Tiny Mini Kisses Peanut Blossoms

These don't last long around my house of peanut butter lovers.
- 1/2 cup softened margarine
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- mini kisses

Cream margarine, sugars and peanut butter. Beat in 1 egg, milk and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually blend into creamed mixture. Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 5-6 minutes or just until set. Remove from oven and immediately press one mini kiss in centre of each cookie.

*Oops! I forgot to roll these in sugar. Oh well, they were still delicious!

Whipped Shortbread

A favorite around Christmas.
- 1 cup butter (not margarine)
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch

Whip butter with beaters until fluffy. Add sugar and cornstarch. Whip. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time. Roll dough into balls (will be very soft) and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Using a fork dipped in four, make cross marks if desired. Bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes.
* Colored sprinkles or crushed candy canes make a nice touch.
** Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Gingerbread Boys

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Jessica, who is the cookie baking queen, much to her nieces and nephews delight. My five year old's request:

• 1 box butterscotch pudding mix (not instant)



• 1/2 cup shortening



• 1/2 cup brown sugar



• 1 egg



• 1 1/2 cups flour



• 1 1/2 tsp ginger



• 1/2 tsp cinnamon



• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Cream shortening and sugar, add egg and mix well. Add dry pudding mix, flour and spices. Mix well. Roll dough 1/8 to 1/4 inch think and cut with cookie cutter. This dough is easy to work with. Bake on greased sheet at 350 for 10 minutes.* Cool and add icing.**

* I baked these for 7-8 minutes so they were still a little chewy
**It's best to add m & m's or whatever you're using to decorate, before you bake these.

Ribs, Round 2

I made ribs for, I think the 2nd time in our marriage (3 years :).  This time, they turned out, mostly.

I found this recipe online, Guy Fieri approved recipe.  Not his recipe, just approved by him.  So I figured they had to be good, because he is the expert in bbq-ish type stuff.

My modifications:
** I followed the recipe for Spicy Pork Ribs to a tee.  Put the rub on the ribs. Then I let them sit for a bit. Then placed them in a slow cooker. And the veggies on top. 3 hours on high, 3.5 hrs on low. At this point, they were pretty much fall off the bone, but at least I could still remove them from slow cooker without falling apart. I placed them on a baking sheet with parchment. Slathered them with bbq sauce. Turned the oven on broil, rack up to second highest position. Let them broil until they started getting crusty and the bbq sauce was bubbly. Pretty good.

**We had costco Pork Back Ribs, 2 racks. The recipe worked well for that amount.

**Wasn't really that spicy, which was ok for our liking. The one thing I would change is to be very generous with the bbq sauce, I was a little light on it. And, next time try an actual rib house sauce, like Montana's or Tony Romas (we had Bullseye Guinness).

**After those veggies were in the slow cooker that long, I chose not to serve them, kinda mushy.

**I also didn't pay attention to that slaw recipe below it, I see it now and does that ever look delightful, next time.

Spicy Pork Ribs with Tangy Slaw

Ingredients:

Spicy Pork Ribs:

6 racks baby back ribs

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (12-ounce) bottle of light beer 

1 lemon, zested

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Tangy Slaw:

2 limes, juiced

2 avocados, diced

1 cabbage head, shaved

1 cucumber, seeded and shaved

1 fennel bulb, shaved

1 jalapeno, diced

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 red onion, shaved

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Direction:

For the ribs: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the ribs in a deep pan and rub with the cumin paprika, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Let sit 30 minutes.

In the meantime, whisk together the beer, lemon zest and tomato paste. Pour over the ribs. Scatter the ribs with the tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and garlic. Cover tightly with foil and bake 3 hours.

While the ribs are cooking, make the slaw: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the lime juice and avocado until the avocado is just broken up. Add the cabbage, cucumber, fennel, jalapeno, cilantro and onions and season well with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.

To prepare: 

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Remove the ribs from the oven and finish on the grill until the outside is crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the ribs with the slaw on the side.

Cream Puffs

I was wondering what to serve for dessert for our harvest crew, my Mom suggested cream puffs. I've never made them before, but she assured me it was easy and I'd wonder why I'd never made them before. She was right. :)

• 1/2 cup butter/margarine
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 eggs

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a baking sheet. In a saucepan, combine butter and water. Bring to a boil. All at once, beat in flour and salt. Continue cooking, beating hard until mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Then add, one at a time, 4 eggs. Beat hard until smooth and glossy after adding each egg. Chill the dough.* Drop batter from spoon onto baking sheet. Bake at 375 for about 25-30 minutes or until light and golden. Turn off oven and let dry in oven. Cool. Fill with sweetened whipped cream.

* I skipped the step about chilling the dough and they turned out fine.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Mmm....nothing like baking with pumpkin in fall. So yummy!

For the Filling:

- 8 oz cream cheese, softened

- 1 cup icing sugar

For the Muffins:

- 3 cups flour

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- 1 tsp nutmeg

- 1 tsp ground cloves*

- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 4 large eggs

- 2 cups sugar

- 2 cups pumpkin puree

- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

For the Topping**:

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 5 tbsp flour

- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

- 4 tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces

To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and icing sugar and mix until well blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log and reinforce with a piece of tinfoil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.

To make the muffins preheat the oven to 350. Combine flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. With electric mixer combine eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil until just blended. Then add dry ingredients. Mixing until just incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Put into fridge until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. Divide remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack for cooling. Be sure to allow the muffins to cool completely before serving. The filling will be very hot!

These taste even better the next day if you can resist them.

* I used Epicure's Pumpkin Pie Spice in place of the cloves, as I didn't have any on hand.

** Topping amount is generous. Half of the amount would be plenty.

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in water. (Batter will be thin.) Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

4. Prepare Chocolate Frosting; spread between layers and over top and sides of cake.

Chocolate Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 3 cups icing sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add icing sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.

2. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.