Recipe: Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe: Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

¾ fl oz whole wheat pastry flour
¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups mixed chocolate, peanut butter & white chocolate chips

Directions

Brown Butter

Bring the butter to a boil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Swirl the pan a few times. The butter will bubble then foam. Once the foam subsides, swirl the pan and you will see brown flecks. The butter will have a nutty, toasty aroma. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer to a heat proof container. Let cool to room temperature.

Make the Cookie Dough

In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, the baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cooled brown butter on medium speed with the granulated and brown sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, peanut butter and vanilla. Beat on medium high speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle as needed.

Add the flour mixture to mixer bowl, beat on low until combined. Mix in the oats. Mix in the chocolate chip medley.

Transfer the dough to a clean work surface covered in plastic wrap. Divide the dough into two portions and pat them into disks. Wrap each separately in the plastic wrap. Cool the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes up to 4 days. This dough will become very firm if chilled over 1 hour. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before using it.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ Fahrenheit with the racks in the middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners. Place 2 tablespoon portions of dough 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until slightly golden brown on top.

Let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheets then transfer to cooling racks.

~ Marla Meridith

Chili Cheese Oven Fries

Chili Cheese Oven Fries

Ingredients

Oven French Fries
1 ½ lbs Russet potatoes
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
Chili
1 lb ground beef
1 tbsp tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion diced
1 green bell pepper finely chopped
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup crushed tomatoes
½ cup water
Toppings
1 tomato seeded and diced
Shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese
green onions chopped
sour cream
Anything else you may want such as sliced Jalapeno, salsa, pico de gallo, avocado, guacamole, olives, lettuce, etc.

Directions

Oven Fries

Clean and pat dry the potatoes. Do not remove the skin.

Slice into desired thickness.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with the rack on the lower level.

In a large bowl toss the potatoes with the oil, salt and pepper and any other toppings you like.

Place on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 25-35 minutes tossing the fries in the middle of baking time.

Chili

While the fries are baking prepare the chili. Cook the meat in a 12 inch cast iron skillet until browned, breaking up the meat up as it cooks. Remove the meat from the skillet with a slotted spoon. Discard oil.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a the same skillet, no need to wash it. Saute the onion for 5-6 minutes until softened and fragrant.

Add the bell pepper and cook a few more minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and then to a simmer for 20 minutes or until chili thickens.

Plate the fries in a bake safe casserole dish or single serving dishes. Top with chili and handfuls of cheese. Bake for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve hot with various toppings.

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Italian Tortellini Salad

Ingredients

Directions

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Americana No-Bake Cheesecake

I love to make special desserts for the holidays, especially for July 4th. This Americana No-Bake Cheesecake will impress all your guests and it’s super easy to make ahead of time.

Ingredients

‘–for the crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (14 full sheets) you can also us ginger snaps or chocolate wafers
1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted, unsalted butter
baking spray
for the filling
1 1/4 cups cold heavy whipping cream
3 (8 ounce) blocks full fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp confectioners sugar
1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
for the topping
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup fresh blackberries

Directions

Prepare the crust: Pulse the graham crackers (or your preferred cookies) in a food processor until you have a consistent crumb. Pulse in the sugar and butter until well combined. Spray a 9″ or 10″ springform pan with baking spray. Press the crust into the bottom of the pan, using your palms to make sure it’s firmly packed. Refrigerate while you are making the filling, 15-20 minutes.

Prepare the filling: Whip the cream in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment until you have stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl and place in the fridge.

In the same bowl, you don’t have to rinse it, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Scraping down the sides of the bowl with a soft rubber spatula as needed. On medium-high speed, beat in the confectioners sugar, sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla bean paste until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Be sure that there are no lumps of cream cheese in the mixture.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the whipped cream being sure not to over mix, you don’t want to cream to deflate.

Scoop the cheesecake mixture over the crust. Smooth out the top with an offset spatula. Decorate with the berries.

Refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours up to two days. Serve cold.

~ Marla Meridith

Recipe: Margarita Cupcakes with Tequila Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

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Directions

~ Marla Meridith

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Directions

~ Marla Meridith

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Recipe: Lit’l Smokies Grilled Hot Dog Mac ‘n Cheese

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~ Marla Meridith