Peanut Butter Blondies

 1/2 c. butter, melted

1 c. light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 c. chocolate or peanut butter chips plus additional to scatter over top

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8x8 in. baking dish with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and light brown sugar. Mix thoroughly. Add in the egg and vanilla

3. Mix in the peanut butter and make sure all of the wet ingredients are thoroughly mixed. 

4. Add in the salt, flour and baking powder

5. Fold in 1 c. chocolate or peanut butter chips. Sprinkle additional chips over top.

6. Spread mixture evenly into baking dish.

7. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Sugar Cut-Out Cookies

2 c. butter (softened but still cold - leave at room temp. about an hour)

2 c. granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 Tblsp. vanilla

4 tsp. baking powder

6 c. all purpose flour

1. Add the 4 sticks (2 cups) of butter and 2 cups of sugar to your mixer.

2. Cream the butter & sugar until it is completely mixed (3 minutes on medium high)

3. Add vanilla and eggs.

4. Mix the dough until light & fluffy (~ 3 minutes)

5. Add baking powder & mix.

6. Mix in the 6 cups of flour two cups at a time. Don't overmix the dough - only until flour is incorporated.

7. After you add the flour the dough should be firm but not dry or crumbly. If it seems too dry, add a tiny bit of vanilla or milk and mix again.

8. Roll a handful of the dough out on a prepared surface until about 3/8" thick.

9. Cut out shapes with cookie cutter.

10. Bake in pre-heated 350F oven for 6-10 minutes depending on the size of the cookie. DO NOT OVERBAKE. They might not look done - They should be set and just beginning to slightly brown around the edges. Let them cool before icing.

 Spanish Bar Cake

2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 Tblsp. cocoa

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. allspice

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 c. applesauce (no sugar added; chunky style)

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. raisins, soaked in warm water or apple juice to soften and plump

Icing of your choice - I use a cream cheese frosting.

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a 9x13 in. baking pan with cooking spray (or butter and flour). Plump the raisins in the warm water or apple juice.

In a large bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together. Add oil, applesauce, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Drain and add in the raisins and stir to combine.

Pour batter into prepared pan, knocking a few times on a counter to release air bubbles. Bake 30-35 minutes or until cake tests done with a tester or wooden pick. Let cake cool completely before frosting.

 Blueberry Muffins

1/2 c. butter

1 1/4 c. white sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1. tsp. vanilla

2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 pint fresh blueberries, rinsed, drained and patted dry

2 Tblsp. turbinado sugar

1. Preheat over to 375F. Spray the top of a muffin pan with non-stick coating and line with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix together 1 3/4 c. of the flour and baking powder. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Crush 1/4 of the blueberries and stir into the batter. Mix the rest of the whole berries with the remaining 1/4 c. of the flour, and fold into the batter. Scoop into the muffing cups. Sprinkle tops lightly with turbinado sugar.

3. Bake in preheated over for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and tops spring back when lightly tapped. Test with a cake tester or wooden pick to ensure they are done.

English Muffins

 For the starter:

3/4 c. bread flour

1/2 c. water

1/2 tsp. active dry or instant yeast (I use regular active dry)

For the dough:

1 c. whole milk

1 tsp. active dry yeast

2 Tblsp. sugar

2 Tblsp. butter (melted)

1 tsp. salt

3 to 3 1/4 c. bread flour

Cornmeal for dusting

Butter for the skillet

1. Make the starter: Mix the flour, water and yeast for the starter in a small mixing bowl. (I use a 2qt. glass measuring cup so I can see the rise.) Beat until the batter is smooth and glossy.

2. Let the starter sit from 1 to 12 hours (the longer the better). Cover the starter and place it out of the way (I put mine on top of the refrigerator). The starter will become increasingly bubbly the longer it sits and will double in bulk.

3. Whisk together the milk, yeast, and starter: in the bowl of a stand mixer of large mixing bowl, combine the milk and yeast for the dough. (I usually heat the milk to about 100 F.) Scrape the starter into the bowl and use a whisk to break it up and dissolve it into the milk. It should become frothy.

4. Mix the dough together: Add the sugar, butter, and salt to the bowl and whisk to combine. Add 3 cups of the flour and stir with a stiff spatula until you have a shaggy, floury dough.

5. Knead the dough. With a dough hook on a stand mixer, knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth ball (5-8 minutes). Or, knead by hand. If the dough is very sticky, add extra flour, but err on the side of caution - only use as much as needed. The dough is ready when it forms into a smooth ball and springs back when poked; it will be slightly tacky but shouldn't stick to the bowl or to your hands.

6. Let the dough rise overnight in the fridge. Transfer the dough to a large bowl lightly filmed with oil. Cover and place in the fridge overnight or for up to 3 days.

7. Divide and shape the muffins. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Use a pastry scraper to divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece gently to shape into smooth, round balls.

8. Transfer the muffins to a baking sheet to rise: Scatter cornmeal generously over a baking sheet and arrange the balls on top, spaced a bit apart. If you are using muffin rings (which I do not) place them around the balls at this point. Sprinkle the tops of the balls with more cornmeal.

9. Let the muffins rise until puffy: This will take 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (I usually put mine in an over that has been preheated to 175F then turned off and allowed to cool a bit.)

10. Warm a skillet: When ready to cook the muffins, warm a large skillet over medium heat. Melt a small pat of butter - just enough to prevent sticking.

11. Cook the muffins 5 to 6 minutes on the side: Working in batches, transfer a few of the muffins to the skillet; allow an inch or so of space between muffins and do not crowd the pan. If using rings, transfer to muffins with their rings to the pan. Cook until the bottoms of the muffins are golden brown, 5 to 6 minuetes.

12. Flip and cook 5 to 6 minutes on the other side. Adjust heat as needed if the muffins are browning too quickly or not quickly enough. To ensure that the inside is properly baked I use a thermometer, cooking until they are 190F.