Mmmmmm.... Pie.

Over 3 years ago I said that I would share a recipe for the greatest pie EVER and never did! I am not a big pie fan but this one is delicious. It tastes like cookie dough/chocolate chip cookie. Mmmm. The first time I had it, I was in LOVE. I asked my friend for the recipe and he was kind enough to share it. I have made it 3 times since then (3 times in 3 years... there is something serwiously wrong with that) but for some reason it doesn't taste AS amazing as it did the first time. Maybe he is like the lady on my mission that would leave out an ingredient whenever she shared a recipe with someone so that theirs would never work out and hers would always be the best. Funny. But mean.

So anyways- it is really yummy. And I will just have to keep making it until it is as delightful as the original.

*Note: okay... so I did some research looking up other pictures and recipes online and it is indeed supposed to be gooey in the middle (like I remember). I am not sure why mine always turns out more like a cookie. I will do some experimenting and get back to you. But in the meantime- give this a try. It is still mighty tasty.




Kentucky Derby Pie


1 pie shell
2 eggs- beaten
1/2 cup butter- melted & cooled
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup pecans- chopped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix eggs & cooled butter.
Add sugar & flour, then vanilla , nuts and chocolate chips.

Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes.
(watch the crust & cover with foil if getting too dark)




I made little tart size for our family's monthly birthday celebration. What says Happy Birthday more than a sparkler in a tart?
Not much.
Not much.

IFHRTCB Bars

I saw this recipe on the cooking blog- Sweet Sista' and knew right away that I HAD to make them.

She called them Pink Slip Bars because she made them for co-workers after finding out they were all being laid off.

I made these 2 months ago. But if I made them today I could name them:

I Just Got a REAL Job Bars.

Or I Forgot How Rude Teenagers Can Be Bars.

Or I Filled Up With Gas Before the Price Went Up Bars.

I the last one hasn't happened yet but hopefully it will tomorrow and then I may just have to celebrate with these bars.

They are perfect for any "celebration" in your life!

1 cup butter- softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla & mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt & soda & stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (I used a 10x 15, but maybe 13 x 18 would be better).

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter- softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

4 cups powdered sugar

5 tablespoons milk

food coloring (if desired)

Frosting: Combine butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined. Then add milk and food coloring mix until smooth and spreading consistency. I like to beat frosting for at least 5 minutes so it's light and fluffy.

I was told by a friend that this is the most amazing frosting she has ever had. She couldn't eat the bars but asked for a container of frosting instead!!

They are so delicious.

This is what the pan looked like the next morning. Pretty sure the rest were devoured shortly after this picture was taken.

I apologize for the large clump of words. I have tried several times to put spaces throughout but they disappear when I post. Can anybody help me?

I am in love...

with a cookie.

We had an opportunity to fall in love years ago. But I couldn't see past it's cakey texture and not so delicious taste (made from a different recipe).

But then yesterday, we had a couple very ripe bananas that were screaming to be baked into something delicious. So I went to my favorite website and typed in Bananas.

Amongst a ton of recipes was Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies. With 7 practically perfect ratings, I thought I would give our relationship one more shot. (fyi- it is only available on the Kraft Canada site. Hmmmmm... interesting).

It was love at first bite. And when it says crunchy peanut butter- it means crunchy peanut butter. The little chunks of peanut add a delightful contrast to the moist texture.


So next time you buy bananas grab an extra big bunch. Then you will just HAVE to bake some Peanut Butter Banana cookies with the ones you just couldn't eat before they got too ripe.

Peanut Butter & Banana Cookies
(Kraft)

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar-firmly packed
3/4 cup each: KRAFT Crunchy Peanut Butter
3/4 cup mashed bananas
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup wholewheat flour
2 teaspoon baking powder

Beat butter, sugar and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in bananas
Combine flours and baking powder. Add to banana mixture, mixing well. Drop by tablespoon onto lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake at 35o◦ 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack


**Don't have too high expectations though. Just like going to a movie... (hopefully I am not the only one this happens to) when you expect something truly amazing you are prone to disapointment. So just expect something mildly tasty and you may end up being pleasantly surprised!!

So delicious.

Do you love these cookies as much as I do?

They are so soft and delicious.

If so- wipe the drool off your keyboard and

join the Lofthouse Cookie Club HERE.

I joined 2 months ago. And since then I have received 2 coupons each for a $1 off AND a complimentary tote bag!!

And for my birthday I received a coupon for a free package of cookies. Growing old has never tasted so good.

Join today and enjoy a package of my favorites: Sugar Cookies.

Or these: Soft and Chewy White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut cookies. I had no idea they made these. But, oh my, they are tasty.



And I just found out they have an outlet in Ogden, Utah. ummm.... pretty sure I will be making a stop there on my next journey south on I-15. Anyone want to meet me there?

Cookies for Breakfast??!!

yup. That is right. Cookies for Breakfast.

I was babysitting my niece & nephews the other night... and while they were sleeping I perused the Disney Magic Kitchen Cookbook they got from the library.

Of course the

Don't Forget Breakfast Cookies caught my eye.

1/2 cup butter-softened

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour (I didn't have WHITE whole wheat flour... so I used 1 1/4 cups of whole wheat and 1/2 cup white flour).

3 cups multigrain cereal flakes with blueberries (I couldn't find just blueberries, but I did find this. And it worked perfectly!)

Beat butter for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and baking soda.

Beat until mixed. Add eggs. Add flour and beat until mixed.

Stir in cereal.

Place 1/4 cup of dough on greased cookie sheet. (Or a fabulous Silpat!)

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Let sit on pan for 1 minute.

Remove and cool on cooling rack.

Makes 12 cookies (I only got 9??)

Delicious AND Nutritious AND so easy. Well I don't know how nutritous. But they have cereal in them, so they have to be healthy. Right?

Candy Corn Cookies -attempt #2

I decided to give these Candy Corn cookies another try. Last time I made them I did a brown row instead of orange (which actually looks more pink than orange).

Can't decide which ones I like better.

This is what is leftover after giving some to my visiting teachees and companion. And having a few family members snack on them.

They are fun to make but I can't seem to get them to look like Betty Crocker's. She is the master though!

Guess I will have to try again next year. Or maybe tomorrow. :)

I'm in Love!

Yup! I have finally found the love of my life. I have wanted one forever. Everyone I know has one. Thursday was the magical day. And I have my sister Kim to thank for it! She (and her fam) were visiting me. We went to Kohl's last Saturday. We shopped. She bought. Then that night she dreamed and thought about everything she should have bought. So we went back- to a different Kohl's on Thursday- the day before she flew home. As she searched and shopped and scavenged through the children's clothes I checked out all the clearance sections. And there waiting for me was my long awaited love...

(sorry- it's a little tipsy!) There it is!! It was only $120.00. Regularly $349.99! I was so tempted to buy 2! I am not in love with the color. But yet it is kind of fun! Now it needs a name. I think it needs to be a her though... because of the color. So maybe I will have a contest.

I was so excited to use it. But the first time had to be for something special. And delicious. I chose these:

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

1 8 oz. cream cheese, room temp

1 stick of butter, room temp

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 (18 oz) Chocolate Cake mix

Powdered Sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Beat in egg. Then beat in vanilla. Beat in cake mix. Cover and chill in refrigerator for a couple of hours, 'til firm.

Roll batter into tablespoon sized balls. (the dough is still sticky- if you wet hands it will stick less). Roll in powdered sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. Cookies will be soft.

Cool completely. Can dust with more powdered sugar.

So good. Make them now. I think I need to go eat a few... dozen!

Halloween Cookies

I found a recipe for the coolest candycorn cookies (click here for recipe) - so I made them. Yummy! And they are pretty easy.









I actually doubled the recipe so they are twice the size they should be! Next time I think I will do less orange. But so fun. Also, each pan I cooked a little shorter time, but they still ended up VERY crunchy. Yet still tasty! I took them to FHE and they were a big hit.