PG TESTED

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 tablespoons McCormick Gourmet cocoa chile blend
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 8-ounce can tomato sauce

Cook and stir ground beef and onion in large skillet on medium-high heat 5 minutes. Drain fat.

Stir in spices and remaining ingredients. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped onion and corn chips, if desired.

Makes 5 1-cup servings.

-- McCormick

PG TESTED

• 1 pound medium cremini or white mushrooms
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese
• 3 to 4 tablespoons parmesan
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fine bread crumbs

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a rack and place it on top of a baking pan. Clean mushrooms, separating caps from the stems. Set aside caps.
• Place stems in the bowl of a food processor with a steel blade, along with mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, basil, and parsley. Pulse until finely chopped but not pureed. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Gently fill mushroom caps to the top with filling. Place mushrooms on rack in the baking pan. Drizzle olive oil over mushrooms, sprinkle tops with bread crumbs.
• Bake for about 30 minutes. If they haven't formed a crust, put mushrooms under the broiler for a few minutes.
• Makes 24.
• -- "The New American Cooking" by Joan Nathan (Random House, 2005)

PG TESTED

For the cookies

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 egg

For the filling

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/3 cup finely chopped salted shelled pistachios

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom, set aside. Mix buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.

Beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add egg, mix well. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until smooth and scraping down sides of bowl occasionally.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter, 2 inches apart, on to parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Avoid crowding cookies on the cookie sheet because they will spread. Bake 8 minutes or until cookies are puffed and spring back when touched, turning baking sheet halfway through baking. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

While the cookies are cooling beat all filling ingredients except pistachios with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Place 1 tablespoon of filling on flat side of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, pressing gently to spread filling. Roll or sprinkle side of whoopie pie with pistachios. Store between layers of wax paper in airtight container in refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

Makes 24 whoopie pies.

-- McCormick

PG tested

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 to 3 teaspoons dried lavender
• 2 to 3 teaspoons
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Mix sugar and lavender in small bowl. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; set aside.

Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds or until softened. Add sugar mixture; beat until light and fluffy, scraping down sides occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating on low speed after each addition until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Drizzle cake with Vanilla Butter Glaze or sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Makes 16 servings.

PG tested

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons

Mix butter, confectioners' sugar, water and vanilla until smooth. Let stand 3 minutes or until thickened.

Makes 1 1/4 cups or 10 (2-tablespoon) servings.

• 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 cups frozen diced potatoes
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 pound smoked ham, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
• Pinch crushed red pepper

Stir together corn, potatoes, onions and bell pepper in large saucepan. Add milk and broth and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add ham, Old Bay and crushed red pepper.

Simmer 15 minutes or until flavors are well blended and vegetables are soft.

Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings.