PEANUT BUTTER BON BON's

Today is our 40th Wedding Anniversary, where have all the years gone? We are celebrating quietly at home, with shrimp cocktail, filet mignon, cherry pie and these little peanut butter beauties!!

They are very easy to make and totally addicting. The filling was adapted from a recipe called Buckeye's, but I changed it a little bit...made them much smaller and completely covered them with chocolate, then decorated with a little white drizzle. These will be wonderful for any holiday gathering.
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1½ cups creamy peanut butter
½ cup butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar (sifted into a cup)
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening
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Mix the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar with a stand mixer (or your hands) until you get a smooth dough (to measure sugar, sift it into a measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge).
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Shape the dough into 1" balls and set them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for about an hour.
.In a double boiler, melt shortening and chocolate together over barely simmering heat. Remove balls from freezer (just about a dozen at a time) & poke a tooth pick into the top of a chilled dough ball (to use as a handle) and dip into chocolate, then sit on a wax paper lined tray & put in fridge (leave the toothpick in the candy until it's chilled again, it is easier to remove that way). Continue until all of the candies are coated (makes about 50 depending on how large you make them.

The chocolate will set (be dry to the touch) after about 10 minutes in the fridge. Remove from fridge, take out the toothpick and cover up the little toothpick hole with more chocolate. You can cover the little hole with chocolate or white chocolate.

These need to be kept in the fridge until you are ready to serve them. I dare you to eat just one!!

KID FRIENDLY JELLO FROSTING!!

UPDATE: New sugar free option at the end of this post.

UPDATE: Since posting this on Pinterest, a few people have commented that  this frosting deflated on them after a day at room temperature. I've never had this problem, because I live in a DRY climate, but those of you living in HUMID climates are having this problem. So... if you live in a humid climate, you'll need to store the frosted cake in the fridge.

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This frosting recipe has a lot of things going for it. It is fast, super light, smooth and creamy on the tongue (very similar to a 7 minute frosting, but so much easier). Neatest of all, is that it is flavored with jello, so you can make it in ANY Jello flavor you like...watermelon? blueberry? pina colada? Kids will LOVE this frosting.

3 ounce pkg. of Jello (favorite flavor)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup BOILING water

Place the Jello powder, granulated sugar, egg white and vanilla in a GLASS OR METAL mixing bowl of a stand mixer. DO NOT USE PLASTIC and make sure your glass or metal bowl is clean of any grease or oil.

Turn the mixer on HIGH and immediately add the half cup of BOILING water. Whip on high for five minutes and you will get this:

 NOTE: This recipe only seems to work if you use a  stand mixer, with whisk attachment. Also, make sure you use a glass or metal mixing bowl, do not try this with a plastic bowl.

NOTE: Some people have commented that they don't think raw egg whites are safe for children to eat. The egg whites in this recipe are no longer raw after you add the BOILING WATER.

NOTE: This recipe makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes, or a 9 x 13 cake. If you are going to do any piping or edges, you might have to double the recipe.

NOTE: This frosting pipes beautifully and holds its shape well. Like any 7 minute type frosting, it does get a little sticky/tacky the second day, so its best if you make it the day you want to serve it. If you have to make it the night before, just store it in an airtight container that doesn't touch the frosting.


NOTE: This frosting has so many fun possibilities for birthday cakes/cupcakes. It would also make a wonderful filling.

SUGAR FREE FROSTING OPTION

Since putting this recipe on Pinterest, I have heard from several people who are wondering about the possibility of sugar free jello and Splenda...well, I had to try it.

First of all, we didn't like it as much as the original recipe (with regular jello and granulated sugar). The taste was good, but the texture of the sugar free version + Splenda was just a little too foamy for us (that didn't stop us from eating it though...lol)

I followed the original recipe, substituting exact amounts with the sugar free products

I used 2/3 cup of granulated Splenda, 1 egg white, 1 teaspoon vanilla and a small (4 serving) size box of sugar free jello.  I mixed those items together in my stand mixer and added 1/2 cup of BOILING (not just hot) water while the mixer was running on HIGH. Let the boiling water run down the inside of the mixing bowl, so it cools off a couple degree's before hitting the egg white.

Mix on HIGH setting for at least 5 minutes (will take longer if you are in a humid climate). After 5 minutes, my frosting looked like this:

It was very foamy, and almost tasted like a sweet fruity meringue.  It still pipes nicely, here's an example:

I'm  not sure whats up with the sparkle; the final frosting DID have a "fairy tale shine" to it, and I thought perhaps it might have a granular taste, but it didn't; it was very smooth.

I  let this frosting sample set out at room temperature for several hours to see if it would deflate (it didn't), but it did form a VERY THIN crispy crust (keep in mind I'm in a dry climate). I also put a similar frosting sample (uncovered) in the fridge and after a few hours, there was NO appreciable difference between it and the sample I kept at room temperature.

It's hard to explain the mouth feel of this sugar free frosting, maybe a photo will help:

I cut the frosting sample in half... it tasted sort of like a cross between a sweet meringue and a wet marshmallow whip... does that make sense?

My conclusion: We liked the original recipe better, however, if your dietary concerns require a sugar free frosting, this is worth a try!!



THREE LAYER APPLE CRISP

Sweet, spiced, apples are tucked between two layers of oats, nuts and brown sugar. This is a classic apple crisp with a twist.

 1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (see note)
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup cold butter
4 cups sliced and peeled apples
1 cup pecans chopped
.In a large bowl, mix the flour, oatmeal, cinnamon,nutmeg and brown sugar. Cut in the cold butter until mixture looks crumbly. Stir in chopped nuts.
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Spread half of this mixture into the bottom of a 10" pie plate and pack it down.
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In a heavy pan, saute the apple slices in a tablespoon of butter, ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg, JUST UNTIL THE APPLES BEGIN TO SOFTEN. Place this layer on top of the crumb crust.

Top the apples with the rest of the reserved oat mixture and gently pat down. Bake in 375 degree preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream.

NOTE: I have never been a big fan of nutmeg until I recently started using freshly grated nutmeg seed. It is an entirely different taste than you get in the pre-ground nutmeg. A jar of seeds has a LONG shelf life and they really make a huge difference in baked goods.

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE FOR TWO

Chocolate cheesecake for two, how tempting is that? Actually, this was rich enough that Hubby and I split a piece (technically making it cheesecake for 4). Served with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, this was the perfect ending to a romantic dinner.

 Preheat your oven to 325F and line a mini loaf pan (6" x 3" x 2") with foil (leaving the ends long enough to grip on to) and spray with vegetable spray.

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
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½ cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon of melted butter
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Mix well and pat firmly into prepared mini loaf pan, set aside.
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FILLING.
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (see note)
4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 egg room temperature (slightly beaten)
1 teaspoon flour
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
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Melt chocolate chips and beat them into the softened cream cheese; add the vanilla and sugar. Whisk in beaten egg and flour until smooth (don't over mix). Pour over the crumb crust.
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Place the mini loaf pan inside of an 8" or 9" cake pan and add hot water to the bigger pan until it comes half way up the side of the smaller pan. Bake 30 minutes or until set.
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Cool about 15 minutes, then put in fridge and chill for at least 3 hours (even better on day 2). To serve, grab edges of foil, and lift the cheesecake out of the pan. Fold foil back and cut cheesecake into pieces; serve with sweetened whipped cream.
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NOTE: Your chocolate cheesecake is only going to be as tasty as the chocolate that you use. I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips and they were excellent.
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NOTE: After baking for 30 minutes, gently tap the side of the smaller pan with a spoon. You should see just a little jiggle in the batter, but not much.

TOASTED ORZO with PARMESAN & BASIL

This simple (and versatile) little side dish is just delightful. The orzo is toasted in butter before boiling, which adds an extra flavor, then it is tossed with Parmesan and fresh basil. Whether you use it as a side dish or a main dish, it is a very nice change.2 tablespoons butter

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta

2 + 1/4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes

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Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan that has a tight fitting lid. Add the UNCOOKED orzo pasta and stir until completely coated with the butter. Cook on medium-high until the pasta turns golden to lightly brown (watch it because once it starts to turn, it turns quickly).

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Stir in the chicken broth, red pepper lakes, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until the orzo is tender and liquid is (almost) all absorbed. This will take 15 to 20 minutes depending on how fast your simmer is.

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When orzo is tender, remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Serve hot.

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NOTE: Just about anything can be added to this recipe, next time I think I'll include a little crisp bacon some mushrooms!!!

CHICKEN TETRAZZINI WITH HOME MADE PASTA

One of my favorite dinners is Chicken Tetrazzini with home made pasta.

It is simple and inexpensive to make and (in my opinion) pure comfort food.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cups of good chicken broth
1 medium onion chopped
3 stalks of celery chopped
2 carrots cut into chunks
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
.Put the above items in a crock pot, on low, for 6-8 hours (you want extremely tender chicken). Remove the chicken and break into pieces. (see note).
In medium saucepan, with heavy bottom, melt 3 tablespoons of butter; add 3 tablespoons flour + ½ teaspoon black pepper + 2 teaspoons chicken bullion granules. Let this simmer (stirring) for a couple of minutes, then add 2½ cups of milk (whisk like crazy as you slowly add the milk so you do not get lumps). This entire mixture will thicken as it comes to a boil.
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When the mixture boils and thickens, turn heat to LOW and add broken up chicken breast pieces, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 cup sauteed mushrooms, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, a pinch of dry red pepper flakes and 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese. Let this cook on low (to warm everything through) but watch it because it can scorch if the heat is too high. Serve over fettuccini noodles.
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If you are going to make your own pasta, here is an easy recipe:
Put 2 cups of all purpose flour in a heavy duty stand mixer. Make a “well” in the flour and put in five whole eggs:

Mixing with your paddle attachment, mix until the eggs are well incorporated into the flour. It shouldn’t be sticky; if it is, add a little more flour. Remove the paddle attachment and add the dough hook. Knead with the dough hook for about 5 minutes. Dough should be very smooth. Cover with plastic and let it rest for about 30 minutes before you cut it.
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Keep majority of dough covered with plastic wrap and work with a small ball of dough at a time. A small ball like this:

will roll out to a flat ribbon like this!

Fold the flat ribbon over onto itself a couple of times and run it through the roller four or five times. Roll the dough out one last time and dust it lightly with flour. Now you are ready to run it through the cutter. Two small balls of pasta dough (like the one in my hand above) made this much cut pasta!!

Bring a big pot of salted water to a full boil. Fresh (un-dried) pasta cooks in about 3 minutes. If you have let your pasta air dry, it takes about 8 to 10 minutes to boil (depending on its thickness).
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NOTE: I’ve noticed when boiling fresh pasta, it tries to “boil over” more easily than commercial pasta. If you add just a few drops of oil to the water, it will stop that.

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NOTE: A (bristle type) pastry brush is great for brushing off excess flour from your pasta dough.

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NOTE: If you do not have a pasta roller/cutter, you can still make home made pasta by rolling it out super thin and cutting it with a pizza cutter.

NOTE: Cool and save the liquid from the crock pot for another recipe, it is excellent broth.

PUMPKIN - CRANBERRY BREAD (the best)

If the rating system for this recipe was 1 to 5 stars; I would rate this a 10. It is absolutely delicious and will be perfect for your holiday table!! It is very easy to make (doesn't even take an electric mixer) and yet it is unique enough for gift giving. I hope you try it, it is SO GOOD... extremely moist, total comfort food!!!

 Preheat your oven to 350, and grease and flour two 9" x 5" loaf pans. Set out two large bowls. In the first one mix:

3 cups flour
3 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

In the 2nd bowl, mix:
3 cups sugar
(1) 15 ounce can pumpkin (without spice)
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
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Whisk the first bowl (with the flour in it)until the dry ingredients are well mixed. Whisk the 2nd bowl (with the pumpkin in it) until WELL mixed and oil is completely incorporated. Pour the wet into the dry and mix with spoon just until moistened. Stir in cranberries gently.
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Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake 60 to 65 minutes (my oven took 70 minutes). Cool (in the pans) for about 10 minutes, then turn them out. Wrap the hot bread IMMEDIATELY in plastic wrap, covering tightly. Let the breads cool completely in the wrap.


NOTE: Make sure you use a 15 ounce can of plain packed pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling (big difference).

NOTE: Recipe calls for ½ cup of orange juice, which I didn't have, so I used pineapple juice instead.

NOTE: Wash and sort your cranberries. Try to use the darkest berries. Make sure they are thawed out before mixing into batter.

NOTE: It is OK to put the plastic wrap on the hot bread as soon as it comes out of the pan. This forces the moisture back into the bread as it cools.

NOTE: My oven took 70 minutes to cook these loaves. Use the toothpick test to determine doneness.