THIRSTDAY: THE HOLIDAY MARGARITA

You'll need...

·  180ml tequila
·  90ml Cointreau
·  90ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
·  4 cups ice

Combine half the tequila,

half the Cointreau,

half the lemon juice and

half the ice in a food processor.

Pulse on and off until ice is crushed.

Fill bottles with margarita mix

Enjoy this delicious, simple margarita on your long weekend! Party hard before work creeps up again on Monday!

THIRSTDAY: TEQUILA SANGRIA

    Ingredients

2 to 3 pineapple slices

2 to 3 orange slices

2 to 3 blackberries

2 to 3 lime wedges

2 ounce or ¼ cup tequila

1 ounce or 2 tablespoons elderflower-flavored liqueur

1 ounce or 2 tablespoons simple syrup

In desired drinking glass, add the pineapples, oranges, blackberries, and lime wedges. Cook’s Note: If you don’t like the fruits suggested here feel free to use whichever fruits you desire.

Next add the tequila, elderflower-flavored liqueur, simple syrup, pineapple juice, and orange juice. Add ice to glass and stir to mix ingredients. Top glass with red wine and enjoy.

RECIPE VIA: Cooking Chanel Tv

WEEKEND RECIPE: CHOC NARNAS

What you'll need:

2 medium-large sized bananas
1/3 – 1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 – 1/3 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
optional toppings (ie: chopped nuts, coconut flakes)
parchment or wax paper

Cut up bananas into good sized chunks, each banana should give you about 6-8 pieces. Gently melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently (the chocolate will burn and get yucky if you are not paying attention!). Here’s the fun and potentially messy part: dip the bananas into the chocolate-peanut butter mixture and then place on the wax paper. I found using a fork to be the easiest way to do this and to tap off any extra chocolate. Feel free to drizzle extra melted chocolate-peanut butter over your bananas for more goodness! Sprinkle any toppings you wish to add and then place bananas in the freezer. They’ll be ready to eat once they harden (in about a hour) but they taste even better if you can wait overnight.  Enjoy!

Source: Trans Planted

RECIPE: Glazed Blueberry Donut Muffins

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg (optional)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp milk
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

METHOD

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg for 30 seconds, set aside. In a large mixing bowl using and electric hand mixer set on medium speed, cream together butter and sugar until well blended, about 30 seconds. Stir in eggs one at a time mixing until combined after each addition and adding in vanilla with second egg. In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream and lemon juice. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to butter mixture and fold mixture just until combined, then fold in 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture mixing just until blended then repeat process ending with flour mixture. Genly fold in blueberries. Divide mixture among 12 paper lined muffin cups filling each cup full with a slightly heaping 1/3 cup per muffin cup. Bake in preheated oven 15 - 18 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean (or with a moist crumb or two). Cool muffins on wire cooling rack until just warm, about 10 - 15 minutes.
In a small mixing bowl whisk together powdered sugar, milk and lemon juice until well blended. Dip tops of muffins in glaze and allow excess to run off, then return to cooling rack. Allow to rest at room temperature until glaze has set. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

RECIPE: No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake

Crust
30 Oreo cookies
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Filling
1 cup whole milk, divided
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 oz white chocolate, finely chopped
4 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 Oreo cookies, roughly chopped

To make the crust: Add the Oreos to the bowl of your food processor and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped. Cut the butter into several pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse until the cookies are finely ground and the butter has been incorporated (the mixture should resemble wet sand). Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press into an even layer on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Chill in your refrigerator until set for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.

To make the filling: Add 3/4 cup of the milk to a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. In the meantime, in a heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, flour, and remaining 1/4 cup milk. When the milk is hot, slowly add it to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour back into the saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is very thick and glossy, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the white chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl then press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface (this will prevent a skin from forming) and refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. 

To assemble the cheesecake: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the pudding, and mix on low speed just until combined. Add 1/4 of the filling to the crust, then sprinkle with about 1/3 of the chopped Oreos. Repeat two more times with filling and Oreos, then top with the remaining filling. Chill the cheesecake in your refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or until set. Remove the sides of the pan and slice to serve. 

The cheesecake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

RECIPE: Strawberry Brownie Sundae

INGREDIENTS
Brownies:
8 ounces nut butter (cashew or almond)
½ cup maple syrup, Grade A
1 egg
2 Tablespoon melted butter, or coconut oil for dairy free
¼ Teaspoon baking soda
6 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 Teaspoon vanilla
Fudge Sauce:
3 Tablespoons maple syrup, Grade A
1 Tablespoon water
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 batch of Coconut Ice Cream
3-4 cups sliced strawberries

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 325F. Mix together all the ingredients for the brownies and pour the batter into a 9″ pie pan. Bake for 20 minutes until done, but still fudgy in the middle. Set aside to cool.
Stir together the ingredients for the fudge sauce and place in a serving container, (I used a squeeze bottle).
Make the ice cream and use immediately for a soft sundae or freeze for a few hours for a firmer ice cream.
Slice the strawberries and place them in a serving bowl.
For the sundaes, serve the ice cream, brownies, and strawberries together in a bowl and drizzle with the fudge sauce.

RECIPE: Triple Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:

6 oz. vanilla greek yogurt (about 3/5 cup)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk (see how I make mine here using 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar + 1/2 cup skim milk)
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. mint extract
1/2 cup boiling water

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine greek yogurt, sugars, and the egg. Beat until combined (you can use your stand mixer for this, although whisking it by hand works just as well).

2. Add salt, flour, and cocoa to mixture and mix well.

3. Add baking soda to buttermilk (I make my own – see above) and stir until it foams (the vinegar in my homemade buttermilk is what helps it foam – if you use store-bought buttermilk it won’t achieve the same foamy effect, but don’t worry!)

4. Add buttermilk mixture a bit at a time to the cake mixture, mixing as you go to incorporate all of the liquid.

5. Whisk in vanilla and mint extracts.

6. Whisk in boiling water a little bit at a time so you don’t splash/burn yourself.

7. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full and bake at 350 for 15-19 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.


For the Mint Chocolate Ganache:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup milk (I used skim)
1 dash mint extract (about 1/8 tsp should do it!)

1.  Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking occasionally so it doesn’t burn, until it comes to a simmer.

2. Place chocolate chips in a large, heat-resistant bowl (glass or ceramic are good choices). Remove milk from heat and pour it over chocolate, then stir gently until chocolate has melted and you’ve formed a smooth ganache.

3. Stir in the mint extract and set ganache aside. Let this cool while you make the frosting.


For the Chocolate Fudge Frosting:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup cocoa
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup boiling water

1. In a medium bowl, melt the butter (I use the microwave, it’s just easier).

2. Stir cocoa and powdered sugar into melted butter.

3. Stir boiling water into frosting a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well in between each addition, until frosting has reached a thick, buttercream-like consistency. The frosting will set and harden very quickly, so be prepared to frost the cupcakes as soon as it’s ready! (You don’t need sky-high frosting on each cupcake – it’s SUPER RICH – so use it in moderation!)


To assemble the cupcakes: 

Optional toppings: Thin mint cookies (God bless the Girl Scouts. Seriously.), chocolate shavings (just run a veggie peeler over a chocolate bar and voila!) or a sprinkling of chocolate chips!

1. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes (I use a Wilton #1M or a ziploc bag with a corner cut off). You could also spread the frosting on the cupcakes with a knife.

2. Give the ganache a stir, then drizzle a spoonful of it over each cupcake once they’re frosted.

3. Top the cupcakes with a thin mint cookie and some chocolate shavings or eat them as is!

RECIPE: Pepperoni Pizza Potato Skins

INGREDIENTS

6 small russet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
shredded mozzarella cheese
pizza sauce, your favorite
diced pepperoni
salt
parsley

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
2. Scrub the potatoes clean. Brush each potato with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Place on a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 35 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Let potatoes cool a bit.
3. Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the inside leaving just a bit on the skin. Brush again the inside of the potato skins with olive oil and place in the oven again for about 5 to 10, turn them over and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until nice and crisp.
4. To assemble your potato skins, fill each skin with pizza sauce, some shredded mozzarella, and diced pepperoni. Garnish with parsley and enjoy while they're still warm.

RECIPE: Strawberry Yoghurt Pancakes

INGREDIENTS
250 g full fat greek or organic yoghurt
2 large eggs
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 – 3 tbsp sugar
1⅓ cup plain flour (sifted)
2 tsp baking powder
1 vanilla pod
pinch of salt
few strawberries, cleaned and sliced

METHOD
1. Mix yoghurt with eggs and coconut oil. Add sugar, sifted flour, baking powder, vanilla beans from 1 pod and salt. Mix until smooth.
2. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Using about 1 table spoon of the mixture per pancake, cook pancakes: 3 to 4 minutes on one side. Place strawberry slices on each, turn and cook for another 3 minutes.
3. Transfer to a plate. Serve sprinkled with icing sugar or topped with honey.

RECIPE: Poached Eggs over Avocado & Salmon

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp white vinegar
2 cups microgreens
1 Meyer lemon, or regular lemons
8 oz. smoked salmon
1 Hass avocado
4 large eggs
Coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Fill a shallow pan with at least 3 inches of water. Add the white vinegar; bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
2. Equally divide the micro greens among 4 small plates. Squeeze a touch of lemon juice on each pile of greens.
3. Lay 2 ounces of the smoked salmon on top of the greens.
4. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise. Remove the pit from the avocado and discard. Remove the avocado from the skin, place the avocado on a cutting board, and cut into thin slices. Put the avocado slices on top of the smoked salmon and add another squeeze of lemon juice.
5. Crack an egg into a small prep bowl. Carefully slip the egg from the prep bowl into the poaching water. With a spoon, nudge the egg white together so the egg remains as close together as possible. Repeat this for the remaining 3 eggs.
6. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and turn off the heat. Let the eggs cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then carefully remove each egg with a slotted spoon, letting any excess water drip off. Transfer the egg to the top of the avocado and smoked salmon.
7. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

RECIPE: Choc Oreo Crunch Butter Cake

INGREDIENTS

Cake Crust
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

Gooey Chocolate Filling
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Oreo Layer
25 oreos, divided (I used double stuffed)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 heaping tablespoon creamy peanut butter
Instructions

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, melted butter and egg. Stir until well blended and then mix in the milk. (This can also be done by hand). Pat the mixture into a prepared pan and set aside.

In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs, and the cocoa powder. Lower the speed of the mixer, and add the powdered sugar. Continue beating until ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add the remaining 1 stick of melted butter, and the vanilla, continuing to beat the mixture until smooth. Spread the filling over the cake mixture in the pan. Press 18 whole Oreos into the filling (the filling will begin to spill over the oreos, but it probably will not completely cover the oreos). Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the cake. The center should still be a little giggly when finished baking. Let sit five minutes.

While the cake is sitting chop the remaining Oreos into pieces and melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter together (I use the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted).

Once you melted the peanut butter and chocolate, evenly the distribute the chopped Oreos all over the top of the cake. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over top, spreading with a spatula. Make sure chocolate gets down into the Oreo crevices, as it is the “glue” that holds the top to the bottom (do the best you can, but the chocolate will probably not reach all the way to the very edge of the cake). Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Let bars sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before cutting. Try and cut them carefully, but beware that the tops might crack a little.

RECIPE: Cilantro-Lime Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces dried rotini pasta
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked cubed chicken
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup sliced green onions
1 medium mango seeded, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 avocado, seeded, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

METHOD

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While pasta is cooking, combine lime juice, cilantro, olive oil, sugar, salt, garlic powder, cumin and cayenne pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend or process 30 seconds.
3. Drain pasta once it has finished cooking and place in a large bowl. Toss with dressing. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Serve.

RECIPE: Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes

 INGREDIENTS 

Cupcakes
80 g chocolate
80 g butter
2 eggs
1/2 tbsp not sweetened cocoa
70 g sugar

Chocolate mousse
50 g chocolate
50 g butter
1 eggs
1 tbsp not sweetened cocoa
30 g sugar
1 tsp gelatin dissolved in 40 ml of warm water

 METHOD 

Preheat oven to 180 C and coat standard 12-cup muffin tray with paper liners.

Cupcake:
1. Melt butter and chocolate in water bath or heavy bottom pan, mix gently until mixture is smooth. Leave to cool down.
2. Mix egg yolks with cocoa, and when combined start slowly adding melted chocolate.
3. Beat egg whites together with sugar until foam is thick, glossy and white. Remember to add sugar at least in 2 turns.
4. Extremely gently fold in beaten eggs into melted chocolate and then distribute chocolate mixture among all cups in muffin tray (don’t overfill).
5. Bake for 20 min or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. In the beginning cupcakes will rise but in the end of baking they fall, creating a cavity for mousse.

Chocolate mousse:
1. Melt butter and chocolate in water bath or heavy bottom pan, mix gently until mixture is smooth. Leave to cool down.
2. Mix egg yolks with cocoa, and when combined start slowly adding melted chocolate.
3. Beat egg whites together with sugar until foam is thick, glossy and white. Remember to add sugar at least in 2 turns.
4. Extremely gently fold in beaten eggs into melted chocolate and add gelatin dissolved in water. Gently distribute mousse among cavities of cupcakes. Refrigerate for at least 2hours, preferably more.

RECIPE: Roast Potato Pizza

Step 1: Pizza dough
Use pre-made dough or pizza base

Step 2: Garlic olive oil
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole

1. Place olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Once warm, add the garlic and let it st. (Be careful not to burn the garlic.)
3. Set aside to cool.

Step 3: Roasted potatoes
1 medium Yukon gold potato
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice potato into thin rounds, about 1/4-inch thick.
3. Spread potatoes on an even layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are soft and golden brown. Set aside.

Step 4: Potato Pizza
Serves 4

4 balls of individual-sized pizza dough
2-3 cups low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 small pasilla pepper, sliced thinly
1/4 cup shallots, sliced
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Roasted potatoes
Garlic oil
Cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper

1. Set your rack to the lowest part of the oven and if you have one, place your pizza stone on top. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, flour your work-surface and roll out one ball of pizza dough. Place dough on a piece of parchment paper.
3. Add mozzarella cheese, roasted potatoes, sliced peppers and shallots to your pizza.
4. Carefully slide pizza along with parchment paper directly onto the pizza stone (If you don’t have a stone, a sheet pan works just as well).
5. Bake pizza for 10-15 minutes or until dough is golden brown. As your pizza bakes, repeat above steps with remaining pizza dough.
6. Once pizza is golden brown, carefully pull it out of the oven to rest. Sprinkle feta cheese and cilantro and drizzle with garlic oil. Add pepper to taste. Slice and serve.

RECIPE: Giant Stuffed Choc Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS

For the cookie dough:
2 cups plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
12 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

For assembly:
1 cookie dough recipe, at room temperature
8 graham cracker squares, broken into halves (see header note above)
4 marshmallows, snipped in half lengthwise
1 full-size Hershey's bar, divided between each of the prospective cookies


METHOD

1. To make the cookie dough: Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined - the batter should look a little lumpy. Stir in chocolate chips.

2. Preheat oven to 325° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. To assemble and bake: Lay half of the graham crackers out on the baking sheets - two crackers per sheet. Top each cracker with 3-4 pieces of chocolate then top the chocolate with two marshmallow halves, laying them side-by-side. Lay the remaining graham crackers on top of the assemble s'mores. Sandwich the s'mores between two large spoonfuls of cookie dough and using the remaining dough to wrap around each of the s'mores; the result should resemble a small cookie brick.

4. Space the cookies at least 4 inches apart on the two baking sheets. Bake for 20-24 minutes or until the tops and edges are lightly browned and the edges just lift off the pan with a spatula. (While baking, the s'mores will press down under the weight of the cookie dough and will sink further while cooling. Don't worry if the cookies don't end up completely covering the s'mores - it only adds to the charm here.) Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and cool the cookies on the sheets for at least 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to the wire racks and cool for another 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

RECIPE: Chewy M&M Cookies

INGREDIENTS

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups M &Ms

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.  Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in the M & M pieces. Using a standard-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Press down slightly with the palm of your hand to flatten. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. (The tops will not brown, but do not cook longer than ten minutes). Let cool on the sheet for five minutes. Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely.

RECIPE: Anzac Brownies

INGREDIENTS

For the Anzac base:
½ cup quick oats
½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp golden syrup

For the brownie layer:
¼ cup unsalted butter
115 g/4 oz dark chocolate 
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup caster sugar
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
¼ cup all purpose flour


METHOD

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C and line an 8x10-inch or 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch over hang at each end.

Mix together all ingredients for the Anzac base and press evenly into prepared pan. Bake until lightly golden, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you make the brownie layer. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F/160 degrees C.

Melt together butter and chocolate until smooth and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Whisk in warm chocolate mixture. Sprinkle flour over the top and stir it in until combined. Pour brownie batter over Anzac layer and bake until shiny and slightly cracked on top, 15-20 minutes longer. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting into squares.

RECIPE: Peanut Butter & Oreo Pie

INGREDIENTS

FILLING:
1 cup peanut butter
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces Cool Whip
1-1/4 cups powdered sugar

CRUST:
25 Oreo cookies, crushed
4 tablespoons butter, melted

CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE:
3/4 cup chocolate chips


METHOD
Preheat oven to 400.  To make the crust, crush the Oreo cookies in a food processor or blender.  Combine the crushed Oreos with the melted butter and press into a pie pan to form a crust.  Bake at 400 for 5 minutes; cool.  Meanwhile, combine the peanut butter and cream cheese using a mixer.  Add the Cool Whip and powdered sugar.  Spoon the peanut butter mixture into the pie shell.  Melt the chocolate chips in a squeeze bottle in the microwave.  Make sure that the chocolate is well melted and that there are no air bubbles in the bottle.  Decorate the top of the pie as desired with chocolate drizzle.  Place the pie in the freezer for about two hours without a cover so that you don’t smear your chocolate drizzle.  Remove the pie from the freezer, cover with foil, and place in the refrigerator until serving time.

RECIPE: Caramel Corn with Almonds

INGREDIENTS

5 cups lightly salted and buttered popcorn, popped (about a bag of microwave popcorn)
1/3 cup whole almonds
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt (a pinch!)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD

1. Place the popped popcorn into a shallow, greased baking pan. (I used a jelly roll pan.) Sprinkle the almonds on top of the popcorn and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 250°.
3. In a skillet, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring to blend the ingredients together. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.
5. Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla.
6. Immediately pour the caramel sauce over over the popcorn, and stir to coat. (Don’t be too worried about the popcorn not being completely coated at this point.)
7. Bake for 1 hour, removing the pan, and giving it a good stir every 15 minutes.
8. Line the counters with waxed paper.
9. Pour the caramel corn out onto the waxed paper and separate into pieces. Allow to cool completely, then enjoy or store in airtight containers.

RECIPE: Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup soy milk (or any non-dairy milk)
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
About 10 Peanut Butter Oreos, chopped

For the frosting:
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated margerine 
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening 
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt (if the peanut butter is salted, leave this out)
6 Oreos, made into crumbs in the food processor


METHOD

For the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350. Line a cupcakes tin with 12 paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the soymilk and vinegar. Set it aside for a couple of minutes to curdle.
Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla to the “buttermilk.” Whisk until the mixture is foamy.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix until all the ingredients are combined. Stir in the cookie pieces.
Divide the batter equally between the 12 cupcake liners and bake for 18-20 minutes.
Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
Beat the shortening and margerine together on medium speed until fluffy.
Add the peanut butter and beat until combined.
Add the powdered sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Start your mixer on low until the powdered sugar is just combined, otherwise you’ll be wearing it. Then increase the speed to medium.
Add the vanilla extract and salt, and beat on medium high until combined.
Stir in the cookie crumbs.
Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes cooled cupcakes and top with an oreo cookie.