Shepherd's Pie

SHEPHERD'S PIE

(e-meals)

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs. ground beef

1/2 c. onion

1 can cream of mushroom soup

(1/4 c. + 1 T milk)

1 can mixed veggies, drained

3 c. prepared mashed potatoes

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a skillet, brown beef with onions.

(Tip: if you're using raw meat, it doesn't matter how brown the meat is, you just have to make sure none of it is pink.)

3. Drain and add soup, milk, and veggies.

4. Mix well and pour into a 2 qt. baking dish.

5. Cover meat mixture with mashed potatoes.

(Tip: make sure you spread the mashed potatoes so you can't see the meat)

6. Sprinkle w/ cheese. (i added more cheese than what they said.)

7. Bake 20-25 minutes.

I thought this was reallllly good, but I love shepherd's pie. It's even better when you put a lot of cheese on top. Everyone loved it.

~Adi

Marshmallow Fluff

The other day i was making cookies that required marshmallow fluff and it really got me wondering- how DO you make marshmallow fluff? I'd figured it was just melted marshmallows but it's really-

2 c. marshmallows

1/4 c. corn syrup

heated up on a double-boiler.

I thought that would be easy enough.

And was I ever wrong.

When I made the marshmallow fluff, it was time-consuming and VERY hard to stir. And i thought it wouldn't turn out this bad but it turned out more like marshmallow glue. It stuck to the pan when I was done with it.. and that thing was hard to get clean. :P

So I learned that next time I need marshmallow fluff, just go buy it at Walmart.
~Adi

Fudgy Peanut-Butter Mousse Cups

FUDGY PEANUT-BUTTER MOUSSE CUPS

Ingredients:

 1 (17. oz.) pkg. sugar cookie mix

1 c. pecans, toasted

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 stick unsalted butter

(Note: it doesn't have to be unsalted butter. There actually isn't enough salt in a stick of butter to effect this recipe.)

1 1/4 c. heavy cream

(Note: Sometimes called Whipping Cream.)

1 c. chunky peanut butter room temperature

(Note: if you prefer creamy, that's fine.)

1 8-oz package of cream cheese

1 c. powdered sugar

*1 tsp. vanilla extract*

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 30 degrees.

2. Grease 12-cup mini-muffin tin. 

3. Mix together pecans, and flour in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Transfer to large bowl and add butter,stirring until mixture resembles wet sand.

4. Press rounded tablespoon cookie mixture into bottom and sides of each muffin cup.

Note: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE MUFFIN CUPS IN THE TIN!! If you don't it will turn out like mine- and mine wouldn't come out of the tin and they crumbled up..

5. Bake until golden brown- about 10 minutes.

6. Cool for 20 minutes, then remove from tin. Repeat if you have any remaining dough.

7. With electric mixer, on medium-high speed, beat 1 c.  cream to stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. In separate bowl,beat peanut butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla, on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.

8. Fold in whipped cream.

9. Microwave chocolate chips and 1/4 c. cream in small bowl, stirring occasionally until smooth, about 1 minute.

10. Portion 1/2 teaspoon chocolate mixture into each cookie cup, then fill cups with 1 tablespoon peanut-butter mixture. Pipe remaining chocolate over tops of cookies and refrigerate for 1 hr. or until firm.

 11. ENJOY!! :)

These were VERY hard to make. And the worst part is- they turned out horrible. When i tried to take out the cookies from the muffin tins, they crumbles into little pieces. Only 3 of them made it.. :( The peanut-butter part is verrrrrry rich. pics up soon.

~Adi



Ande's Mint Chunk Cookies

ANDE'S MINT CHUNK COOKIES

(On the back of the Andes baking chips package)

Ingredients:

1/2 c. (1 stick) salted butter

Note: if you do not have salted butter-that's okay. There's actually not enough salt in butter to effect this recipe.

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 2/3 c. all-purpose flour

1 pkg. Andes baking chips

Equipment:

Large mixing bowl

Wooden spoon

Oven

Greased cookie sheet

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix butter, sugars, soda, powder, vanilla, and eggs, adding each gradually.

3. When thoroughly mixed, add flour. Then add baking chips.

4. Chill for approx. 1 hour.

Note: that's pointless. I didn't and they turned out fine.

5. Form the dough into balls, place on cookie sheet, then slightly flatten.

6. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Note: let them cool for a few minutes before you take them off, but don't leave them on too long or they will stick to the cookie sheet.

7. ENJOY!! :)

I made these yesterday and they were awesome. Awesome is an understatement because everyone ate them and loved them.

~Adi :)