Root Beer Cookies

I found these cookies on Real Mom Kitchen and was instantly intrigued. We are Root Beer fans in this family. They turned out very interesting. The hint of root beer wasn't as strong as I had first imagined, and if I had not known what was in them, I'm not entirely sure I could guess that they were root beer flavored. BUT, they were very good and I loved the frosting. I'd like to play around with the recipe a bit and see if I can get the Root Beer flavor to be stronger but not overwhelming.

Root Beer Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. root beer extract (also called concentrate)
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water (optional–only use if dough is too dry)
Root Beer frosting (recipe below)

Cream butter and dark brown sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the root beer extract. Whisk dry ingredients together. Add a little at a time to the creamed mixture. The dough should be slightly sticky.

Chill for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease several baking sheets, or line them with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Roll into small balls (about 1″ diameter).

Place them on the pan, leaving a bit of space between the cookies. Gently press the tops of the dough. (If you leave out the water, sometimes the cookies don’t spread very much.) Bake for 6-8 minutes, rotating cookie sheet halfway through. Makes about 4 dozen.

Frosting Recipe

1 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. root beer extract (also called concentrate)
a few tablespoons hot water

Beat butter on high with an electric mixer until it is fluffy. Add a little powdered sugar and the root beer extract. Beat until smooth. Add remaining powdered sugar alternately with a little hot water until a nice spreading consistency has been reached.

Frost the cooled cookies and let stand for a few minutes to let the frosting set up. (It should dry a bit on the top.) You can leave out the root beer extract and you’ll have a tasty, soft brown sugar cookie.

Moo Shu Noodles

My oldest daughter has been begging me to make a dinner we can use chopsticks to eat with. So as I was browsing My Kitchen Cafe, I found this little gem, and knew it was the one. As I scanned the list of ingredients, I got a little nervous, and excited, because there are quite a few things that I don't keep on hand and I don't regularly cook with. So by the time I finished preparing dinner, I felt quite gourmet. And the best part is that it's not even a difficult recipe. It just uses some yummy, ethnic ingredients that give the dish so much flavor. I really loved this.I thought it turned out delicious... much better than chinese take out. The only modification I made was I used chicken instead of pork.

My kids thought it was a bit too spicy, so next time I'll try to remedy that. We had a lot of fun eating with chopsticks.

Moo Shu Noodles

12-ounces fettuccine
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
3 eggs, beaten
3 medium-sized boneless pork chops, thinly sliced (it is easier to slice thinly if pork chops are slightly frozen)
Ground black pepper
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons ginger (about a 2-inch piece), peeled and grated
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1/2 pound mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 small head Napa or Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth

Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil. When the water comes up to a bubble, add some salt and drop in the fettuccine. Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain the cooked pasta and reserve.

Combine the hoisin and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a 12-inch non-stick skillet, heat one tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add eggs and scramble. When done, scrape them onto a plate and reserve.

In the same skillet heat two tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes (don't overcook or pork will be tough!). Remove the meat from the pan onto the same plate as the eggs and keep warm.

Add the scallions, ginger and garlic to the pan, and cook until aromatic and the scallions are tender, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms to the pan and stir-fry until golden brown, 4-5 minutes.

Add the cabbage to the pan and stir-fry until tender, about 3 minutes. When the cabbage is tender, add the reserved pork and scrambled eggs back to the pan along with the hoisin-soy mixture and the chicken broth. Stir-fry to fully heat through, about 1 minute, and then toss with the reserved cooked pasta. Cook to heat through and serve.

Mom's Pumpkin Bread

Mmmm... Yummy pumpkin bread.... This was one of my favorite treats during the fall and holiday seasons growing up, and it still is today. My mom used to make this pumpkin bread to give out to neighbors and we would always beg her to keep some for us. She usually kept a loaf or two for her ravenous family, but it was never enough. ;) I could eat a whole loaf myself at one sitting. And the Cream Cheese frosting on top is a must. It finishes the bread deliciously and beautifully.Mom's Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil (I use half olive oil and half vegetable oil)

4 eggs (beaten)

3 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cloves

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp all spice

1 cup pumpkin

1 cup applesauce

2/3 cup water

Mix sugar and oil until smooth. Add eggs and mix.

Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to wet ingredients 1/2 cup at a time. Add pumpkin, applesauce, and water. Mix until smooth.

Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for 45 - 60 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Usually makes 2 to 3 loafs depending on your loaf pan size.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8oz cream cheese

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

1 tsp vanilla

3 to 4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 to 1/2 cup milk

Melt cream cheese and butter in microwave until soft. Beat with beater about 1 minute or until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add powdered sugar, a little at a time alternately with milk until desired consistency and taste is reached.

You can also make into cute mini loaves. These are really dangerous. They are deliciously cute.

Spooky Spiders and Creepy Critters

I just love Halloween. There are so many fun snacks and treats to make. I love making them (and eating them) just as much as my kids. These were so much fun to make, and turned out super cute. My kids were absolutely ecstatic about these spooky spiders and creepy critters. They didn't taste half bad either. ;)

Spooky Spiders

Halloween Oreos
1 tsp. frosting

Mini M&M's

Black string licorice

For each cookie, cut eight 1 1/2 inch pieces of licorice for legs. Insert four pieces into the filling on each side of each cookie.

With the frosting, attach 2 mini M&M's to the top of each cookie for eyes.

And Voila! Spooky, but yummy spiders!

Creepy Critters

HoHo's or similar chocolate snack cakes

Chocolate and vanilla frosting

Assorted candy (we used M&M's, Mike and Ike's, candy corn, and mentos)

Fruit roll-ups

For each critter, use icing to attach candy however you want.

Cut fruit roll-up into tongue shapes; attach to cakes.

Pipe teeth with frosting.

Kit Kat Bars

I got this recipe from my good friend, Paula Deen. ;) (Don't I wish she was my friend!!)Chocolatey, caramely, buttery goodness. I don't think they taste a lot like a Kit Kat bar, but they are still absolutely delicious. And unfortuneately a bit addicting. I like these because they are quick to throw together, and there is no baking required. They are perfect to take to a potluck get together with friends or family.

Make sure you have somewhere to take them, because if you don't, you'll more than likely eat the whole pan by yourself.

I think this recipe is very versatile as well. Once I made them and ran out of Club crackers so I used Nilla wafers for the top layer. They tasted just as good. And another time, I didn't have butterscotch chips, so I used extra chocolate chips. This gave it a little bit of a different taste, but I still really like the bar. Play around with ingredients... it's fun.

Kit Kat Bars

80 club crackers
1 cup butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup fimrly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup butterscotch morsels

Line an ungreased 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an extension of foil on either end. Line the foil with 1 layer of club crackers, cutting to fit if necessary.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, milk and sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 miutes, stirring constantly. (Begin timing 5 minutes from when you see the first bubbles.) Remove from heat and spread half of butter mixture evenly over crackers. Place another single layer of crackers evenly over butter mixture, cutting to fit if necessary. Spread remaining butter mixture evenly over crackers. Top evenly with remaining crackers.

In a small saucepan (or in the microwave), combine peanut butter, chocolate morsels, and butterscotch morsels. Melt over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over top of crackers. Cover, and chill for at least 1 hour. Lift foil overhang and remove bars from pan. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator.

Friendship Dip

This is such an easy dip to make. It's surprisingly yummy and addicting. When I first saw the ingredients, I wasn't too sure, but I thought I'd give it a go. And now I've been making it for quite awhile, and I always get the same results. Yummy and addicting!

Friendship Dip

1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
1 (15 oz) can of chili
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
Lots of shredded cheddar cheese
sliced olives
diced green onion (optional)

In a large pie plate (or a pizza pan will work) spread cream cheese. Then layer on top of cream cheese in this order: chili, green chilies, shredded cheddar cheese, and sliced olives. Bake at 350 degrees until hot and melted (approximately 20-25 minutes). Garnish with green onion and serve with tortilla chips.

I always double the recipe because it goes fast.

Pumpkin Spice Caramel Mini Cheesecake Bites

The title alone is a mouthful, but let me tell you... these are so incredibly delicious. I found the recipe on Picky Palate, and new that I had to try them out immediately.

I was surprised and delighted at how easy they were to whip together and how yummy they turned out. These are definitely one of my favorite cheescake bite recipes to date.

Pumpkin Spice Caramel Mini Cheesecake Bites

8 whole Oreos, finely ground in food processor

1 1/2 Tablespoons melted butter

8 oz softened cream cheese

1/2 Cup granulated sugar

1/2 Cup pumpkin puree (I used Libby’s)

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

Caramel Dip or topping (I used Harry & David Gourmet Caramel Topping, but any you have or can find will work fine)

*12 Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses, unwrapped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine ground Oreos and melted butter into a bowl until well combined. Spoon into 12 mini cheesecake cups that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Press into the bottom of each cup so the crust is flat. Partially bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven.

2. In a stand or electric mixer beat the cream cheese, sugar and pumpkin until smooth. Beat in egg, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg until combined. Pour evenly into the 12 cups filling about 3/4 way full. Spoon about a teaspoon of caramel into the tops of each filled cup and swirl with a toothpick gently. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until cheesecake is cooked through. Let cool completely.

3. Remove cheesecakes from pan and top each with a spoonful of remaining caramel and a Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kiss. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I also made some into regular cupcake pan size, and they turned out just as cute.

*I can't find the Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses anywhere but Target, they are not at the Walmart or Albertsons that I shop at. So, if you are out of luck and can't find the Pumpkin Spice ones, don't let it discourage you. Make them anyway and use a different flavor of Hershey Kiss.