Peanut Butter No-Bakes

aka Peanut Butter Rolled Oat Clusters

My brother always made these growing up.  It's probably the only thing he ever cooked.  Now Jed makes them.  Pretty soon Buddy will be making them as well because he requests them as our Family Home Evening treat each week.

Ingredients:
  2 cups sugar
  1/2 cup milk
  1/2 cup butter
  1/8 tsp salt
  1 cup peanut butter
  1 tsp vanilla
  3 cups rolled oats
  *optional: 1/3 cup cocoa

Directions:
  Combine sugar, milk, butter, salt in 3 quart pot; stir.  Bring to a full boil for exactly one minute.  Remove from heat. Add peanut butter and vanilla.  Stir until smooth.  Add rolled oats; mix well.  Cool slightly until mixture holds shape.  Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper and let cool.

Cinnamon Chip Bread

I love the Cinnamon Chip Bread at Great Harvest Bread Company.  A few years ago, someone made this cinnamon raisin bread for a cooking class at church and I thought it was pretty close to Cinnamon Chip Bread.  I held on the the recipe, and finally, several years later (and after discovering cinnamon chips at a local fancy grocery store) I'm trying out the recipe.  The original recipe calls for raisins (I omitted them).  And I added cinnamon chips to the recipe.  Sorry I can't credit it... I'm sure it's from somewhere but all I have is a typed up handout from the class.

 

Cinnamon Chip Bread
1 package dry yeast (not rapid rise)
3 oz. water
1 1/2 TBSP shortening
1 1/3 cups warm water
4-5 cups flour
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 TBSP salt

1 TBSP water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup cinnamon chips

Dissolve yeast in 3 oz. warm water.  In a mixer, mix all ingredients together with half of the flour. Add raisins (if you are including raisins).  Add remaining flour and knead on a floured board until smooth and elastic, about ten minutes.  (I just put my mixer on the knead setting for about 10 minutes.)  Cover and let rise until double.  Roll out a rectangle (18x9).  Sprinkle with 1 TBSP water, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/3 cup cinnamon chips.  Roll up as a jelly roll and fold ends under.  Place in greased bread pan.  Let rise again.  Bake at 425 for 30-35 minutes.  Remove from pans and rub top with butter and dust with cinnamon/sugar.  Cool.  1 Loaf.

Easily doubled, I actually cut the recipe in half for me (and you) because I can't fit 9-10 cups of flour in my mixer.

Review: This is good cinnamon bread.  My rectangle didn't measure 18x9 because I skimmed that part and just read "rectangle."  Mine was probably 18x16 and that made it so I literally folded each end under so they met in the middle and doubled the height of my bread.  Then, because of that, it rose strange so I think the cinnamon would be more evenly distributed (and making a more lovely cinnamon swirl when the bread is cut into) if I'd had a smaller rectangle.  And I think next time I'll add more cinnamon chips.   Is it just like Great Harvest's?  No.  I haven't had Great Harvest Cinnamon Chip Bread in a few years, but it seems much more moist and cinnamon sugary.   But it's still yummy!

Mulligatawny Soup

Chicken Rice Curry Soup

Ingredients:
2 TBSP butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup peeled, chopped, Granny Smith apple
2 TBSP flour
1 TBSP curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cloves
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup peeled, seeded, chopped tomatoes (or 1 cup drained canned diced tomatoes)
1 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup rice
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:
In a large pot melt butter over medium heat.  Add the onions, carrots, celery and apples.  Cook until soft, about 5-8 minutes.  Add the flour, curry and cloves.  Cook 1-2 minutes; stirring constantly.  Add the both, tomatoes, and lemon juice; stir to combine.  Add rice and stir.  Reduce heat and partially cover, simmering for 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Add chicken and simmer 5-10 minutes until chicken and rice are cooked.  Season with salt and pepper.


*My notes: I don't use the cloves because I'm not really a fan of their flavor.  I use canned tomatoes and lemon juice from a lemon juice container.  I also cook my chicken first.  I can't remember if I cook my rice first of not.  And next time I make it, I'm trying it with brown rice.

Apple Recipe Round-up

So far, I've made:
2 quarts of apple sauce (recipe)
6 cups of apple butter (recipe)
1 apple pie (and one frozen apple pie filling) (recipe plus my
     favorite apple picture books)
1 batch of apple bundles (recipe)
Apple Chicken Curry (recipe)

Still to make:
Apple Dumplings (recipe)
Apple Bread/Muffins (recipe)  - yummy, but not as good as a remembered it
Apple and Onion Stuffin' with pork chops (recipe) - 
     yummy, although I like the stuffing recipe further down the list better.
Apple Pie Pastries (recipe)
Apple-Stuffed French Toast (recipe)
Mini Caramel Apples (recipe)
Apple Fritters (recipe)
My sister-in-law's Thanksgiving Stuffing (sort of, but not quite,
      like this recipe)  -yummy, even my husband, who HATES stuffing, liked it.
Apple Strudel Muffins (recipe) - can't find cinnamon chips anywhere!
Sour Cream Apple Bars (recipe)-  
     YUMMY!  I would use all the apples I have remaining (about a peck) to make these over and over again if it didn't mean getting extremely fat and not trying any other recipes.
Apple Fritters (recipe) - Yummy!

Apple recipes I love, but probably won't get around to this time:
Glazed Apple Pie Squares (recipe)
Carver Salad (recipe)
Taffy Apple Pizza (recipe)
Apple Dip (recipe)*
Candy Bar Apple Salad (recipe)

Apples recipes I plan to try, just maybe not this time:
Caramel Apple Crisp (recipe)
Apple Crisp (recipe)
Peabody's Apple Turnovers (recipe)
A list of Martha Stewart Apple recipes that caught my eye (here)
Upside Down Apple Tart (recipe)
Candied Apple Pie Cheesecake (recipe)
Apple Turnovers  (recipe)
Bavarian Apple Tort (a friend's recipe, but close to recipe
      minus the raspberry jam and switch out almonds for walnuts)
Caramel Apple Sticky Buns (recipe)
Apple Dumplings (recipe)
Apple Fritter (recipe)


*The recipe I use is my friend Kristi's, but it's very similar to the one I link to.  The main difference is it makes a smaller batch and uses white sugar in addition to brown.  I should also note, this freezes well.  I actually have a little tub in my freezer I should pull out to dip all our apples in.

Apple Fritters

I just tried these... yummy.  I substituted apples for the pears called for, and left out the currants. 

Kolaches

A homeschooling friend had a cultural gathering last week and we were supposed to bring a food from a country our ancestors came from along with some information about that country.  I decided on Kolaches which are sweet roll with a jelly top/filling. 

I've only made Kolaches one other time and I made two varieties - the one linked to above, and this Ice Cream Kolache.  I made them when I was in charge of book club in Kansas and we were reading Willa Cather's My Antonia, which is about a Bohemian girl.  They are part of our family's heritage because Jed's paternal grandmother was the first child in her family born in the United States after her family immigrated from Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). 

All of this needless background so I can show you the two ways this batch turned out. 

Perfect Batch

Crazy Batch

Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

My mom sent me this cookie recipe awhile ago. I just now got around to trying it. YUM! My cookies didn't look nearly this good (I think my dough needed to chill longer, and I needed to push harder with my glass) but they sure did taste delicious!



Dough:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup peanut butter
Filling:
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
For the dough: Cream together the butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg and vanilla. Set aside. Sift together the flour and cocoa, add to the creamed mixture, and mix well with a mixer or hands. Chill for 30 minutes.
For the filling: Mix the peanut butter and powdered sugar together and form into 1-inch balls. Chill until ready to complete the cookies.
Wrap 1 tablespoon of dough around each ball of peanut butter and place on a cookie sheet using parchment paper. Flatten all with a glass dipped in sugar.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 9 minutes, or until done. Allow to sit 5 to 6 minutes before placing on racks to cool completely. Enjoy. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jun/19/this-grandma-bakes-good-goodies/#ixzz0xXATZsrV

Cookie Pie

I had a homeschool park day* last Friday that involved bringing a favorite pie to share. I forgot all about this until the night before. And I'm not really a pie person but if I did have to pick a favorite, they would all be pudding or ice cream based. Not something that would hold up at the park on a hot summer day. I looked around online and settled on a cookie pie. It turned out great. It's my new easy dessert of choice. I've already made it three times in the past week. It reminds me of the giant holiday cookies you can get from Mrs. Fields lathered in frosting. Mmmm.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 2/3 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. Mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Mix sugars, butter, and vanilla. Add egg. Mix the two mixtures together. Add 1 cup of chocolate chips (I used half milk chocolate, half miniature semi-sweet). Press into 9 inch, greased, pie plate. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve topped with ice cream.




*Which fell on the same morning as a big storm, and we were almost an hour late, and the only ones that showed up. At least we got to eat the whole yummy pie ourselves.

Chocolate Layer Dessert

from The Essential Mormon Cookbook (but with my own crust and other corrections)
Ingredients:
1 box shortbread cookies
¼ cup butter (melted)

8 oz. tub lite Cool Whip knock-off (thawed)
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese (I use 1/3 the fat Neuftchatel) (at room temperature)
2 cups powdered sugar
2 (5.9 oz.) packages chocolate instant pudding
4 cups milk
2 tsp. vanilla
a handful of chocolate chips

Directions:
Crush shortbread cookies until fine.  Stir in butter.  Press in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 300 for 5-8 minutes.  Cool completely.
To prepare first layer, blend together thawed Cool Whip, cream cheese and powdered sugar.  Spread over cooled crust.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
For the second layer, combine pudding, milk and vanilla with an electric mixer at low speed until it begins to thicken.  Spread on top of cream cheese layer and refrigerate several hours or overnight. 
Before serving, garnish with grated chocolate chips. 
To serve, cut into squares.

June Bug on the Rocks

Jed was recently flipping through our free Better Homes and Gardens magazine when he came across this yummy recipe.

3 cups Ginger Ale
4 TBSP Grenadine
4 TBSP Orange Juice (we've used freshly squeezed from an orange, and store bought)
3 scoops Orange Sherbet*

Blend and serve over ice.

*What's with Orange Sherbet these days? It was my ice cream of choice as a kid, but here are my last two times buying it:

1. I have to look up and down the freezer aisle, open the freezer door, step up into the freezer and reach to the very back of the top shelf to get the last carton of orange sherbet. Not just a certain brand... the only orange sherbet carton in the store.
2. At a different store, they have no orange sherbet. Jed is waiting at home for me to bring it home so he can make more June Bugs. I have to drive to another store (not the one from example 1 because I know I already cleared them out a couple days earlier) and wipe the frost off the carton of Orange Sherbet they have stockpiles of, but all covered in a quarter inch of frost.
   

Chilled Hot Chocolate

I'm sure none of us bought a giant tub of hot chocolate mix at Sam's Club this winter and then barely made a dent in it before the weather warmed up. None of us, right? But if you were foolish enough to have done such a thing, I have the perfect chilly solution for you...
Chilled Hot Chocolate.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups warm water
4 envelopes* (1 ounce each) instant hot cocoa mix
2 cups vanilla ice cream
1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream

Directions:
In a blender, combine water and cocoa mix; cover and process until dissolved. Add ice cream and cream; cover and process for 30 seconds or until smooth. Pour into chilled mugs. Yield: 4 servings.

Verdict:
Yum!
I had high hopes for this recipe, but deep down figured it would taste too much like a chocolate milk shake (and I'm not such a big fan of chocolate ice cream or chocolate milk). It did not disappoint my high hopes. As a hater of chocolate milk shakes, I LOVED this. So I figure, if you are like a normal person who loves chocolate milkshakes, this thing should be heavenly to you.

*One envelope is about 2 heaping tablespoons.

Kelley's Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 lb. cooked, shredded chicken (boil chicken with garlic, onion, & lime)

2 cans cream chicken soup

12 oz. sour cream

½ envelope of Lawry’s Mild Taco Seasoning

1 ½ cups cheddar cheese

10-12 flour tortillas

Directions:

In a bowl, mix soup and sour cream. Take out ½ and set aside. Add shredded chicken, taco seasoning, and half cheese to soup mixture. From the set aside soup mixture... use about ¼ of that to “grease” your 9x13 pan. Roll about ½ cup of chicken mixture into tortillas. Place in dish. Cover with remaining soup mixture... especially edges. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-25 min. Serve with olives, salsa, sour cream, etc.

Chicken Tortellini Casserole

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts

9 oz. package of tortellini (frozen or refrigerated)*

4 oz. Mushrooms (optional)

4 green onions, chopped

½ cube butter, melted

1 cup sour cream

1 can cream of mushroom soup**

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

Saute chicken breasts in skillet, seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper. Cut into bite sized pieces. Boil tortellini according to package directions and drain. Mix all ingredients together, using half the grated cheese to sprinkle on top. Place in buttered casserole dish. Bake at 350 until hot and bubbly (20-30 min.).

I've also steamed little pieces of broccoli before and baked it in with the casserole. Yum.

*I usually double the amount of tortellini.

**I use two cans of cream of chicken soup because I'm anti-mushroom.

Pioneer Woman's Ranch Style Chicken

PW's Ranch Style Chicken (review: Yum. A little too mustardy for me, but I hate mustard. And it was still delicious. Plus the kids all gobbled it up, and that's always a plus.)

Orange Chicken

Orange Chicken (review: Super yummy, but I wish the orange flavor had been stronger. But still the best orange chicken I've ever had that wasn't from an actual Chinese restaurant.)

Chicken and Pasta

Chicken and Pasta Dinner -I got my recipe from a church recipe exchange, but, minus the crock pot, it seems a lot like this one I linked to and this one. (review: this is a lot like Penne Rustica (which we've all LOVED) but Princess Sparkley and Jed both said they preferred this version).

Apple Pie Squares

Glazed Apple Pie Squares found here.

I made these for a Memorial Day BBQ today. Yum! The recipe calls for a 10x15 pan, I don't have one, but it worked fine in a 9x13 casserole dish. I'm horrible at pie crusts, so I just rolled the bottom crust directly into the pan and rolled out smaller pieces and laid them on top. It was fine... looked sort of cobbler-like.

Enchilada Lasagna

Made this for dinner tonight and loved it!

Sorry, my mom just pointed out that this recipe is only visible to Taste of Home subscribers. I don't want to just copy and paste, so basically, this is my version of it.

1-1.5 lbs. ground beef cooked with onions and garlic (to your taste)
Add one 14.5 oz. can of chopped, stewed tomatoes and 10 oz. of enchilada sauce.
Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Mix 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese and one egg.

Have ready: Flour tortillas, 3 cups of shredded cheeses.

Layer in a 9x13 pan: meat, cheese, tortillas, cottage cheese, meat, cheese, tortillas, cottage cheese, meat, cheese. About three layers each.

Cover and bake for 20 minutes at 350, remove cover and bake 10 more minutes. Cool slightly before cutting.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies - Christmas Style

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies - Christmas Style*

Mix:
2 cups butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla


In separate bowl, mix:
5 cups flour
1 1/2 TBSP. baking soda
1 cup cocoa


Mix all together - stir until crinkly (dough looks dry, it's okay).

Add 1/2 to 3/4 bag of mint Christmas M&Ms.
(If it's not Christmas, I use milk or white chocolate chips.)

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

These are delicious. I think I probably ate 2/3 of them myself... giving a few away and sharing a few with my husband, and letting my kids have tiny bites from mine.


*When I first posted this recipe in 2005, the mint M&Ms were small, like Plain M&Ms. When I added this picture in December 0f 2008, they are the size of Peanut Butter M&Ms and not as great for cookie making. I'm mad.

Fudgy Mint Squares

Fudgy Mint Squares

Not the recipe that I've been trying to hunt down for years, but these are pretty yummy. I think I originally got it from Taste of Home magazine.

Ingredients:
10 TBSP butter (no substitutes), divided
3 squares (1 oz each) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 TBSP cornstarch
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp peppermint extract
4 drops green food coloring, optional
1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup whipping cream


Directions:
In a microwave safe bowl, melt 8 TBSP butter and unsweetened chocolate; cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add the chocolate mixture; mix until blended. Gradually beat in flour. Spread into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until top is set.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and remaining butter. Add cornstarch; beat until smooth. Gradually beat in milk and remaining egg. Add extract and food coloring. Pour over crust. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack.

In a heavy saucepan, combine chocolate chips and cream. Cook and stir over medium heat until chips are melted. Cool for 30 minutes or until lukewarm, stirring occasionally. Pour over cream cheese layer. Chill for 2 hours or until set before cutting.

Yield: about 4 dozen.

Cake Box Cookies and Homemade Oreos

Cake Box Cookies

Ingredients:

1 box of your favorite cake mix.
(Devil's Food is pretty rich... we've been liking Milk Chocolate Cake Mix lately.)
2 eggs
1/2 cup of oil.
Chocolate chips, M&Ms, etc. (whatever you want, however much you want)
(Or, to be healthy, add two eggs, 1/4 cup oil, and a 1/4 cup applesauce).

Directions:
Mix ingredients together. Scoop onto making sheet.
Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, until cracked on top.


Variation: Homemade OREOS

Ingredients:
1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix
2 eggs
3/4 cup shortening

Frosting Ingredients:
1 cube butter (softened)
4 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Directions: Mix together cake mix, eggs, and shortening. Roll into balls. (Try to make them the same size since they'll have to pair up). Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Mix frosting ingredients until creamy. Don't soften butter too much. Spread between two cookies. Enjoy.

Ice Cream Sandwich Torte

I thought I'd share this fun summer recipe with you. It's easy, yummy, cold, and very kid friendly. You'll just need some space in your freezer.

I made this cake for my daughter's art birthday party a few years ago.

Above is the recipe from the Pampered Chef.
Below is the Pampered Chef official picture.
Here's the link to a similar recipe I just found.