Valantine Family Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream Together:
2/3 c. butter
2/3 c. shortening
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar

Add and Mix Together:
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 - 3 1/2 c. flour
Add Chocolate chips

Bake 350F for 10-12 minutes

These were delicious!

Gourmet Sweet Potato Souffle

Source: All Recipies

Ingredients (to feed 6 people I halved this recipe)

•  3 1.2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
•   1 tablespoon white sugar
•   1/2 cup butter, melted
•   3/4 cup white sugar
•   1 cup heavy cream
•   5 eggs

•   1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
•   1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•   1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•   1 teaspoon vanilla extract  
•   1 teaspoon Salt

 Directions

• Prep 20 m   
• Cook 1 h
• Ready In 1 h 20 m

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes, cover, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 2 quart souffle dish. Sprinkle dish with 1 tablespoon white sugar, shaking dish to evenly coat bottom and sides.
3. Place the sweet potatoes into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter, 3/4 cup sugar, heavy cream, eggs, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Process until mixture is smooth. Pour into prepared souffle dish.
4. Bake the sweet potato mixture in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
5. Bake the sweet potato mixture until edges are slightly browned, about 40 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature

Italian Sausage & Kale Soup

- 1/4 c. Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lb mild Italian Sausage
- 1 med. white or yellow onion
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (drained)
- 4 c. Vegetable Broth
- 2 c. Water
- 1 tsp salt
- black pepper (as desired)
- kale (ribs removed and chopped)
- juice from 1 medium lemon
- noodles of your choice (I like Ditali)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. One-fourth cup olive oil may seem like a lot, but it adds a lovely richness and heartiness to this nutritious soup. In a separate pot boil some water and add the noodles. Cook noodles until aldente and set aside.
2. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, sausage and carrot and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, and sausage is almost or fully cooked. (It will finish in the pot.) Add the garlic, cumin, curry powder and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Pour in the drained diced tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes, stirring often, in order to enhance their flavor.
3. Pour in the vegetable broth and water. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Raise heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. 
4. Add the chopped greens. Cook for 5 more minutes, or until the greens have softened to your liking. 
5. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the juice of half of a lemon. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice until the flavors really sing. At this point I add my noodles. to my bowl verses the pot. if you add them to the soup they will absorb all of the britg if yiu have any left overs. So I keep mine separate. Serve immediately. 

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients *Double the sauce... its that good*
1/2 cup flour
1 tbs Essence (recipe follows)
2 skinless chicken breasts cut in halve and pounded thin
1 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp butter
3 cups sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup Marsala
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Directions:
In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and Essence and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tbsp of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add 1 tbsp of the remaining butter to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid. Add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping to remove the browned bits from the pan. When the wine has reduced by half add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thicken slightly. Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan and continue to cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, 5-6 minutes. Swirl in the remaining tbsp of butter add salt and pepper to taste.

Essence Seasoning:
2 1/2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried leaf oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme
-Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an air tight jar or container

Notes:
*Be sure to make double the gravy serve over mashed potatoes*

Old Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
1 3/4 c. warm milk (heat in microwave until hot just BEFORE boiling)
2 tbps. instant yeast
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
6 c. flour

-Mix milk, salt, sugar and oil. Let cool until just warm. Not more 110 degrees
-Then add flour, yeast and egg.
-Put in big bowl and let rise until double.
-Roll out in rectangle for rolls.

Filling:
1 1/2 c butter; melted
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c cinnamon

Instructions:
-Mix butter sugars a cinnamon
-Spread on rolled out dough
-Roll the dough up tight
-Cut in 1 1/2" length
-Put 12 roll in per pan in 9¨ẍ 13"pans
-Let rise until double
-Bake at 350 for 20 minutes
-Let cool and spread Glaze on top.

Caramel Pecan Rolls

Ingredients:
2 c butterscotch chips
1 c. corn syrup
1/3 c. butter
1 c. pecans; chopped

Directions:
-Melt chips, syrup & butter together. Add Pecans.
-Spread evenly in 2 9¨x 13¨ pans.
-Make Cinnamon Rolls
-Put on top of Caramel Pecan Mixture.
-Bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes
-When baked, remove from oven and turn upsde down.
-Remove from pan while hot.
-Let cool

Makes 24 Rolls

Link for Rolls Recipie

Notes:
These are Jakobs Favorites!

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Soft pretzels are so much easier than you thought. This recipe will take you little time and effort. Top them with salt, cinnamon-sugar, and dunk in your favorite pretzel dips.

Yield: makes 8 - 10 (or more) depending on size

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (lukewarm, no need to take temperature)
• 1 packet active dry or instant yeast (2 and 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon (8g) granulated sugar
• 3.75 - 4.25 cups (480-530g) all-purpose flour + more for the counter surface to knead (or mix of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.
2. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir with a spoon until fairly mixed, about 1 minute. Some clusters of yeast will remain. Add salt and sugar; stir until fairly combined. Slowly add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough is thick. Add 3/4 cup more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. If it is still sticky, add up to 1/2 cup more. Poke the dough with your finger - if it bounces back, it is ready to knead.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes and shape into a ball. With a sharp knife, cut ball of dough into 1/3 cup sections. This measurement does not have to be exact - use as much or little dough for each pretzel as you wish - the size of the pretzel is completely up to you.
4. Roll the dough into a rope with an even diameter. My ropes were twenty inches long. This measurement will depend how large you want the pretzels. Once you have your long rope, take the ends and draw them together so the dough forms a circle. Twist the ends, then bring them towards yourself and press them down into a pretzel shape. See above for link to visual instructions.
5. This fifth step is optional: Whisk 9 cups of water and 1/2 cup baking soda together in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Place a pretzel onto a large slotted spatula and dip into the boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Any more than that and your pretzels will have a metallic taste. The pretzel will float. Lift the pretzel out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off.  Place pretzel onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the pretzels. Read why this is a good option here. But again, it's not necessary and I did not do it for these pretzels.
6. In a small bowl, beat the egg and pour into a shallow bowl or pie dish. Dunk the shaped pretzel into the egg wash (both sides). Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
7. Bake for 10 minutes at 425F degrees. Turn the oven to broil and bake for 5 more minutes to brown the tops. Watch closely to avoid burning. I do the 5 minute broil no matter if I do step 5 or not.
8. Allow to cool and enjoy. Serve warm or at room temperature. Pretzels may be stored in an airtight container or zipped top bag for up to 3 days (will lose softness). Pretzels freeze well.

Additional Notes:

*Make ahead instructions for dough: the prepared pretzel dough may be refrigerated for up to one day or frozen in an airtight container for three months. Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight. Refrigerated dough can be shaped into pretzels while still cold, but allow some extra time for the pretzels to puff up before the baking soda bath and baking.
** When broiling turn to low and watch closely.... they burn FAST. 
*This dough is pretty heavy, in the furture I may try to let them rise a bit to get them a bit more fluffy. 
*Very good recipe!