Mostly Mel's Oreo Cookies

 

NGREDIENTS

Cookies:

• 1 ½ cups (340 g) salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 ½ cups (318 g) lightly packed light brown sugar
• ¾ cup (159 g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large (100 g) eggs
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 (495 g) cups finely crushed Oreo cookies (about 43 cookies, see note)
• 3 ½ cups (497 g) all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup (65 g) natural unsweetened or Dutch-process cocoa powder

Frosting:

• ¼ cup (113 g) salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pkg (4.2oz) Oreo pudding mix
• 2-4 cups (456 g) powdered sugar (to your taste preference)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or cream
•  mini Oreo cookie, for topping 

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two or more half sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a handheld electric mixer), cream together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well-combined and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. 
• Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla, and mix until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. 
• Add the 4 1/2 cups Oreo crumbs (save the rest of the crumbs for topping the frosted cookies), (I used way more than 41 cookies for the 4 and a half cups... not sure why) flour, and cocoa powder and mix until no dry streaks remain. 
• Measure out 1/4 cup portions of dough and roll into balls. Place several inches apart on prepared baking sheets (because these are larger cookies, I only place six cookies on each half sheet pan). 
• Bake for 12 to 14 minutes (11 for my oven) until edges are set but middles are still slightly soft. Remove from the oven and let sit on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely. If the centers are mounded, gently press with a spatula or flat-bottomed class to an even thickness.
• For the frosting, with an electric mixer (stand or handheld) cream together the butter and cream cheese until very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Gradually add the pudding, then powdered sugar, mixing on low speed, until all the sugar has been incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 2 to 3 minutes until very light and creamy, adding milk or cream as needed to thin out the frosting. It should be thick and creamy but also soft and easily spreadable.
• Once the cookies have cooled completely, frost each cookie with an offset spatula or frost with a piping bag fitted with a round open tip and spiral the frosting in rounds over the top of the cookie. Top each cookie with a. mini Oreo. Refrigerate frosted cookies until serving.

Shepherd's Pie- Todd's Favorite

 

Ingredients

2 lbs Ground Beef

1 small Onion (diced)

1 C Ketchup 

2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup

1/4 C BBQ sauce

1-2 TBsp Mustard

Thinly sliced carrots

Mixed Vegetables (I use frozen) 

Mashed Potatoes to cover the top

Shredded cheese

Method

Prepare mashed potatoes. Set aside. (I make them in the instant pot, quick and easy) 

Brown ground beef with diced onion, drain. Add ketchup, soup, bbq sauce, mustard, carrots, and veggies. Spread ground beef mixture along the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, then ‘ice’ with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes, then take foil off and bake for another 15-20 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden. If you can, let it ‘set’ for 5 minutes. 

Todd's Dill Pickle Salad

Ingredients 

1 box rotini pasta- cooked, drained, and cooled

5 dill pickles

1 ½ cups cheddar, cubed

1-2 tbsp fresh dill

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

1 tbsp dried dill

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp dried parsley

2 tbsp dill pickle juice

Method

Cook one box pasta. While pasta is cooking, cut pickles and cheese. When pasta is done rinse with cold water and drain. Combine mayo, sour cream, dill juice, and spices. Then add to pasta and mix. Add dill pickle chunks and mix carefully. Put in fridge and chill. Put cheese chunks in just before serving! This has become a family favorite. 

Joanna's Banana Bread/Cake

 

Ingredients

Nonstick baking spray, for the pan

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted and cooled, plus softened butter for serving

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 to 5 very ripe bananas, mashed (I just throw them in, and let the machine mash them)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans or chocolate chips (optional)

1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar as needed (to spread on top... this step makes it EXTRA!)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 8-inch pan with nonstick baking spray or line it with parchment paper.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer), beat together the butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well blended. Add the bananas and mix until combined.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined. Add the pecans or chocolate chips (if using) and mix until combined.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the granulated sugar over the top. I like to cover the whole surface completely with sugar; use as much as you’d like.
5. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let the bread cool slightly in the pan on a rack. Slice and serve warm with butter.
6. When completely cooled, cover the pan with foil and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Kason's Fry Sauce

 This stuff is BOMB! Kason makes it for us all the time, but we need a recipe when he is out hanging with friends or at sports, so I made him put this together, ha ha! 

1/2 cup mayo 

1/4 cup ketchup 

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder 

squeeze of lemon 

couple shakes of pepper and shake of salt

Black Licorice Caramels

This recipe is directly from Mel's Kitchen, I am putting it here, just in case she takes her's down, these are amazing! We gave them out to friends for Christmas

 

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup water
• 2 cups (424 g) sugar
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup (340 g) light corn syrup
• ¾ cup (170 g) salted butter
• 2 teaspoons anise extract (see note)
• ½ teaspoon black food coloring paste, optional; see note
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Butter an 8X8- or 9X9-inch pan and set aside.
• In a heavy-bottomed at least 4-quart saucepan, combine the water, sugar, condensed milk, corn syrup, and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant rubber spatula. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, ensuring that the tip of the thermometer isn’t touching the bottom of the pan and is inserted at least 1-2 inches into the liquid (or according to your thermometer’s directions).
• Continue stirring gently while the mixture boils and cooks, until the caramels reach 242-244 degrees F. If the caramels seem to be scorching on the bottom of the pan, moderate the heat to a lower temperature. You can also test the caramels using a spoon and dropping a pea-sized amount of the hot caramel into cold water. If the cooled piece of caramel is firm but not hard, the caramel is properly cooked.
• Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the anise extract, food coloring, vanilla extract and salt. Pour the caramels into the prepared pan and allow to cool completely to room temperature, at least 2 hours.
• When cool, remove the sheet of caramels from the pan. Cut the caramels into pieces using a large knife or bench scraper. Wrap each caramel square in a bit of wax paper, twisting the ends to secure.

  NOTES

  Anise Extract: ok, let’s talk. Anise extract is the classic licorice flavor. It is available in well-stocked grocery stores or online; I bought mine on Amazon (The Star Kay White brand which looks like is currently unavailable) and would encourage you to get pure anise extract not imitation (if there even is such a thing). 

  Anise Oil: I have seen anise oil here and there and I know nothing about it so if you go that route do some research into the potency of the oil. Too much and you’ll be hating life and licorice caramels. 

  Extract Amount: I played around with amounts of anise through test batches of these caramels and 2 teaspoons is perfect for my taste but feel free to add more or less depending on how you like the flavor. 

  Food Coloring: also, the black food coloring is optional. Of course it gives the caramels a look to match their flavor but it doesn’t add to the flavor, if that makes sense, so if you are opposed to artificial coloring, you can leave it out but by all means, if you are using it, use the paste/gel and not the liquid.