Toffee Apple Dip

Thanks to TCBOTB for this recipe! This sounds delightful for your next get together! Perfect for spring!

Ingredients
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8-oz.) package toffee bits **the chocolate covered toffee bits are good too!**
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
1. Mix together all ingredients until well blended. Best if refrigerated over night. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Chocolate Chip Scones

Thanks Erica for this Recipe. I am so ready to try it tomorrow!

Chocolate Chip* Scones

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 t baking powder... See More
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
8 T unsalted butter, frozen
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg!

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal)

3. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.

4. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)

5. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

* I add 1t vanilla and 1 cup chocolate chips ** or 1t almond extract with dried berries and raisons*

Easy Three Cheese Manicotti

Easy Three Cheese Manacotti

Ingredients

12 manicotti
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (8 ounce) container chive & onion cream cheese
4 cups spaghetti sauce, to taste
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
*I added 1/2 pound of ground pork.

Directions
1 Cook shells according to the package directions.
2 Rinse well in cool water and dry.
3 While the pasta is cooking, mix together the cream cheese and 3 cups of Mozzeralla cheese.
4 Stuff shells with cream cheese mixture .I slit the manacotti and add filling with spoon then roll it back up seem down. Put a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 13 by 9 baking dish.
5 Place manicotti in dish and cover with remaining sauce.
6 Sprinkle 1 cup of Mozzarella over the top.
7 Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 375.
8 Uncover, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and bake for 15 minutes more.

Pronto Donuts

Thanks for sharing Nikki. These look delicious...

This recipe only takes 30 minutes, so it's a winner in my book! The finished product is light and fluffy. Just don't make these too often because they are completely irresistable!

Ingredients:

5 teaspoons yeast

1 cup luke warm water

3 tablespoons sugar

1 egg, well beaten

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups flour (more if dough is sticky)

oil for frying

Maple Glaze:

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 tablespoons maple syrup or maple extract

powdered sugar (enough to make it the consistency you prefer)

Mix yeast, water and sugar. Wait until bubbles form in mixture. Add egg, butter, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and flour. Mix to form dough. Knead dough for 1 minute. Roll out dough and cut donuts using donut cutter or large drinking glass. Allow to rise for 30 minutes on floured surface. Fry in oil until golden brown. Oil should be approximately 350°. Coat with maple glaze or any topping of your choice (chocolate, cinnamon sugar, etc.).

These would also be AWESOME if filled with cream, custard, or fruit filling.

Blueberry Brownies

Gross? I think not.

When I had too many blueberries left over from my sons brief interest in them, I decided to puree them and add them to a basic chewy brownie mix.

My husband did not want anything to do with them but, he finally tried one.

They were amazing, and the next morning the "gross brownies" he claimed them to be were missing.

Turns out they were so gross he brought them to work to eat :)



PS. Only use Pampered Chef Stoneware! Booooo to Prrex and glass bakeware!!!

Recipes of the Day: 30 Minute Almond Chicken & Cheest Rice & Corn Cassarole

30 Minute Almond Chicken

What You Need!

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3/4 lb.)
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed, halved
1 cup instant white rice, uncooked 1/4 cup
PLANTERS Sliced Almonds


Make It!
COOK chicken in dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 4 min. on each side or until evenly browned.

ADD broth; bring to boil. Cover; simmer 5 min. Add beans; cook 5 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Remove chicken; cover to keep warm.

STIR rice and nuts into beans. Remove from heat; cover. Let stand 5 min.; fluff rice. Serve with chicken.

Kraft Kitchens Tips
Easy CleanupSince everything is made in 1 skillet, cleanup is a snap!

Cheesy Rice and Corn Cassarole

What You Need!
1/2 cup (1/2 of 8-oz. tub) PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread
1 egg
2 cups cooked instant white rice
1 can (15-1/4 oz.) corn with red and green bell peppers, drained
1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Make It!
HEAT oven to 375°F.

MIX cream cheese spread and egg in large bowl until well blended. Stir in rice, corn, 3/4 cup shredded cheese and cilantro.

POUR into greased 1-1/2-qt. casserole; top with remaining shredded cheese.

BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until is casserole is heated through and cheese is melted.

Oreo Balls Reindeer Droppings

I made these Christmas Eve dipped in GREEN microwavable melting chocolates (from Hobby Lobby in EVERY color possible, always on sale after each holiday) and topped with RED sprinkles.
You can do PINK and WHITE chocolate with cute sprinkles for your sweet Valentine instead of a box of lame chocolates! Smart eh?




Oreo Balls Recipe Ingredients
•8 ounces softened cream cheese or whipped cream cheese
•18 ounces package of Oreo cookies, crushed
•2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
•1 tablespoon shortening
OR SUB the last 2 ingredients with a brick of almond bark or microwavable chocolate for dipping.

Oreo Balls Recipe Instructions
Mix cream cheese with electric mixer until fluffy. Add the crushed Oreos and beat on high until well mixed. Chill for at least 2 hours in the freezer. Then roll Oreo cookie mix into one inch Oreo Balls.

Next, melt the chocolate chips and shortening with a double boiler or in the microwave.

Dip the Oreo balls completely into the melted chocolate using tongs or a toothpick.

Put on wax paper. After the Oreo balls harden, keep them in the refrigerator.

Makes about 3 or 4 dozen Oreo Balls, depending on the size

The Oreo Balls Recipe Is Great Because...
If you haven't tried Oreo balls, you're missing out. Oreo balls are a decadent, rich, delicious dessert . Most people make Oreo balls as a special treat for the holidays, especially Christmas. The Oreo balls recipe is sometimes referred to as the unappetizing title 'Reindeer Droppings' around Christmas time. You can also make them at Easter, because they resemble Easter eggs!

If made correctly, the Oreo balls recipe will result in a slightly crunchy outer coating of either chocolate or white chocolate. The center is a gooey, delicious delight made up of crushed Oreo cookies and cream cheese.

There are several reasons why I like to make Oreo balls. First, of course, Oreo balls are sinfully delicious.

Second, they are rich enough that most people will eat only a few. So Oreo balls make great treats for parties or get togethers because they go a long way.

Third, the Oreo balls recipe is pretty inexpensive to make. Since this recipe makes about 3 or 4 dozen, it is a bargain.

The Oreo balls recipe consists of four simple ingredients. Most of us have at least some of the ingredients sitting in our kitchens already.

This is a no-bake dessert recipe! I love these types of recipes, especially during the holidays. It frees up precious space in my ovens. Even though I have two, I never seem to have enough room.

This is a make ahead dessert recipe! The Oreo balls recipe can be made ahead in a couple of ways. First, leave the Oreo cookies mixture in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to dip them in chocolate. Or go ahead and make them and then put them back in the refrigerator or freezer to eat whenever you like. The Oreo balls will keep in the freezer for about 3 or 4 months. Be sure to store Oreo balls chilled in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag.

The last reason that I keep the Oreo balls recipe in my recipe file is because Oreo balls are easy to make. And the Oreo balls recipe is very versatile. It can also be adapted to contain less fat and calories. See below for variations on this easy recipe.

Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread from http://www.allrecipes.com/

Ingredients
1 (3.5 ounce) package cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix
***OR LEAVE OUT THE PUDDING MIX AND USE MORE SUGAR --ABOUT 1.5 CUPS. ***
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits
Directions

1.In a plastic bowl with tight-fitting lid, combine pudding mix, sugar, cinnamon and pecans if desired. Pour the butter into a shallow bowl. Cut the biscuits into quarters. Dip several pieces into the butter, then place in bowl; cover and shake. Remove to a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Continue until all the biscuit pieces are coated. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.

Cupcakes and Fudge

Well sorry Santa this year is gonna be a fudge and cupcake kinda year. No cookies for you, LOL.




Im a fan of getting recipes off the back of cans. I used the recipe onthe back of the condensed milk can. However that meant that I couldnt by the cheaper no name brand cause I wouldnt get the recipe. Bummer. I added walnuts and the fudge was awesome.



I never realized how to make the cupcakes frosting look good. So I never made them much before. Now using a plastic bag and piping them onto the cupcake, ill never do the old fashion way of frosting them with a knife or spatula

tree brownies

So I made them and they were prety darn cute!

Seriously Sweets

Really, why did my friend have to show me these and now I have to make them!
Good thing im not one to eat all the sweets I make, I usually just give them all away and dont even get to try it!

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/holiday-tree-brownies/058237a7-ae5c-435e-b9cc-b01af1d412e7

Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese icing.

One word:
YUM.

Thanks Jessica!
I wish I had taken a picture so you could have seen how wonderful they looked on her platters! Delicious!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Red Velvet Cookies

1 red velvet cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil

Mix together and roll into balls and slightly flatten them. Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 mins.

Cream Cheese Icing

1 8oz package cream cheese
1/4 stick of butter
2 teaspoons of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
4 cups of powdered sugar

Hope they turn out well. Be careful the cake mix will stain everything!

More EASY Holiday Baking Treats!

For those not so suzzie home makers who are asking what to bring to my fridays TREAT EXCHANGE.... Heres some super simple ideas that will be a hit.

INGREDIENTS
Filling
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole cranberries, chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
Crust
1 box (15 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
Coarse sugar, if desired
Topping
1/4 cup whipping cream
3 teaspoons powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS
1. Sprinkle gelatin on water to soften, set aside about 15 minutes. In 1 1/2-quart saucepan, heat 1/2 cup granulated sugar and the cranberries just to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in gelatin mixture and orange peel. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes or until mixture just starts to thicken.
2. Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 24 miniature muffin cups with cooking spray.
3. Unroll pie crusts on work surface. With 2 1/2-inch scalloped round cutter, cut 15 rounds from 1 crust and 9 from the other. Fit rounds into muffin cups, pressing in gently. Generously prick crusts with fork. From remaining crust, cut 24 1-inch star shapes; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake crusts 6 to 9 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool crusts completely on cooling rack, about 15 minutes; remove from muffin cups. Meanwhile, bake star shapes 3 to 4 minutes or until light golden brown.
4. In small bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add 2 teaspoons of the powdered sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in cranberry mixture; refrigerate about 10 minutes or until thickened. Spoon about 1 tablespoon mixture into each crust; top each with 1 star. Store in refrigerator. Just before serving, sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon powdered sugar.

INGREDIENTS
1 Pillsbury® Pet-Ritz® frozen deep dish pie crust
1 1/4 cups milk
1 box (4-serving size) chocolate pudding and pie filling mix (not instant)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk
20 large marshmallows
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
6 tablespoons crushed red, green and white hard peppermint candies
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 400°F. Bake pie crust as directed on package for One-Crust Baked Pie Shell. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, stir together 1 1/4 cups milk and pudding mix; cook over medium heat as directed on box. Reduce heat to low; continue cooking while adding chocolate chips, stirring until melted. Set aside.
3. In 3-quart saucepan, heat 1/2 cup milk and marshmallows over low heat, stirring constantly, just until marshmallows are melted. Refrigerate about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon.
4. In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream and peppermint extract on high speed until stiff. Gently stir in marshmallow mixture. Gently stir in 1/4 cup of the crushed candies.
5. Spread chocolate mixture in cooled shell; top with whipped cream mixture. Refrigerate until set, about 4 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons crushed candies on top. Store covered in refrigerator.

INGREDIENTS
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup red and green candy-coated chocolate candies
1/2 cup hot fudge topping, heated, if desired
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 12-inch pizza pan with shortening, or spray with cooking spray. In pan, break up cookie dough into pieces and press out dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust. Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown.
2. Sprinkle marshmallows and candies evenly over crust. Bake 2 to 3 minutes longer or until marshmallows are puffed. Drizzle hot fudge topping over top. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into wedges to serve.

INGREDIENTS
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
1/4 cup red or green decorator sugar crystals or clear edible glitter
2 1/4 cups any flavor ice cream, slightly softened
1/2 cup miniature red and green candy-coated chocolate candies or any candy sprinkles, if desired
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Shape cookie dough into 24 balls; roll in sugar. On ungreased cookie sheet, place balls 3 inches apart.
2. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
3. Cut nine 12x9-inch sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper. In small shallow bowl, place chocolate candies.
4. For each sandwich, spoon about 1/4 cup ice cream onto bottom of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down; press together gently. Roll outer edge of ice cream in chocolate candies. Quickly wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap. Freeze about 3 hours or until firm. For longer storage, place wrapped sandwiches in resealable freezer plastic bag. Let stand 10 minutes before serving

INGREDIENTS
1 package (13 oz) Pillsbury® Ready To Bake!® SHAPE® Christmas tree sugar cookies
3/4 cup vanilla frosting (from 1-1b container frosting)
Candy sprinkles
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies as directed on package. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
2. For each sandwich cookie, spread 1 tablespoon frosting on bottom of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down; press together gently. Sprinkle around outer edge of frosting with candy sprinkles. Store loosely covered.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies (from 5-lb 4-oz container)
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup salted peanuts
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup caramel topping
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 12-inch pizza pan with shortening or cooking spray. In pan, break up cookie dough. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust.
2. Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown. Sprinkle marshmallows, peanuts and chocolate chips evenly over crust. Drizzle with caramel topping.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer or until topping is melted. Cool completely, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cut into wedges.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons red decorator sugar
2 tablespoons green decorator sugar
DIRECTIONS
1. Beat butter with electric mixer in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add cornstarch and 1/3 cup powdered sugar; beat at low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed until light and fluffy. Add flour; mix until dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour for easier handling.
2. Heat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake at 350°F. for 9 to 15 minutes or until cookies are very light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.
4. In small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons powdered sugar and both decorator sugars; mix well. Carefully roll warm cookies in mixture

Turkey Cookies!

Whoa busy weekend with a weekend class (Film Art) so I haven't been able to blog but now I'm back.

These are precious, making them this coming weekend for Reese's party Monday of next week~! They have a thanksgiving party

Pretty self explanatory. Buy premade cookies, and decorate...M&M's , icing, and candy corn! If you

cant figure it out. You probably should reconsider your cooking career. But, ill be nice and you can go to http://www.3ingredientstowow.com/ to look up more. This is under Turkey Cookie in search box.

Ill post myt version later. I also saw these same sugar cookies decorated like an ornament for XMAS... Ahhh so cute

INGREDIENTS
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
1 container (16 oz) chocolate creamy frosting
Candy corn
Orange decorating icing
Black decorating gel
Miniature candy-coated chocolate baking bits
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies as directed on roll. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
2. Spoon chocolate frosting into resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut small hole in bottom corner of bag. On each cookie, pipe frosting on outer edge of half of cookie. Arrange candy corn over frosting for feathers.
3. Pipe orange icing onto each cookie to resemble turkey face and feet. Use orange icing to attach baking bits to turkey face for eyes. Pipe black gel on baking bits for centers of eyes.

Banana Supreme Pie

I made it agian, finally

Click picture for recipe

Decadent Triple Layer Mud Pie

Decadent Triple Layer Mud Pie
1 ready made Oreo Pie Crust
2 squares semi sweet baking chocolate, melted
1/4 cup condensed milk
3/4 cup pecans
2 cups cold milk
2 (3.9 oz) pkg instant chocolate pudding & pie filling
1 (8 oz) container frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed

I'm having a hard time copying and pasting for some odd reason so here is the directions to make it on another website. Directions here

Holiday Recipes

Ive made these but not taken pictures .... this year I will be.

However these are easy, hard to screw up treats to make for the holidays if your on a tight budget, you can still bake/make treats for family and friends.

You can even hit the dollar store for some cute tins, plastic tubs, box's to send the treats in.

Pretzel Wreaths

Praline Toffee Crisp ---so amazing

Christmas cake --- made with graham crackers and stuff.. lol

Ill have to do some research to get these recipes cause im missing my holiday recipes cookbook, from Pampered Chef where I get all these from, but when I do ill be sure to share!~ I cant wait to make/bake all these yummy things for teachers, friends and neighbors this holiday season! Sweet simple and so cheap! Everyone loves sweets!

Banana Cream Supreme

Making this for my dad Sunday -- it is deliciousioso!! <---made up word, haha.

I cant believe its been so long since ive made it!!!

Banana Cream Supreme

1 1/4 cups chopped graham cracker squares 1/4 cup butter, melted

3 tablespoons sugar

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup cold milk

1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling 1 container

(12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

3 medium bananas, sliced

2 tablespoons pecans, grated

Chop graham crackers; place in a bowl.

Add butter and sugar; mix well. Press crumb mixture onto flat bottom of springform pan. In a classic batter bowl, whisk sour cream and milk until blended. Add pudding mix; whisk until pudding is dissolved. Add whipped topping, mixing until well blended.
Spread half of filling over crust. Slice bananas; arrange over filling. Spread remaining filling over bananas. Grate pecans over top. Garnish as desired with fresh fruit/mint leaves.

Halloween time... ideas!!!

Ghostly Goblin Grins

Skull CakesEyeball Cupcakes

Spider Cupcakes

Graveyard Pizza

Oreo Cake

FROM MY NEWEST FAVORITE BLOG DONNA!!
http://mcgonigal32.sundaycook.com/

1 pkg. (2-layer size) devil’s food chocolate cake mix

4 squares BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut up

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar 2 cups thawed COOL WHIP

12 OREO Cookies, broken into quarters

1. PREHEAT oven to 350 F. Prepare and bake cake mix as directed on package in two 9-inch round baking pans. Cool 5 min.; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.

2. MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Cool 5 min.

3. BEAT cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping and cookie peices. Place one cake layer, top-side down, on serving plate. Spread top of layer evenly with cream cheese mixture. Cover with remaining cake layer, top-side up. Spoon chocolate glaze over top of cake. Let stand until set. Store in refrigerator.