Elephant Ears

 These are so easy!! Too easy!! Dangerously easy!! You've been warned!

Perfect with coffee or tea!

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar, divided
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and kosher salt and pour it over a flat surface such as a wooden board or marble slab. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar mixture.
Combine 12 cup of the sugar and the cinnamon and spread it evenly on the puff pastry. This is not about sprinkling, it's about an even covering of sugar. With a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough until it's a 13-inch square and the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on top and bottom. Fold the sides of the square toward the center so they go halfway to the middle. Fold them again so the two folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough. Then fold one half over the other half as though closing a book. You will have 6 layers. Slice the dough into 38-inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake the cookies for 6 minutes, or until caramelized and brown on the bottom, then turn with a spatula and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until caramelized on the other side. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Sweet Heart Cupcakes

Gotta love cupcakes on Valentine's Day. This little recipe is easy and yummy, plus people are surprised when they bite in. There are so many different toppings you could add; M&M's, pick candy corn, candy hearts; my favorite was the decorated oreos. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 40 Minutes Servings: 24

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix 1 1/4 cups water 1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 egg whites 8 drops red food coloring 2 drops raspberry candy oil

Directions:

1.	Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a standard muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
2.	Beat the cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and egg whites together on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium for 2 minutes, until smooth. Fill cupcake liners 1/3 full with white batter; set aside.
3.	Stir 4 drops of red food coloring into the remaining bowl of batter to make the batter pink, stir in the raspberry oil. Pour 1/2 of pink batter into a resealable plastic bag and set aside.
4.	Mix more food coloring into the remaining bowl of pink batter until it is an orange/red color and pour the batter into a resealable plastic bag. Cut a corner off the bag, stick the open tip into the center of each cup of white batter and squeeze in about two tablespoons of red batter.
5.	Cut the corner off the bag with the pink batter, stick the open tip into the center of the red batter and squeeze about 1 tablespoon pink batter into each cup.
6.	Bake the layered cupcakes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting. Top with your favorite frosting and decorate.

Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

My husband loves these cookies! After our bananas start to get a little brown he refuses to eat them so I pop them in the freezer. After I have about 4-5 I make a batch of these cookies. I use whole wheat flour and dark chocolate because I think they're a little better for you that way! :)  

Try them - I think you'll love them too!

 

3/4 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 c. mashed banana (2 very ripe and one slightly browned)
1 3/4 c. oatmeal (quick oats)
1 1/2 c. flour (I like whole wheat)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. all spice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Chocolate chips (I like dark!!)

Preheat over to 350*F

Cream together shortening and sugar, add egg & banana, stir in oats. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Add to wet ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips until combined. Use cookie scoop and drop onto ungreased cookie and bake for 8-10 min. Enjoy!