PEANUT BUTTER PUFF CORN

22 cups puffcorn (7-8oz)

3/4 cup butter

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Pour puffcorn into a large, greased roasting pan.

2. Put butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and light corn syrup in a large saucepan (mixture will bubble up so it has to be big).

3. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

4. Add baking soda and mixture will foam up.

5. Pour mixture over puffcorn and stir to coat.

6. Bake at 250 degrees for 45 mintues, stirring every 10 minutes.

7. Remove from oven, pour onto waxed paper and break into pieces.

ANDES MINT COOKIES

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix

 1/2 cup oil

 2 eggs

1/4 tsp mint extract

Andes Mints (need 40 total mints)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Chop 16 mints into bits.

Mix the cake mix, oil, eggs, extract and chopped mints.

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet.

Bake 6-9 minutes

Put one full mint on top of each cookie while still hot so mint will melt.

Spread the melted mint over the cookie like frosting.

*7 minutes was perfect on air-bake pans

*Makes 2 dozen, medium cookie scoop

CREAMY GARLIC PARM RICE

4 TBL Butter

1 TBL minced garlic (about 3 cloves)

1 cup White or Basmati Rice

1 cup Water or Chicken Stock

1 cup Milk

1/2 cup Parmesan (fresh grates, not the green can stuff)

1/2 tsp Parsley (optional)

1.  Sauté garlic in butter until fragrant.

2.  Add in rice. Stir and coat in butter.

3.  Add milk and water/stock.

4.  Bring to a boil.

5.  Turn down to simmer.

6.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

7.  Fluff the rice and add in parmesan and parsley.

CHEESY BAKED LEMON CHICKEN (EASY)

4 chicken breasts, uncooked
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. lemon pepper
Grated parmesan cheese (enough to cover top of chicken)

1.  Put all except parmesan into a ziplock bag.

2.  Put in refrigerator for 2-3 hours to marinade.

3.  Put in baking dish and cover with parmesan cheese.

4.  Bake 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees.

TO FREEZE…

Place the prepared ziplock into freezer.

To prepare, thaw overnight in the fridge,

then follow above instructions from step #3.

This is great served with garlic parmesan rice and sautéed spinach.

1 HOUR CINNAMON ROLLS (KINDA)

This recipe really takes me about 90 minutes to 2 hours start to finish depending on how long dough takes to rise.  I've broken down time frame in instructions.

Makes 12 but doubles nicely.

Dough

1 3/4 cups warm water 110 degrees

6 TBL sugar

1/4 cup oil

3 TBL active dry yeast

1/2 TBL salt

2 large eggs*

5-6 cups flour

Capful of vegetable oil

Cinnamon-Sugar Filling

1/3 cups white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 TBL cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese softened

1 tsp vanilla

2-3 cups powdered sugar

1-2 TBL heavy whipping cream or milk

15 MINUTES

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2.  In mixing bowl, combine warm water, sugar, oil, and active dry yeast.

3.  Stir it a few times, then let it sit for a full 15 minutes.

10 MINUTES
4.  To the yeast mix add: salt, eggs and flour. (Start with about 4 cups, and mix, gradually adding the last 2 cups (might not use it all) until it is mostly pulling away from the side of the bowl.

5.  Mix together for 10 minutes on setting 4 or kneading.  The dough should only slightly stick to your finger. 

10-30 MINUTES

6.  Cover until doubled in size (10-30 minutes)

5 MINUTES

7.  Spread the oil onto the counter

8.  Using your hands, press it into a rectangle 18" long.

9.  Pour melted butter onto the dough, then cover with cinnamon/sugar mix.

10. Tightly roll into a log and cut into 12 even sized pieces.

11. Place on greased jelly roll pan, or on parchment. Don’t let rolls touch.

10-30 MINUTES

12. Let rise 10-30 minutes.

15-18 MINUTES

13. Bake 15-18 minutes.

5 MINUTES

14. Mix all of the frosting ingredients.  While rolls are in the oven.

15. Let rolls cool for 5 minutes, then frost so some of the frosting melts into the rolls.

*if you double recipe, use 3 eggs, not 4, still put on jelly roll pan and if rolls are touching, may have to increase cooking time slightly.

CARAMEL APPLE CIDER

1 Gallon Cider or apple juice (128 oz/16 cups)

2 & 1/2 TBL mulling spice* (substitute 2-3 tsp pumpkin pie spice)

16 Caramels or 1 & 1/4 cup caramel sauce

Whipped cream & caramel sauce for serving (optional)

1.  Put everything in a slow cooker (5-6qt).  If using mulling spices, put them in

     a tea infuser or just strain before serving.

2.  Cook on low 4-6 hours, high 2-3 hours.

3.  Serve and top with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce if desired.

The caramel sometimes separates when the cider is very hot. Just stir before serving.

*see recipe for Williams Sonoma Kopy Kat on this blog.

MULLING SPICES - WILLIAMS SONOMA KOPY KAT

For 5.75 oz of mulling spices:

1 c (2.25 oz) dried orange peel

1/2 C (1.5 oz) cinnamon sticks (pulverized)*

1/4 c (1 oz) whole allspice

1/4 c (1 oz) cloves

To mull cider, gently simmer 1 quart apple cider with 2 TBL mulling spices for up to 20 minutes.  (use a tea ball infuser or just strain before serving)

*To break the cinnamon sticks into chunks I popped them into a ziplock bag then used the flat side of a meat tenderizer to pulverize them.