Peanut Butter Bars

From Betty Crocker, changed up a bit by Nat Cardon

Cookie Base and Topping:
Ingredients:
 1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker peanut butter cookie mix
 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
 1 egg

Instructions:
1) Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.
2) In large bowl, stir cookie base and topping ingredients until soft dough forms.
3) Shape 6 (1-inch) balls of dough.
4) On ungreased cookie sheet, place balls 2 inches apart; flatten in crisscross pattern with fork.
5) Press remaining dough in pan. Bake cookies and base 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
6) Cool at least 10 minutes. Reserve cookies for topping.

Chocolate Layer:
Ingredients:
 1 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips
 ¼ cup butter

Instructions:
1) In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and butter uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and stirred smooth.
2) Spread evenly over bars. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes

Cream Layer:
Ingredients:
 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
 1/3 cup peanut butter
 ¾ cup powdered sugar
 ½ whipping cream

Instructions:
1) In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sugar and whipping cream with electric mixer on low speed until blended.
2) Beat on high speed about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
3) Spread over chocolate layer

Topping
Ingredients:
 6 reserved cookies
 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (however much you want)

Instructions:
1) Crush reserved cookies
2) Cut peanut butter cups into small chunks
3) Sprinkle over cream cheese layer, press in lightly
4) Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes, cut into bars
5) Store covered in refrigerator

Stovetop Smore's Treats

Ingredients:
 2 sleeves graham crackers
 3 tablespoons butter
 10 ounces marshmallows (I used mini)
 3 ounces Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars (or more if you want)

Instructions:
1) Break graham crackers into bite sized pieces (don’t crush), set aside.
2) Unwrap chocolate bars and break into bite sized pieces, set aside.
3) Heat butter in large saucepan over medium heat until melted.
4) Add marshmallows, stirring constantly until melted (the higher the heat, the stiffer the treats will be – so I keep the heat real low and stir like crazy).
5) Remove from heat.
6) Carefully add graham cracker pieces, not the crumbs, to the marshmallow mixture.
7) Gently press mixture into greased 9x13 inch pan.
8) Sprinkle chocolate pieces on top, gently pressing so they’ll melt in enough to stick.
9) Refrigerate at least 20 minutes to chill before cutting into squares (although treats don’t need to remain refrigerated unless you prefer)
10) Enjoy your super delicious non-campfire required squares of total summer bliss!

June Lunch Bunch

Bring on the yumminess...it’s time for Lunch Bunch! Bring your kids and come have a fun lunch with us as we each bring a dish to share. And as always, please bring copies of your to share. (Or have us help you put it online on our Lunch Bunch blog http://mommiesrecipebox.blogspot.com/)

When: Tuesday, June 9th at 11am
Where: Shawntel McDonald’s house (see directions below)
Theme: Appetizers and Finger Foods

Any questions:
Group coordinator: Natalie Cardon 760-5984 natcardon@gmail.com
June Host: Shawntel McDonald (h)803-462-0446 (c)803-629-0266 slowdance13@yahoo.com

Directions to Shawntel’s house: From the main entrance of Lake Carolina (off Hardscrabble Rd), go to the roundabout/traffic circle (with big water fountain) and take the 3rd exit (like you're turning left) onto Lake Carolina Drive. Take your first right onto Long Pointe Lane and drive about .4 mile. My house is # 748 on the right (numbers are on the bottom of the handrails and the house is dark green with double deck porches).

Strawberry Almond Tossed Salad

Ingredients:

Sugared Almonds
¾ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup sugar

Sweet-Sour Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
¾ teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
Dash red pepper sauce

Salad
2/3 small head iceberg lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 bag 5-lettuce mix
3 medium green onions, thinly sliced
16 ounces strawberries, sliced

Directions:
1) In 1-quart saucepan, cook almonds and ¼ cup sugar over low heat about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until sugar is melted and almonds are coated; cool and break apart. (Sometimes I add a little water to help melt the sugar a little faster)

2) In tightly covered container, shake all dressing ingredients. Refrigerate until serving time.

3) In large bowl, toss salad ingredients, dressing and almonds. Serve immediately.


This recipe is exactly how I made it for our fruit themed Lunch Bunch. It makes a lot, so if you’re just making it for a few people you might want to reduce the ingredient amounts. Also, there are tons of ways to change up this salad. You can substitute your favorite lettuce, fruit, or nut. Or you can make it more substantial by adding diced chicken or bacon.

Grandma Grawburg's Buter Tarts

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup currants or raisins
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp milk

Beat all ingredients together.

Line cupcake pans with unbaked pie crust. Fill unbaked crusts 3/4 full of mixture. Bake at 425 degrees in preheated oven. Tarts are finished when crust and filling is slightly brown.

Cinnayumm Rolls

Basic Dough

1 pkg of yeast melted into 1/4 cup of very warm water. Add a pinch of sugar to mixture. set aside. In a separate bowl mix together 3/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp salt and 1 cup flour. Beat in melted yeast and 1 egg. Add 2 more cups of flour (more or less) Place in greased bowl and let rise 1 hour or so. Shape into rolls. Let rise again. Bake at 400 degrees until golden (approx. 20 minutes).

For Cinnyumm Rolls:
To shape roll out dough into a rectangle. Pour 3/4 - 1 stick of melted margerine over dough. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar and cinnamon. You may want to add raisins and/or nuts or whatever you like. Roll up jelly roll style. Cut into approx. 1 inch wide strips. Whith each strip, pull gently and tie a knot then set on a greased cookie sheet. Let them rise another 30mins - 1 hour. then bake as above.

Brenda's alterations:
1. Instead of pouring melted butter over the dough I spread margerine or softened butter on dough. This makes a little less messy when making them.
2. I also bake the rolls in a 9x13 pan. I make them the night before baking--put them in the refrigerator and they will rise and be ready to put in oven in the morning.

Beth’s Homemade Pizza (Dough)

1 ½ cups Hot water

2T sugar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp olive oil

4 ½ cups bread flour

1 pkt yeast (or 2 ¼ tsp.)

Above makes 2 pizzas; also need:

1 jar pizza sauce

toppings

16 oz mozzarella cheese  (8 oz/pizza; use 12 oz/pizza – if you like extra cheese)

Option 1: By hand

Mix all. If too sticky to knead, add more flour.  Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.  Knead about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.  Use as much flour as you need. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up.  Cover and let rise in warm place 1 hour.

Option 2: Stand Mixer (like Kitchen Aid) with dough hook

Mix yeast with all dry ingredients except 1-2 cups flour. Mix on low speed 15 seconds. Add liquid ingredients slowly (continuing to mix on low speed about 1-2 minutes).  Add rest of flour ½ cup at a time (continuing on low speed). Mix until  dough clings to hook and forms a soft ball. Cover and let rise in warm place 1 hour.

Option 3: Bread Machine

put all ingredients into bread pan in order listed (for 2 crust recipe). Choose pizza dough cycle. After cycle finishes, remove pan and sit in warm place to allow 30 additional minutes rising. (Do not leave in bread machine – may overrise breadpan, causing damage to machine.)

Proceed with shaping, topping, and baking pizzas.

ANY OPTION – CONTINUE

 Preheat oven to 550°. Divide dough into 2 pieces. Toss, stretch, or roll out  dough into pizzas (about 12-14”). Top with pizza sauce, toppings, and cheese. (I use 1/3-1/2 jar pizza sauce and 8-12 oz cheese per pizza.) Bake for about 7 minutes each. (Best baked one at a time.)

 Cool for about 5 minutes before trying to slice. Enjoy!

for 4 crusts

double all ingredients. By hand is the same. By stand mixer, check stand mixer for 

maximum capacity. (Mine is 8 cups flour) I do in two batches or do 1 ½ batch. My bread machine (2 lb capacity) can only do 2 crusts recipe max.