Slow Cooker Chocolate Covered Peanut Clusters

Slow Cooker Chocolate Covered Peanut Clusters
Recipe submitted by Michelle Morphy

So good and simple to make. Add these peanut clusters to your baking list each Christmas.  Your friends and family will be jumping for joy!

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package dry roasted salted peanuts
1 (16 ounce) package dry roasted unsalted peanuts
1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate bits
1 (4 ounce) German chocolate bar
1 (32 ounce) white almond bark

Directions:

Put peanuts in bottom of crock pot. Add other ingredients.

Cook on low setting for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Stir ingredients 2 or 3 times during the allotted time.

Place rounded spoonfuls onto wax paper and allow to cool.

Recipe submitted by Michelle Morphy

Pumpkin Pecan Loaves

Pumpkin Pecan Loaves
Recipe submitted by Lani May Gumm

Ingredients:

3 1/3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Caramel Glaze:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, combine the pumpkin, oil, eggs and water; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Fold in the pecans.

Spoon into two greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

For glaze, combine butter, sugars, and cream in a saucepan. Cook until sugar is dissolved. Cool for 20 minutes. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle or spread over cooled tops of loaves.

Recipe submitted by Lani May Gumm

Black Olive Focaccia Bread

Black Olive Focaccia Bread

This bread is fun and easy to make. Your family will be impressed and they will love you forever!

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried or fresh rosemary
1 can (3.8 ounce) sliced black olives, drained
2 cups warm water

Extra olive oil, coarse sea salt and rosemary for sprinkling

Directions:

Place all the ingredients together in a stand-up mixer bowl, except the warm water.

Using a dough hook attachment, mix all the ingredients together while slowly adding the water. Mix the dough until it comes together and forms a sticky ball.

Place the dough ball inside a lightly oiled clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place a clean towel over the plastic wrap and let rise and double in size for about an hour or more.

Oil an 15 1/2 x 10 1/2-inch jelly-roll baking pan.

Deflate your dough and place it on the baking sheet. Using your hands to push, pull and press the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan. Once finished, cover the pan with a towel and let rise for another 20 minutes.

Use your fingertips to make dimples in the focaccia dough.

Drizzle olive oil over the dough and spread with a brush. Sprinkle rosemary and coarse sea salt over the top of your bread and let rise for another 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a pale golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing bread.

Chocolate - Orange Biscotti

Chocolate - Orange Biscotti

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 cup pecans, lightly toasted, coarsely chopped
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, chopped

Directions:

Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in a large bowl to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then Grand Marnier and orange peel. Add flour mixture and beat until blended. Stir in pecans and chocolate. Gather dough together; divide in half. Wrap in plastic and freeze 20 minutes to firm.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Using floured hands, form each dough piece into 14-inch long, 2 1/2-inch wide log. Transfer logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake until light golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer parchment with logs to rack. Cool 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Place 1 log on cutting board. Using serrated knife, cut log on diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices. Stand slices upright on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining log.

Bake biscotti until dry to touch and pale golden, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on rack.

Pumpkin Recipes

Pumpkin Recipes

Are you looking for some great pumpkin recipes? If yes, here are a few delicious recipes that you and your family will love.

Rum Glazed Pumpkin Cake
http://crowdedkitchen509.blogspot.com/2017/10/rum-glazed-pumpkin-cake.html

The Best Pecan Pie Ever!
http://crowdedkitchen509.blogspot.com/2012/04/pecan-pie.html

Aunt Ruth's Pumpkin Pie Cake
http://crowdedkitchen509.blogspot.com/2012/11/pumpkin-pie-cake.html

Down East Maine Pumpkin Bread
http://crowdedkitchen509.blogspot.com/2014/09/down-east-maine-pumpkin-bread.html

Libby's Pumpkin Roll
http://crowdedkitchen509.blogspot.com/2015/11/libbys-pumpkin-roll.html

Pumpkin Cheesecake Parfaits
http://crowdedkitchen509.blogspot.com/2015/10/pumpkin-cheesecake-parfaits.html

Maple - Glazed Pumpkin Spice Cake
http://crowdedkitchen509.blogspot.com/2014/11/maple-glazed-pumpkin-spice-cake.html

Maple - Glazed Pumpkin Spice Cake

Libby's Pumpkin Roll

Pumpkin Cheesecake Parfaits

Aunt Ruth's Pumpkin Pie Cake

Best Pecan Pie Ever

Rum Glazed Pumpkin Cake

Everyday Italian Recipes

Everyday Italian Recipes

I have some very exciting news.  As of November 3, 2016, the new Italian cooking blog "Everyday Italian Recipes" has arrived and is online. Please visit "Everyday Italian Recipes" and view the great tasting recipes. If you like what you see, please "like" and "share" the new blog.  Grazie!

Everyday Italian Recipes

http://everydayitalianrecipes.com/ 

Everyday Italian Recipes

Classic Chicken and Dumplings

Classic Chicken and Dumplings
Original recipe by Real Simple

This is a great and easy meal to make on a winters day. The original recipe called for 10 cups of water. I used 8 cups of low sodium chicken broth and 2 cups of water instead. I also ended up adding more salt and pepper than what the recipe directed.  

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
10 cups water
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus more for serving

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Brown in batches, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; reserve the pot.

Add the celery, carrots, onions, thyme, and garlic to the drippings in the pot and cook, stirring until the vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken, bay leaves and 10 cups water.  Bring to a simmer and cook until chicken is cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and transfer the chicken to a plate.  Shred the chicken with 2 forks and return it to the pot (discarding the skin and bones).

Whisk together 1/2 cup of the flour, 2 cups of the cooking liquid, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk the flour mixture back into the pot and simmer until slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.

Make the dumplings: Whisk together the remaining 2 cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the butter, buttermilk, and parsley. Reduce heat to low and drop the mixture into the broth in 8 large spoonfuls. Simmer, covered, until the dumplings are firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley.