Mint Brownies

These are my favorite brownies! They also freeze well, so you don't have to eat the whole pan all at once!

Brownies:
1 ½ cup sugar
¾ cup butter (don’t use margarine), softened
6 eggs, beaten
24 oz. bottle of Hershey’s Syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cup flour
¾ tsp. salt

Mix sugar and butter together, then add everything else and mix well. Spread in sprayed jelly roll pan and bake at 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes. Cool completely.

Mint Frosting:
3 cups powdered sugar
¾ cup butter (don’t use margarine)
3 T. water
1 ¼ tsp. mint extract (not peppermint)
6 drops of red or green food coloring

Mix together and spread on cooled brownies. Put brownies in the fridge for at least an hour (till the frosting doesn’t shine anymore), then put on the top chocolate layer. Keep brownies in fridge until about 30 minutes before you serve them. Cut after 30 minutes, so the top layer doesn’t crack. They test best if you make them a day in advance.

Top Chocolate Layer:
12 oz. bag semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cube butter
Melt together in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds.

**Recipe from Grandma S.

Pumpkin Squares

Here you go Sis, they are yummy!

16 oz. can pumpkin

2 cups sugar

1 cup veg. oil

4 eggs, slightly beaten

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

Beat pumpkin, sugar and oil together. Add egg, mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; add to pumpkin mixture and beat until well blended. Pour into greased 15 x 10 x 1 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes. Cool.

Frosting:

5 oz. cream cheese (softened)
5 T. butter or margarine (softened)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cup or more powdered sugar
3-4 tsp. milk

Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually add sugar and mix well. Add milk until desired consistency. Frost and sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.

New York Style Cheesecake (The best cheesecake ever!)

2- 8 oz. cream cheese (softened to room temp)

3/4 Cup sugar

1 Tablespoon flour

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

3 egg whites (beaten)

Graham cracker crust

Blend first four ingredients, then blend in sour cream. Add each beaten egg white, one at a time. Pour into crust and bake at 325 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until the center doesn't wiggle anymore. Cool for five minutes and refrigerate for 3 hours before serving. Top with your favorite topping and enjoy!

Oven French Toast

Paulette made this for Katelyn's blessing brunch and it was so delicious. I think it may become a new Christmas morning tradition in our house!

1 loaf French bread cubed
6 large eggs
1 ½ cups milk
1 ½ cups half & half
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
6 Tbsp. Butter, softened
1 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
2 Tbsp. Dark Corn syrup
1 Cup Coarsely chopped Pecans

1. Cut bread into cubes and fill heavily buttered 9X13 pan.
2. In a bowl or blender combine eggs, milk, half & half, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour mixture over bread slices. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup and mix well. Stir in pecans. Spread evenly over b read.
4. Bake at 350* for 40 minutes until puffy and golden. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Top with maple syrup if desired.

*** I made 1 ½ times the topping at the same time and just put it on top of the bread and milk mixture the next morning. That way I didn’t have to make anything the morning I served it.

Recipe from Paulette

Eggnog Cookies

I haven't tried these yet, (emphasis on yet), but they sound so yummy and Christmasy...I love eggnog! It reminds me of my grandma. She always served eggnog for Christmas lunch.

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large egg yolks

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients together. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until it resembles a grainy paste. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add the flour mixture and beat at low speed until blended. Do not over mix. Drop by teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Sprinkle lightly with additional nutmeg. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown. Transfer from pans immediately to cool.

After School Snacks

*Warning!* This is a non-chocolate recipe...do not read if you can't handle it.

So I've been looking for delicious, healthy, after-school snacks for the kiddos, and here's a handy Martha Stewart idea -

Pita Nachos

Serves 2

• 1 regular size (6 inch) whole wheat pita, split in half horizontally and cut into quarters
• 1/3 cup mild salsa, plus more for serving (optional)
• 2 ounces shredded cheese (1/2 cup), such as cheddar or Monterey Jack

Directions

1. Heat broiler, with rack set in top third of oven. Arrange pita pieces in a single layer, cut side up, on a baking sheet; dividing evenly, top each first with salsa, then cheese.
2. Broil until cheese has melted and edges of pita are crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve with extra salsa, if desired.

Barefoot in the kitchen...

Okay, sis, here is our new recipe blog! Are you ready? Post away....