White Chocolate Peanut Butter Crackers

24 Town House crackers
1/3 cup honey-flavored peanut butter
4 oz white chocolate baking squares (chips don’t work as well)
1 Tbsp shortening
Sprinkles

Spread peanut between 2 crackers. Repeat until you have 12 sandwiches. Break white chocolate into squares and put in microwave-safe bowl with shortening. Microwave 30 seconds, check, then microwave in 15-second intervals until just melted. Stir. Dip cracker sandwiches into chocolate with spoon. Let excess run back into bowl (or you won’t have enough for 12). Place on parchment-line baking sheet. Sprinkle with sprinkles. Repeat until all 12 are covered. If you want to put on sprinkles after you have dipped several, stop and sprinkle on the 6th or 7th one or the chocolate will dry. Place sheet into fridge until chocolate is firm.

Key Lime White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter — softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Cream butter, sugar, egg, egg yolk in a large bowl — blend in flour,
baking powder, salt, lime juice and lime zest.

Fold in white chocolate chips –

Roll dough into walnut sized balls –

place on ungreased sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes

Cran-Pistachio Cookies

From Betty Crocker

1 pouch Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1 box (4 serving size) pistachio instant pudding and pie filling mix
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup dry roasted salted pistachio nuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
optional - green food coloring (I didn't add any but if you wanted them extra green you could)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl stir cookie mix, pudding, and flour. Add melted butter and eggs and stir until incorporated.

Add pistachios and cranberries and mix well.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. The only way you can ruin these cookies is to overbake them! If you bake them too long you will lose the soft texture and they won't be as green. They will not look done but take them out and let them sit on the pan for about 2 minutes. Trust me.

Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Key Lime Coconut Cupcakes With White Chocolate Frosting

From Food Network's website.

* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 2 eggs, at room temperature
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 heaping teaspoon grated key lime zest
* 1 1/2 tablespoons key lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/2 cup buttermilk
* 1 1/3 cups loosely packed sweetened coconut flakes (3.5 ounces)

For the Frosting:

* 5 ounces good quality white chocolate, chopped into small chucks
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
* Pinch salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 tablespoon key lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)
* 1/4 cup sour cream
* Finely grated key lime zest, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, key lime zest and juice and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 5 parts total, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold the coconut into the cupcake batter.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill each liner almost to the top with batter. A spring loaded 1/4 cup ice cream scoop works great for this and ensures the cupcakes are all the same size. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops begin to brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer cupcakes to a baking rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the frosting. In a small heat proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, carefully and slowly melt the white chocolate. Remove from heat and let cool until just slightly warm. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar until well combined. Add the salt, vanilla extract, key lime juice, and sour cream and mix until very smooth. Add the melted white chocolate and mix just until incorporated.

Frost the cupcakes and garnish with a bit of grated key lime zest. Enjoy!

Smoky Sausage Rice Soup

From agoodappetite.blogspot.com .
I replaced the celery and red peppers with three sliced carrots. I also used the whole 14 oz package of smoked turkey sausage.

1 T olive oil
1 med, yellow onion, peeled & diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 lb smoked sausage link, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 t smoked paprika
1/4 t dried marjoram
pinch cayenne
salt & pepper
3 or 4 strips roasted red pepper, roughly chopped
1 14 oz can whole tomatoes, undrained
2 c chicken or vegetable broth
1/3 c white rice (med or long grain, we used jasmine)

In a medium soup pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion & celery & cook until the onion is translucent. Add the sausage & allow to brown slightly. Stir in the paprika, marjoram, cayenne and a little salt & pepper. Next add the peppers & tomatoes including the liquid from the tomatoes. Break up the tomatoes with your spoon or squeeze in your hands are adding. Add the broth & bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover & reduce the heat to simmer. Let simmer until the rice is cooked about 30 minutes. Check seasoning & add salt, pepper & cayenne as needed.