Molasses Crinkles

I have to put this recipe on here, because I've been digging it out of my recipe folder forever and we've made 5 batches in the last 2 days and it's getting pretty trashed...adn I can't find it online....honestly, the best holiday cookies EVER....I've had a FEW people tell me that....and the dough is so yummy too!  and the way your house smells when you make them....and they look lovely...and they are just freaking appealing to ALL the senses...make them!

(be sure to double, or even triple this...you won't regret it)

1/2C unsalted butter
1 C brown sugar (we always cut sugar by 1/4 in recipes, so 3/4 C will do)
2T vegetable oil (of coarse, we use coconut)
1/3 C molasses
1 egg

Ok, mix all of that together til it's light and fluffy, then slowly add the following....
1/2 t ground cloves
1t cinnamon
1 1/4 t ground ginger
1/2 t salt
2t baking soda
2C all purpose flour

Scrap the edges and mix it up well.

The dough is kinda sticky, so I just scoop it out with the rubber spatula and splat it down onto some plastic wrap, wrap it up and stick it in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight....or if you forget that this step is part of the recipe like I do every time, you can put it in the freezer for an hour and that'll be fine.

Get the dough out, and you have to be quick with it because it gets so sticky as it warms back to room temperature, but roll it into little balls (whatever size you want works) then roll the ball in regular sugar and bake them at 375 for 9minutes.  When you get them out, leave them on the cookie sheet for a few minutes...the middles are soft and the outsides have a slight crispness.  You'll think they aren't done, but after they cool all the way, they are FREAKING FANTASTIC!




you're welcome.

My favorite junk in the whole world!

I LOVE this stuff. Love it!  It's easy to make and so so so so good.  And you only need a little square at a time and you're good.  not that I ever do just one, but I think the normal average, non melt away addict could go for just one at a time.

MELT-A-WAYS

3/4 cp butter
3 T cocoa
1 T oil
1/4 cp sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg beaten
3 cps graham cracker crumb, not the crappy premade crumbs
1 tsp milk
2 cps powdered sugar
6 oz milk chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Crush graham cracker crumbs
2. Melt 1/2 cp butter in large sauce pan with cocoa and oil. 
3. Blend sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, egg and graham cracker crumbs into butter chocolate mixture.
4. Mix thoroughly, cool a little and press into a 9x9 pan. Put it in the freezer, while making the middle layer.
5.Cream 1/4 cp butter, 1 tsp milk, powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla, mix.
6. Spread over base mixture and put in the freezer to harden.
7. Melt chocolate chips and drizzle all over the middle layer, immediately cutting into small bite-size peices (I recommend a pizza cutter and a knife). If this is not done quickly the meltaways will look like a huge mess. Refrigerate or freeze until hard. Enjoy!

My favorite!!!!!!

THESE ARE DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We only used Mayonaise, not Miracle Whip, and it was still super amazing!

24 good white dinner rolls

24 pieces good honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup miracle whip

Poppy seed sauce (you probably could half this...I had plenty extra)
1 T poppyseeds
1 1/2 T yellow mustard
1 stick butter, melted
1 T minced onion
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes. Serve warm.

** sandwiches can be assembled a day ahead and kept in the fridge ready to bake.

A pregnant woman's dream (and a non pregnant dill lovers)

This dill dip is soooo soo good and soo easy!  I always have fresh dill on hand during my first trimesters because my cravings are intense and usually include dill, tomatoes or taco bell.  So I tried this recipe and HAVE to share

1 cup sour cream 1 cup mayonnaise 1-1/2 tablespoons minced onion 1 teaspoon seasoned salt 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely 4-1/2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped finely

In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, onion, seasoned salt, parsley, and dill. Mix well. Chill at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to mingle.

it's good enough to just eat offf the spoon, but I know the non preg would think that's weird, so get yerself some carrots, cucumbers and bell peppers and go to town! Ok, or chips!!!

Sugarless berry cobbler and ice cream...

Ok, my friend Lanae has inspired me to try and make my desserts w/o white sugar.  It's not too hard. I had no idea.  But thanks to County Living magazine, I didn't have to try and figure out the sweetness on my own.  They have a recipe w/o sugar.  Here it is:

1 pint blackberries
1/2 pint raspberries
1/2 pint strawberries sliced
(or instead of the above berries, we just threw in about 2C of the Sam's club frozen berry mixture...which we go through like crazy!)
1/4C honey
3/4 C flour (whole wheat or white)
1/2 C oats
1/2 C agave
1 stick of butter

Preheat oven to 375.
In a large bowl mix berries.  Drizzle with honey.  Sprinkle with 4 T flour and toss.  Put it in an 8x8 baking dish.
Then mix the remaining flour, oats, agave and butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until mixture forms large, kinda sticky, lumps.  Sprinkle that over the berries.  Bake until golden brown....about 40-45 min.  Top with delicious coconut milk ice cream (again, no sugar)....or top with that awesome whipped coconut milk cream posted below...both are great, and my kids had no idea it was a dairy free, sugar free recipe!

Pineapple Cheesecake Bars

While Kristal sits at home trying to make sugar-free, dairy-free, free free free meals.. I made these KILLER cheesecake bars last night for dessert!
They are more than amazing & as my dear friend Angela says with her amazing BRITISH accent... "Very More-ish".. You'll really want MORE. We ate them until we all felt sick & sugared out.. Then we finished everything off with a little bit of fresh watermelon ;)
Absoultely to DIE for!



Crust:
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar and butter. Mix until crumbs. Press into large cookie sheet (12x17x1) and poke holes in the crust with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. While the crust is baking, prepare the coconut topping and cream cheese filling.

Coconut Topping:
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
3 cups sweetened coconut, grated
In a small bowl, mix together melted butter and coconut. Set aside.
Cream Cheese Filling:
16 ounces cream cheese
2 eggs
4 Tablespoons sugar
4 Tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple

Combine cream cheese, eggs, sugar, milk, almond extract and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat with electric mixer until smooth. Add crushed pineapple and mix. Pour cream cheese filling over baked crust. Sprinkle coconut topping over cream cheese filling. Bake at 350 degrees 18-20 minutes or until coconut has browned and middle is set. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

AMAZING!

Ok, last night we had a completely sugar free and artifical sweetner free dessert that was AMAZING...I'll post it next, but we had a second helping of it with an amazing whipped cream on it....MUST TRY!  Here's the recipe...oh and we added about 1t of agave to it to sweeten it and distract from the coconut taste for our Jaden:

http://nuttykitchen.com/2010/06/01/coconut-whipped-cream/