Peanut Butter Cookies

I've been feeling a little homesick lately, yes even after three years I still get homesick quite often. One thing that brings me back home is my mom’s cookie recipes. Her peanut butter cookies are one of my favorites and they were just what I needed in order to cheer up! Soft, chewy, and peanut buttery…so yummy. If you’re really feeling naughty they are also great with some Nutella spread on top. You just can’t go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate!

Peanut Butter Cookies

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1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter (I like to use chunky peanut butter)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until blended. Roll into balls and roll balls in a bowl of sugar. Flatten cookies using a fork.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until done. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Minis

Tis the season of pumpkin! I saw this recipe over at Picky Palate and it looked too good not to pass up. I was also intrigued by the seasonal pumpkin kisses everyone seems to be buzzing about. I had never heard of them before so it sparked my curiosity and figured I had better try them. The mini cheesecakes were super good. The chocolate crust was a great compliment to the pumpkin flavored cheesecake. The pumpkin flavor in the cheesecake was nice and subtle, not too overpowering and I’m always up for caramel, so all was good! As for the pumpkin kisses…not so much. If you are a big pumpkin fan, you would probably enjoy them, but they aren’t a necessary topping for this dessert.

Black Bottomed Mini Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

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8 whole Oreos, finely ground in food processor

1 1/2 tablespoon melted butter

8 oz softened cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

Caramel topping

Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses, optional


Note: The recipe suggests to use a mini cheesecake pan. This pan is basically a deeper mini muffin pan. I chose to use a brownie pan which worked out fine. I didn’t get as many cheesecakes, but the serving size was perfect! If you don’t have either pan, you could use a regular mini muffin pan, just be sure to adjust the cooking time.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ground Oreos and melted butter into a bowl until well combined.

Spoon into a greased pan. Press into the bottom of each cup so the crust is flat. Partially bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven.

In a stand or electric mixer beat the cream cheese, ,sugar, and pumpkin until smooth. Beat in egg, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg until combined. Pour evenly into molds, filling about 3/4 full. Spoon about a teaspoon of caramel into the tops of each filled cup and swirl with a toothpick gently. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes or until cheesecake is cooked through. Let cool completely.

Remove cheesecake from pan and top each with a spoonful of remaining caramel and (if desired) a Pumpkin Spice Hershey kiss. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Source adapted from: Picky-Palate.com

Chicken and Dumplings

My picture of this dish does it no justice, so don’t let your eyes deceive you. This is honestly the best Chicken and Dumpling recipe I’ve had. While this isn’t the most colorful of dishes, the flavor is all there. Lots of chicken and big strips of biscuits in each bite. The best part is the recipe is extremely easy to put together by using store bought chicken and biscuits. My mother-in-law made this meal for us a couple of weeks ago and it was so good we’ve had it twice in the past two weeks!

Chicken and Dumplings

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1 (32 oz) container low-sodium chicken broth

1 (14 1/2 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth

3 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 (10 3/4 oz) can reduced fat cream of celery soup

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

2 hard-cooking eggs, chopped

1 (10.2 oz) can refrigerated jumbo buttermilk biscuits

Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired (I forgot this ingredient, which would have added color to the dish!)

Stir together first 5 ingredients in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Add chopped eggs.

Place biscuits on a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat each biscuit to 1/8 inch thickness; cut into 1/2 inch wide strips.

Return broth mixture to a low boil over medium-high heat. Drop strips, 1 at a time, into boiling broth. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent dumplings from sticking. Garnish with parsley, if desired.


Source: Southern Living Comfort Food, Oxmoor House, 2009

Spicy Pork Tenderloin with a Ginger-Maple Sauce

This dish is for all the Ginger lovers out there. The sauce was excellent with the pork tenderloin and made for a yummy combination. If you aren’t a fan of ginger, no worries, just use your favorite BBQ sauce or no sauce at all. The pork was very tender and juicy and the spice rub only added to the flavor of the dish. I highly recommend you give this recipe a try and add some rice in to soak up some of the sauce!

Spicy Pork Tenderloin with a Ginger-Maple Sauce

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2  teaspoons  chili powder

1 1/4  teaspoons  salt

1  teaspoon  black pepper

1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

1 1/2  pounds  pork tenderloin, trimmed

Cooking spray

2  tablespoons  butter

1  cup  chopped onion

2  tablespoons  bottled ground fresh ginger

1  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1/2  cup  maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; rub pork with spice mixture. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; add pork. Cook 6 minutes; brown on all sides. Place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until thermometer registers 155°. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

While pork bakes, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and cook 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add ginger, and cook 4 minutes. Stir in broth and syrup, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring broth mixture to a boil; cook until reduced to 3/4 cup (about 10 minutes). Cut pork into 1/4-inch-thick slices; serve with sauce.


Source: MyRecipes.com

Almond Coffee Cakes

I made these little cuties over the weekend. It’s been a while since I’ve made this recipe and I’m kicking myself now for forgetting about them! They have the perfect layers of flavor with the streusel topping cutting through the middle  and tops of the cake. I also really enjoy the moistness that the sour cream provides to the batter. Overall the taste and texture is the perfect morning treat to enjoy with a cup of coffee.

Almond Coffee Cakes

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For the Crumbled Almonds:

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup almonds

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


For the Coffee Cake Batter:

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch of salt

Combine the ingredients for the crumbled almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Set
aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 10 molds of a 12-mold mini square pan.

Combine butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat at high speed until light and fluffy.

Continue beating at medium speed and add egg, beating until combined. Add sour cream and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder. and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the butter and egg mixture just until combined.

Scoop about 2 tablespoons of batter into each mold. Spread 1 tablespoon of the crumbled almonds on top, followed by about 2 additional tablespoons of batter. Finish with a sprinkling of crumbled almonds. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for 10 to 20 minutes before turning the cakes out of their pans. Once turned over invert immediately to keep the crumbled almonds on top of cake.


Source: Little Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse: Cupcakes, Small Cakes, Muffins, and Other Mini Treats by Liv and Kaye Hansen