No Bake Cookies (my version)

I had a hankering to bake something last night but knew I probably wouldn't have all the ingredients to make anything.....because I had no eggs. I flipped thru my cookbook anyway and finally found something that doesn't take eggs, No Bake Cookies. As I looked thru the ingredients list I saw they needed cocoa, didn't have this either. I decided to go ahead and make them anyway and they would just be peanut butter no bake cookies. :) I was actually excited not to have to turn my oven on too because after making supper my kitchen was hot.

I gathered the ingredients and got to work. These are probably some of the easiest things to make and have a delicious outcome.

When it was all mixed I gathered some in a spoon, formed it into a ball and dropped it onto wax paper and waited for them to cool before eating. They taste just like regular no bake cookies but without the chocolate taste. Yum!

No Bake Cookies
Source: My local American Legion cookbook

Ingredients
2 cups Sugar
1/4 cup Cocoa (I excluded)
1/2 cup Chunky Peanut Butter
1/4 tbs Butter
1 tbs Vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 cup Milk
3 cups Quick Oats

Directions
Mix in pan: Sugar, Cocoa, Milk & Butter. Set on medium heat and cook until it starts to boil. Remove from heat and cool for 1 minute. Add Vanilla, Salt, Peanut Butter and Oats. Stir well, let cool. Drop onto waxed paper and let set to dry.

Snickers Pie

Last night we ate supper at Brandon's aunt & uncle's and I wanted to take a dessert. I came across this recipe over on Heather Drive and thought it would be great to take. Plus it didn't take long to prepare so I could do it quick when I got home from work. It's called Snickers Pie and even though it doesn't have any snickers in it, it tastes almost like one.....oh and did I mention it's DELICIOUS!!! Seriously you have to try it, even just once to see how yummy it is.

Snickers Pie
(Source: Heather Drive)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups vanilla frozen yogurt, softened

1 cup fat-free whipped topping (like Cool Whip)
1 small box fat-free, sugar-free instant chocolate pudding mix
1/4 cup reduced fat peanut butter (chunky)
3 oz. Grape Nuts cereal
Hershey's Lite Chocolate Syrup, for drizzling
(I actually didn't use much fat free stuff so mine wasn't as healthy as hers.)

Directions:
1. Microwave peanut butter for 20-30 seconds to soften it enough to stir easily.

2. Combine all ingredients (except chocolate syrup), and mix together well. Pour into 8" dish. Freeze for 20-30 minutes.
3. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Jazz it up with a few extra dollops of whipped topping, and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, etc.
4. Freeze until ready to serve. Remove from freezer 5-10 minutes before serving

The mix before putting into the pan.

Going into the freezer

 

Thanksgiving Recap

I'm finally getting around to my Thanksgiving recap...and recipe sharing! We had Brandon's side of the family over for dinner so there were 8 people in our little house. It actually went very well and the food was delicous!! Brandon did the turkey and I made pumpkin cheesecake bars and sweet potato casserole. We later went to visit his grandma at the nursing home. She's not doing very well and they've called in hospice so we wanted to see her since her days are probably numbered. Later that evening we went to my parent's house for supper. It was a nice day but very tiring...I don't know that I'd like to have holidays at my house every year.

Here's the 2 recipes you've been waiting for!

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
(Source: Kraft)

Ingredients
25 Nabisco Ginger Snaps, finely crushed (about 1-1/2 cups) (I actually used some broken graham crackers...probably didn't taste the same)
1/2 cup finely chopped Planters Pecans
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash ground cloves

Directions
Heat oven to 325°F

Mix crumbs, nuts and butter; press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 13x9-inch pan.
Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each just until blended. Remove 1-1/2 cups batter. Stir remaining sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter.
Spoon half the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half the plain batter. Repeat layers; swirl with knife.
Bake 45 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours.

It's delicous!!

(sorry about the half eaten pic, I had just remembered I needed to take one)

I actually saw the recipe for sweet potato casserole from a girl on the Project Wedding website and decided I would try it. It's different because instead of putting marshamallows on top you make a pecan topping. Let me tell you, it's way better this way!! I'll never do the marshmallows again.

Sweet Potato Casserole
(Source: brianne2009)

Ingredients
Filling
3 c sweet potatoes
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c butter
1/4 c evaporated milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Topping
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c flour
1 c pecans
1/3 c softened butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 350
Blend filling ingredients together and spread in baking dish
Stir topping together and spread on top of filling.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Forgot to take pic of this. :(

Better than Sex Cake

I made this last night for dessert. I had gotten the recipe from a friend at my bridal shower. Yummy! No pic, sorry :(

Better than Sex Cake
(Source: Friend)

Ingredients:
1 box Devils Food cake mix
1 jar caramel ice cream topping
1 can sweetened & condensed milk
1 container cool whip
1 Heath Toffee Bar (crushed) *I used Heath baking bits*

Directions:
Bake cake as directed, While warm immediately poke several holes in cake with the top of a wooden spoon or something round.
Pour can of sweetened & condensed milk and caramel over cake.
Allow to cool completely.
Spread cool whip over cake & sprinkle with candy bar & refrigerate.

Banana Bread

Last night for dessert I decided I'd try #48 on my 101 list. I got the recipe out of an amish cookbook I was given for the wedding.

All mixed & ready to be put in the pan.

Ready to be eaten!!

Banana Bread

(Source: Anonymous)

Ingredients:

2 Eggs

3 Mashed Bananas

1 Cup Sugar

2 Cups Flour

Pinch of salt

1 tsp. baking soda

Directions:

Mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Peanut Butter Cookies

I decided last night I wanted to bake something. My grandma had given me a handwritten cookbook for our wedding so I flipped thru it & found these that were very easy to make. It had come from my great grandpa! They didn't turn out perfect but they satisfied my baking urge. lol

Peanut Butter Cookies
(Source: Great grandpa)

Ingredients: (we actually doubled the recipe)
1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
(we also added some maple syrup)

Directions:
Beat egg in bowl, add peanut butter & sugar & mix all together. Drop cookie balls onto cookie sheet, Bake @ 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

My version of Tollhouse Pie

Yesterday we were going to have dinner with my family then get some pictures taken. I decided that I wanted to take something and this pie looked pretty easy. I got the recipe over at Heather Drive. After I had started making it, I realized I didn't have any chocolate chips. So, rather than going to the store, I improvized and used 2 cubes out of a chocolate block I had. Then, I thought well maybe it'll be good with peanut butter so I put in 2 spoons of creamy p.b. Overall, I thought it tasted really good & I got good feedback from my family...however, it's more of a brownie in a pie crust rather than a pie.

Toll House Pie
Source: (Heather Drive...her source All Recipes.com)

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used 2 cubes from a chocolate bark block)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie (you can use any crust you like, or even a store-bought one, like a graham cracker or chocolate crust)
(I also put 2 spoons of peanut butter in mine)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Add the flour, white sugar and brown sugar; beat until well blended. Blend in the melted butter.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour batter into one unbaked 9 inch pie shell.
4. Bake for 1 hour. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

Chocolate Cake Cookie Sandwiches

Last night for supper since I had decided to try the Buffalo Chicken dip, I also wanted to make a new dessert. Of course I turned to my trusty Heather Drive. I really like the recipes she tries. I found this one that I thought would be easy & tasteful. Unfortunately, my frosting turned out way too thin so we just kind of used it for a dip rather than frosting in between cookies. Trial & error I guess! Maybe it'll work better next time.

Batter mixed up

After being baked & cooling

Chocolate Cake Cookie Sandwiches

Source: Heather Drive

Ingredients:

For cookies:

1 package chocolate cake mix

1 egg, at room temperature

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature


For frosting:

3/4 cup butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2-3 tsp milk



Directions:

1. To make cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with wax paper.

2. In mixing bowl, combine cake mix, egg, & butter. Beat on low speed until just combined & all ingredients have been incorporated.

3. Roll the dough into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls, place on the prepared baking sheets & press down to slightly flatten. (I did not do this, I just used my cookie scoop & tried to get as many equal sizes as possible.)

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the cookie sheets.

5. To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the powdered sugar, & beat until incorporated. Add vanilla extract & beat on medium speed until fully incorporated. Add 2 tablespoons of milk & beat on medium-high speed until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add the remaining tablespoon of milk & beat until incorporated. (I do not have a stand mixer so I just mixed mine together with a spoon...maybe that's why it didn't come out right.)

6. To assemble, pair the cookies based on size on a work surface. Frost the flat side of one cookie from each pair. Place the other cookie of each pair on top of the frosting, flat side down. Lightly press down so that the frosting reaches the edges of the cookies.

7. To decorate, place sprinkles in a small bowl. Dip the sides of each cookie in the sprinkles, pressing down gently & rotating to cover the sides completely.

How they are supposed to look