Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosted Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosted Cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 1/4 cups cake flour  
1- 10 oz bag Reese's Peanut Butter chips 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.
Cream together butter, sugars, salt, baking soda and powder.  Add vanilla and eggs. Mix well.
Add flour and peanut butter chips. Mix just until flour and chips are blended together.
Use a tablespoon to keep size uniform and roll into balls.  Bake for 6-8 minutes. (These cookies are so rich, 1 T of cookie dough is the perfect size!)

Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup butter, soft-room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter 
1/4 t salt
cream or half and half to thin to proper consistency (2 T - 1/4 C)
Cream together room-temperature butter and powdered sugar. Add peanut butter and beat until smooth. Add cream a tablespoon at time, just until frosting is smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Chocolate Frosting
1/2 C butter 
3 C powdered sugar
1/3 C unsweetened cocoa (or less if you like a lighter cocoa frosting)
1 tablespoon vanilla
cream or half and half to thin to proper consistency (2 T - 1/4 C)
Cream butter and 5 cups powdered sugar. Add cocoa and vanilla. Add cream a tablespoon at a time until frosting is smooth. If needed, add more powdered sugar.

After cookies are cooled, frost with peanut butter frosting. Then frost on top of the peanut butter frosting with the chocolate frosting. It is easier if the peanut butter frosting is thicker and you pipe on the chocolate.  You can still spread the chocolate, just takes a bit more time.

**Recipe adapted from abountifulkitchen.com.
**I usually bake the cookies the day before and freeze them.  They are easier to frost when frozen solid.  Also, I tend to think that they are tastier cold, so put them in the fridge until ready to serve.  I've made these a lot recently and more than one person has told me they dreamed about them... they're that good!

"Swig" Cookie

"Swig" Cookie

1 C Butter (room temperature)
3/4 C Vegetable Oil
1 1/4 C Sugar
3/4 C Powdered Sugar
2 T Water
2 Eggs
1/2 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Cream of Tarter
1 t Salt
5 1/2 C Flour

Cream together Butter, Vegetable Oil, Sugars, Water, and Eggs. Combine dry ingredients and slowly add to butter mixture.  Mix until everything is combined.  Your dough should be a little crumbly and not sticky at all.  I like them small, so use a tablespoon of dough and roll cookies into a ball.  Put 1/4 c of sugar and a pinch of salt in a dish (this is in addition to the sugar and salt listed above.)  Stick the bottom of a glass in it.  This is going to be your cookie press. Firmly press it into the center of your dough ball.   Bake at 350 for 7 minutes.  They should just barely be browning on the bottom.    Move cookies to a cooling rack.  Once they are cool put them in the fridge.

Sour Cream Frosting

1/2 cup room temperature butter

3/4 C Sour Cream

Approx 1 2lb Package of Powdered Sugar 

1 t salt

1/4 C half and half or cream

Red Food Coloring

Start by creaming together butter and sour cream and salt.  Slowly add powdered sugar.  When it gets so thick its not frosting like,  add a splash of cream.  Alternate this process until your frosting is the desired consistency.  Add 1 drop of red food coloring and whip on high for 1 minute.  Frost cookies, the thicker the better. 

**Recipe adapted from vintagerevivals.com.  There is a cute place in St. George called Swig that sales drinks and treats.  They are famous for their cookies and their dirty diet cokes.  Both delicious, but I happen to think this recipe is better that the real thing!  More flavor and more frosting! And I prefer these cookies cold.  Mmmm!

Mom's Cranberry Sauce

Mom's Cranberry Sauce

1 bag fresh whole cranberries   (2 cups) 1-2 oranges peeled 2 apples, cut and seeds removed 1 cup sugar or more Mix in food processor with coarse blade until desired consistency is reached.  Store in refrigerator. **The only cranberry sauce worth eating.  I love this stuff on a sandwich about 9pm Thanksgiving night!

Green Chile Pork

Green Chile Pork

4 lbs pork cut into small cubes
2 C chopped green chiles (either canned or fresh roasted new mexico hatch chiles)
1/2 C water (and more if needed)
1/2 t salt
1/8 C sugar

Place all ingredients into a large pot and cook over medium low to low heat for 4 hours.  Stirring often to make sure there is always liquid, adding small amounts when necessary.  Done when pork is tender, but still maintains shape.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

**Shout out to Mizti for this great family fave! You are always a source of delicious and beautiful food!
**Great for burritos or enchiladas.  Absolutely amazing in a burrito with cheese, and this Tomatillo Sauce over top.
**I'd be interested to see how much the taste would change if I added a lot more sugar...hmm.
**My sisters in law that have lived in New Mexico have always brought me bags of green chilies in late August that have been roasted and steamed.  And I spend a few hours peeling and taking the seeds out and bagging them up for the freezer.  That way in the middle of the winter we can have awesome mexican food with amazing flavors.  But now (August 24th)  Harmon's in Orem is roasting hatch green chilies! Wahoo, or you can just use canned and be perfectly happy!

Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.

Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.

FOR THE CAKE:

2 cups Flour

2 cups Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Salt

4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa

2 sticks Butter

1 cup Boiling Water

1/2 cup Buttermilk

2 whole Beaten Eggs

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Vanilla

 FOR FROSTING:

1-3/4 stick Butter

4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa

6 Tablespoons Milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar Preparation Instructions

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan (cookie sheet size with sides) and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.  Best served warm with ice cream on the side. 

**Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman.  It isn't pretty, but it's divine! This has been served at every basketball team dinner I've ever hosted and last year one cute kid told me he had a dream about it the next day (Cole). Funny.

Zucchini Soup & Zucchini Sauce

Zucchini Soup 

Disclaimer:
This recipe was given to be by my mom and never written down.  I just watched her and did what she did.  Then I added one more step to make it a sauce.

8 C zucchini sliced (if it's over grown and a bit big, just remove the seeds because they can be a bit woody)
2 T butter
1/2 t salt
1/4 C to 1 C milk, half and half or cream

Place zucchini in a large pot and fill half full with hot water.  Put on lid and cook until water has boiled for 5 minutes.  Place zucchini in a strainer and press out extra water.  Put directly into a blender. Add butter and salt and blend.  Add your choice of liquid a little at a time and mix until desired soup consistency. Adjust salt seasoning. Serve while hot!

**So amazing with sweet cherry tomatoes on top.  Grayson could drink a gallon of this soup.

 Zucchini Sauce

To the above recipe, throw in 1 C of fresh basil leaves and blend until smooth.  It turns it into a healthy pesto pasta sauce.

**Truly, I've never measured, so just taste and adjust!  It is so worth it and so good!  And so perfect in August when your zucchini plant is going crazy!

Oatmeal Pecan Pancakes

Oatmeal Pecan Pancakes

1 ½ C quick oats

½ C flour

1 t baking soda

½ t salt

1 T powdered sugar

2 lg eggs

2 C buttermilk

¾ C pecans chopped (I like them toasted)

Mix  dry ingredients then add eggs and buttermilk.  Add pecans or leave them out. Cook on griddle. Serve with buttermilk syrup and top with slice bananas, peaches or blueberries. (It just happens to be peach season right now!)

**These have been a staple for us forever!  Thanks to Breanna who turned me on to them years ago!  We used to have them every time we went camping...such a great filling, slightly healthy pancake!

** I prefer the pecans toasted and in the batter, but when the little people are involved, it's just a little easier to add them on top and not listen to any complaints.  Ps. They love these and have no idea there's oatmeal in them!

Elise's Triple Layer Bars

Elise's Triple Layer Bars

½ C butter
1 ½ C graham cracker crumbs
1 (7oz) package of flaked coconut  (2 2/3 C)
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ C creamy peanut butter
Preheat oven to 350 (325 for glass dish).  In 9x13 pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over butter. Top evenly with coconut then sweetened condensed milk.  Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. In small saucepan, over low heat, melt chips with peanut butter (much easier in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until completely smooth).  Spread evenly over hot coconut layer.  Cool 30 minutes.  Chill thoroughly.  Cut into bars.  Store loosely covered at room temperature.






**Elise served these at a dinner years ago and I was enamored!  I called her a few days later to get the recipe and she was embarrassed to tell me she got it from the back of the Eagle brand milk can.....it doesn't matter, they are delicious!
**I sprinkled a touch of kosher salt on the top...just for fun.

Black Bean, Yam & Quinoa Chili

Black Bean, Yam & Quinoa Chili 
with Chipotle Cream

1 t olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, diced small
1/2 t turmeric
1/4 t cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 t cumin
2 t chili powder
1 t Smoked Chipotle Tabasco sauce
salt, to taste
1 can (15.5 oz) low-sodium tomato sauce
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 can black beans (15.5 oz), drained
4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock, plus more to thin if desired
1 yam, peeled and diced into small cubes

For Chipotle Creme:
1 cup plain greek yogurt
2 teaspoons Smoked Chipotle Tabasco sauce, plus more if desired
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard

Heat the olive oil in  a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots and salt; saute for 5 minutes or until onions become translucent.  Add the entire can of tomato sauce to the pot. Next add the black beans, vegetarian broth, all spices, and quinoa. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium, add diced sweet potatoes. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

To make the smoked chipotle yogurt, combine tabasco sauce, honey, and dijon mustard in a medium bowl. Mix well. Spoon chili into bowls and add yogurt sauce on top. Enjoy!

**From ambitiouskitchen.com
**This is such a great vegetarian chili! Same satisfaction, without the meat.  The yogurt sauce is a bit spicy, so if you don't like spice, lay off the chipotle tabasco, but the sweet, spicy, tangy sauce is what made this for me, I love the heat!

Ebelskivers

 Ebelskivers

3 eggs seperated
2 T sugar
1/2 t salt
2 C buttermilk
2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder

Beat egg yolks until light and lemon colored.  Add sugar, salt and buttermilk; mix well.  Sift together flour, soda and baking powder; add to egg mixture.   Beat egg whites until stiff.  Fold into batter.  Place a small amount of shortening (or butter or pam) in each cup of ebelskiver pan, and fill 2/3 full with batter. Cook over medium low to medium heat until bubbly and slightly cooked on edges.  Turn carefully with a toothpick and finish baking on other side. If desired, ebelskivers can be filled...place small spoonful of batter in cup (1/3 full) a dollop of filling and top with another small spoonful of batter (to 2/3 full). Cooking time varies, approximately 2 minutes per side, depending on heat and amount of batter.  Filling ideas: biscoff, lemon curd, jams, nutella, apple slice, honey, mascarpone and anything!

**Above is a lemon & mascarpone, biscoff and raspberry & mascarpone! Yum!
**I took a cooking class from a neighborhood high school girl (Becca Briggs - my sister Kristi's best friend) when I was 8 or 9.  Ebelskivers was one of our favorite days! We had so much fun putting all kinds of things in them....blueberry jelly belly's were my favorite, but now I'd pick lemon curd and mascarpone! Thanks to Becca for initiating my love of the Ebelskiver!
**Hooray for Sunday after church breakfasts! When I make these for my family, I give them each a pan at a time, so they pick what they want in their 7 and that way everyone gets warm fresh ones! I usually have 2 pans going at once...it's a little tricky. And they are still amazing without filling...that is Chloe's choice!

Megan's Granola

Megan's Granola   8 C rolled oats 3/4 C wheat germ 3/4 C ground flax seed 1 1/2 C oat bran 1 1/2 C finely chopped almonds 1 1/2 C finely chopped pecans 1 1/2 t salt

1/2 C brown sugar

1/4 C maple syrup

3/4 C honey

1 C vegetable oil

1 T ground cinnamon

1 T vanilla extract

 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil. Combine the oats, wheat germ, flax seed, oat bran, almonds and pecans in a large bowl. Stir together the salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat. Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes. Stir once halfway through. Cool, before storing in an airtight container.

**Just ANOTHER granola recipe....it's because if I just could pick one food to eat the rest of my life, it would be granola....and Greek yogurt.  So I'm always trying new recipes.  Most don't delight me, but this one was a keeper.

**Adapted from Megan's Granola from allrecipes.com Next time I'll try it with way less oil.

THE Sundance Cookie

 THE Sundance Cookie
(Oatmeal Molasses Golden Raisin Cookie by Joseph McRae)

1 1/2 C butter
2 C + 2 T sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C molasses
3 1/2 C flour
2 T baking soda
1 1/4 t salt
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 1/2 t ginger
3 C oats
1 1/2 C golden raisins

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs. Mix.  Add molasses. Mix. Mix flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger together in a separate bowl.  Add to wet ingredients.  Mix well.  Add oats.  Mix.  Mix in raisins.  Form into balls and bake at 350.  (1 T ball baked for approx. 8 minutes. 1/4 C ball baked for approx. 12 minutes.)

**I have been skiing at Sundance for 21 years with Hans (19 years before that without him).  We love it.  It's a little place of memories, fun, family and beauty.  It's a winter escape.  One of the simple joys is eating a cookie and drinking a diet coke on the lift.  It's crazy how much I look forward to it.  This cookie is the best cookie I've ever had.  A few years ago, I met the creator of this masterpiece.  Joseph McRae.  He was the pastry chef years ago at Sundance and now is a successful restauranteur. Through my sis in law Holly, he shared his recipe.  However, it came in crazy huge proportions. 6lbs butter, 8.5 lbs flour...etc.  I shaved it down, but am not 100% happy with the texture.  The flavor is perfect.  I'll keep messing and make it perfect! 

**Side note, I went skiing 2 weeks ago and the cookie is GONE!  There's a new pastry chef in town and she took it off the menu! What?  There have been a lot of complaints, so they might bring it back.  So when you're at the deli, tell them you want it!

Apple Pie for Mom

 Apple Pie for Mom

1/2 C granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces), plus 1 teaspoon 
1/4 C packed light brown sugar (1 3/4 ounces) 
1/4 t salt 
1 T lemon juice 
1/2 t grated lemon zest 
1/8 t ground cinnamon 
2 1/2 lbs tart apples (firm), about 5 medium, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices 
2 1/2 lbs sweet apples (firm), about 5 medium, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 recipe Monette's Pie Crust, form into 2 discs, wrap in plastic and refrigerate minimum 1 hour
1 egg white, beaten lightly

 Mix 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, zest, and cinnamon in large bowl; add apples and toss to combine. Transfer apples to a large pot (do not wash bowl) and cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, until apples are tender when poked with fork but still hold their shape, 15 to 20 minutes. (Apples and juices should gently simmer during cooking.) Transfer apples and juices to rimmed baking sheet and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. While apples cool, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place empty rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 425.

Remove 1 disk of dough from refrigerator and roll out between 2 large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to 12-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. (If dough becomes soft and/or sticky, return to refrigerator until firm.) Remove parchment from one side of dough and flip onto 9-inch pie plate; peel off second layer of parchment. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Leave dough that overhangs plate in place; refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, roll second disk of dough between 2 large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to 12-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate, leaving dough between parchment sheets, until firm, about 30 minutes.

 Set large colander over now-empty bowl; transfer cooled apples to colander. Shake colander to drain off as much juice as possible (cooked apples should measure about 8 cups); discard juice. Transfer apples to dough-lined pie plate; sprinkle with lemon juice.

Remove parchment from one side of remaining dough and flip dough onto apples; peel off second piece of parchment. Pinch edges of top and bottom dough rounds firmly together. Cut four 2-inch slits in top of dough (or make a design). Brush surface with beaten egg white and sprinkle evenly with remaining teaspoon sugar.

Set pie on preheated baking sheet; bake until crust is golden brown, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool at least 1 1/2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.

** A few years ago, I asked my Mom, "If your Mom was alive and she offered to make you anything for your birthday, what would you say?"  She answered apple pie.  So I ventured to make my first apple pie.  It wasn't anything special, but it tasted good.  Last year she requested Pecan Wedges.  So this year, I wanted to give the apple pie another try.  This is it, the deep dish apple pie of all apple pies! So fresh, tart, sweet, salty and HUGE!  Amazing with Breyers natural vanilla ice cream!
**I made it a day ahead and warmed up individual slices upon request.  It actually felt a bit healthy because of how many apples were in there.  One note: I think I'll add a touch more sugar to the apples next time.
**I used my mandolin for slicing the apples and it was super fast!
**Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Ricotta Cheese & Magic Sauce

Ricotta Cheese

4 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon salt

Add ingredients to a 4-quart pot.  Attach a thermometer to the side of the pot (making sure that it doesn't touch the bottom of the pan).  Bring to a very gentle boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula to prevent scorching.  (Do not stir once the temperature reaches 170, it will become grainy.)  

Meanwhile, line a sieve or fine mesh strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth and place it over a deep bowl or pot.

Once curds begin to separate from the whey (liquid temperature will be between 175 and 200 degrees), remove from heat.  Gently spoon or ladle the curds into the cheesecloth-lined strainer.  You may need to gently gather the cheesecloth at the top to help the curds drain.   

Let curds sit in cheesecloth to drain liquid 15 to 30 minutes.  Keep in mind the ricotta will thicken in the fridge, so don't drain it too much, or it will end up dry. 

Magic Sauce

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 medium cloves of garlic, smashed into a paste
1 well-crumbles bay leaf
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon + fine grain sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Gently warm the olive oil over medium-low heat in a skillet or pan, until it is just hot.  When hot remove from heat.

While the oil is heating, lightly pound the rosemary, thyme, and oregano in a mortar and pestle.  Stir the paprika, garlic, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and salt into the oil.  Then add the bruised herbs and lemon juice.

You can use this now, but know the oil just gets better as it ages over a few days.  Keep it in a refrigerator for up to a week/ten days-ish.  It thickens up when cold, so if you need it in a liquid state, place it in the sun or a warm place for a few minutes.

**Both recipes and the idea for the sandwich, once again, come from Breanna. Both the ricotta and the magic sauce can be used in so many different ways, but here, toasted french bread was topped with ricotta, roasted asparagus, a fried egg and magic sauce.  So delish!

Creamy Yam Soup

Creamy Yam Soup

1 T olive oil
1 C diced onion
8 C yams, peeled and diced
8 C vegetable or chicken broth
8 oz cream cheese
4 C yams, peeled and diced (optional - my preference)

In a large pot, heat oil and cook until onions are translucent.  Add yams and broth.  Bring to a boil and cook until yams are very tender, approximately 20 minutes.  Turn off heat.  With an immersion blender or potato masher, smash yams to give the soup a nice thicker texture.  You can blend until smooth or leave a bit chunky. Stir in cream cheese until dissolved.  Can be served at this point or you can......Turn heat back on.  Add 4 C optional yams and cook until yams are tender (an additional 10 minutes or so) for a nice thick soup with yummy yam bites.

*Can't believe how sweet this soup is, I love it!  It is even great with no cream cheese or just half a block.

Breanna's Granola

Breanna's Granola - adapted

3 C old-fashioned rolled oats
1 C shredded coconut
3/4 C chopped almonds
3/4 C chopped pecans
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
4 T butter
1/3 C honey
1 t vanilla
 
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
 
In a large bowl stir together oats, coconut, almonds, pecans, cinnamon, and salt.  In a small saucepan melt butter with honey over low heat, stirring.  Add vanilla and pour butter mixture over oat mixture and stir until combined.
 
On a large baking sheet, spread the granola evenly in a thin layer.  Bake, stirring every 5 minutes to keep from sticking or burning, until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.  (Do not overcook; the granola will crisp more when cooled.)  Cool granola on the pan.  Granola may be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

*The only thing I do differently, is Breanna likes walnuts...she adds 1/2 C of each kind of nut. Check out her original blog post here.
*I usually just like to go to her blog for the recipe, but it has become a big enough favorite that it needs to be on this blog too! Thanks Bre, you're the best! 
*Awesome kept in the freezer and so amazing on parfaits....I buy Greek yogurt from costco and mix in honey or truvia or agave nectar and vanilla (vanilla bean for special occasions). Add any fruit, so yummy! That's what the picture was set up for....."Everybody loves a parfait!" -Donkey on Shrek

Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus

 Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus

1 whole head of garlic
3 T olive oil (maybe more to change for consistency preference)
1 can white or  cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (15 Oz.)
1 whole small lemon, juiced
½ t cumin
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the head of garlic in half horizontally to expose the cloves. Drizzle with a little olive oil and wrap in foil. Bake 30-40 minutes or until fragrant and cloves are golden in color. Then remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Into the bowl of a food processor, pour in beans, lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper. Squeeze both halves of the roasted garlic head into the food processor. The roasted cloves should pop right out. Turn machine on and drizzle in 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, processing until desired consistency has been reached. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking-more salt, more cumin, more lemon juice, etc.
Spoon onto serving platter. Top with another drizzle of olive oil, pine nuts and parsley, if desired. Serve with pita bread, vegetables or crackers. Also delicious on a sandwich or wrap.

*From laurenslatest.com ...check it out for beautiful pics of the process.
**This is so light, fresh and yummy! I always make a double batch for a gathering (The gingerbread house ladies love it!)....just beware, you'll smell a little garlicy the next day! :)