Apple Bread & Reese's Peanut Butter Banana Bread

This is your lucky day folks! To cap off our week long celebration of delectable delights, we have two recipes for you. The first one is my very own Apple Bread - a bread so sweet it's hard to even call it a bread. Then as your bonus for being good little boys & girls, I have for you Reese's Peanut Butter Banana Bread. Yes, it is as awesome as it sounds and just as tasty.

Apple Bread Recipe:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking power
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 can of Apple Pie Filling
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup butter 1 stick (melted)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt into a large bowl then set aside. Combine the apple pie filling, vanilla extract & milk into another bowl then mash together. Using a kitchen mixer or handheld mixer,  beat together the melted butter & sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until blended well. Reduce the speed then add the flour mixture followed by the apple mixture. Stop occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Spray the loaf pan with Pam for baking. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove to rack to cool then enjoy.

The Reese's Peanut Butter Banana Bread comes to us from http://cookiesandcups.com. I made this, and my friends literally started to drool from the smell. It's stupid crazy good and just as easy to make. I really hope you try them both. They make really good gifts! 

Reese's Peanut Butter Banana Bread Recipe:

• 3 very ripe bananas (mashed)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 oz bag of Reese’s Mini cups

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl sift together your flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, then set the mixture aside. In a large bowl mash together your bananas, peanut butter, oil, egg and sugars. Mix together both your wet & dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the Reese's cups - your batter will be slightly lumpy. Spray your loaf pan with the Pam for baking. Bake for approx 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you like mint this is your lucky day. This cookie is so full of win! You will savor every bite. I found it on the Betty Crocker website in their cookie index.  I wanted something that reminded me of the holidays, and I love that you can still see bits of the candy cane Hershey Kiss in the cookie.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe:

• 1 pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix 1.5oz
• 1/2 cup one stick of butter (melted)
• 1 egg
• 6-8 drops of green food coloring
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
• 20 Candy Cane Hershey Kisses (unwrapped & chopped)

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

The original recipe called for  mint extract, but I couldn't find any. Instead I melted butter and added 4 of the Candy Cane Hershey Kisses. That became mint butter & acted as the mint extract. In a large bowl I mixed together cookie mix, mint butter, food coloring, and egg until a soft dough formed. Then I stirred in the chocolate chunks and peppermint kisses.

The dough was sticky, so I used two spoons to drop it onto the ungreased cookie sheet. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until they set. I let them cool then removed the cookies from the cookie sheet to a wire rack. They can be served warm or cooled completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature. For a little something extra you can drizzle them with chocolate. 

Candy Cane Kiss Brownie Bites

This recipe is brought to us by the http://picky-palate.com. I wanted to do a brownie recipe this week & this one spoke to me. I always look forward to using my mini muffin tin so when I saw that the brownie's were bite sized, I was sold. The Hershey Kisses can be found in the holiday candy isle of any store. I got mine at Kroger & paid $5 for 2 bags .

Candy Cane Kiss Brownie Bites Recipe:

• 1 Brownie Mix 9×13 inch size
• 24  Candy Cane Hershey Kisses (unwrapped)
• 1/2 Cup chocolate chips
• 2 Tablespoons of Heavy Cream (or whatever milk you have)
• 1 egg
• 2 Tablespoons of water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 original candy canes (crushed)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together brownie mix according to the package directions. Make sure to chill the muffin tin then spray it with Pam for baking. If your muffin tin is warm the spray will not stick well. I put mine in the freezer for a few minutes before I needed it. Spoon the batter 3/4 the way full. Take unwrapped Kisses & press into the center of the brownie mix. Do not push them all the way to the bottom, some of the tip should be sticking out the top. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until brownies are cooked through.  Let cool completely before removing from tin.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave 30 second intervals until smooth and melted.  Stir in cream until silky smooth.  You can place back in microwave for 10 seconds to smooth more if needed. I then use a spoon to put the chocolate on top of each brownie. Spread it around evenly on the top of the brownie then sprinkle with the crushed candy cane. These things are oh my goodness good. You will make this one a part of you recipe box for sure!

Pistachio Cranberry Cookie

Day two's recipe is a very colorful Christmas cookie. I found this recipe on the Betty Crocker website in their cookie index. I really like Pistachios & the recipe was easy to prepare. I had to hunt a bit for the shelled Pistachios. I found them in the nut & popcorn isle in the grocery store. They were $9 for a jar but this cookie is worth every penny spent.

Pistachio Cranberry Cookie Recipe:

• 1 pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix 1.5oz
• 1 box Pistachio instant pudding & pie filling mix 
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup one stick of butter (melted)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup dry-roasted salted pistachio nuts ( rough chopped)
• 1/2 cup  cup dried cranberries (chopped)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl mix together the cookie mix, pudding mix, & flour. Stir in the melted butter & eggs until a soft dough forms. Add in the pistachios & cranberries; mix well.

This dough will be sticky so I used two teaspoons to drop it onto the cookie sheet. Place about two inches apart on a ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until the edges are a slight golden brown. You do want to watch this because overcooking can cause the cookie to loose it's pale green color. Remove to a wire wrack to cool then enjoy.  Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Cookie Caramel Cups

This week is dedicated to our inner fat kid. Holidays are the perfect time to give into your every sweet tooth desire. I'm starting the week off with a classic in our family. If you know me odds are at some point you have had this delicious cookie. My friend Jen introduced me to this cookie years ago. Since then I have adopted it as my own. It's so easy to make. It makes about 48 cookies & cost around $10 per batch. The caramel cups I get from Walmart in the candy isle of the grocery section. I use these in place of  peanut butter cups for a unexpected bite. I put the cookies in Chinese take out boxes you can get from Michael's as gifts.

 To get started you need a 24 Cup Mini Muffin Tin. Paper liners you can get almost anywhere. I got mine at Michael's - they usually have a cute selection. They run about $2 for a package of 100. I like to use chocolate chip cookie dough, but I have also experimented with Oatmeal & Molasses. They both work well.

Cookie Caramel Cup Recipe:

•  1 Package of Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie mix 17.5oz .
• 2 Bags of Great Value Creamy Caramel Cups 12oz (papers removed)
•  1 stick (1/2 cup) butter (softened)
•  1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix cookie dough ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Line the muffin tin with paper liners. Roll a ball of cookie dough in your hand no bigger than a large marble. Fill all of the paper liners with the cookie dough balls then bake for 15 minutes. You want them to be a light brown when they come out. Wile they are hot put in the caramel cup in the middle of each cookie. Let them cool then remove to a cooling wrack. The tops of the caramel cups will take some time to firm back up.Once they have it's time to dig in.

Here are two examples of how I box the cookies to give as gifts. They were both purchased at Michael's. The take out boxes are $1 per box. The ginger bread boxes come 3 to a package & were around $3. 

Stacy's Pet Sitting Food Drive

I had to share this because I am so proud of my clients. We did a food drive for the Atlanta Community Food Bank. I delivered the food yesterday cause I was running out of room to keep it all. It weighed out to 191lbs worth of food. They told me it was enough to feed a 4 person family for up to 2 months. It made my heart swell to know we helped make a difference.

What does Kitchen Inked mean?

In case you were wondering what Everything but the Kitchen sINK means, it's a homage to the fact I have tattoos. I love the art & the lifestyle of tattoos. I think it's great that they are becoming more acceptable in today's society. They are not just for bikers & sailors anymore. I am a small business owner & my clients love all of my tattoos. This one is my arm piece. Most all of my artwork is done by Neil Worth at Forever Yours Tattoo Gallery.

At this point I want to add my shameless plug of the day. If you live in the North Georgia area you should check out my artist Neil Worth at Forever Yours Tattoo Gallery in Douglasville, GA. He is amazing at design & the art of tattooing.
http://foreveryourstattoogallery.com/

Spinach Cheesy Stuffed Shells

This is one of the first recipes I ever made up myself. It was the only way I could get my husband to eat something green. The great thing about this recipe is that it can feed a crowd for under $15.00 & usually have leftovers. I like to use fresh spinach but you can use the frozen. Just make sure to thaw & drain it really well. I also use ground sausage but you can substitute that for turkey or ground beef. If you can not find the ground sausage then buy the links & remove the casings. You can really customize it to suite your taste buds. To save time you can use whatever jar of sauce you like. I make a simple sauce that is easy to put together. 

Stacy's Simple Sauce

• 1 large can 1lb of crushed tomatoes
• 1 small 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes
• minced garlic
• Italian style bread crumbs (I use in place of tomato paste)
• olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Stuffed Shells Filling

• 1 package 16oz ground sausage
• 1 container Ricotta cheese 15oz
• 1 large egg
• 1 large box of shell noodles 12oz
• 1 bag fresh spinach 5oz
• 1 large bag of mozzarella 16oz

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

 For the Noodles: Add water to a large pot & salt well. This will add flavor to the noodles. Make sure to do this at the beginning of the cooking process. Bring to a boil then add noodles. Make sure to stir often so the noodles do not stick. Once the noodles have become al dente,  drain & set aside to cool.

For Stacy's Simple Sauce: Heat olive oil in a sauce pot on medium high heat. Then saute the garlic for no longer then 2 minutes. Make sure to not brown the garlic because it will become bitter. Then add in the diced tomatoes, cooking for a few minutes.  Add in the crushed tomatoes, and reduce the heat to a simmer. I like to add bread crumbs to thicken the sauce, but you can add tomato paste if you prefer. I like the richness the breadcrumbs add. Cover & simmer on low until needed.

 For The Cheesy Stuffed Shells: Brown the sausage in a skillet then drain. Put it in a large mixing bowl & set aside. If you are using the fresh spinach then chop it up in a blender or food processor. I broke my food processor, so I had to use my blender. Add a few leaves at a time, and to help with the mixing I put in a bit of the pasta water. Once all of the spinach is chopped up or made into a nice paste, add it to the sausage in the mixing bowl. Then add in the whole container of the ricotta, the egg, & half the bag of the mozzarella. The other half will be used to top the shells. Salt & pepper to taste. At this point you are ready to stuff the shells. Squeeze the shell open & spoon in the spinach mixture. Then line them in a 9x13 inch pan.

 Once you have filled all the shells, ladle the sauce over all of the shells then top with the remainder of the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20min or until the cheese is good & melted. Take out of the oven to cool then enjoy :)