Rich peanut butter cc pie

Ingredients

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• 1 c graham wafer crumbs
• 1/4 c Granulated sugar
• 1/4 c butter, melted
• 12 oz cream cheese
• 12 oz peanut butter
• 1 c Granulated sugar
• 1 c whipping cream
• 1/2 c Granulated sugar
• 1/2 c whipping cream
• 1 t vanilla
• 4 oz semisweet chocolate
• 4 T butter

How to make it

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• For crust, combine crumbs, sugar and melted butter.
• Press firmly over bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Bake crust in a 350F oven for 10 minutes then cool completely.
• To prepare filling, combine cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed.
• Whip cream and fold into peanut butter mixture.
• Spoon into springform pan.
• To prepare topping, combine sugar, cream and vanilla in saucepan and stir.
• Place over medium-high heat and bring to boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Do not stir.
• Remove pan from heat, add chocolate and butter.
• Stir with wooden spoon until chocolate has melted and mixture becomes quite shiny, about 5 minutes.
• Pour chocolate over filling, refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Choc Crepes with Gelato

Crepes:

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Method:

Stir together flour and cocoa, mixing well. Set aside. Whisk together eggs, milk, sugar butter, and almond extract. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, whisking until smooth.

Pre-heat omelette pan over medium heat, when hot, pour in about 3 tbsp batter. Swirl to evenly coat pan. Cook until crepe has a dull finish. Carefully loosen edges then remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat. And cool.

Makes 18-20 crepes

Perugina Italian Chocolate Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 3.5 oz bar Perugina Dark Chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

Method:

In small saucepan heat cream to almost boiling.
Remove from heat and add chocolate pieces.
Stir until smooth.

Makes about 3/4 cup



Additional ingredients:
Pistachio Gelato
Belgian Milk Chocolate Gelato
Double Dark Chocolate Gelato
Fresh Raspberries
Chopped roasted and Salted Pistachios
Cocoa and powdered Sugar for Dusting


To assemble:
Fill each crepe with 1 small scoop of each gelato, fold to close in a triangle shape if desired.
Place on a plate drizzled with chocolate sauce.
Place crepe on top. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and fresh raspberries.
Dust with sugars if desired.
Serve Immediately

brownie waffles

Waffle brownies

• 1 box brownie mix
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• For variety, add raisins, walnuts, boozy berries, warm caramel, hot fudge or whipped cream.

PREPARATION

Pre-heat waffle maker to medium-low.

Prepare brownies according to mix directions, omitting any water or milk. Pour 1/2 cup of the mixture per square in the waffle maker. Bake for 10 minutes.r

Once baked, open waffle maker and turn off the heat. Let brownies sit until slightly cool, about 3 minutes

Serve alone or with a scoop of ice cream, whip cream, or strawberries

homemade applesauce

homemade applesauce

{photo courtesy www.allrecipes.com}

i realized i had some apples that were starting to bruise, and there were 5 of them, so i decided to make some homemade applesauce.  it turned out delicious, if i do say so myself.  this is now my go-to recipe.  yuuuummm.

ingredients

5-6 honeycrisp apples (they are my favorite, but you can use whatever you have)

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp sugar

1/3 cup water (more if you need it but you really don't need much)

the juice of 1/2 orange

directions

peel apples and cut them into bite-sized pieces.  put them into sauce pan over medium-high heat, add 1/3 cup water.  once water is boiling, lower heat to medium, place on lid and steam until apples are soft and slightly mushy.  stir occasionally, adding more water if needed (small amounts at a time).  when apples are soft, remove from heat and add the nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, and orange juice.  stir and mash all at the same time.  serve warm or chill in refrigerator.

i prefer mine warm and slightly chunky, but you can puree if you want!

enjoy!

Choc Kahlua Cheesecake

Chocolate Kahlua Cheesecake

Need a dessert idea for a holiday party? 

Try this- it was amazing!! 

Whatcha Need:

Crust

1 1/2 cups ground chocolate wafer cookies

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 2/3 cups sugar

9 tablespoons whipping cream

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup Kahlua or 1/2 cup coffee-flavored liqueur

How to do it:

Cut softened cream cheese into pieces.

Prepare chocolate crumb crust and press firmly into a nine-inch spring-form pan.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt chocolate with Kahlua and butter; stir until smooth.  Set aside.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light.

Transfer 3/4 cup mixture to small bowl, mix in some of the chocolate/Kahlua mixture; cover tightly and refrigerate to use for topping.

Add chocolate/Kahlua mixture and 4 tablespoons whipping cream to mixture in large bowl and beat until well combined.

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined.

Pour filling into crust (filling will almost fill pan).  Bake until cheesecake puffs, top browns and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Transfer cheesecake to rack and cool 10 minutes.

Run small sharp knife around cake pan sides to loosen cheesecake.

Cool.  Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.Bring remaining 3/4 cup cream cheese mixture to room temperature.

Add remaining 5 tablespoons whipping cream to cream cheese mixture and stir to combine.  Press down firmly on edges of cheesecake to even thickness.

Pour cream cheese mixture over cheesecake, spreading evenly.

Release pan sides from cheesecake.

Buttermilk Syrup

buttermilk syrup.

have you ever had kneader's french toast and syrup?  seriously delicious.  well, this recipe for buttermilk syrup is exactly what you need to create their fabulous french toast at home.  i made this for our christmas eve brunch and it was amazing.

ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter {2 sticks}

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons dark corn syrup

combine ingredients in a large heavy pan.  stir until syrup comes to a boil.  cook 3 to 4 minutes.  remove from heat and add:

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

stir until soda is completely dissolved.  {be careful - if your pan isn't large enough it could boil over after you add the baking soda!}  refrigerate any leftover syrup and reheat in the microwave.

so rich and so yummy!  see more at my blog emma the joy.

Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:

1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes

4 cups low sodium vegetable stock

1 can black beans

1 can cannellini beans

1 can red kidney beans

1 cup chopped onion

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeno, diced

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons oregano

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons coriander

1-2 teaspoons hot sauce

1/3 cup couscous

salt and pepper to taste

monterey jack cheese

Directions:

1. Using 2 tablespoons of olive oil, saute onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno in a stockpot

over medium heat for five minutes. Add all other ingredients, except couscous, to the pot.

2. Cook chili on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

3. Add couscous 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with monterey jack cheese

lemon bars

Lemon Bars

What is better than butter, sugar and lemon juice? Almost nothing. This recipe will surely tempt you to break that new year's resolution, but it will be so very, very worth it!

Making these delightful little bars of sunshine requires just a bit of fuss but the outcome is simply glorious. Happy Baking!

Recipe Courtesy Ina Garten

For the Crust:
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour 
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.
For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.
Cut into triangles and whisk with confectioners' sugar. 

Browned Butter crinkles

Browned Butter Crinkles

Simply put...these cookies are to die for.   Please eat lots of the frosting.

Browned Butter Crinkles

Browned Butter Crinkles

101 Gourment Cookies by Wendy Paul 

recipe also found here

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

3 egg yolks

1 ½ teaspoon soda

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/3 cups flour

Beat the butter and sugar together. Add the egg yolks and salt. Then add the soda and the extract. Fold in the flour. Stir until combined. Form balls the size of walnuts. Chill dough balls for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Dip the top in sugar. Press flat with the bottom of a glass and place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden. Don't over cook.  8 minutes was perfect for me. Remove from oven and let the cookies stand for 1 minute on the cookie sheet. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely. Frost with browned butter frosting (listed below)

Browned Butter Frosting 

1 stick butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

½ cup heavy cream or more desired consistency

In a small skillet, brown butter over medium heat until golden brown flecks appear. Butter will become a little foamy. Stir now and then to make the butter cooks evenly. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and cream. Beat on medium high until a creamy texture to your liking forms. Spread onto cooled butter crinkles.

(sorry, I originally forgot to post the directions for making the frosting! oops!)

Enjoy!

cornbread

Basic Corn Bread

 photo courtesy www.allbreadrecipes.com

 ingredients

butter for greasing the pan

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (you can use regular flour also)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg

5 tbsp. honey

3 tbsp. melted butter

directions

preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  grease an 8-inch square pan with butter.  combine dry ingredients in a bowl.  combine wet ingredients in a bowl.  mix together thoroughly but do not overmix or the corn bread will be dense.  pour into greased pan.  bake for 20 minutes or until center is firm to the touch (as soon as the center bounces back, take out the corn bread.  you don't want it to be dry!)  serve hot or at room temperature.