Peanut butter Marshmallow Cookies

Ingredients:
1 C. Sugar
1 C. Brown Sugar
1 C. Butter
1 C. Creamy Peanut Butter
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
3 C. Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
3 oz. canister Kraft Marshmallow Bits

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, butter and peanut butter and mix until fluffy. Add in eggs and vanilla and mix well. Slowly add in flour mixture until all ingredients are fully combined. Stir in marshmallow bits. Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Press the dough down with a fork making a criss cross design. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Cream Cheese Biscuits

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cup commercial or homemade self-rising flour
Butter, softened or melted, for finishing

Pulse together the cream cheese, 2/3 cup butter, and 1 cup of flour two or three times in food processor fitted with the knife or dough blade until it comes together in a ball. Turn the dough out onto waxed paper and divide into two rounds. Flatten. Wrap in waxed paper, plastic wrap, or resealable plastic bag, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Lightly sprinkle a board or other clean surface using some of the 1/3 cup reserved flour. Sprinkle the top lightly with flour. With floured hands and a floured rolling pin, roll out one portion of the dough at a time to about 1/4 inch thick. Fold the dough over to make it 1/2 inch thick. For each biscuit, dip a 1 to 1 1/4 inch biscuit cutter into reserved flour and cut out the biscuits, starting at the outside edge and cutting very close together, being careful not to twist the cutter. The scraps may be combined to make additional biscuits, although these scraps make tougher biscuits. Roll out the second portion when ready to bake.

Using a metal spatula if necessary, move the biscuits to an ungreased baking sheet, placing the biscuits 1 inch apart. Refrigerate the biscuits for 10 to 20 minutes until cold. Bake the biscuits on the top rack of the oven for a total of 10 to 12 minutes until light golden brown. After 6 minutes, rotate the pan in the oven so that the front of the pan is now turned to the back, and check to see if the bottoms are browning too quickly. If so, slide another packing pan underneath to add insulation and retard the browning. Continue baking another 4 to 6 minutes until the biscuits are light golden brown. When the biscuits are done, lightly brush the tops with butter. Turn the biscuits out upside down on a plate to cool slightly. Serve hot, right side up.

These biscuits may be frozen, unbaked or baked, and reheated.

Butterbeer Cupcakes (Harry Potter!!!!)

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup cream soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a cupcake tin with baking cups.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and butter flavoring.
Fold in 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, 1/3 of the flour mixture, cream soda, and then the remaining flour. Folding in these ingredients will prevent over-mixing and will result in a fluffier, less dense cupcake. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the cupcakes are golden and spring back when touched. Cool completely before frosting.

Butterscotch Ganache

11 ounces (1 package) butterscotch chips
1 cup heavy cream
In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt the butterscotch chips into the heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before using.

Butterscotch Buttercream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup butterscotch ganache (recipe above)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
Pinch of salt
3-3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Splash of heavy cream (as needed)

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Mix in the butterscotch ganache, vanilla, butter flavoring, and salt. Beat in the powdered sugar for 2-3 minutes, starting with 3 cups and adding more only if necessary. Add the cream a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved (I only needed 1 tablespoon).

To Assemble
Pour butterscotch ganache into a plastic squeeze bottle. Stab the tip of the bottle into cupcake and fill each cupcake with butterscotch ganache until it starts to overflow.
Fill a pastry bag with butterscotch buttercream and pipe onto the top of each cupcake. Drizzle on the butterscotch ganache. Lick your fingers clean if you just so happen to get extra butterscotch on them. If you have any leftover butterscotch ganache, it can be used as ice cream topping.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature (that is, if they don't get devoured immediately).

Cake Batter Fudge

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cake mix

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter or margarine, cut into small squares

1/4 cup milk or 1/8 cup soy milk

sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

Mix cake mix and icing sugar in microwave-safe bowl. Add butter and milk. Don’t stir.

Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir immediately until completely combined. Add sprinkles. Do not overmix as sprinkle colour may bleed.

Spread into greased pan. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

* Makes one 6 x 6” container, or double for an 8 x 8” pan.


* Notes: If the batter comes out too runny, stir in about 1 tsp or sugar or cake mix at a time until stiff. If too thick to stir in all components, slowly add 1/2 tsp of milk at a time, but batter should be thick!

Baked "Buffalo" Hot Wings

For the wings:

5 pounds chicken wings

4 tablespoons neutral oil

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups flour (optional)

For the sauce:

1 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

For dunking:

6 ribs celery, cut into 4-inch long sticks

Blue Cheese Dip

* Using a relatively mild Louisiana hot sauce is an important part of the process. If the hot sauce is quite hot (like, say, Tabasco) the Buffalo sauce will be far too spicy by the time you use the right amount to get the consistency you want. Starting with a sauce like Frank's, which is what they use in Buffalo, allows you to then add cayenne until it's as spicy as you like.

Procedures

1. Prepare the wings:The wings are traditionally cut into three pieces. Using a heavy knife, cut through the joints in the wings to separate then into three pieces. A sharp knife should slide through the joint easily; there is no need to cut through any bone. It's easiest to see the joints with the underside of the wings facing up.The tips of the wing, which contain little to no meat, can be discarded or saved for the stock pot. Rinse the wings and pat them dry, then toss in a bowl with the oil and a good pinch each of salt and pepper.
2. 3
   The sauce: Melt the butter over low heat in a sauce pan and add the remaining sauce ingredients, whisking well to combine. Keep the heat low and only as long as necessary to melt the butter: you don't want the butter to separate. Taste for spiciness, and add cayenne if desired.
3. 4
   To Marinate or Flour? Depending on your method, the next step is to either toss the wings with a quarter of the sauce and refrigerate for an hour, or toss them in a bowl with the flour. The former method will infuse the wings with flavor, while the latter will create a crisp exterior that will eventually soak up lots of sauce. It's up to you.
4. 5
   Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet with a neutral oil such as canola, using a paper towel or brush to ensure it coats all of the surface. Arrange the wing pieces skin-side-up. They should be snug, but not too crowded. Keep in mind they will shrink as they cook.
5. 6
   Cook undisturbed for 30 minutes until golden brown, and until the wings release easily from the baking sheet. Using a pair of tongs, turn the pieces over and return to the oven to bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp.
6. 7
   When the wing are finished cooking, pour the Buffalo sauce into a shallow bowl (you'll probably have to do this in batches) and add a few wings at a time. Turn them in the sauce until well-coated, then transfer to a platter. Repeat with the remaining wings.
7. 8
   Get a jug of blue cheese or make your own! Serve with celery sticks.

TACO PASTA BAKE

Ingredients:

• 1/2 - 3/4 of a bag of large noodle pasta like ziti
• approx. 1lb of ground beef
• 1 pkg/envelope of taco seasoning
• 1C water
• 1/2 pkg of cream cheese
• 1 1/2C shredded cheese (I used marble)

Directions:
1. boil pasta until just cooked, drain, run cold water over it
2. brown ground beef
3. mix together taco season and 1C of water, pour over cooked beef and let simmer for about 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced
4. add the 1/2 pkg of cream cheese to the beef mixture, stir until melted and combined, remove from heat
5. put pasta in your casserole dish or pot, mix in 1C of the shredded cheese
6. top pasta and cheese with beef mixture, gently mix until the pasta is coated
7. top with remaining 1/2C of shredded cheese
8. bake at 350 uncovered for approx 30 minutes

Here's my original post with photos, let me know if you have any questions, and enjoy!

Step 1:
Boil pasta, don't over cook it as you will be baking it later. I like rigatoni and ziti for this recipe, but any big noodles will do.

Step 2:
While pasta is cooking, brown ground beef.

Step 3:
When ground beef is cooked through add taco seasoning mixed with 1C water and let simmer.

Step 4:
When ground beef is ready add approx. half a pkg of cream cheese and stir until melted and mixed in.

Step 5:
When pasta is ready drain and run cold water over it.

Step 6:
In a casserole dish add cooked pasta, stir in some shredded cheese, the ground beef mixture, top with more cheese, leave uncovered and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Mango Cookies

3 cups of flour

1 cup of mango puree **

2/3 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of butter

1 egg

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp of vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

**My cookies weren’t too heavy on the mango flavor. I think next time, I’d either double up on the mango puree or I’d add chunks of mango to the cookies.

DIRECTIONS: Pre-heat your oven to 350. Mix all the ingredients together. Using a medium scoop, put about 1.5″ between the cookies (or a perfect 12 per sheet).

Before you put in the oven, gently press the cookie down with a flat bottom (I like to use the bottom of a drinking glass). When you press down, do it quickly and put sugar at the bottom so then when you press down on the cookie, the sugar stays on.

These are going to be thicker/fluffier cookies. If you prefer thinner ones, use only 1/2 tsp of baking powder.

This makes about 40 medium sized cookies.

Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked shredded chicken, cold
1 cup chopped celery
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Directions:
1. Mix chicken, celery, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
2. Add mayonnaise, mix well.
3. Fold in chopped eggs, blending throughout.
4. Serve on rolls, in a hollowed out tomato, or on a bed of crisp lettuce leaves.