Chocolate Macaroon Cupcakes

Made these with Megan for my birthday - YUMMILICIOUS!!!!

• 
  
• Ingredients
• 2 egg whites
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 
  
• FILLING:
• 1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg white
• 1/3 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut or almond extract
• TOPPING:
• 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar

Directions

• In a bowl, combine the egg whites, egg, applesauce and vanilla.
• Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to
• egg white mixture alternately with buttermilk. Spoon half of the
• batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
• In another bowl, beat the ricotta cheese, sugar and egg white until
• smooth. Stir in coconut and extract. Spoon 1 tablespoonful in the
• center of each muffin cup.
• Fill muffin cups two-thirds full with remaining batter. Bake at
• 350° for 28-33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in cupcake
• comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to
• wire racks; cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar.                                              
• Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

Ginger Snaps (Frances Ketcheson's famous recipe)

Gary sent this at my request.

Ingredients
3/4 c. Crisco (butter)
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. molasses
1/2 c. cold water
3 tsp soda
5 c. flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp salt


Cream shortening and sugars. Stir in molasses to which soda has been added. Sift dry ingredients and combine with the sugar mixture, alternating with water. Roll into balls and place on baking sheet. Bake @ 350 for 15 min.

Delicious Popcorn

Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn

8 C. popped popcorn (1/3 C. unpopped), tossed w/2 T. butter and some salt
1/2 C. honey
1/2 C. sugar
3/4 C. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 squares chocolate almond bark (6 oz.)
1 C. Reece's peanut butter cups minis

Put popcorn in a large bowl.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, combine honey and sugar.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and add peanut butter and vanilla.  Stir until combined.  Pour peanut butter mixture over popcorn.  Gently toss with a wooden spoon until popcorn is coated.  Spread on prepared baking sheet.  Drizzle popcorn with melted almond bark.  Cool completely and stir in mini peanut butter cups.


Caramel Cinnamon Roll Popcorn

12 C. popped popcorn (about 1/2 C. unpopped), tossed w/3 T. butter and some salt
1 C. pecan pieces
1 C. brown sugar
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 C. butter, cubed
1/4 C. light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
2 squares vanilla almond bark (4 oz.)
3/4 C. caramel pieces (I cut normal caramels into fourths and this seemed to be the perfect size)

Preheat oven to 275.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Place popped popcorn and pecans in a large bowl.

In a large bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.  Add cubed butter and corn syrup.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds and stir.  Microwave for 4 more minutes, stirring halfway through.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour mixture over popcorn and toss gently with a wooden spoon until popcorn is coated.  Spread popcorn mixture onto prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.  Melt almond bark; drizzle over popcorn and let cool completely.  Break popcorn into pieces and stir in caramel pieces.

*I made both of these.  I thought they were both delicious, but the cinnamon roll one is sort of divine.

Cookie Recipes from Fran Ketcheson

Here are some recipes that Gary took from his mom when he left home. Liz copied and sent them to me. ENJOY!

GINGER SNAPS (full recipe measurements, followed by half recipe measurements)

3/4 c butter or shortening - 3/8 c 3 tsp baking soda - 1 1/2 tsp
1 c sugar - 1/2 c 5 c flour - 2 1/2 c
1 c brown sugar - 1/2 c 2 tsp ginger - 1 tsp
1 c molasses - 1/2 c 1/8 tsp salt - dash
1/2 c cold water - 1/4 c

Cream shortening and sugars. Stir in molasses to which soda has been added. Sift dry ingredients and combine with first mixture alternately with water.

Bake 350, 15 min

Liz added this note:

A word of warning - when you add the baking soda to the molasses, be sure your bowl is relatively large as the concoction will foam up and almost double in size. These cookies (because they have no eggs) can be baked for as long as your tastes allow. Shorter time makes a chewy version, longer time makes a dunking in milk or orange juice (coffee for us heathens) version.

STIR-N-DROP SUGAR COOKIES

2eggs 3/4 c sugar
2/3 c cooking oil 2 c + 1 TB flour
2 tsp vanilla 2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp grated lemon rind 1/2 tsp salt

Beat eggs with fork until well blended Stir in oil, vanilla, and rind. Blend in sugar until mixture thickens. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and stir into oil mixture. Drop with spoon on ungreased sheet. Flatten with greased glass dipped in sugar.

Bake 400, 8-10 min

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2 cakes sweet chocolate 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c butter or shortening 1/2 c chopped nuts
1/2 c granulated sugar 1 1/2 c sifted flour
1/4 c brown sugar 1/2 tsp soda
1 egg well beaten 1 tsp vanilla

Cut each small square of chocolate in 6 or 8 pieces. Cream butter, add sugar gradually and cream together until light and fluffy. Add egg to mix well. Sift flour once, measure, add salt and soda and sift again. Add flour in two parts and mix well. Add cut chocolate, nuts and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Drop with spoon on greased baking sheet.

Bake 375, 10-12 min

DIVINE KISSES

18 double graham crackers, rolled 1 c chopped nuts
1 can sweetened condensed milk 1 6 oz pkg chocolate chips

Mix together and spread in 9x12 pan which has been greased and floured.

Bake 325, 20 min - DO NOT OVER BAKE

Mel's 1st place Dutch Oven Blackberry Cobler

Hi ya'll.  I won first place last week at our ward campout with my Blackberry cobbler.  So, here it is for all to enjoy..

Ingredients:

3 cups blackberries.  (Mine were freshly picked, but I'm sure store bought is just a great.  They key here with fresh or store bought is to wash and freeze them individually on a cookie sheet.  The Frozen state of the blackberries is very important in the cooking process.)

1-2 white cake mixes (depends on how much of this stuff you want....so if its just for the family use only one cake mix)

1 can Cream Soda

1 Stick butter

1/4 cup sugar  (um  yeah, it's dessert.....it's not really healthy, but it won FIRST PLACE!!!!)

Okay, take the stick of butter and grease the bottom and sides of the dutch oven.  Place frozen blackberries on the bottom of the oven.  Cover with dry cake mix.  Pour the can of cream soda over the cake mix(s).  Slice the remaining butter and put that over the cake mix in slices.  Sprinkle the sugar over the top.

Cover oven with lid. and cook with charcoal bouquets ( 8-10 on bottom and 12-14 on top...for my large dutch oven...it could vary by size so be careful and check often) until brown on top and bubbly. 

Really Yummy folks!.....and did I happen to mention it took FIRST PLACE?!!!!!  :)...I'm pretty proud of that.

Peach Crunch cake

This recipe is by non other than Bakerella and my family LOVES it!
It is so easy, yummy and you probably have everything in your pantry. Great for unexpected guests.

Try it and let me know if you like it.


Peach Crunch Cake
24.5 oz jar of sliced peaches in light syrup
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into 16 pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Layer ingredients in a 13 X 9 dish, in order starting with the peaches.
Bake for about 40 minutes.
Serve warm or cold… with or without ice cream.

Pumpkin Bars

I got this recipe from my s-i-l Cody and made some last night- delicious!

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 2/3 c. sugar

1 c. oil

1 1/2 - 2 c. pumpkin

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

Directions:

Mix together. Spread batter in ungreased 15x10x1 in. baking pan. (*I think the cookie sheet I used was bigger than that, but it worked.) Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min. (*Since my pan was bigger, I only needed to bake it for 22 min.) Cool completely and frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 oz. cream cheese

1/2 c. softened butter or margarine

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. powdered sugar

Mix cream cheese and butter with beaters first. Add vanilla and powdered sugar.

Cathy's Sugar Cookies

I got this from Cathy Twitchell's blog. They really are the best home made sugar cookies I've ever had.

Ingredients:
1 c. butter
1 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 t. almond extract
1 t. vanilla
1 t. salt
2 1/2 c. sifted flour

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar. Blend in all other ingredients. Chill in refrigerator until firm. Roll to 1/3" thick on well floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters. Grease cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 7-10 min. Don't let them get brown.