S'Mores Sandwish Bar Cookies

Via Hershey's Kitchen

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bars (1.55 oz. each), unwrapped
3 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:
1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 8-inch square baking pan.

2 Beat butter and sugar until well blended in large bowl. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Press half of dough in prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes.

3 Arrange unwrapped chocolate bars over baked layer, breaking as needed to fit. Sprinkle with marshmallows; scatter bits of remaining dough over marshmallows, forming top layer. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or just until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. 16 bars.

M&M Holiday Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 12-ounce package M&M’S®  Milk Chocolate Candies (red and green)

3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt; blend into butter/sugar mixture. Stir in M&M’S® Milk Chocolate Candies and nuts, if desired. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and centers are still soft. Do not overbake. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; cool completely on wire racks. Store in tightly covered container.

Lasagna Filling

Ingredients:
2 lb. ricotta (lrg. container)
2 eggs
1/3 c. sugar
1 c. plain bread crumbs

Directions:
Mix together and layer lasagna.

Cheese Filled Shells

Ingredients:
2 lbs. ricotta (1 1b.~14 oz.)
3 eggs
1/3 c. sugar
1 c. plain bread crumbs
2 c. mozzarella shredded
1/2 c. parmesan cheese grated
2 Tb. parsley
3/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:
Mix all together and stuff shells.  This makes enough for one box of jumbo shells (36). Serves 10-12 people.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Straight from a good source...Katie!!! Thanks for the sweet treat!
Makes 24

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 can pumpkin puree (do NOT get canned pumpkin pie mix!!!)
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (also good with dark chocolate chips)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool completely in pan.
Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares. Restrain yourself from eating every last one of these.

P. F. Chang's Stir-Fried Spicy Eggplant

Serves 1 as an entrée, 2 as a side!
Ingredients:
1 pound eggplant, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice
1 teaspoon garlic
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water to make a paste
Canola oil for deep-frying
Spicy Sauce:
2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce (or substitute oyster sauce)
2 tablespoons Lite soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon chili paste (Sambal Oleck preferred)
1/2 teaspoon ground bean sauce (Koon Chun preferred)
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:
Combine all Spicy Sauce ingredients and mix well. In a wok, deep-fry eggplant at 350 degrees F for 1 minute. Remove eggplant and drain on paper towels. Meanwhile remove all but 1/2 teaspoon of oil from wok. On high heat, stir-fry garlic for 5 seconds then add Spicy Sauce. Reduce heat and let sauce simmer 20 seconds. Add eggplant and simmer for another 10 seconds. Stir in cornstarch paste a little at a time until desired consistency. Serve immediately.

Cranberry Relish

Ingredients:
2 c. chopped cranberries
2 c. sugar
2 boxes (3 oz.) rasberry jello
2 c. hot water
1 orange quartered, seeded, ground
20 oz. can crushed pineapple
1 c. chopped pecans

Directions:
Let cranberries stand 2 hours in sugar. Mix all ingredients together. Chill until firm.

Spiced Ice Cubes

Got this from a Secret Santa one year. Definitely spruces up a Sprite!

Ingredients:
3 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 Tb. grated orange peel
6 whole cloves
Boil and Strain.

Combine with the following:
1 qt. apple juice
1 qt. cranberry juice
2 c. crushed pineapple

Pour into ice trays. Freeze. Put 2-3 in glass served with Sprite or 7 up.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This is one of my Mom's favorite Thanksgiving/Christmas casseroles. You have GOT to try it!

Ingredients:
3 c. mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 stick melted butter
1 c. sugar
1 Tb. vanilla
1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt

Topping:
2 1/2 Tb. butter
1 c. chopped nuts (walnuts)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together, pour into a casserole dish. Put on topping. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.

Muddy Buddy

My friend Laura made these for a Christmas party and boy were they awesome. This is a great gift idea if you place the muddy buddies in little baggies or jars!!!

Ingredients:
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
9 c. Chex cereal
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Directions:
In bowl, mix chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave 1 minute, stir. Microwave 30 seconds longer or until mixture is smooth. Add vanilla. Place cereal in large bowl. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal until evenly coated. Pour into 2 gallon food storage bag. Add powdered sugar and shake until coated. Spread on wax paper and cool for 30 minutes.