Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients

For the Crust

     1      package Oreos

            stick  (1/2 cup) unsalted butter (melted)

For the Peanut Butter Filling

1 block of regular cream cheese (8 ounces, softened)

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 heaping cup of creamy peanut butter

1 tub of cool whip (8 ounce tub)

For the topping

chocolate syrup

caramel syrup

Instructions

You can either prepare this pie in a 9 inch pie dish or a 9 inch spring-form pan. If using a pie dish spray the bottom of the dish lightly with some cooking spray and set aside. If using a 9 inch spring-form pan, you can either spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray or you can cut a circle cut out of parchment paper and line the bottom on the spring-form pan with that so when it's time to serve you can easily transfer the whole pie to a serving plate.To make the crust, pulse cookies (use the entire package) in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. Place the cookie crumbs in a medium sized bowl and melt the butter in the microwave. Pour melted butter over the cookie crumbs and mix together until all the crumbs are evenly coated and moist. Pour crumbs into the bottom of the pie dish of spring-form pan and press them down with the back of a spoon forming a crust. Make sure the crust is even, smooth and packed tightly. In a large bowl combine cream cheese and powdered sugar and mix with an electric mixer on low speed for about a minute and then work your way up to medium speed. Add in the vanilla extract and peanut butter. Continue mixing. You may have to stop and scrap down the sides of the bowl. Slowly add in the cool whip and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly combined. Mixture will be fluffy, thick and resemble a pale peanut butter color. Pour peanut butter mixture into the pie dish and smooth it out over the pie crust. Chill pie for at least one hour before serving.

                                                                           Enjoy it!

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Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

1 cup self raising flour
⅓ cup castor sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
 ½ cup milk
 40g butter, melted
 1 free range egg, lightly beaten
 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla essence
  1 cup brown sugar
 2 tablespoons cocoa (extra)

 1 cup boiling water
  Cream, for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180˚C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 4 cup ovenproof dish. Sift flour, sugar and cocoa into a mixing bowl. Combine milk, butter, egg and vanilla in a jug and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix gently until just combined. Pour into the prepared ovenproof dish. Combine brown sugar, extra cocoa and boiling water into another jug, mix well. Gently pour the sauce mixture into dish and bake for 20-25. Serve warm with cream.

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Cookies and Cream Brownie Bites

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon brewed coffee
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• About 28 Mini Oreos (bite sized)
• About 28 Cookies ’n Cream Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray mini cupcake pans with cooking spray or use mini cupcake liners. Place one Mini Oreo in each cavity.
2. Stir together melted butter, sugar, and cocoa. Stir in eggs, vanilla extract, coffee or water, and salt. Carefully stir in flour. (The coffee just adds a richness to the brownies, but you can use water if you prefer.)
3. Place about 1 tablespoon of batter in each cupcake cavity or liner, on top of the Oreo. Bake for 9-12 minutes, until the tops lose that shiny, wet look.
4. Let them cool for just a minute, then place one Kiss in the center of each brownie bite. Do not move or jiggle your pans or try to remove the bites before the Kiss has completely re-hardened or it will collapse. Cool completely, gently remove from the pan (a knife can help loosen if needed).
5. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.

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Cinnamon Bread

Ingredients

Dough

3/4 cup whole milk

2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 tbs granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups all-purpose flour

Filling

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tsp cinnamon

Vanilla Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1-4 tbs cream

Instructions

Heat milk until it reaches 105 degrees either on the stovetop or in the microwave. Stir in yeast packet and sugar and let it sit until the top becomes thick and frothy, about 3 minutes. Pour mixture into bowl of stand mixer and add melted butter, beaten egg and salt. Mix until combined. Add half of the flour and mix on low speed. Once combined, add the rest 1/4 cup at a time until the dough is sticky but workable and doesn't get stuck on your hands. Once dough is together, knead for another 5 minutes on low speed.

Work dough with your hands to form a ball. Grease a large bowl, or use the same bowl, and place dough in. Cover and set dough in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. I like to turn my oven on to 200 degrees, turn it off and place the bowl in there.

Once doubled in size, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle shape. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Brush on melted butter and cover in cinnamon sugar mixture. Cut dough length-wise into 5 long strips. Stack them on top of each other. Cut 6-7 sections across your stacks.

Grease a 9x5" loaf pan and loosely stagger your stacks in the pan. If they aren't snug to the edges of the pan, don't worry about it. It will bake up fine. If there is extra cinnamon sugar that spilled off while transferring the stacks into the pan, don't waste it! Sprinkle it on top of the dough in the pan. Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 45 minutes to an hour until it doubles again in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 22-27 minutes or until very lightly browned on top. Remove from oven, run a knife around the edges and allow to cool in pan for 20 minutes. During this time, whisk glaze ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside (add more cream/milk for desired consistency). Flip pan over and very carefully remove loaf and set on a large plate or platter. Drizzle glaze on top and serve!

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Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 bag (9.5 oz)  Dark Chocolate, chopped, 

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups grated zucchini

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 tablespoon corn syrup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray miniature muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray or use mini muffin liners. In a microwave safe dish, heat 1/2 package of chocolates about 18 pieces on 50% power for 1 minute; stir. Continue microwaving and stirring in 30-second intervals on 50% power until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well blended. Mix in cooled chocolate. Add sour cream and mix to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Mix in zucchini. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter. Bake 12 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool before glazing.

Chocolate Glaze

Put remaining half package of chocolates in a small glass bowl and set aside. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine heavy cream and corn syrup; microwave heavy cream just until it starts to boil, about 30 seconds. Pour over the chocolate; set aside for 3 minutes. Whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. If necessary, microwave an additional 10 seconds at 50% power. Dip the tops of the bites in the chocolate to glaze.

                                                               Enjoy it!

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Cherry Limeade Fruit Dip

iNGREDIENTS

8 oz cream cheese, softened

6 oz lime yogurt (I used lime Chobani Greek yogurt)

1/2 C powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons protein powder

Juice of 1 lime (approx 2 Tablespoons)

1 teaspoon lime zest, (optional)

8 oz Cool Whip

3 Tablespoons cherry jam/preserves or fresh cherries, crushed

instructions

   In the bowl of your mixer combine cream cheese, yogurt, powdered sugar, and proteine powder.  Slowly add lime juice, zest, and Cool Whip until incorporated.

   In a small bowl swirl cherry preserves along the inside walls of the bowl. Add the limeade dip. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

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Chicken and Asparagus Penne

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded with mallet to even thickness
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus more for sauce
• 12 oz penne pasta
• 1 lb asparagus, trimmed of ends, remaining diced into 2-inch pieces and steamed
• 1 1/2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup cream or half and half
• 3 oz light cream cheese, diced into pieces
• 1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 4 - 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled into small pieces (optional)

Instructions

• In a small bowl, stir together basil, oregano, thyme and 1/4 salt and pepper. Sprinkle half of the herb mixture evenly over tops of chicken. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken to skillet, herbed side down, then add remaining herb mixture to tops of chicken. Cook chicken until fully cooked through, about 8 - 12 minutes, occasionally rotating chicken (time will vary based on thickness of chicken breasts. If chicken is browning too quickly reduce heat to medium low as needed). Transfer cooked chicken to a plate, let rest 5 minutes then dice into pieces.
• Meanwhile cook pasta according to directions listed on package, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
• In a clean skillet (large and deep), melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, add garlic and cook 30 seconds longer, stirring constantly. While whisking, slowly pour in milk then cream (whisk vigorously to break up clumps). Season with salt and pepper to taste (a fair amount of each) and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Once it reaches a boil and thickens, reduce heat to medium-low, add light cream cheese and parmesan cheese and cook, stirring frequently, until cheeses have melted.
• Toss in cooked pasta, then add cooked chicken, steamed asparagus and bacon and toss to evenly coat. Add in reserved pasta water as desired (it will thicken as it rests and the pasta will absorb the liquids, so add up to 1/2 cup as needed). Serve immediately.

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Marsala & Creamy Cheese

Ingredients

·         4 East Riding Farm Bowl Sized Popovers

·         1 Tbsp. olive oil

·         6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

·         1 sweet onions, peeled and cut into sixths

·         12 oz. button mushrooms, halved

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         6 sprigs of fresh thyme (and more for garnish)

·         ¼ cup flour

·         salt

·         ½ cup marsala

·         3 cups no-salt-added vegetable stock

·         8oz. of ⅓-fat cream cheese

Instructions

1.      Bake the popovers according to package instructions.

2.     Warm the olive oil in a  large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots and onions. Stir once to coat everything in the oil and then leave it alone until it has started to brown, 2-4 minutes. Stir and then leave it alone until more browning has happened, 2-4 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms.  Leave it all alone until the undersides of some mushrooms are brown, 3-4 minutes.

3.      Add the garlic, the sprigs of thyme, the flour and ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir it for 30 seconds before adding the marsala. Scrape at the bottom of the pot to help the marsala lift up any of the brownings there. Add the vegetable stock and increase the heat to high. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer until the carrots are tender, 5-10 minutes and the liquid is nearly a stew thickness.

4.      Stir in the cream cheese. Once it has melted through, taste and mix in more salt if needed before spooning the stew into the popover bowls.

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Peanut Butter Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup shortening
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar for decoration
2 (9 ounce) bags milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped

instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

 In a large bowl, cream together shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, and 1 cup white sugar until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated. Mix in milk and vanilla.

 In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the peanut butter mixture until well blended.

 Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in remaining white sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

 Bake in preheated oven for 10 to12 minutes. Remove from oven, and immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie. Allow to cool completely; the kiss will harden as it cools.

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French Silk with Bailey's Cream

INGREDIENTS

6-8 ounces chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed - depending on how thick you want the cookie layer to be. (I used Oreo's)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup Irish Cream Liqueur such as Bailey's

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup white sugar

3 large eggs

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine crushed cookies and melted butter. Set aside. Bring Irish Cream to a simmer in a small saucepan and simmer for about 10 minutes or until volume is reduced by one half and Irish Cream has is beginning to thicken . Remove from heat and set aside to cool. - As it cools it will develop a thick, syrupy consistency. Place semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe container and heat on high for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave, stir and cook for another 20 seconds. Stir until chips are melted and chocolate is smooth. You may need another 10 seconds or so in the microwave. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Cream the softened butter at medium to high speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute or until light and fluffy. Add sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat until light and fluffy. This will take 3-5 minutes. Scrape bowl often. It must be mixed long enough so it's no longer gritty. Add the cooled Irish Cream syrup to the butter mixture and mix until well combined. Slowly add the melted chocolate, beating on low to medium speed until the chocolate is well blended and mixture is smooth and creamy. Scrape bowl again. On medium speed, add eggs one at a time, beating for two minutes after each addition and scraping bowl between each egg. Layer chocolate mixture and the cookie mixture in parfait glasses, goblets or pretty dessert dishes. If desired top with a sprinkle of the crumbs or lightly sweetened whipped cream and chocolate curls - or all three! Serves 6-8, (depending on the size of your glasses or bowls) I used 6 ounce glasses and got 8 servings.

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Raspberry Maringue with Whipped Chocolate Ganache

INGREDIENTS

For the Filling

(1) 10-ounce bag Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Baking Chips

1 cup heavy cream

For the Meringues

4 egg whites

¾ cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam

a few drops pink gel food coloring (optional)

INSTRUCTION

To Make the Filling

Place the baking chips in a mixing bowl.

Heat the cream to simmering, and pour it over the baking chips, all at once. Allow to stand for 3 minutes.

Use a wire whisk to stir the cream and chocolate together until smooth and well-combined. Cover, and set aside to cool completely.

When the ganache has cooled and solidified, whip it on high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy and spreadable. The consistency should be similar to cake frosting.

To Make the Meringues

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F.

Whip the egg whites on high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

Gradually, and very slowly, add the sugar, while continuing to whip. Mixture should be very stiff and glossy.

Place the jam and food coloring (if using) in a small bowl, and fold about a cup of the meringue in.

Transfer the mixture back into the meringue, and fold gently to combine.

Pipe rosettes onto parchment lined baking sheets, and bake for 2 hours or until the meringues are very dry and peel off the parchment easily.

To Assemble

Pipe or spread about a tablespoon of the whipped ganache over the back sides of half the meringues. Sandwich another meringue rosette on top. Keep in an airtight container.

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No Bake Strawberry Chocolate Tart

Makes about 10-12 servings

INGREDIENTS

Crust

32 (330g) Oreo cookies

1/2 cup (110g) butter, melted

Chocolate Filling

7 oz (200g) milk chocolate

3.5 oz (100g) bittersweet chocolate

7 oz (200 ml) heavy cream

Topping

10 oz (300g) fresh strawberries

chopped nuts (almonds, pistachios, etc), optional

INSTRUCTIONS

Place oreo cookies into the bowl of a food processor and blend until crumbs form. Add melted butter and pour over the crushed cookies. Process until evenly moistened. Press cookie mixture with the back of the spoon and your fingers where necessary,  into the bottom and edges of a rectangular 5x14 inch (12 x 36 cm) tart pan. Freeze until you prepare the filling, just for few minutes.

In a small saucepan, place cream over medium-low heat for a few minutes to get hot. No boiling or simmering needed. Remove from heat, pour over chopped chocolate and let rest for 1-2 minutes. Stir until dissolved.

Pour chocolate filling over oreo crust, and top with fresh strawberries.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.

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Caulifower & potato soup with dill whipped cream

INGREDIENTS
For the soup

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 leek, sliced into half moons and rinsed
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced 
4 cups good-quality chicken stock
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup crème fraîche
4 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 packed cup), optional
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dill whipped cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 heaping tablespoon chopped dill
Kosher salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

For the soup, preheat oven to 450°.

Toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the cauliflower with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the cauliflower to the pan with the potatoes, stirring to combine. Cook for an additional 25 minutes, stirring midway through cooking, until vegetables are soft and golden brown.

In a Dutch oven or soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onions and leeks and sauté until tender and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add the roasted vegetables and stock to the Dutch oven and season with a little salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.

To puree soup, either run it through a food mill fitted with the medium disc or process in batches in a blender. If you want a very smooth soup, push the puree through a fine mesh sieve or chinois, if desired.

Return the soup to the Dutch oven. Add milk and creme fraiche and rewarm over medium-low to medium heat. Whisk in cheese until completely melted, if using. Season the soup with kosher salt and pepper, to taste. (If making the soup in advance, leave out the milk, crème fraîche, and cheese until ready to reheat and serve.)

For the dill whipped cream, add heavy cream to a clean mixing bowl. Using a balloon whisk, whip the cream vigorously by hand until soft peaks begin to form. (I like a thickened, yet still malleable texture.) Gently stir in the dill and a generous pinch of kosher salt. Chill for about an hour to allow flavors to marry. If the whipped cream gets too thick, just fold in a couple splashes of cream until it reaches the desired texture.

Serve the soup with a dollop of dill whipped cream, coarsely ground black pepper, and a drizzle of good olive or walnut oil.

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Coconut Cream Pie

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
3 cups half-and-half
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake it, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, combine the half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour and salt and mix well. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly.

Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in 3/4 cup of the toasted coconut and the vanilla extract.

Reserve the remaining coconut to top the pie.

 Pour the filling into the pie shell and chill until firm, about 4 hours.

Top with whipped topping and with the reserved coconut.

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