'White Chocolate Craisin Cheesecake Pudding Cookies'

Recipe from: chefintraining.com

Ingredients: 

3/4 C butter (softened) 

3/4 C brown sugar

1/4 C sugar

1 (3.4 oz) box cheesecake instant pudding mix (dry) 

2 eggs

1 tsp cheesecake flavoring (or if you don't have that, vanilla)

1 tsp baking soda

2 1/4 C flour

1/2 C craisins

3/4 C white chocolate chips 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour & baking soda. Set aside. 

3. In a seperate large bowl, cream butter & sugars together.

4. Add in dry cheesecake instant pudding mix & beat well until blended.

5. Add eggs & cheesecake flavoring (or vanilla) & mix well. 

6. Add flour mixture slowly until well incorporated. 

7. Add chocolate chips & craisins & stir into cookie dough.

8. Roll into 1" balls & place on greased baking sheet.

9. Bake at 350 F for 8-12 min. 

My notes: I subsituted craisins with dried cranberries because that's what I had on hand. The flavors of cheesecake pudding mix, cheesecake flavor/or vanilla with white chocolate chips & cranberries is just right. I couldn't keep out of these so I shared them with multiple people! 

'Almond Meltaway Cookies'

Recipe from: thenovicechefblog.com

Ingredients:

2 C all purpose flour 

1/2 t baking powder 

1/4 t flaked sea salt (or reg. table salt)

1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.

3/4 C granulated sugar

1 large egg 

2 t almond extract 

Icing:

1 C powdered sugar

1 T milk (or water)

1 1/2 t almond extract 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, & salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer beat butter & sugar till light & fluffy. Add eggs & almond extract mixing until combined. Add flour mixture 1/2 c at a time, mixing until completely combined.

Roll 1 T of dough into sm. circles & then press with hands (or bottom of cup) into a disk shape. Place on prepared baking sheet. 

Bake for 8 minutes. The cookies will not look browned or cooked, but they are.

Remove from oven & let cookies rest on baking sheet for a minute. Transfer if wire rack to cool completely. 

To ice:

In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, & almond extract; until smooth. Using a spoon, smooth onto the top of each cookie & let set for 10 min, or until they harden. Store in fridge.

My notes: Almond extract is one of my all time favorite to bake/cook with! Best taste! 

'Whole wheat zucchini banana chocolate chip muffins'

Recipe from: howsweeteats.com

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

1 large egg 

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted & cooled

1 1/3 cups freshly grated zucchini 

1/3 cup mashed banana (1 sm-med)

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, & cinnamon. Set aside.

Line a muffin pan with liners.

In a large bowl, whisk egg & brown sugar together until smooth & no lumps. Add in vanilla extract, butter, & milk, whisking again until smooth. Then stir in zucchini & mashed bananas. Gradually add in dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill each muffin liner 2/3 of the way full with batter. 

Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until tops are no longer wet & become slightly golden. Remove & let cool. 

My notes:  oh these babies are so yummy warm out of the oven with some milk! 

'Jamaican Banana Fritters' (pancakes)

Recipe from: thatssoyummy.com

Prep time:10 min

Cook time: 25 min

Serves: 6

Ingredients: 

3 ripe bananas 

1 large egg 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

1 T baking powder

1/4-1/2 cup milk 

Cinnamon & sugar for sprinkling tops.

Directions: 

1. Peel & mash the ripe bananas.

2. Beat egg, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, & nutmeg. 

3. Next, blend egg mixture with mashed bananas. Make sure it's incorporated.

4. Sift flour & baking powder into banana/egg mixture. Mix it all together.

5. If the batter seems to be too thick add a little milk (1/4-1/2 cup)

6. Add oil to frying pan & place on medium high heat. Drop spoonfuls of the banana fritter batter into the hot oiled frying pan. Flip when edges start to get brown & golden. 

7. Combine the cinnamon sugar together to create cinnamon sugar.

8. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of the fritters once they are finished cooking & still hot. 

My notes: oh these are delicious with some melted butter & syrup on them! They are so thick & fluffy! So filling! My husband & I ate them with turkey bacon & fruit for breakfast! 

'Pancake Squares'

Recipe from: bigredkitchen.com

Ingredients: 

3/4 cup milk

2 T melted butter 

1 large egg 

1 T sugar 

1 cup flour 

2 t baking powder 

1/4 t salt 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. 

Lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat together milk, butter, & egg. Add sugar then gradually beat the flour in. Carefully stir in the baking powder & salt. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serves 4-6

My notes: how convenient? No flipping over a hot stove over & over. Just throw it all in a baking dish & bake. I served with powdered sugar & syrup. 

'Pumpkin Pancakes'

Recipe from: gluedtomycraftsblog.com

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoons baking powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1 3/4 cup milk 

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not canned pumpkin pie)

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients.

2. In a small bowl, stir together your milk, pumpkin, eggs, & oil. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture. Stir until well combined & moist.

3. In a lightly greased griddle or skillet, pour about 1/4 cup of the batter in. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden brown. 

4. Serve warm with syrup. 

*I served these warm with cinnamon, whipped cream & syrup! 

My all time favorite pancakes are pumpkin pancakes! 

'Oreo Truffle Brownies'

Recipe from: chef in training.com

Ingredients:

1 cup butter softened

2 cups of sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa 

1 1/3 cup flour 

1/2 tsp salt 

1 pkg. double stuffed Oreos 

4 oz cream cheese softened (add more if needed)

10 oz dipping chocolate 

Instructions:

1. Cream together butter & sugar. Add eggs & blend well. Add the vanilla, salt, cocoa, & flour. Don't overbeat. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 min. Allow to cool completely.

2. While brownies are cooling, make Oreo Truffle layer. Crush the Oreos finely in a food processor (or by putting them in a ziplock bag smashing with rolling pin until finely crushed) using hands or spoon Mash softened cream cheese & the crushed Oreos until well combined. 

Start with a 4 oz & keep adding until you have your desired consistency reached. When brownies have cooled completely, place layer of Oreo truffle on top. 

3. Melt dipping chocolate (chocolate chips or the chocolate candy coating) & pour & spread evenly over the top of the Oreo truffle layer. Cover & put in fridge until set.

*I sprinkled Oreo crumbs on top of the melted chocolate! :)

Made these for my mother in law she (& everyone else) loved them. 

'Macaroon Kisses (almond joy cookies)'

Recipe from: chef in training.com

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup butter softened 

3 oz cream cheese softened 

3/4 Cup sugar

1 egg yolk

2 tsp. almond extract 

1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda 

1/2 tsp. salt

5 Cups flaked coconut, divided (optional)

48 milk chocolate kisses

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese & sugar until light & fluffy. Beat in egg yolk & almond extract. Combine the flour, baking powder, & salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture & mix well. Stir in 3 cups of coconut.

Cover to refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

Roll into 1 inch balls & roll in remaining coconut (or roll in sugar if you don't want coconut). Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 min. Or until lightly browned. 

Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the middle of each cookie. Sprinkle with course sugar. Cool on pan for 2-3 min or until chocolate is softened. 

Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.