Chocolate Fudge Butterfinger Cookies

I got this recipe from Picky Palate at http://picky-palate.com. This is the third cookie recipe that I have made from this site and so far her cookie recipes have been wonderful. This cookie is rich and very chocolaty. The only change I would make is that I would add more crushed Butterfingers. I didn't have king size candy bars so I used 14 snack size. I think I would up that to at least 16 which would be two of the 8 count packages of the snack size. Also, this recipe uses a lot of cocoa. I really thought it was a typo and decided to try it anyways, it was not a typo. You really do use 1 1/4 cups of cocoa.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 3/4 cup flour

1 1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda ( I left this out, I almost never put baking soda in my cookies)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 king size Butterfinger bars, crushed

1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy( I just mixed until combined really well). Slowly add eggs and vanilla until well combined. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients(the batter will be thick) then stir in crushed Butterfingers and chocolate chips. Using a medium scoop, drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes, should still be soft in the center. Allow cookie to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pioneer Woman's Perfect Potatoes au Gratin

This is a recipe that I got off of Pioneer Woman's website at http://thepioneerwoman.com/. She has a wonderful recipe collection and many have become favorites around here. I probably should get around to posting those recipes, it's just a matter of finding the pictures on the computer. I liked these and they were good but I still prefer my mom's recipe for scalloped potatoes. I think this recipe is more scalloped potatoes that are topped with some cheese then an au Gratin recipe. In my house growing up, au Gratin potatoes had way more cheese and was mixed in with the potatoes not just sprinkled on top. This is a very good recipe if you are looking for a change from regular scalloped potatoes or something new to try.

Ingredients:

4 whole russet potatoes, scrubbed clean

2 tablespoons butter, softened( I used vegetable oil as I used my Pampered Chef stoneware baking dish)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk(I used 2% because that's what I always have on hand)

2 tablespoons flour

4 cloves of garlic, finely minced ( I used dried minced garlic)

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Smear softened butter all over bottom of baking dish. Slice potatoes, then cut slices into fourths. In a separate bowl, whisk together cream, milk, flour, minced garlic, salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper. Place 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour 1/3 of the cream mixture over the potatoes. Repeat this two more times, ending with cream mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown and really bubbling. Add grated cheese to the top of the potatoes and bake for 3-5 more minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving by the spoonful.

Baker's Dozen Yeast Rolls

This recipe is in the January/February 2010 edition of Simple and Delicious Magazine. I have subscribed to this magazine for years. They are a sister magazine to Taste of Home and they have wonderful recipes. This edition is full of many recipes that I will be trying. These rolls were very good and very easy to make. I used my kitchen aid stand mixer to do all the mixing and kneading. The only thing I would do different next time is bake them for a little bit longer. They were done but seemed to be doughy in texture still. The topping that goes on them is wonderful. My kids gobbled these down and loved the topping even though the ingredients didn't seem like they would go together well, they do. This recipe uses quick rise yeast which is incorporated with dry ingredients unlike regular yeast which is dissolved into the wet ingredients. I prefer quick rise yeast over regular yeast.

Ingredients:

2 - 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 pkg. (1/4 oz.) quick-rise yeast

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup warm water (120 degrees to 130 degrees)

2 tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons butter, melted, divided

3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 teaspoons honey

1/8 teaspoon garlic salt

In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add water and 2 tablespoons melted butter; beat on medium speed for 3 minutes or until smooth. Stir in cheese and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes(I did this in my kitchen aid stand mixer). Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide into 13 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place in a greased 9 inch round baking pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 375 for 11-14 minutes ( next time I make these I will bake for 20 minutes) or until lightly browned. Combine the honey, garlic salt, and remaining butter; brush over rolls. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Texas Sheet Cake

This is one of my most favorite recipes. This cake is so easy to make and it tastes great. The best part about it is that it is quick to make and you don't have to wait for the cake to cool down before you frost it. Usually this cake is made in an 11x15 pan but I've made in a 9x13 pan and just baked it a little longer and it turned out great.

Ingredients for cake:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp salt

2 sticks butter

1 cup water

3 tablespoons cocoa

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

In a bowl mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Set aside. In a saucepan, add butter, water, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add this mixture to the flour mixture. In another bowl mix together the eggs, buttermilk and baking soda. Then add to the flour mixture. Pour into a greased 11x15 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Ingredients for frosting:

1 stick butter

3 tablespoons cocoa

6 tablespoons milk ( I use buttermilk)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 box confectioners sugar

In a saucepan (I use the same pan that I heated the water, butter, and cocoa in for the cake), melt butter, cocoa, and milk. As soon as butter is melted, remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and powdered sugar. Pour frosting over hot cake, do not let cake cool.

Alfredo Sauce

This is my brother's recipe for alfredo sauce. You can add cooked chicken or shrimp. I usually cut up boneless skinless chicken breasts into bite size pieces and saute until done. Then I remove them from the pan and keep warm. In the same pan, I make this sauce and add the cooked chicken or shrimp in at the end. I don't measure my spices, I just sprinkle them in. I go very lightly on the red pepper flakes as I don't want this too spicy.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups milk (I use 2% milk)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon mince garlic ( this an estimate, I usually just sprinkle in dried minced garlic, so if you use fresh garlic you may want to reduce this to 1/2 tablespoon)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 6 oz bag shredded parmesan cheese (not the powder stuff in the green can)

Basil

Italian seasoning

Parsley ( I use dried)

Red pepper flakes

Salt

black pepper

Melt butter in saucepan with garlic and cook for about a minute. Add in flour and mix for a light blonde roux cooking for about 2 minutes. Slowly add milk in, whisking to prevent lumps. Add sprinkling of salt and then add cream. Sprinkle in basil, italian seasoning, parsley, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Stir to combine. And cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Wisk in half the bag of parmesan cheese ( I don't measure this either, I just grab one or two handfuls and toss it in.) Stir until cheese is melted. Add cooked chicken or shrimp. Serve over pasta of your choice.