Peanut Butter Balls

Source:  addapinch.com

 

Prep time

60 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 12-ounce package chocolate chips (dark, milk, or semisweet)
• 2 teaspoons vegetable shortening or coconut oil

Instructions

1. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Mix together peanut butter, confectioner's sugar, butter, vanilla extract and salt with an electric mixer until well combined. Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop individual balls and place onto the parchment paper. Place in freezer for 15 minutes to harden.
3. Melt chocolate chips and shortening or coconut oil together in microwave for 1½ - 2 minutes at 50 % power.
4. Dip each hardened peanut butter ball into the melted chocolate using a spoon and then place back onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet to dry.
5. Store in an airtight container.

 

3.3.3070

Recipe time includes time for chilling peanut butter balls to firm before dipping in the chocolate as well as the time for the chocolate to dry.

This recipe makes a wonderful make-ahead treat that you can easily store in an airtight container in your freezer if made well in advance. To serve, simply remove from the freezer and allow to reach room temperature.

 

*I thought this need 1 1/2 times as much chocolate for dipping.  Next time I'd use 3 cups chocolate chips and 3 teaspoons shortening. 

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Source:  sweetlittlebird.com

 

 

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter (1 stick, salted)

1/2 cup milk (skim, 1%, 2% or whole)

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cocoa (I use Hershey's Natural Unsweetened Cocoa)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3 cups Quick Oats (quick-cooking oatmeal) or Old-Fashioned Oats

Directions

In a medium to large size sauce pan, heat butter, milk, sugar and cocoa over medium heat, blending well and stirring continuously.  Bring to a boil. Once boiling, allow to boil (while continuing to stir) for 1 1/2 minutes then remove from heat. Next add vanilla and peanut butter and blend well, then add oats, blend well.  Drop large spoonfuls of batter on wax paper.  Allow to cool/set for 25 to 30 minutes on counter.   Enjoy with a ol' big glass of cold milk!

Tips

Use an ice cream scoop for the batter - so simple and no mess.  I use the medium size scoop from Pampered Chef.  I take heaping size scoops and drop them on the wax paper.  

Use a timer for the 1 1/2 minute boiling time.  Under and over cooking may result in cookies that do not set.  

 

    

St. Patrick's Day Muddy Buddies

Source:  frugalmomeh.com

 

 

 

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups Rice Chex® cereal
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup green candy-coated chocolate candies
1/4 cup Lucky Charms Marshmallows
Directions:
Place cereal in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
In a small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High for one minute and then stir until melted and smooth.
Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal and stir until evenly coated.
Place half of the cereal mixture in a seal-able food storage bag  and add the powdered sugar.
Shake the bag until well coated then spread the cereal out on a baking sheet and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
Stir in green food coloring into the other half until you achieve an even bright green color.  Spread the cereal out onto another baking sheet and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
In serving bowl, mix both cereal mixtures along with the chocolate and marshmallows.
Store the muddy buddies in an airtight container.

*This makes a pretty small batch - enough for it to be an after school snack for my kids, and that's it.  Next time I would double it.
*In a medium sized bag of M&M's, I only was able to get about 1/4 cup of green M&M's.  I'd rather have fewer M&M's though, then have to open 2 bags just to get enough green ones.  2 open bags of M&M's - and I'd eat both bags!

Dublin Coddle

Source:  simplyscratch.com

An Irish, one-pot collaboration of bacon, pork sausage, potatoes and onions.

Yield: 4 to 6 depending
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

10 strips Applewood Slab Bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-3/4 pound (about 5) quality Pork Sausage
4 small Yellow Onions, sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh Parsley
3-1/2 pounds Russet Potatoes, roughly peeled
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
2 cups low-sodium Chicken Broth

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Place bacon into a 5-quart Dutch oven and heat over medium to medium-low until cooked and crispy, about 18-20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
Sear sausages for 3 to 4 minutes on both sides. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into thirds.
Remove the pot from the burner and layer, onions with a pinch of salt and parsley, bacon, sausages, more parsley, potatoes and then a few pinches of both salt and pepper and the remaining minced parsley.
Pour broth over top, cover and place back onto burner. Bring liquids to a boil before transferring pot to preheated oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Remove and ladle into bowls with a little of the broth abd serve immediately with crusty bread.

Cut 10 strips of thick, slab bacon into 1-inch pieces.

Place the bacon pieces into a large 5-quart Dutch oven and heat over medium to medium-low.

In the meantime peel 3-1/2 pounds of russet potatoes. I like to leave a little skin on so it looks rustic.

 

Slice each potato into 4 to 5 slices depending on the size of the potato. Keep them on the large side so they don’t turn to absolute mush in the oven. Place those into a bowl and move right on.

Finely mince 2 tablespoons of parsley.

And slice up 4 small-to-medium-ish or 2 good size yellow onions into rings.

And buy GOOD pork sausage. I stopped by my favorite butcher/market because they carry all different kinds of sausages and picked up their house-made rustic version. But, feel free to use your favorite!

Once the bacon is cooked and crispy……use a slotted spoon and transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. You know the drill…To give the sausage a little color, lay them down into the hot bacon fat…

Browning on both sides until deeply golden.

Remove the sausages to a cutting board…

Remove the pot off of the heat so the browned bits stuck on the bottom don’t burn.

Cut each of the sausages into thirds.

Layer in the onions, a pinch of black pepper and a sprinkle of parsley.

  

Next add in the bacon ...Sausages and another sprinkle of parsley…

Then lastly add the potatoes, a pinch (or two) of both kosher salt and black pepper and the remaining minced parsley.

 Cover with 2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth…

Cover and bring the liquids to a boil before sliding into a preheated 300 degree oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

*  I used only one onion.

* I used 6 potatoes.

* I cooked the bacon and sausage in a frying pan, then layer it all in a crockpot like the recipe calls for.  I then cook it on high for 4 hours.  

* This was 2 thumbs up from almost everyone in the family - Logan would only give this one thumb (the peel left on the potato turned him off!)  Doesn't need to be only for St. Patrick's Day!  YUM! 

  

Oreo Mint Truffle

Source:  thriftynorthwestmom.com

 

 

Top with whipped cream mixture. If you happen to not like mint you can opt out of the mint ingredients and use vanilla instead.

 



 

Ingredients:

1 package of Oreo Mint Cookies or Girl Scouts Thin Mints

1 small package JELL-O Chocolate Pudding

2 cup cold Milk

2 cup Heavy Cream

¼ cup Powdered Sugar

1 tsp Mint Extract or 1-2 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil (optional in case you don’t like mint – you could also substitute with vanilla)

Green Food Coloring

Directions:

Make pudding according to package directions. Place in refrigerator.
Place in refrigerator.

Whip heavy cream until it begins to peak. Add powdered sugar and continue to whip.  Add mint and 6-10 drops food coloring and continue to whip until peaks form.Place in refrigerator.

Chop approximately ¾ of the Oreos and scatter into bottom of container. Top with about 1/4 cup chocolate pudding, then add another small amount of Oreo topping.

Top with whipped cream mixture. If you happen to not like mint you can opt out of the mint ingredients and use vanilla instead.

 

Breakfast Burritos

I've started making and freezing breakfast burritos.  Tyler loves them, and eats them every morning. Derek doesn't really like them - not because of the burrito itself, but because reheating them he gets burning hot eggs, and cold potatoes.  Doesn't seem to be a deterrent for Tyler!  Here's my amounts:

22 eggs
1 cup milk
Whisk together, and scramble

1 bag of cubed hash browns
Cooked

1 pound of bacon, or ham, or sausage
Cooked and crumbled

22 Tortillas

Makes 22 burritos

After cooking eggs, hash browns, and meat, combine it all in a bowl, then you don't have to portion it out correctly. Roll up tortilla, and then roll the burrito up in tin foil.  Store in freezer.  When ready to eat, take it out of tin foil, roll it in a paper towel, and microwave it for 2 minutes.

* I just tried shredded potatoes, instead of cubed.  I'm hoping those heat up better.