Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:
7 medium sized or 4 large russet potatoes
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
4 slices of bacon
salt
pepper
garlic powder
parsley

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wrap each potato in aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes or until tender.  While the potatoes are baking, cook the bacon on a sheet pan for 8 minutes in the oven or until crispy.  Drain the fat and pat with paper towels.  Then chop up into tiny pieces.  Place in a large bowl with the sour cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, and 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese.  Mix together and set aside.

Once the potatoes are out of the oven, allow them to cool until they can be handled.  Slice each in half and scoop out the middle into the mixture in the bowl leaving a 1/2 inch of the potato flesh inside the skin.  Place the empty skins on a baking sheet and sprinkle the inside with a little salt.  Using a fork, mash the potato with the sour cream and cheese mixture and stir together.  Fill each potato with the mixture and top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.  Bake in the oven for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  Serve and enjoy!

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Serve warm and enjoy!

 

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Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound fresh broccoli, cut into flourets
1 cup carrots, shredded
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat a large pot on medium, low heat.  Melt the 1 tablespoons of butter.  Toss in the chopped onion and saute. Put in the 1/4 cup butter and melt on low.  Toss in the flour and whisk together until it thickens for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half.  Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli and carrots to the pot. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now.  Keep over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve warm. 

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Chocolate Coca Cola Cake

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 box caked mix
2 cups miniature marshmallows
Coca Cola (For the cake mix, use the coke to replace the water and oil)

Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter
1 box powdered sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
2 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons Coca Cola

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together the boxed cake mix and the coca cola.  Use how ever much coke as the water and oil would be.  Mine called for 1 1/4 cups of water and 1/2 cup oil so I used 1 3/4 cups coke.  Then stirs in the miniature marshmallows very well.  Make sure they are evenly distributed amongst the cake mix.  Grease a 13 x 9 baking dish and pour the batter in and spread evenly. Bake for 45 minutes. 

While the cake is baking make the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, put the box of powdered sugar.  In a saucepan, heat the butter, coke, and cocoa until it boils while you are whisking constantly.  Once it has boiled, pour the mixture over the powdered sugar in the bowl.  Stir with a spatula.  If desired, add the chopped nuts once it has been completely mixed.  Set aside until the cake is done.  Once the cake comes out of the oven, Put dollops of the frosting all over the top of the cake and allow to melt slightly.  Then you can spread it all over the cake.  Make sure it is hot when you do this.  Serve warm and enjoy!

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Sugar Cookies

Cookies:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
7-8 tbsp. milk (plus more, as needed)
sprinkles
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

To frost the cookies, place the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter, vanilla, and milk to the bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in additional milk as necessary, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Use an offset spatula or spoon to frost the cooled cookies. Top with sprinkles if desired. Serve and enjoy!

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Chocolate Lava Cakes

Chocolate Lava Cakes

Serves 4 (I doubled the recipe when I made it to make 8)

Ingredients:

6 oz. Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (or use your favorite 70% dark chocolate bar)
6 oz. Butter (diced, room temperature)
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Flour
Butter and flour for muffin tins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Melt chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals for about 1-1/2 minutes. When melted, stir in the butter until it melts.

In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten. Stir in melted chocolate and then the flour. Butter and flour 4 regular sized muffin tins and pour in ¼ cup of chocolate batter.

Cook for about 10 minutes.

Let cool for about 15 minutes.  Run your knife around the outside to loosten the edges.  Then turn them out onto a dish.  Warm them for 15 seconds before serving if not serving immediately after baking.  Enjoy!

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Pecan Shortbread

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into chunks

1 teaspoon water

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Add the flour, salt, and powdered sugar to a bowl and stir with a fork. Add in the vanilla, the butter and the 1 teaspoon of water. Using the fork or yours hands, mix the dough together just until a dough is formed. Add the chopped pecans and mix. Put the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 5 inches long. Tightly twist each end of the wrap in opposite directions. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.


Slice the log into 1/3-inch thick disks. Arrange on nonstick cookie sheets. Bake until the edges are just light brown, about 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans half way through the baking process. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes. Tansfer to wire racks and cool until room temperature. 

In the microwave melt the chocolate chips.  I do about 30 second intervals, stirring in between.  Usually it takes 1-1/2 minutes.  Then dip half of the cookie into the chocolate and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Put in the fridge for about 30 minutes just so the chocolate can harden.  Enjoy!

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