This is a recipe from a newspaper clipping that Kelly C. gave me AFTER our 2009 Mac and Cheese contest! I haven’t made it yet, but I still might try it next year

Stovetop Mac and Cheese

This sauce appears thin at first but will thicken after it’s tossed with the pasta. To reheat, add a little whole milk to restore the creamy consistency. From October issue of Everyday Food. Serves 6.

Ingredients:

• 3 T. unsalted butter
• 1/4 C. finely chopped onion
• 1/3 C. all-purpose flour
• coarse salt
• 4 C. whole milk
• 1/8 t. cayenne pepper
• 3/4 pound small shell pasta or elbow macaroni
• 4 C. coarsely grated sharp yellow cheddar (3/4 pound)
• 1 t. Dijon-style mustard
• 1 t. Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add flour and 1/2 t. salt; cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is pale golden, has a slightly nutty aroma, and is the texture of cooked oatmeal, about 5 minutes.

Whisking constantly, pour in 2 cups milk; add 2 more cups milk and cayenne and whisk until smooth. Cook mixture, stirring constantly along bottom of pan, until boiling, 6 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and does not feel grainy when a small amount is rubbed between two fingers, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente; drain thoroughly and return to pot. Remove sauce from heat and let cool 10 minutes. Quickly whisk in cheese, mustard and Worcestershire. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and stir to coat.

This is my roommate’s family recipe which is delicious! Makes a bunch

Ingredients:

• 4 Cups granulated sugar
• 1 large can evaporated milk
• 1 cube butter
• 1 large jar marshmallow creme
• 2 giant Hershey bars (7-3/4 oz.)
• 1 package chocolate chips (12 oz.)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Cups nuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Boil sugar, evaporated milk, and butter on the stove for 6 minutes. Remove from burner.
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir until creamy.
3. Pour mixture into a greased pan and chill.
4. Cut into cubes.
5. Store in airtight container in the fridge, or wrap in plastic and freeze.

This is the recipe Starbucks passed out this year–it’s delicious at the store…I haven’t had the opportunity/motivation to try to make it yet, but hey, if I type it out here, then I don’t need to keep the index card anymore!

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 C. old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
• 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 C. dark raisins
• 1/4 C. golden raisins
• 1/4 C. dried cranberries
• 1/4 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 6 T. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 C. packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/4 C. granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
• 1 t. pure vanilla extract
• 4 T. dark raisins (topping)
• 4 T. golden raisins (topping)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Blend together oats, flour, raisins, cranberries, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg, cinnamon and vanilla; beat until combined. Gradually add oat mixture; beat until combined. Combine raisins for topping in separate bowl and set aside. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart onto two baking sheets. Place one mounded teaspoon of raisins on top of dough. Bake until cookies are golden brown but still soft, 12 to 16 minutes. Cool 6 minutes on sheets; transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tiffany makes these with tons of tweaks…and they’re phenomenal. I’m going to try to record the changes she made to the recipe in italics beside the ingredients The title below will link to the original recipe and comments though, just in case!

Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (double)
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg (double)
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves (double)
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (double)
• 1 pinch cardamom (optional) (too expensive to use!)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups pumpkin (just use one LARGE can of pumpkin. It’s a little short–but gets the job done )
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (tastes GREAT, but if you want to be healthier–use a mix of oil & applesauce…but then it’s not so moist )
• 8 ounces cream cheese (use whipped cream cheese and stir in Powdered Sugar until it’s ‘sweetened’ cream cheese , more like frosting.)
• chopped pumpkin seeds (optional) or walnuts (optional) or pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Put the entire brick of cream cheese on a piece of wax paper or parchment paper and shape it into a long log. (Tiffany says: skip this step completely. “Mix the whipped cream cheese with powdered sugar.”)

3. Put it in the freezer while you mix and fill the pans, up to an hour. (Tiffany says: skip this too. It’ll be fine not frozen.)

4. Unwrap and cut with a sharp knife so each cream cheese disk equals 1-2 teaspoons. If the cream cheese disks are too big around, cut thick slices and then cut them in half. This lets you push it down into the batter easier. (Tiffany says: Skip this too.)

5. Mix all ingredients together (except cream cheese and nuts).

6. Fill muffin tins (greased or paper cups) half full.

7. Put cream cheese disc in the middle, pressing down. (Tiffany says: use a melon baller and drop balls of the cream cheese mixture on top of each muffin. Adjust based on how…cream-cheesy you like your muffins )

8. Sprinkle with 1 tsp chopped nuts.

9. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the muffin part (do not touch the cream cheese!).

10. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to racks to cool completely. Do not touch the cream cheese until it cools.

    * You can make mini-muffins as well. Bake 12-13 minutes. Use a pastry bag, or cut the tip of a gallon bag to fill the mini-muffin tin with batter and to pipe in the cream cheese.

Jarred got this recipe out of the cookbook he won at our holiday raffle. Thanks, Tiah & Books are Fun! I was fortunate to snag the last one and it was wonderful! Jarred said he “slaved away for hours,” but I’m sure it won’t take you too long.

Ingredients:

• 1 package (18-1/4 oz.) yellow cake mix
• 1/2 C. butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 20 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1 jar (12-1/4 oz.) caramel ice cream topping
• 1/4 C. peanut butter (Reduced-fat or generic brands NOT recommended)
• 1/2 C. salted peanuts

Topping:

• 1 can (16 oz.) milk chocolate frosting (or make homemade cocoa frosting if you can get the recipe from Kelly K!)
• 1/2 C. chopped salted peanuts

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, butter and egg. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds; beat on medium for 2 minutes or until no longer crumbly. Stir in chopped peanut butter cups.
2. Press into a greased 13×9-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 F for 18-22 minutes or until lightly browned.
3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the cornstarch, caramel topping and peanut butter; stir until smooth. Cook over low heat for 25-27 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat; stir in peanuts.
4. Spread evenly over warm crust. Bake 6-7 minutes longer or until almost set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Spread with frosting; sprinkle with nuts. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting. Store in the refrigerator (or just put it in a teacher workroom, and ‘storing’ it won’t be an issue.)

Yield: About 3 Dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 package (20 oz.) vanilla- or chocolate-flavored almond bark, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 C. almonds (or pecans)
• 3/4 C. sweetened dried cranberries (Craisins! Or Cherry Craisins!)
• 2 C. crisp rice cereal

1. Place large flat stoneware into freezer for at least one hour. (Rectangle Stone, Large Bar Pan, Large Round Stone, etc.) Cover a cutting board with a large sheet of parchment paper. Place almond bark into a bowl and microwave 2-3 minutes or just until melted, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, coarsely chop nuts with a food chopper. (…Or buy chopped nuts.) Place into the small micro-cooker, microwave 2-3 minutes, stirring after each 30-second interval until golden brown (or roast nuts in a pan on the stove.) Add cranberries; stir until combined.

3. Stir cereal and half of the nut mixture into melted bark. Pour bark mixture onto parchment spreading evenly. Immediately sprinkle with remaining nut mixture (and/or sprinkles); press lightly onto surface of bark.

4. Remove baking stone from freezer; slide parchment onto baking stone. Let stand 7-10 minutes or  until bark is set (or place back into the fridge or freezer.) Bring edges of parchment up over bark and break into pieces.

Yield: 32 Servings

…I’m going to omit the nutritional values, but if you really want to know, ask Rebecca haha

Cook’s Tips: If desired, two packages (12 oz. each) premium white or chocolate-flavored confectionery coating candy wafers can be substituted for the almond bark.

Find almond bark beside the baking chocolates at your grocery store.

When melting almond bark, make sure the batter bowl and all utensils are completely dry; even one drop of water will cause almond bark to harden and clump.

Feel free to add all nuts into the mixture.

You might want to add more rice krispies to…balance out all of the chocolate. Use pretzels instead of rice krispies! (We haven’t done this…but it couldn’t hurt, right?)

Stack broken pieces of bark from largest to smallest in the shape of a tree on a cute dessert plate. To keep fresh or give as a gift, wrap it with cellophane and tie it with a beautiful bow. (To help keep the tree from toppling–reserve some melted bark, and place a drop/dollop between the layers of your tree!)

For a great, inexpensive party favor, spoon melted bark mixture into the centers of holiday cookie cutters. Let them stand until set, and then wrap them into cellophane.

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

Rated: Submitted By: AMY1028 Photo By: ZAKIAH Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Ready In: 50 Minutes Servings: 24

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