Andes Mint Cheesecake

CRUST

1 1/2 c. crushed Oreos (about 22)
2 T sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted

Mix and press into the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9" spring-form pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

FILLING

1/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 a package of Andes mints
1/4 c. whipping cream
4 8oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. baking cocoa
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

In a small bowl or double boiler melt chocolate chips and mints.  Add 1/4 c. whipping cream and stir until well blended. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until there are no lumps. Add the baking cocoa and beat on low until blended. Add eggs and stir until blended. Add the reserved chocolate mixture and 1 tsp. of vanilla and stir until blended. Pour into crust.

Bake 45-50 minutes or until the center is almost set; small cracks begin to appear around the edges of the cheesecake.

TOPPING

1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 package Andes mints

Melt chocolate chips and Andes mints as before. Stir in cream and vanilla, mix well. Spread over filling. Cool before covering in any way. Refrigerate overnight.

Before removing from the pan run a knife around the edge to loosen. Just before serving garnish with whipped cream and/or additional Andes mints.

Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookie Bars (two peas & their pod blog)

ingredients:

2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips
10 ounces caramel candy squares, unwrapped
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Sea salt, for sprinkling over caramel and bars

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart baking pan (which is an 11 X 7 pan-I used a glass Pyrex dish) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the melted butter and sugars together until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low, just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the caramels and heavy cream. Microwave caramels on High until caramels are melted, stirring every 20 seconds. This will take about 2 minutes, depending on your microwave.

5. Divide the cookie dough in half. Press half of the cookie dough into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula. Pour hot caramel over the cookie dough. Sprinkle caramel with sea salt. Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough over the caramel and spread dough with a spatula until the caramel is covered. Sprinkle the bars with additional sea salt.

6.Bake cookie bars for 30 minutes or until the top of the bars are light golden brown and the edges start to pull away from the pan. Cool bars on a wire rack to room temperature. Cut bars into squares and serve.

YIELD:  24 bars; 1 = 7 PP

Mama's Basic Shortbread Dough (linked from Facebook)

Ingredients

4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 lb butter (4 sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Directions
Preheat oven to 325F.
Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
Using a mixer, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla to a smooth consistency.
Add flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time to butter mixture - use a low setting on your mixture - until all flour is mixed.
Drop by the spoon/scoopful onto a cookie sheet or baking stone.
Bake for 20 minutes at 325F.

To change things up, stir in any kind of chip, nut, or sprinkle you'd like to use. I mixed in one bag of mini chocolate chips for the batch in the picture. (YUM!) My mama likes to make them with pecans mixed in or with a Hersheys' Kiss pressed into the center. At Christmas time, the kiddos and I make some with colored jimmies mixed in and others we'll roll in sprinkles or jimmies and then bake. Use your imagination!

Mom's Pimento Dip

4 oz. pimentos, chopped
8 oz. cream cheese
1 small onion, chopped
18-20 green olives, chopped
3 egg yolks
3 T sugar
3 T milk
1 T vinegar
1 T mayonnaise

In a small pot combine egg yolks, sugar and milk.  Cook over medium heat until thick.  Stir in 1 T vinegar.

Combine egg yolk mixture with remaining ingredients; mix well with a mixer.  Chill at least 1 hour.

Great with veggies or crackers.

Five Way Cincinnati Chili (Weight Watchers)

1 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground skinless turkey breast
1 T chili powder
1 T paprika
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne
15 1/2 oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed and drainked
14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies **
1 c. water
2 tsp. cider vinegar
12 oz. whole wheat spaghetti
12 T shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
2 scallions, diced (I use red onion)

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring until onion is softened.  Add turkey and cook until no longer pink.  Stir in spices and cook, stirring about 1 minutes, or until fragrant.

Stir beans, tomatoes, water, and vinegar into the pot.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until chili is sickly thickened, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions.  Drain.  Divide evenly among 6 large shallow bowls.  Top evenly with chili and sprinkle 2 T cheese over each serving.  Serve with scallions.

YIELD:  6 servings (1 c. spaghett and about 1 1/2 c. chili)  1 serving = 11 PP
              1 1/2 c. of chili, with nothing else, is 5 PP

I've served this over pasta, rice, cornbread and baked potatoes. It's our new favorite chili!  It freezes beautifully and is yummy leftover.


**I use a can of fire roasted tomatoes and a can of diced green chilies.

Mexican Brown Rice Casserole ~ WW website

4 c. cooked brown rice
1 1/4 c. fat free salsa
1 tsp. cumin
15 oz. canned refried beans
10 oz. corn kernels, thawed
4 oz. canned green chili peppers, diced
1 T chili powder
10 oz. chopped frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry
3/4 c. low fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 T cilantro, fresh, chopped (for garnish...optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine rice, salsa and cumin.  Spoon 2 cups of rice mixture into prepared baking dish and spread out to evenly cover bottom of dish.

In another large bowl combine refried beans, corn, chili peppers and chili powder.  Spread on top of rice and smooth out top.

Spread spinach over top next and then top with 6 T of cheddar cheese.  Top with the remaining rice mixture and smooth out top; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake until heated through and cheese is browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with cilantro if desired.

YIELD:  6 servings; 1 serving = 8 WW PP

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies ~ Taste of Home

1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. coconut extract
1 c. plus 2 T flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. flaked coconut

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Beat in egg and coconut extract; mix well.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips and coconut.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2" apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 375F for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

YIELD:  1 1/4 dozen cookies