Nutella Swirl Cheesecake Bars {Baking with Sisters, Part 7}

Well, friends, the blogging bug bit me today and I realized I haven't shared with you some of the delicious creations my sisters and I tried out when they were here...over a month ago...

Anyway, just to give you a run-down, here is my evaluation of the pass/fail status of each of the dishes we tried (in no particular order):

1) Nutella Swirl Cheesecake Bars (EPIC SUCCESS! Hence this post- we couldn't stop nibbling at them!)
2) Zucchini Chips (EPIC FAIL...seriously, we ruined two of my cookie sheets)
3) Thai Peanut Sauce Noodles with Veggies and Chicken (MODERATE SUCCESS- veggies were a bit soggier than I had hoped for and the sauce needed something)
4) French Toast Roll-Ups with Nutella and strawberries (SUCCESS- the girls surprised us with these for breakfast and they were to die for!)
5) Sweet Potato and Black Bean Taquitos (SUCCESS- easy, healthy and full of flavor!)
6) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles (EPIC SUCCESS! Thankfully they took half the batch home with them or I would have been an elephant by the end of the week)
7) Honey Mustard Mozzarella Chicken (EPIC SUCCESS! I think this easy recipe has earned a coveted spot on all our dinner rotations)
8) Braided Cinnamon Wreath (EPIC FAIL/SUCCESS- it was atrociously ugly (not at all like the picture) and the dough was incredibly dense (don't know where we went wrong)...but it tasted good!)
9) Traditional English Crumpets (MODERATE SUCCESS- I'm on the fence about these. They were incredibly salty (could the the 3 tsp be a typo?), but toasted and smothered with jam, they are just the thing to nibble on while watching hours (and I do mean hours) of Downton Abbey)
10) Slow Cooker Chicken Tostadas (EPIC SUCCESS- of course almost anything in the taco realm is generally amazing...I used my own recipe for salsa crock-pot chicken which I really should share with you one of these days)

So there you have it. Pretty much our menu for the week. And if you're wondering, yes, I did gain weight.

My lovely sister, Jewelissa, tackling the spreading of the Nutella

But back to the Nutella Bars....oh, my, if you love cheesecake, graham cracker crusts, and Nutella to boot, you will be all over these yummy bars. They're easy too! Or at least I think they were easy. I had 3 helpful young ladies in my kitchen. Oh, well. If you think these look too hard, recruit yourself a few helpful young ladies because seriously, you're going to need someone to help you finish them. Or to state the case more truthfully, you're going to need someone to restrain you from finishing the whole pan yourself. Think of it like a safeguard.

Jessica, looking longingly at bars that still have to cool for. three. hours.

Sally from Sally's Baking Addiction says she thinks the hardest part of these bars is swirling the Nutella (which is rather tongue in cheek since that is not difficult at all really), but I think the hardest part is waiting during the 3 1/2 hrs of chilling time!!!

Oh, and as a side note, Hubby accidently picked up cinnamon flavored grahams for me instead of regular and it added this amazing flavor to the crust! So there's an option for you. Accidental discoveries are the best!

Nutella Swirl Cheesecake Bars

(printable version)

from Sally's Baking Addiction

makes 16 bars

Crust:

12 full sheet graham crackers, finely crushed (or 1.5 cups crumbs)

6 TB melted unsalted butter

1/3 cup sugar

Filling:

16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup Nutella, slightly warmed (makes it easier to swirl)

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8 baking pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.

Make the Crust:

In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Press into lined pan. Bake 5 min. Allow to cool as you prepare the filling.

Make the Filling:

Beat cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla with a hand blender or stand mixer until smooth and creamy, about 3 min. Spoon filling onto the crust and spread out evenly. Drop large spoonfuls of Nutella on top of the filling and swirl gently with a knife.

Bake 30-35 min. or until the cheesecake has set up and the edges are lightly browned. The bars will be very puffy, but will sink slightly as they cool. Allow to cool for 30 min. at room temp. on a wire rack and then chill in the refrigerator at least 3 hours. 

Lift foil out of pan carefully and cut into bars. Store covered in the refrigerator if you have any leftovers (ha!).

Pumpkin Waffles {with Maple Whipped Cream}

So I've come to the conclusion that waffles and whipped cream were meant to be together.

Just typing that is making my mouth water.

Oh, my. We made these amazing waffles last night and they.

Are.

Killer.

Do people say "killer" anymore? Yeah, I usually don't say it much either, but these. Oh, these just are.

Whoever thought to pair maple and pumpkin together is an absolute genius. Those two elements together just scream fall and marry perfectly visually and in your mouth.

DO NOT SKIP THE WHIPPED CREAM.

You would be committing a serious, and I do mean, serious error! The real whipped cream laced with maple just takes these amazingly spicy and pumpkiny (yes, I just invented that, spell check) waffles to a whole new level. And you don't want to miss out on the ride.

Oh, and just for the record, bacon LOOOOVES hanging out with maple and pumpkin.

Just sayin'.

Pumpkin Waffles with Maple Whipped Cream

(printable version)

from Picture Perfect Meals

makes 4-5 waffles (on a round Belgian waffle maker)

For the waffles:

2 cups baking mix (like Bisquick)

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup milk

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 TB unsalted butter, melted

1 TB vegetable oil

1  large egg

For the whipped cream:

1 cup heavy cream

2 TB maple syrup

Lightly grease a waffle maker with some nonstick spray and preheat it according to the manufacturer's directions. 

In a bowl, whisk together baking mix and pumpkin pie spice. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.

In another bowl, combine milk, pumpkin, vanilla, butter, oil and egg. Whisk until smooth. Add to flour mixture and stir until just combined (a few lumps are ok).

Add 3/4-1 cup batter to the waffle maker and close lid. Cook according to the manufacturer's directions. Remove waffle with a fork and keep warm while repeating with remaining batter.

Make the whipped cream: in a chilled bowl with stand mixer or handheld mixer, beat cream with syrup until soft peaks form. Serve with warm waffles and more syrup if desired.

Sourdough Pizza Crust

So you remember how I took that sourdough bread class in October?

Well, I've been faithfully feeding my starter on a {fairly} regular basis and it has grown! Or it had grown. I recently gave a couple of cups away to my sisters in Oregon who want to try their hand at sourdough tending and baking. Now I need to work at building it back up again.

But before I gave some away, I was starting to get quite a jar full. So I decided to try making sourdough pizza crust! Even though my starter isn't super sour, I thought it would make a deliciously flavorful crust. It did! What a yummy change for our Friday pizza nights! The sourdough crust was a great blend of chewy and crisp, with a very subtle but rich flavor. I usually make a whole wheat thin crust, but this new crust will definitely be added to the rotation whenever I need to use up a cup of starter!

It is a little time consuming, but worth the effort! I've heard it said that sourdough is a lazy bread. It needs lots of time to rest in between steps. :) This pizza crust is no exception, but the great thing is that it makes two crusts, so if you are a small family or a couple like us, you can freeze the other crust for next week!

Sourdough Pizza Crust

(printable version)

from King Arthur Flour

makes 2 thin crust 12" pizzas or 1 thicker crust 14" pizza

1 cup sourdough starter (straight from fridge, unfed)

1/2 cup hot tap water

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp instant yeast

Spoon starter into a mixing bowl. Add hot water, flour, salt and yeast. Mix to combine, then knead till smooth and slightly sticky, about 7 minutes at medium speed using a stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Place the kneaded dough in a lightly greased container and allow to rise until just about  doubled in size. This might take 2 to 4 hours, depending on how vigorous your starter is.

For two thinner pizzas, divide the dough in half and shape each half into a flattened disk. Drizzle two round 12 in. pizza pans with olive oil, tilting to coat. Place one half in each pan. Cover and let rest for 15 min.

Gently press dough towards the edges of the pans. When it starts to shrink back, cover and let is rest again, about 15 min. Finish pressing the dough to the edges of the pans.

(For 1 thicker crust pizza, follow directions above without dividing dough in half and using a jelly roll pan or 15 in. pizza pan.)

Cover pan(s), let dough rise until it's as thick as you like (mine was fine without rising any longer, but you may find you want to let yours rise for an hour or more).

Preheat oven to 400.

For thin crust, prebake the crust about 4 min. before topping. Top, then bake until cheese is bubbly, about 8 min. For thicker crust, prebake about 8 min. Top, then bake about 10 more minutes.

Remove from oven, let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Quiche with Ham & Kale

I truly love just about anything that come wrapped in a flaky pie crust, but quiche is a weakness.

Of course it helps that I absolutely adore eggs. And cheese. And crust. Did I mention crust?

My idea of a perfect brunch would be a piping hot, flaky-crusted quiche with a colorful array of fresh fruit. I don't make quiche often because it's not super healthy, but once in awhile it's fun to splurge, especially when you have leftover ham and kale, not to mention a bit of Gruyere cheese!

So that's exactly what I did. I followed a recipe for a basic quiche, using my mom's pie crust recipe, then tossed in my cubed leftover Easter ham, some sautéed kale and the mellow cheese.

It was fantastic! The kale retained a bit of it's texture, while the ham and cheese lent a delicious saltiness to the rich egg custard. Oh, and as always, mom's pie crust turned out to be the best part!

Tip: I used my tart pan instead of a pie plate because it's so pretty and easy for serving, but that left me with a bit of extra dough and filling. I simply used the extra to make a small quiche in one of my 14 oz. ramekins! It was great for leftovers!

Quiche with Ham & Kale

(printable version)

adapted from Real Simple

serves 4-6

1 9 in. pie crust (your favorite or mine)

1 TB olive oil

1 med. onion, chopped

salt and pepper

4 large eggs

3/4 cup half and half

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

2 cups chopped kale

1 cup cooked ham, cubed

Heat oven to 375. Fit the crust into a 9 in. pie plate (or tart pan- deep dish would work well). Place on a baking sheet (in case it spills over!).

Heat oil in a large skillet over med-low heat. Add the onions and a 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Stir occasionally and cook until soft, about 5 min. Add kale and saute several additional minutes or until kale is slightly wilted.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half & half and nutmeg. Stir in cheese and ham, followed by the onion/kale mixture.

Pour the egg mixture into the crust. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-45 min. Let sit for 5 min before serving.

Orange Shortbread {Sunshine Cookies}

You know those days when you're feeling a little blue and the sky has been gray for so long, then all of the sudden, the clouds part and you're bathed in glorious sunshine pouring through your kitchen window or your car window? 

Suddenly the world looks a little brighter (maybe literally, right?), the rays warm your skin and it's as if Someone sprinkled you with a little dose of happiness. 

Could you take that feeling, that experience, and put it in a cookie? 

Why yes. Yes, you can.

Allow me to introduce you to what I've dubbed "Sunshine Cookies"- delectable, buttery shortbread infused with edible sunshine (also known as orange zest) and rolled in sparkles (also known as sugar).

These cookies are perfect for spring or summer gatherings or even on a dreary winter day when you're simply in need of some pseudo-sunshine to perk you up!

Orange Shortbread

(printable version)

from Bake-Aholic

makes about 3 1/2 dozen

3/4 lb. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

zest of 2 large oranges

3 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar mixed with the zest of 1 additional orange (for rolling)

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together butter and sugar until just combined. Add vanilla and orange zest. 

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until dough starts to come together (it will be very crumbly). Finish mixing with your hands if necessary.

Dump onto surface dusted lightly with flour and roll the dough into 2 logs about 2 in. in diameter. On a large plate or cookie sheet, sprinkle the combined 1/2 cup of sugar and zest of 1 orange. Roll each log in the sugar mixture and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 min.

Preheat oven to 350. Slice each log into 1/4 in. slices. Bake on parchment paper or silpat lined baking sheets for 12-15 min.- unti the edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Store, tightly covered, at room temp.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars {Baking with Sisters, Part 6}

When planning our "baking together" menu, the girls and I knew we needed one special treat that would be over the top. As we scrolled through the yummies on our Pinterest boards, the one recipe that kept calling "pick me!" (okay to be honest there were about 20 calling that, but we only had so much time you know!) was the one for Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars.

Do you see why? With such a promising name, along with a scrumptious, caramel-drizzled photo from The Girl Who Ate Everything, how could we resist?

We decided not to.

It may sound like a fall dessert, but you can typically get Granny Smith apples and Hershey's caramel sauce anytime of year in America.

And Starbucks Iced Coffee, apparently...

We've provided chilly weather, dismal outdoor scenes, a cozy indoor environment and four (no make that five with Hubby...or maybe he counts as two...) healthy appetites...who really needs leaves floating down from trees?

Anyway, we decided it sounded perfect, fall or no.

The recipe was perfectly divided into four parts for us- Crust, Cheesecake Filling, Apples, and Streusel Topping. Oh and for the record, my computer is trying to tell me that streusel is not a word. How about substituting "stressful"? Thanks for the help, but no. No Stressful Topping for me, thank you. The thought of the calories is stressful enough. A little more stress sprinkled on top? No. Streusel will be just fine.

See? Streusel. Not Stressful.

But I'm getting off topic.

Working beautifully as a team, of course, we assigned ourselves each a role.

I made the crust...

Jessica manned the KitchenAid (a new experience for her!) to make the cheesecake filling...

Jewelissa chopped the apples and added spices (the girls had a blast with my "amazing" apple peeler!!)...

Armed and dangerous...to apples, of course.

...and Janell ground out a beautiful streusel topping!

Four hands (oh wait, that's eight hands) sure made the load lighter and the time in the kitchen immensely more fun and the bars were assembled in no time! We played cards while it was baking and lovely smells were wafting out of the kitchen before long.

A game of "Nerds", anyone?

Now the recipe advises chilling the bars and serving them cold, and surely you should store them cold, but don't pass up an opportunity to sneak few bites while they are warm! We certainly couldn't wait and practically before the lid was on the caramel jar little (okay, large) warm forkfuls were disappearing.

Conclusion? The layers of buttery crust, creamy, sweet cheesecake, bursts of tart apple and cinnamon and crumbly topping, all finished off with a drizzle of delectable caramel are simply irresistible. Add the fun of goofing off in the kitchen with your three sweet, adorable and silly sisters, and you're in heaven!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

(printable version)

adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

makes about 16 bars

Crust:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup butter, softened

Cheesecake Filling:

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 lg. eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Apples:

3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 TB sugar

Streusel Topping:

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup butter, softened

Drizzle:

1/2 cup caramel topping

Preheat oven to 350.

Crust: In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 pan lined with foil and lightly greased. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cheesecake Filling: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust, spreading evenly.

Apples: In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, sugar and spices. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture.

Streusel Topping: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, using a pastry blender or your hands to get everything very well incorporated. Sprinkle over top of apples.

Bake bars 40-45 min. or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool. Serve room temperature or cold. Store in refrigerator.

Soft Pretzel Bites {Baking with Sisters, Part 5}

One of the things my sisters and I love to do together is shop. We all have different shopping styles. Jewel and Janell tend to be zippy shoppers, casing the store in a matter of minutes and assessing the merchandise instantly, spending the rest of the time waiting on a bench outside sipping lattes. I take a little more time, not wanting to miss any item on a sale rack, touching all the pretty fabric I know I can't afford, and stockpiling "maybes"- leery of having to take more than one trip to the fitting room. Jessica is a champion browser, circling the store numerous times to be sure nothing has escaped her notice and deliberating over the question of "to buy or not to buy." Although our styles of shopping differ greatly, there is one thing we always agree on when we make trips to the mall.

Pretzels. There's nothing quite like the aroma of a soft, buttery pretzel after the "hard work" of shopping. Or sometimes it's just the fuel you need to get you in "the zone." Whether enjoyed before, after or during the shopping trip, a mall pretzel is a necessary addition to any girl's day out!

However, this time around, we didn't end up having the time to make the hour-long trek to Spokane for our shopping day, so we decided the pretzels would come to us- in the form of homemade soft pretzel bites!

Teamwork made the task easy and fun and the end result was a delicious pile of warm, chewy, buttery, salty bites of pretzely goodness!

Once the dough was made, Jewel scooped spoonfuls of the bites into boiling baking soda water.

Janell slathered melted butter on the bathed bites and Jessica sprinkled them with Kosher salt.

Then into the oven they went! When they came out we slathered on a little more melted butter for good measure and popped them into our waiting mouths- so delicious! They were the perfect snack to go with an afternoon of Downton Abbey and a hair curling party!!

*Note: we tried dipping our bites in melted Velveeta, but it didn't work so well, so please follow the link to "Smells Like Home" to find a recipe for a homemade cheese dipping sauce!

Soft Pretzel Bites
(printable version)

from Smells Like Home

makes a lot!

1 1/2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)

1 TB sugar

2 tsp Kosher salt

2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

approx. 4 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup butter, melted

oil

10 cups water (plus more)

2/3 cup baking soda (plus more)

2 TB butter, melted

more salt (for sprinkling)

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix water, sugar, salt and yeast on low speed for 10 seconds. Switch to the dough hook and add the butter and flour. Mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, 4 to 5 minutes. If necessary to prevent sticking, add more flour 1 TB at a time. Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and transfer to a well-oiled bowl. Turn dough to coat. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm place for 50-55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 425. Grease 2 large baking sheets or line with parchment paper. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and baking soda to a rolling boil in a wide saucepan.

In the meantime, turn the dough onto a lightly oiled surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 24 in. rope. Slice each rope into 1 in. pieces. Place a slightly damp towel over pretzel pieces to prevent them from drying out while you cut the other pieces.

Using a slotted spoon, lower a handful of the pretzel pieces into the water and boil them for about 30 sec., flipping them around in the water with the spoon a couple of times. Remove the pieces from the water with the spoon and drain them on towels as best you can. Place them on the baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, adding more water and a pinch or so more of baking soda as needed (some of the water will boil away as you work).

Brush the top of each pretzel with melted butter and sprinkle with salt. Bake until dark golden brown, approx. 10-12 min. Brush with remaining butter before serving. Serve warm.

Nutty Irishman Cookies

Cookies with cute names are just more fun, don't you think? I sure do! This little cookies not only lay claim to an adorable name- they pack a lot of flavor!

If you've ever had a "Nutty Irishman" coffee drink from your local coffee shop you know that it is the sweet combination of Irish Cream and Hazelnut (I'm familiar with the non-alcoholic version using flavored syrups, but apparently you can use real Irish Cream and hazelnut liqueur). Well, I've taken that idea, along with an inspiration from Hershey's Kitchens, and twisted it into a delicious cookie form!

The base cookie itself is a fudgy chocolate variation on a sugar cookie infused with coffee and Irish cream and hazelnut syrups. The frosting itself gets a boost from the Irish cream and then the cookies are finished off with a sprinkling of chopped nuts. The result is a decadent delight in which all the principal flavors shine through!

And here's an added bonus: if you don't have any Irish cream syrup on hand (which I didn't), I found a great DIY recipe that tastes fantastic! Plus, you'll have a lot left over to add to your coffee come Sunday morning!

So, Irish or not, add a little nuttiness to your life with these pretty, scrumptiously festive cookies!

Nutty Irishman Cookies

(printable version)

inspired by Hershey's Kitchens

makes about 40 cookies

Cookies: 

3 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 cup butter flavored Crisco (or margarine)

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 TB Irish cream flavored coffee syrup

1 TB hazelnut flavored coffee syrup

1 tsp instant coffee

1 tsp hot water

Frosting: 

2 cups powdered sugar

3 TB butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 TB Irish cream flavored coffee syrup

1-2 TB milk

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

Preheat oven to 400.

Dissolve instant coffee in hot water; set aside.

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder together; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together Crisco and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla, coffee syrups and dissolved coffee.

Gradually blend in the dry ingredients until fully absorbed.

Using cookie scoop or teaspoon, form 1 in. balls of dough and place about 2 in. apart on a cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Bake 6 min. Cool on sheet 2 min., then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make frosting: Combine all frosting ingredients and beat with electric mixer until smooth and spreadable, adding more milk if necessary to reach desired consistency.

When cookies are cooled (about 20 min.), frost and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Frosting will set up, then cookies can be stacked for storing.

Irish Soda Bread

Top o' the morning to you! Though I can really only lay claim to a wee drop of Irish blood on my mother's side, there's still a part of me that enjoys taking part in the St. Patty's Day celebration of all things Irish. I don't typically do much in the way of traditional Irish cooking, but I am intrigued by it.One recipe I knew I wanted to try was soda bread, which derives its name from the baking soda used as leavening.

I had never tried soda bread, but it is wonderful! A sturdy quick bread, slightly sweet with a hearty whole wheat flavor and studded with juicy raisins, it only took me a few minutes to pop it into the oven. I love the rustic looking craggy crust, the crunchy exterior and the soft and chewy inside. It is delicious warm with butter, and I'm sure it would be great toasted, cold, or as a fantastic accompaniment to some good ol' Irish stew!


Suggested Pairings:
Slow Cooker Sausage and Lentil Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken and Barley Soup
Crock-Pot Beefy Cabbage Soup
Hearty Beef and Cabbage Soup

Irish Soda Bread

(printable version)

makes one round loaf

from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

2 cups white flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 TB sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

4 TB butter

1 cup raisins (or dried cranberries, golden raisins, currants, etc)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425. Lightly grease cast iron skillet or baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix flours, sugar, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or criss-crossed knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in raisins.

Make a well in the center of flour mixture. Pour in egg and buttermilk and mix with a wooden spoon until dough becomes too stiff to mix.

Coat hands with flour and knead dough in bowl just until it forms a rough ball.

Transfer dough to pan or skillet and shape into a round loaf. Using a serrated knife, make a deep "X" in the top of the loaf.

Bake 35-40 min. or until loaf is deeply browned and bottom sounds hollow when tapped with a knife.

Serve bread warm, at room temp., or toasted with butter or cream cheese.

Muddy Buddies {Baking with Sisters, Part 4}

Some of you may remember a 3-part series I did last year called "Baking with Sisters"- well, I'm adding to it! It has become a tradition for my four sisters and I to have a get-together every year (I think this was our fourth year) and no sister time is complete without getting into the kitchen and trying out some new recipes.

In this instance, however, it isn't a new recipe, but rather an old one, and one you likely know well. We call it "Muddy Buddies" but some may know it as "Puppy Chow". This is the original Chex version that we grew up with and it is a classic that holds its own! How can you go wrong mixing creamy peanut butter, smooth chocolate, crunchy cereal and a dusting of powdered sugar? It's the ultimate sweet snack that's perfect paired with a chic flick or a Downton Abbey marathon!

Two of my sisters, of course, fought over who got to "shake the bag" (the fun part!!) so we divided it in half.

If you've never given this classic favorite a try, there's no time like the present to make some culinary memories with your kids (or sisters)! It comes together in a matter of minutes and will certainly satisfy your sweet-tooth snack craving!

Chex Muddy Buddies

(printable version)

from Betty Crocker

makes a lot

9 cups Chex cereal (feel free to mix varieties)

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Measure cereal into a large bowl.

Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave 1 min. Stir. Microwave about 30 sec. longer or until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Pour mixture over cereal and stir until evenly coated.

Pour into resealable 2 gal. plastic bag (or two 1 gal. bags). Pour in powdered sugar, seal bag, and shake until all pieces are coated. When cool, store in an airtight container.

21 Scrumptious Cookies and Other Goodies for Christmas

In case you haven't been inundated with enough recipes for Christmas goodies already, I'd like to share a few of my favorites with you!

Apple Pie Bars

Best Ever Cream Cheese Cookies

Buckeye Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Cappuccino Fudge

Caramel Apple Crumble Bars

Chewy Chocolate Cinnamon Cookies

Chocolate Coffee Cookies

Coffee and Cream Drops

Double Chocolate Mint Cookies

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Minty Frosted Brownies

Nutella Cinnamon Rolls

Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

Petite Vanilla Scones

Pumpkin Molasses Cookies

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Reese's Peanut Butter Temptations

Soft and Chewy Vanilla Butter Cookies

Soft Ginger Cookies

Spiced Baked Cake Donuts

Spritz Cookies

Reese's Peanut Butter Temptations

There was never a truer name for a cookie. Temptation is right.

Be prepared to either gain a few pounds or exercise extreme forms of self-control.

Now that I have duly warned you, you are in for a treat. Packaged up in a delightful wrapping of peanut butter cookie dough, you'll find a miniature melty, of-course-always-amazing-no-matter-how-you-dress-it-up Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Yep. Right there in the middle of a cookie.

Genius, you say? So do I.

I was first introduced to these little gems as a young girl by an older lady on our street named Romayne, who took my siblings and I under her wing as her adopted grand kids. She refers to herself simply as "Grandma Ro" and we are blessed to know her- not only because she is as sweet and grandmotherly as they come, but because she is an amazing cook! After learning that these peanut butter cup cookies earned her accolades at the local county fair, it was with great boldness I asked for the recipe. She was gracious enough to share and I'll be forever grateful! I don't think a Christmas has gone by since then where I have not baked these delectable treats.

You won't regret trying these (unless of course you're on a diet- maybe not even then) for your holiday party or family gathering this year- they're sure to be a hit and may even become your family's new tradition!

Reese's Peanut Butter Temptations

(printable version)

by Hershey's (and Grandma Ro)

makes 40-60 cookies

40-60 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures (make sure you have enough!)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375. Remove wrappers from candies. If desired, line mini muffin cups with paper baking cups. Otherwise, grease lightly.

In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, peanut butter, egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. 

Shape dough into 1 inch balls; place one in each prepared muffin cup. Do not flatten.

Bake 9-10 min. or until puffed and lightly browned; remove from oven. Immediately press peanut butter cup into each cookie. Cool at least 5 minutes in muffin tin, then remove carefully to cool completely.