Jamie Oliver Strikes AGAIN. Fantastico! My first ever cupcake and they rock.

14oz Butternut Squash

1 2/3 C Brown Sugar

4 Eggs

1/2 tsp Salt

1 1/3 C Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Cinnamon

12 TBLS. Olive Oil

handful Walnuts (optional)

preheat oven to 350 F

Chop raw Squash roughly and blend or process the heck out of them down to

tiny bits. Add sugar, eggs, salt, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, olive oil

and walnuts and process/blend til smoth.

Fill cupcake paper things 3/4 full. Bake 20 minutes.

(that’s what he said, but I didn’t find it to be enough time. Check to see

if done by putting a clean knife into the middle of ye olde cupcake and it

should come out clean - I went another 10 minutes).

Let cool 10 minutes before Icing.

Sour Cream Icing

Mandarin (I used orange) Zest

Lemon Zest

1/2 Lemon juice

2/3 C sour cream

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

4 TBLS confectioner Sugar

Mix, taste, add zest/sour cream or sugar to taste.

So, my mother in law gave us a sourdough “mother” and now I have to figure

out how to keep it alive. It’s like having a dog. But nothing like it. It’s

like having a kid and forgetting to feed it. No it’s not. I do have to say

it has the consistency of a chocolate chip scone… good stuff!

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. shortening (you can substitute butter, 1 for 1, but NOT margarine. I

guess there’s water in Margerine).

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

1 egg

1 c. sourdough starter

1 tsp. vanilla

3 c. flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Chocolate chips

Combine sugar, shortening, add eggs, sourdough, vanilla. In another bowl mix

flour, baking powder, soda, add chocolate chips. Combine all ingredients in

a large bowl. Mix well, let rest 15 minutes. Shape into walnut-sized balls.

Flatten. Pre-heat oven to 375  - Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for

10-15 minutes. Cool slightly before taking off cookie sheet. Makes 4 dozen

small. 2 dozen big.

An Original Recipe from Rachel Rappaport @ www.CoconutLime.blogspot.comor http://tinyurl.com/3y4dvr

Ingredients:

4 oz semisweet chocolate chips PLUS 6 oz semisweet chocolate chips1/3 cup all-purpose flour1/3 cup dark brown sugar2 tablespoons butter1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt1 egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line with parchment paper, use a Silpat, or grease one cookie sheet. In a small pot, melt together 4 oz chocolate and butter, mix until smooth. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, beat together egg, brown sugar, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in melted chocolate. Mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips. Drop 12 tablespoons of dough evenly placed about 1 1/2 inches apart onto the lined cookie sheet. Bake, until cookies are crackly, about 12 minutes. The cookies should still be soft. Do not over bake. Cool on sheets until about 95% cool then carefully transfer the cookies to racks to cool completely.Yield: One dozen cookies

Ingredients
8 ounces Andes mints, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks
Directions
1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat chopped Andes mint chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments, stirring in between, until almost melted; do not overheat. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
2.    In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; beat in melted chocolate. Mix in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.  Let dough set for about 10 minutes before putting on baking sheets.  You may also refrigerate the dough for a bit if it doesn’t seem stiff enough.
3.    Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 to 3 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are shiny and crackly yet soft in centers, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes; with a thin metal spatula, transfer to racks to cool completely.
Makes 2 dozen

Recipe from MarthaStewart.com

4 egg whites

¼ tsp cream of tartar

1 cup fine sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract (or almond extract)

Optional - Lemon or orange zest

Preheat oven to 250 F

In large bowl, beat egg white on low speed until they are frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until the whites form soft peaks. Add the sugar very, very slowly so that the egg whites can incorporate it. Continue beating until the sugar is dissolved and white, shiny peaks form. Beat the vanilla in last, but also slowly. At this point you can add you zest very slowly as well.Cover cookie sheet with baking parchment (wax paper). You can either spoon drop the mixture onto the sheet or use a pastry bag to put on the cookie sheet.

Bake 1 hour

Leave the meringue in the oven for an additional hour with the heat turned off and the oven door closed.

Makes – 24 cookies

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 cup sugar

2 cups sifted flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened

2 tsp Almond extract

Beat egg and sugar. Add flour mixed with baking powder, alternate with butter. Add almond extract.

When thoroughly mixed, place in greased round cake pan, press into shape with a fork. You can top with almond slices if you have them handy or brush with egg white to give it a golden shine.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until tooth pick tests done.

You can make it fancy by putting it in a tart pan so you have a nice fluted edge and it will also come out more as a bar.

Don’t be tempted to substitute all-purpose flour for the cake flour, as doing so will make a dry, tough cake. If you can’t find buttermilk, you can substitute an equal amount of plain, low-fat yogurt. When topping the cake, take care to not push the crumbs into the batter. This recipe can be easily doubled and baked in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. If doubling, increase the baking time to about 45 minutes. Cooled leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Serves 8 to 10

1. FOR THE TOPPING: Whisk sugars, cinnamon, salt, and butter in medium bowl to combine. Add flour and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mixture resembles thick, cohesive dough; set aside to cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes. 2. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 16-inch length parchment paper or aluminum foil and fold lengthwise to 7-inch width. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and fit parchment into dish, pushing it into corners and up sides; allow excess to overhang edges of dish. 3. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt on low speed to combine. With mixer running at low speed, add butter one piece at a time; continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no visible butter chunks remaining, 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg, yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping once if necessary. 4. Transfer batter to baking pan; using rubber spatula, spread batter into even layer. Following photos below, break apart crumb topping into large pea-sized pieces and spread in even layer over batter, beginning with edges and then working toward center. Bake until crumbs are golden and wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan by lifting parchment overhang. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

This cookie recipe is a great one to prepare for after holiday thank

you gifts.  The cookies are also good any time of the year as a

wonderful treat!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter

• 1 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons water

• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

• 2 large eggs

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• green mint wafers (or mix peppermint chocolate as directed below)

Directions

In a large saucepan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until

butter is melted.  Add chocolate chips and stir until partially

melted.  Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is

completely melted.  Pour into a large mixer bowl and let stand 10

minutes to cool.  Mix at high speed and beat in eggs one at a time.

Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients.  Mix until just blended.

Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour

until dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 cookie sheets with foil.  Roll

teaspoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheets 2 inches apart.  Bake 12-13

minutes and NO longer.  Cookies should come out of the oven looking

slightly underdone.  They will crisp when cool.

Immediately after taking the cookies out of the oven, place one mint

wafer on top of each cookie.  Allow mints to soften; then swirl to

cover cookie.  Peppermint chocolate can be placed on top of cookies

instead of wafers.  See note below.  Sprinkles can be added at this

point if desired.

Making Peppermint Chocolate

You will need 1 cup white chocolate and peppermint extract to make

this.  Melt the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl by

microwaving for 30 secs and then stirring. Repeat until chocolate is

partially melted.  Remove from microwave and continue stirring until

chocolate is completely melted.  At this point add 2-4 drops of

peppermint extract and food coloring if desired.

Ingredients:

1lb unsalted butter

1lb plus 12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips, divided

6oz unsweetened chocolate

6 extra-large eggs

3 tbls instant coffee granules

2 tbls pour vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, divided

1 tbls baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

3/4 cup smooth almond butter

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12 by 18- inch sheet pan.

Melt together the butter. 1 lb. of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture, Toss the remaining 12 oz of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the prepared sheet pan. Spoon the peanut butter over the top of the chocolate mixture and using a knife, swirl it through the chocolate mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more or until a  toothpick comes out clean. Do not over-bake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into large squares.

I used cut these cookies into tree shapes and used them as Christmas Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (3 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix

1 1/3 cups baking mix

1 egg

1 tablespoon white sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease baking sheet.

Cream together the butter or margarine and the pudding mix. Blend in the baking mix, egg and sugar and mix well.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 3/8 inch thickness and cut into cookies with a shamrock cookie cutter.

Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake at 350F for 9 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges. Let cookies cool on rack. Frost with green colored icing and sprinkles. (optional)   Shamrock Cookies