pimento cheese stuffed sweet potatoes

This was one of my Thanksgiving creations this year.

3 large sweet potatoes

Preheat oven to 375. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and then in the oven. Bake for an hour, until they feel soft to the touch. Set aside.

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 small jar pimentos
1 tsp bourbon
black pepper

Ritz crackers, crumbled

Mix the ingredients together. Cut the potatoes in half and scoop them out into a bowl, leaving enough in the skins for them to hold their shape. Add the cheese to the potato in the bowl and mix them together. Put the filling back into the skins and place them side by side in a baking dish. Cover the tops with the cracker crumbs. Lower the oven temperature to 350 and put them back in the oven for twenty minutes.

Peace,
Milton

white chocolate, craisin, and pumpkin seed cookies

This started from a recipe that had the white chocolate, craisins, and macadamia nuts, but I didn't want to spring for the macadamias, so I began thinking of other options. The roasted pumpkin seeds seemed a good replacement, bringing a little crunch and savoriness to the cookies.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Cream butter in electric mixer and then add sugars and mix until fluffly. Take your time: let the mixer run a good 6-8 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well. Add vanilla. Add the flour mixture gradually, mixing until just mixed. Then add

1 pkg (11 oz) white chocolate chips
1 cup Craisins
1 cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds

Mix just until the added ingredients are well distributed throughout the dough. Drop on to a cookie sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes.

Peace,
Milton