Chewy Brownie Cookies

Chewy Brownie Cookies

Ingredients:

2/3 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup baking cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening, sugar, water and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts if desired. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for 7-9 minutes; do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes before removing to wire racks

Baked Spaghetti

Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 1 package (16 ounces) spaghetti
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic mined
• 1 jar (24 ounces) meatless spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon ( my secret ingredient)
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon of Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
• 1 Teaspoon of Onion Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 16 ounces) cottage cheese
• 4 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Cook Pasta ( Break the spaghetti in half ( makes it easier to eat) ) via the directions on the box. Preheat oven to 350
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet and add onions and cook for 10 minutes – add garlic and cook for one minute.
3. Add beef to onions and garlic and cook beef till it is no longer brown. Drain beef.
4. Add Sauce and mix. Add cinnamon, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and salt.
5. In a medium size bowl place melted butter. Add cooked pasta and toss.
6. In a small bowl whisk eggs and add cottage cheese and mix.
7. In a 9×13 greased pan start layering – place half the spaghetti in the pan. Add half of the cottage cheese mixture. Add Meat Sauce. Add 2 Cups of mozzarella cheese.
8. Do the layering again. ( Pasta, Cottage Cheese Mixture, Sauce, Cheese)
9. Cover the pan well and place in the oven for 40 minutes. Uncover and cook this cheese has browned ( about 15 minutes).
10. Enjoy

Giant Rainbow Cookies

Giant Rainbow Cookies
makes 18 large or 36 small cookies
2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) of salted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup mini m&m’s (or something else that you love)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Mix the flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the butter and sugars until they are combined (and look like the first picture above). Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir until mixed. Gradually add flour and mix until a dough forms – it will look crumbly at first, but it will come together. I even used my hands to help at one point. Fold in the m&m’s.

Divide the dough how you choose (1/4 cup portions for 18 large cookies or 2 tablespoon portions for 36 smaller cookies). Shape each portion into a ball with your hands then pull each ball into two equal pieces. Turn each half so that the rough side of the half (what used to be the inside of the ball) faces upwards and then squish both halves together. Place the dough rough-side up on a baking sheets. If you’re doing large cookies, I’d leave about 2 inches in between each.

Bake for 12-15 minutes (large cookies) or 8-12 minutes (small cookies) or until the edges are slightly brown. The centers should be soft and puffy. Do not over bake. Let cool completely then dig in!

Samoa Bars

Homemade Girl Scout Cookie Samoa Bars
Cookie Base:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

First, make the crust.
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepapred pan and press into an even layer.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

Topping
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled.
When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).
Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.
Makes 30 bar cookies.

Note: You can simply drizzle chocolate on top of the bars before slicing them up if you’re looking for yet an easier way to finish these off. You won’t need quite as much chocolate as noted above, and you won’t quite get the Samoas look, but the

Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta al Forno

*This was good but a little dry- I will double the sauce next time.  Kids liked, but doesnt warm up too well.

Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta al Forno
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2-14 oz. cans diced Italian plum tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano
S&P
1 lb. pasta (tubes)
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed
2/3 c. parmesan
Directions:
Heat oil in skillet. Add garlic and cook over medium high heat, 1 min. Add tomatoes and oregano and simmer rapidly, stirring occasionally until thickened, 15 min. Add S&P. Meanwhile, cook pasta. Toss pasta with sauce. Place half of pasta in an oiled 9×13” dish. Cover with half parmesan and half mozzarella. Top with remaining pasta, then parmesan and mozzarella. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.

Taken From: Pasta Al Forno