Monster Cookies

Monster Cookies!!!

These are AMAZING cookies!!! They are sooo good and peanut-buttery and yummy!  They were quick to make and very delicious.  They also smelled really good when we were making them! :)

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 3 cups brown sugar
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon white Karo syrup
• 1 cup (2 sticks) margarine or butter
• 3 cups peanut butter
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla
• 4 teaspoons baking soda
• 9 cups oatmeal
• 1/2 pound bag of M&M's
• 1 bag chocolate chips (2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine eggs, Karo syrup, margarine, peanut butter and vanilla in a LARGE bowl until well blended.  Stir in sugar, brown sugar and baking soda.  Then stir in the oatmeal until mixed well.  When all that is blended well, stir in the M&M's being careful not to crush them.

Scoop with a cookie scoop and drop onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes: Approximately 7 dozen.

Apple Tart

Apple Tart

This is a heavenly dessert. The granny smith apples make it very tart and DELICIOUS!  It is not overly sweet, and it is very refreshing when served cold.  It is a perfect dessert for fall.

Crust:
(Sweet Short Paste from the "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" cookbook.)

• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick chilled butter (8 tablespoons)
• 3 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening
• 5-6 tablespoons cold water

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients until well blended and until there are no butter chunks left.  On a floured surface, knead the dough into a ball.

Lightly flour top of the dough and rolling pin.  Roll it into a circle 1/8 inch thick and about 3 inches larger than your flan ring.

We trimmed the dough before we put it the pan
 but you could do it either way. :)

Take the bottom of a spring-form pan out.  Set the ring on a baking sheet.  Place the rolled-out dough over the ring and fit.  Trim off excess dough by rolling the pin over the top of the ring.  Push the dough 1/8 inch above the edge of the mold, to make an even, rounded rim of dough all around the inside circumference of the mold.  If you would like, you may press a decorative edge around the rim of the pastry with the dull edge of a knife.  With a fork, poke bottom of pastry at 1/2 inch intervals.

To keep the shell from collapsing and the bottom from puffing up, place foil inside and press in to mold it to the sides and bottom.  Put a handful of dry beans in the bottom to weigh it down.

Bake at the medium level of a 400 degree oven for 8 minutes.  After 8 minutes, take foil with beans out and prick bottom again with the fork.  Bake for 2 more minutes.  Do not remove the ring until the tart is filled and baked again. Set aside.

Apples for the top:

• 41 pound of any baking apple (we used granny smith)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Half, core, and peel the apples.  Cut into 1/8 inch lengthwise slices and toss them into a bowl with the lemon juice and sugar.  Evenly coat the apples in the lemon juice.  This will keep them from browning.  Set aside.

Apple-Sauce Filling:

• 3 pounds apples
• 1/3 cup apricot preserves
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter

Peel and dice apples.  Place in a skillet and cook covered, over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.  Then stir in the rest of the ingredients.  Raise heat and boil, stirring, until apple-sauce is thick enough to hold in a mass in the spoon.

Finishing the Tart:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  And spread the apple-sauce in the partially cooked crust.  Cover with apples in a neat, pretty design.

Bake in upper third of preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until sliced apples have browned lightly and are tender.  Serve warm or cold.

Enjoy! :)

Serves 8.

Oreo Triple Layer Chocolate Pie

Oreo Triple Layer Chocolate Pie

Crust:

The crust in this recipe is a oreo cookie crumb crust.  Instead of buying the oreos for the crust, we decided to just buy the pre-made oreo crust from the grocery store.  Here is the recipe for the crust just in case you would rather make it.

• 24 oreo cookies, divided and finely crushed
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

    1. Mix the cookies with the butter.  Firmly press into the bottom of the and sides of a 9-inch pie plate.

Pudding Layer:

For the pudding layer, we made pudding from scratch.  However, if you don't want to mess around with making it from scratch, you could just use 2 packages (4 serving size boxes) of JELL-O brand chocolate flavored pudding mix combined with 2 cups of milk, and stirred until will blended.

Here is the recipe for the "made from scratch" pudding.

• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

     1. Stir in a saucepan over medium heat until chocolate is melted (The chocolate took FOREVER for it to melt for us!  So you have to be REALLY REALLY patient! :) ).

     2. Add cornstarch to the milk mixture.  Bring to a simmer and stir briskly.  Cook for another minute.

     3. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

     4. Measure 1 1/2 cups of the pudding and pour into the crust.  Spread to the edges of the crust.

     5. Mix the remaining pudding with half of an 8 ounce tub COOL WHIP brand whipped topping (you will use the other half for the third, COOL WHIP layer of your pie).

COOL WHIP Layer:

• 8 oreo cookies, crushed
• 1/2 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP

     1. Whip crushed oreos with the other half of the tub of COOL WHIP.

     2. Spread over the pie.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.


     Serves 10 people.

Fresh Apple Cake

Fresh Apple Cake

Happy fall everyone!  Since this week was the first week of autumn, we decided to make Fresh Apple Cake to help us get in the mood.  This is a really simple cake to make and the cinnamon in it compliments the apple pieces perfectly.  It's really tasty and we hope you try it!


Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (we really love cinnamon so we put a bit extra in it! :)
• 2 eggs slightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cups canola oil or cooking oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 medium (3 cups) granny smith apples (or any baking apple... we used gala)
• 1 cup pecans or walnuts

Directions:

     1. Grease 13x9x2 baking pan and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

     2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.

     3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, oil, and vanilla.  Stir in apples and nuts.

   
     4. add egg mixture to flour mixture.  Stir until moistened (batter will be thick).

     5. Spread into pan.
     6. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

     7. Cool for 1 hour.

     8. Serve with whipped cream and an apple slice (optional).
     9. Enjoy! :)

     Makes 20 Servings

.

     324 calories each.

     18 g. fat

     21 mg. chol.

     187 mg. sodium

     2 g. fiber

     3 g. protein

Chocolate Chip Pie

Chocolate Chip Pie

Hello!  We hope you enjoyed our last recipe, and here's another!  This chocolate chip pie is AMAZING!  There's the perfect amount of chocolate in it for all you chocolate lovers out there!  It's delicious blend of melted chocolate chips and chopped pecans make this dessert something you have to try!  This recipe was pretty easy and we hope you like it!

We decided to use a different crust recipe this time.


For the crust:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 stick or 1/2 cup all-vegetable shortening
• 3 tablespoons cold water

    1. Spoon flour into measuring cup and level.  Combine flour and salt in medium bowl.
    2. Cut in 1/2 cup shortening using pastry blender until all flour is blended to form pea-sized chunks.

    3. Sprinkle with water 1 tablespoon at a time.  Lightly toss with fork until dough forms a ball.

    4. Press dough between hands to form a 5-6 inch "pancake".  Flour rolling surface and rolling pin lightly.             Roll dough into circle.  Trim circle 1 1/2 inches larger than upside-down pie plate.  Carefully remove trimmed dough.

5. Wrap dough loosely around rolling pin and fit into pie plate.  Fold edge over and flute the edges.

For the filling:

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup pecans or walnuts

    1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
    2. Beat eggs in a large mixer bowl until foamy.
    3. Beat in dry ingredients.
    4. Beat in butter.
    5. Stir in chocolate chip and nuts.

    6. Spoon into unbaked pie shell.

    7. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between outside edge and center comes out clean.  Cool.  Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie

From the "Joy of Cooking" cookbook

Yay!  Our first recipe!  We hope you all try making it, because it is DELICIOUS! :)

Crust:

Makes 2 pie crusts

     

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter 
• 1/4 cup cold vegetable shorting
• 6 tablespoons ice water

Instructions:

1. Combine flour, salt, butter, and shortening.  Cut half the shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or work it in lightly with the tips of your fingers until it has the consistency of cornmeal.  Cut the remaining half into the dough until it is pea-sized.  
2. Sprinkle the dough with 6 tablespoons of ice water.
3. Blend the water gently into the dough until it just holds together; you may lift the ingredients with a fork, allowing the moisture to spread.  If necessary to hold the ingredients together, add: 1 teaspoon-1 tablespoon of ice water.
4. Divide the dough in half, roll out one of the dough-balls into a disk.  (You may set the other aside.)
5. Place and fit the "dough disk" in the pie dish, as in the picture below.

  

  6. Poke holes in the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork.

We put dry beans in the bottom of our crust to prevent bubbles. :)

   7. Now cook the pie crust at 425 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Now you are finished with the crust! :)

     Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 egg yolks, well beaten
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Instructions:

1. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt into a 2-3 quart saucepan. Stir.
2. Blend cold water and fresh lemon juice with the cornstarch mixture until smooth.
3. Next, add the beaten egg yolks.
4. Set the pan on the stove and bring to a full boil stirring gently.
5. Once it begins to thicken, simmer for one minute and remove from heat.
6. Stir in the grated lemon zest.

    7. Now pour the filling into the baked pie crust.

Now it's time to make the meringue!!!

     Meringue:

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup sugar, preferably powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

1. Beat egg until foamy.
2. Add the cream of tartar.
3. Beat again until soft peaks form.  (See picture below.)

When you lift the wisk out of the egg whites,
you should have peaks that sort of fold over.

    4. When you have soft peaks, gradually beat in the sugar.

    5. Keep beating until the peaks are stiff and glossy but not dry.

    6. Now gently stir in the vanilla.

    7. Spread a band of the meringue around the edges of the filling, anchoring it to the crust at all points.

    8. Dollop the remaining over the center and spread it out.

We created peaks on the top of our meringue for decoration!  :)

    9.  Now stick your pie in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

The tips of our peaks got a little burnt
because we had the oven a little too hot at first.. :(
We then reduced the heat down to 350 degrees and it turned out fine! :)

   
10. Cool completely on a rack then serve or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

   11. Enjoy!

Lemon Meringue Pie!  Very YUMMY!  :) 

 

Hi Bloggers!

        Hello everyone! Thanks so much for viewing our blog! If you're looking for a website to go to for awesome dessert ideas, you're on the right site!  Every Wednesday we will be posting a picture followed by the recipe from our most recently made dessert! We think it will be really cool and we hope you enjoy viewing it!!! :) Thanks again! :)


P.S. Please vote for the next dessert you would like us to make, and if you have time, we would LOVE it if you left a comment! :)



   -The Twins