Apple Harvest Blondies & Malted Chocolate Cookies

Apple Harvest Blondies (from recipegirl.com
2/3 cup

unsalted butter

2¼ cups

packed brown sugar (divided)

3 large

eggs

2 cups

all-purpose flour

1 tsp

baking powder

1 tsp

pure vanilla extract

2 medium

apples, peeled and chopped

3 ounces

cream cheese, frozen for 1 hour

2 ounces

finely chopped pecans or walnuts

1 tsp

ground cinnamon


1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 13x9-inch baking dish.
2
Melt butter in large microwave-safe bowl (just until melted). Remove from microwave and stir in 2 cups of brown sugar. Mix well, then add eggs, flour, baking powder and vanilla. Mix just until combined. Fold in apples.
3
Spread batter into prepared dish. Chop cream cheese into small bits and mix with nuts, cinnamon and remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar. Sprinkle evenly over batter.
4
Sprinkle over batter and bake 35 to 40 minutes.

Yield: About 24 blondies

Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops (courtesy Baking with Dorie)
1.75 cups all purpose flour
1 cup malted milk powder
.25 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
.25 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus
3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp.
.66 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
.25 cup whole milk
2 cups (6 ounces) chocolate-covered malted milk balls, coarsely chopped
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped or 1 cup store-bought choc chips or chunks
GETTING READY: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Sift together the flour, malted milk powder, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until very smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about a minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don't be concerned in the mixture looks curdled - it will even out when the dry ingredients are added. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients, mixing just until they disappear in the the batter. Mix in the milk, then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. The batter will look more like fudge frosting than cookie dough - and that's fine. With the mixer on low, or by hand with a rubber spatula, mix in the malted milk balls and chopped chocolate.
Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls on to the sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between spoonfuls. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 6 minutes.
When done, the cookies will be puffed and set slightly but soft to the touch. Let the cookies rest for 2 minutes before using a wide metal spatula to transfer them to the racks to cool to room temperature.Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.

Peanut Butter Balls

(we made these for Meet the Teacher night with the kids. It was an ice cream social, so each teacher got them in an ice cream bowl!)

Peanut Butter Balls

½ c. butter (or margarine)
2 c. peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
2 c. powdered sugar
2 c. dry powdered milk
3 c. rice krispies cereal

Mix butter and peanut butter together. Add sugar and dry milk, then mix. Add cereal last and stir just until coated. Form into ¾” balls and place on wax/parchment paper on a tray. Chill in the refrigerator. Melt chocolate (I used (2) 12 oz. packages). Dip peanut butter balls into it and then let dry on wax paper. Refrigerate if desired. Makes about 72 (3/4”) balls.
Enjoy!! J

Kerity's Parmesan Chicken & Oriental Salad

Kerity's Chicken (not healthy)
1 bag frozen chicken tenders (how many is that?)
3 sticks butter, melted
2 tubes Ritz crackers, crushed
2 c. Italian bread crumbs (or white bread)
2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 T. grated white onion
1 t. season salt (or to taste)
fresh parsley


Line 2 jelly roll pans with foil and spray with non-stick spray.
Combine crackers, bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese. Set aside.
Combine butter, grated onion, season salt, & parsley.
Dip chicken tenderloins first in butter mixture and then in bread crumb mixture. (Everything is really to taste, texture, etc.-we mix it up all the time.)
After completing all, bake at 375* for about 20 minutes. This is a favorite of ours.

Kerity's Salad
1 head cabbage, shredded (or if you are in a super big hurry buy a coleslaw mix)
6 green onion, chopped

1 T. margarine
2 pkgs. Top Ramen
1/4 c. slivered almonds
2 T. sesame seeds
*brown above ingredients.
1/4 c. oil
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. vinegar
1/2 c. water
1 T. soy sauce
Mix above ingredients to form dressing.

Toss dressing with salad ingredients and let sit for 20 minutes in the refrigerator before serving. This stuff isn't the "prettiest" to look at, but it is yummy!

30 Minute Dinner Rolls

30 Minute Dinner Rolls
Serves 5-6

1 c. + 2 T. very warm water
1/3 c. oil
1/4 c. sugar
2 T. yeast
1 t. salt
1 egg, beaten
3-4 c. flour

Mix warm water, oil, sugar, and yeast; let rest for 10 minutes until yeast activates. Add salt and beaten egg; blend well. Add flour, one cup at a time until soft dough is formed. Knead on floured surface 5-10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Shape into small balls (about the size of a walnut) and put into a greased baking pan. Let rise 5-10 minutes. Bake at 425* for 15-20 minutes.
*If you have more time you can let the rolls rise in the pan until they have doubled in size (that is what I do!)

Banoffee Cupcakes

BANOFFEE CUPCAKES from Cupcake Heaven by Susannah Blake
Makes 10 (I got 8)
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 cup self-rising flour
5 chewy caramels, chopped very, very small (smaller than the caramel pieces you can buy now)
2 Heath Bars, chopped finely

To decorate:
2/3 cup heavy cream, whipped
3-4 tablespoons caramel sauce
3 T. sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until creamy, then beat in the egg, a little at a time. Fold in the mashed banana, then sift the flour into the mixture and fold in, followed by the caramels (I tossed the caramels in the flour first).Spoon the mixture into the paper liners and sprinkle Heath bits onto top (about 1 t. each cupcake). Bake in the preheated oven for about 16 minutes (Mine were done after 14 minutes) until risen and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.To decorate, swirl the cream over each of the cupcakes, then drizzle with a spoonful of caramel sauce (I beat the caramel & sugar right in with the whipped cream) and top with more Heath Bar bits.

*We added the Heath bits since Garth isn't a big fan of bananas (the original recipe called for bananas on top of the whipped cream. I like to have whatever is on the "frosting" in the cupcake too, so Heath bits were added.), only banana bread and now cupcakes. :-)

**And, sorry the picture stinks-I really do have every intention of getting much better at this...

recipe from howtoeatacupcake.net