Twice-Baked Potato Pizzas

Saturday mornings are always tired and lazy. It takes us 2 hours to get out of bed. I just made lunch, at 3:30.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, my twice baked potato pizzas.

Ingredients:

• 2 large baking potatoes (2)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (125ml)
• 1 cup shredded, Cheddar cheese (250ml)
• 6 slices pepperoni, chopped (6)
• 18 slices pepperoni (18)
• 2 tbsp pizza or pasta sauce (30ml)
• 2 tbsp butter (30ml)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Scrub potatoes and pierce with all over with a fork.
   
2. Wrap potatoes in wet paper towel. Place in microwave on high power setting for 7 minutes or until flesh is tender when pierced. Remove from microwave.
3. In a microwave safe bowl, melt 1 tbsp of butter, until soft and translucent (about 45 secs). Set aside.
   
4. In nonstick skillet add pepperoni and cook on med heat until crisp.
5. Cut potatoes lengthwise in half. Scoop out flesh, leaving a ¼ inch border, into a large bowl.
6. Mash potatoes. Add sour cream, ½ cup of the Cheddar cheese, butter, and chopped pepperoni. Season with salt and pepper.
   
7. Spoon mixture into potato skins.
   
8. Spread thin layer of tomato sauce on potao
9. Top with remaining Cheddar cheese and pepperoni slices.
10. Microwave for 3 minutes, or until heated through.

Recipe: Coconut Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Coconut Yellow Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour, stirred before measuring
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Cream sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half of the flour mixture then half of the milk.
Add vanilla and coconut extract. Mix until blended; add remaining flour and milk and beat until smooth. Fold in the coconut.

For the Pineapple:

1 medium pineapple, chopped into chunks
1 cup of firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter

Take brown sugar and butter and combine and melt in a saucepan on medium heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbly, 2-3 minutes. Pour mixture into a 10 inch diameter cake pan(that has been greased and floured)with 2 inch high sides. Arrange pineapple chunks in a single layer on top of the brown sugar mixture.
Pour batter over the the brown sugar mixture and pineapple.
Place cake middle of the oven and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, run a thin knife around the edge, and invert the cake onto a plate.

Recipe: Coffee Brownies

coffee brownies
Recipe from
Pete Bakes.

1 cup butter, soft
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2-3 Tbsp instant coffee

1. in a large bowl, blend together the butter and sugar.

2. add vanilla, eggs, melted chocolate, coffee, flour and chocolate chips.

3. pour into a greased and floured 9×13 inch pan and bake at 325 F for 35 minutes.

5. get giant glass of milk and devour brownies until food coma ensues.

Yes, I know there is no step 4, but it is not my recipe, so you figure it out.

Recipe: Homemade Samoas (a.k.a. Caramel de-Lites) Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
up to 2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (it’s possible you might not need to add milk at all). The dough should come together into a soft, not-too-sticky ball. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough is very sticky.
Roll the dough (working in two or three batches) out between pieces of wax paper to about 1/4-inch thickness (or slightly less) and use a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and use a knife, or the end of a wide straw, to cut a smaller center hole. Repeat with remaining dough. Alternatively, use scant tablespoons of dough and press into an even layer in a mini donut pan to form the rounds.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are set. If using a mini donut pan, bake for only about 10 minutes, until edges are light gold.
Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Topping
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 tsp per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it gets too firm to work with.

While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes about 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies.

Recipe: Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies

Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies
adapted from Carolyn Gurtz's Million Dollar Cookies

1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 package (16.5 ounces) Pillsbury Create' n Bake refrigerated peanut butter cookies, well chilled

Preheat oven to 375 degree.

In a small bowl, mix chopped peanuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

In another bowl, stir peanut butter and powdered sugar until completely blended. Shape the mixture into 24 1-inch balls.

Cut a roll of cookie dough into 12 slices. Cut each slice in half, crosswise to make 24 pieces; flatten slightly.

Shape one cookie dough piece around one peanut butter ball, covering completely. Repeat with remaining dough and balls.

Roll each covered ball in peanut mixture; gently pat the mixture completely onto the balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart.

Spray the bottom of a drinking glass with cooking spray. Flatten each ball to 1/4-inch thickness with the bottom of a glass. Sprinkle any remaining peanut mixture evenly on tops of cookies; gently press into the dough.

Bake 7 to 12 minutes (mine took eleven) or until edges are golden brown. Cool one minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Store tightly covered.