Almond Joy Cookies

These are one of this Pinterest Sensation recipes that you just gotta try! Worth the effort, I must say!!

Almond Joy Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla
4 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
5 cups chocolate chips
2 cups flaked coconut
2 cups chopped almonds

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar until smooth.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the creamed mixture until well blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips, coconut and almonds.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.


- Make it a Great One!
~~~•Tammy

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~~~•Tammy

Granola Bars

Ingredients:

6 cups oats

4 tbsp butter (melted)

¼ cup canola oil

1 tsp salt

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup honey

¼ cup apple juice

¼ cup molasses

3 tsp vanilla

1 ½ cup rice krispies

1 cup wheat germ

½ cup craisins

½ cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a bowl, toss the oats with the oil, butter and salt. Spread mixture out on 2 baking sheets and toast in oven for about 15-20 minutes. Shake the pan twice and make sure they don’t burn. Remove from oven and set aside.

Reduce oven to 325 degrees

In a medium saucepan combine the brown sugar, honey, apple juice, and molasses. Heat slowly – stirring until combined. Stir in the vanilla.

Toss the oats, rice, wheat germ, craisins and chocolate chips. Pour sugar mixture over – stir to combine.

Press into 1 baking sheet (thoroughly greased with butter) and bake until golden – about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes and then cut into desired pieces.

Make it a great one!!

About Tammy: Daughter, Sister, Wife, Homeschooling Mother of 7 (ages: G14, G13, B11, G8, B7, B3, G2). Stepmom of 2. Mother in law to two, Grandma to Peyton, Mattix and Andrew. Writer at BellaOnline. Blogger at Latter-Day Homeschool and JuddzWorld!! Happy & Satisfied!!

Soft Pretzels

Ingredients:

2 tbsp yeast

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 ½ cups warm water

1 tsp salt

4 cups flour

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine the yeast brown sugar and warm water. Allow the yeast to bloom for about 15 minutes. Add the flour and salt. Let knead for about 5 minutes. Place dough into a greased bowl and let rise for about 45 minutes. (it is ready when you can stick your finger down into it and your print remains.)

Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Roll each into a thin, long rope. Each rope should be about 24” long.

Twist into a pretzel shape.

Place onto a parchment lined baking sheets (sprayed with non-stick spray). Allow the pretzels to sit for about 10 minutes.

In a shallow pan, add 4 cups water and ¼ cup baking soda. Bring to a boil.

Carefully slide the twisted pretzel into the “bath” and wait about 15 seconds. (spoon the hot liquid over the top of the pretzel). Use a spatula to remove the pretzels from the Bath. Set on to a clean kitchen towel to absorb the extra liquid.

Return to the parchment lined baking sheet and lightly brush with egg wash (1 egg yolk + 1 tsp water). Sprinkle with some course salt.

Turn on the oven to heat to 450 degrees. Let pretzels ‘rest’ while oven preheats. Bake for about 8 minutes until golden. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. YUM!

Make it a great one!!

About Tammy: Daughter, Sister, Wife, Homeschooling Mother of 7 (ages: G14, G13, B11, G8, B7, B3, G2). Stepmom of 2. Mother in law to two, Grandma to Peyton, Mattix and Andrew. Writer at BellaOnline. Blogger at Latter-Day Homeschool and JuddzWorld!! Happy & Satisfied!!

Acorn Squash soup

This is a Tammy Original recipe. :) YUMMMMMY!!

1 an acorn squash - cut in half and chopped into chunks

4 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 onions diced

3 cloves garlic diced

2 carrots (medium to small) diced

2 celery stalk diced

1-2 cups heavy cream (or milk)

1 3/4  box chicken stock

Nutmeg – sprinkling

Cilantro – rough chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
Place onions and garlic in pan and saute until starting to turn a little golden. Add in other veggies - including squash - salt and pepper to taste. Saute for another 5 - 10 minutes to start softening the veggies. Add in the chicken stock - you want it to just cover the veggies. Let simmer on stove on medium low heat for about 15 minutes. Stir periodically. Place in blender or use Emulsion Blender and blend it until smooth. Check to see if it needs salt - Add cream. You can serve with cilantro (chopped) and sprinkled over the top of the soup and a dash of nutmeg, a sprinkle of salt & pepper – DELICIOUS!!

Would freeze really well in a zipper baggy!!

Make it a great one!!

About Tammy: Daughter, Sister, Wife, Homeschooling Mother of 7 (ages: G13, G12, B10, G7, B6, B3, G2). Stepmom of 2. Mother in law to two, Grandma to Peyton, Mattix and Andrew. Writer at BellaOnline. Blogger at Latter-Day Homeschool and JuddzWorld!! Happy & Satisfied!!

Glazed Snickerdoodle Bars

Thank you Confessions of a CookBook QUEEN!! :) 

Ingredients

• Bars:
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 TBS vanilla extract
• 1 bag (roughly 2 cups) cinnamon chips
• Topping:
• 4 TBS granulated sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• Glaze:
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup warm water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray well with nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cream of tartar, and salt.
3. In the bowl of your mixer, beat sugar and butter on medium until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. With the mixer on low, beat in flour mixture until incorporated. Fold in cinnamon chips. Spread batter in prepared pan.
4. In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over surface of bars.
5. Bake bars for about 45 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Let cool for about 30 minutes, then prepare glaze.
7. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and water until smooth. Spread evenly over bars. Let bars cool and firm up before cutting and serving.

Make it a great one!!

About Tammy: Daughter, Sister, Wife, Homeschooling Mother of 7 (ages: G13, G12, B10, G7, B6, B3, G2). Stepmom of 2. Mother in law to two, Grandma to Peyton, Mattix and Andrew. Writer at BellaOnline. Blogger at Latter-Day Homeschool and JuddzWorld!! Happy & Satisfied!!

Skillet Baked Ziti

Ingredients

· 6 garlic cloves, minced

· 4 teaspoons olive oil

· ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

· salt and pepper

· 1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes – crushed by your hand :)

· 3 cups water

· 12 ounces ziti pasta 

· 1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta

· ½ cup heavy cream

· ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

· ¼ cup chopped fresh basil

· 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 475 degrees.

2. Combine 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet and saute over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add crushed tomatoes, water, ziti and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

4. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain vigorous simmer, until ziti is almost tender, 15-18 minutes. Make sure you don't cook it too much. It will continue to cook in the oven.

5. Meanwhile, combine ricotta, remaining 1 teaspoon oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Set aside.

6. Stir in cream, Parmesan, and basil into the skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. At this point if your skillet is not ovensafe, transfer the pasta mixture into a shallow 2-quart casserole dish before sprinkling with the ricotta and cheese and baking. If you're really against turning on the oven you could cover the skillet with a lid and melt the cheese that way but it won't get browned and toasty.

8. Add dollops of the ricotta mixture with a spoon and sprinkle mozzarella evenly over ziti.

9. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until cheese has melted and browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of basil. Serve.

 

Make it a great one!!

About Tammy: Daughter, Sister, Wife, Homeschooling Mother of 7 (ages: G13, G12, B10, G7, B6, B3, G2). Stepmom of 2. Mother in law to two, Grandma to Peyton, Mattix and Andrew. Writer at BellaOnline. Blogger at Latter-Day Homeschool and JuddzWorld!! Happy & Satisfied!!