Chicken Pot Pie

For the filling:
Chicken, cooked and shredded (of course I use a rotisserie chicken!)
3 Tbs butter
3 small potatoes, diced
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
chopped onion or dried onion to taste
1 (1 lb.) bag mixed vegetables (in the freezer section; has peas, carrots, green beans, corn)

For the sauce:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
Dash of Worcestershire
Dash of garlic powder
Salt and pepper

For the topping:
1/2 cube butter, melted
1 cup self rising flour (must be self rising)
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan.

To make the filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots and potato (and onion) to the pan, and sauté for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Once the vegetables are finished cooking, turn off the heat and mix in the chicken and the bag of mixed veggies. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While veggies are cooking, make the sauce. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the flour and whisk until smooth (it will be sort of a paste). Whisk in the chicken broth and cook over medium heat until it thickens to the consistency of a cream soup. Mix in the cream, the Worcestershire and season with garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the cream sauce over the chicken and veggie mixture and stir to combine well.

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

Combine melted butter, flour, and buttermilk to form topping. Spoon topping over top and spread to cover.

Bake for 30-35 min, until golden brown.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

My friend made these for book club and they were so good! I had to get the recipe so I could make them and they were so, so good. Especially yummy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a few spoonfuls of hot fudge!

Cream together:
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar packed
1 3oz. package instant vanilla pudding

Add:
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Add:
2 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Add 2 c. chocolate chips

Pat into 9x13 sprayed pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Specudoodles (Cookie Butter Snickerdoodles)

recipe source:  The Blonde Buckeye

1 3/4 C All-Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 C Unsalted Butter (1 stick), softened
3/4 C Brown Sugar
1/4 C Granulated Sugar
1/2 C Speculoos Cookie Butter
1 Egg
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste ***I used 1 1/2 tsp vanilla***

FOR ROLLING
1/4 C Granulated Sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together four, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.  In a mixer bowl, cream butter on low for 2 minutes.  Add sugars and beat on high for another two minutes.  Beat in cookie butter for another 2 minutes.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another 1-2 minutes until smooth.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and carefully mix until just combined (don't over-mix).
Let the dough chill for at least 2 hours, covered in the refrigerator.  (Chill up to two days, tightly covered.)  ***I baked one batch right after mixing dough and it turned out perfectly.***

In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the cinnamon, mix to combine.  Take about 2 TBSP of dough and roll into a ball.  Roll dough ball in cinnamon/sugar mixture.  Place it on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes.  Cookie tops should be just set and the edges barely turning golden.