Peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

6 ounces semi-sweet, dark, or bittersweet chocolate, chopped


To the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well-combined and the sugar is fully incorporated and is mixture is no longer gritty or granular, about 3 minutes. Stop to scrape down the bowl as necessary.

Add the baking soda and beat to incorporate. Add the chocolate and beat to just incorporate; don't overmix or the nice chocolate chunks will break down. Transfer dough to airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to 5 days, before baking.

Preheat oven to 350F, line 2 baking sheets with Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mats, parchment, or spray with cooking spray; set aside. Using a 2-inch cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons of dough or about 1.60 to 1.75 ounces by weight), form dough mounds and place on prepared baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart (8 to 10 per tray). If chocolate is falling out of dough since there is an abundance, roll ball between palms to encourage it to stay in the dough. Slightly flatten the mounds before baking so they don't stay too domed and puffed while baking, just don't over-flatten.

Bake for 8 to10 minutes, until edges are set and tops are barely set, even if slightly underbaked in the center. Watch them very closely after 7 minutes and I recommend not baking longer than ten minutes. Cookies firm up as they cool, and baking too long will result in cookies that become too crisp and hard (The cookies shown in the photos were baked for 8 minutes, with trays rotated at the 4-minute mark, and have chewy edges with pillowy soft centers). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Berry Star Dessert

1 pound cake, sliced
1 lb Strawberries
1 pkg Blueberries
1 pkg Blackberries
1 tub of Whipped cream

Use a star shaped cookie cutter to cut out stars from the slices of pound cake. Use a glass bowl of your choice, and layer the stars, berries and whipped cream as desired or as shown.

CREAMSICLE CAKE

1 Pkg Yellow Cake Mix
2 Pk Orange Gelatin
1 Pk Vanilla Instant Pudding
1 Cup 2% Milk
2 Grade A Large Eggs
2 Tsp Imitation Vanilla
1 Tub Whipped Topping

Bake the cake as directed in a 9 x 13" pan. Let cake cool completely. Poke holes in cooled cake. Mix 1 package orange gelatin dessert with 1 c. boiling water and 1 c. cold water. Pour over cake. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Mix pudding mix with cold milk the other package of orange gelatin dessert and vanilla. Beat by hand with a whisk until thickened. Fold in the whipped topping. Frost the cake with the pudding mixture.

For a layered Creamsicle Cake: Make the cake batter as directed, then batter pour evenly into 3 round 9" cake pans. Bake cakes as directed and let cool

Then, make the orange gelatin as directed on the package — but with this version, you'll let the gelatin set up instead of pouring it into the cake. We recommend using your round cake pans, or using a 13 x 17" jelly roll pan (1" deep cookie sheet with edges). Once you pour the liquid gelatin mixture into the pans, it will need to be refrigerated for about 4 hours. Meanwhile, make the pudding mixture according to the original recipe. Finally, layer in this order: cake, gelatin pudding mixture. Repeat once more for a 6-layered Creamsicle Cake

Owl Oreo Cupcakes

OWL OREO CUPCAKES


Make chocolate cupcakes.

Frost the cupcakes with chocolate frosting.

Use Oreo's for the eyes and M&M's for the eyeballs and the nose.

If you happen to have them, chocolate covered potato chips would probably be an easier way to do the ears than trying to use just frosting.

Fruit and Cream Pie

Ingredients:

1 Frozen Deep Dish Pie Crust (from 12-oz. pkg.)
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3 cups fresh fruit (strawberry slices, blueberries, kiwi fruit slices, peach slices or any combination)

Directions:
1. Prepare pie crust as directed on package for one-crust baked shell using 9-inch pie pan. Cool 30 minutes or until completely cooled.

2. In large bowl, combine whipping cream and powdered sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in fruit. Spoon into cooled baked shell. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Store in refrigerator.

Moist Banana Bread

Ingredients:
3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
With a spoon, mix butter with the smashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.
Add in the sugar, egg, and vanilla.
Next add in the baking soda and salt and mix in.
Add the flour last, mix.
Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan.
Bake for 1 hour.
Cool on a rack.
Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Vanilla Fruit Salad

1 (29 ounce) can peach slices
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks
1 (3 1/8 ounce) box dry vanilla instant pudding mix
1 lb of strawberries, (quartered)
1 banana, (sliced)
1/2 pint blueberries
1 bunch grapes (I use the red ones)
1 -2 tablespoon sugar (optional)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine peaches, pineapples, and vanilla pudding mix. This includes the juices from the cans. Mix well until pudding is dissolved. Stir in strawberries, banana, blueberries, grapes, and sugar if desired. Chill.

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

1 lb large strawberries
-8 oz. cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat)
-3-4 tbsp powdered sugar (4 tbsp for a sweeter filling)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-graham cracker crumbs

Directions:
1. Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out with a paring knife. Prep all strawberries and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill strawberries with cheesecake mixture. Once strawberries are filled, dip the top in graham cracker crumbs. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.

Peach Crunch Cake

24.5 oz jar of sliced peaches in light syrup (you will need to cut them to smaller pieces)
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into small pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
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.

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE IN A MUFFIN PAN

2 eggs
2/3 C white sugar
4 Tbsp pineapple juice
2/3 C all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Topping:
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick or 4 Tbsp)
2/3 C brown sugar
1-can pineapple rings
6-maraschino cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.
BAKE TIME 10-15 min
In a mixing bowl, add eggs, white sugar, and pineapple juice. Beat for 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and turn mixer back on for 2 minutes.

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and add the brown sugar. Stir on low heat for one minute.

Spoon a layer of the warm brown sugar mixture into the bottom of each muffin tin, then place a pineapple ring on top. Add a cherry in the middle of each pineapple. Pour cake mixture over to fill muffin tin 3/4 of the way full. If you are using regular muffin tins, you will need to cut down the rings to fit or just use pineapple tidbits

Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

1/2 C Butter
2 C Sugar
1/2 C Milk
4 Tbsp Cocoa
1/2 C Peanut Butter
3 1/2 C Quick cooking Oats
2 tsp. Vanilla
Add the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for 1 minute. Stir in the next 3 ingredients and drop onto wax/foil paper. Let cool until set.

Banana Split Pie

1 graham cracker pie crust
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple
2 medium bananas
1 (6 ounce) box instant white chocolate pudding and pie filling mix
8 ounces Dream Whip
10 strawberries
Directions:

1
Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar together until fluffy.
2
Spread evenly over bottom of crust.
3
Drain pineapple well and spread evenly over cream cheese.
4
Slice banana and cover pineapple with slices.
5
Pour on pudding mixture.
6
Top with frozen topping.
7
Cover entire pie or garnish with strawberries, or other fresh fruit.