Ultimate Peanut Butter Brownies

Prep time: 10 to 15 minutes

Bake time: 30 to 40 minutes

Yield: 32 brownies

 4 ounces semisweet chocolate

 1 cup canola or vegetable oil

 2 cups sugar

 4 eggs

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

 1 teaspoon baking powder

 1 teaspoon salt

 2 cups M&M'S Peanut Butter

 Candies, divided

 Preheat oven to 350∞F.

 Lightly grease a rectangular 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan

 In 3-quart saucepan, gently combine the semisweet chocolate and oil over very   low heat until melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

 In separate bowl, combine sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until blended. Add in chocolate mixture. Slowly sift in remaining dry ingredients and mix until combined.

 Fold in 1 1/2 cups candies.

Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup candies and press lightly.

Bake until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Simply Sweet Cannoli

Prep time: 20 minutes  Yield: 24

1 cup Snickers Bars, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups part skim milk ricotta

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1   resealable plastic bag

24  mini cannoli shells, unfilled

1/2  cup M&M'S Chocolate Candies

Combine chopped candy bars with ricotta, sugar and orange zest.

 Spoon mixture into resealable bag and snip off a 1/2-inch corner. Fill cannoli shells by squeezing in filling from each end.

 Decorate both ends with chocolate candies.

With a few expert tips from Buddy Valastro, author and star of TLC's "Cake Boss," you can take your sweet treats from good to great in no time.

(Family Features) You might have a favorite cookie or brownie recipe - but did you know you could make it even better by adding a simple, familiar ingredient? With a few expert tips from Buddy Valastro, author and star of TLC's "Cake Boss," you can take your sweet treats from good to great in no time.

 -Start with Quality Ingredients - When you start with better ingredients, you end up with a better cookie or brownie. Use real butter, high-quality vanilla and great tasting chocolate. Here, Buddy shares some of his favorite recipes that use M&M'S candies to add an extra special touch to family favorites - making them even better.

 -Chill the Dough - Leaving cookie dough in the refrigerator gives it more body and results in a fuller and better tasting cookie. Plan ahead so you can refrigerate your dough at least one hour - or, even better, overnight.

 -Keep It Uniform - Use a small ice cream scoop to keep your cookies the same size. This not only helps them look professional, but bake up evenly and consistently.

-Pans Matter - Bake cookies on light-colored, non-insulated cookie sheets without sides. Metal pans will cook brownies faster than glass pans, which means cooking times will vary. Start checking your brownies early to test if they're ready and prevent over baking.    You can find more sweet baking tips and recipes at www.facebook.com/mms.

(BPT) - The inspiration for a great taco can be found in many places - from farmers markets to food trucks to upscale restaurants. All across the country, chefs and home cooks alike are reinventing the taco with global flavors and fresh ingredients.

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo and summertime celebrations, the Betty Crocker Kitchens partnered with Old El Paso to create five tacos with a twist.

"We were inspired by the creative tacos we've been seeing, and wanted to bring these global influences home with some simple ideas for fresh taco-and-margarita pairings," says Jennifer Kalinowski, Food Content Strategy, Betty Crocker Kitchens.

All suggestions feature the five elements that make an awesome taco experience: a shell + hot filling + cold topping + sauce + finishing touch such as a fresh garnish. Take this formula and customize and experiment— tacos are the ultimate fun, casual food.

This summer and beyond, enjoy a global taste experience at home with these taco and margarita ideas:

Tex-Mex inspired

Create your own puffy taco shell, widely served at restaurants. The make-at-home secret: flour tortillas transformed into puffy shells.

Chipotle Chicken Puffy Tacos: Puffy taco shells stuffed with pulled rotisserie chicken in chipotle sauce, topped with fresh guacamole, salsa and favorite toppings like lettuce, tomato and queso fresco.

Citrus Margarita with Smoky Chile Salt: A triple citrus (orange, lemon, lime) margarita with a smoky chile salt rim. Chile salt is hand mixed with fine sea salt, ancho and chipotle chile powders.

Mexican inspired

This fun mash-up of flavors plays on the wildly popular fish taco, paired with a hibiscus-infused margarita.

Beer Battered Fish Tacos: Crispy taco shells filled with Mexican beer battered fish, topped with shredded red cabbage, chimichurri aioli and fresh jalapenos.

Hibiscus Lime Margarita: Homemade hibiscus syrup adds bright flavor and vibrant color to a fresh lime margarita.

Thai inspired

Grilled, fresh and light, this taco features the unexpected flavor of green apple, matched with a margarita that's lighter on calories but packed with flavor.

Coconut Curry Chicken Tacos: Grilled tortillas filled with coconut curry chicken, green apple and Thai basil, topped with mango chile sauce and crunchy peanuts.

Mango Thai Basil Margarita: A mango margarita infused with the flavors of lime and Thai basil.

Vietnamese inspired

Try this combination of fresh flavors that takes its cues from the popular Banh Mi sandwich.

Banh Mi Pork Tacos: Spicy, honey-glazed pork wrapped in warm tortillas, topped with carrot daikon slaw, Sriracha mayo and fresh toppings like jalapenos, cilantro and cucumber slices.

Cucumber Cilantro Margarita: Muddled cucumber and cilantro add fresh flavor to a lime margarita.

Middle Eastern inspired

This gluten-free, vegetarian taco highlights spicy harissa and sweet potatoes, along with a "skinny" margarita.

Harissa Roasted Sweet Potato Tacos (Gluten Free): Warm corn tortillas filled with harissa roasted sweet potatoes, topped with herbed feta, Greek yogurt and crunchy quinoa.

Honey Lemon Margarita (Gluten Free): A fresh, light and lemony margarita sweetened with a touch of honey.

Try this recipe for Chipotle Chicken Puffy tacos. For more recipes and summer food and entertaining ideas, visit www.bettycrocker.com/cinco.

Prep Time: 30 Minutes  

Serves 8

Toppings

2 avocados, pitted, peeled and cubed

1 can (4.5 ounce) Old El Paso chopped green chiles

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

1 plum (roma) tomato, seeded and diced

3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese

Chipotle Sauce

 3/4 cup Old El Paso Thick'n Chunky salsa

1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (with 1 tablespoon adobo sauce) 1/4 cup water

Filling

2 1/2 cups pulled (not shredded) deli rotisserie chicken (from 2-pound chicken)

Puffy Tortillas

1/4 cup vegetable oil

8 Old El Paso tortillas for soft tacos & fajitas (6 inch)

Instructions:

1. In medium bowl, make guacamole by mixing avocados, green chiles, lime juice, red onion and cilantro, mashing slightly; set aside.

2. Place Chipotle Sauce ingredients in blender or food processor. Cover; blend on high speed until smooth. Pour half of sauce in 10-inch skillet over medium heat with chicken, reserving 1/2 cup for topping. Cover skillet; heat chicken and sauce until warm.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tortilla. Cook until it starts to puff up, then turn over. Once second side is puffed up, remove from skillet; drain on paper towels.

4. Fold each tortilla in half, and top with slightly less than 1/3 cup chicken mixture. Top with guacamole, a drizzle of reserved sauce, lettuce, tomato and cheese.

For a zestier chipotle flavor, dust the puffy tortillas with chipotle powder after draining on paper towels.

Brighten up spring gatherings with a simple dessert inspired by the flavors of the season. Lemon, almond, vanilla and raspberry extracts give baked treats a fresh flair that matches the lively essence of spring.

To simplify preparation when making dessert for a gathering, take advantage of these ideas from the McCormick Kitchens:

Make Ahead and Batch Bake: Double-batch the dessert recipe and vary the extracts to make two unique treats in one effort. For even more variety, try  a simple substitution like using chocolate sandwich cookies in place of the vanilla wafers for the “crust.” Make day-of prep a spring breeze by preparing the recipe in advance and refrigerating it overnight.

Bright Fruit Topping: Fresh fruits and berries make a simple, yet colorful topping for cake, ice cream and other desserts. Stir in 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar to 2 1/2 cups fruit for a sweet seasonal treat.  

These luscious cheesecakes flavored with vanilla and almond extract are sized just right. Garnish with fresh fruit, lemon curd or melted chocolate swirls.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 24 minutes

Refrigerate Time: 4 hours

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons MCormick(r) Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 teaspoon McCormick(r) Pure Almond Extract

12 vanilla wafers

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and extracts; beat well. Place a wafer in bottom of 12 paper-lined muffin cups. Spoon batter into each cup, filling 2/3 full.

2. Bake in preheated 325∞F oven 22 to 24 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool in pan on wire rack. (Mini cheesecakes will deflate in center upon cooling.)

3. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Garnish with desired toppings.

Makes 12 servings