Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese frosting

*Ingredients

° 2 eggs

° 1 cup sugar

° ½ can of pumpkin puree

° ½ cup oil

° 1 cup all-purpose flour

° 1 teaspoon baking powder

° 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

° ½ teaspoon baking soda

° ¼ tsp salt

° ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

° ¼ teaspoon cloves

* Frosting:

° 1 package cream cheese, softened

° ½ cup unsalted, softened butter

° 1 teaspoon vanilla

° Whole pecans to garnish

*Instructions

FIRST STEP:

Preheat the oven to 350*

Grease the baking dish

SECOND STEP:

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, pumpkin and sugar

Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves

THIRD STEP:

Pour batter to  buttered mold

Place on the center rack of the oven and bake for 25 to 27 minutes. Test with a toothpick, if it comes out clean, the bars are cooked.

FOURTH STEP:

In a medium sized bowl, combine butter and cream cheese and cream together.

Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract

FIFTH STEP:

Sift the icing sugar and mix it thoroughly until it's frothy, just the way you like it.

Enjoy!

 

Beef Lombardi

 1 pound ground beef

°1 can 28 oz tomatoes

°2 minced garlic cloves

°2 teaspoons of honey

°2 teaspoons of salt

°black pepper

°½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce

°1 bay leaf

°1 package egg noodles, cooked

°1 package 8 oz cream cheese

°6 green onions, chopped

°1 cup sour cream

°2 cups grated cheddar cheese

 

Brown the beef over medium heat. Drain the fat. Add garlic and cook until tender. Add the tomatoes, honey, salt, pepper, bay leaf and Tabasco. Lower the heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Combine cooked noodles with cream cheese, green onions and sour cream. Grease a 9 X 13 pan and alternate noodle mixture, tomato mixture and shredded cheese, ending with cheese on top. Bake, covered, in a preheated 350 degree oven, for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

You can freeze it before or after cooking.

 

 

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour

• ¾ cup cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• ½ cup salted butter, softened

• ¾ cup granulated sugar

• ¾ cup packed light brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

• ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus more to top the cookies if desired

Substitutions & Additions:

Chocolate Chips: You can replace some or all of the semi-sweet chocolate chips with dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or add white chocolate chips for the ultimate chocolate cookies.

Butter: This recipe calls for salted butter. Unsalted is fine too, just add ½ teaspoon of salt.

Nuts: If you like nuts in your cookies, add chopped pecans, or walnuts with the chocolate chips.

Sea Salt: Add a sprinkle of sea salt on top of the cookies before baking for an incredible flavor.

Cocoa Powder: You can also use dark cocoa powder in this recipe for an even richer, more indulgent flavor.

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and cornstarch. Whisk together then set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium speed.

3. Once the butter mixture is fluffy add vanilla extract and eggs and beat together until combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl.

4. Turn the mixer on low and gradually add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Beat until combined. Add half of the heavy cream and mix to combine. Add in the remaining dry mixture and the remaining cream.

5. Beat in the chocolate chips just until combined.

6. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Chilling the dough allows the ingredients to come together, which improves the texture of the cookies and keeps them thick and chewy instead of spreading flat when they bake.

7. Preheat the oven to 350* F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

8. Use a cookie scoop to make balls from the chilled dough. Roll each ball between the palms of your hands for a smooth cookie. Space 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.

9. Bake for 9 minutes and remove from the oven.

10. Sprinkle several additional chocolate chips over the tops of the warm, baked cookies if desired.

11. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool.

Notes:

1. If you prefer extra-crisp cookies, bake them a minute or two longer. If you undercook by a minute or two, they will be more soft and gooey in the center. You could also make monster cookies with this recipe by making 2 to 4 inch balls that are spaced 2 to 3 inches apart.

2. You can serve these rich, indulgent cookies warm from the oven with milk or coffee.

3. You can warm for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave for the fresh-baked melty chocolate sensation.

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies from Recipes for Family

Ingredients
1 cup salted butter* softened
1 cup white (granulated) sugar
1 cup light brown sugar packed
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt***
+1 small box of instant French Vanilla pudding or Vanilla pudding

2 cups chocolate chips (or chunks, or chopped chocolate)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder. Set aside.
Cream together butter and sugars until combined.
Beat in eggs and vanilla until fluffy.
Mix in the dry ingredients until combined.
Add 12 oz package of chocolate chips and mix well.
Roll 2-3 TBS (depending on how large you like your cookies) of dough at a time into balls and place them evenly spaced on your prepared cookie sheets. (alternately, use a small cookie scoop to make your cookies).
Bake in preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. Take them out when they are just BARELY starting to turn brown.
Let them sit on the baking pan for 2 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

+As an added bonus I add a small box of instant French Vanilla pudding or Vanilla pudding (dry). Empty it into the flour mixture and blend into cookie batter.

Chef John's Banana Bread

 3 ripe bananas (mashed & set aside), 2 cups flour, 1 t. salt, 1 t. baking soda, 1 t. baking powder, 1/2 cup butter (softened), 1 cup sugar, 3 large eggs, 1/4 t. vanilla, 1 T. milk, 1 cup walnuts (chopped), 1/3 - 1/2 cup chocolate chips (amount can vary depending on how much you like)

In a medium bowl mash bananas and set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.  Mix butter and sugar until smooth, beat in eggs and milk.  Add vanilla and mashed bananas and beat to blend.  Empty into the large bowl of dry ingredients and stir to blend.  Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.  

Grease a 9 x 4 loaf pan and sprinkle some flour in it to lightly coat.  Empty combined mixture into loaf pan and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour 10 minutes.(Depending on oven temperature)  Remove from oven and set on stove top or counter to cool 15 minutes and remove from pan.  

Tip:  To keep moist and fresh wrap in waxed paper and then wrap with foil sealing in freshness right after removing from pan.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

Homemade Butter Pie Crust

 Single pie crust:

1 1/2 cups flour, 1 T. sugar, 1/2 cup butter (softened), 1/4 cup cold water, 1 T white vinegar, 1/2 t. salt.

Double recipe for 2 pie crusts or for a thin crust use one recipe and cut it 2/3 bottom crust and 1/3 top.  

I found rolling it into a ball and wrapping it up in plastic wrap and refrigerating it for an hour or until ready to roll out is best.  

I use parchment paper with flour when rolling out to exact size needed.

Family Favorite Deep Dish Apple Pie

Prepare your favorite double crust pastry. Place one pastry in bottom of deep dish pie plate with about 3/4" overhang on edge of pie plate. In a large mixing bowl place 6 - 7 large peeled, cored, and thinly sliced apples with 2 t.fresh lemon juice. (Cortland apples are my favorite). In a small mixing bowl combine 1 cup sugar, 1 T. cinnamon, 1/2 t. salt, and 1 heaping T. cornstarch. Once combined, empty into the large mixing bowl of sliced apples and stir to evenly coat. Add 1 t. melted butter, and 1 T. honey and continue stirring. Once thoroughly combined emptying into prepared pastry in deep dish pie plate. Pack apples in bottom taking care to finish with apples mounded high in the center. Place top pastry on evenly and pinch edges together to seal. Brush 1 T. melted butter over top of pastry. Polk top with a fork several time for venting. Place pie dish on cookie sheet and place in a preheated 375 degree oven and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour. After baking let rest on counter top for at least 2 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Note: I love using granulated maple sugar so if you have access to this you can substitute it for the sugar. I have tried using Splenda in place of the sugar and it just is not the same. If you do use Splenda then you will have to use 2 T. cornstarch to avoid a runny pie.