Sheet Pan Brownies

Ingredients:
BROWNIES:
2 family-sized boxes brownie mix
1 stick butter, melted
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

GLAZE:
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup water
1 cup cocoa
2 tsp. vanilla
Dash of salt
4 cups powdered sugar

Preparation:
1. Generously grease a full-sized jellyroll pan or large cookie sheet with sides.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Mix all ingredients together with wooden spoon.
4. Spread into pan.
5. Bake at 350 degree for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out mostly clean. Be sure not to stick toothpick into a chocolate chip when trying to determine doneness.
6. If glazing, make glaze 5 minutes before brownies are due to come out of the oven (glaze must be soft and somewhat pourable). To make glaze, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
7. As soon as butter is melter, add cocoa, vanilla, water and salt and stir.
8. Add in powdered sugar, mixing with a whisk or hand mixer to achieve smoothness. (Alternately, put powdered sugar in bowl of stand mixer, then add butter and cocoa mixture and mix.)
9. Use glaze immediately, if desired.
NOTE: If glazing, score brownies immediately upon glaze setting up (before full hardening stage), but DO NOT cut brownies until they have cooled completely.

Steph's Chicken Strips

Ingredients:
Self-rising or all-purpose flour

Ranch dressing powder

Southwest Ranch dressing powder

Goya Adobo (red) seasoning

Black pepper

Chicken strips/tenderloins

Buttermilk

Hot sauce

Preparation:

1) Remove the white tendon from each chicken tender.

2) Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a large bowl with a lid. 

3) Place chicken tenders in buttermilk mixture, put on lid, and then shake until all tenders are coated.

4) Refrigerate tenders for at least 4 hours to marinate.

5) Mix flour and seasonings in a flat bowl in this ratio, sifting together, then adjusting to taste:

    6 parts flour

    1 part Ranch powder

    1/2 part Southwest Ranch powder

    1/8 part Goya

    Black pepper, to taste

6) Dredge each chicken tender well in the flour mixture and set on a plate. 

7) When all tenders are dredged, heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet or saucepan until hot, then drop in tenders, one by one, until a single layer of tenders is cooking in the oil. Tenders should be cooked in small batches.

8) Reduce oil heat slightly, so tenders cook until crisp, but don't burn before they are thoroughly done. Tenders should take about 8 minutes to cook each batch. Turn several times while cooking.

9) When cooking is complete, remove tenders from oil and place on paper towels to drain. Lightly salt tenders.

10) Continue cooking until all tenders are done, keeping cooked tenders warm in low-heat oven or in warming drawer.

Easy and Best Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, very cold
2 1/4 cups self-rising flour, plus more for kneading and work surface
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Preparation:
1) Slice the butter into 1/4" thick slices.

2) Put the 2 1/4 cups of flour into a large bowl and toss in the butter slices. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly and resembles small peas.

3) Cover dough and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

4) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

5) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

6) Remove dough from fridge, and add buttermilk, stirring gently with a fork just until the flour is moistened. The dough will be very sticky.

7) Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead it three or four times, adding flour as needed.

8) Press or pat the dough into a 3/4" thick rectangle (about 9" x 5"), then sprinkle it with a little more flour.

9) Fold the dough over onto itself in three sections.

10) Again press dough into a 3/4" thick rectangle and fold over itself into three sections. Repeat the press and fold two more times (4 total).

11) Press or pat the dough to 3/4" thickness, then cut with a 2" cutter. 

12) Place biscuits, sides touching, onto the prepared baking sheet.

13) Bake biscuits for 13 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Do not overbake, or biscuits will dry out.

14) Optional: brush tops of biscuits with melted butter.

Makes approximately 12 biscuits.

Snack Crackers

Ingredients:

4 sleeves saltines

1/2 cup to 1 cup oil (can use popcorn oil for extra flavor)

1 envelope dry ranch dressing mix

1 to 2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried dill

Preparation:

1. Stack crackers in a large plastic container or Ziploc bag.

2. Mix all other ingredients well and pour over crackers.

3. Gently toss crackers, making sure all are well covered with mixture. Allow to sit in container or bag overnight, turning occasionally to make sure mixture is being absorbed into crackers.

4. Store in a clean, airtight container.

Goat Cheese Appetizer

Ingredients:

1 log goat cheese, crumbled

1 Tblsp. fresh rosemary, roughly chopped

2-3 Tblsp. honey

1/2 tsp coarse Kosher salt

Preparation:

1. Scatter goat cheese on a small platter.

2. Top cheese with rosemary, honey and salt.

3. Serve at room temperature with crackers.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frosting (Edible Cookie Dough)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tblsp. to 1/4 cup milk (for frosting - omit if making edible cookie dough)
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preparation:
1. Cream butter and sugars on low.

2. Add flour and vanilla and mix on medium until flour is thoroughly incorporated and mixture is creamy.

3. If making frosting, add milk and continue to mix until frosting is desired consistency.

4. Add chocolate chips and mix until evenly distributed.

Chocolate Cake (from cake mix)

Ingredients:

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

6 Tblsp. cocoa

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/3 cups water

2 Tblsp. vegetable oil

3 eggs + 2 egg yolks

1 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream

Preparation:

1. Mix dry ingredients with a whisk, then add wet ingredients.

2. Beat for two minutes, until fluffy.

3. Pour into greased, floured pans (fills two 8" or 9" rounds).

4. Bake according to cake package directions.