My mom found a good deal on some yummy cheeses the other day and she shared with me. One kind she gave me was a pepper-jack that was screaming for me to use on some breadsticks. And when cheese screams, I listen. This was GOOD!! I served it alongside some chicken we had, but next time...it's pasta all the way, baby!

Pepper-Jack Breadsticks

2 tablespoons Olive Oil
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk – warmed to 110 degrees
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 package instant yeast
½ teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 200 degrees. Once oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off.

Lightly grease a large bowl with cooking spray. .

Mix warm milk, sugar, and Olive Oil in a measuring cup. Mix flour, yeast, and salt in a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture to flour mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium-low and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, gently shape into a ball and place in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the warm oven for about 30 minutes.

Spread risen dough onto a pizza stone. Place back in the oven and allow to rise for another 30 minutes. Remove pizza from oven.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Topping for dough:

3 tablespoons butter - melted
2 cloves garlic
2 cups grated pepper-jack cheese

Combine melted butter and garlic. Spread over dough. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes then slice into strips. Serve with marinara dipping sauce.

 
Here are the ingredients.


 
Mix together the warm milk, olive oil and sugar.


 
Add that to the flour, yeast and salt in the mixing bowl.


 
After the dough has come together, 
knead it in the machine for about 5 minutes.


 
Place the dough in a greased 
bowl and cover with plastic wrap.


 
Allow it to double in size...about 30 minutes.


 
Then spread it onto your pizza stone or cookie sheet. 
Allow it to rise for another 30 minutes.


 
Then spread the butter/garlic mixture over the dough, 
and sprinkle with the grated cheese.


 
Bake it up!!


 
Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes then slice.


 
Serve!!

I love a good muffin, don't you? Sometimes there's nothing that hits the spot more than a muffin warm from the oven. And these little guys are perfect in every way. They're easy to throw together and taste cinnamon-y and delicious! Make 'em big...make 'em small. They freeze great, too!

Cinnamon Spice Muffins

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare muffin tins with muffin cups.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and butter and beat well.

Add eggs and beat another minute or so.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir with a whisk to combine.

Add the flour and buttermilk alternately to the egg mixture, beginning and ending with flour.

Divide mixture into 12- 15 muffin cups. Sprinkle with nut topping. (recipe follows)

 
Here's what you'll need. 
I don't normally keep buttermilk on hand 
but I DO keep this buttermilk stuff 
in my fridge for recipes. Works great!! 
You can find it the baking aisle of the grocery store.


 
Combine the butter and sugar well. 
Then add the eggs and beat well.


 
Mix in the dry ingredients.


 
You want a smooth batter like this.


 
Plop the batter into your muffin cups.


Nut topping

1 cup sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle over muffin batter in cups.

Bake muffins for 20 - 25 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Makes 12 - 15 regular sized muffins or 6 - 8 large. (If making large muffins, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 5 - 10 minutes longer.)

 
Here's what you'll need for the topping.


 
Mix it well then sprinkle by generous 
amounts over the muffins. 
The muffin tops will expand and you want 
to make sure you have enough topping 
over the entire surface of the muffin.


 
See? Like this. 
You might think you're over doing it, but you're not. 
Trust me.

 
See? I told you!

I was looking for something fun to make for ice cream. I saw a tv show the other day where these little cups were done but they used store bought cookie dough. I have a sugar cookie recipe that I love that worked great for these little guys. This is something fun to make for a kids party but we enjoyed them just to snack on. We ate some and I put the rest in the freezer so I can pull them out for a quick little "something sweet" when I don't have time for a full-on dessert. The options are endless when it comes to making them, decorating them and filling them. So fun!

Sugar Cookie Cups

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tarter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream sugars with butter and shortening.

Add egg mix well.

Add dry ingredients and mix well then add vanilla.

Scoop into 1 inch balls and place dough balls into well greased mini muffin tins.

With the end of a wooden spoon, press dough down slightly.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until light golden brown. Do not underbake as you want the cookie cups to be sturdy enough to get out of the pan and to hold their shape. The cookies will puff up in the oven so you may have to use your wooden spoon again to achieve the cup shape while they are fresh out of the oven.

Allow cookie cups to cool for 10 minutes, then with a knife, gently remove them from the pan and allow to cool on cookie rack.

Place 1 cup of chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl and heat chips at 30 second intervals until melted.

Dip the tops of each cookie cup into melted chocolate, then dip into chopped nuts, non-perils, sprinkles or any decor you like, if desired. Allow chocolate to harden then add one small scoop of ice cream. Sprinkle with more decorations and serve with a little drizzle of ice cream topping. And a cherry! Don't forget the cherry!

The ingredients. DISREGARD THE 

BAKING POWDER!! THAT SHOULD 

BE CREAM OF TARTER!!!

 

Combine the sugars and 

butter and shortening.

 

Add the egg.

 

The add the dry ingredients, 

then the vanilla and mix well.

 

In small muffin tins, put a scoop of the dough in each cup. 

If you don't have one of these handy dandy little tools, 

don't worry. Just use the handle of a wooden spoon.

 

Here are two little cups. 

The left one was made with my little tool 

and the right one was done with a wooden spoon handle.

 

Bake 'em up! 

Make sure they get a little more 

done so they hold up. Let them cool in the 

pan before taking them out. See how they've puffed up? 

I took my tool and mashed them down 

again while they were still hot.

 

Melt your chocolate chips and get your sprinkles ready.

 

Turn the cookie cup upside down 

and dip the tops into the chocolate.

 

Then dip them into the sprinkles of your choice.

 

Look at all these cuties!!

 

So fun!! I love these!!!