Soft & Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Soft & Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

1 pkg. devil's food cake mix
4 oz (1/2 of an 8 oz package) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place all ingredients in large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed 2 minutes. Beat on medium speed for an additional 2 minutes. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Flatten each ball, in a criss-cross pattern, with tines of fork dipped in sugar. Bake 7-8 minutes or until edges of cookies are set. Cool 2 min. on baking sheets. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Makes 3 1/2 dozen

Lollipop

Lollipop

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 (3-ounce) box cherry gelatin dessert
• Nonstick vegetable cooking spray

Directions

20 lollipop sticks

Metal tablespoon measure

Candy thermometer

Butter or spray nonstick vegetable cooking spray onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Arrange half of the lollipop sticks on each and set aside.

Cook's Note: When measuring corn syrup, spray measuring cup with nonstick spray as corn syrup will pour out smoother.

In a small saucepan over medium heat add sugar, butter and corn syrup together until sugar has dissolved.

Slowly bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Insert a candy thermometer into syrup and continue cooking until temperature reaches 300 degrees F. Remove from heat. Stir in gelatin until smooth. Cook's Note: This sugar syrup is very hot and can cause a painful burn!

Using a metal tablespoon and working quickly, drop heaping spoonfuls of lollipop syrup on end of each lollipop stick. Cool completely. Wrap each sucker in plastic wrap and store in an air tight container.

(Recipe from: http://www.letsentertain.net/)

Easy Powdered Sugar Buttercream Frosting

Easy Powdered Sugar Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks butter
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract, optional
a little milk, for thinning out the frosting
Food color, optional

Beat the butter at high speed with an electric mixer. Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar and the extracts (if using). Beat until light and fluffy. Add the remaining powdered sugar alternating with a little bit of milk (no more than 1-2 tsp. at a time), until you reach the desired texture. Create different colored frosting by mixing in food color.

Fudge Icing

Fudge Icing

1 stick butter (melted)
4 heaping Tbsp. cocoa powder
2-3 cups powdered sugar (may not need all of it)
1/2 cup heavy cream

Stir butter with the cocoa powder. Beat in part of the powdered sugar and a few tablespoons of the heavy cream. Slowly add more powdered sugar and cream until icing is at a spreadable consistency.

Peanut Butter Mousse for cake

Peanut Butter Mousse For Cake

2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup heavy cream, chilled

Using an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter and cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Continuous beating will create thickness in mousse. In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream with clean beaters to make soft peaks.

Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture in two additions. This creates lightening of the mousse instead of deflating it.

Store in container and chill until ready to assemble into a cake.

Easy Cheaters Chocolate Cake

Easy Cheaters Chocolate Cake

1 German Chocolate Cake mix
3 heaping T cocoa powder
1 stick butter
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk

Melt stick of butter. Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350 until center of cake is no longer wet.

Vegetarian Peanut Noodles

Vegetarian Peanut Noodles

1 (8 oz.) linguine, cooked and hot (really, any type of long noodle will do)
1/2 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
1/3 cup reserved pasta water (more or less to thin out the sauce)
1-2 T brown sugar
1-2 T soy sauce
1 tsp. fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
2-3 green onions, thinly sliced, white and tender green parts only
cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Whisk together the peanut butter, brown sugar, soy sauce, and ginger. Add the water a little at a time until the sauce reaches desired consistency. Pour over the noodles and toss to coat. Add the veggies and toss again. Garnish and serve.