Double Chocolate Muffins

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk (skim, 1%, 2%, whatever you have works)
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I used mini chips)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners to make 12 muffins.

2) Cream together the butter, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla until light and fluffy - about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated between each addition.

3) Stir together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with the milk, in 2-3 additions each (so add a third of the flour, half of the milk, another third of the flour, etc.). Stir in chocolate chips.

4) Divide batter between 12 muffin cups and bake 25-27 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean (a little melted chocolate is fine - the toothpick may hit a melty chocolate chip). 

Potato Kielbasa Bake

6 large russet potatoes, thoroughly cleaned and cubed
3 T water
3/4 lb kielbasa or polish sausage, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 medium chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
1 T olive oil
2 T brown sugar
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cans green beans, drained
6 bacon strips, fried and crumbled

     Preheat oven to 375 degrees. (I used a 9x13 stone baking pan - so I placed the pan in the oven while preheating to warm up.)
     Place potatoes and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave 4-6 minutes on high, or until potatoes are tender.
     In a small skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until tender and golden.
     In a 9x13 pan, stir together cooked potatoes, onion/garlic, kielbasa, and green beans. Set aside.
     Combine brown sugar, red wine vinegar, mustard, thyme, and pepper in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2-3 minutes, or until reduced slightly. Pour over potato/kielbasa mixture in baking dish and sprinkle crumbled bacon over all. Bake until all ingredients are heated through (about 15-20 minutes)

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2 c. artichoke hearts, chopped
2 c. spinach, sauteed & chopped
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 c. monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 c. parmesan cheese
1 c. sour cream
Garlic Powder
Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes

     Combine all ingredients thoroughly and bake in a greased dish at 350 degrees F until golden and heated through.

Black Bean Salsa

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can Rotel, drained
1/2 c. corn
1/4 c. red onion
1/4 c. minced cilantro
1 T. lime juice
1/4 tsp cumin

     Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa

3 garlic cloves
1 tsp olive oil
10 Roma tomatoes
3 jalapenos
1 medium yellow onion, halved & peeled
3 T. chopped cilantro
1/4 c. lime juice

     Coat the garlic cloves with olive oil and wrap them in a foil packet. Place 8 tomatoes, jalapenos, one half of the onion, and foil packet on a medium-high grill. Grill 6 minutes, or until tomatoes and peppers are blackened and blistered, turning all ingredients once. Remove; let cool.
     In a blender, combine all grilled vegetables. Blend until nearly smooth.
     Chop remaining vegetables and place in a bowl. Add blended ingredients and 1/2 tsp salt. Toss to combine. Season to taste with lime juice and salt.

N.M. Cookies (No Milk Cookies)

2 c. butter
2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. soda
1 (8 oz.) Hershey bar, grated
4 c. flour
3 c. nuts, chopped
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
24 oz. chocolate chips
5 c. oatmeal, blended
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla

     Measure oatmeal and blend in blender until fine powder. Cream together butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix together flour, oatmeal,salt, baking powder and soda. Add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips, Hershey bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place 2" apart on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Cherry Crumble Bars

3 1/2 c. flour
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 c. butter, cold & cubed
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cans (4 c.) good quality cherry pie filling (I use "Lucky Leaf")

In a large bow, whisk/sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add chilled butter and cut into dry mixture with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
In a small bowl, beat egg yolks, vanilla, and almond extract with a fork until combined. Drizzle egg mixture into flour/butter mixture and stir until egg is incorporated (I used my fingers - mixture will appear dry, but hold together when compressed).
Set aside 2 c. of dough for the topping.
In a parchment-paper lined 9x13 pan, press remaining dough evenly along the bottom. Pour cherry pie filling over dough, then sprinkle the reserved 2 c. of dough evenly over top.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 55 minutes. About 35 minutes into baking time, to keep the bars from browning too much on top, place a rectangle of aluminum foil lightly over the top of bars, and bake for 20 more minutes.
Cool at least 1 hour, then cut and serve.

**Can make this recipe into Apple Bars by leaving out the almond extract and replacing the cherry pie filling with a mixture or 4-5 sliced apples, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, and 1/4 ground nutmeg.