Candy-Corn Sugar Cookies

I can't believe it's already Halloween. This year at work we had a cookie exchange. It was fun, I made these Martha Stewart cookies. They are quick, simple and tasty. But I think next time I am going to make my snicker-doodles. The only thing about this recipe I don't like is the cookies are VERY small. Bite size for little kids small, so I say this recipe makes a dozen normal size cookies.


Ingredients:
Makes about 36.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
About 36 candy corns

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter and sugar in a medium bowl; beat with a wooden spoon until combined. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Add flour, and mix until a dough forms.

Scoop out level teaspoons of dough, and roll into balls (chill dough briefly if it becomes too soft to handle). Place balls on baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are firm and cookies are dry to the touch (do not let cookies color), 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from oven; gently press a candy corn into center of each cookie (surface of cookies may crack slightly). Cool on sheets 1 minute; transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Funfetti Cookies

Funfetti just sounds fun. These little delights are just fun to eat and puts a smile on my face everytime I hear the word "Funfetti" [cake or cookies]. Funfetti cake is one of my favorite cakes when done right. You gotta... I repeat... gotta use Rainbow chip frosting, not the confetti frosting. If you use the confetti frosting, you have ruined the cake! I don't like to crunch my cake... thank.you.very.much. : P

Ingredients:

1 (18.9 oz.) package Pillsbury Funfetti Cake
1/3 cup vegetable Oil
2 large eggs
1/2 (15.6 oz.) can vanilla frosting (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Combine cake mix, oil and eggs in large bowl. Stir with spoon until thoroughly moistened. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten to 1/4-inch thickness with bottom of glass dipped in flour.

2. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

3. Spread frosting over warm cookies. Immediately sprinkle each with candy bits from frosting. Let frosting set before storing. Store in tightly covered container.

Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 medium bananas mashed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the butter mixture until smooth. Finally, fold in the sour cream, walnuts and bananas. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

O.M.G this was so good and very moist. I cooked mine for exactly 60 mins, I bet it could have lasted at least another couple mins. But everyone who tried it loved it. I recommend this recipe.

Apple Stuffed Porkchops

Indgredients:

1/4th chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1 box of Stove Top
2 cups chopped apples
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup of apple juice
6 (1 1/4 inch) thick pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large skillet saute onion in butter or margarine until tender. Remove from heat. Add the Stove top, apples, celery, apple juice and salt. Mix all together. Cut a large pocket in the side of each pork chop; season inside and out with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon apple mixture loosely into pockets.

In skillet, heat oil to medium high and brown chops on both sides. Place browned chops in an ungreased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 25 minutes longer or until juices run clear.

It tasted pretty good. I needed to get rid of apples that were soft and this was quick and easy.

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken breast, available in the packaged meats case
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 cup medium heat taco sauce or 1 (14-oz) can stewed or fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn kernels
Salt
8 (8 inch) spinach flour tortillas, available on dairy aisle of market
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or shredded pepper jack
2 scallions, finely chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - twice around the pan. Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce or stewed or fire roasted tomatoes. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste.

Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with the scallions and serve.

This is a 30min Rachel Ray meal. It was very quick and easy to make. It didn't have much seasoning but tasty.

Snickerdoodle cookies

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Directions:

In a shallow bowl, combine 1 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Cream shortening; gradually add 1 1/2 cups sugar, beating well. Add eggs; beat well. Stir in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, soda, salt and cream of tartar. Add sifted ingredients to creamed mixture; stir until well blended. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place snickerdoodles 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake snickerdoodles at 400° for 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 4 dozen snickerdoodles.

I do not, repeat, do not like store bought Snickerdoodles. They just don't taste right and I haven't found one that I like, so I just stop trying to taste or find one. This a is quick and easy recipe and you will never go back to store bought ones.

Eggplant Gratin

Ingredients:

Good olive oil, for frying
3/4 pound eggplant, unpeeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 extra-large egg
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good bottled marinara sauce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat about 1/8-inch of olive oil in a very large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is almost smoking, add several slices of eggplant and cook, turning once, until they are evenly browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Be careful, it splatters! Transfer the cooked eggplant slices to paper towels to drain. Add more oil, heat, and add more eggplant until all the slices are cooked.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, half-and-half, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. In each of 2 individual gratin dishes, place a layer of eggplant slices, then sprinkle with Parmesan, salt and pepper and spoon 1/2 of the marinara sauce. Next, add a second layer of eggplant, more salt and pepper, half the ricotta mixture, and finally 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan on top.

Place the gratins on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard sets and the top is browned. Serve warm.

I loved this dish, M wouldn't even try it because it looked weird to him, so more for me! I made this in a square 8 x 8 pan instead of individual dishes. Also, the eggplant soaks up a lot of oil when you fry it, so you may have to add a little more.

Italian sausage penne bake

Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) package dry penne pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound mild or hot Italian sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Italian seasoning

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Place sausage and onion in the skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain excess fat. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and seasoning. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Toss with cooked pasta, and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with mozzarella.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

It tasted pretty good, next time I would add a little more seasoning. M said it tasted like pizza and that is why he likes it.

Bacon Wrapped Weiners

Ingredients:

1 pound sliced bacon, cut into thirds
1 (14 ounce) package beef cocktail wieners
3/4 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Refrigerate 2/3 of the bacon until needed. It is easier to wrap the wieners with cold bacon. Wrap each cocktail wiener with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle brown sugar generously over all.

Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the sugar is bubbly. To serve, place the wieners in a slow cooker and keep on the low setting.

Once you pop, you can't stop!