Peanut Butter Bars

This recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I've doubled the bar part of the recipe so that it can be made in a 9x13" pan instead of the 8x8" pan the recipe originally calls for. The frosting part of the recipe is correct for the doubled bar recipe.

1 1/2 c flour
1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 c shortening
2 eggs
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c oatmeal

Combine about half of the flour, the brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, eggs, milk, vanilla, and baking soda. Beat with an electric mixer on med to high speed til thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour. Stir in oats. Spread batter into an ungreased 9x13" pan.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-18 min or til a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Frosting:
1/3 c peanut butter
4 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 c milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
milk

In a bowl beat peanut butter and 2 c of the powdered sugar. Slowly beat in the 1/4 milk and vanilla. Slowly beat in remaining sugar. Beat in additional milk, if needed, to make of spreading consistency. Frost cooled bars.

Makes 2-3 dozen.

Pie Crust

This recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

This is my standard pie crust recipe.

2 1/4 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c cookin oil
1/3 c cold milk

In a mixing bowl stir together flour and salt. Pour oil and milk into a measuring cup (do not stir); add all at once to flour mixture. Stir lightly with a fork. Form 2 balls; flatten slightly with hands.

Cut waxed paper into 4 12" squares. Place each ball of dough between 2 squares of paper. Roll each ball of dough into a circle to edges of paper. (Dampen work surface with a little water to prevent paper from slipping.)

Peel off top papers and fit dough, paper side up, into 9" pie plates. (Or reserve one portion for use as a top crust.) Remove paper.

Makes one 9" double crust pastry or two 9" single crust pastries.

Pecan Pie

My favorite kind of pie! Mmmmmmmmm!

3 eggs
1 c corn syrup
2/3 c sugar
1/3 c margarine or butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c pecan halves
pastry for single crust pie

For filling, in a mixing bowl, beat eggs lightly til well mixed. Mix in corn syrup, sugar, butter, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in pecans.

Place in a pastry-lined 9" pie plate on the oven rack. Pour the filling into the pastry-lined pie plate. Cover edge of pie with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 min.

Remove foil; bake for 20-25 min longer or til knife inserted near senter comes out clean. Cool pie on a wire rack. Cover and chill to store. Makes 8 servings.

Peanut Butter Cookies

This is my standard peanut butter cookie and Hershey kiss cookie recipe.

1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c peanut butter
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and peanut butter together til combined. Add about half of the flour, all of the sugars, egg, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla. Beat til thoroughly mixed. Beat in remaining flour. Cover and chill dough for 1 hr.

Shape dough into 1" balls. Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten by criss-crossing with tines of a fork.

Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 min or til bottoms are lightly browned. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Makes about 3 dozen.

For Hershey kiss cookies:

Follow above recipe but do not flatten cookies with a fork. Immediately after removing baked cookies from oven, place 1 Hershy kiss into center of each cookie.

Pound Cake

This is the pound cake recipe I always use.

1 c butter, softened
4 eggs
2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla

In a mixing bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. In another bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on med speed for 30 sec.

Gradually add sugar to butter, beating on med to high speed about 6 min total or til very light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating on low to med speed just til combined.

Pour batter into a greased 9x5x3" loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 55-65 min or til toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 min. Remove cake from pan. Cool thoroughly on wire rack. Makes 12 servings.

Peanut Butter Fudge

(This recipe is from the Quick Cooking 1999 cookbook.)

2 c sugar
1/2 c milk
1 1/3 c peanut butter
1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme

In a saucepan, bring sugar and milk to a boil; boil for 3 min. Add peanut butter and marshmallow creme; mix well. Quickly pour into a buttered 8" square pan; chill til set. Cut into squares. Makes 3-4 dozen.

Puppy Chow

This snack never lasts long at our house! The kids ask me for it often, and it's easy for them to help make.

9 c corn or rice Chex or Crispix
1 c chocolate chips
1/2 c peanut butter
1/4 c butter
1 1/2 c powdered sugar

Microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter 1 min. Stir. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between til smooth. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal in lg bowl. Stir til coated. Add powdered sugar; stir til coated. Store in airtight container.

Pigs in a Blanket

I remember eating these when I was a kid. My own kids gobble these right up!

8 hot dogs
8 strips of cheese
1 tube crescent rolls

Make a slit in each hot dog the length of the hot dog about 3/4 through the thickness of the hotdog, but don't cut through the ends. Put a strip of cheese in each slit. Roll each hot dog up in a crescent roll triangle and place on cookie sheet. Bake according to directions on crescent roll tube. Makes 8.

Pumpkin Pie Dip

(This recipe is from the Quick Cooking 2006 cookbook.)

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 c powdered sugar
1 c canned pumpkin*
1/2 c sour cream
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
gingersnap cookies

In a lg mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar til smooth. Gradually add the pumpkin, sour cream, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and ginger; beat til smooth. Serve with gingersnaps. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 4 c.

*I use 1 c cooked pumpkin.

Penne Pasta and Kielbasa

1 pkg (16 oz) penne pasta
1 lb fully cooked kielbasa, cut into 1/4" slices
2 med green peppers, chopped
1 med onion, chopped
1 jar (28 oz) meatless spaghetti sauce

Cook pasta according to pkg directions. Meanwhile, in a lg skillet, saute the kielbasa, peppers, and onion til vegetables are crisp tender. (No need to use oil. The grease from the kielbasa is enough to work.) Mix in spaghetti sauce. Drain pasta and stir in. Makes 6 servings.

Pineapple Chicken Lo Mein

1 can (20 oz) unsweetened pineapple chunks
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 tsp ground ginger OR 1 Tbsp minced fresh gingerroot
2 med carrots, julienned
1 med green pepper, julienned
4 oz spaghetti, cooked and drained
1/2 c sliced onion
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/3 c soy sauce
1 Tbsp oil

Drain pineapple, reserving 1/3 c juice; set pineapple aside. In a lg skillet over med heat, cook the chicken, garlic, and ginger for 6 min. Add the carrots, green pepper, and pineapple. Cover and cook for 2-3 min or til vegetables are crisp-tender and chicken juices run clear. Stir in spaghetti and onions.

In a sm bowl, combine the cornstarch, soy sauce, reserved pineapple juice, and oil til smooth. Stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 min or til thickened. Makes 4 servings.

Parmesan Herb Bread

(This recipe is from the Quick Cooking 1999 cookbook.)

1 1/2 c biscuit/baking mix
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c apple juice
1/4 c milk
1 Tbsp dried minced onion
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
In a mixing bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients just til blended. Spoon into a greased 9" round cake pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 min or til golden brown. Serve warm with butter. Makes 6-8 servings.

Pecan Squares

(This recipe is from The Taste of Home Recipe Book.)

Crust:
3 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1 c butter or margarine, softened
1/2 tsp salt

Filling:
4 eggs
1 1/2 c light or dark corn syrup
1 1/2 c sugar
3 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c chopped pecans

In a lg mixing bowl, blend together flour, sugar, butter, and salt til mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press firmly and evenly into a greased 15x10x1" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. Meanwhile, in another bowl, combine first five filling ingredients. Stir in pecans. Pread evenly over hot crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 min or til set. Cool on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen.

Pineapple Baked Beans

2 cans (16 oz each) baked beans
1/4 c packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp ketchup
2 tsp prepared mustard
1 can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits, drained

Mix together first 4 ingredients in crock pot and cook on low 4-5 hrs. Stir in pineapple. Cook on low another hr or til pineapple is warm. Makes 10 servings.

Peanut Butter Balls

(This is from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.)

Everybody loves these! I think they're always the first things to disappear from the cookie plates I take when we visit people at Christmastime.

1/2 c peanut butter
3 Tbsp margarine or butter, softened
1 c powdered sugar
8 oz chocolate-flavored confectioners' coating

Stir together peanut butter and margarine. Gradually add sugar, stirring til combined. Shape into 1" balls; place on waxed paper. Let stand til dry, about 20 min (or put in freezer). Melt confectioners' coating. Cool slightly. Dip balls into melted coating; let excess drip off. (I use toothpicks to help get the balls out of the chocolate.) Place on waxed paper; let stnad til coating is dry. Makes about 30 pieces.

Pecan Meltaways

(This recipe is from the Taste of Home 1998 cookbook.)

These cookies remind me of the pecan balls my mom used to make at Christmastime when I was little.

1 c butter or margarine, softened
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c finely chopped pecans
additional powdered sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour and salt; add to creamed mixture. Stir in pecans. Chill. Roll into 1" balls and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 min. Roll in powdered sugar while warm. Cool; roll in sugar again. Makes about 4 dozen.

Pumpkin Bread

I got the original recipe for this bread from a lady with whom I used to teach. We made it with our students one year for Thanksgiving. Over the years I've tweaked it to come up with this version.

1 2/3 c flour (I like to use half whole wheat flour and half white flour.)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/3 c unsweetened applesauce (or shortening)
1 1/3 c sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 c cooked or canned pumpkin
1/3 c water
1/2 c chopped nuts, optional

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a greased 9x5x3" bread pan. Bake at 350 for 45-55 min. (I usually have to bake it for 1 hr 10 min, but I don't know if that's just our oven or not.)

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

1/4 c butter or margarine, softened
1 c sugar
1 c packed brown sugar
4 eggs
1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin OR 1 3/4 c cooked pumpkin
3 c biscuit mix

Glaze:
1 c powdered sugar
1 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Put all cake ingredients in mixing bowl and mix with mixer til combined or mix by hand. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 55-60 min or til toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 30 minn before removing to wire rack to cool completely. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over cake. Makes 12-16 servings.