Sugar Cookie Cinnamon Roll Cookies as per Judys' Foodies!

                                                                         

SWEET! A sugar cookie that thinks it is a cinnamon roll! Delicious & these store nicely for your holiday or special occasions! The idea is not mine I saw it from Pillsbury but why buy dough when you have a great sugar cookie recipe. You will love this cookie if you love cinnamon rolls! ENJOY!

Dough:

6 Cups Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1 Cup Butter Softened

2 Cups Sugar

3 Large Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla

1 & 1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt or Sour Cream

Stir all the dry ingredients together & set aside. Beat Butter, add sugar & beat again. Now add the eggs & vanilla & beat again. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients & beat. Now add 1/3 of the yogurt or sour cream. Add another 1/3 of the flour, beat then repeat with yogurt, until all is combined nicely. You will have to finish stirring this dough by hand with a heavy spoon. Now chill well, at least 2 hours, overnight would be even better. Now to bake:

Have parchment paper, 12 TBS of melted butter, granulated sugar or light brown sugar, I used granulated, & lots of cinnamon I think I went through 1/3 cup of cinnamon, & have flour to dust the parchment & the dough handy. On your flat surface place 1 large piece of parchment & dust liberally with flour. Get a nice blob of dough about 2 cups of dough & roll out with your rolling pin to a rectangle of approximately 7 inched by 16 inches. Cover with melted butter using a pastry brush or pour on by tablespoonfuls & smear out to cover the dough. Now sprinkle about 4 heaping tablespoons of sugar across the buttered dough & then be generous with the sprinkle of cinnamon. Cover the entire surface. Now roll up the dough from the 16 inch side so you get a log of about 16 inches. Cut like you would for cinnamon rolls. Place each one cut side down on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 13 minutes. Check the bottoms for a light brown bottom. Let cookies cool & the drizzle with a generous drizzle of vanilla frosting. I used this cream cheese frosting!

FROSTING: 

8 OZ softened Cream Cheese

8 OZ Softened Butter

Dash of Salt

2 tsp Vanilla 

Confectioners Sugar about 4 heaping cups

1/2 & 1/2 Cream enough to get the desired frosting you want for the drizzle, I like mine thick so I used about 1/4 cup,

Beat the cream cheese & butter together, I just used a whisk my butter was all but melted & the cream cheese was very soft, I used the microwave to soften it.  Whisk or beat in the vanilla & salt. Now whisk or beat in the sugar. Add enough of the cream to where you are happy! Drizzle or dollop over cooled cookies. Let cookies sit until frosting hardens. The store in an air tight container with layer of wax paper between the layers. This makes 6 dozen incredible sugar cookies that really do believe they are cinnamon rolls!

SANDTART BAKING 2018

                                                               

As you can see we had a wonderful day of Sandtart baking once again this year!

Old Fashion All Butter Sandtarts

2 eggs
1 cup butter softened
1 & 1/2 cup sugar
2 & 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla together, beat well. Add flour & salt together & then slowly beat in to egg butter mixture. Chill well or roll into 2 logs & freeze logs.
If chilling dough to roll follow these steps. Roll out thin on floured board. Cut into desired shapes. Place cookies on baking sheet & brush with a wash made from 1 beaten egg & 1 tsp water beaten together. Sprinkle with colored sugar & or cinnamon & sugar. Bake 375 degrees until light brown about 5 to 8 minutes. Makes about 8 dozen cookies.
   If using log method take frozen log & slice very thin with a sharp knife. Use same mixture of egg wash & sprinkle cookie with cinnamon & chopped peanuts bake 375 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes.

Turkey Gnocchi Soup

                                                                         

Leftover Turkey? Tired of the same old same old? This will perk those leftovers up & you will perk right up too!

8 Cups Turkey Stock, I cooked off my turkey carcass but you could buy the stock

1 Large Onion Chopped

2 Carrots Sliced

2 Ribs Celery Chopped

2 Large Idaho Potatoes Pared & Chopped

1/4 Chopped Parsley

16 Ounce Box Chopped Frozen Spinach

1&1/2 Cups Sliced Fresh Mushrooms

4 Cups Chopped Cooked Turkey

Salt & Pepper to taste, I use White Pepper

1 TSP Each of Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, & Ground Sage

2, 16 Ounce Frozen Potato Gnocchi, or make homemade but the frozen is perfect

Bring the stock to a simmer. Drop in the onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, spinach & potatoes. Let simmer until carrots & potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Now add the Turkey & Gnocchi & spices. Cook until Gnocchi are done about 20 minutes, they should be tender & fluffy not heavy or doughy! This is such a hearty, filling soup! ENJOY!

Chicken Parsley Pinwheel Casserole! A variation of The Mennonite Cookbook's Parsley Pinwheel Potpie

                                                                         

What a delicious dinner! Rich chicken gravy, loaded with potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, savory & sage, & Chicken, baked with light fluffy Parsley Pinwheels nestled gently into the gravy! I took the idea from my childhood & my Mom's Mennonite Cookbook! I switched it up a little, but not much! SO GOOD! Serves 6 to 8!

3 Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

1 TSP Chopped Garlic

1 Onion Chopped

1/2 lb Baby Carrots

2 Celery Ribs Chopped

1/2 Pound Frozen Peas

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 TSP Ground Sage

1 TSP Dried Chopped Savory, if you can find it, I grow my own!

Place Chicken Breast in enough water to cover.Add the salt & garlic. Simmer until cooked about 25 minutes. Remove the chicken to cool, back into the simmering pot add everything except the peas. Cook until tender but frm. Add the frozen peas & cook another 5 minutes. Add the remaining spices, stir well. Now in a bowl take 2 heaping TBS Cornstarch, add 1/4 Cup Water & stir until smooth. Stir the smooth mixture into the bubbling vegetable mixture, cook & stir until thick. In a 9x13 pan place the chicken breast that have cooled & cut them up into bite size pieces. Now add the gravy vegetable mixture & stir, smooth out in the pan. Now mix up those pretty pinwheels!

PINWHEELS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In a deep bowl place:

2 Cups Flour

1 TSP Salt

1 TBS Baking Powder

Mix well, now cut in 4 TBS Shortening until you have fine crumbs.

Stir in 1/2 Cup Milk to make dough, not to wet not to dry, use more or less milk as needed. Roll out on a floured surface to make about a 9x13 rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Spread out 1/4 Cup Chopped Parsley to cover the surface. Now roll up like a jellyroll! Slice into 2 inch wide pieces & place cut side down into the pan of Chicken veggie mixture! Bake 425 degrees for 25 minutes! SO PRETTY & SO YUMMY! 

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins!

                                                                   

Hello Foodies! This recipe makes 1 dozen of the most moist, delicious muffins you could ask for! Pumpkin & Chocolate go amazingly good together, try these muffins & you will agree! Easy & they bake in just 20 minutes! My favorite part other than eating them is no mixer needed, just a bowl & a heavy spoon!

3 & 1/2 Cups Flour

1 Cup Sugar

1 TBS Baking Powder, yes that is Tablespoon!

1 TSP Salt

2 TSP Cinnamon

Dash or 2 each of Ginger, Nutmeg, & Cloves

Stir all together in a large mixing bowl! Now add the following wet ingredients:

2 Eggs Beaten

1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

1 Cup Pumpkin, cooked & pureed, canned is perfectly ok!

1 Cup Yogurt, plain

2 TSP Vanilla

Add all the wet & stir with that heavy spoon until well blended, batter will be thick!

Now stir in 1 & 1/2 Cups Chocolate Chips, I used semi-sweet milk chocolate is super too! Other options instead of chocolate chips, Chopped nuts, raisins, chopped dates, coconut, cinnamon chips, or white chocolate chips! Now spray a 12 well muffin pan & spoon batter into each well, or use cupcake liners instead of the spraying of the pan. I try to avoid the cupcake papers but that is just my preference! Pop into a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes but test before you take out of the oven to be sure batter is not wet! Once bakd let muffins cool 5 minutes in the pan then dump out on a clean surface, plate them up & dig in! Great just plain but butter or cream cheese on them would be amazing!

Applesauce Snack Cake with Apple Cider Glaze

                                                                     

Yummy moist soft Applesauce Cake with a buttery Apple Cider Glaze! Perfect for fall!

2 Cups Flour

2 Cups Sugar

2 TSP Baking Powder

1 TSP Salt

1 TSP Vanilla

3 TSP Cinnamon

1 Cup Oil ( I use Canola Oil)

1 & 3/4 Cup Applesauce

4 Eggs Beaten

Stir all dry ingredients  until mixed well. Add all the wet ingredients & just stir with a large spoon. Spray a 10x15 inch pan & dump batter into the pan. Bake in a preheated oven 30 to 35 minutes or until the cake tests done, no wet batter on the tester! Make the glaze & spoon it over the still warm cake!

CIDER GLAZE:

4 TBS Butter

1 Cup Apple Cider

3 Cups of Powdered Sugar

Dash of Salt 

1 TSP Vanilla

In a heavy saucepan heat butter & cider until boiling. Add the vanilla & salt & stir. Now stir in the powdered sugar & heat to a rolling boil whisking the entire time. Cook 3 minutes at the rolling boil. Now spoon glaze over the cake. Let cake cool, cut & serve! Soft moist & delicious!

My Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Bundt Cake Decorated for Fall!

                                                                         

This is my Fall decorated Bundt Cake. I just used 1 bag of Reese's Pieces & Mini Peanut Butter Baking pieces & they are both in the same bag! Just follow the recipe below but top with the Reese's instead!

https://recipesforjudysfoodies.blogspot.com/2018/04/chocolate-fudge-peanut-butter-bundt-cake.html

Chocolate Chip OOEY GOOEY Bar Cookies

                                                                         

When you just have to have a ooey gooey Chocolate Chip Cookie but do not want to bake sheet after sheet of cookies, these are the perfect answer!

Line a 10x16 cookie sheet with at least a 1&1/2 inch edge to it with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Now mix up these beauties!

1&1/2 Stick of Butter = 12 TBS softened

3/4 Cup Shortening

2 Eggs

1 TSP Vanilla

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1 TSP Baking Soda

1/2 TSP Salt

2 & 1/2 Cups Flour

1, 16 Ounce Bag of Chocolate Chips I used Hershey's Special Dark

1 Cup Mini Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips or nuts or any add in you like!

Beat Butter & Shortening until fluffy. Beat in sugars again until fluffy. Now beat in eggs & vanilla, you got it, until fluffy. Stir the dry ingredients together, the flour, salt, baking soda, until well blended. Slowly beat into your butter mixture. Now stir i by hand the chocolate chips & or add whatever else you chose to add. Spread into your lined pan spreading it out evenly. Bake in the 325 degree preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until cookies are lightly brown, puffy & slightly cracked on the top. Let cool until warm. Lift cookies out of the pan by the parchment paper & cut into squares. You should get about 20 very nice large squares! Chewy yet crispy chocolatey goodness!  

Applesauce Cider Cake

                                                                           

This Cake is a winner! Spectacular to see & to taste! 

So soft, moist, sweet & yet spicy! The Apple Cider Glaze is the perfect touch! 

CAKE: 

1/2 Cup Shortening

1&3/4 Cup Sugar

1 Egg

1/2 Cup Apple Cider heated to boiling

1 TSP Vanilla

2 Cups Applesauce

2&1/2 Cups Flour

1/2 TSP Salt

1/2 TSP Cloves

1/2 TSP Allspice

Dash or 2 of Nutmeg

2 TSP Cinnamon

2 TSP Baking Soda

Prepare a Bundt pan with baking spray & flour or grease with shortening & flour. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. 

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Beat the shortening, Beat in the sugar, Beat until fluffy. Now beat in the egg, vanilla  & the applesauce. Brig cider to a boil remove from heat. Now beat in 1/3 of the dry ingredients to your creamed mixture, beat until combined. Now pour in 1/3 of the hot cider & beat well. Next add 1/3 flour bat then remaining cider, now beat in the rest of the flour mixture. OPTIONAL AT THIS POINT fold in 1 Cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans & or 1 Cup Raisins or Dates. I left mine plain this time! Now pour batter into your prepared pan. Place cake in oven & beside the cake sit a 9 inch cake pan that is 3/4 full of water. This will make your cake moist! Bake for 1 hour. Once cake test done remove from oven & let cool 10 minutes before you dump it out onto your serving plate, let cool. Then Glaze with the following glaze or frost with vanilla frosting or just powder with powdered sugar!

CIDER GLAZE:

2 Cups Apple Cider

4 TBS Butter

Dash of Salt

1 TSP Vanilla 

3 Cups Powdered Sugar

Bring cider to a boil, add butter & vanilla & bring back up to the boil. Now whisk in the powdered sugar. Boil on a rolling boil for about 10 minutes whisking the entire time. Bring to soft ball stage on your candy thermometer  or just cook on rolling boil until color changes & it his some thickness to it. Take off the heat & let cool until just warm. Spoon generously over your cooled cake! YUM!

Chocolatey Snack Cake

                                                                   

Oh yum, heavenly snacking cake for those times you just one a hunk of cake! 

Did I mention yummy chocolate frosting? Yes, there is yummy chocolate frosting too!

CAKE: 

1&1/2 Cup Shortening

1 Cup Sugar

3 Eggs,

1 TSP Vanilla

1 Cup Sour Milk

2 Cups Flour

1 Cup Cocoa

1 TSP Salt

1 TSP Baking Soda

1 TSP Baking Powder

1 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips ( I used Semi Sweet)

1 Cup Cocoa Pebbles Cereal! Yes I know right? YUM! 

Spray & flour a 9x13 pan Preheat oven to 350 Degrees!

Beat shortening until fluffy. Add sugar & beat again. Now add vanilla & eggs & beat again. Stir the flour, baking sods, baking powder, cocoa, & salt all together. Now add 1/3 of the dry to your beaten mixture & beat. Now beat in 1/3 of the sour milk, repeat with flour then milk until all is beaten into a nice fluffy batter. Now stir in the cereal & the mini chocolate chips.  Spoon into your prepared pan & bake 40 to 45 minutes until cake test done! Let cool & ice with the chocolate frosting!

CHOCOLATE FROSTING:

6 TBS soft butter

1 TSP Vanilla

3 Cups Confectioners Sugar

Milk enough to get a nice spreading consistency probably 4 TBS, give or take

1 Cup Milk Chocolate for melting.

Beat butter add sugar a DASH of salt & vanilla & some of the sugar, add enough milk to get a nice frosting. Add more sugar & or milk until you have frosting . Now melt chocolate & fold it into the frosting stirring nil it is all combined! Frost on your cooled cake! YUMMY!

S'more Cupcakes

                                                                       

                                                                     

Oh yeah, S'more Cupcake is one HECK of a great cupcake!
I made a dozen of these beauties!

CUPCAKE BATTER:

1/8 Cup Butter Softened

1/8 Cup Shortening

3/4 Cup Sugar

1 TSP Vanilla

2 Eggs

1&1/4 Cup Flour

1/4 Cup Cocoa

1/2 TSP Baking Soda

1/2 TSP Baking Powder

Dash of Salt

1, 7 Ounce Bag of Hershey's S'more Pieces, if you cannot find those, break up 1/2 cup of Golden Grahams, add 1/3 Cup Miniature Marshmallows & 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips.

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream, or Sour Cream, or Plain Yogurt, I used Heavy Cream

Beat butter & shortening together, add sugar & beat again. Add eggs & vanilla & beat again. Now stir all your dry ingredients together & mix well. First add 1/3 of your flour mixture to your creamed mixture, beat well. Now add 1/3 of your cream & beat, add another 3rd of your dry & follow with your cream, repeat until everything is incorporated & beaten well. Now stir in your S'more pieces! Line a 12 well cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. Bake cupcakes 20 to 25 minutes. Let them cool slightly. Loosen edges with a sharp knife & remove from the pan to finish cooling. 

                                                                       

MARSHMALLOW TOPPING:

1 & 1/2 Cups Marshmallow Fluff

2 TBS Butter Softened

2 Cups Powdered Sugar or enough to get the spreading consistency you like.

Couple TBS Milk

2 TSP Vanilla

Dash of Salt

Beat Butter & Fluff together, add sugar & milk & vanilla. Beat well add more sugar or milk as desired. Once Cupcakes are cooled put about 1 HEAPING TBS in the center of each cupcake . Now I crushed 2 graham crackers into coarse crumbs & dipped the top f each cupcake into the crumbs. Then I melted 1 Cup melting chocolate & dolloped each cupcake with the chocolate! HEAVENLY GOODNESS!

                                                                                

 

Fresh Pear Pie!

                                                                         

Oh delicious pie, I love pie can you tell? This Pear Pie is a very old timey pie that most people do not know. Fresh juicy pears baked in a light sweet crust, once you try it you won't forget about Pear Pie!

CRUST:

2 Cups Flour

1/4 TSP Salt

2 TSP Sugar

1/3 Cup Cold Butter cut into small pieces

1/3 Cup Shortening

1/2 TSP Vanilla

4 to 5 TBS Cold Water

Stir all dry ingredients together. Now cut in the butter & shortening until you have very fine crumbs. Mix the vanilla into the cold water & now stir that into your flour mixture until it pulls together to make dough. Do not over mix, it will not be a flaky crust if you over work the dough. Divide dough 1/2 & roll out gently onto a floured surface 1/2 for the bottom crust. Once rolled out gently fold in 1/2 lay into your 9 inch pie pan unfold & place it so it cover the bottom & laps out over the edges. Roll out the 2nd 1/2 of dough & use for your to crust, I let mine lay out to rest & when I was ready I cut it into strips to make the lattice top. Now onto the pear filling.

PEAR FILLING:

8 Large Ripe but Firm Pears, mine were Bartlett but any pear will do.Peel core & slice into slices just like you would an apple, place into a large bowl with a tablespoon of lemon juice, Keep tossing as you add new slices to the pears do not turn brown. Once all the pears are prepared stir in all at once the following:

2 Heaping Tablespoons Flour

2/3 Cup Sugar

1 TSP Vanilla

1 Tsp Cinnamon ( other ideas would be Ginger, Nutmeg, Allspice, Cloves), but I love Cinnamon

Dash of Salt

Stir well then gently spoon into your pie shell.Cover with your top crust, Lattice Crust or Crumb Topping would be good too!

Once the crust is in place I spread 1 TBS melted butter over each lattice piece & over the crust edge. Then I sprinkled 2 TBS Sugar with 1/2 TSP Cinnamon stirred into the sugar, I gently sprinkled that over the butter & only onto the crust. Now bake at 350 Degrees in a preheated oven for 50 minutes or until pie is golden brown & bubbling. Cool to room temperature then slice & serve! SO GOOD!

CRUMBS if you want Crumbs:

3/4  Cup Flour

4 TBS Sugar

2 TBS Brown Sugar

Dash of Salt

1 TSP Cinnamon

1 heaping TBS Shortening

Stir all the dry together ten cut in shortening until you get crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs over the pie filling & bake like above!

GRINNERS, the Cookie that will make GRIN!

                                                                           

Large, chewy, crispy, & a mixture of goodies all in one SCRUMPTIOUS cookie! You will get 4 dozen cookies that I promise you, will have you grinning from the first bite until the very last crumb!

2 & 1/4 Cups Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Teaspoon Salt

2 Large Eggs

2 Teaspoons Vanilla

2 Sticks Butter Melted

3/4 Cup Sugar

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Bag 11.5 Ounces Nestle Toll House Morsels

3/4 Cup Chocolate Caramel Morsels

3/4 Cup Butterscotch Chips

3/4 Cup Peanut Butter Chips

Stir the flour, salt & baking soda together & set aside. In your mixing bowl beat the melted butter, & sugars all together until beaten well. Add the vanilla & eggs & beat again. Now slowly beat in your flour mixture a little at a time. Now just use a spoon & stir in the candies. Drop by tablespoons full onto a baking sheet 9 cookies per sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes, check at 10 minutes, you want nicely browned cookies! These are so good! Warm from the oven or cool either way you will be GRINNING over GRINNERS!

My Moms' Goody Goulash

                                                                         

This was always one of my favorite meals as a child & is now one of my comfort foods. The plus is it is easy, fast & cheap to make. I mix up the type of ground meat to give it a different flare each time I make it. You can use many options for the add ins too! Kids & adults will love my Moms' Goody Goulash!

1&1/2 Pounds Ground Burger, or Ground Turkey, or Ground White Meat Chicken which is what I used in this, or Loose Sausage that could be Sweet Italian, Hot Italian or just Country Style Loose Sausage!

1 Onion Chopped

1 Rib of Celery Chopped & this adds great flavor & texture I highly recommend you do not leave it out of the recipe

Chopped Green Pepper is an Option I would use 1 whole pepper

1 Cup Chopped Mushrooms is an option

1/2 Box Elbow Macaroni cooked per package directions, I cook a whole box  use 1/2 for this recipe & 1/2 for Macaroni Salad or Pasta Salad.

32 Ounces of your Favorite Jar Sauce, I use Prego Chunky Garden Harvest Pasta Sauce

2 Cups Pizza Cheese Shredded or use you favorite cheese!

Brown the meat with the chopped vegetables, drain if needed. Now stir in the cooked elbow macaroni & the sauce. Cook & stir until hot & bubbling. Cover the top with the 2 cups of cheese & let it melt. Dish up! Serves 6 large servings!

Holy Cow Cake as per Genius Kitchen

This is my version with the Chocolate & Caramel Sauce Drizzles!

                                                                       

My daughter saw this cake from Genius Kitchen & requested for me to make it for her birthday! I was happy to oblige! Chocolate cake with caramel, cream cheese, whipped topping & Butterfingers, what is not to love! It was a huge success & I mean huge! The kid & I both dished up pieces this big but could only eat about 1/2 of it. This cake is so rich & filling you only need pieces about 1/2 of the size we took! But it was fun trying to eat all of it! You will love this cake!

1, 18 ounce Devils Food Cake mix, I could not find one this size so I used the 15 ounce cake mix & added 5 TBS flour + 1 TBS Cocoa to make up the difference as per the tip on Genius Kitchen except they said all flour but more chocolate never hurt & it didn't!

1&1/3 Cups Water

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

3 Large Eggs

Mix according to package directions except use the above ingredients, Spray a 9x13 inch pan with baking spray. Pour in cake mix & bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven poke holes in the cake & pour over the cake the following while still warm!

14 Ounces of Sweetened Condenses Milk + 8 Ounces of Caramel Topping. I could only find a 12 Ounce jar & I used all of it, it was just fine!

Now chill the cake.

Once chilled at least 2 hours but overnight works, crush up Butterfingers candy bars enough to make about 2 cups. The original recipe calls for 1 cup crushed Butterfingers but more chocolate is better in my book! Helpful tip, refrigerate the Butterfingers if it is a hot day, that way they crush instead of smoosh! I froze mine that worked great except they were harder to crush, but they definitely crushed nicely! Now sprinkle 1/2 of the crushed Butterfingers over the top of the cake. Cover the top with the following,

8 Ounces of beaten softened cream cheese, & 1 teaspoon of vanilla once beaten beat  in to the mixture,  12 ounces of thawed frozen whipped topping  also known as Cool Whip! I had to buy the larger tub my grocer did not have the 12 ounce tubs, DARN! NOT! I just used the rest as I will tell you!

Now spread the leftover Cool Whip over the cream cheese mixture, Now sprinkle the rest of the crushed Butterfingers & refrigerate another 2 hours at least! 

                                                                      

This cake is suppose to serve 20 servings & I thought HA, sure it does, that is sarcasm folks! So Jen & I served up the nice big pieces you see in the first picture, HOLY COW, we could not finish or servings. This is a rich, dense, wet wonderful cake but after 2 bites you think WOW I think I am full. This takes "that sinking feeling" to a whole new level. PS: my caramel topping that I added to the mixture that you pour over the cake, the 4 extra tablespoons that I added to that step, I wish I had saved it & drizzled it over the top of the cake & some chocolate drizzle would have been extra goodness too. But on its' own this cake is a winner! 


                                                                            
                                                                           

Best & Easiest Crock-Pot Chili EVER!

                                                                           

THis is the easiest chili you will ever make & boy, is it delicious! This is a picture with ingredients just combined in the crock-pot. It will cook on low for a good 6 hours! Serve over rice, noodles, we love mashed potatoes with this ladled over or use it over baked potatoes & top with cheese & a dollop of sour cream! Wait until you see how easy it is & then once you taste this chili, it will become a family favorite!

1&1/2 Pound to 2 Pounds of Ground Beef or Turkey Burger

1 Large Onion Chopped

1, 24 Ounce Jar of Chili's Salsa or use your favorite.

1, 40 Ounce Can of Kidney Beans I use Light Red Beans,

Chili Powder To Taste
Parsley Chopped 2 TBS or use Cilantro if you like.

Anything else you like to add for heat, feel free, my palate is pretty tame so I go with mild heat.

Brown Burger, drain, put everything in the crock-pot & cook on low 6 hours! DIG IN! Makes 6 large servings                   
                                 

Great Big Fat & Happy Cheesecake with Fresh Blueberry Topping

                                                                           

As you can see this is one impressive Cheesecake & in the photo below you can tell this is serious Cheesecake!

This is impressive, delicious & not hard to make!

Cheese Cake Crust:

3 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs, I just just crush 1 & 1/2 Sleeves of Graham Crackers

2 Heaping TBS Sugar

Dash of Salt

1/2 Cup Melted Butter

Combine dry ingredients n the bottom of your spring form pan. Make a well in the middle of the mixture & pour in the melted butter. Stir well. Now press the mixture into the bottom & up the sides of  the pan. The crumbs will reach a little over 1/2 up the sides of your pan & that is what it should be, not all the way up to the top. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove & fill with your cheesecake mixture. I mix that up as the crust bakes!

CHEESECAKE FILLING:

4, 8 ounce blocks Cream Cheese softened to just room temperature

5 Eggs Beaten

1 Cup Sugar

Dash of Salt

2 TSP Vanilla

Beat the soft cream cheese, beat in the sugar & salt. Beat i eggs one at a time & beat until well beaten, soft & fluffy. Spoon into your prebaked crust. Smooth over the top gently. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, lower temperature to 325 & bake 1 hour. Turn off oven crack open the door & let cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven & chill. Let chill overnight or at least 6 hours. Once chilled remove cake from the spring form pan. Mine is a non stick & it easily come out of the pan. If using a regular spring form pan slide a knife around the edges to loosen. Now top with the fresh blueberry filling.

FRESH BLUEBERRY FILLING:

1 Pint Blueberries washed & stems removed

2/3 Cups Water

1/3 Cup Sugar

2 TBS Cornstarch

Dash of Salt

Cook blueberries the water until you see dark blue coloring in the water & the berries are bubbling. Stir Salt, sugar & cornstarch all together & the rapidly stir this into the berries. Cook & stir until mixture is bubbling & thick.  Remove from stove & let this cool down about 1/2 hour. Now take the cheesecake out of the refrigerator & spoon berry mixture of the cheesecake leaving the out rim as an edge for that delicious blueberry topping. Chill. Once chilled SERVE! 

Black Raspberry & Chocolate Muffins!

                                                                       

Oh my word, my two favorite flavors in one amazing muffin! Moist, intense with chocolate & juicy berry, this is one wonderful muffin! 2 ways to make these, leave berries whole & stir them in or do like I did this time, mash & strain berries through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove the seeds!

2 Cups Flour

1/2 Cup Baking Cocoa

1 Cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1 Tsp Salt

2 Eggs Beaten

1 Cup Plain Yogurt

1/4 Vegetable Oil

1 Tsp Vanilla

1 Pint Black Raspberries, mashed & strained through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth OR leave berries whole.
OPTIONS TO ADD: 1 Cup Chocolate Chips, 1 Cup Chopped Nuts, almonds would be nice, or 1 Cup White Chocolate Chips

Stir the dry ingredients together , now add the yogurt, beaten eggs, vanilla & oil. Stir with a heavy spoon until combined do not over stir, just get a nice wet batter. Now either fold in those whole berries or stir in the berry puree. Preheat oven to 400. Either spray your muffin pa for 12 muffins or line with cupcake paper liners. I prefer to just spray my pan. I find paper liner a mess to peel & just a nuisance but that is just me! Now divide your batter evenly among the 12 wells. Bake for 20 minutes. Test to be sure the muffins are done. & Remove from oven. Let rest in the pan for about 3 minutes & then dump out onto a clean surface. Place each muffin upright & glaze with the following glaze a option of course!

MUFFIN GLAZE:

1/3 Cup Butter

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla

Dash of Salt

2 TBS Hot Water

In a heavy saucepan melt butter add the vanilla & salt & stir. Now stir in the powdered sugar. It will be thick & lumpy, no worries. Now add very hot water 1 tablespoon at a time & stir until you get a syrup consistency, Cook stirring to a full boil. Remove from heat & brush hot glaze onto the hot muffins. Let cool & then YUM! 

Old Fashion Glazed Applesauce Cake

                                                                       

What a delightfully moist cake loaded with spices. This reminds me of a cake my Grandma Miller would have made! 

1&1/2 Cups of Sugar

1 Cup Shortening

2&1/2 Cups Applesauce, if using unsweetened add 1/2 Cup more sugar to the recipe

1 TSP Vanilla

1 TSP Cloves

1 TSP Allspice

2 TSP Cinnamon

1/4 TSP Nutmeg

1 TSP Ginger

4 TSP Baking Soda

1 TSP Salt

4 Cups Flour

Optional: 1 Cup Chopped Walnuts, Pecans or Raisins  I did not use them this time!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat Sugar, shortening, Vanilla  & Applesauce all together, it will be lumpy, no worries, it will be just fine. Stir all dry together (not the raisins or nuts) then slowly add dry to the applesauce mixture beating on low speed until all is combined. Then beat on high until well blended.  Now stir in by hand any of your options you choose, use nuts & raisins if you like! Once all is combined pour or spoon mixture into a bundt, angelfood cake, or a 9x13 UNGREASED pan!  Bake 45 minutes up to 1 hour test by inserting a clean knife or toothpick into the baked cake. No wet better on the knife or pick means the cake is done. Remove from oven & let cool 10 minutes then dump out that cake onto your serving plate. Immediately brush liberally with the following glaze that is still hot from the stove.

GLAZE: 

1/3 Cup Butter

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 TSP Vanilla

Dash of Salt

Melt butter on the stove in a heavy saucepan, Stir in sugar & vanilla. Now add just enough hot water until you get a syrupy texture glaze. Add about 2 TBS of the water doing 1 TBS at a time until it is like pancake syrup thickness! Now brush on the cake with a pastry brush or spoon over the cake. Once cake is cool this glaze gives a sweet crunch to each bite! It should, it is my glazed donut glaze recipe! As you all know I just love my glaze! Options instead of glaze could be Vanilla Frosting, or dust with powdered sugar, or just leave the cake plain with no topping! Vanilla Ice Cream along side this cake or a dollop of whipped cream would be nice too!