Soft & Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 pkg. (2-layer size) devil’s food cake mix

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375ºF.
2. Beat cream cheese, peanut butter and eggs in large bowl with mixer on low speed 1 min. Add dry cake mix; beat on medium speed 1 min. or until mixture pulls away from side of bowl and forms soft dough. (See Tip.)
3. Shape into 44 (1-inch) balls. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. Flatten each ball, in criss-cross pattern, with tines of fork dipped in sugar.
4. Bake 7 to 8 min. or just until edges of cookies are set. (Do not overbake.) Cool on baking sheet 2 min. Remove to wire rack; cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

Ingredients:

BROWNIE LAYER:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

COOKIE DOUGH:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature or almost melted
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk or cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup miniature chocolate chips
additional miniature chocolate chips, if desired (to garnish the top)

Directions:

Prepare the brownie layer:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×9-inch pan with nonstick spray, then line with a strip of parchment paper so that it covers the bottom and comes up two sides of the pan. Spray the parchment with nonstick spray too.
In a microwave safe bowl (or in the top of a double boiler or pan set on top of a pan of simmering water), microwave in 30 second bursts to melt butter and chocolate chips together until all is melted and smooth. Whisk in the sugars, then whisk in the eggs, vanilla and salt. Sift flour into the bowl and stir that in too. Scrape the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the brownie layer is cooked through (toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean). Place the pan of brownies in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process (or cool at room temperature and add the cookie dough layer later).

Prepare the cookie dough layer:
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, sugars and salt until soft and creamy (1 to 2 minutes). Mix in the milk and vanilla. Sprinkle in the flour and mix in until combined. Stir in the 1 cup of chocolate chips. Scoop the cookie dough onto the top of the brownies and spread onto the brownie layer. I find that it’s easiest to do this if the brownie layer is chilled and firm. Wet your hands or spray them with nonstick spray and pat the cookie dough on top in a even layer. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top to create a nicer, visual appearance. For easy, clean cutting, chill the brownies (wrap the brownies with plastic wrap and chill until firm- 1 to 2 hours or up to 2 days).

Cut the brownies:
Run a knife along the sides of the brownie pan and then use the parchment paper to lift the brownies from the pan and onto a cutting board. Slice the brownies with a sharp knife, wiping the knife with a paper towel between cuts. If you’d like all of your slices of brownies to look clean-cut without edges, use the knife to cut the sides of the brownies off before cutting pieces. Keep brownies slices covered and chilled until ready to serve.

Original Recipe

Angie’s Party Slush

Lisa Stueber – Lincoln recipe

Ingredients

3 small pkg. Jello (wild strawberry or cherry)
4 c. sugar
2 46oz. containers of pineapple juice
15 oz. Real Lemon

Directions

1. Boil 9 cups of water and mix in Jello.
2. Mix 4 cups of water with the sugar to make a sugar water mixture.
3. Combine the Jello and water mixture and bring to a boil.
4. Then set aside to cool.
5. Then add pineapple juice and Real Lemon.
6. Pour into containers to freeze (2 ice cream buckets or 1 BIG Tupperware bowl). Freeze for at least 36 hours.

To serve: mix slush with Sprite or champagne

Soft Pretzels

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, about 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt

Directions
Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low-speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for about 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, about 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Kettle Corn

Lisa Stueber

1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels

1/3 cup white sugar (heaping 1/3 cup, we like it sweet)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Place oil and 3 popcorn kernels in large pot. Over medium-high heat, heat the oil. When the 3 kernels have popped, add the sugar and remaining popcorn kernels. Constantly shake the pot to make sure that the popcorn kernels, oil, and sugar do not burn. Once the popping has slowed, remove the pot from heat. Enjoy!

Guacamole

Lisa Stueber

4 cloves fresh garlic minced

2 diced tomatillos

½ cup diced green chiles

8 sprigs fresh cilantro chopped

3-4 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 ½ cups diced red onion

2 cups diced Roma tomatoes

6-8 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled

salt to taste

Combine the first 7 ingredients. Mash the peeled and pitted avocados and mix them with the other ingredients. Add salt and more cilantro if desired.

Makes about 4 cups.

Hot Wings

Lisa Stueber

10 lbs. chicken wings

24 oz. Louisiana Hot Sauce

3 sticks Butter

Chili powder

Lawry’s seasoned salt

Cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

Place wings in several pans in a single layer. (I usually start with 2 9X13 pans and an 11X15 then combine them into the larger one after the wings cook down.)

Season wings with a mixture of cayenne pepper, chili powder, and Lawry’s seasoned salt. The amount of each seasoning depends on how hot ya’ll like ‘em!

Brown the chicken wings (about 45 min. on each side).

Melt butter. Mix in Louisiana hot sauce. Pour evenly over wings and cover with foil. Finish baking at 325 for 2-3 hours.

Aunt Jodee’s Chex Mix

Jodee Peters (Lisa’s Sister-in-Law)

2 boxes Chex Cereal

3 cups pretzels

3 cups nuts

1 1/2 cup melted margarine

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp + 3/4 tsp Lawry’s

250 oven. One hour. Stir every 15 minutes.