Peanut Butter M&M cookies

2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup butter
½ cup vegetable shortening
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs (beaten)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup M&M’s (I used a whole bag)

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl. Beat butter, shortening, and peanut butter until smooth. Add white sugar and brown sugar and beat until smooth.
Step 2: Add the eggs on at a time and then add vanilla extract until blended. Use your hands or a spoon and add the flour mixture to complete cookie dough.
Step 3: One at time scoop dough with a teaspoon (can use a tablespoon for larger cookies) and drop dough in 1” balls onto a cookie sheet. Place 2 inches apart. With a fork dipped in flour flatten cookies. Then flatten in the opposite direction (so they cross).
Step 4: Bake in the oven for 9-10 minutes for chewy cookies or 11-12 for crispy

Stuffed Shells

I am actually cooking tonight. With the start of the new school year, I have not had the desire or energy to cook a meal. These shells are quite easy to make. I have frozen the "extra meat filling" to use at a later date if you have more meat than shells. Serving it along with garlic bread and Majel's carrots. (See previous posts for garlic butter and Majel's carrots).



1 lb ground chuck
1/2 t. garlic ( I used 2 cloves)
italian seasoning
1/2 c. italian bread crumbs
1 egg
2 (15 oz) jars Spaghetti sauce
1/2 c. parmesan cheese grated
onion
salt and pepper
1 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. chopped parsley
18 giant pasta shells


Brown meat, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, and italian seasonig. Drain and cool. Stir in cheeses, bread crumbs, parsley, and egg. Cook shells and drain. Spoon spaghetti sauce into bottom of a pan. Stuff shells with meat mixture and place in pan. Pour the rest of the sauce over shells. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Apple Enchiladas

-21 oz. can apple pie filling

6--8 in. flour tortillas

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350º.

Spoon ¼ cup pie filling evenly down the middle of each tortilla. Sprinkle with cinnamon and roll up. Place tortillas, seam side down, in greased/buttered 2 qt. baking pan.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, and water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Pour sauce over enchiladas and let stand for 30 minutes.

Bake at 350º for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve enchiladas warm with vanilla ice cream

Amish Whoopie Pies

I made these tonight. Somewhere I saw that they can be frozen so I am freezing them on a tray until frozen and will keep in a ziploc bag......Tasted good!


For Cakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla etract
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 oz./113g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg

For Filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 oz./113g) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 cups marshmallow cream, such as Marshmallow Fluff
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make Cakes:
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Lightly butter two large baking sheets.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until combined. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.

Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a handheld, then add egg, beating until combined well. Reduce speed to low and alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk in batches, beginning and ending with flour, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, and mixing until smooth.

Spoon 1/4-cup mounds of batter about 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake in upper and lower thirds of preheated oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are puffed and cakes spring back when touched, 11 to 13 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack to cool completely.

Make Filling:
Beat together butter, confectioners sugar, marshmallow, and vanilla in a bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Assemble Pies:
Spread a rounded tablespoon of filling on flat sides of half of cakes and top with remaining cakes.

Twice Baked Potatoes

4 baking potatoes
2 T. butter
3 oz. cream cheese
3 T. sour cream
cheddar cheese
bacon
salt and pepper
parsley or chives


Bake potatoes. Cool slightly. Cut off the tops and scoop out the potato pulp. Add butter, cr. cheese, and sour cream and mix into the potatoes. Add cheese, salt and pepper, bacon, and parsley. Stir. Take the potato mixture and spoon back into the potato shell. These can be reheated in the microwave or oven. I prefer the oven at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I found this recipe on the Tasty Kitchen site. It is in the oven. I plan on serving it on Labor Day with strawberries.

Ingredients
•3-½ cups All Purpose Flour, Sifted
•1 teaspoon Baking Powder
•1 cup Butter, Room Temperature
•8 ounces Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
•3 cups Sugar
•1 teaspoon Vanilla
•1 cup Milk, Room Temperature
•6 whole Eggs Room Temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sift flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
Using a mixer, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar for about 6 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add vanilla and milk until combined.
Add flour mixture until completely combined.
Pour into two greased and floured 9 X 5 loaf pans.

Bake for about 60 minutes or until done.

Crash-hot potatoes

This comes from "The Pioneer Woman". Very good on any type of potatoe.
16 small, round potatoes
salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon thyme or rosemary sprigs – I used a bit more

Heat oven to 230 or 250ºC/445 or 480ºF - yes, hot. Don't peel the potatoes. Just bung them into a pot of salted water, bring to the boil, and simmer for around 15 minutes until they'll take a skewer without too much resistance. They should be just about cooked, without being soft.

Drain, and arrange on a lightly oiled baking tray or sheet. Use a potato masher to squash each potato flat, until it is twice its original diameter.

Brush the tops with olive oil, and scatter with sea salt, pepper and thyme.

Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until terminally crisp and golden. Serve hot.

Serves 4