Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

From: Martha Stewart magazine

Ingredients:
3 cups AP flour
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
24 caramels, halved

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter; beat on medium speed until combined but some pea-size butter chunks remain. Add chocolate chips and beat until combined, then beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Scoop dough into 4-oz balls (about 1/3 cup); make a deep, wide hollow in each center. Enclose three pieces of caramel in each, roll back into a ball. Place 6 balls on each sheet. Freeze 15 minutes.

Bake, with one sheet on each rack, 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, swap sheet positions, and bake until centers are almost but not completely set (press gently on tops with your fingers to check), 7-10 minutes more. Remove from oven. Bang sheets on a counter a few times to create cracks in tops of cookies. Place sheets on a wire rack; let cool completely.

What we did differently:
I halved the recipe and I'm SO GLAD we did. These cookies were MASSIVE!! Other than that I didn't change anything, but I will give you a tip, because I've made a lot of stuffed cookies in my day. Make sure the dough completely covers the caramel on the oven, or the caramel will ooze out of the bottom of the cookie and make it fall apart easier.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Love, love! These are SO good and super easy to make!

Honey Cake

From: Southern Living cookbook 1992

Ingredients:
1 cup honey
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
1/2 cup hot water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer. Combine flour and next three ingredients; gradually add to honey mixture, mixing well.

Dissolve coffee granules in hot water and add to mixture, beating well. Stir in flavorings.

Pour into two greased and floured 9x5x3-inch loafpans.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar, pecans and cinnamon; sprinkle over loaves. Bake at 325 for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool loaves in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans, and let cool on a wire rack.

Verdict: Thumbs up!! First of all, obviously, this is not my picture. Apparently I forgot to take pictures of my finished project. This cake was SO good. I ate it for dessert and breakfast until it was gone. #noshame  It was still really good left over. And sometimes I warmed it in the microwave and melted butter on top. I will DEFINITELY make this again.

Chunky Macadamia Nut White Chocolate Cookies

From: Southern Living cookbook 1992

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup (6 oz) vanilla-milk morsels or 1 6-oz package white chocolate-flavored baking bars, cut into chunks
1 7-oz jar macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Beat butter at a medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugars, beating well. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in morsels and nuts; drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

What I did differently:
I used only a 4-oz bag of macadamia nuts and it was more than enough.

Verdict:
Well, these weren't terrible, but they didn't taste store-bought. In my opinion, they weren't moist enough and they weren't as sweet as I expected they would be. Honestly, if I were going to make them again (or if you are going to make them), I would double the recipe for the dough, and use the suggested amount of chips and nuts.

Hearty Hamburger Soup

From: Food.com

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
1 white onion, peeled and diced
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dry oregano
1/2 tsp dry basil
1/4 tsp seasoning salt
1 envelope onion soup mix
6 cups water, more to desired consistency
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 15-oz can corn, drained
1 cup celery, sliced
1/4 cup celery leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh carrot, sliced
1 cup white potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
garlic salt, to taste
parmesan cheese, to serve
sour cream, to serve

• Brown ground beef and onion in a large pot. Drain if needed.
• Add spices and onion soup mix.

• Stir in water, tomato sauce and soy sauce. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

• Add the rest of the ingredients up to the potatoes; bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 30 minutes. (Add more water if needed).

• Season to taste with garlic salt.

• Serve with shredded parmesan cheese and sour cream.

What I did differently:

I left out the onion soup mix because they were out at the store the day I went. I didn't do the celery leaves because I bought pre-cut celery sticks (convenience, hello!) Other than that, I didn't change a thing.

Verdict:

Thumbs up! Oh yeah, this was a GREAT soup, and so easy to make! The flavors blended perfectly. I love a good vegetable beef soup and this one did not disappoint!

Honey Grilled Tenderloins

From: Southern Living cookbook 1992

Ingredients:
2 pork tenderloins (about 3/4-lb each)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
5 cloves garlic, halved
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp honey
2 tsp dark sesame oil

Trim fat from tenderloins. Butterfly tenderloins by making a lengthwise cut in each, cutting to within 1/4 inch of other side. Place in a shallow container or large, heavy-duty, zip-top plastic bag. Combine soy sauce, ginger and garlic; pour over tenderloins. Cover or seal, and refrigerate at least 3 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove tenderloins from marinade. Combine sugar, honey and oil in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves.

Coat grill rack with cooking spray; place on grill over medium heat (about 350 degrees). Place tenderloins on rack, and brush with honey mixture. Cook 20 minutes or until the inside registers 165 degrees. Turn once while cooking and baste with honey mixture. (Note: the honey mixture will thicken as it cools, but should thin out really quickly when reheated).

What I did differently:
I didn't have time to marinate these. I thawed them yesterday but I wasn't home today with time to let them sit. So they sat for maybe 15 minutes in the garlic mixture. Honestly, it was FINE. I'm sure letting them sit in the marinade longer will also be delicious! Also, I didn't use tenderloins. We had some pork chop ends from the pig we bought last year, so I just sliced those up. I didn't grill them, either. I just popped them in the oven, on a grill rack, for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees, flipping them a couple of times and continuing to baste them.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I liked this a lot - everyone did, actually. This is a really thick cut of ham so I was afraid it would be a little dry and bland, but it wasn't. The flavor was great. I like a sweet flavor of marinade, so I definitely wouldn't mind letting them sit longer next time before I cook them, or even having a dipping sauce made from the honey/sugar mix. I will DEFINITELY make this again because it was so easy to make and it was a hit with everyone (which is tough!)

Appetizer Cheese Bake

From: Southern Living cookbook 1992

Ingredients:
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup mayonnaise
1/8 tsp pepper
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped onion

Combine first 3 ingredients; stir in cheese and onion. Spoon into a 1-quart souffle dish. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve immediately with crackers.

What I did differently:
I only used half of the onion.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! If you like things like a quiche, or souffle, you will like this dip. It doesn't have a "dip" texture. The egg pulls everything together like a quiche. I could see how you could actually make this into a really good breakfast bake - toss in some crumbled sausage, or peppers, ham, bacon, etc. Anyway, it was REALLY easy and I liked the flavor a lot, especially with the crackers. It's not my favorite I've had but it's one I'd make again.

Mexican Casserole

From: Southern Living 1992 cookbook

Ingredients:

1 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 15-oz can Mexican-style chili beans, undrained
1 10-oz can enchilada sauce
2-3 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup corn chips, crushed

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet until meat is browned, stirring to crumble meat; drain well.

Stir in macaroni, chili beans, and next 4 ingredients; spoon into a greased 2-quart casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes; sprinkle with cheese, and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Sprinkle corn chips on top.

What we did differently:
I didn't put the entire can of beans in, or the enchilada sauce, or the full amount of chili powder. I know my family doesn't do too much spicy, so I didn't want to blow them out of the water! I also only did Fritos on half the casserole, as you can see. Two of us like Fritos, and the others wanted plain casserole with a side of tortilla chips.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I will admit I didn't LOVE the macaroni texture, but my husband did. I did love the mix of flavors and it wasn't too spicy at all. I ate the leftovers today and it was actually tastier today than last night, I think. I would make this again but maybe even sprinkle on some shredded lettuce and pico de gallo at the very end.