Soft Sugar Cookie Bars with Buttercream Frosting

I wasn't sure what to make for our Valentine's treats to pass out to friends this year, but I did know life has been extra crazy so we needed to keep it simple. Then I saw these guys on Cassie Craves and knew they would be perfect. What I didn't know is just how absolutely AMAZING they would really be. They are completely addictive so be sure you are sharing them with someone!!! (I doubled the dough recipe but still had enough frosting from one batch to frost them both) I think I may be making these for every holiday from now on :-)!

INGREDIENTS:
For the bars:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
For the frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a jelly roll pan (15 x 10 x 1) (I used a regular baking pan so mine were a little thicker) with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
2. In a mixer, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together. Add in egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
3. With mixer on low, add flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix until just combined.
4. Press dough evenly into your prepared pan. The dough will be sticky. (it's very sticky, I put my hand in a baggie and sprayed it with some cooking spray to push it into the pan)
5. Bake for 20 minutes until edges begin to golden. Cool completely before frosting.
6. To make the frosting, cream together the butter and vanilla. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar and the pinch of salt. Once smooth and creamy, add in heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, then beat at medium-high speed for a minute or two until light and fluffy. If desired, add food coloring and beat until combined.

"Burrito" Chicken Enchiladas

These were de-licious and they are huge! One is plenty, even for someone who eats a lot like me :-), so with it making 6 you are sure to have plenty of leftovers as well. I found the recipe on The Recipe Club and especially loved the sauce. It is a slightly more tangy and spicy Cafe Rio dressing. I will definitely be making these again. We hadn't had Mexican-style food in way too long and these hit the spot!

{Santa Fe lime rice}
1 cup rice, either long grain or basmati
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
juice of 1/2 lime
2 TBSP butter
1/4 tsp cumin
1/3 cup cilantro
melt butter in a pot & add all seasonings & cilantro. add rice & cook over medium heat for 2 minutes stirring constantly. add stock & lime juice return to simmer, turn to heat to low. cover & cook about 30 minutes.
set aside.

{chicken}
1 pound chicken, cooked & shredded (I used 1 can chicken and warmed it in a skillet with a little taco seasoning)
you can cook the chicken any way you want. My favorite way is to boil it on the stove, it takes about 25 minutes. I have also cooked it in the crockpot for about 3 hours on high, or just cut up one of the already made chickens from Costco.

{sauce}
1 cup salsa verde
1 package buttermilk ranch
1/3 cup cilantro
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayo
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 Tbls fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 cup sugar
Put in a blender and blend away
( I usually do one and a half of this for the six burritos. I love the sauce so I like more of it then the recipe calls for.)


{Burritos}
6 burrito size tortillas
shredded cheese
1- 15 oz can black beans, drained
rice, recipe above
Put the chicken, rice, beans and cheese in the tortillas. wrap them up cover them with sauce and then put them in the oven on 350 for 40 min covered with tin foil, then I take the tin foil off sprinkle more cheese on top and then cook them for another 10 minutes. Top with sour cream, guacamole, and/or pico!

Quinoa Breakfast Idea

Yes, I'm obsessed with quinoa! I have been using it instead of rice for nearly everything and then saw this idea on Tickle My Palate. It is a perfect breakfast for these chilly mornings...like gluten free oatmeal! Top it how you like, but this is what I used.

quinoa cooked per package directions

a bit of milk

a drizzle of agave nectar or honey

Dried cranberries

nuts (I used a mixture from a trail mix I had on hand)

Greek Pastitsio Casserole

I saw this recipe recently on Mel's Kitchen Cafe and was excited to try it. It has been awhile since we had a pasta dish and I LOVE creamy sauces! She adapted it from a Cooking Light recipe so the nutrition info isn't exact, but it still gives a ball-park idea. The kids weren't crazy about the sauce, but Mike and I both really liked it...especially me :-)! (and I totally forgot to add the parsley at the end)

INGREDIENTS:
12 ounces penne pasta (I used gluten-free)
1 pound ground turkey or ground sirloin (I used turkey)
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (from about 1 large onion)
5 garlic cloves, finely minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I used cornstarch)
8 ounces light cream cheese
2 cups milk, 1% works great
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (I used 2%)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS:
Coat a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat the broiler.
In a large pot of lightly salted, boiling water, cook the penne pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add beef or turkey to the pan with the diced onions and 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring to break up the meat into small pieces, until the meat is cooked through. Drain excess grease from the meat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another minute or so. Sprinkle the flour over the meat mixture, stirring to combine, and cook for 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Add the cream cheese in pieces, scattering it over the meat. Let it melt into the meat and stir to combine. Whisk or stir in the milk, nutmeg and tomatoes. Stir to combine well and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook 5-6 minutes until the mixture is slightly thickened and is thoroughly heated through.

Stir in the pasta and spoon the pasta mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the pasta and broil for about 3-5 minutes (watching carefully so it doesn’t burn!). Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Let it stand fora bout 5 minutes before serving.


Serving Size: 1 1/3 cups *Calories: 431 *Fat: 15.9g *Protein: 27.8g *Carbohydrate: 41.9g *Cholesterol: 61mg *Sodium: 679mg *Calcium: 289mg

Grammy's Loaded Veggie Salad

This salad is amazing! My grandma brought it to our Super Bowl party and I couldn't get enough of it! I will definitely be using it in the future...maybe for a baby shower coming up or having friends over for lunch...or for any occasion I can think of :-). It makes a huge salad, so if you are making it just for your family, you may want to halve it, or keep the dressing separate.

Ingredients:
2 7oz mixed greens
2 lge. Avocados
L lge. Cucumber
½ (10oz.) package shredded carrots
¾ C. dried cranberries
½ C. sliced almonds, toasted
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese with herbs (I used a little more and didn’t use cheese with herbs)
Kosher salt to taste ( I didn’t add salt)
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Dressing:
1 (0.7 ounce) package Italian dressing mix
½ Cup vegetable oil
¼ Cup balsamic vinegar
2 T. sun dried tomatoes chopped
Croutons (optional I didn’t use)

Valentine Chex Mix

My mom brought this tasty treat for one of our Super Bowl snacks on Sunday. It was so cute and SO delicious. I loved that it wasn't too sweet...so you could eat even more of it :-)! She had posted it on her blog earlier in the week and I had really been wanting to make it, so I was especially excited to see it when they showed up!

Ingredients:
9 cups Rice Chex cereal
1 cup white vanilla baking chips
½ cup peanut butter
¼ cup butter or margarine
¾ cup powdered sugar
½ cup red, white and pink candy-coated chocolate candies
¼ cup red or pink jimmies sprinkles

Directions:
♥Step 1: In large bowl, place cereal. In small microwavable bowl, microwave baking chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.
♥Step 2: Place 1/2 of the cereal mixture in 1-gallon food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes.
♥Step 3: Meanwhile, stir candies and sprinkles into remaining cereal mixture. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes.
♥Step 4: In serving bowl, mix both cereal mixtures. Store in airtight container.

Crock Pot Chicken La Criolla

This another tasty, yet healthy, recipe from Skinnytaste. After a week of not feeling like cooking in the kitchen, this one seemed easy enough even for me in my lazy state. We did need to add salt when we ate it, but overall it was really good. I ate mine over quinoa and loved it!

Ingredients:
10 (2 lbs) skinless boneless chicken thighs (I used 3 large breasts)
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 bell pepper, chopped or sliced
4 plum tomatoes
2 tbsp alcaparrado or pitted spanish olives (I left out)
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cumin
salt to taste
1-2 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (plus 2 tbsp more for serving)

Directions:
Place chicken, onion, garlic, pepper and tomatoes in the crock pot. Season with salt, cumin and oregano. Mix well so everything is seasoned.
Add tomato sauce, alcaparrado (or olives) along with 1 tbsp of the brine, 1/2 cup water, bay leaf and cilantro.
Mix well and set crock pot to HIGH 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours. When done, taste for salt and seasoning and adjust spices as needed.
Add 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro and serve over rice.

Servings: 5 • Size: 2 thighs + vegetables & sauce • Points: 5 pts Calories: 211 • Fat: 6.2 g • Protein: 28.8 g • Carb: 9.9 g • Fiber: 1.9 g • Sugar: 2.1 g Sodium: 447 mg (without salt)

Quinoa and Grilled Corn Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

I have tried a couple recipes lately that I was disappointed in, which is never fun. You feel like you have wasted time and money on the ingredients, not to mention not getting to enjoy a yummy dinner! Well, this was just the change I needed to get me wanting cook again. I saw this recipe on The Sister's Cafe and couldn't wait to try it. It is perfect for lunch with girlfriends and for dinner too (I grilled some chicken to go with it for dinner). I will definitely be making it again soon and I loved my addition of the black beans because it made it a little more filling. SOOO good!!!

Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked Quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to package directions
5 ears of corn, husk removed, brush with olive oil and grilled, remove corn with sharp knife (I put under broiler in oven for a bit)
2 avocados, diced and sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning
2 cups tomatoes, red and yellow cherry variety or equivalent
1 small red onion, finely diced (I'll just use 1/2 next time)
¾ cups feta cheese, crumbled
1 ½ cups english cucumber, skin on and chopped small dice
(I added one can black beans, rinsed and drained)
2 TB of chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Add to a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cilantro Vinaigrette
6 T. Olive oil
2 T. Sherry vinegar
1 tsp. Garlic powder
2 T. Fresh cilantro, minced
½ tsp. Salt
10 Grinds of fresh ground pepper
Add all of the above ingredients in a small glass jar with a lid. Shake really well. Taste and adjust seasoning as you desire.
When ready to serve salad, add the dressing and gently toss.

Potato-Cheddar Soup

This soup was in an issue of Better Homes and Gardens last year and our rainy days have had me wanting warm comforty types of food. Potato soup is one of my favorites and this one was super easy because you use a bag of hashbrowns instead of dicing all the potatoes! I don't know why I had never thought of this before, so smart! We added crumbled turkey bacon to the top and some extra FF cream cheese I had in the fridge. It was so yummy!

Ingredients:
1 28-oz pkg. frozen diced hash brown potatoes with onions and peppers
1 c chopped miniature sweet peppers (I used a red bell pepper)
3 c FF half-and-half
1/2 t salt
1/2 t curry powder
1/8 to 1/4 t cayenne pepper (I used 1/4)
6 oz cheddar cheese, shredded (I used 2%)
(I also added 2 oz FF cream cheese)

Directions:
1. In 4-qt Dutch oven (or any big pot) combine potatoes, sweet peppers, half-and-half, salt, curry powder, cayenne and 1/2 c water. Bring to just boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, over medium heat 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Carefully transfer about half of soup mixture to a blender; add 1/2 c water (I didn't add water here) and blend until nearly smooth. Return to Dutch oven; stir to combine. Cook and stir over low heat until heated through. Stir in cheese until melted.
3. Top servings with sliced sweet peppers and parsley (and turkey bacon :-). Makes 4 2-cup servings.

Serving size: 2 cups, calories: 438, fat: 17g, Chol: 54mg, Sodium: 883mg, Carbs: 53g, Fiber: 5g, Protein: 19g

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

A couple weeks ago when I was at Sams Club I saw the Cooking Light Best One-Dish meals special edition magazine and I couldn't resist it. I have marked probably 3/4 of the recipes to try and this was the first one I actaully made. It was super flavorful, pretty spicy and warm and cheesy like I love...but without all the guilt :). I can't wait to try more!

Ingredients:
* 4 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned (I used 1 can chicken)
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
* 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
* 1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 2 cups chopped onion, divided
* 6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
* 1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
* 2/3 cup salsa verde
* 1/4 cup water
* 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeño pepper
* 9 (6-inch) corn tortillas
* 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used 2%)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side. Place skillet in oven; bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 15 minutes. Remove meat from bones; shred. Discard bones. Place chicken in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, corn, and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper) to chicken; toss to combine.
3. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup onion; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 3 garlic cloves; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add onion mixture to chicken mixture; stir to combine.
4. Combine remaining 1 1/2 cups onion, remaining 3 garlic cloves, broth, salsa, 1/4 cup water, and jalapeño in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Carefully pour mixture into a blender; add 2 tablespoons cilantro. Process until smooth.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tortillas; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove tortillas from pan; repeat procedure with remaining tortillas. Cut tortillas into quarters.
6. Spread 1/2 cup salsa mixture in the bottom of an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 12 tortilla quarters over salsa mixture. Spoon half of chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers, ending with tortillas. Pour remaining salsa mixture over tortillas; sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Top with remaining cilantro.

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups * Calories: 371 * Fat: 12.4g * Saturated fat: 5g * Protein: 23.1g * Carbohydrate: 45.3g * Fiber: 5.4g * Cholesterol: 80mg * Sodium: 759mg

Vegetable Tacos

I was a little nervous about whether or not I would really like these tacos, but I actually LOVED them! The recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens and will be especially delicious this summer when the produce is all fresh. I can't wait to make them again!

Ingredients:
* 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size strips (I left out)
* 1 cup bottled green salsa
* 4 ounces fingerling potatoes
* 2 ears sweet corn, uncooked
* 12 8-inches whole wheat tortillas, heated (I used corn)
* 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
* 1/2 cup coarsely chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley (I used cilantro)
* 2 red, yellow, and/or green sweet peppers, coarsely chopped
* 2 small zucchini, cut in thin wedges

Directions:
1. In microwave-safe bowl combine chicken and 1/2 cup salsa. Microcook, covered, on 100 percent power (high) 5 to 7 minutes, stirring once, until no pink remains. Remove with slotted spoon. Cover and keep warm. (I skipped this step)
2. In medium microwave-safe bowl combine potatoes and 1 tablespoon water. Cover with plastic wrap and microcook on 100 per cent power (high) 3 to 4 minutes or until tender, tossing once. Carefully open corner of plastic to let steam escape. Cool briefly. Cut in chunks; lightly sprinkle with salt. Cut uncooked corn from cobs.
3. On each tortilla place chicken, corn, tomatoes, parsley, sweet pepper, potatoes, zucchini, and remaining salsa. Serve immediately. Makes 12 tacos.
(I was a little confused about whether the zucchini was supposed to be served without cooking, which it seemed from the recipe. I roasted mine in a little olive oil with some salt and pepper)

(I thought this seemed high per taco considering there is mostly veggies in each one?)
Serving: 1 taco *Calories 311 * Protein 24g * Carbohydrate 24g * Fat total 14g * Cholesterol 67mg * Saturated fat 4g * Dietary Fiber 12g * Sodium 925mg

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I have been trying to use the slow cooker on Sundays so we can eat soon after church without having to hurry around. I found this recipe that I had saved from an old issue of Taste of Home and knew it would be perfect...especially with some garlic bread for the rest of the family served on the side. It was easy to throw together that morning and absolutely yummy on a cold afternoon!

Ingredients:
* 1 pound beef stew meat
* 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
* 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth (I used low-sodium)
* 1 can (11-1/2 ounces) V8 juice (I used low-sodium)
* 2 celery ribs, chopped
* 2 medium carrots, chopped
* 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
* 3 bay leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch
* 1 tablespoon cold water
* 1/2 cup frozen corn
* 1/2 cup frozen peas

Directions:
* In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 12 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until meat is tender. Discard bay leaves.
* In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into stew. Add corn and peas. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until thickened.
Yield: 5 servings.

Serving: 1-1/3 cups, 273 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 56 mg cholesterol, 865 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 22 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1 starch.

Light Chicken Divan

Chicken divan is one of my favorite dishes. It has broccoli and it's creamy, two of my very favorite things. Since we are trying to eat healthier around here, I was thrilled to see this recipe for a lighter version of it in All You magazine. It came out surprisingly delicious and even the kids loved it! I served it over some quinoa instead of rice.

Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 pounds broccoli (about 3 large heads), chopped
* 24 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 2 cans chicken)
* Salt and pepper
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* 2 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 2 tablespoons minced onion
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used cornstarch)
* 1 cup fat-free chicken broth
* 1 cup nonfat milk
* 1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine (I used white cooking wine)
* 6 ounces shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
* 1/4 cup seasoned whole-wheat bread crumbs (I used gluten-free bread crumbs)

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add broccoli and blanch 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Mist a large skillet or grill pan with cooking spray; place over medium-low heat. Cook chicken, turning once, until browned and almost cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer chicken to a cutting board. When cool, slice chicken into bite-size pieces.
4. Warm a medium skillet over medium heat. Add butter and 2 tsp. oil; heat until butter has melted. Add garlic and shallots and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mixture and whisk until incorporated. Stir in broth, milk and sherry and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in half of Swiss cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Arrange broccoli in baking dish and pour half of sauce on top. Arrange chicken on top and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Swiss cheese and Parmesan; top with bread crumbs. Drizzle with 1/2 tsp. olive oil. (I just layered the broccoli, then chicken and poured all the sauce over the top at once)
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned on top; serve hot.

Makes 6 Servings, Calories:390 * Fat:13g * Saturated fat:7g * Protein:41g * Carbohydrate:19g * Fiber:3g * Cholesterol:93mg * Sodium:701mg

Vietnamese Pork and Noodles with Ginger-Lime Sauce

This is another great recipe from the latest issue of Clean Eating. I love to make these kind of meals because they are perfect leftovers for lunches. I used gluten-free fettuccine noodles and added in some steamed broccoli...so good!

Ingredients:
8 oz. whole-wheat linguine (I used GF fettuccine)
2 t extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, cut in thin slices
1 lb. green cabbage, thinly sliced (I used a cole slaw mix bag and added some leftover purple cabbage I had in the fridge)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, peeled and shredded
2 oz. broccoli sprouts (these were all recalled at my grocery store, and I LOVE sprouts so I was really sad! I bet they add a lot)
1 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1-inch cubes (I used 2 thick pork chops and cut in strips)
juice of 1 lime
2 t ground ginger
1/2 t sea salt
(I also added some dashes of curry powder)

Directions:
1. Bring large stockpot of water to a boil. Add linguine and cook according to package directions. Drain, return to pot and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tsp oil on medium for 1 minute. Add onion and saute, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add cabbage and garlic and saute for 3 minutes, until veggies soften. Add onion-cabbage mixture, carrots and broccoli sprouts to linguine and toss well.
3. Return skillet to medium heat. Add remaining 1 tsp oil and pork. Cook, stirring often, until largest piece is opaque in center (approx 7 min). Remove pork and add to linguine mixture; combine.
4. Return skillet to stove top and heat on medium -low. Add lime juice ginger, salt and 2 T water. Mix well to create a smooth sauce. Simmer for 1imnute, until thickened and slightly reduced. Add to linguine mixture and toss to coat. (I just put all the sauce ingredients right in with the rest of the stuff without mixing separately first and it turned out fine)


Serving size: 3 cups, Calories: 399, Total Fat: 6g, Sat Fat: 1g, Monounsat Fat: 2.5g, Polyunsat Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 59g, Fiber: 11g, Sugars: 8g, Protein: 33g, Sodium: 352 mg, Cholesterol: 74mg

Reece's Pieces Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

When I saw these long ago on Stay Family Recipes, I knew they would make an appearance at our house. They are a twist on a similar gluten-free PB cookie recipe that I have made many times. And although I have added chocolate chips to that recipe before, adding Reece's pieces was pure genius. Easy and delicious!

Ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter (I used crunchy)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup Reese’s Pieces candy

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
2. Mix the peanut butter and sugars together until creamy and smooth.
3. Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
4. Stir in the salt, baking soda, and Reese’s Pieces candy.
5. Spoon dough into balls, about 1 Tablespoon of dough for each cookie. Place them on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Lightly flatten dough balls with the palm of your hand.
6. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are slightly golden brown around the edges. The cookies will still be soft. They will set up while cooling. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies