Frosted Banana Bread Cookies

Ingredients

• ¾ cup shortening
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 ripe bananas
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• Frosting:
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp evaporated milk
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 cups powder sugar

Instructions

1. Cream together shortening and sugar. Add remaining ingredients and mix together.
2. Cookie scoop them onto cookie sheets.
3. Bake at 350 for 11-12 minutes.
4. Let cool for 3-5 minutes and then frost
5. Frosting:
6. Bring to boil sugar, evaporated milk and butter. Slowly add powder sugar until consistency you like (I usually do about 1½ cups)

White Chocolate Blondies

INGREDIENTS

1 C butter
1/2 C white chocolate, chopped
4 eggs, beaten
2 C sugar
1 1/2 C flour
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

FROSTING

1/2 C butter
1/3 C white chocolate, chopped
3 C powdered sugar
2 Tbsp whipping cream (or more to right consistency)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla



INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For the brownie part melt your white chocolate and butter either in the microwave or a double boiler.
White Chocolate burns easily so be sure and watch it. Melt it in small increments of time. Whisk in eggs and then add in sugar.
Add flour and vanilla.
Put into a greased 9 x 13 pan.
Bake for 30 minutes. Cool and then frost.

FROSTING:
Melt butter and white chocolate in microwave or double boiler.
Remove from heat and add powdered sugar, whipping cream and vanilla.
Frost brownies.

Crockpot Sausage and Cheese Tortellini

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb. Italian Sausage 
• 20 oz. Frozen Three-Cheese Tortellini 
• 32 oz. Chicken Broth
• 2 Cans Diced Tomatoes – The kind that are seasoned with basil, garlic & oregano. If you don’t have the seasoned ones, you’ll need to add in your own seasonings.
• 8 oz. Cream Cheese 
• Grated Parmesan Cheese for topping!

1. Take your cream cheese out of the fridge, and let it sit while you quickly brown your meat.

2. Add the sausage and tortellini to your Crock Pot. Pour the tomatoes, liquid and all, and broth over the top. Add your cream cheese to the Pot in chunks.

3. Give your Crock Pot a good stir to get everything evenly distributed, making sure the liquids are adequately covering the tortellini.

4. Cook on LOW for a total of 3 1/2 – 4 hours. Stir at 1 1/2 hours, and again at 3 hours, removing the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking. This will give the sauce some time to thicken up. You can leave the lid off longer if you need more thickening time, but stir every so often.

Black Bean Brownies

These brownies are not only super healthy, but they taste amazing!!!

Black Bean Brownies

(gluten-free)

1 1/2 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well)

2 tbsp cocoa powder- dutch or regular

1/2 cup quick oats

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup pure maple syrup or agave

2 nunaturals stevia packs or 2 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup to 2/3 cup chocolate chips (Not optional. Omit at your own risk.)

optional: more chips, for presentation

Black Bean Brownies Recipe: Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Really blend well. (A blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture—and even the taste—will be much better in a food processor.) Stir in the chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Optional: sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top. Cook the black bean brownies 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. Makes 9-12 brownies.

Marshmallow Fondant (tastes good)

I found this recipe online when I did my friends wedding cake. It's easy, easy to use, and it tastes good. For more tips the website is here

Ingredients:

16 ounces white mini-marshmallows (use a good quality brand)
2 to 5 tablespoons water
2 pounds icing sugar (please use C&H Cane Powdered Sugar for the best results)
1/2 cup Crisco shortening (you will be digging into it so place in a very easily accessed bowl)

 

Directions:

NOTE: Please be careful, this first stage can get hot.

Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave or double boiler. To microwave, place the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, open microwave and stir, back in microwave for 30 seconds more, open microwave and stir again, and continue doing this until melted. It usually takes about 2 1/2 minutes total.

Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix.

Now grease your hands GENEROUSLY (palms, backs, and in between fingers), then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle. (By the way, this recipe is also good for your hands. When I am done, they are baby soft.)

Start kneading like you would bread dough. You will immediately see why you have greased your hands. Keep kneading, this stuff is sticky at this stage! Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more. Re-grease your hands and counter when the fondant starts sticking.

If the mix is tearing easily, it is to dry, so add water (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time and then knead it in). It usually takes me about 8 minutes to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing when you apply it to the cake. It is best if you can let it sit, double wrapped, overnight (but you can use it right away if there are no tiny bits of dry powdered sugar). If you do see them, you will need to knead and maybe add a few more drops of water.

Prepare the fondant icing for storing by coating it with a good layer of Crisco shortening, wrap in a plastic-type wrap product and then put it in a re-sealable or Ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible. MM Fondant icing will hold very well in the refrigerator for weeks. If I know that I have a cake to decorate, I usually make two (2) batches on a free night during the week so it is ready when I need it. Take advantage of the fact that this fondant icing can be prepared well in advance.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the board ( if you can get White Lily flour, your biscuits will be even better)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking powder ( use one without aluminum)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold
• 1 cup buttermilk ( approx)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.
3. Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal.
4. If using a food processor, just pulse a few times until this consistency is achieved.
5. Add the buttermilk and mix JUST until combined.
6. If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.
7. Turn the dough out onto a floured board.
8. Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it's about 1/2" thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick.
9. Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.
10. You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not be anywhere near as good as the first ones.
11. Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.
12. If you like"crusty" sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.