Harry Potter Butterbeer Cookies

MJ made these last week and they were pretty delicious...

• 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp butter flavoring
• 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, set aside.
3. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg, butter flavoring, and vanilla; mix until well-blended.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom. (The dough will be quite thick…you may need to knead in stray bits of flour from the bottom of the bowl by hand.)
5. Roll on a floured surface to about 1/4″ and cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 9-12 minutes, depending on the size of your cutter. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

(or just drop that dough lazily like we did!)

Butterbeer Glaze

• 2/3 cup butterscotch chips
• 1/8 cup evaporated milk
• 1 TBSP light corn syrup
• pinch coarse salt

1. Place all of the ingredients in a glass or metal bowl and heat over a pot of simmering water (or a double boiler).  Stir occasionally, until melted and smooth.
2.  Put the cooled cookies on a wire rack on a baking sheet.  Pour the glaze over the cookies and spread with an offset spatula.

Or do what we did and just throw all that in the microwave and let it melt!  That worked fine too.

Furr's Cafeteria Butter Chess Pie

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

I loved going to Furr's when I was a kid, and this was always my very favorite dessert there. I am so happy to have the recipe. I made it for Easter and it was a big hit.

2 cups sugar

2 T flour

5 large eggs, lightly beaten

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell

Combine sugar and flour in a large bowl; add eggs and buttermilk, stirring until blended. Stir in butter and vanilla extract, and pour into unbaked pastry shell. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until set. Cool in a wire rack. Check for doneness after the minimum baking time by gently shaking the pie. The center should be set with a slight jiggle.

Avalanche Bars

Avalanche Bars

12 oz bag of White Chocolate Chips

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3 cups Rice Krispies

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips + 2 Tbsp for garnish.

Lightly grease a 9×9 pan (or 8×8 if you prefer thicker bars)

1. In microwave-safe bowl dump in white chips and heat on med power for 1 minute. Stir and continue in 30 second increments until chips are melted.

2. Combine the peanut butter with the melted chips

3. Add the krispies.

4. Let cool approx 15 – 20 minutes stirring every 5 minutes or so to help cool.

5. Add the marshmallows and the mini chocolate chips and stir to combine.

6. Dump mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly, pressing lightly with the back of your spoon, but do not compact too much, otherwise they will get hard.

7. Press the remaining chocolate chips into the top for garnish.

When the bars are completely cooled cut into squares and enjoy!

These will be the only avalanche that I will ever love

Chubby Hubby Bars

I must try this recipe from cookiesandcups.com:
Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temp
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pretzels
• 1 (8oz) bag of Reese’s Mini cups (or 2 cups coarsely chopped full sized Reese’s)
• 1 (14 oz) bag of caramels, unwrapped
• 1 Tbsp water
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Spray a 9×13 pan lightly with cooking spray.
3. Beat together your butter and sugars until light and fluffy, approx 1 min.
4. Add eggs and vanilla, mix until incorporated.
5. On low speed add in your salt, baking soda and flour, mixing until just combined.
6. Slowly add in your Reeses and Pretzels, mixing until evenly distributed.
7. Spread in your prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes.
8. Let cool completely. Approx 30 minutes to an hour.
9. When cooled, melt your caramels and 1 Tbsp water in a microwave safe bowl stirring every minute until melted.
10. Pour over your bars.
11. Chill in fridge for 15 minutes to set caramel.
12. Melt your chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave and spread over caramel.
13. Put back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.
14. Cut into squares when ready to serve.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Topping

Ingredients

• CRUST:
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• FILLING:
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• TOPPING:
• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 pecan halves

Directions

1. Combine crust ingredients. Press into bottom of a 9-in. springform pan; chill.
2. For filling, beat cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, spices and salt. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Pour into crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, for topping, combine sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Spread over filling; return to the oven for 5 minutes. Cool on rack; chill overnight. Garnish each slice with a pecan half.

Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter or grease one 10x15 inch jelly roll pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, blend together the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin. In a separate bowl, mix together flour and baking soda. Add to pumpkin mixture and blend until smooth. Evenly spread the mixture over the prepared jelly roll pan.
3. Bake 15 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.
4. Remove cake from pan and place on tea towel (cotton, not terry cloth). Roll up the cake by rolling a towel inside cake and place seam side down to cool.
5. Prepare the frosting by blending together the butter, cream cheese, confectioners sugar, and vanilla.
6. When cake is completely cooled, unroll and spread with cream cheese filling. Roll up again without towel. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Sprinkle top with confectioners sugar and slice into 8-10 servings.

Crumb Topped Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bites

Crumb Crust
2 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. uncooked regular oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. finely chopped pecans (or walnuts)
3/4 c. butter, melted
Combine flour, sugar, oats, salt, and nuts in a medium bowl. Add melted butter and
combine with hands until mixture is coarse and crumbly.
For mini tarts, drop a generous teaspoon of mixture into each hole;
for cupcake-sized tarts, line a tin with foil
cupcake liners and drop a generous tablespoon into each liner. Press down.
Use
leftover mixture to sprinkle on tarts before baking.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling
1 small can pumpkin
2 8-oz. packages cream cheese (light works great), softened
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Combine pumpkin, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add eggs and seasoning and mix completely. Spoon into prepared crust (1 Tbsp. for
minis, 2 generous Tbsp. for regulars) and
sprinkle with reserved topping. Bake at 350;
for mini tarts, bake for about 15 minutes. For the regular tarts, bake closer to 20. If
you'd like the crumb topping a little darker, you can turn the broiler on for a few
minutes, but you have to keep a close eye on them because they will literally burn in a
few seconds.
Allow to cool completely and then refrigerate for at LEAST 24 hours. Run a knife around
the edge of each tart to loosen and then gently pop out with the knife. Serve with
sweetened whipped cream if desired.
Makes 12 regulars and 24 minis or 2 pans of each.

Pumpkin Cookies by Stephanie Doll Dunklee

1 C Shortening
2 C Sugar
2 eggs
4 C Flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 C Pumpkin (or applesauce)
3 C Chocolate Chips

Cream Sugar and Shortening. Mix in eggs. Add all dry ingredients and mix well (dough will be crumbly)
Add pumpkin and mix well. Add Chocolate Chips. Drop onto cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes at 375*. Makes about 5-6 dozen

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3 c. sugar
6 large eggs
3 c. flour
1/8 t. salt
1T vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.

Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Spoon batter into greased and floured 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.

Bake at 300 for 1 hour and 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely.

Zucchini Ice Cream

So after a conversation with my friend Deanna, I set off to make zucchini ice cream on a whim. I was looking for something that could translate the taste of zucchini bread, and this one definitely hit the mark. When I told people what they were eating, they didn't believe me. It was a great use of zucchini, and definitely something we will make again!

Ingredients:

• Milk, whole - 1 1/4 cup (200 ml)
• Cream - 1 1/2 cups (355 ml)
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp (5 ml)
• Sugar - 1/2 cup (100 grams)
• Cinnamon - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp
• Zucchini, grated (all except the seedy center) - 1 1/4 cup (190 grams)
• Walnuts, finely chopped (optional) - 2/3 cup (50 grams)

Procedure:

• Place all the ingredients (except the walnuts) in a saucepan and simmer until the zucchini is just tender but not mushy.
• Place the pan in an ice water bath and cool completely.
• Add the walnuts if desired.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions for your ice cream maker or:
• Pour the mixture into a flat metal baking pan and freeze.
• Once frozen the ice cream can be served, or stored for future use:
• Transfer the ice cream into an airtight container and return to the freezer.

Flan

This is my favorite flan recipe. So easy to make and always a hit.

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
4 ounces cream cheese (optional)
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup sugar

In a blender, combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, cream cheese (if desired), eggs, and vanilla and blend until well mixed. Sprinkle sugar over the bottom of a heavy frying pan. Place over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts and starts to turn golden brown. (Watch carefully! Sugar burns easily at this point.) Pour caramelized sugar into an 8-inch round cake pan, tilting to coat bottom completely. Carefully pour the mixture from the blender over the sugar. Place the pan in a larger baking pan and fill the larger pan with water to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 300 degrees for 35-50 minutes or until the sides are firm and top is lightly browned. Let cool and flip pan upside down on a plate to serve.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3 c. sugar
6 large eggs
3 c. flour
1/8 t. salt
1T vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.

Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Spoon batter into greased and floured 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.

Bake at 300 for 1 hour and 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely.

Pumpkin Bars by April Gustafson

2 C flour
1 1/2 C Sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cloves
1 16 oz can pumpkin
1 C cooking oil
1-2 C chocolate chips (optional)

Combine dry ingredients. Stir in eggs, pumpkin and oil until thoroughly combined. Fold
in chocolate chips. Spread in an ungreased 15x10x1 inch pan. Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes
or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a rack.
Frost with cream cheese frosting if you omitted the chocolate chips.
(For APPLESAUCE bars, prepare as above except use 16oz can of applesauce instead of pumpkin

Crumb-Topped Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

Crumb Crust
2 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. uncooked regular oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. finely chopped pecans (or walnuts)
3/4 c. butter, melted
Combine flour, sugar, oats, salt, and nuts in a medium bowl. Add melted butter and
combine with hands until mixture is coarse and crumbly.
For mini tarts, drop a generous teaspoon of mixture into each hole;
for cupcake-sized tarts, line a tin with foil
cupcake liners and drop a generous tablespoon into each liner. Press down.
Use
leftover mixture to sprinkle on tarts before baking.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling
1 small can pumpkin
2 8-oz. packages cream cheese (light works great), softened
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Combine pumpkin, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add eggs and seasoning and mix completely. Spoon into prepared crust (1 Tbsp. for
minis, 2 generous Tbsp. for regulars) and
sprinkle with reserved topping. Bake at 350;
for mini tarts, bake for about 15 minutes. For the regular tarts, bake closer to 20. If
you'd like the crumb topping a little darker, you can turn the broiler on for a few
minutes, but you have to keep a close eye on them because they will literally burn in a
few seconds.
Allow to cool completely and then refrigerate for at LEAST 24 hours. Run a knife around
the edge of each tart to loosen and then gently pop out with the knife. Serve with
sweetened whipped cream if desired.
Makes 12 regulars and 24 minis or 2 pans of each.

Butter Pecan Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

3 1/2 ounces pecan halves, toasted (1 cup)
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Break each pecan half into 2 or 3 pieces. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until pale. With mixer running, add vanilla and salt, then reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour, beating until just incorporated. Stir in pecans until distributed evenly. Cover dough, and refrigerate until firm, 15 minutes (or overnight; let dough come to room temperature before using).
Drop 2-tablespoon scoops of dough onto baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges of cookies are golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool. (Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 2 days.) Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving. 

Gluten Free Layer Bars

Ingredients

• 7 ounces flaked coconut
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 8 ounces unsalted peanuts
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C ). Generously grease one 13x9 inch baking pan.
2. Spread 2/3 of the flaked coconut evenly on the bottom of the baking pan. Sprinkle the butterscotch morsel, chocolate chips, and peanuts evenly over the coconut layer. Pour condensed milk evenly over the whole pan. Top with sliced almonds and remaining coconut. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Apple Cake

6 apples, peeled and diced (2 cups)
1 egg
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
3/4 c. pecans
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil or Crisco
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. salt
1 t. soda

Cover apples with sugar. Let stand. Combine the rest of the ingredients and then mix in with apples. Bake in a 9x13 pan or loaf pans at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour.Glaze:2 T. shortening1/2 c. packed brown sugar2 T creamdash salt1 t. corn syrupCombine. Bring to rolling boil. Remove and cool slightly. Pour over warm cake. Spread evenly.Great using rehydrated dried apples from the cannery.

Pink Fluff by Anne-Marie

1 small box Vanilla (cook to serve) pudding
1 small box Tapicoa (cook to serve) pudding
1 small box Strawberry - or whatever fruit flavor (cook to serve) jello
3 cups water
12 oz Cool Whip
2 pints Stawberries (or whatever fruit you go with)

Bring water to boil on stove, empty contents of vanilla, tapioca and jello into the boiling water and stir. Keep stirring until it boils again, then pour contents into a bowl, let cool for 30 mins and then put in the fridge overnight.Next day, add sliced fruit and Cool Whip. Mix together and serve.You'll want to add the fruit and Cool Whip just before serving.