LEVAIN BAKERY

Fun post to read about cookies:
http://www.modernhoney.com/levain-bakery-dark-chocolate-peanut-butter-chip-cookies/

LEVAIN BAKERY DARK CHOCOLATE COOKIES
I enjoyed reading the post about these cookies.  Abagail is on a real kick about making cookies all by herself.  These were a little hard for her to do by herself so I helped a little.  They are seriously so yummy!  The dough is really good too.  It will be a long time until we make them again because they are so yummy!  I couldn't stay out of them.  We didn't have quite enough peanut butter chips so used some semi sweet chips.

A copycat recipe of everyone's favorite Levain Bakery Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookie. It will knock your socks off!

Author: Melissa Stadler, Modern Honey

Recipe type: Cookies

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Cold Butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• ½ cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• ½ cup Dark Baking Cocoa
• 1 cup Cake Flour, sifted 
• 1½ cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
• ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• 1⅓ cup Peanut Butter Chips

1. Preheat oven to 410 degrees.
2. In large bowl, cream together cold butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
3. Add cocoa, cake flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt and stir until combined. Stir in peanut butter chips (or can substitute chocolate chips).
4. Chill dough for 10 minutes.
5. Separate dough into large balls and place on lightly colored cookie sheet. Lightly press on top of dough to smooth out. They are bigger than you think! You will fit 4 cookies on one large cookie sheet. The dough makes 8 extra large cookies.
6. Bake for 8-11 minutes or until golden brown on the top. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes to set.

LEVAIN BAKERY CHOCOLATE CHIP CRUSH COOKIES

http://www.modernhoney.com/levain-bakery-chocolate-chip-crush-cookies/

Yum!  We made 12 big cookies.  We didn't add the walnut, but I really wanted to because I think it would make them even better.

• 1 cup Cold Butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• ½ cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1½ cups Cake Flour*
• 1½ cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
• ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
• ¾ teaspoon Salt
• 2 cups Chocolate Chips
• 2 cups Walnuts, roughly chopped
• *can substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour

1. Preheat oven to 410 degrees.
2. In large mixing bowl, cream together cold cubed butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 4 minutes or until creamy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
4. Stir in flours, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
5. Separate dough into large balls and place on lightly colored cookie sheet. They are bigger than you think! You will fit 4 cookies on one large cookie sheet. The dough makes 8 extra large cookies.
6. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until golden brown on the top. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes to set.

DATE BARS

Date Bars
This is the recipe from Candace. She use to bring them to Pacific Yurts.  They are super yummy!
 
Filling:
 
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cups chopped dates
1 1/2 cups sour cream (I use plain yogurt)
1 tsp maple extract (I use vanilla)
3 egg yolks
 
Base & Topping:
 
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups quick oats
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
 
Heat oven to 350.  Grease a 9 x 13 pan.  In med. saucepan  combine all filling ingredients.  Cook over med. heat until thickened slightly, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and beat with a hand mixer for a few minutes to break up the dates a bit more.  It doesn't have to be completely smooth.  Set aside.
 
Mix all base & topping ingredients.  Reserve 1 1/2 cups for topping.  Press remaining oat mixture evenly in bottom of greased pan.  Add filling and spread evenly over base.  Then sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups over the top.  
 
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until top is a light golden brown.

WHITE CHILI

CREAMY WHITE CHILI
This is in the Lemon Cookbook pg 43.  It is one of our favorites. So good.  We have this every year at the yurts.  So good with cranberry bread, corn bread or pumpkin biscuits.  Double or triples really easy.

1# boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove garlic
1 T vegetable oil
2 cans (15 1/2 oz each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained, or Pinto & Piquettes
1 can (14 1/2 oz) chicken broth
2 cans (4 oz) chopped green chilies (my family likes 1 can)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
18 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream (not light)
1/2 c whipping cream (1/2 works too)
---
cheddar cheese for on top of each serving
bacon crumbles, optional (Scott really likes this)

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink.  Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and cream.  Serve immediately.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of individual servings.  Yield: 7 servings 

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI
This won the chili cook off in our ward October 2016.  Got the recipe from The Hickens.  Was super yummy!

1/2 - 1 yellow onion
2 - 4 cloves garlic
2 chicken breast or thighs
30 oz great northern beans
15 oz diced tomatoes with green chilies (just did regular without green chilies)
4 oz green chilies
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
8 oz cream cheese
1 T oregano leaves
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
chopped cilantro
shredded cheese
corn tortilla chips

Layer onion, garlic, chicken, beans, tomatoes, green chilies, chicken stock, cream cheese and spices in crock pot.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  Top with cilantro, shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

AMISH CINNAMON BREAD

AMISH CINNAMON BREAD (OR MENNONITE LADY)
Saw this on facebook.  Had to try it.  I love cinnamon!  It is so good.  Not good for you...holy cow tons of sugar.  I halved the recipe and made muffins.  Makes 12.  Baked for 25 minutes.  Very easy to make.  Had egg room temp as well as margarine.  Recipe calls for butter but used margarine because it softens faster.  I used the bosch beaters for the whole recipe.

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs - room temp
2 cups buttermilk
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda

cinnamon/sugar mixture:
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Cream together butter, sugar and eggs.  Add milk, flour and baking soda.

Put half the batter in greased loaf pans (1/4 of batter in each pan).

Sprinkle some of cinnamon sugar mixture over batter.

Top with last of batter.  Then rest of cinnamon sugar.

Use a knife to swirl.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or 20-25 minutes for muffins.

Let cool 20 minutes before removing from pan.

PUMPKIN SPICE MOLASSES COOKIES

PUMPKIN SPICE MOLASSES COOKIES
This recipe was on the back of Pumpkin Spice pumpkin flavored morsels with cinnamon and spices.  We really liked this recipe.  Kept them in the fridge.  Would be good frozen.  Found the chocolate chips in the stores around November.

2 1/3 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1 1/3 sugar, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/4 cup molasses
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 2/3 cups (10 oz pkg) Nestle Pumpkin Spice Morsels

Preheat oven to 350.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or baking sheet.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger in medium bowl.  Beat 1 cup sugar and butter until creamy.  Add pumpkin, molasses, egg and vanilla; mix until combined.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in morsels.  Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.

Shape tablespoons of dough into 1 1/2" balls and roll in remaining 1/3 cup sugar until coated.  Place 2" apart on prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 11-13 minutes or until cookies look cracked and edges are set.  Cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes; remove to wire rack to cook completely.

SNACK MIXES 4

REINDEER CHOW
We really liked this.  Couldn't find the sugar cookie pop-tarts.  Used brown sugar pop tarts.  Kids had fun helping me make.  We broke pretzel sticks in half.

Santa’s helpers will enjoy this sweet-and-salty snack mix featuring Pop-Tarts® Sugar Cookie toaster pastries, Kellogg's® Crispix® cereal, pretzels, cashews, candy, peanuts and white chocolate.

https://www.kelloggsfamilyrewards.com/en_US/recipes/reindeer-chow-recipe.html?version=VERSION23_K23&PID=25867138&utm_source=newsletter102416&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_term=hero_30daysofcheer_day23_1217_get_recipe_button_section&utm_campaign=30DAYSOFCHEER_TRIGGER

4 cups Kellogg's® Crispix® cereal Buy Now
2 cups thin pretzel sticks
4 Pop-Tarts® Frosted Sugar Cookie toaster pastries Limited Edition Buy Now
2 cups dry roasted cashews or dry roasted peanuts
1 package (12.6 oz.) candy-coated chocolate pieces
1 package (12 oz.) white chocolate morsels
1 tablespoon shortening
Directions:

1. In large bowl combine KELLOGGS CRISPIX cereal, pretzels, KELLOGGS POP-TARTS Frosted Sugar Cookie toaster pastry pieces, cashews and candy-coated chocolate pieces. Set aside.

2. In small saucepan combine white chocolate morsels and shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Drizzle over cereal mixture. Toss until coated. Spread on large piece of foil. Let stand at room temperature about 15 minutes or until chocolate is set.

3. Break cereal mixture into pieces, if necessary. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOW CREME

MARSHMALLOW CREME
I was so in the mood for french silk pie and I had everything else but the marshmallow creme.  The heavy whip that I had I had already whipped a couple of days before.  I should have re-whipped it before adding to mixture but didn't.  So the pie didn't turn out like it usually does but I think it was from the heavy whip and not this creme.  The pie still tasted amazing!

1 egg white, room temp
3/4 c corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c powdered sugar
2 1/4 tsp vanilla

Beat egg white, corn syrup and salt on high for 7 minutes.  Mixture should have stiff peaks.  It will double in size.  While beating on low add sugar and vanilla.

SHAKES

MONKEY LOVER'S SHAKE

I don't normally like bananas in my shakes/smoothies, but this didn't have a strong banana taste. It was really good. The kids loved it! We did use the yellow food coloring. It was fun having it be so yellow in color.

1 1/4 cup milk

2 medium ripe bananas, sliced 1/4" thick and frozen

2 cups vanilla ice cream

1/3 cup orange juice concentrate

2-3 T sugar (I used about 1/2 this)

2-3 drops yellow food coloring, optional (we probably added more - the kids were putting it in)

In a blender, combine all ingredients. Cover and blend until smooth. Yield: 4 servings

FHE SHAKE
Not sure the name of this.  The kids didn't really like it (maybe cause they weren't feeling well?) but Scott and I did.  Could use less banana next time but to get same consistency maybe some frozen ice cream or yogurt.

2 frozen bananas, sliced (slice before freezing)
1 1/2 T cocoa
1 cup milk
1 T maple syrup or sugar
1 big T creamy peanut butter

PEANUT BUTTER JUMBOS

PEANUT BUTTER JUMBOS
This recipe was found in taste of home 2009 quick cooking pg. 77.  Everyone really liked them. The butter was a little too soft so they were kinda flat.  Should of stuck them in the fridge before cooking.  Forgot it called for mini chocolate chips and only had some miniature m&m's so used regular size.  I liked that they didn't have flour in them.  Makes lots we 1/2 the recipe (used two eggs).

1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup M&M's miniature 

In a large bowl, cream peanut butter, butter and sugars.  Add eggs one a time mixing well between each one.  Beat in vanilla.  Combine oats and baking soda.  Gradually add to creamed mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips and M&M's.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets (we put on baking mat - maybe that is why they spread too).  Bake at 350 for 12-14 min.