrap, overnight.
3. Whisk remaining cup cream until soft peaks form. Spread over top of cake just before serving. Garnish with chocolate shavings.

Apple Pie Filling

Apple Pie Filling
Recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation
Recipe as written below is for 7 quarts of apple pie filling. Click here, or see image above for measurements that yield just one quart (you can calculate from there depending on how many jars you wish to make, or according to how many apples you have.)
Ingredients
6 quarts Blanched, sliced fresh apples
5 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups Ultra Gel or Clear Jel
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 1/2 cups cold water
5 cups Apple Juice
3/4 cups bottled lemon juice
Instructions
Use firm, crisp apples. If apples lack tartness, use an additional 1/4 cup of lemon juice for each 6 quarts of slices.
Yield: 7 quarts
Wash, peel, and core apples. Prepare slices 1/4-1/2 inches wide and place in cold water containing 1/4 cup lemon juice for every 4 cups water (or water containing ascorbic acid) to prevent browning.
For fresh fruit, place 6 cups at a time in 1 gallon of boiling water. Boil each batch 1 minute after the water returns to a boil. Drain, but keep heated fruit in a covered bowl or pot. Combine sugar, spices, Ultra Gel, and spices in a large kettle with water and apple juice. Stir and cook on medium high heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Fold in drained apple slices immediately and fill jars with mixture without delay, leaving 1 inch headspace. Adjust lids and process immediately in a waterbath according to the recommendations below.
Processing time for pint or quart size jars: 0-1000 ft: 25 min, 1001-3000 ft:30 3001-6000 ft: 30 mins Above 6000 ft: 40 mins
Freezer Instructions: Alternately this recipe can be placed in freezer bags and frozen for several months. Place approximately 4 cups apple mixture to fill one standard size pie.

Paula Deen Peanut Butter Balls

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup honey
• 2 cups powdered milk
• 1 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

Mix peanut butter, honey, and milk together in a large bowl to form very thick mixture. Roll mixture in small balls about the size of a walnut. Roll the balls in either the crushed cornflakes, finely chopped nuts, or powdered sugar. Place on waxed paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes

Oreo Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies

Oreo Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies
Source: Runs With Spatulas; original idea Picky Palate;

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 package of regular Oreo cookies

In the large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure each is fully mixed in.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Slowly stir in flour mixture, 1/3 at a time until completely incorporated. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour (I never wait that long, if at all).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place 1 tablespoon of cooking dough on top of an Oreo cookie. Place a second tablespoon underneath. You want just enough dough to cover the Oreo so that your chocolate to peanut butter cookie ratio is equal. Gently press the dough down around the Oreo, sealing the cookie dough edges together so that no Oreo shows through. Transfer the cookie to a prepared baking sheet and repeat, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each cookie.

Bake for 8-11 minutes, or until cookies have just started to brown around the edges. Do not overbake! I like mine a little on the gooey side so 8 minutes is all I cook them. Cool on baking sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 30-36 cookies.

Rolo Fudge

40 rolo candies, cut in half

1 1/2 cup Marshmallow Cream

3 cup milk chocolate chips

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cup pecans, chopped

In a saucepan over low heat, melt marshmallow cream, milk and chocolate chips. Stir constantly until completely melted and creamy. Stir in vanilla and pecans. Fold in Rolo candy.

Pour into a foil lined 13x9 pan. Refrigerate until cool, cut into squares. Enjoy.

Cheesy Gralic Pull Apart Bread

Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread
recipe adapted from Joy the Baker and How Sweet Eats

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour, divided
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp yeast (or one envelope)
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup (fat free) half and half
1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
garlic powder

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat half and half and 1/4 cup butter over medium-low heat until butter has just melted. Remove from heat and stir in water.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring until each is incorporated into the batter. (It will seem runny and kind of disasterous. Just keep stirring. Think about the fact that disasterous should totally be a word.) Add in additional 3/4 cup all purpose flour and one cup of mozzarella cheese. Continue stirring until both are incorporated. It's okay if it's a little sticky. It's normal.

Place the dough in a bowl coated in cooking spray, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rest in a warm, dry place for an hour. (You could refrigerate the dough overnight at this point and continue with it in the morning. Just make sure to let it rest for 30 minutes on the counter before moving forward. You could also take advantage of the hour to go to the gym. You're still in your sports bra. Remember?)

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle

 Peanut Butter Cup Trifle
1 (9x13) pan of baked brownies, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 (5.1 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 (8 ounce) container thawed Cool Whip, divided
20 peanut butter cups, crumbled (or more if you're using minis)
6-8 peanut butter cups to garnish.

Mix pudding according to package directions. With a whisk or beaters, beat in peanut butter until fully incorporated. Fold in 2 cups cool whip.

Layer in trifle dish 1/2 the brownies, 1/2 the crumbled peanut butter cups, ½ the pudding mixture. Repeat. Top with cool whip and peanut butter cups. Chill at least four hours before serving.

Source: Sweet Luvin' in the Kitchen

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread5 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour, or whole wheat bread flour
1 ½ Tbsp. instant yeast
¼ cup vital wheat gluten (I’ve used as little as 2 Tbsp. with good results.)
½ Tbsp. salt
½ cup potato flakes (I’ve used as little as ¼ cup with good results. Even if you omit the flakes, your bread should still turn out well, it just may be slightly dryer.)
1 ½ Tbsp. liquid lecithin ( You can also sub about 2-3 Tbsp. butter or oil.)
1/4 cup honey (spray the inside of the measuring cup with non-stick spray before you measure the honey and it will slide right out; you could also use sugar in place of the honey but It helps with good flavor and moistness of the bread)
2 cups very hot tap water (If you want your bread even more moist , substitute ½ cup of the water for unsweetened applesauce.)

In a mixing bowl, fitted with a dough hook, measure in the flour, yeast, gluten, salt, and potato flakes. Pulse to evenly distribute, for a second or two. Add the lecithin/butter, honey and ALMOST all of the water and mix for about 30 seconds. If the dough is too dry, add more water,about a tablespoon at a time and if it is too wet, add a little more flour. The dough at this point should be wet enough to leave a little residue on the sides of the bowl. Mix for 7 minutes. Do not add any more water or flour at this point, it will ruin the dough.

When it's done mixing, the dough will look smooth and elastic. If it seems a little sticky, it will still be ok, most likely. If you have a Kitchen Aid-type bowl, remove dough hook and ball of dough. If you have a Bosch-type bowl, you’ll need a separate large mixing bowl. Spray the inside of either bowl and put the dough back in the dough to rise. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. (Time will vary greatly here, anywhere from 30 -60 minutes or so, so just watch over the dough.)

After the first rise, gently deflate the dough (spray your hands with cooking spray) and separate into 2 dough balls. For a perfect looking loaf, roll each dough ball out (on a counter coated with cooking spray not flour) the width of your loaf pan, and about 12 inches long, getting all the air bubbles out. Then, tightly roll the dough up, pinch each side closed and tuck them under a bit and lay it in a greased loaf pan. (Don't worry about the dough touching all the sides yet, as it raises, it will fill in.) Repeat with remaining dough ball. Cover bread pans with a light kitchen towel. Let dough raise again until about doubled; it should rise just above the top of the pan. Near the end of the second raise, preheat your oven to 350 F.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let loaves cool for 10 minutes, then take the bread out of the pans and completely cool on a wire rack. (Do not let the bread cool completely in the pans, it will become a sticky mess and ruin the bread.)

Makes 2 5x9 loaves (If you have 4x8 pans, just reduce the amount of flour by about ¼ - ½ cup.)


If you are new to bread-making, here are some tips from King Arthur Flour:
-If you're kneading bread by hand, it's tempting to keep adding flour till the dough is no longer sticky. Resist the temptation! The more flour you add while you're kneading, the heavier and drier your final loaf will be.
-The amount of liquid you use to make the "perfect" dough will vary with the seasons. Flour is like a sponge; it absorbs water during the humid days of summer, and dries out during the winter. Your goal should be making the dough as it's described (e.g., cohesive, soft but not sticky), rather than sticking religiously to the amount of liquid.
-When making yeast bread, let the dough rise to the point the recipe says it should, e.g., "Let the dough rise till it's doubled in bulk." Rising times are only a guide; there are so many variables in yeast baking (how you kneaded the dough; what kind of yeast you used) that it's impossible to say that bread dough will ALWAYS double in bulk in a specific amount of time.

Roy’s Chocolate Soufflé

Roy’s Chocolate SouffléSource: Roy Yamaguchi of Roy's

4 squares of parchment paper (3x3 inches)
4 strips of parchment paper (2x12 inches)
4 metal soufflé ring molds (3 inches in diameter x 2 inches tall) or parchment lined ramekins (see Note)

Soufflé Batter:
8 oz. good quality semi-sweet dark chocolate (i.e. Guittard, Vahlrona, Callebeaut - I used a Ghirardelli
baking bar)
12 Tablespoons butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
4 whole eggs plus 4 egg yolks

To make the soufflé batter, combine sugar and cornstarch in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and yolks. Bring butter to a simmer in a saucepan. Add chocolate and mix until smooth. Continue to mix until chocolate begins to simmer along the edges. Transfer the chocolate mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until combined. Add eggs and mix at low speed until mixture is smooth and sugar dissolved. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line each soufflé ring with a strip of parchment paper and spray with pan release such as Pam. Place parchment paper squares on a baking sheet and set molds on top. Note: If you don't have a souffle ring you can use ramekins. Line the bottom of each ramekin with a circle of parchment paper and line the sides with parchment paper as shown above. Spray with cooking spray. You can also just eat them straight out of the ramekins or use cupcake liners with reduced cooking time because they will be smaller.

Fill each ring mold or ramekin with soufflé batter ¾ of the way full. Bake on top oven rack for 26-28 minutes. My ramekins were a little smaller so I baked them for 21-23 minutes. You just want to make sure the tops are set but the middle is still gooey. Remove baking sheet from oven. Slide a metal spatula under each mold, and carefully transfer to individual serving plates using a pair of tongs. Gently lift off the mold and remove the parchment paper. If using ramekins, use a knife to and run it around the edge then carefully invert and place on a serving dish. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. Serve immediately. Left over batter can be refrigerated for up to 10 days.

Chicken Milano

Chicken Milano
olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and cut into halves (4 pieces total)
Cajun seasoning, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white cooking wine
1 cup (about half a can) full-fat coconut milk (or you can use heavy cream)
5 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp.chopped fresh basil
1/4 cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) Fettucine pasta


Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil.

Season the chicken with salt, pepper and a bit of Cajun seasoning on both sides. In a large, deep skillet or grill pan, heat olive oil over medium and saute chicken until cooked through. (Alternately, you could grill the chicken on an outdoor grill.) Transfer cooked chicken to a cutting board and cover to keep warm. Drain the fat from the juices left in the pan.

Once water in stock pot is boiling, drop pasta and cook to al dente, according to package directions.

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over low heat; add a drizzle of olive oil with it. Add sliced mushrooms and saute until dark in color and tender. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet (or more olive oil if you prefer), as well as the garlic; cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth and white wine; increase to medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Add the coconut milk/heavy cream and mushrooms and bring to a boil, stirring often. Simmer over medium heat just another minute or so; sauce will be thin. Stir in basil, Parmesan cheese and more salt, pepper and/or Cajun seasoning, if desired.

Drain pasta and pour into large casserole dish. Pour sauce over pasta and let sit about 5 minutes.

Slice chicken and serve on top of the pasta and sauce. Garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese and more basil, if desired.


SOURCE: Tasty Kitchen