Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients: 
Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling:
10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8" square baking pan with parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Leave your oven on while you prepare the dough.
3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Using your hand to form clumps, distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps. Be sure to use all of the dough. 
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm (the cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Chill in refrigerator overnight or for at least a couple hours.
6. Lift the bars out by the overhang and cut into squares for serving.

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Velveeta Fudge

a Paula Deen favorite of mine :)

Ingredients

1/2 lb Velveeta
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter or 1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts (if you like)
2 (16 ounce) boxes confectioners’ sugar

Directions

Lightly spray the bottom of a 9 by 2-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt cheese and butter together, then add peanut butter* and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add vanilla and nuts.

Empty confectioners’ sugar into a large bowl and pour cheese mixture over sugar*. Stir until completely mixed. Candy will be very stiff.

Using your hands, remove candy from the bowl and press evenly and firmly into the pan. Because of the amount of butter in this recipe, pat top of candy with a paper towel to remove excess oil. Place the pan in refrigerator until candy is firm.

To serve, cut into squares.

*If you want peanut butter fudge, do not add cocoa powder. If you want chocolate fudge, omit the peanut butter and instead, add the cocoa powder to the sugar mixture. 

Boysenberry Turnovers (aka: The Andrew Gannon)

I brought these boysenberry turnovers to our Anchor Christmas party and they were a hit! We even came up with a name since I didn't really have a name for these little pastries... so by popular demand, I have posted the easy recipe for Boysenberry Turnovers (aka: Andrew Gannons) below :)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare your own pie crust dough (look at previous blog post for an amazing recipe) or use the ready to go refrigerated pie dough dough.

Roll out the dough and fold in half. Then, cut triangle pieces or half moon shapes (keeping 2 layers together).

Fill pie dough with 1-2 tsp. of boysenberry jelly (or another favorite jam/jelly) and pinch the edges to seal the dough. Then, using a fork, gently press down along the edges. Lightly brush turnovers with egg wash (1 egg, beaten) and sprinkle with a little bit of sugar. Bake for approx. 8 minutes, or until lightly brown. Eat warm or at room temperature. (To keep fresh, store in a bag or tupperware.)

* You can also make apple turnovers: simply dice apples and mix with a cinnamon sugar oatmeal packet. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar over the egg wash.

* Feel free to make the turnovers as big or as small as you like, just add more or less filling :)

Macaroni & Cheese 101

Molly's Mom made us this mac & cheese one day when we went over to her house for lunch... it was so yummy I had to ask her for the recipe :-) Since I've been home, I've been cooking every chance I can get, and I made this dish for our Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Potluck and everyone liked it! Hope you enjoy it... it's the best homemade mac and cheese I've ever had!

Ingredients:

8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into ¼ to ½-inch pieces
5½ C milk
½ C all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt, plus more for water
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
4½ C (about 18 oz) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 C (about 8 oz) grated Gruyère cheese or 1¼ C (about 5 oz) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 lb elbow macaroni
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Melt 2 Tbsp of butter and pour over bread in a medium bowl; toss. Set bread crumbs aside.
Warm milk in saucepan over medium heat. Melt remaining butter in high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Whisk flour mixture constantly, while adding hot milk a little at a time. Continue cooking and whisking until mixture bubbles and thickens, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
Stir in salt, nutmeg, peppers, 3 C cheddar cheese and 1½ C Gruyère cheese (or 1 C Pecorino Romano cheese). Set cheese sauce aside.
Cook macaroni in large pot of boiling salted water until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain macaroni under cold running water.
Stir macaroni into cheese sauce and pour mixture into buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheeses and bread crumbs over top. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes.

Let The Thanksgiving Countdown Begin! 6 DAYS TILL A&A HEAD BACK TO CALI!!

Ginger-Streusel Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Photo by: Taste of HomeGinger-Streusel Pumpkin Pie Recipe

• 8 Servings
• Prep: 25 min. Bake: 55 min. + cooling

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Ingredients

• 1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry
• 3 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 
  STREUSEL:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

Directions

• On a lightly floured surface, unroll pastry. Transfer pastry to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, cream, sugars, cinnamon, salt, allspice, nutmeg and cloves. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in walnuts and ginger. Gently sprinkle over filling.
• Bake 15-25 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 8 servings.

Pumpkin Pie Latte

Pumpkin Pie Latte Recipe

 

• total time:15 min

510
15

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup hot brewed Easy Espresso
• Whipped cream, pumpkin pie spice and ground nutmeg, optional

• Directions

  • In a small saucepan, combine the milk, pumpkin and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until steaming. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla and pie spice. Transfer to a blender; cover and process for 15 seconds or until foamy.
  • Pour into two mugs; add espresso. Garnish with whipped cream and spices if desired. Yield: 2 servings.

Recipes from another Kitchen

I didn't realize how much I would miss baking/cooking :( But, I have done a little baking while we've been here... brownies, cookies, and salsa!

I can't wait until Fall Break... I think I am going to do some baking with the girls!

Thanks to Mrs. Kenow though, I have some recipes that I am so excited to use when I come home for Thanksgiving! I thought I'd share one with you today. I don't have pictures of what she made for us, but I found this one on google images and it is pretty darn close to what Mrs. Kenow made! She is an amazing cook and is so thoughtful to bake for us! We love it all!

a quick and easy recipe that produces all the favorite flavors of caramel rolls in an hour

Speedy One Hour Sticky Buns
Ingredients:
4-1/2 to 5 cups bread flour
4-1/2 tsp. instant blend dry yeast
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. butter or margarine
1 egg
TOPPING:
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 c. flour, yeast, sugar, and salt; mix well. In saucepan, heat milk, water, and butter until warm (120-130 degrees) butter does not need to melt. Add egg. Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 3 minutes at medium speed. By hand, gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth and elastic, 3-5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm oven (turn to lowest setting for one minute, turn off) for 15 minutes.

Prepare topping: in small saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar; heat and stir until blended. Add nuts. Spoon topping into greased muffin pan cups.

Divide dough into 4 parts. Divide each fourth into 6 pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball; place in cups. Cover; let rise in warm oven for 10 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Cover pans with foil and invert onto rack. Cool 1 minute; remove pans. Cool.

Makes 24 servings