Snickerdoodles

Aaron's favorite cookie!

Snickerdoodles

2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Cream together the shortening, sugar and eggs at low speed. Gradually mix in the flour mixture until the batter becomes dough-like. Chill dough until easy to handle.

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough into balls and roll the balls in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place balls on a cookie sheet and flatten slightly.

Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes.

Gooey Butter Cake

Based on the name of this cake you ought to know whose recipe it is. Paula Deen's. It is definitely gooey and buttery. A rich treat!

Gooey Butter Cakes
From The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook

For the cake:
1 box of yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, melted

Combine ingredients and mix well. Pat into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Prepare filling.

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick butter, melted
16 oz. (or 3 3/4 cups) powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Add butter; beat. Add powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over cake mixture. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes. You want the center to be a little gooey, so do not overbake.

Notes and Variations:
1. You can leave out the butter (all of it) in the filling. It still tastes great but isn't quite as rich and gooey.
2. Add a can of pumpkin and some pumpkin pie spice to the filling.
3. Use chocolate cake mix and add chocolate chips to the filling.
4. Use chocolate cake mix and add 3/4 to 1 cup peanut butter to the filling.

Ebelskiver (Filled Pancakes)

This is one of the coolest things I know how to make. Have you ever heard of Ebelskiver? I hadn't either until several years ago when I saw this really cool pan at Williams-Sonoma and had to know what it was for. Turns out it makes fluffy little pancakes stuffed with whatever deliciousness you can dream up (fruit, jam, chocolate, etc.). Today I filled them with baked cinnamon apples. I make neither Ebelskiver nor baked apples very often, and each time I make either one I wonder why I don't make them more. Neither is that difficult and both are so tasty. See if you can get your hands on one of these pans and try them out!
 

Here they are cooking before being flipped.

And after being flipped.

And here are the tiny spatulas my mom bought to go along with them. Aren't they cute?

Ebelskiver (Filled Pancakes)
From Williams Sonoma

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for cooking
Fillings such as jam, peanut butter, chocolate or fruit
Syrup or whipped cream for serving

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the milk and the melted butter. Whisk the yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined; the batter will be lumpy.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir the whites into the batter in 2 additions.

Put 1/4 teaspoon butter in each well of the pan. Set over medium high heat and heat until butter begins to bubble. Pour 1 tablespoon batter into each well. Put 1 teaspoon of the filling of your choice in the center of each pancake and top with 1 tablespoon batter. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Using 2 wooden skewers (or spatulas), flip the pancakes over and cook until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling. Serve immediately with syrup or whipped cream. Makes about 40.

Note: This makes a lot. You could easily halve the recipe.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

There are 2 things I really love about this recipe. First, it's a casserole that doesn't have any cream-of-whatever soup. I make plenty of recipes that do have canned cream soups in them, but to find a casserole that doesn't have any is a win. Second, it's really versatile. I'm already imagining how I can play around with the flavors of this dish. Ham and cheddar. Chicken-bacon-ranch. Taco seasoning and Rotel.

Chicken and Rice Casserole
From Culinary.net

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 1/2 cups cooked, chopped chicken breast meat
• 1 can (12 fluid ounces) Nestlé Carnation Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1 tablespoon diced jalapeños
• Salt

Combine all ingredients; stir well. Pour into lightly greased 2-qt. casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Another Pinterest success story! I've declared my love of PB and chocolate before, and these did not disappoint. You can really taste the PB, and the chocolate layer has the perfect fudgy consistency. I don't know why I waited so long to make these. A definite keeper!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
From The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 box of yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 12 oz. package of chocolate chips
1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix the cake mix, melted butter, peanut butter and eggs in a mixing bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture and press the rest into a 9"x13" baking dish.

In a small pan melt the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and butter. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Spread the chocolate mixture over the peanut butter dough. Take clumps of the reserved peanut butter mixture and smash them into thin pieces. Place evenly over the top of the chocolate layer.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 325. Cool completely before cutting.

Coffee Creamer

Why buy expensive coffee creamer with strange chemicals in it when you can make your own in just minutes for 1/2 the cost?

Coffee Creamer
From Mrs. Happy Homemaker

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
14 oz. milk, half-and-half or cream (I used milk)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight lid. Shake vigorously to combine.

Notes:
1. I saved a store-bought creamer container, washed it in the dishwasher and used it to store my homemade creamer.
2. The expiration date of your creamer is the same as the expiration date of your milk/cream.
3. You'll need to shake this very well each time you use it.
4. Check out the link to the original recipe above. She posts a link to over a dozen different flavor variations. I tried the basic version first, but some of the variations sound delish!

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

Here's a little something I whipped up for girls' night. I can hardly call it a recipe - just a few yummy sweets dumped in a dish that taste super delish when combined.

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

1 box ice cream sandwiches (I used about 10)
1 jar hot fudge sauce
1 tub Cool Whip (I used the reduced fat store brand)
Crushed Oreos or other other cookies/candy

Line the bottom of a 9x13" dish with ice cream sandwiches. Pour hot fudge sauce over sandwiches and spread evenly. Spread Cool Whip over fudge sauce. Sprinkle crushed cookies over the top. Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.