Cowboy Caviar

This recipe is from a friend in Maine! It is an amazing salsa that so many people have asked for that .......here ya go! I gave it to neighbors with chips for Christmas a couple years ago and heard rave reviews!
1 can whole corn drained
1 can black eyed peas drained
1 can black beans drained
1 bunch green onions, five sprigs chopped
1 small bunch cilantro chopped
2 cans chopped tomatoes with seasoning and chiles
small packet of good seasons italian dressing made according to directions
Mix the above and season with salt and pepper to taste
Just before serving, chop two avocados and add. Serve with chips.
Delicious!

Raspberry Muffins

I took these to Sunday School yesterday and they are amazing! Remember these from seminary days? You can make them with any berries! I liked the tart raspberries so much but blueberries are yummy too!
1/2 square butter
1/2 square 8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1&1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c milk
2 cups frozen raspberries
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 square butter
Cream together the butter and cream cheese till smooth, add eggs and beat till light and fluffy. Mix flour, salt, soda, powder, cinnamon and mix in alternating with milk. Add frozen berries and mix in gently. Spray muffin tin and fill 3/4ths full. In a separate bowl mix the last four ingredients till crumbly and sprinkle over top of muffins, Bake at 350 for about 20 min. Enjoy!

no sugar, no eggs, no butter, but soo good chocolate chip cookies!

My friend brought these cookies to our house last week when we had them over for dinner.  I ate 6 of them and I was amazed when she told me they have no sugar, no butter and no eggs.  They are soooooo amazing!

Anna's Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1 1/2 c. oatmeal (regular, not quick)

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. chocolate chips

1 c. chopped walnuts

1/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

Mix well and then add:

1/2 c. canola oil

1/2 c. pure maple syrup

2 t. vanilla

2 t. water

(I sometimes add a large spoonful of Adams peanut butter too, for flavor and to hold the cookies together more. I like them best this way.)

Bake at 365 for 10-12 minutes.

Red Velvet Whoopie pies

This is a fun Valentines Day treat because it is red and festive as well as yummers. They are amazing!   I took 2 dozen of them to my ward's valentine's enrichment and they were seriously gone in 2 minutes. This recipe comes from my Food Network Magazine again. Again, I highly recommend that magazine:)

1 ounce (2 Tbsp) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 ounce (1 Tbsp) milk chocolate, chopped
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp red food coloring
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetend cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

For the filling
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
3 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temp
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped (I forgot to get this so I just used 1 tsp vanilla extract)

To make the cookies:
1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the semisweet and milk chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave about two minutes until melted and smooth. Check on it about every 30 seconds and stir so it doesn't burn. Whisk until smooth.
2.Whisk the melted butter, sour cream, eggs, vinegar, vanilla and food coloring in a bowl until combined. In another bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3.Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in four equal batches, whisking each batch completely before adding the next. Stir in the melted chocolate.
4.Scoop heaping Tablespoonfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheets and smooth the tops with a damp finger so that they look like smooth round mounds. Bake until the cookies spring back when lightly pressed, 8-10 minutes. (7-9 mins if using a convection oven) Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
5.Meanwhile, make the filling: Beat the cream cheese and the butter with a mixer until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla seeds or extract. Sandwich a heaping Tablespoonful of filling between two cookies; repeat with the remaining cookies and filling. Refridgerate 30 minutes before serving.

Ben's Favorite Brownies

Double Chocolate Mocha BrowniesGourmet | December 2002

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 45 min Yield: Makes 32 brownies Active Time: 10 min Total Time: 45 min 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter 5 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped 2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon instant-espresso powder or instant-coffee granules 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 large eggs 1 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan with foil, allowing 2 inches of foil to hang over ends of pan, and grease foil well (except overhang) with 1 tablespoon butter. Melt remaining 11 tablespoons butter with unsweetened chocolate in a large metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from heat and whisk in sugar, espresso powder, vanilla, and salt (mixture will be grainy), then add eggs 1 at a time, whisking after each addition until batter is smooth. Toss together flour and chocolate chips in another bowl and add to batter, stirring until just combined. Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake in middle of oven until top is firm and edges just begin to pull away from sides of pan, about 20 minutes (do not overbake). Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then carefully lift brownies from pan by grasping both ends of foil and transfer to rack to cool 10 minutes more. Cut into 32 squares and lift brownies off foil with a spatula. *****DOUBLE THIS RECIPE AND THEN BAKE TWICE AS LONG. IF YOU JUST DO THE ABOVE VERSION THE BROWNIES ARE TOO THIN.*****

Orange Flourless Chocolate Cake Ala Ronald Reagan Style

Orange Flourless Chocolate Cake for the Reagan FamilyEpicurious | © February 2007

by Roland Mesnier with Christian Malard
Reprinted with permission from All the Presidents' Pastries

Editor's note: The recipe below is taken from All the Presidents' Pastries: Twenty-Five Years in the White House by Roland Mesnier with Christian Malard. Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings 1 1/2 sticks (170 g) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing flour, for dusting 6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet chocolate 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (220 g) sugar zest of one large orange 4 eggs plus 2 egg yolks 1/2 cup (55 g) unsweetened cocoa powder 10x confectioners' sugar, for dusting candied orange peel and vanilla ice cream, to serve Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter and flour a 10-inch (25-cm) round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, then butter and flour the parchment paper. Gently melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Stir the butter into the chocolate to melt, and stir until smooth. Remove from the double boiler and whisk the sugar and orange zest into the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs and egg yolks and whisk well. Sift the cocoa powder over the chocolate mixture and whisk the batter until totally smooth. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top has formed a good crust. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving platter. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with candied orange peel and vanilla ice cream.

Valentine Sugar Cookies

It's that time of year and since you aren't all here so I can make you these, you are going to have to make them yourselves! Love you! Mom

3 eggs
2 c sugar
1 cup butter, 2 aquares
1 tsp. vanilla
cream above together
1 cup milk with 1 tsp. vinegar in it, set aside to sour
Mix together the following dry ingredients:
1 tsp soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
7 c.flour
add beaten eggs to dry ingredients alternating with milk.
Chill in fridge for about a half hour or so.
Roll out on flour dusted counter to cut valentines or whatever shapes you want.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes. Just slightly browned edges. Don't overcook!
Frost and sprinkle with red sprinkles
Best frosting in the world
1 square butter
8 oz. of cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar Beat until smooth and creamy!

Monster Cookies

These are the cookies I made my whole life raising my kids because I could make giant rolls of them and freeze them and always have them on hand. Since it is valentines day, I thought I should post this and the sugar cookie recipe I always made! Enjoy

12 eggs, 1 lb butter, 2 lbs brown sugar, 4 cups white sugar, 1/4 c vanilla, 3 lbs peanut butter, (chunky or plain, I always used plain) 8 tsp. soda, 18 cups ground whole oats, made into oat flour, 1 lb choco chips, 1&1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

In a giant bowl cream sugars, butter and peanut butter until smooth and creamy, then add the eggs and beat till smooth,add vanilla. Mix dry ingredients, then add to creamed mixture until smooth, mix in the nuts and choco chips by hand. Roll into round long logs and freeze. Slice off 1/2 inch or so and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. You can chop some of the choco chips up in a food processor and leave some whole if you want. Cook only until the edges start to get golden, check bottoms, do not overcook! Enjoy!