Chocolate Chip Cookie Pretzel Bars

From Two Peas and Their Pod taken from Food and Wine

I have to admit, I love the sweet-salty combination and I was expecting a little more from this recipe then I got, but I post it here because I think I might want to give it another shot.  I only had the pretzel sticks, next time, I'll try the pretzel twists; I think they would break up better and make for a better distribution in the cookie.  Also, I just used semi-sweet chocolate chips and I have a feeling I would have liked the bittersweet more.  My kids called them brownie-cookies (they aren't used to the bar formation!).  Baking all the dough in one batch likes this made for less time in the kitchen!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 c light brown sugar

1/2 c sugar

2 large eggs

2 t pure vanilla extract

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 c mini pretzels, coarsely chopped.

2 T chocolate sprinkles

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray.

2.  In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt. Using a mixer, beat the butter with both sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. On low, beat in the dry ingredients, just until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips and pretzel pieces.

3.  Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Press the batter down with a spatula. If you want to use the sprinkles, sprinkle them on top of the batter. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. The middle might be a little gooey but that is ok, the bars will set up. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool completely.

4.  Use a knife to go around the side of the pan to loosen the bars. Cut the bars in squares and serve.

Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Adapted from Reese's Peanut Butter Chips package

Ingredients:
2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c cocoa
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 c margarine, softened
3/4 c shortening
2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
1 package Reese's Peanut Butter chips (1 2/3 c)

Directions:
1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.  Stir together flour, cocoa, soda, and salt.
3.  Beat margarine, shortening, and sugar in large bowl with mixer until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.  Gradually add flour mixture, beating well.  Stir in peanut butter chips.
4.  Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes (do not overbake, cookies will be soft).  Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.  Cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen.

*These are very soft.  If you like cocoa and peanut butter chips, you'll like these.

Scrambled Eggs with Spicy Peppers

From Cooking Essentials

Ingredients:

4 T olive oil

1 large Spanish onion,, peeled and chopped (I used a yellow onion)

3 medium peppers (any color), cored, seeded, and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1/2 small fresh chili, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

8 large eggs

salt and pepper

4 medium tomatoes, halved, seeded, and chopped

Directions:

1.  Heat 2 T of the oil in a saucepan.  Add the onion and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add the peppers, garlic, and chili and stir to mix.  Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are softened.

2.  Meanwhile, crack teh eggs adn place in a large bowl, add salt and pepper, and mix well with a fork.  Heat the remaining 2 T oil in an 8 in nonstick saute pan over low heat.  Pour in the eggs.

3.  Cook for 3 minutes, or until very softly scrambled.  Stir and scrape all around the bottom of the pan as the egg mixture cooks.  Do not overcook--scrambled eggs should be creamy, not set.

4.  Add the tomatoes to the spicy pepper mixture, then check the seasoning.  Spoon the mixture over the scrambled eggs.  Serve immediately.

*A lot of spice for eggs.  If you love peppers, you'll love this.  It was a little much for my houe, but it sure smelt good cooking!

Banana Honey Nut Loaf

From Noble Pig

Topping
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 Tablespoon honey
Pinch of salt

Banana Loaf
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
2/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large over-ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

First make the topping in a medium-sized bowl.  Blend together flour and butter with your fingertips.  Stir in nuts, honey and salt, then work mixture together with your hands to make crumbs (mixture will be moist).  Set aside.

In a large bowl, prepare banana loaf:  Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and nutmeg.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  In a medium-size bowl, whisk eggs, honey, oil, mashed banana and vanilla.  Pour into well in flour with walnuts on top.  Stir until mixture is just combined.

Coat a 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan (make sure you are using the right size) with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper (if you do not line the pan with parchment you will lose a fair amount of your crumb topping when you have to dump the loaf out as opposed to being able to just lift it out with the parchment).  Coat the parchment with nonstick spray as well.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and sprinkle with the topping.  Place in a 350^o F oven for 55 minutes (for the first 40 minutes of baking, cover the loaf with a sheet of foil as honey browns very quickly).  If you lined the pan with parchment you can remove the loaf from the pan and place on a cooling rack as soon as you have removed it from the oven.  Otherwise, cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes before removing.


*Crumbly and crumbly, not as moist and sweet as other banana breads.

Drumsticks with sweet potatoes and pineapple

2 medium dark-orange sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced (about 3 cups)
1 can (8 oz) pineapple tidbits in unsweetened juice, undrained
½ c chicken broth
¼ c finely chopped onion
1 t grated gingerroot (if desired) (or 1/2 t ground ginger)
¼ c barbecue sauce
¼ t pepper
2 T honey
½ t dry mustard
8 chicken drumsticks, skin removed (1.5 lbs) (I used 5 drumsticks, probably weighing close to 2 lbs)

1. In a slow cooker, combine sweet potatoes, pineapple with liquid, broth, onion and gingerroot; mix well.

2. In a small bowl, combine barbecue sauce, honey and dry mustard; mix well. Coat chicken drumsticks well with barbecue sauce mixture. Arrange chicken in single layer over potato mixture n slow cooker; overlapping slightly if necessary. Soon any remaining barbeque sauce mixture over chicken.

3. Cover an cook on Low setting for 7 to 10 hours.

*I actually cooked it for 1 1/2 hours on High, then about 4 1/2 hours on Low.  The chicken was very tender.  My 2 year old and I liked the sweet potatoes (I used 1 "yam" and 1 light sweet potato), but I can think of better ways to cook them.  Drumsticks work very well in the crock pot.

Blueberry Scones

Adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

8 T unsalted butter, frozen

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup sour cream

1 large egg

Directions:

1.  Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 400 degrees.

2.  In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Use food processor to work in butter to flour mixture (mixture should resemble coarse meal).

3.  In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.

4.  Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form.  Add blueberries.  Use your hands to press dough against the bowl into a ball.

5.  Place on floured surface and pat into a 7 to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick.  Sprinkle with 1 tsp of sugar.  Cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper about 1 inch apart.  Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

The is more of a biscuit recipe than scone, but it was still a good treat.  Loved the blueberries.

Hawaiian Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken pieces
1/2 package dry onion soup mix
2/3 cup pineapple apricot jam
2/3 cup Russian salad dressing

Arrange Chicken in greased baking dish.  Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.  Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Place in freezer bag.  Label and freeze.

To serve:  Thaw.  Heat until hot and bubbly.  Serve with rice.

*Another recipe from the Relief Society freezer meals.  This was so simple to put together, Ellen ate quite a bit.  I would make this again in a crunch, but I wouldn't give it to anyone else.

Lemon Bars

I once had a Lemon Bar recipe that people actually asked me for their secret (okay, only 2 people asked, but that's pretty good, right?).  I got the urge to make these for a Cub Scout bake sale, but my old recipe was incomplete!  I found this one on a blog--it seemed like a good one to try.  I'll have to keep looking for my old recipe for two reasons; (1) this seemed to be a lot of work and (2) I remember lemon bars being a little sweeter.  They still sold at the bake sale (but I couldn't help thinking it might have been more profitable if I had just given the scouts the money I spent to make them--then I could have claimed 2 more hours of my day!).


Ingredients:
1/2 lb unsalted butter, room temp (16 T)
1/2 c sugar
1/4 t almond extract (a lovely hint of flavor!)
3 c all-purpose flour, divided
1/8 t kosker salt 
7 large eggs
1 c honey
2 T lemon zest (looking back, I would have made the zest a little finer, it didn't seem right to bite into the lemon square and have the texture of zest)
1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 5-6 lemons)
powdered sugar, for dusting


Directions:

1.  Preheat your oven to 350° and greasing a 9×13 baking dish.
2.  Cream together the butter, sugar and almond extract. Gradually add in 2 c of AP flour and all of the salt. 3.  Press the resulting dough into your baking dish. It’s likely that the dough will get really sticky, more so the warmer your hands are. If it’s hard to work with, stick the dish (dough and all) in to the fridge for a few minutes to help it firm up. It will be a lot easier to work with once it’s chilled. Prick the dough with a fork once it’s all pressed into the dish.
4.  Bake the shortbread bottom at 350° for 25 minutes, until it begins to brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool.
5.  Beat together the eggs, honey, zest, juice and remaining 1 c of AP flour.
6.  Pour the curd mixture over the shortbread and bake (still at 350°) for 25-30 minutes. You want everything to be firmly set before you pull it from the oven – no jiggling.
7.  Cool completely and cut into squares or triangles, depending on your preference.  Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

1 6-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 T diced pimento

Combine all ingredients in little crock pot.  Cover and heat 30 to 60 minutes or until hot.  Serve with tortilla chips.

*This was fair, but unless you really love artichoke hearts, I would go with another dip.  May I recommend the Creamy Spinach Dip?

Tuscan Bread Soup

From Everyday Food
Ingredients:
6 ounces country bread, torn into 1-inch pieces (3 cups)
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick
2 celery stalks, cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick
4 cloves garlic, smashed
coarse salt and ground pepper\
1 T tomato paste
1/2 head green cabbage, quartered, thinly sliced crosswise (6 cups)
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup fresh parsley leaves

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Spread bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake until pieces are dry, about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, and set aside.
2.  In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil.  Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic; season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir in tomato paste; cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3.  Add cabbage, broth, 2 cups water, and toasted bread.  Simmer over medium heat until soup is thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley.

* I wanted this to be a good recipe, as inspired by its source, to celebrate Earth Day with a meatless dish.  It smelled wonderful; however, 6 ounces of bread made much more than 3 cups for me.  It was a little much.

Chicken and Artichoke Salad

To serve hot, spread salad on slices of frozen Texas toast, sprinkle with shredded Colby-Jack cheese, and bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

4 c chopped cooked chicken breasts
14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
½ c chopped toasted pecans
½ c mayonnaise
1 t celery salt
½ t pepper
1. Stir together all ingredients; cover and chill until ready to serve.

Makes 4 servings.

*These were good and we finished them all, but they're not something I would crave.  Fun to try something new!

Citrus Sweet Potatoes

For a more intense flavor, bake whole sweet potatoes, instead of boiling them, at 350 for 1 ½ hours or until tender.

5 to 6 medium-size sweet potatoes
2 T light brown sugar
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T honey
½ t salt
1/8 t ground nutmeg
1/8 t ground cinnamon

1. Peel potatoes; cut into 1 inch pieces
2. Bring potatoes and water to cover to a boil in a large saucepan, and cook 12 minutes or until tender.
3. Drain and return potatoes to pan.
4. Add remaining ingredients. Mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth.

*I love sweet potatoes and will often enjoy them baked with a little bit of cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on them.  I used to crave them when I was pregnant and would have them as my lunch.  In other words, I was excited to try this recipe, but....high expectations often result in disappointment; it wasn't quite what I was hoping for.  I baked them in the oven and then peeled them with my fingers (they smelt so good!)  Unfortunately, the lime seemed out of place.  Also, I didn't have nutmeg, so I substituted the nutmeg and cinnamon with 1/4 t pumpkin pie seasoning.  We still ate them, but next time I'll just have them baked.

Easy Crock Pot Chicken

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 can undiluted can chddar cheese soup
2 cans undiluted cream of chicken soup
Just put in crock and let sit 6-8 hrs on low.
Just a hint, I always put in some garlic and onion powder, but you can season to your own liking and I serve over mash potatoes with some kind of rolls.

*Very easy!  My kids aren't big into mashed potatoes, so I served this over pasta.  It makes a lot of sauce.

**For lunch the next day, I used the extra sauce to make a twist on mac 'n cheese.  I broke up the left-over chicken in the sauce then added cooked tri-color rotini and broccoli.  I put it in a baking dish and sprinkled a little cheddar cheese then cooked it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (until bubbly).

Gorgonzola Pear Pasta

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 15 Min
Ready In: 25 Min
Servings 4

Ingredients
9 ounces penne pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 large pear, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
ground black pepper to taste

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the penne in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain.
2. Return the drained pasta to the pot; stir the butter, Parmesan cheese, and Gorgonzola cheese into the pasta and place over medium heat; cook until the cheese is completely melted. Pour the cream into the pasta mixture; stir. Remove from heat and fold the pear into the pasta mixture. Top with walnuts. Season with pepper to serve.

Hints:  Add chopped roasted asparagus, craisins, and an extra pear. Cook these separately on a cookie sheet covered in foil. To maximize flavor, drizzle the asparagus, cubed pears, walnuts, and craisins with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper when they're on the sheet. Cook at 350 for 10 minutes.

*So, not every day can be a Salmon day.  Seeing how I cannot rate this recipe with 3 stars, it would appear silly to even post it; yet, somehow I take comfort in my failure by posting on this blog (that and I still need a good recipe for Gorgonzola cheese--I have one, but I never need all of the Gorgonzola to put into Eloise's Salad--hence, I need another, any suggestions?)  I got this recipe from the site allrecipes.com and followed some of the hints typed above.  Unfortunately, I did not have asparagus--that would have been a nice touch.  If you feel compelled to try this recipe, I recommend not cooking the craisins; they became too chewy after heating.  I used wheat penne as well--try regular.  I did add cooked chicken.  As a bit of encouragement, Ellen gobbled this meal up (she's usually  more selective, but then she also had 3 helpings of green beans so maybe she is going through a growth spurt).  We finished our meal, but I probably won't make this again.

How to use gorgonzola cheese from Christie:  Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches.  Thanks, Christie!  We'll give them a try!

Bacon Quesadillas

Serves 4.
Prep time 5 min, total time 15 min

4 flour tortillas
1 c shredded colby & monterey jack cheese
1/4 c bacon bits
1/4 c thin green onion slices

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Top half of each tortilla with 1/4 cup of the cheese and 1 Tbsp. each of the bacon bits and green onion. Fold tortillas in half; press lightly to secure.

PLACE in single layer on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Great Substitute
Substitute 1 drained can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies for the green onions.

*These were easy, but bacon bits just don't match up to real bacon.  We actually substituted red onions for the green onions.  These was an easy way to cook quesadillas without using lots of butter.