Marbled Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Ingredients..
3 1/4 cups flour
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
5 tablespoons milk, divided
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon red food coloring
2 teaspoons white vinegar
 2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 18 jelly roll pan with butter or spray with Baker's Joy.

In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla extract, red food coloring, and white vinegar.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients, until completely combined. The batter will be a really thick, almost moldable texture...but don't worry, that's what you want. Remove 3/4 cup of the batter and place it in a medium bowl. Whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons of milk (into the 3/4 cup of batter you just took out). Set aside the 3/4 cup batter.

Pour the remaining batter into the prepared jelly roll pan. Using a spatula, smooth out the batter to reach all the edges.

Now, in your stand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until combined and there are no lumps. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the red velvet layer and smooth mixture till it reaches all the edges.

Drop spoonfuls of the remaining red velvet batter (that you mixed with milk) onto the top of the cheesecake layer. Drag the tip of a knife through the red velvet and the cheesecake layers to create swirls.

Bake for 30 minutes, rotating half way through, or just until the center is set and it no longer jiggles. Let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. Use a medium sized heart cookie cutter to create the perfect Valentine's Day treat!
Yield: 16 hearts

Heart Rice Crispy Treats

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
1 16 oz. bag of large marshmallows
Red food coloring
9 cups of Rice Krispie cereal
Cookie sheet
Wax Paper

Directions
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the marshmallows to the pot and stir until melted. Stir in drops of red food coloring until the mixture is the desired shade of pink or red. Stir in the Rice Krispies until they are evenly coated with marshmallow.

Spoon the Rice Krispies mixture onto the cookie sheet and allow to cool for one minute. With waxed paper, flatten the Rice Krispies mixture to an even thickness. Press the heart-shaped cookie cutter into the mixture to create the Valentine Rice Krispie treats. If the Rice Krispies mixture gets too hard to cut into hearts, put it in a bowl and microwave it for 15 seconds.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Hello, Valentines Day is right around the corner, so I thought I would post a lovers treat..

Ingredients..
2 cups medium-large strawberries
1/2cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shorting

Directions..
Gently rinse strawberries and dry on paper towels (berries must be completely dry).
Line cookie sheet with waxed paper.
In 1-quart saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shorting over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Dip lower half of each strawberry into chocolate mixture; allow excess to drip back into saucepan. Place on waxed paper-lined tray or cookie sheet.
Refrigerate uncovered about 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm, or until ready to serve. Store covered in refrigerator so chocolate does not soften.

Blue Berry Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup fresh blueberries




Streusel topping:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp slivered almonds
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, almonds, butter and cinnamon. Set aside.

To make the muffins:
Pre-heat oven to 375 F.

 In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and butter. Pour over the flour mixture and stir just until moistened-fold in blueberries.

  Spoon into paper lined cups until 2/3 full and sprinkle with streusel topping. Bake for 20-25 min. Let cool in pan for 3 minutes before removing from pan to rack to cool.

Makes 12

Bread Crumb Dipped Pork Chops

4 boneless pork loin chops (1 lb)
1/4  all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2  tablespoons milk
1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons vegetable oils

 Between pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper, place each pork chop; gently pound with flat side of meat mallet until about 1/4 inch thick.

 In shallow bowl, mix flour, seasoned salt and garlic powder. Place milk and bread crumbs in separate bowls. Dip each pork chop in flour mixture, then dip in milk. Coat well with bread crumbs.
 In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook pork in oil 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until browned on outside and white in center.