Oatmeal Cranberry Sandwich Cookies with White Chocolate Creme Filling

Oatmeal cranberry cookies filled with sweet white chocolate buttercream frosting. Add these cookies to your holiday baking list! Thank you Two Peas and their Pod

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup of dried cranberries

For the White Chocolate Buttercream:
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk, or as needed

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 
• Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
• In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. 
• Set aside.
• Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy. 
• Mix in the egg and vanilla. 
• Slowly add the dry ingredients. 
• Mix until just combined. 
• Stir in the oats and dried cranberries.
• Roll cookie dough into tablespoon size balls and place on prepared cookie sheet. 
• Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. 
• Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes. 
• Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. 
• While the cookies are cooling, make the white chocolate buttercream. 
• Place white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl 
• Heat in 30-second intervals until chips begin to melt, about 1 minute. 
• Stir and repeat, heating chips about 10 seconds at a time, until thoroughly melted. 
• Stir until chocolate is smooth and no more lumps remain. 
• Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed in a mixing bowl until fluffy. 
• Beat in half of the powdered sugar, melted white chocolate, vanilla and milk until mixture is smooth and creamy.
• Slowly beat in remaining powdered sugar until smooth 
• If frosting is too stiff, add in a little more milk.
• To make the sandwich cookies, spread or pipe white chocolate buttercream on the inside of one cookie. 
• Top with another cookie. 
• Continue making sandwich cookies. 
• Store cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature.

Note-you may have extra buttercream, depending on how much you add between each cookie. You can keep the leftover buttercream in the fridge for up to a week.

Homemade Apple Pie Spice

As we head into Fall baking, there is no need to spend $2-$3 on a store bought jar of Apple Pie Spice, when you probably  have the 4 ingredients in your kitchen! Thank you $5 Dinners 

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
Dash of cardamom (optional)

• Place all ingredients in small, sealable container and mix together. Use as directed in recipes that call for apple pie spice.
• Store in a dry place, up to 6 months.

Easy Peasy Pumpkin Spice Latte

Just how simple is this? Too easy for a recipe...but I was asked. Plus it is rather delicious. Thank you A Joyfully Mad Kitchen

4-6 cups of brewed coffee (espresso roast or dark roast)
International Delight Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer
Whipped Cream
Pumpkin Pie Spice

• Brew coffee per instructions on bag
• Place coffee in fridge for an hour if you’re making an iced coffee
• Pour coffee over cup of ice above 3/4 of the way
• Fill the rest of the cup with International Delight Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer
• Top with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

A fun twist on the traditional cake... amd only 184 calories each. Thank you The Comfort of Cooking

Nonstick cooking spray
2 (20 ounce) cans sliced pineapple
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
12 maraschino cherries

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Spray the cups of a standard-sized 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. (Do not use paper muffin cup liners.)
• Drain cans of pineapple into a measuring cup reserving 1 1/4 cups of pineapple juice.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, oil and pineapple juice. 
• Mix well.
• In a separate small bowl mix brown sugar and butter. 
• Spoon 1/2 Tbsp. into each muffin cup. 
• Press one pineapple ring to fit inside each muffin cup. 
• Press a maraschino cherry into the center of the pineapple. 
• Spoon cake batter over top, filling each cup 2/3 full.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
• Immediately invert onto wire racks to cool.

Skillet Pork Chops With Mushroom Gravy

Filling, pretty healthy, veggie-packed and delicious. Thank you 12 Tomatoes

4 boneless pork chops
1 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
3/4 cup beef stock
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, optional
Fresh thyme, garnish, optional
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

• Season pork chops with garlic powder, then generously with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. 
• Once hot, sear both sides of pork chops until nicely browned. 
• Remove pork chops to a plate and cover to keep warm.
• Drizzle another 1/2 tablespoon olive oil into skillet,
• Add mushrooms and onion and sauté for 6-7 minutes, or until softened and lightly browned. 
• Season with salt, pepper and dried thyme, if using
• Sprinkle flour over onion and mushrooms and stir until everything is evenly coated. 
• Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until flour has a chance to cook and be absorbed.
• Stir in chicken and beef broths, stirring to scrape up burned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until gravy has reduced and thickened.
• Return pork chops to skillet and cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through and tender.
• Remove from heat, spooning gravy over pork chops and garnishing with fresh thyme, if desired.

Patriotic Ripple Ice Cream

An easy, no-churn recipe perfect for the Fourth of July. Thank you Love Bakes Good Cakes

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
½ cup cherry pie filling (from a 21 oz. can - reserve the rest for another use)
½ cup blueberry pie filling (from a 21 oz. can - reserve the rest for another use

• In a large bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. 
• Fold the vanilla and sweetened condensed into the whipped cream. 
• Pour the mixture into a 9x5-inch bread loaf pan (or similar size container).
• Process the cherry pie filling in a food processor until smooth. 
• Drizzle the cherry pie filling over the top of the whipped cream mixture. 
• Rinse out and dry the food processor bowl and blade. 
• Process the blueberry pie filling in the food processor until smooth. 
• Drizzle the blueberry pie filling over the whipped cream mixture. 
• Use a knife to cut through the pie filling and create swirls.
• Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and freeze 8 hours or until firm.

Wave The Flag Cupcakes

Perfect cupcakes for the Fourth of July or Memorial Day. Thank you The Blueberry Council

1 package (18- to 19-ounces) yellow cake mix
1⁄3 cup applesauce
3 egg whites
3 cups fresh blueberries, divided
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
½ cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 roll red-colored rolled fruit snack (from a 4.5-ounce box)

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• In a large mixing bowl, beat cake mix with applesauce, egg whites and 1-¼ cups water for 30 seconds on low speed, then 2 minutes on medium speed
• Spoon batter into 24 (2½-inch) aluminum or paper lined muffin cups
• Evenly divide 1 cup of blueberries onto tops of batter
• Do not stir
• Bake cupcakes following package directions
• Remove to a wire rack and cool completely
• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth
• Spoon onto cooled cupcakes
• Spread to the edges
• Unroll fruit snack and, with a sharp knife, cut into strips 1⁄8-inch wide by 2-inch long
• On half of each cupcake, arrange strips, trimming each to fit
• Arrange remaining 2 cups blueberries on the frosting on other halves of the cupcakes, about 10 blueberries per cupcake