Lemon Bars

Crust:

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup applesauce

Mix well with fork and press into bottom of a well greased 9x9 pan.  Bake 10 minutes at 350. 

Filling:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 Tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
Yellow food coloring, if desired

Begin by blending applesauce and lemon juice with mixer.  Slowly add oil as you blend.  Add the remaining ingredients slowly, ending with baking powder.  Immediately pour batter onto crust and return to oven for 25-30 minutes (until just lightly browned on top). 

Cool in pan, sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve.

Via peanutallergy.com

America's Test Kitchen Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
1 lb elbow macaroni
1 Tbsp salt
6 Tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dry mustard, dissolved in 1 tsp water
1/4 tsp cayenne
6 Tbsp flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth (1 can)
1 lb Colby cheese, shredded (4 cups)
8 oz extra sharp cheddar, shredded (2 cups)
pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil.  Add salt and macaroni and cook for about 10 minutes, until tender but still firm.  Drain macaroni and leave in colander. 

In a large pot or saucepan, melt butter.  Add garlic, dry mustard dissolved in water, and cayenne and heat for about 30 seconds.  Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in milk and broth.  Bring to a simmer.  Cook, whisking often until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 6 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in cheeses until completely melted.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in drained macaroni, breaking up any clumps, until fully combined.

Pour into a 9x13 baking dish.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling around the edges.  Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.


From: A Bear in the Kitchen

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:

 

4 baking potatoes

1/2 cup flour

6 cups 1/% milk

1 1/4 cup cheddar, divided

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 cup light sour cream

3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

 

Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400 for 1 hour or until tender.  Allow to cool.  Slice in half and scoop insides into a bowl.  Discard the skins and break any large chunks into bite-sized or smaller pieces. 

 

Place flour into a large pot and gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended.  Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly, but do not bring to a full boil.  Add potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt and pepper.  Stir until cheese melts and remove from heat.  Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. 

 

Cook over low heat until soup is heated through out.  Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with bacon, remaining cheese, and remaining green onions. 

Pizza

Ingredients:

1 pkg yeast
1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp oregano

Dissolve yeast in warm water in medium bowl.  Stir in flour, oil, and salt.  Mix and knead until well combined.  Cover and let rest 20 minutes.  Move oven rack to lowest position.   Heat oven to 375.  Grease pizza pan.  Pat dough into pan.  Cover and let rise in warm place 30-45 minutes, or until almost double.  Bake 10-15 minutes at 375.  Spread with sauce and put on desired toppings.  Bake another 10 minutes, making sure cheese is bubbly.

Pumpkin Cream Pie

 

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 1/2 package graham crackers
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 stick butter, Melted

Filling:
1 (3 oz.) box Vanilla Cook and Serve pudding
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup heavy cream
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 cup, plus 3 Tbsp, canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cups additional heavy cream
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Crush graham crackers in a large ziploc bag.  Add powdered sugar and melted butter and mix well.  Press into the bottom and sides of a pie pan until nice and firm.  Bake 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven allow to cool completely.

In a medium saucepan, mix dry pudding mix with half-and-half and cream.  Add spices.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly and thick.  Remove from head and add pumpkin, stir to combine.  Place lid on pot and set aside to cool.  When cool enough, place pot in the fridge to cool completely. 

When mixture is cool, remove from the fridge.  In a mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup heavy cream and brown sugar.  Beat until very light and fluffy.  Fold in pumpkin cream mixture until combined.  Pour into cooled crust.  Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours.  Serve with graham crackers crumbled on top. 

Via: Pioneer Woman

Rainbow Cake

2 boxes yellow or white cake mix
2 16 ounce cans of Sprite
Gel food coloring in rainbow colors

Mix the dry cake mixes with the two cans of Sprite.  When batter is mixed, separate into seven separate bowls.   Add enough gel food coloring to each bowl to make each color of the rainbow (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple). 

Pour each color batter in rainbow order into a 9-inch round cake pan.  Repeat with a second 9-inch round cake pan, this time pouring the batter in reverse color order.  Bake as instructed by the box (perhaps adding 5-10 minutes cooking time as needed).  Cool 5 minutes, then turn out cakes onto wire rack.  Cool completely.  Layer rounds with a layer of frosting between on a cake plate and frost and decorate cake.

Five Minute Fudge

Ingredients:

2/3 cup evaporated milk

2 Tbsp butter

1 2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups mini marshmallows

1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

In sauce pan over medium heat, combine milk, butter, sugar, salt.  Bring to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add marshmallows, chocolate chips, and vanilla.  Pour into buttered 8-inch square pan.  Let cool in refrigerator, cut into squares.