Reese's Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cupcakes

Lisha Whitehead

I don't have the recipe for the cupcakes, but I do have the icing recipe. These were so yummy. She stuck half a mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in the center of the cupcake and then drizzled them with caramel and topped them with crumbled Reese's cups.

Thanks, Lisha! These were so yummy!!

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon milk

Best Cookies in the World

Amy - savvyshopperdeals.com
(Amy's sister, Lisa’s, recipe!)

1 french vanilla cake mix
1/2 cup butter softened to room temp. - not melted
2 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips

Mix cake mix, butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips. If batter is too sticky (because your butter was too soft) add 1/4 c. flour if needed for consistency. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown.

“If any leftovers make it past the initial baking, save in an airtight container as they do tend to dry out quicker than other cookies”, says Lisa.

NOTE: I could not find a french vanilla cake mix so I used a plain white cake mix. I added extra flour and cooked them for 13 minutes. Any less time and they were too gooey.

I don't think I would say these are the best cookies in the world, but they do in a pinch. They are super easy and pretty tasty!

Orange Jell-O Cream Salad

Nancy Evans
(Mom's MTC friend)

1 small box sugar free orange jell-0
1 small box sugar free instant vanilla pudding
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 small tub cottage cheese
1 small tub cool whip
1 small can crushed pineapple

Mix all ingredients to blend well. Chill. Serve.

Vinaigrettes

Cook with Tom
featured on Good Things Utah

Maple Bacon Vinaigrette
3 oz Bacon
1 shallot, minced
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup bacon drippings
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

Pan fry bacon until crispy, remove bacon from pan and pour drippings into a heat safe measuring cup. Reserve enough bacon drippings in the pan to cook shallots. Add shallots to the pan previously used to cook the bacon and cook over medium heat until translucent.

In a food processor or blender, combine shallots, vinegar, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Turn the food processor/blender on high speed and blend till ingredients are incorporated. Combine olive oil and bacon drippings (be careful, drippings will still be hot). SLOWLY drizzle oil/drippings mixture into your food processor. It should take 90-120 seconds to add the entire amount.

While food processor/blender is still running, add 2/3 of the cooked bacon, save the rest for garnishing your salad. Stop food processor/blender and salt to taste.

Garlic & Herb Vinaigrette
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (or 1 Tsp dry)
1 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 Tsp dry)
1/4 – 1/2 cup peanut oil

Combine lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, oregano and rosemary in a food processor, run the processor until the spices are chopped into relatively small pieces.

SLOWLY drizzle in the oil while the food processor is running. Start with teeny tiny amounts at first, and then continue to drizzle until all is added -it should take 1 to 2 minutes to add the oil if you’re adding it slow enough.

Cocoa Nib Vinaigrette
1 shallot, finely minced
1 cup of balsamic vinegar, reduced to 1/4 cup
2 Tablespoons Cocoa Nibs
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/4 cup rosemary/garlic infused olive oil (see recipe below)
Salt to Taste

Add shallot to a lightly oiled hot fry pan and cook till tender. Add cooked shallot, balsamic vinegar reduction, cocoa nibs, and honey to a food processor. While food processor is running, slowly drizzle olive oil into the processor. Add salt to taste.

Rosemary/Garlic infused Olive Oil for Cocoa Nib Vinaigrette
3/4 cup olive oil
6″ stalk of fresh rosemary, cut into 1″ segments
3 cloves of peeled garlic

Add all ingredients to an oven safe vessel, narrow enough to submerge garlic and olive oil. Place in a 200 degree F oven for approximately one hour. (I use a tall/narrow measuring cup).Remove from oven, leave rosemary and garlic in oil, cover and use the next day.

Raspberry Lime Vinaigrette
1 cup whole raspberries
1/4 cup raspberry infused vinegar
1 Teaspoon honey
1/4 cup sugar
Juice from one lime
1/4 cup neutral flavored oil (like grape seed or canola oil)
Salt to taste

Combine raspberries, vinegar, honey, sugar and lime juice in a blender/food processor. Mix until raspberries are pureed, and all ingredients are incorporated. Slowly drizzle in oil while the blender/food processor is running. Add salt.

Kneaders 4th of July Flag Cupcakes

Featured on Good Things Utah
Prepared by Chef Tami Vincent

White Cake From Scratch
1 ½ unsalted butter, room temp
4 cups sifted cake flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 cups sour cream
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1-Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2-Dust bottoms and sides of cake pans with flour, set aside.
3-Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt, set bowl aside.
4-With electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
5-Gradually add sugar. Beat for 3 minutes.
6-Drizzle in egg yolks. Beat until mixture is fluffy, another 3 minutes.
7-Alternate adding flour and sour cream into batter.
8-Beat in vanilla, batter is stiff not runny.
9-Divide batter between 20 cupcakes, bake for 20-30 min. Test with toothpick for doneness.
10-Let cool.

Mexican Vanilla Buttercream
12 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 pound powdered sugar
½ teaspoon Mexican Vanilla

1-Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium.
2-Add sugar, ½ cup at a time, beating after each addition, about 5 minutes. After every 2 additions, increase speed to high, and beat for 10 seconds, then reduce speed to medium high.
3-Add vanilla, and beat until buttercream is smooth.

Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)

Topping cupcakes
1-Spread frosting on cupcakes.
2-Top 4 cupcakes with blueberries, 8 with raspberries, and 8 with coconut.
3-Arrange on platter to resemble American flag.

Spinach Strawberry Salad Dressing

Brandy Sanders
Lakeview 1st Ward

2 Tablespoons Sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon Poppy seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white or red vinegar
14 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1 cup cashews (or nut of choice)
1/3 cup sugar
garlic wonton strips

Add to spinach salad with green onion and sliced strawberries. Fry cashews with sugar. After tossing, add wonton pieces.