Recipes - Some of my favorites!!

**NOTE TO SIX WEEK BODY MAKEOVER READERS:
The recipes in this section are NOT plan friendly!!!
They are a few of my favorite NON PLAN ones from the past!!

Here is the recipe for my 'Killer' Peanut Butter Cookies! These are my favorite non plan cookies!!

‘Killer’ Peanut Butter Cookies
(For best results, use exact ingredients as listed)

1 C. Reese’s smooth peanut butter
1 C. Parkay margarine, softened (or unsalted butter works OK too!)
1 C. granulated sugar
1 C. Domino Light Brown Sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
2½ C. all-purpose flour
1½ t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
dash of salt (optional - I don't use it!)

In large mixing bowl, mix together peanut butter, margarine, sugars, and vanilla until thoroughly blended. Add eggs and mix until smooth. Set aside. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir with fork until blended. Slowly add flour mixture to egg mixture. Stir until thoroughly blended. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (If you are in a hurry, chill in the freezer for 1 – 2 hours before baking).

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375^oF. (I bake with a convection oven.) Cover baking sheets with aluminum foil and DO NOT SPRAY. Roll dough into 1” balls and place about 3” – 4” apart on cookie sheet. Criss Cross each ball with a fork dipped in flour. Bake for 7 minutes or until light brown. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 1 – 2 minutes before removing to cooling rack. Keep in sealed container. I keep them in the freezer.

Makes approximately 6 dozen cookies.

Apple Crisp

11 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I use Red Delicious or McIntosh apples – Granny Smith are too firm)
½ cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ cup flour
½ cup margarine or butter (1 stick)

Preheat oven to 350^oF.

Peel and slice apples. Put in 9 x 13 inch baking dish and sprinkle with water. Mix dry ingredients together in small mixing bowl. Cut in butter until all ingredients are well combined. (I mix this with my hands so there are no large chunks of butter.) Sprinkle evenly over top of apples.
Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour. Allow to cool slightly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

This is even better if eaten the next day and warmed in the microwave!

Apple Dumplings

6 medium baking apples peeled, cored and sliced (I use McIntosh apples)
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For dough:
2 cups flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup butter or margarine
½ cup milk

For sauce:
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups water
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 375^oF.

Sift the flour and baking powder together in medium mixing bowl, then cut in butter until the mixture is fine and crumbly (I mix this with my hands so there are no large chunks of butter.) Sprinkle the milk over this and press lightly, working the dough only enough to hold it together. Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Roll out each ball into a 6 inch square. Place a peeled and cored apple on each square. In separate bowl, mix the 1 cup white sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Fill the cored center of each apple with this mixture, Bring dough up around apple and cover it completely. Moisten top edges with water and fasten securely to top of apple.
Place dumplings 1 inch apart in greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Set aside.
Combine the brown sugar, 2 cups water, and rest of spices in medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter until it melts completely. Pour this mixture over the dumplings.
Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, basting occasionally. Serve hot with milk or vanilla ice cream!

A Pennsylvania Dutch treat!

Ham Balls
This recipe can be made for dinner or as appetizers – Thanks Lucy!

3 lbs. ground ham loaf mix (have your butcher grind together 1½ lbs. smoked boneless ham and 1½ lbs. boneless pork roast if ‘ham loaf mix’ is not available)
1½ C. honey graham crackers, crushed to crumbs (I use 1 pack in the box)
1 C. milk
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350^oF. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish. Set aside.
In large mixing bowl, combine ham loaf mix and graham crackers together until blended. Add milk and eggs and mix thoroughly. (You may need to use your hands for this!)
For dinner size portions: Form into about 12, 3” diameter balls and place in baking dish.
For appetizer size portions: Form into about 30 – 40, 1-1½” diameter balls and place in baking dish.

Topping: Stir together the following ingredients in order given:

¾ C. brown sugar
3/8 C. vinegar
1 t. dry mustard
1 10¾ oz. can condensed tomato soup (generic brand works fine)

Cover ham balls with topping and bake for 1 hour. (Appetizer size may not take quite 1 hour – check after 45 minutes)
Spread topping over each ham ball when serving.

For appetizers: Remove from baking dish and arrange on platter. Pour topping over all and serve with toothpicks.

This recipe can be doubled if making for a crowd. You will probably need several baking dishes to bake them in, especially when making appetizer size.

Pizza Dip

1 8 oz. package light cream cheese, softened
1 16 oz. container light sour cream
oregano to taste ( 1/2 t.)
dried crushed hot pepper to taste
1 regular size jar Prego Chunky Garden w/ mushrooms spaghetti sauce
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green pepper, chopped into small pieces
1 12 oz. bag shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large bag Bite Size Tostitos and/or other ‘dippers’

Preheat oven to 425^oF.
Spray a large shallow baking dish with non-stick spray. (I use a 12” diameter spaghetti dish). Beat together cream cheese, sour cream, and spices until smooth. Spread evenly in prepared baking dish. Spread jar of Prego over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle diced onion and green pepper over sauce. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serve hot with Bite Size Tostitos and/or other ‘dippers’.