Sweet Potato Casserole

I would probably classify these as a dessert. Think about pumpkin pie, only wonderful! These sweet potatoes are delicious, leftovers make a great breakfast. This dish will always have a place on my holiday table. This recipe was adapted from Pioneer Woman. It's got to be good. The photo is kind of pathetic but this was the last morsel left after Thanksgiving Dinner! We were too hungry to get a shot of the full dish--maybe next year (probably not).

Sweet Potato Casserole
4 medium sweet potatoes
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup flour
6 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
Preheat oven to 375. Put potatoes on a sheet pan and bake till fork tender, 45-60 minutes. When just  cool enough to handle remove skin. Put the potatoes in a large bowl and mash slightly--these are not mashed potatoes, you want chunks. Combine the granulated sugar, milk, eggs, salt and vanilla, mix well. Gently stir mixture into potatoes. Put potatoes in a large buttered casserole dish.
In a separate bowl mix brown sugar, pecans, flour and butter. Mix together with a fork or pastry blender. Mixture should resemble a crumble.
Sprinkle mixture over potatoes. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.
We made this the day before Thanksgiving. We took it out of the fridge about an hour before cooking. It cooked about 40 minutes as it was still cool when we put it in the oven.
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Crispy, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

 What--a new cookie?? I couldn't believe I didn't have this cookie on my blog. I checked and drooled as I looked through many chocolate chip cookie recipes. Why is this different?? Well, it has a high butter ratio. Which makes them taste divine.  There is a small amount of oatmeal. This adds to the crunch but doesn't scream, "Hey this is an Oatmeal Cookie".
They are the perfect combination of crisp and chewy. I had the best luck with a small cookie scoop (heaping tablespoon). I tried making a bigger cookie (2 tablespoons) but the dough spread too much. In this recipe smaller is better. Choose your favorite chocolate ---milk, dark, chunk or mini. Don't ruin a good cookie with inferior chocolate! This is a delicious cookie, enjoy and share!
I found the recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Let's Dish!

Crispy, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, 7 ounces
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup  old fashioned oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips
In the bowl of a stand mixer combine butter and sugars, beat well about 3 minutes. Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla, mix well. In a bowl stir together flour, oatmeal, baking powder, soda and salt. Add to wet mixture. Gently stir just till mixed. Add chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Using a small scoop place cookie dough on a parchment lined sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. The cookie should be light brown and the edges will be darker. Do not over bake. Let cookies cool for 2-3 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and finish cooling on a wire rack.
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Loaded Macadamia Cookies

My baking adventures are usually fueled by what needs to be used. When you shop at Costco you arrive home with large quantities of individual items. This was great when I regularly fed 8 people. Now we are down to 2, you must pay attention to your food or it will wind up in the compost pile. I hope to never compost Macadamias! So I had a stash of Macadamias in the freezer. Perfect--great start. I also had white chocolate bars. My sweet daughter lives near Chicago. Aldi is a great store with the best chocolate. Dark, white or milk--all delicious. This chocolate is made in Germany. I love it. Amber kindly carries on a good supply of chocolate--thanks Amber, very much appreciated. The recipe called for dried cranberries. Again I had large bags of dried cherries and blueberries from Costco.

These ingredients combined with the addition of oatmeal and a little cinnamon resulted in one amazing cookie. White chocolate is sweet--dried cherries are tart together the are delicious. This could be my new favorite cookie! Thanks to Gold Medal Flour for an excellent recipe.

Loaded Macadamia Cookies
1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar (66 grams)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup white chocolate chunks--I purchase a bar of white baking chocolate and chop it
1/2 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 cup dried fruit--I used the remains of a bag of Berries and Cherries. Yummy.
Mix butter and sugar till creamy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanila, stir, Mix in flour, oats, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Stir gently. Add white chocolate, nuts and dried fruit. Do not overmix. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes. Scoop dough on parchment lined sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
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Baked Chicken Fajitas

I get excited when I try a new recipe and it exceeds my expectations. Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas came together easily and the finished product was delicious. Fajitas are usually cooked in a very hot frying pan. It is a meal that requires last minute craziness. The prep for Fajitas is is the same however you cook them. I just like the idea of letting the oven do the cooking, it is basically unattended. That is good. While the Fajitas are cooking I am free to prep the yummy toppings that must accompany Fajitas.

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken--I use Costco Chicken Tenders
2 peppers, red, yellow or orange
1 poblano pepper--these are very mild and add a great flavor, green pepper can be substituted
2 jalapenos--do not use seeds or membranes for a milder flavor. I do wish there was a way to know just how hot a jalapeno is! I always use food prep gloves when handling jalapenos. I have learned the hard way. Jalapenos add a wonderful flavor. We love them!
1 large onion
2 tablespoons taco seasoning, I make my own because I have to do something with all the Penzys spices I own! I'm sure you could use a package mix. Penzys also has a yummy Fajitas blend. So many choices. I think the point is to season well!
2 tablespoons olive oil
8-10 tortillas
garnishes such as cilantro, lime wedges, guacamole, sour cream, salsa

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush a large sheet pan with oil.
Cut the chicken against the grain into 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide strips
Cut bell and poblano peppers into long thin slices--1/4 inch wide
Slice the jalapenos into thin rounds (remove seeds and membranes first)
Cut ends off of onions. Cut in half from pole to pole. Cut into thin slices
Scatter peppers, onions and chicken on sheet pan. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and drizzle with olive oil. Use tongs to toss until everything is coated--spread in an even layer. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring half way through. Serve on warm tortillas with lots of garnishes.
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This recipe came from The Yummy Life.

Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

This post is all about frosting. Choose your favorite brownie recipe or make a box mix. This frosting will elevate any brownie!

This is the only chocolate frosting you will ever need, it's that good. It is yummy on brownies, cake, cupcakes and graham crackers too! And it is easy.

Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

1 cup semi sweet chocolate pieces that's about 6 ounces. I like Ghirardelli. If I can't find Ghirardelli chocolate chips I will chop up a semi-sweet baking bar. Please don't cheat and use milk chocolate or cheap chocolate--you can, it just won't be wonderful!

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sour cream

pinch of salt

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat or in the micro--watch carefully as it scorches easily. In my old age I can't multi-task. So when I melt chocolate, I melt chocolate! Sad but true. Let mixture cool for a few minutes then add sour cream and salt. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat till smooth. It's delicious! Frosts a 9x13 pan of brownies or 24 cupcakes.

Peanut Butter Brownies

 My blog has about 38 recipes that contain peanut butter. I do like peanut butter. In cookies, brownies, candy and even sauces-- think peanut sauce. I have a Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie recipe that is excellent. Peanut Butter Bars are a family favorite. So why another peanut butter brownie recipe? Because I can! I would feel bad if I didn't share this recipe. I made it twice in a week--that is how good it is.
It is easy, like one bowl easy. These brownies are so perfectly delicious that they do not need frosting! Did I really just say that--I frost everything. They are the perfect combination between chewy and cakey. The peanut butter is subtlety delicious. My non-peanut butter loving mother thought they were excellent. They freeze well--and taste delicious right from the freezer. This could be a new family favorite. Best of all you probably have everything you need in your pantry to make them, tonight.

Peanut Butter Brownies
6 ounces butter softened (12 tablespoons)
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, I use Skippy or Jiff or Western Family (whatever is on sale)
2 cups (15 ounces) granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup (2 ounces) cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups (8.75 ounces) flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
10 ounces chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli 60%  Bittersweet Chocolate)
Whip butter and peanut butter together until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar, mix well. Add eggs and vanilla, mix until well combined. Stir in the cocoa, mix until the mixture is smooth and no dry streaks remain.
Add flour, salt and baking powder, stir once or twice. Add chocolate chips and gently mix just until combined. Batter will be thick.
Spread in a lightly greased 9x13 metal pan. I use a small offset spreader to get batter even. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake 25-28 minutes. When done a toothpick inserted near the center will come out with a few moist crumbs. Don't over cook. My brownies took closer to the 28 minute mark. Ovens vary. Use the toothpick test!
Cool completely and cut into squares. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
This recipe came from my go to food blog, Mel's Kitchen Cafe.
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