PEANUT BRITTLE RECIPE

I got this peanut brittle recipe off Martha Stewart show many years ago. I made some for my mom, who loves peanut brittle, and gave some to friends. Everyone loved this recipe!

Ingredients:
large stock pot with heavy/tight lid
candy thermometer
large mixing spoon with long, metal handle and bowl
2 large cookie sheets already sprayed with a cooking spray like PAM
3 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
4.5 cups roasted, salted peanuts (or any other nut)
4 TBSP unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking soda

Let's cook!

1. Into pot, place sugar, corn syrup and water. Stir until well mixed.
2. Put lid onto pot, keeping in the condensation, and put on high heat
3. Occasionally swirl the pot to mix the contents, not taking off the lid
4. Heat for about 5 minutes - until it comes to a boil
5. Place candy thermometer on side of pot, with bottom of sensor at bottom of pot.
6. When it comes up to 230F (about 2 minutes), add in the peanuts. Stir them in using metal spoon.
7. Keep stirring until mixture reaches 300F (about 20 minutes). Yes, your arm will get tired!
8. Once mixture reaches 300F, remove from heat
9. Stir in butter, vanilla and baking soda. Mixture will then foam up
10. Pour onto pans and spread as thin as possible. The thinner, the better.
11. Wait about 1 hour before cracking brittle into pieces

Advice - fill your cooking pot with water and let it sit overnight to dissolve the mixture off the sides of the pot.

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Cake Ingredients:
1.5 sugar
1 stick slightly softened butter

2 eggs, room temperature
2 1/3 cups flour
2 TBSP cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1.5 TBSP red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp distilled white vinegar

Frosting Ingredients:
1 stick softened butter
8 oz softened cream cheese
2 to 3 cups powdered sugar (to your taste)
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix butter and sugar in an electric mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time until each is fully blended in. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In a third, bowl whisk together the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring.
Now add a fourth of the dry ingredients into the buttermilk mixture

Next, add a third of the wet to the buttermilk mixture.

Slowly add some of the dry and then some of the wet ingredients into the buttermilk mixture, blending completely after each addition

Scoop into cupcake papers, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full.

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool for one minute in the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Now make the frosting-

Cream the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes.

Add vanilla extract and mix.
Add powdered sugar gradually, continually tasting to get to desired sweetness.

Spread onto cooled cupcakes.

Cheery Cherry Valentine's Day Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup finely chopped dried cherries
2.5 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup very cold butter
12 oz white baking/candy making chocolate, chopped
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-3 drops red food coloring
2 tsp shortening
Optional - red/pink sprinkles or red/pink sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 F.
In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar.
Cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Stir in chopped cherries and 2/3 cup of the chopped white chocolate.
Stir in vanilla and food coloring (you choose how pink or red).
Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.
Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls.
Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet
Flatten balls to 1.5 inches wide
Sprinkle tops with some regular sugar and gently press it into the dough
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes
Once done, cool for a few minutes then transfer to waxed paper.
In a small saucepan, combine remaining white chocolate and shortening.
While constantly stirring, heat over low heat until melted and consistency of syrup.
Dip a spoon into the melted chocolate and let some drizzle off the spoon onto the middle of each cookie, covering most of the top surface.
Sprinkle tops with colored sprinkles or sugar while chocolate is still wet.

HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Ingredients-

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1.25 cups flour

Directions-

In a large bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter on high for 30 seconds.
Add sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder.
Mix, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
Beat in the egg and vanilla.
Gradually add the flour, mixing by hand each addition thoroughly
Cover and chill dough about 1 hour.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls and set 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Flatten the balls with fork to make criss cross pattern on the cookies.
Bake in a 375 degree oven about 8 minutes or until bottoms are very light brown. Bake shorter for chewy cookies, longer for harder cookies.
Option - sprinkle a little extra sugar on tops as soon as you pull them out of the oven
Cool cookies on waxed paper.

SWEET BENNE COOKIES - KWANZAA

INGREDIENTS-

1.25 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1 beaten egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup toasted sesame seeds (benne) for good luck

INSTRUCTIONS-

Preheat oven to 325°.
Lightly oil a cookie sheet.
Mix brown sugar and butter until creamy.
Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.
Add flour, baking powder, salt, and sesame seeds.
Drop rounded teaspoons onto the cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
Bake for 15 mintues or until edges are lightly browned.