Snickerdoodle Bars

Snickerdoodle Bars
from: http://www.myownsweetthyme.com/2010/04/secret-to-soft-snickerdoodles.html

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until well blended.

4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

5. In a small bowl, combine the white sugar and cinnamon.

6. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter in the baking pan.

7. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the surface springs back when gently pressed. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on a wire rack. While still warm, cut into squares with a sharp knife...

SURVEY SAYS:  So good!!! J

World’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

World’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

www.allrecipes.com

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
½ teasoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 350º
2.  Mix butter, white sugar, brown sugar until smooth
3.  Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
4.  Dissolve baking soda in hot water - add to batter, along with salt
5.  Stir in flour and chocolate chips
6.  Make into balls and put on pans
7.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges are nicely browned.


SURVEY SAYS:  SO GOOD and pretty easy to make, too!!!!  I recommend using parchment paper on the cookie sheets so that the bottom of the cookies don’t get burnt.

Peanut Butter Dream Pie

Peanut Butter Dream Pie

From:  http://myfavoriterecipes-rejoice.blogspot.com/

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 (8 oz.) carton Cool Whip, thawed

chopped peanuts, snickers, peanut butter cups, grated chocolate, etc. (optional)

1 baked pie shell (or substitute a graham cracker, or chocolate graham crust)

--Whip the cream cheese until fluffy and soft. Beat in sugar and peanut butter. Fold in Cool Whip. Put in a small baked pie shell and top with chopped peanuts or grated chocolate (or other), if desired.

SURVEY SAYS:  So good and super easy to make!  Very 'peanut buttery' though so if you don't like peanut butter, than you won't like this.  Sean loved it:)

No Bake Cheesecake

No Bake Cheesecake
(From Allrecipes.com)

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (21 oz) can apple pie filling (optional)
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

• Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.  Fold in Cool Whip.
• Fill pie crust and top with pie filling.  Chill 1-2 hours before serving.

SURVEY SAYS:  My mom has made this recipe for years and I finally asked her for it and made it for Sean's birthday.  Yumm... SOO good! We put freshly cut strawberries on top instead of the applie pie filling.

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Melt butter. Sitr in cocoa.
• Alternately, add powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed to spreading consistency.
• Add more milk if needed.
• Stir in vanilla.

makes about 2 cups.

SURVEY SAYS:  keeper!!!

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

• heat oven to 350º.  Grease and flour 9 inch round baking pans.
• Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.
• Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla to dry ingredients; beat on medium speed for two minutes.
• Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
• Pour into pans.
• Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. 
• Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.  Cool completely.
• Frost (best with "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting).

SURVEY SAYS:   Keeper!  Note to self - grease and flour pans VERY well next time!

Chocolate Chess Pie

Chocolate Chess Pie
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
3 tablesppons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie

Blend together butter, eggs, cocoa, sugar, milk, and vanilla with a hand mixer until smooth.  Pour filling into unbaked pie shell.

Bake at 375º for 45 minutes, or until set.  Let cool before slicing.

SURVEY SAYS:  Keeper!  It is really good with vanilla ice cream, too.  **I made this months ago but somehow never made it to the blog...

Pretzel & Raspberry Salad

Pretzel & Raspberry Salad
Base:
2 cups crushed pretzels (not too fine)
2 Tbs sugar
¾ cup melted butter

Mix and pat into 9x13 pan – Bake 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Cool completely

Filling:
1 8 oz package cream cheese softened
1 cup sugar
1 small can crushed pineapple

mix well.  Fold in – 19 oz cool whip, spread on crust; refrigerate

Topping:
2 small pkg raspberry jello
2 cups boiling water
1 large bag frozen raspberries

Mix in bowl; cool in fridge. Then pour over filling and set.

SURVEY SAYS: It's definitely a keeper!  It took a really long time to make, though - so this one will only be for special occasions.

Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut Butter Balls
2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 cups crushed graham crackers
1.5 cups powdered sugar
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix the first three ingredients together.  Roll into balls (it helps if it is chilled first).  Melt chocolate chips.  Cover peanut butter balls with melted chocolate.  Let them cool on wax paper.

I learned the hard way on melting chocolate chips!  The best way is to microwave them-first for one minute, then stir, then 20 second increments after that.  Also, I put them in the refridgerator after I covered them with the chocolate - this made the chocolate hard, and not gooey.

Strawberry Shortcakes

Strawberry Shortcakes
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/3 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 container (8oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

-Mix strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.  Heat oven to 425º
-Stir Bisquick, milk, 3 tablespoons sugar and butter until soft dough forms. 
-Drop dough by 6 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet
-Bake 10-12 minuts or until golden brown.  Split warm shortcakes; fill and top with strawberries and whipped topping

SURVEY SAYS... keeper!  Warning: has a TON of sugar, so be prepared for your blood sugar levels to immediately sky rocket:)

Fudge Brownies and Fudge Frosting

Fudge Brownies
1/2 cup melted butter
6 tbsp. cocoa powder
2 tbsp. oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup flour

Beat all of the ingredients except flour. Add the flour. Pour mixture in a greasted 8x8 pan.  Bake for 25 minutes at 350º.

Fudge Frosting
2.5 cups sifted powder sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tbsp. boiling water
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add butter, boiling water, and vanilla.  Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat for one minute on medium speed.  Cool and spread over brownies.

SURVEY SAYS...  Everyone seemed to enjoy them (I took them to a family event), but I didn't like them that much.  I like the boxed fudge brownies better...