Peanut Butter Bars

Peanut Butter. Chocolate. Is there anything better? We got this recipe from one of Laura's neighbors after eating them at a reception. We begged and finally she caved. These are so rich and delicious, they should only be made for events like receptions and parties, but we won't tell anyone if you make them just because. 

Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup softened butter

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth, we prefer chunky)

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cup oatmeal

Cream butter, sugars, and eggs. Add peanut butter and vanilla and combine. Mix in remaining ingredients until combined. Press into a greased cookie sheet. 

Bake for 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. 

Frosting:

1 cup of peanut butter

1 pkg of milk chocolate chips

1 Tbsp. of butter

While the bars are still warm, microwave the cup of peanut butter for a few seconds to make it a little more runny. Frost the top of the bars. Let cool a bit. Melt chocolate chips and the butter until smooth. Pour the chocolate on top of the bars creating a top layer. Cool and eat! 

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Leila's Homemade Brownies

If you can't tell, a lot of these recipes come from our friends and family and we try to figure out ways to make them better. However, this brownie recipe we received from our sister-in-law, Leila, does not to be improved. It's perfect. This recipe create a yummy cake-like brownie that will make you eat the whole pan before your brain tells you to stop.

Leila's Homemade Brownies

1 Cup butter
2 Cups sugar
4 Eggs
1/2 Cup powder cocoa
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 Cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Powder Sugar to dust after baking

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add all other wet ingedients and mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Bake in a well greased 9x13 pan in a 350F degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Dust with powder sugar. Enjoy!

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Chocolate Waffle Cookies

Here is another great recipe from Laura's Mom. These are a hit for parties or just on a Friday night with the kids.

Chocolate Waffle Cookies

1/2 Cup margarine
2 eggs
1 Cup flour
3/4 Cup sugar
3-4 tablespoons of powder cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powder sugar to sprinkle on after cooked

Melt the margarine until fully melted. Mix the cocoa until filly mixed. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until incorporated. Cook on a Belgian waffle iron until slightly hard. Split waffle into four sections and sprinkle powder sugar over the cookies. Other things we have done is dipped them halfway into chocolate or drizzles chocolate over the cookies and let them cool.

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Our Not-So-Secret-Anymore Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay, so we have decided that we are tired of having a ton of ripped and food stained pieces of paper hanging all over our kitchen with all of our favorite recipes listed on them.  So for Christmas this year, we have decided to upload all of these recipes online so we have them here and not all over our kitchen. unfortunately, this means that we will have to reveal our secret recipes that we love. But why not share what we love with our friends and the world.

So here is our absolute favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. We have tried a lot of different chocolate chip recipes out there and keep coming back to this one because it is simply the best. Laura loves making small dime like cookies from this recipe while I love making huge bistro like cookies. both come out great with this recipe. These make a lot of cookies so you may want to cut the recipe in half.

Stapley Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup soften butter
1 cup soften margarine
1 1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
6 Cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3-4 cups of chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 375F degrees. Cream together the butter, margarine, and sugars until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix until a good dough forms. Add chocolate chips and mix until incorporated

Cooking time depend on the size of the cookie you want to make, if you make the normal size cookies, it seems to be about 11 or 12 minutes. The secret is to pull them out just before the sides begin to brown. They may not look cooked all the way, but the carryover heat will cook it enough to make an awesomely soft cookie.

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Amazing Homemade Caramel

Every holiday season I get excited for two things, Christmas Music and this caramel recipe. It is so versatile we use it in a lot of different applications. To put on popcorn for caramel popcorn, to dip with apples, or to create our salted caramel chocolate pretzels. It's pretty straight forward, but you need to be careful about when yo pull the caramel off the stove as just a bit too long will make it impossible to chew.

Mom's Amazing Caramel

1 Cup white sugar
1 Cup brown sugar
1 Cup butter
1 Cup corn syrup
1 Cup heavy whipping cream
Dash of salt
1 t. vanilla

In a large sauce pan (we like to use our non-stick one for easy cleanup), add both the sugars, butter, corn syrup, and salt to the pan. Heat at medium high and mix until all the ingredients are melted and incorporated. keep mixing until the mixture begins to boil. Add the whipping cream and vanilla. Keep stirring and letting the caramel boil. You want the caramel to get up to just under soft ball stage, so about 230F-ish. You can use a candy thermometer, which we have had bad luck with, so we use this method:

We pull the caramel just a bit before it gets as hard as it is in the video because we like to pour the caramel into a pyrex mixing bowl, which will make the caramel continue to cook from the carryover.
Let the caramel cool (unless you want to pour it over popcorn or dip apple slices in it while it's warm, Yum!). The butter make it easy to handle and form into whatever little treat you want to make.

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Mama Broadhead's Hot Fudge Sauce

Here is an incredible Hot Fudge sauce recipe. I would put this on everything! Share from Laura's mother, it's become a classic for the holidays.

Mama Broadhead's Hot Fudge Sauce

2 Cups white sugar
1/2 Cup powder cocoa
1/2 Cup butter
1 13 oz. can of evaporated milk
1 t. vanilla


Cook the sugar, butter, and cocoa over medium high heat until melted. Add evaporated milk gradually. Stir well and let come to a boil. Stir constantly until thick, pull off heat. Add vanilla.

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Spudnut Donuts!

When I lived in the Tri-Cities, WA, there was this donut place that was super famous for it's potato donuts called Spudnuts. The spudnut donuts were so good! They are made with mashed potatoes and end up super soft and amazing. I remember that in school our teachers would always use them as rewards for contests and what not. For some reason those thoughts came back this weekend and Laura and I, with help from our friends the Frenzas, decided to try our hand at making some. So here is our version of Spudnut Donuts.

Spudnut Donuts

1 3/4 c. Milk
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. mashed potatoes (about 2 potatoes)
1 pkg. dry yeast
1/2 c. warm water
2 beaten eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
6 to 7 c. of flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 pinches of salt
lots of cooking oil

Peel and cube the potatoes then boil until soft, drain and mash until smooth. Over heat, mix the milk, sugar, and mashed potatoes. Take off heat and let cool. In a bowl sprinkle and mix yeast with the warm water. Let sit until the yeast activates (about 3-5 minutes). Add the yeast and water to the potato mixture. Add the beaten eggs, vanilla, salt, baking powder and 2 cups of the flower to the potato mixture and start mixing in a bread mixer. Continually add the flour a 1/2 cup at a time until the dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl. Let sit in bowl and rise for a half hour.

Roll out the dough about 1/4" thick and cut with a donut cutter. Place cut donuts on wax paper, cover and let rise again for another half hour.

In a frying pan, heat up about 1 1/2 inches of cooking oil to 375 degrees. Drop a few donuts in the oil and turn when the bottoms become brown. When all cooked, place on a cooling rack. Brush with a little butter and dip in a cinnamon sugar mixture.

Enjoy!

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Caramel Puffed Corn

We are back! And we have a great recipe for everyone. This year, while crabbing in Oregon, my sister introduced us to this really good caramel popcorn type treat that is made with a type of popped corn called Cosmos that doesn't have the husk or unpopped corn. It was really good but we could only find it at the Oregon Coast. The other day, Laura and I were walking in the local grocery store and we found this huge bag of the same popped corn puffs that Cosmos is made out of. We decided to try our hand at making our own version of Caramel Popped Corn. So here is our version of the recipe. We liked a version of caramel popcorn that Laura's mom makes because it's really caramely and soft, not a hard caramel glazing that some caramel popcorn gets. It turned out SO good!!! It's crazy addictive and we'll never use popped corn again.

Caramel Puffed Corn

1 Stick of Butter
2 Cups of Brown Sugar
1 Cup of light Corn Syrup
1 tsp. of vanilla
1 can of Sweetened Condenced Milk
1 large bag of plain corn puffs

Melt the butter in a pot then mix in the brown sugar and corn syrup. Stir on medium heat until all incorperated together and the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the sweetened condenced milk and the vanila. Stir constantly to avoid the caramel burning. After a few minutes of stiring the caramel with darken a little. Cook until the caramel reaches the soft ball stage. (If you don't have a candy termometor, Laura's mom taught me a trick: fill a little cup of water and as the carmel is cooking pour a little from your stirring spoon and after a few seconds you can touch the carmel in the water and see if you can form it a little bit in your fingers, it's ready when it can be bunched up in your fingers) When your caramel is ready, pour it over the corn puffs in a large bowl and mix it all together. Cool a little and enjoy!

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Chocolate Almond Ice Cream

This past Christmas, Laura bought me an ice cream maker. We wanted to make our own healthy sorbets and ice creams, but then we found this recipe for a chocolate ice cream that we wanted to try. I wanted to spice it up since I think just vanilla or chocolate ice cream is boring, so I roasted some almonds and threw in some almond extract and Wow! It turned out amazing. I don't think we have bought ice cream since we made this recipe.

Chocolate Almond Ice Cream

1 Cup of Milk
1/2 Cup of granulated sugar
8 ounces of chocolate chips
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 teaspoons almond extract
1 cup of chopped almonds

Heat the milk either in the microwave or on the stove top until it is bubbling around the edges but not boiling. While the milk is heating, combine the chocolate chips and sugar in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add hot milk and mix in the processor until blended and smooth. Transfer to a bowl and put in the fridge to cool. When it is completely cooled, add the heavy cream and both extracts. mix well and chill for 30 minutes. While the cream is chilling, chop the almonds and place them under a broiler for 2-3 minutes until roasted. (be careful because it's really easy to burn the almonds, my tip is: if you can smell them roasting, you've burned them. so watch them carefully!) Place the almonds into the freezer to cool them down. After the cream has been chilled, place it in your ice cream maker and turn it on. About 15-20 after you started the machine, add the almonds. when the ice cream has thickened, place in a container and freeze for at least an hour.

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Amazing Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

The other day, I came home from classes and found that Laura made me these awesome valentine sugar cookies. They were so good that it was really hard limiting ourselves to just a few. They were so perfect, and we want to share them with everyone! But first we have to give credit where credit is due: this recipe was given to us from our good friend Kari-Lynn. It's funny how we know Kari-Lynn, She grew up and went to high school with me in Lake Stevens, WA. I was actually good friends with her two younger brothers. Years later, just before Laura and I got married, Laura started working at the barbershop at BYU. It was here where she met Kari-Lynn as she was a hair stylist there also. Funny how small the world is in the church. But anyways, this is her awesome recipe and we want to give her all the credit for it. Way to go Kari-Lynn!

Amazing Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter (softened)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 cups flour

Mix butter, sugar, and eggs. Then all the rest of the ingredients and mix until a dough forms. Place in a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight. (or a few hours, but overnight is best)
Roll out the dough and cut into shapes using cookie cutters.
Cook in a 350 degree oven for 6-10 minutes, but watch them carefully because if they get brown, they will turn out too hard.

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Crisco
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
Powdered sugar
Food coloring

Mix the butter, crisco, milk, salt, and vanilla together. Now add lots of powder sugar until it gets to be the consistency and taste that you like. Add food coloring to make your favorite color of frosting.

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Banana Perfection

Here is an oldie but a goodie: We got this from one of the neighbors that came to Laura's parents 4th of July BBQ. We call it "Banana Perfection." It's basically a really good Banana pudding trifle. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
- 1 5.1oz of Instant Vanilla Pudding
- 1 Pint of real whipping cream (or 1 container of Cool Whip)
- 1 1/2 Cups of cold water
- 1 Can of sweetened condensed milk
- 3 Bananas
- 1 Box of Vanilla wafers (like Nilla)

Instructions:
Mix the box of pudding, water, and sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl. Put the pudding mix into fridge to set for 5-10 minutes. When pudding is set, gentle fold the most of the whipping cream in with the pudding, setting aside enough whipping cream to make a layer on top of the trifle. In the serving dish, place a layer of wafers, then a layer of sliced bananas, then a layer of pudding. Repeat these layers three or four times. Finally finish the trifle with a layer of the left over whipping cream you set aside earlier. Now garnish with vanilla wafers and bananas. Place in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

Well, There you have it. Enjoy! Let us know if you like it. We sure did! Also, If anyone has a special request for a recipe, let us know!

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Mile High Apple Pie

We made this awesome pie for thanksgiving and it was so good that we couldn't stop eating it. (And I am not a fan of apple pies, so that goes to show how good this really is!)

Recipe For The Mile High Apple Pie (Adapted From Paula Deen)

For the Deep Dish Pie Crust:
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups butter-flavored solid shortening (recommended: Crisco)
1 tablespoon salt
3/4 cup cold water

For the Filling:
18 apples, preferably Golden Delicious or Granny Smith, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced*
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

For the streusel:
1 cup (2 stick) butter, softened
2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup pecans
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons sugar

1 recipe Caramel Pecan Topping, recipe follows - Optional
*The number of apples depends on the size of the pie.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

For the Deep Dish Pie Crust:
Cut flour into butter-flavored shortening. Add salt and stir in enough water to make stiff dough. Knead slightly together. Chill dough before using. Use 1/3 of pie dough for bottom crust. Roll bottom crust. Lay in pie pan.

For the filling:
Combine apples, flour, sugar, and cinnamon and mix lightly with spatula.
For the streusel:
In a small bowl combine together butter, brown sugar, flour, pecans and cinnamon. Layer this mix every so often between apples.

Using a stainless bowl, begin layering apples slice by slice, slightly overlapping starting at the outside circle of the bowl and working towards the center. Push firmly as the layers build. Round off top layer of apple slices when you reach the top. Put a single layer of sliced apples in the bottom crust.

Take the pie pan with the bottom crust in left hand and the stainless bowl of sliced apples in right hand and invert. Put finger tips under edge of bowl to release the air and gently lift off. Press and firm apples and straighten. Add slices of apple to take away sharp edges (so as not to puncture the pie dough). Add slices of apples to top of pie to round off.

Add 4 tablespoons of butter pats on top of pie.

Roll out top crust using remaining pie dough. Gently place top crust over the mound of apples. Smooth the sides of pie crust towards bottom of pie pulling out on extra crust. Pinch down to seal 2 layers together. Crimp pie for first time. Cut extra crust with the back of a sharp knife. Re-crimp the edges and push towards the pie.

Brush with milk and sprinkle sugar rubbing your left hand from the bottom up to evenly spread your sugar.
Put 5 steam vents with a small knife towards the upper part of the pie. Do not vent at the top as it will cause the pie to split open as it bakes.
Bake between 350 to 375 degrees F for 1 hour, 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let cool for at least 1 hour

Spread warm Caramel Pecan Topping on top of crust beginning at the base of the pie above the fluting and working towards the top.

Serving suggestions:
Drizzle caramel pecan topping with semisweet chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate.

Caramel Pecan Topping:
2 (12-ounce) cups melted caramel
3 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup chopped pecan pieces

Melt caramels completely in microwave. Add evaporated milk and stir until smooth consistency. Add chopped pecans and stir. Spread over pie starting at base and working in.

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