Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Submitted by Heather

Raise your hand if you're one of those people who would rather eat the cookie dough raw than bake it?  Really?  I must admit that I do my fair share of snitching dough, always ensuring that I scoop up a number of chocolate chips to make it worth my while.  But while I do really love cookie dough, I'd rather bake it into cookies.  These cookies make it so that you don't have to choose - they give you a little of both worlds.  You get a delicious, golden cupcake filled with cookie dough (eggless!) and then topped with tasty cookie dough frosting.  What's not to love?

My kids sure couldn't answer that question.  They loved these cupcakes.  They weren't difficult, but you do have to plan ahead so that you have time to make all three components.  And I didn't even make the fourth!  If you're really ambitious (or just have some cookie dough laying around) you'll make a batch of mini chocolate chip cookies for a garnish.  Don't be thrown off by the frosting.  It's supposed to be a little bit grainy so that it mimics real cookie dough.

You won't be sorry you made these babies, and neither will anyone around you.  Enjoy!

Yield: 24 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

For the filling:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For the frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For garnish:
Tiny chocolate chip cookies
Mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour.

To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture.

To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.

Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration.

SOURCE: annies-eats.com

Stuffed Pork Chops

source: www.allrecipes.com

I had this pack of gorgeous thick pork chops and wanted to try stuffing them.  I thought they turned out really well and was a nice change from the same old, same old.  Not hard at all.  (pictured with Artichoke Risotto)

Ingredients

• 4 thick cut pork chops
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons melted butter, divided
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 cup beef broth

Directions

1. Make slits in pork chops to form a pocket in fat end. 

1. Combine bread crumbs, sugar, pepper, salt, 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, onions, and parsley; mix well. 

1. Stuff chops generously and skewer shut with toothpicks.

1. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter in a skillet. Brown chops slowly over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side.

1.  Add beef broth and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes until tender, turning chops at least once. Remove toothpicks and pour pan juices over pork chops before serving. (I actually placed them into a baking pan with the broth at this point and stuck them in the oven with foil because I didn't have time to watch it. 350 for about 30 to 40 min. )

Artichoke Risotto

This is really not a very good picture.  (photography is not my strong suit!)

Anyway, I have always wanted to try and make Risotto...I did it once with regular rice

-don't do that-  

Spring for the Arborio rice.  It is so much better and this turned out fantastic.  The only 

complaint from the kids was the amount of artichokes.  I however thought 

they were delicious.  YUM!

Posted by Lisa

source:  www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1 quart chicken stock
• 10 baby artichokes
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
• 1 pound arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I omitted that and used more chicken stock)
• 1/4 cup grated Sicilian pecorino
• 2 tablespoon fresh minced Italian parsley
• 1 sprig thyme, leaves removed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat.

Clean the artichokes, leaving the tender inner leaves attached to the hearts, and halved. Rub with 1/2 lemon.

Cook artichokes until tender, about 10 minutes.

In a saute pan over low heat, saute onions and garlic together in olive oil. Add rice and toast to harden the outer starch. Add wine and slowly add chicken stock, only adding as much as will evaporate in 1 minute, until rice is cooked and creamy.  (this takes about 30 minutes so be prepared to babysit it)

When the rice is cooked, remove from heat and allow it to set for a few minutes to absorb any remaining liquid. Just before serving, mix in the artichokes, cheese, chopped parsley, thyme leaves, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Crepes

Submitted by Hannah

I am so thankful that one of my favorite things is so easy to make that I can duplicate it at home!! Ahhh, the basic crepe is a platform for culinary pleasure.  I used some of the freshest summer berries and sliced bananas topped with some cool whip or whipped cream to make my breakfast a little yummier.   My husband a self proclaimed "pancake hater" swore he wouldn't like crepes but with a bit of a coaxing he tried them and  loved them.  Now crepes are not a traditional pancake but much thinner.  Crepes can be savory but my preference is a sweeter version, here are a few of my favorite combinations: Nutella and bananas, peanut butter and jelly and berries and cream.  Give these a try and ENJOY!!  If you have a favorite crepe version please feel free to share.

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth. (I've also put these ingredients in a blender and mixed it that way by adding the wet ingredients first and then adding the dry.)
Heat a lightly oiled nonstick frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe (This will depend on the pan size you are using so just experiment but the main thing is to coat the bottom completely with a thin layer of batter). Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Continue to make until all batter is gone. You can stack the crepes right on top of each other to store. Top with your favorite things and eat up!

Source: allrecipes.com/basic-crepes

Mediterranean Dip

Submitted by Heather 

As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to make it.  But I've got to be choosy about when I make certain things - cookies and cakes go pretty fast around my house, but try to make something "interesting" and my five kids turn up their noses and I'm left eating the whole thing.  That's not always a bad thing, but not necessarily good for the figure either.  I finally got my chance, though, and brought it to a church potluck.

I was actually pretty surprised by the great reviews it got.  I took a polite spoonful on my plate and ate it and thought, "yes, this IS good," but by the time I got back to try it out again it was gone.  That and the fact that many people asked for the recipe, made it seem like a "keeper" in my book, but I wanted to taste it again to be sure (all in the name of testing and quality control, of course).  So I made it for a luncheon for my friends and finally got to take more than a polite portion.  And yes, it was very good.  All those distinct flavors were amazing as they melded into one delicious bite.  This would be a great dip to bring to any gathering of adults.  Actually, if there are kids there they'll try to eat all the pita chips and leave you with none to scoop up the dip, so watch out.  Then again, this is good enough to eat with a spoon.  I did.

               

Yield: 1 12-inch round plate of dip

For the cilantro pesto:

1½ cups fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil, divided
2 tbsp. pecans
2 tbsp. pine nuts*
¼ cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated if you have it)

To assemble the dip:
Hummus (store-bought or homemade)
Cilantro pesto (above)
Cucumber, seeded (or unseeded English cucumber) and diced
Red onion, diced
Banana peppers, chopped
Sliced olives (black or Kalamata)
Crumbled feta cheese
Oven-dried tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (I used sun-dried)

*If you don't have pine nuts, you can substitute all pecans with equally great results.  

DIRECTIONS
To make the cilantro pesto, combine the cilantro, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, pecans, and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse repeatedly until a coarse paste forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the processor running, add the remaining olive oil in a steady stream and process until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the Parmesan. (If storing for later use, drizzle with a thin film of olive oil, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pesto, and store in an airtight container.)

To assemble the dip, spread a layer of hummus on a serving platter. Spread the cilantro pesto over the top of the hummus. Layer evenly with cucumber, red onion, banana peppers, olives, feta, and oven-dried tomatoes as desired. Garnish with an additional few tablespoons of minced fresh cilantro. Serve with pita chips.

Source: slightly adapted from Annies-eats.com

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle Dessert

"Not fair!  You never make anything good for us!" quote from my boys.  What ever!  I made this for our Church Young Women's meeting last night BUT I also made one for home.  Very tasty.  The bowl was actually cleaned out.  When, not if, I make this again, I will probably not include the peanut butter.  Although it was gobbled up, I think I could save a bit and just enjoy it with the pudding and cool whip as is. 

Delish!

submitted by Lisa
Source The Sisters Cafe

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle Dessert

Submitted by Erin ~ The Sisters Cafe

Printable recipe

9×13 pan of brownies, cut into 1 inch pieces
5.1 oz box instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups milk
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
8 oz container thawed whipped topping (Cool Whip), divided
20 peanut butter cups, crumbled (buy in a 10-pack. Not the bite-sized)
6-8 peanut butter cups to garnish.

Combine pudding and milk. Beat for 2 minutes. Add peanut butter and vanilla, beat until smooth. Gently fold in 2 cups cool whip.

Layer in trifle dish ½ the brownies, ½ the crumbled peanut butter cups, ½ the pudding mixture.

Repeat. Top with cool whip and peanut butter cups. (Or shaved chocolate curls, as I did.) Chill until serving.

Cheesy Red Pepper Dip

Submitted by Heather

I don't know why I do this to myself, but whenever I'm on a diet I find myself looking and drooling at recipes that would be terrible for me to eat considering the diet's food restrictions.  Which are, namely, nothing cheesy or dippy or yummy.  Soon I find myself trying to find reasons to make some of those delicious foods and bring them to others.  It's as if by watching someone ELSE eat them, I'm deriving some sort of pleasure myself.  Yeah, I'm pretty mixed up.  

So this dip was made for one of those occasions.  I couldn't help myself this time, though.  I had to try it, if only in the name of "testing recipes".  It was a deadly good bite.  I didn't get a chance to take a picture while the dip was still warm and bubbly, but trust me, the pictures don't do it justice.  It was really delicious and at any other time in my life I could have sat down and finished off the bowl.  Take this to your next book club or girls' night and they'll love you!

Ingredients:

7 oz jar roasted red peppers (about 1C diced) 

4 C grated pepper jack cheese (3/4 lb)
8 oz cream cheese (I use low-fat)
3/4 C mayonnaise
2 T minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 350. Remove peppers from jar and blot excess water with paper towels. You want to make sure they are dry so they don’t add moisture to the dip. Then dice them up.

In a bowl, soften the cream cheese in the microwave so it will be easier to stir. Add in mayo, onion, garlic, and dijon. Stir to combine and then add in grated cheese and the diced peppers. Place in an 8×8-ish dish (pie plate works). At this point you can pop it in the fridge if you’re going to cook it later and you can even make it a couple of days ahead of time. Place in the oven and cook for 30-45 minutes. Baking time depends on the dish. It will start to bubble and brown on the outside edge, and you want it to be bubbly all the way through to the center. It will be nice and golden brown on top, especially around the edges. Mine usually takes 40-45 min.

Serve immediately. Keep it warm in the oven, and if you need to reheat it, reheat it in the oven (microwaves do strange things to it).  Serve with any of the following: tortilla chips, pita chips, crackers (choose a plain flavored one), veggies or warm baguette slices.

Recipe Source: Our Best Bites cookbook