Prep: 25 mins | Bake: 15 min / batch | Makes about 2 1/2 dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

3 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp 2% milk

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups coarsely crushed potato chips

1 1/2 cups coarsely crushed pretzels

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup milk chocolate M&M’s

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, cream butter ad brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and milk. In another bowl, whisk oats, flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in potato chips, pretzels, chocolate chips and M&M’s.
2. Drop cookie dough by scant 1/4 cupfuls 2″ apart ono un-greased baking sheets; flatten slightly. Bake 14-16 mins or until the edges are golden brown. Cool on pans 2 mins. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Prep: 10 mins | Total: 10 mins | Makes: 1 9″ pie crust

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (plus more for rolling)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 pound vegetable shortening

1/4 cup plant-based milk (or more if needed)

Instructions:

To make the dough:

1. Add the flour, salt and sugar into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Cut the vegetable shortening into cubes and scatter into the flour. Use a fork or pastry cutter to slice the vegetable shortening into the flour until you reach a crumbly texture.
2. Drizzle milk across the flour mixture and use the fork to combine. Mix until everything comes together and you will be able to form a ball of dough. Don’t over-mix.

To roll the dough:

1. Spread a clean tea towel over you works surface and lightly sprinkle flour over it. Scoop the dough into a rough ball, and put it in the center of the floured tea towel. Roll it out until you have a rough circle that is several inches bigger than your pie dish to allow room for the sides and edges of the crust.

To form the pie crust:

1. Use the tea towel to help you flip the dough into the pie dish. If some pieces fall off, that’s fine. Use a knife to cut off the excess pastry around the edges. If there are any holes, fill them with some of the extra pieces. Pinch the edges to form a pretty crust.

To Pre-Bake your pie crust (optional): 

1. Only do this if the recipe requires a cooked crust prior to filling it. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Pierce the crust all over with a fork. Bake the crust for 15 mins. Reduce the heat to 400°F and continue baking until the crust is lightly browned, just a couple more minutes.

Notes:

• This recipe works best with cold tools, so put all of your tools, your bowl, for or pastry cutter, and rolling pin in the fridge to chill.
• Non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening is a little less bad for you.
• I found that different shortenings can be a little softer or firmer making the dough hold together a little differently. If the dough isn’t quite coming together, try adding 1 tbsp at a time more plant-base milk until the dough just comes together.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

chocolate chips

Instructions:

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

½ cup quick cooking tapioca granules

1½ cup fresh brewed strong coffee

1½ cup whole milk

½ cup sugar

¼ tsp pink Himalayan salt

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

heavy whipping cream (optional, garnish)

coffee beans (optional, garnish)

chocolate chips (optional, garnish)

berries (optional, garnish)

Instructions:

Prep Time: 2 hrs | Cook Time: 45 mins | Total Time: 2 hr 45 mins | Servings: 12

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1 cup hot water or hot coffee

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

Cherry Liqueur Syrup:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup cherry liqueur

Whipped Cream Frosting:

3 cup whipping cream, cold

1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Chocolate Bark:

250g good quality dark chocolate, chopped

Assembly

2 1/2 cups cherries, pitted and cut in half

1 bar dark chocolate, optional, for shavings

cherries

Instructions:

Chocolate Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F, grease two 8″ round baking pans and dust with cocoa powder. Line bottoms with parchment.
2. Place all dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir to combine.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk all wet ingredients (pour hot water in slowly as not to cook the eggs).
4. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix on medium for 2-3 mins. Batter will be very thin.
5. Pour evenly into prepared pans. I used a kitchen scale to ensure batter is evenly distributed.
6. Bake for 45 mins or until a cake tester comes out mostly clean.
7. Cool 10 minutes in the pans then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Cherry Liqueur Syrup:

1. Place sugar and water in a small pot. Stir and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 min then remove from the heat. Stir in cherry liqueur and allow to cool completely.

Whipped Cream Frosting:

1. Whip cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form, ideally in a cold bowl with a cold whisk.

Chocolate Bark:

1. Melt chocolate over a double boiler or in 20-second bursts in the microwave.
2. Using a large offset spatula, spread melted chocolate in a thin layer on a large sheet of parchment.
3. Roll up from the short side of the parchment. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze until firm.
4. Unroll to create chocolate bark.

Assembly:

1. Cut each cake layer in half horizontally.
2. Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Brush generously with cherry syrup.
3. Top with approximately 1 cup whipped cream and spread evenly. Top with approximately 1 cup of cherries and gently press them into the whipped cream. Repeat with remaining layers and frost the outside of the cake.
4. Decorate with chocolate bark, chocolate shavings, rossettes and cherries, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups biscuit / baking mix

4 1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup water

Filling:

1 – 1 1/4 cups sugar

2 tbsp biscuit / baking mix

2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1/3 cup orange juice

2 tbsp butter

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, combine biscuit mix, sugar and water. With lightly floured hands, press mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9″ fluted tart pan with a removable bottom; set aside.
2. In a saucepan, combine sugar and biscuit mix. Add the cranberries, orange juice and butter. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Cook 1-2 mins longer or until thickened and bubbly. Pour over crust. Bake at 375°F for 30-35 mins or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

12 oz. Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Bar

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) butter, sliced

2 cups granulated sugar

6 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler, stirring occasionally. Beat sugar and eggs in large mixer bowl on high for about 3 mins or until mixture falls from beaters in ribbons. With mixer at medium speed, add melted chocolate mixture to egg mixture. Gradually add flour. Stir in nuts. Scoop 1/3 cup batter into each cupcake liner, filling 3/4 full. Bake 25-30 mins or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out with loose crumbs attached. Cool in pans for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 8, 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients:

4-5 medium baking apples (about 1 1/4 lbs), peeled, cored and sliced into 1/4-in. slices

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 pkg. (16.5 oz.) Nestlé Toll House Refrigerated Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bar Dough

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8″ square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine apple slices, lemon juice, sugar, flour and cinnamon in large bowl. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan. Crumble bar of dough on top of the apples. Bake 40-45 mins or until apples are tender and crumble topping is crisp. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped

1 3/4 cups sliced peeled tart apple

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1 tbsp grated orange peel

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp salt

Pastry for double-crust pie (9″)

2 tsp butter, melted

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine cranberries, apple, almonds and orange peel. In another bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; add to fruit mixture and toss gently.
2. Line a 9″ pie plate with the bottom crust; add filling. Drizzle with butter. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Place over filling; cut slits in top crust. Seal and flute edges. Bake at 400°F for 45 mins or until golden brown. Cool before serving.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup cold butter

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp milk

6 medium tart apples, peeled and cut into 1/4″ slices

Topping:

1/3-1/2 cup sugar

4 1/2 tsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tbsp cold butter

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Combine egg and milk; gradually add to flour mixture, tossing with a fork until dough becomes a ball.
2. With lightly floured hands, press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of a 12″ fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Arrange apple slices in a circular pattern over dough, starting at the outer edge and overlapping slices.
3. For topping, combine the sugar, flour and spices in a small bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake tart at 350°F for 50-60 mins or until the apples are tender. Serve tart warm or cold.