Cooking - for a new lifestyle (Our Test Kitchen)

Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted) 4 tsps baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsps shortening 3 tbsps peanut butter 2/3 cup whole milk DIRECTIONS Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Combine shortening and peanut butter and cut then into flour mixture with a knife or pastry blender until thoroughly mixed. Add milk to make a soft dough (DO NOT OVER MIX). Turn dough on to a LIGHTLY floured board and knead slightly. Roll 1/2-3/4 inch thick and cut with a floured cookie cutter. Place biscuits on an UNGREASED baking sheet 1-1&1/2-inches apart if crusty biscuits are desired (if touching, then the biscuits will be "soft-sided"). Bake in a hot oven (425°F-450°F) for 10-15 minutes. Served these with homemade strawberry jam...... "Bon Appetit!"

I made these last year by a request of a friend who didn't get his yearly amount. Let's just say that people have since been pestering for more. (Photo will be posted after the recent batch) Ingredients -4 cups icing sugar -1.5 cups peanut butter -1 tsp vanilla extract -1 tsp maple extract (I've been using rum extract as we don't have the maple) -1/4 cup butter -2 cups of chocolate chips (This amount changes depending on how many of the balls get made) Directions Combine the butter, peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and maple flavoring. Cream well and knead well. Form the dough into 1 inch balls and set onto cookie sheet with wax paper. (I put them in the freezer for 24 hours to help keep formation.) Melt the chocolate chips over low heat or in the microwave. To ensure the chocolate doesn't harden too soon on you, do it 1 cup at a time. Dip into melted chocolate chips before placing back on the...

So, I was emptying my baking cupboard (as I do every November) and found some muffin mixes.  Today's easy dessert is made from a banana muffin mix. I am calling it the ELVIS special. 1 - 220g banana muffin mix 1 egg 1/2 cup cold water 1/4 cup powdered milk 1/3 cup of peanut butter (all I had left in the conatiner) Mix well and pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Remove immediately to cool. (I use glass loaf pans so mine keep cooking if I do not) 1/3 container of vanilla icing (its what I had left or make some) I used a 1/4 cup "sweet caramel sprinkle" from Pampered Chef I had http://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=16633&catId=12 (nuts, toffee chips and cinnamon) Mix well.  Put cake back into the baking pan when cool. Ice right in the baking dish. This was an amazing surprise mix of tastes. Definite do over. Could definitely used an over ripe banana but I didn't have any! "BON APPET...

Well, you may have heard about it this week, you may have even got a chance to taste it! So for those brave souls who want to try it for themselves (or JUST the cheesecake or JUST the cake or JUST the yummy icing) Here you go: The cheesecake takes the longest to bake and cool, so it is where we suggest you start. CRUSTLESS CHEESECAKE 1/4 pound of salted butter 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 - 8oz bars of cream cheese cut into cubes (regular was used not light) 1 package of vanilla instant pudding (we used Neilsons) 2 eggs 1 tsp baking powder 400g of melted chocolate (we used Waterford milk chocolate from WalMart and it melted beautifully) ***the recipe actually calls for 2 melted Hershey's bars and 1/2 cup of ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips Preheat your oven to 325. Grease 1 - 9" pan (we used a springform pan) with shortening. Line the pan with parchment paper and then grease the paper. It then says to "butter the pan and set aside." Cream...

Ingredients 1 cup salted butter (melted) 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar 1 cup peanut butter 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1 (11 oz) bag milk chocolate chips Instructions 1. Combine all ingredients, except chocolate chips in a medium sized bowl. Stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy. 2. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 pan. 3. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave (at 50% power) for 1-2 minutes. Stir chocolate and pour over the peanut butter mixture. Spread chocolate with a spatula. To even out chocolate, tap pan on the counter. 4. Refrigerate bars for one hour. Cut while bars are still cool. "BON APPETIT!"

Leftover uses! I am using up some pb/marshmallow/chocolate squares I make every year, but this works just as well with Reese PB cups. Cookie dough: (Blue Ribbon Chocolate Vhip Cookies ~ Mrs fields Cookie Book ~ pg 10) In a large bowl with an electric mixer blend 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 1/2 cup white sugar with 1 cup room temperature margarine/butter at medium speed. Add 2 eggs and 2tsp vanilla JUST until blended. Do not overmix. Add 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda 1nd 1/4 tsp salt on low speed. In microwave in a bowl warm up your pb/chocolate (depending on you microwave) for 35 seconds. Not to melting, just until soft. ***You can include some stale mini marshmallows at this time too! Just add to the chocolate when you start. They added a lovely texture. Quickly dump into cookie dough, and mix at low. I needed to use a wooden spoon as mine got pretty thick (I used a lot of chocolate and marshmallow!). Using a cookie scoop, place 15 balls onto a non stick cookie sheet. Mine did n...

This is so simple I don't even look up the recipe anymore! 2 cups chocolate (you can use squares, wafers, bars, left over easter bunnies or foil wrapped balls) 1 cup butterscotch chips (I prefer 1/2 of a cup or none) vegetable oil 2 cup peanut butter (smooth is best but crunchy will work) 2 cup mini marshmallows (coloured looks nice) 1 greased cookie sheet Put a pot on very low heat on the stove empty (this is to ensure there is no dampness in the metal ~ water damages chocolate). Heat pot. Add small amounts of chocolate and stir from the bottom constantly. *** If your chocolate looks grainy, add small amounts of vegetable oil. Cheaper chocolate will need more oil....Just keep adding as needed. Melt thoroughly with the butterscotch chips (if used). Add peanut butter. Turn off heat and stir until mixture is smooth. Pour into a small greased cookie sheet and spread evenly. Place marshmallows on top of chocolate in rows so when you cut into squares each will get a marshmallow. Press i...

This was something I chose to make (still out of the same Good to Go Cookbook) for a number of reasons.  It contains peanut butter (which I would just about die for), it was easy for my two-year-old to help me with, and it was fast.  Best of all though, it was TASTY!!!  Sweet, so cut the squares small, but it is really an easy treat if you need something for a bake sale or just for a girls' night treat.  So, here goes.... Ingredients: 1 cup butterscotch chips 1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth, it doesn't matter -- I used smooth) 1 cup Rice Krispies 1 cup salted peanuts (I used salted cashews) Directions: In a large microwave-safe bowl, place chips and peanut butter.  Microwave for 30 second to 1 minute, until chips are soft enough to melt into the peanut butter and create a smooth mixture.  (My advice:  Taste the mixture at this point!  It's ooey and gooey and delicious.  Not that I'd know.  I'd never do such a thing, b...