Ice Cream Baked Potato

This is something I learned from Paul, I can't remember where he learned this. This is a dessert that we like to make for others visiting our great state - since we are in potato country.

This is very easy and fun for the whole family.

Ingredients:
Vanilla ice cream
Caramel topping
Caramel topping for gravy
Whipped cream in can for the sour cream
green sprinkles or chopped pistachios for chives
Cocoa powder

Each person can make their own baked potato. First we put on plastic gloves and then you take the ice cream in your hands and form a potato shape. Then roll that in a bowl filled with cocoa powder.

Place the "potato" on a plate, slightly cut the top like you would a baked potato and then top it with whipped cream and green sprinkles. You can add a little caramel topping on the plate to make it look like the gravy ran off the potato onto the plate.

Other ideas include: adding a pat of butter on top (a square of frozen yellow frosting) and something that looks like bacon bits.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

I found this recipe (and photo) on the blog, My Kitchen Cafe (one of my favorites). Here is her original post.
Adapted from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook and taken from smittenkitchen.com

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened (I used salted butter and cut the 1/4 teaspoon salt down to 1/8 teaspoon)
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (for sprinkling) sugar*
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup peanut butter chips
½ cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Place sprinkling sugar on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crissscross pattern but do not overly flatten cookies (I used the back of a flat spatula to flatten – don’t ask me why I avoided the crisscross pattern).
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (I only baked mine for about 9 minutes). Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.
Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
Tiff's Tips: *I pressed my cookie dough into the sugar before placing them on the baking sheet so they were covered, so it takes more sugar than listed above.
I didn't have any peanut butter chips, so I used 1 cup of chocolate chips and they turned out wonderful! They were a hit at Vivian's Bday party.

Coconut Pancakes

I found this recipe in my new book, It's in the Bag by Michelle and Trent Snow (I met them Friday at Costco).

1 cup water
2 cups flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Mix all ingredients together, except coconut flakes, until batter is smooth. Add coconut. Ladle pancake batter onto hot oiled griddle. Turn pancakes when bubbles appear and edges are golden brown.

Tiff's Tips: I think it would be great to add 1 to 1 1/2 coconut flavoring for a little extra flavor. I found two different recipes for coconut syrup after breakfast, so I haven't tried them yet but they sound delicious.

Coconut Syrup (found on about.com)
1/3 cup good quality coconut milk
1/4 cup maple syrup

Simply combine the coconut milk and syrup, stirring well. Adjust the flavors by adding more coconut milk or more syrup depending on how syrup-y or coconut-ty you like it. ENJOY!

Coconut Syrup (found on allrecipes.com)
1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Whisk together the coconut milk and cornstarch in a saucepan until the cornstarch is dissolved. Pour in the corn syrup, sugar, and coconut; bring to a boil, stirring continually. As soon as the mixture comes to a rolling boil, remove from heat. Allow to cool completely before serving

honey butter

My cousin's husband shared this recipe with me- So my cousin in law? not sure- anyway good stuff we're talking about here.

equal parts of

honey
butter (soft)
marshmallow creme

whip it up- amazing stuff.

mormon muffin

These muffins are so delicious. Found the recipe on the Greenery Restaurant website. This restaurant has been serving these muffins for over 50 years. They are amazing with honey butter.

2 cups boiling water
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 quart buttermilk
5 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups All Bran Cereal
2 cups 40% Bran Flakes
1 cup walnuts chopped

Directions:
Add soda to boiling water and set aside. Whip shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs slowly. Mix well. Add the buttermilk, flour, salt and mix again. Add the soda water very slowly. Gently fold the cereals and the walnuts into the mix.

Spoon 1/8 cup into greased muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Muffin mix must sit in the refrigerator over night before baking. Muffin mix will last one week, covered and refrigerated. Yields 3 dozen muffins.

Chocolate Frosting

This recipe was found on allrecipes.com and then I tweaked it slightly.

4 1/8 cup powdered sugar
9 T. cocoa powder
9 T. butter, room temperature
7 1/2 T. milk (or use a flavored creamer, like me!)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa, and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth, then gradually beat in sugar mixture alternately with the milk. Blend in vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. If necessary, adjust consistency with more milk or sugar.

Tiff's Tips: Use a flavored creamer as a substitute for the milk. I used a hazelnut creamer and the frosting was so delicious! Be creative. This makes enough frosting to frost a two-layer round cake with a little bit left over.

Southwest Chipotle Burgers

This recipe comes from Our Best Bites. Very delicious, we just had them for dinner tonight! Here are their step by step instructions with photos.

Burger
1 1/2 lb ground chuck or ground sirloin (I used hamburger instead)
1-1/2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce
1 1/2 T adobo sauce (from the chipotle chili can)
1/4 C grated onion
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t cumin
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t pepper

Chipotle-lime Mayo
1/2 C Mayo
2 t lime juice
1 1/2 t adobo sauce (from the canned chipotle chilis)
2T chopped fresh cilantro

4-6 good quality buns
1 tomato
1-2 avocado
lettuce
optional: jack, cotija, or queso fresco cheese

Place mayo, adobo sauce, lime juice and cilantro in a small bowl. Now this is the hard part. Stir it all together. Do you like how I included 3 pictures for this process? Don't ask me why I did that... Cover it and set in the fridge. You can make this part up to a day ahead of time if you want to. And it's seriously so good I could dip anything in it. Fries, chips, my fingers... I actually usually double it so I can serve extra on the table.

Now place the beef in a bowl and gently crumble with your fingers. Add the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, grated onion, garlic powder, cumin, kosher salt, and pepper. Use your hands (yes, your hands!) to gently mix things together. If you go crazy and over-work ground beef it gets a yucky texture. Just mix it enough to distribute the ingredients and call it good.

Divide into 4 patties (or 6 little ones) and place on a preheated grill, indoor grill pan, or skillet.If you want to top with cheese, do so in the last few minutes of grilling. I'd use jack (not pepperjack), cotija, or even some queso fresco. While the burgers are cooking, toast buns and spread chipotle-lime sauce generously on each side of each bun.

When the burgers are done to your liking let them stand for 5 minutes off the grill/pan and then pop onto your prepared buns. Top with tomato slices, avocado slices, and a crisp piece of lettuce. If you made extra sauce, serve it on the table so people can slather it on every bite. Just wait until you sink your teeth into this baby!

Tiff's Tips: You can also make these with ground beef. Make a double batch and freeze some for later!

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

I made this recipe for our Relief Society Meeting last night - it was easy and delicious! Best of all you can make it in the crockpot. This will be great for summer cooking without heating up your house. This recipe is from the Food Nanny's cookbook. Here is a post that I wrote about the Food Nanny, if you are interested in more information and recipes.

1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
3 lb. boneless beef chuck roast

1 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T. prepared mustard
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. chili powder

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. dry thyme

Heat oil in pan and saute onions on low. Then scoop the onions out and place in crockpot. Brown roast with the remaining oil in pan.

Add remaining ingredients to crockpot and mix. Then add roast and cook on low for 8-10 hours. This is a great recipe to start after breakfast and then let it cook all day until dinner time. Before serving, shred meat.

Serve on buns. Yield 8.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

I made this for our Relief Society meeting last tonight (I got the recipe from another lady in our ward- thanks Heidi). It was very good, many ladies asked for the recipe!

10 cups spinach (one of the regular size bags of spinach)
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 cup pecans, roasted
1/4 cup red onion, sliced thin

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
2-3 T. wine vinegar
2-3 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. poppy seed

Pour dressing over spinach, strawberries, pecans and onion right before serving.

Tiff's tips: I make the dressing and then chill it in the fridge before serving.