Coffeehouse Coffee Cake Muffins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
  
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease or line 12 muffin cups. Combine pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Just give it a little stir with your spoon or spatula.
3. Take 8 tablespoons of your butter, slice into small pieces and drop into flour. Using pastry blender, mix butter into the flour until butter is small and crumbly. It only takes a minute or two.
4. Remove 1 cup of flour mixture and add it to brown sugar mixture
5. Stir with a fork to blend and add in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, you can melt the butter or just soften it in the microwave (this is what I did) creating a nice crumb streusel topping. Remove 3/4 cup of streusel and set aside.
6. Add baking powder and baking soda to remaining flour mixture.
7. Combine egg, sour cream and vanilla till well blended and creamy. I did this in the 2 cup measuring cup I used to measure my sour cream. Less dishes to wash up.
8. Add sour cream mixture to flour mixture and stir just till all combined and moist. Batter will look lumpy. Sometimes lumps are good. This is one of those times.
9. Now add the 3/4 cup of streusel topping to your batter, just fold it in so it's evenly distributed.
10. Spoon batter evenly into muffin tins.
11. Now start topping with the streusel. You'll need to press the streusel into the batter a bit to keep it all in.
12. Place in oven and bake for 18-25 minutes. Start checking at 18 minutes by inserting a toothpick, the only thing that should be on the toothpick might me some of the crumb topping. Mine took about 22 minutes.
13. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks.

from www.chocolatechocolateand more.com

Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup shortening

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 egg

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate-covered mini pretzels

Mini brown M&Ms

Regular-sized red M&Ms

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Combine brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg; beat until just blended.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.

Form dough into 1-inch balls. To make reindeer-shaped cookies, pinch the bottom of the ball slightly to form a point, then gently flatten with your hand. Space cookies about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until set or just beginning to brown. 

Remove from oven and immediately (and gently) press two mini pretzels into the tops of the cookies for the reindeer's antlers. Press two mini brown M&Ms in for the eyes and one red M&M for the nose (or any other color... some of mine ended up with green noses. They might be South Pole reindeer.). 

Allow to cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack or paper towel to cool completely. 

Makes about 40 reindeer cookies.

Lime Jello "salad"

1 small package lime jello

1/4 c. sugar

2/3 c. hot water

1 c. crushed pineapple

1 sm. box Dream whip

1 c. cottage cheese

Dissolve jello and sugar in hot water.  Add drained pineapple and chill until partially set.  Whip with mixer--add cottage cheese and prepared Dream whip.  Mix well & pour into 7 X 10 baking dish.  Chill until set.

Garnish with cherries, if desired.

Brandyn Kay's favorite!

Corn Pudding II

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 5 cups fresh yellow corn kernels
• 1 cup diced yellow onion 
• 4 large eggs 
• 1 cup milk 
• 1 cup half-and-half 
• 1 cup softened goat cheese 
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 
• 1 tablespoon sugar 
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese 
• 
  
•  PREPARATION:
• 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add corn and onion, and sauté 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool 10 minutes.
• 2. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs and next 2 ingredients in a large bowl; gradually whisk in goat cheese until blended. Whisk in basil and next 3 ingredients; stir in corn mixture and 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese until blended. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 2-qt. baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese.

1. 3. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven to a wire rack, and cool 15 minutes.

from Southern Living Nov. 2013

Pecan Caramel Cheesecake Cookie Cups

Ingredients

• 1 package (16 ounces) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Ultimates™ Refrigerated Pecan Turtle Delight Cookie Dough
• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 can (14 ounces) Sweetened condensed milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons semi-sweet mini-chocolate chips

• Directions

  PREHEAT oven to 325° F. Paper-line 24 muffin cups. Cut each square of dough in half. Place one piece of dough in each muffin cup.
  
  BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookie has spread to edge of cup.
  
  BEAT cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and vanilla extract in medium bowl until smooth. Spoon about 3 tablespoons cream cheese mixture over each cookie in cup.
  
  BAKE for additional 15 to 18 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Top each with caramel topping, pecans and morsels. 

Gypsy Stew

1 1/2 c. dried (or you can used canned) garbanzo beans or navy beans
1 box (10 oz.) frozen spinach
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast
2 can low-sodium chicken broth
1 c. water
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 large sweet potato (peeled and cubed)
1 onion
1 red or yellow bell pepper
2 t. paprika
2 t. cumin
1/4 t. cinnamon
1 t. dried basil
1/2 t. salt
Fresh ground pepper
8 dashes cayenne (optional)

5-11 hours before serving--Sort and rinse beans, and place in 3 1/2 qt. slow-cooker.

Place spinach in a microwave-safe dish and defrost for 3 minutes.

Cut chicken breast into 1/2 " cubes.  Cut vegetables into wedges.  Add all ingredients to slow-cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW for 10-11 hrs. or on HIGH for 5-6 hrs. until beans are tender.

Note:  Add 1 to 2 t. sugar to smooth the flavors, if desired.

Macaroon Kisses

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups flaked coconut, divided
• 48 milk chocolate kisses
• Coarse sugar

• Directions

  1. In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in 3 cups coconut. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°. Shape into 1-in. balls and roll in the remaining coconut. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
  3. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Cool on pan 2-3 minutes or until chocolate is softened. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 4 dozen.
  
  
  from Taste of Home Oct./Nov. 2009 p. 93